ار DS 404.5 .024 BUHR A FO a 39015 01313402 6b AIVERSITY OF MIC NIVERSITY OF MICH THE PRIES HIGAN +$3 'L·LIBRARIES· SCIENTIA VERIT 25/2 A (For Private Circulati نامه . ODDS AND ENDS: BEING、 SELECTIONS FROM TO A CONTRIBUTIONS hly) DIFFERENT $25/ ANGLO-INDIAN JOURNALS. ८ 3 851799-234 PREFACE. THE following pages have been the outcome of idle moments, idly and unprofitably employed. These con- tributions appeared in different news- papers, at various periods. They may have possessed a passing interest at the time, and were probably then read by some half a dozen people at the most. The writer is doubtful whether they will be read by even one person now. How- ever, having a little time and a few Rupees to spare, he has employed the former and spent the latter in re- printing some of his contributions in their present form. This is a utilita- rian age, and if these pages are not read by any one, they may at least be useful to trunk-makers, and to the 2/2 local sweet-shops, who buy waste paper at fourteen pounds avoirdupois per Rupee. And should this useful purpose be served, the writer will not have spent his time and his money in vain. Đ HYDERABAD, DECCAN, ay 1894. PRESS SECURITY INDIA .. H. H. THE NIZAM'S TOUR IN THE . AURUNGABAD DISTRICT. [Reprinted from the Times of India of 30th January, 1st, 13th, and 24th February 1883.] AURUNGABAD, January 22. PERHAPS there is no spot in the Nizam's dominions so full of historical interest as the district of Aurungabad. Here it was that the great Shalivahan, some two thousand years ago, found- ed a dynasty and established an era which is still observed by the Hindus. Here the first Mahomedan invasion of the Deccan took place, the battle which decided the fate of the country having been fought at Daulatabad. It was at Daulatabad, too, that the founder of the Bahamani (Mahomedan) lynasty was elected King of the Dec- can The city of Aurungabad owes 25/= D$ 404+ DS 404.5 02.1 2 it origin to the good Malik Ambur, and was the favourite residence of Aurungzebe, after whom it is named. Asoph Jah, the founder of the dynas- ty of the present Nizams, lived for several years in the city. Coming to the present century, it was in the Au-❤ rungabad district that the battle of Assaye, which served to establish on a firmer basis the British power in the Deccan, was fought out. A district so fraught with historical interest can also boast of antiquities second to none in the Deccan. The world-famous caves of Ellora and Ajanta; the re- markable fort of Daulatabad; the an- cient town of Paitan, mentioned in the Periplus as the Plithana of the Greeks; the imitation tâj at Aurunga- bad; the tombs at Roza of the great Aurungzebe, of the first Nizam, of the warrior-statesman Malik Ambur, and 3 of the last King of Golconda, attract alike the antiquarian and the traveller. It was very fitting, then, that His Highness the Nizam, in the first royal tour that has been made through these broad dominions during the past hun- ❤dred years, should honour this inter- esting place with a visit. The prepa- rations made by the district officers for His Highness' reception were worthy of the occasion. The Ahmed- nuggur and Nandgam roads were re- paired and put in excellent order; the city was thoroughly over-hauled, and scrubbed, and brushed, and white washed until everything looked new and bright; the commodious building, known as the Barradari, situated on a little knoll at the end of the city, was furnished in right regal style for His Highness; the pretty gardens in the city were weeded, and trimmed, and 4 made to look their best; triumphal arches were erected all over the place, and the whole city wore quite a gay and holiday attire. The inhabitants loyally responded to the call of the officials, and every house, from the mansion of the noble to the labourer's hovel, was gay with many-coloured flags. Every face wore a happy look, and every one appeared eager to ob- tain a glimpse of the "Basha," as peo- ple here call the Nizam. Weeks before the arrival of His Highness, the traffic on the Ahmed- nuggur, Nandgam and other roads was something extraordinary. Ponderous elephants with shining howdas; un- gainly camels carrying enormous loads; strings of bullock-carts laden with every conceivable kind of ware ; pony- tongas packed close with human freight; pack bullocks, horses, penies + 1.2 ст and vehicles of all descriptions, were toiling on in one direction-Aurunga- bad. Then hundreds of white tents. began to gleam on the maidan, and under the trees; and towards that part of the city where His Highness was to stay, every available site was soon occupied by its tent. Crowds of people came to see His Highness from long distances; and the city was thronged with thousands of spectators, until it looked like a miniature Hyder- abad. As if at the touch of an en- chanter's wand, the city, which usual- ly wears a ruined and deserted aspect, renewed its youth, and was as full of stir and excitement, and bustling hu- manity, as in the magnificent days of its royal founder. Captain Clerk, c. I. E., Superinten- dent of His Highness' education, ac- companied by Mrs. Clerk, arrived here $ 6 on the 10th. He had been preceded by two or three nobles from Hyder- abad, who came in early to inspect all the arrangements for His Highness' comfort. : It had been arranged that the Nizam and suite should reach Au❤ rungabad at 5 o'clock in the afternoon of Friday, the 12th. According to the original programme, the Basha was to enter the city in state procession on an elephant; and consequently the guard of honour, consisting of the Hyderabad Contingent Cavalry, was drawn up about a mile from the city; and here tents had been pitched to enable His Highness to alight and change before proceeding in state. Almost all the officers and ladies in the station, with Captain Clerk, had assembled on this spot, which was thronged by thousands upon thou- 7 sands of spectators. His Highness and suite left Ahmednagar that morn- ing, after early tea, and were to have driven 70 miles into Aurungabad. Battery horses, together with the Ni- zam's own horses, had been posted all along the road for the carriages of the distinguished party. As it happened, they arrived about an hour later than the time fixed in the programme, and as the Nizam was fairly tired out with his long drive, and as it had already begun to get dark, he drove straight to his residence in the city. The dis- appointment experienced by the offi- cers and ladies assembled near the tents, and by the crowds of eager spectators who lined the road for three miles and upwards, was naturally great Neither His Highness nor Sir Salar Jung, I am informed, were a- ware that the ladies and gentlemen * 8 餐 ​from the cantonment were coming out to meet them near the tents; and when afterwards he came to hear of this, it was a matter of great regret to Sir Salar that they had not stopped for a short time at the tents to thank the assembly of ladies and gentlemen❤ for their courtesy. When about half- way on the road to Aurungabad, Sir Salar had written to the Suba to say that His Highness would not enter the city in state, but would go straight to his residence; unfortunately, how- ever, the messenger who brought this letter arrived about the same time as the royal party. But if the thousands of spectators were disappointed in not being able to see the Nizam on the first day, they were amply compensat- ed for it on the day following. I may mention that in the carriage with the Nizam were seated Sir Salar Jung, 9 and Mr. Krohn, the Nizam's English- tutor. There were in all about twenty- four chief officials of state in His Highness' suite. Nawabs Vikar-ool Comrao and Emam Jung, Sir Salar Jung's two sons, Captain Clerk, Mr. Krohn, Mr. Hugh Gough, Moulavie Mussi-oo-Zaman Khan, Persian tutor, and other notabilities were among the officials in attendance. Sir Salar Jung was accompanied by his two secreta- ries, Mr. Mahadi Ali and Mr. Syed Hoosain. As His Highness had not entered the city in state, and as nuzzurs had not yet been presented by the officials, nothing was done on the morning of Saturday, the 13th. In the afternoon the Nizam proceeded in state to Nuv- khunda, an ancient building situate outside the city on the road to the cantonment, in which his ancestor, the 2 • 10 SE first Nizam, had lived for some years. The Nuvkhunda must at one time have been a noble range of buildings, with extensive gardens. Now, how- ever, it is mostly in ruins, and at- tempts have recently been made to restore one or two of the numerous buildings which are shut in by an ex- tensive enclosure wall. Twice a year, the Suba of Aurungabad, who may be taken as the "Viceroy," representing the Nizam, proceeds in state to this place and lays his nuzzur at the foot of the first Nizam's throne. At 4 P. M.