630 History of the Gurha Mundala Rdja$. [Aug. 



the young prince Beer Narain ; and these two are said to have been 

 sent to the emperor Akber. 



Asuf acquired an immense booty. Besides a vast treasure, out of the 

 fourteen hundred elephants which is said to have composed the 

 queen's own stud, above one thousand fell into his hands, and all the 

 other establishments of which his conquest had made him master 

 were upon a similar scale of magnificence*. With a soil naturally 

 fertile and highly cultivated the valley abounded with great and useful 

 works : and Asuf, naturally of an ambitious spirit, resolved to estab- 

 lish in Gurha an independent Muhammedan sovereignty, like those of 

 Malwa, Guzerat and Dukkun ; and under a weaker monarch than 

 Akber he would, no doubt, have succeeded.. After a struggle of a 

 few years he returned to his allegiance, was pardoned, and restored 

 to his government of Kurha Manickpore. 



On Asuf's departure, Chooramun Bajpae, the minister and reputed 

 lineal descendant of the spiritual guide of the founder of this dynasty, 

 was sent to the court of Akber, to solicit a recognition of the claim of 

 Chunder Sa', the brother of Dulput Sa', to the throne of Gurha. 

 This family had immediately after the marriage of Durghoutee been 

 invested with the title of Bajpae. The ceremonies were performed 

 on the bank of the Nerbudda river, in a temple in the village of 

 Gopalpore near the Tilwara ford, and are said to have cost four hun- 

 dred thousand rupees. This agent attained the object of his mission, 

 and Chunder Sa was declared raja of Gurha Mundala ; but he was 

 obliged to cede to the emperor, the ten districts which afterwards 

 formed the principality of Bhopaul, viz. : Gonour, Baree, Chokeegurh, 

 Rahtgurh, Mukurhae, Karoo Bag, Karwae, Raeseyn, Bhowrasoo, Bhopaul. 



Of Chunder Sa''s reign little is known, and that little of no impor- 

 tance!. On his death he was succeeded by his second son, Mudkur 

 Sa', who treacherously put his elder brother to death. He was the 

 first prince of this house that proceeded to the imperial court to pay 

 his respects in person : and he did so ostensibly with a view to 

 appease the emperor by the voluntary surrender of his person, but 

 virtually for the purpose of securing the support of his name against 

 the vengeance of the people. But the vengence of heaven is supposed 

 by them to have overtaken him. 



* Among other things taken in Chouragurh were one hundred jars of gold coins 

 of the reign of Allah-uddeen, the first Mahommadan general that crossed the 

 Nerbudda river. See Brigg's translation of Ferishta. Some of those coins are 

 still worn by the women of Gurha as charms. 



t During the life of Durghoutee and his nephew he resided at Chanda ; and 

 is said to have entered into the service of the prince of that country. 



