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2026-05-03T14:27:40Z

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{{Short description|Taluqdari estate in Oudh (1540–1947)}}
{{Infobox former country
| conventional_long_name = Sarosi Estate
| common_name = Sarosi
| religion = [[Hinduism]]
| government_type = [[Monarchy]]
| status = [[Taluqdari|Taluqdari estate]]
| event_start =
| date_start =
| event_end = Acceded to India
| p1 =
| s1 = Dominion of India
| year_start = 1540
| year_end = 1947
| flag_border = no
| flag_type =
| image_coat =
| image_map =
| image_map_caption =
| capital = Sarosi
| common_languages = [[Awadhi language|Awadhi]], [[Hindi]]
| currency =
| title_leader = [[Chaudhri]] (Ruler or Chief)
| year_leader1 = 1540
| leader1 = Medni Mal ''(first)''
| year_leader2 = 1947
| leader2 = Chaudhri Kewal Singh ''(last)''
| flag_s1 = Flag of India.svg
| today = [[Uttar Pradesh]],<br />[[Republic of India]]
| era = Early modern period
}}
[[File:Sarosi Rajbhawan.jpg|thumb|Sarosi Palace]]
'''Sarosi''' also spelled '''Sarausi''', formerly an estate ([[Taluqdar|Taluqdari]]) in [[Oudh State|Oudh]], [[British India]] which was ruled by the [[Parihar (clan)|Parihar]] clan of the [[Rajput]]s.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Amar Singh Baghel |url=http://archive.org/details/dli.ministry.08783/page/n47/mode/1up?q=Sarosi |title=Uttar Pradesh District Gazetteers: Unnao |date=1979 |publisher=Lucknow, Department of District Gazetteers |pages=36}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Sykes |first=John Gaskell Walker |url=https://books.google.co.in/books?id=pBk3AQAAMAAJ&pg=PA394&dq=sarosi+estate&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&source=gb_mobile_search&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjCyIjXjuGTAxWnWHADHdyKG3gQ6wF6BAgPEAU#v=onepage&q=sarosi%20estate&f=false |title=A Compendium of the Law Specially Relating to the Taluqdars of Oudh: Being the Oudh Estates Act (I) of 1869, an Act to Amend the Oudh Estate Act, 1869, (Act X of 1885), the Oudh Sub-Settlement Act (XXVI) of 1866, the Oudh Taluqdars' Relief Act (XXIV) Fo 1870, and Parts of the Oudh Rent Act (XIX) of 1868, and the Oudh Land Revenue Act (XVII) of 1876 |date=1886 |publisher=Thacker, Spink |pages=394 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Oudh (India) |first=United Provinces of Agra and |url=https://books.google.co.in/books?redir_esc=y&id=ry1RAQAAMAAJ&focus=searchwithinvolume&q=Sarosi |title=The Taluqdari Law of Oudh: Being a Commentary on the Oudh Estates Act as Amended Up-to-date ... |last2=Lal |first2=Chhail Bihari |date=1921 |publisher=Pioneer Press |pages=566 |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":7" /> Now it is part of [[Unnao district]] in [[Uttar Pradesh]], India.

== History ==
[[Sikandarpur, Sikandarpur Sarausi|Sikandarpur]] pargana is historically associated with the Parihar [[Thakur]]s, whose principal seat is at Sarosi. The [[pargana]] is said to have been formally constituted during the reign of [[Akbar]] (A.D. 1565). Its earlier name was Burhanpur; however, in A.D. 1297, Sikandar Khan, an agent under [[Alauddin Khalji]], renamed it Sikandarpur.
By 1535 A.D., the pargana was held by Harju Mal Dhobi. In the period of instability following the murder of Hanwant Singh by the [[Saiyid]]s of [[Unnao]], during the reign of [[Humayun]], control of the area passed to the [[Dhobi]] community, who received it as a [[jagir]] from the [[Delhi]] court. Subsequently, during the reign of [[Sher Shah Suri]], and while Humayun was in exile in [[Persia]], Harju Mal Dhobi was killed in 1540 A.D. by Medni Mal, a [[Parihar]] Thakur of Jigini, who is regarded as the ancestor of the present [[taluqdar]].<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":4" />

The history of this clan is thus described in [[Charles Alfred Elliott|Sir Charles Alfred Elliott's]] Chronicles of Unnao, pp. 58-60:—<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":5" />