- His Highness left in state for the re- sidence of his ancestors, and the pro- cession was remarkably striking. First on the scene appeared a splendidly caparisoned elephant, or which was borne aloft His Highness' easign, which fluttered bravely to the breeze. The second elephant bore the mirdha, 11 a herald whose duty it is to lead the way. Then came in the sowars of the Irregular Troops, about a hundred in number, and these were followed by the Paica Troops, both foot and horse. After them came a body of Rohillas and Sikhs on foot, and then the Police, looking very smart in their close-fit- ting, dark green uniform. Next came a band of Arabs, executing their wild war-dance to the accompaniment of their drums or murfas, and in the short intervals between their weird. and discordant yells, shouting out snatches of their martial song-the zamin. These were followed by the musicians, piping and drumming away right merrily, and close on their heels followed a body of heralds armed with silver sticks. And then came the. cynosure of all eyes-His Highness seated in a magnificent ambari-howda, 12 covered with yellow-cloth (the Nizam's colours), borne on the back of one of the finest elephants in the world. The sagacious animal evidently had an idea that he was carrying no ordinary freight, for he strode along with a mien proud and majestic. His High ness was attired in a yellow spotted silk robe, and a yellow turban, in which waved a golden plume, but he wore no jewels whatever. On the back seat of the ambari (khuvvasi it is called) sat on the right Nawab Vikar- ool-Oomrao, waving over His High- ness' head a chaori of peacock feathers, and on the left sat Sir Salar Jung, looking, in his simple attire, every inch a gentleman. Then came many more elephants, bearing the nobles and the staff. On the last elephant were borne the three mahi maratib or fish- shaped ensigns, which were granted, 13 as a mark of honour and distinction, by the Emperor of Delhi to the first Nizam. The ensigns were all made of cloth of gold, and flashed and glit- tered in the sunlight. These were followed by another body of Arabs and a troop of sowars, and the rear of the procession was brought up by an elephant, on which sat Sir Salar Jung's eldest son, Nawab Meer Laik Ali khan, looking, with his burly stature of six feet three, a very striking figure. As this imposing procession slowly wound along, making its way through thou- sands of eager spectators dressed in their holiday attire, and through a sea, as it were, of cheerful and happy faces all upturned in one direction, it ap- peared for a time as if Aurungabad had been restored to its pristine splen- dour and glory, and the city looked as it must have looked in the days of w A 添 ​14 Aurungzebe. Every house-top, every bit of broken wall, every "coign of vantage," no matter what, was crowd-. ed by men, women and children, and the bright and varied colours of their attire, with the evening sun shedding his side-long rays on them, added wonderfully to the picturesqueness of the scene. It really was a beautiful spectacle, and well worth a long jour- ney. As the Nizam passed on, the women and girls threw flowers after him, real tropical flowers, bright and gorgeous as nature grew them, and artificial flowers of gold and silver. His Highness seemed evidently pleas- ed with his reception, and with the tokens of loyalty he witnessed on all sides. The procession proceeded through the Chowke and Juna Bazaar, where the school children were all drawn up in a row, and as the Nizam 15 passed them, their shrill little voices were raised in a song specially com- posed in honour of his arrival. Having at last reached the seat of his ances- tors, His Highness was ushered into the old palace; and to the same old room, under the same gorgeous silk canopy, and to the same magnificent gadi, all silk beautifully worked in gold, on which his ancestor had sat more than a hundred years ago, His Highness was now conducted. The gadi and the canopy, with all their appurtenances, had been carefully preserved for all these years, and after the lapse of several generations the descendant of Asoph Jah used them once again. Seated on the throne of his ancestors; His Highness received the nuzzurs of his chief officials and subjects. Sir Salar Jung first presented his muzzur and was followed by his 16 two sons; and then Nawab Vikar-ool Umrao and the other officials and no- tabilities of the place did like homage to their sovereign. About 7 P. M. when the usual ceremony had been completed, and all the offerings had been made, the Nizam and suite left Nuvkhunda to witness the illumina- tions that had been got up by his loyal subjects in honour of his arrival. The state procession was now dispensed with, and seated on one of twelve pad elephants, His Highness with his suite made his way to the city. The illumi- nations throughout the city were ge- neral, and every citizen seemed to have done his best in doing honour to the Basha. Every means of illumination was brought into play, from the gor- ⚫geous and extravagant chandeliers of which the native nobles think so much, to the flickering oil buttees. The am- 17 + ple houses of the wealthy were brilli- ant with myriads of lights, while every hut or shanty, however poor, display- ed at least a couple of these buttees. The illuminations were very pretty, and all the more effective from the unstudied way in which they had been got up. Every house-owner had fol- lowed his own taste in illuminating his own place, and there was certainly no monotony about the general effect. The public offices which the Nizam visited last were very tastefully illu- minated, all the outlines of the build- ings being picked out in lines of vivid light. Highly pleased with the recep- tion he had met with, and with all he had seen, His Highness returned to his temporary residence after 8 o'clock in the evening. An account of the subsequent doings of His Highness, of the entertainment 18 that was given him by the city offici als, and of his visit to the town of Roza, I must reserve for another letter. AURUNGABAD, January 25. . In the hurry of closing my last letter I forgot to mention one of the most striking incidents in the Nizam's procession. As he returned from Nuv- khunda, he threw handful after hand- ful of rupees amongst the troops of beggars crowding round his elephant. With every fresh handful a fierce scramble took place. Blind and halt, young and old, men and women, all came in for a fair share of the royal bounty, and went away crushed and bruised, but mighty contented.. Early on the morning of Sunday, the 14th, the Nizam and his party rode over to J 19 Sha Musafir's takia, a very holy shrine where Aurungzebe's spiritual guide lies buried. The shrine is prettily situ- ated on a high bank of the river Kham which here washes the city walls. With its large tank, brimming over with clear water, and swarming with shoals of fish, its tiny cascade, its old water- mills constructed on the most primitive principles, its handsome shrine of red-sandstone, in which the saint lies buried, its splendid mosque, its venerable banian tree, hoary with age, and its numerous sparkling foun- tains, Sha Musafir's takia looks as pretty a spot as one could wish to see. His Hishness inspected everything not excepting the fish, which were fed in his presence, and which darted gree- dily forward at every morsel of food thrown into them. Lastly, he pro- ceeded to the tomb, and reverently 20 .. prayed over the departed saint, and then with his own hands he strewed flowers over the grave. On his return, His Highness rode through the city, the roads being lined by the police. After chota hazri, the Nizam received a lesson in practical administration, so far as it is connected with the revenue of the country. Certain deshmooks, deshpandias, patels and patwadis of villages were presented, and their nuzzurs having been duly accepted, Mr. Mahdi Ali, the Revenue Secretary, began by explaining to His Highness in a clear and concise manner the ze- mindari and ryotwari tenures, the manner in which the annual settle- ment was made with the cultivators of the soil, and the way in which the land revenue was realised. Then a set of village and a set of taluka pa- pers were submitted and explained, 21 - the young Nizam following everything that was told him with intelligent in- terest, often putting very pertinent questions to Mr. Mahdi Ali. In the afternoon he visited on foot the pub- lic offices, which are beautifully situ- ated in the mids of an extensive gar- den. Here he inspected the treasury and records, the method in which the latter were arranged being carefully explained to him. On the morning of the day follow- ing, that is Monday, the Nizam rode over to the village of Hursool, about two miles distant from the city. Here there is a grand old serai, built during Angzebe's reign. The vast quad- rangle, with its ample open court in the centre, and its innumerable arched recesses in the wall for the accommoda tion of travellers, was well worth a C ܤܕ ܀ 22 visit. On his. return His Highness rode straight to Sir Salar Jung's house, a noble pile of buildings situa- ted in the very heart of the city. The house was originally constructed by one of Sir Salar's ancestors, Shere Jung by name, and was considerably enlarged by his maternal grandfather Durga Koolee Khan, who also