At this point, it seems appropriate to give a brief account of Maharaj Shivdutt as well. In every way, Maharaj Shivdutt was forced to accept defeat at the hands of Kunwar Virendra Singh. Helpless, he left the city and, gathering several of his old loyalists...

headed south from Chunar.

Not far to the south of Chunar lies a vast, dense forest. This stretch of the Vindhya mountain forest extends through Robertsganj, Sarguja, and Singrauli, running for hundreds of kos, filled with towering mountains, valleys, passes, and caves. Here and there, at intervals of two or four kos, villages are settled. In some places, the ruins of grand old forts from ancient times can still be seen atop the hills. Eight or ten kos south of Chunar, near Ahraura, the remnants of an ancient ruined fort on a mountain still stir the heart upon viewing. Upon close inspection, it becomes clear that when this fort was intact, it must have covered more than three kos of land. In its final days, this fort belonged to the famous King Chet Singh of Kashi.

It was in these forests, wandering with his queen and several loyal followers along with their wives and children, that Maharaj Shivdutt, about fifty kos from Chunar, took shelter atop a lush, green, secluded hill in the ruins of a strong old fort. He named it Shivduttgarh. Even at that time, several rooms and halls in the fort were still fit for habitation. This small hill, nestled and concealed among the surrounding high mountains, was so hidden and pressed in that it was difficult for anyone to reach or discover it unexpectedly.

At this time, Maharaj Shivdutt had only twenty men with him, among whom were three Muslim ayyars, who were perhaps relatives of Nazim and Ahmad. They had joined Maharaj Shivdutt, thinking that by staying with him, they would someday get a chance to take revenge on Raja Virendra Singh. Besides Shivdutt, there was no one else who seemed fit to keep these rogues as ayyars in his service. The three ayyars were known by the following names: Bakar Ali, Khudabakhsh, and Yar Ali. All these ayyars and companions, to the best of their ability, also helped Maharaj Shivdutt with money and resources.

Shivdutt's heart remained bitter toward Raja Virendra Singh, but for lack of opportunity, he was forced to remain quiet for a long time. Through his cunning and intelligence, he became the king of the local hill tribes—Bhil, Kharwar, and others—and began collecting grain, ghee, honey, and many other wild products as tribute, sending them to the city for sale through these very people, and thus amassing wealth. By training these people, he also managed to raise a small army. Gradually, these hill tribesmen became shrewd themselves and began to go to the city to sell grain and other goods, gathering money on their own. Shivduttgarh too became well-inhabited and prosperous.

Meanwhile, Bakar Ali and the other ayyars trained some of their companions, who had come