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A   GAZETTEER 


OF  THE 


PROVINCE    OF    SIND. 


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GAZETTEER 


OF  THE 


PROVINCE  OF  SIND. 


COMPILED  BY 


A.  W.  HUGHES,  F.R.G.S.,  F.S.S., 

BOM.   UNCOV.    CIVIL  SBRVICB. 


t. 


§tant3i  Cbitiim. 


IF/Tff  MAPS  AND  PHOTOGRAPHIC  ILLUSTRATIONS, 


LONDON:    GEORGE    BELL    AND    SONS, 

YORK  STREET,  COVENT  GARDEN. 
1876. 

\,AU  rights  res«rved,'\ 

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LONDON: 

PRINTED   BT   WILLIAM   CLOWES  AND  SONS, 

STAMFORD  8TRSET  AKD  CIIARIVO  CROSS. 


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ILLUSTRATIONS. 

PACE 

1.  The    Mirs   Muhammad  Khan,    Shah   Muhammad   Khan 

AND  Husain  Ali  Khan 34 

2.  The  Mirs  Muhammad  Khan  and  Yar  Muhammad  Khan  37 

3.  Genealcx;ical  Table  of  the  Talpur  Family     ....  45 

4.  Jakrani    Chief  and   Followers.     Frontier     District, 

Upper  Sind 162 

5.  View  of  the  City  of  Hyderabad  from  the  Fort     .     .  253 

6.  Tomb  of  Mir  Karam  Ali  Khan  Talpur  at  Hyderabad  .  263 

7.  Branches  of  the  Indus  as  they  are  supposed  to  have 

existed  in  1817 267 

8.  Brahches  of  the  Indus  as  they  existed  in  1837.      .     .  269 

9.  Residency  House,  Jacobabad 280 

10.  Karachi  Harbour  from  Manora 352 

11.  Church  of  the  Holy  Trinity,  Karachi 359 

12.  Frere  Hall,  Karachi 367 

13.  Ruined  Tomb  on  the  Makli  Hills 841 


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PREFACE  TO  THE  FIRST  EDITION. 


With  the  excq>tioii  of  two  Directories  of  Sind  published  by  a 
private  individual,  one  about  the  year  1857,  and  the  other  in  1863, 
no  work  of  a  kind  resembling  a  Gazetteer  of  the  Province  seems 
at  any  time  to  have  been  compiled,  and  the  present  volume  may 
therefore  foirly  claim  to  be  the  first  yet  published 

Numerous  official  reports,  memoirs^  and  notes  on  Sind,  written 
by  Government  officers  of  the  different  services,  fix)m  a  date  anterior 
to  the  conquest  of  the  Province,  and  extending  down  to  1854,  have 
been  published  in  a  single  volume,  but  such  a  work,  though 
abounding  in  much  that  is  useful,  could  not  take  to  itself  the  title 
of  Gazetteer.  The  names  of  several  of  the  writers,  such  as  Heddle, 
Carless,  Postans,  Jacob,  Goldsmid,  Stocks,  Burton,  Wood,  James, 
and  Pelly,  are  in  themselves  sufficient  guarantees  of  the  value  of 
their  contributions,  and  the  Compiler  has  not  failed  to  avail  him- 
self laigely  of  the  great  store  of  information  contained  in  the 
interesting  reports  of  these  able  officers. 

The  introductory  portion  of  the  Gazetteer  will  be  found  to 
contain  a  large  amount  of  information,  having  special  reference  to 
the  Province  of  Sind  taken  as  a  whole,  the  Compiler  deeming  it 
better  so  to  arrange  it,  as  otherwise  much  of  this  information 
could  not  have  found  a  place  in  the  body  of  the  work. 

It  is  a  matter  of  regret  that  so  little  mention  can  be  made  of  the 
geology  of  Sind ;  and,  in  the  absence  as  yet  of  that  scientific 
research  which  is  now  going  on  in  other  parts  of  British  India,  it 
is  impossible  to  say  whether  this  Province  is  ever  likely  to  oflfer 
a  rich  and  attractive  field  to  the  geologist     The  peculiar  nature  of 

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viii  PREFACE, 

the  soil  of  Sind,  the  volcanic  character  of  its  hills,  and  the  large 
deposits  of  marine  exuvuz  which  are  found  on  many  of  them,  all 
lead  to  tbe  supposition  that  very  much  of  the  country  must,  at  some 
previous  geological  epoch,  have  been  covered  by  the  sea,  drawing 
forth,  and  not  inaptly,  the  following  observation : — 

"  Vidi  ego,  quod  fuerat  quondam  solldissima  tellus 
Esse  fretum  ;  vidi  factas  ex  sequore  terras  ; 
£t  procul  a  pelago  conchae  jacuere  marinae  : 
£t  vetus  inventa  est  in  montibus  anchora  summis. 
Quodque  full  campus,  vallem  decursus  aquarum 
Fecit." 

It  is  considered  advisable  to  mention  that  the  population  returns 
as  given  in  this  Gazetteer  are,  to  a  great  extent,  either  mere  esti- 
mates, or  have  reference  to  the  Census  of  1856.  This  is  owing  to 
the  returns  of  the  Census  of  1872  not  having  been  compiled  in 
time  to  admit  of  their  being  included  in  the  Introduction,  or 
throughout  the  alphabetical  portion  of  the  Gazetteer ;  but  in  the 
Appendix  No.  IL,  the  number  of  inhabitants  in  certain  districts, 
and  in  their  chief  towns,  according  to  this  latest  census,  has  been 
shown,  where  it  is  possible  to  do  so. 

In  the  description  of  towns  and  villages,  none  have,  as  a  rule, 
been  entered  in  the  Gazetteer  having  a  less  population  than  800 
souls,  except  where,  from  a  previous  state  of  prosperity,  archi- 
tectural remains,  interesting  antiquities,  or  the  like,  they  were 
considered  of  sufficient  importance  to  demand  a  distinct  notice. 

The  system  of  transliteration  followed  out  in  this  Gazetteer 
has  been  that  prescribed  by  Government,  viz.,  "the  improved 
Jonesian,"  but  it  was  not  till  August  1872  that  any  definite 
arrangement  on  this  head  was  arrived  at  This  will  account,  in 
some  measure,  for  the  difference  in  spelling  of  several  names  in 
the  Introduction  as  compared  with  those  in  the  alphabetical  portion, 
the  sheets  of  the  former  having  all  been  struck  off  before  the 
revised  list  of  names  was  approved  of. 

A  map  of  the  Province  of  Sind  accompanies  the  Gazetteer. 
It  has  been  prepared  with  care,  and,  though  on  a  small  scale,  is 
made  to  show,  as  far  as  is  practicable,  the  extensive  canal  system 
at  present  prevailing  throughout  the  Province. 


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PREFACE.  « 

Though  it  has  been  the  object  of  the  Compiler  to  make  the 
Sind  Gazetteer  as  complete  as  the  means  placed  at  his  disposal 
would  admit,  it  can  only,  it  is  feared,  be  considered  at  best  as  an 
imperfect  and  preliminary  work.  Reliable  statistical  information 
on  many  important  subjects  in  connection  with  the  Province  is  at 
present  almost  unobtainable,  and  where  supplied  is  merely  of  an 
approximate  nature.  This  state  of  things  must  necessarily  so 
continue  till  a  proper  system  of  statistical  inquiry  is  organized 
throughout  the  Province.  It  is  nevertheless  the  hope  of  the 
Compiler  that  a  foundation  at  least  has  been  laid,  upon  which 
a  better  and  more  reliable  superstructure  may  be  raised  in  the 
future. 


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PREFACE    TO    THE    SECOND    EDITION. 


This  edition  has  been  carefully  revised  and  corrected  through- 
out, and  the  information  contained  in  it  brought  down  to  as  late  a 
date  as  the  means  placed  at  the  Compiler's  disposal  would  allow. 

The  maps  accompanying  the  Gazetteer  have  also  been  subjected 
to  careful  revision,  and  in  that  of  the  Sind  Provirfce  many  new 
names  of  towns,  villages,  &c^  have  been  ^ded.  The  slight 
difference  in  spelling  observable  in  places  shown  in  this  map  and 
in  the  Gazetteer  volume,  has  arisea  from  the  fact  that  notice  of  a 
further  change  in  spelling,  approved  by  the  Government  of  India 
in  1875,  ^"^^  ^o^  received  in  time  by  the  Compiler  to  permit  its 
being  adopted  in  the  maps. 

The  population  returns  given  in  this  edition  are  those  according 
to  the  latest  census  (that  of  1872),  and  some  tabular  statements 
showing  certain  results  of  this  census  have  been  included  in  the 
list  of  Appendices  at  the  end  of  the  volume. 

A.  W.  Hughes. 

Karachi,  May  1876. 


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INTRODUCTION. 


CHAPTER  I. 
GENERAL  DESCRIPTION. 

BOUNDARIES  AND  EXTENT  OF  THE  PROVINCE  OF  SIND — THE 
RANN  OF  KACHH — PHYSICAL  GEOGRAPHY  OF  SIND — SCENERY 
^SOIL  AND  CLIMATE — DISEASES  OF  SIND CROPS  AND  CULTI- 
VATION— FORESTS— FOREST  DEPARTMENT — ANIMAL  KINGDOM 
— IRRIGATION  IN  SIND — CANALS  IN  SIND — VARIOUS  METHODS 
OF   IRRIGATION. 

The  extensive  country  known  as  Sind,  which  became  by  con- 
quest in  1843  ^^  integral  portion  of  British  India,  is  believed  to 
have  derived  its  name  from  the  great  river,  the  Indus,  that  flows 
through  and  fertilises  it.  This  stream  was  anciently  called  the 
*'Sindh  or  Sindhu,"  a  Sanskrit  term  for  sea  or  collection  of 
water,  and  it  probably  gave  its  name  to  the  country  it  watered, 
though,  according  to  native  Sindian  history,  and  with  the  usual 
extravagance  of  Oriental  vanity,  Sind  was  said  to  have  been  so 
called  from  Sind,  the  brother  of  Hind,  the  son  of  Nuh,  or  Noah, 
whose  descendants  for  many  generations  ruled  that  country. 

Bonndaiies  and  Extent. — The  province  of  Sind  is  bounded 
on  the  north  by  the  territory  of  His  Highness  the  Khan  of  Kelat, 
and  by  portions  of  the  Panj&b  and  of  the  Bahawalpur  State; 
on  the  east  by  the  Rajput  States  of  Jaisalmir  and  Jodhpur  (or 
Marwar);  on  the  south  by  the  Rann  of  Kachh  and  the  Indian 
Ocean;  and. on  the  west  by  the  territory  of  His  Highness  the 
Khan  of  Kelat  It  lies  between  the  23rd  and  28th  parallels  of 
north  latitude,  and  between  the  66th  and  71st  meridians  of  east 
longitude,  and  may  be  said  to  be  360  miles  in  length  from  north 
to  south,  with  an  average  breadth  from  east  to  west  of  170  miles. 
Including  the  territory  of  His  Highness  Mir  Ali  Murad  Khan 
Talpur,  which  separates  a  portion  of  the  Shikarpur  Collectorate 

B 

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2  INTRODUCTION. 

from  that  of  Hyderabad  and  the  political  superintendency  of 
Thar  and  Parkar,  the  area  of  Sind  may  be  set  down  at  between 
56,000  and  57,000  square  miles. 

On  its  southern  side  Sind  is  watered  by  the  Indian  Ocean 
for  a  distance  of  not  less  than  125  miles,  extending  in  a  south- 
easterly direction  from  Cape  Monze  (or  Ras  Muari),  its  most 
westerly  point,  to  the  Kori  mouth  of  the  Indus,  this  latter,  once, 
no  doubt,  one  of  its  largest  embouchures,  but  which  has  long 
since  been  deserted  by  that  stream. 

The  Rann  of  Kachh. — Further  eastward  the  Rann  of  Kachh, 
an  immense  salt-water  waste  covering  an  area  of  7000  square 
miles,  .borders  the  southern  portion  of  the  poUtical  superinten- 
dency of  Thar  and  Parkar  for  a  distance  .of  nearly  140  miles. 
Part  of  this  extensive  swamp,  which  is  throughout  devoid  of 
herbage,  becomes  for  six  months  of  the  year — ^from  June  to 
November — z.  salt  lake,  owing  to  the  influx  of  the  sea  at  Lakhpat 
Bandar,  on  the  Kachh  side  of  the  Kori  mouth  of  the  Indus,  as 
well  as  at  Anjar  in  Kachh,  and  at  Juria  Bandar  in  Katiawar. 
During  the  remaining  six  months  of  the  year,  after  the  water  has 
evaporated,  a  fine  salt  remains  on  the  surface,  and  then  this 
desert  is  frequented  by  herds  of  antelope,  and  by  that  very  rare 
animal  the  gurkhar^  or  wild  ass.  Local  tradition  affirms  that  a 
portion  of  the  Rann  was  once  a  highly-cultivated  tract,  known  by 
the  name  of  "  Sayra,"  a  branch  of  the  river  Indus  then  reaching 
it,  but  that  it  disappeared  altogether  when  either  the  Sindians  or 
a  convulsion  of  nature  diverted  the  waters  from  it  To  this  day 
the  upper  part  of  the  Kori  mouth,  on  which  are  situate  the  towns 
of  Wanga  and  Rahim-ki-Bazar,  is  called  the  Furdn^  or  ancient 
stream,  and  the  time  doubtless  was  when  the  Indus,  by  a  more 
easterly  channel  than  the  present,  supplied  sufficient  water  to 
make  a  portion  at  least  of  the  Rann  fertile  and  productive.  The 
entire  extent  of  the  Sindian  sea-coast,  excepting  diat  part  lying 
between  Karachi  and  Cape  Monze,  at  which  latter  place  the 
Pabb  mountains  approach  the  shore,  is  low  and  flat  throughout ; 
and,  as  observed  by  the  late  Captain  John  Wood,  formerly  of  the 
Indian  navy,  and  an  excellent  authority  on  all  questions  connected 
with  the  Indus  and  its  delta,  is  submerged  at  spring  tides,  when 
the  delta  of  the  Indus  resembles  a  low  champaign  tract  of  verdure, 
with  tufts  of  mangrove  dotted  along  its  seaward  edge.  The  coast 
is,  in  fact,  made  up  of  a  series  of  mud-banks  deposited  by  the 
Indus,  or  in  a  few  places  consists  of  sand-hills  blown  in  from  the 
sea-beach.  The  sea  off  this  coast  is  also  very  shallow,  and  this 
has,  with  much  show  of  reason,  been  attributed  to  the  enormous 

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TOPOGRAPHY  OF  SIND,  3 

quantity  of  mud  deposited  by  the  river.  A  bank  extends  along 
the  coast  from  Karachi  to  Kachh,  reaching  from  two  or  tliree 
miles  to  five  or  six  from  land,  and  being  in  most  places  dry  at  low 
water.  It  is  this  circumstance  which  makes  the  sea-coast  of  Sind 
so  dangerous  of  approach  to  large  vessels. 

Physical  Geography. — Sind  may  be  regarded  as,  on  the 
whole,  a  low  and  flat  country,  but  exception  must  be  taken  to  the 
mountainous  tract,  partly  of  limestone  and  sandstone  formation, 
on  its  western  boundary,  which  forms  a  natural  line  of  demarcation 
between  it  and  Balochisthan.     The  country  in  the  western  portion 
of  the  Karachi  CoUectorate,  known  as  Kohistan,  is  also  very  hilly, 
while  a  few  insignificant  ranges  of  limestone  hills  are  found  in 
other  parts  of  the  province.     One  of  these  (the  Ganja  hills),  in 
the   Hyderabad  CoUectorate,   averages  100  feet  in  height,  and 
it  is  on  this  range  that  the  city  of  Hyderabad  is  built     Another 
running  in  a  north-westerly  direction  from  the  vicinity  of  Jaisalmir, 
attains  towards  the  Indus  an  elevation  of  150  feet,  and  forms 
almost  exclusively  the  rocks  on  which  the  town  of  Rohri  and  the 
island  fortress  of  Bukkur  stand.     A  third,  the  Makli  hill  range, 
situate  near  Tatta  in  the  delta,  is  about  ten  miles  in  length, 
with  an  elevation  varying  from  80  to  150  feet     Of  all  these  the 
mountain  barrier  dividing  Sind  from  Balochisthan  is  by  far  the 
loftiest,  and  first  touches  the  Sind  frontier  about  the  28di  parallel 
of  north  latitude.     Hitherto  this  range  has  been  generally,  though 
erroneously,  known  by  the  name  of  the  "  Hala  "  mountains,  but 
its  proper  appellation  is  believed  to  be  the  "  Khirthar,"  and  this 
it  may  be  so  called  till  it  reaches  the  26th  parallel  of  latitude, 
when  the  chain  merges  into  the  Pabb  hills,  which,  after  a  lengtli 
of  ninety  miles  in  a  southerly  direction,  meet  the  sea  at  Cape 
Monze.     The  elevation  of  the  Khirthar  mountains  is  considerable, 
some  of  the  peaks  rising  to  a  height  of  above  7000  feet     The 
Pabb  hills,  on  the  other  hand,  are  much  less  lofty,  and  are  not 
believed  to  possess  a  higher  elevation  than  2000  feet     Among 
the  valleys  and  ravines  of  this  range  flows  the  Habb,  the  only 
permanent  river  in  the  province  except  the  Indus,  and  which,  for 
a  considerable  distance,  forms  the  western  frontier  of  Sind.     A 
striking  feature  in  the  Khirthar  mountains  is  their  division  into 
three  parallel  tiers  or  ridges.     The  first  or  most  easterly  has  its 
sides  steep  and  precipitous  towards  the  west,  but  with  a  long 
gradient  to  the  east ;  the  second  has  flat  tops  and  rounded  sides, 
with  deep  ravines  and  fissures ;  the  third  consists  of  vast  plateaux 
of  table-land,  and  is  composed,  in  part,  of  fossiUferous  limestone. 
They  possess  but  little  soil,  and  in  consequence  have  little  or  no 

n  2 

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4  INTRODUCTION, 

vegetation  upon  them.  As  yet  this  range  has  not  been  utilised 
in  a  sanitary  point  of  view,  with  the  exception  of  two  small 
stations,  Dhar  Yaro,  and  the  Danna  Towers,  both  situate  in  the 
Mehar  Deputy  CoUectorate  at  elevations  respectively  of  6000  and 
4500  feet  above  sea-level,  but  access  to  them  is  so  rough  and 
difficult  as  to  make  them  but  of  little  use.  Connected  with  the 
Khirthar  chain  of  hills,  and  running  eastward  into  the  Sehwan 
district  of  the  Karachi  CoUectorate,  is  the  dry  and  arid  Lakki 
range,  fifty  miles  in  length,  the  result  evidently  of  volcanic  action, 
as  shown  by  the  frequent  occurrence  of  hot  springs  and  sulphurous 
exhalations.  The  highest  elevation  of  this  range,  which  terminates 
abruptly  on  the  west  bank  of  the  Indus,  near  Sehwan,  is  estimated 
at  from  1500  to  2000  feet  All  the  hill  ranges  hitherto  mentioned 
may  be  said  to  be  of  sandstone  and  limestone  formations,  and 
several  of  them  abound  in  marine  exuvia.  Among  the  extensive 
alluvial  regions  which  are  to  be  found  in  Sind,  perhaps  the  finest 
and  most  productive  is  that  about  Shikarpur  and  I^rkana,  com- 
prising a  long,  narrow  island,  extending  from  north  to  south  about 
100  miles,  and  enclosed  by  the  river  Indus  and  the  western  Nara. 
It  is  the  expansion  of  this  latter  stream  which  has  formed  the 
only  large  lake  to  be  found  in  Sind,  that  called  the  "  Manchhar," 
in  the  Sehwan  district  During  the  inundation  season  this  sheet 
of  water  is  said  to  be  twenty  miles  in  length,  and  to  cover  an  area 
of  about  180  square  miles.  Another  of  these  regions,  on  an 
average  between  seventy  and  eighty  miles  wide,  is  to  be  found 
stretching  eastward  from  the  Indus,  having  the  eastern  Nara 
flowing  through  it  during  the  inundation  season.  Through  this 
tract,  and  indeed  through  much  of  the  immense  district  now  called 
the  Thar  and  Parkar,  the  Indus  is  supposed  ages  since  to  have 
poured  its  waters,  rendering  fertile  what  has  since  been  known  as 
the  Eastern  Desert  This  fact  seems  to  be  indicated  not  only  by 
the  many  vestiges  of  ancient  towns  that  have  been  observed,  but 
by  the  numerous  beds  of  rivers  long  dried  up  which  intersect  this 
arid  tract  The  deserted  course  of  a  large  river,  now  known  as 
the  Ren  Nala,  still  exists  in  the  Bahawalpur  territory  and  the 
Rohri  district,  and  this,  joining  the  eastern  NSra,  may  very 
probably  have  emptied  itself  into  the  sea  by  what  is  now  called 
the  Kori  mouth  of  the  Indus.  On  the  eastern  border  of  Sind,  tlie 
country  is  much  covered  with  sand-hills,  which  vary  and  shift 
under  the  influence  of  the  tempests  prevailing  in  this  sterile 
wilderness.  Large  tracts  destitute  of  the  means  of  irrigation  are 
also  frequent  in  Sind.  Of  this  nature  is  the  Pat,  or  desert  of 
Shikarpur,  thirty  miles  across,  and  lying  between  that  town  and 


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TOPOGRAPHY   OF  SIND.  5 

the  Bolan  pass.  It  consists  of  the  clay  deposited  by  the  BoUm, 
the  Nari,  and  other  torrents  which  flow  down  from  the  Khirthar 
range  of  mountains  and  are  lost  in  this  dreary  waste. 

Scenery. — The  natural  scenery  of  a  flat  and  level  country  like 
that  of  Sind  cannot  be  expected,  in  this  respect,  to  vie  with  the 
many  more  highly-favoured  spots  of  British  India.  To  a  stranger 
approaching  the  shores  of  Sind,  nothing  can  perhaps  be  more 
dreary  and  uninteresting  than  the  first  appearance  of  the  coast, 
which,  with  a  very  few  exceptions,  is  entirely  destitute  of  trees 
or  shrubs.  On  the  other  hand,  in  parts  of  Kohistan,  the  hilly 
region  of  the  Karachi  CoUectorate,  the  scenery  is  said  to  be  very 
fine,  but,  owing  to  the  volcanic  nature  of  the  rock,  it  is  wanting 
in  that  most  desirable  accessory  to  beauty,  trees  and  foliage. 
Again,  in  the  Thar  and  Parkar  districts,  and  in  the  eastern  portions 
of  the  KhairpuT  territory,  and  of  the  Rohri  Deputy  CoUectorate, 
there  is  the  "  registkdn^  or  desert  tract,  where  nothing  is  to  be 
seen  but  sand-hills,  many  of  them,  however,  bold  in  outline  and 
fairly  wooded.  These  hills  succeed  each  other  like  vast  waves  of 
sand.  In  the  inundation  season,  in  the  numerous  ''  dhandhs  "  (or 
flood  hollows)  of  the  eastern  Nara,  are  spots  of  great  beauty,  but, 
owing  to  miasmatic  influences,  they  are  exceedingly  dangerous 
places  to  encamp  in.  The  alluvial  tract  on  either  side  of  the 
Indus,  extending  for  a  distance  varying  from  ten  to  twelve  miles, 
though  superior  to  any  other  part  of  Sind  in  soil  and  productive- 
ness, is,  as  regards  its  scenery,  tame  and  uninteresting,  except 
where  fine  stretches  of  the  river  Indus  are  seen  bordered  by 
extensive  "  babul "  {acacia)  forests,  which  in  many  places  skirt  the 
river  edge  for  miles  together.  Near  the  town  of  Sehwan,  the 
Lakki  range  of  hills  terminates  abruptly  on  the  Indus,  in  a  nearly 
perpendicular  face  of  rock  600  feet  high,  and  presents  a  splendid 
appearance  from  the  river  ;  but  unquestionably  the  finest  view  in 
the  province  is  that  aflforded  by  the  towns  of  Sukkur  and  Rohri, 
and  the  island  fortress  of  Bukkur,  with  its  lofty  castellated  walls, 
lying  in  the  stream  between  them.  They  are  all  built  on  the 
limestone  range  of  hiUs  which  here  intersects  the  Indus,  and  the 
minarets  and  houses,  more  especially  those  of  Rohri,  rise  up  to 
a  towering  height  above  the  river,  which  they  seem  apparently  to 
overhang.  The  pretty  verdure-covered  island  of  Sadh  Bela,  with 
its  sacred  shrine,  hes  a  short  distance  to  the  south  of  the  Bukkur 
fort,  and  on  either  side  of  the  river,  dotted  here  and  there,  are 
groves  of  date  and  acacia  with  their  dark  green  foliage,  the  whole, 
with  the  magnificent  stream  which  rushes  swiftly  by,  combining  to 
form  a  picture  at  once  brilliant  and  beautiful. 

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6  INTRODUCTION, 

Soil  and  Climate. — ^The  soil  of  Sind,  according  to  the  late 
Dr.  J.  E,  Stocks — formerly  Conservator  of  Forests  in  the  Bombay 
Presidency,  and  a  very  enterprising  investigator  of  the  natural 
productions  of  Sind — "is  a  plastic  clay,  most  strongly  impreg- 
nated with  salt ;  quickly  covered  with  this  fertile  warp  of  a  river : 
remarkably  charged  with  fertilising  matter  when  (naturally  or  by 
canals)  it  is  brought  within  its  influence,  and  as  quickly  reduced 
to  a  barren  sand  when  the  river  is  diverted  or  never  brought  near 
it  In  many  parts,  also,  are  rocky  formations,  chiefly  of  carbonate 
of  lime.  The  soil,  indeed,  in  some  parts  of  the  province  is  so  rich 
as  to  produce  regularly  two  crops,  sometimes  more,  in  the  year, 
without  any  application  of  manure ;  but  this  is  where  the  land  is 
annually  overflowed  by  the  Indus,  or  is  exposed  to  its  *  lets  *  or 
floods.  The  alluvial  tracts  nevertheless  contain  much  saltpetre, 
and  in  South  Sind,  where  the  soil  is  largely  mixed  up  with  sand, 
it  is  so  impregnated  with  common  salt  as  to  produce  by  evapora- 
tion, after  simply  pouring  water  over  it,  an  abundant  supply  of 
that  article."  The  following  additional  remarks  by  Dr.  Stocks  on 
the  climate,  as  applying  to  those  parts  of  Central  and  Upper  Sind 
irrigated  by  the  Indus  and  its  branches,  will  be  read  with  interest 
"Sind  is  an  extra-tropical  country,  the  average  temperature  of 
whose  summer  months  rises  to  95°  Fahr.,  and  whose  winter 
months  have  an  average  temperature  of  60°.  The  highest 
temperature  of  the  hottest  days  in  summer  frequently  rises  to  no®; 
less  frequently  to  120°.  The  lowest  temperature  of  the  night  in 
winter  is  a  few  degrees  below  freezing-point  (32°) ;  and,  what  is 
more  important,  with  regard  to  vegetation,  the  temperature  of  a 
winter  day  (average)  ranges  between  80°  and  40°.  Many  places 
have  occasionally  as  high  a  temperature,  but  none  such  a  con- 
tinuance of  hot  weather  (owing  to  the  deficiency  of  rain),  whence 
arises  the  high  summer  average.  It  is  a  country  where  the  date 
tree,  from  the  equator  northwards,  first  ripens,  and  brings  its  fruit 
to  perfection  in  any  quantity ;  where  the  apple  begins  to  produce 
eatable  fruit  with  little  attention — a  transition  from  the  diflficulty 
of  obtaining  that  fruit  in  India,  to  the  ease  and  perfection  with 
which  it  is  cultivated  in  Khorasan ;  where  that  remarkable  family 
of  plants,  the  balsam  trees,  first  begins,  from  the  equator  north- 
wards, to  yield  a  copious  supply  of  gum  resin,  useful  in  the  arts 
and  in  medicine ;  where  the  pomegranate  is  capable  of  bearing  a 
fine  and  delicious  fruit,  and  yet  the  mango  does  not  fall  off*  in 
excellence ;  where  in  the  heat  of  summer  tropical  fruits  and  grains 
are  cultivated,  while  in  the  cold  bracing  winter  extra-tropical  and 
European  grains,  pulse   and  vegetables  may  be  grown  with  no 

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TOPOGRAPHY  OP  SINJD.  7 

perceptible  deterioration ;  where  the  indigenous  vegetation  is  one- 
third  Arabian  and  £g3rptian,  and  two-thirds  Indian."     The  same 
authority,  in  noticing  the  deficiency  of  rain  in  Sind,  arising  from 
its  being  almost  out  of  the  range  of  the  monsoon,  observes  at  the 
same  time  that  its  overflowing  river  makes  up  to  a  certain  extent 
for  this  deficiency.     Dr.  Lord,  also,  in  his  memoir  on  the  plain  of 
the   Indus,  remarks  that — "  though  situate  on  the  verge  of  two 
monsoons,  Sind  is  unrefireshed  by  the  waters  of  either.     The 
south-west  monsoon  terminates  at  Lakhpat  Bandar  (on  the  western 
coast  of  Kachh),  as  accurately  as  though  it  covenanted  not  to 
violate  the  Sind  firontier.     The  north-west  monsoon,  which  deluges 
the  country  to  the  west,  comes  no  farther  than  Karachi,  and  even 
there  the  annual  fidl  of  rain  does  not  exceed  six  or  eight  inches." 
Sometimes  for  a  long  interval,  indeed  for  two  or  three  years  in 
succession,  little  or  no  rain  falls  in  Sind,  while,   on  the  other 
hand,  very  heavy  downpours  occur,  the  yearly  average  of  a  single 
season  occasionally  falling  in  one  or  two  consecutive  days.     The 
climate  on  the  sea-coast  is,  as  may  be  supposed,  very  much  more 
equable  in  temperature  than  that  of  Central  or  Upper  Sind. 
Owing  to  the  strong  sea-breezes  which  blow  on  the  coast  steadily 
day  and  night  from  about  April  to  October,  Karachi — the  only 
sea-port  in  Sind — enjoys  a  far  more  salubrious  climate  than  those 
Sindian  towns  situate  in  the  interior — such  as  Hyderabad,  Shi- 
karpur,  Sehwan,  or  Larkana;   but,  as   a  natural  consequence  of 
this  mild  cUmate,  the  temperature  of  Karachi  in  the  winter  months 
is  much  higher  than  that  of  the  places  just  mentioned.     In 
Northern  Sind,  during  the  winter  season,  frost  is  not  unknown, 
and  ice  has  been  observed  even  in  February;  but,  on  the  other 
hand,  the  temperature  in  summer  is  excessively  high.     For  weeks 
together,  during  that  season,  the   thermometer,  at  night,  at  Shi- 
karpur,  where  the  atmosphere    is    seldom    disturbed  by  wind 
currents,  will  not  perhaps  show  a  temperature  below  1 00°,  while  in 
the  blazing  glare  of  a  mid-day  sun  it  will  rise  as  high  as  165°.     It 
is  this  great  and  prolonged  heat,  together  with  the  pestilential 
exhalations  that  rise  firom  the  many  stagnant  pools  left  after  the 
annual  inundation,  and  the  decaying  vegetable  matter  deposited 
on  the  surface  in  the  autumnal  season,  which  produce  the  fatal 
fever  and  ague  so  common  to  the  country.     It  is  then  that  the 
natives  themselves  suffer  severely  from  its  effects,  and  it  cannot, 
therefore,  be  wondered  at  that  British  troops,  quartered  in  Sind, 
have  at  times  experienced  a  terrible  mortality  from  these  exciting 
causes.     It  is  recorded   in   1840,  that  the  whole  of  the   26th 
'Regiment  Bombay  N.I.,  stationed  at  Tatta,  in  Lower  Sind,  were 

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8  INTRODUCTION. 

at  that  season  of  the  year,  with  the  exception  of  three  persons, 
attacked  with  this  fever,  and  that  nearly  one  hundred  died.  In 
1845,  ^  wing  of  H.  M/s  78th  Highlanders  also  suffered  severely 
from  fever  when  on  the  march  from  Karachi  to  Sukkur,  in  the 
month  of  September.  The  other  wing  of  the  regiment — which 
had  been  previously  conveyed  to  Sukkur  in  steamers  by  the  rivei 
route — was  free  from  the  disease  until  the  arrival  of  the  sick  wing, 
when  it  at  once  caught  the  infection  and  paid  the  penalty  in  a 
frightful  mortality.  The  total  number  of  deaths  in  the  regiment 
from  this  terrible  malady  exceeded  four  hundred. 

Diseases  of  Sind. — The  other  prevailing  diseases  are  small- 
pox, and  at  times  cholera,  the  latter,  unfortunately,  a  too  frequent 
visitant  in  Sind.  It  first  appeared  in  1839,  near  the  town  of 
Tatta  in  Lower  Sind,  where  at  the  time  a  British  force  was  sta- 
tioned, and  this  it  at  once  attacked.  In  1846  it  prevailed  with 
great  severity  at  Karachi,  and  again  in  successive  years  up  to 
1853  ;  it  did  not  confine  itself  to  that  station,  but  appeared  also  in 
various  towns  in  Upper  and  Lpwer  Sind.  After  that  it.  did  not 
re-appear  till  April,  1861,  when  it  severely  scourged  the  whole 
province.  It  was  this  time  most  virulent  in  the  Shikarpur  Collecto- 
Vate,  next  in  the  Karachi  districts,  and  least  of  all  in  the  Central 
Collectorate  of  Hyderabad.  In  1865  it  prevailed  at  Karachi 
and  in  other  parts  of  Sind  with  more  or  less  severity,  but  it 
did  not  show  itself  again  with  any  degree  of  activity  till  1869, 
when  it  visited  the  province  generally ;  but  its  most  fatal  effects 
were  this  time  confined  to  Central  Sind  and  the  Thar  and  Parkar 
districts,  the  towns  of  Hyderabad,  Kotri,  Umarkot,  Bubak,  and  a 
few  others  suffering  severely  from  this  perplexing  disease.  Karachi 
was  not  visited  to  any  extent,  the  deaths  being  comparatively 
few;  much  of  this  was  no  doubt  owing  to  the  excellent  pre- 
cautions which  had  been  taken  by  the  authorities  in  a  sanitary 
point  of  view  to  check  the  progress  of  the  epidemic,  and  pre- 
vent its  spreading  among  so  large  a  population  of  Europeans  and 
natives. 

Crops  and  Cultivation. — There  are  two  principal  yearly 
crops  in  Sind — the  vernal  and  the  autumnal.  The  first,  known 
under  the  name  of  "  Rabi,"  is  sown  in  the  autumnal  months  of 
August,  September,  and  October  (called  in  the  Sindi  language, 
Bado^  Asu,  and  ^afi),  and  reaped  in  the  spring  about  February, 
March,  and  April  (Phagan  and  Chait),  The  second,  called 
"  Kharif,"  is  sown  in  the  summer  months  of  May,  June,  July,  and 
August  {Jet^  Akhdr^  and  Sdwan),  at  a  time  when  the  Indus  is  in 
flood,  and  is  reaped  during  the  months  of  October,  November,  and 


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TOPOGRAPHY  OF  SIND, 


December  {KatHy  Ndhiri^  and  PoK),  In  some  of  the  Sind  districts 
a  third  and  distinct  crop,  called  *'  Peshras,"  is  added  ;  this  is  sown 
in  March  and  reaped  in  July  and  August  The  principal  grains 
and  other  productions  included  under  the  "  Rabi "  crop  are  the 
following  :  Of  grains — wheat  and  barley ;  of  pulses — Bengal  gram 
and  other  vetches ;  of  oil-seeds — mustard  and  safflower ;  of  vege- 
tables— garlic,  onions,  radishes,  carrots,  turnips,  &c. ;  of  dye- 
plants — indigo ;  of  intoxicating  and  medicinal  plants — ^hemp  and 
senna.  Under  the  "  Kharif "  crop  may  be  included,  bajri  (Peni- 
dllaria  vulgaris)^  juar  {Sorghum  vulgare),  the  two  principal  grains 
grown  in  Sind ;  rice,  nangli  {Eleusine  €oracana)y  and  ragi  {Cyno- 
sums  coracanus);  of  pulses  —  urad  (Phaseolus  radiatus)^  chauli 
{Dolichos  sirunsis)^  and  mting  {Phaseolus  mungo)  ;  of  oil-seeds — til 
(or  gingeUi)  and  cotton.  Bajri  and  cotton  are  occasionally  raised 
on  what  is  called  ^  Barani,"  or  rain  land.  If  rain  falls  early  the 
seed  is  sown  in  expectation  of  a  later  fall,  but  where  this  is  not  the 
case,  the  Rabi  crops — sarsu  and  jambho — are  cultivated.  Should 
much  rain  have  fallen  and  the  ground  be  in  consequence  well 
flooded,  any  Rabi  crop  can  be  grown  in  it.  The  fruits  common 
to  the  country  are  dates,  plantains,  mangoes,  limes,  oranges, 
pomegranates,  citrons,  figs,  grapes,  apples  (of  a  fine  quality),  tama- 
rinds, mulberries,  and  melons ;  nectarine,  peach,  apricot,  and  other 
fruit  trees  have  of  late  years  been  successfully  introduced  into 
different  parts  of  the  province.  Dr.  Stocks  has  placed  on  record 
a  list  of  the  grains  and  other  productions  cultivated  in  various 
parts  of  Sind,  the  number  of  kinds  of  which  ht  estimates  at  88. 
These  are  as  follow  : 


1.  Grains  {Graminea) 

2.  Pulses  (Lqpiminosa)    . 

3.  Oil-seeds     .... 

4.  Greens  and  vegetables 

5.  Gourds  {Cucurbiiaaa) 

6.  Dye-plants  .... 


Kinds. 
10 

7 

6 

II 

10 

6 


SO 


7.  Cordage  and  clothing 

8.  Tobacco  and  sugar 

9.  Intoxicating  plants 
10.  Medicines  . 

XI.  Condiments 

12.  Fruits    .... 


Kinds. 

3 

2 

3 

4 

5 

21 


38 


Methods  of  Coltivation. — In  their  methods  of  cultivation 
the  Sindis  do  not  appear  to  have  any  idea  of  a  proper  rotation  of 
crops,  and  these  are  in  consequence  raised  pretty  generally  at  hap- 
hazard. The  following  description  of  the  method  of  preparing  the 
ground  and  of  cultivating  the  principal  crops  in  Sind,  is  ex- 
tracted mainly  from  the  reports  on  this  subject  by  Lieut.  H.  James, 


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lo  INTRODUCTION, 

a  former  deputy-collector  in  Upper  Sind,  written  thirty  years 
ago,  and  by  Major  C.  Boulton,  deputy  collector  of  the  Tanda 
district,  who  described  it  as  late  as  1870.  The  implements  of 
husbandry  among  the  Sindis  are  the  plough  {har)^  drawn  by  two 
bullocks ;  the  harrow  {sahar\  a  heavy  log  of  wood  drawn  by  four 
bullocks,  a  man  standing  on  each  end  of  it ;  the  seed-sower  (ndri), 
which  is  a  tube  fixed  to  the  plough  having  a  wooden  funnel  on 
the  top  ;  through  this  the  seed  is  passed  when  the  ground  is  being 
ploughed  for  the  last  time,  the  cultivator  supplying  it  from  a 
bundle  attached  to  his  waist;  a  curved  hook  (ddtro)  with  teeth 
like  a  saw,  for  reaping  purposes,  and  the  hoe  (kuriah)  used  for 
weeding,  &c. 

Rice. — In  the  cultivation  of  rice  the  ground  is  ploughed  once, 
so  soon  as  it  is  sufficiently  dry,  and  about  the  middle  of  April,  if 
water  be  procurable  from  the  kacha  wells  generally  dug  for  this 
purpose,  the  seed  is  sown  by  means  of  a  drill  attached  to  the 
plough.  When  water  is  not  readily  obtainable,  the  soil  is  enriched 
with  manure  to  force  the  growth  of  the  plants,  and  to  allow  of 
their  being  prepared  for  transplanting  about  the  middle  of  June. 
The  land  is  afterwards  flooded  to  a  depth  sufficient  to  allow  the 
heads  of  the  plants  only  appearing  a  little  above  the  water,  and 
this  condition  is  carried  out  during  their  growth.  Rice  crops  are 
subject  to  injury  from  rats,  blight,  crabs,  drought,  or  accidental 
overflooding. 

Bajri  and  Juar. — For  cultivating  bajri  and  juar — the  two 
staple  crops  of  Shid — ^the  ground  is  flooded  to  a  depth  of  three 
or  four  inches  in  small  areas  about  the  end  of  June.  In  these, 
when  sufficiently  dry,  seed  is  sown  broadcast  and  ploughed  into 
the  soil ;  occasionally  the  harrow  is  used,  so  that  the  seed  may  be 
well  covered  with  earth  and  protected  from  birds.  The  field  is 
then  again  divided  by  low  embankments  into  smaller  areas,  and 
the  crops  are  watered  as  occasion  requires,  taking  care  always 
to  keep  the  ground  sufficiently  moist.  As  a  general  rule,  water 
is  given  about  twice  during  the  first  month,  after  which  a 
watering  every  three  weeks  suffices  till  the  crop  is  ready  to  cut. 
A  field  of  juar  requires  rather  more  water  than  one  of  bajri,  and 
a  little  weeding  is  sometimes  necessary  during  the  early  part  of 
the  season. 

Cotton. — Cotton  is  cultivated  in  two  ways — sailabi  and  bosi ; 
the  first  requires  frequent  watering  after  being  planted,  and  the 
seed  is  sown  on  the  sides  of  ridges  after  the  surface  has  been 
inundated,  the  holes  being  made  at  a  distance  of  about  a  foot  and 


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TOPOGRAPHY  OF  SIXD.  ii 

a  half  from  each  other.  The  second  descriptioD  is  sown  on  the 
sur&ce  of  lands  left  by  the  inundation ;  no  after  waterings  are 
needed,  the  dew,  which  fiJls  heavfly,  affording  sufficient  moisture ; 
the  only  care  required  is  to  keep  the  earth  about  the  stems 
loose  and  free  from  weeds.  Cotton  is  sown  in  Upper  Sind  at 
the  end  of  February  or  beginning  of  March,  s<Mnetimes  in  May  and 
June,  and  picked  in  July  and  August,  and  also  in  November 
and  December.  After  picking,  the  cattle  are  turned  in  to  graze, 
and  the  crops  are  then  left  for  a  second  year.  Cattle  dung  is  used 
as  a  manure  in  the  proportion  of  about  12  maunds  to  a  biga.  In 
other  parts  of  Sind,  cotton  is  not  cultivated  till  the  canals  fill 
in  June,  and  the  crop  is,  in  consequence,  not  picked  till  November, 
or  even  December.  A  cotton  crop  is  liable  to  injury  from  bug, 
frost,  and  locusts. 

Sugar-cane. — For  raising  sugar-cane  crops  the  land  is  richly 
manured,  and  ploughed  over  and  over  again  until  the  manure  is 
well  mixed  widi  the  soil  After  the  land  has  been  carefully  pre- 
pared and  weeded  the  sowing  commences  in  the  month  of  March 
by  small  pieces  of  cane,  each  with  an  eye,  being  put  into  the 
ground  at  r^ular  intervals.  The  field  is  then  constantly  irrigated, 
so  as  to  be  in  a  continual  state  of  moisture.  During  the  hot 
season  it  is  perfectly  saturated  with  water  and  kept  firee  from 
weeds.  In  Upper  Sind  the  sugar-cane  is  [Wanted  out  in  January 
or  February  and  cut  in  November  or  December.  The  cane  is 
usually  sold  standing,  and  is  cut  and  manufactured  by  the  pur- 
chaser. The  expense  of  cultivating  sugar-cane  is  heavy,  owing  to 
the  long  time  the  crop  takes  to  mature  and  the  great  quantity  of 
water  required  for  properly  irrigating  it  It  b  liable  to  injury  at 
planting  out  firom  attacks  of  white  ants,  and  at  different  stages  of 
its  growth  firom  jackals,  rats,  maggots,  and  firost 

Tobacco. — For  the  cultivation  of  tobacco  the  ground  is  very 
carefully  prepared  by  flooding,  ploughing,  harrowing,  and  weeding 
about  the  b^;inning  of  June.  It  is  afterwards  formed  into  small 
areas,  which  are  divided  into  trenches,  and  the  earth  well  banked 
up.  Water  is  then  admitted,  but  not  sufficient  to  cover  the 
embanked  portions,  and  along  the  water  edge  of  these  the  seed  is 
carefully  sown.  The  crop  is  kept  constantly  watered,  but  the  irri- 
gation is,  as  it  were,  an  under-surface  one.  As  weeding  is  essen- 
tially necessary,  a  tobacco  crop  is  troublesome  to  raise,  and  the 
curing  of  the  leaf  is  a  long  and  tedious  operation.  The  crop  is 
liable  to  injury  from  locusts  and  frost 

The  extent  of  cultivated  land  in  Sind  in  the  year  1873-74,  was 
18,63,615  acres,  and  the  following  table  will  show  its  distribution 


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12  INTRODUCTION, 

under  its  four  different  heads  of  cultivation  in-  each  of  the  five 
districts  of  the  province  : 


District/                  Kharif.       |        Rabi. 

Pcshras. 

BarSni.       '        Total. 

A. 
Karachi   .     .      .      1,89,226 
Hyderabad    .      .      4,09,054 
Shikarpur      .      .      4,48,219 
Frontier  .      .      .   |   1,02,025 
Thar  and  Parkar   ;       79,122 

A. 
53,205 
62,176 
2,14,431 

49,188 

A. 
594 

A. 

49,354 

10,689 

18,250 

21 

1,34,166 

A. 
2.91,785 
4,81,919 
6,80,900 

1,46,535 
2,62,476 

112,27,646  i  4,22,895 

594 

2,12,480 

18,63,615 

The  extent  to  which  each  of  the  principal  products  was  in  that 
same  year  cultivated  was  as  follows  : 


Acres. 

Acres. 

3,88,418 

6.  Cotton       .      . 

•       •      50,577 

3,58,670 

7.  Barley       .      . 

•       .      10,331 

4,76,439 

8.  Indigo 

.     .       5,757 

2,16,199 

9.  Tobacco    . 

•     .       7,365 

2,60,056 

10.  Sugar-cane 

.     .      3,716 

1.  Juar  . 

2.  Bajri  .      . 

3.  Rice  .     . 

4.  Oil-seeds 

5.  Wheat     . 

Forests. — The  extent  of  forest  land  in  Sind  is  small  when  the 
large  area  of  the  province  is  taken  into  consideration,  covering 
but  500  square  miles  or  thereabouts,  though  in  this  area  the  forests 
in  the  territory  of  H.  H.  Mir  Ali  Murad  of  Khairpur  are  not 
included.  At  present  there  are  about  eighty-seven  forests  in  Sind, 
nearly  all  of  them  situate  on  the  banks  of  the  Indus,  and  extending 
southward  from  Ghotki  in  the  Rohri  Deputy  Collectorate  to  the 
middle  delta.  They  are  narrow  strips  of  land,  having  a  breadth 
of  from  a  quarter  to  two  miles,  and  from  two  to  three  miles  in 
length;  twenty-five  are  on  the  western  and  sixty-one  on  the 
eastern  bank  of  the  river.  The  largest  of  these  forests  are  those 
of  Mari,  Khanot,  Laikpur,  and  Bhorti  in  the  Hyderabad  districts ; 
Saduja,  Andaldal,  and  Shahpur  in  the  Shikarpur  district;  and 
Unarpur,  Viran,  and  Buto,  in  the  Karachi  Collectorate.  Several 
of  these  forests  are  between  9000  and  10,000  acres  in  area,  but 
many  of  them  are  at  times  greatly  diminished  in  extent  owing 
to  the  encroaching  nature  of  the  stream  on  the  banks  of  which 
they  are  situate.  From  this  cause  fully  1000  acres  of  the  Dhareja 
forest  in  the  Shikarpur  Collectorate  were,  in  1863,  swept  away 
into  the  river,  and  the  same  fate  attended  the  forests  of  Sundar- 
belo  and  Samtia,  the  former  in  1864-65,  and  the  latter  in  the  year 
following.  The  wood  of  these  forests  consists  mostly  of  babul 
{Acacia  arabica),  bahan  {Popuius  euphratica),  and  kandi  {Prosopis 
spicigera).     The  tali  {Dalbergia  sissu),  a  fine  tree,  grows  to  some 


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TOPOGRAPHY  OF  STND,  13 

extent  in  Upper  Sind,  but  can  hardly  be  considered  as  indigenous 
to  the  province;  the  iron-wood  tree  (Tocoma  undulatd)  is  found 
abundantly  near  the  hills  in  the  Mehar  districts.  Besides  these 
there  are  the  nim  (Mdia  azadirac?Ua)^  the  pipal  {Fiats  reli^osa)^ 
the  ber  {Zizyphus  jujula)^  and  a  few  others.  The  babul,  which  is 
the  staple  tree  in  the  forests  of  Lower  Sind,  is  of  quick  growth, 
very  tough  and  heavy,  and  much  used  for  boat-building  and  for 
fuel.  It  has  also  been  successfully  tried  in  the  manu&cture  of 
railway  sleepers.  The  seed-pods  are  used  for  fattening  cattle,  the 
bark  for  tanning,  and  the  leaves  are  greedily  eaten  by  camels  and 
goats.  The  hahan^  which  is  the  staple  tree  of  Upper  Sind,  is  a 
light  tough  wood  used  for  building  purposes,  as  also  for  making 
the  celebrated  lacquered  boxes  of  Hala  and  Khanot  The  karuii^ 
when  taken  care  of,  is  a  straight-growing  tree,  and  the  wood  is 
much  used  by  the  Sindis  for  household  furniture.  The  leafless 
caper,  or  kirar  (Capparis  aphylia),  is  valuable,  as  its  wood,  which 
is  used  for  rafters  and  the  knees  of  boats,  resists  the  attacks  of 
white  ants.  Two  kinds  of  tamarisks  are  found  in  the  Sind  forests, 
as  well  as  in  that  part  of  the  delta  of  the  Indus  which  has  l)een 
deserted  by  the  river,  the  "jhao"  {T.  orientalis),  and  the  "  lai '' 
(7!  indicd)  ;  from  the  former  is  obtained  a  kind  of  gum  or  manna, 
and  from  the  latter,  gall-nuts;  both  trees,  from  their  resinous 
properties,  afford  a  fair  steam  fuel  Of  reed  grasses  there  are 
three  varieties:  two  of  the  "  sar"  {Arundo  karka)^  from  which  a 
rope  is  made  much  used  by  boatmen  for  tracking  purposes,  and 
one  of  the  "  khan,"  from  which  rough  mats  for  putting  on  bandhs^ 
or  canal  banks,  are  manufactured.  There  are  no  forests  in  the 
delta  of  the  Indus,  but  its  shores,  as  well  as  the  numerous  inlets 
on  it,  abound  with  mangrove  trees,  which,  though  low  in  height, 
have  frequently  a  growth  of  twelve  feet  As  a  fuel  this  wood 
bums  well  Among  the  trees  which  have  of  late  years  been 
introduced  into  Sind  by  the  Forest  Department  are  the  following : 
the  tamarind  tree  (Tamarindus  tndica) ;  several  Australian  wattle- 
trees,  such  as  the  Acacia  dealbata^  A,  lopantha^  and  the  A, 
melanoxylon.  The  water-chestnut  {Trapa  natans\  into  Upper 
Sind  in  1867,  as  also  the  *'  Aula"  {Embiica  officinalis)^  the  bahera 
(Terminalia  bellerica)^  the  carob  tree  (Ceraionia  siliqua)^  the  China 
tallow  tree  {SiiUingia  sebifera)^  the  bel  {^^e  marmelos),  and  the 
mauah  {Bassia  latifolia). 

Forest  Department. — For  the  conservancy  and  management 
of  the  Sind  forests  there  is  a  specially  organised  department,  con- 
sisting of  a  conservator,  several  assistants,  inspectors — with  their 
respective   office   establishments— forest   tapadars   and   foresters. 

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14 


INTRODUCTION, 


The  forest  lands  are  divided  into  fifteen  divisions  or  tkpas,  over 
each  of  which  is  placed  a  forest  tapadar,  whose  chief  duties  are  to 
attend  to  the  cutting  of  wood  for  sale,  and  for  steam  fuel,  to  collect 
the  forest  revenue  and  keep  the  accounts,  to  protect  that  portion 
of  the  forests  immediately  abutting  on  the  river-bank,  and,  in 
short,  to  watch  generally  over  the  interests  and  well-being  of  the 
forests  put  under  his  charge.  The  foresters,  who  are  known 
under  the  name  of  "  rakhas,"  are  placed  under  the  orders  .of  the 
tapadars,  and  for  this  purpose  reside  on  the  confines  of  the 
forests  in  which  their  duties  lay.  The  revenue  derived  from  the 
Sind  forests  has  greatly  increased  during  the  past  fourteen  years, 
as  will  be  seen  from  the  following  table,  which  shows  the  receipts 
and  disbursements  from  1 860-61  to  1873-74  inclusive: 


Year. 

Receipts. 

Diliburseinents. 

R. 

R. 

1860—61 

1,20,624 

61,217 

1861—62 

1,18,654 

57,410 

1862-63 

97,664 

56,835 

1863-64 

1,82,364 

1,08,451 

1864-65 

2,66,278 

1,60,762 

1865-66 

2,68,105 

1,59,056 

1866—67 

2,72,101 

1,66,898 

1867—68 

2,57,193 

1,58,381 

1868-69 

2,40,883 

1,29,901 

1869—70 

1,48,765 

1870—71 

2,01,356 

1,69,235 

1871-72 

2,13,987 

1,42,701 

1872-73 

2,69,876 

1.55,036 
1,81,892 

1873-74 

2,59,415 

These  receipts  are  made  up  mostly  from  grazing  fees,  sale  of 
firewood  and  timber,  cultivation,  fisheries,  charcoal,  babul  pods 
and  seeds,  reeds,  mangoes,  fines,  &c.  Large  quantities  of  fire- 
wood are  sent  to  Bombay,  by  way  of  Keti-bandar. 

Animal  Kingdom. — The  animal  kingdom  in  Sind  would 
appear  to  be  fairly  represented.  Bumes  states  that,  from  informa- 
tion obtained  in  his  mission  of  1837,  he  found  the  zoology  of 
Sind  to  comprise  of  genera  and  species,  twenty  mammalia,  one 
hundred  and  ninety-one  birds,  thirty-six  fishes,  eleven  reptiles, 
besides  two  hundred  in  other  departments  of  natural  history. 
Among  wild  animals,  there  is  the  tiger,  found  occasionally  in  the 
jungles  of  Upper  Sind,  the  hyena,  the  gurkhar  or  wild  ass  (in 
the  southern  part  of  the  Thar  and  Parkar  district),  the  wolf, 
jackal,  fox,  wild  hog,  antelope,  "  pharho,"  or  hog-deer  {Axis  por- 
dnus)y  hares,  and  porcupines.     Among  birds  of  prey,  the  vulture. 


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TOPOGRAPHY  OF  SIND.  15 

and  several  varieties  of  &lcons.  The  flamingo,  pelican,  stork, 
and  crane  frequent  the  shores  of  the  delta,  and  the  Egyptian  ibis 
is  common.  There  are,  besides  the  ^  ubara  "  (or  bustard),  known 
also  under  the  name  of  *'*■  tilur,"  rock-grouse,  quail,  partridge,  and 
various  descriptions  of  parrots.  Waterfowl  are  plentiful,  especially 
in  the  cold  season,  when  the  lakes  and  ^  dhandhs "  are  covered 
with  wild  geese,  kulang^  ducks,  teal,  curlew,  and  snipe.  Among 
reptiles  are  to  be  found  snakes  of  several  varieties — scorpions, 
lizards,  centipedes,  &c  The  snakes  it  is  feared  are  very  numerous, 
if  the  number  of  deaths  which  are  said  to  occur  yearly  from  snake> 
bite  be  taken  as  any  criterion  by  which  to  judge  of  their  prevalence. 

The  different  kinds  of  fish  met  with  in  the  Indus,  as  well  as  in 
the  canals  and  dhandhs  which  lead  from  it,  throughout  Sind,  will 
be  found  treated  of  in  the  notice  of  that  river  (see  Indus). 
Among  domestic  animals  in  Sind,  the  camel,  which  is  of  die  one- 
humped  variety,  takes,  from  its  size  and  utility,  the  first  rank  as 
a  beast  of  burden.  It  is  hardy,  strong,  and  capable  of  much 
endurance;  its  milk  is  a  favourite  article  of  diet,  and  from  its 
hair  are  made  coarse  but  strong  cloths.  The  camel  is  t»ed  in 
great  numbers  in  the  salt  marshes  of  the  Indus,  the  finer  descrip- 
tions being  reserved  for  the  saddle.  They  are  also  used  for 
grinding  com,  pressing  oil,  and  in  turning  the  Persian  wheel  for 
field  irrigation.  Great  herds  of  buffaloes  are  fed  on  the  swampy 
tracts  of  the  delta,  and  the  ghi  made  firom  their  milk  forms  a 
most  important  article  in  Sindian  commerce.  Sheep  and  goats 
abound  in  Upper  Sind,  on  the  borders  of  the  Pat,  or  Shikarpur 
desert,  and  in  the  Thar  and  Parkar.  The  best  wool  in  S^d 
comes  firom  the  fleeces  of  the  sheep  kept  in  the  former  districts. 
The  horses  of  Sind  are  small  and  mean  in  appearance,  but 
hardy,  active,  and  capable  of  enduring  much  &tigue;  great 
attention  is  given  by  the  Balochis  in  Upper  Sind  to  the  breeding 
of  mares.  The  asses  are  small  in  size,  but  are  strong  and  active, 
and  thrive  on  the  coarsest  fare.  The  mules  are  large,  strong, 
handsome,  and  quick  in  pace.  The  buUocks,  which  are  small  in 
size  when  compared  with  the  finer  kinds  in  other  parts  of  India, 
are  mostly  employed  for  draught,  and  for  turning  wheek  used  in 
irrigating  land. 

Irrigation  in  Sind. — In  concluding  this  general  account  of 
the  province,  it  will  not  perhaps  be  here  considered  out  of  place 
to  describe  the  system  generally  adopted  in  Sind  for  irrigating 
land  by  means  of  the  many  canals,  which,  drawing  their  water 
supply  from  the  river  Indus,  are  made  to  intersect  the  country  for 
purposes  of  cultivation  ;  and  as  this  subject  was  fiiUy  entered  into 

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i6  INTRODUCTION. 

and  described  some  years  ago  by  Captain  (now  Colonel)  J.  G.  Fife, 
Bombay  R.E.,  the  projector  of  the  Eastern  Nara  scheme,  and  for 
some  time  the  head  of  the  Irrigational  Department  in  Sind, 
extracts  from  his  interesting  report  will  here  be  given,  touching 
generally  upon  the  canals  in  Sind,  and  the  various  methods  of 
irrigating  land  from  them. 

"  Sind  is  an  alluvial  plain,  almost  every  portion  of  which  has, 
at  some  time  or  other,  been  swept  by  the  Indus  or  its  branches. 
In  almost  every  direction  traces  of  ancient  channels  are  met  with, 
and  where  they  are  large  and  can  be  traced  for  any  considerable 
distance,  they  are  most  useful  in  indicating  the  relative  levels 
of  the  country ;  for  it  is  an  axiom  in  places  like  Sind,  formed  by 
the  deposit  from  the  river,  that  the  land  is  always  highest  at  the 
river  bank,  and  low  the  further  the  bank  is  receded  from.  The 
cause  of  this  is  well  understood ;  the  river  brings  down  from  the 
hill  torrents  a  greater  quantity  of  detritus  than  its  stream — mode- 
rated in  velocity  in  the  valley  below — can  carry  forward.  The 
result  is,  that  the  bed  and  banks  of  the  channel  are  continually 
rising,  the  bed  jises  most  jJerhaps.  While  the  inundation  is 
subsiding,  the  banks  are  raised  by  the  deposit  from  the  flood- 
water  during  overflow.  The  process  is  a  sure  one,  but  it  is  very 
slow ;  for  though  it  is  now — it  is  believed — according  to  tradition, 
,  about  800  years  since  the  Indus  forsook  an  ancient  channel  for 
its  present  one,  the  banks  which  correspond  with  the  flood-level 
of  the  river  are  now  only  sufficiently  raised  above  the  country 
inland  to  admit  of  a  very  imperfect  description  of  irrigation  from 
the  river  being  carried  on.  In  some  places  tlie  slope  of  the  plain 
from  the  river  bank  is  a  foot  per  mile ;  in  others,  it  is  only  six 
inches ;  and  where  some  ancient  channel  is  met  with  inland,  the 
ground  is  often  found  to  be  as  high  as  the  bank  of  the  present 
channel,  with  a  slight  depression  between  the  two. 

Canals  in  Sind.  —  ^*The  canals  in  Sind  are  excavations 
carried  away  from  the  river  in  an  oblique  direction,  so  as  to 
secure  as  great  a  fall  per  mile  as  possible;  they  vary  from  ten  to 
one  hundred  feet  in  width,  and  from  four  to  ten  feet  in  depth. 
None  of  them  have  their  heads  where  the  river  bank  is  perma- 
nent, and  none  of  them  are  deep  enough  to  draw  off"  water  from 
the  river  except  during  the  inundation ;  the  river  has  to  rise  many 
feet  before  the  water  will  run  into  them.  The  general  direction 
of  the  canals  is  often  good,  but  they  have  so  many  intermediate 
awkward  bends,  that  a  great  part  of  the  fall  is  thrown  away.  They 
are  irregular  in  shape,  and  irregular  in  slope  or  fall.  They  gene- 
rally very  nearly  follow  the  slope  of  the  country,  so  that  in  some 

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TOPOGRAPHY  OF  SAVD.  1 7 

places  they  have  a  &I1  of  one  foot  per  mile,  in  others,  only  two 
or  three  inches.  In  hctj  they  resemble  natural  water-courses 
mnch  more  than  canals.  In  some  cases,  they  are  really  old 
natural  branches  of  the  river,  kept  open  by  annual  clearance  of 
the  silt  which  accumulates  in  them  during  die  inundation.  They 
have  all  the  same  grand  defects.  The  irr^ularity  of  their  supply 
of  water,  arising  from  the  variation  of  the  inundation,  is  still 
further  increased  from  the  changes  in  the  river  channel  at  their 
heads ;  and  from  their  becoming  nearly  always  partly,  and  some- 
times completely,  choked  with  silt  at  their  mouths.  This  will  be 
readily  understood  by  a  consideration  of  their  faulty  construction. 
From  the  position  of  their  heads  they  are  evident^  liable  to  two 
evils:  either  the  river  encroaches  and  tears  away  the  bank  at 
their  heads,  throwing  such  quantities  of  silt  into  them  as  mate- 
rially to  diminish,  and  sometimes  even  to  totaUy  stop  the  supply 
of  water,  or  the  river  recedes  and  forms  an  enormous  sand-bank, 
and  ultimately  new  land  in  front  of  their  mouths.  In  the  first 
case,  from  the  setting  of  the  stream  against  the  bank,  the  canals 
get  more  water  at  the  eariy  part  of  the  season,  but  from  the 
silting  up  of  their  mouths,  less  during  the  latter  pait.  In  the 
second  case,  the  supply  is  more  scanty,  but  it  is  more  r^ular, 
until  totaUy  cut  off  by  the  sand-bank,  as  the  quantity  of  silt 
thrown  into  the  canals  is  less.  The  setting  of  the  stream  against 
the  bank,  combined  with  the  endless  alterations  that  take  place 
in  the  bed  of  the  river,  sometimes  cause  a  difference  of  two  feet 
in  the  level  of  the  water  at  particular  spots ;  and  from  this  and 
the  actual  difference  in  volume  of  the  inundation  each  season, 
previously  explained,  a  most  extraordinary  difference  is  caused  in 
the  quantity  of  water  which  enters  the  canals.  From  the  shallow- 
ness of  the  canals,  a  difference  of  two  feet  in  the  inundation 
causes  a  difference  of  periiaps  not  less  than  one-third  of  the  whole 
supply  drawn  off  by  them,  yet  each  season  the  supply  actually 
required  for  irrigation  is  the  same. 

VaiionB  MethodB  of  IrrigatioiL — *^^  The  irrigation  carried 
on  by  means  of  the  canals  may  be  classed  under  three  heads, 
according  to  the  elevation  of  the  land  First,  there  is  land  on 
to  which  the  water  will  not  run  without  the  aid  of  machinery. 
Second,  there  is  land  which  is  watered  with  the  aid  of  machinery 
while  the  supply  in  the  canal  is  low,  but  on  to  which  the  water 
will  run  without  a  M  when  the  canal  is  fiilL  Third,  there  is  land 
which  is  so  low  that  after  the  canal  is  three  parts  full,  the  water 
can  be  run  off  without  a  lift,  no  machinery  being  ever  used.  The 
cohivation  carried  on  in  these  three  classes  of  land  may  be  thus 

c 

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i8  INTRODUCTION, 

briefly  described.  In  the  first  case,  the  cultivator  has  his  cattle 
and  servants  ready  by  perhaps  the  15th  of  May,  to  commence 
working  the  water-wheels,  ploughing  and  sowing;  but  as  the 
supply  of  water  is  dependent  on  the  rise  of  the  inundation,  it 
never  comes  on  the  same  date  for  two  successive  years,  and  of 
course  his  cattle  and  servants  are  kept  idle  till  it  does  arrive. 
When  the  water  at  length  makes  its  appearance  work  is  com- 
menced with  activity  and  carried  on  steadily,  unless,  from  the 
river  suddenly  falling,  the  supply  of  water  should  be  cut  off,  in 
which  case  of  course  there  is  an  interruption,  and  the  cattle  and 
servants  are  again  idle.  After  this,  a  second  subsidence  of  the 
river  is  rare,  and  the  work  proceeds  steadily,  but  it  also  proceeds 
slowly.  The  rate  at  which  the  sowing  is  carried  on  is  dependent 
on  the  number  of  bullocks  the  cultivator  can  procure — and  of 
course  as  at  this  period  most  of  the  other  cultivators  are  similarly 
circumstanced,  it  is  difficult  to  procure  a  sufficient  number, — the 
land  is  so  hard  and  dry,  that  it  must  be  watered  before  it  can  be 
ploughed.  Time  creeps  on  before  he  has  sown  all  his  land,  the 
best  period  for  sowing  is  past.  However,  as  he  commenced 
early,  a  very  small  portion  only  of  his  crop  is  poor  from  late 
sowing ;  and,  on  the  whole,  the  crop  is  good,  unless  from  the 
early  subsidence  of  the  inundation  in  August,  he  has  experienced 
difficulty  in  getting  his  water-wheels  to  throw  up  sufficient  water, 
a  subsidence  of  three  or  four  feet  in  the  level  of  the  water  doubling 
the  labour  and  expense,  and  halving  the  speed  at  which  the 
irrigation  is  carried  on.  Should  this  early  subsidence  take  place, 
some  of  his  crop  will  be  inferior,  from  being  insufficiently  watered. 

"  In  the  second  case,  where  the  land  is  partly  watered  by  machi- 
nery and  partly  without,  the  cultivator  also  awaits  the  arrival  of 
the  water  with  his  servants  and  cattle,  and  is  during  the  early  part 
of  the  season  subject  to  the  same  losses  and  interruption.  Later, 
however,  he  finds  that  the  water  is  sufficiently  high  to  run  on 
to  the  land  without  a  lift,  and  he  therefore  stops  his  wheel  and 
employs  all  his  cattle  in  ploughing.  The  sowing  progresses 
rapidly,  but  a  great  part  of  it  is  late ;  matters  progress  favourably 
till  the  river  begins  to  subside,  when  a  difficulty  immediately 
arises.  The  river  falls  perhaps  three  inches  only,  but  the  canals, 
owing  to  the  mouth  choking,  fall  a  foot,  and  the  water  will  no 
longer  run  on  to  the  land  without  a  lift  The  wheel  can  do  little 
more  than  water  the  land  sown  with  its  aid,  the  remainder  of  the 
crop  suflers  from  want  of  water,  and  what  was  sown  immediately 
before  the  water  subsided,  utterly  fails. 

"  In  the  third  case,  when  the  land  is  irrigated  without  the  aid  of 

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TOPOGRAPHY  OF  SIND,  19 

machineiy,  the  cultivator  rarely  commences  tiU  late  in  the  season, 
as  the  canal  must  be  nearly  full  of  water,  and  this  does  not  take 
place  till  the  inundation  period  is  half  over  5  a  great  part  of  the 
crop  is  sown  too  late,  and  when  it  is  juar  or  bajri,  blight  very 
frequently  destroys  it  This  description  of  cultivation  is,  more- 
over, exposed  to  two  most  serious  risks :  either  the  water  b^^s 
to  subside  too  early,  and  two  or  three  inches  of  subsidence  renders 
it  impossible  to  water  the  land,  or  from  some  unexpected  rise  in 
the  river  a  greater  quantity  of  water  comes  into  the  canal  than 
can  be  used,  it  bursts  its  banks,  and  of  course  this  description  of 
land,  which  is  always  low,  becomes  inundated,  and  the  crop  is 
partly,  if  not  totally,  destroyed 

"  The  results  of  these  three  classes  of  cultivation  may  be  thus 
briefly  summed  up : 

"  The  first  class  is  on  the  whole  good,  but  it  is  very  expensive 
from  the  heavy  expense  attending  the  raising  of  the  water,  which 
costs  almost  two  rupees  fer  biga^  or  nearly  twice  as  much  as  the 
land-tax  the  cultivator  pays  to  Government 

"The  second  class  is  inferior,  but  less  costly,  the  facility  for 
irrigation  being  greater. 

"  The  third  class  is  very  inferior,  from  the  many  risks  to  which 
it  is  exposed,  but  from  the  great  facility  there  is  for  irrigation,  it 
costs  very  little ;  little  or  no  capital  is  necessary  to  start  with,  and 
it  is  extremely  popular  among  the  poorer  classes. 

"  With  the  cultivation  exposed  to  so  many  risks,  arising  from 
the  capricious  nature  of  the  water  supply,  it  cannot  be  matter  for 
wonder  that  the  people  should  look  on  the  cultivation  as  a  species 
of  lottery.  They  are  successful  one  season  and  bankrupts  the 
next  No  one  who  sows  can  tell  what  he  will  reap.  Too  little  or 
too  much  water,  the  supply  coming  too  soon  or  too  late,  and  the 
blight  arising  from  sowing  at  the  wrong  time,  combine  to  render 
speculation  on  the  result  of  the  cultivation  a  riddle  which  none 
can  solve.  From  the  very  frequent  failing  of  crops  the  cultivators 
on  the  whole  are  very  poorly  repaid  for  their  labour;  but  this 
does  not  prevent  them  from  forsaking  r^;ular  and  fairly-paid 
occupation  for  cultivation.  They  may  win  if  the  capricious  river 
only  fiimished  the  proper  quantity  of  water  at  the  proper  time  to 
suit  the  particular  class  of  land  on  which  the  venture  is  made. 

CompariBon  of  Frodnce. — "  It  will  be  interesting  now  to 
compare  the  total  quantity  of  produce  which  ought  to  be  derived 
from  the  cultivation  in  Sind,  with  the  total  quantity  actually 
produced,  in  order  to  ascertain  what  this  deplorable  system  costs 
the  country.     In  doing  this,  accuracy  can  hardly  be  looked  for, 

Q,  2 

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20  INTRODUCTION. 

but  a  very  tolerable  approximation  to  the  truth  may  be  made. 
In  Upper  Sind  it  is  well  known  that  a  crop  of  *  juar'  on  average 
land,  sown  at  the  proper  time  and  receiving  a  sufficient  quantity 
of  water  at  the  right  time,  will  yield' fifteen  maunds  of  grain  per 
biga^  but  that,  owing  to  the  many  risks  to  which  the  cultivation 
is  exposed,  the  average  crop  is  not  more  than  ten  maunds.  In 
Lower  Sind  it  is  also  well  known  that  though  a  crop  of  rice  under 
equally  favourable  conditions  will  yield  fourteen  maunds,  the 
average  yield  is  not  more  than  ten  maunds.  Hence  the  losses 
amount  to  about  one-third  of  the  whole  produce,  and  are,  there- 
fore, about  equal  to  the  Government  share,  the  average  value  of 
which  is  li  rupees  per  biga.  Now  the  total  number  of  bigas 
irrigated  in  1853,  when  there  was,  if  anything,  less  cultivation 
than  usual,  was  14,38,000  bigas,  at  li  rupees  each  =  17,98,000 
rupees,  which  therefore  represents  what  the  cheap  canals  cost 
Sind  in  loss  of  produce  in  that  year. 

"  There  is,  however,  another  charge  which  the  country  has  to 
pay :  this  is  the  cost  of  raising  water,  which  varies  from  i^  rupees 
on  canals  to  4  rupees  on  wells.  The  total  number  of  bigas  culti- 
vated with  the  aid  of  machinery  on  canals  in  1853,  was  6,97,780, 
and  on  wells,  65,091.  Charging  for  these  numbers  of  bigas  at  the 
rates  mentioned,  we  have — 

Cost  of  raising  water  from  canals  for  6,97, 780  bigas,  "J***- 

at  li  rs.  each  ........  10,46,670 

Cost  of  raising  water  from  wells  for  65,091  bigas,  at 
4rs.each *     2,60,364 

Total  rupees    1 3 ,  07 ,  034 


Adding  this  last  amount  to  the  value  of  the  produce  lost,  we  have 
a  total  of  31,05,034  rupees.  So  that  Sind  in  1853  suffered  a  loss 
of  about  31  lakhs  of  rupees  more  than  the  whole  revenue  of  the 
province,  from  a  defective  system  of  irrigation. 

"  That  the  country  should  be  paying  so  heavily  from  the  defects 
in  the  irrigation  system,  can  cause  little  surprise  after  a  considera- 
tion of  the  circumstances  under  which  the  people  cultivate,  as 
previously  explained.  There  are  some  confirmatory  facts,  how- 
ever, which  it  may  be  worth  while  to  mention.  In  Sind  nearly 
the  whole  male  adult  population  cultivates;  there  are  very  few 
indeed  who  do  not,  either  directly  or  indirectly,  share  in  the 
labour.  Now  we  know  that  the  country  is  fertile  fi-om  the  splendid 
crops  which  are  often  raised,  and  which  produce  even  more  than 
a  *  kharwar '  (or  twenty  maunds)  of  grain  per  biga;  yet  it  appears 


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TOPOGRAPHY  OF  SIND.  2 1 

from  the  export  and  import  returns,  that  our  exports  exceed  our 
imports  by  only  4,13,000  maimds,  the  value  of  which  is  about 
4,13,000  rupees,  or  a  seventh  part  of  the  revenue,  and  therefore 
only  one-twentieth  part  of  the  produce  of  the  country.  If  the 
whole  population  cultivates  and  the  land  is  fertile — both  of  which 
are  well-known  &cts — ^how  does  it  happen  that  our  exports  are  so 
small  ?  How  does  it  happen  that  we  import  at  all  ?  What  becomes 
of  the  labour  of  the  whole  of  the  population  ?  In  fact,  while  we 
have  the  clearest  evidence  of  the  fertility  and  capabilities  of  Sind, 
we  have  equally  clear  evidence  of  those  capabilities  being  thrown 
away  from  a  defective  system  of  irrigation. 

Loss  firom  impeTfect  Ctiltiyation. — *'  The  direct  loss  to  the 
country  has  been  shown  to  be  enormous,  but  it  perhaps  does  not 
exceed  the  indirect  loss  arising  from  the  same  causes.  It  is  clear 
that  where  the  number  of  risks  to  which  the  cultivation  is  liable 
are  such  that  a  careful  cultivator  has  but  little  better  chance  than 
a  careless  one,  all  enterprise  must  be  annihilated.  A  man  who 
knows  that  his  crop  depends  entirely  on  the  capricious  inundation, 
and  that  though  he  may  expend  great  labour  on  it,  it  will  avail 
nothing  unless  he  gets  the  supply  of  water  at  the  proper  time  and 
at  the  proper  level,  naturally  expends  as  little  labour  as  possible 
upon  it  This,  of  course,  gives  rise  to  careless  cultivation.  This 
imperfect  cultivation,  and  the  laige  area  of  cultivation  which  fails 
yearly  from  causes  previously  described,  also  give  rise  to  another 
kind  of  loss.  The  fertility  of  the  soil  is  exhausted  in  producing  a 
crop  of  straw  without  any  grain ;  and,  putting  aside  the  immediate 
loss,  there  is  loss  which  is  certain  to  occur  the  next  season  from 
the  sowing  of  land  previously  weakened.  This  occurs  year  after 
year,  and  the  loss  caused  must  be  enormous.  In  fact,  in  the 
preceding  calculations  of  what  the  country  loses  in  produce,  it 
would  perhaps  have  been  more  just  to  have  taken  what  is  con- 
sidered a  first-rate  crop  in  Sind,  tiian  merely  a  remunerative  crop 
for  the  standard.  Another  effect  of  the  system  is  the  proverbial 
improvidence  met  with  in  the  Sindian.  How  can  he  be  expected 
to  be  otherwise?  One  year  he  is  successfiil,  the  next  he  is 
ruined;  he  is  nearly  always  in  debt  and  difficulty,  paying  one 
hundred  per  cent  for  borrowed  money,  and  much  of  his  time  and 
ingenuity  are  consumed  in  devising  plans  for  escaping  payment 
In  fact  it  may  be  said  of  the  whole  population,  that  while  the 
Hindus,  who  lend  the  money  in  the  first  instance,  are  employing 
all  their  cunning  to  get  it  back  with  interest,  the  Muhammadans 
are  employing  theirs  to  avoid  payment  It  is  a  common  complaint 
in  Sind  that  labour  is  scarce  and  dear,  but  surely  no  one  who 

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2  2  INTRODUCTION. 

may  read  this  sketch  can  fail  to  perceive  the  cause.  In  England 
and  other  prosperous  countries  skill  and  machinery  enable  one 
man  to  do  the  work  of  ten.  Now,  assuming  that  one-third  of  a 
population  should  with  ordinary  means  cultivate  sufficient  grain 
for  the  whole,  it  is  plain  that  in  Sind  three  men  do  the  work  of 
one.  Doubtless  there  may  be  inaccuracy  in  the  foregoing  calcu- 
lations. To  those  well  acquainted  with  Sind  many  instances  will 
occur  in  which  the  risks  to  which  the  cultivation  is  exposed  are 
not  so  great  as  represented  in  this  sketch;  occasions  will  be 
remembered  when  the  quantity  of  water  exactly  met  the  demand 
and  when  it  came  at  a  convenient  time.  It  must  be  remembered 
that  the  calculations  given  are  only  intended  as  an  approximation 
to  the  truth,  that  there  is  no  general  rule  without  some  exceptions ; 
and,  allowing  the  widest  margin  for  inaccuracy  or  error,  it  is  surely 
evident  that  the  general  conclusions  arrived  at  are  perfectly  true." 


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HISTOR  Y  OF  SIND.  23 


CHAPTER  11. 

EARLY  HISTORY  OF  SIND. 

ANCIENT  HINDC  DYNASTY  IN  SIND — MUHAHMADAN  INVASION  AND 
CONQUEST  OP  SIND — SUMRA  DYNASTY — SAlfliA  D\'NASTY — THE 
ARGHUN  DYNASTY — DAUDPOTRAS — KALHORA  DYNASTY — TAL- 
PUR  DYNASTY — OCCUPATION  OF  SIND  BY  A  BRITISH  FORCE — 
ARRIVAL  OF  SIR  CHARLES  NAPIER  IN  SIND — BALOCH  ATTACK 
ON  THE  BRITISH  RESIDENCY  AT  HYDERABAD — BATTLE  OF 
MEEANEE — BATTLE  OF  DABO — ^TALPUR  SYSTEM  OF  GOVERN- 
MENT. 

Ancient  mndn  Dynasty  in  Bind.-— Previous  to  the  invasioii 
of  Sind  by  the  Arabs,  under  Muhammad  Kasim  Sakifi,  about  94  h. 
(ad.  7 13),  that  country  was  under  the  rule  of  a  Hinda  dynasty, 
whose  capital  was  at  Aror  (or  Alor),  near  the  present  town  of 
Rohri,  then  a  large  city  on  tiie  banks  of  the  Mehran  (or  Indus), 
possessing  many  very  fine  buildings,  with  extensive  gardens 
outside  and  around  the  town.  The  boundaries  of  this  Hindu 
kingdom  are  said  to  have  been  Kashmir  and  Kanauj  on  the  east, 
Makran  and  the  seashore  of  Oman  on  the  west,  the  port  of  Surat 
(Surashtra)  on  the  south,  and  Kandahar,  Sistan  and  the  Suleman 
and  tCaikanan  hills  on  the  north,  and  it  was  divided  into  four 
divisions,  each  of  which  was  under  the  rule  of  a  governor.  Some 
of  the  names  of  the  reigning  Hindu  kings  are  supposed  to  have 
been  as  follow : 

1.  Rii  Diwaji.  4.  Rii  SUuubs  II. 

2.  Rii  Sibaras.  5.  Rai  Sahisi  11. 

3.  Rai  Sahasi. 

Their  reigns  are  presumed  to  have  extended,  in  the  aggr^ate, 
over  137  years.  The  fourth  king  of  this  djrnasty,  Rai  Sihaias  II., 
is  reported  to  have  been  slain  in  battle  while  engaging  the  army 
of  Nimroz,  king  of  Persia,  whose  troops  had  come  on  a  marauding 
excursion  to  Kachh  and  Makran.  The  Sind  forces  were  defeated, 
and  returned  to  Alor.  His  successor,  Rai  Sahasi  II.,  appears  to 
have  ruled  his  kingdom  wisely  and  well,  making  tours  of  inspec- 


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24  INTRODUCTION, 

tion  through  his  dominions,  keeping  his  army  punctually  paid, 
obtaining  his  revenue  by  periodical  instalments,  and  remitting  the 
duty  on  grain,  on  the  condition  of  his  subjects  building  for  him 
six  forts — those  of  Alor,  Sehwistan,  Uch,  Mathelo,  Mod,  and 
Suvrai.  Chachh,  the  son  of  Silaji,  a  Brahman,  and  chamberlain  to 
Rai  Sahasi,  but  in  no  way  related  to  him,  seems  to  have  so 
ingratiated  himself  with  this  monarch,  that  on  the  death  of  the 
latter,  about  h.  io  (a.u.  630),  he  was  able  to  establish  himself  on 
the  throne,  defeating  an  army  under  Rana  Muharat,  which  the 
relatives  of  the  deceased  ruler  had  collected  about  Jodhpur,  for 
the  purpose  of  driving  away  the  usurper.  Chachh  reigned  forty 
years,  and  was  succeeded  by  his  brother  Chandar,  who  ruled  the 
country  for  eight  years,  leaving  the  succession  to  his  nephew 
Dahir  (the  eldest  son  of  Chachh),  during  whose  reign  Muhammad 
Kasim  Sakifi,  the  son-in-law  of  Hajjaj,  governor  of  Irak,  was 
sent  by  the  latter  about  h.  93  (a.d.  712)  to  conquer  Sind  and 
the  countries  lying  along  the  whole  valley  of  the  Indus.  The 
ostensible  reason  put  forward  by  Muhammadan  writers  for  this 
invasion  was  the  alleged  ill-treatment  of  some  merchants  and 
others,  who  had  been  deputed  by  the  khalifa  Abdul  Malik,  to 
proceed  to  Sind  with  the  object  of  purchasing  females  slaves  and 
other  articles.  These  they  had  collected,  and  were  returning 
home  by  Dewal  Bandar,  when  they  were  attacked  by  robbers, 
who  killed  several  of  them,  made  others  prisoners,  besides  taking 
from  them  all  their  property,  a  few  only  escaping  to  make  their 
complaint  to  the  khalifa,  who  had  prepared  an  army  for  the 
invasion  of  Sind,  when  he  died,  leaving  his  intention  to  be  carried 
out  by  his  son. 

Muhammadan  Invasion  and  Conquest  of  Bind.— Mu- 
hammad Kasim  left  Shirazon  this  expedition  in  h.  92  (a.d.  711), 
with  a  fine  army,  and  would  seem  to  have  reached  the  seaport  of 
Debal  (supposed  by  some  to  have  been  Manora,  near  Karachi, 
but  by  others,  Tatta)  early  in  the  following  year,  which  he  soon 
captured.  After  this  Muhammad  proceeded  to  Nerankot  (the 
modern  Hyderabad),  the  governor  of  which  place  seems  to  have 
arranged  satisfactorily  with  the  general,  who  thence  marched  to 
the  fort  of  Sehwan,  in  the  district  of  Sehwistan^  which  he  took. 
Returning  to  Nerankot,  he  crossed  the  Indus,  the  main  stream  of 
which  at  that  time  flowed  to  the  east  of  the  city,  and  engaged  the 
army  of  King  Dahir,  which  had  been  sent  to  oppose  him.  It 
ended  in  the  discomfiture  of  the  Hindu  sovereign,  who  was  slain 
at  the  fort  of  Rawar,  while  all  his  family  and  relatives  were  carried 
away  captives,  excepting  his  son  Jaisya,  who  fled  to  Kashmir. 


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HISTORY  OF  S/XD.  2$ 

Muhammad  then  laid  siege  to  Brahmanabad,  near  the  desert, 
which  was  taken,  but  he  appears  to  have  treated  its  inhabitants 
with  leniency  and  moderation.  Thence,  in  h.  94  (a.  d.  713)  after 
capturing  other  places,  he  came  to  Alor,  the  capital  of  Sind,  which 
was  taken  ;  and  subsequently  Multan,  with  an  immense  treasure, 
submitted  to  his  arms.  The  end  of  this  great  Muhammadan 
invader  is  uncertain,  but  it  is  believed  he  was  tortured  to  death 
with  the  sanction  of  the  khalifa  Suleman,  and  that  the  story*  in 
which  the  two  daughters  of  King  Dahir  are  made  to  take  so 
prominent  a  part,  is  a  mere  idle  fable.  Yazid,  who  was  appointed 
to  succeed  Muhammad,  died  soon  after  reaching  Sind,  and  Habib 
was  then  selected  to  carry  on  the  war  in  that  coimtry,  where  Jaisya, 
the  son  of  Dahir,  had  already  regained  the  town  of  Brahmanabkd, 
and  much  of  the  territory  previously  conquered  by  the  Arabs  had 
been  recovered  by  the  natives.  On  the  extinction  of  the 
Ummayide  dynasty  of  khalifas  in  h.  132  (a.d.  750),  and  the  suc- 
cession to  power  of  the  Abbassides,  Sind  still  remained  under  Arab 
government,  and  the  steady  progress  of  their  rule  inspired  the 
native  princes  on  the  northern  frontier  of  India  with  alarm.  In 
H.  198  (A.D.  813),  the  then  governor  of  Sind,  Bashar-bin-Daud, 
raised  the  standard  of  revolt,  but  was  afterwards  induced  to 
surrender  himself  under  promise  of  a  pardon.  Down  to  h.  295 
(A.D.  908)  the  power  of  the  khalifas  had  been  gradually  declining, 

*  This  story,  as  related  by  PottiDger,  brought  into  his  presence.  The  sen- 
is  as  foUows  : — ^The  victory  gained  by  tence  was  inflicted,  and  the  nnfortu- 
the  Mnhammadans  was  followed  by  a  nate  general,  thus  nngratefnlly  recom- 
remarkable  instance  of  oriental  re-  pensed  for  his  success,  died  on  the 
renge.  Among  the  captives  were  two  third  day  after  being  subjected  to  the 
daughters  of  the  Raja,  esteemed,  it  punishment.  The  tale  was  subse- 
ts said,  the  most  beautiful  women  in  quently  discovered  to  have  been  fabri- 
Asia,  and  who,  in  conformity  with  cated,  and  the  vengeance  of  the 
eastern  custom,  were  reserved  to  grace  khalifa,  then  directed  towards  the 
the  harem  of  the  khalifa.  The  prin-  beautiful  but  vindictive  princesses, 
cesses  meditated  vengeance  on  the  was  manifested  in  a  mode  not  less 
general  whose  successes  deprived  their  characteristic  of  Eastern  cruelty  than 
&ther  of  his  throne  and  life,  and  was  the  punishment  inflicted  on  their 
reduced  them  to  captivity  in  a  foreign  victim.  He  ordered  them,  after  being 
land  ;  and  on  their  arrival  at  Baghdad  totally  divested  of  clothing,  to  be  tied 
effected  their  object  by  accusing  him  by  the  hair  of  their  heads  to  the  tails 
of  conduct  which  involved  a  breach  of  of  horses,  and  in  this  manner  dragged 
duty  to  his  master,  as  well  as  an  out-  through  the  streets  of  Baghdad  till 
rage  on  the  feelings  of  his  illustrious  they  were  dead.  The  horrible  sentence 
prisoners.  The  khalifa,  enraged  at  was  executed,  and  the  mangled  re- 
the  alleged  insult,  ordered  the  sup-  mains  of  the  sufferers  then  igno- 
posed  offender  to  be  sewn  up  in  the  miniously  cast  into  the  river, 
raw  hide  of  a  cow,  and  in  this  manner 


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26  INTRODUCTION. 

and  their  virtual  renunciation  of  political  control  in  Sind  may  be 
said  to  date  from  h.  257  (a. d.  871),  a  few  years  after  which  two 
kingdoms  were  established  in  Sind — those  of  MQltan  and  MansQra. 
The  latter  country  extended  from  the  sea  to  Alor,  where  that  of 
Multan  commenced,  and  it  would  seem  to  have  been  well  cultivated, 
and  covered  with  trees  and  fields.  The  dress  of  the  Sindians 
was  like  that  of  the  people  of  Irak.  Alor,  the  capital,  is  said  to 
have  been  nearly  as  large  as  Miiltan,  was  surrounded  by  a  double 
wall,  and  was  the  seat  of  a  considerable  commerce. 

The  revenue  derived  by  the  Arab  princes  of  Sind  appears  to 
have  been  very  small,  sufficient  only  to  provide  food  and  clothing, 
and  to  maintain  their  position  with  decency.  Under  Arab  rule  the 
internal  administration  of  Sind  was  left  by  these  conquerors  in  the 
hands  of  natives.  Arab  soldiers  held  lands  there  on  condition  of 
continued  military  service,  but  they  were  not  permitted  to  devote 
themselves  to  agriculture  or  any  other  profession  but  their  own  : 
much  of  the  conquered  territory  was  also  liberally  bestowed  upon 
sacred  edifices  and  institutions.  Sindian  troops,  it  seems,  were 
levied  by  the  Arabs,  and  sent  to  fight  the  battles  of  the  latter  in 
distant  quarters.  Nor  when  the  zeal  for  war  had  abated  was 
commerce  neglected  in  Sind  by  its  Arab  .conquerors.  They 
kept  up  a  regular  commercial  communication  by  means  of  cara- 
vans with  Khorasan,  and  with  Zabulistan  and  Sijistan,  by  way 
of  Kandahar  and  Ghazni.  There  was  commercial  traffic  by  the 
sea-board  also,  for  much  of  the  merchandize  sent  to  Turkistan 
and  Khorasan  was  the  produce  of  China,  Ceylon,  and  Malabar, 
from  which  latter  province  most  of  the  wood  used  for  the  con- 
struction of  boats  on  the  Indus  was  obtained.  Horses  were  also 
frequently  imported  into  Sind  from  Arabia.  The  native  Sindians 
were  permitted  by  the  Arabs  to  follow  the  practices  of  their 
religion  to  a  greater  extent  than  was  usually  conceded  in  other 
countries,  but  where  power  allowed  the  Muhammadans  to  usurp 
the  mastery,  they  did  not  hesitate  to  display  their  usual  bigotry 
and  cruelty. 

The  public  revenue  of  Sind,  under  Arab  rule,  was  derived,  it 
would  seem,  mostly  from  the  land-tax.  The  assessment  upon 
Sind  and  Multan  was  11,500,000  dirhams  (or  about  270,000/.), 
and  this  is  supposed  to  have  comprised  the  land-tax,  poll-tax, 
customs*  duties,  and  other  miscellaneous  items.  The  Arab 
governor  of  Sind  was  in  fact  a  kind  of  farmer-general,  who 
bound  himself  to  pay  to  his  sovereign,  the  reigning  khalifa,  certain 
sums,  as  set  down  in  the  public  register.  The  land-tax  was 
usually  rated  at  fths  of  tjie  produce  of  wheat  and  barley,  if  the 


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HISTORY  OF  SIND.  27 

fields  were  watered  by  public  canals ;  -^fths  if  irrigated  by  wheels 
or  other  artificial  means;  and  ^  if  altogether  nnirrigated. 
Arable  land  left  uncultivated  seems  to  have  paid  one  dirham  per 
jirebj  besides  a  tenth  of  the  probable  produce.  Wines,  fisheries, 
dates,  grapes,  and  garden  produce  generally,  were  also  taxed. 
Extraordinary  imposts  were  exacted  firom  certain  tribes :  thus 
the  Jats,  dwelling  beyond  the  river  Aral,  near  Sehwan,  were 
compelled  to  bring  a  dog  with  them  whenever  they  came  to  pay 
their  respects  to  the  ruling  authority,  and  peculiar  duties  also 
devolved  on  the  Bhatia,  Lohana,  S^ta,  Jandar,  Machhi,  and 
Goreja  tribes. 

Smnra  Dynasty. — ^At  the  time  h.  410  (a.d.  1019)  when  the 
celebrated  Sultan  Mahmud  of  Ghazni  invaded  Hindustan,  Sind 
was  ruled  by  a  governor,  who  was  nominally  under  the  authority 
of  the  khalifa,  Kadir  Billah  Abul  Abbas  Ahmad.  After  taking 
Multan  and  Uch,  Mahmud  appointed  his  vazir,  Abdur  Razai,  to 
conquer  Sind,  and  this  was  effected  about  a.d.  1026.  But  the 
absolute  sovereignty  of  the  country  did  not  long  remain  with  the 
Ghaznivide  &mily,  as  in  h.  423  (a.d.  1032)  Ibn  Sumar,  the  ruler 
of  Multan,  believed  to  be  himself  a  Sumra,  seems  to  have  laid 
the  foundation  of  the  Siimra  dynasty  in  Sind,  and  to  have 
governed  the  country  with  great  vigour  and  discretion.  There 
are,  nevertheless,  various  opinions  regarding  the  origin  and  length 
of  rule  of  this  dynasty.  The  Sumras  may  possibly  have  allowed 
themselves  to  recognise  a  titular  sovereignty  in  tiie  Ghaznivide 
dynasty  down  to  h.  443  (a.d.  105  i),  or  perhaps  have  paid  tribute 
as  an  acknowledgment  of  fealty,  but  after  that  time  they  pro- 
fessed their  independence.  Ibn  Sumar  was  succeeded  by  his  son 
Dodo,  who  extended  his  possessions  as  far  as  Nasarpur,  and  was 
in  his  turn  succeeded  by  other  princes  of  his  line,  of  whose  doings 
there  is  nothing  worthy  of  mention,  till  the  reign  of  Khafif,  who 
appears  to  have  made  Tatta  his  capital  city,  and  to  have  re- 
strained with  success  several  incursions  of  the  frontier  tribes — 
such  as  the  Balochis,  the  Sodas,  and  the  Jarejas.  His  rule  was 
one  of  great  vigour,  and  his  authority  was  acknowledged  from 
Kachh  to  Nasarpur.  It  was  also  during  his  reign  that  the  Samma 
tribe  first  came  into  prominent  notice,  having  been  severely 
punished  by  Khafif  for  robbing  a  tribe  of  Balochis.  From  the 
death  of  Khafif  the  Sumra  dynasty  gradually  waned  in  power,  and 
at  length,  during  the  reign  of  Urrah  Mehl,  the  last  of  the  line, 
the  Samma  tribe,  who  had  some  time  before  come  from  Kachh 
and  settled  in  Sind,  conspired  against  and  killed  him,  placing  Jam 


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28  INTRODUCTION. 

Unar,  one  of  their  tribe,  on  the  throne  of  Sind,  about  h.  752 
(a.d.  135  i).  Some  writers  have  stated  that  the  power  of  the 
Sumras  was  never  at  any  time  either  extensive  or  absolute,  and 
that  they  can  only  claim  to  rank  as  a  dynasty  from  the  absence  of 
any  other  predominant  tribe  or  power  to  assert  better  pretensions 
to  that  distinction. 

Samma  Dynasty. — The  Sammas  may  be  considered  as  re- 
presented at  an  early  period  {tempus  Muhammad  Kasim)  by  Samba, 
the  governor  of  Debal,  on  the  part  of  Chachh,  the  Hindfl  king  of 
Sind  They  were  either  Budhists  or  Hindus,  with  their  capital 
city  at  Sammanagar,  on  the  Indus,  supposed  to  be  on  the  site  of 
the  modem  town  of  Sehwan,  but  it  is  evident  the  princes  of  this 
dynasty  resided  mostly  at  Tatta,  or  rather  at  Samui,  under  the 
Makli  hills,  about  three  miles  north-west  of  Tatta,  The  first 
king  of  this  dynasty.  Jam  Unar,  reigned  three  and  a  half  years. 
He  does  not  appear  to  have  had  the  whole  of  Sind  under  his  rule, 
since  Bukkur  and  a  large  part  of  the  country  round  about  it  were 
held  by  the  Hakims,  Malik  Firoz  and  Ali  Shah  Turk,  on  the 
part  of  the  king  of  the  Turks.  On  the  death  of  Jam  Unar,  the 
throne  was  given  to  Junah,  who  took  Bukkur,  the  Hikims  re- 
treating to  Uch.  In  the  reign  of  his  successor,  Jam  Tamachi 
(son  of  Jam  Unar),  not  only  was  Bukkur  retaken  by  the  forces  of 
the  king  of  Dehli,  but  the  Jam  and  his  family  were  made  prisoners, 
and  brought  to  Dehli,  where  he  died,  his  son  Khair-u-din  suc- 
ceeding him  on  the  throne.  During  the  reign  of  his  son,  Jam 
Babuniya,  Firoz  Toghlak,  king  of  Dehli,  in  a.d.  1372  invaded 
Sind,  and  compelled  its  ruler  to  tender  his  submission,  which  was 
however  only  a  nominal  one.  His  successors  were  his  brother, 
Jam  Tamachi,  and  Jam  Salah-u-din,  the  latter  of  whom  made  a 
successful  incursion  into  Kachh,  bringing  back  much  plunder  with 
him.  Ten  other  princes  followed,  completing  the  dynasty,  but 
nothing  worthy  of  any  special  mention  seems  to  have  taken  place 
during  their  reigns,  excepting  that  the  Arghun  family,  who  suc- 
ceeded the  Sammas,  first  came  into  notice  during  the  latter  part 
of  the  reign  of  Jam  Nizam-u-din,  commonly  called  "  jSm  Nindo," 
the  fourteenth  prince  of  this  d)n[iasty.  The  forces  of  Shah  Beg 
Arghtin  firom  Kandahar  had  fallen  upon  many  villages  in  Chanduka 
and  Sidhija,  when  they  were  met  by  the  Jam's  troops,  who 
defeated  them  so  effectually  that  they  did  not  venture  to  return 
during  his  reign.  The  following  is  the  list  of  the  different  sovereigns 
comprising  the  Samma  dynasty,  dating  from  a.d.  135  i  to 
A.D.  1521  : 


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HISTOR  Y  OF  S/XD.  29 


I.  Jam  Unar. 

9.  Jim  Fateli  Kbin. 

2.    „    JuMh. 

la    „     TogfalakShah. 

3.    „     BiOnmiya. 

II.     „     SOEandar. 

4.    „     Tamichi 

12.     „     Raidhan. 

5.    „     Salah-Q-diiL 

13.     „     Sanjar. 

6.    „     Nizam-Q-diii. 

14.    „     Nizam-o-din. 

7.     „     AliShcr. 

IS,    „     Firot 

S.     „     Kaian. 

€  Sammas  were  unquestioi 

lably  Rajputs  of  the  great  Y 

stock,  and  were  probably  the  same  tribe  who  were  known  to 
Alexander  the  Great  as  the  Sambus.  They  became  Mnhammadans 
not  earlier  than  h.  793  (a.d.  1391),  and  their  descendants  are 
known  as  the  Samejas  and  the  Jarejas  of  Kachh. 

The  Ai]^fbi  Dynas^. — ^This  dynasty,  which  succeeded  to 
that  of  the  Sammas  derived  its  name  from  Arghun  Khan  Tarkhan, 
the  grandson  of  Halaku  (who  was  the  grandson  of  Changiz  Khan)« 
and  commenced  its  rule  in  h.  927  (a.d.  152  i).  It  consisted  of 
but  two  individuals,  Shuja  (or  Shah  Beg),  and  his  son  Mirza 
Shah  Husain,  with  whom  the  feuooily  became  extinct  The  first 
prince,  Shah  Beg  Arghun,  the  son  of  Mir  Zunun  Arghun,  defeated 
the  Samma  army,  and,  in  h.  926  (a.d.  1520),  sacked  the  city  of 
Tatta,  the  capital  of  Jam  Firoz  Samma.  An  arrangement  was 
subsequently  come  to  between  Shah  Beg  and  the  Jam,  by  which 
that  part  of  Sind  extending  from  Sukkur  to  Tatta  was  to  remain 
under  the  rule  of  the  latter.  Shah  Beg  taking  that  to  the  north  of 
Lakki ;  but  as  many  of  the  Sammas  were  averse  to  this  proceed- 
ing, another  engagement  took  place  at  Talti,  near  Sehwan, 
resulting  in  the  complete  defeat  of  the  Sammas  and  the  firm 
establishment  of  Shah  Beg  on  the  throne  of  Sind  He  subse- 
quently took  the  fort  of  Bukkur  and  rebuilt  the  fortifications,  for 
which  purpose  burned  bricks  were  brought  from  the  old  fort  of 
Alor,  and  many  laige  houses  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Bukkur 
were  pulled  down  to  provide  the  requisite  material  He  also 
permitted  the  Saiyads  of  Bukkur  to  leave  the  fort,  giving  them 
ground  in  Rohri  whereon  to  build  houses  for  themselves.  In 
A.D.  1522,  Shah  Beg  resolved  to  take  Gujrat,  but  this  intention 
was  frustrated  by  his  death,  which  occurred  in  the  same  year.  He 
was  not  only  a  bold  and  expert  warrior,  but  learned  also  in  the 
sacred  writings  of  the  Muhammadans,  upon  which  he  is  said  to 
have  written  many  notes,  marginal  and  explanatory.  Shah  Beg 
was  succeeded  on  the  throne  of  Sind  by  his  eldest  son,  Mirza 
Shah  Husain,  whose  first  step  was  to  proceed  to  Tatta,  where 
Jam  Firoz,  though  outwardly  submissive,  was  in  reality  preparing 
an  army  to  resist  him.     On  Shah  Husain's  approach,  the  Jam 

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30  INTRODUCTION, 

retreated  to  Kachh,  where  he  collected  an  army,  and  marched 
to  meet  his  enemy,  but  he  was  signally  defeated,  and  fled  to 
Gujrat,  where  he  died.  Shah  Husain  severely  punished  the 
Dhars  and  Machis  of  Ubaura,  as  well  as  the  Mahars  of  Mathelo, 
for  constantly  fighting  among  themselves.  He  also  took  and 
sacked  the  towns  of  Multan  and  Uch,  as  well  as  the  fort  of 
Dilawur.  On  his  return  to  Tatta,  he  was  called  upon  to  march 
southward  towards  Kachh,  where  a  chief  named  Khangar  was 
preparing  to  attack  him.  Here  he  was  again  victorious,  taking 
many  prisoners  and  much  plunder.  It  was  during  the  reign  of 
Shah  Husain  that  the  (Mogal)  Emperor  Humayun,  defeated 
by  Sher  Khan  Sur  of  Ghor,  in  a.d.  1540,  fled  to  Bind,  where 
he  attempted  to  take  the  fort  of  Bukkur,  but  failed.  The 
emperor  then  left  for  Jodhpur,  but  returned  to  Sind  by  way  of 
Umarkot,  in  a.d.  1542,  making  another  attempt  to  conquer  the 
country,  but  being  again  unsuccessful,  he  withdrew  to  Kandahar. 
Shah  Husain  died  in  h.  962  (a.d.  1554),  after  a  reign  of  thirty- 
four  years,  and  being  childless,  the  Arghun  dynasty  ended  with 
him.  Another  dynasty,  of  which,  however,  little  is  known,  called 
the  Tarkhan,  succeeded  it,  but  did  not  last  longer  than  h.  iooo 
(a.d.  1591-92),  when  the  defeat  of  Mirza  Jani  Beg,  the  ruler  of 
Tatta,  by  an  army  of  the  Mogal  Emperor  Akbar,  put  an  end  to 
it,  Sind  being  henceforth  incorporated  in  the  Subah  of  Multan, 
though  to  Jani  Beg,  who  subsequently  entered  the  imperial  service, 
was  granted  what  the  native  historian  calls  "  the  country  of 
Tatta." 

Daudpotras. — From  the  death  of  Akbar,  in  a.d.  1605,  to 
the  appearance  in  India  of  that  ruthless  invader  Nadir  Shah 
(the  king  of  Persia)  in  a.d.  1739,  an  interval  of  upwards  of  one 
hundred  years,  there  is  little  or  no  mention  of  Sind  by  contem- 
porary native  historians.  It  was,  however,  during  this  interval 
that  Shikarpur  was  founded  by  the  Daudpotras,  or  sons  of  Daud 
Khan,  who  gave  his  name  to  the  whole  tribe.  They  were  by 
profession  both  weavers  and  warriors,  and  led  a  wild  and  wandering 
existence,  some  at  Khanpur,  some  at  Tarai,  and  others  in  what 
is  now  known  as  the  Sukkur  district.  These  latter  were,  about 
A.D.  1603,  busy  in  contending  for  their  very  existence  with  the 
influential  tribe  of  Mahars  (originally  Hindus),  who,  under  their 
leader,  Sher  Khan,  lived  in  the  same  tract  of  country,  having  their 
chief  town  at  Lakhi,  from  which  they  had  themselves  previously 
ousted  the  former  occupants — a  Baloch  race  called  the  Jatois.  In 
their  encounter  with  the  Mahars  the  Daudpotras,  after  a  sanguinary 
conflict,  came  off  the  victors,  and  it  was  soon  after  this  event 


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HISTORY  OF  S/XD.  51 

that  tliey  are  said  to  have  laid  the  foundatioD  of  the  town  of 
Shikaqnr. 

Tatta  had,  since  the  extinction  of  the  Arghun  and  Taikhan 
dynasties,  been  the  scene  of  much  contention  under  diflerent 
nilersy  till  the  Mogal  Emperor  Jahangir  adopted  the  prudent  plan 
of  ai^Msinting  special  lieotenants  to  gOTcm  the  outer  districts  of 
his  empire, — a  plan  which  gave  a  whc^esome  check  to  kareJiiitrt 
▼iceroyahy  in  Sind.  The  period  had  now  airived  when  another 
race,  supposed  to  bdong  to  die  same  geneal<^;ical  tree  as  the 
DaiidpotFas,  began  to  play  a  somewhat  important  part  in  the 
history  of  Sind,  from  a.d.  1658  to  aj>.  17801  These  were  the 
Kalhoias,  whose  rise  and  fiJl  it  will  now  be  necessary  to  describe 
at  some  length. 

Kalhora  Dynasty. — ^The  Kalhoras  are  said  to  be  descended 
from  Abbas,  the  uncle  c^the  prophet  Muhammad.     They  derived 
thdr  direct  descent  from  Muhammad  of  Kambatha,  who  lived 
about  A.D.  1204,  at  the  time  when  Nasir-u-din  Kabachi  governed 
Nordiem  Sind.     This  Muhammad  formed  matrimonial  coimections 
with  several  of  the  tributary  chieftains  of  that  country,  and  it  is 
from  his  sons  that  the  powerfiil  tribes  of  Daudpotras  claim  their 
origin.     The  fortunes  of  the  Kalhora  frumly  remained  somewhat 
obscure  till  a.d.  1558,  when  they  revived  in  the  person  of  Adam 
Shah,  who  was  at  the  head  of  a  large  sect  of  mendicants  in  the 
Chanduka  Pargana.     Exciting  the  jealousy  of  the  governor  of 
Multan,  Adam  Shah  was  attacked  by  him,  his  followers  dispersed, 
and  he  himsdf  taken  prisoner  and  put  to  death.     Though  fre- 
quently defeated,  the  Fakirs  at  last  became  inured  to  war  and 
hardship,  and  in  a.d.  1658,  under  Nazir  Muhammad  Kalhora, 
they  began  to  successfully  oppose  the  Mogal  troops,  and  to 
a.ssume  the  appearance  of  an  organised  government     At  length, 
about  A.D.  i7or,  Yar  Muhammad  Kalhora,  assisted  by  the  Sirai 
tribe,*  managed  to  get  possession  of  Shikarpur,  which  he  made 
his  residence,  and  obtained  from  the  Mogal  a  ^  firman,"  conferring 
upon  him  the  Subhedari  of  the   Dera  districts,  as  well  as  the 
imperial  title  of  "ELhuda  Yar  Khan."    By  the  year   1711  Yar 
Muhammad  has  greatly  extended  his  territorial  possessions  by  the 
acquisition  of  the  Kandiaro  and  T^arkana  districts,  and  of  the 
province  c^  tSiwi  (Sibi),  but  he  died  in  a.d.  17 19,  and  was  suc- 
ceeded by  his  son  Nur  Muhammad,  who  conquered  the  Nhar 
district  from  the  Datidpotra  tribe.     Sehwan  and  its  dependencies 
also  feU  under  his  sway,  and  his  territory  then  extended  from  the 

*  Another   name   for  the   Talpor  f  Then  comprisiiig  Sliikiq>iir  and 

tribe.  Snkknr. 


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34 


INTRODUCTION. 


Kalhora  princes,  with  the  dates  (approximative)  of  their  accession 
to  power : 


1.  Yar  Muhammad  Kalhora 

2.  Nur  Muhammad  Kalhora 

3.  Muhammad  Murad  Yab  \ 

Khan.  / 


to  reign, 


A  D. 

1 701 
1719 

1754 


to  reign. 


4.  Ghulam  Shah 

5.  Sarafraz  Khan 

6.  Ghulam  Nabi  Khan 

7.  Abdul  Nabi  Khan 


A.D. 

1757 
1772 

1777 
1782 


Talpur  D3niasty.— It  was  in  1783  that  Mir  Fateh  Ali  Khan 
established  himself  as  "  Rais  "  or  ruler  of  Sind.  His  nephew, 
Mir  Sohrab  Khan,  settled  at  Rohri  with  his  adherents,  and  his 
son,  Mir  Tharo  Khan,  removed  to  Shahbandar,  where  they  each 
possessed  themselves  of  the  adjacent  country,  renouncing  alto- 
gether the  authority  of  Mir  Fateh  Ali  The  Talpurs  may  be 
considered  as  being  divided  into  three  distinct  families  :  ist,  the 
Hyderabad  (or  Shahdadpur)  family,  ruling  in  Central  Sind ;  2nd, 
the  Mirpur  (or  Manakani  house,  descendants  of  Mir  Tharo,  ruling 
Mirpur ;  and,  3rd,  the  Khairpur  (or  Sohrabani  branch),  governing 
at  Khairpur.  Fateh  Ali,  as  the  head  of  the  Hyderabad  Mirs, 
associated  with  himself  in  the  government  his  three  younger 
brothers,  Ghulam  Ali,  Karam  Ali,  and  Murad  Ali,  hence  they 
were  denominated  the  "  Char  Yar,"  or  four  friends.  Fateh  Ali 
soon  turned  his  attention  to  the  recovery  of  Karachi  and 
Umarkot;  tlie  first,  which  had  been  alienated  to  MiSn  Nasir 
Muhammad,  governor  of  Kelat,  was  taken  in  1792,  and  Umarkot, 
which  had  been  in  the  possession  of  the  Raja  of  Jodhpur,  was 
recovered  in  181 3.  In  1801  Mir  Fateh  Ali  died,  leaving  his 
territory  to  his  three  brothers.  Of  these,  the  first,  Ghulam  Ali, 
died  in  181 1,  leaving  a  son,  Mir  Muhammad,  but  the  surviving 
brothers,  Karam  Ali  and  Murad  Ali,  were  acknowledged  as  the 
two  chief  Mirs  of  Sind.  They  also  died — Karam  Ali,  in  1828, 
without  issue,  but  Murtd  Ali  leaving  two  sons,  Nur  Muhammad 
and  Nasir  Khan,  and  up  to  1840,  the  Hyderabad  government 
consisted  of  these  two  Mirs,  together  with  the  cousins  Sobhdar 
(son  of  Fateh  Ali)  and  Mir  Muhammad.  Mir  Nur  Muhammad 
died  in  1841,  leaving  behind  him  two  sons,  Mirs  Shahdad  and 
Husain  Ali,  under  the  guardianship  of  their  uncle,  Nasir  Khan. 
Several  members  of  the  Talpur  family,  and  among  them  Fateh 
Ali  and  Ghulam  Ali,  lived  at  Khudabad,  a  short  distance  to  the 
north  of  Hyderabad,  where  their  tombs  still  exist,  but  the  latter 
city  became  eventually  the  capital.     The  Khairpur  branch  of  the 


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HISTORY  OF  SIXD.  35 

Talpors  niling  in  Upper  Bind  consisted  at  this  time  of  Mirs  Rustam 
and  Ali  MunUL  the  sons  of  Mir  Sohiab.  This  branch  alwa\^  looked 
np  to  that  at  Hyderabad,  and  sought  its  advice  when  necessarr. 
Mir  Rustam  had  a  large  family,  but  their  dissensions  and  bicker- 
ings embittered  his  latter  days.  He  was  of  an  amiable  and  in- 
offensive character,  and  beloved  by  all  classes  of  his  subjects. 
His  next  brother,  Mir  Mubarak,  died  in  1839,  leaving  a  ^mihr 
also.  Another  member  of  the  Talpuis,  Sher  Muhammad,  the 
bravest,  and  at  the  same  time  the  most  plain-spoken,  of  all  the 
chie&  of  that  family,  held  the  fort  of  Mipur,  to  the  east  of 
Hyderabad.  It  has  already  been  mentioned,  that  the  first 
connection  of  the  British  with  Sind  took  place  in  the  time  of 
Ghulam  Shah  Kalhoia,  but  this  was  dissolved  by  his  successor, 
Saiafiaz  Khan,  in  1775.  A  commercial  mission  was  opened  up 
in  1799,  and  a  Mr.  Nathan  Crowe,  of  the  Bombay  Ci^il  Service, 
was  sent  to  Sind  to  conduct  the  mercantile  and  ]x>litical  interests 
of  the  British  Government  with  the  Talpur  ^lirs,  but,  like  the 
former  attempt,  it  ended  in  an  unsatisfactory  manner.  The 
British  agent  resided  at  times  at  Tatta,  Shahbandar,  and  Karachi, 
where  he  had  to  endure  ^-arious  petty  indignities,  till  at  last  he 
received  a  peremptory  order  from  the  Mirs  to  quit  the  country* 
within  ten  days,  and  this  he  thought  it  best  to  obey.  No  notice 
whatever  was  taken  l^  the  East  India  Company  of  this  insult, 
the  question  being  considered,  at  the  time,  as  one  of  minor 
importance.  In  1809  a  treaty  of  friendship  was  entered  into 
between  the  Sindian  and  British  Governments,  more,  it  would 
seem,  to  prevent  Frenchmen  from  settling  in  Sind  than  with  any 
other  object  Again,  in  1820,  another  treaty  was  concluded,  to 
guard  against  the  recurrence  of  frontier  disputes,  and  this  was 
ratified  in  182 1.  Nothing  further  occurred  till  1825,  when  the 
demoiistrati<«  of  a  British  force  of  5000  men,  in  Kachh,  was 
found  necessary  to  put  a  stop  to  the  predatory  incursions  of  the 
Sindi  tribe  of  Khosas  and  others. 

The  Mirs  had,  in  1824,  obtained  peaceful  possession  of  the 
town  of  Shikarpnr,  the  last  spot  in  Sind  retained  by  the  Aj^;faans. 
The  town  of  Sukkur,  with  Burdika  and  other  districts,  had  at 
various  periods  between  1809  ^^  1^24  ^^^^^^  annexed  by  the 
Khairpur  Mirs.  The  revenue  of  Shikarpur  on  its  annexation  was 
divided  into  seven  shares ;  four  of  these  becoming  the  {m^rty 
of  the  Hyderabad  Miis,  and  three  of  their  relatives  of  Khairpur. 
Consequent  on  this  system  of  co-parceny  there  were  two  governors 
as  wcD  as  two  distinct  "  kutcherries**  in  the  city,  to  watch  over  the 
interests  of  the  two  fiunilies.     In  1832  a  mission,  under  Colonel 

D  2 

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36  INTR  OD  UCTION. 

Pottinger,  Wvis  sent  to  Sinci,  and  some  treaties  for  the  advance- 
ment of  commerce  were  subsequently  concluded  with  the  Mirs, 
providing,  among  other  things,  for  a  passage  for  traders  and 
merchants  by  the  rivers  and  roads  of  Sind,  and  the  duties  to  be 
levied  on  their  goods,  but  no  Englishman  was  to  be  permitted  to 
settle  in  the  country.  The  Khairpur  branch  of  the  Sindian 
Government  also  agreed  to  abide  by  the*  arrangements  made  with 
the  Hyderabad  Darbar.  Two  years  previously  (in  1830)  Lieu- 
tenant (afterwards  Sir  Alexander)  Bumes  had  been  allowed,  after 
experiencing  many  vexatious  delays  and  threats,  on  the  part  of 
the  Mirs,  to  proceed  up  the  Indus,  taking  with  him  certain 
presents  from  the  King  of  England  to  Ranjit  Singh,  the  Raja  of 
Labor.  The  Indus  was  as  little  known  in  those  days  as  it  was 
in  the  time  of  Alexander  the  Great,  and  the  object  of  despatching 
the  Mission  by  that  route  was  evidently  to  collect  information 
respecting  the  races  occupying  its  banks,  and  if  possible  to  esta- 
blish friendly  relations  with  their  chiefs. 

In  1835,  though  Colonel  Pottinger  succeeded  after  much  diffi- 
culty in  obtaining  permission  to  survey  the  sea-coast  of  Sind  and 
the  delta  of  the  Indus,  trade  did  not  progress  by  way  of  this  river, 
and  the  Mirs  of  Sind  evidently  placed  no  reliance  in  the  integrity 
of  British  intentions.  In  1838  the  Kabul  campaign  necessitated 
the  despatch  of  a  body  of  British  troops  from  Bombay,  to  join  the 
main  army  in  the  Northern  Provinces,  by  way  of  the  Indus,  not- 
withstanding the  article  in  a  previous  treaty  which  prohibited  the 
using  this  river  for  the  conveyance  of  military  stores.  This  the 
then  Governor-General  (Lord  Auckland)  directed  to  be  suspended 
at  such  an  important  crisis,  stating  at  the  same  time  that  it  would 
be  necessary  to  displace  those  chiefs  who  showed  any  unwilling- 
ness to  assist  the  British  in  such  an  emergency.  In  December  of 
that  year,  therefore,  a  force  under  Sir  John  (afterwards  Lord) 
Keane  landed  in  Sind,  but  found  itself  unable  to  proceed,  in 
consequence  of  the  obstacles  thrown  in  the  way  by  the  Sindian 
Darbar  in  providing  supplies  and  carriage,  and  it  was  only  by 
extraordinary  exertions  on  the  part  of  individual  British  officers, 
and  after  a  threat  of  marghing  upon  the  capital  of  Sind,  that 
these  obstmctions  were  at  length  removed. 

Occupation  of  Sind  by  a  British  Force.— Owing  to  this 
hostile  demeanour,  a  reserve  force  was  sent  from  Bombay  in  1839, 
to  be  stationed  in  Sind,  and  as  some  opposition  was  shown  by 
the  Baloch  garrison  at  Manora  to  prevent  it  from  landing  at 
Karachi,  that  fort  was  speedily  captured.  Subsequently,  a  treaty 
was  entered  into  with  the  Hyderabad  Mirs,  which  provided  chiefly 


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HISTORY  OF  S/iVD.  37 

for  the  payment  of  twenty-three  lakhs  of  rupees  to  Shah  Suja,  in 
'  commutation  of  all  arrears  of  tribute  due  by  than  to  the  Afghan 
thrqpie ;  2nd,  the  location  of  a  British  force  in  Sind  of  not  more 
than  5000  men,  part  of  the  expenses  of  which  were  to  be  defrayed 
by  the  Mirs  themselves  ;  and,  3rd,  the  abohtion  of  all  tolls  on 
trading  boats  on  the  Indus.  A  similar  treaty  to  this,  but  omitting 
the  subsidy,  was  concluded  with  the  Khairpur  Mirs,  and  the  fort 
of  Bukkur  was  made  over  to  the  English,  as  therein  stipulated, 
^ler  Muhammad  of  Mirpur  was  also  allowed  to  participate  in  the 
treaty  concluded  with  the  Hyderabad  Mirs,  on  his  making  a  yearly 
payment  of  half  a  lakh  of  rupees.  Owing  to  the  conciliatory 
measures  adopted  by  the  Britii^  representatives  in  Sind  towards 
the  Mirs,  the  tranquilUty  of  the  country  ii-as  preserved,  and  the 
British  steam  flotilla  on  the  Indus  was  allowed  to  navigate  that 
river,  not  only  unimpeded,  but  furnished  with  every  assistance. 
At  the  end  of  1840  a  serious  rebellion  occurred  at  Kelat  which 
for  a  time  drew  off  public  attention  from  Sind;  but  in  r84i  a 
settlement  of  aflairs  took  place  in  the  former  territory,  and  the 
entire  political  control  of  both  it  and  Sind  was  vested  in  one 
authority,  Major  (afterwards  Sir  James)  Outram.  Nur  Muhammad, 
the  senior  Hyderabad  Mir,  died  in  i84r,  and  the  Talpur  govern- 
ment became  vested  in  his  two  sons  conjointly  with  Nasir  Khan, 
their  uncle.  Owing  to  the  delay  in  the  cash  payments  of  their 
tribute  by  the  Sindian  Government,  it  was  proposed  that  the 
shares  of  the  three  Hyderabad  Mirs  in  the  city  of  Shikarpur, 
valued  at  two  lakhs  of  rupees,  should  be  transferred  to  the  British 
Government,  but  in  consequence  of  the  subterfuges  and  evasions 
used  by  the  Mirs  in  this  transaction,  coupled  with  ^e  dien  state 
of  afikirs  at  Kabul  and  Kandahar,  matters  were  not  pushed  to 
extremities,  and  the  transfer  was  postponed. 

ArriYal  of  Sir  CTharles  Napier  in  Sind. — Meanwhile 
(September,  1842)  Sir  Charies  Napier  had  arrived  in  Sind^  with 
sole  military  and  political  authority  over  all  the  territories  of 
the  Lower  Indus ;  and  on  the  withdrawal  of  British  troops  from 
A^;faanistan  in  r842,  increased  attention  was  given  to  Sind, 
and  new  conditions  proposed  to  the  Mirs,  in  supercession  of  all 
former  arrangements,  by  which,  "  ist,  the  towns  of  Karachi, 
Tatta,  Sukkur,  Btikkur,  and  Rohri,  with  a  strip  of  land  on  each 
side  of  the  Indus,  were  to  be  ceded  to  the  British  in  perpetuity ; 
2nd,  all  tolls  and  transit  duties  to  be  abolished;  and,  3rd,  the 
whole  tract  of  Khairpur  territory,  from  Rohri  to  Sabzalkot,  was 
to  be  given  to  the  Bahawalpur  chief  on  certain  conditions."  The 
former   Resident,  Major  Outram,  had  previously  left  Sind,  but 


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38  INTRODUCTION. 

in  January,  1843,  he  was  recalled,  and  to  avoid  any  unnecessary 
shedding  of  blood,  he  urged  the  chiefs  to  submit  to  the  terms 
imposed,  as  Sir  Charles  Napier  was  already  in  the  field  with 
troops,  and  prepared  to  march  on  either  capital  in  case  of 
resistance  being  shown  by  the  Sindian  Government  Internal 
dissensions  had  become  of  frequent  occurrence  among  the 
Khairpur  family  of  Mirs,  and  eventually  the  British  Government 
was  applied  to  for  a  settlement  of  the  disputes  between  the 
brothers  Mirs  Rustam  and  Ali  Murad,  the  latter  an  able  but 
subtle  man,  desirous  of  obtaining  the  office  of  **  Rais  "  (or  lord 
paramount),  which  had  long  been  held  by  Mir  Rustam,  then  an 
old  man  of  eighty-five  years.  By  false  misrepresentations  to  his 
brother  on  the  one  hand,  and  to  Sir  Charles  Napier  on  the  other, 
Mir  Ali  Murad  so  managed  to  work  upon  the  feelings  of  each  as 
to  persuade  the  former  that  the  English  commander  was  about  to 
seize  and  imprison  him,  and  the  latter  that  Mir  Rustam  enter- 
tained feelings  decidedly  hostile  to  British  interests.  The  un- 
fortunate Mir,  after  vainly  endeavouring  to  obtain  an  interview 
with  Sir  Charles  Napier  for  the  purpose  of  explaining  the  true 
state  of  affairs,  fled  with  his  family  to  the  desert  fort  of  Im^mghar, 
whither  Sir  Charles,  in  January,  1843,  speedily  followed  him, 
capturing  the  place  and  destroying  the  fortifications.  It  was  this 
step  on  the  part  of  the  aged  Mir  that  decided  the  British  com- 
mander in  nominating  Ali  Murad  to  the  high  dignity  of  "  Rais  " 
of  Upper  Sind.  As  some  delay  was  shown  by  the  Sindian 
Darbar  in  signing  the  treaties,  a  demonstration  was  made  against 
Hyderabad,  when  the  treaty  was  at  length  subscribed  to  by  the 
Mirs  on  the  8th  of  February,  1843,  in  the  presence  of  Major 
Outram,  and  by  the  Khairpur  Mirs  on  the  12  th  of  that  month. 

British  Residency  attacked. — The  Balochis  comprising  the 
Mirs*  army  were  not,  however,  to  be  appeased,  and  hostilities 
began  by  an  attack  made  on  the  morning  of  the  15  th  of  February 
on  the  Residency,  which  was  near  the  river,  and  not  more  than 
two  or  three  miles  fi*om  the  city  of  Hyderabad.  This  was  for  a 
time  brilliantly  defended  by  Major  Outram  and  his  small  band, 
but  they  had  eventually  to  effect  an  honourable  retreat  to  one  of 
the  two  steamers  then  lying  in  the  river.  The  following  is  the 
official  account,  given  by  Major  Outram  himself,  of  this  transac- 
tion to  Sir  Charles  Napier  : — "  My  despatches  of  the  last  few  days 
will  have  led  you  to  expect  that  my  earnest  endeavours  to  effect 
an  amicable  arrangement  with  the  Mirs  of  Sind  would  fail ;  and 
it  is  with  much  regret  I  have  now  to  report  that  their  Highnesses 
have  commenced    hostilities,   by  attacking    my    residence    this 


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HISTORY  OF  SIXD.  59 

moming,  which,  after  four  hours*  most  gallxnt  defence  by  my 
hoocwaiy  escort,  the  h^A  company  <^  Her  Majesty's  22nd  R^i- 
meat,  ccMnmanded  by  Captain  Conway*  I  was  compelled  to 
evacuate,  in  consequence  of  our  ammunition  nmning  short.  At 
9  A-M.  this  morning,  a  dense  body  of  cavalry  and  in£uitry  took 
post  on  three  sides  <^  the  Agency  compound  (the  fourth  being 
defended  by  the  Pkaui  steamer,  about  500  yards  distant),  in  the 
gardens  and  houses  which  immediatdy  command  the  enclosure, 
and  which  it  was  impossible  to  hold  with  our  limited  numbers. 
A  hot  fire  was  (^)ened  by  the  enemy,  and  continued  incessantly 
for  four  hours  ;  but  all  their  attempts  to  enter  the  Agency  enclosure, 
although  merely  surrounded  by  a  wall  \'aiying  from  four  to  five 
feet  high,  were  frustrated  by  Captain  Conways  able  distribution 
of  his  smaU  band — and  the  admirable  conduct  of  every  individual 
soldier  composing  it— under  the  gallant  example  of  their  com- 
manding officer  and  his  subalterns,  Lieutenant  Harding  and 
En^gn  Pennefiidier,  Her  Majesty's  22nd  Regiment,  also.  Cap- 
tains Green,  of  the  21st  R^;iment  <^  Native  Infimtry,  and  Wells, 
of  the  15th  Raiment,  who  volunteered  their  services — to  each  of 
whom  was  assigned  the  charge  of  a  separate  quarter;  also,  to  your 
akie-de<amp,  Captain  Brown,  Bengal  Engineers,  who  carried  my 
orders  to  the  steamer,  and  assisted  in  working  her  guns  and 
directing  her  flanking  fire.  Our  ammunition  being  limited  to 
forty  rounds  per  man,  the  (Acers  directed  their  whole  attention 
to  reserving  their  fire,  and  keeiHng  their  men  close  under  cover, 
never  showing  themseh-es  or  returning  a  shot,  except  when  the 
enemy  attempted  to  rush,  or  showed  themselves  in  great  numbers, 
consequently,  great  execution  was  done  with  trifling  expenditure 
of  anmiunition,  and  with  litde  loss.  Our  hope  of  receiving  a  rein- 
forcement and  a  supply  of  ammunition  by  the  SaidlUe  steamer 
(hourly  expected)  being  disappointed,  on  the  arrival  of  that  vessel 
without  either  shortly  after  the  commencement  of  the  attack,  it 
was  decided  at  12  A.M.,  after  being  three  hours  under  fire,  to 
retire  to  the  steamer  while  still  we  had  sufficient  ammunition  to 
fight  the  vessel  up  the  river;  accordingly,  I  requested  Captain 
Conway  to  keep  the  enemy  at  bay  for  one  hour,  while  the  property 
was  removed,  for  which  that  time  was  ample,  could  the  camp 
foUowers  be  induced  to  exert  themselves.  After  delivering  their 
first  loads  on  board,  however,  they  were  so  terrified  at  the  enemy's 
cross  fire  on  the  clear  space  between  the  compound  and  the 
vessel,  that  none  could  be  persuaded  to  return,  except  a  few  of 
the  officers'  servants,  with  whose  assistance  but  litde  could  be 
removed  during  the  limited  time  we  could  aflbrd ;  consequently, 


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40  INTRODUCTION, 

much  had  to  be  abandoned,  and  I  am  sorry  to  find  that  the  loss 
chiefly  fell  upon  the  officers  and  men,  who  were  too  much 
occupied  in  keeping  off  the  enemy  to  be  able  to  attend  to  their 
own  interests.  Accordingly,  after  the  expiration  of  another  hour 
(during  which  the  enemy,  despairing  of  otherwise  effecting  their 
object,  had  brought  up  six  guns  to  bear  upon  us),  we  took 
measures  to  evacuate  the  Agency.  Captain  Conway  called  in  his 
posts,  and  all  being  united,  retired  in  a  body,  covered  by  a  few 
skirmishers,  as  deliberately  as  on  parade  (carrying  off  our  slain 
and  wounded),  which,  and  the  fire  from  the  steam-boats,  deterred 
the  enemy  from  pressing  on  us  as  they  might  have  done.  .  All 
being  embarked,  I  then  directed  Mr.  Acting-Commander  Miller, 
commanding  the  Satellite  steamer,  to  proceed  with  his  vessel  to 
the  wood-station,  three  miles  up  the  river,  on  the  opposite  bank, 
to  secure  a  sufficiency  of  fuel  for  our  purpose,  ere  it  should  be 
destroyed  by  the  enemy,  while  I  remained  with  the  Planet  to  take 
off  the  barge  that  was  moored  to  the  shore.  This  being  a  work 
of  some  time,  during  which  a  hot  fire  was  opened  on  the  vessel 
from  three  guns  which  the  enemy  brought  to  bear  on  her,  besides 
small  arms,  and  requiring  much  personal  exposure  of  the  crew 
(especially  of  Mr.  Cole,  the  commander  of  the  vessel),  I  deem 
it  my  duty  to  bring  to  your  favourable  notice  their  zealous 
exertions  on  the  occasion,  and  also  to  express  my  obligations  to 
Messrs.  Miller  and  Cole  for  the  flanking  fire  they  maintained  on 
the  enemy  during  their  attack  on  the  Agency,  and  for  their 
support  during  the  retirement  and  embarkation  of  the  troops. 
The  Satellite  was  also  exposed  to  three  guns  in  her  progress  up 
to  the  wood-station,  one  of  which  she  dismounted  by  her  fire. 
The  vessels  were  followed  by  large  bodies  for  about  three  miles, 
occasionally  opening  their  guns  upon  us,  but  to  no  purpose.  Since 
then  we  have  pursued  our  voyage  up  the  Indus,  about  fifteen 
miles,  without  molestation,  and  purpose  to-morrow  morning 
anchoring  off  Matari,  where  I  expect  to  find  your  camp.  Our 
casualties  amount  to  two  men  of  Her  Majesty's  22nd  Regiment 
and  one  camp-follower  killed;  and  Mr.  Conductor  Kiely,  Mr. 
Carlisle,  Agency-clerk,  two  of  the  steamer's  crew,  four  of  Her 
Majesty's  22nd  Regiment,  two  camp-followers,  wounded,  and  four 
camp-followers  missing  :  total,  three  killed,  ten  wounded,  and  four 
missing."  Major  Outram  soon  after  joined  the  force  under  Sir 
Charles  Napier,  who,  finding  the  Mirs'  army,  numbering  about 
22,000  men,  strongly  posted  on  the  Fuleli  river,  near  Meeanee  (nine 
miles  from  Hyderabad,  gave  them  battle  on  the  17  th  February, 
with  2800  men  of  all  arms,  and  twelve  pieces  of  artillery,  and 

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HISTORY  OF  S/XD.  41 

completely  defeated  tbem.**     The  sabjcHoed  is  the  omcLil  rqport 
of  the  battle  by  Sir  Chailes  Sajacr : 

Battle  of  Meeanee. — ^  The  forces  under  my  conmiand  have 
gained  a  declsire  Tictory  over  the  army  of  the  Miis  of  Upper 
and  Lower  Sind.  A  detailed  account  of  the  various  circum- 
stances which  led  to  this  action  does  not  belong  to  the  limited 
space  of  a  hasty  despatch,  I  therefore  begin  with  the  transactions 
belonging  to  the  ba^e.  On  the  r4th  instant,  the  whole  body^ 
of  the  Mlrs,  assembled  in  fiill  darhar^  formally  afi&xed  their  seals 
to  the  draft  treaty.  On  leaving  the  darbar^  Major  Outram  and 
his  iximpanicms  woe  in  great  peril ;  a  plot  had  been  laid  to 
mmder  them  alL  They  were  sa\-ed  by  the  guards  of  the  Mirs  ; 
but  the  next  day  (the  isth^  the  residence  of  Major  Oucram  was 
attacked  by  8000  of  the  Mirs*  tioops.  headed  by  one  or  more 
of  the  Mirs.  The  report  of  this  nefiainous  transaction  I  have 
the  honour  to  enclose.  I  heard  of  it  at  Hala,  at  which  place 
the  fearless  and  distinguished  Major  Outram  joined  me,  with  his 
brave  companions  in  the  stem  and  extraordinary  defence  of  his 
residence  against  so  overwhelming  a  force,  accompanied  by  six 
pieces  of  cann<XL  On  the  16th,  I  msirched  to  MatarL  'Having 
there  ascertained  that  the  Mirs  were  in  position  at  Meeanee  (ten 
miles  distant),  to  the  nmnber  of  22,000  men,  and  well  knowing 
that  a  delay  for  rdnf<Hcements  would  both  strengthen  their  con- 
fidence and  add  to  their  numbers,  already  seven  times  that  which 
I  commanded,  I  resolved  to  attack  them,  and  we  inarched  at 
4  A.M.  on  the  morning  of  the  17th-  At  eight  o'clock  the  ad- 
vanced guard  discovered  ^eir  camp ;  at  nine  we  formed  in  order 
of  battle,  about  2800  men  of  all  arms,  and  twelve  pieces  of 
artillery.  We  were  now  within  range  of  the  enemy's  guns,  and 
fifteen  pieces  of  artiUery  opened  upon  us  and  were  answered  by 
our  cannon.  The  enemy  were  very  strongly  posted ;  woods  were 
on  their  flanks,  which  I  did  not  think  could  be  turned.  These 
two  woods  were  jwied  by  the  dry  bed  of  the  Fuleli,  which  had 
a  hi^  bank.  The  bed  of  the  river  was  nearly  straight,  and  about 
1200  yards  in  lengdi.  Bdiind  this  and  in  both  woods  were  the 
enemy  posted.  In  firont  of  their  extreme  right  and  on  the  edge 
of  the  wood,  was  a  village.  Having  made  the  best  examination  of 
their  position  which  so  short  a  time  permitted,  the  artillery  were 
posted  on  the  ri^t  of  the  line,  and  some  skirmishers  of  infmtry, 
with  die  Sind  Irregular  Horse,  were  sent  in  front,  to  try  and  make 
the  enemy  show  his  face  more  distinctly;  we  then  advanced 
from  the  right  in  echdon  of  battahons.  refiising  the  left,  to  save 
it  from  the  fire  of  the  village.     The  9th  Bengal  Light  Cavalry- 


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42  INTRODUCTION. 

formed  the  reserve  in  the  rear  of  the  left  wing,  and  the  Poona 
Horse,  together  with  four  companies  of  infantry,  guarded  the 
baggage.  In  this  order  of  battle  we  advanced  as  at  a  review 
across  a  fine  plain  swept  by  the  cannon  of  the  enemy.  The 
artillery  and  Her  Majesty's  22nd  Regiment  in  line  formed  the 
leading  kchelon^  the  25th  Native  Infantry  the  second,  the  12th 
Native  Infantry  the  third,  and  the  ist  Grenadier  Native  Infantry 
the  fourth.  The  enemy  was  a  thousand  yards  from  our  line, 
which  soon  traversed  the  intervening  space.  Our  fire  of  musketry 
opened  at  about  a  hundred  yards  from  the  bank,  in  reply  to  that 
of  the  enemy,  and  in  a  few  minutes  the  engagement  became 
general  along  the  bank  of  the  river,  on  which  the  combatants 
fought  for  about  three  hours  or  more  with  great  fury,  man  to  man. 
Then,  my  Lord,  was  seen  the  superiority  of  the  musket  and 
bayonet  over  the  sword  and  shield  and  matchlock.  The  brave 
Balochis,  first  discharging  their  matchlocks  and  pistols,  dashed 
over  the  bank  with  desperate  resolution ;  but  down  went  these 
bold  and  skilful  swordsmen  under  the  superior  power  of  the 
musket  and  bayonet  At  one  time,  my  Lord,  the  courage  and 
numbert  of  the  enemy  against  the  22nd,  the  25th,  and  the  12th 
Regiments  bore  heavily  in  that  part  of  the  battle.  There  was  no 
time  to  be  lost,  and  I  sent  orders  to  the  cavalry  to  force  the  right 
of  the  enemy's  line.  This  order  was  very  gallantly  executed  by 
the  9th  Bengal  Cavalry  and  the  Sind  Horse,  the  details  of  which 
shall  be  afterwards  stated  to  your  Lordship,  for  the  struggle  on 
our  right  and  centre  was  at  that  moment  so  fierce,  that  I  could 
not  go  to  the  left.  In  this  charge  the  9th  Light  Cavalry  took 
a  standard  and  several  pieces  of  artillery,  and  the  Sind  Horse 
took  the  enem/s  camp,  from  which  a  vast  body  of  their  cavalry 
slowly  retired  fightmg.  Lieutenant  Fitzgerald  gallantly  pursued 
them  for  two  miles,  and  I  understand  slew  three  of  die  enemy 
in  single  combat  The  brilliant  conduct  of  these  two  cavalry 
regiments  decided,  in  my  opinion,  the  crisis  of  the  action,  for 
from  the  moment  the  cavalry  was  seen  in  the  rear  of  their  right 
flank  the  resistance  of  our  opponents  slackened;  the  22nd 
Regiment  forced  the  bank,  the  25  th  and  12  th  did  the  same,  the 
latter  regiment  capturing  several  guns,  and  the  victory  was  decided. 
The  artillery  made  great  havoc  among  the  dense  masses  of  the 
enemy,  and  dismounted  several  of  their  guns.  The  whole  of  the 
enemy's  artillery,  ammunition,  standards,  and  camp,  with  con- 
siderable stores  and  some  treasure,  were  taken." 

The  loss  of  the  Balochis  in  this  brilliant  action  is  computed  at 
5000,  while  on  the  side  of  the  British  it  did  not  exceed  257,  of 

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HISTORY  OF  SIND.  43 

wh<Hn  nineteen  were  officers.  Shortly  after  the  battle  the  leading 
Mirs  of  Khairpur  and  Hyderabad  surrendered  unconditionally  as 
prisoners  of  war,  and  the  fort  of  Hjrderabad  was  captured,  together 
with  the  Mirs'  treasure,  which  is  believed  to  have  amounted  to 
about  a  million  sterling.  The  British  force  having  been  reinforced 
by  troops  from  Sukkur  on  the  22nd  March,  Sir  Charles  Napier 
with  5000  men  went  in  quest  of  the  enemy  under  the  command 
of  Sher  Muhammad  of  Mirpur.  On  the  24th  of  March  the  Baloch 
army,  numbering  20,000  men,  was  found  in  a  strong  position  at 
a  village  called  Nareja,  in  the  district  of  Dabo,  near  the  Fuldi, 
where,  after  a  desperate  resistance,  it  was  completely  defeated, 
their  leader,  Sher  Muhammad,  retreating  to  the  desert 

Battle  of  Dabo. — ^The  following  is  an  extract  taken  from 
Sir  Charles  Napier's  report  of  this  engagement : — **  The  forces 
under  my  command  marched  from  Hyderabad  this  morning  at 
daybreak.  About  half-past  eight  o'clock  we  discovered  and 
attacked  the  army  under  the  personal  command  of  the  Mir 
Sher  Muhammad,  consisting  of  20,000  men  of  all  arms,  strongly 
posted  behind  one  of  those  large  nullahs  by  which  this  country  is 
intersected  in  all  directions.  After  a  combat  of  about  three 
hours,  the  enemy  was  wholly  defeated  with  considerable  slaughter 
and  the  loss  of  all  his  standards  and  cannon.  His  position  was 
nearly  a  straight  hne ;  the  nullah  was  formed  by  two  deep  parallel 
ditches,  one  20  feet  wide  and  8  feet  deep,  the  other  42  feet  wide 
and  17  feet  deep,  which  had  been  for  a  long  distance  freshly 
scarped,  and  a  banquette  made  behind  the  bank  expressly  for  the 
occasion.  To  ascertain  the  extent  of  his  line  was  extremely 
difficult,  as  his  left  did  not  appear  to  be  satisfactorily  defined,  but 
he  began  moving  to  his  right  when  he  perceived  that  the  British 
force  outflanked  him  in  that  direction.  Believing  that  this  move- 
ment had  drawn  him  from  that  part  of  the  nullah  which  had 
been  prepared  for  defence,  I  hoped  to  attack  his  right  with  less 
difficulty,  and  Major  Leslie's  troop  of  horse  artillery  was  ordered 
to  move  forward- and  endeavour  to  rake  the  nullah ;  the  9th  Light 
Cavalry  and  Poona  Horse  advancing  in  line  on  the  left  of  the 
artillery,  which  was  supported  on  the  right  by  Her  Majesty's  22nd 
Regiment,  the  latter  being,  however,  at  first  considerably  retfred 
to  admit  of  the  oblique  fire  of  Leslie's  troop.  The  whole  of 
the  artillery  now  opened  upon  the  enemy's  position,  and  the 
British  line  advanced  in  hchdm  from  the  left,  Her  Majesty's 
22nd  Regiment  leading  the  attack.  The  enemy  was  now  per- 
ceived to  move  from  his  centre  in  considerable  bodies  to  his 
left,  apparently  retreating,  unable  to  sustain  the  cross-fire  of  the 

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44  INTRODUCTION, 

British  artillery;,  on  seeing  which,  Major  Stack,  at  the  head  of 
the  3rd  Cavalry,  under  Command  of  Captain  Delamain,  and 
the  Sind  Horse,  under  command  of  Captain  Jacob,  made  a 
brilliant  charge  upon  the  enemy's  left  flank ^  crossing  the  nullah 
and  cutting  down  the  retreating  enemy  for  several  miles.  While 
this  was  passing  on  the  right,  Her  Majesty's  22nd  Regiment, 
gallantly  led  by  Major  Poole,  who  commanded  the  brigade,  and 
Captain  George,  who  commanded  the  corps,  attacked  the  nullah 
on  the  left  with  great  gallantry,  and,  I  regret  to  add,  with  con- 
siderable loss.  This  brave  battalion  marched  up  to  the  nullah 
under  a  heavy  fire  of  matchlocks,  without  returning  a  shot  till 
within  forty  paces  of  the  entrenchment,  and  then  stormed  it  like 
British  soldiers.  The  intrepid  Lieutenant  Coote  first  mounted 
the  rampart,  seized  one  of  the  enemy's  standards,  and  was  severely 
wounded  while  waving  it  and  cheering  on  his  men.  Meanwhile 
the  Poona  Horse,  under  Captain  Tait,  and  the  9th  Cavalry,  under 
Major  Story,  turned  the  enemy's  right  flank,  pursuing  and  cutting 
down  the  fugitives  for  several  miles.  Her  Majesty's  22nd 
Regiment  was  well  supported  by  the  batteries  commanded  by 
Captains  Willoughby  and  Hutt,  which  crossed  their  fire  with  that 
of  Major  Leslie.  Then  came  the  2nd  brigade,  under  command 
of  Major  Woodbum,  bearing  down  into  action  with  excellent  cool- 
ness. It  consisted  of  the  25th,  21st,  and  12th  Regiments,  under 
the  command  of  Captains  Jackson,  Stevens,  and  Fisher,  respec- 
tively. These  regiments  were  strongly  sustained  by  the  fire  of 
Captain  Whitlie's  battery,  on  the  right  of  which  were  the  8th 
and  I  St  Regiments,  under  Majors  Brown  and  Clibbom :  these 
two  corps  advanced  with  the  regularity  of  a  review  up  to  the 
entrenchments,  their  commanders,  with  considerable  exertion, 
stopping  their  fire,  on  seeing  that  a  portion  of  the  Sind  Horse 
and  3rd  Cavalry  in  charging  the  enemy  had  got  in  front  of  the 
brigade.  The  battle  was  decided  by  the  troop  of  horse  artillery 
and  Her  Majesty's  22nd  Regiment."  Consequent  on  this  victory 
the  towns  of  Mirpur  and  Umarkot  were  soon  after  occupied 
without  resistance.  Sind  was  declared  a  conquered  country,  and 
as  such  annexed  to  the  British  possessions  in  India,  and  the 
Talpur  family,  after  a  sovereignty  of  fifty-seven  years,  ceased  to 
be  the  dominant  power  in  that  part  of  India. 

Mir  Nasir  Khan  and  his  nephews,  Mirs  Shahdad  Khan  and 
Husain  Ali  Khan,  Mirs  Muhammad  and  Sobhdar  of  Hyderabad, 
together  with  Mirs  Rustam  Khan  and  his  nephews  Naslr  Khan 
and  Wali  Muhammad  Khan  of  Khairpur,  were  sent  to  Bombay 
as  state  prisoners  in  Her  Majesty's  sloop-of-war  Nimrod  in  April, 

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HISTORY  OF  SIND,  45 

1843,  and  thence  to  Poona  in  the  Dakhan.  In  the  following 
year  they  were  conveyed  to  Calcutta,  but  in  1854  the  then 
Governor-General,  Lord  Dalhousie,  allowed  them  to  return  to 
Sind  with  permission  to  reside  at  Hyderabad. 

The  Talpur  family  trace  their  descent  from  Mir  Hamza,  the  son 
of  Hashim,  and  state  themselves  to  be  Balochis  of  Arab  .origin. 
Their  great-grandfather,  Mir  Shahdad  Khan  the  elder,  disagreeing 
with  his  paternal  uncle,  left  him,  and  took  service  with  the  Kal- 
hora,  Mian  Shahal,  whose  religious  principles  of  £uth  (the  Shia) 
he  embraced.  He  was  followed  into  Sind  by  great  numbers  of 
Balochis.  The  court  of  the  Talpur  princes  was  distinguished  for 
its  rude  hospitality  and-  kindly  welcome,  but  the  refinement  and 
{)olish  of  the  East  were  not  observed  among  them ;  their  education 
was  of  a  very  limited  character,  and  they  ruled  as  a  military  feu- 
dalism. This  was  perhaps  more  particularly  the  characteristic  at 
Khairpur  than  at  Hyderabad,  as  at  the  former  the  manners  of  the 
court  were  essentially  Baloch,  and  in  consequence  more  national 
Their 'style  of  living  was  strictly  primitive,  and  by  no  means 
expensive;  their  extravagant  propensities  were  shown  only  for 
arms  and  horses,  and  in  their  absorbing  passion  for  sport,  to  which 
they  never  hesitated  to  sacrifice  the  finest  portions  of  their  country. 
So  great  indeed  was  their  love  for  their  Shikdrgahs,  or  "  hunting 
enclosures,"  that  they  are  said  to  have  declared  that  they  valued 
them  as  much  as  their  wives  and  children.  The  costume  of  the 
Mirs  was  somewhat  peculiar,  the  distinguishing  feature  being  a 
rich  "lungi"  (or  scarf),  a  Kashmir  shawl  or  other  stuff  bound 
round  the  waist,  a  richly-worked  cap  peculiar  to  the  country,  and 
sword  and  belt  mounted  in  gold,  with  shields  bossed  with  the 
same  precious  metal.  In  religion  they  were  of  the  "  Shia  "  per- 
suasion, but  knew  very  little  of  the  faith  they  professed ;  their  sole 
aim  was  to  hoard  up  wealth,  set  their  faces  against  all  systems  of 
amelioration  and  improvement,  and  enjoy  themselves  after  their 
own  fashion. 

Talpur  System  of  Govemment. — The  form  of  Government 
under  the  Talpurs  may  be  described  as  a  purely  military  despotism 
on  feudal  principles,  their  Baloch  chieftains  holding  "jagirs"  or 
grants  of  land  for  rendering  service  to  the  state  when  necessary. 
They  had  no  standing  army,  but  kept  up  a  body-guard  of  some 
strength.  In  time  of  war  die  pay  of  the  foot  soldier  was  about 
equal  to  3//.  a  day,  that  of  a  horseman  being  double  this  sum. 
The  number  of  fighting  men  the  Mirs  could  conjointly  bring  into 
the  field  was  believed  to  be  about  50,000.  In  their  land  revenue 
system  the  Mirs  adopted  the  *'zamindari,"  or  farming  plan,  the 

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46 


INTRODUCTION. 


royal  share,  which  was  mostly  paid  in  kindy  known  as  "  batai,"  in 
opposition  to  "mahsuli,"  or  fixed  cash  assessments,  being  one- 
third,  two-fifths,  or  one-fifth,  according  to  the  nature  of  the  land 
cultivated.  There  was  a  cess  too  on  the  water-wheel  for  irrigation, 
and  a  capitation  tax  as  well  on  individual  cultivators.  This  system 
of  taxation  appears  to  have  been  considered  fair  and  advan- 
tageous to  all  parties.  Another  method  was  by  payments  in  cash 
(mahsuli)  at  a  certain  sura  per  ^^jireb'*  (about  half  an  acre),  the 
amount  varying  according  to  the  productive  nature  of  the  soil. 
The  average  seems  to  have  ranged  from  six  to  twelve  rupees  per 
jireb.  Waste  land,  when  taken  up  for  the  first  time,  was  assessed 
at  a  very  low  rate,  as  some  inducement  to  bring  it  under  culti- 
vation. Gardens  and  date  trees  formed  another  source  of  revenue, 
and  these  were  generally  farmed  out  at  a  certain  fixed  rate. 
Where  the  canals  were  cleared  out  at  the  expense  of  the  state  an 
additional  charge  was  made  on  the  cultivators  using  them,  but 
when  the  clearance  was  done  by  the  zamindar,  or  cultivator,  a 
certain  reduction  in  his  payments  to  the  state  was  allowed.  As  a 
rule  every  village  had  its  zamindar,  but  their  proprietary  estates 
varied  very  considerably,  comprising  in  some  instances  a  whole 
village,  or  even  a  cluster  of  such,  in  others  but  a  portion  of  a 
village,  or  even  a  few  fields  in  one.  Again,  those  zamindars  who 
were  small  cultivators  were  found  to  be  subordinate  to  some  other 
large  zamindar.  To  the  zamindar  belonged  certain  rights,  called 
"  Lapo,"  which  any  person  cultivating  under  him  was  bound  to 
pay.  These  generally  included  the  three  following  rights,  viz. : 
I,  Malkano;  2,  Zamindari;  and  3,  Raj  Kharch.  The  first  meant^ 
the  right  of  _ownership,  and  comprised  the  dues  which  in  conse- 
quence appertained  to  the  zamindar.  The  second  included  the 
privilege  and  dues  to  which  the  zamindar  was  entitled  in  his  right 
of  proprietor,  and  the  raj  kharch  was  the  collection  in  money  or  in 


f~i^  .  kind  for  the  expense  of  the  village  community  of  which  the  zamindar 
^ — i3-*.*pwas  the  representative.  These  rights  were  as  a  rule  respected  by 
^f*-^^^  the  Mirs,  for  the  zamindars  were  co-religionists,  and  the  majority 
^:<^^    *^   of  them  were  shrewd  and  intelligent  men,  and,  though  generally 


speaking  uneducated,  formed  nevertheless  an  important  class  of 
the  community.  The  rates  of  "  lapo  *'  (or  zamindars*  dues)  varied 
according  as  the  crop  was  kharif,  rabi,  or  peshras;  they  were 
levied  only  in  fair  average  seasons,  but  a  remission  was  made 
when  any  failure  of  the  crops  occurred.  Other  sources  of  revenue 
were  derived  from  trade  or  manufactures,  and  were  very  compli- 
cated. An  ad  valorem  duty  of  six  per  cent  was  levied  on  all 
goods  imported,  and  two  and  a  half  per  cent,  on  those  exported 


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HISTORY'  OF  SIXD,  47 

from  Karachi,  in  addition  to  a  three  per  cent,  tovn  diitr.     This 
latter  was  levied  at  the  gates  of  eveiy  citj  or  village  on  articles  oi 
every  kind,  and  all  pmdiases  and  sales,  even  of  grain  and  other 
articles  of  food  in  the  bazar,  paid  a  datj  called  *^  iardzmC  or  that 
€3i  the  scalesw     Liquois  and  intoxicating  drags  were  sold  under 
licences  or  state  contracts ;  there  was  a  cess  on  evenr  Iooodu  and  a 
capitation  tax  was  levied  on  all  artixans  and  shopkeepers^     The 
fishermen  had  to  give  up  one-third  of  the  produce  oi  their  nets  to 
the  ruler,  and  each  boat  on  the  Indus  paid  a  certain  sum.     The 
Mlrs   &rmed    the  greater  part  of  the  revenue  to  **iiardirs*'  or 
contractors,  for  a  fixed  sum,  a  system  which  led  to  much  almse 
and  injustice.     So  great  was  the  extent  of  jagiis  and  inams  to 
chiefe  and  others  in  the  Khairpur  territories,  that  the  revenue  was 
frequently  mortgaged  to  provide  for  the  current  expenses  of  the 
darhar.     The  amount  of  revenue  collected   from  every  source 
under  the  Talpur  dynas^  has  been  variously  esrimatpd  ;  its  real 
value  was  never  known,  as  the  Mirs  were  at  all  times  very  jealous 
on  this  point,  and  would  evade  all  inquiries  in  connection  with  it. 
In    1809  the  revenue  was  said   to  be  nearly  forty-three   lakhs 
(430,000^1);  in  1814  it  was  9xty-<Mie  lakhs  (6  r 0,000/.)  ;  in  1824 
under  fifty  lakhs  (500.000/.)  ;  and  this  had  latterly  decreased  to 
thirty-fire  lakhs  (35o/xx>/.).     The  Talpurs  were  always  considered 
to  be  yery  wealthy,  and  Mir  Fat^  Ali,  at  his  death  in  i8or,  is 
said  to  have  left  neariy  thirty-five  lakhs  between  his  three  suniving 
brothers.     Sind   was  divided  for  revenue   purposes  into   ^par- 
ganas,"  or  provinces,  and  these  again  into  "  tapas,*"  or  districts. 
The   principal  kA  these  paiganas   in   Lower  Sind  were,   Tatta, 
Charhhgam,  Kakralo,  Dhareja,  Sundra,  and  Imamwah ;  in  Upper 
Sind,  Sundra,   Shahdadpur,  Khairpur,  Gambat,  Halani«  Bhelani, 
Lohri,  Sdiwan,  Chandko,  Mogalli,  Rupar,  Kacha,  and  Chappa. 
Over  each  pargana  the  Mirs  ]daced  a  "^  sazawal-kar,**  or  head  col- 
lector of  revenue,  with  a  small  establishment  of  raunshis  (writers) 
and  others  to  administer  its  revenue  a£Eurs,  and  over  eadi  *^  tapa  ** 
a  kardar,  with  a  smaller  establishment     Wherever  a  town  was 
divided  into  Glares,  extending  sometimes  to  six  and  seven,  there 
eadi  Mir  had  his  representative  to  watch  his  interests     These 
officers  also  superintended  the  police,  which  was  on  a  most  limited 
scale.     Under  the  Talpurs  criminal  justice  was  administered  by 
the  Mirs  themselves,  as  also  by  their  kardars,  kotwals,  and  other 
officers,   nominally  in  acccHdance  with  the   Muhammadan  law. 
Mutilation,  flogging,  imprisonment,  or  fine  were  the  usual  punish- 
ments.    Death  was  seldom  inflicted,  and  only  in  cases  of  murder, 
but  a  payment  of  blood-money  frequently  freed  the  guilty  party 


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48  INTRODUCTION, 

from  all  other  pains  and  penalties.  Trials  by  ordeal,  especially 
those  of  fire  and  water,  seem  to  have  been  frequently  resorted 
to  in  cases  where  the  accused  person  declared  his  innocence, 
or  where  there  was  no  direct  proof  forthcoming.  Lieutenant 
James,  when  a  deputy-collector  of  Shikarpur,  thus  describes 
the  trials  by  fire  and  water -which  prevailed  in  the  Chanduka 
district : — "  The  accused  was  placed  under  water,  whilst  a  man 
shot  an  arrow  from  a  bow  as  far  as  he  could;  another  man 
was  sent  to  pick  it  up,  and  if  the  prisoner  could  remain  under 
water  until  the  arrow  was  brought  back  to  the  spot  he  was 
declared  innocent,  but  if  he  lifted  his  head  out  before  that  time, 
he  was  presumed  guilty.  The  trial  by  fire  was  equally  difficult. 
A  trench  was  dug  seven  cubits  in  length,  and  filled  with  firewood, 
which  was  lighted,  and  the  accused,  with  his  legs  and  feet  bound 
with  plantain  leaves,  had  to  go  from  one  end  to  the  other  through 
it,  his  escape  from  injury  deciding  his  innocence.  A  munshi  of 
my  acquaintance  declares  he  saw  a  man  establish  his  innocence 
this  way,  in  the  presence  of  Mir  Sohrab,  the  father  of  the  reigning 
Mir  of  Khairpur."  The  lifting  up  of  red-hot  iron  was  likewise  a 
satisfactory  proof  of  innocence.  The  ordeal  of  fire  was  called  in 
Sindi  *V-^«r,"  and  that  of  water  "/w^/."  There  were  no  jails 
for  prisoners  under  sentence  of  imprisonment;  during  the  day 
they  were  taken  into  the  towns  to  beg  for  food,  as  no  subsistence 
was  granted  them  by  the  government,  and  at  night  they  were 
either  kept  chained  or  put  in  stocks,  chaukis,  or  lock-ups.  The 
ends  of  justice  were  greatly  frustrated  by /^j^««/ influence.  Civil 
justice  was  dispensed  by  the  same  parties  who  administered  it 
criminally,  about  one-fourth  of  the  amount  in  litigation  being 
generally  made  the  government  fee  for  investigation.  It  was 
chiefly  on  this  account  that  civil  actions  under  the  Mirs'  rule 
seldom  went  into  court,  the  parties  preferring  to  settle  the  matter 
by  private  arbitration.  The  currency  in  circulation  in  Sind 
during  the  Talpur  dynasty  was  the  Company's  rupee,  known  as 
the  "Kaldar,"  and  in  Upper  Sind  the  "Sohrab"  and  "  Shuja- 
wali"  rupees — the  former  one  per  cent  and  the  latter  two  and 
a  half  per  cent  less  in  value  than  the  Company's  rupee.  The 
"  Korah  "  and  the  "  Kashani "  rupees  were  current  in  Lower  Sind 
— ^the  former  being  twenty-five  per  cent  and  the  latter  fifty  per 
cent  less  in  value  than  the  East  India  Company's  rupee. 


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(     49     ) 


CHAPTER  III. 

SIXD  UNDER  BRITISH  RULE. 

THE  ADMINISTRATION  OF  SIXD  BY  SIR  CHARLES  NAPIER,  ITS  FIRST 
GOVERNOR — BV  MR.  PRINGLE,  BOMBAY  CIVIL  SERVICE,  THE 
FIRST  COMMISSIONER — BY  MR.  (AFTERWARDS   SIR)   H.  BARTLE 

E.  FRERE — BY  MR.  J.  D.  INVERARITY,  BOMBAY  CIVIL  SERVICE 

BY  MR.  S.  MANSFIELD,  CSwL,  BOMBAY  CIVIL  SERVICE— AND  BY 
COLONEL  SIR  W.  L  MEREWETHER,  K.C.S.L,  C.B.,  BOMBAY  ARMY. 

Sir  Charles  Napier's  Admiiiistratioii. — On  the  omqnest  of 
Sind  by  the  British  in  1843,  ^^  Charies  Napier  was  appointed  its 
first  governor,  on  a  salary  of  7000/.  per  annom.  The  former  mleis 
of  the  country,  the  Mirs,  were  provided  for  by  cash  pensions  amoont- 
ing  in  the  aggregate  to  about  three  and  three-quarter  lakhs  of  rupees 
yearly,  while  the  lands  in  Jagir  they  were  permitted  to  hold  were 
valued  at  a  little  over  one  and  a  half  lakhs.  The  govemcMr  had  also 
issued  a  proclamation  intimating  that  all  Jagirdars  who  proffered 
their  allegiance  to  the  British  Government  within  a  specified  time 
after  the  batde  of  Meeanee,  would  be  confirmed  in  the  possession 
of  their  estates.  Neariy  two  thousand  grantees  presented  them- 
selves in  accordance  with  this  order,  and  the  concessions  promised 
were  strictly  adhered  to.  The  judicial  and  revenue  sjrstems  of 
government  wore  speedily  remodelled  by  the  new  rulers.  The 
province  was  divided  into  Collectorates  of  considerable  extent  and 
area,  and  these  again  into  subdivisions  of  districts,  and  over  them 
a  number  of  European  ofiicers  were  placed  as  Collectors,  and 
Deputy  Collectors,  with  certain  revenue  and  judicial  powers,  for 
the  proper  administration  of  their  respective  districts.  As  magis- 
trates, these  officers  had  but  limited  powers  of  punishment,  the  more 
serious  offences  being  disposed  of  by  a  military  ccnnmission,  under 
the  general  rules  for  court-martials,  thou^  in  reality  this  commis- 
sion had  no  power  or  authority,  the  decisions  in  these  cases  being 
entirely  in  the  hands  of  the  governor,  who  did  as  he  pleased.  The 
office  of*'  Sazawal-kar  "  which  obtained  under  the  Mirs'  government 
was  abolished,  and  the  incimibents  made  Kardars  upon  one-fifth 


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50  INTRODITCTION, 

of  their  former  pay,  whfle  the  salaries  of  the  Kardars  themselves 
were  reduced  to  one-half  of  their  former  emoluments. 

Nor  did  military  expeditions  cease  with  the  conquest  of  the 
province  in  1843.  In  January  1845  Sir  Charles,  with  6000  men, 
undertook  a  campaign  against  the  robber  tribes  in  the  hills  north 
of  Sind,  who,  finding  themselves  closely  pressed  and  hemmed  in 
by  the  British  forces,  surrendered  to  Mir  Ali  Murad,  of  Khairpur, 
and  were  by  him  made  over  to  the  English  commander.  Again, 
in  February  1846,  he  marched  from  Sukkur  on  another  expedition 
to  Bahawalpur  with  12,000  troops  and  30  guns,  leaving  mean- 
while in  Sind  itself  a  large  force  of  20,000  men  of  all  arms,  as  a 
temporary  measure. 

As  governor  of  Sind,  Sir  Charles  Napier  laboured  to  put  down 
many  abuses  which  existed  in  the  province.  Pre-eminent  among 
these  was  the  prevalence  at  that  time  of  what  appeared  to  be 
female  suicide,  but  which  eventually  was  found  to  be  the  murder 
by  hanging  of  native  women  by  their  husbands,  upon  the  most 
frivolous  pretexts,  the  latter  pretending  that  their  wives  had  com- 
mitted suicide.  Sir  Charles  issued  in  1847  very  stringent  orders 
to  all  magistrates  throughout  the  province  to  exert  themselves  to 
the  utmost  in  putting  a  stop  to  so  serious  a  crime,  and  his  own 
views  on  this  subject  are  contained  in  the  subjoined  proclama- 
tion, which  he  caused  to  be  circulated  far  and  wide  among  the 
inhabitants  of  Sind  : 

"  People  of  Sind,  —  the  government  has  forbidden  you  to 
murder  your  wives,  a  crime  commonly  committed  when  the  British 
conquered  this  country.  This  crime  of  woman-murder  is  forbidden 
by  the  religion  of  the  English  conquerors;  who  shall  dare  to 
oppose  their  law  ?  Woe  be  to  those  who  do.  But  this  is  not  all,  ye 
Sindians,  Balochis  and  Muhammadans,  murder  is  prohibited  by 
your  prophet  You,  who  murder  your  wives,  outrage  your  own 
religion  as  much  as  you  outrage  ours !  This  the  government  will 
not  permit  Government  therefore  visited  with  punishment  such 
murderers,  and  die  crime  began  to  disappear.  Some  foolish  men 
among  you  believe  that  the  English  are  easily  deceived,  and  you 
have,  in  a  vast  number  of  cases,  hanged  your  wives,  and  then  pre- 
tended that  these  poor  women  committed  suicide.  Do  you 
imagine  that  government  believe  that  these  women  committed 
suicide?  Do  you  believe  that  government  can  be  deceived  by 
such  villainy  that  it  will  let  women  be  thus  murdered  ?  If  you  do 
believe  this,  it  becomes  necessary  to  teach  you  how  erroneous  is 
your  judgment,  and  if  you  persevere,  your  sufferings  shall  be  great 

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SIND   UNDER  BRITISH  RULE.  51 

You  are  therefore  thus  solemnly  warned,  that  in  whatever  village 
a  woman  is  found  murdered,  a  heavy  fine  shaO  be  imposed  on  all, 
and  rigidly  levied  The  government  will  dismiss  the  Kardar. 
It  will  order  all  her  husband's  relations  up  to  Karachi,  and  it 
will  cause  such  danger  and  trouble  to  all,  that  you  shall  tremble 
if  a  woman  is  said  to  have  committed  suicide  in  your  district,  for  it 
shall  be  an  evil  day  for  all  in  that  place.  You  all  know  that  what 
I  say  is  just,  for  never  was  woman  known  to  have  committed 
suicide  in  Sind  tOl  the  law  decreed  that  husbands  should  not 
murder  their  wives,  and  this  year  vast  numbers  of  women  have 
been  found  hanged  ;  gross  &lsehoods  have  been  put  forth  by  their 
famihes  that  they  committed  suicide ;  but  woe  be  to  their  hus- 
bands !  for  the  English  Government  will  not  be  insulted  by  such 
felons.  The  murderers  shall  be  sent  to  labour  fan  away  over  the 
waters,  and  heard  of  no  more." 

Previously,  in  1843,  ^i^  Charles  Napier  had  issued  special 
directions  against  the  oppression  of  villagers  by  native  soldiers, 
which,  it  would  seem,  wais  not  an  uncommon  practice,  and  he 
threatened  that,  in  all  future  cases  of  aggravated  plundering  on 
their  part,  he  would  visit  the  delinquents  with  the  punishment  of 
deeUh,  His  general  orders  also  on  the  subject  of  killing  peacocks 
in  Sind.  and  against  furious  driving,  are  probably  remembered  to 
this  day  by  many  old  residents  of  the  province,  owing  to  the 
thoroughly  practical,  though  at  the  same  time  quaint,  manner  in 
which  they  were  worded.  The  first  portion  of  his  decree  against 
'^  furious  driving''  afibrds  an  illustration  of  this :  "  Gentlemen  as 
well  as  b^gars  may,  if  they  like,  ride  to  the  devil  when  they  get 
on  horseback,  but  neither  gentlemen  nor  be^ars  have  a  right  to 
send  other  people  there,  which  will  be  the  case  if  furious  driving 
be  allowed  in  the  camp  or  bazar  f  and  the  order  finishes  up  by 
the  statement  that,  ''  The  enforcement  of  obedience  is  like  physic, 
not  agreeable,  but  at  times  very  necessary."  Sir  Charles,  after  a 
rule  of  a  little  more  than  four  and  a  half  years,  left  Sind  in  the 
month  of  October,  1847,  smd  was  succeeded  in  the  government  of 
the  province  by  Mr.  Pringle,  of  the  Bombay  Civil  Service,  with 
the  title  of  Commissioner  in  Sind,  the  province  being  thence- 
forward made  subordinate  to  the  Bombay  Presidency.  Sir  Charles 
Napier  (in  Januaiy  185 1)  passed  through  Karachi  on  his  way  to 
England,  and  after  his  death,  in  August  1853,  a  public  meeting 
was  held  at  Karachi  in  October  of  that  year,  to  consider  the 
most  appropriate  method  of  testifying  respect  to  his  memory  as 
Governor  of  Sind.     It  was  there  resolved  to  place  a  memorial 

£  2 


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52  INTRODUCTION, 

window  in  Trinity  Church,  and  erect  an  obelisk,  with  a  suitable 
inscription,  on  the  Mole  Road,  at  the  very  spot  whence  he  took 
his  final  departure  from  Sind. 

Mr.  Pringle's  Administration. — It  was  during  Mr.  Pringle's 
administration,  which  lasted  from  October  1847,  to  December 
1850,  that  military  commissioners  were  abolished,  and  four  different 
grades  of  civil  and  criminal  courts  established  in  lieu.  These  were 
the  commissioners*,  magistrates',  deputy  magistrates*,  and  kardars' 
courts.  The  office  of  judicial  assistant  to  the  commissioner  was 
also  made  during  this  administration.  The  revenue  of  the  pro- 
vince had  now  begun  to  show  a  great  improvement,  as  the  receipts, 
which  in  1843-44  only  realised  9, 3 7, 93 7  rupees, had  risen  in  1848-49 
to  29,23,5 1 5  rupees;  while  the  expenditure,  which  in  the  former  year 
was  as  high  as  76,62,974  rupees,  had  decreased  in  1848-49  to 
48,30,504  rupees.  This  expenditure  did  not,  however,  include  the 
charge  of  the  regular  troops  employed  in  Sind.  The  province  also 
received  the  benefit  of  a  visit  from  Sir  George  Clerk,  the  Gover- 
nor of  Bombay,  in  the  spring  of  1848,  who  proceeded  as  far  as 
Hyderabad,  making  himself  acquainted  with  the  chief  wants  of 
the  country. 

Mr.Prere's  AdminiBtration. — In  December  i85o,Mr.  Pringle, 
having  resigned  his  appointment,  was  succeeded  in  January  185 1 
by  Mr.  (afterwards  Sir  Bartle)  Frere,  of  the  Bombay  Civil  Service, 
to  whom  Sind  is  so  much  indebted  for  the  great  progress  it  made 
during  his  long  and  able  administration  of  its  affairs.  It  was 
mainly  through  the  instrumentality  of  Mr.  Frere  that  the  Karachi 
Library  and  Museum  was  established  in  185 1 ;  and  in  order  to  make 
the  latter  a  decidedly  useful  institution,  he  directed  in  1853,  that 
every  deputy  collector  in  Sind  should  forward  annually,  at  the 
close  of  each  season,  through  his  immediate  superior,  a  fair  mer- 
cantile specimen,  numbered  and  labelled,  of  each  description  of 
such  ordinary  raw  produce  of  his  district  as  would  bear  carriage, 
and  keep  for  a  few  months.  These  samples  were  intended  for 
exposition  in  the  museum,  so  that  mercantile  men,  resident  in 
Karachi,  might  have  an  opportunity  of  seeing  the  raw  products  of 
the  province,  together  with  all  information  in  connection  with  them. 
Previously,  in  1852,  Mr.  Frere,  with  the  laudable  object  of  pro- 
moting trade  in  Sind,  had  established  two  annual  fairs,  to  be 
held— one  at  Karachi  for  a  space  of  sixty  days,  commencing  on 
the  I  St  December,  and  the  other  at  Sukkur,  in  Upper  Sind,  to 
commence  from  ist  January,  and  to  last  forty-five  days.  It  was 
further  notified  to  all  traders  that,  with  the  object  of  affording 
them   increased  facilities,  all  frontier  duties  would  be  remitted 

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SIND    UNDER  BRITISH  RULE,  53 

during  the  time  these  fairs  were  being  held,  and  that  commodious 
buildings  would  be  provided  for  their  accommodation.  It  was  in 
January,  1852,  also,  that  His  Highness  Mir  Ali  Murad,  of  Khairpur, 
having  been  convicted  of  acts  of  forgery  and  fraud,  was  deprived  of 
those  lands  and  territories  which  lawfully  belonged  to  the  British 
Government  It  had  previously  been  brought  to  the  knowledge  of 
Sir  Charles  Napier,  when  Governor  of  Sind,  that  a  fraud  had  been 
committed  by  Mir  Ali  Murad  in  a  treaty,  that  of  Naunahar,  con- 
cluded about  1842,  between  him  and  his  two  elder  brothers,  Mirs 
Rustam  and  Mubarak  Khan,  after  a  battle  in  which  Mir  Ali  Murad 
had  obtained  the  advantage.  By  this  treaty,  written  on  a  leaf  of  a 
copy  of  the  Kuran,  certain  lands  were  made  over  to  the  younger 
brother,  and  the  foigery  consisted  in  this  leaf  having  been  de- 
stroyed, and  another  substituted,  on  which  the  word  "  village  "  was 
altered  to  "  district,"  where  both  had  the  same  name,  the  effect 
of  this  being  to  place  in  Mir  Ali  Murad's  possession  large  and 
extensive  districts^  instead  of  villages  only.  Early  in  1850,  a  com- 
mission was  appointed  to  inquire  into  this  accusation  against 
Mir  Ali  Murad,  he  attending  it  in  person  j  it  ended  in  his  guilt 
being  fully  proved,  and  in  the  issue  of  a  proclamation  by  the  then 
Governor-General  of  India,  the  Marquis  of  Dalhousie,  which  de- 
graded the  Mir  from  the  rank  of  Rais,  and  deprived  him  of  all  his 
lands  and  territories,  excepting  those  hereditary  possessions  left 
him  by  his  father,  Mir  Sohrab  Khan.  The  subjoined  is  a  copy  of 
the  proclamation  in  question  : 

"  The  Government  of  India  had  long  sfeen  cause  to  believe  that 
His  Highness  Mir  Ali  Murad  Khan,  of  Khairpur,  by  acts  of  forgery 
and  fraud,  had  deprived  the  British  Government  of  territory  in 
Sind,  to  which  it  was  lawfully  entitled.  Reluctant  to  condemn  the 
Mir  unless  upon  the  clearest  proof  of  his  personal  guilt,  the  Govern- 
ment of  India  directed  that  a  full  and  public  inquiry  should  be 
made  into  the  charges  that  had  been  brought  against  him.  His 
Highness  attended  the  inquiry  in  person,  every  opportunity  was 
afforded  of  eliciting  the  truth,  and  of  establishing  His  Highness' 
innocence  of  the  crime  of  which  he  had  been  accused.  His  High- 
ness Mir  Ali  Murad  Khan  entirely  failed  to  rebut  the  charge.  On 
clear  and  complete  evidence,  he  was  convicted  of  having  destroyed 
a  leaf  of  the  Kuran,  in  which  the  treaty  of  Naunahar  was 
written,  and  of  having  substituted  for  it  another  leaf  of  a  different 
tenor,  whereby  His  Highness  fraudulently  obtained  possession  of 
several  large  districts  instead  of  villages  of  the  same  name,  greatly 
to  the  prejudice  of  the  British  Government,  to  which  the  said 


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54  INTRODUCTION. 

districts  lawfully  belonged,  and  in  gross  violation  of  good  faitli 
and  honour.  The  Government  of  India  sought  no  pretext  to 
interfere  with  the  possessions  of  His  Highness  Mir  Ali  Murad 
Khan.  It  desired  that  his  Highness  should  continue  to  rule 
the  territories  he  held  in  peace  and  security,  and  it  was  slow  to 
entertain  and  to  urge  against  His  Highness  accusations  which 
placed  in  jeopardy  his  reputation  and  authority.  But  the  Mir's 
guilt  has  been  proved.  The  Govemmeiit  of  India  will  not  permit 
His  Highness  Mir  Ali  Murad  Khan  to  escape  with  impunity,  and 
a  great  public  crime  to  remain  unpunished.  Wherefore  the  Go- 
vernment of  India  has  resolved,  and  hereby  declares  that  Mir 
Ali  Murad  Khan,  of  Khairpur,  is  degraded  from  the  rank  of  Rais, 
and  that  all  his  lands  and  territories,  excepting  those  hereditary 
possessions  only  which  were  allotted  to  him  by  his  father,  Mir 
Sohrab  Khan,  shall  henceforth  be  a  portion  of  the  British  Empire 
in  India.  The  inhabitants  of  those  territories  are  hereby  called 
upon  to  submit  themselves  peaceably  to  the  dominion  under  which 
they  have  passed,  in  full  reliance  that  they  will  be  defended 
against  their  enemies,  and  protected  from  harm;  and  that  un- 
molested in  their  persons,  in  their  property  and  their  homes, 
they  will  be  governed  with  just  and  mild  authority. 

"  By  order  of  the  most  noble  the  Governor-General  of  India. 
"  (Signed)  H.  B.  E.  Frere, 

**  Commissioner. 
"21  January,  1852." 

The  possessions  so  confiscated  by  the  Government  of  India 
comprised  the  Parganas  of  Kandiaro  and  Naushahro  (known  as 
Sahiti),  which  subsequently  became  a  portion  of  the  Hyderabad 
Collectorate :  the  Burdika,  Shahbela,  Chak,  Saidabad,  Ubauro, 
Mirpur,  and  Ladho  Gagan  districts,  together  with  the  Alor, 
Bukkur,  and  Bamburki  Tapas,  all  of  which  were  incorporated 
with  the  Shikarpur  Collectorate.  The  total  area  of  the  districts 
so  confiscated  is  computed  at  about  5412  square  miles.  In 
April,  1856,  Mir  Ali  Murad  proceeded  to  England,  to  lay  his 
grievances  before  the  Home  Government,  but  the  result  was 
unfavourable  to  him.  In  September  1852  a  municipal  commission, 
the  first  of  the  kind  in  the  province,  was  established  at  Karachi, 
mainly  under  the  auspices  of  the  Commissioner,  who  became  its 
first  president,  and  by  his  great  influence  and  position  materially 
aided  the  progress  of  the  infant  institution.  In  1853  the  ex-Mirs 
of  Sind  were  permitted  by  the  Government  of  India  to  return 
to  their  native  country  ;  and  in  April  of  the  following  year,  three 

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SIXD   UNDER  BRITISH  RULE.  55 

of  them,  viz.,  Mirs  Sher  Muhammad  Khan,  Khan  Muhammad,  and 
Shah  Muhammad,  arrived  in  the  province,  selecting  Mirpur,  the 
stronghold  of  the  hrst-named  Mir,  for  their  residence.  The  year 
1854  was  marked  by  great  educational  progress  in  Karachi;  the 
Commissioner  presiding  at  the  opening  of  the  Government 
English  School,  on  the  Bandar  Road,  in  October,  and  at  that  of 
the  European  and  Indo-British  School,  situate  in  the  camp,  in  the 
following  month. 

It  was  also  during  Mr.  Frere's  term  of  office  that  the  large 
mortahty  in  Sind,  arising  from  snake-bite,  attracted  much  atten- 
tion, and  measures  were  proposed  by  him  for  its  prevention. 
From  a  report  prepared  by  Dr.  Imlach,  Civil  Surgeon  of  Shikarpur, 
u^  ^^SS^  01^  this  subject,  it  would  appear  that  in  1854  no  less 
than  306  cases  of  snake-bite  occurred,  the  mortahty  from  which 
was  sixty-three,  or  a  percentage  of  20*5  &tal  cases.  So  many 
deaths  were  reported  as  taking  place  from  this  cause  that  it 
b^;an  to  be  suspected  that  the  excuse  of  a  snake-bite  might  be 
often  invented  to  conceal  the  murder  of  women,  from  motives  of 
jealousy,  a  crime  very  common  in  Sind,  but  on  careful  inquiries 
being  made,  such  was  not  found  to  be  the  case.  There  are 
numerous  species  of  snakes  in  the  province,  many  of  them 
poisonous ;  and  the  late  Mr.  Vincent  D'Souza,  formerly  of  the 
Bombay  Medical  Department,  who  had  devoted  great  attention 
to  this  subject,  mentions  eighteen  which  in  the  course  of  his 
experience  had  been  seen  and  examined  by  hun,  the  greater 
number  of  these  belonging  to  the  species  Coluber^  and  but  few  to 
that  of  the  ^^ 

The  most  venomous  snakes  in  Sind  are  the  "  Khapir"  (Scytab 
Byzanaia)j  which  in  length  does  not  generally  exceed  fifteen 
inches;  the  black  cobra,  called  by  the  Sindis  the  Kara  Nang^ 
the  Muner,  and  the  LundL  Of  these  the  Khapir  is  by  &r  the 
most  deadly,  the  cobra  being  unable  even  to  withstand  its  poison, 
and  it  is  a  species  which  is,  unhappily,  but  too  commonly  met 
with.  The  snake  season  in  Sind  may  be  considered  as  lasting 
for  six  months  in  the  year,  that  is  to  say,  from  the  early  part 
of  May  to  the  latter  end  of  October.  It  is  during  this  period 
that  they  wander  about,  the  annual  river  inundation  compelling 
them  to  leave  the  low-lying  lands,  their  usual  haunts,  and  thus  to 
venture  among  the  habitations  of  men.  Agriculturists  of  the  male 
population  seem  to  be  those  who  suffer  mostly  from  snake-bite, 
and  when  no  proper  remedies  are  apphed,  the  symptoms  of 
exhaustion  come  on  very  rapidly,  death  generally  taking  place 
in  from  one  to  six  hours.     The  native  remedies  for  snake-bite  are 

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56  INTRODUCTION. 

principally  an  internal  administering  of  black  pepper,  ghi,  onions, 
and   the  fruit  of  the  pilu  tree;    occasionally  recourse  is  had 
to  charming,  which  is  done  by  "  jogis,"  specially  summoned  for 
that  purpose.     The  best  European  remedy  hitherto  found  appears 
to  consist  in  the  internal  administration  of  liquor  ammonify  but 
Mr.  V.  D'Souza  has,  in  addition  to  this  treatment,  found  the 
application  of  nitric  acid   to  the   part  bitten  very  successful 
Whether  the  number  of  venomous  reptiles  in  Sind   is  likely  to 
decrease  as  the  population   of  the   province  increases,   seems 
questionable,   for  this  does  not  appear  to  be  the  case  in  the 
Bombay  Collectorate  of  Ratnagiri,  which,  though  possessing  a 
redundant  population,  is  nevertheless  much  infested  with  poisonous 
snakes,  to  such  an  extent  indeed  as  to  have  made  it  long  since  an 
important  matter  of  consideration  with  the  Bombay  Government. 
In  1856  Mr.  Frere  left  the  province  for  a  time  on  furlough, 
his  duties  meanwhile  being  carried  on  by  Colonel  John  Jacob, 
the  Political  Superintendent  of  the  Upper  Sind  frontier,  who,  in 
April  of  that  year,  issued  a  proclamation  abolishing  "Statute"  or 
compulsory  labour  throughout  Sind,  every  person  being  hence- 
forth at  perfect  hberty  to  work  where  and  at  what  rates  he 
pleased.     In  the  same  month  a  notification  was  issued  prohibiting 
the  practice  among  police  officers  of  inducing,  by  use  of  force  or 
threats,  accused  persons  to  confess  crimes  with  which  they  might 
be  charged.     It  was  in  1856  also  that  a  topographical  survey  was 
introduced  into  the  province,  the  establishments  for  this  purpose 
being  transferred  from  the  Panjab.     During  Mr.  Frere's  adminis- 
tration, that  is  to  say,  up  to  October  1859,  a  large  portion  of  the 
Shikarpur    Collectorate,  comprising  the   Rohri,  Shikarpur,   and 
Sukkur  districts,  the   frontier  district  of  Upper  Sind,   and   the 
hill  district  of  Karachi,  with  an  aggregate  area  of  9665    square 
miles,   were    surveyed  topographically.      During   1857,   a    year 
rendered  memorable  by  the  occurrence  of  the  Indian  Mutiny,  the 
province  of  Sind  did  not  wholly  escape  the  troubles  which  beset 
other  portions  of  British  India.     On  the  14th  of  September,  the 
2 1  St  Regiment  of  Bombay   Native  Infantry,  then   stationed  at 
Karachi,  broke  out  into  open  mutiny,  a  number  of  the  sepoys  being 
told  off  to  murder  the  Commissioner,  the  General  commanding 
at  that  station,  and  other  officials.     The  conspiracy  was  fortu- 
nately detected  in  time  to  admit  of  precautionary  measures  being 
taken,  and  the  principal  mutineers  were  speedily  caught  and  tried 
by  court-martial.      Five  of  them  were  blown  away  from  guns, 
eleven  were  hanged,  and  a  large  number  were  transported  beyond 
seas.     During  the  last  two  years  of  Mr.  Frere's  rule  in  Sind, 

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S/XD    UXDER  BRITISH  RULE.  57 

several  important  works  of  progress  were  being  carried  out. 
In  April  r858,  he,  with  great  ceremony,  turned  the  first  sod  of 
the  Sind  Railway,  an  important  line  of  communication,  intended 
to  place  Kotri  on  the  Indus  and  Karachi  in  dose  proximity  to 
each  other,  and  thus  save  the  necessity  for  sending  both  goods 
and  passengers  by  the  tedious  and  uncertain  river-route  to  Gisri 
Bandar.  The  Oriental  Inland  Steam  Company  (established  in 
1856)  also  began  its  operations  in  Sind,  in  1858,  by  placing  two 
steam  trains,  with  all  necessary  apparatus,  on  the  river  Indus,  for 
communication  between  Karachi  and  Multan.  Another  important 
work,  the  Eastern  Nara  Canal  (passing  through  an  old  bed  of  the 
Indus),  conmienced  in  1853  and  finished  in  May  1859,  was  opened 
with  great  success.  The  object  of  this  scheme  was  to  improve  the 
Eastern  Nara,  by  throwing  an  abundant  supply  of  water  into  it 
from  the  Indus  during  the  inundation  season,  by  means  of  a  new 
channel  at  Rohri,  and  this  was  intended  to  fertilise  those  lands 
hitherto  only  partially  cultivated  on  either  side  of  this  canal,  owing 
to  the  smaU  quantity  of  water  previously  available.  The  expendi- 
ture upon  this  great  work,  up  to  r859,  was  estimated  at  about  five 
lakhs  of  rupees.  A  rebellion  took  place  in  r859,  in  the  Nagar 
Parkar  district  (now  a  portion  of  the  Thar  and  Parkar)  which 
was  put  down  by  a  force  sent  from  Hyderabad,  under  the  com- 
mand of  Colonel  Evans.  It  resulted  in  the  capture  of  the  Rana 
and  his  minister,  both  of  whom  were  tried  in  the  following  year, 
and  sentenced,  the  former  to  fourteen,  and  the  latter  to  ten  years 
transportation.  It  was  in  May  r859  that  the  Commissioner  was 
nominated  a  Civil  Knight  Commander  of  the  Bath,  and  in  the 
following  month  of  August,  Sir  Bartle  Frere  was  appointed  a 
member  of  the  Supreme  Council  at  Calcutta,  Mr.  J.  D.  Inverarity, 
of  the  Bombay  Civil  Service,  being  selected  to  succeed  him  in 
the  Commissioneiship  of  Sind  It  must  be  conceded,  that  Sir 
Bartle  Frere's  able  administration  of  Sind  during  the  long  period 
of  nine  years  had  done  much  towards  promoting  its  prosperity, 
and  raising  it  to  importance  in  both  a  political  and  commercial 
sense.  Ever  ready  to  give  assistance  and  advice  in  all  well- 
conceived  schemes  intended  for  the  good  of  the  province,  the 
country  soon  showed  signs  of  steady  improvement;  old  canals 
were  cleared  and  reopened,  and  fresh  ones  constructed;  good 
roads  were  made,  on  which  new  villages  sprang  up  with  wonderfril 
rapidity.  Independently  of  the  town  of  Karachi,  the  Municipal 
Act  (XXVL  of  1850)  was  introduced  into  nineteen  other  towns 
in  Sind  during  his  administration,  and  a  written  language,  as 
well  as  a  judicial  code,  were  given  to  the  province  through  the 

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58  INTRODUCTION. 

exertions  of  his  talented  assistants,  Messrs.  Ellis  and  Gibbs.  In 
the  month  of  October  1859,  a  few  days  before  the  departure  of 
Sir  Bartle  Frere  from  Sind,  the  public  of  Karachi,  embracing 
all  classes  of  the  community,  both  European  and  native,  held  a 
meeting,  when  it  was  unanimously  resolved  not  only  to  present 
an  address  to  the  retiring  Commissioner  on  the  occasion  of  his 
leaving  the  province  for  a  seat  in  the  Supreme  Council,  but  to 
raise  a  fund  for  the  purpose  of  marking,  by  some  public  testi- 
monial, their  appreciation  of  his  successful  and  lengthened 
administration  of  the  affairs  of  Sind.  It  resulted  in'  the  erection 
of  a  noble  building  at  Karachi,  appropriately  called  the  "  Frere 
Hall,"  which  was  opened  with  great  ceremony  in  October,  1865, 
and  where  Sir  Bartle,  when  Governor  of  Bombay,  was  himself 
received  by  the  inhabitants  of  Karachi,  on  the  occasion  of  a  visit 
he  paid  to  Sind  in  the  year  1866. 

Mr,  J.  D.  Inverarity's  AdministratiGn. — During  the  ad- 
ministration of  Mr.  J.  D.  Inverarity,  which  lasted  from  October 
1859,  to  March  1862,  many  changes  were  effected  in  the  revenue 
departments  of  the  province.  Among  these  was  an  alteration  in 
revenue  management  by  discontinuing  the  practice  of  reckoning 
the  revenue  of  a  year  to  be  derived  from  the  ^  Rabi "  harvest 
of  one  inundation  season,  and  the  "  Kharif "  of  a  different  year, 
and  bringing  the  revenue  of  one  inundation  season  into  the  ac- 
counts of  the  year,  as  the  revenue  of  that  year.  For  the  collection 
of  land  revenue,  the  revenue  year  was  fixed  to  commence  from  the 
I  St  of  August,  and  to  end  on  the  31st  of  July  following ;  the  dates 
of  payment  of  instalments  for  Kharif  and  Rabi  were  also  appointed 
to  be  as  follows  : 

fi St  January.  [  1 5th  May. 


Kharif  { 15th  February.  Rabi  { 15th  June. 

I   1st  April.  1 15th  July. 

A  considerable  reduction  was  at  the  same  time  made  in  the 
expenditure  of  the  subordinate  revenue  and  judicial  district  esta- 
blishments. In  canals  and  their  management,  the  plan  of  closing 
all  clearance  accounts  with  the  financial  year  was  introduced, 
and  it  was  during  this  administration  that  the  excavation  of  the 
Mithrau  Canal  was  carried  out  at  a  considerable  cost  to  the  State. 
Great  delay  had  taken  place  in  the  extension  of  this  canal,  which 
was  first  projected  in  1851,  but  owing  to  alteration  of  plans,  the 
undertaking  was  not  sanctioned  till  1859.  Three  months  afler  the 
commencement  of  this  work  it  began  to  repay  the  amount  ex- 
pended upon  it.  The  enlargement  of  the  Begari  Canal,  dividing 
the  Sind  frontier  district  from  a  portion  of  the  Shikarpur  Col- 


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SIND    UNDER  BRITISH  RULE.  59 

lectoiate,  had  previously  (1856)  been  completed  at  a  cost  to  the 
State  of  55,176  rupees.  In  judicial  matters  the  Code  of  Civil 
Procedure  (Act  VI 1 1,  of  1859)  was  in  1862  extended  to  Sind, 
though  validity  to  this  extension  was  not  given  till  1864^  by  Im- 
perial Act  V.  of  that  year.  The  result  of  this  extension  was  speedily 
shown  by  a  marked  improvement  in  the  administration  of  civil 
justice.  A  Small  Cause  Court  was  also,  in  i86t^  established  at 
Karachi,  where  such  an  institution  was  greatly  needed.  The  Jagir 
inquiries  and  settlement  of  all  claims  of  persons  holding  free  grants 
of  garden  land^  or  charitable  grants  under  previous  native  govern- 
ments in  the  province  of  Sind^  were  completed  in  1862.  On 
the  conquest  of  the  province  in  1843,  rules  for  the  settlement  of 
claims  to  Jagirs  had  been  laid  down  by  Sir  Charles  Napier^  but 
these  were  modified  under  succeeding  administrations  as  expe- 
rience suggested;  so  as  to  effect  a  settlement  that  should  be  at  once 
equitable  and  complete.  These  inquiries  referred  particularly  to 
the  four  great  Talpur  families  in  Sind — the  Shahwani^  Shahdadani, 
Khanani;  and  Manakani — ^to  the  Saiyads  of  Tatta^  and  after  them 
to  Sardars,  Jagirdars,  Patedars,  Khairatdars^and  Garden  grantees. 
The  Sind  police  establishments  were  reorganised^  and  several 
reductions  in  the  rural  and  foot  police  were  made ;  the  number 
of  European  adjutants  of  police  were  at  the  same  time  reduced 
Education,  both  in  the  English  and  vernacular  languages,  in 
government  schools  was  greaUy  extended  throughout  the  province, 
and  the  Municipal  Act  (XXVI.  of  1850)  was  introduced  into  several 
towns  of  the  Hyderabad  and  Shikarpur  CoUectorates.  It  was 
during  Mr.  Inverarity's  administration  that  provision  was  made 
for  the  conservancy  of  the  river  Indus,  and  for  the  r^stration  of 
all  boats  on  that  river.  It  had  been  found  that  "  snags,"  that  is 
to  say,  the  trunks  and  arms  of  trees  swept  away  by  the  inundation 
floods  from  the  river  bank  on  which  they  grew,  and  more  or  less 
imbedded  in  the  practicable  channels,  had  begun  to  offer  serious 
obstruction  to  steamers,  and  native  boats  navigating  the  Indus 
Captain  Balfour,  at  that  time  Superintendent  of  the  Indus  Flotilla, 
proposed  the  appointment  of  an  officer  specially  to  attend  to  the 
conservancy  of  the  river,  the  expenses  of  tliis  measure  being  met 
by  a  fee  to  be  imposed  on  the  registration  of  all  boats  plying  on 
the  Indus.  This  proposal  was  subsequently  incorporated  in  an 
Act  (I.  of  1863)  passed  by  the  Bombay  Legislative  Council,  which 
came  into  operation  in  the  province  on  the  ist  of  January  1863. 
In  i860  the  ELarachi  Chamber  of  Commerce  was  established, 
principally  for  promoting  and  protecting  the  mercantile  interests 
of  Sind,  and    for  collecting  and  classifying  information  on  all 

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6o  INTRODUCTION, 

matters  of  general  commercial  interest ;  and  in  the  same  year  a 
stimulus  was  given  to  the  wool  trade,  one  of  the  chief  staples  of 
Sind,  by  the  introduction  into  the  country  of  several  rams  of  the 
best  Leicester  breed  for  improving  more  especially  the  breed  of 
sheep  in  Balochisthan.  But  by  far  the  most  important  operations 
carried  on  during  this  administration,  as  affecting  the  future  de- 
velopment of  the  resources  of  the  province,  were  first,  the  com- 
mencement of  the  Karachi  Harbour  Improvement  Works,  a  scheme 
which  had  been  proposed  in  1856,  and  second,  by  the  opening  of 
the  Sind  Railway  from  Karachi  to  Kotri,  on  the  13th  May,  1861. 
The  former  undertaking  is  now  finished  ;  the  Manora  Breakwater, 
the  last  great  work  in  connection  with  the  Harbour  improvements, 
having  been  satisfactorily  completed  in  the  month  of  February, 
1873.  The  Sind  Railway,  though  useful  in  a  commercial  point 
of  view,  as  facilitating  the  transit  of  goods  and  passengers  to  or 
from  Kotri,  one  of  the  permanent  banks  of  the  river,  and  thus 
avoiding  the  long  tedious  river  and  sea-route  from  that  town 
to  Karachi,  vi&  the  Indus  Delta,  is  likely  to  become  still  more 
so  when  the  works  now  in  progress  both  in  Sind  and  the  Panjab 
connect  it  with  the  Unes  of  the  latter  province. 

Mr.  S.  Mansfield's  Administration. — Mr.  J.  D.  Inverarity 
was  succeeded,  in  1862,  as  Commissioner  in  Sind,,  by  Mr.  S. 
Mansfield,  C.S.I.,  of  the  Bombay  Civil  Service,  whose  administra- 
tion of  the  province  lasted  till  March  1867.  During  his  term  of 
office  great  improvements  were  efiected  in  both  the  revenue  and 
judicial  departments.  Rules  were  laid  down  for  the  departmental 
examination  of  officers  in  the  government  service,  as  well  as  for 
the  examination  of  candidates  for  employment  in  the  subordinate 
vernacular  branches  of  the  public  service.  New  rules  were  also 
issued  for  yearly  test  measurements  of  cultivation,  by  both  deputy 
collectors  of  districts  and  mukhtyarkars,  as  well  as  for  the  survey, 
measurement,  and  clearance  of  canals,  an  arrangement  greatly  con- 
ducive to  the  increase  of  the  government  revenue.  In  judicial 
matters  the  Code  of  Criminal  Procedure  (Act  XXV.  of  186 1)  was 
introduced  into  the  province,  where  it  had  the  effect  of  placing 
the  Magisterial  Courts  upon  a  more  satisfactory  footing  than 
before.  MQnsifs  (since  called  subordinate  judges)  were  appointed 
to  almost  all  the  divisions  of  districts  throughout  Sind,  and  the 
establishment  of  the  Small  Cause  Court  at  Karachi  was  legalised  ; 
but  the  most  important  judicial  innovation  was  the  introduction 
of  the  Sind  Courts*  Act  (Bom.  XII.  of  1866),  by  which  a  High 
Court  was  established  in  the  province,  with  a  separate  officer  as 
Judicial  Commissioner  at  its  head,  the   Commissioner  in   Sind 


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SIXD    UNDER  BRITISH  RULE.  6i     / 

being  thus  relieved  of  his  purely  judicial  functions.  This  Act 
gave  as  well  a  l^;al  status  to  all  the  courts,  civil  and  criminal, 
throughout  Sind.  Improvements  were  also  effected  in  jail 
management  by  the  appointment  of  superintendents  and  jailors 
to  all  district  jails.  To  provide  funds  for  carrying  out  public 
works  of  general  local  utility  and  improvement  in  die  province^ 
and  to  aid  in  defraying  the  ejqpenses  of  the  Public  Works  Depart- 
ment, a  local  cess  of  one  anna  in  the  rupee  on  land  and  sayer  (sair)  , 
revenue  was  introduced,  and  specially  legalised  by  Bom.,  Act  ,  v 
VIII.  of  1865.  Another  Bombay  enactment  (IX.  of  1863),  known 
as  the  "  Cotton  Frauds  Prevention  Act,"  was  also  broi^t  into 
force  in  Sind,  in  March  1864,  and  an  inspector^  with  establish- 
ment^ appointed  to  carry  out  its  provisions.  In  public  works 
great  progress  was  made  in  the  prosecution  of  die  Karachi 
Harbour  Improvements,  as  well  as  in  the  revenuaS^rvey  j  and  , 
^l^ettlement  departments,  more  than  one-half  of  all  the  TaluKas  in 
the  province  having,  at  the  dose  of  that  administration,  been 
classed  and  assessed  by  the  latter.  An  engineering  school,  the 
second  of  its  dass  in  Sind,  was  opened  under  government  auspices 
at  Hyderabad ;  and  an  office  of  Paper  Currency,  in  accordance 
with  Act  XIX.  of  r86r,  was  established  at  Karachi  In  the 
month  of  October  1865,  the  Frere  Hall  (erected  in  honour  of  Sir 
H.  Barde  K  Frere),  which  had  cost  in  building  up  to  that  date 
nearly  one  and  three-quarter  lakhs  of  rupees,  was  opened  by 
Mr.  Mansfidd,  with  much  ceremony,  in  the  presence  of  a  large 
assemblage  of  Europeans  and  natives. 

Sir  W.  L.  Merewether's  Administration. — Colonel  Sir 
W.  L.  Merewedier,  K.C.S.I.  and  C.R,  of  the  Bombay  Army, 
succeeded  Mr.  Mansfield  as  Commissioner  in  Sind,  his  appoint- 
ment dating  from  12th  June,  1867;  but  owing  to  his  services 
being  required  during  the  Abyssinian  war  of  1867-68,  he  did  not 
take  up  his  appointment  till  loth  July,  1868,  Mr.  W.  H.  Havdock, 
of  the  Bombay  Civil  Service,  acting  for  him  as  commissioner 
during  this  interval  Among  the  various  improvements  carried 
out  during  this  present  administration,  may  be  mentioned  the 
reorganisation  of  the  whole  of  the  Sind  police,  by  which  numerous 
reductions  were  effected,  and  an  entirely  English  nomenclature 
given  to  both  officers  and  men  of  this  force,  who  are  now  known 
as  district  and  assistant-district  superintendents,  inspectors,  chief 
and  head  constables,  and  constables.  In  the  revenue  department 
several  changes  in  the  method  of  te§t,jneasurements  by  deputy 
collectors  and  mukhtyarkars  have  been  ma^CT^nd^a  new  system 
of  calculating  and  levying  the   water-rate   (Hakaba)  has   been 


-/• 


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62  INTRODUCTION. 

introduced.  Improvements  have  also  been  effected  in  many  of 
the  canals  in  the  province,  more  especially  in  the  Begari,  Aral, 
Kazia,  Gaja,  Ghar,  and  others,  and  a  new  and  large  navigating 
channel  known  as  the  Sukkur  and  Shahdadpur  Canal,  intended 
to  irrigate  an  extensive  tract  of  uncultivated  land  in  the  Larkana, 
Rato-dero,  and  Shahdadpur  sub-divisions,  has  been  completed, 
and  was  opened  in  1870.     The  topographical  survey  of  Sind  has 

,  also  been  completed ;  and  the  settlement  department  having 
assessed  nearly  all  the  Talukas  in  the  Karachi,  Hyderabad,  and 
Shikarpur  Collectorates,  have  commenced  the  survey  of  the  Upper 

,  Sind  frontier  district.  Education  has  made  rapid  strides  in  the 
province  during  this  administration,  and  is  a  subject  in  which 
the  Commissioner  in  Sind  takes  a  great  personal  interest.  A 
pleasing  feature  in  this  progress  of  education  is  its  extension 
among  the  native  females  of  Sind  during  the  past  few  years,  a 
new  but  very  satisfactory  phase,  when  it  is  remembered  that  the 
great  majority  of  the  native  community  of  this  part  of  British 
India  is  of  the  Muhammadan  persuasion,  who,  as  a  body,* are 
averse  to  any  instruction  being  given  to  their  women. 

The  publication,  from  1868,  of  the  Sind  "Official  Gazette"  in 
the  CoDMnissioners*  printing  office,  copies  of  which  are  supplied 
gratis  to  all  heads  of  officers  in  the  Civil  Department  throughout 
the  province,  has  proved  most  useful,  and  has  been  the  means  of 
saving  a  large  amount  of  written  correspondence.  The  gazette  con- 
tains all  appointments,  promotions,  grants  of  leave,  &c.,  referring 
to  Sind;  the  orders  of  the  Governments  of  India  and  Bombay; 
copies  of  all  new  enactments  appljdng  to  the  Bombay  Presidency, 
and  notices,  &c.,  from  heads  of  offices  of  different  departments. 
A  translation,  in  Sindi,  of  this  gazette  is  also  published  for  the 
use  of  the  native  revenue  and  judical  public  servants,  and  of  the 
inspectors  of  police.  In  the  Postal  Department  there  was  intro- 
duced, from  1868,  a  rural  messenger  post,  by  which  the  benefits 
of  the  post-office  are  now  extended  to  a  large  number  of  district 
villages,  hitherto  without  the  pale  of  postal  communication.  A 
road  has  been  constructed  between  the  Jungshahi  railway  station 
and  the  town  of  Tatta,  so  as  to  place  the  latter  within  easy  access 
of  the  railway,  and  the  width  of  roads  generally  in  the  province 
has  been  increased  to  twenty  and  thirty  feet,  according  to  class, 
instead  of,  as  formerly,  twelve  and  twenty-four  feet,  respectively. 
Ferry  steamers  have  also  been  stationed  at  Sukkur  and  Rohri,  in 
lieu  of  the  boats  hitherto  in  use  there.  It  is  during  the  present 
administration  that  the  winding-up  of  an  unfortunate  undertaking, 
the  Oriental  Inland  Steam  Navigation  Company  has  taken  place. 


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SIJ^D   UNDER  BRITISH  RULE.  63 

some  of  its  vessels  being  pmchased  by  the  Indus  FlodDa  Componj, 
which  at  present  does  all  the  steam-canying  trade  between  Kotri 
and  Snkktir,  and  to  a  great  extent  that  between  the  latter  town  and 
Mnhan.  To  avoid  sending  the  Flotilla  vessels  for  repair  roond 
by  the  Delta  to  Karachi,  a  floating  dock,  sent  out  oiiginally  in 
pieces  from  England,  was  put  up  in  1869  in  the  river  at  Kotri, 
and  has  been  found  very  serviceable. 

During  die  year  1869,  when  a  severe  &mine  visited  the  Rajput 
State  of  Blarwar,  some  thousands  of  its  starving  inhabitants  immi- 
grated into  the  Thar  and  Pirkar,  and  the  eastern  portion  c^  the 
Hjrderabad  CoDectoiale.  There  they  were  kindly  treated  and 
taken  care  c^  by  the  several  revenue  authorities  of  those  districts, 
and  maintained  at  the  expense  of  the  government.  Those  <^  them 
who  were  physically  able  to  work  were  put  to  light  labour,  but 
many  of  the  infirm  and  helpless  died  from  the  effects  of  starvation 
and  sickness.  The  sum  total  spent  by  the  Sind  Government  up 
to  March  1874,  m  relieving  these  poor  creatures,  amounted  to 
1,38,602  rupees. 

Up  to  the  end  of  1870,  the  Karachi  Harbour  Improvement 
Works  had  made  considerable  progress.  The  Kiamari  Groyne 
East  Pier,  Napier  Mole  Bridge,  Chini  Creek  Channel,  &c.,  had 
been  completed  some  years  before ;  but  as  it  became  evident  diat 
no  permanent  benefit  could  be  expected  till  the  Manora  Break- 
water was  constructed,  sanction  was  obtained  in  1869  ^  com- 
mence this  work.  On  rst  November,  1870,  the  first  concrete 
block  of  the  breakwater  was  laid  with  much  ceremony  by  Sir  W. 
Ia  Merewether;  and  on  the  22nd  Felnruary,  1873,  ^^>  ^^  most 
important  of  aU  the  works  connected  with  the  Harbour  improve- 
ment scheme,  was  completed  at  a  cost  of  about  70,000/.  These  ' 
works  were  inspected  by  Lord  Northbrook,  Viceroy  of  British 
India,  on  his  visit  to  Sind  in  November  1872,  and  also  by  Sir 
P.  £.  Woodhouse,  Governor  of  B(»nbay,  in  January,  1874. 

With  regard  to  the  extension  of  the  Sind  railway  to  the  Panjab,' 
it  may  be  mentioned  that  in  the  year  1865  a  line  was  surveyed 
for  this  purpose  on  behalf  of  the  Sind  Railway  Company  by  Mr. 
J.  Brunton.  So  ^r  as  this  province  is  concerned,  a  survey  for  a 
State  line  was  carried  out  in  the  years  187  r  and  1872,  and  the 
approval  of  Government  to  the  location  and  designs  having  been 
obtained,  the  work  was  soon  after  commenced.  In  that  portion 
of  the  line  running  through  Sind  it  is  intended  to  keep  to  the 
right  (or  western)  bank  of  the  Indus  from  Kotri  to  Sukkur,  there 
to  cross  the  river  to  Rohri,  the  line  of  rail  running  thence  by  the 
river  towards  the  Bahawalpur  State  and  on  to  Multan. 

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64  INTRODUCTION, 

Of  the  two  largest  bridges  on  the  Indus  Valley  Railway,  one 
will  be  that  over  the  Satlej  near  Bahawalpur,  and  the  other  across 
the  Indus  at  Sukkur,  Bukkur  and  Rohri.  As  regards  this  latter 
work,  it  is  proposed  not  to  delay  the  opening  of  the  line  till  it  be 
constructed,  but  to  establish  a  steam  ferry  and  temporary  main 
lines  on  either  bank  of  the  river  for  carrying  over  passengers  and 
traffic  until  the  permanent  bridge  is  opened.  Great  delay  has 
hitherto  taken  place  in  the  construction  of  this  line,  owing  to  the 
uncertainty  prevailing  as  to  the  width  of  gauge  to  be  adopted  5  but 
as  the  broad  gauge,  or  that  at  present  in  use  on  the  Sind  and 
Panjab  railways,  has  now  been  definitely  selected,  the  Indus 
Valley  Line  may  be  expected  to  be  partly  opened  for  traffic 
some  time  during  the  year  1876.  The  junction  with  the 
Panjab  line  will,  it  is  believed,  greatly  enhance  the  usefulness  of 
the  Sind  railway,  which,  in  its  present  state,  may  not  inaptly  be 
compared  to  the  broken  link  of  a  chain,  that  on  strategical  grounds 
alone  should  surround  our  Indian  possessions.  It  is  a  step  which 
will  doubtiess  make  Karachi  the  important  station  its  excellent 
geographical  position  demands;  and  as  its  harbour  has  been 
greatly  improved  and  benefited  by  the  extensive  works  which 
during  the  past  fourteen  years  have  been  in  operation  there,  it  is 
confidently  expected  that  it  will  yet  take  a  high  position  among 
the  great  commercial  cities  of  British  India. 


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(  ^s   ) 


CHAPTER  TV. 

CIML  ADMIXISTRATIOX. 

THE  DinSlOX  OF  THE  PROTINCE  OF  SIXD  FOR  POLITICAU 
JUDICIAL,  AXD  REVENUE  PURPOSES  AXD  METHOD  OF  ADMIXIS- 
TRATIOlff — THE  SIXD  POUCE  FORCE — PUBLIC  WORKS  DE- 
PARTXEXT — CUSTOMS  DEPARTMENT — POSTAL  DEPARTMEXT — 
EDUCATIOXAL  DEPARTMEXT — CITIL  MEDICAL  DEPARTMEXT — 
THE      TELEGRAPH       DEPARTMEXTS       (IXDO-EUROPEAX       AXD 

OOVERXMEXT     TELEGRAPHS) SURVET     AXD      SETTLEMENT 

DEPARTMEXTS — LAND  TENURES  IX  SIXD. 

Dtviskais  for  FoHtieal,  Judicial,  and  Berenne  pnTpoocB, — 

Sind,  idikb,  tbougfa  generallT  regarded  as  a  Don-regulaticm 
proTiiice,  is  onlr  nominallT  so.  sinoe  the  pnndpal  reguladons  and 
acts  of  the  older  proTinccs  have  been  at  different  tunes  extended 
to  it,  is»  for  pcrfitical,  revenue,  and  jndida]  purposes,  divided  into 
five  large  portions — that  is  to  say — the  three  Couectorates  <^ 
Kararhi,  Hyderabad,  and  Shikarpnr.  and  the  two  Political  Soper- 
intendendes  c^  the  Upper  Sind  frontier,  and  the  Thar  and 
Paikar  districts.  The  administration  of  the  entire  prorince  is 
carried  oo  by  an  officer  stykd  the  ^  Commissioner  in  Sind,"  who 
is  saboidinate  to  the  government  of  Bombay,  bat  can,  when 
necessary,  have  certain  of  the  powers  of  a  local  government 
dd^ated  to  him  by  die  Governor  of  Bombay,  in  CoundL  He  is 
assisted  in  his  general  work  of  superintendence  by  two  Assistant- 
CommMgaonerSy  the  one  a  covenanted  c^ker,  idiose  duties  corre- 
spond to  those  c^  a  secretary,  and  who  is  also  Branch  In^>ector 
General  of  Ri^;istration  in  Sind,  the  other  an  uncovenanted  servant 
oi  considerable  official  experience.  The  Conmiissioner  exercises 
a  general  supervision  over  all  the  different  government  depart- 
ments in  Sind,  such  as  the  Political,  Revenue,  Financial.  GcneraL 
Public  Works,  Judicial,  Marine,  Police.  Irrigation,  &c 

Formerly,  the  hi^iest  judicial  aiHl  executive  fnncticms  were 
united  in  the  Commissioner  in  Sind,  who  was  assisted  by  an 
officer  styled  the  ^  Judicial  Assistant  to  the  Commissioner,*'  and 
his  court,  in  a  civil  point  of  view,  r^ulated  all  necessary  pro- 

r 

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66  INTRODUCTION. 

cedure,  and,  as  a  final  Court  of  Appeal,  corresponded  to  the  then 
Bombay  Sadar  Diwani  Adalat,  while,  in  a  criminal  sense,  it 
answered  to  the  Sadar  Faujdari  Adalat,  confirming  all  sentences 
requiring  its  sanction,  except  those  of  death  and  transportation  for 
life,  for  which  alone  the  order  of  the  Bombay  Governor  in  Council 
was  necessary.*  This  combination  of  the  judicial  and  executive 
elements  lasted  till  1866,  when  a  local  Act  (XII.)  of  the  Bombay 
Government  (declaring  the  constitution  of  Courts  of  Civil  and 
Criminal  Judicature  in  Sind)  was  passed,  which,  among  other 
matters,  provided  a  Sadar  Court  for  Sind,  and  a  Judicial  Com- 
missioner to  preside  over  it,  with  control  also  over  all  other  courts, 
civil  and  criminal,  throughout  the  province.  He  is  also  a  District 
Judge  throughout  Sind  within  the  meaning  of  the  Indian  Divorce 
Act  (IV.  of  1869),  and  has  a  general  supervision  over  all  the  jails 
in  the  province. 

Before  the  introduction  of  the  Criminal  and  Civil  Procedure 
Codes  there  was  in  each  of  the  three  Zillahs  an  officer  called  the 
Judicial  Deputy  Magistrate,  vested,  as  regarded  criminal  justice, 
with  powers  corresponding  to  Sessions  Judges,  and  in  civil  matters, 
with  powers  corresponding  to  those  of  the  magistrate  of  a  district, 
but  trying  only  such  cases  as  were  sent  to  him  by  his  superior. 
From  his  decisions  in  original  suits  an  appeal  lay,  in  the  first 
place,  to  the  magistrate,  and  then  to  the  Commissioner  in  Sind. 
By  the  present  arrangement  these  officers  are  now  styled  District 
and  Sessions  Judges,  and  in  their  civil  capacity  have  jurisdiction 
in  suits  to  any  amount,  and  from  whose  decisions  an  appeal  lies 
to  the  Sadar  Court  in  Sind.  As  Sessions  Judges,  they  are  vested 
with  the  powers  mentioned  in  Section  16  of  the  new  Criminal 
Procedure  Code  (Act  X.  of  1872),  and  hold  sessions  at  various 
places  in  their  respective  districts  six  times  in  the  year.  The 
District  Judge  and  Sessions  Judge  of  Karachi  is  also  judge  of  the 
P&rsi  Matrimonial  Court.  In  addition  to  this  the  Shikarptir 
Court  of  Session  holds  sessions  at  Jacobabad,  in  the  frontier 
district,  and  the  Hyderabad  Court  of  Session,  at  Umarkot,  in 
the  Thar  and  Parkar  district,  each  twice  in  the  year.  Imme- 
diately under  the  District  Judges  in  the  judicial  scale  are  the  Civil 
Subordinate  Judges  (formerly  called  MQnsifs),  of  whom  there  are 
three  in  the  Karachi,  four  in  the  Hyderabad,  four  in  the  Shikar- 
pur  districts,  and  one  in  the  frontier  district  of  Upper  Sind, 
In  civil  matters  their  jurisdiction  extends  to  all  suits  in  value  up 

♦  On  the  introduction  of  the  Cri-  were  exercised  by  the  Commissioner 
minal  Procedure  Code,  in  January  in  Sind  without  reference  to  the 
1862,  the  powers  of  life   and  death       Bombay  Government. 

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CIVIL  ADMINISTRATION.  67 

to  5000  rupees,  and  appeals  from  their  decisions  lie  to  the  Civil 
Judges  of  their  districts. 

Over  each  of  the  three  CoUectoiates  of  Karachi,  Hyderabad, 
and  ShikarpuT,  having  the  enormous  areas  of  16,109,  9218,  and 
10,242  square  miles,  respectively,  is  placed  an  officer,  who,  as 
*'  Collector  and  Magistrate,"  is  invested  with  extensive  powers  of 
revenue  and  magisterial  superintendence.  His  duties,  indeed, 
are  many  and  varied.  As  ^'Collector"  he  sees  to  the  general 
collection  of  the  revenue  of  his  district  in  all  its  branches,  super- 
intends the  expenditure  of  local  funds,  and  the  construction  of 
local  public  works,  through  the  agency  of  the  Local  Funds 
Engineer  of  the  district ;  is  responsible,  through  his  deputies,  for 
the  clearance  of  the  various  irrigational  canals  in  his  CoDectorate ; 
is  the  Registrar  of  Assurances  in  his  district,  and  attends  also  to 
numerous  other  matters  of  a  general  and  miscellaneous  nature. 
In  his  capacity  as  the  chief  officer  charged  with  the  executive 
administration  of  his  district  in  criminal  matters,  he  is  vested  with 
the  highest  magisterial  powers  allowed  by  the  new  Criminal 
Procedure  Code  (Act  X.  of  1872),  and  is  empowered  to  hear  all 
appeals  from  the  sentences  of  the  subordinate  magistrates  placed 
imder  him.  He  has  also  a  general  control  over  the  police  of  the 
district  In  the  important  duties  above  enumerated  he  is  assisted, 
according  to  the  different  powers  conferred  upon  them  by  the 
local  government,  by  the  deputy  and  extra  assistant  collectors  and 
magistrates  (European  and  native),  of  whom  there  are  six  in  the 
Karachi  dismct,  six  in  the  Hyderabad,  and  six  in  the  ShikSUpur 
districts.  A  few  of  the  native  assistant  collectors  belong  to  the 
Talpur  family,  to  whom  these  appointments  were  given,  in  order 
that  they  might,  under  British  rule,  exercise  some  share  in  the 
administration  of  their  native  province.  There  are  no  honorary 
magistrates  in  Sind ;  the  last  of  these  were  H.  H.  Mir  Muhammad 
Khan  Talpur  (deceased).  Lower  still  in  the  scale  of  authority 
come  the  native  officers,  who  are  called  Mukhtyarkars  (of  three 
different  classes),  and  Tapadars.  Of  the  former  there  are 
twelve  in  the  KaiSchi,  thirteen  in  the  Hyderabad,  seventeen 
in  the  Shikarpur  Collectorates,  three  in  the  frontier  district,  and 
seven  in  the  Thar  and  Parkar,  having  each  the  revenue  charge 
of  a  ''  Taluka,"  or  subdivision  of  a  Deputy  CoUectorate,  and  the 
latter  of  a  "  Tapa,"  or  cluster  of  villages,  several  of  which  make 
up  a  ^'Taluka."  In  addition  to  being  revenue  officers,  the 
M&khtyarkars  are  subordinate  magistrates  of  either  die  2nd  or  3rd 
classes,  and  as  such,  exercise  magisterial  authority  in  the  TalQkas 
traced  under  their  charge.     The  Tapadars  have  no  magisterial 

F    2 

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68  INTRODUCTION, 

powers  whatever,  their  duties  being  confined  exclusively  to  the 
collection  of  the  government  revenue  from  their  respective 
tapas.  Appeals  from  the  sentences  of  the  district  magistrate 
and  all  first-class  magistrates  lie  to  the  Session  judge,  and  from 
all  subordinate  magistrates  of  either  the  2nd  or  3rd  classes 
to  the  magistrate  of  the  district,  or  to  such  divisional  or  other 
first-class  magistrates  as  may  be  so  empowered  by  the  local 
government. 

Over  the  frontier  district  of  Upper  Sind,  with  an  area  of 
2225  square  miles,  there  is  a  Political  Superintendent,  with 
magisterial  powers,  who  is  also  Commandant  of  the  large  military 
force  employed  in  that  portion  of  the  province.  Under  him,  is 
an  Assistant  Political  Superintendent,  and  a  Deputy  Collector, 
both  of  them  invested  with  magisterial  powers.  To  these,  again, 
succeed  three  Mukhtyarkars  and  a  number  of  Tapadars,  as  in  the 
larger  districts  of  Sind. 

For  the  Thar  and  Parkar  district,  which  has  a  very  large  area 
(about  12,729  square  miles),  but  a  scanty  population,  there  being 
barely  14  souls  to  the  square  mile,  there  is,  at  present,  a  Political 
Superintendent  with  extensive  revenue  and  magisterial  powers, 
and  under  him  a  European  Deputy  Collector,  and  several 
Mukhtyarkars.  Up  to  1856,  the  Thar  and  Parkar  district  was 
under  the  control  of  the  assistant  political  agent  in  Kachh,  but 
subsequently  it  was  incorporated  in  the  province  of  Sind. 

Sind  Police  Force. — The  police  force  employed  in  the 
three  Sind  CoUectorates  consists  of  three  district  superintendents, 
one  assistant  district  superintendent,  thirteen  inspectors,  and  3343 
petty  officers  and  constables  (with  establishments),  who  are, 
according  to  their  duties,  known  as  district,  town,  and  municipal 
police.  The  police,  in  each  of  the  three  CoUectorates,  are  under 
the  immediate  control  of  a  district  superintendent,  the  single 
assistant  superintendent  being  stationed  at  Karachi,  under  the 
superintendent  of  police  of  that  district,  where  he  supervises  the 
municipal  and  city  police  intended  for  the  protection  of  that  town. 
The  police  on  the  Upper  Sind  frontier  number  115,  and  in  the 
Thar  and  Parkar  502  men,  who  are  superintended  by  the  two  chief 
political  officers  of  those  districts,  whUe  the  entire  police  force  of 
the  province  is  controlled  by  the  Commissioner  in  Sind,  who  is, 
for  this  purpose  "Commissioner  of  Police"  as  well.  Cattle- 
lifting  and  thefts  in  general,  are  the  chief  offences  with  which  the 
police  in  Sind  are  called  upon  to  deal.  The  following  table  will 
show  the  proportion  of  policemen  to  area  and  inhabitants  in  each 
of  the  five  districts  of  Sind  : — 


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CIVIL  ADMIXISTRATIOX.  69 

KirSHii     ...  1  Pofimmm  to  12  sq.  miles,  and  to  575  of  tbe  inlttbitaBts. 

Hydermb^d      .     .  1     ditto        to  1 1     ditto       asd  to  S24  dxRo 

Shikaipvr ...  1     ditto        to   9    ditto       and  to  686  ditto 

^^SiBdbon-|  J     jjjj^        \xi\^    ditto       and  to  831  ditto 

TTiar  and  Parkar .  I     ditto        to  25    ditto       and  to  358  ditto 

PaUic  Works  Department. — ^The  Public  Works  Department 
in  Sind,  of  which  the  saperintending  Engineer  of  the  province 
(always  an  oflicer  of  the  Corps  of  Militaij  Engineers)  is  the 
head,  consists  of  ten  execntiTe  engineers^  and  seven  assistants, 
who  are  a  body  kA  graded  officers,  some  being  militarr,  and 
others  nncovenanted  civil  engineer.  Theses  as  executive  engi- 
neers of  districts,  or  assistants,  carry  oat  the  construction  of 
puUic  works,  clearance  of  canals,  &c.  Besides  the  irrigational 
branch  of  this  department,  the  head  of  which  is  styled  the 
Superintending  Engineer  for  Irrigation  in  Sind,  and  his  subor- 
dinate officers,  Sapeiintendents  of  Canal  works  Eastern  and 
Western  Indus,  there  are  the  Local  Fund  establishments,  three  in 
nimiber,  one  in  each  CoUectorate:  These  were  from  the  ist  April, 
1875,  considerably  reduced,  and  the  Local  Fund  Engineer  ap- 
pointments abolished,  the  work  being  now  performed  by  Ae 
r^ular  PuUic  Works  establishment  These  local  funds,  as 
provided  for  by  Bombay  Act  (N^IIL  of  1865),  which  authorises 
taxation  in  the  province  of  Sind  for  objects  of  public  local  utility 
and  improvement,  are  derived  from  the  following  sources,  viz.,  a 
one  anna  cess  on  every  rupee  of  ordinary  land  revenue,  and  die 
same  sum  on  every  rupee  of  Sayer  revenue,  as  weH  as  three  per 
cent  on  die  ass^sable  value  of  alienated  lands.  With  diese 
funds,  roads,  bridges,  public  buildings,  &c,  in  each  district  are 
constructed  and  repaired,  and  the  Local  Fund  establishments  paid. 

The  Irrigational  Department  in  Sind  was.  in  186&,  parceQed 
out  into  six  distinct  charges  or  divisions,  but  latterly  these  have 
been  increased  to  ten,  each  under  the  superintendence  of  an 
executive  Engineer,  widi  establishment  These  charges,  which 
are  in  some  instances  named  after  the  principal  streams  traversing 
the  districts,  are  as  foDows : 

Dirisioa  or  Oiaise.  Distckts  ompRscd. 

1.  Began    ....      The  Began  canal,  Niia  supply  duumei,  the  left 

bonk   (Rohri)  districts,   and  that  part  of  the 
Shikarpor  CoUectorate  watered  by  the  B^ari. 

2.  Ghar That  portion  of  the  SbikarparColIectorate  watered 

by  the  Ghar  and  Western  Naia. 
5.  Rohri  Canal      .     .      The  noithcm  half  of  the  Hyderaba-i  CoDectofatc 
as  far  as  the  Fnleli. 


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70  INTRODUCTION. 


Division  or  Charge.         ;  Districts  comprised. 


4.  Fuleli      .      . 

5.  Eastern  Nara 


6.  Karachi  CoUectorate 


8.  Jacobabad    . 

9.  Sukkur  Canal 


The  southern  half  of  the  Hyderabad  CoUectorate. 
The  country  east  of  the  Hyderabad  CoUectorate 
watered  by  the  Eastern  Nara,  and  the  canals 
derived  from  it. 
The  whole  of  the  Karachi  CoUectorate. 
7.  Desert  Canal  .   i  The  country  along  the  northern  frontier  watered 

by  the  Maksuda,  now  called  the  Desert  Canal. 
The  military  station  of  Jacobabad  and  outposts. 
That  portion  of  the  Shikarpur  CoUectorate  watered 
by  the  Sukkur  Canal. 
10.  Lower  and  Central     '  The  military  stations  of  Karachi  and  Hyderabad, 
Sind      .      .     .     .   ;       the  civil  station  of  Kotri,  and  the  charge  of  all 
the  public  buildings  in   the  Karachi   CoUec- 
torate. 
j 

Though  the  Government  canals  in  this  province  are  all  under 
the  general  supervision  of  the  Executive  Engineers  of  districts,  the 
annual  clearances  in  some  divisions  are  still  carried  out  during  the 
cold  season,  through  the  Deputy  Collectors  and  their  subordinates. 
The  estimates  for  these  clearances  are  prepared  by  the  Sazawalkars 
of  the  Executive  Engineers'  establishments,  so  soon  as  a  sufficient 
subsidence  of  the  inundation  waters  takes  place,  their  work  being 
checked  by  the  canal  overseers  of  the  same  department  of  public 
works,  while  a  Mukhtyarkar,  or,  if  his  services  be  not  available, 
a  Munshi  deputed  by  him  accompanies  the  overseer,  noting  his 
measurements,  as  also  those  of  the  Sazawalkars  as  well. 

CuBtoms  Department. — The  Sea-Customs  Department  in 
Sind,  which  has  its  head-quarters  at  Karachi,  the  only  port  of 
any  consequence  on  the  sea-board  of  the  province,  consists  of  a 
Collector  (who  is  also  Harbour  Magistrate),  an  Assistant  Collector, 
Appraiser,  Inspectors,  and  Deputy  Shipping  Master,  with  office 
establishments.  The  subordinate  ports  of  Keti  and  Sirgando, 
in  the  Indus  delta,  are  in  charge  of  a  Customs'  officer,  but  con- 
trolled by  the  Collector.  The  external  trade  of  Karachi,  which 
may,  in  fact,  be  almost  called  that  of  all  Sind  itself,  will  be  found 
entered  into  in  considerable  detail  under  the  heading  "  Karachi/' 
and  to  be  referred  to  also  in  the  subsequent  chapter.  From  this 
it  will  be  seen  how  greatly  it  has  increased  since  the  conquest  of 
the  province,  in  1843. 

The  Master  Attendant  and  Surveyor  of  the  Port,  who  is  also 
the  Conservator  of  the  harbour,  superintends  the  Pilot  Establish- 
ment, consisting  of  three  pilots,  the  senior  of  these  acting  as 
Assistant-Master  Attendant.  The  lighthouse  and  steam-tug  are 
also  under  the  charge   of  the   Master  Attendant,   who  resides 


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CIVIL  ADMINISTRATIOy\  71 

permanently  at  Manoia  Fort.  Doling  the  last  two  years  the 
trade  of  the  port  of  Karachi  has  greatly  increased — a  &ct  due 
principally  to  the  imiHovements  effected  in  the  harbour,  which 
now  allows  vessels  of  large  tonnage  entering  and  leaving  at  all 
times  of  the  year  without  any  difficulty.  The  Port  estaUishment, 
which  formerly  involved  a  consderable  annual  loss  to  the 
Govenmient,  is  nam  reported  to  be  self-supporting,  and  may  be 
expected  so  to  continue  without  needing  any  further  assistance 
from  Imperial  Funds. 

Postal  Department. — ^The  Postal  Department  in  Smd  is  super- 
vised by  a  Chief  Inspector  of  Post-Offices,  who  is  himself  directly 
subordinate  to  the  Director-General  of  Post-Offices  in  India,  and 
under  him  are  a  Horse  and  Camel  Dak  Mail  Superintendent, 
three  Sub-Inspectors  of  divisions,  three  Post-Masters,  and  sixty-six 
Deputy  and  Sub-Deputy  Post-Masters.  There  are  three  dasses 
of  post-offices  in  Sind,  the  disbursing,  non-disbursing,  and  brandi : 
of  the  former  there  are  three,  situate  at  the  principal  towns  in 
Sind — Karachi,  Hyderabad,  and  Shikarpur.  There  are  forty-eight 
non-disbursing  post-offices,  which  are  in  Lower  and  Upper  Sind 
only,  and  the  branch  offices  number  eighteeoL  The  sea-going 
mails  are  not  under  the  Sind  Postal  Department,  but  are  direcdy 
controlled  by  that  of  Bombay.  The  average  rate  per  hour  at 
which  the  mails  are  carried  is,  by  railway  twenty<one  mfles,  by 
horse  nine,  and  by  Kasids  (or  foot-runners)  four  mfles.  There  is 
also  a  *'*'  Rural  Messenger  Post,**  introduced  in  r868,  which  brings 
villages  at  a  distance  from  the  imperial  lines  into  postal  communi- 
cation with  all  other  parts  of  the  country.  The  postal  depart- 
ment in  Sind,  up  to  r854,  was  placed  directly  under  the  Local 
Govenmient,  but  from  that  year  it  was  incorporated  in  the  Im- 
perial Postal  Department 

Edncational  Department. — ^The  Educational  Department  in 
Sind  is  supervised  by  an  Educational  Inspector,  an  office  formerly 
held  by  the  covenanted  Assistant-Conmiissioncr  in  Sind,  and  he 
is  in  this  duty  assisted  by  a  Deputy  Educational  Inspector,  two 
Asastant-Deputy  Educational  Inspectors,  with  suitable  establish- 
ments, and  eighteen  head-masters  <^  High,  Normal,  Engineering, 
and  Anglo-Vernacular  institutions.  The  total  number  of  Govern- 
ment schools  in  Sind,  of  all  kinds,  in  1873-74  was  213,  divided 
into  Normal,  Engineering,  High,  graded  Anglo- Vernacular  and 
Vernacular  (or  primary)  schools;  of  these,  twenty-six  are  girls' 
schools,  but  female  education,  though  it  has  made  great  progress 
in  Sind  during  the  last  few  years,  may  as  yet  be  said  to  be  only  in 
its  infancy,  a  fact  which  is  mainly  attributable  to  the  preat  mass  of 

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yi 


INTROD  UCTION. 


the  people  being  of  the  Muhammadan  x>€rsuasion.  The  total 
number  of  pupils  attending  these  schools  in  Sind  was,  in  the 
same  year,  12,728,  of  whom  8531  were  Hindus,  and  4139 
Muhammadan,  but  not  more  than  841  of  them  were  then  study- 
ing the  English  language.  The  Normal  schools  are  situate  at 
Hyderabad  and  Sukkur,  and  the  Engineering  school  at  the 
former  town.  The  number  of  Government  Schools  in  existence 
in  1859-60  was  but  20,  and  the  expenditure  on  education  in 
Sind  in  that  year  12,990  rupees,  whereas  in  1873-74,  the  amount 
so  expended  was  2,11,841  rupees.  The  number  of  indigenous 
schools  in  the  former  year  is  not  known,  nor  in  1873-74  can 
their  number  with  pupil  attendance  be  stated  with  any  degree 
of  accuracy. 

This  does  not  appear  to  be  of  much  consequence,  since  the 
instruction  in  the  greater  number  of  these  indigenous  vernacular 
schools  is  of  a  very  poor  and  unsatisfactory  nature.  The  following 
table  will  show  from  what  sources  the  income  of  the  Educational 
Department  was  derived,  and  on  what  objects  the  disbursements 
were  made  during  the  year  1873-74  : 

Receipts. 


Fund. 

School-fee 
Fund. 

Educational    Municipal 
r>««         or  Popular 

Sale 

Proceeds  of 

Books. 

Miscel- 
laneous 
Receipte. 

Total. 

rupees. 
87,979 

rupees. 
8,250 

rupees.     |      rupees. 
69,434        26,612 

rupees. 
6.332 

rupees.     1      rupees. 

5,555      2,04,162 

Disbursements. 


From 
On  what  Account.                               Imperial 
Funds. 

From  Local 
Funds. 

Total. 

On  Inspection  and  subsidiary  charges  . 
On  Government  Institutions      .     .      . 
On  Private  Institutions  receiving  aid'^ 

from  the  Government J 

Book   and   Translation    Departments,' 

and  Special  Allowances   .     .     .      .  j 
Miscellaneous 

rupees. 

22,775 
37,214 

7,763 
20,227 

rupees. 

