1878.] W. Irvine —The Sang ash JVcrwdbs of FarruJehabad. 341 
household was in their charge, and his whole establishment under their 
orders. For many of them he obtained the title of Nawab from the 
Emperor. 
Of whatever caste a chela had been, he was married to the daughter of 
a chela originally of the same caste, a Rajput was given to a Rajput, a Brah¬ 
man to a Brahman, and so forth. This plan was followed till the time of 
Nawab Ahmad Khan Ghalib Jang (1752—1771). After that time they all 
got mixed together, so that one caste cannot be distinguished from another. 
Among the chelas were the sons of powerful Rajahs, who by misfortune 
had been captured and made Muhammadans. Thus Shamsher Khan “Masjid- 
wala” is reported to have been a Banafir Rajput, Slier Dil Khan was a Tomar, 
Pur Dil Khan a Gaur, Daud Khan a Brahman and so forth. 
The Naw&b used to tell his chelas to collect as much money, goods or 
jewels as possible. In adversity such property could be made of use to 
him or themselves. But he who built a masonry structure in any village 
would be at once removed from employment. Nothing was to be built but 
with sun-dried bricks and mud mortar, and to each chela permission was given 
to build a single brick room as reception hall. The only exception was in 
favour of Yakut Khan, Khan Bahadur, of whom we will speak again 
presently. # 
A teacher was appointed for the boy chelas, his name was Kali Miyan / 
Shah. When a boy could read and write, he was taken before the Nawab 
who presented him with one hundred rupees, a shield, and a sword, by way 
of Tchila’t. 
From among the chelas of eighteen to twenty years of age, the Nawab 
selected five hundred youths, and trained them as a picked regiment. They 
had firelocks of Lahore, accoutrements of Sultani broad-cloth, powder-horns 
each holding two and a half seer of powder, and each a pouch with one hun¬ 
dred bullets. One day, they were drawn up along the Jamna bank under 
the fort at Delhi while the Emperor was seated on the fort wall, with 
Muhammad Khan standing in an attitude of respect beside him ; Muham¬ 
mad Shah ordered them to fire at some moving object in the river, and was 
so delighted with the good practice they made, that he asked for a gift of 
the whole corps. Muhammad Khan made the objection that they were a lot 
of Brahmans and Rajputs, who could do nothing but talk a rustic patois and 
use their swords. The Emperor accepted the excuse, and sent one thousand 
rupees to be distributed. 
The names of the principal chelas, with any facts known about them, 
will now be given. 
* Only one or two other chelas founded any ffcinj, and the fact will be mentioned 
under each man’s name. 
