254 



An Account of the Tribe of Mhadeo Kolies. 



[April 



and such few necessaries as his new situation demanded, and all the 

 Kolies engt^ed to be faithful to him and to obey him. The negotia- 

 tions did not terminate favourably for the Kolies, as the prince gave or- 

 ders shortly afterwards to attack them in token of his dissatisfaction. 

 However, Pauperah, by his great activity and vigilance, continued for 

 a series of years to defy the king's troops, and prevented them gaining 

 anv advantage over the Kolies, and so completely disgusted the officers 

 of the royal army, by misleading and counteracting all their attempts 

 and plans to punish the rebels, that the king ordered the troops to be 

 withdrawn from the hilly country. 



The Kolies having for such a length of time been engaged in hosti- 

 lities in defending themselves from the attacks of the royal army, and 

 finding nothing to occupy their attention at home, after hostilities had 

 ceased, were allured to plunder the people who inhabited the Malldesh, 

 lying between the Rajoor district and Trimbuck. The inhabitants of 

 this tract Gursees, Sombattees, &c. were attacked and driven away and 

 the country left desolate ; however it is said that Pauperah subsequent- 

 ly settled for some time at the village of Mookny near the Tallghaut, 

 where he erected a small mud fort. Having one day proceeded to pay 

 his devotions at the shrine of the deity at Pumpry, he met five holy 

 fakeers ; one of these, placing his hand on Pauperah's head, bestowed 

 his blessing on him and said, go down to the Konkan, take possession 

 of Jowair and seat yourself on the Gaddy* there. The Koly replied 

 that it could not be his destiny to be ever eleyated so high ; besides a 

 Warley Rajah occupied Jowair. The saint remarked, wh&t proceeded 

 from his lips would be realized. Pauperah assembled a body of Kolies 

 and proceeded northward and descended into the Attaveesy ; the coun- 

 try around Peint and Dhurumpoor acknowledged him as their master. 

 From this time he was saluted by his followers as Rajah Mookny Kur; 

 and the term Mookny has been continued as the surname of the family 

 ever since. It is said Rajah Mookny paid a visit to Guzerat, and that 

 he prolonged his stay in Katy war for seven years ; at the termination 

 of which period he proceeded to Jowair and asked the Warley Rajah 

 to give him as much land as the hide of a bullock could embrace. 

 The Warley Rajah, seeing it would be impolitic on his part to offer re- 

 sistance to a person of such power and influence as Rajah Mookny, 

 consented. The hide was cut into very fine shreds or strips, and when 

 all were united and extended along the ground, the Warley Rajah saw 

 his small fort and dwelling embraced within the space fixed upon by 

 Rajah Mookny. The Warley, much disheartened, remarked, as you have 

 included my dwelling in the part you mean to occupy, it is incumbent on 

 you to give me some place to reside in. Gumbeergur and the surround- 



* A seat of honour— -a throne. 



