A Journey through the Kingdom of Oude, Volumes I & IISleeman, W. H. (William Henry), Sir
History
A Journey through the Kingdom of Oude, Volumes I & II
Sleeman, W. H. (William Henry), Sir
Oudh (India) -- Description and travel
Dursun Sing's family now pay to the Oude Government, a revenue of
1,88,000 rupees a-year, for their _bynamah_ estates, which were
acquired by them in the manner described. The rent-roll, recognized
in the Exchequer, is 2,56,000; and the _nankar_ 68,000; but the real
rent-roll is much greater-perhaps double. The village of Tendooa, in
Mehdona, belonged, in hereditary right, to Soorujbulee Sing and
Rugonauth Sing, Rajpoots, whom the family of Dursun Sing wished to
coerce, in the usual mode, into signing a _bynamah_, or deed of sale.
They refused, and some of the family are said to have been in
confinement in consequence, since the year A.D. 1844. When Gunga
Persaud, the Canoongo, was confined by Dursun Sing's family, on
account of his own estate, they extorted from him, on the pretence of
his being security for the punctual payment of what might be demanded
from these two men, Soorujbulee' and Rugonauth, the sum of 4,000
rupees. One of the eight villages, held by the Canoongoes, named Aboo
Surae, Ghalib Jung, alias Dursun Sing, another Court favourite, is
now trying to take by violence, for himself, following the practice
of his namesake. He has possessed himself of many by the same means,
keeping the troops he commands upon them at exercise and target-
practice, till he drives both cultivators and proprietors out, or
shoots them.
This Rajah, Ghalib Jung, is now a great favourite with the minister,
and no man manifests a stronger disposition to make his influence
subservient to his own interest and that of his family. By fraud and
violence, and collusion with the officers who have charge of
districts and require his aid at Court, he seizes upon the best lands
of his weaker neighbours, in the same manner as his namesake, Rajah
Dursun Sing, used to do; and of the money which he receives for
contracts of various kinds, he appropriates by far the greater part
to himself. He is often sent out, with a considerable force, to
adjust disputes between landholders and local authorities, and he
decides in favour of the party most able and willing to pay, under
the assurance that, if called to account, he will be able to clear
himself, by giving a share of what he gets to those who send and
support him. He commands a large body of mounted and foot police, and
he is often ordered to go and send detachments in pursuit of daring
offenders, particularly those who have given offence to the British
authorities. In such cases he generally succeeds in arresting and
bringing in some of the offenders; but he as often seizes the
landholders and others who may have given them shelter, intentionally
or otherwise; and, after extorting from them as much as they can be
made to pay, lets them go. He is not, of course, very particular as
to the quantity or quality of the evidence forthcoming to prove that
a person able to pay has intentionally screened the offenders from
justice.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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