påsi—not possible by any etymological law of change,—and he has lost sight of his Bhar dynasty in order to invent an origin for the word Rájpasia. And here, as another illustration, it may be as well to state an account which the Rájpasias elsewhere give of themselves. They say that they are no more than a branch of the great Pási family which came from Gujarát in the west. That after a time they fell out and fought; that in the battle some took to their beds (khatiyas), and were thenceforth known as Khatiks, others took to the trees (bághs), and were ever afterwards called Báchals; that they the remaining and victorious section, received the title of the Rajpasias or 'conquering Pásis.' More native ingenuity; but the derivation Rájpasias is here likely enough, and has its counterpart in the Ráj-Bhars, which are sometimes met with in eastern Oudh, and who must surely derive their name from some former times of conflict, when they rose victorious over their fellow-tribesmen. But whether there was such a dynasty of Bhars or not, or whether or not he Rájpasias are descended from them, the Pásis and Arakhs always claim to be of kin to the Bhars.
LUCKNOW Pargana[1]—Tahsil Lucknow—District Lucknow.—The pargana of Lucknow lies round the city, which, with cantonments, is situated towards the south-west in latitude 26° 70' and longitude 30° 85. It is very irregular in shape. While the boundaries of parganas Malihabad on the west and Mahona on the north approach to within eight or nine miles of the capital; it throws up a spur to the north-west between these two parganas, which penetrates into the heart of the pargana of Malihabad to a point about eight miles to the north of the town of Malihabad itself. To the east the pargana is bounded by Dewa, and to the south, and west by Mohanlalganj and Bijnaur. The total area is one hundred and sixty-five square miles, of which ninety six-square miles are cultivated, and thirty square miles or 18,653 acres are said to be culturable, but practically the cultivation in the pargana has reached its limits, some 5,000 acres of the so-called culturable area is under groves, and a great deal of the rest is comprehended within cantonments, which cover an area of 7,265 acres.
The river Gumti flows directly through the pargana, which it enters at about ten miles to the north, and passing under the old fort of the city, which lies on its right bank, takes a bend to the east and leaves the pargana about eight miles off, to become the boundary line of that of Mohanlalganj. The course of this river is tortuous, and its bed lies low. At Alambágh, close to the city, the height above sea level is 403, and the water level at the same point is 341, showing a difference of 62 feet. Its current is generally slow, though rapid during the rains, and it is fordable at but few places, Its average breadth is fifty yards. The river, together with two small streams on its right bank, and the Kukráel on its left, which rises on the north of the village of Asti in Mahona and falls into the river below Bíbípur, drain the pargana.
The land on either side of the Gumti for some distance from its banks is of a poor quality; it is either broken into deep ravines or divided
- ↑ By Mr. H. A. Butts, Assistant Commissioner,
