Later Mughals v2.c14.s6.1

v2.c14.s6.1

The country known by the modern name of Rohilkhand was called by the Hindus Katahr, and up to the end of the first quarter of the 18th century the Muhammadans usually styled it Sambhal-Muradabad. Under them it formed a part of the province of Dihli. It is about 12,000 square miles in extent, taking it as co-extensive with the present Rohilkhand division. It has to the west and south the river Ganges, on the north the strip of land under the Himalayas called the Tarai (or marsh land), and on the east the province of Oudh. Its name of Rohilkhand came into use most probably from the Daudzai Pathans who settled in the south-east corner of the tract in the 17th century and founded the important town of Shahjahanpur. Daryai Khan, Diler Khan and Bahadur Khan, chiefs of this clan, were leading generals in the reign of Shah Jahan (1628-1658). Roh, meaning "mountainous", is the name given by the Afghans to their native country. Adding to this the Hindi ending ela, used to denote a person belonging to a particular group or section, we obtain Rohela, a man from the land of Roh; thence is derived Rohil-khand, the division or district inhabited by the Rohelas. [M. U. ii. 18, 42; i. 415; Gulistan-i-Rahmat.]