THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
264
work, entitled Hamlah i Haidari, contains 40,000 verses in Mutaqārib metre, and describes the wars of the Prophet.
[SEPT. 6, 1872.
The last Bhāo Singh in the beginning of Aurangzib's reign turned Muhammadan and received the name of Murid Khán.
His de
scendants, according to the Maāsir, still hold
THE RAJAHs of NURPUR (DISTRICT KANGRAH). Núrpur lies north-west of Kångrah, on the Jabbarkhad, a small tributary of the Chakki, which flows into the Biàh. Its old name, Dhamerſ, the “Temmery” of old travellers, was
changed to Núrptir by Rájah Bāsū in honour of Jahāngir, whose first name was Nūruddin. The Rājahs of Núrptir are generally called in Mu hammadan histories “the zamindårs of Mau
and Paith 4 n.”
Mau was one of their strong
holds and was destroyed by Sháhjahán, and
Sh 4 hp @ r, north-west of Núrpur, near the Rávi, and “he who becomes Rájah, takes the name of Murid Khán.”
RAJAH BASU.-When Rájah Básá became zamindár, he made his submission to Akbar. But when Akbar, after the death of his brother Mírzá Muhammad Hakim, King of Kábul,
(A.H. 990) made Láhor the capital, Bāsū did not pay his respects as he was expected to do, and the Emperor ordered Hasan Beg Shaikh But when he had mov
Paithän is the same as Path a n kot, west
Umari” to invade Mau.
of Núrpár.
ed as far as Pathán, Básá, advised by Todar
-
Paithän or Pathán is mentioned in
the Ain as a parganah of the Bári Duáb, con taining 199,872 bighahs, yielding a revenue of 7,297,015 dams (40 dams=1 Akbarsháhi Rupee), and furnishing 250 horse and 2,000 foot; and Dhameri is quoted as yielding 1,600,000 dams, and furnishing 60 horse and 1,300 foot. The zamindårs of Mau and
Paithän are first
noticed in the very beginning of Akbar's reign, when Rájah Bakht Mall is mentioned as a supporter of Sikandar Sūr whom Akbar, in 965 When Bakht Mall
A. H., besieged in Mánkot.
saw that Sikandar's cause was hopeless he paid his respects in the imperial camp, and after the surrender of Mánkot, accompanied the army to Láhor, where Bairám Khán had him
executed on the ground that he had supported Sikandar Sūr. As his successor Bairám appointed I am not sure whether
his brother Takht Mall.
the names of these two Rájahs of Dhameri are correct, or whether the first ought not to be Takht Mall and the second Bakht Mall; for in every MS. of the Akbarnāmah that I have
seen, the two names are continually interchanged. Nearly thirty-two years later we hear of Rájah Bāsū as reigning zamindār of Mau and Pathán.
It is not stated how he was related
to Bakht Mall and Takht Mall; but the his torians of the reigns of Sháhjahán and Aurang zíb look upon him as the founder of a new line, and give the following genealogical tree:– Rajah Bāsū of
sº
(Dies 1022.)
(1) Süraj Mall. (2) Mádhu Singh. |
1. Rájrūp. (Dies 1077.)
- Wide A'in translation, p. 454.
t A'in translation, pp. 314, 411.
(3) Jagat Singh. | (Dies 1055.) | 2. Bháo Singh.
(Murid Khán.)
Mall, made his submission and went with Hasan Beg to court. In the 41st year, however, he rebelled again, and Akbar appointed Mírzá Rus
tam and Áºaf Khánt to reduce the district; but as the commanders did not agree, Akbar
recalled them and gave the command to Jagat Singh, son of Rájah Mán Singh. Mau surren dered to him and peace was restored. In the 47th year, Bási rebelled a third time, and when
an imperial corps was again despatched to Pathán he requested Prince Salim (Jahāngir) to intercede on his behalf with the emperor. He waited on the prince, and accompanied him, in the 49th year, to court. Before he had reach ed the capital, Akbar heard that Băsă was with Salim, and ordered an officer to seize him. But
Básá was informed of this and escaped to his hills. On the accession of Jahāngir, in 1014 (A. D. 1605), Bāsū paid his respects and was appointed Rájah and commander of 3500. In the 6th year, he served in the Dakhin, and died, two years later, in 1022. He was suc ceeded by his eldest son— SURAJ MALL.-He is said to have been so
unruly that Bāsū, from fear, imprisoned him. Jahāngir after some hesitation, appointed him Rājah and commander of 2,000, and left him in possession of his paternal estates. Suraj Mall served with Shaikh Farid; in the siege of Ká ng r a h; but when he saw that the fort was on the point to surrender, he created dis turbances in the camp, and Farid reported him to court as a rebel. Sūraj managed to obtain
Prince Sháhjahán's intercession, and was par doned.
In the 11th year, Farid died and Kán
grah still held out. Stiraj then served with .* For a biography of this excellent man, vide A'in, transla tion, p. 413.