— GOP
577
In the Banjara-tola of Gopamau there are to this day six Muhammadan Banjaras, two men of about forty and four boys who style themselves Sayyad Sdlari Banjaras, and claim to be sprung from those of his camp followers who survived the massacre.
The
truth probably is that Lai Pir's campaign was against the Thatheand that the Chishti Shekhs belong to a later settlement which arrived after the Thatheras had been displaced by the Ahbans. A similar difficultyis mentioned at p. 144 of the Lucknow Settlement Report, pargana Kursi. There the Janw^rs of Saindur seem not to have displaced the Bhars, but yet " somehow to have helped in the resistance to Sayyad Musadd's invasion. Yet the Musalmans say that they were opposed by ras,
no one but the
Bhars."
Besides the Sayyad Salari Banjaras, the descendants of two Pathans NasratuUa Khan Ghazi and Jafar Khan, who accompanied Sayyad Salar in his Oudh campaign are still living there. The author of notes on the Tribes of Oudh says of this invasion and its traces (p. 64)
" The tomb of Sayyad Salar at Bahraich is adinittedly a cenotaph erected two hundred years after his death, but the groves which still exist at the various points of his march are presumed to have been constructed by his orders. The fact that so small an army marched successfully through a considerable tract of country suggests that it met with less opposition than Mahomedan traditions assert, and the construction of permanent tombs for those who died seems to favour the supposition. I am inclined to urge from the preservation of these tombs that the Mahomedans were not received with particular rancour and that the extirpation of the army after its defeat is doubtful. The occupation by the Mahomedan force must have lasted nearly three years." At Nagrdm and Amethi in pargana Mohanlalganj " muhallas are still existing, containing it is said the descendants of Sayyad Salar 's old followers who founded them." ( Lucknow Settlement Report).
A fuU account of the coming of the Ahbans claiming " a long descent in Oudh
such as noother clan can rival or approach," of their displacement and foundation of the great Mitauli raj will be found under the Kheri history. Here I will only give the tradition current among the small Ahban settlement round Bhainsri, and supplemented by the oldest Brahman the writer could find at Gopamau, the venerable of the Thatheras,
Sobha Acharaj, aged ninety.
Once on a time, say they, two brothers of our tribe, Gopi and Sopi, started from our ancient home in the west at Anhalw&a Patau on a pilgrimage to holy Gya. Their way lay through Kanauj, whose raja Jai Chand besought their aid in subduing the turbulent rebels of the G^njar. In those days the Thatheras held the land from the Ganges to Mitauli, and southwards to the Loni Nadi. Now the rdja sought their aid in this Throwing a leaf of pan and betelnut (bira) on the ground he cried wise. ".who is so bold as to undertake this enterprise." And Gopi and Sopi stepped forth and took it up and each ate half.
O O