The Parihar community in the [[Unnao district]] is primarily settled in the pargana of Sarosi, which is also commonly referred to as Sikandarpur. They traditionally hold a group of 84 villages, a territorial unit known as a Chaurasi. According to local traditions, the Parihars trace their origin to a place called Jigini, or identified with [[Srinagar]], i.e., [[Kashmir]].<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":4" />

The settlement of the clan's ancestors at Sarosi is historically linked to the reign of [[Humayun]], the [[Emperor]] of [[Delhi]]. A matrimonial alliance took place between a Dikhit girl from Parenda and the son of the Parihar [[Raja]] of Jigini, located across the [[Yamuna]]. The wedding procession, accompanied by a substantial escort, passed through Sarosi. Inquiring about the nearby fort's rulers revealed that it was held by [[Dhobi]]s and other [[Shudra]]s who owned the surrounding land. Post the [[Holi]] festival, a party led by Bhagay Singh returned to Sarosi. During the festival's evening, they seized the [[fort]] when the guards were inebriated, securing control of both the fort and the adjacent territory.<ref name=":5">{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.co.in/books?id=Yjs5vwq6l1YC&dq=sarosi+estate&pg=PA336&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=sarosi%20estate&f=false |title=The Imperial Gazetteer of India |date=1881 |pages=335–337 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Crooke |first=William |url=https://books.google.co.in/books?id=GJQn7XA6Cz4C&dq=sarosi+estate&pg=PA135&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=sarosi%20estate&f=false |title=The Tribes and Castes of the North-western Provinces and Oudh |date=1896 |publisher=Office of the superintendent of government printing |pages=135 |language=en}}</ref>

Following Bhagay Singh's passing, his estate, comprising eighty-four villages, was divided among his four sons. Asis and Salhu, the two eldest sons, inherited the majority of the estate. Asis received twenty villages, while Salhu obtained forty-two. The third son, Manik, embraced a life of devotion and refrained from involvement in worldly affairs. The youngest son, Bhuledhan, received a share determined by his older brothers, who treated him fairly. Bhuledhan took the share allocated by his siblings, and there is no indication that he was mistreated in the distribution.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Oudh |url=https://books.google.co.in/books?id=aiLngwwePlkC&dq=sarausi+estate&pg=PA335&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=sarausi%20estate&f=false |title=Gazetteer of the Province of Oudh...: N-Z |date=1878 |publisher=Printed at the Oudh government Press |pages=334–535 |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":4">{{Cite book |last=H.R. Nevill |url=http://archive.org/details/dli.csl.2858/page/n245/mode/1up?q=Sarosi |title=Unnao: a Gazetteer being volume XXXVIII of the District Gazetteers of the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh |date=1903 |publisher=Allahabad, Superintendent, Government Press |pages=241–243}}{{source-attribution}}</ref>

The family's inheritance practices did not follow the law of primogeniture, leading to a continual subdivision of the ancestral estate as each son claimed a separate share upon maturity and [[marriage]]. This trend persisted for six generations until the era of Hira Singh. During his time, the family's property had significantly diminished, and Hira Singh faced the task of dividing it among his five sons. Hira Singh also encountered legal troubles, leading to his [[imprisonment]] at [[Faizabad]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Hunter |first=William Wilson |url=https://books.google.co.in/books?id=RooIAAAAQAAJ&dq=sarosi+estate&pg=PA336&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=sarosi%20estate&f=false |title=Rangoon to Tappal |date=1881 |publisher=Trübner |pages=335–337 |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":8">{{Cite book |last=Kr. Amit Singh and Pawan Bakshi |url=https://archive.org/details/fvwx_talluqdars-of-oudh-kr.-amit-singh-and-pawan-bakshi/page/191/mode/1up?q=Sarausi |title=Talluqdars Of Oudh Kr. Amit Singh And Pawan Bakshi |pages=191–193}}</ref>

Escaping from custody, Hira Singh sought refuge in Sarosi, prompting him to send his third son, Kalandar Singh, to join the company's army. Kalandar Singh's rise to [[Subedar-major]] in the [[49th Regiment]] of Native Infantry marked a turning point. Recognizing the vulnerability of the Parihar [[zamindar]]s to local authorities upon his eventual passing, Kalandar Singh devised a strategy. He convinced the brotherhood members descended from Asis to aggregate their individually divided holdings into a nominal large estate, with his nephew, Gulab Singh, serving as the representative taluqdar.<ref name=":2">{{Cite book |last=Sherring |first=Matthew Atmore |url=https://books.google.co.in/books?id=ZJ73QEtUwMcC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Hindu+Tribes+and+Castes&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&source=gb_mobile_search&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=Saros%C3%AE%20Parihar&f=false |title=Hindu Tribes and Castes: As Represented in Benares |date=1872 |publisher=Thacker |pages=152–155 |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":8" />

