102 J. W. Fanj— Notes on the Ndngis. FMat, 



•when Dedraj promised not to complain at the Tahsil, He then returned 

 to Dharsu where the zemindars sent up a complaint to the Nawab of Jhuj- 

 jur that Dedraj was a conjuror and made their wives dance. He was put 

 into prison, but the prisoners being intoxicated with * prem' (love) began 

 to dance. Six months afterwards Dedraj was released : he asked the 

 Nawab why he had been confined, and the Nawab said because there seemed 

 to be just complaints against him. 



" But" said the Nawab " tell me truly can you conjure." 

 " Certainly I have the power." 

 *' Show it" said the Nawab. 



" Before doing so" replied Dedraj " answer me one question. How 

 many ladies are there in your harem ?" 

 " Six." 



*' Then" said he " eat 10 pairs of shoes for each lady, or 60 pairs alto- 

 gether, remain patient always in your mind, and afterwards come to me 

 and I will show you my jadu." 



The Nawab was very angry and ordered him out of his territory with 

 strict injunctions never to return or else he would pay the penalty. 



Dedraj Mahara j then turned his steps to village Churina, district Khe» 

 tri, and having built a house began to live. News soon spread : then from 

 Bhiwani there came Babar Singh, Kaula, Phiilu, Jhabar Dhana and Babar's 

 wife Daropti. Besides these there were many others, amongst whom were 

 Prabhu Lai of the police and Gangaram the father of the present Ramchan-, 

 dra. 



All these people were convinced that Dedraj spoke the truth and the 

 Rajputs began to be converted. In Sambat 1905, Dedraj Maharaj came to 

 Bhiwani where Prabhu Lai spoke well of him at the thanah, and gave him a 

 tokua of brass, a carpet and a kariya for cooking sweetmeats. On leaving 

 Bhiwani, Dedraj travelled to Metathul, 4 kos north, to Kunger, district 

 Hansi, to Pilani, district Jeypur, and the greater part of Bikaneer. In all 

 these places he was feted, collected worshippers and instructed them in 

 the doctrines. He then returned to Churina, and died in Sambat 1909. 



Nangi, the Baniani, had previously died, but he obtained another Nangi^ 

 a Brahmini inhabitant of Laraen, district Jhujjur, who was well acquainted 

 •with all the forms and ceremonies, and hence the sect is called Nangi's 

 Panth. 



Criticism. 

 It will be noticed that the two narratives are similar in almost every 

 respect, but there are more dates in the former and more miracles in the 

 latter. The chief discrepancy seems to be in the length of incarceration 

 suffered by Dedraj at Jhujjur, being two years in the first case and only six 

 months in the second, but as this latter is only a verbal narrative, this is of 

 slight importance. 



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