MUZAFFARNAGAR. 69 revolution of 1712, when Farukhsiyyar was clevated to the throne, belongs to the general history of India. As a reward for the important services rendered on that occasion, Sayyid Abdullá was appointed Wazir of the Empire, and Sayyid Husáin Ali was made commanderin-chief. On their fall in 1724, the power of the Bárha family began to wane, until, in 1737, they were almost exterminated, on a pretext of rebellious designs, by their inveterate enemy the Wazir Kamar-ud-din. During the whole of the disastrous 18th century, Muzaffarnagar suffered from the same Sikh incursions which devastated the remainder of the Upper Doáb. The Sikhs were assisted in their raids by the Gújars, whose roving semi-nomad life made them ever ready to join in rebellion against the Government of the time. As regularly as the crops were cut, Sikh chieftains poured their predatory hordes into the Doáb, and levied an organized black-mail. The country was divided between them into regular circuits, and each chieftain collected requisitions from his own circuit only. It was during this period of unsettled and anarchic insecurity that those mud forts began to spring up which became in time so characteristic of the Upper Doáb. In 1788 the District fell into the hands of the Maráthás, under whom the famous military adventurer, George Thomas, was appointed Warden of the Marches,' and endeavoured with some success to prevent the constant raids across the Junina. The Begam Samru of Sardhana in MEERUT DISTRICT held large possessions in the southern parganás at the end of the last century, After the fall of ALIGARH in 1803, the whole Doáb as far north as the Siwálik Hills came, without a blow, under the power of the British, and Muzaffarnagar was at first attached to Moradabad. A final Sikh invasion occurred in the following year, encouraged by the advance of Holkar's forces ; but it was promptly suppressed by Colonel Burn, who drove the intruders back across the river. In 1804, Muzaffarnagar was included in the new District of Saharanpur ; and in 1824, the nucleus of the present District was formed by the creation of a subCollectorship with jurisdiction over 13 out of the existing 17 parganás. No events of importance disturbed the peace of Muzaffarnagar for many years after the conquest. The construction of the great canals gave an impetus to agriculture, and the security of British rule allowed the cultivators to repair their fortunes, which had suffered greatly during the long anarchy of the Sikh and Maráthá struggle. The first incident which broke the course of civil administration was the Mutiny of 1857. On the news of the outbreak at MEERUT, the Magistrate of Muzaffarnagar, influenced by exaggerated reports of a general rising throughout the Doáb, issued orders that all the public offices should be closed. This measure naturally produced a general impression that British rule was suspended. At first there was no
