48 Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. [N.S., XII, 



The mahal, as its name signifies, lay along the sea coast- A 

 quarter of Puri town goes under the same name (Balisahi). 



(4) Balkohsi, B. Kohi, B. Khosi or B. Kothi, with three forts, 

 Sokrah, Banhas Tali, Daddhpur. Balikothi in Pargana Sat- 

 malang (Bl.), Barah Kosi, the twelve kos between the Subarna- 

 rekha and the Burhabalang (B.), Sokrah is Sohroh and Banhas- 

 tali is Bhainsbati on the Kansbans, six miles south-east of 

 Sahroh (B). No such name found in the Temple chronicles. 

 The text of the Am seems very corrupt. The mahal may 

 represent the Soro Dandapata of the T. chronicles, an important 

 division which would otherwise remain unnoticed in the Am. 

 Eleven Bisis of Soro Dandapata are named: — Amkora, Kaenda, 

 Kure, Khajuri. Ganasara Khanda, Jaepura, Bacasa, Basili- 

 khanda, Benahara, Saraghara, Suneri. Except the last, all 

 still exist as parganas, and the last (Suneri) may have been 

 altered to Sunahat or Sunhat. The Dandapata thus lay roughly 

 from the Nilgiri Hills on the west, to the sea on the east, and 

 from the Matai tributary of the Baitarani on the south to the 

 Jamka stream on the north. Soroh was raised to a sarkar with 

 15 mahals in Shah Sujah's rent-roll. 



The first fort was at Sokrah which is probably Soroh, the 

 letter k being a copyist's addition; while the second fort at 

 Banhastali may be in Bancasa, one of the Bisis named. As the 

 old Padshahi road passed through this mahal, the three forts 

 lay evidently near this road, which was much infested by robbers 

 and thieves in old days. 



(5) Parbadd or Barpada, with a fort partly on a hill partly 

 fenced by forest. Biripada in Morbhanj (Bl.) Garpada village, 

 half-way between Jellasore and Balasore (B). The Bhanja- 

 bhumi Baripada Dandapata of the T. chronicles. This has 

 survived in Bhanjabhum Pargana in Thanas Kespur and 

 Salbani, north of Midnapur town. A wild hilly tract, it formed 

 part of Mayurabhaiija tributary state according to the Persian 

 documents seen by Stirling. Hence the name Bhanjabhum, 

 Bhanja being the family title of Mayurbhanja chiefs. Baripada 

 is still the name of the headquarters of Mayurabhaflja, being 

 situated on the upper reach of the Burhabalanga river. The 

 revenue was in fact the tribute assessed on this chief, and hence 

 was in round figures six lakh forty thousand dams or Rupees 

 sixteen thousand. 



(6) Bhograi with a fort. A large pargana at the mouth of 

 the Subarnarekha, partly in Balasore, partly in Hijili (Bl. and 

 B). Not traceable in the T. chronicles. It survives in a 

 pargana partly in Thana Baliapal of Balasore District, and 

 partly in Thana Ramnagara in Contai subdivision. The mahal 

 lay along the sea coast from the Subarnarekha north-east, a fact 

 which explains the statement that it had to supply a quota of 

 100 cavalry and 2200 archers and matchlockmen. Matchlock 



