Page:Gazetteer of the province of Oudh ... (IA cu31924024153987).pdf/679

This page needs to be proofread.

GUN

601

And he slew

the Gaur, JSj whose stronghold was at Aira K^kemau, and ruled the land around through the Bais, and stablished himself in his stead. And R^m Chandar had three sons, Alsukh Rae, Lakm Eae and Kans. And one of them took Bangalpur and was called Bangali,

who

from him

is sprung Mja Randhir Singh of Bhardwan. And another took Pipargaon, and was known as Piparha, from him are sprung Ldiq Singh of Mandauli, and Sahib Singh and Raghbar Singh of Kakra. And the third took Bhaira Majhgaon and was styled Bhairhia. From him are descended the zamindars of Atrauli and Jagsara. Still may you see the great bricks of the palace of the Raja of Jagsara. Of them are built the houses of the zamindars. And ever and anon the ploughman's share strikes -against one or other of the hundred and one wells. Was not one brought to light last year?

Not very much is to be got out of this tradition. Of the Jhojhas very known. The Census Report shows none of them in Oudh, but in Bulandshahr and Anupshahr they are believed to be converted slaves of Rathors, Chauhans, and Tunwars. They are excellent cultivators and the country proverb is " employ a Jhojha as your ploughman and you may sit at home and play backgammon," (Elliot's Glossary I., 138.) little is

As they are not allowed to intermarry with converted Rajputs, it seems clear that they occupied the same place in local history as the Bhars, Thatheras and Rajpasias. In the north-east corner of the adjacent pargana of Malihabad the country occupied by them was called Tappa Ratan, where they had two large forts in Mai and Ant of which a huge well and the foundations of one of the walls still remain (Lucknow Report, pargana Malihabad). Mr. Butts thinks they are converted Bhars " who with no leaders of their own after the invasion and defeat of their Raja Kans of Kansmandi by Sayyad Salar, yielded to the threats of the Musalmans and embraced their faith. This is the only way of accounting for them. They are the last people that remain in tradition, and no other Musalman invasion taking the form of a crescentade is known."

To explain the Kanauj Raja Mandhdta who displaces the Jhojhas, rules a time at Jagsara, and then leaves his kingdom in charge of the Gaurs, crosses the Gumti to Manwan in Sitapur where he dies, we have only to remember that after the loss of Kanauj, Bari in Sitapur became the Hindu capital. Bari is only four miles from the border of pargana Gund-

for

wa across the Gumti, and Manwan four miles south of Bari is still nearer. From Jagsara to Manwan as the crow flies is not more than 13 miles. In his account of Sultan Mahmud's Kanauj campaign of A.D. 1018 (409 H.) the twelfth Indian expedition, Nizam-ud-din Ahmad states that the Governor of Kanauj, whose name was Kora, submitted to,him, sought his protection, and brought him presents. " Bird says he was called Kora from the appellation of his tribe ; but there is no such tribe unless Gaur be meant, which would be spelt in nearly a similar form." (Elliot's History of India II., 461.)

The main event

of thij next campaign, the battle of the Eahib, seems