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
Bukhtawar and Maun Sing said,--"That the people of the village would
not be safe, for a moment, if these two brothers were released, which
they would be, on the first occasion of thanksgiving, if sent to
Lucknow; that people who ventured to seize a thief or robber in Oude
must keep him, if they wished to save themselves from his future
depredations, as the Government authorities would have nothing to do
with them."
I ordered the King's wakeel to take these two brothers to the
Chuckladar, and request him to see them released on their furnishing
sufficient security for their future good behaviour, which they
promised to produce.* They were all fine-looking men, with limbs that
would do honour to any climate in the world. These are the families
from which our native regiments are recruited; and hardly a young
recruit offers himself for enlistment, on whose body marks will not
be found of wounds received in these contests, between landlords
themselves, and between them and the officers and troops of the
sovereign. I have never seen enmity more strong and deadly than that
exhibited by contending co-sharers and landholders of all kinds in
Oude. The Rajah of Bulrampoor mentioned a curious instance of this
spirit in a village, now called the _Kolowar_ village, in the Gonda
district, held in copartnership by a family of the Buchulgotee tribe
of Rajpoots. One of them said he should plant sugar-cane in one of
his fields. All consented to this. But when he pointed out the place
where he should have his mill, the community became divided. A
contest ensued, in which all the able-bodied men were killed, though
not single cane had been planted. The widows and children survived,
and still hold the village, but have been so subdued by poverty that
they are the quietest village community in the district. The village
from that time has gone by the name of _Kolowar_ village, from Koloo,
the sugar-mill, though no sugar-mill was ever worked in the village,
he believed. He says, the villagers cherish the recollection of this
_fight_; and get very angry when their neighbours _twit_ them with
the folly of it.
[* They were released, and have been ever since at large on security.
One of them visited me in April 1851, and said, that as a point of
honour, they should abstain from joining in the fight for their
rights, but felt it very hard to be bound to do so.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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