1865.] Notes on the Gurjat State of Patna. 105 



Deo and Bulram Deo, Maharajahs respectively, of Sumbulpore and 

 Patna, was 15, wanting to complete were Sonepore in the one case, 

 and Khurriar and Borasainber in the other. 



Formation of the 8 remaining Gurjat States. — The necessity of 

 providing for yonnger sons, caused the alienation from the parent 

 states of Sonepore and Khurriar. Thus Sonepore, as far as the left 

 of the river Ung, (the land on the right to the Sel river, still, as 

 before noted, belonging to Patna,) its chief town being Binka, was 

 constituted an independent tributary Grurjat State by the 4th Rajah 

 of Sumbulpore, who made it over with the title of Rajah to his 2nd 

 son Mucldun G-opaul. And again the 15th Maharajah of Patna giving 

 over three " gurhs" of the original eight of Patna, viz., Kholagurh, 

 Groorhagurh, and Boomragurh, to his younger son Gropaul Roy, and 

 the latter obtaining Khurriar as "a dowry on his marriage with a 

 daughter of the Rajah of Jaipore, those gurhs merged into Khurriar 

 and the whole was constituted one Gurjat state with the title of 

 Rajah. 



The last created Grurjat was Borasambur the present chief of 

 which owes his position to the cunning and power of an ancestor. 

 Originally Borasambur consisted of eight villages, which went by the 

 name of " Atgoan," and formed a small zemindaree, part of the inte- 

 gral state of Patna. It is stated that one of the zemindars of 

 " Atgoan" having saved the life of a Sambur deer by killing a " bora" 

 or boa-constrictor which had attacked it, the name of the zemin- 

 daree was changed to Borasambur. Notwithstanding the smallness 

 originally of the area of the zemindaree, the proprietor was a man 

 of some importance, he was chief of his caste-men, Bhinjwals — and, 

 on the occasion of a new Maharajah being raised to the Griiddee, it 

 was his especial duty to take the latter on his lap and fold over his 

 head the turban of state. Again, the zemindar held an important 

 position : his lands were situated alone on the north side of the range 

 of hills called Goondmardhum, which form part of the northern boun- 

 dary of Patna, and thus he could hold the approaches through those 

 bills to Patna for or against any hostile forces. It would appear that 

 (lining the first inroads of the Mahrattas, the zemindar of Bora- 

 sambur was successful in guarding these approaches. For this service 

 he was granted an extension of property on the Patna side. What 