bore the title of Salar Jung. All Monday was spent at the residence of Sir Sa- lar, whose guest the Nizam became for that day. In honor of the visit, Sir Salar Jung in true Oriental style presented to his distinguished guest a valuable nazzur, consisting of a hand- some sword inlaid with jewels, two gold watches, a whip, and some jewels. In the evening Sir Salar entertained the Nizam and his suite at dinner. About thirty covers were laid. The table was very tastefully laid out the 23 repast was sumptuous, and the host genial and pleasant, as he always is. The buildings and grounds were beau- tifully illuminated, and the entertain- ment ended with a grand display of fireworks. I should mention that in the afternoon His Highness had visit- ed the Mukburra, the mausoleum of the Empress Aurungzebe, an imita- tion of the Taj of Agra. It is gen- erally the fashion to decry the Muk- burra, and to style it a base imitation of the Táj, but it is nevertheless a very chaste structure, built as it is partly of white marble. With its handsome gateway, its pretty walks and fountains, its lofty dome, its slen- der minarets standing out against the clear blue sky, the Tàj is not without a peculiar beauty of its own. After the usual morning ride, two hours of the forenoon of Tuesday, the - 24 . ¿ 16th, were again devoted to a lesson in the system of the revenue adminis- tration. Mr. Mahadi Ali was again to the fore, and explained the system on which the revenue survey and settle- ment of the country was conducted. On the grounds just outside the Col lector's offices miniature fields had been marked out, and little boundary marks, showing the division of the fields, had also been constructed. All the survey operations were carefully gone through, the fields being measur- ed by cross-staff and chain, and calcu- lations of the areas properly made. In the afternoon the Nizam visited the Anglo-Vernacular School, which was established in the city something like fifteen years ago. Mr. Syed Hoosain, Secretary in the Miscellaneous Depart- ment, and who is at the head of the Educational Department, explained at : 2 25 $ length the course of instruction fol- lowed in the school, the classes into ⚫ which the pupils were divided, and the results of the last annual examination. Finally, Mr. Syed Hoosain begged the Nizam to distribute with his own hands silver medals to the three boys who had passed the examination with honours. The successful pupils were called to the front and received their medals, and a smile and a few pleasant words into the bargain. Then the English class was called up to give a recitation from Shakspere's "Merchant of Venice." This was very fairly ren- dered. A little Brahmin boy, no high- er than the table by which he stood, spoke with great spirit, and his enun- ciation was especially distinct and clear. This was followed by a recita- tion by the Mahratta class, which also was very good. Then for the first 1 I 26 time, I believe,, in his life, the Nizam made a neat little public speech, ex- pressing himself highly pleased with all that he had seen, commending the boys to further exertion in their stu- dies, and directing that, in honour of the occasion, the following day should be observed as a holiday in the school. This was a popular idea. There was a round of applause, and amidst a tre- mendous clapping of hands the Nizam departed. On the morning of Wednesday, the 17th, the booming of cannon announc- ed the arrival in cantonment of Mr. Jones, the Resident. Mr. Jones had left Hyderabad on New Year's day, and travelling as far as Barsee road Station by railway, had marched from thence to Aurungabad. He was thus enabled to see some portion of His Highness' territories. Mr. Jones was • : 27 accompanied in his journey by Captains Muir and Garrett, and Mr. Faridoonji, • Talookdar of Beerh. On the same morning the process of classing the miniature fields marked out on the grounds near the Collector's office was formally gone through, and the rela- tive value of each field, according to the productive capabilities of the soil, ascertained. Mr. Mahadi Ali then ex- plained to his illustrious pupil the sys- tem on which the lands were assessed, and submitted a set of the classifica- tion and settlement papers of a village.. The afternoon was devoted by the Ni- zam to visiting the different holy shrines (durgas) in and about Aurun- gabad and it was not until the shades of evening began to close in that His Highness returned from his pilgrimage. On Thursday morning His Highness⚫ paid a visit to the holy shrine of Huz- : 1 28 ruth Nizamodin Avlia, a saint of great repute, and offered at his tomb the usual prayers. After chota hazri Mr. Mahadi Ali again appeared on the scene, and again the work of instruc- tion began. This time the revenue work of the talookdars was explained. and a detailed account was given of the system on which the annual bud- · gets were prepared. Then the reve- nue accounts of the district for the past year were submitted. In the eve- ning the Nizam entertained the Resi- dent and a few ladies and gentlemen from the cantonment at dinner. For 9 o'clock invitations had been issued by the officials of the city of Aurun- gabad " to witness some fireworks in honour of His Highness the Nizam," and as it was said that "His Highness would honour the occasion with his presence," all those to whom invita- 29 .: tions were issued, accepted them. But the account of this very picturesque entertainment I must keep over for my next letter. AURUNGABAD, February 6. On the morning of Friday, the 19th, the Nizam and his party rode over to the cantonment to witness some sports organized by the 4th Cavalry, Hyder- abad Contingent,-as fine a body of troops as any in existence. There was the usual tent-pegging, lime-cutting, tilting at the ring, and other doings of that kind, with which the Nizam, himself an excellent hand at these sports, was highly delighted. He was pleased to announce to the officer com- manding the regiment that he would present a silver cup to be contested for at the next tent-pegging match, which " # 30 1 is shortly about to take place. On Friday evening, as I said in my last letter-though through a slip of my own or your printer's I was made to say Thursday-the Nizam entertained at dinner the Resident, his staff, and several ladies and gentlemen from the Cantonment. His Highness, who took into dinner the principal lady (Mrs. Johnson), made a very genial host, conversing pleasantly with his guests, and showing them every possible atten- tion. As stated in my first letter, the Nizam had taken up his temporary residence in the Barradari, which is built on a little knoll. From this Bar- radari, the public gardens slope down in four terraces, and it is on these beautiful grounds, dotted over with innumerable fountains, large and small, which send up sprays of clear spark- ling water, that the Government offices 31 • " are situated. The entertainment given by the officials in honour of His High- ness took place in these gardens, which are overhung by the Barradari, from which a beautiful view of the grounds below is obtained. In the evening, when His Highness and his numerous guests adjourned after dinner, to the open verandah, the scene presented to view in the gardens below was extre- mely pretty and fairy-like. As far as the eye could reach, the whole place was illuminated by myriads of lights, arranged in a hundred different shapes, and an endless variety of lines and curves. The illuminations, owing to the surrounding foliage, gave a mellow, subdued light, very grateful to the eye. All the larger fountains were surrounded by festoons of tumbler- lights, suspended from wires, and the reflection of these lights in the water › .. 