Gazetteer of Ulwur

CD o o S: P K UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT LOS ANGELES ' ~ HIGHNESS MAHARAO RAJA MAUGAL SINGH, CHIEF OF UI.WUR. GAZETTEER OF ULWUR. BY MAJOR P. W. tPOWLETT, LATE SETTLEMENT OFFICER OF ULWUR. LONDON: TRUBNER & CO., LUDGATE HILL. 1878. gallanivne fJrrss. HALLANTYNE, HANSON ANJ) CO. EDINBURGH AND LONDON ERRATA. " " Page 19, line 15 from top, for Huchdwan," read Kucbawan." " " 20, 3 from bottom, for Samral," read Samrat." " " 23, 7 from top, for Before his death," read Before his death, in in the year of turmoil, 1857." " " 31, 21 for tree," read trees." " read " ., 32, 36 for Phythanthus," Phyllanthus." " " 36, 9 for Bubbul," read Bulhul." " " 37, 20 for Mathra," read Mathura." " " 39, 24 for Chauhdm," read Chauhdn." " 52, 13 omit stop after Baldeo." " " 59, 24 for Lds Das," read Ldl Dds." " " 61, 13 for Dadoi," read Dadu." " " 66, 2 from bottom, for dekhai," read dekhat." " 67, 10 omit comma between Nakh, Sakh." " " 95, 24 for this property," read the property.'' " " 97, 15 for acres," read bighas." " " 105, 2 for Silthet," read Silhet." 14 see 127, ,, from top, for "the area, &c., page 191," read "present rent rates and Revenue, see pages 187 and 189." " " 136, 21 from bottom, for 191," read 189." " " 139, 28 for 191," read 189." " " 140, at bottom, for 191," read 189." ,,142, 13 from bottom, for "191," read" 189." " " 144, 30 for 188, 192," read 187, 189." " " 154, 11 from top, for Alwar," read Ulwur." " " 160, 9 for partly in," read partly in Kater." " " 162, 14 from bottom,/or tahsis," read tahsils." " " 196, 9 for Banisrdwab," read Bainsrdwat." " " 197, 9 for Kahan," read Kalian." " " 197, 8 for Kahir," read Kabir." " " ,,198, 7 from top, /or Dasapra," read Dasahra." " " 198, 11 from bottom, for 88," read 98." , PART I. HISTORICAL SKETCH. CHAPTER I. THE present territory of the Ulwur State, which is 3024 square miles in g extent, and contains a population of about 800,000, is composed of several tracts called the Raht, the Wai, portions of Narukhand or the Naruka 03 country, of the Rajawat country, and of Mewdt. It lies S.W. of Dehli, 3 its nearest point being about thirty-five miles distant from that city. The Raht lies on the north-west border. It is the country of Chauhan Rajputs, the head of whom claims to be the living representative of the famous Pirthwi Raj, king of Dehli, who fell in battle with the invading Musalmans. The Wai is on the western border, and is occupied chiefly by Rajputs of the Shekhawat clan, which is BO important in the adjoining State of Jaipur. The Rajawat country, in the south-west, was the territory of the once powerful Rajawat Rajputs of Jaipur. Narukhand, in the south-east, was held by the Naruka Rajputs. More " regarding these small tracts will be found under Districts," and a general description of the State at the beginning of Part II. The city of Ulwur, which is situated near the centre of the State, is in Mewat, of which it is now the largest and most important town. More than half the territory of the State, too, is in Mewat. The famous hills and strongholds of Mewtlt are in the part now included within the limits of Ulwur. In that portion, too, has usually been for many centuries the t of its Government. An historical sketch of Ulwur must, then, begin T with some notice of this tract. ^ The ancient country of Mewat may roughly be described as contained within a line running irregularly northwards from Dig in Bhartpur to about or somewhat above the latitude of Rewari, then westwards below Rewari to the longitude of a point six miles west of the city of Ulwur, A 356120 ( 2 ) nnd then south to the Bdrah stream in Ulwur. The line then turning east- wards, would run to Dig, and approximately form the southern boundary of the tract. The Mewat country possesses several hill ranges. Those under which lie the city of Ulwur and those which form the present boundary to the north-east were the most important. Tijara, lying near the latter, con- tended with Ulwur for the first place in Mewat* of are called are Musal- The mass of the population Mewdt Meos ; they mans, and claim to be of Rajput extraction (see Meos). They must not, however, be confounded with the Mewatti chiefs of the Persian historians, who were, probably, the representatives of the ancient Lords of Mewat. These Mewattis were called Khdnzadas (see Khanzadas), a race which, though Musalman like the Meos, was and is socially far superior to the Meos, who have no love for them, but who in times past have united with them in the raids and insurrections for which Mewdt was so famous, and which made it a