217 
1,20,979 

2^666 

rupees. 
22,992 
1.58,193 

7,763 

20,227 

2,666 

87,979    1  1,23,862     2,11,841 

1 

The  number  of  schools,  Government  and  private-aided  in  each 
CoUectorate  and  Political  Superintendency,  in  1873-74,  with  the 

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table: 


CIVIL  ADMIXISTRATIOy.  75 

of  papils  attcndiiig  thent,  is  diovii  in  the  accompamriag 


41  8              a.Mo          S17 

Hjdaalmi 67  6                3*^95            ^^22 

9iikajpar S6                                   5,SSi 

Thar  and  Rikar   ...  14                                       761 

Frostier 5                                      151 


213  14  12.72S         1,449 


The  comse  of  instnictioD  in  the  Go^emment    High  Schools 
pgofesses  to  educate  students  up  to  the  maniculation  standird  of 
the  Bombay  Unheisity*  and  that  in  the  Anglo-VeroicTiIar  Schools 
np  to  the  third  Fngtish  standard.     Among  the  printe  iostita- 
tions  the  Emopean  and  Indo-European  Schools  at  Karachi  as 
a]so  the  MJssion2LrT  Schoc^  at  diat  town  and  at  Hyderabad,  teach 
np  to  the  matiicnlatian  standard  of  the  Bomhaj  UniversitT,  b-nt 
the  instmctioD  generally  given  in  the  indigenous  vernacular  s(^k>o1s 
of  the  province  is  poor  in  character,  and  much  belov  the  standard 
observed  in  Govenmient  Schools.     It  is  confined  mainhr  to  the 
reading  of  the  Kuran,  and  in  addition  to  the  vermmhr  a  slight 
knowledge  of  the  Peisian  language.     So  Eu-  as  the  advantages  to 
be  gained  by  education  are  concerned,  the  Hindu  portion  of  the 
population  would  appear  to  appreciate  them  iaj  more  than  is  the 
case  with  the  Muhammadan  community,  and  the  Shikarpor  Col- 
lectorate  is  reported,  in  this  re^)ect»  to  stand  out  ^vourably  when 
<ximpared  widi  the  other  districts  of  the  province.     The  recent 
adoption  of  the   Hindo-Sndi  chaiactcTy  in  an  imjHoved  form, 
in  many  of  the  schools  has,  it  is  considered,  given  a  great  impetus 
to  the  ^read  of  edncation,  more  especially  among  the  Hindu 
rlajpcpj;^  With  whom  this  character,  and  not  the  Arabic-Sindi.  is  in 
vogne.     The  progress  education  has  made  of  late  jrears  in  Sind 
is  remarkable,  and  is  a  result  due  not  only  to  the  exertions  of  the 
officers  of  the  department  themselves,  but  to  the  great  penonal 
interest  taken  in  its  cause  by  the  head  of  the  province,  and  the 
material  aid  he  is  enabled  to  afiord  it  by  his  high  position  and 
influence. 

Chril  Medical  Deportment.— The  Civil  Medical  Department 
in  Sind   consists  of  five   Civil  Surgeons  who  are  stationed  at 


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7  4  INTR  OD  UCTION, 

Karachi,  Kotri,  Hyderabad,  Shikarpur,  and  Jacobabad  in  charge 
of  the  Nara  Jail  and  one  Honorary  Surgeon  stationed  at  Sukkur. 
There  are  also  one  Assistant  Surgeon,  thirty-three  Apothecaries 
and  Hospital-Assistants,  many  of  the  latter  grades  being  in  inde- 
pendent charge  of  the  different  dispensaries  and  other  charitable 
institutions  scattered  about  the  province,  which  are  in  a  great 
measure  supported  from  the  local  funds  of  the  towns  in  which 
they  are  situate.  These  officers  are  to  a  certain  extent  subordinate 
to  the  local  executive  authorities,  but  are  directly  controlled  by 
the  head  of  the  Medical  department  in  the  Bombay  Presidency. 
The  Civil  Surgeons  at  Hyderabad  and  Shikarpur  are  also  in  charge 
of  the  jails  at  their  respective  stations,  and  the  lunatic  asylum 
in  the  province — that  at  Hyderabad  is  under  the  supervision  of 
the  first-mentioned  officer.  The  hospitals  and  dispensaries  are 
inspected  during  the  cold  season  by  the  Deputy  Surgeon-General 
of  the  Medical  Staff  in  Sind,  and  the  jails  about  the  same  period 
by  the  Inspector-General  of  Prisons  in  the  Bombay  Presidency. 
The  interests  of  vaccination  are  attended  to  by  an  officer  specially 
appointed  for  this  duty,  called  the  Superintendent  of  Vaccination 
Sind  Circle,  who  has  under  him  an  establishment  of  native  vacci- 
nators. These  at  present  consist  of  six  native  Assistant-Superin- 
tendents and  fifty  vaccinators,  the  former  superintending  all 
vaccine  operations  in  the  five  districts  of  Sind  and  the  native  state 
of  Khairpur.  Vaccination  has,  for  many  years  past,  been  in  active 
operation  in  the  province,  under  the  supervision  of  officers  of 
the  Government  Medical  Service.  In  1860-61,  Dr.  Martin,  then 
at  the  head  of  the  Vaccination  Department,  thus  wrote  of  its 
progress :  "  Reviewing  the  work  of  the  year,  it  is  satisfactory  to 
be  able  to  state  that  the  people  are  unceasingly  favourable  to 
vaccination,  and  the  vaccinators  move  about  among  them  without 
exciting  ill-feeling  by  their  work,  or  raising  up  a  spirit  of  resistance 
to  the  propagation  of  a  great  benefit." 

During  1874-75  vaccination  was  said  by  Dr.  Williams,  the 
Superintendent  of  Vaccination  in  Sind,  to  have  progressed  favour- 
ably, and  that  no  opposition  was  made  to  it  in  any  part  of  the 
province,  excepting  the  large  towns,  in  which  the  Hindu  com- 
munity was  numerous.  The  agricultural  classes  (who  are  mostly 
Muhammadans)  were  represented  to  be  grateful  for  being  protected 
against  the  ravages  of  small-pox. 

In  that  year  no  less  than  94,252  persons  (53,681  males  and 
40,571  females)  were  vaccinated.  The  re-vaccinations  were  very 
numerous,  amounting  to  48,678.      Of  the  primary  vaccinations 


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CIVIL  ADMIMSTRATIOX.  75 

98'!  per  cent.,  and  of  the  re- vaccinations  85-5  per  ce:;t.«  were 
successTiiL  The  average  cose  inclniing  superintendence,  of  each 
sncoessfiil  case  of  vaccmation  was  four  annas  and  two  pies^ 
Dr.  Williams  also  touches  upon  the  probable  t^cessitv  of  intro- 
dndi^  female  vaccinators  for  the  express  purpose  of  vaccinating 
parda^mishin  womeoL 

Tel^nph  D^Baitmenta — ^The  Indo-European  Telegraph 
Department  was  established  by  the  Indian  and  Home  Govern- 
ments for  the  purpose  of  placing  Endand  and  its  Eastern  posses- 
sions in  more  direct  telegraphic  conmiunication  with  each  other, 
a  want  which  had  been  seriously  felt  during  the  great  mndny  of 
1857.  Early  in  i860  a  tel^raphic  cable,  though  belon-r^  to 
another  company,  had  been  soccessniHy  laid  between  Karachi 
and  Maskat,  and  in  March  of  that  year  the  entire  telegraph  line 
between  Alexandria  and  Karachi,  via  the  Red  Sea,  had  been 
completed  and  messages  sent  and  received,  but  at  the  end  of  that 
same  month  it  altogether  ceased  to  work.  In  October  1864  the 
Indo-Enropean  Tdegraph  Department  brought  about  the  great 
desi<icratnm,  by  laying  a  submarine  cable  1300  miles  long,  from 
Karachi,  vi&  the  Persian  Gulf,  to  Fao.  in  Turkish  Arabia ;  there 
it  joined  the  Turkish  Government  line  of  telegraph,  and  passed 
by  land-line  on  to  Constantinople.  1200  miles  distant,  whence,  by 
varioos  routes,  conmianication  could  easily  be  made  with  Western 
Europe.  There  is  a  land-line,  as  welL  running  from  Kaiaciii 
along  the  Makran  coast,  to  Jask.  on  the  Persian  frontier,  and  this 
is  placed  in  connection  with  the  Persian  port  of  Boshir  by  another 
submarine  cable ;  thence  a  land-line  runs  through  Persia,  joining 
the  Russian  systems  of  tdegraph,  as  also  the  lines  of  Siemen's 
Telegraph  Company,  which  work  direct  to  England,  via  Berlin. 

The  head-quarters  of  the  Indo-Enropean  Telegraph  Department 
are  at  Karachi,  which,  from  its  position,  is  well  suited  for  purposes 
of  supervision.  Their  offices  at  that  station,  erected  in  1865-66, 
at  a  cost  of  2,05,040  rupees  (or  upwards  of  20,000^),  cover  a 
considerable  area  of  ground,  and  are  very  extensive.  They  afford 
ample  accommodation  for  the  large  staff  employed,  consisting  of 
a  Deputy  Director,  Engineer  of  Sulxnarine  Cable,  Traffic-manager, 
Superintendent  of  the  Station,  and  Inspectors,  besides  store- 
keepers, mechanicians,  signallers,  and  others  coimected  with  the 
department 

The  extent  of  tel^raphic  correspondence,  both  governmental 
and  private,  passing  yearly  between  India^  Europe,  and  America, 
may  be  estimated  from  the  following  summar>%  which  extends 
over  a  periofl  of  nine  and  a  half  years  : 


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76 


INTRODUCTION. 


Namber  of  Messages 

Transmitted. 

Gross 

Net 

Ykar. 

Receipts. 

Revenue. 

Commercial 

Govern- 

and Private. 

mental. 

rupees. 

rupees. 

1864-65              \ 
(Oct.  to  March)       / 
1865-66 

3,571 

168 

1,13.625 

57,445 

30,506 

255 

13.93,963 

9,24,667 

1866-67 

29,539 
30,684 

419 

14,16,715 

9,36,971 

1867-68 

996 

15,25,651 

9,88,873 

1868^ 

461389 

1,078 

14,90,687 

9,44,781 

1869-70 

986 

12,44,722 

7,62,300 

1870-71 

40.257 

1,148 

10,16,845 

5,33,017 

1871-72 

30,751 

1,780 

11,34,195 
9,09,188 

5,83,526 

X872-73 

20,199 

1,497 

4,09,920 

1873-74 

28,383 

1. 144 

13, ",371 

5,56,225 

The  decrease  in  revenue  for  the  last  four  years  is  attributable 
to  a  reduction  of  nearly  fifty  per  cent  in  the  tariff,  which  came 
into  force  from  January  1869.  The  opening  of  the  Red  Sea 
route,  in  April  1870,  also  caused  a  decrease  in  the  traffic  trans- 
mitted by  the  Indo-European  line,  but  as  telegraphic  correspon- 
dence is  greatly  on  the  increase  between  British  India,  Europe, 
and  America,  it  is  expected  that  both  lines  will  be  fully  employed. 
The  distance,  by  electric  telegraph,  from  Karachi  to  the  United 
Kingdom,  vi&  Russia,  is  5500  miles,  and  vih  Turkey,  5000  miles, 
and  the  average  rate  of  transmission  of  messages  between  India 
and  England  by  these  two  routes  during  the  past  three  years  ending 
with  1873-74  was  as  follows  : 


Ybaks. 


England  and  India. 
Vii  Russia. 


Vifi  Turkey. 


I  Days.  {  Hrs.  iMins-  Days.    Hrs.  Mins.  Days.  |  Hrs.  iMins.  Days,  i  Hrs.iMins. 


India  and  England. 
Vift  Russia.       I      Vift  Turkey. 


1871-72 
1872-73 
1873-74 


7 

3      30 
3      50 


I    I      I 

I 


II 

5 
3 


Not  compiled. 
49 
15 


20 
16 


34 

32 


Oovemment  Telegraph  Department. — There  is  another 
Telegraph  Department,  known  as  the  Indian  Government  Tele- 
graphs, Sind  Division,  extending  from  Karachi  to  the  frontier 
station  of  Banu  in  the  Panjab.  It  is  under  the  immediate  charge 
of  a  Superintendent  (whose  head-quarters  are  at  Karachi)  assisted 
by  a  staff  of  Assistant-Superintendents,  Inspectors,  Telegraph- 
masters  and  Signallers,  the  whole  being  controlled  by  the  Director- 
General  of  the  Indian  Telegraph  Department.  The  offices  in 
this  province  are  situate  at  Karachi,  Hyderabad,  Sukkur,  Shikarpur, 


uigiuzea  by 


Google 


CIVIL  ADMIXISTRATIOX.  :; 

and  Jacobabod.  Prrrkms  to  iS66  the  Departracnial  o£oes  at 
K^atarht  veie  located  in  a  b-jil.iing  on  the  McLeod  Road  speciillT 
erected  for  this  pcrposc.  in  vhich  the  staff  and  snpennteidenfs 
office  mov  find  quaiters :  bat  after  the  comp<2er:on  of  the  exteasm 
premises  of  the  Indo-£sn>pean  Telegraph  Depoitnient.  a  pordcn 
of  tliese  latter  were  set  apart  as  sajmaKets'  an  i  deiksT  ooBces  for 
the  IiMlian  Government  Telegriphs.  an  arrangement  which  greaidT 
farilitatrd  the  interchange  of  messages  from  one  administntioa 
to  the  odier. 

The  Depiftment  possesses  in  Sind  six  lines  of  electric  com> 
mmucation.  Tiz  :— I,  From  Karachi  to  Hyderabad  fiio  mDcs) ; 
a,  Hyderabad  to  Sokknr  iria  Xanshahro  anJ  Tham^iah)  207 
miles ;  3.  Sokknr  to  Shiklrpur  (24  miles) :  4.  Shikanrcr  to  Jacob- 
abad  (26  miles).  The  5th  b  the  line  under  construction  on  die 
Indus  Valley  Railvay,  vhich  on  completion  viU  do  away  with 
line  No.  2  ;  the  6th  b  that  rmming  from  Hyderabad  to  Chachnu 
tnA  Umarkot  (90  miles),  bat  it  b  under  the  charge  of  the  Super- 
intendent of  the  Rajpatana  Division,  whose  bead-quartersjare  at 
Disa.  The  total  nimaber  of  miles  of  line  in  Sind  b  thos  669.  with 
1913  miles  of  wire. 

Formerly  the  Indus  was  crossed  at  Kotri  and  GiJa-handar  by 
sobmarine  cables,  each  aboat  a  mile  in  length*  bat  owing  to 
freqaent  fitilares  in  communication  resulting  from  varions  causes, 
an  aerial  line  has  now  been  snbstimted.  and  two  lofty  diagonally- 
braced  iron  masts  (each  150  feet  high)  on  either  bank  of  the  river 
serve  to  ^)an  it  with  six  wires  at  such  an  elevation  as  to  allow 
a  headway  during  the  highest  flood  of  nearly  one  hundred  feet. 

The  following  table  will  show  the  amount  and  value  oi  traffic 
passing  through  the  Sind  offices  during  the  three  years  ending 
widi  r874.  Thb  traffic  comprises  the  Inland  and  Foreign  messages 
sent,  and  Foreign  messages  received  and  transit : 


1872  3455  15,29420,29130,3176697548  S491  54,43932,9061,07,598* 
t873  3S49  11,63618,48226,723400  372»  12,039  81 ,833  34, 4701, 23, 9» 
1874       3380     10,81916,17424.543431  3392  19,5^5  i>io.746 39,5501,49,590 

i 


SniT^  and  Settlement  Departments — It  was  not  before 
the  year  t856  that  a  topographical  survey  of  Sind  having  been 

Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


78  INTRODUCTION. 

determined  upon  by  the  Indian  Government,  an  establishment  was 
transferred  from  the  Panjab  to  commence  operations  in  the  northern 
portion  of  the  province.  Previously,  in  December  1853,  the  De- 
partment of  the  Great  Trigonometrical  Survey  of  India  had  visited 
Sind,  in  order  to  measure  a  base  line  for  verifying  the  operations 
from  Simla,  on  the  Himalaya  Mountains,  as  far  as  Karachi. 
Though  the  survey  in  1856  is  called  topographical,  it  was  not 
entirely  confined  to  that  branch  in  its  ordinarily  accepted  sense — 
much  of  it  was  what  is  technically  called  ^^Mauzewary'  that  is, 
where  the  village  boundaries  are  separately  calculated,  and  every . 
detail  of  soil  and  cultivation  exhibited,  with  statistical  returns 
of  population,  crops,  cattle,  and  means  of  agriculture  at  the 
disposal  of  the  cultivators.  The  Rohri  District  in  Upper  Sind 
was  the  first  commenced  with,  after  which,  in  1857-58  and 
1858-59,  the  survey  of  the  Shikarpur,  Sukkur,  and  Jacobabad 
Districts,  as  also  of  a  portion  of  the  hilly  district  of  Karachi,  was 
taken  in  hand  and  finished.  By  the  year  1861-62  the  whole  of 
the  Shikarpur  Collectorate  had  been  completed  as  well  as  the 
native  State  of  Khairpur,  6109  square  miles  in  area,  which  was  all 
surveyed  geographically  in  one  working  season.  During  the  two 
following  years,  that  is  to  say,  up  to  September  1864,  the  Sehwan 
and  Hala  Deputy  Collectorates,  as  also  other  portions  of  the 
Karachi  and  Hyderabad  Districts,  were  surveyed,  the  area,  9566 
square  miles  got  over  on  both  banks  of  the  river  during  1863-64, 
being  the  largest  ever  accomplished  by  the  Sind  Survey  Depart- 
ment in  a  single  working  season.  Up  to  1867-68,  nearly  the 
whole  of  the  Hyderabad  Collectorate  had  been  finished,  and  by 
the  month  of  August  1870,  the  labours  of  the  Department  were 
brought  to  an  end,  the  survey  of  the  entire  province,  including 
the  Khairpur  State  and  the  river  Indus,  having  taken  fifteen  years 
to  execute,  at  a  cost  of  7,72,959  rupees,  the  average  rate  per 
square  mile  for  the  whole  period  being  about  Rs.  17  :  o  :  5.  It 
will  however  here  be  necessary  to  mention  that  a  sum  of 
Rs.  41,474  :  3  :  i.,  the  cost  incurred  during  the  first  season  of 
1855-56,  has  neither  been  included  in  this  total  cost  nor  in  the 
mileage  rate  over  the  whole  period,  for  this  reason,  that  as  no 
boundaries  were  demarcated  for  survey  prior  to  the  transfer  of  the 
establishment  from  the  Panjab,  it  was  almost  exclusively  employed 
in  training  Patwaris,  and  in  performing  duties  for  the  Settlement 
Department ;  the  cost  therefore  for  the  season  ending  30th  of 
September  1856,  cannot  be  considered  as  fairly  applicable  to  the 
area  subsequently  surveyed. 

No  regular  settlement  opperations  were  commenced  in  Sind 


Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


CIVIL  ADMIXISTRATIOX.  -   79 

t31  the  year  1855-56,  nor  was  anr  lesoitmg  settiement  mtrodiiced 
OQ  the  right  bank  districts  till  iS62->63.  or  on  the  left  bank  till 
1863-64-  Revenue  settkmoits  for  short  periods  had,  at  Tarloos 
times  and  in  different  districts  of  Sind*  been  introdiiced  by 
Revenue  Collectors  after  the  conquest  of  the  province,  bat  as 
these  were  done  without  the  advantage  of  a  reg:ilar  system  of 
survey  or  dassificatioD  of  soiL  diey  only  partially  met  the  objects 
for  which  they  were  intended.  In  some  instances  the  assessment 
on  partictilar  descriptions  of  land  was  found  to  be  too  heavy, 
while  in  others  again  it  was  too  lighL  In  1865  the  Settlement 
Department  was  re-oiganised  and  put  up(m  its  present  footing. 
By  this  arrangement  all  Settlement  operaticMis  were  pUced  under 
the  Superintendence  of  two  officers^  designated  Settlement  Ottk^ers 
of  the  Left  and  Right  Banks  of  the  IikIus,  with  two  Deputy  Settle- 
ment Officers,  several  Assistants  of  different  classes,  and  suitable 
native  establishments  to  assist  them  in  their  duties.  In  August, 
r874,  the  right  and  left  bank  surveys  were  amalgamated  and 
placed  under  the  charge  of  one  officer,  now  styled  the  Settlement 
Officer  in  Sind.  Up  to  the  end  of  r874  no  survey  settlement  had 
as  yet  been  introduced  into  the  Frontier  District,  the  Jerrack  and 
Shihbandar  divisions  of  the  Karachi  CoDectorate,  three  of  the 
tahikas  of  die  TaiMla  District,  viz. : — Guni,  Bago,  and  Badin«  or  in 
the  Thar  and  Parkar  Political  Superintendency.  Revised  survey 
operations  have  been  completed  in  the  Sukkur,  Kotri,  and  Sehwan 


talukas.  and  are  in  progress  in  the  Dadu,  Kandiaro,and  Naushahro  j 
tahika-s.  At  the  end  of  that  same  year  (1S74)  a  survey  conference 
was  hdd  at  Hyderabad  to  consider,  among  other  matters,  whether 
any  changes  in  the  mode  of  settlement  in  this  province  could  be 
devised  so  as  to  save  the  large  landholders  ftom  being  pressed 
with  tmdue  severity  by  the  present  system  of  fidd  assessmenL 
With  this  object  in  view  it  was  recommended  tst,  that  leases  at 
sums  below  the  ordinary  settlement  assessment  should  be  sub- 
stituted for  the  fidd  settkment  in  the  case  of  the  larger  land- 
holders, and  and,  diat  assessment  should  be  levied  on  cultivated 
land  (Mily,  the  plan  of  reducing  rates  with  reference  to  £dlows 
bdng  in  ccmsequence  discontinued.  These  recommendations 
were  approved  by  the  Bombay  Government  early  in  Mardi,  1875. 

The  following  concise  and  ludd  descripticm  of  the  different 
tenures  prevailmg  in  this  Province  ~was  written  for  the  seomd 
edition  of  the  Gazetteer  by  lieuL-CokHid  M.  R  Haig,  the  present 
head  <^  the  Setdement  Department  in  Snd. 

Iiand  Tenures  in  Sind. — ^Land  tenures  are  throughout  the 
province  of  an  extremely  simple  character.      Classing  the  land 

Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


So  INTRODUCTION, 

under  the  two  heads,  "Assessed   to   the  State   Revenue"  and 
**  Alienated,"  we  find  it  in  the  occupation  of — 

(i)  Large  proprietors, — a  comparatively  small  but  important 
class. 

(2)  Holders  of  estates  of  a  few  hundred  acres, — the  middle- 
class  gentry. 
'  •.    (3)  A  large  body  of  peasant  proprietory,  all  paying  revenue 
,  '       direct  to  Government  or  to  the  Alienee,~ld'  whom  the  Govern- 
ment rights  in  the  land  have  been  transferred. 
The  other  agricultural  classes  are — 

(i)  Tenants  possessing  a  right  of  occupancy. 
(2)  Tenants-at-will. 
The  latter  class,  though  many  of  them  pass  their  lives  on  the 
same  estate,  yet  possess  no  kind  of  right  of  occupancy,  and  are 
subject  to  such  conditions  as  the  landholder  may  from  time  to 
time  find  himself  able  to  impose  on  them.  A  prudent  landholder, 
however,  knows  it  to  be  for  his  interest  to  keep  on  good  terms 
with  his  tenants,  and  understands  the  benefit  of  maintaining  in 
his  service  a  body  of  cultivators  who  have  grown  up  on  his 
property,  hence  most  of  these  tenants-at-wUl  have  almost  as 
secure  a  footing  on  the  land  they  cultivate  as  if  they  enjoyed 
a  right  of  occupancy.  Their  position  has  become  still  better 
since  the  introduction  of  the  Settlement,  which  in  putting  an  end 
[to  the  monopoly  of  land  previously  enjoyed  by  the  larger  holders, 
has  rendered  the  tenant  class  much  more  independent  than  they 
formerly  were. 

Tenants  possessing  a  right  of  occupancy  are  found  exclusively 

in  North  Sind,  where  such  a  tenant  is  termed  a  "  Mauifisi  Hari," 

literally  "Hereditary  Cultivator,"  his  right  of  occupancy  being 

•   heritable.     It  is  also  transferable  at  the  will  of  the  tenant,  and 

1  Respective  of  that  of  the  superior  holder,  or  Zamindar,  whose 

\   right  in  the  land  is  strictly  limited  to  a  quit-rent,  and  this  he 

cannot  enhance.     In  fact  the  Zamindar  is  in  these  cases  simply 

a  person  possessing  a  certain  hen  on  the  land,  and  although  he 

\   is  the  superior  holder,  he  is  not  allowed  to  pay  the  Government 

'   demand,  which  it  exclusively  belongs  to  the  "  Maurasi  Hari "  to 

discharge.     This  tenure  is  very  prevalent  in  the  Rohri  Division 

and  in  the  Sukkur  Taluka,  less  so  in  the  rest  of  the  Sukkur  and 

Shikarpur  Division,  while  south  of  Larkana  and  the  territory  of 

Khairpnr,  it  is  almost  unknown.     It  appears  to  be   of  foreign 

origin,  and  to  have  spread  into  Sind  from  BahHwalpur  and  the 

.   Paniab,  where  it  is  believed  to  be  common.'*'  The  hereditary  right 

of  occupancy  is  said   to  have  been  acquired  formerly  by  any 

ry  n  ,  ^  ,  Digitized  t)yG005^'^ 

>    ^/yjjt  ^   *^ -^•-^L^fc.*^     ^^'C^  Tn^lC^   Ite,^*     1^  u^:*l  y^/Uy^ 


CIVIL  ADMINISTRATION.  8i 

person  who  reclaimed  land  from  the  jungle  and  brought  it  under 
cultivation.     All  land  at  aU  accessible  to  a  petty  cultivator  being 
claimed  as  in  the  "  Zamindari "  of  some  large  holder,  the  rights  of 
the  latter  were  recognised  by  the  payment  of  a  quit-rent  fixed  for 
ever,  and  the  cultivator  became  the  occupant  of  the  land  with,  in 
fact,  every  right  of  ownership.     Occasionally,  according  to  native 
accounts,  which  seem  to  have  some  pound  of  probability,  the 
tenure  arose  the  reverse  way  to  that  aSove^descnBecir'tluLt  is,  '    , 
instead  of  a  cultivator  acquiring  an  occupancy  in  a  Zamindar*s  ■    " 
land,  a  21amindar  acquired  2^amindari  rights  over  lands  belonging      ^ 
to  peasant  proprietors,  being  foisted   into  this  position  by  the  . 
corruption  of  the  local  ruler  or  the  favour  of  some  successful 
invader.     This  would  account  for  the  fact  that  hereditary  tenancy 
is  found  in  full  vigour  in  the  lands  adjoining  a  populous  town  like 
Sukkur,  and  which  must  have  been  reclaimed  so  many  centuries 
ago  that  to  suppose  the  original  tenure  to  have  come  down  to  the 
present  time  unaltered  and  to  so  many  successors  would  be  mani-  ^  i^, 
festly  absurd. 

The  question  of  what  are  called  "  Proprietary  "  or  "  Zamindari" 
rights  as  pertaining  to  the  larger  landholders  in  Sind   has  been 
much  discussed,  and  opinion  is  still  divided  on  it     It  is  contended 
by  some  that  Zamindari  rights  exist  in  this  province  just  as  much  -%  | 
as  in  other  parts  of  India.      What  these  rightsx9:^nsist  in  has  not   "} 
been  precisely  defined  by  those  who  argue  for  them,  but  they    ' 
appear  to  be  connected  with  waste  land  over  which  it  is  maintained     ; ' 
the  right  of  the  Zamindar  ought  to  remain  in  force,  even  after  he     \ , 
has  relinquished  the  land  owing  to  inability  to  cultivate  it      The 
Muhammadan  law,  the  only  law  to  which  a  Sindi  landholder    ^ 
could  refer  the  matter,  recognises  no  right  in  land  which  has  been    ^ 
more  than  three  years  out  of  cultivation.     Such  land  reverts  to 
the.SUJLe  absolutely.     If  custom  is  to  decide  the  question,  it  would 
be  difficult  to  say  what  the  custom  has  been.     Under  the  Native 
Governments,  the  powerful  landholders  no  doubt  acted  on  their 
own  views  of  their  rights,  while  the  rulers  gave  themselves  little 
trouble  about  the  rights  of  others  so  long  as  their  own  were 
properly  respected.     The  Talpurs  appear  to  have  recognised  no 
special  rights  as  pertaining  to  large  landholders,  and   to  have 
summarily  ejected  the  latter  from  their  lands  when  occasion  arose 
for  such  a  step,  and  in  places  where  they  were  strong  enough  to 
venture  on  it     On  the  accession  of  British  rule,  it  was  found  that 
at  all  events  as  a  Jism/  arrangement  village  communities  wfere 
commonly  divided  into  principal   2^mindar,  minor  Zamindars, 
petty  occupants   (also  calling  themselves   Zamindars),   and   the 

G 

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82  INTRODUCTION, 

**  Hans"  or  cultivators  of  the  larger  holdings.  Where  this  organ- 
isation prevailed,  the  principal  Zamindar  transacted  all  business 
with  Government  on  behalf  of  the  community,  and  from  him  or 
under  his  supervision  the  Government  share  of  the  produce  of  the 
village  lands  was  collected.  On  account  of  this  he  levied  "  Zamin- 
dari  "  (for  his  trouble  as  principal "  Zamindar")  from  all  occupants 
of  the  village  lands  in  addition  to  the  "  Malikano,"  or  proprietor's 
(Malik)  fee  levied  from  the  tenants  of  his  own  particular  estate. 
There  can  be  no  doubt  that  under  the  circumstances  of  the  Native 
Governments  this  was  by  far  the  best,  if  it  was  not  the  only 
possible,  arrangement  for  collecting  the  State  dues.  There  was  at 
least  one  high  authority  *  in  favour  of  continuing  the  system  under 
British  rule.  But  Sir  Charles  Napier  was  strongly  opposed  to  it. 
He  likened  the  larger  Zamindars  to  the  middlemen  of  Ireland,  and 
urged  the  Revenue  Officers  to  displace  them,  wherever  it  was 
possible,  from  their  position  of  village  managers,  and  to  deal  directly 
with  the  occupants  of  land  whoever  they  might  be.  Thenceforth 
the  larger  Zamindars  ceased  to  enjoy  much  of  the  influence  and 
importance  they  had  hitherto  possessed,  and  the  smaller  occupants 
came  to  appreciate  the  advantages  of  being  independent  of  the 
large  proprietors,  and  of  having  their  own  rights  as  holders  of  land 
fully  recognised  by  the  new  Government.  The  policy  of  British 
administration  has  been  to  foster  this  desire  for  independence,  and 
to  place  all  classes  of  landholders  on  precisely  the  same  footing  in 
regard  to  their  obligations  to  the  State.  Recently,  however,  it  has 
been  determined  by  Government  to  accord  certain  privileges  to  the 
larger  landholders  by  giving  them  leases  on  very  favourable  terms 
for  their  holdings,  and  treating  them  as  enjoying  a  tenure  some- 
what similar  to  that  of  the  Zamindars  of  the  North-Westem  Pro- 
vinces and  other  parts  of  India,  The  result  of  this  measure  remains 
to  be  seen./  Under  the  head  of  Alienations  are  comprised — 

.y       I.  Jagirs. 

2.  Pattadaris. 

3.  Khairats  or  Charitable  grants. 

4.  Garden  grants. 

When  the  province  came  under  British  rule  a  vast  extent  of  land 
was  found  to  be  held  in  Jagir.  In  the  Hyderabad  District  the 
Collector  estimated  that  40  per  cent,  of  the  land  was  thus  alien- 
ated. When  the  question  of  the  terms  under  which  succession  to 
Alienations  was  to  be  regulated  first  came  under  consideration,  it 
was  decided  to  regrant  all  cultivated  land  subject  to  a  charge  of 

*  His  Excellency  Sir  George  Russell  Clerk,  Governor  of  Bombay. 

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CIVIL  ADMINISTRATIOX,  83 

one-fourth  of  their  nett  proceeds  and  to  resume  all  waste  land, 
while  lands  originally  granted  for  service — civil  or  military — ^were 
to  be  resumed  on  the  death  of  the  present  incumbent  But  it  was 
soon  found  to  be  necessai}'  to  make  a  distinction  between  the 
various  Jagirs,  and  ultimately  they  were  brought  under  the  fol- 
lowing classification  and  conditions  of  succession : 

Class  I.  —Jagirs  granted  prior  to  the  accession  of  the  Talpurs 

(1783). 

Class  II. — ^Jagirs  granted  by  the  Talpurs  up  to  the  year  18 10, 
the  year  in  which  Mir  Ghulam  Ali,  the  second  of  the  four 
brothers,  who  were  the  first  Hyderabad  Mirs,  died. 

Class  III. — Jagirs  granted  between  1810  and  1833,  the  year 
in  which  Mir  Murad  Ali,  the  last  of  the  four  brothers,  died. 

Class  IV. — ^Jagirs  granted  between  the  last  mentioned  year 
and  the  conquest  by  the  British. 

The  following  were  the  conditions  of  regrant : — 

ist  Class  Jagirs.— To  be  continued  undiminished  and  un- 
assessed. 

2nd  Class  Jagirs. — ^Two  distinct  sets  of  Jagirdars  were 
recognised  by  the  terms  of  succession  under  Uiis  class,  isl. 
The  four  great  Talpur  &milies  of  Shahdadani,  Shahwani,  Mani- 
kani  and  KhananL  A  promise  had  been  made  by  Sir  Charles 
Napier,  when  Governor,  to  the  representatives  of  these  families 
to  remit  in  consideration  of  their  high  position  and  reduced 
means  the  charge  oT  one  fourth  of  proceeds  on  successioiL  This 
promise  was  observed,  and  instead  of  attempting  to  ascertain 
the  exact  extent  of  waste  land  prior  to  resuming  it,  it  was 
decided  to  resume  one-third  of  the  Jagir  waste  lands  in  all  cases. 
Under  the  circumstances  this  arrangement  is  very  liberal  to 
Jagirdars.  The  second  set  of  Jagirdars,  known  as  the  "  Sind 
Sardars,"  comprised  a  considerable  number  of  persons  of  very 
various  d^rees  of  social  position,  and  it  was  found  that  to  apply 
the  fixed  rule  (resumption  of  waste  and  charge  of  one-fourth  of 
proceeds  and  cultivated  land)  in  all  cases  would  operate  most 
injuriously  to  the  interests  of  some  of  the  well-descended  among 
this  class  of  Jagirdars,  while  it  would  be  over  indulgent  to  others 
of  inferior  social  status.  Accordingly  it  was  decided  to  settle 
succession  in  each  case  on  its  own  merits,  taking  into  consider- 
ation various  circumstances  of  social  position,  rank,  and  influence, 
unfettered  by  any  strict  rule  of  proceeding,  and  the  result  of  the 
Settlement  was  that  about  one-sixth  of  all  the  Jagir  land  held  by 
the  Sardars  was  permanently  alienated. 

G    .* 

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84  INTRODUCTION, 

3rd  Class  Jagirs. — To  be  regranted  undiminished,  but  sub- 
ject to  payment  of  one-fourth  proceeds  for  one  succession  after 
the  death  of  the  incumbent  at  date  of  the  battle  of  Meeanee. 

4th  Class  Jagirs. — To  lapse  on  the  death  of  the  incumbent 
at  the  date  of  the  battle  of  Meeanee. 

In  Jagirs  of  all  classes  succession  is  strictly  limited  to  lineal  heirs 
male,  and  all  are  subject  to  a  cess  of  5  per  cent  on  account  of 
local  funds. 

The  Pattadari  grants  are  confined  to  a  very  limited  district, 
comprising  portions  of  Shikarpur,  Sukkur,  and  Naushahro  Abro 
Talukas,  situated  in  the  tract  of  country  formerly  known  as  "  Mog- 
huli,"  and  under  the  Afghan  Governor  at  Shikarpur.  These  grants 
are  in  fact  of  Afghan  origin.  Settlers  of  that  nationality  having 
obtained  from  their  Governments  deeds  (pottos)  of  reduced  assess- 
ment on  lands  which  they  had  purchased  from  Sindi  proprietors,  or 
reclaimed  from  the  waste,  were  the  ancestors  of  the  present 
Pattadars.  The  Talpurs,  when  they  had  succeeded  in  ousting  the 
Afghan  Government  from  North  Sind,  recognised  these  grants, 
and  they  were  confirmed  by  the  British  Government  on  the  ground 
of  "long  enjoyment."  The  Pattadari  has  now  become  a  rent 
charge,  a  fixed  proportion  of  the  revenue  of  certain  lands  being 
paid  over  by  Government  to  the  Pattadar.  The  charitable  grants 
require  little  notice.  They  are  assignments  to  Saiyads,  Fakirs,  and 
others  of  land,  shares  of  revenue,  money  or  grain,  which  length  of 
enjoyment  before  the  advent  of  British  rule  was  held  to  be  a  proper 
ground  for  confirming. 

Garden  grants  comprise  lands  under  garden  cultivation  held 
either  free  of  assessment  or  on  reduced  rates  under  Sanads  granted 
by  former  Governments  or  by  our  own.  According  to  rules 
framed  by  Sir  Bartle  Frere,  such  grants  are  ranged  under  two 
classes  :— 

I. — Held  without  assessment. 
II. — Held  on  the  quarter  ordinary  assessment  on  garden 
land. 

These  grants  are  subject  to  the  condition  that  the  gardens  are 
properly  maintained.  They  are  continuable  to  lineal  heirs  male, 
and  provided  the  grantee  complies  with  certain  conditions,  they 
may  be  mortgaged,  sold,  or  otherwise  transferred. 


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(      55 


CHAPTER  V. 

MISCELLAXEOUSc 

POPUUOIOX  OF  SDfD  AXD  ITS  PRINCIPJLL  TOWXS  :   T^  TWO  G&ilkT 

riJLSSES MUHAMMJIDAXS   AND  HIXDUS  ;    SUFDITISIOX    INTO 

TRIBES  AND  CASTES  ;  THEOt  RELIGION,  LANGUAGE,  EDUCATION. 
LTrOLATURE,    DRESS,    AND     CEREMONIES —SIRHS — RELIGIOUS 

MENDICANTS REVENUE  OF  SEND;   LAND  AND   SAVER;   CANAL 

REVENUE  AND  COST  OF  CLEARANCES — TRADE  OF  SIND  ;  COTTON, 
WOOLyAND  SALT — RARIcUI  HARBOUR  IMPROVEMENT  WORKS — 
SIND  RAILWAY — KARACHI  INDUSTRIAL  EXHIBITION  OF  1S69 — 
CONCLUSION. 

Fopnlalioii. — It  is  inqxKsible  to  coojecmiey  with  anj  attempt  at 
even  tolcsable  accuracy,  wliat  was  the  popolatioii  of  Sind  dming 
the  several  native  dynasties  which  nikd  the  Province  before  its 
conquest  by  the  British,  and  this  for  the  sauflc  reason  that  no 
ccnsns  seems  ever  to  have  been  taken  in  diose  times.  Barnes  in  his 
visit  to  Sind  estimated  the  total  popoladon  at  not  more  than  one 
million,  orsoiiiCthiDg  mwe  than  sixtem  to  thcsqnare  mile ;  botthis 
was  evidently  mere  guesswork,  as  he  had  no  correct  data  afforded 

him  pprw  whirli  fn  ha«*  any  atkfartnry  ralrtibtvii       Bot  Thomton 

does  not  hesitate  to  r^ard  this  as  even  too  high  an  estimate  when 
the  great  extent  of  arid  desert  and  the  general  imperfect  cnld^-adon 
of  the  coontiy  are  taken  into  aocoonL  It  is  the  same  with  the 
pc^Milation  of  the  {nndpal  towns,  for  no  two  authorities  seem  to 
be  agreed  on  the  subject,  and  the  number  of  inhabitants  has,  in 
nearly  evciy  case,  been  variously  estimated  by  difiRerent  writers. 
In  tbMS  year  1856  a  census  seems  to  have  been  taken,  from  which 
it  was  found  that  exclusive  of  the  territory  of  His  EGghness.  Mir 
Ali  Muiad  Khan,  the  number  of  inhabitants  in  Sind  was  1,772.367. 
Of  these,  i,355,89r  were  Muhammadans  of  difierent  tribes,  and 
363,295  Hindus  of  various  castes,  the  remaining  53,181  con- 
sisting, it  was  said,  of  peofde  prc^essing  other  rdigions.  In  1859 
the  nimaber  was  believed  to  have  increased  to  1,795,594  souls, 
though  this  was  thought  to  be  too  high  an  estimate  since  the 
population  of  the  Thar  and  Parkar  District  was  reported  to  have 


86  INTRODUCTION, 

actually  decreased,  owing  to  famine  and  its  consequent  mortality. 
By  the  latest  census— that  of  1872,  the  entire  population  of  Sind, 
again  excluding  the  native  State  of  Khairpur,  was  found  to  have 
reached  2,203,177,  or  430,810  more  souls  than  in  1856,  the  gain 
in  fifteen  years  being  thus  about  26  per  cent  By  the  same  census 
(1872)  the  number  of  inhabitants  in  the  Khairpur  State  was  found 
to  be  130,350 ;  this  will,  therefore,  give  a  grand  total  of  2,333,527 
souls  for  all  Sind,  or  about  41  persons  to  the  square  mile.  About 
the  year  1840,  Shikarpur  appears  to  have  been,  the  most  populous 
town  throughout  Sind,  Postans  estimating  the  place  to  contain 
nearly  30,000  people,  of  whom  one-third  only  were  Muhammadans. 
Hyderabad  held  the  second  place  with  20,000  souls  (Burnes* 
estimate).  Then  follow  Karachi  and  Khairpur,  each,  according 
to  the  same  authority,  with  15,000  inhabitants.  Tatta  had 
12,000,  and  each  of  the  following  towns — Mirpur  Khas,  Hala, 
and  Larkana — 10,000  souls.  Karachi  now  heads  the  list  with  a 
population  estimated  by  the  latest  census  at  56,753  souls,  including 
the  military  garrison.  This  is  even  less  than  that  taken  in  1856, 
when  the  number  was  ascertained  to  be  56.879.  It  is  generally 
believed  that  the  present  population  of  Karachi  stands  at  a  higher 
figure  than  is  shown  by  the  last  census  of  1872.  The  number  of 
inhabitants  in  the  towns  of  Shikarpur  and  Hyderabad  is  much 
about  the  same,  the  majority  inclining  to  Shikarpur  with  38,170, 
while  the  latter  has  35,272 ;  but  the  towns  of  Tatta,  Hala,  and 
Mirpur  Khas  have  dwindled  away  to  7,951,  4,096  and  1,280 
inhabitants  respectively. 

The  people  inhabiting  the  Province  of  Sind  may  be  divided 
into  two  great  classes — the  Muhammadans  and  the  Hindus,  the 
former  being  by  far  the  more  numerous  and  comprising  quite  two- 
thirds  of  the  entire  population. 

Muhammadans. — The  Muhammadan  portion  again  may 
be  divided  into  two  great  bodies— first,  the  Sindi  proper,  and 
second,  the  natuialised  part  of  that  community,  such  as  the  Saiyads, 
Afghans,  Balochis,  Africans  (or  Sidis),  Memons  and  Khwajas. 

The  Sindi  may  be  considered  as  the  descendant  of  the  original 
Hindu  population,  who  were  converted  to  Islamism  during  the 
rule  of  the  Ummayide  dynasty  of  khalifas.  At  the  time  (a. d.  713) 
when  the  province  was  invaded  by  the  Arabs  under  Muhammad 
Kasim,  there  was  in  existence  a  large  and  flourishing  Hindu 
kingdom,  guarded  by  a  well-appointed  and  efficient  army.  It 
was  easily  conquered  by  the  Muslim  invaders,  and  by  them  was 
entrusted  to  a  family  of  Sindi  converts,  whose  descendants  are  still 
settled  in  the  country. 

The  character  of  the  Sindi  is  thus  described  by  Captain  Burton, 


zeu  Dv  "N—J"  v^  \_^ 


5- 


MISCELLANEOUS.  87 

vhose  knowledge  and  intimate  acquaintance  with  the  people 
inhabiting  the  great  valley  of  the  Indus  make  him  a  competent 
authority  on  this  point : 

"^  The  Sindi  is  taller  and  more  robust  than  the  native  of  India. 
He  is  of  dark  complexion,  and  tolerably  strong  and  muscular :  but 
idle,  apathetic,  notoriously  cowardly  and  dishonourable,  addicted 
to  intoxication,  unclean  in  his  person,  and  immoral  in  the 
extreme.  His  character  has  been  debased  by  constant  collision 
with  the  more  hardy  and  ^-alorous  hill  tribes,  who  have  always 
treated  him  as  a  serf,  and  by  his  perpetual  dependency  upon 
Hindu  Shrofife  and  Banyas,  who  have  robbed  him  and  im- 
poverished him  to  the  utmost." 

This  unfavourable  estimate  of  the  Sindi  would  appejir  to  be 
borne  out  by  other  authorities,  for  we  find  Pottinger  representing 
him  to  be  **  avaricious,  fiill  of  deceit,  cruel,  uugratefiil,  and  such 
a  stranger  to  veracity,  that  among  bordering  nations  the  term 
'  Sindian  dog '  is  synom-mous  with  *  treacherous  liar/  " 

Bumes,  on  the  other  hand,  speaks  favourably  of  those  uith 
whom  he  came  in  contact  during  his  journey  through  the  province, 
observing  that  they  were  kindly,  grateful^  faithful,  and  of  unim- 
peachable honesty,  as  he  and  his  company  lost  nothing  in  their 
progress  through  the  country,  though  all  they  possessed  was  at 
the  mercy  of  the  rude  individuals  casually  drawn  to  serve  as 
guards  or  servants.  Qoser  acquaintance  with  the  Sindi  shows 
him  to  possess  many  good  quahties ;  he  is  quiet  and  inofieosive, 
though  it  must,  at  the  same  time,  be  admitted  that  he  is  exces- 
sively lazy  and  indolent 

In  religion  the  Sindi  is  a  Suni,  though  some  of  them  belong 
to  the  Shia  sect  There  are  few  learned  men  among  them, 
notwithstanding  that  the  course  of  study  pursued  by  their 
Akhiinds  (or  instructors)  lasts  from  fifteen  to  twent}'  years.  Burton 
thus  describes  the  system  and  subjects  in  which  instruction  is  given  : 
''  The  student  b^ins  with  Arabic  grammar  and  syntax,  then 
proceeds  to  maniak  (logic),  and  reads  from  two  to  five  elementary 
works ;  next  to  ma-nni-bayan  (or  rhetoric),  and  reads  firom  one  to 
three  books  m  it  The  pupils  are  then  considered  suificiendy 
learned  to  study  the  Kuran,  with  its  different  tapsu  (or  conmien- 
taiies).  The  Hadls  (or  traditionary  sayings  of  the  Prophet),  and 
other  branches  of  education,  viz.,  theology,  astrology,  magic, 
alchemy,  mathematics,  &c.,  are  occasionally  studied." 

There  are  very  many  large  clans  or  families  among  the  Sindis, 
numbering  proluibly  more  than  three  hundred.  As  a  rule,  there  is 
no  distinction  of  caste,  except  that  followers  of  certain  avocations 


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88  INTRODUCTION, 

are  considered  low  and  vile.  Thus  the  kori  (weaver),  dhedh  and 
chamSr  (workers  in  leather),  bale-shahi  (sweepers),  and  dapher 
or  shikari  (huntsmen),  are  so  held  in  abomination.  The  latter, 
though  Musaimans,  eat  carrion,  live  in  the  different  shikargahs 
(or  hunting  preserves),  and  are  not  permitted  to  enter  a  mosque. 
When  one  of  this  tribe  wishes  to  become  a  good  Musalman,  he 
lights  four  fires,  and  stands  in  the  middle  until  sufficiently  purified 
by  the  heat.  After  this  ordeal  he  is  allowed  to  enter  the  Machhi 
class. 

"  The  Sindi  language,"  says  Burton,  "  is  perfectly  distinct  from 
any  spoken  in  India.  It  is  used  with  many  varieties  from  the 
northern  boundary  of  Katiawar  as  far  north  as  Bahawalpur,  and 
extends  from  the  hills  in  the  west  to  the  desert  which  separates 
Sind  from  the  eastern  portion  of  the  Indian  peninsula.  Its 
grammatical  structure  is  heterogeneous,  the  noun  and  its  branches 
belonging  to  the  Sanskrit,  whereas  the  verb  and  adverb  are 
formed  apparently  upon  the  Persian  model.  The  dialect  abounds 
in  Arabic  words  which,  contrary  to  the  usual  rule  in  India  and 
Central  Asia,  constitute  the  common  not  the  learned  names  of 
things.  Pure  as  well  as  corrupted  Sanskrit  words,  perfectly  un- 
intelligible to  unlearned  natives  of  the  Indian  Peninsula,  are 
perpetually  occurring  in  Sindi." 

Dr.  E.  Trumpp,  a  later  authority,  thus  writes  of  it  in  1872  : — 
**  The  Sindi  is  a  pure  Sanskritical  language,  more  free  from  foreign 
elements  than  any  other  of  the  North  Indian  vernaculars.  It  is 
much  more  closely  related  to  the  old  Prakrit  than  the  Marathi, 
Hindi,  Panjabi  and  Bangali  of  our  days,  and  it  has  preserved  an 
exuberance  of  grammatical  forms  for  which  all  its  sisters  may  well 
envy  it.  The  Sindi  is  by  no  means  an  easy  language,  but  is  on 
the  contrary  beset  with  more  intricacies  and  difficulties  than  any  of 
its  Prakrit  sisters.  Still,  on  the  other  hand,  it  amply  repays  the 
philologist  for  the  labour  he  may  bestow  on  it ;  for  the  Sindi  has 
preserved  a  great  many  forms,  for  which  we  look  in  vain  in  the 
cognate  idioms.  The  Sindi  which  is  spoken  within  the  boundaries 
of  Sind  proper  is  divided  into  three  dialects,  which  grammatically 
differ  very  little  from  each  other,  but  offer  considerable  dis- 
crepancies in  point  of  pronunciation.  The  dialect  of  Lower  Sind, 
comprising  the  Indus  delta  and  the  sea-coast,  is  called  Idri^  from 
Lar,  by  which  Lower  Sind  is  designated.  The  dialect  spoken  north 
of  Hyderabad  is  called  Siraikiy  from  Siro,  by  which  upper  Sind  is 
designated.  The  dialect  in  vogue  in  the  Thar,  or  desert  of  Sind,  is 
called  thareii,  from  *  thar '  the  desert." 

The  literature  contained  in  the  Sindi  language  is  not  considered 


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MISCELLAXEOCS.  S9 

toberf  niiidiaccxiant,copaBtuigiiiosriToftnn4ario^ 
works  00  di%iiiii%  and  monl  tales,  as  veQasa  fev  rade  poems  oq 
diepc^Nilar  tnditiansoftfaecoaDtiT.     These  bncr  vere  camposed 
br  Smdi  Mnhammadans,  acd  aie  written  in  the  Anbtc  character 
called  die  ^  xl^Ju.'* 

Among  the  six  difieient  classes  natmahsed  in  Sind  are  the 
four  great  fannflirs  of  the  Saiv-ads :  the  Bc^dbaii.  ^fataii,  Shiiaii. 
and  die  IjekhiriTi.  some  of  vfaom  have  been  setded  in  the 
coontij  for  about  three  hnndied  yeaiSL  Ther  vere  greatlr 
patronised  by  die  princes  of  the  Kalhcxa  drnastT,  and  succeeded 
in  obtaining  consideiable  giants  of  land  from  sooccssiie  nijers  oi 
that  honse;  bat  tfaej  foond  the  Tai^Nus.  thtegh  of  the  same  sect, 
were  not  iwtincd  to  be  so  libeiaL  Another  of  these  classes^  the 
Asians  (ot  Fathans),  who  came  originalhr  from  Khorasan.  rive 
also  been  settled  in  Sind  for  some  generations,  and  are  g:cDer2CT 
foond  about  Hyderabad  and  in  nordiem  Skik^  They  are  ^ 
sopenor  to  die  Soidi  in  peisonal  a{^)earano:,  strengdi.  and 
ootnage. 

The  Sind  Balochis  are  the  descendants  of  a  mountain  tribe, 
inhabiting  the  tract  of  coontir  known  as  Balochisthaa,  to  the  west 
of  the  range  of  mountains  which  separate  it  from  Sind.  Ther  are 
said  to  hare  come  odgioaDj  from  Aleppo  in  Syria.  Many  of  them 
settled  in  Sind  when  the  Talpor  goremment  snocecded  that  of 
the  Kalhons^and  ieeei%ed  as  a  reward  for  their  senrices  lands  and 
pensions.     Bntcm  has  thos  drawn  die  rhanrtrr  of  the  Balodi : 

^  He  is  a  ^superior  being  to  the  Sindi;  is  frirer  in  complexion, 
more  poweriidly  foimed,  of  a  haidier  constitntion,  and  when 
intoxicated  soflidend j,  bnTe  in  battle.  He  has  his  own  ideas  of 
hcMKNir,  de^Nses  cowardice,  and  has  no  smaD  diare  of  national 
pride.  At  the  same  time,  he  is  addicted  to  intoxication,  debauched 
in  his  manneis,  slow  in  everything,  except  the  canning  of  a  savage> 
TU^ent  and  revengdol ;  his  manners  are  rough  in  the  extreme : 
his  amnsements  are  chiefly  fidd-spoits  and  drinking,  and  his  food 
is  coarse  and  distastefbL" 

In  religion  they  are  Sonis,  but  the  Ta^inr  Miis  on  their  coming 
to  Sind  became  votaries  of  the  Shia  sect  The  Balochis  are,  as 
a  rule,  grosdy  illiterate,  and  their  language,  which  is  very  httle 
known,  appears  to  contain  no  hterature  except  tiie  productions 
of  tbdr  Bhats  (or  bards).  The  number  of  dans  setded  in  the  plains 
is  nearly  eighty,  and  of  these  the  Rind  is  the  chieC  but  many  of 
these  subdivisions  merely  denote  families,  or  the  descendants  of 
men  of  renown  whose  names  the  families  bear. 

The  fourth  of  the  naturalised  classes  are  the  ^ves  (or  Sidis). 


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90  INTRODUCTION, 

who  were  originally  Africans,  and  came  into  Sind  by  way  of 
Maskat  They  were  known  as  Zanzibaris,  Bombasis,  and  Habshis 
(Abyssinians),  and  were  generally  imported  and  sold  when  young. 
They  became  the  inmates  of  the  families  which  purchased  them, 
and  lived  so  comfortably,  that  at  the  conquest  of  the  province  by 
the  British,  emancipation  was  to  them  rather  an  evil  than  a 
benefit  They  do  not  marry,  as  a  rule,  out  of  their  own  caste, 
and  their  progeny  were  slaves  like  themselves.  When  a  Muham- 
madan  Sindi  married  a  Sidiani,  the  half-caste  offspring  was  called 
a  Gaddo,  while  the  children  of  a  Sindi  father  and  a  Gaddo  mother 
were  known  as  **  Kambranis." 

Of  the  last  two  classes  on  the  list  of  Muhammadans,  the  Memons 
and  Khwajas,  Burton  thus  writes  : 

"The  Memons  are  found  settled  in  Sind,  especially  about 
Hyderabad,  Sehwan,  and  Karachi.  They  doubtiess  were  originally 
Kachhi  Hindus,  who  became  Muslims,  and  probably  emigrated 
to  Sind  during  the  Kalhora  rule.  Their  avocations  are  trade, 
agriculture,  and  breeding  camels ;  their  dress  is  that  of  the  Sindi, 
and  their  faith  that  of  Abu  Hanif  i.  Some  of  them  are  very  learned 
men,  and  they  have  done  more  than  any  other  class  to  introduce 
the  religious  sciences  into  Sind  No  class  of  people  in  Sind  is 
more  highly  spoken  of  than  the  Memon. 

"There  are  but  few  Khwajas  settled  in  Sind  Their  own 
account  of  themselves  is  that  they  originally  emigrated  from 
Persia,  and  it  is  almost  certain  that  they  fled  from  their  native  country 
when  the  Ismailyeh  heresy  (to  which  they  still  cleave)  was  so 
severely  treated  by  Halaku  Khkn.  They  differ  from  the  Ismailiyehs 
in  one  essential  point,  viz.,  whereas  that  people  only  believe  in 
seven  Imams,  the  Khwajas  continue  the  line  up  to  the  present 
day.  They  are  therefore  heterodox  Shias,  as  they  reject  Abuba- 
kar,  Omar,  and  Osman,  and  reverence  Ali,  Hasan  Husain, 
Zainul  Abidin,  Muhammad-i-Bakr,  and  Imam  Giafari  Sadik.  The 
Khwajas,  male  and  female,  all  wear  white,  red,  and  coloured 
clothes,  avoiding  dark-blue,  the  usual  colour  of  the  country.  They 
have  their  own  Mukhi  in  Karachi,  and  never  go  to  the  Muslim 
Kazis  to  settle  their  religious  differences.  Under  the  Mukhi 
are  a  number  of  inferior  officers  called  Waris,  and  their  probity 
(among  their  own  caste)  and  strictness  of  life  are  highly  spoken 
of."     At  present  the  Khwajas  are  numerous  in  Karachi. 

HinduB. — ^The  Hindu  population  of  Sind  may  be  divided 
into  the  following  principal  castes  or  divisions :  Brahmans, 
Kshatrias,  Waishias,  and  Sudras,  with  their  different  subdivisions, 
all  of  which  have  been  so  well  described  by  Captain  Burton  in 

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MISCELLAXEOCS.  91 

his  writings  on  the  ''customs,  language,  and  literature  of  the 
people  oi  Sind,'  that  copious  extracts  are  here  made  from  them. 
''The  Hindu  portion  of  the  community  occupies  in  Sind  the 
same  social  position  that  the  Muhammadans  do  in  India.  It  is 
very  probable  that  few  or  none  of  the  Hindu  ^milies  which 
existed  in  Sind  at  the  time  of  the  first  Muslim  inroad  have 
survived  the  persecution  to  which  they  were  subjected,  and  it  is 
most  likely  that  by  degrees  they  were  either  converted  to  Islam- 
ism,  or  emigrated  to  another  land.  The  present  lace  is  almost 
entirely  of  Panjabi  origin,  as  their  features,  manners,  religion, 
ceremonies,  and  opinions,  as  well  as  their  names,  sufficiently  prove.'* 

Of  the  Brahmans  we  find  two  chief  castes  which  do  not  inter- 
marry, viz.,  Pokamo  and  Sarsudh.  The  former  are  Shewaks  (or 
worshippers)  of  Maharaj,  and  are  therefore  pure  Hindus.  They 
do  not  eat  flesh ;  they  wear  the  tarban,  not  the  Sind  cap ;  they 
shave  their  beards  and  dress  very  much  like  the  common  trader 
or  Shaukars.  The  Pokamo  considers  himself  superior  to  the 
Sarsudh ;  he  can  generally  read  if  not  understand  Sanskrit,  and 
is  skilled  in  drawing  out  the  '*  Janam-patri,"  or  horoscopes  of 
children.  Few  of  this  caste  learn  Persian  or  undertake  business 
of  any  kind,  public  or  private.  They  live  by  instructing  the 
Hindus  in  their  Dharma  or  religious  duties,  by  deciding  horary 
<|uestions,  and  writing  out  the  Tripno  or  astrological  aspect  of  a 
man's  fortunes,  &c.  They  are  much  respected  by  their  inferiors 
in  caste,  and  even  by  those  who  profess  the  Sikh  fiiith.  To  the 
sanctity  of  their  name  and  origin  they  add  the  prestige  of  a 
tolerably  strict  life,  never  drink  spirits,  and  never  marry  out  of 
their  own  caste.  The  Pokamo  takes  the  affix  Das,  Ram,  Chand, 
Rai,  Mai,  Ji,  and  Misr  before  or  after  his  name;  as  Misr 
Sukhdevji,  Taro  Misr. 

The  Sarsudh  worships  Mahadeva  (or  Shiva),  and  Bhauani  his 
Sakti  (or  consort).  Most  of  the  Tirthas,  or  places  of  Hindu 
pilgrimage  in  Sind  and  Balochisthan,  are  sacred  to  the  latter 
deity, — ^as  Hinglaj — the  Makli  Hills  near  Tatta  and  Dhara  Tirth 
in  the  Laki  HiUs  near  Sehwan.  The  Sarsudh  only  abstains 
from  certain  kinds  of  flesh,  as  that  of  the  cow,  tame  fowls,  and 
other  impure  meats ;  he  eats  the  deer,  kid,  sheep,  wild  birds  of 
most  species,  fish,  and  onions.  The  meat  is  always  bought,  as 
most  castes  of  Hindus  in  Sind  will  not  kill  any  animals  themselves. 
The  Sarsudh  marries  in  his  own  caste.  As  regards  dress,  he 
wears  the  clothes  of  a  Shaukar  or  Hindu  merchant,  and  shaves 
the  beard.  Most  of  them  wear  a  white  tarban,  whereas  the 
Pokamo  prefers  a  red  one;   and  the  former  will   occasionally 


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92  INTRODUCTION. 

assume  the  costume  of  an  amil  (or  an  individual  in  civil  employ* 

ment),  whereas  the  latter,  as  a  rule,  never  does  so.     There  are 

considerable  numbers  of  this  caste  at  Hyderabad  and  Sehwan. 

Few  of  them  learn  Persian,  but  confine  themselves  to  Sanskrit  and 

the  Gurmukhi  writings,  and  it  is  very  rare  to  find  any  of  them 

engaged  in  Government  business. 

/  /;  >m/j6<^     Of  the  Kshatrias  there  are  but  few  who  can  lay  claim  to  the 

honours  of  that  caste,  and  here  it  may  be   observed  that  it  is 

^ '-'  general  throughout  India  for  the    different  castes    of   fighting 

\^\  ^\      Sudras,  whose  peculiar  Dharma  or  religious  duty  it  is  to  engage  in 

^.-     '  war  and  plunder,  to  call  themselves  Kshatrias,  although  according 

^J\  ^    to  Hindu  history,  all  that  race  was  annihilated  by  divine  wrath, 

..  /...'i  *'*     Burton  affirms  that  the   Kshatria  of  Sind   is  almost  invariably 

'^  ^  a  Wani  or  Banya,  who  becomes  a  follower  of  Nanak  Shah*s  faith  : 

•  M    in  other  words,  a  common  Sikh ;  but  this  statement  is  by  others 

/  ^/  (/»' '^     held  to  be  altogether  incorrect     He  generally  en^ges  m  trade ; 

some  of  them  are  amils,  and  their  studies  are  usually  confined  to 

^i<     Gurmukhi  and  the  writings  of  the  Gurus.     They  wear  no  peculiar 

*'  costume,  and  do  not  necessarily  shave  or  wear  the  beard;  they 

are  either  deists  or  worshippers  of  the  Hindu  deities  indifferently, 

and  feed  like  the  Sarsudh  Brahmans. 

Of  the  Waishia,  Wani,  or  Banya  caste,  there  is  one  great  family, 
the  Lohano.  It  is  as  usual  divided  and  subdivided  almost  ad 
infinitum^  but  the  distinguishing  features  of  the  race  are  still 
sufficiently  prominent.  To  treat  of  the  Lohano  caste  is  to. 
describe  the  main  body  of  Hindus  in  Sind.  The  Lohano  wears 
.  tEethread  of  the  twice-born,  though  he  is  a  very  imperfect 
specimen  of  the  Waishia  race.  He  eats  meat,  drinks  spirits^  and 
will  not  object  toUsh  and  bnions.  Some  are  followers  of  the 
Vaishnia  faith,  others  worship  the  different  incarnations  of  Shiva 
and  his  consort ;  some  again  are  of  the  Sikh  faith,  while  others 
venerate  the  river  (Indus)  god  and  his  Vazir,  under  the  respective 
names  of  Jind  Pir  and  Udero  LaL  Their  devotions  are  neither 
frequent  nor  regular;  they  generally  content  themselves  with 
attending  the  Mela,  Jatra,  and  Darsan  (i.e.,  different  kinds  of 
religious  fairs  and  meetings),  where  a  great  deal  more  licentious- 
ness than  devotion  is  to  be  met  with. 

They  are  said  to  possess  a  few  works  in  Sindi  written  in  the 
Khudawadi  character,  but  their  prayers  are  usually  in  the  Panjabi, 
rarely  in  the  Sanskrit  or  Persian  languages. 

The  Gurus  (or  religious  instructors)  read  and  explain  books  to 
their  followers,  and  the  Lohanos,  who  engage  in  trade,  always 
keep  their  Vahiyun   or  books  in  the   rude  and  all  but  illegible 


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MISCELLAXEOUS,  93 

Sindi  character.  The  two  £adths  are  found  mixed  up  in  an 
annsoal  way  in  Stnd;  the  Hindu  will  <^ten  become  the  Mnrid 
(disciple)  of  a  Muslim,  and  vice  vtrsa.  So,  too,  the  same  Pits,  or 
saints,  bmied  in  different  parts  of  the  counlry,  are  not  only 
respected  by  indiridnab  of  both  rdigicms,  but  the  Hindus  will  all 
have  one  name  for  each,  and  the  Mnhammadans  anodier.  Thus, 
the  former  venerate  the  river  god  under  the  name  of  Jind  Pir, 
whereas  the  latter  call  him  Khwaja  Khizr;  in  the  same  way 
Udero  Lai  becomes  Shekh  Tahir;  Lain  Jasraj  is  convened  into 
Pir  Mangho  (Magar  Pir) ;  Raja  Bhartari  is  called  Lai  Shahbaz. 
Of  course  the  Hindus  claim  these  w<»thies,  most  probably  with 
more  justice  than  the  Musalmans,  who  have  merdy  alter«]  the 
name  for  their  own  purposes^ 

Contrary  to  die  practice  of  high  caste  men  in  India,  it  is  said 
in  ^nd  that  Hindus  who  have  been  forcibly  made  Muslims  and 
ctxnpeDed  to  undergo  drcumdsion,  say  the  Kalima,  attend  the 
mosque,  and  eat  the  flesh  of  the  cow,  can  be  admitted  into 
their  original  Dharma  by  gcnng  through  certain  ceremonies  aiMl 
paying  hi^^ily  fcnr  die  luxury.  As  a  rule^  however,  this  is  not 
permitted. 

The  Lc^iano  may  be  divided  into  two  great  classes  accoiding 
to  their  several  occupations:  Fust,-  the  amils  or  Goverrmient 
servants :  and  secondly,  the  Shaukars,  Hatwara,  Pokhwara,  &c., 
Le:,  merchants,  shopkeepers,  agriculturists,  &a 

The  amils  have  adopted  the  Musafanan  costume,  wear  the 
topi  (cylindrical  hat),  the  beard  long,  the  suthan  (or  drawers), 
and  onfy  shave  the  crown  of  the  head.  They  do  not,  however, 
trim  the  nnistachios  according  to  the  Sunnat,.  but  often  put  on 
the  Tilak,  or  sectarian  mark,  and  wear  the  shirt  with  a  gore  across 
the  left  breast,  whereas  the  Muhanomadans  always  have  the  opening 
down  the  n^  side.  The  amils  have  not  adc^ted  circumdsion, 
and  neidier  eat  nor  intermarry  with  the  followers  of  Muhammad. 
Like  other  Lohanos,  they  eat  the  same  meat  as  the  Sarsndh 
Brahman,  buy  flesh  from  Musahnans  (as  it  is  unlawful  for  them 
to  kill  anydiing),  and  drink  water  from  the  hand  of  their  inferiors 
in  caste.  Their  marriages  are  expensive,  and  seldom  cost  less 
than  five  or  ^  hundred  rupees,  consequently  many  remain  single 
tin  late  in  life.  They  seldom  take  more  than  one  wife,  and 
tflifJikg,  though  win  not  refuse,  to  marry  a  widow.  In  the 
Rhndabadi  caste  of  Lohano,  if  a  girl  beccMnes  a  widow  early 
in  life,  the  deceased  husband's  brother  generally  marries  her. 
The  ceiemcmy  preliminary  to  marriage  is  caUed  Mangno,  or 
betrothal ;  it  is  conducted  through  the  intervention  of  a  Sarsudh 


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94.  INTRODUCTION. 

and  a  Jajik  (musician)  and  their  wives.  The  two  males  enter  into 
a  treaty  with  the  father  of  the  intended  bride,  and  the  females 
conduct  matters  between  the  women  of  the  two  families.  If 
agreed  upon  they  wait  for  the  first  lucky  day,  and  then  send  to 
the  sister  or  sister-in-law  of  the  bridegroom  a  dish  of  sweetmeats 
and  cocoa-nuts  as  well  as  a  few  rupees.  This  and  a  few  other 
ceremonies  being  duly  concluded,  both  parties  patiently  await 
the  means  of  matrimony.  The  nuptial  ceremony  is  a  matter  of 
no  small  consequence ;  it  lasts  from  nine  to  thirty  days  ;  a  large 
sum  is  expended  in  feasts ;  Brahmans  and  Gurus  attend  to  read 
out  the  different  formulas,  and,  lastly,  the  bride  is  taken  to  the 
bridegroom's  house. 

As  regards  education,  the  amil  used  to  begin  by  going  to  a 
Brahman,  where  some  ceremonies  were  gone  through,  and  the 
Sanskrit  alphabet  was  read  to  him.  He  then  attended  some 
Akhund,  or  teacher,  and  read  from  morning  till  night,  with  a  short 
break  about  the  middle  of  the  day.  The  first  book  was  the 
Babnamo,  or  spelling-book;  next,  a  short  collection  of  verses 
called  the  Sat  Kitabi,  then  the  Gulistan  of  Saadi,  lastly  the  Insha 
of  Harkaran.  He  also  translated  Persian  into  Sindi  vivA  voce, 
learnt  to  write  the  former  tongue,  and  began  arithmetic.  When 
he  had  acquired  the  elements  of  the  latter  study,  he  was  introduced 
into  one  of  the  Daftars  by  some  relation,  and  he  there  put  into 
practice  that  of  which  he  had  learned  the  theory. 

As  regards  the  general  appearance  and  character  of  the  amil 
he  may  be  described  as  a  more  robust,  and  better-looking  man 
than  the  common  Sindi,  and  this  difference  may  be  accounted 
for  by  his  indulging  in  meat  diet,  and  in  spirits  instead  of 
bhang. 

He  is  rather  acute  than  talented,  and  evinces  much  readiness 
in  accounts,  and  in  managing  money  matters.  Even  the  Mirs, 
with  all  their  hatred  and  contempt  for  Kafirs,  could  not  collect  or 
dispose  of  their  revenues  without  the  aid  of  Hindu  amils.  But 
although  the  native  rulers  had  checks  over  their  officers,  no  Mir 
could  ever  consider  himself  safe  from  the  most  impudent  frauds. 

Some  of  the  Shaukars  (or  Sets),  wear  the  costume  of  the  amil, 
others  are  dressed  like  the  common  Hindu  shopkeeper,  and  agri- 
culturists. The  clothes  of  the  latter  are  a  tarban,  an  angarkho 
(or  long  cotton  coat),  a  lung  or  poteyo,  a  kind  of  dhotar,  a 
kamarbund  and  a  bochhan,  or  handkerchief  thrown  over  the 
shoulders.  They  shave  the  beard,  but  do  not  trim  the  mustachios; 
wear  the  janio  (thread),  and  tilak,  and  shave  the  crown  and 
back  of  the  head,  so  as  to  leave  merely  a  choti  (or  lock  on  the 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


MISCELLAXEOUS,  95 

top),  and  diuna  (or  bunches  of  hair  00  ^tfaer  side).  For  his 
edncatioii  the  tnukr  goes  to  a  Wajho  (or  HiDdii  teacher),  who 
instmcts  him  in  the  Banja-Sindi  alphabet,  reading  and  writing, 
together  with  a  little  aiithmetic  and  Ixx^-keepiiig.  In  a  year  or 
two  he  b  supposed  to  have  finished  his  studies,  and  'begins  to 
learn  his  bnmicggs  by  pvactice.  It  is  needless  to  say  that  these 
indiridnals  prove  thonsdves  to  be  very  acute,  and  diow  the  same 
aptitude  for  business  as  their  breduen  in  India.  Some  of  them, 
as,  lor  instance,  the  Shikarpuii  merchants,  wander  orer  all  Centrjl 
Asia,  and  it  is  comnxMily  said  in  Ai^ghanistan,  **  that  everywhere 
yon  meet  with  a  Jat  and  a  Kirar  *  (or  Sindi-Banya). 

The  names  of  the  amils,  merchants,  shopkeepers,  and  other 
members  of  the  Waishia  class,  are  nsuaUy  of  Sanskrit  derivation, 
and  the  different  affixes,  MaL  Chand,  Rii,  Ram,  Das,  Lai,  &c., 
are  generally  added  to  the  individuaTs  name. 

Of  the  Sudra,  cnr  servile  caste,  there  are  several  varieties.  They 
have  aH  adopted  thg.  Janio  (thread)  and  Tilak,  and  intermarry  in 
their  own  castes.  The  Sonaro  is,  properly  speakings  a  mixed 
caste,  descended  from  a  Brahman  fadier  and  a  Sudra  nx>ther.  In 
Bind  he  is  considered  as  one  of  the  servile  race,  and,  like  his 
brethren  elsewhere,  is  distinguished  for  a  superior  degree  of  crafti- 
ness,  and  is  usually  a  wealthy  man  for  his  station  in  life.  The 
Hindu  females  in  Sind  wear  a  profusion  of  ornaments,  and  the 
Mnhammadans  have  imitated  the  custom,  but  in  a  lesser  degree. 
The  Khati,  €«  dyer  caste,  is  a  large  one  in  Snd,  as  coloured* 
cdothes  are  mudi  used  by  bodi  Hindus  and  Musalmans.  They 
generally  live  at  some  distance  firom  the  large  towns,  but  many 
are  nevertheless  found  there,  and  there  is  no  religious  prejudice 
against  them.  The  "  Sochi.*  or  shoemaker,  will  not  dress  or  tan 
leather ;  he  buys  it  from  the  Muhanmiadan  Modii  (or  tarmer),  sews 
it,  and,  if  required,  embroiders  it  with  silk.  The  Hajam  (or  barber) 
generally  comes  from  about  Jaisalmir,  but  he  is  of  Sindi  extrac- 
tion, and  wears  the  dress  of  his  own  country,  diough  his  tarban  is 
generally  of  the  Jaisalmir  form. 

The  above  are  the  chief  Sudra  castes  in  Sind ;  they  worship 
Mahadev  and  Devi,  and  have  no  priests  but  Brahmans.  The 
names  of  the  Sudras  may  be  known  by  the  absence  of  the  affixes 
Ram,  Mal,  &c.,  as  also  by  the  use  of  the  appdlation  of  the  caste 
after  the  individuaTs  own  name,  thus :  Teju  Wahan,  Parsn  Sonaro, 
Haru  Khati,  Khatan  Sochi,  &a 

Slkha. — Besides  these  different  classes  of  Hindus,  there  are 
now  a  good  many  of  the  nondescripts  called  ^khs,  resident  at 
Hyderabad,  Sehwan,  and  other  places    in   Sind.      They   have 


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96  INTRODUCTION. 

separated  into  two  grand  divisions,  viz.,  the  Lohano  Sikh,  and 
the  Akali,  or  Khalsa.  The  main  difference  seems  to  be  that  the 
latter  will  eat  some  meats,  such  as  the  domestic  fowl,  which  the 
Lohano  will  not  touch,  and,  on  the  contrary,  the  former,  in  cases 
of  mourning,  will  shave  their  faces,  whereas  the  latter  will  never 
allow  a  razor  to  touch  their  hair  or  beards.  Their  devotions  are 
in  the  Panjabi  language,  and  their  holy  books,  as  the  Adi  Granth, 
the  Dashama  Granth,  and  the  Panj  Granth,  are  composed  in  that 
dialect,  and  written  in  the  Gurmukhi  character.  These  sacred 
volumes  are  placed  in  Dharamsalas,  or  places  devoted  to  their 
reception,  and  a  fakir  (called  an  udhasi),  with  a  murid  (a  young 
follower,  technically  called  a  "  tahlio  *'),  are  set  to  watch  over  and 
preserve  them. 

Religious  Medicants. — Of  the  religious  medicants  in  Sind 
there  are  the  Sanasi,  Jogi,  Gosain  and  Ogar,  all  of  whom  are 
of  Brahman  origin.  The  Sanasi  has  ochre-coloured  clothes,  and 
wears  a  tarban,  and  not  a  cap.  He  subsists  by  begging,  and 
acquires  great  consideration  by  the  sale  of  his  mantras  and  jantras 
(charms).  He  worships  Mahadev,  and  never  marries.  If  he  dies 
in  the  course  of  nature,  he  directs  his  body  to  be  disposed  of 
either  by  dhartidak  (burying  in  the  earth),  or  jaladak  (throwing 
into  the  water).  The  former  is  generally,  the  latter  only  occa- 
sionally, practised. 

The  Jogis  have  ochre-coloured  clothes,  but  wear  caps  instead  of 
'  tarbans.  Their  habitations  are  called  '*  astan,"  and  they  hve  by 
the  same  means  as  the  Sanasi.  When  dying,  they  are  not 
allowed  to  lie  down,  but  are  placed  in  a  sitting  position,  leaning 
forward  on  a  bairagin  (a  wooden  pillow).  For  the  Jogi's  tomb 
they  dig  a  pit,  fill  it  half  full  of  salt,  place  a  pahuri  (mattock)  in 
the  hand  of  the  corpse,  and  then  seat  it  upon  the  layer  of  salt, 
in  the  position  called  patrole  (cross-legged),  with  the  arms  resting 
on  the  bairagin.  Salt  is  then  again  thrown  over  the  body,  and 
earth  above  it.  Some  great  men  of  the  caste  have  a  tomb  of 
bricks,  and  a  lamp  lighted  before  it. 

The  Gosain  is  in  appearance  like  the  Sanasi,  lives  by  alms  and 
presents,  and  often  amasses  a  considerable  sum  of  money.  He 
is  generally  thrown  into  water  when  dead. 

The  Ogar  resembles  the  Jogi,  as  the  Gosain  does  the  Sanasi. 
He  carries  a  piece  of  hollow  stick,  fastened  by  a  thread  round  his 
neck,  and  invariably  blows  through  it  before  undertaking  any 
action. 

All  the  four  classes  above  mentioned  worship  Mahadev,  Gorak- 
nath  (a  son  of  Mahadev  according  to  their  account),  and  Babaki- 

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MISCELLANEOUS,  97 

nath,  a  peculiar  avatar  of  Goraknath,  worshipped  at  HingUj,  in 
Balochisthan,  and  so  called  from  the  Sindi  word  bhabhkan  (to  boil 
up),  because  when  a  votary  approaches  the  holy  spot  ti^  mud 
boils  up  of  its  own  accord. 

The  Hindu  females  in  Sind  appear  to  be  fond  of  intrigue, 
especially  among  their  own  people,  and  possess  a  considerable 
share  of  personal  beauty.  It  is  not  the  custom  for  respectable 
individuals  of  either  religion  to  travel  about  with  their  women,  or 
to  take  them  to  foreign  countries ;  they  usually  leave  them  under 
the  charge  of  their  parents  and  friends.  In  places  where  this 
practice  is  universal,  as,  for  instance,  in  Shikaq)ur,  it  is  not  un> 
usual  for  a  husband  to  return  home,  after  a  long  sojourn  in 
foreign  lands,  and  find  his  wife  with  a  small  family  of  her  own. 
Hie  offended  party,  however,  seldom  allows  these  incidents  to 
interfere  with  the  domestic  tie,  and,  after  inflicting  a  mild  chas- 
tisement, thinks  no  more  about  it,  but  treats  the  £sitherless  o&pring 
with  a  truly  paternal  kindness. 

All  the  Hindus,  with  the  exception  of  the  religious  mendicants 
only,  bum  the  bodies  of  their  dead  When  a  rich  man  is  near 
death,  copious  alms  are  then  distributed  to  the  poor ;  but  if  not 
wealthy,  a  little  wheat  and  ghi  are  considered  sufficient  After 
death  the  mourners  bring  seven  pieces  of  pure  wood,  as  that  of 
the  tamarisk  tree,  to  make  up  the  tatti  (or  bier).  'Upon  this 
juar  stalks  are  placed,  then  some  white  cloth,  next  a  layer  of 
cotto^i,  then  a  piece  of  fine  cotton  cloth,  and  lastly  the  corpse  in 
a  ''  khafan  "  (kind  of  shroud),  with  a  shawl,  a  piece  of  kimkhab 
mashru,  gulbadan,  or  khudbaf,  thrown  over  it,  is  tied  down  with 
fine  string.  Peifumes  and  flowers  are  also  thrown  upon  it,  and 
after  a  few  short  ceremonies,  the  bier  is  raised  by  four  of  the 
nearest  relations,  who  are  reUeved  of  their  burden  by  other  friends 
of  the  deceased  at  certain  intervals.  When  arrived  at  the 
«<  masan  "  (burning-place),  a  pot  fiill  of  cold  water  is  thrown  over 
the  body,  which  is  placed  upon  a  pyre  of  babul  wood ;  a  Brahman 
then  approaches,  puts  a  piece  of  money  and  other  articles  in  the 
mouth  of  the  corpse,  after  which  the  four  relatives,  who  first  raised 
the  body,  light  the  pyre  at  the  comers.  The  moumers  retire  till 
the  corpse  is  consumed,  when  they  walk  round  the  pyre  three 
times,  bathe  and  return  home.  A  vast  variety  of  ceremonies  then 
follows,  and  the  routine  is  not  usually  finished  till  the  expiration 
of  twelve  days. 

Rerenne. — ^The  revenue  of  the  province  of  Sind  is  derived 
mostly  firom  the  land,  quite  two-thirds  of  the  whole  amount  being 

H 

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98 


INTRODUCTION. 


drawn  from  this  source,  but  the  fluctuating  nature  of  the  annual 
inundation  of  the  river,  upon  which  nearly  all  the  cultivation  is 
mainly  dependent,  at  times  considerably  affects  this  important 
item  of  the  state  revenue.  As  a  general  mle,  remissions  of  revenue 
are  disallowed  in  those  parts  of  the  province  where  the  survey 
settlement  has  been  introduced,  except  when  any  extraordinary 
injury  happens  to  the  crops.  Nor  are  the  causes  of  a  failure  of 
crops  in  Sind  few  or  unfrequent ;  blight  at  times  affects  them  to 
some  extent;  overflooding  by  the  river  waters — and  the  consequent 
destruction  of  bandhs  is  occasionally  a  serious  calamity ;  while  the 
visitation  of  locusts  in  a  single  season  produces  such  wholesale 
mischief  and  devastation,  as  to  necessitate  the  grant  of  remis- 
sions to  a  very  considerable  extent  From  this  last  cause  alone 
a  remission  of  upwards  of  if  lakhs  of  rupees  had  to  be  made 
during  the  revenue  year  of  1869-70.  The  land  revenue  of  Sind 
has,  notwithstanding  these  obstructions,  steadily  increased  in  a 
highly  satisfactory  manner,  and  this  is  especially  noticeable  as 
regards  the  Shikarpur  CoUectorate,  and  the  frontier  district  of 
Upper  Sind.  The  net  land  revenue,  after  deducting  alienations 
and  remissions,  which  in  1853-54  was  21,56,336  rupees,  had  in 
1873-74  risen  to  nearly  40  lakhs  of  rupees.  The  following  table, 
showing  the  annual  average  of  net  land  revenue  for  three  distinct 
periods,  each  of  six  years*  duration,  will  more  clearly  demonstrate 
the  gradual  increase  which  has  of  late  years  attended  this  particular 
item  of  the  state  revenue  : 


DXSTKICTS. 

Average  for  Six 

Years  from  1856-57 

to  x86x-6a. 

Average  for  Six 

Years  firom  2862-63 

to  1867-68. 

Average  for  Six 

Years  from  1868-69 

to  t«73-74- 

Frontier  (upper  Sind) 

Shikarpur 

Hyderabad     .... 
Thar  and  Parkar  .     .     . 
Karachi 

Total  land  revenue    Rs. 

rupees. 
89,690 
12,89,044 

10,74,164 
1,28,708 

5,56,555 

rupees. 

1,88,115 

16,53,072 

10,09,162 

1,28,377 

6.40,472 

rupees. 

2,30,603 

17,25,721 

",16,556 

2,22,508 

6,27,140 

31,38,161 

36,19,198 

39,22,528 

The  total  receipts  from  Sayer  {Sdir)  revenue  during  1873-74 
amounted  in  the  aggregate  to  i7,SS>648  rupees.  This,  as  a  source 
of  revenue,  collected  from  the  different  districts  in  Sind,  is 
shown  in  the  following  statement  for  the  three  years  ending 
1873-74 : 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


MISCELLANEOUS. 


99 


DiSTKICTS. 

1871-7*.         1          t87*-73                     ««7J-74 

Frontier  (Upper  Sind)    .     . 

SbOcarpiir 

Hydcrabwl 

Karachi 

Customs 

Thar  and  Piikar .     .     .     . 

Total  rupees  .     .     . 

5^^  !  ^^7  '  X559 
4.31.945  1  3.59.771  :  3.«.i»7 
4,18,755  j  4.07.574  3.88.862 
5.37.607  .  5.40,102  5.49.859 
5.31.832      !    3.91.439      '    3.68,921 

92,430      1        75.5«9      '        77.260 

20,66,691      j  18,12,702      1  17.55-648 

The  entire  Govenunent  lerenae,  after  deducting  alienations, 
from  the  five  districts  in  Sind,  including  also  customs'  coUectioiiSy 
and  the  chaiges  of  collection  of  this  reyenue  for  the  year  1873-74, 
are  shown  in  (me  and  the  same  table  as  follows : 


DisTucrs. 


RcTemie. 


Frontier  (Upper  Sind)      .     .  3,12,058 

SkOcarpnr 19,06,309 

HTdenbad 14,49,443 

Karachi 1  10,21,878 

Thar  and  Paikar    .     .     .     .  >  3,11,105 

Cvtonis I  3,68,921 

I 

Total  nipees     -     .     •  !  53.69.7i4 


19,870 
1.67,196 
1.57.637 
1.53.740 

46,021 

50,498 


5.94.962 


One  of  the  most  important  chaiges  against  income  is  the  cost  of 
canal  clearances.  From  1853-54  up  to  1864-65,  a  period  of 
twelve  jears,  no  less  a  sum  than  51,74,561  rupees  had  been  ex- 
pended, including  establishments  on  canals  generally  throughout 
the  province,  excepting  on  those  in  the  Thar  and  Parkar  District, 
the  largest  expenditure  being  in  the  Hyderabad  CoUectoratCy 
where,  during  the  six  years  ending  1864-65,  the  expenditure  on 
revenue  was  very  nearly  28  per  cent,  and  the  smallest  in  that  of 
Shikarpur,  where  the  expenditure  was  only  a  little  over  6  per  cent 
The  cause  of  this  excessive  cost  in  the  former  district  is  attributable 
in  a  great  measure  to  the  number  and  length  of  the  canals  to  be 
cleared  out  by  Government  agency,  those  in  the  Hyderabad 
District  being  in  this  respect  much  more  numerous  than  is  the  case 
in  either  the  Shikarpur  Collectorate  or  elsewhere  in  Sind.  The 
total  expenditure  on  canals  throughout  Sind  in  the  year  1872-73 
was  9,03,950  rupees,  out  of  which  sum  2,80,942  rupees  alone  were 
spent  on  the  canals  in  the  Hyderabad  District 

The  entire  canal  revenue  for  the  year  1872-73  and  1873-74, 
as  also  the  expenditure  for  the  years   1871-71  and    1872-73, 


ICO 


INTROD  UCTION. 


in  the  different  districts  in  Sind,  are  shown  in  the  following 
table: 


Districts. 

Revenue. 

Expenditure. 

287a-73. 

«873-74- 

x87x-7a. 

i87a-73. 

KariLchi 

Hyderabad     .... 
Shikarpur       .... 
Frontier  District  .     .     . 
Upper  Nara  (ShikarDur),) 
Lower    Nara,    Mithrau 

branches J 

Total   .... 

rupees. 

5.58,431 

10,45,144 

'\&. 

3,22,681 

rupees. 
5,22,222 
9,76,248 

13,78,407 
1,79,081 

1,82,308 

rupees. 
1,92,211 
3,04,978 
1,70,961 

45,469 
87,738 

rxipees. 
1,44,814 
2,80,942 
2,82,832 

50,997 

1,44,365 

35.03,969 

32,38,266 

8,01,357 

9,03,950 

The  receipts  from  the  Sind  Forest  Department,  a  most  im- 
portant source  of  revenue  to  Government,  have  already  been 
referred  to  in  Chapter  I.,  page  14. 

Trade. — In  referring  to  the  trade  of  the  Province  of  Sind,  so 
much  of  it  is  concentrated  at  its  chief  port,  Karachi,  under 
which  heading  it  will  be  found  entered  into  in  considerable 
detail,  that  an  account  of  it  as  carried  on  there  will  almost  suffice 
for  the  entire  province.  To  show  that  this  is  so,  the  real  value  of 
the  total  imports  and  exports  of  merchandise  and  treasure  in  the 
Province  of  Sind  and  its  chief  port,  from  and  to  foreign  ports 
and  ports  in  other  Presidencies  of  British  India,  are  here  supplied 
in  the  following  tables  for  a  period  of  five  years,  ending  with 
1873-74 : 

IMPORTS. 
Province  of  Sind  (excluding  Karachi). 


MerciuiTMiise      •     •     .     .     • 

Stores  on  Govemment  account 

Treasure— Private  Trade  .     . 

„          Government     .     . 

Total  rupees  .     . 

1869-70. 

x870-7t. 

1871-72. 

1872-73. 

X873-74- 

rupees. 
3,90,299 

43.836 

rupees. 
4.12.347 

74.650 

rupees. 
4.49.456 

59.459 

rupees. 
5.X7.387 

39.353 

rupees. 
3.78.054 

a4V369 

3,34.oa8 

4.86.997 

5.08,915 

5.49.740 

4.02.493 

Karachi. 


Merchandise 

Stores  on  Government  account 
Treasure— Private  Trade 

Total  rupees 

1870-71. 

1871-72. 

1872-73. 

X873-74.    1 

rupees.     |    rupees.     |    rupees. 
2,04,35,881  1,78,92.9x3  1,58,78,167 
18,50.064       9.o8,oo6|     11,47,334 
3,89.i9x       x.49.ao8       3.xo,396 
38,109,          a4»ooo] 

rupees.     |    rupees. 

1.58,84.9001,6^.28,759 

6,12,064       8.71,252 

a.36.553       X. 27,228 

i,o2,8o2       3,17,000 

2,27,i3,a45Ji,89,24,i27Ji,73,35,897ji.68, 36,319 1.77,44,839 

uigiuzeu  uy  v_j  v-/\_^ 


'5- 


MISCELLAS^EOCS.  ici 

EXPORTSl 
P«afT!scE  or  Scsi:    ^n-icxoBc  KaaXzei^ 


*-=-2  »-a6         >-s 


Tac^iipin  -     -      '•■'Z  Iq     i4-X«-^i     Ti.Tg.V-     a«. 


C^lfc-HT, 


,    s.JB  n4  U-x>a».r'.iigT.5c.»3r-ja«=>-^-'n>g 


^ 


Hicdiief  staple  anacks  of  export  ^^ra  Sctl  are  ccm.:;!:.  voci, 
and  gnin  of  £&rcsr  kisbis. 

CottoOL — ^As  cocoQ  his  Ssr  sereal  veazs  post  beccae  zs 
article  of  GOosidexahCie  coczraexcbl  export  c^xa  g:^r^-—  x  v:Z 
be  oecessaiT  here  to  gite  some  ncdce  of  :be  lemazkilue  lae 
of  this  iiupuiiazit  static,  d^  proif^ce  of  bccii  dx  Pmiic  «-^ 
SdmL  Thb  latter  prvTiace  touatih  zzpoctcd  :=«  ccccc  x 
needed  to  the  amnrnir  of  nasr  tboosan-ds  of  =s=:iis  anmaZy. 
pnnopaHj  from  Karhh  aad  Ggjtrar,  bcr  acocr  li^c  r=e  pissr 
be^an  to  be  caknrated  dreasrerr  zi  Siz^  hyf:  Iz  li^x. 
coCtoo,  of  dte  indfgcnoss  kz^i  ocly.  was  £r^  ex^xittei  ^riia  Simi. 
and  diis  giadoalhr  jrwin^rd,  uZzi  iS6c  is rrar r-jcd  23,123;. 90c  Tra , 
or  63.734  pressed  boks.  and  2^220  cvts.  gc  zripresaer:  ccc::c  ; 
a^aun.  in  1870  the  qszasfn-  exported  readei  25.739.51S  "rgu  or 
^9*759  pressed  bales,  aad  12.324  cwts.  of  znpressed  cceon.  :ae 
largest  qomtkir  of /rcij^/coctoa  ever  seer  ^om  ±e  pcTrt  -f  KiTirr: 
in  anr  smgle  jear.  AH  ths  coooo  was  not  biTwrrcr  the  pnyarr 
of  Sind.  the  aresage  jieki  at  present  bcxa^  e«cc  more  rstn  fpsa 
18,000  to  20JO00  bojes  anTTOiily.  from  a  cgiLiiated  area  of  ^rya. 
55,000  to  6aooo  acres,  dtoogh  k  is  cakrslitrd  tfaat  ae  ptjilaue 
possesses  at  least  dixee  beHsobs  of  acres  capaMr  of  giuwiag  tbe 
planl.  The  tcmaxader  ss  sade  cq>  of  GoctOB  scat  from  the  M^taa. 
Laikor.  and  Amzxtsar  ^BSakts  of  die  Fmjab»  whka  s  aevcrtfie' 
less  known   ic   dae  home   mafkgt>  mder  tbe  ::-^iik  of  ^SEed." 


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I02 


INTRODUCTION. 


The  quantity  of  cotton  pressed  and  impressed  exported  to  Bombay 
and  foreign  ports  from  1863  to  1874,  a  period  of  twelve  years,  is 
as  follows : 


Pressed  bales  .... 
Unpressed  cotton.  Cwts  . 

1863. 

1864. 

1865. 

x866. 

1867.       x868. 

19,114 
321,773 

38,705 
148,543 

32,07363,734 
10,77329,220 

42,40330,9" 

7, 3211  6,384 

Pressed  bales  .... 
Unpressed  cotton.  Cwts  . 

1869. 

187*.        1871. 

2873. 

2873.  1  X874. 

39,491 
11,362 

69,75952,18745.36332.40725.866 
12,324   2,019   2,539       890   3,470 

A  pressed  bale  of  Sind  cotton  contains  on  an  average  395  lbs., 
upon  which  a  fee  of  four  annas  would  represent  a  tax  per  pound 
of  •  1 2  pies,  one  of  three  annas  a  tax  of  only  •  09  pies  per  pound, 
and  of  two  annas  but  *  06  pies.  The  following  table  will  show  the 
quantity  and  value  of  the  exports  of  raw  cotton  from  Karachi  from 
1863-64  to  1873-74,  taken  from  the  records  of  the  Collector  of 
Customs : 


Year. 

Quantitv  in 
Pounds. 

Value. 

rupees. 

1863-64 

4,18,15,131 

2,11,60,043 

1864-65 

2,07,43,381 

1,06,31,206 

1865-66 

2,51,44,183 

96,55,403 

1866-67 

1,73,92,887 

58,00,023 

1867-68 

1,31,74,016 

40,18,334 

1868-69 

1,45,06,332 

47,11,707 
74,71,837 

83,01,551 

1869-70 

2,14,80,723 

1870-71 

2,45.19.383 

1871-72 

2,15,40,445 

62,66,055 

1872-73 

1,49,16,129 

43,71,244 
38,19,305 

1873-74 

1,38,94.359 

The  Cotton  Frauds  Act  (Bom.  IX.  of  1863)  ^^is  introduced  into 
Sind  in  March  1864.  By  it  a  cotton  inspector  with  a  small 
estabUshment  was  appointed  to  carry  out  the  provisions  of  the 
Act,  and  a  small  fee,  at  first  four  annas,  but  afterwards  reduced 
to  three  annas,  and  again  to  two  annas  in  1872,  was  levied  on 
every  pressed  bale  of  cotton  exported  to  foreign  ports.  A  sub- 
inspector  was  subsequently  appointed  in  1866 ;  the  Act,  though 
directed  to  be  placed  in  abeyance  from  ist  July  1875,  is  ^^  the 
present  still  in  force.  Sind  cotton,  which,  as  compared  with  Fair 
DhoUera  cotton,  showed  in  1863  a  difference  in  money  value 
ranging  from  4^.  to  dd,  per  pound,  had  in  1870  so  far  improved 
in  quality  as  to  reduce  this  difference  to  but  \d,  to   \kd.     Cotton 


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MISCELLANEOUS. 


»o3 


experiments  on  a  laige  scale,  but  with  exoHc  seed  only,  were 
cairied  out,  though  unsuocessfuUy,  in  difierent  parts  of  the  province 
between  .1853  and  1855.  In  1868  other  trials  were  again  set 
on  foot,  and  in  1869  a  practical  gardener  from  Scotland  was  sent 
to  Sind  to  conduct  experiments  at  the  village  of  Salaio,  near  Hala 
in  the  Hyderabad  Collectorate.  These  experiments  have  not 
been  confined  solely  to  the  production  of  various  kinds  of  cotton, 
exotic  and  indigenous,  but  they  have  been  extended  to  the  raising 
of  timber  and  fruit  trees  as  well  as  flowers  and  vegetables.  The 
land  so  taken  up  has  thus  been  converted  into  a  kind  of  economic 
garden.  At  the  late  Industrial  Exhibition  held  at  Kararhi  in 
1869,  several  prizes  were  awarded  for  the  exceUent  diow  of 
raw  cotton,  both  indigenous  and  from  exotic  seed,  the  produce  of 
SindL  The  great  desiderata  required  to  make  Smd  cotton  more 
sought  after  in  the  cotton  marts  of  the  worid,  would  seem  to  be 
an  increased  length  of  staple  and  greater  cleanliness ;  these,  it  is 
believed,  can  be  obtained  only  by  more  careful  attention  being 
given  to  the  culture  of  the  plant,  and  to  the  picking  and  cleaning 
of  the  wool  During  1869  and  r87o  a  large  trade  in  cotton-wool 
sprang  up  with  Chin^,  where  Sind  cotton  is  much  used  for 
IKuiding  the  winter  coats  of  the  people  in  the  northern  part  of 
that  extensive  em{Hre.  A  description  of  cotton  exported  from 
Karachi,  and  there  known  as  "  Dera  Multan,"  is  generally  very 
free  from  stain^  and  is  in  great  request  among  spinners  in  Conti- 
nental Europe.  It  is  from  the  yam  spun  from  Uus  cottcm  diat 
the  bright  white  sun-bonnets  worn  by  the  female  peasantry  in  the 
south  of  France  are  made.  At  a  time  in  1870  when  **Fair 
Dhollera*^  cotton  was  quoted  at  from  q\d.  to  9|^.  per  pound, 
good  fair  "  Dera"  realised  from  8|^.  to  9^.  per  pound. 

WooL — ^The  wool  trade  of  Sind  may  be  considered  another 
of  its  important  staples,  and  it  is  one  which,  notwithstanding  its 
great  increase  during  the  past  twenty  years,  is  still  capable  of 
much  expansion  and  improvement  Both  Sind  and  the  Firozpur 
district  of  the  Panjab  fiirnish  wool  for  exportation,  but  by  hi 
the  largest  and  best  supply  of  this  article  is  received  frtnn 
A%hanisthan  and  Balochisthan,  though  the  great  complaint  has 
been,  and  still  continues  to  be,  the  dirty  condition  in  which  it 
comes  into  the  market,  a  f2JcX  partly  owing  to  carelessness  and 
indifference  on  the  part  of  the  owner,  and  to  the  Banyas  prefer- 
ring to  purchase  it  dirty  and  unwashed,  because  it  weighs  heavier. 
So  early  as  r853  some  Sind  wool  was  despatched  to  England, 
where  it  realised  in  sale  about  forty  per  cent  upon  its  actual  value. 

To  improve  the  breed  of  sheep  in  Balochisthan,  some  rams  of 
the  best  Leicester  breed  were  imported  into  Sind  in  i860,  and 


I04 


INTRODUCTION. 


of  these,  three  were  placed  with  the  Political  Agent  at  the  Court 
of  the  Khan  of  Kelat,  with  the  view  of  their  being  let  out  to 
native  chieftains  under  certain  restrictions.  Some  rams  of  the 
Hazara  breed  were  also  introduced  at  various  times  with  the  same 
object  In  1868,  several  packages  of  wool  from  sheep  crossed 
by  English  rams  were  received  in  Karachi  from  the  Political 
Superintendent,  Upper  Sind  Frontier,  for  valuation,  and  these 
were  sent  to  brokers  at  Liverpool,  who  reported  that  they  were 
perfectly  distinct  from  any  growdi  coming  under  the  ordinary 
appellation  of  East  Indian  wool.  The  prices  put  upon  these 
samples  varied  from  6//.  to  10//.  per  pound,  and  the  English 
brokers  were  decidedly  of  opinion  that  the  wool  would  be  much 
improved  in  value  by  a  continuation  of  the  cross  between  the 
indigenous  ewe  and  a  Cheviot  or  Leicester  ram. 

Colonel  Sir  Henry  R.  Green,  formerly  Political  Superintendent, 
Upper  Sind  Frontier,  has  placed  the  following  opinion  on 
record  with  reference  to  the  improvement  of  the  wool  trade  in 
Balochisthan : 

"  I  believe  myself,  that  if  two  or  three  respectable  native  agents 
of  European  firms,  with  capital,  could  be  persuaded  to  take  up 
their  residence  at  Kelat,  and  who  would  only  accept  good  clean 
wool,  giving  a  fair  price  for  it,  that  the  sheep-owners  would  soon 
find  out  what  was  for  their  benefit,  and  they  would  then  turn  their 
minds  to  improving  both  the  wool  and  the  breed  of  sheep." 
The  wool  from  the  native  sheep  is  in  England  used  to  make 
blankets,  carpets,  and  coarse  woollen  cloths.  To  enable  the  wool 
intended  for  exportation  from  Karachi  to  be  sent  in  a  more 
cleanly  condition,  certain  sites  for  wool-washing,  situate  on  the 
other  side  of  the  Layari  river,  were  made  over  to  the  Klarachi 
Chamber  of  Commerce  by  the  Municipality  in  1869,  but  not- 
withstanding this  precaution,  it  was  remarked  by  the  Chamber,  in 
their  report  of  1870,  that  the  wool  exported  showed  no  improve- 
ment either  in  quality  or  condition.  The  value  of  the  exports  of 
wool  from  Karachi  to  Bombay  and  foreign  ports  during  the  past 
twelve  years,  ending  with  1873-74,  is  as  follows : 


1869-63. 

1863-64. 

1864-65. 

1865-66. 

i866-«7. 

1867-68. 

rupees. 

7i,44»305 

rupees. 
66,11,326 

rupees. 
58,82,952 

rupees. 
64,18,801 

rupees. 
38,12,654 

rupees. 
35,26,033 

1                                                             1 

1868-69.       1       1869-70.              1870-71.              1871-79.              J87a-73. 

«873-74. 

rupees.               rupees.               rupees.               rupees.               rupees. 
46,49,899   1   29,99,747      39,95,958      63,50,924      62,88,795 

rupees. 
63,48.740 

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MISCELLANEO  US. 


105 


Salt. — ^In  the  Shahbandar  distikt  of  the  Karachi  CoDedcwate, 
and  bordering  on  the  Siiganda  Cieek,  one  of  the  eastern  arms  of 
the  Indus,  and  readilj  accessible  to  small  craft  of  from  fifty  to 
sixty  tons  burthen,  are  veiy  extensive  salt  deposits  of  the  purest 
description,  and  capable — according  to  Captain  Burke,  oi  the 
Bombay  Engineers,  who  surveyed  them  in  1847 — of  supp^^ing  the 
idiole  worid  with  the  salt  it  needed  for  a  hundred  years.  It  is  <^ 
a  kind  generally  known  as  bay  salt,  but  independendy  of  its 
purity,  it  possesses  several  advantages  over  manufactured  salt, 
being  in  large  crystals,  and  in  consequence  less  liable  to  waste. 
Large  beds  of  salt  have  also  been  met  with  in  the  Hyderabad 
CoDectorate  and  the  Thar  and  Parkar  districts,  but  its  exxx>rta- 
tion  has  been  found  unprofitable,  owing  to  the  heavy  cost  of 
transit  The  Sirganda  salt  has  at  various  times  been  exported  to 
Calcutta,  and  other  places,  but  the  excise  duty  (eight  annas  per 
maund)  charged  upon  it  in  Sind,  when  sent  to  British  Indian 
ports,  in  addition  to  that  charged  at  the  port  of  receipt,  has 
hitherto  prevented  it  firom  competing  with  either  English  salt,  or 
with  the  inferior  description  sent  from  Maskat  In  r868,  the 
duty  on  Sind  salt  exported  to  either  foreign  or  ^tish  Indian 
ports  was  remitted,  and  the  trade  in  consequence  somewhat  im- 
proved, but  not  to  the  extent  that  was  anticipated.  The  following 
is  a  comparative  statement  of  the  valiu  of  salt  exports  fincnn  Sind 
from  1848-49  up  to  r869-7o,  those  years  only  being  given  in 
which  salt  was  actually  exported.  These  vsdues,  as  will  be 
seen,  are  of  a  very  fluctuating  character : 


.    i«4«-«. 

i«54-S5-       «856-S7- 

■    ■   ■      1 
i8sr-58-           «85fr-59-            i«5»-6a. 

1860-61.     1 

156 

nipces. 
44.587 

rupees. 
13.074 

nipees. 
28,000 

nipees.             rupees.             rupees. 
2,09,561         26,310        2,04,023 

ia6i-6a.        j        1869-63.             1863-64.            i86r«5-             1868-69.           1869-70. 

ropees.         ;         rupees. 

S.W.575          54,<H7 

rupees.              rupees.              rupees.              rupees. 
65,287              1,516           22,100           68,400 

A  specimen  of  Sind  salt  was,  in  r869,  forwarded  for  examina- 
tion by  the  Collector  of  Karachi  to  the  Chemical  Analyser  to 
the  Bombay  Government,  who  thus  reported  upon  it : 

"  It  consists  of  a  mass  of  large  white  crystals,  which,  with  the 
exception  of  a  thin  exterior  layer,  are  almost  perfecdy  free  from 
mechanical  impurity.  I  failed  to  detect  any  bitter  taste  in  the 
salt  of  which  these  crystals  are  composed.  Specimens  taken  from 
the  substance  of  the  mass  were  found  not  to  contain  more  than 


Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


io6  INTRODUCTION. 

'35  per  cent  of  impurity,  consisting  chiefly  of  small  quantities  of 
lime,  magnesia,  and  combined  sulphuric  acid.  The  salt,  therefore, 
appears  to  me  to  be  of  excellent  quality,  and,  commercially  speak- 
ing, very  pure ;  in  fact,  it  is  much  more  free  from  impurity  than 
salt  prepared  by  evaporation  from  sea-water." 

Harbour  Works  Improvements. — The  importance  of  a 
harbour  and  port  at  Karachi  for  receiving  sea-going  vessels  of 
large  tonnage  had  engaged  the  attention  of  Sir  Charles  Napier 
soon  after  the  conquest  of  Sind,  but  up  to  1851  only  one  Enghsh 
sailing  ship  had  entered  the  harbour,  owing  to  a  belief  then 
prevailing  that  the  bar  at  its  entrance  was  rocky.  In  1852,  and 
at  subsequent  periods,  numerous  borings  were  made  on  the  bar 
to  a  depth  of  21  feet  below  low-water  mark,  but  sand  only  was 
found,  and  the  publication  of  this  fact,  together  with  better 
directions  for  entering  the  port,  removed  in  some  degree  the 
prejudice  entertained  against  it  by  shipmasters.  In  1856  a 
scheme  for  improving  the  harbour  by  deepening  the  water  on  the 
bar  was  submitted  for  the  opinion  of  Mr.  James  Walker,  an 
eminent  London  engineer,  who  considered  it  perfectly  feasible, 
and  that  compared  with  its  great  public  importance,  it  could  be 
accomplished  at  a  moderate  expense.  His  estimate  of  the  cost 
of  the  works  necessary  for  carrying  out  this  object,  that  is  to  say, 
for  providing  principally  for  an  ample  width  of  passage  for  navi- 
gation, with  a  depth  of  29  feet  at  high  water  spring  tides  and  25 
feet  at  neap  tides,  was  made  in  1858  after  the  completion  of  a 
survey  by  his  assistant,  Mr.  William  Parkes,  C.E.,  and  was  as 
follows : 

C 

1.  Manora  Breakwater 110,000 

2.  Kiamari  Groyne 42,000 

3.  Napier  Mole  Bridge 40,000 

4.  Native  Tetty  or  Quay 28,000 

New  Channel 18,000 

Chini  Creek  Stoppage 9*000 

7.  East  Pier  (if  required) 40,000 

Total  cost  .J    .     ^287, 000 


I: 


This  was  exclusive  of  basins,  quays,  and  graving  dock,  the  cost 
of  which  was  put  down  at  360,000/.,  but  being  secondary  con- 
siderations they  were  not  included  in  the  first  estimate. 

The  bar,  which  it  was  the  main  object  of  this  scheme  to  remove 
into  deeper  water,  was  found  in  1856  to  begin  at  Manora  Point, 
and  to  stretch  across  the  entrance  of  the  harbour  eastward  nearly 
1000  yards.  Near  the  point  it  was  about  300  yards  wide, 
diminishing  gradually  towards  the  east.     The  depth  on  it  at  low 


Digitized  by 


Google 


MISCELLANEOUS.  107 

water  spring  tides  langed  from  9  to  12  feet;  at  hig^  water  the 
average  was  16  feet,  and  its  greatest  depth  of  water  varied  from 
18  to  23  feet  This  bar  was  supposed  to  be  the  result  of  the 
current  from  the  harbour  meeting  the  coast  tide,  its  velocity  being 
checked  and  rendered  insufficient  to  support  and  cany  out  into 
the  tideway  the  matter  brought  apparently  from  the  westward  in 
front  of  the  harbour  by  heavy  seas  during  southerly  gales.  In 
1859- 60  sanction  for  the  expenditure  of  128,000^!  on  a  xN>rtion 
of  these  works  was  obtained,  and  between  that  year  and  1866,  the 
Kiamari  Groyne  (or  stone  bank),  including  tiie  East  Pier,  and 
extending  for  a  length  of  8,900  feet  from  Kiamari  Island  to 
opposite  Manora  Point,  was  constructed  at  a  cost  of  3,64,000 
rupees.  The  screw-pile  bridge  on  the  Napier  Mole,  the  Native 
Jetty,  and  the  removal  of  Deep-water  Point,  were  also  completed, 
while  the  work  of  the  New  Channel  and  the  Chini  Creek  Stoppage 
were  in  course  of  progress.  The  total  expenditure  on  these 
works  up  to  the  30th  April,  1866,  was  28,43,000  rupees,  and  it 
was  calculated  that  a  quantity  of  sand,  equal  to  32,700,000  cubic 
feet,  had  been  washed  out  from  the  harbour  and  entrance  between 
1858  and  1866,  a  period  of  eight  years.  The  state  of  die  bar  in 
1866  showed  it  to  have  extended  1000  feet  to  the  eastward,  while 
the  west  channd,  near  Manora  Point,  had  quite  silted  up.  It 
had  also  gready  narrowed  about  the  middle  of  its  length  and  had 
become  semicircular  in  form.  The  chaimel  from  the  lower  part 
of  the  harbour  to  Kiamari  and  the  anchorage  ground  had  both 
deepened  and  improved.  Mr.  Walker's  scheme  had,  however, 
met  with  opposition  at  an  early  stage  of  its  progress.  In  1861, 
Colonel  Tremenheere,  chief  engineer  in  Sind,  took  an  unfrivour- 
able  view  of  the  project  from  the  first,  and  persistenUy  urged  its 
abandormient  He  believed  that  Mr.  Walker's  reports  on  the 
harbour  had  been  based  on  very  imperfect  and  erroneous  in- 
formation, but  his  objections  will  be  found  stated  in  fiill  in  his 
report,  dated  19th  May,  r864.  The  questions  at  issue  were  in 
1865  referred  to  Messrs.  D.  &  T.  Stevenson,  harbour  engineers, 
of  Edinburgh,  whose  opinion  was  altogether  un^vourable  to 
Mr.  Walker's  design,  and,  acting  upon  this,  the  Secretary  of  State 
for  India  in  1866  directed  the  improvement  works  to  be  stopped. 
In  Messrs.  Stevenson's  opinion  it  was  stated  that  the  sea  was  the 
true  cause  of  the  accumulation  at  the  entrance  to  Karachi 
harbour,  that  this  accumulation  was  of  great  extent  in  front  of 
the  harbour,  and  not  a  sudden  diminution  of  depth,  but  a  very 
gradual  shoaling,  and  lasdy,  that  the  water  in  the  bay  itself  was 
very  shoal,  so  that  in  point  of  fact  there  was  really  no  decided 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


io8  INTRODUCTION, 

"bar"  properly  so-called.  On  this  opinion  becoming  known  a 
committee,  composed  of  two  engineers  and  the  master  attendant 
of  the  Karachi  Port,  was  assembled  in  1866,  who  reported  that: 

1.  The  effect  produced  by  the  works  already  executed  had 
hitherto    been    greatly    underrated    and    much    misunderstood. 

2.  The  effect  was  all  in  the  precise  direction  anticipated  by 
Mr.  Walker;  and  3.  The  effects  so  produced  aflforded  every 
ground  for  hoping  that  Mr.  Walker's  plan,  if  fully  carried  out, 
would  effect  all  that  was  anticipated.  This  report,  which  was 
sent  by  the  Bombay  Government  to  the  Secretary  of  State  for 
India,  also  fully  demonstrated  the  necessity  for  constructing  the 
Manora  Breakwater,  and  it  at  the  same  time  pointed  out  that  the 
actual  cost  of  the  attempted  improvement  of  the  entrance  was 
only  si  lakhs  or  but  one-fourth  of  the  entire  amount  already 
expended.  In  1867  the  question  of  the  Karachi  Harbour 
Improvements  was  referred  by  the  Secretary  of  State  for  India 
(Lord  Cranboume)  to  the  Governor  of  Bombay,  Sir  Seymour 
Fitzgerald,  who  early  in  1868  visited  Karachi,  and  ailer  an 
examination  of  the  works  strongly  advised  their  resumption 
according  to  the  plan  originally  laid  down  by  Mr.  Walker.  In 
July  of  that  year  Mr.  Parkes  returned  to  Karachi,  reporting  on 
the  works  already  executed,  which  he  believed  had  exerted  a 
beneficial  effect  on  the  harbour,  by  enlarging  the  water  area  for 
the  accommodation  of  55  vessels  of  a  tonnage  ranging  from 
500  to  1200  tons,  instead  of,  as  formerly,  for  20  ships  of  from 
500  to  900  tons.  Though  admitting  that  no  actual  improvement 
of  the  entrance  had  as  yet  been  effected,  he  strongly  advised  the 
immediate  construction  of  the  Manora  Breakwater  to  a  length  of 
1500  feet,  as  well  as  the  admission  of  the  Chini  Creek  waters 
into  the  harbour,  and  to  these  suggestions  the  Secretary  of  State 
extended  his  sanction.  In  March  1869,  the  work  of  depositing 
rubble  stone,  brought  from  the  coast  Ijdng  between  Karachi  and 
Cape  Monze,  for  the  base  of  the  breakwater  was  commenced, 
and  up  to  the  latter  end  of  October  1870  about  half  the  length, 
or  750  feet  from  the  shore,  had  been  formed.  On  ist  November 
of  the  same  year  the  first  concrete  block  of  the  breakwater 
(weighing  27  tons)  was  laid  by  the  Commissioner  in  Sind,  Sir 
W.  L.  Merewether,  with  much  ceremony,  and  on  the  22  nd  of 
February  1873  it  was  completed  to  its  full  length  of  1503  feet, 
the  time  occupied  in  its  construction  being  within  two  years  and 
four  months.  It  affords  complete  shelter  to  the  western  channel 
over  the  "  bar  *'  during  the  south-west  monsoon.  This  channel, 
which  has  been  gradually  deepening,  has  now  a  depth  of  20  feet 

Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


MISCELLANEOUS.  109 

at  low  water  spring  tides,  and  is  iftidened  to  500  feet,  the  breadth 
it  was  originally  intended  to  be.  The  total  expenditure  on  these 
Harbour  Works  up  to  the  31st  December  1873,  including  estab- 
lishments and  value  of  plant,  buildings  and  land,  was  449,798/. 
The  expenditure  on  establishments  amounted  to  14  per  cent  on 
the  gross  expenditure  on  works. 

Sind  Railway.— It  was  in  the  month  of  December  1855 
that  an  agreement  was  entered  into  by  a  company  (afterwards 
known  as  the  Sind  Railway  Company)  with  the  Hon.  East 
India  Compan/s  Government  for  die  construction  of  a  line  of 
railway  to  join  the  two  towns  of  Karachi  and  Kotri  (both  in  the 
Karadii  CoUectorate),  the  entire  distance  being  106  miles,  the 
main  object  in  view  being  to  facilitate  the  transmission  of  goods 
from  Karachi  to  Northern  Sind  and  the  Panjab,  and  vice  versa^ 
and  thus  save  the  long  river  and  sea  route  from  Kotri,  vi&  the 
Indus  Delta  to  Karachi  The  preliminary  surveys  were  executed 
and  the  permanent  line  set  out  during  1857-58,  and  on  the 
29th  of  April,  1858,  the  first  sod  was  turned  with  much  ceremony 
by  the  then  Commissioner  in  Sind,  Sir  Bartle  Frere.  In 
January  1859  tliat  portion  of  the  line  running  firom  the  landing- 
place  at  Kiamari  up  to  the  Company's  workshops  was  completed, 
but  it  was  not  tiU  the  13th  of  May,  1861,  that  die  entire  line  from 
Karachi  to  Kotri  was  formerly  opened  for  traffic  by  the  then 
Commissioner,  J.  Duncan  Inverarity,  Esq.  On  the  ist  of  July, 
1870,  the  Sind  Railway  was  amalgamated  with  the  Panjab  and 
Dehli  Railway  and  Indus  Steam  Flotilla,  under  the  name  and 
title  of  the  Sind,  Panjab  and  Dehli  Railway. 

The  length  of  this  hne,  as  previously  mentioned,  is  106  miles, 
but  there  are  besides  forty-five  miles  of  sidings  and  six  of  branches. 
It  is  enclosed  throughout,  thirty  miles  by  wire-fencing  and  the  rest 
by  stone-walL  The  ruling  gradient  along  its  whole  length  is  one 
in  two  hundred.  For  forty  and  a  half  miles  there  is  an  ascending, 
and  for  thirty-four  and  a  half  miles  a  descending  gradient,  while 
a  distance  of  about  thirty-one  miles  is  quite  level.  The  line  runs 
over  a  tract  of  country  the  greater  part  of  which  is  uncultivated, 
and  in  its  entire  length  does  not  touch  at  a  single  town  of  any 
importance.  The  route  so  taken  would  seem  to  have  been 
selected  with  the  object  of  avoiding  as  much  as  possible  the 
crossing  of  canals  and  the  consequent  necessity  of  erecting  many 
bridges.  The  line,  as  at  present  constructed,  crosses  but  two 
large  rivers,  the  Malir  and  Baran,  the  former  in  its  course 
draining  an  area  of  770  square  miles,  and  the  latter  one  of  1250 
square  miles.  The  number  of  bridges  and  culverts^  notwidi- 
standing  this  precaution,  is  considerable,  there  being  one  hundred 


no  INTRODUCTION. 

and  eighty-six  in  all,  large  and  small,  of  which,  however,  but  forty- 
five  are  of  any  size.  The  principal  bridges  and  culverts  are  those 
at  the  Malir,  Pipri,  Ghaghar,  Khargot,  Jhulaji,  Dabeji,  Danai, 
BQndan  Wan,  Kharasir,  Rana  Pitiani,  Jungshahi,  Khtaibara, 
Krinjala,  Loyach,  Kuni,  Harula,  Rhode,  Meting,  and  that  over 
the  Baran.  Of  these  the  Malir  bridge,  with  2 1  spans  of  7  8  feet  each, 
and  the  Baran,  with  32  spans  of  55  feet  each,  take  the  first  rank 
both  as  regards  size  and  importance.  The  former  has  been  a  source 
of  endless  trouble  and  expense  to  the  Sind  Railway  Company, 
owing  to  the  violent  nature  of  the  freshes  of  the  Malir  river  after 
a  heavy  rainfall,  and  to  the  insufficiency  of  the  water-way  to  carry 
off  its  flood  waters.  The  Hne  suffered  from  floods  in  the  very  same 
year  (1861)  it  was  opened  for  traffic,  and  again  in  the  following 
year,  entailing  a  cost  of  upwards  of  seven  lakhs  of  rupees  for 
repairs.  In  1863  ^^^  again  in  1865  the  damage  from  the  same 
cause  was  slight,  but  in  1866  the  Malir,  Jungshahi,  Jhulaji, 
Khargot,  Danai  and  Khumbara  bridges  all  suffered  severely  from 
floods,  ten  piers  of  that  over  the  Malir  having  to  be  rebuilt  and 
raised  six  feet  at  a  cost  of  upwards  of  three  and  a  half  lakhs  of 
rupees.  The  other  five  bridges  were  also  partly  rebuilt,  either  of 
stronger  material  or  to  allow  of  additions^  water-way.  In  1869 
the  Malir  bridge  was  again  very  seriously  damaged  by  the  river 
floods;  eight  spans  were  destroyed,  but  these  have  since  been 
replaced  by  screw  piles  at  an  estimated  cost  of  1,12,719  rupees. 
The  original  cost  of  this  bridge  was  4,82,247  rupees. 

The  Sind  Railway  between  Karachi  and  Kotri  has  six  stations, 
namely :  the  Malir,  Dabeji,  jQngshahi  (for  Tatta),  Jhimpir, 
Meting  (for  Jerruck)  and  Bulhari.  The  station  buildings  at 
Karachi  and  Kotri  are  both  but  temporary  erections,  and  will 
probably  so  remain  till  the  through  traffic  from  the  Panjab  by  the 
contemplated  extension  line  shall  justify  the  construction  of  more 
substantial  edifices.  'Inhere  are  two  passenger  stations  at  Karachi 
—one  on  the  McLeod  Road  for  the  accommodation  of  persons 
residing  in  the  old  town  and  its  immediate  neighbourhood,  the 
other  at  the  end  of  Frere  Street  in  the  cantonments,  for  the 
residents  of  which,  as  well  as  for  those  in  the  Sadar  Bazar  and 
Civil  Lines  Quarters,  it  is  more  readily  accessible  than  the 
McLeod  Road  Station. 

At  Jangshahi,  midway  between  Karachi  and  Kotri,  the  station 
building  is  of  a  more  solid  construction,  being  of  stone  and  pro- 
vided with  a  refreshment  room.  The  smaller  stations  at  Meting, 
Dabeji,  Jhimpir,  and  BQlhari  are  also  of  masonry  construction. 

The  workshops  of  the  Sind  Railway  are  situate  in  the  Frere 
Town  quarter  of  the  municipality  on  a  gently  rising  ground,  and 


uigiiizeu  uy  v_jv^\_^ 


^.v 


MISCELLANEOUS, 


are  very  extensive,  comprising  a  number  of  shops  for  the  erection 
of  engines,  and  the  building  of  carriages,  &c.  The  blacksmiths' 
shop  alone  is  245  feet  long  by  47  feet  broad ;  there  is  a  still  laiger 
shop  for  the  carriage  department,  which  is  245  feet  in  length,  with 
a  breadth  tA  137  feet  These  workshops  were  built  on  a  large 
scale,  with  the  object  of  providing,  at  some  future  time,  for  the 
necessary  rolling-stock  of  the  contemplated  Panjab  extension  line. 

The  receipts  and  expenditure  of  the  Sind  Railway  from  the 
jrear  it  was  first  opened  for  traffic  down  to  the  end  of  1874,  are 
shown  half-yearly  as  follows,  and  it  may  here  be  noticed  that  the 
increased  number  of  passengers  of  all  classes  in  the  years  1867 
and  1868  may  be  accounted  for  by  the  transmission  of  a  large  body 
of  troops  to  Abyssinia,  at  a  time  when  the  military  expedition  to 
that  country  was  detennined  upon.  This  will  also  account,  in  a 
great  measure,  for  the  increased  quantity  of  goods  carried  during 
those  two  years,  which,  with  the  single  exception  of  the  first  half  of 
1866,  was  the  laigest  ever  conveyed  by  the  Sind  Railway  Company. 

The  rolling-stock  of  the  Sind  Railway  in  December  1874  com- 
prised twenty-five  engines  and  734  vehicles,  besides  116  ballast 
waggons,  as  against  twenty  engines  and  140  vehicles  in  May  1861, 
when  the  line  was  first  opened  for  traffic  The  greater  number 
of  these  vehicles  are  intended  for  goods  traffic,  the  passenger 
carriages  being  comparatively  few,  numbering  in  all  not  more  than 
forty-four.  The  staif  of  the  Sind  Railway  comprises  a  deputy 
agent  (who  is  also  the  head  of  the  Indus  Flotilla),  a  chief  engi- 
neer and  assistant,  superintendent  (^  railway  workshops,  traffic 
assistant,  and  an  auditor  and  storekeeper.  There  is  also  a  deputy 
consulting  engineer,  who  is  an  officer  of  Government 


Ybass. 

Recdpts. 

jupcDuiturc. 

Pkofits. 

Percent.' 

Percent. 

Amoont. 

I 

ofGnss  1 
Rec«q>ts. 

Amount. 

of  Gross 
Recdpcs. 

1st  part  of  1861   . 

nipees. 
47.164 
1,64,043 

rapees.      i 

4«.365  ' 

™§r  j 

rupees. 

5,799 

12 

2nd 

„        1861    . 

1,62,913 

^ 

1,130 

I 

1st 

1862  . 

2,73,124 

2,11,890 

78 

61, 23* 

22 

2nd 

..        1862  . 

4,12.368 

3.34,463 
4,50,0^ 

81 

77,905 

19 

1st 

»        1863  . 

5,79,399 

78 

1,29,3" 

22 

2nd 

„        1863  . 

5.16,558 

4,81,663 

93 

34,895 

7 

1st 

.•        1864  . 

5.61,391 

5,05,081 

90 

56,310 

10 

2nd 

"    '!^- 

4.79,537 

4,36,771 

91 

42.767 

9 

1st 

„    1865  . 

4,29,406 

4,25,050 

99 

A 

I 

2nd 

,,        looo  . 

5,87,758 

'  4,30.497 

91 

9 

1st 

4.70,630 

80 

1,17,128 

20 

2nd 

„        1866  . 

5,06,949 

4,37,753 

86 

69,196 

M 

1st 

..        1867   . 

7,07,157 

7.07.157 

100 

Nil 

Nil 

Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


[12 


INTRODUCTION 


Ybar«. 

Receipts. 

Expenditure. 

Profits. 

Per  Cent. 

Per  Cent. 

Amount. 

of  Gross 
Receipts. 

Amount. 

of  Gross 
Receipts. 

2nd    , 

»        ^^1 

rupees. 
5.79,538 

rupees. 
5.79,538 

rupees. 
100 

rupees. 

Nil 

1st      , 

»868  . 

6,36,162 

7,16,500 

112 

Loss 

Nil 

2nd     , 

1868  . 

4,26,131 

4,35.567 

102 

Loss 

Nil 

1st      , 

,       1869  . 

4,69,105 
3,33,418 

3,07,563 

66 

^6i,543 

34 

2nd    , 

1869  . 

3,61,654 

108 

Loss 

Nil 

1st      , 

,       1870  . 

4,95.605 

3i6o;568 

92 

37,639 

8 

2nd     , 

1870  . 

3.50,889 
3,85,953 

IS 

Loss 

Nil 

1st      , 

1871   . 

4,18,388 

J<oss 

Nil 

2nd    , 

1871   . 

4,33,532 

3,57.524 

83 

76,008 

18 

1st      , 

,       1872  . 

4,54,467 

3,11,586 

68 

1,42,881 

32 

2nd     , 

1872  . 

3,40.528 

2,97,981 

87 

42,547 

:i 

1st      , 

,       1873  . 

3,35,401 

2,76,553 

82 

58,848 

2nd    , 

,       1873  . 

4,67,664 

3,21,334 

68 

^46,330 

1,49,865 

20,758 

3^ 

1st      , 

,       1874  . 

4,59,035 

3.09,170 

67 

33 

2nd     , 

.       1874  . 

3.59.569 

3,38,811 

94 

6 

The  passenger  and  goods  traffic,  both  for  a  period  of  thirteen 
and  a  half  years  ending  1874,  is  as  follows : 

Passenger  Traffic  (1861  to  1874). 


Years. 

First  Class. 

Second  Class. 

Third  Class. 

Total. 

No. 

No. 

No. 

No. 

2nd] 

part 

ofi86i    .     . 

^i 

2,459 

38,047 

40,729 

1st 

.. 

1862    .     . 

2,686 

46,526 

49,480 

2nd 

,. 

1862    .     . 

198 

3,289 

52,096 
65.441 

55,583 
69.554 

1st 

1. 

1863    .     . 

259 

3,854 

2nd 

.. 

1863    .     . 

376 

4.029 

50,047 

54.452 

1st 

.. 

1864    .     . 

697 

3.344 
2,674 

53.203 

57,244 

2nd 

,, 

1864    .     . 

935 

49.871 

53,480 
58,567 

1st 

,. 

1865    .     . 

803 

2,341 

55.423 

2nd 

,, 

1865  .     . 

1866  .     . 

1,006 

2,085 

49.522 

52,613 

1st 

». 

915 

1,707 

43.767 

46,389 

2nd 

.* 

1866    .     . 

Hi 

1.574 

43,874 
67.807 

46.322 

1st 

.. 

1867    .     . 

1,068 

3,074 

71,949 

2nd 

.» 

1867    .     . 

784 

2,595 

59,356 

62,735 

1st 

,, 

1868    .     . 

.    959 

2,489 

65,196 

68,644 

2nd 

, . 

1868    .     . 

874 

1,765 
1,448 

53.617 
48,249 

56,256 

1st 

.. 

1869    .     . 

668 

50.365 

2nd 

9* 

1869    .     . 

837 

2,310 

43,202 

46,349 

1st 

., 

1870    .     . 

529 

1,489 

44,516 

46,534 

2nd 

,, 

1870    .     . 

1,257 

2,428 

44,956 

48,641 

iRt 

., 

1871    .     . 

697 

3.374 

39,196 

43.267 

2nd 

}. 

1871    .     . 

1,175 

5.317 

33,131 

39.624 

1st 

., 

1872    .     . 

772 

5.580 

34.359 

40,711 

2nd 

,, 

1872    .     . 

3 

1,609 

30,368 

32,762 

1st 

.. 

1873    .     . 

1,629 

32,195 

34,282 

2nd 

.. 

1873    .     . 

833 

1,670 

33,137 

35.640 
38,683 

1st 

,, 

1874    .     . 

871 

1,421 

36,517 

2nd 

,. 

1874    .     . 

1,478 

32,636 

34.985 

Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


MISCELLANEOUS. 
Goods  Tultftc  (i8Si  to  1874^. 


»«J 


»^^"^S^ 

Cotf  per  Toil 

aoK. 

r=;«e*w 

rapers. 

2iid  put  of  1S61    . 

16.520 

76,295 

4-61 

1st        .,       1862    . 

31.378 

1,58,65s 

5'05 

ttd    „    IS62  . 

54-096 

2,73-998 

5*06 

1^    ^    1863  . 

68,712 

3-93-053 

5*72 

ZDd        „         1863      . 

77>o«9 

3,75,459 

4-86 

1st       „      1864    . 

71,087 

4.24, 1S6 

596 

2nd      „       1864    . 

.           62,083 

3,5S,6.u 

5*77 

1st        „       1865    .     , 

:        52,326 

3,13,5^9 

599 

2lld        „         1865      . 

60,400 

3,61,992 

600 

1st        „       1866    . 

74,925 

4.85,429 

6-4S 

2lld         ,.         1866     . 

60.052 

4,03,309 

7*71 

ist        „       1867    . 

73,oS9 

5,65,669 

7*74 

and      ..       1867    . 

61,425 

4,29.945 

7-00 

1st        „       1S68    . 

64,255 

4,96,263 

7*  72 

2lld        „         186S     . 

42,556 

3,«6,i75 

7*43 

1st        „       1869    - 

3S,799 

3,60,614 

929 

2lld         ,.         1S69     . 

30,679 

2,47,449 

8-06 

1st        „       1S70    . 

40.744 

4,06,455 

9*97 

2lld        „         1870     . 

3»,7Si 

2,80,266 

806 

1st        „       1871     . 

3S,576 

3,12,126 

8- 77 

2nd      „       1871     . 

51.219 

3.61,109 

7  05 

ist        „       1872    . 

^.778 

3.72,873 

812 

2lld        „         1872     . 

2.73.747 

705 

1st        „       1873    . 

33*713 

2,69,975 

8-OI 

2nd       „       1873    . 

66,284 

3.96,276 

597 

1st        „       1874    . 

53,828 

3,79.728 

705 

2nd      „       1874    - 

45.530 

2.87,595 

632 

Karachi  Exhilntion. — On  the  23rd  of  I>ecember,  1869,  the 
first  Industrial  Exhibition  ever  held  in  the  province  was  opened 
with  much  ceremony  in  the  Frere  HaH,  at  Karachi,  by  the  Com- 
misdoner  in  Sind,  Sir  W.  Lockyer  Merewether,  in  the  presence 
of  the  Bishop  of  Bombay,  and  a  large  assemblage  of  \isitoTS,  civil, 
military  and  navaL  In  the  extensive  rooms  of  the  Hall  were 
arranged  a  varied  assortment  of  articles,  the  productions  not  alone 
of  Sind,  but  of  the  Panjab,  Bahawalpur,  Kachh,  Afghanistan — of 
several  of  the  districts  of  the  Madras  and  Bombay  Presidencies, 
and  of  other  places  as  well  In  hve  stock  the  show  was  not  con- 
sidered to  be  favourable,  but  in  agricultural  and  animal  products 
it  was  extensive  and  creditable.  The  display  of  dyes,  cotton, 
fibres,  drugs,  oil,  and  ghi,  the  produce  of  Sind  itself,  was  held  to 
be  good,  and  many  of  these  articles  obtained  prizes.  In  forest 
and  mineral  products,  and  in  materials  used  in  construction,  the 
building  stone  of  Sind,  as,  also,  its  salt,  saltpetre,  and  different 
parts  of  woods,  attracted  attention,  and  won  several  prizes.  In 
skin  and  manufactures,  the  carpets  made  in  the  Shikarpur  Jail — the 


uigiiizea  by 


(ioogk 


114  INTRODUCTION 

gold,  silver,  and  silk  embroideries  of  Hyderabad — ^fehe  lacquered 
ware  of  Hala  and  Khairpur — ^and  the  iQngis  of  Tatta  occupied 
a  prominent  place,  and  were  deservedly  admired.  In  machinery 
and  implements  the  display  was  small,  but  many  articles  were  not 
sent,  owing  to  a  rumour  having  prevailed  that  the  Exhibition 
would  never  be  held.  In  the  upper  rooms  of  the  Frere  Hall  a 
large  number  of  pictures,  engravings,  and  photographs,  as  well  as 
some  statuary,  all  owned  by  residents  in  Sind>  were  carefuHy  and 
systematically  arranged,  in  addition  to  many  rare  and  choice 
articles  from  China,  Japan,  and  other  countries.  Specimens  of 
instruments  used  in  land  and  ocean  telegraphy,  together  with 
some  of  the  latest  improved  electrical  machines,  were  also  shown. 
The  Exhibition  was  opened  for  eight  days^  and  taking  into  con- 
sideration the  many  difficulties  encountered  in  carrying  out  a 
project  of  this  nature  for  the  first  time  in  Sind,  it  was  fairly 
attended.  Silver  and  bronze  medals,  of  suitable  device  and  ex- 
cellent workmanship,  as  well  as  money  prizes,  were  distributed 
amongst  the  successful  competitors.  The  sum  raised  by  donations, 
subscriptions,  entrance  fees,  &c.,  on  account  of  the  Exhibition, 
amounted  in  the  aggregate  to  20,636  rupees,  of  which  12,000 
rupees  alone  were  contributed  from  the  local  funds  of  the  different 
Collectorates  of  Sind.  It  was  subsequently  determined  to  invest 
the  balance  (about  1000  rupees)  remaining  tq  the  credit  of  the 
Exhibition  Fund,  and  place  the  interest  accruing  from  it  at  the 
disposal  of  the  educational  authorities  in  Sind,  so  as  to  provide  an 
annual  money  prize  for  the  most  successful  student  in  the  province 
at  the  matriculation  examination,  without  any  distinction  of  caste 
or  class.  The  Karachi  Industrial  Exhibition  may,  on  the  whole, 
be  considered  as  successful  in  its  results,  and  it  is  expected  it  will 
be  followed,  at  no  distant  date,  by  others  in  different  parts  of  the 
Province. 

It  is  more  than  thirty  years  since  British  rule  was  first  intro- 
duced into  the  Province  of  Sind,  but  the  improvement  that 
has  taken  place  during  that  period  has  been  very  marked,  and 
will  appear  still  more  striking,  if  the  condition  of  the  country  and 
its  people  at  the  time  of  the  conquest  be  compared  with  that  now 
prevailing.  Canals — ^tiiose  great  means  by.  which  the  precious 
waters  of  the  Indus  are  conveyed  to  the  thirsty  soil  of  Sind — ^have 
been  either  constructed  or  improved  with  no  sparing  hand.  It 
may  be  that  experience  is  still  required  to  devise  the  best  plan  for 
irrigating  to  the  greatest  extent  possible  as  much  land  as  can  be 
properly  cultivated  by  the  present  sparse  population  of  the  pro- 
vince, but  it  is  astonishing  to  find  how  much  has  already  been 

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MISCELLANEOUS.  115 

done  in  this  respect  The  Eastern  Nara,  with  its  supply  channel 
at  Rohri,  the  Mithrau,  the  Begari,  and  the  Sukkur  and  Shkhdadpur 
canals  are  among  the  great  works  which  have  been  either  cut  or 
improved  upon  during  British  rule,  at  the  same  time  numerous 
smaller  channels  have  been  excavated,  which,  though  appearing 
individually  but  of  little  account,  are  all  an  additional  means  of 
wealth  to  the  province.  Excellent  roads  with  rest-houses  have 
been  made  in  many  parts  of  Sind,  and  a  railway  has  been  con- 
structed which  does  away  with  the  old  and  uncertain  river-route, 
and  only  requires  to  be  joined  to  the  Panjab  line  to  enhance  its 
usefulness.  There  is  telegraphic  communication  not  only  with 
British  India,  but  with  Europe  itself.  The  river,  capricious  and 
erratic,  but  nevertheless  the  great  source  of  wealth  to  the  province, 
is  carefully  looked  after  by  a  special  department,  and  all  obstruc- 
tions to  navigation,  where  possible,  are  removed.  A  fleet  of 
steamboats  plies  regularly  upon  its  waters,  taking  up  and  bringing 
down  the  various  manufactures  of  Europe,  as  well  as  the  produce 
of  Sind,  and  of  different  parts  of  the  Panjab.  Steam-ferries  are 
stationed  at  two  of  its  permanent  banks  for  the  conveyance  of 
travellers  and  goods.  Municipalities^  as  well  as  medical  dispensaries, 
have  long  since  been  established  in  all  the  large  towns  with  marked 
advantage,  and  the  former  have  been  an  important  means  of  intro- 
ducing a  better  system  of  sanitation,  making  the  towns  more 
cleanly,  and  in  consequence  healthier  and  less  liable  to  the  attacks 
of  epidemic  disease.  Vaccination  has  made  itself  known  with 
much  success  throughout  the  length  and  breadth  of  the  province, 
and  is  carried  out  by  a  special  department  Education  has  also 
spread  mightily  through  the  country,  the  Government  schools 
gradually  supplanting  the  private  vernacular  institutions,  which  are 
at  best  but  poor  and  inefficient  places  of  instruction  for  native  youth. 
The  advantages  of  postal  communication  have  been  widely  cir- 
culated, and  are  being  appreciated  by  the  native  community.  A 
fair  and  equitable  system  of  assessment  has  for  some  years  past 
and  is  stiU  being  carried  out  to  the  great  benefit  of  the  cultivating 
classes.  Fine  and  commodious  barracks  for  British  troops  have 
been  built  at  Karachi  and  Hyderabad,  with  every  useful  appliance 
to  preserve  the  health  of  the  Enghsh  soldier  in  the  trying  climate 
of  Sind.  If  regard  be  had  to  the  large  towns  of  the  province,  such 
as  Karachi,  Shikarpur,  and  Hyderabad,  and  a  comparison  be  made 
of  their  present  state  with  that  at  the  time  of  the  conquest,  there 
will  be  found  much  cause  for  congratulation  in  the  great  work  of 
improvement  that  is  everywhere  apparent  Nowhere  is  this  so 
evident  as  in  Karachi,  a  place  which  in  1842,  when  ceded  to  the 

I  2 

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ii6  INTRODUCTION. 

British,  had  a  population  of  not  more  than  14,000  souls,  who 
resided  in  what  is  now  called  the  old  town  municipal  quarter.  It 
was  a  miserable  and  dirty  town,  and,  having  no  landing-place, 
passengers  from  seaward  had  to  be  conveyed  in  small  boats  as  far 
as  was  possible,  through  a  mass  of  liquid  fetid  mud,  and  then  be 
carried  on  men's  shoulders  for  a  further  distance,  till  dry  land 
could  be  reached.  But  all  this  is  changed;  a  good  mole  road 
and  handsome  bridge  connect  the  island  of  Kiamari  with  Karachi, 
and  excellent  metalled  roads  of  great  extent  and  length  lead  to 
nearly  every  part  of  the  town  and  camp,  and  are  everywhere 
available  for  wheeled  conveyances.  Handsome  buildings  (public 
and  private)  are  more  Qumerous  than  could  be  expected  in  a  place 
of  its  size,  and  many  of  the  wealthy  natives  have  of  late  years 
begun  to  build  large  and  commodious  houses  for  themselves  in 
an  improved  style.  Nor  must  the  Karachi  Harbour  Works  be 
forgotten  in  this  list  of  improvements ;  upon  them  have  already 
been  expended  above  forty  lakhs  of  rupees,  and  the  acknowledged 
success  of  this  great  scheme  now  only  needs  the  junction  of  the 
Sind  and  Panjab  lines  of  railway  to  induce  a  great  flow  of  com- 
merce into  the  chief  city  and  port  of  this  Province.  And  all  the 
improvements  here  referred  to  have  been  carried  out  in  Sind  in 
little  more  than  thirty  years.  There  are  no  doubt  many  important 
matters  which  still  require  attention,  none  more  so  than  a  good 
and  suflficient  water-suj^ly  for  the  towns  of  Karachi  and  Hyderabad, 
with  a  proper  system  of  drainage  for  tiie  former  city.  On  these 
points  carefully  prepared  plans  have  long  since  been  under  con- 
sideration, and  the  Hyderabad  project  is  now  in  course  of  execu- 
tion. Still,  it  is  believed  that  enough  has  here  been  mentioned 
to  show  that  the  Indian  Government,  through  the  chief  consecutive 
ruling  authorities  of  the  Province,  has  not  neglected  Sind,  and  that 
in  conjunction  with  the  already  completed  and  successful  scheme 
of  Harbour  Improvement,  all  that  now  seems  necessary  to  secure 
a  brilliant  future  for  not  only  its  chief  town  but  the  entire  Province 
is  the  speedy  extension  of  its  railway  to  the  Panjab. 


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ABAD—ABJL 

Abad  (new),  an  alienated  village  in  the  Sukkur  taluka  of  the 
Sukkur  and  Shikarpur  Division,  distant  nineteen  miles  from 
Shikaq>ur.  It  has  road  communication  with  GosaijL  There  are 
no  Government  officers  in  this  place.  The  population,  num- 
bering in  all  876,  consists  of  700  Musalmans  of  the  Lakha  tribe, 
and  176  Hindus  of  the  Karra  caste.  Their  chief  employments 
aie  agriculture  and  trade. 

AbdOy  a  Government  town  in  the  Sukkur  taluka  of  the  Shikarpur 
and  Sukkur  Deputy  Collectorate,  situate  on  the  old  road  connecting 
the  towns  of  Sukkur  and  Shikarpur,  and  distant  twelve  miles  from 
each.  It  has  road  communication  also  with  the  villages  of  Chak 
and  Mungrani  It  is  the  head-quarter  station  of  a  Tapadar,  and 
has  a  travellers'  bangalow,  a  small  thdna  school  and  a  catde 
pound  The  population,  numbering  in  all  1201,  consists  of  734 
Muhammadans,  mostly  of  the  Koreshi,  Mahar,  Machhi,  and 
SQmia  tribes ;  the  remainder  (467)  being  Hindus  of  the  Brahman, 
Lohano,  and  Sonaro  castes.  The  occupation  of  the  inhabitants  is 
chiefly  agricultural  The  place  appears  to  possess  neither  trade 
nor  manufactures  of  any  importance. 

Abid  Markianiy  a  Government  town  in  the  Naushahro  Abro 
talQka  of  the  Shikarpur  and  Sukkur  Deputy  Collectorate,  distant 
twenty  miles  south  from  Shikarpur.  At  present  there  are  no 
Toads  leading  to  or  from  this  village,  but  two  have  been  projected, 
one  to  Dakhan  and  the  other  to  Wasil.  This  village  is  the  head- 
quarter station  of  a  Tapadar,  and  has  a  catde  pound.  The  popu- 
lation, numbering  in  all  892,  consists  of  664  Muhammadans,  prin- 
cipaUy  of  the  Markiani  tribe,  while  there  are  also  228  Hindus, 
chiefly  of  the  Lohano  caste.  Their  occupation  is  mainly  agricul- 
ture and  trade. 

Abji,  a  Government  village  in  the  Naushahro  taluka  of  the 
Naushahro  Division,  situate  nine  miles  south-west  from  Tharu- 

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1 18  ADALPUR—ADAM-JO-TANDO, 

shah,  with  which  town,  as  also  with  Naushahro  (nine  miles), 
Mithani  (three  miles),  and  Moro  (fifteen  miles),  it  has  road  communi- 
cation. It  is  a  tapadar's  station,  and  has  police  lines  for  three 
constables,  as  well  as  a  Government  vernacular  school,  attended 
by  thirty-eight  pupils.  The  population  is  1147,  ^i^^  ii^€\x  occupa- 
tion is  for  the  most  part  agricultural.  The  trade  of  this  town  is 
principally  in  grain  and  sugar.  There  are  no  manufactures  of 
any  consequence.  This  town  is  said  to  have  been  founded  by 
one  Aban,  a  Sahato,  about  120  years  ago. 

Adalpur^  a  Government  town  in  the  Ghotki  taluka  of  the  Rohri 
division,  distant  about  thirty-six  miles  north-east  from  Rohri  and 
four  miles  from  GhotkL  It  has  road  communication  from  Ghotki, 
Malik,  and  Mathelo.  It  is  the  head-quarter  station  of  the  Tapadar 
of  the  Adalpur  tapa,  and  has,  besides  his  dira^  a  vernacular 
school,  police  thana  with  three  policemen,  and  a  dhak^  or  cattle 
pound.  The  inhabitants,  numbering  in  all  11 77,  who  are  mostly 
engaged  in  trade  and  agriculture,  consist  of  778  Muhammadans, 
divided  into  many  different  sub-divisions  of  tribes,  of  which  the 
Kalwars  are  the  most  numerous,  there  being  also  some  Bhutas, 
Dharejas,  Malaks,  and  Katis.  The  Saiyads  are  only  ten  in 
number.  Of  the  Hindus  there  are  359,  nearly  all  being  of  the 
Banya  caste.  The  chief  person  of  note  in  this  village  is  one  Izat 
Khan,  a  large  Zamindar.  The  trade  of  this  place  is  in  wheat, 
juar,  bajri,  grain,  indigo,  cotton,  oil,  ghi,  &c.  There  are  no 
manufactures.  This  town  is  said  to  have  been  founded  by  one 
Jam  Jhelu  Dharejo,  about  a.d.  1456. 

Adam-jo-Tando,  a  town  in  the  Alahyar-jo-Tando  taluka  of 
the  Hala  Deputy  CoUectorate,  fourteen  miles  east  from  Hala  and 
twenty  north  from  Alahyar-jo-Tando,  situate  on  the  Sangrowah 
canal.  It  has  road  communication  with  both  these  towns  as  well 
as  with  Mirpur,  Shahdadpur,  Udera,  Ghotano,  and  Berani.  It 
possesses  a  Tapadar's  dera^  a  subordinate  judge's  court-house, 
police  lines,  a  branch  post-office,  dharamsala,  and  a  Government 
vernacular  school.  There  is  also  a  municipality,  established  in 
i860,  the  revenue  of  which  in  1873-74  was  5527  rupees.  The 
inhabitants,  numbering  345  7  >  ajre  mostly  Hindus,  there  being  2109 
of  this  class ;  the  greater  number  are  Lohanos  and  Panjabis :  of 
Muhammadans  there  are  1174^  the  prevailing  tribes  being  Khas- 
kelis,  Sumras,  and  Memons.  Their  chief  occupations  are  agricul- 
ture and  trade.  The  trade  of  the  place  is  principally  in  silk,  raw 
cotton,  graiuj  ghi,  oil,  and  sugar.  Its  value  is  roughly  estimated 
at  about  41,000  rupees,  and  the  transit  trade  at  65,000  rupees. 
The  town  does  not  appear  to  possess  any  special  manufacture. 

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AGHANI-'ALAHYARJO-TANDO.  119 

Adam-jo-Taado  was  bnilt  about  ei^tj  years  ago  by  one  Adam 
Khan  Mari,  whence  its  name.  The  diief  men  of  note  in  this 
town  aie  Karimdad  Man,  Sultan  Ali  Khan  Mari,  and  Daud 
Khan. 

Aghani,  a  Government  village  in  the  T ^Tirana  taluka  of  the 
T^ana  Division,  situate  on  the  (^lar  canaL  There  are  no  public 
buildings  of  any  kind  in  this  place.  The  population,  numbering 
in  all  1023  souls,  consists  of  895  Musalmans  of  the  BhuU  and 
Aghani  tribes,  and  128  Hindus,  whose  occupations  are  agriculture 
and  trade. 

Ajanahali,  a  village  in  the  Hala  taluka  of  the  Hala  district, 
three  miles  to  the  east  of  Hala,  and  situate  on  the  high  road 
leading  from  that  town  to  Shahdadpur.  The  Sarangwah  canal  flows 
past  it  No  Govermnent  officers  reside  here,  nor  are  there  any 
public  buildings.  It  has  879  inhabitants,  the  Muhammadans 
being  chiefly  of  the  Saiyad  and  Sanah  tribes,  and  the  Hindus  for 
the  most  part  Lohanos.  The  population  is,  on  the  whole,  agri- 
cultuiaL  The  chief  men  of  the  place  are  Saiyads  and  Amils ;  of 
the  former,  Saiyad  Begshah  is  the  most  important  individual 
Ajanshah  is  supposed  to  have  been  founded  during  the  Kalhora 
dynasty  by  one  Hasan  Shah,  about  a.d.  1777  (h.  i  r55). 

Alahyar-jo-Tando,  a  taluka  (or  sulxiivision)  of  the  Hala 
Deputy  Collectorate,  having  seven  tapas  and  fifty-nine  villages, 
with  an  area  of  705  square  miles,  and  a  population  of  59,746 
souls.  The  revenue,  imperial  and  local,  of  this  taluka  during  the 
past  five  years,  ending  1873-74,  is  as  follows : — 


InipcriAl  •     •     • 
Local       .     .     . 

Total  rupees     . 

«»69-7«. 

1870-71. 

1871-7*. 

1873-73-            «873-74- 

rupees. 

88,493 

6,64« 

mpees. 
1,19.327 
7,040 

rupees. 
1,07,472 
7,780 

rupees.             rupees. 
1,08,822           9^,025 

S,oo6          4,410 

95.134 

1,26,367 

1,15,252 

1,16,828     1,02,435 

Alahyar-jo-Tando,  the  chief  town  of  the  taluka  of  that  name 
in  the  Hala  Deputy  Collectorate,  in  latitude  25°  21'  N.,  and 
longitude  68^  40'.  It  is  thirty-two  miles  south-east  from  Hala, 
and  twenty-four  east  firom  Hyderabad,  and  is  situate  on  the 
Gahorowah  canaL  It  has  road  communication  with  Hyderabad, 
Mirpur,  Hala,  Adam-jo-Tando,  Nasarpur,  Gorchani,  and  Kbokhar. 
It  is  the  head-quarter  station  of  a  Mukhtyarkar,  whose  dira  is  in 
the  fort,  and  possesses  a  Deputy  Collector's  bangalow  (also  in  the 
fort),  a  subordinate  judge's  court-house,  a  dispensary,  a  Govern- 


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I20  AMRL 

ment  Anglo-vernacular  school,  as  also  one  for  female  children, 
market,  rural  and  district  police  lines,  a  branch  post-office,  dharara- 
sala,  and  a  cattle  pound  (or  dhak).  The  town  has  also  a  munici- 
pality, established  in  1856,  the  revenue  of  which  in  1873-74  was 
6827  rupees,  while  the  disbursements  were  6326  rupees.  The 
fort,  which  is  near  the  canal,  is  small  in  area,  and  was  erected  in 
the  time  of  the  Talpur  dynasty.  Alahyar-jo-Tando  is  one  of  the 
most  populous  towns  throughout  the  Hala  district,  having  3913 
inhabitants,  made  up  of  the  two  great  classes,  Muhammadans  and 
Hindus.  Of  the  former  there  are  1447,  who  are  mostly  Memons 
and  Patolis ;  the  Hindus  number  2333,  chiefly  of  the  Brahman, 
Lohano,  and  Panjabi  castes.  Their  occupation  is  principally 
agriculture  and  trade.  The  chief  men  of  note  in  this  town  are 
Mirs  Shah  Muhammad  and  Khan  Muhammad.  The  trade  of 
the  place  is  in  sugar,  ivory,  grain  of  sorts,  ghi,  silk,  cloths,  cotton, 
and  oil.  Cotton  is  extensively  cultivated  in  this  taluka,  while  the 
greater  part  of  that  from  Mirpur  passes  through  this  town  on  its 
way  to  Karachi  by  either  Ghotana  or  by  Gidu  Bandar.  Among 
the  imports  are  cloths,  raw  silk,  ivory,  and  metal  pots — the  latter 
coming  mostly  from  the  town  of  Nagodi  in  the  Jodhpur  (Marwar) 
State.  The  value  of  the  local  trade  is,  at  a  rough  estimate,  about 
1,16,000  rupees,  while  that  of  the  transit  trade  is  computed  at 
1,61,000  rupees.  The  principal  manufactures  are  the  weaving 
of  coloured  cloths  and  silk,  and  ivory  work.  The  ivory  is  made 
up  into  armlets  (for  which  there  is  a  great  demand  among  the 
female  community),  hukah  mouthpieces,  and  other  articles.  The 
town  is  said  to  have  been  founded,  about  ninety  years  since,  by 
one  Alahyar,  a  son  of  Mir  Fateh  Khan  Talpur,  whence  its  name. 
During  the  sovereignty  of  the  Talpurs  it  attained  to  considerable 
commercial  importance,  as  it  was  on  the  high  road  .between  the 
two  large  towns  of  Hyderabad  and  Umarkot,  and  much  of  the 
trade  of  Shikarpur  and  northern  Sind  found  its.  way  there,  but 
this  fell  off  to  a  great  extent  after  the  conquest  of  the  province  by 
the  British  in  1843,  and  still  more  so  on  the  opening  of  the  line 
of  railway  between  Kotri  and  Karachi  in  1861,  which  at  once 
diverted  the  trade  of  northern  Sind  into  other  channels. 

Amri,  a  Government  village  in  the  Manjhand  taluka  of  the 
Sehwan  Deputy  Collectorate,  situate  on  the  main  road  running 
from  Kotri  to  Sehwan  and  close  to  the  river  Indus.  It  is  twenty- 
three  miles  north  of  Manjhand,  and  the  same  distance  south  of 
Sehwan,  and  is  the  head-quarter  station  of  a  Tapadar.  There  are 
police  lines  for  four  men,  a  staging  bangalow,  dharamsala  and 
cattle   pound  {dhak).      The  population,  numbering  in  all  867, 

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AMROTE—AROR.  121 

consists  of  757  Musalmans  and  107  Hindus ;  their  chief  employ- 
ment is  agricoltuie.  There  is  a  kxral  and  transit  trade  in  grain 
and  ghi,  but  to  what  extent  is  not  known. 

Amrote  (old),  a  Government  village  in  the  Nanshahro  Ahio 
taluka  of  the  Sukkur  and  Shikarpur  Division,  distant  seven  miles 
south-west  from  Shikarpur.  Though  the  population  is  large, 
numbering  1522,  of  whom  1277  are  Musalmans  and  245  Hindus, 
there  appear  to  be  no  roads  leading  to  or  from  it,  and  no  public 
buildings  of  any  kind.  The  principal  occupations  of  the  people 
are  agriculture  and  trade. 

Anisi,  a  village  in  the  Sehwan  taluka  of  the  Sehwan  Deputy 
Collectorate,  distant  six  miles  north-west  of  Sehwan,  and  two  miles 
west  of  Bubak,  having  rough  communication  by  camel  tracks  with 
tins  latter  town  and  Bhan.  It  is  the  head-quarter  station  of  a 
Tapadar,  and  possesses  a  municipality,  established  in  1861,  with 
an  annual  income  which  in  1873-74  amounted  to  1201  rupees.  It 
has  a  Government  vernacular  school,  a  cattle  pound,  as  also  a 
small  police  post  The  inhabitants  number  2039,  kA  whom  1301 
are  Muhammadans  (mostly  Saiyads,  Chandias,  Khokbar;,  Memons, 
and  SQmras),  and  738  Hindus  of  the  Brahman  and  Lohano 
castes.  Agriculture  and  trade  are  the  chief  emplojrments  of  the 
population.  The  principal  resident  of  note  is  one  Saiyad  Mu- 
hammad. There  is  no  trade,  nor  are  there  any  manufactures  in 
this  place. 

AJfja,  a  Government  village  in  the  Labdaiya  taluka  of  the 
Larkana  Division,  situate  ten  miles  south  of  the  town  of  larkana. 
The  population,  numbering  in  all  1163  souls,  consists  of  1080 
Musalmans,  mostly  Saiyads,  and  but  83  Hindus,  who  are 
Brahmans,  &c  Their  occupations  are  principally  agriculture  and 
trade. 

Aror  (pronounced  Alor),  an  old  ruined  town  situate  five  miles 
to  the  east  of  Rohri,  and  connected  with  it  by  a  road  which  passes 
over  a  bridge  said  to  be  very  ancient  In  the  bed  of  the  river 
which  once  flowed  near  this  place  are  two  stones  set  up,  it  is  sup- 
posed, to  mark  the  ancient  course  of  the  Indus — ^then  known  as 
the  Mihran.  The  city  is  reported  to  have  been  built  oipakka  brick 
and  stone  on  a  rocky  hill,  having  its  walls  then  washed  by  the 
Indus,  and  it  seems  probable  that  the  change  in  the  course  of  the 
river,  caused,  it  is  presumed,  by  an  earthquake,  took  place  some- 
where about  .VJ>.  962  (or  Hijri  341).  It  was  the  capital  of  the 
Hindu  Rajas  who  governed  Sind,  though  no  specimens  of  Hindu 
architecture  have  been  found  there.  littic  else  is  known  relative 
to  this  city,  since  no  record  of  any  moment  exists  concerning  the 

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133 


BADIN. 


time  between  the  invasion  of  India  by  Alexander  the  Great  and 
the  conquest  of  Sind  by  the  generals  of  the  Khalifas,  excepting 
a  few  puerile  legends.  Amongst  the  present  ruins  of  Aror  are  the 
mazjid  of  Alumgir,  and  the  tombs  of  the  two  Saiyads,  Shakar  Ganj 
Shah  and  Khatal-u-din  Shah.  To  the  former,  which  is  a  plain 
white  sepulchre,  frequent  pilgrimages  are  made.  Muhammad 
Masum  Name,  in  his  History  of  Sind,  states  that  the  city  of  Aror  was 
captured  by  Muhammad  Kasim  Sakifi  about  a.d.  711  (h.  93),  the 
then  reigning  Hindu  prince,  Rai  Dahir,  being  killed  in  the  assault 
Badin  (or  Badino),  a  taluka  (or  sub-division)  of  the  Tanda 
Deputy  CoUectorate,  containing  an  area  of  795  square  miles, 
with  8  tapas,  115  dehs^  and  a  population  of  51,593  souls.  The 
revenue  (imperial  and  local)  of  this  sub-division  during  the  past 
five  years,  ending  1873-74,  is  as  follows : — 


Imperial    .     . 
Local  •     .     • 

Total  rupees . 

186S-70. 

1870-7X. 

1871-79. 

1873-73. 

»873-74. 

rupees. 
95,260 
9,426 

rupees. 
1,14,863 
9,577 

rupees. 
1,09,061 

12,551 

rupees. 
1,14,631 
11,590 

rupees. 
96,210 
8,962 

1.04,686 

1,24,440 

1,21,612 

1,26,221   ,    1,05,172 

Badin  (or  Badino),  a  Government  village  and  the  head- 
quarters of  the  Mukhtyarkar  of  the  talaka  of  the  same  name.  It  is 
situate  on  a  spot  between  the  Ghari  Mandhar  and  Kaziah  canals, 
in  latitude  24®  33'  N.,  and  longitude  68**  52'  E.,  and  is  distant 
62  miles  S.S.E.  from  Hyderabad,  and  41  from  Tando  Muhammad 
Khan,  with  which  latter  town  it  is  connected  by  a  trunk  road 
passing  through  it  to  Luari  and  Rahim-ki-Bazar.  It  has  com- 
munication also  with  Tando  Bago,  vi&  Wahnai,  and  with  Sirani 
and  Khorwah  by  cross  roads.  As  the  head-quarter  station  of  a 
Mukhtyarkar,  it  possesses  a  kutcherry  with  jail  attached,  together 
with  police  lines,  affording  accommodation  for  three  officers  and 
eleven  constables,  as  well  as  a  post-office  and  cattle  pound.  It 
has  also  a  municipality,  established  in  1857,  with  a  revenue  which 
in  1873-74  amounted  to  1347  rupees,  while  the  disbursements 
for  the  same  year  were  1531  rupees.  The  municipal  revenue  has 
increased  considerably  of  late,  owing  to  the  receipts  from  the 
Cattle  Pound  Fund  being  now  made'  over  to  it  There  is  an 
annual  fair  held  at  this  town  for  twelve  or  thirteen  days  during  a 
part  of  the  month  of  June,.which  is  attended  by  about  ten  thousand 
persons.  The  fees  levied  at  this  fair  are  given  to  the  municipality, 
on  the  understanding  that  it  pays  all  the  expenses — an  arrange- 

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BAGIRJI—BAMBURA.  123 

ment  which  of  late  years  has  not  proved  advantageoa&  The 
inhabitants,  who  are  978  in  number,  consist  of  414  Hindus  and 
564  Muhammadans,  the  majority  of  the  former  being  traders  and 
shopkeepers,  and  the  latter  Lahoris,  cultivators  and  weavers. 
S(»ne  Pirs  of  note  reside  at  Badin,  but  the  chief  of  tiiese,  Bhawan 
Shah,  died  a  few  years  ago. 

The  manufactures  of  this  place  comprise  the  making  of  shoes ; 
agricultural  implements,  sudi  as  spades  and  axes;  eartiienware, 
and  wooden  wheels  (or  nari)  for  irrigational  purposes.  It  has  a 
large  trade  in  rice,  bajri,  and  other  cereals,  as  well  as  in  ghi,  sugar, 
molasses,  cloths,  metals,  tobacco,  skins,  cotton,  country  liquor,  and 
drugs.  The  transit  trade  is  confined  to  a  few  articles  only,  these 
being  cloths,  bajri,  juar,  and  oil.  Badin  possesses  a  Government 
vernacular  school,  and  good,  well-built  district  bangalow,  and  a 
dharamsala,  the  latter  maintained  at  the  expense  of  the  munici- 
pality. This  town  was  once  much  larger  than  it  is  at  present, 
but  its  former  site  was  on  the  right  (or  western)  bank  of  the  Ghari 
Mandhar  canaL  The  whole  town  was  destroyed  by  Madat  Khan, 
the  famous  Pathan,  in  his  raid  into  Sind.  The  present  town  is 
supposed  to  have  been  built  by  Sawalo,  a  HindQ,  about  127  years 
ago. 

Bagiiji,  a  Government  village  in  the  Sukkur  taluka  of  the 
Sukkur  and  Shikarpur  Division,  distant  r6  miles  south  c^  Shikarpur. 
It  has  a  Government  vernacular  school  The  population,  number- 
ing in  all  905,  consists  of  622  Musalmans  of  the  Pathan  tribe  and 
283  Hindus. 

Bambnra,  a  ruined  city  near  the  town  of  Gharo,  in  the  Mirpur 
Sakro  taluka  of  the  Jerruck  district,  in  latitude  24""  40'  N.,  and  lon- 
gitude 67°  41'  £w  It  was  known  as  the  Kafir,  or  Infidel  city,  and 
is  presumed  to  have  been  in  existence  before  the  first  Muham- 
madan  invasion  of  Sind  in  a.d.  7ir-i2.  It  is  stated  that  there 
are  reasons  for  supposing  that  this  ancient  place  was  known 
during  the  eighth  century  under  the  names  of  Debal,  Dewal,  or 
Dawul,  and  that  it  was  the  first  town  that  was  stormed  by  the 
Muslim  invader,  Muhammad  Kasim  S^Udfi.  The  catapults  used 
by  this  general  are  said  to  have  been  brought  by  sea  to  this  place, 
which  is  thought  to  have  been  at  that  time  the  principal  port  in 
Sind  on  the  western  side  of  the  Indus  delta.  'Riis  ancient  ctty^ 
it  is  said,  exhibits  marks  of  great  antiquity,  displaying  the  remains 
of  ramparts,  bastions,  towers  and  houses,  and  bearing  evidence  of 
former  population  and  trade  in  the  number  of  coins  washed  up 
during  heavy  rain.  At  the  time  of  its  destruction  there  was  a 
temple  renowned  for  its  sanctity  in  the  fort,  whence  the  town  is 

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124 


bangVl  dero—bhan. 


supposed  to  have  been  called  by  Muhammadan  historians  Dewal* 
or  the  temple,  but  it  is  believed  that  before  the  Muslim  invasion 
it  was  known  under  the  name  of  Mahara,  or  Mansawar. 

Bangui  Dero,  a  Grovemment  village  in  the  Rato  Dero  taloka 
of  the  Larkana  Deputy  Collectorate,  in  latitude  27°  43'  N.,  and 
longitude  68^  27'  £.,  and  distant  12  miles  N.£.  of  Larkana,  with 
which  town  and  Rato  Dero  it  has  road  communication.  A  Ta- 
padar  resides  here.  The  population  numbers  in  all  1442  souls, 
comprising  Muhammadans  of  the  Bhata  Visar  and  Dakhan  tribes, 
and  300  Hindus,  but  the  number  of  each  class  is  not  known. 
There  are  no  manufactures,  nor  does  there  appear  to  be  any  trade 
of  importance,  either  local  or  transit 

Belo,  a  taluka  (or  sub-division)  of  the  Shahbandar  Deputy 
Collectorate,  having  an  area  of  294  square  miles,  with  6  tapas, 
82  "dehs,"  and  a  population  of  28,471  souls.  The  revenue, 
imperial  and  local,  of  this  sub-division  for  the  four  years  past, 
ending  1873-74,  is  as  follows : — 


Imperial  .     .     . 
Local       .     .     . 

Total  rupees  . 

J870-71. 

\^^l'^^. 

1872-73       1      > 873-74. 

rupees. 

rupees. 
69,097 
12,039 

rupees. 
71,042 
12,410 

rupees. 
69,065 

16,330 

74,276 

81,136 

83,452 

85,395 

Belo,  a  village  in  the  taluka  of  the  same  name  in  the  Shah- 
bandar Deputy  Collectorate,  4  miles  from  the  river  Indus,  and 
the  head-quarter  station  of  the  Mukhtyarkar  of  the  taluka,  and  also 
of  a  Tapadar.  It  is  distant  32 J  miles  north-north-west  of  Mugal- 
bhin,  and  \o\  miles  west  from  Dara  Besides  the  Mukhtyarkar's 
deray  there  is  a  police  sub-thana  here,  with  a  force  of  19  men, 
under  the  charge  of  a  chief  constable ;  a  dharamsala  for  travellers, 
and  a  cattle  pound.  The  population,  numbering  in  all  691  souls, 
is  made  up  of  359  Muhammadans  of  the  Saiyad  and  Muhana 
tribes:  the  Hindus  are  332  in  number,  and  are  chiefly  Lohanos 
and  Bhatias.  There  does  not  appear  to  be  any  trade  or  manufac- 
ture of  any  importance  in  this  town. 

Beyr,  a  Government  village  in  the  Kambar  taluka  of  the 
larkana  Division,  x6  miles  west  from  Larkana.  It  has  road 
communication  with  Kambar.  The  population,  numbering  in  all 
1322  souls,  comprises  1102  Musalmans  and  220  Hindus,  whose 
principal  occupations  are  trade  and  agriculture. 

Bhan,  a  Government  village  in  the  Sehwan  taluka  of  the 

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BHELANI—BHIRIA,  125 

Sehwan  Deputy  CoUectorate,  distant  12  miles  north-west  of  Seh- 
wan,  with  which  town,  as  also  with  the  villages  of  Johi,  Bubak, 
and  Dadu,  it  has  road  communication.  This  place  possesses 
police  lines  with  four  men,  is  the  head-quarter  station  of  a 
Tapadar,  and  has  a  staging  bangalow,  a  post-office,  Government 
school,  and  a  cattle  pound.  The  population,  numbering  1084 
persons,  comprises  833  Musalmans,  and  251  Hindus,  whose  occu- 
pation is  chiefly  a^culture.  This  place  has  neither  trade  nor 
manufactures  of  any  consequence. 

Bhelani,  a  Government  village  in  the  Kandiaio  taluka  of  the 
Naushahro  Division.  It  is  situate  on  the  postal  road  leading  from 
Halani  to  Mahrabpur,  and  is  distant  18  miles  north-east  of 
Tharushah.  It  has  road  communication  also  with  the  village  of 
Khanwahan.  There  are  no  Government  officers  stationed  at  this 
place.  The  population,  numbering  in  all  1537,  consists  of  Mu- 
hammadans  and  Hindus,  but  the  number  of  each  is  not  known. 
Their  occupation  is  mainly  agricultural  The  trade  of  the  place  is 
4n  grain,  and  the  only  manufacture  that  of  cotton  cloth.  The 
population  of  this  village  would  appear  to  have  somewhat 
<iiminished,  ^nce  Lieut  Jameson^  in  his  report  of  1852,  states  that 
it  then  had  1781  inhabitants,  of  whom  945  were  Hindus,  and  836 
Muhammadans :  the  number  of  houses  was  231  in  all,  and  the 
shop)s  37.  Conjointly  with  Halani,  which  adjoins  this  village,  it  is 
an  old  town,  having  been  upwards  of  200  years  in  existence,  and 
therefore  founded  prior  to  the  advent  of  the  Kalhora  dynasty. 

Bhian,  a  Government  village  in  the  Kotri  taluka  of  the  Sehwan 
Deputy  CoUectorate^  23  miles,  north  of  Kotri,  and  half  a  mile 
eastward  of  the  main  road  running  from  Kotri  to  Sehwait  It  is 
the  head-quarter  station  of  a  Tapadar,  and  has  a  small  police 
post,  a  dharamsala  for  travellers,  and  a  cattle  pound.  The  inha- 
bitants, numbering  1592,  comprise  iiii  Muhammadans,  princi- 
pally of  the  Saiyad,  Muhana,  Bhian,  Chuna  and  Laghari  tribes,  and 
481  Hindus,  who  are  mostly  Lohanos.  The  population  is  chiefly 
engaged  in  cultivation  and  trade.  This  place  seems  to  have  no 
particular  trade  or  manufactures. 

Bhiria,  a  Government  town  in  the  Naushahro  taluka  of  the 
Deputy  CoUectorate  of  that  name.  It  is  situate  on  the  high  road 
running  from  Hyderabad  to  Rohri,  and  is  6  miles  east  of  Tharu 
Shah,  and  8  miles  north-east  from  Naushahro,  with  both  which 
places,  as  also  with  Kandiaro,  Halani,  and  Chang  (in  the  Khairpur 
territory)  it  has  road  communication :  the  postal  road  also  from 
Naushahro  to  Tharu  Shah  runs  near  this  to?ni.  It  is  the  head- 
quarter station  of  a  Tapadar,  and  has  police  hnes  for  four  men. 


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126  BHITSHAH—BRAHMANABAD. 

In  addition  to  the  Tapadar's  dira^  or  office,  there  is  a  verna- 
cular school,  market,  and  a  commodious  dharamsala.  This  place 
also  possesses  a  municipality,  established  in  1861,  the  income  of 
which  in  1873-74  amounted  to  1825  rupees,  and  the  expenditure 
to  1707.  The  population,  numbering  2549,  comprises  but  926 
Muhammadans,  chiefly  of  the  Saiyad  and  Memon  tribes,  and  only 
.135  HindQs,  who  are  for  the  most  part  Lohanos,  the  remainder 
(1488)  being  very  probably  Sikhs,  The  occupation  of  the  people 
is  principally  agricultural  In  1852  this  town,  according  to  Lieut 
Jameson,  had  2798  inhabitants,  of  whom  1573  were  Hindus. 
There  were  then  231  houses  and  100  shops,  and  this  village,  in 
point  of  population,  then  ranked  second  in  the  Naushahro  Paigana. 
A  small  quantity  of  oil  is  manufactured  here  for  home  consumption, 
and  a  large  quantity  of  grain  passes  annually  through  this  town 
for  shipment  by  the  Indus  to  other  places. 

Bhitshah,  a  town  in  the  Hala  taluka  of  the  Hala  Deputy  Col- 
lectorate,  4  miles  east  from  Hala,  with  which  place,  as  well  as 
with  Adam-jo-Tando,  it  has  road  communication.  No  Govern- 
ment officers  reside  here,  the  Tapadar  of  Bhitshah  having  his 
dera  at  Khandu.  The  population  numbers  1640,  but  the  num- 
ber of  Muhammadans  and  Hindus  is  not  known.  The  former 
are  of  the  Wasan,  Sand,  Khaskeli,  and  Bugria  tribes,  and  the 
latter  are  nearly  all  Lohanos.  The  trade  of  the  place  is  mostly 
in  rice,  juar,  bajri,  cotton,  and  ghi.  The  chief  men  of  note  in 
this  town  are  Pirs,  and  it  is  the  residence  of  Pir  Mian  Alabakhsh, 
to  whom  the  four  tombs  in  the  place  belong.  These  tombs,  which 
were  erected  about  150  years  ago,  are  built  of  burnt  glazed  bricks, 
and  are  in  good  condition.  A  fair  takes  place  here  annually  in 
the  month  of  May,  and  is  attended  by  upwards  of  4000  Muham- 
madans. It  is  in  honour  of  Shah  Abdul  Latif,  the  founder  of  the 
town,  which  dates  from  a.d.  1727  (h.  1105). 

Brahmanabad,  a  very  ancient  and  ruined  city  in  the  Shah- 
dadpur  taluka  of  the  Hala  Deputy  CoUectorate.  This  place  was 
visited  by  Mr.  A.  F.  Bellasis^  late  of  the  Bombay  Civil  Service,  in 
1854,  and  his  interesting  description  of  the  ruins,  together  with  a 
short  memorandum  on  the  same  subject  by  Captain  (now  Major- 
General  Sir  F.  J.)  Goldsmid,  of  the  Madras  army,  is  as  follows : — 
"  Brahmanabad,  or  Bambra-ke-Thul,*  its  more  modem  and 
Sindi  name,  is  an  ancient  and  ruined  city,  situated  on  the  dry 
bed  of  a  large  river,  said  to  have  been  one  of  the  old  courses  of 
the  Indus.     It  lies  in  an  easterly  direction,  about  8  miles  from 

*  Bambra,  a  name  frequently  applied  to  old  ruined  cities  in  Sind.    Thul, 
a  tower,  a  bastion. 


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BRAHMANABAD,  127 

the  town  of  Shahdadpur,  and  about  21  from  Hala.  It  is  about 
44  miles  N.K  of  the  city  of  Hyderabad,  and  about  16  miles  from 
^e  right  bank  of  the  Mithrau  canaL 

*'  Biahmanabad  in  its  palmy  days  was  a  large  and  fortified  city, 
built  entirely  of  baked  bricks.  Its  present  appearance  is  one  vast 
mass  of  ruins,  forming  irregular  mounds,  varying  in  dimensions 
according  to  the  size  of  the  original  houses,  of  which  these  ruins 
are  the  humbler  representatives.  Some  idea  may  be  formed  of  the 
extent  of  Brahmanabad,  when  I  state  its  circumference  is  withiri  a 
few  yards  of  four  miles,  measured  by  a  perambulator.  Besides 
Brahmanabad,  at  a  distance  of  about  a  mile  and  a  half,  is  the  dis- 
tinct and  ruined  city  of  Dalari,  the  residence  of  its  last  King,  and 
five  miles  in  another  direction  is  the  ruined  city  of  Depur,  the 
residence  of  his  Prime  Minister  (Wazir) ;  and  between  these  cities 
are  the  ruins  of  suburbs  extending  for  miles  far  and  wide  into  the 
open  country. 

^  Brahmanabad  appears  to  have  been  the  commercial  city,  where 
the  merchants  and  traders  lived ;  Dalari,  where  the  King  and  his 
Court  resided,  in  luxury  and  pleasure;  and  Depur,  where  the 
Prime  Minister  transacted  with  his  officers  the  affairs  of  state. 
The  city  of  Brahmanabad  is  entirely  surrounded  with  a  rampart^ 
mounted  with  numerous  turrets  and  bastions. 

"On  first  entering  Brahmanabad,  so  extensive  and  so  complete 
are  its  ruins,  you  feel  lost  in  contemplating  its  utter  desolation ; 
and  it  takes  some  time  before  the  eye  becomes  accustomed  to  the 
confiision  and  disorder  that  characterise  the  place.  After  a  little 
examination,  the  most  prominent  object  that  presents  itself  is  the 
ruin  of  a  high  tower  of  brickwork  standing  isolated  on  a  large 
heap  of  ruins,  clearly  indicating  its  former  extent  and  importance. 
This  may  have  been  the  citadel,  or  one  of  those  circular  towers 
such  as  are  seen  in  Sind  to  this  day  in  the  forts  of  Hyderabad 
and  Umarkot 

"  Amid  the  chaos  of  ruins  you  may  fiirther  observe  several  open 
spaces  or  squares,  evidently  the  bazars  and  market-places  of  the 
city:  some  of  these  are  of  great  extent,  running  through  the  fort 
A  little  imagination,  and  you  might  picture  to  yourself  that  here 
were  barracks  for  troops ;  that  in  this  open  space  they  were  wont 
to  hold  their  parades ;  that  this  was  the  exchange  of  the  money- 
lenders ;  this  die  river  gate  of  the  cUy,  where  customs  were  levied. 
Again,  it  were  easy  to  imagine  the  noble  Indus  gliding  in  a  mighty 
stream  past  the  city  walls,  her  waters  studded,  as  at  present,  with 
many  a  boat,  and  many  a  quaint-cut  sail,  and  many  a  pala  fisher- 
man, giving  perspective  to  the  landscape.     It  were  easier  still  to 


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128  BRAHMANABAD. 

picture  along  the  banks  of  the  river,  and  immediately  under  the 
city  walls,  the  busy  haunts  of  trade :  here  you  might  say  with  cer- 
tainty were  the  native  craft  moored  to  the  bank ;  here  piles  of 
goods  and  merchandise  were  often  heaped;  and  there,  too,  you 
might  safely  say  were  crowds  of  noisy,  money-making  Hindus, 
chattering,  bartering,  and  ^Tangling  after  the  most  approved 
fashion  of  modern  times.  Turning  from  the  contemplation  of 
what  may  have  been  to  the  chaos  of  surrounding  ruins,  the  only 
memorials  of  the  past,  one  is  led  to  inquire  what  could  have 
caused  the  utter  destruction  of  a  city  so  large  and  so  strong. 

**  Very  little  is  known  of  the  history  of  Brahmanabad,  except  what 
tradition  tells  :  as  usual,  it  is  mixed  up  with  fable ;  but,  wanting 
records,  even  fable  has  its  value.  The  popular  account  of  Brahman- 
abad, as  far  as  I  have  been  able  to  procure  it,  is  as  follows : — 

"  That  about  seven  or  eight  centuries  ago,  Brahmanabad  was  a 
rich  and  flourishing  city.  That  in  those  days  a  very  wicked  king, 
named  Dolora,  reigned  in  those  parts,  and  among  his  many 
iniquities  he  made  a  law  that  all  young  maidens  who  married  any 
of  his  subjects  were  to  pass  the  wedding  night  in  his  palace.  The 
breach  of  this  law  was  death.  Now,  a  certain  rich  noble  had  a 
daughter,  beautiful  and  fair,  and  she  was  about  to  be  married. 
But  this  law  was  an  insuperable  obstacle  to  the  father's  wishes.  In 
his  difficulties,  he  went  for  assistance  to  a  priest  of  great  sanctity, 
who  was  supposed  to  have  the  power  of  communicating  with  both 
heaven  and  hell,  and  asked  for  advice.  The  priest  told  the  rich 
man  that  he  could  only  devise  one  way  of  helping  him,  and  that 
was  by  destroying  the  whole  city  of  Brahmanabad,  if  King  Dolora 
did  not  by  a  certain  day  abrogate  this  iniquitous  law.  The  rich 
man  besought  the  priest  very  earnestly  to  save  the  city :  he  offered 
him  jewels,  and  silver  and  gold,  to  devise  some  other  means ;  but 
the  priest  was  firm,  and  said  he  had  looked  well  into  futurity,  and 
that  there  was  no  other  remedy.  Then,  said  the  rich  man,  save 
my  daughter's  honour,  should  even  Brahmanabad  be  ruined. 
Accordingly,  there  went  forth  a  prophecy,  proclaiming  to  all  the 
inhabitants,  that  if  by  a  certain  day  King  Dolora  did  not  abrogate 
this  wicked  law,  Brahmanabad  would  be  utterly  destroyed,  and 
warning  all  faithful  people  to  flee  the  city  before  the  impending 
calamity  came  to  pass.  The  king  took  no  heed,  and  continued  in 
his  wicked  ways,  living  in  pleasure  and  luxury  in  the  midst  of  his 
lascivious  court  The  day  came,  and  with  it  a  most  awful  tempest, 
followed  by  a  violent  earthquake.  The  city  of  Brahmanabad  was 
laid  low  in  ruins,  and  in  its  fall  king,  courtiers,  and  unbelievers 
were  buried. 

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BRAHMANABAD.  129 

**  Those  who  had  believed  the  prophecy  of  the  priest,  and  had 
made  their  escape  from  the  dty  before  this  calamity  took  place, 
are  said  to  have  wandered  about  Sind  for  a  whole  jrear,  seeking 
for  a  ^x>t  whereon  they  might  settle  and  build  them  anodier  dty. 
They  searched  in  vain  for  a  site  as  beautiAd  as  that  of  thdr  ruined 
Rahmanabad ;  for  lands  as  fertile  and  rich^  for  trade  as  great  and 
flourishing.  At  last  they  came  to  Nasarpur,*  and  that  being  the 
best  place  they  had  seen  ance  they  had  left  their  own  beautiful 
city,  they  settled  there,  and  built  them  another  brick  city,  and  there 
they  dwelt  This  too  has  disappeared,  and  Nasarpur  is  now  a 
mud-built  town,  like  all  the  rest  of  the  towns  in  Sind;  but  the 
remains  of  the  old  brick  dty  are  to  be  seen  to  this  day.  Such  is 
the  legend  of  Brahmanabad  and  its  inhabitants." 

I  have  consulted  Saiyad  Sadir  Ali  Shah,  a  learned  Saiyad  of 
Tatta,  and  have  referred  to  the  few  Sindi  books  that  give  any 
account  of  Brahmanabad,  and  from  these  authorities  I  gain  the 
foUowing  particulars : — 

''The  Saiyad  states  that  the  dty  appears  to  have  been  founded 
befc»e  the  Hindu  djmasty  of  the  Brahmans,  which  commenced  in 
the  first  year  of  the  Hijri,  or  a.d.  622.  He  says  it  is  mentioned  in 
the  Tu^-ul-Kiram  that  Chach,  the  first  of  the  Brahman  kings 
who  ruled  in  Sind,  appointed  his  younger  brother  Chandar  as  his 
viceroy  at  Alor,  and  employed  hiinself  in  arranging  the  boundaries 
of  his  kingdom,  having  subdued  Mah,  the  Chief  of  Sehwan,  and 
Agfaer,  the  ChidT  of  Brahmanabad.  From  this  the  Saiyad  infers 
that  the  dty  was  probably  founded  during  the  reign  of  the  Rajas 
before  the  Brahman  dynasty. 

'*  The  Saiyad  also  states  that  the  dty  must  have  been  ruined 
before  the  expiration  of  the  fourth  Hijri  century,  or  about  a.d. 
1020,  as  he  finds  it  mentioned  in  the  Tufat-ul-Kiram,  in  the  nar- 
ration of  the  Sumras,  that  Chota  Amrani,  brother  of  Dolora  Amrani, 
departed  to  Baghdid  on  account  of  his  brother's  injustice.  This 
Chota  Amrani  embraced  Islamism,  and  married  the  daughter  of  a 
celebrated  Arab,  whom  he  brought  to  Sind  in  the  fourth  century, 
together  with  a  number  of  Arabs,  who,  in  company  with  Saiyad 
Ali  Musui,  had  been  made  over  to  him  by  the  Khalifa  of 
Baghdad. 

"  The  Chachnama  contains  a  history  of  Chach,  the  first  of  the 
Brahman  kings  of  Sind,  and  of  his  dominions.     It  was  written  in 

^  Nasarpur  is  a  dty  of  acknow-  sdll  a  place  of  some  repute  and  learn- 

ledged  antiquity,  and,  like  Brahman-  ing,   and  has  a   not    inconsiderable 

abSd,  situated  on  the  banks  of  one  of  trade, 
the  old  branches  of  the  Indus.    It  is 


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1 30  BRAHMANABAD. 

the  original  Arabic,  about  a.d.  700.  Therein  is  mention  made  of 
Brahmanabad  as  the  chief  city  of  one  of  the  divisions  of  the  kingdom 
of  Cyrus  bin  Sahirai,  who  lived  before  the  time  of  Muhammad.  It 
also  contains  an  account  of  the  battles  fought  there,  but  gives 
neither  the  date  of  its  foundation  nor  its  destruction. 

"  The  Tufat-ul-Kiram  contains  a  comprehensive  general  history 
of  Sind,  and  was  written  about  ninety  years  ago  (a.h.  1180),  and 
is  a  modem  work  in  comparison  with  the  Chachnama. 

"  The  Chachnama  was  written  by  Ali  Kufi,  who  came  to  Sind 
with  the  army  of  Muhammad  Kasim,  sent  in  a.d.  7 10  by  the  Khalifa 
Walid,  son  of  Abdul  Malik  of  Baghdad.  Muhammad  Kasim  de- 
feated Dahir,  the  son  of  Cliach,  conquered  Sind,  and  overthrew  the 
Brahman  dynasty  of  kings  in  7 1 1  A.D. 

*'  It  was  on  the  nth  of  March,  1854,  that  I,  in  company  with 
Mr.  C.  W.  Richardson,  visited  the  ruins  of  Brahmanabad. 

"  A  few  officers  had  previously  visited,  at  different  times,  tliese 
ruins,  and  had  collected  some  coins  and  other  curiosities,  which 
are  readily  found  on  the  surface,  and  many  others  had  been 
obtained  from  villagers,  who  are  in  the  habit  of  digging  in  the  ruins 
for  bricks,  and  thus  find  a  variety  of  beads,  stones,  and  coins^  but 
no  person  had  ever  attempted  systematically  to  excavate.  Mr. 
Richardson  and  I  were  therefore  resolved  to  devote  two  or  three 
days  to  Brahmanabad,  and  to  endeavour,  by  carefully  removing  one 
of  the  heaps  of  rubbish,  to  disclose  any  remnants  of  a  house  that 
might  have  been  concealed  therein  for  centuries. 

"  We  selected  for  excavation  a  heap  of  ruins  standing  on  the 
verge  of  the  principal  bazar  or  square.  We  had  not  com- 
menced many  minutes  before  we  came  upon  the  edge  of  a 
wall :  clearing  it,  we  soon  came  upon  a  cross  wall,  and  then  upon 
another,  and  another,  until  a  house  with  a  variety  of  rooms  began 
fast  to  take  shape,  and  disclose  its  proportions.  We  had  not  dug 
two  feet  before  we  came  to  quantities  of  bones,  and  at  that,  and 
greater  depths,  skeletons  were  so  numerous  that  it  was  hardly  pos- 
sible to  dig  a  paura  full  of  earth  without  bringing  up  particles  of 
bones.  As  far  as  I  could  judge,  many  were  undeniably  human 
bones,  and  others  those  of  cattle  and  of  horses.  The  human  bones 
were  chiefly  found  in  doorways,  as  if  the  people  had  been  at- 
tempting to  escape,  and  others  in  the  corners  of  the  rooms.  Many 
of  tiie  skeletons  were  in  a  sufficiently  perfect  state  to  show  the 
position  the  body  had  assumed  ;  some  were  upright,  some  recum- 
bent, with  their  faces  down,  and  some  crouched  in  a  sitting  pos- 
ture. One  in  particular,  I  remember  finding  in  a  doorway :  the 
man  had  evidently  been  rushing  out  of  his  house,  when  a  mass  of 

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BRAHMANABAD.  131 

imckwork  had,  in  its  fiill,  crashed  him  to  the  ground,  and  there 
his  bones  were  lying  extended  fbll  length,  and  the  &ce  downwards. 
These  bones,  on  exposure  to  the  atmosphere,  mostly  cnunbled  to 
dust,  and  it  was  very  difficult  to  obtain  anything  but  fragments. 
But  in  excavating,  you  often  obtain  a  good  section  of  the  skeleton, 
and  thereby  can  easily  tell  the  position  of  the  body. 

*'  Besides  hemes,  I  found  large  quantities  of  pottery  in  great 
varieties,  and  much  of  a  very  superior  description  to  any  I  see 
nowadays  in  Sind.  A  good  deal  of  the  pottery  was  glazed  in 
cc^ours  <^  great  brilliancy,  and  some  of  the  vessels  are  of  a  fine 
kind  of  earthenware  or  china.  Pieces  of  glass  and  crystal  were 
also  found,  both  in  the  excavations  and  on  the  sur&ceof  the  ruins, 
in  quantities,  and  the  glass  of  all  kinds  of  colours.  Fragments  of 
cups,  bottles,  and  platters  were  very  numerous.  Some  of  the  glass 
was  beautifully  stained  of  a  deep  blue  colour,  and  other  portions 
were  worked  in  raised  and  ribbed  patterns,  displaying  a  hi^ 
standard  of  art  in  their  manu&cture.  Stones  for  grinding  grain ; 
others  for  grinding  curry-stuff,  and  some  for  mixing  paints ;  several 
stones  for  sharpening  knives  and  tools ;  numerous  large  pieces  of 
kornndum  or  emery,  also  used  by  cutlers  to  sharpen  swords  and 
instruments;  quantities  of  cornelians  and  cornelian  chips,  and 
agates,  and  other  pretty  stones ;  balls,  beautifully  turned,  of  ivory, 
agate,  and  marble ;  coins,  chiefly  of  copper,  some  few  of  silver ; 
beads  and  ornaments  of  cornelian  and  glass,  in  every  variety.  In 
one  of  the  rooms  I  found  a  large  grain  jar,  ribbed  in  circles ;  its 
mouth  was  arched  over  with  brickwork.  I  at  first  took  it  for  a 
well,  but  afterwards  discovered  it  to  be  a  sunken  grain  jar.  The 
diameter  of  its  mouth  was  two  feet,  and  inside  it  was  empty  for 
four  feet,  the  bottom  portion  being  filled  with  mould,  possibly  the 
decomposed  remains  of  the  grain. 

*'  The  city  must  have  been  famed,  like  the  present  cities  of 
Ahmadabad,  and  Kambay  in  Gujarat,  for  its  works  in  cornelians 
and  agates,  and  it  is  probable  that  it  was  from  that  province  that 
a  trade  was  carried  on  for  these  stones.  There  are  no  cornelians 
of  the  kind  found  indigenous  in  the  alluvial  plain  around  Brahman- 
abad,  and  the  mines  of  Kapatbanj  in  Gujarat  are  probably  the 
nearest  place  from  which  they  could  have  been  imported.  From 
the  quantity  of  cornelians,  chips,  &c,  besides  grinding  and  sharp- 
ening stones,  found  in  the  excavations,  I  ambled  to  conclude  that 
the  house  excavated  must  have  been  inhabited  by  a  lapidary. 

''  Among  the  copper  coins  are  many  of  liliputian  size — so  small 
that  tiieir  value  in  the  present  day  would  hardly  be  calculable.  In 
a  city  where  such  coins  were  employed  in  the  most  ordinary  and 

K    2 

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132 


BRAHMANABAD. 


daily  money  transactions,  how  cheap  must  have  been  the  price  of 
food! 

"  Among  the  curiosities  found  at  Brahmanabad,  showing  an  ad- 
vanced state  of  art,  are  some  beautiful  engravings  on  cornelians 
and  agate.  Many  of  them  are  perfect  gems  of  art,  and,  like  the 
intaglios  of  Rome,  are  polished  on  the  inside  of  the  device — an 
art,  I  believe,  now  lost.  Some  that  were  found  had  upon  them  a 
bull,  and  others  a  lion ;  some  merely  a  name  in  Arabic,  and  some 
in  characters  resembling  the  Devanagri  or  Sanskrit :  most  of  these 
appeared  cut  in  ovals  and  circles,  and  would  be  well  suited  for 
the  purpose  of  a  signet  ring ;  others  were  ready  cut  into  these 
shapes,  but  without  any  inscription  or  device,  as  if  the  engraver 
kept  an  assortment  for  the  choice  of  his  customers,  who  had  only 
to  express  their  wish — ^what  device,  what  name — ^and  the  hand  of 
the  cunning  artist  was  prepared  to  make  any  engraving  ordered. 

"  I  am  not  aware  that  lapidaries  of  the  present  day  are  able  to 
produce  figures  and  patterns  upon  cornelians  without  making  an 
incision  in  the  stone — no  process  of  burning,  no  application  of 
acid,  will  leave  a  permanent  mark  upon  a  cornelian ;  but  yet  at 
Brahmanabad  many  of  the  cornelian  ornaments  are  found  figured 
with  various  patterns  in  white  lines,  on  a  perfectly  smooth  surface, 
and,  after  having  withstood  the  damp  of  ages,  are,  when  dug  up, 
quite  fresh. 

"  Among  the  glass  discovered  were  several  pieces  in  a  state  of 
decomposition,  some  with  all  the  beautiful  metallic  colours  of  the 
soap  bubble,  some  that  had  become  quite  opaque,  and  other  pieces 
with  both  sides  in  the  last  stages  of  decay,  and  only  a  thin  fibre  of 
glass  in  the  centre. 

"  Finding  glass  in  this  decomposed  state  is  testimony  of  the 
antiquity  of  Brahmanabad ;  if  other  evidence  be  Ti'anting,  we  have 
it  in  the  decomposed  state  of  the  bones.  These  bones  I  have 
shown  to  several  medical  men,  and  they  are  all  agreed  that 
they  are  of  great  antiquity.  Dr.  Beatty  in  particular,  when  he 
examined  a  skull  and  several  other  bones,  told  me  that  he  did  not 
recollect  to  have  seen  bones  in  any  museum  apparently  of  such 
great  age  ;  that  all  the  animal  matter  in  the  cellular  cavities  of  the 
bones  was  completely  exhausted,  and  that  such  a  process  of  decay 
would  take  centuries  of  time  so  completely  to  effect. 

"  I  am  aware  that  in  certain  soils  the  decomposition  of  bone  is 
very  rapid ;  thus  in  graveyards,  where  the  soil  is  wet  and  clayey, 
instances  are  not  uncommon  that,  afler  a  body  has  been  buried 
forty  or  fifty  years,  not  a  vestige  of  a  bone  could  be  discovered, 
so  complete  and  rapid  had  been  the  process  of  decay ;  but  in  soil 


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BRAHMANABAD,  133 

like  that  of  Brahmanabad,  dry  alluvial  sand,  upon  which  rain  rarely 
falls,  I  presume  decomposition  would  be  very  gradual 

^  Of  the  bones  found,  many  were  unquestionably  human ;  others 
the  bones  of  camels,  horses,  oxen,  dogs,  and  fowls.  In  one  of 
the  rooms  excavated,  among  a  number  of  bones,  we  came  upon  a 
quantity  of  stuff  that  looked  very  like  ashes,  but  which  I  believe 
to  be  the  remains  of  smaller  bones,  whether  of  men  or  animals, 
reduced  to  dust  A  bushel  of  it  might  have  been  collected,  and 
there  are  two  bottles  fiiU  of  it  among  my  collection  from  Brah- 
manabad. Many  of  the  teeth  found  are  curious,  and  show  the 
signs  of  great  antiquity :  the  enamel  on  some  is  pretty  perfect,  but 
is  very  liable  to  peel  off  with  the  slightest  pressure. 

^  A  variety  of  women's  bangles  or  bracelets  were  also  found  ; 
some  of  glass,  others  of  brass  and  copper,  and  a  number  of  ivory, 
worked  over  in  patterns. 

*'  Among  the  collection  are  two  round  solid  balls  of  pottery, 
the  use  of  which  it  is  difficult  to  imagine.  The  most  probable 
supposition  is  that  they  were  used  as  missiles,  and  may  have  been 
employed  by  the  defenders  of  the  city  against  an  invading  force. 

"  The  most  curious  relic  *  I  found  was  a  hexagonal  cylinder,  of 
what  I  imagined  to  be  wood,  or  perhaps  ivory,  with  an  inscription 
in  Arabic  in  Kufic  characters  on  each  side.  It  is  three  inches  in 
length,  and  two  and  three  quarters  in  circumference.  It  was  pro- 
bably a  talisman  or  charm,  which,  when  wrapped  up  in  silk  or 
leather,  was  worn  round  the  arm  or  neck.  It  was  unfortunately 
fractured  soon  after  it  was  discovered,  and  has  been  put  together 
with  glue  by  Mr.  Richardson.  The  Arabic  inscriptions,  as  far  as 
they  were  legible,  are  ^  Allah  is  merciful,'  &c. 

''  Finding  such  success  during  the  first  day's  excavation,  I  in 
creased  the  number  of  excavators  from  twenty  to  seventy ;  and  in 
the  three  days  I  was  at  Brahmanabad  I  excavated  three  distinct 
houses,  two  on  one  side,  one  on  the  other  side  of  street  fronting 
the  principal  bazar.  A  ground  plan  of  the  excavation  is  given : 
it  has  no  pretensions  to  great  accuracy,  but  is  generally  correct ; 
many  of  the  measurements  were  taken  under  a  burning  sun  in  the 
month  of  -March,  and  others  by  torch-light     I  also  give  a  rough 

"  Another  curious  relic  of  antiquity,  rises,  centaur-like,  out  of  the  back  of 

which  I  have  veiy  recently  received  the  horse.    The  horse  stands  about 

from  Brahmanal»d,  is  a  brazen  horse,  5}  inches  high  ;  but,  I  regret  to  say, 

with  a  rider  thereon.    It  is  capari-  the  head  and  shoulders  of  the  rider 

soned  with  a  bridle,  martingale,  and  have  been  broken  ofil    I  also  found 

a    necklace    ornament.     It    has    no  a  small  brazen  bull,  worn  probably  as 

saddle,  nor  saddle-doth,  and  its  rider  a  charm,  half  an  inch  in  height. 

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134  BRAHMANABAD, 

sketch  of  the  front  elevation  of  two  of  the  houses.  In  reference 
to  the  ground  plan,  it  may  be  observed  that  there  are  several  of 
the  rooms  without  any  door  or  entrance.  This  I  can  only  explain 
by  stating  that  some  of  the  walls  were  found  four,  five,  and  six 
feet  in  height,  and  above  the  steps  of  the  doorways,  while  others 
were  found  only  a  few  inches  above  their  foundation,  and  conse- 
quently below  the  doorways. 

"  Again,  it  might  appear  strange,  to  a  person  not  acquainted 
with  Hindu  habits  and  customs,  to  find  the  bones  of  camels  and 
cattle  inside  a  house ;  but  those  who  have  lived  in  India  will  in 
that  fact  immediately  recognise  a  custom  to  be  seen  in  every 
Hindu  or  Musalman  city  of  the  present  day. 

"  *  The  walls  of  the  excavated  houses,'  says  Mr.  Richardson,  in 
his  notes  on  Brahmanabad,  *  are  well  and  substantially  built — ^here 
again  showing  the  superiority  of  the  men  of  old  to  those  of  the 
present  day.  The  walls  are  all  true,  and  at  right  angles  to  each 
other,  as  if  built  with  the  plumb  and  line,  and  not  running  in  and 
out  without  regard  to  symmetry,  as  we  see  buildings  nowadays  in 
Sind.  The  walls  are  from  a  foot  and  a  half  to  three  feet  thick, 
and  no  chunam  or  lime  is  used  in  their  construction — ^nothing 
but  common  mud ;  the  floors  appear  to  have  been  tiled,  and  the 
whole  building  built  upon  a  raised  platform,  about  six  or  eight 
feet  above  the  common  level.  Small  as  these  remains  are,  they 
are  quite  enough  to  show  that  the  city  was  well  and  substantially 
built,  so  much  so  that  I  am  convinced  that  nothing  but  the  hand 
of  God  could  have  caused  such  an  overthrow.  The  ruin  of  ancient 
Babylon  is  not  more  complete.' 

"  I  was  at  first  of  opinion  that  Brahmanabad  Iiad  been  destroyed 
by  an  invading  army,  who  had  pillaged  the  city  and  slain  the  in- 
habitants, and  that  time  and  decay  had  made  it  a  heap  of  ruins. 
Old  Badin,  in  Lower  Sind,  is  an  instance  of  this  kind  :  there  you 
see  heaps  of  ruins  not  unlike  those  of  Brahmanabad,  but  in  the 
midst  of  the  ruins  you  also  see  several  buildings,  such  as  mosques 
and  temples,  whose  walls  were  too  strong  for  the  hand  of  man  to 
overthrow,  and  upon  whose  strength  time  and  slow  decay  alone 
make  any  impression.  At  Brahmanabad  the  ruin  of  the  city  seems 
to  have  been  complete,  and,  with  the  exception  of  the  fiagment 
of  the  tower  before  described,  nothing  appears  to  have  escaped 
utter  destruction.  TTiis  fact,  added  to  the  number  of  persons  whose 
bones  were  found  inside  the  houses,  together  with  the  quantities 
of  coins  and  valuables  that  are  to  this  day  in  Brahmanabad,  shook 
my  belief  that  an  invading  army  had  destroyed  the  city. 

"  Nor  do  I  beheve  that  the  city  was  destroyed  by  fire.     The 

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BRAHMANABAD,  135 

walls  had  not  the  appearance  of  a  conflagration.  The  many 
delicate  aitides  eveiywheie  to  be  found  in  Brahmanabad,  in  a 
general  conflagration  of  the  city,  must  have  been  consumed :  the 
glass^  for  instance,  would  have  been  fused ;  the  bones  would  not 
have  be«i  in  ezistaice;  and  the  delicate  ornaments  of  the  women 
would  all  have  been  destroyed,  or  borne  the  marics  of  fire, 
whereas  nothing  of  the  kind  is  discernible:  The  marks  of  fire  were 
alone  firand  on  a  few  cooking-pots,  and  charcoal  was  also  disco* 
vered  near  the  flooring  ^  the  rooms,  not  in  any  quantity,  but  as 
much  as  it  might  be  expected  the  occupants  of  such  houses  would 
be  likely  to  have  for  cooking  purposes.  The  charcoal  was  as  firesh 
as  if  made  yesterday. 

^  Mr.  Richardson  on  this  point  observes :  *  We  found  no  re- 
mains of  wood,  which  might  have  been  used  in  the  construction 
of  the  buildings ;  and,  save  on  the  floors,  and  there  only  in  small 
quantities,  no  charcoal,  <^  remains  of  burnt  wood,  so  we  may 
£urly  conclude  the  city  was  not  burnt  Neither  do  the  old  walls 
we  have  excavated  bear  the  evidence  of  having  been  under  the 
action  of  fire:  A  few  <M  iron  nails  were  found,  but  quite  decom- 
posed, retaining  nothing  but  the  fonn  of  a  large  spike  naiL  The 
almost  entire  absence  of  chunam  seems  strange,  it  being  so  gene- 
rally largely  used  by  natives  in  the  construction  of  their  mwe 
substantial  buildings  There  is,  however,  no  limestone  to  be 
found  within  forty  miles  of  the  place,  and  this  may  account  for  the 
want  of  it' 

*'  Under  all  these  circumstances,  I  think  it  highly  probable  that 
the  popular  account  that  Brahmanabad  was  destroyed  by  an  earth- 
quake is  true.  It  must  have  been  some  such  convulsion  of  nature 
to  have  efiected  the  complete  and  utter  destruction  of  a  dty  so 
strongly  built  as  Brahmanabad :  and  I  fiirther  think  it  probable  that 
the  same  convulsion  that  shook  the  city  to  its  very  foundation 
changed  the  course  of  the  river  which  once,  without  doubt,  washed 
the  city  waU& 

'^  Mr.  Richardson  gives  three  good  reasons  for  supposing  the 
city  to  have  been  destroyed  by  an  earthquake;  they  quite  coincide 
with  the  opinion  I  have  given  above ;  but  as  Mr.  Richardson  is  a 
very  keen  observer,  and  as  his  account  is  graphically  expressed,  I 
give  it  without  fear  of  tiring  my  reader  with  a  repetition.  He 
says  :  'That  the  dty  was  destroyed  by  some  terrible  convulsion  of 
nature  is,  I  think,  suflidently  evident — 

'' '  rst  Because  the  destruction  is  too  complete  to  have  been 
the  work  of  time.  A  place  so  substantially  built  would  in  all 
probability  have  had  some  few  buildings  in  a  tolerable  state  of 

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136  BRAHMANABAD. 

preservation  ;  and  also  from  the  human  remains  found  in  one  of 
the  buildings  which  were  excavated.  These  remains  were  found 
in  the  comers  of  the  rooms.  The  wretched,  tenor-stricken  inha- 
bitants, finding  their  houses  falling  about  them,  like  any  other 
animal,  crouched  in  the  comer,  and  the  falling  material  buried 
them.  These  remains  (merely  bones)  were  in  a  very  decomposed 
state — so  soft  as  to  be  easily  crushed  to  dust  in  the  fingers ;  we 
were  not  able  to  get  any  entire  bones.  It  is  not  probable  these 
bodies  were  regularly  buried  in  the  places  where  we  found  them ; 
had  they  been  so,  the  remains  in  all  probability  would  have  been 
found  in  a  recumbent  position,  and  not  all  cmshed  in  a  heap, 
as  they  appear  now.  I  picked  up  one  brick  which  entered  comer- 
ways  into  a  skull,  and  which,  when  taken  out,  had  a  portion  of  the 
bone  adhering  to  it,  but  it  was  so  fragile  that  I  fear  it  cannot  be 
preserved. 

"  *  2nd.  Had  the  city  been  destroyed  by  an  invading  army,  the 
destmction  would  hardly  have  been  so  complete;  had  twenty 
barrels  of  powder  been  placed  under  each  individual  building 
the  ruin  could  hardly  have  been  more  perfect ;  besides,  whatever 
mischief  the  soldiery  of  a  conquering  army  might  have  committed 
on  buildings  and  other  property,  they  would  surely  have  carried 
off  coins  and  other  valuables,  which  are  now  found  in  infinite 
numbers  on  the  surface,  but,  generally  speaking,  so  decomposed, 
from  exposure  to  the  elements,  that  the  legends  are  obliterated. 
However,  a  careful  and  diligent  search  might  be  successful  in  pro- 
curing more  perfect  specimens  than  those  yet  seen,  and  might 
throw  some  light  on  the  history  of  the  city,  &c.  &c. 

"  *  3rd.  Had  the  city  been  regularly  deserted,  the  inhabitants 
would  surely  have  carried  their  valuables  with  them — ^money  in 
particular,  and  omaments.  The  place  must  have  been  inhabited 
chiefly  by  Hindus,  as  its  old  name,  Brahmanabad,  would  imply  \ 
and  unless  the  Hindus  of  former  days  were  a  very  different  people 
from  the  present  race,  and  supposing  they  had  had  time  and  oppor- 
tunity, they  would  have  carried  oflF  all  their  property,  even  to  the 
last  pie.' 

'*  I  do  not  think  that  any  objection  to  the  supposition  that  Brah- 
manabad was  destroyed  by  an  earthquake  can  be  founded  on  the 
fact  that  a  large  portion  of  the  tower  has  remained  standing  so 
long  after  the  city  itself  has  been  deserted.  It  may  owe  its  partial 
preservation  to  its  superior  size  and  solidity,  and  the  firagment 
which  has  been  standing  within  the  memory  of  the  present 
inhabitants  is  evidently  but  a  very  small  portion  of  the  original 
edifice. 

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BRAHMANABAD.  137 

^  la  the  tiine  of  the  Ka]horas.  so  mnch  lemained  that  the 
re^mng  {xince  oidered  the  demolition  of  the  steps  leading  to  the 
top,  kx  the  purpose  of  frnstiatiiig  the  designs  of  robbers,  who  used 
die  tower  as  a  place  kA  observadon,  from  which  to  watch  tia- 
▼efleis  as  a  prdiminaiy  to  phmdering  them.  A  laige  poition  ^ 
die  tower,  without  the  steps,  was  standing  till  about  thiity-five 
years  ago,  when  it  ^1,  and  has  ance  remained  in  much  the  same 
state  as  it  is  now — a  mere  fragment 

^  Beades  Ifoahmanabad,  there  are  the  remains  of  several  other 
oties  on  or  near  the  supposed  ancient  course  of  the  river  Indus, 
showing  that  wiien  diat  stream  flowed  by  Umarkot  into  the  Gulf 
of  Kachh,  this  older  valley  (^the  Indus  was  a  fertile  and  populous 
country. 

^  There  is  the  ancient  dty  of  Alor,  near  RohrL  Of  his  High- 
ness Mir  Ali  Murad's  territory,  which  next  intervenes,  little  is 
known ;  but  directly  you  re-enter  British  territory,  the  remains 
of  antiquities  again  appear.  Lieutenant  Jameson  in  a  recent  letter 
writes :  '  I  paid  a  visit  to  an  ancient  gXj  in  the  Naushahro  Par- 
gana,  but  there  was  nothing  to  discover.  Ruins  there  are  none, 
and  the  (Mily  thing  that  betrays  former  civilization  is  the  vast 
quantity  of  <^  brides  with  whidi  the  ground  is  strewed  in  every 
direction.  There  are  one  or  two  other  places  in  the  Moro  Pargana 
(immediately  south  of  Naushahro),  and  from  their  unifcHm  appear- 
ance and  situation  they  must  have  formed  a  line  of  dties  or 
towns  on  or  near  the  banks  of  the  Indus  in  a  former  dynasty,  when 
the  course  of  the  river  lay  near  them.' 

^  South,  again,  (^  these  localities  is  Rahmanabad,  and  &rther 
south,  between  Khipra  and  Umarkot,  I  have  heard  of  other  ruins, 
and  the  remains  of  dties;  and  again,  near  the  borders  of  the  Rann 
of  Kachh,  are  the  ruins  of  <^d  Badin.  Besides  these  there  may 
be  others,  as  this  part  of  the  (xrantry  is  little  known. 

**  Another  striking  feature  in  diis  valley  is,  that  along  its  whole 
length  yon  can  trace  die  dry  bed  of  a  large  river.  The  main 
stream  I  take  to  have  been  the  Eastern  Nara,  which,  flowing  past 
Umarkot  and  through  Kachh,  found  an  ouUet  into  the  Gulf  of 
Kachh,  or  perhaps  at  Lakhpat,  and  in  modem  times  lost  itself  in 
that  vast  lagoon  the  Rann.  This  main  stream  threw  off  in  its 
course  several  branches,  the  Dhoras  or  Purans,  the  dry  beds  of 
which  are  deariy  defined  traversing  the  country  fifteen  to  twenty 
miles  west  of  the  main  stream,  but  parallel  to  it 

*' Lieutenant  Lambert,  writing  from  Mehrab-ke-Got,  near  Wanga- 
ke-Bazar,  on  the  borders  of  the  Rann  of  Kachh,  says:  '  I  have 
just  seen  the  Puran ;  it  is  a  splendid  clear  river  bed,  as  large  and 


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138  BRAHMANABAD. 

distinct,  and  nearly  as  deep,  as  the  Fuleli,  and  the  country  about 
contains  the  finest  land,  all  waste.  There  is  in  its  bed,  where  I 
have  just  been,  a  large  pool  about  one  hundred  yards  across  each 
way,  which  is  always  filled  with  water,  and  contains  fish  of  large  size 
(30  or  40  lbs.),  and,  according  to  the  people  here,  the  pool  is 
without  bottom.  Strange  to  say,  there  is  no  cultivation  from  it 
There  is  an  idea  that,  because  the  Hindus  hold  yearly  fairs  there, 
it  is  unlucky  to  cultivate  from  it.  The  sandhills  are  about  six  or 
eight  miles  beyond,  and  the  Nara  runs  along  the  foot  of  them ; 
and  I  saw,  in  the  short  distance  I  went  along  the  Puran,  two 
branches  said  to  communicate  with  the  Nara.  I  saw  the  Puran 
again  above  Mora,  as  clear  as  here.  It  has  not  been  traced  yet 
between  Mora  and  Mirpur,  but  from  Mirpur  downwards  to  Wanga- 
ke-Bazar,  Lieutenant  Pirie  has  traced  it,  and  it  is  clear  the  whole 
way.' 

"  I  give  these  extracts  because  they  throw  some  light  on  a  very 
interesting  country,  of  which  very  little  is  known,  and  I  trust  they 
may  encourage  fiirther  research  in  others.  There  can  be  little 
doubt  that  this  valley  was  broader  than  the  present  valley  of  the 
Indus,  that  its  soil  was  even  more  fertile,  and  its  population, 
judging  from  the  remains  of  its  ancient  cities,  more  numerous. 
There  is  not  at  the  present  day  a  city  in  Sind  which,  if  overthrown 
by  an  earthquake  to-morrow,  would  make  such  a  show  of  ruins  as 
Brahmanabad. 

"  In  concluding  this  paper,  I  must  add  that  I  hope  to  revisit 
Brahmantbad  next  cold  season,  and  to  continue  the  excavations, 
and  that  I  shall  be  glad  of  the  company  of  an  antiquary,  who  is 
inclined  to  join  my  camp,  and  to  dig  among  the  ruins  of  the  Sind 
Pompeii." 

'^  Since  March  1854,  when  I  first  commenced  to  excavate  amid 
the  ruins  of  Brahmanabad,  I  have  visited  the  ancient  city  on  three 
several  occasions.  In  these  rough  notes  I  purpose  to  mention  the 
result  of  my  researches,  and,  without  entering  into  much  detail^ 
I  proceed  to  describe  any  discoveries  of  special  interest 

"  On  the  occasion  of  our  second  visit,  we  selected  for  exca- 
vation a  heap  of  ruins  adjoining  the  site  of  the  house  first  exca- 
vated, and  standing  on  the  verge  of  the  same  bazar.  The  house 
was  built  of  burnt  brick,  and  the  rooms  of  similar  construction  to 
those  before  described.  Among  the  first  things  of  interest  found 
were  some  very  curiously  carved  stone  slabs,  raised  about  five 
inches  from  the  ground,  on  four  feet  They  were  carved  out  of 
a  solid  block  of  stone,  but,  with  one  exception,  were  all  more  or 
less  broken  into  pieces  by  the  weight  of  the  walls  that  have  fallen 

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BRAHMANABAD,  139 

upon  them.  I  was,  however  successful  in  finding  all  the  pieces 
of  some  of  them,  so  that  the  whole  could  be  put  together.  They 
varied  in  size  fix>m  two  to  two  and  a  half  feet  square. 

^  The  most  beautifid  was  one  of  red  sandstone,  similar  to  that 
now  found  at  Porbandar  in  Kachh.  The  slab  is  square,  with  a 
large  circular  space  in  the  centre,  the  comer  pieces  being  orna- 
mented with  peacocks  and  snake&  This  dicular  space  is  slightly 
depressed,  for  the  retention  of  water,  and  on  one  of  the  sides 
of  the  slab  is  a  bull's  head,  with  the  water  escape  passing  through 
the  bull*s  mouth.  In  this  specimen  the  four  comer  feet  were 
panelled,  and  exquisitely  carved  with  bas-relief  figures,  two  on 
each  foot  Two  feet  were  wanting,  but  on  the  two  found  the 
figures  were,  a  tion  on  one  panel,  and  on  the  other  a  warrior 
armed  with  sword  and  shield.  On  the  other  foot  are  two  female 
figures,  one  playing  the  sarindah,  a  kind  of  guitar  still  in  use.  The 
other  female  appears  to  be  admiring  herself  in  a  looking-glass, 
which  she  holds  in  one  hand,  while  with  the  other  she  is  dress- 
ing her  hair.  These  feet  are  connected  with  each  other  by 
a  cornice  of  open  traceiy  of  great  beauty,  running  along  the 
sides  of  the  slab,  and  the  whole  forming  a  beautifiil  specimen  of 
carving. 

*'The  figures,  and  all  the  emblems  and  ornaments  used,  are 
Hindu,  such  as  are  seen  on  old  Jain  temples.  One  remarkable 
(act  is  that  the  figures  carved  on  this  slab  are  quite  perfect,  and 
have  not  been  mutilated  by  any  iconoclast 

**  The  followers  of  the  Prophet  were  such  zealous  image- 
breakers,  that  in  their  invasions  and  conquests  they  rarely  fiuled 
to  mutilate  every  idol  they  saw.  Among  the  Kafir  Kots  near 
Jerruck,  where  some  Budhist  remains  were  found  highly  orna- 
mented with  figures,  not  one  escaped  de&cement  j  even  on  a 
cornice,  where  the  figure  of  Btidh  was  repeated  again  and  again, 
the  chisel  of  the  iconoclast  had  taken  the  trouble  to  de&ce  every 
head.  It  may  therefore  be  inferred,  fix)m  finding  these  figures 
entire,  that  Hinduism  was  still  paramount  in  Brahmanabad  at  the 
time  of  its  destruction  by  an  earthquake,  and  that  the  tide  of 
Muhammadan  invasion  had  either  barely  reached  so  far  into 
l^d,  or  diat  the  conquest  was  izx  &om  complete;  and  diis  is 
an  incidental  coincidence  which  accords  with  history. 

^*'  I  found  many  other  slabs  of  the  same  kind,  but  none  so 
richly  carved ;  they  were  all  found  buried  very  deep  in  the  ruins, 
and  near  the  lower  floors.  Their  use  was  evidently  connected 
with  religious  worship.  They  may  have  been  probably  used  by  the 
Hindus  of  Brahmanabad  to  place  their  idols  upon,  and  to  perform 

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140  BRAHMANABAD. 

the  ceremonies  of  their  ablutions ;  but,  strange  to  say,  although  I 
made  careful  search,  I  found  no  idoL  It  has  been  suggested  that 
these  idols  were  their  household  gods,  their  Penates,  and  these 
would  be  the  very  first  things  the  inhabitants  would  endeavour  to 
save. 

"  Among  many  other  curious  articles  found,  four  lumps  of  clay, 
with  the  proof  impressions  of  a  number  of  seals,  deserve  mention. 
The  seal  engraver  to  whom  these  belonged  was  evidendy  in  the 
habit  of  keeping  proofs  of  all  the  seals  he  engraved  and  sold,  by 
taking  their  impressions  in  these  lumps  of  fine  clay.  The  cha* 
racters  and  devices  of  the  seals  were  quite  fresh  on  the  impres- 
sions, and  there  are  as  many  as  fifteen  to  twenty  impressions  on 
each  lump  of  clay. 

"On  the  third  occasion  that  Mr.  Richardson  and  I  visited 
Brahmanabad,  we  excavated  a  house  in  the  same  bazar,  but  some 
littie  distance  higher  up,  and  were  richly  rewarded  by  finding  some 
beautifully-carved  figures  in  ivory.  The  largest  is  about  four 
inches  long — a  female  standing  figure  with  a  lotus  in  one  hand ; 
many  of  the  other  figures  appear  to  be  dancing-girls ;  the  female 
with  a  looking-glass,  on  the  slab  above  described,  is  again  to  be 
recognised,  and  also  another  warrior ;  an  elephant,  fully  capari- 
soned, and  others ;  in  all  about  fifteen  figures.  These  also  were 
in  no  way  defaced  by  the  hand  of  the  iconoclast.  From  the 
manner  in  which  they  were  found,  all  close  together,  I  conclude 
that  they  were  portions  of  a  richly-carved  ivory  box;  some 
appeared  injured  by  fire.  The  ivory  is  much  decomposed,  and 
is  very  brittle,  and,  with  pressure  between  the  fingers,  may  be 
reduced  to  powder. 

"  In  this  same  house  we  were  fiirther  repaid  by  finding  nearly  a 
complete  set  of  ivory  chessmen,  one  set  white,  the  other  black. 
The  kings  and  queens  are  about  three  inches  high,  and  the  pawns 
about  one:  the  other  pieces  of  different  intermediate  heights. 
All  have  been  made  for  use  on  a  board  with  holes,  for  each  piece 
has  a  peg  in  it,  similar  to  chessmen  used  nowadays  on  board 
ship,  to  prevent  the  pieces  being  easily  knocked  down,  and  the 
game  disturbed.  The  ivory  of  these  too  is  in  a  very  decayed  state, 
and  very  brittle ;  every  particle  of  animal  matter  seemed  com- 
pletely exhausted,  and  the  ivory  reduced  to  a  substance  not  unlike 
lime  or  chalk.  Dice  were  also  found :  some  square  cubes  of 
ivory,  numbered  exactly  as  dice  used  at  the  present  day ;  others 
the  long  dice,  used  by  the  natives  to  play  the  game  of  Panch- 
weshL  The  discovery  of  these  chessmen  is  a  curious  fact :  they 
are  probably  the  oldest  known  set  in  existence,  and  tend  to  confirm 


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BRAHMANABAD.  141 

Sir  William  Jones's  assertion  that  chess  was  a  game  of  Brahminical 
origin. 

'^  We  also  found  the  remains  of  an  inlaid  tortoisesheU  or  ebony 
box.  I  at  first  thought  it  was  the  chess-board,  as  it  was  found  in 
the  same  house  as  the  chessmen,  although  in  a  different  room ; 
but  I  could  find  none  of  its  numerous  pieces  with  a  hole  fitting 
the  pegs  of  the  chessmen.  It  had  been  an  elaborate  piece  of 
inlaid  workmanship.  Some  of  the  firagments  are  circular,  others 
oblong,  others  triangular ;  some  with  a  border  pattern  cut  upon 
them,  odiers  with  open  carved  work :  and  I  think  a  carefiil  exami- 
nation of  the  pieces  will  show  that  die  box  was  inlaid  in  ivory, 
ebony,  and  tortoisesheU,  and  perhaps  with  other  materials. 

''  I  have  had  accurate  drawings  taken  of  most  of  these  relics,  of 
the  carvings  on  the  slabs,  of  the  ivoiy  figures,  of  the  ivoiy  chess- 
'  men,  &a  &c,  and  these  I  have  sent,  with  the  originals,  to  Lieute- 
nant-Colonel Sykes,  F.R.A.S.,  at  the  East  India  House. 

"  Pottery,  glass,  glazed  ware,  &c.,  were  found  in  great  variety 
and  abundance,  as  described  in  my  first  paper  on  Brahmanabad ; 
also  copper  coins,  cornelians,  and  cornelian  chips ;  onyxes,  agates, 
beads,  women's  bangles  of  glass,  of  ivory,  and  of  brass.  Bones 
and  teeth,  both  of  men  and  of  animals,  were  abundant  in  every 
house.  In  one  was  found  the  head  of  a  rat :  in  others,  the  bones 
of  fowls;  and  the  teeth  of  camels,  oxen,  and  horses  were  very 
common.  Beyond  a  few  engraved  seals,  I  found  nothing  with  any 
inscriptions. 

"^  On  the  fourth  occasion  we  determined  to  excavate  in  quite  a 
different  part  of  the  city.  We  selected  a  very  large  mound  of 
ruins  near  to  the  standing  tower,  supposed  to  be  the  site  of  King 
Dolora's  palace,  but  here  we  were  not  so  fortunate,  as  we  found 
nothing  of  special  interest  I  do  not  think  we  excavated  suffi- 
ciently deep  to  reach  the  foundation.  The  walls  of  this  house 
were  far  more  substantially  built,  and  the  apartments  of  larger 
dimensions.  Some  of  the  waUs,  three  and  four  feet  in  thickness, 
were  to  be  seen  thrown  out  of  the  perpendicular,  as  if  by  the 
rude  ^hock  of  an  earthquake.  In  this  building  more  lime  than 
usual  was  found,  and  the  face  of  one  wall  had  been  plastered 
with  it 

"  Respecting  the  cornelian  ornaments  found  figured  with  pat- 
terns in  white  lines,  on  a  perfectly  smooth  surface,  and  which  I 
thought  were  so  curious  in  my  first  paper,  I  have  made  fiirther 
inquiry :  and  while  at  Sehwan,  in  Upper  Sind,  an  old  city  famed 
for  cornelian  engravers,  I  found  some  stones  figured  in  exactly 
a  similar  manner.     On  examination  it  was  ascertained  that  the 


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142  BRAHMANABAD. 

chief  ingredients  used  were  potash,' whitelead,  and  the  juice  of 
the  Kirar  bush  {Capparis  aphylia),  made  into  a  thick  liquid,  and 
applied  with  a  pen  on  the  cornelian,  which,  on  being  exposed  to 
a  red  heat  in  charcoal,  rendered  the  device  indelible. 

"  On  my  last  visit  to  Brahmanabad,  I  made  inquiry  of  an  old 
cultivator  if  he  had  ever  seen  any  of  the  round  solid  balls  of 
pottery  mentioned  in  my  first  paper.  *  Saheb,'  rejoined  the  old 
man,  *  come  to  the  Toph  Khana  (arsenal),  and  I  will  show  you 
plenty.'  I  followed  his  guidance,  and  he  led  me  outside  the  city 
walls,  and  across  the  dry  bed  of  the  river,  and  there,  in  the  plain, 
sure  enough  were  a  number  of  these  pottery  balls.  I  could  dis- 
tinctly see  the  square  heaps,  in  which  they  had  been  piled  in 
regular  rows  like  round  shot;  and,  scattered  over  the  plain, 
numbers  of  single  ones  were  to  be  found,  slightly  embedded  in 
the  soil.  They  were  of  various  sizes,  some  as  large  as  12-pounders, ' 
others  about  the  size  of  billiard  balls.  The  old  man  accounted  for 
there  being  so  many  scattered  about  the  plain  by  saying  that  in 
ancient  times  a  great  battle  had  been  fought  on  that  spot  The 
smaller  balls  might  have  been  used  in  a  sling,  but  the  larger  ones 
would  have  required  some  engine  like  the  balista  to  propel  them. 

"  I  shall  now  conclude  these  observations  with  an  account  of 
Brahmanabad  by  Captain  (now  Major-General)  F.  J.  Groldsmid, 
of  the  Madras  Army,  who  was  employed  in  Sind,  and  whose 
intimate  knowledge  of  Persian  gave  him  many  opportunities  of 
consulting  Persian  books  and  MSS.  After  reading  my  first  paper 
on  Brahmanabad,  he  drew  up  the  annexed  memorandum,  which  I 
give  in  an  appendix,  as  it  contains  many  additional  particulars 
relating  to  the  history  of  the  city. 

^^  Memorandum  an  Dilu  Rdi  and  Bhambro  or  Brahmanabad. 
By  Captain  F.  J.  Goldsmid,  Madras  army, 

"  It  is  by  no  means  easy  to  form  a  complete  chronological  chain 
of  events  from  the  various  links  supplied  by  native  chroniclers. 
Want  of  accordance,  of  intelligibility,  of  the  information  most 
essential — ^these  are  serious  drawbacks  to  satisfactory  and  uniform 
workmanship.  The  following  few  notes  may  be  useful  in  drawing 
conclusions  as  to  recent  discoveries;  they  are  from  the  same 
source  whence  the  Saiyads  of  Tatta  derive  their  historical 
knowledge.  Sabir  Ali  Shah  is  himself  the  lineal  descendant  of 
the  author  of  the  *  Tufat-ul-Kiram.'  The  Chachnama  contains 
the  name  of  Brahmanabad  frequently.  It  was  a  bone  of  royal 
contention  to  the  Hindu  dynasty,  which  included  the  Sahasis  and 

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BRAHMANABAD.  143 

their  sons.  The  Ayin  Akbari  refers  to  it  as  the  andcDt  capital  of 
the  tenitory  known  in  after  years  as  the  Sarkar  Tatta.  It  is 
therein  described  to  have  been  once  a  very  populous  city,  con- 
taining a  foil  of  1400  bastions,  a  tenab  distance  from  each  other. 
Considerable  vestiges  of  the  fortifications  were  extant  in  A.D.  1600^ 
in  the  reign  of  Akbar. 

*'  2.  There  are  two  Dilu  Rais  in  early  Smdian  history,  and  die 
dominion  ascribed  to  each  jHroves  that  the  Moslem  conquest  of 
Sind  was  £ur  firom  complete  for  the  first  three  or  four  generations 
after  the  invasion  of  Muhammad  Kasim  in  a.d.  yrr. 

*^  3.  The  first  bearing  the  name  is  met  with  in  the  account  of 
the  Lieutenants  of  the  Ban!  Umia,  whose  respective  reigns  may 
be  thus  adverted  to : — 

*•  ist  Abruf  bin  Dias.  He  held  Alor.  The  Hindus  revolted 
after  the  second  year  of  his  government,  and  the 
country  fit>m  Debalpur  (Tatta)  to  the  sea  remained 
in  the  hands  of  the  Muslims. 

"  2nd  Abu  Hife. 

*'  3rd.  Tanrim  bin  Tiab. 

'^  4th.  Amr  bin  Abdulla. 

**  5th.  Amr  bin  Musalim. 

**  6th.  Suliman  bin  Asham. 

"  7th.  Abdul  Kitah. 

^'  This  period  is  from  93  to  133  Hijri,  during  which  there 
appears  to  have  been  also  in  Sind  a  king  named  Dilu  Ral»  of  the 
race  formerly  dominant,  who  hved  in  Dilur,  so  called  after  his 
own  name.  It  may  be  natural  to  suppose  that  the  revolt  above 
alluded  to  was  but  a  renewal  of  the  struggle  on  the  part  of  the 
vanquished  Hindus,  with  a  view  of  ousting  the  invaders,  whom 
they  succeeded  in  driving  to  the  borders  of  the  sea. 

*'  4.  During  the  same  period  of  forty  years,  there  is  mention 
made  of  a  second  Hindu  king,  named  Bhambu  Rai,  the  founder 
of  Bambura,  in  connection  with  whose  reign  is  introduced  the  tale 
of  Sasui  and  Panhu.  Now  if  the  locality  given  to  the  I^end  be 
that  of  the  dty  in  question,  the  Hindas  must  at  the  time  of  its 
foundation  have  re-possessed  nearly  the  whole  country.  *  It  is 
situated  on  the  right  of  the  road  from  Wateji  to  Ghara.'  Lieute- 
nant Burton  adds :  '  The  town  is  supposed  to  have  been  built 
upon  the  plain,  and  was  destroyed  by  Divine  wrath  in  one  night, 
in  consequence  of  the  ruler's  sins  i  thus  identifying  it  with  the 
Bhambura  on  the  opposite  bank,  the  subject  of  these  notes. 

*'  5.  In  the  account  of  the  Lieutenants  of  the  Bani  Abbas,  we 


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144 


brahmanAbad. 


hear  of  fresh  armies  and  fresh  conquests.  It  is  related  that  one 
of  these  chiefs,  Musa,  'restored  all  that  he  took,'  or  was  *as 
generous  as  successful;'  and  received  his  dismissal  from  head- 
quarters in  consequence.  The  inference  would  be,  that  extension 
of  territory  was  a  grand  aim  of  the  Muslims  in  those  days ;  nor 
could  this  well  be  denied  by  any  true  believer,  the  object  being 
synonymous  with  extension  of  the  faith. 

"  6.  During  this  government  (Bani  Abbas),  and  probably  at 
some  period  in  the  fourth  century  of  the  Hijri,  or  indeed  the  date 
mentioned  in  the  paper  on  Brahmanabad,  it  was  found  desirable 
to  strengthen  the  Arab  tenure  in  Sind  by  an  additional  number 
of  settlers.  The  Bani  Tamin  and  the  men  of  Saumra  were  the 
most  famous  of  these.  From  the  latter  spring  the  Sumras,  who 
eventually  ruled  the  land.  During  this  emigration  we  learn  that 
Chota  Amrani,  brother  to  Dilu  Rai  11. ,  lent  his  aid  to  the  cause 
by  proceeding  to  Baghdad,  and  returning  with  a  hundred  Arab 
followers.  But  the  narrative  of  his  importation  of  a  wife  is  the 
more  important  to  elucidate  the  present  question,  and  is  related 
in  the  *  Tufat-ul-Kiram '  as  follows  : — 

"They  say  that  Dilu  Rai,  after  the  destruction  of  Alor,  came 
to  reside  at  Brahmanabad.  He  had  a  brother  by  name  Chota 
Amrani,  son  of  Amr.  The  Almighty  had  converted  him  in  youth 
to  the  blessings  of  Islam,  He  had  left  the  city  and  learnt  the 
Kuran  by  heart,  also  the  usages  of  Islamism,  in  the  most  approved 
fashion.  On  his  retuni,  his  friends  wished  him  to  marry :  some 
one  said  jestingly  on  the  occasion,  '  Let  this  renegade  go  to  the 
Kuba,  and  wed  with  the  daughter  of  such  and  such  a  famous 
Arab.'  By  good  luck,  and  his  brother  being  then  young,  he 
determined  to  go  on  a  pilgrimage.  When  he  arrived  at  his  desti- 
nation, he  saw  a  woman  at  a  shop  busily  reading  aloud  the  Kuran. 
He  stood  to  listen.  The  reader  said,  *Why  are  you  standing 
there?'  *To  hear  the  Kuran,'  he  replied:  *if  you  will  kindly 
teach  me  the  various  readings  I  will  be  your  slave.'  The  woman 
said,  *  My  teacher  is  such  a  one,  the  daughter  of  such  a  one  :  if 
you  will  change  your  clothes,  and  put  on  a  maiden's  vesture,  I 
will  take  you  to  her.'  He  consented,  and  was  shortly  in  the 
damsel's  presence.  She  was  skilled,  among  other  accomplish- 
ments, in  astrology.  One  day  the  woman  who  had  introduced 
Chota  asked  some  questions  from  her  regarding  her  own  daughter's 
marriage.  When  the  reply  had  been  duly  communicated,  Chota 
said,  *  Since  you  know  the  state  of  others,  assuredly  you  are 
acquainted  with  your  own.'  The  damsel  replied,  *It  is  well 
remembered ;  you  have  now  looked  into  your  own  destiny.'     She 


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BUB  AX.  145 

added, '  I  am  to  be  united  to  a  man  frran  Sind.'  He  asked, '  When  ?' 
^e  answered, '  Socm.'  He  condnned, '  Where  is  the  man  ? '  She 
consolted  her  tables,  and  replied,  '  You  are  the  man.'  When  the 
veil  had  thus  been  removed  frran  Chota*s  destiny,  the  expounder 
of  the  Kuran  said,  *  B^one,  and  come  no  longer  in  the  guise  of 
another.  Take  off  these  clothes,  appear  as  yourself,  and  seek  my 
hand,  for  I  am  destined  to  be  yours.'  Then,  after  acquainting  her 
parents,  she  became  the  bride  of  Chota.  The  latter  returned  to 
Sind,  and  took  the  beautiful  Fadma  with  him.  When  he  reached 
the  city  of  Dilu  Rai,  that  tyrant  had  established  a  custom  that  all 
newly^narried  women  should  in  the  first  instance  be  brought  to 
him.  Chota  went  to  his  brother,  and  sought  to  dissuade  him 
from  so  infamous  a  practice,  but  all  argument  proved  vain.  At 
length,  one  day,  when  Chota  was  absent  from  home,  the  king  pro- 
ceeded to  his  brother^s  house.  He  had  heard  much  in  praise  of 
Fatima,  and  longed  to  see  her.  But  intelligence  of  the  occurrence 
was  quickly  conveyed  to  the  husband,  who  returned  to  watch  his 
brother^s  actions  in  secret  Convinced  of  the  baseness  of  the 
tyrant's  purpose,  he  rushed  firom  his  hiding-place,  rescued  his 
young  and  virtuous  wife  from  the  grasp  of  her  tempter,  and 
instantly  quitted  the  city.  A  voice  said,  '  This  city  is  about  to  be 
swallowed  up  by  the  earth,  owing  to  the  wickedness  of  its  ruler. 
Let  him  save  himself  who  takes  due  warning.'  A  few  obeyed, 
and  were  watchfiiL  The  first  night  the  city  was  spared,  by  the 
wakefulness  of  an  old  woman  at  a  wheel ;  the  second  by  means  of 
an  oil-presser ;  the  third  night  the  city  went  headlong  into  the 
earth, — only  one  minaret  was  left,  as  an  example. 

