2
BIJAIGARH—BIJAPUR. The
miles south of Benares.
times, but the existing fortress
hill is
423
was no doubt occupied
attributed to the
in very early
Emperor Sher Shah.
It was subsequently occupied by the Chandel Rdja of Bijaigarh, but was seized by Balwant Singh, the founder of the family of the Raja of
Benares, about 1772.
In 1781, his son Chait Singh, in his rebellion
Warren Hastings, took refuge in this fort, but, on the advance of Major Popham, fled precipitately with all the treasure he could remove. His wife and mother, who remained, defended the fortress for
against
a time, but Anally surrendered to the British.
Bijaigarh.
—Town
Area, 41 acres.
Aligarh District, North-Western
in
Provinces.
Agricultural town, advancing in prosperity.
Held
post-oflrce, ancient fort.
School,
1803 by Bhagwant Singh, who was Monument to Colonel Gordon, killed
in
not dislodged without trouble.
by an accidental explosion after the capture of the fort. Distant 1 miles from Aligarh, 10 miles from Sikandra. Bijapur. Sub-division of Kaladgi District, Bombay Presidency. Area, 869 square miles, with i village and 91 towns ; occupied houses, 12,657; population (1881) 76,896, namely, 38,235 males and
—
Hindus number 66,853; Muhammadans, 9646; and
38,661 females. ‘
The
others,’ 397.
Dhow, but
of this tract
soil
in other parts
it
is
of the country, which, though
and 4 criminal
regular police, 80
men
name
in
long.
75° 46' 5" E.
Kaladgi
tion
village
the valley of the
destitute
of
The
trees,
is
well
watchmen
supplied
Sub-division contains
District,
Bombay
i
strength of
{chauk'iddrs), 389.
— Chief town of the Sub-division of the Presidency.
Lat.
same
16° 49' 45" n.,
Fifty-two miles north-east of Kaladgi, 130 miles
of Satara, and
(1881)
fertile in
courts, with 7 police stations (thdtids)
Bijdpur {Vijayapurd).
south-east
very
Climate dry and healthy.
with water. civil
is
barren, owing to the undulating nature
11,424,
160 miles south-east of Poona. Popula8422 Hindus, 2931 Musalmans, 42
namely,
Area of town site, 1361 acres. 8 Christians, and 21 Parsis. Municipal revenue in 1880-81, ^234 rate of taxation, 4|d. per head of population (11,757) within municipal limits; municipal expenditure
Jains,
same year, ;^253. Sub-judge’s court, post-office, railway station, and dispensary. Bijapur has been recently made the head-quarters of in the
Kalddgi
District.
The founder
Musalman State of Bijapur was, according to Murad ii., the Osmanli Sultan, on whose death his son and successor, Muhammad ii., gave orders that all his own brothers From this fate one only, named Yusaf, escaped should be strangled. by a stratagem of his mother. After many adventures, Yusaf is said to of the
Ferishta, a son of
have entered the service of the King of Ahmadabad-Bidar, where he On the king’s death, he with-
rose to the highest offices of state.
drew from Ahmadabad
to Bijapur,
and declared himself
its
king; the