32 * below had a very pretty effect. In the front of the Revenue Survey office, the tastefully arranged flower beds were picked out with thousands of oil but- tees and tumbler-lights, and Chinese lanterns were hung on every shrub and tree. The outlines of the office itself were picked out in lines of vivid light, and from a distance the building look- ed like a fairy castle. The Hati Hauz, or "elephant tank," a splendid sheet of water, was also beautifully lit up, and when a little boat illuminated with Chinese lanterns, and many-coloured lamps, was paddled about the tank, it looked, as a lady observed to me, like a Venetian lagoon. The approaches to the gardens and the walks were all lit up with thousands of lights, sus- pended from arches. Altogether it was a very fairy-like scene, and one could almost fancy that the days of & ► 33 the Arabian Nights had again return- ed. When we remember that this pretty spot was only eight years ago the haunt of the wild pig and the jack- al, too much praise cannot be bestow- ed on the local officials for converting a howling wilderness into these plea- sant gardens. The Nizam and his party walked down from the Barrada- ri into the gardens, and after strolling about the place for some time, they went up to the first terrace, on which the Collector's office is built, and where under a large Shamiana, seats had been arranged for the guests. Down below, some acrobats performed feats of agility on the back of an elephant, and when this was concluded å display of fireworks followed. These were very good indeed, and the pyrotech- nist's art was here shown to great ad→ vantage.. Catherine wheels, imitation 1 34 trees, flowers, and animals, and even a railway carriage moving about on wheels of fire, burst into view. Innu- merable balloons sailed up majestically; rockets went up into the air with a whizz and a rush, and, exploding on high, shot forth myriads of coloured stars. The sky was bright with fan- tastic lights, and the scene delighted not only the distinguished assembly present, but also some thousands of spectators, who had by this time con- gregated in the gardens below. The fireworks over, the guests adjourned to the Collector's office, the fine large rooms of which had been fitted up specially for their reception. Here several nautch girls, drawn up in a row, entertained us with dance and song. They did not do much in the way of "dancing," their gyrations being any- thing but graceful, and they sang to 7 - 35 * the accompaniment of what seemed to me most melancholy music. I am afraid the music and the singing were neither appreciated nor understood by the European guests, but they never- theless bravely endured the infliction. Supper was laid out in one of the large rooms, and a good supper and well-iced wine proved for most of us a greater attraction than the nautch. About midnight the party broke up, every guests being presented with the usual garland of flowers, and a bottle of attar. The entertainment was unanimously voted a success by all present, and much credit is due for the excellent manner in which it was conducted to Mr. Rustomji, the Collector: Mr. Fitch, the Executive Engineer; and Mr. Ali Hassan, the Superintendent of Revenue Survey. On the morning of Saturday the * } 36 i 20th, papers relating to judicial work were submitted and explained to the Nizam. In the course of a very inter- esting lecture Mr. Mahadi Ali remark- ed that in the olden times, however well the native governments may have understood the art of revenue admi̟- nistration, they were certainly very deficient in matters relating to the law courts. In those days the judicial courts were never at any time esta- ´blished on a satisfactory basis. Jus- tice was very slow and the poor gene- rally benefited very little by it. Mr. Mahadi Ali said that it was to the Bri- tish Government that "we owe the establishment in India of regularly constituted law courts, where impar- tial justice is administered, and where the poorest subject can hope to gain redress for his wrongs." Then Mr. Mahadi Ali explained the backward 37 state of the Nizam's law courts twenty years ago; the progress made since that time, which though very great was still anything but satisfactory; and the nature of the reforms which were shortly to be introduced. It was next Mr. Syed Hoosain's turn to ins- truct H. H. in matters municipal, and this duty he ably performed, giving his royal pupil a brief history of the foundation of Municipal institutions in this country, and the great benefits that have accrued therefrom. Then Mr. Fitch, the Executive Engineer, submitted plans of the improvements made in the city, and also plans of those proposed to be made. In the evening, our hospitable Resident, Mr. Jones, entertained at dinner in his camp Sir Salar Jung, and some of the ladies and gentlemen from the Canton- ment and City. A company of the 1st M 38- Infantry was drawn up to receive the Regent, and in a large shamiana, in which the dinner was given, covers were laid for about thirty. On the morning of Sunday, the 21st, the Nizam, Sir Salar Jung and party left for the town of Roza, which is situated about sixteen miles from the City. The party drove over to Daula- tabad and then rode up the ghât to Roza. As they passed the famous fort, the thunders of its old artillery awoke. the slumbering echoes among the sur- rounding hills, the reverberation gra- dually dying away in the distance. AURUNGABAD, February 10. The town of Roza, or to give it its proper name, Khultabad, which means paradise, is situated on a plateau up- wards of two thousand feet above sea- 39 A level. The town is enclosed by an ancient masonry wall, pierced by hand- some gates; the narrow streets are lined on either side by quaint-looking stone houses, most of which are built two and three storeys high. But the objects which lend most interest to the place are the lofty durgas, or shrines, in the spacious courts of which great emperors and kings lie buried. With their high walls, their broad domes and tapering minarets, these durgas stand out in bold relief against the clear blue sky, which is never so blue and clear as it is here. Pious Mahomedans, who on their death were canonised as saints, have here found their last resting- place, and the varying seasons of six long centuries have uninterruptedly rolled away over their graves. The population of the town consists almost entirely of Mahomedans, who are the • - 40 kudims, or descendants of the disciples of the different saints who flourished here. These kadims are supported by assignments of inam lands and by the votive offerings of pious pilgrims, and thus they lead a life of languid indo- lence and easy poverty. The climate of Roza is healthy and bracing, and this place is to Aurungabad what Ma- theran is to Bombay-a delightful sanatarium. From different points of the plateau very pretty views are ob- tained of the valley below, which stretches out for several miles in one long expanse of country, until at last it melts away in the blue distance. The landscape is diversified by hill and dale, by meadow and woodland, and dotted over with scores of villages em- bowered among shady trees. Afar off may be traced the meanderings of a stream, shining in the distance like a 41 streak of silver. Nearer to the view lies a very pretty tank, the home of the wild duck and the snipe, and the waters of which, ruffled by a passing breeze, break out into tiny waves. On the morning of Sunday, the 21st January, the Nizam and suite canter- ed into Roza. The anniversary of the death of one of the saints buried here was being celebrated, and consequent- ly thousands of pilgrims, coming from long distances, had flocked to this place. The principal streets and house-tops and windows were densely packed by thousands of people, most of whom were not a little surprised to see the great Nizam coming along on horse- back, just like any ordinary individual, whereas they had expected him to enter in pomp and splendour on a stately elephant. Hundreds of the pilgrims nodded their heads approv- • 42 ingly, and admiringly exclaimed- "Look! look! how well the Basha rides!" From many a casement and latticed window, fair faces and dark eyes eagerly looked down upon the Nizam, and in their loyal desire to see their Basha the inmates of the seclu- sive zenana forgot for once that they were exposing their charms to the vul- gar gaze. Through the crowded town, through the lines of the busy bazaars, the gay cavalcade dashed onward, until the Government cottage prepar- ed for the Nizam's reception was reach- ed. Here His Highness took up his residence, and Sir Salar Jung and others settled in their respective tents. Out on the vast maidan of the plateau, hundreds of tents reared their white heads, and everywhere were heard the sound and bustle of camp life. The great religious fair was held about 43 half a mile away from the camp, and, borne on the breeze, came faintly to the ear the distant hum of voices from the vast multitude congregated there. Early on the following morning, the Nizam with his suite rode over to Daulatabad, and was welcomed with another royal salute from the fort, the roar of the artillery making many a horse restive. Then began the some- what toilsome ascent to the top of the fort, the Nizam going up with remark- able agility, the elderly gentlemen toiling on slowly after him, and resting at intervals. All the different points about the fort were duly noted: the wonderful perpendicular scarp rising upwards of a hundred feet; the broad moat with its green waters, the frown- ing battlement, and the huge guns. Then we entered the subterranean passage, with its steep stairs and spi- 44 ral way cut out of the living rock, the kerosine lamps fixed against the walls dimly struggling against the Cimmeri- an darkness reigning in this cavernous passage. Out of this darkness we emerged into daylight again through a small aperture, which is the only way out of the cavern, and which entrance was covered over on emergencies by a heavy iron plate, on the top of which were piled blazing faggots, kept alive by a constant blast which found its way from an excavation on one side of the rock. In the Barradari, a mag- nificent pleasure-house built by one of the former governors of Daulatabad, the party rested for a while, and dis- cussed chota hazri with keen appetites. The inner man refreshed, the Nizam ⚫ and suite essayed to do the remainder