**  In  supposing  the  date  of  the  destruction  of  Brahmanabad  to 
accord  with  the  epoch  inferred  by  the  Tatta  Saiyad,  I  should 
remark  that  Muhammad  of  Ghazni  annexed  Sind  to  his  dominions 
in  about  ro25.  It  is  not  at  all  hkely  that  this  conqueror  would 
have  left  standing  so  powerful  a  subject  as  King  Dilu  Rai,  whose 
territory  extended  from  Brahmanabad  even  up  to  Dent  Ghazi, 
Khan  and  Silpur ;  for  the  children  of  Saif-ul-Malik,  the  merchant, 
and  his  wife  Badia-uz-Zemain  (whose  treatment  by  Dilu  Rai  was 
the  cause  of  the  ruin  of  Alor),  are  said  to  have  been  buried  in  the 
above  locality  *  in  the  king's  dominions,'  If  Saiyad  Ali  MusOi, 
then,  accompanied  Chota  on  his  return  from  Baghdad  in  ro2o, 
the  destruction  of  the  city  may  be  supposed  to  have  almost  imme- 
diately followed  their  arrival  in  Sind.'* 

Bubak,  a  town  in  the  Sehwan  taluka  of  the  Sehwan  Deputy 
CoUectorate,  situate  on  the  north-east  shore  of  the  Manchhar  lake, 
and  9  miles  west  of  the  town  of  Sehwan.     It  is  surrounded  by  a 

L 


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146  B  UDHAPUR—B  UKERA. 

kind  of  ditch,  intended,  no  doubt,  to  resist  water  encroachment, 
but  which  seems  calculated  to  make  the  place  unhealthy  ;  and  it     ^ 
is  worthy  of  remark  that  this  village  suffered  very  severely  in  1869 
from  a  visitation  of  cholera.     It  has  road  communication  with  the 
towns  of  Sehwan,  Bhan,  and  Talti. 

Bubak  possesses  a  municipality,  established  in  1854,  with  an 
annual  income  which  in   1873-74  amounted  to  1622  rupees;  it 
is  the  head-quarter  station  also  of  a  Tapadar,  and  has  a  Govern- 
ment vernacular  school,  post-office,  a  police  post  of  three  men,  ^ --',-, 
and  a  cattle  pound.     The  inhabitants,  numbering  about  5703,*^ 
consist  of  >^*85-Musalmans,  principally  of  the  Kori,  Chaki,  Jamot, 
and  Machhi  tribes.     The  Hindus  are-^zftSin  number,  chiefly  /  i  ^^  > 
Brahmans  and  Lohanos.     The  population  are  mostly  engaged  in 
agriculture  and  trade. 

The  chief  persons  of  note  in  this  town  are  Makdums,  Nur 
Muhammad,  Dost  Muhammad,  and  Haji  Muhammad.  The 
manufactures  are  in  carpets,  for  which  this  village  is  famous,  as 
also  for  its  bhang  (or  sukho)^  a  preparation  of  the  Cannabis  sativa  ; 
but  the  trade  would  appear  to  be  of  no  importance.  Bubak  is 
said  by  some  to  derive  its  name  from  a  Jamot  who  founded  it, 
while  others  state  it  to  be  from  a  plant  of  that  name  which  grows 
near  the  town.  There  used  to  be  some  wealthy  2^amindars  resi- 
dent in  Babak,  but  owing  to  much  of  the  best  land  having  been 
encroached  upon  by  the  Manchhar  lake,  and  to  the  Zamindars 
holding  at  the  new  settlement  more  land  than  they  could  well 
cultivate,  they  have  of  late  become  greatly  impoverished. 

Budhapur,  a  village  in  the  Kotri  talOka  of  the  Sehwan  Deputy 
Collectprate,  distant  22  miles  north  of  Kotri,  and  situate  on  the 
main  road  leading  from  Kotri  to  Sehwan.  There  is  a  police  sub- 
thana  with  six  men.  The  inhabitants  number  in  all  992  souls, 
of  whom  897  are  Muhammadans  of  the  Shora,  Duro,  and  Machhi 
tribes,  the  remainder  (95)  being  Hindus  of  the  Lohano  caste. 
Their  chief  employment  is  agriculture.  This  place  possesses 
neither  manufactures  nor  trade  of  any  consequence. 

BukSra,  a  village  in  the  Alahyar-jo-Tando  taluka  of  the  Hala 
Deputy  Collectorate,  6  miles  south  from  Alahyar-jo-Tando,  and 
18  east  from  Hyderabad.  It  has  road  communication  only  with 
the  former  town  and  Khokhar.  No  Government  officers  reside 
at  this  town.  The  population,  numbering  in  all  but  700,  comprises 
Muhammadans  and  Hindus  (the  number  of  each  not  known) ;  the 
former  are  mostly  BQkeras,  Memons,  and  Khaskelis,  while  the 
Lohano  caste  predominates  in  the  Hindu  community.  Their 
principal  occupations  are  agriculture,  trade,  and  fishing.      The 

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BUKKUR,  147 

place  has  no  trade  of  aay  consequence,  either  local  or  transit,  and 
there  are  no  manu&ctures  of  any  kind.  There  are  four  tombs  in 
this  town  which  are  held  in  some  repute  among  the  Musalman 
community.  One,  called  Shekh  Bhanapotra's  tomb,  is  said  to  be 
500  years  old ;  the  second,  Pir  Fazal  Shah's,  is  supposed  to  have 
been  erected  400  years  ago ;  the  third,  that  of  Kaimshah  Koreshi, 
was  built  70  years  since,  and  stands  in  need  of  repair ;  while  the 
fourth,  Pir  Firozshah's,  is  of  a  comparatively  recent  date,  being 
not  more  than  20  years  old.  All  of  these  have  stone  foundations ; 
the  superstructure  is  of  burnt  brick,  with  coloured  decorations.  A 
fair  is  held  at  these  tombs  twice  a  year,  viz.,  in  November  and 
December,  and  is  attended  by  some  thousands  of  Muhammadans. 
The  town  itself  is  supposed  to  have  been  founded  by  one  Kaim- 
shah Koreshi,  nearly  700  years  ago.  The  chief  men  of  note  resident 
in  this  town  are  Pirs  Alabakhsh,  Varioshah,  and  Ismail  Shah. 

Bnkkur,  a  fortified  island  on  the  river  Indus,  lying  between 
the  towns  of  Sukkur  and  Rohri,  in  latitude  27°  41'  N.,  and  longi- 
tude 68''  55'  K  It  belongs  to  the  Sukkur  and  Shikarpur  Deputy 
Collectorate,  and  may  be  said  to  be  a  rock  of  limestone,  oval  in 
shape,  800  yards  long,  300  wide,  and  about  25  feet  in  height 
The  channel  separating  it  from  the  Sukkur  shore  is  narrow,  being 
not  more  than  100  yards  wide,  and,  when  the  river  is  at  its  lowest, 
15  feet  or  so  de^p  in  the  middle.  The  eastern  channel,  or  that 
which  divides  it  from  Rohri,  is  much  broader,  being,  during  the 
same  state  of  the  river,  about  400  yards  wide,  with  a  depth  of 
30  feet  in  the  middle.  The  Government  telegraph  line  crosses 
the  river  here  from  Rohri  to  Sukkur  by  the  island  of  Bukkur ;  it  is 
an  aerial  line,  and  passes,  by  means  of  two  towers  erected  on  the 
eastern  and  western  side  of  the  island,  to  and  from  similar  towers 
built  on  the  -Sukkur  and  Rohri  shores.  A  little  to  the  north  of 
Bukkur,  and  separated  from  it  by  a  narrowchannel,of  easy  passage, 
is  the  small  isle  of  Khwaja  Khizr  (or  Jind  Pir),  containing  a  shrine 
of  much  sanctity,  while  to  the  south  of  Bukkur  is  another  islet 
known  as  Sadh  Bela,  well  covered  with  foliage,  and  also  possessing 
some  sacred  shrines.  Almost  the  whole  of  the  island  of  Bukkur  is 
covered  by  the  fortress,  the  walls  of  which  are  double,  and  from 
30  to  35  feet  high,  with  numerous  bastions ;  they  are  built  partly 
of  burnt  and  unbumt  brick,  are  loopholed,  and  have  two  gate- 
ways, one  facing  Rohri  on  the  east,  and  the  other  Sukkur  on  the 
west  The  fort  presents  a  fine  appearance  from  the  river,  and  has 
a  show  of  great  strength,  which  in  reality  it  does  not  possess. 
At  present  Bukkur  is  only  used  as  a  jail  *  (established  there  in 
*  This  jail  was  directed  to  be  abolished  from  the  ist  January,  1876. 

L   2 

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148  BUTHI—CHAK. 

1865),  which  is  subsidiary  to  that  at  ShikSrpur.  The  prisoners 
occupy  two  barracks  formerly  tenanted  by  European  soldiers  when 
this  fort  was  garrisoned  with  British  troops,  and  these  buildings 
are  capable  of  accommodating  320  convicts.  Various  articles  are 
manufactured  in  the  jail  workshops  by  the  prisoners — who  number 
on  an  average  200 — such  as  table-cloths,  towelling,  carpets, /^j/mw 
or  winter  coats,  reed  chairs  and  sofas,  &c.  The  place  is  considered 
from  its  situation  to  be  healthy,  the  mortality  among  the  convicts 
being  not  more  than  about  four  per  cent.  That  Bukkur,  owing  to  its 
insulated  position,  must  always  have  been  considered  a  stronghold 
of  some  importance  under  native  rule,  is  evidenced  by  its  being  so 
frequently  a  bone  of  contention  between  different  states.  So  early 
as  A.D.  1327,  when  Sind  was  an  appanage  of  the  Delhi  empire, 
Bukkur  seems  to  have  been  a  place  of  note,  from  the  fact  of  trust- 
worthy persons  being  employed  by  the  Emperor  Muhammad 
Toghlak  to  command  there.  During  the  reign  of  the  Samma 
princes  this  fort  seems  to  have  changed  hands  several  times, 
being  occasionally  under  their  rule,  and  at  times  under  that  of 
Delhi  During  the  reign  of  Shah  Beg  Arghun,  the  fortifications  of 
Bukkur  appear  to  have  been  partially,  if  not  wholly,  rebuilt,  the  fort 
of  Alor  being  broken  up  to  supply  the  requisite  material.  In 
A.D.  1540  this  fortress  was  threatened  with  capture  by  the  fugitive 
Delhi  emperor,  Humaiyun,  who  came  up  against  it,  but  effected 
nothing.  In  a.d.  1574  the  place  was  delivered  up  to  one  Keshu 
Khan,  a  servant  of  the  Mogal  emperor,  Akbar  Shah.  In  a.d. 
1736  the  fortress  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  Kalhora  princes,  and 
at  a  subsequent  date  into  that  of  the  Afghans,  by  whom  it  was 
retained  till  captured  by  Mir  Rustam  Khan  of  Khairpur.  In  1839, 
the  year  of  the  Afghan  war,  the  fort  of  Bukkur  was  ceded  by  the 
Khairpur  Mirs  to  th^  British,  to  be  occupied  by  them  during  that 
campaign,  and  it  so  remained  till  the  conquest  of  the  province  in 
1843.  Bukkur  was  the  principal  British  arsenal  in  Sind  during 
the  Afghan  and  Sind  campaigns. 

Buthi,  a  Government  village  in  the  Kambar  taluka  of  the 
Larkana  Division,  16  miles  north  of  Larkana.  Has  no  direct 
communication  with  any  town,  and  possesses  neither  police  lines, 
school,  nor  any  public  building.  The  population  numbers  1289  in 
all,  of  whom  1139  are  Musalmansof  the  Rahan,  Juneja,  and  Ahera 
tribes,  and  150  Hindus,  who  are  Lohanos.  Their  chief  occupations 
are  trade  and  agriculture. 

Chak,  a  town  in  the  Sukkur  taluka  of  the  Shikarpur  and  Sukkur 
Deputy  CoUectorate,  distant  12  miles  north  of  Sukkur,  with  which 
town,  as  also  with  Abdu,  Abad-Melani  and  Rustam,  it  has  road 

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CHA  CHRA  TAL I KA—CHOIL  1 49 

ctwrnnimicalioo.  There  is  ai  poiice  tkjxa  whh  a  force  of  12  men, 
and  a  tnvidleis"  bangalov.  The  p^pTd^tion  nmnbers  125S  per- 
sons, of  vlwm  801  are  Mriimcu.ia^s,  chiedv  ^tirs  and  Mahais, 
vitb  a  fev  Sahads,  I^is  ani  Pathins.  Of  the  Hindus  diere 
^'^^  457  of  the  Brahman.  Lohano,  and  S(»aro  castes.  The  occn* 
patioa  of  tibe  inhahitants  is  mainlr  a^culrcraL  Some  coarse 
doths  are  nnnu£MtmcJ  here  to  a  sm^JI  extent. 

ChichTa  Taliika.     {Ste  Umari^ot  TalCka.) 

Ghadura,  a  village  in  the  Chachra  taluka  of  the  Thar  and 
I^ikar  district,  distant  4S  miles  south-east  from  the  town  of 
Umaikot,  with  which  place,  as  also  wiih  the  \-ilLii?es  of  Chelar, 
Islamkot.  Mitti,  Gadra,  and  Kesir,  it  has  rood  communication. 
It  is  the  head-qoaiter  station  of  a  Mukhtraitar  and  Ta^a^iar,  and 
has  a  police  thana  with  13  men.  There  are  also  civil  and  criminal 
cotnts,  a  Govemment  schooL  dbaiamsala,  and  citde  pound.  It 
has  a  municipality,  established  in  1S62.  the  receipts  for  the  year 
1873-74  bang  1535  rupees,  and  the  expendimre  1924  rupees. 
The  inhabitants,  numbering  about  1649.  comprise  but  183  Mu- 
hammadans,  principallj  of  the  Rajput  and  Kumbar  tribes,  while 
the  1466  Hindus  are  mostly  Biahmans,  Lohanos,  Mengwars  and 
BbBs.  The  Musalman  portion  of  the  population  are  engaged  in 
agriculture  and  catde-breeding,  while  the  Hindus  cany  on  all  the 
trade,  which  is  chiefly  in  gfai,  oil,  metals,  sugar,  doth,  gum,  and 
grain.  There  are  no  manufactures  of  any  importance  in  this 
town. 

Chdar,  a  Government  \illage  in  the  Chachra  taluka  of  the 
Thar  and  Fixkar  Political  Superintendency,  situate  about  34  miles 
south-east  frcMn  Umarkot,  with  which  town,  as  also  with  Xabisar, 
Mitti,  and  Chachra,  it  has  road  communication.  It  is  the  head- 
quarter station  of  a  Tapadar,  and  has  a  police  station  for  three 
men.  lliere  are  also  a  school,  dharamsala  and  cattle  pound. 
The  pc^Milation,  numbering  iroo,  comprises  but  30  Musalmans, 
mostly  Memons,  the  remaining  1070  being  Hindus,  chiefly 
Brahmans  and  Lohanos.  Their  principal  employments  are  agri- 
culture and  trade.  Neither  the  trade  nor  manu^ictures  appear  to 
be  of  any  consequence.  The  place  is  said  to  have  been  founded 
by  one  Kala  Sadn,  an  Umarkot  Sodho. 

Cbor,  a  Government  village  in  the  Umarkot  taluka  of  the  Thar 
and  Parkar  Political  Superintendency,  distant  14  miles  north-east 
from  Umarkot,  with  which  town,  as  also  with  the  villages  of 
Chachra,  Ranahu,  Scmdro,  and  Khipra,  it  has  road  communica- 
tion. It  is  the  head-quarter  station  of  a  Tapadar,  and  has  a 
small  police  post  of  two  men,  a  dharamsala,  and  a  Government 


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150 


CHUJNA—DAKHAN. 


school.  The  population  numbers  about  951  souls,  of  whom  but 
121  are  Musalmans,  mostly  of  the  Kumbar  tribe,  while  the 
remainder  are  Hindus  of  the  Brahman,  Lohano  and  Bhil  castes. 
The  principal  occupation  of  the  inhabitants  is  trade,  agriculture, 
and  cattle-breeding :  of  the  local  trade  the  chief  articles  of  export 
are  ghi,  oil,  and  grain  of  sorts ;  the  imports  being  piece-goods, 
sugar,  tobacco,  &c.  There  are  no  manufactures  of  any  conse- 
quence in  this  town. 

Chujna,  a  Government  village  in  the  Kambar  taluka  of  the 
Larkana  Division,  distant  13  miles  from  Larkana.  There  is  a 
Tapadar  here  and  a  dhak  or  cattle  pound.  The  population 
numbers  in  all  853,  of  whom  717  are  Musalmans  of  the  Saiyad 
and  Bhuta  tribes,  and  136  Hindus,  mostly  Lohanos. 

Dadu,  taluka  (or  revenue  sub-division)  of  the  Sehwan  Deputy 
Collectorate,  with  an  area  of  746  square  miles.  It  has  9  tapas, 
71  villages,  and  a  population  reckoned,  by  the  census  of  1872,  at 
66,350  souls.  The  revenue,  imperial  and  local,  of  this  taluka  for 
the  four  years  ending  1873-74,  is  as  follows : — 


1870-71. 

1871-73. 

1872-73.        1        1873-74- 

Imperial 
Local     .      .     . 

rupees. 

1,55,995 
12,075 

rupees. 
1,03,001 
9,245 

rupees. 
1,41,936 
10,416 

rupce.i. 
1,34,678 
11,484 

Total  rupees  . 

1,68,070         1,12,246 

1.52,352 

1,46,162 

Dadu,  the  chief  town  in  the  taluka  of  the  same  name,  and  the 
head-quarter  station  of  a  Mukhtyarkar.  It  is  situate  on  the  main 
road  loading  from  Sehwan  to  Larkana,  is  distant  24  miles  north  of 
Sehwan,  and  has  road  communication  also  with  Bhan,  Johi,  and 
Rukan.  It  possesses  a  municipality,  established  in  1856,  with  an 
annual  income  ranging  from  1300  to  3900  rupees,  a  Mukhtyarkar's 
kutcherry,  with  subordinate  jail,  Government  (Anglo-vernacular) 
school,  post-office,  travellers'  bangalow,  dharamsala,  and  a  cattle 
pound.  Dadu  has  also  a  police  thana  with  a  force  of  24  men,  of 
whom  two  are  mounted.  The  inhabitants,  numbering  3357,  consist 
of  2434  Muhammadans  of  the  Saiyad,  Memon,  Chaki  and  Lashari 
tribes,  and  923  Hindus,  mostly  Lohanos.  Their  chief  employment 
is  agriculture  and  trade.  The  trade  and  manufactures  of  this  town 
are  of  no  consequence. 

Dakhan,  a  Government  village  in  the  Naushahro  Abro  taluka 
of  the  Shikarpur  and  Sukkur  Deputy  Collectorate,  seated  on  the 
Ghar  canal,  distant  1 8  miles  S.S.W.  from  Shikarpuf,  with  which  town. 


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DAXNA  TOlVERS^DAJiS.  151 

as  also  with  Gaiiii  Yasin,  Rato-Dero  and  Gaheja,  it  has  road  com- 
mimicatioii.  This  place  was  formerly  the  head-quarter  station  of  a 
Mukhtyarkar,  till  the  kutcheny  building  fdl  into  niin.  A  Tapadar 
now  resides  heie.  There  is  a  pohce  station  with  a  force  of  10 
men,  a  Government  vernacular  school,  a  Hharam^^^ia  and  a  cattle 
pound.  The  population  is  1177  ^  number,  comfwising  689 
Muhammadansy  phndpaUy  of  the  Abro  tribe,  and  488  Hindus, 
who  are  mostly  Lohanos.  Their  occupation  is  chiefly  agriculture 
and  trade,  but  this  latter  and  the  manufactures  of  the  place  do  not 
appear  to  be  of  any  importance. 

Dazma  Towen.    {Set  Mehar  Deputy  Collectorate.) 

Darbelo,  a  Govenmient  village  on  the  Naulakhi  canal,  in  the 
Naushahro  taluka  of  the  di\-ision  of  the  same  name,  situate  5  miles 
north  of  Tharushah,  with  which  town,  as  also  with  Kandiaro  (6 
miles)  and  Abad  (5  miles)  it  has  road  communication.  It  is  the 
head-quarter  station  of  a  Tapadar,  and  possesses  a  dharamsala  and 
vernacular  schooL  The  population,  numbering  in  all  1159, 
comprises  Muhammadans  of  the  Kalhoro  and  Pir  tribes,  and 
Hindus  of  the  Lohano  caste,  but  the  number  of  each  class  is  not 
known.  Their  occupation  is  for  the  most  part  agriculturaL  Some 
common  country  dodi  is  made  here,  and  the  town  exports  grain 
to  other  places,  by  way  of  the  Naulakhi  canal,  to  die  annual  value 
of  20,000  rupees.  There  is  an  old  but  decayed  mosque  here,  but 
nothing  apparendy  b  known  of  its  history. 

DarOy  a  Government  village  in  the  Mirpur  Batoro  taluka  of  the 
Shahbandar  Division,  situate  on  the  Pinyari  river  about  8  miles 
north-west  of  Miipur  Batoro,  with  which  town,  as  abo  with  Belo 
and  Bano,  it  has  road  communication.  It  is  the  head-quarter 
station  of  a  Tapadar,  and  in  addition  to  a  small  pohce  post  has  a 
dharamsala  and  catde  pound.  The  Pinyari  river  is  here  crossed  by 
a  fine  masonry  bridge  of  six  spans,  each  25  feet  wide.  There  is 
also  a  municipahty,  established  in  March  1875.  '^^^  population 
numbers  in  all  1 01 2  persons,  of  whom  762  are  Musalmans  and  250 
Hindus.  Agriculture  is  the  chief  employment  of  the  inhabitants. 
This  place  would  seem  to  possess  neither  trade  nor  any  manufactures. 

Dars,  a  Government  village  in  the  Moro  taluka  of  the  Nau- 
shahro Division,  one  mile  distant  from  Moro,  with  which  town  and 
Abji  it  has  road  communication.  It  is  the  head-quarter  station  of 
the  Tapadar  of  Wadpagia.  The  population  is  902,  consisting  of 
Musalmans  and  Hindus,  but  the  number  of  each  class  is  not 
known.  Their  chief  occupation  is  agriculture.  The  principal 
man  of  note  residing  in  this  town  is  Pir  Nabi  Bakhsh.  There  i;i 
little  or  no  trade  in  the  place. 

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152 


DA  ULA  TFUR—DIJI  FORT, 


Daulatpur,  a  Government  village  in  the  Moro  taluka  of  the  Nau* 
shahro  Division,  situate  on  the  high  road  from  Hyderabad  to  Rohri, 
32  miles  south  from  Tharushah,  and  12  miles  south  from  Moro, 
with  which  places,  as  also  with  Mirpur  ferry  (5  miles),  Thatt  (17 
miles),  and  Rukan  (8  miles),  it  has  road  communication.  It  is  the 
head-quarter  station  of  a  Tapadar,  and  has  poHce  lines  for  six 
men.  There  is  a  dharamsala,  a  good  district  bangalow,  and  an  old 
fort,  now  converted  into  a  cattle  pound.  The  population  num- 
bers in  all  1 159,  consisting  of  Muhammadans,  mostly  of  the 
Hotpotra  tribe,  and  Hindus  of  the  Lohano  caste,  but  the  number 
of  each  is  not  known.  The  inhabitants  are  principally  engaged 
in  agricultural  operations.  There  is  no  manufacture  or  trade  of 
any  consequence,  but  what  little  trade  it  does  possess  is  kept  up 
mainly  by  the  passenger  traffic  of  the  trunk  road  on  which  the 
town  is  situate. 

Deparja^  a  Jagir  village  in  the  Moro  taluka  of  the  Naushahro 
Deputy  Collectorate,  distant  24  miles  south-west  from  Tharushah, 
and  8  west  from  Moro.  There  are  no  roads  leading  to  or  from 
this  place,  but  it  is  connected  with  the  Indus  by  the  Malkar  dhandh^ 
which  forms  a  sort  of  harbour  for  boats.  There  are  police  lines 
for  the  accommodation  of  three  men.  The  population,  numbering 
in  all  about  1 109^  consists  of  Muhammadans,  who  are  mostly  of  the 
Deparja  and  Kauraja  tribes,  and  Hindus  of  the  Lohano  caste,  but 
the  number  of  each  class  is  not  known.  The  occupation  of  the 
inhabitants  is  chiefly  agricultural.  Some  common  cotton  cloth 
is  manufactured  here,  and  grain  is  annually  exported  to  other  places 
to  the  value  of  about  6000  rupees. 

Deri  Kot.    (See  Ghaibi  Dero.) 

Dero  Mohbat,  a  taluka  (or  sub-division)  of  the  Tanda  Deputy 
Collectorate,  having  an  area  of  670  square  miles,  with  4  tapas,  66 
dehs^  and  a  population  of  30,445  souls.  The  revenue  (imperial  and 
local)  of  this  sub-division  during  the  past  five  years,  ending  1873-74, 
is  as  follows  : — 


Imperial  .     . 
T^al.     .     . 

Total  rupees 

»86^-7o. 

1870-71. 

1871-72.            i87»-73. 

«873-74- 

rupees. 

35,4" 
3,735 

rupees. 

54,979 
4,736 

rupees.             rupees. 
51,609           51,779 

4,643          4,573 

rupees. 

46,100 

4,046 

39,146    j    59,715 

56,252 

56,352 

50,146 

Dhar  Yaro.     {See  Mehar  Deputy  Collectorate.) 

Diji  Fort  (also  called  Ahxnadabad)  is  a  stronghold  in  the 


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DIPLA, 


153 


territory  of  His  Highness  Mir  All  Murad  Khan  Talpur,  in  latitude 
27"*  24'  N.,  and  longitude  68°  58'  E.,  and  is  close  to  the  town  of 
Kot  Diji,  a  favourite  residence  of  this  Mir.  It  is  built  on  a  range 
of  low  limestone  hills,  known  as  the  Ghar,  running  south-east  and 
north-west,  on  which  are  found  the  remains  of  many  marine 
animals,  such  as  the  cockle  and  oyster.  This  place,  which  is 
about  1 2  miles  south  of  Khairpur,  consisted  of  a  number  of  for- 
tifications crowning  several  eminences  connected  by  a  single 
mud-wall,  well  loopholed.  It  has  a  large  tower,  supposed  to  have 
been  the  receptacle  of  the  wealth  of  the  Khairpur  Mirs,  and  on 
the  south  side  there  was  a  magazine  and  a  powder  manufactory. 
This  fort  is  now  used  as  a  prison  :  as  a  place  of  strength  it  is  not 
thought  to  be  of  any  importance,  being  nearly  commanded  from 
the  south-east  quarter  and  open  to  capture  by  escalade.  The  town 
of  Kot  Diji,  near  the  fort  of  the  same  name,  is  said  to  have  a 
population  of  2570  souls. 

Dipla,  a  taluka  (or  revenue  sub-division)  of  the  Thar  and 
Parkar  Political  Superintendency,  bordering  on  the  Rann  of 
Kachh,  having  two  tapas,  four  ^^  dehs,''  and  a  population  cal- 
culated at  14,524  souls.  The  revenue  (imperial  and  local)  of  this 
taluka  for  the  four  years  ending  1873-74  is  as  follows : — 


Imperial      .     . 
Local     .     .     . 

Total  rupees. 

X870-7X. 

,  1871-72, 

1872-73.      1      «873-74- 

rupees. 
3.136 
1,215 

rupees. 

22,661 

1,548 

rupees. 

21,043 

2,591 

rupees. 

4,351 

24,209     1     23,634 

1 

23,161 

Dipla,  a  town  in  the  taluka  of  the  same  name  of  the  Thar 
and  Parkar  district,  distant  about  80  miles  south  from  Umarkot 
It  has  road  communication  with  the  villages  of  Rahim-ki-bazar, 
Baliari,  Mitti,  Nawakot,  Islamkot,  and  KalohL  It  is  the  head- 
quarter station  of  a  Mukhtyarkar  and  Tapadar,  has  a  police 
thana  of  19  men,  civil  and  criminal  courts,  Government  school, 
dhar^unsala,  and  cattle  pound.  There  is  also  a  municipality, 
established  in  1863,  the  income  of  which  in  I873-74  was  789 
rupees,  and  the  expenditure  655  rupees. 

The  population  of  this  town  is  estimated  at  but  893  souls,  of 
whom  655  are  Musalmans,  mostly  of  the  Memon,  Kalar,  Pahra, 
and  Kumbar  tribes.  The  Hindus  are  chiefly  Brahmans,  Lohanos, 
and  Bhils.  The  trade  of  this  place  consists  principally  in  the 
export  and  import  of  various  articles,  such  as  ghi,  grain  of  sorts, 

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154      FRONTIER  DISTRICT  OF  UPPER  SINU. 

oil,  cotton,  copper,  iron,  dried  fruits,  piece  goods,  sheep  and  goat 
skins,  tobacco  and  sugar.  There  are  no  manufactures  of  any 
consequence.  In  this  village  there  is  a  mud  fort,  now  in  ruins, 
supposed  to  have  been  constructed  during  the  rule  of  the  Talpur 
Mirs. 

Frontier  District  of  Upper  Sind. — This  district,  forming 
the  northernmost  portion  of  the  province  of  Sind,  lies  between 
27°  56'  and  28^  27'  of  north  latitude,  and  68°  and  69°  44'  of  east 
longitude.  It  is  bounded  on  the  north  and  west  by  the  Derajat 
and  the  territory  of  the  Khan  of  Kelat,  on  the  east  by  the  Indus, 
and  on  the  south  by  the  Shikarpur  CoUectorate,  and  in  it  is 
included  a  hilly  tract  to  the  north,  triangular  in  shape,  and  about 
260  square  miles  in  area.  The  greatest  length  of  this  district 
from  east  to  west  may  be  set  down  at  114  miles,  its  greatest  width 
from  north  to  south  at- 20  miles,  and  its  entire  area  at  2225  miles. 
The  hilly  and  triangular- shaped  portion  of  the  district  mentioned 
above  was  received  from  the  Panjab  in  1866,  and  has  the  hill  of 
Gyandari  as  its  extreme  northern  apex,  a  nalah  running  from  it 
to  Mithri,  forming  a  natural  boundary  between  this  district  and 
the  Panjab,  while  on  the  other  side  a  line  drawn  from  the  hill  to 
the  Lehni  frontier  tower,  separating  it  from  the  Kelat  territory,  de- 
fines its  western  boundary.  The  following  table  gives  a  list  of  the 
talukas  and  tapas,  including  the  tract  from  the  Derajat  which 
forms  part  of  the  Kashmor  talaka,  into  which  this  district  is 
divided,  together  with  the  area,  population,  and  chief  towns  in 
each  taluka : — 


TalQka. 


Area. 
Square 
MUes. 


Tapas. 


No.  of 
ViUages. 


Populadon. 


Towns  having 
800  inhabitants 
and  upwards. 


I.  Jacobabad 


2.  Thul    (or 
Mirpur)     . 


3.  Kashmor  . 


475 


968/ 


782 


1.  Jacobabad  . 

2.  Tehanpiir    . 

3.  Khera  Garhi 

4.  Alipur  • 

1.  Thul      . 

2.  Mirpur  . 

3.  Shirgarh 

4.  Mubarakpur 

5.  Ghauspur 

ir  Kashmor 

2.  Kandkot 

3.  Badani . 

4.  Kumbri 


12,225 


28 


29 


19 


76 


35,545  { 

34,807  { 

25,232 
9S,5»4 


1.  Jacobabad. 

2.  Garhi  Khera. 


1.  ThuL 

2.  Mirpur. 


I.  Kashmor. 


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FRONTIER  DISTRICT  OF  UPPER  SIND.     155 

The  area  in  English  acres  of  each  taluka,  showing  that  culti- 
vated, cultivable,  and  un-aiable,  is  also  shown  below : — 


T.iAL.«  '  Total  Area  in      Cultirated  and  '      *«  vt 

^^^  English  Adcs.  I     Cultivable-      |      ^»-»«W«- 


1.  Jacobabad  504,000    .       177,491 

2.  Thai    ...  I      619,520    }        80,331 

3.  Kashmor .     .  I      500,480    1        58,715 


126,509 
539,189 
441.765 


Physical  Aspect. — The  Frontier  district  of  Upper  Sind,  with 
the  exception  of  the  hilly  tract  of  country  previously  referred  to 
as  having  been  incorporated  from  the  Derajat,  is  a  flat  level  plain, 
half  of  which  is  covered  with  thick  jungle  and  subject  to  annual 
inundation.  In  a  few  parts  of  the  district  high  and  extensive 
sand-hills  form  a  feature  in  the  landscape,  and  numerous  high 
mounds  on  the  plains  attest  the  remains  of  former  towns  and 
villages.  The  land  itself  lies  from  170  to  273  feet  above  mean 
sea-level,  and  is  highest  on  its  eastern  side,  near  the  river  Indus, 
whence  it  slopes  towards  the  west  Thus  Kashmor  is  257  feet 
and  Jacobabad  but  180  feet  above  the  sea.  This  latter  town  is 
said  to  be  quite  90  feet  below  the  level  of  the  Indus  at  Mithri. 

Hydrography. — ^Though  the  water  system  of  the  Frontier  dis- 
trict is  not  yet  sufficiently  developed  to  allow  of  all  its  available 
land  being  brought  under  cultivation,  an  extensive  area  is  never- 
theless capable  of  being  irrigated  by  the  existing  canals  led  from 
the  Indus,  which,  as  previously  mentioned,  forms  its  eastern  boun- 
dary for  nearly  50  miles,  and  is  the  chief  source  of  its  agricultural 
productiveness.  The  principal  canals  are  the  "  Begari,"  the  Nurwah, 
the  Sonwah,  the  Desert  canal,  and  the  Mirzawah,  all  of  which  are 
clewed  and  kept  up  by  Government  These  again  have  numerous 
branches  which  may  be  termed  "Zamindari"  canals,  being 
under  the  management  of  those  of  the  Zamindars  whose  estates 
are  irrigated  by  theuL  The  ^*  Begari "  canal  is  the  largest  in  the 
water-system  of  this  district,  and  taps  the  Indus  at  its  extreme 
south-eastern  boundary,  forming  for  about  50  miles  of  its  course  a 
well-defined  line  of  demarcation  between  this  district  and  the 
Shikarpur  ColIectOTate.  In  185 1  this  canal  was  at  its  head  only  24 
feet  wide,  with  a  depth  of  9  feet,  but  in  1852  sanction  was  obtained 
for  enlarging  it  at  a  cost  of  1,30,094  rupees,  and  on  the  13th 
April,  1854,  the  work  having  been  satisfactorily  completed,  the 


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IS6      FRONTIER  DISTRICT  OF  UPPER  SIND. 

water  was  admitted  into  it  from  the  Indus,  and  this  reached 
Jacobabad,  50  miles  distant,  in  sixteen  hours.  Subsequently  the 
tail  of  the  "  Began  "  canal  was  enlarged  and  extended  further  to 
the  westward  near  Khera  Garhi,  at  an  outlay  of  30,000  rupees, 
and  on  the  3rd  August,  1856,  the  water  was  admitted  into  this 
portion,  which  was  32  miles  in  length.  In  that  same  year  the 
"  Begari "  was  capable  of  being  navigated  by  large  boats  from  one 
end  to  the  other,  a  distance  of  nearly  78  miles.  The  net  revenue 
on  the  Frontier  district  side  from  this  canal  amounted  in  1851-52 
to  24,129  rupees,  but  this  in  1857-58  had  increased  to  1,06,940 
rupees,  and  in  1870-71  to  1,57,345  rupees.  Improvements  to  this 
canal,  together  with  its  extension  for  the  irrigation  of  the  Sir  lands, 
have  been  carried  out  during  the  past  few  years,  and  for  some 
distance  the  main  channel  has  been  increased  to  the  full  width  of 
57  feet 

The  Nurwah,  the  largest  oflfshoot  from  the  "  Began,*'  and  tapping 
it  at  a  distance  of  40  miles  from  the  head  of  the  latter,  is  next  in 
importance.  It  is  19  miles  in  length,  was  cut  in  the  time  of  Nur 
Muhammad  Kalhora,  from  whom  it  takes  its  name,  and  waters 
the  tapas  of  Jacobabad  and  Alipur.  Sanction  was  obtained  in 
1852  for  enlarging  this  canal,  and  the  work  was  carried  out  at  a 
cost  of  25,344  rupees ;  it  is  navigable  for  10  miles.  The  Sonwah, 
another  branch  of  the  "  Kgari,"  andtappmgit  at  19  miles  from  its 
head,  is  18  miles  in  length,  and  waters  the  tapas  of  Mirpur  and 
Thul.  The  Mirzawah,  between  9  and  10  miles  long,  also  branches 
off  from  the  "  Begari,"  and  waters  the  lands  in  the  tapas  of  Mirpur 
and  Mubarakpur.  The  Desert  canal,  formerly  known  as  the 
Maksudwah,  runs  35  miles  into  the  desert  tract  west  of  Kashmor, 
irrigating  from  30,000  to  40,000  acres  of  land.  Its  total  length  is 
intended  to  be  90  miles,  and  it  will  pass  near  the  Dil  Murad  fort 
in  the  territory  of  the  Khan  of  Kelat,  afterwards  turning  south 
towards  the  Frontier  district  The  Jacobwah  and  Briggswah 
canals  in  the  Kashmor  taluka  were  formerly  used  chiefly  to  fill 
what  is  called  the  "  Sind  Hollow,"  an  old  bed  of  the  Indus 
traversing  the  Kashmor  and  Thul  talukas,  and  which  is  now  yearly 
covered  with  fine  "  rabi "  crops ;  they  are  now  quite  closed  up. 
The  tract  between  the  "  Sind  Hollow  '*  and  the  river  Indus  is  much 
cut  up  with  "  dhandhs  "  (flood  hollows),  and  "  dhoros  "  (old  river 
channels). 

At  Kashmor  a  navigable  canal,  the  commencement  of  the 
present  Desert  canal,  4  miles  in  length,  connects  that  town  with 
the  Indus.     It  has  been  found,  owing  to  the  increased  supply 


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FRONTIER  DISTRICT  OF  UFFER  SIXD.       157 


brought  in  by  these  canals,  that  the  water  in  wells  at  Jacobabad 
has  risen  at  least  seven  feet  nearer  to  the  surface  than  before. 
The  canals  in  this  district  are  now  under  the  general  supervision 
of  the  Executive  Engineer  of  the  B^ari  Division,  though  the 
annual  clearances  axe  carried  out  partly  by  his  defMirtment  and 
partly  by  the  Deputy  Collector  and  his  subordinates. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  the  principal  canals  in  this  district,  with 
the  average  annual  revenue  and  cost  of  clearance,  for  the  five 
years  ending  1873-74 : — 


NameofCanaL 

Length. 

Width 

at 
Mouth. 

Annual 
Cost  of 
Clearance  for 
FiveYeare 
ending 
1873-74. 

Average 
Annual 
Revenue  for 
Fix%  Years 
ending 
« 873-74* 

Remarks. 

nule. 

feet. 

rupees. 

rupees. 

I.  B^gari    .     . 

»5 

57 

...4.9 

83,151 

Main  feeder. 
Taps  the  Indus 
at  the  extreme 
south-eastern 
boundary  of  the 
Frontier  district 

2.  Sonwah  .     . 

19 

24 

5,94» 

20,912 

Is  a  branch  of  the 
Began,  striking 
off  from  it  in  the 
ThultaluIuL 

3.  Minawah     . 

91 

26 

2,119 

25,281 

A  branch  of  the 
Begari,  striking 
off  from  it  in  the 
Thul  taluka. 

4.  Nurwah.      . 

19 

3a 

8,541 

20,227 

A  branch  of  the 
Begari 

5.  Budwah.     . 

4 

10 

926 

1.936 

A  branch  of  the 
Nurwah. 

6.  Desert  Canal 

35 

26 

9,869 

30.439 

Taps  the  Indus 
in  the  Kashmor 
taluka. 

Floods. — Before  the  year  1861-62  floods  in  the  Frontier  district 
were  by  no  means  so  common  as  they  have  been  of  late  years ; 
that  of  1862-63  was  disastrous  in  its  effects,  but  was  not  followed 
by  any  other  of  importance  till  187 1,  when  a  heavy  river  flood 
occurred,  causing  numerous  breaches  in  canals.  Again  in  1872  and 
1873  the  floods  were  heavy,  but  of  comparative  insignificance 
when  compared  with  that  which  took  place  in  1874,  this  latter 
be'mg  of  greater  extent  and  duration  than  any  previously  known. 
It  began  early  in  June  with  a  high  river  flood,  and  by  the  19th  of 


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158      FRONTIER  DISTRICT  OF  UPPER  SIND, 

that  month,  what  is  known  as  the  Kashmor  /<?/,  or  flood,  began  tc 
spread  over  the  district,  flowing  in  a  westerly  direction ;  this  wa^ 
augmented  in  volume  by  hill  floods  from  Kachi,  and  conjointl} 
with  high  winds  which  prevailed  in  portions  of  June,  July,  and  the 
early  part  of  August,  had  the  effect  of  destroying  in  a  greater  oi 
less  degree  nearly  80  towns  and  villages,  besides  nearly  sweeping 
away  the  important  town  and  military  station  of  Jacobabad.  To 
prevent  a  recurrence  of  such  disasters,  a  large  and  strong 
"  bandh  "  has  now  been  constructed,  from  the  town  of  Kashmoi 
down  to  the  mouth  of  the  Begari,  with  the  object  of  providing 
against  any  future  encroachment  of  the  Kashmor  flood. 

Climate. — The  climate  of  the  Frontier  district  may  be  con- 
sidered a  peculiar  one,  as  being  perhaps  the  driest  in  the  world,  and 
as  showing  at  times  very  remarkable  variations  in  temperature. 
There  are  but  two  seasons,  the  "hot"  and  the  "cold ;"  the  first 
extending  from  May  to  September,  and  the  other  from  October  to 
April.  It  must,  however,  here  be  mentioned  that  the  temperature 
during  the  months  of  April  and  October  is  very  uncertain.  From 
the  beginning  of  November  to  the  end  of  March,  a  period  of  five 
months,  the  climate  is  temperate  and  enjoyable.  During  December 
and  January  the  cold  is  frequently  very  great,  the  thermometer 
sometimes  indicating  as  low  a  temperature  as  27°  Ice  and  frosts 
prevail  in  consequence,  and  the  latter  are  not  unfrequent  in 
February,  and  even  in  March.  The  mean  monthly  temperature  of 
the  "cold"  season,  as  taken  from  the  register  kept  at  Jacobabad 
from  1864  to  1868,  is  found  to  range  from  58  to  73°,  the  mean 
maximum  being  88°  in  March,  and  the  mean  minimum  49°  in 
December.  A  thermometer  placed  in  the  sun's  rays  at  noon 
during  the  month  of  March  has  shown  a  mean  high  temperature  of 
122°  During  the  "hot "season,  extending  over  seven  montlis 
(from  April  to  October),  the  nights  in  April  and  May  are  compa- 
ratively cool,  though  the  days  are  hot ;  but  it  is  in  the  following 
months  of  June,  July,  and  August  that  the  full  force  of  the  heat  is 
experienced,  the  difference  in  temperature,  during  both  the  day 
and  night,  being  then  very  slight,  at  times  almost  nothing  at  all. 
In  September  the  nights  become  somewhat  cool,  with  occasional 
dews,  and  by  about  the  middle  of  October  a  sensible  change  in 
the  temperature  takes  place,  amounting  sometimes  to  as  much  as 
1 0°  between  two  successive  nights.  The  mean  monthly  temperature 
of  the  "hot"  season  ranges  from  80°  to  102°,  the  mean  maximum 
being  108°  in  June,  and  the  mean  minimum  67^  in  October.  A 
thermometer  placed  in  the  sun's  rays  at  noon  during  May  has 


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FRONTIER  DISTRICT  OF  UPPER  SIND. 


IS9 


indicated  a  mean  temperature  of  134^^.  The  following  table  ^ill 
show  the  result  of  certain  thermometrical  observations  kept  at 
Jacobabad  during  five  years,  firom  1864  to  1868.  Other  observa- 
tions recorded  from  1848  to  i860,  and  again  firom  1872  to  1874, 
are  also  included  : — 


Moaths. 

Mean 

Temp. 

Mean 
Mazimnm. 

Mean 
Minim  um. 

Direction  of 
Winds. 

Remarks. 

January      . 

0 

58 

6-, 

0 
50 

i 

N.E.  &  N.W, 

Rain  often    falls 
during  this  month. 

February   . 

64 

76 

52 

N.N.E.,  E.  &  S. 

Light  rain  for  a 
few  days. 

March .      . 

73 

88 

59 

N.W.  &  N.E. 

Dust-storms  oc- 
casionally, with 
high  winds. 

April    .      . 

86 

98 

74 

N.E. 

Dust-storms  regu- 
larly, with  hot 
winds. 

May      .     . 

95 

107 

84 

S.E.&N.W. 

Dust-storms,  with 
remarkably   dry 

Air 

Tune     .     . 
July      .     . 

99 

108 

90 

S.E. 

aur. 

Calms. 

97 

107 

87 

S.E. 

Rain  occasionally, 

and  dust-storms. 

August 

93 

103 

83 

S.E.  &  S.W. 

A  little  rain  some- 
times falls  in  this 
month. 

September. 

89 

99 

79 

S.E.  &  N.E. 

Dews  at  night 

October     . 

79 

90 

67 

Variable. 

Great  changes  in 
temperature  this 
month. 

November. 

69 

80 

59 

S.E.  &  N.E. 

Cloudy ;  weather, 
as  a  rule,  very 
dry. 

Rain   falls    occa- 

December. 

60 

72 

49 

North. 

sionally         this 

month. 

The  heat  in  the  eastern  portion  of  the  Frontier  district  is 
believed  to  be  less  intense  than  at  Jacobabad,  a  cool  breeze 
blowing  at  night  during  the  hot  months.  This  may  perhaps  be 
attributable  to  its  dose  proximity  to  the  river  Indus.  The  annua] 
rainfall  in  this  district  is  between  four  and  five  inches,  though 
twelve  inches  have  been  known  to  fall  in  one  year  (1869).  The 
months  of  January,  August,  and  December  seem  to  be  those  in 
which  rain  is  most  frequent  The  rainfall  in  the  eastern  part  of  the 
district  is  supposed  to  be  somewhat  heavier  than  at  Jacobabad. 
The  following  table  will  show  the  quantity  of  rain  gauged  at 
Jacobabad  during  a  period  of  eleven  years  ending  with  1874  (see 
next  page)  : — 


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i6o      FRONTIER  DISTRICT  OF  UPPER  SIND 


Year.  |jan. 

Feb. 

Mar. 

April 

May 

June 

July 

Aug. 

Sept 

Oct. 

Nov. 

Dec. 

Total. 

1S64 

.. 

..    1    .. 

•60 

I-l8 

J , 

•7 

•52 

, , 

J , 

2-37 

1865 

•50 

•26.1-53 

•04 

, , 

•13 

. . 

I- 10 

3-56 

1866 

•08 

•24 

, , 

•71 

, , 

2^10 

.  . 

3'i3 

1867 

, , 

, , 

, , 

, , 

,  , 

•91 

. , 

•06 

.■% 

1868 

•21 

1-86    -18 

, , 

, , 

•22 

2   23 

,  . 

•19 

1869 

•96 

•502-59 

•44 

.. 

•42 

3*09 

2-10 

■■1? 

•25 

1205 

1870 

..      -72 

.. 

•31 

1*75 

3*79 

1871 

•23'  .. 

.. 

•07 

•39 

•57 

.. 

•08 

1*34 

1872 

•18 

•02 

•55 

•57 

.. 

•63 

4-50 

1-32 

7-77 

i«73 

I  07 

. . 

•58 

•03 

2-47 

•20 

4-35 

1874 

•46 

.10 

•06 

•*••• 

4-92 

2-6i 

•• 

8-51 

The  diseases  prevailing  in  this  district  are  "intermittent  and 
other  kinds  of  fevers,"  occurring  mostly  in  September,  October, 
November,  and  December,  after  the  annual  inundation :  affections 
of  tiie  lungs,  stomach,  and  bowels,  in  the  same  months  ]  rheu- 
matism, in  August  and  December,  and  acute  eye  diseases  in 
September,  October,  and  November.  Measles  was  epidemic  in 
x866,  small-pox  in  1867  and  in  the  beginning  of  1868,  cholera 
in  1861  and  again  in  August,  September,  and  October  X867, 
and  hooping-cough  during  the  first  half  of  1868. 

Soils  and  Cultivation. — Of  the  geological  features  of  the 
Frontier  district  of  Upper  Sind  there  is  little  to  be  said.  The 
general  nature  of  the  soil  is  an  alluvial  deposit  brought  down  by 
the  canals  from  the  Indus,  occasionally  covered  with  a  layer  of 
drift  sand  from  the  desert  which  lies  along  its  northern  boundary. 
The  soils  are  much  the  same  as  those  met  with  in  the  Shikarpur 
district  Alluvial  land  is  known  under  the  name  of  ^^pharij* 
There  is  also  the  "  kalrdthi*'  or  salt  soil,  and  the  "  wdridsi^^  or 
sandy  soil,  the  former  of  which,  after  being  flooded  two  or  three 
times,  is  capable  of  producing  tobacco,  barley,  and  rice.  The 
latter  soil,  as  well  as  the  "  phori,"  are  mostly  cultivated  with  grain 
and  pease  {tnatar)  crops. 

The  diflferent  modes  of  cultivation  are  known  under  the  names 
of^— I,  "  MoK,"  where  the  land  is  below  the  surface  of  the  water  by 
which  it  is  irrigated  ;  2,  "  Charkhi,"  where  the  land  is  watered  by 
a  wheel  from  a  canal  or  well ;  and  3,  "  SAiLXBi,"or  land  overflowed 
by  the  river  during  the  annual  inundation. 

Population. — The  population  of  the  Frontier  district  is  com- 
posed mainly  of  Muhammadans  and  Hindus,  with  a  slight  sprinkling 
of  Europeans,  Indo-Europeans,  Parsis,  &c.  No  regular  census, 
except  that  of  1872,  has  been  taken  since  1854,  but  in  1866  an 
estimate  was  made  which  placed  the  entire  population  of  the 
district  at  about  75,000,  or  34  persons  to  the  square  mile. 


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FRONTIER  DISTRICT  OF  UPPER  SIND.      i6i 


Bjr  the  census  of  1872  the  entire  population  of  this  district  was 
found  to  be  95>584,  inclusive  of  the  cantonment  population  of 
Jacobabady  which  ^en  numbered  5599  souls.  This  would  give 
about  43  persons  to  the  square  mile.  Irrespective  oi  the  inhabit- 
ants in  the  Jacobabad  cantonment,  who  do  not  appear  to  have 
been  in  any  way  included  with  other  classes  of  the  population,  the 
following  table  will  show  the  various  nationalities  of  which  these 
latter  are  composed,  so  ^  as  can  be  obtained  from  die  census 
records: — 


Classes.                             Popalatioii.                                  Reouuks.                       | 

Enropeaiis  .... 
Tudo-Enropeans     .     .               2 

Other  Mixed  Races     .             10 

1 

NindSs. 
Brahmans    ....             80 
Waishya      ....        8,475 
Smhas 160 

MuJkammadans. 

Saiyads 3^ 

Shekhs 306 

Pathans 326 

Mogals 39 

All  others    ....      80,140 

'3 

8t7i5 

81,177 
50 

Under  the  term  «'aU  others'* 
are  no  doabt  included  Balo- 
chis,  Jats,  and  other  tribes. 

Other  Asiatics .     .     .          ... 

Grand  Total 

89,964 

The  following  statement  will  show  the  Jacobabad  cantonment 
population  according  to  religion : — 


Number. 


Christians 75 

Mnhammadans 4»i43 

Hindus 1,377 

An  others 4 

Total 5,599 


The  Balochis  are  divided  into  the  great  ^mihes  of— i,  the 
"  Jamalis,"  inhabiting  the  western  portion  of  the  district  \  2,  the 
Jakr^nis,**  residing  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Jacobabad  (many  of 

M 

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i62     FRONTIER  DISTRICT  OF  UPPER  SIND. 

them  are  in  the  district  police) ;  3,  the  "  Dumbkis,"  living  near 
Jacobabad  and  Kumbri ;  4,  the  "  Khosas/*  all  over  the  district ; 
5,  the  "  Burdis,"  BQrdika ;  and  6,  the  "  Mazaris,"  near  Kashmor. 
These  again  are  sub-divided  into  numerous  lesser  families.  The 
chief  families  of  the  "  Sammas  "  are  the  Mahar,  Chachar,  Buhra, 
Pitafi,  Machhi,  Sudhaya,  Subhaya,  and  some  others.  They  are  able- 
bodied,  and  both  sexes  are  comely  in  appearance.  The  "  Jats," 
who  are  known  as  Leshari,  Brahmani,  Waswani,  and  Babbar,  live 
in  encampments  of  mat  tents,  and  are  engaged  in  tending  and 
rearing  camels.  They  also  are  well  made  and  handsome.  The 
food  of  these  different  tribes  consists  of  unleavened  wheaten  or 
juar  bread,  with  milk  and  butter,  and  occasionally  meat,  eggs,  and 
vegetables.  They  are  addicted  to  the  use  of  "  bhang  *'  and  tobacco, 
and  drink  spirituous  liquors.  The  dress  of  the  men  is  of  cotton, 
and  is  made  up  of  a  tarban,  breeches,  and  a  long  loose  shirt,  with  a 
lungi^  or  dopata,  thrown  across  the  shoulders,  or  wound  round  the 
waist.  The  dress  of  the  women  is,  excepting  the  tarban,  much 
the  same  as  that  of  the  men  ;  the  breast  portion  of  the  shirt,  is, 
however,  generally  embroidered  with  either  red  silk  or  cotton 
thread.  The  following  extracts  from  the  late  General  Jacob's 
report  on  the  chief  border  tribes  residing  within  the  British  territory 
of  Northern  Sind,  written  in  1854,  at  a  time  when  he  was 
Commandant  and  Political  Superintendent  on  the  •  Frontier,  will 
not  only  show  their  predatory  habits,  but  the  effectual  means 
which  were  subsequently  taken  to  reclaim  them : — "  These  tribes 
are  the  Mazaris,  Burdis,  Khosas,  Jamalis,  Jatois,  Dumbkis, 
Jakranis,  and  others.  The  Mazaris  inhabit  the  country  on  the 
right  bank  of  the  Indus  between  Mitankot  and  Burdika.  This 
tract  is  chiefly  in  the  Panjab,  a  small  part  only  falling  within  the 
boundary  of  Sind.  The  habits  of  this  tribe  were  wholly,  and  are 
still  to  a  great  extent,  predatory.  They  continually  plundered  the 
river-boats,  and  made  frequent  incursions  into  the  Bahawalpur 
territory  on  tlie  left  bank  of  the  Indus.  They  were  often  at  war 
with  the  Bhugtis  and  Maris,  and  did  not  hesitate  to  attack  the 
Dumbkis  and  Jakranis  at  Pulaji,  Chatar,  &c.,  from  whom  they 
occasionally  succeeded  in  driving  off  much  cattle.  The  Mazaris 
are  the  most  expert  cattle-stealers  in  the  border  country,  and  have 
the  reputation  of  being  brave  warriors.  Not  many  of  the  tribe 
now  remain  in  Sind,  even  in  the  Kashmor  district.  Most  of  them 
have  left  that  part  of  the  country  and  taken  up  their  abode  with 
their  chief  and  brethren  in  the  Panjab,  where  they  are  allowed  to 
bear  arms,  which  they  are  not  permitted  to  do  in  Sind.  They 
still  make  occasional  plundering  excursions  into  the  Bahawalpur 

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FRONTIER  DISTRICT  OF  UPPER  SIXD.      163 

ooontry,  and  die  Bndsh  territoty  oa  the  eastern  bank  of  the  Indus. 
The  Burdis  reade  chiefly  in  die  district  called  after  them,  Buidika, 
which  lies  on  the  western  bank  of  the  Indus,  between  the  Mazari 
district  on  die  north,  and   the  Sind  canal  on  the  south.     This 
tribe  first  came  in  contact  with  the  British  in    1838.  when  the 
fortress  of  Bukkur  was  handed  over  to  die  latter  by  Mir  Rustam 
of  Khairpur.     The  halHts  of  this  tribe  were  formerij  whcrilj  pre- 
datory,  and  up  to    t847   ^^  Burdis  made  frequent  maranding 
inroads  on  their  ndghbours  in  Kachhi  and  in  the  hills,  as  well  as 
in  Sind.     In  r839  the  Burdis,  in  common  with  the  Baloch  tribes  of 
Kachhi,  continually  plundered  the  Mtish  convoys  moving  towards 
A%hanistan;  on  this  account  the  chief,  Sher  Muhammad,  was 
imprisoned  by  Mir  Rustam  of  Khairpur  (whose  subjects  the  Burdis 
were),  and  sent  to  Mr.  Bell,  then  Political  Agent  in  Upper  Sind. 
This  tribe  continued  in  the  practice  of  murder  and  robbery,  as 
before,  imtil  the  year  r842,  when,  the  country  being  well  guarded, 
they  abstained  altogether  from  plunder.     On  the  deposition  of  Mir 
Rustam,   and   the  conquest  of  Sind   by   the   British    in    r843, 
Burdika  came  under  the  rule  of  Mir  AH  Murad,  and  the  Burdis 
resumed  their  predatory  habits  with  more  than  wonted  vigour,  till, 
in  1844,  Mir  Ali  Mursld  seized  the  chiefs  of  the  tribe  and  kept 
them  in  close  confinement  in  the  Diji  fort  till  December  1844, 
when  they  were  released,  and  accompanied  the  Mir,  iR-ith  a  large 
number  of  their  tribe,  in  the  hill  campaign,  in  conjunction  with 
Sir  Charies  Napier.     After  the  predatory  tribes  of  Kachhi  (Dumb- 
kis,  Jakranis,  &c.}   had  been   transported   and  setded     by  Sir 
Charies  Napier  on  the  Sind  border,  they  joined  the  Burdis  and 
Khosas  in  carrying  on  frequent  plundering  excursions  in  secret : 
their  lawless  proceedings  were  generally  attributed  to  the  Bhugtis 
and  other  hill  men,  till,  in  1847,  ^^  Sind  Horse  were  again  posted 
on  the  Frontier,  and  Major  Jacob  discovered  and  broke  up  the 
whole  confederacy  of  robbers  on  the  British  border,  and  punished 
many  of  the  offenders.     At  this  time  every  one  in  the  country 
went  armed,  but  Major  Jacob  applied  for,  and  obtained,  permis- 
sion to  disarm  all  men  not  in  Government  employ,  and  this  rule 
was  rigidly  enforced     Mir  Ali  Murad  also  gave  Major  Jacob  fiill 
power  over  all  his  subjects  on  the  border,  but  the  greater  part  of 
the  Burdika  district  was  covered  with  a  most  Impenetrable  jungle, 
affording  great  fecilities  to  the  practice  of  robbery,  which,  in 
spite  of  every  effort,  was  carried  on  by  the  BQrdis  occasionally 
in  gangs  of  from  six  to  twenty  men,  calling  themselves  Bhugtis, 
but  being  really  inhabitants  of  Sind.     In  order  to  lay  open  this 
wild    country.  Major  Jacob  obtained   permission  to  cut  roads 

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x64     FRONTIER  DISTRICT  OF  UPPER  SIND. 

through  the  jungle.  This  was  done,  and,  together  with  other 
measures  which  were  adopted,  proved  completely  successful  in 
calming  the  country,  which  thenceforth  became  quiet,  orderly,  and 
peaceable ;  the  people  have  taken  wholly  to  agricultural  and  pas- 
toral pursuits,  and  cultivation  has  greatly  increased.  Burdika 
became  British  territory  in  1852,  when  the  lands  of  Mir  Rustam, 
which  had  been  given  to  Ali  Murad  at  the  conquest  of  Sind,  were 
again  resumed  by  him.  The  Khosas  are  a  very  numerous 
Baloch  tribe;  not  confined  to  any  one  locality,  but  scattered  all 
over  the  country  from  Nagar  Parkar  to  Dadar.  The  men  are 
plunderers,  cultivators,  soldiers,  or  shepherds,  according  to  cir- 
cumstances. There  are  several  villages  of  this  tribe  on  the  Sind 
border.  They  have  now  but  few  peculiarities  to  distinguish  them 
from  the  other  tribes  of  Sind  and  Kachhi ;  they  are  said  originally 
to  have  been  Abyssinians,  and  some  have  derived  their  name 
from  *  Kush,'  but  of  this  nothing  certain,  or  even  probable,  can  be 
discovered.  The  Jatois  and  Jamalis  are  two  Baloch  tribes,  both 
numerous  and  scattered  about  the  country  of  Upper  Sind  and 
Kachhi.  They  are  cultivators  and  artificers,  and,  as  bodies,  are 
not  predatory.  The  Dflmbkis  and  Jakranis  were  the  most  for- 
midable and  warlike  of  all  the  Baloch  tribes,  hill  or  plain.  Up 
to  1845  they  resided  in  the  plains  of  eastern  Kachhi,  where  they 
held  the  lands  of  Lhari,  Wazira,  Pulaji,  Chatar,  &c.  After  Sir 
Charles  Napier's  hill  campaign  in  1845,  ^^^  portion  of  the 
Dtimbki  tribe  which  had  surrendered  to  him  at  Traki  was 
placed  under  a  chief,  by  name  Jamal  Khan,  on  lands  near  Jani- 
dero  on  the  Sind  Frontier.  Daria  Khan  and  TUrk  Ali,  with  the 
Jakranis,  and  some  men  of  other  clans,  are  settled  at  Jani-dero 
itself  and  its  neighbourhood.  The  lands  were  granted  to  these 
men  fi^ee  for  three  years  (afterwards  altered  to  a  free  grant  in  per- 
petuity), and  it  was  expected  that  they  would  now  take  to  agricul- 
tural pursuits,  and  entirely  give  up  their  former  predatory  habits. 
But  though  a  commissioner  was  appointed  to  superintend  them  at 
Jani-dero,  and  troops  posted  at  Shahpur  in  Kachhi,  the  Dumbkis, 
Jakranis,  Khosas,  Burdis,  &c.,  made  repeated  plundering  excur- 
sions from  British  Sind  into  the  neighbouring  countries,  both  hill 
and  plain.  The  Bhugtis  did  the  same  from  their  side  into  Sind ; 
murder  and  robbery  everywhere  prevailed.  The  troops  shut  up  in 
forts  did  nothing  to  protect  the  people.  The  district  along  the 
border  was  left  uncultivated  ;  the  canals  were  not  cleared  out  for 
years,  and  nearly  all  the  peaceable  people  left  the  country.  The 
troops  were  perfectly  isolated  in  their  entrenchments ;  no  supplies 
were  drawn  from  the  country  folk,  but  all  were  fed  as  if  on  ship- 
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IrRONTIER  DISTRICT  OF  UPPER  SIND.      165 

booidy  bjr  tbe  commissamt.  Even  at  the  distant  post  of  Shabpar 
in  Karhhij  the  tioops  and  camp-foUoweis  were  supplied  with 
eTeiy  axtide  of  consunipdon  from  the  public  stores^  forwarded  by 
the  commissaiiat  depaitmcnt,  at  an  en<Hnioiis  cost,  from  Shikarpur, 
60  miles  distant  The  cavalry  horses  were  fed  in  like  manner. 
Notwithstanding  that  the  Bhugds  had  been  proclaimed  oatlaws, 
a  pnce  s^  on  the  head  <^  every  man  of  the  tribe,  and  afl  of  them 
ordered  to  be  treated  as  enemies  wherever  they  were  found,  they 
were  not  subdued,  nor,  indeed,  in  any  way  weakened  by  any  iA 
the  proceedings  of  the  Governor  of  Sind.  The  removal  iA  the 
Jakranis  and  Dumbkis  from  Kachhi  left  the  Sind  border 
temptin^y  open  to  their  incursions,  and  they  failed  not  to  take 
advantage  of  the  circumstances,  until  at  last,  becoming  more  and 
more  bold  by  impunity,  they  assembled  a  force  of  some  1500  armed 
men,  mosdy  on  foot,  and  on  the  10th  of  December,  1846,  marched 
into  Sind,  passed  through  the  British  outposts,  which  dared  not 
attack  them,  to  within  15  miles  of  Shikarpur,  and  remained  twent)'* 
four  hours  within  British  territor}*,  secured  every  head  of  cattle  in 
the  country  around,  and  returned  to  their  hills,  some  75  miles 
distant,  wiUi  all  their  booty  in  perfect  safety.  A  regiment  of  cavalry 
and  200  Native  rifles  were  sent  from  Shikarpur  to  repel  the  invaders. 
The  cavalry  came  upon  them  at  Hudu,  about  45  miles  from  Shi- 
karpur. The  Kiugtis  halted  en  masse^  their  unarmed  attendants 
meanwhile  diligently  continuing  to  drive  on  the  cattle  towards 
Sori,  Kushtak,  and  the  hills.  The  British  troops,  however,  were 
ignorant  of  the  ground,  thought  the  robbers  too  strong  to  be 
attacked,  and  returned  to  Shikarpur  ^-ithout  attempting  anything 
further.  The  Bhugtis  ultimately  reached  the  hills,  with  all  their 
plunder,  without  the  loss  of  a  man,  save  one  killed  by  a  distant 
random  shot  from  the  matchlock  of  a  JakranL  One  regiment 
of  the  Sind  Horse,  then  at  Hyderabad,  was  now  ordered  up  with 
all  speed  to  the  Frontier,  where  it  arrived  on  the  9th  of  January, 
1847.  Major  Jacob  was  appointed  to  command  the  Frontier,  and 
since  then  has  held  this  post  On  arrival  at  ELhanghar,  desolation 
and  terror  were  found  to  prevail  everywhere  in  the  country ;  no 
man  could  go  in  safety  from  place  to  place,  and  even  on  the 
main  line  of  communication  from  Shikarpur  to  Jagan  an  escort 
was  necessary.  Not  a  man  of  the  Baloch  settlers,  the  Jakranis 
and  DOmbkis,  had  as  yet  attempted  any  peaceful  labour,  or  even 
|Mit  his  hand  to  any  agricultural  implement  At  Khanghar  there 
was  no  village,  no  bazar,  and  but  four  or  five  wretched  huts,  con- 
taining in  all  twenty-two  souls.  The  cavalry  detachment  was 
ib«md  by  the  Sind  Horse,  on  arrival,  locked  up  in  the  fort,  the  gate 

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i66      FRONTIER  DISTRICT  OF  UPPER  SIND. 

not  being  even  opened  at  eight  o'clock  in  the  morning.  They, 
during  the  previous  four  years,  knew  little  or  nothing  of  the  country 
or  of  the  people  on  the  border ;  the  men  of  the  Sind  Horse  were 
familiar  with  both,  and  this  gave  them  confidence  and  power. 
After  assuming  the  command  and  relieving  the  outposts,  Major 
Jacob  at  once  ordered  all  idea  of  defensive  operations  to  be  aban- 
doned \  every  detachment  was  posted  in  the  open  plain,  without 
any  defensive  works  whatever ;  patrols  were  sent  in  every  direction 
in  which  it  was  thought  an  enemy  might  appear,  and  these  parties 
crossed  and  met  so  often  that  support  was  almost  certain  to  be 
at  hand  if  wanted  The  parties  were  sent  to  distances  of  40  miles 
into  and  beyond  the  desert,  and  along  the  Frontier  line.  Whenever 
a  party  of  the  Sind  Horse  came  on  any  of  the  plunderers,  it  always 
fell  on  them  at  once,  charging  any  number,  however  superior, 
without  the  slightest  hesitation.  Against  such  sudden  attacks,  the 
robber  horsemen  never  attempted  a  stand ;  they  always  fled  at  once, 
frequently  sustaining  heavy  loss  in  men,  and  never  succeeding  in 
obtaining  any  plunder.  These  proceedings,  and  especially  the 
tracks,  daily  renewed,  of  our  parties  all  over  the  desert,  and  at  all 
the  watering-places  near  the  hills,  far  beyond  the  British  border, 
alarmed  the  robbers,  and  prevented  them  ever  feeling  safe,  and 
they  soon  ceased  to  make  attempts  on  British  territory,  though 
still  plundering  in  Kachhi.  Meanwhile,  Major  Jacob  had  dis- 
covered that  not  only  the  Burdis  and  Mazaris,  who  were  always 
inveterate  marauders,  but  the  Baloch  settlers  at  Jani-dero,  had 
been  all  along  systematically  carrying  on  plundering  excursions 
on  a  considerable  scale,  entirely  unknown  to  the  commissioner 
residing  among  them.  The  existence  of  these  proceedings  had 
never  been  suspected  until  pointed  out  by  Major  Jacob,  and  they 
were  at  first  thought  impossible,  but  having  good  information  of 
what  was  going  on.  Major  Jacob  caused  the  places  of  these  pre- 
datory rendezvous  to  be  suddenly  surrounded  by  parties  of  the 
Sind  Horse,  just  after  the  return  of  a  body  of  Jakrani  plunderers 
from  a  foray,  and  the  robbers  were  all  secured,  with  their  horses, 
arms,  and  a  large  quantity  of  stolen  cattle.  Concealment  was  no 
longer  possible,  and  Major  Jacob  now  obtained  permission  to 
disarm  every  man  in  the  country  not  being  a  Government  servant, 
which  was  at  once  done.  At  the  same  time,  Major  Jacob  set 
five  hundred  of  the  Jakranis  to  work  to  clear  out  the  Nurwah 
canal  (a  main-feeder  cleared  by  Government,  though  then  be- 
longing to  Mir  All  Murad).  This  experiment  was  perfectly 
successful,  and  soon  after  the  Baloch  settlers  took  to  manual  labour 
in  their  own  fields  with  spirit,  and  even  pride.     From  that  time 

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FRONTIER  DISTRICT  OF  OFFER  SIND.      167 

they  were  really  conquered,  and  ocHiiiiienced  to  be  reformed ;  they 
are  now  the  most  haid-wc»king,  industrious,  well-behaved  and 
cheerful  set  of  men  in  afl  Sind.* 

The  crimes  most  prevalent  among  the  inhabitants  of  the  Frontier 
district  are — r.  Murder,  the  causes  being  either  jealousy  or  re- 
taliation for  personal  injuries  or  affronts ;  2,  ''  Cattle-lifting/'  the 
fiicitities  for  concealing  stolen  cattle  being  great ;  and  3,  '^  Causing 
grievous  hurt*  Dacoity  and  unnatural  offences  are  of  rare  ocrur- 
rence.  The  ranks  of  the  criminal  population  of  the  district  are 
greatly  swelled  by  travelling  PardesLs  from  Hindustan,  who  infest 
the  Frontier. 

The  following  tables  will  give  the  criminal  and  dvil  returns  of 
this  district  for  the  past  four  years^  ending  1874 : — 


L    Criminau 


Year. 

1 

Hurts,  As>           Thefts, 
sauhs.  and 
use  of  Cri- 
minal Force  Cattle.   Others. 

Receiving 

Stolen 
Property. 

House- 
breaking. 

Site 

Other 
Oflences. 

187 1 

8 

17          ' 

69 

118 

9 

2 

4 

1872 

9 

21 

57 

67 

22 

I 

I 

22 

1873 

6 

'      i 

45 

34 

32 

5 

3 

17 

1874 

I 

5        ' 

73 

122 

16 

2 

... 

49 

IL    Civil. 


Suits  for  Land. 

Suits  for  Money. 

Other  Suits. 

Total. 

Year. 

No 

Value. 

No. 

Value. 

No. 

Value. 

No. 

Value. 

187I 

3 

10,300 

,. 

46,545 

3 

5.140 

228 

61,985 

1872 

4 

392 

358 

40,112 

6 

722 

368 

41.226 

1873 

3 

165 

256 

35.776 

5 

319 

264 

36,260 

1874 

2 

232 

393. 

52,347 

.    6 

1,063 

401, 

53.642 

Productions — Mineral,  Animal,  and  Vegetable. — Of  the 
^  mineral "  productions  of  this  district  but  litde  is  known,  nor, 
from  the  peculiar  nature  of  the  soil,  can  much  be  expected. 
Among  the  wild  animals  are  the  tiger  and  hyena,  but  the  former  is 
only  occasionally  seen.    Wild  hogs  and  jackals  abound.     Foxes 

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1 68      FRONTIER  DISTRICT  OF  UPPER  SIND. 


are  sometimes  met  with ;  and  antelopes,  hog-deer  {Pharho)^  and  a 
species  of  Sambar  known  by  the  name  of  gain  are  to  be  found  in 
the  dense  jungles  adjoining  the  Indus.  The  principal  game-birds 
are  the  ubara,  or  taliir  (bustard),  partridge  (black  and  grey),  quail 
and  grouse  ;  and  among  water-fowl,  the  mallard,  Brahmani  duck, 
teal,  herons,  and  snipe.  The  domestic  animals  are  those  common 
to  India.  The  cattie  of  the  district,  used  for  draught,  are  poor  in 
form ;  but  the  Kachhi  breed,  from  the  Nari  river,  near  Bagh,  is 
famous  throughout  both  Sind  and  the  Panjab.  Much  attention 
is  bestowed  by  the  Balochis  in  this  district  on  the  breeding  of 
mares.  The  sheep  are  of  the  Dumba  kind,  remarkable  for  de- 
velopment of  tail ;  the  mutton  is  excellent.  Experiments  in 
crossing  the  indigenous  ewes  with  English  and  Hazara  rams  are 
still  in  progress.  The  vegetable  productions  of  this  district  are 
numerous.  The  principal  forest  and  other  trees,  including  those 
also  introduced  during  the  past  two  or  three  years  from  the  Hima- 
layas and  elsewhere,  are  as  follows  : — 


English  Name. 

Vemacukur. 

Botanical. 

Remasks. 

Cypress .     .     . 

Farash  (or  Asrin) 

Cupresius  {?). 

Tamarisk    .     . 

Thao  (or  Lai)  .     . 
Bahan  .... 

Tamarix  Jndica, 

Willow  Poplar. 

Populus  Euphratica. 

Babul     .     .     . 

Babar(orKikar). 

Acacia  Arabica, 

Wild  Caper-tree 

Karil  (or  Kirar)    . 

Capparis  Aphylla. 
Sahadora  OUaides. 

Pilu       ... 

Pilu  (or  Khabar) . 
Dyar    .... 
Kandi  .... 

Kandi   ".'     .     . 

Prosopis  specigera. 

Blackwood  .     . 

Sissu  (and  Tali)    . 

Dalbergia  Sissu, 

... 

Nim     .... 

Atadirachta  Jndica, 

Acacia  .     .     . 

Siras    .... 

Acacia  speciosa. 

Banian  .     .     . 

Bar      .... 

Ficus  Jndica, 

Indian   Fig-tree 

Pipal    .... 

Ficus  religiosa. 

Tamarind    .     . 

Ambli.     .     .     . 

Tamarindus  Jndica, 

Tallow-tree      . 

... 

StiUengia  Stbifera, 

Introduced 
of  late  years. 

Indian  Mahogany 

Toon    .     .     .     « 

Soymida  FeMfuga, 

do. 

Poplar   .     .     . 

Chunar      .     .     . 

Populus  fasHgiaia  (/) 

do. 

Papaw   .     .     . 

Paputa      .     .     . 

Carica  Papaya. 

dOw 

Lesuri  .... 

Cordia  myxa. 

Very   com- 
mon. 

There  are  several  thriving  plantations  of  different  kinds  of 
timber-trees  in  this  district,  but  no  forests  under  the  direct  con- 
trol of  the  Sind  Forest  Department  The  jungles  at  Kandkot, 
Bhanar,  and  Gublo  are  dense,  but  the  wood  is  small.  Some  mango 
and  date  plantations  are  now  on  trial,  and  may  eventually  turn 
out  to  be  a  source  of  revenue  to  Government  There  are  but  two 
forests  actually  conserved  in  this  district ;  these  are  the  Briggs 


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FRONTIER  DISTRICT  OF  UPPER  SIND.      169 

Belo  (169  acres  in  area)  and  the  Dickenson  B€lo  (530  acres), 
both  situate  in  the  Ahpur  tapa  of  the  Jacobahad  taluka.  The 
revenue  from  these  and  from  jungles  generally  in  this  district  in 
1873-74  was  7256  rupees. 

The  chief  grain  and  other  crops  grown  in  this  district,  in  the 
order  of  their  importance,  together  with  the  area  of  each  cultivated, 
in  1873-74,  are  given  in  the  following  table : — 


Rnglwh  Name. 


Vernacular. 


Botanical. 


;      Area 
Cultivated 
,«»  > 873-74- 


MUIet  . 

MUlet  . 

Wheat  . 

Rice  . 

Bariey  . 

Grass  . 

Pulse  . 

Gram  . 
Chickling  Vetch 

Vetch    . 

Pulse  . 
Rape-seed 
Mustard 
Cotton  . 
Indigo  . 
Tobacco 

Melons  . 

Hemp    . 


■{ 


;<; 


Juar     .  . 

Bajri    .  . 

Kanak.  . 
Chaul  Sari 

Jau       .  . 

Kring  .  . 
Mung  . 

Ghana.  . 

Matar  .  . 

Mash      or  \ 

Mah  .  J 

Mot     .  . 

Til .     .  . 

Sarson.  . 

Vaun    .  . 

Nira     .  . 

Tamaku  . 
Gidhro  and 

Chauho  . 

Bhang .  . 


Sorghum  vulgare 
Pencillaria  vulgaris 
TriUcum  tndgare 
Oryzee  sativa  . 
Uordeum  Hexastickon 
Seta  Italica     . 
Phaseolus  Mungo 
Cicer  arietinum 
Latkyrus  Satwus 

Phaseolus  radiaius 

Sesamum  Indicum 
Sinapis  ramosa 
Gossypium  herbacmm 
JfuUgoJera  Hnctoria 
Nicottana  tabacum 
Cucumis    meh    and 

vulgaris 
Canwabis  saliva 


The  fruits  common  to  the  district  are  the  melon,  mango,  the 
"  beri"  (or  plum),  and  the  khajur  (or  date).  A  great  variety  of 
fruit-trees  have  lately  been  introduced  into  the  gardens  at  Jacob- 
ahad ;  these  are  nectarines,  peaches,  oranges,  lemons,  figs,  apri- 
cots, lichi,  grapes,  loquats  {Erioboirya),  papaw  {Paputa)^  straw- 
berries, and  some  others.  The  crops  of  the  district  are  known 
under  the  names  of  "  Rabi,"  "  Peshras,"  and  "  Khari£"  The  first 
comprising  wheat,  barley,  mustard,  pease,  matar ^  grain,  &c.,  is  sown 
in  November  and  December,  and  reaped  in  April  and  May.  The 
second  includes  cotton,  melons,  and  gourds  generally,  which 
are  sown  in  March  and  April.  The  indigenous  cotton  cultivated 
in  the  Frontier  district,  though  small  in  quantity,  is  of  strong  fibre 
and  good  colour.  So  highly  was  a  specimen  of  it,  grown  in  the 
Thul  taluka,  considered  at  the  late  Karachi  Exhibition  in  1869, 
that  it  gained  the  first  prize,  as  being  the  best  sample  among  a 
number  of  others  of  indigenous  Sind  cotton.     The  '^Kharif*' 


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170     FRONTIER  DISTRICT  OP  UPPER  SIND. 

crops  comprise  chiefly  juar,  bajri,  and  til ;  these  are  sown  gene- 
rally by  the  end  of  May  or  middle  of  June,  and  are  reaped  in 
October  and  November.  Indigo  was  first  cultivated  in  the  Frontier 
district  in  1859,  and  may  now  be  considered  one  of  its  chief  pro- 
ducts, as  the  soil  of  the  Jacobabad  talaka  in  several  parts  is  said 
to  be  admirably  adapted  for  the  cultivation  of  this  dye.  Rice  is 
also  becoming  an  important  article  of  cultivation.  The  area 
under  "  Kharif,"  "  Rabi,"  and  "  Peshras "  cjiltivation,  in  acres, 
during  the  years  1872-73  and  1873-74,  was  as  follows : — 


TalGka. 

x87a-73. 

1873-74. 

Kharif. 

Rabi. 

Peshras. 

Kharif. 

Rabi. 

Peshras. 

I.  Thul      .      . 

acres. 
22,354 

acres. 
40,412 

acres. 
241 

acres. 
17,050 

acres. 
22,385 

acres. 
240 

2.  Kashmor    . 

16,789 

16,955 

625 

;  15,386 

16,951 

700 

3.  Jacobabad . 

27,553 

31,582 

435 

,  20,046 

38,304 

350 

The  principal  implements  used  in  agricultural  operations  in  this 
district  are  the  " har^'  or  plough  ;  the  "  kodar^'  or  crooked  spade, 
for  digging  canals ;  the  "  vaholo^^  a  kind  of  pick  for  rooting  up 
trees  and  tiger-grass;  the  ^^rambo*'  or  weeding-hoe,  and  the 
">tw,"  or  bullock-drag  spade.  For  irrigational  purposes  the 
"  hurlo^'  or  single  wheel,  and  the  "  ndrj'  or  double  Persian  wheel, 
are  in  use. 

Manufactures. — Under  the  head  of  manufactures  in  this  dis- 
trict may  be  noticed  that  of  saltpetre,  but  to  a  small  extent  only. 
Salt  is  made  in  considerable  quantities  in  the  Kashmor  and  Thul 
talukas;  the  right  of  manufacture  in  1870-71  realised  no  less  than 
6091  rupees.  The  lacquered  wood-work  of  Kashmor,  as  also 
''  dabbas,'^  leathern  jars  for  holding  oil  and  ghi,  made  at  the  same 
place,  are  worthy  of  mention.  Embroidered  Sind  shoes  are 
made  up  in  large  quantities  at  Mirpur  and  Ghauspur;  and 
woollen  carpets  and  saddle-bags  are  manufactured  to  some  extent 
by  Baloch  and  Jat  women. 

Fisheries. — The  fisheries  of  the  Frontier  district  are  not  now 
so  remunerative  as  formerly.  The  principal  fish  caught  in  the 
dhandhs  and  river  are  the  "dambhro,"  "malhi,"  goj  (or  eels), 
khaga  (catfish),  and  occasionally  the  ^''pcUa^  or  salmon  of  the 
Indus.  The  chief  fishing  stations  are  at  Gublo,  Kashmor,  Badani, 
Gihalpur  and  Chui     The  contract  for  carrying  on  these  fisheries 


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FRONTIER  DISTRICT  OF  UPPER  SIND.      171 

is  sold  by  Govemment,  and  a  few  years  since  realised  as  much  as 
2300  rupees  per  annum;  but  in  1869  it  bad  decreased  to  1200 
rupees,  owing  in  a  great  measure  to  several  previously  weli-stocked 
dhandhs  having  dried  up,  and  to  one  of  great  extent  having  been 
made  over  to  Shikarpur.  The  average  annual  revenue  derived 
from  the  fisheries  in  the  Frontier  district  during  the  five  years 
ending  1874,  was  1480  rupees. 

Communications. — There  are,  it  is  said,  upwards  of  900  mUes 
of  roads  of  all  descriptions  in  the  Frontier  district,  many  of  them 
fairly  constructed  and  weU  kept  up ;  but  there  are  no  travellers' 
bangalows  on  any  one  of  them,  though  dharamsalas  are  found  at 
several  of  the  large  towns,  while  on  the  fix>ntier  road  from  Jacob- 
abad  to  Kashmor  the  old  outpost  stations  are  used  by  travellers 
as  post-houses.  Supplies  and  water  are  procurable  at  all  the  prin- 
cipal villages.  This  district  as  yet  possesses  no  line  of  railway, 
but  in  1858  the  preliminary  survey  of  one  to  run  from  Sukkur,  vid 
Jacobabad,  towards  the  Bolan  pass,  was  made  by  some  civil  engi- 
neers (Mr.  W.  Brunton  and  his  staff)  of  the  Panjab  railway.  The 
electric  telegraph  wire  passes  through  the  district,  the  station 
being  at  Jacobabad,  and  this  is  connected  with  Shikarpur  on  the 
south,  and  Dera  Ghazi  Khan,  by  Rajanpur,  on  the  north.  As 
regards  postal  communication,  the  only  office  in  this  district  is  at 
Jacobabad ;  the  duties  of  the  district  post  are  conducted  by  the 
police  and  the  Mukhtyarkars.  The  following  table  will  show  the 
principal  lines  of  road  in  this  district,  with  other  information  con- 
cerning them  {seepage  172). 

The  Upper  Sind  Frontier  district  was  surveyed  in  1859-60, 
but  as  a  former  summary  settlement,  fixed  in  1858-59,  is  in  force 
for  twenty  years,  no  other  has  since  been  introduced.  The  Sur- 
vey and  Setdement  Department  have,  however,  commenced  opera- 
tions, and  the  work  of  measurement  was  progressing  fairly. 

Administration. — For  the  political,  judicial,  and  revenue  ad- 
ministration of  this  portion  of  Sind,  there  is  a  Political  Super- 
intendent, who  is  also  the  magistrate  of  the  district  and  com- 
mandant'in-chief  of  the  laxge  military  force  stationed  there.  He 
has  two  European  assistants  under  him,  who  are  both  invested 
with  magisterial  powers.  At  the  head-quarter  station  of  each  of 
the  three  talukas  is  a  Mukhtyarkar,  with  a  number  of  Tapadars 
under  him  in  different  parts  of  the  district  The  cattle  pounds  in 
this  district  are  ^\^  in  number,  and  are  situate  [at  Jacobabad, 
Khera  Garhi,  Thul,  Ghauspur,  and  Kashmor.  The  proceeds 
from  these  pounds  more  than  exceed  twice  the  expenditure  on 
them. 

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172      FRONTIER  DISTRICT  OF  UPPER  SIND. 


00  '«^^o  «       «  '«^^^^o^o  '«^OlO 


I  111  ?l|-ili?  I  I  Sill 


I 


I 


III! 

o  o  o  o 


1"t=S| 


i  ^  - 


it;  E  ^  S  o 


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FRONTIER  DISTRICT  OF  UPPER  SIND.      173 

Each  pound  is  managed  by  a  munshi  with  a  small  establishment, 
who  is  directly  subordinate  to  the  Mukhtyarkar.  A  new  Court 
of  Civil  Justice  was  estabUshed  in  1870  at  Jacobabad ;  it  is  placed 
under  the  jurisdiction  of  the  District  Court  of  Shikarpur.  The 
District  and  Sessions  Judge  of  Shikarpur  holds  sessions  at  the  town 
of  Jacobabad  twice  in  the  year. 

Education. — As  regards  education,  it  may  be  mentioned  that 
there  are  but  five  vernacular  schools-  (Government)  throughout 
this  district,  attended  by  151  pupils.  Two  of  these  are  in  the 
Jacobabad  taluka,  two  in  the  Kashmor,  and  one  in  the  Thul 
taltikas. 

Military  Establishment. — The  military  force  of  this  district 
is  large,  and  consists  of  1480  Siledar  cavalry,  divided  into  three 
regiments,  better  known  as  the  "  Bind  Horse,"  raised  in  1839  by 
the  then  Resident  in  Bind,  Colonel  Pottinger.  There  is  besides  an 
infantry  regiment  of  700  men,  known  as  "  Jacob's  Rifles,"  who 
have  the  management  also  of  a  mountain  train  battery.  The  per- 
manent outp>osts  held  by  this  force  extend  along  the  base  of  the 
Man  and  Bhugti  hills  as  far  as  the  Panjab  border.  The  police  of 
this  district  consist  in  all  of  but  115  men,  of  whom  32  are  mounted. 
The  district  police  number  90  and  the  town  police  25  men. 

Revenue. — The  Government  revenues  are  derived  from  the 
land  tax  and  sayer,  the  latter  including  a  variety  of  cesses,  the 
chief  being  abkari,  drugs,  stamps,  and  salt  The  collectors  em- 
ployed in  getting  in  the  revenue  are  tapadars.  The  money 
assessment  on  land  varies  according  to  the  period  of  its  lease ; 
thus,  when  taken  up  for  7  years,  the  payment  per  "  biga  *'  is  but 
5  annas  and  4  pies ;  if  from  i  to  3  years^  10  annas  and  8  pies; 
and  if  for  one  year  only,  one  rupee  per  "  digd,'*  The  excise 
revenue  in  this  district  is  levied  under  the  contract  system,  and 
the  money  is  paid  into  the  Treasury  in  monthly  instalments  by  the 
contractor.  The  following  table  will  show  the  receipts  of  imperial 
revenue  under  various  heads  for  the  last  four  years,  ending  with 
1873-74  {see  next  page)  :— 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


174     FRONTIER  DISTRICT  OF  UPPER  SIND. 


Items. 


Realizations  in 


1870-71.         187X-72.         1879-73.         1873-74. 


Land  Tax     .     . 
Abkari     .     .     . 
Drugs  and  Opium 
Stamps    .      .     . 
Salt 


2, 


Registration  Department    .     . 

Postal  ditto 

Telegraph  ditto 

Income    (Licence    and    Certi-1 

ficate)Tax J 

Fines  and  Fees 

Miscellaneous 


rupees. 

05,808 

",035 

8,36s 
6,091 

904 
3,240 


7,079 

11,605 

2,659 


Total  rupees 


2,65,931    3,15,896 


rupees. 

2,62,357 

10,850 

6,900 

9,006 

6,706 

602 

4,002 

5,557 

8,497 

1,241 

178 


rupees. 
2,86,914 
9,225 
6,460 

9,479 
10,338 

594 
4,442 
1,549 
2,696 
1,017 

319 


rupees. 

2,52,990 

II. 165 

5,170 

11,840 

8,648 

5,081 
1,938 


2,911 
265 


3,33,033 


3,00,643 


The  following  statement,  exhibiting  the  average  collections  ot 
net  land  revenue  in  the  Frontier  district  during  three  distinct 
periods,  dating  from  1856-57  to  1873-74,  will  conclusively  show 
the  great  increase  which  has  taken  place  during  the  past  18 
years: — 


For  6  Yean^from 
1856-57  to  x86i-62. 

For  6  Years— from   For  6  Years— from 
i86a-63  to  1867-68.  1868-69  to  1873-74. 

rupees. 
89,706 

rupees. 
1,88,115 

rupees. 
2,41,762 

Of  local  funds  there  is  no  record  previous  to  1867-68,  but  from 
1870-71  to  1873-74  the  revenue  derived  from  this  source  was  as 
follows : — 


Items. 

1870-71. 

i87i-7a- 

i87a-73- 

«873-74. 

Cesses  in  Ljind  and  Sair  Revenue  . 
Percentage  on  Alienated  lAuds.     . 
Cattle  Pound  and  Ferry  Funds 

Fisheries •     .     . 

Fees  and  Licences 

Tolls 

rupees. 

2,435 

405 

2,907 

rupees. 

3,762 

103 

5,023 

1,225 

»  • 

rupees. 
2,880 

4,822 
1,500 

rupees. 

569 

105 

5,156 

1,954 
2,353 

Total  rupees       .... 

7,148 

10,113 

9,377 

10,804 

Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


FRONTIER  DISTRICT  OF  UPPER  SIND.      17s 


No. 

Name  of  Jftgirdar. 

Talflkaand 
ViUage. 

CultiraUe 

UnculdraUei 

Yearly  Amount  of 
venue  represented. 

acres,  gfintas. 

acres.  sOntas. 

rap.     a.     p. 

T.  Jacobabad. 

I 

Ghnlam  Alikhan  JakO 
rani / 

Jani  Dero     . 

6518    6 

1795     0 

421I      I     0 

2 

Junal  Khan  Dumbki 
Mubarak   Khan  Ram- 

RindWahi   . 

1678    0 

147    5 

1083  15     5 

3 

dani    and    Dingono 
Khan  Mundrani 

Nawazo  .     . 

3019    0 

2858     0 

1950    6    9 

4 

Dad  Mnhammad  Khan 
Jakrani    .     .     .     ./ 

Dodapur .     . 
T.  Kashmor. 

2710    5 

820     4 

1751    2    9 

5 

Jafir  Khan  Rind    .     . 

Kandkot 

516    0 

266  10    9 

6 

Khuda  Bakhsh  BhugU 

ditta 

412    8 

... 

7 

Yar  Muhammad  Kahiri 

ditto. 

258    0 

... 

166  10    9 

8, 

Muhammad  KhanKahiri 

ditto. 

258    0 

... 

166  10    9 

9 

Hasan  Khan  Kahiri    . 

ditto. 

258    0 

... 

166  10    9 

10 

Ibbar  Khan  Rind  .     . 

ditto. 

258    0 

... 

166  10    9 

II 

Sanjar  Khan  Rind 

ditto. 

154    8 
516    0 

... 

100    0    0 

12 

Azamjan   .... 

ditto. 

... 

333    5    6 

»3 

Motan  Khan  Jakrani  . 

ditto. 

154    8 

100    0    0 

14 

Yar  Muhammad  Khoso 

ditto. 

154    8 

... 

100    0    0 

15 

Mir      Baloch      Khan\ 
Diimbkhi      .     .     ./ 

ditto. 

1032    0 

... 

666  II    9 

16 

Wali  Muhammad  Baj-\ 
koni / 

ditto. 

IS    4 

10    0    0 

17 

Dodo  Khan  Bhugti     . 

ditto. 

258    0 

... 

166  10    9 

18 

Islam  Khan  Bhiigti     . 

ditto. 

258    0 

... 

166  10    9 

19 

MaiMehndi     .     .     . 

ditto. 

258    0 

... 

166  10    9 

20 

Rugho  Khan  Bhugti   . 
Wazir  Khan  Dumbki 

ditta 

258    0 

... 

166  10    9 

21 

ditto. 

516    0 

... 

333    5    6 

22 

DiU  Tan  Nothani   .     . 

ditto. 

154    8 

... 

100    0    0 

23 

Alum  Khan  Jakrani    . 

ditto. 

77    4 

50    0    0 

24 

Jam  Beg  Jakrani    .     . 

ditto. 

77    4 

... 

50    0    0 

25 

Ghulam      Ali      Khan\ 
Jakrani    .     .     .     ./ 

Kumbri   .     . 

154    8 

... 

100    0    0 

26 

Motamshah  Saiyad     . 

ditto. 
T.  Thul. 

19    I 

12     S   " 

27 

Mubarak  Khan   Ram.\ 
dani / 

Bakhe  Tower 

77    4 

... 

50     0     0 

28 

Shah  Ali  Fakir      .     . 

Daniapur 
Chaudron      . 

7    3 

... 

500 

29 

Ali  Khan  Pathan  .     . 

... 

263  13    4| 

30 

Kalandar    Khan    Pa.\ 
than  .     ...     .     ./ 

ditta 

... 

693    3    2  , 

31 

Pir  Imamudin  .     .     . 

Mirpur    . 

... 

... 

3006  12    I 

32 

ditta 

... 

... 

3006  12    1/ 

'  A  three  years'  average.    This  is  part  of  Government  revenue. 


Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


176  GADRA, 

The  Hakaba  cess  ceased  to  be  credited  to  local  revenue  after 
1868-69,  all  proceeds  from  this  source  having  after  that  year  been 
transferred  to  imperial  revenue. 

Jagirs. — Of  assignments  of  land  held  in  Jagir,  the  preceding 
table  will  show  the  persons  possessing  such  in  the  three  talukas  of 
the  Upper  Sind  Frontier  district,  with  the  particulars  of  each 
holding  (seep,  175). 

Municipality. — There  appears  to  be  but  one  municipal  institu- 
tion in  this  district,  and  this  is  at  Jacobabad.  The  receipts  in 
1873-74  were  21,941  rupees,  and  the  expenses  21,110  rupees. 

Trade  and  Commerce. — ^The  internal  trade  and  commerce 
of  this  district  is  principally  in  grain,  the  greater  part  of  which  is 
sent  to  the  Panjab.  The  quantity  and  value  of  this  trade  do  not, 
unfortunately,  appear  to  be  known,  so  that  it  has  been  found  im- 
possible to  give  any  reliable  tabular  statements  of  either  the 
imports  or  exports. 

The  transit  trade  from  Central  Asia  into  Sind  vOl  the  Frontier 
district  is  believed  to  be  considerable,  but  no  regular  statistics 
of  this  traffic  appear  to  have  been  kept  This  trade  is  carried  on 
by  means  of  camels,  ponies  and  asses,  by  the  following  routes: — 
From  Kandahar,  Herat,  Kabul  and  Bokhara — i,  by  Quetta  (or 
Shal)  and  Kelat,  and  2,  by  Quetta  and  the  Bolan  pass  \  3,  from 
Persia  by  Makran,  and  4,  from  Tul  Chotiala  by  Bagh.  The  mer- 
chandise brought  from  these  places  consists  of  wool,  woollen 
apparel,  manjit,  fruit  of  sorts,  carpets  and  horses ;  of  these  latter 
some  are  purchased  for  the  use  of  the  cavalry  at  Jacobabad,  and 
others  generally  proceed  to  Karachi  by  the  Kelat  road.  On  the 
articles  so  introduced  into  Sind  a  duty  of  8  annas  per  maund,  and 
of  5  annas  per  horse,  is  levied  by  the  Khan  of  Kelat  at  Quetta. 
It  is  believed  that  when  the  railroad  is  completed  between 
Sukkur  and  Multan,  both  these  places  will  become  the  two  great 
points  of  attraction  for  the  trade  from  mo^t  parts  of  Central 
Asia,  and  cause  the  present  mountain  road  vid.  Kellt  to  be 
abandoned. 

Gadra,  a  Frontier  town  in  the  Umarkot  taluka  of  the  Thar 
and  Parkar  PoHtical  Superintendency,  60  miles  east  from  Umarkot, 
with  which  place,  as  also  with  Kesar,  Chachra,  Jaisalmir,  and 
Bahnir,  it  has  road  communication.  It  is  the  head-quarter  station 
of  a  Tapadar,  and  has  a  police  thana  with  a  force  of  8  men. 
There  is  a  dharamsala,  Government  school,  and  a  cattle  pound. 
The  village  also  possesses  a  municipality,  established  in  1862,  the 
income  of  which  in  1873-74  was  714  rupees,  and  the  expenditure 
878  rupees.    The  population,  numbering  in  all  about  1126  souls. 


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GAHEJA—GARELO.  itj 

comprises  but  48  Musalmans  of  the  Manganhar,  Kumbar,  and 
Simiaja  tribes,  the  remainder  being  Hindus,  chiefly  of  the  Brah- 
miauy  Lohano,  Sodho,  Mengwar,  and  Bhil  castes.  The  occupation 
of  the  people  is  principally  agriculture,  cattle-breeding  and  trade ; 
neither  the  local  trade  nor  manufactures  appear  to  be  of  any 
consequence. 

Gaheja,  a  Government  village  in  the  Naushahro  Albro  talOka 
of  the  Shikarpur  and  Sukkur  Deputy  Collectorate,  situate  on  the 
main  road  leading  from  Larkana  to  Shikarpur,  and  distant  14  miles 
south-west  from  the  latter  town,  with  which,  as  also  with  Dakhan 
and  Ruk,  it  has  road  communication.  It  is  the  head-quarter 
station  of  a  Tapadar,  has  a  police  thana,  travellers'  bangsdow,  a 
dharamsala,  and  a  cattle  pound.  The  population,  numbering  in 
all  1 1 23,  comprises  Muhammadans,  mainly  of  the  Gaheja  tribe» 
and  Hindus,  who  are  chiefly  Lohanos,  but  the  number  of  each 
class  is  not  known.  The  occupation  of  the  inhabitants  is  princi- 
pally agriculture  and  trade. 

Oaji  Knhawar,  a  Govemmejit  village  in  the  Nasirabad 
taluka  of  the  Mehar  Deputy  Collectorate,  12  miles  north  from 
Mehar,  with  which  town,  as  also  with  Nasirabad,  Hamal  and 
Warah,  it  has  road  communication.  There  is  a  cattle  pound  here. 
The  population  numbers  938,  of  whom  620  are  Muhammadans 
and  381  Hindus,  the  latter  chiefly  Lohanos.  There  is  a  local  and 
transit  trade  in  grain,  but  no  manufactures  whatever. 

Oambaty  a  somewhat  large  town  in  the  Khairpur  State,  be- 
longing to  His  Highness  Mir  Ali  Murad  Talpur.  It  is  about  12 
miles  south  from  Khairpur,  and  10  miles  or  so  east  of  the  Indus ; 
no  made  roads  appear  to  lead  either  to  or  from  it  At  one  time 
Gambat  was  one  of  the  principal  places  in  this  part  of  Sind  for 
the  manufacture  of  cotton  goods,  the  quantity  annually  produced 
being  about  5000  pieces.  The  population  of  this  town  in  1844 
was  computed  at  3000  souls,  and  now  at  4537  ;  but  this  latter 
may  possibly  be  too  high  an  estimate,  when  the  present  generally 
miserable  condition  of  the  ELhairpur  territory  is  taken  into  con- 
sideration. 

Garelo,  a  small  Government  village  in  the  Labdarya  taluka  of 
the  Larkana  Deputy  Collectorate,  distant  10  miles  south-west  of 
Larkana.  It  has  no  direct  road  communication  with  any  town, 
but  is  distant  about  a  mile  from  the  LsUrk^a  and  Mehar  main 
road.  The  population^  numbering  904  souls,  comprises  554 
Muhammadans  of  the  Janjani,  Machhi  and  Khokhar  tribes,  who 
are  mostly  engaged  in  agriculture.  The  HindQ  portion  of  the- 
population  (350)  are  chiefly  engaged  m  the  grain  trade.     There  is 


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178  GARHI  ADU'SHAH—GATHAR, 

no  manufacture  of  any  importance  in  this  place.  There  is  a  small 
police  station  here. 

aarhi  Adu-Shali,  a  Government  village  in  the  Sukkur  taltika 
of  the  Shikarpur  and  Sukkur  Deputy  Collectorate,  i6  miles  north 
from  Sukkur.  It  is  connected  by  roads  with  the  towns  of  Sukkur 
Jafirabad,  Aliwahan,  Bhatar  and  Adur-jo-Takio.  There  is  a  small 
police  thana  here.  The  population,  numbering  in  all  1 3  2  7 ,  consists 
of  790  Muhammadans  of  the  Sumra,  Chachar  and  Katpar  tribes, 
and  537  Hindus  of  the  Brahman,  Lohano  and  Sonaro  castes. 
Their  occupation  is  chiefly  agricultural.  One  of  the  Great 
Trigonometrical  Survey  pillars  is  set  up  in  this  village. 

Garhi  Ehera,  a  village  in  the  Jacobabad  talukaof  the  Frontier 
district,  36  miles  south-west  from  Jacobabad^  with  which  town, 
as  also  with  Shahdadpur,  Larkana,  Dodapur  and  Shikarpur,  it  has 
road  communication.  It  is  the  head-quarter  station  of  a  Tapadar, 
and  has  a  police  thana  and  cattle  pound.  The  population, 
numbering  in  all  974,  consists  of  365  Hindus  and  609  Musalmans, 
whose  chief  employments  are  trade  and  agriculture.  The  trade  is 
mostly  in  ghi  and  grain.  This  town  is  seated  on  the  route  used 
by  the  Kaiilas  from  Khorasan. 

Garhi  Yasiii;  a  large  village  in  the  Naushahro  Abro  taluka  of 
the  Shikarpur  and  Sukkur  Deputy  Collectorate,  distant  8  miles 
south-west  of  Shikarpur,  with  which  town,  as  also  with  Dakhan, 
Jagan,  Garhi-Khera,  Jamali,  and  Naushahro,  it  has  road  communi- 
cation. A  Tapadar  resides  here,  but  it  is  expected  this  place 
will  soon  be  made  the  head-quarters  of  a  Mukhtyarkar.  There  is  a 
police  thana,  post-office,  a  school,  travellers'  bangalow,  dharamsala, 
subordinate  jail,  and  a  cattle  pound.  This  place  also  possesses  a 
municipality,  established  in  1870,  the  income  for  the  year  1873- 
74  being  6201  rupees,  and  the  expenditure  5439  rupees.  The 
population,  numbering  4808,  comprises  1814  Muhammadans, 
chiefly  of  the  Pathan  tribe,  and  2994  Hindus,  principally  Banyas. 
Their  occupation  is  mostly  cultivation  and  trade. 

The  Zamindar  of  this  town,  by  name  Ataulah  KMn  Barakzai, 
is  very  liberal  in  his  views,  and  is  ever  ready  to  assist  in  any 
Government  work.  It  was  chiefly  through  his  exertions  that  the 
municipality  was  established  here.  The  chief  trade  of  the  place 
is  in  oil,  large  quantities  of  which  are  manufactured. 

Gathar^  a  large  Government  village  in  the  Kambar  taluka  of 
the  Larkana  Division,  16  miles  west  of  Larkana,  and  near  the 
Kambar  and  Nasirabad  road.  Though  having  a  population  of 
2531  souls,  of  whom  11 74  are  Musalmans  and  1357  Hindus,  this 
place  has  no  police  lines,  school,  or  any  other  public  building. 


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GHAIBI  DERO—GHARO.  179 

The  chi^f  occupation  of  the  people  is  trade  and  agriculture,  but  to 
what  extent  nothing  seems  to  be  known. 

Ghaibi  Dero,  also  known  as  Deri  Kot,  a  Jagir  town  in  the 
Kambar  taluka  of  the  Larkana  Deputy  CoUectorate,  in  latitude 
27°  38'  N.,  and  longitude  67°  34'  E.,  distant  32  miles  N.N.W. 
from  Larkana,  and  20  miles  W.N.W.  of  Kambar,  with  which 
latter  town  it  has  road  communication  vi^  Pawharo.  It  is  the  chief 
town  in  the  Jagir  of  Ghaibi  Khan  Chandio,  a  descendant  of  the 
celebrated  Wali  Muhammad,  a  chieftain  of  great  power  among 
his  clan  under  the  Talpur  Mirs.  Among  the  buildings  at  this 
place  is  a  fort  in  which  the  Jagirdar  resides,  and  there  is  also 
a  district  bangalow,  and  musafirkhana.  The  population,  numbering 
857  souls  in  all,  comprises  487  Muhammadans,  cWefly  of  the 
Chandia  tribe,  whose  employment  is  mostly  agricultural.  The 
Hindus  (370)  are  for  the  most  part  grain-dealers.  There  are  no 
manu^tures,  nor  does  there  appear  to  be  any  trade,  either  transit 
or  local,  worthy  of  mention. 

This  town  has  no  particular  history  of  its  own,  except  in  con- 
nection with  the  Ghaibi  Khan  and  the  Chandia  tribe,  of  which  he 
is  the  head  The  Cliandias  have  long  been  established  in  this 
part  of  the  division,  formerly  known  as  Chandko,  and  the  first 
record  of  them  is  found  in  a  sanad  granted  by  the  Talpur  Mirs 
in  18 18,  by  which  much  of  the  land  now  held  by  the  present  chief 
was  made  over  in  Jagir.  At  the  time  of  the  conquest  of  the 
province  by  the  English,  Wali  Muhammad,  the  then  chief  of  the 
Chandias,  marched  with  a  force  of  10,000  of  his  tribe  to  join  the 
Mirs,  but  was  too  late  to  render  them  any  assistance.  In  1842-43 
tliis  Jagirdar  was  attacked  Nand  seized  by  Mir  Ali  Murad,  of 
Khairpur,  but  Sir  Charles  Napier  restored  his  Jagir  to  him.  In 
1859,  the  Jagir  lands  held  by  the  present  chief  were  confirmed  to 
Ghaibi  Khan  and  his  descendants. 

Oharo,  a  Government  village  in  the  Mirpur  Sakro  talQka  of  the 
Jerruck  Deputy  CoUectorate,  in  lat  ^4°  44'  N.,  and  long.  67°  36'  E., 
and  distant  14  miles  north  of  Mirpur  Sakro,  and  8  miles  south- 
east from  the  Dabeji  station  of  the  Sind  railway.  It  is  situate  on 
a  creek  of  the  same  name,  and  has  road  communication  with 
Mirpur,  Babro,  Dabeji,  Wateji  and  Gujo.  A  bridge  of  four  arches, 
built  in  i860,  spans  the  creek  a  little  to  the  eastward  of  this 
village.  There  is  a  police  post  here  with  three  men,  as  also  a 
Deputy  Collector's  bangalow  and  a  dharamsala.  The  population, 
numbering  828  souls,  consists  of  242  Musalmans  and  586  Hindus, 
whose  chief  employment  is  in  the  grain  trade  which  is  carried  on 
with  Karachi,  Tatta  and  Mirpur  Sakro.     Formerly  Gharo  was  an 

N    2 


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I  So 


GHOGHARO'-GHOTANA. 


important  place,  boats  reaching  it  by  the  creek  from  Gisri-bandar 
in  less  than  twenty-four  hours.  It  was  then  said  to  have  had  a 
population  of  1500  souls,  mostly  Lohanos  and  Jokias,  the  former 
Hindus,  the  latter  MusalmlUi  converts;  but  the  railway  from 
Karachi  to  Kotri  has  greatly  diverted  the  trade  from  this  place. 
The  creek  was  navigable  for  vessels  of  12  kharwars  as  far  as  the 
town. 

Qhogharo,  a  Government  village  in  the  larkana  taluka  of  the 
Larkana  Deputy  CoUectorate,  in  latitude  27°  29'  N.,  and  longitude 
68^  4'  £.,  distant  14  miles  west  by  south  from  Larkana.  It  does 
not  appear  to  have  direct  road  communication  with  any  town, 
but  is  distant  two  miles  from  the  Larkana  and  Wara  road,  and 
the  same  distance  from  that  running  from  Larkana  to  Nasirabad. 
The  population,  numbering  in  all  141 5,  comprises  1175  Muham- 
madans  of  the  Mangan,  Sial,  and  Wagan  tribes,  who  are  chiefly 
engaged  in  agriculture.  The  HindQs  (240)  are  grain-dealers  and 
cultivators.  This  town  has  some  trade,  principally  in  rice,  as  it  is 
situate  in  the  middle  of  perhaps  the  finest  rice-producing  district  in 
all  Sind. 

ahorebarly  a  taluka  (or  sub-division)  of  the  Jerruck  Deputy 
CoUectorate,  having  an  area  of  537  square  miles,  with  10  tapas, 
97  villages,  and  a  population  of  32,362  souls.  The  revenue  (im- 
perial and  local)  of  this  sub-division,  during  the  past  five  years 
ending  1873-74,  is  as  follows : —  ^ 


Imperial  .     . 
Local       .     . 

Total  Rs. 

1869-70. 

1870-71. 

1871-73.           i87»-73. 

«873-74. 

rupees. 

67,527 

7,619 

rupees. 
90,605 

7,134 

rupees.      |      rupees. 

«3,8o9        85,723 
9,099    ,      9,353 

rupees. 
75,050 

8,588 

75,146 

97,739 

92,908    1    95,076 

83,638 

ahotana^  a  village  in  the  Hala  taluka  of  the  Hala  district, 
situate  close  to  the  Ghara  Mahmud  canal,  and  distant  but  four 
miles  south  from  Hala.  It  has  road  communication  with  Adam- 
jo-Tando  and  Hala.  No  Government  officers  reside  here,  and 
there  are  no  public  buildings  of  any  kind,  excepting  a  police 
l&ndhi  and  a  small  dharamsala,  built  in  1872.  It  possesses  a 
municipality,  established  in  December  i860,  the  revenue  of  which  in 
1873-74  was  1465  rupees.  The  number  of  inhabitants  is  953 ;  of 
these  553  are  Muhammadans,  and  341  HindUSt  They  are  chiefly 
of  the  Muhano  and  Lohano  tribes. 

The  trade  of  Ghotana  is,  for  its  size,  somewhat  considerable, 


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GHOTKL 


i8i 


bat  is  mostly  of  a  transit  nature.  The  town  is  only  two  inOes 
distant  firom  the  river  Indus,  where  there  is  a  landing-place,  at 
which  grain,  cotton,  oil  and  other  articles  are  received  from 
various  towns,  such  as  Shikarpur,  Adam-jo-Tando,  Alahyar-jo- 
Tando,  &c.,  for  re-expoitation  elsewhere.  The  local  trade,  which 
is  chiefly  in  grain  and  seeds,  is  valued  roughly  at  about  13,000 
rupees.  The  transit  trade,  which  is  laige  in  grain,  cotton,  seeds 
and  potash,  is  estimated  approximaidy  at  1,26,000  rupees. 

Ohotki,  a  taluka  (or  sub-division)  of  the  Rohri  Deputy  Col> 
lectorate,  containing  an  area  of  372  square  miles,  with  8  tapas, 
64  villages,  and  a  population  of  46,406  souls.  The  revenue 
(imperial  and  local)  of  this  sub-division  during  the  past  four  years 
ending  1873-74,  is  as  follows : — 


!        x%jo^x. 

1871-73. 

I87S-73-                1873-74- 

1            XVUfKS. 

Imperial  .     .     .        1,58,028 
Ixxal       .     .     .           12,562 

i,'^,o96 
11,592 

rupees.         •        rupees, 
96,778               93.725 
9.087                 8,397 

Total  Rs.       1,50,590    {    1,39,688 

1,05,865           1,02,122 

Ghotki,  a  Government  town  and  the  head-quarter  station  of  the 
Mukhtyarkar  of  the  taluka  of  the  same  name  in  the  Rohri  Deputy 
Collectorate,  in  latitude  28®  10'  N.,  and  longitude  69''  17'  E., 
distant  38  miles  north-east  from  Rohri.  It  is  situate  in  a  low, 
level,  alluvial  country  much  covered  with  jungle,  and  is  not  more 
than  7  or  8  miles  from  the  river  Indus.  This  town  is  on  the  main 
trunk  line  running  from  Rohri  to  Multan,  and  has  road  communi- 
cation with  the  villages  of  Gemro  and  Mirpur  (through  Mathelo, 
Kadirpur,  and  Adalpur).  The  Government  buildings  are  the 
Mtikhtyarkar's  kutcherry,  Government  vernacular  school,  a  police 
thana  with  accommodation  for  1 2  policemen  (mounted  and  foot), 
a  cattle  pound,  musafirkhana,  post-office,  travellers'  bangalow, 
subordinate  Judge's  Court-house,  and  a  newly  erected  Court-house 
for  the  Sessions  Judge  of  Shikarpur  when  on  circuit  in  the  Rohri 
district  A  bangalow  for  the  Deputy  Collector  of  this  division  has 
also  been  built  here,  as  it  is  intended  to  make  this  town  the  head- 
quarter station  of  the  Rohri  Deputy  Collectorate.  Ghotki  possesses 
a  municipality,  established  in  1855  i  '^^  receipts  in  1873-74  were 
2942  rupees,  and  the  expenses  1563  rupees.  The  population  of 
this  place  is  3689,  who  are  chiefly  occupied  in  trade  and  agri- 
culture; of  these  1803  are  Muhammadans,  mostly  of  the  Pathan, 
Malak,  Saiyad,   Mochi  and  Lobar  castes,  and  there  are  1867 

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i82  GIDU-JO-TANDO—GUNL 

Hindus,  the  greater  number  being  Banyas.  The  chief  persons  of 
note  residing  in  Ghotki  are  Pirs ;  some  of  these  are  Pir  Ali  Shah, 
Pir  Abid  Shah,  Pir  Rasul  Bakhsh,  Pir  Nasur  Din,  and  several 
others.  There  is  in  this  town  a  mazjid  of  some  note,  known  as 
Musan  Shah's  mazjid,  erected  in  h.  1148  (a.d.  1732)  by  a  Saiyad 
of  that  name  who  was  famed  for  his  great  sanctity.  It  is  con- 
structed of  burnt  brick,  and  is  quadrangular  in  shape,  being  113 
feet  long  by  65  feet  broad,  with  an  extensive  courtyard  in  front, 
and  is  surmounted  by  a  cupola  covered  with  glazed  tiles.  The 
interior  has  a  coating  of  coloured  plaster,  and  is  decorated  besides 
with  carved  and  painted  wood-work.  This  building  is  by  far  the 
largest  of  its  class  in  Upper  Sind,  but  it  is  at  the  same  time  the 
only  object  of  interest  in  the  place.  The  trade  of  Ghotki  is  chiefly 
in  wheat,  juar,  bajri,  grain,  indigo,  sugar-cane,  wool,  oil,  ghi,  &c. 
The  Lobars  of  this  town  are  famous  for  their  manufacture  of 
pipebowls,  rings,  and  pots  of  various  kinds.  Wood-carving  and 
colouring  are  also  carried  on  here  in  a  very  creditable  manner. 
This  town  is  said  to  have  been  founded  by  one  Pir  Musa  Shah, 
about  the  year  1747. 

aidu-jo-TandOy  a  Government  village  in  the  Hyderabad 
taluka,  seated  on  the  Indus  and  connected  with  the  town  of  Hyder- 
abad by  a  fine  road  34  miles  in  length.  It  has  communication  also 
with  the  tandas  of  Mir  Husain  Ali  Khan  and  Mir  Ghulan  Husain. 
Gidu  is  within  the  limits  of  the  Hyderabad  municipality,  and 
possesses  a  police  thana  with  eight  men,  a  Government  vernacular 
school,  post-office,  and  dharamsala.  The  population,  numbering 
1832  persons,  consists  of  1170  Muhammadans  and  662  Hindus, 
the  latter  mostly  Lohanos.  The  local  trade  of  this  place  is  of  no 
importance,  but  the  transit  trade,  which  is  chiefly  in  cotton  and 
grain,  is  very  large,  especially  in  the  former  article,  the  produce  of 
the  Hyderabad  and  Thar  and  Parkar  districts.  There  is  commu- 
nication with  Kotri,  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river,  by  a  steam 
ferry,  which  plies  backward  and  forwards  from  sunrise  to  sunset  at 
a  fixed  rate  of  fares. 

Qosaiji,  a  Government  village  in  the  Sukkur  taluka  of  the 
Sukkur  and  Shikarpur  Division,  distant  16  miles  south-west  from 
the  town  of  Shikarpur.  It  has  road  communication  with  New 
Abad,  and  is  the  head-quarter  station  of  a  Tapadar.  The  popula- 
tion, numbering  in  all  813,  is  composed  of  459  Musulmans  of  the 
Mahar  tribe,  and  354  Hindus ;  their  chief  occupations  are  agri- 
culture and  trade. 

Guni,  a  taluka  (or  sub-division)  of  the  Tanda  Deputy  Collectorate, 
having  an  area  of  989  square  miles,  with  9  tapas,  129  dehs,  and  a 


Digitized  by 


Google 


HABB. 


183 


population  of  59,971  souls.  The  reveaue  (imperial  and  local)  of 
this  sub<Livision,  during  the  past  five  years  ending  1873-74,  is  as 
follows : — 


1869-70. 

x87»-7x.       1       1871-78. 

«87a-73- 

1873-74. 

Imperial 
T.oca1     . 

Total  Rs. 

rupees. 
88,566 

11,645 

rupees.        |       rupees. 
1,21,8461      1,14,693 

13,431              '6.096 

rupees. 
1,08,111 

14,122 

rupees. 
1,02,354 

13,098 

1,00,211 

1,35,277         1,30,789 

1,22,233 

1,15,452 

Habb,  a  river  on  the  western  frontier  of  Sind,  which  for  some 
distance  forms  a  natural  line  of  demarcation  between  that  province 
and  Balochistan.  It  is  said  to  take  its  rise  at  a  spot  near  either 
Zehri  or  Hoja  Jamot,  in  the  province  of  Las,  but  by  others  at  a 
place  not  far  from  Kelat  For  about  25  miles  in  the  upper  part 
of  its  course  it  flows  south-easterly,  and  then  turning  due  south, 
hold  its  way  for  about  50  miles  in  that  direction.  It  then  turns 
to  the  south-west,  and,  after  a  total  length  of  about  100  miles 
(Preedy  states  300),  falls  into  the  Arabian  Sea  on  the  north-west 
side  of  Cape  Monze  (Ras  Muari),  in  latitude  24°  50'  N.,  and 
longitude  66°  36'  E.  The  Habb  is,  next  to  the  Indus,  the  only 
permanent  river  in  Sind.  Its  course  is  described  as  a  succession 
of  rocky  or  gravelly  gorges  in  the  Pabb  mountains,  having  in  some 
places  as  great  a  fall  as  six  feet  in  the  mile,  so  that,  after  heavy 
rain  in  the  hills,  a  large  body  of  running  water  is  generated,  which 
rushes  down  with  tremendous  force  towards  the  sea.  In  the  dry 
season  water  is  only  to  be  found  in  pools,  which  are  deep  and  in 
many  places  abound  with  fish  and  alligators.  Among  the  fish 
found  in  the  Habb  are  several  kinds  of  barbel,  among  others 
the  kariah  (Barhus  tor)  and  the  pitohi  (Barhus  titius).  There 
are  also  the  chelari  {Danio  devario)  and  the  pharbadan  {Chela 
bacaila),  Delhoste  states  that  the  Habb  is  said  never  to  fail,  even 
in  the  driest  seasons.  In  connection  with  this  river  it  will  not 
be  out  of  place  here  to  mention  the  exertions,  which  for  some 
years  past  were  made  in  the  cause  of  irrigation  by  the  late  Khan 
Bahadur  Murad  Khan,  the  owner  of  a  great  extent  of  land  bordering 
on  the  Habb.  This  public-spirited  individual  had  previously  done 
good  service  to  the  British  Government  as  contractor  to  the  camel 
train,  and,  as  some  reward  for  these  services,  a  tract  of  land 
adjoining  the  Habb  river,  10,999  bigas  (or  5438  English  acres)  in 
area,  was  in  1859  made  over  to  him  on  the  following  terms  :  To  be 
held  free  for  the  first  ten  years  ;  for  the  following  twenty  years  to 
be  taxed  at  four  annas  per  bigd,  and  after  that  in  perpetuity  at 


uigiiizeu  uy  v_jv^vy 


gle 


i84  HABB, 

eight  annas /^  bigai.  With  the  object  of  carrying  out  an  extensive 
system  of  irrigation,  Murad  Khan  had  constructed,  at  a  cost  of 
about  three  lakhs  of  rupees,  a  bandh  or  dam  across  the  river, 
800  feet  in  width  and  15  feet  high,  but  this  was  subsequently  washed 
away  by  one  of  those  sudden  freshets  which,  after  heavy  rains  in 
the  hills,  are  common  to  this  turbulent  stream.  At  a  later  period 
hb  grant  of  land  was  increased  in  area  to  33,719  acres,  of  which, 
however,  not  more  than  about  7000  acres  were  capable  of  culti- 
vation. To  this  increased  grant  were  attached  the  following 
conditions :  For  the  first  twenty-five  years  to  be  held  free  of  all 
rent,  after  which,  for  a  further  period  of  twenty-five  years,  the  sum 
of  625  rupees,  and  ever  after  that  2500  rupees  were  to  be  annually 
paid  to  Government  These  conditions  were  subsequently  annulled 
on  a  representation  made  to  Her  Majesty's  Principal  Secretary  of 
State  for  India  by  Sir  Bartle  Frere,  when  Governor  of  Bombay, 
who,  in  1866,  when  on  his  tour  in  Sind,  visited  Murad  Khan*s 
farm  at  the  Habb.  In  that  same  year  Murad  Khan  proposed  to 
supply  the  town  of  Karachi  with  water  from  the  Habb  river  by 
means  of  an  aqueduct  from  his  bandh  across  that  stream,  the 
distance  being  about  19  miles,  and  the  estimated  cost  of  the  under- 
taking 10,31,000  rupees.  The  quantity  of  water  to  be  supplied 
daily  was  23  lakhs  of  gallons,  or  say  28!  gallons  per  head  for  a 
population  of  80,000  persons.  Some  water  from  this  river  had 
been  sent  to  Bombay  for  analysis,  but  it  was  found  to  be  largely 
impregnated  with  saline  matter,  the  total  impurities  in  a  gallon  of 
it  amounting  to  75*53  grains,  of  which  40*14  were  common  salt, 
and  2776  were  sulphates.  This  unfavourable  condition  of  the 
water  was  accounted  for  by  Murad  Khan,  who  stated  that  when  the 
samples  were  drawn  the  river  was  very  low,  only  a  small  stream 
from  pool  to  pool ;  that  the  water  sent  for  analysis  was  taken,  nojt 
from  the  pool  at  the  foot  of  the  pumps,  but  from  a  hole  in  the 
sandy  bed,  where  it  is  possible  some  saline  impurities  may  have 
been  deposited.  The  river  water  is  invariably  used  by  all  for 
drinking  and  other  purposes,  and  no  complaints  have  been  made 
of  its  possessing  saline  properties.  The  Bombay  Government 
eventually  declined  to  take  into  consideration  his  proposition  to 
supply  Karachi  with  water  until  the  completion  of  the  bandh; 
and  the  matter  has  so  remained  down  to  the  present  time.  Murad 
Khan  possessed  extensive  and  powerful  pumping  machinery  on 
the  banks  of  the  Habb  river,  and  his  attention  had  for  some 
years  past  been  directed  towards  constructing  another  "  dam,"  a 
work  which  he  had  great  hopes  of  completing  some  time  in  1872. 
The  dimensions  of  this  bandh  or  dam  are  as  follow:  Entire 
breadth  from  one  side  of  the  river  to  the  other,  810  feet ;  and  the 


uigiuzeu  uy  v_jv_/\_^-:3 


^iv 


HAIRO  KHAN—HALA,  185 

greatest  lieight  from  foundation  to  low-water  line,  23  feet  The 
width  of  the  bandh  wall  at  low-water  line  is  13  feet,  with  a  slope 
towards  the  northern  or  upper  side  of  i  in  4,  so  that  the  total 
width  at  the  base  is  19  feet  The  foundation  of  the  bandh  is 
carried  through  a  fine  sand  down  to  the  solid  rock  (a  sandstone). 
It  is  expected  that,  with  an  additional  height  of  8  feet  to  this 
handh  from  low-water  line,  there  will  be  sufficient  water  collected 
to  irrigate- 3000  acres  of  land,  and  that  with  a  further  elevation  of 
S  feet,  it  would  be  possible  to  irrigate  not  less  than  6000  acres. 
As  a  further  means  of  irrigating  a  fine  portion  of  this  estate  lying 
to  the  south-west,  a  canal  about  3I  miles,  at  present,  in  length 
has  been  cut  at  a  spot  a  short  distance  below  the  bandh;  it  is 
5  feet  in  width,  and  runs  towards  a  chain  of  hills  forming  the 
southern  boundary  of  Murad  Khan's  land.  This  canal,  which  will 
be  supplied  with  water  from  the  waste  channel  of  the  bandh^  is 
expect^  to  irrigate  about  3000  acres  of  land. 

Hairo  Khan,  a  Government  village  in  the  Dadu  talQka  of  the 
Sehwan  Deputy  CoUectorate,  distant  37  miles  north-west  from 
Sehwan,  and  24  miles  west  from  Dadu.  It  has  road  communica- 
tion with  the  villages  of  Phulji,  Gul  Muhammad,  Haji  Khan  and 
Johi,  and  is  the  head-quarter  station  of  a  Tapadar,  with  lines  for 
two  policemen,  and  a  cattle  pound  {dhak).  The  population,  num- 
bering in  all  1044,  comprises  872  Musalm&ns  and  172  Hindus; 
their  occupation  is  for  the  most  part  agricultural.  The  local  transit 
trade  is  in  grain  and  mol,  but  to  what  extent  is  not  known. 

Hala^  a  large  division  (or  Deputy  CoUectorate)  of  the  Hy- 
derabad district,  lying  between  the  Deputy  Collectorates  of 
Naushahro,  the  Tanda,  and  the  Duaba  of  Hyderabad. 

Boundaries  and  Divisions. — It  is  bounded  on  the  north  by 
the  Sakrand  taluka  of  the  Naushahro  Deputy  CoUectorate ;  on  the 
south  by  the  Hyderabad  taluka  and  a  portion  of  the  Tanda  dis- 
trict ;  on  the  east  by  the  Thar  and  Parkar  district ;  and  on  the 
west  by  the  river  Indus,  which  skirts  the  division  for  a  distance  of 
43  miles.  Its  extreme  length  from  north  to  south  may  be  com- 
puted at  58  miles,  and  from  east  to  west  at  about  57  miles;  the 
entire  area  of  the  district  being  2500  square  miles,  according  to 
the  Deputy  Collector's  estimate,  but  2558  according  to  the  Sind 
Survey  Department  It  is  divided  into  four  talukas,  having  24 
tapas,  with  a  total  population  of  216,139,  or  84  souls  to  the 
square  mile,  as  shown  in  the  table  on  the  next  page. 

The  area  in  English  acres  of  each  taluka,  showing  the  amount 
cultivated,  cultivable,  and  un-arable,  is  also  tabulated  as  follows  : — 

Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


i86 


HALA, 


TalQka. 

Total  Area 

in  English 

Acres. 

Cultivated. 

Cultivable. 

Un-arable. 

1.  Hala 

2.  Alahyar-jo-Tando 

3.  Shahdadpur     .     .     . 

4.  Mirpur  Khas    .     .     . 

acres. 
335,426 

451,17s 
484,061 
329,568 

acres. 
47,256 

100,835 

49,319 
18,512 

acres. 
258,622 

272,885 

374,741 

96,717 

acres. 
29,547 

77,455 
60,001 

214,339 

TalQka. 

Area  in 
Square 
Miles. 

Tapas. 

No.  of 
Villages. 

Population. 

Towns  having 
800  Inhabiunts, 
and  upwards. 

1.  Hala  .     . 

2.  Alahyar-jo-'i 

Tando      ./ 

3.  Shahdadpur 

4.  Mirpur  Khas 

524 
705 
756 

515' 

1.  Chachri 

2.  Bhitshah 

3.  Saidabad 

4.  Sekhat 

5.  Matari 

6.  Hala  . 

1.  Misan. 

2.  Sakhiro 

3.  Alahyar-jo 

4.  Adam-jo- 

Tando 

5.  Nasarpur 

6.  Khado 

7.  Khokhar 

1.  Gango. 

2.  Gambat 

3.  Alibahar 

4.  Taman. 

5.  Landhi 

6.  Jhol     . 

1.  Mirpur 

2.  Gorchani 

3.  Kharho 

4.  Miromari 

5.  Ropah 

- 

70 

'    59 

.    63 
39 

78,237« 

59,7^6. 

55,707 
22,449 

1.  Hala  (new). 

2.  Hala  (old). 

3.  Ajanshah. 

4.  Bhitshah. 

5.  Ghotana. 

6.  Matari. 

7.  Tajpur. 

1.  Alahyar-jo- 
Tando. 

2.  Adam-jo- 
Tando. 

3.  Khokhar. 

4.  Nasarpur. 

5.  Bukera. 

I.  Shahdadpur. 

/i.  Mirpur 
\      Khas. 

2,500 

231 

216,139 

AsPECi'.— 'This  district,  like  other  portions  of  Sind  lying  near 
the  Indus,  is  flat  and  unpicturesque  to  a  degree,  without  any  hills 
to  vary  the  landscape,  being,  in  fact,  a  level  alluvial  plain,  watered 
to  a  considerable  extent  by  canals  fed  from  the  river.  The  only 
objects,  excepting  the  forest  lands  near  the  Indus,  that  break  the 
dreary  view,  are  the  rows  of  trees  planted  on  the  sides  of  the 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


HALA. 


187 


canals,  the  courses  of  which  can  by  these  means  be  readily  traced 
with  the  eye  for  miles  together.  Much  of  this  division  consists  of 
sandy  and  unprofitable  land,  covered  with  bush  jungle,  and  this  is 
especially  the  case  with  the  Mirpur  talQka,  which  borders  on  the 
Thar  and  Parkar  district  The  Hala  Deputy  Collectorate  is  pro- 
bably, on  an  average,  not  more  than  70  feet  above  sea-level. 

Hydrography. — ^There  are  no  floods  or  torrents  in  the  Hala 
district  The  ghdros^  or  branches  of  the  Indus  which  intersect 
a  portion  of  this  district,  are  four  in  number,  and  are  known  as 
the  Rana,  Bhanot,  Mahmuda,  and  Gahot  ghdros:  the  supply  of 
water  in  the  Mahmuda  is  perennial.  The  canal  system  is  exten- 
sive, comprising  in  all  95  canals  of  various  dimensions ;  of  these 
94  are  Government,  and  but  one  Zamindari.  The  former  are  under 
the  supervision  of  the  Executive  Engineers  for  Canals,  and  are 
cleared  out,  when  necessary,  during  the  cold  season ;  the  latter, 
called  the  "  Kalianwah,"  10  miles  long  and  10  feet  wide  at  mouth, 
waters  the  "  jagir "  of  Mir  Ahmad  Khan,  and  is  cleared  out  by 
him  at  his  own  expense.  These  canals  begin  to  fill  about  the 
month  of  May,  in  proportion  to  the  annual  rise  of  the  Indus,  and 
are  dry  again  by  the  end  of  the  following  September  or  beginning 
of  October.  The  following  is  a  list  of  the  Government  canals, 
nine  of  which  derive  their  water  direct  firom  the  Indus,  the  others 
being  simply  branches  or  off-shoots  from  them : — 


• 

Average 
Annual 

Average 
Annual 
Revenue 
for  5  Years, 
ending 
X873-74- 

Name  of  Canal. 

Length 
in 

Width 
at 

Cost  of 
Clearance 

Remarks. 

Miles. 

Mouth. 

for  5  Years, 
ending 
X873-74. 

feet. 

rupees. 

rupees. 

I.  Alibahar  .     . 

32 

20 

1,546 

6,016 

Taps  the  Indus  at  Nakur, 
tal.   Sakrand ;  waters  the 

tapas  of  Chachri  and 
Alibahar. 

2.  Sobho      Cha- 

6 

6 

528 

1,772 

Branch  of  the  Alibahar. 

karwah. 

3.  Barhunwah    . 

15 

II 

1,022 

4,146 

do. 

4.  Samerwah      . 

5 

9 

338 

1,634 

„           Barhunwah. 

5.  Manjriwah 

4 

7 

172 

1,458 
810 

,,           Sumerwah. 

6.  Musawah.     . 

3 

7 

171 

do. 

7.  Khahiwah      . 

2 

7 

"5 

1,010 

,,          Musawah. 

8.  Yaruwah  .     . 

7 

7 

% 

2,040 

„           Alibaliar. 

9.  Aliganj     .     . 

7 

7 

978 

Yaruwah. 

10.  Marak  (great). 

10 

28 

5,002 

2,280 

Taps  the  Indus  at  Nakur, 
tal.   Sakrand ;  waters  the 

andVahandri. 

• 

tapas   of  Saidabad    and 

Chachri ;  is  navigable. 

Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


i88 


HALX 


Average 
Annual 

Average 
Annual 
Revenue 
for  5  Years, 
ending 
«873-74- 

Name  of  Canal. 

[Length 

Width 
at 

Cost  of 
Clearance 

Remarics. 

Miles. 

Mouth. 

for  5  Years, 
ending 
X873-74. 

feet. 

rupees. 

rupees. 

II.  Jamwah    .     . 

8 

II 

352 

3,763 
5,296 

Branch  of  the  Marak  (^at). 

12.  Lohano  (great) 

27 

17 

939 

„           Vahandnjis 

navigable. 

13.  Mahmudwah. 

16 

8 

435 

4,183 

,»          Lohano. 

14.  Behramwah   . 

8 

8 

156 

2,239 

„              do. 

15.  Ganjbahar      . 

6 

20 

4,149 

„           Vahandri ;  is 
navigable. 

16.  Lohano  (small) 

7 

20 

396 

1,760 

„          Ganjbahar;  is 
navigable. 

17.  Jamwah  (great) 

9 

16 

1,478 

5,604 

„           Lohano ;    is 
navigable. 

18.  Rajwah     .     . 

4 

6 

526 

852 

„           Jamwah. 

19.  Jamwah    .      . 

20.  Bhobharwah  . 

6 
16 

6 
II 

557 
1,354 

„              do.  (great). 
„              do.  Marak). 

21.  Nindowah 

2 

.S 

113 

„          Bhobharwah. 

22.  Shahwah 

27 

2,457 

13,165' 

„          Lohano- Ka- 

loi ;  is  navi- 

gable. 

23.  Shahdad  Landi 

13 

10 

154 

1,929 

Shahwah, 

24.  Huzurwah 

9 

7 

201 

4,181 

Shahdad 
Landi. 
„          Shahwah. 

25.  Shahdad  Jhol. 

26.  Shahdad  Kario 

II 

II 

284 

2,080 

3 

8 

J 

..115 

Shahdad  Jhol. 

27.  Wangi  Bijarwah 

5 

8 

„          Shahwah. 

28.  Bijarwah 

«3 

8 

3.057 

5,010 

do. 

29.  Khairwah .     . 

4 

8 

137 

820 

„              do. 

3a  Muhammad 

9 

8 

313 

.,              do. 

Aliwah. 

31.  Gharo,     creat 
(with     Gharo 

20 

75 

2,585 

16,478 

Taps  the  Indus  at  Bhanot, 

T.  Hala  ;  waters  the  tap- 
as  of  Hala  and  Saidabad ; 

and  Bhanot). 

is  navigable. 

32.  Marak  (small) 

7 

•1 

2,445 

«3.36 

Branch  of  the  Gharo. 

33.  Paruwah   .     . 

5 

1.935 

„          Marak  (small). 

34.  Gharo  (small) 

II 

16 

672 

1,145 

„          Gharo  (great). 

35.  Awatwah  .     . 

33 

'1 

2,147 

15.713 

Gahot. 

36.  Upauwah  .     . 

5 

398 

1.379 

„          Awatwah. 

37.  Malko     Wan. 

4 

9 

177 

2,255 

From  the  Dhandh  Gahot. 

gheri. 

38.  Lakiwah    .     . 

8 

8 

246 

4.971 
8,629 

„          Gharo  Bhanot. 

39.  Sarangwah     . 

16 

14 

1,572 

„                do.           is 

navigable. 

4a  Aliganj      .     . 

"3 

14 

1,302 

4.500 

„        Gharo;  is  navi- 
able. 

41.  Nurwah    .     . 

2 

10 

376 

592 

Taps  the  Indus  at  Nakur, 
T.  Hala  ;  waters  the  Sai- 
dabad  tapa. 

From  the  Mahmuda,      T. 

42.  Sangrowahand 

42 

23 

1.475 

13.904 

Tyrwhittwah. 

Hala ;  is  navi- 
gable. 

43.  Kario  Agokapri 

4i 

II 

498 

1. 941 

„        Sangrowah. 

Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


BALA. 


189 


Average 
Annual 

Annual 

Length 

Width 

Cost  of 

NameoTCaaal. 

in 
Miles. 

at 
Mouth. 

Clearance 

for  5  Years. 

ending 

x«73-74- 

xveyenue 

torsY*-.. 

ending 

«873-74- 

Remaries. 

feet. 

rupees. 

rupees. 

44.  Dosawah  .     . 

I5J 

18 

1,051 

2,061 

From  the  Sangrowih;    is 
navigable. 

45.  Kario-naubat . 

3 

6 

168 

814 

„        Dosawah. 

46.  Sangro  (small) 

7 

IS 

242 

479 

„        Sangrowah 

(great). 
„         Sangro. 

47.  Piruwah    .     . 

8 

ID 

24s 

1,371 

4S.  Kandarwah    . 

4 

6 

160 

541 

„         Piruwah. 

49.  Mirwah  Kathri 

3 

8 

71 

529 

do. 

50.  Rawakwah 

4 

15 

203 

310 

„         Sangro    (small) ; 
is  navigable. 

51.  Bhumpharwah 

6 

10 

41 

745 

„        Rawakwah. 

52.  Kahuwah.      . 

14 

14 
8 

2,220 

„         Rawakwah. 

53.  Lundowah     . 

5 

134 

724 

Kahuwah. 

54.  Letwah     .     . 

15J 

12 

S18 

3,3" 

Branch  of  the  Rawakwah;  is 

55.  Naowah   .     . 

56.  AUbahar  .     . 

3 

•  10 

71 

1,580 

navigable. 
„          Letwah. 

20 

15 

341 

5,340 

T^s  the  Indus  at  Khandu, 
T.  Hala ;  waters  the  Bhit- 

shah  and  Tando  Adam 
tapas. 
Taps  the  Indus  at  Mehar, 

57.  Karl  ShumaU. 

I 

36 

31 

T.  Hala;  waters  the  Bhit- 

shah  and  Sekhat  tapas. 

58.  Ghaluwah      . 

48 

36 

180 

9,364 

Branch  of  the  Karl  Shumali. 

59.  Khalkawah    . 
60. '  Bhumpharwah 
61.  Alahkhaiwah. 

6 

10 

145 

1,203 

„          Ghaluwah. 

21 

10 

149 

6,389 

Khalkawah. 

10 

8 

506 

3,472 

„          Ghaluwah. 

62.  Khanwah.     . 

5 

8 

233 

2,008 

do. 

63.  Niri  Ghalu     . 

I 

8 

70 

647 

do. 

64.  Abulwah  .     . 

7 

7 

373 

1,388 

„          Niri  Ghalu. 

65.  Bijarwah  .     . 

66.  Nangnai   .     . 

12 

6 

397 

3,161 

do. 

25 

9 

1,528 

7,931 
1,289 

i,^ 
2,428 

„          Ghaluwah. 

67.  Muradwah     . 

68.  Dhoro  Ghalu. 

;, 

6 
16 

no 
127 

„          Nangnai. 
Ghaluwah. 

•69.  Jarawarwah    . 
7a  Sanhrowah     . 

i 

8 
II 

346 

758 

„          Dhoro  Ghalu. 
do. 

71.  Chhahowah    . 

9k 

8 

164 

1,464 

„          Sanhrowah. 

72.  Manjriwah 

4 

6 

10 

939 

do. 

73.  Mirwah  (great) 

74.  Belarowah     . 

'1 

14 

466 

4,947 

„          Dhoro  Ghalu. 

7 

173 

1,636 

„          Mirwah 

(great). 

75.  Mirw2h-mari. 

76.  Nasirwah 

5i 

^ 

61 

2,255 

do. 

27 

751 

10,794 

Taps  the  Indus  at  Jakri, 

tal.   Hala;    waters   the 

Sekhat  and  Matari  tap- 

as ;  is  navigable. 

77.  Khairwah      . 

4 

I 

190 

1,437 
1,961 

Branch  of  the  Nasirwah- 

78.  GunwSh   .     . 

4 

^ 

„               do. 

79.  Sujawalwah  . 
8a  Gihorowah    . 

4 

7 

1,093 

„                do. 

13 

15 

I.*32 

6,400 

„                do.        is 

navigable. 

81.  Sonwah    .     . 

8 

II 

386 

1,351 

,,          Gahorowah. 

Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


I  go 


HALA, 


Length 

Width 

Average 
Annual 
Cost  of 

Average 
Annual 
Revenue 
for  5  Years, 
ending 
'873-74. 

Name  of  Canal. 

in 

at 

Clearance 

Remarks. 

MUes. 

1 

Mouth. 

for  s  Years, 
ending 
'873-74. 

82.  SIriwah     .      . 

10 

8 

357 

2,789 

Branch  of  the  Sonwah. 

83.  Karia  Mir  Ah- 

2 

5 

63 

374 

.     „          Gahorowah. 

mad  Khan. 

84,  Khesanowah  . 

21 

14 

6,889 

5,340 

„           Nasirwah. 

85.  Kamalwah     . 

86.  Jamalwah       . 

2 

4 

50 

5" 

„          Khesanowah. 

5 

7 

192 

1,197 

„                do. 

87.  Jamwah    .     . 

13 

6 

296 

2,340 

„            _  do^ 

88.  Ramwah  .      . 

5 

6 

149 

1,430 

,,          Jamwah. 

89.  Mirwah    .      . 

9 

6 

»43 

806 

„                do. 

90.  Garibwah       . 

10 

10 

271 

2,893 

II                do. 

91.  Bhurkowah    . 

5 

7 

187 

1,074 

Taps  the  Indus  at  Saheb 
Lamo,  tal.  Hala;  waters 

tapa  of  Matari. 

92.  Sarafrazwah  . 

77 

19 

(See  under  Tanda, 

Taps  the  Indus  at  Sadik 
Memon,  tal.  HalS;  waters 

Division 

No.  83.) 

the  Matari,  Nasarpiu-,  and 

Khokhar  tapas  ;  is  navi- 

gable. 

93.  Imamwah 

35 

10 

... 

... 

Branch  of  the  Fuleli,  tal. 
Hyderabad. 

94.  Behramwah    . 

4 

9 

1,064 

1,035 

Meteorology. — ^The  climate  of  the  Hala  district  does  not 
appear  to  differ  in  any  particular  respect  from  that  of  other  por- 
tions of  the  Hyderabad  Collectorate.  There  are  only  two  seasons 
— the  hot  and  cold,  the  former  commencing  about  the  beginning 
of  April  and  lasting  till  the  beginning  of  November,  the  remain- 
ing portion  of  the  year  being  considered  as  the  cold  season.  The 
change  from  cold  to  hot  weather  is  at  times  very  sudden :  the 
hottest  months  of  the  year  are  unquestionably  April,  May,  June, 
July  and  August,  the  mean  daily  maximum  of  heat,  even  in  April, 
not  unfrequently  rising  as  high  as  102°  Fahr.,  whereas  the  mean 
daily  minimum  in  January,  the  coldest  month  of  the  year,  is  often 
as  low  as  44**.  The  following  table  will  show  the  average  mean 
maximum  and  minimum  range  of  the  temperature  at  Alahyar- 
jo-Tando  for  a  series  of  years,  as  taken  from  the  records  of  the 
dispensary  at  that  station  (see  /.  191).  The  averagie  annual 
temperature  of  Hala  during  the  past  three  years  ending  1874  is 
found  to  6e  much  the  same  as  that  of  Tando  Alahyar,  the  mean 
daily  maximum  being  90®,  and  the  mean  daily  minimum  69**. 

The  rainfall  in  the  Hala  district  has  not,  it  would  seem,  been 
recorded  at  any  of  the  principal  towns  for  any  successive  number 
of  years,  but,  so  far  as  can  be  ascertained,  it  does  not  exceed,  on 


Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


HALA. 


191 


an  average,  more  than  5  or  6  inches  yearly.  In  1868  the  fall  at 
Alahyar-jo-Tando,  as  observed  at  the  dispensary,  was  5  •  14  inches  ; 
but  in  1869  it  was  19*55  inches,  an  extraordinary  and  exception- 
ally large  quantity  for  Sind.  The  following  table  will  give  the 
monthly  fall  of  rain  at  Hala  and  Tando  Alahyar  during  the  three 
years  ending  with  1874  : — 


Months. 

187a. 

1873. 

1874. 

Hflia. 

T.  Alahyar. 

HilUL. 

T.  Alahyar. 

Haia. 

T.  Alahyar. 

January. 
February 
March    . 

•• 

•13 

2'IO 

•33 
•40 

April 
May.     . 

•• 

'  * 

[une.      . 

Uj-   ■ 

August  . 

September 

October. 

I    50 

•  • 

3 

I 

54 

I? 
60 

3*95 
142 
154 

7-23 

2-85 
3-85 

'•^ 

4*54 
500 

November 

. 

, , 

,  , 

, , 

, , 

December 

• 

•• 

•20 

•• 

•• 

Total 

5 

84 

6*91 

7-23 

6*10 

III5 

10-27 

The  sickly  season,  as  elsewhere  in  Sind,  is  in  September  and 
October,  when  the  inundation  waters  fall  and  the  canals  dry  up ; 
but,  as  a  general  rule,  the  people  throughout  the  Halt  district  do 


Months. 

Mean  daily  ' 
Minimum. 

Mean  daily 
Maximum. 

Prevailing  Winds. 

Remaxics. 

January     . 

^7    * 

^     k 

N.andE. 

Water  sometimes  freezes 
in  this  month,  and  in 
December. 

February  . 

64    9 

78     I 

88    5 

N.andE. 

March .      . 

N.  and  E. 

April    .      . 

74    6 

95    5 

Various. 

May     .     . 

81    0 

103    5 

N.W.  and  S.W. 

Dust-storms    frequent 
in  the  hot  season. 

une     .     . 

84    6 

102    6 

S.W. 

uly     .     . 

8a    s 

99    8 

S.W. 

August 

83    0 

94    I 

S.  and  W. 

September. 

78    8 

93    I 

S.  and  W. 

October     . 

69    7 

92    I 

N.  and  E. 

November . 

62    4 

85    6 

N.  and  E. 

December. 

Mean  daily' 
Average  ., 

SO    4 

74    5 

N.  and  E. 

Fogs  occur  during  this 
month. 

69    3 

89    7 

Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


192  HAL  A. 

not  suffer  very  much  from  the  effects  of  mtermittent  fever,  a  fact 
which  may  in  a  great  degree  be  attributed  to  the  absence  of  floods 
and  their  necessary  consequence,  extensive  marshes.  Fevers  of  a 
mild  type,  however,  prevail  from  October  till  December.  Cholera 
prevailed  to  a  considerable  extent  in  an  epidemic  form  in  1865, 
and  again  in  1869. 

Geology  and  Soils. — ^The  entire  Hala  district  is  an  extensive 
alluvial  plain,  and  possesses  no  striking  geological  characteristics 
apart  from  those  which  generally  distinguish  the  valley  of  the 
Indus.  Wherever  water  is  available,  cultivation  can  be  carried 
on,  except  in  spots  where  the  "  kalrathi,"  or  salt  soil,  prevails ; 
but  where  irrigation  is  not  forthcoming,  the  land  is  a  desert.  That 
part  of  the  district  bordering  on  the  Indus,  and  which  is  well 
watered  by  canals,  is  highly  productive  and  bears  excellent  crops. 
The  different  kinds  of  soils  prevailing  in  this  district  are  four  in 
number  :  i,  Dasar,  which  contains  a  large  admixture  of  sand,  but 
in  productive  capabilities  is  good  ;  2,  Paki,  which  is  a  hard  and 
firm  soil ;  3,  Wariasi,  a  sandy  soil ;  and  4,  Kalrathi,  a  soil  strongly 
impregnated  with  salt,  unculturable,  as  nothing  will  grow  on  it, 
but  from  it  salt  is  in  some  places  manufactured.  There  are  no 
minerals  of  any  description  whatever  in  the  Hala  district.  An 
unctuous  kind  of  earth  called  "  chdniahj*  or  chdniho^  is  said  by  an 
old  writer  to  have  been  obtained  from  some  lakes  near  the  town 
of  Hala ;  and  he  further  states  that  it  was  eaten  in  considerable 
quantities,  especially  by  the  women.  The  truth  of  this  is,  however, 
very  questionable,  as  "  chaniah  "  is  represented  by  others  to  be  a 
form  of  soda,  and  largely  used  in  the  manufacture  of  tiles  and 
glazed  pottery,  for  which  Hala  has  always  been  famous. 

Animals. — The  wild  animals  found  in  the  Hala  district  are 
wolves,  foxes,  jackals,  pig  and  ^^pharho  '*  (or  hog-deer)  \  the  latter 
are  very  numerous.  The  game  birds  are  geese,  duck,  partridges, 
quail  and  snipe.  Snakes  of  various  kinds  abound,  as  elsewhere 
throughout  Sind,  especially  in  the  inundation  season,  and  are, 
as  usual  at  that  time,  very  destructive  to  human  life.  The  domestic 
animals  are  the  horse,  camel,  bullock,  buffalo,  donkey,  sheep  and 
goat  Camels  and  bullocks  are  used  for  draught  and  in  turning 
water-wheels  for  the  irrigation  of  land.  Large  flocks  of  goats  are 
to  be  met  with  everywhere  throughout  the  district 

Vegetable  Productions. — The  staple  vegetable  productions  of 
the  Hala  district  are  juar,  bajri  and  cotton.  In  addition  to  these, 
wheat,  barley,  tobacco,  grain,  rice,  jambho  {Eruca  sativa),  sugar-cane, 
matar  {Lathyrus  saHvus\  and  til  (oilseed)  are  also  grown  in  con- 
siderable quantities.  Among  vegetables  may  be  mentioned  melons 


Digitized  by  VjOOQIC. 


HALA, 


193 


of  different  sorts,  cabbages,  turnips,  pumpkins,  carrots,  onions, 
&C,  Of  firuits,  the  produce  of  garden  cultivation,  there  are  the 
mango,  guava,  grape,  orange,  lime,  pomegranate,  tamarind  and 
pharua,  or  phalsa  {Grewia  Asiatua),  The  chief  forest  trees  are 
the  babul  {Acacia  Arabica)^  pipal  {Ficus  rcltgiosa)y  bhar  {Ficus 
Indica),  nim  {Azadirachia  Indica)^  bahan  {Populus  Euphraticci) 
kandi  {Prosopis  spccigera)^  and  tali  {Dalbergia  IcUifoiia).  They 
are  grown  in  the  forests  of  this  district,  which  number  fourteen  in 
all,  and  skirt  the  banks  of  the  Indus  in  the  Sakrand  and  Hala 
talukas  for  many  miles.  The  names,  area,  and  revenue  of  these 
forests,  with  other  particulars,  are  shown  in  the  following  table  : — 


Ana  in 

Revenue 

Forest. 

English 
Acres. 

in 
1873-74. 

Remarks. 

rupees. 

i.Jakhri    . 

1,625 

3,353 

Planted  about  60  years  ago,  by  H.  H.  Mir  | 

Ghulam  AH  KhSn 

2.  Matari  . 

1:^ 

8,110 

do. 

60    do.                   do. 

3.  Sekhat  . 

6,143 
2,088 

do. 

77    do.                  do. 

4.  Khebiani 

760 

do. 

45    do.        by    Mir     Nasir 

Khan. 

5.  Khanot . 

5.933 

5,717 

do. 

80  do.  by  Mir  Ghulam 
AH  Khan. 

6.  Rano     . 

1,627 

1,792 

do. 

77  da  by  Mir  Maian 
Behram  Khan. 

7.  Nurketi. 

8.  Bhanot  . 

3,268  3,163 

do. 

77    do.                  do. 

841 

294 

do. 

77    do.                   do. 

9.  Keti 

3,291 

Planted  about  A.D.  1830,  by  Mir  Sobhdar  | 

Khan. 

Total    . 

24,764 ,30,660 

1 

These  forests,  which  are  under  the  special  management  of  the 
Government  Forest'  Department,  may  thus  be  said  to  cover  an 
area  of  about  40  square  miles.  By  far  the  most  important  tree  in 
these  forests  is  the  "  babul "  {Sindi  '*  babar"),  the  wood  of  which 
serves  as  an  excellent  fuel  for  river  steamers,  and  is  useful  in 
carpentry ;  the  leaves  are  used  for  dyeing  purposes,  and  the  pods 
as  food  for  cattle.  The  revenue  of  these  forests  is  derived  mainly 
from  grazing  fees,  cultivation,  sale  of  felled  timber,  firewood,  b&bul- 
pods  and  seeds,  fisheries  and  fines. 

Fisheries. — The  fisheries  in  the  Hala  district  are  not  of  much 
consequence,  and,  with  the  single  exception  of  the  pala  fishery 
in  the  Hala  taltika^  brings  in  but  a  very  small  annual  revenue 
to  Government  Besides  the  pala  fish,  which  is  plentiful  at  cer- 
tain seasons  in  that  part  of  the  Indus  skirting  the  Hala  Deputy 

o 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


194 


hAla. 


CoUectorate  on  its  western  side^  but  is  not  found  in  any  of  the  canals, 
there  is  the  gandan,  jerki,  khago  (cat-fish),  and  goj  (eels),  all  of 
which  are  caught  in  the  canals  and  dhandhs.  The  following  table 
will  show  the  average  annual  revenue  derived  by  the  Government 
during  the  three  years  ending  with  1873-74,  from  the  annual 
farming  of  the  various  fisheries  throughout  the  HSla  district : — 


TalOka. 

Name  of  Fishery. 

Revenue. 

Total  Revenue. 

Hala 

Shahdadpur .     .     . 
Mirpur-Khas      .     . 

The  Indus       .... 

Nakur \ 

Gahot 

Kolab-Mahmuda .     .     . 
Dhandh"Khebrani"     . 
Sekhat , 

Kun-Daro       .... 

Duba 

1 

362 

rupees. 
1,185 

3 

7 

2 

7 
Total. 

1,194 

There  are  several  "  dhoros,'*  such  as  the  Sajnah  and  Puran,  in 
the  Mirpur  taluka,  where  fish  are  caught,  but  no  contracts  are 
entered  into  by  parties  with  Government  for  these  fisheries. 

Population. — The  total  population  of  the  Hala  district  by  the 
census  of  1872  is  216,139;  of  these  176,773  are  Musalmans,  and 
39,366  Hindus,  and  other  miscellaneous  castes.  There  are  thus 
84  souls  to  the  square  mile — a  large  number  when  compared  with 
other  districts  in  Sind.  The  Muhammadan  and  Hindu  inhabit- 
ants are  classed  in  separate  tables  as  follows  : — 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


halA. 


I9S 


MUHAMMADANS. 


Tribes. 

Number. 

Sub-diirisions. 

Remarks. 

I.  Bolochis 

36,250 

Talpur,  Laghari,  Lashari,  Gor- 
chani,  Nundani,  Man,  Khosa, 
Chandio,      Burgri,     Lakhani, 
Khatian,  Lund,  Thora,  Ubra, 
Mehrani,  Vudadani,  Nizamani, 
Bodani,  Korai,  Jamali,  Bagrani, 
Rind,  Kambrani,  Kaloi,  Mala- 
kani,  Khorkhani,  Kapri,  Zur- 
dari,  Lungmani',  Kimanl,  Chang, 
Khokhar,    Sungrani,    Dishak, 
Rustamani,  Nunhari,  Nothko- 
thani,  Jaskani,  Jatoi,  &u 

2.  Mogals  . 

335 

3.  Pathans. 

421 

4.  Sindis.  . 

"5.254 

The  sub-divisions 
of    Sindis    are 
derived  mostly 
from  the  names 
of  their  families. 

5.  Saiyads . 

3»974 

Shirazi,  Matiari. 

6.  Other 

tribes   . 
Total  . 

20,539 

176,773 

Hindus. 


Caste. 

Number. 

Sub-division. 

Remaiks. 

I.  Brahmans 

736 

Pokamo,  Sarsudh. 

2.  Kshatrias     . 

96 

3.  Waishya.     . 

4.  Sudras    .     . 

32,171 
6,039 

... 

Among    this    number  is 
Lohlna 

5.  Miscellaneous 
Total .     . 

324 

39,366 

Dress. — ^The  dress  of  the  people  inhabiting  this  district  is  much 
the  same  as  that  generally  worn  by  the  inhabitants  of  Central 
Sind  Among  the  Musalmans  the/tz/>faaf,  or  turban ;  the  "  sathan^^ 
or  trowsers ;  the  pahirdriy  or  shirt,  are  mostly  worn.  The  HindQ 
community  adopt  the  pagri^  or  turban,  the  angarko^  a  kind  of 
shirt  or  coat,  and  the  dhoti,  or  loin-cloth. 

0  2 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


196 


HALA. 


Food. — The  food  of  the  poorer  classes  is  generally  juar,  bajri 
and  rice,  with  fish  occasionally.  Among  the  richer  classes,  mutton, 
poultry,  rice  and  wheat  are  eaten,  but  the  two  former  kinds  of  food 
are  confined  mostly  to  the  Musalman  portion  of  the  population. 

Character. — In  character  the  Muhammadan  is  more  open, 
independent,  and  less  timorous  than  the  Hindu,  but  he  is,  on  the 
other  hand,  not  so  thrifty  and  less  addicted  to  business.  Nearly  all 
the  trade  of  the  district  is  in  the  hands  of  the  latter,  while  the  Mu- 
hammadan cultivates  the  land  and  does  all  the  work  of  the  artisan. 

Language. — ^The  language,  of  the  people  of  this  'district  is 
Sindi,  but  the  great  majority  readily  understand  Hindustani. 
Many  of  the  higher  classes  among  the  Muhammadans  possess^ 
as  a  general  rule,  a  knowledge,  though  somewhat  limited,  of  the 
Persian  tongue. 

Crime. — The  crimes  most  prevalent  among  the  inhabitants  of 
the  Hala  district  are  theft  and  house-breaking,  but  crime  generally 
would  appear  to  be  upon  the  increase.  The  following  tables  will 
give  the  criminal  and  civil  returns  of  this  district  for  the  three  years 
ending  with  1874  : — 

Criminal. 


Year. 

Murders. 

Hurts, 
Assaults, 
and  use  of 
Criminal 

Force. 

Thefts. 
Cattle.    Others. 

Receiving 

Stolen 
Property. 

House- 
breaking. 

Highway 
Robbery. 

Other 
Offences. 

1872 

7 

234 

173  1      187 

48 

102 

4 

33a 

1873 

8 

3H 

159 

189 

42 

76 

I 

535 

1874 

6 

281 

173 

124 

30 

78 

... 

919 

Civil. 


Year. 

Suits  for  Land. 

Suits  for  Money. 

Other  Suiu. 

Total. 

No. 

Value. 

No. 

Value. 

No. 

Value. 

No. 

Value. 

1872 

1873 
1874 

5 

3 
2 

745 
149 
170 

1628 
I361 
1277 

1,22,682 
1,13,267 
1,44,493 

20 

17 

1 

1233 

373 
1 126 

1653 
1372 
1296 

1,24,660 
1,13,789 
1,45,789 

Establishments. — The  revenue  and  judicial  administration  of 
this  district  is  precisely  the  same  as  that  carried  out  in  other 
Deputy  Collectorates  of  Sind,  the  chief  revenue  and  magisterial 


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HALA.  197 

duties  being  vested  in  a  Deputy  Collector,  who  has  also  the  full 
powers  of  a  magistrate  throughout  his  charge.  Under  him  are 
the  MOkhtyarkars  of  the  four  talQkas  of  Hala,  Sakrand,  Alahyar-jo- 
Tando,  and  Mirpur ;  they  are  native  revenue  officers,  with  monthly 
salaries  ranging  from  100  rupees  to  200  rupees,  and  have  each  an 
establishment  of  six  munshis  and  peons  j  they  collect  the  Govern- 
ment revenue  of  their  respective  districts,  and  exercise  likewise 
magisterial  authority  to  a  limited  extent.  Under  the  Mukhtyarkars 
are  the  Tapadars,  of  whom  there  are  24,  one  over  each  of  the 
tapas,  or  lesser  sub-divisions  of  a  taluka.  Their  monthly  salaries 
range  from  15  rupees  to  20  rupees. 

The  Canal  establishment  consists  of  a  number  of  surveyors, 
sazawalkars,  munshis,  and  maistris,  distributed  over  the  four 
talukas  of  this  district  There  is  also  a  water-gauge  establish- 
ment of  five  "  darogas,"  who  are,  however,  employed  for  only  five 
months  in  the  year.  The  cattie  pound  (or  dhak)  establishments, 
situate  at  Hala,  Saidabad,  Matari,  Shahdadpur,  Alahyar-jo-Tando, 
Adam-jo-Tando,  Nasarpur,  Mirpur,  and  Gorchani,  are  each  under 
the  charge  of  a  munshi,  with  a  small  establishment  to  assist  him ; 
they  are  supervised  by  magisterial  officers. 

There  is  but  one  Civil  Court  for  the  entire  Hala  district ;  its 
head-quarters  are  at  the  town  of  Hala,  and  it  is  presided  over  by 
a  native  subordinate  judge  (formerly  called  a  munsif),  whose  juris- 
diction extends  to  suits  of  the  value  of  5000  rupees  and  under, 
and  who  visits  during  the  year  the  following  places  on  circuit : — 
Adam-jo-Tando,  Alahyar-jo-Tando,  Mirpur-Khas,  and  Shahdadpur. 
His  jurisdiction  extends  as  far  as  Sakrand,  in  the  Naushahro 
division.  His  establishment  consists  of  a  nazar  (or  sheriff),  with 
five  munshis,  two  bailiffs,  and  a  number  of  peons  and  messengers. 
This  court  is  immediately  subordinate  to  the  district  judge  of 
Hyderabad. 

The  police  force  employed  in  the  Hala  district  numbers  164 
of  every  kind,  there  being  thus  but  one  policeman  to  every  1029 
of  the  population ;  of  these  43  are  mounted,  74  armed  and  un- 
armed, and  47  are  municipal  police.  This  force  is  distributed  as 
follows  {see  next  page) : — 


Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


igS 


HALA. 


Talaka. 

Mounted 
PoUcc. 

Armed 
and  Un- 
anned 
Foot 
PoUoe. 

Municipal 
PoUoe. 

Remarics. 

I    Hala.      .      .      r 

14 
XI 
II 

7 

21 
21 
17 
15 

»5 

25 

4 
3 

An  inspector  and  11 
constables    are   in- 
cluded   under    the 
heading    "Mount- 
ed Pohce." 

2.  Alahyar-jo-Tando 

3.  Shahdadpur.     . 

4.  Mirpur    .     .     ^ 

Total     . 

43 

74 

47 

Revenue,  Imperial  and  Local. — ^The  imperial  revenue  of  the 
Hala  Deputy  Collectorate  is  derived  for  the  most  part  from  the 
land  tax ;  the  next  important  items  being  the  abkdri  (or  excise), 
stamps,  and  the  income  and  certificate  taxes.  The  local  revenue 
is  chiefly  made  up  from  cesses  levied  on  the  imperial  land  and 
sayer  {sair)  revenue,  as  also  from  ferry-funds,  fisheries,  &c.  The 
following  tables  will  show  the  imperial  and  local  revenues  of  the 
past  four  years,  ending  with  1873-74 : — 

I.  Imperial  Revenue. 


Items. 


Realizations  in 

1870-71. 

1871-79. 

X872-73. 

«873-74. 

rupees. 
3,28,776 
20,435 

7,735 

i5,-3i5 

1,125 

2,530 

rupees. 

3.13,461 

19,325 

6,955 

27,305 

rupees. 

3,12,869 

21,790 

7,185 

30,780 

.1,124 

847 

rupees. 

2,92,859 

24,812 

7,692 

30,546 

1,245 

634 

22,790 

15,567 

3,485 

... 

17,047 
7,760 

2,520 
3,348 

4,142 
3,030 

6,692 

4,23,513 

3,89,958 

3,85,252 

3,69,704 

Land  Tax  .... 
Abkari  ..... 
Drugs  and  Opium   .     . 

Stamps 

Salt 

Postal  Department  .  . 
Income      and     Certificate'^ 

Taxes / 

Fines  and  Registration  Fees 
Miscellaneous     .... 

Total  rupees  .     . 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


HAL  A, 

II.  Local  Revenue. 


199 


Items. 

1870-71.     1871-73- 

«87a-73-    i   »873-74- 

Cesses  on  Land  and  Sayer  Revenue. 
Percentage  on  Alienated  Lands  .     . 

Ferry  Funds 

Fisheries 

Fines  and  Licences 

Sales    of   Land    in    Non-MunicipaH 
Towns / 

Total  rupees     .     .     . 

rupees.        rupees. 

19,782      21,308 

618             593 

7,237         7.418 

1,610         1,073 

33 

rupees.        rupees. 
21,502   ,    17,829 

649  :       656 
7,448  '    3,631 
1,181       1,307 

123           15 

29,247  j  30,425 

30,903  j  23,438 

Revenue  Survey  and  Settlement. — ^A  topographical  survey 
of  this  part  of  the  Hyderabad  Collectorate  was  carried  out  during 
the  years  1863-64-65,  and  settlement  operations  were  afterwards 
effected  in  the  four  talukas  of  this  district,  viz.^  Shahdadpur^  Mirpur, 
Hala,  and  T.  Alahyar,  commencing  from  the  Kharif  seasons  of 
1869-70, 1870-71,  1871-72,  and  1873-74  respectively,  and  lasting 
for  ten  years.  The  following  are  the  different  survey  rates,  as 
introduced  by  the  Settlement  department  into  each  of  these 
talukas  {seep,  200). 

Formerly  the  Government  assessment  was  levied  in  kdsgi^  or 
payments  in  kind,  and  not  in  cash ;  but  as  the  Zamindars  derived 
no  benefit  from  this  system,  but  were  considerable  losers  by  it 
when  the  prices  of  grain  ranged  high,  they  begged  that  they  might 
pay  the  Government  due  in  money,  and  to  this  no  objection  was 
made.  Zamindari  lands  are  generally  cultivated  by  tenants,  who 
for  their  right  of  occupancy,  besides  purchasing  live-stock,  and 
providing  wheels,  &c,  make  over  to  the  Zamindar  one-third  of 
the  produce  of  the  land,  the  latter  paying  the  Government  dues. 
From  land  were  crops  of  cotton,  water-melons,  &c.,  are  raised, 
the  Zamindar  only  receives  from  two  to  three  rupees  per  digd 
from  his  tenants. 


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HALA.  201 

Land  Tenures  and  Jagirs. — The  land  tenures  obtaining  in 
this  district  are  chiefly  of  two  classes :  ist^  lands  lield  on  the 
Government  assessment  rates^  of  which  some  account  has  already 
been  given^  but  for  further  information  on  this  head  reference 
can  be  made  to  Chapter  IV.  of  the  Introductory  portion  of  this 
work ;  and,  2nd,  where  they  are  held  free  of  assessment,  either 
wholly  or  in  part  These  latter  include  jagirs  of  four  classes, 
garden  grants  to  patels,  &c.  Of  the  jagirs,  the  first  class  embraced 
all  grants  conferred  under  the  Kalhora  and  Talpur  dynasties  upon 
parties  who  belonged  to  powerful  tribes,  and  were  men  of  rank. 
These  grants,  on  the  decease  of  the  incumbent,  were  continued  to 
his  lineal  heirs  male,  the  Government  receiving  five  rupees  per  cent 
on  the  net  produce  of  his  land  The  second-class  jagirs  included 
those  which  were  conferred  by  the  great  Talpur  Mir,  Ghulam  Ali ; 
they  lapsed  to  the  Government  on  the  death  of  the  incumbent's 
first  male  issue — ^that  is  to  say,  they  could  be  held  for  one  genera- 
tion only.  The  third  class  were  those  granted  after  the  death  of 
Mir  Ghulam  Ali  (a.d  18 10),  by  his  brothers,  Mirs  Karam  Ali  and 
Murad  AIL  On  the  death  of  the  jagirdar  the  grant  went  to  his 
heir,  the  Government  receiving  one-fourth  only  of  the  produce  : 
on  the  death  of  the  heir,  the  jagir  lapsed  to  the  Government  The 
fourth-class  jagirs  included  those  granted  after  the  death  of  Mir 
Murad  Ali  (a.d.  1833) ;  they  lapsed  to  the  Government  imme- 
diately on  the  death  of  the  incumbent,  and  were,  in  fact,  but  life- 
grants.  The  following  is  a  tabulated  list  of  the  jagirdars  of  various 
classes  in  the  Hala  district,  showing  the  extent  of  land  held  by 
each,  with  other  particulars  (see  next  page)  : — 


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The  total  number  of  "Sen"  grantees  throughout  the  Hala 
Deputy  CoUectorate  is  68,  but  these  are  confined  to  the  two 
talukas  of  Shahdadpur  and  Hala,  there  being  38  in  the  former, 
with  grants  to  each  of  cultivated  land  varying  from  6|  to  29^ 
acres,  and  in  the  latter  30,  with  grants  of  land  of  from  2  to 
30  acres.  The  aggregate  average  held  under  these  grants  is 
912  acres  and  8  guntas. 

The  number  of  "mafidars"  is  48,  of  whom  27  are  in  the  Hala 
taluka,  with  grants  of  cultivable  land  ranging  from  one  gunta 
to  6  acres ;  in  the  Alahyar-jo-Tando  taluka  there  are  14,  with 
grants  of  cultivable  land  of  from  18  guntas  to  196  acres;  in  the 
Mirpur  taluka  there  are  four,  with  grants  of  cultivable  land  var3dng 
fi-om  2i  to  9  acres,  and  of  uncultivable  land  from  9  to  100  acres. 
In  the  Shahdadpur  taluka  are  three  mafidars,  with  grants  of 
cultivable  land  ranging  from  2  to  15  acres. 

Municipalities. — There  are  in  all  nine  municipal  institutions 
in  the  Hala  district,  the  earliest  established  being  that  of  Alahyar* 
jo-Tando,  which  dates  from  1856.  Their  revenues  are  chiefly  made 
up  from  the  following  sources  : — i.  Fees  levied  on  imported  articles. 
2.  Licence  fees  coUected  under  Act  VIII.  of  1866.  3.  Cattle- 
pound  fees,  fines,  &c  The  principal  items  of  disbursement  are 
those  on  account  of  conservancy,  police,  public  works,  and  grants- 
in-aid  made  to  educational  institutions.  The  several  municipalities 
in  this  district,  with  their  several  receipts  and  expenses,  will  be 
found  tabulated  below  : — 


Where  situate. 

Date  of 

Establishment. 

Receipts  in 

Disbursements  in 

x87i-7a. 

1873-73- 

«873-74. 

1871-73. 

1873-73. 

1873-74- 

1.  Alahyar-jo-Tando 

I  July,  1856 

rupees. 
31800 

rupees. 
6.375 

rupees. 
6,837 

rupees. 
4.448 

rupees. 
6.705 

rupees. 
6.336 

3.  Nasarpur     .     , 

z86o 

70a 

X.344 

1,365 

453 

X.370 

1,140 

3.  Adam-jo-Tando 

Jan.,  x86o 

3,«07 

5.680 

5.537 

3.317 

5.593 

5.604 

4.  HSU .... 

z  May,  i860 

x.9a4 

X1360 

3,756 

3,059 

i.a96 

3,633 

5.  Mirpur    .     •     > 

xo  Oct.,  i860 

3,671 

731 

1.990 

1.299 

993 

Z.663 

6.  GhotSna      .     . 

z  Dec,  z86o 

1,337 

9»5 

1.465 

i.<M4 

454 

X.SS9 

7.  Matari    ,     .     . 

zo  Oct.,  z868 

a.589 

3,08a 

3."3 

3.271 

a.353 

a.589 

8.  Sb&hdidpur      . 

.. 

z,686 

1.564 

Z.933 

763 

X  839 

3,319 

9.  Khokhar      .     . 

1873 

•• 

353 

573 

•• 

404 

389 

Dispensaries. — ^Throughout  the  Hala  district  there  are  but  two 
medical  dispensaries:  one  at  Hala,  established  in  i860,  and  the 
other  at  Alahyar-jo-Tando,  established  in  1862.  Both  these  insti- 
tutions are  under  the  charge  of  subordinate  officers  of  the  Govem- 

Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


214 


HALA. 


ment  medical  department,  and  they  are  visited  annually  by  the 
Deputy  Surgeon-General  of  Hospitals  of  the  Sind  division.  The 
charges  incurred  in  keeping  both  these  dispensaries  upon  an 
efficient  footing  are  defrayed  partly  by  Government,  and  partly 
by  the  municipalities  of  the  two  towns  in  which  they  are  respec- 
tively situate.  All  information  as  to  attendance  of  patients,  &c., 
during  the  past  two  years,  in  these  dispensaries,  is  contained  in  the 
following  table : — 

Hala  Dispensary. 


In-patients  .     . 
Out-patients     . 

Total  Admissions  in 

Casualties  is 

Average  Daily 
Attendance  in 

1873. 

X874. 

1873.      1      1874- 

1873. 

1874. 

43 
1,243 

42 
1,692 

2 

I 

2-7 
IS'4 

1-9 
20-2 

Alahyar-jo-Tando  Dispsnsary. 


In-patients  .     . 
Out-patients     . 

Total  Admissions  in 

Casualties  in 

Average  Daily 
Attendance  in 

1873. 

1874. 

1873. 

1874. 

1873. 

1874. 

58 
2,064 

47 
2,762 

10 

6 

3-8  1        2-6 
14*4  '      17-7 

Cholera  prevailed  to  some  extent  in  this  division  during  the 
years  1865  and  1869.  Fevers  of  the  intermittent  type  are 
common  during  the  cold  season,  and  skin  diseases  during  the  hot 
weather. 

Lock-ups,  or  Subsidiary  Jails. — There  are  no  large  jails  in 
this  district,  but  simply  "  lock-ups,"  or  as  they  are  called,  "  subor- 
dinate jails,"  at  each  Mukhtyarkar's  head-quarter  station,  in  which 
all  untried  prisoners  are  confined  for  a  time.  In  these  also 
convicts  can  suffer  imprisonment  up  to  one  month. 

Education. — There  are  in  all  twenty  Government  schools  in 
the  Hala  district,  attended,  on  an  average,  by  849  pupils.  The 
indigenous  schools  number  11,  with  120  scholars.  Other  par- 
ticulars having  reference  to  education  are  given  in  the  following 
table  :— 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


HALA. 


"S 


TalOka. 

Goverament 
bchools. 

Private  Schools. 

Remarks. 

No.     1    Pupils. 

No. 

Pupils. 

1.  Hala'    .     .      . 

2.  Alahyar-jo-Tando 

3.  Shahdadpur.     . 

4.  Mirpur  Khas  . 

Total     .     . 

9 
7 
3 

I 

306 

94 
31 

4 
3 

4 

40 

63 

17 

There  is  a  2nd  grade 
Anglo-  vernacular 
School  at  Tando 
Adam. 

20 

849 

II 

120 

Agriculture. — ^The  seasons  for  agricultural  operations  in  the 
Hala  district  are  known  under  the  names  of  Kharif,  Rabi,  and 
Peshias,  and  the  different  crops  raised  in  these  several  periods 
are  shown  in  detail  in  the  accompanying  table  : — 


Season. 

Time  when 

Sown. 

Reaped. 

Kharif  . 
Rahi 

Peshras  . 

June    . 
October 

March 

September    . 
March     .     . 

May  and  June 

Juar,  bajri,  til,  rice,  cotton,  chana 
(or  gram),  hemp,  tobacco,  water- 
melons, &c. 

Wheat,  barley,  jambho  and  matar 
(oil-seeds),    chana,  onions,  water- 
melons,    and    several    kinds     of 
vegetables. 

Juar,  bajri,  sugar<ane,  and  cotton. 

The  cultivation  in  this  district  is  mostly  "  charkhi "  {wheel  irri- 
gation). The  implements  used  in  husbandry  are  the  plough^  hand- 
hoe,  sowing  drill,  harrow  (of  a  very  primitive  kind),  spade  and 
sickle.  It  is,  however,  in  this  district,  at  the  village  of  Salaro,  near 
Hals,  that  in  addition  to  a  cotton  experimental  farm,  superintended, 
under  the  auspices  of  Government,  by  a  practical  gardener  from 
Scotland,  an  economic  garden  of  considerable  extent  has  been 
established,  and  as  this  is  intended  for  the  proper  cultivation,  by 
improved  agricultural  implements,  of  sugar,  indigo,  tobacco,  vege- 
tables— the  planting  out  of  fruit-trees  and  shrubs,  both  useful  and 
ornamental — it  is  hoped  that,  if  successful,  the  scheme  will  do 
much  towards  introducing  into  this  district,  and  eventually  through- 


Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


2l6 


HALA. 


out  Sind,  better  and  more  effective  tools  and  implements,  con* 
jointly  with  a  better  and  more  careful  system  of  agriculture  than 
that  now  in  force. 

Commerce. — The  import  and  export  trade  of  the  Hall  district 
is  confined,  not  wholly,  but  in  a  great  measure,  to  agricultural 
produce ;  this  is  more  particularly  the  case  with  the  export  trade, 
the  most  important  items  in  which  are  juar,  bajri,  cotton  and  til 
(oil-seed).  The  value  of  these  four  articles,  as  annually  exported 
from  this  district,  is,  on  an  average,  not  under  twelve  lakhs  of 
rupees,  the  value  of  all  articles  exported  being  under  fourteen 
lakhs.  Other  important  articles  of  export  are  silk,  cloths  of  sorts, 
and  ivory.  The  principal  articles  of  import  are  rice,  jambho  (oil- 
seed), gur  (coarse  sugar),  til,  sugar,  ghi,  dates,  cloths  of  kinds, 
wool,  ivory  and  metal  pots.  The  average  annual  value  of  the 
import  trade  does  not  appear  to  exceed  %\  lakhs  of  rupees.  The 
following  table  will  show,  though  approximately  only,  die  quantity 
and  value  of  the  average  annual  exports  and  imports  of  this 
district : — 

Exports. 


Articles. 

Quantity. 

Value. 

Remarks. 

Juar   .     .     . 

Bajri.     .     . 

Til  (oil-seed). 

oa    .    .    . 

Cotton     ,     . 
Cloth  (of  sorts) 

sak  .    .    . 

Ivory ,     .     . 
Ghi    .     .     . 
Boxes,  &C.     . 
Susis  (or  cloth 
fortrowsers). 
Khesis     .     . 

Miscellaneous 
articles. 

maunds. 
1,30,000 

1,64,000 

26,200 

800 

1,85,000 

•If 

200 

4,500  in  No. 
360 

rupees. 
3,90,000 

4,94,000 

1,03,900 

8,400 

2,90,000 
22,000 

30*000 

25,000 

5,000 

2,000 

18,000 

.    2,880 

6,800 

Mostly  from  the  Alahyar-jo-Tando, 

Shahdadpur,  and  Hala  talukas. 
Mostly  from  Hala  and  Shahdadpur 

talnka-s. 
Principally  from  Alahyar-jo-Tando 

and  Shahdadpur  talukas. 
No  export  of  this  article  from  Hala 

taluka. 
Exported  from  all  four  taliikas. 

Hala  talukas. 

From  Alahyar-jo-Tando  taluka  only. 

ditto                       ditto 

ditto                       ditto 

From  the  Hala  taluka  only. 

From  Hala  and  Alahyar-jo-Tando 

talukas  only. 
From  the  Alahyar-jo-Tando  taluka 
only. 

Tota 

1  value,  Rs. 

13,97,980 

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HALA. 


217 


Imports. 


Articles. 

Quantity. 

Value. 

Remarks. 

maunds. 

rupees. 

Juir    .      .      . 
Bajri  .      .     . 

8,500 
5,600 

21,200 
18,000 

Rice  .     .     . 

19,000 

76,000 

Jambho    (oU- 

i5»5oo 

50,500 

Imported  mostly  by  the  Sahdad- 

seed). 

pur  taluka. 

Ta     .    .    . 

6,900 

27,600 

Imported  mostly  by  the  Hala  ta- 
liika. 

Mung  {Phase- 

1,600 

8,000 

olus  mungv). 

Matar  {LaiAy 

950 

a,235 

rus  satkms). 

Jhao  (barley). 

1,500 
1,800 

4,900 

3,800 

Saris  .     .     . 

050 

800 

By  the  Hala  taluka  only. 

Mah  {Phaseo- 

2,600 

lus  radiaius). 

Giir   .     .     . 

3,750 

30,000 

Mosdy  by  the  Shahdadpur  taluka. 

Indigo     •     . 

49 

4,900 

Sugar.     .     , 

3,900 

55,600 

Mostly  by  the  Alahyar-jo-Tando 
taluka. 

Tobacco  .     . 

700 

4,100 

Ghi    .     .     . 

1,750 

44,500 

ditto                       ditta 

Oil     .     .     . 

1,310 

12,710 

ditto                       ditto. 

Dates ,     .     « 

1,250 

49,000 

Cloths  (of  dif- 

2,50,000 

MosUy  by  the  Hala  taluka. 

Wool  (of  sorts) 

2,180 

64,963 

Spices      •     . 

240 

3,080 

Potash     •     . 

7,500 

11,200 

Ivory  .     .     . 

75 

30,000 

By  the  Alahyar-jo-Tando  talukaonly. 

Metal  pots     • 
Miscellaneous 

35,000 
40,945 

articles. 

Total 

value,  Rs. 

8*51,633 

Transit  Trade. — The  following  table  will  also  show,  approxi- 
mately^ the  quantity  and  value  of  the  traffic  passing  through  the 
HSla  district,  the  total  value  being  about  19  lakhs  of  rupees  {see 
next  page) : — 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


2l8 


HALA. 


Articles. 

Quantity. 

Value, 

maunds. 

rupees.      i 

Grains : 

Juar     .     . 
Bajri    .     . 

42,000 

1,04,800 

60,000 

1,75,000 

Barley .     . 

20,000 

70,000 

Wheat       . 

60,000 

1,60,000 

Mung  .     . 

10,000 

40,000 

Rice     .     . 

2,000 

50,000  . 

Oil-seeds : 

Ta.    .    . 

10,300 

64,000 

Jambhoand 

Sireh. 
Manjit 

5,000 

15,000 

200 

4,000 

Wan    .     . 

10,500 
1.30,800 

14,000 

Cotton     .     . 

8,58,800 

Cotton-seeds . 

2,65,000 

45,000 

Articles. 

Saris  .  .  . 
Khar  Chaniah 
(or  potash). 
Su^ar 
Raisins 
Pomegranates 
Almonds 
Gur  . 
Fruits 
Grapes 
Tobacco 
Oil  . 
Ghi  . 
Cloths  (of  sorts) 


Quantity. 


4,000 
2,000 

100 

.50 

2, 000  U>No 

200 

5,000 
""50 

2,000 
1,500 


Value. 

rupees. 
6,400 

3.«» 

1,200 
500 
200 

2,400 

7.500 

2,000 

2,000 

12,000 

16,000 

33,000 

2,00,000 


Manufactures. — The  chief  manufactures  of  the  Hala  district 
are  those  of  cloths  called  "  Susis "  and  " Kkesis;^  the  former,  of 
which  two  thousand,  valued  at  6000  rupees,  are  believed  to  be 
yearly  manufactured  at  Hala,  are  used  for  trowsers  \  the  latter  are 
parti-coloured  cloths,  some  of  them  of  very  brilliant  •  hues.  They 
are  principally  made  at  the  towns  of  New  Hala  and  Nasarpur, 
but  tiie  best  "  susis  "  are  to  be  had  at  the  former  place.  Another 
important  manufacture,  for  ^hich  the  Hala  district  is  famous,  is 
that  of  glazed  pottery,  in  the  shape  of  tiles,  dishes,plates,  vases^ 
flower-pots  and  other  articles ;  of  these  several  thousands,  valued 
at  1500  rupees,  are  made  yearly  it  is  said  at  Hala.  They  are  at 
all  times  in  great  request,  and,  being  reasonable  in  price,  meet  with 
a  ready  sale.  It  may  be  here  mentioned  that,  at  the  Industrial 
Exhibition  held  at  Karachi  in  December  1869,  several  prizes  were 
gained  by  the  Hala  workmen  in  this  manufacture.  Dr.  Stocks 
thus  speaks  of  the  manner  in  which  this  pottery  is  made,  and  of 
the  ingredients  of  which  it  is  composed  : — **  The  body  of  the  tile 
is  clay.  Three  kinds  of  glazes  are  used— colourless,  green,  and 
brown ;  variety  of  colour  is  obtained  in  different  ways  on  a  bed 
of  finer  clay,  laid  on  the  surface  to  be  glazed ;  metalUc  pigments, 
viz.,  those  of  manganese,  cobalt  and  copper,  are  traced  on  the 
figures  wished  to  be  represented,  and  over  these  the  transparent 
glaze,  in  the  pulverized  state,  is  placed.  Thus  prepared,  the  tiles 
are  subjected  to  heat,  when  the  body  is  converted  into  earthen- 
ware, the  prepared  fine  clay  in  contact  with  it  into  white  porce- 
lain, the  pigments  into  the  figures,  coloured  purplish  black,  azure 
and  green,  and  the  glaze  into  the  transparent  glass  which  forms 
the  surface  and  transmits  to  view  the  coloured  figures.     The  tile 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


HAL  A.  219 

therefore  presents  these  colours — ^white,  black  with  purple  tinge, 
azure  and  green  :  when  the  green  glaze  is  used  on  a  dark  ground, 
white  clay  is  laid,  over  which  the  green  glaze  is  put,  and  when 
fixed  the  tile  presents  a  dark  green  ground,  with  bright  green 
figures.  These  tiles  are  in  two  colours.  The  brown  glaze  is 
used  in  the  same  way  as  the  last,  and  gives  the  colours  of  dark 
brown  and  yellow.  These  comprise  the  colours  commonly  pro- 
duced :  the  glazes  are  formed  of  the  base  of  sand  and  litharge, 
6  of  the  former  to  20  of  the  latter,  which  is  the  transparent  glaze. 
The  green  has  added  ij  of  oxide  of  copper,  and  the  brown  2J^  of 
karmajiy  which  appears  to  be  oxide  of  iron  with  a  little  cobalt 
mixed  with  it  The  sand  used  for  the  glaze  is  brought  from 
Sehwan ;  the  flint  for  the  porcelain  clay  from  Mount  Anjar :  the 
cobalt  is  called  auria;  the  litharge,  mardar  sing;  and  the  sub- 
stance called  karptajiy  which .  gives  colour  to  the  brown  glaze,  is 
principally  oxide  of  iron.  The  preparation  or  native  place  of  it 
is  not  known." 

The  Hala  district  is  noted  also  for  another  manufacture — that  of 
lacquered  ware.  Of  this  work  the  rings  for  table-napkins,  work- 
boxes,  pen-cases,  rulers,  vases,  flower-stands,  boxes  with  flat  or 
rounded  tops  in  nests,  and  a  variety  of  other  articles,  are  made, 
chiefly  in  the  town  of  Khanot  The  legs  of  charpdis  (or  native 
bedsteads)  are  also  lacquered.  The  wood  of  which  these  articles 
are  made,  and  on  which  the  lacquer  is  laid,  is  from  the  bahan 
tree,  and  is  remarkable  for  its  lightness. 

Fairs. — There  are  in  all  22  fairs  held  annually  at  various 
times  and  places  in  the  Hala  district,  and  a  few  half-yearly,  and 
even  monthly.  The  following  is  a  Hst  of  the  principal  fairs,  at 
which  the  average  attendance  of  people  is  1000  and  upwards  {see 
next  page) : — 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


220 


HALA. 


A 

Average 

. 

|Q 

Attend- 

% 

Where  held. 

When  held. 

I'd 

In  whose  honour. 

ance,  and 

li 

by  what 
Class. 

HindOs. 

Yearly,  in  March 

4 

35.ax> 

I.  Ua-Udero    . 

Half-yearly,    in| 
November       ./ 

I 

Udero-Lal*      . 

3»oa> 

And  monthly    . 

I 

^ 

500 

Muham- 
madans. 

i' 

2.  Hala.     .     . 

Half-yearly,    in\ 
Oct  and  March/ 

I 

Makdum  Nuh  . 

5,000 

s 

3.  Bhitshah       . 

Yearly,  in  May 

I 

Shah  AbdOl  t  . 

4,000 

4.  Bhanot    .      . 

DittOj  in  March 

I 

Pir  Bilali     .      . 

3,000 

5.  Matari     *      » 

Ditto,  in  October 

1 

Rukanshah       . 

2,500 

6.  Matiri     ,     , 

Ditto,  in  Sept 

I 

Ha>himshah      * 

3,000 

7.Tir     ,      .     . 

Ditto     .     .     > 

I 

Shekh  Tir   .      , 

2,000 

8,  Deh  Khebrani 

Ditto     •     ,     . 

I 

Nuh  Hotani      , 

Si<x» 

d 

9.  Bukera    .     * 

Ditto,  in  Dec.  . 

I 

Kaimshlh   .     . 

6,000 

H 

10.  Nasarpur 

Ditto      .     .     , 

I 

Muhammad  Shah 

5,000 

II,  Bukera    -     , 

Ditto,  in  Nov. 

I 

Pir  Feroishah  . 

6,QOO 

^, 

12,  Near   Adam- 

Ditto     ,     ,     . 

I 

Mushek  Hoti    , 

2,500 

*»^' 

^ 

jo- Tando, 

13.  KaisarGot   * 

Ditto     .     .     , 

I 

Pir  Kainsar 

1,000 

■3 

i4.Shekh    Musa 

Ditto      .     .      . 

1 

Shekh  Muso     . 

1,000 

F— 1 

1 15,  Pir  Vahio     , 

Ditto     .     .      , 

1 

Pir  Vahio    ,      . 

1,000 

*  This  saint  is  known  among  Muhaun- 
madans  as  Sh€kh  Tahir. 


t  This  saint  died  about  a.d.  1751,  and  the 
tomb  was  erected  in  1753. 


Roads. — There  are  nearly  600  miles  of  roads  in  this  district, 
not  one  of  which  is  metalled ;  but  the  sandy  nature  of  the  soil 
makes  this  not  only  unnecessary,  but  practically  impossible,  except 
at  an  enormous  pecuniary  outlay.  But  few  of  the  roads  are  wholly 
or  partially  bridged,  and  those  only  on  the  principal  lines  of 
thoroughfare,  nor  are  milestones  put  up  on  any  of  the  roads, 
with  the  exception  of  those  connecting  Hala  with  Sakrand,  and 
Shahdadpur.  The  following  table  (see  next  page)  will  show  the 
different  lines  of  road  in  the  Hala  district,  with  other  information 
connected  with  them. 

Postal. — There  are  five  non-disbursing  post-offices  and  but  two 
branch  offices ;  the  former  are  situate  at  Hala,  Adam-jo-Tando, 
Gidu-bandar,  and  Alahyar-jo-Tando ;  the  latter  are  at  Ghotana 
and  Narsarpur.  The  postal  service  is  carried  out  by  "  Kdsid^  or 
foot-lines,  which  run  from  Hala  to  Shahdadpur,  Hala  to  Manjhand 
ferry  (on  the  right  bank  of  the  Indus),  from  Hala  to  Adam-jo-Tando, 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


HALA. 


221 


Lines  op  Road  in  the  Hala  District. 


Road 

.9  . 

.S 

|l 

\i 

Remarks. 

From 

To 

The  Hyderabad 

The         Umarkot 

37* 

24 

With      few    exceptions,     bridged 

boundary 

boundary. 

throughout. 

Hala    .... 

Sakrand      .     .     .'25 

24 

Partly    bridged,      Bangalow    and 
Dharamsala  at  Hala. 

Alahyar-jo-Tando 

Dero  Mohbat   .     .  '22 

12 

do.            B.  and  Dh.  at  Tando 

Ditto    .... 

Shahdadpur     .     .:32 

i 

12 

do.               Alahyar. 

Dh.  at  Shahdadpur. 

Ditto   .... 

Matari   .     .     .      .'19I 

12 

do.            B.  and  Dh.  at  Matari. 

Hala    .... 

Mirpur  Khas    .     .'40} 

12 

do.            Dh.  at  Mirpun 
do.            Dh.  at  T.  Adam. 

Adam-jo-Tando   . 

Ghotana      .     .     .16 

12 

Mirpur 

Gorchani     .     .     .16 

12 

Unbridged,  B.  and  Dh  at  Gorchani. 

Ditto    .... 

Hala  {viA  Sfimra)     28} 

12 

ParUy  bridged. 

Adam-jo-Tando  . 

Sekhat  .     .     .     .13} 

12 

do. 

Mirpur       .      .      . 

Khipra  boundary    .  13 
Shahdidpur      .     .  15 

12 

Unbridged. 

Hala    .... 

12 

Partly  bridged. 

Ditto   .     .     .     .'Bhitshah     ...    5 

12 

do. 

Ditto    .      .     .     .  Khanot        .     .     .15 

12 

Unbridged. 

Ditto   .     .     .     .  Ghotana      .     .     .'  4i 

12 

Partly  bridged,  Dh.  at  Ghotana. 

Matari       .     .     .ShckhTir  ...    3 

12 

Unbridged. 

Shahdadpur    .     .'Beiani    .     .     .     .  14) 

12 

do. 

Hala  (branches)  .|Mainroad  .     .     .    2j 

12 

Partly  bridged. 

Saidabad  .     .     .  iBrahminabad    .     .25 

12 

Unbridged,  B.  and  Dh.  at  Saidabad. 

Shahdadpur    .      .'Sanghar  (boundary)  18} 

12 

do. 

Alahyar-jo-Tando  Samaro  (boundary)  38 

12 

do. 

Ditto    .     .     .     .  Muhammad  Khan  1 

12 

do. 

Muhammad  Khan  Adam-jo-Tando     .13 

12 

do. 

Tajpur       .     .     .  Nasarpur     .     .     . 

3i 

12 

do.            Dh.  at  Nasarpur. 

Ditto    ....  Sarafrazwah      .     . 

2 

12 

do. 

Hala    .     .     .     .Bhanot.     .     .     . 

6 

12 

Partly  bridged. 

Matari       .     .     .Unarpur  Ferry.     . 

4i 

12 

Unbridged. 

Dalari.     .     .     .'Berani    .... 

<>; 

12 

da 

Shahdadpur    .     .  Sakrand  (boundary)  17 

12 

do. 

Maksudo  .     .     .  Gm  Muhammad    . 

6i 

12 

do. 

Shahdadpur    .     . 

Ditto     .... 

131 

12 

da 

Bemni.     .     .     . 

91 

12 

da 

Landhi      .     .     . 

Dalari    .     .     .     . 

3i 

12 

do.           B.  atliindhi. 

Shahdadpur    .     .  Kiin-Daro        and 

Bhitshah    .     .     . 

8 

12 

da 

Dalari.     .     .     . 

Brahmanabad  .     . 

2 

12 

do.            B.  at  Dalari. 

Saiangwah      .     . 
Khokhar  .     .     . 

Marak  Brumbro 
Hyderabad 
(boundary)      .     . 

il 

12 

da 

6 

12 

do.            B.  at  Khokhar. 

Khadro     .     .     .  Shahpur      ... 
Ditto   .     .     .     .;Sanghar  (boundary) 

Adam-jo-Tando  .Ijhof 

Saidabftd  .     .     .  Nakur    .... 

4 
5» 

12 
12 

da 
da 

i9i 

12 

do.           Dh.  at  JhoL 

6 

20 

da 

Khanot      .     .     .jRiyer  Indus      .     . 

3 

12 

da 

Ditto  .     .     .     .iOhotana      .     .     . 

3 

12 

da 

Bhanot      .     .     .iManjhand  Ferry    . 

4» 

12 

da 

Nasarpur  .     .     .jHalaHavcU     .     . 

4 

20 

da 

On  this  line  miles  are  inscribed  on  the  telegraph  po^^„  ^y  CjOOQ IC 


222  '  HALA. 

and  from  Matari  to  Shekh  Tir.  The  town  of  Alahyar-jo-Tando  is 
served  by  the  postal  line  which  runs  from  Hyderabad  to  Mirpur. 

There  are  also  dharamsalas  at  Khebrani,  Kamil  Laghari,  Landhi 
Khesano,  Landhi  Khanah,  Juman  Thebo,  and  Myo  Vahio. 

Electric  Telegraph. — The  Government  electric  telegraph 
line  runs  through  the  southern  portion  of  the  Hala  district  from 
Hyderabad  to  Umarkot,  vi&  Alahyar-jo-Tando ;  and  again  from 
south  to  north  from  Hyderabad  to  Rohri,  but  there  are  no  tele- 
graph stations  in  any  part  of  this  Deputy  CoUectorate. 

Ferries. — The  following  is  a  list  of  the  I7  ferries  in  the  Hala 
district,  with  other  particulars  connected  with  each  : — 


No.  of 

Boats 

Name  of  Ferry. 

Where  sitiiate. 

belong- 
ing to 
each 

Remarks. 

Tal.  Hala. 

I.  SarafrHzv^h     .     . 

Wasi  Memon    . 

I 

On  the  route  from  Hala 
to  Hyderabad. 

2.  Ditto    .... 

Bhinpur       .     . 

I 

3.  Ditto     .... 

Muso  Khatian  . 

I 

4.  Nasirwah    .     .     . 

Wasi  Jangi .      . 

I 

5.  Ditto    .... 

6.  Ditto    .... 

Detha    .     .     . 

I 

Wasi  Muhammad 

Muradshah    . 

I 

7.  Ghalu  .... 

Hala  HavSi     . 

I 

On  the  route  from  Na- 
sarpur  to  HUla  HavelL 

On  the  old  postal  road 
from    Hyderabad    to 

S.  Sangrowah      .     . 

I 

Sukkur. 

9.  Ditto     .... 

Khandu.     .     . 

I 

T.  Alahyar-jo-Tando. 

10.  Ghaliiwah  .     .     . 

Shahpur      .     . 

I 

II.  Ditto    .... 

AbdOlaJamSli. 

I 

12.  Ditto     .... 

Sumra  Nizamani 

I 

On  the  route  from  Alah- 
yar-jo-Tando to  Hala. 

13.  Sarafrazwah     .     . 

Khokhar     .     . 

I 

On  the  route  from  Alah- 
yar-jo-Tando toTanda. 

14.  Sangrowah      .     . 

Ditto      .     .     . 

I 

C^     the     route .  from 
Adam-jo-Tando  to  Lai 
Udero. 

Tal.  Shahdadpur 

15.  Ganjbahar .     .     . 

Pir  Golo      .     . 

I 

On  the  postal  road  from 
Hydera  )ad  to  Rohri. 

16.  Shahwah    .     .     . 

Landhi  .     .     . 

I 

17.  Lohano  (small)      . 

Timuhi  .     .     . 

I 

HALA. 


223 


Antiquities. — There  are  in  this  division  several  places  worthy 
of  note,  either  on  account  of  their  own  individual  antiquity^  or  as 
containing  ancient  buildings  of  some  architectural  interest  A 
description  of  the  old  and  ruined  city  of  Brahmanlbad,  situate  in 
the  Shahdadpur  taluka  of  this  division,  will  be  found  in  another 
part  of  this  Gazetteer.  {Se€  Brahman abad.)  Two  miles  from  New 
Hala  is  the  ruined  town  of  Khudabad^  once  the  favourite  residence 
of  the  Talpur  chiefs  of  Sind^  and  where  the  remains  of  several 
of  them  rest  in  tombs  of  neat  but  plain  construction.  Thornton 
states  that  about  60  years  ago  it  was  a  large  town^  rivalling 
Hyderabad  in  size  and  population^  but  that  in  1844  not  one 
habitable  dwelling  remained.  The  large  tomb  known  as  Fateh 
Ali  Khan's  is  the  only  one  of  any  note ;  it  is  in  good  order,  and 
is  said  to  have  been  built  about  100  years  ago.  The  foundation 
is  of  stone,  but  the  superstructure  is  composed  of  burnt  glazed 
brick.  At  Lal-Udero,  in  the  Hala  talaka,  where  several  fairs  for 
HindQs  are  held  during  the  year,  is  a  tomb  said  to  be  500  years 
old ;  it  is  always  kept  in  good  irepair.  At  Elamaro,  in  the  Alahyar- 
jo-Tando  taluka,  are  four  tombs ;  two  of  these,  called  after  Pir 
Muhammad  Ashraf,  were  built  about  40  years  since,  the  other 
two  are  called  the  Pak  Sanghar  tombs,  and  are  supposed  to  have 
been  erected  about  52  years  ago.  The  foundations  are  of  stone, 
and  the  rest  of  burnt  brick  with  coloured  decorations.  They  are 
kept  in  good  repair.  There  is  another  tomb  at  Myo  Vahio,  also 
in  the  Alahyar-jo-Tando  taluka,  built  about  60  years  ago,  and  in 
good  repair.  Like  those  just  mentioned,  the  material  is  of  burnt 
brick,  with  a  stone  foundation. 

EQila,  a  taluka  (or  revenue  sub-division)  of  the  Hala  Deputy 
Collectorate,  having  6  tapas  and  70  villages,  with  an  area  of  524 
square  miles,  and  a  population  of  78,237  souls.  The  revenue, 
imperial  and  local,  of  diis  taluka,  for  the  five  years  ending  1873-74, 
IS  as  follows : — 


Imperial  .     .     . 
Local.     .     .     . 

Total  rupees  . 

1869-70. 

1870-71. 

1871-73. 

«87»-73. 

«873-74. 

rupees. 
93.269 

9.432 

rupees. 
1,40,882 

9.405 

rupees. 
1,29,590 

11.780 

rupees. 
1.27,963 

11,858 

rupees. 
1,24,710 

9,964 

1,02,701 

1,50,287 

1,41,370 

1,39.821 

1.34,674 

Hala  (Old),  a  town  in  the  Hala  taluka  of  the  Hala  district, 
2  miles  north  from  New  Hala,  and  situate  on  the  border  of  a  large 

Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


224  HA  LA, 

dhandh.  It  has  road  communication  only  with  New  Hala  and 
Khanot  It  is  the  head-quarter  station  of  a  Tapadar,  and  has  a 
Government  vernacular  school.  Thie  population  is  2467,  compris- 
ing Muhammadans  and  Hindus,  but  the  number  of  each  is  not 
known ;  of  the  former,  the  principal  tribes  are  Memons,  Giranas, 
Saunis,  and  Halas ;  of  the  latter,  Lohanos,  Sehlas,  and  KJietris. 
Their  occupation  is  mostly  agricultural.  The  local  and  transit 
trades  are,  comparatively  speaking,  insignificant  The  chief  men 
of  note  in  the  place  are  Kazis,  MuUas,  and  Amils.  This  town  is 
supposed  to  have  been  built  about  a.d.  1422  (h.  800),  at  a  time 
when  the  Samma  dynasty  was  ruling  in  Sind,  but  was  partially 
abandoned  in  a.d.  i8oo,  owing,  it  is  said,  to  a  threatened  encroach- 
ment on  the  town  by  the  river  Indus. 

Hala  (New),  formerly  known  imder  the  name  of  Murtizabad, 
is  the  chief  town  in  the  Hala  taluka  of  the  Hala  district,  and  is 
situate  in  latitude  25°  45'  N.,  and  longitude  68°  28'  E.  It  is 
seated,  as  it  were,  on  the  Aliganj  canal,  and  is  distant  36  miles 
north  from  Hyderabad.  Hala  has  extensive  road  communication 
with  other  towns.  It  stands  some  distance  from  the  high-road 
which  runs  from  Hyderabad  to  Rohri,  with  which,  however,  it  is 
connected  by  two  small  branches.  It  has,  besides,  roads  leading 
from  it  to  Ghotana,  Bhitshah,  Old  Hala,  Lal-Udero,  Shahdadpur, 
and  Adam-jo-Tando.  The  town  contains  numerous  Government 
buildings,  such  as  the  Deputy  Collector's  bangalow,  with  a  fine 
garden  attached  to  it,  a  Subordinate  Judge*s  court-house,  Mukh- 
tyarkai's  dera^  a  dispensary,  travellers*  bangalow,  dharamsala, 
Government  vernacular  and  female  schools,  a  cattie-pound  (or 
dhak),  and  police  lines.  Hala  also  possesses  a  municipality,  esta- 
blished in  May  i860,  the  revenue  of  which  in  1873-74  amounted 
to  2756  rupees,  and  the  expenditure  to  2632  rupees.  The  number 
of  inhabitants  is  4096,  of  whom  2646  are  Muhammadans,  and 
1234  Hindus.  Of  the  former  the  Memons  are  the  most  numerous. 
The  population  is  mostiy  agricultural.  Among  the  Hindus,  the 
Lohlno  and  Bhabra  castes  greatly  predominate.  They  are  all 
traders. 

The  chief  persons  of  note  residing  in  Hala  are  Makdums  and 
Kazis  ;  of  the  former,  Mian  MakdOm  Amin  Muhammad  is  one  of 
the  most  important  The  trade  of  Hala  is  chiefly  in  grain,  such 
as  bajri,  juar,  wheat,  piece  goods,  ghi,  cotton  and  sugar.  Its 
value,  approximately^  is  about  39,000  rupees.  The  transit  trade, 
which  consists  principally  of  the  articles  above  enumerated,  is 
valued  at  about  70,000  rupees. 

The  manufactures  are  principally  of  glazed  pottery,  for  which 

Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


HALANL  225 

Hala  has  long  been  famous.  The  finer  kmds  are  made  from  a 
clay  obtained  firom  the  Indus,  mixed  in  large  proportion  with 
ground  flints ;  the  decorations  are  of  a  brilliant  character,  and  in 
some  cases  evince  considerable  taste.  At  present,  vases,  jars, 
dishes,  plates,  cups,  saucers,  tiles  and  other  articles  are  laigely 
manufactured,  and  as  these  are  moderately  priced,  they  meet  with 
a  ready  sale.  "  Susis,"  or  cloth  for  trowsers,  and  Sindian  caps  of 
excellent  quality  are  also  made  in  this  town.  The  value  of  the 
articles  so  manu&ctured  yearly  may  be  estimated  at  about  7500 
rupees.  New  Hala  was  built  about  a.d.  1800,  by  one  Makdum 
Mir  Muhammad,  in  consequence  of  Old  Hala,  which  is  but  two 
miles  distant,  being  at  that  time  threatened  with  encroachment  by 
the  river  Indus.  Among  the  antiquities  of  the  place  may  be  men- 
tioned two  tombs  and  a  mazjid,  the  property  of  Makdum  Amin 
Muhammad.  These  shrines  are  in  honour  of  a  reputed  Musahnan 
saint,  Makdum  Nuh,  bom  about  a.d.  1505,  and  who  died  at  the 
age  of  87  ;  and  in  consequence  a  fair  is  held  here  twice  a  year,  in 
the  months  of  March  and  October,  when  some  thousands  of  people 
from  all  parts  of  the  province  assemble  to  do  honour  to  the  Pir. 
His  remains  are  said  to  have  been  twice  disinterred,  owing  to  en- 
croachments of  the  river  Indus,  his  last  resting-place  being  at  New 
Hala,  where  he  was  again  laid  about  a.d.  1779.  The  foundation 
of  this  tomb  was  laid  by  Makdum  Muhammad  Zaman,  in  a.d.  i  795, 
and  a  cupola  was  added  to  it  in  the  same  year  by  Mfr  Fateh  Ali 
KJian  Talpur.  The  mosque  to  the  north  of  the  tomb  was  built  by 
Mir  Karam  Ali  Khan  Talpur,  and  the  other  buildings  in  connec- 
tion with  this  shrine  were  erected  about  the  year  18 10  by  MakdUm 
Pinio  Ladho.  These  tombs,  which  had  been  in  a  ruinous  con- 
dition, have  lately  been  repaired  at  a  cost  of  2000  rupees^  half 
of  which  was  contributed  by  the  British  Government,  and  the 
remainder  by  the  owner  of  the  shrines,  Amin  Muhammad. 

Haloni,  a  Government  village  in  the  Kandiaro  taluka  of  the 
Naushahro  division.  It  is  16  miles  north-east  from  Tharu  Shah, 
and  is  close  to  the  village  of  Bhelani,  on  the  high-road  leading  from 
Hyderabad  to  Rohri,  and  has  road  communication  with  Mohbat- 
dSro-Jatoi,  10  miles  distant  There  is  a  Tapadar  stationed  here, 
and  the  place  possesses  a  dharamsala,  district  bangalow,  and  a 
vernacular  school,  but  there  are  no  police  lines.  The  inhabitants, 
numbering  in  all  1633,  comprise  Muhammadans,  mostly  of  the 
Sahata  tribe^  and  Hindds^  chiefly  Lohanos  and  Panjabis,  but  the 
number  of  each  is  not  known.  The  occupation  of  the  people  is 
agricultural  Lieutenant  Jameson,  in  his  report  on  the  Sahiti 
district,  states  that  in  1852  this  town  had  15 15  inhabitants,  of 

Q 

Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


226  HUMAIYUN— HYDERABAD   COLLECTORATE. 

whom  1037  were  Muhammadans^  and  that  there  were  in  all  291 
houses  and  53  shops. 

There  are  no  manufactures  of  any  kind  here,  but  there  is  an 
export  trade  in  grain  of  the  annual  value  of  7000  rupees,  Halani 
is  supposed  to  be  an  old  town,  and  to  have  existed  prior  to  the 
Kalhora  dynasty.  It  was  near  this  place  that  the  Baloch  forces 
under  Mir  Fateh  Ali  Khan  Talpur,  about  1781,  defeated  the 
Kalhora  sovereign,  Abdul  Nabi  Khan ;  and  several  tombs,  pre- 
sumed to  have  been  raised  to  the  memory  of  some  chiefs  who  fell 
in  this  action^  mark  the  spot  at  the  present  day. 

Humaiyun  (or  Humao),  a  Government  village  in  the 
Shikarpur  taluka  of  the  Sukkur  and  Shikarpur  Division,  distant 
13  miles  north-west  of  Shikarpur,  with  which  town,  as  also  with 
Jacobabad,  Mian  Saheb  and  Jagan  it  has  road  communication. 
It  is  the  head-quarter  station  of  a  Tapadar,  and  has  police  lines 
for  20  men,  a  district  bangalow  and  musafirkhana.  The  popu- 
lation, numbering  in  all  1005,  consists  of  713  Musalmans  of  the 
Saiyad  and  Sidhaya  tribes,  and  292  Hindus.  Their  chief  employ- 
ments are  trade  and  agriculture. 

Husri,  a  Government  village  in  the  Hyderabad  taluka  of  the 
Hyderabad  Collectorate,  distant  6  miles  south-east  from  the  town 
of  Hyderabad.  It  has  road  communication  with  Tando  Kaisar, 
Tando  Fazal  and  Hyderabad,  and  is  the  head-quarter  station  of  a 
Tapadar.  There  are  police  lines  for  6  men.  The  population, 
numbering  959  souls,  comprises  620  Hindus,  mostly  Lohanos,  the 
remaining  339  being  Muhammadans,  chiefly  Panwhars.  Their 
principal  employment  is  agriculture  and  trade. 

Hyderabad  Collectorate,  a  large  district  of  the  Province  of 
Sind  lying  between  the  24th  and  27th  parallels  of  north  latitude, 
and  the  68th  and  70th  meridians  of  east  longitude.  It  is  bounded 
on  the  north  by  the  territory  of  his  Highness  Mir  Ali  Murad  Khan 
Talpur;  on  the  east  by  the  Thar  and  Parkar  Political  Superin- 
tendency ;  on  the  south  by  this  latter  district  and  the  Kori  river, 
and  on  the  west  by  the  river  Indus  and  a  portion  of  the  Karachi 
Collectorate.  Its  greatest  length  from  north  to  south  is  216 
miles,  with  a  breadth  from  east  to  west  of  48  miles,  the  entire  area 
being  estimated  by  the  Survey  Department  at  9218  square  miles. 
It  is  divided  into  three  Deputy  Collectorates,  and  one  distinct 
taluka  (that  of  Hyderabad),  as  shown  in  the  following  table : — 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


HYDERABAD   COLLECTORATE, 


227 


Divisions. 

Area  in 
Sq.  Miles. 

Number  of 
Dehs. 

Population. 

2.  Hala 

3.  Tanda 

4.  Hyderabad  Taluka     . 

Total   .     .     . 

3,067 

2.558 

3.177 

416 

300 

231 

410 

59 

219.596 
216,139 

189.931 
98,217 

9,218 

1000 

723,883 

The  genera]  aspect  of  this  large  district  is  that  of  an  extensive 
alluvial  plain,  broken  only  by  a  small  limestone  range  known  as 
the  Ganja  hills.  This  range  is  situate  in  the  Hyderabad  taluka, 
and  runs  nearly  due  north  and  south,  parallel  to  the  river  for  about 
13  miles.  There  are  two  small  conical  hills  in  the  Tanda  Deputy 
CoUectorate  close  to  the  Indus  and  immediately  opposite  the 
Jerruck  range.  That  part  of  the  Hyderabad  CoUectorate  bordering 
on  the  Indus  is  lined  with  forests,  which  to  some  extent  break  the 
otherwise  monotonous  landscape.  The  greater  part  of  the  land  in 
the  northernmost  division  of  this  district,  that  of  Naushahro,  is 
very  fertile,  but  out  of  the  limit  of  irrigation  all  is  desert  This 
is  the  case  also  with  the  H^la  and  Tanda  divisions,  where  towards 
the  east  there  is  much  sandy  and  unprofitable  land  In  the  Tanda 
division,  to  the  south  and  east,  are  extensive  salt-plains,  varied 
only  by  a  few  sand-hills  on  the  Thar  and  Parkar  boundary.  In 
the  Hyderabad  taluka,  owing  to  its  intersection  by  the  Fuleli  and 
to  the  presence  of  the  small  limestone  range  of  hills  previously 
mentioned,  there  is  perhaps  more  diversity  of  landscape  than  is  to 
be  found  in  any  other  part  of  this  extensive  district 

Like  other  Collectorates  in  Sind,  the  chief  revenue  and  magis- 
terial authority  is  vested  in  a  CoUector  and  Magistrate,  assisted  by 
the  Deputy  Collectors  and  Magistrates  of  divisions  of  districts  and 
by  the  Huzur  Deputy  Collector,  who  is  permanently  stationed  at 
the  city  of  Hyderabad.  There  is  also  a  District  and  Sessions 
Judge,  who  not  only  holds  sessions  at  the  towns  of  Hyderabad, 
Sakrand,  Hala,  and  Muhammad  Khan's  Tanda  several  times  in 
the  year,  but  at  Umarkot  in  the  Thar  and  Parkar  Political  Super- 
intendency  as  well  once  a  year.  For  the  proper  supervision  of  the 
different  canal  divisions,  there  are  several  executive  engineers  of 
the  Public  Works  Department,  with  assistants  and  suitable  estab- 
lishments. The  northern  half  of  the  CoUectorate  is  included  in 
the  Rohri  canal  division,  the  canals  in  the  southern  half  making 
up  the  Fuleli  division,  while  those  in  the  Nara  valley  of  this 

Q  2 

Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


238 


HYDERABAD   COLLECTORATE, 


district  are  included  in  what  is  called  the  Eastern  Nara  division. 
There  was  also  a  Local  Funds  Engineer,  who  had  to  carry  out 
works  of  local  utility  throughout  the  CoUectorate,  but  this  appoint- 
ment has  lately  been  aboHshed.  The  police  force  of  the  Hydera- 
bad district,  which  is  under  the  charge  of  a  European  District 
Superintendent,  with  his  head-quarters  at  Hyderabad,  comprises 
mounted,  armed  and  unarmed  foot  police,  and  town  and  district 
municipal  police,  as  shown  in  the  following  table  : — 


District  Police 

Town  Police . 

Armed  Foot\ 
Police     .  / 

Municipal     \ 
PoUce     .  / 

Total    . 

Inspectors. 

Chief  Con- 
stables. 

Head  Con- 
stables. 

Con- 
stables. 

Horse 
Police. 

Camel 
PoUce. 

Total. 

3 

I 

I6 
3 

24 
29 

36 

140 
137 
240 

94 

116 

37 

336 
167 
279 

94 

4 

19 

89 

611 

116 

37 

876 

Taking  876  as  the  total  number  of  the  police  in  the  Hyderabad 
CoUectorate,  this  will  give  one  policeman  to  every  eleven  square 
miles  of  area,  and  to  every  824  of  the  population. 

The  entire  revenue  of  the  Hyderabad  CoUectorate,  considered 
under  the  heads  of  imperial  and  local,  is  mostly  derived  from  the 
land,  but  it  has  not  shown  that  large  and  progressive  increase 
which  has  characterized  other  districts  in  Sind.  This  remark  will  be 
borne  out  by  observing  the  average  net  land  revenue  for  three 
successive  periods  of  time,  each  of  six  years,  as  follows : — 


For  Six  Years. 

from  1856-57  to 

1861-^. 

For  Six  Years. 

from  x869-«3  to 

X867-68. 

For  Six  Years. 

from  x868-^  to 

«873-74- 

rvpees. 
10,75.061 

rupees. 
10,66,709 

rupees. 
11,16,556 

As  regards  Abkari  revenue,  it  may  here  be  mentioned  that  the 
Government  distilleries  at  Hyderabad  and  Kandiaro  were  both 
suppressed  in  1863,  since  which  aU  farms  for  the  sale  of  liquor  are 
sold  by  auction  annually  to  the  highest  bidder.     The  following 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


HYDERABAD   COLLECTORATE. 


229 


table  will  serve  to  illustrate  the  Abkari  system  as  in  vogue  at  the 
town  of  Hyderabad  from  the  year  1856-57  down  to  1873-74 : — 


European 

Liquor  Shops  fanned. 

Liquor 

Drug  Revenue. 

Year. 

Net  Land 
Revenue. 

Licences. 

Fanners' 
Sdlk. 

Farmers' 
Shops. 

Receipts 
from 
Farms. 

No.  of] 
Shops. 

Receipts. 

Shops. 

Revenue; 

rupe«5i. 

mpeci* 

rupees. 

iS 56-57 

1*163,374 

2D 

158 

31.260 

'5 

313 

16,189 

iSs7'SS 

12,75.004 

21 

175 

39.679 

30 

229 

14.906 

1S5S-59 

io,09,S6S 

21 

i<^3 

37.261 

30 

22a 

16.220 

1859-60 

10,36,925 

21 

170 

41,176 

80 

246 

20,377 

1860-61 

9i^^.437 

21 

149 

58.182 

75 

213 

39,273 

1861-61 

11,47,184 

%\ 

nS 

S»»96i 

50 

^^1^ 

44,460 

1S62-63 

12,45,915 

21 

^37 

44,894 

50 

279 

47,374 

fS63^4 

11,17,685 

20 

139 

40,S4S 

"i? 

274 

42.026 

1864-65 

10,63,241 

13 

139 

59,037 

S6 

% 

46,461 

1S6S-66 

8,75*141 

6 

141 

45.700 

50 

47.S39 

1S66-67 

9.35-871 

8 

137 

65,50s 

4SS 

352 

53*259 

1867^68 

10,70,664 

4 

»4i 

73,320 

450 

293 

47,992 

i86g-69    10,84.782 

4 

144 

8S,I90 

450 

181 

22,490 

1869-70    II,3Jf24l 

5 

144 

83,915 

6 

600 

178 

22.230 

1870-71    11,42,921 

3 

143 

80,850 

6 

600 

180 

20,280 

1871-72    11,29,694 

3 

146 

73, 95a 
90,763 

7 

650 

180 

43*760 

1872-73  111,60,119 

6 

146 

6 

600 

iSo 

52.936 

1873-74    10,60,581 

3 

1     ^^^ 

96,4^^ 

6 

600 

180 

53.043 

The  imperial  and  local  revenues  of  the  Hyderabad  CoUectorate 
for  the  past  ten  years,  ending  with  1873-74,  are  as  follows  : — 


Imperial  .     . 
Local*     .     . 

«864-«5.      '      1865-66. 

1866-67. 

1867-68. 

i86fr^. 

rupees. 
13,71,123 

rupees. 
11,37,166 

rupees. 
12,66,141 

1,03,264 

rupees. 
14,18,609 

1,20,534 

rupees. 
14,68,921 

1,21,046 

Imperial  .     . 
LocaJ       .     . 

1869-^0. 

1870-71.           1871-79. 

x87a-73. 

J873-74. 

rupees. 
15,44,169 

1,20,285 

rupees. 
16,09,803 

1,28,550 

rupees. 
15,48,448 

1,43,353 

rupees. 
15,67,694 

1,24,490 

rupees. 
14,49,443 

1,24,340 

The  Local  Fund  revenue  is  made  up  from  three  taxes  (legal- 
ised under  Act  VIII.  of  1865);  these  are — i,  the  one-anna  cess  ; 
2,  the  three-per-cent  jagir  cess  for  roads ;  and  3,  the  two-per-cent. 
jagir  cess  for  schools.     Other  sources  of  revenue  under  this  head 

Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


230 


HYDERABAD   COLLECTORATE. 


are  fisheries,  cattle  pound  and  ferry  funds,  travellers'  bangalow 
fees,  &c. 

The  canal  revenue  and  cost  of  clearance  in  this  Collectorate 
are  items  of  considerable  importance,  the  latter  especially,  as 
being  one  of  a  very  expensive  nature,  owing  to  the  large  number 
of  canals  in  this  part  of  the  province.  The  revenue  derived  from 
the  canals  and  their  cost  of  clearance  during  the  past  ten  years, 
ending  1873-74,  are  as  below  : — 


Revenue .     . 

Cost  of  clearO 
ance  .     .  / 

1864-65. 

1865-66. 

X866-67. 

1867-68. 

Z868-69. 

rupees. 
9,35,726 

2,36,786 

rupees. 
9,34,233 

2,59,547 

rupees. 
9,89,132 

2,13,532 

rupees. 
9,76,790 

2,39,007 

rupees. 

9,fe;862 

1,96,243 

Revenue  .     . 

Cost  of  clear-) 
ance     .     . \ 

X869-70. 

1870^1. 

1871-72. 

1878-73. 

1873-74- 

rupees. 
9,91,587 

2,34,815 

rupees. 
10,19,002 

2,67,317 

rupees. 
10,01,321 

1,53,264 

rupees. 
10,45,144 

1,90,599 

rupees. 
9,58,506 

2,17,478 

The  forests  in  this  Collectorate  are  32  in  number,  and  have  an 
aggregate  area  of  183  square  miles.  They  skirt  the  Indus  from 
the  Naushahro  Deputy  Collectorate  down  to  the  Tanda  district ; 
many  of  them  are  of  large  size,  especially  in  the  Naushahro 
division,  those  of  Bhanwar,  Bhorti,  Khaira-dero,  and  Man  being 
each  above  10,000  acres  in  area.  The  number  of  forests  in  each 
of  the  Deputy  CoUectorates,  with  other  information  connected  with 
them,  are  shown  in  the  subjoined  table; — 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


HYDERABAD  COLLECTORATE. 


231 


Division. 


Name  of  Forest. 


Area. 


Revenue  in 
1873-74. 


2 

-a 


li 

II 


»    I 


2. 

3- 
4- 
5. 
6. 

7. 
8. 

9. 
10. 
II. 
12. 

13- 
14. 

II: 
li: 

19. 
20. 
21. 
22. 
23. 
24. 

^1: 

27. 
28. 
29. 
30. 
31. 
32. 


Mohbat-dero 
Bhanwar 
Samtia    . 
Kamal-dero 
Bhorti     .     . 
Dalipota 
Khaira-dero 
Lalia       .     . 
Man       .     . 
Mahrabpur  . 
Madd      .     . 
Nasri      .     . 
Keti .     .     . 
Jakhri     .     . 
MatSri    .     . 
Sekhat    .     . 
Khebrani 
Khanot  . 
Rano      .     . 
Nurked  .     . 
Bhanot   .     . 
Keti.      .     . 
Kbatro    .     . 
Katiyar  . 
Tikhur    .      . 
Khokhar      . 
Khirduhi 
Meeanee 
Kathri    .     . 
Ghaliim 
Khathar .     . 
Husri      .     . 


75,269 


61,482 


24,764 


4,923 


12,070 


30,660 


",653 


18,370 


Education. — ^Though  education  has  made  considerable  pro- 
gress in  the  Hyderabad  district,  it  is  not  thought  to  stand  out  so 
favourably  in  this  respect  as  the  Shikarpur  CoUectorate.  The 
introduction  of  the  Hindu-Sindi  character  into  the  Government 
schools  is  expected  to  increase  the  attendance  of  the  children  of 
the  Banya  classes,  but  time  and  experience  must  show  whether  this 
new  character  will  become  popular  among  them.  The  number  of 
pupils  attending  schools  in  which  this  character  is  taught  is  now 
upwards  of  600.  Female  education  is  spreading,  though  slowly, 
the  greater  number  of  the  girls'  schools  being  found  in  the  chief 
town  of  the  CoUectorate.  Little  seems  to  be  known  of  the 
private  indigenous  schools  existing  throughout  the  district,  but 
it  is  well  known  that  the  instruction  afforded  in  the  vernacular 
schools  of  this  class  is  very  poor.  In  the  town  of  Hyderabad 
is  a  well-conducted  school  belonging  to  the  Church  Missionary 


Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


232  HYDERABAD   COLLECTORATE, 

Society ;  it  has  upwards  of  loo  pupils,  who  are  taught  up  to 
matriculation  standard.  The  foUowmg  tabular  statement  gives 
the  number  of  Government  schools  (and  pupils)  of  various  grades 
in  this  Collectorate  during  the  six  years  ending  1873-74   (see 

/.  233). 

The  total  number  of  private-aided  schools  throughout  the 
Collectorate  in  1873-74  was  six,  with  622  pupils. 

There  is  but  little  to  be  said  of  the  history  of  the  Hyderabad 
Collectorate  apart  from  the  history  of  the  entire  province  with 
which  it  is  so  closely  mixed  up.  Much  interest  must  necessarily 
attach  to  this  part  of  Sind,  in  which  was  situate  the  town  that 
was  for  so  many  years  the  capital  of  the  country  under  the  Kal- 
hora  and  Talpur  dynasties.  It  was  the  scene  of  the  gallant  defence 
of  the  British  Residency  in  1843,  and  in  it,  on  the  battle-fields  of 
Meeanee  and  Dabo,  was  decided  in  that  same  year  the  fate  of  the 
province.  The  Collectorate  has  at  various  times  undergone  several 
changes  in  its  area  and  boundaries.  From  the  date  of  the  con- 
quest the  Umarkot  district,  incorporated  in  what  was  then  known 
as  the  Mirpur  Deputy  Collectorate,  formed  a  part  of  the  Hyderabad 
Collectorate,  but  from  1859-60  it  was  detached  and  made  over 
to  the  Thar  and  Parkar  Political  Superintendency.  In  1851-52 
certain  possessions  of  his  Highness  Mir  Ali  Murad  of  Khairpur 
were  confiscated  by  the  Government  of  India,  and  among  these 
were  the  parganas  of  ELandiaro  and  Naushahro,  which  by  these 
means  became  an  integral  part  of  the  Hyderabad  district  Formerly 
a  large  tract  of  country  comprising  the  east  delta  (now  a  part  of  the 
Shahbandar  Deputy  Collectorate)  was  included  in  the  Hyderabad 
district,  but  this  was  transferred  to  Karachi  in  1861,  from  which 
year  down  to  the  present  time  no  further  changes  appear  to  have 
been  made  in  either  its  boimdaries  or  area. 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


HYDERABAD   COLLECTORATE. 


233 


M         M         M  M  ei 


% 


% 


s 


H 


to 


ro         »p     00 


I 


•8    ^ 


to 


fO 


I 


I 

CO 

"I- 

n 


I 

CO 


3 


o 


Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


234 


HYDERABAD   TALUK  A. 


Hyderabad,  a  taluka  of  the  Collectorate  of  the  same  name  ; 
it  is  boimded  on  the  north  by  the  Hala  taluka  of  the  Hala 
division ;  on  the  west  by  the  river  Indus ;  on  the  south  by  the 
Guni  taluka  of  the  Tanda  district,  and  on  the  east  by  the  Alahyar- 
jo-Tando  taluka  of  the  Hala  Deputy  Collectorate.  The  entire 
area  of  this  talQka  is  416  square  miles,  and  it  has  7  tapas  and 
59  villages.  Its  population,  according  to  the  census  of  1872,  is 
98,217,  including  the  city  of  Hyderabad,  or  about  236  souls  to 
the  square  mile,  as  shown  in  the  statement  below : — 


TalOlou 

Ar«a 
inSq. 
MUes. 

Tapas. 

Number 

of 
VUIages. 

Popula- 

Chief  Towns. 

Hyderabad    . 

4ifr 

1.  Hatri    .     .     . 

2.  Gundar      .     . 

3.  Husri    .     .      . 

4.  Khathar     .      . 

5.  Bhindo       .      . 

6.  Kathri  .     .     . 

7.  Fazal-jo-Tandq 

59 

98,217 

Hyderabad, 
Jam-jo-Tando, 
Kaisar-jo- 
Tando, 
Khatian, 
Gidu-Bandar, 
Husri. 

416 

59    1  98.217 

The  total  area  of  this  taluka  is  266,240  acres,  of  which  34,988 
are  cultivated,  43,068  are  cultivable,  and  188,184  are  unarable. 

General  Aspect. — The  appearance  of  this  otherwise  flat  dis- 
trict is  somewhat  diversified  by  a  range  of  limestone  hills  (the 
Ganja)  extending  in  length  nearly  due  north  and  south  for  about 
13  miles,  the  southern  portion  terminating  in  the  north-western 
part  of  the  Tanda  division.  This  range  has  an  average  altitude 
of  not  more  than  one  hundred  feet  In  that  part  of  the  taluka 
bordering  on  the  river  Indus,  there  are  some  fine  Government 
forests,  one  at  Meeanee  being  of  very  considerable  extent  The 
level  portion  of  this  district  i&  intersected  by  numerous  canals 
having  large  trees  growing  on  either  bank,  and  as  there  is  much 
garden  land  scattered  about  the  taluka,  this  portion  of  the  Hy- 
derabad Collectorate  has  a  pleasing  appearance  when  viewed 
from  any  height,  such,  for  instance,  as  from  the  fort  of  the  city 
of  Hyderabad. 

Hydrography. — ^The  canal  system  of  this  district  is  extensive, 
there  being  not  less  than  43  Government  canals,  large  and  small, 
which  serve  to  irrigate  it  Of  these  7  are  main  feeders,  the  re- 
mainder being  simply  offshoots  or  branches  from  one  or  other  of 
them.     There  is  no  zamindari  canal  of  any  consequence.     The 


Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


HYDERABAD   TALUK  A. 


235 


following  is  a  list  of  the  Government  canals  of  this  taluka  with 
their  average  revenue  and  cost  of  clearance  for  a  fixed  period, 
together  with  other  useful  information  connected  with  them : — 


Name  of  Canal. 

1 

Average 
Annual 
Cost  of 

Clearance 

for  5  years 

ending 

1873-74- 

Average 
Annual 

Revenue 

for  s  years 

ending 

1873-74- 

Remarlu. 

miles. 

feet. 

nipees. 

rupees. 

I.  Sarafiazwah      . 

... 

(See  under  T'anda 
Division,  No.  83.) 

This  canal  properly  be- 
longs to  the  Hala  and 

Tanda     divisions,     and 

merely  passes  through 
this  taluka. 

2.  TSkhirwah  .     . 

4i 

9 

182 

1,802 

Taps  Indus  near  GhaliUn 

village. 
Ditto. 

3.  FuleU  (old)  .     . 

35 

140 

4,165 

12,843 

4.  Fuleli  (new) 

3 

60 

103 

295 

Taps  Indus  near  village  of 
Jam  Shoro. 

5.  Wadhowah  .     . 

5 

6 

928 

1,718 

A  branch  of  the  new  Fuiai. 

6.  Fasadiwah    .     . 

3 

7 

560 

% 

Ditto. 

7.  Sangah^h  .     . 

2 

8 

317 

Ditto. 

8.  Kamalwah   .     . 

5 

7 

454 

975 

Branch  of  the  old  FulclL 

9.  ImamwahKhok-\ 
bar.     .     .     ./ 

16 

14 

3»74i 

5,417 

Ditto. 

10.  Nurwah  .     .     . 

n 

15 

2,009 

4.816 

Takes  its  rise  from  the  old 
Fuleli,  at  village  of 
Nareja,  and  waters  the 
Bhindo  tapa. 

II.  Siod  (small)      . 

2 

8 

225 

3,551 

Branch  of  the  Nurwah. 

12.  Vahandri      .     . 

4 

9 

179 

Branch  of  the  Sind  (small). 

13.  Lundo    .     .*  . 

4 

8 

279 

Ditto. 

14.  Sihoro    .     .     . 

5 

7 

429 

2,038 
4,061 

Ditta 

15.  Sind  (large) .     . 

13 

H 

1. 591 

Branch  of  the  old  Fulfli ; 

waters  the  Hiisri  tapa. 

16.  Bahawalwah      . 

i» 

6 

118 

618 

Branch  of  the  Sind  (large). 

17.  Khairwah    .     . 

2 

feet. 
4000 

7 

103 

1,056 

Ditto. 

18.  Karamwah  .     . 

6 

22 

686 

Ditta 

miles. 

19.  Moriwah      .     . 

3 

7 

128 

1,660 

Ditto. 

2a  Nasirwah     .     . 

2 

4 

107 

666 

Ditto. 

21.  Ashahadwah      . 

2 

6 

782 

200 

Branch  of  the  Fuleli. 

9 

II 

1,093 

3,369 

Ditto. 

23.  Khairwah  J5gir. 

i» 

5 

121 

500 

Branch  of  the  Imamwah 
Husri. 

24.  Kario  Ka5dm     . 

2 

7 

119 

1,084 

Ditto. 

25.  Bagwah  .     .     . 

5 

6 

240 

■■» 

Ditto. 

26.  Alibaharwah      . 

I 

5 

57 

Ditto. 

27.  Husriwah     .     . 

4 

7 

237 

1,719 

Ditto. 

28.  Adowah.     .     . 

I 
feet. 

5 

38 

852 

Ditto. 

29.  Bandiwah     .     . 

2200 

miles. 

6 

27 

109 

Branch  of  the  old  Fuleli. 

3a  Khairwah   Kha.\ 
thar      .     .     J 

3 

7- 

662 

1,353 

/Branch  of  the  Imamwah 
\     Husri. 

Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


236 


HYDERABAD   TALUKA. 


Name  of  Canal. 


t 


Average 

Annual 

Cost  of 

Clearance  f^_  _  „-»-. 
for  5  years  ^^'S  years 

1873-74.       "73-74- 


Average 
Annual 
Revenue 


Remarks. 


