A History of the Mahrattas v1.c9.82

v1.c9.82

The Ghorepurays were originally named Bhonslay; and their ancestor acquired the present surname, according to their family legend, during the Bahminee dynasty, from having been the first to scale a fort in the Concan, which was deemed impregnable, by fastening a cord round the body of a ghorepur, or guana.³ They were Deshmookhs under the Beejapoor government, and divided into two distinct families, the one of Kapsee near the Warna river, the other of Moodhole near the Gutpurba.⁴ The Ghorepurays appear to have signalized themselves at a very early period. The title of Umeer Ool Oomrah¹ was conferred on one of the members of the Kapsee family by the Beejapoor kings.