thorn in the side of the Dehli emperors. In fact, the " " " " expression Mewatti usually refers to the ruling class, while Meo designates the lower orders. The latter term is evidently not of modern I in origin, though it is not, believe, met with history, and the former is, " I think, now unusual, Khdnzada" having taken its place. Mewat is repeatedly mentioned by the bard Chand in the Pirthwi Rdj Rdsa. Mahesh, Lord of Mewdt (Mendtpatti)^ is described as doing homage to Bisaldeo Chauhan of Ajmir in s. 821 (A.D. 764), and his descendant " " Mungal was conquered by the famous Pirthwi Raj of Dehli. Mungal and Pirthwi Raj married sisters, who were daughters of the Dahima Rajput, Chief of Biana, whose fort was afterwards so celebrated in Mughal history. That these Lords of Mewat were of the Jadii Rajput clan, would appear from the fact that local tradition declares it, and from converted " Jddiis being called by the old Musalman historians Mewdttis,"f a term Chand applies to a Mewdt chief of the Lunar race, of which race the Jddii of calls the Maharaja Karauli himself head (see page 3, note f). The earliest mention of Mewat by the Musalman historians, so far as I can ascertain, is in the Tarikh Firoz Shdhi, where its control by the Emperor Shamsuddin Altamsh, who died in A.D. 1235, is alluded to.J Some years after that date, Ghiyasuddin Balban, before he came to the throne, and when Governor of Hdnsi and Rewari, distinguished himself in expeditions against the inhabitants of Mewdt. After the accession of Balban in A.D. 1265, he felt the repression of the plunderers of Mewat to be the first of his duties. Owing to the neglect of those in power, they had troublesome indeed aided become very ; and, by the density and extent of the jungles, which reached to the city of Dehli, they made raids even to the walls, and the gates had to be shut at afternoon prayer, * Elliot's Mus. vol. iv. 273. -f Hist., p. Blochman's Aiu-i-Akbari, vol. i. p. 334. vol. iii. 104. 1 1bid., p. Brigg's Translation of Farishta, voL i. p. 249. ( 3 ) after which hour no one ventured out. At night they prowled into the city, and the inhabitants felt very insecure. The Emperor organised an expedition against the Mewattis, of whom large numbers were put to the sword. Police posts were established in the vicinity of the city, and placed in charge of Afghdns, with assignments of land for maintenance, and the army being supplied with hatchets, cleared away the woods round Dehli. The tract thus cleared was considerable, and became well cul- tivated.* This operation of Balban's seems to have been so effectual that there is little mention of Mewdt for a hundred years, during which the chiefs of Mewat appear to have maintained satisfactory relations with the authorities at Dehli. For after the death of Emperor Ffroz Shah in 1 388, we find Bahadar Ndhar Mewdtti, whose stronghold was at Kotila or Kotal in the Tijdra hills, occupying the place of a powerful noble at Dehli. This Bahddar Ndhar, a Jadii Rdjput by birth, is the reputed founder of the Khauzada race, which became so renowned in the history of the empire, f In conjunction with the household slaves of Ffroz Shah, Bahadar Ndhar aided Abubakar, grandson of the late Emperor Firoz, in expelling from Dehli Abubakar's uncle Ndsiruddin, and in establishing the former on the throne. In a few months, however, Abubakar had to give way before Ndsiruddin, and he then fled to Bahddar Ndhar's stronghold, Kotila, where he was pursued by Ndsiruddin. After a struggle Abubakar and Bahddar Ndhar surrendered, and Abubakar was placed in confinement for life, but Bahddar Ndhar received a robe and was allowed to depart. Two years later, the Emperor being ill, Bahddar Ndhar plundered the country to the gates of Dehli, but Nasiruddin, before he had quite re- covered from his illness, hastened to Mewdt and attacked Kotila, from whence Bahddar Ndhar had to fly to Jhirka, a few miles to the south in the same range of hills, and remarkable for its springs. In A.D. 1392, the Emperor Nasiruddin died, and Bahddar Ndhar, allied with one Mallii Yakbal Khan, held the balance between two rival claim- ants of the throne. | He would not allow either to gain an advantage over the other, so that for three years there were two emperors residing in the city of Dehli. * See Brigg's Farishta, vol. i. 255, and Musalman Historians, vol. iii. p. 104. t In speaking of Hasan Khan, the Mewdtti or Khanzdda Chief who was Bdbar's great opponent, one Musalman historian states that his family had enjoyed regal power up to the time of Firoz Shah, when Bahadar Ndhar flourished.

Load more