MEIVAT, a tract lying south of Dehli, and including parts of the British districts of Muttra and Gurgaon, a considerable portion of L'lwar, and some of Bhurtpur. For many centuries its people were predatory, and gave great trouble to the Dehli rulers. They are now mostly all Muhammadans, but are of ancient Ilindu race ; and in the time of Prithi-raj, the chief of Mewat was one of his vassals. Raja Mangal, of Mewat, a Jadun Rajput, married a sister of a wife of Prithi-raj. In 1265, about 100,000 were put to the sword, and a line of forts was drawn along the foot of their hills. The whole of its towns were levelled to the ground by Jess-raj. The ruling race are called Mewati or Khanzada. They are famous in the history of the Dehli empire, under which they were distinguished soldiers. Since the close of the 18th century the territory has merged into ITlwar and Bhurtpur.
The mass of the population are the Meo. For
many centuries they were highly predatory, and they are still noted cattle-lifters.' They are different from the dominant Mewati race, who, however, are also Muhammadans, but are of the Jadu race. The Meo of Mewat are in fifty-two clans, of which the twelve larger are called Pal, and the smaller Got. Others of them are in Muttra, Bhurtpur, and Gurgaon. They claim to be Rajputs, but many of them are supposed to be of Meena descent. Though Muhammadans, they keep several Hindu festivals,—the Holi, Jan'm ashtmi, Dassera, and Diwali ; and on the Amavas, or monthly conjunction of the sun and moon, Meo, the Ahir, the Gujar, etc., cease from labour. They do not marry in their own clan or pal. They sometimes sell their daughters.—Illalcolm's Central India ; Rennell's Memoir ; T. of H. ; Campbell, p. 103 ; Tod's Rajasthan.