Capt. Frjnklin's Memoir on Bundelkhund. 263 



him to change the seat of his government, and build a city, named Oorcha, 

 (Arijaija, * or Udicha) which he made the capital of his dominions. 



Oorcha was built in 1587 H. S., or 15dl A. D., soon after the accession 

 of the Emperor Hamayun to the throne of Delhi, and is situated on the 

 left bank of the Betwa or Betwanti river in lat. 25° 21' 15" N., and 

 long. 78° 38' 0" E. Ferishta, the historian, in speaking of the Bundela 

 chieftains, usually denominates them ' Oorcha Rajputs.' 



Madhucar Sah, grandson of Pretap hrad, is the next chief deserving of 

 notice ; he lived in the reign of the Emperor Akbar, and by prudently pro- 

 fessing obedience to the IVJuhammedan government, which was at that period 

 in the zenith of its power, he remained secure in his possessions, and trans- 

 mitted them to his eldest son, Ram Sah ; but a decree of the Emperor 

 Jehangir is said to have changed the order of succession in favour of his 

 second son, Birsingh Df:o, (^Bira sinha devd), because that chief had ren- 

 dered himself useful to court intrigues by the assassination of the celebrated 

 Abulfazl, on his return from the Dekhan. 



The Bundelas, however, are loud in their praises of Birsingh Deo, and 

 vestiges of his munificence, in the construction of artificial reservoirs of 

 water and temples, are conspicuous to the present day ; they certainly have 

 been highly beneficial to cultivation in this barren country, which in a 

 great measure owes its produce to the irrigation which these artificial lakes 

 aflTord. 



Birsingh Deo was succeeded by his eldest son, Jajhar Singh, of whom 

 there is an interesting account in Colonel Dow's history of the reign 

 of Shah JehAn, which coincides in every particular with tlie Bundela 

 records. The story is too long to repeat in this place ; but his revolt from 

 the Muhammedan government occasioned the invasion of his territory, 

 which terminated with his expulsion and flight into Gondwana, whence he 

 never returned. 



The power of the Bundela dynasty was broken by this catastrophe, and 

 Oorcha and its dependencies, after this period, were occupied by Muham- 

 medan t'hanahs for the space of six years. But though their power was 

 broken, the spirit of the Bundelas was unsubdued, and the incessant struggles 

 of the chiefs, amongst whom Champat Rao, the father of RajA Chha- 



• Hamilton's Gazetteer. Oorchar, Ouncha, Hamilton's Hind. Uchcha ? 