31.  Mirwah  Khathar 

32.  Chhandanwah  . 

33.  Fuleli     Gundar-^ 

wah     .     .     ./ 

34.  Baghiarwah. 

35.  Faridwah     .     . 

36.  Chhandan  Dara 

37.  Kangan  Khadi 

38.  Kasgiwah     . 

39.  Jinduwah 

40.  All  Thahimwah. 

41.  Shaitanwah  . 

42.  Hazariwah  . 

43.  Kaiiwah.     . 


miles. 
2 

feet 
3600 

miles. 
I 

2 
feet. 
3000 
miles. 


7 
6 

2 


feet. 
7 


4 

7 
5 

12 

II 
4 

4 
4 
6 

4 
4 


rupees. 
164 


152 

25 

366 

618 
225 

97 

46 
47 


rupees. 
72 

57 
876 

21 

103 

1,739 

1,174 

443 

284 

"3 

^V 
284 


Branch  of  the  old  FulelL 
Ditto. 

Ditto. 
Ditto. 

Ditto. 

Taps  Indus  near  village  of 

Haji  Bhara. 
Brandi  of  the  Chhandanwah 
Ditto. 
Ditto. 
Ditto. 
Ditto. 
Ditto. 
Branch  of  the  new  FuleU. 


These  canals  are  supervised  by  the  executive  engineer  in  charge 
of  the  Fuleli  division,  who  has  under  him  one  canal  surveyor 
and  one  daroga,  a  sazawalkar  (or  sub-overseer)  and  thirteen 
maistris  are  also  employed  during  a  portion  of  the  year.  The 
annual  clearance  of  the  canals  is  attended  to  jointly  by  his  de- 
partment and  by  the  revenue  authorities  of  the  district  There 
are  no  floods  in  this  taluka  excepting  where  the  river,  during 
the  inundation  season,  overflows  the  low-lying  lands  of  the  two 
dehs  Seri  and  Jam  Shoro.  There  is  a  large  dhandh  lying  be- 
tween the  villages  of  Adam  Khan  and  Tando  Fazal,  which  is 
supplied  with  water  from  the  Nurwah  canal  and  its  branch,  the 
Sind  (small). 

Cdimate. — The  climate  of  the  Hyderabad  taluka  is  not  unlike 
that  of  other  parts  of  Central  Sind.  The  natives  consider  the 
year  to  be  divided  into  four  distinct  seasons,  as  follows  :  i.  Spring, 
lasting  from  February  to  March ;  2,  Summer,  from  April  to  July ; 
3,  Autumn,  from  August  to  October;  and,  4,  Winter,  from  No- 
vember to  January ;  but  these  may  very  reasonably  be  resolved 
into  two  seasons  only — the  hot  and  cold,  the  one  often  succeeding 
the  other  so  suddenly  as  to  make  any  intermediate  distinctive 
season  a  matter  of  impossibility.  During  the  cold  season  the  air 
is  excessively  dry,  with  the  wind  blowing  generally  from  the  north- 
Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


HYDERABAD   TALUKA. 


m 


east  The  temperature  in  winter  is  often  so  low  as  to  allow  of 
water  being  frozen  in  a  night,  and  yet  on  the  following  afternoon 
the  thermometer  may  show  a  temperature  of  quite  75°.  In  this 
way  frost-bite  and  sun-stroke  may-^lis  observed  by  Dr.  Holmested, 
the  Civil  Surgeon  of  Hyderabad — occur  on  one  and  the  same  day. 
The  heat  at  times  during  the  summer  months  is  also  excessive,  the 
mean  maximum  of  the  temperature  of  the  atmosphere  at  the  city 
of  Hyderabad  during  the  six  hottest  months  of  the  year  being 
about  98°  in  the  shade.  The  average  monthly  temperature,  as 
observed  at  that  station,  is  shown  in  the  following  table,  from 
which  it  will  be  seen  that  the  mean  yearly  temperature  is  80°  : — 


Month. 

Temp. 

1                 Month. 

Temp. 

January  .     . 
February 
March     . 
April.     . 

.;; 

64' 

1! 
87 

9a 

'  July   .     . 

August    .     . 
September 
October  . 
November 
December 

II 

May  .     . 

Tune  . 

JIMAW      .            •           »            ,           - 

Rainfall. — ^The  average  annual  rainfall  in  this  district  for  the 
past  ten  years,  ending  with  1874,  may  be  set  down  at  676  inches, 
but  the  actual  fall  is  very  fluctuating.  The  following  is  the 
monthly  return  kept  at  the  city  of  Hyderabad  for  a  period  of  seven 
years,  ending  with  1874  : — 


Month.           x868.|   1869. 

1870. 

X871.  1  1873.  1  1873. 

1874. 

Remarks. 

January     . 
February  . 
March.     . 
April    .     • 
May     .     . 
June    .     . 
July     .     . 
August 
September. 
October     . 
November 
December  • 

•35 
•14 

•02 
•80 
•56 

149 

•34 

1-93 
971 
ro8 
423 

1-95 

•56 

•10 

rio 
•49 

•58 

•  • 

I '20 

•  • 

•33 

•17 

•34 

213 

•18 

•29 
•39 

398 
516 

« • 

No  rainfall 
recorded 
before  the, 
year  1865  ; 
the  faU  in 
1869   may 
be    consi- 
dered    as 
exceptional 

Yearly  rain-) 
fidl   .     ./ 

1-87   so-23 

1 

2-57 

3S3 

8'8i 

315 

9-83 

The  prevailing  winds  in  this  district  are  northerly  from  November 
to  March,  and  during  the  remainder  of  the  year  are  mostly  from 


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238  HYDERABAD   TALITKA. 

the  south.  At  times — and  especially  during  the  month  of  May — 
the  hot  and  fiery  wind  of  the  Desert  is  felt,  accompanied  with 
sand  storms.  Fogs  are  not  frequent  except  in  the  months  of 
October  and  November.  * 

Soils. — The  prevailing  soils  in  this  part  of  the  Hyderabad  Col- 
lectorate  are  much  the  same  as  those  met  with  in  the  adjoining 
Deputy  CoUectorates  of  Muhammad  Khan's  Tanda  and  Hala. 
The  only  difference  there  may  be  is  in  the  local  names  given  for 
these  soils.  Thus  Gisar  (or  Gasar)  is  a  rich  soil,  clay  largely  pre- 
dominating ;  Kohori  is  a  black  soil,  with  a  slight  admixture  of 
sand ;  Ropura  is  a  gravelly  soil,  and  Miti,  one  in  which  chalk  is 
abundant ;  Kalrathi  and  Shor  are  salty  soils,  and  Kalar  a  salt 
earth ;  Wariasi  is  a  sandy  soil,  and  Loho  and  Chikan  are  soils 
found  in  marshy  lands.  By  far  the  richest  and  finest  portion  of  this 
taluka  is  that  lying  between  the  Indus  and  the  Fuleli  rivers,  which 
is  capable  of  being  irrigated  to  any  extent,  but  the  soil  deteriorates 
the  farther  it  is  removed  from  the  fertilizing  influence  of  these 
streams.  Among  the  mineral  productions,  of  this  district  may  be 
mentioned  "  met"  a  kind  of  fiillefs  earth,  which  is  dug  from  mines 
in  the  Ganja  hills  near  Hyderabad ;  it  is  used  extensively  by  the 
natives  as  soap.  The  right  of  producing  this  article  is  fanned  out 
by  Government,  and  brings  in  an  annual  revenue  of  about  4500 
rupees. 

Animals. — The  wild  animals  in  this  district  are  wolves,  foxes^ 
jackals,  deer,  and  hog;  of  birds  there  are  the  falcon,  crow, 
"  tilur  '*  (or  bustard)  ,partridge  (black  and  grey),  snipe,  and  several 
kinds  of  duck.  Among  reptiles,  snakes  and  scorpions  are  very 
common.  The  domestic  animals  comprise  the  camel,  horse,  mule, 
ass,  ox,  buffalo,  goat,  and  sheep.  Poultry  are  common  all  over 
the  district 

Vegetable  Productions. — ^Juar,  bajri,  wheat,  barley,  rice, 
several  pulses  and  oil-seeds  are  among  the  chief  vegetable  produc- 
tions of  the  Hyderabad  taluka.  Sugar-cane,  cotton,  tobacco, 
and  hemp  are  also  cultivated.  The  finiits  are  mangoes,  oranges, 
limes,  apples,  dates,  figs,  grapes,  pomegranates,  water-melons,  and 
some  others.  Gardens  are  indeed  very  numerous  in  this  taluka, 
but  their  cultivation  is  confined  mostly  to  the  banks  of  the  Fuleli 
canal.  Of  timber  trees  peculiar  to  this  district,  the  chief  is  the 
Babul  (Sindi  Babar)^  which  is  extensively  grown  in  the  large 
forests  bordering  on  the  river  Indus ;  other  trees  are  the  Bhar, 
Pipal,  Nim,  and  a  few  others.  The  Government  forests  in  the 
Hyderabad  taluka  are  five  in  number,  and  their  area  and  revenue 
are  shown  in  the  following  return  : — 


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HYDERABAD   TALUKA. 


239 


Forests. 

Area  in 

£n£USa 

Acres. 

Revenue 

in 
1873-74. 

Remaxics. 

1.  Meeanee  . 

2.  Kathri       , 

3.  Ghaliun    . 

4.  Khathar    . 

5.  Husri  .     . 

Total    . 

4.917 
756 

3.041 

2935 

421 

rupees. 

13,672 

62s 

1,672 

1. 717 

684 

Planted  in  1819  by  the  MIrs  of  Sind. 
„         1810                „            „ 

,,                  I0I2                                 ,,                          yy 

.,                  1790 

.>                  1832                                 „                          „ 

12,070 

18.370 

The  management  of  these  forests  lies  with  the  Sind  Forest  De- 
partment, and  the  revenue  from  them  is  derived  principally  from 
cultivation  within  forest  limits,  grazmg  fees,  building  and  fire- 
wood, babul  pods,  and  mangoes. 

Fisheries. — The  principal  fisheries  in  this  district  are  found, 
not  only  on  the  Indus,  but  also  in  the  Fuleli  and  in  several  kolabs. 
The  proceeds  from  them  are  derived  mostly  from  the  catch  of  the 
"  Pala "  fish,  found  in  the  Indus  only,  which  is  taken  in  large 
quantities,  and  forms  an  important  article  of  food  for  the  inha- 
bitants during  a  portion  of  the  year.  Other  fish  are  the  dambhro^ 
jerkho^  &c,  but  the  revenue  from  them  is  small  and'but  of  httle 
account  The  following  table  will  show  the  names  of  the  different 
fisheries  in  the  taJuka  with  the  revenue  drawn  by  Government  from 
each: — 


Name  of  Fishery. 

Revenue 
derived  by 

1.  Bada 

2.  Sipki      .     .     .     .^ 

3.  Karo  Khaho      .     .  f 

Total     .     . 

rupees. 
798 

8,937 

9,735 

Population. — ^The  entire  population  of  the  Hyderabad  taluka, 
according  to  the  census  of  1872,  is  98,217,  of  whom  65,627  are 
Muhammadans,  27,304  Hindus,  and  4454  Sikhs,  the  remainder 
comprising  Europeans,  Indo-Europeans,  Parsis,  Goanese,  &c. 
This  number  includes  the  military  force  stationed  at  Hyderabad, 
which  consists  of  a  battery  of  Royal  Artillery,  a  detachment  of 
the  English  regiment  of  foot  stationed  at  Karachi,  a  native  regi- 
ment of  Balochis,  and  some  men  in  the  Ordnance  Department, 
numbering  between  1200  and  1300  officers  and  men,  or  with  their 
families  and  followers,  1906  persons  in  all. 


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240 


HYDERABAD   TALUKA. 


There  are  thus  236  souls  to  the  square  mfle  in  this  taluka,  but 
this  apparently  large  proportion  for  Sind  is  due  to  the  fact  of  the 
city  of  Hyderabad,  the  largest  town  in  the  CoUectorate,  being 
included  within  the  limits  of  this  district.  The  Muhammadan 
portion  of  the  community,  who  are  mostly  of  the  Suni  sect,  may 
be  classed  as  follows  : — 


MUHAMMADANS.                                                                | 

Tribes. 

Number. 

Remarks. 

I.  Balochis 

9,939 

Bhugti,  Chang,  Jakrani, 

This  tribe  is  said 

Jatoi,  Khoso,  Laghari, 

originally  to  have 

Mori,  Magsi,  Gopang, 

come  from  Aleppo 
in    Syria.       The 

Nizamani,       Mashori, 

Nath-Koni,  Rind,  and 

Rind    sub  •  tribe 

Talpur. 

holds  the  first 
place  among  them 

2.  Brahuis  .     . 

136 

3.  Mogals  .     . 

927 

4.  Pathans  .     . 

449 

5.  Memon  and  \ 
Khwiljas.    / 

1,402 

6.  Sindis     .     . 

46,361 

7.  Saiyads  •     • 

2,322 

8.  Miscellaneous 

2,955 

Bokhari,  Matari,  Shirazi, 

Some  of  these  are 

Lekhirayi. 

land-owners  and 
extensive  cultiva- 
tors. They  are 
said  origin^v  to 
have  come  from 
Arabia  and  Persia 
about  700  years 

Total.     . 

% 

ago. 

64,578 

Hindus. 

I.  Brahmans 

1,198 

Pokania,  Saisudh. 

2.  Khetrias.     . 

120 

3.  Waishia  .     . 

20,861 

Lohano. 

4.  Sudras    .     . 

4,540 

5.  Miscellaneous 
Total.     . 

163 

Sochi,  Kachhi,  BhiL 

26,882 

These  tables  do  not  include  the  cantonment  population,  number- 
ing 1936  persons^  of  whom  1049  ^^  Musalmkns,  422  Hindus, 
444  Christians,  and  21  Budhists  and  others.  There  are  also  in 
the  taluka  4454  Sikhs  and  Nanik  Panthis.  The  character,  dress, 
food,  habitations,  and  language  of  the  inhabitants  of  this  taluka 

Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


HYDERABAD   TALf/KA. 


241 


differ  in  no  material  respect  from  what  is  observed  in  the  neighbour- 
ing divisions  of  the  Tanda  and  Hala. 

The  Muhammadan  is  here,  as  elsewhere  in  Sind,  readily  dis- 
tinguished from  the  Hindu  by  his  superior  physique ;  but,  on  the 
other  hand,  he  is  the  lazier  of  the  two,  with  little  or  no  business 
habits,  and  very  improvident  Both  classes  indulge  in  the  habit 
of  drinking  a  preparation  of  bhang,  mostly  at  night ;  the  Hindus 
are  also  addicted  to  drinking  a  spirit  made  from  babul  bark  and 
jagrL  Charas  is  also  smoked  to  some  extent,  and  opium-eating  is 
not  unfrequently  practised.  The  chief  prevailing  crimes  in  this 
district  are  cattle-stealing,  other  kinds  of  theft,  and  burglary.  The 
following  are  statistical  returns  of  the  amount  of  crime  and  litiga- 
tion for  the  four  years  ending  1874,  but  it  must  be  borne  in  mind 
that  this  taluka  includes  the  large  town  of  Hyderabad,  so  far  as 
the  criminal  and  No.  I.  civil  returns  are  concerned.  The  civil 
return  No.  H.  is  confined  exclusively  to  the  taluka,  excepting  the 
*  town  of  Hyderabad,  and  includes  the  cases  tried  by  the  judge  of 
the  SuborcUnate  Civil  Court  of  Muhammad  Khan's  Tanda : — 

Criminal. 


Year. 

Murders. 

Hurts, 
Assaults, 
and  use  of 
Criminal 

Force. 

Thefts, 

Receiving 

Stolen 
Fkopeily. 

House- 
breaking. 

"r&^. 

Other 
Offences. 

Cattle. 

Others. 

1871 
1872 
1873 
1874 

I 
2 

I 

454 

333 

408 

83 
43 
54 
55 

241 
168 
166 
114 

27 
21 
II 
14 

62 

56 

35 
55 

I 
3 

676 

633 
1005 

13I4 

Civil.— I. 


Year. 

Suits  for  Land. 

Suits  for  Money. 

Other  Suits. 

Total. 

Number. 

Value. 

Number. 

Value. 

Number. 

Value.  1  Number. 

Value. 

1871 

14 

rupees. 
1707 

1 163 

rupees. 
84,236 

2 

rupees. 
135 

1 179 

rupees. 
86,078 

1872 

6 

1875 

I186 

91,694 

7 

582 

1 199 

94,151 

1873 

II 

957 

1 148 

73.369 

4 

512I 

1 163 

79,447 

1874 

9 

3330 

1367 

1,08,412 

6 

680 

1382 

1,12,422 

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242 


HYDERABAD   TALUK  A. 
Civiu— 11. 


Year. 

Suits  for  Land. 

Suits  for  Money. 

Other  Suits. 

Total. 

Number. 

Value. 

Number. 

Value. 

Number. 

Value. 

Number. 

Value. 

1872 
1873 
1874 

I 
I 

6 

rupees. 
656 

85 
1030 

225 
230 
234 

rupees. 
26,229 

26,307 
32,304 

3 

I 

rupees. 
390 

184 

229 
232 
240 

rupees. 
27,275 

26,176 

33»334 

Administration. — ^The  revenue  and  magisterial  charge  of  this 
taluka  is  vested  in  a  Deputy  Collector  and  Magistrate,  with  the 
usual  office  establishment ;  under  him  is  a  Mukhtyarkar,  seven 
Tapadars,  and  two  cattle-pound  Munshis.  The  Huzur  Deputy 
Collector  and  Magistrate  of  Hyderabad,  who  is  permanently 
located  at  that  town,  takes  cognisance,  in  addition  to  his  accoimt 
duties,  and  according  to  the  magisterial  duties  conferred  upon  him, 
of  such  criminal  cases  as  may  be  sent  to  him  by  the  divisional 
magistrate  of  the  taluka,  while  those  taking  place  in  the  canton- 
ments are  attended  to  by  a  military  judicial  officer  known  as  the 
Cantonment  Magistrate.  Civil  cases  in  the  taluka  come  under 
the  jurisdiction  of  the  judge  of  the  Subordinate  Civil  Court  of 
Muhammad  Khan's  Tanda,  but  those  in  the  city  of  Hyderabad 
under  the  Subordinate  Judge  of  the  Civil  Court  there. 

The  police  employed  in  the  Hyderabad  taluka,  not  including  the 
city  of  Hyderabad,  number  in  all  72  men,  who  are  distributed 
about  the  districts  in  15  thanas.  Of  these  32  are  mounted  on 
either  horses  or  camels,  36  are  armed  and  unarmed  foot  police, 
and  4  belong  to  the  town  police.  The  armed  and  unarmed  foot 
police  in  the  town  of  Hyderabad  number  333. 

Revenue. — The  revenue  of  the  Hyderabad  taluka,  imperial  and 
local,  is  shown  separately  for  the  past  five  years,  ending  1873-74, 
in  the  following  returns : — 


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HYDERABAD   TALUKA. 
I.  Imperial  Revenue. 


243 


Items. 

Realisations  in 

186^-70. 

X870-7X. 

i87i-7a. 

1879-73. 

1873-74. 

Land  Tax .     . 
Abkari      .     . 
Drugs         andl 

Opium  .     .J 
Stamps.     .     . 
Salt      .     .     . 
Registration     \ 

Department , 

rupees. 
73.610 
55,325 

rupees. 
70,192 
45.703 

rupees. 
70,933 
46.847 

rupees. 
87,190 
54,728 

rupees. 

80,377 

63,229 

9,000 

33,399 
4.546 

14 

20,955 

37,^3 
4,025 

II 

8,500 

38,789 
2,023 

2,441 

9,500 

44,586 
3,480 

2,456 

10,534 
37,565 

3,577 
2,408 

Postal  do. .     . 

Telegraph  do. 

Income    (and 
Certificate) 
Tax      .     . 

Fines  and  Fees 

Miscellaneous 

Total  Rs. 

3.0S 

12,418 

643 
99 

2,558 
17,797 

..074 

I 
2,665 

11,488 

1,121 
2,156 

2,989 

3,7" 

765 
414 

II 
2,815 

1,92,387 

i,99,567 

1,96,964 

2,09,819 

2,01,627 

II.  Local  Revenue. 


Realisations  in 

1869-70. 

1870-71.      1871-72. 

1878-73. 

1873-74. 

Cesses  on  Land  and  Sayerj 
Revenue / 

Percentage    on    alienated\ 
Lands J 

rupees. 
9,108 

142 

rupees. 
9,390 

"5 

rupees. 
8,619 

270 

rupees. 
10,371 

223 

r.ipees. 

4,891 

265 

Cattle  Pound    and  Ferry\ 
Funds / 

3.130 

2,769 

3,882 

2,907 

5,101 

Fisheries 

Fees  and  Licences .     .     . 
Tolls 

Total  Rs. 

9,185 

8,185 
... 

9.322 

8,003 

2,339 

'•a 

21,565 

20,459 

22,093      23,843 

20,178 

In  the  matter  of  Abkari  revenue  it  is  necessary  here  to  mention 
that  the  Government  distillery  at  Hyderabad  was  suppressed  in 
1863,  since  which  period  licences  to  manufacture  spirits  are  sold 
annually  under  the  orders  of  the  Collector  of  the  district,  according 
to  the  provisions  laid  down  in  Act  III.  of  1852,  There  are  three 
cattle  pounds  in  the  taluka,  one  at  Hyderabad,  another  at  Kaisar- 
jo-Tando,  and  the  third  at  Khathar. 

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244 


HYDERABAD    TALUK  A, 


Survey  and  Settlement. — the  topographical  survey  of  this 
district  was  taken  in  hand  in  1856  and  completed  in  1858.  The 
new  settlement  has  been  introduced  into  this  district,  and  the 
following  are  the  rates  now  in  force : — 


When  introduced 

and 
for  what  period. 

Class 

of 
Deh. 

Maximum  rates  per  acre  on 

Remarks. 

Mok. 

Inundat'on 
wheel. 

Sailabi. 

In  1872-73  for 
ten  years. 

I. 

II. 
III. 
IV. 

r.  a. 
2   12 

2      8 

2 

I    12 

r.   a. 
I     4 

I      2 

I 

14 

r.  a. 

3 
2  8 

2 

Eight  villages  (of 
wnich  7  are  Jagir) 
still  remain    un- 
settled ;    average 
per  acre   on    as- 
sessed  cultivable 
land  is  14a  7p. 

The  former  rates  obtaining  in  the  taluka  varied  considerably  in 
different  parts  of  it  For  ordinary  mok  land  the  rates  ranged  from 
8  annas  to  i  rw^te  per  Jireb ;  for  rice  land,  i  rupee  to  i4  rupee 
per  jireb ;  **  charkhi,"  or  inundation -wheel  land,  was  assessed  at 
from  17  to  30  rupees  per  wheel,  or  say  about  3  rupees  per  acre,  of 
actual  cultivation. 

Tenures. — The  tenure  prevailing  in  tliis  district,  as  in  other 
parts  of  Sind,  is  the  Zamindari  which  will  be  found  fully  explained 
in  the  introductory  portion  of  this  work  (Chap.  IV.  page  79,  ^/ 
seq). 

Jagirs. — There  are  in  this  taluka  about  50  individuals  of  dif- 
ferent classes  who  possess  land  in  jagir,  amounting  in  the  aggregate 
to  63,902  acres,  of  which  about  62,506  acres  consist  of  cultivable 
land,  the  whole  paying  to  Government  an  annual  revenue  of  4404 
rupees.  There  is  thus  quite  one-fourth  of  the  entire  area  of  this 
district  held  in  jagir,  one  of  the  largest  of  these  holders  being  Mir 
Muhammad  Khan  Khanani,  who  possesses  28,353  acres,  cultivable 
and  unarable,  in  several  villages  of  this  Division.  The  following 
is  a  list  of  the  Jagirdars  in  this  district,  with  the  area  of  land  held 
by  each  and  the  amount  of  annual  revenue  paid  to  Government : — 


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HYDERABAD  TALUK  A. 


245 


. 

Ye.riy 

No. 

Nameof  jagirdar. 

^ 

Vniage. 

Cultivable 
Land. 

Land-         SI'™, 
ment. 

I 

Dero    of    Mir    Muhammad 

acres,    g. 

acres,    g.  ,'    nip.  a. 

KhanShahdadani  .     .     . 

Seri    .     . 

266  32 

... 

21       I 

2 

Mir  Shah  Nawar  Khan  .     . 

do.     .     .     < 

8i  23 

... 

'5    3 

3 

Mir  Husain  AU  Khan    .     . 

do.     .     . 

236  27 

188    8 

4 

Mir  Ghulam  Husain  Talpur. 
Mir  Jan  Muhammad  Taipur 
Mir  Budho  Khan.     .     .     . 

do.     .     .     . 

4  36  i      19   10 

Mori,  Bhindo  |      999  18 

69  26  1   166   13 

6 

Norai.     . 

238    8 

6  36       20 

7 

Mir  AU  Murad  Khan      .     . 

I 

rNorai,    Lyar,yj8  ^46  26 
^  Fazal  Talpur/  ^'^'^^  ^"^ 
Hotki,   Kurari 

219 

1000 

8 

Mir      Muhammad     Khan  \    , 
Khanani /   * 

Lasa     Haki 
Dali,  Rahuki 
&C.     .      .      . 

Abri  .     .     . 

27,853  12 

> 

500 

1 102    2 

9 

Mir  Ahmad  Khan    Talpur  \    j 
Khanani 

1550  21 

60 

215  10 

lO 

Jam  Murad  All  Jokhio  ,     . 

I 

Bhindo,  Mori 
(Ghotano, 

2760 

6S     5 

323    8 

II 

Mir  Ghulam  Ali  Khan   .     . 

2 

1  Chuke   Takic 
(juvanshap 
Norai.      .     . 

)       3935  20 

128  26 

526    s 

12 

2 

27s  20 

824 

43    5 

13 

AU  Bakhsh  and  Ahmad  Khanl 
Nizamani     .     .     . 

2 

Bindo 

66724 

12    2 

107  12 

14 

AU  Muhammad  Laghari  .     . 

2 

Bhiapur   .     . 
Gundar    . 

28  21 

16  20 

'5 

DatuJamaU 

2 

226  26 

32 

57"  2 

i6 

DilshSd  Burgri     .... 
Fateh  Khan  Burgri   .     .     . 

2 

Buchiki    . 

7  25 

55  10 

17 

2 

do.  .     . 

264  30 

22    9 

is  8 
46  15 

i8 

Muhammad  Husain  Bui^  . 

2 

Barchani  . 

640  26 

14 

19 

Ghulam  Haidar  Khatian      . 

2 

Sipaki      . 

449  30 

37  37 

20 

AU  Murad  Khudah  BakhsK\ 
and  Palio / 

3 

rGul    Muham 
\    mad      . 

•J       219  19 

3    2 

8  12 

21 

Sabzul  and  Masu  Burgri 

3 

do..     . 

173     I 
156  12 

9  15 

16  14 

22 

Isan  Khan  Laghari   .     .     . 

3 

Barchani  . 

n  18 

26  10 

23 

Karam  AU  Laghari   .     .     . 

3 

do.  .     . 

8  17 

6  ;    ... 

24 

Bahadur  Buign    .... 

3 

BakhshoLagha 

iri         29  21 

3  "  i      83 

^1 

Alah  Bakhsh  Burgri  .     .     . 

3 

do. 

3328 

3  17  1      5  10 

Khio  Burgri   ..... 

3 

do. 

47  31 

5  32       10  II 

27 

Jehan  Khan  Talpur  .     .     . 
Kaim    Khan    and    Ghulam 

4 

Husain  Khar 

L            281    12 

1434      27    8 

28 

4 

Ghotano  . 

747  25 

53  36     185    6 

29 

Alum  Khan  Nizamani    .     . 

4 

Bhindo    . 

321  27 

II  14       63    5 

30 

Faizul  Muhammad    .     .     . 

4 

do. 

80  II 

8        96 

31 

DariaKhan 

4 

do.        . 

14836 

7  14       26    8 

32 

Wali  Muhammad  Khokhar . 

4 

do.        . 

15  20 

I    9 

33 

Alahdino  Laghari      .     .     .14 

Barchani . 

92  35 

3  17       12    8 

34 

Karam  Khan  LaghSri     .     . 

4 

do.       . 

4  33 

2  I      ... 

Sardar  Khan  Ughari      .     . 

4 

do.       . 

34  29 

21  !      4    7 

36 

Husain  Khan  Ls^hari     •     . 
SaiyadAIahBaSsh.      .     . 

4 

do.       . 

29    3 

6  35       16    7 

I 

4 

do.      . 

105  14 

4  19       18    9 

Dito  and  Mehar  AU  Chalgri . 

4 

AmUpur 

85  14 

2  14 

39 

Mahmud,  Umed,  Ali,  Ahmad\ 

/Bakhsho  . 
\Laghari   . 

;}      9^  " 

Fateh    KhIUi    Talpur    and  ! 

2  10       19  12 

40 

Bejar  Talpur     ....      4 

do. 
Mirzapur, 

142    3 

10  34       34  12 

1    ^ 

41 

Ibrahim  Khizmatgar .     .     .   '  4 

Ghaliun,  Mu 
radi,  Samnu 

;    396  7 

62  16       57  13 

i                                                                                                 1 
'                                                                                                   1 

I  and  Nareja. 

-  1            yiiizea  uy 

■s—j  v^v.^p!t  l\^ 

246 


HYDERABAD   TALUK  A. 


The  number  of  "Sen*'  grantees  throughout  this  taluka  is  47, 
with  grants  of  land  to  each^  ranging  from  11  acres  to  34  acres,  the 
entire  acreage  so  held  being  1140  acres  and  26  guntas,  while  the 
"  Mafidars "  number  42,  with  grants  of  land  varying  each  from 
a  few  guntas  to  several  acres. 

Municipalities. — There  are  three  municipal  institutions  in  this 
taluka,  but  two  of  them  are  small  and  date  only  from  1873-74. 
That  of  Hyderabad  will  be  found  treated  upon  at  greater  length 
under  Hyderabad. 


1 

Whew           ^i'^ 
^'"*'«-         Wished. 

Receipto. 

Disbursements. 

1871-72. 1  1872-73. 

*873-74. 

X87X-72.    1872-73.  1 1873-74. 

Hyderabad      1853 

Tando.    ./,  1873 
Kaisar-jo-    \ 
Tando    .  /     do. 

70,927 

71,141 

109,135 
403 
246 

66,877    70,302 

1 

1 

1 

84,959 
82 

75 

Medical  Establishments. — The  only  medical  establishmeDts 
in  this  district  which  are  at  or  near  the  city  of  Hyderabad  are  a 
lunatic  asylum,  situate  on  the  road  leading  from  Hyderabad  to 
'Gidu  Bandar,  and  a  civil  and  poUce  hospital,  as  also  a  charitable 
dispensary,  the  two  latter  occupying  one  and  the  same  building 
and  situate  on  the  western  ridge  of  the  hilly  plateau  on  which  the 
town  is  built.  The  position  is  good,  and  the  building  contains 
sufficient  accommodation  for  40  patients.  A  portion  of  the  ex- 
penses of  the  charitable  dispensary  is  defrayed  by  the  municipality. 
The  jail  at  Hyderabad  also  possesses  a  hospital  for  sick  convicts 
within  its  walls ;  but  this  will  be  referred  to  when  describing  the 
prisons,  &c.,  in  the  Hyderabad  taluka.  All  these  medical  institu- 
tions are  under  the  charge  of  the  Civil  Surgeon  of  the  station, 
who  is  assisted  in  this  duty  by  a  suitable  subordinate  native  estab- 
lishment. The  lunatic  asylum  comprises  several  detached  buildings 
erected  partly  at  the  expense  of  a  munificent  Parsi  gentleman, 
Mr.  (now  Sir)  Kauasji  Jehanglr  Readympney,  who  gave  the  sum 
of  50,000  rupees  towards  this  object,  the  remaining  portion  (8000 
rupees)  of  the  expense  being  contributed  by  Government  The 
following  table  will  show  the  attendance,  &c.,  of  patients  at 
the  Hyderabad  Charitable  Dispensary  during  the  years  1873  and 
1874:— 


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HYDERABAD   TALUK  A. 


247 


In-patients  .     . 
Ont-patients     . 

Total  Admis- 
sions in 

Castuddesin 

Average  Daily 
Attendance. 

X873. 

1874. 

X873. 

1874. 

1873. 

1874. 

975 
17,465 

482      41 
18,1,0      ... 

28 

29 
107 

27 
118 

18,44018,592'     41 

1               1 

28 

136 

145 

It  was  during  1869  that  the  town  of  Hyderabad  was  severely 
visited  with  cholera,  which  is  thus  described  by  Dr.  Holmested, 
the  civil  surgeon  at  that  station : — "  The  first  suspicious  case 
occurred  in  Hyderabad  on  the  14th  August,  1869,  but  the  real 
epidemic  commenced  about  the  beginning  of  September  and  lasted 
till  the  end  of  October ;  592  cases  occurred,  and  of  these  364  died 
and  228  recovered.  In  September  a  heavy  fall  of  rain  took  place, 
and  this  swept  a  quantity  of  deleterious  matter  into  the  tanks.  The 
air,  too,  was  very  hot  and  stagnant  Immediately  cholera  became 
very  prevalent  and  fatal,  and  that  part  of  the  town  was  most 
affected  which  was  near  to  No.  3  tank,  the  water  of  which  was 
very  impure,  and  in  many  cases  appeared  to  be  the  cause  of  the 
disease.  Only  two  cases  occurred  in  the  jaiL  Just  as  the  cholera 
disappeared,  there  commenced  the  most  frightful  epidemic  of  fever 
ever  remembered." 

Prisons. — The  only  large  jail  in  this  district  is  that  at  Hydera- 
bad, which  stands  at  an  elevation  of  about  80  feet  above  the  sur- 
rounding plain  on  the  northern  spur  of  the  same  plateau  on  which 
the  city  is  built,  and  from  which  it  is  distant  not  more  than  500 
yards.  The  jail  was  erected  in  1851,  and  covers  an  area  of  about 
15,000  square  yards,  and  the  walls,  which  are  about  14  feet  in 
height,  are  constructed  of  kacha  brick.  In  the  interior,  besides 
the  prisoners'  barracks,  there  is  a  hospital  and  dispensary,  as  also 
some  large  open  factory  sheds,  where  a  number  of  the  prisoners 
are  daily  employed  in  manufacturing  various  articles,  such  as 
carpets,  table-cloths,  towelling,  browser  and  sheeting  cloth,  dangari, 
camel  kits,  coir-mats,  reed  chairs  (leather  lined),  boots,  earthen 
piping,  bricks,  and  chatties.  The  prisoners  are  also  taught 
carpentry  by  a  skilled  mechanic.  The  Hyderabad  jail  can  easily 
accommodate  600  convicts,  but  generally  speaking  the  number 
incarcerated  there  ranges  from  300  to  500.  Of  these  about  100 
are  engaged  in  the  jail  manufactures  previously  mentioned,  the 
gross  money  value  of  which  reaches  about  1800  rupees  yearly,  and 


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248 


HYDERABAD   TALUK  A. 


the  net  income  500  rupees.  Contracts  are  also  entered  into  for 
digging  canals,  making  roads,  and  repairing  buildings  by  convict 
labour.  At  the  Industrial  Exhibition  held  at  Karachi  in  1869, 
several  articles  made  at  the  Hyderabad  jail  were  favourably  re- 
ported upon.  The  water  supply  of  this  jail  is  bad  and  scanty,  and 
has  to  be  brought,  by  means  of  an  aqueduct,  from  a  distance  of 
more  than  a  mile,  from  a  well  at  a  lower  level,  with  the  aid  of 
three  lifts,  which  are  worked  by  the  prisoners.  The  diy-earth 
system  of  conservancy  is  that  followed  out  in  this  jail,  and  with 
excellent  results,  as  die  comparatively  small  amount  of  disease 
fully  shows,  though  the  average  annual  mortality  among  the 
prisoners  during  the  past  ten  years  has  been  about  5  per  cent 
Formerly  vegetables  were  supplied  to  the  convicts  from  the  city 
market,  but  during  the  past  five  or  six  years  a  large  garden  has 
been  planted  out  on  the  low  ground  to  the  west  of  the  jail  and 
cultivated  entirely  by  convict  labour,  and  from  this  the  prisoners 
are  now  provided  with  the  vegetables  they  need.  There  is  at 
present  no  reformatory  for  juvenile  offenders,  but  they  are  made 
to  work  in  the  prison  factory  under  a  trustworthy  convict  makha- 
dam.  There  is  no  school  yet  established  in  this  jail  for  the 
instruction  of  prisoners  generally.  The  following  table  will  afford 
such  further  information  as  may  be  necessary  for  a  period  of  eight 
years  ending  1874 : — 


Year.  • 

Average 

Strength. 

Gross  Cost 
of  each 

Prisoner  per 
Annum. 

Net  Cost  after 
deductins 
Value  of 
Labour. 

Averase 
Mortohty 
percent. 

Males. 

Females. 

1866-67 

320 

13 

nip.    a.  p. 

99    7    0 

nip.    a.   p. 

57    5    2 

2*7 

1867-68 

288 

14 

86    6    8 

46  II    9 

4-6 

1868-69 

283 

7 

86    7    2 

53  15  II 

24 

1869-70 

432 

9 

77  II    I 

56    I  11 

IO-8 

1870 

531 

8 

74  15    4 

60  10    I 

2-6 

1871 

524 

9 

59  14    7 

47  II    9 

1-7 

1872 

422 

10 

61    8    7 

43  15    9 

7*5 

1873 

524 

II 

53    6    7 

41    0    8 

8-2 

1874 

548 

8 

51  14    8 

37  15    I 

7-6 

Education. — The  number  of  educational  institutions.  Govern- 
ment and  private  aided,  in  this  district  of  all  descriptions  (including 
those  in  the  city  of  Hyderabad)  in  1874  was  30,  with  an  attendance 
of  2185  pupils.     Of  these  24  were  Government  schools,  with  1563 


uiyiiizea  by 


Google 


HYDERABAD   TALUK  A, 


a49 


pupils,  the  greater  number  of  which  are  in  the  city  of  Hyderabad 
itself  Among  these  latter  are  an  engineering  establishment  (9 
pupils),  a  high  (128  pupils)  and  normal  school  (25  pupils),  as  also 
several  middle  and  lower  class  institutions.  The  girls'  schools  are 
all  included  in  the  above  numbers.  Among  the  private  schools, 
the  principal  is  that  connected  with  the  Church  Missionary 
Society,  located  at  Hyderabad  from  the  year  1862,  one  well- 
conducted  in  every  respect,  and  which  has  prepared  several  pupils 
who  have  at  times  successfully  passed  the  Bombay  matriculation 
examination;  the  attendance  at  this  school  is  about  130.  In 
connection  with  this  society  is  also  a  girls'  school  (1867)  with  88 
pupils,  and  a  vernacular  school  (187 1)  with  92  pupils.  At  Hydera- 
bad, too,  is  the  Roman  Catholic  school  of  St  Joseph's  (estabUshed 
1868),  with  an  attendance  of  21  pupils. 

Agriculture. — ^Four  seasons  are  mentioned  as  those  in  which 
agricultural  operations  are  carried  on  in  this  taluka,  viz.,  Kharif, 
Rabi,  Peshras,  and  Adawa,  but  it  seems  unnecessary  to  include 
the  last  as  a  special  season.  The  times  of  sowing  and  reaping,  and 
the  principal  crops  produced  in  the  three  seasons,  are  as  follow  : — 


Season. 


Tixce  when 


Sown. 


Re;)ped. 


Principal  Crops  Produced. 


1.  Kharif. 

2.  Rabi      . 

3.  Peshras 


/EndofJune\ 

\  to  July     ./ 

December . 

February  . 


October     . 
March .     . 

December. 


fjuar,    bajri,    rice,    cotton    and 
t    tobacco. 
Wheat,  barley,  several  kinds  of 

pulses  and  oil-seeds. 
Sugar-cane,    juSlr,    and     some 

kinds  of  pulses. 


The  system  of  cultivation  is,  as  in  the  adjoining  districts,  carried  on 
mostly  by  wheel  (or  charkht)  during  die  Kharif  season,  and  by 
flood  (or  mok)  during  the  Rabi  season.  Well  cultivation  is  con- 
fined almost  entirely  to  garden  lands,  the  expense  attendmg  the 
digging  of  wells  being  in  this  district  very  heavy,  owing  to  the  great 
depth  at  which  water  is  found.  The  cost  of  digging  a  well  is  said 
not  to  be  less  than  500  rupees,  and  they  are  in  consequence  not 
numerous.  The  opening  of  the  line  of  railway  from  Karachi  to 
Kotri  has  done  much  towards  increasing  the  value  of  garden  pro- 
perty in  and  about  the  town  of  Hyderabad.  The  agricultural 
implements  in  this  taluka  being  of  the  same  kind  as  those  used  in 
the  neighbouring  districts  of  Hala  and  the  Tanda  {see  Muhammad 
Khan's  Tanda),  there  is  no  necessity  for  entering  into  any  detail 
of  them  here. 


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252 


HYDERABAD. 


Ferry. 

Where  situate. 

No.  of  Boats  employed. 

Remarks. 

I.  Gidu  Bandar 

On  Indus  at  Gidu- 

A  steam  ferry,  and 

Steamer  plies 

several  boats. 

from  sunrise 
to  sunset  be- 
tween   Gidu 
and  Kotri« 

2.  Bada       .     . 

Opposite  Bada,  in 
the  Sehwan  De- 

puty CoUectorate 

3.  Gholi      .     . 

On  Fuleli        .      . 

4.  Nonari    .     • 

do.     at  Nonari 

5.  Kathri    .     . 

do.    at  Kathri 

6.  Hatri      .     . 

do.    at  Hatri 

7.  Husri     .     . 

do.    at  Husri 

Electric  Telegraph. — ^The  Government  electric  telegraph  line 
at  Gidu  Bandar  passes  through  this  district,  entering  it  from  the 
Kotri  side  by  means  of  an  aerial  line  across  the  Indus ;  thence  the 
line  runs  on  to  Hyderabad,  where  there  is  a  telegraph  office  with  a 
staff  of  signallers.  From  Hyderabad  two  lines  branch  off,  one  going 
northwards  towards  Rohri,  and  the  other  eastward,  by  way  of 
Mirpur  Khas,  towards  Umarkot ;  the  former  will  be  ^discontinued 
so  soon  as  the  telegraph  now  under  construction  on  the  Indus 
Valley  railway  is  completed.     ... 

Postal  Lines. — The  postal  lines  of  communication  in  this 
district  are  three  in  number,  all  of  them  leading  directly  from  the 
town  of  Hyderabad.  The  first,  which  is  a  horse-line,  goes  towards 
Rohri;  the  second  runs  to  Mirpur  Khas  in  the  Hala  district, 
and  the  third  to  Bago-jo-Tando,  in  tjie  Tanda  division ;  these  two 
latter  are  foot  lines.  There  is  but  one  post-ofiice  in  the  taluka, 
and  this  is  at  Hyderabad,  which  is  also  the  sole  disbursing  office 
throughout  the  whole  CollectOTate. 

Antiquities. — There  are  some  old  ruins  at  a  place  called 
Hingoria,  near  the  town  of  Fazul.Talpur,  but  there  is  nothing  of 
any  interest  in  connection  with  them. 

Hyderabad,  the  chief  town  of  the  CoUectorate  of  the  same 
name  in  Central  Sind,  in  latitude  25^  22'  N.,  and  longitude  68°  22'  K 
It  is  situate  in  a  tract  of  country  formerly  called  the  Duaba,  that 
is  to  say,  in  that  part  l)ring  between  the  Fuleli  and  the  Indus 
streams.  It  is  here  that  the  low  calcareous  range  of  hills  known 
as  the  Ganja  is  met  with,  and  it  is  on  one  of  the  most  northerly 
hills  of  this  chain  that  the  city  of  Hyderabad  is  built  Heddle 
thus  describes  the  position  of  this  town  with  its  fort  (one  of  the 
bastions  of  which  is  a  prominent  object  many  miles  from  the 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


i 


;)nMiMriinnMTrfi(m|rmr'|T>i|ur||rTyimrfinm 


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HYDERABAD,  253 

place),  as  it  appeared  in  1836,  during  the  Talpur  rule ;  and  it  may 
here  be  remarked  that  this  description  holds  good  to  the  present 
day,  with  this  exception,  that  the  town  is  now  somewhat  more 
populous  and  much  cleaner,  and  has  a  number  of  Government 
buildings  and  private  European  residences,  which  was  not  the  case 
in  the  lime  of  the  Talpur  dynasty  : — 

"  The  hill  on  which  Hyderabad  stands  has  the  form  of  a  paral- 
lelogram, with  the  same  direction  as  that  of  the  range.  Between 
this  elevation  and  the  bank  of  the  Fuleli  there  is  a  plain  of  nearly 
one  mile  average  breadth ;  and  between  its  western  side  and  the 
Indus  there  is  another  plain,  which  has  an  extent  of  three  miles 
and  a  half  in  breadth.  The  eastern  plain,  or  that  of  Fuleli,  has  a 
greater  elevation  than  that  which  exists  between  the  main  river  and 
the  hiU,  so  that  on  approaching  the  summit  of  the  latter  from  the 
east,  the  ascent  is  not  so  great  as  when  the  approach  is  made  from 
the  opposite  side.  Besides,  the  hill  of  Hyderabad  presents  a  single 
abrupt  mural  face  on  its  eastern  side,  of  25  feet  perpendicular 
height,  the  houses  of  the  town  being  built  close  upon  the  margin, 
and  only  approachable  at  a  few  points,  where  the  ascent  has  been 
made  more  easy  by  the.  side  being  reduced  to  an  inclined  plane. 
The  west  side  of  the  hill  presents  two  such  perpendicular  faces, 
the  lower  being  separated  from  the  more  elevated  by  an  inter- 
mediate plain  of  varied  breadth  (on  an  average  a  quarter  of  a  mile), 
which  forms  a  stage  half-way  between  the  low  plain  at  the  foot  and 
the  plateau  which  constitutes  the  summit  of  the  hill.  On  this 
middle  plain  there  are  situated  a  few  scattered  huts,  and  its  eleva- 
tion above  the  low  ground  may  be  25  feet,  which  may  likewise  be 
the  difference  of  elevation  between  it  and  the  superior  platform. 
The  latter  has  a  uniform  breadth  of  600  yards,  and  a  length  of  two 
miles.  At  its  southern  extremity  is  situate  the  citadel  of  Hyderabad, 
which  is  separated  from  the  town  by  a  dry  ditch  40  yards  broad, 
and  forms  the  only  artificial  defence  of  this  city.  This,  like  the 
houses  of  the  town,  is  built  close  to  the  margin  of  the  perpendicular 
side  of  the  liiil,  which  is  faced  from  its  base  upwards  with  the 
brickwork  of  the  outer  wall.  This  wall,  reaching  the  level  of  the 
plateau,  is  carried  to  the  height  of  50  feet  above  it,  and  is  supported 
on  the  inner  face  by  a  bank  of  earth  or  rubbish,  which,  from  the 
level  of  the  surface  of  the  plateau,  reaches  to  within  a  few  feet  of 
the  embrasures.  This  gives  the  defence  greater  strength  than 
a  superficial  examination  of  the  rampart  from  the  outside  would 
lead  the  observer  to  attribute  to  it.  On  observing  the  inner  face, 
the  parapet  is  seen  to  form  a  very  gently  inclined  plane,  from 
within  four  feet  of  the  top  of  the  wall,  until  it  reaches  the  general 

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254  HYDERABAD. 

level  of  the  surface.  The  ditch  which  separates  the  citadel  from 
the  town,  also  insulates  the  southern  extremity  of  the  hiU  on 
which  the  citadel  stands,  and  the  communication  is  maintained  by 
means  of  a  bridge,  which  is  situate  in  front  of  the  principal 
entrance  into  the  fort,  and  opposite  the  main  street,  or  bazar,  which 
stretches  from  this  point  to  the  northern  extremity  of  the  town  in 
a  straight  line.  The  entrance  is  defended  by  a  semicircular 
curtain ;  and  in  order  to  reach  it,  on  whatever  side  the  approach 
be  made,  you  must  traverse  one-half  of  the  breadth  of  the  town, 
through  streets  of  about  ten  yards  wide.  The  buildings  in  the 
interior  of  the  citadel  present  great  confusion,  much  more  so  than 
is  observed  in  the  town  itself.  The  structures  are  of  all  kinds, 
placed  without  any  apparent  arrangement,  and  only  admit  of 
communication  between  one  part  of  the  fort  and  another  by 
narrow,  crooked  lanes.  The  bangalows  in  which  the  princes 
reside,  the  chambers  set  apart  for  public  business,  and  in  which 
they  hold  their  Darbar,  Ae  dwellings  of  their  domestics,  their 
mosques,  stables  and  harems,  are  all  situate  within  this  fort 
There  are  no  gardens,  no  maidan,  or  open  square,  for  the  purpose 
of  exercise,  or  for  ventilating  the  intricate  mass  of  dwellings  which 
are  heaped  together  in  close  disorder,  and  are  all  surrounded  by  a 
high  wadl,  which  is  over-topped  only  by  the  large  round  tower,  the 
most  conspicuous  building  in  the  citadel,  and  by  two  or  three  of 
the  bangalows  in  which  the  Mirs  reside.  Within  this  stronghold 
the  princes  of  Sind  live  immured,  and  seldom  go  out,  except  for 
hunting — ^an  amusement,  however,  they  only  indulge  in  once  or 
twice  a  year.  The  space  occupied  by  the  town  of  Hyderabad  has 
a  very  regular  form,  and  the  result  of  several  experiments  made  by 
our  people  to  ascertain  the  area  gave  the  following  dimensions  : — 
Length  from  the  bridge,  over  the  ditch  of  the  citadel  to  the  north 
extremity  of  the  town,  1161  yards;  mean  breadth  of  the  plateau 
occupied  by  the  houses  from  east  to  west,  sro  yards,  giving  a 
total  area  of  592,1x0  square  yards.  On  this  sur&ce  the  buildings 
are  densely  accumulated,  but  the  streets  by  which  the  communi- 
cation is  kept  up  are  regularly  arranged,  and,  though  narrow, 
are  tolerably  clean.  Besides  the  bazar  before  mentioned,  which 
forms  the  main  street,  there  are  two  others  which  run  on  either 
side  parallel  to  it,  and  traverse  the  whole  length  of  the  town. 
These  again  are  crossed  at  right  angles  by  shorter  streets  which 
run  east  and  west  No  water  is  procurable,  either  on  the  portion 
of  the  plateau  on  which  the  town  is  built,  or  on  that  which  stretches 
beyond  the  northern  extremity  of  the  city  for  the  distance  of  a 
mile  and  a  half,  which  is  merely  occupied  by  a  few  tombs  of  the 

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HYDERABAD.  255 

deceased  rulers  of  the  present  and  former  dynasties,  the  surface 
being  bare  and  stony.  The  inhabitants  of  Hyderabad  are  supplied 
with  this  necessary  from  the  plain  at  the  foot  of  the  hill  on  which 
the  city  stands.  The  ditch  situate  at  the  base  of  the  hill  always  ' 
contains  some  stagnant  water,  and  serves  the  poorer  classes ;  but 
those  who  can  aflford  it  derive  their  supply  from  the  Fuleli,  through 
which,  though  the  water  is  collected  in  small  pools,  there  is  still  a 
feeble  current,  even  in  the  dry  season,  from  the  main  river,  which 
prevents  the  water  from  becoming  salt,  as  usually  takes  place 
when  a  body  of  water  remains  long  stagnant,  in  consequence  of 
the  large  proportion  of  salt  in  the  soil  of  Sind."  Heddle  further 
remarks  that  no  respectable  persons  then  resided  in  the  town 
itself,  which  was  solely  occupied  by  Banyas  and  the  more  menial 
attendants  on  the  Court.  Persons  of  respectability,  who  had  no 
quarters  within  the  fort,  resided  in  some  of  the  small  hamlets 
situate  mostly  on  the  banks  of  the  Fuleli,  where  also  were  the 
gardens  belonging  to  the  Mirs. 

Hyderabad  has  extensive  road  communication  with  other  places, 
being,  as  it  were,  the  point  from  which  numerous  roads  radiate  in 
all  directions.  From  it  to  the  north  runs  the  main  trunk  road  to 
Rohri,  passing  through  the  large  town  of  Hala  (distant  36  miles), 
Naushahro,  Sakrand  and  Khairpur ;  to  the  east  it  has  communi- 
cation with  Umarkot  (distant  about  90  miles),  vi&  the  tovms  of  Alah- 
yar-jo-Tando.and  Mirptir  Khas;  to  the  south,  with  Muhammad 
Khan's  Tanda  (distant  21  miles) ;  while  to  the  west'  an  excellent 
metalled  road,  about  3^  miles  in  length,  and  lined  with  trees  on 
both  sides,  leads  to  Gidu  Bandar,  whence  there  is  easy  communi- 
cation by  steam  ferry  with  the  town  of  Kotri.  In  and  around  the 
dty  and  the  cantonments  are  also  numerous  roads,  all  under  the 
care  of  the  municipality,  though  metalled  chiefly  at  the  cost  of 
local  funds.  The  cantonments,  occupied  by  a  force  of  artillery 
and  in£auitry  (European  and  native),  lie  to  the  north  and  west  of 
the  town.  Here  is  a  very  fine  range  of  European  barracks,  con- 
sisting of  12  blocks,  erected  in  1850-51,  each  block  being  241 
feet  long  by  73  feet  broad.  There  are  also  quarters  for  married 
soldiers,  workshops,  a  gun-shed,  skittle  and  ball  alleys,  and  a 
plunge  bath.  The  permanent  artillery  stables  were  built  in  i860. 
In  addition  to  these  are  two  hospitals  for  the  artillery  and  infantry, 
with  medical  subordinates*  quarters  attached  to  them.  The  Baloch 
Infantry  lines  occupy  a  portion  of  the  plain  to  the  south  of  the 
European  barracks,  and  still  farther  to  the  south  is  a  double  line 
of  mud-built  bangalows,  for  the  use  of  the  officers  attached  to  the 
military  force  at  this  station.     Here,  on  a  slightly  elevated  position, 

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256  HYDERABAD. 

and  overlooking  the  Gidtl  Bandar  road,  stands  the  Protestant 
church  of  St  Thomas,  erected  in  1859-60,  at  a  cost  to  Government 
of  45,000  rupees.  It  is  118  feet  long,  by  58  broad,  and  has  a 
■  tower  which  is  75  feet  in  height  to  the  top  of  the  belfry.  The 
church,  which  can  accommodate  600  persons,  has  several  stamed- 
glass  memorial  windows.  On  the  north  side  of  the  Conmiunion 
table  is  a  brass  plate,  showing  the  number  of  officers  and  men 
who  fell  in  the  battles  of  Meeanee  and  Dabba  (Dabo) ;  and  on 
another  plate,  on  the  south  side,  is  inscribed  the  date  of  the 
erection  and  consecration  of  this  edifice. 

Immediately  to  the  south  of  the  Kalhora  and  Talpur  tombs, 
which  cover  the  northern  portion  of  the  hill  on  which  Hyderabad 
is  built,  stands  the  jail,  erected  in  185 1,  and  distant  about  500  yards 
from  the  town.  The  building  occupies  a  site  which,  prior  to  the 
conquest  of  the  province,  was  a  private  enclosure  belonging  to  the 
late  Mirza  Khosru.  It  is  a  narrow  quadrangle  enclosed  by  kacha 
walls,  and  is  capable  of  accommodating  between  400  and  500 
prisoners.  It  is  about  80  feet  in  elevation  above  the  surrounding 
plain,  and  its  interior  area  may  be  computed  at  nearly  13,300 
square  yards.  The  water  supply  is  both  bad  and  scant,  the  water 
having  to  be  brought  upwards  of  a  mile  by  means  of  an  aqueduct 
from  a  well  sunk  in  the  lower  ground  to  the  east  of  the  town,  but 
the  prisoners  are  fairly  supplied  with  vegetables  firom  the  jail 
garden,  which  lies  immediately  under  the  hill  to  the  westward. 
The  average  number  of  convicts  in  this  jail  is  430,  the  greater 
number  being  employed  in  making  kacha  bricks^  c^pets,  matting, 
camel  kits,  towelling,  reed  chairs,  &c.  The  system  of  sewage 
carried  out  in  this  jail  is  the  dry  earth,  and  this,  from  the  dry 
nature  of  the  climate,  appears  to  be  the  best  suited  to  the  place. 
Proceeding  from  the  jail  southward  towards  the  town,  along  the 
ridge  of  the  hill  are  seen  the  Government  Anglo-vernacular  and 
High  schools  established  respectively  in  the  years  1857  and  1858, 
and  to  the  right  the  Engineering  and  normal  schools,  the  former 
dating  from  1865,  while  the  latter,  occupying  a  building  conspicuous 
by  its  tower,  began  its  work  in  October  1864.  Here  also  is  the 
school  belonging  to  the  Church  Missionary  Society,  established  in 
1862,  and  on  the  same  side  the  fish,  vegetable,  grass  and  wood 
markets,  all  of  these  the  property  of  the  municipality.  On  the 
west  of  the  hill  is  the  Hyderabad  post-office,  and  at  a  short  dis- 
tance below,  to  the  left,  is  the  Roman  Catholic  chapel  erected  in 
1850;  this  latter  building  is  103  feet  long,  by  46  broad.  Close 
by  are  the  armed  police  lines  and  the  soldiers'  bazar,  together 
with  the  municipal  beef  and  mutton  markets.     Adjoining  the  road 

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HYDERABAD.  257 

which  connects  Hyderabad  with  Gidu  Bandar,  and  in  close  prox- 
imity to  the  cantonment  bangalows,  is  the  Collector's  kuteherry, 
or  public  office,  a  fine  upper-storied  building  of  red  brick,  208 
feet  long,  by  70  feet  broad.  Here  also  are  the  court-houses,  new 
travellers'  bangalow,  and  library  (this  latter  was  the  old  travellers' 
bangalow),  as  also  several  houses  occupied  by  diflferent  civil  officers 
of  Government  Eastward  from  the  kuteherry,  and  close  to  the 
fort  of  Hyderabad,  is  the  civil  and  police  hospital  and  charitable 
dispensary  (all  located  in  one  building),  seated  on  a  somewhat 
elevated  position.  The  hospital  is  capable  of  accommodating  40 
patients.  During  the  two  years  1873  and  1874,  there  were  treated 
in  the  charitable  dispensary  18,440  and  18,592  persons  respec- 
tively. Hyderabad  also  possesses  a  Freemason's  lodge  (Industry, 
No.  873,  E.C.).  It  was  first  founded  at  Kotri  in  1861,  but  placed 
in  abeyance  in  1870.  In  1873  it  ^^ls  resuscitated  and  transferred 
to  this  town.  Of  the  fort,  a  description  of  which  has  already  been 
given,  it  will  suffice  to  say  that  it  is  in  area  about  36  English  acres, 
and  contains  the  large  house  generally  known  as  Government 
House,  standing  opposite  the  gateway.  It  belongs  to  one  of  the 
ex-Mirs,  and  has  still  a  room  called  the  tainted  Chamber,  in 
which  is  a  native  drawing  representing  the  meeting  of  Ranjit 
Singh,  the  ruler  of  the  Panjab,  with  Lord  Lake  in  1803.  Before 
the  present  cantonments  at  Hyderabad  were  built,  the  greater 
portion  of  the  British  troops  were  quartered  inside  the  fort  In 
1857  nearly  all  the  old  houses  in  the  fort  were  pulled  down, 
and  the  space  left  by  them  cleared  for  the  erection  of  the  new 
arsenal  buildings,  which  in  shape  are  like  a  sixteen-sided  figure. 
In  1 86 1  the  arsenal  was  finally  removed  firom  Karachi,  and 
established  in  Hyderabad.  In  the  magazine  compound  in  this 
fort  are  buried  several  officers  who  fell  in  the  battles  of  Meeanee 
and  Dabba  (Dabo). 

On  the  road  running  between  Hyderabad  and  Gidu  Bandar  is 
the  lunatic  asylum,  which  was  only  completed  in  July  187 1.  It 
comprises  several  separate  buildings,  and  contains  eight  wards 
(each  36  feet  by  18,  with  a  height  of  19  feet)  for  natives,  and  one 
for  Europeans.  There  is  also  a  hospital,  three  worksheds,  and 
quarters  for  the  superintendent  and  other  officials.  The  number 
of  patients  at  present  in  the  asylum  is  about  100,  but  it  can  ac- 
commodate 138.  The  cost  of  each  patient  in  1874  was  estimated 
to  be  Rs.  93 :  8.  The  staff  employed  to  carry  on  the  duties  of  this 
institution  consists  of  a  superintendent,  hospital  assistant,  several 
warders,  and  a  number  of  menial  servants.  This  asylum  may  be 
said  to  owe  its  existence  to  the  munificence  of  a  Parsi  gentleman, 

s 

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258 


HYDERABAD. 


Mr.  (now  Sir)  Kauasji  Jehangir  Readjrmoney,  who  contributed 
the  sum  of  50,000  rupees  towards  its  erection ;  but  this  amount 
was  afterwards  supplemented  by  a  Government  grant  of  8000 
rupees,  the  entire  cost  being  thus  58,000  rupees.  It  was  opened 
for  the  reception  of  patients  on  the  3rd  of  September,  187 1.  The 
civil  surgeon  of  Hyderabad  is  the  superintendent  of  this  institu- 
tion. This  asylum  enjoys  a  good  reputation,  and  many  lunatics  of 
the  better  class  are  placed  here  by  their  friends  owing  to  the  kind 
and  judicious  treatment  the  patients  receive. 

The  Hyderabad  municipality,  established  in  the  year  1853,  has 
done  much  of  late  years  towards  improving  the  town,  especially 
in  a  sanitary  point  of  view ;  new  roads  have  been  made,  and  con- 
siderable improvements  have  been  effected  in  those  already 
existing.  Altogether  there  are  about  twelve  miles  of  metalled 
roads  in  and  around  the  city,  and  these  are  now  fairly  lighted  with 
kerosine  oil-lamps.  The  approximate  area  of  the  Hyderabad 
municipality  is  about  15  square  miles,  its  western  boundary, 
which  extends  to  the  Indus,  including  Gidu  Bandar  and  the  old 
entrenched  camp.  The  military  barracks,  officers'  lines,  commis- 
sariat lines,  cemetery,  and  Jacob's  tanks  are  excluded  from  muni- 
cipal limits.  The  annual  receipts  and  disbursements  of  the 
Hyderabad  municipality,  from  its  establishment  down  to  1873-74, 
are  as  follows : — 


Year. 

Receipts. 

Disbursements. 

Year. 

Receipts. 

Disbursements. 

rupees. 

nipees. 

rupees. 

rupees. 

1854-55 

11,483 

6. 751 

1864-65 
1865-66 

46,207 

37,791 

1855-56 

13,982 

17,937 

44,893 

37,029 

1856-57 
1857-58 

I5,4«4 

13.523 

1866-67 

52,571 

48,722 

\l% 

16,084 

1867-68 

63,138 

53,542 

1858-59 

20,552 

1868-69 

64,722 

55,903 

1859-60 

29,874 

24,339 

1869-70 

76,310 

67,524 

1860-61 

37,649 

40,694 

1870-71 

71,539 

62,975 

1861-62 

32.443 

26,355 

1871-72 

70,927 

66,877 

1862-63 

34,659 

26,312 

1872-73 

71,141 

70,302 

1863-64 

35,449 

40,377 

1873-74 

1,09,135 

84,959 

At  Gidu  Bandar  also  several  improvements  have  been  carried 
out  by  the  municipality,  and  others  are  in  progress.  A  rest-house 
and  large  carriage  stand  have  been  constructed,  as  also  a  move* 
able  pier  that  can  be  extended  160  feet  into  the  river,  so  as  to 
adapt  it  for  a  landing-place  during  both  the  low  and  inundation 
season^. 

Money  grants   are   annually  made  to   schools  and  medical 


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HYDERABAD. 


259 


establishments  by  the  municipality,  and  the  following  institutions 
received  payments  during  1874,  as  noted  below : — 


Rupees. 

The  Government  High  School      480 

Sindi    do.  192 

Girls'    do.      1,320 


Rupees. 


Roman  Catholic  School  of  St.^_^ 

Joseph's y^ 

School  at  Gidu  Bandar     .     .129*8 
Hyderabad  General  Library  .   192 


In  addition  to  these,  the  City  Charitable  Dispensary  received 
about  1952  rupees  from  the  municipality.  The  receipts  of  the 
Hyderabad  municipality  are  made  up  mostly  from  town  duties, 
market  rents,  cattle  pound  fees,  fines  and  opium,  and  the  princi< 
pal  disbursements  are  upon  public  works,  police,  establishment, 
scavenging,  grants  to  schools  and  dispensary,  lighting  and  horti- 
culture. The  magistrate  of  the  district  is  the  President  of  the 
Municipal  Commission,  which  consists  of  28  members,  of  whom 
21  are  either  .independent  and  non-official,  and  the  managing 
committee  of  9  members  are  drawn  from  these.  Upwards  of 
thirty  articles  of  different  kinds  are  liable  to  municipal  taxation  at 
various  rates,  and  the  following  tables  will  show  the  receipts  and 
disbursements,  under  their  several  heads,  for  the  years  1873  and 
1874:— 

Receipts. 


Items.                                          1873. 

1874- 

Municipal  taxes 

Opium  tax 

Market  rents 

Munidpal  fines 

Sale  of  building  sites 

Licence  fees  for  public  conveyances . 
Licence  fees  for  sale  of  poisons   .     . 

Cattle  pound  fees 

Government  grant-in-aid  .... 

Profit  and  loss 

Tank  fishery 

Deposit  account 

Deadstock 

Total  rupees 

rupees. 

s; 

4§? 

6,565 

3,596 

I2S 

249 

1. 013 

rupees. 
84,410 

3.985 
494 

25 

747 

1,200 

2,903 
233 

«8,377 

98,469 

S    2 


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z6o 


HYDERABAD, 


Expenses. 


Items. 


1873. 


Establishment  and  contingencies. 

Scavenging 

Lighting 

Watering  and  preserving  trees     . 

Education 

Dispensary 

Pohce    

Water  works  establishment,  &c 
Charitable  allowance  .  .  .  . 
Extraordinary  charges 

Public  works 

Dead  stock 

Deposit  account 

Municipal  items 

Refund 

City  survey 

Total  rupees   .     .     .     . 


rupees. 
7,066 
8,622 
2,381 
1,072 
3.667 
2,038 

12,932 

842 
24,616 

2.725 
200 
992 
914 


68,103 


1874. 


rupees. 

9,775 
8,174 

3.00J 

809 

2,546 

2,489 

11,509 

2,364 

36 

425 

11,421 

2,027 

206 

99 

25 

12 


54,918 


Action  has  at  last  been  taken  by  the  municipality  towards 
providing  a  proper  water  supply  for  the  city  and  camp  of  Hydera- 
bad ;  at  present  the  only  drinking  water  obtainable  by  the  great 
majority  of  the  inhabitants  is  from  the  three  city  tanks,  which  are 
supplied  with  water  from  the  new  Fuleli  by  means  of  the  Dow- 
man-wah-  These  tanks  have  a  holding  capacity  of  6,092,000 
cubic  feet  A  scheme  of  water  supply  from  the  Indus,  near  the 
entrenched  camp,  was  put  forward  in  1865  by  Mr.  Charles  Lee, 
the  municipal  secretary,  who  proposed  to  supply  the  town  with 
750,000  gallons  daily,  at  a  prime  cost  of  five  lakhs  of  rupees,  and 
an  annual  expense  of  61,250  rupees,  but  it  was  not  sanctioned. 
Another  design  in  1870  by  Mr.  Robert  Brunton,  C.E.  (formerly 
local  funds  engineer),  was  to  bring  water  from  the  Indus  at  Gidu, 
making  the  fort  a  kind  of  reservoir,  whence  it  could  be  easily  dis- 
tributed over  the  city  and  camp.  This  scheme,  which  is  estimated 
to  cost  about  3,14,000  rupees,  has  been  approved  and  is  now  under 
construction.  The  main  features  of  this  scheme  are  as  follow  : — 
The  water  is  to  be  drawn  from  the  Indus  at  Gidu  Bandar,  and  de- 
posited by  suitable  machinery  into  two  large  tanks  situate  about 
500  yards  or  so  from  the  river  bank.  From  these  tanks  the  water 
will  pass  by  a  conduit  to  the  foot  of  the  hill,  on  which  Hyderabad 
stands,  where  it  wiU  be  received  in  a  large  reservoir.  From  this 
it  will  be  made  to  flow  by  two  branches  through  galleries  bored 
into  the  rock,  one  branch  leading  to  a  tank  from  which  the  can- 
tonment will  be  supplied  with  about  100,000  gallons  daily ;  the 


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HYDERABAD.  261 

other  to  a  well  inside  the  fort,  from  which  the  city  will  be  furnished 
with  the  water  it  needs.  The  water  will  be  raised  to  the  required 
height  from  both  the  tank  and  well,  by  means  of  steam  pumping 
apparatus.  The  cost  of  supplying  the  cantonment  is  estimated  at 
47,127  rupees,  and  the  entire  work  is  expected  to  be  completed 
in  two  years. 

Hyderabad  is  the  head-quarter  station  of  the  following  civil 
officers,  viz.,  the  collector  and  magistrate  of  the  district,  the  HuzQr 
deputy  collector,  the  deputy  collectors  of  divisions  of  districts 
(during  a  portion  of  the  year),  the  district  superintendent  of 
police,  the  district  judge  and  subordinate  civil  judge,  civil  surgeon, 
cantonment  magistrate,  executive  engineer,  and  of  the  officers  of 
the  public  works  and  settlement  departments  (during  a  portion  of 
the  year).  A  Mukhtyarkar  and  inspector  of  town  police  arfc  also 
stationed  here ;  the  latter  officer  has  the  supervision  of  the  foot 
poUce,  which,  armed  and  unarmed,  number  333  men.  The  popu- 
lation of  the  city  of  Hyderabad  was  found  by  the  census  of  1872 
to  be  35,272.  Of  these  13,065  were  Musalmans,  16,889  Hindus, 
and  367  Christians,  while  4951  belonged  to  other  races.  The 
suburban  population  is  entered  at  5880.  The  troops  quartered 
in  this  town  number  on  an  average  between  1200  and  1300 
men  and  officers.  These  latter  consist  of  a  battery  of  Royal 
Artillery,  a  detachment  generally  of  the  European  foot  regiment 
stationed  at  Karachi,  a  Baloch  regiment,  and  a  number  of  men  of 
the  Ordnance  department  The  garrison  at  Hyderabad  during 
the  past  six  years,  ending  1874,  has  averaged  in  strength  1216 
officers  and  men. 

The  Muhammadan  portion  of  the  population  of  Hyderabad  are 
of  the  Baloch,  Saiyad,  Samma,  Shekh  and  Koreshi  tribes.  There 
are  also  Golas  and  Khaskelis,  the  former  slaves  at  one  time,  and 
the  latter  descendants  of  slaves  purchased  by  Balochis  and  others 
from  foreign  countries.  The  Hindu  portion  of  the  inhabitants  are 
principally  Lohanos,  divided  into  the  two  great  classes  of  Amils, 
or  Government  servants,  and  Shaukars,  or  merchants,  shopkeepers, 
&c.  There  are,  besides  these,  Brahmans,  Thakurs,  several  classes 
of  the  Fakir  community,  Sikhs,  Jews,  &c 

Climate. — The  climate  of  Hyderabad  is  considered  to  be  always 
dry,  and  exceedingly  so  during  the  cold  season.  The  mean 
temperature  ranges  from  64°  in  January  to  92°  in  June ;  but  the 
variation  of  temperature  in  the  winter  months  is  at  times  excessive. 
The  average  yearly  rainfall  of  Hyderabad  may  be  set  down  at 
about  six  inches — the  heavy  fall  (20*23  inches)  in  1869  being 
almost  unprecedented  in  quantity.     The  prevailing  diseases  of  the 

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262  HYDERABAD. 

place  are  intermittent  fevers,  .chest  afTections,  enlarged  spleen  and 
stone.  Cholera  has  occasionally  visited  the  town,  the  last  outbreak 
— a  severe  one — occurred  in  1869. 

Manufactures. — ^The  manufectures  of  Hyderabad  now  con- 
sist principally  of  ornamental  silks  and  cottons,  silver  and  gold 
work,  and  lacquered  ornaments,  such  as  boxes,  map  and  pen-cases, 
flower-stands,  &c.,  for  which  this  town  has  long  been  &mous. 
Formerly  the  manufacture  by  skilled  workmen  of  arms,  such  as 
sabres,  matchlocks,  daggers,  spears,  suits  of  chain  armour,  with 
helmets  and  shields,  was  a  very  important  one,  especially  during 
the  Talpur  rule,  but  since  the  conquest  of  the  province  by  the 
British  this  branch  has  greatly  decayed.  The  peculiarly-shaped 
earthen  pots  used  by  pala  fishermen  on  the  Indus,  and  known  as 
mdti  or  fishermen's  floats,  are  made  to  a  considerable  extent  in 
Hyderabad.  The  gold,  silver,  and  silk-embroidered  fabrics  of  this 
city  have  obtained  great  celebrity,  not  only  in  India,  but  in  Europe 
also,  and  some  fine  specimens  have  at  dififerent  times  been  dis- 
played in  various  industrial  exhibitions  in  England  and  continental 
Europe.  The  articles  manufactured  by  convicts  in  the  Hyderabad 
jail  have  already  been  referred  to,  but  it  may  here  be  mentioned 
that,  among  the  numerous  fabrics  displayed  at  the  Karachi  In- 
dustrial Exhibition  of  1869,  the  pile  carpets,  rugs,  sheeting  and 
towelling  made  at  this  jail  obtained  several  prizes,  as  did  also  the 
embroidered  table-covers,  caps  and  slippers  manufactured  in  the 
city  by  Balumal  Dharmdas  and  Naryandas  JumentraL 

Trade. — It  is  a  matter  of  regret  that  nothing  can  be  said  of 
the  trade  of  the  town  of  Hyderabad,  either  local  or  transit,  though 
it  is  well  known  that  the  latter  must  be  very  considerable,  since 
much  of  the  produce  from  the  rich  and  fertile  districts  to  the 
eastward  passes  through  the  town,  en  route  for  Karachi  and  other 
places.  Nor  can  the  local  trade  be  insignificant,  when  the 
municipal  tax  on  various  articles  realises  at  times  as  much  as 
60,000  rupees  per  annum. 

Tombs. — On  the  northern  portion  of  the  hill  range  on  which 
Hyderabad  stands,  is  an  extensive  cemetery  containing  the  tombs 
of  several  of  the  deceased  members  of  the  Kalhora  and  Talpur 
dynasties.  Of  the  former  there  are  two  buildings  (those  to  the 
extreme  north),  one  of  which  is  to  the  memory  of  Ghulam  Shah 
Kalhora,  and  the  other  to  Sarafraz  Khan  Kalhora.  The  first  is 
a  beautiful  quadrangular  edifice,  with  a  handsome  central  dome, 
erected  about  a.d.  1768,  of  burnt  brick,  lime  and  stone,  with 
decorations  in  carved  stone,  coloured  inside  in  distemper  and  in- 
scribed with  sentence^  from  the  Kuran.   The  inner  tomb  itself  is  of 

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HYDERABAD.  263 

white  marble,  and  in  beauty  exceeds  all  others  on  this  hill  The 
building  itself  has,  unfortunately,  not  been  repaired  during  the  past 
forty  years,  nor  have  any  measures  been  adopted  for  its  preserva- 
tion. Over  one  of  the  archways  are  inscribed  certain  verses  in 
what  may  properly  be  called  Sindi- Persian,  composed,  it  is  pre- 
sumed, by  his  eldest  son,  Sarafraz  Khan,  in  17  71.  The  following 
is  a  translation  of  these  verses,  but  the  beauty  of  the  original 
consists  in  not  only  giving  the  year  of  the  demise  of  Ghulam 
Shah  in  verse,  but  also  in  preserving  the  sense  in  connection  with 
the  context : — 

1.  Ah  1  the  unkindness  of  the  ignoble  heavens. 
Ah  1  the  freaks  of  the  azure  firmament. 

2.  The  valiant  cavalier  of  the  race-course  of  fame  ; 
The  monarch  of  the  capital  of  the  empire. 

3.  The  light  of  the  Sun  of  the  Zodiac  of  honour, 
Both  the  worlds  paid  allegiance  to  him. 

4.  By  Divine  grace  his  mandates 
Went  forth  in  Heaven  and  on  earth. 

5.  Kings  entreated  at  his  doors, 
Crowned  heads  prostrated  themselves  before  him. 

6.  The  emperor  of  the  world,  **  Ghulam  Shah,'* 
The  sky  kissed  the  earth  before  him. 

7.  He  passed  away  from  the  world  into  paradise. 
He  received  what  he  deserved  at  the  door  of  Grod. 

8.  A  dome  over  the  tomb  of  that  monarch 

!Was  erected  like  the  vault  of  the  starry  skies. 
9.  The  dome  was  as  bright  as  the  palace  of  paradise  ; 
j  It  was  as  delightful  as  the  magnificent  paradise. 

(  10.  For  the  date  of  his  demise,  the  imagination  of  Sarafraz. 

Was  in  great  search  with  a  great  deal  of  pains. 
II.  Whilst  in  these  thoughts  an  exclamation  was  made, 
By  the  Divine  messenger  :  **  For  ever  in  Heaven." 

The  adjoining  building,  which  is  to  the  memory  of  Sarafraz 
Kalhora,  was  erected  about  a.d.  1785.  It  is  painted  inside,  and, 
being  in  good  repau:,  is  still  used  for  religious  purposes.  The 
remaining  four  tombs  belong  to  the  Talpur  family,  that  of  Mir 
KLaram  AU  being  a  handsome  quadrangular  building,  surmounted 
by  a  dome,  and  having  a  turret  on  each  comer.  It  was  built  about 
AD.  18 1 2,  is  decorated  with  marble  fretwork  and  covered  with 
coloured  tiles.  Another  of  these  is  devoted  to  the  memory  of 
Mirs  Murad  Ah,  Nur  Muhammad,  Nasir  Khan  and  Shahdad  Khan. 
It  was  erected  about  ad.  1847,  is  constructed  of  burnt  bricks 
and  gypsum  cement,  has  coloured  tiles  on  the  outside,  while  inside 
are  tombs  of  white  marble,  painted  and  gilt  Of  the  remaining 
two  tombs,  one,  built  about  1855,  contains  the  remains  of  Mirs 
Ghulam  Shah  and  Fazul  Ali  \  the  other,  erected  in  1857,  those  of 


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a64  IMAMGHAR. 

Mir  Muhammad  All  the  Talpur  tombs,  with  the  exception  of 
that  of  Mir  Karam  Ali,  are  kept  in  good  order,  and  are  in  charge 
of  the  Talpur  family.  Seated  as  they  are,  in  a  line  on  the  northern 
spur  of  the  Ganja  hills,  though  not  so  elevated  as  the  round  tower 
of  the  Hyderabad  fort,  they  are  nevertheless  conspicuous  objects 
a  long  distance  off. 

Close  to  the  banks  of  the  Indus,  and  about  three  miles  from 
the  city  of  Hyderabad,  with  which  it  is  connected  by  a  good  road 
lined  with  handsome  trees,  is  what  was  previously  known  as  the 
entrenched  camp  or  Residency,  a  spot  rendered  memorable  by  the 
brave  stand  made  there  by  the  Resident,  Major  (afterwards  Sir 
James)  Outram,  with  the  small  force  under  his  command,  against 
a  fierce  attack  of  the  Balochis  on  the  15th  of  February,  1843.  At 
present  it  is  known  by  the  name  of  Mir-jo-Tando,  from  the  circum- 
stance of  its  being  the  residence  of  some  of  the  ex-Mirs  of  Sind. 

Upon  the  site  of  the  present  citadel  of  Hyderabad  is  supposed 
to  have  stood  the  ancient  town  of  Nerankot,  mention  of  which  is 
found  in  the  early  history  of  the  province,  when  the  country  was 
invaded  in  a.d.  711- 12  by  Muhammad  Kasim  Sakifi,  and  Neran- 
kot, after  the  capture  of  the  seaport  of  Debal,  quietly  submitted  to 
Muslim  domination.  At  that  time  the  main  stream  of  the  Indus 
is  supposed  to  have  flowed  to  the  eastward  of  the  town,  most  pro- 
bably through  the  present  bed  of  the  Fuleli  river.  There  would 
appear  to  be  no  mention  of  Nerankot  after  this;  but  in  a.d.  1768, 
the  present  town  of  Hyderabad  was  founded  by  Ghulam  Shah 
Kalhora,  whose  tomb  still  exists,  though  in  a  state  of  considerable 
dilapidation,  at  the  northern  end  of  the  same  plateau  on  which 
the  town  stands.  Here  also  resided  his  three  successors,  Sarafraz 
Khan,  Ghulam  Nabi  Khan,  and  Abdul  Nabi  Khan.  On  the  acces- 
sion to  power  of  the  Talpurs,  Hyderabad  still  continued  to  be 
the  capital  of  that  branch  of  the  family  (the  Shahdadpur)  ruling  in 
Central  Sind,  the  fort  being  built  by  the  first  Mir,  Fateh  Ali 
Khan.  It  so  remained  till  the  conquest  of  the  province  by  Sir 
Charles  Napier  in  1843,  when  the  town  and  fort  were  uncondition- 
ally surrendered  to  the  British  afler  the  battle  of  Meeanee,  fought 
on  the  1 7  th  of  February  in  that  year.  It  was  soon  after  constituted 
the  chief  town  and  head-quarter  station  of  the  Collectorate  of 
Hyderabad,  and  has  so  continued  down  to  the  present  time. 

Imamgharj  formerly  a  strong  fortress  in  the  desert  portion  of 
the  territory  of  His  Highness  Mir  Ali  Murad  Khan  Talpur,  in 
latitude  26°  31'  N.,  and  longitude  69°  31'  E.  It  is  situate  to  the 
east  of  the  Eastern  Nara,  and  is  distant  about  75  miles  south-east 
from  Khairpur.     Owing  to  the  perfect  isolation  of  this  fort,  and 

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INDUS.  265 

its  desert  situation,  it  was  deemed  by  the  Mirs  ot  Sind  to  be  an 
excellent  place  of  refuge,  and  thither,  during  his  dispute  with  the 
British  Government,  fled  Mir  Rustam  Khan  Talpur  in  1843.  Sir 
Charles  Napier,  who  had  determined  to  capture  this  place,  set  out 
after  him  with  50  cavalry,  two  24-pound  howitzers  drawn  by 
camels,  and  350  European  troops,  mounted  on  these  animals,  two 
on  each.  This  force  reached  the  fort  on  the  13  th  of  January,  1843, 
oiler  a  trying  march  of  three  days,  and  the  place  was  at  once 
surrendered.  It  is  said  to  have  been  a  square  with  eight  round 
towers,  surrounded  by  an  outer  wall  15  feet  high.  The  inner 
walls  were  40  feet  high  -,  one  tower  was  50  feet  in  height,  and 
were  all  built  of  burnt  brick.  It  contains  also  several  bomb-prooi 
chambers.  Twenty  thousand  pounds  of  powder  were  found  con- 
cealed in  this  fortress,  and  this  quantity  was  used  in  springing 
thirty-four  mines,  which  reduced  the  place  to  a  mass  of  shapeless 
ruins,  and  made  it  perfectly  incapable  of  defence  in  the  future. 
The  British  force  returned  from  this  expedition  without  any  loss. 

Indns  (known  also  under  its  ancient  name  of  Sindhu)  is  a 
large  river  having  its  source  in  Thibet :  flowing  through  the  pro- 
vinces of  the  Panjab  and  Sind,  it  empties  itself,  after  a  long 
course  of  nearly  1700  miles,  by  several  mouths  into  the  Arabian 
Sea.  In  the  "Sind  Gazetteer,"  that  portion  only  of  the 
Indus,  which,  as  familiarly  known  to  the  Sindis  by  the  name  of  the 
"  Daryah,"  flow^through  the  province  from  its  most  northern  town, 
Kashmor,  to  the  sea,  will  here  be  described.  The  length  of  this 
portion  of  the  river  may,  including  its  windings,  be  calculated  at 
about  580  miles.  From  Bukkur  to  the  sea  it  is  known  as  the 
"  Lower  Sind,"  while  from  Atok  to  the  sea  it  is  generally  called 
the  "Sindhu."  Within  the  limits  above  mentioned,  the  Indus 
ranges  in  width  from  480  to  1600  yards ;  it  is  usually  about  680 
yards  wide  during  the  low  season,  but  in  many  parts,  during  the 
inundation,  above  a  mile.  Its  depth  during  the  freshes  is  about 
24  feet,  but  at  other  times  it  is  not  more  than  from  9  to  15  feet, 
and  in  some  places  only  4  to  5  feet  deep.  The  water  which  is 
derived  from  the  melted  snows  of  the  Himalayan  chain  of  moun- 
tains, whence  this  river  takes  its  rise,  as  well  as  from  the  heavy 
rains  falling  on  that  and  other  ranges  of  hills,  is,  in  that  part  of  it 
flowing  through  Sind,  of  a  dirty  chocolate  colour,  and  possesses 
neither  the  lightness  nor  the  delicious  qualities  ascribed  to  the 
African  Nile  water.  Independently  of  the  mud  suspended  in  the 
Indus  water,  it  holds  in  solution  a  small  proportion  of  saline 
ingredients,  principally  common  carbonate  of  soda  and  nitrate  of 
potash.      The  amount  of  mud  in  the  water  is,  however,  much 

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266 


INDUS. 


less  than  might  be  expected ;  near  Hyderabad  it  amounted  some 
years  since  to  4-21  per  cent,  but  in  the  Hajamro  branch,  near 
the  sea,  to  only  0*06  per  cent  The  velocity  of  the  current,  as 
ascertained  by  the  late  Captain  John  Wood  (previously  referred 
to  as  a  good  authority  in  all  matters  connected  with  the  Indus), 
was  7  knots  per  hour  in  the  freshes,  and  3  knots  when  the  river 
was  low,  while  he  found  in  August,  when  the  inundation  was  at 
its  height,  that  the  discharge  per  second  was  about  446,086  cubic 
feet,  and  in  December  (the  low  season)  only  40,857  cubic  feet 
The  fall  from  Mittankot  to  the  sea  is  generally  estimated  to  be 
six  inches  in  the  mile.  The  following  table  will  show  the  tem- 
perature of  the  water  of  this  river,  as  compared  with  that  of  the 
air,  during  eight  months  of  the  year : — 


Air. 

River. 

i    Air. 

River. 

0 

0 

0 

0 

February  .     .     . 

69 

64 

June     .... 

lOI 

87 

March  .... 

90 

78 

July      .... 

95 

88 

April    .... 

97 

81 

August 

95 

88 

May     .... 

100 

84 

September      .     . 

94 

86 

Delta. — The  delta  of  the  Indus,  through  which  its  moutlis 
reach  the  sea,  covers,  as  might  be  expected  from  so  large  a  river, 
an  immense  area,  estimated  by  different  authorities  at  from  2000 
to  3000  square  miles,  and  extends  on  the  coast-line  for  quite  125 
miles ;  much  of  it  was  surveyed  by  Lieutenant  Carless,  of  the 
Indian  navy,  in  1836-37.  The  delta  may  be  said  to  commence 
from  the  efflux  of  the  FuleH  (a  natural  branch  of  the  Indus),  but 
the  submerged  portion  of  it  is  a  belt  fringing  the  sea,  with  an 
average  width  from  the  coast  of  20  miles.  Unlike  the  densely- 
wooded  delta  of  the  Ganges,  this  is  nearly  destitute  of  timber, 
resembling  in  this  respect  that  of  the  Nile.  It  is  almost  level,  and 
is  of  alluvial  soil,  apparently  brought  down  by  the  Indus,  consisting 
of  vegetable  mould,  clay  and  sand,  which  becomes  hard  soon 
after  being  deposited  even  in  the  channels  of  the  river.  The  Indus 
is  believed  formerly  to  have  reached  the  sea  through  eleven  large 
mouths,  but  this  much  is  known,  that  a  little  more  than  eighty 
years  ago  the  river  was  divided  into  two  great  arms,  the  Baghiar 
and  Sita,  both  of  which  were  then  open  and  navigable  for  vessels 
of  a  large  size;  but  in  1837,  when  the  Indus  was  surveyed,  the 
former  was  found  to  be  quite  deserted  by  the  river.  The  other 
mouths,  known  to  the  English  from  a  date  shortly  preceding  the 
conquest  of  the  province,  were  the  Piti,  Juna,  Kukaiwari,  Khede- 


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■2g^  face  pcure  266 


67 


68 


Ske  t  ch 

of  the 

BRANCHES  of  tiie  INDUS 

fiA  \he^  are  ^uppoead  to  hav^o  exmed  in. 
A,D.  1817, 


iHAHUHABAD 


£»»f1W]er,Z«^. 


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INDUS.  267 

wari,  Richhal,  Hajamro,  Sir  and  Kori.  The  influence  of  the  tide 
on  the  Indus  is  felt  nearly  up  to  Tatta,  and  the  spring-tides  rise, 
on  an  average,  nine  feet. 

Before  the  great  earthquake  which  occurred  in  Kachh  in  18 19, 
the  town  of  Shahbandar  (King's  port),  seated  on  the  Bagana  (or 
Mai),  was  an  important  naval  station  of  the  Kalhora  princes,  and 
fifteen  ships-of-war  were  kept  there.  Vessels  from  seaward  then 
entered  the  Richhal  mouth,  the  only  accessible  entrance,  and  passed 
into  the  Hajamro,  through  what  was  then  the  Khedewari  creek, 
and  thence  into  the  Bagana  or  (Mai)  to  Shahbandar.  This  passage 
was  closed  by  the  earthquake,  and  a  new  mouth,  the  Kukaiwari, 
opened,  which  in  1837  was  described  as  being  about  one  mile 
wide  at  high  water,  but  only  770  yards  at  low  tide.  It  was  t?ien 
the  grand  embouchure  for  the  waters  of  the  Indus,  though  the 
navigation  at  the  entrance  was  difficult  and  intricate;  yet  in  1867 
this  mouth  was  so  completely  blocked  up  with  sand  as  to  be  quite 
unnavigable.  The  Khedewari  mouth  in  1837  had  a  depth  at  high 
tide  of  from  16  to  1 8  feet,  and  was  then  navigated  for  the  first 
time  by  large  boats,  and  subsequently  by  Government  steamers. 
This  branch  left  the  main  river  16  miles  below  the  confluence  of 
the  Hajamro,  formerly  called  the  Sian  river.  This  latter  (the 
Hajamro)  was  in  1845  so  small  as  to  be  only  suited  for  the  passage 
of  small  boats  during  the  floods;  since  that  year  it  has  been 
gradually  increasing  in  volume,  has  taken  the  place  of  the  Khe- 
dewari, and  is  now  the  largest  of  the  mouths  by  which  the  Indus 
finds  its  way  to  the  sea.  In  shape  the  Hajamro  is  not  unlike  a 
funnel,  having  its  widest  part  near  the  sea.  On  the  eastern  side 
of  the  entrance  is  a  large  beacon,  95  feet  high,  and  visible  25 
miles,  and  two  pilot-boats,  well  manned,  are  stationed  inside  the 
bar  to  point  out  its  difficulties.  Beacons  have  also  been  erected 
at  the  entrance  of  the  Piti  and  Juna  mouths,  connecting  the  Indus 
with  Gisri.  Both  these  channels  were  at  one  time,  before  Karachi 
and  Kotri  were  connected  by  railway,  much  used  by  Government 
steamers  during  the  south-west  monsoon.  The  Kori  mouth  of 
the  Indus,  separating  Sind  from  Elachh,  once  formed,  it  is  sup- 
posed, the  lower  part  of  either  the  FuleU  river  or  the  eastern 
Nara.  It  is  very  shallow,  and  large  boats  are  unable  even  to  go 
up  as  far  as  Lakhpat,  distant  but  39  miles  from  the  sea.  The  Sind 
shore  is  low  and  swampy  and  overflowed  by  every  tide,  and  this 
is  believed  to  have  been  in  a  great  measure  brought  about  by  the 
earthquake  of  1819.  The  soil  of  the  Indus  delta  is  said  to  be  far 
from  possessing  qualities  which  render  soils  in  general  fertile.  It 
consists  chiefly  of  clay,  mixed  more  or  less  with  sand ;  in  the 

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268  INDUS. 

upper  part  of  the  delta  clay  predominates,  with  a  stiff  and  plastic 
soil ;  in  the  lower  part  it  is  a  very  loose  sand.  It  is  in  this  latter 
portion  of  the  delta  that  the  river  banks  are  so  frequently  being 
destroyed  by  the  peculiar  action  of  the  stream,  which,  by  under- 
mining the  basis,  causes  the  upper  part  to  slide  into  the  river.  Dr. 
Heddle,  in  his  memoir  on  the  Indus,  thus  describes  this  pheno- 
menon : — "  At  a  village  where  the  steamer  came  to  for  the  night,  we 
had  an  opportunity  of  witnessing  very  closely  the  destructive  efiFects 
of  this  action  on  the  bank  itself,  on  the  houses  of  the  village  near  it, 
and  on  the  channel  of  the  river.  A  large  part  of  the  bank  gave  way 
close  to,  but  ahead  of  the  boat,  about  the  distance  of  eighty  yards. 
The  extent  of  bank  which  thus  suddenly  tumbled  into  the  bed  of 
the  river  must  have  measured  nearly  a  hundred  feet  in  breadth 
from  the  margin  of  the  bank,  and  about  four  times  that  extent  in 
length.  The  noise  attending  its  fall  resembled  that  of  a  vast  body 
of  water  rushing  over  a  precipice,  and  the  agitation  of  the  river 
that  followed  caused  the  boat  to  roll  as  if  in  a  heavy  sea.  Some 
huts  nearest  the  bank  were  also  precipitated,  and  it  was  with  diffi- 
culty that  some  of  the  property  in  these  was  saved.  On  the  follow- 
ing morning  we  found  that  the  part  of  the  river  into  which  the 
bank  had  fallen  was  converted  into  a  shoal,  partly  above  the 
water,  which  prior  to  the  accident  had  a  depth  of  three  fathoms, 
and  the  steamer,  in  shoving  o£f,  was  obliged  to  make  a  consider- 
able detour  to  clear  the  shoal.  When  we  consider  that  thirteen 
reports,  produced  by  similar  causes,  may  be  heard  from  one  spot 
in  the  space  of  a  minute,  we  may  obtain  some  idea  of  the  rapidity 
and  extent  of  the  destructive  action  in  this  part  of  the  Indus." 

The  marshy  tracts  of  the  delta  aflFord  good  pasturage  for  cattle, 
and  a  grass  called  pan  or  pana  {jypha  elephantina)^  which  grows 
there,  by  sinking  to  a  depth  of  nine  feet  in  the  ground,  is  of  great 
use  in  keeping  the  soil  composing  the  river  banks  together :  the 
leaves  of  this  grass  are  manufactured  into  matting.  The  tamarisk 
and  the  mangrove  are,  it  would  seem,  the  only  woods  obtainable 
in  the  delta  for  fuel.  That  portion  of  the  delta  immediately  above 
the  swampy  plains  is  the  most  fertile  and  productive,  and  is  easily 
cultivated ;  and  there  are  numerous  canals  which  irrigate  the  grassy 
plains  and  rice  grounds.  The  climate  of  the  Indus  delta  in  the 
winter  season  is  cool,  dry,  and  bracing,  the  thermometer  ranging 
from  45°  to  76°;  the  heat  in  the  summer  is  excessive,  and  during 
the  inundation  the  climate  is  decidedly  unhealthy.  The  prevailing 
winds  on  the  river  Indus  are  mostly  from  the  north  and  south  ; 
from  April  to  September  a  southerly  breeze  prevails,  and  for  the 
remainder  of  the  year  it  is  from  the  north;  gales  of  wind  are 

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6S 


Ske  t  c  k 

o  f  the 

BRANCHES  of  the  INDUS 

as  they  existed  in 
(Mvm  liiuf  Carless '  JoamtxiJ 


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INDUS.  269 

experienced  throughout  the  whole  line  of  the  Indus,  but  they  are 
more  frequent  close  to  the  mountains  than  near  the  sea.  The 
Sind  coast  is  navigated  by  native  craft  from  the  beginning  of 
October  to  the  end  of  March,  but  in  February  the  weather  is 
occasionally  tempestuous,  with  strong  westerly  winds.  The  Indus 
begins  to  rise  in  March,  attains  its  greatest  size  in  August,  and 
falls  in  September.  The  maximum  height  of  water  reached  fluc- 
tuates in  different  seasons.  At  Gidu  Bandar,  three  miles  from 
Hyderabad,  it  is  a  little  over  fifteen  feet ;  at  present  there  are  gauges 
at  both  Kotri  and  Bukkur  for  noting  the  rise  and  fall  of  the  Indus  ; 
and  it  is  at  these  two  places,  as  well  as  at  Jerruck,  that  the  river 
banks  can  alone  be  said  to  be  permanent  The  best  portion  of 
the  river  for  navigational  purposes  is  considered  to  be  that  from 
the  delta  to  Sehwan,  but  from^  this  latter  place  to  Rohri  the  depth 
of  water  is  irregular  and  uncertain.  The  capricious  nature  of  the 
current  in  other  parts  is  remarkable,  and  this  shows  itself  in  the 
frequent  alterations  of  its  navigable  channels.  A  total  change 
occurs  at  times  in  the  direction  of  its  entire  body  of  water,  as  well 
as  in  its  great  partial  velocity  of  current  Thus  the  town  of 
Ghorabari  in  1845  ^^^  seated  on  the  Hajamro,  and  was  the  only 
place  of  commerce  at  that  time  in  the  delta.  In  1848 — only 
three  years  afterwards — the  river  capriciously  left  it,  and  another 
spot,  Keti,  had  to  be  selected ;  this  too  was  overflowed  some  time 
afterwards,  rendering  it  necessary  to  build  a  second  Keti,  a  short 
distance  from  the  first  At  present  the  chief  obstructions  to  navi- 
gation in  the  Indus,  between  Kashmor  and  the  sea,  are — ist, 
three  detached  rocks  in  the  bed  of  the  river  between  Tatta  and 
Bhiman-jo-pura,  which  in  1846  were  eight  miles  inland  on  the  left 
bank;  2nd,  a  reef  of  rocks  stretching  right  across  the  present 
river  channel,  at  a  spot  about  four  miles  above  the  town  of  Jerruck, 
making  the  navigation  there  at  the  low  season  very  difficult — it 
was  here  that  the  steamer  "Meteor"  was  wrecked  in  January 
1854 ;  3rd,  some  rocks  in  the  river  on  the  right  bank  at  Pir  Petaro, 
ten  or  twelve  miles  north  of  Kotri ;  4th,  a  ledge  of  rocks  nearly 
opposite  Sehwan,  which  partially  obstructed  the  channel  in  i860, 
but  this  difficulty  was  removed  by  the  river  taking  its  course  in 
the  following  year  towards  the  left  bank ;  5th,  the  narrow  channel 
between  the  island  of  Bukkur  and  the  town  of  Rohri,  where  in 
flood  the  great  rush  of  water  through  such  a  contracted  pass 
(400  yards  wide)  is  highly  dangerous  to  both  sailing-craft  and 
steamers.  This  has  to  some  extent  been  remedied  by  enlarging 
the  channel  between  Bukkur  and  Sukkur,  and  thus  lessening  the 
velocity  of  the  current  on  the  Rohri  side.    Snags,  or  portions  of 


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2  70  INDUS. 

trees  washed  away  from  the  forests  bordering  on  the  river,  and 
firmly  imbedded  in  the  sand,  are  serious  impediments  to  naviga- 
tion. Sometimes  a  large  part  of  a  forest  is  washed  away,  as  was 
the  case  in  1862  with  that  of  Karo-belo,  situate  on  the  left  bank, 
about  twenty-four  miles  above  Kotri,  and  with  the  forests  of 
Dhareja,  Sunda-belo,  and  Samtia  in  1863-64-65.  No  less  than 
one  thousand  acres  of  the  Dhareja  forest  were  swept  into  the 
stream  in  the  former  year. 

Fish. — On  the  sea-coast  of  the  delta,  sharks,  saw-fish,  rays  and 
skate  abound;  the  ringan  and  siri  (varieties  of  the  cod)  are 
common,  so  also  are  the  sir,  cavalho,  the  red-snapper,  gassir, 
begti,  dangara  and  buru.  Oil  is  obtained  from  several  of  these 
fish,  and  this  is  used  in  Karachi  by  the  poorer  people  for  burning, 
as  also  for  protectuig  the  wood  of  their  boats  from  the  injurious 
effects  of  sea-water.  A  kind  of  sardine,  the  dupea  neohouni,  fre- 
quents the  coast  in  great  shoals  about  the  month  of  February, 
and  is  largely  consumed  as  an  article  of  food.  In  the  Indus  there 
are  niunerous  varieties  of  fish,  but  the  finest-flavoured  and  the 
most  plentifiil  is  the  **  pala,"  one  of  the  Cyprinida,  according  to 
Dr.  Winchester,  but  of  the  Clupeida^  according  to  Dr.  F.  Day. 
It  is  believed  to  be  identical  with  the  Hha  fish  of  the  Ganges,  and 
is  much  esteemed  among  the  Sindis  as  an  article  of  diet  It 
b^ns  to  ascend  the  Indus  from  the  sea  about  February,  and  con- 
tinues to  do  so  till  September.  The  method  adopted  by  the 
Muhanos,  or  fishermen  of  Sind,  in  catching  the  "  pala  "  is  novel 
and  peculiar.  Provided  with  a  large  earthen  vessel  having  a  wide 
aperture,  known  as  a  moH^  together  with  a  kind  of  dagger  knife,  and 
a  forked  pole,  15  feet  or  so  in  length,  with  a  net  attached  to  it, 
and  a  checkstring  from  the  net  to  his  girdle,  the  fisherman  places 
his  stomach  on  the  aperture  of  the  moH^  in  such  a  way  as  to 
prevent  any  water  getting  inside,  and  paddles  out  into  the  stream. 
Here  he  thrusts  his  net  into  the  water,  and  by  means  of  the  check- 
string  is  at  once  made  aware  of  the  capture  of  a  fish,  which  always 
swims  against  the  current.  The  net  is  then  drawn  up,  the  ''  pala '' 
killed  with  the  knife  and  consigned  to  the  mati,  and  so  he  con- 
tinues to  float  down  the  stream  for  a  certain  distance,  when  he 
lands  and  walks  on  the  river  bank,  with  all  his  fishing  apparatus, 
to  the  spot  where  he  first  began,  and  again  laimching  out  into  the 
water,  proceeds  with  his  fishing  till  he  has  secured  sufficient  for 
the  day's  sale  or  consumption. 

Pala  is  not  only  largely  eaten  by  the  inhabitants  living  on  the 
banks  of  the  Indus,  but  is  extensively  dried  for  exportation  else- 
where, thus  forming  an  article  in  the  trade  of  Sind.     Dambhro 

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INDUS,  271 

{Labeo  rchita)  and  mullet  of  a  large  size  are  caught  in  the  Indus ; 
other  fish  are  the  morako  {Cirrhina  mrigaJa),  the  gandan  {Noto- 
pterus  kqpirat),  khago,  or  catfish  {Rita  Buchanani),  popri  {Barbus 
sarana),  shakur,  jerkho,  and  the  singhari  {Macranes  aor).  Otter 
and  turtle  are  numerous  everywhere,  and  the  porpoise,  or  "  bulanii'  • 
is  firequently  seen  in  different  parts  of  the  river.  Alligators  of 
the  gharidl^  or  long-snouted  kind,  abound,  and  water-snakes  of 
different  varieties  and  size  are  found  in  great  numbers. 

Boats. — Of  the  various  descriptions  of  boats  which  ply  on  the 
river,  the  "  dundhi^  or  cargo  boat  of  Sind,  is  that  most  •com- 
monly used  on  what  may  be  termed  the  Lower  Indus,  and  answers 
to  the  "  zaurak "  as  employed  on  the  upper  Indus.  The  dundhi 
is  a  flat-bottomed  boat,  and  is  easily  constructed ;  it  is  peculiar 
in  form,  and  well  suited,  both  as  regards  stowage  of  cargo  and  for 
the  navigation  of  such  a  river  as  the  Indus.  Some  of  them  are 
80  feet  long,  and  of  60  tons  burthen.  The  bow  is  a  broad 
inclined  plane,  at  an  angle  of  about  20°  with  the  surface  of  the 
water ;  its  shape  is  useful,  as,  when  forced  end-on  against  the  river 
bank,  it  parries  in  a  manner  the  violence  of  the  shock.  The  stem 
is  similar  in  form  to  the  bow,  but  at  double  the  angle  with  the 
water.  The  sail  is  large  and  of  lateen  shape,  and  is  hoisted 
behind,  not  before,  the  mast  The  dundhi  is  steered,  though 
badly,  with  either  a  long  curved  oar,  or  a  clumsily-arranged  rudder 
and  double  tiller ;  when  laden  these  vessels  draw  but  four  feet  of 
water.  The  boats  in  Lower  Sind  are  generally  constructed  from 
spars  obtained  from  the  Malabar  coast,  and  the  coir  and  cordage 
come  from  the  same  quarter.  The  Muhano,  or  Sind  boatman^ 
builds  his  vessel  with  the  wood  of  the  country,  such  as  ber,  babul, 
karil,  &c ;  these  boats  last,  on  an  average,  from  seven  to  ten  years. 
The  "  kauntaV*  or  ferry-boat  of  Sind,  is  constructed  for  carrying 
horses,  and  is  of  great  beam;  it  is  a  faster  sailer  than  the  dundhi 
The  pala  jar  (or  tndti)  and  the  masak  (inflated  hide)  are  frequently 
used  by  the  natives  in  Lower  and  Upper  Sind  when  they  have 
occasion  to  cross  the  river. 

The  "  jhamptis  "  were  the  state  barges  of  the  Mirs  of  Sind,  and 
were  large  and  commodious.  Some  of  them  were  120  feet  in 
length,  with  a  beam  of  i8i  feet;  they  had  four  masts,  two  large 
open  cabins,  and  drew  but  two  and  a  half  feet  of  water;  they 
pulled  six  oars,  and  had  a  crew  of  thirty  men.  These  vessels  were 
built  of  teak,  mostly  at  Mugalbhin  and  Karachi  The  dundo, 
though  the  smallest  description  of  boat  used  on  the  Indus,  is  a 
very  useful  one  of  its  class.  Two  men. generally  constitute  the 
crew.  These  boats  are  used  in  the  fisheries  both  on  the  Indus  and 
its  "  dhandhsr 

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272  INDUS. 

Indus  Flotilla. — The  first  steamer  which  appeared  on  the. 
Sind  river  was  the  "  Indus,"  in  1835  ;  it  was  an  object  of  curiosity 
to  the  Hyderabad  Mirs,  who  took  the  opportunity  of  visiting  it. 
Two  steamers,  the  "  Assyria  "  and  "  Conqueror,"  were  employed 
on  the  Indus  in  1839,  the  year  in  which  Lord  Keane's  army 
landed  in  Sind  for  the  purpose  of  proceeding  to  Afghanistan, 
vid  the  Bolan  pass,  and  two  others,  the  "  Planet "  and  **  Satellite," 
took  in  1843  2tn  important  part  in  the  conquest  of  the  province. 
In  1847  the  Indus  navy  flotilla  numbered  ten  steam-vessels  (all 
constructed  of  iron),  with  a  few  flats,  and  these  were  chiefly 
engaged  in  the  transport  of  troops,  Government  stores,  and 
treasure  between  Karachi  and  Multan,  and  at  such  intermediate 
places  on  the  river  as  were  found  necessary.  These  vessels  came 
to  Gisri  Bandar  from  up  river  by  one  of  the  Delta  channels ;  the 
passage  they  used  was  only  discovered  in  1846.  The  yearly  ex- 
penses attendant  on  this  navy  of  Sind,  from  1843  to  1847,  ranged 
from  2|  to  5  lakhs  of  rupees,  but  several  of  the  steamers  composing 
it  were  considered  to  be  but  imperfectly  adapted  for  the  navigation 
of  so  difficult  a  river  as  the  Indus.  The  head-quarters  of  the 
Indus  flotilla  were  at  Kotri,  where  the  head  of  the  department,  an 
officer  of  the  Indian  navy,  resided  with  his  staff.  There  was  also 
a  small  factory  at  that  station  for  effecting  repairs,  besides  quarters 
and  a  hospital  for  the  use  of  the  ofiicers  and  others  belonging  to 
the  fleet.  In  1852  a  portion  of  the  flotilla  was  made  available  for 
passenger  and  goods  traffic  between  Karachi  and  Multan,  but 
down  to  i860  the  exigencies  of  the  Government  service  interfered 
greatly  with  any  regular  maintenance  of  a  bi-monthly  communica- 
tion between  these  two  places.  After  that  year  two  steamers  were 
specially  set  apart  for  this  work,  but  these  being  found  insufficient 
a  third  was  soon  after  added.  The  time  had,  however,  now  come 
when  the  Indian  Government  found  it  unnecessary  to  keep  up 
a  special  naval  flotilla  on  the  Indus,  and  it  was  in  consequence 
broken  up,  five  of  its  steamers,  with  a  number  of  flats  or  barges, 
being  made  over  to  another  Indus  flotilla,  established  in  1859, 
in  conjunction  with  the  Sind  railway  then  in  process  of  con- 
struction between  Karachi  and  Kotri.  The  capital  of  this  new 
company  was  fixed  at  250,000/.,  and  the  Indian  Government  took 
shares,  as  it  were,  in  this  scheme  to  the  extent  of  the  value  of 
the  vessels,  and  the  stores  and  buildings  it  had  transferred  to  the 
new  flotilla.  Another  company,  the  "Oriental  Inland  Steam," 
had  also  commenced  operations  on  the  Indus,  but  the  history  of 
this  company  will  be  referred  to  farther  on.  The  boats  of  the 
new  Indus  flotilla  did  not  fairly  begin  to  run  in  the  river  before 
the  month  of  February  1862,  at  which  time  its  fleet  numbered 


uiyiiizeu  uy  v_j  v_-/ \_^ pj 


^iv 


INDUS, 


273 


about  nine  steamers  and  tugs,  and  twenty-three  barges.  The 
following  three  tables  will  show  its  strength,  revenue,  and  other 
particulars  connected  with  it,  during  the  past  thirteen  years — ^that 
is  to  say,  from  1862  to  1874,  inclusive  : — 


Number  of 

Aggregate 
Tonnage. 

Length  of 
Voyage. 

Year. 

Receipts. 

Expenditure. 

Remarks. 

Steamers 
and  Tugs. 

Barges. 

rupees. 

rupees. 

days. 

days. 

Two    Tugs 

1862 

9 

23 

3,946 

3,02,926 

2,63,928 

18 

7 

,  sold  during 
the  year. 

Four  Tugs 
and  eleven 

1863 

II 

34 

5,140 

7,05,899 

4,45,722 

20J 

9i 

Barges 

added     to 
.  the  fleet 
One  Steamer 

1864 

12 

35 

5,418 

10,06,536 

6,31,698 

22 

9 

and      one 

Flat  added. 

One      Tug 

1865 

II 

34 

5,340 

8,25,716 

6,60,474 

22 

9 

and      one 
Barge  sold. 

1866 

II 

M 

5,3*o 

7,21,725 

• 

6,22,167 

i8f 

10 

Three 
Steamers 
and  eight 
Barges 

1867 

n 

42 

8,448 

8,59,446 

6,57,566 

21 

loj 

added  to 
the  fleet. 
One 
Steamer 

.  condemned. 

Two  Steam- 
ers and 

1868 

15 

46 

10,060 

13,17,074 

7,83,058 

19* 

8i 

four  Barges 
added  to 
,  the  fleet 

One  Steamer 

and  two 

1869 

16 

45 

11,617 

9,62,183 

7,38,262 

16 

8 

Flats  added 

and    three 

,  Barges  sold. 

1870 

15 

45 

",099 

11,18,752 

6,93,216 

24 

10 

1871 

15 

45 

11,099 

6,65,304 

5,94,928 
5,78,556 

214 

loj 

1872 

15 

45 

11,099 

7,76.787 

20f 

12 

One 

1873 

14 

43 

10,461 

7,78,844 

7,26,143 

70\ 

I2l 

Steamer 
and  two 
Barges  sold. 

1874 

'4 

43 

10,461 

8,39,732 

8,03,410 

20        9} 

Digitized  by  VjOOQ IC 


274 


INDUS, 


II. 


Passenger  Traffic. 

Year. 

xst  Class. 

and  Class. 

3rd  Class. 

Toul 
Passengers. 

ToUl  Amount. 

1862  (i  year)       . 

88 

56 

1,258 

1,402 

rupees. 
20,314 

1863  .... 

294 

2,227 

3,461 

5,982 

64.459 

1864  . 

324 

2.434 

4.987 

7,745 

83,896 

1865   . 

334 

3.304 

5,261 

8,899 

94,493 

1866   . 

362 

3.045 

6,026 

9,424 

1,03,834 

1867   . 

442 

6,040 

10,146 

16,628 

2,09,799 

1868   . 

431 

6,234 

19,229 

25,894 

3,95,812 

1869  . 

281 

2,097 

6,724 

9,102 

1,15,488 

1870  . 

197 

232 

6,257 

6,686 

52,975 

1871   . 

163 

5.802 

6,124 

41,203 

1872   . 

169 

150 

6,908 

7,227 

46,965 

1873  . 

254 

7,823 

8,276 

56,687 

1874  .... 

249 

182 

8,252 

8,683 

57,377 

III. 

Goods  Traffic 


Up-river. 

Down-river. 

Year. 

Weight. 

Amount. 

Rate 
per  ton. 

Weight. 

Amount. 

Rate 
per  ion. 

tons. 

rupees. 

rupees. 

tons. 

rupees. 

rupees. 

1862  (i  year)      . 

2,621 

4,139 

2,00,505 

1863.      ..      . 

6,313 
9,256 

67,42 

4,56,709 

1864  . 

4,69,664 

50.7 

10,592 

4,23,293 

39.6 

'f^l- 

10,114 

4,16,605 

41.2 

".313 

2,97.038 
3.63.987 

24.7 

1866  . 

5,893 
10,246 

2.33.305 

40.0 

13.227 

26.2 

'l^l' 

4.54,247 

43.0 

9,402 

1,73,519 

18.S 

1868  . 

12,447 

6,66.833 

53.4 

8,247 

2,07,323 

25.7 

1869  . 

12,973 

6,38,867 

49.2 

9,699 

1,82,916 

19.0 

1870  . 

15,715 

7.49.379 

47.7 

14,507 

2,85,631 

19.0 

187 1  . 

8,455 

3.74.628 

44.5 

13.397 

2,39,402 

18. 5 

1872  . 

8,704 

4.49,383 

51.2 

9,081 

2,56,969 

30.9 

1873. 

12,683 

4,63,555 

37.0 

17,358 

2,47,956 

14.2 

1874.      .      .      . 

16,779 

5,39,550 

32.5 

16,829 

2,36,779 

14.0 

Formerly  the  steamers  of  the  Indus  flotilla,  when  needing  ex- 
tensive repairs,  had  to  proceed  for  that  purpose  to  Karachi.  In 
1868  the  materials  for  a  large  floating  dock  were  received  from 
England,  and  these  were  so  speedily  put  together  in  the  river  at 
Kotri,  that  the  dock  was  ready  for  use  by  August  1869.  Its 
dimensions  are— length,  300  feet,  width,  80  feet,  and  depth,  12^ 
feet,  and  it  has  two  centrifugal  pumps,  worked  by  two  high- 
pressure  engines :  its  cost  was  2,63,654  rupees. 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


INDUS,  275 

The  Indus  flotilla  establishment  formerly  comprised,  in  addition 
to  the  commanders  and  engineers  of  steamers,  an  agent  and  super- 
intendent, with  an  assistant,  an  accountant,  and  foreman  engineer, 
all  of  them  located  at  Kotri,  besides  traffic  agents  at  Multan  and 
Sukkur ;  but  since  the  amalgamation  of  the  flotilla  in  1870  with 
the  Sind  railway,  this  separate  establishment  has  been  abolished, 
and  the  work  of  the  flotilla  and  railway  is  now  conducted  by  one 
staff",  with  its  head-quarters  at  Labor  in  the  Panjab. 

Oriental  Inland  Steam  Company. — In  1856  a  company 
called  "The  Oriental  Inland  Steam  Company,"  with  a  capital  of 
250,000/.,  was  formed  in  England  for  the  purpose  of  navigating 
the  principal  rivers  in  India  by  means  of  powerful  steamers  and 
barges  upon  a  peculiar  plan.  So  far  as  its  connection  with  the 
Indus  is  concerned,  the  company  obtained  from  the  Indian  Govern- 
ment the  concession  of  a  yearly  subsidy  of  5000/.,  provided  it  put 
on  that  river,  for  a  period  of  ten  years,  two  steam-trains  which  were 
to  ply  annually  over  a  distance  of  20,000  miles.  In  1858  two 
steam-trains,  with  all  the  necessary  apparatus  and  stores,  were 
despatched  from  England  to  Karachi,  where,  as  also  at  Kotri, 
land  was  given  to  the  company  by  the  Indian  Government  for 
building  workshops,  offices,  &c.  During  the  years  1859  and  i860, 
one  of  the  company's  steamers  was  lost  while  proceeding  over  the 
Karachi  bar,  and  three  others  on  their  way  out  from  England ; 
and  in  consequence  of  a  trial  trip  made  on  the  Indus  in  May  of 
the  former  year,  it  was  found  that  the  river  current  was  too  strong 
for  the  steam-train.  In  1861  two  other  steamers  belonging  to 
the  company  arrived  at  Karachi,  and  in  the  following  year  it  had 
three  steamers,  i^nth  nine  barges,  on  the  river.  From  that  time 
down  to  the  year  1867,  when  the  company  hopelessly  collapsed, 
its  afiairs  assumed  a  very  unfavourable  appearance,  and  as  it  was 
unable  to  keep  faith  with  the  Indian  Government,  the  yearly 
subsidy  previously  agreed  to  be  paid  to  the  company  was  in  1862 
withdrawn.  Much  money  was  needlessly  wasted,  owing  to  the 
fruitless  attempts  made  by  the  consulting  engineer  and  managing 
director  of  the  company  to  navigate  the  Satlej  river  with  steamers 
not  adapted  for  such  work.  In  consequence  of  the  heavy  pecu- 
niary losses  sustained  by  the  company,  its  steamers  in  June  1867 
ceased  running  on  the  Indus,  and  as  it  was  unable  to  pay  off"  the 
liabilities  it  had  incurred,  the  concern  was  thrown  into  the  Court 
of  Chancery,  which  ended  in  the  extinction  of  the  company,  and 
in  the  sale  by  auction  in  1869  of  its  steamers  and  barges,  together 
with  all  other  movable  and  immovable  property  it  then  possessed. 
It  is  thought  that,  had  proper  tact  and  discretion  been  observed 

Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


276 


INDUS. 


in  carrying  out  the  operations  of  the  company — ^which  it  is  as 
well  to  mention  was  inaugurated  under  the  fairest  auspices — ^its 
fleet  might  long  since  have  navigated  the  Indus  at  a  fair  remu- 
nerative profit 

Native  Craft. — No  returns  appear  to  have  been  kept  of  the 
number  and  tonnage  of  native  craft  proceeding  up  and  down  the 
Indus  till  the  year  1855-56,  when  they  were  first  taken  at  Sukkur. 
The  direct  trade  up  the  river,  firom  the  sea  to  Bahawalpur  and  the 
Panjab,  in  1846-47  would  seem  to  have  been  very  small  in  value, 
amounting  to  but  5049  rupees,  and  consisting  of  grain  (of  sorts), 
skins,  hides,  and  salt  fish.  The  down  trade  in  that  year  was  larger, 
and  is  given  in  value  at  1,60,300  rupees,  the  articles  brought  being 
chiefly  grain,  ghi,  sugar,  cotton,  indigo,  oil,  and  piece  goods.  The 
time  occupied  by  native  sailing  craft  in  their  downward  and  up- 
ward voyages  is  very  much  dependent  on  the  state  of  the  river. 
In  the  former  it  took  \2\  days  to  reach  the  sea  from  Sukkur  in  the 
dry  season,  and  but  eight  days  during  the  freshes.  In  the  upward 
voyage,  the  same  distance  occupies  in  the  dry  season  about  37 
days,  and  in  the  freshes  18  days;  it  is  mainly  performed  by  the 
aid  of  the  wind  and  the  track-rope.  The  following  table  exhibits 
the  traffic  and  native  boat  tonnage  on  the  Indus  from  1855-56 
to  1861-62,  a  period  of  seven  years : — 

Up-River  Traffic 


Year. 

Laden  Boats, 
through  Traffic. 

DLschanrine  Caiigoes 
at  Sukkur. 

Laden  Boats  from 
Sukkur. 

Number 
of  Boats. 

Burthen 
in  tons. 

Number 
of  Boats. 

Burthen 
in  tons. 

Number 
of  Boats. 

Burthen 
in  tons. 

1855-56 

740 

13,162 

^ 

7.750 

629 

8,000 

1856-57 

649 

",043 

851 

12,136 

899 

13,116 

1857-58 

87 

3,800 

571 

8.931 

630 

10,070 

1858-59 

345 

6,600 

1. 138 

17,543 

1,039 

19,000 

1859-60 

104 

2,307 

1,946 

35,777 

1.733 

24,630 

1860-61 

85 

1,953 

1,716 

26,507  1  1,699 

37,000 

1861-62 

1,232 

20,232     1,714 

! 

16,317 

Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


INDUS. 


277 


DowN-RivER  Traffic 


Year. 

Laden  Boats, 
through  Traffic. 

Discharging  Cargoes 

atSukkur. 

Laden  Boats  from 
Sukkur. 

Number 
of  Boats. 

Burthen 
in  tons. 

Numher  |   Burthen 
of  Boiits.  1    in  tons. 

Number 
of  Boats. 

Burthen 
in  tons. 

1855-56 

1,188 

18.786 

2,210      33.125 

2,288 

29,214 

1856-57 

1,164 

20,410 

2,077  '  35, 800 

3,097 

32,634 

1857-58 

60 

1,307 

2,440  !  41,583 

2,189 

28,404 

185&-59 

37 

823 

2,014  '  34,868 

2,430 

25,146 

1859-60 

348 

9,282 

918     16,127 

978 

15,546 

1860-61 
1861-62 

402 
181 

14,140 
10,096 

940 
479 

18,178 
7,694 

929 
646 

17.085 
11,456 

River  Conservancy. — The  navigation  of  the  Indus,  by  both 
steam  and  sailing  vessels,  is  attended  with  no  small  difficulty  and 
risk,  not  only  from  the  continual  shifting  of  the  navigable  channels, 
and  their  occasional  extreme  shallowness  at  certain  seasons  of  the 
year,  but  by  the  vessels  themselves  coming  into  contact  at  times 
with  "  snags,"  which  are  the  trunks  and  arms  of  large  trees  once 
growing  on  the  river  banks,  but  which  have  been  swept  away  by 
the  stream  and  have  become  embedded  more  or  less  in  the  prac- 
ticable channels,  where  they  offer  very  serious  obstacles  to  navi- 
gation. Owing  to  these  combined  obstructions,  apprehensions 
began  to  be  entertained,  about  the  year  i860,  that  the  communi- 
cation would  in  some  places  be  altogether  stopped,  unless  prompt 
measures  were  taken  to  remove  them ;  and  it  was  proposed  that, 
instead  of  leaving,  as  was  the  custom,  the  conservancy  of  the 
river  and  its  banks  to  the  Collectors  of  the  districts  through  which 
it  flowed,  there  should  be  an  establishment  specially  organized  to 
attend  to  this  important  duty,  and  that  fees  should  be  levied  from 
all  vessels  plying  on  the  river  according  to  a  certain  fixed  scale. 
The  scheme  ultimately  resolved  itself  into  a  legislative  enactment 
(Bombay,  Act  I.  of  1863)  which  provided  for  the  registration  of 
vessels  and  the  levy  of  pilotage  fees  by  an  officer  called  the  Con- 
servator and  Registrar  of  the  River  Indus,  the  sums  so  realized  to 
be  expended  in  removing  obstructions  from  the  river  and  in  im- 
proving its  navigation.  Previously  (December  i86i)  there  had 
been  a  general  pilotage  establishment,  consisting  of  two  boats  with 
six  pilots  and  crew,  stationed  at  the  Khedewari  and  Hajamro 
mouths  of  the  Indus  during  the  open  season — that  is  to  say,  from 


Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


278 


INDUS. 


the  middle  of  September  to  the  end  of  April  Of  the  pilots, 
two  remained  at  Keti,  and  two  in  each  of  the  stationary  boats,  a 
pilotage  fee  of  9  pies  per  ion  being  levied  on  all  vessels  entering 
or  leaving  these  two  mouths  of  the  Indus.  During  the  monsoon 
months  a  similar  fee  was  levied  for  the  pilotage  of  all  vessels  pro- 
ceeding to  or  from  the  Indus  by  the  Gisri  passage,  where  the 
services  of  these  pilots  were  then  made  available.  The  annual 
registration  fee  on  steamers  and  sailing  craft,  from  1863  up  to 
1867,  was  fixed  at  the  rate  of  4  pies  per  maund  in  burthen,  but 
from  the  ist  of  January,  1868,  this  was  increased  to  10  pies  per 
maund  on  steamers,  their  barges  alone  being  exempted.  The  Con- 
servancy Department  possesses  two  steamers  and  two  weigh-boats 
on  the  Indus,  besides  a  small  pilotage  establishment  on  the 
Hajamro  mouth  of  the  river,  and  its  average  yearly  cost,  from 
1867  down  to  1874,  has  been  about  60,000  rupees.  The  following 
table  will  show  the  receipts  and  disbursements  of  this  department 
during  the  past  eight  years,  ending  1874  : — 


Year. 

Receipts. 

ments. 

Receipt  of 

Fees  (Act  I. 

ofx863). 

Registered 

burthen  of 

boats. 

1867 
1868 
1869 
1870 
187I 
1872 

1873 
1874 

rupees. 

t& 

49,211 
56,175 
52,671 
51,856 
49.210 
52,260 

rupees. 

61,654 

60,346 

56,764 
64,892 
56,056 

rupees. 
37,718 
41,610 

33,925 
35,902 
32,790 
31,219 
29,995 
29,493 

tons. 

63,993 
70,643 

57,544 
6i,547 
56,210 
53,518 
51,421 
50,559 

One  of  the  steamers  is  used  as  a  daily  ferry  in  conveying  pas- 
sengers and  goods  from  Kotri  to  Gidu-Bandar  and  back,  from 
sunrise  to  sunset,  at  stated  fares.  The  other  vessels  are  employed 
in  removing  obstructions  in  the  river  bed;  this  work  extends 
from  the  sea  to  Multan,  a  distance  of  700  miles,  and  is  attended 
with  much  trouble  and  difficulty,  owing  to  the  rapid  changes  which 
are  continually  taking  place  in  the  navigable  channels.  The 
obstructions  at  present  to  navigation  on  the  Indus  have  already 
been  stated,  but  it  is  by  no  means  uncommon  for  the  obstacle  of 
one  year  to  be  altogether  removed  in  the  following  one  by  a  new 
caprice  of  the  stream,  though  showing  perhaps  a  fresh  impediment 
somewhere  else.  The  work  of  the  Conservancy  Department,  which 
is  of  an  arduous  character,  begins  about  the  middle  of  October, 
and  finishes  by  the  end  of  tlie  following  April,  or  the  beginning  of 
May. 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


ISLAMKOT—JA  COBABAD. 


279 


Islamkot,  a  Government  village  in  the  Mitti  taluka  of  the  Thar 
and  Parkar  Political  Superintendency  situate  about  60  miles  south- 
east from  Umarkot,  with  which  town,  as  also  with  Dipla,  Chachra, 
Borli,  Nagar  Parkar,  Jangro  and  Vakrio  Tar  Akhraj,  it  has  road 
communicatioa.  It  is  the  head-quarter  station  of  a  Tapadar  and 
has  police  lines  with  7  men.  It  has  also  a  dharamsala  and  a 
cattle  pound,  and  possesses  besides  a  municipality,  the  receipts  of 
which  in  1873-74  were  487  rupees,  and  the  expenditure  193  rupees. 
The  population,  numbering  in  all  862,  comprises  116  Musalmans, 
mostly  of  the  Kalar  tribe,  and  746  Hindus,  chiefly  Brahmans  and 
Lohanos.  Their  occupations  are  agriculture  and  trade.  Both  the 
trade  and  manufactures  are  but  of  little  account  Here  are  the 
remains  of  a  fort  said  to  have  been  constructed  by  Mir  Ghulam 
Ali  Talpur. 

Jacobabad,  a  taluka  (or  sub-division)  of  the  Frontier  district 
of  Upper  Sind,  475  square  miles  in  area,  and  having  4  tapas 
and  28  villages,  with  a  population  of  35,545  souls.  The  revenue, 
imperial  and  local,  of  this  sub-division  during  the  past  four  years, 
ending  1873-74,  is  as  follows : — 


Imperial    .     .     . 

Local  .... 

Total  rupees  . 

1870-71. 

1871-79. 

1879-73. 

» 873-74. 

nipeeff. 

i»40,27i 
2.731 

rupees. 
1,06,536 

4.974 

rupees. 
1,10,745 

4,008 

rupees. 
96,709 

4,595 

1,43.002 

1,11,510  j  1,14,753     1,01,304 

Jacobabad  (formerly  known  as  Khangarh),  the  chief  town 
and  head-quarters  of  the  large  military  force  of  the  Upper  Sind 
Frontier  district  It  is  situate  in  latitude  28°  16'  N.,  and  longitude 
68°  30'  E.,  and  is  about  180  feet  above  sea-level  This  place  owes 
its  existence  to  the  late  General  John  Jacob,  for  many  years  com- 
mandant of  the  Sind  Horse,  who  in  1847,  at  a  spot  then  called 
Khangarh,  containing  a  small  mud  fort,  three  Banya's  shops  and 
a  well,  planned  the  station  which  was  subsequently  called  after 
him,  Jacobabad.  By  his  indomitable  energy  roads  were  made  and 
trees  planted,  and  soon  the  previous  desolate  aspect  of  the  place 
became  entirely  changed.  The  town  of  Jacobabad  is  of  an  oblong 
shape,  about  two  miles  in  length  by  one  in  breadth.  Two  irriga- 
tional  canals,  the  Rajwah  and  Budhwah,  flow  through  and  drain 
both  the  station  and  town ;  and  another,  the  Makhimwah,  navi- 
gable for  boats,  which  bring  grain  from  the  Indus,  runs  from  the 


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28o  JACOB  A  BAD. 

Nurwah  into  the  heart  of  the  cantonments,  where  it  terminates  in 
a  small  dock.  Among  the  principal  buildings  in  the  civil  quarter 
of  Jacobabad  is  the  "  Residency  "  house  (General  Jacob's),  with 
jts  library  and  workshops,  an  immense  pile,  containing  three  very 
large  public  rooms  and  eight  suites  of  apartments.  In  one  of 
these  are  the  two  clocks  wholly  made  by  General  Jacob  himself. 
The  other  buildings  in  this  quarter  are  the  kutcherry  and  the  Assist- 
ant Political  Superintendent's  bangalow,  as  also  a  medical  dis- 
pensary, civil  court,  and  a  subordinate  jail,  of  which  the  Mukh- 
tyarkar  of  the  taluka  is  the  ex-offido  superintendent,  and  the  second 
Munshi  in  his  office  the  ex-officio  jailer.  The  town  and  Sadar 
Bazar  consist  of  five  long  parallel  streets,  crossed  by  smaller  ones, 
and  the  houses  are  built  of  sun-dried  brick  and  earth,  a  composi- 
tion best  suited  to  the  climate.  Here  are  to  be  found  the  civil 
and  judicial  court-houses,  and  the  offices  of  the  Mukhtyarkar, 
Registrar,  and  Kotwal  The  Anglo-vernacular  school — a  very 
good  one — is  also  in  this  quarter ;  there  are  also  two  vernacular 
schools.  For  the  acconmiodation  of  the  officers  attached  to  the 
large  military  force  located  at  Jacobabad,  there  are  twenty-two 
bangalows,  surrounded  by  large  gardens,  as  well  as  two  mess- 
houses,  and  an  English  school  which  is  supported  chiefly  by  the 
military.  The  lines  of  the  Sind  Horse  and  Rifle  regiment  extend 
along  the  edge  of  the  parade-ground  for  about  two  miles,  while  on 
the  plain  beyond  are  the  long  and  extensive  ranges  of  rifle  butts. 
Not  far  from  these  is  the  massive  tomb  of  the  founder  of  the  place, 
who  died  here  on  the  5th  of  December,  1858,  after  a  residence  of 
eighteen  years  in  tlie  hot  and  trying  climate  of  Sind,  and  perhaps 
no  juster  record  of  his  memory  can  be  mentioned  than  the  follow- 
ing : — Good  roads  have  been  made  aU  over  the  country ;  means 
of  irrigation  have  been  multiplied  fourfold,  and  everywhere  on 
the  border,  Ufe  and  activity,  with  perfect  safety,  exist  Where  for- 
merly all  was  desert  solitude  or  murderous  violence,  not  an  armed 
man  is  now  ever  seen,  except  the  soldiers  and  police,  and  person 
and  property  are  everywhere  perfectly  protected. 

The  population  of  Jacobabad,  including  the  military  camp,  ac- 
cording to  the  census  of  1872,  amounted  to  10,954  souls,  of  whom 
535 S  belonged  to  the  town,  and  the  remaining  5599  comprised  the 
cantonment  population.  The  following  table  will  show  the  various 
religious  classes  included  in  this  population  : — 


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J  AG  AN. 


281 


Class. 

Town. 

Cantonment. 

CKristians 

Muliammadans 

Hindiis 

Others 

Total    .     .     . 

9 
2.915 
2,416 

15 

75 

4,143 

1,377 

4 

5,355 

5,599 

There  is  a  municipality  here,  thereceipts  of  which  in  1873-74 
were  21,941  rupees,  and  the  disbursements  21,110  rupees.  The 
municipal  boundary  is  as  follows : — On  the  north  by  Tate's  bund 
(bandh);  on  the  east  by  the  Nurwah  bund;  on  the  south  by  the  Jama- 
liwah  bund ;  and  on  the  west  by  the  Western  bund.  There  is  also  a 
post-office,  subordinate  to  that  at  Shikaipur,  as  well  as  an  electric 
telegraph  office  and  dispensary ;  this  last  is  under  the  charge  of  the 
Civil  Surgeon  of  JacobabaA  The  following  table  will  show  the 
admissions  into  this  dispensary  during  the  years  1873  and  1874, 
and  it  may  also  be  mentioned  that  no  outbreak  of  cholera  has 
occurred  here  since  1867,  when  of  48  cases  admitted,  no  less  than 
36  died : — 


In-patients  .     . 
Out-patients     . 

Total  Admissions  in 

Casualties  in 

Average  Daily 
Attendance. 

X873. 

1874 

1873. 

1874- 

X873. 

1874. 

I6l 
6,390 

157 
3,035 

24 

34 

8-7 
45*1 

7-5 

22-5 

Jacobabad  has  direct  communication  with  Shikarpur  (distant 
24^  miles),  Larkana,  Dodapur,  Khera-Garhi,  Shahpur,  Bakhshapur, 
Kashmor,  Thul  and  Mubarakpur.  There  is  a  dharamsala  for  the 
accommodation  of  travellers,  and  lines  for  the  Kafilas  arriving  from 
Central  Asia,  and  supplies  generally  of  all  kinds  are  abundant. 
The  trade  is  in  grain,  gki,  and  leather. 

Jagan^  a  large  Government  village  in  the  Shikarpur  taluka  of 
the  Sukkur  and  Shikarpur  Division,  12  miles  north-west  from 
Shikarpur.  It  has  communication  by  road  with  Garhi-Yasin, 
Humaiyun,  and  Wakro.  It  has  police  lines  for  10  men.  The 
population,  numbering  2556  souls,  consists  of  2167  Musalmans  of 

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282 


JAM-JO-TANDO—JA  TOI. 


the  Bhaya  tribe  and  389  Hindus.     Their  chief  occupations  are 
trade  and  agriculture. 

Jam-jo-Tando,  an  alienated  village  In  the  Hyderabad  talQka 
of  the  Hyderabad  Collectorate,  situate  on  the  main  road  leading 
from  Hyderabad,  vid  Alahyar-jo-Tando,  to  Mirpur  Khas,  and  dis- 
tant south-west  from  the  former  town  about  ten  miles.  It  has 
road  communication  also  with  Hilsri,  Tajpur,  and  Kaisar-jo-Tando. 
No  Government  officers  reside  here,  but  there  is  a  vernacular 
school  fairly  attended.  The  population  numbers  in  all  1897 
persons,  of  whom  937  are  Muhammadans,  principally  of  the  Niza- 
mani,  Saiyad  and  Khaskeli  tribes,  while  960  are  Hindus,  mostly 
Lohanos.  Agriculture  is  the  chief  employment  among  the 
inhabitants.  The  members  of  the  Khanani  branch  of  the  Talpur 
Mirs  reside  here  ;  of  these  the  chief  are  Mirs  Muhammad  Khan 
and  Ahmad  Khan.  There  are  no  manufactures  in  this  town  of 
any  note,  nor  is  the  trade  of  any  special  importance.  This  place  is 
said  to  have  been  founded  by  one  Mir  Jam  Khan  (the  father  of 
Mir  Muhammad  Khan)  some  time  during  the  period  of  the  Talpur 
dynasty. 

Jati,  an  extensive  taluka  (or  sub-division)  of  the  Shahbandar 
Deputy  Collectorate,  having  an  area  of  2053  square  miles,  much  of 
which  is  barren  and  unproductive,  with  4  tapas,  80  dehs,  and  a 
population  of  but  22,725  souls.  The  revenue,  imperial  and  local, 
of  this  sub-division  during  the  past  five  years,  ending  with  1873-74, 
is  as  follows : — 


Imperial    .     • 
Local  .     .     . 

Total  Rs.  . 

1869-70. 

1870-71. 

1871-73. 

1872-73. 

X873-74- 

rupees. 
46,996 

6,048 

rupees. 
50,867 

5,737 

rupees. 

65,917 

6,258 

rupees. 

64,399 

6,682 

rupees. 
63,552 

5,653 

53,044 

56,604 

72,175 

71,081 

69,205 

Jatoi,  an  alienated  village  situate  on  the  right  bank  of  the 
Dadwah  in  the  jagir  of  Mir  Ghulam  Hasan  Talpur,  in  the  Moro 
taluka  of  the  Naushahro  Division.  It  is  11  miles  south-east  from 
Moro,  but  there  are  no  roads  leading  to  or  from  this  place, 
neither  does  it  possess  any  Government  buildings.  The  popula- 
tion is  892,  consisting  of  Musalmans  and  Hindus,  but  the  number 
of  each  is  not  known ;  their  occupation  is  mostly  agricultural. 
There  are  no  manufactures  of  any  kind  here,  but  there  is  an  export 
trade  in  grain  of  the  annual  value  of  6000  rupees.  This  town  is 
said  to  have  been  founded  about  90  years  ago  by  one  Neyaji  Khan 


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JHANGAR—JERR  UCK. 


283 


Jatoi,  the  grandfather  of  Imam  Bakhsh,  the  present  head-man  of 
the  village. 

Jhangar,  a  village  in  the  Sehwan  taluka  of  the  Sehwan  Deputy 
Collectorate,  situate  to  the  south  of  the  Manchhar  lake,  and  dis- 
tant 12  miles  south-west  of  Sehwan,  with  which  town,  as  also  with 
Shah  Hasan,  and  Chorlo,  it  has  road  communication.  It  is  the 
head-quarter  station  of  a  Tapadar,  and  besides  a  police  post  of 
three  men,  has  a  school,  dharamsala  and  cattle  pound.  The 
inhabitants,  numbering  1643,  consist  of  iioi  Musalmans,  mostly 
Saiyads  and  Rind  Balochis,  and  542  Hindus  of  the  Banya  caste. 
Their  principal  occupation  is  agriculture  and  trade.  The  chief 
residents  of  note  are  Bhai  Khan  Rind  and  Saiyad  Ghulam  Rasul 
Shah.  This  village  does  not  appear  to  possess  either  trade  or 
manufactures  of  any  consequence. 

Jerruok  (or  Jliirak),  a  large  division  and  Deputy  Collectorate 
of  the  Karachi  district  It  is  bounded  on  the  north  by  the  Kotri 
taluka  of  the  Sehwan  Deputy  Collectorate,  and  a  portion  of 
Kohistan,  the  Baran  river  forming  a  natural  line  of  demarcation ; 
on  the  east  and  south,  by  the  river  Indus  and  its  tributaries ;  and 
on  the  west  by  the  sea,  and  a  part  of  the  Karachi  taluka. 

The  area  of  this  district,  according  to  the  Deputy  Collector's  esti- 
mate is  2271  square  miles,  but  by  the  Revenue  Survey  Department 
it  is  entered  at  3010  square  miles ;  it  is  divided  into  three  talukas 
and  20  tapas,  with  a  population  which,  by  the  census  of  1872,  was 
found  to  be  92,902  souls,  or  30  to  the  square  mile.  The  following 
is  a  tabulated  statement  of  the  several  tsdukas  in  this  division,  with 
their  tapas,  area,  population,  chief  towns,  &c.  {see  next  page). 

The  area  in  English  acres  of  each  taluka,  showing  the  quantity 
cultivated,  cultivable,  and  un-arable,  is  also  tabulated  as  under  : — 


TalQka. 

Total  Area  in 
English  Acres. 

Cultivated. 

Cultivable. 

Un-arable. 

1.  Tatta    .     .     . 

2.  Mirpur  Sakro  . 

3.  Ghorabari  .     . 

397,909 
711,603 
343,630 

61,776 

9,503 

25,568 

34,735 
56,021 

3^094 

301,398 
646,079 
286,968 

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284 


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JERRUCK,  285 

General  Aspect. — The  aspect  of  this  division  towards  the 
north  is  hilly,  with  little  or  no  cultivation,  and  this  may  also  be 
said  of  a  portion  on  its  eastern  side,  bordering  directly  on  the 
river  Indus,  where  are  the  Makli  hills,  near  which  Tatta  is  situ- 
ate, and  also  another  range  on  which  the  town  of  Jerruck  is  built. 
The  former  are  about  1 1  miles  in  direct  length,  with  an  average 
height  of  from  80  to  150  feet  above  the  level  of  the  surrounding 
country,  their  summits  being  invariably  a  table-land,  having  a 
breadth  from  half  a  mile  to  a  mile  and  three-quarters.  The  Jerruck 
hills,  which  run  nearly  due  north  and  south,  are  on  an  average, 
about  150  feet  above  the  level  of  the  Indus,  but  there  are  loftier 
isolated  spots  which  are  not  less  than  400  feet  in  elevation.  These 
hills,  which  possess  numerous  caverns,  were  known  under  the 
name  of  "  Chhapar,"  a  word  signifying  a  thief ^  for  there  was  a 
tradition  that  a  notorious  band  of  robbers  once  used  these  caverns 
as  a  retreat  Close  to  this  range  are  some  fine  lakes  (or  dhandhs), 
of  which  the  largest  are  the  Kinjhar,  near  Helaia,  and  the  Sonahri, 
not  far  distant  from  it;  the  former  was  once  18  miles  and  the 
latter  24  miles  in  circumference,  taken  at  the  highest  point  to 
which  the  water  rises.  Both  these  dhandhs  are  said  at  one  time 
to  have  formed  a  single  sheet  of  water.  In  the  talukas  of  Tatta 
and  Sakro  are  numerous  plains,  which  are  used  mostly  as  grazing 
grounds  for  cattle,  though  their  value  in  this  respect  greatly 
depends  on  the  rainfall.  The  right  of  grazing  cattle  on  these 
plains  is  usually  sold  every  year  by  auction  to  the  highest  bidder. 
In  the  southern  portion  of  this  division  the  country  is  one  low, 
flat,  alluvial  plain,  broken  only  by  canals,  branches  of  the  Indus, 
and  channel  creeks.  The  late  Dr.  Heddle,  of  the  Bombay  Medical 
Establishment,  many  years  ago  thus  described  a  portion  of  the 
Indus  delta  in  this.district,  one  that  may  be  said  to  hold  good  at 
this  present  time : — "  But  the  most  striking  peculiarity  of  this 
section  is  the  occurrence  of  an  annual  inundation,  which  extends 
over  a  strip  (probably  along  the  whole  coast  of  Sind  wherever 
the  fresh  and  salt  waters  meet)  to  the  breadth  of  five  or  six  miles 
in  direct  distance  from  the  line  of  coast  The  water,  which  in 
the  higher  parts  of  the  river  merely  elevates  its  level  for  a  few 
feet,  but  never  surmounts  the  bank  or  floods  the  country,  is  here 
elevated  above  the  low  banks  of  this  limited  strip,  and  produces  a 
most  important  effect,  not  only  on  the  vegetation  of  the  country, 
but  influences  materially  the  whole  economy  of  the  inhabitants  of 
the  region,  contrasted  with  those  who  occupy  the  more  elevated 
parts.  The  phenomenon  of  general  inundation,  which  is  confined 
to  this  latitude,  produces  the  extensive  pasturage  which  clothes 

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286  JERRUCK. 

the  belt  bordering  on  the  sea,  and  feeds  the  large  herds  of  cattle, 
principally  buffaloes,  which  disappear  as  soon  as  you  reach  the 
country  where  the  height  of  the  banks  prevents  the  occurrence  of 
a  general  overflow.  The  only  canals  seen  in  this  region  are  natural 
creek-channels,  which  keep  up  communication  with  the  different 
branches  near  the  sea,  and  preserve  the  same  level  as  the  ocean. 
It  is  deprived  of  the  vegetable  feature  which  characterises  the  rest 
of  Sind,  for  the  tamarisk  does  not  grow  here,  or  is  very  scarce, 
and  where  the  southern  limit  of  this  plant  commences,  the  general 
inundation  ceases  to  prevail." 

Hydrography. — Much  of  the  southern  or  delta  portion  of  this 
district  is  intersected  by  numerous  creeks  or  branches  of  the 
Indus,  six  of  the  old  mouths  of  this  river,  viz.,  the  Piti,  Juna, 
Richhal,  Hajamro,  Kukaiwari,  and  Khedewari,  besides  the  Gharo 
creek,  being  in  this  division.  This  last,  which  is  so  called  from 
the  town  of  that  name  near  which  it  flows,  falls  into  a  long  creek 
opening  into  the  sea  about  ten  miles  east  of  Karachi.  It  is  navi- 
gable for  native  boats  of  about  lo  khardrs  (or  between  7  and 
8  tons)  burthen,  at  high  tides,  but  not  beyond  the  town  of  Gharo. 
These  boats  mostly  come  from  Karachi.  The  mouth  of  this 
creek  is  in  latitude  24°  45'  N.,  and  longitude  67**  10'  E.  The 
number  of  canals  in  the  Jerruck  Deputy  CoUectorate,  large  and 
small,  is  49,  and  of  these  18  are  main-feeders.  The  largest  of 
these  canals  are  the  Baghar,  or  Bhaghiar,  Kalri,  Uchto  and  Sian, 
but  the  first  and  the  two  latter  may  be  considered  rather  as  natural 
branches  of  the  Indus  than  as  canals. 

The  Baghar  or  Baghiar  (meaning  the  destroyer)  is  the  western 
branch  of  the  Indus,  diverging  a  little  to  the  south  of  the  town  of 
Tatta,  and  having  numerous  branches  or  ofishoots  from  it.  It  is 
said  to  have  been  in  a.d.  1699  a  very  great  stream,  navigable  as 
far  as  Lahori-bandar  (then  the  principal  port  of  Sind,  and  at  the 
close  of  the  last  century  the  seat  of  an  English  factory),  20  miles 
from  the  mouth,  for  vessels  of  200  tons ;  afterwards  it  resolved 
itself  into  four  branches,  entering  the  sea  by  the  Piti,  Pitiani,  Juna, 
and  Richhal  mouths.  In  1840,  owing  to  the  existence  of  a  sand- 
bank across  the  channel  at  the  place  of  divergence,  it  had  scarcely, 
except  during  the  inundation  season,  any  water  in  it 

The  Uchto  (or  Hajamro),  another  branch  of  the  Indus,  had 
of  late  become  greatly  enlarged  in  volume,  and  it  seemed  not 
improbable  that  it  would  soon  become  the  main  stream,  as  the 
old  bed  was  nearly  dry,  and  fordable  in  many  places ;  but  in  the 
inundation  season  of  187 1  a  breach  occurred  in  the  Uchto,  by 
which  it  became  connected  with  the  old  river  through  a  channel 

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JERRUCK,  287 

now  known  as  the  Kalandri.  The  two  rivers  are,  in  fact,  at 
present  less  than  a  quarter  of  a  mile  distant  from  each  other,  and 
the  consequence  of  this  breach  haa  been  an  increased  flow  of 
water  in  the  bed  of  the  old  stream.  To  keep  up  this  new  flow  and 
prevent  any  undue  flooding  from  the  Uchto,  a  channel  connecting 
this  stream  with  the  old  river  has  been  excavated  near  the  village 
of  Daulatpur  at  an  expense  of  about  1 1,000  rupees.  This  channel 
is  200  feet  wide,  and  50  feet  deep,  and  is  now  known  as  the 
"  Kukaiwari  new  mouth."  The  Sian  river,  or  branch  of  the  Indus,  is 
simply  the  upper  half  of  the  Hajamro  from  its  point  of  junction  to 
Ghorabari,  a  distance  of  over  twenty  miles,  and  derives  its  name, 
which  is  merely  a  local  one,  from  the  district  through  which  it 
flows.  The  Hajamro  branch  of  the  river,  the  sea-mouth  of  which 
is  in  latitude  24°  10'  N.,  and  longitude  67°  28'  E.,  is  an  offshoot 
of  the  Sita,  or  great  eastern  channel  of  the  Indus.  In  1831  it  was 
navigable  for  boats  from  the  sea  to  its  entrance  into  the  Sita,  and 
it  was  up  this  branch  that  Captain  (afterwards  Sir  Alexander) 
Bumes  and  his  party  in  that  year  passed  on  their  way  to  the 
Panjab.  In  1839  the  British  troops,  marching  from  Bombay  to 
Afghanistan,  ascended  the  Hajamro  branch  and  landed  at  Vikar 
(another  name  for  Ghorabari),  but  in  that  same  year  it  was  closed 
by  a  change  in  its  channel  caused  by  the  violence  of  the  current. 
Again,  in  1845,  ^^  Hajamro  was  so  small  as  to  preclude  even 
small  boats  from  passing  up,  except  during  the  season  of  inunda- 
tion j  but  from  that  time  it  began  to  increase  in  volume,  and  at 
present  it  is  perhaps  the  largest  embouchure  of  the  Indus.  The 
entrance  from  seaward  is  very  wide,  but  it  narrows  quickly  as  it 
recedes  from  the  sea.  There  is  a  beacon,  95  feet  high,  at  the 
eastern  side  of  the  entrance,  which  can  be  seen  from  a  distance  of 
25  miles;  and  two  Government  pilot-boats,  well  manned,  are  also 
stationed  there  inside  the  bar.  Other  branches  of  the  Indus,  which 
formerly  led  its  waters  into  the  sea  through  the  delta  of  this 
district,  were  the  Piti,  Juna,  Kukaiwari,  and  Khedewari,  now  all 
unnavigable  for  large  boats,  but  a  description  of  these  will  be  found 
in  a  notice  of  the  river.  {See  Indus.)  The  following  is  a  list  of 
the  canals  of  this  division,  with  their  length,  cost  of  clearance, 
revenue,  &c.  {see  next  page)  :  — 


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288 


JERRUCK. 


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Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


JERRUCK. 


289 


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if 


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290 


JERRUCK. 


There  are  thus  about  360  miles  of  canals  in  this  division,  natural 
and  artificial,  the  aggregate  average  annual  cost  of  clearance  of 
which  is  about  16,000  rupees,  and  the  aggregate  average  revenue 
122,360  rupees.  These  canals  are  cleared  at  the  expense  of  the 
Government,  the  work  being  given  out  on  contract  in  the  cold 
season  at  so  many  hundred  cubic  feet  the  rupee.  This  work  is 
now  carried  out  by  the  Public  Works  Department.  »The  Zamin- 
dari  canals  in  the  three  talukas  are  very  numerous  (1321),  but  at 
the  same  time  very  small.  There  are  upwards  of  600  alone  in  the 
Ghorabari  taluka. 

Torrents  and  Floods. — Torrents  (or  nais^  as  they  are  locally 
called),  from  the  hilly  part  of  this  division  and  of  Kohistan,  are 
frequent  after  heavy  showers  of  rain.  They  are  at  times  very 
destructive,  the  water  often  rising  suddenly  and  carrying  away 
with  it  any  sheep  or  cattle  that  may  be  feeding  near  the  course  it 
takes.  The  railway  running  from  Karachi  to  Kotri,  which  passes 
across  the  line  of  these  torrents,  has  at  times  and  in  various 
places  suffered  very  heavy  damage  from  the  effects  of  the  great 
body  of  water  brought  down  so  suddenly  from  the  hill  country. 
The  following  is  a  list  of  the  chief  torrents  (or  nais)  which  visit 
this  division : — 


1.  Dabeji. 

2.  Khansir. 

3.  Jungshahi. 

4.  Dhang 

5.  Udh 

6.  Roriari 


all  these  fall  into  the 
Kinjhar  dhandh. 


7.  Dhoro  Loriol  fall  into  the  So- 

8.  Suiji  /    nahri  dhandh. 

9.  Chhataji,  falls  into  the  Halaji 

la  Baran,  falls  into  the  Indus. 
II.  MahetL 


The  floods  resulting  in  the  low  lands  from  these  hill  torrents 
are  often  productive  of  much  damage.  In  the  Tatta  talaka,  in 
1869,  the  two  large  dhandhs — the  Kinjhar  and  Sonahri — ^were 
filled  to  overflowing,  by  which  the  entire  rice  cultivation  in  the 
vicinity  was  destroyed.  The  Tankan  tract  in  this  taluka  is  also 
occasionally  flooded  by  the  Indus.  Certain  tracts  of  land  in  the 
Ghorabari  taluka  are  in  a  similar  manner  affected  by  the  sudden 
rising  of  this  river  and  its  branches.  The  localities  most  usually 
flooded  from  this  cause  are  the  following : — 


1.  Mats,  flooded  by  the  Nasirwah 

canal. 

2.  Bukarani,        ,,         Indus. 

3.  Babralo,  „  Uchto. 

4.  Maliri,  „  „ 


5.  Nena,  flooded  by  the  Uchto. 


Juho, 

7.  Uchto, 

8.  Sian, 


Sian. 


In  the  Mirpur  Sakro  taluka,  a  tract  known  as  Dumani  is  fre- 
quently flooded  by  the  Kalri  canal. 


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JERRUCK,  291 

Dhandhs. — ^The  largest  dhandhs  (or  lakes)  in  this  division  are 
the  Kinjhar  and  Sonahri,  both  in  the  Tatta  taluka,  situate  among 
the  Jerruck  hills.  The  former  is  close  to  Helaia,  and  is  fed,  as 
previously  mentioned,  mostly  from  three  nais — or  hill  torrents; 
the  latter  is  not  far  distant  from  the  Kinjhar,  and  is  also  fed  by 
two  other  torrents.  The  Sonahri  dhandh  is  spoken  of  as  having 
a  beautiful  appearance,  the  water  being  clear  and  deep,  with  a 
hard  and  gravelly  bed,  and  but  few  reeds  or  bushes  seen  in  it. 
Both  these  dhandhs,  which  are  said  to  have  been  formerly  one 
large  sheet  of  water,  abound  in  fish  and  water-fowl  of  various 
kinds.  The  Halaji  dhandh,  near  the  village  of  that  name  in  the 
Tatta  taluka,  and  between  Jungshahi  and  Tatta,  is  another  fine  sheet 
of  water,  also  fed  by  hill  torrents,  but  its  size  is  chiefly  regulated 
by  the  amount  of  rainfall.  There  are  numerous  smaller  dhandhs, 
as  well  as  marshes,  in  the  Ghorabari  and  Mirpur  Sakro  talukas, 
the  latter  being  numerous  in  the  delta  portion  of  these  two  dis- 
tricts, so  much  of  it  being  included  in  them. 

Climate. — The  climate  of  this  division,  owing  to  its  great  area 
and  local  peculiarities,  varies  to  some  extent  in  different  places. 
Thus  the  climate  of  that  part  of  the  Jerruck  district  lying  in  the 
Indus  delta  is,  in  the  winter  season,  said  to  be  cool,  dry,  and 
bracing,  the  temperature  ranging  from  45°  to  76°  F. ;  but  during 
the  summer,  though  within  the  influence  of  the  south-west  mon- 
soon winds,  which  blow  very  strong  for  several  months  together, 
the  heat  is  excessive,  and  less  rain  falls  than  might  be  expected. 
During  the  inundation  season  the  climate  is  unhealthy,  agues, 
fevers,  and  dysentery  being  then  very  prevalent ;  and  it  has  been 
noticed  that  those  of  the  inhabitants  who  reside  constantly  in 
the  delta  have  an  appearance  of  premature  old  age,  which  may, 
without  doubt,  be  attributed  mainly  to  the  effect  of  these  diseases. 
Again,  at  Jerruck  and  in  its  vicinity  the  climate  is  considered  to 
be  more  favourable  to  health  than  it  is  in  other  parts  of  the  dis- 
trict near  the  river  in  Lower  Sind,  and  when  fever  does  prevail, 
it  does  not  appear  to  be  attended  with  dropsy  or  spleen,  which  is 
so  common  in  other  parts  of  Sind.  Sir  Charles  Napier,  when 
Governor  of  Sind,  was  so  pleased  with  the  healthy  situation  of 
the  town  of  Jerruck,  that  he  is  reported  to  have  regretted  not  having 
chosen  it  as  a  site  for  barracks  for  European  troops,  instead  of 
Hyderabad.  But  it  is  very  different  in  the  town  of  Tatta  and  its 
neighbourhood,  which  is  notoriously  unhealthy  at  the  time  when 
the  inundation  waters  begin  to  subside.  These,  after  swamping 
the  country  all  round  Tatta  and  the  Makli  range  of  hills,  and  extend- 
ing as  far  westward  as  Gharo,  produce  those  terrible  aguish  fevers 

u  2 

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a92 


JERRUCK. 


from  which  but  few  of  the  inhabitants  escape  from  the  month  of 
October  to  about  the  middle  of  December.  It  will  be  interesting 
here  to  note  the  observations  taken  of  the  climate  of  this  part  of 
the  district  in  1839  by  Dr.  Winchester,  of  the  Bombay  army,  at  a 
time  when  a  British  force  was  encamped,  in  the  first  instance  on 
the  alluvial  plain,  but  afterwards  on  the  table-land  of  the  Makli 
range  near  the  town  of  Tatta.  These  observations  extend,  unfor- 
tunately, over  but  three  months — March,  April  and  May — ^but 
they  are  nevertheless  valuable  as  a  careful  record  of  the  climate 
thirty-six  years  ago. 


Months. 

Mean     1      Mean 
Temp.      Maximum. 

Mean 

Remarks. 

March. 

?I      31      ^ 

8 

6*7 

r 

7 

Prevailing  winds,  south  and  west ; 
4*  50  indies  of  rain  fell  during  the 

month  ;  nights  always  cooL 

April   . 

85      9 

91 

II 

79 

6 

Prevailing  winds,  west  and  south- 
west ;  no  hot  wind  experienced, 
and  nights  almost  always  cooL 
Only  a  few  drops  of  rain  fell  this 
month. 

May     . 

88    68 

90 

7 

86 

6 

Wind  westerly;  rain  trifling  in 
quatLtity :  excepting  four  days, 
the  nights  were  almost  uniformly 

cooL 

It  is  necessary  to  mention,  that  in  these  observations  the  ther- 
mometer was  for  the  first  two  and  a  half  months  hung  up  in  a 
single-poled  tent  \  but  during  the  last  half  of  the  month,  in  the 
open  verandah  of  a  house,  and  further,  that  the  camp  was  pitched 
in  the  plain  till  about  the  20th  of  March,  when  cholera  breaking 
out  after  a  heavy  fall  of  rain,  it  was  moved  to  the  rocky  ridge, 
when  the  disease  almost  instantaneously  ceased.  Later  meteor- 
ological observations  taken  at  the  dispensary  at  Tatta  for  some 
years,  ending  1874,  are  herewith  appended : — 


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JERRUCK. 


293 


Months. 


Mean 

Mean 

Daily 

Daily 

Minimum. 

Maximum. 

o 

0 

50 

54 

II 

66 

89 

?8 

% 

76 

98 

81 

94 

7? 

93 

76 

94 

% 

si 

51 

80 

Remarks. 


January 
February 
March 
April  . 
May   . 

June  . 
uly    . 
August 
September 
October  . 
November 
December 


There  are  but  two  seasons,  the  cold 
and  hot ;  the  former  extending  from 
the  middle  of  October  to  the  end  of 
February,  and  the  latter  from  March 
to  the  end  of  September.  The  hot 
months  can  again  be  sub-divided  into 
the  hot  and  dry  and  hot  and  moist 
seasons  ;  the  former  from  March  to 
the  end  of  May,  and  the  hot  and 
moist  from  June  to  September.  The 
prevailing  winds  are  north  and  north- 
west from  November  to  March,  and 
south  and  west  during  the  remainder 
of  the  year. 


The  following  table  will  show  the  temperature  of  the  station  of 
Jerruck,  as  observed  at  the  dispensary  at  that  town  for  a  period 
of  eight  years : — 


Months. 

SAinimum. 

Maximum. 

Remarks. 

January   .     . 

s'e 

0 
73 

South-west  winds  prevail  from  April  to 

February 

63 

78 

the  end  of  September;   durii^  the 

March 

71 

86 

remainder  of    the    year    they  blow 
mostly  from  north  and  north-west. 

April. 
May  . 

76 

94 

83 

P 

Dust-storms  are  frequent  in  May  and 

June  . 
July    . 

85 

June. 

84 

94 

August 

82 

September. 

1      ^' 

89 

October  . 

i      75 

88 

November 

.  1      68 

81 

December              63 

78 

The  temperature  of  Keti  does  not  appear  to  have  been  recorded 
for  any  consecutive  number  of  years,  but  the  following  table,  taken 
from  observations  made  during  the  three  years  ending  1874,  will 
give  an  approximate  idea  of  the  maximum  and  minimum  range  of 
the  thermometer  at  that  town  during  the  year  : — 


Months. 

Minimum. 

Maximum. 

Months. 

Minimum. 

Maximum. 

January  .     .     . 
February     .      . 

0 

54 

0 

73 

July.     .     .     . 

8^ 

& 

55 

78 

August   . 

80 

fs 

March    .     .     . 

70 

87 

September  .     . 

70 

86 

April      .     .     . 
May       .     .     . 

76 

86 

October .     .     . 

75 

89 

79 

89 

November  .     . 

% 

87 

June      .     .     . 

76 

91 

December    .     . 

75 

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294 


JERRUCK. 


The  prevailing  winds  at  Keti  are  westerly  from  March  to 
October,  and  easterly  during  the  remainder  of  the  year. 

Rainfall. — The  yearly  rainfall  in  this  district  would  appear  to 
average  between  7  and  8  inches.  The  following  table  will  show 
the  monthly  fall  for  the  three  years  ending  1874,  at  the  towns  of 
Jerruck,  Tatta,  and  Ked-bandar : — 


Months. 

187a. 

1873. 

....        1 

Jerruck. 

Tatta. 

Keti- 
bandar. 

Jerruck.  1  Tatta. 

Keti- 
bandar. 

Jerruck. 

T»«»-     ^x. 

January      . 
February   . 
March  .      . 
April    .     . 
May      .     . 
June     .      . 
July      .      . 
August 
September. 
October      . 
November . 
December  . 

•28 

6-8o 

•32 

•44 

•• 

roi 
4-35 

•82 

12-67 
•13 

I 

•10 
•46 

-90 

•15 

•• 

^^2 
.73 

:;8 

'•35 
1-67 

■•■48 

•43 
•19 

2-97 
770 

•90 
•34 

•44 
5-91 

4' 34 

.. 

•58 

-ID 

-10 
8-69 
2-12 

Total  .     . 

'7-84 

618 

12-84 

2-46   1   1-38 

2.50  1 11-44 

11-93    "59 

It  is  necessary  to  mention  that,  with  the  exception  of  the 
country  about  Jerruck,  and  a  portion  of  the  Mirpur  Sakro  taluka, 
sea-fogs  prevail  to  a  great  extent  throughout  this  division  during 
the  months  of  December,  January,  and  February ;  so  much  so  as 
to  make  the  cultivation  of  wheat,  which  might  otherwise  be  carried 
on  to  a  considerable  extent,  almost  an  impossibility.  All  cereal 
crops  suffer  from  these  fogs  during  the  cold  season.  The  fall  of 
dew  is  also  very  heavy  throughout  this  district  in  the  months  of 
January,  February,  November  and  December. 

Prevailing  Diseases. — Like  other  parts  of  Sind,  the  pre- 
vailing diseases  in  this  division  are  fevers,  which  are  common 
after  the  inundation  season,  diarrhoea,  rheumatisms,  and  venereal 
diseases  generally.  Cholera  at  times  visits  this  district  with  great 
severity.  Its  last  appearance  was  in  1869.  Small  pox,  which 
was  formerly  a  disease  endemic  to  Sind,  is  much  dreaded  by  the 
natives,  but  its  ravages  have  of  late  years  been  somewhat  checked 
by  vaccination.  The  fevers  which  prevail  in  and  around  Tatta 
are  thus  described  by  Dr.  Winchester  : — "  Quotidian,  tertian,  and 
quartan  intermittents  all  occur ;  and  though  the  last  is  dreaded  as 


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JERRUCK.  295 

the  most  difficult  to  cure,  yet  the  first  is  the  most  fatal  t}rpe  the 
fever  assumes.  It  generally  commences  about  the  period  of  new 
or  full  moon,  with  a  cold  fit  of  some  hours'  duration,  followed  by 
heat  of  skin,  which  in  many  cases  continues  for  several  days, 
accompanied  with  thirst  and  headache.  Recoveries  from  a  first 
attack  of  fever  commonly  relapse  at  the  following  spring,  and 
continue  to  do  so  for  one,  two,  or  three  months,  depending  on 
the  severity  of  the  first  attack  and  the  general  constitution  of  the 
individual  Invariably,  when  these  relapses  continue  for  some 
months,  enlargement  of  the  spleen  follows — ^an  affection  seldom 
fatal,  but  which  causes  both  men  and  women  to  become  thin  and 
look  prematurely  old.  Besides  affections  of  the  spleen  and  liver, 
these  fevers  have  often  a  fatal  termination  by  dysentery,  which  is 
otherwise  a  rare  disorder,  and  by  dropsy,  for  which  the  operation 
of  tapping  is  sometimes  successfully  performed.  Independently 
of  the  fevers  arising  from  the  effects  of  the  inundation,  a  remittent 
form  of  this  disease  occasionally  attacks  those  of  the  inhabitants 
who  are  much  exposed  to  the  sun  in  the  hot  weather,  preparing 
the  ground  for  the  crops.  From  description  this,  however,  is 
more  like  a  coup  de  soldi  than  violent  remittent  fever ;  sometimes 
the  person  is  struck  instantly  dead ;  if  not,  unless  copious  epi- 
staxis  ensues,  the  recovery  is  protracted  for  many  days." 

Geology. — In  a  geological  point  of  view,  this  division  may  be 
considered  as  being  for  the  most  part  an  alluvial  deposit,  except 
in  the  north-western  portion,  which  is  hilly,  and  where  the  soil  is 
in  places  necessarily  hard  and  rocky.  Exception  must  also  be 
taken  to  the  Jerruck  and  Makli  ranges  of  hills  in  the  eastern  part 
of  this  division,  which  are  both  distinct,  and  rise  up  abruptly  from 
the  alluvial  plain  around  them.  It  is  on  these  hills  that  are  found 
those  nummulitic  shells  of  a  bead  shape,  which  are  pierced  there  and 
shaped  in  strings  of  500  at  Tatta,  and  then  sent  to  Hinglaj  in 
Balochistan.  The  geological  features  of  the  Makli  hills  have 
been  thus  described  by  Dr.  Winchester,  who  had  an  excellent 
opportunity  of  examining  them  closely.  An  extract  from  his 
interesting  rtport  on  this  subject  is  herewith  supplied : — "  This 
ridge  is  upwards  of  ten  miles  in  length,  with  an  average  height  of 
from  eighty  to  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet  above  the  level  of  the 
surrounding  country,  having  its  summit  invariably  a  table-land, 
varying  in  breadth  from  half  a  mile  to  a  mile  and  three-quarters. 
The  geological  structure  of  this  ridge  is  peculiar,  and  as  such 
deserves  to  be  described.  Rising  abruptly,  and  without  any 
indication  of  the  stone  below,  it  forms  a  singular  feature.  It  is 
composed  of  conglomerated  and  brecciated  masses  of  limestone. 

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296  JERRUCK. 

resting  on  a  calcareous  base,  forming  a  broad  line  or  belt  across 
the  plain.  Its  ascent  is  easy  and  shelving,  and  is  composed  of 
a  friable  calcareous  sandstone,  much  mixed  with  fossil  shells. 
Nearing  the  summit,  this  stone  disappears,  and  is  lost  in  the 
general  base  or  ground  on  which  is  superimposed  the  main  struc- 
ture of  the  rock — an  aggregate  of  angular  and  rounded  masses, 
varying  in  size  from  one  or  two  inches  to  a  foot  or  two,  depending 
on  the  exposure  of  the  situation.  Nearer  again  to  the  top,  the 
whole  formation  is  of  compact  cream-coloured  limestone,  and 
beneath  it  a  softer  and  more  recent  limestone.  In  studyiiig  a 
large  and  compact  body  of  this  accumulation,  we  find  all  the 
different  smaller  masses  are  agglutinated  to  each  other  by  a  thin 
intermediate  base,  presenting  Uie  appearance  of  numerous  stones 
closely  and  firmly  piled  together.  The  whole  structure,  the  thick- 
ness of  which  varies  from  thirty  to  a  hundred  feet,  in  some  parts 
appears  as  if  at  different  periods  one  horizontal  layer  had  been 
placed  above  another.  Ravines  seldom  intersect  the  ridge,  but 
when  they  do,  the  structure  in  them  corresponds  to  what  is  ex- 
hibited on  the  sides  of  the  ridge,  except  that  the  softer  limestone 
becomes  gradually  lost  in  the  harder,  while  both  rest  on  a  general 
base,  almost  uniformly  of  a  yellow  colour,  with  an  occasional  tinge 
of  brick-red  and  green,  an  adventitious  and  variable  feature  arising 
from  the  presence  of  iron  in  different  conditions.  The  base  con- 
tains a  very  large  proportion  of  lime,  by  which  it  is  easily  dis- 
tinguished from  the  plastic  clay  of  the  neighbouring  alluvial  soil 
The  latter  possesses  nothing  like  a  stratified  structure,  and  though 
in  many  places  it  has  some  degree  of  hardness,  yet  it  is  most 
generally  so  very  frangible  as  to  crumble  into  coarse  powder  on 
being  handled.  The  first  or  most  recent  limestone,  superin- 
cumbent on  this  base,  is  composed  entirely  of  rounded  masses  of 
a  dull  white  cretaceous  limestone,  the  newest  formation  of  the 
whole  of  that  series.  Throughout  it  are  no  fossils,  nor  is  it  mixed 
with  any  foreign  matters,  being  a  very  pure  carbonate  of  lime,  in 
thickness  varying  from  ten  to  forty  feet,  and  invariably  underneath 
the  harder  and  older  limestone  breccia,  which  is  a  compact  cream- 
coloured  limestone,  mixed  with  occasional  rounded  and  angular 
masses  of  a  calcareo-silicious  sandstone,  which  latter,  when  tested 
by  acids,  effervesces  with  difficulty  and  does  not  bum  into  friable 
lime.  The  above-named  cream-coloured  limestone  breccia  is  very 
hard,  yielding  with  difficulty  to  the  knife.  Its  structure  is  crys- 
talline, with  a  conchoidal  fracture  and  flinty  lustre.  In  some 
masses,  in  consequence  of  a  common  polarity  of  the  crystals,  it 
assumes  an  imperfect  and  schistose  structure,  and  at  first,  on  super- 
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JERRUCK.  297 

ficial  inspection,  appears  to  contain  mica^  which  it  does  not.  Sul- 
phuric acid  rapidly  disengages  its  carbonic  acid  gas,  and  a  con- 
siderable quantity  of  magnesia  is  one  of  its  component  parts.  Every 
mass  of  this  limestone  has  numerous  rounded,  and  often  concre* 
tionary,  grains  of  quartz  and  limestone  disseminated  throughout  its 
structure;  spherical  and  spheroidal  nodules,  composed  of  con- 
centric coats,  harder  than  the  rock  that  includes  them,  in  many 
portions  so  numerous  as  to  give  a  highly  oolitic  appearance  to 
the  stone,  also  exist 

'*  Seldom  irregular,  and  by  an  easy  descent  in  some  parts,  this 
ridge  slopes  down  to  the  plain  beneath.  The  surface  of  the  ridge 
is  very  flat  and  even,  having  a  loamy  soil,  in  most  places  thin,  but 
in  others  of  considei:able  depth,  so  as  to  be  capable  of  cultivation. 
It  is  covered  with  small  pieces  of  stone,  and  grains  of  limestone 
and  quartz,  resembling  a  common  pea-seed  in  colour  and  size, 
similar  to  those  found  imbedded  in  the  formation  as  before  stated ; 
others,  rolled  up  into  rounded  and  oval  shapes,  unite  with  the 
loam,  and  give  a  firmness  to  the  ground,  rendering  many  portions 
of  it  like  a  hard  gravel  bed.  This  necessarily  prevents  all  accu- 
mulation of  water  on  its  surface ;  heavy  rain  must  rapidly  run  oiT 
into  the  plain  below,  or  into  small  hollows  which  occasionally 
occur,  deepened  purposely  to  retain  the  rain-water.  Milk-bush,  a 
few  stunted  babul-trees  and  thorny  shrubs  are  the  only  vegetation 
the  soil  permits ;  and  as  these  are  being  rapidly  removed,  will 
soon  present  a  barren  aspect  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the 
camp,  which  is  so  very  desirable  as  regards  the  health  of  troops." 

Dr.  Heddle  also,  in  his  excellent  memoir  on  the  river  Indus, 
describes  the  soil  of  the  delta  as  consisting  in  the  upper  part  of 
that  tract  mostly  of  clay,  whereby  a  stability  is  given  to  the  river 
bank  greater  than  that  observed  in  the  lower  part  near  the  sea, 
where  it  is  composed  of  a  very  loose  soil ;  to  which  latter  circum- 
stance he  mainly  attributes  the  sudden  deviations  of  the  course  01 
the  Indus,  which  take  place  in  this  region  to  so  great  and  won- 
derful an  extent.  The  same  authority  thus  writes  of  the  Jerruck 
range  of  hills  in  this  division  : — "  We  then  reach  the  point  near 
Helaia  where  the  subjacent  formation  outcrops,  or  appears  on  the 
surface,  and  not  only  forms  the  bed,  and  partly  the  bank  of  the 
river,  but  is  elevated  into  a  chain  of  low  sandstone  hills,  which 
runs  between  Helaia  and  Raja-jo-got,  performing  the  useful  office 
of  putting  a  stop  to  the  frequent  changes  in  the  direction  of  the 
channel  which  is  observed  in  the  district  immediately  below  that 
in  which  this  kind 'of  formation  is  met  with.  The  rock  under- 
lying the  alluvial  soil,  which  is  first  seen  near  the  river  at  Helaia, 

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298  JERRUCK. 

consists  of  a  clayey  sandstone,  being  very  deeply  coloured  with 
iron,  and  presenting  those  varied  hues  of  red,  yellow  and  white 
which  mark  the  description  called  the  variegated,  or  new  red 
sandstone.  In  the  inferior  part  of  the  mass,  the  rock  is  deficient 
in  hardness,  and  almost  assumes  the  consistence  of  day,  but 
towards  the  summit  it  passes  into  a  hard  sandstone,  which  takes 
a  horizontal  position,  and  gives  the  hills  which  it  forms  a  tabular 
shape.  This  form  is  altered  into  the  rounded  by  the  action  of 
weathering,  by  which,  the  inferior  softer  parts  being  first  removed, 
the  tabular  stratum  forming  the  summit  loses  support  and  fractures, 
slipping  down  the  sides  of  the  hills  in  large  flat  masses  or  slabs, 
which  are  sometimes  even  pushed  into  the  river.  These  hills, 
which  by  this  action  are  deprived  of  the  harder  tabular  summit, 
always  present  the  rounded  or  conical  top.  The  most  elevated 
do  not  exceed  two  or  three  hundred  feet.  These  hills  are  of  great 
importance,  for  besides  furnishing  stones  in  a  country  where  such 
materials  are  rare,  the  rock  contains,  imbedded  or  loose,  an 
abundance  of  iron  ore  in  the  form  of  brown  hematite,  from  which 
that  useful  metal  is  obtained."  There  are  some  valuable  quarries 
of  stone  close  to  Jungshahi,  which  are  worked  by  the  Sind  railway 
authorities,  who  have  a  station  at  that  village.  Excellent  stone  is 
also  found  on  the  Jerruck  range  of  hills  previously  referred  to,  and 
stone  rollers  are  manufactured  at  the  town  of  that  name  for  the 
Government  The  local  names  of  some  of  the  soils  in  this  district 
are: — i,  Wariasi,  or  a  sandy  soil;  2,  Kalrathi,  or  salt  soil;  and 
3,  Chhabrati,  or  a  soil  in  which  the  chhabar,  a  kind  of  grass,  the 
cynodon  dactylon,  is  found 

Animals. — The  wild  animals  found  in  this  district  are  the 
hyena,  lynx,  leopard,  and  tiger-cat,  but  these  are  not  numerous. 
The  wolf,  jackal,  fox,  and  wild-hog  are  more  common,  and  the 
hog-deer  (or  pharhc)  and  hares  are  abundant  The  jackal  is  very 
ravenous,  and,  in  company  with  others,  has  been  known  to  attack 
man.  In  the  hilly  portion  of  this  division  are  found  ibex,  gad 
(the  wild  sheep  of  Sind),  and  the  chinkara^  or  ravine  antelope. 
Among  birds,  are  water-fowl  of  various  kinds,  which  frequent  the 
rivers  and  swamps  near  the  sea-coast,  as  well  as  the  large  dhandhs^ 
or  lakes,  in  immense  flocks.  They  comprise  many  varieties  of  the 
wild-duck,  geese  (among  these  Uie  kuiam),  pelicans,  flamingos, 
spoonbills,  storks,  cranes,  royal  and  grey  curlew,  herons,  snipes, 
&c.,  all  of  which  are  found  in  the  delta.  The  Egyptian  "  ibis,"  too, 
is  common.  The  kuiam  appears  in  the  winter  months,  both  in 
wet  and  dry  places.  In  the  more  northern  and  drier  portions  of 
this  district  are  to  be  seen  the  ubara  (or  tiiur\  a  kind  of  bustard. 

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JERRUCK,  299 

partridge,  quail,  and  plover.  Varieties  of  the  SaxicokB^  or  stone-chat 
warblers,  are  numerous,  and  of  these  the  Saxicola  aurita  is  perhaps 
the  most  beautiful  bird,  as  regards  plumage,  to  be  seen  in  Sind. 
The  falcon,  owl,  crow,  parrot  and  dove  are  also  met  with.  Of 
reptiles,  there  is  the  alligator — ^the  "^Aana/,"  or  long-snouted 
species,  frequenting  the  river  Indus  and  the  creeks  generally  in 
the  delta.  Snakes,  scorpions,  and  centipedes  are  numerous ;  of 
the  former  some  are  venomous,  and  most  of  the  deaths  from  snake- 
bite in  this  division  are  attributed  to  the  cobra,  or  nang.  Water- 
snakes  of  a  large  size,  es  also  otters,  and  turtle  abound  in  the 
delta  streams.  It  is,  at  the  same  time,  satisfactory  to  know  that 
the  mungus,  the  inveterate  enemy  of  the  snake,  is  to  be  found 
nearly  all  over  this  district  A  field  rat,  in  size  much  smaller  than 
the  house  rat,  and  having  a  bushy  tail,  unfortunately  abounds,  and 
at  times  does  incredible  mischief  to  the  crops.  They  construct 
regular  granaries  under  ground,  and  the  cultivator,  when  grain  is 
scarce,  often  digs  down  to  possess  himself  of  the  hidden  store 
secreted  by  the  field  rat  Among  insects,  the  mosquito  and  sand- 
fly (genus  Anthrax)  are  numerous  and  very  troublesome  when  the 
weadier  is  moist  Ants  of  different  kinds  are  met  with,  but  are 
said  to  be  less  numerous  in  Sind  than  in  other  parts  of  India.  Of 
domestic  animals,  the  camel  {Camelus  dromedarius^  or  one-humped 
variety)  takes  the  first  rank  as  a  beast  of  burden.  Close  to  the 
sea-coast  they  are  scarce,  but  in  the  upper  part  of  the  delta  droves 
of  forty  or  fifty  are  frequently  seen.  The  delta-bred  camel  is 
smaller  and  lighter  in  limb  than  his  Arabian  congener,  and,  being 
better  fed,  is  a  much  finer-looking  animal  The  Karmati  tribe 
breed  a  valuable  description  of  camel  in  this  division— one  which 
in  pace  and  hardiness  is  said  to  vie  with  that  bred  in  the  Thar  and 
Parkar  district  Horses  of  a  diminutive  size,  but  hardy  in  consti- 
tution, are  met  with,  but  no  attention  seems  to  be  given  to  their 
breeding.  The  ass,  though  smaller  than  that  generally  seen  in 
India,  carries  a  much  greater  load  than  the  latter ;  the  ox,  buffalo, 
sheep  (of  which  there  is  the  thick-tailed  variety  called  dumbd)  and 
goat  are  equal  in  size  to  those  in  the  countries  beyond  the  Indus. 
The  dogs  in  the  delta  are  large,  and  so  ferocious  that  it  is  dangerous 
for  a  stranger  to  approach  them.  The  domestic  fowl  is  common 
all  over  this  district,  the  variety  having  black  bones  and  skin  being 
that  most  frequently  found  in  the  delta.  The  Karachi  markets 
are  largely  supplied  with  beef  and  poultry  from  the  Sakro  and 
Ghoiabari  talukas  of  the  Jerruck  division. 

Vegetable   Productions. — Of  the  vegetable  productions  of 
this  district  rice   is  the   chief,  and  it  may  safely  be  said  to  form 

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300  JERRUCK. 

five-sixths  of  the  entire  produce  of  the  Sakro  and  Ghorabari 
talukas.  In  the.Tatta  taluka,  besides  rice,  bajri,  juar,  nangli  (or 
nachni,  Eleusine  coracana),  mung  (Fhaseoius  mungo),  oil-seeds, 
tobacco,  wheat,  cotton,  jambho  {Eruca  sativa),  matar  {Lathyrus 
sativus)^  gram,  urad  {Fhaseoius  radiatus)^  and  other  dry  grains  are 
grown,  some  of  them  extensively.  Sugar-cane  is  cultivated  mostly 
along  the  banks  of  the  Indus,  the  Baghar  and  Sian,  and  also  in 
the  vicinity  of  those  dhandhs  which  retain  water  dining  the  greater 
part  of  the  year.  Wheat  and  barley  are  not  largely  raised  in  any 
of  the  talukas  of  this  division,  owing  to  th«  prevalence  of  sea-fogs, 
which  exercise  a  very  deleterious  effect  on  these  crops.  The  fruits 
are  few,  and  their  cultivation  is  confined  mostly  to  the  gardens  in 
and  around  the  large  towns  of  the  division,  such  as  Jerruck  and 
Tatta.  They  consist  of  the  mango,  ber,  apple,  date,  fig,  plantain, 
pomegranate,  tamarind,  and  a  few  others.  Among  the  different 
woods  growing  in  the  delta  portion  of  this  district  is  the  tewar 
{Sonneratia  acidd)^  which  Dr.  Heddlc  found  to  answer  very  well  as 
a  fuel  for  steamers :  it  grows  near  salt  creeks.  Other  maritime 
plants,  such  as  the  chawara  {Ogeceras  tnajus)y  and  two  species  of 
^^«^ij/ (rhizophora),  are  also  common  to  this  locality,  and  it  is 
said  that  enormous  supplies  have  been  drawn  from  the  coasts  of 
Sind  for  perhaps  centuries,  without  causing  any  sensible  diminu- 
tion. It  is  worthy  of  note  that  the  honey,  which  is  one  of  the 
natural  productions  of  the  neighbourhood  of  the  Hajamro  river,  is 
made  by  bees  which  feed  upon  and  attach  their  combs  to  the 
maritime  plants  just  mentioned,  particularly  to  the  ogeceras.  This 
honey  is  superior  to  any  procurable  in  the  west  of  India,  being 
solid,  perfectly  crystallized,  white,  and  well-flavoured.  No  par- 
ticular care  is  taken  in  rearing  the  bees.  Among  the  grasses  is 
the  pana^  or  fan  (Typlia  elephantina)^  a  most  important  produc- 
tion of  the  delta.  Dr.  Heddle  thus  speaks  of  it  in  his  interesting 
memoir  on  the  Indus  : — "  After  passing  the  northern  limit  of  this 
river  section  (Bana  and  Sian),  scarcely  a  single  individual  of  this 
interesting  species  is  to  be  found  ;  the  same  remark  may  be  made 
of  the  southern,  or  lower  limit,  for  till  you  enter  the  most 
southerly  of  the  above  sections  the  plant  is  also  scarce.  On  the 
banks  of  the  Bana  and  Sian  it  overgrows  the  whole  surface  for  a 
considerable  distance  from  the  margin,  until  its  extension  inland 
from  the  river  is  purposely  checked  by  the  cultivator,  over  whose 
fields  it  would  otherwise  spread  and  become  a  weed.  Confined, 
however,  to  a  belt  of  a  certain  breadth  along  the  bank,  the  pana, 
by  means  of  its  long,  tortuous  and  strong  roots,  sinking  to  the 
depth  of  nine  feet  from  the  surface  into  the  soil,  which  it  thus 


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JERRUCK. 


301 


holds  together,  endows  the  bank  with  a  degree  of  firmness  that 
prevents  that  perpetual  falling  in  which  forms  so  inconvenient  a 
feature  of  the  banks  on  the  northern  sections  of  the  Indus  imme- 
diately adjoining  these.  In  appearance  the  pana,  with  its  long 
sword-like  leaf,  has  some  resemblance  to  the  flag.  The  roots — or 
rather  the  underground  stems  —  in  penetrating  into  the  soil,  take 
a  very  crooked  course,  and  at  short  intervals  throw  off  lateral 
brandies,  which  extend  to  a  great  distance  horizontally,  and  push 
up  fresh  shoots  which  appear  on  the  surface  springing  up  like  inde- 
pendent plants.  In  this  way  one  individual  may  occupy  an  area 
of  several  roods.  The  natives  of  the  district  where  this  plant 
grows  are  well  aware  of  the  services  rendered  by  it,  for,  in  col- 
lecting the  leaves,  which  they  manufacture  into  matting,  they  cut 
the  plant  close  to  the  soil,  but  do  not  attempt  to  disturb  the  roots, 
the  uses  of  which  they  know  how  to  appreciate.  The  dried  leaves, 
from  their  cellular  structure,  contain  much  air,  and  this  property  is 
taken  advantage  of  by  the  native,  who  ties  them  into  bundles 
which  serve  as  bladders,  to  support  him  when  swimming  across 
the  river.  The  leaves  are  likewise  used  as  floats  by  the  fishermen 
for  their  nets."  It  may  also  be  noticed  that  fi-om  the  pollen  of 
the  pana  is  made  the  Bur  (or  Btiri,  or  Burani),  which  is  much 
eaten  by  the  natives.  The  Government  forests  in  this  division 
are  six  in  number,  one  of  them,  the  Viran,  being  of  great  size. 
The  principal  tree  in  them  is  the  babul  {Acacia  Arabica),  The 
following  is  a  list  of  these  forests,  with  their  area  and  the  revenue 
for  the  year  1873-74 : — 


Forest. 

Area. 

Revenue. 

for 
'873-74- 

Remarks. 

1.  Viran      .      . 

2.  Sonda     .     . 

3.  Helaia    .     . 

4.  Lalang    .     . 

5.  Shahlanka   . 

6.  Garko     .     . 

Totals    .     . 

E.  acres. 
9,142 

2,114 

2,898 

5,151 
1,690 

4,079 

rupees. 
1,609 

1,279 
1,510 

909 

342 

8,601 

Planted  about  A.D.  1800,  by  H.H. 

Muhammad  Khan  Talpur. 
Planted  about  A.D.  1795,  by  H.H. 

Muhammad  Khan  Talpur. 
Planted  about  a.d.   1828,  by  H.H. 

Nur  Muhammad  Khan. 
Planted  about  a.d.  1802,  by  H.H. 

Kanun  Ali  Khan. 
Planted  about  a.d.  1805,  by  H.H. 

Munid  Ali  Khan. 
Planted  about  a.d.  1802,  by  H.H. 

Murad  Ali  Khan. 

25,074 

14,250 

The  revenue  from  these  forests  is  made  up  mostly  from  grazing 
fees,  sale  of  firewood,  babul  pods,  charcoal,  and  cultivation  of 

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302 


JERRUCK, 


land  within  forest  limits.  These  forests  comprise  the  tapa 
of  Viran,  which  is  in  the  charge  of  a  Tapadar  of  the  Forest  De- 
partment, who,  with  a  subordinate  establishment  of  rakhas,  or 
foresters,  looks  after  these  forests,  and  is  himself  controlled  by  an 
Inspector,  whose  duty  it  is  to  supervise  a  certain  number  of  such 
tapas. 

Fisheries. — The  fisheries  in  this  division  extend  not  only  to 
the  Indus,  but  to  the  dhandhs  as  well.  The  fish  principally  caught 
are  pala  (the  hilsa  of  the  Ganges),  dhambro,  khago,  gandan, 
jerkho,  gangat  (prawns),  goj  (eels),  popri,  and  singarl  The 
bulani^  a  kind  of  porpoise,  is  also  caught  in  the  Indus.  The  right 
of  fishing  is  sold  yearly  by  auction  to  the  highest  bidder,  the 
revenue  so  derived  by  the  Government  being  considerable, 
and  ranging  at  times  from  5000  to  7000  rupees  annually.  This 
amount  is  included  in  the  local  revenue.  The  following  is  a  list 
of  the  fisheries  in  this  district,  with  the  annual  average  revenue 
paid  on  them  to  Government  during  the  past  three  years  ending 
1873-74:— 


TalQka. 

Name  of  Fishery. 

Revenue 
derived  by 

Total 
Revenue. 

1.  Tatta     ... 

2.  Mirpur  Sakro  . 

3.  Ghorabari  .     .* 

Dhandh  Kinjhar 

,;       Sonahri 

„       Chhachh  Darya      .      . 

„       Kalan  Kot  .     .     .     . 

,,       Haderi 

Kohiri  Darya,  Duba  and  Dabiya 

Jhol 

MisceUaneous 

Khan  Moleno  Shah  .... 
Chach  Mirankhan     .... 

Dhandh  Gbaro 

Chhachh  Saherko  and  Lakho    . 

Daria  Naro 

Miscellaneous 

Dhandh  Sumra  and  Ghagh  .     . 

„       Pachak 

Daria  Uchto 

Kohiri  Gahewari 

KunTitiaro 

Dhandh  Makan  Takrx)    .     .     . 

Daria  Khcdewari 

Several  Dhoras 

Miscellaneous 

rupees. 

469 

217 

217 

% 

216 

121 

rupees. 

2,030 
636 

393 

485 

75 

37 

7 

17 

150 

10 

100 

3 

5 

10 
10 
50 
55 

Total   . 

3.059 

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JERRUCK. 


303 


Population. — The  total  population  of  the  Jerruck  division,  which 
consists  almost  entirely  of  Musalmans  and  Hindus,  was  found  by 
the  census  of  1872  to  be  92,902  souls,  of  whom  80,130  are  of  the 
former,  and  12,586  of  the  latter  class.  There  are  thus  about  30 
souls  to  the  square  mile,  but  this  pjaucity  of  population  is  partly 
accounted  for  owing  to  the  large  and,  in  a  great  measure,  unin- 
habitable area  of  that  portion  of  the  Indus  delta  included  in  this 
division,  and  also  to  the  fact  that  but  one-twentieth  part  of  the 
entire  area  of  the  Jerruck  Deputy  Collectorate  is  under  cultiva- 
tion. The  Muhammadan  inhabitants,  who  are  partly  of  the  Suni 
and  Shia  sects,  may  be  classed  as  follows : — 

MUHAMMADANS. 


Tribes. 

Number. 

Principal  Sub-divisions. 

Remarlu. 

I.  Balochis    . 

2.Shekhs      . 

3.  Memons 
and  Borahs 

4.  Khwajas  . 

5.  Mogals     . 

6.  Pathans    . 

7.  Sindis.     . 

8.  Saiyads     . 

9.  All  others 

Total    . 

6,152 

1.363 
}  2,306 

983 

212 
26,257 

1,406 
40.371 

Karmati,    Laghari,    Lashari, 
Rind,  Choung,  Khoso,  Chan- 
dia,  Nizamam,  Giirgani,  Sho- 
lani,    Talbani,    Tatoi,    Bira- 
mani,  Magsi,  Sehor,  Khaskh, 
Jamali,  &c. 

Otha,  Jokia,  Shoro,  Mahar, 
Numna,  Sumra,  Rajpoto, 
Koraja,  Amra,  Rs^wa,  Buti, 
Katiar,  Larik,  Lukha,  Junaja, 
Hala,  Guba,  Hingoja,  Samma, 
Lakba,  Abra,  Nara,  Unar, 
Babria,Udhar,  Shekari,Koria, 
Gaboi,Tuiio,  Notiar,Rathore, 
Khaskeli,  Sutia,  Samaja. 

Shirazi,  Shakriir-alahi,  Bok- 
hari,  Mashedi,  Amirkhani. 

There  are  numerous  sub- 
divisions of  the  Karma- 
tis,  nearly  40  in  all. 

These  are  mostly  Sammas 
and  Sumras ;  the  former 
descendants  of  Sam,  the 
son  of  Nuh,  and  the 
latter  descendants  of 
Samra,  Kamirpota,  Mito- 
pota,  Budipota,  and  No- 
rangpota.  Sumra  is  a 
corruption  of  Samra. 

These  tribes  came  to  Sind 

from  various  places  in  Asia. 

In  this  large  number  are 
no  doubt  included  many 
Sikhs  as  wdl  as  Sindis, 
but  the  census  papers  of 
1872  do  not  give  any 
details. 

80,130 

Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


304 


JERRUCK. 

Hindus. 


Castes. 

Number. 

Principal  Sub-divisions. 

Remarks. 

1.  Brahmans    . 

2.  Kshatrias     . 

3.  Waishia.      . 

4.  Sudras     and 

others  .     ./ 

Total . 

946 
12 

8.934 
2,694 

Sarsudh,  Pokarna. 
Sahto,  Panjabi. 
Lohano,  Bhatia.   .     . 

Khati,  Sonaro,  Sochi,  &c. 

The    Amils    are    a 
sub-division  of  the 
Lohano. 

12,586 

The  chief  Musalman  tribes  inhabiting  this  division  are  the  Kar- 
matis,  Jokias,  and  Numrias.  The  Karmati  tribe  of  Balochis  came 
originally,  it  is  said,  from  Halab,  on  the  frontiers  of  Persia.  On 
their  march  towards  Sind  they  took  *  possession  of  Karmat,  in 
Makran,  where  they  remained  for  a  considerable  time,  and  from 
which  place  they  derive  their  name.  From  Karmat  they  graduaHy 
extended  themselves  towards  Sind,  until  finding  themselves  strong 
enough  to  cope  with  the  Bure  tribe,  which  then  occupied  the 
districts  lying  between  Karachi  and  the  Habb  river,  they  crossed  ' 
that  stream  and  dispossessed  the  Bures  of  their  lands.  After  this 
conquest  the  Karmatis  settled  on  the  banks  of  the  Malir  river, 
whence  they  extended  themselves  into  Sakro,  where  their  chief 
resided  in  1847,  stnd  where  he  obtained  a  Jagir  on  condition  that 
when  his  services  might  be  required  he  should  muster  his  tribe  for 
the  defence  of  Tatta.  In  1847  the  Karmat  tribe  could  muster 
about  400  men.  The  Jokia  tribe  is  of  Rajput  origin,  and  formerly 
occupied  a  mountainous  district  named  Kangara,  north  of  Shah 
Bilawal,  in  Balochistan,  whence,  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  years 
ago,  they  descended  into  the  valley  of  the  Habb  river,  and,  as  their 
numbers  increased,  gradually  spread  themselves  over  the  lands 
l)ring  between  the  Habb  and  the  Malir  rivers.  Their  first  chiefs 
were  of  no  celebrity ;  but  in  the  reign  of  Ghulam  Shah  Kalhora, 
Bijar  Jokia,  who  was  a  Sepoy  in  the  service  of  that  prince,  obtained 
the  chieftainship  and  title  of  Jam  for  the  following  services  : — The 
district  of  Sakro,  including  Dharaja  and  Sauri  Bandi,  was  at  that 
time  governed  by  a  Hindu  Rana,  or  chief,  named  Arjun,  a  man  of 
great  bodily  strength,  and  possessing  great  influence  in  the  delta. 
Ghulam  Shah  was  anxious  to  dispossess  him  of  his  territories,  but 
having  no  just  pretence  for  attacking  him,  he  sought  to  have  him 
assassinated.  This,  however,  was  no  easy  matter  to  accomplish, 
as  the  Rana  was  noted  as  a  brave  and  powerful  man,  and,  being 


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on  his  guard,  he  had  constructed  a  temporary  building  on  an 
island,  to  which  he  repaired  every  night  with  a  few  followers  to 
sleep.  Bijar  Jokia,  however,  undertook  to  accomplish  his  destruc- 
tion, and  having  collected  about  twenty  resolute  men  of  his  own 
tribe,  he  and  they  swam  over  at  night  to  the  island  where  the 
Rana  reposed,  and  before  the  latter  could  recover  from  his  surprise, 
made  a  sudden  onslaught,  sword  in  hand,  and  killed  him  and  all 
his  followers.  Ghulam  Shah,  hearing  of  this  success,  seized  upon 
the  Rana*s  lands,  appointing  Bijar  as  Jam  of  the  Jokia  tribe,  and 
the  latter,  having  gained  great  renown  by  this  exploit,  easily  ob- 
tained an  acknowledgment  of  his  supremacy  from  the  whole  tribe. 
Being  of  a  restless  and  intriguing  disposition.  Jam  Bijar  soon  con- 
trived to  involve  himself  in  quarrels  with  his  neighbours.  The 
Karmatis  he  dispossessed  of  the  valley  of  the  Malir  river,  and, 
gaining  a  victory  over  the  Numrias  near  the  Habb  river,  he  com- 
pelled them  to  move  farther  north,  while  he  and  his  followers 
occupied  the  whole  of  the  lands  l)ring  between  the  Habb  and  the 
Gharo  c^eek.  Jam  Bijar  was  succeeded  by  his  son,  Murad  Ali, 
whose  son,  Mir  Ali,  was  Jam  in  1847.  ^^  iS43>  the  Hyderabad 
Mirs  directed  the  Jam  to  muster  his  tribe,  and,  in  conjunction 
with  the  Karmatis  and  Numrias,  to  occupy  the  town  of  Karachi, 
and,  if  possible,  drive  the  British  out  of  their  camp.  The  chiefs 
assembled  their  men,  but  the  news  of  the  victory  at  Meeanee  so 
damped  their  ardour  that  they  did  not  dare  to  approach  within 
forty  miles  of  Karachi.  After  the  victory  at  Hyderabad,  the  Jam 
came  in  and  made  his  salaam^  upon  which  the  Jagirs  he  had  held 
under  the  Mirs  were  restored  to  him.  The  tribe  of  Numrias 
appear  to  have  been  of  Rajput  origin,  as  the  first  of  the  family, 
whose  name  is  recorded  as  Esub  Khan,  together  with  his  eight 
brothers,  set  forth  from  Rajputana,  and  after  many  adventures, 
arrived  at  Kedje,  in  Makran,  where  they  were  well  received  by 
the  chief  of  that  place.  After  sojourning  for  some  time  at  Kedje, 
the  Numria  (or  Numardi^  literally  nine  men)  brothers  assassinated 
the  chief  of  the  place,  on  account  of  a  gross  insult  offered  to  the 
elder  brother  by  the  latter.  In  consequence  of  this  they  were 
compelled  to  leave  Makran,  proceeding  to  the  western  frontier  of 
Sind,  where  they  settled  and  intermarried  with  the  inhabitants  of 
the  country.  In  a  few  years  they  became  a  very  numerous  and 
powerful  tribe,  and  gradually  obtained  possession  of  the  whole  of 
the  hill  country  lying  between  the  Pabb  mountains  and  the  Indus 
on  the  east  and  west,  and  between  the  Malir  and  Baran  rivers 
on  the  north  and  south.  For  many  years  fierce  contests  were 
maintained  between  them  and  the  Khoso  tribe,  but  the  latter  were 

X 

Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


3o6  JERRUCK. 

eventually  driven  beyond  the  Baran  river.  This  happened  nearly 
ninety-five  years  ago,  since  which  time  the  Numrias  have  held 
undisturbed  possession.  At  the  conquest  of  the  province  in  1843, 
Ahmad  Khan  was  the  chief  of  this  tribe,  and,  in  consideration  of 
his  relinquishing  his  claim  to  all  the  hill  lands  occupied  by  the 
Numrias,  Sir  Charles  Napier  granted  him  in  jagir  the  whole  of 
the  land  which  he  and  his  people  had  cultivated  on  the  hills, 
amounting  to  2500  bigds.  He  formerly  enjoyed  the  privilege  of 
collecting  customs  and  tolls  on  the  river  at  Kotri,  and  when 
these  were  abolished  he  received  as  compensation  600  bigis  of 
land  near  the  village  of  Budhapur.  When  the  village  of  Kotri  and 
the  gardens  near  it  were  required  for  Government  purposes,  this 
chief  readily  relinquished  them,  receiving  in  exchange  other 
gardens  both  above  and  below  that  town.  Formerly  four  chiefs 
of  the  Numria  tribe  used  to  levy  a  kind  of  black-mail  called  "  mith  " 
on  all  merchandise  passing  between  Sehwan  and  Karachi,  and 
between  Karachi  and  Kotri  by  the  hill  routes.  The  rates  paid 
to  these  chiefs  were  three  annas  per  cameMoad  between  Sehwan 
and  Karachi,  and  one  and  a  half  annas  between  Karachi  and 
Kotri.  In  consideration  of  this  payment,  the  Numria  chiefs 
guaranteed  the  safety  of  the  whole  of  the  merchandise,  camels 
and  attendants,  and  should  anything  be  lost,  they  were  bound  to 
make  it  good.  They  used  to  detach  two  or  more  of  their  followers 
as  guides  with  each  kafila,  who  received  each  two  rupees  for  the 
trip  between  Karachi  and  Kotri,  and  four  rupees  each  between 
Karachi  and  Sehwan.  These  guides  were  expected  to  supply 
the  travellers  with  all  the  wood  and  water  they  needed  on  the 
march. 

While  treating  of  the  inhabitants  of  this  division,  it  will  be 
necessary  also  here  to  refer  to  the  Saiyads  and  other  people  of 
the  town  of  Tatta,  who  in  1857,  at  the  instigation  of  Mr.  Gibbs, 
Bo.  C.S.,  formerly  Judicial  Assistant  Commissioner  in  Sind,  took 
certain  measures  among  themselves  towards  reducing  the  very 
heavy  expenses  which  long-established  usage  had  compelled  them 
to  incur  on  the  ceremonies  observed  at  births,  marriages  and 
deaths.  The  great  falling  off  in  the  population  of  Tatta,  during 
the  past  fifty  or  one  hundred  years,  had,  with  much  truth,  been 
attributed  to  the  frequent  intermarriage  of  first  and  second  cousins, 
the  object  being  to  avoid  the  heavy  expense  which,  under  other 
circumstances,  would  fall  upon  the  parties  interested,  whereas 
immediate  relations,  by  exchanging  a  son  for  a  daughter,  could 
celebrate  these  unions  at  a  comparatively  small  cost.  In 
1857  the  Saiyads,  at  several  meetings  held  m  Tatta,  agreed  to 

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JERRUCK. 


307 


conform  to  certain  rules  put  forward  by  influential  members  of 
their  body  for  reducing  these  expenses ;  by  these  rules  the  com- 
munity was  divided  into  three  classes,  and  to  each  was  appointed 
the  expenses  to  be  henceforth  incurred  at  every  birth,  marriage, 
or  death.  Some  idea  may  be  formed  of  the  great  benefit  derived 
by  the  Musalman  population  from  this  step,  when  it  is  mentioned 
that  the  cost  formerly  incurred  by  a  member  of  the  first  class  at 
every  birth,  marriage  and  death  amounted  to  not  less  than  4900 
rupees,  6950  rupees,  and  3550  rupees  respectively.  The  result 
of  this  very  heavy  outlay  was  to  place  the  great  majority  of  the 
Muhammadan  population  of  the  town  in  inextricable  debt,  and 
reduce  them,  in  fact,  to  a  state  of  hopeless  destitution.  By  the 
rules,  a  member  of  the  first  class  has  now  to  pay  but  550  rupees 
at  a  birth,  1185  at  a  marriage,  and  320  at  a  funeral,  the  reduction 
for  the  two  other  classes  being  in  a  proportionate  ratio.  In 
carrying  out  this  very  beneficial  measure,  two  Muhammadan 
gentlemen — one  Sai)rad  Airudin,  a  Munsif  of  Karachi,  and  the 
other,  S^jyad  Sabar  Ali  Shah,  of  Tatta — exerted  themselves  in  so 
praiseworthy  a  manner  as  to  obtain  from  the  Bombay  Government 
the  following  rewards  :  To  the  former,  a  present  of  law  books  to 
the  value  of  200  rupees ;  and  to  the  latter,  Persian  and  Arabic 
works  to  the  value  of  150  rupees. 

Crime. — Unlike  other  Sind  districts,  cattle-stealing  does  not 
seem  to  be  the  most  prevalent  crime  in  that  of  Jerruck.  Murders 
appear  to  be  rare ;  but  the  comparatively  small  amount  of  crime 
shown  in  the  following  statistical  table,  extending  over  four  years 
ending  with  1874,  may  be  attributed  in  a  great  measure  to  the 
sparse  population  in  this  large  district,  there  being,  as  has  already  . 
been  stated,  but  30  souls  to  the  square  mile : — 

Criminal. 


Year. 

Murden. 

Hurts, 
Assaults, 
smd  use  of 
Criminal 

Force. 

Thefts. 

Receiving 

Stolen 
Property. 

House- 
breaking. 

Highway 
Robbery. 

Other 

Cattle. 

Others. 

Oflfencefl. 

1871 
1872 
1873 
1874 

I 

I 

125 

"3 
91 

44 
134 
128 

131 

138 
80 

100 
90 

24 
62 

53 
25 

45 
22 

47 
55 

I 
2 
I 
2 

166 
too 

150 

77 

X    2 


Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


3o8 


JERRUCK. 

Civil. 


Year. 

Suits  for  Land. 

Suits  for  Money. 

Other  Suiu. 

Total. 

No. 

Value. 

No. 

Value. 

No. 

Value. 

No. 

Value. 

1871 

2 

rupees. 
522 

206 

rupees. 
14,764 

1    rupees. 
96     1     3.732 

304 

rupees. 
19,018 

1872 

3 

3,700 

148 

17,011 

90 

2,751 

241 

23,462 

1873 

3 

662 

186 

21.199 

lOI 

7,240 

290 

29,101 

1874 

3 

425 

264 

31,977 

92 

4,582 

359 

36,984. 

Administration. — ^The  chief  revenue  and  magisterial  authority 
in  the'Jerruck  Division  is  the  Deputy  Collector,  who  is  also  a  full- 
power  magistrate  and  vice-president  of  the  various  municipalities 
in  his  district ;  he  ordinarily  resides  at  the  town  of  Jerruck.  Under 
him  are  three  Mukhtyarkars  and  two  Kotwals;  the  former,  in 
addition  to  being  revenue  officers,  have  the  powers  of  a^rst-class 
subordinate  magistrate,  and  their  head  Munshis  those  of  a  second- 
class  subordinate  magistrate.  The  duties  of  the  Kotwals — one  of 
whom  is  stationed  at  Jerruck,  and  the  other  at  K€ti — ^are  almost 
entirely  of  a  magisterial  nature  \  they  also  superintend  the  subor- 
dinate jails  at  their  respective  stations.  Under  the  Mukhtyarkars, 
as  in  other  Sind  districts,  are  a  number  of  Tapadars  who  assist 
in  the  collection  of  the  revenue ;  among  their  other  duties  is 
that  of  counting  the  wheels  used  for  irrigation  in  their  respective 
tapas. 

Civil  Courts. — In  civil  matters,  the  original  jurisdiction  of  the 
Subordinate  Court  at  Kotri  extends  over  the  Tatta  and  MirpurSakro 
talukas,  while  that  of  the  Subordinate  Court  at  Mirpur  Batoro,  in 
the  Shahbandar  Division,  extends  over  the  Ghorabari  taluka  in  the 
Jerruck  Division. 

Cattle  Pounds. — There  are  ten  cattle  pounds  in  the  Jerruck 
district,  under  the  charge  of  Munshis,  with  peons  to  assist  them, 
and  the  proceeds  are  included  in  municipal  revenue,  where  the 
town  having  a  cattle  pound  has  also  a  municipality,  otherwise  it  is 
credited  to  local  revenue :  the  sums  annually  realised  from  this 
source  range  from  1300  to  2300  rupees. 

Police.— -The  total  number  of  police  of  all  descriptions  em- 
ployed in  tlie  Jerruck  Division  is  196,  or  one  policeman  to  every 
469  of  the  population.  Forty-three  of  these  are  mounted^  and  the 
rest  are  foot  and  municipal  police.  The  number  of  police  posts 
is  27  ;  and  the  force — which  is  a  portion  of  that  under  the  direct 


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JERRUCK. 


309 


control  of  the  District  Superintendent  of  Police  for  the  Karachi 
Collectorate — ^is  distributed  as  follows : — 


Taiaka. 

Mounted 
PoUce. 

Foot  Police. 

Remarks. 

1.  Tatta       .      . 

2.  MirpurSakra 

3.  Ghorabari     . 

Total   .     . 

25 
9 
9 

54 

29 
42 

The  mounted  police 
comprise  both  horse 
and  camel  levies. 

There  are  also  28 
Municipal  police. 

43 

125 

Revenue. — The  revenue  of  the  Jerruck  District,  which  is  divided 
into  imperial  and  local,  is  shown  in  the  accompanying  tables, 
under  its  separate  heads,  for  the  past  five  years,   ending  with 

1873-74:— 

I.  iMPSRiAt  Revenue. 


Items. 

Realisations  in 

1869-70. 

1870-71. 

1871-73. 

1872-73. 

1873-74- 

Land  Tax      .      .     . 
Abkari     .... 
Drugs  and  Opium    . 
Stamps    .... 

Salt 

Postal  Department  . 
Income     (Certificate) 
and  Licence)  Tax  / 
Law  and  Justice 
Miscellaneous     .     . 

Total  rupees     . 

rupees. 
1.70,630 
12,570 

7.174 
6,325 
2,291 

6,495 

5,307 
4,360 

rupees. 

1,64,967 

7,150 

7,467 

7,418 

500 

2,509 
12,702 

4,357 
3,505 

rupees. 

13 

753 
3,107 

1,837 
1,424 

rupees. 
1,64,852 

6,660 
2,190 

8,285 

rupees. 

1,48,145 

7,799 

5,742 

7,338 

250 

913 

3,024 
11,682 

2,19,017 

2,io,575 

1,83,106 

1,99,473 

1,84.893 

n. 

Local  Revenue. 

RealiMtions  in 

1869-70. 

1870-71.  1  1871-7^. 

1872-73. 

1873-74. 

Cesses  on  Land  and  Sayer^ 
Revenue j 

rupees. 
11,269 

rupees. 
10,411 

rupees. 
10,813 

rupees. 
10,362 

rupees. 

9.669 

Percentage     on     alienated^ 
Lands  .....     .j 

185 

59 

574 

446 

481 

Cattle  Pound      .... 

Ferry  Fund 

Fisheries 

Total  rupees     . 

1.748 
3,756 
6,I20 

2,33'\ 

7.430 
6,960 

8,688 

7.174 

9, '65 

6,S7o 

23,078 

23,108 

25.777 

26,670 

25. 88s 

Digitized  by 


Google 


3IO  JERRUCK. 

As  regards  Abkari  revenue,  the  contract  for  the  manufacture  of 
country  liquor  is  sold  by  auction  yearly  at  the  head-quarter  station 
of  eacli  taluka.  Manufactured  country  liquor  is  sold  at  the  rate 
of  from  12  annas  to  2  rupees/^  J^r. 

Survey  Settlement. — In  common  with  the  rest  of  Sind,  the 
topographical  survey  of  this  division  has  been  completed — a 
portion  in  1863-64,  and  the  remainder  in  1869-70.  As  yet  no 
settlement  has  been  introduced,  but  it  is  expected  to  be  so  shortly. 
At  present  lands  are  given  out  on  provisional  or  temporary  leases, 
under  a  kind  of  ^^ kachha^^  settlement,  introduced  in  1865  by  Mr. 
S.  Mansfield,  the  then  Commissioner  of  Sind.  These  leases  are 
intended  to  lapse  on  the  introduction  of  the  new  survey  settlement 
Four  rupees  per  acre  may  be  considered  as  the  maximum  rate 
paid  under  the  present  system  now  obtaining  in  this  district, 
but  on  small  cultivation  not  on  lease,  the  maximum  rate  may 
be  estimated  at  2  rupees  per  jirehy  or  3  rupees  3  annas  1 1  pies 
per  acre;  and  the  minimum,  8  zxims per  j'ireb^  or  15  annas  and 
6  pies  per  acre.  The  following  may  be  taken  as  the  rates  or- 
dinarily in  force  in  this  Deputy  Collectorate  on  different  kinds  of 
cultivation : — 

Mahkuli 4  rupees  per  acre. 

Charkhi 2  ,,  ,, 

Sailabi  (or  Mok  Rabi)     .1*8        „  ,, 

Ditto    (Kharif)    ...     3 

Barani i  „  ,, 

The  hakaba  (or  water-rate)  is  6  pies  per  acre. 

The  tenures  of  this  district,  which  are  Zamindari  in  principle,  do 
not  appear  to  differ  in  any  marked  respect  from  those  prevailing 
in  other  parts  of  the  province. 

Jagirdars. — The  following  is  a  list  of  the  Jagirdars  in  this 
division,  with  the  areas  of  their  several  holdings.  The  entire  area 
held  in  Jagir  is  about  96,000  acres;  of  this  the  cultivated  land 
is  barely  21,000  acres  in  extent,  the  largest  portion  being  in 
the  Tatta  taluka.  The  area  of  culturable  and  unarable  land  is 
very  nearly  75,000  acres  : — 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


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314 


JERRUCK, 


The  Seri  grants  in  this  division  are  few,  and  are  confined  to 
thirteen  individuals  only,  viz. :  Three  in  the  Tatta  taluka,  and  six 
and  four  in  the  Mirpur  Sakro  and  Ghorabari  talukas  respectively. 
The  aggregate  acreage  included  in  these  grants  is  only  250  acres 
and  2 1  guntas.  The  Mafidars  are  seventeen  in  number ;  of  these 
thirteen  are  in  the  Tatta  Taluka ;  two  in  the  Mirpur  Sakro,  and  two 
in  the  Ghorabari  talukas.  Their  grants  range  from  eight  guntas 
to  twenty-three  acres. 

Municipalities. — There  are  municipal  institutions  in  three  of 
the  towns  in^  this  division,  viz. :  Tatta,  Jemick,  and  Keti.  The 
receipts  and  disbursements  of  these  several  municipalities  for 
three  years,  ending  with  1873-74,  are  shown  in  the  following 
table :— 


Where 

situate. 

Date  of 
EsUblishment. 

Receipts  in 

Disbursements  in 

1871-72. 

1873-73.  j  1873-74. 

1871-79. 

1879-73. 

'873-74. 

1.  Tatta 

2.  Jemick 

3.  Keti  . 

17th  Jan.,  1854 
13th  Sept.,  1855 
1st  Feb.,  1854  . 

rupees. 
8,045 

1,909 

10,390 

rupees. 

6,363 

1,046 

12,205 

rupees. 

9,S'4 

1,437 

16,855 

rupees. 
6,952 

2,043 
5,420 

rupees. 

4.995 
1,267 

8,330 

rupees. 
9,422 

1,544 
5.192 

The  income  of  these  municipalities  is  made  up  principally  from 
town  duties,  market  fees,  proceeds  under  the  Cattle  Pound  Act, 
house  tax,  produce  of  municipal  gardens,  &c.  The  disbursements 
are  more  particularly  on  account  of  police,  conservaney,  municipal 
establishments,  lighting,  money  grants  to  dispensaries,  and  repairs 
to  roads,  buildings,  &c. 

Medical  Establishments. — There  are  no  hospitals  in  this 
division,  but  three  medical  dispensaries,  situate  at  Jemick,  Tatta, 
and  Keti.  The  Jerruck  dispensary  was  established  in  1855,  and  is 
under  the  charge  of  a  hospital  assistant  with  a  small  subordinate 
establishment.  The  Jerruck  municipality  applies  a  portion  of  its 
funds  towards  the  support  of  this  institution.  The  following  table 
will  give  further  information  on  this  head : — 


Total 
Admissions. 

c^^r.  I*;ksI^s!' 

Remarks. 

1873- 

1874. 

X873. 

1874. 

X873.      1874. 

In-door  patients 
Out-door  patients    . 

16 
,1,401 

7  1     ... 

1,280 

1 

... 

I 'I     o'i6 
19-3  1  14-7 

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JERRUCK. 


315 


The  charitable  dispensary  at  Tatta  was  established  in  November 
1 866,  and  is  under  the  charge  of  a  sub-assistant  surgeon,  with  a 
native  medical  pupil  and  other  subordinate  establishments.  It  is 
supported  entirely  by  the  Tatta  municipality.  The  following 
table  will  give  additional  information  respecting  this  dispensary : — 


In-door  patients 
Out-door  patients 

Total  Admissions. 

Casualties  in 

Attendance. 

>873. 

1874. 

«873. 

1874. 

>873- 

x874- 

33 
S.658 

37 
6,104 

6 
13 

3 
9 

14 

76- 1 

1-8 
88-6 

The  dispensary  at  Keti,  established  about  1867,  is  i^ow  located 
in  a  new  building,  erected  in  1874,  It  is  under  the  charge  of  a 
hospital  assistant,  with  a  small  subordinate  establishment  under 
him.  The  Keti  municipality  contributes  about  400  rupees  annu- 
ally towards  the  support  of  this  institution.  The  following  table 
will  show  the  total  number  of  admissions,  &c.,  into  this  dispensary 
during  the  years  1873  ^Jid  1874  : — 


1 

In-door  patients 
Out-door  patients 

Total  Admissions.    1 

Casualties  in 

Average  Daily 
Attendance. 

«873- 

..,.  ' 

1873.     i      X874 

.873. 

1874. 

9              9 
3.058       3.436 

I 
I 

2 
I 

•8 
33*4 

•6 

38-7 

Prisons. — ^There  are  no  large  jails  in  the  Jerruck  Division,  but 
the  subordinate  jails,  five  in  number,  are  situate  at  the  towns  of 
Jerruck,  Tatta,  Keti,  Sakro,  and  Kotri  Allahrakhyo.  The  jails  at 
Jerruck  and  Keti  are  superintended  respectively  by  the  Kotwals 
of  those  towns. 

Education. — Education  in  this  division  would  appear  to  be 
at  a  very  low  ebb,  as  there  are  in  all  but  seven  Government 
schools,  with  an  attendance  of  402  pupils.  There  is  a  Govern- 
ment Anglo-vernacular  school  at  Tatta.  The  number  of  schools, 
&c.,  in  each  taluka  is  as  follows  {see  next  page) : — 


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3i6 


JERRUCK. 


Talflka. 

Remains. 

No.       I    Pupils. 

1.  Tatta       ,      . 

2.  Ghorabari     . 

3.  Mirpur  Sakro 

Total     . 

4 
I 
2 

325 
37 
40 

Includes  girls. 

7 

402 

Agriculture. — There  would  seem,  as  elsewhere  in  Sind,  to 
be  two  principal  seasons  for  carrying  on  agricultural  operations  in 
this  division,  viz.,  Kharif  and  Rabi;  these,  with  the  chief  crops 
produced  in  each,  will  be  found  given  in  the  following  tabulated 
statement : — 


Season. 

Time  when 

Principal  Crops  produced. 

Sown. 

Reaped. 

1.  Kharif 

2.  Rabi 

TApril,     May, 
\  and  June 

(Oct.,      Nov., 
\  and  Dec. 

Oct.,      Nov., 
and  Dec. 

March,  April, 
and  May 

Rice,  juar,  bajri,  sugar- 
cane, cotton,  oil-seeds, 
mung,  melons,  &c. 

Tobacco,  wheat  (very  little), 
grain,  malar,  urad,  small 
quantity  of  barley,  onions, 
and  garden  vegetables 
generally. 

The  area  of  land  in  this  division  covered  with  the  various 
Kharif  and  Rabi  crops,  during  1873-74,  will  afford  some  idea  of 
the  extent  to  which  each  is  cultivated : — 


Season.         |                       Crop. 

English  Acres. 

iJuar 

1  Bajri 

Kharif.     .   1  Rice 

Sugar-cane     .... 

JlCotton 

Other  produce      .     .     . 

i^ok:               /Tobacco 

^*^*    •     •    \Wheat 

Other  produce      .     .     . 

563 
4,230 

35.  "4 
662 

33,36 
276 

4,745 

1                  Total     .     .     . 

49,161 

From  this  it  will  at  once  be  seen  that  rice  is  the  staple  grain  of 

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JERRUCK,  317 

this  division ;  in  the  delta  portion  of  this  district  it  may  be  con- 
sidered as  forming  quite  five-sixths  of  the  entire  produce  of  the 
Ghorabari  and  Mirpur  talukas.  Bajri  and  juar  are  grown  mostly 
in  the  Tatta  taluka :  garden  cultivation  is  successfully  carried  on 
in  the  immediate  neighbourhood  of  the  town  of  Tatta,  where  this 
kind  of  produce  meets  with  a  ready  sale.  Rabi  crops  to  some 
extent  are  raised  in  the  various  dhandhs  of  this  division  as  they  dry 
up,  and  during  the  Kharif  season  rice  seedlings  are  also  prepared  in 
them.  Taken  as  a  whole,  the  rabi  crops  throughout  the  district 
may  be  considered  as  very  poor,  owing,  as  previously  mentioned, 
to  the  prevalence  of  sea-fogs  during  the  cold  season,  more  especially 
in  the  Mirpur  and  Ghorabari  talukas.  From  this  cause  all  cereals 
but  barley  suffer,  and,  except  in  the  vicinity  of  Jerruck,  they  cannot 
be  cultivated  at  all. '  In  the  Ghorabari  taluka,  a  small  quantity  of 
sinni  {Crotularia  juncea)^  a  cordage  plant,  is  cultivated,  and  from 
the  fibre  ropes  and  fishing  gear  are  made.  The  implements  of 
husbandry  in  use  in  this  district  are  those  generally  found  in  other 
districts  of  this  province. 

Commerce. — The  trade  carried  on  in  the  Jerruck  district  is  mostly 
in  grain,  especially  rice,  and  in  agricultural  products  generally,  all 
of  which  are  exported  in  large  quantities  to  Karachi,  Hyderabad, 
and  to  other  places  out  of  Sind.  The  town  of  Keti  may  at 
present  be  considered  as  the  only  important  place  of  trade  in  this 
division.  Formerly  Ghorabari  (also  called  Vikar,  though  the  latter 
was  quite  a  distinct  village),  a  town  seated  on  the  old  Ghora 
river,  a  branch  of  the  Hajamro,  was  once  the  most  flourishing  seat 
of  commerce  in  the  delta.  Heddle,  in  1837,  mentions  it  as  being 
visited  yearly  by  180  vessels  of  different  sizes,  from  Karachi, 
Gwadar,  Sonmiani,  Anjar,  Kachh-Mandavi,  Jamnagar,  Porbandar, 
and  other  ports.  It  then  exported  large  quantities. of  rice,  ghi, 
and  red  sugar,  and  imported  woods  of  different  kinds,  cocoa-nuts, 
dates,  dried  figs,  cotton,  pepper,  wheat,  iron,  manufactured  articles, 
&a  Carless,  writing  also  in  1837,  states  that  400  boats,  on  an 
average,  annually  sailed  from  this  port  to  Bombay,  Maskat,  Kachh, 
and  Gujrat  The  vcilue  of  the  exports,  which  were  chiefly  rice, 
ghi  and  gur  (molasses),  he  estimated  at  2,65,500  rupees;  and  the 
imports,  which  comprised  cloths,  sugar,  iron,  copper  and  lead 
from  Bombay,  pepper,  coir  and  timber  from  the  Malabar  coast, 
dates,  dried  fruit,  and  slaves  from  Maskat,  and  cotton  and  coarse 
cloths  from  Kachh,  at  about  1,00,500  rupees.  These  imports 
were,  it  was  believed,  consumed  mostly  by  the  inhabitants  of 
the  Sind  delta.  In  1848  the  river  capriciously  lefl  Ghorabari, 
and  the  trade  of  the  place  was  speedily  transplanted  to  Keti,  a 

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3i8 


JEkRUCK. 


town  which  was  itself  afterwards  overflowed  by  the  river ;  and 
another  town  of  the  same  name,  and  now  only  twenty-two  years 
old,  was  built  not  far  from  it  Here  the  trade  is  large  and  brisk, 
but  not  during  the  monsoon  period  of  the  year,  which,  coupled 
with  the  then  unhealthy  state  of  the  place,  stops  for  a  time  all  com- 
mercial transactions.  The  real  value  of  the  imports  into  Keti  from 
all  ports  within  and  beyond  the  province  of  Sind,  in  1873-74, 
was  5,70,536  rupees,  and  the  exports  from  Keti  in  that  same 
year  were  computed  at  28,03,240  rupees.  The  imports  from  sea- 
ward comprised  principally  cocoa-nuts,  cotton  goods  and  wrought 
metals,  and  in  a  lesser  degree,  spices,  dyes,  drugs  and  medicines, 
fruit  and  vegetables.  The  exports  seaward  to  foreign  and  Indian 
ports  consisted  mostly  of  grain  and  pulse,  oil-seeds,  raw  cotton, 
wool,  drugs  and  medicines,  firewood  and  dyes.  The  value  of  the 
import  and  export  trade  of  Keti,  both  sea  and  river-borne,  together 
with  other  information  on  this  head,  will  be  found  entered  into  in 
the  description  of  that  town.  (See  Keti.)  The  following  tables 
will  show,  approximately,  the  quantity  and  value  of  the  imports 
and  exports  of  the  two  talukas  of  Tatta  and  Mirpur  Sakro  in 
this  division ;  those  for  the  Ghorabari  taluka  being  almost  en- 
tirely centered  at  the  town  of  Keti,  will  be  given  in  the  account 
of  that  port 


Articles  imported. 


Tatta  TalQka. 

Mirpur  Sakro  TalOka. 

Amount. 

Value. 

Amount. 

Value. 

maunds. 

rupees. 
18,000 

maunds. 

rupees. 

600 

50 

1.600 

96,000 

1,20,000 

200 

600 

pieces. 

pieces. 

3,000 

12,000 

2,000 

8,000 

maunds. 

maunds. 

40 

1,200 

5 

150 

360 

5,700 

100 

1,700 

6 

240 

6 

240 

125 

750 

100 

600 

100 

1,000 

40 

400 

25 

250 

10 

100 

1,500 

6,000 

150 

2,250 

150 

2,250 

165 

9,300 

52 

3,500 

30 

^ 

25 

300 

40 

20 

^ 

300 

1,200 

150 

60 

30,000 

I 

500 

520 

2,700 

500 

2,500 

500 

500 

250 

250 

Ghi 

Grain  of  sorts     . 

Cloths 

Cotton  twist .... 
Sugar  and  sugar-candy 

Copper 

Iron,  brass  and'  steel 

Spices 

Kopra  (dried  cocoa-nut) 
Molasses  (or  jagri)   .     . 

Oil 

Drugs  and  dyes  . 
Betel-nuts     .... 

Cotton 

Dates 

Silk 

Tobacco 

Other  articles     .     . 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


JERRUCK, 


319 


Articles  exported. 


Tatta  TalQka. 


Amount.  Value. 


Mirpur  Sakro  Talaka. 


Amount. 


Value. 


Gxuin  of  sorts 
Molasses .  . 
Wool.  .  . 
Cloth.  .  . 
Skins .  .  . 
Plantains 


maunds. 

35 » 200 

1,000 

1,200 

4,ooothans. 

2,000 


rupees. 
55,000 

5,000 

4,800 

24,000 

1,000 


maunds. 
25,600 

6,000 

300 

1,500 
3  lakhs. 


rupees. 
40,000 

42,000 

1,500 

3.000 
900 


Manufactures. — The  manufactures  carried  on  in  the  Jemick 
district  are  at  the  present  time  few,  and  but  of  little  consequence. 
Salt  is  made  to  some  extent  in  the  Mirpur  and  Tatta  talukas.  At 
the  town  of  Tatta,  once  renowned  for  its  manufacturing  skill  in 
many  articles,  there  is  now  but  little  made,  in  comparison  with 
former  times.  Lungis,  sGsis,  and  cottons  of  different  kinds  are 
still  manufactured,  the  first-named  to  some  extent  The  /««^i, 
which  is  a  kind  of  shawl  or  scarf,  is  a  thick,  rich,  and  variegated 
fabric,  having  a  warp  of  silk  and  a  woof  of  cotton,  and  in  the 
more  costly  descriptions  has  much  gold  thread  interwoven  with  it. 
Dr.  Winchester,  in  1839,  speaks  of  these  articles  being  then  made 
of  exquisite  beauty  and  workmanship;  that  they  were  greatly 
prized  by  the  Talpur  Mirs,  and  were  included  by  them  in  all 
presents  made  to  foreign  powers.  At  that  time  the  Tatta  chintzes 
were  considered  to  be  far  superior  to  those  of  India,  both  in 
texture  and  pattern,  and  the  fine  cloths  almost  equal  to  those  of 
Surat,  but  the  ^^ dangari^  cloth  was  of  an  inferior  quality.  In 
addition  to  these,  glazed  tiles,  brickwork  and  pottery  are  still 
made,  but  the  first  have  not  the  excellence  of  those  manufactured 
between  three  and  four  centuries  ago.  The  art  by  which  the  ex- 
quisite glaze  of  former  days  was  produced  would  seem,  indeed, 
to  have  been  lost.  Excellent  susis  (or  striped  cloths)  and  camel 
saddles  are  made  in  the  town  of  Jerruck. 

Fairs. — There  would  appear  to  be  a  great  number  of  fairs  held 
in  this  division  \  but  out  of  more  than  forty,  only  nineteen  are  of 
any  consequence,  the  others  being  each  attended  by  but  from  50 
to  300  people.  The  following  is  a  list  of  the  principal  fairs,  with 
other  information  connected  with  them  {see  next  page)  : — 


Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


320 


JERRUCR. 


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H  1*1  ^     W    ^ 


1:^ 

31 


OU    ftl     ^ 


13 
W3 


ed    oi 


Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


JERRUCK, 


321 


There  is  also  a  shrine  of  very  considerable  sanctity  at  the  village 
of  Jhimpir,  in  the  Tatta  taluka,  close  to  the  Sind  railway ;  here 
a  spring  of  fresh  water  gushes  out  of  a  hill  on  which  the  tomb  of  the 
Musalman  saint,  Shekh  Amin,  is  built  \  he  is  venerated  alike  by 
Musalmans  and  Hindus,  who  come  in  crowds  to  visit  the  tomb. 

Communications. — There  are  in  the  Jerruck  Division  about 
360  miles  of  roads,  of  which  190  are  trunk  lines,  and  80  postal. 
The  subjoined  tabular  statement  will  contain  all  information 
relative  to  these  conununications ;  it  may  here  be  mentioned 
that  one  only  of  these  roads,  connecting  the  town  of  Tatta  with 
the  Sind  railway  at  Jungshahi,  is  metalled. 


tllDescrio- 
gS  1    tionof 

From 

To 

Remarks. 

►3.2  1    Road- 

I.  Nai  Baran    .     . 

Gharo    .     .     . 

70  ,  Trunk 

This  is  the  great  military  road 
running    from    Karachi     to 

Kotri,  and  passing  through 
Gujo,  Tatta,  Helaia,  Sonda, 

1 

Jerruck,  and  Aungar;  it  is 
bridged  almost  throughout 
its  entire  distance,  and  has 

i 

' 

milestones.    There  is  a  fine 

« 

bridge  over  the  creek  at 
Gharo,  and  a  staging  banga- 
low  and  dharamsala  at  that 
village;  also  dharamsalas  at 
Sonda,  HeUlia,  Chillia,  and 

Aungar. 

2.  Talta      .     .     . 

Keti.     .     .     . 

60  ;     do. 

There  is  a  travellers'  bangalow 

on  the  Makh'  hills,  dose  to 

Tatta,  and  a  dharamsala  in 

Tatta     itself.       This     road 

1 

passes  through  Kotri  Alah- 
rakhyo, and  Ghorabari. 

3.  Tatta      .     .     . 

Bijoro    .     .     . 

5    Branch 

A  ferry  road. 

4.  Tatta      .     .     . 

Bhiman . 

24       do. 

5.  MakU     .     .     . 

Mirpur  Sakro   . 

25  ,  Trunk 

pur  Sakro. 

6.  Muchara      .     . 

PirPatho    .     . 

7  ,  Branch 

A  dharamsala  at  Pir  Patho. 

7.  Jerruck  .     .     . 

Meting  .     .     . 

13     Postal 

1 

! 

1 

1 

There  are  three  dharamsalas 
at  Jerruck ;  one  in  the  town, 
and  the  other  two  on  the 
banks  of  the  Indus ;  also  one 
at  Meting. 

a  Terrttck  .     .     . 

RajoNizamani. 

4    Branch 

9.  Jerruck  .     .     . 

Khameio     .     . 

7  ,     do- 

10.  Tatta      .     .     • 

Bawa  Purando- 

jO-ffOt. 

3        do. 

II.  Mirpur  Sakro    . 

Dabeji   .     .     . 

21        do. 

12.  Mirpur  Sakro    . 

Mahr     .     .     . 

16  .     do. 

13.  Kotri  Alahrakhyo 

Khatho .     .     . 

24        do. 

A  dharamsala  at  Kotri  Ahih- 

rakhyo. 

Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


322 


JERRUCK. 


^i 

Descrip- 
tion of 

From. 

To 

eS 

Remaxks. 

•J-S 

Road. 

14.  Mirpur  Sakro    . 

Gharo    .     .     . 

20 

Main 

15.  Ghulam-ulah     . 

Gharo    .     .     . 

17 

Branch 

i6.  Babro     .     .     . 

Ghuiam      Nabi 
Shah-jo-got. 

5 

do. 

17.  Mirpur  Sakro    . 

Ghulam-ulah    . 

i6 

do. 

18.  Tatta      .     .      . 

Tanka    .     .     . 

8 

do. 

A  ferry  road. 

19.  Tatta      .     .     . 

Bao  Purandas  . 

>> 

do. 

do. 

2a  Tanka     .     .     . 

Pir  Patho    .     . 

, , 

21.  Ghulam-ulah     . 

Pir  Patho    .     . 

s 

Branch. 

22.  Babro     .     .     . 

Gujo      .     .     . 

3 

do. 

A  dharams&la  at  Giijo. 

23.  Makli      .      .     . 

Jungshahi    .     . 

13 

Trunk 

and 
postal. 
Branch. 

Is  metalled,   and    has    mile- 
stones. 

24.  Pir  Patho      .     . 

Ferry  at  Haij^t 
Gaho. 

10 

;»5.  Lakho  Latifula  . 
26.  Mirpur  Sakro     . 

Tatta     .     .     . 

2 

do. 

Kiri.     .     .     . 

8 

do. 

Ferries. — There  are  in  all  thirty-six  ferries  in  this  division; 
of  these  fifteen  are  on  the  Indus,  eight  on  the  Uchto,  and  ten  on 
the  Baghiar  branches  of  the  Indus.     These  are  as  follows : — 


Name  of  Ferry. 

Where  situate. 

Number 
of  Boats. 

