Capt. Franklin's Memoir on Bundelkhund. §65 



Desdn river, or Bundelkhund Proper; and it now remains to describe the 

 rise and progress of another government, which at a later period was esta- 

 bhshed by RAjA Chhatuasal over the country situated east of that river; 

 and, ni order to trace the origin of this power, it will be necessary to refer 

 back to that period of Bundela history when the Muhammedan government 

 established its t'hanahs in Oorcha. 



During the interval between the flight of JajhAr Singh into Gondwana 

 and the instalment of PehAr Singh in the government of Oorcha, viz from 

 A. D. to 1633 to 1640, all the Bundela possessions remained in the hands of 

 the Muhammedan government, a circumstance which roused the patriotic 

 feelings of the Bundela chieftains to a very high pitch, and gave rise to a 

 series of intrepid and daring exploits almost bordering on the romance 

 Champat Rao, the father of RAjA ChhatrasAl, obtained the greatest cele! 

 brity on this occasion; and when at length his successful struggles had 

 forced the Muhammedans to withdraw their t'hanahs, he retired to his 

 native village of .W.etc.«; there, however, his restless spirit was incapable 

 of remaining in repose ; and he was soon engaged in other enterprises His 

 attachment to PehAu Singh, as the rightful representative of his family 

 whose cause he had so materially advanced, prevented him from committing 

 .depredations on his territory ; and he therefore crossed the Besdn river and 

 settled at Mao, from whence he began his inroads upon travellers' and 

 earners, and rapidly accumulated the means of future aggrandizement. 

 Meantime his son, ChhatrasAl, entered into the service of Behadur Khan 

 governor of the Dekhan in the reign of the Emperor Aurungzeb. But some 

 cause or other induced liim to change it for that of the Mahrattas, which was 

 thenansing power, under the famous Sivaji, in which employment he is 

 said to have performed some useful services: and he returned to his countrv 

 with reputation and credit. •' 



At this period the state of Bundelkhund was as follows : the tract west of 

 the Desan river, or Bundelkhund Proper, was occupied by the Oorcha Bun- 

 delas, who were firmly fixed in their possessions by their allegiance to the 

 Muhammedan Empire ; but the country east of that river was disunited and 

 divided amongst various powers. It was possessed partly by the Muham- 

 medans partly by tlie Soorgee (.Surji or Sic.yi?) and Raghuvansi tribes, partly 

 by the Gonds, and by numerous other adventurers, who had estabUshed 

 themselves on the ruins of the Chandelas. 



ChhatrasAl, on his return, finding circumstances favourable to his 



