1916.] The Geography of Orissa. 55 



eluded the salt revenue, which in the time of the Hindu 

 kings was paid largely in kind. 



(26) Mednipur, having a large citv with two forts. Mid- 

 napur (Bl., B.). Not traced in the T. chronicles. The modem 

 pargana extends over three thanas of Sadar, viz., Midnapur, 

 Kespur and Salbani. It was originally a small tuahal includ-' 

 ing the town and its suburbs. Hence the revenue was assessed 

 in the Am at Rs. 25,498£ only. But before British occupation 

 it had absorbed the adjoining pargana of Bhanjabhum. In the 



early British assessment of 1777-8 a.d. Pargana Midnapur 



IS 



tormed part of the large zamindari of Kasijora pavinii a reve- 

 nue of Rs. 1,79,378 (G. 532). ' 



The town of Midnapur from its favourable position on the 

 Kasai river must have existed in the Hindu times. According 

 to the karca of Govinda Dasa, Caitanya visited Medinipur in 

 1509 a.d. on his way to Puri. In the daring pursuit of Daud 

 by Todar Mai, the latter passed through Midnapur and here his 

 colleague. Muhahammad Kuli Khan Barlas, died in Ramzan 

 982 h. The town grew in importance, and in the Maratha war 

 Ahvardi Khan halted with his troops and officers at Midnapur 

 for several months in 1750 a.d., watching the Maratha advance 

 from Nagpur and Oiisa. 



The new fort is evidently the one near the courts which 

 was formerly used as jail. The old one lay, I think, at Gop, two 

 miles west of the present town. Here are found ruins of a 

 house surrounded by massive walls and a trench. This hilltop 



211 ft. above the sea level according to the Trigonometrical 

 Survey. 



(27) Mahakanghat urf Kutabpur, with a fortress. In Mid- 

 napur (Bl., B.). Not traced in the T. chronicles. The modern 

 pargana Kutabpur lies in Thana Debra of Midnapur Sadar sub- 

 division and Thana Pasakura of Tamluk subdivision, almost 

 enclosed by the Kasai on the south, and its tributary Palaspai 

 Khal on the west and the north. It was a small mahal with 

 the revenue fixed in round figures at Rs. 6,000. 



The old Padishahi road passed through it. From the use 

 of the word ghat in the Hindu name of the mahal, it appears 

 to have been derived from some important crossing, either over 

 the Palaspai or over the Kasai river. 



(28) Nardinpur urf Kandhar with a fort on a hill. In 

 Midnapore (BL). Two separate parganas, a few miles to the 

 south of Midnapore (B.). The Naranapura of the T. chron- 

 icles. It must have been a fairly large mahal as the revenue 

 was assessed at Rs. 57,021|, and probably extended westwards 

 as far as the Subarnarekha river. At the time of the British 

 occupation the Thana Narayanagara and the Pargana Kandha- 

 ra were included in the large zamindari of Kasijora (G. 532). 



The old Padishahi road passed from Midnapur southwards 

 to Jalesar through Narayanapura. The fort lay probably near 