1.  Saiyadpur  , 

2.  Raj  Ghat    . 

3.  Lalang  .      . 
4-  Helaia  .     . 

On  Indus, 

near  Saiyadpur     .     . 
Bijoro      .     .     . 

2 
4 

91 

Lalang    .      .     . 
Helaia     .     .      . 

5.  Sonda  .     . 

•  1 

Sonda      .     .     . 

6.  Lakho  Latifula 

»| 

Lakho  Latifula  . 

7.  Soung  .     . 

»* 

Soung      .     .     . 

8.    una      .     . 

f  1 

[una   .... 

9.    erruck 

»| 

[erruck     .     .     . 

la  HaiyatGaho 
II.  Bhiman  Puro 

EiaiyatGaho.      . 
Bhiman  Puro 

12.  Kotri    ,     . 

13.  Khalifa.     . 

•> 

Kotri  Alahrakhyo 
Khalifa    .     .     . 

14.  Daulatpur  . 

15.  Lakhi    .     . 

II 
M  >i 

Daulatpur      .      . 
Lakhi.     .     .     . 

16.  Parlo  Khati 

On  Uchto, 

near  Babrala-jo-got    . 

17.  Kalandri     . 

II 

Vathion    .     .     . 

18.  Garho  .     . 

II 

Niboi.     .     .     . 

19.  Khatho.     . 

II 

Mahm&da      .     . 

. 

■        I 

20.  Bampto 

21.  Munaro 

II 

f  1 

Bampto    .     .     . 
Munaro    .     .     . 

22.  Ani  Bandi . 

Ani  Banda    .     . 

23.  Richhal      .     . 

II 

Bela  Bai  Saheb  . 

24.  Kukai  .     .     . 

II 

Daulatpur     .     .     . 

Digitized  by  VjOOQ IC 


JERRUCK, 


323 


Nain«  of  Ferry. 

Where  situate. 

Number 
of  Boats. 

I 

25.  Baghan      .     .     . 

On  Uchto,  near  Baghan  .... 

26.  Ando    .... 

„           GotVatTirnal  .     .   1 

I 

27.  Mouth  of  the 

On  Bhaghiar  near  Sikhanjo-got  .     . 

2 

Bhaghiar. 
28.  Purochani  .      .     . 

„               Purochani      .     . 

I 

29.  Mirpur  Sakro 

,,               Mirpur  Sakro 

I 

3a  Sukhpur     . 

„               Sukhpur  .     .     . 

I 

31.  Nahiyon     . 

„               Nahiyon  .      .     . 

I 

32.  Buhara.      . 

„               Buhara     .     .     . 

I 

33-  Kin.     .     . 

Kin     ...     . 

I 

34.  Ghnlain-ulah 

„               Guhlam-ulah.     . 

1 

35.  Timukho    . 

„               Timukho.     .     . 

I 

36.  Pir  Patho  . 

Pir  Patho.     .     . 

I 

The  proceeds  of  these  ferries  are  included  under  the  head  of 
local  revenue,  and  realise  annually,  on  an  average,  from  3000  to 
5000  rupees. 

Railway. — The  Sind  railway  passes  through  the  Mirpur  and 
Tatta  talukas  of  this  division  for  about  50  miles,  and  has  stations ' 
at  the  foUowng  places  : — Dabeji,  Jungshahi,  Jhimpir  and  Meting. 
The  telegraph  lines,  both  Governmental  and  that  belonging  to 
the  railway  company,  follow  this  route. 

Postal  Lines. — The  postal  lines  of  communication  in  this 
division  are  three  in  number :  one  running  from  Dabeji,  on  the 
Sind  railway,  to  Gharo  and  Keti,  54  miles  in  distance ;  another 
from  Jungshahi  to  Tatta,  13  miles  long;  and  the  third  from  Me- 
ting to  Jerruck,  also  13  miles  in  length.  These  are  all  foot  lines. 
The  non-disbursing  post-offices  are  situate  at  Jerruck,  Tatta, 
Ghorabari,  Mirpur  Sakro,  and  Keti,  and  the  branch  post-offices 
at  Meting,  Jungshahi  and  DabejL 

Antiquities. — ^There  are  in  this  district  many  ruinous  forts, 
temples,  mazjids,  tombs,  -^c.,  which  on  the  score  of  age  are 
deserving  of  careful  notice.  Near  the  town  of  Gharo,  in  the 
Mirpur  Sakro  taluka,  are  the  ruins  of  a  very  ancient  city  called 
Bambura,  which  would  seem  to  have  been  in  existence  before  the 
first  Muhammadan  invasion  of  Sind,  in  a.d  711-ia.  It  is  sup- 
posed that  Bambura  may  very  possibly  have  been  the  ancient 
Dewal  (or  Debal),  the  first  city  captured  by  the  Musalman  forces 
under  Muhammad  Kasim  Sakifi,  and  that  it  was  so  called  from  a 
temple  renowned  for  its  sanctity  situate  in  the  fort.  Others,  again, 
have  presumed  that  Tatta  was  the  ancient  Debal,  or  that  even 
Manora  was  the  place  stormed  by  the  Musalman  invader ;  but  be 

V  2 


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324  JERRUCK. 

this  as  it  may,  Bambura  is  unquestionably  a  place  of  great  anti- 
quity, displaying  as  it  does  the  remains  of  ramparts,  bastions, 
towers,  &c,  and  bearing  evidence  of  former  population  and  trade 
in  the  number  of  coins  which  have  at  diflferent  times  been  found 
there.  Bambura  is  in  latitude  24°  40'  N.,and  longitude  67^41'  E. 
Another  ancient  building  in  ruins  is  the  Mdri^  or  house  of  Jam 
Tumachi,  the  fourth  sovereign  of  the  Samma  dynasty  in  Sind, 
who  flourished  about  a.d.  1380.  These  ruins  are  situate  on  a  hill 
at  the  northern  end  of  the  Sonahri  dhandh  (or  lake)  near  Helaia, 
in  the  Tatta  taluka,  and  command  a  fine  view.  The  Kalan  Kot 
(or  great  fort)  is  another  mteresting  ruin,  situate  near  the  right 
bank  of  the  Bhaghiar,  or  western  branch  of  the  Indus,  and  three 
miles  south  of  the  town  of  Tatta.  It  is  seated  on  a  limestone  hill, 
which  abounds  in  marine  shells,  and  is  everywhere  honeycombed 
with  natural  cavities.  The  fort  is  about  a  mile  and  a  quarter  in 
circumference,  and  the  outer  wall  of  it  is  still  perfect  In  1840  it 
was  described  as  having  numerous  massy  round  towers,  connected 
by  curtains,  and  that  it  appeared  to  have  been  constructed  with 
much  care  and  skill  In  a  large  building  was  found  a  great  quan- 
tity of  grain  burned  to  charcoal,  and  this,  together  with  the  vitrified 
state  of  the  brickwork  in  many  places,  seemed  to  show  that  the 
place  must  have  been  destroyed  by  fire.  This  fort,  which  is  said 
to  have  been  built  about  a.d.  142 i,  during  the  Samma  dynasty,  is 
supposed  to  stand  upon  the  site  of  a  still  more  ancient  stronghold 
— one  that  was  very  possibly  in  existence  before  the  Muhammadan 
invasion  of  Sind.  But  by  far  the  most  interesting  remains  of  old 
buildings  in  this  division,  though  in  no  way  so  ancient  as  those 
just  described,  are  the  many  tombs,  now  fast  hastening  to  decay, 
which  are  still  to  be  seen  on  the  plateau  of  the  Makli  range  of 
hills  near  the  town  of  Tatta.  These  extensive  ruins  reach  from  Pir 
Patho,  the  southernmost  limit  of  the  Makli  range,  to  Sammanagar 
(or  Samui),  the  site  of  the  ancient  capital  of  the  Samma  rulers 
of  Sind,  about  three  miles  north-west  of  Tatta.  Kennedy,  who 
wrote  of  these  ruins,  calls  them  a  vast  cemetery  of  six  square  miles, 
which  contained,  at  a  rude  guess,  not  less  than  a  million  of  tombs ; 
and  when  speaking  of  the  bricks  of  which  many  of  the  large  tombs 
are  built,  he  says,  the  finest  chiselled  stone  could  not  surpass  the 
sharpness  of  their  edge  and  angle,  or  their  accuracy  of  form.  The 
table-land  of  these  hills  is,  indeed,  covered  with  sepulchres  of  all 
kinds  and  sizes,  and  this  area  is  believed  to  have  been  a  sacred 
burial-ground  for  nearly  twelve  centuries.  The  tombs  which  are 
most  worthy  of  mention  are  seven  in  number,  and  are  as  follows : — 


Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


JERRUCK.  325 

I,  the  tomb  of  Jam  Nindo  (or  Nizam-u-din),  the  fourteenth  prince 
of  the  Samma  dynasty;  it  is  supposed  to  have  been  erected 
about  A.D.  1498.  2,  the  tomb  of  Skla  Beg,  built  about  a.d.  1557. 
3  and  4,  the  tombs  of  Mirza  Jani  Beg,  and  Ghazi  Beg  Turkhan, 
two  princes,  father  and  son,  of  that  dynasty,  which  succeeded  the 
Arghuns,  but  did  not  last  longer  than  a.d.  1591-92,  the  country 
being  afterwards  conquered  by  the  Mogal  emperor  Akbar,  and 
incorporated  by  him  into  the  Subah  of  Multan.  5,  the  tomb  of 
Mir  Khalib  Khan,  built  during  his  lifetime,  between  a.d.  1572  and 
1585.  Though  called  his  tomb,  he  was,  at  his  own  request,  never 
laid  in  it,  from  a  peculiar  notion  that  some  injustice  might  possibly 
have  been  done  to  some  one  in  connection  with  it  during  its  erec- 
tion. He  was  therefore  interred  in  the  enclosure,  seven  devotees 
occupying  the  tomb  itself.  6,  the  tomb  of  Mirza  Isa  Khan, 
erected  between  the  years  1620  and  1637.  There  is  another  tomb 
of  a  person  of  the  same  name  (a  former  ruler  of  Lower  Sind)  in 
the  town  of  Tatta.  The  7  th  is  the  tomb  of  Dewan  Sharifa  Khan, 
built  about  a.d.  1639.  He  was  the  grandson  of  Mir  Ulik  Arghun, 
and  was  Dewan  (or  minister)  under  the  Government  of  Nawab 
Mir  Khan,  holding  this  office  up  to  A.D.  1644.  These  are  the 
principal  edifices  of  interest  in  that  vast  space  which  is  so  thickly 
overspread  with  tombs  \  they  are  now  falling  hopelessly  to  decay, 
not  alone  from  the  effects  of  time,  but  from  a  ruthless  spoliation 
as  well  at  the  hands  of  individuals  who,  eager  to  possess  encaustic 
tiles  or  bricks,  greatly  deface  these  beautiful  monuments  of  a  past 
age.  So  well  have  these  bricks  been  laid,  and  so  firm  have  they 
since  become,  that  it  is  exceedingly  difficult  to  remove  them  whole 
with  the  chisel  and  hammer.  The  bricks,  with  their  encaustic 
covering,  still  in  places  shine  out  brilliantly  from  many  of  these 
old  tombs,  and  afford  some  idea  of  their  former  splendid  appear- 
ance, before  time  had  marked  them  with  decay.  On  several  of 
the  encaustic  tiles  are  still  to  be  seen  inscriptions  in  the  Arabic 
character  of  extracts  from  the  Kuran,  which  neither  age  nor  the 
hand  of  the  spoiler  has  yet  been  able  to  destroy.  At  a  spot  a 
short  distance  eastward  of  the  large  buildings  just  described,  stands 
the  modest  tomb  of  an  Englishman,  by  name  Edward  Cooke,  who 
died  at  Tatta  in  the  year  1743.  It  is  not  known  for  a  certainty 
with  what  business  he  was  connected  there,  but  from  the  circum- 
stances of  the  East  India  Company's  factory  not  having  been 
established  at  Tatta  till  1758,  during  the  reign  of  Ghulam  Shah 
Kalhora,  Mr.  Cooke  is  supposed  to  have  been  a  private  individual, 
and  most  probably  engaged  in  the  silk  trade,  for  which  Tatta  was 
at  that  time  specially  noted.     The  following  is  the  inscription  on 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


326  JERRUCK. 

his  tomb,  which,  it  is  as  well  to  remark,  is  in  a  very  creditable 
state  of  preservation  : — 

"  Here  lyes  the  manes  of  Edwpd  Cooke,  who  was  taken  out  of  the 
world  in  the  Flower  of  his  Age,  a  person  of  great  merit,  and 
much  lamented  by  all  his  finends,  learned  in  many  languages,  of 
great  humanity,  a  sound  judgment  and  a  generous  disposition, 
who  departed  this  life  on  the  8th  of  May,  1743.    -^tatis  suae  21. 

As  blooming  lilies  grace  the  field, 

So  for  a  day  they  shine, 
Like  him  to  God,  so  they  yield 

Theirselves,  but  not  their  name  resign. 

To  whose  memory  his  servants  erected  this  tomb.** 

The  fort  and  Jama  mazjid  of  Tatta,  which  are  both  ancient 
buildings,  will  be  found  described  in  the  account  of  that  town. 

Jermck,  or  (Jhirak),  a  town  in  the  Tatta  taluka  of  the  Jerruck 
Deputy  Collectorate,  in  latitude  25^  3'  N.,  and  longitude  68°  15'  E. 
The  town  is  situate  close  to  the  Indus,  on  an  eminence  of  shght 
elevation,  about  150  feet  above  the  river-level,  and  may  be  said 
to  command  the  navigation  of  the  river  in  both  a  military  and 
commercial  point  of  view.  Its  advantageous  position  and  salu- 
brious climate  caused  it  to  be  recommended  by  Burnes  as  the 
best  location  for  a  British  settlement  in  this  part  of  Sind,  and 
Sir  Charles  Napier  is  said  to  have  regretted  not  having  chosen  it 
for  the  European  barracks,  instead  of  Hyderabad.  Jerruck  has 
road  communication  with  Rotri,  from  which  it  is  distant  south 
24  miles ;  with  Tatta,  distant  north-east  32  miles,  and  with  Meting, 
a  station  on  the  Sind  railway,  from  which  it  is  distant  13  ipiles. 

Jerruck  is  the  residence  of  a  Deputy  Collector  whose  bangalow 
stands  upon  the  summit  of  a  hill  nearly  350  feet  above  the  level  of 
the  Ind^s.  It  quite  overlooks  the  town,  and  commands  as  well  a 
fine  view  of  the  river  and  of  the  surrounding  country.  The  gardens 
at  Jerruck  are  very  good,  one  especially,  known  as  the  Deputy  Col- 
lector's, which  is  fairly  filled  with  fruit-trees  of  different  kinds.  In 
the  plains  around  the  town,  rice,  bajri,  hemp,  tobacco  and  sugar- 
cane are  extensively  cultivated.  A  Kotwal,  whose  duties  are  prin- 
cipally magisterial,  resides  here,  and  it  is  the  head-quarter  station 
of  a  Tapadar.  Jerruck  is  also  a  sub-thana,  having  a  police  force  of 
twenty  men,  four  of  whom  are  mounted,  the  whole  being  in  charge 
of  two  chief  constables.  There  are  three  dharamsalas,  one  in  the 
town,  and  two  on  the  bank  of  the  river ;  a  Government  school, 
subordinate  jail  (in  charge  of  the  Kdtwal),  a  market  and  a  dis- 
pensary, the  two  latter  supported  by  the  municipality.     This  last 


Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


JOHL  327 

institution  was  established  in  September  1855,  and  has  an  annual 
income  ranging  from  11 00  rupees  to  1900  rupees.  The  trade  of 
the  town  is  trifling  in  value  and  amount,  and  is  mostly  in  grain 
and  other  agricultural  produce.  It  has  greatly  fallen  oflF  since  the 
opening  of  the  Sind  railway,  which  has  had  the  effect  of  diverting 
a  good  deal  of  the  traffic  from  this  part  of  the  river.  Excellent 
camel  saddles,  as  also  strong  and  durable  susis  (or  striped  cloths), 
are  made  here ;  but  beyond  this,  there  is  nothing  worthy  of  men- 
tion in  the  way  of  manufactures. 

The  population  of  Jerruck  was  found  by  the  census  of  1872  to 
be  1666  in  number,  of  whom  1137  are  Muhammadans,  and  529 
Hindus.  The  Musalman  portion  of  the  inhabitants  are  chiefly 
Saiyads,  Balochis,  Khwajas  and  Muhanas.  The  Hindus  are 
mosdy  of  the  Lohano  caste.  The  principal  employment  of  the 
inhabitants  is  agriculture  and  trade. 

The  town  of  Jerruck,  before  the  conquest  of  Sind  by  the  British, 
belonged  to  Mir  Muhammad  Khan  Talpur,  who  derived  from  it 
an  annual  revenue  of  1500  rupees.  The  population  of  the  town 
was  then  estimated  at  1300  souls,  the  houses  numbering  about 
250.  There  was  then  commercial  intercourse  between  it  and 
Karachi  by  two  routes— one  direct,  and  the  other  passing  through 
Tatta.  There  existed  also  an  active  trade  between  the  tribes 
inhabiting  the  mountains  to  the  westward,  who  brought  sheep  from 
their  pastures  to  exchange  for  the  grain,  especially  rice,  grown  in 
the  plains  bordering  on  the  river.  On  a  hill  to  tiie  north  of  the 
Kotri  road,  and  close  to  the  town,  is  the  grave  of  an  assistant- 
surgeon,  Robert  Hussey,  who  died  here  in  1850,  and  in  another 
spot  lie  the  remains  of  the  Rev.  C.  Huntingdon,  chaplain  of 
Hyderabad,  who  also  died  here  on  his  way  to  Karachi,  on  the 
27th  May,  1856. 

Johij  a  town  in  the  Dadu  taluka  of  the  Sehwan  Deputy  CoUec- 
torate,  distant  12  miles  west  of  Dadu,  with  which  and  the  Villages 
of  Bhan,  Phulji,  Chini,  Hairo  Khan,  and  Haji  Khan  it  has  road 
communication.  It  was  formerly  the  head-quarter  station  of  a 
Makhtyarkar,  but  at  present  there  is  a  Tapadar  and  a  Kotwal,  the 
latter  of  whom  is  also  a  subordinate  magistrate,  deciding  all  cases 
within  his  jurisdiction,  and  assisting  the  Mukhtyarkar  in  his  revenue 
duties.  This  place  possesses  a  subordinate  jail,  staging  bangalow, 
dharamsala,  post-office,  and  a  cattle  pound.  It  is  also  a  sub-thana, 
with  x6  policemen,  of  whom  3  are  mounted.  The  inhabitants, 
numbering  4419,  consist  of  2637  Muhammadans  of  the  Saiyad, 
Kori,  Khaskeli,  and  Sumra  tribes,  and  1782  Hindus  of  the  Loliano, 
Sonaro,  and  Sikh  castes.     Their  principal  employment  is  agricul- 

Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


328 


J  UNE/A—KAKAR, 


ture  and  trade.  This  town  does  not  possess  any  trade  or  manu- 
factures of  importance. 

Juneja,  a  Government  village  in  the  Kambar  taluka  of  the 
Larkana  Division,  i8  miles  north-west  of  the  town  of  Larkana,  and 
having  no  communication  with  any  village  by  road.  The  inhabit- 
ants, numbering  141 6  in  all,  comprise  1299  Musalmans  of  the 
Saiyad  and  Juneja  tribes,  and  117  Hindus,  chiefly  Lohanas.  Their 
chief  occupations  are  trade  and  agriculture. 

Kaisar-jo-Tando,  a  Government  village  in  the  Hyderabad 
taluka  of  the  Hyderabad  Collectorate,  9  miles  south-west  from 
Hyderabad,  with  which  town  and  the  villages  of  Khokhar,  Husri, 
Tando  Haidar,  and  Jam-jo-Tando  it  has  road  communication. 
It  is  the  headquarter  station  of  a  Tapadar,  and  has  a  cattle 
pound.  The  population,  numbering  in  all  1815,  consists  of  1431 
Muhammaduns,  principally  of  the  Talpur,  Nizamani,  Saiyad,  and 
Khaskeli  tribes,  the  remaining  384  being  Hindus,  mostly  Loha- 
nos.  Their  employment  is  chiefly  agricultural.  The  head  of  the 
Nizamani  tribe  in  this  village  is  one  Ahmad  Khan,  who  holds 
a  jagir.  There  appears  to  be  no  trade  or  manufacture  of  any 
importance  here.  The  town  is  said  to  have  been  founded  by 
one  Kaisar  Khan  Nizamani  during  the  rule  of  Mir  Fateh  Ali 
Talpur. 

Kakar,  a  taluka  (or  sub-division)  of  the  Mehar  Deputy  Col- 
lectorate, containing  an  area  of  602  square  miles,  with  1 1  tapas, 
124  villages,  and  a  population  of  46,443  souls.  The  revenue, 
imperial  and  local,  of  this  sub-division,  during  the  past  four  years, 
ending  1873-74,  is  as  follows  : — 


Imperial    .     .     . 
Local  .... 

Total  rupees  . 

1870-7X. 

xSji-ya. 

x87a-73- 

»873-74. 

rupees. 
1,25,397 
15,318 

rupees. 
1,32,291 

14,171 

rupees. 
1,54,283 

13,363 

rupees. 
1,39,163 

13,239 

1,40,715 

1,46,462 

1,67,646 

1,52,402 

Kakar^  a  town  in  the  taluka  of  the  same  name,  of  the  Mehar 
Deputy  Collectorate,  situate  on  the  right  bank  of  the  Western 
Nara,  in  latitude  26°  56'  N.  and  longitude  67°  46'  E.  It  is 
distant  about  28  miles  S.S.W.  from  Mehar,  10  miles  S.W.  from 
Rukan,  with  both  which  towns  it  has  road  communication,  as  also 
with  the  villages  of  Khairpur  Natheshah  and  Tigar.  Kakar  is 
at  present  the  head-quarter  station  of  the  Mukhtyarkar  of  the 
taluka,  and  of  a  Tapadar,  and  possesses,  besides  police  lines 

Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


KAMBAR. 


329 


for  seventeen  men,  a  musafirkhana,  post-office,  and  a  Govern- 
ment vernacular  school.  The  Mukhtyarkar's  kutcherry  is,  how- 
ever, about  to  be  transferred  from  this  place  to  Khairpur  Nathe- 
shah,  sanction  for  this  step  having  been  obtained,  and  on  this 
taking  place,  it  is  expected  the  police  force  will  in  consequence 
be  reduced.  The  population  consists  of  403  Muhammadans 
of  the  Baloch,  Saiyad,  and  Sindi  tribes,  and  299  Hindus,  mostly 
Brahmans  and  Lohanos.  There  do  not  appear  to  be  any  manu- 
factures of  consequence  in  this  place.  The  trade,  both  local 
and  transit,  is  in  grain  of  different  kinds,  and  cloth,  but  nothing 
seems  to  be  known  concerning  either  its  extent  or  value. 

Kambar,  a  taluka  (or  sub-division)  of  the  Larkana  Deputy 
CoUectorate,  containing  an  area  of  943  square  miles,  with  8  tapas, 
144  villages,  and  a  population  of  73,329  souls.  The  revenue 
(imperial  and  local)  of  this  sub-division  during  the  past  four  years, 
ending  1873-74,  is  as  follows : — 


Imperial    .     .     . 
Local   .... 

Total  rupees  . 

1870-71. 

x87i-7a. 

x87a-73. 

1873-74. 

rupees. 
2,42,707 

19,049 

rupees. 
2,46,786 

22,998 

rupees. 
a.33,330 

21,084 

rupees. 
2,24,388 

18,357 

2,61,756 

2,69,784 

2,54»4i4 

2,42,745 

KambaTj  the  chief  town  in  the  Kambar  taluka  of  the  Larkana 
Deputy  CoUectorate,  in  lat  27°  33'  N.  and  long.  68°  2'  K, 
distant  about  12  miles  west  by  north  from  Larkana.  It  has  road 
communication  with  Larkana,  Ghaibi  Dero,  Sijawal,  Rato  Dero, 
Nasirabad,  Dost  Ali,  and  Shahdadpur.  It  is  the  head-<;[uarter 
station  of  a  Mukhtyarkar  and  a  Tapadar,  and,  in  addition  to  their 
"  deras^'  possesses  a  Government  school,  municipal  hall,  district 
bangalow,  musafirkhana,  branch  post-office,  and  police  lines  for 
29  men.  The  population  numbers  in  all  3518,  of  whom  19 13 
are  Muhammadans  and  1550  Hindus.  The  former  comprise 
the  Saiyad,  Gopang,  Gadra,  Juneja,  and  Chandia  tribes ;  the  latter 
are  principally  Brahmans  and  Lohanos. 

The  Kambar  municipality,  established  ist  May,  1862,  had  an 
income  in  1873-74  of  4757  rupees,  derived  mostly  from  town  dues, 
cattle-pound  fees,  and  fisheries.  The  expenditure  in  the  same 
year  was  2503  rupees.  The  manufactures  of  the  town  are  not  of 
any  importance,  and  consist  only  of  those  articles  ordinarily  in  use 
among  the  inhabitants ;  of  the  local  trade,  all  that  is  known  is 
that  it  consists  in  grain  of  different  kinds,  but  no  record  appears 


Digitized  by 


Google 


330 


KANDJARO, 


to  be  kept  of  either  its  quantity  or  value.  This  towa  has  no 
transit  trade. 

The  best  known  facts  in  connection  with  the  history  of  Kambar 
are  its  being  plundered  by  the  Balochis  in  1844,  and  the  occur- 
rence of  a  great  fire  in  the  town  in  the  following  year. 

Kandiaro,  a  taluka  (or  sub-division)  of  the  Naushahro  Deputy 
Collectorate,  having  an  area  of  315  square  miles,  with  7  tapas, 
71  villages,  and  a  population  of  47,768  souls.  The  revenue, 
imperial  and  local,  of  this  sub-division  during  the  past  four  years, 
ending  1873-74,  is  as  follows : — 


Imperial  .     .     . 
Local       .     .     . 

Total  rupees  . 

1870-71. 

xB/x-yl. 

1872-73. 

X873-74. 

rupees.        1        rupeeit. 
1,11,913  1      1,07,044 

8,761  ;         9,7S7 

rui>ees. 
1,01,592 
9,706 

rupees. 
1,01,816 

8,426 

1,20,674  '      1,16,801 

1 

1,11,298 

1,10,24a 

Eaudiaro,  a  large  Government  village  in  the  Kandiaro  taluka 
of  the  Naushahro  Division,  situate  on  the  Nasrat  canaL  It  is 
distant  lo  miles  north-east  from  Tharu  Shah,  from  Kamal  Dero  6 
miles,  Darbelo  6  miles,  Bhiria  lo  miles,  Mohbat  Dero  Jatoi  7  miles, 
Mohbat  Dero  Sial  10  miles,  Lakha  6  miles,  and  Jamali  ferry,  with 
all  which  places  it  has  road  communication.  The  line  of  telegraph 
passes  close  to  this  town.  Kandiaro  is  the  head-quarter  station  of 
a  Mukhtyarkar  and  Tapadar,  with  their  establishments,  and  has 
police  lines  for  1 1  men.  There  is,  besides,  a  subordmate  judge's 
court,  post-office,  market,  school-house,  district  bangalow,  and 
dharamsala.  It  also  possesses  a  municipality,  established  in 
February  1861,  the  income  of  which  in  1873-74  amounted  to 
2598  rupees,  and  the  disbursements  to  1767  rupees.  The  popu- 
lation, numbering  in  all  2558  souls,  consists  of  1074  Muhamma- 
dans,  the  Memons  being  the  most  numerous,  and  750  Hindus, 
chiefly  Lohanos ;  the  remainder  (734)  are  most  probably  Sikhs. 
Lieutenant  Jameson  mentions  that  this  town  had  in  1852  a  popu- 
lation of  2624,  of  whom  1607  were  Hindus  and  1017  Musalmans ; 
the  number  of  houses  were  571,  and  the  shops  231.  It  then 
ranked  in  size  and  importance  next  to  Naushahro  and  Bhiria.  The 
principal  occupation  of  the  people  is  agriculture,  but  the  Hindu 
portion  of  the  inhabitants  are  engaged  in  trade,  which  is  mainly  in 
grain  and  cloth,  but  to  what  extent  in  quantity  and  value  there 
does  not  appear  to  be  any  record.     There  are  manufactures  of 


Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


KARACHI  COLLECTORATE, 


331 


coarse  paper  and  country  cloth  in  this  town,  but  neither  the 
quantity  or  value  seems  to  be  known. 

The  town  of  Kandiaro  is  said  to  have  been  built  during  the 
reign  of  the  Delhi  Emperor  Jehangir  Shah,  which  would  make 
the  place  about  250  years  old.  Before  it  was  built  there  was 
another  in  existence  close  to  it,  called  Patoipur,  which  was  aban- 
doned owing  to  an  unusual  rise  of  the  inundation  waters.  The 
site  of  the  present  town  of  Kandiaro  was  then  chosen  as  being 
somewhat  more  elevated ;  and  having  at  the  time  a  large  number 
of  kandi  trees  growing  upon  it,  the  place  took,  it  is  supposed, 
from  this  circumstance,  the  name  of  Kandiaro. 

B^arachi  Colleotorate,  a  large  district  of  the  province  of  Sind, 
l3ring  between  the  23rd  and  27  th  parallels  of  north  latitude,  and 
the  67th  and  69th  meridians  of  east  longitude.  It  is  bounded 
on  the  north  by  the  Mehar  Division  of  the  Shikarpur  Collec- 
torate,  on  the  east  by  the  river  Indus  and  a  portion  of  the 
Hyderabad  Collectorate,  on  the  south  by  the  sea  and  the  Kori 
river,  and  on  the  west  by  the  sea  and  ^e  territory  of  H.H.  the 
Khan  of  Kelat,  the  river  Habb  forming,  for  a  considerable  dis- 
tance, a  good  line  of  demarcation.  The  greatest  length  of  this 
district  from  north  to  south  may  be  computed  at  200  miles,  and 
its  greatest  breadth  at  no  miles,  its  entire  area,  according  to 
the  Revenue  Survey  Department,  being  16,109  square  miles.  It 
is  divided  into  three  deputy  coUectorates,  one  district,  that  of 
Kohistan,  and  one  district  taluka  (that  of  Karachi),  as  shown  in 
the  following  table :— 


Divisions. 

Area  in 
Square  Miles. 

Number  of 
VUlages. 

Population. 

1.  Sehwan      .... 

2.  Jerruck      .... 

3.  Shahbandar     .     .     . 

4.  Kohistan    .... 

5.  Karachi  taliika     .     . 

Total     .     . 

3,646 
3,010 
4,142 
4,058 
1,253 

203 
142 

363 
6 

3 

162,836 

91,934 

103,887 

5,681 

62,384 

16,109 

717 

426,722 

General  Aspect. — The  general  appearance  of  this  immense 
tract  diflfers  in  a  great  measure  from  other  coUectorates  in  Sind, 
by  its  possessing  a  hilly  country  to  the  westward,  situate  in  the 
Kohistan  district  and  in  the  Karachi  taluka.  This  portion  of 
the  collectorate  is  crossed  by  numerous  ranges  of  hills  of  no 

Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


332  KARACHI  COLLECTORATE. 

inconsiderable  altitude,  and  they  may,  in  fact,  to  a  great  extent, 
be  regarded  as  spurs  or  offshoots  of  the  great  Khirthar  mountains. 
Some  of  these  hills,  as  for  instance  the  Lakki  range,  run  for  some 
distance  into  the  Sehwan  Division,  where  also  is  found  the  only 
lake  of  any  size  in  Sind,  that  of  the  Manchhar.  The  Jerruck 
Deputy  Collectorate  is  also,  on  its  northern  and  western  sides, 
diversified  to  some  extent  by  elevated  land  j  but  the  southernmost 
division  of  the  Karachi  Collectorate,  that  of  Shahbandar,  forming 
a  large  portion  of  the  Indus  delta,  is  altogether  low,  flat,  and  un- 
picturesque  to  a  degree,  and  appears  an  endless  plain  intersected  by 
numerous  creeks  and  channels.  That  portion  of  the  collectorate 
adjoining  the  Indus  is  in  places  fairly  fringed  with  large  forests, 
mostly  of  babul,  and  these  tend  to  give  a  fresh  and  pleasant  aspect 
to  what  would  otherwise  be  a  dull  and  dreary  landscape.  Taken 
as  a  whole,  however,  the  Karachi  district,  owing  to  its  possessing 
the  hilly  country  in  the  west,  affords  a  greater  variety  of  scenery 
than  can  be  found  in  any  other  collectorate  in  Sind.  Excepting 
that  portion  of  the  Indus  which  forms  its  eastern  boundary  for  so 
many  miles,  and  the  Habb  river,  which,  for  a  considerable  distance, 
is  a  well-defined  western  boundary  between  Sind  and  Balochis- 
tan,  there  are  no  other  streams  of  any  consequence.  The  Baran, 
Malir,  and  a  few  other  so-called  rivers  in  the  western  part  of  this 
district,  are  simply  mountain  torrents,  having  flowing  water  to  a 
greater  or  less  extent  in  them  but  once  or  twice  in  the  year,  when 
heavy  rain  falls  in  the  hills  whence  thfey  have  their  source. 

The  principal  revenue  and  magisterial  authority  over  this  ex- 
tensive district  is  vested  in  a  collector  and  magistrate,  who,  as  in 
other  collectorates,  is  assisted  in  his  duties  by  the  several  deputy 
collectors  and  magistrates  of  divisions  of  this  district,  as  also 
by  the  Huzur  Deputy  Collector,  who  is  permanently  stationed 
at  the  head-quarter  station  Karachi.  There  is  also  a  district  and 
sessions  judge,  with  his  head-quarters  at  Karachi,  who  holds 
sessions  at  the  towns  of  Kotri  and  Tatta  several  times  during  the 
year.  The  canals  of  this  collectorate  form  a  distinct  division  or 
charge,  and  are  attended  to  by  specially  appointed  officers  of  the 
Public  Works  Department  The  police  force  employed  in  this 
district,  numbering  in  all  about  1349  men,  is  under  the  immediate 
charge  of  a  district  superintendent  with  an  assistant,  this  latter 
officer  being  stationed  at  Karachi,  where  he  supervises  the 
municipal  and  city  police.  The  following  table  will  show  the 
composition  of  this  force : — 


Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


KARACHI  COLLECTORATE. 


333 


District  Police .     .     . 

1 

ll 

if 

j 

£S 

hi 

3   0 

Wc3 

Total 

3 

23 

90 

550 

131 

49 

... 

846 

Town  Police     .     .     . 

I 

2 

33 

250 

... 

8 

294 

Municipal  Police   .     . 

... 

3 

97 

... 

... 

... 

100 

Railway  Police      .     . 
Total  .      .     . 

... 

I 

13 

95 

... 

...  1    109 

4 

26 

139 

992 

131 

49 

8   1,349 

The  town  police  are  employed  in  the  town  and  suburbs  of 
Karachi;  and  among  the  constables  in  this  branch  eight  are 
Europeans,  doing  duty  in  Karachi.  The  proportion  of  pohcemen 
to  area  and  population  may  be  set  down  at  one  policeman  to 
every  13  square  miles,  and  to  every  316  of  the  inhabitants. 

Revenue. — The  revenue,  imperial  and  local,  of  the  Karachi 
CoUectorate,  is  mostly  made  up  from  the  cess  on  land,  but  this  is 
small  in  amount  when  compared  with  the  more  favoured  districts 
of  Shikarpur  and  Hyderabad.  This  will  be  evident  from  tlie 
subjoined  statement,  which  shows  the  average  net  land  revenue 
for  three  successive  periods,  of  six  years  each,  ending  1873-74. 


For  Six  Years,  from  1856-57 

Tor  Six  Yearn,  from  x86a-63 
toi867HS8. 

For  Six  Years,  from  1868-69 
to  1873-74. 

rupees. 
5,51.352 

rupees. 

6.39.733 

rupees. 
6,34,371 

The  imperial  and  local  revenues  of  the  Karachi  CoUectorate 
for  the  past  ten  years,  ending  with  1873-74,  are  given  below. 
Customs*  receipts  are  included  in  the  imperial  revenue. 


Imperial    .     . 
Local   .     .     . 

i864r«5. 

i865-«6. 

1866-67.           1867-68. 

1868-69. 

rupees. 
17,71,945 

rupees. 
15,34,174 

rupees. 
16,68,620 

82,976 

r\tpees. 
17,89,650 

1,07,980 

rupees. 
18,06,993 

1,10,522 

Imperial    .     . 
Local  .     .     . 

1869-70. 

1870-71. 

i87i-7a. 

i87a-73. 

1873-74- 

rupees. 

17,49,830 

1.04,587 

rupees. 
16,69,514 

1,08,225 

rupees. 
17,00,370 

1,09,885 

rupees. 
15,72,714 
1,12,400 

rupees. 
13,90,799 
1,21,692 

Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


334 


KARACHI  COLLECTORATE. 


As  regards  Abkari  revenue,  it  may  be  mentioned  that  the  pre- 
sent system  in  the  Karachi  district  is  to  farm  the  monopoly  of  the 
manufacture  and  retail  of  liquor.  Formerly  there  were  Govern- 
ment distilleries  at  Karachi,  Tatta,  Mirpur-Batoro,  and  Kotri, 
but  these  were  suppressed  in  1862.  The  subjoined  table  will 
show  the  extent  of  the  Abkari  revenue  in  its  various  details  from 
1856-57  down  to  1873-74,  a  period  of  18  years. 


Liquor-shops  fanned. 

Euro|)ean  Liquor 

Drug  Revenue. 

Year. 

Net  Land 
Revenue. 

S^ 

\i 

Receipu 

Number 
of  U- 
censes. 

8 

fa"^ 

b.'»J 

from 
Farms. 

Receipu. 

1 

Receipts. 

rupees. 

rupees. 

rupees. 

rupees. 

1856-57 

3,01,759 

10 

30 

'2'f2^ 

... 

lOI 

2,720 

1857-58 

3,38,159 
3,14,480 

1 

30 

8,682 

... 

... 

no 

2,320 

1858-59 

30 

9,062 

... 

... 

103 

2.130 

1859-60 

2,91,958 

8 

43 

14,105 

... 

... 

122 

2,098 

1860-61 

2,91,774 

10 

M 

23.090 

3 

5^ 

153 

7,616 

1861-62 

2,06,250 

8 

30,290 

II 

248 

10,648 

1862-63 

3,54,234 

8 

90 

23,418 

f{ 

875 

146 

11,939 

1863-64 

4,60,600 

10 

69 

23,985 
1,04,156 

1,950 

164 

13,336 
39,813 

1864-65 

6,72,064 

II 

90 

50 

1,250 

254 

1865-66 

6,44,614 

10 

90 

98,734 

57 

1,405 
5,835 

248 

36,643 

1866-67 

6,97,654 

II 

86 

97,772 

44 

248 

43,797 

1867-68 

6,70,824 

i 

86 

1,00,115 

39 

248 

47,650 
29,586 

1868-69 

6,73,418 

86 

1,06,105 

33 

6,662 

154 

1869-70 

6,92,454 

7 

87 

1,10,746 

30 

7,050 

154 

27,580 

1870-71 

6,96,234 
6,30,936 

II 

87 

97,955 

25 

5,408 

154 

24,490 

1871-72 

10 

90 

1% 

20 

3,843 

154 

19,062 

1872-73 

6,41,173 

7 

91 

19 

4,025 

154 

21,823 

1873-74 

4,72,019 

4 

92 

95,620 

16 

3,586 

157 

22,513 

The  revenue  derived  from  the  canals  in  the  Karachi  Collectorate 
(which  will  be  found  fully  treated  upon  in  the  description  of  the 
several  deputy  coUectorates  through  which  they  flow),  as  also 
their  cost  of  clearance,  are  shown  in  the  subjoined  statement,  for 
a  period  of  10  years,  ending  1873-74. 


Revenue    .     . 

Cost  of  clear."i 
ance     .     .  / 

1864-65. 

1865-66. 

1866-67. 

1867-68. 

186S-69. 

rupees. 
5,12,155 

63.327 

rupees. 
5.56,660 

73,770 

rupees. 
5,64,013 

79,887 

rupees. 

5,73,559 
87,9" 

rupees. 
5,75,461 

1,18,730 

Digrtized  by  VjOOQIC 


KARACHI  COLLECTORATE. 


335 


Revenue    .     . 
Cost  of  dear.^ 

X869-10. 

1870-71. 

187X-79. 

x87a-73- 

«873-74. 

rupees. 
5.77,207 

1,02,529 

rupees. 
5,66,825 

96,919 

rupees. 
5.65,632 

1.16,887 

rupees. 

5. 51.041 

1,24,419 

rupees. 
5,22,222 

1.17.034 

Forests. — ^The  forests  in  this  collectorate  are  twenty-six  in 
number,  and  have  an  aggregate  area  of  about  137  square  miles. 
They  are  situate  on  the  banks  of  the  Indus,  and,  like  other  forests 
in  Sind,  owe  their  existence  to  the  Talpur  Mirs,  who  planted 
them  for  purpose  of  shikar y  between  the  years  1783  and  1836. 
A  few  of  these  forests  have  an  area  of  between  seven  thousand 
and  ten  thousand  acres ;  the  'greatest  number  are  found  in  the 
Shahbandar  Deputy  Collectorate.  The  tabulated  statement  given 
below  will  show  the  names  of  these  forests  with  their  area  and 
revenue  in  each  deputy  collectorate : — 


Division. 


Name  of  Forest. 


Area. 


Revenue  in 
«873-74. 


I 

03 


I 


I. 

2. 
3. 
4. 
5. 

6. 

I: 

9- 
10. 
II. 
12. 

13. 
14. 

;i: 

17. 
18. 

19. 

20. 

21. 
22. 

23. 
24. 

25. 


Karampm-  . 
Keti  KJianot 

Unarpur .  . 

Manjhand  . 

Buto  .     .  . 

Ghag.  .  . 
Karo-Khahu 
Laikpur  . 

Khadi     .  . 

Mulchand  . 
Bud-jo-Takar 

Fatah      .  . 

Penah     .  . 

Susati      .  . 

Khirsar  .  . 

Huderani  . 

Suijani   .  . 

Ganj  .     .  . 

Hazari    .  . 

Makbolo.  . 

Viran      .  . 

Sonda     .  . 

Helaia    .  . 

TAlang     .  . 

Shablanka  . 

Garko      .  . 


24,474 


rupees. 


31.857 


38.287 


16,992 


25,074 


14,250 


Education. — Education  has  made  considerable  advances  in  the 
Karachi  Collectorate,  but  this  is  more  observable  in  the  town  of 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


336  KARACHI  COLLECTORATE. 

Karachi  itself  than  in  the  towns  and  villages  in  the  interior.  As 
in  other  parts  of  the  province,  the  Hindu-Sindi  character  has 
been  introduced  into  those  schools  where  the  "banya"  population 
is  large,  but  the  success  that  has  attended  this  scheme  has  been 
by  no  means  so  great  in  this  district  as  in  those  of  Hyderabad 
and  Shikarpur.  The  number  of  private  educational  institutions 
in  Karachi  is,  however,  large  compared  with  those  in  other 
populous  towns  in  Sind;  but  this  may,  to  some  extent,  be  ac- 
counted for  by  the  superiority  of  dimate  which  induces  European 
and  Indo-European  parents  of  a  certain  class,  located  in  the 
interior,  to  send,  where  possible,  their  children  to  be  educated  at 
one  or  other  of  the  private  English  schools  at  Karachi  The 
subjoined  statement,  extending  over  a  period  of  five  years,  ending 
with  1873-74,  will  show,  to  some  extent,  the  progress  education 
has  made  in  the  Karachi  CoUectorate.  The  table  includes 
private-aided  schools,  but  all  the  others  are  Government  institu- 
tions : — 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


KARACHI  COLLECTORATE. 


337 


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t^ 

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•1   to  «   to 


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M    K    ^    W    M> 


p> 


Si 


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Qk   O    OS   Q\   "^ 

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M   CO   O   CO 


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Digitized  by  VjOOQ IC 


338 


KARACHI  TALUKA. 


Among  the  private  girls'  schools  may  be  mentioned  the  female 
branches  of  the  European  and  Indo-European,  St  Patrick's,  the 
Church  Missionary  Society's  Marathi  school,  and  the  Virbaiji 
Parsi  schools  at  Karachi 

The  Karachi  Collectorate,  though  unable  to  stand  out  so  pro- 
minently in  a  historical  point  of  vie\¥  as  the  Hyderabad  district, 
has  still  much  that  is  interesting  within  its  immense  area.  It 
possesses  the  ancient  town  of  Sehwan,  where  are  the  remains  of 
a  fort  said  to  be  of  great  antiquity,  and  to  have  had  an  existence 
at  the  time  when  Alexander  the  Great  invaded  India.  Again,  dose 
under  the  Makli  hills  stood  Samui,  the  capital  city  of  the  Samma 
dynasty  of  princes,  and  in  after  years  not  far  from  it  sprang  up 
the  populous  town  of  Tatta,  long  famous  for  its  wealth  and  manu- 
factures. The  town  of  Karachi  appears  to  have  been  of  com- 
parative insignificance  under  the  different  native  dynasties  which 
ruled  Sind,  but  its  importance  as  a  harbour  was  seemingly  recog- 
nised by  the  Talpur  Mirs,  who  did  something  towards  encouraging 
and  increasing  the  trade  of  the  place.  It  was  one  of  the  first 
acquisitions  secured  to  the  British  by  the  capture  of  Manora  fort 
in  1839,  and  its  conquerors  saw  at  once  the  importance  of  its 
position.  Before  1861  the  area  of  the  Karachi  Collectorate  was 
much  smaller  than  at  present ;  but  in  that  year  a  part  of  the  Indus 
delta,  now  forming  the  Shahbandar  Deputy  Collectorate,  was  taken 
from  Hyderabad  and  incorporated  in  the  Karachi  district 

Karachi  Taluka,  a  district  of  considerable  extent  occupying 
the  south-western  portion  of  the  Collectorate  of  the  same  name. 
It  is  bounded  on  the  north  by  the  Kohistan  district  and  the  Habb 
river,  on  the  west  by  the  same  river  and  the  sea,  on  the  south 
by  the  sea,  and  on  the  east  by  the  Mirpur  Sakro  taluka  of  the 
Jerruck  Deputy  Collectorate.  The  area  oif  this  taluka,  according 
to  the  Survey  Department,  is  1253  square  miles,  and  it  has  two 
tapas  with  three  "  dehs^'  as  shown  in  the  subjoined  statement : — 


TalaluL 

Area  in 
Sq.  Miles. 

Tapas. 

Dehs. 

Population. 

Chief  Towns. 

Karachi 

1 

1.  MaUr. 
1,253    ' 

2.  Habb. 

2 

I 

62,384 

Karachi  is  the  only  town 
having  Soo  inhabitants 
and  upwards. 

The  total  area  in  English  acres  of  this  taluka  is  801,920,  of 
which  27,288  are  cultivated,  870  are  culturable,  and  773,762 
are  unarable. 


Digitized  by  VjOOQ IC 


KARACHI  TALUK  A.  339 

Aspect. — The  aspect  of  this  district,  excepting  that  portion 
directly  bordering  on  the  sea,  is  hilly,  especially  towards  the 
north  and  west,  where  ranges  of  hills,  lofty  and  barren,  are  found 
running  from  north  to  south  with  proportionately  deep  and  wide 
valleys  between  them.  A  small  chain  of  hills  in  the  extreme 
western  part  of  this  taluka  runs  for  some  miles  parallel  to  the 
Habb  river,  and  terminates  in  the  headland  known  as  Ras  Muari, 
or  Cape  Monze,  an  excellent  landmark  for  mariners  when  making 
the  port  of  Karachi  After  heavy  fisdls  of  rain  these  hills  afford 
abundant  pasturage  for  vast  herds  of  cattle,  which  are  annually 
sent  there  from  the  plains  for  that  purpose. 

Hydrography. — There  are  no  canals  in  this  district,  owing  to 
its  hilly  nature,  but  it  is  drained  by  several  rivers,  or  rather 
mountain-torrents,  such  as  the  Malir,  Layari,  and  a  few  others. 
The  Malir  takes  its  rise  in  the  Kohistan  district,  and  is  known 
under  different  names  in  its  course  towards  the  sea.  It  is  dry 
during  the  greater  part  of  the  year,  and  contains  no  considerable 
body  of  water,  except  after  heavy  rain  in  the  hills ;  but  water  can 
at  all  times  be  obtained  by  digging  in  the  bed  of  the  stream.  It 
falls  into  the  sea  by  way  of  Gisri  creek,  a  short  distance  west  of 
the  town  of  Karachi  The  Layari  is  another  hill-torrent,  having 
its  rise  among  some  hills  a  few  miles  north  of  Karachi.  It 
divides  into  two  branches  not  far  from  its  mouth,  one  of  which 
falls  into  the  harbour  close  to  the  town.  During  the  greater 
part  of  the  year  the  Layari  is  merely  a  bed  of  sand,  but  after  a 
heavy  rain&ll  it  holds  for  a  day  or  two  a  considerable  body  of 
water,  which  is  dangerous  to  ford,  the  current  being  then  very 
rapid.  The  Habb  river,  which  forms  the  western  boundary 
of  this  district,  will  be  found  described  in  full  in  another  part  of 
this  work  {see  Habb).  There  are  in  this  taluka  no  floods  of  the 
same  destructive  nature  as  are  met  with  in  North  Sind,  but  a 
plain  known  as  the  Latowari,  between  Rana  Pitiani  and  Ghaghar, 
is  occasionally  flooded  to  a  considerable  extent  after  a  continued 
rainfall  The  water  is,  however,  soon  drained  off  by  numerous 
intersecting  channels.  Salt  marshes  are  met  with  to  a  slight 
extent  along  the  sea-coast  of  this  district,  owing  to  the  flow  of 
the  tides  over  low  and  sandy  flats ;  these  generally  abound  with 
mangrove  bushes  and  other  saline  wood  growths.  Of  springs  there 
are  several  in  this  district,  those  of  Mugger  Peer,  or,  as  they  ought 
more  properly  to  be  called,  Pir  Mangho,  being  the  most  im- 
portant ;  others  are  to  be  found  in  the  Gadap  valley,  and  between 
that  place  and  Wagodar  Bandar,  this  latter  distant  about  16  miles 
from  Karachi,  and  situate  on  the  Gharo  creek.     The  hot  springs 

z  2 

Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


340  KARACHI  TALUK  A. 

of  Pir  Mangho  are  situate  at  a  spot  about  6  or  7  miles  north  of 
Karachi,  among  some  very  barren  and  rocky  hills.  Carless  thus 
describes  an  interesting  visit  he  made  many  years  ago  to  these 
springs,  and  his  account,  with  but  few  exceptions,  may  be  said  to 
apply  to  their  appearance  at  the  present  time  :  "  The  only  part  of 
the  country  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Karachi  worth  visitmg  is  the 
valley  of  Pir  Mangho,  situate  among  the  hills,  about  8  miles  from 
the  town,  where  there  are  several  hot  springs.  My  curiosity  being 
excited  by  the  strange  tales  related  by  the  inhabitants  concerning 
a  temple  that  stood  there,  which  was  said  to  be  very  ancient, 
I  determined  to  examine  it,  and  on  expressing  a  wish  to  that  effect 
to  the  Governor,  one*  of  the  chiefs  was  ordered  to  accompany  me 
to  the  spot  After  we  had  got  clear  of  the  groves  and  gardens 
outside  the  town,  and  crossed  the  dry  bed  of  the  Layari,  our  road 
led  to  the  northward  towards  a  range  of  low  broken  hills  about 
5  miles  distant  Beyond  the  bed  of  the  Layari  the  country  is 
a  level  plain  completely  overrun  with  large  prickly-pear  bushes  or 
mimosa-trees,  and  the  soil  is  composed  of  a  light  loose  clay,  with 
here  and  there  a  mixture  of  fine  sand.  An  hour's  ride  brought  us 
to  the  foot  of  the  hills,  which  are  about  800  feet  high,  and  of 
coarse  sandstone  formation ;  we  crossed  them  through  an  ir- 
regular rocky  ravine,  having  every  appearance  of  being  the  bed 
of  a  large  torrent  during  the  rains,  and  then  pursued  our  way 
along  several  small  valleys,  bounded  by  long  narrow  ridges  or 
detached  hills.  The  valley  of  Pir  Mangho  is  surrounded  by  hills 
700  or  800  feet  high,  between  which  glimpses  are  occasionally 
obtained  of  the  level  plains  beyond,  but  at  the  upper  extremity 
it  stretches  away  in  high  undulating  ground  far  to  the  northward. 
An  extensive  grove  of  date  and  other  trees  occupies  the  centre  of 
the  plain,  and  on  the  western  side  there  is  anotiier,  above  which 
is  seen  the  cupola  of  a  small  white  mosque,  erected  on  a  rocky 
eminence.  Passing  through  several  patches  of  cultivation,  irri- 
gated by  the  waters  of  the  different  springs,  we  dismounted  in  the 
largest  grove,  where  we  found  carpets  spread  under  the  shade  of 
the  trees  and  a  repast  prepared.  The  spring  gushes  out  in  a 
small  stream  from  among  the  roots  of  a  picturesque  clump  of  date 
trees,  covering  the  extremity  of  a  rocky  knoll  of  limestone  about 
30  feet  high,  and  falls  into  a  small  natural  basin,  from  whence  it 
escapes  in  numerous  rills  to  the  adjacent  gardens.  The  name  of 
this  spring  is  Kisti,  but  it  was  formerly  called  Kirkund,  or  the 
milk-tank,  from  the  water  being  milk-white,  which  was  no  doubt 
owing  to  its  flowing  at  that  time  over  a  bed  of  chalk.  It  is  now 
colourless  and  perfectly  pure  to  the  taste,  having  no  perceptible 

Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


KARA  CHI  TAL  OKA.  341 

flavour  of  any  kind,  but,  from  the  stones  in  some  of  thfe  rivulets 
being  encrusted  with  a  soft  substance  of  a  dark  reddish-brown 
colour,  probably  contains  a  small  portion  of  iron.     The  water  is 
so  warm  that  at  first  you  can  scarcely  bear  your  hand  in  it,  and  its 
temperature  was  afterwards  found  to  be  133°.     The  natives  say  it 
cures  every  disease,  and  they  not  only  bathe  in  it  whenever  they 
have  an  opportunity,  but  drink  it  in  large  quantities.   They  believe 
that  all  the  springs  in  the  valley  owe  their  existence  to  Lai  Shahbaz, 
the  celebrated  saint  of  Sehwan,  who,  in  order  to  make  the  sp6t 
holy,  commanded  them  to  burst  forth  from  the  rocks.     In  the 
centre  of  a  small  piece  of  grass  land  near  the  spring,  I  observed 
what  at  first  I  took  for  a  shapeless  mass  of  mud,  but  on  walking 
towards  it  was  warned  by  the  Balochis  not  to  go  near  it,  as  it  was 
an  alligator.     The  monster,  which  was  about  12  feet  long,  was 
lying  asleep  on  the  grass,  and  when  one  of  the  Baloch  soldiers 
roused  him  by  heaving  a  piece  of  rock  at  his  head,  sprang  up  in  a 
rage,  opened  wide  his  huge  jaws,  and  then  sank  down  again  to 
sleep.    I  could  not  but  be  surprised  at  seeing  women  and  children 
passing  and  repassing  within  a  few  yards  of  this  disgusting-looking 
brute,  and  that,  too,  without  appearing  to  think  they  had   the 
slightest  danger  to  apprehend.     The  grove  in  which  we  had  taken 
up  our  temporary  quarters  is  nearly  a  mile  long,  and  composed 
chiefly  of  date-trees ;  there  are  also  tamarind,  mango,  and  nebecky 
trees  in  abundance,  and  altogether  it  is  a  pretty  spot     From  a 
small  hill  near  it  my  companions  pointed  out  a  high,  long  mountain, 
about  20  miles  to  the  northward,  called  Jabal  Pabb,  which  is  cele- 
brated all  over  the  country  on  account  of  the  many  wonderful 
stories  related  of  it     After  everything  worthy  of  notice  about  the 
Kisti  spring  had  been  examined,  we  mounted  our  horses  and  pro- 
ceeded to  the  temple  on  the  western  side  of  the  valley.     It  is 
surrounded  by  a  thick  grove,  and  on  emerging  from  the  narrow 
path  that  leads  through  it,  we  came  suddenly  upon  one  of  the 
most  singular  scenes  I  ever  witnessed.     The  accounts  of  my  com- 
panions had  prepared  me  for  something  extraordinary,  but  the 
reality  far  surpassed  their  description.     Before  us  lay  a  small 
swamp  inclosed  in  a  belt  of  lofty  trees,  which  had  evidently  been 
formed  by  the  superfluous  waters  of  the  spring  close  by  flowing 
into  a  low  hollow  in  the  ground.     It  was  not  a  single  sheet  ol 
water,  but  was  full  of  small  islets,  so  much  so  that  it  appeared  as 
if  an  immense  number  of  narrow  channels  had  been  cut,  so  as  to 
cross  each  other  in  every  direction.     These  channels  were  literally 
swarming  with  large  alligators,  and  the  islets  and  banks  were 
thickly  covered  with  them  also.     The  swamp  is  not  more  than 


Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


342  KARACnr  TAL  UK  A. 

150  yards  long,  by  about  80  yards  broad,  and  in  this  confined 
space  I  counted  above  200  large  ones,  from  8  to  15  feet  long, 
while  those  of  a  smaller  size  were  innumerable ;  our  horses  were 
standing  within  4  or  5  yards  of  several  reclining  on  the  bank,  but 
they  took  no  notice  of  them,  and  would  not  move  until  roused  by 
a  stick.  In  a  small  pool,  apart  from  the  swamp,  there  was  a  very 
large  one,  which  the  people  designate  the  "  chief,"  because  he  lives 
by  himself  in  a  kind  of  alligatoric  state,  and  will  not  allow  any  of 
the  common  herd  to  intrude  upon  his  favourite  haunt  It  is  worthy 
of  remark  that  there  were  several  buffaloes  standing  in  the  water 
in  the  centre  of  the  swamp,  and  that  though  the  large  alligators 
frequently  came  in  contact  with  them  in  swimming  past,  they 
never  offered  them  the  least  molestation.  The  natives  say  they 
never  touch  a  buffalo,  but  will  instantly  attack  any  other  animal, 
however  large.  The  appearance  of  the  place  altogether,  with  its 
green,  slimy,  stagnant  waters,  and  so  many  of  these  huge,  uncouth 
monsters  moving  sluggishly  about,  is  disgusting  in  the  extreme, 
and  it  will  long  be  remembered  by  me  as  the  most  loathsome  spot 
I  ever  beheld.  After  gazing  upon  the  scene  some  time,  we  pro- 
ceeded round  the  swamp  to  tiie  temple,  where  the  priests  had 
spread  carpets  for  the  party  under  the  shade  of  some  trees.  They 
told  me  it  was  a  curious  sight  to  see  the  alligators  fed,  and  that 
people  of  rank  always  gave  them  a  goat  for  that  purpose.  Taking 
the  hint,  I  immediately  ordered  one  to  be  killed  for  their  entertain- 
ment The  animal  was  slaughtered  on  the  edge  of  the  swamp, 
and  the  instant  the  blood  began  to  flow,  the  water  became  perfectly 
alive  with  the  brutes,  all  hastening  from  different  parts  towards  the 
spot  In  the  course  of  a  few  minutes,  and  long  before  the  goat 
was  cut  up,  upwards  of  150  had  collected  in  a  mass  on  the  dry 
bank,  waiting  with  distended  jaws  until  their  anticipated  feast  was 
ready.  We  stood  within  3  yards  of  them,  and  if  one  more  daring 
than  the  rest  showed  any  desire  to  approach  nearer,  he  was  beat 
back  by  the  children  with  sticks.  Indeed  they  were  so  sluggish, 
and,  if  I  may  use  the  expression,  tame,  that  I  laid  hold  of  one, 
about  12  feet  long,  by  his  tail,  which  I  took  care,  however,  pro- 
truded to  a  safe  distance  beyond  the  mass.  When  the  meat  was 
thrown  among  them  it  proved  the  signal  for  a  general  battle ; 
several  seized  hold  of  a  piece  at  the  same  time,  and  bit'  and 
struggled  and  rolled  over  each  other  until  almost  exhausted  with 
the  desperate  efforts  they  made  to  carry  it  off.  At  last  all  was  de- 
voured, and  they  retired  slowly  to  the  water.  It  was  curious  to  stand 
by  and  see  such  a  mass  of  these  unwieldy  monsters  almost  at  your 
feet,  fighting  and  tearing  each  other  for  their  food,  and  there  are 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


KARACHI  TALUK  A.  343 

few  things  I  shall  remember  so  long  as  this  alligators'  feast  The 
mosque  is  a  neat  white  building,  of  a  square  fcrm,  surrounded  by 
a  broad  terrace,  with  a  cupola  and  slender  minarets  at  the  comers, 
erected  on  the  summit  of  a  rocky  crag  of  limestone,  and  said  to  be 
3000  years  old.  It  is  dedicated  to  Pir  Haji  Mangho,  who  is  es- 
teemed a  saint  by  both  Hindus  and  Muhammadans,  and  is  held  in 
such  high  veneration  throughout  Sind,  that  numbers  of  bodies  are 
yearly  brought  from  a  great  distance  to  be  interred  near  his  shrine. 
I'he  valley  is,  in  consequence,  covered  with  burying-grounds,  which- 
are  full  of  tombs,  elaborately  carved  and  ornamented.'  The  interior 
of  the  mosque  contains  a  tomb  surmounted  by  a  canopy  of  carved 
woodwork  supported  on  slender  pillars,  the  whole  prettily  and  neatly 
ornamented,  and  kept  in  excellent  order,  as  are  the  building  and 
terrace,  which  are  built  of  stone.  On  the  side  of  the  rock  looking 
towards  the  aUigators'  pool,  the  perpendicular  face  of  the  cliff  is 
covered  with  a  coating  of  smooth  chunam,  and  from  the  lower  part 
the  principal  spring  gushes  forth  through  a  small  fissure.  The 
water  is  received  into  two  stone  reservoirs,  and  then  escapes 
through  several  outlets  to  the  swamp  below.  In  one  of  them  was 
a  large  alligator,  with  about  a  dozen  young  ones,  which  the  in- 
habitants have  named  the  "  Peacock"  (or  Mor),  and  they  consider 
him  to  be  the  progenitor  of  the  whole  race.  The  water  of  this 
spring  is  perfectly  fresh  and  slightly  warm,  but  at  another  a  few 
yards  from  it,  it  is  quite  cold.  On  leaving  the  temple  we  crossed 
the  valley  towards  the  salt  spring,  which  is  situate  on  the  eastern 
side  at  the  base  of  a  narrow  ridge  of  sandstone  about  600  feet 
high.  The  water  is  extremely  salt,  and,  after  forming  two  or  three 
small  pools,  escapes  in  several  streams,  swarming  with  small  alli- 
gators, through  an  opening  in  the  ridge,  and  is  absorbed  in  the 
sandy  plain  on  the  other  side.  The  natives  say  the  water  in  the 
pools  sometimes  rises  and  falls,  and  they  attribute  this  to  the  influ- 
ence of  the  ocean  tides  upon  it ;  but  this  cannot  be  the  true  cause, 
as  the  rise  only  takes  place  at  long  intervals,  and  the  plains, 
besides,  ascend  gradually  from  the  sea  up  to  the  spot,  which  I 
estimated  to  be  about  150  feet  above  its  level.  That  there  is  a 
considerable  rise  in  the  water  at  times  is  evident  from  the  extent 
of  ground  about  the  spring  that  has  been  overflowed,  and  which  is 
covered  with  a  saHne  incrustation  to  the  depth  of  2  or  3  inches, 
and  it  is  probably  produced  merely  by  a  sudden  increase  in  the 
body  of  water  issuing  from  it,  caused  by  a  heavy  fall  of  rain  among 
the  mountains  in  the  vicinity." 

At  the  present  time  a  fairly-constructed  road  runs  from  Karachi 
to  Mugger  Peer,  and  thence  a  rough  track  leads  westerly  to  the 
Habb  river,  and  another  north  to  Shah  Bilawal,  in  the  province  of 


344  KARACHI  TALUKA, 

Las.  There  is  a  Government  dharamsala  at  Mugger  Peer,  as  also  a 
small  bangalow  erected  by  a  Parsi,  where  visitors  can  put  up  during 
their  stay  here.  It  is  worthy  of  remark,  that  the  alligators  at  this 
place,  which  are  now  confined  within  a  small  inclosure  fed  by 
the  thermal  springs,  are  altogether  diflferent  from  the  ^^  gharidll* 
or  long-snouted  kind,  which  abound  in  the  Indus. 

Climate. — The  climate  of  this  taluka,  which  is  in  every  direc- 
tion open  to  the  sea-breeze,  is,  as  a  whole,  superior  to  that  of 
other  parts  of  Sind.  Tables  of  temperature  and  rainfall  at 
Karachi,  the  only  large  town  in  this  district,  will  be  found  given 
in  the  description  of  that  town. 

The  wild  animals  found  in  the  hilly  portion  of  this  taluka  are  the 
^''chitah^'  or  leopard,  the  hyena,  wolf,  jackal,  fox,  a  kind  of  bear, 
but  smaller  in  size  than  that  met  with  in  India,  antelope,  and 
"  gadi'  or  wild  sheep.  Alligators  abound,  as  has  been  already 
mentioned,  at  Mugger  Peer,  and  they  are  numerous  also  in  the 
pools  of  the  Habb  river  and  of  mountain  torrents.  The  wild 
birds  are  the  same  as  those  usually  met  with  in  other  parts  (rf 
Sind.  There  are  no  forests  in  this  taluka,  a  small  one  once 
existed  in  the  Gadap  valley,  but  has  long  since  been  used  up  in 
providing  fuel  for  the  town  of  Karachi. 

Sea-Fisheries. — The  sea-fishery  of  Sind  is  carried  on  mostly 
by  the  Muhana  tribe  of  Musalmans,  who  reside  principally  at  Ka- 
rachi. The  fish  caught  on  the  sea-coast  of  Sind  are  sharks,  saw- 
fish, rays,  skates,  and  many  others.  The  species  must  be  numerous, 
as  Dr.  F.  Day  computes  their  number  at  upwards  of  i6o,  sea- 
perches  and  soles  abounding.  Not  only  are  the  fins  of  sharks  and 
saw-fish  exported  to  China,  vi&  Bombay,  but  a  large  quantity  of  oil 
is  also  obtained  from  them.  From  other  fish,  known  as  the  gassir, 
begti,  dangara,  and  buru,  are  obtained  fish-maws,  the  rough 
isinglass  of  commerce,  which  is  simply  the  air-vessel  of  the  fish 
dried.  The  sardines  frequenting  Karachi  are  of  the  kind  knovrn 
as  the  dupea  neohaivii^  and  these  are  used  as  an  article  of  food. 
Gobies,  or  mud-fish,  abound  in  the  muddy  estuaries  within  tidal 
influence. 

During  the  rule  of  the  Talpur  Mirs,  the  sea-fisheries  were  fanned 
out,  the  contracts  yielding  annually  between  4000  and  7000 
rupees.  The  cesses  on  the  fishermen  were  heavy  and  com- 
plicated, a  distinction  being  made  in  the  percentages  levied  on 
fish  caught  inside  Manora  Point  and  those  caught  outside.  Thus 
one-sixth  was  generally  levied  on  the  catch  in  the  former  case,  and 
one-fourth  in  the  latter,  besides  a  selection  made  by  the  farmer  of 
fiv£  fish  from  .each  boat-load,  under  the  head  ofAm/dfta,  On  fish 
exported  from  Karachi  to  other  places,  either  in  Sind  or  else- 


uigmzeu  uy  v-jv^v^^pi 


c5^" 


KARACHI  TALUK  A.  345 

-where,  a  duty  varying  from  6J  to  7^  pice  in  the  rupee  was  levied. 
This  system  remained  in  force  till  the  close  of  1845,  when  it  was 
abolished,  and  in  lieu  fishing-vessels  were  classed  and  licensed  on 
payment  of  a  fee  proportionate  to  their  size.  This  plan  lasted  till 
185 1,  the  fees  annually  collected  ranging  from  673  rupees  to 
3473  rupees,  when  a  suggestion  made  by  Mr.  McLeod,  then 
Deputy  Collector  of  Customs,  to  sell  the  fisheries  yearly  to  a 
contractor,  was  approved  of,  the  sum  realised  for  1852  being 
5250  rupees.  This  system  was  carried  out  till  1857,  when  the 
plan  of  licensing  each  fishing-boat  was  adopted  according  to  a 
scale  (shown  below),  and  this  has  continued  in  force  down  to  the 
present  time. 


Canoe  (or  Tonio)     .... 

3  rupees  per  annum. 

Batelo  of  I J  tons  and  under     . 

5 

I J   „     to  If  tons     . 

7i 

„          2      „     t0  2j     „        . 

10 

„       .2i    „     t0  2f     „        . 

I2| 

3     ».     t0  4      n       • 

15 

»»        a\   i>     to  5      „ 

20 

M         5i    »»     and  upwards. 

5 

perl 

ton. 

The  number  of  tonios  employed  in  fishing  is  67,  and  of  batelos 
184. 

During  the  Talpur  djoiasty  the  existence  of  the  pearl  oyster  in 
Sind  was  known,  and  several  places,  but  more  especially  the  Ken- 
jar  bank,  near  the  entrance  of  the  Gharo  creek,  were  fished  in  1836 
with  some  success.  The  Mirs  afterwards  conducted  the  fishery 
on  their  own  account,  but  soon  found  the  imdertaking  was  an 
unprofitable  one.  On  Sind  becoming  a  British  possession  the 
fishery  was  let  out  by  the  Government  during  the  years  1843  and 
1844,  and  brought  in  yearly  something  under  2000  rupees,  after 
which  it  ceased,  as  the  fishermen  refused  to  work.  Dr.  F.  Day 
remarks  that,  in  1849,  6265  rupees,  and  in  1850,  5275  rupees, 
were  realised  from  the  fishery.  In  1855  it  sold  for  4900  rupees, 
but  in  1856  for  only  1500  rupees.  No  further  fishing  was  carried 
on  till  1862,  when  it  sold  for  5000  rupees,  and  afterwards  for 
10,000  rupees  during  a  period  of  four  years.  Lately  the  fishing 
was  sold  for  a  period  of  three  years,  commencing  fi'om  i  st  April, 
1874,  for  2950  rupees.  The  oyster  found  in  Sind  is  said  to 
belong  to  the  genus  Flacuna  and  not  to  the  true  pearl  oyster. 
Dr.  Day  observes,  that  the  weight  of  the  pearls  firom  200  shells 
was  less  than  four  annas.  They  are,  in  fact,  very  inferior  seed 
pearls,  none  being  larger  than  a  No.  4  shot,  and  they  are,  in 
consequence,  of  but  little  value.  The  same  authority  also  believes 
that  sharks,  rays,  and  skate  assist  in  destroying  the  oysters  off 

.gle 


uigiuzeu  uy  v-Jv^vyS 


346  KARACHI  TAL  UK  A. 

the  banks,  and  that  changes  of  currents  in  the  harbour  have, 
doubtless,  injured  the  beds  already  existing. 

Agriculture. — Agricultural  operations  in  the  fertile  parts  of 
this  taluka,  which  are  but  few  in  comparison  with  its  large  area, 
are  mostly  dependent  upon  wells  and  springs  and  the  yearly  rain- 
fall. The  chief  vegetable  productions  are  juar,  bajri,  barley, 
and  sugar-cane,  grown,  for  the  most  part,  at  the  Malir,  where,  as 
also  in  the  extensive  garden  lands  bordering  on  the  Layari,  near 
Karachi,  excellent  potatoes  and  a  variety  of  European  and  native 
vegetables  and  fruit  are  raised  to  supply  the  Karachi  markets. 
The  fruits  are  principally  plaintains,  custard  apples,  mangoes, 
guavas,  grapes,  oranges,  limes,  figs,  roselle,  melons,  and  a  few 
others.  Some  parts  of  the  Malir  plain,  distant  about  12  miles 
from  Karachi,  and  readily  accessible  by  railway  from  that  town, 
are  very  fertile,  and  have  produced,  besides  excellent  vegetables 
of  various  kinds,  cotton  of  such  exceptionally  good  quality  as  to 
equal,  in  this  respect,  any  grown  in  other  portions  of  the  Bombay 
Presidency.  In  1861  a  Mr.  Jacob  Bethcome,  who  owned  a  small 
farm  of  22  acres  at  the  Malir,  raised  a  fine  description  of  cotton 
there,  which  competed  successfully  with  the  best  qualities  of  both 
the  American  and  Egyptian  varieties,  and  for  this  he  received  a 
prize  of  500  rupees  from  the  Government  of  Bombay.  Again,  in 
1868,  some  good  qualities  of  cotton  were  also  produced  in  the 
same  locality,  and  these  obtained  several  prizes  at  the  Karachi 
Industrial  Exhibition  of  1869.  The  soil  at  the  MaUr  is,  on  the 
whole,  good,  and,  what  is  of  inestimable  advantage  in  Sind,  water 
is  readily  obtainable  by  means  of  wells  at  a  comparatively  small 
depth  below  the  surface,  in  some  places  not  exceeding  13  feet 
Before  the  year  1866  some  enterprise  was  shown  by  several  mer- 
cantile firms  in  Karachi  in  taking  up  land  at  the  Malir,  princi- 
pally for  the  culture  of  cotton ;  but  in  that  year  there  occurred 
several  disastrous  floods  firom  the  Malir  river,  which  destroyed  the 
greater  part  of  the  crops,  and  this  tended  to  discourage  any  further 
efforts  in  that  direction.  Since  that  year  the  Malir  has  been  com- 
paratively neglected  as  a  field  for  agricultural  speculation,  and  at 
present,  with  the  exception  of  a  few  banyas,  who  grow  vegetables 
and  finit  expressly  for  the  Karachi  markets,  a  Parsi  gentleman, 
Mr.  Manakji  Framji,  is  the  only  cultivator  on  a  large  scale. 
He  has  given  his  attention  mainly  to  the  growth  of  market 
produce,  and  has  been  successful  also  in  producing  some  very 
good  cotton  from  exotic  seed.  In  addition  to  growing  fruit  and 
vegetables  of  excellent  quality,  he  has  sought  to  introduce  other 
growths  not  indigenous  to  the  province.  The  seasons  during 
which  agricultural  operations  are  carried  on  in  this  district  are 


uigiiizeu  uy  v_j  v_-/ \_^pj 


^iv 


KARACHI  TALUK  A. 


347 


three  in  number,  Kharif,  Rabi,  and  Adhawa ;  the  crops  produced 
in  these  several  seasons,  and  the  time  for  sowing  and  reaping 
them,  are  shown  in  the  following  table  : — 


Season. 

Time  when 

Principal  Crops  produced. 

Sown. 

Reaped. 

1.  Kharif  . 

2.  Rabi      . 

3.  Adhawa, 

rin    May  and 
\    June. 

TNovcmber  and 
\    December. 

January   .     . 

In  September, 
October,  and 
November. 

March      and 
April. 

March      .     . 

Bajri,    juar,    Indian   corn, 
nangli,    kiring,    tobacco, 
mung,  and  a  number  of 
vegetables. 

Wheat,    barley,    jambho, 
mung,  potatoes,  and  other 
vegetables. 

Juar,  onions,  and  vegetables. 

Population. — The  population  of  this  taluka  (including  the 
town  of  Karachi)  was  found  by  the  census  of  1872  to  number 
62,384  souls.  This  number  is  inclusive  of  the  troops  quartered 
at  Karachi,  which,  with  their  families  and  camp-followers,  are  esti- 
mated at  3227.  Of  the  two  great  classes  of  the  native  population, 
Muhammadans  and  Hindus,  the  number  of  the  former  is  34,240, 
while  the  latter  amounts  to  23,948,  the  remaining  4196  comprising 
Christians,  Parsis,  and  other  races.  The  chief  Muhammadan 
tribes  are  the  Saiyads,  Balochis,  Karmatis,  Sammas,  Mogals, 
Pathans,  Brahuis,  with  miscellaneous  tribes,  such  as  Memons, 
Muhanas,  Shidis,  Gados,  Machis,  and  Makranis.  The  Hinda 
castes  comprise  Brahmans  (such  as  the  Pokamo,  Sarsudh,  and 
Nagar),  Kshatrias,  Waishias  (among  whom  is  the  great  family 
of  the  Lohano),  and  a  large  number  of  Panjabis,  Marathas, 
Gujrathis,  Kachhis,  and  others. 

Establishments. — ^The  Karachi  talaka  is  under  the  immediate 
charge  of  the  Collector  of  the  Karachi  district,  the  collection  of  the 
revenue  being  entrusted  to  a  Mukhtyarkar,  with  an  establishment, 
and  two  Tapadars  under  him.  The  Mukhtyarkar  and  his  two 
head  Munshis  have  also  magisterial  power  vested  in  them  to  a 
certain  extent,  enabling  them  to  try  petty  criminal  cases,  and  in 
this  way  to  assist  the  city  magistrate  of  Karachi,  who  takes  cogni- 
zance of  offences  committed  in  the  city,  and  those  also  occurring 
in  the  taluka,  which  the  Mukhtyarkar  and  his  Munshis  are  unable 
to  take  up.  For  the  trial  of  offences  taking  place  in  the  canton- 
ments and  places  adjacent,  a  special  military  officer  is  appointed, 
who  is  known  as  the  cantonment  magistrate.  The  Huzur  Deputy 
Collector  and  Magistrate,  who  is  permanently  located  at  Karachi, 
takes  up  magisterial  cases  when  his  other  duties  permit  of  his 

uigiuzeu  uy  "vJvJvjVj  Ix^ 


348 


KARACHI  TALVKA, 


doing  so.  For  the  adjudication  of  civil  suits  there  is  the  court 
of  the  district  judge,  and  the  small  cause  court,  both  situate  at 
Karachi  The  police  force  employed  in  the  Karachi  taluka, 
irrespective  of  the  town  of  Karachi,  consists  only  of  25  armed  and 
unarmed  foot  police,  and  16  mounted  police. 

Revenue. — ^The  revenue,  imperial  and  local,  of  this  taluka, 
inclusive  of  the  town  of  Karachi,  for  the  four  years  ending  1873- 
74,  is  given  below : — 

Imperial. 


Items. 

Realisations  in                                   1 

1870-71.            i87i-7a.      i      «87a-73- 

1873-74. 

Land  Tax 

Abkari 

Drugs  and  Opium      .     . 

Stamps 

Salt 

Registration  Department 
Postal                  do.  .     . 
Telegraph            do.  .      . 
Income  (and  Certificate)\ 

Tax / 

Fines,  Fees,  and  Miscel-) 

laneous \ 

Total  rupees  . 

rupees. 
29,509 

66,379 
23,436 
84,142 

2,894 
39,493 
23,067 

73,636 

rupees. 
17,542 
52,833 
17,470 
58.433 
1,584 
1,630 

29,386 
24,251 

15,772 
897 

rupees. 
26,336 

58.175 
21,225 
70,202 

13,909 

1,478 

28,952 

20,458 

13,905 
566 

rupees. 

21,964 

73,594 
11,528 

3o!o75 
19,417 

789 
532 

3,42,714  j  2,19,799  !  2,55,206 

2,29,819 

LOCAU 


Items. 

Realisations  in 

1780-71. 

1871-79. 

1873-73. 

1873-74. 

Cesses  on  Land  and  Sayer  Revenue 
Cattle  Pound  and  Ferry  Funds     , 

Fisheries 

Fees  and  Licences 

Total  rupees     .     . 

rupees. 
7,662 

5,084 
1,020 

rupees. 

3,166 
570 

rupees. 

7,255 
702 

2,961 
480 

rupees. 

90s 

14,075 

9.554 

10,398 

4,666 

Survey  and  Settlement. — The  topographical  survey  of  this 
talaka,  as  included  under  the  term  Hill  Districts,  seems  to  have 
been  carried  out  between  the  years  1858-59  and  1863-64,  but 
up  to  the  present  time  no  settlement  has  been  introduced.  Ac- 
cording to  the  system  now  in  force,  and  in  the  absence  of  all  canal 
irrigation,  there  are  but  two  rates  of  land  tax  levied  in  this  dis- 
trict, that  is  to  say,  garden  and  dry  crop  rates,  the  former  at 
I  rupee,  and  the  latter  at  8  annas  per  acre. 

Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


KARACHI  TALUK  A, 


349 


Jagir  and  other  Lands. — The  land  held  in  Jagir  in  the 
Karachi  taluka  amounts  in  the  aggregate  to  33,719  acres,  of 
which  28,038  acres  are  either  uncultivated  or  uncultivable.  The 
whole  of  this  was  held  by  the  late  Khan  Bahadur  Murad  Khan,  at 
the  Habb,  near  which  river  this  land  lies  adjacent  {see  Habb). 
There  are  no  Seri  grantees  in  this  district  The  following  table 
will  show  the  number  of  Mafidars,  with  other  information  in 
connection  with  the  lands  held  by  them : — 


Yearly  amount 

Name  of  Mafidars. 

Town  or 
VUlagc. 

Cultivable. 

Unarable. 

of  Government 

Revenue 

represented. 

acres,  g. 

acres. 

nip.    a.    p. 

I.  Thawardass  Khemchand 

Karachi     . 

12   18 

... 

22     4     0 

2.  Tulsidass  Phulumal      . 

Ditto    .      . 

I    18 

... 

2   12     0 

3.  Ratanmal  Khusaldass    . 

Ditto    .      . 

II   31 

24    6    0 

4.  H.H.  Aga  Khan  Shah\ 
walad  Kalal  Shah      J 

Ditto    .     . 

3  33 

... 

870 

5.  Matanamal  Atmaram    . 

Ditto    .     . 

5    5 

... 

10    4    0 

6.  Jetanand  Durganamal  . 

7.  Keverend  James  Sheldon 

Ditto    .      . 

13    3 

24    6    0 

Ditto    .     . 

3  24 

... 

6  15    0 

walad     Ghulam     Ali 

MaKr  .     . 

0    4 

... 

0    6    0 

Khanjokia    .     .     . 

9.  Nala    Chungo     walad 
Sidik  Muhammad      . 

Ditto    .     . 

0  24 

... 

46    0    0 

10.  Tsftn     Bakadar     walad 
MeharAU      .     .     . 

Ditto    .     . 

30  13 

... 

21     7    8 

II.  Sett  Atmaram  Pritam- 
dass 

Ditto    .     . 

20    0 

... 

8  13    4 

12.  Bhawaldin  Umedali      . 

Mugger  Peer 

23  14 

«.• 

50    4    0 

13.  Kambar  Ali  Fakir  .     . 

Ditto    .     . 

S    7 

... 

280 

14.  Chotir  Atmaram      .     ,\ 

15.  SamanRama     .     .     ./ 

Ditto    .     . 

I  34 

... 

430 

16.  Halima,  wife  of  Morial. 

Ditto    .     . 

2    9 

... 

400 

1 7.  Bacha,  wife  of  Rahimanal 

18.  Murad  Ismail     .      .     .J 

Ditto    .     . 

I  34 

... 

3  12    0 

19.  Fateh  Muhammad  walad 

Gul  Muhammad  .     . 

PakkaKas. 

46  20 

... 

45    0    0 

hammad    ..... 

21.  Murad  walad  Ismail     . 

22.  Kambar  Ali  walad  Bu- 

Mugger  Peer 

2  15 

... 

4  13    0 

kari 

23.  Kambar  Ali  walad  Bu-) 

kari 

24.  Murad  walad  Ismail     . 

25.  Muhammad  walad  Mu- 
rad  

Ditto    .     - 

3    2 

. 

620 

26.  IsmaU  walad  Murad      . 

27.  Ahmad  walad  Murad   . 

28.  Isaak.  walad  Ismail .     . 

Total     .     . 

188  28 

... 

296  II     5 

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350 


KARACHI  TALUKA. 


The  only  municipality  in  this  taluka  is  that  at  Karachi,  which 
will  be  found  fully  treated  of  in  the  account  of  that  town,  and  the 
same  remark  will  apply  to  medical  and  educational  institutions, 
as  also  to  jails. 

Fairs. — ^The  fairs  of  any  importance  held  in  the  Karachi 
taluka  are  nine  in  number,  two  of  them  Muhammadan  and  the 
remainder  Hindu.  The  subjoined  table  {see  page  ^^i)  will  show 
all  that  is  necessary  on  this  head. 

Roads. — Independently  of  the  railway  connecting  Karachi  with 
Kotri,  which  runs  through  this  talGka  for  several  miles,  there  are  a 
few  roads,  main  and  branch,  which  lead  from  the  town  of  Karachi 
as  a  centre  to  other  parts  of  Sind.  The  chief  of  these  is  the  road 
to  Tatta,  now  hardly  used,  owing  to  the  more  expeditious  route  by 
railway  vid  JungshahL  This  road  is  only  partially  bridged;  the 
others  are  mere  branch  lines,  and  not  bridged  at  all  The  follow- 
ing table  will  show  the  few  district  roads  in  this  taluka,  their 
length,  &c. : — 


From 

To 

Length 
in 

Miles. 

tion  of 
Road. 

Remarks. 

1.  Karachi 

2.  Karachi 

3.  Karachi 

4.  Karachi 

Habb  river .     . 

(Ditto     vid    Pir 
<     Mangho  or 
(     Mugger  Peer 

fLandiKadejiony 
\road  to  Sehwan)j 

rKokri  (or  high 
\    road  to  Tatta), 

14 
22 

32 

Branch 
Ditto  . 
Ditto  . 

Main  . 

('Unbridged.    Dharamsalas 
\  at  Moach  and  SevUni. 

rUnbridged.     Dharamsala 
\  at  Mugger  Peer. 

('Unbridged.    Dharamsalas 
\  at  Saphura  and  Dumb. 

fSmall'VA^rflj"  bridged, 
large  ones  unbridged. 
Dharamsalas   at    Drig, 

j  Landi,  and  Wataji ; 
and  staging  bangalow  at 

^    Landi. 

The  manufactures  of  this  taluka,  which  exist  only  at  Karachi, 
are  not  of  much  account,  and  consist,  i,  of  cotton  fabrics  of  the 
coarse  kind,  such  as  saris,  lungis,  susis,  khesis,  and  other  articles 
of  native  clothing;  and  2,  of  various  utensils  in  metal,  such  as  are 
in  common  use  among  the  inhabitants.  Gold  and  silversmiths' 
work  is  carried  on  to  a  small  extent,  but  by  Kachhis.  Household 
furniture,  as  chairs,  tables,  &a,  are  made  up  in  Karachi,  but  these 
can  in  no  way  compare  with  similar  articles  manufactured  at 
Bombay.  Masonry  and  carpentry  work  is  mainly  in  the  hands 
of  the  Kachhi  portion  of  the  population,  many  of  whom  are 
skilful  workmen. 

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352  KARACHI, 

Numerous  useful  articles  of  different  kinds  are  also  manufac- 
tured by  prisoners  in  the  jail  at  Karachi  The  trade,  both  local 
and  transit,  being  centred  in  Karachi,  will  be  found  fully  treated 
of  in  the  description  of  that  town, 

Karachi — A  seaport  and  the  chief  town  of  the  province  of 
Sind,  situate  in  latitude  24°  51'  north  and  longitude  67°  2'  east, 
and  lying  at  the  extreme  northern  end  of  the  delta  of  the  Indus 
and  near  the  southern  base  of  the  Pabb  mountains  of  Balochis- 
tan.  The  bay  of  Karachi  is  formed  by  Manora  point,  in  latitude 
24°  47'  north,  and  longitude  66°  58'  east,  a  hill  not  more  than  40 
feet  in  elevation  at  its  western  end,  but  100  feet  at  its  eastern 
extremity,  and  consisting  of  soft  sandstone  capped  with  conglo- . 
merate.  This  hill,  which  protects  the  harbour  from  the  sea  and 
bad  weather,  is  in  fact  the  southern  termination  of  a  reef  about 
10  miles  in  length,  by  which  it  is  united  to  the  mainland.  The 
opening  of  the  bay  between  Manora  and  Clifton  (a  sanitarium 
to  the  east  of  the  mainland)  is  about  3^  miles  wide,  but  the 
entrance  is  blocked  in  the  centre  by  several  rocky  islets  known 
as  the  Oyster  Rocks,  as  well  as  by  the  island  of  Kiamari,  which 
lies  some  distance  in  the  rear.  The  harbour  may  be  considered 
as  possessing  a  large  water  area,  extending,  five  miles  northward 
from  Manora  head  to  that  part  where  the  Layari  river.enters  it  by 
two  mouths,  and  about  the  same  distance  from  the  old  town  of 
Karachi  on  the  eastern  shore  to  the  extreme  western  point,  but  a 
small  portion  only  of  this  wide  expanse  is  capable  of  admitting 
large  vessels. 

Manora. 

The  first  object  which  arrests  the  attention  of  the  traveller 
approaching  Karachi  from  the  sea  is  Manora  head  with  its  light- 
house (having  a  fixed  light  120  feet  above  sea-level),  visible  on  a 
clear  day  upwards  of  17  miles,  but  only  from  7  to  9  miles  in  the 
thick  and  hazy  weather  of  the  south-west  monsoon.  Manora, 
which  is  one  of  the  quarters  of  the  Karachi  municipality,  is  the 
residence  of  the  master  attendant,  who  lives  in  the  fort  (said  to 
have  been  erected  in  1797).  The  port  and  pilot  establishment, 
the  Superintendent  of  the  Harbour  Improvement  Works,  and  his 
large  establishment,  as  also  a  portion  of  the  Indo-European 
Electric  Telegraph  Department,  reside  here.  It  possesses,  in 
addition  to  a  library,  billiard-room,  and  European  and  Eurasian 
school,  a  small  church  (Protestant)  intended  for  the  crews  of 
vessels  frequenting  the  harbour  as  well  as  for  the  residents  at 
Manora.     An  annual  fair,  lasting  three  days,  is  held  at  Manora, 


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KARACHI.  353 

in  the  month  of  March,  in  honour  of  a  venerable  "  Pir"  (saint) 
said  to  be  buried  here  under  very  miraculous  circumstances.  It 
is  largely  attended  by  people  from  different  parts  of  the  province. 
The  place,  owing  to  its  healthy  situation,  is  an  occasional  resort 
for  invalids  from  Karachi ;  but  the  limited  area  available,  coupled 
with  the  scarcity  of  fresh  water,  which  has  to  be  brought  all  the 
way  from  Karachi,  prevent  persons  from  visiting  it  frequently  for 
change  of  air.  The  population  of  this  suburb  of  Klarachi  by  the 
census  of  1872,  was  found  to  be  824. 

KlAMARI. 

On  the  opposite  side  of  the  harbour  is  the  island  of  Kiamari, 
another  municipal  quarter,  and  connected  with  the  town  of 
Karachi  by  a  road  called  the  "  Napier  Mole  **  road,  three  miles 
long,  and  constructed  in  1854.  Eliamari  is  the  landing-place  for 
all  passengers  and  goods  intended  for  Karachi,  and  with  this 
object  there  have  been  provided  three  piers,  the  commissariat, 
passenger,  and  customs ;  hack  carriages  and  carts  are  here  at  all 
times  procurable.  The  Sind  railway  extends  to  Kiamari;  the 
line  does  not,  however,  follow  the  Napier  mole  as  formerly,  but 
takes  a  circuitous  route  by  the  Chini  creek  to  the  Frere  Street 
station  in  the  Karachi  cantonments.  Kiamari  has  a  naval  build- 
ing-yard— ^at  present  in  the  occupation  of  a  private  firm — large 
Government  commissariat  store-yards,  a  post-office,  customs  and 
railway  offices,  a  tavern,  and  a  building  erected  in  1861  intended 
for  a  Roman  Catholic  chapel,  but  not  used  as  such.  The  bazar 
at  Kiamari  is  small  and  the  supplies  limited,  the  shipping  in  the 
harbour  being  generally  provided  by  Dubashes,  who  forward  all 
articles  of  consumption  by  coolies  direct  from  the  cantonment 
market  and  the  Sadar  bazar.  The  mole  leading  from  Kiamari 
to  the  Custom  House  and  old  town  of  Karachi  consisted  the 
whole  way  of  a  long,  raised  embankment ;  but  to  allow  of  the  waters 
of  the  Chini  creek  flowing  uninterruptedly  into  the  head  of  the 
harbour  and  acting  as  a  kind  of  scour,  a  fine  screw-pile  bridge, 
about  1200  feet  long,  was  in  1865,  at  a  cost  of  4,75,000  rupees, 
constructed  at  a  point  near  the  old  Bandar  cotton  presses  belong- 
ing to  the  Karachi  Press  Company,  but  not  now  used,  and  the 
Napier  obelisk  (erected  in  1853  to  the  memory  of  the  late  Sir 
Charles  Napier,  Governor  of  Smd).  At  the  northern  extremity 
of  this  bridge,  and  running  in  a  westerly  direction  into  the 
harbour,  is  the  nativp  jetty,  built  of  stone  at  an  expense  of  4,33,000 
rupees,  for  the  use  of  cargo  and  other  boats ;  this  was  formally 

2  A 


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354  KARACHI. 

made  over  in  charge  to  the  Collector  of  Customs  on  ist  July, 
x866.  At  the  end  of  the  Mole  road  stands  the  Custom  House, 
extending  across  the  road  on  five  arches,  through  which  the  traffic 
passes.  The  eastern  wing  of  this  building  was  added  as  late  as 
1869.  A  short  distance  to  the  westward  is  the  Sind  and  Panjab 
cotton  press-house,  capable  of  turning  out  daily  about  300  pressed 
bales.  The  principal  thoroughfares  leading  from  the  Custom 
House  to  the  Karachi  cantonments  are  two  in  number :  ist,  the 
Bandar  road,  nearly  2  J  miles  in  length,  and  ending  in  the  dep6t 
lines ;  and  2nd,  the  McLeod  road,  with  its  branches,  the  Ingle 
and  Kutcherry  roads,  both  leading  to  what  is  generally  termed  tiie 
"  Camp."  As  the  greater  number  of  the  municipal  quarters  into 
which  the  town  and  suburbs  of  Karachi  are  divided  lie  on  either 
side  of  these  main  lines  of  communication,  a  description  of  them 
in  consecutive  order  will  greatly  facilitate  a  description  of  Karachi 
itself.  Thus,  on  leaving  the  Custom  House  and  proceeding  on  the 
Bandar  road  towards  the  Camp,  we  find,  on  the  left  hand,  the  old 
Machi  Miani,  Old  Town,  Bandar,  Market  and  Napier  quarters, 
comprising  the  oldest  part  of  Karachi  This  portion,  which  has 
the  Layari  river  on  its  western  side,  is  situate  in  part  on  a  gentie 
eminence,  has  narrow  streets  and  lanes,  and  is  thickly  studded 
with  houses.  In  the  Bandar  quarter,  and  lying  along  that  part 
of  the  Bandar  road  opposite  to  the  Agra  Bank,  is  the  old  Muham- 
madan  bur)ring-ground,  now  disused.  It  was  walled  round  in  i860. 
The  municipality  has,  however,  effected  great  improvements  in 
these  quarters,  wide  streets  being  made  wherever  practicable.  An 
excellent  system  of  stone  street  paving  has  for  some  years  past 
been  introduced,  which  must  greatly  conduce  to  both  the  health 
and  convenience  of  the  residents,  who  are  mostly  Hindu  and 
Muhammadan  merchants  of  the  Lohana,  Bhatia,  Kachi,  Memon, 
Khwaja,  and  Borah  classes.  These  quarters  are  by  far  the  most 
densely  populated  of  any  in  Karachi,  but,  according  to  the  recent 
census  taken  in  187 2,.  contain  at  the  present  time  not  much  more 
than  4500  houses  with  about  18,514  inhabitants. 

In  these  quarters  are  the  old  fish-market,  erected  in  1855-56, 
at  a  cost  of  1464  rupees,  and  the  market  near  the  Bandar  road, 
built  in  1853-54  at  an  expense  of  3860  rupees.  Opposite  to 
these  quarters,  on  the  other  side  of  the  Layari  (a  river  only  in 
name,  having  water  in  it  but  once  or  twice  during  the  year),  is  the 
"  Layari  quarter,"  comprising  the  Bagdadi  lines.  New  Machi 
Miani,  oil  mills  and  tanneries,  the  Miranka  village,  Ingle-Wara, 
Khumba-Wara  and  the  Dhobi  Ghat  The  population  of  the 
Layari  quarter  is  fluctuating,  and  was  some  time  ago  estimated 


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KARACHI  35S 

in  round  numbers  at  quite  12,000,  but  the  recent  census  of  1872 
shows  but  1749  houses  with  7032  inhabitants. 

The  new  Machi  Miani  is  now  occupied  by  the  inhabitants 
(mostly  fishermen)  of  the  old  Machi  Miani  quarter,  who  in  1870 
were  bought  out  by  the  municipality,  the  intention  being  to  im- 
prove the  latter  locality,  which  had  been  long  noted  for  its  low  and 
unhealthy  situation.  A  good  and  substantial  market  with  sixty 
stalls  has  been  erected  in  this  place  at  a  cost  of  5990  rupees. 
Returning  to  the  Bandar  road,  we  have  on  the  right  the  Serai 
and  Railway  quarters,  through  which  runs  the  second  important 
thoroughfare — ^the  McLeod  road — branching  off  to  the  right  from 
the  Bandar  road  at  about  400  yards  from  the  Custom  House. 

In  these  quarters  are  situate  the  Court  House  (the  old  Bombay 
bank,  built  in  1866  at  a  cost  of  about  1,20,000  rupees),  containing 
the  Judicial  Commissioner's,  District  Judge's,  and  Town  Magis- 
trate's offices ;  this  building  was  purchased  by  Government  in 
1868  ;  the  new  Bank  of  Bombay,  built  in  1865  ;  the  Agra  Bank, 
in  1866,  at  a  cost  of  78,000  rupees ;  the  Chamber  of  Commerce 
(built  in  1864,  cost  13,000  rupees) ;  the  extensive  buildings  of 
the  Indo-European  and  Government  Telegraph  Departments, 
Messrs.  McKenzie  and  Cosser's  ironworks — the  new  post-office 
and  the  three  cotton  press-houses,  that  is  to  say  :  ist,  the  McLeod 
road  presses,  erected  in  i860,  and  owned  by  the  Sind  Press 
Company ;  they  are  provided  with  two  of  Brunton*s  patent  presses, 
and  can  turn  out  daily  350  pressed  bales  :  2,  the  Tyabji  presses, 
erected  in  1865,  at  a  cost  of  2,20,000  rupees ;  they  have  two  of 
Bellhouse  and  Dorning's  patent  presses,  and  can  turn  out  daily  250 
pressed  bales ;  a  third  press,  one  of  Nasmyth's,  has  lately  been 
put  up :  3,  the  Albert  presses  with  three  of  Hodgarfs  presses, 
at  present  leased  to  the  Sind  Press  Company ;  they  were  erected  in 
1866  at  a  cost  of  about  2,25,000  rupees,  and  can  turn  out  daily 
390  pressed  bales.  There  are  also  the  charitable  dispensary,  the 
Kardar's  (Mukhtyarkar's)  and  PhaujdSr's  offices ;  the  Arabic-Sindi 
and  Hindu-Sindi  school ;  the  Sind  railway  station ;  the  old  Panjab 
and  Delhi  Bank  building ;  a  newly-erected  HindG  temple  near  the 
Bandar  road,  and  the  greater  number  of  the  offices  of  the  European^ 
nierchants.  The  new  Afghan  serai  intended  for  the  use  of  the 
Kafilas  from  Kandahar  is  situate  in  this  quarter;  it  was  rebuilt 
in  1873-74  by  the  municipality  at  a  cost  of  19,546  rupees,  and 
covers  in  superficial  area  about  three  acres  of  ground.  Proceeding 
still  farther  up  the  Bandar  road,  we  have  on  the  left,  adjoining 
the  Napier  road,  the  Jail  and  Garden  quarters  intersected  by  the 
Lawrence,  Napier,  and  Frere  roads.     The  principal  buildings  in 

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356  KARACHI. 

these  quarters  are  the  jail,  the  Government  Marathi  school,  the 
mission  church  (Christ's),  at  present  in  an  unfinished  state,  so  far 
as  the  tower  and  steeple  are  concerned,  and  the  mission-house 
and  school  Here  also  is  the  NanakwSdi  tank  (walled  round 
and  deepened  in  1856-57  at  a  cost  of  5500  rupees),  and  the 
city  police  lines.  To  the  northward  and  eastward  of  these 
quarters,  and  on  the  same  side  of  the  Bandar  road,  are  the 
Ranchor  lines — ^at  one  time  thickly  populated,  and  with  a  tank 
of  the  same  name,  excavated  in  1858,  and  otherwise  improved, 
at  a  cost  of  1668  rupees;  the  Ramswami  Ghari  Khata,  and  the 
Bggari  Khata  quarters.  The  chief  buildings  of  note  in  this 
part  of  Karachi  are  the  civil  hospital,  the  Government  high 
and  Anglo-vernacular  schools,  the  native  general  library  (estab- 
lished in  June  1856),  the  Small  Cause  Court,  and  the  travellers' 
bangalow.  The  Preedy  tank,  walled  in  and  improved  in  1858-59, 
at  a  cost  of  3000  rupees,  and  an  old  European  burial-ground  on 
the  Bandar  road,  also  walled  in  at  the  same  time  by  the  muni- 
cipality, are  situate  in  this  quarter.  Proceeding  still  farther 
towards  Camp,  the  Preedy  quarter,  lying  on  either  side  of  the 
Bandar  road,  is  reached ;  it  adjoins  cantonment  limits,  is  inter- 
sected by  the  Preedy  and  Government  Garden  roads,  and  contains, 
in  addition  to  a  number  of  bangalows,  the  Government  powder 
magazine  and  the  Scotch  church  (St  Andrew's).  Three  other 
municipal  quarters,  the  Soldiers'  bazar,  Commissariat  lines  and 
the  Bhisti-Wara,  lying  to  the  north  of  the  depot  lines,  and  near 
the  gardens  on  the  banks  of  the  Layari,  here  require  to  be  men- 
tioned ;  but,  with  the  exception  of  a  market,  erected  in  the  former 
in  1868,  at  a  cost  of  2831  rupees,  and  a  good  road  leading  to 
it  from  the  cantonments,  there  is  nothing  else  worthy  of  note. 

Returning  to  that  part  of  the  Bandar  road  near  the  jail,  we 
have  on  the  right  hand  the  Rambagh  quarter,  intersected  by  the 
Kutcherry,  Elphinstone,  and  Frere  roads.  It  has  a  large  tank, 
walled  in  during  1858-59  at  a  cost  of  5000  rupees,  known  as  the 
Rambagh,  near  which  on  the  Bandar  road  is  a  dharamsala,  con- 
spicuous by  its  two  domes,  erected  in  1859-60,  at  a  cost  of  4000 
rupees,  of  which  1006  rupees  were  raised  by  voluntary  subscrip- 
tion. There  is  a  considerable  extent  of  ground  between  the 
Kutcherry  and  Elphinstone  roads  originally  intended  to  be  laid 
out  as  a  public  garden,  to  be  called  either  the  Victoria  or  Bums' 
garden,  but  a  small  portion  only  of  this  scheme  has  as  yet  been 
carried  out,  both  water  and  soil  being  too  poor  to  admit  of  much 
successful  gardening.  To  the  south-east  of  the  Rambagh  quarter, 
and  skirting  the  military  cantonments  on  the  eastward,  is   the 

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KARACHI,  357 

Civil  lines  quarter,  in  which  arc  situate  the  Collector's  Kutcheny, 
Government  House  (the  residence  of  the  Commissioner  in  Sind), 
the  ice  manufactory,  as  also  the  private  houses  of  Government 
officials  and  of  the  leading  mercantile  men  of  Karachi,  and  others. 
In  a  portion  of  the  grounds  of  Government  House  is  a  small 
monument  erected  by  Sir  Charles  Napier  in  1849  to  the  memory 
of  the  officers  and  men  of  Her  Majesty's  22nd  Regiment  who  fell  in 
the  Sind  campaign.     The  Kutcherry  road  and  Victoria  Street  in- 
tersect this  quarter,  meeting  at  its  southern  extremity  near  the 
Clifton  crossing  of  the  Sind  railway,  after  passing  which  they  branch 
off,  one  road  leading  to  the  military  sanitarium  of  Gisri  (distant 
2^  miles),  and  the  other  to  the  civil  one  of  Clifton  (distant  2  miles). 
To  the  left  of  Gisri  road,  near  the  railway,  is  the  Frere  Town 
quarter,   containing  several  private  residences,   as  well  as  the 
workshops  of  the  Sind  Railway  Company.     Here,  too,  is  the  new 
racecourse.     Gisri  and  Clifton  form  also  a  municipal  quarter,  and 
being  both  situate  on  rising  ground  near  the  sea,  and  more  readily 
accessible  to  residents  in  Camp  than  Manora,  are  in  consequence 
much  frequented  by  invalids,  and  some  persons  have  even  become 
permanent  residents  at  the  latter  place.      One  other  municipal 
quarter,  the  Sadar  bazar,  still  {remains  to  be  mentioned  ;  it  adjoins 
the  Preedy  quarter,  and  is  situate  between  the  depdt  and  Eu- 
ropean infantry  lines,  and,  like  the  latter,  is  regularly  laid  out, 
having  fine  broad  streets  and  stone-flagged  pavements,  with  good 
houses  and  shops  on  either  side.     It  has  a  well-stocked  and  com- 
modious market,  called  the  "  Cunynghame  Market,"  built  in  1861, 
at  a  cost  of  17,500  rupees.     The  two  wings  were  added  in  1868, 
at  an  expense  of  2074  rupees.     Here  supplies  are  readily  obtain- 
able from  an  early  hour  in  the  morning  up  to  nine  or  ten  o'clock. 
Great  improvements  have  been  carried  out  in  this  part  of  Karachi 
during  the  past  few  years.     In  this  quarter  is  situate   the  Parsi 
infant  school,  the  gift,  in  1870,  of  a  resident,  Mr.  Sapurji  Hormazji 
Sopariwala.    To  the  east  of  the  Sadar  bazar  is  the  general  hospital, 
and  near  the  road  running  from   Karachi  to   Tatta   stand   the 
Roman  Catholic  church  and  St.  Patrick's  school 

Military  Cantonments. 

The  Karachi  military  cantonments,  which  lie  to  the  north 
and  east  of  the  greater  number  of  the  municipal  quarters  already 
described,  cover  an  extensive  area,  and  may  be  divided  into 
three  large  and  distinct  portions. .  ist,  the  depot  hnes,  having 
the  Preedy  municipal  quarter  on  its  western,  and  the  Sadar 
bazar  on  its  southern  side.     2nd,  the  artillery  lines,  which,  with 


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358  KARACHI, 

an  extensive  open  space  of  ground  to  the  westward  reserved  for 
fortifications,  has  the  Sadar  bazar,  from  which  it  is  separated  by 
Victoria  Street  on  its  eastern  side,  and  the  Karachi  military 
arsenal,  immediately  adjoining  it,  to  the  north ;  and,  3rd,  the  Eu- 
ropean infantry  hnes,  which  are  exactly  due  east  of  the  civil 
lines  municipal  quarter.  The  dep6t  lines,  the  oldest  military 
portion  of  Karachi,  possess  extensive  accommodation  for  such 
English  troops  as  are  either  going  to  up-country  stations  from 
seaward,  or  are  coming  down  to  Karachi  for  embarkation,  and 
include  as  well  the  native  infantry  and  commissariat  lines,  a  new 
Government  steam  bakery,  and  numerous  bangalows  for  officers. 
In  March  187 1  the  depdt  was  abolished,  all  invalid  soldiers  from 
the  Panjab  being  now  sent  to  Bombay  by  railway,  vi&  Jabalpur. 
The  depot  lines  have  since  furnished  accommodation  to  the  native 
infantry  regiment  stationed  at  Karachi  Here  also  is  the  new 
Karachi  European  and  Indo-European  school  erected  in  1874-75 
at  a  cost  of  about  40,000  rupees,  an  American  Methodist 
Episcopal  chapel,  and  branch  post-office.  A  good  road  runs 
through  the  depot  lines  to  what  is  called  the  '*  Government 
Garden,"  distant  about  half  a  mile,  and  not  far  from  the  Layari 
river.  This  garden  is  about  40  acres  in  extent,  neatly  laid 
out  with  trees  and  shrubs,  and  cultivated,  so  far  as  the  poor 
soil  and  water  of  the  place  will  allow.  Beyond  this,  and  lining 
the  river  bank  for  some  distance,  are  other  gardens,  some  with 
houses  in  them ;  one  of  these  residences,  with  a  nicely  laid-out 
garden,  is  the  property  of  Government,  and  is  used  by  such  natives 
of  rank  as  may  visit  Karachi  on  political  or  other  purposes.  Most 
of  the  gardens  here  are  owned  by  the  native  community,  and 
supply,  conjointly  with  the  Malir,  all  the  fruits  and  vegetables 
needed  by  the  residents  of  Karachi.  The  artillery  lines  possess 
three  fine  upper-storied  barracks  as  well  as  a  suite  of  comfort- 
able family  quarters ;  these  are  built  of  stone,  and  have  every 
necessary  accommodation.  There  is  a  hospital,  gunsheds,  stables, 
workshops,  racket-court,  bowl-alley  and  plunge-bath.  The  Ratan 
tank,  improved  by  the  Government  and  by  the  municipality  in 
1858-59,  is  also  within  the  limits  of  these  lines.  In  the  immediate 
vicinity  of  these  barracks  to  the  eastward  is  a  small  mess- 
house  and  bangalows  for  the  officers,  and  to  the  northward  the 
military  arsenal  of  Karachi,  small  in  area  and  of  no  considerable 
importance,  its  establishment  consisting  of  about  50  natives,  the 
latter  mostly  store  and  tent  lascars.  This  arsenal,  which  is 
subordinate  to  that  at  Hyderabad,  was,  in  October  1858,  partly 
blown  up  by  the  explosion  of  a  quantity  of  fireworks  which  were 


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KARACHL 


359 


being  prepared  there  to  celebrate  the  transfer  of  India  to. the 
British  crown.  The  European  infantry  lines  consist  of  rows  of 
barracks  with  family  quarters,  fully  able  to  house  with  comfort  an 
entire  European  regiment  Of  the  ten  separate  barracks  which 
these  include,  five  have  been  converted  at  great  cost  into  large 
and  solid  upper-storied  buildings,  affording  greatly-increased  ac- 
commodation to  the  troops.  To  the  westward  of  these  barracks 
are  the  officers'  lines,  well  and  regularly  laid  out,  with  broad  roads 
intersecting  each  other  at  right  angles.  The  bangalows  are  very 
numerous,  the  front  line,  facing  the  west,  being  almost  exclu- 
sively occupied  by  the  officer  commanding  the  troops  and  his 
staff.  In  this  part  of  the  cantonments  stand  the  Protestant 
church  dedicated  to  the  Holy  Trinity,  the  "  Frere  Hall,"  and  the 
Masonic  Lodge.  The  regimental  (or  Napier)  hospital  is  situate 
on  a  slight  eminence  to  the  eastward  of  the  lines,  and  farther  on 
in  the  same  direction  is  the  burial-ground  (or  cemetery)  for  both 
Protestants'  and  Roman  Catholics,  a  spot  still  poor  and  unattractive 
in  appearance,  though  much  improved  in  this  respect  during  the 
past  few  years.  Many  of  the  monuments  formerly  stood  greatly 
in  need  of  repair,  but  the  rules  issued  by  Government  in  1870  for 
the  regulation  of  cemeteries  generally  have  done  much  to  prevent 
this  decay  by  providing  permanent  funds  for  annual  repairs. 

Trinity  Church. 

The  largest  and,  excepting  the  Roman  Catholic  chapel,  the 
oldest  church  in  Karachi  is  the  Protestant  one  of  the  Holy 
Trinity,  situate  in  military  cantonments.  It  stands  in  the  centre  of 
a  large  space  of  open  ground,  nearly  15  acres  in  area,  which  was 
not  walled  round  till  1868 ;  the  basement  is  low  in  elevation,  being 
but  27*55  feet  above  mean  sea-level.  The  church,  which  is  in  the 
Italian  style,  was  designed  and  built  by  Captain  John  Hill,  of  the 
Bombay  Engineers,  at  a  cost  of  56,612  rupees.  The  first  stone 
was  laid  in  September  1852,  but  the  btulding  was  not  consecrated 
till  1855.  It  consists  of  a  nave  with  two  side  aisles,  apsidal  chancel, 
and  square  tower  150  feet  high;  this  last  is  an  excellent  landmark 
for  vessels  approaching  the  coast  The  nave  is  115  feet  long  with 
an  outside  breadth  of  58i  feet,  and  is  lighted  by  clerestory  windows, 
of  which  there  are  six  on  each  side,  and  the  height  of  nave  up  to 
tie-beam  is  44^  feet  There  is  an  organ-loft,  not  used  as  such, 
but  a  recent  proposition  to  remove  it  would,  it  is  believed,  add 
greatly  to  the  inner  appearance  of  the  church.  The  apse  window 
is  filled  with  stained  glass,  as  also  are  the  two  aisle  windows,  one 


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36o  KARACHI. 

of  them  being  in  honour  of  Sir  Charles  Napier  and  the  victors  of 
Meeanee.  The  tower  was  originally  intended  to  bear  a  steeple,  but 
this  was  omitted  as  not  being  in  harmony  with  the  rest  of  the 
building.  The  two  bells  were  put  up  in  1856,  the  dock  in 
1864,  and  the  organ  placed  in  the  south  aisle  was  suppUed  to 
the  church  by  subscription  in  1866.  The  altar  cloth,  linen, 
chairs,  htany-stool,  plate,  font,  &c.,  were  all  the  gifts  of  private 
individuals.  The  old  font  was  destroyed  by  the  fall  of  the  clock- 
weights  in  1867,  and  was  replaced  by  the  present  one  of  red 
Portland  stone  and  marble  in  May  1870.  The  church  is  able  to 
seat  800  people.  Divine  service  in  this  church  is  conducted  by 
two  chaplains  of  the  Bombay  Ecclesiastical  Establishment ;  and  in 
accordance  with  a  Government  notification  (26th  July,  1870),  a 
church  committee,  appointed  annually  in  Easter  week,  com- 
prising three  lay  members,  one  of  whom  is  nominated  by  the 
senior  chaplain,  and  the  other  two  by  a  committee  of  selection, 
consisting  of  the  chief  civil  and  military  authorities  of  this  station, 
assist  the  chaplains  in  the  discharge  of  such  duties  as  are  not 
necessary  parts  of  their  spiritual  office. 

Roman  Catholic  Church.- 

The  Roman  Catholic  church,  known  as  "  St.  Patrick's,"  is 
situate  in  military  cantonments  to  the  east  of  the  Sadar  bazar, 
and  stands  in  a  walled  inclosure  of  a  little  over  two  acres  in  area, 
a  portion  of  which  was  formerly  used  as  a  graveyard.  The  church, 
which  was  erected  by  subscription  m  1845,  at  a  cost  of  about 
6000  rupees,  cannot  be  said  to  belong  to  any  particular  style  of 
architecture.  It  consists  of  a  nave  81  feet  long  and  30  feet  wide, 
with  a  height  to  the  tie-beam  of  20  feet,  as  well  as  two  transepts 
and  a  chanceL  It  will  seat  between  600  and  700  persons,  but 
as  the  present  congregation  numbers  over  2000,  it  is  in  contem- 
plation to  build  a  larger  and  more  commodious  edifice,  and  to 
commence  this  work  so  soon  as  the  necessary  funds  are  collected. 

St.  Patrick's  School. 

The  present  fine  stone  building  called  St  Patrick's  School 
occupies  the  site  of  a  mud  bangalow  erected  in  1859,  and  after- 
wards (in  1862)  turned  into  a  day  school  for  girls.  The  new 
building,  not  originally  intended  to  be  upper-storied,  was  com- 
menced in  October  1863  and  finished  in  the  following  year;  but 
at  the  suggestion  of  Dr.  Meurin,  the  Roman  Catholic  bishop  of 
Bombay,  who  visited  Sind  in  1868,  an  upper  storey  and  central 


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KARACHI.  361 

tower  were  commenced  in  1869  and  finished  in  1870.  The  build- 
ing now  consists  of  a  central  tower  with  two  wings,  having  on  the 
ground  floor  an  entrance  hall,  spacious  class-rooms,  a  refectory, 
drawing-room,  vestry,  and  chapel,  this  last  being  41  feet  long  by 
28  wide.  There  is  also  a  good  verandah  on  the  east  and  west 
sides.  At  the  north  and  south  extremities  are  curved  covered 
passages  running  out  to  some  distance,  and  these  give  a  finished 
appearance  to  the  building  when  viewed  as  a  whole.  On  the 
upper  storey  are  two  dormitories,  one  of  them  81  feet  long  by 
27  wide,  a  music-room  and  infirmary,  besides  other  rooms  for  the 
use  of  the  nuns.  On  the  west  side  is  a  fine  verandah  supported 
by  semicircular  arches  on  light  pillars.  The  two  end  gables  are 
ornamented  with  corbie  steps.  The  central  tower,  which  is  50 
feet  in  height,  contains  several  small  rooms,  and  has  its  parapet 
surmounted  with  a  row  of  iron  palisading  let  into  the  cut  stone ; 
this  part  of  the  building  has  lately  been  extended  to  the  east- 
ward, thus  affording  additional  class-rooms.  The  entire  structure 
has  a  fine  appearance,  and,  viewed  as  an  educational  institution, 
is  unsurpassed  by  any  other  in  Karachi.  It  cost  but  40,000  rupees, 
and  of  this  sum  4000  rupees  were  contributed  by  Government 
There  are  at  present  28  boarders  and  191  day  scholars  in  this 
school,  but  the  building  is  capable  of  accommodating  fully  40 
boarders  and  200  day  scholars.  The  institution  is  under  the 
supervision  of  a  lady  superior,  who  is  assisted  by  four  nuns  and 
one  lay  sister  of  the  order  of  the  Cross.  The  school  receives  a 
monthly  grant-in-aid  from  the  Karachi  municipality  of  60  rupees. 

European  and  Indo-European  School. 

The  Karachi  European  and  Indo-European  School  is  situate 
in  the  depot  lines,  and  formerly  occupied  two  separate  buildings, 
one  for  the  boys,  being  that  used  in  past  years  as  a  Protestant 
place  of  worship,  before  the  erection  of  Trinity  Church ;  the  other, 
for  the  girls  and  infants,  was  held  in  what  was  formerly  a  mess- 
house.  The  school  was  founded  in  1854  under  the  auspices  of 
Sir  H.  B.  E.  Frere,  when  Commissioner  in  Sind,  and  is  supported 
by  school  fees,  subscriptions,  donations,  and  by  grants-in-aid  made 
by  the  Government  and  the  municipality.  A  sound  and  liberal 
education  is  afforded  to  the  children  of  Europeans  and  Indo- 
Europeans  residing  in  Sind,  to  the  children  of  European  soldiers, 
where  there  are  no  regimental  schools,  and  in  special  cases,  to 
those  of  native  Christians.  A  managing  committee  of  nine  persons, 
appointed  yearly  at  the  annual  meeting  of  members,  exercise  a 


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KARACHI. 


general  supervision  over  the  school,  and  settle  all  matters  in  con- 
nection with  it  In  1854  the*Govemment  gave  a  donation  to  the 
building  of  1500  rupees,  as  also  a  monthly  allowance  of  100 
rupees,  which  was  subsequently  reduced  to  80  rupees.  In  1858-59 
the  municipality  contributed  50  rupees  per  mensem,  besides  es- 
tablishing a  scholarship  of  10  rupees  a  month,  to  be  given  in 
alternate  years  to  the  best  pupil  in  this  institution  and  the  Govern- 
ment Enghsh  school  In  1859-60  two  scholarships,  known  as 
the  "  Inverarity  Scholarships,"  each  of  lo  rupees  monthly,  were 
provided  by  J.  D.  Inverarity,  Esq.,  a  former  Commissioner  in 
Sindj  and  the  Karachi  General  Library  and  Museum  Committee 
also  granted  the  privileges  of  a  subscriber  for  one  year  to  the  best 
boy  and  girl,  in  honour  of  Sir  H.  B.  E.  Frere.  There  is  as  well  a 
pupil  teacher's  scholarship  for  girls ;  and  an  annual  prize  to  the 
best  boy  or  girl  of  the  year  was  in  1869  provided  by  the  present 
Commissioner  in  Sind,  Sir  W.  L.  Merewether.  These  are  all 
awarded  annually  at  the  examination  held  about  the  end  of  Oc- 
tober in  each  year.  The  education  afforded  comprises  reading, 
writing,  arithmetic,  and  other  branches  of  mathematics ;  geogra- 
phy, history,  religious  instruction,  and  singing,  with  sewing, 
knitting,  fancy  needlework,  &c.,  for  the  girls.  Music  and  draw- 
ing are  considered  as  extras.  The  teaching  staflF  consists  of  a 
head  master  and  assistant  master,  a  head  mistress,  an  assistant 
teacher,  and  a  matron.  The  monthly  fees  pa3rable  for  each  child 
for  education  in  this  institution  are  now  regulated  as  follows : — 


Incomes. 

Standards. 

VIII. 

VII. 

VI. 

V. 

IV. 

III. 

II. 

I. 

Infant 
Qass. 

Net  exceeding  Rs.  49 

rupees. 

I 

nip. 

I 

rup. 

1 

nip. 

nip. 

nip. 

nip. 

T 

nipees. 

50            to      99 

4 

3 

2 

2 

I 

li 

I 

1 

I 

100            to     149 

5 

4 

3 

2* 

2 

l\ 

li 

I 

I 

150            to     199 

6 

5 

4 

4 

3i 

3 

A 

2 

li 

200            to    249 

7 

6 

5 

4i 

4 

3i 

3 

A 

2 

250            to    299 

8 

7 

6 

5 

Ah 

4 

3i 

3 

2*    . 

300            to    399 

9 

8 

7 

6 

\ 

4i 

4 

3} 

3 

400  and  over  .     . 

12 

II 

10 

9 

7 

'!> 

3i 

Persons  without  fixed  incomes  pay  such  fees  as  may  be  decided 
upon  by  the  committee. 

The  new  stone  building,  erected  in  1874-75  at  a  cost  of  about 
40,000  rupees,  was  designed  by  Captain  T.  Dowden,  R.K,  and 
is  upper-storied  with  two  wings.     It  is  capable  when  ftUly  com- 

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KARACHI.  363 

pleted  of  accommodadng  180  pupils  of  both  sexes,  44  of  these 
being  boarders.  Quarters  for  the  head  master,  mistress  and  the 
boarders  are  provided  in  the  upper  storey,  while  the  lower  storey  is 
used  for  class  and  dining  rooms.  The  wings  of  the  lower  part 
of  the  building  remain  at  present  as  a  kind  of  arcaded  play-ground, 
but  these  can  easily  be  converted  into  class-rooms  when  funds  for 
doing  so  become  available.  The  structure  is  in  every  respect  well 
suited  for  purposes  of  education,  and  is  an  ornament  to  the  neigh- 
bourhood in  which  it  stands. 

St.  Andrew's  Church. 

The  Scotch  Presbyterian  church,  known  as  St  Andrew's, 
stands  in  a  walled  inclosure  of  its  own  of  about  2  acres,  and  is 
situate  to  the  west  of  the  post-office  square.  It  was  designed  by 
T.  G.  Newnham,  Esq.,  of  the  Sind  railway,  and  in  style  is 
Gothic  of  the  14th  century.  The  work  was  commenced  in 
1867-68,  and  the  church  was  opened  for  divine  service  on  the 
last  day  of  the  latter  year.  It  consists  of  a  nave  100  feet  long 
and  56  feet  wide,  the  height  to  ridge  of  roof  being  56  feet;  there 
are  two  side  aisles  with  an  octagonal  porch  at  the  southern  comer, 
and  a  tower  with  steeple  135  feet  high.  The  nave  is  divided  from 
the  aisles  by  arcades,  above  which  are  clerestory  windows,  ten  in 
number,  on  either  side.  There  is  a  fine  rose  window,  18  feet  in 
diameter,  at  the  south  end,  and  a  five-light  window  with  head  of 
geometrical  tracery  on  the  northern  side. '  The  entire  cost  of  the 
building  was  56,000  rupees,  of  which  25,000  rupees  were  con- 
tributed by  Government;  it  is  sufficiency  large  to  seat  400 
persons. 

Christ's  Church  and  Mission  Schools. 

The  Mission  church  (Christ's),  situate  at  the  junction  of  the 
Lawrence  and  Mission  roads  in  a  walled  inclosure  of  3^  acres,  is 
a  small  but  neat  structure  in  the  early  English  style,  and  consists 
of  a  nave  93  feet  long  and  20  feet  broad,  including  the  chancel  and 
entrance  porch.  It  has  lancet  windows  on  the  north  and  south 
sides ;  at  the  eastern  or  chancel  end,  a  window  with  three  lights, 
and  at  the  western  end,  a  rose  window ;  the  two  latter  are  filled 
with  stained  glass,  the  gift  of  friends  in  England  to  this  mission. 
The  first  stone  of  this  building,  which  will  seat  about  200  persons, 
was  laid  by  the  Bishop  of  Bombay  in  January  1865,  and  it  was 
opened  for  divine  service  in  January  1866.  It  has  cost  hitherto 
in  all  22,000  rupees,  but  a  sum  of  about  4000  rupees  is  still  required 
to  complete  the  tower  and  steeple.     This  church  is  used  for  both 


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364  KARACHI. 

English  and  native  services,  the  former  being  held  every  Sunday 
evening.  It  will  be  necessary,  in  connection  with  this  church,  to 
state  that  the  Church  Missionary  Society  began  its  work  here  in 
1850,  and  that  it  at  present  emplo}^  four  ordained  European 
missionaries,  two  at  Karachi  and  two  at  Hyderabad,  besides 
several  native  agents.  Close  to  the  church  is  the  mission-house 
(formerly  the  kutcherry  of  the  collector  of  Karachi)  in  a  walled 
inclosure  of  from  6  to  8  acres,  with  several  semi-detached  out- 
buildings. The  school-house,  which  is  in  the  same  inclosure,  has 
a  central  hall,  and  two  large  side  rooms  with  spacious  verandahs, 
the  whole  affording  accommodation  for  about  200  pupils.  The 
school  works  up  to  Bombay  University  entrance  examination 
standard,  and  receives  a  monthly  grant-in-aid  from  the  Karachi 
municipality  of  50  rupees.  This  mission  has  also  a  large 
Gujarathi  boys*  school  with  150  pupils,  and  a  native  girls*  school 
(Marathi)  in  the  town  of  Karachi,  with  an  attendance  of  32 
scholars. 

St.  Paul's  Church. 

The  small  church  at  Manora,  called  St  Paul's,  attended  mostly 
by  the  residents  of  that  suburb  and  by  the  crews  of  vessels  in  the 
harbour,  was  erected  as  a  memorial  of  Sir  Charles  Napier,  the 
conqueror  of  Sind.  It  is  constructed  of  Manora  conglomerate 
and  stone  from  the  Hands'  Hill  quarries,  is  early  English  in  style, 
and  consists  of  a  nave  without  aisles,  and  a  vestry.  The  nave  is 
43  feet  in  length  and  20  feet  wide,  with  a  height  up  to  the  tie- 
beam  of  20  feet  It  has  four  lancet  windows  on  either  side,  with 
a  three-light  stained-glass  window  at  its  eastern  end.  This  build- 
ing was  commenced  and  finished  in  1864,  and  consecrated  in 
1865.  It  cost  15,000  rupees  in  all,  of  which  4000  rupees  were 
contributed  by  Government,  and  it  will  seat  50  persons.  Divine 
service  at  this  church  is  conducted  by  one  of  the  Government 
chaplains  of  the  Karachi  station  every  Sunday. 

Napier  Barracks. 

The  Napier  Barracks,  intended  for  the  accommodation  o 
European  troops  at  this  station,  comprise  ten  blocks  in  two  rows, 
six  in  fi:ont  and  four  in  the  rear ;  they  were  built  in  the  time  of 
Sir  Charles  Napier,  are  situate  in  a  healthy  position,  having  rising 
ground  to  the  eastward,  and  had  originally  no  upper  storey  to 
them.  They  are  capable  of  housing  with  comfort  an  entire  regi- 
ment of  in&ntry.  The  work  of  converting  these  blocks  into  large 
upper-storied  buildings  of  stone,  plain  in  style  but  very  substantial 


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KARACHI,  365 

in  appearance,  commenced  in  October  1868,  and  at  the  presijent 
time  five  have  been  completed,  at  an  expense  exceeding  five  lakhs 
of  rupees.  The  upper  rooms,  which  are  used  as  dormitories,  are 
279  feet  long,  with  a  width  of  24  feet  9  inches,  and  20  feet  up  to 
tie-beam ;  they  have  also  1 2  feet  verandahs  on  both  sides.  The 
Serjeants'  quarters  are  at  either  end  of  each  block.  The  lower 
rooms  are  used  as  day  rooms  for  the  men,  quarters  for  staff  ser- 
geants, workshops,  recreation  rooms,  and  regimental  ofiUces.  Each 
block  is  estimated  to  cost  120,000  rupees,  and  is  designed  to 
accommodate  72  men,  besides  the  sergeants  and  their  families. 

GisRi  Sanitarium. 

In  connection  with  the  Napier  Barracks  and  European  troops, 
it  will  be  ^necessary  to  refer  to  the  Sanitarium  at  Gisri  (within 
Karachi  municipal  limits)  established  in  1854  for  the  reception 
of  sick  officers  and  soldiers  from  the  European  portion  of  the 
military  force  stationed  at  Karachi  and  Hyderabad  For  the  ac- 
commodation of  the  officers  there  are  three  stone-built  bangalows 
capable  of  housing  two  officers  in  each,  and  for  the  rank  and  file 
two  barracks,  which  in  the  aggregate  can  hold  103  men.  There 
is  besides  a  detached  residence  for  the  apothecary,  and  numerous 
outhouses  for  various  purposes  in  the  rear  of  the  barracks.  It  is 
stated  that  the  Government  intend  erecting  new  buildings  for  sick 
soldiers,  sufficiently  large  to  accommodate  400  invalids  at  one  and 
the  same  time.  This  sanitarium  possesses  a  library  of  about 
700  volumes,  obtained  for  it  by  a  late  Commander-in-Chief  in 
India,  Lord  Napier  of  Magdala,  and  to  this  nearly  all  the  men 
located  there  subscribe.  In  a  sanitary  point  of  view,  Gisri  is 
considered  to  be  admirably  suited  for  its  present  purposes,  being 
seated  at  some  elevation  on  the  sea-coast,  with  a  strong  sea-breeze 
blowing  during  the  hottest  weather,  having  a  rocky  soil  and  good 
natural  drainage,  and  a  neighbourhood  firee  from  all  sources  of 
malaria.  During  a  period  of  fifteen  months,  ending  with  March 
187 1,  the  number  of  sick  men  sent  to  this  sanitarium  was  241, 
of  whom  35  were  invalided,  6  died,  159,  or  66  per  cent,  returned 
to  their  duty,  and  41  remained  under  treatment  Again  during 
1874  the  sick  men  sent  to  Gisri  numbered  53,  of  whom  9  were 
invalided,  none  died,  37,  or  70  per  cent,  returned  to  duty,  and 
7  remained  under  treatment. 

Indo-European  Telegraph  Offices. 
The  Indo-European  telegraphic  buildings,  situate  in  the  Serai 

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366  KARACHI. 

quarter  on  the  McLeod  road,  in  a  large  walled  inclosure,  consist 
of  a  central  edifice  with  two  wings,  two  separate  buildings,  a  store- 
room, and  workshops,  a  library  and  billiard-room,  all  of  stone, 
and  with  their  fronts  facing  the  west,  together  with  numerous  out- 
houses and  stables.  The  ground  floor  of  the  main  building  con- 
tains the  receiving  and  signalling  offices,  each  23  feet  by  20  feet, 
the  director's  office,  the  superintendent's  office,  the  account 
branch  and  traffic  manager's  offices,  each  of  these  latter  being. 
24  feet  by  20  feet;  there  are  also  two  record  rooms.  On  the 
upper  floor  are  quarters  for  the  superintendent  and  assistant 
superintendent  The  wings  are  connected  with  the  main  building  ' 
by  means  of  vaulted  passages,  and  here  are  the  quarters  provided 
for  the  signallers,  mechanicians,  &c.  The  two  separate  build- 
ings, one  on  either  side  of  the  main  building,  with  which  they 
harmonize  in  style,  afford  quarters  for  the  electricians,  traffic 
manager,  &c.  They  each  contain  four  rooms  on  the  ground 
floor  and  the  same  number  on  the  upper  floor,  and  have  besides 
wide  verandahs  front  and  back.  The  store-room  and  workshops 
occupy  a  long  building  with  three  rooms,  two  of  these  being  61 
feet  by  24  feet  The  library  and  billiard-room  is  situate  in  the 
north-west  comer  of  the  walled  inclosure,  and  was  erected  in  1867, 
at  a  cost  of  5000  rupees.  In  the  library-room  is  a  window  of 
stained  glass,  raised  by  subscription  to  the  memory  of  Colonel 
Patrick  Stewart,  the  first  director  of  the  department ;  it  contains 
his  portrait,  with  views  of  different  places  on  the  Arabian  and 
Persian  coasts,  as  well  as  a  large  female  figure  symbolical  of 
electricity.  The  style  of  these  telegraphic  buildings  is  Italian; 
they  were  commenced  in  1864  and  finished  in  1866,  at  a  cost,  not 
including  the  library  and  billiard-room,  of  2,05,040  rupees.  There 
are  pakka-built  wells  in  the  inclosure,  all  belonging  to  the  depart- 
ment, but  the  water  in  them  is  brackish,  and  in  consequence  imfit 
for  drinking  purposes. 

Post  Office. 

This  building,  which  lies  to  the  west  of  the  Indo-European 
telegraph  offices,  stands  in  a  walled  inclosure  of  between  three 
and  four  acres  on  the  McLeod  road,  is  in  the  ItaUan  style,  and 
consists  of  a  lower  floor  and  upper  storey.  The  postmaster 
resides  in  the  former,  in  which  there  is  every  accommodation, 
while  the  upper  floor,- which  is  approached  from  the  outside  by  a 
fine  flight  of  stone  steps,  is  reserved  for  the  business  of  the  post- 
office.  The  sorting  apartment  is  55  feet  by  26  feet;  and  there 
are  also  bhangy  and  accountant's  rooms.     The  outhouse  accom- 


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KARACHI.  367 

modation  is  extensive,  and  there  are  quarters  for  12  peons,  6 
horses  and  6  mail-carts.  There  is  a  well  in  the  compound,  but 
the  water  is  brackish.  The  cost  of  the  building,  outhouses,  &c., 
was  44,000  rupees;  the  work  was  commenced  in  1867  and 
completed  in  the  same  year. 

"Frere  Hall." 

The  fine  municipal  building  called  the  "  Frere  Hall,"  erected 
in  honour  of  Sir  H.  Bartle  K  Frere,  a  popular  Commissioner  of 
the  Province  of  Sind  from  185 1  to  1859,  stands  on  a  very 
slight  elevation  about  650  yards  in  a  south-easterly  direction  from 
Trinity  Church.  The  building  was  commenced  in  1863,  and  was 
opened,  though  in  a  somewhat  unfinished  state,  by  the  then 
Commissioner  in  Sind,  Mr.  S.  Mansfield,  in  October  1865,  up 
to  which  date  the  sum  of  1,73,912  rupees  had  been  expended  on 
it  The  hall,  which  was  designed  by  Captain  St  Clair  Wilkins, 
R.K,  is  in  the  Venetian-Gothic  style,  and  consists  on  the  principal 
storey,  which  is  approached  by  a  double  staircase,  of  four  rooms. 
One  of  these,  the  "  great  hall,"  a  fine  room,  70  feet  long,  35  feet 
wide,  and  38  feet  high,  with  an  orchestral  gallery,  is  mostly  used 
for  municipal  and  public  meetings,  concerts,  balls,  &c.;  the 
plaster  roof  of  this  apartment  was  replaced  in  1869  ^^  o^^  o^ 
"  deodar"  wood,  at  a  cost  of  2000  rupees.  Another  large  room 
adjoining  it  is  63  feet  long,  25  feet  wide,  by  38  feet  in  height 
The  room  in  the  octagonal  tower  is  small  but  lofty ;  above  it,  on  . 
an  upper  storey,  the  floor  is  laid  with  Minton's  encaustic  tiles. 
On  two  sides  of  the  "  great  hall "  are  wide  verandahs  (70  by  13 
feet  and  35  by  13  feet)  supported  by  light  and  handsome  pillars 
of  Porbandar  stone.  On  the  ground  floor  are  four  rooms,  in- 
cluding that  in  the  octagonal  tower.  The  two  largest  of  these  are 
occupied  by  the  Karachi  General  Libraiy  and  Museum,  removed 
hither  in  1870  from  its  former  quarters  in  the  staff"  lines.  This 
library  and  museum  was  established  in  185 1,  and  the  former 
contains  at  the  present  time  between  6000  and  7000  books. 
The  joint  institution  is  liberally  supported  from  the  local  fimds 
of  the  three  Sind  coUectorates  and  by  a  yearly  grant  firom  the 
Karachi  municipality;  these  sums  are  further  increased  by 
monthly  payments  from  the  subscribers  to  the  library  for  the  use 
of  the  books  and  magazines.  The  aggregate  amount  received 
from  these  sources  was  in  1873-74  about  5904  rupees,  while 
the  total  expenses  during  the  same  year  were  4973  rupees.  The 
management  of  the  library  and  museum  is  entrusted  to  a  joint 
committee  of  six  persons,   one-half  selected  by  the  subscribers 

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368  KARACHI 

and  the  remainder  by  the  Municipal  Commission.  The  perma- 
nent establishment  consists  of  an  unsalaried  honorary  secretary,  a 
paid  librarian,  curator,  and  peons,  the  entire  cost  of  which  from 
the  year  187 1  is  now  defrayed  by  the  Karachi  municipality.  On 
the  eastern  side  of  the  "  Frere  Hall "  is  a  porch,  heavy  in  its  pro- 
portions when  compared  with  the  other  parts  of  the  structure, 
from  which  a  covered  flight  of  stone  steps  leads  to  the  upper 
storey.  A  wooden  spirelet,  coated  with  Muntz's  metal,  springs 
from  the  high  roof,  and  reaches  to  an  elevation  of  144  feet  from 
the  ground.  The  brass  chandeliers  hung  throughout  the  rooms 
of  the  "  Frere  Hall "  were  the  work  of  the  Harbour  Improvement 
Works  Department,  and  are  similar  in  design  to  those  used  in 
Trinity  Church.  The  grounds  in  which  the  hall  stands  are  now 
enclosed  by  a  stone  wall  with  neatly-designed  iron  railings,  but  no 
outhouses  have  yet  been  erected  in  connection  with  the  building. 
A  band-stand  was  built  in  1866  in  an  open  space  a  little  to  the 
west  of  the  hall. 

Government  House. 

Government  House,  the  residence  of  the  Commissioner  in 
Sind^  is  situate  in  the  Civil  Lines  quarter,  and  stands  in  a  large 
walled  inclosure  with  its  front  facing  the  west  It  consists  of  a 
central  building  with  two  wings,  approached  by  a  carriage-drive 
from  five  different  directions,  and  was  originally  built  by  Sir 
Charles  Napier,  when  Governor  of  this  Province,  and  from  him 
purchased  by  Government  in  1847  for  the  then  Commissioner  in 
Sind,  Mr.  Pringle.  The  entire  cost  to  Government  of  this  edifice, 
with  houses,  stables,  &c.,  was  48,273  rupees.  The  interior  ar- 
rangements are  well  adapted  for  comfort  and  convenience,  but  the 
exterior  cannot  be  said  to  have  any  pretension  whatever  to  archi- 
tectural taste.  The  upper  storey  of  the  central  building  was  added 
by  the  late  General  John  Jacob,  when  Acting  Commissioner  in 
Sind  in  1856.  The  present  Commissioner's  office  was  formerly 
a  private  residence,  but  was  purchased  by  Government  in  18^5. 
Great  additions  have  of  late  been  made  to  it.  That  portion  now 
used  as  a  printing  establishment  had  previously  been  the  office 
of  the  Assistant  Commissioner  for  Sind  jagirs;  it  was  turned  to 
its  present  use  in  1864,  ^^'^  considerably  enlarged  in  the  years 
1872  and  1874, 

Collector's  Office. 
The  office  and  treasury  of  the  Collector  of  Karachi,  a  large 


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KARACHI,  369 

barrack-like  looking  building,  stands  in  an  open  space  of  ground 
of  some  extent  (only  partially  inclosed)  in  the  Civil  Lines  quarter. 
It  was  designed  and  built  by  Captain  John  Hill,  of  the  Bombay 
Engineers,  in  1842,  at  a  cost  of  about  50,000  rupees,  and  is  upper- 
storied,  having  an  open  verandah  on  both  the  east  and  west  sides. 
The  treasury-room  is  vaulted,  and,  in  other  respects,  is  well  adapted 
for  the  purposes  intended^  The  entire  building,  which  is  well  ven- 
tilated, is  not,  however,  considered  to  be  large  enough  for  present 
requirements.  There  is  a  guard-house  and  a  large  go-down  at  a 
short  distance  from  the  office,  with  which  they  are  both  connected. 
The  establishments  permanently  provided  with  office  quarters  in 
this  building  are  those  of  the  Treasury,  Stamp^  Paper  Currency, 
and  Registration  departments,  which  are  superintended  by  the 
Huztir  Deputy  Collector  of  Karachi,  who  remains  at  head-quarters 
all  the  year  round,  while  the  Collector's  and  Magistrate's  English 
and  Vernacular  establishments  are  accommodated  there  during  the 
hot  season  and  when  not  on  tour  in  the  districts. 


Small  Cause  Court. 

The  building  at  present  used  as  the  Small  Cause  Court  of 
Karachi  is  situate  within  a  large  and  as  yet  unwalled  inclosure  in 
the  Ranchor  Municipal  quarter  adjoining  the  Bandar  road.  It 
was  erected  about  the  year  1855-56  by  the  Public  Works  Depart- 
ment, at  a  cost  of  7422  rupees,  and  was  originally  intended  to 
accommodate  an  engineering  school  The  building  itself  is  of  a 
peculiar  style  of  architecture,  but  contains  a  large  court-room,  with 
two  side  rooms  for  clerks  and  other  purposes.  At  a  short  distance 
from  the  court-house  is  a  well-built  brick  go-down,  intended  for  the 
reception  of  attached  goods  previous  to  sale.  The  Karachi  Small 
Cause  Court  was.  established  in  August  1861,  for  the  adjudication 
of  suits  of  the  value  of  500  rupees  and  under.  Formerly  the 
Judicial  Deputy  Magistrate  of  Karachi  presided  as  first  judge  for 
the  hearing  of  suits  in  which  Europeans  were  concerned,  while 
a  Munsif^  as  second  judge,  decided  native  suits.  By  Bombay 
Act  VIII.  of  1863  the  jurisdiction  of  this  court  was  enlarged, 
and  it  now  extends  over  die  Karachi  talaka. 

In  the  following  year  an  Imperial  Act  (IV.  of  1864)  was 
passed,  giving  validity  to  certain  proceedings  previously  carried 
out  in  this  court 

The  staff  of  the  Karachi  Small  Cause  Court  consists,  besides 
the  judge,  of  a  clerk,  mOnshi,  and  accountant,  five  bailiffs,  and  a 

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37<3 


KARACHI. 


small  establishment  of  peons.     The  number  of  suits  filed  in  this 
court  during  the  four  years  ending  with  1874  was  as  follows : — 


Year. 

Number  of  Suits. 

Value. 

rupees. 

187I 

3,042 

^    1,55.470 

1872 

3.238 

I. 46.418 

1873 

3.676 

1,87,163 

1874 

3.570 

1.55,907 

Government  High  School. 

A  Government  English  school  was  established  at  Karachi  as  early 
as  1853,  at  the  instance  of  Sir  H.  Bartle  E.  Frere,  when  Com- 
missioner in  Sind,  but  it  was  not  till  the  following  year  that  it 
was  accommodated  in  the  old  building  (once  used  as  an  Anglo- 
Vernacular  school)  situate  at  the  comer  of  the  Bandar  and  Mission 
roads  in  the  Ranchor  Lines  municipal  quarter,  which  was  erected 
by  Government  in  1854  at  a  cost  of  6203  rupees.  The  building, 
which  is  of  a  very  peculiar  style  of  architecture,  is  87  feet  long 
and  41  feet  broad,  contains  one  large  and  two  small  rooms,  and 
has  a  tower  attached  to  it  in  which  a  clock  was  put  up  at  the 
expense  of  the  Karachi  municipality.  In  1864-65,  when  the 
grant-in-aid  rules  came  into  force,  this  school  resolved  itself  into 
two  distinct  institutions — ^the  High  and  Anglo-Vernacular  schools 
— all  the  pupils  able  to  pass  the  required  examination  under  the 
new  rules  forming  the  High  School.  This  latter  professes  to 
educate  students  up  to  the  matriculation  standard  of  the  Bombay 
University,  and  since  its  establishment  several  young  men  have 
successfully  matriculated  from  it  In  1874-75  two  blocks  of 
buildings  were  erected  close  to  the  old  school,  at  an  expense  of 
23,400  rupees,  contributed  partly  by  Government,  the  Karachi 
municipality,  and  private  subscriptions.  Each  block  contains 
five  class-rooms  and  one  record-room,  the  dimensions  of  the 
former  being  24  feet  by  i6,  and  of  the  latter  16  feet  by  15.  The 
block  adjoining  the  Bandar  road  is  called  the  "  Narayan 
Jaganath  "  Anglo-Vernacular  School,  after  a  popular  officer  of  the 
Sind  Educational  Department,  who  died  in  1873.  The  High 
School  is  accommodated  in  the  other  block.  The  number 
of  pupils  in  this  latter  institution  at  the  beginning  of  1875 
was    77.      The  High  Schooh  possesses    one    scholarship    and 

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KARACHI,  371 

one  prize,  called  respectively  the  McLeod  Scholarship  and 
Frere  Native  Prize.  The  former,  in  value  about  200  rupees 
per  annum,  was  established  in  1854,  in  honour  of  Mr.  John 
McLeod,  a  former  Deputy  Collector  of  Customs,  who  died  at 
Karachi  in  December  1853.  He  did  much  towards  fostering 
the  trade  of  Sind,  and  was  greatly  beloved  for  his  sterling  worth 
by  all  classes  of  the  community.  The  proceeds  of  this  scholar- 
ship have  now  been  transferred  to  the  Sind  Scholarship  Fund, 
instituted  to  support  natives  of  the  province  while  studying  at  one 
or  other  of  the  colleges  in  Bombay.  The  Frere  Native  Prize, 
of  the  annual  value  of  20  rupees,  was  founded  in  1859,  in  honour 
of  Sir  Bartle  Frere,  when  leaving  Karachi,  and  this  sum  is.  expended 
.  in  providing  a  book  or  books  to  be  awarded  annually  to  the  best 
student  in  the  Government  English  school  The  teaching  staff  of 
the  High  School  consists,  at  present,  of  one  European  head  master 
with  four  assistants,  together  with  a  Persian  and  Sindi  tutor. 
The  average  monthly  expenditure  on  this  account  is  about  816 
rupees,  which  is  met  by  monthly  contributions  from  the  imperial 
and  local  funds,  from  the  Karachi  municipality  (45  rupees),  and 
from  school  fees. 

Anglo-Vernacular  Schoou 

The  Anglo-Vernacular  School,  which,  as  previously  mentioned, 
once  occupied  the  large  building  formerly  used  by  the  Govern- 
ment English  school,  is  now  located  in  one  of  the  new  blocks  of 
buildings  recently  erected  in  1874-75,  and  may  be  regarded  as  a 
feeder  to  the  High  School  The  number  of  pupils  in  this  institution 
at  the  beginning  of  1875  was  130,  comprising  not  only  Sindis, 
but  a  number  of  Marathis  and  Parsis.  The  teaching  staff  com- 
prises one  head  master  and  four  assistants,  involving  a  monthly 
expenditure  of  about  250  rupees,  which  sum  is  met  from  imperial 
and  local  funds  and  fees.  This  school  teaches  up  to  the  second 
English  standard,  and  no  boy  is  admitted  into  it  as  a  student 
unless  he  has  passed  the  third  vernacular  standard. 

Vernacular  Schools. 

There  are  four  Government  Vernacular  schools  in  Karachi — 
I,  the  Arabic-Sindi ;  2,  the  Marathi ;  3,  the  Gujrathi  \  and  4,  the 
Hindu-Sindi  The  Arabic-Sindi  school  occupied  up  to  1869  ^ 
small  but  conspicuous  stone  building  of  one  room  only,  situate  on 
the  Bandar  road,  near  the  Kardar's  office.  It  was  erected  at  the 
expense  of  the  municipality,  at  a  cost  of  about  1000  rupees.  As 
it  was  found  in  1869  to  be  too  small  for  the  requirements  of  this 

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372  KARACHI. 

school,  a  private  house  was  hired  in  the  native  town,  but  in 
1873  another  and  larger  school-house  was  erected  in  the  same 
inclosure  as  the  Kardar's  office,  and  in  this  the  pupils  are  now 
accommodated.  The  attendance  in  the  month  of  January  1875 
was  170,  two-thirds  of  these  being  Muhammadan  boys  of  the 
lower  classes.  They  are  taught  up  to  the  fifth  vernacular  standard 
by  a  head  masrtier  and  four  assistants,  at  a  monthly  cost  of 
1 15-12  rupees,  this  amount  being  met  by  grants  from  the  imperial 
and  local  funds,  the  Karachi  municipality  (15  rupees),  and  fees. 
The  Persian  language  is  largely  taught  in  this  school 

The  Marathi  school  is  situate  on  the  Mission  road,  and  is  nearly 
opposite  to  the  civil  hospital  The  building,  standing  in  a  walled 
inclosure  of  its  own,  is  of  stone,  and  contains  two  large  and  one 
small  room.  It  was  erected  at  a  cost  of  about  2000  rupees,  at 
the  joint  expense  of  Government  and  the  Marathi  community. 
The  Karachi  municipality  grants  15  rupees  a  month  to  this 
school,  which  enables  it  to  provide  an  assistant  master.  It  be- 
came a  Government  institution  in  1869,  when  it  had  66  boys, 
but  at  the  end  of  1874  this  number  had  increased  to  166.  The 
teaching  staff  comprises  a  head  master  and  four  assistants,  costing 
monthly  about  90  rupees,  which  sum  is  derived  from  imperial 
and  municipal  grants,  and  from  fees.  The  school  teaches  up  to 
the  fifth  standard,  and  it  is  the  great  source  whence  the  Anglo- 
Vernacular  school  is  supplied  with  students. 

The  Gujrathi  school,  which  owes  its  rise  mainly  to  the  exertions 
of  the  late  Mr.  Ramdas  Bhanji,  an  inhabitant  of  Karachi,  was 
established  in  December  i868,  and  is  intended  for  the  education 
of  the  children  of  a  large  class  of  Gujrathi-speaking  people,  chiefly 
merchants,  traders,  and  shopkeepers.  These  are  mostly  Hindus 
of  Gujrat,  Bhatias,  Kachis,  Memons,  Khwajas,  and  Parsis.  The 
school  is  accommodated  in  a  portion  of  the  house  recently  rented 
for  the  Sindi-Arabic  school,  but  will,  it  is  expected,  be  moved  into 
the  new  building  formerly  occupied  by  the  Educational  Press ; 
it  has  an  average  attendance  of  160  boys,  who  are  taught  up  to 
the  third  vernacular  standard  by  a  staff  of  instructors  consisting  of 
a  head  master  and  four  assistant  teachers.  The  ordinary  monthly 
expenditure  at  this  school  is  11 4-8  rupees,  which  is  met  by  grants 
from  the  imperial  and  local  funds,  and  from  school  fees.  The^ 
HindO-Sindi  school  was  established  in  July  1869,  and  is  accom- 
modated in  the  building  on  the  Bandar  road  previously  mentioned 
as  having  been  occupied  by  the  Arabic-Sindi  institution  up  to  that 
year.  In  this  school  the  HindQ-Sindi  character,  called  "  Shi- 
karpuri"  in  northern,  and    "  Khudabadi"  in  central  and  lower 

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KARACHI.  373 

Sind,  is  taught  with  the  view  of  attracting  the  children  of  the 
trading  classes,  among  whom  this  character,  and  not  the  "  Arabic- 
Sindi "  (which  was  made  the  medium  of  official  correspondence 
during  Sir  Barde  Frere's  administration),  is  in  use.  But  as  there 
were  many  defects  in  the  writing  of  the  Banya  character,  among 
others  an  entire  omission  of  all  vowel  marks,  which  allowed  a 
single  word  to  bear  various  interpretations,  an  improved  form  of 
alphabet  was  drawn  up  by  the  Deputy  Educational  Inspector  in 
Sind  (the  late  Mr.  Narayan  Jaganath),  and  this  being  approved  of 
by  a  committee  specially  appointed  to  consider  the  subject,  was 
introduced  for  general  use  by  a  notification  issued  by  the  Commis- 
sioner in  Sind  in  February  1869,  and  a  Hindu-Sindi  school  was 
established  at  Karachi  in  the  same  year.  At  first  the  attendance 
of  pupils  was  large,  but  this  after  a  time  diminished  to  50 ;  and 
at  die  end  of  1874,  this  number  had  only  increased  to  59.  The 
teaching  stafif  comprises  one  head  master  and  an  assistant,  who 
are  paid  by  a  monthly  grant  of  24-8  rupees  firom  local  funds. 

Female  Schools. 

It  was  not  before  July  1869  that  any  Government  female 
schools  existed  in  Karachi  There  were  two  of  them  in  1871, 
but  at  present  one  only  for  Hindu  girls  is  in  existence.  The 
school  is  situate  in  the  heart  of  the  native  town,  and  has  an  attend- 
ance of  133  pupils,  who  receive  instruction  up  to  the  fourth 
vernacular  standard  from  a  mistress  and  two  pupil  teachers. 

The  monthly  expenditure  on  account  of  this  school  is  35-8 
rupees,  which  is  met  by  imperial  and  local  grants-in-aid. 

Central  Book  Depot. 

In  connection  with  Government  educational  institutions  gene- 
rally at  Karachi,  it  will  be  necessary  here  to  speak  of  the  Go- 
vernment Central  Book  Depot,  which  at  one  time  (from  1866) 
occupied  a  bangalow  (formerly  the  freight  agent's  office)  on  the 
Bandar  road,  near  the  Anglo-Vernacular  school,  but  more  recentiy 
the  new  building  near  the  Native  Library,  erected  in  1873,  at  a  cost 
of  5045  rupees,  for  the  Educational  Printing  Press.  Here,  besides 
the  publication  of  all  vernacular  school  books,  was  printed  a  small 
bi-weekly  paper,  or  educational  record,  called  the  "  Sind  Sudhar." 
At  present  the  Printing  Press  is  amalgamated  with  that  of  the 
Commissioner  in  Sind,  and  this  building  is,  it  is  expected,  to  be 
converted  into  a  Gujrathi  Vernacular  School.  There  are  17 
district  dep6ts  (in  charge  of  head  masters  of  schools)  subordinate 


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374  KARACHI. 

to  this  central  dep6t,  and  it  may  be  mentioned  that  during  the 
year  1874-75,  English,  Persian,  Arabic,  Sindi,  Hindustani, 
Marathi,  Gujrathi,  and  other  books  to  the  number  of  23,176  and 
of  the  value  of  6183  rupees,  were  disposed  of,  leaving  at  the  end 
of  that  year  a  balance  of  93,035  books,  valued  at  30,080  rupees. 
Monthly,  half-yearly,  and  yearly  accounts  of  this  depot  are  fur- 
nished to  the  Central  Book  Depot  at  Bombay. 

Parsi  Schools. 

Among  the  various  educational  institutions  in  Karachi,  not 
Governmental,  which  have  not  yet  been  brought  to  notice  may 
be  mentioned  two  Parsi  schools.  One  of  them,  the  "  Virbaiji " 
is  situate  in  Frere  Street,  Sadar  Bazar,  and  is  accommodated  in  a 
large  house  liberally  given  for  this  purpose  in  1870  by  Mr.  Sapurji 
Hormazji  Sopariwala,  a  resident  at  Karachi.  The  school  itself  was 
established  in  1859,  and  at  the  beginning  of  1875  had  an  average 
attendance  of  121  pupils  (67  boys  and  54  girls).  It  is  supported 
by  the  Parsi  community,  managed  by  a  committee,  and  is  periodi- 
cally visited  by  the  Government  Educational  Inspector  in  Sind.  It 
teaches  in  Gujrathi  the  usual  subjects  learnt  in  Government  ver- 
nacular schools,  and  the  girls,  in  addition  to  the  usual  elementary 
course,  are  instructed  in  needlework.  The  Karachi  municipality 
gives  a  monthly  sum  of  50  rupees  as  a  grant-in-aid  to  this  insti- 
tution, and  it  was  in  1870  registered  for  examination  imder  the 
revised  rules  for  grants-in-aid.  There  is  another  Parsi  school, 
though  a  very  small  one,  situate  in  the  Rambagh  quarter,  which  is 
wholly  supported  by  the  Parsi  residents  of  that  part  of  Karachi. 
The  attendance  is  small,  there  not  being,  on  an  average,  more  than 
eight  pupils,  who  receive  a  rudimentary  education  in  the  Gujrathi 
language. 

Charitable  Dispensary. 

This  building,  which  is  situate  on  the  Bandar  road,  near  the 
Kardar's  office,  was  erected  in  1862,  at  a  cost  of  6962  rupees, 
and  is  in  charge  of  a  sub-assistant  surgeon,  assisted  by  two 
medical  pupils.  It  possesses  accommodation  for  ten  in-door 
patients.  The  total  admissions  during  1874  were  10,657,  of 
whom  10,584  were  treated  as  out-door,  and  73  as  in-door  patients. 
The  average  daily  attendance  in  that  same  year  was  100.  The 
total  expenses  of  this  establishment  in  1874  amounted  to  5302 
rupees.  Of  this  sum  the  pay  of  the  medical  staff  and  the  fixed 
allowances  of  the  servants,  as  well  as  a  few  minor  expenses, 


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KARACHI. 


37S 


amounting  in  the  whole  to  4219  rupees,  were  defrayed  by  the 
Government  The  municipality  furnished  all  the  medicines,  petty 
supplies,  bedding,  clothing,  dead  stock,  &c.  Previous  to  the 
erection  of  the  present  building,  the  business  of  the  dispensary 
was  carried  on  from  1847  in  an  upper-storied  house  in  the  middle 
of  the  town*  The  present  dispensary  is  examined  every  week 
or  fortnight  by  the  Deputy  Surgeon-General  of  Hospitals,  Sind 
Division. 

Civil  Hospital. 

The  Civil  Hospital  is  situate  in  the  Ranchor  Lines  municipal 
quarter,  and  stands  at  some  little  distance,  facing  the  west,  from 
the  Mission  road.  It  is  a  large  upper-storey  building  with  two 
wings,  its  entire  length  being  340J  feet  There  are  six  lower 
wards  and  one  upper-storey  ward,  and  the  hospital  is  capable  of 
making  up  75  beds.  The  central  portion,  which  is  the  original 
building,  was  erected  in  1854  by  (jovemment  at  a  cost  of  6878 
rupees ;  the  additions  were  made  by  the  Sind  llailway  Company 
in  1859. 

The  following  statement  will  show  the  total  number  of  persons 
treated  for  various  diseases  in  this  hospital  during  the  years  1872, 
1873,  and  1874,  together  with  other  information  in  connection 
with  them ; — 


In-door  patients  .     . 
Out-door  patients     • 

Casualties. 

Avera^  Daily 

xSya. 

«873. 

1874. 

1879. 

1873. 

1874- 

1879. 

"873. 

1874. 

1.184 
7.X73 

897 
9.957 

830 
9»397 

84 

4a 

z 

34 

So'S 
79-8 

4i'o 
8J-0 

25*5 
84-3 

The  hospital  is  directly  under  the  control  of  the  Civil  Surgeon 
of  Karachi,  who  has  a  resident  staff,  consisting  of  one  apothecary, 
one  hospital  assistant,  and  a  native  medical  pupil.  An  inspection 
of  this  hospital  takes  place  during  the  cold  season.  The  most 
prevalent  diseases  in  the  town  of  Karachi  are  found  to  be  inter- 
mittent fevers,  chronic  rheumatism,  and  bowel  complaints,  arising, 
it  is  believed,  mainly  from  imperfect  drainage,  variable  climate, 
and  unwholesome  drinking  water.  Cholera  visited  the  place  in 
an  epidemic  form  in  the  years  1865,  1867,  and  1869,  and  small- 
pox in  x866, 1868,  and  1870.  During  1869^  Karachi  was  troubled 
with  a  bad  type  of  fever  epidemic,  from  which  the  European  troops 


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376  KARACHI. 

stationed  here  suffered  severely.  The  very  heavy  rainfall  during 
that  year,  which  in  quantity  was  more  than  double  that  of  any 
previous  year,  is  supposed  to  have  been  the  exciting  cause. 


Lock  Hospital. 

The  Lock  Hospital  at  Karachi  was  established  in  August  1869, 
in  accordance  with  the  requirements  of  Imperial  Act  XXIL  of 
1864,  which  provides  for  the  proper  administration  of  military 
cantonments.  The  building  at  present  used  for  this  purpose, 
which  is  upper-storied,  is  situate  in  a  high  walled  inclosure  in  the 
Ranchor  lines,  and  contains  accommodation  for  ten  patients,  who 
are  dieted  by  the  Government  at  a  cost  of  three  annas /^  diem. 
The  establishment  consists  of  a  medical  officer,  who  is  also  the 
staff  surgeon  of  Karachi,  a  hospital  assistant,  matron  and  assistant, 
overseer,  and  several  menial  servants.  During  the  year  1870  ore 
hundred  and  eighteen  females  were  under  treatment  in  this  hospital, 
of  whom  8i  per  cent  were  found  to  be  diseased  to  a  frightful 
extent — nearly  one-half  of  the  admissions  showed  the  disease  as 
appearing  in  either  the  secondary  or  tertiary  form.  In  1874  the 
number  of  females  imder  treatment  was  165,  but  five  only  of  these 
remained  in  hospital  at  the  end  of  the  year.  The  monthly 
average  of  registered  women  was  186,  and  13*4  per  cent  of  those 
examined  were  found  to  be  diseased 


Climate. 

The  climate  of  Karachi,  taken  as  a  whole,  may  be  considered 
as  the  most  salubrious  throughout  Sind,  the  town  being  well  open 
to  the  sea-breeze,  which  blows  here  almost  continuously  during 
eight  months  of  the  year.  The  westerly  wind  is  that  most  pre- 
valent in  the  hot  season,  blowing,  on  an  average,  162  days  out  of 
365,  the  least  frequent  being  a  due  south  wind.  The  results  of 
five  years'  observation  (i860  to  1864)  showed  the  west  wind  to  be 
most  prevalent  during  the  months  of  March,  April,  May,  June, 
July,  August,  September,  and  October.  The  climate  must,  firom 
this  circumstance,  as  well  as  firom  the  low  situation  of  the  town 
and  the  near  neighbourhood  of  marsh-land,  be  regarded  as  moist 
and  humid ;  but  the  heat  during  the  hottest  months  bears  no 
comparison  with  that  experienced  at  those  places  in  the  interior 
which  are  shut  out  firom  the  influence  of  the  sea-breeze.  From 
carefiil  observations,  taken  during  the  past  nineteen  years,  the 
mean  temperature  of  Karachi  during  the  year  may  be  safely  stated 


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KARACHI.  377 

to  be  77°.  The  hottest  months  at  Karachi  are  April,  May,  and 
June,  though  September  and  October,  owing  to  the  diminished 
strength  of  the  westerly  wind,  are  at  times  close  and  sultry.  The 
maximum  heat  in  the  sun's  rays  at  Karachi  during  May  has  been 
recorded  as  high  as  i68°  F.,  and  in  June  at  162°  F.,  while  the 
minimum  ^temperature  in  air  in  the  month  of  January  has  been 
found  as  low  as  38°  F.  The  cold  weather  at  Karachi  is  not 
ushered  in  much  before  the  beginning  or  middle  of  November, 
when  a  sudden  change  from  the  moist  sea-breeze  to  the  dry  and 
cold  north-east  wind  brings  about,  as  a  natural  consequence,  an 
immediate  change  in  temperature. 

Rainfall. 

The  rainfall  at  Karachi  is  slight  and  fluctuating,  but  the  average 
amount  gauged  during  the  year  cannot  be  set  down  at  more  than 
5  inches,  though,  if  the  heavy  falls  which  occur  in  some  years  be 
taken  into  consideration,  this  average  will  then  be  raised  to  7 
inches.  Sometimes  one  or  two  years  elapse  with  scarcely  any  rain 
at  all,  but  this  is  generally  made  up  afterwards  by  a  more  than 
ordinary  fall.  This  was  the  case  in  185 1,  when  nearly  26  inches 
were  gauged,  and  again  in  1869,  when  28*45  inches  are  said  to 
have  fallen.  The  rainfall  at  Karachi  is  not  confined  to  the 
ordinary  monsoon  months  of  Western  India,  but  often  occurs 
during  December  and  January,  and  less  frequently  in  February 
and  March.  The  following  two  tables  of  temperature  and  rainfall 
are  made  up  from  observations  recorded  at  the  Meteorological 
Observatory  at  Karachi,  the  first  extending  over  a  period  of 
nineteen  years  from  1856  to  1874,  and  the  second  showing  the 
monthly  temperature  and  rainfall  for  the  past  three  years  ending 
with  1874  {seepages  378,  379)  :— 


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378 


KARACHI. 


TABLE 

I. 

Vc«r. 

Maximum 
in  Air. 

Minimum 
in  Air. 

Mean  in 
Air. 

RainfaU. 

Inches. 

Cents. 

1856 

i& 

0 

47 

0 

79 

2 

14 

^IH 

102 

41 

76 

5 

70 

1858 

108 

39 

'1 

5 

90 

1859 

106 

40 

76 

6 

20 

i860 

107 

40 

76 

2 

80 

1861 

108 

4a 

74 

5 

71 

1862 

109 

41 

76 

4 

86 

1863 

109 

39 

76 

•t 

50 

1864 

105 

43 

7S 

28 

1865 

117 

44 

77 

7 

06 

1866 

109 

38 

7| 

13 

73 

1867 

96 

42 

S^ 

2 

41 

1868 

117 

45 

2 

86 

1869 

III 

45 

82 

28 

45 

1870 

1 10 

41 

^2 

4 

65 

187 1 

101 

44 

78 

12 

1872 

107 

40 

74 

"7 

60 

1873 

112 

4* 

77 

2 

50 

1874 

lOI 

42 

71 

8 

29 

Karachi  Water-supply. 

In  close  connection  with  the  health  statistics  of  Karachi  may  be 
included  its  present  water-supply.  The  great  evil  of  a  scarcity  of 
good  water  had  early  engaged  attention,  and  in  1859  the  water 
from  many  of  the  wells  and  tanks  in  and  about  Karachi  was  sub- 
mitted to  analysis,  when  it  was  found  that  though  all  the  samples 
(nineteen  in  number)  showed  a  remarkable  freedom  from  organic 
matter,  only  six  of  this  number  were  equal  in  purity  to  the 
ordinary  river  waters  of  Europe,  the  remainder  being  too  saline 
for  any  useful  purpose.  The  water  most  favourably  reported 
upon  was  from  wells  dug  on  the  banks  of  the  Layari  river,  from 
two  wells  in  the  Commissariat  lines,  and  from  a  well  in  the 
Rambagh  tank,  which  had  no  connection  with  the  tank  water,  but 
tapped,  it  was  supposed,  an  old  underlying  bed  of  the  LayarL 
From  this  last  pipes  w«re  in  1859  laid  down  to  cisterns  with  foun- 
tains placed  at  intervals  on  the  Bandar  road,  and  having  stone 
troughs,  supplied  water  not  only  to  the  people,  but  to  their  cattle 
as  well.  The  inhabitants  of  Kiamari  and  the  shipping  in  the 
harbour  obtain  their  supplies  of  water  from  the  large  barrel  carts 
which  bring  it  from  Camp.  The  European  troops  in  the  Napier 
barracks  are  supplied  with  water  from  the  Commissariat  well  by 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


KARACHI. 


379 


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Digitized  by  VjOOQ IC 


38o 


KARACHI. 


an  underground  aqueduct,  and  the  workmen  in  the  Sind  rail- 
way workshops  and  others  in  the  Frere  Town  quarter  from  what 
is  known  as  the  railway  well  near  the  Government  gardens,  by 
means  of  underground  iron  pipes.  A  fine  /a>(>^-built  well  of 
good  water,  near  the  Ratan  tank,  was  presented  to  the  Karachi 
municipality  for  public  use,  by  Mr.  Sapurji  Hormazji  Sopariwala, 
in  1869,  and  the  water  of  this  is  much  used  by  people  residing  in 
the  neighbourhood.  That  the  necessity  for  a  good  water-supply 
for  Karachi  had  early  attracted  attention,  will  be  evidenced  by  the 
following  list  of  projected  schemes  to  obtain  it  from  various 
sources,  not  one  of  which,  however,  has  yet  been  carried  out : — 


No. 

Year. 

Designer. 

Source 

of 
Supply. 

.a 

1.1 

Estimated 
Cost. 

Quantity 
of  Water 
per  Diem. 

St^2 

per  Head 
of  80,000 
Ptople. 

184s 

Captain  Baker   .     .     . 

Malir. 

X3 

rupees. 
Zp86,76o 

gallons. 
32,z7o 

gallons. 
o'4 

1847 

Captain  J.  Hm  .     .     . 

Ditto. 

»3 

z,zo»8o3 

400,000 

5 

•• 

( Cantonment       Water 
\    Company.     .     .     . 

V  Wells 

\ 

No  details. 

•• 

•• 

1853 

Lieutenant  Chapman  • 

Indus. 

93 

4«.5o,773 

.. 

.. 

1857 

Captain  De  Lisle    .     . 

Malir. 

x6 

3,97,000 

Z,9Z5,000 

Z5-Z8 

•• 

•• 

Ditto 

Ditto . 

•• 

(    zo, 00,000) 
( iron  piping  ) 

•• 

i86z 

Mr.  J.  Bnmton  .     .     . 

Ditto. 

a3 

90*00,000 

9,050,000 

95*69 

i86s 

Mr.  T.  G.  Newnham  . 

Indus. 

zoo 

90,00,000 

Z2, 000,000 

Z50 

.. 

Colonel  Fife.     .     .     . 

Malir. 

xo* 

3.94,000 

600,000 

rs 

1867 

C  Khftn  Bahadur  Murild 
I    Kb&n 

}Habb 

X9 

zo,3i,ooo 
(      6.30,000 

9,300,390 

98-75 

zo 

1868 

Colonel  Merriman  .     . 

Malir. 

z8 

1  stone  piping 
j     13, a^, 000 
\  iron  piping 

z, 798,000 

9Z-6 

Scheme  No.  4  was  intended  not  only  to  supply  drinking  water 
to  the  whole  of  Karachi,  but  to  furnish  a  navigable  canal  as  well. 
The  same  may  be  said  of  No.  7,  Mr.  Newnham's  project,  which 
provided,  in  addition  to  good  drinking  water,  the  means  of  irrigating 
a  portion  of  the  Indus  delta,  of  draining  Karachi,  and  for  irrigating 
the  Moach  plain  with  sewage  matter.  The  tenth  plan  was  one 
for  bringing  in  water  from  the  Malir  river,  at  a  spot  about  18 
miles  distant  from  Karachi.  Five  other  schemes  for  supplying 
water  from  this  river,  one  of  which,  No.  6,  was  the   Damlot 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


KARACHI.  381 

scheme  of  Mr.  John  Bninton,  had  previously  been  projected,  but 
none  carried  out  The  latest  project  for  supplying  water  to 
Karachi  is  one  by  Mr.  James  Strachan,  c.e.,  of  the  Karachi 
municipality,  and  is  now  under  the  consideration  of  Government 
This  scheme,  which  may  be  said  to  be  a  modification  of  No.  10 
(Colonel  Merriman's),  is  intended  to  bring  in  water  from  the  Malir 
river,  at  a  distance  of  about  18  miles,  by  means  of  an  underground 
aqueduct  The  total  fall  throughout  this  length  is  70  feet,  or  say 
3*91  feet  per  mile,  which  will  allow  of  a  supply  of  100  gallons 
daily  per  head  for  a  population  of  60,000  souls,  or  of  75  gallons 
for  one  of  80,000.  The  reservoir  at  Karachi  is  to  be  constructed 
in  two  compartments,  each  large  enough  to  hold  three  million 
gallons  of  water.  The  estimated  cost  of  this  scheme,  including 
distributing  pipes,  &c.,  for  the  service  of  the  town  and  can- 
tonments and  of  Kiamari,  and  the  charge  of  establishment  as 
well,  is  computed  at  a  little  over  14  lakhs  of  rupees,  and  it  is 
expected  that  the  entire  work  could  be  completed  in  about  two 
and  a  half  years.  Government  have  consented  to  lend  the 
municipality  about  12  lakhs  of  rupees,  charging  interest  at  4}  per 
cent  per  annum  \  this  sum  to  be  repaid  within  tfdrty  years.  The 
only  obstruction  to  the  scheme  being  at  once  commenced  was 
the  necessity  for  increasing  the  municipal  income  to  a  certain 
extent  so  as  to  meet  the  regular  repayment  of  the  principal  and 
interest  of  the  loan,  and  this,  it  has  lately  been  decided,  is  to  be 
met  by  a  proportionate  but  small  increase  to  the  present  town 
duties  tariff. 

Karachi  Jail. 

The  Karachi  jail  is  a  large  building  situate  in  the  Jail  quarter  of 
the  municipality ;  it  lies  between  the  town  and  camp  at  a  distance 
of  about  a  mile  from  the  latter,  and  one  of  its  sides  abuts  directly 
on  the  Bandar  road.  It  was  originally  built  in  1847  by  the  Public 
Works  Department,  but  numerous  additions  were  made  to  it  in 
1854  and  1858,  and  the  present  building,  valued  by  the  department 
at  94,194  rupees,  was  not  fully  completed  till  1868.  The  inner 
area  of  this  jail  covers  52,425  square  yards,  and  it  is  capable  of 
accommodating  nearly  800  prisoners.  The  workshops  are  large 
and  convenient,  and,  together  with  the  prisoners*  quarters,  are  well- 
ventilated.  Owing,  however,  to  the  very  slight  elevation  of  this 
jail  above  sea-level,  no  proper  system  of  drainage  can  be  carried 
out,  and  dry  conservancy  is  in  consequence  resorted  to.  The 
average  annual  mortality  among  the  convicts  during  the  past 
10  years  was  3  per  cent,  the  chief  prevailing  disease  being  fever. 


Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


382 


KARACHI. 


A  severe  type  of  this  malady  prevailed  here  in  1864,  and  was  very 
fatal  in  its  effects.  Of  the  two  great  classes  of  prisoners,  that  is  to 
say,  Hindus  and  Muhammadans,  received  in  this  jail,  12  per  cent 
only  on  an  average  belong  to  the  former.  The  convicts  are,  to  a 
great  extent,  occupied  in  manufacturing  numerous  articles  for  sale, 
such  as  cloths  of  different  kinds,  cotton  and  hemp  rope,  tapes, 
chairs,  mats,  carpets,  baskets,  &c.,  and  in  1857  several  workmen 
were  brought  down  from  Jabalpur,  at  Government  expense,  to  in- 
troduce the  manufacture  of  tents.  In  the  Exhibition  held  at 
Karachi  in  December  1869,  several  prizes  were  awarded  for  the 
excellent  sheeting,  towelling,  and  carpets  made  in  this  jaiL  During 
1874  there  were  266  prisoners  engaged  in  this  work,  the  gross 
receipts  from  this  source  during  that  year  being  14,400  rupees, 
and  the  net  profits  6579  rupees.  There  is  no  vegetable  garden 
attached  to  the  jail,  the  convicts  being  furnished  with  what  they 
require  from  the  bazar ;  the  supply  of  water  is  bad  and  quite 
unfit  for  drinking  purposes,  that  used  is  brought  by  the  prisoners 
themselves  from  a  well  near  the  RSmbagh  tank.  There  is  at 
present  no  reformatory  in  this  jail  for  juv&nile  offenders ;  they  are, 
however,  kept  apart  from  the  adult  prisoners.  The  following 
table  will  afford  some  statistical  information  in  connection  with 
the  prisoners  of  this  jail  for  the  eight  years  ending  1873-74 : — 


Averag^e  Strens^th. 

Gross  Cost 
of  each 
Prisoner 

per  Annum. 

Net  Cost, 

deducting 

Value  of 

Labour. 

Average 
MortaUcy 

Centum. 

Remarks. 

Years. 

Males. 

Females. 

X866-67 
X867-68 
X868-69 
X869-70 
X870-7X 
x87i-7« 
X879-73 
1873-74 

587 
46s 
364 
319 
333 
350 
485 
430 

nipw  a.   p. 
74  X4    0 

89  «3    7 

110    5    7 

X92     6     5 

86    7  XO 
85    6    0 
9t  X4    X 
88  XO  XO 

nip.  a.  p. 
63    4    9 

57    a    8 
88  X5    8 

XO6    X2    XO 

57    6    0 
67    a    6 
5a  «S    a 

SI  «S    8 

a 

X 

»'3 
3-8 
2-6 
6-7 
4*4 
a-3 

These  charges  in- 
clude the  cost  of 
guards,  clothing, 
salaries    of   offi- 
cials, repairs  and 

Town  Police. 

The  police  employed  in  the  town  and  suburbs  of  Karachi, 
though  under  the  orders  of  the  superintendent  of  police  for  the 
Karachi  district,  are  more  especially  supervised  by  the  assistant 
superintendent,  who  is  permanently  stationed  at  Karachi,  and  in 

Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


KARACHI. 


383 


this  duty  is  assisted  by  the  town  inspector.     The  police  number 
in  all  298  persons,  who  are  distributed  as  follows : — 


)n  duty  in  the  Town  and  that^ 
part  of  the  Camp  out  of  Mtli-  \ 
tary  limits ) 


On  duty  in  the  Town  and  that^ 
part  of  the  '" 
tary  limits 

Guard  at  Kiamftri     .     . 

Town  Inspector's  Office. 

Total    . 


Head  Constables. 


Constables. 


94 


143 


298 


The  town  police,  on  an  average,  used  to  cost  the  Karachi  mu- 
nicipality, with  contingencies,  about  3000  rupees  per  mensem^  but 
at  present  one-fifth  of  the  municipal  income  is  devoted  to  the 
payment  of  the  municipal  police,  and  is  made  over  to  the  Govern- 
ment for  that  purpose.  The  police  stations  within  municipal  limits 
are  now  eleven  in  number,  and  are  situate  at  the  following  places : 
I,  Old  Town ;  2,  Old  Machi  Miani ;  3,  Bagdadi  Lines  \  4,  Ram- 
swami  Lines ;  5,  Dhobi  Ghat ;  6,  Kiamari ;  7,  Layari ;  8,  Sadar 
Bazar;  9,  Rambagh;  10,  Soldiers'  Bazar;  and  ii,Ranchor  Lines. 
Taking  the  population  of  Karachi  (exclusive  of  the  military  force), 
according  to  the  late  census,  at  53,526  souls,  there  will  thus  be 
I  policeman  to  every  182  of  the  inhabitants. 

Population. 

The  population  of  the  town  of  Karachi  within  municipal  limits, 
inclusive  of  the  military  force  and  camp  followers,  which  was  con- 
fidently believed  to  be  not  less  than  75,000  or  80,000  souls,  would 
appear  by  the  late  census,  taken  in  1872,  to  amount  to  not  more 
than  56,753.  This  would  show  about  Uie  same  number  of  inhabit- 
ants as  in  the  year  1856,  when,  according  to  the  census  then 
taken,  the  population  of  the  town  and  camp  was  found  to  be 
56,879.  By  the  census  of  1872,  the  military  force,  with  camp 
followers,  was  returned  at  3227  souls,  comprising  a  battery  of 
Royal  Artillery,  2  infantry  regiments  (i  European  and  i  native), 
besides  the  men  and  families  of  the  ordnance  and  barrack  depart- 
ments. Of  the  entire  population  of  Karachi  the  total  number 
of  Muhammadans  was  found  to  be,  by  this  latest  census,  29,156, 
and  of  Hindus  23,404,  while  the  Christian  population  numbered 


Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


384 


KARACHI. 


in  all  3397,  the  remainder  (796)  being  made  up  of  Parsis,  Sikhs. 
Budhists  and  others.  The  two  following  tables  will  show  the 
number  of  houses  and  of  inhabitants  in  each  of  the  23  municipal 
quarters  of  Karachi,  exclusive  of  Manora,  the  harbour,  police  and 
military  population,  with  camp  followers,  numbering  in  all  10,530 
souls : — 


Municipal  Quarter. 


Number  of 
Houses. 


Number  of 
Inhabitants. 


1.  Old  Town  Quarter. 

2.  Napier  Quarter  '     . 

3.  Rambagh  Quarter  . 

4.  Serai  Quarter    . 

5.  Sadar  Bazar  Quarter 

6.  Civil  Lines  •     .     . 

7.  Clifton   .... 

8.  FrereTown.     .     . 

9.  Railway  Quarter     . 

10.  Machi  Miani  Quarter 

1 1.  Market  Quarter  .    . 

12.  Bandar  Quarter 

13.  Ranchor  Lines  . 

14.  Jail  Quarter.     •     . 
Soldiers*  Bazar .     . 
Commissariat  Lines 
Bhisti-wara  . 
Ramswami  Ghari  Katha 
Began  Katha    .     . 

20.  Kiamari  Quarter     . 

21.  Preedy  Quarter.     . 

22.  Layari  Quarter  •     . 

23.  Garden  Quarter 

Total 


11: 

19- 


i»S29 

2,223 

167 

250 

897 

44 

28 

207 

J2 

242 
229 

89s 
262 

?JI 

149 

?if 

144 

119 

1.749 
421 


6,619 

6»703 

1,574 

1,596 

3,649 

456 

116 

451 

523 

a.  183 

1,816 

1. 193 

2,518 

1,648 

986 

799 
858 
790 

776 

7.032 
3,021 


10,794 


46,223 


II. 


Corps  or  Department. 


Number 

of  Officers 

and 


Number 

of 
Soldiers 

and 
Families. 


Number 
of  Native 
Followers 

and 
FamUies. 


TotaL 


Royal  Artillery  ...... 

One  of  Her  Majesty's  Foot  Regi- 
ments .... 

A  Baloch  Regiment 
Ordnance  Department 
Barrack  Department 
General  Hospital     . 
Staff 


3« 

14 

3 


220 

870 

1,005 

103 

9 

3 


Total 


2,210 


301 

321 
204 

35 
17 


533 

1,223 

1,223 

141 

26 

40 

68 


975    I  3,254 


Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


KARACHI.  ^  385 

Freemasonry  in  Karachi. 

There  are  at  present  4  masonic  lodges  and  chapters  in  Karachi, 
one  only  of  these  working  under  the  United  Grand  Lodge  of 
England,  the  remaining  3  being  connected  with  the  Grand  Lodge 
of  Scotland    The  following  is  a  list  of  these  lodges : — 

1.  Lodge    "Hope,"    No.  350,  S.C.     Founded  in    1843,  but 

warrant  not  obtained  till  some  years  afterwards. 
Meetings  held  once  a  month  in  the  Masonic  Hall 
lying  between  Trinity  Church  and  Frere  Hall. 

2.  Lodge    "  Union,"     No.  767,  E.C.     Founded  in  1859,  but 

placed  in  abeyance  in  1862  ;  resuscitated  in  1864. 
Meetings  held  monthly. 

3.  Lodge    «  Harmony,"    No.  485,  S.C.     Founded  in  1869  by 

the  Parsi  Community,  and  is  in  a  very  flourishing 
condition.     Meetings  held  monthly. 

4.  Chapter  «  Faith  and  Charity,"    No.  72,  S.C.     Founded 

in  1852,  but  placed  in  abeyance  in  1858;  resusci- 
tated in  1862.     Meetings  held  quarterly. 

The  building,  known  as  the  Masonic  Hall,  in  which  lodge 
meetings  are  held,  was  erected  by  subscription,  the  foundation 
stone  being  laid  in  1845  by  Sir  Charles  J.  Napier,  Governor  of 
Sind.  It  was  almost  totally  destroyed  during  the  monsoon  of  1 85 1 , 
but  through  the  exertions  of  Sind  masons  was  rebuilt  in  the 
following  year.  In  1845,  Lodge  "  Hope"  obtained  a  grant  of  the 
premises  from  the  Collector  of  Karachi,  and  has  ever  since  retained 
possession,  permitting  other  lodges  to  hold  then:  meetings  there 
on  payment  of  rent 

In  connection  with  Freemasonry  in  Sind,  it  may  be  added  that 
an  association  for  the  relief  of  distressed  widows  and  orphans  in 
Sind  was  established  in  1873.  The  capital  raised  by  local  sub- 
scription and  donations  now  amounts  to  nearly  6000  rupees,  and 
is  vested  in  trustees.  It  is  managed  by  a  committee  composed  of 
Life  Governors,  who  meet  when  necessary  at  the  Masonic  Hall, 
The  office  bearers  are  elected  half-yearly. 

Karachi  Municipality. 

The  Karachi  Municipal  Commission  was  established,  according 
to  Imperial  Act  XXVI.  of  1850,  in  September  1852,  before  which 
year  the  sanitary  condition  of  the  town  had  been  attended  to  by  a 

2  c 

Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


386 


KARACHI, 


Board  of  Conservancy,  appointed  in  the  first  instance  in  1846  by 
Sir  Charles  Napier,  when  Governor  of  Sind  The  municipal 
establishment  in  1853-54  consisted  only  of  a  secretary,  on  a 
salary  of  50  rupees  per  mensem,  a  few  munshis,  a  shfoiF,  and 
some  peons  and  sweepers,  the  whole  costing  about  160  rupees 
monthly.  The  municipal  income  was  derived  from  town  duties, 
wheel-tax,  market  and  registration  fees,  municipal  fines,  as  well  as 
fees  for  cutting  grass  in  the  Moach  plain,  surrendered  by  Govern- 
ment to  the  municipality  in  1853.  The  "  Chungi,"  or  weighing 
fees,  were  abolished  in  favour  of  town  duties  in  December  1856. 
From  this  date  up  to  1859,  when  the  constitution  of  the  Karachi 
municipality  was  reorganized,  the  commission  consisted  of  the 
Commissioner  in  Sind,  as  President,  a  number  of  Government 
servants  as  ex-officio  members,  with  several  European  and  native 
merchants  and  others  to  represent  the  niercantile  interests  of  the 
place.  A  number  of  new  roads,  bridges,  &c.,  were  during  this 
period  constructed,  the  lighting  of  the  town  partially  carried  out, 
and  a  dispensary,  markets,  tanks,  wells,  and  other  useful  works 
either  built  or  improved.  The  interests  also  of  education  were  at 
the  same  time  met  by  money  grants-in-aid  for  either  building  new 
schools,  enlarging  those  already  in  existence,  or  in  supporting 
educational  institutions  generally  by  small  monthly  allowances. 
A  survey  of  the  whole  of  Karachi  and  its  environs  was  also  made 
by  Lieutenant  Melliss  in  1854  at  the  expense  of  the  municipality. 
The  receipts  and  disbursements  of  the  Karachi  municipality  from 
1854-55  to  1859-60  were  as  follows : — 


Year. 

Receipts. 

Expenditure. 

rupees. 

rupee*. 

1854-55 

25,297 

22,157 

1855-56 

34,387 

33,936 

1856-57 

38,729 

34,352 

1857-58 

49,3" 

34,611 

1858-59 

68,838 

52,053 

1859-60 

79,662 

73,437 

In  1859-60  a  reorganization  of  the  Karachi  Municipal  Commission 
took  place,  by  which  the  commissioners  were  drawn  from  four 
classes,  with  the  magistrate  of  Karachi  as  president  The  ist 
class  comprised  those  appointed  by  virtue  of  their  offices;  the 
2nd,  those  elected  by  the  ratepayers  of  various  divisions  of  the 


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KARACHI. 


387 


community;  the  3rd,  those  appointed  by  the  Commissioner  in 
Sind  to  represent  certain  interests ;  and  the  4th,  those  nominated 
by  him  on  the  recommendation  of  the  commission  at  a  general 
meeting.  From  the  ist,  2nd,  and  3rd  classes  a  managing  com- 
mittee of  eight  persons  was  selected  by  the  general  body  of  com- 
missioners at  the  annual  meeting,  the  magistrate  of  Karachi  being 
the  ex-officio  chairman  of  such  committee.  In  August  1863  the 
municipal  rules  and  town  duties  were  revised,  though  the  constitu- 
tion of  the  commission  remained,  to  all  intents  and  purposes,  as 
it  was  before.  The  number  of  articles  subjected  to  taxation  under 
the  head  of  town  duties  was  increased,  fees  on  slaughtered  cattle, 
as  also  a  house  tax  of  2  per  cent  were  levied,  and  the  Municipal 
Act  declared  to  be  in  force  in  the  Sadar  bazar  from  ist  August, 
1863.  The  limits  of  the  Karachi  cantonment  were  also  revised 
and  published  in  the  *  Bombay  Gazette '  of  17th  July  of  that  year. 
These  rules  have  again  been  subjected  to  revision,  and  a  new 
schedule  of  taxation  came  into  operation  in  the  year  1870-71. 
Two  bills  were  brought  forward  during  the  past  two  or  three 
years,  having  for  their  object  the  more  efficient  working  of  tlie 
Karachi  municipality,  but  nothing  definitive  regarding  them  has 
yet  been  arrived  at  Meanwhile  the  income  of  the  municipality 
has  gone  on  increasing,  though  in  a  fluctuating  manner,  as  the 
following  table  will  show : — 


Year. 

Receipts. 

Expenditure. 

rupees. 

rupees. 

1860^1 

75 » 782 

95,148 

1861-62 

83,399 

99,993 

1862-63 

1,36,544 

96,322 

1863-64 

4,03,020 

2,02,171 

1864-65 

2,90,441 

3,10,333 

1865-66 

2,45,761 

2,78.977 

1866-67 

2,36,300 

2,48,262 

1867-68 

2,30,840 

2,62,019 

1868-69 

2,59,703 

2,80,351 

1869-70 

2,06,562 

I, 93, 210 

1870-71 

2,31,004 

2,17,050 

1871-72 

2,62,657 

2,19,829 

1873 

2,23,822 

1,92,274 

1874 

2,25,963 

2,01,422 

2  C    2 


Digitized  by  VjOOQ IC 


388  KARACHI. 

The  follovsing  detailed  statements  of  income  and  expenditure 
during  the  year  1874  will  show  the  principal  heads  of  both  receipts 
and  disbursements,  as  also  the  percentage  under  each  separate 
head  (see  opposite  page). 

The  sums  paid  monthly  by  the  municipality  as  grants-in-aid  to 
the  different  educational  and  other  institutions  in  Karachi  are  as 
follows : — 

rupees,    rupees. 

1.  European  and  Indo-European  School .     .     .     50 
Municipal  Scholarship 10 

—  60 

2.  St.  Patrick's  School 60 

3.  Mission  School 50 

4.  High  School 35 

Municipal  Scholarship 10 

—  45 

5.  Vernacular  School 30 

6.  Marathi  and  Gujrathi  School 15 

7.  Municipal  Scholarship   , 50 

8.  Parsi  Virbaiji  School 50 

9.  Government  Garden.     . 250 

10.  Bums'  Garden 50 

Making  in  all  the  sum  of  660  nipees  per  mensem. 

Formerly  30  rupees  a  month  were  granted  to  the  General 
Library  and  Museum,  but  on  the  transfer  of  this  institution  to  the 
municipality  in  1870,  the  entire  cost  of  the  establishment  was, 
from  ist  January,  187 1,  paid  from  municipal  funds. 

For  the  more  speedy  and  efficient  repair  of  the  roads  within 
municipal  limits,  the  Karachi  municipality  procured  from  England 
in  1869  a  steam  roller  of  15  tons,  as  well  as  a  stone-crusher,  the 
aggregate  expense  of  these  two  machines  being  10,509  rupees ; 
but  the  excellent  work  they  have  turned  out,  as  well  as  the  saving 
effected  in  time  and  money,  have  more  than  realised  the  expecta- 
tions formed  of  them.  The  lighting  of  the  town  and  cantonments 
of  Karachi  has  of  late  been  greatly  extended  by  the  municipality. 
Cocoa-nut  oil  has  been  discontinued  as  a  lighting  agent,  and  Kero- 
sine  oil  is  now  used  instead,  with  the  advantage  of  having  a 
stronger  and  better  light  During  the  past  five  years  great  im- 
provements have  been  carried  out  by  Ae  municipal  commission, 
more  especially  on  the  roads  in  and  about  the  town  and  camp  of 
Karachi.  Iron  girder-bridges  have  been  substituted  where  neces- 
sary in  place  of  the  old  unsightly  steep  bridge,  and  many  of  the 
ill-paved  dip  watercourses  intersecting  the  roads  have  had  the 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


KARACHI. 


389 


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Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


390  KARACHI. 

same  description  of  bridge  thrown  over  them,  a  want  which  had 
long  since  been  felt  by  the  carriage-owning  community  of  the 
place. 

The  boundaries  of  the  Karachi  municipality  have  been  defined 
to  be  as  follows : —  The  landward  boundary  runs  from  pillar 
marked  I.  to  a  pakka  well  with  trees  (pillar  marked  II,)  on  the 
lower  Sonmiani  road,  and  thence  along  the  road  for  5^  miles  to 
the  spur  of  a  hill  (pillar  marked  III.),  whence  it  passes  in  a  north- 
eastern direction  to  the  one-tree  tank  crossing  the  Sonmiani  road 
at  that  place,  and  continues  in  the  same  direction  along  the  ridge 
of  the  hill  to  a  point  (pillar  marked  IV,)  on  the  hill  road  to 
Mugger  Peer,  5^-  miles,  from  No.  Ill,  The  boundary  line  then 
turns  to  the  south-east,  and  runs  for  5  miles  in  that  direction, 
crossing  the  east  road  to  Mugger  Peer,  and  the  Sehwan  road,  to 
the  Matrani  station  of  the  Great  Trigonometrical  Survey  (pillar 
marked  No.  V.).  It  thence  turns  nearly  south  to  the  crossing 
(pillar  marked  VI.)  of  the  railway  and  Tatta  road,  and  from  that 
crossing  to  pillar  No,  VII.  on  the  nearest  point  of  the  Malir  river, 
which  it  follows  to  pillar  No.  VIII.  at  a  point  in  the  head  of  the 
Gisri  creek,  situate  about  10^  miles  north-east  from  the  lighthouse 
at  Manora,  and  from  No.  VIII.  along  the  high-water  mark  on  the 
sea-face  to  Manora  lighthouse,  and  thence  to  pillar  No.  I. 

Towards  the  close  of  the  year  1873,  ^^  city  survey  of  Karachi 
was  commenced  under  the  provisions  of  Bom.  Act  IV.  of  1868, 
and  was  completed  about  the  end  of  1875.  I'  is  believed  to  have 
cost  the  municipality  60,000  rupees,  or  thereabouts.  In  connec- 
tion with  this  survey,  a  city  laiids  inquiry  was  also  set  on  foot 
under  the  supervision  of  a  deputy  collector,  and  for  this  purpose 
the  sum  of  20,000  rupees  was  granted  by  the  municipality.  Its 
labours  were  completed  towards  the  latter  end  of  1875. 

Before  proceeding  to  treat  of  the  trade  of  Karachi,  it  may  here 
be  mentioned  that  the  newspaper  press  in  this  town  is  repre- 
sented by  five  publications,  of  which  two  are  English,  each  issuing 
bi-weekly;  the  other  three  are  vernacular  papers — one,  the  *Sind 
Sudhar,'  being  published  in  Sindi,  another  in  Gujrathi,  and 
the  third  in  Persian.  Among  the  English  papers,  the  '  Sindian ' 
is  the  oldest,  having  been  in  existence,  it  is  believed,  for  now 
upwards  of  a  quarter  of  a  century.  A  Government  gazette,  known  as 
the  'Sind  Official  Gazette'  (established  in  1868), is  printed  weekly 
at  the  Commissioner's  Press,  and  a  translation  of  it  is  also  pub- 
lished at  the  same  time  for  the  use  of  the  native  Government 
servants  throughout  the  province. 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


KARACHI.  391 


Trade  of  Karachi  under  the  MIrs  of  Sind. 

The  trade  of  Karachi  before  the  conquest  of  Sind  by  the 
British,  though  in  some  degree  extensive,  on  account  of  the  import- 
ance attached  to  the  river  Indus  as  a  means  of  commercial  transit 
through  the  province,  never  appears  to  have  developed  itself  to 
anything  like  the  extent  it  was  capable  of  doing.  This  was  mainly 
owing  to  the  sparse  population  of  the  country,  its  few  wants,  and 
to  the  short-sighted  and  selfish  policy  of  its  native  rulers.  During 
the  sovereignty  of  the  Talpurs  all  imports  into  Karachi  were  sub- 
jected to  a  duty  of  4  per  cent  on  landing,  and  all  exports  to  2^  per 
cent.  In  1809  the  customs  duties  were  said  to  have  realised  99,000 
rupees,  but  in  1838  they  rose  to  1,50,000  rupees.  In  this  latter  year 
the  value  of  the  trade  of  Karachi  was  estimated  at  2 1,47,000  rupees, 
or  including  opium,  37,47,000  rupees.  The  chief  imports  were 
raw  silk  (dyed),  sugar,  pepper,  ivory,  iron,  copper,  English  cotton- 
yam  and  piece-goods,  English  shawls  (common),  cocoa-nuts  from 
Bombay,  cotton  from  Gujrat,  slaves,  pearls  and  dates  from  the 
Persian  Gulf.  The  exports  were  principally  ghi,  indigo,  wheat, 
wool,  salt  fish,  shark-fins,  manjit  (madder)  and  raisins.  Of  these 
indigo  was  in  1839  mainly  the  produce  of  the  Khairpur  territory, 
the  quantity  manufactured  there  in  that  year  being  about  2000 
maunds,  the  duty  and  expense  attending  the  transmission  of  this 
drug  to  Bombay  being  at  the  rate  of  1-2  rupees  per  maund.  In 
price  the  Khairpur  indigo  ranged  from  55  rupees  to  60  rupees  per 
maund.  The  opium  exported,  to  the  extent  of  500  camel-loads, 
was  valued  at  16  lakhs  of  rupees.  This  drug  came  from  Marwar 
and  was  sent  to  the  Portuguese  town  of  Damaun,  the  duty  levied 
on  it  at  Karachi  being  about  130  rupees  per  400  lbs.  weight 
Nearly  all  the  goods  imported  into  Sind  were  consumed  in  the 
province,  barely  1,50,000  rupees*  worth  being  sent  to  the  northern 
provinces.  Of  the  articles  so  consumed  in  Sind,  those  intended 
for  Gharo,  Tatta,  Hyderabad,  Sehwan,  Khairpur,  and  Shikarpur 
were  generally  despatched  by  land  route,  the  journey  to  Shikarpur 
occup)ang  25  days ;  this  was  done  so  as  to  avoid  the  long  and 
tedious  up-river  voyage,  which  took  a  much  longer  time.  The 
following  table  will  show  approximately  (on  the  authority  of  Cap- 
tain Carless,  I.N.)  the  value  of  the  principal  imports  and  exports 
of  Sind  during  the  year  1837,  when  under  the  rule  of  the  Mirs, 
that  is  to  say,  six  years  before  the  province  became  an  integral 
portion  of  British  India  (see  next  page) : — 


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392 


KARACHI, 


Imports,  1837. 


Arddes. 


English  silk,  velvets,  broad-^ 
cloths,  chintzes,  &c.  ,     ./ 

Raw  silk  (dyed)  Bengal  and\ 
China / 

Ivory 

Copper 

Sup[ar 

Spices  (cardamoms,  pepper) 

Kopra  (dried  cocoa-nut)     . 

English  cotton-yam      .     . 

Tin 

Timber 

Cotton 

Slaves      

Pearls 

Dates 

Pomegranate  skins  .     .     . 

Coarse  cotton  cloth .     .     . 

Tobacco > . 

Oil-cake 


Quantity 

or 
Number. 


maunds. 


1,000 

400 
1,000 

9,000 
3.325 

5»<»o 
500 
500 

gaz. 
500 

maunds. 
2,500 

1,500 


maunds. 
40,000 

1,000 

200 
2,000 


Value. 


rupees. 
6^00,000 

2,48,000 
64,000 

54.000 
8j,000 

5»,5<» 
25,000 
20,000 
17,500 

10,000 

37.500 
1,20,000 

75.000 

1,00,000 

3.000 

3.000 

1,600 

19,500 


Remarks. 


In  addition  to  these 
articles,  others,  such 
as  cocoa-nuts,  drugs, 
various  metals  (lead, 
steel,  iron),  dyes, 
sugar-candy,  safiron, 
&c.,  were  imported 
from  Bombay,  but  in 
smaller  quantities. 


Imported  from  Gujrat 
Besides  these,  which 
were  all  imported 
from  the  Persian 
Gulf,  dried  roses, 
cotton  canvas,  and 
dried  fruits  were 
received  in  small 
quantities. 

(Received  from  Upper 
Sind. 
From    Las   in    Balo- 
chis&n. 


Exports,  1837. 


Opium 

Ghi 

Wheat 

Indigo 

Manjit  (madder)      .     . 

Wool 

Raisins 

Salt  fish,  shark-fins,  &c. 
Gum  (Gogar)      .     .     . 


4,000 

16,00,000 

10,000 

1,70,000 

kharwars. 

1,500 

67,500 

maunds. 

1,600 

1,20,000 

3.000 

45.000 

3.500 

35.000 

4.000 

32.000 

30,000 

5.000 

14,500 

Sent  to  Damaun. 
To  Bombay. 

To  the  Persian  Gulf. 

To  Bombay  and  Per- 
sian Gulf. 
To  Bombay. 


To  Bombay. 
Ditto. 


In  addition  to  the  above,  iQngis  (native  shawls),  oil,  oil-seeds 
and  dyes  were  also  exported,  but  in  small  quantities.  The  Mirs 
levied  no  harbour  dues,  but  derived  a  revenue  of  about  12,000 
iiipees  annually  from  the  fishing-boats  of  the  place,  which  were 
then  upwards  of  one  hundred  in  number.     Upon  all  slaves,  which 


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KARACHI. 


393 


were  imported  into  Karachi  mainly  from  Maskat,  a  tax  of  5^ 
rupees  per  head  was  levied.  There  were  two  classes  of  slaves — 
the  Sidis  (or  Africans)  and  the  Habshis  (or  Abyssinians) ;  of  the 
former  about  600  were  annually  imported,  the  price  of  each 
ranging  from  60  rupees  to  100  rupees ;  of  the  latter  not  more  than 
thirty  or  forty  were  received,  but  their  price  was  high,  a  Habshi 
realising  from  170  rupees  to  250  rupees.  It  is  worthy  of  note  that 
there  was  but  one  recognised  gambling-house  in  Karachi  under  the 
Mirs'  rule,  a  tax  of  3  dokras  on  each  rupee  won  being  paid  to  the 
Government  for  the  privilege  of  playing  there  at  games  of  chance. 
Among  the  additional  sources  from  which  the  Mirs  derived  their 
revenue  from  the  town  and  port  of  Elarachi,  may  be  mentioned 
the  following : — Taxes  on  articles  weighed  and  measured  at  the 
Chabutro  (Custom  House),  and  on  those  brought  into  and  taken 
out  of  the  town,  collections  from  merchants  on  imports  and  ex- 
ports, on  cattle,  amounting  to  one-eighth  of  the  sum  received  by 
the  owner  from  the  daily  labour  of  his  beasts,  and  on  brokers  and 
handicraftsmen  generally.  The  Chaut  Shardfi  ^2C&  a  species  of 
income  tax,  that  levied  on  goldsmiths  was  one-fourth  of  their 
profits,  and  there  was  a  tax  on  boats'  crews  on  the  departure  of  a 
vessel  from  the  port  The  total  annual  revenue  drawn  from  the 
town  and  port  of  Karachi  by  the  Mirs  of  Sind  is  not  known  for 
any  series  of  years,  but  in  1837  it  was  entered  at  1,73,893  rupees, 
and  in  1839  at  1,07,115  rupees,  the  charges  of  collection  and  ex- 
penses of  the  military  force  employed  costing  in  the  latter  year 
but  6820  rupees.  Before  entering  upon  a  description  of  the  trade 
of  Karachi  under  British  rule,  it  has  been  deemed  desirable  to  add 
the  following  table  of  weights,  measures,  and  currency  in  use  at 
Karachi  in  1839,  during  the  sovereignty  of  the  Mirs : — 

Measures. 
4  Chauthais  ....       I  PSti. 
4  Palis I  Toyo. 

4  Toyos I  Kasi. 

5  Kasis I  Mandiar 

12  Mandias     ....       I  Kharwar  or   Kharar  (  =  90    Bombay 


Maunds). 


Currency. 


4  Kasiras. 
2  Dokras .     .     . 
26  Tangas .     . 

21       

5'8  Kashani  Rupees 

2*5        f»  »t 

I  Bombay  Rupee 
I  Kashani      „ 


Dokra. 
Tanga. 

Kashani  Rup)ee. 
Kora  Rupee. 
Venetian  (Putli). 
Dollar. 


1 1}  Masas. 


II 


Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


394 


KARACHI. 


4    Kasiras 
4|  Dokras 


Weights. 

I  Doknu 
I  Ana. 


1 6  Anas i  Ser  (Pakka). 

40  Pakka  Sers     ...       I  Maund. 

3  Maunds    ....       1  Potia. 

I  Bombay  Mannd  (Man)  14  Karachi  Sers. 

100  „  „      .     .  35        ,y       Maunds  (Mans). 

I  Surat  „      .     ..  18        „       Sers. 

I  Bombay  Kandi    .     .       7        ,,       Maunds  (Mans). 

I  Poriti  Maund  (Man)  18        „       Sers  and  6  Anas. 

Trade  of  Karachi  under  British  Rule. 

From  the  assumption  of  British  rule  in  Sind  by  conquest  in 
1843,  the  vcUtu  of  the  imports  and  exports  from  that  year  up  to 
1873-74  from  the  port  of  Karachi  was  as  follows ;  but  it  will  be 
necessary  to  mention  that  for  the  eighteen  years  preceding 
1861-62,  these  values  include  the  imports  and  exports  of  the 
minor  ports  of  Keti-bandar  and  Sirganda,  it  being  found  impos- 
sible to  show  them  separately  for  that  period : — 


Year. 

Imports. 

Exports. 

Total  Value. 

rupees. 

rupees. 

rupees. 

1843-44 

12,11,500 

10,100 

12,21,600 

1844-45 

21,77,000 

93.000 

22,70,009 

1845-46 

31,29,000 

4,05,000 

35,34,000 

1846-47 

29,34,000 

4.93.000 

34.27.000 

1847-48 

28,78,720 

15.47.300 

44,26,020 

1848-49 

34,47.160 

10.71.330 
11.43.780 

45.18,490 

1849-50 

41.93,520 

53.37,300 

1850-51 

42,83,100 

19,64,610 

62,47.710 

1851-52 

48,92,200 

24,42,220 

73,34,420 

1852-53 

53.56,900 
50,87.930 

27.63,100 

81,20,270 

1853-54 

37,63.100 
34,68,930 
60,44,400 

88,51,030 

1854-55 
1855-56 

57,51.960 

92,20.890 

62,98,130 

1,23.42.530 
1,42,01,879 

1856-57 

68,56,657 

73,45,222 

1857-58 

1,08,11,012 

1,07,81,286 

2,15,92,298 

1858-59 

1.54,06,058 

1,04.42,726 

2,58,48.784 

1859-60 

1,71,27,517 

94,73,348 

2,66,00,865 

1860-61 

1,65,66,581 

1,02,69,918 
1,15.34.862 

2,68,36,499 

1861-62 

1,51,35.667 
2,18.89,437 

2,66,70,529 

1862-63 

3,12,74,812 

5,31,64.249 

1863-64 

2,52,08,979 

4,04,67,871 
2,78,76,037 

6,56,76,850 

1864-65 

2,27,11,986 

5,05,88,023 

1865-66 

1.98.45,633 

2,67,18,434 

4,65,64,067 

1866-67 

2,38.09,474 

2,07,25,178 
1,76,48,978 

4.45.34.652 

1867-68 

2,28,87,130 

4,05,36,108 

1868-69 

2,18,41,075 

1,79,23,746 
1,88,49,671 

3.97,^4.821 

1869-70 

2,08,25,072 

3,96,74,743 

1870-71 

1,80,42,121 

1.88,98,398 

3,69,40,519 
3,61,75,887 

1871-72 

1.61,88,563 

1,99,87.324 

1872-73 

1,60,46,529 

1,74,54,654 

3,35,01.183 

1873-74 

1,48,17,653 

2,02,59,191 

3,50,76,844 

uiyiiizeu  uy  v-j  v_-/ \_^pjc  i '^ 


KARACHI,  395 

This  great  though  fluctuating  increase  in  imports  and  exports, 
during  a  period  of  31  years,  must  be  regarded  as  both  important 
and  instructive,  and  as  affording  a  remarkable  contrast  to  the 
value  of  the  trade  of  Karachi  during  the  rule  of  the  Talpur  Mirs. 
The  very  large  value  of  exports  during  1862-63,  1863-64,  and 
1864-65  was  mainly  due  to  the  extensive  shipments  of  rd;f£/  cotton 
made  in  those  years,  and  to  the  very  high  prices  of  this  staple  then 
ruling  in  the  English  and  European  (continental)  markets.  The 
following  is  a  comparative  statement  of  the  value  of  the  principal 
articles  imported  into  Karachi  during  the  11  years  ending  1873-74, 
as  tending  to  show  the  great  commercial  progress  made  by  the 
port  during  that  period  {see pp.  396,  397). 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


39^ 


KARACHI. 


Imports. 


Articles. 

Apparel     .... 
Anns  and  Ammunition 
Books  .    «     .     . 
Coooa-nuts     .     . 
Coffee  .... 
Cotton-wool    .     . 
Cotton  Piece-goods 
Cotton  Twist  and  Thread 
Drugs  and  Medicines    . 

Dyes 

Earthen  and  Porcelain  ware 
Fruits  and  Vegetables   . 
Fuel  (Coal  and  Coke)    . 
Glass  (manufactures  oQ* 
Grain  (and  Pulse)      .     . 

Ivory 

Jewelry 

Jute  (manufactures  oQ  • 
Leather  (manufactures  oO 
Liquors  (Malt)  .  .  . 
Winesand  Liqueurs 
Spirits  ..:... 
Lucifer  Matches  .  .  v. 
Machinery  .... 
Metals  (and  manufactures) 

oO 3 

Oils 

Paints  (and  Colours)      .     . 

Provisions    (and     Oihnan  I 
Stores) ) 

Railway  Materials   . 

Seeds    ..«>.. 

Shells 

Ships 

Silk  (raw)  .... 

Silk  (manuHactures  oQ 

Si»ces  

Stationery      .     .     . 

Sugar  (and  other  saccha- ) 
rue  matter)      ...     5 

Tea 

Tobacco 

Timber  (and  Wood) .     .     . 

Wool 

Woollen  manu&ctures  .     . 
Treasure    ...... 

AU  other  articles      .     .     . 


rupees. 
4.99.4J« 

IJ.OI7 

67,890 
1.47,816 

49.079 

i,«45 

61,41,401 

1,95.145 

96.116 
2,17,689 

57.558 
».7».9»3 
i,oi,i8i 

66,091 
l.40.9»7 

87.287 

j6,622 

J.58,oj2 

jo,682 

J, 18.904 

i.99.99> 

>,47.*i4 

»7.7»9 

42,158 

14.46.^8 

W.994 
J9.617 

i,4'.«l 

18,74.595 
7.546 
8j,i7o 


4»>o.374 
1,21,659 
1,05,882 
i,2l,8oj 

6,88,940 

I.98.4JI 
1,10,205 
a,Jo,3J7 
1.29.071 
I.71.1M 
77.5*.o92 

6,44ii82 


rupees. 
I. 46. 891 

20,865 

70,458 
2,22,758 

50,346 

2,178 

70,59,329 

4.87,310 

1,08,149 

1.69.739 

54,652 
3,74,«o 
1.58.647 

67,849 
«.7«.424 

58,287 

46,321 
5.23.040 

14.089 
1,84.891 
1,82.386 
2.28,221 

47.420 
3.21,604 

21,92,941 

23.59B 
27.350 

2,30,675 

7.21.84I 

74,727 
4.04i 

4.44.460 
1,59,818 
6,15.292 
1.54.032 
6,09,666 

4.«9.i72 

78,012 

4.05.041 

77.079 

1,61,915 

4M9.7J2 

6,59.418 


X865-66.      1866-^ 


rupees. 
2.29,561 


rupees. 
2,49.794 


28,049       33,298 

61.497.      4*.248 

1,28,685  1,46.341 

28,338      50,593 

1.530J  500 

85,81, 502:82,68,906 

4,85,119.  4.72,986 

l,33,039|  X, 21, 451 

1,84.629'  2,35,167 


26,253 
4.10,411 
5,33,686 

52.194 

2.08,432 

54,837 

18,941 

4,31,420 

36.450 

2,54.226 

2.71,633 

2.92.780 

X0.593 

99.125 


13,62,602x4,36,048 


10,461 

25.350 

1.66,899 

12.62. 828 
33.454 
24.443 


2,90.672 
89.761 

5.50,327 

5.92,97i 
76.929 
89,271 

1,50,802 

1,17,499 
15. 17.271 
5,37,879 


44,641 
2.82,372 

3,9i»iH 
50.488 
89.266 
50,844 
25,123 

4,56.0x2 
45.787 

2,77,710 

2,2X,83J 

2,84,346 
3,22,894 


62,057 
5J.7I5 
2,10,837 
29,91,625 
x6,8oo 
15.557 
5,64,761 
5.84,4691  9,01,549 
1,23,668  I,24.X98 


3.57,529 
44.280 

6.43,411 
4.65.042 

75.597 
1,14,070 

78,847 

1,63.096 

64.05.550 

4.81,502 


1867-68. 

rupees. 
2,52.488 

32,831 

48,367 
3.46.482 

33.242 

5,792 

90,59,996 

6,04,924 

1.33.125 

1.61.454 

48.419 
5.10.288 
4.27.828 

56.578 
x.02,827 

97,511 

19,711 
2,15.621 

57.070 
2,05.290 
2,56,174 
4.03.482 

40,331 
3,48,349 
27,46,895 

52,298 

2,2x.i73 
14,98,674 

74.115 

12,558 
2,89,669 
5.27,516 

69.319 
4,86,933 

57,580 

8,43,632 
8,08.987 
1,00.859 
1.26.995 
1,30,845 
1.95,377 
25.93,080 
6*78*878 


1868^ 

rupees. 
3.43,970 

37.277 

57.890 

3.49.174 

25.235 

47.499 

94.28.922 

3.59.122 

1.24.472 

1.55.085 

33,942 

2,97,43*2 

3,51,288 

71.937 

1,77,222 

1,13,147 

37.363 

2.09,ij3 
43.109 
2.26,7x4 
4^07,558 
5.60,412 
14.236 
3,02, 81X 

25.97.634 

32,208 

70,961 

2.44,640 

7,26,499 

45.790 

7.5«3 

X03 

6,95.130 

75.510 

4,28,138 

44,477 

11,50,536 

5,41,362 
82,827 
2,69,2x4 
1,80,397 
2.42.635 
6,71,338 
1,49.589 


Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


KARACHI. 

Imports. 


397 


Articles. 


1869-70. 


1870-71. 


x87i>72. 


1872-71. 


i«7l-74. 


Apparel     .... 

Arms  and  Ammunition 
Books  .... 

Cocoa-nuts     .     . 
Coffee  .... 

Cotton-wool    .     . 
Cotton  Piece-goods 
Cotton  Twist  and  Thread 
Drugs  and  Medicines    . 
Dyes    ...... 

Earthen  and  Porcelain  ware 
Fruits  and  Vegetables  . 
Fuel  (Coal  and  Coke)    . 
Glass  (manufactures  oO 
Grain  (and  Pulse)     .     . 

Ivory 

Jewelry 

Jute  (manufactures  oO  • 
Leather  (manufactiures  oO 
Liquors  (Malt)    •     .     • 
Wines  and  Liqueurs 

Spirits 

Lucifer  Matches.  .  . 
Machinery  .... 
Metals  (and  manufactures) 

of) 3 

OiU 

Paints  (and  Colours)      .     . 

Provisions    (and     Oilman ) 

Stores) J 

Railway  Materials    .     .     . 

Seeds    

Shells 

Ships 

Silk  (raw) 

Silk  (manufactures  of)  .     . 

Spices 

Stationery 

Su^  (and  other  saccha-  { 
nne  matter)      .    *     .     j 

Tea 

Tobacco    .... 

Timber  (and  Wood) 

Wool 

Woollen  manufactures 

Treasure    .... 

All  other  articles 


rupees, 
a, 71,626 

4».«44 

ja.058 

J,45.6j6 

J7.79* 
4,8xa 

85.1J.W 
4.9».597 
1,37.058 
X.P.77I 

W.705 
J.51.846 

41.959 

45.192 
10,84,140 

49.877 

19.997 
2,38,871 

59.628 
1.81,456 
J.37.307 
5.42.517 

X7.86J 

5.48.7*7 
20,24,809 

27.J61 
86.122 

2,19.654 
1,11,2x9 

37.395 

13.124 

440 

7.31,278 

40.752 
5.24,651 

37.574 
10,35,6x0 
8,20,609 

66,837 
2,94. »io 
1,38,710 
1.96,671 
4.71.136 
1,22,297 


rupees. 
2,75,482 

35.730 

|6,o7X 
1.45.604 

23,173 

5,800 

85.23,527 

4.32.964 

99.234 
1.20,583 

36,623 
5.42.232 

48.316 

37.047 
13,96,890 

67,007 
9.790 
2,73,555 
X, 09.081 
1,48.491 
2,76.527 
4.06,507 

19.938 

45.2x0 

X2,8i,969 
39.986 

1.19.457 
2,63,547 

x,oo,998 
24.765 
77.384 

6,50,050 
38,900 

3,89.675 
86,436 

9.84.263 

3,02.193 

51.004 

76,755 

1.30,199 

x,42,x66 

2,47,858 

37.550 


rupees. 

2.29.574 
35.108 
35.285 

4.19.203 

11.930 

4.842 

78.97.901 

3.65.268 
92,708 
99.749 
4^.499 

3.88,273 
47.742 
38,258 

3.22,571 

1,10,365 
3,555 

1,85,478 
19.223 

x,7X,ox8 

2.41.352 

3,75,035 
11.554 

5.8X.590 

8,05,827 

79.167 
25.367 

1,70,246 

52,933 

1,70.843 

9.051 

2.94.544 
70.187 

4.47.036 
47.550 

u,  13 .083 

1.86,792 
52,689 
79.838 
88,607 

1,40,006 

3,10,396 
3,12,960 


rupees. 

2,33, X23 

29,2ix 

49.289 

3.19.609 

25.320 

7.645 

79,44,616 

4.71.603 

X2x,i88 

98,535 

33,912 

3.95.334 

28,980 

31.940 
i. 59.367 
x,io,6xx 

3,769 
3,45,320 

«4.284 
1.42.444 
2,31.111 

5.17.904 

28.988 

2,00,586 

8,24,733 
82,408 
35.250 

2,25, x82 

37.376 
32,236 
U.044 

1.97.560 

8o,ixx 

4.71.595 

49.164 

10,97.731 

x,x2,8o8 
56,204 
1,62,558 
8o.86x 
1.40.453 
2,36,553 
5.46.0x3 


rupees. 
2,68,jxx 

32,018 
50,2x2 
2,32,158 
15.571 
21,184 

71.37.757 

4.90.692 

83.008 

60.447 

34.947 

4.36,530 

1,31.700 

45.183 

X, 64,078 

1.30,872 

6,938 

4.98.669 

X2,X28 

2,08, x86 
2.15.844 
4.73.965 
27.977 
90.421 
6,68,  J64 

56,558 
44.662 

1,86,568 

1,79.563 

2X.054 

6,388 

6fo 

1,60,0x7 

46,o5X 

3,33,888 

56.883 

11.19.649 

64,960 

55,498 

2,84,927 

85,411 

51.537 

1,27,228 

4.03,480 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


398 


KARACHI. 


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Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


KARACHI,  399 

From  the  United  Kingdom  the  principal  articles  received  as 
imports  are  cotton  manufactures,  railway  materials,  liquors,  fuel, 
machinery,  metals,  provisions,  and  oilman  stores,  apparel,  drugs 
and  medicines.  From  Bombay,  cotton  piece-goods  and  twist, 
treasure,  metals,  silk,  sugar,  tea,  jute,  spices,  dyes,  apparel,  woollen 
manufactures,  cocoa-nuts,  manufactured  silk,  liquors,  fruit,  vege- 
tables, provisions  and  oilman  stores.  From  the  Persian  Gulf, 
dried  fruits,  treasure,  wool,  grain  and  horses.  From  the  coast  of 
Makran,  wool,  provisions,  grain  and  pulse.  From  Calcutta,  jtife, 
sugar,  grain  and  pulse. 

The  following  is  a  comparative  statement  of  the  value  of  the 
principal  articles  of  export  for  the  same  period  of  eleven  years, 
ending  1873-74  {see  next  page) : — 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


400 


KARACHI. 


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402 


KARACHI. 


To  the  United  Kingdom,  the  principal  articles  exported  are 
cotton,  wool,  indigo,  seeds  (rape  and  gingelli),  hides,  skins,  tea  and 
oils.  To  France,  cotton,  gingelli  and  rape-seed.  To  Bombay 
(including  Kachh  and  Gujrat),  cotton,  grain,  ghi,  indigo,  oils,  seeds 
(gingelli  and  rape),  rice,  raw  silk,  shawls,  wool  and  horses.  To  the 
Mauritius,  grain,  pulse  and  oils.  To  the  Persian  Gulf,  indigo,  oils, 
hides,  skins  and  piece-goods.  To  the  coast  of  Makran,  grain, 
indigo,  oils  and  piece-goods.  To  the  Madras  Presidency  (in- 
cluding Malabar),  horses.     To  China,  raw  cotton. 

Inland  Trade. 

Independently  of  the  ordinary  goods  brought  into  Karachi  by 
railway  from  Kotri  (see  Kotri),  a  large  quantity  finds  its  way  into 
the  town  by  other  routes.  Thus  merchandise,  consisting  mostly 
of  wool,  dry  fruits  and  horses,  comes  into  Karachi  from  Kan- 
dahar and  Kelat  vi&  Kelat  and  Bela,  while  from  Las  Bela  and 
Kohistan,  immense  quantities  of  firewood  and  grass,  and  large 
supplies  of  ghi,  date-leaves,  hides  and  seeds  are  brought  in  on  the 
backs  of  camels,  bullocks  and  donkeys.  There  are  three  inland 
municipal  chaukis  situate  on  the  outskirts  of  Karachi — one  at  the 
Miran  village  on  the  other  side  of  the  Layari,  another  on  the  road 
leading  to  Sehwan,  and  the  third  on  that  leading  to  Tatta.  Here 
certain  fees  are  levied  on  all  dutiable  goods  passing  into  Karachi, 
but  it  is  difficult  to  ascertain  what  sums  are  actually  levied  during 
the  year,  as  these  chaukis  are  farmed  out  by  the  municipality  to 
private  individuals.  The  following  tables  will  show  approximately 
the  quantity  of  merchandise  imported  by  these  routes  during  the 
nine  years  ending  with  1874  : — 

No.  I. 
Imported  into  Karachi  from  Kandahar  and  Kelat  vid  Kelat  and  Bela, 


Years. 

1 

1 

u*  0 

1 

1 

•-> 

1 

It 

aw 

1 

3 

i 

8 

1 

1 

1 

K 

1865-66 

1866-67 

1867-68 

1868-69 

1869-70 

1870-71 

1872  (8 
months). 

I87J 

1874 

mds. 
59.  M7 
56,079 

48.699 
60.759 
5I.J4J 
54.756 

j6,ii7 

59.*4J 
61.414 

mds. 
2.178 
1,710 
2.700 

2.4JO 

1. 215 
1.980 

5 

4 

mds. 
IJ.986 
12,186 
17.505 
16,470 
16,056 
14,418 

2,8jl 

4.459 
J. 952 

mds. 
558 

421 
j6o 

855 
450 
540 

mds. 
450 

540 
810 
6jo 

459 
720 

mds. 
270 

5U 

909 

4»4 
450 

mds. 

270 
270 

mds. 
27 

288 

mds. 
18 

109 

52 

128 

mds. 
270 

4n 

J69 

I.J59 
1.936 

626 

6.747 
6,i)o 

mds. 
76.986 

72,189 

7».622 

8J.I87 

72.4«4 
72.864 

J7.689 

70.501 
71.628 

No. 
768 
«J5 
l,oj8 
1.189 
950 
7*4 

855 

536 

KARACHI. 


403 


No.  II. 
Imported  into  Karachi  from  Las  Beta  and  Kohistdn,  and  comprising  IVooi, 
Rape-seed,  Mung,  Gki,  Oilsy  Hides,  Date-leaves,  Grcus,  Firewood,  &*c. 


d 

CameMoads, 

Donkey-loads, 

Bullock-loads, 

0 

each  equal  to 

each  equal  to 

each  equal  to 

No. 

tC 

6  maunds. 

a  Maunds. 

4  Maunds. 

Total 

Years. 

of 
Persons. 

ft 

Maunds. 

i 

No. 

Maunds. 

No. 

Maunds. 

No. 

Maunds. 

x865^ 

I4I.712 
i«.47J 

'U 

70,716 

J.86,170 

11,036 

41.071 

1. 118 

4.871 

4»33.3i4 

1866^7      •     . 

4.14»*96 

I1.9J7 

U:I8 

1.481 

5.914 
3.330 

4.56.094 

1867^'^      •     • 

1.916 

144 

74.U8 

58.51* 

4.45.4I8 

io,9?3 

834 

4,70,630 

1868-69      •     • 

18,155 

i9 

3,51.116 

11,116 

14.131 

is; 

817 

3,168 

3.78.716 

1869-70      .     . 

ii,68o 

180 

74.461 

4.46.771 

13.J69 

1,115 

8.500 

4,81,010 

X870-7X      .     . 

M>i63 

165 

8i,oo2 

4.98.011 

I5.W1 

3.541 

14.164 

5.42.840 

x87t-7l      .     . 
1871-71       .     . 

■'■S 

97 
212 

No  record  now  obtainable. 

«873-74      .     - 

2 

•• 

The  total  realisations  on  account  of  Sea  Customs  revenue  of 
Karachi  from  every  source,  from  1846—47  to  1873-74,  are  entered 
below,  but  it  must  be  stated  that  down  to  1860-61,  ^ey  include  the 
revenue  collected  at  the  minor  ports  of  Keti-bandar  and  Sirganda,  it 
being  found  impossible  to  show  them  separately  for  that  period : — 


Years. 

Import  Duty. 

Export  Duty. 

Miscellaneous. 

Total  realisations. 

1846-47 

rupees. 
56,126 

rupees. 
14,975 

rupees. 
357 

rupees. 
71.458 

1847-48 

30,809 

",045 

538 

42,392 

1848-49 

31,800 

5,957 

1.253 

39.010 

1849-50 
1850-51 

24,033 
16,438 

7,254 
14,482 

813 
1,684 

32.080 
32,604 

1851-52 

14,749 

19,201 

55' 

34,601 

1852-53 

16,705 

14,534 
7,228 

872 

32,111 

1853-54 

18,916 

655 

26,799 

1854-55 

17,564 
17,850 

16,314 

^l 

34,779 

1855-56 

11,500 

♦    42,568 

71,918 

1856-57 

59,901 

21,650 

1,017 

82,568 

1857-58 

60,183 

29,015 

6,111 

95,309 

1858-59 

1,18,199 

51,577 

t      42.755 

2,12,531 

1859-60 

3,84.314 

57,286 

X     22,400 

4  64,000 

1860-61 

3.44,423 

1.71,430 

§     52,229 

5,68,082 

1861-62 

4,01,457 

94,552 
1,40,489 

II  1,20,872 

6,16,881 

1862-63 

2,36,649 
1,97.664 

IT  1,05,155 

4,82,293 
4,16,576 

1863-64 

2,08,158 

^      10,554 

1864-65 

1,87,812 

1,35,732 

♦      19,282 

3,42,826 

1865-66 

2,15.699 

1,519,730 

ft     4,105 

3,39,534 
3,59,083 

1866-67 

2,31,107 

1,24,074 

XX     3,902 

1867-68 

3,01,694 

1,04,020 

5,672 

4,11,386 

1868-69 

3,26,178 

1,12,604 

4,629 

4,43,4" 

1869-70 

3.08,030 

88,814 
72,078 

4,001 

4,01,745 

1870-71 

2,46,000 

3,873 

3,21,9551 

1871-72 

2,45,069 

1,45,212 

5,008 

3,95,289 

1872-73 

2,30,488 

1,00,852 

5,326 

3,36.666 

51873-74 

2,33,899 

1,00,221 

3,745 

3,37,865 

*  Includes  33,993  rupees  as  salt  excise, 
f  36,504  salt  exd»». 
i  ^3*919  s^t  excise. 


$  41,985  salt  excise. 
H  1,16,879  salt  excise. 
^  89,350  salt  excise. 


**  15,428  salt  exdae. 
ft  187  salt  excise. 


Id  aa  salt  esds«! 


2   D    2 


'5'" 


404 


KARACHI. 


The  entries  under  the  head  of  miscellaneous  comprise  ware- 
house rent,  wharfage,  harbour-craft  licenses,  registry  fees,  unclaimed 
goods,  customs  fines,  &c. 

The  harbour  of  Karachi,  both  previous  to  and  for  some  years 
subsequent  to  the  conquest  of  Sind  by  the  British,  was  considered 
to  be  barred  against  the  entrance  of  English  vessels,  and  it  was 
supposed  that  native  craft  only  of  a  comparatively  small  tonnage 
could  go  inside  it.  English  steamers  and  troopships  were  accus- 
tomed to  anchor  some  distance  outside  Manora  point,  whence  the 
men  and  stores  were  conveyed  in  boats  as  far  up  the  harbour  as 
the  tide  permitted,  and  were  then  transferred  into  smaller  boats  or 
canoes,  through  what  was  comparatively  liquid  mud,  to  a  spot  not 
far  from  where  the  Custom  House  now  stands.  After  a  time  it 
was  found  that  the  difficulties  presented  by  the  bar  were  not  so 
great  as  were  generally  supposed,  and  that  square-rigged  vessels  of 
a  certain  draught  could  manage  to  cross  it  with  safety.  As  has 
previously  been  mentioned  (under  the  head  of  Harbour  Works 
Improvements,  in  Chapter  V.  of  the  Introduction,  page  io6),  one 
English  sailing-ship  ^nly  had  entered  the  harbour  up  to  1851 ;  but 
in  October  1852  the* Duke  of  Argyle,'  a  vessel  of  800  tons, 
arrived  at  Karachi  direct  from  England  with  troops,  coal  and 
iron.  After  this  the  port  became  more  frequently  and  regularly 
visited  by  British  sailing  vessels  as  it  became  better  known.  In 
1854,  during  the  commissionership  of  Sir  Bartle  Frere,  the  *  Napier 
Mole  Road,'  or  causeway,  about  three  miles  long,  connecting  the 
town  of  Karachi  with  the  island  of  Kiamari,  was  constructed,  and 
this  work,  by  making  the  two  places  more  readily  accessible  to 
each  other,  offered  a  further  inducement  to  sailing  vessels  to  visit 
the  port  of  Karachi  The  following  table  will  show  the  number 
and  description  of  vessels  which  entered  the  port  from  the 
year  1847-48  up  to  1873-74,  there  being  no  record  of  the 
arrivals  during  the  first  four  years  after  the  coiiguest.  In  the 
column  ** Native  Craft"  is  included  the  vessels  which  entered 
the  small  subordinate  ports  of  Keti  and  Sirganda  from  1847-48 
down  to  1862-63. 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


KARACHI. 


405 


Sailing 

g 

Total. 

Year. 

Vessels 

(square- 

1 

Native 

Craft. 

Remarks. 

^ged). 

VesseU. 

Tonnage. 

1847-48 

891 

891 

30,509 

Up    to    1853-54 

1848-49 

... 

'i 

1,017 

1,044 

43,  "O 

no  record  of  the 

1849-50 

... 

1,141 

1,169 

47,254 

arrival  of  a  few 

1850-51 

27 

1,334 

1,361 

53,047 

English  .sailing 

1851-52 

... 

29 

1,269 

1,298 

51,837 

vessels  appears 

1852-53 

... 

30 

1,229 

1,259 

54,609 

to    have    been 

1853-54 

... 

29 

1,062 

1,091 

56,094 

kept. 

1854-55 

10 

29 

1,047 

1,086 

56,695 

1855-56 

♦49 

1,208 

1,257 

75,921 

1857-58 

:g 

1,308 

1,360 

79,907 

1,429 

1,516 

124,827 

1858-59 

♦96 

1,493 

1,589 

131,3" 

1859-60 

♦lOI 

1,555 

1,656 

148,097 

1860-61 

♦109 

1,636 

1,745 

144,438 

1861-62 

*IIO 

1,012 

1,122 

112,401 

1862-63 

72 

56 

1,397 
1,801 

'.525 
1,956 

160,601 

1863-64 

94 

61 

188,783 

1864-65 

71 

50 

1, 800 

1,921 

156,917 

1865-66 

69 

49 

1,100 

1,218 

129,718 

1866-67 

81 

39 

1,031 

1,151 

142,977 

1867-68 

94 

76 

t 

1,106 

168,963 

1868-69 

78 

84 

1,049 

135,752 

1869-70 

39 

93 

969 

1,101 

127,569 

1870-71 

42 

93 

840 

975 

121,774 

1871-72 

?l 

100 

892 

1,021 

129,507 

1872-73 

97 

923 

1,038 

133,066 

1873-74 

,   30 

152 

731 

913 

161,284 

*  Includes  steamers. 


From  1856  to  the  present  time  the  number  of  vessels  wrecked 
at  or  near  the  harbour  of  ELarachi  is  eight,  of  which  six  were 
sailing  ships  and  two  steiners.  The  following  table  will  give  their 
names,  with  other  particulars  connected  with  them : — 


NamoofVttael. 

When 
Wrecked. 

Ship  'Julia*   .... 

1856 

„    'Admiral  Boxer*    . 

1857 

„    'Stambour       .     . 

1859 

Steamer 'Indus*        .      . 
Ship 'Marina'     .     .     . 

i860 
1861 

Steamer 'Jaipur*      .     . 

1864 

Ship 'Alicia'       .     .     . 
„    'Bacchante*      .     . 

1868 
1870 

Remarks. 


Wrecked  near  the  Oyster  rocks  when 
proceeding  to  Bombay  with  troops. 

Wrecked  on  the  Indus  banks  on  her 
passage  from  Cardiff  to  Karachi. 

From  London :  wrecked  two  miles 
west  of  Manora. 

Sank  in  the  harbour. 

From  Cardiff:  wrecked  about  two 
miles  west  of  Manora. 

Sank  near  the  Oyster  rocks  when 
proceeding  from  Karachi  to  the 
mouths  of  the  Indus. 

Wrecked  at  the  entrance  of  the  harbour. 

Wrecked  near  the  Oyster  rocks  while 
returning  to  Karachi  in  a  leaky  con- 
dition. 


406  KARACHI. 

In  connection  with  the  trade  of  Karachi,  it  will  here  be  neces- 
sary to  speak  of  the  funds  derived  from  the  shipping  frequenting 
it  as  the  chief,  and  in  fact  the  only  port  on  the  sea-coast  of  Sind« 
The  limits  of  the  port  of  Karachi,  according  to  the  Indian  Ports 
Act  (XII.  of  1875),  are  as  follows : — 

"  From  the  extreme  end  of  Manora  point  to  the  end  of  the 
Breakwater,  and  from  it  in  a  line  due  east  to  the  shore  at  Gisri,  and 
thence  by  high-water  mark  up  the  Chini  creek  and  round  the  head 
of  all  the  creeks  on  the  eastern,  northern  and  western  parts  of  the 
harbour  by  Baba  point,  and  along  the  inner  shore  of  Manora  spit 
to  Manora  point" 

At  the  latter  end  of  1853  the  employment  of  a  couple  of  pilots 
at  Manora  was  sanctioned  by  the  Bombay  Government,  and 
up  to  1862  there  were  three  pilots  and  pilot-boats  attached  to 
the  port,  as  well  as  a  steam-tug,  the  *  Hugh  Lindsay,*  for  towing 
vessels  in  and  out  of  the  harbour.  For  pa)dng  in  part  the 
establishment  of  the  master  attendant  of  Karachi,  who  is  the  con- 
servator of  the  harbour  as  well,  certain  fees  and  dues  are  levied  on 
all  vessels  visiting  the  port  on  account  of  tonnage,  moorings  (fixed 
and  swinging),  pilotage,  use  of  the  steam-tug,  and  for  other  ser- 
vices rendered  by  the  Port  Department. 

