—
FYZ
467
father's death.
Success was within their grasp they were hanging over the unguarded chief asleep and unarmed, when a fit of repentance seized them they agreed not to kill a helpless foe but as a sign that his life had been in their hands, they carried of his arms, leaving their own in their place. In the morning Zabardast Khan recognised the arms he understood what had happened, sought a reconciliation with his cousins, and, a thing which very rarely happens in Oudh, appeased the blood-feud. The estate of Maniarpur prospered, and its rent-roll was at one time Rs. 3,50,000. "We have no particulars concerning the geographical extent of the Hasanpur raj.
The
following, extract from Sleeman exhibits the struggles of the rival parties in southern Fyzabad, and introduces to the Tour in Oudh, vol. I., reader the powerful but turbulent and uncourtly ^^^^ '
"
The
Gargbansis history, for the last
few years, of the estate of Muneearpoor
involves that of the estate of Kupragow and Seheepoor, held by the family of the late Hurpaul Sing, and may be interesting as illustrative of the state of society in Oudh. Hurpaul Sing's family is shown in the accompanying note.* " In the year A.D. 1821, after the death of Purotee Sing, his second son, Nihal Sing, held one-half of the estate, and resided in Seheepoor and the family of his eldest son, Gunga Persaud, held the other half and resided in Kupragow. The whole paid a revenue to Government of between six and seven hundred rupees a year, and yielded a rent-roll of something more than double that sum. The neighbouring estate of Muneearpoor, yielding a rent-roll of about three hundred and fifty thousand rupees a year, was held by Roshan Zuman Khan, in whose family it has been for many generations. He had an only brother, Busawan IQian, who died, leaving a widow Bussoo, and a daughter, the beebee or lady Sogura. Roshan Zuman Khan also died, leaving a widow, Rahamanee, who succeeded to the estate, but soon died and left it to the lady Sogura and her mother. They made Nihal Sing Gurgbunsee, of Seheepoor, manager of their affairs. From the time that he entered upon the management, Nihal Sing began to increase the number of his followers from his own clan, the Gurgbunsees and having now become powerful enough, he turned out his mistress and took possession of her estate in collusion with the local authorities.
Rajah Dursan Sing, who then, 1836, held the contract for the district, wished to take advantage of the occasion to seize vipon the estate for himself, and a quarrel in consequence took place between him and Nihal Sing. Unable, as a public servant of the State, to lead his own troops against him, Dursan Sing instigated Baboo Bureear Sing of Bhetee, a powerful tallookdar, to attack Nihal Sing at night with all the armed followers,
- Purotee Sing tad two sons, Gunga Persaud and Nihal Sing. Gunga Persaud, had one
Seosewak, who had three sons, Seoumber Sing, Hobdar Sing, and Hurpaul Sing. Seoumber Sing had one son, Ram Saroop Sing, the present head of the family, who holds the fort and estate of Kupradehee. Hobdar Sing had one son, who died young. Harpaul Sing died young. Nihal Sing had no son, but left a widow, who holds a share of onehalf of the estate and resides at Seheepoor. son,
GG2
