J 903.] Girindra Nath Dutt— History of the Hutwa Raj. 59 



Western Provinces and Central India. In my opinion S'arakas and Sa- 

 raogies are quite different people. The former who belong to the Mon- 

 golian race, entered India about the 12th century A.D. through the 

 north-eastern frontier and introduced much improvement in the art of 

 weaving, &c, and generally in trade and commerce. The latter, who 

 are a branch of the Caucasian race, came into India about the 2nd cen- 

 tury A.D. through the north-western frontier and formed themselves 

 into a most influential community of traders and money-lenders. The 

 Saraogies are Jains while the S'arakas are practically Hindus though 

 originally they perhaps accepted other creeds too. 



2. On the origin of the Nikmard fair in Dinajpur. — By Maulavi 

 Abdul Wall 



(Abstract.) 



This fair or mela commences on the 1st Baicakh and lasts for 

 a week. It is attended by about a hundred thousand people of all 

 classes and religions. Some come for pleasure and others for trade. 

 It is held in honour of a Muhammadan fakir from Bokhara whose 

 soubriquet was Nikmard, " the holy man." According to the legend 

 there was a Hindu raja named Pitraj, who, being childless, begged the 

 saint to pray for him and promised him a handsome reward, if he should 

 be blessed with a son. A son was born, but the raja forgot his 

 promise, and Nikmard with his disciples engaged in hostilities. The 

 raja defeated and killed him. He was canonized as " Nikmard the 

 Martyr." The care of his shrine and the profits from the fair are 

 now in the hands of the fakirs of Baliya-Dighi. 



3. On the history of the Hutiva Raj. — By Girindra Nath Dutt, B.A. 



(Abstract.) 



The Rajas of Hutwa are of the same caste as the Rajas of Beuares, 

 Bettiah, and Tikari. They are popularly called Babhuns or Bhumihar 

 Babhans to which caste the majority of the landed aristocracy of Behar 

 belong. The Hutwa Raj family dates its origin from a prehistoric age. 

 The present minor Maharaj- Kumar traces his descent from a long line 

 of ancestors whom he counts up to 102 degrees above him. The founder 

 of the dynasty was Raja Bir Sen. Allowing even an average of 25 

 years for each life, Raja Bir Sen would be about 25 centuries older than 

 the present progeny of his and this would carry us back some six cen- 

 turies before the Christian era, i.e., nearly about the historical date of 

 Buddha's birth. The patronymic of the earlier Rajas was " Sen " which 

 in the 16th descent was changed to " Sinha" and in the 83rd to " Mull" 

 and in the 87th to "Shahi" which last patronymic still continues in the 