These,  as  at  present  in  force,  may  be  classified  as  under  : — 

Port  Dues  and  Fees. 

By  Acts  XXII.  of  1855,  and  VIII.  of  1858,  port  dues  were  levied 
on  all  classes  of  vessels  at  the  rate  of  4  annas  per  ton  of  burthen, 
while  fees  were  levied  at  the  following  rates  : — 

Rupees. 

Removing  from  one  part  of  the  port  to  another   ....  25 
Removing  from  one  mooring  to  another  at  the  request  of 

the  agent  or  master 50 

Attendance  of  a  Pilot,  ship  being  found  on  his  going  on 

board  unprepared  to  proceed  on  the  day  named     ...  20 

Hooking 16 

Measuring 30 

In  May  1863  the  following  notification  was  issued  on  the 
subject  of  fees  for  measuring  native  craft : — 

Revenue  Department. 

With  reference  to  Section  6  of  Act  VIII.  of  1858,  it  is  hereby 
notified  that  measuring  fees  on  native  craft  of  all  denominations 
will  be  levied  at  the  port  of  Karachi  at  the  following  rates : — 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


KARACHI.  407 

Rupees. 
Native  craft  exceeding  4  Bombay  candies,  or  i  ton,  and  not 

exceeding  20  Bombay  candies,  or  5  tons 3 

Native  craft  exceeding  20  Bombay  candies,  or  5  tons,  and 

not  exceeding  40  Bombay  candies,  or  10  tons  ....       6 
Native  craft  exceeding  40  Bombay  candies,  or  10  tons,  and 

not  exceeding  200  Bombay  candies,  or  50  tons      ...     10 
Native  craft  exceeding  200  Bombay  candies,  or  50  tons,  and 

not  exceeding  400  Bombay  candies,  or  100  tons    ...     20 
Native  craft  exceeding  400  Bombay  candies,  or  100  tons     .     30 

On  the  ist  October,  1873,  the  port  dues  on  tonnage  were  altered 
as  follows : — On  all  sea-going  vessels  of  100  tons  and  upwards, 
obliged  to  receive  a  pilot  on  board  when  moving  within  port  limits, 
2  annas  for  each  ton  of  burthen,  not  chargeable  oflener  than 
once  in  a  calendar  month  in  respect  of  the  same  vessel.  Coasting 
vessels  of  100  tons  burthen,  which  are  not  required  by  the  Act  to 
take  a  pilot  when  moving  within  port  Umits,  4  annas  for  each  ton 
of  burthen,  not  chargeable  oflener  than  once  in  three  calendar 
months  in  respect  of  the  same  vessel. 

The  charges  for  using  fixed  and  swinging  moorings  are  contained 
in  the  following  rules  issued  in  1858  and  1874 : — 

Port  Rules. 

The  following  Port  Rules  are  made  and  published  for  general 
information  and  guidance  : — 

1.  The  master  attendant  shall  be  conservator  of  the  harbour  of 

Karachi. 

2.  All  sea-going  vessels  entering  or  leaving  the  port  shall  fly 

their  national  flag,  and  each  ship  shall  show  her  number 
when  entering  port. 

3.  All  vessels  within  the  port  shall  take  up  such  berth  as  may 

be  appointed  them  by  the  conservator,  and  shall  change 
their  berth  or  remove  when  required  by  him. 

4.  All  vessels  within  the  port  shall  have  their  flying  jib-booms 

rigged  in,  and  shall,  if  ordered  by  the  conservator,  rig  in 
their  jib  and  driver-booms,  top  up  or  strike  yards  or 
masts. 

5.  Cargo  boats,  full  or  empty,  shall  not  be  allowed  to  swing 

astern  of  any  vessel  without  permission,  nor  shall  anchors 
be  cock-billed  or  spars  be  allowed  to  hang  alongside  or 
astern. 

6.  Should  any  vessel  lose  an  anchor  or  cable   in   the  port, 

notice  is  to  be  given  immediately  to  the  conservator. 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


4o8  KARACHI. 

7.  Free  passage  is  to  be  kept  at  all  piers,  jetties,  wharves,  land- 

ing-places, docks  and  moorings,  and  all  boats  and  vessels 
shall  move  when  required  to  clear  such  passage. 

8.  All  vessels  within  the  port  of  Karachi  shall  moor  and  unmoor 

according  to  the  orders  of  the  conservator,  and  shall  keep 
clear  hawse. 

9.  All  vessels  within  the  port  of  Elarachi  shall  be  moved  or 

warped  from  place  to  place  as  required  by  the  conservator, 
and  no  vessel  shall  cast  off  a  warp  that  has  been  made  fast 
to  her  to  assist  a  vessel  in  mooring  or  moving,  until  re- 
quired to  do  so  by  the  pilot  or  oflScer  in  charge  of  the 
vessel  so  moving. 

10.  The  conservator  will,  if  he  sees  no  objection,  grant  permis- 

sion for  any  vessel  to  be  moved  from  one  mooring  or 
anchorage  to  another,  on  a  written  application  being  made 
to  him  to  that  effect. 

11.  No  vessel  shall  use  any  of  the  Government  moorings,  fixed 

or  swinging,  without  the  permission  of  the  conservator. 

1 2.  All  vessels  using  Government  mooring  shall  pay  for  the  same 

at  the  folloi^ang  scale : — 


For  Fixed  Moorings. 

Rupees. 

Under  200  tons I  per  diem. 

All  vessels  above    200  and  under    500  tons     .     .  2 

,,500  „         800    „      .     .  3 

„       800  „       1,000    „       .     .  4 

„     1,000         „       1,200    „       .     .  5 

„     1,200         „       1,500    „       ,     .  6 

„     1,500  tons 7 


For  Swinging  Moorings. 

For  all  vessels  under  800  tons 3        ,, 

Above  800  tons 4        „ 

13.  No  vessels,  within  the  limits  of  the  port  of  Karachi,  shall 

boil  pitch  or  dammer  on  board,  but  must  do  so  in  a  boat 
alongside  or  astern  ;  nor  shall  any  spirits  be  drawn  off  by 
candle  or  other  artificial  light  on  board. 

14,  No  private  vessels  are  to  hoist  signal  lights  at  night,  nor  to 

fire  great  guns  or  small  arms  at  the  hours  of  sunset  and 
sunrise,  or  at  any  time,  without  the  permission  of  the  con- 
servator, or  in  cases  when  requiring  assistance. 


Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


KARACHI,  409 

15.  All  applications  for  pilots  are  to  be  sent  to  the  conservator 

at  least  48  hours  previous  to  leaving. 

16.  When  a  vessel  has  taken  up  anchorage,  the  anchor  is  not  to 

be  raised  without  the  permission  of  the  conservator. 


Port  Fund,  Karachi. 

The  following  charges  are  made  for  services  rendered  by  the 
Port  Department  to  vessels,  &a,  requiring  them  (November 
1866) :— 

Rupees. 
Hire  of  the  anchor  and  mooring  vessel  *  Kheclewari'      .     20  per  diem. 
Hire  of  warp  boat  (with  or  without  warps  and  anchors)  ,20       „ 
*Hire  of  Europe  or  coir  hawser  (with  or  without  anchor)      4       „ 
*For  assistance  given  in  beaching  ships  to  clean  or  repair 
— this  includes  the  use  of  warp  boats,  hawsers,  and 
anchors  required  in  securing  the  vessel  when  on  shore, 
also  in  beaching  or  heaving  her  afloat  (provided  the 
work  does  not  extend  beyond  three  days,  in  this  case 
a  separate  charge  will  be  made  as  above  *  for  the  loan 

of  hawsers) 50  -     „ 

Sweeping  for  and  picking  up  anchors  lost  by  vessels 
within  the  port 50       „ 

For  hauling  up  native  sea-going  vessels  within  port  limits, 
whether  for  protection  in  bad  weather,  or  for  repairs,  or  for 
clearing  (October  187 1): — 

(No  charge  for  harbour  boats  under  20  tons.) 

Per  diem. 

Rup.  a.    p. 

From    20  tons  (or  80  candies)  to  25  tons  (or  100  candies)        080 

„     25  „  100      „  40  „  160,     „  100 

„    40  „  160      „  so  „  200      „  180 

„    50  „         200      „  60  „  240      „  200 

„    60  „         240      „  70  „  280       „  280 

Above  70  „        300 

Anchors  and  buoys  for  moving  the  vessels  in  safety  are  laid  by 
the  master  attendant  at  some  of  the  appointed  spots  for  beaching. 

Marine  Department  Notices. 

Masters  of  ships  are  informed  that  the  time  will  be  given  from 
the  Master  Attendant's  office,  Manora,  by  means  of  a  time-ball  on 
Tuesdays  and  Fridays  at  one  o'clock  p.m.  precisely  (Karachi  mean 
time. 

At  ten  minutes  before  one  the  ball  will  be  raised  half-mast  high ; 


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410 


KARACHI. 


at  five  minutes  to  one  it  will  be  hoisted  to  the  yard-arm,  and  at  one 
o'clock  mean  time  the  ball  will  drop. 

In  the  event  of  any  accident  or  error,  No.  i  Marryatt's  Code 
will  be  hoisted  at  the  mast-head,  and  will  remain  fl3dng  until  the 
ball  is  again  hoisted  as  before  for  giving  out  the  time  in  a  similar 
manner  at  two  o'clock  p.m.  mean  time. 


Marine  Department. 

It  is  hereby  notified,  for  the  information  of  commanders  of 
ships  lying  at  Karachi,  that  pilotage  and  moving  and  mooring  fees 
must  be  paid  at  the  Master  Attendant's  office,  Manora  point. 

It  will  save  a  second  journey  to  Manora,  if  the  sums  payable 
on  the  above  account  are  forwarded  to  the  port  office  when 
application  is  made  for  the  outward  pilot  and  for  the  certificate 
of  port  charges  required  at  the  Custom  House  when  clearing  the 
vessel  for  sea. 

The  scale  of  charges  for  pilot  services  on  different  descrip- 
tions of  vessels  entering  or  leaving  the  port  is  given  in  two  tables 

as  follows : — 

Table  I. 


Leviable  on  Mail  and  regular  Coasting  Steamers. 

Fair 
Season. 

Monsoon 

Season 

(June, 

July, 

and?lS- 
tember/. 

From  and  above     lOO   to     300  tons 
II           II           300}  II      400    „ 
II           II           400i  „      500    „ 

5ooi.i     600   „ 

II       .  II          6ool  „      700   „ 

II          7ooi„     800   „ 

8ooJ„     900   „ 
II          II          900}  „  1,000   „ 
II          II       iioooj  „  1,100   „ 
„          „       i,iooi„  1,200   „ 

„              „          I,200j„  1,300     „       , 

II          II       i,3ooiii  ii4a>   II     . 

„  i,40oi„  1,500  „  , 
II  II  ii5ooi„  1,600  „  . 
„  „  i,6ooi„  ii7oo  „  . 
II  II  ii7ooi„  1,800  „  . 
„  „  i,8ooi  II  ii9oo  „  . 
II          11       ii9ooi„  2,000   „     . 

„       2,oooJ„  2,100   „     . 

„       2, loot,,  2,200    „     . 

„              „         2,200i  „  2,300     „       . 

II           II       2,30oi„  2,400    „     . 

„     2,400}  „  2,500  „    . 

rupees. 
70 

'I 

85 
90 

95 
100 
105 
no 

"5 
120 

125 
130 
135 
140 

145 
•     150 

111 

rupees. 

'I 

85 
90 

95 
100 
105 
no 

"5 
120 
125 
130 
135 
140 

145 
150 

lil 

i6s 
170 

III 
.85 

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KARACHI. 

Table  II. 


411 


Inward  and  Outward  PQotage  leviable  on  all  Ships 
and  Steamers  of  Homeward  Foreign  Trade. 


From  and  above     100 

>*          »  3a>i 

»>          »  4a>i 

>*          »>  6ooi 

f,          •*  704 

yi              If  oOOj 

„          „  i,oooi 

„          „  i,iooi 

,,  I,200i 

»          M  i,3a>i 

„          „  1,4001 

i>          M  1,504 

„  i,6ooi 

M            M  i»7<»J 

ff              »»  I,oOOj 

t,  i,9«>i 

„          „  2,oooi 

„               „  2,lOOi 

„    „  2,200} 

„   „  2,300} 

„   „  2,400} 


to     300  tons 

„      600  „ 

,»      700  „ 

„      800  „ 

,»      900  M 

,000  ,» 

»!<»  M 

,200  „ 

,300  M 

,400  M 

»5«>  >> 

,600  „ 

,700  ., 

,8oo'  „ 

,900  M 

„  2,000  „ 

„  2,100  „ 

„  2,200  „ 

».    2.300  M 

»  2,400  „ 

,t  2,500  „ 


Monsoon 

Season 

Fair 

(June. 

Season. 

July, 
August 

and  Sep- 

tember). 

rupees. 

rupees. 

40 

60 

45 

65 

50 

70 

55 

ZS 

60 

80 

65 

85 

70 

90 

75 

95 

80 

100 

85 

105 

90 

no 

95 

"5 

100 

120 

105 

125 

no 

130 

"5 

135 

120 

140 

125 

145 

130 

150 

135 

'|5 

140 

160 

145 

165 

150 

170 

Directions  for  the  Use  of  Ships  detained  by  any  Cause  off  the  Port 
of  Karachi  during  the  South-west  Monsoon  Season. 

1.  The  pilot  who  boards  a  ship  on  arrival  off  the  port  will 
give  her  coixunander  all  possible  information  as  to  the  probable 
time  his  vessel  may  be  able  to  cross  the  bar ;  but  unless  this  can 
be  done  on  the  day  of  arrival,  he  will  not  (being  a  harbour  pilot 
only)  assume  charge  of  the  ship. 

2.  As  at  this  season  it  is  not  safe  to  anchor  in  the  roads,  ships 
unable  to  cross  the  bar  on  arrival  must  stand  to  sea,  and  await 
a  favourable  opportunity  for  doing  so. 

3.  While  in  sight  of  the  port,  a  ship  is  in  perfect  safety  with  the 
lighthouse  on  Manora  point  on  any  bearing  from  N.  to  E.  The 
point  itself  is  bold  of  approach :  from  6  to  7  fathoms  water  will 
be  found  at  a  distance  of  i  mile  from  it  on  the  above  point  of 
bearing. 

4.  A  ship  waiting  for  orders  off  the  port  should  work  with  the 
lighthouse  bearing  from  £.  to  N.E.,  distance  i  to  2  miles. 

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412  KARACHI. 

5.  In  standing  to  the  N.  do  not  bring  the  lighthouse  to  the 
S.  of  E.,  as  the  coast  between  Manora  point  and  Cape  Monze  is 
dangerous  to  a  distance  of  from  2  to  3  miles  off  shore. 

6.  In  standing  to  the  southward,  do  not  bring  the  lighthouse 
anything  to  the  W.  of  N.  or  go  under  7  fathoms,  as  a  nasty  sea 
will  be  experienced  as  the  water  shallows  in  shore,  and  a  ship 
might  find  difficulty  in  tacking. 

7.  Ras  Muari  (or  Cape  Monze),  i8  miles  W.  \  N.  from  Manora 
point,  is  a  capital  landmark  for  Karachi.  It  is  a  high  and  bold 
bluff,  and  can  be  approached  with  safety  on  any  bearing  from 
E.  to  W.  by  N.,  to  the  distance  of  li  to  2  miles,  with  15  fathoms 
water.  The  coast  beyond  Cape  Monze  runs  nearly  N.  for  25 
miles,  and  then  nearly  W.  It  is  generally  high  and  safe  to 
approach  within  2\  miles. 

8.  The  neighbourhood  of  the  headland  is  a  good  position  for  a 
ship  detained  as  above  to  take  up,  lying  as  it  does  to  windward  of 
the  port.  Communication  can  be  insured  at  any  time,  and  much 
less  current,  sea  and  wind  will  be  experienced  than  farther  S. 

9.  In  the  near  neighbourhood  of  Karachi  little  current  is 
found  (beyond  the  harbour  tides,  ebb  running  S.W.,  flood  N.E.) ; 
but  there  is  a  slight  set  throughout  the  season  to  the  south- 
eastward, along  the  coast  of  Sind  and  Kachh;  this  increases 
considerably  in  strength  below  the  mouths  of  the  Indus  river. 
Here,  too,  as  before  stated,  a  heavy  swell  and  much  wind  will  be 
found,  and,  on  all  accounts,  this  eastern  shore  should  be  avoided. 

10.  All  attention  should  be  paid  to  signals  from  the  lighthouse 
station. 

The  following  revised  directions  for  approaching  Karachi 
harbour  are  published  for  general  information  (21st  February, 
1875):- 

Latitude  of  the  lighthouse  on  Manora  point      24°  47'  21"  N. 
Longitude 66°  58',  15"  E. 

The  light  is  a  fixed  one,  120  feet  above  the  sea-level,  visible  in 
clear  weather  16  miles ;  in  the  hazy  weather,  prevalent  during  the 
south-west  monsoon,  about  7  miles  only. 

High  water  at  full  and  change  of  the  moon  10  30' ;  rise  and  fall 
on  ordinary  spring  tides,  9  feet  6  inches ;  on  neap  tides,  3  to  4  feet 

Depth  of  Water  in  Entrance  Channel  at  High  Water. 

Spring  tides      .        .        .        .29  feet. 
Neap  tides        .        •        .        ,     24  to  26  feet. 


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KARACHI.  413 

Ships  entering  or  leaving  Port. 

Vessels  with  a  draught  not  exceeding  2ii  feet  can  now  enter 
and  leave  the  port  without  difficulty  or  delay  throughout  the  year. 

During  the  fair  season  (from  October  to  15th  May)  vessels  with 
a  draught  not  exceeding  24  feet  can  now  enter  and  leave  the 
harbour.     Fixed  moorings  are  placed  for  such  vessels. 

Time  of  Tide  for  entering  Port. 

Sailing  vessels  should  enter  port  on  the  ebb-tide.  Steamers  can 
enter  either  flood  or  ebb,  and  stand  at  once  into  port. 

Masters  of  ships  should  not  under  any  circumstances  attempt  to 
enter  the  harbour  without  a  pilot 

Harbour  Improvements. 

Among  the  extensive  works  executed  a  breakwater  has  been 
built  running  out  from  Manora  point  in  a  south-by-east  direction 
to  a  distance  of  1500  feet  into  6  fathoms  of  water;  this  affords 
complete  shelter  to  the  entrance  channel  during  the  south-west 
monsoon.  A  channel  has  also  been  opened  through  the  bar  with 
a  depth  of  20  feet  at  low  water  spring  tides.  This  channel,  which 
is  500  feet  in  breadth,  is  marked  by  buoys,  and  these  on  entering 
should  be  kept  on  the  port  side  about  150  feet 

Note, — A  mail  steamer  arriving  off  the  port  at  night  and  re- 
quiring a  pilot  should  fire  two  guns. 

Approaching  the  Port. 
Coast  of  Sind. — Indus  Banks. 

The  coast  of  Sind  below  the  parallel  of  24°  N.  lat.  should  be 
approached  with  great  caution ;  too  much  attention  cannot  be 
paid  to  the  lead,  more  especially  in  passing  the  banks  of  the  Indus, 
as  these  have  extended  considerably  to  the  S.W.  since  they  were 
last  surveyed  by  Lieut  Stiffe  in  1867. 

No  sailing  vessel  should  come  nearer  this  coast  by  night  or  in 
rough  weather  than  20  fathoms,  or  in  fine  weather  by  day  under 
12  fathoms. 

ITie  tides  during  the  springs  are  strong :  the  flood  sets  south- 
east and  the  ebb  to  the  north-west 

During  the  south-west  monsoon,  sailing  vessels  should  make 
Ras  Muari  (Cape  Monze),  which  is  18  miles  west-half-north  from 


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414  KARACHI. 

Manora  lighthouse,  and  keep  to  windward  of  the  port  if  the 
weather  is  thick  or  the  tide  does  not  suit  for  entering  the  harbour. 

Allowance  must  also  be  made  for  a  strong  set  to  the  south-east, 
which  prevails  more  or  less  during  the  south-west  monsoon. 

Do  not  bring  Manora  point  to  the  southward  of  east  or  go 
under  15  fethoms  near  Cape  Monze. 

Masters  of  ships  should  endeavour  to  make  the  port  at  day- 
light, and  can  with  safety  approach  into  8  fathoms  to  about  2 
miles  distance  from  the  lighthouse,  keeping  it  in  any  bearing  from 
N.E.  to  N.,  and  heave  to  for  a  pilot. 

Anchorage  in  the  Roads. 

From  June  to  the  middle  of  September,  ships  should  not  on  any 
account  anchor,  but  stand  off  and  on,  keeping  the  lighthouse  bear- 
ing from  N.  by  £.  to  N.E.,  i  to  2  miles  distant,  until  boarded  by 
a  pilot  or  directed  by  signal. 

From  September  till  the  end  of  March, 

Anchorage,  lighthouse  N.  by  £.  to  N.N.K  :  distance  i  mile  in 
7  fathoms. 

From  April  to  May, 

Lighthouse  N.N.E.  to  N.E. ;  distance  half  a  mile  in  8  fathoms. 

Early  History. 

There  is  not  much  to  be  said  concerning  the  history  of  Karachi 
before  its  cession  to  the  British  in  1842  by  the  Talpur  Mirs  of 
Sind.  By  some  writers  it  is  supposed  to  occupy  the  same  po- 
sition, or  to  be  at  least  in  the  immediate  neighbourhood^  of  the 
site  of  the  ancient  sea-port  of  Dewal  (or  Debal),  which  was  in 
existence  so  far  back  as  a.d.  711,  when  a  town  of  that  name  was 
reduced  by  the  Arab  general,  Muhammad  Kasim  Sakifi,  in  his 
invasion  of  Sind.  Before  a.d.  1725  the  present  town  of  Karachi 
had,  according  to  an  account  drawn  up  from  old  family  papers  by 
a  wealthy  Hindu  trader  and  resident  of  the  place,  Sett  Naomsd, 
C.S.I.,  no  existence  whatever;  but  it  is  there  stated  that  there 
was  a  town  called  Kharak,  situate  on  the  other  side  of  the  Habb 
river  at  its  confluence  with  the  sea,  and  which  then  enjoyed  a 
considerable  commerce.  Trade  was  carried  on  by  this  place  with 
Shahbandar  and  Lahori-bandar  in  Sind,  Maskat,  Surat,  Porbandar, 
and  Malabar.  Owing,  however,  to  the  entrance  of  the  harbour 
at  Kharak  becoming,  in  course  of  time,  blocked  up  with  sand. 

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KARACHI,  4IS 

vessels  were  unable  to  enter  it,  and  the  chief  trading  men  of  the 
community  (among  whom  was  one  Bhojumal,  an  ancestor  of  Sett 
Naomal)  then  began  to  see  the  necessity  of  removing  to  some 
other  place  offering  more  mercantile  advantages  than  Kharak. 
EventuaUy  a  spot  near  the  present  head  of  the  harbour  of  Karachi, 
originally  known  as  Dirbo,  and  having  a  pool  of  water  in  the  im- 
mediate neighbourhood,  called  "  Kalachi  kun,''  was  selected,  and 
thither,  in  A.D.  1729,  the  greater  number  of  the  inhabitants  from 
Kharak-bandar  removed  with  all  their  available  property.  This 
place  then  went  by  the  name  of  Kalachi-jo-got,  and  from  this  is 
said  to  be  derived  the  word  "  Karachi."  The  bar  did  not  then 
exist,  as  a  ridge  of  hills  blocked  up  what  is  now  known  as  the 
Manora  entrance,  but  there  was  at  that  time  another  bar  called 
the  '*  Nawa  Nar,"  or  new  bar,  near  Baba  island,  which  was  used 
by  trading  vessels  frequenting  the  port  In  time  the  new  settle- 
ment prospered,  and  a  considerable  trade  sprang  up  under  the 
protection  of  Jam  Daria  Khan  Jokia.  The  place  was  fortified, 
and  cannon  were  brought  from  Maskat  and  placed  upon  the 
ramparts.  This  fort  had  two  main  entrances,  one  called  the 
"  Khara  Darwaza,"  or  gate  looking  seaward  towards  the  west ;  the 
other,  to  the  east,  was  known  as  the  Mitha  Darwaza,  or  that  which 
led  to  sweet  water.  When  the  harbour  of  Shahbandar  (or  King's 
port)  became  hopelessly  blocked  up,  many  of  the  inhabitants  left 
it  for  Karachi,  which  became,  in  consequence,  a  place  of  some 
note.  During  the  reign  of  the  Kalhora  princes  this  town  was 
ceded  by  them  to  the  Khan  of  Kelat,  and  was  garrisoned  by  men 
from  that  territory;  but  about  the  year  1792,  the  place  seems  to 
have  been  threatened  by  a  force  under  the  Talpur  chieftain,  Mir 
Fateh  Ali  Khan,  but  nothing  was  effected.  In  the  following  year 
another  Baloch  force  arrived  with  the  object  of  taking  the  town, 
but  as  it  was  well  defended  by  the  inhabitants,  who  were  assisted 
by  the  mariners  of  the  vessels  belonging  to  the  port,  the  invading 
army,  after  a  stay  of  three  months,  was  compelled  to  return  to 
Hyderabad.  In  1795  ^  ^^^^  Baloch  army  appeared  before  the 
place,  and  this  time  with  greater  success,  as  die  garrison  being 
then  very  weak,  and  the  Khan  of  Kelat  quite  unable  to  send 
troops  for  its  defence,  Karachi  was,  under  these  circumstances, 
surrendered  to  Mir  ELaram  Ali  Talpur,  who,  after  appointing  a 
Nawab  to  govern  it,  and  leaving  a  guard  of  100  Karmati  Baloch 
sepoys  as  a  garrison,  returned  to  Hyderabad.  In  this  cession 
Sett  Darianamal,  one  of  the  chief  men  of  the  town,  and  a  relative 
of  Sett  Naomal,  appears  to  have  taken  a  leading  part  and  to  have 
procured  favourable  terms  for  the  place.      Carless  states  that, 

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4i6  KARACHI. 

about  xoo  years  ago,  or  say  a.d.  1770,  the  harbour  of  Karachi 
was  situate  five  or  sue  miles  farther  to  the  westward  than  it  is  at 
present,  and  was  separated  from  the  sea  by  a  bar  of  loose  sand. 
The  harbour  then  went  by  the  name  of  Auranga  bandar,  but  by 
the  Hindu  inhabitants  it  was  generally  known  as  Rambagh  ;  this 
latter,  from  its  similarity  in  name  to  the  Ramlacia  mentioned  by 
Arrian  in  his  account  of  the  expedition  of  Alexander,  which  Carless 
observes  was  situate  somewhere  on  this  part  of  the  coast,  he 
thought  might  probably  be  one  and  the  same  place.  The  Talpur 
chiefs,  aware  of  the  importance  of  Karachi,  built  in  1797  a  fort  at 
Manora,  at  the  mouth  of  the  harbour,  as  a  means  of  defence,  and 
they  also  endeavoured  to  increase  the  trade  of  the  port  In  the 
time  of  the  Talpur  dynasty,  the  town  of  Karachi  occupied  the  same 
slightly  elevated  piece  of  ground,  now  known  as  the  old  town 
Municipal  quarter,  and  was  defended  by  a  mud  wall,  with  round 
towers  at  each  angle  and  along  the  sides,  and  had  guns  of  small 
calibre  mounted  on  its  various  bastions.  In  1838  the  town  and 
suburbs  had  a  population  of  14,000  souls,  half  of  these  bemg 
Hindus,  and  the  remainder  Muhammadans  of  the  Baloch,  Jokia, 
Muhana,  and  Jat  tribes.  The  two  latter  were  employed  as  fisher- 
men and  artisans,  but  the  Balochis  took  service  as  military  followers 
under  the  different  chiefs  of  the  country.  The  houses  of  the  town, 
which  were  all  flat-roofed  and  built  of  mud,  were  mosdy  of  one 
storey,  though  a  few  were  two  and  even  three  storeys  high.  All 
were  provided  with  badgirs  (wind-catchers)  for  purposes  of  ventila- 
tion. The  Government  of  Karachi  was,  during  the  rule  of  the 
Mirs,  vested  in  a  civil  and  military  governor,  styled  the  Nawab, 
who  exercised  uncontrolled  authority  over  the  town  and  neigh- 
bourhood, subject,  however,  to  appeal  on  the  part  of  aggrieved 
parties  to  the  court  at  Hyderabad.  Owing  to  the  poor  pay 
allowed  to  tlie  Mirs'  servants,  aU  classes  took  fees  whenever  an 
opportunity  presented  itself,  so  as  to  enable  them  to  keep  up  a 
respectable  appearance.  The  Baloch  sepoys  derived  their  chief 
sources  of  emolument  by  being  allowed  to  act  as  escorts  to  the 
merchants'  kafilas  proceeding  into  the  interior  of  the  province. 
For  this  service  they  received  from  2  rupees  to  6  rupees  each, 
according  to  the  entire  distance  travelled.  They  were  answerable 
for  the  safety  of  the  persons  and  property  entrusted  to  their  care, 
and  this  confidence,  it  is  said,  they  seldom  abased.  Next  to  the 
governor  of  the  city,  ranked  the  collectors,  whose  duty  it  was  to 
collect  the  revenue  and  taxes.  The  principal  merchants  of  the 
place  were,  as  is  the  case  now,  Hindus,  many  of  them  very 
wealthy,  having  agents  at  Maskat,  Bahrein,  Herat,  Kabul,  Kan- 


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r 


1 


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KARAMPUR—KASHMOR, 


417 


dahar,  Shikarpur,  Bahawalpur,  Multan,  Mandavi,  and  Bombay. 
Education  does  not  appear  to  have  been  altogether  neglected  at 
Karachi  under  the  Mirs'  government.  There  were  three  or  four 
schools  conducted  by  Brahmans  of  the  Sarsudh  and  Pokama  castes, 
who  taught  reading,  writing,  and  book>keeping  in  Sindi,  and  for 
their  labour  received  payment  partly  in  kind  and  partly  in  money. 
The  Persian  language  was  taught  mostly  in  the  mosques  by  Mullas. 
In  1839  there  were  21  mosques  and  13  pirs'  places  in  the  town 
of  Karachi,  but  none  received  any  allowance  from  the  State.  There 
were  also  34  HindQ  temples  of  different  descriptions,  mainly  sup- 
ported by  offerings  from  the  inhabitants.  Such  was  the  condition 
of  Karachi  a  few  years  previous  to  the  province  of  Sind  being  in- 
corporated with  British  India.  What  it  afterwards  became  under 
British  rule  as  regards  size  and  importance  has  already  been  de- 
tailed at  some  length  in  this  notice. 

Karampor^  a  village  in  the  Sehwan  taluka  of  the  Sehwan 
Deputy  Collectorate,  situate  on  the  main  road  leading  from 
Sehwan  to  Larkana,  and  distant  2  miles  north  from  the  former 
town.  There  is  a  small  police  post  in  this  village.  The  popula- 
tion, numbering  about  1000  in  all,  consists  of  Muhammadans, 
mainly  of  the  Uta  tribe,  and  Hindus  of  the  Lohano  caste,  but 
the  number  of  each  is  not  known.  The  occupation  of  the  inhabit- 
ants is  mostly  agricultural  The  local  trade  is  in  grain  of  various 
kinds,  ghi,  milk,  and  butter.  The  manufactures  comprise  coarse 
cloth  and  shoes.  This  village  is  said  to  have  been  founded  by 
Mir  KLaram  Ali  TaJpur. 

Kashznor,  a  taluka  (or  sub-division)  of  the  frontier  district  of 
Upper  Sind,  with  an  area  of  782  square  miles,  and  having  four 
tapas,  15  villages,  and  a  population  of  25,232  souls.  The  re- 
venue, imperial  and  local,  of  this  sulniivision  during  the  four 
years  ending  1873-74,  is  as  follows : — 


Imperial  .... 
Local       .... 

Total  rupees  . 

X870-71. 

x87i-7a. 

1879-73. 

»873-74. 

rupees. 

48,481 

2,163 

rupees. 

63,321 

2,003 

rupees. 

71,709 

2,344 

rupees. 

64,050 

2,508 

50,644 

65,324 

74,053 

66,558 

Eastamor,  the  principal  town  of  the  talOka  of  that  name, 
distant  now  but  2  miles  from  the  river  Indus  and  86  E.N.E.  from 
Jacobabad,  in  lat.  28°  26'  N.  and  long.  69**  43'  E.     It  is  about 

2   E 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


4i8  KATYAR—KBTL 

247  feet  above  mean  sea-level  and  possesses  road  communicatioD 
with  Kumbri,  Badani,  Toj,  and  old  Kashmor,  and  a  canal,  4 
miles  in  length,  connects  it  with  the  Indus.  This  has  since,  under 
the  name  of  the  Desert  canal,  been  carried  32  miles  into  the 
desert,  west  of  Kashmor,  and  is  intended  to  have  a  total  length  of 
90  miles.  A  telegraph  line  passes  through  the  place,  and  there 
was  formerly  an  office  here ;  but  this,  together  with  a  district 
bangalow  and  some  extensive  lines  of  the  Sind  Horse,  were 
entirely  swept  away  by  the  floods  of  1862-63.  It  is  the  fifth  time 
during  the  last  eighty  years  that  Kashmor  has  been  so  destroyed 
by  floods.  There  is  a  Mukhtyarkar  here,  and  water  and  supplies 
are  plentiful.  The  new  bangalow,  erected  for  the  Mukhtyarkar, 
is  capable  of  aflbrding  some  accommodation  to  a  European  tra- 
veller. There  is  also  a  Government  vernacular  school,  a  cattle 
pound,  and  a  permanent  subordinate  jail  at  this  place,  of  which  the 
MQkhtyirkar  is  the  ex  officio  superintendent,  and  his  second  munshi 
ex  officio  jailer.  The  population  is  a  mixed  one,  numbering  956 
souls,  of  whom  387  are  Hindds,  chiefly  Lohanas,  and  569  Musal- 
mans,  mostly  of  the  Kalwar  tribe.  The  grain  trade  of  the  whole 
taluka  passes  through  the  bazar  of  this  town.  The  manufactures 
of  Kashmor  are  principally  coarse  cotton  cloths,  shoes,  leathern 
work,  such  as  oil  and  ghi  dabbas,  and  its  turned  lacquer  work, 
which  is  much  admired. 

Katyar^  a  Government  village  in  the  Guni  taluka  of  the  Tanda 
district,  distant  11  miles  west  of  Tanda  Muhammad  KhSn,  and 
20  from  Hyderabad.  It  is  the  head-quarter  station  of  a  Tapadar, 
besides  whose  **  dera,"  it  possesses  police  lines  and  a  very  good 
district  bangalow.  There  is  also  a  cattle  pound  {dhak).  The  in- 
habitants of  this  town  number  in  all  1125,  but  the  number  of 
Muhammadans  and  Hindus  is  not  known.  The  Musalman 
portion  are  mostly  zamindars,  cultivators,  Lahoris,  weavers,  dyers, 
washermen,  and  saddle-cloth  makers.  The  Hindus  are  traders, 
shop-keepers,  Lahoris,  goldsmiths,  and  cultivators.  The  trade  and 
manufactures  of  this  place  are  unimportant,  and  consist  mainly  of 
cloth,  grain,  ghi,  mats,  and  saddle-cloths.  The  transit  trade  is  in 
rice,  cotton,  and  saddles.  This  village  was  built  by  one  Chatu 
Durs,  about  134  years  since,  in  the  time  of  the  Kalhora  d)masty. 

Keti,  the  chief  port  at  present  on  the  Indus  for  river  and  sea- 
going boats,  is  situate  in  the  extreme  southern  portion  of  the 
Ghorabari  taluka  of  the  Jemick  Deputy  CoUectorate,  in  lat.  24"^  13' 
N.,  and  long.  67°  25'  E.  It  is  seated  close  to  the  sea  on  the 
Hajamro  branch  of  the  river  Indus,  and  has  taken  the  place  of 
Ghorabari,    situate    more  inland  on  the    same   branch    of  the 


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KETL  419 

river,  which  in  1845  was  the  chief,  and  indeed  the  only  town  of 
any  commercial  importance  then  in  the  delta.  Before  entering 
into  any  further  description  of  the  modem  town  of  Keti,  it  will  be 
as  well,  perhaps,  to  refer  to  Ghorabari  as  it  existed  about  a  quarter 
of  a  century  ago.  The  town  of  Ghorabari  (also  called  Bandar 
Vikar)  is  in  lat.  24°  18'  N.,  and  long.  67°  14'  E.,  and  dates  its 
existence  from  about  a-d.  1826.  Ten  years  afterwards  it  con^^ 
tained,  according  to  Heddle,  250  huts,  and  1000  inhabitants, 
Musalmans  and  Hindus,  the  former  consisting  mostly  of  Muhanas 
(or  boatmen),  with  a  few  Balochis  and  other  tribes.  The  Hindus 
were  chiefly  Lohanos,  Bhatias,  and  Sonars.  This  town  was,  in 
1836,  the  property  of  Mir  Nasir  Khan,  the  brother  of  the  then 
reigning  Hyderabad  Mir,  and  he  is  said  to  have  drawn  from  it 
an  annual  revenue  of  rather  more  than  a  lakh  of  rupees,  the  cus- 
toms of  this  port  having  been  farmed  out  for  a  sum  of  52,000 
rupees.  About  one  hundred  and  eighty  vessels,  each  on  an  average 
of  20  tons  burthen,  frequented  Ghorabari  every  year,  coming  from 
Mandavi,  Anjar,  Jamnagar,  Porbandar,  Karachi,  Sonmiani,  and 
Gwadar.  The  value  of  the  exports  of  the  place  in  1837  was 
estimated  at  2,65,000  rupees,  and  consisted  mostly  of  rice,  ghi^ 
and  grindstones.  The  imports,  from  Bombay,  the  Malabar  coast, 
Kachh,  and  Maskat,  were  in  that  same  year  valued  at  1,00,500 
rupees,  and  comprised  chiefly  English  cloths,  raw  cotton,  coarse 
cloths,  metals,  dates,  pepper,  and  slaves.  This  port,  in  fact,  then 
ranked  next  in  importance  to  Karachi,  and  no  route  presented 
such  facilities  for  the  conveyance  of  merchandise  to  the  upper 
portion  of  the  delta  as  the  Hajamro  branch  of  the  river  at  that 
time;  and  so  matters  continued  till  1848,  when  the  river  capri- 
ciously forsook  the  channel  on  which  the  town  was  so  conveniently 
placed  for  trade,  and  Ghorabari  very  soon  after  dwindled  away 
into  comparative  insignificance.  Its  trade  was  then  removed  to 
another  spot,  the  first  Keti  nearer  the  s6a,  but  this  place  being 
overflowed  some  time  afterwards  (about  1853),  a  more  convenient 
site  was  chosen  not  far  from  the  former  town ;  the  second  KSti, 
the  present  port,  now  in  the  twenty^second  year  of  its  existence, 
soon  attracted  the  river  trade,  and  it  is  at  this  moment  the  second 
sea-port  in  Sind.  Keti  has  road  communication  with  Tatta, 
from  which  it  is  distant  60  miles  south-west,  with  Mirpur  Sakro, 
distant  32  miles  south-south-west,  and  with  Ghorabari,  distant  13 
miles  only,  A  kotwal,  who  is  in  charge  of  the  subsidiary  jail,  a 
tapadlu*,  a  customs  oflicer,  and  a  hospital  assistant  in  medical 
charge  of  the  dispensary,  reside  here,  and  are  the  principal  Go- 
vernment officials  of  the  place.     There  is  a  small  police  force  of 

2  E  3 

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420 


KETL 


five  men,  who  are  under  the  command  of  a  chief  constable.  The 
Mukhtyarkar  of  the  taluka  does  not  reside  in  Keti,  though  it  is 
the  largest  town  under  his  charge,  but  at  Kotri-alahrakhyo,  36 
miles  distant.  Keti  possesses  a  municipality,  established  in  1854, 
with  an  annual  income  ranging  from  10,000  to  16,000  rupees,  the 
greater  part  of  which  is  raised  from  town  duties.  The  population 
of  Keti,  by  the  census  of  1872,  was  found  to  be  2199  souls,  of 
whom  1855  are  Muhammadans,  1029  Hindus,  and  the  remainder 
Christians,  and  of  other  denominations. 

Half  of  the  population  are  said  to  leave  the  town  during  the 
inundation  season,  when  it  is  unhealthy,  and  there  is  nothing 
doing  in  the  way  of  trade ;  but  they  return  again  generally  about 
the  month  of  November,  when  the  port  is  open  for  sea-going  vessels. 
The  trade  of  Keti,  which  is  mostly  in  grain  of  different  sorts, 
wool,  and  firewood,  is  very  fluctuating  in  character,  and  cannot 
be  said  to  have  increased  of  late  years.  The  imports  come  from 
places  in  the  Bombay  and  Madras  Presidencies,  the  Persian 
Gulf,  Sonmiani,  and  Makran,  and  consist  principally  of  cocoa-nuts, 
cotton  piece-goods,  metals,  sugar,  spices,  coir,  and  shells.  The 
exports,  which  are  chiefly  to  ports  in  the  Bombay  and  Madras 
Presidencies,  Sonmiani,  and  Makran,  comprise  grain,  pulse,  oil- 
seeds, wool,  cotton,  drugs  and  medicines,  dyeing  and  colouring 
materials,  saltpetre,  and  firewood;  of  these,  grain  and  oil-seeds 
are  by  far  the  most  important  articles — the  value  exported  in 
1873-74  being  a  little  over  five  lakhs  of  rupees.  Wool,  during 
that  same  year,  was  also  sent  to  Bombay  of  the  value  of  upwards 
of  two  and  a  half  lakhs.  The  following  table  will  show  the  real 
value  of  the  import  and  export  sea-borne  trade  of  Keti,  from 
and  to  ports  both  beyond  and  within  the  province  of  Sind,  for  the 
ten  year§  ending  1873-74: — 


Yean. 

Finm  and  to  Portn  witlitn  Skdt   j  FnW!  imd  lo  Pans  beyond  Sim), 

Imports. 

Exports.                Imports. 

Exports* 

1864-65 
1865-66 
1866-67 
1867-68 
1868-^ 
1869-70 
1870-71 
1871-72 
1872-73 
1873-74 

rupees. 

1.47,583 
1,26,064 
4,62,468 
8,27,948 
5.98.67s 
4.78,295 

3t73,879 
2,66,217 
2,14,292 
1*94.24' 

rupees. 

4,37,44^ 

4. 8a, 371 

22,03,583 

15185,505 
16,94,027 

8,43i294 
9,39.947 

«i.38,993 
9.06,934 

iMi.357 

ntp«s. 
3130.626 
2,60,256 
5.26*33^ 
5. 88. 534 
5.73r869 
2,87.852 

4iJ0.974 
4,47.280 
5t 16,031 
3.76.295 

rupees. 

13.39,530 
11,46,131 

18,80,314 
22,79,25s 

2i,39.^Si 
14.08*528 
13.95.231 
22,01,500 

Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


KETL 


421 


Both  the  import  and  export  trade  of  Keti  is  principally  with 
Bombay,  but  the  latter  is  shared  to  a  considerable  extent  by 
Kachh  and  Katiawar.  This  will  be  apparent  from  the  two  follow- 
ing statements,  showing  the  value  of  the  trade  to  and  from  each 
port  during  the  ten  years  ending  1873-74  : — 


Imports. 


Years. 

Persian 
Gulf. 

Bombay. 

Gujrilt. 

|i| 

Jll 

1 

Other 
Ports. 

Total 
Value. 

nip. 

nip. 

rupees. 

rup. 

rupees. 

rup. 

rupees. 

rup. 

nipees. 

1864-65 

•  • 

618 

J, 15.455 

483 

8. 151 

496 

5,423 

•• 

3,30,626 

1865-66 

.. 

I.JOl 

2.J6,449 

.. 

^i,in 

.. 

7,935 

1,038 

2,60,256 

1866-67 

.. 

459 

4.96.027 

7.275 

11,196 

1,103 

10,271 

5,26,1J2 

1867-68 

24'; 

5.48,147 

9. 571 

21,984 

.. 

8.565 

5.88,524 

1868-69 

.. 

5.J6,186 

7.973 

13.504 

255 

15.751 

5,73,869 

1869-70 

4.»<»3 

26j 

2,50,962 

9.201 

10,66/ 

.. 

12,600 

2,87,852 

1870-71 

3.826 

249 

3,91.076 

1.341 

10,929 

.. 

l^$$l 

4.10.974 

1871-72 

8,910 

37J 

4.M.087 

3,691 

17,764 

.. 

2.455 

4.47.280 

1871-^J 

4.675 

5to6i 

4.66.681 

4,010 

19.170 

.. 

16.434 

5,i6,o|i 

i87i-74 

2.995 

4.215 

3.47.484 

2.909 

7.663 

•• 

11,029 

3.76.295 

It  may  here  also  be  mentioned  that  the  total  value  of  specie 
and  buUion  imported  into  Keti  from  Kachh  and  Katiawar  during 
the  nine  years  ending  1873-74  was  3,85,248  rupees,  but  the 
quantity  received  yearly  is  very  fluctuating. 


Exports. 


Years. 

Aden. 

\i 

Bombay. 

Gujrilt. 

Kachh 

and 

Katiawar. 

1 

Oft* 

Totol 
Value. 

rup. 

rup. 

rupees. 

nipees. 

rupees. 

rupees. 

nip. 

rupees. 

1864^5 

.• 

743 

5.76.689 

76.864 

6,85,234 

•• 

13,39.530 

1865-66 

.. 

3,525 

5.90.785 

8,280 

5,43,541 

•  • 

11,46,131 

1866-67 

.* 

3.883 

12,0}. 180 

69.283 

5.95.920 

9.048 

18,80,314 

1867^68 

9.749 

6,386 

10,59.997 

2.48.566 

9.54.560 

.. 

22.79,258 

1868-69 

.* 

3,336 

8,01.284 

3,11.728 

9.95.508 

27.825 

21,39.681 

1869-70 

.. 

2.731 

5.28,377 

1,80,921 

6,90,317 

6,180 

14.08,528 

i87<W7i 

.. 

2.886 

10,12,821 

45.785 

3.33,739 

•  . 

13,95.231 

1871-72 

.. 

1.985 

6.81,582 

3.90.429 

11,05.402 

12,921 

9.131 

21,01.500 

1871-73 

i8,i6j 

14.641 

7.89,566 

4.29.712 

10,26,286 

5o,59» 

1,436 

23,30,395 

1873-74 

•• 

84.455 

6,35,660 

1.58,854 

3,05.291 

51.400 

2,223 

11,61.883 

^v^Xi^ 

422 


KETI. 


The  gross  amount  of  customs  duty  which,  as  collected  at  the 
port  of  Keti,  is  derived  from  certain  articles  imported  from  and 
exported  to  foreign  ports,  is  shown  in  the  following  table,  for  the 
ten  years  ending  1873-74 : — 


Years. 

Import  Duty. 

Export  Duty. 

Total. 

rupees. 

rupees. 

rupees. 

1864-65 

878 

15,457 

15,968 

1865-66 

22,216 

23,094 

1866-67 
1867-68 
1868-69 

623 

29,861 

30,484 

927 

53,563 

54,490 

353 

69,207 

69,560 

1869-70 

597 

43,025 
23,958 
91,485 

43,622 

1870-71 

550 

24,508 

1871-72 

'% 

92,540 

1872-73 

90,750 

91,534 
30,708 

1873-74 

481 

30,227 

During  the  prevalence  of  the  south-west  monsoon,  trade  is  at  a 
standstill  at  Keti,  vessels  being  unable  to  enter  the  port  from 
seaward.  During  the  fair  season  from  seventy  to  ninety  boats  of 
various  sizes  are  frequently  to  be  seen  lying  near  the  bandar.  All 
sea-borne  goods  intended  for  transit  up  the  Indus  have  to  be 
transhipped  for  that  purpose  into  river-boats.  The  number  and 
tonnage  of  vessels  that  have  entered  and  cleared  at  K€ti  from  and 
to  ports  both  beyond  and  within  the  province  of  Sind,  during  the 
ten  years  ending  1873-74,  are  as  follows : — 


Years. 

To  and  from  Ports  within  the  Province 
of  Sind. 

To  and  from  Ports  beyond  the  Fhmnce 
of  Sind. 

Entered. 

Qeaied. 

Entered. 

Cleared. 

No. 

Tonnage. 

No. 

Tonnage. 

No. 

Tonnage. 

No. 

Tonnage. 

1864-65 
1865-66 
1866-67 
1867-68 
1868-69 
1869-70 
1870-71 
1871-72 
1872-73 
1873-74 

326 
298 
811 
692 

^ 
412 

is? 

87a 

6,111 
5,799 
22,899 
17,756 
20,795 
12,591 

11.737 
15,860 
18,227 
27,077 

340 

830 
679 

4Sa 
§3 

\% 

23,391 
21,537 
18,277 
9,657 
10,081 

15.837 
14, 793 
23,284 

436 
433 
757 

510 

999 
423 

12,964 
12,383 

25,589 
35,766 
26,507 
15.546 
12,741 
32,810 
34,936 
13,996 

410 
414 
705 

593 
391 

1,082 
490 

12,314 
12,352 
26,508 
32,819 
29,620 
19,136 
14,270 

39,881 
18,707 

The  river  trade  by  way  of  Keti,  though  considerable,  is  very 
fluctuating,  and  the  boats  employed  in  this  trade  are  numerous, 

Digitized  by  VjOOQ IC 


KHAHI  RAHU—KHAIRO  DERO. 


423 


but  during  the  two  years  1869-70  and  1870-71  there  was  a 
great  falling  off  in  number  as  compared  with  former  years. 
Latterly  there  has  been  an  improvement  in  this  respect  The 
following  table  will  not  only  show  the  value  of  the  up  and  down 
river  trade,  but  also  the  number  of  river-boats  which  have,  during 
the  ten  years  ending  1873-74,  entered  and  cleared  at  K6ti : — 


Years. 

Value  of 

Down-river 

Trade. 

Value  of 
Up-river 
Trade. 

Entered, 
Down-river  Boato. 

Cleared, 
Up-river  Boats. 

No. 

Burthen  in 
maund.s. 

No. 

Burthen  in 

maunds. 

nipees. 
1864-65       17,97,435 
1865-66      15,66,114 
1866-67   1  40,49,601 

'ffZi*   37,44,433 
1868-69 !  37,77,304 

1869-70  ;  21,31,619 
1870-71   1  22,93,713 
1871-72      34.01,432 
1872-73      29,66,058 
1873-74     27,42.682 

rupees. 
3,62,969 
2,76,909 
8,69,604 

",94.045 
10,54,706 

6,92,345 
8,62,309 

5.89,085 
5.75.488 
4,66,929 

3,399 

3,289 
4,879 
4,793 
4.491 
2.732 
2,294 
3.872 
3.426 

2,915 

5,90,825 

6,73.376 

13,95.463 

14,65,681 

14,20,895 

8.66,756 

8.17,325 
16,00,309 

13,70,996 

12,41,155 

3.394 

3.232 
4,779 

4,700 
4,361 

2,^284 
3,620 
3.381 
2,862 

5.91.366 
6,43.290 
13,60,096 

14.58,549 

13,66,675 

8,49.466 

8,21,116 

14,97.422 

14, H. 151 
12,04,336 

A  pilotage  fee  of  one  rupee  is  levied  at  Keti  on  all  vessels 
above  ten  tons  in  burthen,  and  eight  annas  on  those  less  than 
ten  tons,  when  leaving  this  port.  It  is  collected  by  the  customs 
officer,  but  is  carried  to  the  credit  of  the  Indus  Conservancy 
Department.  This  town  has  several  times  during  its  existence 
been  in  danger  from  the  effects  of  over-flooding,  but  owing  to  its 
slightly  elevated  position,  it  has  hitherto  managed  to  escape  the 
fate  of  its  predecessor  of  the  same  name. 

EhaM  Rahu,  a  Government  village  seated  on  the  left  bank 
of  the  Bagwah,  3  miles  N.E.  of  Naushahro,  with  which  town  as 
well  as  Bhiria  (3  miles),  it  has  road  communication.  It  possesses 
a  vernacular  school,  attended  by  39  boys,  but  has  no  Government 
building.  The  population  is  1158,  consisting  of  Musalmans  and 
Hindus,  but  the  number  of  each  is  not  known.  Their  employ- 
ment is  mostly  agricultural.  The  trade  of  the  place  is  in  grain, 
but  it  is  of  no  consequence.  This  village  is  said  to  have  been 
founded  about  150  years  ago  by  one  of  the  Rahu  tribe  during  the 
Kalhora  dynasty. 

E[hairo  Dero,  a  Government  village  in  the  Rato  Dero  taluka 
of  the  Larkana  Deputy  Collectorate,  distant  about  14  miles, 
N.N.E.  of  Larkana.     There  is  no  direct  communication  to  this 


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424  KHAIRPUR  STATE. 

town,  but  it  is  close  to  the  Larkana  and  Rato  Dero  road.  There 
is  a  Government  school  here,  as  also  lines  for  the  accommodation 
of  two  policemen.  The  population,  numbering  1252  souls,  com- 
prises 679  Musalmans  and  573  Hindus,  the  former  being 
principally  of  the  Gachal,  Kori,  Ghana,  and  Langah  tribes :  the 
latter  of  the  Brahman  and  Makhija  castes.  The  local  trade 
is  in  grain.  There  is  no  transit  trade  or  any  manufactures  in 
this  village. 

Khairpnr  State,  an  extensive  tract  of  country  in  Upper  Sind, 
better  known  as  the  territory  of  His  Highness  Mir  Ali  Murad 
Khan  Talpur.     It  lies  between  the  26th  and  28th  parallels  of 
N.  lat,  and  the  68th  and  71st  meridians  of  £.  long.,  and  is 
bounded  on  the  N.  by  the  Rohri  division  of  the  Shikarpur  Col- 
lectorate;    on  the  W.  by  the  river  Indus;    on  the  S.   by  the 
Naushahro  division  of  the  Hyderabad  CoUectorate,  and  a  portion 
of  the  Thar  and  Parkar  Political  Superintendency ;  and  on  the 
E.  by  the  Jaisalmir  State.     The  greatest  length  of  this  district 
from  E.  to  W.  may  be  calculated  at  120  miles,  and  its  extreme 
breadth  from  N.  to  S.  at  70  miles,  while  its  entire  area,  according 
to  Survey  measurement,  has  been  found  to  be  6109  square  miles. 
This  extensive  territory  would  appear  to  be  divided  into  six  dis- 
tricts or  departments,  viz. :  i,  Mirwah ;  2,  Wadi  Goghri ;  3,  Nandhi 
Goghri;  4,  Ladho  Gagan;  5,  Nara;  and  6,  Jabo.     The  area  of 
each  of  these  districts  is  not  known,  but  the  average  area  culti- 
vated annually  during  the  six  years  ending  1873-74  has  been 
ascertained  to  be  not  more  than  123,968  acres,  that  is  to  say,  but 
one  thirty-second  part  of  the  entire  area  of  the  State.     Much  of 
the  land  consists,  however,  with  the  exception  of  that  portion 
bordering  directly  on  the  Indus  and  the  Eastern  Nara,  of  one  con- 
tinuous series  of  sand-hill  ridges  covered  with  a  stunted  brushwood 
where  cultivation  is  altogether  impossible.     That  part  of  the  Mir's 
territory  eastward  of  the  Nara  is  exceedingly  arid,  sterile,  and 
desolate  in  aspect,  but  the  same  may  be  said  also  of  the  portion 
lying  to  the  westward  of  the  same  stream.     Like  other  districts 
in  Sind,  the  Khairpur  State  consists  of  a  great  alluvial  plain, 
that  part  bordering  directly  upon  the  Indus  being  very  rich  and 
fertile,  though  much  of  it  is  at  the  present  time  converted  into 
"  moharis^  or  hunting-grounds.     In  tiie  northern  portion  of  this 
State  is  a  small  ridge  of  limestone  hills,  being  a  continuation  of  the 
low  range,  known  as  the  Ghar,  running  southward  from  Rohri  for  a 
distance  of  about  40  miles.     On  the  top  of  this  range  are  found 
oyster,  cockle,  and  numerous  other  kinds  of  marine  shells.     On  a 
western  outlying  spur  of  this  ridge  is  situate  the  fort  of  Diji.     The 

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KHAIRPUR  STATE.  425 

chief  towns  in  this  territory  are  Khairpur,  the  capital,  with  a  popu- 
lation supposed  not  to  exceed  7300;  Ranipur  (6310);  Tando 
Masti  Khan  (4860) ;  Gambat  (4540) ;  Khoia  (3680) ;  Kot  Diji 
(2570) ;  and  Tando  Lukman  (1580). 

The  Khairpur  State  is  &irly  watered  by  five  canals,  having  their 
rise  from  the  Indus,  as  well  as  by  the  Eastern  Nara.  The  canals 
are  the  Mirwah  (60  miles  in  length  and  90  feet  broad  at  mouth) ; 
the  Nawawah  (32  miles  long  and  60  feet  broad) ;  the  AbQlwah 
(28  miles  long  and  60  feet  broad) ;  the  Mainwah  (16  miles  long 
and  30  feet  broad),  and  the  Sanhrowah.  Of  these  the  Mirwah 
is  the  largest  and  most  important,  and  it  is  upon  the  land  watered 
by  this  stream  and  its  branches  that  much  of  the  indigo  grown  in 
this  State  is  produced  There  are  several  cuts  from  this  canal 
which  extend  to  the  valleys  near  the  sand-hills,  or  "  bhits"  as  they 
are  called,  where  the  soil  is  apparently  good  and  largely  cultivated 
with  bajri  and  juar  on  the  occurrence  of  a  good  rainfall  There 
is  no  separate  canal  department  under  the  Mir's  rule,  but  when 
clearances  are  necessary,  they  are  generally  carried  out  by  the 
cultivators  themselves,  who  receive  for  this  work  about  half  a  seer 
of  bajri  or  juar  flour /^  diem.  The  Eastern  Nar^  which  irrigates 
a  portion  of  this  district,  is  of  no  size  except  during  the  inundation 
season,  when  it  spreads  out  into  wide  sheets  of  water ;  in  the  dry 
season  it  is  but  a  series  of  sluggish  pools.  The  belt  of  land 
through  which  this  stream  flows  is  composed  of  a  rich  alluvial 
soil,  almost  wholly  uncultivated,  but  which  is  capable  of  producing 
excellent  crops.  The  new  supply  channel  opened  out  in  1859,  a 
little  to  the  north  of  Rohri,  in  connection  with  the  Eastern  Nara, 
has  greatly  benefited  the  lands  in  this.  State  as  well  as  those  in  the 
neighbouring  district  of  the  Thar  and  Parkar. 

The  climate  of  the  Khairpur  State  is  represented  to  be  agree- 
able during  about  four  months  of  the  year,  but  fiercely  hot  during 
the  remaining  eight  The  fall  of  rain  is  slight,  but  dust-storms 
are  frequent,  and  have  the  effect  of  cooling  the  atmosphere  to 
some  extent  No  meteorological  tables  of  either  the  temperature 
or  rainfall  can  be  given,  as  no  observations  seem  ever  to  have  been 
taken.  The  diseases  common  to  the  country  are  fevers,  intermit- 
tent and  remittent,  ophthalmia,  and  several  cutaneous  affections — 
organic  affections  of  the  liver  are  said  to  be  rare.  The  soil  of  the 
Khairpur  State,  especially  where  adjoining  the  Indus,  is  very  pro- 
ductive. .The  tract  lying  between  the  Mirwah  canal  and  the  Indus 
is  the  richest  part  of  the  district,  but  cultivation  is. even  there  by 
no  means  so  extensive  as  it  might  be.  In  the  desert  portion  of 
Khairpur  are  pits  of  natron — an  impure  sesquicarbonate  of  soda, 

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426  KHAIRPUR  STATE. 

and  always  found  containing  sulphate  of  soda  and  chloride  of 
sodium.  It  is  generally  obtained  by  means  of  evaporation.  These 
natron  pits  are  a  source  of  income  to  the  ruling  Mir,  as  many  as  a 
thousand  camel-loads  of  this  substance  being  annually  exported  to 
Northern  and  Central  India,  as  also  to  the  sea-board,  each  camel- 
load  being  taxed  at  2k  rupees. 

The  wild  animals  found  in  this  State  are  much  the  same  as  those 
met  with  in  the  neighbouring  district  of  Rohri,  such  as  the  tiger, 
lynx,  hysena  fox,  wild  hog,  deer,  &c.  The  present  Mir,  who  is 
excessively  fond  of  field  sports,  has  extensive  hunting  preserves 
scattered  about  the  country  \  these  are  fenced  round  with  brush- 
wood for  the  preservation  of  game,  which  is  in  consequence 
abundant,  and  it  may  also  be  said,  destructive  to  any  cultivation 
in  the  neighbourhood,  since  it  is  a  criminal  offence  for  a  cultivator 
to  kill  any  of  these  animals,  no  matter  what  damage  they  may  do 
to  his  crops.  Much  of  Mir  Ali  Murad's  time  is  taken  up  with  the 
chase,  and  to  gratify  this  absorbing  passion,  the  finest  lands  in 
his  territory  have  been  converted  into  "  shikdrgahs^  or  hunting- 
grounds. 

The  principal  grains  grown  in  the  Khairpur  State  are  juar, 
bajri,  wheat,  gram,  various  pulses,  and  cotton.  Indigo  is  also 
largely  cultivated  at  times.  The  trees  and  shrubs  are  identical 
with  those  found  in  the  Rohri  district,  and  good  timber  is  to  be 
met  with  in  the  different  game  preserves  bordering  on  the  Indus. 
The  "  kandi  **  tree  grows  luxuriantly  in  the  valleys. 

The  population  of  the  Khairpur  State,  according  to  the  census 
of  1872,  would  appear  to  number  130,350  souls,  or  say  21 
persons  to  the  square  mile.  Of  these  the  number  of  Musalmans 
and  HindQs  is  not  known.  The  Muhammadan  portion  are  mostly 
of  the  Rajur  tribe,  which  again  is  subdivided  into  numerous 
families. 

The  Hindu  inhabitants  are  principally  Soda  Thakurs  or  Raj- 
puts, who  inhabit  the  extreme  eastern  part  of  this  district  They 
arc  a  well-built  and  sturdy  race,  nomadic  in  disposition,  and  fond 
of  liberty.  Their  only  wealth  consists  in  their  herds  of  camels, 
oxen,  sheep,  and  goats.  Their  chief  food  is  butter-milk  and 
camels'  milk,  as  well  as  the  coarsest  grain.  The  Sindi  language 
is  generally  spoken  among  the  people  of  this  State,  as  also  a 
corrupt  kind  of  Hindustani. 

The  entire  revenue  of  this  territory,  which  it  is  as  well  to 
mention,  is  collected,  not  in  cash,  but  in  kind,  according  to  the 
old  "  battai  **  system  (a  description  of  which  will  be  found  under 
the  heading  Naushahro),  the  ruling  Mir  receiving  a  third  of  the 


uigiuzea  by 


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KHAIRPUR  STATE.  427 

produce,  is  estimated  at  5,42,400  rupees,  made  up  from  the  various 
districts  as  follows  : — 

Rupees. 

1.  Mirwah  district  contributes        1,85,131 

2.  Wadi  Goghri  ,,  67,016 

3.  Nandhi  Goghri         „  67,016 

4.  LadhoGagan  „  1,08,272 

5.  Nara  „  808 

4»28,243 
Taxes  on  boats,  exports  and  imports ;  poll  tax,  say  .  57 1 575 
Judicial  fines  and  other  miscellaneous  sources  .        56,582 

Total  rupees    .     .     5,42,400. 


The  amount  of  produce  received  in  kind,  from  the  districts 
above  mentioned,  making  up  the  value  of  4,28,243  rupees,  is  given 
approximately  as  follows  : — 

Rupees. 
90,500 

7,875 

1,63,400 

16,820 

7»7oo 

1,000 

1,560 

48,960 

12,900 

3,335 

73.121 

1,072 


Indigo      .     .  1,000  maunds, 

at  90}  rupees  per  maund. 

Indigo  seed    .  2,625 

t» 

at    3 

»» 

Juar     .     .     .  4,30okharwan 

,at38 

per  kharwar 

Bajri   .     .     .      420 

at  40 

Tir      .     .     .       140 

at  55 

Rice    ...         50 

at  20 

Gram  ...         30 

at  52 

Wheat      .     .       720 

at  68 

Sarson  (oil  seed)     300 

at  43 

Pulses      .     .         145 

at  23      , 

Fruits,  &C.  .... 

Miscellaneous  .     .     ^ 

, 

*     •     • 

, 

.     .     .     . 

Total  rupees 


4,28,243 


From  the  Mir's  entire  income  (5,42,400  rupees)  the  sum  of 
1,75,400  rupees  must  be  deducted  as  alienations,  leaving  a  net 
revenue  of  3,67,000  rupees.  The  Jagirdars  are  mostly  the  Mir's 
own  sons  and  the  ladies  of  his  family. 

The  actual  disbursements  of  this  State  do  not  appear  to  be 
known,  nor  are  they  kept  within  any  particular  limit  The  officials, 
both  revenue  and  judicial,  in  the  Mifs  service,  are  very  poorly 
paid  One  who  supervises  the  revenues  of  the  Mirwah  district  is 
said  to  draw  a  salary  of  about  150  rupees  per  mensem,  and  the 
Mtinshi  who  attends  to  the  salt  duties,  50  rupees  per  mensem. 
The  greater  part  of  the  Mir's  revenue  would  seem  to  be  lavished 
upon  his  hunting  establishments.  A  few  hundreds  of  irregular 
horse  are  maintained  by  His  Highness,  but  it  is  generally  acknow- 

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428 


KHAIRPUR  STATE, 


ledged  that  the  revenues  of  this  State  are  quite  insufficient  to  meet 
the  lavish  and  wasteful  expenditure. 

There  are  but  two  courts  of  justice  in  this  State :  one  perma- 
nent, and  held  at  the  town  of  Khairpur ;  the  other  is  of  an  ambu- 
latory nature,  as  it  always  accompanies  the  Mir,  wherever  he  may 
be.  A  Hinda  officer  presides  over  the  former,  and  two  Maulvis 
over  the  latter.  All  sentences  passed  by  these  courts  require  the 
Mir's  confirmation  before  they  can  be  carried  out  The  punish- 
ments resorted  to  in  the  case  of  convicted  persons  are  generally 
fine  and  flogging,  with  or  without  imprisonment ;  the  punishment 
of  death  is  seldom  inflicted,  but  His  Highness  has  the  power  of 
life  and  death  throughout  his  dominions.  Formerly,  when  Hindus 
were  convicted  of  offences  in  the  courts  of  this  State,  they  were 
offered  the  option  of  embracing  Islamism  in  lieu  of  suJffering 
punishment  Such  conversions  are,  however,  it  is  stated,  un- 
known under  the  rule  of  the  present  Mir.  In  civil  cases  the 
plaintiff  is  required  to  give  to  the  State  one-fourth  of  his  claim  as 
costs  and  expenses,  and  it  is,  no  doubt,  on  this  account  that  but 
few  suits  are  brought  into  the  Mil's  courts,  the  litigating  parties 
preferring  to  have  them  settled  by  means  oipanchdtts,  or  friendly 
arbitration. 

In  matters  of  education  it  may  be  stated  that  there  are  only  a 
few  private  schools  in  the  Khairpur  State.  In  these  Persian  is 
taught,  to  a  slight  extent,  by  Mullas,  who,  for  the  instruction 
they  afford,  receive  one  pice  weekly  from  the  parents  of  each  child. 

The  value  of  the  articles  exported  from  this  state  to  British 

Sind  and  the  native  State  of  Jaisalmir  has  been  approximately 

estimated  at  about  five  and  a  quarter  lakhs  of  rupees,  and  that  of 

imported  articles  to  somewhat  more  than  two  and  a  half  lakhs. 

These  exports  and  imports  comprise  the  following  articles,  with 

the  quantities  of  each  : — 

Exports. 


ArUdcs. 

Quantity. 

Value. 

Wheat,  juar  and  bajri 

Matar  (Lathyrus  satkms)     .... 

Cotton  and  wool 

Indigo 

Cloth  (manttfactured) 

Ghi 

maunds. 

26,424 
1,000 
7.150 
2,728 

pieces. 
4,500 

maunds. 
3,250 
2,330 
6,010 

rupees. 

57,704 

1,250 

1,02,400 

2,46,400 

7,000 

91,000 

2,127 

28,627 

Khar  and  chaniho 

Tobacco  and  miscellaneous  .... 

Totals     .     . 

48,892 

5,36,508 

uicjiiizea  uy  v—J"  v_/ \_^ n 


^iv 


KHAIRPUR  STATE. 
Imports. 


4?9 


Articles. 


Rice,  wheat,  juar  and  bajri 
Piece-goods    ...... 

Barley 

Molasses 

Sugar,  &c. ;  dates  and  kopra    . 

Oils 

Ghi 

Silk  and  silken  stuffs.     .     .     . 

Tobacco 

Miscellaneous 

Totals 


Quantity. 


maunds. 

50,010 
225 

10,000 

3.500 

910 

904 

200 

8 

200 

11,488 


Value. 


rupees. 

1,14,703 

28, 125 

17,500 

15,750 

13,790 

6,328 

5.188 

3,200 

1,004 

47,032 


77,445 


2,52,620 


The  chief  manufactures  of  this  State  are  cotton  fabrics,  such  as 
khesis,  or  woven  sheets,  ajraks,  susis,  coloured  cloths,  silk  fabrics, 
silver  ware  of  different  kinds,  lacquered  woodwork,  boots,  shoes, 
horse-trappings,  swords,  matchlocks,  and  earthen  pottery  for  home 
consumption.  A  small  quantity  of  salt  and  saltpetre  is  also 
manufactured. 

The  lines  of  communication  in  this  State  are  veiy  few,  and 
excepting  the  main  trunk  road  from  Hyderabad  to  Rohri,  which 
passes  through  this  district  at  a  distance  of  20  miles  or  so  from 
the  Indus,  and  another  which  leads  to  the  same  towns,  but  is 
somewhat  shorter  in  length,  there  are  no  other  made  roads  in  Mir 
Ali  Murad's  territory.  The  latter  road  was  till  very  lately  used 
by  the  postal  department  The  electric  telegraph  line  runs  along 
the  former  trunk  road  The  towns  and  villages  on  both  these 
lines  of  communication,  with  distances  from  each  other,  are  shown 
in  the  following  table : — 


Telegraph  Line  Road. 


Rohri  to  Babarloi.     . 
Babarloi  to  Khairpur .     . 
Khairpur  to  Tando  Masti  Khan 
Tando  Masti  Khin  to  Pipri . 
Pipri  to  Ranipur  .... 
Ranipur  to  Setaiya     . 
Setaiya  to  Mangna-pota  .     . 
Mangna-pota  to  Kotri     . 
Kotri  to  Kandiaro      .     .     . 


Miles. 

S 
10 
10 
10 
10 

6 
6 
6 
8 


Former  Postal  Road. 

Miles. 

Rohri  to  Abhiiro      ....  7 

Abhuro  to  Khairpur      ...  7 

Khairpur  to  Tando  Masti  Khan  9} 

Tando  Masti  Khan  to  Takio  Shah  8 

Takio  Shah  to  Ranipur   .     .     .  4I 

Ranipur  to  Setaiya  Muthia  .     .  5I 

Setaiya  Muthia  to  Mangna-pota.  5 

Mangna-pota  to  Kotri     ...  6 

Kotri  to  Kandiaro      ....  8 


71  6o| 

At  all  these  towns  water  and  supplies  generally  are  said  to  be 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


430  KHAIRPUR  STATE. 

abundant,  but  it  is  necessary  to  mention  that  there  are  no  regular 
staging  bangalows  at  any  one  of  these  places. 

The  ferries  in  this  district,  which  are  mostly  situate  on  the 
Indus,  are  six  in  number,  and  have  each  one  boat  attached  to 
them.  Their  names  are — i,  Bindu  ;  2,  Alipur ;  3,  Saga;  4,  Rafi- 
dero ;  5,  Agro ;  and  6,  Nurpur. 

The  so-called  state  of  Khairpur  may  be  said  to  date  its  exist- 
ence from  the  time  Mir  Fateh  Ali  Khan  Talpur,  in  conjunction 
with  his  nephew,  Mir  Sohrab  Khan,  and  Mir  Tharo  Khan,  drove 
out  the  last  sovereign  of  the  Kalhora  line  and  established  them- 
selves firmly  in  Sind.  To  Mir  Sohrab  fell  the  town  of  Khairpur 
and  the  adjacent  districts,  a  small  and  confined  tract  at  first,  but 
which,  by  conquest  and  intrigue,  he  managed  to  enlarge  till  it 
comprised  a  territory  extending  to  Sabzalkot  and  Kashmor  on 
the  N.,  the  Jaisalmir  desert  on  the  R,  and  the  borders  of  Kachh 
Gandava  on  the  W.  The  tract  of  country  obtained  on  the 
W.  bank  of  the  Indus  was  known  under  the  name  of  Mogali, 
and  included  the  two  divisions  of  Burdika  and  Shikarpur.  The  city 
of  Shikarpur  was  acquired  in  1823,  but  in  this  the  Khairpur  Mirs 
had  an  interest  amounting  only  to  three-sevenths.  Lieutenant 
(now  Colonel  Sir)  Lewis  Pelly,  formerly  a  deputy  collector  in  the 
Shikarpur  Collectorate,  thus  wrote  of  Uiis  State  in  1854:  "  In  or 
about  the  year  1813,  the  Mirs,  availing  themselves  of  the  crisis  at 
Kabul,  consequent  on  the  expulsion  of  the  Sadozai  dynasty  and 
the  establishment  of  the  Barukzais  in  Afghanistan,  refused  to 
continue  the  tribute  which  the  Kalhoras  and  Talpurs  had  irregu- 
larly paid  up  to  that  date,  and  thenceforward  Khairpur  remained 
practically  independent  up  to  the  time  when  the  British  urged 
claims  in  behalf  of  Shah  Sujah  for  a  balance  of  tribute  due,  if  not 
indeed  for  a  renewal  of  tribute  demandable.  In  181 1  Sohrab, 
wearied  of  public  life,  abdicated  the  Raisat  in  favour  of  his  son, 
Mir  Rustam,  and  retired  to  the  fort  of  Diji,  formerly  called 
Ahmadabad.  During  the  year  which  intervened  between  his 
abdication  and  death  many  documents  were  issued  by  the  ex- 
Rais,  or  at  least  under  his  seal  and  sanction,  modifying  and  re- 
apportioning his  territory.  In  these  documents  the  name  of  a 
son,  Ali  Murad,  bom  in  18 15  to  Sohrab,  when  in  retirement,  by 
the  wife  of  his  old  age,  found  prominent  insertion.  By  a  will 
dated  i8th  May,  1829,  the  country  was  apportioned  among  tiis 
three  sons,  in  four  shares,  each  having  one  share  as  his  property, 
and  Mir  Rustam,  as  Rais,  holding  the  other  share  in  addition  to 
his  patrimony,  with  remainder  to  his  two  brothers,  Mirs  Mubarak 
and  Ali  Murad.     The  whole  revenue  of  the  territory  so  appor- 

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KHATRPUR  STATE.  431 

tioned  may  be  roughly  estimated  at  20,39,000  Kh.  rupees,  or 
18,65,000  Co.'s  rupees,  of  which  Mir  Rustam's  share  was 
12,00,000  Co.'s  rupees ;  Mir  Mubarak's,  3,15,000  Co/s  rupees  ;  and 
Mir  Ali  Murad's,  3,50,000  Co.'s  rupees.  This  included  all  the  Jagir- 
dars,  the  greatest  number  of  whom  were  in  Mir  Rustam's  share. 
The  last  paper  bearing  Sohrab's  seal  is  reported  to  have  decreed 
that  the  *  turban '  should  descend  in  the  direct,  and  not  in  the 
collateral  line.  At  length,  in  1830,  Sohrab  fell  from  a  window  in 
his  palace  at  Khairpur,  and  survived  for  a  period  only  long  enough 
to  commend  his  boy,  Ali  Murad,  to  the  care  and  protection  of  his 
elder  brother,  Mubarak.  The  latter  failed  to  obey  this  last  in- 
junction. He  and  Rustam  seem  to  have  combined  to  avail  them- 
selves of  the  youth's  inexperience  to  defraud  him  of  part  of  his 
rightful  inheritance,  and  thus  were  sown  the  seeds  of  those  dissen- 
sions destined  in  after  years  to  contribute  towards  the  common 
ruin  of  ^e  brothers  and  of  their  country.  Ali  Murad,  arrived  at 
maturity,  accurately  estimated  the  injustice  perpetrated  upon  him, 
and  he  appears  to  have  early  determined  to  lose  no  opportunity 
for  retaliation.  Our  interference  in  the  affairs  of  Sind  indicated 
the  approach  of  such  an  opportunity.  The  relations  between 
Sind  and  the  British  Government  began  in  1758,  when  the  latter 
obtained  from  Ghulam  Shah,  the  Kalhora,  permission  to  establish 
a  factory,  and  to  send  an  agent  to  Tatta.  These  relations  were 
rudely  broken  off  by  Sarafraz  in  1775.  Towards  the  close  of  the 
century,  however,  the  factory  was  restored,  but,  misunderstandings 
again  ensuing,  the  English  were  re-expelled.  In  1809  the  Eastern 
policy  of  Napoleon  entailed  upon  England  the  necessity  of 
securing  the  N.W.  frontier  of  India,  and  accordingly,  on  the 
22nd  of  August  in  that  year,  a  treaty  was  concluded  with  the 
Talpurs,  providing  for  eternal  friendship  between  the  two  Powers. 
In  1820  the  depredations  of  the  Khosas,  and  some  infractions  of 
the  rights  of  immigrants,  resulted  in  another  treaty.  At  length, 
on  the  4th  of  April,  1832,  the  political  individuality  of  Khairpur 
was  recognised  by  the  British  in  a  treaty  concluded  with  that 
State,  providing  for  the  use  of  the  river  Indus  and  the  roads  of 
Sind.  This  last  treaty  was  consequent  upon  the  report  of  Lieu- 
tenant Bumes,  relative  to  the  capabilities  of  the  river  and  the 
advantages  to  be  derived  from  the  countries  on  and  beyond  it. 
On  the  22nd  of  April  of  the  same  year  a  supplemental  treaty  with 
the  Hyderabad  Mirs  was  concluded,  in  the  third  article  of  which 
it  was  stipulated  that  a  copy  of  the  instrument  itself  should,  in 
conformity  with  previous  provision,  be  forwarded  to  Mir  Rustam 
of  Khairpur.     On  23rd  December,  1834,  was  issued  a  commercial 

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432  KHAiRPUR  STATE. 

treaty  relative  to  tolls  and  duties.  On  20th  April,  1838,  the  then 
Governor-General  ratified  a  treaty,  engaging,  on  his  part,  to  use 
his  good  offices  in  adjusting  differences  existing  between  the  Mirs 
of  Sind  and  Ranjit  Singh,  and  providing  for  the  establishment  at 
the  court  of  Hyderabad  of  a  British  Resident.  By  the  tripartite 
treaty  of  26th  June,  1838,  the  contracting  Powers  agreed  in  the 
fourtii  article  to  abide,  in  respect  of  Shikarpur  and  the  territory  of 
Sind  lying  on  the  right  bank  of  the  Indus,  by  whatever  might  be 
settled  as  right  and  proper,  and  the  Mirs  were  informed  of  the 
high  importance  to  them  of  the  measures  treated,  and  of  the 
magnitude  of  the  benefits  they  would  derive  from  securing  undis- 
turbed possession  of  their  territories  by  paying  Shah  Sujah  the 
reduced  and  reasonable  claim  upon  them  for  20,00,000  rupees. 

"  In  conformity  with  the  terms  of  the  treaty  of  the  20th  April, 
1838,  an  accredited  agent,  in  the  person  of  Colonel  Pottinger, 
having  repaired  to  Hyderabad,  Sir  A.  Bumes  was  depyted  to 
Khairpur,  and  on  the  25th  of  December  following  entered  into 
a  treaty  with  the  then  Rais,  Mir  Rustam,  providing  in  a  separate 
article,  and  as  subsequently  explained  by  Lord  Auckland,  for  the 
occupation  by  the  British  of  the  fort  of  Bukkur  only  during  actual 
war  and  periods  of  preparing  for  war.  This  treaty  further  ac- 
knowledged the  dependence  of  Khairpur  upon  British  protec- 
tion ;  and  as  it  was  made  out  in  the  name  of  the  Rais  alone,  docu- 
ments were  accorded  to  Mirs  Mubarak  Muhammad  and  Ali  Murad, 
engaging,  on  the  part  of  the  East  India  Company,  *  never  to  covet 
one  rea  of  the  revenue '  of  the  shares  of  Sind  in  their  possessions 
respectively.  Such  then  was  the  position  of  affairs  when  Ali 
Murad  awaited  his  opportunity  for  retaliation  upon  his  brothers, 
and  for  saving  himself  in  the  probable  event  of  a  general  wreck 
of  his  country.  It  would  not,  however,  appear  that  he  found 
either  in  Colonel  Pottinger  or  Sir  A.  Bumes  an  instrument  fitted 
to  his  designs ;  for  Ali  Murad  was  cautious  in  coming  forward, 
and  it  was  not  till  Mr.  Ross  Bell's  arrival  as  Political  Agent  in 
Uppet  Sind  that  he  ventured  in  any  degree  to  develop  his 
poHcy.  That  gentleman  was  oppressed  with  business,  and 
both  indulgent  and  trustfiil  of  natives  brought  into  immediate 
communication  with  him.  In  the  summer  of  1839  Mir  Ali 
Murad  opened  his  communications  with  Mr.  Bell  by  addressing 
to  him  a  letter  without  date.  Upon  Mr.  Bell's  replying,  the  Mir, 
after  exculpating  himself  from  the  charge  contained  in  his  cor- 
respondent's letter,  of  hostility  towards  the  English,  proceeded  to 
confide  to  him  the  state  of  affairs  between  himself  and  his  brothers, 
and  he  went  on  to  solicit  that  Mr.  Bell  would  either  cause  his 


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KHAIRPUR  STATE.  433 

possessions  to  be  restored  to  him,  or  else  allow  him  to  recover 
them  by  force.  The  political  agent  was  directed  to  maintain 
friendly  correspondence  with  Ali  Murad,  but  to  postpone  any 
final  adjustment  of  terms.  It  appears  that  Ali  Murad  did  not 
inform  Mr.  Ross  Bell  at  any  early  date  of  the  separate  document 
he  had  obtained  from  Sir  A.  Bumes.  His  motives  for  such  silence 
are  not  clear,  but  it  is  upon  record  that  when  the  political  agent 
did  hear  of  the  fact  he  considered  it  sufficiently  doubtful,  and  of 
sufficient  importance  to  require  a  reference  to  the  supreme  Govern- 
ment, one  which  was  made  accordingly.  In  July  1840  Mr.  Bell, 
in  obedience  to  the  orders  of  the  Governor-General,  re-entered 
upon  the  subject  of  the  claim  of  subsidy.  Mir  ROstam's  liability 
to  this  demand  had  been  recommended  to  be  cancelled,  in  con- 
sideration  of  his  cession  of  the  island  and  fort  of  Bukkur,  and  of 
his  general  amicable  disposition.  Mubarak  had,  on  the  contrary, 
been  from  the  first  more  or  less  openly  hostile  to  British  in* 
terests,  and  he  had  obtained  the  separate  document,  similar  to 
the  one  willingly  accorded  to  Ali  Murad,  only  at  the  urgent 
intercession  of  his  brother  the  Rais.  It  was  not  probable,  there- 
fore, that  any  claim  against  him  would  be  waived.  The  amount 
demanded  was  7,00,000  rupees,  and  as  Mubarak  had  died  on 
19th  July,  1839,  at  a  date  when  the  daim  could  not  with  safety 
be  pressed,  he  had  left  the  debt  as  a  legacy  to  his  sons,  from  whom 
it  was  now  required*  These  heirs  endeavoured  to  evade  the  claim 
by  producing  a  document  given  under  Sir  A«  Bumes's  seal,  pur- 
porting to  promise  that  the  Company  would  never  take  tax  or 
tribute  from  their  possessions.  This  evasion  was,  however,  upon 
Sir  Alexander's  explanations,  pronounced  groundless,  and  Mr. 
Bell  was  directed  to  adjust  the  question  at  an  early  date.  It  does 
not  appear  that  the  subsidy  was  ever  paid  in  cash.  In  1841 
Mr^  Ross  Bell  was  succeeded  by  an  officer  whose  character  was 
one  upon  which,  apparently,  Ali  Murad  did  not  consider  it  ex- 
pedient to  practise ;  and  from  that  period  up  to  the  commence- 
ment of  the  events  which  led  to  annexation  the  outline  of  Khair- 
pur  history,  like  that  of  all  Sind,  was  comparatively  tranquil. 
Major  Outram,  by  the  force  of  his  personal  qualities,  so  impressed 
the  Mirs  with  the  conviction  of  his  honest  policy  and  friendship, 
that  they  remained  faithful,  or  at  least  unaggressive,  during  the 
Afghan  disasters;  and  he  thus  contrived  to  stave  off  during 
eighteen  months  the  approach  of  that  crisis  which  he  dreaded  as 
unjust  towards  Sind,  but  which  others  saw  to  be  inevitable.  It 
is  not  to  be  concealed,  nevertheless,  that  during  Major  Outram*s 
tenure  of  office  many  infractions  of  the  commercial  treaty  were 

2   F 

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434  KHAIRPUR  STATE. 

coipnutted;  that  intrigues  were  occasionally  carried  on  to  the 
prejudice  of  the  British,  and  that  when,  in  1842,  an  amicable 
negotiation  was  in  progress  for  the  transfer  of  Shikarpur  to  the 
British,  Mir  Nasir  Khan  of  Hyderabad  so  influenced  Mir  Rustam 
of  Khairpur  to  hostile  feelings  towards  them,  that  no  alternative 
was  left  but  to  suspend  the  negotiation.     Meanwhile,  family  dis- 
sensions continued  among  the  Khairpur  Mirs,  until  they  finally 
came  to  an  open  rupture,  met  in  arms,  and  after  a  battle,  so  called, 
signed  upon  the  field  a  document,  dated  15th  September,  1842, 
since  famous  under  the  name  of  the  *  Naunahar  treaty,'  but  which, 
as  it  will  appear  from  the  subject  of  a  later  portion  of  this  report, 
need  not  now  be  further  noticed.     In  the  very  month  in  which  the 
above-mentioned  treaty  was  signed  Sir  Charles  Napier  arrived  in 
Sind,  invested  with  full  powers,  whether  military  or  political. 
He  came  to  carry  into  execution  Lord  EUenborough's  policy  of 
exchanging  tribute  for  territory — of  refraining  from  the  acquisition 
of  any  territory  on  or  beyond  the  Indus  which  might  not  be  re- 
quired for  the  purpose  of  commanding  that  river — of  granting  a 
great  reward  to  that  most  faithful  ally,  the  Khan  of  Bahawalpur^ 
and  of  making  the  Mirs  feel  that  their  treaty  with  the  British 
jcould  not  be  violated  with  impunity.     So  accredited,  the  General 
declared  frankly,  and  with  truth,  that  it  was  not  for  him  to  con- 
sider how  the  British  came  to  occupy  Sind,  and  he  avowed,  in 
predication  of  his  subsequent  method  of  unravelling  the  tangled 
skein  of  Indus  intrigues,  a  political  maxim  more  frequently  acted 
upop  than  admitted  in  the  East — that  the  Mirs'  plea  of  not  being 
able  to  control   their  aroused  Balochis  was  sufficient  excuse  to 
any  other  government  to  overturn  them.     In  the  autumn  of  1842 
Sir  Charles  arrived  in  Upper  Sind,   and  Ali  Murad  at  once 
renewed  the  requests  he  had  made  to  Mr.  Bell    The  General 
quickly  detected  in  him  a  vigorous-minded,  ambitious,  and  cun- 
ning barbarian.    Ali  Murad  complained  that  his  brother  Kustam, 
in  contempt  of  the  law  of  Sind,  was  arranging  for  the  transfer, 
either  during  life  or  after  death,  of  the  turban  of  Upper  Sind 
to  his  son  Husain,  to  his  (Ali  Murad's)  prejudice.    The  General 
replied  that  he  would,  as  bound  by  treaty,  support  the  applicant's 
claim  against  his  nephew,  but  not  against  his  brother,  Mir  Rustam; 
*  That,'  rejoined  Ali  Murad,  '  is  all  I  want,'  and  from  that  moment 
he  took  his  side.      In  the  meanwhile  Sir  Charles  proceeded  to 
carry  out  his  instructions  regarding  the  territorial  penalty  to  be 
inflicted  upon  the  Upper  Sind  Mirs,  by  the  loss  of  Sab^alkot  and 
Bhungbhara  in  favour  of  the  Khan  of  Bahawalpur,  instructions 
rendered  the  more  harsh  by  a  second  order  of  Lord  Ellen- 
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KHAIRPUR  STATE.  43S 

boToi^h's,  written,  apparently,  under  erroneous  inclination)  and 
declaring  that  all  the  territoiy  of  the  Mirs  of  Khairpur,  &€.,  in- 
tervening between  the  dominions  of  Bah&walpur  and  the  town  and 
district  of  Rohri  should  be  ceded  by  those  Mirs — an  order,  in  fact, 
mulcting  the  latter  in  more  than  6,00,000  rupees,  rendering  the 
majority  of  them  desperate,  and  so  hastening  the  crisis  of  the 
battle  of  Meeanee.  These  measures,  combined  with  the  conscious- 
ness of  being  suspected  by  the  General  of  having  written  a 
treasonable  letter  to  Sher  Singh  in  the  Panjab,  and  aggravated 
by  the  troubles  of  family  discord  and  treachery,  so  frightened  Mir 
RQstam,  then  85  years  of  age,  that  upon  the  i8th  of  December 
following  he  sent  to  the  General  an  offer  to  come  into  his  camp 
and  place  himself  under  his  personal  protection.  Sir  Charles 
Napier  recommended  him  rather  to  seek  the  protection  and  advice 
of  his  younger  brother,  Ali  Murad.  Mir  RQstam  did  so,  and 
shortly  afterwards  it  was  reported  that  he  had  resigned  the  turban 
of  Upper  Sind  to  that  brother.  On  the  27th  of  December  the 
General  proposed,  through  the  new  Rais,  to  pay  his  respects  to 
the  aged  chieftain,  but  the  next  morning  it  was  discovered  that  he 
had  decamped  to  the  desert,  whither  many  other  Mirs  had  already 
sought  refuge,  and  where  they  were  collecting  their  followers  in 
their  strongholds.  The  part  which  Ali  Murad  had  played  in  this 
imbecile  and  ruinous  policy  on  the  part  of  poor  RQstam  is  pain- 
fully suspected,  and  probably  will  never  be  more  than  pain- 
fully suspected.  That  an  officer  of  Sir  Charles  Napier's  genius 
and  experience  should  not  see  through  his  cunning  barbarism  is 
not  for  an  instant  supposable,  but  he  was  contented,  in  his  own 
words,  to  walk  over  RQstam's  folly  and  Ali  Murild's  intrigues, 
going  his  own  way.  From  the  time  when  the  turban  treaty  was 
reported  to  him,  the  GeneraPs  course  was  fixed.  That  treaty 
might  have  been,  as  asserted  subsequently  by  RQstam,  the  effect 
of  compulsion,  or  it  might  have  been  otherwise ;  to  Sir  Charles 
Napier  the  intrigues  of  these  people  were  nothing.  Ali  MurHd 
had  become  Rais ;  he  was  able,  and  if  a  traitor,  yet  a  steady 
friend,  and  the  General  resolved  accordingly  that  he  would  &ot 
reopen  a  question  upon  which,  as  he  considered,  the  tranquillity 
of  Upper  Sind  depended.  When,  therefore,  the  Mirs  ensconced 
themselves  in  the  desert  fortress  of  Imamghar,  Sir  Charles 
Napier,  considering  that  that  stronghold  was,  in  virtue  of  his 
*  Raisat,'  the  legal  property  of  Ali  Murad,  marched  thither  With 
that  Mir's  consent  and  personal  cooperation,  and  destroyed  it  on 
the  13th  of  January,  1843.  Towards  the  close  of  the  same  month 
the  Kbaiipur  Mirs  failed  to  meet  Major  Outram,  according  to 

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436  KHAIRPUR  STATE. 

appointment,  at  their  capital.  They  had  preferred  to  move  witE 
their  followers  towards  Hyderabad,  whither  the  General  also 
shortly  afterwards  marched,  and  cut  at  Meeanee  and  Daba  the 
tangled  skein  of  Sind  affairs,  by  placing,  with  the  exception  of 
the  possessions  of  Ali  Murad,  the  country  on  both  banks  of  the 
Indus,  from  Sukkur  to  the  sea,  at  the  disposal  of  the  British  Govern- 
ment From  that  period,  the  sole  native  state  in  Sind  retaining 
political  individuality  was  Khairpur.  This  territory,  as  guaranteed 
to  him  after  the  conquest,  yielded,  according  to  His  Highness 
Ali  Murad's  own  statement,  a  revenue  of  15  lakhs  of  rupees,  and 
was  inhabited  by  upwards  of  8oo,oco  people.  The  manner  in 
which  these  territories  were  defined  and  settled  will  be  most 
clearly  shown  by  quoting  Mr.  Pringle's  memorandum  on  the  sub- 
ject That  memorandum  sets  forth  that  the  principles  by  which 
Sir  Charles  Napier  was  guided  in  the  occupation  of  -the  territory 
acquired  by  the  conquest  were  to  recognise,  as  being  conform- 
able to  the  law  of  the  country  and  creed  of  the  parties,  by  which 
the  British  Government  were  bound  by  treaty  to  abide,  the  assump- 
tion of  the  turban  by  Mir  Ali  Murad,  in  virtue  of  the  voluntary 
resignation  in  his  favour  of  his  eldest  brother,  Mir  Rustam,  any 
retraction  of  which  was  by  the  same  law  inadmissible ;  and  the 
appropriation  by  Ali  Murad  of  the  lands  which  had  belonged  to 
Mir  Rustam,  both  in  right  of  the  turban,  and  as  his  personal 
patrimony  under  a  will  of  their  father,  Mir  Sohrab,  in  so  far  as 
they  were  in  Mir  Rustam's  rightful  possession  at  the  outbreak  of 
the  war.  Also  to  recognise  Ali  Murad's  right  to  all  such  lands  as 
were  in  his  own  rightful  possession  at  the  same  period,  and  to 
retain  all  the  rest  for  the  British  Government,  in  right  of  con- 
quest or  of  forfeiture  imposed  on  the  Khairpur  Mirs  generally, 
for  breach  of  engagements  previous  to  the  wan  The  memorandum 
goes  on  to  relate  that  a  draft  of  a  proposed  treaty  between  the 
British  Government  and  Ali  Murad  was  submitted  by  Sir  Charles 
Napier  on  the  4th  of  May,  1845,  and  that  correspondence  at 
protracted  intervals  was  maintained  on  the  subject  up  to  the 
18th  of  January,  1847,  but  that  in  the  meantime  a  circumstance 
had  come  to  Sir  Charles  Napier's  knowledge,  or  rather  he  ob- 
tained corroborative  proofs  of  former  suspicions  in  respect  to  it, 
which  tended  to  invalidate  the  authenticity  of  one  of  the  docu- 
ments on  which  the  application  of  his  rights  to  the  forfeited 
tetritory  north  of  Rohri  had  been  based.  This  document  was  a 
treaty  purporting  to  have  been  executed  between  Mir  Ali  Murad 
and  Mirs  RQstam  and  Nasir  Kh£n  (the  son  of  their  brother 
Mubarak)  towards  the  close  of  the  year  1843.    At  that  time  the 

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KHAIRFUR  STATE.  437 

dissensions  of  these  Mirs  had  been  brought  to  the  issue  of  arms, 
and  in  an  action  in  which  Ali  Murad  had  the  advantage,  peace 
was  purchased  by  the  other  two  by  the.  cession  to  him  of  certain 
lands  enumerated  in  this  treaty,  which  was  written  in  a  copy  of 
the  Kurlm.  It  was,  however,  brought  to  Sir  Charles  Napier's 
knowledge  that  a  fraud  had  been  committed  by  Ali  Murid  in 
respect  to  this  document,  by  endeavouring  to  substitute  in  it  the 
word  *  district  for  *  village'  in  the  designation  of  a  place  in  which 
the  village  and  its  surrounding  district  bore  the  same  name,  and 
interpolating  the  names  of  some  districts  altogether ;  and  that 
when  this  attempt  was  unsuccessful,  the  leaf  itself  on  which  the 
names  were  written  had  been  extracted,  and  the  matter  which  it 
bore  was  written  afresh,  with  the  desired  alterations  and  additions, 
on  another  blank  leaf  of  the  same  Kuran  by  the  same  person  who 
wrote  out  the  original  treaty.  The  effect  of  this  was  to  convey  to 
Ali  Murad  districts  of  considerable  value,  in  place  of  villages  of 
trifling  extent  Thus,  then,  in  fact.  His  Highness's  territories  had 
not  been  finally  defined  and  settled  before  the  question  of  the 
validity  of  his  tenure  had  again  to  be  mooted  In  the  spring  of 
1850  a  commission,  attended  by  Mir  Ali  Murad  in  person,  sat  to 
pass  their  opinion  upon  the  accusation  against  His  Highness  of 
having  made  interpolations  and  additions  in  the  treaty  signed  at 
Naunahar  by  Mirs  Rastam,  Nasir  Khan  and  himself,  whereby  he 
obtained  possession  of  the  parganas  of  Mirpur,  Mathela,  and 
Meharki,  instead  of  the  villages  of  Dadloi  and  Mathela ;  and  of 
having  afterwards  substituted  a  leaf  in  the  Kuran  containing  these 
alterations  copied  ^rly,  in  lieu  of  one  in  which  they  had  been 
originally  made.  The  verdict  of  this  commission  resulted  in  the 
issue,  on  the  21st  of  January,  1852,  by  order  of  the  Most  Noble 
the  Governor-General  of  India  (Lord  Dalhousie),  of  a  proclama- 
tion (see  page  53  of  Introduction)  declaring  that  His  Highness 
Ali  Miurid  Khan's  guilt  had  been  proved ;  that  he  was  therefore 
degraded  from  the  rank  of  Rais,  and  that  all  his  lands  and  terri- 
tories, excepting  those  hereditary  possessions  which  were  allotted 
to  him  by  his  father,  Mir  Sohrab  Khan,  should  henceforth  be  a 
portion  of  the  British  empire  in  India.  The  tendency  and  final 
issue  of  the  British  relations  with  Sind,  and,  as  a  consequence, 
with  the  Khairpur  State,  have  been  to  establish,  under  circum- 
stances of  more  or  less  difficulty,  the  firm  and  undisputed  rule  of 
the  British  Government  in  that  province.  This  result  could  not 
be  arrived  at  without  involving  the  exclusion  of  that  confederacy 
of  kings,  or  rather  barons,  under  the  title  of  Mirs,  who  ruled  over 
the  valley  of  the  Indus  for  about  thirty  years  as  tributaries  of 

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438  KHAIRPUR. 

Kabul,  aad  for  about  the  same  period  as  independent  chieftains, 
who  then  lost  upon  the  field  of  Meeanee  the  kingdom  which,  sixty 
years  before,  they  had,  in  revenge,  usurped,  and  who  are  now 
represented  in  the  political  world  solely  by  that  hated  and  minor 
member  of  their  d3aiasty  who,  discovering  in  very  early  life,  and 
from  fraternal  treachery,  but  too  valid  cause  for  distrusting  hu" 
manity,  resolved,  when  opportunity  offered,  to  play,  if  a  traitor's, 
yet  a  winning  part,  who,  in  so  doing,  usurped,  as  it  is  suspected, 
his  brother's  turban,  betrayed  his  country,  and  was  left,  amid  the 
common  ruin,  the  lago  of  the  scene,  to  find,  after  many  years, 
fit  retribution  in  being  degraded  from  that  rank  which  never 
perhaps  was  rightfully  his."  The  present  ruler  of  the  Khairpur 
State,  His  Highness  Mir  Ali  Murad  Khan  Talpur,  is  the  youngest 
son  of  Mir  SohrUb  Khan  Talpur,  and  was  bom  in  the  year  1815  ; 
he  is  consequently  at  the  present  time  (1875)  about  61  years  of 
age.  He  has  several  sons  now  living,  amongst  whom  are  Mirs 
Faiz  Muhammad  (38),  Jan  Muhammad  (33),  and  KMn  Muham- 
mad (30).  His  eldest  son,  Mir  Shah  Nawaz,  died  on  i  ith 
October,  1874,  and  as  he  left  male  offspring,  the  eldest  son  of 
the  deceased  Mir  may  be  considered  as  the  heir  apparent  to  the 
chieftainship  of  the  Khairpur  State. 

Khairptu*,  the  capital  town  of  the  territory  belonging  to  His  High- 
ness Mir  Ali  Murad  Khan  Talpur,  iii  latitude  37°  31'  N.,  and  longi- 
tude 68°  45'  £.,  seated  on  the  Mirwah  canal,  and  situate  about. 
15  miles  east  of  the  river  Indus.  It  is  distant  about  17  miles  south 
from  Rohri,  the  main  road  from  which  town  to  Hyderabad  runs 
through  Khairpur.  It  has  road  communication  also  with  tiie 
villages  of  Tando  Masti  Khan  and  Abhuro,  distant  from  it  10  and 
7  miles  respectively.  The  town,  which  is  irregularly  built,  con- 
sists of  a  large  collection  of  mud  hovels,  intermingled  with  a  few 
houses  of  a  better  description.  It  is  very  filthy,  and,  owing  to 
the  excessive  heat  of  the  place  and  the  deleterious  influence  of  the 
stagnant  marshes  around  it,  is  decidedly  unhealthy.  The  palace, 
covered  with  gaudy  lacquered  tiles  of  various  hues,  is  situate  in  the. 
midst  of  the  bazars,  and  presents  little  worthy  of  notice.  Outside 
the  town  are  still  standing  a  few  tombs  of  certain  Muhamaiadan 
saints — Pirs  Ruhan  Ziawadin  and  Haji  Jafir  Shahid.  Ihere  is  a 
court  of  justice  here,  presided  over  by  a  Hindti  officer.  The  popular 
tion,  consisting  of  Muhammadans  and  Hindus,  the  former  of  whom 
greatly  predominate  in  number,  is  estimated  by  some  at  from  4000 
to  5000  souls,  but  by  others  as  high  as  10,000  ;  at  present  (1875) 
it  is  supposed  to  be  7275.  During  the  flourishing  period  of  the 
Talpur  dynasty  it  is  said  to  have  possessed  not  less  than  15,000 

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KHAIRPUR  DHARKL  439 

inhabitants,  but  the  place'  is  now  believed  to  be  fast  ha^ening 
to  ruin  and  decay.  The  trade  of  Khairpur  is  principally  in 
indigo,  grain  (juar  and  bajri),  and  oil-seeds,  which  form  the 
chief  articles  of  export,  the  imports  being  mostly  piece-goods, 
silk,  cotton,  wool,  metals,  &c.  The  manufactures  comprise  the 
weaving  and  dyeing  Of  cloths  of  various  kinds,  goldsmith's  work, 
and  the  making  of  firearms,  swords,  &c.  On  the  present  site 
of  the  town  of  Khairpur,  which  owes  its  rise  to  Mir  Sohrab  Khan 
Talpur,  stoodj  prior  to  the  year  1787,  the  village  of  Boira,  and  the 
zamindari  or  estate  of  the  Phulpotras.  It  was  selected  as  the 
residence  of  the  chief  Mirs  of  Northern  Sind,  and  for  some  time 
during  Talpur  rule,  a  British  Resident  was  stationed  here,  in  terms 
of  the  treaty  of  20th  April,  1838,  concluded  between  the  British 
Government  and  the  Mirs  of  Sind. 

Khairpur  Dharki,  a  Government  town  in  the  Ubauro  talQka  of 
the  Rohri  Deputy  Collectorate,  distant  about  65  miles  north-east  from* 
Rohri.  It  has  road  communication  with  Ubauro,  Rawati,  Mirpur  and 
Raharki.  This  town,  which  is  the  head-quarter  station  of  a  Tapa- 
dar,  possesses  a  musafirkhana,  vernacular  school,  a  thana  with  a 
police  force  of  7  men,  and  a  cattle  pound.  The  population,  num- 
bering 1602  souls,  comprises  482  Muhammadans,  mostly  of  the 
Dhar,  Malik,  Kori,  Muhtna,  Lobar,  Dakhan,  Daya,  and  Shekh 
tribes,  and  1 1 20  Hindas,  who  are  chiefly  of  tiie  Banya  caste.  The 
trade  of  the  place  is  principally  in  grain,  sugar,  molasses,  oil,  and 
cloth.  The  Lobars  of  this  town  are  noted  for  their  handiwork  in 
pots,  pipe  bowls,  knives,  razors,  &c.  The  Dhars,  who  were  once 
the  principal  landowners  in  the  Ubauro  district,  are  thus  referred 
to  by  Lieutenant  Lester,  a  former  Deputy  Collector  in  Sind,  in 
his  report  (written  in  1852)  on  the  districts  on  the  left  bank  of  the 
Indus:  "The  Dhars  are  a  race  of  Musalmans,  but  originally 
HindQs,  who  emigrated  from  their  native  country  of  Tonk  Jodah, 
near  Delhi,  under  their  chief,  one  Jodh  Dhar,  and  settled  in 
Ubauro.  This  took  place  about  h.  551  (a.d.  1150).  The  Dhars 
took  Ubauro  by  force  of  arms  from  the  Odhanas,  a  Muhammadan 
race,  who  formerly  possessed  it,  and  Jodh  Dhar  became  the  acknow- 
ledged ruler  of  the  district  of  Ubauro.  Alim  Khan,  the  twelfth 
chief  in  succession  to  Jodh  Dhar,  was  the  first  who  surrendered 
his  independence.  He  became  subject  to  the  kings  of  Delhi 
about  A.D.  1634,  and  one  of  their  first  sanads  is  dated  h.  1052 
(a.d.  1626),  by  which  one-half  of  the  grain  produce  is  allowed  to 
the  Dhar  chief,  and  the  other  half  taken  by  the  Delhi  Government 
About  A.D.  1795,  the  Talpur  chiefs,  Mirs  Sohrab  and  RQstam, 
wrested  from  the  chief  of  Ubauro  some  of  the  west  and  south-west 

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440  KHAIRPUR  JUSO—KHAIRPUR  NATHESHAH. 

parts  of  that  pargana  near  Sirhad,  and  called  this  acquired  terri- 
tory <Nao  Khalsa.'  The  Dhars  were,  however,  allowed  the 
samindSri  of  these  lands.  In  1 817  the  Talpurs  took  Sabzalkot, 
two-thirds  of  which  were  possessed  by  the  Hyderabad  Mirs,  and 
one-third  by  Mir  ROstam.  The  Talpurs  continued  to  encroach  by 
degrees  on  the  possessions  of  the  Dhars  in  Ubauro,  until  one-half 
only  remained  in  the  possession  of  the  latter.  At  length,  on  the 
death  of  Bhambu  Khan,  his  son,  AbCil  Khair,  was  only  allowed  an 
eighth  share  of  the  Government  revenue  besides  zamindiri ;  he 
was  permitted  to  hold  one  jagir,  called  Chan^li,  and  four  wheds." 
The  town  of  Khairpur  Dharki  is  comparatively  modem,  having 
been  founded  about  1787  by  the  grand^ther  of  Jam  Abul  Khair 
Dhar,  the  present  head  of  the  Dhar  tribe. 

Khairpur  Jaso,  a  jagir  village  in  the  Lfirkana  talGka  of  the 
Urkana  Deputy  Collectorate,  distant  about  10  miles  west  by  south 
from  the  town  of  LarkSna,  This  village  is  held  in  jSgir  by  Mir 
Bijar  Khan  Talpur  (ShiUidad&ni),  a  lineal  descendant  and  repre- 
sentittive  of  the  Mir  Bijar,  who  was  murdered  by  the  Kalhma 
prince,  Abdul  Nabi  Khan.  It  has  direct  road  communication 
with  Larkana  and  Wara,  being  on  that  line  of  road,  and  is  the 
head-quarter  station  of  the  Tapad&r  of  Lang.  It  has  also  lines  to 
accommodate  five  policemen  and  a  musafirkhana.  The  population 
numbers  955  souls,  of  whom  296  are  Musalmans  of  the  IsrSn, 
Ghana,  Saiita,  and  Tunia  tribes,  and  659  Hindus  of  the  Nangdev 
and  AhQja  castes.  There  are  no  manufactures  of  any  importance, 
and  the  local  trade  is  mostly  in  juar  and  rice,  but  to  what  extent  is 
not  known.  There  is  no  transit  trade.  There  is  a  fort  in  this 
village,  built  originally  by  one  Jaso,  of  the  MuhSna  tribe ;  it  is 
now  occupied  by  the  jagirdir,  Mir  Bijar  Khan. 

Khairpur  Natheshah,  a  town  in  the  Kakar  taluka  of  the 
Mehar  Deputy  Gollectorate,  situate  8  miles  south  of  Mehar,  widi 
which  place  it  has  road  communication,  as  well  as  with  Kakar, 
Sita,  and  Gozo.  There  is  also  water  communication  by  the  Kudan 
canal,  and  the  Western  N^u^  is  only  one  and  a  half  miles  distant 
from  it  to  the  westward.  It  is  a  jagir  village  belonging  to  Mir 
Khan  Muhammad  Talpur,  and  has  now  a  municipality,  estab- 
lished in  August  1873,  the  receipts  of  which  in  1873-74  were 
S7S  rupees,  and  the  disbursements  347  rupees.  There  was  a 
musafirkhana  here,  but  it  was  destroyed  by  the  floods  of  1874. 
There  is  accommodation  for  4  men  of  the  district  police,  and 
the  place  also  possesses  a  Government  vernacular  school  and 
cattle  pound.  The  inhabitants,  numbering  1430  in  all,  are  com- 
posed of  840  Musalm&ns  and  590  Hindus.     The  former  are  of  the 

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KHALID—KHANWAHAN.  441 

Saiyad  and  Sindi  tribes ;  the  latter  Brahmans  and  Lohinas.  The 
chief  employments  of  the  population  are  agriculture  and  trade. 
The  trade,  both  local  and  transit,  is  in  grain  of  different  kinds, 
and  cloth;  of  manufactures  there  seem  to  be  none  of  any 
consequence. 

Khalid,  a  Government  village  in  the  Larkana  taluka  of  the 
Lark&na  Division,  6  miles  west  from  Larkana,  with  which  town, 
as  also  with  Akil,  it  has  road  communication.  The  inhabitants, 
numbering  in  all  1247^  comprise  1034  Musalmans  of  the  Kalhora 
and  Ghado  tribes,  and  213  HindOs.  Their  chief  emplo3rment  is 
agriculture. 

KhanptUTy  a  Government  village  in  the  Shikarpur  taluka  of  the 
Sukkur  and  Shikarpur  Deputy  CoUectorate,  distant  about  8  miles 
north-east  from  Shikarpur.  It  is  close  to  the  Sherwah  bandh^  which 
protects  it  frcan  the  northern  floods,  and  is  situate  on  the  road 
leading  firom  this  latter  town  to  Kashmor,  and  has  road  communi- 
cation with  Zurkhel,  Thairio  and  Abad  MelanL  It  is  the  head* 
quarter  station  of  a  Tapadar,  and  has  a  small  police  post  of  7 
men,  a  musafirkhana  and  a  ^^  dhakj'  or  cattle  pound.  The 
population,  numbering  2807,  comprises  1849  Musalmans,  prin- 
cipally of  the  Bapar  and  Sethar  tribes,  and  958  Hindus  of  the 
Lohano  caste.  The  occupation  of  the  inhabitants  is  mostly 
agricultural. 

Much  of  the  land  around  this  town  has  been  bought  up  by  a 
wealthy  Banya.  Cultivation  by  well  is  largely  carried  on,  there 
behig  in  and  around  this  village  no  less  than  52  wells.  The  manu- 
factures of  this  place  are  weaving,  shoemaking,  and  pottery.  The 
trade  of  Khanpur  is  in  agricultural  produce,  but  to  what  extent 
and  value  does  not  appear  to  be  known. 

Klianwahan,  a  Government  village  in  the  Randiaro  taluka  of 
the  Naushahro  Division,  distant  18  miles  north-east  from  Tharusha, 
and  8  miles  north-east  from  Kandiaro.  It  has  road  communication 
with  the  villages  of  Bhelani  and  Gulshah,  distant  from  it  respec- 
tively 6  and  2  miles.  It  is  the  head-quarter  station  of  a  Tapa- 
dar, but  has  no  police  lines.  The  population,  numbering  1085 
in  all,  comprises  Muhammadans,  mostly  of  the  Saiyad  and  Sahta 
tribes,  and  Hindus  of  the  Lohano  caste,  but  the  number  of  each 
class  is  not  known.  Their  occupation  is  chiefly  agricultural. 
Lieutenant  Jameson  mentions  that  the  number  of  inhabitants 
in  1852  was  829,  of  whom  418  were  Muhammadans,  and  411 
Hindus.  The  houses  in  all  were  251,  and  the  number  of 
shops  41.  Cotton  cloth  is  manufactured  here  to  a  small  extent 
for  both  home  consumption  and  export;  but  the  trade,  which 


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44« 


KHATIAN—KHIPRA. 


is  in  gmin  and'  doiii,  is  boili  small'  and  unimportant  The  town 
is  supposed  to  have  been  founded  about  300  Tears  ago,  by  one 
Khan  Sahta,  a;  Zamind&r. 

Khati&n,  a  Govemm^t  village  in  the  Hyderabad  taitlka  of 
the  Hyderabad  Collectorate,  distant  10  miles  north  of  Hyderabad, 
and  having  road  communication  with  Tando'  jSm  and  Masu 
Bhhurgari.  No  Government  officers  reside  here.  There  are 
police  lines  for  2  mem  The  population,  numbering  in  all 
1670  persons,  comprises  1124  Musalmfins  of  the  Khatian  tribe, 
and  446  Hindus,  mostly  Loh3nos.  llieir  chief  employment  is 
agriculture.  The  trade  is  in  cotton  and  grain,  but  to  what  extent 
is  not  known. 

Khipra,  a  taluka  (or  revenue  sub-division)  in  the  Thar  and 
Parkar  Political  Superintendency,  with  an  area,  including  the 
Sanghar  taluka,  which  is  subordinate  to  it,  of  about  3 114  square 
miles.  It  has  8  tapas  and  28  dehs,  with  a  population  of  45,145 
souls.  The  revenue,  imperial  and  local,  of  this  sub-division  for 
the  four  years  ending  1873-74,  is  as*  follows : — 


1870-71. 

X871-72. 

1872-73.         1873-74. 

Imperial  .... 
Local       .... 

rupees. 
76,529 

8,175 

rupees. 
1,15,146 

i3»«)7 

rupees. 
1,21,264 

15,364 

rupccR. 
1,26,593 

13.158 

Total  rupees  . 

84,704   1  1,28,153  i  1,36,628 

<              1 

»,39.75I 

Ehifira^  a  town  in  the  taluka  of  the  same  name,  in  the  Thar 
and  Parkar  Political  Superintendency,  seated  on  the  Eastern  Naia, 
and  distant  about  40  miles  north-west  from  Umarkot  It  has 
road  communication  with  the  towns  of  Mirpur  Khas  (in  the  HalS 
division),  Ghulam  Nabi  Shah-jo-got,  Sanghar,  Umarkot,  Hathungo, 
and  FuledL  It  is  the  head-quarter  station  of  a  Mukhtyarkar  and 
Tapadar,  and  has  a  police  post  of  29  men,  civil  and  criminal 
courts,  a  dispensary,  dharamsala,  and  a  cattle  pound.  There  was 
a  Government  school  established  here,  but  it  was  broken  up, 
owing  to  the  poor  attendance  of  pupils.  Khipra  possesses  a 
municipality,  established  in  1862,  the  revenue  of  which  in  1873-74 
amounted  to  2362  rupees,  and  the  expenditure  to  2178  rupees. 
The  population,  numbering  in  all  1227,  comprises  211  Musalmans 
of  tlMS  Baloch,  KhaskeJi,  Kalhora,  and  Hingoro  tribes,  and  1016 
Hindus,  principally  Bralimans,  Lohanos,  Khitris,  Bhils  and  Men- 
gwars.   Their  occupation  is  for  the  most  part  agricultural    The 


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KHOKliAR—KHaRWAH,  4^z 

manufactures  of  this  place  consist  mainly^  in  the  weaving  and 
dyeing  of  cloth,  and  the  trade  is  in  cotton^  woQl,.cocoa-nuts,  metals,, 
grain,  sugar,  tobacco,  and  other  articles.  The  transit  trade  is  in: 
grain,  cattle,  wool,  ghi,  indigo,  sugar  and  cloth*.  This  town  is. 
supposed  to  have  been  founded  about  a  century  ago  by  one  H&lS: 
MarL 

Ehokhar,  a  town  in  die  Alahyar-jo-Tando  taluka  of  the: 
Hala  Deputy  Collectorate,  seated  on  die  Sarafrazwah  canal,  and 
distant  20  miles  south-east  ficom  Hala.  It  has  road  communication- 
with  Nasarpur  and  Alahyar-jo-Tando.  ITiere  is  a  Tapadar's 
'^dera"  here,  as  also  a  police  thana.  The  population  is  939  in 
number,  is  composed  of  Musalmans  and  Hindus,  but  the  number 
of  each  is  not  known.  The  former  are  chiefly  of  the  Khokhar 
and  Khaskeli  tribes,  and  the  latter  Lohanos  and  Panjabis.  Their 
principal  occupation  is  agriculture.  The  trade  of  the  place  is 
mostly  in  grain,  ghi,  sugar  and  oil,  but  both  it  and  the  transit 
txade  are  of  no  consequence.  There  is  no  manufacture  of  any 
kind  in  this  town.  Khokhar  is  said  to  have  been  founded  by  one 
Bahadur  Khan  Khokhar,  about  97  years  ago ;  the  chief  men  of 
note  now  residing  in  it  are  Bira  Khan  Khokhar,  Rata  Khan. 
Khokhar,  Muhammad  Khan  Khokhar,  and  Assumal  Sett 

Khora,  a  village  in  the  Khairpur  State,  seated  on  the  Abulwaro 
canal,  and  distant  about  20  miles  south  from  the  town  of  Khairpur. 
The  postal  road  between  Hyderabad  and  Multan  runs  through  this 
place,  and  it  has  road  communication  besides  with  Kot  Diji  and 
Gambat  The  population,  numbering  in  all  about  3675  souls, 
consists  mostly  of  Musalmans,  who  are  engaged  in  weaving  coarse 
cotton  cloths. 

Khorwaliy  a  Government  village  in  the  Guni  talaka  of  the 
Tanda  Deputy  Collectorate,  and  the  head-quarter  station  of  a 
Tapadar,  is  situate  in  latitude  24"^  40'  N.,  and  longitude  68"^  27'  £. 
It  is  distant  26  miles  south  of  Tanda  Muhammad  Khan,  and  47 
from  Hyderabad,  and  has  road  communication  with  Badin,  Mirpur 
Batoro  (Kar.  ColL),  Bulri  and  Tanda  Muhammad  Khan.  There 
are  police  lines,  and  a  Tapadaf  s  '^  dera,"  but  no  other  public 
buildings.  The  inhabitants  number  1320,  but  the  number  of 
Hindus  and  Musalmans  is  not  known.  They  are  mostly  of 
the  cultivating  class,  with  a  few  traders  and  shopkeepers,  while  the 
trade  and  manufactures  of  the  place  are  poor  and  unimportant, 
the  former  mostly  in  cloths,  grain,  rice  and  ghL  The  transit 
trade  consists  only  of  rice  and  ghi,  in  inconsiderable  quantities. 
This  village  is  supposed  to  have  been  built  about  98  years  ago,  by 
one  Kamal  Khor. 


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444  KOHISTAK 

KohisyUli  a  taltika  (or  portion)  of  the  Karachi  Collectorate, 
included,  so  far  as  magisterial  jurisdiction  is  concerned,  in  the 
Sehwan  division  of  the  same  coUectorate.  This  talQka  comprises 
a  very  barren  and  hilly  tract  of  country,  extending  in  length  from 
north  to  south  60  miles  (though  according  to  Major  Preedy,  a 
former  collector  of  Karachi,  120  miles),  and  in  breadth  from  east 
to  west  from  45  to  50  miles.  It  is  bounded  on  the  north  by  the 
Sehwan  division ;  on  the  east  by  the  same  and  the  Jerruck  districts, 
a  range  of  hills  known  at  various  places  under  the  name  of  Elaro, 
Sfirjano,  Sumbak,  Eri,  Hothiyan,  Rani  Kara,  Sian,  and  Dharan, 
forming  the  boundary  line ;  on  the  south  by  the  Kadeji  hills  and 
the  Karachi  talQka ;  and  on  the  west  by  the  Habb  river  and  the 
Khirthar  range  of  mountains.  The  configuration  of  this  district 
on  its  northern,  eastern,  and  southern  sides  is  in  several  places 
very  irregular.  The  area  of  Kohistan  is  mentioned  by  Preedy 
to  be  about  6000  square  miles,  but  the  Sind  Survey  Department 
does  not  estimate  it  at  more  than  4058  square  miles.  The  general 
aspect  of  this  talQka  is  decidedly  mountainous  ;  its  principal  ranges 
being,  in  fact,  continuations  of  the  great  Khirthar  range.  In  its 
southern  portion  there  are  extensive  plains,  separated  from  each 
other  by  low  lines  of  hills,  running  generally  from  north  to  south, 
and  showing  evident  signs  of  volcanic  action.  These  plains,  after 
a  fall  of  rain,  produce  an  abundance  of  forage,  and  vast  herds  of 
cattle  from  the  neighbourhood  of  the  Indus  are  frequently  pas- 
tured there.  In  the  central  portion  of  this  highland  district  the 
hills  rise  to  the  dignity  of  mountains,  with  proportionately  deep 
and  wide  valleys.  To  the  north  they  are  of  limestone  formation, 
with  very  precipitous  sides,  and  the  bottoms  are  filled  with  huge 
boulders  of  rock  brought  down  by  hill-torrents  after  heavy  rain. 
The  valley  of  the  Mohul,  which  is  20  miles  long  by  10  in  breadth, 
has  a  pretty  appearance  after  rain,  the  hills  inclosing  it  being 
from  800  to  1000  feet  in  altitude. 

The  principal  streams  in  Kohistan  are  the  Habb,  Baran,  and 
MaJir.  The  first,  which,  excepting  the  Indus,  is  the  only  perma- 
nent river  in  Sind,  is  said  to  take  its  rise  at  a  spot  near  eitlier 
Zebri  or  Hoja  Jamot,  in  Balochistan,  or,  as  some  affirm,  near 
Kelat  In  the  upper  part  of  its  course  it  flows  in  a  south-easterly 
direction  for  25  miles,  and  then  turning  due  south,  it  holds  its  way 
for  about  50  miles ;  it  then  turns  to  the  south-west,  and,  after  a 
total  length  of  100  miles,  falls  into  the  Arabian  Sea  on  the 
north-western  side  of  Cape  Monze,  in  latitude  24°  50'  N.,  and 
longitude  66®  36'  E.  Delhoste  states  that  this  river,  which  for  a 
long  distance  forms  the  western  line  of  boundary  between  Sind 

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KOHISTAK  445 

and  the  Las  B6la  territory,  has  never  been  known  to  fail  in  water- 
supply,  even  in  the  driest  seasons.  After  heavy  rain  in  the  hills,  a 
very  large  body  of  water  comes  down  this  stream ;  but  it  soon 
passes  off,  leaving  here  and  there  deep  pools  which  abound  with 
fish  and  alligators.  The  whole  course  of  this  stream  is  described 
as  a  succession  of  rocks  in  gravelly  gorges  in  the  rugged  and  barren 
Pabb  mountains.  Another  stream,  the  Baran,  which  is  in  fact 
nothing  more  than  an  extensive  mountain  torrent,  rises  in  the 
Khirthar  range  60  miles  north-west  of  Hamlani,  and  after  a 
course  of  about  90  miles,  in  which  it  is  said  to  drain  an  area  of 
1250  square  mUes,  joins  the  Indus  a  few  miles  below  the  town  of 
Kotri.  After  rain  in  the  hills,  a  large  body  of  water  flows  down 
the  bed  of  this  river  into  the  Indus.  In  several  places  there  is  a 
considerable  extent  of  arable  land  on  this  stream,  but  except 
about  its  head,  westward  of  the  Khirthar  range,  where  there  is  a 
small  area  cultivated  by  the  Gabol  tribe  of  Balochis,  the  land  is 
nearly  all  waste.  The  Baran  would  appear  to  have  forced  its  way 
through  the  Khirthar  hills  by  a  very  narrow  pass — the  work,  it  is 
presumed,  of  some  convulsion  of  nature.  Both  this  stream  and 
the  Gaj  river,  in  the  Sehwan  district,  seem  to  have  found  their  way 
through  these  hills  in  a  similar  manner.  The  rocky  sides  of  both 
passes  are  perfectly  perpendicular,  and,  as  remarked  by  Mr.  James, 
a  Deputy  Collector  of  Sehwan,  one  would  suppose  some  giant 
had  cut  two  distinct  slices  out  of  this  lofty  range.  The  scenery  in 
their  neighbourhood  is  very  fine  and  attractive,  and  these  passes 
must  be  considered  to  rank  among  the  most  remarkable  natural 
objects  to  be  seen  in  this  part  of  the  Karachi  CoUectorate.  The 
Malir  river,  known  as  the  Vadia  near  its  source  in  the  western 
range  of  hills,  in  about  latitude  25°  20'  N.,  and  longitude  67°  38'  £., 
and  as  the  Gurban  in  its  middle  course,  from  a  village  of  that  name 
near  which  it  flows,  after  taking  a  south-westerly  course  of  about 
60  miles,  falls  into  the  sea  by  the  Gisri  creek.  When  in  flood, 
after  heavy  rains  in  the  hills,  a  very  large  head  of  water  flows  down 
its  bed  for  a  short  time,  but  during  the  greater  part  of  the  year  it 
is  nearly  dry.  This  river  is  said  in  its  course  to  drain  an  area  of 
770  square  miles.  There  are  numerous  other  mountain  streams, 
or  '*  nais,"  as  they  are  called,  but  they  are  dry  almost  the  whole  of 
the  year,  though  water  is  readily  obtainable  by  digging  a  few  feet 
in  the  beds  of  these  torrents.  Owing  to  the  very  hilly  nature  of 
this  district,  and  its  distance  firom  the  Indus,  there  are  no  canals 
for  irrigational  purposes. 

Climate. — ^The  climate  of  this  hilly  portion  of  Sind  differs  in 


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446 


KOHISTAN, 


some  respects  from  that  in  the  plains.  Thus,  at  Bula  Khins' 
ThSna,  it  is,  it  seems,  neither  so  hot,  nor,  at  the  same  time,  so 
cold  as  at  ol^er  towns  in  the  flat  country*  During  the  year  1871, 
die  mean  maximum  heat  at  that  station  was  only  86^,  the  mean 
minimum  being  73^ :  the  hottest  months  were  April,  May,  and 
June.  During  January  and  February  the  prevailing  winds  were 
from  the  east  and  west,  and  during  the  remaining  ten  months  from 
the  east  and  south-west  The  maximum,  minimum,  and  mean 
temperature  at  this  station  during  the  three  years  ending  1874  is 
shown  below : — 


Year. 

Maximum. 

lytinimuin. 

Mean. 

0 

0 

0 

1872 

91 

68 

79 

1873 

100 

62 

81 

1874 

99 

64 

81 

The  average  yearly  rainfall,  as  observed  at  BUla  Khan's  Thana 
during  a  period  of  eight  years  ending  1874,  is  8*22  inches;  that 
for  five  years  ending  1874  is  shown  in  the  following  table : — 


Mondis. 

1870. 

1871. 

1871. 

i87J. 

1874. 

Months. 

1870. 

1871.  '  1872. 

1 

1871. 

i«74. 

Jam«ry      . 

•  a 

•  • 

., 

•11 

•Ji 

July.    .    , 

*«4 

-68 

II -18 

•07 

5-54 

Febniary    , 

.. 

•36 

.. 

•06 

•22 

August  .    • 

2^7I 

•33 

'%l 

3-35 

5-20 

March    .     . 

•68 

.. 

•04 

.. 

September  . 

.. 

1-27 

.. 

.. 

April      .     . 

.. 

•u 

.8j 

.. 

. . 

October  •     . 

.. 

.. 

.. 

.. 

•  • 

May.     .     . 

•• 

•07 

.. 

.. 

.. 

November  . 

.. 

•04 

«. 

«. 

.. 

June.     .     . 

J'5i 

•• 

•<H 

•• 

•01 

December  . 

•• 

- 

.. 

•25 

.• 

4-19 

'66 

•87 

•31 

.56 

1-87 

1*05    IJ*0O 

J -67   to- 74  1 

The  wild  animals  of  this  district  are  the  same  as  those  generally 
found  in  the  hilly  portions  of  the  province,  and  comprise  the 
hyena,  panther,  wolf,  fox,  ibex,  ^^ gad'*  (wild  sheep),  &c.  Among 
birds,  the  vulture,  raven,  grey  pigeon,  partridge  and  quail :  reptiles 
of  various  kinds  are  also  numerous.  Laige  herds  of  sheep  and 
goats  are  pastured  in  different  parts  of  this  talCika  by  the  Baloch 
tribes,  and  form  the  greater  part  of  their  wealth. 

The  inhabitants  of  this  district  in  1856  numbered,  it  was 
supposed,  about  16,410  souls,  of  whom  14,154  were  Musalmans 


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KOHISTAN,  447 

aixd  2246  Hindus.  The  exact  number,  as  found  by  ihe  census 
of  1872,  was  5681,  which  would  thus  only  give  1^4  pessons  t© 
the  square  mile.  Of  this  nun^ber  900  are  Hindus  and  4713 
Musalmang.  The  population  is,  Jbowever^  from  its  nomadic 
nature,  a  very  fluctuating  one,  there  being  but  six  permanent 
villages  throughout  the  whole  taluka.  The  people  inhabiting  this 
district  are  Balochis  of  the  Gabol,  Rind,  and  Nohani  tribes,  as  also 
Numrias  and  Jokias.  The  Baloch  tribes  live  mosdy  in  the  northern 
part  of  Kohistan,  about  Pokhan,  Dhul  and  Rani-jo-Got,  while 
the  Numrias  and  Jokias  are  found  in  the  central  and  southern 
portions.  These  two  latter  tribes  are  Sindis  proper,  and  claim  a 
descent  from  the  great  Samma  tribe.  Of  the  Numrias  there  are 
about  twenty-four  sub-divisions.  The  Jokias  $tate  themselves  to 
be  'of  Rajput  descent,  the  first  man  of  any  consequence  among 
them  having  been  Jam  Bijar ;  they  are  noted  for  courage  and  fidelity, 
and  many  of  the  trjj)e  are  in  the  employ  of  different  native  govern- 
ments. They  mostly  inhabit  that  part  of  the  district  near  the 
Malir,  Rann  Pitiani,  Malmuari,  Gadap,  and  the  country  generally 
lying  between  the  Gharo  creek  and  the  Habb  river.  Both  the 
Numria  and  Jokia  tribes  have  been  described  at  some  length  in 
another  part  of  this  Gazetteer  {see  Jerruck).  Their  chief  employ- 
ment is  in  tending  immense  flocks  of  sheep,  goats,  &c.,  on  which 
they  subsist  The  Gabols  seem  the  most  inclined  to  agricultural 
pursuits,  but  the  other  tribes  are  essentially  nomadic  in  their  habits^ 
moving  about  from  place  to  place  according  to  the  requirements 
of  their  flocks.  As  a  rule,  they  never  prect  any  dwelling  of  a  more 
substantial  character  than  a  mat  hut,  which  can  be  put  up  in  a 
couple  of  hours.  The  Numrias  are  especially  averse  to  have  any 
dealings  with  the  Government ;  but  ?J1  the  tribes  are  grpat  adepts 
at  cattle-lifting,  which  is  the  chief  prevailing  crime  among  them,  as 
it  is  generally  throughout  Sind. 

Of  the  revenue  derived  by  Government  from  this  immense  tract  of 
country  there  is  nothing  to  be  said  at  present,  since  all  land  assess- 
ment in  the  taluka  was  remitted  for  twenty  years,  commencing  from 
1865,  ^^  t^^  suggestion  of  Colonel  W.  R.  Lambert,  Collector  of 
Karachi  Formerly  there  was  appointed  for  this  district  a  Mukh- 
tyarkar,  on  a  salary  of  50  rupees  per  mensem,  with  a  subordinate 
establishment  costing  about  90  rupees  per  mensem,  or  1680  rupees 
in  all  per  annum ;  but  the  entire  revenue  of  the  taluka  in  some  years 
was  only  500  rupees,  and  it  was  in  consequence  of  this  deficiency 
that  a  reduction  of  establishment  became  imperatively  called  for. 
Major  Preedy,  who  reported  on  Kohistan,  states  that  the  revenue 


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448  KOHISTAN. 

from  all  sources  in  1854-55  was  1171  rupees,  much  of  which  was 
raised  from  a  tax  on  cart-loads  of  grass  and  garden  cultivation,  carried 
on  principally  in  the  Malir  valley.  The  Government  establishment 
there  cost  90  rupees  per  mensem,  but  this  was  subsequently  in- 
creased to  205  rupees.  The  assessment  on  land  then  in  force 
was  very  light,  as  will  be  seen  from  the  following  statement : — 

In  Kot  Rani,  Barani  land  •     •     6  annas  per  jireb. 
In  other  places  .....    4      „  „ 

On  well  cultivation        ...     5  rupees  per  well. 

The  abohtion  of  all  assessment  on  land  in  this  district  for  a 
period  of  twenty  years  would,  it  was  expected,  induce  many  of  the 
tribes  to  give  their  attention  more  to  cultivation  than  they  hitherto 
have  done.  To  some  extent  this  expectation  has  already  been 
realised,  and  about  6000  acres  are  now  estimated  to  be  yearly 
cultivated,  and  this  area  is  yearly  increasing.*  The  Government 
establishment  at  present  kept  up  in  Kohistan  consists  only  of  a 
Kotwal,  with  the  powers  of  a  subordinate  magistrate,  on  a  monthly 
salary  of  40  rupees,  with  two  peons  and  a  small  monthly  con- 
tingent allowance.  The  police  force  comprises  in  all  77  men, 
under  a  chief  constable.  Of  these  25  are  mounted,  and  the 
remainder  armed  and  unarmed  foot-poUce.  There  is  one  thana,  a 
sub-thana,  and  17  police  posts.  Colonel  Lambert  also  recom- 
mended the  construction  of  a  road  from  Bula  Khan's  Thano,  the 
chief  village  in  the  talaka  to  Kotri,  a  distance  of  32  miles,  and  this 
has  since  been  carried  out  The  road  also  from  JhSngar  to 
Karachi,  a  distance  of  136  miles,  has  been  much  improved,  especi- 
ally that  portion  crossing  the  Kadeji  hills.  The  following  is  the 
road  route  from  Jhangar  to  Karachi ;  and,  in  a  barren  desert  like 
that  of  Kohistan,  it  may  not  be  out  of  place  to  state  that,  though 
water  and  forage  are,  as  a  rule,  abundant,  other  supphes  are  not 
generally  procurable,  and  travellers  by  this  route  will  do  well,  to 
take  with  them  all  they  may  require  in  this  respect : — 


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KOHISTAN. 


449 


From  Jhangar  to  Karachi. 

Distances 

Stages. 

in 
MUes. 

Remazks. 

I.  Chorlo      .... 

ISi 

Has  a  Dharamsala. 

2.  Maliri       .... 

Ili 

Do. 

3.  Pokhan    .... 

13 

Do. 

4.  Kajur       .... 

9i 

Do. 

5.  Bachani    .... 

6.  Bula  Khan's  Thano  . 

II 

Do. 

8i 

7.  Dumaj      .... 

8.  Irak     ....     . 

8 

Do. 

9i 

9.  Kadeji      .... 

i7f 

Do. 

10.  Gurban     .... 

6 

II.  Dumb 

10 

Do. 

12.  Saphura    .... 

7i 

Do. 

13.  Karachi     .... 
Total     .     . 

81 

136 

Besides  the,  two  lines  of  commtinication  already  referred  to, 
there  is  a  branch  road,  17  miles  in  length,  from  Kaiur  to  Taung, 
near  the  Kelat  boundary.  This  latter  village  is  one  of  the  prin- 
cipal police  stations  in  Kohistan.  There  is  another  road  also, 
5  miles  in  length,  connecting  Bula  Khan's  Thano  with  Maluk,  a 
village  belonging  to  Sardar  Khan. 

The  chief  town  of  this  district  is  Bula  Kiian's  Thano,  a  Govern- 
ment village,  distant  about  32  miles  west  from  Kotri,  and  64  miles 
north-east  from  Karachi,  with  both  which  places,  as  well  as  the 
village  of  Maluk  (5  miles),  it  has  road  communication.  This  town 
is  seated  not  far  from  the  Baran  river,  from  which  good  water  is 
at  all  times  obtainable  by  digging  some  five  or  six  feet  under  the 
surface  of  its  apparently  dry  bed.  It  is  the  head-quarter  station  of 
a  Kotwal,  who  has  the  powers  of  a  subordinate  magistrate,  and 
there  is  a  police  thana  with  a  force  of  16  men,  under  a  chief  con- 
stable. The  population  of  the  place  is  not  more  than  440,  of 
whom  238  are  Musalmans,  chiefly  of  the  Numria  and  Burfat  tribes, 
and  202  Hindus  of  the  Banya  caste.  As  a  rule,  their  occupation 
is  principally  pastoral  and  agricultural,  and  what  trade  does  exist 
is  for  the  most  part  in  wool,  ghi,  and  cattle.  In  addition  to  a 
branch  post-office  there  is  a  dispensary  at  this  town,  under  the 
charge  of  an  officer  of  the  subordinate  Government  Medical 
Establishment;  it  is  wholly  supported  by  Government  at  an 
average  annual  cost  of  about  a  thousand  rupees.     The  admissions, 

2  c 


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4SO 


KOHISTAN. 


&c.,  into  this  dispensary  during  the  years  1873  and  1874  were 
as  follows : — 


In-patients      . 
Out-patients  . 

Admissions  in 

Casualties  in 

Average  Daily 
Attendance. 

Remarks. 

i«7J. 

1874. 

i«7J. 

1874. 

i87J. 

1874. 

785 

II 
969 

•  < 

"  • 

iJ-9 

in 

No  epidemic  disease 

tabliKhment  of  the 
dbpensary. 

Feuds. — ^A  system  of  blood  feud  prevails  in  Kohistan  between 
various  Baloch  tribes,  inducing  a  state  of  things  which  is  deserving 
of  notice.     The  causes  from  which  these  arise  are  at  times  trivisd 
in  the  extreme :  thus,  in  a  squabble  where  the  turban  of  a  man  of 
one  tribe  may  happen  to  be  knocked  off  his  head  by  a  man  of 
another  tribe,  a  sufficient  provocation  is  presumed  to  have  been 
given,  not  alone  to  the  insulted  individual,  but  even  to  his  rela- 
tives or  his  tribe,  which  can  only  be  wiped  out  by  the  blood  of 
either  the  insulter  or  of  one  of  his  relations.   When  this  is  effected, 
the  other  tribe  proceeds  to  avenge  the  murder  of  their  clansman, 
and  thus  the  feud  may  go  on  for  years.     To  put  a  stop  to  this 
state  of  things,  it  becomes  necessary  to  imprison  the  chief  of  the 
tribe,  though  sometimes  the  offended  party  whose  turn  it  is  to  take 
revenge  is  willing  to  be  appeased  by  a  gift  of  money,  camels,  or 
cattle,  and  then  there  is  an  end  to  the  feud.     Mr.  James,  a  former 
Deputy  Collector  of  Sehwan,  thus  refers  to  a  feud  as  at  present 
existing  between  two  tribes,  the  Burfat  Loharanis  (a  branch  of  the 
powerful  Numria  family)  and  the  Barejos,  who  reside  near  Taung, 
in  Kohistan :  ^  Four  or  five  years  ago,  one  Nur  Muhammad,  a 
man  of  great  influence  amongst  the  Barejos,  seduced  a  Loharani 
woman  and  slew  her  husband.     He  attempted  to  purchase  peace, 
but  the  Loharanis  declined  the  offer.     He  was  tried  for  murder, 
but  the  refinements  of  our  English  procedure  not  suiting  cases  of 
this  sort,  as  occurring  among  barbarous  and  wild  tribes,  he  was 
acquitted,  although  the  whole  country  around  knew  of  his  guDt, 
and  the  Government  had  taken  very  strong  measures  towards 
securing  his  extradition  from  the  Kelat  State.     Some  Loharanis 
were  subsequently  caught  by  the  police  with  arms  in  their  hands, 
going  to  murder  him,  and  th^se  were  bound  over  to  keep  the 
peace ;  but  it  was  of  no  avail  trying  to  save  his  life.     On  the  26th 
of  April,  187 1,  he,  accompanied  by  his  step-son  and  another  man, 


Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


KOT  DIJI—KOTRL  45  » 

was  met  by  his  enemies  in  a  pass  near  Taung,  when  the  two 
former  were  shot  and  cut  to  pieces  with  swords.  The  third  man 
happened  to  be  a  wandering  minstrel  of  the  powerful  Chuta  tribe, 
and  his  life  was  spared,  but  he  had  recognised  the  murderers. 
When  the  case  came  on  for  trial,  the  Barejos  tried  to  implicate 
another  man,  a  Gabol,  as  they  have  a  feud  with  a  section  of  that 
tribe  also.  They  thought,  in  fact,  if  I  may  be  allowed  the  expres- 
sion, to  kill  two  birds  with  one  stone,  but  the  desire,  as  might  be 
expected,  failed,  and  the  three  real  murderers  were  acquitted. 
It  is  now  the  Barejos'  turn  to  take  a  life,  and  if  stem  measures  be 
not  taken  to  stop  the  feud,  they  will  most  assuredly  do  so.  This 
example  will  show  how,  notwithstanding  that  the  district  has  been 
under  British  rule  for  25  years,  the  vendetta  still  flourishes  amongst 
the  rude  Baloch  tribes.  *' 

Kot  Diji.  {See  Diji  Fort.) 

Kot  Habib,  a  Government  village  in  the  Naushahro  Abro 
talQka  of  the  Sukkur  and  Shikarpur  Deputy  CoUectorate,  distant 
6  miles  west  from  Shikarpur,  and  12  miles  west  from  Garhi  Yasin, 
the  road  from  the  Lakhi  Tar,  near  Shikarpur,  to  Jhali  passing  by 
it  It  is  the  head-quarter  station  of  a  Tapadar,  and  has  a  cattle 
pound.  There  is  also  a  small  vernacular  school,  supported  by  the 
Zamindar,  Faiz  Muhammad  Mahar.  The  population,  numbering 
in  all  861  souls,  consists  of  Musalmans  of  the  Bapar  and  Sethar 
tribes,  and  Hindus,  mostly  of  the  Lohano  caste,  but  the  number 
of  each  class  is  not  known.  The  manufactures  and  trade  of  this 
place  seem  to  be  of  small  importance,  the  former  consisting 
in  the  weaving  of  cloth,  shoemaking  and  pottery,  the  latter  in 
agricultural  produce. 

Kot  Sultan^  a  large  Government  village  in  the  Shikarpur 
taluka  of  the  Sukkur  and  Shikarpur  Division,  distant  8  miles  north 
of  Shikarpur,  on  the  main  road  from  which  town  to  Jacobabad  it 
is  situate.  It  has  road  communication  also  with  Got  Mian  Saheb, 
Jagan,  and  Zorkhel.  It  is  the  head-quarter  station  of  a  Tapadar, 
and  possesses  police  lines,  a  Government  school  and  a  dharamsala. 
The  inhabitants,  numbering  in  all  2014,  comprise  1275  Musal- 
mans (Pathans  and  Saiyads),  and  793  Hindus.  The  population 
are  mostly  employed  in  trade. 

Kotri^  a  talaka  (or  revenue  sub-division)  of  the  Sehwan  Deputy 
CoUectorate,  having  an  area  of  684  square  miles,  with  3  tapas, 
29  villages,  and  a  population  of  about  23,643  souls.  The  revenue, 
imperial  and  local,  of  this  sub-division  for  the  four  years  ending 
1873-74  is  as  follows  (see  next  page) : — 

202 


Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


4S» 


KOTRI. 


Imperial  .     ,     .     . 
T.ocal       .... 

Total  rupees  . 

1870-71. 

1871-72. 

1872-73.           1873-74. 

rupees. 
13.054 

12,537 

rupees. 
28,364 

13,698 

rupees. 
36,449 
12,482 

rupees. 
37,872 

12,931 

25,591 

42,062 

48,931 

50,803 

Kotri^  a  large  and  important  town  in  the  taluka  of  the  same 
name  of  the  Sehwan  Deputy  Collectorate,  in  latitude  25°  22'  N., 
and  longitude  68°  20'  E.  It  is  situate  on  the  right  bank  of  the 
Indus,  opposite  to  the  village  of  Gidu  Bandar,  in  the  Hyderabad 
taluka,  and  is  between  66  and  67  feet  above  mean  sea-leveL 
The  river  bank  at  Kotri  may  be  considered  as  permanent,  being 
high  and  well  protected  from  the  stream,  but  there  is  much 
low-l)dng  land  to  the  westward  of  the  town,  and  at  times  Kotri 
has  been  placed  in  considerable  danger  of  being  washed  into  the 
river  from  the  sudden  and  violent  inundations  of  the  Baran  moun- 
tain-torrent This  danger  has  to  some  extent  been  removed  by 
the  cutting  of  deep  channels  to  the  northward  of  the  town,  and 
these,  leading  into  the  Indus,  drain  off  the  surplus  water  arising 
from  these  inundations.  A  band^  or  dam  was  also  put  up  a  few 
years  since  as  some  preservative  against  the  flood  waters.  The 
riyer  opposite  to  Kotri  may  be  considered  as  having  a  mean 
breadth  of  over  600  yards,  with  a  general  mean  depth  of  be- 
tween 9  and  10  feet,  though  during  the  inundation  season 
this  latter  may  be  estimated  at  from  18  to  20  feet  The 
town  has  three  means  of  communication  with  other  places ; 
first,  by  the  river,  in  steamers  and  native  sailing  craft;  second, 
by  roads,  main  and  branch ;  and  thirdly,  by  railway,  Kotri  being 
the  present  northern  terminus  of  the  Sind  railway.  By  the 
river,  Kotri  is  placed  in  regular  and  periodical  communication 
with  Sukkur  (about  270  miles  distant)  and  a  few  intermediate 
stations;  with  Mitankot  (430  miles),  Multan  (570  miles),  and 
other  places  in  the  Panjab;  and  in  addition,  to  this,  native 
sailing  vessels,  known  as  dundhis^  use  it  from  both  up  and  down 
river,  bringing  and  taking  away  merchandise  of  various  kinds. 
At  times  the  river  bank  at  Kotri,  with  the  flotilla  steamers,  their 
barges,  and  numerous  native  boats  moored  close  to  the  shore,  all 
either  discharging  or  taking  in  cargo,  presents  an  animated  and  busy 
appearance  not  to  be  seen  at  any  other  station  on  the  river  between 
this  town  and  Sukkur.  Kotri  has  road  communication  with  Sehwan, 
distant  84  miles  N.N.W.,  vi&  Bada,  Unarpur,  Gopang,  Manjhand, 

Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


KOTRL  4S3 

Sann,  Amri,  and  Laki ;  with  Karachi  by  two  road  routes,  one  by 
Bula  Khan's  Thano,  distant  about  96  miles,  and  the  other  vi^ 
Jemick,  Tatta,  Gharo,  Pipri,  and  Landhi,  distant  about  in  miles. 
A  road  also  runs  from  Kotri  to  Band-vira,  distant  24  miles.  By 
railway,  Kotri  has  communication  with  Karachi,  vi&  Balhari,  Met- 
ing, Jhimpir,  Jungshahi,  Dabeji  and  Malir,  distant  106  miles.  For 
the  more  convenient  transport  of  goods  to  and  from  the  river 
steamers  at  Kotri,  some  miles  of  sidings  are  laid  down  on  the 
river  bank  in  a  zig-zag  direction,  in  such  a  manner  as  to  suit  any 
condition  of  the  river,  whether  at  its  lowest  or  in  the  flood  season. 
Kotri  is  the  head-quarter  station  of  numerous  Government  officers 
connected  with  the  Deputy-CoUectorate,  such  as  the  Deputy 
Collector,  the  Mukhtyarkar  of  the  taluka,  the  Civil  Surgeon,  the 
Settlement  Officer  for  all  Sind,  the  Conservator  and  Registrar 
of  the  Indus,  and  the  Judge  of  the  subordinate  Civil  Court  A 
large  number  of  officials  connected  with  the  Indus  Steam  Flotilla 
Company  and  Sind  railway  also  reside  here.  There  are  two 
Christian  churches  in  the  place,  one  Protestant  and  the  other 
Roman  Catholic  ;  for  the  duties  of  the  former  place  of  worship  a 
minister  is  provided  at  the  joint  expense  of  Government  and  the 
railway  company.  Kotri  possesses  also  a  civil  hospital,  court 
house,  subordinate  jail,  post-office,  Government  and  other  schools, 
travellers'  bangalow,  dharamsala,  and  cattle  pound.  The  Indus 
steam  flotilla  establishment  at  Kotri  is  on  an  extensive  scale, 
having  its  offices  in  the  old  fort,  and  near  it  are  the  workshops 
for  the  repairs  of  the  steamers  and  their  barges.  This  company 
has  also  a  large  floating  dock  on  the  river,  capable  of  receiving 
any  of  its  steamers  for  repair.  There  is  a  police  thana  here  with 
a  force  of  31  men,  of  whom  two  are  chief  constables;  there  was 
besides  an  European  inspector  of  town  police,  but  this  post  has 
recently  been  abolished.  Kotri  possesses  a  municipality,  established 
in  1854,  having  an  annual  income  ranging  from  7000  rupees  to 
10,000  rupees.  The  municipal  garden,  close  to  the  old  fort,  is  small 
but  used  to  be  well  kept,  and  produced,  at  certain  seasons  of  the 
year,  a  fair  quantity  of  vegetables  and  fruit  Much  has  already 
been  done  by  the  municipality  towards  carrying  out  a  proper  system 
of  conservancy ;  and  the  severe  cholera  visitation  of  1869  has  shown 
the  necessity  for  filling  up  many  of  the  pits,  which  were  somewhat 
numerous  in  both  the  European  and  Native  quarters  of  this  town. 
The  European  quarter,  which  lies  to  the  north  and  west  of  the 
Native  town,  is  well  laid  out,  and  is,  as  it  were,  embosomed  in 
foliage,  the  roads  being  fairly  lined  on  both  sides  with  fine  trees  of 
various  kinds,  now  very  properly  kept  thinned  since  the  cholera 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


454  KOTRL 

epidemic  of  1869.  The  bangalows,  which  are  here  built  of  mud 
and  kachha  brick,  are  everywhere  surrounded  by  large  "com- 
pounds," or  inclosures,  containing  in  some  instances  neatly-kept 
gardens,  walled  round  with  the  same  material  It  is  in  this  quarter 
that  the  different  European  Government  officers,  the  officials  of 
the  Indus  flotilla,  Sind  railway,  and  others  reside.  On  the 
southern  side  of  the  European  quarter  is  the  Library  and  Me- 
chanics Institute  (formerly  tfie  billiard-room  of  the  Indus  Rotilla 
Company),  and  on  the  main  road,  near  the  fort,  stands  a  fine 
red-brick  built  edifice  used  as"  a  school,  which  owes  its  existence 
to  Colonel  M.  K  Haig,  settlement  officer  for  the  whole  Province, 
and  an  accomplished  Sindi  scholar.  The  railway  station  and 
buildings  at  Kotri  are  only  temporary  erections,  and  offer  but 
poor  accommodation  to  passengers.  The  area  occupied  by  the 
railway  company  is  a  very  large  one,  and  the  company  possesses 
a  row  of  upper-storied  buildings,  erected  in  the  first  instance 
specially  for  the  accommodation  of  its  own  subordinate  employes^ 
but  at  present  they  are  indiscriminately  occupied  The  Native 
town  is  to  the  south-east  of  the  European  quarter,  and  skirts  the 
river  bank  for  some  distance.  In  matters  of  sanitation,  much  more 
attention  has  been  given  by  the  inhabitants  to  the  cleanliness  of 
the  town  since  1869,  the  cholera  year,  when  so  many  of  the  people 
fell  victims  to  the  frightfiil  epidemic  which  prevailed  in  the  month 
of  September  of  that  year.  The  streets  run  pretty  regularly  at 
right  angles  to  the  river,  and  present  the  usual  signs  of  a  large  and 
busy  Indian  town. 

The  population  of  Kotri  by  the  late  census  of  1872,  including 
its  adjacent  hamlets  of  Khanpur  and  Miani  Multani,  was  found  to 
be  7949;  of  these  5166  were  Musalmans  of  the  Numria,  Saiyad, 
Shekh,  Ck>rkhani  and  Pathan  tribes  j  the  Hindus  number  2455, 
and  are  principally  of  the  Brahman  and  Lohano  castes.  The 
Christian  population,  comprising  Europeans,  Eurasians  and  Goa- 
nese,  are  304  in  number,  and  the  remaining  24  are  made  up  of 
Parsis  and  other  nationalities. 

The  trade  of  Kotri  is  locally  inconsiderable,  but  its  transit 
trade,  owing  to  the  situation  of  the  town  on  a  permanent  bank  of 
the  Indus,  and  to  its  ready  accessibility  to  Karachi  by  railway,  is  of 
great  importance.  The  articles  of  merchandise,  mostly  sent  up- 
river  by  the  Indus  Flotilla  Compan/s  steamers  to  Sukkur  and  the 
Panjab,  comprise  liquors,  such  as  beer,  wines,  and  spurits  (chiefly 
for  the  European  troops  quartered  in  the  Panjab),  metals,  railway 
materials,  piece-goods  and  silk.  Those  principally  brought  down 
by  the  .same  company's  boats  to  Kotri,  are  cotton,  wool,  grain  of 

Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


KOTRL  455 

sorts,  oil-seeds,  indigo,  ghi,  oil,  saltpetre  and  sugar.  Of  the  mer- 
chandise sent  from  Kotri  by  rail  to  Karachi,  the  chief  articles  are 
cotton,  oil-seeds,  grain  of  sorts,  wool,  indigo,  oil,  ghi,  and  dye- 
stuffs.  Water  from  Kotri  is  forwarded  to  Karachi  especially  for 
the  manufacture  of  ice,  and  for  drinking  purposes  generally.  The 
following  tables,  drawn  up  from  the  statistical  returns  furnished  by 
the  Deputy  Auditor  of  the  Sind,  Panjab  and  Delhi  railway,  will 
show  the  quantity  of  various  articles  of  merchandise  despatched 
by  the  flotilla  steamers  up-river  from  Kotri,  principally  to  Multan 
in  the  Panjab,  as  well  as  that  received  at  Kotri  from  different 
places  on  the  Indus,  during  the  past  five  years,  ending  with  1874 ; 
and  in  addition  to  this,  the  quantity  of  goods  carried  by  the 
Sind  railway  to  and  from  Kotri  during  the  three  years  ending  1871, 
no  information  of  a  later  date  being  available  {see  pp,  456-9)  : — 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


456 


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Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


46o  KOTRL 

Kotri  possesses  no  manufactures  of  any  marked  importance, 
such  articles  as  coarse  cloth,  and  those  things  used  generally  among 
Sindis,  being  alone  made  here.  Ice  used  to  be  made  in  large 
quantities  at  this  place,  for  sale  at  both  Hyderabad  and  Karachi, 
but  the  manufacture  was  fluctuating,  and  was  dependent  on  the 
supply  of  this  article  at  Karachi  There  is  a  Government  steaiA 
ferry,  annually  leased  out  on  contract,  which  plies  backwards  and 
forwards  from  sunrise  to  sunset  from  Kotri  to  Gidu  Bandar  (for 
Hyderabad),  taking  over  passengers,  baggage  and  animals  at  cer- 
tain fixed  rates,  those  for  passengers  ranging,  according  to  class, 
from  half  an  anna  to  four  annas.  There  are,  besides,  several  row- 
boats  also  employed  in  conveying  passengers  across  the  river  at 
about  the  same  fares. 

The  town  of  Kotri  is  held  almost  entirely  in  jagir  by  Malik 
Sardar  Khan,  chief  of  the  Numria  tribe.  Captain  Preedy,  a  former 
Collector  of  Karachi,  in  reference  to  this  subject  thus  wrote  in 
1847  of  the  then  Numria  chief,  Ahmad  Khan :  "  This  chief  also 
possesses  extensive  jagirs  near  Kotri  and  Ryla,  in  GhorabarL  He 
formerly  enjoyed  the  privilege  of  collecting  customs  and  tolls  on 
the  river  at  Kotri.  On  the  abolition  of  customs,  he  received  a 
grant  of  600  bigds  of  land  near  [Budhapur  as  compensation  for 
the  loss  of  his  customs  and  tolls.  The  village  of  Kotri  and  the 
gardens  near  it  formerly  belonged  to  Ahmad  Khan,  but  the  latter 
being  required  for  Government  purposes,  the  chief  readily  relin- 
quished them,  and  obtained  other  gardens  above  and  below  Kotri 
in  exchange."  Heddle,  in  his  Memoir  on  the  Indus,  also  refers 
to  this  town  as  it  appeared  in  1836 :  "  Opposite  Gidu  Mal-jo- 
Tando,  on  the  right  bank  of  the  Indus,  is  situate  another  con- 
siderable village,  called  Kotri.  At  this  point  the  great  northern 
and  southern  roads  from  Karachi  and  Kandahar  abut;  and  at 
this  point  are  established  two  ferries  (one  at  the  village  itself,  and 
the  other  half  a  mile  below),  which  keep  up  the  communication 
between  the  opposite  banks  of  the  river.  The  village  is  said  to 
contain  600  huts,  inhabited  principally  by  Lohanos  and  Muhanas. 
There  is  also  established  at  Kotri  one  of  the  three  distilleries 
which  supply  the  capital  and  its  vicinity  with  spirituous  liquor. 
The  establishment  here,  however,  is  small,  consisting  of  only  one 
still,  which  produces  monthly  more  than  fifteen  maunds  of  the 
highly-rectified  aromatic  spirit  so  much  admired  by  the  Sindis." 
Kotri  was,  some  years  before  the  conquest,  looked  upon  as  an  im- 
portant station  in  a  military  point  of  view,  owing  to  the  roads  fix)m 
Sehwan,  Karachi,  and  the  Delta  meeting  here,  and  it  was  in  con- 
sequence supposed  to  command,  in  a  great  measure,  the  southern 

Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


LABDAR  YA—LAKHL 


461 


part  of  Sind  west  of  the  Indus.  It  was  at  this  place,  in  1839, 
that  the  Bombay  division  of  the  British  array  advancing  on  Afghan- 
istan was  encamped  for  a  time. 

Kotri  was  for  some  years  the  head-quarter  station  of  the  Indus 
naval  flotilla,  then  commanded  by  an  officer  of  the  late  Indian 
navy,  who  resided  here  with  his  staflF.  This  river  fleet  was,  about 
1859,  broken  up,  and  a  company  (the  present  one)  called  the 
''Indus  Flotilla  Company"  (now  amalgamated  with  the  Sind, 
Panjab,  and  Delhi  railway)  was  organised,  several  of  the  steamers 
and  barges  of  the  old  flotilla,  as  well  as  land  and  buildings,  being 
transferred  to  the  new  undertaking  by  the  Government  The 
steam-vessels  of  this  company  generally  leave  Kotri  for  up-river, 
with  passengers  and  cargo,  once  a  week  in  the  busy  season  of  the 
year. 

Labdarya,  a  taluka  (or  sub-division)  of  the  Larkana  Deputy 
Collectorate,  containing  an  area  of  207  square  miles,  with  4  tapas, 
58  villages,  and  a  population  of  31,201  souls.  The  revenue,  im- 
perial and  local,  of  this  taluka  during  the  four  years  ending 
1873-74  is  as  follows : — 


Imperial  .... 
T.oral       .... 

Total  rupees   . 

1870-71.     ]    1871-73. 

1872-73. 

X873-74- 

rupees. 
93,002 
11,263 

rupees. 
93,820 

8.984 

rupees. 
93,177 
8,165 

rupees. 
84,502 

7,637 

104,265 

102,804     1    1,01,342 

1 

92,139 

Lakhi,  a  town  in  the  Sukkur  taluka  of  the  Sukkur  and  Shi- 
karpur  Deputy  Collectorate,  234  feet  above  mean  sea-level  It 
is  seated  on  the  main  road  between  Shikarpur  and  Sukkur,  and 
is  8  miles  south  of  the  former  and  15  from  the  latter  town,  and 
has  road  communication  also  with  the  villages  of  Mari  and  Kazi- 
Wahan.  It  is  the  head-quarter  station  of  a  Tapadar,  and  possesses 
a  travellers'  bangalow,  school,  and  cattle  pound.  There  is  also  a 
police  post  of  8  men.  The  population  numbers  in  all  1414 
souls,  of  whom  835  are  Musalmans,  the  remainder  (579)  being 
Hindus.  There  are  a  large  number  of  blacksmiths  and  weavers 
in  this  town  ;  the  latter  manufacture  some  coarse  cloths,  but  the 
trade  and  manufactures  of  the  place  do  not  appear  to  be  of  much 
account. 

The  town  of  Lakhi  is  of  ancient  date,  and  was  the  chief  place 
of  that  part  of  Sind   then  known  as  the  Burdika  and  Larkana 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


462  LAKI—LARKANA. 

district,  at  a  time  when  the  town  of  Shikarpur  had  no  existence, 
and  when  its  present  site  was  covered  with  thick  forest  Goldsmid, 
in  his  historical  memoir  on  the  town  of  Shikarpur,  refers  to  Lakhi 
as  being  the  capital  of  that  portion  of  the  country  in  the  early 
part  of  the  17  th  century.  It  was  occupied  by  the  tribe  of 
Mahars,  who  were  Zamindirs  of  great  power,  wealth,  and  influence. 
Quarrelling  with  the  Daadpotra  tribe,  from  whom  the  KaDiora 
princes  are  said  to  have  derived  their  descent,  the  Mahars  were 
defeated  in  a  general  engagement,  and  their  town  captured. 
This  event  was  soon  after  followed  by  the  founding  of  the  town 
of  Shikarpur,  and  Lakhi  from  that  time  gradually  dwindled  away 
in  both  size  and  importance. 

Laki^  a  Government  village  in  the  Manjhand  taluka  of  the 
Sehwan  Deputy  CoUectorate,  seated  close  to  the  west  bank  of  the 
river  Indus  and  adjacent  to  the  entrance  of  what  is  known  as  the 
Laki  pass,  through  which  runs  the  Indus  valley  railway.  The  place 
is  somewhat  picturesquely  situate,  the  Laki  mountains,  here  of  con- 
siderable elevation,  sloping  down  to  the  west  of  the  town,  which 
is  on  the  main  road  leading  from  Kotri  to  Sehwan.  Laki  has  a 
branch  road  also  to  the  Dhara  Tirth,  or  hot  springs,  distant  about 
2  miles.  From  Sehwan  this  village  is  distant  14  miles  south,  and 
from  Manjhand  32  miles  north-west  There  are  lines  for  four 
policemen  as  well  as  a  Tapadar's  dera^  a  post-office,  and  a  dharam- 
sala.  The  inhabitants  are  1018  in  nmnber,  and  consist  of  833 
Musalmans  and  185  Hindus;  their  occupation  is  principally 
agriculture.  There  do  not  seem  to  be  any  manufactures  or  trade 
of  any  consequence  in  this  village. 

Larkana,  a  large  division  (or  Deputy  CoUectorate)  in  Upper 
Sind,  forming  a  portion  of  the  Shikarpur  CoUectorate.  It  is 
bounded  on  the  north  by  the  frontier  district -and  the  territory 
of  H.H.  the  Khan  of  Kelat ;  on  the  east  by  the  river  Indus 
and  the  Sukkur  and  Shikarpur  Division;  on  the  south  by  the 
Mehar  Division ;  and  on  the  west  by  the  same  division  and  the 
territory  of  H.H.  the  Khan  of  Kelat,  the  Khirthar  range  of 
hiUs  forming  for  some  distance  a  good  natural  Une  of  demarca- 
tion. This  district  is,  according  to  the  Deputy  Collector's 
estimate,  i860  square  imles  in  area,  but  the  Revenue  Survey 
Department  have  computed  it  at  2241  square  miles,  including 
the  western  hiUs,  a  portion  of  which  has  probably  not  been  in- 
cluded in  the  taluka  areas.  It  is  divided  into  five  talukas  with  29 
tapas,  as  shown  In  the  foUowing  table : — 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


LARKANA. 


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464 


LARKANA, 


The  area,  in  English  acres,  of  each  taluka,  showing  that  culti- 
vated, cultivable,  and  unarable,  is  also  shown  below : — 


Talaka. 

Total  Area  in 
English  Acres. 

Cultivated. 

CuldTaUe. 

UnaraUe. 

I.  Larkana 

acres. 
165,000 

acres. 
78,582 

acres. 
58,586 

acres. 
27,832 

2.  Kambar  .     . 

603,686 

111,892 

359,543 

132,251 

3.  Rato  Dero  . 

145.899 

41,614 

60,999 

43,286 

4.  Labdarya     . 

I32»387 

29,525 

48,753 

54.109 

5.  Sijawal  .     . 

116,236 

34,419 

48,164 

33,653 

General  Aspect. — ^The  general  aspect  of  the  Larkana  Division 
is,  like  other  parts  of  Sind,  singularly  flat  and  uninteresting. 
Exception  must,  however,  be  taken  to  the  extreme  western  part 
of  this  Deputy  CoUectorate  where  the  Khirthar  mountains  form 
a  natural  boundary  between  it  and  Balochistan.  Many  of  the 
peaks  of  this  range  are  very  lofty,  one  of  them,  known  as  the 
Kuto-jo-Kabar  (or  dog's  tomb)  in  the  Mehar  Division  being,  it  is 
said,  7200  feet  above  sea-level.  Those  portions  of  the  district 
lying  between  the  Indus  and  the  Western  Nara,  and  again  between 
this  latter  stream  and  the  Ghar  canal,  are  one  dead  flat  of-  rich 
alluvial  soil,  well  cultivated,  and,  on  the  whole,  thickly  populated 
In  some  few  places  tracts  of  "  kalar^  (or  salty  soil)  are  met  with, 
while  in  others  closely  adjoining  the  Indus  there  are  either  broken 
patches  of  sandy  waste  or  a  low  jungle  of  tamarisk.  In  that  part 
of  the  district,  north  of  the  Ghar,  which  is  not  watered  by  canals, 
but  is  dependent  on  precarious  falls  of  rain  and  on  the  water  of  hill- 
torrents,  there  is,  as  a  natural  consequence,  but  little  cultivation, 
and  the  appearance  of  this  tract  is  sterile  and  wretched  in  the 
extreme.  The  jungle,  when  seen,  is  composed  of  tamarisk, 
kandah  (a  kind  of  stunted  babul)  and  kirar  (or  wild  caper),  but 
more  often  vast  plains  are  met  with  where  the  soil  is  found  to  be 
thickly  impregnated  with  salt.  Here  the  land,  instead  of  being 
so  sandy  as  in  other  parts  of  the  division,  has  more  of  the  com- 
position of  a  stiff"  clay  loam.  This  portion  of  the  Larkana  Deputy 
CoUectorate  has  thus  more  of  the  appearance  of  a  pastoral  than  an 
agricultural  country. 

Hydrography. — The  canal  system  of  the  Larkana  district  is 
extensive,  and  it  is  owing  to  the  great  facilities  afibrded  for 
irrigation  that  a  part  of  this  division  is  known  as  the  garden  of 
Sind.      The  principal  canals  are  the  Western  Nara,  Ghar,  Nau- 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


LARKANA.  465 

rang,  Bire-ji-Kur  and  Edenwah.  Some  of  the  Zamindari  canals 
are  also  large,  especially  the  Shah-ji-kur,  Date-ji-kur,  Mir,  and 
several  others.  The  Western  Nara,  which  may  be  considered  as 
a  natural  river  artificially  improved,  is  the  largest  canal  in  this 
district,  and,  as  its  name  implies,  is  very  tortuous  in  its  course. 
After  flowing  through  portions  of  the  Larkana,  Rato  Dero,  and 
Labdarya  talukas,  it  enters  the  Mehar  and  Sehwan  divisions 
respectively,  felling  at  last  into  the  Manchhar  lake.  It  is 
navigable  for  boats  between  May  and  September,  and  during  the 
season  of  inundation  it  is,  as  a  route,  preferred  to  the  Indus.  The 
Ghar,  which  is  also  supposed  to  be  a  natural  river,  is  very  winding 
in  its  course,  and  is  of  greath  width  and  depth.  The  fact  of  the 
banks  of  this  canal  being  so  level,  and  there  being  no  traces  of 
any  mounds  throughout  its  entire  length,  seems  to  show  that  this 
canal  is  really  a  natural  and  not  an  artificial  stream.  It  flows 
through  the  Larkana  and  Rato  Dero  talukas,  and  enters  the 
Mehar  Division  through  the  Nasirabad  taluka.  The  following  is 
a  list  of  the  canals.  Government  and  Zamindari,  in  the  Larkana 
Deputy  Collectorate,  with  other  information  connected  with  them 
(seepp,  466,  467,  468)  : — 


2   H 


Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


466 


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Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


LARKANA.  469 

The  average  revenue  of  the  nmeteen  Zamindari  canals  can  be 
given,  but  the  cost  column  cannot  wholly  be  filled  up,  since  the 
clearances  are  done  by  the  Zamindars  themselves,  and  die  accounts 
of  all  are  not  kept  by  them.  All  the  Government  canals  used  to 
be  under  the  immediate  management  of  the  Deputy  Collector  of 
the  District,  but  they  are  now  controlled  by  the  executive  engineer 
of  the  Ghar  Division  and  his  establishment  The  clearance  of 
the  Government  canals  is  also  carried  out  by  the  Department  of 
Public  Works.  During  the  inundation  season  an  establishment, 
known  as  the  "  Abkalani,"  consisting  of  11  darogas,  and  a  num- 
ber of  mukhadams  and  beldars,  is  entertained  for  the  proper  con- 
servancy of  all  the  Government  canals  in  the  division. 

Floods. — The  principal  floods  or  "  lets  "  affecting  the  Larkana 
district  are  three  in  number — the  Jhali,  Muhromari,  and  Kashmor. 
The  two  former,  as  rising  in  the  Sukkur  and  Shikarpur  Division, 
have  already  been  treated  of  in  the  description  of  that  district, 
and  it  will  therefore  suffice  to  say  that  the  Jhali  flood  in  1870 
flowed  through  the  Rato  Dero,  Khanwah,  Bangui  Dero,  Muham- 
mad Gujrani,  Mahiun,  Isi,  Kambar,  Dost  Ali,  and  Pawharo  tapas, 
doing  much  damage  and  destroying  the  staging  bangalow  at  the 
village  of  Pawharo.  A  dandA  which  had  been  put  up  at  Jhali,  in 
the  hope  of  keeping  out  this  destructive  flood  in  the  future,  was 
again  breached  in  the  inundation  season  of  1874.  The  Muhro- 
mari flood,  which  has  for  a  long  time  past  caused  great  devastation 
in  the  Shikarpur  districts,  is  also  a  frequent  visitant  in  the  Larkana 
Division.  After  leaving  the  Naushahro  talUka  of  the  former  district, 
it  enters  the  Warisdino  Machi  tapa  of  the  Rato  Dero  taluka, 
flowing  through  the  Sanjar-bhati  and  Karda  tapas.  The  dani/A 
now  being  built  at  the  town  of  Muhromari  will,  it  is  hoped,  keep 
out  this  /e/  in  the  future.  The  Kashmor  flood,  which  has  its 
rise  at  the  town  of  the  same  name  in  the  Frontier  District,  enters 
this  division  in  much  the  same  way  as  the  Muhromari  let.  In 
1874  this  flood,  conjointly  with  the  Jhali  /^/,  inundated  nearly 
100,000  acres  of  waste  and  cultivated  land,  besides  destroying  in 
a  greater  or  less  degree  53  villages.  Besides  the  three  floods  just 
mentioned,  there  used  to  be  another,  which,  rising  at  Kanuri,  in 
the  Beli  Gaji  tapa  of  the  Labdarya  taluka,  was  formerly  very 
destructive,  but  it  has  done  httle  harm  since  the  erection  of 
the  Abad  Hatri  dandA  in  1862-63. 

Climate. — The  climate  of  the  Larkana  district  does  not  differ 
in  any  particular  respect  from  that  of  other  parts  of  the  Shikarpur 
Collectorate.  There  are  two  seasons,  the  hot  and  cold ;  the 
former  begins  from  the  middle  of  March  and  continues  till  the 


Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


470 


LARKANA. 


end  of  Septembar.  The'  heat  during  this  period  is  at  times  very 
oppressive,  the  thermometer  not  unfrequently  showing  a  tem- 
perature  of  iio"^  in  the  shade,  and  rising  to  more  than  140^  in 
the  sun.  Perhaps  the  very  hottest  season  in  the  year  is  from 
about  the  ist  of  May  to  the  loth  of  June,  known  by  the  natives 
as  the  **  ckdlihoi^  or  forty  days.  Dry,  hot  winds  also  blow  from 
the  middle  of  May  to  the  middle  of  July,  and  dust-storms  are 
of  frequent  occurrence,  followed  sometimes  by  light  showers  of 
rain  and  thunder.  The  cold  season  commences  about  October 
and  lasts  till  the  middle  of  March.  The  month  of  October  may 
be  considered  to  be  the  most  unhealthy  in  the  year,  owing  to  the 
malaria  engendered  by  the  diying  up  of  the  inundation  waters. 
November  and  December,  though  decidedly  unhealthy  on  this 
account,  are  less  so  than  the  month  of  October.  During  the 
cold  weather,  the  thermometer  shows  a  temperature  of  46°  in  the 
morning,  and  from  60°  to  65°  in  the  afternoon.  The  following 
table  will  show  the  minimimi,  maximum,  and  mean  temperature 
as  observed  at  Larkana  from  1864  to  1874,  extending  over  eleven 
years : — 


Years. 

Maximum. 

Minimum.   | 

Mean. 

1864 

0 
114 

0 
54 

85 

1865 

112 

49 

79 

1866 

108 

48 

78 

1867 

114 

49 

80 

1868 

108 

SI 

80 

1869 

109 

50 

82 

1870 

112 

52 

83 

1871 

114 

48 

81 

1872 

III 

44 

77 

1873 

114 

45 

79 

1874 

no 

45 

77 

Rainfall. — The  average  annual  rainfall  in  the  Larkana  Division 
may  be  estimated  at  5-17  inches,  the  result  of  -  ten  years'  obser- 
vations at  the  town  of  Larkana.  The  following  table  will  show 
the  monthly  fall  for  seven  years  ending  with  1874  {see  next  page). 

During  the  hot  season  the  prevailing  wind  is  from  the  south- 
ward ;  in  the  cold  weather  it  is  from  the  north  and  east,  and  is  at 
times  piercingly  cold  and  cutting;  frost  and  ice  occur  in  the 
coldest  months. 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


lArkana. 


47 » 


Months. 

1868. 

1869. 

1870. 

i«7i. 

i87«. 

>873. 

«874. 

January     . 
February  . 
March .     . 
April   .     . 
May     .     . 
June     .     . 

July    .    . 

August 
September 
October     . 
November. 
December. 

•21 
•82 

•49 
"38 

3-95 

2-56 
223 

•93 
•65 

I -60 

•04 

•35 

'39 

2'33 

•20 

... 

'•'55 

•55 

•14 
•22 

5-16 

•47 

•42 
•54 

•25 

•27 
315 

2-75 

190 

1004 

9-60     i*6o 

3-86 

7-54 

7-38 

Diseases. — ^The  chief  diseases  in  this  district  are  intermittent 
fevers,  which  prevail,  more  or  less,  all  the  year  roimd ;  they  are 
attended  with  great  prostration  of  strength,  and  very  frequently 
induce  enlargement  of  the  spleen.  Remittent  fevers  occur,  but 
not  to  any  extent,  and  are  mild  in  type  Diarrhoea  and  dysenteiy 
are  not  uncommon,  and  ophthalmia  is  a  prevalent  disease,  espe- 
cially among  children  under  ten  years  of  age.  Rheumatisms  of 
both  an  acute  and  sub-acute  character  are  frequent  The  Lar- 
kana  district  has  also  been  occasionally  visited  with  cholera,  at 
times  of  a  very  virulent  kind. 

Soils. — ^The  Larkana  Division,  as  regards  soil,  differs  in  no 
striking  degree  from  the  other  districts  of  Upper  Sind.  It  is, 
however,  remarkable  as  containing  a  portion  of  one  of  the  finest 
alluvial  tracts  in  the  whole  province— that  between  the  Indus  and 
Nara,  and  again  that  between  the  Nara  and  the  Ghar.  There 
is,  perhaps,  no  part  of  Sind  that  is  so  admirably  suited  for 
irrigation,  and  the  soil  is,  in  consequence,  so  wonderfully  fertile 
and  productive  as  to  have  procured  for  this  tract  the  name  of  the 
Garden  of  Sind.  It  is  composed  for  the  most  part  of  a  mixture 
of  lime  and  clay,  and  in  some  places  of  a  loose  sand  with  con- 
siderable sahne  impregnation.  The  following  is  a  list  of  the 
principal  prevailing  soils  in  this  district  :— 

Sallabl,  alluvial  land  surrounded  by  water  and  kept  moist  by  percolation ; 

it  is  generally  sown  with  cotton. 
Aitia,  a  rich  alluvial  soil  constantly  under  tillage. 
Gasarl,  alluvial  soil  left  by  the  river  Indus. 
Kharo,  alluvial  rice  land. 
Drib,  uncultivable  sandy  waste. 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


472  Lark  AN  A. 

B&t,  a  stiff  day  soil  unculdvable  with  native  implements  of  agricxilture. 
Waiiasi,  a  soil  which  though  sandy  is  still  cultivable. 
Salar,  a  soil  strongly  impr^nated  with  saline  matter,  which  appears  on 
the  surface  as  a  white  crystalline  efflorescence. 

The  minerals  found  in  this  division  are  a  coarse  kind  of  salt 
and  saltpetre,  which  are  obtained  by  washing  earth  impregnated 
with  these  salts  and  evaporating  the  solution  by  solar  heat 
Alum  and  sulphur  are  also  found  in  the  hills  to  tiie  west 

Animals. — The  wild  animals  in  the  Larkana  district  are  the 
tiger,  only  occasionally  met  with  (this  beast  generally  comes 
down  from  the  forests  above  Sukkur),  the  wild  hog,  antelope 
and  "/^r//^,"  or  hog-deer,  the  hyaena,  jackal,  wolf,  fox,  porcupine, 
hare,  &a  The  ibex  is  found  in  the  hills  to  the  west  Among 
domestic  animals  are  the  camel  (the  one-humped  variety),  horse, 
ass,  buffalo,  bullock,  donkey,  mule,  sheep  (the  dumba,  or  large- 
tailed  kind),  goat,  dog,  &c.  The  birds  comprise  the  "tilur"  (a 
sort  of  bustard),  duck  of  various  kinds,  the  black  and  grey 
partridge,  quail,  snipe,  flamingo,  cormorant,  &c.  The  domestic 
birds  are  the  common  bam  fowl,  duck,  and  pigeon.  Among 
fish,  the  "  palal^  or  salmon  of  the  Indus,  is  the  finest,  but  it  is 
found  only  in  the  river ;  the  others  are  dambhro,  singari,  mori, 
khaggo,  and  gandan,  which  are  caught,  not  alone  in  the  Indus,  but 
also  in  the  different  kolabs  and  dhandhs  of  this  division,  where 
also  the  shakir,  siriho,  muri,  soni,  popri,  lobar,  goj,  gogat,  and 
numerous  other  kinds  are  taken. 

Fisheries. — The  fisheries  of  this  district,  from  which  in  1873-74 
the  Government  derived  a  revenue  exceeding  7000  rupees,  are 
shown  in  the  following  table.  The  revenue  as  entered  is  the 
annual  average  for  the  past  three  years  ending  1873-74  : — 


Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


LARKANA. 


473 


Talflkau 


Name  of  Fishery. 


Revenue. 


Total 
Revenue. 


Larkaua 


Rato  Dero 


") 


Pala  fishing  in  the  Indus  . 
Kolab"  Lang  and  Reti''  . 
Dhoras  and  the  sides  of  Bandhs  inl 

deh"Pakho" f 

Dhands  and  sides  of  Bandhs  in  deh\ 

**Daidar" / 

Dhoro  and  Pai  in  deh  **  Ghogharo" 
Ditto  in  Ghoghari  Siiltan\ 

Virikh / 

Paths  and  Pais  along  the  Nasir-l 

abad  road  in  Rashid  Wagan       .  / 
Dhoras  and  sides  of  Bandh  Shohi\ 

anddeh  "Bilawal".     .     .     J 
Ponds  and  Dhoras  in  deh  Rango  . 
Ditto  and  Pai  of  Bandh 

in  deh  Laiingai 

Pats  along  both  sides  of  the  Shah 

Hamirwah ^ 

Ponds  and  Kabela  in  deh  Sharifani 
Ditto  along  Bandhs  in 

the  Nira  Jamarani  tapa  . 
Ponds  in  deh  "  Rato-Kot" 
Dhoras,   Gharas,   Kiinhs,   &&,   inl 

deh  Rato-Kot / 

Dhoras  and  Kunhs  in  deh  *'  Potho\ 

Bakapur" / 

Ponds  on  both  sides  of  the  Areia*^ 

road  and  the  Bhiiro  LaungaiBandhj 
Ponds,  Dhoras,  and  Kabelas  along' 

the  Kambar  and  Rato  Dero  road 

in  deh  Kothi 

Pais  along  the  Kandari  Bandh  andl 

ponds  in  deh  Zakrio  .  .  •  .  / 
Ponds  in  deh  "  Kanga" 
Gharwah  (old)  to  deh  Samtia 
Shah  Hamirwah  .  .  . 
Paths,  Kabela,  &c.,  in  deh  Fati  (new) 
Pond  called  Duri  Majid      .     .     . 

Pais  of  Chutho 

Kethi  Kushal  (other  half  of  the  re- 

venue  goes  to  Mir  Ali  Murad  of 

Khairpur) 

Gharwah  as  far  as  Naurang  and 

Upper  Ghar 

Fordwah 

Naurangwah 

Dhandh  left  by  the  Indus    .     .     . 

Other  sources  of  income 

Nara  (W.)  canal 

Kaduwah  (Zamindari  canal)  .  . 
Kiir  Khairo  (Government  canal)  . 
Kur  Biro  do. 

Kolab  "  Andrun  "  Gharwah    . 
Mirwah  (Zamindari)      .... 


Carry  forward 


rupees. 

598 
45 

12 


lO 
10 
20 

30 

6 

2 
II 

12 

7 

38 
16 

7 
78 


23 
16 

•I 

412 

10 

8 

6 

12 

702 

162 
213 
149 
74 
514 


39 


1,147 


1,186 

Digitized  by 


rupees. 


3,235 


3»235 
GOOQ 


le 


474 


LAJRKANA. 


Talflka. 


Rato  Dero 


Labdarya 


Kamfaar 


Name  of  Fishery. 


Brought  forward      .... 

Pond  at  Bangui  Dero    .... 

Ditto     KhairoDero    .     .     .     . 

Water  left  by  the  Muhromari  flood 

Ditto  Tarai  flood   .     . 

Gharwah .     .     « 

Nasratwah 

Pond  at  Makan  Aklan  .... 


Nanl  Canal 

Kolab"KhatHatri''    .     . 

Ponds  at  Garelo .... 

Ditto    Thulah      .     .     . 

"  Wahur"  Keti  Lakko  Sial 


Revenue. 


Total 
Revenue. 


lupees. 

I,i86 

6 

24 


62 
II 

6 


!) 


Kolab  »•  Atan  Dhandh  "  . 
Ditto  •  *  Drig  Changro  "  . 
Flood  water  left  in  deh  **  Andrun\ 

Behram" / 

Ditto        Juneja.     .     . 

Ditto        Laktia      .     . 

Ditto        Daphur     .     . 

Ditto        Kohi    .     .     . 

Ditto        to  the  south  of  the 

Kambar  and  I^rkana  road 
Kolab  Buti  or  Mahmu  .     . 
Flood  water  left  in  deh  Dailar 
Mira  Khan's  Pond  in  deh  Shahab^ 

Tunio / 

Kolab   "Hasi  Iso"  in  deh  MaU\ 

Wadha / 

Kolab  "Char"  Chila  .... 

KurDato 

KurShahji 

Dhori  *«  Drib  Chandio  "... 
Ponds  at  Chajra,  Ali  Khan,  Kam- 
bar and  Gathur , 

•«  Kabela"  along  both  sides  of  the 

Larkana  and  Kambar  road 

Kolab  "  Hasii " 

Pai  along  the  Rato  Dero  road  nearl 

Abra J 

Pond  at  Piioz  Bhati  .... 
Ditto  deh  Gahno-jo  .... 
Ditto    Tanda  Murad  Ali  and  Got' 

Ghulam  Shah , 

Kabela  on  both  sides  of  the  Nau-' 

rangwah , 

Kolab  Dhori  Nathar     .... 
Pai  along  both  sides  of  the  Kambar'^ 

and  Sijawal  road  ...  ' 

Ditto        Nasirabad  road 
Flood  water  left  in  deh   **Kaim| 

Gopang" / 

Dhora  in  deh  **  Hani "  .     .     .     . 


!) 


Carry  forward 


77 

146 

109 

4 

84 


1,406 


179 

69 

8 

36 


37 
«3 


49 
100 

49 
II 

151 

58 
34 
18 

4 
9 
16 

6 
29 

8 

8 
14 

5 


3,318 


rupees. 
3.235 


1. 29s 


420 


4.950 


Digitized  by 


Google 


LARKANA. 


475 


Talaka. 

Name  of  Fishery. 

Revenue. 

Total 
Revenue. 

Kambar  .     •     • 

v 

Sijawal     .     .     . 

Brought  forward  .... 
Pond  in  village  of  Hani      .     .     . 
Flood  water  left  in  Dhoros  "Pir\ 
Bakhsh  and  Raunti "       ,     .     .  / 
Ditto        in   dehs    "  Pawharo,  j 
Banraacha  and  Drib  Mitho  " 
Pond  at  Ber  Changro    .... 
Dhoho  Makan  Drig       .... 
Nurwah  from  mouth  to  Kur  Mohbat 
Edenwah 

Water   left  by  the   floods  in  the^ 
Kunh  Gaju j 

Total  rupees     .     . 

rupees. 

3.3.| 

II 

8 
3 

lO 
52 

40 

rupees. 
4,950 

3,450 
23 

23 

1 

8,423 

It  is  hardly  necessary  to  remark  that  the  revenue  derived  from 
the  fisheries  in  the  different  flood  waters  left  by  the  inundation  is 
very  precarious. 

Vegetable  Productions. — The  chief  vegetable  productions  of 
this  division  are  juar,  rice,  wheat  and  barley ;  of  pulses,  mung, 
matar  and  gram;  of  oil-seeds,  sarsu  and  til,  besides  sugar-cane, 
cotton,  tobacco,  indigo,  and  a  large  variety  of  garden  vegetables. 
The  wheat  grown  in  the  Labdaiya  taluka  is  excellent  The  rice 
crops  of  this  division,  which  are  very  fine  and  large,  are  mostly 
produced  in  the  Kambar  taluka ;  the  soil  is  also  well  adapted  for 
the  growth  of  sugar-cane.  The  firuits  are — the  mango,  which  thrives 
well,  the  plantain,  date,  lime,  pomegranate,  which  are  common, 
and  the  apple  and  nectarine,  but  these  are  small  and  ill-flavoured. 
The  forest  trees  are  the  nim,  sissu  {Daibergia  sissu),  babul,  siris 
(Mimosa  siris),  lesuri  (Cordia  myxa),  pipal  (Ficus  religiosa),  karil 
\Capparis  aphylld),  which  is  small  in  size.  The  tamarisk,  though 
generally  found  as  a  shrub,  is  occasionally  met  with  of  a  large 
growth.  A  great  deal  of  the  jungle  of  this  district  consists  of  this 
tree,  and  as  it  is  plentiful,  is  of  great  use  to  the  inhabitants  for 
firewood.  The  Government  forests  in  this  division  are  few  in 
number,  and  do  not  cover  a  larger  area  than  between  9000  and 
10,000  acres.  The  following  is  a  list  of  these  forests,  with  other 
information  connected  with  them  (see  next  page)  : — 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


476 


LARKANA. 


Name  of  Forest 

Area  in 
English 
Acres 

Revenue 

for 
1873-74- 

Remarks. 

1.  Gud  .     .     . 

2.  Kanuri    .     . 

3.  Keti  Ubhuro 

4.  Mohbat-dero 

3,630 

5.576 

253 

rupees. 
392 

3,08s 
3,552 

[Area  does  not  seem  to  beknoi\'n,  but 
was  formerly  entered  at  5320  acres. 
Planted  by  Mir  Nasir  Khan  Talpur. 

Planted  by  same  Mir. 
Eroded  by  the  river  Indus. 

9,459 

7,029 

The  management  of  these  forests  is  with  a  Tapadar,  assisted 
by  a  number  of  foresters,  who  are  under  the  orders  of  the  Forest 
Department  in  Sind. 

Population. — The  total  population  of  the  Larkana  Division, 
which  consists  almost  wholly  of  the  two  great  classes,  Muham- 
madans  and  Hindus,  wais,  at  the  census  taken  in  1856,  set  down 
at  148,903  souls,  of  whom  144,514  were  Muhammadans,  3477 
Hindus,  and  12  Christians;  but  by  the  census  of  1872,  these  had 
increased  to  234,575,  of  whom  202,008  are  Musalmans,  and 
32,381  Hindus,  the  remaining  186  being  made  up  of  other  nation- 
alities. There  are  thus,  it  would  appear,  105  souls  to  the  square 
mile,  a  rate  which  contrasts  fcivourably  with  the  Rohri  and  Mehar 
Deputy  Collectorates,  but  is  lower  than  that  in  the  Sukkur  and 
Shikarpur  Division.  The  Musalman  portion  of  the  commu- 
nity, who  are  mostly  of  the  Suni  persuasion,  may  be  classed  as 
follows : — 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


LARKANA, 

MUHAMMADANS. 


477 


Tribes. 

Number. 

Sub-divisions. 

Remarks. 

I.  Balochis 

Not 

Chandia,     Magsi, 

The  chief  Musalman  tribes 

known 

Mari,     Bhugti, 

are  the  Chandias,  Ja- 

by  cen- 

Khosa,     Rind, 

sus  of 

Baldi,        Tatoi, 
Shar,        Lund, 

malis,  Abras,  and  Jats. 

1872. 

The  first  are  still  nu- 

Dasti,         Jag- 

merous,  and  it  is  from 

rani,     Laghari, 
Khakhrani,  &c. 

them  that  this  part  of 
the  country  obtained 
the  name  of  Chanduka 

2.  Jats   .     .     . 

do. 

Siyal,        Lashari, 

Hajana,  &c. 

or  Chandko.    At  pre- 

3. Saiyads  .     . 

1,676 

Bokhari,      Jelani, 
Kayani,  Shiiazi, 

sent  they  are  much  scat- 
tered,  but    about    the 

Selani,  &c 

time  of  the  Conquest 

4.  Sindis     .     . 

Not 

Dhaniraha,Juneja, 

(1843)  they  were  suffici- 

known 

Khokhar,  Abra, 

ently  powerful  to  form  a 

by  cen- 

San^h,      Ma- 

fighting  force  of  10,000 

sus  of 

shon,    Mohana, 

men,  which  under  their 

1872. 

Langah,       Jin- 

former  chief,  the  cele- 

ghan,      Bhuta, 

brated  Wali    Muham- 

Areja, Mahota, 

mad,  had  proceeded  in 

Kihar,     Agani, 
Samtia,     Shah- 

1843  to  join  the  Talpur 
Mirs  against  the  En- 

ani,     Mahesar, 

glish,  but  arrived  too 
late  to  render  any  as- 

KaIhora,Kanga, 

Laliori,    Khoh- 

sistance.       This    tribe 

awar,       Chuta, 

occupies  that    portion 

and     numerous 

of  the  division  towards 

others. 

the  west  under  the  hilk. 

5.  Mogals    and\ 
Pathans     ./ 

285 

Their  present  chief  is 

Ghaibi  Khan  Chandio, 

6.  Memons.     . 

653 

who  resides  in  the  town 

7.  Shckhs   .     . 

3»540 

of  Ghaibi  Dero. 

8.  All     others,] 

The  Jamalis  axe  a  Baloch 

includingi 

195.854 

race  living  on  the  bor- 

Balochis and  1 

ders  of  the  desert  They 

Sindis  .     J 

are  to  be  found  mostly 
about  Khairo  Garhi. 

The  Abras  inhabit  that 
part  of  the  division  to 
the  south-west  of  Lar- 
kana.  Lieut.  James 
mentions  them  as  being 
originally  a  portion  of 
the  Kalhora  army. 

The  Jats  are  found  scat- 
tered about  pretty  gene- 
rally all  over  the  di- 

vision, and  are  mostly 

cultivators  and  cattle- 

breeders.   Lieut  James 

mentions  several  sub- 

divisions of  this  tribe, 

such  astheDarodgarhs, 
Junejas,  Kohawars, 
Wagans,  and  others. 

Total     . 

202,008 

Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


478 


LARKANA. 

HindOs. 


Castes. 

Number. 

Subdivisions. 

Remarks. 

1.  Brahmans    . 

2.  Kshatrias     . 

3.  Waishia .     . 

4.  Sudras    .     . 

Total.     . 

152 

31,615 
549 

Pokama,  Sarsudh, 

Lohano  and  Bhatia. 

SoiMlro,    Lohano, 

Sikh,  Bogri,  &c. 

This  number  also  includes 
certain  Hindu  outcastes, 
such  as  the  Mochi,  &c 

32,381 

Character,  &a — The  character  of  the  two  great  classes  of 
the  population  of  this  division  does  not  seem  to  have  changed 
since  the  time  (1847)  when  Lieut.  James  wrote  of  them  as  inhabit- 
ing what  was  then  called  the  Chanduka  (or  Ch^dko)  pargana. 
"  The  Hindu  portion,"  he  says,  "  from  living  in  a  tolerated  state 
in  a  Muhammadan  country,  have  of  course  lost  the  purest  part  of 
their  religion,  and  are  lax  in  the  performance  of  their  rites.  They 
wear  beards  and  the  Baloch  head-dress,  eat  flesh  and  fish,  drink 
wine,  and  seldom  perform  the  ablutions  laid  down  for  their  observ- 
ance. Dirt,  fear,  meanness,  and  an  inordinate  love  of  wealth 
form  the  leading  characteristics  of  the  trading  Hindus,  who  are, 
however,  on  the  other  hand,  industrious  m  their  avocations.  The 
Musalman  Sindis  are,  generally  speaking,  a  quiet  and  industrious 
race ;  they  are  nearly  all  cultivators,  and  occupied  entirely  in 
tending  their  crops  and  cattle.  Equally  with  the  HindOs  they 
have  no  regard  for  the  truth,  and  whether  in  the  preparation  of 
forged  documents,  or  in  giving  evidence,  their  lying  propensities 
can  scarcely  be  surpassed.  They  are  a  very  superstitious  race, 
and  place  great  reliance  on  the  ability  of  departed  spirits  to  serve 
them.  They  consequently  pay  great  veneration  to  the  tombs  of 
men  of  sanctity,  which  are  always  loaded  with  the  votive  ofierings 
of  those  who  crave  their  aid." 

Dress  and  Food. — ^With  regard  to  dress,  which,  it  may  be  as 
well  here  to  remark,  differs  in  no  particular  point  from  that  generally 
worn  by  the  inhabitants  of  this  province,  the  Hindu  adopts  the 
pagri,  dhoti,  and  angrakar,  while  the  Muhammadan  class  wear 
the  pagri,  wide  "  paijamas "  of  a  dark-blue  colour,  and  either  a 
pahiran  (a  loose  shirt)  or  a  "  lungi "  of  coarse  cloth.  The  Sindi 
cylindrical  hat  is  often  worn  by  the  higher  classes  instead  of  the 
pagri.  In  their  food  there  is  no  marked  difference  in  this  respect 
between  the  inhabitants  of  this  division  and  of  other  districts 


Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


LARKANA. 


479 


throughout  SinA  The  staple  grains,  juar  and  bajri,  fonn,  as 
elsewhere,  the  great  articles  of  food  among  the  lower  classes 
generally. 

Crime. — The  most  prevalent  crimes  in  the  Larkana  district  are 
thefts  of  various  kinds,  cattle-lifting  especially,  and  adultery— of 
rather  the  enticing  away  of  married  women  with  a  criminal  intent. 
Murder  is  not  uncommon,  and  cases  of  unnatural  crime  are  by  no 
means  rare.  The  following  tables  will  show  the  principal  crimes 
committed  in  this  division  of  the  Shikarpur  CoUectorate,  as  well 
as  the  amount  of  litigation  prevailing  among  its  inhabitants  during 
the  four  years  "ending  1874 : — 

I.  Criminal. 


Year. 

Mulders. 

Hurts,  As- 
saults, and 

use  of 
Criminal 

Force. 

Thefts, 

Receiving 

Stolen 
Property. 

Honse- 
brcking. 

^t^. 

Other 

Of- 
fences. 

Cattle. 

Others. 

187 1 
1872 
1873 
1874 

••• 

219 
117 
172 
155 

84 

37 

29 

43 

217 
158 
136 
179 

38 
10 

35 
45 

65 
60 

65 

45 

3 

509 
391 

500 
683 

II.  Civil. 


Ye». 

Suiu  for  Land. 

Suits  for  Money. 

Other  Suits. 

TotaL               1 

No. 

Value. 

No. 

Value. 

No. 

Value. 

No. 

Value. 

1871 
1872 
1873 
1874 

39 
24 
36 
32 

nipen. 
5,185 

3,527 
2,968 
7,229 

1,546 
1,609 
1,610 
1,533 

rupees. 
1,04,552 

95,567 
97,072 

97,341 

29 
25 
29 
31 

rupees. 
5,015 

3,675 
2,316 

2,715 

1,614 
1,658 
1,675 

1,595 

rupees. 
1,14,752 

1,02,769 

1,02,356 

1,07,285 

Establishments. — As  in  other  Deputy  Collectorates  of  the 
Province,  the  chief  revenue  and  magisterial  officer  in  the  Larkana 
Division  is  the  Deputy  Collector,  who  is  also  the  magistrate  in 
charge  of  the  division,  and  vice-president  of  all  the  municipalities 
in  it  There  is  generally  an  extra  Assistant  Collector  and  Magis- 
trate attached  to  this  district,  as  well  as  five  Mukhtyarkars,  each 


L'lyiiizea  by 


Google 


48o 


LARKANA. 


having  the  revenue  and  magisterial  charge  of  a  taluka  (or  sub- 
division of  a  Deputy  Collectorate).  Under  these  native  officers 
are  others  called  Tapadars,  whose  duties  are  exclusively  of  a 
revenue  nature,  and  extend  over  a  tapa  (or  cluster  of  villages), 
several  of  which  make  up  a  taluka. 

Civil  Courts. — ^There  is  a  Subordinate  Civil  Court  at  Larkana, 
presided  over  by  a  native  judge,  whose  jurisdiction  extends  over 
the  whole  division.  He  visits  the  towns  of  Kambar  and  Rato 
Dero  on  circuit,  and  is  directly  subordinate  to  the  District  and 
Sessions  Judge  of  the  Shikarpur  district 

Police. — ^The  total  number  of  police  employed  in  the  Larkana 
Division  is  207,  or  say  one  policeman  to  every  1 133  of  the  popula- 
tion. Of  these  36  are  mounted  either  on  horses  or  camels.  The 
whole  form  a  part  of  the  large  police  establishment  directly  con- 
trolled by  the  District  Superintendent  of  Police,  whose  head- 
quarters are  at  Shikarpur.  The  Larkana  police  force  is  dis- 
tributed as  follows : — 


TalQka. 

Mounted 
Police. 

Armed  and 

Unarmed 

Foot  Police. 

Municipal 
Police. 

Total. 

1.  Larkana     .... 

2.  Kambar     .... 

3.  Rato  Dero       .     .     . 

4.  Labdarya   .... 
$.  Sijawal      .... 

Total    .     . 

10 

9 
7 
7 
3 

41 

35 
17 
17 
16 

29 
10 
6 

80 
54 

30 
24 
19 

36 

126 

45 

207 

Revenue. — The  revenue,  imperial  and  local,  of  this  important 
and  productive  division  is,  as  may  be  expected,  very  large,  and  is 
shown,  under  its  separate  heads,  for  the  five  years  ending  with 
1873-74  in  the  following  tables : — 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


LARKANA. 

I.  Imperial  Revenue. 


481 


Items. 


Realisations  in 


1869-70. 


1870-71. 


1871-72. 


1872-7J. 


1873-74. 


Land  Revenue      .... 

Abklri 

Drags  and  Opium.     •     .     • 

Stamps 

Salt 

Registration  Department  . 
Postal  do. 

Income  (and  Certificate)  Tax 
Fines  and  Fees  .... 
Miscellaneous  ..... 


rupees. 
6,18,89^ 

18.799 
3,254 
25.450 
19.860 

J,oo7 
867 

15,346 

4.960 

553 


rupees. 
6,86,509 

15.647 

10,289 

33.193 

22.682 

3,953 

1,346 

28.970 

2.959 

4*994 


6,7«,657 
12,040 
9.918 
31,257 
17.426 

3,279 
2,119 

11,096 
6.895 

27,380 


rupees. 
6,56,802 

10,519 

9»545 

35.009 

10,552 

3,400 

2,578 

6,560 

1,875 

4.836 


rupees. 
6,j6,279 

15,186 

10,105 

33,582 

9.376 

2,847 

2,7»4 

2 

3.449 
1.841 


Total  rupees 


7,10,989 


8.10,533 


8,01,067 


7.4i.<'89 


7,15,381 


II.  Local  Revenue. 


Items. 

Realisations  in 

1869^0. 

1870-71. 

1871-72. 

1872^3. 

1873-74. 

Cesses  on  Land  and  Sayer  Revenue 
Percentage  on  Alienated  Lands 
Cattle  Pound  and  Ferry  Funds      . 

Fbheries 

Fees  and  Licences     .    .     .     .    • 

Total  rupees    .     . 

rupees. 

4X.833 

472 

6.475 

11,110 

80 

rupees. 

46.446 

320 

".364 

9.438 

5 

rupees. 
48.62J 

473 

10,349 

6.734 

75 

rupees. 

46,904 

472 

8,440 

8,725 

74 

rupees. 

4».765 

473 

7.332 

6,618 

X80 

59.970 

67,571 

66.254 

64,615 

56,j68 

In  the  time  of  the  Talpurs,  the  land  revenue  of  this  district, 
then  known  as  the  Chandko  pargana,  was  collected  according  to 
four  diiferent  modes  of  assessment:  i.  Batai,  or  rent  in  kind; 
2.  Kasgi;  3.  Cash  rent;  and  4.  In  Rakab.  The  first  was  a 
certain  portion  of  the  produce,  varying  ifrom  a  fourth  to  a  half, 
but  generally  it  was  about  two-fifths.  Kasgi  was  also  a  portion 
of  the  produce,  but  estimated  with  reference  to  the  extent  of  land 
cultivated;  it  was  equal  to  about  one-fourth.  The  cash  rents 
varied,  according  to  the  nature  of  the  crop,  from  three  to  five 
rupees.  The  Iri  Rakab  was  a  commutation  of  kasgi  into  cash, 
by  taking  the  average  market  price  for  six  months  of  certain 
villages  laid  down.  Those  crops  paying  kasgi,  cash,  or  Iri  Rakab 
rents  were,  when  in  a  forward  state  of  maturity,  appraised  by  an 
Amin,  and  subsequently  measured  by  a  Daroga  and  ten  assistants, 
remissions  being  allowed  where  necessary.     In  batai  lands,  field 

Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


482  LARKANA, 

watchers  were  appointed  as  soon  as  the  crops  were  in  a  forward 
state,  the  villagers  feeding  them,  and  the  State  paying  them  two 
rupees  a  month.     When  the  com  was  ready,  a  Bataidar  went  to 
each  granary,  first  laying  aside  a  portion  from  which  fees,  &c, 
were  taken,  and  then  dividing  the  balance  between  the  Govern- 
ment and  the  cultivator,  in  the  standard  proportion  of  the  village. 
The  Zamindars  preferred  the  kasgi  system  of  rent,  as  it  opened 
the  way  for  so  much  chicanery  in  the  appraisement  and  measure- 
ment of  the  crops.     The  system  of  the  Mirs  was  to  assess  the 
land  at  an  exorbitant  rate,  which  the  farmers  could  not  pay  with 
any  profit  to  themselves,  and  then  to  bring  it  down  by  appraise- 
ment to  the  highest  possible  standard  at  which  the  remuneration 
of  the  cultivators  and  the  exactions  of  the  Government  could  in 
any  way  be  effected.   Under  the  Mirs,  the  general  superintendence 
of  the  revenue  was  entrusted  to  the  Kardars  of  tapas,  and  they 
were  in  this  duty  assisted  by  the  Kotwals  of  villages.     There  was 
also  a  MakhtySrkar  who  resided  permanently  at  LarkSna,  and 
whose  business  it  was  to  wind  up  the  accounts  of  the  pargana. 
The  land  revenue  and  other  sources  of  income  were  frequently 
sold  in  contract,  the  object  of  the  Mirs  being  to  amass  as  large  a 
sum  as  possible  in  advance.     Other  items  of  revenue  were  river 
customs  and  town  duties,  which  were  always  farmed  out  to  con- 
tractors, and  taxes,  some  of  which  fell  heavily  on  the  Hindu  com- 
munity.    Of  these  there  were,  i,  the  Sirshumdrij  or  poll-tax  on 
Musalman  artificers ;  it  ranged  from  two  to  five  rupees  per  annum ; 
2,  the  Bahrah^  or  tax  on  fishermen ;  and  3,  PesMdshy  or  tax  on 
Hindu  traders ;  this  last  was  a  lump  sum  on  each  town  and  village, 
and  it  was  left  to  the  Hindus  to  settle  among  themselves  the  pro- 
portion each  individual  should  pay.     Contracts  for  the  sale  of 
liquors  and  drugs  were  always  farmed  out.     In  fisheries  and 
ferries,  the  Government  received  one-fourth  of  the  proceeds,  and 
always  sold  its  share  in  advance  to  a  contractor.     In  gardens,  the 
Government  share  was  always  so  large  that  no  inducement  to 
plant  out  other  than  date-groves  was  offered ;  five-sixths  was  the 
usual  share,  and  it  was  never  less   than  one-half.     These   were 
always  sold  by  contract  every  season.     The  Mirs  are  said  to  have 
obtained  from  the  Ch&ndko  pargana  a  yearly  revenue  amounting 
to  eight  lakhs  of  rupees,  but  it  is  believed  that  only  five  lakhs  were 
actually  received.     In  1846,  Lieut.  H.  James,  then  in  charge  of 
this  district,  reported  that  under  British  rule  the  revenue  was  col- 
lected either  in  batii  at  one-third,  or  in  cash  at  one-eighth  per 
biga  for  Kharif,  and  two-eighths  per  biga  for  Rabi  crops ;  the  fees 
on  grain  payments  being  four  kasas/^  kharwar^  and  on  those  in 

Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


LARKANA.  483 

cash  six  per  cent.  Town  and  transit  duties  were  abolished  from 
ist  January,  1846,  and  a  frontier  duty  established.  All  taxes  were 
likewise  done  away  with  on  the  same  date,  and  this  gave  universal 
satisfaction.  The  annual  receipts  of  the  Chandko  district  were 
at  that  time  about  three  lakhs  of  rupees,  and  the  average  cost 
of  establishment  and  revenue  charges  was  estimated  at  20,000 
rupees. 

Survey  Settlement. — ^The  topographical  survey  of  this  dis- 
trict, which  was  commenced  in  1859-60,  has  long  since  been 
completed,  and  settlement  operations,  which  followed  quickly 
after,  have  been  generally  introduced.  The  first  settlement  made 
in  the  Larkana  talaka  was  that  by  Major  Goldney,  in  1847. 
It  was  for  seven  years,  and  expired  in  1853-54.  The  rates  were 
heavy,  rabi  land  being  assessed  as  high  as  5  rupees  i  anna  per 
acre,  and  kharif  and  peshras  lands  at  3  rupees  i  anna.  In  1855-56 
a  new  settlement  was  introduced  in  both  this  and  the  Kambar 
taluka  by  Captain  Ford,  a  former  Deputy  Collector  of  this  district, 
by  which  the  rates  for  rabi  and  kharif  were  much  reduced, 
according  as  the  cultivation  was  mok,  sailab,  by  wheel  or  by  well. 
A  further  reduction  was  made  in  the  sailab  rates  in  1859-60.  The 
following  table  will  show  the  different  survey  rates,  with  other  par- 
ticulars, introduced  at  the  latest  revenue  settlement  into  each  of 
the  five  talukas  of  the  Larkana  Deputy  CoUectorate  ( see  pp. 
484,  485)  :— 


2  I  2 


Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


484 


LARKANA. 


Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


LiRKANA. 


485 


M 

o 


■*\ 

•    ''• 

^ 

:      : 

:     i      : 

i      ^ 

00 

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0 

CO 

:      :      :      i 

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^  0 

0 

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0     '      '      * 

:      : 

• 

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0   00 

0 

00    ^  0 

n   00 

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>  s  rf 
^   >   > 


»    »H    bT    ^«    i-j    •-? 

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8- 


Re 


Digitized  by 


Google 


486  LARKANA. 

Tenures. — Before  the  conquest  of  the  Province  by  the  British 
in  1843,  this  part  of  Sind  was  known  as  the  Chandko  pargana, 
and  the  ownership  of  the  entire  lands  in  each  village  seems  then 
to  have  been  vested  in  the  Zamindars  and  their  heirs  in  perpetuity. 
They  cultivated  a  portion  themselves,  leaving  the  rest  to  men  who 
appear  to  have  possessed  an  hereditary  right  to  cultivate,  as  the 
lands  could  not  be  taken  from  them  at  pleasure ;  but  they  paid 
"  lapo,"  or  rent,  to  the  2^mindar,  generally  in  kind,  at  so  many 
kasas  per  biga.    Besides  this  there  was  a  fee  called  "  Wajah  Zamin- 
d§ri,"  claimed  by  the  head-man,  and  this  was  leviable  on  the  pro- 
duce of  the  lands.    When  a  portion  of  the  land  was  sold,  the 
purchaser  became  entitled  to  the  lapo,  but  the  wajah  was  still 
given  to  the  head-man.     The  Zamindars  made  their  own  terms 
with  those  to  whom  they  rented  their  lands,  usually  receiving, 
besides  fees,  a  portion  of  the  produce,  they  paying  the  Govern- 
ment demands  themselves.    The  Zamindar,  in  fact,  only  transacted 
business  with  Government  or  the  contractor,  and  he  made  his 
own  collections  from  the  tenants.     The  villagers  paid  him  great 
respect,  and  his  advice  was  generally  acted  upon  in  all  the  agri- 
cultural affairs  of  the  community.     For  further  information  on  the 
subject  of  tenures,   which  in  this  division  are  similar  to  those 
prevailing  in  other   parts  of  the  Province,   see  under   Chapter 
IV.  of  Introduction,  page  79. 

Jagirs. — ^The  Jagir  land  in  this  division,  culturable  and  uncul- 
turable,  comprises  in  all  about  84,000  acres,  of  which  by  far  the 
largest  area  is  found  in  the  Kambar  taluka,  Ghaibi  Khln  Chandio's 
jagir  taking  up  75,966^  acres.  The  following  is  a  list  of  the 
jagirdars  in  the  Larkana  Division,  showing  the  extent  of  land  held 
by  each,  with  other  particulars  {see pp.  487-489): — 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


LARKANA. 


487 


483 


LARKANA. 


\l 


0,0  0000000000  o  0000060000000 
^00000000000  o  00000000000000 


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mOOOOOOOOOOO     O     000000  HOC  r^  O  O  00  O 


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O   O 


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LARKANA. 


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o  o  o 


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Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


490 


LARKANA, 


There  are  no  seri  grants  in  this  division,  but  the  number  of 
Mamuldars  and  Mafidirs,  with  the  average  of  their  grants  in  each 
talQka,  is  as  follows : — 


TaUlka. 


HlfidSn. 


No. 


i     No.    I 


1.  Larkina. 

2.  Labdarya 

3.  Kambar  . 

4.  Rato  Dero 

5.  Sijawal   . 


37 
II 

19 
20 

17 


144 
46 
94 

133 
47 


12 
14 

7 
8 

17 


16 

6 

10 

24 
10 


208 
8 

19 
216 

37 


38 
II 

19 

32 
9 


Municipalities. — There  are  municipal  institutions  in  three 
of  the  towns  of  this  division,  viz.,  Larkana,  Rato  Dero,  and  Kam- 
bar. The  receipts  and  disbursements  of  these  municipalities  for  the 
three  years  ending  1874  are  contained  in  the  following  state- 
ment : — 


Where  situate. 


Date  of 
Establishment. 


Receipts  in 


1872. 


1871. 


1874. 


Disbursements  i 


1872. 


X871. 


1874. 


1.  Lftiklna. 

2.  Kambar  . 

3.  Rato  Dero 


I  May,  1855 

I  May,  x86a 

do. 


rupees. 
W»i49 

4.496 

».904 


rupees. 
U.174 

J. 880 
2,800 


rupees. 
17.090 

4.157 
J.415 


10.850 
1.555 

».644 


rupees. 
14,891 

4.90» 

1.719 


rupees. 
".74« 

1.50J 

J.159 


The  revenue  of  these  municipalities  is  made  up  chiefly  from 
town  duties,  cattle-pound  fees  and  fisheries,  and  the  principal 
disbursements  are  in  maintaining  the  police,  lighting,  the  con- 
servancy of  the  town,  in  aiding  education,  and  repairing  buildings, 
roads,  bridges,  &c. 

Medical  Establishment. — The  only  medical  establishment 
at  present  in  the  Larkana  Division  is  a  dispensary  situate  at  the 
town  of  Larkana.  Formerly  there  was  a  lunatic  asylum  in  this 
town,  established  in  the  month  of  November  1861,  and  which 
occupied  the  old  fort  built  in  the  time  of  the  Kalhora  d3masty.  It 
was  under  the  control  of  a  sub-assistant  surgeon  of  the  Bombay 
Medical  Establishment,  who  superintended  this  institution,  assisted 
by  a  small  staff  of  attendants  and  others.  The  patients,  who  were 
received  from  different  parts  of  the  Province,  numbered  in  1870 

Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


LARKANA. 


491 


ninety-five,  and  these  were  employed  in  ordmary  housework' 
making  of  pots,  and  in  cultivating  the  asylum  garden,  which  sur- 
rounded the  fort  The  annual  cost  of  this  lunatic  asylum  for 
1869-70  was  10,697  rupees,  of  which  6036  rupees  was  on  account 
of  establishment,  including  the  salary  of  the  superintendent  The 
remainder  was  spent  in  diet,  clothing,  and  contingencies.  In 
187 1  the  inmates  and  establishment  were  removed  to  a  new 
building  near  Hyderabad,  called  the  Kauasji  Lunatic  Asylum, 
and  the  Larkana  institution  ceased  to  exist  firom  that  year.  The 
dispensary  was  established  in  1854,  and  is  under  the  charge  of  a 
subordinate  officer  of  the  Bombay  Medical  Service,  assisted  by  a 
small  establishment  The  annual  expense  incurred  by  Govern- 
ment on  account  of  this  institution  is  about  670  rupees,  in  addi- 
tion to  a  supply  of  medicines,  the  cost  of  which  is  not  known. 
The  Larkana  municipahty  defrays  the  cost  of  repairing  the  build- 
ing, and  in  paying  the  salaries  of  the  vaccination  assistant  and 
the  peon,  &c.  The  following  table  will  aflford  other  information 
as  to  the  attendance,  &c.,  of  patients  at  this  dispensary  during  the 
two  years  1873  *^^  ^^^74 : — 


In-pfttients  .     . 
Out-patients     . 

Totel  Admissions  in 

Casualties  in 

ATcrage  Daily 
Attendance. 

187J. 

1874. 

187J. 

1874. 

I87J. 

1871. 

84 

9,573 

91 
10,801 

7 

6 

3-2 
93*5 

40 
108-4 

Prisons. — There  are  no  jails  in  this  division,  but  at  every 
Mukhtyarkar's  head-quarter  station  there  is  a  kind  of  subordinate 
jail  or  lock-up,  where  untried  prisoners  are  detained,  and  where 
those  sentenced  can  undergo  imprisonment  up  to  one  month; 
others  with  longer  sentences  are  sent  to  the  jail  at  Shikarpur. 

Education. — The  number  of  Government  schools  of  all  de- 
scriptions in  this  division  in  1873-74  was  15,  with  an  attendance 
of  976  pupils.  The  number  of  such  schools  in  each  taluka  in 
iS73-74>  with  other  particulars,  is  contained  in  the  following 
statement  {seepage  492) : — 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


493 


I^RKlNA. 


Talflka. 

Remarks. 

No.    I      Pupils. 

1.  Larkana    .     .     . 

2.  Kambar    .     .     . 

3.  Rato  Dero      .     . 

4.  Labdaiya .     .     . 

5.  Sijawal     .     .     . 

Total       .     .     . 

6     1       498 
I             103 
4     '       245 
4    :      130 

...     1         ... 

An  An^lo-veniaculaT 
and  girls'  school  at 
Larkana. 

15 

976 

Agriculture. — There  would  seem  to  be  three  seasons  for 
cultivation  in  this  district — Peshras,  Kharif,  and  Rabi ;  the  prin- 
cipal crops  produced  at  these  particular  seasons  are  shown  in  the 
accompanying  table  : — 


Season. 

Time  when 

Principal  Crops  produced. 

Sown. 

Reaped. 

Peshras. 

Kharif  . 
Rabi      . 

March    .     .     . 

June  and  July  . 

/September    and 
\    October  .     . 

1 

1 

July        .      .      . 

|November    and 
\     December     . 

JApril  and  May 

Cotton,  sugar-cane,  kir- 
ang  {Seta  Italica)^  and 
diiferent  country  v^e- 
tables. 

Juar,  bajri,  rice,  til,  indi- 
go and  several  pulses, 
and  hemp. 

Wheat,  barley,  oU-seeds, 
gram,  peas,  tobacco, 
carrots,  turnips*  (Miions, 

.    &c. 

The  cultivation  in  this  district  is  mostly  "  mok."  In  the  Lab- 
darya  taluka,  however,  there  is  a  great  deal  of  "  well  "  cultivation, 
and  along  the  banks  of  the  larger  canals  "  charkhi "  cultivation  is 
largely  carried  on.  Near  the  western  hills,  "  barani "  crops,  or 
those  raised  from  land  saturated  with  rain-water,  are  chiefly 
grown.  Owing  to  the  amazing  fertility  of  much  of  the  land  in  this 
division,  the  wheat  and  rice  crops  are  correspondingly  excellent, 
the  Kambar  taluka  being  notorious  as  a  good  rice-producing  dis- 
trict It  may  here  be  not  out  of  place,  for  purposes  of  com- 
parison, to  add  a  statement,  originally  drawn  up  by  Lieutenant 
H.  James,  a  former  Deputy  Collector,  showing  the  average  pro- 
duce/^ ^i^  in  1845-46  of  the  various  grains  then  cultivated  in 
the  Larkana  district,  with  other  information  in  connection  with 
this  subject  :— 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


LAJRKANA.  493 


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Digitized  by  VjOOQ IC 


494  LARKANA, 

The  agricultural  implements  in  use  in  this  Deputy  Collectorate 
are  the  same  generally  as  are  met  with  in  other  parts  of  the  Pro- 
vince. There  is  the  plough  {har)y  the  harrow,  or  sahar^  the  nari^ 
or  sowing  funnel,  the  datro,  or  reaping-hook,  the  kuria,  or  weeding 
hoe,  and  the  kuharo^  or  hatchet 

Trade. — ^Of  the  trade  of  this  important  division,  all  that  seems 
to  be  known  is  that  the  exports,  which  are  principally  to  the 
Hyderabad  and  Karachi  districts,  comprise  grain  of  different 
kinds,  cotton,  and  other  agricultural  produce,  in  addition  to  wool, 
and  that  the  imports  consist  of  English  cloths  from  Karachi,  'M 
Sukkur,  and  silk,  fruits,  &c.,  brought  from  Khorasan  by  kafilas 
during  the  cold  season.  But  of  the  annual  quantity  of  exports 
and  imports,  both  in  the  local  and  transit  trade,  and  their  several 
values,  there  does  not  appear  to  be  any  record  whatever — z.  fact 
which  is  greatly  to  be  deplored,  since  the  lilrkana  Deputy  Col- 
lectorate is  perhaps  the  richest,  as  regards  productive  fertility, 
of  any  throughout  the  province  of  Sind,  and  some  reliable  sta- 
tistics concerning  the  import  and  export  trade,  both  local  and 
transit,  of  this  division  would  have  proved  not  only  interesting, 
but  very  useful,  in  showing  to  what  extent,  for  instance,  it  sup- 
plied other  districts  with  the  agricultural  produce  they  needed 
The  town  of  lilrkana  itself  may  be  regarded  as  one  of  the  chief 
grain  marts  in  Sind,  hence  it  may  naturally  be  supposed  that  its 
exports  of  this  particular  commodity  is  on  a  correspondingly  large 
scale.  Again,  this  town  lies  along  the  route  taken  by  the  kafilas 
coming  from  Kandah&r  vUl  the  Bolan  pass  to  Southern  Sind, 
hence  the  transit  trade  is  no  doubt  of  some  importance — a  fact 
which  has  to  some  extent  been  shown  in  treating  of  the  inland 
trade  of  the  town  of  Karachi  (see  p.  402).  It  is  thus  a  matter  of 
regret  that  no  statistical  tables  of  even  an  approximate  nature  are 
forthcoming  to  illustrate  the  commerce  of  so  important  a  division 
as  that  of  Larkana. 

Manufactures. — The  manufactures  of  the  Larkana  Division 
consist  principally  of  coarse  cotton  cloths,  salt,  working  in  metal, 
such  as  culinary  utensils,  &;c.,  shoes,  native  saddles  and  other 
leather  work.  There  is  also  a  small  paper  manufactory  at  the 
town  of  Larkana.  The  quantity  and  value  of  these  articles  made 
annually  do  not,  however,  seem  to  be  known. 

It  may  not  perhaps  be  here  considered  out  of  place  to  refer  to 
the  manufactures  of  this  part  of  the  Shikarpur  Collectorate  when 
known  under  the  name  of  the  Chandko  pargana,  as  described  by 
Lieutenant  James  in  1847,  since  the  various  methods  adopted  by 
the  Sindis  in  the  weaving  and  dyeing  of  cloths  are  entered  into 


Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


LARKANA,  495 

at  some  length,  and  these  may  be  considered  to  be  the  processes 
usually  followed  throughout  Sind  : — 

"  I.  Weaving,  by  which  the  country  is  supplied  with  a  coarse 
cotton  cloth  in  universal  use,  and  none  but  the  poorest  villages 
are  without  their  weavers.  The  cotton-wool  having  been  purchased 
in  the  raw  state,  is  made  over  to  the^cleaners ;  the  instrument  for 
beating  it  is  the  common  triangular  one,  suspended  from  the  roof 
of  the  building,  the  string  being  of  gut ;  the  cotton  is  not  much 
injured  in  this  process.  The  wool  is  then  spun  by  the  women  of 
the  establishment,  and  the  thread  drawn  out  upon  rows  of  small 
sticks,  and  afterwards  soaked  in  water  and  flour.  When  taken 
out,  it  is  again  drawn  out  and  exposed  to  the  air,  and  in  this 
state  is  rubbed  with  a  large  brush  of  tamarisk,  and  is  then  ready 
for  the  weaver.  The  weaving  is  the  same  as  that  adopted  in 
Ceylon,  the  machine  being  suspended  from  the  roof,  and  a  pit 
made  below  for  the  feet  of  the  manufacturer,  by  which  the  upper 
and  lower  skeins  are  raised  and  depressed  to  admit  of  the  passage 
of  the  needle.  The  cloth  is  generally  made  from  a  foot  to  a  foot 
and  a  half  in  breadth,  and  thirty-six  feet  in  length.  Two  of  these 
pieces  can  be  made  in  three  days.  The  average  price  of  wool  is 
three  sers  per  rupee,  and  from  this  three  and  a  half  pieces  can  be 
manufactured.  The  cloth  is  sold  at  an  average  price  of  fourteen 
annas,  so  that  as  the  whole  process,  except  the  cleaning  of  the 
wool,  is  carried  on  by  the  household  of  the  manufacturer,  his 
profits  may  be  calculated  at  a  rupee  per  diem  ;  under  the  Mirs  it 
was  much  more,  for  prior  to  the  introduction  of  foreign  cloths 
the  price  of  the  country  produce  was  two  yards  per  rupee.  The 
poll-tax  paid  by  the  weavers  was  high,  viz.,  eight  rupees  per  annum 
on  every  married  weaver,  and  four  rupees  on  each  unmarried 
one  :  the  latter  had  to  entertain  hired  workwomen  for  spinning. 
There  are  also  silk  weavers,  but  the  silk  b  imported  from  ELan- 
dahar,  and  sometimes  dyed  in  this  country.  Lungis  were  formerly 
very  well  made  of  silk  and  gold,  but  the  only  kind  now  manu- 
factured is  a  checked  cotton  with  silk  borders.  The  dyers  were  a 
numerous  class,  for  the  under-garments  of  Sindis  of  all  classes 
were  dyed,  the  common  colour  being  a  dark  blue.  The  poll-tax 
upon  a  dyer  was  nine  rupees,  as  he  required  no  hired  assistance  in 
carrying  on  his  trade.  The  following  are  the  modes  adopted  in 
dyeing  cloths  of  the  undermentioned  hues : — 

"  Red, — Twelve  chitaks  (say  24  ounces)  of  bitter  oil  are  mixed 
-with  the  same  quantity  of  iskhar,  and  half  a  ser  (say  i  lb.)  of 
camel-dung.  The  cloth  is  placed  in  the  above  for  four  days,  and 
then  dried  in  the  sun  for  eleven  days.     It  is  then  cleaned  and  put 

Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


49^  LARKjCNA. 

into  watej-  with  two  chitaks  of  tamarisk  berries,  after  which  it  is 
again  dried,  and  then  put  into  an  earthen  vessel  containing  two 
chitaks  of  alum,  and  again  dried  and  washed.  Twelve  chitaks  of 
manjit  (a  kind  of  madder,  the  rubia  tindorid)  are  then  put  into  a 
large  copper  vessel  with  twenty  sers  of  water,  and  boiled,  and  into 
this  the  cloth  is  placed  until  well  coloured,  when  it  is  finally  dried 
and  cleaned. 

"  Saffron, — ^Two  sers  of  safBowcr  well  mixed  up  with  water,  and 
two  chitaks  of  iskhar,  are  trodden  out  with  the  feet  This  is 
placed  on  a  blanket  suspended  between  three  poles ;  water  is  then 
poured  upon  it,  and  whatever  passes  throu^  the  blanket  is  of 
use.  The  cloth  is  placed  in  the  same  vessel  which  receives  the 
above,  and  a  quarter  of  a  ser  of  dried  limes,  finely  cut,  is 
added,  and  the  cloth  remains  till  sufficiently  coloured. 

"  Green, — The  cloth  is  first  coloured  in  a  quarter  of  a  ser  of 
indigo,  mixed  with  water,  and  then  put  into  two  sers  of  water 
with  one  chitak  of  fine  tumeric,  taken  out  and  dried.  Six  chitaks 
of  dried  pomegranate  skins  are  then  boiled  in  a  copper  vessel  widi 
five  sers  of  water,  until  three  sers  of  water  only  remain,  when 
the  cloth  is  placed  in  it  ^nd  afterwards  again  dried.  One  chitak 
of  alum  is  then  boiled  in  a  quarter  of  a  ser  of  water,  and  being 
afterwards  mixed  with  two  sers  of  cold  water,  the  cloth  is  put  into 
it,  and  the  final  colouring  obtained. 

"  Yellow, — A  quarter  of  a  ser  of  tumeric  is  mixed  and  beaten  up 
with  half  a  ser  of  dried  pomegranate  skins,  in  an  earthen  vessel, 
with  three  sers  of  water.  The  cloth  is  first  placed  in  the  above, 
and  then  dried.  One  chitak  of  alum  is  then  put  into  the  same 
preparation,  and  the  colour  is  then  finished. 

^^Dark  blue,-^K  quarter  of  a  ser  of  indigo,  a  quarter  of  a  ser  of 
iskhar,  and  one  chitak  of  lime  are  mixed  up  with  a  great  quantity 
of  water,  and  allowed  to  remain  firom  sunset  to  sunrise.  Four 
pieces  of  cloth  are  then  put  into  it  and  afterwards  dried.  This  pro- 
cess is  repeated  three  times,  when  the  colour  is  obtained.  The 
above  are  the  only  colours  in  use ;  of  the  ingredients,  safflower, 
indigo,  iskhar,  limes,  pomegranate  skins,  lime,  oil,  tamarisk  berries 
and  camel-dung  are  the  productions  of  the  country,  but  tumeric, 
alum  and  manjit  are  imported  The  iskhar  is  a  low  shrub,  but  its 
botanical  name  does  not  seem  to  be  known." 

Paper  is  manufactured  at  Lariclna,  but  not  ofa  very  fine  descrip- 
tion. Old  fishing-nets  and  unwrought  hemp  are  beaten  up  in  water 
with  the  charcoal  obtained  ftom  the  iskhar  and  lime,  and  this  is  done 
in  a  pit  large  enough  for  a  man  to  work  in.  A  heavy  wooden 
hammer  is  the  instrument  employed,  with  a  horizontal  beam.  This  is 


Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


LARKANA.  497 

worked  by  two  men  treading  upon  the  latter,  whilst  a  third  in  the 
pit  is  occupied  in  placing  the  material  under  the  hammer.  These 
men  are  hired  by  the  manufacturer  for  about  twenty  days  at  a 
time,  but  he  makes  the  paper  liimself  from  the  above  preparation, 
which  is  in  cakes.  This  is  picked  in  pieces,  and  put  into  a  cistern 
of  clean  water.  The  manufacturer  sits  on  the  edge  and  immerses 
a  wooden  frame,  upon  which  is  spread  a  fine  roll  of  thin  strips  of 
bamboo,  opened  out  by  means  of  two  pieces  of  wood  at  either 
side.  Upon  this  the  particles  are  allowed  to  settle,  and  the  lateral 
pieces  of  wood  being  removed,  the  bamboo  roll  is  inverted  upon  a 
clean  board,  and  being  rolled  up  leaves  the  sheet  of  paper  upon 
the  board.  After  drying,  the  paper  is  rubbed  and  polished  with  a 
large  stone.  A  finer  kind  is  made  from  pieces  of  Chinese  and 
European  paper  beaten  up  instead  of  hemp.  From  twelve  to  fourteen 
quires  can  be  made  in  a  day,  the  average  price  being  from  three 
to  four  quires  per  rupee,  according  to  the  quality.  The  poll-tax 
paid  by  each  paper  manufacturer  was  eight  rupees  twelve  annas  per 
annum.  Oil  and  sugar-cane  pressers  did  not  manufacture  on  their 
own  account,  but  were  employed  by  the  Hindus  at  four  annas  a  day. 
They  had  to  keep  two  bullocks,  and  paid  a  poll-tax  of  three 
rupees  per  annum.  The  machinery  employed  is  a  large  wooden 
mortar  and  rolling  pestle  turned  by  oxen,  simple  in  form,  but  at 
the  same  time  thoroughly  effective  in  expressing  the  juice.  About 
six  and  a  half  sers  of  oil-seed  (mustard,  or  sarsoti)  are  pressed  at 
a  time,  from  which  about  a  ser  and  a  half  of  oil  is  obtained  : 
twenty-six  sers  of  seed  can  be  pressed  in  a  day,  producing  six 
sers  of  oil  The  seed  after  pressure  is  sold  at  one  rupee  per  maund 
as  food  for  bullocks.  With  regard  to  sugar-cane,  the  gur  is  con- 
sumed in  the  country,  but  not  refined  into  sugar.  Coarse  leather 
is  manufactured,  and  a  common  kind  of  salt  all  over  Chandko. 

There  are  no  fairs  of  any  importance  in  this  district. 

Roads. — ^The  Larkana  district  has  above  400  miles  of  roads, 
trunk,  postal^  and  cross.  The  main  line  of  communication  is  that 
running  from  Lirkana  to  Shikirpur,  and  from  the  former  town 
southward  towards  Mehar.  It  is  furnished  with  milestones,  and 
has  district  bangalows  and  musafirkhanas  at  the  towns  of  Nawa 
Dero  and  Bangu  Kalhora,  This  road  is  specially  repaired  and 
otherwise  attended  to  by  the  Public  Works  Department  as  an 
imperial  work,  but  all  other  roads  in  the  division  are  kept  up  at 
the  expense  of  the  local  ftinds.  None  of  the  roads  in  this  district 
are  metalled,  hnt  judr  straw  is  laid  down  on  many  of  them,  to  keep 
down  the  dust  arising  from  the  traffic.  The  following  is  a  list  of 
these  roads,  with  their  length,  description,  &a  {see pp.   498, 499) : — 

2  K 

Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


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500 


LARKANA. 


Ferries. — There  are  in  all  34  ferries  in  the  Larkana  district, 
the  greater  number  of  these  being  on  the  Indus  and  the 
Western  Nara.  Numbers  12,  13,  14,  17,  18,  and  28  .to  34 
inclusive,  have  lately  been  struck  off  the  list  of  public  ferries, 
though  boats  are  still  employed  there  at  the  expense  of  private 
individuals.  The  following  is  a  list  of  the  various  ferries  in  this 
division : — 


Name  of  Ferry. 


Where  ntuate. 


Number 
of  Boats 
enqiloyed. 


1.  Khiri 

2.  Kuria 

3.  Raji  Dero 

4.  Pir  Ali  Muhammad  Shah 

5.  Dabi  Vicholo  .     .     .     . 

6.  Tragar 

7.  Nurpur 

8.  Kot  Chandko .     .     .     . 

9.  Kanuri  (or  Sugi)  .     .     . 
la  Kunbhar    .     .     .     .     . 

11.  Larkana     .     .     .     .     . 

12.  Masu  Habb     .     .     .     . 

13.  Walid 

14.  Gongra 

15.  Men 

16.  Pir  Arshid  ShSh  .     .     . 

17.  Phul  Pota 

18.  Rahiija 

19.  SharifaDi 

2a  Ahii 

21.  Biti  Ringhar  Gogharo 

22.  Patan 

23.  Butu 

24.  Madd-bahu      .     .     .     . 

25.  Mahrabpor      •     .     .     . 

26.  Vakro  Nasirabad  .     '.     . 

27.  Dokri 

28.  Bugi 

29.  Samri     • 

3a  Akil 

31.  Danlat  Khuro .     .     .     . 

32.  Elias 

33.  Khalid 

34.  Hamzani 


On  the  Indus 

Ditto  .  . 

Ditto  .  . 

Ditto  •  . 

Ditto  .  . 

Ditto  .  . 

Ditto  .  . 

Ditto  .  . 

Ditto  .  . 

Ditto  .  . 
On  the  Ghar  Canal 

Ditto  .  . 

Ditto  .  . 

Ditto  .  . 

Ditto  .  . 

Ditto  .  . 

Ditto  .  . 

Ditto  .  . 

Nauiang  . 

Ditto  .  . 
Chilo-wah. 
Western  Nara 

Ditto  .  . 

Ditto  .  . 

Ditto  .  . 

Ditto  .  . 

Ditto  .  . 

Ditto  .  . 

Ditto  .  . 

Ditto  .  . 

Ditto  .  . 

Ditto  .  . 

Ditto  .  . 

Ditto  .  . 


