my subordinates were too weak to capture" (page 77). "On 16th February I arrived near the forts of Kaluparah, Mutri, Karkahi, Khurdiha and [three] others,-seven forts close to each other on the side of a high hill. An assault was ordered next day. When our troops appeared near the forts, the enemy in a numberless host "consisting of parks and infantry, both Khudshan (?) and zamindars of Banki and Ranpur, and other Bhumiahs and Khandaits,-offered battle. Our men slew many of them and carried their trenches at the foot of the hill and after repeated charges entered their [main ?] lines. The enemy fought with matchlocks, arrows, khandahs, sablis, duars, dhukans, sintis, etc., but being unable to resist fled away with their families. A great victory-unequalled by that of any former subahdar-was won, The seven forts were captured. Two or three days were spent in settling the conquered district and appointing thanahs" (pages 99-101).

!

"On 20th February, 1661, I left for the conquest of Khurda, the ancestral home of Mukund Dev, situated in the midst of a dense jungle and lofty hills (page 78). On the 23rd, I encamped a mile from Khurda. The Rajah had fled from it, and we seized a vast amount of booty and many prisoners at his capital" (page 102). "During the last 50 years, no other subahdar had reached these places. They were all conquered by my army and the rustics became the food of the pitiless sword. I gave Mukund Dev's throne to his younger brother Bhunarbal" (page 78). [Stirling spells the name as Bhowerber]. The victorious subahdar halted at Khurda for some days. The fate of the premier Rajah of the province struck a salutary terror in the hearts of the other evil-doers. "All lawless men are now waiting on me with every mark of abject submission. The zamindar of Banki and Khand Narendra (the zamindar of Ranpur) have sent trusty agents to arrange for their interview with me. The path for collecting the revenue has been opened in all places and mahals. Rajah Mukund Dev, who had been ill-advised enough to defy my authority and withhold tribute, finding no way of escape from our herocs, saw me penitently on 18th March,

The rebel Bharat [Patnayak], too, has done the same" (pages 158-159). Mukund Dev was afterwards restored to his throne, as we know from other sources.

An interesting bit of the history of the Khurda Rajahs is furnished in a letter of Khan-i-Dauran to his agent at the Imperial Court. "Received your letter reporting that a counterfeit Gangadhar has gone to the Court and secured an interview with Kumar Ram Singh [Kachhwa, son of Mirza Rajah Jay Singh] through the mediation of Rai Brindabandas, the musharraf of the elephant department, and offered to pay every year 12 lakhs of rupees as tribute if the State is given to him. When I arrived in this province, Mukund Dev was the Rajah of Khurda. As he caused disturbances, I expelled him from his zamindari and gave the tika of Rajahship to his younger brother and reported the case to the Emperor. I have learnt the following facts from trustworthy men :-when the late Mutaqad [] Khan was subahdar, he slew Narsingh Dev and made his nephew Gangadhar Rajah. Balabhadra Dev, the elder brother of the slain, became Rajah after killing Gangadhar with the help of the officers of the State. When he died, Mukund Dev succeeded at the age of four years only. During the administration of Muhammad Haiat, the agent of Shuja, a pretended Gangadhar appeared and created a disturbance. He was slain by a confederacy of the zamindars near Katak. After my arrival in the province, another man claiming to be the same (Rajah) appeared in Tilmal (in South Orissa). Muhammad Jan, the faujdar of that district, arrested him and sent him to me, and he is still confined in the fort of Mankhandi at Katak. They say another man assuming the same name is roving in the jungles" (pages 186-187).

SECTION 9.-MORE CONQUESTS BY KHAN-I-DAURAN.

On 8th March 1661, the subahdar left Katak to chastise Lakshmi Narayan Bhanj, the Rajah of Keonjhur, who had wrested the fort of Machhara or Bachhara from Shuja's men

[*] The Persian Ms. reads Mutamad, a mistake.

(pages 58-59). His territory was ravaged and the fort in question recovered (pages 52 and 129).

At a subsequent date (probably), Bahadur, the rebel zamindar of Hijli, was captured with his family (page 116).

After Khan-i-Dauran had expelled Mukund Dev from Khurda, "Khand Narendra, the zamindar of Ranpur and the zamindars of Malhipārah and Dunparah, who had never before waited on any subahdar," saw him and agreed to pay tribute (page 103). "The zamindars on the further side of the Katjhuri, who had withheld tribute and fought the faujdar, Saiyid Sher Khan, were defeated" (page 59).

At the same time the Mughal faujdar of Maluh, on the southern frontier of Orissa, was engaged in suppressing the rebellion of Pitām, the zamindar of Andhiari, and Kumar Guru, the zamindar of Maluh (page 158).

on ریکه

The zamindari of Kanika was conquered by Mian Muhammad Jan, and the Rajah was driven out to a fort named Rika? an island in the ocean. In order to besiege him there chhamp boats of the river Mahanadi and larger boats too were sent to Muhammad Jan, with the help of Gopali, the zamindar of Kujang (pages 167 and 168).

Rão Tara [or Rawat Rai],["] the zamindar of Kuyilu Madhupur, was thrown into prison for heavy arrears of revenue to the imperial exchequer for the parganah of Awlās. Gopali of Kujang also suffered the same fate (pages 170 and 172).

Khwajah Khalid Naqshbandi laid siege to the fort of Kulrah and carried mines under its walls. Then Sri Chandan [or Harichandan ?], the qiladar, begged quarter. He was promised his life, but thrown into prison and the fort was taken possession of. So also was another fort named Katkal (page 176).

Chhut Rai, the zamindar of Kailikot

[] evidently

in the neighbourhood of Narayangarh, had dispersed the ryots of (the parganah of) Medinipur and built a fort in the jungle with

[*] On page 172 the name is spelt as [] I am doubtful about this locality. the extreme south of Orissa.

.2 Bar-avatar) باراوترا

Page 160 scems to imply that it was in

evil intentions (page 190). But his sons were thrown into prison, and he seems to have submitted, for we read in another letter how a parwanah was sent to him to stop the horse-dealers who used to deviate from the Imperial road and take their horses by way of Banpur. They were to be sent to the provincial governor in future (page 160).

Rajah Nilkantha Dev was a loyal servant of the empire and fought under the Mughal banners with his contingent (page 143). Pargana Qutbshahi was his jagir, which he administered through his agent Gajadhar. Rs. 4,400 were due from the Rajah as arrears of revenue (pages 145 and 165). His brothers were placed in confinement by Ihtisham Khan for default, but Khan-iDauran secured their release (page 156).

The result of these operations was the restoration of Imperial authority in Orissa. The country again enjoyed peace and order and the Imperial revenue, which had entirely dried up during the interregnum, began to be realized again. Khan-i-Dauran could legitimately boast of his military successes, which in his own words were " unrivalled by any preceding subahdar." As he wrote in his despatches to the Emperor Aurangzib, “I have punished all the usurpers, oppressors, and lawless men of the province and made them obedient. The revenue is being collected by our officers. The people are enjoying peace and happiness and plying their trades " (page 49). And, again, a year later, about April, 1662, he wrote, "The province is being well administered" (page 54).