196 
G. N. Butt —History of the Hutwa Raj. [No. 2, 
were placed at the disposal of the authorities in the district for the pre¬ 
servation of peace and order.” (Vide Appendix). When the Mutiny 
broke out in the district of Shahabad and G'orakbpur in June, 1857, the 
Maharaja, an old man of seventy, at once put himself in communica¬ 
tion with the local authorities, engaged a large contingent of armed men 
with which he guarded all the ghats and private houses of Government 
officials, and sometimes fought with the rebels. “ The effect of this active 
measure,” as described by the Collector to the Commissioner in the letter 
dated the 18th March, 1858, “was that whilst the Gorakhpur district 
was temporarily abandoned to anarchy and rapine, not a village on the 
Saran side of the boundary became the scene of disorder.” (Vide 
Appendix). When a large body of mutineers appeared at Subhanpur, 
near Sewan, the Maharaja assisted the sub-divisional Officer, Mr. Lynch, 
with horses and men, fought the rebels and gained a signal victory. 1 It 
is indeed a pity that the historians of the Indian Mutiny, while they 
have indulged in enumerating petty and minor details, have entirely 
omitted to make any mention of the service rendered by this Maharaja 
of Hutwa. 
An internal rising forms an episode in Maharaja Chattradhari 
Shahi’s time. A brahmin of Bhore, named Bujhawan Misir, became very 
powerful, having been aided by the ever-turbulent Rajputs of the place 
who are called “ Khans.” Bujhawan Misir claimed the whole country 
on the other side of the Jherai river to be his hrit (Brahmottar), even the 
forts of Husainpur. Each time the Maharaja’s troops sent to dispossess 
him were beaten back—in fact Bujhawan Misir held the country in such 
terror for some time that no one from the Hutwa side could dare cross 
the Jherai. 8 At last the Maharaja had to seek the help of the Govern¬ 
ment, and Bujhawan was dispossessed of the country and killed by the 
troops of Government. There were also constant fights with the 
Bettiah Raj about demarcation of boundaries between the two Estates, 
and thousands of both sides were killed. 
1 These mntineers had looted the Government treasury and the public offices 
in Muzaffarpur District, but being repulsed therefrom had proceded to Sewan, “On 
the following morning the troops broke out in open mutiny. Headed by Jarif Khan 
they robbed the Monghyr Mail and plundered the Collector’s house. They then 
attacked the Treasury and Jail, but the Police and najibs stood to their posts and 
drove them off, on which they decamped towards Aliganj Sewan.”—(Sir J. Kaye’s 
History of the Sepoy War, Vol. III.) 
* Thus sang the bard “^T^TT V# I 
fljfspC ^ft^T l 51 “ The Raja was reduced to diminutive, and his soldiers 
were reduced to the position of a cotton-dresser, while Bujhawan Misir fought 
making the earth tremble under his feet.” 