of the ascent,—for the Balla Hissar, or citadel, towered a hundred feet above 45 the Barradari. This little ascent was soon gained; the 18 feet gun mounted on the citadel was duly examinad, and then a view from the topmost height of Daulatabad was obtained. Far away to the left lay the cantonment of Au- gungabad, the city being screened from view by an intervening chain of bills; to the right, another chain of brown and rugged hills bound the view; on the top of one of these hills a clump of trees and a white gleaming musjid marked the situation of Roza. But right in front the country lay stretched out mile after mile, the dull uniform level of the plain being reliev- ed by groves of umbrageous trees of different shades of green, while the busy villages down below gave anima- tion to the landscape. Beyond the lines of circumvallation of the fort lay the plains where, in times gone by, 46 many a memorable battle had been faught, and more than one kingdom lost and won. The descent was easily accomplished, and by eleven o'clock in the forenoon the Nizam and party returned to Roza, riding all the way. In the evening, the different shrines were visited, the Nizam praying long and fervently at the tomb of his an- cestor, Asoph Jah, and over the sim- ple grave of the great Aurungzeb. Some fifteen thousand rupees were given away as offerings to the differ- ent shrines. On the following morning the caves of Ellora were visited. These caves are excavated in the scarp of the pla- teau of Roza, and run nearly north and south for upwards of a mile, the scarp at each end of this distance throwing out a horn towards the west. The Nizam and party rode down the 47 ghaut, from which some very pretty glimpses are obtained of the rough broken country below. The morning. sun burst in cloudless splendour in the eastern sky, imparting a warm rich glow to hill and wood, brake and bri- ar, and bathing in golden light the distant spires of the beautiful temple of the town of Ellora. The scarp is picturesquely wild and rugged, and over the spot broods a solemn silence, a painful stillness, only broken now and again by the flap of wings, or by the sweet song of the birds in the air. In these quiet and secluded regions, where the spirit of solitude reigns su- preme, the Buddhists had hewn out of the living rock monasteries and tem- ples, and here, the world forgetting, by the world forgot," they spent their peaceful lives in devotion and calm contemplation. The extinction of the • 48 passions was one of the doctrines Bud- dha aimed at, and these silent regions were admirably suited to his doctrines. The Nizam and party went over the principal caves, threading aisles and corridors, halls and sanctuaries, all hewn out of the rock by human hands. Most of the different figures carved in the caves were explained to the party. The grave, stoical face of Buddha seemed to gaze on them in a grandly calm manner, as if mutely rebuking them for their invasion of the silent repose of his sanctuary. And while centuries have rolled on, while nations have risen and fallen, and while dynas- ties have been made and unmade, these caves have stood on, and these stone divinities have impassively, and as it were scornfully, looked upon all the great changes that have taken place on the face of the earth. If these stone 49 • figures were gifted with the power of speech, what strange stories would they tell of all that they have witness- ed during the past two thousand years! The work of sight-seeing over, the Nizam and his party had chota hazri in the cool chamber of one of the caves, and while they discussed this meal, the Hindu gods around seemed to look down on them in pious anger at the sacrilege they were committing, in eat- ing flesh before those, who above all were so tender and solicitous about animal life! The Resident, Mr. Jones, saw the fort of Daulatabad that morn- ing, and later on he visited the caves. On the morning of Wednesday, the 24th, the Nizam and party left Roza for Nandgam, en route to Hyderabad, highly pleased with all that they had seen in and around Aurungabad. And now that the Nizam's visit is a ܚ 50 = • thing of the past, and all our excite ment over, now that we have again subsided into the humdrum and mono- tony of daily existence, the question may fairly be asked: Has the Nizam's tour benefited him and the country? I would unhesitatingly answer this question in the affirmative. His High- ness has been able to see some portion. of his country and his people, and to compare what he has seen here with what he has observed in the British districts. He will now be able to form some conception of the great respon- sibilities that attach to a ruler of broad territories like his. The suavity of His Highness' manners, the easy way in which the people have access to him, the intelligent interest he takes in all he sees, and his active habits, have endeared him to his people, and have tended to strengthen the bonds of their 51 loyalty to his person and throne. Never having seen the Nizam them- selves, most of the ignorant masses in the districts had but a vague dim idea of some such ruler existing in Hyder- abad; but now that they have seen him in person, all their veneration for their Basha and his throne has been rekindled in them. Too much praise cannot be accorded to Captain Claude Clerk for all that he has done in the way of His Highness' education. The royal visit has been attended with very beneficial results to the district. An impetus has been given to trade; pro- fitable employment was found for the poorer classes; and works of public utility have been sanctioned. His Highness has begun well, and it is to be earnestly hoped that his future ca- reer may be brilliant and prosperous, and that all his future actions may be 52 • 2 marked with the same popularity he has unquestionably gained here. As a faithful chronicler of events, my record of the Nizam's tour would be incomplete were I to omit to men- tion the able services rendered on the occasion by some of the different offi- cials. Mr. Abdul Salaam Khan, the suba, and Mr. Rustomjee Nusserwan- jee, the talookdar, worked with untir- ing energy and zeal, and great credit is due to them for the successful man- ner in which all the arrangements were carried out. • Not a single hitch occur- red in the arrangements made, and everything passed off smoothly. Mr. Bennett Fitch, the Executive Engi- neer, who has been here for the past ten years, also comes in for a fair share of praise. He had to look after the roads, buildings and gardens, be- sides assisting in other works, and as S 53 is usual with him, he did everything thoroughly well. Most of the beauti- • ful public buildings in and around the city were designed and constructed by Mr. Fitch, and these buildings are the admiration of all who see them. Just as I was closing this letter, the distressing news of Sir Salar Jung's death by cholera has been brought in. This painful intelligence has come upon us with such terrible suddenness, that it is difficult to realise it. It was only two short weeks ago that Sir Salar left us in robust health and excellent spirits, and now we hear that Death has laid his cold hand on him. This great and good man has been suddenly snatched away from a State and a peo- ple who can ill-afford his loss. His death will be mourned as a public cala- mity by all in the Nizam's dominions.. The influence that Sir Salar Jung's • 54 exquisite manner and tact exercised over everyone who had anything to do with him was simply marvellous: "He • was a man; take him for all in all, we shall not look upon his like again, 29 55 { A SKIRMISH BETWEEN THE HYDERABAD CONTINGENT TROOPS AND THE ARABS AT AURUNGABAD IN 1853. (WRITTEN IN 1879.) • In the year 1853, Aurangabad was the scene of a sharp conflict between the Hy- derabad Contingent troops and a body of Arabs in the pay of the Raja of Deval- gaum. The Raja Mansing Rao was extravagant to a degree, and was hope- lessly plunged in debt. Having allow- ed the pay of his Arab retainers to fall considerably in arrears, they, about the middle of September 1853, put him under restraint, and threatened to take his life unless he paid up their dues. Destitute of the means of satisfying his creditors, and seeing that his life was placed in jeopardy, the Raja ap- prised Brigadier Mayne, then com- - 56 manding the station, of his perilous situation, and that officer, having as- certained the facts of the case, sent a summons to the Arabs to give him up. The Arabs refused, whereupon it was resolved to make a demonstation of the troops in the station in order to bring them to their senses. Accordingly one morning in the first week of October of that year, the 5th regiment of caval- ry, 6th regiment of infantry, and a battery of artillery, under Brigadier Mayne's command, were marched up to the scene of action, which lay near a Hindu temple situate in Jasvantpura, just outside the Raoshan gate. Here the Brigadier found the Arabs esta- blished in a strong position, and deter- mined to fight. The disposition of the troops having been made, some of the officers sat down to breakfast, near a chabutra, just outside the city walls. 