Postal  Lines. — There  is  only  one  chief  line  of  postal  com- 
munication in  the  Larkana  Division,  running  northward  to  Shikar- 
pur  from  Larkana,  and  southward  to  Mehar  from  the  same  town. 
It  is  a  foot  line,  the  average  running  rate  being  4  miles  an 
hour.  There  are  now  disbursing  post-offices  at  the  towns  of 
Larkana,  Kambar,  and  Rato  Dero* 

Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


LARKANA.  501 

Antiquities. — ^There  are  but  few  buildings  in  this  district 
which  can  lay  claim  to  any  antiquity.  They  consist  of  the  tombs 
of  men  of  celebrity,  and  among  these  may  be  mentioned  that  of 
Shahal  Muhammad  Kalhora,  near  the  village  of  Fatehpur,  which 
is  thus  described  by  Lieutenant  James  in  his  report  on  the  Chandko 
district :  "  Shahal  Muhammad  was  the  grandson  of  Adam  Shah, 
the  celebrated  mendicant,  who,  collecting  adherents  in  Sind, 
finally  obtained  such  power  as  to  pave  the  way  for  his  descend- 
ants to  the  throne  of  the  country.  Even  in  tiie  time  of  Shahal 
Muhammad,  the  Kalhoras  had  obtained  power  and  influence,  and 
a  considerable  extent  of  land,  although  it  was  not  for  several 
generations  that  they  became  the  absolute  monarchs  of  Sind. 
Their  power  at  that  time  may  be  known  from  their  firequent 
skirmishes  with  the  armies  of  the  Vicegerent  of  the  Delhi  Emperor. 
It  was  in  one  of  these  conflicts  at  the  village  of  Fatehpur,  about 
six  miles  from  Larkana,  that  Shahal  Muhammad  was  killed, 
receiving  thereby  the  honours  of  martyrdom.  It  is  related  of  him 
that  after  death  his  head  flew  to  the  spot  where  his  tomb  now 
stands,  whither  his  followers  afterwards  brought  his  body.  The 
tomb  is  situate  on  an  eminence  and  is  plainly  built,  but  the 
interior  is  decorated  with  the  enamelled  tiles  of  Sind.  In  an 
outer  court  are  deposited  the  remains  of  his  immediate  followers 
and  descendants,  and  some  of  those  who  fell  with  him  at  Fatehpur. 
The  doorway  both  of  this  court  and  of  the  mausoleum  is  hung 
with  the  votive  offerings  of  those  who  consider  that  their  prayers 
for  any  particular  blessing  have  been  heard  through  the  mediation 
of  this  saint,  and  these  consist  principally  of  iron  bells  and  strings 
of  shells.  The  pilgrim  to  the  shrine  rings  them  on  entering  the 
portal,  and  muttering  his  prayers,  reverently  approaches  the  more 
sacred  building.  The  tomb  itself  is  covered  with  rich  silk  and 
brocades,  the  offerings  of  the  wealthier  visitors ;  while  on  the  hill- 
side are  the  humbler  graves  of  the  less  celebrated  of  his 
descendants.  This  tomb  was  built  about  150  years  ago."  The 
tomb  of  Shah  Baharah  and  the  old  fort  of  Larkana  will  both  be 
found  described  in  the  account  of  that  town. 

Larkana^  a  taluka  (or  sub-division)  of  the  LarkHna  Deputy 
CoUectorate,  containing  an  area  of  290  square  miles,  with  9  tapas, 
132  villages,  and  a  population  of  79,042  souls.  The  revenue,  im- 
perial and  local,  of  this  fertile  and  productive  sub-division  during 
the  foiu:  years  ending  1873-74  is  as  follows  {see  next  page) : — 


Digitized  by  VjOOQ IC 


5«« 


lArkana. 


Imperial  .     .     . 
Local       .     .     . 

Total  rupees   . 

1870-71- 

X87X-73. 

i«7*-73. 

X873-4. 

2,'48?656 
21,594 

rupees. 
2,93.449 
20,272 

rupees. 
2,60,895 

22,220 

rupees. 
2,55,400 

18,487 

2,70,250 

3»i3»72i 

2,83,115 

2,73,887 

LSrkana,  the  chief  town  of  the  Deputy  Collectorate  of  the 
same  name,  is  situate  on  the  south  bank  of  the  Ghar  canal 
(spanned  here  by  a  fine  bridge),  in  lat  27°  33'  North,  and  long. 
68°  15'  East  The  surrounding  country,  which  is  fertile,  populous, 
and  highly  cultivated,  is  perhaps  the  finest  tract  in  the  whole  of 
Sind.  The  town  of  Larkana,  so  called,  it  is  supposed,  firom  the 
tribe  of  Larak  which  once  settled  here,  has  road  communication 
with  Shikarpiu:  (wi  Nawa  Dero),  from  which  it  is  distant  about 
40  miles  in  a  south-westerly  direction,  and  with  Mehar  {;uiA  Bangu 
Kalhora),  from  which  it  is  distant  36  miles  north-east  Roads 
also  lead  firom  it  to  Kambar,  Rato  Dero,  BakrSni,  Wara,  Phulu- 
Bandar,  Dokri,  Garhi  Khairo  Jamali,  and  Abad.  By  the  Ghar 
canal  it  has  water  communication  with  almost  every  important 
town  in  Upper  Sind.  Within  the  town  itself  the  roads  are  good, 
and  lined  on  either  side  with  large  trees.  The  spacious  walks, 
well  laid-out  gardens,  and  general  profusion  of  foliage  give  this 
place  a  picturesque  and  beautiful  appearance,  and  have  gained  for 
t  the  title  of  the  *'  Eden  of  Sind,"  which  it  well  deserves.  This 
flourishing  condition  is  said  to  be  mainly  owing  to  the  energy  and 
good  taste  shown  by  one  of  its  former  Deputy  Collectors,  Captain 
St  Clair  Ford,  who,  during  a  period  of  four  years,  laboured  hard 
to  improve  and  beautify  the  place.  The  principal  buildings  of 
this  town  are  the  deputy  collector's  bangalow,  built  on  the  banks 
of  the  Ghar  and  surrounded  by  a  fine  garden,  a  civil  court,  a 
large  travellers'  bangalow  with  a  fine  covered  swimming  bath 
close  to  it,  and  a  fort  formerly  used  as  a  lunatic  asylum.  It  is  a 
mud  building,  said  to  have  been  erected  in  the  time  of  the 
Kalhoras  by  one  Maga  Puho,  a  former  kardar  of  this  place.  By 
the  Talpurs  it  was  used  as  an  arsenal,  and  was  the  residence  of 
their  celebrated  minister,  Wali  Muhammad  Laghari,  a  permanent 
Mukhtyarkar  of  this  district,  a  very  able  but  dissolute  man,  of 
whom  the  Sindis  had  a  saying,  "  Gahi  Waii^gahi  But^  (some- 
times a  saint,  sometimes  a  devil).  It  was  afterwards,  under  British 
rule,  turned  into  a  hospital  and  jail,  and  contained  also  the  store- 
rooms of  the  Camel  Corps.     Subsequently  (in  1861)  it  became 


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LARKANA.  503 

the  lunatic  asylum  for  all  Sind  \  but  in  187 1  this  institution  was 
removed  to  a  spot  near  the  town  of  Hyderabad.  There  is  also 
a  good  Gpvemment  Anglo>vemacular  school  with  an  attendance 
of  more  than  180  pupils.  The  building,  which  is  comparatively 
new,  is  situate  near  the  fort,  and  is  an  ornament  to  the  town. 
The  medical  dispensary  is  on  the  banks  of  the  Ghar,  but  is  too 
6mall  to  supply  the  wants'  of  a  town  like  Larkana.  The  wards 
at  present  can  accommodate  only  8  in-patients.  Between  five 
and  six  thousand  persons  are  said  to  be  treated  yearly  at  this 
institution  for  various  diseases,  especially  fevers*  A  new  and 
much  larger  dispensary  is  now  in  course  of  erection  at  an 
estimated  cost  of  between  8000  and  9000  rupees.  There  are 
besides  the  Mukhtyarkar's  and  Tapadafs  offices,  a  mimicipal  office, 
post  office,  musafirkhana,  and  police  lines  capable  of  accom- 
modating 54  men.  Larkana  is  the  head-quarters  of  the  Deputy 
Collector  of  the  district,  as  also  of  a  Mukhtyarkar  and  Tapadar, 
and  possesses  a  municipality,  established  in  1855,  the  income  of 
which  in  1874  was  17,090  rupees,  made  up  mainly  from  town 
dues  and  cattle-pound  fees.  There  are  3  bazars  in  this  town; 
the  principal  one,  containing  some  300  shops,  is  covered  over 
to  keep  out  the  rays  of  the  sun.  The  other  two,  the  grain 
bazar,  known  as  ^'Cowper  Bazar,"  and  the  fish  market,  called 
*'Ford  Ganj,"  are  situate  at  a  short  distance  from  each  other. 
The  houses,  which  are  mostly  one-storied,  are  built  of  mud  and 
kachha  brick,  and  have  flat  roofs.  They  are  divided  into  blocks 
called  ^^fddos.^*  The  population  of  Larkana,  estimated  in  the 
time  of  the  Mirs  at  firom  10,000  to  12,000  souls,  did  not  in 
1845-46,  it  was  thought,  exceed  8000,  but  by  the  census  of  1872 
there  were  10,643  inhabitants,  of  whom  5666  are  Musalmans 
and  4972  Hindus.  The  chief  tribes  among  the  former  are 
Saiyads,  Kalhoms,  Muhanas,  Khatris,  and  Lahoris. 

The  principal  Hindu  castes  in  Larkana  are  Brahmans,  Dudanis, 
Nangranis,  and  Bhatias. 

The  greater  number  of  the  inhabitants  of  this  town  are  said 
to  be  engaged  in  trade  and  manufactures,  while  a  few  only,  com- 
paratively speaking,  are  agriculturists.  Sirai  Thara  Khan  Lohari, 
one  of  the  wealthiest  and  most  public-spirited  Zamindars  in  this 
division,  resides  here  within  municipal  limits.  Larkana  is  one 
of  the  principal  grain  marts  of  Sind,  and  is  famous  for  a  particular 
kind  of  rice  called  the  "  sugddsir  The  local  trade  of  Larkana 
is  in  grain,  metals,  cloth,  and  leather,  and  the  transit  trade  in 
rice  and  various  kinds  of  grain.  These  are  exported  to  a  con- 
siderable extent  to  the  Hyderabad  and  Karachi  districts,  but  in 

uig, zed  by  Google 


S04         L  UKMAN'JO-TANDO—MADD  BAHO, 

what  quantity  annually  and  to  what  value  there  does  not  appear 
to  be  any  record.  This  is  much  to  be  regretted,  as  the  transit 
trade  passing  through  this  town  is  believed  to  be  of  no  small 
importance. 

The  manufactures  of  Larkana,  in  which  so  great  a  proportion 
of  the  population  is  engaged,  formerly  consisted  chiefly  of  wove 
silk  and  cotton  cloths  to  the  yearly  value  of  about  60,000  rupees; 
the  silk  was  imported  from  Kandahar,  and  dyed  in  this  district 
Lungis  (a  kind  of  scarf)  were  also  very  well  made  of  silk  and 
gold,  but  the  only  kind  afterwards  manufactured  was  a  checked 
cotton  with  silk  borders.  At  present  the  principal  manufactures 
of  the  district  are  coarse  cotton  cloths,  metal  vessels  for  cooking 
and  other  purposes,  "  naths^  or  leather  coverings  for  camel 
saddles,  and  other  leathern  work,  but  here  again  of  the  quantity 
yearly  manufactured  and  its  value  nothing  seems  to  be  known. 

The  dyers  of  Larkana  were  once,  it  would  appear,  a  numerous 
class,  owing  to  the  under-garments  of  Sindis  of  all  classes  being 
dyed,  the  common  colour  being  a  dark  blue. 

Among  the  antiquities  in  and  about  the  town  of  Larkana  may 
be  mentioned  the  old  fort,  a  large  square  building  with  four  towers ; 
a  fifth  tower  at  the  gateway  is  of  burnt  brick  and  higher  than  the 
others  \  the  rest  of  the  building  is  of  mud.  Its  uses  have  already 
been  described.  There  is  also,  among  others,  a  celebrated  tomb 
at  Larkana,  in  a  garden  on  the  north  bank  of  the  Ghar  canaL  It 
was  built  in  honour  of  Shah  Baharah,  a  minister  of  Nur  Muham- 
mad Kalhora,  who  had  the  sole  management  of  the  afiairs  of 
this  part  of  the  country,  and  commanded  a  division  of  10,000 
men.  Several  canals  and  forts  were  excavated  and  built  by  him. 
This  tomb  is  highly  ornamented,  and  the  inscriptions  about  it  are 
niunerous  and  well  executed.  These  mausoleums  are  generally 
of  an  octagon  shape,  but  in  some  instances  they  are  square,  and 
surmounted  by  a  dome.  They  are  internally  decorated  with 
flowers  and  fruits  in  enamel,  and  with  verses  from  the  Kuran  and 
poets.  From  one  of  these  in  the  building  under  consideration 
it  is  ascertained  that  Shah  Baharah  flourished  about  h.  118S 
(A.D.  1774). 

Lnkman-Jo-Tondo.    {See  TandoLukmIn.) 

Madd  'BaJio^  a  Government  village  in  the  Labdarya  taluka  of 
the  Larkana  Division,  6  miles  south  of  Larkana.  It  has  road 
communication  with  Bakrani  and  Nawa-abad.  The  population, 
numbering  977  in  all,  comprise  831  Musalmans,  mostly  Saiyads, 
and  146  Hindus  of  the  Brahman  caste.  Chief  employments  are 
agriculture  and  trade. 


Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


MADEJI-^MAJSrfHAND,  505 

UadSIJIy  a  Government  village  in  the  Naushahro  Abro  talQka 
of  the  Sukkur  and  Shikarpur  Deputy  Collectorate,  seated  on  the 
Ghar  canal,  and  distant  20  miles  south  from  Shikarpur.  It  has 
road  communication  with  Larkana,  distant  26]^'  miles,  and  with 
Sukkur  also  until  lately,  when  the  road  was  washed  away  by  an 
encroachment  of  the  Indus.  It  is  proposed  to  construct  another 
inside  the  Jhali  ^^bandh.'^  There  is  a  police  thdna  and  a  cattle 
pound,  and  the  place  once  possessed  a  travellers'  bangalow  and 
dharamsala,  but  these  fell  down  during  the  inundation  season  of 
1871.  The  inhabitants,  numbering  1354,  comprise  Muhammadans, 
principally  Pathos,  and  Hindus,  mostly  Ahujas,  but  the  number 
of  each  class  is  not  known.  The  occupation  of  the  people  is 
mainly  agricultural,  and  its  only  manufactures  are  shoemaking, 
weaving,  and  the  making  of  pots. 

Magsi,  a  Government  village  in  the  Mehar  taluka  of  the  Mehar 
Deputy  Collectorate,  distant  10  miles  east  of  Mehar.  It  has  road 
communication  with  Nari,  Pirozshah  and  Shah  Panjo,  and  is  the 
head-quarter  station  of  a  Tapadir.  There  is  a  cattle  pound,  but  no 
police  thdna.  The  inhabitants,  numbering  in  all  825,  comprise 
670  Musalmans  of  the  Magsi  tribe  and  155  Hindus,  mostly 
Lohanos.  Their  chief  occupation  is  agriculture.  This  place 
possesses  neither  trade  nor  manufactures  of  any  importance. 

Mahrabpar^  a  Government  village  in  the  Kandiaro  taluka  of 
the  Naushahro  Division,  situate  on  the  Mahrabpur  canal,  distant 
22  miles  north-east  from  Tharusha,  and  13  miles  east  from  Kandiaro. 
It  has  road  communications  with  Tanda  Ali  Akbar,  distant  3  miles ; 
is  the  head-quarter  station  of  a  Tapadar,  and  has  a  small  police 
station  of  3  men.  There  is  a  dharamsala  and  school-house.  The 
population,  numbering  901  in  all,  comprises  Musalmans,  chiefly  of 
the  Khaskeli  and  Memon  tribes,  and  Hindus  of  the  Lohino 
caste,  but  the  number  of  each  class  is  not  known.  Mir  Ghulam 
Mustapha  Khan  is  the  chief  resident  of  this  place.  There  are  no 
manufactures  nor  trade  in  this  village,  which  is  supposed  to  have 
been  founded  about  150  years  ago  by  one  Mahrab  Khan  Jatoi 
Zamindar. 

Manjhandj  a  taluka  (or  revenue  sub-division)  of  the  Sehwan 
Deputy  Collectorate,  with  an  area  of  118  square  miles,  having 
4  tapas,  29  villages,  and  a  population  of  18,551  souls.  The 
revenue,  imperial  and  local,  of  this  taluka,  for  tlie  four  years  ending 
1873-74  is  as  follows  {see  next  page) : — 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


So6 


MANJHAND—MA  TARI. 


Imperial    .     .     . 
Local  .... 

Total  rapees     . 

1870-71. 

X871-72. 

1872-73. 

«873-74. 

rupees. 

16,523 

3,376 

rupees. 

15.175 

2,005 

rupees. 

21,423 

2,836 

rupees. 

18,565 

2,226 

19,899 

17,180 

24,259 

20,791 

ManjhaJid,  a  town  in  the  taluka  of  the  same  name,  and  the 
head-quarter  station  of  a  Mukhtyarkar.  It  is  situate  somewhat 
close  to  the  Indus,  about  88  feet  above  mean  sea-level,  in  latitude 
25°  51'  N.,  and  longitude  68°  19'  E.,  and  stands  on  the  main  road 
leading  from  Kotri  to  Sehwan,  being  42  miles  north  of  the  former 
and  the  same  distance  south  of  the  latter  town.  Manjhaud  has 
road  communication  also  with  the  village  of  Lakri,  distant  3  miles, 
and  with  Gulra,  distant  4  miles.  It  possesses  a  municipaUty, 
established  in  1861,  the  income  of  which  in  1873-74,  was  1477 
rupees,  and  the  disbursements  1297  rupees.  There  is  also  a 
Mukhtyarkar's  kutcherry  and  subordinate  jail,  police  thana  with  a 
force  of  18  men,  of  whom  4  are  mounted,  a  school,  post-office, 
a  dharamsala,  and  a  cattle  pound.  The  inhabitants,  numbering  in 
all  2872,  consist  of  1550  Muhammadans,  mostly  of  the  Manjhand, 
Memon,  Muhana,  and  Variani  tribes.  The  Hindus,  numbering 
131 1,  are  of  the  Udasi  and  Lohano  castes.  The  place  does  not 
appear  to  possess  any  manufactures  besides  the  ordinary  ones  of 
coarse  cloth  and  shoes ;  but  the  trade,  which  is  in  grain,  is  large, 
great  quantities  being  exported  up  and  down  river,  the  stable 
nature  of  the  Indus  bank  at  this  town  permitting  this  export  trade 
to  be  carried  on  with  advantage.  Several  wealthy  native  firms  are 
engaged  in  this  trade,  the  value  of  which  does  not,  however,  seem 
to  be  known. 

Mari,  a  rather  large  village  in  the  Sukkur  taluka  of  the  Sukkur 
and  Shikarpur  Deputy  CoUectorate,  seated  on  the  Sind  canal,  and 
distant  but  3  miles  from  Shikarpur,  and  22  miles  west  from  Sukkur. 
It  is  on  the  Larkana  and  Shikarpur  road,  is  surrounded  by  gardens, 
and  has  communication  also  with  the  village  of  Lakhi.  The  popu- 
lation of  this  place  is  1659,  of  whom  946  are  Hindus,  and  713 
Musalmans.  No  Government  officers  appear  to  reside  here.  The 
occupation  of  the  inhabitants  is  mainly  agriculture :  the  trade  and 
manufactures  do  not  seem  to  be  of  any  importance. 

Masti  Khan-jo-Tando.     {See  Tando  Masti  Khan.) 

Mataii,  a  town  in  the  Hala  taluka  of  the  Hala  district,  in 
latitude  25°  35'  N.,  and  longitude  68°  26'  E.,  distant  20  miles  south 

Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


MEEANEE.  507 

from  Hala,  and  16  miles  north  from  Hyderabad.  It  is  situate  on 
a  slight  eminence  (the  Mazjid  and  tombs  in  the  place  being  visible 
from  a  long  distance),  and  has  road  communication  with  Hala, 
Hyderabad,  Nasarpur,  the  ferry  on  the  Indus  opposite  the  town 
of  Unarpur  and  Shekh  Tin  It  is  the  head-quarters  of  a  Tapadar, 
and  possesses  a  commodious  travellers'  bangalow  (lately  rebuilt), 
a  dharami^lR,  Government  vernacular  school,  and  a  number  of 
private  schools,  police  lines,  and  a  cattle  pound  (or  dhak).  The 
population,  numbering  about  4920  souls,  comprises  4149  Musal- 
mans,  and  729  HindQs.  Of  the  former,  the  Memons,  Saiyads, 
Shekhs,  and  Khaskelis  are  most  numerous.  The  Hindu  portion 
is  entirely  made  up  of  Lohanos  and  Brahmans.  There  is  a  muni- 
cipality at  Matari,  established  in  October  1868,  the  revenue  of 
which  in  1873-74  was  3123  rupees.  The  chief  trade  of  this 
town  is  in  grain,  oil-seeds,  cotton,  silk,  piece-goods  and  sugar, 
and  its  value,  roughly  estimated,  amounts  to  about  60,000  rupees. 
The  value  of  the  transit  trade,  which  consists  mostly  of  the  same 
articles,  may  be  computed  at  nearly  one  lakh  of  rupees.  There 
are  no  manufactures  of  any  kind  in  this  town.  Matari  is  said  to 
have  been  founded  in  a.d.  1322  by  one  Saheb  Samma,  and  pos- 
sesses, besides  a  fine  Jama  Mazjid,  now  about  a  century  old,  the 
tombs  of  two  saints  of  reputed  sanctity,  Pirs  Hashimshah  and 
Rukanshah.  At  these  tombs,  which  are  solidly  constructed, 
annual  fairs  are  held  in  the  months  of  September  and  October, 
and  these  are  each  attended  by  from  2000  to  3000  Muham- 
madans.  The  chief  men  of  note  residing  in  this  place  are  Pirs 
Alahyarshah  and  Fazul  Ali  Shah;  Saiyads  Muhammad  Ali 
Shah  and  Muhammad  Husain,  and  Aldiunds  Habibula  and 
Azizula. 

MeeSnee  (or  Miani),  a  small  and  inconsiderable  place  near 
the  village  of  Hathri  in  the  Hyderabad  taluka  of  the  Hyderabad 
Collectorate,  about  6  miles  north  of  the  city  of  Hyderabad.  It 
was  here  that  Sir  Charles  Napier,  on  the  17th  of  February,  1843, 
with  a  British  force  amounting  to  but  2800  men  of  all  arms 
and  12  pieces  of  artillery,  encountered  a  Baloch  army  of  22,000 
men  strongly  posted  on  the  banks  of  the  Fuleli,  and  totally 
routed  them,  with  a  loss  to  the  enemy  of  5000  killed  and 
wounded,  the  whole  of  their  artillery,  ammunition,  standards, 
and  camp,  with  considerable  stores  and  some  treasure.  The 
British  general  had  ascertained  that,  had  he  delayed  offering 
battle  to  the  Mirs,  another  day  would  have  placed  nearly  30,000 
men  in  his  rear  and  on  his  left  flank,  and,  in  order  to  extricate 
himself  from  this  threatening  situation,  it  was  necessary  to  engage 


uigiuzeu  uy  v-jv^v./ 


gle 


So8  .  MEHAR. 

the  Balochis  at  once  with  the  small  force  he  had  with  him.  A 
monument,  surrounded  by  iron  palisading,  marks  the  spot  where 
this  great  action  was  fought,  and  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  pillar 
are  inscribed  the  names  of  the  officers  and  the  number  of  rank 
and  file  who  fell  on  the  occasion.  Meeanee  was  at  one  time  the 
head-quarters  of  the  Sind  Camel  Baggage  Corps. 

Meliar,  a  large  division  and  Deputy  Collectorate  of  the  Shikar- 
pur  district 

Boundaries  and  Area. — It  is  bounded  on  the  north  by  the 
Larkana  Division ;  on  the  east  by  the  river  Indus ;  on  the  south 
by  the  Sehwan  Division  of  the  Karachi  Collectorate,  and  on  the 
west  by  the  territory  of  His  Highness  the  Khan  of  Kelat,  the  KLhir- 
thar  range  of  mountains  forming  a  natural  line  of  demarcation  on 
that  side.  Its  extreme  length  from  north  to  south  is  about  45 
miles,  and  breadth  32  miles ;  and  the  entire  area  of  the  division, 
according  to  the  professional  survey  report,  is  1528  square  miles, 
but  by  revenue  survey  estimate  2504  square  miles,  which  latter 
includes  the  hilly  portion  of  the  division  beyond  the  Kacha.  It 
is  divided  into  3  talukas  and  34  tapas,  with  a  population,  accord- 
ing to  the  census  of  1872,  of  142,305  souls,  or  57  to  the  square 
mile,  a  fair  rate  when  compared  with  that  of  all  Sind,  but  less  in 
this  respect  than  either  the  Sukkur,  Shikarpur,  or  Larkana  districts. 
The  following  is  a  statement  of  the  several  talukas  and  tapas,  with 
their  area,  population,  &c. : — 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


MEHAR. 

509 

Area 

Number 

Popula- 
tion. 

Towns  having 

Talflka. 

inSq. 

Tapas.             1      of 

800  Inhabitants, 

MUes. 

Villages. 

and  upwards. 

I.  Mohammad  Ta-  \ 

tial     .     .     .  1 

2.  GajiDcro.     .  \ 

3.  Badrah      .     .  1 

4.  Vehar  .     .     .  i 

5.  Nawa-got .     .  ' 

6.  Magsi  .     .     . 

7.  Nan    .     .     . 

8.  Ganjo  Thoro  . 

9.  Kolachi    .     . 

I.  Mehar  (in- 

Mehar. 

cludingTi- 
gar)     .     . 

583 

165 

62,265 

Than  Mohbat 
Magsi. 

10.  Kamangar 

II.  Kharo.     .     . 

12.  Kothi  .     •     • 

'13.  Khondi     .     . 

|i4.Rojhan      .     . 

^  15.  Thalo  .     .     . 

r   i.Warah       .     . 

2.  Nasirabad.     . 

2.  Nasirabad. 

343 

3.  Ahun  .     .     . 

4.  Chijni .     .     . 

5.  Phekrato  .     . 

6.  Chaudaro .     . 

7.  Than  Hashim 
\  8.  Wagan     .     . 

54 

33.597 

Nasirabad. 

Wagan. 

GajiKhuhawai 

/   I.  Buriri  .     •     • 

2.  Khanpur  •     . 

3.  Bahadarpur    . 

Khairpur  Na- 
theshah. 

4.  Gozo   .     .     . 

5.  Kandechukhi. 

6.  Gharo .     .     . 

7.  Bhangar    .     . 

8.  PatGul  Mu. 

Kakar. 

3.Kakar.     , 

602 

124 

46.443 

hammad  .     . 

9.  Pat      .     .     . 

laSita     .     .     . 

Total.     . 

wi.  Dangar     •     . 

1528 

343 

1,42,305 

The  area  in 

English  acres  of  each  taluka,  with  other  information, 

is  also  subjoin 

led: — 

TalOka.                ] 

Area  in 

Cultivated. 

CulturaUe. 

Vnanble. 

I.  Mehar  (witl 
Tigar)     . 

■.} 

373f43I 

92,638 

249,540 

3',aS3 

2.  Nasirabad  . 

. 

219,520 

58,391 

73,615 

87,514 

3.  Kakar  .     . 

• 

385,194 

76»093 

91.093 

218,098 

UIC 

„zeabyGOO< 

Sio  MBHAR. 

General  Aspect. — ^With  the  single  exception  of  the  extreme 
western  portion  of  this  district,  the  Mehar  Deputy  CoDectorate 
m^y  be  described  as  being  on  the  whole  a  flat  country^  intersected 
by  the  Western  Nara  canal,  the  tract  between  this  stream  and  the 
Indus  being  equal,  perhaps,  in  fertility  and  productiveness  to  any 
part  of  the  adjoining  Larkana  district  The  land  bordering  on  the 
river  Indus  is  fairly  wooded,  but  after  leaving  the  Western  Nara, 
and  proceeding  towards  the  Western  hills,  a  desert  tract  of  country 
is  passed  through,  which  nevertheless  only  requires  irrigation  to  be 
brought  into  cultivation ;  at  present  it  is  dependent  in  this  respect 
upon  the  occasional  torrents  from  the  Khirthar  mountains,  which, 
unless  directly  under  the  hills, 'make,  cultivation  in  this  part  of  the 
district  very  precarious.  At  the  same  time  there  is  a  considerable 
extent  of  "  kalar,"  or  salt  soilj  utterly  uncultivable,  and  incapable 
of  affording  subsistence  to  any  living  creature  except  the  camel 
and  goat.  The  Western  hills  are  found  to  be  divided  into  three  dis- 
tinct ranges ;  the  lowest,  evidently  of  sandstone  formation,  has  a 
gradually  ascending  slope  with  winding  gorges,  and  is  covered  in 
parts  with  huge  boulders ;  the  second  range,  which  is  of  num- 
mulitic  limestone,  has  an  average  altitude  of  4000  feet,  and  the 
third  range,  which  is  still  higher,  has  some  of  its  peaks  fiilly 
6000  feet  above  sea-level.  On  a  closer  inspection,  the  rocks  in  this 
range  show  considerable  evidence  of  water  action.  From  the 
plains  they  have  an  imposing  stppearance,  though  the  want  of  vege- 
tation is  a  great  drawback ;  .this  applies,  however,  not  alone  to 
the  moimtains  in  this  division,  but  to  the  whole  of  the  range  where 
it  first  touches  the  northern  boundary  of  Sind  down  to  Cape 
Monze. 

Hydrography. — ^The  rivet  Indus,  which  forms  the  eastern 
boundary  of  the  Mehar  Division,  is  .the  great  source  of  supply  for 
all  the  canals  which  intersect  this  district  The  Western  Nara, 
itself  a  natural  channel  artificially  improved,  which  derives  its 
water  supply  entirely  from  the  Indus,  flows  throughout  this  divi- 
sion in  its  entire  length  from  north  to  south,  entering  it  from  the 
Larkana  district  at  the  Nasirabad  taluka,  and  leaving  it  for  the 
Sehwan  division  by  the  Kakar  taluka.  It  is  navigable  throughout 
its  whole  length,  and  boats  prefer  to  enter  it  from  up-river  during 
the  inundation  season  by  way  of  the  Aral  river  and  Manchhar 
lake,  and  coming  out  again  into  the  main  river  at  its  mouth,  which 
is>  On  the  boundary  of  the  Larkana  and  Shikarpur  divisions. 
Several  other  canals,  Government  and  Zamindari,  branch  oflf  from 
this  important  stream.  Next  in  si^e  and  length  to"  the  Western 
Nara  is  the  Wahurwah,  flowing  through  what  was  formerly  known 

Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


MEHAR. 


S" 


as  the  Tigar  talQka.  The  following  is  a  Ust  of  all  the  canals,  both 
Government  and  Zamindari,  in  the  Mehar  Division,  with  other 
information  connected  with  them : — 


AveraKe 
Aanusu 

Average 

Annual 
Revenue 

for  e  V<>ar« 

Length. 

Width 
at 

Cost  of 
Clearance 

Remaiks. 

Mouth. 

for  5  Years 
endincT 

lor  5  I  cars 
ending 
X873-74. 

mnes. 

feet. 

rupees. 

rupees. 

I.  Naia  (Western) 

71 

60 

seepage  591 

Main  feeder;  taps  Indus 

on  the  Larkana  boun- 

dary, entering  Mehar 

district  in  the  Nasir- 

abadtaluka,  and  leav- 

ing it  for  the  Sehwan 

district  near  Kakar. 

2.  Wahurwah .     . 

30 

80 

1,049 

26,464 

Main  feeder  ;  taps  Indus 
at  Ghana,  watering 
the  Vehar,  Nawo-got, 
Magsi,  Nan,  and  Sita 

tapas,    and    tails    off 

into  the  Indus   near 

Sita. 

3.  Marui   .     ,     . 

IS 

12 

919 

7.775 
32,226 

Branch  of  the  Wahurwah. 

4.Kakol    .     .     . 

II 

20 

2,082 

Branch  of  the  Western 

Nara. 

5.Kudan  .     .     . 

20 

20 

2»55i 

3i»^3i 

Branch  of  the  Nara. 

6.  Gul       Muham-\ 

7 

998 

Ditto,  Revenue  included 

ID 

... 

in  the  Fordwah 

7.  Gathwah    .     . 

4 

so 

Seeund 

rUrkSna 

Branch  of  the  Naurang- 
Larkana  district 

8.CMowah    .     . 

12 

ss 

do. 

do. 

Branch  of  the  Naurang- 
wah. 

9.  Nasirwah    .     . 

22 

ao 

1898 

25.414 

Branch  of  the  Gathwah. 

Zamindaki  Canals. 

I.  Gahwar  Isran  . 

•  • 

(estimate) 

1409 

Branch  of  the  Nara. 

2.  Rajwah       .     . 

12 

10 

III 

^Pl 

Ditto. 

3.  Kaimshahwah  . 

6 

10 

226 

Branch  of  the  Kakol. 

4.  Nabibakhshwah 

8 

19 

184 

5904 

Branch  of  the  Nara. 

5.  Nasirwah    .     . 

8 

12 

170 

5727 

Ditta 

The  direct  superintendence  of  all  the  canals  in  this  district 
lies  with  the  executive  engineer  of  the  Ghar  Division,  whose  head- 
quarters are  at  Larkana,  and  their  clearance  is  now  carried  out  by 
his  department  During  the  inundation  season  an  "  abkcUdni^'  or 
canal  conservancy  establishment,  is  entertained,  comprising  a 
number  of  darogas,  mukhadams,  and  beldars.     The  Zamindari 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


SI2  MEHAR. 

canals  are  cleaied  by  those  of  the  Zamindars  and  others  throu^ 
whose  lands  these  channels  flow.  The  Mehar  Division  does  not, 
as  a  rule,  suffer  from  lets  or  floods,  «Uke  those  which  at  times 
devastate  the  Rohri  and  Shikarpur  districts ;  but  during  the  inun- 
dation season  of  1874,  portions  of  the  Mehar  district  suffered 
severdy  from  heavy  falls  of  rain  during  the  month  of  July  in  the 
western  hills.  The  waters  came  down  in  force,  spreading  over 
the  low-lying  lands  of  this  division,  and  69  large  and  414  small 
villages  and  hamlets  were  reported  to  have  been  more  or  less 
flooded  by  this  visitation,  while  several  Government  buildings  were 
entirely  washed  away.  Floods  from  the  Western  Nara  take  place 
occasionally,  preventing  rice  cultivation  in  some  parts  of  the  dis- 
trict Hill-torrents,  or  nais^  as  they  are  called,  are  frequent,  but 
they  afford  the  means  of  cultivating  the  "3arani"land  of  the 
Kacha,  artificial  channels  being  made  to  conduct  the  water  through 
the  fields.  This  kind  of  land  too,  and  the  plains  generally,  are 
often  swept  by  floods  after  the  occurrence  of  heavy  rains. 

Climate. — ^The  climate  of  this  division  does  not,  on  the  whole, 
differ  materially  from  that  in  other  districts  of  Upper  Sind.  There 
are  three  principal  seasons — ^the  hot,  temperate,  and  cold.  The 
first  begins  about  May  with  the  chdliho^  or  forty  days,  a  period 
when  the  greatest  heat  is  supposed  to  occur,  and  lasts  till  the 
month  of  September.  The  prevailing  winds  during  the  season  are 
from  the  southward  and  westward.  The  temperate  months  are 
March,  April,  and  October,  though  occasionally  hot  'winds  are 
experienced  at  the  end  of  April  The  cold  season  may  be  said  to 
last  from  the  end  of  October  to  the  following  February,  when  at 
times  great  cold  is  felt ;  the  prevailing  winds  during  this  season 
are  from  the  northward  and  westward.  The  average  annual  maxi- 
mum, minimum,  and  mean  temperature  at  the  town  of  Mehar, 
for  the  three  years  endmg  1874,  was  887°,  68-a°,  and  78*4'' 
respectively. 

Rainfall. — ^The  average  yearly  rainfall  for  the  Mehar  Division 
may  be  set  down  at  about  five  inches.  This  is  the  result  of  a 
series  of  observations  taken  at  the  station  of  Mehar  from  1864  up 
to  1874,  both  years  inclusive;  the  monthly  rainfall  from  1867  to 
1874  is  contained  in  the  following  table : — _^ 


Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


MEHAR. 


5>3 


Months. 

xd67. 

i868. 

1869 

1870. 

1871. 

187a. 

X873. 

1874. 

January     . 
Februaiy  • 
March.     . 
April   .     . 
May     .     .     . 
June    .     . 
July     .     . 
August      .     , 
September 
October     .   •, 
November 
December .     , 

•27 
•03 

3-02 
•52 

•09 

•22 

•96 

I-20 

•u 

•78 

'43 

1*01 

•08 
2-53 

i'-38 

2-05 
7-64 

•04 
•07 

671 
1*00 

•50 

5-50 
•33 

•25 
•14 

Total  for  eacl 
Year    . 

) 

4-06 

3-&4 

3-62 

11*07 

•II 

8-56 

721 

3-«7 

Diseases.  —The  most  common  diseases  in  this  division  are,  as 
usual '  throughout  Sind,  fevers  of  different  kinds,  arising  mainly 
from  the  malaria  engendered  by  the  drying  up  of  flooded  lands 
after  the  periodical  inundation  of  the  river  Indus.  Fevers  are 
generally  prevalent  from  the  end  of  September  till  the  following 
December. 

Dhar  Yard. — ^While  treating  of  the  diseases  common  to  this 
division,  it  will  not  be  out  of  place  to  refer  to  the  sanitarium 
of  Dhar  Yaro,  situate  on  the  western  range  of  hills,  or  Khirthar 
mountains,  which  form  the  western  boundary  of  this  Deputy 
Collectorate,  and  the  following  description  is  an  abstract  of 
what  the  late  Dr.  Lalor,  Bo.  Med.  Service,  and  Captain  J.  Mac- 
donald,  of  the  Sind  Revenue  Survey,  have  written  upon  it  Dhar 
Yaro  may  be  considered  as  being  in  latitude  27°  20'  N.,  and 
longitude  67°  17'  £.,  and  is  distant  70  miles  west  from  Larkana 
by  the  way  of  die  villages  of  Hamal  and  Tridak.  From  Larkana 
to  Hamal  (where  there  is  a  bangalow),  a  distance  of  35  miles, 
the  road  is  good,  thence  to  Tridak,  23  miles,  it  is  circuitous  and 
difficult  From  Tridak  to  Dhar  Yaro,  a  distance  of  12  miles, 
there  are  several  steep  and  rocky  ascents  and  descents,  one  of 
the  latter  being  1200  feet  deep,  until  the  plateau  of  Dhar  Yaro, 
about  6000  feet  above  sea-level,  is  reached.  This  is  not,  however, 
the  highest  point  of  these  hills,  as  it  is  surrounded  on  all  sides  by 
others  still  loftier,  one  of  these,  the  "  Kuto-jo-Kabar"  (or  dog's 
tomb),  being  7200  feet  above  tlie  level  of  the  sea.  The  sanitarium 
is,  for  this  reason,  not  so  exposed  to  high  winds  as  to  be  dis- 
agreeable to  residents.    There  are  about  a  thousand  acres  of 

Digitized  by  VjOOQ IC 


SM 


MRHAR. 


cultivable  land  on  the  plateau  of  Dhar  Yaro,  possessing  a  soil  of 
yellowish-red  marl  of  considerable  depth,  but  tke  inhabitants,  who 
are  Chutas,  a  Sindi  tribe  of  Jats,  give  their  attention  mainly  to 
the  pasturing  of  large  flocks  of  goats  and  "  dumba,"  a  flat-tailed 
sheep,  the  hills  being  fairly  covered  with  grass  aifter  rain  has 
fcillen.     They  leave  the  hills  in  September  or  early  in  October, 
before  the  approach  of  winter.     The  wild  animals  fpuiid  at  Dhar 
Y&ro  and  in  its  immediate  neighbourhood,  are  the  hyena,  black 
bear,  wolf,  panther,  and  fox.      Ibex  and  "  gad,"  or  wild  sheep, 
are  also  found  in  small  herds.     Among  birds,  there  are  the  vulture, 
goshawk,  raven,  grey  pigeon,  red-legged  partridge,  and  quail ;  and 
of  reptiles,  snakes  of  various  kinds  and  iguanos.     Of  trees  growing 
on  these  hills,  there  are  the  rohri  {Celtis  seraHna)^  the  fig,  which 
is  found  wild,  the  acacia,  pilu,  kasir  (only  met  with  on  the  lower 
ranges),  the  khau  {OUa  cusfidata)^  the  lohira  {Tecoma  unduiata), 
or  iron-wood.     Among  herbs  are  the  spearmint,  catmint  {Datiro)^ 
and  a  kind  of  lavender.     The  "/ij  "  or  ^'pishy''  a  fan  palm,  is  com- 
mon everywhere.    With  regard  to  the  climate  of  Dhar  Yaro,  Dr. 
Lalor  observes  that  in  solar  radiation  the  greatest  heat  shown  by 
the  thermometer  there  was  148°,  while  at  Larkana  it  was  170°. 
In  1864  heavy  rain  fell  in  April  and  May,  with  the  wind  generally 
from  the  north-west  and  west,  though  occasionally  a  south  wind 
blew  in  May.    Six  inches  of  rain  were  gauged,  and  this  was  fol- 
lowed by  cool  and  delightful  weather.     In  August  also  there  were 
a  few  showers,  the  atmosphere  being  moist  with  a  fair. fall  of  dew 
at  night     The  heat  was  never  found  to  be  excessive,  and  it  was 
remarked  that  even  in  April  the  temperature  fell  at  times  as  low 
as  41°.     The  following  table  will  show  the  range  of  the  ther- 
mometer at  Dhar  Yaro  during  the  months  of  April  (latter  part). 
May,  June,  July,  August,  and  September  (early  part)  of  1864,  as 
observed  by  Dr.  Lalor : — 


Months. 

Average. 

Met^nDaUy 
VarbttioQ. 

6  a.m. 

9  A.M. 

Noon. 

4  P.M. 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0    t 

April   .      . 

60 

68 

68 

67 

6  30 

May     .     . 

63 

70 

n 

66 

42s 

June     .     , 

71 

79 

80 

80 

12  ao 

July    .    . 

75 

79 

81 

81 

9  35 

August 

68 

77 

81 

77 

1093 

September 

65 

77 

77 

74 

1344 

Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


MEHAR, 


i-^s 


'  Dr.  Lalor  has  stated  that  Dhar  Yaro,  like  the  Danna  Towers 
in  this  division,  is  not  Ukely  to  answer  as  a  good  spot  for  a 
sanitarium,  owing  to  the  difficulty  a  sick  person  would  experience 
in  reaching  it,  since  the  hot  winds  which  blow  in  the  low  country 
during  the  summer  season  would  make  a  journey  at  such  a  time 
very  hazardous.  It  might,  nevertheless,  he  thought,  be  made  a 
place  of  some  importance  for  officers  employed  in  Upper  Sind 
during  the  intense  heat  prevaiUng  in  the  plains.  Water  is  scarce, 
but  new  tanks,  or  rather  a  ^'bandh,"  which  has  been  thrown 
across  a  wide  and  deep  natural  hollow,  will,  no  doubt,  provide 
an  ample  supply  for  all  requirements.  A  house  or  shed  was  built 
here  by  Mr.  S.  Mansfield,  a  late  commissioner  in  Sind,  during 
his  short  stay  at  this  station  a  few  years  ago. 

Danna  Towers  Sanitarium. — There  is  but  one  other  sani- 
tarium, if  it  may  be  called  so,  in  this  division,  also  situate  on  the 
Western  hills,  to  which  sick  European  officers  of  the  Government 
service  might  perhaps  resort  for  the  enjoyment  of  a  more  tem- 
perate climate,  or  when  not  sick,  they  might  find  a  cool  retreat 
during  the  intensely  hot  summer  months  of  the  year.  These  are 
the  Danna  Towers,  seated  at  an  elevation  of  4500  feet  above  sea- 
level,  on  a  plateau  of  the  second  or  middle  ridge  of  hills  forming 
the  ELhirthar  range  of  mountains ;  and  as  the  place  has  been 
well  described  by  the  same  eye-witness — ^the  late  Dr.  Lalor,  of  the 
Bombay  Medical  Service — extracts  from  his  interesting  report 
on  this  subject  will  here  be  given. 

"  The  Danna  Towers,  built  on  a  ridge  of  the  great  Hala  (Khir* 
thar)  range,  are  situate  about  50  miles  to  the  south-west  of  Mehar, 
and  in  that  Deputy  Collectorate.  After  considerable  inquiries, 
especially  instituted  within  the  last  few  years,  with  the  object  of 
procuring  a  cool  retreat  during  the  intensely  hot  months  of 
summer,  this  place  was  selected  by  Captain  Ford,  Collector  of 
Shikarpur,  as  offering  the  greatest  probabilities  of  success.  Con- 
sidered with  reference  to  the  surrounding  country,  it  will  be  found, 
after  an  irregular,  rugged,  and  occasionally  steep  ascent,  to  over- 
look all  that  north-eastern  portion  of  the  valley  of  Sind  to  which 
it  forms  a  barrier,  and  to  be  again  overlooked  by  those  higher 
ranges  of  which  the  Khara  Takar  is  here  the  natural  and  im- 
passable boundary  between  Sind  and  Balochistan.  For  about 
30  miles  to  the  west  of  Mehar,  a  straight  road  has  been  marked 
out,  leading  for  the  most  part  through  a  desert  country,  and  de- 
pendent for  cultivation  on  the  mountain-torrents.  The  soil  appears 
to  be  a  fine  rich  brown  loam,  with  apparently  a  considerable 
alluvial  substratum  firom  the  repeated  washings  of  mountain  streams. 

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5i6  MEHAR, 

The  absence  of  vegetation  is  but  seldom  and  only  relieved 
by  patches  of  stunted  tamarisk.  Of  the  remaining  20  miles, 
IS  are  through  irregularly  winding  gorges,  mostly  river-beds, 
covered  with  diluvium  and  occasional  huge  boulders,  and  up  the 
gradually  ascending  slopes  of  the  lower  range.  This  is  an  exceed* 
ingly  bad  and  disagreeable  journey  at  present,  but  more  particu- 
larly in  the  latter  portion,  where  it  takes  a  southerly  turn,  as  here 
a  free  current  of  air  is  shut  out  by  the  now  uninterrupted  line  of 
hills,  while  the  rocks  on  either  side  radiate  a  powerful  and  almost 
stifling  heat 

"On  the  wayside  are  some  bold  and  striking  overhanging 
cliffs,  a  few  reaching  a  height  of  fully  1000  feet  This  lower 
range  appears  to  be  all  of  the  red  sandstone  formation,  of  vast 
horizontal,  or  sometimes  slightly  oblique,  stratification,  and  in- 
variably dips  eastward  toward  the  plain.  Occasional  beds  of 
yellow  clay  and  marl  are  met  with,  the  evident  result  of  denuda- 
tion of  the  upper  ranges.  These  hills  are  in  every  direction  inter- 
sected by  innumerable  watercourses,  and  evince  powerful  and 
repeated  water  action.  The  ascent  firom  these  to  the  middle  ridge, 
on  which  the  towers  are  built,  is  very  abrupt  and  laborious,  though 
apparently  practicable  and  safe  for  hill  ponies.  It  is  altogether 
about  s  miles.  The  first  two  are  over  solid  rock,  of  close- 
grained  sand  and  limestone,  about  1500  feet  in  elevation,  thence 
through  the  bed  of  a  nala,  flanked  on  either  side  by  masses 
of  loose  sandstone  and  marl,  containing  nummulites  in  large 
quantity  and  in  a  free  state — 'detritus  from  the  higher  ranges.' 
The  remaining  three  miles  to  the  towers  are  very  steep,  and  up 
the  middle  ridge,  the  most  marked  peculiarity  of  which  is  that  it 
dips  at  an  angle  of  about  45°  westward,  or  in  a  contrary  direction 
to  the  lower  one  just  described,  and  to  the  upper,  or  IGiara  Takar, 
immediately  beyond.  It  is,  as  approximately  ascertained  fh>m  the 
boiling-point  of  water,  about  4500  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea, 
and  is  mainly  composed  of  nunmiulitic  limestone,  with  the  accom- 
'  panying  nummulites  and  testaceas,  occasionally  varied  by  bits  of 
quartz,  imbedded  nodules  of  carbonate  of  lime  and  pyrites.  Imme* 
diately  beyond,  and  striking  more  directly  north  and  south,  is  the 
Khara  Takar,  6000  feet  high  at  least  This  dips  eastward  at 
an  angle  of  about  30°,  shows  considerable  traces  of  water  action 
along  its  side,  and  at  either  flank  a  huge  cliff  of  fully  5000 
feet  These  appear  to  have  been  either  corroded  away  by  water 
action,  or  else  thrown  off  in  a  convulsion  of  nature  with  some 
violence,  altering  the  strike  to  north-east  and  south-west  They 
appear  very  imi)osing,  especially  at  early  morning,  but  access  to 

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MEHAR.  517 

lieih  is  diflScuk,  particularly  that  to  the  south-wesL  This  over- 
hangs Herat,  a  pretty  little  valley  about  3  miles  south-west  of 
the  towers,  containing  an  abundant  supply  of  water.  It  is  a  place 
of  some  importance  in  the  hills,  was  once  intended  by  the  Mirs 
of  Hyderabad  as  a  secure  retreat,  and  still  shows  the  half-finished 
walls  and  gateways  of  a  fort  At  a  comparatively  early  era  of 
creation,  this  valley  must  have  been  inhabited,  and  curious  remains 
of  a  bygone  age  are  seen  in  the  Kafir  Kots — regular,  and  evi- 
dently artificial  ranges  like  river  terraces.  They  were  probably 
intended  as  sites  for  huts  and  tents,  but  ^t  would  be  impossible 
ever  to  ascertain  how  they  were  formed.  The  popular  beUef  is 
that  those  huge  boulders  were  lifted  into  position  by  the  giant  race 
then  inhabiting  the  earth,  or  they  may  have  been  arrested  in  their 
descent  from  the  higher  ridges  by  some  artificial  contrivance.  But 
whatever  may  be  the  theory  of  their  formation,  they  are  strange 
and  imperishable,  though  indefinite  memorials  of  an  age  and  race 
long  since  passed  away. 

"  The  soil  here,  as  in  every  place  on  the  hills,  is  a  yellowish-red 
marl,  derived,  no  doubt,  from  the  disintegration  of  the  rocks,  and 
washed  into  those  plateaux  by  the  water ;  it  is  apparently  very 
rich,  and  in  the  season  is  under  cultivation.  Excellent  water  can 
always  be  had  from  Herar,  but  the  road  is  difficult  The  rivulet, 
on  leaving  the  valley,  is  lost  to  sight  beneath  the  rocks  for  nearly 
half  a  mile,  reappearing  in  a  fine  gushing  stream,  at  full  300 
feet  of  a  lower  level  than  the  point  of  its  disappearance.  There 
seems  but  little  doubt  that  it  still  retains  the  original  bed,  and 
that  the'  superimposed  rock  is  of  a  comparatively  late  forma- 
tion, and  in  many  places  composed  of  petrified  vegetable  matter 
and  debris. 

**  Large  masses  of  this  structure,  with  a  dull  hollow  resonance, 
may  be  occasionally  met  with,  which  on  fracture  give  the  appear- 
ance of  tube  and  fibre — ^unmistakably  vegetable.  Few  sights  are 
more  curious  or  picturesque  than  the  course  of  this  rivulet,  which, 
up  to  the  point  of  its  disappearance  in  the  valley,  exhibits  no 
higher  organisation  than  the  leech^  while  here,  at  its  escape  fi-om 
the  rocks,  it  teems  with  animal  life,  varied  and  advanced  in  the 
9cale  of  nature.  Amongst  these  are  many  kinds  of  fish,  similar 
apparently  to  the  roach  and  perch,  crabs,  crayfish,  and  myriads  of 
minute  articulate  animals.  The  lofty  overhanging  crags  on  either 
side  are  studded  with  flowers  of  various  colours.  In  the  bed 
of  the  stream  are  some  huge  grey  limestone  boulders,  often  20 
feet  high,  and  as  many  in  circumference,  with  masses  of  con-' 
glomerate,  showing  that  once  a  mighty  torrent  must  have  swept 

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5t8  MEHAR. 

down  those  mountain-sides.  Some  beautiful  ferns  cover  the  edges 
of  the  spring,  and  a  few  well-known  trees  in  Sind — the  siris, 
pipal,  babul,  pilu  and  fig,  together  with  the  pink  oleander,  large 
reeds,  and  a  stunted  variety  of  bamboo—appear  to  be  indigenous, 
though  not  flourishing  in  this  place.  On  leaving  the  rocks  the 
stream  winds  through  the  intermediate  valley,  and  is  lost  amongst 
the  lower  hills,  aflfording  at  one  place — ^At-ke-Pere,  about  4  miles 
from  the  towers  —  excellent  drinking  water.  Several  attempts 
have  been  made  to  procure  a  supply  of  water  in  the  immediate 
neighbourhood  of  the  towers,  and  two  tanks,  partially  excavated 
by  Captain  Ford,  will  test  the  possibility  of  retaining  die  rain- 
water in  a  convenient  situation.  According  to  the  hill-men,  the 
water,  after  a  wet  season,  lodges  for  four  or  five  months  in  any 
place  with  a  favourable  watershed  The  general  aspect  of  the 
hills  is  wild  and  barren,  but  thousands  of  sheep  and  goats  find 
herbage  amongst  the  stunted  shrubs  and  trees.  Of  the  latter  there 
are  few  of  any  size,  and  actually  on  the  hills  themselves  none 
approaching  to  the  dignity  of  a  forest  tree.  With  regard  to  tem- 
perature, the  first  and  great  element  of  climate,  the  mean  of  sixteen 
observations  taken  at  6  A.if.  and  3  p.m.  respectively,  during  the 
last  fifteen  days  of  June,  was  84*^  20',  the  greatest  maximum  97% 
and  minimum  76^  The  mean  daily  variation  during  the  same 
time  was  5^  6' ;  the  greatest  maximum  14%  and  minimum  i^  30'. 
Solar  radiation  was  powerful,  but  tempered  by  cool  breezes,  setting 
chiefly  from  the  north-west  during  die  first  week,  but  afterwards 
firom  the  east  and  north-east  These  latter  da3rs  were  particularly 
cool  and  moist,  accompanied  by  light  clouds  and  rain.  The  ther- 
mometer  never  rose  above  78°,  and  the  daily  variation  was  a 
minimum.  The  nights  were  invariably  pleasant;  a  few  positively 
cold,  and  in  none  could  warm  covering  be  conveniently  dispensed 
with.  High  wmds,  cold,  but  otherwise  of  an  exceedingly  dis- 
agreeable nature,  prevailed  at  the  lunations  in  June.  The  small 
particles  of  sand  and  dust  were  swept  along  with  a  violence  such ' 
as  rendered  walking  or  sitting  in  exposed  situations  very  un- 
pleasant Shortly  after  the  east  and  north-east  breezes  sprang  up, 
the  valley  below  became  covered  with  fog,  appearing  at  first  in 
small  patches,  but  gradually  spreading,  and  finally  rising  above 
the  level  of  the  towers,  seeming  to  settle  along  the  top  and  sides 
of  the  Khara  range.  During  the  night  there  was  a  good  fall  of 
dew,  and  in  the  day  a  most  grateful  alternation  of  doud  and  sun- 
shine. A  slight  shower  of  rain  on  the  30th,  and  again  the  atmo- 
sphere became  dry.  During  the  month  of  July,  the  atmosphere 
was  much  more  uniform,  the  temperature  lower,  and  daily  varia- 

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MEHAR.  519 

tibn  slight  There  were  none  of  those  high  winds  so  disagreeable 
in  June.  The  first  experiments  on  humidity  showed  a  powerful 
evaporation  and  unduly  dry  state  of  the  air,  the  mean  depression 
amounting  to  28^.  In  July  there  was  a  marked,  but  gradual  and 
never  violent,  transition  from  dryness  to  moisture,  which  gave 
to  the  month  its  decidedly  agreeable  character.  The  observations 
on  solar  radiation  show  a  different  result  from  what  might  have 
been  expected,  and  are  opposed  to  the  theory  that  "  the  calorific 
effects  of  the  sun  increase  as  we  ascend."  The  greater  clearness 
of  the  atmosphere  and  general  absence  of  clouds  seem  to  favour 
the  theory.  There  is  every  reason,  then,  to  suppose  that  the 
thermometer  can  only  be  taken  as  a  measure  of  the  accumulated 
free  heat,  which  will  be  greater  in  the  plains,  both  from  the  wider 
extent  of  radiating  surface,  and  the  forced  accumulation  firom  super- 
incumbent pressure.  The  period  of  the  highest  range  of  the  ther- 
mometer was  between  one  and  two  o'clock,  about  one  hour  earlier 
than  the  greatest  maximum  within  doors.  From  the  nature  of  the 
locality,  and  the  absence  of  vegetation,  the  glare  is  considerable, 
but,  owing  also  to  the  greater  purity  and  uniformity  of  the  atmo- 
sphere, the  sun's  rays  are  never  reflected  in  that  dazzling  *  mirage,' 
and  the  sickening  elffects  of  both  the  glare  and  solar  heat  in  the 
plains  are  never  experienced.  East  and  north-east  winds  were 
almost  the  only  ones  during  the  months  of  June  and  July.  This 
great  uniformity  results,  no  doubt,  firom  the  vapour  rising  out  of 
the  plains,  and  carried  against  the  sides  of  the  mountain,  causing 
some  condensation — a  vacuum — and  consequent  rush  of  air  in 
those  directions.  Rain  came  on  towards  the  end  of  June.  The 
vapour  upraised  firom  the  plains  formed  for  days,  with  low  and 
continued  mutterings  of  thunder  along  the  Khara,  and  at  last  fell 
in  all  the  bright  tints  of  a  summer's  evening  shower.  During  the 
month  of  July  these  grateful  and  refreshing  showers  were  of  con- 
stant occurrence.  The  amount  of  heat  evolved  in  condensation 
was  curiously  demonstrated,  in  the  occurrence  of  a  hot  wind 
immediately  following  the  subsidence  of  the  rain.  The  ther- 
mometer suddenly  rose  from  70**  to  84^,  and  as  quickly  fell  again. 
The  temperature,  even  during  the  hottest  months  of  the  year — 
June  and  July — ^bears  a  very  strong  and  favourable  contrast  to 
that  of  the  plains.  But  it  is  the  modifications  of  the  other  phy- 
sical conditions  of  climate — the  buoyancy  and  elasticity  of  the 
atmosphere,  owing  to  its  escape  fix>m  such  enormous  superin- 
tendent pressure,  that  constitute  its  most  pleasant  feature.  This 
is  the  first  thing  that  strikes  a  stranger  on  visiting  the  hills,  and 
enables  him  to  take  an  amount  of  exercise,  without  the  accom- 

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sap  MEHAR. 

panying  feeling  of  lassitude,  which  from  a  long  experience  of  die 
plains  he  would  have  believed  impossible.    The  only  hot  months 
of  the  year  are  June  and  the  early  part  of  July.    Once  moisture 
prevails — as  it  did  this  season  in  July,  and  the  natives  say  does 
always  about  the  same  time — ^the  climate  becomes  most  equable 
and  pleasant     No  doubt,  in  the  present  state  of  Upper  Sind,  a 
sanitarium  is  not  only  unnecessary,  but  would  be  injudicious,  from 
the  comparative  solitude  to  which  it  would  be  doomed.    The 
number  of  Europeans  is  very  limited,  and  the  facilities  for  reaching 
Karachi — ^which,  in  addition  to  a  change  of  climate,  affords  the 
equally  grateful  one  of  society — sufficiently  great  for  any  one 
whose  means  can  afford  it,  or  services  be  dispensed  with.    But 
that  such  a  place  can  be  found  is  nevertheless  of  the  greatest  im- 
portance in  a  remote  aspect,  should  the  vicissitudes  of  state  ever 
require  an  increased  establishment  of  Europeans.    The  immediate 
benefit  conferred  by  the  present  cool  retreat,  in  enabling  a  certain 
number  of  officers  to  carry  on  their  official  work,  without  that 
detriment  to  bodily  and  mental  vigour  which  drives  so  many  to 
seek  a  change  before  they  have  been  more  than  a  few  years  in 
Upper  Sind,  must  be  apparent     The  present  accommodation  at 
the  towers  is  unsatisfactory,  and  nothing  but  previous  experience 
of  the  plains  would  induce  any  one  to  seek  the  change.    But  a 
good  deal  has  been  done — a  tank  excavated — ^sufficient  at  least  to 
test  the  probability  of  obtaining  water  there ;  and  the  towers, 
begun  originally  by  the  Mirs,  have  been  roofed  and  put  into  a 
comparatively  comfortable  state.    A  little  more  money,  as  judi- 
ciously expended,  would  not  only  procure  for  the  civil  staff  of  the 
Shikarpur  Collectorate  a  healthy  and  beneficial  change  during  the 
hot  months,  but  would  likewise  be  the  means  of  obtaining  valuable, 
and,  perhaps,  ultimately  very  necessary  information  r^arding  the 
climate  and  other  natural  and  physical  features  of  all  the  hill  dis- 
tricts bounding  the  plains  of  Sind." 

Geology  and  Soils. — ^The  two  chief  prevailing  descriptions  of 
soil  in  the  Mehar  Division  are  alluvial  deposit  and  hill  detritus, 
the  former  found  mostly  in  that  portion  of  the  district  lying  between 
the  Indus  and  the  Western  Nara,  and  for  a  short  distance  to  the 
westward  of  the  latter  stream.  The  hill  detritus  is  met  with  between 
this  alluvial  soil  and  the  Western  range  of  hills,  but  there  is  in  this 
tract  a  great  deal  of  saline  soil  Under  the  hills  the  land  is  veiy 
favourable  for  cultivation,  and  admirably  suited  for  cotton  growing. 
One  authority,  Captain  Macdonald,  has  estimated  that  quite 
300,000  acres  of  this  land  are  suited  for  the  cultivation  of  that 
•important  staple.    The  principal  geological  features  of  that  portion 

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MEHAR.  52 1 

,of  the  great  mountain  barrier  between  Smd  and  Balochistan, 
l)rmg  in  the  Mehar  Division,  have  already  been  referred  to  when 
treating  of  the  Danna  Towers  Sanitarium.  The  several  varieties 
of  soils  known  in  this  district  are  as  follows : — 

Kalrathi,  which  is  an  unproductive  saline  soil  useful  only  for  the  manu* 
facture  of  salt 

Tak,  a  hard,  dark-coloured  soil,  containing  little  or  no  sand,  hard  to 
plough  up,  but  considered  suitable  for  rice  cultivation. 

Gasari,  an  alluvial  soil  deposited  by  the  river  Indus  ;  is  well  suited  for 
wheat  cultivation. 

Nao,  is  land  flooded  by  the  river,  which,  after  the  subsidence  of  the  inun- 
dation waters,  is  left  covered  with  deep  fissures ;  in  this  description  of 
soil,  oil-seed  crops  are  usually  raised. 

Chiki,  a  kind  of  dayey  earth  used  in  the  manufacture  of  pottery. 

Such  minerals  as  are  found  in  this  division  are  of  a  saline 
nature.  Alum  is  said  to  be  manufactured  on  the  Khirthar  range 
of  mountains  in  large  quantities  and  of  a  fair  quality. 

Animals. — ^The  wild  animals  found  in  the  Mehar  Division  are 
panthers,  ibex,  and  ^^gad^  or  wild  sheep,  on  the  Western  hills,  but 
they  are  scarce.  FharhOy  or  hog-deer ;  chinkara,  or  ravine  ante- 
lope; the  wolf,  hyena,  jackal,  fox,  wild  hog,  mangoos,  hedge- 
hog and  hare  are  also  found.  Among  birds  there'  are  several 
varieties  of  the  duck,  the  tilur,  or  bustard,  partridge,  flamingo, 
heron,  rock-grouse  and  quail.  Parrots,  hawks,  kites,  and  vultures 
are  also  common.  The  pelican  is  frequently  seen  on  the  Indus, 
but  duck,  snipe,  and  other  water-birds  abound  in  the  marshes  of 
the  Kakar  taluka.  The  domestic  animals  are  the  same  as  in  other 
parts  of  Sind,  the  camel  being  the  most  useful  The  dumbay  or 
large  flat-tailed  sheep,  is  common,  and  large  numbers  are  pastured 
on  the  Western  hills. 

Vegetable  Productions. — ^The  chief  vegetable  productions  of 
this  district  are  juar,  bajri,  rice,  oil-seeds,  wheat,  barley,  gram, 
tobacco,  cotton,  sugar-cane,  and  a  large  variety  of  garden  vegetables. 
The  fruits,  which  are  the  same  as  those  in  the  adjoining  division  of 
Larkana,  comprise  the  mango,  plantain,  date,  lime  and  pome- 
granate, which  are  common.  The  forest  trees  are  the  babul,  the 
nim  (Azadirachta  Indicd)^  a  very  useful  tree,  valuable  for  its 
medicinal  properties,  and  having  a  highly  aromatic  seed ;  it  attains 
a  great  height  in  Sind ;  the  siris  {Mimosa  Siris),  an  ornamental 
tree  with  a  very  fragrant  blossom ;  the  sisu,  or  tali,  a  kind  of 
blackwood  ;  the  ber  {Zizyphus  vulgaris)  and  several  others.  On 
the  hills,  the  wild  olive,  almond  and  medlar  trees  abound,  and  the 
nim  is  found  there  up  to  an  altitude  of  3500  feet    The  ak  {Calo- 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


S22  MEHAR. 

irqpis  HamUtomt)^  a  camd-fodder  plant,  the  fibres  of  wfaicfa  aie 
also  used  for  nets  and  the  smaller  kind  for  ropes,  together  with 
the  tamarisk  and  other  plants  and  shrubs,  are  common  in  the 
plains.  The  only  Government  forest  in  this  division  is  the  Magsi, 
with  an  area  of  1483  acres,  and  a  revenue,  derived  mostly  from 
grazing  fees,  which  in  1873-74  realised  135  rupees.  It  is  under 
the  charge  of  the  Dak  Munshi  of  Sehwan. 

Fisheries. — The  principal  fish  found  in  the  river  and  in  the 
canals  and  dhandhs  of  this  division  are  the  pala  (caught  only  in 
the  Indus),  the  dambhro,  singari,  khago,  gandan,  and  numerous 
others.  The  principal  fisheries  of  this  district,  firom  which  the 
Government  derived  during  the  past  three  years  ending  1873-74 
an  average  annual  revenue  of  3061  rupees  (included  under  the 
head  of  Local  Revenue),  are  shown  in  the  following  statement, 
which  comprises  those  in  the  various  kolabs  and  dhandhs : — 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


MEHAR. 

FiSHSRIES. 


S«3 


Tidaka. 


Mefaar  (indading. 
Tigar).      .       ^ 


Kakar. 


Nasirabad 


Name  of  Fishery. 


Kolab  Ramko  .  . 
Khad  Umedodero . 
Khad  Alah  Bakhsh 
Khad  Sultan  Chandio 
Knmbh  Mangwani 
Gunchro  Natn  .  . 
Khad  Ashraf  Sodhar 

do.  Ambar  •  • 
Nasui  Bhedar  .  • 
Kiiinbh  Nangishah 
Gharo  Rap .  .  • 
Dhandh  Hishani  . 
Lundo  Naro  •  • 
Kolab  Kachando  . 
DnboWahur  .  . 
Kolib  Samtia  .  • 
DuboGhar  »  . 
Khad  Than  .  . 
KoHLb  Khacharpur 

da  Arrar  •  . 
Knhri  river  .  . 
Nara     •     .     .     . 


Takhpari     •     •     . 

ChSan  \     \     \     \ 
Mula  Khamiso 
Kolab  Khot  Garhi 
do.    Kambar       • 

Dadukhan    . 

Bapho    .     . 

Wasai     .     . 

Ghalu     .     . 

Mado     •     • 

KurkU    .     . 

Kor  Hnsain 


do. 

do. 

do. 

da 

da 

do. 

da 
Marni 
Miani  Dan. 


Kolab  Hamal  Kachri 
Dhandh  Arrar .     . 
Khad  Wagaa  and  Yaro-dero 
Nandiu  Khadu      .     .     •     • 


Total 


Average 
Revenue 
for  3  years 
ending 
»873-74' 


8 


15 

4 
3 

1  8 
49  8 

240 

2  4 
2 

94 


29 

5 

4 

5  8 
7  12 

39 
302 
162 


27  8 
383 
55 

50 

26 
62 

314 
21 

Is 

\ 

58 


177 
19 

53 
74 


Total 
Revenue. 


1087 


1651  8 


3*3 


3061  8 


There  are  other  kolabs,  such  as  those  of  Sahari,  Teji,  and 
Sutiaro  in  the  ICakar  taluka  and  the  Dulan  MiUni  in  the  Mehar 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


S»4 


MEHAR. 


taltika,  but  revenue  from  these  is  mainly  dependent  upon  the 
bursting  of  canal  banks. 

Population. — The  total  population  of  the  Mehar  Division,  as 
given  by  the  census  of  1872,  b  142,305,  of  whom  123,471  are 
Musalmans,  and  18,811  Hindus;  the  remaining  23  comprise 
Christians  and  others.  There  are  thus  57  souls  to  the  square 
mile.  The  Muhamnu^dap  s^d.  Hindu  inhabitants  are  classed  in 
separate  tribes,  as  follows: — 


.     I,  MUHAMMADANS. 


Tribes. 

Number. 

;      ;                        Sub^msions. 

I.  Balochis    . 

Not 

lighiri,  Lund,  Magsi,  Cfaandia,  Rird,  Gadhi, 

known 

J^ashad,    Baldi,    Jamali,    Kolachi,     Talbani, 
Xhosa,  Mali,  Bazdar,  Kaloi,  Mirani,  Gopang, 

by  census 

of  1872. 

Jatoi,  .Jatial,    Nizamani,    Koiai,    Alkhani, 
.Marfani,  &c. 

2.  Jats      .     . 

do. 

Jakhialni,  Brahmani,  Dinari,  Lakreja,  Gogani, 

Saroi,  Jhajik,  Lahbar,  Chang. 
Theba,    Mahesar,   Kamangar,    Depar,    Gorar, 

Mohana,    Phulpota,    Hala,    Si^   Khokhar, 

3.  Sindis  .     . 

do. 

.Kaihora,     Unar,     Mahor,     Daya,     Pahwar, 

.Mangda,     Bhati,    Ghana,    Smnra,    Nareja, 

Juneja,  Pitafi,  Hingora,  Kathia,  and  numer- 

.ous  others.     .      . 

4.Saiyads     . 

966 

Bokhari,  Matari,  Lekhirayi. 

5.  Mogals,      ) 

Memons,    1 
Pathans,     1 

3857 

and  ShekhsJ 

6.  All  others,) 

,     , 

including 
Balochis, 

118,648 

and  Sindis , 
Total.     . 

, 

123.471 

.     IL  Hindis. 

I.  Brahmans . 

«' 

SiEirsudh,  Biimchari,  Acharaj. 

2.  Kshatrias  . 

12. 

3.  Waishia    . 

13,509 

Lohikno,Jagiasi,  Thakur,  Tajik. 
Sonaro^  Wahan,  Kanjar,  «c 

4.  Sudras.     . 
Total.     , 

197 

18,811* 

The  Musalman  and  HindQ  population  in  their  dress,  food, 
character  and  habits  are  assimilated  to  their  brethren  in  the 
adjoining  district  of  Larkana  (q.  v.)«    The  former  are  mostly 


Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


MEHAR. 


52s 


given  to  agricultural  pursuits,  while  the  HindOs  occupy  themselves 
more  with  trade  than  anything  else.  As  a  rule,  both  classes  use 
tobacco,  charas  (a  preparation  of  hemp)  and  opium,  and  indulge 
in  the  drinking  of  ardent  spirits.  Taken,  however,  as  a  whole,  the 
inhabitants  of  this  division  are  quiet,  orderly,  and  well-disposed. 
It  is  said,  and  no  doubt  with  much  truth,  that  a  great  deal-  of 
unfaithfulness  prevails  among  the  wives  of  both  classes,  the  reason 
put  forward  for  this  among  the  Musalman  community  being 
the  non-liabihty  of  the  female  under  British  rule  to  the  severe 
penalties  prescribed  for  this  offence  by  the  Muhammadan  law, 
a  fact  which  the  women  would  seem  to  be  aware  of;  and  in  the 
case  of  the,  Hindus,  to  the  careless  indifference  with  which  it  is 
viewed  by  tfie  Hindu  husband.  It  is  believed  that  many  of  the 
murders  committed  among  the  Muhammadan  community  may  be 
traced  to  conjugal  infidelity  on  the  part  of  the  wife,  whose  Ufe, 
as  well  as  that  of  her  paramour,  are  frequently  taken  to  satisfy  the 
vindictive  jealousy  of  the  husband*  The  crime  to  which  the 
population  as  a  body  appear  to  be  greatly  addicted,  is  cattle- 
lifting,  so  common  throughout  the  province,  and  in  this  the 
Balodi  portion  of  the  inhabitants  take  a  prominent  part  The 
Musalman  loves  to  resort  to  the  criminal  courts  of  his  district  on 
the ,  slightest  provocation,  while  the  Hindu,  on  the  other  hand, 
avoids  them,  but  eagerly  enters  the  civil  courts  for  the  satisfaction 
of  procuring  a  decree  whereby  he  may  enforce  some  particularly 
harsh  stipulation  in  a  bond  to  which  a  Muhammadan  is  a  con* 
tracting  party.  These  peculiarities  of  disposition  may  be  taken 
as  a  &ir  index  of  the  characters  of  the  respective  classes.  The 
amount  of  crime  and  litigation  prevailing  among  the  people  of  the 
JMehar  Division  will  be  better  tmderstood  by  a  reference  to  the 
following  criminal  and  civil  statistics  for  the  four  years  ending 
with  1874 , — 

I.  Criminal. 


Year. 

Muzden. 

Hurts, 
Assaults, 
and  use  of 
Criminal 

Force. 

Thefts. 

Receiving 

House- 

''^^. 

Other 
Offences. 

Cattle. 

Others. 

jS^-     jl«*ng. 

187I 
1872 
1873 
1874 

4 

t 

4 

II 

95 
180 
167 
131 

62 

98 

106 

85 

163 

163 
122 

26 
26 
31 

3* 

3» 

30 
36 

•  •• 

i8a 

217 
163 
192 

Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


sa« 

MBHAR, 

II.    Civiu 

Suits  for  LumL 

Suits  for  Money. 

Other  Suits. 

TotsL             1 

Yen. 

N©. 

Vahie. 

No. 

Value. 

No. 

Value. 

No. 

Value. 

rupees. 

rupees. 

rupees. 

rupeesL 

1871 

19 

1,603 

997 

49.071 

16 

807 

1,032 

51,581 

1872 

13 

1,714 

1.067 

74,409 

36 

1,286 

1,106 

77,409 

1873 

19 

3,»6i 

1,067 

56,810 

33 

1,3" 

1,119  ]     61,283 

1874 

18 

2,569 

700 

56,047 

29 

2.305 

747  i    60,921 

Establishments. — The  chief  revenue  and  magisterial  officer  in 
the  Mehar  Deputy  Collectorate  is  the  Deputy  Collector,  who  is 
vested  with  the  full  power  of  a  magistrate  throughout  his  charge ; 
under  him,  as  in  other  districts  in  Sind^  are  the  Mukhtyarkars 
of  the  four  talukas  (who  are  generally  first-class  subordmate 
magistrates  in  their  respective  talakas),  and  34  Tapadars.  There 
is  a  subordinate  civil  court  at  Mehar,  presided  over  by  a  native 
judge,  whose  jurisdiction  extends  over  the  whole  division.  He 
visits  dtiring  the  year  on  circuit  the  towns  of  Kakar,  Tharari, 
and  Nasirabad.  This  court  is  immediately  subordinate  to  the 
district  judge  of  Shikarpur. 

Police. — ^The  total  number  of  police  employed  in  the  Mehar 
Division  is  131,  or  one  poUceman  to  every  1086  of  the  population. 
They  are  divided  into  district  and  foot  rural  force,  and  are  a 
portion  of  the  large  force  belonging  to  the  Shikarpur  Collectorate 
The  Mehar  police  force,  which  is  directly  under  the  charge  of 
two  chief  constables,  one  of  whom  is  stationed  at  Mehar  and  the 
other  at  Waiah,  is  distributed  as  follows : — 


Talflka. 

Mounted 
Police. 

Anncdasd 

unaxised 

Foot  Police. 

Municipal 

1.  Mehar  (indnding  Tigar)  .... 

2.  Nasirahad 

3.  Kakar 

Totals    .     .     . 

II 

6 

12 

47 
19 
29 

4 
3- 

29 

9S 

7 

Revenue. — The  revenue,  imperial  and  local,  of  this  division 
though  not  so  large  in  the  aggregate  as  that  of  the  adjoining  and 
richer  Larkana  district,  is  nevertheless  considerable  for  its  area, 
and  is  shown  under  its  principal  heads,  for  the  five  years  ending 
1873-74,  as  follows  :  — 

Digitized  by  VjOOQ IC 


MBHAR. 

I.  Imperial  Rxventte. 


5«7 


Items. 

RealisadonsiB 

i8(S9-70. 

1870-7X. 

x87i-7a. 

x87a-73. 

•1873-74. 

Land  Tax  •     . 

Abkari  .     .     . 

Dru^s        and' 
Opium     ,     ./ 

Stamps    .     • 

Salt.     .     .     . 

R^strationDe-' 
partment .     . 

Po.sta1    DepartO 
ment  •     •     •, 

Income(andCer-' 
tificate)  Tax  ., 

Fines  and  Fees 

MisceUaneons  . 

Total  rupees. 

rupees. 
4,75,306 

5,871 
5,835 

",539 
10,640 

1,420 

500 

6,756 

1,041 

rupees. 
3,89,251 

7,479 

3,970 

13,599 
17,710 

1,903 

546 

12,581 
3,802 
2,525 

rupees. 
4,39,956 
4,625 

4,588 

17,586 
3,783 

1,323 

1,036 

11,518 

2,401 
3.976 

rupees 
4,24,824 

5,705 
4,974 
19,418 
5,599 
1,390 

1,232 

2,753 

3,019 
1,226 

rupees. 
4,06,460 

5,482 

5,037 

19,640 

5,674 

1,669 

1,614 

1,410 
969 

5,18,908 

4,53,326 

4,90,791 

4,70,140 

4,47,945 

XL 

Local  Revenue. 

Items. 

Realisations  in 

1869-7Q. 

X870-7X. 

x87i-7a. 

1874-73. 

1873-74. 

Cesses  on  Land 

rupees. 

rupees. 

rupees. 

rupees. 

rupees. 

and        Sayer 
Revenue .     . 

29,587 

26,553 

32,456 

27,350 

27,085 

Percentage     on 
Alienated 
Lands      •     . 

453 

219 

352 

112 

515 

Cattle      Pound 

and        Ferry 
Funds      •     . 

6,789 

7,728 

8,027 

7,831 

6,145 

Fisheries     .     . 
Total  rupees . 

8,150 

5,503 

4,016 

5,154 

4,454 

44,979 

40,013 

44.851 

40,452 

38,199 

Survey  and  Settlement. — The  topographical  survey  of  this 
district  was  carried  out  in  1861-^2,  and  the  new  survey  settlement 
was  introduced  between  the  years  1867-68  and  1870-71.  The 
following  table  will  show  the  different  survey  rates  obtaining  in 
each  of  the  four  talukas  of  the  Mehar  Division  {see  next  page). 

Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


Sa8 


MEHAR. 


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Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


MEHAR.  529 

JAgirs. — ^The  jSgir  land  in  this  division  is  mostly  in  the  Kakar 
and  Mehar  talukas.  In  the  Tigar  taluka  (now  included  in  that 
of  Mehar),  the  jagir  land  is  confined  to  one  village,  the  area 
being  small,  not  more  than  584^  acres.  In  the  Nasirabad  taluka, 
though  the  holders  are  few,  the  area  held  is  large,  the  jagir  of 
Wadero  Ghaibi  Khan  Chandio,  whose  residence  is  at  Ghaibi  Dero, 
in  the  Larkana  Division,  alone  comprising  51,562  acres  of  cul- 
turable  and  unarable  land.  The  entire  area  of  culturable  land 
held  in  jagir,  throughout  the  Mehar  Division,  is  about  61,508 
acres,  that  of  unarable  land  being  still  larger.  The  following  is  a 
list  of  the  Jagirdars  of  various  classes  in  this  district,  showing  the 
extent  of  land  each  holds,  with  other  particulars  {see pp.  530-532). 


2 

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Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


MEHAR. 


533 


Municipalities. — ^There  are  at  present  but  two  municipal 
institutions  in  this  division,  one  at  Mehar,  established  on  the  ist 
of  July,  1873,  and  the  other  at  Khairpur  Natheshah,  on  the  ist  of 
August,  1873.  The  receipts  and  disbursements  of  both  for  the 
year  1873-74  were  1577  rupees,  575  rupees,  and  542  rupees,  and 
347  rupees  respectively. 

Medical  Establishment. — ^There  is  but  one  medical  dispen- 
sary— ^that  at  Mehar — ^throughout  the  whole  of  the  Mehar  Division. 
It  was  established  about  twenty-five  years  ago,  and  is  placed  under 
the  charge  of  a  hospital  assistant  of  the  Bombay  Medical  Service, 
with  a  small  subordinate  establishment  This  dispensary  is  wholly 
supported  by  the  Government  at  an  annual  cost  of  more  than  one 
thousand  rupees,  and  it  is  visited  by  the  Deputy  Surgeon-General 
of  Hospitals,  Sind  Division,  during  the  cold  season.  The  fol- 
lowing table  will  show  the  attendance  of  patients  at  this  dispensary 
during  the  years  1873  and  1874  : — 


In-patients  .     . 
Out-patients     . 

Total  Admissioiis  in 

• 

Casualties  in 

Average  DaQy 
Attendance  in 

X873. 

1874. 

1873. 

1874. 

1873. 

1874. 

62 

3,968 

58 
6,006 

... 

I 

3 

41 S 

3 
52-3 

Jails. — ^There  are  no  jails  in  the  Mehar  Division,  but  at  every 
MuUitySlrkar's  head-quarter  station  there  is  a  subordinate  jail  or 
lock-up,  where  untried  accused  persons  as  well  as  prisoners  under 
sentence  can  be  detained  for  a  time. 

Education.— The  number  of  Govemipent  schools  in  this 
division  in  1873-74  was  11,  with  426  pupils.  The  number  in 
each  taluka  in  1873-74,  with  other  particulars,  is  contained  in 
the  subjoined  statement : — 


TalOka. 

Schools. 

Remaiks. 

No. 

I^xpOs. 

1.  Mehar  (including  Tigar)    . 

2.  Nanriibad 

3.  Kakar 

Total.     .     .     . 

5 

2 

4 

222 

iS» 

All    these   schools   are 
vernacular.  There  are 
no  female  schools  in 
the  division. 

II 

426 

Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


534 


MEHAR. 


AGiiicULTUits,*-^The  seasons  during  which  agricultural  optra- 
li(xis  are  earned  on  in  this  division  are  three  in  number,  viz.: 
Kharif,  Rabi,  and  Peshras.  The  different  crops  raised  in  these 
several  seasons  are  as  follow : — 


SeMOA. 

Time  when 

PxindEiaCBoia  Produced. 

Sown. 

Re«|wd. 

I,  Kharif;. 
a.  Ribi     . 
3.  Peshras 

June    .     . 
November. 
Februaiy  . 

Octobef    , 
May    .     . 
Septenber 

Juir,  b&jfi,  rice,  tir  (oU-aeed), 

of  sort 
Wbeat,    barley,  gram,    uatar, 
tobacco,  jambho,  and  garden 
produce. 

The  cultivation  in  the  Mehar  Deputy  Collectorate  is  mostly 
Mok  and  Barani  or  rain-land  This  latter  is  principally  carried 
on  in  that  part  of  the  district  lying  near  the  Western  range  of  hills. 
In  the  Kakai'  taluka  irrigation  is  ample  from  the  Kudan  and 
Marui  canals  as  well  as  from  several  dkandhs.  The  villages 
in  the  Gharo  tapa  of  this  taluka  produce  good  rice,  but  floods 
from  the  Nara  are  frequent,  and  often  prevent  the  cultivation  of 
this  crop.  The  Barani  lands  of  the  Mehar  taluka  He  in  the  five 
villages  of  Mojhar,  Dadh,  Faridabad,  Charo,  and  Kur-Kolachi. 
l^ey  receive  their  supply  of  water  from  hill-streams,  to  which 
artificial  channels  are  made,  others  from  floods  which  sweep  over 
the  plains  after  heavy  rain.  The  implements  of  husbandry  in  use 
in  this  district  are  the  same,  generally  speaking,  as  in  other  parts 
of  Sind,  and  consist  chie^  of  the  kar^  or  plough,  the  jaIct, 
or  clod-crusher,  the  dairOy  or  saw-edged  sickle,  and  the  rambOj 
or  hand  grubbing-hoe. 

Commerce. — The  export  trade  of  this  division  is  mainly  in 
grain  of  various  kinds,  which  is  sent  by  boats  on  the  Indus  to 
Kotri,  Hyderabad,  and  other  places.  Nothing  seems  to  be 
known  concerning  the  quantity  and  value  of  either  the  local  or 
transit  trade  of  this  division ;  but  if  the  large  revenue  derived  by 
the  Government  fi:om  the  land  can  be  taken  as  any  guide,  it 
must  be  both  extensive  and  important 

Manufactures. — The  manufactures  of  the  Mehar  District  are 
comparatively  unimportant,  being  confined  chiefly  to  salt,  salt- 
petre,  and  coarse  cloths,  but  nothing  is  known  of  the  yearly 


Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


MBHAR. 


535 


quantity  manufactured  and  value  of  any  one  of  these  atticles,  or 
whether  exported  to  other  districts  or  consumed  within  the 
division. 

Fairs. — ^There  are  but  eight  fairs  of  any  note  held  in  the  Mehar 
Division,  that  of  Nango  Shah,  at  the  town  of  the  same  name,  being 
the  most  numerously  attended ;  these  are  shown  in  the  subjoined 
table  :— 


Where  hdd. 


When. 


For 
wliat 
Time. 


In  wfaoie  Honour, 


Average 
Attendance. 


i.SliahGodro 
2.Gazi  Shah. 

3.  Khanpur    . 

4.  Fir  Nath  . 

5.Nasir    Mu.\ 
hamxnad 


loth  Zilhaz     .     . 

ist     Monday     in' 
every  month . 

February  .     , 
I  Annually  in  monthl 
\  of  February  .     ,/ 


6.NSngoSlaih 

7.  Giji  Dcro  . 

8.  Shah  Panjo 


Ditto   .     .     . 

October  .  . 
f20th  Sawan  (July 
I  to  August)  . 
list  Monday  in 
t  every  month.     .. 


Days. 

I 

z 
I 

I 


Fir  Sliah  Godro 

Fir  Gfai  Shah 

KaxiBirhSn 

Fir  NSth     . 

MahSLl  Mia . 
Nasir    Moham- 

mad   . 
NingoShlh 

Fir  Muhammad 
Shah  Fanjo      . 


Muh.&Hindas. 
1,030 

200 

2,000 

1,000 

3»«x) 

5,000 
2,000 

1,000 


Communications. — ^There  are  in  all  nearly  300  miles  of  road — 
main,  postal  and  branch — throughout  the  Mehar  Division.  The 
chief  and  most  important  line  is  that  running  from  the  LarkSna 
district  nearly  nortfi  and  south  through  Mehar,  and  on  to  that  of 
SehwaiL  None  of  the  roads  are  metalled,  but  juar  straw  is  laid 
on  them  in  several  places,  a  plan  which  seems  well  adapted  to 
keep  down  the  dust  during  both  the  cold  and  hot  seasons.  The 
following  is  a  list  of  the  different  lines  of  road  in  this  district,  with 
other  information  in  connection  with  them  {s€epp^  536,  537) : — 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


S36 


MEHAR. 


.a 


mil  8 


o 

Q 


r%\0  M        *-•  NQO 


^0  O       00        0\       Ct  N 


§ 


m 


fell    li 


I 

•^ 

Ill     -Sll     I     l|     =,3> 


2  S    fr 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


MEHAR. 


537 


% 


1 

I 


»tj  "rt  *rj    i 
U3  Q  *©  "O  tJ  ti 


I  ^    a^^^'  ^  I  ii  ^  l^,a'^<^s'<^ 


O     o  cntnoo  »^     »^     O      <^  <^     00      Otco^oooooom 


;?    I       

sp      •  • f  ■  '11 

IS?'  iHl'  a   I   ll   I  lllllll 

T-^   

•  ;z;    

•  s I   I Is    

3  la  .hll-a   &  -a  Is   i  lllllll 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


538 


MEBAJR. 


The  postal  lines  of  communication  in  this  district  are  from 
Mehar  to  Kakar  and  Warah,  again  from  Mehar  northward  towards 
Larkana,  and  southward  towards  Sehwan.  They  are  foot  lines. 
There  are  non-disbursing  post-ofiices  at  Mehar,  Kakar  and  Warah, 
and  a  branch  post-office  at  Radhan. 

Ferries. — ^There  are  31  ferries  in  the  Mehar  Division,  all  of 
them  upon  either  the  Indus  or  Western  Naia ;  and  it  may  be  as 
well  to  remark  that  their  names  are  derived  from  the  viUages  near 
which  they  are  situate.  The  following  is  a  list  of  these  ferries, 
with  the  number  of  boats  employed  at  each : — 


Name  of  Fory. 


I.  Sita      .      .      . 
2  .  Rukan 

3.  Ghalu .     •     . 

4.  Mir  Husain    . 

5.  Gozo   .     .     . 

6.  Kundi  Chukhi 

7.  Dur  Muhammad 

8.  Mundro     •     . 

9.  Charan     .     . 
10.  Belo     •     .     . 


1 1.  Safar  Lakhir  . 

12.  Gazi  Shah 

13.  Dubi  Mirza  Shah 

14.  Rawat  Khan  . 

15.  Ghari  .     .     . 

16.  Butiia  .     .     . 

17.  But  Saiui .     . 
iS.  Jamili       .     . 

19.  Ghana       .     . 

20.  Lashari     .     . 

21.  Vehar .     .     . 

22.  Chakro     .     . 

23.  Nawo  Got 

24.  Nari    .     .     . 

25.  Thari  Mohbat 

26.  Patriji       .     . 

27.  Jadam  Kalhoro 

28.  Sihar  .     .     . 

29.  Sono  Gadhi    . 

30.  Kabulo     .     . 

31.  Ghulam  Husain  Biit 


Where  situate. 


Tal.  Kakar. 

On  the  Indus 
Ditto  ,  .  .  . 
Ditto  .... 
Western  Nira  . 
Ditto  .... 
Ditto  .... 
Ditto  .... 
Ditto  .... 
Ditto  .... 
Ditto   .... 

Tal.  Mehar. 

Western  Nara 

Ditto  .... 

Ditto  .... 

Ditto  .... 

Ditto  .... 

Ditto  .... 

Ditto  .... 
On  the  Indus . 

Ditto  .... 

Ditto  .... 

Ditto  .... 

Ditto  .... 

Ditto  .... 

Ditto  .... 
Western  Nara      . 

Ditto  .... 

Ditto  .... 

Ditto  .... 

Ditto  .... 

Ditto  .... 

Ditto  .... 


Nomber 
ofBoau 
employed. 


No  remains  of  any  antiquity  exist,  it  would  appear,   in  this 
division,  none  at  least  that  call  for  any  special  mention. 

Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


MEHAR. 


S39 


Mehar^  a  talQka  (or  sub-division)  of  the  Mehar  Deputy  Col- 
lectorate,  now  including  what  was  known  as  the  Tigar  taluka, 
and  containing  an  area  of  583  square  miles,  with  15  tapas,  165 
villages,  and  a  population  of  62^265  souls.  The  revenue,  im- 
perial and  local,  of  this  sub-division  (including  the  Tigar  ^taluka) 
during  the  four  years  ending  1S73-74  is  ajs  follows : — 


Imperial    .     .     . 
Local  .... 

Total  rupees  . 

1870-71. 

i87i-7a. 

»87»-». 

1873-74 

rupees. 

a,75.<»S 
a3.665 

rupees. 
»• 21,565 

19,548 

rupees. 
1,79,708 
16,637 

rupees. 

i,74,o6i 
14,752 

2,98,693 

2,41, "3 

2,06,345 

1,88,813 

Mehar^  the  chief  town  of  the  Deputy  CoUectorate  of  the  same 
name,  situate  on  the  banks  of  the  Kakol  canal,  in  about  latitude 
27°  6'  N.  and  longitude  67°  54'  E.  It  is  distant  36  miles  south- 
west from  Larkana,  with  which  it  has  road  communication,  as  also 
with  the  villages  of  Kamangar,  Sita,  Nawa  Got,  Nasirabad,  Kakar, 
Warah,  Garkan^  and  other  places.  It  has  a  somewhat  pretty  ap- 
pearance when  viewed  from  a  distance,  being  embosomed  in  trees  of 
a  large  size,  nor  is  this  dissipated  by  a  nearer  approach.  It  is  the 
head-quarter  station  of  the  Deputy  Collector  of  the  division,  who  has 
a  bangalow  here  with  a  fine  garden  attached  to  it  Close  to  this 
residence  is  the  Mukhtyarkar's  kutcherry.  There  are  lines  for  the 
accommodation  of  11  district  and  10  foot  rural  police,  who  are 
under  the  command  of  a  chief  constable.  The  other  pubUc 
buildings  of  the  place  are — a  medical  dispensary,  the  only  institu- 
tion of  the  kind  throughout  the  division,  estabhshed  about  twenty* 
five  years  ago,  and  in  charge  of  a  subordinate  ofRcer  of  the  Bombay 
Medical  Department ;  a  travellers'  bangalow,  a  large  and  com- 
modious musafirkhana,  a  market,  Government  vernacular  school, 
cattle  pound,  and  a  post-office.  A  court-house,  at  a  cost  of  12,600 
rupees,  is  at  present  under  construction.  The  town  now  possesses 
a  municipahty,  established  in  1873.  Its  receipts  in  1873-74  were 
1577  rupees,  and  the  disbursements  only  542  rupees.  The  popu- 
lation of  Mehar,  by  the  census  of  1872,  was  but  1246,  consisting  of 
544  Musalmans,  mostly  Saiyads,  and  702  Hmdus,  chiefly  Brahmans 
and  Lohanos.  There  are,  it  would  seem,  no  manufactures  in 
this  place.  The  trade,  both  local  and  transit,  is  principally  in 
grain  of  all  kinds,  the  produce  of  the  division,  cotton  and  tobacco, 

Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


540  MIAN  SAHEB—MIRPUR. 

but  no  statistics  of  either  its  quantity  or  value  seem  to  be  avail- 
able. 

Mian  BahSb,  a  Government  village  in  the  Shikaipur  taluka 
of  the  Sukkur  and  Shikaipur  Deputy  Collectorate,  seated  on  the 
large  Beg&ri  canal,  and  distant  i6  miles  north  from  Shiklrpur.  It 
has  road  communication  with  Zarkhel  and  Humalyun  (Hamao)  on 
the  Shikarpur  and  Jacobabad  road.  There  are  police  lines  for  lo 
men,  and  a  Government  school  The  population  is  large,  number- 
ing in  all  1702  persons,  of  whom  1274  are  Musalmans,  many  of 
them  Fawars,  and  428  Hindus,  of  the  Lohano  caste.  The  chief 
occupations  of  the  people  are  agriculture  and  trade,  but  the 
manufactures  are  comparatively  of  no  account 

Miani,  a  Government  village  in  the  Sukkur  taluka -of  the  Suk- 
kur and  Shikarpur  Deputy  Collectorate,  distant  12  miles  north  of 
Sukkur  and  20  east  from  Shikarpur.  It  has  road  communication 
with  Chak  and  Abad  Melani,  as  also  with  Shikarpur  viA  Abad.  It 
is  the  head-quarter  station  of  a  Tapadar,  and  has  a  cattle  pound. 
The  population,  numbering  in  all  961  souls,  comprises  811  Musal- 
mans,  principally  Saiyads,  and  150  HindQs  of  the  Waishia  and 
Sudra  castes.  There  is  a  [little  trade  carried  on  in  grain,  but 
there  are  no  manufactures,  the  chief  occupation  of  the  inhabitants 
being  agriculture. 

Miani|  a  Government  village  in  the  ELambar  taluka  of  the 
Larkana  Deputy  Collectorate,  12  miles  west  of  Larkana  and  near 
the  Sijawal  and  Kambar  road  The  population,  numbering  in  all 
926,  comprise  766  Musalm^ns  of  the  Saiyad  and  Guimani  tribes, 
and  160  HindOs,  mostly  Lohanos.  Their  occupations  are  trade 
and  agriculture. 

Mira  Khan,  a  Government  village  in  the  Kambar  taluka  of 
the  Larkana  Division,  16  miles  north  by  west  from  the  town  of 
Larkana,  It  has  road  communication  with  the  towns  of  Kambar, 
Sijawal,  Dost  Ali,  and  Rato-dero.  The  inhabitants,  1462  in 
number,  are  chiefly  Musalmans  (1225)  of  the  Saiyad,  Juneja,  and 
Guleja  tribes,  there  being  but  237  Hindus,  mostly  Lohanos.  Their 
principal  employments  are  agricdture  and  trade. 

Mirpur,  a  taluka  (or  sub-division)  of  the  Rohri  Deputy  Col- 
lectorate, containing  an  area  of  1720  square  miles,  with  8  tapas, 
86  villages,  and  a  population  of  42,127  souls.  The  revenue,  im- 
perial and  local,  of  this  sub-division  during  the  four  years  ending 
1873-74  is  as  follows  : — 


Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


MIRPUR. 


541 


Imperial    .     .     . 
Local  .... 

Total  rupees   . 

1870-71. 

1871-72. 

1872-73. 

X873-74. 

rupees. 
I, ",743 

9,535 

rupees. 
1,12,605 

10,223 

rupees. 
1,00,776 

9,627 

rupees. 
81,115 

7,541 

1,31,278 

1,22,828 

1,10,403 

88,656 

Mirpnr,  a  Government  town  in  the  Rohri  Deputy  Collectorate, 
and  the  head-quarter  station  of  the  Mukhtyarkar  of  the  tduka  of 
the  same  name,  distant  55  miles  north-east  from  Rohri.  It  has 
road  communication  with  Rohri,  Mathelo,  Khairpur,  Bagudra 
Kotloi,  and  Rawati.  It  has  a  Muhktyarkar's  kutcherry  and  a 
Tapadar's  dera^  as  also  a  travellers'  bangalow,  two  musafirkha- 
nas,  post-office,  police  thana,  with  a  force  of  18  men  (mounted 
and  foot),  and  a  cattle  pound  The  population  of  this  town 
numbers  1425,  of  whom  660  are  Hindus  (of  the  Brahman  and 
Banya  castes),  and  700  Musalmans,  who  are  mostly  of  the  Sial, 
Sumaija,  Muhana  and  Kumbhar  tribes,  and  engaged  in  agriculture* 
The  trade  of  the  place  is  insignificant,  and  is  chiefly  carried  on  in 
grain  and  ghL 

The  district  of  which  Mirpur  is  the  principal  town  appears  to 
have  been  known  formerly  under  the  name  of  Maharki,  being 
inhabited  mostly  by  the  Mahar  tribe,  who  were  originally  Hindus, 
and  emigrated  from  Hindustan  under  their  forefather  Chand,  but 
at  what  particular  time  is  not  known.  They  are  supposed  to 
have  entered  Sind  during  the  Rai  dynasty,  and  when  Rki  Sahasi 
was  on  the  throne.  By  this  monarch  Chand  was  made  Naib  of 
Mathelo,  and  a  portion  of  that  district  was  given  to  him  in  jagir. 
Under  their  chief  Sitmak,  the  Mahars  renounced  the  Hindu  reli- 
gion, and  became  Muhammadans,  Sitmak  receiving  the  name  and 
title  of  "  Khan,"  as  well  as  the  district  of  Mathelo,  in  jagir.  The 
town  of  Mirpur  was  founded  by  Mir  Musti  Khan  Talpur  about 

A.D.   1739. 

Miipur,  once  the  second  largest  town  in  the  Frontier  district 
of  Upper  Sind,  and  situate  in  the  Thul  taluka,  20  miles  east  from 
Jacobabad,  with  which  it  has  direct  communication  by  road,  as 
also  with  Mubarakpur,  Shikarpur,  Thul,  Udi,  and  Shergarh.  It 
has  a  police  thana,  and  is  at  present  the  head-quarters  of  a 
Tapadar.  Formerly  there  was  a  district  bangalow  here,  but  this, 
together  with  a  Mukhtyarkar's  kutcherry  and  a  portion  of  the  town 
itself,  was  destroyed  by  the  floods  of  1862-63.  Its  population, 
once  numbering   2000  souls,  is  now,  owing  to  the  destructive 

Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


S4a 


MIRPUR, 


nature  of  the  floods  of  1874,  reduced  to  750,  of  whom  575  are 
Hindus,  chiefly  Lohanos,  and  but  175  Musalmans  of  the  Buhra 
tribe.  It  has  no  particular  trade  except  in  grain,  which  is  some- 
what large.  There  is  a  small  vernacular  school  here,  supported 
by  the  Zamindar  of  the  place,  named  Musa  Khan,  who  is  the 
head  of  the  Buhra  tribe. 

Mirpur  (KhSs),  a  taluka  (or  revenue  sub-division)  of  the  Hala 
Deputy  Collectorate,  having  5  tapas  and  39  villages,  with  an  area 
of  515  square  miles,  and  a  population  of  22,449  sools.  The 
revenue,  imperial  and  local,  of  this  talQka  for  the  five  years  ending 
1873-74  is  as  follows : — 


Imperial    .     . 
Local  .     .     . 

Total  rupees. 

1869-70. 

1870-71. 

i87i-7a. 

1879-73. 

1873-74- 

rupees. 

33,255 

2,420 

rupees. 
48,035 

3,591 

rupees. 
40,680 

3,641 

rupees. 
40,000 

3.797 

rupees. 
44,457 
2,888 

35,675 

51,626 

44,321    1    43,797 

47,345 

Mirpur  (Ehas),  the  chief  town  of  the  Mupur  taluka  of  the 
Hala  Deputy  Collectorate,  in  lat  25°  24'  N.,  and  long.  69^  E., 
distant  38  miles  S.E.  firom  Hala,  and  41  RN.E.  from  Hyder- 
abad vi&  Alahyar-jo-Tando  (17  m.).  It  is  situate  on  flie  LetwSh 
canal,  and  has  road  communication  with  Hyderabad  and  Umar- 
kot,  being  on  the  high  road  to  both  these  towns.  Roads  from  it 
also  lead  to  Adam-jo-Tando,  Gorchani,  Khan  and  Khipra.  It 
possesses  a  Deputy  Collector's  bangalow,  a  large  building  seated 
in  what  has  been  a  well  laid-out  garden,  a  subordinate  Judge's 
court-house,  Mukhtyarkar's  office,  a  Tapadafs  dSra,  dharamsSla, 
rural  and  mounted  police  lines,  post-office,  Government  school, 
and  a  cattle  pound  (or  dhaJi).  Mirpur  has  also  a  municipality, 
established  in  October  i860,  tiie  revenue  of  which  in  1873-74  was 
1990  rupees,  and  the  disbursements  1662  rupees.  The  popu- 
lation of  the  place  is  now  small,  not  exceeding  1 280  souls — a  great 
falling  off  from  its  palmy  days  in  the  time  of  the  Talpxurs,  when 
the  number  of  inhabitants  was  estimated  by  Bumes  at  10,000.  The 
present  population  comprises  the  two  great  classes,  Musafanans 
and  HindOs,  there  being  407  of  the  former,  chiefly  Saiyads, 
Gorchanis  and  Sumras,  and  634  of  the  latter,  who  are  principally 
Lohanos,  the  remainder  (239)  are  most  probably  Sikhs.  The 
chief  men  of  note  residing  in  and  near  this  town  are — ist,  H.H. 
Mir  Sher  Muhammad  Talpur,  K.C.S.L,  who  fought  against  the 
British  in  1843,  ^^^  is  now  very  old  and  decrepit;   2nd,  Mir 

Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


MIRPUR  BATORO. 


543 


Fateh  KhSn,  and  jrd,  ImSm  Bakhsh,  his  two  sons.  The  trade 
of  this  place  is  mostly  in  grain,  cotton  and  piece-goods.  The 
cotton  produced  in  this  district  is  said  to  be  the  jGoiest  in  Sind. 
The  value  of  the  local  trade  may  be  roughly  estimated  at  42,000 
rupees,  and  the  transit  trade  at  57,000  rupees.  There  are  no 
mannfartuies  of  any  kind  in  this  place. 

The  town  of  Mi^ur  is  of  a  comparatively  modem  date,  having 
been  built  in  1806  by  Mir  Ali  MurSd  Talpur ;  it  possesses  a  small 
fort,  also  erected  during  the  sovereignty  of  that  dynasty.  It  was 
the  chief  town  of  Mir  Sher  Muhammad  Khiln  Talpur,  whose  army 
was  totally  defeated  in  1843  by  Sir  Charles  Napier  at  Dabo 
(Dabba),  a  few  miles  from  Hyderabad. 

Mlipur  Batoro,  a  taluka  (or  sub-division)  of  the  Shahbandar 
Deputy  Collectorate,  and  the  most  fertile  and  productive  of  any 
in  the  division.  It  has  an  area  of  3^2  square  miles,  with  6  tapas, 
85  ''dehs,"  and  a  population  of  31,645  souls.  The  revenue, 
imperial  and  local,  of  this  sulxlivision  for  the  four  years  ending 
1873-74  is  as  follows : — 


Imperial   .     •     . 
Local  .... 

Total  rupees  . 

1870-71. 

1871-79. 

1879-73. 

»873-74. 

rupees. 

81,897 

6,856 

rupees. 
90,210 

6,477 

rupees. 
96,065 

7,245 

rupees. 

89,433 

89,753 

96,687 

1,03,310 

96,855 

Mirpur  BatOTO,  the  chief  town  of  the  talOka  of  the  same  name 
in  the  Shahbandar  Deputy  Collectorate,  in  lat  24^  45'  N.,  and  long. 
68  20'  E.  It  is  seated  on  the  Fatiah  canal,  and  is  on  the  high 
road  from  Belo  to  the  Tanda  district  of  the  Hyderabad  Collec- 
torate. It  is  also  a  main  line  of  communication  between  Kachh 
and  Sind,  and  is  distant  13  miles  north-east  from  SujSwal,  and 
26  miles  north  from  Mugalbhin,  with  which  places  it  has  road 
communication,  as  also  with  the  villages  of  Jhok,  Jar,  Mulchand 
and  Khorwah.  Mirpur  is  the  head-quarter  station  oif  a  MOkht- 
yarkar  and  Tapadar,  and  has  a  police  thana,  with  a  force  of  2 1  men, 
under  the  cha^e  of  the  Chief  Constable  of  the  taKika,  who,  with 
the  Police  Inspector  of  the  district,  resides  here.  The  popcdation 
of  the  town,  by  the  census  of  1872,  was  2846  souls,  of  whom  1540 
are  Musahn^ns,  mostly  of  the  Saiyad,  Memon,  and  Khwaja  tribes^ 
and  1306  Hindlis  of  the  Lohano,  Kachhi,  and  Khati  castes.  The 
Muhammadan  portion  of  the  community  are  principally  artisans 
and  agriculturists,  while  the  Hindus  are  engaged  in  trade.    The 


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S44 


MTRPUR  SAKRO—MITHANT. 


chief  institution  of  this  town,  which,  it  may  here  be  mentioned,  is 
the  largest  in  the  division,  is  a  municipality,  established  in  1856, 
having  an  annual  income  ranging  fh>m  3000  to  6000  rupees.  It 
possesses  also  an  extensive  garden.  The  bazar  is  clean  and  well 
kept,  and  supplies  generally  are  abundant  There  is  a  dharamsala 
for  travellers,  and  a  large  tank  in  the  town  affords  excellent 
drinking  water  to  the  inhabitants.  The  chief  trade  of  the  place  is 
in  grain,  which  is  exported  to  the  adjoining  CoUectorate  of  Hyder- 
abad. The  manufactures  are  unimportant,  and  consist  only  m 
the  dyeing  of  cloth  and  the  making  of  country  liquor.  The  transit 
trade  is  in  cloth,  ghi,  and  other  miscellaneous  articles,  but  to  what 
extent  and  value  is  not  known.  The  surrounding  country,  which 
is  fertile  and  well  cultivated,  belonged,  before  the  conquest  of  Sind 
by  the  British,  to  the  Mir  of  Mirpur,  the  least  important  and 
wealthy  of  all  the  Talpurs  \  but  Bumes  states  that  it  yielded  him 
a  revenue  of  about  5  lakhs  of  rupees  (or  50,000/.). 

Mirpur  Sakro,  a  taluka  (or  sub-division)  of  the  Jemick  Deputy 
CoUectorate,  having  an  area  of  11 12  square  miles,  with  4  tapas, 
16  villages,  and  a  population  of  22,614  souls.  There  is  in  this 
talaka  but  one  village,  that  of  Gharo,  having  a  population  of  800 
persons  and  upwards.  The  revenue,  imperial  and  local,  of  the 
Mirpur  Sakro  sub-division  during  the  five  years  ending  1873-74  is 
as  follows : — 


Imperial .... 
Local      .... 

Total  rupees 

1009-70. 

x87<^x. 

x87x-7«. 

1879-73. 

1873-74. 

rupees. 
39,662 

4,524 

rupees. 
41,827 

5.4»i 

rupees. 
42,592 

5,089 

rupees. 
49,421 

4,553 

rupees. 
48.490 

5.017 

44,186 

47,268 

47,681 

53,974  '  53,507 

Mithani,  a  Government  village  in  the  Naushahro  taluka  of  the 
Naushahro  Division,  distant  1 2  miles  west  by  north  from  lliarushah. 
It  is  seated  on  the  Indus,  at  the  head  of  the  Dadwah  canal,  and 
has  road  communication  with  Naushahro,  TharQshah,  Abad,  and 
Sihra.  There  are  no  Government  officers  in  this  village,  nor  any 
police  lines.  The  population  consists  of  986  persons,  comprising 
Musalmans,  chiefly  Saiyads  and  Mohanas,  and  Hindus  of  the 
Lohano  caste,  but  the  number  of  each  class  is  unknown.  This 
place  is  mentioned  by  Lieut  Jameson  as  having,  in  1852,  a 
population  of  18 19  persons,  of  whom  11 65  were  MusalmSns,  and 
628  Hindas;  there  were  in  all  302  houses  and  66  shops.  The 
local  trade  of  this  place  is  very  insignificant,  but,  owing  to  its 


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MITTL 


545 


position  on  the  Indus,  there  is  a  large  transit  traffic  in  grain  and 
cloth,  though  the  quantity  and  value  do  not  appear  to  be  known. 
This  town  is  supposed  to  have  been  founded  about  135  years  ago 
by  one  Saiyad  Mitha  Shah. 

MitU;  a  taluka  (or  subKiivision)  of  the  Thar  and  Parkar  Poli- 
tical Superintendency,  the  area  of  which  is  not  at  present  known. 
It  has  2  tapas,  4  dehs^  and  a  population  of  23,039  souls.  The 
revenue,  imperial  and  local,  of  this  sub-division  during  the  four 
years  ending  1873-74  is  as  follows : — 


Imperial    .     .     . 
T^Al   .... 

Total  rupees  . 

X870-71. 

1871-72. 

i87«-73. 

X873-74- 

rupees. 
5.898 

194 

rupees. 

I4»549 
449 

rupees. 
6,804 

rupees. 
12,695 

395 

6,092 

14,998 

7,"7 

13,090 

Mitti,  the  chief  town  in  the  taluka  of  the  same  name  in  the 
Thar  and  Parkar  Political  Superintendency,  distant  about  60  miles 
south  from  Umarkot,  with  which  place  it  has  road  communication 
vi&  Nabisar,  as  also  with  Islamkot,  Dipla,  Chelar,  Nawa-kot,  and 
Bakwa.  It  is  the  head-quarter  station  of  a  MQkhtyarkar  and 
Tapadar,  and  has  a  police  post  of  17  men.  There  are  also  civil 
and  criminal  courts,  a  dispensary,  Government  school,  post-office, 
dhaiamsala,  and  cattle  pound.  The  town  possesses  a  munici- 
pality as  well,  established  in  1861,  the  income  of  which  in  1873-74 
was  2152  rupees,  and  the  expenditure  1662  rupees.  The  cost  of  the 
dispensary  (established  in  1863)  is  defrayed  partly  by  Government 
and  partly  by  the  municipality.  This  institution  is  under  the 
charge  of  a  hospital  assistant  of  the  Bombay  Subordinate  Medical 
Department  The  annual  rainfall  at  this  town  would  appear, 
from  the  records  kept  at  the  dispensary,  to  be  somewhat  higher 
than  in  other  parts  of  Sind,  the  average  quantity  for  the  nine 
years  ending  1874  being  between  9  and  10  inches.  The 
population  of  Mitti  is  estimated  at  about  2497  souls,  of  whom 
2257  are  Hindus,  principally  Brahmans,  Lohanos,  Malis,  Sonaros, 
Samis,  Bhils  and  Mengwars.  The  Musalmans,  numbering  but 
240,  are  mostly  Saiyads.  The  occupations  of  the  inhabitants  are 
mainly  agriculture,  cattle-breeding,  and  the  export  of  ghi.  There 
are  no  manu&ctures  of  any  importance  in  this  town,  but  the  trade, 
both  local  and  transit,  is  of  some  importance,  consisting  in  cotton, 
cocoa-nuts,  camels,  cattle,  metals,  dyes,  ghi,  grain,  hides,  oil,  piece- 

2   N 

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546 


MOHBAT  DBRO  JATOI—MORO. 


goods,  sugar,  tobacco  and  wool,  but  neither  the  quantity  annually 
imported  and  exported,  nor  its  value,  seem  to  be  known. 

Mohbat  Dero  Jatoi,  an  alienated  village  situate  in  the  jagir 
of  Mir  jam  Ninda  Kh&n  Talpur  in  the  Kandiaro  taluka  of  the 
Naushahro  Division,  distant  i8  miles  north  fix>m  Tharu  Shah.  It 
has  road  communication  with  the  towns  of  Kandiaro  (distant  6 
miles),  Kamal  Dero  (6  miles),  HalSni  (6  miles),  and  Mohbat  Dero 
Sial  (5  miles).  It  is  the  head-quarter  station  of  the  Shekhasi 
Tapadar,  and  has  police  lines  for  three  constables,  and  a  Govern- 
ment vernacular  school  attended  by  28  pupils.  The  population  of 
this  town  is  831,  comprising  Musalm&ns  and  HindQs,  but  the 
number  of  each  is  not  known.  Their  occupation  is  mosdy 
agricultural  There  is  some  trade  in  grain,  but  its  extent  and 
value  are  both  unknown. 

MorO|  a  talQka  (or  sub-division)  of  the  Naushahro  Deputy  Col- 
lectorate,  having  an  area  of  704  square  miles,  with  8  tapas, 
51  dehs,  and  a  population  of  45,551  souls.  The  revenue,  im- 
perial and  local,  of  this  sub-division  during  the  four  years  ending 
1873-74  is  as  follows : — 


Imperial    .     .     . 
Local  .... 

Total  rupees . 

1870-71. 

x87X-7a. 

«87a-73- 

»873-74- 

rupees. 
72,682 

9,268 

rupees. 
60,910 

8,893 

rupees. 
63,414 

9,317 

mpees. 

57,925 

8,152 

81,950 

69,803 

72,731 

66,077 

MorO|  a  Government  town  in  the  Moro  talQka  of  the  Naushahro 
Deputy  Collectorate,  situate  on  the  main  road  leading  from  Hyder- 
abad to  Rohri,  distant  22  miles  south  by  west  from  Tharu  Shih, 
and  15  miles  south-west  from  Naushahro,  with  which  places,  as 
also  with  the  villages  of  Gachero,  Lalia,  Pabjo,  and  Silura,  it  has 
road  communication.  It  is  the  head-quarter  station  of  a  Makht- 
yarkar  and  Tapadar,  and  has  police  lines  for  20  men.  There  are 
a  subordinate  jail,  civil  court-house,  market,  school-house,  district 
bangalow,  and  a  dharamsala.  At  a  spot  not  far  from  the  district 
bangalow  lie  the  remains  of  Mr.  H.  Ryland,  U.C.S.,  a  Deputy 
Collector  of  this  division,  who  died  here  on  the  12th  August,  1869. 
A  neat  and  substantial  monument  has  since  been  placed  on  this 
tomb  by  public  subscription,  as  a  tribute  to  his  memory.  Moro 
possesses  a  municipality,  established  in  186 1,  the  income  of  which  in 
1873-74  amounted  to  1457  rupees,  and  the  expenditure  to  1081 

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MUGALBHIN.  547 

rupees.  The  population,  numbering  in  all  1738,  consists  of  loio 
Musalmans,  mosUy  of  the  MSmon  tribe,  and  165  Hindtis  of  the 
Lohano  caste,  the  remaining  563  are  most  probably  Sikhs.  The 
occupation  of  the  inhabitants  is  principally  agriculture  and  trade. 
Hie  chief  manufactures  of  the  place  are  soap,  ornamental  rings 
used  as  armlets  for  women,  and  coarse  cloth.  The  local  trade  is  of 
no  consequence,  but  there  is  a  considerable  transit  traffic  carried  on 
by  "  kajUasi^  fiom  Rhorasan,  which  pass  through  this  town ;  of 
the  quantity  and  value  of  this  trade  there  does  not  appear  to  be 
any  record.  The  town  is  said  to  have  been  founded  about  200 
years  ago  by  one  Bazid  Fakir,  of  the  Moro  tribe. 

Mogalbhin,  the  chief  town  in  the  Jati  taluka  of  the  Shahbandar 
Deputy  CoUectorate,  in  lat  24°  11'  N.,  and  long.  dZ""  17'  E.  It 
is  situate  on  the  banks  of  the  Gungro,  which  is  really  the  tail 
of  the  Pinyari  branch  of  the  Indus.  About  two  miles  south  of 
this  town  is  a  great  embankment,  200  yards  long,  40  feet  broad, 
and  of  a  proportionate  height  It  is  now  lined  widi  a  fine  avenue 
of  babul  trees;  the  fresh-water  channel  above  this  embankment 
is  called  the  Gungro,  and  below  it  is  the  old  salt-water  channel 
of  the  Pinyari.  This  town  has  road  communication  with  Mirpur 
Batoro,  distant  26  miles  north,  with  Shahbandar,  distant  30  miles 
south-west,  and  with  Belo,  distant  32}  miles  north-west  It  b  also 
on  the  high  road  to  Kachh  from  Sind,  and  is  distant  48  miles 
from  Lakhpat,  on  the  Kori  creek,  in  the  territory  of  the  Rao  of 
Kachh.  On  the  British  side  of  this  creek  is  a  small  dharamsala, 
kept  up  by  the  Rao,  and  there  is  another  directly  opposite  on  the 
Kachh  shore.  The  passage  across  the  creek  is  made  in  ferry 
boats,  but  camels  usually  cross  over  by  a  ford  higher  up  the 
stream.  Hundreds  of  pilgrims  pass  along  this  road  during  the 
year,  Naryansar,  in  the  Kachh  territory,  about  6  miles  from  the 
town  of  Lakhpat,  being  a  celebrated  place  of  jnlgrimage  for 
HindOs  throughout  Sind  Mugalbhin  is  the  head-quarter  station 
of  the  Mukhtyarkar  of  the  Jati  talOka,  and,  besides  a  dharamsala, 
has  a  police  thana,  with  a  force  of  18  men  under  the  command  of 
a  chief  constable.  There  is  a  municipality  in  this  town,  established 
in  1856,  the  income  and  expenditure  of  which  in  1873-74  was 
2874  rupees  and  2491  rupees  respectively.  The  population,  which 
was  formerly  computed  at  5000,  did  not,  by  the  census  of  1872, 
nimiber  more  than  1533  souls,  of  whom  945  are  MusalmSns, 
principally  of  the  Thaim  and  Memon  tribes,  and  588  Hindtis  of 
the  Lohano  caste.  There  are  a  number  of  Kachh  families  settled 
in  this  place.  The  trade  of  Mugalbhin  is  chiefly  in  grain  and 
coarse  cloths.     Rice,  which  is  abundantly  grown  in  the  neigh- 

2    N    2 

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S48  MUHAMMAD  KHAN'S  TANDA. 

bourhood,  forms  an  important  article  of  exportation.  Formerly 
these  articles  were  sent  to  Kachh  by  way  of  the  Pinyari  channel, 
which  was  navigable  from  this  town  to  its  sea  mouth,  then  known 
as  the  Sir.  In  the  inimdation  season  boats  laden  with  grain  still 
go  up  the  Gungro  into  the  main  river,  and  thence  proceed  either 
up-river  to  Sukkur,  or  down  to  Keti-bandar.  This  town  also  once 
carried  on  a  profitable  fishery  along  the  sea-coast,  and  for  this 
purpose  used  to  send  30  boats  down  the  river,  but  this  source  of 
commerce  has  long  ceased  to  exist  There  is  a  large  fair  held 
annually,  in  the  month  of  February,  in  this  town,  in  honour  of  a 
Muhammadan  ''  pir,"  or  saint,  whose  tomb  is  then  visited  by  about 
5000  persons.  There  do  not  appear  to  be  any  antiquities  in  or 
near  Mugalbhin,  with  the  single  exception  of  four  domed  build- 
ings on  the  bank  of  the  Gungro  canal,  about  half  a  mile  from  the 
town,  but  nothing  is  known  in  connection  with  their  history.  This 
town  is  said  to  derive  its  name  from  two  persons,  father  and  son, 
of  the  Koreshi  tribe,  called  Mugal  and  Bhin,  who  died  here. 

MnhamzKiad  Khan's  Tanda  (or,  as  it  is  generally  called,  the 
^^Tanda")  is  a  large  division  and  Deputy  CoUectorate  of  the 
Hyderabad  district  It  lies  between  24°  14'  and  25°  17'  of  N.  lat 
and  68°  19'  and  69°  22'  of  K  long.,  and  is  bounded  on  the  north 
by  the  Hyderabad  tduka  and  a  portion  of  the  Hala  Deputy  Col- 
lectorate ;  on  the  east  by  the  Thar  and  Farkar  district,  the  "  Fu- 
ran,"  an  old  channel  of  the  Indus,  forming  for  some  distance  a 
well-defined  line  of  demarcation ;  on  the  south  by  the  Rann  of 
Elachh  and  the  Shahbandar  Deputy  CoUectorate  of  the  Karachi 
district ;  and  on  the  west  by  the  last-named  district  and  the  river 
Indus.  The  entire  area  of  the  Muhammad  Khan's  Tanda  district, 
according  to  the  Revenue  Survey  Department,  is  3177  square 
miles,  and  it  is  divided  into  4  talukas  and  27  tapas,  with  a  total 
population  of  189,931  souls,  or  60  to  the  square  mile^  as  shown 
in  the  following  table : — 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


MUHAMMAD  KHAN'S  TANDA. 


549 


.d 


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550 


MUHAMMAD  KHAN'S  TANDA. 


The  area  in  English  acres  of  each  taluka,  showing  the  extent 
cultivated  {approximate)^  cultivable,  and  unarable,  is  also  tabulated 
below : — 


TalOka. 

Total  Ar«a 

inEnglUh 

Acres. 

Cultivated. 

ColthaUe. 

Unanble. 

1.  Guni     ..... 

2.  Badin 

3.  Tando  Bigo    .     .     . 

4.  Dero  Mohbat  .     .     . 

acres. 
632,980 

508,758 

453.612 

428,906 

acres. 
33.372 

27.175 

30,691 

20,854 

acres. 
193.695 

91.748 
128,577 
201,615 

acres. 
405.913 

389.835 

294,344 

206,437 

General  AsPEcr. — ^The  general  aspect  of  the  *'Tanda'*  dis- 
trict is  that  of  a  level  plain,  the  monotony  of  which  is  but  slightly 
relieved  by  belts  of  trees  growing  on  both  sides  of  the  canal  banks. 
Large  natural  hollows  or  watercourses,  called  "  D?ioras^  are  occa- 
sionally met  with ;  they  are  of  great  extent,  two  of  them  espe- 
cially, the  R€n  and  Phito,  in  the  Dero  Mohbat  taluka.  It  is  in 
this  taluka  that  "  chfums^^ or  shallow  depressions  where  rain-water 
accumulates,  abound  j  these  greatly  promote  the  growth  of  babul 
trees,  and  thus  improve  the  appearance  of  this  part  of  the  district 
To  the  east  and  south  nothing  but  extensive  salt  plains  and  un- 
cultivated waste  lands  meet  the  eye,  varied  by  a  few  sandhills  on 
the  Thar  and  Parkar  border;  but  on  the  western  boundary, 
skirting  the  Indus,  are  babul  forests  of  considerable  area.  There 
are  no  hills  in  this  district  save  the  Hyderabad  (or  Ganja)  range, 
which  terminates  just  within  its  north-western  boundary,  and  two 
small  conical  hiUs  on  the  Indus,  directly  opposite  the  range  at 
Jerruck,  to  which,  in  a  geological  point  of  view,  they  no  doubt 
belong,  but  from  which  they  have  evidently  been  separated  by 
the  river. 

Hydrography. — The  canal  S3rstem  prevailing  in  this  district  is 
extensive,  there  being  nearly  one  hundred  canals  of  different  sizes, 
both  main  and  branch,  Government  and  ZamindarL  The  main 
feeders  are  only  eleven  in  number,  the  others  branching  off  from 
them.  Of  these  the  GGni  is  the  largest  canal  in  the  district,  and 
from  it  minor  ones  branch  off  both  to  the  right  and  left,  irrigating 
immense  tracts  of  land.  The  Government  canals  of  the  Tanda 
district,  with  other  information  connected  with  them,  are  given  on 
PP-  SSI-SS5' 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


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MUHAMMAD  KHAN'S  TANDA. 


557 


None  of  the  canals  in  this  district  are  perennial  They  fill,  as 
the  Indus  rises,  early  in  May,  and  continue  flowing  till  the  begin- 
ning of  October,  after  which  the  water  subsides,  and  the  canals 
then  rapidly  dry  up.  Canal  clearances  are  carried  out  in  the  cold 
season  jointly  by  the  Revenue  authorities  and  the  Public  Works 
Department  The  Guni,  Gajah,  and  Nasir  canals  have  a  large 
boat  traffic.  The  former  is  navigable  for  boats  of  from  12  to  40 
kharwars  (9  to  32  tons)  from  early  in  May  up  to  October,  but  the 
branch  canals  only  from  the  beginning  of  June  to  the  beginning  of 
September. 

There  are  but  few  '^  dhandhs "  in  this  district  which  retain 
water  throughout  the  year.  Of  these  the  principal  are  the  Bareji, 
in  the  Guni  taluka,  and  the  Sarabudi  and  the  Jhalar,  in  the  Badin 
talOka. 

Climate. — ^The  climate  of  this  portion  of  the  Hyderabad  Col- 
lectorate  is  considered,  on  the  whole,  to  be  healthy,  except  during 
the  subsidence  of  the  inundation,  when,  as  in  other  parts  of  Sind, 
fevers  are  very  prevalent  Neither  the  heat  nor  the  cold  in  the 
Tanda  district  is  so  great  as  in  Upper  Sind,  the  average  minimum 
cold  at  the  town  of  Tando  Muhammad  KMn  being  but  61°  in  the 
month  of  January,  and  the  average  maximum  heat  (in  June)  but 
100^.  The  following  table  will  show  the  average  minimum  and 
ynaTimiim  range  of  the  temperature  at  Tando  Muhammad  Khan, 
taken  from  observations  made  at  the  dispensary  at  that  town. 


Month. 

Mean  Daily 

Mean  Daily 
Maziniuni. 

January 
February 
March  .     . 
April     . 
Muy       . 
Tune 
July.     . 
August  . 
September 
October 
November 
December 

6°i 
62 

% 
P 

80 

73 
62 

\ 

ICO 

97 

69 

Meandai 

lya 

ver 

age. 

76    ;    84 

Rainfall. — ^The  average  annual  rainfall  for  the  fourteen  years 
ending  1874  at  the  same  station  was  674  inches,  but  the  quantity 
gauged  during  1869  itself  was  unprecedentedly  large,  being  in  fact 

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5S8  MUHAMMAD  KHAN'S  TANDA. 

as  much  as  had  fallen  during  the  whole  preceding  eight  years. 
The  true  average  may  therefore  be  considered  as  not  exceeding 
four  inches  yearly.  The  prevailing  winds  during  the  hot  season 
are  from  the  south  and  south-west,  and  a  sensible  change  is 
felt  in  the  temperature  after  the  setting-in  of  the  south-west  mon- 
soon, though  in  May  and  a  portion  of  June  hot  winds  blow  occa- 
sionally from  the  north  and  north-east,  when  the  heat  is  then 
terrible  and  dust-storms  frequent  During  the  cold  weather  the 
prevailing  winds  are  from  the  north  and  east,  but  south  winds 
attended  with  heavy  fogs  are  then  not  uncommon. 

The  prevailing  disease  of  the  Tanda  district  is  fever,  which 
commences  as  soon  as  the  inundation  waters  begin  to  subside, 
and  lasts  tiU  the  northerly  winds  have  well  set  in  and  the  countiy 
is  dry.  During  the  hot  weather  the  district  is  comparatively  free 
from  this  complaint  Cholera  is  not  a  yearly  visitant,  but  it 
occasionally  commits  terrible  ravages;  the  mortality  from  it  in 
1869  was  540.  Bowel  complaints  occur,  but  not  to  any  great 
extent 

Geology  and  Soils. — ^There  is  but  little  to  say  on  the  subject 
of  the  geology  of  the  Tanda  district  Like  other  parts  of  the 
great  plain  of  Sind,  salt  and  saltpetre  are  both  obtained:  the 
former  in  shallow  lagoons  in  the  southern  part  of  the  Badin  talQka, 
near  the  Rann  of  Kachh,  and  by  evaporation  in  the  Guni,  Dero 
Mohbat,  and  Tando  Bago  talQkas;  the  latter  is  procured  in 
small  quantities  by  a  similar  process.  Limestone  is  found  in 
the  northern  portion  of  the  Guni  taluka.  Of  the  different  soils 
prevailing  in  this  district  there  are  five  of  various  degrees  of 
excellence : 

1.  Pakki,  a  finn  rich  soil,  fit  for  any  crop. 

2.  KxTWARi,  a  soft  clayey  soil,  good  for  any  crop  but  rice. 

3.  Gasar  (or  Dasar)  is  a  clay  mixed  with  sand ;  rice  and  juar  are  not 

grown  in  this  soil ;  ordinary  crops  even  require  many  fallows. 

4.  WariAsi,  a  sandy  soil,  fit  for  melon  cultivation  only. 

5.  Kalrathi,-  a  salt  soil ;  applicable  also  to  land  having  but  little  salt  in 

it ;  when  this  is  the  case,  and  there  is  water  sufficient,  rice  crops  can 
be  raised,  but,  strictly  speaking,  "Kalrathi"  is  practically  useless 
for  purposes  of  cultivation. 

Animals. — The  wild  animals  found  in,  the  Tanda  district  are 
not  numerous.  There  are  hyenas,  wolves,  jackals,  foxes,  deer,  and 
wild  pig.  Among  birds  there  are  partridges  (black  and  grey), 
quail,  snipe,  pigeons,  several  kinds  of  wild  duck,  the  ub&ra  (or 
tilur),  a  kind  of  bustard,  dove,  &c.  The  domestic  animals  are 
those  which  are  generally  found  throughout  Sind,  such  as  camels, 


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MUHAMMAD  KHAN'S  TANDA. 


559 


horses,  buffaloes,  oxen,  donkeys,  sheep,  goats,  and  poultry.  Among 
the  reptiles  common  to  this  district  are  poisonous  snakes  of 
several  kinds,  which  abound,  and  are,  during  the  hot  season, 
very  destructive  to  human  life. 

Vegetable  Produciions. — The  principal  vegetable  produc- 
tions of  the  Tanda  district  are  wheat,  barley,  juar,  mung  {Pha- 
seohis  mungn?)^  matar  {Lathyrus  sativus)^  jambho  {Eruca  sativa)^ 
rice,  tobacco,  cotton,  sugar-cane,  hemp,  til  (oil-seed),  castor-oil 
plant,  melons,  and  garden  produce  generally.  Of  rice  there  are 
six  varieties  cultivated  in  this  district — ^three  red,  viz.,  motio,  gagu 
and  kambru,  and  three  white,  viz.,  naindasi,  sagdasi,  and  satria. 
The  chief  fruit-trees  in  the  Tanda  district  are  the  mango,  the 
guava,  the  country  apple,  the  mulberry,  fig,  plaintain,  the  grape, 
lime,  date,  pomegranate,  tamarind,  jamu  (or  rose-apple,  the 
Jatnbosa  vulgaris)^  gedtiri  {Cordia  laHfolia)  and  the  liyari  {Cordia 
Rothn).  The  varieties  of  grasses  in  this  district  are  very  numerous, 
the  most  usefid  as  food  for  camels,  cattle  and  horses  being  '^  kip  ^ 
(Leptadenia  Jacquem(mHana\  chabar,  sawari  {Khazxa  stricia)^ 
chibo,  dangni,  gandir  and  makani.  Two  other  grasses — dabh  and 
kal — are  much  used  as  binding  material  in  mud  plaster.  From 
another  grass,  the  *'  kaub,"  are  made  the  mats  and  **  pankhas  "  in 
use  for  house-roofing.  Of  the  forest  trees,  the  principal  are  the 
b£bul  {Acacia  Arabica)^  pipal  {Ficus  rdigiosa)^  bhar,  nim,  tali 
(or  blackwood),  sahanjiro  (or  horse-radish  tree),  siris,  kando 
{Frosopis  specigera),  &c.  The  following  are  the  forests,  seven  in 
number,  in  the  Tanda  district,  with  the  area  of  each  in  English 
acres,  and  the  revenue  for  1873-74 : — 


Forest. 

Area  in 
English  Acres. 

Revenue 
in  1873^4. 

1.  Khatro     .     .     . 

2.  Katyar     .     .     . 

3.  Tikhur     .     .     . 

4.  Khokhar  .     .     . 

5.  Khirduhi  .     .      . 

416 

952 

1,709 

1,556 

290 

rupees. 

1,482 
4,132 
3,924 
1,118 

4,923 

",653 

The  management  of  these  forests,  which  are  the  property  of  the 
Government,  lies  with  the  Forest  Department;  they  comprise 
the  forest  tapa  of  Katyar,  and  are  specially  looked  alter  by  the 
forest  Tapadar  of  that  particular  division.  The  first  four  of  these 
forests  were  planted  by  the  Hyderabad  Mirs  of  Sind,  between 
the  years  1807  and  1836 ;  that  of  Khirduhi  was  planted  by  Cap- 
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S6o 


MUHAMMAD  KHAN'S  TANDA. 


tain  (now  Colonel)  LfOmbert,  in  1859,  when  Deputy-Collector  of 
this  division.  The  bush  jungle  includes  the  "kirar"  (or  wild 
caper),  the  "ak"  {Calotropis  Hamiltonii),  tamarisk  (jhao  and  lai), 
kando,  khabar  (excellent  food  for  camels),  and  "  jowasi,"  a  low 
and  stunted  shrub.  The  wood  of  the  "  kirar,"  whidi  is  said  to  be 
proof  against  the  attacks  of  white  ants,  is  in  consequence  much 
used  as  battens  for  house-roofs,  as  well  as  for  the  water-wheels  of 
irrigating  wells. 

Fisheries. — The  fisheries  in  the  Tanda  district,  which  are 
annually  put  up  to  auction  and  the  proceeds  credited  to  local 
funds,  extend  not  only  to  the  river  Indus,  but  also  to  the  canals 
and  ''  dhandhs."  Pala  are  taken  in  large  numbers  in  the  Indus, 
but  never  in  any  of  the  canals.  Other  fish  are  the  **dambhro,'* 
which  is  large  and  highly  prized  by  the  natives,  the  jerki,  kuriri, 
khago  (cat-fish),  bara,  popri,  and  juni.  The  following  table  will 
show  the  principal  fisheries  in  the  district,  together  with  the 
average  revenue  of  the  three  past  years  derived  from  them  by 
Qovemment : — 


TalOka 

Whence  obtained. 

Avenge  Annual 
Revenue  derived 

for  3  Yean 
ending  1873-74. 

Total 
Revenue. 

Guni  .     .     . 

Badin    '  .     . 
Tando  Bago . 
Dero  Mohbat 

TFrom  Canals   and    Dhandhs\ 
\    and  from  Pala  Fisheries     .  / 

Ditto 

Ditto     •.,..., 

Total  rupees    . 

rupees. 

3,357 

rupees. 

3.357 
922 

1,074 
'99 

922 

1,074 

99 

... 

5,452 

Population. — ^The  total  population  of  the  Tanda  district,  con- 
sisting for  the  most  part  of  Hindus  and  Musalmans,  is  estimated 
at  189,931,  of  whom  21,982  belong  to  the  former,  and  167,949  to 
the  latter  class.  There  are  thus  60  souls  only  to  the  square 
mile,  a  fact  owing,  it  would  seem,  to  so  much  of  the  land  in  this 
division  being  both  uncultivated  and  unarable.  The  Muham- 
madan  inhabitants,  who  are  mostly  of  the  Suni  persuasion,  may  be 
classed  as  in  the  following  tables  : — 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


MUHAMMAD  KHAN' STAND  A. 


S<5i 


I.  MUHAMMADANS. 


Tribes. 

Number. 

Sub-divisions. 

Remarks. 

I.  Balochis .     . 

40,633 

Chandio,      Laghari, 
Kaloi,        Talpur, 
Khoso,       Jamali, 
Lashari,         Niza- 
mani,          Burgri, 
Lund,      Notkani, 
Chang,          Rind, 
Omdani,   Nuhani, 
Tangri,         Buldi, 
Zangijo,          Zor, 
Gopang,       Pitafi, 
Desai,     Chalgari, 
Kalhoro,     Magsi, 

2.  Sindis      .     . 

95.043 

Halpotro,      Junejo, 
Dui,       Powar, 
Thebo,       Sumro, 
Otho,        Mindro, 
Samino,       Shoro, 
Arai,  Udijo,  Sutho, 
Arisar,     Mahuro, 
Lakho,         Abro, 
Rahukuro,  Suhto, 
Korai,Sand,Uthlo, 
Jarwar,      Biighio, 
Nuhrio,    Rakhro, 
Rehari,    Mai^rio, 
Suhro,          iflrio, 

Katiyar,    Chauro, 

Vurar,  &c. 

3.  Saiyads     andl 
Pirs    .     .  , 

3.884 

4.  Mixed     .     . 

27,036 

Muhano,     Khaskeli, 
Machi,      Memon, 
Khwajo,       Sidhi, 
Kumbhar,    Khati, 
Kori,  &c. 

5.  Out-castes    . 

'.353 

Shikari    ,     .     .     • 

Called  also  Dapher ; 
though  Musalmans, 

they  eat  carrion, 
and    are  not  per- 

mitted to  enter  a 

mosque;    but. 

after     undergoing 

certain  ceremonies, 

they  can  enter  the 
Machi  class. 

1,67,949 

1 

2    O 


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562  MUHAMMAD  KHAN'S  TANDA. 

IL  Hindis. 


Tribes. 

Number. 

Remarks. 

1.  Brahmans    . 

2.  Kshatrias      . 

3.  Waishia .     . 

4.  Sudras    .     . 

5.  Sikhs       and^ 

Out-castes  .  / 

684 

10 

18,503 

1,922 

863 
21,982 

Sarsudh  and  Pokamo. 

Lohano,         Bhatia, 
Panjabi,  Bhabro. 

Sonaro,    Khati,  Su- 
tar,    Mali,  Suhto, 
&c. 

Bhils,  Mengwais,  &c. 

These  are  followers 
of    Nanak     Shah 
Bhawani,      Shiva, 
Walabi,       and 
Duiga. 

Character.  —There  is  a  great  difference  in  the  character  and 
personal  appearance  of  the  two  races  inhabiting  this  district  The 
Muhammadan,  in  point  of  physique  and  constitution,  is  very  far 
superior  to  the  ffindu,  and  among  the  Balochis  especially  are 
some  very  fine  specimens  of  tall,  well-knit  and  muscular  men. 
The  Musalman  is  grave,  patient,  and,  generally  speaking,  coura- 
geous, but,  on  the  other  hand,  lazy,  inert,  lascivious,  and  improvi- 
dent. The  Hindu  is  effeminate  and  timorous,  but  thrifty  and 
economical,  and  though  possessing  a  keen  eye  to  business,  is  at 
the  same  time  apathetic  and  indolent,  but  not  to  the  same  d^^ree 
as  the  Musalman. 

Language. — The  language  in  ordinary  use  among  all  classes  of 
the  people  of  the  Tanda  district  is,  as  elsewhere  in  the  province, 
Sindi,  with  a  few  local  peculiarities,  but  the  Balochis  are  said 
among  themselves  to  converse  in  a  perfectly  distinct  tongue. 

Dress. — In  dress  the  Hindu  wears  the  dhotar,  a  body  cloth,  and 
a  cotton  coat  or  jacket ;  and  in  his  head-dress,  with  the  exception 
of  the  Amil  class,  adopts  the  turban,  and  not  the  orthodox 
cylindrical  hat  peculiar  to  Sind.  The  Muhammadan  of  the 
poorer  classes,  in  his  ordinary  dress,  wears  loose  cotton  drawers, 
with  a  jacket  of  the  same  material,  or  in  lieu  a  sheet  or  cloth 
thrown  over  the  shoulders.  The  higher  classes  wear  long  flowing 
robes  of  cotton,  with  either  a  turban  or  the  Sindi  hat 

Food  and  Habitations. — ^The  food  of  both  Musalmans  and 
Hindus  is  principally  rice,  bajri,  juar,  dh^l,  wheat,  fish,  ghi  and 
curds.  The  latter  eat  poultry,  as  also  mutton  and  beef.  The 
houses  of  the  lower  classes  are,  for  the  most  part,  poor  and 
wretched  in  construction.     They  are  built  of  mud,  or  sim-dried 


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MUHAMMAD  KHAN'S  TANDA. 


563 


bricks  with  mud  roofs,  and,  as  a  rule,  are  only  one  story  in 
height.  Many  of  these  habitations  are  made  of  wattle  and  daub, 
with  a  roofing  of  rough  grass  thatch.  In  some  villages  all  that 
can  be  seen  are  huts  composed  of  the  stems  of  the  tamarisk 
worked  up  into  a  kind  of  hurdle  with  a  roofing  of  loose  grass. 
The  dwellings  of  the  people  of  the  higher  classes  are  necessarily 
better  and  larger  than  those  just  described.  They  are  built  of  the 
same  materials,  mud  or  sun-dried  bricks,  which  are  undoubtedly 
those  best  suited  to  the  climate,  and  have,  in  addition  to  a  few 
close  and  unventilated  rooms,  a  small  verandah  called  otdk  in 
Sindi,  where  friends  are  received  and  business  generally  trans- 
acted. In  these  houses  the  only  furniture  to  be  seen  is  a  cot  or 
a  carpet,  a  hukah,  and  vessels  for  water  and  cooking  purposes.  A 
Sindi  is  never  disposed  to  lay  out  money  upon  household  furni- 
ture, as  his  wants  in  this  respect  are  few  j  his  chief  expenditure  is 
reserved  for  the  celebration  of  religious  ceremonies,  and  in  j>r6- 
curing  gold  and  silver  ornaments  for  the  outward  adornment  of 
the  female  portion  of  his  family. 

Crime. — ^The  prevailing  crimes  in  the  Tanda  district  are  theft, 
cattle-lifting,  and  use  of  criminal  force,  as  will  be  seen  in  the 
following  statistical  table,  showing  the  principal  crimes  committed 
in  this  portion  of  the  Hyderabad  CoUectorate  during  the  four 
years  ending  with  1874  : — 

Criminal. 


Year. 

% 

Hurts,  As- 

ssiults,  and 
use  of  Cri- 
minal Force. 

Thefts. 

Receiving 

Stolen 
Property. 

House- 
breaking. 

Highway 
Robbery. 

Other 

Cattle. 

Others. 

Offences.  1  *»«"• 

1 

1871 
1872 
1873 
1874 

3 
8 

2 
6 

126 
III 

138 
173 

127 

223 
233 

172 
165 
118 
1 10 

25 
28 

47 
35 

51 

45 
41 
73 

I 
I 

2 
I 

217 
240 
312 
484 

722 

753 

883 

1115 

Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


5^4 


MUHAMMAD  KHAN'S  TANDA. 


The  following  table  of  different  suits  brought  into  the  civil 
courts  during  the  four  years  ending  with  1874  will  show  the 
amount  of  litigation  prevailing  among  the  inhabitants  of  the  Tanda 
district : — 

Civil. 


Year. 

Suits  for  Land. 

Suits  for  Money.          Other  Suits. 

Total. 

No. 

Value. 

No. 

Value.    !     No. 

Value. 

No. 

Value. 

187 1 
1872 

1873 
1874 

14 
8 
6 

10 

rupees. 
2,560 

9,996 

690 

1,723 

603 
659 

723 
630 

rupees. 
61,906 

56,911 

84,243 
89,280 

5 
9 

5 

2 

rupees. 
462 

1,050 

683 

638 

622 
676 

734 

rupees. 
64,928 

67,957 

85,616 

91,641 

The  number  of  civil  suits  filed  by  Hindus  against  Musalmans 
is  exactly  double  that  brought  by  Hindus  against  Hindus ;  and 
those  filed  by  Musalmans  against  Hindus  are  ten  times  the  number 
brought  by  the  former  against  their  own  co-religionists 

Establishments. — ^The  chief  revenue  and  magisterial  charge  of 
the  Tanda  district,  like  that  of  other  Deputy  CoUectorates  in 
the  province,  is  vested  in  a  Deputy  Collector,  who,  as  magistrate 
also  of  the  district,  has  full  powers  in  all  criminal  matters.  Under 
him  are  the  Mukhtyarkars  (or  Kardars),  who,  besides  having  each 
the  revenue  charge  of  a  taluka,  are  also  subordinate  magistrates 
of  either  the  first  or  second  classes.  The  establishment  of  each  of 
these  native  officers  consists,  on  an  average,  of  six  munshis  and 
seven  peons,  the  head  munshi  being  usually  vested  with  the 
powers  of  a  subordinate  magistrate,  so  as  to  enable  him  to  take  up 
criminal  cases  when  the  Mukhtyarkar  is  on  tour  in  his  district 
Every  taluka  is  divided  into  a  number  of  tapas,  each  of  which  is 
placed  under  the  charge  of  a  Tapadar,  whose  duties,  though  con- 
fined solely  to  getting  in  the  revenue,  are  very  onerous.  Each 
Tapadar,  again,  is  assisted  in  his  duties  by  one  or  more  kotars^ 
or  peons,  and  where  there  is  any  rice  cultivation,  others  called 
zdhits  are  entertained  to  assist  the  Tapadar  in  the  crop 
measurements.  The  Tapadar*s  duties  are  to  count  the  wheels 
used  for  irrigation,  to  measure  up  the  area  of  all  cultivated  land, 
with  certain  exceptions,  and  to  collect  the  land  revenue  of  his 
tapa.  His  work  is  subjected  to  test  by  both  the  Mukhtyarkar 
and  the  Deputy  Collector.     The  Mukhtyarkar  is  responsible  for 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


MUHAMMAD  KHAN'S  TANDA. 


56s 


the  due  collection  of  the  land  and  sayer  {Sair)  revenues  of  his 
taluka,  and  all  matters  in  any  way  connected  with  revenue  come 
under  his  cognisance.  In  diese  are  included  public  works  sanc- 
tioned from  local  funds  (which  used  to  be  supervised  by  a  local  fund 
engineer  and  his  establishment),  annual  repairs,  the  clearance  and 
preservation  of  all  canals,  with  the  distribution  of  water  from  them, 
&C.  The  Mukhtyarkars  are  also  ex  officio  members  and  vice- 
presidents  of  all  municipalities,  within  their  charge^  the  district 
magistrate  being  the  president 

Cattle  Pounds. — In  several  parts  of  the  district,  dhaks  or 
cattle  pounds  have  been  established ;  they  are  under  the  imme- 
diate charge  of  mQnshis,  with  peons  to  assist  them,  and  the  super- 
vision of  these  forms  one  of  the  duties  of  magisterial  officers. 

Civil  Courts. — There  is  a  subordinate  civU  court  at  Tanda 
Muhammad  Khan,  presided  over  by  a  native  judge  who  visits 
Tando  Bago,  Talhar,  and  Nawab-jo-Taftdo  t^vice  a  year  on  circuit 
In  addition  to  the  talukas  comprising  the  Tanda  Division,  his  juris- 
diction extends  over  so  much  of  the  Hyderabad  taluka  as  is  not 
included  within  the  limits  of  the  Hyderabad  municipality. 

Police. — The  total  number  of  police  of  all  descriptions  em- 
ployed in  the  Tanda  district  is  157,  or  one  policeman  to  every 
1209  of  the  population.  Of  these,  53  are  mounted,  including  i 
inspector  and  5  chief-constables ;  80  are  armed  foot  police,  and 
24  municipal  police.     This  force  is  distributed  as  follows  : — 


TalQka 

w„,_._j             Armed  and 
p^i?ir          Unarmed  Foot 

Police.              1             p^y^ 

Municipal 
PoUoe. 

I.  Guni     .     .     .     , 

18 

n 
13    . 

9 

33 
15 
19 
13 

8 
9 
7 

2.  Badin 

3.  Tando  Bago    .     . 
4.DeroMohbat  . 
Total 

53 

80 

24 

The  district  police  are  under  the  immediate  charge  of  an 
inspector,  and  those  in  each  taluka  under  a  chief  constable,  the 
whole  forming  a  part  of  the  large  police  force  directly  controlled 
by  the  district  superintendent  of  police,  whose  head-quarters  are 
at  Hyderabad. 

Revenue. — The  revenue  of  the  Tanda  Deputy  CoUectorate, 
which  may  be  divided  into  imperial  and  local,  is  shown  under  its 


uiyiiizea  by 


Google 


566 


MUHAMMAD  KHAN'S  TANDA. 


separate  heads,  for  the  four  years  ending  with  1873-74,  in  the  fol- 
lowing tables : — 


I.  Imperial  Revenue. 


Realisations  in 

Items. 

1870-71. 

1871-72. 

1872-7J. 

i«7J-H 

rupees. 

rupees. 

rupees. 
3,38,542 

rupees. 

Land  Tax 

3,27,585 
11,825 

3,456 

3,39,857 

2,95,533 
13,829 

Abkari 

12,195 

14,330 

Drugs  and  Opium  .     .     . 

6,215 

7.332 

5.402 

Judicial  Receipts,  includingl 
Fines,  &c       .     .     .     ./ 
Postage  Stamps .... 

13,645 

3.643 

4,816 

3,554 

1,569 

1,380 

1,558 

1,517 

Stamps 

7,343 

13,598 

15,327 

6,734 

14,345 

Salt 

5,709 

4,545 

7.097 

Income  Tax 

16,512 

5,317 

1,524 

.. 

Licence  Tax 

.     ... 

... 

Miscellaneous     .... 
Total  rupees     .     * 

86 

28 

76 

9 

3,87,730 

3,86,778 

3,90,239 

3.41. a86 

II.  Local  Revenue. 


Items. 

Realisations  in 

1870-71.      1      1871-^2. 

1872-71.      •      1873-^74. 

1.  One  Anna  Cess  .     .     . 

2.  Jagir  5   per   cent.   Cess^ 

Roads  and  Schools     .  / 

3.  Cattle  Pound  and  Ferryl 

Funds / 

4.  Fisheries 

Total  rupees     .     . 

rupees. 
22,304 

1,544 

9,670 
5,367 

rupees. 
23,108 

4,332 

12,741 
4,612 

rupees.             rupees. 

23,789      '      19,053 

2,873             3,480 

8,865      1        6,413 

5,649  !    6,098 

38,885     i    44.793 

41,176 

35,044 

All  licences  to  manufacture  and  retail  liquor,  to  sell  drugs,  and 
for  making  salt  are  put  up  to  auction  annually  at  the  head-quarter 
station  of  the  division.  At  the  natural  salt  deposits  in  the  Badin 
taluka,  a  tax  of  8  annas  per  maund  is  levied,  independently  of  the 
local  fund,  under  the  superintendence  of  a  munshi  and  preventive 
establishment. 

With  regard  to  the  third'  item  in  the  local  revenue,  all  surplus 
receipts  were  formerly  credited  to  local  funds ;  but  at  the  close  of 
1866-67,  the  cattle  pound  receipts  within  municipal  limits  were 
made  over  to  the  different  municipalities. 


Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


MUHAMMAD  KHAN'S  TANDA. 


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S68  MUHAMMAD  KHAN'S  TANDA. 

Barani  (or  rain  land)  cultivation  is  assessed  at  a  uniform  rate 
of  8  annas  per  biga,  except  in  the  Guni  taluka,  where  it  is  12 
annas. 

Tenures. — ^The  different  land  tenures  prevailing  in  this  district 
are  the  following : — i.  Lands  held  wholly  or  partly  free  from  assess- 
ment, such  as  jagirs,  garden  grants,  patas  under  conditions,  seri 
grants,  and  huris,  or  tree  plantations ;  and  2.  Lands  held  at  rates 
assessed  by  the  Government  Of  these,  patas  are  rent-free  grants 
of  land  of  4  bigas  (2  acres  3  guntas)  in  area,  under  Sir  Bartle 
Frere's  rules,  to  such  persons  as  dug  wells  and  planted  the  land 
with  trees  at  their  own  expense,  maintaining  the  same  for  the 
benefit  of  the  public  generally,  as  halting  or  resting-places  for 
travellers.  Seri  grants  (now  discontinued)  were  those  conferred  on 
Patels  in  return  for  general  service  done  as  heads  of  their  respec- 
tive villages. 

Huris  are  tree  plantations  (not  orchards)  on  which  no  assess- 
ment is  levied  so  long  as  the  land  in  them  is  not  brought  under 
cultivation,  but  reserved  exclusively  for  trees.  For  further  infor- 
mation on  the  subject  of  tenures  see  that  portion  of  Chap.  IV,  of 
the  introductory  portion  of  this  work  treating  on  tenures  in  Sind. 

JAgirs. — There  are  between  200  and  300  Jagiidars  of  different 
classes  in  the  Tanda  district,  holding  cultivable  and  unarable  land 
to  the  extent,  in  the  aggregate,  of  nearly  296,000  acres.  The  fol- 
lowing table  will  show  the  jagir  area  in  each  of  the  four  talukas  of 
this  division,  together  with  the  amount  of  revenue  annually  paid  to 
Government  on  this  account : — 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


MUHAMMAD  KHAN'S  TANDA. 


569 


TalQka. 

Number  of 
Ja^zxlars. 

Class. 

Cultivable 
Land. 

Unarable 
Land. 

Yearly 
Amount  of 
Government 
Revenue  re- 
presented. 

1.  Guni      .      .      . 

2.  Badin   .     .     . 

3.  Tando  Bago     J 

4.  Dero  Mohbat  . 
Grand  Total      . 

19 

4 

II 

62 

I 
2 

3 

^     4 

acres. 
15,116 
96 

2,756 

acres. 
120, 102 

4,552 

rupees. 
22,637 

31 

114 

2,961 

96 

... 

18,020 

125,176 

25,743 

17 

2 

8 

88 

I 
2 
3 

4 

157 
3,704 

34,139 
192 

^471 
6,509 

17,606 

321 

445 
2,151 

115      ,     ... 

io,574 

41,3" 

20,523 

II 

I 
2 
3 

4 

9,392 

195 

2,177 

2,911 

46,944 

364 

3,059 

6,196 

12,105 

202 

1,496 

4,152 

140      1     ... 

14,675 

56.563 

17,955 

9 

10 
40 

I 
2 
3 

4 

2,474 

380 
353 

21,188 

'"'757 
4,507 

5,162 

■540 
371 

59 

3,207 

26,452 

6,073 

410 

46,476 

249,502 

70,294 

Municipalities. — ^There  are  municipal  institutions  in  five  of 
the  towns  of  this  Deputy  Collectorate,  viz.  :  Tando  Muhammad 
Khan,  Tando  Bago,  Badin,  Nindo  Shahr  and  Raja  Khanani.  The 
receipts  and  disbursements  of  these  several  municipalities  for  two 
years  ending  1873-74  are  shown  in  the  following  table  (see  next 
page). 


Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


S70 


MUHAMMAD  KHAN'S  TANDA. 


Where  situate. 

DateofEstaUish- 
meoc. 

Receipts  in 

x87a-73. 

»873-74- 

i87a-73- 

X873-74- 

1.  Tando  Muhammad  Khan 

2.  Tando  Bago  .... 

3.  Badin 

4.  Nindo  Shahr  .... 

5.  R2ja  Khanani      .     .     . 

Jan.  2,  1856  . 
June  20,  1857 
Ditto .     .     . 
Dec.  16,  i860 
Aug.  27,  1861 

3*467 
2,350 
1,249 
1,993 
463 

3,489 
1,890 

i»347 

2,253 

480 

3,388 
1,615 
1,703 

3,"5 
369 

3»i63 
1,910 

1,531 

2,042 

408 

The  revenue  of  these  municipalities  is  derived  principally  from 
town  duties  and  the  surplus  of  cattle-pound  receipts ;  and  the  chief 
disbursements  are  on  account  of  police,  scavenging  and  lighting. 
Any  balance  remaining  is  expended  in  the  improvement  of  the 
towns,  and  in  carrying  out  public  works. 

Medical  Establishments. — The  only  medical  establishments 
in  this  division  are  a  hospital  and  dispensary  at  Muhanunad  Khan's 
Tanda,  both  of  which  are  in  the  same  buUding,  and  under  the 
charge  of  a  first-class  hospital  assistant,  with  a  small  establishment 
This  officer,  in  addition  to  his  military  pay,  receives  a  further 
allowance  of  30  rupees  per  mensem  from  the  local  and  municipal 
funds.  The  following  table  will  give  further  information  regarding 
the  attendance,  &c.,  of  patients  during  the  two  years  1873  and 
1874 :— 


In-patients  . 
Out-patients 

Total  Admis- 
sions in 

Casualties  in 

Attendance. 

Remarics. 

X873. 

t874. 

x873.- 

1874. 

X873. 

1874. 

161 

1.756 

167 
2,008 

3 
18 

4 
15 

29 
32-9 

27 
291 

No     epidemic 
has         taken 
place        here 
since  1869. 

1,9x7 

2,175 

21 

19 

... 

Prisons. — There  is  a  kind  of  subordinate  jaU  at  every  Mukh- 
tyarkar's  head-quarter  station,  in  which  all  untried  persons  are  for 
a  time  detained ;  sentenced  prisoners  can  also  undergo  imprison- 
ment up  to  one  month  in  these  jails ;  when  sentenced  to  longer 
terms  of  imprisonment  they  are  forwarded  to  the  district  jail  at 
Hyderabad. 

Education. — The  number  of  educational  institutions  in  the 

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MUHAMMAD  KHAN'S  TANDA. 


571 


Tanda  district  in  1874  was  8,  with  an  attendance,  in  all,  of  263 
pupils:  of  these  four  were  Government  schools,  and  the  re- 
mainder private.  The  number  of  schools  in  each  taluka  of  this 
district,  with  other  particulars,  is  given  in  the  following  table  : — 


Talaka. 

Government  Schools. 

Private  Schools. 

Number. 

Pupils. 

No.    1     Boys. 

I.  Guni  .     .     . 

I 

114 

3 

62 

2.  Badin      .     . 

2 

51 

3.  Tando  Bago . 

I 

II 

... 

... 

4.  Deio  Mohbat 

I 

23 

Total     .     . 

4 

176 

4 

85 

The  language  chiefly  taught  in  the  private  schools  of  this  dis- 
trict is  Persian;  Arabic  is  learnt  in  some  of  the  schools,  but 
Sindi  in  very  few.  The  Kuran  is  the  principal  subject  of 
instruction. 

Agriculture. — ^There  are  two  seasons  in  the  Tanda  district  in 
which  agricultural  operations  are  principally  carried  on;  these, 
with  the  chief  crops  produced,  are  shown  in  the  accompanying 
table :— 


Season. 

Time  when 

Principal  Crops  produced. 

Sown. 

Reaped. 

i.Kharif. 
2.  Rabi    . 

March, 
June,  and 

July. 

January, 
February, 
October, 
November, 
and  De- 
cember. 

February, 

October,  and 

November. 

February 

and 
March. 

Juar,  bajri,  rice,  til,  tobacco,  cotton, 
sugar-cane  and  hemp. 

Wheat,  barley,  mung,  matar,  jambho, 
sariba,  melons,   castor-oil  plant, 
and  garden  produce  generally. 

The  kharif  season  may  be  said  to  commence  with  the  annual 
rise  of  the  river  Indus,  which  is  the  natural  source  of  water  supply 
for  the  crops  grown  at  that  time ;  but  tliose  in  the  rabi  season 
are  raised  from  land  which  has  already  been  saturated  either  by 


L'lyiiizea  by 


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572  MUHAMMAD  KHAN'S  TANDA. 

canal  or  rain-water,  without  any  further  irrigation  during  their 
growth.  Among  the  rabi  crops,  wheat,  barley,  mung  and  matar 
are  sown  on  land  that  has  been  flooded,  while  sarson  and  jambho 
are  sown  on  '*  Barani,"  or  rain  land.  Garden  produce  is  raised 
generally  during  the  cold  season,  excepting  cucumbers  and  a  few 
other  gourds,  which  are  grown  in  the  hot  weather.  Irrigation  is 
carried  on  by  means  of  the  Persian  wheel,  of  which  there  axe  three 
kinds,  the  charkha,  the  hurla,  and  the  pirati.  The  first  is  capable 
of  irrigating  about  ten  acres,  and  is  equal  in  power  to  two  hurlas 
or  four  piratis.  Both|the  charkha  and  hurla  are  worked  by  animal 
power,  but*  the  pirati,  which  is  not  in  common  use,  is  worked  by 
human  labour.  These  several  kinds  of  wheels  are  employed  in 
the  kharif  season  in  irrigating  land  from  canals,  and  in  the 
rabi  season,  from  "dhandhs"  and  wells;  such  lands  are  called 
"  charkhi,"  in  contradistinction  to  "  sailabi "  land,  which  is  that  over- 
flowed by  the  Indus  during  the  inundation  season.  "  Barani "  land 
is  that  on  which  rain  has  fallen ;  where  there  has  been  an  early 
fall,  crops  of  bajri  and  cotton  are  sometimes  raised,  otherwise  rabi 
crops  of  sarson  and  jambho  are  cultivated.  When  such  land  has 
been  much  saturated  with  rain,  any  rabi  crop  can  be  raised  from 
it  The  following  statement  will  give  particulars  concerning  the 
cultivation,  &c.,  of  the  principal  crops  in  this  district: — 


Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


MUHAMMAD  KHAN'S  TANDA. 


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MUHAMMAD  KHAN'S  TANDA. 


The  agricultural  implements  in  use  in  this  district  are  those 
generally  used  throughout  Sind.  They  consist  of  the  spade, 
plough,  the  sowing  drill,  rambo  or  hand-hoe,  the  sickle,  and  a 
rough  kind  of  harrow. 

Commerce. — The  exports  from  the  Tanda  Deputy  Collectorale, 
which  are  mostly  towards  the  Thar  and  Parkar  district,  consist 
mainly  of  agricultural  produce,  such  as  rice  and  til,  as  well  as 
camel  cloths  (to  a  small  extent),  ghi  and  cotton.  Salt  is  exported 
to  a  large  extent,  but  the  import  of  this  article  is  still  larger ;  this 
is  the  case  also  with  other  articles,  chiefly  grains,  such  as  juar, 
bajri,  mun^,  sarson,  &c.  The  following  table  will  show,  though 
only  approximatively^  the  amount  and  value  of  the  principal 
articles  exported  from  this  district : — 

Exports. 


Articles. 

Quantity. 

Value. 

Grains  :— 

Bajri 

Juar 

Mung 

Rice 

Til 

Sarson 

Camel  Cloths.     .     .     . 

Cotton 

Ghi 

Molasses 

Salt 

maunds. 

19,890 

4,642 

1,336 

131.960 

660 
200 
250 

2,675 
4,340 
10,000 

rupees. 

70,795 

16,827 

6,012 

5,92,820 

43,725 
1,980 

5,^ 
71.055 
30,651 
10,000 

The  chief  imports  of  this  district,  with  their  quantity  and  value, 
are  contained  in  the  following  tabular  statement,  but  they  must 
also  be  regarded  as  merely  approximative  .• — 


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MUHAMMAD  KHAN'S  TANDA. 


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MUHAMMAD  KHAN'S  TANDA. 


It  was  ascertained  so  early  as  1844  that  the  pools  and  valleys 
connected  with  the  lower  part  of  the  Puran  Nala,  dividing  the 
Tanda  district  from  that  of  the  Thar  and  Parkar,  abounded  in  pure 
salt,  and  large  beds  of  it,  from  5  to  6  feet  deep,  were  found  to 
exist  between  Rahim  and  Wanga  Bazar.  The  then  Collector  of 
Hyderabad  sent  specimens  of  these  deposits  to  Karachi,  whence 
they  were  forwarded  to  Bombay,  but  so  much  opposition  was 
shown  by  the  salt  merchants  there,  that  Sind  salt  was  unable  to 
get  into  that  market ;  in  addition  to  which,  the  difficulty  of  com- 
munication, and  the  consequent  expense  attending  its  transit, 
were  found  too  great  to  admit  of  a  profitable  trade  being  carried 
on  in  this  article. 

The  following  table  will  show  (also  approximaHvdy\  the  quantity 
and  value  of  the  traffic  passing  through  the  Tanda  district : — 

Transit  Trade. 


Articles. 


Quantity. 


Value. 


Carpets  (Woollen) 
Cloths    .     .     .     . 
Cocoa-nuts  .     . 
Cotton  .     .     .     . 
Dates     .     .     .     . 
Fancy  Articles 

Ghi 

Grains : — 

Bajri  .     .     .      . 


Juar 

Rice 

Sarson  (andjambho) 

Wheat     .... 

Gram  .... 
Grass  Rope       .     .     . 

Gum 

Indigo 

Mats 

Metals : — 

Gold  and  Silver  .     . 

Bell-metal     .     .     . 

Copper    .... 

Iron 

Oil 

Saddles 

Salt 

Silk 

Skins      ..... 

Spices 

Sugar  and  Molasses  . 
Tobacco  .... 
Wool 


maunds. 
600 

1,090 
1,000 
2,423 

1,650 
28,100 

83.740 
450 

725 

"5 

400 

100 

70 


25 
102 
4,000 
2,140 
1,400 
1,200 

3»*6oo 
282 
6,330 
4,710 
1,800 


rupees. 
2,400 

1,57,500 
10,900 
20,000 
19,950 
3,150 
30,050 

1,00,600 

1.535 

3,16,900 

900 

3,600 

375 
1,600 
1,800 
5,600 
2,200 

45,000 

2,000 

4,400 

26,000 

23,650 

2,900 

1,500 

15,280 

3,600 

3,300 

54,156 

50,640 

7.450 


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MUHAMMAD  KHAN'S  TANDA. 


577 


Of  the  above  articles,  the  grain  goes  mostly  to  the  Thar  and 
Parkar,  the  skins  coming  from  this  latter  district  en  route  for 
Karachi.  Ghi  passes  through  the  Tanda  district  from  Shah- 
bandar  towards  Hyderabad  The  greater  part  of  the  remaining 
articles  come  from  Hyderabad,  and  are  intended  for  either  the 
Shahbandar  Deputy  CoUectorate,  or  the  Thar  and  Parkar  dis- 
trict 

Manufactures. — ^The  manufactures  of  the  Tanda  district  are 
confined  mostly  to  the  making  of  striped  cloths  (called  susis), 
blankets,  camel  saddles,  gold  and  silver  ornaments,  wooden  articles, 
such  as  cots,  boxes,  &c. ;  carpets,  silk  thread,  various  articles  in 
leather,  copper,  iron  and  tin ;  the  preparation  of  molasses  and 
coarse  sugar,  salt  and  saltpetre.  The  following  table  will  show 
the  principal  articles  so  manufactured,  with  their  value  approxi- 
moHvely  estimated : — 


Articles. 


Estimated  i 
Value. 


Where  Mftnofactured. 


Carpets  (WooUen)  .  . 
Cloths  (Cotton),  .  . 
Cloths,  Striped  {S&sis) . 


Earthenware 
Leathern  articles 
Liquor  (Country) 
Metals  : — 
Copper      .     . 


rupees. 
3.690 

4,150 
2,800 


6,200 
8,oco 
3,600  i 

1 
9,300 


Ironware !     7,600 

Molasses  (and  coarse  Sugar)    »     .  I  47,000 


Ornaments  (Gold  and  Silver)  . 

Saddles  (for  camels) 

Saddles  (others)       .... 


33,400 
1,600 

500 


Salt    ... 10,300 

Saltpetre 300 

Silk  Thread ,  fo,ooo 

Tiles  (Encaustic) I  700 

Wooden    articles,   such  as  Cots,\  .-  ..o. 

Boxes,  &c /  "'"'^^ 


In  the  Guni  and  Dero  Moh- 
bat  taliikas. 

Throughout  the  Tanda  dis- 
trict, 

Saidpur,  Katyar,  Khokhar, 
Tanda  Muhammad  Khan 
and  Tando  Bago. 

Throughout  the  district. 

Ditto. 

Tanda  Muhammad  IChin. 

Tanda    Muhammad    Khan 

and  Tando  BSgo. 
Throughout  the  district. 
In  all  the  taluk  as  and  at 

Dhandhi. 
Throughout  the  district. 
Ditto. 
In    the    Agri    tapa    (Guni 

talfika). 
Guni    and    D&o    Mohbat 

taliikas. 
Ghulam  Haidar  tapa. 
Tanda    Muhammad  Khan. 
Saidpur  and  BiUri. 

Throughout  the  district 


Fairs. — ^The  fairs  held  in  the  Tanda  district  are  five  in  number  \ 
at  three  of  these,  viz.,  Bulri,  Badin,  and  Kocho  Sajan  Sawai,  fees 
are  levied  on  stalls,  as  also  on  passes  for  the  sale  of  animals.     The 

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MUHAMMAD  KHAN'S  TANDA.  579 

Communications. — ^The  Tanda  district  possesses  about  555 
miles  of  roads,  of  which  131  are  trunk  and  postal  lines,  and  the 
remainder  cross  roads.  The  principal  line  of  communication  is  the 
Hyderabad  postal  road,  which  enters  the  Dero  Mohbat  taluka 
near  Ghulam  Ali  Tanda,  and,  passing  through  Dighri,  leaves  it  at 
the  Thar  and  Parkar  boundary  near  Juda.  Another  important 
trunk  road  is  that  leading  from  Hyderabad  through  the  Guni  and 
Badin  talukas  to  Rahim-ki  Bazar  in  the  Thar  and  Parkar  district 
Travellers  to  Kachh  use  this  road.  The  expense  of  maintaining 
all  the  roads,  trunk  and  cross,  in  this  district,  excepting  the 
Ahmadabad  postal  road,  is  defrayed  by  the  local  funds.  There 
are  travellers'  or  district  bangalows,  at  Ghulam  Haidar  Tanda, 
Talhar,  Badin,  Tando  Bago,  Katyar  and  Dhandhi ;  and  dharam- 
salas  have  been  erected  at  all  the  important  halting-places  in  the 
district  excepting  Ghulam  Ali  Tanda  in  the  DSro  Mohbat  taluka. 
The  following  is  a  list  of  the  roads,  with  other  information  con- 
nected with  them,  in  the  Tanda  Deputy  CoUectorate  {see  pages 
SSoanti$Si). 


2  p  2 


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MUHAMMAD  KHAN'S  TANDA. 


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MUHAMMAD  KHAN'S  TANDA. 


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58a 


MUHAMMAD  KHAIPS  TANDA. 


Ferries.— There  are  28  ferries  in  the  Tanda  district,  the 
greater  number  of  which  are  on  the  Guni  canaL  The  average 
annual  receipts  from  these  during  the  years  1870  and  1871  were  620 
rupees  only,  but  in  some  instances  one-half,  and  in  others  thiee- 
fourths  of  the  receipts  of  four  of  these  ferries  are  either  alienated 
or  credited  elsewhere.  The  following  is  a  list  of  these  femes, 
with  their  situation,  &c. : — 


Name  of  Ferry. 


Where  situate. 


Remaiks. 


I. 
2. 
3. 

t 


Hajipur    . 

Miani  Sang 

Jerruck     . 

Patoro 

Nuiai .     • 

Tanda  Saidid     .     . 

Tanda  Alum  Khan  . 

8.  Nazarpur .     .     .     . 

9.  Matli 

la  Alipur      .     .     .     . 

11.  Dando      .  .     . 

12.  Kocho  Sajan  Sawai . 

13.  Jam  Laghari . 

14.  Talhar      . 

15.  Wasi-adil. 

16.  Jamali 


17.  Shoro. 

18.  Katiyar 

19.  Wahnai 
2a  Visar  . 
21.  Jhok   . 


22.  Ali  Khan  .     .     . 

23.  Jehan  Khan  Rind 


24.  Muhammad  ShSh 

25.  Chhato-dars  .     . 

26.  Thoro.     .     .     . 


27.  Dadah 


On  the  Indus . 

Ditto    .     .     . 

Ditto    .     •     • 

On  the  Giini 

Ditto. 

Ditto. 

Ditto    .     .     . 

Ditto. 

Ditto   .     .     . 

Ditto. 

Ditta 

Ditto. 

Ditto. 

Ditta 

Ditto. 

Ditto    .     .     . 

Ditto. 

Ditto. 

Ditto    .     .     . 

Ditto. 

On  the  Gajah. 

Ditto. 

Ditto   •     .     . 


Ditto. 
Ditto. 
On  the  Nasirwah . 

Ditto. 


Half  of  the  recdp 
credited  to  the  & 
Collectorate. 


On  the  trunk  road. 
On  the  cross  road. 


On  postal  road  hpsm  Tal- 
hir  to  Tando  Bago. 


On  the  cross  road. 

On  cross  road  from  Tanda 
Muhammad  Khan  to 
Dhandhi. 

Cross  road  from  Tanda 
Muhammad  Khan  to 
Khorwah. 


Cross  road  from  Jamali  to 
RajaKhan&nL 


It  is  expected  that,  instead  of  the  ferries  on  the  Gajah  and 
Nasirwah  canals,  permanent  bridges  will  soon  be  built 

Electric  Telegraphs. — ^There  are  now  no  electric  tel^npli 
lines  in  thi»  Deputy  Collectorate.  Formerly  the  Bombay  line  nA 
through  this  cUstrict  by  Badin,  but  in  1868  its  direction  was 
altered,  and  it  now  passes  through  the  Hala  Deputy  CoUectonte 
to  Umarkot. 

Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


NABISAR—NAGAR  PARKAR.  tfiz 

Postal  Lines. — ^The  chief  lines  of  postal  communication  in 
this  district  are  two  in  number ;  one  of  these,  the  Bombay  postal 
line,  passes  through  the  Dero  Mohbat  taluka,  with  stations  at 
Ghulam  Ali  Khan  and  DighrL  The  district  post  is  carried  by  foot 
runners  from  Hyderabad  by  the  trunk  road  through  Tando 
Muhammad  Khan,  Ghulam  Haidar  Tando  and  Talhar  to  Badin. 
From  Talhar  a  branch  line  passes  by  Tando  Bago  to  Nindo 
Shahr.  The  non-disbursing  post-offices  in  this  district  are  situate 
at  Tando  Muhammad  Khan,  Badin,  and  Tando  Bago,  and  the 
branch  offices  at  Nindo  Shahr  and  Talhar. 

Antiquities, — The  only  object  which  can  be  regarded  as  an 
antiquity  in  this  district  is  the  Luari  fort,,in  the  Badin  taluka,  built 
in  the  first  instance  of  brick  and  lime,  in  the  time  of  Mir  Ghulam 
Ali,  by  one  Pir  Muhammad  Zumah,  as  some  protection  against 
the  inroads  of  the  Pathans.  A  portion  of  this  fort  was  pulled 
down  by  Mir  Ghulam  Ali,  but  it  was  subsequently  rebuilt  of 
mud. 

Muhammad  Klian*&  Tanda^  town  of.  {See  Tando  Muham- 
mad Khan.) 

Nabisar^  a  town  in  the  Umarkot  taluka  of  the  Thar  and  Parkar 
Political  Superintendency,  situate  a  little  to  the  east  of  the  Nara, 
and  distant  about  20  miles  south  from  Umarkot,  with  which  town, 
^as  also  with  Nawakot,  Juda,  Daraila,  Samara,  Harpar,  Mitti, 
and  Chelar,  it  has  road  communication.  This  town  is  the  head- 
quarter station  of  a  Tapadar,  and  has  a  police  thana  with  7 
men,  a  Government  school,  dharamsaia,  post-office,  and  cattle 
pound  It  possesses  also  a  municipality,  established  in  1862, 
the  income  of  which  in  1873-74  was  2,064  rupees,  and  the 
expenditure  1,292  rupees.  The  population,  numbering  in  all 
about  1 5 14  souls,  comprises  473  Muhammadans  of  the  Dars, 
Memon,  Pinara,  Khaskeli  and  Bazgar  tribes,  and  1041  HindQs, 
principally  Brahmans,  Lohanos,  Sonants,  Khatis,  Bhils  and 
Mengwars.  Their  employment  is  mostly  agriculture,  cattle-breed- 
ing, and  the  export  of  ghi  The  manufrictures  of  this  place  consist 
in  the  weaving  and  dyeing  of  cloth,  and  the  making  of  dabas  for 
containing  ghi  The  trade,  both  local  and  transit,  is  in  cotton, 
cocoa-nuts,  metals,  grain,  camels,  cattle,  hides,  ghi,  sugar,  tobacco 
and  wool,  but  neither  the  quantity  or  value  appear  to  be 
known. 

Nagar  Parkar^  a  taloka  (or  sulniivision)  of  the  Thar  and 
Parkar  Political  Superintendency,  bordering  on  the  Rann  of 
Kachh,  having  2  tapas,  3  dehs,  and  a  population  of  339259  souls* 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


3^4 


NAGAR  PARKAR. 


The  revenue,  imperial  and  local,  of   this  sab-division  duxing 
the  four  years  ending  1873-74  is  as  follows  : — 


Imperial      .     . 
Local     .     .     . 

i«7«-7«. 

iS7x-7«- 

x87*-73. 

1873-74- 

rupees. 

I3>555 
293 

rupees. 
39,106 

2,123 

rupees. 

3^,517 

1,818 

rupees, 
32.211 

2,175 

Total  rupees  . 

13.848      j      3^228      1      34,335 

3S.386 

Nagar  Farktf,  the  chief  town  in  the  taluka  of  tiie  same 
name  in  the  Thar  and  Parkar  Political  Superintendency,  situate 
to  the  east  of  a  range  of  low  hills,  distant  from  Umarkot  soath- 
east  about  Z20  miles,  with  which  town  it  has  road  communication 
by  Virawah  and  Chachra,  as  also  with  Islamkot,  Mitti,  Adigaon, 
Pitapur,  £ir^,  and  Bala  in  Kachh  BhCij.    Jt  is  the  head-quarter 
station  of  a  MQkhtyarkar  and  Tapadar,  has  a  police  thana  with  32 
pobcemen,  civil  and  criminal  courts,  a  Government  school,  dis- 
pensary, dharamsala,  post-office,  and  a  d?iak  or  cattle  pound.    The 
dispensary  was  established  in  1855,  and  is  in  charge  of  an  officer 
of  the  Subordinate  Medical  Department,  its  cost  being  defrayed 
partly  by  Government  and  partly  by  the  munidpahty.      The 
Nagar  Parkar  municipality  was  established  in  1862,  the  receipts 
of  which  in  1873-74  reached  2,215  rupees,  while  the  expenditure 
during  the  same  year  was  1,906  rupees.    The  population  of  this 
town  is  said  to  number  2355,  of  whom  not  more  than  539  are 
Musalmans,   of  the  Khosa,   KhaskSli  and  Chaki  tribe,  the  re- 
mainder (18 16)  being  Hindus,  chiefly  Brahmans,  Lohanos,  Meng- 
wars  and  Kolis.    Their  pursuits  are  principally  agriculture,  cattle- 
breeding  and  trade.     The  manufactures  consist  almost  solely  in  the 
weaving  and  dyeing  of  cloth.    The  local  trade  is  in  cotton,  cocoa- 
nuts,  wool,  grain,  metals,  piece-goods,  hides  and  tobacco;    the 
transit  trade  comprises  the  following  articles: — ^grain,   camels, 
cattle,  hides,  wool  and  ghi,  but  the  quantity  and  value  do  not 
seem  to  be  known.     This  town  is  believed  to  be  of  some  an- 
tiquity, and  the  existence  of  several  ruined  tanks  in  and  about  the 
place  seem  to  show  a  more  prosperous  condition  in  times  gone 
by  than  is  the  case  at  present    About  a  mile  from  this  town  is 
Sardhara,  where  there  is  a  temple  of  Mahadeo  and  a  spring  of 
water  sacred  to  the  Hindus.    A  fair  is  held  here  annually  during 
the  Shivrata.     Half  a  mile  west  of  Sardhara  is  a  pool  of  water, 
always  full  during  the  hottest  weather,  and  near  it  was  a  fort  said 


Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


NARA,  EASTERN.  585 

to  have  been  built  by  Chhandan,  a  RSn^  of  Nagar  Parkar ;  it  was 
destroyed  in  1859  by  order  of  the  British  Government 

It  was  in  that  same  year  that  the  town  of  Nagar  Parkar  became 
the  centre  of  a  rebellion,  headed  by  the  Rana  of  the  Parkar 
District  Early  in  the  month  of  May  1859,  Colonel  Evans  was 
sent  with  a  force  from  Hyderabad  to  quell  the  insurrection.  He 
occupied  this  town,  driving  off  the  rebels,  who  made,  however, 
a  desperate  resistance.  In  the  following  June,  Akhaji,  the  Rana's 
minister,  was  given  up  by  the  Kachh  Darbar,  and  on  the  20th  of 
that  month  an  attack  was  made  by  the  KoUs  on  the  town,  but 
they  were,  after  a  sharp  encounter,  routed  and  driven  back  by  the 
troops  under  the  command  of  Colonel  Evans.  Subsequently  the 
Rana  was  captured,  and  both  he  and  his  minister  were  tried  by 
the  authorities  in  Sind,  and  each  sentenced  to  transportation  for 
a  term  of  years. 

Nara,  Eastern,  a  large  and  important  water  channel  having 
its  rise  in  the  floods  of  the  Bahawalpur  State,  and  running  south- 
ward successively  through  the  Rohri  Deputy  Collectorate,  the 
Khairpur  State,  and  the  Thar  and  Parkar  Political  Superin- 
tendency.  A  depression  in  the  Bahawalpur  territory  between  the 
towns  of  Rupar  and  Bahawalpur,  on  the  left  bank  of  the  Indus  and 
parallel  to  that  river,  is  presumed  by  some  to  be  the  source  of 
water-supply  to  the  Nara,  but  others  believe  it  to  be  owing  mainly 
to  the  overflooding  of  the  Indus  in  two  places — one  near  Sab- 
zalkot  in  the  Bahawalpur  State,  and  the  other  at  Ghotki  in  the 
Rohri  district  The  amount  of  water,  therefore,  which  before  the 
opening  of  the  Rohri  supply  channel  in  1859  found  its  way  into 
the  Nara  was  entirely  dependent  upon  the  strength  of  these 
floods.  In  some  years  no  water  at  all  would  reach  the  Nara,  at 
other  times  there  would  be  strong  floods  for  years  together.  The 
first  well-defined  head  of  the  Eastern  Nara  occurs  at  a  place 
called  Khari,  not  far  distant  from  the  town  of  Rohri,  whence  the 
stream  runs  almost  due  south  through  the  territory  of  H.H.  Mir 
Ali  Murad,  afterwards  entering  the  Thar  and  Pirkar  district, 
where  the  channel  is  in  some  places  large  and  well-defined,  and 
in  others  haxdly  perceptible.  Between  the  towns  of  ChQndawah 
and  Nawakot,  in  this  latter  district,  the  Nara,  or,  as  it  is  there 
called,  the  "  Hakra,"  skirts  the  foot  of  the  Thar.  At  Nawakot  the 
river,  according  to  a  report  of  Lieutenant  (now  Colonel)  Fife,  R.E., 
flows  in  two  channels,  the  lajger  running  in  a  south-easteriy 
direction  to  Wango-jo-got,  where  it  joins  the  Puran,  the  other 
continuing  to  skirt  the  foot  of  the  Thar  for  about  30  miles,  after 
which  it  joins  the  Puran  below  Wango  Bazar.     From  this  latter 

Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


S86  NARA,  EASTERN. 

place  the  waters  of  the  NSiS  pass  by  means  of  the  channel  of  the 
Puran  to  Lakhpat,  where,  after  completing  from  the  head  of  the 
river  a  course  of  300  miles,  they  enter  the  sea.    The  valleys  in 
the  course  of  this  stream  are  occupied  by  numerous  dkandhs  or 
lakes,  amounting  in  the  aggregate  to  nearly  four  hundred,  some 
of  them  being  as  much  as  three  miles  in  length  by  one  in  breadth. 
According  to  Lieutenant  Fife,  there  is  every  reason  to  believe 
that  the  Nara  was  at  a  former  period  constantly  supplied  with 
water  from  the  Indus,   though  before  the  construction  of  the 
supply  channel  it  only  received  this  water  on  the  occasion  of 
high  floods.     In  the  year  1838  a  ^  band  **  was  said  to  have  been 
put  across  the  Nara  in  Upper  Sind  by  a  Jagirdar,  named  Fateb 
Muhammad  Ghori,  with  the  object  of  increasing  his  means  of 
irrigation,  but  it  appears  to  have  cut  off  the  supply  from  Lower 
Sind,  and  thus  to  have  caused  much  distress  among  the  cul- 
tivating population  of  that  part  of  the  province.     It  seems,  how- 
ever, to  be  a  question  whether  such  a  "  band "  ever  existed ; 
Captain   Rathbome,  a  former  Collector    of  Hyderabad,  in  a 
report  written  in  1843  maintained  that  it  did,  but  no  one  ever 
appears  to  have  seen  it,  and  in  185 1  it  was  declared   either 
to  have  no  existence,  or  if  existing,  not  to  interfere  in  any  way 
with  the  flow  of  the  chief  stream  of  the  Nara  towards  Lowar 
Sind.     In  his  report  of  1852  Lieutenant  Fife,  who  had  been 
deputed  to  ascertain  the  real  stoppage  of  this  stream,  stated  that 
in  his  opinion  the  supply  of  water  to  the  Nara  had  diminished 
from  natural  causes,  the  quantity  in  some  years  being  excessive 
and  flooding  the  surrotmding  country,  in  others,  on  the  other 
hand,  so  deficient  as  to  prevent  cultivation  being  carried  on  to 
any  considerable  extent     As  a  remedy  for  this  state  of  things  he 
urged  the  necessity  of  constructing  a  supply  channel  from  the 
Indus  near  Rohri  at  a  cost  of  a  little  over  4f  lakhs  of  rupees,  the 
yearly  revenue  expected  to  be  realised  from  increased  cultivation 
being  52,000  rupees,  or  eleven  per  cent  on  the  outlay  on  the 
project    The  scheme  was  sanctioned,  the  supply  channel  and  re- 
gulating bridge  completed,  and  the  water  formally  admitted  on 
the  7th  of  May,  1859,  but  the  annual  revenue  obtained  by  Govern- 
ment has  not,  it  would  seem,  realised  the  expectation  of  the  pro- 
jector.   As  much  of  the  water  thrown  into  the  Nara  by  this 
artificial  channel  was  lost  in  the  numerous  '*  dhandhs  **  which,  as 
before  observed,  line  this  stream^  strong  '^  bands"  were  thrown 
across  the  feeding  channels  leading  to  them,  the  water  being  thus 
forced  up  on  to  the  plain  where  it  would  yield  a  crop  by  simply 
ploughing  and  sowing  the  land  after  the  subsidence  of  the  inun- 

Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


NARl,  EASTERN.  587 

dation.  A  few  years  after  the  opening  of  the  supply  channel  it 
was  found  that  this  annual  flooding  of  the  country  was  doing 
much  damage  by  converting  it  into  a  jungly  swamp,  and  some 
further  modifications  in  the  system  of  irrigation  became  in  con- 
sequence imperatively  necessary.  These  consisted  chiefly  in 
making  excavations  hi  the  bed  of  the  Nara,  so  as  to  facilitate  the 
flow  of  the  water  southwards,  and  further  by  erecting  a  series  of 
embankments  on  the  right  bank  of  this  stream  in  order  to  arrest 
the  overflow  of  its  water.  By  this  means  regular  cultivation  on 
distributing  channels  is  substituted  for  the  easy  but  precarious  and 
wasteful  cultivation  on  the  flood  water,  and  these  modifications 
are  still  in  progress.  As  there  are  other  streams  in  connection 
with  the  Eastern  NSrS,  such  as  the  Mithrau,  Thar,  &c.,  which 
may,  in  fact,  be  considered  as  its  branches,  it  will  not  here  be  out 
of  place  to  quote  certain  interesting  remarks  upon  this  important 
channel  and  its  tributaries,  made  by  Colonel  J.  Le  Mesurier, 
Acting  Superintending  Engineer  for  irrigation  in  Sind,  extending 
over  a  period  of  ten  years,  that  is  to  say,  from   1864-65   to 

1873-74:— 

The  works  carried  out  during  the  ten  years  ending  1873-74, 
were  the  Mithrau  canal,  commenced  in  1858-59;  the  Thar  canal, 
commenced  in  1863-64;  the  embankments  along  the  right  bank 
of  the  Nara ;  the  cuts  in  the  bed  of  that  stream,  so  as  to  enable 
the  water  to  reach  the  head  of  the  Thar  canal  in  time  for  kharif 
cultivation,  and  the  Dimw^  and  Heranwah  canals.  Up  to 
1861-62  the  Mithrau  canal  had  been  excavated  for  a  length  of 
about  40  miles,  with  a  full  width  of  44  feet  at  the  head.  Between 
1861-62  and  1873-74  the  excavation  was  completed  with  all  the 
subsidiary  works,  such  as  bridges,  sluices  to  the  branches  and 
main  distributing  channels,  plantations,  &c.  The  length  of  the 
Mithrau  canal  is  91^  miles,  or  including  all  its  branches,  123  miles. 
The  average  discharge  during  the  kharif  season  is  about  1270 
cubic  feet  per  second.  The  Thar  canal  has  been  completed  ac- 
cording to  the  original  estimate.  Its  length,  including  its  two 
branches  in  the  direction  of  the  towns  of  Chor  and  Umarkot,  is 
44  miles.  The  width  of  the  canal  at  head  is  35  feet,  and  the 
average  discharge  during  the  kharif  season  is  about  550  cubic  feet 
per  second.  The  length  of  the  Dimwah  is  15  miles,  and  of  the 
Heranwah  3  miles.  The  cost  of  the  various  works  connected 
with  the  Eastern  Nara,  which  are  dependent  on  the  Nara  supply 
channel  at  Rohri,  was,  up  to  the  end  of  the  official  year  1873-74, 
as  follows : — 


Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


588  NARA,  EASTERN. 

rupees. 

Nara  supply  channel 7,18,348 

Bands  and  embankments 2,39,336 

Cuts  in  the  bed  of  the  Nadl 2,21,796 

Mithrau  canal 7*38,336 

Thar  canal 2,82,371 

Dimwah  canal 18,239 

Heranwah Ii503 

T7.U1V        ,  fDireclion 24*123 

Establishment  (g^^^i^^ ^^^^^ 

Tools  and  plant 6,799 

Total  rupees     .     .     .  27,47,490 


The  total  revenue  realised  up  to  the  same  date  was  23,67,278 
rupees,  and  the  total  charges  (not  including  interest)  6,60,946 
rupees,  made  up  as  follows  : — 

rupees. 

Repairs 3*07,801 

Maintenance 1*73*735 

Establishment  {^j?;"^   \     \     \     \     \     \     \     \     v^^x^ 
Tools  and  plant 6,138 


Total  rupees.     .     .     6,60,946 

The  gross  receipts  were  thus  84  per  cent  on  the  capital  ex- 
pended, and  the  net  receipts  60  per  cent 

The  area  of  cultivation,  kharif  and  rabi,  for  1873-74  and  amount 
of  revenue  were  as  shown  in  the  following  table : — 


Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


NARA,  EASTERN. 


•  g>     fo    00 


§• 


I 


1^   ". 


*« 


1^ 


22^ 


00         ** 

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00 

8^ 


.  Q       m      t^ 

2i   8    - 


t<«    00      M        :      M 


1 


i?  "5: 
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3" 


8; 


^ 


i 


11 


% 

a 

Q 


3 

o 


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Of 

i 


2  !3 


g. 

^ 

«iM 

3 

o 

o 

f 

<u 

s. 

«> 

a> 

•s 

^ 

H-S 

!? 

589 


8 

1^1 

i? 

"IS. 

2 

s 

ill 

s- 

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53- 

0 

1 

P  CO 

C  ON 

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1 

! 

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0 



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-5 

i 

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-0 

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h\ 

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Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


Sgo  NARA,  EASTERN. 

The  cost  of  the  works,  treated  as  a  whole  and  completed,  will 
probably  be  as  under : — 

A.  Works  of  distribution. 

rupees. 

1.  Jhambrao  canal 42,50,000 

2.  Enlarging,  &c.,  Mithrau  canal 2,90,000 

3.  Thar  canal 2,00,000 

4.  Irrigation  south  of  Chundawah 2,00,000 

5.  Khipra  canal 75iOOO 

6.  Deepening,  &c.,  Nara  supply  channel      .     .     .  3,00,000 

53,15,000 

B.  Works  of  control. 

1.  Masonry  works,  such  as  weirs,  escapes,  &c.  .     .       1,40,400 

2.  Earthworks,  such  as   "bandhs"  and  embank- 

ments across  channels  and  along  the  Nara  .     .       5 ,09,960 

3.  Cuts  in  the  bed  of  the    Nam  from  Jalu    to 

Nawakot 4,47,470 

4.  Kariah  heads  in  both    banks  from  Bikora  to 

Nawakot 1,60,000 

12,57,830 
Total    65,72,830 

Add  moneys  and  establishments  at  20  per  cent,  on 

the  cost 13,14,566 

78.87,396 
Add  cost  of  works  to  end  of  1873-74,  including 

establishments,  &c 27,50,881 

Grand  total,  rupees.  .     .   106,38,277 


•  The  estimated  revenue  from  these  works,  when  completed,  is 
likely  to  be  as  follows : — 


1.  Jhambrao  canal 5,25,000 

2.  Mithrau  canal 1,55,000 

3.  Thar  canal.     \ 87,500 

4.  Khipra  canal 30,000 

5.  Kariahs  on  the  Nara 1,00,500 

6.  Nawakot » 1,00,000 

9,98,000 

Deduct  one-third  for  maintenance 3,32,666 

Net  revenue,  rupees    .     .  6,65,334 
or  6}  per  cent,  on  106,38,277  rupees 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


NARA,  western: 


591 


Statement  showing  the  Capital,  Charges  (exclusive  of  Interest  at  5  per  cent.), 
and  Income  from  the  Eastern  Nara  Works  daring  the  Ten  Years  ending 
1873-74. 


Heads  of 
Charges  and  *i864-65. 
Income. 


I.  Capital 
a.  Chaiges 
3.  Income 


1865-66.1866-67.1867^-68. 


nip.         rup.     I     nip.    |     nip. 
1,87,015  x.65,349  x.5S.3«8  X. 31.498 

6,880     11,7x9     xo,553     17,374 
I  I 

90»4O3     8x,3a7X,3x,8x5;    86,057 


X868-69.  X869-70.  X870-7X 


nip. 
84.39a 


nip.         rup. 
49.9771  x.oi. 9*9 


35,zx6,    68,o4x 
x,6o,86x  1,43,653 


69,280 
".85.373 


x87x-7a. 


x87a-73. 


nip. 
1.58.476 


nip. 
X, XX, 333 


98,7x31,40,650 
a.43.9»''«i86,565| 


»873-74' 


nip. 
81,056 

x,38.x56 

«. 93.456 


NarSi  Western^  a  large  and  important  water  channel  having  its 
nse  in  the  Indus,  which  it  taps  close  to  the  boundary  dividing 
the  Larkana  Deputy  Collectorate  from  that  of  Sukkur  and 
Shikarpur.  Its  course  is  southerly,  and  after  flowing  through 
portions  of  the  Larkana,  Rato  Dero,  and  Labdarya  talukas  of  the 
Larkana  division,  enters  the  Nasirabad  talQka  of  the  Mehar 
division,  leaving  it  for  the  Sehwan  Deputy  Collectorate  by  the 
Kakar  taluka.  In  the  Sehwan  district  it  flows  through  portions 
of  the  Dada  and  Sehwan  talukas,  falling  at  last,  after  a  course  of 
about  138  miles,  into  the  northern  side  of  the  Manchhar  lake. 
The  Western  N&ra  is  generally  considered  to  be  a  natural  channel 
artificially  improved,  and,  being  navigable  throughout  its  entire 
length  between  the  mondis  of  May  and  September,  is  preferred 
by  boats  going  up  river  during  the  inundation  season  by  way  of 
the  Aral  river  and  Manchhar  lake,  since  the  current  met  with  in 
the  Nara  is  by  no  means  so  strong  as  that  of  the  Indus.  About 
17  canals  branch  directly  from  the  Western  Nara  in  its 
entire  course,  4  of  tHese  being  in  the  Larkana  district,  and 
7  and  6  respectively  in  the  Mehar  and  Sehwan  divisions. 
Floods  from  this  stream  occur  at  times  in  the  Mehar  district, 
preventing  the  cultivation  of  rice  in  some  parts.  The  Western 
Nara  is,  for  purposes  of  superintendence,  included  in  two  canal 
divisions,  viz.,  the  Ghar  and  the  Karachi  Collectorate  canals, 
and  forms  part  of  the  charges  of  the  two  executive  engineers  of 
those  divisions.  The  following  table  will  show  the  revenue  and 
expenditure  (including  improvements)  on  this  canal  for  a  period 
of  ten  years  ending  1873-74 : — 


Cost  of 
Clearance^ 
&c.     .     . 


x864r65. 1865-66. 1866-67. 1867-68.  X868-69.  X869-70.  x87a-7i.  x87X-7a.  x87»-73.  X873-74 


rup. 
4.31,004 


nip.    I    rup. 
3.8x, 740  3.88,390 


I04      a.xox 


rup. 
3*4'>935 


rup. 
3.67.! 


9364, 


11,659     a7.S«o     34.756 


rup.         rup. 
•00,335  3, 88»a35 


14,685 


nip. 
5. ox. 337 


rup. 
4.98  ' 


94*594 


60941 


40*978 


rup. 
^,oa,xxo 


33*996 


L'igiiizea  by 


Google 


59« 


NASARPUR—NASIRABAD. 


Nasarpttr^  a  town  in  the  Alahyar-jo-Tando  taluka  of  the  Hala 
district,  8  miles  N.N.W.  from  Alahyar-jo-Tando,  and  26  miles 
aS.E.  from  Hala.  It  is  in  lat  25^  28'  N.  and  long.  68^  39'  E, 
and  has  road  communication  with  Matari,  Tajpur  and  Udero-laL 
It  possesses  a  tapadar's  dera^  a  Government  vernacular  school, 
police  lines,  a  dharamsala,  and  a  cattle  pound  (or  dhak).  It  has 
also  a  municipality,  established  in  i860,  the  revenue  of  which  in 
1873-74  was  1,265  rupees,  and  the  expenditure  1,140  rupees.  The 
population,  numbering  in  all  3106,  comprises  2134  Musalmans 
and  884  Hindus,  the  former  being  mostly  of  the  Girana,  Memon, 
Kazi  and  Bhanu  tribes,  while  the  principal  Hindu  castes  are 
Lohanos  and  Sahtas*  Their  chief  occupations  are  agricttlture, 
trade  and  weaving. 

The  trade  of  the  place  is  insignificant  and  of  no  account 

The  manufactures  are  of  pottery,  but  the  glazed  tiles  made 
there  are  considered  to  be  inferior  to  those  of  Hala.  Sisis 
(trousering  cloth)  and  khesis  (or  cloths  of  different  colours) 
are  also  laigely  manufactured  here,  and  find  a  good  market  in  the 
large  towns  of  the  Hyderabad  CoUectorate.  TTie  yearly  value  is 
about  22,000  rupees. 

This  town,  which  is  very  ancient,  is  supposed  to  have  been 
built  in  A.D.  989  by  one  Nasir  Muhana.  It  has  three  tombs 
of  considerable  repute  and  of  solid  construction,  the  materials 
being  burnt  glazed  brick  with  stone  foundations.  They  were 
erected  about  150  years  ago  chiefly  in  honour  of  one  Muhammad 
Shah^  and  an  annual  fair  is  held  diere  which  is  attended  by  some 
thousands  of  Musalmans.  The  chief  men  of  note  residing  in  this 
town  are  Firs  Imambakhsh,  Husain  Bakh§h  and  Nasir  Shah. 

Naflirabad^  a  taluka  (or  sub-division)  of  the  Mehar  Deputy 
CoUectorate,  containing  an  area  of  343  square  miles,  with  8 
tapas,  54  villages,  and  a  population  of  33,597  souls.  The 
revenue,  imperial  and  local,  of  this  sub-division  during  the  four 
years  ending  1873-74  is  as  follows : — 


Imperial    .     .     . 
Local  .... 

Total  rupees 

i87x-7a. 

1879-73. 

x«73-74- 

rupees. 
1,28,286 

10,817 

rupees. 
1,36,935 
11,132 

rupees. 
1,36,148 

10,452 

rupees. 
Ir34,72« 

10,207 

1,39,103 

1,48,067 

1,46,600 

1,44,929 

Hasirabad,  a  Government  town  in  the  talOka  of  the  same  name 
of  the  Mehar  Deputy  CoUectorate,  situate  on  the  Chilo  canal, 

Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


NAUSHAHRO.  593 

lo  miles  east  from  Warah,  the  present  chief  town  of  the  taluka, 
and  14  miles  north-east  from  Mehar.  It  has  road  communication 
with  Larkana  (distant  24  miles),  Mehar,  Badrah,  Wagan  and 
other  villages,  and  there  is  also  communication  carried  on  by 
means  of  the  Chilowah.  It  is  only  the  head-quarter  station 
of  a  Tapadar,  the  Mukhtyarkar's  kutcherry  being  at  the  thriving 
town  of  Warah.  This  place  possesses  a  Deputy  Collector's  staging 
bangalow,  a  musafirkhana,  and  lines  for  the  accommodation  of 
5  men  of  the  district  police/  The  population  of  the  town  is 
1085,  of  whom  600  are  Musalmans  and  485  Hindus.  The  former 
are  of  the  Kathia  tribe,  and  the  latter  of  the  Lohana  caste. 

There  is  some  local  trade  in  the  export  of  rice  from  this  town, 
but  nothing  seems  to  be  known  of  either  the  quantity  or  value. 
The  transit  trade  is  also  said  to  be  in  the  same  article,  but  to 
what  extent  is  equally  unknown. 

This  town  was  built  by  Mir  Nasir  Khan  Talpur,  about  40  years 
ago,  and  was  formerly  of  some  importance  \  it  had  also  a  good 
fort. 

Nansliahro,  a  large  division  and  Deputy  Collectorate  of  the 
Hyderabad  district,  lying  between  the  26th  and  28th  parallels 
of  north  latitude,  and  the  67th  and  69th  meridians  of  east  longi«- 
tude.  It  is  bounded  on  the  north  and  west  by  the  river  Indus ; 
on  the  east  and  north-east  by  the  territory  of  H.H.  Mir  Ali 
Murad  Talpur  and  the  Thar  and  Parkar  district,  and  on  the 
south  by  the  Shahdadpur  and  Hala  talukas  of  the  Hala  division. 
The  area  of  the  Naushahro  Deputy  Collectorate,  according  to  the 
Deputy  Collector's  report,  is  2949  square  miles,  but  by  the  Revenue 
Survey  Department  estimate  3067  square  miles,  and  is  divided 
into  4  talukas  and  33  tapas,  with  a  population  of  219,596  souls, 
or  71  to  the  square  mile.  The  following  table  (see  next  page) 
will  show  the  several  talukas  of  this  division,  with  their  tapas, 
area,  population,  and  chief  towns. 


Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


594 


NAUSHAHRO. 


Ar«am 

Number 

Towns  having 

Talaka. 

^^. 

Tapas. 

of 

PopaladoB. 

800  Inhabitants 

Dehs. 

and  upwards. 

I.  Kandiiro. 

315 

1.  Kandiaro . 

2.  Lakha      . 

3.  Shekhani. 

4.  Mahrilbpur 

5.  Halani     . 

6.  K  a  m  a  1 

Dero    . 

7.  Gulshah    . 

71 

47,768 

fKandiaro. 
Mahiabpor. 
Halani      and 
Bhelani. 

Khanwahan. 

Mohbat  and 
,  Dero  Jatoi 

I.  Naushahro 

104 

2.  Naushahro 

531 

2.  Tham  Shah 

3.  Bhiria.     . 

4.  Darbelo    . 

5.  Abid  .     . 

6.  Manjut     . 

7.  Abji    .     . 

8.  Nurpur    . 

9.  Phfil   .     . 

72.711 

fNaushahro. 
Tharu  Shah. 
Bhiria. 
Darbelo. 
Mithani. 
Abji. 
KhahiRahu 

\  id  Pad-eden . 

/   I.  More  .     . 

3.  More  .     . 

704, 

!  2.  Sihra  .     . 
3.  Puran.     . 
1  4.  Wadpagia. 
1  5.  Gachero  . 
1  6.  Sann  .     . 

51 

45.551 

Moro. 

Deparja. 

Daulatpur. 

Dars. 

Jatoi. 

7.  Daulatpur 

8.  Manihi    . 

I.  Sakrand   . 

2.  Lakhhgi   . 

3.  lilkhat     . 

4.  SiriLcha    . 

4.  Sakrand  . 

1,399 

5.  Gohram 

Mari    . 

6.  Mubarak  . 

7.  Gubchani. 

8.  Shahpur  . 

'    74 

53.566 

2,949 

1 

300 

219,596 

The  area  in  English  acres  of  each  taluka,  showing  the  approxi- 
mate acreage  cultivated,  culturable  and  unarable,  is  also  tabulated 
as  under : — 


TalQka. 

Total  Area  in 
English  Acres. 

Culrivated. 

Cultivable. 

Unarable. 

1.  Kandiaro   .     . 

2.  Naushahro.     . 

3.  Moro     .     .     . 

4.  Sakrand     .     . 

201,600 
339,840 
450,560 
895.360 

45,207 
75,000 

51,324 
84.523 

85,840 
223,227 
217,186 
510,030 

70.553 

41,613 

182,050 

300,807 

uiyiiizea  by 


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NAUSHAHRO.  595 

General  Aspect. — ^The  general  appearance  of  this  division 
is  one  unbroken,  flat,  alluvial  plain  from  north  to  south,  with 
merely  the  forest  lands  bordering  on  the  Indus  and  the  trees 
planted  on  the  sides  of  the  canals  to  vary  the  landscape.  So  far 
as  the  canals  from  the  Indus  are  able  to  irrigate  the  soil  the 
aspect  of  this  portion  of  the  district,  owing  to  its  great  fertility, 
is  pleasing  when  the  crops  are  green,  but  in  those  parts  beyond 
the  limit  of  irrigation  the  land  presents  the  appearance  of  a 
desert,  being  but  slightly  cultivated  and  thinly  populated 

Hydrography. — There  are  no  springs  or  torrents  in  this 
division,  neither  are  the  lets  or  floods  of  any  importance. 
There  are  several  kolabs  six  in  number,  three  of  which,  those 
of  Sutiaro,  Dalel-dero  and  Mula-sand,  are  in  the  Sakrand  taluka, 
the  remaining  three,  Alaha  Khuyi,  Machhi  and  Jatoi,  being  in 
the  Moro  taluka.  The  canal  system  of  this  division  comprises 
nearly  80  canals,  of  which  20  are  main-feeders.  As  in  other 
districts  of  Sind,  these  canals  are  all  under  the  supervision 
of  the  Executive  Engineer,  Rohri  canal  division,  and  the  clear- 
ances are  now  carried  out  during  the  cold  season  partly  by  his 
Department,  and  partly  by  the  Deputy  Collector  and  his  subor- 
dinates. The  following  is  a  list  of  the  Government  canals,  with 
other  information  connected  with  them  {see  next  page). 


Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


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6oo  NAUSHAHRO. 

The  Naulakhi  is  said  by  Lieutenant  Jameson  to  be  one  of  the 
oldest  canals  in  the  Sahiti  district,  and  to  have  been  dug  prior 
to  the  time  of  the  Kalhora  dynasty.  The  Nasrat  is  also  an  old 
canal  It  was  dug  by  one  Nasrat  Khan  ChSndio  during  the  rule  of 
Nur  Muhammad  Kalhora,  and  opened  out  from  a  dhandh  called 
Gangam,  near  Gulshah,  a  fact  which  seems  to  show  that  the  river 
Indus  formerly  extended  farther  eastward,  the  old  bed  being 
still  traceable  here  and  there.  Both  the  Naulakhi  and  Nasrat 
canals  extended  much  farther  east  than  at  present,  and  as  the 
inundations  were  greater  the  water  was  easily  carried  inland. 
The  Murad,  Bfig  and  Pairoz,  branch  canals,  were  also  dug  in  the 
time  of  the  Kalhoras  by  Pairoz  Wairur,  Murad  Kalhora  and 
Baga  Sial,  three  noblemen  of  the  court  of  Nur  Miihammad, 
from  whom  they  take  their  names.  In  the  time  of  the  Mirs  the 
excavation  of  all  the  principal  and  minor  canals  was  under  the 
nominal  superintendence  of  the  kardars  of  the  two  parganas,  but 
the  canals  within  the  lands  of  the  Jagirdars  were  managed  by 
either  these  latter  or  their  stewards.  The  system  then  in  vogue 
YidiS  farced  labour,  and  in  digging  or  clearing  out  the  larger  canals, 
each  village,  according  to  the  number  of  charkhas  in  it,  furnished 
its  quota  of  labourers.  All  who  were  in  any  way  liable  to  benefit 
from  the  advantages  of  the  proposed  canal  were  called  upon  to 
assist  in  cutting  the  first  four  or  five  miles,  which  was  generally 
the  most  laborious  portion  of  the  work.  After  the  larger  canals 
were  completed  the  smaller  ones  and  karias,  or  channels,  were 
commenced,  under  the  superintendence  of  the  zamindars  of 
different  villages,  who  allotted  a  certain  number  of  labourers 
according  to  the  requirements  of  the  undertaking.  Where  a  new 
canal  was  dug,  each  labourer  was  granted  subsistence  at  the  rate 
oi.dLpatai  (little  less  than  a  ser)  of  grain  daily.  Sometimes,  though 
rarely,  a  small  sum  in  money  or  a  kharwar  or  two  of  grain  were 
divided  among  the  men  of  a  village.  The  clearance  of  a  canal 
was  generally  effected  in  the  following  manner:  where  there 
were  eight  or  ten  villages  situate  on  it,  each  village  supplied  a 
certain  number  of  labovirers,  say  one  or  two  on  every  charkha, 
who  cleared  out  that  portion  of  the  canal  between  their  own 
village  and  the  adjoinipg  one.  All  the  neighbouring  villages 
which,  though  at  a  distance,  enjoyed  the  benefit  of  its  waters  had 
also  to  fiirnish  their  proportion  of  the  labour.  The  system  of 
clearing  canals  by  forced  labour  is  said  to  have  been  introduced 
by  Mir  Sohrab  Khan  Talpur  on  his  coming  into  possession  of 
this  district.     No  hakaba  or  water  tax  was  ever  levied. 

Climate,  &c. — There  would  seem  to  be  three  seasons  in  this 

Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


NAUSHAHRO. 


60  r 


division ;  the  hot  and  dry,  lasting  from  about  the  1st  of  April  to 
the  end  of  May ;  the  inundation  season,  from  the  beginning  of 
June  to  the  end  of  September,  and  lastly,  the  cold  and  dry,  from 
October  to  the  end  of  March.  The  prevailing  winds  are  the 
north  and  north-east  in  the  cold  season,  and  the  south  and  south- 
west in  the  hot  weather.  The  following  tables  will  show  the 
maximum  and  minimum  range  of  the  thermometer,  together  with 
the  rainfall,  at  Tharu  Shah,  as  observed  at  the  dispensary  at  that 
station  during  the  five  years  ending  1874 : — 


Year. 

! 
Maximum. 

Minimum. 

Mean. 

1870 

0 
114 

0 
49 

8^ 

1871 

104 

53 

78 

1872 

114 

53 

83 

1873 

108 

54 

80 

1874 

III 

40 

7S 

1870. 

187X. 

1872. 

i    X873. 

'     X874. 

February   . 

... 

... 

•70 

•30 
•30 

March .     . 

•61 

... 

•18 

^^ :  : 

... 

syea 

... 

... 

•25 

June     .     . 

July    •    . 

•4* 

3 

316 

•35 

•05 

i 

4*  13 

o'?5 

375 

August.     . 

311 

2-00 

869 

•35 

September 

5 

... 

October     . 

... 

iz; 

... 

... 

November. 

,,, 

... 

... 

December .     , 

... 

... 

•45 

... 

Total 

• 

4'2I     1       ... 

929 

io'o7 

5 '30 

Soils. — Like  other  parts  of  Sind,  this  division^  viewed  geologi- 
cally, is  of  alluvial  formation.  The  different  soils  prevailing  m 
the  district  are  seven  in  number,  and  are  kno^vn  under  the  following 
names : — i.  Chiki  ;  the  best  description  of  soil,  so  far  as  its 
agricultural  properties  are  concerned,  to  be  found  in  the  division* 
It  is  neither  too  stiff  nor  too  heavy ;  nor,  on  the  other  hand,  is  it 
too  sandy ;  every  kind  of  crop  can  be  grown  in  it  2.  Dasar  ; 
a  medium  kind  of  soil,  producing  mostly  bajri  and  juar  crops, 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


6o2  NAUSHAHRO. 

but  not  adapted  for  either  wheat  or  rice  cultivatioiL  3.  Gasar; 
is  a  very  loose  soil,  but  when  well  manured  can  produce  every 
kind  of  crop.  As  it  requires  much  water,  the  expense  of  cultiva- 
ting in  this  soil  is  heavy.  4.  Kharuri  ;  is  a  very  stiff  soil  requiring 
much  irrigation  before  it  can  be  prepared  for  sowing.  5.  Kau- 
RATHi ;  is  any  of  the  above  four  soils  in  which  there  is  an  admix- 
ture of  salt.  It  is  well  adapted  for  rice  cultivation,  but  no  other 
good  crop  can  be  produced  in  it  The  area  of  this  description 
of  soil  in  the  division  is  small.  6.  Kalar  ;  a  soil  consisting  of 
sand  and  salt  It  is,  in  an  agricultural  sense,  altogether  unpro- 
ductive, but  is  invaluable  for  the  manufacture  of  salt,  and  affords 
excellent  fodder  for  camels.  Much  of  this  description  of  soil  is 
to  be  found  extending  from  the  town  of  Moro  to  Pabjo  and 
Daulatpur.  7.  WXriasi  ;  is  a  soil  in  which  sand  predominates. 
It  is  suited  more  especially  for  the  growth  of  melons  and  v^[e- 
tables,  and  occasionally  ''til"  and  bajri  are  sown  in  it  Near 
"  dhandhs "  and  ^  kolabs "  is  to  be  found  a  good  deal  of  grass 
land,  known  as  gaheri;  it  is  valuable  for  the  pasture  it  furnishes 
to  flocks  and  herds. 

Animals. — ^The  wild  animals  of  this  division  comprise  the 
hyena  (only  occasionally  seen),  the  wolf,  jackal,  hog,  hog-deer 
(or  pharho\  jungle-cat,  hare  and  fox ;  the  mungus,  hedgehog, 
rat,  squirrel  and  mouse  are  also  to  be  found.  Among  the  birds 
may  be  mentioned  wild  duck  of  several  kinds,  wild  goose 
(kunj),  tilur  (or  ubara),  a  species  of  bustard,  snipe,  quail,  pigeon, 
dove  and  grey  and  black  partridge.  There  are  also  the  kite, 
vulture,  hawk  (the  latter  kept  for  sporting  purposes),  the  crow, 
parrot,  sparrow,  &c.  Of  reptiles,  snakes  are,  as  in  other  parts 
of  Sind,  very  numerous,  and  deaths  from  snake-bite  in  this 
division  are  said  to  be  frequent  The  following  are  some  of  the 
varieties  found  in  this  district : — Lundi,  nang  (or  cobra),  siring, 
godaly  bimuhi  (or  two-headed  snake),  said  to  be  met  with 
occasionally.  Other  reptiles  are  the  adder,  scorpion,  lizard,  &a 
The  domestic  animals  found  are  the  same  as  those  in  other  parts 
of  the  province,  and  comprise  the  camel,  horse  (of  a  small  kind), 
buffalo,  ox,  mule,  donkey,  goat  and  sheep.  Some  of  the  different 
varieties  of  fish  caught  in  the  river,  as  also  in  the  ''  dhandhs  '  of 
this  division,  are  as  follows: — Pala  (found  in  the  Indus  only), 
dambhro,  gandan,  singari,  khago  (cat-fish),  makri,  pliaban,  gangat, 
kariro,  mori,  g5j  (eel),  sOni,  popri,  and  several  others.  The 
fisheries  of  this  district  are  foun4  in  all  the  talukas,  the  right  of 
fishing  being  yearly  put  up  to  auction,  and  sold  to  the  highest 
bidder.     The   following  table   will   show  the   principal   fishing 


Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


NAUSHAHRO. 


603 


localities  of  the  division,  with  the  amount  of  revenue  derived  by 
Government  from  them  during  the  year  1873-74 : — 


TalQka. 

Fishing  Localities. 

Revenue. 

I.  Kandiaro    .     . 

3.  Moro     .     .     . 

4.  Sakrand     .     . 

Kamal-dero 

Mato,  Machilah,  Matt  and  Mithani    .     . 

DaiUatpur,  Chunneja  and  Jatoi     .     .     . 

rSukhpur,    Sanjar,    Lakhit,    Mahrabpur^ 
\    and  Nakur / 

Total  rupees  .     . 

rupees. 
586 

842 

1.497 

i»i77 

4,102 

In  1851-52,  according  to  Lieutenant  Jameson,  the  chief  fisheries 
in  the  Naushahro  and  Kandiaro  districts  of  this  division  were  at 
the  Bhorti  and  Dalipota  "dhandhs,"  but  there  were  numerous 
others  also  which  yielded  individually  but  a  small  revenue.  The 
fisheries,  together  with  the  vegetable  produce  of  the  **  dhandhs," 
were,  before  the  resumption  of  these  districts  by  the  British  Govern- 
ment from  the  then  ruling  Mir,  H.H.  Ali  Murad  KhUn  Talpur, 
leased  out,  and  realised  between  800  and  900  rupees  yearly. 

Vegetable  Productions. — ^The  staple  vegetable  productions 
of  the  Naushahro  division  are  juar  and  bajri.  Other  crops  are 
wheat  (more  especially  in  the  Kandiaro  and  Naushahro  talQkas), 
matar,  cotton,  barley  (to  a  small  extent  only),  grain,  rice  (chiefly 
in  Sakrand  and  Naushahro)  ;  oil-seeds,  such  as  sunha,  jambho  and 
tir ;  tobacco,  indigo,  hemp,  mung,  mustard,  &c  The  number  of 
edible  vegetables  is  also  large ;  among  these  are  the  wangan,  or 
brinjal,  turnip,  carrot,  onion,  garlic,  pumpkin,  various  kinds  of 
beans,  spinage  (paiak),  &c  The  fruits  are  the  mango,  lime, 
mulberry,  date,  plantain,  grape,  pomegranate,  and  several  others. 
The  chief  forest  trees  are  the  pipal  {Ficus  religiosa)^  babul,  nim 
{Azadirachta  indicd)^  tali  {Dalbergia  iaHfolia\  sirih  (AWizzia  lehbte)  \ 
the  three  last-mentioned  trees  are  largely  planted  on  road-sides. 
Of  the  ber  (Zizyphus  vulgaris)  there  are  two  varieties,  the  sundi 
and  chaperi,  both  bearing  edible  berries.  Other  trees  are  the  bahan 
{Populus  euphraHca)y  kandi  (Prosopis  spicigera)^  geduri  {Cordia 
latifolia)y  lasuri  {Cordia  myxa)y  several  species  of  tamarisks,  and 
the  following  shrubs — ^the  kabar  (Salvadora  persica\  bearing  a  fruit 
called  "  peru ;"  the  kirar,  or  caper  bush,  and  the  kamo  {Phyllanthus 
multiflorus).  The  forests  of  this  division,  some  of  which  are  very 
large,  are    13  in  number,   and   skirt   the  banks   of  the    Indus 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


6o4 


NAUSHAHRO, 


for  miles  together.  The  following  statement  will  show  the  area 
and  revenue  derived  from  these  forests,  together  with  other 
information  connected  with  them : — 


Forest. 

Area  in 
English 
Acres. 

Revenue 

for 
1873-74- 

Renuuics. 

1.  Mohbat-dero. 

2.  Bhanwar  .     • 

3.  Samtia      .     . 

4.  Kamal-dero . . 

5.  Bhorti.     .     . 

6.  Dalipota  .     . 

7.  Khairo-dero  . 

8.  Lalia  .     .     . 

9.  Man  .     .     . 

10.  Mahrabpur    . 

11.  Madd .     .     . 

12.  Nasri  .     .     . 

13.  Keti    .     .     . 

Totals    .     . 

8,045 
IO,54D 

.    3-39P 

1,365 

10,789 

13.469 

4,089 

14,752 

1,637 
2,642 

1,559 
2,125 

rupees. 
2,522 

5,997 
.  1*452 

647 

18,680 

232 

9,232 

7,580 
10,136 

1,801 
641 

2,237 
315 

Planted  by  Mir   Meyon   Chakar 

Khan,  about  forty  years  ago. 
Ditto. 
Planted  by  Mir  Meyon    Rustam 

Khan,  about  thirty  years  ago. 
Planted  by  Mir  Meyon  Zungi  Khan, 

about  forty-seven  years  aga 
Planted  by  Mir  Meyon  Muhammad 

Husain,  about  forty  years  ago. 
Ditto. 
Planted  by  Mur  Karam  Ali  Khan, 

about  seventy-five  years  ago. 
Planted  by  Mir  AU  Mumd  Khan, 

about  fifty  years  ago. 
Planted  by  Mir  Fateh  Ali  Khan, 

about  eighty-five  years  ago. 
Ditto. 
Ditto. 
Ditto. 

75,269  1  61,472 

Lieutenant  Jameson  mentions  that  the  revenue  of  the  Kandiaro 
and  Naushahro  forests  in  the  time  of  the  Mirs  was  not  very  lazge, 
which  may  be  accounted  for  from  the  fact  of  the  forests  being 
preserved,  not  for  the  growth  of  timber,  but  for  the  preservation 
of  wild  animals  for  sport  All  Jagirdars  had  to  pay  a  sum,  the 
exact  amount  of  which  is  not  known,  called  '^  shikai^ah  kharch/ 
which  went  to  defray  the  expenses  connected  with  shikar. 

Population. — ^The  total  population  of  the  Naushahro  division, 
which  in  1856  was  calculated  at  187,336  souls,  was  found  by  the 
census  of  1872  to  be  219,596.  Of  these  quite  five-sixths  are 
Musalmans,  and  the  remainder  Hindus.  There  are  therefore 
about  71  souls  to  the  square  mile,  a  rate  but  a  little  below 
that  obtainmg  in  the  neighbouring  Deputy  CoUectorate  of  Hala* 
The  Naushahro  taluka  is  the  most  populous,  having  72,711 
souls.  In  1852  this  taluka  had  a  population,  according  to 
Lieutenant.  Jameson,  of  57»398,  and  the  neighbouring  taluka  of 
Kandiaro  of  31,785.     The  Muhamraadan  portion  of  the  inhabi- 


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NAUSHAHRO. 


60s 


tants,  who  are  represented  as  being  wholly  SQnis,  may  be  classed 
as  follows : — 

MUHAMMADANS. 


Tribes. 

Number. 

Principal  Sub-divisions. 

Remarks. 

I.  Balochis   .     .     . 

41.963 

Talpur,  Rind,  Lagbari, 

The  Rinds  are 

Jatoi,  Chang  Zurdari, 

the  original 
Balochis, 

Jalbani,  Man,  Lund, 

Shur,  Lashari,Kofai, 

from  whom 

Baldi,  Jiskani,  Khosa, 

all        the 

Gopang,      Sakhani, 

others  trace 

Mastoi,  Almani,  Mas- 

their   de- 

hori,  MazAii,   Don- 

scent,    and 

graj,  Jamali,  Baladi, 
Vigamal,     Herbani, 
Kolachi,       Motmal, 

they     are 

held  in  the 

highest  re- 

Bangu,           Kaleri, 

spect. 

Kbuskh,      Mihrani, 

Nizamani,  &c. 

2.  Sarai8(orJats)    . 

Kokar,Kalbora,Mura, 

The    number 

Mahesar,       Wasan, 

of  this  tribe 

Sial,    Depur,    Chu- 

is  included 

.  nar,Suharan,Wijula, 

in    No.     3 

Metra,  I^tra,  Bohia, 

Sindis. 

Bhaut,  Mirich,  Nul, 

Bhuta,  Jangari,  Pitafi 
BOal,   Phul,   Hatar, 

- 

Pusha,Soha,Garhar, 

Bhuti,  Arahi,  &c. 

5.  Sindis       .     .     . 

117,047 

Samtia,    Unar,    Kiria, 

The     Sahata 

Koreja,  Chuna,  Sum- 

tribe  derive 

ra,  Samma,  Sahata, 

their  origin 

Bugia,  Molhan,  Ud- 

from      one 

nan,    Machi,    Dahi- 

SahteraRa- 

nlj,Mehirja,  Mubeja, 

tu,    of   the 

Sabija,      Mangneja, 
Babar,Lakhyar,Joya, 

Alor      dis- 

trict,    near 

Rohri,  who 

Machula,        Dhoru, 

came     and 

Naich,  Otha,  Jokia, 

settled      in 

Rahu,  Burura,  Dal, 

these  parts. 

Chand,    TxKia,   Ma- 

It   is   from 

luk,  Hungora,  War- 

this      tribe 

ya,  Dhunga,  Samati, 

thattheNau- 

Jaisar,       Holi-pota, 
Dodha,       Kandhar, 

shahro  and 

Kandiaro 

&c.  &c 

districts 
were  for- 
merlycalled 
Sahiti. 

4.  Saiyads    .     .     • 

4,765 

Bokhari,Lakhiari,Mat- 
ari,  Ruzawi. 

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Tribes. 

Number.     |       Prindpal  Sub^viaons. 

Krmarin 

5.  Memons  •     •     . 

6.  Miscellaneous' 

Tribes,  &c.       .j 

3.876 
17.870 

Koris,   Chamars,   Shi- 
karis. 

Were  origi- 
naUy  Hin- 
dlis  con- 
verted     to 

Total     .     . 

185.521 

Hindus. 

Cutes. 

1.  Brahmans      •     . 

2.  Kshatrias.     .     . 

3.  WaUhia   .     .     . 

4.  Sikhs  .... 

5.  Fakirs    and   mis-^ 

cellaneous  castes/ 

388 

3 

14,152 

18,342 
1,190 

Pokamo,         Sarsudh, 
Kuah,  Chanda. 

Banvas,     Lohanos  (of 
whom  the  Amils  are 
a  sub-division). 

Jajiks,    Sathrias,    Go- 
sains,  Saniasis,  Shi- 
karis, &C.  &C. 

• 

Are  very  few 
in  number, 
and  chiefly 
found  in  the 
town  of 
Kandiaro. 

There  are  also 
a  good  many 
SOchs  by  re- 
ligion in 
this  divi- 
sion, who 
are  not  so 
by  caste. 

Total    .     .     . 

34,075 

Language. — The  prevailing  language,  both  spoken  and  written, 
in  this  division  is  the  Sindi,  which  is  understood  by  alL 
The  Balochis,  however,  speak  among  themselves  in  their  own 
tongue,  and  the  Banyas,  or  native  traders,  use  the  Hindu-Sindi 
character. 

Dress,  Food,  Character,  &a— The  higher  classes  among  the 


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NAUSHAHRO.  607 

Musalmans  of  the  male  sex  wear  the  usual  Sindi  topi — dLpahirdtiy 
iQngi  (or  dupto)^  trousers,  generally  of  a  blue  colour,  and  a  kamar- 
band  The  lower  classes  wear  only  trousers,  a  bochan,  and 
turban.  The  women  wear  a  gaj  to  cover  the  front  part  of  the 
body,  together  with  a  ruwo  (or  chadar),  which  falls  from  the 
head  over  the  back,  and  can  also  be  drawn  over  the  face.  To 
these  may  be  added  trousers  and  a  peshgir  which  leaves  the 
feet  visible.  Among  the  Hinda  portion  of  the  population,  the 
Amils  and  others  of  the  well-to-do  classes  wear  the  dighi^  or 
Sindi  topi,  a  pahiran,  always  of  a  light  colour,  and  a  scarf  over 
the  shoulders,  which  is  either  a  lungi^  thick  or  of  silk,  used  in 
winter  or  on  holiday  occasions,  or  a  dupto,  which  is  of  thin 
material  and  is  worn  in  the  hot  weather.  White  (not  blue) 
coloured  trousers,  and,  at  times,  a  coloured  kamarband  with  native 
shoes,  complete  their  attire.  The  Brahmans  wear  the  janioy  or 
thread,  dhoti,  and  turban,  which  last  among  the  Pokamas  is 
usually  of  a  red  colour.  There  is  but  little  if  any  difference 
between  the  dress  of  the  Hindfl  and  Musalman  women.  The 
great  staple  articles  of  food  among  the  inhabitants  of  this  division, 
as  in  Sind  generally,  are  juar  and  bajri,  which,  with  water  and 
milk,  form  their  chief  subsistence.  The  diet  of  the  wealthier 
classes  comprises  in  addition  the  flesh  of  sheep  and  goats,  fish, 
wheaten  bread,  butter,  vegetables,  and  various  fruits.  Fish,  it 
would  seem,  is  largely  consumed,  especially  among  Hinda  women. 
As  a  general  rule,  both  classes  have  two  principal  meals  during 
the  day,  one  at  noon  and  the  other  about  8  o'clock  in  the  evening. 
Meat  is  seldom  eaten  except  at  the  mid-day  meal.  Both  Muham- 
madans  and  HindQs  use  much  bhangs  and,  as  a  rule,  the  latter 
consume  a  large  quantity  of  country  spirits.  Both  classes  smoke 
tobacco,  and  some  are  addicted  to  taking  ''  ganja  "  as  well  in  the 
same  form.  Opium  is  also  much  used,  especially  by  the  Musal- 
mans, and  this  practice  is  believed  to  be  on  the  increase.  Of  the 
character  of  the  people  of  this  division  there  is  little  to  be  said 
that  is  favourable.  Like  their  brethren  in  other  parts  of  Sind, 
they  are  immoral  and  licentious,  but  in  this  respect  the  Muhana 
tribe  stands  pre-eminent  On  the  whole,  crime  is  not  particularly 
rife,  with  the  exception  of  cattle*hfring,  which  is  prevalent  here  as 
in  other  parts  of  the  province.  Lieutenant  Jameson  thus  writes 
of  the  crimes  which  prevailed  in  the  KandiSro  and  Naushahro 
portion  of  this  district  when  under  the  rule  of  Mir  Ali  Murad  Khan 
of  Khairpur : — "  Like  most  other  parts  of  Sind,  cattle-lifting  is  the 
principal  crime,  but  if  fraud  can  be  brought  under  this  category 
it  outweighed  all  others,  the  result  of  the  entire  system  of  manage- 

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NAUSHAHRO. 


ment  of  the  Mil's  domains.  There  were  also  cases  of  buiglaiy, 
assaults,  petty  thefts,  &a  There  were  also  occasional  cases  of 
murder,  the  result  of  infidelity  on  the  part  of  wives.  This  was 
not,  however,  looked  upon  as  a  capital  offence,  being  rather 
upheld  tlian  otherwise,  the  culprit  generally  getting  off  with  a 
heavy  fine.  Robbery  cannot  be  said  to  have  been  very  prevalent 
in  these  parganas,  as  the  punishment  was  very  severe,  and  even 
the  family  and  relatives  of  the  offender  were  held  liable  to  the 
extent  of  the  robbery,  and  as  every  jagirdar,  kamdar  or  agent 
possessed  certain  judicial  powers,  and  kept  his  own  stocks  for  the 
security  of  his  prisoners,  there  was  but  small  chance  of  a  culprit 
escaping  the  vigilance  of  the  whole,  more  especially  as  the  capture 
of  them  proved  of  itself  a  source  of  extra  revenue.  A  system  of 
black-mail  seems  to  have  been  in  vogue  with  a  band  of  plunderers 
on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river,  who  have  been  in  the  habit  of 
making  diis  district  the  field  of  their  depredations.  It  was  their 
custom  to  carry  off  one  or  more  cattle,  and  then  go  to  the  owner 
and  tell  him  they  could  give  him  such  information  as  would  lead 
to  the  recovery  of  his  animals,  provided  they  got  so  many  rupees, 
naming  the  amount,  and  the  latter  were  frequently  but  too  glad 
to  compound  with  their  light-fingered  neighbours." 

The  population  of  this  division,  poor  and  ignorant  as  they  arc, 
are  nevertheless  represented  to  be  very  litigious,  and  delight  in 
resorting  to  the  civil  courts  for  a  settlement  of  their  disputes. 
The  following  tables  will  give  the  criminal  and  civil  returns  of 
this  division  for  the  four  years  ending  with  1874  : — 

I.  Criminal. 


Year. 

Murders. 

Hurts,  As- 
saults, and 

use  of 
Criminal 

Force. 

Thefts. 

Receiving 
Stolen 

House- 
breaking. 

gte 

Other 
Offences. 

Cattle 

Others. 

Property. 

1871 
1872 
1873 

1874 

6 

5 
5 

230 

97 

174 

256 
210 
211 
181 

235 
137 
117 
169 

28 
20 
28 
19 

102 

SI 

50 
78 

3 
I 

I 

354 

393 
37S 
435 

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NAUSHAHRO. 

II.  Civil, 


609 


Year. 

Suits  for  Land. 

Suits  for  Money. 

Other  Suits. 

Total. 

Number. 

Value.    Number. 

Value.     1  Number. 

Value. 

Number. 

Value. 

1871 
1872 
1873 
1874 

22 
27 
18 
27 

rupees. 
4502 

1691 

1427 

2388 

1592 
1822 

1573 
1326 

rupees* 
1,00,124 

96,326 

79,201 

74,652 

I 
37 
29 
38 

rupees. 
130 

3481 

4547 

1216 

1615 
1886 
1620 
I39I 

rupees. 
1,04.656 

1,01,498 

85,175 
78,256 

The  distinctive  characteristics  of  the  Hindu  and  Musalm^ 
classes  are  thus  noticed  in  a  report  furnished  a  few  years  since  on 
this  district  by  the  Deputy  Collector : — "  The  Hindus  are  confined 
to  the  towns,  and  form  a  majority  of  the  population  in  Kandiaro, 
Bhiria,  and  Tharu  Shah,  but  in  the  whole  division  they  are  a  small 
minority.  They  are  the  traders,  while  the  Muhammadans  are  the 
cultivators  of  the  community.  It  would  be  equally  just  to  call 
the  one  the  lending  ^rA  the  other  the  borrowing  class,  for  the 
indolent,  improvident,  opium-eating  Musalman  is  ever  in  need  of 
an  advance  on  his  crops,  which  the  shrewd,  parsimonious,  and 
comparatively  industrious  Banya  is  able  and  ready  to  give  at 
exorbitant  interest" 

Establishments. — ^The  administration  of  this  district,  like 
other  Deputy  Collectorates  in  Sind,  is  carried  on  by  a  Deputy 
Collector  with  full  magisterial  powers.  In  this  duty  he  is  assisted 
by  the  Mukhtyarkars  of  the  four  talakas  of  the  division,  under 
whom  again  are  a  number  of  Tapadars  to  aid  them  in  collecting 
the  Government  revenue.  The  canal  management  is  the  same 
as  that  followed  in  the  adjoining  Deputy  CoUectorate  of  Hala. 
There  is  but  one  civil  court,  with  its  head-quarters  at  Naushahro ; 
it  is  presided  over  by  a  subordinate  judge,  whose  jurisdiction 
extends  throughout  the  division,  with  the  single  exception  of 
Sakrand.  The  Naushahro  civil  court  is  subordinate  to  the  district 
judge  of  Hyderabad.  There  are  cattle-pounds  in  fourteen  towns 
of  this  district,  viz.,  Kandiaro,  Gulshah,  Naushahro,  ThSru  Sh2h, 
Bhiria,  Phul,  Abad,  Moro,  Sihra,  Daulatpur,  Sakrand,  Kazi  Ahmad, 
Shahpur,  and  Thatt  Each  of  these  is  under  the  charge  of  a  munshi, 
assisted  by  a  peon,  and  the  proceeds  from  them  are  carried  to 
account  as  an  item  of  local  revenue.  The  police  force  employed 
in  the  Naushahro  division,  in  charge  of  an  inspector  whose  head- 

2  Tl 

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NAUSHAHRO. 


quarters  are  at  the  town  of  Naushahro,  numbers  in  all  i6i  men, 
or  say  one  policeman  to  every  1364  of  the  population.  They 
are  distributed  over  i8  posts  in  the  different  talukas  of  this  dis- 
trict This  force,  which  is  a  portion  of  that  under  the  immediate 
c(Mitrol  of  the  district  police  superintendent  of  Hyderabad,  b 
thus  distributed : — 


Talfika. 