This arrangement, maintained from 1840 until British annexation, presented a unified front to potential oppressors, deterring unjust treatment of the Parihar zamindars. During this period, the estate was held solely in the name of Gulab Singh, offering protection against further oppressions by external authorities.<ref name=":3">{{Cite book |last=Elliott |first=Sir Charles Alfred |url=https://books.google.co.in/books?id=ABcPAQAAIAAJ&q=Surosee&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=Purihar&f=false |title=The Chronicles of Oonao: A District in Oudh |date=1862 |publisher=Printed at the Allahabad Mission Press |pages=58–60 |language=en}}</ref>

In 1840, during the reign of [[Muhammad Ali Shah]] (1837–42), Gulab Singh of Sarosi consolidated the possessions of various branches of the Parihar [[Rajput]]s into a substantial estate.<ref name=":0" /> Chaudhri Gulab Singh, the nominal head of the Parihars, oversaw this unification and was succeeded by his son, Chaudhri Fateh Bahadur Singh.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":7">{{Cite book |last=Ali |first=Darogah Haji Abbas |url=http://archive.org/details/illustratedhisto00alid/page/n63/mode/1up?q=Sarausi |title=An illustrated historical album of the Rajas and Taaluqdars of Oudh |date=1880 |publisher=Allahabad : North-Western Provinces and Oudh Government Press |others=Getty Research Institute |pages=63–64}}</ref> Subsequently, the estate came under the rule of Chaudhri Chandan Singh, succeeded by Chaudhri Kewal Singh.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.co.in/books?id=UTg1AQAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=Thacker's+Indian+Directory&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&source=gb_mobile_search&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=Chandan%20Singh%20Sarosi&f=false |title=Thacker's Indian Directory |date=1918 |pages=276–472 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Search By Taluqdars |url=http://britishindiaassociation.com/Search.php?c_page=2 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120510064113/http://britishindiaassociation.com/Search.php?c_page=2 |archive-date=2012-05-10 |access-date=2026-04-08 |website=britishindiaassociation.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Digital Library Of India |url=http://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.14611/page/n7/mode/1up?q=Keawal |title=List Of Taluqdars In Oudh |pages=6}}</ref>
[[File:Chaudhri Fateh Bahadur Singh of Sarosi.jpg|thumb|Chaudhri Fateh Bahadur Singh]]

Following India's independence on August 15, 1947, the Sarosi (Taluq) estate was integrated into the [[Dominion of India]] and later the [[Republic of India]]. Chaudhri Kewal Singh, the last ruler of Sarosi served as an [[State legislative councils of India|MLC]].<ref name=":6">{{Cite book |last1=Reeves |first1=P. D. |url=https://ia902900.us.archive.org/16/items/in.ernet.dli.2015.118516/2015.118516.A-Handbook-To-Elections-In-Uttar-Pradesh-1920-1951_text.pdf |title=A Handbook of Elections in Uttar Pradesh 1920-1951 |last2=B. D. |first2=Graham |last3=J. M. |first3=Goodman |publisher=Manohar Book Service |year=1975 |location=New Delhi|pages=220}}</ref>

== List of rulers ==
The rulers of Sarosi bore the title of [[Chaudhri]]. The list of rulers is following as:<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3" />
*Medni Mal (around 1540)
*Chaudhri Bhagay Singh
*Chaudhri Asis Sah
*Chaudhri Sakat Singh
*Chaudhri Mangal Sah
*Chaudhri Dipchand Singh
*Chaudhri Zorawar Singh
*Chaudhri Jindh Sah
*Chaudhri Hira Singh
*Chaudhri Pancham Singh
*Chaudhri Gulab Singh
*Chaudhri Fateh Bahadur Singh
*Chaudhri Chandan Singh
*Chaudhri Kewal Singh

== See also ==
*[[Unnao]]

== References ==

{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Sarosi Estate}}

{{coord missing|Uttar Pradesh}}

[[Category:Princely states of Uttar Pradesh]]
[[Category:Zamindari estates]]
[[Category:Unnao]]
[[Category:Unnao district]]
[[Category:Rajput estates]]
[[Category:Rajput history]]
[[Category:States and territories established in 1540]]
[[Category:States and territories disestablished in 1952]]
[[Category:1952 disestablishments in India]]

Sarosi estate - Revision history

Sandy Saha: stub.