57 *: While they were thus engaged, an Arab chaous of the city appeared on the ramparts and upon a signal from him a volley, as unexpected as it was deadly, was poured upon the party of officers and men. In a moment all was confusion. Lieutenant Boswell, of Ahmednagar, who was staying in Aurangabad on leave, and who had bravely volunteered his services on the occasion, received a fatal wound. Some of the troopers were killed. The firing now became general. Lieutenant Vau- ghan received a bullet wound in the arm, from the effects of which he died some weeks after. Captain Parker, commanding the 6th regiment of infan- try, was also killed. After an obsti- nate resistance the Arabs were defeat- ed and dispersed, and the imprisoned Raja was released. The Contingent troops did not come unscathed from *58 5. the conflict. Its loss in killed was more than fifteen, and forty wounded. THE YEAR 1857 AT AURUN- GABAD: A SHORT ACCOUNT OF THE MUTINY. If the eventful year 1857 was not fraught with horrors at Aurangabad, it was, at all events, replete with ter- rible fears and dangers. The station narrowly escaped the horrors of a mu- tiny. At the time of which I am writ- ing, there were in the cantonment the 2nd Regiment of Infantry and a Bat- tery of Artillery. The 3rd Cavalry, which was also stationed here, had just marched out to Maligaum, being relieved by the 1st Cavalry from Mo- minabad, which was on its way to Au- rangabad. After a long and weary 59 march, the incoming troops halted to snatch a few hours' rest at the village of Chota Pipalgaum, about fourteen miles from Aurangabad. And here it was that the first intelligence of the mutiny in the North-West Provinces reached the ears of the men of the 1st Cavalry. Profound was the sensation which this news created among the troops. The long and forced marches they were made to perform at an un- seasonable time of the year had filled their minds with vague apprehensions, and this circumstance, associated with the rumours which now came to them in wild and exaggerated forms much exercised their troubled minds. They at once became impressed with the idea that they were being led against the mutineers at Delhi. In this frame of mind they arrived at Aurangabad, on or about the 9th June 1857, and w K 4 60 were encamped somewhere between the Kala Chabutra' (a place just out- side the city walls) and the Cavalry lines. Shortly after the arrival of this regimentrumours of disaffection among the troops began to spread. Two trusty and staunch Sikh troopers, their names deserve to be handed down to posterity, Sadhu Sing and Sahib Sing, brought secret intelligence to the officers of the mess-house that there had been some wild talk in the regi- ment, and gave them the names of those who had exhibited symptoms of disaffection. They advised the officers not to attend the evening parade, which had already been ordered for the inspection of horses, as they feared that an outbreak was imminent. But with that high sense of duty and that intrepidity which characterises British military officers, they paid no heed 61 • to the warning given, and at the peril of their lives attended the parade. For- tunately no outbreak occurred, but to eyes rendered sharp and vigilant by forewarning, symptoms of disaffection were apparent. Morose and sullen were the men of the Cavalry, and though they obeyed all orders that were issued to them, they did it in a spirit destitute of alacrity and willing- ness. But it was not the Cavalry alone which afforded grave cause for fears. The distant country of Oudh had con- tributed 250 men to the ranks of the 2nd Infantry, and these caused much anxiety to the European officers, who, including two or three sergeants, hård- ly numbered a dozen. Rumours, ex- aggerated by fears and suspicions, be- gan to reach the ears of the officers. A conspiracy to massacre them all-a plot to burn their houses over their 62 í heads, with the ladies and children in them-an open attack on the canton- ment followed by general pillage—and a hundred other rumours like these, were rife in the air. But whatever fears the officers may have entertained of their own safety-whatever may have been their anxieties with respect to the fate of their helpless wives and innocent children-they kept up an outward appearance of confidence in the troops, and, not to awaken any suspicions, they attended, as usual, at the lines of their respective regiments. One evening they learned that the In- fantry lines had sinister visitors in the persons of some troopers from the Ca- valry, who, being strangers to the place, were inquiring as to which of the houses in the cantonment were occupied by the English officers. At midnight Captain Speid, commanding 63 the Infantry, had a secret visitor in the person of trooper Burhan Bux, of • the 3rd Cavalry, who chanced to be then at the station, and who was much attached to the Captain and his wife. Burhan Bux informed Captain Speid that the Cavalry were arming, and would in all probability attack the cantonment at daybreak. On this Mrs. Speid and the children, with one or two other ladies, were put in a bul- lock cart, which was covered all over with white sheets, to impart to it the appearance of a Mahomedan zenana cart, and, escorted by the staunch and faithful Burhan Bux, they proceeded to Ahmednagar, which they eventually reached in safety. Meanwhile the skies became tempestuous, and amid the deep growling of the thunder, and the vivid flashes of the lightning, the rain came down in perfect torrents. The 64 wind rose into a gale, whistling through the tree-tops and howling about the houses. A furious wind blew down • the huge green dag hoisted by the men of the Cavalry at their bazaar. The raging of the storm and the blowing down of the flag were taken as signs of the divine displeasure against them, and a chill feeling of superstitious dread crept over the Cavalry people. It is generally believed that it was this war of the elements that prevented the expected rising of the Cavalry. I am not in a position to state whether there exists any foundation for this belief. But the culminating point of the crisis was soon reached. The day after the storm the officers received information (which turned out incorrect, as the sequence will show) that a number of . bad characters from the city, taking advantage of the ill-feeling among the 65 • troops, intended attacking the canton- ment with a view to plunder. Precau- tionary measures were at once adopt- ed, and two companies of the Infantry, having been hastily assembled, were ordered to hold the bridge which spans the river Kaum, and separates the can- tonment from the spot where the Ca- valry were then encamped. And here I must explain that the European offi- cers of the Cavalry did not live in their lines, but occupied bungalows in the cantonment. Haunted as they were by suspicions and fears, and knowing that they were mistrusted by their own officers, the men of the Cavalry became at once impressed with the idea that the Infantry was about to attack them. In the Cavalry lines bustle and confu- sion reigned supreme. The shrill cla- rion blast of the trumpet wafted its notes of alarm in the still night air, .. 66 -- ) startling from the slumber into which he had just fallen, the terrified trooper, who, springing out of his bed in a half- • drowsy state, and believing that the lines would be immediately attacked, hastily prepared for action. Horses were forthwith saddled, and ´ mount- ing in hot haste,' the Cavalry turned out, without order of any kind, throw- ing out pickets in the direction of the cantonment. And although there were extenuating circumstances for the hasty action taken by the Cavalry, which, when explained, would go a great way in mitigation of their off- ence, yet, to all appearances and pur- poses, there they stood in open arms against their Government-mutineers! Since the appearance of the very first symptoms of disaffection in the cantonment, the services of the express' had been repeatedly brought into re- 67 quisition, and the authorities at Hyder- abad had been apprised of the course • of events. Thereupon orders were at once issued for a column of troops to move from Poona to Aurangabad. But while these forces were on their way affairs at Aurangabad were wearing a serious aspect. The Artil- lery was suspected. No reliance could be placed on the Infantry. The Caval- ry looked as if they were threatening an attack. A mutiny was imminent, when rumours of the approaching Bombay troops reached the Cavalry. Awakening to their perilous situation, the men at once returned to their du- ties, and became submissive and obe- dient as usual. In the meantime, with long and forced marches made in incle- ment weather and in heavy marching order, the troops from Poona, under. General Woodburn, arrived. They F 68 .. ( consisted of three troops of the 14th Hussars under Captain Gall, Captain Woolcombe's battery of European Ar- • tillery, and the 25th Bombay Native In- fantry, under