Besides these, there are several towns, villages, and fortifications of consequence in this district, but recent events have rendered the preservation of the tatter of less importance to their owners.
Bundelcund from ancient times has been divided into many petty territories, whore chiefs have inces santly disturbed the peace of their subjects by pre datory incursions on each other. The successful captures of strongholds in the mountains, was an en couragement to the subsistence of warfare ; and in addition to the numerous ordinary sources of dis pute, it is not unlikely that their joint interests in the diamond mines contributed to excite dissension. Though the predominance of power induced some one of the contending parties to claim the superiori ty, it was reluctantly acknowledged by the rest ; whence, instead of a common bond of union to de fend the country, it was weakened by the distrac tions of the whole. The Rajahs of Callinger are mentioned by Mahometan writers so early as the year 1008, but it does not vpear to have been in corporated with Bundelcund for several centuries af tenvards. Sometime in the sixteenth century, it is said that a Bondela, living in Benares, removed to a fort in the district of Ouncha, then governed by a Rajah whose confidence he speedily obtained. This Bondela had a daughter of exquisite beauty of whom the Rajah became enamoured, and demanded her in marriage. But her father, considering the proposal a grievous insult, from one whom certain circumstances now unknown prompted him to consider his inferior in rank, be, in concert with his daughter, plotted a diabolical revenge. Acquiescence was given on the part of both, and the Rajah, was invitied by his bride to the house of the Boadela, where the ceremony was to be performed. Here a magnificent entertainment was prepared, of which. be. partook plentifully .with his attendants ; bus it was soon• succeeded by excruciating tortures,•-poison had been treacherous. ly administered, and when the victims became Inca. pable of defence, they were treacherously massacred. The Bondela then placed himself on the musnud of the Rajah, which ho• enjoyed peaceably until his death. Ile was succeeded by his son Bee' Sing Deo, whose descendant is • the Rajah of Ouneba, and he gained an accession of power by his services to the Soubandar of Allahabad. But he is accused of being a greet plunderer, and his history is stained by the assassination of the celebrated Abul Faze!, Prime Minister of Aekbar, which• is said to have been committed by a banditti under his command. Nay, it is affirmed, that he acted in compliance with the wishes of Jehangeer, the emperor's son, who was jealous of Abul Fazel's influence over his .father,
and who, on his accession to the throne of Delhi, entrusted Ber Sing Dee. with the government of all Bundelcund, then called Thievish. On descending to a Teter period, we find that this territory was in vaded during the government of the Rajah Chatter saul, about the middle of last century, by the chief of Furruckabad ; and the Rajah, to aid him in repell ing the enemy, applied for support to the Peshwa, Sewai Ba'row. Success attended them, be adopted Sewai Bajerow as his son, and partitioned Bundelcund between him and his own. sons. But allotting hiss a third of his dominions, the land rani venue of which was estimated at about L.1,800,000 Sterling, was under an express stipulation that his posterity should be protected by the Peshwa, in in• dependent possession of the remainder. The rest of his male issue, said to exceed fifty, were in a state of dependence on their two brothers. In time this division opened the way to dissension, a civil war ensued, and the consequent weakness of the .chiefs afforded an opportunity for other invasion. All Bahauder, an illegitimate grandson of Nero• held a command in the army of Scisideah, &he•med Mahratta chief; and in the same army was the Ra jah Humus Bahaadar, who nevoid)+ coinamoded a great body of cavalry, but was the spiritual head and . military leader of a numeroussees of devotees called Gauche. Both seem .to have • fallen under the•dis. pleasure of the Pesbwa, and the latter, after retie• mg to his estate•n 1786, soon•united with. the other in attempting the conquest of Bundolound. The Rajah Himmut seems to have had it in contlimpla. tion to establish a sovereignty elsewhere; and about the year 1787, be was actively engaged in assistiag the prince ?4irza Jurvaim BuIrlit, in raising an army, but whose death, which happened suddenly in •17-814 probably allowed him- more leisure to attend is the other object in view. He and his associates agreed that a large portion of the territory so be conquered should be assigned to himself, and its revenue ap. plied to the support of certain trove which he en. gaged to maintain in the service of Ali Babeedsr, The projected invasion took plate in 1789.; whim Ali Bahauder conquered Mee . of . the district be 4he mem of the Peshwa, of whom he rendered him= self nearly independent; and in a short time the whole was subdued except. some fortresses, which the Mahrattas have never been able to reduce.