BILASPUR.
446
The Mahanadi, though
only flows for about twenty-five miles along
it
the south-eastern extremity of
the District, forms the centre of the
drainage system of Bilaspur.
A
magnificent river during the rains,
attaining in places a breadth of two miles, the
down
Mahanadi
in
the hot
narrow stream creeping through a vast expanse of sand, which may almost anywhere be forded with ease. Most of the waters of the District flow from the northern and western
season dwindles
hills
to a
but these ranges constitute a distinct watershed, and give birth to
other streams, which, flowing north and west, and leaving Bilaspur behind
them, by degrees assume the dignity of
which
rises in
rushing picturesquely over contains
District
Such are the Son (Soane),
rivers.
a marshy hollow in Pendra, and the Narbada (Nerbudda), the
extensive
rocky heights of Amarkantak. The most of which, however, are
forests,
The
zam'mddr't, or private property.
only large tracts of Government
Lormf and Lamni hills in the and the Sonakhan area to the south-east, the total area of the former being 190,269 acres, and of the latter, 97,503. Until the invasion of the Marathas, Bilaspur was governed History. by the Haihai Bans! kings of Ratanpur, whose annals are lost in the lorest are the wastes spreading over the
north-west,
—
The
mist of antiquity. earliest
line,
are related in the Jaimini
The god, disguised Mayur Dwaja’s body to test his faith. but when all was in two with a saw
(Jaiminiya Aswamedha). half of
be cut
Mayur Dwaja, the Purdna
dealings of Krishna with
recorded prince of the
as a
Brahman, asked
The king consented
for
to
ready, Krishna revealed
showered blessings on the head of the pious prince. From this time until the Maratha invasion, no man used the saw throughout the land. The Rajas at Ratanpur ruled originally over 36 the place of forts, and hence the tract was called Chhati'sgarh, or himself,
and
‘
36
forts.’
But on the accession of the twentieth Raja, Surdeva, about
750 A.D., Chhati'sgarh was divided into two sections; and while Surdeva continued to govern the northern half from Ratanpur, his younger brother, Brahmadeva, moved to Raipur and held the southern From this time two separate Rajas ruled in Chhati'sgarh jiortion. for though nine generations later the direct line from Brahmadeva became extinct, a younger son from the Ratanpur house again proceeded to Raipur, whose issue continued in power till the advent of
the Marathas.
The 36
a tdluk, comprising a
sometimes as feudal
forts
Bilaspur District, ii are 1
reality
villages,
relations
by Surdeva,
8th karkati appears to have been
Dadu Rai about now included in
each the head-quarters of
held sometimes khdm, and or influential chiefs.
Of
compared with the present khdlsd jurisdictions, and 7 are zain'mddtis,Q
the 18 divisions retained
the
were in
number of tenures, by
as
made over
1480, as a dowry to his daughter. Bilaspur, Pandaria
to
Rewa by Raja Of other tracts
and Kawarda on the
west, were