Colonel Folliot. Without pause or hault, General Woodburn marched straight to the encampment of theCavalry. The disposition of thetroops was made; the guns were unlimbered, the 25th Infantry were èchelonned with them, and the Hussars were drawn up in support. And now the sharp clear notes of the trumpet rang out orders to the disaffected regiment for a dismounted parade, which was obeyed with alacrity. Each troop was then ordered to march on to the point- ed guns of the battery. Was there any faltering, any hesitation ? No. Firmly, steadily, with a regularity and precision of movement which would have done credit to any parade, does 69% troop after troop march up to its as- signed position, and for a few moments: •nothing but the firm, measured tramp of feet is heard. And now with a steady demeanour and unaltered mien does each man stand, gazing unflinch- ingly upon the bronze muzzle of the gun which frowns upon him, and which at the least sign, threatens to hurl him into eternity. Surely there is some mistake; this is not the demea- nour of guilty persons-this is not the attitude of mutineers! Some such doubt must have crossed the minds of General Woodburn and the other offi- cers assembled there that memorable morning. Then there was a short pause. But this terrible silence is broken by General Woodburn calling out to the Ressaldar of the first troop to give him the names of the men who were implicated in the mutiny. The 70 Ressaldar called upon began by giving the name of the senior Jamadar of the troops, whereupon that officer, seeing that all was up with him, and render- ed desperate by his position, ordered his troops to load their carbines, which they attempted to do. And now en- sued a scene of wild confusion:. for General Woodburn, his staff and all the English officers, were so promis- cuously mixed up with the mutineers that the guns could not be opened on them. Eventually some of the troops broke away; and profiting by the con- fusion of the moment, ran to their horses, and cutting their heel-ropes mounted and fled in all direction. It was a wild flight—a race between life and death! And now the deep thun- ders of the artillery awoke with their bellowing roar the sleeping echoes of the surrounding hills. Flash! boom! • g 14 71 and canister and grape, were belched out of the mouths of these iron mon- sters, killing a number of horses that as yet remained picketed. Rendered wild and furious by the roar of the guns, the animals broke loose, and a regular stampede ensued. About ten rounds were fired, but while the mu- tineers escaped scatheless a deaf old Bora and an old woman, who happen- ed to be passing by were struck down by a relentless shot-ignoble game for those big guns! While the last echoes of the cannon were as yet dying away in a hundred reverberations among the adjacent hills, the 14th Dragoons started in pursuit of the flying and dispersed troopers, but, as both man and beast were fatigued by their long march of that morning, it was impos- sible for them to overtake the muti- • neers, many of whom escaped. During p 72 • * this terrible scene two-thirds of the regiment remained loyal, and were consequently not molested by the Bombay troops.• Mir Fida Ali, a Daf- fadar in the Cavalry, had fired his pis- tol at Captain Abbott, the officer com- manding, who narrowly escaped death. A drum-head court-martial was there- npon convened at the mess-house to try this Daffadar, who was found guilty, and hung that very evening. The court-martial continued its sit- tings for a few days, and ended with condemning some twenty-four men, twenty-one of whom were shot to death, and three blown away from guns. The 1st Cavalry was then marched up to Yedlabad, on the con- fines of His Highness' territories, where it was recruited to its full strength by men from the other three regiments of cavalry. Eventually it "D 73 wiped away the stain on its honour by the performance of excellent and loyal • services during the troublous times of the mutiny. And thus, in the words of Carlisle, the threatened mutiny was "blown into space, and became a thing that was." : B 74 EXTRACT FROM THE SETTLE- MENT REPORT OF THE PAITAN TALUKA, AURUNGABAD DIS- TRICT, PUBLISHED IN 1878. THE TOWN OF PAITAN. The classical town of Paitan or Py- tun is dear to the heart of the anti- quarian. Perhaps there is no town in the Deccan equal to it in historic interest and ancient fame. Its origin is lost in the gloom of ages. It is mentioned in the Periplus of the Greeks (written about the middle of the second century of the Christian era); and it was then a flourishing city, and known as a great mart of trade. It was frequented by Grecian and Egyptian merchants. It was the birth- place of Shalivahan (a great name in Indian history), who gave the Hindus A • 75 an era, which is still maintained in the Deccan. To the Hindu it is a spe- cially sacred and venerated spot, hal- lowed by the residence of the god Brahama, and distinguished by its having been selected as his favourite haunt. The Prathistan Mahathma, a Hindu legendary account of Paitan, is replete with wonderful and romantic accounts of this town, and the way in which it was founded. In ages past, the god Brahama, after having created this world of ours, bethought himself of a place for his residence, and fixed his choice upon the favoured spot on which now stands the town of Paitan. He called it Put- tun, which is a word of Sanskrit ori- gin, and means a large flourishing city. This name became corrupted into Pai- tan. Years rolled on, and Brahama, we are told, lived here in happiness 76 and splendour But when Benares and other sacred places began to ob- tain high celebrity, as sanctified and • holy spots, the god, jealous for the fame of his favourite place of abode, changed the name of the town to Pra- thistana. Prathi in Sanskrit means a copy, and Sthan a place of abode, and the legend has it that Brahama distin- guished this town, above all other places in this world, by likening it to his magnificent abode in heaven. But beyond fabulous legends, we have no record of authentic history, until we come to later times, when the mist of obscurity clears away, and we tread on surer ground. On the table-land near the famous Caves of Ellora, is observed a site marked by the ruins of what would appear to have been once a flourishing and an extensive city. On this site, 77 it is believed, stood the city of Tagara, a flourishing metropolis, well known to the ancient Greeks as one of the emporiums for the supply of their merchandise. Of the importance and antiquity of this city every reader of Indian history is aware. About the end of the first century it was under the Government of a Rajput prince, whose dominions must have been ex- tensive and his authority great, for in old grants of lands engraved on cop- per-plates he is styled the Chief of the Chiefs of Tagara. About that time a revolt broke out in this part of the country. The moving spirit in it was a person of humble origin and inferior caste. This man was Shalivahan. The voice of tradition says that he was the son of a potter, miraculously born of a virgin at Paitan, and notwithstanding his low descent, destined by Heaven کام £ 3 78 1 j to be the saviour and guardian of the Brahmins, who were then suffering the rigours of persecution at the hands • of the Buddhists. Shalivahan's insur- rection was successful, and he rose to power about A. D. 77-78. This event marks an epoch in the history of the Deccan, and gives to the Hindus the era of Sukkay, which is still recognis- ed at the present day among them. This era, although only currently maintained in the Deccan, is generally observed by all classes of Hindus, in dating their accounts and documents of importance. Assisted by the Agnikul warriors of Rajputana, Shalivahan is said to have waged deadly war against the Buddhists and in this respect he is regarded as having performed a mission that was sent him from Hea- He is also venerated as a rege- ven. Shaliva- nerator of the Hindu faith. han established his seat of government نا 79 at the town of his birth, and thus Paitan was at once raised to the digni- ty of a capital. The spot on which once stood the house of Shalivahan is at the present day shown to the visi- tor, but on the ruined site now stands a musjid, said to have been built by the Emperor Aurungzebe. A deep well in the court of the musjid is also pointed out, and tradition has it that Shalivahan, when a boy, amused him- self by making clay figures of men and horses and casting them in this well. In a miraculous manner these figures were eventually endowed with life, · and, swarming out of the well by hun- dreds, became to him brave and trusty soldiers. But during his war with Vikramaditya, while crossing the Nur- budda river, the spell was broken, and back into clay dissolved both men and⚫ horses. Of this alleged war of Shali- 80 vahan with Vikram, the prince of Malwa, (another great name in his- tory,) suffice it to say that the eras which mark the reigns of both these kings in themselves refute this story. For between these eras there is a dif- ference of about 133 years, and history cannot bridge over this space of time to connect these two events together. Here we again lose the thread of our history, and once more become invol- ved in fabulous legends. But one fact is evident, and that is, that at some distant date, and for causes which have not been traced, the seat of go- vernment was removed from Paitan to the fort of Deogir, the modern Dow- lutabad. From a manuscript that was shown to me while at Paitan, it would appear that there were a succession of dynasties, from that of Shålivahan down to Jadow Ramdeo Rao, whe 81 reigned at Dowlutabad in the thir teenth century of the Christian era, • and who fought against Sooltan Alla- odin Khilji, when that enterprising individual headed the first Mahome- dan invasion in this province. Al- though no great credence could be attached to this list of dynasties, it seems suitable to give it here, for what it may be worth:- - From the time of the accession of the Mahomedan power in the Decçan, we have in Ferishta, Khaafi Khan, and other works, a complete record of the rulers of the Deccan, and as these are accessible to all, I need not enter into details here. Suffice it to say that Paitan fell in importance, ever since the seat of government was re- moved from it to Deogir. When the ģ ་ 82 : .. Emperor Akbar turned his arms to the conquest of the Deccan, a part of his army was encamped at Paitan. • Here, too, wefe solemnized, with all the grandeur and èclat proper to the occasion, the nuptials of Prince Daniel, the son of Akbar, with the Princess of Beejapur, a daughter of Ibrahim Adel Sha II. Many other events, im- portant enough to find a record in the page of history, have occurred here, but a mention of them in this report. would swell it beyond just proportion, and might be considered out of place. Traces of its ancient grandeur are still perceptible about Paitan. To judge by the site it once occupied, and which is now marked by many a ruin, it must have been a city wide in extent, and flourishing in state. The massive terraced houses, of solid ma- sonry and brickwork, with small loop i 83 holes for windows, and which have more the appearance of castles than houses, tell a tale of better, but tur- bulent, days now past and gone. Some of the carving on the woodwork on the facades of a few houses are a stu- dy in themselves. Its fine temples are well worth a visit. Outside the town, on a picturesque spot, on the banks of the Godaveri, stands the venerable durga of Sha Moulana Sahib. It is evidently constructed on the ruins of what appears to have been once a fine Hindu temple. Surrounded as it is on almost three sides by the waters of the Godavery, the town, with its cas- tle-like buildings, and pretty temples peeping out of clumps of trees, pre- sents a picturesque appearance, and the interest of the observer is enhanc- ed as he thinks of its great antiquity. On a moon-light night, when the f 84 . 量 ​whole scene is steeped in silvery splen- dour, and when the moon-beams seem to glow resplendently on the placid bosom of the sacred Godavery, it is pleasant to sit on one of the stone- paved ghauts, which fringe the high banks of the river, affording means of descent to it by broad flights of steps, and contemplate this quiet and peace- ful scene, which is not without a pecu- liar beauty of its own. And a feeling of solemn awe gradually creeps over the visitor as he remembers that he is standing on the very ground once trod by the feet of the ancient Greek, the Egyptian, the Hindoo, and others up- wards of two thousand years ago. $ • 1 85 JOTTINGS FROM HYDERABD. (THE DECCAN TIMES, 22nd Septr. 1887) • Not so very long ago, Mr. Editor, the Deccan Times possessed for me, as I knew it did for others, an attraction which for some time has ceased to exist. I was wont to look with friend- ly eye upon the "Stray Notes," which from time to time acted like a plea- sant tonic upon palates jaded with a surfeit of politics, and the other grave etceteras of official or of public life. I was accustomed to peruse those "airy nothings" in attire befitting the discussion of such trifles. Wrapped in the softest of dressing gowns, o'er whose infancy in Cashmere perchance had watched soft eyes out-fabling the beauty of any such as come in dreams . " •. 86 to crazy poetasters, I reclined on an arm-chair that eluded, for luxurious comfort, the solidity of Deschamps or the elegance of Wimbridge, and at my ease or sighed or smiled at the con- ceits of the Deccan Times. The hissing urn made sweet music at my elbow. A muffin, steaming hot, thick inlaid with patines of rich butter, awaited my attack with all the appetising sur- rounding of the finest, purest salt. Madame, still lying cozily ensconced amid her pillows and her tight twisted curl-papers, had not yet soured my day by a reminder of home school- bills, or that long standing account for black silk stockings at the whilom Mrs. Wright, now Mrs. Schæffer. With a mind unwrung by wordly care, I used to give myself up to tea, and toast, and the Deccan Times. Just across the street, in his verandah, my - 87 old companion, Jenkins-Snooks, in a fancy suit of pyjamas with unmistak- able symptoms of home-make, growled out his double-bass laughter over your quandom columns, to the accom- paniment of huge volumes of smoke from a gigantic, straw-pierced Trichy." Where is the hand that in "Stray Notes" traced life's doings with such gentleness and skill? Dead? Or relegated to that land of forgetful- ness whither we banish all our un- fortunate friends? We are living in times of stir and change; yet the old touch is absent, and I moan the facile pen that would have chronicled with laughing tearfulness the capitulation of our lordly Jung; the dazzling scintilla- tion of our Marshall Sahib ; the politi- cal incandescence of the defunct Cabi- net, or the defection of celebrities of the type of Noel Woods and Billy 66 1 88 Williams. 46 Alas! the moral brings a tear! "Tis all a transient hour below, And we, who would detain him here, Ourselves as fleetly go. 19 20 Mr. Editor, I am determined on an experiment. I mean to try my prentice hand" in print. The hair, * over my temples is slightly thinning and Gwendoline- I allude to my better-half detects with selfish anxiety the presence of silver streaks among locks which once rivalled and outshone the hue of Ebon. But I have a little courage yet. My heart still beats true. I can hold my own at "Snooker" or snipe shooting, and though my figure has lost the elegant outlines of Colonel Crusha's, I can •still play for a "pony" on the rub, without accelerating by one beat my equal pulse. I am not steeped in am- 89 bition. I do not hope to awake on Thursday morning next, and find my- • self famous in the columns of the Deccan Times. But in the interstices of labour, thoughts will come and go, and my anxious and worried mind will find relief in writing to you. I shall not pretend to be regular, and like dear twisted old "Korkyskroo, make my weekly appearance in your columns. I cannot claim any pretence to style,—there are two or three ladſy friends of mine here, who would put me to shame as regards this qualifica- tion. I shall note a neat foot, and a well-turned ankle (Jenkins-Snooks and I used often to play this game in the good old days, before marriage sobered me down) with as much de- light as the most ponderous procla- mation about the Mohurram, or the raciest political scandal from the secret ¡ 90 recesses of the Residency. Accept the lighter thoughts of a brain which is always busy, and let me find relief for • it in penning "airy nothings." Let me try whether I shall be as amused with my own endeavours, as I was wont to be at those which endeared you to me in the days I lament. The old Palace in the city is desert- ed. The home of an inherited res- ponsibility is silent. Silent too the shouting of the Chobdars; the soft in- sinuating voices of the Secretaries, and the lamentations of petitioners crying for redress. Sir Salar Jung is away in England, entertaining Lords and Ladies in good old English style. May his shadow never grew less! May his broad chest be adorned for many years to come with the insignia of the K. C. I. E. with which he has ". » 91 recently been invested by Her Majesty the Queen-Empress! The ring of the old name moves me yet as it does many others;-me, whose manhood declined slowly into respectable, if dull middle age, under the great shadow of a great and venerated name. The modern history of this kingdom is the history of the late Sir Salar Jung. The biography of the one would be the annals of the other. I am not by nature sentimental (I pro- posed to Gwendoline between the stage waits of a picnic dinner at Meer Allum) but I cannot think of olden times and by-gone men without feeling a lump rising in my throat. Bah! I brush the cobwebs from my eyes which are bedewed with- I beg your pardon,-which are gummy on account of long vigils devoted to whist.• The dust of ages has no place on the ++ i Ľ 92 S shelves of the memory of a man of business. My love of the son shall