Mounted 
Police. 

Armed  and 

Unarmed 

Foot 

PoUce. 

District 

Municipal 

PoUcc 

Remaxlc& 

1.  Kandiaro    .     . 

2.  Naushahro  .     . 
^  Moid     .     .     . 
4.SakTand      .     . 

Totals      . 

5 
10 

14 

12 

19 

28 

27 
27 

5 
12 

* 

The  chief  and  head  con- 
stables are  tnantied  id 
the    armed    and    un- 
armed    Foot      Police 
column. 

41 

lOI 

19 

Revenue. — ^The  revenue,  imperial  and  local,  of  this  division 
may  be  shown  in  the  following  tables,  under  its  principal  heads 
for  the  four  years  ending  1S73-74 : — 


I.  Imperial. 


Items 

Realisadons  in 

1870-7X. 

i87i-7a. 

x87»-73. 

X87J-74. 

Land  Tax     ...... 

Abkari 

Dn^s  and  Opium    .... 

Stamps 

Salt 

Registration  Department    .     . 

Postal  ditto 

Income  (and  Certificate)  Tax  . 

Fines  and  Fees 

Miscellaneous 

rupees. 
4,41,100 
9,396 
4,614 

27,944 
6,233 

2,493 
4,914 

7,318 

4,^67364 
8,330 
3,160 
30,326 
3,285 
2,105 

2,497 

2,422 

495 

rupees. 
4.35.407 
8,325 
4,060 

32,059 
3,632 
2,321 
2,269 

m 

575 

rupees 

3,86,100 
9,^89 
5.089 
27,956 
4.939 
2,007 

2,139 

I 

2,726 

752 

Total  rupees     .     .     , 

5,23,964 

4,68,984 

4,97,798 

4,40,898 

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NAUSHAHRO. 


6ii 


IL  LocAU 


Items. 

Realisations  in 

1879-71.      i87k-7S. 

iB7a-73. 

«873^4. 

Cesses  on  Land  and  Sayer  Revenue . 
Percentage  or  Alienated  Lands  . 
Cattle  Pound  and  Ferry  Funds  .     . 
Fisheries.    ...     .     .     .     .     . 

Total  rupees     .     .     . 

rupees.'  1    rupees. 
26,147 

29,267  j        774 

13,989     ",779 

5,476  1    4.274 

rupees. 

27,245 
876 

I2,6S3 

rupees. 

24,327 

946 

8,070 

4,102 

48,732  1  42,974 

45,215 

37,445 

The  contract  for  the  sale  of  spirituous  liquors  in  the  four  talGkas 
of  this  division  is  sold  annually,  and  realised  in  1870-71  about 
9,436  rupees.  There  were  in  all  45  shops  for  the  sale  of 
liquor,  the  greatest  number  being  in  the  Naushahro  taluka.  The 
bhang  and  ganja  contracts  in  the  same  year  brought  in  3,072 
rupees,  and  tiie  number  of  shops  in  which  these  drugs  were  sold 
was  41.  The  3ale  of  opium  from  the  Government  treasuries 
of  this  division  during  the  five  years  ending  1870-71  averaged 
about  3  maunds,  but  does  not  show  the  gross  amount  con- 
sumed, as  a  large  quantity  is  smuggled,  it  is  said,  into  the  district 
from  the  adjoining  territory  of  Khairpur.  Of  the  revenue, 
obtained  under  native  rule,  of  that  portion  of  the  division  com- 
prising the  Kandiaro  and  Naushahro  districts,  formerly  known  as 
.  Sahiti,  and  of  the  various  systems  under  which  it  was  collected, 
Lieutenant  Jameson  has,  in  his  elaborate  report  of  1852,  written 
at  great  lengtL  It  would  seem  from  this  that  the  revenue  of  the 
xtwo  paiiganas  amounted  in  1851  to  1,61,724  rupees,  of  which 
Kandiaro  contributed  67,019  rupees,  and  Naushahro  94,705  rupees. 
Of  the  entire  amount  1,33,986  rupees  were  derived  f^om  the  land, 
the  remainder  being  raised  from  the  ^Mjara,''  or  local  dues,  sir 
skumarij  or  poll-tax,  fisheries,  peshkish,  or  tax  on  Hindus,  fees  on 
marriages,  grazing  cattle,  &c.  The  Customs  dues,  which  were, 
before  the  resumption  of  these  districts  by  the  British  Govern- 
ment, levied  at  the  village  of  Saiduja,  appear  to  have  realised  ki 
185 1  about  241  rupees  monthly,  the  traffic  then  consisting  princi- 
pally in  grain  and  cloth.  Lieutenant  Jameson  gives  a  memorandum 
of  the  rates  levied  at  the  Customs  chauki,  which  may  be  tabulated 
as  follows  {see  next  page). 


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6l2 


NAUSHAHRO. 


Imports. 


Aitides. 

Maundof4oSen. 

Ponoentege  on  Value. 

Floor,  Rice,  and  Dhal   .     «     . 
Jnir,  Bijri,  and  Wheat  .     .     . 
Ghana,     Matar,     Sanon,     and\ 

Mung / 

Barley  and  other  trifling  grain  . 

Cotton  Thread 

Tobacco 

Cotton 

Indigo,  Gur,  Ghi,   Paper,   Al- 

monds,  Hyderabad  woi^  and 

Raw  Materials 

Cloth  of  sorts,    Metals— gold,^ 
silver,  brass,  &c.    .     .     .     ., 

tup.  «.    p. 
O     I     O 
008 

0  0  10 
007 

1  8    0 
090 

7  per  cent 

5  per  cent 

3J  per  cent 
10  per  cent 

£xPORTS. — ^Tobacco,  cotton,  and  grain  were  subject  to  the 
same  duty  as  stated  above,  but  all  other  articles  indiscriminately 
paid  a  percentage  of  3  rupees  on  their  value,  as  fixed  in  the 
Government  tariff. 

Transit  dues  were  formerly  very  general  throughout  these  two 
districts,  the  transit  station  (or  nait  as  it  was  called)  under  native 
rule  being  at  Chibrele,  near  the  Nara.  Lieutenant  Jameson 
mentions  that  these  duties  were  levied  on  all  goods  and  merchan- 
dise passing  either  to  or  from  Jaisalmir,  from  Shahpur  to  the  north, 
and  occasionally  even  on  goods  coming  from  Hyderabad,  but  the 
amount  realised  monthly  was  small,  and  did  not  in  1851  average 
more  than  27  r.  2  a.  8  p.  The  article  on  which  these  dues  were 
principally  levied  appears  to  have  been  cotton.  The  sirshumari 
was  a  species  of  poll  or  capitation  tax  levied  on  every  artisan, 
weaver,  maufacturer,  &c,  in  the  district,  and  was  collected  by 
persons  known  as  kalatris  or  mukhadams,  who  were  responsible 
for  the  amount  to  be  paid  by  the  inhabitants  of  their  respective 
villages.  The  rates,  as  levied  on  every  description  of  artisan,  &c, 
in  the  Kandi&ro  pargana,  are,  by  way  of  illustration,  shown  in  the 
following  table. 


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NAUSHAHRO. 


613 


i  i  mmi    i&ai^  Ai 


1 

» 


I 


f  O       O       ^roo  0000 


00000      000 
««  ««  e«  M  (o     eo^O 


fo 


o 


^rOO  0000 


00000        OQO 

^«  «  w  to     too 


8-ji 


I 


.1 


al 


1 


r 


u    <5*   u 


Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


6i4  NAUSffAHRO. 

In  an  the  above  cases,  when  strangers  came  and  settled  in  the 
district,  ji  rupees  abwab  only  was  levied,  and  sometimes  it  was 
altogether  remitted.  The  peshkish^  as  defined  by  Lieutenant 
Jameson,  was  a  tax  levied  on  the  Hindu  portion  of  the  com- 
munity, Banyas,  &c.,  but  on  no  others,  and,  as  the  meaning  of  the 
word  denotes,  was  a  species  of  offering  or  tribute.  The  only 
difference  between  this  and  sir  shumari  was  that  the  latter  was 
supposed  to  be  levied  on  each  individual,  while  the  former  was  a 
fixed  3um  exacted  from  the  community  of  merchants  itself  and 
consequently  no  remissions  were,  as  a  rule,  made.  This  tax  pro- 
duced in  1851  about  2,314  rupees.  There  was  also  a«r  shumari 
or  poll-tax,  levied  on  fishermen,  which  in  the  Naushahro  pargana 
in  1 851  realised  between  500  and  600  rupees.  The  ordinary 
rate  for  fishermen  and  sailors  was  5  rupees  per  head  annually; 
on  younger  members  of  a  family  less, -and  on  the  Mula  caste, 
of  whatever  profession,  it  varied  fi-om  i  to  5  rupees,  which  was 
regulated,  by  circumstances  and  npt.  qnfrequently  by  the  amount 
of  his  earnings.  '^  Ijara  "*  comprised  the  fixed  rates  and  dues 
levied  from  everything  imported  into  and  exported  from  the 
Sahiti  district,  as  well  as  all  articles  of;  merchandise — grain,  drugs, 
spirits,  spices,  &G. — disposed  of  in^  the  diSereat  towns,  villages, 
and  neighbourhood.  The  customs  may  almost  b©  said  to  have 
been  latterly  amalgamated  in  these,  for  although  there  were  a  few 
occasional  separate  collections  on  that  account,  yet  they  were  so 
few  and  trifling  in  amount  that  it  might  almost  be  said  that  none 
existed.  In  addition  to  the  ijara  on  articles  of  merchandise  as 
above  described,  there  was  also  a  land  tax,  or  ijara,  on  crops  of 
bhang,  tobacco,  sugar-cane,  &c.,  of  so  much  per  jireb^  which  was 
generally  proportioned  to  the  assessment  of  the  land.  Among 
the  miscellaneous  taxes  in  the  Sahiti  district  was  a  curious  one 
termed  "  bakri,"  which  was  a  sum  paid  by  every  Musalman  artisan 
who  married  out  of  his  town  or  village.  The  amount  so  paid 
was  I  rupee  to  the  kardar  pf ,  th^  pargana,  and  4  annas  to 
the  kotwal  of  his  own  village.  Lieutenant  Jameson  also  remarks, 
with  regard  to  tiie  alienated  lands  of  the  Kandiaro  and  Naushahro 
parganas,  that  though  they  were  very  considerable  for  the  size  of 
the  district,  many  were  mere  stipendiary  grants  solely  dependent 
on  service,  and  as  such  could  be  classed  under  the.  ordinary  dis- 
bursements'  of  the  then  existing  government.  All  ja:girs  were 
liable  to  a  cess  of  the  one-third,  one-twelfth,  and  one-fortieth 
shares  of  the  produce,  which  was  regularly  levied  pn  account  of 
the  Mir,  except  in  certain  cases,  where  it  was  wished  to  confer 
a  favour  on  an  individual,  when  a  remission  was  made.     This 

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NAUSHAHRO.  615 

Qi(8S  of  itsdf  on  aH  the  jl^;irs  formed  a  considemble  item  of 
revenue,  when  it  is  considered  that  it  amounted  to  about  five- 
twelfths  of  the  whole  produce.  The  various  methods  by  which 
the  revenue  was  collected  under  native  rule,  according  to  Lieutenant 
Jameson's  report,  were  five  in  number,  viz.,  batai,  kasgi,  or  fixed 
grain  assessment,  mahsuli,  or  fixed  cash  assessment,  danbandi,  or 
revenue  determined  by  the  state  of  the  crops,  and  mUta,  or  con- 
tract. The  ordinary  officials  employed  in  this  duty  were  a 
bataid^r,  his  moharar,  a  patwari,  darwai  (or  grain-measurer),  and 
karawas>  or  watchman.  In  addition  to  these,  if  it  was  khilsa  or 
ryati  land  that  was  to  be  baidied^  the  presence  of  the  k^rdar  and 
one  of  his  moharars  was  also  considered  essential,  whose  duty  it 
was  to  see  that  the  ryati  or  cultivators  got  their  dues,  that  all 
pattas,  &C.,  were  respected,  and  in  fine  to  serve  as  a  check  upon 
the  bataidar.  The  duties  of  this  latter  individual  were  various. 
In  the  early  part  of  the  season  when  the  grain  was  unripe,  whether 
kharif  or  rabi,  he  had  the  placing  and  supervision  of  the  karawas, 
or  watchman,  while  the  grain  was  on  the  ground,  and  had  the 
settlement  of  all  '^  bel "  disputes,  that  is,  stray  animals,  &c.,  found 
were  seized  by  his  orders,  the  owners  fined,  and  the  proceeds  carried 
to  Government  account  in  the  batai  khasras.  At  harvest  time  he 
had  the  entire  management  and  supervision  of  the  batai  When 
the  batai  was  completed  it  was  a  part  of  his  duty  to  see  that  the 
grain  was  properly  measured  by  the  darwai  before  the  patwari, 
and  to  take  care  that  he  ^id  not  get  too  much.  The  bataidar's 
pay  was  usually  25  rupees  per  mensem.  The  patwari  was  literally 
the  grain  banker  of  Government  or  of  the  people,  on  whose 
account  the  batai  was  made,  and  he  took  charge  of  the  Government 
share  of  grain  when  the  batai  was  over.  He  also  collected  the 
grain  of  *'k&sgi"  assessments,  and  the  produce,  whether  in 
money  or  kind,  of  "mtita''  contracts,  as  well  as  all  judicial  and 
revenue  fines  of  the  district  of  which  he  had  to  receive  the  revenue 
collections.  He  was  expected  to  honour  all  drafts  of  the  Mir, 
whether  for  grain  or*  money,  fiimishing  his  accounts  as  soon  as 
all  his  fimds  were  expended.  The  batai  of  a  Government  "  khara," 
or  threshing-floor,  is  thus  described  by  Lieutenant  Jameson: — 
"  When  everything  is  ready  the  officials  above  mentioned,  accom. 
panied  by  the  kardar  and  his  moharar,  proceed  to  the  khara  or 
threshing-floor.  When  there  the  bataidar  first  looks  about  to  see 
that  the  whole  of  the  grain  has  been  threshed  and  cleaned,  and 
that  none  is  concealed  in  pits  and  holes — a  very  common  custom* 
The  cultivators  are  then  ordered  to  make  the  *kori,'  or  usual 
division,  and  where  there  is   the  produce  of  several   fields  or 

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6i6  NAUSHAHRO. 

patches  belonging  to  diflferent  individuals  in  the  khaia,  each 
cultivator  portions  his  grain  by  measurement  into  koris  or  heaps, 
according  to  the  rates  at  which  he  is  assessed.  In  addition  to 
these,  in.  all  cases,  one  odd  detached  heap,  called  *tar,'  varying 
in  size  from  one-fourth  to  one-third  of  that  of  the  others  according 
to  the  rate  of  abwab  at  which  the  cultivator  is  assessed,  is  always 
left  after  the  koris  have  been  made  up.  The  bataidar  then  walks- 
round,  picking  out  and  marking  on  account  of  Government  those 
heaps  which  appear  to  him  to  be  the  best  Returning  to  the 
remaining  heaps,  the  bataidar  selects  one  and  commences-  the 
batal  Thus  if  it  appears  to  contain  one  kharwar  of  grain,  he 
sa]rs  at  random  that  there  are  \i  kharwars  in  it  If  the  cultivator 
agrees  to  this,  the  business  proceeds,  otherwise  the  bataidar 
orders  it  to  be  measured  by  the  darwai,  who  does  so  in  such  a  way 
as  to  make  it  appear  the  exact  quantity  stated  by  the  bataidar, 
and  thus  the  cultivator's  objections  are  effectually  silenced.  The 
three  heaps,  that  is,  supposing  the  usual  rate  of  batai  to  be  one 
out  of  three,  will  now  be  calculated  to  contain  altogether  3! 
kharwars  of  grain,  which  will  be  so  entered  in  the  khasra.  The 
division  of  the  detached  heap,  or  *  tar,'  then  commences.  If  the 
rate  of  abwab  be  4  kasas  the  kharwar,  then  4  x  3f  gives  15 
kasas,  which  is  measured  therefrom  by  the  darwai  on  Government 
account  This  is  invariably  measured  in  such  a  manner  that  the 
amount  exceeds  a  good  deal  what  is  stated.  This  measuring  is 
called  hona  dasti^  and  is  added  to  the  Government  heap.  At 
this  point  the  zamindari,  or  zamindar's  dues,  where  it  b  the 
custom  to  exact  these  from  the  'hardasra,'  or  whole  produce, 
are  collected  according  to  the  invariable  custom  of  the  '  deh,'  or 
place  bataied,  and  put  on  one  side.  In  some  places  Government 
claims  one-fourth  of  this  on  its  own  account,  and  in  others  the 
whole  goes  to  the  zamindar.  The  zamindari  is,  however,  as  fre- 
quently taken  from  the  cultivator's  share  of  the  produce,  in  which 
case  it  never  appears  in  the  batai  accounts.  After  this  the 
twentieth  share  of  the  whole  produce,  or  hdrdasray  is  calculated 
and  measured  out  on  account  of  'lapo,'  or  reaping  expenses. 
This  goes  to  the  cultivator,  who  has  previously  defrayed  the 
expenses,  and  as  the  first  gets  over  measure,  so  does  this  get  short 
measure.  Then  come  the  carpenter  and  potter  on  the  part  of 
the  cultivator — ^two  most  important  and  essential  assistants  to  him 
in  the  commencement  of  the  season ;  the  first  to  make  his  water- 
wheels  {charkhas)^  and  the  second  to  provide  him  with  water-pots 
to  attach  to  them.  Their  shares  are  generally  calculated  at  the 
irate  of  i  rupee,  or  5  kasas  of  grain  per  charkha,  that  is  to 

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NAUSHAHRO,  6ir 

say,  on  the  produce  of  the  land  cultivated  by  one  water-wheel, 
and  8  annas  on  eveiy  hurh^  or  half-charkha.  After  these 
shares  have  been  separated  and  placed  on  one  side,  those  of  the 
Government  inferior  officials,  viz.,  the  kotar,  bhisd,  bangi  and 
batara,  each  varying  ifrom  h  to  \h  kasas  on  every  charkha,  are  also 
measured  out  in  a  similar  manner.  What  remains  is  then  divided 
into  three  portions,  one  of  which  is  added  to  the  Government 
heap,  the  other  two  reverting  to  the  cultivator ;  that  is,  the  quantity 
that  is  calculated  by  the  darwai,  and  if,  for  instance,  there  be 
1$  kasas  left,  i  kasa  will  be  considered  as  Government  '  abwab,' 
or  *  kharch,'  and  5  kasas  a&  the  Government  share,  the  whole 
six  being  measured  and  added  to  the  Government  heap,  and  the 
rest  made  over  to  the  cultivators.  After  this  the  bataidar  minutely 
examines  the  spot  where  the  grain  of  this  particular  field  was 
collected  to  see  if  any  has  been  reserved  for  seed,  or  left  uncleaned 
in  the  straw,  &c,  and  should  he  find  any,  he  guesses  the  amount 
and  takes  the  supposed  equivalent  from  the  cultivator's  share. 
This  is  entered  separately  in  the  accounts  under  the  head  of 
kundi^  and  is  added  to  the  Government  heap.  The  above  is 
successively  gone  through  with  the  produce  of  all  the  different 
fields  in  the  khara,  and  the  Government  shares,  as  above  described, 
collected  into  one  grand  heap ;  the  Government  officials'  shares 
fix>m  each  field  are  also  collected  into  four  distinct  portions  and 
placed  beside  the  Government  heap.  The  kardar,  bataidSr,  and 
Government  officials  now  gather  round,  and  the  process  of 
measuring  commences.  Here  a  scene  invariably  occurs  between 
the  bataidar,  patwari  and  darwai,  the  three  interested  parties. 
The  patwari  entreats  the  darwai  to  give  over  measure,  while  the 
bataidar  orders  him  to  do  the  reverse,  1.^  measure  lightly,  and 
abuses,  threatens,  and  even  beats  him  to  compel  him  to  do  so. 
The  patwari,  meanwhile,  adopts  a  different  course,  terming  him 
(the  darwai)  his  dear  fiiend,  and  holds  out  promises  of  glorious 
feasting  afterwards  if  he  will  only  give  him  good  measure,  and 
the  darwai,  notwithstanding  the  rough  treatment  he  is  subjected 
to,  invariably  favours  the  latter.  After  this  measuring,  or  takrar^ 
gangy  is  over,  the  amount  of  grain  is  entered  in  the  khasras,  and 
should  it  exceed  the  quantity  already  calculated  in  the  khasras, 
which  is  nearly  always  the  case,  the  difference  is  added  thereto, 
and  called  izafaitakrdrgang,  or  surplus  on^  measurement  At 
this  stage  of  the  business  a  certain  portion,*generally;[one-fourth 
of  the  whole,  is  taken  from  the  shares  of  the  four  Government 
officials — ^the  kotar,  bhisti,  sweeper  and  batara — ^by  the  ^bataidar 
on  account  of  Government,  and  credited  in  the  khasras  under 

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6i8  NAUSHAHRO. 

eadi  individuaTs  name.  The  final  item  now  requires  mentioiL 
Owing  to  had  reaping,  a  good  many  ears  of  grain  fall  on  the 
ground ;  these  are  generally  gathered  afterwards  by  gleaners,  from 
whom  the  karawas,  or  watchmen,  always  claim  a  nominal  portion 
on  account  di  Government  This,  which  is  cleaned  and  kept 
apart  firom  the  bulk  of  the  grain,  is  called  the  vadd  kdrawa^ 
but  is  more  generally  known  as  khosha  chiaiL  When  this 
item  is  entered  in  the  khasras  the  batai  is  finished,  the  accounts 
closed,  and  the  total  amount  of  grain  calculated.  The  kazdai^s 
and  bataidar's  seals  are  now  attached  to  it,  and  the  patwari  enters 
an  acknowledgment  at  the  bottom  that  he  has  received  that 
amount  of  grain,  and  it  is  finally  sent  in  to  Government,  who,  after 
this,  holds  the  patwari  responsible.  It  is  the  business  of  the 
cultivator  to  convey  the  Government  grain  to  the  granary  (or 
ambar  khana),  or  to  pay  for  the  carriage  of  it,  and  this  latter 
privilege  was  often  availed  of  to  exact  additional  revenue  from 
the  cultivators.  They  cannot  touch  their  own  grain  until  they 
have  accounted  to  the  patwari  for  the  Government  share,  when 
they  can  do  as  they  like  with  it" 

Kdsgi  is  a  fixed  revenue  assessment /^/cr?^,  and  is  so  termed 
from  the  word  ^'  kasa,"  meaning  the  number  of  k&sas  levied  per 
jireb.  There  are  two  kinds:  ist,  those  who  hold  "pattas,"  or 
grants,  according  to  which  a  certain  '^  kasgi "  is  levied  from  them 
every  season,  and  which  generally  remains  the  same.  The  2nd, 
those  who,  at  the  commencement  of  the  season,  went  to  the  kardar, 
or  lessee,  and  got  him  to  grant  them  notes  of  hand  that  they  would 
be  assessed  at  a  certain  rate  at  the  approajching  harvest  if  they 
cultivated  a  certain  quantity  of  ground.  The  collection  of  revenue 
from  lands  assessed  in  this  manner  was  eiSected  as  follows : — If 
the  season  turned  out  a  bad  one,  the  holder  of  the  kasgi  grant 
went  to  the  giver  of  it  and  begged  remission ;  when  this  was  not 
granted,  and  objections  were  made  by  the  cultivator,  the  land  was 
bataied  with  the  rest,  or  sometimes  the  loss  was  taken  into  con- 
sideration and  a  chit  given  him,  say  for  two  jirebs.  When,  how- 
ever, as  was  usually  the  case,  the  season  was  &dr,  the  amount  of 
such  assessment  was  generally  collected  in  cash,  although  nomi- 
nally grain*  and  a  certain  sum  on  account  was  invariably  exacted 
beforehand,  the  account  of  which  was  settled  after  the  harvest  in 
the  following  manner :  when  the  grain  is  reaped,  land-measurers 
are  sent,  who  measure  the  extent  of  all  fields  or  land  thus 
assessed,  and  prepare  accounts  of  the  same,  which  are  caHed 
khasra  zafti\  two  of  these  are  made  out,  one  being  sent  to  the 
daftar,  and   the  other  to  the  kardar,  the  latter  furnishing  the 

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NAUSHASRO.  619 

patwari  whdm  it  concerns  with  a  copy,  who  regulates  his  coUecr 
tions  accordingly.  The  amount  of  grain  is  calculated  according 
to  the  terms  of  the  patta,  and  a  price  put  upon,  it,  generally  a 
rupee  or  two  in  excess  of  the  current  rate,  any  advance  received 
before  being  credited  to  their  account,  and  the  balance  exacted^. 
These  sums  were  all  entered  in  the  same  accounts  with  the  batai 
receipts  by  the  patwari^  who  merely  stated  the  head  under  which 
received. 

Mahsuliy  or  cash  rents,  were  peculiar  to  certain  descriptions  of 
crops,  such  as  tobacco,  sugar-cane,  cotton,  every  kind  of  vegetable, 
safflower,  bhang,  &a,  and  they  varied  in  amount  according  to 
the  nature  of  the  crop,  the  description  of  land,  and  the  pleasure  of 
the  proprietor,  but  generally  speaking  they  were  not  liable  to 
change.  Thus,  in  rabi  crops  they  ranged,  in  the  Naushahro 
pargana,  from  if  rupee  to  3  rupees  i  anna,  and  in  kharif  fh>m 
8  annas  and  6  pies  to  3  rupees  15  annas.  These  rents  were 
collected  by  the  same  patwari,  and  entered  in  the  same  account 
and  in  the  same  manner  as  kasgi  assessments.  His  perquisite 
on  these  collections  varied  from  \  anna  to  i  931^2^  per  jireb. 

JDofibandi  was  a  species  of  assessment  used  in  collecting  the 
Government  share  of  detached  fields,  over  which  it  would  be  need' 
less  trouble  and  expense  to  place  karawas,  or  watchmen.  It  was 
also  occasionally  brought  into  use  in  bad  seasons  in  other  fields, 
where  it  was  supposed  the  crops  would  not  bear  the  expense  of 
kaxawas.  It  was  managed  as  follows : — Three  or  four  people  are 
appointed  as  arbitrators,  who  go  and  survey  the  crops,  and  fix, 
according  to  their  judgment  from  such  survey,  a  certain  amount 
of  grain  as  the  proper  revenue.  This  arrangement  is,  however, 
also  effected  in  some  cases  by  cash  settlements  where  both  parties 
are  agreeable. 

Muia  was  a  kind  of  grain  contract,  but  of  unfrequent  occur* 
rence  in  these  parganas.  The  following  is  an  example  of  this 
description  of  revenue  collection : — ^A  cultivator  would  go  to  a 
jSgirdar  and  ofifer  to  cultivate  a  charkha  of  land,  perhaps  hitherta 
lying  waste,  if  it  could  be  granted  to  him  on  fovourable  terms. 
The  latter  would  occasionally  agree  to  take  a  nominal  and  fixed 
amount,  say  one  kharwar  on  the  charkha ;  this  was  termed  muta. 
Of  these  several  methods  of  collecting  the  Government  revenue 
on  grain  crops,  the  only  two  regular  systems  were  the  batai  and 
the  kasgL  Of  the  first,  Lieutenant  Jameson  remarks  that  it  was. 
a  system  open  from  beginning  to  end  to  fraud  and  deception,  the 
sole  object  of  all  those  engaged  in  it  being  to  grind  down  the 
cultivator,  and  enrich  themsc^lves  at  his  expense.     The  cultivators 

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620  NAUSHAHRO. 

were,  however,  often  known  to  conspire  with  the  kSiawas,  or 
watchmen,  to  defraud  the  Government  of  their  just  dues,  and  in- 
stances are  even  not  unusual  of  the  bataidar  leaguing  with  them 
for  this  purpose.  The  k^gi  was,  on  the  other  hand,  a  more 
equitable  system,  and  less  liable  to  be  tampered  with. 

Survey  and  Settlements  Rates. — ^The  topographical  survey 
of  this  division  was  commenced  in  the  year  i860,  and  finished 
about  1863.  The  settlement  was  introduced  into  all  the  talukas 
between  the  years  1864-65  and  1868-69,  in  some  instances  for 
nine,  and  in  others  for  ten  years.  Revision  operations  are  at 
present  in  progress  in  the  Kandiaro  and  Naushahro  talukas.  The 
table  on  page  621  will  show  the  various  rates  on  particular  des- 
criptions of  land,  as  introduced  by  the  Settlement  Department 
into  the  several  talukas  of  this  division. 

Tenures. — ^All  land  in  this  division  is  either  Government  or 
alienated.  Government  land,  where  not  surveyed  and  assessed, 
is  held  on  the  Collector's /o/a,  at  rates  which  are  determined  by  its 
position  and  by  other  considerations.  Land  held  under  the  Survey 
Settlement  is  sometimes  cultivated  directly  by  the  Zamindar  him* 
self,  and  sometimes  by  haris,  these  latter  being  of  two  kinds — ^first, 
**  maurasi  haris,"  or  those  who  have  a  right  of  occupancy  on  pay- 
ment of  rent ;  and  second,  ^*  ghair-maurasis,"  or  those  who  are 
mere  tenants  at  will  of  the  Zamindar.  The  share  received  by  the 
Zamindar  on  the  land  sub-let  by  him  is  dependent  on  its  descrip- 
tion, but  the  following  may  be  considered  his  remuneration — ^for 
charkhi  land,  one-third  of  the  produce,  and  for  sailtb  and  mok 
land  two-thirds,  but  in  the  case  of  sugar-cane,  melon,  cotton,  and 
tobacco  land,  a  cash  rent  is  generally  taken.  For  further  informa- 
tion on  this  subject  see  Chap.  IV.  of  the  Introductory  portion  of 
the  Gazetteer.  The  Amos  formerly  paid  to  the  Zamindar  by  the 
cultivator,  and  which  were  known  by  the  name  of  "  lapo,"  are  not 
now  in  force  in  this  division ;  but  as  these  zamindari  rights  were 
once  very  general,  not  only  in  this  district,  but  throughout  the 
province,  some  account  of  them  as  formerly  existing  in  the 
Kandiaro  and  Naushahro  portions  of  this  division,  abstracted 
from  Lieutenant  Jameson's  report  of  1852,  are  here  given  as 
illustrating  a  peculiar  feature  in  the  tenures  of  Sind  and  showing 
the  condition  at  that  time  of  the  Zamindar  and  the  cultivators 
under  him.  The  Zamindars  of  the  Sahiti  district,  who  were 
mostiy  Saiyads,  are  said  to  have  been  shrewd,  intelligent  men, 
though  ignorant  and  unread,  and  formed  an  important  class 
of  the  community.  Their  holdings  might  be  put  down,  on  an 
average,  at  between  400  and  500  jir^s  in  area,  but  where  they 

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63t  NAUSHAHRO, 

possessed  less  than  400  jirebs  they  were  not  regarded  in  the 
light  of  Zamindars,  but  were  generally  subordinate  to  some  larger 
Zamindar.  Not  unfrequently  in  a  deh  there  might  be  three, 
four,  five,  or  even  six  Zamindars,  but  there  was  always  a  chief  one 
among  them,  who  possessed  more  land  than  the  others,  and  ¥^0  was 
always  looked  upon  and  styled  the  Zamindar  of  that  particular 
deh.  The  proprietary  estates  of  the  Zamindars  varied  considerably, 
sometimes  comprising  a  whole  village,  sometimes  a  cluster  of 
villages,  but  occasionally  only  a  portion  of  one — still  always  more 
than  a  few  fields.  Thus,  every  village  having  its  Zamindar  and 
its  known  limits,  no  one  could  intrude  upon  them  to  cultivate 
wiDiout  th<  permission  of  the  Zamind&r,  to  whom  he  must  pay 
the  usual  **lapo,*  or  rights*  of  zamindari.  These  rights  are  gene- 
rally known  under  the  common  term  "  lapo,"  which  may  be  com- 
prised nnder  three  distinct  heads,  viz.,  Malklna,  Zamindari,  and 
Raj  kharch.  The  first,  as  the  word  implies,  means  the  right  of 
ownership,  and  whoever  possessed  the  "  malkana "  of  any  land 
could  claim  the  rights,  or  rather  dues,  belonging  thereto.  Zamii>- 
d^ri  was  in  like  manner  the  right  of  proprietorship,  the  privilege 
and  trifling  dues  fi-om  it  pertaining  to  the  Zamindar.  Raj  kharch 
was  also,  as  the  term  means,  a  collection  in  money  or  kind  for  the 
expense  of  the  conmmnity,  and  tiiis  was  made  generally  by  the 
head  Zamindar.  These  rights  were  disposed  of  in  the  following 
manner :  in  a  large  '*  deh,"  where  there  were  four  other  Zamindais 
subordinate  to  the  head  one,  each  of  these  at  the  time  of  batai 
would  take  his  malkana,  or  ''  lapo,''  as  it  was  more  often  catied, 
from  the  cultivators  on  His  land.  The  head  Zamindar  took  his 
malkana  of  his  portion  6i  the  deh,  and  the  zamindari,  or  pro- 
prietaiy  right,  firom  the  whole  deh.  He  also  collected  the  raj 
kharch — ^not,  however,  on  his  own  individual  account,  but  for  the 
expenses  of  the  community  of  whidi  he  was  the  representative. 
Any  call  made  by  the  Government  on  the  deh  was  met  by  the 
head  Zamindar  in  the  name  of  the  whole  community.  From  the 
r^j  kharch  was  also  paid  the  expenses  incurred  by  any  Govern- 
ment official  going  to  the  Zamind^s  village,  as  well  as  of  any 
Zamindlur  or  body  of  cultivators  coming  there  on  business.  The 
travelling  expenses  of  the  Zamindar  himself  were,  in  a  like  manner, 
defrayed  fi*om  this  source.  The  rates  of  zamindfiri  dues,  or 
'*  lapo,"  formerly  existing  in  the  Sahiti  district,  differed  in  various 
places,  but  the  following  table  will  show  those  levied  in  the  Nau- 
shahro  paigana  on  particular  descriptions  of  land : — 


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624  NAUSHAHRO. 

N.R — ^These  rates  were  only  levied  in  feir  average  seasons ; 
whenever  there  was  a  failure  of  crops  a  remission  was  made.  A 
ioya  of  grain  was  one-fourth  of  a  kasa,  and  sixty  kiteas  went  to  one 
kharwslr. 

The  alienated  land  of  this  division  consists  of  jagirs  of  four 
different  classes ;  of  seridari  land,  granted  to  individuals  on  the 
•condition  of  their  rendering  certain  service  in  particular  villages, 
and  of  garden  lands,  made  over  to  fakirs  and  others  in  considera- 
tion of  their  affording  shelter,  shade,  &c.,  to  travellers.  There 
are  also  tnamul  grants  to  Pirs  made  by  the  Talpur  dynasty,  and 
Jiurisy  or  tree  plantations,  for  the  purpose  of  encouraging  the  growth 
of  timber.  Lieutenant  Jameson  mentions  that,  under  native  rule, 
the  Mir  invariably  respected  the  rights  of  Zammdars.  Where  he 
heard  that  these  were  in  any  way  infringed  by  a  Government 
official,  he  would  always  direct  an  investigation  to  be  made,  with 
the  view  of  havingthem  respected.  The  condition  of  the  cultivator, 
with  the  exception  of  his  having  to  pay  to  the  21amindar  the 
**  lapo  "  due,  which  may  have  been  agreed  upon  beforehand,  was 
exactly  similar  to  that  of  the  Zamindar,  and  he  paid  just  the  same 
share  to  Government  The  tenancies  of  these  cultivators  were 
small,  as  few  cultivated  more  land  than  could  be  watered  by  one 
charkha,  or  say  from  15  to  20  bigas ;  the  majority  did  not  possess 
more  than  a  half  share  in  a  charkha,  and  sometimes  only  a  quarter 
of  one.  Independently  of  what  may  be  termed  the  ^/Jjcft/ cultivators, 
there  was  a  large  body  of  nomadic  cultivators  who  would  come  for 
a  season,  enter  intouan  arrangement  with  the  Zamindar,  and  when 
the  harvest  was  over  would  go  away  again.  To  these  people  the 
Zamindar  would  generally  grant  favourable  terms,  so  as  to  induce 
them  to  settle  on  the  soil — ^more  favourable,  indeed,  than  to  the 
older  settled  inhabitants,  but  the  latter  might  at  some  future 
period  establish  claims  to  possession — z,  proceeding,  it  would 
seem,  of  no  unusual  occurrence. 

Jagirs. — ^The  following  is  a  list  of  the  jagirdars  in  the  Nau- 
shahro  division,  with  the  area  of  their  several  holdings.  The 
cultivable  land  so  held  in  jagir  is  about  104,000  acres,  of  which 
€1,000  are  found  in  the  Moro  taluka,  and  32,500  in  that  of 
Sakrand,  the  remainder  bemg  in  the  Naushahro  and  Kandiaro 
talukas. 


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NAUSHAHRO. 


627 


The  number  of  Seridars  at  present  in  this  Deputy  CoUectorate 
is  103,  having  grants  in  land  to  the  extent,  in  the  aggregate,  of 
1 59 1  acres  and  25  guntas.  These  are  distributed  throughout  the 
four  talukas  as  follows : — 

Kandiaro,  19  patels  ;  area,  296  acres,  7  guntas. 
Naushahro,  35  patels  ;  area,  584  acres,  4  guntas. 
Moro,  22  patels ;  area,  415  acres,  6  guntas. 
Sakrand,  29  patels  ;  area,  296  acres,  18  guntas. 

The  Mafidars  are  48  in  number  at  the  present  time. 

Municipalities. — Five  of  the  towns  in  this  division  hav^^ 
municipal  institutions,  viz.,  Kandiaro,  Naushahro,  Tharu  Shah^' 
Bhiria,  and  Moro.  The  receipts  and  disbursements  of  each  of 
these  municipalities,  for  the  three  years  ending  with  1873-74,  are 
as  follows : — 


Where  situate. 

Date  of  Establish- 
ment. 

Receipts  in 

Disbursements  in 

1871-73. 

i87a-73. 

1              1 

«873-74-     i87X-7a.  |  i87a-73. 

1873-74. 

1.  Kandiaro  . 

2.  Naushahro 

3.  Tharu  Shah 

4.  Bhiria  .      . 

5.  Moro  .     . 

Feb.  25,  1861 
Ditto .     .     . 
Ditto .     .     . 
Ditto .     .     . 
Ditto .     .     . 

rupees. 
2,079 
1,282 

2,074 
1,705 
1,208 

rupees. 

1,599 
1,343 
2,060 

1,532 
1,342 

rupees,      rupees. 
2,598  1  2,195 

1,742       1,388 

2,194  \   2,096 

1,825       1,966 

1,457     1,363 

rupees. 
2,002 

1,161 

2,083 

1,615 

1,257 

rupees. 
1,767 

1.377 
2,185 

1,707 
1,081 

The  income  of  these  municipalities  is  made  up  from  town  dues, 
market  fees,  &c.,  and  the  disbursements  are  principally  upon 
maintenance  of  establishment,  scavenging,  police,  lighting,  public 
works  and  aids  to  dispensaries,  education,  &c. 

Medical  Establishments. — The  only  medical  institution 
throughout  this  Deputy  CoUectorate  is  the  dispensary  at  the  town 
of  Tharu  Shah.  It  is  under  the  charge  of  a  subordinate  officer  of  the 
Bombay  Government  Medical  Service,  who  is  assisted  in  his  duties 
by  a  small  establishment.  The  municipality  of  the  town  defrays 
certain  charges  in  connection  with  this  dispensary,  such  as  part 
salary  of  the  officer  in  charge,  and  the  supply  of  European  medi- 
cines. The  attendance,  &c.,  of  patients  in  this  dispensary  during 
the  years  1873  and  1874  is  as  follows  {see  next  page). 


2    8    3 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


628 


NAUSHAHRO. 


In-patients    . 
Out-patients . 

Casualties  in 

Average  Daily 
Attendance  in 

1873. 

1874. 

1873. 

1874. 

1873- 

1874^ 

84 

2,287 

124 
2,430 

I 

1 

I 

3- IS 
3056 

360 
32  04 

The  chief  diseases  are  fevers,  bowel  complaints,  and  affections 
of  the  lungs. 

Education. — There  are  in  all,  in  the  Naushahro  division,  23 
schools,  Governmental  and  private,  having  an  attendance  of  1122 
pupils.  Of  these  19  are  Government  institutions.  The  number 
of  schools,  &c.,  in  each  taluka  is  as  follows : — 


Talaka. 

Private  Schools. 

• 
Number. 

Pupils. 

Number. 

Pupils. 

1.  Kandiaro   .... 

2.  Naushahro. 

3.  Moro 

4.  Sakrand     .... 

6 
8 
3 

306 

III 
48 

I 

3 

40 

75 

Totals     .     . 

19      j    1007            4 

"5 

There  are  no  female  schools,  Government  or  private,  in  this 
division. 

Agriculture. — There  may  be  said  to  be  three  principal  seasons 
in  this  division  in  which  agricultural  operations  are  carried  on. 
These  are  Kharif,  Rabi,  and  Peshras,  but  a  fourth,  called  "  Ad- 
hawa,"  is  sometimes  added,  extending  from  April  to  August,  in 
which  juar  and  a  little  mung  are  sown.  For  all  practical  purposes, 
however,  the  three  first-mentioned  are  the  most  important  The 
chief  crops  produced  in  these  are  as  follows  : — 


Season. 

Time  when 

Principal  Crops  produced. 

1 
Sown.          1     Reaped. 

1.  Kharif. 

2.  Rabi     . 

3.  Peshras. 

End  of  June 
December   . 
October .     . 

October . 
March    . 
January . 

Rice,  juar,  bajri,  cotton,  indigo, 

tobacco. 
Wheat,  oil-seeds,  barley,  matar, 

gram,  china,  bhang,  jambho,  &c 
Sugar-cane,  b^jri,  cotton. 

Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


NAUSHAHRO.  629 

The  most  common  form  of  cultivation  in  this  division  is  by 
charkhi^  or  Persian  wheel,  by  which  the  greater  portion  of  the 
kharif  crops,  principally  juar  and  bajri,  is  raised.     There  is  besides 
the  charkhi,  a  smaller  kind  of  wheel  called  the  hurlo^  having  but 
two  wheels,  while  the  charkhi  has  three.    The  hurb  is  used  mostly 
by  those   cultivators   who  have  but  few  bullocks,  the  charkhi 
requiring  three  or  four  pairs.     There  is  also  a  still  smaller  kind  of 
wheel  known  as  the  ^^perdti^  having  but  one  wheel,  which  is 
worked  by  the  foot      Lieut  Jameson  mentions  that,  in  the  Kan- 
diaro  and  Naushahro  districts,  from  15  to  20  jirebs  of  land  can 
be  cultivated  on  one  charkha,  from  8  to  12  on  a  hurlo,  and 
only  3  or  4  on  a  peratL     There  is  a  large  quantity  of  sailab 
cultivation  on  the  river.      It  is  low-lying  land,  subject  to  annual 
inundation  not  only  from  the  river,  but  from  canals  and  dhandhs 
as  well ;  in  it  the  greater  part  of  the  rabi  crop  is  raised.      Sailab 
land,  from  its  situation,  remains  for  a  long  time  under  water,  and 
where  liable  to  run  oflf,  means  are  adopted,  such,  for  instance,  as 
running  up  embankments,  to  retain  the  water  till  the  rabi  season 
commences.      In  the  Kandiaro  taluka,  which  comprises  the  most 
fertile  portion  of  this  division,  well  cultivation  is  much  in  vogue,  as 
water  is  readily  obtainable,  and  at  but  little  expense.    The  number 
of  wells  is  in  consequence  very  large,  and  Lieut.  Jameson  men- 
tions there  being  in  this  and  the  neighbouring  district  of  Nau- 
shahro, in  the  year  1852,  no  less  than  1077   wells,  on  which 
splendid  crops   of  wheat  were  raised  in  the  rabi  season.     At 
present  the  number  of  wells  in  the  two  talukas  of  Kandiaro  and 
Naushahro  is  said  to  be  2152.      He  further  states  that  from  4  to 
15  jirebs  of  land  were  cultivated  on  one  well  in  some  parts  of 
Kandiaro,  and  that,  under  native  rule,  the  Mirs  generally  allowed 
a  remission  of  20  Khairpur  rupees  from  the  produce  of  the  culti- 
vation to  any  one  who  sank  a  well.     Towards  the  middle  and 
south  of  this  division  well   cultivation  becomes  scarce  till  in 
Sakrand  an  agricultural  well  is  hardly  to  be  seen.     There  is  a 
large  quantity  of  land  cultivated   by  mok^   on   several   of   the 
canals  in  this  division,  especially  on  the  Naulakhi,  where  this 
course  is  adopted  when  the  water  is  high,  but  the  charkha  is 
used  when  it  begins  to  fall.     Lieut.  Jameson  in  his  report  states 
that  the  nature  of  the  Sahiti  district  is  very  favourable  to  mok 
cultivation,  and  that  in  good  seasons  the  amount  of  this  kind  of 
cultivation  equalled  if  not  exceeded  that  by  charkha.     When  there 
happens  to  be  a  good  rainfall,  a  large  quantity  of  Barani  cultivation 
takes  place,  means  being  adopted,  as  in  the  case  of  sailab  and  mok 
cultivation,  to  prevent  the  water  from  running  off.      Either  rabi 

Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


630  NAUSHAHRO. 

or  kharif  crops  are  obtained  by  this  method,  according  as  the 
rain  fells  either  in  the  cold  weather  or  in  the  early  part  of  the 
kharif  season.  Barani  crops  are  seldom  raised  except  at  a  dis- 
tance from  the  river,  as  the  produce  from  them  is  meagre  and 
uncertain.  If  the  seed  can  be  sown  after  the  first  fall,  and  one  or 
two  other  showers  take  place,  the  produce  is  generally  remunera- 
tive. The  table  on  page  631  is  a  list  of  the  principal  dry  crops 
raised  in  the  Kandiaro  and  Naushahro  districts,  taken  from  Lieut 
Jameson's  report 

N.R  Sarson,  jambho  and  gram  must  be  either  cut  or  grazed 
down  after  they  have  sprung  up  7  or  8  inches,  or  else  they  wUl 
be  good  for  nothing. 

The  agricultural  implements  in  use  in  this  division,  all  of  the 
rudest  description,  do  not  appear  to  differ  from  those  in  other 
parts  of  Sind.  The  Persian  wheel,  with  its  different  varieties, 
has  already  been  noticed.  There  is  the  har^  or  ordinary 
modem  plough  of  a  very  primitive  kind ;  the  gpbo^  or  earth- 
leveller;  the  sahar^  or  clod-crusher;  the  rambo^  or  weeding- 
knife;  the  kuhdro^  or  axe;  the  kuhdriy  or  hatchet;  the 
kodar^  or  laige  hoe,  and  the  danto,  or  sickle.  There  are  also 
two  tools  used  by  the  indigo  cultivator,  viz.,  the  jho^rOy  with 
which  the  cut  plant  when  put  into  the  vat  is  whipped,  and  the 
kozy  or  shallow  pan  in  which  oil  is  applied  to  the  indigo  pulp 
after  it  has  been  taken  out  of  the  vat  and  dried  on  a  cloth. 

Commerce. — The  trade  of  the  Naushahro  division,  almost  all 
of  which  is  carried  by  the  river  Indus  and  several  of  the  canals,  is 
principally  in  grain  and  other  agricultural  products.  Thus  the 
chief  articles  exported  from  the  district  are  grain,  mostly  juar,  oil- 
seeds, ghi,  &c. ;  the  first-mentioned  goes  to  Jaisahnir,  the  others 
to  Hyderabad  and  Kotri.  Fruit,  raw  cotton  and  timber  are 
sent  to  Kotri ;  a  small  quantity  of  country-made  cotton  goods  to 
Sukkur,  and  sheep,  chiefly  from  the  Sakrand  taluka,  to  Hyderabad. 
Some  salt  is  also  exported  across  the  river  to  the  Shikkrpur  and 
Sehwan  districts.  The  imports  comprise  all  kinds  of  grain,  in 
times  of  scarcity ;  wheat  and  rice,  principally  fix)m  Sukkur;  Euro- 
pean piece-goods,  metals  and  metal  manufactures,  such  as  cooper, 
brass,  iron  and  tin  vessels ;  sugar  and  tin  from  Karachi,  vUl  Kotri,  as 
well  as  from  Firozpur  and  other  places  in  the  Panjab,  viA  Sukkur. 
The  entire  annual  value  of  the  exports  and  imports  of  the  Nau- 
shahro division  is  estimated,  though  approximately  it  must  be 
remarked,  at  4,03,000  rupees,  and  4,40,000  rupees  respectively. 


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NAUSHAHRO. 


The  appraximaU  value  and  quantity  of  the  principal  items  com* 
posing  these  exports  and  imports  are  as  follows  : — 


Article. 


Exported 
Value. 


Grain : — 

Juar       .  . 

Bairi      .  . 

Wheat  .  . 

Barley    ,  . 

Matar    .  . 

Rice      .  . 

TU    .     .  . 
Gram       .     . 

Oa-seeds      .  . 

Ghi    .     .     .  . 

Oil     ...  . 

Sugar      .     .  . 

Gut    ...  . 

Indigo     .     .  . 
European  Cloths 

Country  Cloths  . 

Tobacco  •     .  . 

Fuller's  Earth  . 


rupees. 

86,510 

17,100 

16,470 

7,800 

4.440 

8,400 

10,700 

3*650 

3.450 

14,800 

5,25s 
4.205 
4,800 
2,800 

6',"i*75 


Imported 
Value. 


rupees. 

91,240 
18,800 
12,600 
10,384 
8,445 
33.500 

siioo 

14,880 

6,955 

3.988 
2,200 

54,875 

4.600 
520 


The  transit  trade,  or  that  passing  through  this  division,  comes 
mostly  in  kafilas  from  Khorasan,  and  goes  to  Hyderabad.  These 
bring  on  camels  and  asses  the  following  articles,  viz.,  dried  fruits, 
grapes,  woollen  and  camels'  hair  cloths,  carpets,  as  well  as  silk 
embroidered  goods,  such  as  chogas,  caps,  and  shawls.  Horses  and 
asses  are  also  brought  down  for  sale.  It  would  appear  that  these 
kafilas  on  their  return  journey  take  back  with  them  litde  or  no 
goods.  Lieut  Jameson,  in  referring  to  the  Kandiaro  and  Nau- 
shahro  portions  of  this  division,  thus  notices  the  state  of  trade 
as  then  obtaining  there  in  his  time  (1852)  :— "  Trade  progresses, 
but  in  a  limited  way,  but  this  cannot  be  entirely  attributed  to  mis- 
rule or  mismanagement,  it  is  partly  the  result  of  certain  circum- 
stances. This  district  has  always  been  known  aS  a  remarkably 
fertile  one,  and  grain  (principally  juir,  bajri  and  wheat)  is  grown 
in  large  quantities,  to  a  much  greater  extent,  indeed,  than  is  re- 
quired to  supply  the  wants  of  the  inhabitants.  This  surplus  used 
to  be  exported  to  Lar  (Hyderabad),  Umarkot,  and  Jaisalmir,  and 
thus  formed  th^  principal  and  most  important  article  of  commerce ; 
but  of  late  years  grain  has  become  much  cheaper  in  the  south,  and 
the  difference  of  price  now  scarcely  pays  the  expenses  of  transit, 
so  that  the  trafRc  in  it  has  been  most  materially  impeded,  and  con- 
sequently a  large  supply  remains  on  hand  in  excess  of  consump- 


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NAUSHAHRO. 


633 


tion ;  prices  fall,  and  money  expended  on  imports  does  not  find 
its  way  back  to  the  district  Similar  remarks  are  applicable  to 
tobacco,  indigo,  and  raw  cotton,  which  also  formed  fair,  though 
not  such  important,  articles  of  commerce.  The  first  used  to  be 
grown  in  large  quantities  in  this  district,  principally  about  Bhelani, 
and  found  a  ready  niarket  at  Hyderabad,  where  it  was  scarce 
and  dear.  Now  it  is  cultivated  at  the  latter  place  to  so  great  an 
extent,  and  of  so  good  a  quality,  that  prices  have  fallen,  and  there 
is  no  demand  for  that  grown  here.  Raw  cotton,  the  most  impor- 
tant of  the  three,  formed  a  great  and  essentially  useful  article  of 
commerce,  for  it  afforded  occupation,  with  a  fair  remuneration,  to 
a  large  portion  of  the  inhabitants,  especially  females,  the  old  and 
decrepit,  all  of  whom  could  take  a  part  in  the  manufacture  of  this 
useful  article,  which  used  to  be  exported  in  large  quantities  to  the 
south,  but  since  the  opening  of  the  Bombay  mart,  a  superior 
description  (English)  has  gradually  found  its  way  into  Sind,  and 
thus  closed  the  Hyderabad  market  to  them,  so  that  now  very  little 
more  is  manufactured  than  is  actually  required  for  the  district" 

Manufactures. — ^The  manufactures  of  the  Naushahro  division 
are,  comparatively  speaking,  of  no  importance,  consisting  merely 
of  cotton  cloth,  coarse  paper,  soap,  oil,  coloured  clay  rings  for 
women's  ornaments,  saddles,  and  salt  Cotton  cloth  is  made  in 
every  moderate-sized  village,  about  2000  persons  being  engaged 
in  this  occupation.  Paper  is  manufactured  in  the  town  of  Kan- 
diaro  from  old  hempen  ropes  and  nets,  bleached  with  chunam. 
Lieut  Jameson  mentions  that  there  were  in  1852  four  distinct 
shops  or  concerns,  the  quantity  unconsumed  in  the  district  being 
sent  for  sale  to  Khairpur.  Soap  is  manufactured  at  present  at  the 
town  of  Moro  ;  formerly  it  was  made  in  Naushahro,  but  in*  small 
quantities  only,  and  found  a  market  at  Khairpur.  Coloured  rings 
of  burnt  clay  are  now  largely  made  in  Moro,  this  manufacture 
having  been  introduced  a  few  years  ago  irom  Larkana.  Oil  is 
made  for  home  consumption  in  the  town  of  Bhiria,  and  saddles  at 
Chaneja  in  the  Moro  taluka.  Salt  is  largely  manufactured  in  all 
the  talukas  of  this  division,  the  greater  part  for  home  consump- 
tion, a  portion  only  being  exported  to  the  Shikarpur  Collectorate 
and  the  Sehwan  district  The  following  are  the  localities  where 
salt  is  made  : — 


Kandiaro  tal . 


Naushahro  tal 


{Bazidpur. 
Mahrabpur. 

Dhingo. 
Mungo. 
Bhiria. 


Morp  tal. 


fShahpur. 
[Chaneja. 

Dhad. 

Rokuja. 
Sakrand  tal .  <  Nasri. 

Madd. 
I  Shakardin. 


iOOgle 


634  NAUSHAHRO. 

Lieut  Jameson,  in  speaking  of  the  salt  manufacture,  remarks 
that  the  makers  of  it  were  wretchedly  poor,  their  profits  being 
small  and  the  labour  enormous,  as,  in  addition  to  manufacturing  it, 
they  have  afterwards  to  hawk  it  about  for  sale  from  street  to 
street    Saltpetre  used  to  be  made  at  Kot  Bahadur,  and  was  ex- 
ported principally  to  Hyderabad.    The  same  authority  also  refers 
to  the  lacquered  work,  comprising  beads,  boxes,  toys,  measures, 
&a,  made  up  at  Mohbat-dero  Sial,  Viga,  &c.,  and  which  was 
mostly  sold  in  the  Sahiti  district,  the  remainder  being  sent  to 
Khairpur  for  disposal     Native  spirits,  owing  to  the  excellence  of 
the  gur^  were  manufactured  of  a  superior  quality  in  the  towns  of 
Kandiaro,  Naushahro,  Thatt,  and  MithanL     A  particular  caste  of 
Hindus  called  "  Kalals "  were  engaged  in  this  manufacture,  the 
occupation  being  an  hereditary  one.      The  gur  of  this  portion  of 
the  Naushahro  district  is  deserving  of  notice,  owing  to  its  remark- 
able hardness  and  deep  colour.     This  is  attributed  to  the  peculiar 
nature  of  the  sugar-cane,  which  is  seldom  thicker  than  one's  little 
finger,  and  very  hard,  but  the  yield,  though  slight,  is  of  good  flavour. 
All  that  manufactured  was  consumed  in  the  district     The  follow- 
ing are  the  average  quantities  of  articles  which  used  to  be  manu- 
factured yearly  in  the  Sahiti  district,  as  mentioned  by  Lieut 
Jameson  : — 

Article.  Quantity. 

Coarse  Cloth 90,000  pieces. 

Cotton  Tw^ist i,  100  maunds. 

Ghi i»5oo  maunds. 

Gur 2,029  maunds. 

Lacquered  Work  ....  1,360  pieces. 

Native  Spirits 73  maunds. 

Oil 2,200  maunds. 

Paper 6,000  dostars  or  pieces. 

Salt 1,080  maunds. 

Saltpetre 140  maunds. 

Soap 24  maunds. 

Fairs. — There  are  but  5  fairs  held  in  the  Naushahro  division, 
2  only  of  these  being  of  any  consequence  so  far  as  a  large 
attendance  of  people  is  concerned.  The  following  is  a  list  of 
these  fairs,  with  otlier  information  relating  to  them : — 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


NAUSHAHRO. 


63s 


Where  held. 

TalOka. 

When  held,  and  for  what 
Period. 

Average 

Remazlcs. 

X.  HSl&ni      •    . 
a.  Near  ThSru) 

shsh   .    y 

3.  Darbelo    .     . 

4.  Near  Moro   . 

5.  Nine     miles) 

from  Moro  J 

Kandi&ro. 

Naushahro 
Ditto  .     • 

Moro  .     . 
Ditto  .     . 

For  5  days  from  zst  Safar  • 
C  First    Sunday   of  every) 
For  a  days  from  9th  Zilhuj . 
For  z  day  from  9th  Zilhuj  • 

For  z  day  from  zst  Rajib  . 

HindQ5. 
8.000 

M^ihp»ww*q^flP« 
3,000 

800 
800 

500 

In  honour  of  one 
SadO. 

(InhonourofShdch 
\     Dadwai. 

In  honour  of  Sh£h 
Lalan. 

In  honour  of  Pbnj 
Pir. 

(  In  honour  of  Nur 
Muhammad 
i     Kalhoro. 

Communications. — There  are  in  the  Naushahro  division  about 
600  miles  of  roads;  of  these  91  only  are  postal  and  trunk  lines, 
the  remainder  being  branch.  The  postal  road  from  Hyderabad 
to  Rohri  passes  through  this  district,  entering  it  from  the  south  in 
the  Sakrand  taluka,  and  leaving  it  near  Bhelani  in  the  ELandiaro 
taluka.  % 

The  following  table  will  show  the  communications  of  all  descrip- 
tions throughout  the  Naushahro  Deputy  Collectorate : — 


Length 

Description 

From 

To 

in 

Remarks. 

MOes. 

Road. 

Hala  boundary. 

KaDdiaro  boun- 
dary. 

91 

Trunk  & 
postal 

Is  bridged  throughout. 

Sakrand      .     . 

Shahpur      .     . 

24i 

Cross     . 

Unbridged  ;  district  ban- 
galow  and  serai  at  Sak- 
rand. 

Sakrand      .     . 

Madd     .     .     . 

10 

Ditto      . 

Unbridged. 

Sakrand      .     . 

NawabshSh.     . 

I2J 

Ditto      . 

Ditto. 

Sakrand      .     . 

Mahrabpur .     . 

5 

Ditto      . 

Unbridged :    a  serai    at 

Mahrabpur. 
Ditto. 

Madd     .     .     . 

Lakhat  .     .     . 

9! 

Ditto      . 

T^lfhat  .     .     . 

Thatt     .     .     . 

8 

Ditto      . 

Unbridged ;  serai  at  Thatt 

Thatt     .     .     . 

Daulatpur  .     . 

m 

Ditto     . 

Unbridged;  bangalow  and 
serai  at  Daulatpur. 

NakuT    .     .     . 

Mari      ... 

6 

Ditto      . 

Ditto. 

Mari      .     .     . 

Mahrabpur .     . 

3f 

Ditto      . 

Ditto. 

Mahiabpur .      . 

Madd     .     .     . 

3f 

Ditto      . 

Ditto. 

Thatt     .     .     . 

III 

Ditto      . 

Unbridged ;  bangalow  and 
serai  at  Kazi  Ahmad. 

Ghoram  Mari  . 

Madd     .     .     . 

8 

Ditto     . 

Ditto. 

Nawabshah.     . 

Gubchani    .     . 

9i 

Ditto      . 

Ditto. 

Gubchani    .     . 

Shahpur 

5I 

Ditto      . 

Ditto. 

Amri      .     .     . 

Ferry  on  Indus 

5 

Ditto      . 

Ditto. 

Sann      .     .     . 

Ditto      .     .     . 

3 

Ditto      . 

Ditto. 

Gori-wari    .      . 

Ditto      .     .      . 

4 

Ditto      . 

Ditto. 

Moro     .     .     . 

Abji       .     .     . 

15 

Ditto      . 

Unbridged;  bangalow  and 
serai  at  Moro. 

Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


636 


N4USHAHR0. 


From 

To 

Length 

in 
MUes. 

Description 
Rmd. 

Remarks. 

Moro      . 

.      Pabjo     .     .      . 

15 

Cross      . 

Unbridged, 

Moro      . 

.   i  Khairo  Dero     . 

12 

Ditto      . 

Ditta 

Moro      . 

.  1  Lalia  ferry  .     . 

12 

Ditto      . 

Ditto. 

Daulatpur 

.   1  Mirpur  ferry     . 
.      Thul  Rukan      . 

4 

Ditto      . 

Ditto. 

Daulatpur 

6 

Ditto      . 

Ditto. 

Puran    . 

.   1  Shera     .     .     . 

II 

Ditto      . 

Ditto- 

Puran    . 

.      Tuiali     .     .     . 
.      Mithani       .     . 

I    . 

Ditto      . 

Ditto. 

Shera     . 

4 

Ditto      . 

Ditto. 

Lalia      . 

.      Malak  ferry      . 

7 

Ditto      . 

Ditto. 

Tliaru  Shah 

.      Bhiria  &  Chang 

15 

Ditto      . 

Bridged  as  far  as  Bhiria ; 
hangalow  and  serai  at 
Tharu  Shah. 

Tharu  Shah 

Kandiiro    .      . 

10 

Ditto      . 

Bridged. 

Thani  Shah 

.      Abad     .     .     . 

II 

Ditto      . 

Bridged  ;  a  serai  at  Abad. 

Tharu  Shah 

n 

Ditto     . 

Unbridged. 
Bridged. 

Tharu  Shah 

.      Abji      .     .     . 

9 

Ditto     . 

Tharu  Shah 

Naushahro  .     . 

7 

Ditto     . 

Bridged  ;    bangalow  and 
serai  at  Naushahro. 

Tharu  Shah 

.      Manjut  .     .     . 

5 

Ditto      . 

Unbridged. 
Bridged. 

Naushahro 

.      Mithani       .     . 

12 

Ditto      . 

Naushahro 

.     .      Phul       .     .     . 

7 

Ditto     . 

Bridged;  a  serai  at  PhuL 

Naushahro 

.      Jalal  Khuhi      . 

16 

Ditto     . 

Unbridged. 

Phul      . 

Dana  Khan 

8 

Ditto      . 

Ditto. 

Khai  Rahu 

.     Jalbani  Khuhi  . 
.      Mithani       .     . 

.\ 

Ditto      . 

Ditto. 

Abad     . 

Ditto      . 

Ditto. 

Phul      . 

.      WaiMisr    .     . 

8 

Ditto      . 

Ditto. 

Khairo  Gad 

u    .      Bachar  .     .     . 

9 

Ditto      . 

Bridged. 

Kandiaro 

.     .      Lakha    .     .     . 

6 

Ditto      . 

Bridged  ;  serai  at  Takha. 

Kandiaro 

.      .      Bhiria    ... 

i\\ 

Ditto      . 

Bridged  ;  serai  at  Bhiria. 
Partly  bridgeil;  serai  at 

Kandiaro 

.      Darbelo       .     . 

7 

Ditto     , 

Darbelo. 

Kandiaro 

Jamali  ferry 

15 

Ditto      . 

Unbridged ;   a  bangalow 
and  serai  at  Kandiaro. 

Kandiaro 

.   \  Matu  ferry  .      . 

10 

Ditto      . 

Bridged. 

Kandiaro 

Mohbat-dero     . 

6 

Ditto      . 

Bridged ;  serai  at  Mohbat- 
dero. 

Halani  . 

.      Mohbat-dero     . 

8 

Ditto      . 

Bridged  ;   bangalow  and 
serai  at  Halani. 

Mohbat-der< 

3     .      Mohbat-dero  Sial 

4 

Ditto      . 

Ditto  ;  serai  at  M.  D.  SiaL 

Bhelani  . 

.      Khanwahan      . 

7 

Ditto      . 

Ditto. 

Khanwahan 

.      Gulshah       .     . 

2 

Ditto      . 

Unbridged. 

Mohbat-der 

3    .      Kamal-dero 

8 

Ditto      . 

Bridged  ;  serai  at  Kamal- 
dero. 

Kamal-dero 

.      Abad     .     .     . 

5 

Ditto      . 

Ditto  ;  a  serai  at  Abad 

Kandiaro 

.   '.      MirAliMardan 

Tanda     .     . 

16 

Ditto      . 

Ditto. 

N.B. — A  serai  is  a  building  intended  for  the  accommodation  of  native  travellen, 
such  as  is  known  in  other  parts  of  Sind  under  the  terms — Musafirkhana  and 
Dharamsala. 


Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


NAUSHAHRO. 


637 


Ferries. — The  ferries  in  tiiis  division  number  in  all  16,  as 
follows : — 


Number 

Name  of  Ferry. 

Where  situate. 

of 
Boau. 

Remarks. 

I.  Jamali  .     . 

On  the  Indus  at  Bhowar  .     . 

2 

2.  Chuna  .     . 

On  the  Indus  at  Samti      .     . 

2 

Much  frequented, 
being  on  road 

• 

to  Larkana. 

3.  BandarMatu 

On  the  Indus  at  Bhindi    .     . 

2 

4.  Sita.     .     . 

On  the  Indus  at  Bhorti     .     . 

2 

5.  Mithani     . 

On  the  Indus  at  Mithani  .     . 

3 

Indus  Flotilla 
steamers  stop 
here. 

6.  Ghalu   .     . 

On  the  Indus  at  Thatt      .     . 

2 

7.  Dadwah     . 

On  the  Dadwah  at  Abji  and 

Mithani 

I 

8.  Chaneja     . 

On  the  Indus  at  Maluk    .     . 

2 

9.  Bilawalpur. 

On  the  Indus  at  Bilawalpur  . 

2 

la  Mirpur .     . 
II.  Dadwah     . 

On  the  Indus  at  Mirpur    .     . 
On  Dadwah  at  Farid-dero     . 

4 

I 

12.  Sukhpur     . 

On  Indus  at  Sukhpur  .     .     . 

2 

13.  Gari-wari    . 

On  Indus  at  Thatt       .     .     . 

3 

Much  fre- 
quented, being 
on  the  road 
to  Sehwan. 

14.  Lakhat.     . 

On  Indus  at  Lakhat    .     .     . 

2 

15.  Mahrabpur. 

16.  Nakur  .     . 

On  Indus  at  Mahrabpur   .     . 

2 

On  Indus  at  Nakur     .     ,     . 

2 

Under  native  rule  the  revenue  derived  from  ferries  formed  an 
item  of  very  minor  consideration.  Lieut  Jameson  mentions 
that  there  were  only  7  ferries  in  the  Kandiaro  and  Naushahro 
parganas^  bringing  in  an  annual  income  to  the  State  of  but  473 
rupees.  The  dues  levied  at  each  of  these  ferries  were  as  follows : 
— For  one  passenger,  i  pice ;  if  with  a  bullock,  2  pice ;  if  with 
a  camel,  4  pice. 

Telegraph  and  Postal  Lines. — The  Government  telegraph 
line  from  Hyderabad  to  Rohri  passes  through  this  division,  but 
there  is  no  station  "here  at  present,  though  an  office  was  formerly 
open  at  the  town  of  Tharu  Shah,  This  building  has  now  been 
made  over  to  the  Educational  Department,  for  the  accommoda- 
tion of  the  pupils  of  the  Anglo-vernacular  school  at  that  place. 
The  non-disbursing  Post-offices  are  situate  at  Kandiaro,  Moro, 
Tharu  Shah,  Naushahro,  and  Sakrand,  and  there  are  branch  offices 
at  Bhiria  and  Daulatpur. 

Antiquities. — There  would  seem  to  be  but  few  ancient  remains 
of  any  historical  interest  in  this  district     There  is  an  old  fort  in 


Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


638  NAUSHAHRO. 

the  Daulatpur  tapa  of  the  Moro  taluka,  built,  it  is  supposed,  about 
A.D.  1745,  by  one  Muhammad  Hasan  Kohawar,  an  officer  tmder 
Nasir  Muhammad  Khan  Kalhora;  while  7  miles  north-east  of 
the  town  of  Daulatpur  stands  the  tomb  of  Mir  Muhammad 
Kalhora,  son  of  Nasir  Muhammad.  In  the  same  tapa  is  a  solid 
cylindrical  tower  of  burnt  brick,  called  Thul  Rukan.  It  is  orna- 
mented with  pilasters  and  flower-shaped  mouldings,  and  is  sup> 
posed  to  have  been  erected  during  the  reign  of  Jam  Nindo  Samma 
(at  the  latter  end  of  the  14th  century).  It  is  said  to  be  similar  in 
appearance  to  the  Budhist  remains  in  the  Panjab.  An  excavation 
was  made  under  this  tower  by  the  late  General  John  Jacob,  when 
Acting  Commissioner  in  Sind,  but  nothing  of  interest  was  dis- 
covered. 

Early  History. — The  early  history  of  ^Jiis  division  is  very 
much  mixed  up  with  the  history  of  the  province  of  Sind  itself, 
but  it  may  here  be  mentioned  that,  on  the  division  of  Sind 
among  the  Talpur  chiefs  after  the  decisive  battle  of  Shahpur  in 
1786,  when  Abdul  Nabi  Kalhora  was  defeated  by  Mirs  Fateh 
Ali  and  Rustam  Khan,  the  parganas  of  Kandiaro  and  Naushahro, 
among  other  districts,  fell  to  the  share  of  Mir  Sohrab  Khan  Tal- 
pur, and  formed  a  part  of  the  Khairpur  State.  In  1795,  a  mis- 
understanding occurring  between  Mir  Sohrab  Khan  and  his  Hydera- 
bad relative,  Mir  Fateh  Ali,  hostile  demonstrations  took  place, 
but  the  matter  ended  peaceably.  For  the  protection  of  his  southern 
frontier,  Mir  Sohrab  built  the  now  dilapidated  forts  of  LalQ, 
Serini,  and  Batel,  on  the  Naushahro  boundary.  In  1806  this 
Mir  abdicated  in  favour  of  his  eldest  son,  Mir  Rustam,  making 
over  to  the  latter  his  possessions,  as  well  as  the  dastar  of  chiefiain- 
ship.  In  1 81 5,  when  Mir  Ali  Murad  was  bom,  his  father  re- 
sumed possession  of  the  two  parganas  of  Gojri  and  Mathelo  from 
Mir  Rustam,  bestowing  the  latter  on  Mir  Mubarak,  and  keeping 
the  former  for  himself  and  his  youngest  son,  Ali  Murad.  Mir 
Sohrab  Khan  died  in  1830,  at  the  age  of  90,  from  a  fall  £rom  the 
upper  storey  of  a  house.  After  the  death  of  their  father,  dissensions 
took  place  between  the  brothers,  Mirs  Rustam  and  Ali  Murad, 
which  in  1842  resulted  in  a  batde,  when  the  latter  was  victorious. 
In  1843  Mir  Ali  Murad  obtained  the  high  dignity  of  "  Rais,"  or 
lord  paramount,  and  the  Naushahro  and  Kandiaro  districts 
remained  with  him  as  a  portion  of  his  possessions  till  1852,  when, 
in  consequence  of  an  inquiry  into  certain  charges  of  fraud  and 
forgery  brought  against  him,  he  was  convicted  of  haviug  obtained 
unlawful  possession  of  several  districts  belonging  to  the  British 
Government.    Among  these  districts  were  the  paiganas  of  Nau- 

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NAUSHAHRO. 


^39 


shahro  and  Kandiaro,  which  were  confiscated  and  incorporated 
in  the  Hyderabad  CoUectorate,  forming,  with  the  other  two 
talukas  of  Moro  and  Sakrand,  the  present  Deputy  CoUectorate  of 
Naushahro,  as  it  exists  to  this  day. 

Nau8h8khro,a  taluka  (or  sub-division)  of  the  Naushahro  Deputy 
CoUectorate,  having  an  area  of  531  square  miles,  10  tapas,  140 
"  dehs,''  with  a  population  of  72,711  souls.  The  revenue,  imperial 
and  local,  of  this  sub-division  during  the  four  years  ending  1873-74 
is  as  foUows  : — 


Imperial    .     .      . 
Local  .... 

Total    .     .     . 

1870-71. 

x87x-7a. 

i87a-73. 

X873-74. 

rupees. 
1,67,405 
12,596 

rupees. 
1,58,899 

14,443 

rupees. 
1,63,934 
15,298 

rupees. 
1,47,550 

12,597 

1,80,001 

1,73,342 

1,79,232 

1,60,147 

Nauslialiro^  a  Government  town  in  the  taluka  and  division  of 
the  same  name,  situate  close  to  the  Pairozwah  canal,  in  latitude 
2(P  56'  N.,  and  longitude  68°  8'  E.  It  is  seated  on  the  main 
road  leading  firom  Hyderabad  to  Rohri,  and  is  distant  7  mUes 
south  from  Tharu  Shah,  and  15  miles  north-east  from  Moro,  with 
which  towns,  as  also  with  Phul,  Mithani  and  Pad-eden,  it  has 
road  communication.  A  Mukhtyarkar  and  Tapadar  reside  here, 
and  there  are  lines  for  the  accommodation  of  24  poUcemen.  There 
are,  besides  the  Mukhtyarkai's  office,  the  foUowing  buildings  : — ^a 
subordinate  jaU,  court-house,  and  bangalow,  school-house,  market, 
district  bangalow,  with  a  good  garden  attached  to  it,  dharamsala 
(or  serai),  and  post-office.  Naushahro  also  possesses  a  munici- 
pality, estabUshed  in  1861,  with  an  income  which  in  1873-74 
amounted  to  1742  rupees,  and  disbursements  to  1377  rupees. 
The  population,  numbering  in  all  2950,  consists  of  1647  Musal- 
mans,  chiefly  Memons,  Saiyads,  Koreshis,  Chandias,  Khosas, 
Sammas  and  Sumras ;  the  HindGs  number  550  and  are  of  the 
Brahman  and  Waishia  castes.  The  remainder  (753)  are  most 
probably  Sikhs.  Their  occupation  is  for  the  most  part  agricultural 
and  commercial.  Lieut  Jameson  speaks  of  this  town  as  possess- 
ing, in  1852,  a  population  of  3218  persons,  of  whom  1942  were 
Muhammadans,  and  1036  Hindus.  There  were  also  698  houses 
and  203  shops.  Weaving  is  principally  carried  on  in  this  town, 
and  its  trade  is  chiefly  in  grain  and  cloth.  Of  these  two  latter 
articles,  60,000  rupees'  worth  are  annually  exported  to  other 

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640       NAUSHAHRO  ABRO—NINDO  SHAHR. 

places.  Kafilas  from  Khorasan  occasionally  pass  through  this 
town.  Naushahro  is  said  to  have  been  founded  by  one  Pairoz 
Waimar,  during  the  reign  of  Yar  Muhammad  Kalhora,  about  i6o 
years  back.  During  the  Talpur  dynasty  this  town  was  a  principal 
depot  of  the  artillery  of  the  M irs. 

Nausliahro  Abro,  a  taluka  or  sub-division  of  the  Sukkur  and 
Shikarpur  Deputy  CoUectorate,  containing  an  area  of  415  square 
miles,  with  6  tapas,  112  villages,  and  a  population  of  48,226 
souls.  The  revenue,  imperial  and  local,  of  this  sub-division  during 
the  four  years  ending  1873-74  is  as  follows : — 


Imperial    .     .     . 
I.ocal  .... 

X870-7X. 

1871-72. 

1879-73. 

IS73-74- 

rupees. 
1,44.194 
12,952 

rupees. 
1,22,638 

12,071 

rupees. 
1.16,644 

9.651 

rupees. 
1,01,992 

8.605   • 

Total  .     . 

1,57,146 

1,34,709 

1,26,295 

1,10,597 

Portions  of  this  taluka  have  at  various  times  suffered  severely 
from  the  effects  of  disastrous  floods,  which,  sweeping  over  the 
country,  have  made  a  desert  of  what  was  before  flourishing  culti- 
vation. "  Bandhs  "  have  lately  been  constructed  in  several  places 
to  keep  out,  where  possible,  these  destructive  flood  waters,  and 
they  have,  to  some  extent,  proved  useful. 

Nawa  Dera,  a  Government  town  in  the  Rato-dero  taluka  of 
the  Larkana  division,  12  miles  north-east  from  Larkana;  it  has 
road  communication  with  Larkana,  Shikarpur,  Rato-dero  and 
Fatehpur.  The  Ghar  canal  flows  past  the  town.  It  is  the  head- 
quarter station  of  a  Tapadar,  and  has  besides  police  lines  for  5 
men,  a  Government  school,  district  bangalow,  dharamsala,  and 
cattle-pound.  The  population,  numbering  in  all  11 25,  consists  of 
703  Musalmans  of  the  Saiyad  tribe,  and  422  Hindus  mostly 
Brahmans.    Their  chief  occupations  are  trade  and  agriculture. 

Nindo  Shahr^  a  Government  town  in  the  Badin  taluka  of 
the  Tanda  district,  situate  on  the  left  bank  of  the  Sherwah  (one 
of  the  escapes  of  the  Guni  canal),  and  is  the  head-quarter  station 
of  a  Tapadar.  It  is  distant  69  miles  south-east  of  Hyderabad, 
the  trunk  road  from  which  city  to  Tando  Muhammad  Khan 
and  Tando  Bago  passes  through  it.  It  has  road  communication 
also  with  Wango.  Bazar,  Kadhan,  Luari,  and  Wahnai.  Nindo 
Shahr  possesses  a  small  police  station,  a  dharamsala,  and  a 
thriving  municipality  with  10  commissioners.     The  income  in 


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PANHWARI—PHAKA.  641 

1873-74  was  2253  rupees,  and  the  expenditure  2042  rupees.  It 
is  much  assisted,  in  a  pecuniary  point  of  view,  by  the  receipts 
from  the  cattle-pound  fund,  which  add  considerably  to  the  income. 
A  school-house  has  also  been  erected  at  the  expense  of  the 
municipality.  The  inhabitants,  numbering  in  all  1439,  of  whom 
518  are  Hindus,  753  Musalmans,  and  168  of  other  races,  are 
mostly  traders,  shopkeepers,  Lahoris,  servants,  weavers,  washer- 
njen  and  dyers,  but  the  cultivating  classes  are  very  few  in  number. 
The  trade  of  Nindo  Shahr  is  in  rice  and  other  grains,  dates,  ghi, 
sugar,  molasses,  cloths,  tobacco,  cocoa-nuts,  cochineal,  cotton, 
drugs,  &&  Its  trade  in  rice  is  the  largest  in  the  division,  with  the 
single  exception  of  that  of  Tando  Muhammad  Khan. 

The  transit  trade  is  small  and  insignificant,  and  is  confined  to 
b3jri,  and  cloths.  Its  manufactures  are  of  no  importance  what- 
ever. This  town  was  built  by  Nindo  Khan  Talpur  about  1 10 
years  ago ;  it  is  an  unhealthy  place,  being  surrounded  by  low  land, 
with  much  water  l3dng  about  it. 

Panhwari,  a  village  in  the  Rohri  taluka,  distant  12  miles  north 
of  Rohri.  There  is  no  direct  road  to  this  place  from  the  latter 
town,  but  in  187 1  one  was  made  to  it  from  Kasimpur  on  the 
Multan  trunk  road.  Panhwari  is  a  jagir  village,  and  has  no  public 
building  in  it,  except  a  Government  cattle-pound  (or  dhak).  The 
jagirdar  is  Mir  Ghulam  Haidar.  The  population  of  this  place  is 
875,  of  whom  343  are  Hindus,  mostly  of  the  Banya  caste,  and  the 
remaining  532  Musalmans,  among  whom  the  Saiyad  and  Kori 
tribes  predominate.  The  principal  residents  of  note  are  two 
Zamindars,  Saiyad  Yar  Muhammad,  and  Saiyad  Nabi  Bakhsh. 
The  inhabitants  are  chiefly  engaged  in  agriculture  and  trade,  the 
latter  being  in  cotton,  wheat,  juar,  gram,  ghi  and  oil  This  town 
is  said  to  have  been  founded  by  a  Zamindar,  called  Saiyad  Sher 
Muhammad  Shah,  as  late  as  1859. 

Paajo  Abro,  a  Government  village  in  the  Rato-daro  tallika  of 
the  Larkana  Division,  14  miles  north-east  from  Larklna.  There 
are  no  roads  to  this  place.  The  population,  numbering  in  all 
1264,  comprises  1020  MusalmSns  of  the  Chujra  tribe,  and  244 
HindOs  of  the  Lohana  caste. 

Parkar.    {See  Nagar  PArkar.) 

Phaka^  a  village  in  the  Dadu  talQka  of  the  Sehwan  Deputy 
Collectorate,  lying  between  the  towns  of  BhSn  and  Dadu,  but  is 
a  mile  oflf  the  road  which  connects  these  two  places.  It  is  six 
miles  south-west  of  Dadti,  is  the  head-quarter  station  of  the  Buthi 
TapadlLr,  and  has  a  small  police  post  The  inhabitants,  numberr 
ing  850,  consist  of  550  Muhammadans,  chiefly  of  the  Saiyad  tribe, 

2  T 

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643  PIR'JO^GOT—RANIPUR, 

and  300  HindOs  of  the  Lohana  caste.  The  occupation  of  the  peopk 
is  mainly  agricultural  This  place  has  no  trade  of  any  import- 
ance, but  is  noted  for  its  manufacture  of  embroidered  leadier. 

Pir-jo-Oot,  a  large  Government  village  in  the  Kingri  tapa  of 
the  Rohri  taluka,  distant  24  miles  south  of  Rohri.  It  has  road 
communication  only  with  ELingri  and  Kot  Mir  Muhammad  Khan. 
There  are  no  Government  buildings  in  this  town,  but  it  possesses 
two  mazjids,  one  of  these  recently  erected  in  memory  of  Pir  Ali 
Gohar.  The  population  of  this  place  is  2095,  of  whom  788  are 
HindQs,  nearly  all  of  the  Banya  caste,  and  tiie  remaining  1307 
Musalmans,  mostly  Koris,  Saiyads,  KhaskeUs,  and  Kashigars, 
who  are  for  the  most  part  engaged  in  agriculture.  The  principal 
men  of  note  resident  here  are  Pir  Hizbulah  ShSh,  Pir  Shah 
Muradshah,  and  Pir  Haidar  Ali  Shah.  The  trade  of  the  place  is 
in  wheat,  juar,  indigo,  rice,  oil,  ghi  and  cloths  of  sorts.  A  great 
deal  of  oil  is  manufactured  here,  as  also  clay  vessels,  and  coloured 
pipe-bowls  and  bricks  by  the  Kashigar  tribe.  Excellent  native 
shoes  are  also  made  here.  This  town  is  said  to  have  been  founded 
by  one  Pir  Ali  Gohar  as  late  as  the  year  1848. 

Rajo  KTiananl,  a  Government  village  in  the  Tango  Bago 
talQka  of  the  Tanda  Deputy  CoUectorate,  situate  on  the  right 
bank  of  the  Mulchand  canal,  and  the  head-quarter  station  of  a 
Tapadir ;  it  is  distant  about  45  miles  south-east  of  H3rderabad, 
with  which  city  it  has  road  communication,  as  also  by  cross  roads 
with  Haji  Sawan  and  Jam^i  It  possesses  a  Tapadar's  ^Men^" 
a  good  dharamsala,  a  small  police  station,  and  a  munidpaUty 
with  6  commissioners,  the  income  in  1873-74  being  480  rupees, 
and  the  expenditure  408  rupees.  The  inhabitants  number  only 
694,  of  whom  273  are  Musalmans,  384  Hindiis,  and  the  remainder 
of  other  castes.  Tliey  are  mostly  cultivators,  traders,  shop- 
keepers, Lahoris,  servants,  dyers  and  washermen.  A  few  Miis 
reside  in  this  village,  but  they  are  not  of  any  note.  The  trade 
and  manufactures  are  insignificant  and  of  no  importance.  The 
town  was  built  about  a  century  since  by  Raja  Khan  Talpor,  and 
is  now  looked  upon  as  in  a  decayed  state. 

Ranipnr,  a  somewhat  large  town  in  the  Khairpur  State  of 
H.H.  Mir  Ali  Murad  Khan  Talpur,  situate  on  the  main  road 
leading  from  Hyderabad  to  Rohri,  and  distant  45  miles  south- 
west from  the  latter  place,  and  15  due  west  from  Diji  Foil.  The 
town  is  irregularly  built,  and  has  a  population  of  about  6310  so«]s, 
the  greater  number  of  whom  are  Muhammadans.  Hiese  anr 
chieHy  artisans,  while  the  Hindu  community  are  engaged  for  the 
most  part  in  trade.     This  ton^  once  possessed  some  esttenaive 

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RATO  DERO—RAWATL 


643 


cottcm  naanufactories  of  considerable  repute,  but  they  have  greatiy 
decayed.  This  place  is  said  to  derive  its  name  from  the  circum- 
stance of  the  queen  of  Jam  Dana  Khan,  a  prince  who  reigned  at 
Tatta  in  Lower  Sind,  having  fled  hither  after  her  husband  had 
been  killed  in  battle. 

Rato  Dero,  a  taluka  (or  sub-division)  of  the  J^rkana  Deputy 
Collectorate,  containing  an  area  of  228  square  miles,  with  5 
tapas,  86  villages,  and  a  population  of  35,896  souls.  The 
revenue,  imperial  and  local,  of  this  sub-division  during  the  four 
years  ending  1873-74  is  as  follows  : — 


Imperial    .     .     . 
Local  .... 

x87o-7x,                 1871-72. 

1872-73. 

«873-74- 

rupees. 
1,15,023 

9,844 

rupees 
1,06,930 

9,135 

rupees. 
92,317 

8,295 

rupees 

89,872 
7.328 

Total     .     . 

1,24,867 

1,16,065         1,00,612          97»20o 

Bate  Dero,  the  chief  town  of  the  Rato  Dero  taluka  of  the 
Larkana  division,  distant  18  miles  north-east  by  north  from 
Larkana.  It  has  road  communication  with  Nawa  Dero,  Shikarpur, 
Jacobabad,  Garhi  Kairo  Jamali,  Dost  Ali,  Kambar,  Sijawal  and 
Larkana,  and  is  the  head-quarters  of  a  Mukhtyarkar  and  Tapadar. 
The  public  buildings  in  the  place  are  the  Mukhtyarkar's  Kutcherry, 
Court-house,  Government  school,  travellers*  bangalow,  musafirk- 
hana,  branch  post-office,  and  lines  for  six  policemen.  There  is  a 
municipality,  established  in  1862,  the  income  of  which  in  1873.74 
was  3,415  rupees.  The  expenditure  during  the  same  year  was 
3,359  rupees,  derived  chiefly  from  town  duties,  cattie-pound  fees, 
&c.  The  population  of  this  place  is  3057 ;  of  these  1646  are 
Musalmans,  principally  of  the  Saiyad,  Joya,  Lorar  and  Chaki 
tribes,  and  141 1  Hindus  of  the  Brahman,  Chahria  and  Ahuja 
castes.  There  is  a  local  trade  in  grain  of  diflferent  kinds,  but  no 
transit  trade,  nor  are  there  any  manufactures  of  importance  in 
this  place. 

Rato  Dero  was  formerly,  as  the  name  implies,  the  encampment 
of  a  chief  of  the  Jalbani  tribe  called  Rato,  but  when  the  town  was 
founded  is  not  known. 

BawatI,  a  Government  town  in  the  Ubauro  taluka  of  the 
Rohri  Deputy  Collectorate,  267  feet  above  mean  sea-level,  and 
distant  8  miles  west  of  Ubauro  and  65  north-^ast  from  Rohri.  It 
has  road  communication  with    Ubauro    and    Mirpur,    through 

2  T  2 

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644 


ROHRL 


Muhammadpur,  ShShwali  and  Tandra  Nij^bat  This  town  is  the 
head-quarter  station  of  the  Tapadar  of  Rawati,  and  has  a  police 
ihana  with  3  men,  a  musafirkhana  and  cattle-pound.  The  popu- 
lation, which  is  mostly  agricultural,  numbers  but  670,  there  being 
325  Musalmans,  principally  of  the  Chachar,  Machi,  Malik,  Khosa, 
Dhar  and  Rind  tribes,  besides  343  HindQs,  nearly  all  of  whom  are 
of  the  Banya  caste.  The  trade,  which  is  small  and  insignificant, 
is  chiefly  in  grain,  sugar,  oil,  ghi,  &a  This  town  is  of  a  veiy 
recent  date,  having  been  founded  only  30  years  ago  by  one  Izat 
Khan  Dhar,  a  relation  of  Jam  Abul  Khair. 

Rohii  (or,  as  written  by  the  natives,  Lohri),  an  extensive 
district  and  Deputy  Collectorate  forming  a  portion  of  the  Col- 
lectorate  of  Shikarpur.  It  lies  between  27°  7'  and  28°  32'  of 
north  latitude  and  68^  52'  and  70^  15'  of  east  longitude,  and 
is  bounded  on  the  north  by  the  river  Indus  and  the  Bahawalpur 
State,  on  the  east  by  the  States  of  Bahawalpur  and  Jaisalmir,  on 
the  south  by  the  territory  of  H.H.  Mir  Ali  Murad,  and  on  the 
west  by  the  river  Indus.  It  is  the  largest  of  the  four  divisions 
comprising  the  Collectorate  of  Shikarpur,  its  superficial  area  being 
4,258  square  miles,  and  is  divided  into  5  taldkas  with  31  tapas,  as 
shown  in  the  following  table : — 


TalQka. 


Area  in 

Square 
fifiks. 


Tapas. 


Number 

of 
Vaiagei. 


Population. 


Towns  having  800 
Inhabitants  and 


I.  Rohri . 


1,549 


2.  Mirpur 


1,720 


3.  Ubanro 


450 


1.  Kandar     •     • 

2.  Bharo-pawhar 

3.  NanlAror 

4.  Mando-dairo 

5.  Kingri 


t 


Haiyat-pitafi 
Imamwih 
Tarawar    . 
Bhari-Laghari 
Khanpur  . 
Shahpur   . 
Saleh-mahar 
Balhari     . 


1 1.  Kamu-sfaahid 

2.  Ubanro     . 

3.  Raharki    . 
^4.  Khairpur . 

5.  Raiti  .     . 

6.  Rawati     . 
L7.  Jbagal-nuOk 


69 


66,451 


86 


42,127 


94 


43,043 


I.  Rohri. 
12.  Pir-jo-Got 

3.  Panhwarii 

4.  Sangrar. 


I.  Mirpur. 


rl.  Khairpur, 
I         Daharid. 

|2.  Ubauia 

I3.  Rawati. 


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ROHRI. 


64s 


TalQka. 

Area  in 

Number 

of 
Villages 

Population. 

Towns  having  800 

Inhabitants  and 

upwards. 

4.  Saidpur    . 

5.  Ghotki    . 

167 

i 
1 

372  - 

i 

i.  Pano-akQ.     .     . 

2.  Shahpar  .     .     . 

3.  Junas  .... 

fl.  Sanghri    .     .      .\ 

2.  Ruk    ...     . 

3.  Dadloi      .     .     . 

4.  Adalpur   •     .     . 

5.  Mathelo   .     .     . 

6.  Jehanpnr .     .     . 

7.  Tando-nijabat     . 

8.  Garhi ..... 

36 
64 

20.488 
46,406 

ii.  Ghotki. 
\2.  Adalpur. 

4,258 

349      217,515 

The  area  in  English  acres  of  each  taluka,  showing  that  cul- 
tivated, cultivable,  and  unarable,  is  also  tabulated  below  : — 


Talllka. 

Total  Area  in 
English  Acres. 

Cultivated. 

Cultivable. 

Unarable. 

1.  Rohri   .     .     • 

2.  Mirpur.     .     . 

3.  Ubauro      .     . 

4.  Saidpar     .     . 

5.  Ghotki .     .     . 

acres. 
991,476 

1,101,271 
288,269 
106,637 
237,795 

acres. 
31,036 

51,243 

60,684 

18,707 

33,154 

acres. 

49,505 
272,316 
139,836 

39,598 
139,913 

acres. 
910,935 
777,712 

87,749 
48,332 
64,728 

General  Aspect.— The  general  aspect  of  the  Rohri  district 
is  uninteresting,  except  where  there,  is  a  view  of  the  river  Indus. 
The  absence  of  large  trees  greatly  detracts  from  the  scenery. 
There  is  a  small  range  of  limestone  hills  in  the  south-western 
portion  of  the  district,  near  the  town  of  Rohri,  running  thence 
about  due  north  and  south  into  the  territory  of  H.H.  Mir  Ali 
Murad  of  Khairpur.  The  Indus  is  supposed  some  ages  since  to 
have  flowed  past  these  hills  near  the  ancient  town  of  Aror  (or 
Alor),  but  to  have  changed  this  for  its  present  course  through 
the  Bakhar  hills  owing  to  some  great  natural  convulsion.  The 
sand-hills  in  the  desert,  or  Registhan^  as  it  is  called,  are  bold  and 
often  fairly  wooded ;  they  succeed  each  other  like  vast  waves  of 
sand  fringed  with  light  brushwood.  It  is  through  a  portion  of 
this  sandy  desert  that  the  "  Ren  "  Nala,  said  to  be  the  bed  of  an 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


646  ROHRL 

old  branch  of  the  Indus,  is  found,  and  its  course  is  still  partially 
distinguishable  from  its  banks.  Among  the  numerous  "  dhandhs'' 
(or  flood  hollows)  of  the  Nara  river  which  abound  in  the  Rohri 
district  are  to  be  seen  spots  of  great  beauty,  but  these  localities 
are  very  feverish  and  highly  dangerous  to  encamp  in. 

Hydrography. — The  principal  canals  in  the  Rohri  district, 
which  are  mainly  supplied  from  the  river  Indus,  its  western 
boundary,  are  the  Eastern  Nara,  Lundi,  Aror,  Korai,  Maharo, 
Dengro,  Dahr  and  Masu,  with  various  branch  canals  running  from 
them.  Of  these  the  Eastern  N&ra,  a  former  bed  of  the  Indus  and 
a  natural  outlet  for  the  flood  waters  from  the  Bahawalpur  State,  is 
not  of  such  importance  in  this  district  as  in  those  of  Khairpur  and 
the  Thar  and  Parkar  to  the  south.  It  will  suffice  here  to  mention 
that  its  head,  where  it  first  becomes  well  marked  and  contbuous, 
is  at  a  spot  called  Khari,  a  short  distance  south-east  from  the  town 
of  Rohri,  but  that,  owing  to  a  diminished  supply  of  water  in  the 
Nara  arising  from  natural  causes,  a  supply  channel  to  meet  this 
want  was  commenced  in  1853  at  a  little  distance  north  of  the  town 
of  Rohri.  This  work  was  completed  in  1859,  at  a  cost  of  about 
five  lakhs  of  rupees  (though  up  to  1873-74  it  had,  according  to 
Colonel  Le  Mesurier,  Acting  Superintending  Engineer  for  irrigation 
in  Sind,  cost  in  all  7,18,348  rupees),  and  water  was  admitted  into 
it  in  the  month  of  May  of  that  year.  It  is  13  miles  long,  with  a 
width  at  mouth  of  156  feet,  has  strong  sluice-gates  to  regulate  the 
supply  of  water,  and,  as  the  channel  is  lined  with  a  six-inch  stone- 
pitching,  requires  little  or  no  annual  clearance.  The  Eastern 
Nara,  in  its  course  towards  the  south,  is  broken  up  into  numerous 
small  streams,  and  abounds  in  quagmires  and  quicksands.  The 
table  on  pages  647,  648  is  a  list  of  the  Government  canals  in  this 
division,  with  other  information  connected  with  them. 


Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


ROHRI. 


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Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


ROHRI.  «49 

The  Zamindaii  canals  branching  off  from  the  Government 
<:anals  are  57  in  number,  but  a  few  only  are  of  any  size. 
Among  these  is  the  Sadat-kur,  26  miles  in  length,  branching  off 
from  the  Arorwah  near  the  town  of  Aror,  and  watering  the  tapa 
of  the  same  name.  The  Nihalwah  and  Rajwah,  each  about  8 
miles  in  length,  are  branches  of  the  Dahrwah,  and  the  Kalian- 
wah,  a  branch  of  the  Janibwah,  flows  through  the  Bharo-pawhar 
tapa  of  the  Rohri  taluka;  of  tlie  remaining  Zamindari  canals, 
which  are  all  small,  26  branch  off  from  the  Dengrowah,  14  from 
the  Lundiwah,  and  12  from  the  Koraiwah. 

There  are^  in  addition  to  these,  a  few  other  Zamindari  canals, 
which  are,  so  to  speak,  independent  as  regards  their  supply  from 
Government  canals.     They  are  as  follow  : — 


CanaL 

Length. 

The  Mahiwah 
Siharowah    • 
Gidttwah 
Bagowah 

miles. 
12 
32 

% 

Garkano  .     . 

8 

Aror  Mando- 

dairo. 
Mainwab       . 

8 
12 

Remarks. 


All  these  are  in  the  Ubauro  taluka,  and  come  from 
The  Bahawalpm-  territory. 

Rises  in  the  Kadirpm'  dhandh,  and  tails  off  in  the 
Sanghri  tapa.     Is  in  the  Ghotki  taluka. 

Taps  the  Indus,  and  taib  off  in  the  Mando-dairo 
tapa  of  the  Rohri  taluka. 

Branch  of  the  Garkano,  tails  off  in  the  Mando- 
dairo  tapa. 

Taps  Indus  in  Rohri  taluka,  flows  into  the  Khairpur 
State,  then  into  the  Kingri  tapa,  and  tails  off  in 
the  Khairpur  State. 


The  Government  canals  are  under  the  general  supervision  of 
the  Executive  Engineer  of  the  Begari  division,  and  are  now  annually 
cleared  out  jointly  by  his  department,  and  by  the  Deputy  Collector 
and  his  subordinates,  according  to  the  Engineer's  estimates. 
During  the  inundation  season  "  Bdddrs^  or  watchmen,  are  ap« 
pointed  to  all  the  different  canals  of  the  district  These  vary  in 
number  according  to  the  length  or  importance  of  the  canal,  but 
they  are  more  numerous  on  those  where  the  force  of  the  flood- 
water  is  great 

Dhandhs. — There  are  several  large  dhandhs  in  this  district, 
the  greater  number  being  in  the  Ubauro  talOka;  and  in  all  the 
tallikas  of  this  division,  excepting  Mirpur,  there  are  numerous 
small  "  dhoras*'  formed  by  the  river  and  its  floods.  The  follow- 
ing is  a  list  of  the  chief  ^'  dhandhs,"  with  other  information  con- 
nected with  them : — 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


650 


ROHRI. 


NameofDhandh. 

LeaffCh. 

Remarksi 

Ubaxtro  Tal. 

miles. 

I.  Dahri 

20    ' 

Comes  from  the  Bahawalpnr  temtoiy, 
and  in  the  Raiti  tapa  of  the  Ubauro 

taluka  forms  itself  into  the  Ghoieb 

and  Ren  channels. 

2.  Garwar    .... 

10 

From  the  Bahawalpur  State,  and  falls 
into  the  Dahrwih. 

3-  Drib 

6 

From  the  Bahfiwalpor  State,  and  falls 
into  the  Mahiwah. 

4.  Kubli 

6 

Branch  from  the  Ghorelo  channel,  and 
falk  into  the  Sihor  dhoro. 

5.  Gubli 

4 

From  the  Saroi  dhoro,  and  falls  into 
the  Dahrwah. 

6.  Kamu-shahid       .     . 

4 

From  the  Lalo  dhoro,  and  falls  into 
the  Dhii  dhandh. 

MiRPUR  Tal. 

7.  Kadirpur .... 

8.  Miranpur.     .     ••    . 

9.  Khahiwadi     .     .     . 

12 

6 

4 

All  rise  from  the  Indus,  and  afterwards 
fall  again  into  it 

Saidpur  Tal. 

la  Changhan      .     .     . 

20 

Rises  from  the  Indns  in  the  Ghotki 
taliika,  and  falls  again  into  that  riyer 
in  the  Bharo-pawhar  tapa  of  the 
Rohri  taluka  ;  entire  length  30  miles. 

RoHRi  Tal. 

II.  AbdulaShah      .     . 

...   1 

12.  Bdiwari  .... 

... 

All  rise  from  and  return  to  the  Indus. 

13.  Moro 

...  I 

Floods  (or  Lets). — In  connection  with  the  hydrography  of 
this  district,  it  will  be  necessary  to  mention  the  prevalence  of 
floods,  or  HtSy  as  they  are  called,  during  the  inundation  of  the 
river  Indus.  These  afford  a  most  important  means  of  irrigatioD, 
especially  in  the  Ubauro  taluka,  but  when  excessive  are  the  cause 
of  great  devastation  to  the  land  and  its  crops.  The  greater 
number  of  these  floods,  all  of  which  have  names,  seem  to  come 
down  from  the  Bahawalpur  State,  and  then  to  spread  over  different 
portions  of  the  Rohri  district  according  to  the  depression  of  the 
surface.  The  chief  of  these  lets  are  the  Sarhanwari,  the  Khonan- 
wftri,  the  Bhungbharan,  the  Rawati,  Tandra  Nijabat,  and  die 
Husain  Beli  and  Gemro,  the  two  latter  of  which  combined  form 
what  may  be  called  the  Ghotki  flood.      The  Sarhanwari  let  is 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


ROHRL  651 

apparently  the  most  extensive,  as,  after  entering  the  Ubauro 
taluka  near  itamOshahid  from  the  Bahawalpur  State,  it  flows  into 
the  Ghorelo  and  Ren  channels,  which  take  their  way  through  the 
southern  portion  of  the  Mirpur  taluka,  the  former  tailing  off 
among  the  sandhills  of  that  taluka,  while  the  latter  flows  through 
parts  of  the  Saidpur  and  Rohri  talukas.  The  Khonanw^i 
flood  comes  also  from  the  Bahawalpur  territory,  entering  the 
Ubauro  and  Mirpur  talQkas,  and  near  Bhari,  after  joining  the 
Tandra  Nijabat  let,  flows  through  portions  of  the  Saidpur  and 
Rohri  talukas,  tailing  at  last  into  the  Nara.  The  Bhungbharan 
flood  comes  from  the  Indus  at  Pir  Bakhsh  Kacho  in  the  Ubauro 
taluka,  and  after  flowing  through  the  Ghotki  taluka,  joins  the 
Tandra  Nijabat  let  The  Rawati  flood  comes  from  the  Bahawal- 
pur territory,  but  in  the  Rawati  tapa  of  the  Ubauro  taluka  joins 
the  Bhungbharan  let  The  Tandra  Nijabat  flood  comes  from  the 
Indus  near  the  town  of  that  name  in  the  Ghotki  taluka,  and  after 
flowing  through  the  Mathelo  tapa,  joins  the  Khonanwari  let  at 
Bhari  in  the  Mirpur  taluka.  The  Husain  Beli  and  Gemro  floods 
come  from  the  Indus  in  the  Ghotki  taluka,  where,  after  a  junction, 
they  flow  as  the  "  Ghotki  let "  into  the  Saidpur  and  Rohri 
talukas,  and  eventually  fall  into  the  dhoros  from  the  Nara  below 
Sangrar. 

Bandhs. — Closely  connected  with  these  floods,  and  as  affording 
great  protection  to  many  villages  in  this  division  from  their  vio- 
lence, may  be  mentioned  the  five  Government "  bandhs  "  (or  raised 
banks),  several  of  these  being  of  great  length.  The  following 
table  will  contain  all  the  information  necessary  regarding  these 
bandhs  :— 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


65* 


ROHRI. 


NumoTBumUi. 

Leivth. 

Average 
Bieadtk. 

Ronuks. 

feeL 

feet. 

I.  Danr     .     . 

2,210 

12 

Protects  the  Government  villtgc 
Bhirio  and  the  jigir  deh  Bakbar: 
in  all  an  area  of  923  acres. 

a.  Chinkhi.     . 

2,646 

«3 

Protects  the  debs  Barth,  Juidb, 
Changni,  Jana-dhori,  Garwar,  Aro, 
Dungar,  Jhabero^  Narchh,  Bohi, 

Janqi,  Sorho,  Machi,  Kata,  Hin- 

goro,  Baiji,  Salihani,  Mianpnr, 
and     SanghJ,    in     the     Saidpnr 

taluka,  having  an  area  of  3,565 

miles. 

acres. 

3.  Mirpiir   .     . 

2 

8 

Protects  the  town  of  Mirpur,  with 
an  area  of  250  acres. 

4.  Naitch    .     . 

14 

8 

In  the  Mirpur  taluka,  and  protects 
the  dehs  Sher  Ali  Gabol,  Bhari 

Laghari,  Dihnurad  Gabol,  Karam 
Mahar,      Daresh-Naitch,      Bacho 

Khokhar,  Gohram-dil,  Kaiam-sial, 

Islam-Korai,  Haiyat-Pitafi,  Mu- 
barak   Chanar,      Dodo     Naitch, 

Yakbtiarvisar,    Aro  -Mahar,   and 

Khanpur :  in  all  1,309  acres. 

5.  AhmadwSh. 

10 

8 

Is  in  the  Mirpur  taluka,  and  pro- 
tects the  following  dehs:  Jindo 
Pitafi,  Jarawar,  and  Saheb  khan 

Lund :  in  all  2,585  acres. 

In  addition  to  the  above,  there  are  two  jagir  bandhs,  one  called 
the  Kasimpur  bandh  in  the  Rohri  taluka,  3^  miles  in  length,  with 
an  average  breadth  of  4  feet,  protecting  in  all  850  acres  in  the 
Government  deh  "  Khudari,"  and  the  two  jagir  dehs  Kasimpur 
and  Tharechani ;  the  other,  known  as  the  Dadloi  bandh  in  the 
Ghotki  talQka,  is  li  mile  long,  with  an  average  breadth  of  14 
feet;  it  protects  in  all  1^300  acres  in  the  villages  of  Dadloi  and 
Muhammadpur  in  the  Ghotki  taluka,  and  the  dehs  Sarai  Nidapur 
and  Sargo  in  the  Saidpur  taluka.  There  is  also  another  btrndk 
known  as  the  New  Ghotki. 

Climate. — ^The  climate  of  the  Rohri  district  does  not  differ  in 
any  essential  respect  from  that  of  the  Shikarpur  Collectorate 
generally.  The  natives  consider  there  are  five  different  seasons, 
which  they  call  Chait  (spring),  March  and  April ;  Arur  (hot  wind 
season).  May  and  June;  Sawan  (moist  heat  season),  July  and 
August;  Siro  (autumn),  September  and  October;  Siaro  (cold 
season),  November,  December,  January  and  February.  These 
may,  however,  be  reduced  to  two,  the  hot  and  cold,  the  change 
at  times  from  one  to  the  other  being  very  sudden.  There  is  the 
same  intense  heat  in  the  summer  season  succeeded  in  the  winter 


Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


ROHRT. 


653 


months  by  cold  weather  of  an  occasionally  severe  character.  The 
temperature  at  times  in  the  months  of  May,  June  and  July  rises 
to  146^  in  the  sun,  and  is  often  104^  and  105^  at  sunrise,  nor  is 
the  blasting  hot  wind  of  the  desert,  known  as  the  SUk,  uncommon 
in  this  district  On  the  other  hand,  in  January  and  February 
it  is  very  cold,  the  thermometer  not  unfrequently  showing  a 
temperature  of  28^  at  sunrise.  The  annual  rain^l  at  Rohri 
during  the  twelve  years  ending  1874  was  6*32  inches,  a  somewhat 
larger  quantity  than  falls  in  the  other  divisions  of  Shikarpur, 
Larkana  and  Mehar.  The  winds,  during  the  cold  weather,  are 
mostly  from  the  north,  but  in  the  hot  season  they  are  southerly ; 
at  other  times  the  winds  are  variable.  The  following  table  ^I 
show  the  monthly  rainfall  for  the  nine  years  ending  with  1874 
at  the  town  of  Rohri : — 


Months. 

x866. 

X867. 

x868.' 

1869. 

.87a 

1871. 

xBya. 

*873. 

X874. 

Tanuaiy     . 
February  . 

0-71 

0-I2 

0-I2 

I'20 

01 -5 

0-73 

198 

1-98 

0-87 

0*-2S 

... 

CIS 

March.     . 

0-79 

0-28 

2-86 

2*-28 

205 

... 

April   .     . 
May     •     . 

... 

... 

... 

... 

... 

O'lO 

o*i6 

... 

... 

... 

... 

... 

1-49 

0*10 

June     .     . 

July    .    . 

... 

... 

... 

3*  10 

I '(So 

1-40 

... 

... 

... 

0-30 

0-9S 

... 

035 

... 

9'i6 

August.     . 

I  24 

0-30 

... 

?:il 

3-51 

414 

S'33 

428 

September. 

... 

... 

0*26 

o-io 

October     • 

... 

... 

... 

o'44 

... 

... 

... 

... 

... 

November. 

... 

... 

... 

... 

... 

... 

December. 

Total  for     \ 
eachyear^ 

060 

0-70 

o-6o 

... 

... 

o-8o 

... 

3*50 

338 

300 

"•43 

7-39 

1-65 

6-80 

7*77 

I4'62 

Diseases. — ^The  diseases  common  to  this  district  are  fevers, 
agues,  rheumatisms  and  dysentery;  bad  cases  of  fever  often 
merge  into  this  latter  disease.  Cholera  is  an  occasional  visitant, 
and  during  the  months  of  September  and  October  in  the  year 
1869  raged  in  the  town  of  Rohri  with  some  virulence,  producing 
a  mortality  of  over  200  persons. 

Soils. — The  soils  under  cultivation  in  the  Rohri  Deputy  Col- 
lectorate  are  in  some  places  very  rich,  and  are  known  under  the 
names  of  Sailab,  Chiki,  Sek,  Luka,  Kalar,  &c.  Sailab  is  a  stiff, 
heavy  soil,  saturated  with  moisture,  and  requiring  no  water  from 
seed-time  to  harvest  Chiki  is  a  stiff  clay  found  on  low  inundated 
land,  sometimes  met  with  in  flood  hollows  or  '^  dhandhs."  Luka 
is  a  loam  formed  of  sand  and  clay,  but  neither  flooded  nor 
percolated,  whereas  Sek  is  a  light  clay  land,  not  flooded,  but 


Digitized  by 


Google 


654 


ROHRL 


percolated  by  water.  Kalar  is  a  sak  soil,  and  is  useless  for  aii 
agricnltiiral  purposes.  **  Reli "  consists  of  hills  of  moval^  sand 
in  the  desert  (or  Registhdn)  which  are  covered  with  vegetidon, 
and  it  is  in  this  tract  that  day  soils  of  great  fertility  are  found 
scattered  here  and  there. 

Animals. — ^The  wild  animals  found  in  this  district  are  the 
tiger,  lynx,  hyena,  wolf,  jackal,  fox,  wild  hog,  deer,  hare  and 
antelope.  The  birds  and  waterfowl  are  those  common  to  Sind 
generally,  such  as  the  ubara  (or  tilur),  a  kind  of  bustard,  wild 
geese,  snipe,  partridges,  both  black  and  grey,  and  various 
kinds  of  wild  duck  which  visit  the  district  in  the  cold  seasoa 
The  reptiles  also  are  the  same  as  those  common  to  the  province, 
and  snakes  abound  as  in  other  parts  of  Sind  The  domestie 
animals  comprise  the  camel,  horse,  buffalo,  bullock,  sheep,  goats, 
mules  and  donkeys.  Poultry  are  abundant.  Camels  are  used 
in  agricultural  operations,  and  excellent  ponies  are  bred  in  this 
division. 

Vegetable  -Productions. — Among  the  staple  vegetable  pro- 
ductions of  the  Rohri  district  may  be  mentioned  juar,  bajri,  rice 
and  wheat ;  other  products  are  cotton,  barley  (jao),  gram,  matar, 
tir,  indigo,  mung^  tobacco,  hurbo  (a  kind  of  vegetable)  and  sariah 
(mustard  seed) ;  sugar-cane  {kamand)  is  also  cultivated,  but  not 
to  any  great  extent  The  vegetables  grown  are  principally  turnips, 
radishes,  spinach,  and  other  garden  produce.  The  fruit-trees  are 
the  mango,  mulberry,  apple,  pomegranate,  date,  and  others. 
The  forest  trees  are  the  pipal,  nim,  ber,  siras,  tali,  bahan  and 
kandL  The  bush  jungle  consists  principally  of  tamarisks  (jhao 
and  lai),  and  reed  grasses  are  abundant  The  forests  in  this 
district  are  now  12  in  number,  two,  viz.,  TharSchani  and  Sundar 
Klo  having  been  eroded  by  the  river.  These  are  situate  mostly 
on  the  banks  of  the  Indus.  The  following  is  a  list  of  them,  widi 
their  approximate  area  in  English  acres  and  the  revenue  derived 
from  them  in  1873-74 : — 


NameofFo«st.     j     A«a.     |  5--- 

Name  of  Forest. 

Area. 

Reveanc 
1873-74. 

I.  Dim       .     . 
«.  Gu«a     .     . 

3.  Pvihiffiri     . 

4.  Azizpnr  .     . 

5.  Husain  BSlo 
i,  Shahpur 

acnes. 

1,543 

3,407 
ii,«S 

5*2 

240 

2,514 

4,759 

10.  Rawati.     . 

11.  Jam^ero    . 

12.  DanreA     . 

acres. 

1,317 

8,iJ9 
5,167 

nipees. 
3,347 
1,083 

4,296 

2,552 
21 

19,0*5 

9,879 

38.922 

11,324 

Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


ROHRL  6s5 

The  aggregate  area  of  these  forests  is  thus  about  58,000  acres, 
or  say  90  square  miles,  and  they  comprise  the  forest  tapas  of 
Rohri  and  Ghotki,  being  under  the  immediate  charge  of  two 
Tapadars  of  the  Sind  Forest  Department  The  greater  number 
of  these  forests  were  planted  in  1820,  in  the  time  of  the  Talpur 
dynasty,  by  Mirs  Rustam  Khan,  Ghulam  Husain  Khan  and 
Mubarak  Khin.  The  Darvesh  forest  was  made  over  to  the 
Forest  Department  in  1864. 

Fisheries. — The  fisheries  in  the  Rohri  district  are  confined  not 
alone  to  the  river  Indus,  which,  as  before  mentioned,  surrounds 
its  entire  western  side,  but  the  numerous  "  dhandhs "  (flood 
hollows)  and  ^*  kolabs  "^  which  abound  in  this  division  afibrd  fish 
of  various  kinds ;  and  as  the  right  of  fishing  is  farmed  out  yearly, 
these  fisheries  thus  become  a  somewhat  important  source  of 
revenue  to  the  Government  The  fish  most  commonly  found  in 
these  dhandhs  are  the  kuraro,  the  khago  (or  cat-fish),  singiro, 
gandan  and  pokia.  The  following  table  will  show  the  principal 
fisheries  in  the  different  talukas  of  this  district,  together  with  the 
revenue  derived  from  them  by  the  local  Government : — 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


656 


ROHRL 


Talaka. 


Nmme  of  Fiahery. 


Revenue  derived  by       Total 
Government.        I  Reveoae. 


Rohri 


Saidpnr 


Ghotki 


Mirpar 


Ubauio 


BegmajiKolab 

Chejro,  Boraha 

Narajanuji 

BakharKoUb 

Sundar  Beli  Kolab    .     .     .     . 

Moh  Naxx) 

Naia  (from  bridge  to  Aror  ban-1 

galow J 

Nara  (from  Aror  bangalow  tol 

oldNara j 

Kolab  at  Manghan    .... 

Kandhar  Kolab 

Chejro  Bhiro 

Chejro  Mankaji 

Vlndus  river 


1. 300 
563 
100 

50 
2,000 

560 

10 

42 
510 
210 
456 


Sorho  Kol&b  .  . 
Choi  Kolab  .  . 
Pholulni  Kolab  . 
Let  floods .  .  . 
Changhan  Dhandh 


500 


Chatki  Dhandh  .  . 
Dhamaji  Dhandh  • 
Husain  Beli  Dhandh. 


iChar  Masuwah 
Imamwah  •  • 
Hamthar  Kolab 


Dero  Dhandh.  .  . 
Garwar  Dhandh  .  . 
Raharki  Dhandh.  . 
Drib  Dhandh .  .  . 
Ghorelo  Dhandh .  . 
.Kamnshahid  Dhandh 


1,207 


42s 
743 


2.055 


rupees. 


6,220 


500 


i,«>7 


1,168 


2,055 


Total  Rs.  .      11,150 


Population. — ^The  total  population  of  the  Rohri  district — ^which 
is  made  up  of  the  two  great  classes,  Muhammadans  and  Hindiis 
— ^was  found  by  the  census  of  1872  to  be  217,515  souls,  of  whom 
176,789  are  of  the  former  class,  and  37,917  are  Hindus.  Besides 
these  there  are  1853  Bhils,  134  Sikhs,  and  822  of  other  nation- 
alities. Th^re  are  thus  51  souls  to  the  square  mile,  a  somewhat 
low  rate  it  is  true,  but  it  should  be  borne  in  mind  that  the  greater 
part  of  the  Rohri  and  Mirpur  talukas  consist  of  desert  and  sand 
hills.  The  MusalmSn  portion  of  the  community,  who,  with  the 
exception  of  the  Saiyads,  are  of  the  Stlni  sect,  may  be  classed  as 
follows  (see  next  ^ge) : — 

Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


ROHRL 

'MUHAMHADANS. 


6S7 


Tribes. 

Number. 

Sub-divwions. 

Remarks. 

I.  Sarais.     . 

Not  known 

Talpur,  Kuta,  Makul,  Ran- 

by  census 

gaja,     Pitafi,     Mahesar, 
Khej,     Patan,    Khuana, 

of  1872. 

Kanwar,  Khaliki,  Bhelar, 

Pora,  Mitia,  Kalori,  Panh- 

war,  &c. 

2.  Balochis  . 

do. 

Jeskani,     Shabani,     Shur, 
Tatoi,    Khokrani,   Korai, 
fChosa,  Jagirani,  Laghari, 
Gopang,   Katohur,    Las- 
hari,  Rind,   Magsi,   and 

Shahi. 

3.  Sindis      • 

dOw 

Chachar,     Mahar,     Bhota, 
Kalhora,  Mohana,  Machi, 
Bambra,  Shikari,  Phulpo- 
tra,  Sudhar,  Kalwar,  Su- 

• 

ghar,     Khaskeli,     Bora, 
Didan,  Mangria,  Dakhan, 

Halipotra,    Bhara,   I^n- 

gah,  Maluk,  Ranizi,  &c.  .^ 

4*  Saiyads    « 

2,205 

Besides     these. 

5.  Shekhs     . 

6.  Pathansand 

1,762 

•■• 

there  are  nu- 

merous other 

Mogals  . 

576 

,,, 

sub  -  divisions 

7.  Khwajas 
and   Me- 

of  tribes,  each 

under      looo 

raons     . 

566 

•  •• 

members. 

8.  All  others, 

including 

Balochis 

, 

and  Sindis 

1,71,680 

Total     . 

1.76,789 

Hindis, 

f  ThePokamos  are 
worshippers  of 
Mah^,     an 

I.  Brahmans. 

447 

Sarsudh,  Pokamo,  Masand, 

Bhat,  Jajak     .... 

J     avatar         of 

2.  Kshatrias. 

384 

... 

Vishnu.    The 

3.  Waishia   . 

36.147 

Lohano,  Bhatia,  Banya 

Sarsudh  wor- 

4* Sudras     • 

139 

ships  Maha- 
deo  and 
Bhauani. 

Total     . 

37,917 

The  languages  current  in  the  Rohri  Division  are  Sindi, 
Balochi,  Marwari,  and  in  some  parts  Panjabi,  but  the  first-men- 
tioned is  the  .prevailing  language  of  the  district.     In  religion 

2  u 

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658  ROHRI. 

the  Muhammadan  portion  of  the  pqpnlation  are  (^both  the  Suni 
and  Shia  sects,  but  the  fonner  greatly  preponderate.  Among  the 
Hindus  the  Brahman  caste  are,  as  has  before  been  mentioned, 
worshippers  of  either  Maharaj  or  Mahadeo,  according  as  they  are 
Pokamos  or  Sarsudhs*  The  Banya  caste,  which  comprises  the 
greater  part  of  the  Hindus  in  this  district,  includes  worshippers  of 
both  Vishnu,  Shiva  and  Bhauani  (or  Devi),  and  many  venerate 
the  river  god  and  his  Nazir  under  the  familiar  names  of  Jinda  Pir 
and  Udhero  LaL  In  dress  the  Musalman  Sarai  adopts  the 
peculiar  cylindrical  hat  of  the  country,  called  here  the  "  sardi-ki 
topi; '  he  wears  the  '* /ungi"  or  scarf,  round  the  waist,  and  the 
usual  trousers  and  shirt  The  Saiyads  dress  in  the  same  manner, 
but  without  the  "  Amgi/'  The  Baloch  wears  the  ""  polka"  ox  turban, 
trousers,  and  a  long  shirt  reaching  down  to  his  feet  The  Sindi 
Muhammadan  also  wears  a  turban,  with  a  shirt  and  a  kind  of 
trousers  called  ^*  kancA."  Among  the  Hindu  community  the 
turban  is  worn  by  the  Brahman,  together  with  a  ^^janio**  or  close 
fitting  shirt,  and  the  "  dAoti"  or  waist-cloth.  The  Banya  has 
the  ^^pagri**  as  a  head-covering,  but- in  other  respects  his  dress 
is  assimilated  to  that  of  the  Brahman.  Both  Musalman  and 
Hindu  women  in  their  dress  use  the  "putv"  or  petticoat,  and  the 
chuni  (or  rawa),  which  is  a  cloth  for  covering  the  head  and  body. 
The  "  sathnu"  or  trousers,  are  also  worn,  but  mosdy  by  the 
lower  classes.  The  "  gaj,^  or  close-fitting  embroidered  shirt,  is  a 
garm^t  peculiar  to  the  Muhammadan  women.  Both  classes 
wear  a  profusion  of  gold  and  silver  ornaments,  according  to  their 
means  and  station  in  life. 

The  Musalman  mostly  lives  on  juar,  bajri,  wheat,  rice,  fish, 
milk  and  curds,  and  upon  mutton  when  he  can  afford  it ;  some 
castes  occasionally  eat  bufialo  meat  and  beef.  Juar  may,  how- 
ever, be  considered  to  be  the  staple  article  of  food  among  the 
poorer  classes  of  the  Musalmans.  The  Hindu  subsists  mostly 
on  rice,  bread  made  from  juar,  bajri  and  vegetables ;  some  castes 
eat  mutton.  Both  Muhammadana  and  Hindus,  in  some  parts  of 
this  district,  are  given  to  drinking  intoxicating  liquors  and  to  opium- 
eating.  The  people  of  the  Rohri  district,  like  Sindis  generally, 
are  lazy  but  good  tempered,  addicted  to  dnmkenness,  filthily  dirty 
in  their  persons,  and  very  immoral.  In  appearance  they  are  tall 
and  robust  The  inhabitants  of  the  RegisthSn^  or  desert,  are  not 
given  to  intoxication,  and  are  strong  and  active;  they  are  indeed 
far  finer  and  stronger  tnen  than  those  living  near  the  river  Indus. 
The  houses  of  the  lower  classes  in  this  division  are  the  usual 
mud-hovels  met  with  throughout  Sind,  and  these  are,  except  at 

Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


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659 


Rohri  and  a  few  of  the  larger  towns,  almost  invariably  one  storey 
only  in  height  As  a  material  for  keeping  out  heat  there  is  cer- 
tainly nothing  better  than  the  mud  of  the  country ;  and  however 
unsightly  these  houses  may  appear,  they  are  undoubtedly  those 
best  suited  to  the  climate.  But  the  internal  arrangements  of  these 
dwellings  are  quite  opposed  to  both  comfort  and  convenience. 
The  residences  of  the  better-to-do  classes  are  of  course  larger  and 
more  roomy,  but  all  are  susceptible  of  great  improvement  as 
regards  ventilation  and  comfort 

Crime. — ^In  the  Rohri  district  "cattle-lifting*'  is  the  most  pre- 
valent crime,  and  this  is  mainly  owing  to  the  great  facilities  for 
escape  which  are  offered  by  the  close  proximity  of  native  states, 
such  as  those  of  Jaisalmir  and  Bahawalpur.  Next  to  this  and 
general  thefts,  come  housebreaking,  robbery  and  rape.  Taken 
as  a  whole,  the  inhabitants  of  this  division  are  quarrelsome  and 
litigious  in  character;  and  in  this  respect  the  Baloch  portion  of 
the  population  stands  pre-eminent,  being,  as  a  class,  greatly  ad- 
dicted to  cattle-stealing  and  thefts  of  various  kinds.  The  follow- 
ing tables  will  show  the  principal  crimes  committed,  as  also  the 
amount  of  litigation  prevailing  in  the  Rohri  district,  during  the 
four  years  ending  with  1873-74 : — 


L  Criminal. 


Year. 

s 

Hurts, 
Assaults, 
and  use  of 
Criminal 

Force. 

Thefts. 

Reodving 

Stolen 
Property. 

House- 
breaking. 

Sifb:Sr! 

Other 
Offences. 

Cattle. 

Others. 

187I 
1872 
1873 
1874 

6 

4 

5 

133 
297 
280 
369 

176 

135 
209 
197 

174 
268 
192 
209 

37 
63 
94 
81 

73 
73 
73 
58 

2 

2 
9 

241 
504 
769 
709 

II.  Crviu 


Year. 

■ 

Suits  for  Land. 

Suits  for  Money. 

Other  Suits. 

Total. 

No. 

Value. 

No. 

Value. 

No. 

Value. 

No.       1     Value. 

1871 
1872 

1873 
1874 

16 

43 
8 
8 

rupees. 

2,664 

7.07s 

999 

807 

545 
493 
434 
429 

rupees. 

5o»554 
47,234 
33,055. 
45.590 

9 
27 

32 
26 

rupees. 
1,121 

2,538 

1,389 

1,237 

570 
563 
474 
463 

rupees. 

54,339 
56,847 
35,443 
47,634 

2    U    2 

L'igiiizea  by 


Google 


66o 


ROHRL 


Establishments. — ^The  chief  revenue  and  magisterial  charge 
of  the  Rohri  district,  hke  that  of  other  Deputy  Collectorates  in 
the  Shikarpur  Division,  is  vested  in  a  Deputy  Collector,  who  is  a 
magistrate  also,  with  full  powers.  Under  him  are  the  five  Mukh- 
tyarkars,  each  in  revenue  charge  of  a  taluka,  and  who  are  likewise 
subordinate  magistrates  of  either  the  second  or  third  classes. 
Their  estabhshments  generally  consist  of  from  4  to  6  Munshis, 
besides  peons ;  and  the  head  Munshi  of  each  Mukhtyarkar  is 
frequently  invested  with  subordinate  magisterial  powers  to  allow 
of  his  trying  cases  when  the  latter  is  on  tour  in  his  district  on 
revenue  duty.  Every  tapa,  several  of  which  make  up  a  taluka, 
is  in  the  charge  of  a  Tapadar,  whose  duties  are  solely  confined  to 
the  collection  of  the  Government  revenue  of  his  tapa  and  to  crop- 
measurements,  &c. ;  he  has  no  magisterial  authority  whatercE. 
There  are  31  Tapadars  in  the  Rohri  Division. 

Cattle  Pounds. — There  are  a  large  number  of  catde  pounds 
(or  dhaks)  scattered  about  this  district,  which  are  under  the 
charge  of  Munshis,  with  peons  to  assist  them ;  the  proceeds  from 
these  are  credited  to  local  fund  revenue.  Of  the  entire  number 
(36)  of  cattle  pounds,  9  are  in  the  Rohri  taluka,  8  in  each 
of  the  Ghotki,  Mirpur  and  Ubauro  talukas,  and  3  in  that  of 
Saidpur. 

Civil  Courts. — There  is  no  special  officer  in  this  division 
deputed  to  try  civil  cases,  but  the  original  civil  jurisdiction  of  the 
subordinate  court  of  Sukkur  extends  to  the  Rohri,  Mirpur,  Ubauro, 
Saidpur  and  Ghotki  talukas. 

Police. — The  total  number  of  poUce  of  all  descriptions  em- 
ployed in  the  Rohri  district  is  270,  or  i  policeman  to  every 
806  of  the  population.  Of  these,  80  are  mounted,  and  the  re- 
mainder foot  police.     This  force  is  distributed  as  follows : — 


TalQka. 

Mounted 
PoUce. 

Armed  and  un- 
armed Foot  PoUce. 

Municipal 
Police. 

Total. 

1.  Rohri     .      . 

2.  Ghotki    .      . 

3.  Mirpur    .     . 

4.  Ubauro  .      . 

5.  Saidpur  .     . 

Total.     . 

1 

24 
20 

I 

48 

33 

!? 

21 

18 
4 

93 
45 

IS 

22 

80        i            168 

1 

22 

270 

The  police  of  this  district  form  a  portion  of  the  whole  force 
employed  throughout  the  Shikarpur  CoUectorate.     There  is  but 

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ROHRL 


66 1 


one  inspector  of  police  in  this  division,  who  is   stationed  at 
RohiL 

Revenue. — The  revenue  of  this  division,  which  may  be  divided 
into  imperial  and  local,  is  shown  under  its  principal  heads  for  the 
four  years  ending  with  1873-74 : — 


I.  Imperial  Revenue. 


Items. 

Realisations  in 

1870-71. 

i87X-7a. 

x87a-73. 

»873-74- 

lAndTax 

Abkari 

Drugs  and  Opium 

Stamps 

Salt 

Registration  Department 

Postal  Department     .     . 

Income    (and  Certificate)! 
Tax ; 

Fines  and  Fees     .     .     . 

Miscellaneous .... 

Total  rupees .     . 

rupees. 
4.32,865 

2,839 

5,471 

10,167 

9,955 
1,181 

1,377 

37,285 

2,896 
11,268 

rupees. 
4,22,395 

5,634 

1,590 

8,877 

7. 159 
1,254 
2,396 

19,844 

1,765 
9,440 

rupees. 

3,78,654 

6,831 

1,675 

10,937 

5,475 
1,314 
3,665 

7,394 
1,466 
6,025 

nipees. 
3,38,271 

9,299 
1,681 
10,928 
4,812 
1,102 
4,367 
20 

3,256 
5,938 

5,15,304 

4,80,354 

4,23,436 

3,79,664 

II.  Local  Revenue. 


Items. 

1870-71. 

1871-73. 

1872-73. 

J873-74. 

Cesses  on  Land  and  Sayer 
Revenue \ 

Percentage    on    Aliefiated'i 
Lands / 

Cattle    Pound    and    Ferry' 
Funds , 

Fisheries 

Total  rupees    .     . 

rupees. 
29,976 

2,610 

23,276 
9,158 

rupees. 
28,582 

1,926 

8,705 
8,223 

rupees. 
26,652 

1,990 

8,018 
10,615 

rupees. 
22,261 

2,568 

4,490 
9.831 

65,020 

47,472 

47,275 

39,150 

In  this  division  the  licences  for  manufacturing  and  selling 
spirituous  liquors  and  intoxicating  drugs,  &c.,  are  sold  annually 
by  auction.     For  the  supervision  of  the  salt  revenue,  a  Munshi 

Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


662  ROHRL 

and  one  peon  are  entertained  in  each  of  the  talakas  of  Rohri, 
Mirpur  and  Ubauro.  The  duty  levied  on  salt  is  8  annas  per 
maund. 

Survey  Settlement. — In  connection  with  the  revenue  of  this 
Deputy  CoUectorate  it  may  be  mentioned  that  a  topographical 
survey  of  it,  begun  in  1856-57,  has  long  since  been  carried  out, 
and  that  settlement  operations  followed  in  the  same  year,  though 
it  would  appear  to  the  extent  only  of  collecting  data  whereon  to 
base  a  fixed  and  permanent  revenue  settlement  This  latter  was 
subsequently  taken  in  hand,  but  the  settlement  of  the  entire 
district  was  not  completed  till  1871-72.  The  following  table  (sa 
P^gs  663)  will  show  the  different  survey  rates,  with  other  particulars, 
as  introduced  at  the  latest  revenue  settlement  into  each  of  the 
five  talukas  of  the  Rohri  Deputy  CoUectorate,  excluding  jagir  and 
rent-free  lands. 

The  average  rate  per  acre  on  survey  assessed  cultivable  land 
is  I  rupee  12  annas  in  the  Rohri  and  Mirpur  talukas,  2  rupees 
4  annas  in  both  the  Saidpur  and  Ubauro  talukas,  and  2  rupees 
10  annas  in  the  Ghotki  taluka. 

Tenures. — ^The  land  tenure  chiefly  prevailing  in  the  Rohri 
Deputy  CoUectorate  is  the  Maurasi,  where  the  tenants  possess  a 
right  of  occupancy.  The  zamindari  system  also  prevails  to  some 
extent,  as  when  a  2^mindar,  though  the  owner  of  the  land,  does 
not  cultivate  it  himself,  but  through  another  person,  who  pays 
him  a  share  of  the  crop  as  zamindari  right  The  "  Maurasi  Hari," 
or  hereditary  tenant  right,  is  the  principal  tenure  in  the  Rohri 
taluka ;  it  is  when  the  Maurasi  Hari  himself  pays  the  assessment 
to  Government,  and  is  in  reality  the  owner  of  the  land,  having 
power  to  mortgage,  sell,  or  bequeath  it  at  will.  On  the  other 
hand,  there  are  tenants-at-will,  or  "  Ghair-maurasi  haris,"  who  have 
no  ownership  whatever  in  the  soil,  but  simply  cultivate  it,  pay- 
ing a  share  of  the  crop  to  the  actual  owner,  who  may  be  either  a 
Zamindar  or  a  Maurasi  Hari.  For  further  information  on  this 
subject,  see  Chapter  IV.  of  Introduction. 

Jagirs. — There  is  land  held  in  jagir  in  every  taluka  of  this 
district,  but  the  largest  area  is  found  in  the  Rohri  taluka,  where 
the  cultivated  and  cultivable  land  of  this  class  amounts  to 
nearly  31,000  acres.  The  table  on  pages  664-66  is  a  list  of  the 
different  Jagirdars  in  this  Deputy  CoUectorate,  with  the  areas  each 
holds  in  jagir,  &c. 


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Saiyads  of  Bakhar  and  Rohri. — ^WhOe  treating  of  the  various 
jagirs  which  exist  in  this  Deputy  CoUectorate,  it  will  be  necessary 
here  to  speak  of  the  Saiyads  of  Bakhar*  and  Rohri,  who  have 
held  lands  in  gift  in  this  district  from  A.D.  1290  or  thereabouts,  a 
period  of  more  than  580  years.  The  first  of  the  Bakhar  Saiyads 
is  said  to  have  been  Saiyad  Mir,  and  it  would  appear  that  the 
ancestor  of  the  Rohri  Saiyads,  who  are  Bakaris,  was  one  Saiyad 
Muhammad  Makkai  (of  Meka),  who  left  either  Mashed  or  Herat  for 
Sind  about  a.d.  1260.  That  their  descendants  held  possession, 
either  partly  or  wholly,  of  the  village  of  Aliwahan  (a  mile  or  so 
distant  from  Rohri)  seems  evident  from  a  sanad  of  the  Mogal 
Emperor  Shah  Jehan  {fempus  1637).  Grants  of  land  were  made 
to  the  Saiyads  also  in  Rohri,  Saidpur,  Mathelo  and  Aror,  and 
a  singular  "  sanad "  granted  to  the  Saiyads  of  Bakhar,  about 
A.D.  17 1 2,  by  the  Emperor  Jehandar  Shah,  is  still  in  existence 
as  showing  his  connection  with  the  Government  of  Sind.  The 
conditions  on  which  they  held  their  lands  seem  to  have  been 
these  :  to  pray  for  their  imperial  masters ;  to  keep  a  good  look-out 
after  robbers  and  illicit  traffickers  who  infested  the  localities  in 
which  the  Saiyads  had  fixed  their  abode.  The  Kalhora  sovereigns, 
on  the  whole,  continued  the  privileges  enjoyed  by  the  Saiyads, 
and  the  Talpurs  acknowledged  and  confirmed  the  ancient  grants 
made  to  the  descendants  of  Muhammad  Makkai.  Mir  Sohrab 
Khan  Talpur  altered  the  Saiyadpur  land  assessments  and  remis- 
sions into  a  fourth  share  of  revenue  alienated  to  the  grantees. 
Mirs  Rustam  and  Mubarak  made  liberal  arrangements  for  such  of 
the  Saiyads  as  were  found  in  their  respective  shares  of  country. 
In  1854,  the  chief  Saiyads  of  Bakhar  were  five  in  number,  viz. — 
I.  Nur  Husain,  uncle  and  inheritor  of  the  pagri  of  the  chief 
Sirdar,  Ghulam  Shah,  deceased.  2.  Saiyad  Sadik  Ali  Shah  of 
Kot  Sadik  Shah  and  Aliwahan,  Sirdar.  3.  Saiyads  Shah  Mardan 
and  Ali  Askir,   recognised  Sirdars  of  the  Saiyads  of  Bakhar. 

4.  Saiyads  Jan  Muhammad,  and  Murad  Ali  Shah  of  Rohri ;  and 

5.  Saiyad  Ghulam  Ali  Shah  of  Rohri,  formerly  Murshid  to  Mir 
Rustam  Khan.  From  1854  up  to  the  present  time  no  particular 
change  seems  to  have  taken  place  in  the  general  condition  of  the 
Rohri  and  Bakhar  Saiyads.  Some  live  at  Rohri  and  others  in 
the  Bakhar  JsLgir,  situate  towards  the  sandhills.  They  are  stated 
by  Mr.  Watson,  the  Deputy  Collector  of  the  Rohri  Division,  to 
have  increased  in  numbers,  but  are  not  now  so  wealthy  as  they 
used  to  be ;  several  among  them,  such,  for  instance,  as  Mir  Sadik 

*  Bakhar  is  a  district  quite  distinct  of  itself,  and  must  not  be  confused  with 
the  island  fortress  of  Bukkur. 


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ROHRl. 


All  Shah,  and  the  descendants  of  Saiyad  Din  Shah,  are  reported  to 
be  in  straitened  circumstances.  In  1872  the  following  were  the 
chief  Saiyads  then  alive: — i.  Jantilah  Shah.  2.  Murad  Ali 
Shah.  3.  Mir  Sadik  Ali  Shah.  4.  Ghulam  Mustapha  Shah. 
5.  ShUh  Nawaz  Shah.  6.  Khair  Muhammad  Shah.  7.  Kalandar 
Bakhsh  Shah.  8.  Sowail  Shah.  9.  Husain  Bakhsh  Shah.  10. 
Imam  Ali  Shah,  and  a  few  others. 

Municipalities. — In  this  division  there  are  two  municipal  insti- 
tutions, one  at  Rohri  and  the  other  in  the  town  of  GhotkL  The 
receipts  and  disbursements  of  these  municipalities  for  the  three 
years  ending  1873-74  are,  with  other  particulars,  contained  in  the 
following  table : — 


WhM*          Date  of 
^""^        Establish. 

Receipts  in 

1871-72. 

1879-73- 

1873-74. 

1871-73. 

i87a-73.  1   «873r-74- 

1.  Rohri.       1855 

1 

2.  Ghotki      1855 

rupees. 
9,969 

1,369 

rupees. 
",544 

1,981 

rupees. 
14,874 

2,942 

rupees. 
9,805 

2,053 

rupees.        rupees. 

11,956  j  12,779 
1,700  ^     1,563 

The  chief  sources  of  municipal  income  are  town  duties,  proceeds 
of  cattle  pounds,  and  fees  from  fairs. 

Medical  Establishment. — The  only  medical  establishment 
throughout  this  extensive  division  is  the  dispensary  at  Rohri,  which 
is  under  the  charge  of  a  first-class  hospital  assistant  of  the  Govern- 
ment Medical  Service,  with  a  small  subordinate  establishment 
It  was  set  on  foot  in  the  year  1855-56,  and  the  building,  which  is 
now  too  small  for  present  purposes,  is  situate  in  a  convenient 
part  of  the  town,  and  close  to  the  municipal  hall.  The  expenses 
of  this  dispensary  are  defrayed  psirtly  by  the  Government,  and 
partly  by  the  Rohri  municipality.  The  following  table  will  give 
further  information  as  to  attendance,  &c,  of  patients : — 


Total 

Casualties 
in 

Average  Daily 
Attendance. 

Remarks. 

«873. 

1874. 

1873.  1  1874. 

x873- 

1874. 

In-patients    . 
Out-patients . 

112 
3,290 

179 
3,736 

4 

4 

9 

9.1 

In  1869  cholera  broke  exit  in 
the  town  of  Rohri  during 

and    October;    the   mor- 
ulity  is  supposed  to  haVe 
exceeded  aoo. 

Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


ROHRL 


669 


Education. — The  number  of  Government  educational  institu- 
tions of  all  descriptions  in  the  Rohri  district  in  1873-74  was 
28,  with  1 49 1  pupis.  There  is  but  one  girls*  school  at  present, 
situate  in  the  town  of  Rohri,  but  it  is  expected,  as  female 
education  progresses  in  Sind,  these  will  increase  in  proportion. 
The  number  of  such  schools  in  each  taluka  of  this  division  during 
the  year  1873-74,  with  other  particulars,  are  given  in  the 
following  table : — 


Government 

Schools. 

Talaka. 

Remarks. 

Nnmber. 

Pupils. 

I.  Rohri  .      . 

15 

839 

One  of  the  Government 
schools  at  Rohri  is  a  female 

2.  Mirpur     . 

4 

155 

school.  lliere  has  been 
a  considerable  increase  in 

3.  Ubauro     . 

4 

269 

the  Government  vernacular 
schools,  owing  to  the  intro- 

4. Suidpur     . 

2 

duction  of  the  Hindu-Sindi 
character  which  is  in  vogue 

S.  Ghotki      . 

3 

162 

among  the  Lohano  class  of 
Hindiis. 

28 

i»49i 

Agriculture. — ^Agricultural  operations  in  this  Deputy  Col- 
lectorate  may  be  divided  into  two  classes — Kharif  and  Rabi. 
The  kharif  cultivation  is  chiefly  "  mok,"  while  the  rabi  is 
mostly  ^  sailabi,''  that  is,  on  land  which  has  been  flooded  by  the 
annual  river  inundation.  There  is  very  little  "charkhi"  and 
"  barani "  cultivation  in  this  division.  The  crops,  which  are 
comprised  under  the  terms  kharif  and  rabi,  and  the  months 
in  which  they  are  sown  and  reaped,  are  shown  in  the  following 
table  (see  next  page) : — 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


670 


ROHRL 
Kharif. 


Crops. 

Timewlua 

Sown. 

Reaped. 

Cotton 

Juar 

Bajri 

Indigo 

Rice 

Mah(orUrad) 

Mung 

Tir  (Til  or  Gingeli)   .... 

Chino  (Chauli) 

NangU  (or  Nichni)    .... 
Saun 

Maich 
June 

da 

da 

da 
March 

da 
June 
July 

do. 

da 

From  August  to  October. 

November  &  December. 

Ditta 

September  and  October. 

November. 

July. 

Ditto. 

October. 

Ditta 

Ditta 

Ditto. 

Rabl 

Wheat 

Sariah  (seed)  and  Matar  (vetch). 
Hurbo  (vegetable)     .... 
Dhano  (coriander)     .... 

Chana(gram) 

Tobacco 

Barley 

November  & 
December 

do. 

October 

da 

da 

March 

November  & 

December 

March  and  ApriL 

Ditto. 

March. 

Ditta 

Ditta 

April. 

March  and  ApriL 

Of  the  kharif  crops,  juar  and  bajri  are  very  extensively  culti- 
vated, and  form  a  staple  article  of  food  among  the  inhabitants  of 
this  district  Cotton  also  is  grown  to  some  extent  oa  ^^  saUaW 
land  and  on  land  watered  by  wells;  the  area  sown  with  this 
staple  used  to  be  set  down  at  ^om  11,000  to  12,000  acres,  but  at 
present  it  is  hardly  a  fourth  of  that  quantity.  The  principal 
agricultural  implements  are  those  in  general  use  throughout  Sind, 
and  include  the  har  or  plough,  the  kodar  or  spade,  the  vahek 
or  pick,  the  rhambo  or  hand  weeding-hoe,  and  die  dato  or 
curved  hook  used  for  reaping  purposes. 

Commerce. — ^The  agricultural  produce  exported  from  this 
district  consists  chiefly  of  wheat,  juar,  bajri,  gram,  rice,  sariah 
and  cotton.  The  greater  portion  of  the  grain  goes  to  Sukkur,  a 
small  quantity  only  to  the  Jaisabnir  territory.  From  Sukkur  it  is 
conveyed  either  up  or  down  the  Indus,  as  occasion  may  require, 
by  the  numerous  river  steamers  and  native  craft  which  touch  at 
that  place.  Fuller's  earth,  or  nut^  is  sent  in  considerable  quanti- 
ties both  up-river  towards  Multan  and  Bahawalpur,  and  down- 
river in  the  direction  of  Karachi.  Lime  is  also  largely  exported 
to  the  Khairpur  State.     The  following  table  will  show  the  various 


uigiuzeu  dv  'N_J"v^v^pj 


5- 


ROHRL 


671 


articles  exported  and  imported,  with  their  approximative  quantity 
and  value : — 

Exports. 


Articles. 


Quantity. 


Value. 


Where  sent 


Wheat     .     .     . 

Juar  and  Bajri    . 

Gram. 

Rice  . 

Cotton 

Sariah 

Barley 

Ghi    . 

Tir     . 

Indigo 

Matar 

Mahri 

OU     . 

Wool. 

Molasses  I 

Salt    . 

Lime. 

Fuller's  earth 


and  Jagri 


Fmit  (of  sorts)  . 
Silk  Cloths  .  . 
Wan  (grass  rope) 


mauncU. 
5,62,972 

i,47»240 

20,000 

20,330 

5,732 

13,156 

10,000 

1,650 

2,056 

996 

2,000 

1,000 

2,300 

2,500 

1,000 

2,000 

1,00,000 

1,00,000 

50,000 


2,000 


rupees. 
11,16,459 

3,5S»964 

50,000 

40,825 

98,036 

35,592 

20,000 

37,050 

6,168 

59,830 

2,500 

3,000 

21,000 

30,000 

8,000 

2,500 

17,000 

17,000 

30,000 

2,000 

8,000 


Sukkur,    Jaisalmir,     and 

MfiMn. 
Sukkor  and  Jaisalmir. 
Sukkur. 

Sukkur  and  Jaisalmir. 
Sukkur. 
Ditto. 
Ditto. 
Ditto. 
Ditto. 

Sukkur  and  Khairpur. 
Sukkur. 
Ditta 

Sukkur  and  Jaisalmir. 
Sukkur., 

Jaisalmir. 
acobabad  and  Multftn. 
Khairpur. 
Multan,  Bahawalpur,  Ja- 

cobabad  and  Kamchi. 
Sukkur,  L&rkana,  Sehwan, 

and  Khairpur  territory. 
Sukkur,    Shikarpur,   and 

Khairpur. 
Sukkur. 


Imports. 


Articles. 


I    Quantity. 


Wheat  .  .  . 
Juar  and  Bajri  . 
Rice  .... 
Sugar  .  .  . 
Molasses  and  Jagri 


Tobacco 
Ghi    . 

oa    . 

Cotton     , 
Cloths     . 


Iron  . 
Steel .  . 
Brass.  . 
Copper  . 
Cocoa-nuts 
Shoes.  . 
Blankets  . 


23,000 

11,000 

1,900 

2,358 

6,300 

200 

\^ 
850 

50 
450 


13,050 

40 

670 

25 

50 

500  pairs. 

200     in 

number. 


Value. 


Whence  imported. 


rupees. 
84,000 
32,500 

7,850 
11,150 
49,500 

2,000 
13,000 
8,500 
1,000 
7,350 
58,500 

5,100 
400 
4,550 
1,250 
650 
250 
600 


From  Sukkur. 

Ditto. 

Sukkur  and  Larkana. 

Sukkur. 

Sukkur,  Multan^  and  Fe- 

rozpur. 
Khairpur  State. 
Ditto. 
Sukkur. 
Ditto. 
Ditto. 
Sukkur,  Multan,  Bahawal- 

pur»  and  Jaisalmir. 
Sukkur  and  Jaisalmir. 
Sukkut. 

Sukkur  and  Jaiaafanir. 
Sukkur. 
Ditto. 
Ditto. 
Jaisalmir. 


Digitized  by 


Google 


672 


ROHRL 


There  is  a  large  consumption  of  the  grain  produce  of  this 
division  in  the  district  itself,  mostly  wheat,  barley,  juar,  bajri, 
gram,  rice  and  matar.  It  is  the  same  with  oil  and  tobacco,  none 
of  the  latter  produced  being  exported,  but  a  small  quantity  is  even 
imported  from  the  Khairpur  State.  About  one-half  of  the  cotton 
grown  in  the  Rohri  Deputy  Collectorate  appears  to  be  consumed 
in  it,  the  other  being  sent  to  Karachi,  vi&  Sukkur  and  Kotri.  The 
quantity  and  value  of  the  traffic  passmg  through  this  division  is 
afiproximatively  shown  in  the  accompanying  table : — 


Transit  Trade. 


Articles. 

Quantity. 

Value. 

Remarks. 

nuLunds. 

rupees. 

Wheat     .... 

41,700 

10,03,400 

From  Miiltan  to  Sukkur. 

Juar 

Bajri 

3,00,000 

6,00,000 

Ditto. 

4,00,000 

8,00,000 

Ditta 

Gram 

25,000 

50,000 

Ditto. 

Matar      .... 

30,000 

37,500 

Ditto. 

Mung      .... 

20,000 

41,000 

Ditto. 

Mah(orUrad)  .      . 

25,000 

50,000 

Ditto. 

Cotton     .... 

50,000 

6,00,000 

Ditto. 

Ghi 

25,000 

5,00,000 

Ditta 

Sugar      .... 

1,00,000 

12,00,000 

Hyderabad  to  Multan. 

Ditto 

5,000 

60,000 

Multan  to  Sukkur. 

Wool 

70 

800 

Jaisalmir  to  Sukkur. 

Ditto 

50,000 

4,00,000 

Miiltan  to  Snkkur. 

Molasses  and  Jagri  . 

2,50,250 

11,01,000 

Ditto. 

Cocoa-nuts    .     .     . 

8,100 

41,200 

Hyderabad    and  Sukkur 
to  Mratan. 

Cloths  (of sorts).     . 

... 

2,01,400 

Hyderabad    to    Multan, 
and  Miiltan  to  Sukkur. 

Wine 

5,000 

30,000 

Hyderabad  to  Multan. 

Sted 

100 

1,000 

Sukkur  to  Multan. 

Iron  bars  and  pots  . 

2,00,500 

10,03,000 

Hyderabad    and  Sukkur 
to  MiUtan. 

Ditto 

1,020 

1,620 

Jaisalmir  to  Sukkur. 

Kut(ametal of  which 

drinking'pots    are 

made)  .... 

500 

3»ooo 

Ditto. 

Brass  pots     .     .     . 

2,060 

83,400 

Ditto. 

Blankets  (of  sorts)    . 

... 

21,100 

Ditto. 

Pepper    .... 

100 

1,500 

Sukkur  to  Multin. 

Manufactures. — ^There  is  a  large  quantity  of  lime  (about 
100,000  maunds)  manufactured  annually  at  the  limestone  hills 
in  the  Rohri  district  Fuller's  earth  (or  mit)  is  also  foimd  in  this 
range,  and  salt  is  manufactured  to  a  considerable  extent  in 
several  parts  of  this  division  where  the  kaiar  or  salt  soil  prevails. 
The  out-turn  of  this  article  during  1869-70  from  seven  factories 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


ROHRL  673 

in  the  Rohri  taluka  was  nearly  4000  maunds,  from  five  in  the 
Mirpur  taluka  it  was  2190  maunds,  and  from  three  factories  in  the 
Ubauro  taluka  2043  maunds.  At  Aror  in  the  Rohri  talaka  there 
is  a  saltpetre  manufactory  where  the  aimual  out-turn  is  about 
1300  maunds.  Generally  throughout  the  Rohri  district  pottery 
of  different  kinds,  such  as  clay  water-vessels,  pipe-bowls,  cups, 
and  other  articles  are  made  by  the  Kashigar  and  Kumbhar  castes. 
Strong  and  dumble  cloths,  such  as  silsis,  joris,  &c.,  are  manu- 
factured by  the  Kori  class.  The  towns  of  Ghotki  and  Khairpur 
Daharki  are  noted  for  their  manufacture  of  pipe-bowls,  scissors 
and  cooking-pots,  but  there  is  no  particular  class  of  manufacture 
which,  from  its  peculiar  excellence,  calls  for  any  special  mention. 

Fairs. — ^The  fairs  held  in  tiie  Rohri  district  are  8  in 
number,  5  in  the  Rohri  taluka,  and  3  in  the  Ghotki  taluka, 
but  6  of  these  only  are  of  any  consequence;  the  time  when 
these  are  held,  the  attendance,  and  other  particulars  connected 
with  them  are  contained  in  the  accompanying  table  {seepage  674). 

Communications. — The  Rohri  district  has  upwards  of  400 
miles  of  roads,  trunk,  postal  and  cross.  The  main  trunk  line, 
or  high  road,  is  that  which  connects  Hyderabad  with  Multan ;  in 
this  division  it  passes  through  the  towns  of  Rohri,  Pano-Akil, 
Ghotki  and  Ubauro.  On  page  675  is  a  list  of  these  roads, 
with  their  length,  description,  &c. ;  none  of  them  are  metalled, 
nor  have  they  any  milestones  on  them. 


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Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


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676 


ROHRJ. 


There  are  traveller's  or  district  bangalows  at  the  towns  of 
Rohri,  Aror,  Ghotki,  Mirpur  and  Ubauro,  and  musafirkhanas  at 
Rohri,  Kot  Mir  Muhammad  Khan,  Sangrar,  Kingri,  Dnbar- 
wihan,  in  the  Rohri  Taluka ;  at  Pano  Akil  and  Saduja  in  the 
Saidpur  Tal ;  at  Mirpur,  Yaro  Lund,  Jarwar,  Shahpur,  Kotelo 
Shahbazpur,  Mithrau  and  Bundli,  in  the  Mirpur  Tal ;  at  Ubauro, 
Klhairpur,  Raiti,  Rawati  Mari,  and  Kamushahid  in  the  Ubauro 
Taluka. 

Ferries. — ^There  are  21  ferries  in  the  Rohri  Deputy  Col- 
lectorate,  all  of  which  are  either  on  the  Indus  or  the  Nara. 
The  proceeds  from  them  are  carried  to  the  credit  of  the  local 
revenue.  The  following  is  a  list  of  these  ferries,  with  their 
situation,  &c. : — 


Name  of  Fciry. 

.Z  Where  rituatc 

Number  of 

Remaxks. 

I.  Rohri  &  Sukkur 

On  the  Indus     .     . 

2  steam-fer- 

These    have 

ry  boats. 

within   the 

2.  Dara.     .     .     . 

On    the    Indus,    at 

last       few 

Tharichani      .     . 

I 

years  been 

3*  Sundar-beli .     . 

Indus  at  Amin  Mu- 

employcdin 

hammad    . 

I 

lieu  of  About 

4.  Bahman .     .     . 

Indus  at  Husain-beli 

I 

41      native 

5.  Moh  Man)  .     . 

6.  Garhi      .     .     . 

On  the  Nara  at  Rohri 

I 

row  -  boats. 

Nara  at  Garhi    .     . 

I 

This    ferry 

7.  Saheb-pat    .     . 

8.  Barga     .     ,     . 

9.  Trighati.     .     . 
lo.  Saiiaro.     .     . 

Narii  at  Saheb-pat  . 

I 

is  under  the 

Nara  at  Barga    .     . 
Nara  at  Trighati      . 
Nara  at  Sanharo      . 

I 
I 

charge     of 
the  Deputy 

I 

Collector  of 

H.  Dohalwaro  .     . 

Nara  at  Duhalwaro. 

I 

Sukkur  and 

12.  Khuniwiro  .     . 

Nara  at  Eeniko  .     . 
Indus  at  Saduja .     . 

I 

Shikarpur. 

13.  Saduja    .     .     . 

I 

14.  Kham     .     ,     . 

Indus  at  Kham  .     . 

4 

15.  Miranpur     .     . 

Indus  at  Miranpur  . 

2 

16.  Husain-beli .     . 

Indus  at  Gemro .     . 

I 

17.  Buhab    .     .     . 

Indus  at  Miani   .     . 

2 

J 

18.  TandraNijabat. 

Indus     at     Tandra 
Nijabat     .     .     . 

I 

19.  Khahi     .     .     . 

Indus     at     Tandra 
Nijabat      .     .     . 

I 

1 

20.  Gublo     .     .     . 

Indus  at  Bakhsho     . 

I 

21.  Kadarpur     .     . 

Indus  at  Bakhsho    . 

I 

The  Indian  telegraph  line  passes  through  the  southern  portion 
of  this  district,  being  a  continuation  of  that  running  from  Hydera- 
bad to  Sukkur  and  Shikarpur.  It  passes  through  the  town  of 
Rohriy  and  is  joined  to  Sukkur  by  an  aerial  line  vi&  Bukkur. 
There  is  no  telegraph  office  at  Rohri  This  line  will  be  dis- 
continued so  soon  as  that  on  the  Indus  Valley  Railway  is 
completed. 

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ROHRL  677 

Postal  Lines. — There  is  but  one  principal  line  of  postal  com- 
munication in  the  Rohri  division ;  this  is  the  Rohri  and  Ubauro 
road,  which  goes  on  to  Sabzalkot  in  the  Bahawalpur  State,  and 
thence  to  Multan,  distant  204  miles.  There  are  non-disbursing 
post-offices  at  Rohri,  Ghotki,  Pano  Akil,  Mirpur,  and  Ubauro, 
but  only  one  branch  post-office  at  Bagudra.  All  these  are 
subordinate  to  the  disbursing  post-office  at  Shikarpur. 

Antiquities. — Besides  the  rumed  town  and  fort  of  Alor  (or 
Aror)  which  will  be  found  described  in  another  part  of  tiie 
Gazetteer  {see  Aror),  there  is  the  old  fort  of  Mathelo,  now  in  the 
Ghotki  talQka,  about  45  miles  north-east  from  RohrL  This  fort 
is  mentioned  in  the  Tuhfet-ul-Kiram  as  being  one  of  the  six 
strongholds  which  Rai  Sahasi  II.  ordered  to  be  either  built  or 
repaired  by  his  subjects  in  lieu  of  taxation,  and  Lieutenant  Leslie, 
in  1852,  thus  refers  to  it  in  his  report  on  the  districts  on  the  left 
bank  of  the  Indus : — ^**  Mathelo  is  a  fortified  town  in  the  MirpOr 
dbtrict,  about  45  miles  north-east  of  RohrL  It  has  the  appear- 
ance of  having  once  been  a  very  populous  and  flourishing  place. 
It  is  built  on  a  rising  piece  of  ground,  and  is  supposed  to  have 
been  founded  by  a  RajpQt  named  Amur,  about  1400  years  ago. 
He  entered  Sind  with  an  army  of  190,000  men  of  the  Tartari 
tribe,  with  a  view  to  attack  Nerankot  (site  of  the  present  Hydera- 
bad). On  his  arrival  at  Mathelo,  he  heard  of  the  advance  of  the 
Habshi  army,  and  of  their  having  reached  Fort  Bukkur  to  oppose 
him.  He  had  been  informed  that  it  was  the  intention  of  the 
Habshis,  if  they  succeeded  in  repelling  him,  to  proceed  onward 
to  HindQsthan.  On  hearing  this,  Amur  made  a  forced  march 
from  Mathelo  during  the  night,  and  arrived  at  Alor,  once  a  very 
large  town  and  fortress,  but  now  a  vast  ruin,  about  8  miles  from 
Rohri.  An  engagement  took  place  here  in  which  the  Habshis 
were  defeated.  They  retired  on  Sukkur  and  the  RajpQt  force 
marched  back  to  Mathelo  and  fortified  it  Their  chief  wished 
them  to  march  on  to  Multan,  but  his  followers  refused  to  leave 
Sind,  and  settled  down  at  Mathelo,  which  took  its  name  from 
a  grandson  of  Amur."  The  Mirpur  and  Ubauro  talukas  of  the 
Rohri  division,  which  previous  to  1852  were  in  the  unlawful 
possession  of  Mir  Ali  Murad  Talpur  of  Khairpur,  were  in  that 
year  confiscated  by  the  Government  of  India,  and  became  a 
portion  of  the  Rohri  Deputy  CoUectorate. 

About  2  J  miles  from  the  town  of  Rohri  are  the  ruins  of  an 
ancient  town  called  Hakrah.  Captain  Kirby,  who  visited  the 
spot  in  1855,  thus  describes  it : — "  In  excavating  the  great  Nara 
canal  we  occasionally  came  upon  detached  masses  of  brickwork, 

Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


678 


ROHRL 


and  at  length,  at  a  depth  of  about  10  feet  below  the  sur&ce  of 
the  ground,  the  foundations  of  a  very  large  number  of  houses 
were  laid  bare«  These  foimdations  consisted  of  stone,  or  of 
mingled  stone  and  brickwork,  and  resembled  those  to  be  seen  in 
the  ruins  of  the  city  of  Aror  at  the  present  day.  Among  these 
ruins  were  found  a  number  of  articles  made  of  brick-clay,  such  as 
drinking-cups,  a  khaja,  some  water-spouts,  and  a  large  number 
of  children's  toys.  It  appears  that  the  town  was  built  on  the 
extremity  of  a  rocky  hill,  and  that  it  has  been  gradually  covered 
by  the  mud  held  in  suspension  by  the  flood-waters  of  the  Indus, 
which  even  now  flow  over  the  spot,  indeed,  its  burial-ground, 
which,  according  to  the  common  custom  in  this  part  of  Sind, 
was  high  up  upon  the  rocky  hill,  is  still  uncovered. 

^'  The  name  of  the  place,  it  appears,  was  Hakrah,  a  name  still 
retained  by  a  village  in  the  neighbourhood,  and  it  is,  according 
to  the  natives  of  the  country,  mentioned  by  a  prophet  of  the 
Mamoi  caste  of  Fakirs,  who  says : — 

*  When  broken  shall  be  the  bandh  of  Aror, 
And  the  water  shall  flow  over  Hakrah, 
Where  will  be  the  fishing  of  the  Samma  ?'    ' 

Probably  with  the  idea  that  when  the  bandh  of  Aror  was  broken, 
and  the  waters  flowed  over  Hakrah,  the  river  Indus  would  have 
taken  that  course  and  left  its  present  bed  dry.  The  bandh  of 
Aror,  however,  is  not  yet  broken,  nor  is  there  much  chance  of  its 
being  so,  as  it  has  been  lately  repaired,  partly  with  the  bricks 
removed  out  of  its  old  neighbour,  the  town  of  Hakrah,  when 
excavating  the  channel  for  the  canal" 

Rohri,  a  taluka  (or  sub-division)  of  the  Rohri  Deputy  Col- 
lectorate,  containing  an  area  of  1549  square  miles,  with  5  tapa% 
69  villages,  and  a  population  of  66,451  souls.  The  revenue, 
imperial  and  local,  of  this  sub-division  during  the  four  years 
ending  1873-74  is  as  follows : — 


Imperial    •     •     .  '  .     . 
T^cal 

Total  rupees     .     , 

X870-7X. 

i87X-7a. 

1879-73. 

«873-74- 

rupees. 

i»09,990 
23.213 

rupees. 
96,744 
10,098 

rupees. 
92,951 

12,729 

rupecs. 
91,540 

12,629 

1,33.203 

1,06,842 

1,05,680 

104,169 

Rohri  (or  Lohri),  said  to  be  the  ancient  Loharkot,  is  the  chief 
town  of  the  Deputy  CoUectorate  of  the  same  name,  in  latitude 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


ROHRL  679 

27°  41'  N.,  and  longitude  68°  55'  E.  It»is  situate  on  the  eastern 
bank  of  the  river  Indus,  on  a  rocky  eminence  of  limestone  inter- 
spersed with  flint,  and  is  said  to  have  been  founded  by  one  Saiyad 
Rukandin  Shah  in  h.  698  (a.d.  1297).  The  rocky  site  of  Rohri 
is  terminated  abruptly  on  the  western  side  by  a  precipice  40  feet 
high  rising  from  the  bank  of  the  river,  which  during  the  inunda^ 
tion  season  attains  a  height  of  about  16  feet  above  its  lowest 
level.  A  little  to  the  south  of  Rohri  are  some  picturesque  rocks, 
on  which  stands  a  building  generally  known  as  the  Sathbain  (or 
tomb  of  the  seven  virgins),  but  more  correctly  as  the  Than  Kasim 
Shah,  or  place  of  interment  of  one  Mir  Kasim  Kh^n  Sabzwaris, 
who  is  supposed  to  have  died  here  about  the  year  1608.  On  the 
northern  side  of  the  town  is  the  mouth  of  the  fine  supply  channel 
which  runs  into  the  Nara;  it  is  156  feet  wide,  and  is  provided 
with  powerful  sluice-gates  to  regulate  the  supply  of  water  as 
required  from  the  Indus.  The  town  of  Rohri,  when  seen  from  a 
little  distance,  has  a  striking  and  pleasing  appearance,  the  houses 
bemg  lofty,  frequently  four  and  five  stories  high,  with  fiat  roofs 
surrounded  by  balustrades ;  some  are  of  burnt  brick,  erected  many 
years  ago  by  wealthy  merchants  belonging  to  the  place.  But 
when  the  interior  of  the  town  is  reached  this  pleasing  appearance 
is  speedily  dissipated,  as  the  streets  are  still  in  several  parts  very 
narrow  and  the  air  in  consequence  close  and  unwholesome. 
Rohri  has  road  communication  with  Mirpur,  KLandar,  and  Sangrar, 
and  the  main  trunk  road  from  Hyderabad  to  MQltan  also  passes 
through  it  The  chief  public  buildings  of  the  place  are  the 
Mtikhtyarkar's  kutcherry,  the  panchayat  khana,  where  are  held  the 
meetings  of  the  municipal  commissioners,  the  dispensary,  police 
thana,  muslflrkhana  (or  travellers'  rest-house),  which  is  spacious  and 
well  built,  some  Government  schools,  a  post-ofiice,  and  cattle 
pound  (or  dhak).  The  police  force  employed  for  the  protection 
of  the  town  is  about  31  in  number,  23  of  these  being  foot,  rural 
and  district  police,  and  the  remainder  mounted  on  either  horses 
or  camels.  Rohri  has  a  large  number  of  Muhammadan  places 
of  worship,  but  the  chief  among  them  are  two  mazjids  of  some 
antiquity ;  one,  known  as  the  "  Jami  Mazjid,"  was  built  in  h,  992 
(a,d.  1564)  by  Fateh  Khan,  a  lieutenant  of  the  Mogal  Emperor 
Akbar ;  it  is  a  massive  but  gloomy  pile  of  red  brick,  covered  with 
three  domes,  and  is  coated  with  glazed  porcelain  tiles.  The 
other,  the  "  Idgah  Mazjid,"  was  erected  in  h.  1002  (a.d.  1593)  by 
one  Mir  Musan  Shah.  The  "  War  Mubarak,"  a  building  about 
25  feet  square,  situate  to  the  north  of  the  town,  was  erected  about 
H.  952  (a.d.  1545)  by  Mir  Muhammad,  the  then  reigning  Kalhora 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


68o  ROHRL 

prisce,  for  the  special  reception  of  a  hair  from  the  beard  of  the 
prophet  Muhammad,  which  had  previously  been  brought  to  Rohri 
by  an  Arab  named  Makdum  Abdfil  Baki.     This  hair,  to  which 
miraculous  properties  are  ascribed  by  the  faithful,  is  in  amber, 
which  again  is  inclosed  in  a  gold  case    set  with  rubies  and 
emeralds,  the  gift  of  Mir  Ah  Murad  of  Khairpur.     This  precious 
reUc  is  exposed  to  view  in  the  month  of  March  of  each  year, 
when  the  hair  is  made  by  some  mechanical  process  to  rise  and 
fall,  a  fact  which  the  devotees  are  led  to  believe  proceeds  from 
supernatural  agency.     Rohri  possesses  a  municipality,  established 
in  1855,  and  the  town  has,  in  consequence,  been  greatly  improved 
both  as  regards  health  and  appearance.    This  is  strikingly  shown 
in  the  Cowper  Ganj,  one  of  the  new  quarters  of  the  town,  which 
was  so  called  after  an  energetic  Deputy  Collector  of  that  name, 
who  some  years  ago  greatly  exerted  himself  in  improving  the 
place  and  its  neighbourhood.    The  population  of  Rohri,  according 
to  the  census  of  1872,  was  found  to  be  8580,  of  whom  4766  axe 
Hindus,  and  the  remainder   (3813)   Musalmans.     The   former, 
who  are  mostly  of  the  Banya  caste,  are  engaged  in  trade,  banking 
and  money-broking,  while  the  Muhammadans  are  chiefly  of  the 
Kazi,  Saiyad,  Bhuta,  Kori,  Patoli,  Muhana,  Khati,  Memon,  Shekh, 
and  Shikkri  tribes.     The  trade  of  the  place  is  for  the  most  part  in 
grain  of  different  sorts,  oil,  ghi,  salt,  fuller's  earth  (^n^,  lime,  and 
fruits  of  various  kinds.      A  silk  cloth,  called  tasary  is  manu- 
factured in  this  town,  as  well  as  gold  and  silver  bracelets  and 
other  ornaments.     Paper  of  an  indifferent  quality  is  also  made 
here,  but,  taken  as  a  whole,  the  manufactures  of  the  place  are, 
comparatively  speaking,   unimportant     Much  of  the  trade  of 
Rohri  consists  of  the  articles  adready  mentioned  in  the  notice  of 
the  export  and  import  trade  of  the  Rohri  Deputy  Collectorate, 
and  the  same  may  be  said  of  that  in  transit     The  chief  people 
of  note  residing  in  Rohri  are  the  Saiyads,  who  have  held  lands  in 
this  district  for  several  centuries.     Among  them  are  NurSadik 
Ali  Shah,   Mian  Janalah  Shah,  Miin  Murad  Ali  Shah,   Mian 
Kalandar  Bakhsh,  Mian  Hamzali  ShILh,  Mian  Khair  Muhammad 
Shih,  and  others.     Of  the  Hindti  community  the  chief  persons 
of  note  are  Dewan  Laldas,  and  Shet  Subhagchand.    Opposite  to 
Rohri  on  the  Indus  is  the  small  island  of  Khwija  Khizr,  famoos 
for  the  shrine  of  a  deceased  Fir,  who  is  reverenced  under  that 
name  by  the  Muhammadans,  and  worshipped  by  the  HindOs  as 
a  river-god  under  that  of  Jinda  Fir.    This  shrine,  which  is  said 
to  have  been  founded  m  h.  341  (a.d.  935)  by  a  Delhi  merchant, 
has,  like  others  of  its  class,  the  usual  traditionary  tale  connected 

Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


RUSTAM—SAJDPUR.  68i 

with  it  This  merchant,  by  name  Shah  Husain,  was  with  his 
daughter  travelling  down  the  Indus  by  boat  on  his  way  to  Mekka. 
On  his  arrival  at  the  city  of  Aror,  Dalurai,  the  Hindu  king  of  that 
country,  who  had  heard  of  the  great  beauty  of  Shah  Husain's 
daughter,  demanded  her  in  marriage,  but  he  met  with  a  refusal  on 
the  plea  that  it  was  impossible  for  the  daughter  of  a  follower  of 
the  Prophet  to  wed  with  a  Hindu.  Not  content  with  this  reply, 
the  king  determined  to  carry  her  off  by  force,  but  on  the  girl 
offering  up  prayers  to  Khwaja  Khizr,  she  was  answered  by  the 
saint,  who  directed  her  &ther  to  unloose  the  boat  As  soon  as 
this  was  done  the  course  of  the  Indus  changed,  and  the  stream 
began  to  flow  towards  Rohri,  whither  also  the  boat  was  carried  in 
safety.  In  gratitude  for  this  miraculous  deliverance.  Shah  Husain 
resolved  to  erect  a  shrine  in  honour  of  the  saint  who  had  thus 
befriended  them,  9nd,  in  answer  to  his  prayer,  he  was  directed  to 
carry  out  his  purpose  on  a  small  island  a  little  to  the  north  of 
Bukkur,  and  here  the  father  built  a  mosque  and  tomb,  which  ia 
after  years  was  enlarged  by  wealthy  votaries,  who  are  said  to  have 
covered  the  door  of  the  original  tomb  with  sheets  of  silver.  The 
area  of  this  shrine  within  the  walls  extends  to  a  little  more  than 
half  an  acre,  and  is  the  only  spot  in  the  island  which  is  not  covered 
with  water  during  the  inundation  season.  It  is  here  that  in  the 
months  of  March  and  April  of  each  year  many  thousands  of  both 
Musalmans  and  Hindus  come  from  all  parts  of  Sind  to  do 
honour  to  the  Pir,  who  they  declare  is  not  dead,  but  simply 
invisible. 

Rustam,  a  village  in  the  Sukkur  talQka  of  the  Sukkur  and 
Shikarpur  Deputy  Collectorate,  seated  on  the  Sind  canal,  and 
distant  .9  miles  north-east  of  Shikarpur,  with  which  town,  as  also 
with  Abad  Melani,  Chak  and  Nur  Muhammad  Sujrah,  it  has 
road  communication.  The  town  possesses  a  police  tMmty 
travellers'  bangalbw  and  dharamsala.  The  population,  numbering 
in  all  1 114,  consists  of  653  Musalmans,  principally  Saiyads,  and 
461  Hindus  of  the  Brahman  and  LohSno  castes.  The  chief 
occupation  of  the  inhabitants  is  agriculture,  the  manufactures 
being  of  no  importance. 

Saidpnr,  a  talQka  (or  sub-division)  of  the  Rohri  Deputy 
Collectorate,  containing  an  area  of  167  square  miles,  with  3 
tapas,  36  villages,  and  a  population  of  20,488  souls.  The 
revenue,  imperial  and  local,  of  this  sub-division  during  the  four 
years  ending  1873-74  is  as  follows  (see  next  page)  : — 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


683 


SAIDPUR—SAKRAND. 


Imperial 

T-ocal 

Total  rupees    . 

1870-7X. 

1871-79. 

x«7a-7> 

I873-74- 

rupees. 

53,449 

5.004 

4,701 

rupees. 
42,018 

4.170 

rupe«. 
41,641 

4,105 

58.453 

51,559 

46,188 

45.746 

Saidpnr,  a  small  and  unimportant  Government  village,  situate 
at  the  southern  end  of  the  Hyderabad  range  of  hills  in  the 
Gdni  talaka  of  the  .Tanda  Deputy  Collectorate,  distant  4  miles 
west  of  Tando  Muhammad  Khan,  on  the  road  to  Katyar.  It  is 
the  head-quarter  station  of  a  Tapadar,  and  has  a  dera^  but  no 
police  lines  or  dharamsala.  The  inhabitants  number  in 9, 
Musalmans  and  HindOs,  but  the  number  of  each  is  not  known. 
They  are  mostly  of  the  cultivating  class,  with  a  few  traders,  shop> 
keepers,  weavers,  &c.  The  chief  person  of  any  note  in  the  place 
is  one  Saiyad  Kabul  Muhammad  Shah,  a  thriving  landowner. 
There  is  but  little  trade  and  no  manufactures  of  any  consequence 
in  this  village.  Saidpur  was  built  about  125  years  ago  by  one 
Saiyad  Mian  Muhammad  Shah,  and  is  believed  to  have  been  more 
prosperous  formerly  than  it  is  at  present 

Sakrandj  a  taluka  (or  sub-division)  of  the  Naushahro  Deputy 
Collectorate,  having  an  area  of  1399  square  miles,  with  8  tapas, 
74  villages,  and  a  population  of  53,566  souls.  The  revenue, 
imperial  and  local,  of  this  sub-division  during  the  four  years 
ending  1873-74  is  as  follows  : — 


Imperial  .     .     . 
Local.     .     .     . 

Total  rupees  . 

X870-7X- 

1871-79. 

«87a-73-        1        «87r74-       | 

rupees. 
91,439 
11,627 

rupees. 

89,571 

9.882 

rupees. 
1,07,468 

10,895 

78^810 
8,270 

1,03,066 

99,453 

1,18,363 

87,080 

This  taluka,  which  in  area  nearly  equals  in  the  aggregate  that  of 
the  other  three  sub-divisions  composing  the  Naushahro  Deputy 
Collectorate,  does  not  possess  a  single  town  having  a  population 
of  800  souls.  Much  of  the  land  in  the  eastern  portion  of  this 
sub-division  is  covered  with  sand-hiUs,  and  in  point  of  fertility  is 
far  inferior  to  the  Naushahro  and  Kandiaro  talukas.  Well  cul- 
tivation, which  is  very  common  in  the  two  latter  districts,  is  in 


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SANGJETAR—SANN.  683 

the  Sakrand  talQka  barely  ever  seen,  and  an  agricultural  well  is 
rarely  met  with. 

Sanghar,  a  taluka  in  the  Thar  and  Parkar  Political  Superin- 
tendency,  subordinate  to  the  Khipra  taluka  in  the  same  district. 
{See  Khipra.) 

Sanghar,  a  village  in  the  Sanghar  taluka  of  the  Thar  and 
Parkar  district,  distant  about  70  miles  N.W.  from  Umarkot,  and 
connected  by  road  with  the  towns  of  Khipra,  Jakhro,  Jhol  and 
ChatiarL  A  Makhtyarkar  and  Tapadar  reside  here.  There  is  a 
police  post  of  17  men,  as  also  civil  and  criminal  courts,  a 
municipality,  dharamsala,  school,  and  cattle-pound.  The  inhabi- 
tants, 1234  in  number,  consist  of  886  Musalmans,  chiefly  Nizamanis 
and  Khaskelis,  and  348  Hindas,  mostly  Lohanos.  The  local  and 
transit  trade  of  the  place,  as  also  its  manufactures,  seem  to  be 
of  no  importance. 

Sangrar^  a  jagir  town  in  the  Rohri  taluka  of  the  Rohri 
division,  in  lat  27^40'  N.,  and  long.  69°  7'  E.,  and  distant  20  miles 
south-east  of  Rohri  It  has  road  communication  with  Rohri. 
Dhandh,  Wass  and  Saleh-pat,  and  there  is  also  a  well-defined 
pathway  leading  across  the  sand-hills  into  the  Jaisalmir  territory. 
The  Eastern  Nara  river  crosses  the  road  between  this  town  and 
RohrL  This  place  possesses  a  Government  vernacular  school,  a 
masafirkhana,  and  a  police  thdna  with  8  policemen.  It  has  a 
population  of  about  11 16  souls,  703  of  whom  are  HindQs,  the 
great  majority  of  these  latter  being  Banyas.  The  remaining  413 
are  Muhammadans,  who  are  mostly  of  the  Saiyad  and  Khaskeli 
castes.  The  Banyas  are  engaged  chiefly  in  trade,  which  is  carried 
on  in  wheat,  juar,  bajri,  rice,  oil,  &c.  There  are  no  manufac- 
tures of  any  importance  here.  The  Musalman  portion  of  the 
inhabitants  form  the  greater  number  of  the  cultivators.  The 
chief  resident  of  note  in  this  town  is  the  Jagirdar,  Saiyad  Shah 
Mard  Shah.  This  place  was  founded  as  late  as  1840  by  one 
Saiyad  Bahadur  Ali  Shah,  the  father  of  the  present  Jagirdar.  The 
former  town  of  the  same  name  was  situate  on  the  banks  of  the 
Nara,  about  a  mile  in  distance  from  the  present  village. 

Samiy  a  town  in  the  Manjhand  talQka  of  the  Sehwan  Deputy- 
Collectorate,  in  latitude  26°  N.,  and  longitude  68°  8'  E.  It  is 
situate  close  to  the  western  bank  of  the  Indus,  at  the  mouth  of  a 
torrent,  which  during  rain  in  the  Laki  hills  brings  down  a  large 
quantity  of  water,  and  is  on  the  main  road  leading  from  Kotri  to 
Sehwan,  being  11  miles  north  of  Manjhand,  and  11  miles  south 
of  Amri  To  the  south-west  of  this  place,  and  on  the  same 
torrent,  is  the  vast  but  mined  fort  of  Rani-ka-Kot,  said  to  have 

Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


684  SEHWAN. 

been  constructed  by  two  of  the  Talpur  Mirs  early  in  the  present 
century.  It  was  intended  as  a  stronghold  to  serve  not  only  as  a 
safe  place  for  the  deposit  of  their  treasures,  but  also  to  afford  a 
refuge  for  themselves  in  the  event  of  their  country  being  invaded. 
This  fort  is  reported  to  have  cost  in  its  erection  the  large  sum  of 
twelve  Ukhs  of  rupees,  but  as  the  Sann  river,  which  at  one  time 
is  believed  to  have  flowed  near  the  walls,  subsequently  changed 
its  course,  and  caused  a  scarcity  of  water  in  and  about  the  place, 
it  became  as  a  natural  consequence  unmhabitable,  and  was  there- 
fore abandoned.  The  Sann  river,  or  Rani  Nai,  now  runs  through  the 
fort  and  it  is  stated  that  no  scarcity  of  water  in  any  way  exists. 
This  fort  was  considered  by  Captain  Delhoste,  who  visited  it 
many  years  ago,  to  be  sufficiently  large  to  accommodate  a  force 
of  2000  men.  Sann  is  the  head-quarter  station  of  a  Tapadir,  and 
has  a  post-office,  school,  dharamsala  and  a  small  police  post  The 
inhabitants,  1798  in  number,  comprise  1362  Musalmans  of  the 
Memon  and  Muhana  tribes,  and  436  Hindus,  mosdy  of  the 
LohSno  caste.  This  place  has  no  trade  or  manufactures  of  any 
consequence,  but  as  it  is  situate  on  the  trunk  road,  kafilas,  with 
various  commodities  from  Kandahar  and  Kelftt,  pass  through  it 
en  route  for  South  Sind. 

Sehwan,  a  division  (or  Deputy-CoUectorate)  in  Central  Sind, 
forming  a  portion  of  the  Karachi  CoUectorate. 

Boundaries.— ^It  is  bounded  on  the  north  by  the  Mchar 
Division  of  the  Shikarpur  district,  the  Gaj  river  forming  for  a  con- 
siderable distance  a  well-defined  boundary ;  on  the  east  by  the 
river  Indus,  which  separates  it  from  the  Hyderabad  CoUectorate ; 
on  the  soutii  by  the  Jerruck  Division  of  the  Karachi  CoUectorate, 
and  on  the  west  by  the  Khirthar  and  Pabb  mountains,  which 
divide  it  from  the  territory  of  H.H.  the  Khan  of  Kelat 

Area, — This  district  is  about  100  miles  in  length  from  north  to 
south,  with  an  average  breadth  of  36  miles,  and  its  entire  area, 
according  to  the  Revenue  Survey  records,  is  3646  square  miles, 
excluding  the  hill  district  of  KohistUn,  which  is  merely  connected 
with  Sehwan,  it  would  seem,  for  magisterial  purposes.  The  exact 
area  of  each  of  the  talQkas  cannot  be  given,  a  part  of  the  Kohis- 
tan  having  been  included  in  them,  but  those  entered  in  the  fol- 
lowing table  are  taken  from  the  registers  of  the  professional 
survey,  200  square  miles,  or  thereabouts,  having,  however,  been 
added  to  the  Kotri  taluka,  from  which  it  had  apparently  been 
omitted  by  an  oversight  The  Sehwan  district  has  4  taltikas  and 
27  tapas,  as  shown  on  next  page. 


Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


SEHWAN. 


685 


Area  in 

Number 

Towns  having  800 

Talflka. 

Square 
Miles. 

Tapas. 

of 

Popula- 

Inhabitants, and 

Vaiages. 

tion. 

ri.  Phulji      .      .^ 

2.  Chhini    . 

I.  Dadu  .     . 

746 

3.  Patoro    .     . 

4.  Buthi      .     . 
$.  Badani    .     . 

6.  Fatehpur      . 

7.  Mundar  .     . 

8.  Kahiri     .     . 

9.  Khachara 

f  I.  Sehwan      ,\ 

71 

66,350 

padu. 
Johi. 
Phaka. 
Hairo  Khan. 

2.  Sehwan    . 

924 

2.  Biibak  .     . 

3.  Gaher   .     . 

4.  Talti     .     . 

5.  Bhan     .     . 

6.  Akatar.     . 

7.  Khabrot     . 

8.  ShahHasan 

9.  Supar   .     . 
10.  Arazi    .     . 
,11.  Jhan£^ 

[I,  Manjhand    .) 

74 

54,292 

rSehwan. 
Bubak. 
Jhangar. 
Shah  Hasan. 
Arazi. 
Talti. 
Karampur. 
Bhan. 

Amri. 

3.Manjhand. 

582 

2.  Nurpur  .     . 

3.  Amri.     .     . 

4.  Sann.     .     ., 

29 

18,551 

Sann. 

Manjhand. 

Laki. 

4.  Kotri  .     . 

684 

1.  Bada.      .      . 

2.  Bhian      .     . 

3.  Band  Vira    . 

29 

23,643 

Kotri. 
Unarpttr. 
Budhkpur. 
Bhian. 

2,936 

203 

162,836 

The  area  in  English  acres  of  each  talQka,  showing  that  cul- 
tivated, cultivable,  and  unarable,  is  also  shown  below : — 


Talflka. 

Total  Area  in 
English  Acres. 

Cultivated. 

Cultivable. 

UnaraUe. 

1.  Dadu    .     .     . 

2.  Sehwan      .     . 

3.  Manjhand  .     . 

4.  Kotri    .     .     . 

477,440 
591,360 
372,480 
437,760 

acres. 
108,252 

72,337 
17,194 
14,315 

acres. 
17,001 

30,020 

27,699 

27,417 

acres. 
352,187 

489,003 
327,587 
396,028 

Aspect.^— The  aspect  of  this  district  differs  in  some  respects 
from  other  parts  of  Sind,  owing  not  alone  to  the  hilly  nature  of 
a  large  portion  of  it,  but  also  to  its  possessing  the  only  lake  (that 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


686  SEHWAM. 

of  the  Manchhar)  of  any  considerable  size  throughout  Sind.  The 
Dadu  and  Sehwan  talukas  have  perhaps  the  finest  wheat  lands  in 
the  whole  province,  but  there  are  nevertheless  large  tracts  of 
kalar  or  salt  soil,  to  be  seen  in  different  parts  of  this  division. 
There  is  an  immense  plain,  known  as  the  Kacha,  esctending 
from  the  Western  Nara  to  the  Khirthar  mountains,  which  lies 
somewhat  higher  than  the  land  on  the  banks  of  the  Nara,  and  is 
watered  chiefly  by  the  Nai  Gaj,  a  river  which  takes  its  rise  in 
Balochistan,  and  enters  Sind  at  a  point  where,  as  previously 
mentioned,  it  forms  for  some  distance  the  boundaiy  line  between 
the  two  Collectorates  of  Shikarpur  and  Karachi.  The  southern 
part  of  the  Kacha  plain  is  watered  by  numerous  hill  streams,  but 
the  supply  from  these  is  more  precarious  than  that  from  the  Nai 
Gaj,  which  is  generally  in  flood  once  or  twice  in  the  year.  The 
Laki  hills,  which  are  connected  with  the  Khirthar  moimtains, 
run  from  the  Jatil  range  south-eastward  towards  the  high  land 
opposite  Hyderabad,  and  are  known  in  different  parts  of  the 
division  under  the  names  of  the  £ri  Laki,  Dharan  Laki,  and  Hala 
Lakl  These  mountains  are,  it  is  believed,  of  recent  formation, 
and  contain  a  vast  profusion  of  marine  exuviae.  The  organic 
remains  of  former  ages  are  innumerable ;  the  asteroid,  the  cockle, 
the  oyster,  and  almost  every  kind  of  sea-shell  can  be  collected  on 
the  Laki  range.  Huge  fissures,  apparently  produced  by  earth- 
quakes, traverse  this  range,  and  the  frequent  occurrence  of  hot 
springs  and  sulphurous  exhalations  exhibit  signs  of  decided  vol- 
canic action.  Some  parts,  again,  appear  to  be  of  more  ancient 
formation,  as  they  produce  lead,  antimony  and  copper.  The 
elevation  of  the  highest]  part  of  this  dreary  and  sterile  range  is 
estimated  at  from  1500  to  2000  feet  Between  the  towns  of 
Laki  and  Sehwan,  the  mountain  has  a  nearly  perpendicular  face,, 
about  600  feet  high  towards  the  Indus  \  between  which  and  the 
precipice  there  was  at  one  time  a  road,  though  in  some  places  so 
narrow  that  only  a  single  camel  could  pass  at  a  time.  In  1839 
this  defile  was  washed  away  by  the  turbulent  river,  which  after- 
wards swept  along  the  base  of  the  cliff.  The  length  of  the  Laki 
range  is  about  50  miles.  The  Jatil  hills  also  form  a  portion  of 
the  mountain  system  of  this  part  of  Sind.  This  range  runs  south- 
west from  Sehwan  to  Duba,  a  distance  of  between  60  and  70 
miles.  It  is  steep  and  of  considerable  height,  probably  in  few 
places  less  than  2000  feet 

Manchhar  Lake. — Another  most  important  feature  in  the 
gefieral  aspect  of  this  district  is  the  Manchhar  lake,  which  is 
formed  by  the  expansion  of  the  Western   Nara  and  the  Aral 

Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


SEHWAN.  687 

streams.  The  first  flows  into  it  from  the  north,  and  the  latter 
from  the  Indus  westward  for  a  distance  of  about  12  miles;  but 
the  supply  from  the  Nara  is,  it  is  said,  trifling  in  quantity  when 
compared  with  that  thrown  in  by  the  Aral.  It  is,  however,  this 
latter  stream  which,  on  the  subsidence  of  the  inundation,  affords  a 
means  of  discharge  for  the  redundant  waters  of  the  lake.  During 
the  period  of  inundation  the  Manchhar  may  be  estimated  at  from 
15  to  20  miles  in  length,  with  a  breadth  of  about  10  miles,  but 
when  the  water  is  low  this  area  is  greatly  contracted,  and  is  then 
probably  not  more  than  10  miles  in  diameter.  The  space  left 
uncovered  by  the  receding  water  is  sown  with  grain,  especially 
wheat,  yielding  magnificent  crops.  Though  shallow  at  the  sides, 
the  lake  has  a  considerable  depth  of  water  in  the  middle,  and  so 
great  is  the  quantity  of  fine  fish  that  hundreds  of  boats  are  em- 
ployed in  the  fishery.  They  are  taken  mostly  by  spearing,  the 
great  profusion  of  weed  preventing  the  employment  of  nets.  In 
the  season  when  the  lotus  is  in  blossom,  the  lake  presents  a  very 
beautiful  appearance,  as  its  surface,  farther  than  the  eye  can  reach, 
is  covered  with  an  unbroken  succession  of  bloom  and  leaves. 
Within  the  last  five  or  six  years  the  Indus,  which  formerly  flowed 
close  to  the  town  of  Sehwan,  has  now  left  it  three  miles  inland, 
and  the  Aral  before  reaching  the  Indus  falls  into  a  marsh,  pro- 
ducing a  bar  of  mud  which  prevents  it  from  acting  as  an  efficient 
source  of  drainage  to  the  lake.  The  consequence  of  this  has 
been  that  from  four  to  five  thousand  acres  of  the  best  land 
in  the  lake  are  now  never  exposed,  and  cannot  therefore  any 
longer  be  cultivated*  The  question  of  removing  this  bar  has 
been  under  the  consideration  of  the  Public  Works  Department, 
and  a  steam  dredge  ordered  from  England  has  already  done  much 
towards  changing  this  state  of  things,  and  enabling  the  Aral 
stream  to  become  to  some  extent  an  efficient  drainer  of  the  super- 
abundant waters  of  the  Manchhar  lake.  There  is  no  wooded 
land  in  this  division,  excepting  the  few  Government  forests  which 
are  found  growing  on  the  banks  of  the  river  Indus. 

Hydrography. — The  Government  canals  in  the  Sehwan  dis- 
trict are  about  37  in  number,  including  main  feeders  and  their 
branches.  The  chief  of  these  are  the  Western  Nara,  the  Aral, 
the  Phito  and  the  Karo.  The  Western  Nara  enters  the  DadU 
taltika  of  this  division  at  its  112th  mile,  and  flows  nearly  due 
south  till  it  enters  the  Manchhar  lake  ;  it  has  numerous  branches, 
some  of  these  being  the  Nurwah,  Karo,  with  others  of  a  smaller 
size.  The  following  is  a  list  of  the  various  canals  in  this  dis- 
trict :— 


Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


688 


SEHWAN. 


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Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


SBHWAN. 


689 


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Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


690  SBHWAN. 

The  Manchhar  lake  contributes  in  a  considerable  degree  to  the 
irrigation  of  the  Sehwan  taluka;  thus  the  Khabrot,  Bubak,  Gaher, 
Akatar  and  Supar  tapas  of  that  sub-division  are  almost  entirely 
irrigated  from  that  source,  and  the  Shah  Hasan  and  Jhangar 
tapas  partially  so.  The  average  annual  revenue  from  it  for  the 
five  years  ending  1873-74  was  47,6 1 2  rupees.  The  only  Zamindari 
canal  is  the  Nurwah,  which  enters  the  Dadu  taluka  from  the 
Mehar  district,  and  waters  the  Fatehpur  and  Mundar  tapas.  The 
clearance  of  the  Government  canals  is  now  carried  out  by  the 
Public  Works  Department 

Dhandhs. — ^There  are  two  dhandhs  in  the  Sehwan  taluka, 
situate  at  Karampur  and  Talti,  and  another  known  as  the  Sial 
dhandh,  in  the  D^u  taldka.  Of  the  two  first  mentioned,  each  is 
about  two  miles  long,  with  a  breadth  of  one  mile,  and  both  are  the 
means  of  irrigating  an  extensive  area  of  land  The  Sial  dhandh 
is  a  small  but  narrow  cut,  more  like  a  canal  than  a  sheet  of  water  ; 
it  is  not  more  than  two  miles  in  length. 

Hot  Springs. — There  is  a  spring  of  sulphurous  water,  having 
a  temperature  ranging,  it  would  seem,  from  102**  to  124°  Far. 
at  Laki,  a  town  situate  a  short  distance  south  of  Sehwan,  close 
to  the  west  bank  of  the  Indus  and  adjacent  to  the  entrance  of  the 
Laki  pass.  It  flows  from  the  base  of  a  calcareous  precipice 
600  feet  high,  known  as  the  Dhara  hilL  The  Laki  mountains 
slope  down  to  the  west  of  the  town,  abutting  on  the  Indus  a  little 
to  the  north  of  it  The  spring  popularly  known  as  the  "  Dhaia 
Tirth,"  is  much  frequented  by  persons  suffering  from  skin  diseases 
and  rheumatism,  and  was  some  years  ago  cleared  out,  and  bathing 
cisterns  erected. 

Climate. — The  climate  of  the  Sehwan  division,  owing  to  its 
great  length,  varies  considerably  \  thus  it  is  never  so  hot  in  the 
southern  portion  of  this  district  as  it  is  in  the  more  northern  talukas 
of  Dadu  and  Sehwan,  where  the  heat  in  the  summer  season  is 
intense,  arising  in  a  great  measure  from  the  close  proximity  of 
the  Laki  range  of  mountains,  which,  being  devoid  of  all  vegeta- 
tion, become,  from  their  heated  state,  the  source  of  an  excessively 
high  temperature  to  the  surrounding  country.  It  is  mainly  on  this 
account  that  the  town  of  Sehwan  is  so  unsuited  as  a  residence 
during  the  hot  weather  for  Europeans,  and  the  Deputy  Collector 
of  the  district  remains  in  consequence,  at  that  period  of  the  year, 
at  the  more  temperate  town  of  Kotri,  on  the  Indus.  The  hot 
season  commences  about  the  middle  or  end  of  March,  reaches  its 
maximum  in  the  month  of  July,  and  lasts  till  the  end  of  August, 
when  the  temperature  becomes  tolerably  cooL     The  cold  weather 

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SEHWAK 


691 


begins  towards  the  end  of  October,  and  finishes  about  the  middle 
or  end  of  March.  Owing  to  the  causes  already  mentioned,  the 
temperature  in  the  cold  weather  is  never  so  low  as  in  other  parts 
of  Sind.  During  March  dust-storms  are  frequent,  with  high 
winds  and  occasional  showers  of  rain;  hot  winds  blow  during 
April,  May,  June  and  July,  which  are  unquestionably  the  hottest 
months  of  the  year.  The  following  table  will  show  the  yearly 
range  of  the  temperature  at  the  station  of  Sehwan  during  the  eleven 
years  ending  with  1874.  It  has  been  found  impossible  to  supply 
any  tabulated  statement  of  the  temperature  at  Kotri  for  a  series 
of  years  as  no  regular  records  appear  to  have  been  kept,  either 
at  tiie  Hospital  or  by  the  Indus  Steam  Flotilla  Company,  but  from 
returns  received  for  the  three  years  ending  with  1874,  it  would 
seem  that  the  maximum  yearly  temperature  of  Kotri  is  107°,  the 
minimum  46^  and  the  mean  76^. 

Sehwan. 


Year. 

Alaxiimint. 

Minimum. 

Mean. 

^^ 

i°o6 

0 

45 

0 

1865 

;;t 

51 

1866 

58 

88 

1867 
1868 

"5 
"5 

55 

55 

85 

1869 

96 

72 

84 

1870 

98 

77 

87 

187 1 

118 

55 

86 

1872 

118 

45 

81S 

1873 

116 

50 

!3 

1874 

"S 

51 

83 

The  average  annual  maximum  and  minimum  temperature  of 
Sehwan  during  this  period  of  eleven  years,  is  thus  111*8°  and 
55 '9*^  respectively.  The  rainfall  generally  in  this  division  is 
somewhat  heavier  than  in  other  parts  of  the  province,  as  will  be 
seen  from  the  following  observations  kept  at  the  two  stations  of 
Sehwan  and  Kotri,  for  a  period  of  nine  years  respectively  (see  next 
page)  :— 


2  V  2 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


693 


SEHWAN. 

Sbhwan  ;  yearly  average  fall,  6*43  inches. 


Month.        1    1866.  {    i967- 

1868. 

1869.    '    1870.    1  187X. 

187a.  1  1873. 

1874. 

January     . 
February  . 
March.     . 
April   .      . 
May     .     . 
June     .     . 
July     .     . 
August 
September 
October     . 
November. 
December. 

•38 
•20 

::: 
... 

... 

•04 

•06 

.05 
•25 

•82 

•13 
•43 
•27 

'20 

•44 
I-20 

•OS 
'•'85 

•97 
•04 
•71 
•04 

•06 

io"'38 
595 

... 

... 

570 

•40 

•50  j     •SO 

:::  i  :;; 

...  1  ... 

I-2I 
2-85       I'OO 

2'8o     505 
i'90       ... 

:::  '  ::: 

•25 
•07 

6"'78 
•03 

Total. 

593     iM  1  357  J181S     5-70 

•40 

805     776  1  7'i3 

KoTRi: 

yearly  average 

fall  8'09  inches. 

Month. 

1  x866. 

X867.  '  1868. 

1869.  ,  1870. 

1871.     1873. 

1873. 

1874. 

January     . 
February  . 

1.42 

•76 

•32 

... 

^35 

•38 

.43 

•28 

March.     . 

... 

2.13 

-21 

... 

^\  : 

•83 

... 

... 

•77 

... 

June     .     . 
July      .     . 

... 

... 

... 

1-93     296 

... 

... 

... 

'10-84       'SO 

•75 

7-25 

•09 

a-84 

August 

10*52 

4-98   1-05 :  109    I -08 

...         -48 

3^65 

4.79 

September 

.     1*33 

•50     .35 

533       •.. 

...    1  i'7i 

October 

•07 

... 

...    1    ... 

... 

... 

November 

... 

... 

•67  ,    ... 

... 

... 

December 
Total 

...  i   ... 

... 

*22 

... 

12-68 

5^55     1-75  23-13  |4'54 

1-85  9^44 

1 

S-70  1  8-23 

Diseases. — The  diseases  common  to  this  division  are  those 
which  prevail  generally  in  other  parts  of  Bind.  Fevers  of  dif- 
ferent t3rpes  are  very  rife  at  the  setting  in  of  the  cold  season,  and 
in  the  hot  weather,  external  inflammations,  ulcers,  and  skin  diseases 
prevail  to  a  considerable  extent  Epidemic  cholera  visited  the 
town  of  Sehwan  and  its  neighbourhood  in  June  1865,  and  again 
in  1867  and  1869,  but  in  the  town  of  Kotri,  in  the  latter  year, 
there  was  a  fearful  visitation  of  this  terrible  disease,  resulting  in  a 
very  heavy  mortality.  It  commenced  on  the  8th  of  September, 
and  is  supposed  to  have  been  brought  in  the  first  instance  across 
the  river  from  the  town  of  Hyderabad,  but  the  disease  itself  was 
then  travelling  down  the  river  from  Sukkur,  and  a  flotilla  steamer 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


SEHWAN.  693 

from  the  latter  place  brought  down  two  cases  on  the  12th  of  Sep- 
tember. A  few  days  after  this,  all  the  low-lying  land  between  the 
European  station  and  the  hills  was  flooded  by  a  large  body  of 
water  from  the  Baran,  and  this,  added  to  an  extremely  sultry  heat 
then  prevailing,  is  believed  to  have  caused  in  part  the  extraordinary 
mortality  which  attended  the  cholera  epidemic  at  Kotri  As  the 
month  wore  on,  the  disease  raged  with  still  greater  severity,  and 
from  the  i8th  to  the  28th  no  less  than  503  persons  were  attacked, 
of  whom  399  died.  After  the  28th  it  rapidly  abated,  but  did  not 
leave  the  place  till  the  1 2  th  of  October  following.  A  camp  hos- 
pital close  to  the  town  was  provided  for  the  reception  of  cholera  ^ 
patients,  and  here  81  cases  wefe  treated,  of  whom,  however,  51 
died.  Cholera  sheds  had  previously  been  put  up  at  Miani  and 
Khanpur,  two  outlying  hamlets  of  the  town,  and  the  Kotri  govern- 
ment authorities  were  unremitting  in  their  endeavours  to  relieve 
the  suffering  inhabitants  during  this  terrible  visitation.  The  police 
returns  (including  the  hospital  cases),  which  dated,  however,  a  week 
after  the  outbreak  of  the  disease,  showed  651  persons  attacked,  of 
whom  510  died.  This  points  to  a  death-rate  of  78  per  cent ;  and 
if  the  population  of  Kotri  be  reckoned  at  about  8000,  it  will  be 
seen  that  more  than  6  per  cent  of  the  inhabitants  were  swept  away 
by  this  fearful  scourge. 

Soils. — The  different  soils  prevailing  in  this  division  are,  for 
the  most  part,  the  same  as  those  found  in  other  parts  of  Sindh, 
but  have  names  peculiar  to  the  district  There  are,  as  elsewhere, 
large  tracts  of  ssdty  land  to  be  found,  known  as  **  kalar!*  Mitidri 
is  a  soil  unmixed  with  any  salt ;  gasar  is  a  light,  dusty  sort  of  soil ; 
dasar  is  a  loose,  light  soil,  mixed  with  sand ;  dangacH  is  land 
with  a  very  little  salt  in  it ;  wdridsi  is  a  sandy  soil ;  and  gamb  is  a 
clayey  sort  of  soil,  used  for  building  purposes.  About  the  year 
1859,  some  deposits  of  what  was  considered  to  be  coal  were  dis- 
covered in  the  Lainah  valley  in  Kohistan,  not  very  far  from 
Kotri,  but  on  investigation  they  turned  out,  unfortunately,  to  be 
merely  a  lignite,  useless  for  either  steam  or  smelting  purposes. 
This  result  was  arrived  at  by  the  exploration  of  the  coal-fields  by 
some  of  the  Sind  railway  staff,  under  the  direction  of  Mr.  John 
Brunton,  the  chief  engineer. 

Animals. — The  wild  animals  common  to  the  Sehwan  district 
are  those  generally  met  with  in  other  parts  of  Sind,  such  as 
panthers,  hyaenas,  wild  hog,  wolves,  foxes,  jackals,  the  ^^pharho  " 
or  hog  deer,  and  the  "  chinkara "  or  ravine  antelope.  The  tiger 
is  never  seen  in  this  division.  Among  birds  there  is  the  ubara 
(or  tilur),  a  kind  of  bustard,  which,  on  account  of  its  excessive 

Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


694  SEHWAN. 

wariness,  can  only  be  approached  and  shot  by  the  sportsman  irom 
the  back  of  a  cameL  There  are  also  grouse,  plover,  partridge, 
quail  (grey),  wild  geese,  snipe,  and  numerous  varieties  of  duck. 
Coots,  cranes,  flamingoes,  pelicans,  herons,  bitterns,  stories,  tarns 
and  cormorants  abound  The  greater  number  of  these  birds  visit 
the  Manchhar  lake,  a  favourite  resort  for  them  during  the  cold 
season.  Ravens  are  found  in  the  hilly  portion  of  the  district  in 
large  numbers.  Of  reptiles,  alligators  are  to  be  seen,  strangely 
enough,  in  several  of  the  hill  streams,  though  how  they  got  there 
is  not  so  easily  explained ;  tortoises  and  turtle  are  met  with  in  the 
Indus  and  in  canals.  There  are  numerous  kinds  of  snakes  in  this 
district,  some  poisonous,  others  harmless ;  among  them  are  the 
nag  (or  cobra),  the /ii^i,  which  is  unfortunately  veiy  common; 
the  ghorSla,  bitnuJii  (or  two-mouthed),  the  daman  and  korari. 
Pythons  are  reported  to  exist  among  the  hills,  but  they  are  rarely 
met  with.  Tlie  han  khun  a  species  of  lizard,  is  said  by  the 
natives  to  be  so  poisonous  as  to  cause  immediate  death,  but  this 
opinion  is  not  verified  by  European  experience.  Among  insects 
there  is  a  kind  of  beetle  of  a  brown  colour,  which  does  much 
damage  to  the  wheat  crops.  Hornets  of  an  enormous  size  are 
met  with  in  the  hills  and  on  the  Gaj  river.  The  body  of  this  for- 
midable insect  is  of  a  yellow  colour ;  the  tail  is  banded  in  black 
and  white,  and  its  sting  is  very  severe.  Visitations  from  locusts 
are  frequent,  and  one  which  happened  in  1869  caused  great 
destruction.  The  domestic  animaJs  in  the  Sehwan  district  are  the 
camel,  buffalo,  ox,  sheep,  donkeys,  goats,  dogs  and  cats.  There 
are  two  varieties  of  the  sheep,  one  having  four,  and  the  other  two 
horns  j  large  flocks  of  these,  and  goats  owned  by  Baloch  tribes, 
are  kept  in  the  hills  when  forage  is  obtainable,  but  are  brought 
down  to  the  plains  when  grass  is  to  be  found  there.  Camels  are 
bred  to  a  considerable  extent  in  this  division. 

Vegetable  Productions.— The  principal  vegetable  produc- 
tions of  the  Sehwan  division  are  juar,  the  staple  food  of  the 
inhabitants,  of  which  there  are  several  varieties;  wheat,  the 
crops  of  which,  especially  in  the  D§du  and  Sehwan  talukas,  are 
remarkably  fine ;  several  oil-bearing  plants,  such  as  the  til,  jambho 
{Eruca  sativa)^  and  ahur  {Sinapis  ranufsa) ;  sarson,  or  mustard 
{Sinapis  glauca);  rice,  which  is  grown  to  the  south  of  the 
Manchhar  lake,  and  along  the  banks  of  the  Western  N3ra ;  matar 
(Lathyrus  stUivus)  and  gram  are  also  produced,  the  last  on  a 
small  scale  only.  But  litUe  cotton  is  grown  ;  the  best  is  raised  in 
the  extensive  Kacha  plain,  the  soil  of  whi^h  is  admirably  suited 
for  its  cultivation.     Tobacco  and  indigo  are  produced  to  a  small 

Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


SEHWAN. 


69s 


extent,  and  the  hemp  grown  in  this  division  is  famous  throughout 
Sind.  Garden  vegetables,  such  as  melons  (water  and  musk), 
brinjals  or  egg-plants,  onions,  garlic,  coriander  and  some  others 
are  generally  cultivated.  The  fruit-trees  are  not  numerous.  Man- 
goes of  an  indifferent  kind  are  reared,  as  also  peaches,  apples 
(small  and  sour),  grapes,  figs,  pomegranates  and  guavas.  Date- 
tree  groves  are  to  be  met  with  in  several  places,  and  there  is  a 
fine  one  at  Kotri,  the  produce  from  which  realises  about  two  thou- 
sand rupees  yearly.  Among  timber-trees  the  most  common  is  the 
babul,  or  babar  {Acada  Arabica\  of  which  the  Government  forests 
in  this  district  are  mainly  composed.  Other  timber-trees  are  the 
khan  or  wild  olive,  used  for  making  native  combs;  the  tali 
(Dalbergia  sissoo)^  which  is  scarce,  and  the  nim  {Azadirachta 
Indica). 

The  following  is  a  list  of  the  Government  forests  in  this 
division,  with  the  approximate  area  of  each  in  English  acres,  and 
their  revenue  for  the  year  1873-74  :-t- 


Forests. 

Area  in 
English  Acres. 

Revenue  for 
»873-74- 

1.  Karampur 

2.  Keti  Khanot 

3.  Unaipur   . 

4.  Manjhand 

5.  Buto    .     . 

6.  Ghag 

7.  Karo-khaho 

1,787 

10,393 
1,549 
7,748 
1,296 
1,701 

830 
21 

^»?£^ 
4,683 

14,959 

1,517 

531 

24,474 

31,857 

These  forests  were  planted  about  a.d.  1790,  by  the  Mirs  Murad 
Ali,  Karam  Ali  and  Ghulam  Ali  Talpur.  They  comprise  the 
forest  tapa  of  Unarpur,  and  are  under  the  charge  of  a  Tapadar 
of  the  Sind  Forest  Department.  The  revenue  from  these  forests 
is  made  up  mostly  from  the  sale  of  fire  and  building  wood,  culti* 
vation,  grazing  fees,  sale  of  babul  pods,  charcoal,  and  fisheries.  In 
the  hills  of  this  division  there  is  a  kind  of  dwarf  palm,  called  "  pis  "  or 
"  pish  "  {Chamttrops  Ritchiand)^  which  is  much  used  by  the  Brahui 
tribes  in  manufacturing  ropes,  twine,  sandals,  mats  and  baskets.  The 
lai  {Tatnarix  diaca)  in  some  places  becomes  a  timber-tree,  but  is 
more  often  met  with  as  a  low  jungle-wood  in  fields  that  have  lain 
fallow  for  any  length  of  time.  In  the  cold  weather  it  gives  out  a 
kind  of  manna  known  as  ugam  or  maki^  which  is  much  used  in 
native  confectionery.     There    are  two   important  edible  roots 


Digitized  by 


Google 


696 


SEHWAN, 


called  lorhi  and  beh^  which  are  chiefly  collected  about  the  Man- 
chhar  lake,  and  are  much  esteemed  by  the  natives.  They  are  the 
roots  of  two  water-lilies,  the  "  paban  "  {Ndumbium  spedosum\  and 
the  «*  kuni  or  pQni "  {Nytnphaa  pubescens).  The  tubers  of  this  latter 
are  eaten  either  raw,  roasted,  or  boiled,  and  have  a  flavour  between 
potatoes  and  chestnuts. 

Fisheries. — ^The  fisheries  of  this  division,  owing  to  the  exis- 
tence of  the  Manchhar  lake,  are  not  only  numerous,  but  a  source 
of  considerable  revenue  to  the  Government  The  Pala  fishery 
contract  is  sold  annually  at  Hyderabad,  and  the  half-share  of  this, 
which  is  carried  to  the  credit  of  the  Sehwan  district,  may  be  esti- 
mated at  between  11,000  and  12,000  rupees.  One-third  of  the 
fish  caught  becomes  the  property  of  the  Government  The  prin- 
cipal fish,  in  addition  to  the  pala,  which  may  be  considered  the 
finest  in  Sind,  are  the  dambhro  (or  chelri),  a  reddish-coloured 
fish,  often  attaining  an  enormous  size;  it  ranks,  according  to 
native  taste,  next  to  the  pala  in  excellence;  the  morako;  the 
gandan,  a  long,  sharp,  and  very  bony  fish,  of  a  silver  colour,  in 
length  from  three  to  five  feet ;  the  shakur,  the  murrel  of  the 
Dekhan ;  the  jerkho,  the  largest  fish  in  Sind ;  goj  and  lor,  or 
eels ;  khaggo,  or  catfish ;  the  popri,  the  dohi,  the  theli ;  gangat, 
or  prawns ;  the  danur,  and  the  singSrL  The  following  is  a  list  of 
the  fisheries  in  each  talQka,  with  the  amount  of  revenue  derived 
from  them  by  the  Government : — 


TalOka. 

Name  of  Fishery. 

Reveoue. 

1.  Kotri       ,      . 

2.  Manjhand     . 

3.  Sehwan  .     . 

4.  Dadtt      .     . 

Miscellaneous  tanks 

Ditto 

rupees. 

67 

40* 

2,97' 
404 

The  Manchhar  I  Ake  .     .     *     .     .   1,681 

The  Karampur  and  Talti  dhandhs,\  ,  ^^ 

andothers /  ^'^QO 

Total     .... 

3,846 

Next  in  value  to  the/o/tf  fishery  comes  that  of  the  Manchhar 
lake,  which  is  very  lucrative,  though  about  one-half  of  the  annual 
revenue  is  derived  from  the  netting  of  wild  fowl,  which,  as  pre- 
viously mentioned,  resort  to  this  large  sheet  of  water  during  the 
winter  months  in  countless  myriads.  The  methods  used,  both  in 
netting  these  birds  and  in  catching  fish  in  the  Manchhar,  are  thus 
described  by  Mr.  H.  E.  James,  Bo.  C.  S.,  for  some  time  a  Deputy 

Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


SEHWAN.  697 

Collector  of  this  division: — "The  most  destructive  mode  is  the 
stretching  of  a  net  between  two  islands,  and  at  night  driving  flocks 
of  birds  from  a  great  distance  towards  it  against  the  wind.  When 
the  birds  have  approached  sufficiently  near  to  the  net,  a  shout  is 
raised,  on  which  they  all  rise,  and  flying  against  the  net,  become 
entangled  in  its  meshes.  Others  are  caught  by  nets  placed  in 
shallow  water,  where  they  love  to  wade  and  feed.  Many  coots, 
with  which  the  lake  is  in  some  parts  perfectly  black,  are  destroyed 
by  bows  and  arrows.  A  flock  of  them  is  driven  along  while  four 
or  five  men,  not  &r  from  one  another,  stand  in  a  line  prepared  to 
meet  them.  As  soon  as  the  coots  come  near,  they  rise  and  fly 
over  the  heads  of  their  destroyers,  who  fire  at  them  with  blunted 
arrows,  and  with  such  astonishing  skill  that  few  birds  aimed  at 
are  missed.  The  force  of  the  arrow  stuns  or  disables  the  bird, 
which  falls  into  the  water,  and  is  then  secured  with  ease."  Another 
plan  of  entrapping  ducks  and  geese  on  the  river,  not  mentioned 
by  Mr.  James,  is  both  novel  and  ingenious.  The  native  puts  off 
from  the  bank  on  a  reed  float,  surrounded  with  green  twigs  to  hide 
his  head,  gets  in  among  the  unwary  birds  floating  along  with  the 
current,  and  pulls  them  one  by  one  under  water  by  the  legs 
securing  them  to  a  noose  which  he  has  arranged  under  the  float : 
after  he  has  bagged  a  sufficient  number,  he  quietly  puts  off  to 
shore  and  carries  them  alive  to  the  nearest  market  Mr.  James  thus 
speaks  of  the  spearing  and  netting  of  fish  in  the  Manchhar  Lake : 
— ^  The  chief  weapons  for  catching  dambhro  and  gandan  are  the 
spear  and  net  The  fisherman's  boat,  which  is  flat-bottomed,  and 
therefore  perfectly  steady,  is  propelled  by  one  man,  while  another, 
armed  with  three  or  four  light  cane  spears,  each  about  eight  feet 
long  and  barbed  at  the  tip,  stands  at  the  prow,  his  eyes  intently 
fixed  on  the  water.  Suddenly  he  sees  a  fish  flash  away  through 
the  weeds  five  or  six  yards  off  Quicker  than  thought  he  hurls 
his  handful  of  spears  in  the  direction  the  fish  has  taken,  and  while 
some  go  harmlessly  by,  it  is  speedily  seen  that  one  or  two  have 
struck  the  mark.  The  shaft  becoming  entangled  in  the  weeds, 
the  fish  cannot  go  far,  and  he  is  thus  speedily  followed  and  hlled 
into  the  boat  It  may  be  that  the  fisherman  sees  a  huge  fish  lying 
amidst  a  clump  of  water-lilies.  The  boat  is  immediately  turned, 
and  the  fish  quietly  stabbed  with  one  spear,  which  it  is  not  neces- 
sary to  throw,  and  is  secured  without  further  trouble.  The  way 
in  which  most  fish  are  netted  is  as  follows : — ^A  net  is  arranged  in 
the  shape  of  a  double  circle,  about  ten  yards  across.  It  is  sup- 
ported by  poles,  and  is  fastened  to  the  bottom  by  divers.  It  only 
reaches  the  surface  of  the  water,  and  is  there  met  by  a  second 


Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


698  SEHWAN. 

net,  about  four  feet  deep,  which  hangs  firom  the  top  of  tiie  poles. 
This  net  is  turned  up  when  it  reaches  the  water,  so  as  to  form  a 
small  bag  running  round  the  base  of  it  When  the  net  has  been 
fixed,  boats  in  number  from  ten  to  twenty  range  themselves  in  a 
circle  round  it,  within  a  radius  of  a  quarter  of  a  mile  or  more.  At 
each  of  the  four  points  of  the  compass  is  a  boat,  in  which  sits  a 
man  with  a  very  large  circular  brass  dish  placed  before  him  bottom 
upwards.  The  signal  is  given,  and  the  boats  go  round  and  round 
in  a  circle,  the  men  with  the  plates  drumming  on  them  with  sticks 
and  making  a  great  noise.  Round  and  round  they  go,  slowly  but 
gradually  narrowing  the  circle  around  the  net  The  fish,  fiightened 
by  the  din  and  not  daring  to  escape  through  the  midst  of  the 
boats,  press  nearer  and  nearer  to  the  net,  until  they  go  up  the 
opening  and  find  themselves  unable  to  get  out  Then,  when  the 
boats  approach,  huge  dambhros  are  seen  flinging  themselves  into 
the  air  to  a  height  of  three  or  four  feet,  hoping  to  jump  over  the 
lower  net,  but  only  to  strike  against  the  upper  one  and  fall  into 
the  bag  below,  a  self-made  prey.  In  the  meantime,  men  with 
spears  hurl  them  at  the  huge  gandans,  which  are  unable  to  leap, 
and  lifting  them  high  in  the  air  over  the  net,  deposit  them  in 
the  boats.  Divers  then  go  inside  the  net,  and  examine  it  care- 
fully under  water,  securing  such  fish  as  may  be  endeavouring  to 
force  a  passage  through  it  These  men  in  theur  habits  seem 
almost  amphibious.  After  remaining  under  water  an  incredibly 
long  time,  one  of  them  will  rise  to  the  sur^e  with  two  or  three 
fish,  and  before  it  seems  possible  he  can  have  taken  sufficient 
breath,  down  he  goes  again.  After  all  the  fish  have  been  taken, 
the  nets  are  removed  and  the  party  go  home.  In  the  way  here 
described  many  hundredweights  offish  are  killed  at  a  time." 

Population.— The  population  of  the  Sehwan  district,  like  that 
of  other  parts  of  Sind,  is  made  up  of  the  two  great  classes,  the 
Muhammadans  and  HindQs,  the  aggregate  being  about  162,836, 
of  whom  139,158  are  Musalmans,  mostly  Sindis,  Balochis  and 
Brahuis,  while  the  HindQs,  numbering  in  ail  33,291,  are  chiefly 
of  the  Brahman,  Lohano  and  Amil  castes,  the  remaining  387 
comprising  non-Asiatics  and  other  nationalities.  There  are 
thus  45  souls  to  the  square  mile :  but  it  is  to  be  remembered 
that  quite  two-thirds  of  the  land  in  this  division  is  unarable. 
The  Musalman  portion  of  the  community  may  be  classed  as 
foUows  {see  next  page) : — 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


SEHWAN. 

MUUAMMADAMS. 


699 


Tribes. 

Number. 

Sttb^visions  of  Tribes. 

1.  Balochis  .     .     . 

2.  Sindls       .     .     . 

3.  Saiyads     .     .     . 

4.  Shekhs     .     .     . 

5.  Patans      .     .     . 

6.  Mogals     .     ,     . 

7.  Memons,  &c. 

8.  AH  others      .     . 

Total     .     .     . 

23,871 
46,122 

2,664 
3,082 

395 
230 

«.938 
59,856 

Jamalis,    Rind,    Lagharis,     Shahanis, 
Gabols,  Nizamanis,  Chandias,  Num- 
lias,  Maris,  &a 

Shekh,  Pahwar,  Samma,  Sumra,  Mo- 
hana,  Kalhora,  Shora,  Uto,  Bajur, 
Babar,     Korejo,      and     numerons 
others. 

Bokhari  and  Lekherayi. 

In  these  are  no  doubt  included  many 
Sikhs   and  Sindis,  but    the  census 
papers  of  1872  do  not  afford  any 
details. 

1,39,158 

Hindis. 


Castes. 

Number. 

Sub^visions  of  Castes. 

Remarics. 

I.  Brahmans       • 

640 

Pokamo,  Sarsudh 

2.  Kshatrias .     .     . 

258 

3.  Waishia    .     .     . 

20,030 

Lohano,    with    .their  sub- 
divisions the  Amils   and 

A  few 
Amils  & 

Sikhs. 

Wanyas 
claim  to 
beKsha. 

4,  Sudras  and  other 
castes     .     •     . 

Total     .     .     . 

2,363 

Sonaro,  &c. 

trias. 

23,291 

Among  the  various  Baloch  tribes  enumerated  above,  it  may  be 
mentioned  that  RasOl  Bakhsh  is  at  the  head  of  the  Gabols,  and 
Sardar  Khan,  the  Jagirdar  of  Kotri,  is  the  chief  of  the  Numria  clan,  a 
purely  Sindi  tribe.    The  Shahanis  live  to  the  west  of  the  Manchhar 

Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


700  SEHWAN, 

Lake,  and  the  Lagharis  northwards  in  the  Kacha  plain ;  the  chief 
of  this  latter  tribe  is  one  Parial  Khan.  The  Jamalis  reside  mostly 
in  the  Western  part  of  the  Dadu  and  Sehwan  talukas ;  Bakhshu 
Khan  is  their  chief.  The  Rinds  are  found  scattered  about  the 
hills,  and  are  not  numerous,  but  they  are  generally  looked  upon 
as  the  leading  tribe  among  the  Balochis.  The  language  of  the 
Baloch  tribes  is  altogether  different  from  the  Sindi  tongue,  ordi- 
narily spoken  among  the  people  of  the  province.  '  The  Muhanas, 
or  fishermen,  and  especially  those  of  the  Manchhar  lake,  are  a 
fine,  tall  and  stalwart  race,  and  their  women  are  considered— by 
the  natives  of  Sind  at  least — ^to  be  very  beautifuL  The  people  of 
this  tribe,  though  looked  upon  as  low  in  the  social  scale,  are  not 
without  energy ;  they  are  good  cultivators,  and  one  of  them,  by 
name  Ahmad,  is  at  present  one  of  the  wealthiest  Zamindars  in 
the  Sehwan  taluka.  Among  the  Hindu  portion  of  the  population 
the  Brahman  caste  is  few  in  number,  ^e  Lohanos  forming  the 
great  mass  of  this  class  of  the  inhabitants.  The  Amils  are  not  a 
distinct  caste  of  themselves,  but  merely  a  division  of  the  Lohanos 
according  to  occupation.  Both  are  of  the  Waishia  (Wani  or 
Banya)  caste,  but  Uie  Lohanos  greatly  preponderate  in  number. 
In  their  habits,  both  Hindus  and  Muhammadans  are,  as  a  rule, 
very  dirty  in  their  persons,  lazy,  but  good-tempered.  -  Both  classes 
are  great  smokers,  and  in  this  respect  are  much  addicted  to  pre- 
parations of  bhang,  ganjo  and  charas.  Opium  is  more  often  eaten 
than  smoked,  except  in  the  town  of  Kotrl  In  dress,  food,  and 
clothes  there  is  nothing  to  distinguish  the  people  of  this  divi- 
sion firom  the  same  classes  in  other  parts  of  Sind. 

Crime. — The  great  crime  of  this  district,  as  in  Sind  generally, 
appears  to  be  cattle-lifting,  but  housebreaking,  dacoity,  and  other 
serious  offences  are  uncommon,  or  at  least  not  so  frequent  as  in 
many  parts  of  British  India.  The  nature  of  the  country,  and  a 
scanty  population,  seem  to  offer  peculiar  fiicilities  to  the  offence  of 
cattle-stealing,  and  it  is  not,  therefore,  a  matter  of  astonishment 
that  it  should  be  indulged  in  by  the  predatory  tribes  of  the  district, 
who  have  long  regarded  the  thefl  of  cattle  as  a  very  small  matter, 
and  more  as  a  means  of  retaliation  than  in  the  light  of  a  crime. 
The  following  tables,  criminal  and  civil,  for  the  four  years  ending 
1874,  will  give  statistics  of  the  chief  crimes  committed,  and  the 
amount  of  litigation  prevailing  among  the  people  of  the  Sehwan 
division  {see  next  page) : — 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


SEHWAN, 
I.  Criminal. 


701 


Year. 

Murders. 

Hurts, 
Assaults, 
and  use  of 
Criminal 

Force. 

Thefts. 

Receiving 

Stolen 
Property* 

House- 
breaking. 

Site 

Other 
Offences. 

Cattle. 

Others. 

187I 
1872 
1873 
1874 

5 
6 

2 
I 

301 

.  391 

491 

355 

162 
i6i 

156 

300 
234 
243 
263 

35 
40 

33 
21 

53 
50 
56 

37 

3 
3 
3 
3 

346 
41S 
887 
982 

II.  Civil. 


Year. 

Suits  for  Money. 

Other  Suits. 

Total.          1 

No. 

Value, 

No. 

Value. 

No. 

Value. 

No. 

Value. 

187 1 
1872 
1873 
1874 

6 
13 
17 
10 

625 
1,230 

2,303 
326 

533 

953 

1,102 

998 

52,502 
57,726 
88,617 
66,921 

26 
6 

17 
4 

2,088 
421 

774 
no 

565 

972 

1,137 

1,012 

55,215 

59,377 
91,694 
67,357 

Establishments. — ^As  in  other  Deputy  Collectorates  in  Sind, 
the  chief  revenue  and  magisterial  authority  in  the  Sehwan  district 
is  vested  in  a  Deputy  Collector,  who  is  a  full-power  magistrate 
as  well  in  the  division  under  his  chaige.  Ordinarily  he  has  a 
native  Assistant  Collector  under  him.  There  are  four  Mukht- 
yarkars,  one  in  charge  of  each  talQka,  who,  in  addition  to  their 
revenue  and  judicial  duties,  were  formerly  required  to  attend  to 
the  canals  in  their  district,  and  to  the  various  public  works 
carried  out  by  the  Engineer  Department,  but  this  is  not  now  the 
case.  In  subordination  to  the  Mukhtyarkars  are  a  laige  number 
of  Tapad&rs,  each  in  charge  of  a  cluster  of  villages  called  a 
"  tapa."  Their  duties  are  purely,  of  a  revenue  nature,  and  each 
is  ordinarily  assisted  by  two  kotars  or  messengers.  For  the 
magisterial  management  of  the  hill  district  of  Kohistan  there 
is  a  Kotwal,  with  the  powers  of  a  subordinate  magistrate, 
having  his  head-quarters  at  Bula  Khan's  Thana.  The  entire 
civil    revenue   establishment   of   the    Sehwan    division^  costing 

Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


702 


SEHWAN. 


annually  between  3S»ooo  and  40,000 
following  officials : — 


rupees,  consists  of  the 


I  De^ty  Collector. 
I  Assistant  Collector. 
4  Mukhtyarkars. 
aKotrnUs. 


27  Tapadars. 
33  Munshis. 
92  Peons  and  Kotars. 


Civil  Courts. — There  are  two  subordinate  civil  courts  in  this 
division,  one  at  Sehwan  and  the  other  at  Kotri;  the  original 
jurisdiction  of  the  former  extends  over  the  talukas  of  Sehwan, 
Didu  and  Mlmjhand,  the  judge  visiting  the  towns  of  Johi, 
Didu  and  Manjhand  twice  a  year  on  circuit  The  original  jurisdic- 
tion of  the  Kotri  civil  court  extends  over  not  only  the  Kotri  and 
Kohistan  talQkas,  but  the  Tatta  and  Mirpur  Sakro  talukas  of  the 
Jerruck  Division  as  well  The  judge  visits  the  towns  of  Bula 
KhSn's  Th2no  and  Unarpur  once  a  year,  and  the  towns  of  Jemck, 
Tatta,  and  Mirpur  Sakro  twice  a  year  on  circuit 

Police. — The  total  number  of  police  of  all  descriptions 
employed  in  the  Sehwan  Division  is  294,  of  whom  68  are  mounted 
either  on  horses  or  camels.  There  is  thus  one  policeman  to 
every  554  of  the  population.  This  force  is  distributed  as 
follows : — 


TalQka. 

Mounted 
FbUoe. 

Fdot 
Police. 

Monidpid 
FbUce. 

Remarics. 

1.  Dada      .     . 

2.  Sehwan.     • 

3.  Manjhand    . 

4.  Kotri      •     « 

as 

16 
II 
16 

64 

45 
33 
33 

4 

23 
6 
18 

The  force  distributed  in  the 
Kohistan  district  is  not 
included  in  this. 

Ther^was  a  European  In- 
spector of  town  police  at 
Kotri,  but  the  post  has 
been  abolished. 

Total   .     . 

68 

175 

SI 

This  body  of  police  forms  a  portion  of  the  large  force  employed 
throughout  the  Kar&chi  CoUectorate,  and  is  under  the  charge 
of  an  Inspector  of  the  second  grade,  whose  head-quarters  are  at 
Sehwan. 

Revenue. — The  revenue,  imperial  and  local,  of  the  Sehwan 
district,  which  is  made  up  mostly  from  land,  abk&ri,  and  stampSf 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


SEHWAN.  703 

is  shown,  under  its  separate  heads,  for  the   five  years  ending 
1873-74:— 

L  Imperial  Revenue. 


1 

Realisations  in 

\ 

Items. 

1869-70. 

1870-71. 

X87X-72. 

i87a-73. 

1873-74. 

Land  Tax .     . 

rupees. 
3,18,506 

rupees. 
2,78,948 

rupees. 
1.91,468 

rupees. 
1,80,737 

rupees. 
1,62,233 

Abkiri      .     . 

34,400 

30.338 

16,423 

19,750 

25,925 

Drugs         and| 
Opium  .     ,/ 

5.038 

4.164 

7,940 

10,192 

11,360 

Stamps      .     . 

16,432 

12,880 

19,273 

23,272 

20,348 

Salt      .     .     . 

7,025 

7.445 

1,270 

2,754 

2,365 

Postal  Depart- 
ment     .     . 

8,065 

7.087 

8,219 

2,463 

7,340 

Telegraph  De- 
partment 

1 

... 

••• 

... 

Income       (Li- 

cence     and 
Certificate) 

17,364 

28,746 

3,854 

1,085 

14 

Tax  .     .     . 

Fines  and  Re- 
gistration Fees 
Miscellaneous . 

Total  rupees 

15,370 

19.305 

3,157 

2,668 

3,509 

15 

2,540 

3.856 

... 

2,015 

j  4,22,215 

'3.91.453 

2,55,460 

2,42,921 

2,35,109 

IL  Local  Revenue. 


Items. 

Realisations  in 

x86^o. 

X870-7X. 

x87x-7a. 

»87a-73. 

1873-74. 

Cess  on  Land 
and      Sayer 
Revenue 

Percentage   on 
Alienated 
Lands    .     . 

Cattle     Pound 
and      Ferry 
Funds    .     .  1 

Fisheries    .     . 

Fees    and   \a-\ 
cence     .     .  j 

Tons    .     .     . 

Total  rupees 

rupees. 
23,743 

1            625 

3,991 
16,661 

1,750 

rupees. 
18.984 

4.268 
15,011 

1,736 

rupees. 
15,763 

306 

6,841 

17,277 

13 

1,650 

rupees. 
20,510 

298 

'      7,087 

12,394 

10 

1,625 

rupees. 
17,208 

678 

7»9ii 
14,878 

1,825 

46,770 

39,999 

41,850 

41,924 

42,500 

Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


704 


SEHWAN. 


11  § 
AS.     "^ 


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P. 

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las 


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oo  ooo 


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I  pi-S^-a 


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Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


SEHWAN,  70s 

In  the  matter  of  abkdri  revenue  it  may  be  mentioned  that 
spirituous  liquor  was  formerly  made  in  a  Government  distillery 
at  Kotri,  but  this  was  done  away  with  in  1862,  when  all  Govern- 
ment distilleries  were  suppressed  in  the  Kamchi  CoUectorate. 
The  present  system  is  to  farm  the  monopoly  of  manu&cture  and 
retail  of  liquor,  which  is  made  generally  from  ^  maura  "  and  mo- 
lasses, and  sometimes  from  grapes.  It  may  .here  be  remarked 
that  the  consumption  of  intoxicating  liquoris  in  this  division  is 
small.  A  toll  used  to  be  levied  on  a  drawbridge  on  the  trunk  road 
to  Shikarpur,  which  crosses  the  Aral  river  at  Sehwan,  but  this  has 
lately  been  withdrawn.  This  bridge  is  so  constructed  as,  -when 
opened,  to  permit  the  passage  of  boats  underneath  it  The  right  of 
manufacturing  salt  is  now  sold  by  auction  to  the  highest  bidder. 

Survey  and  Settlement. — ^The  Sehwan  division,  which  has 
long  since  been  surveyed  topographically,  has  also  had  the  new 
settlement  introduced  into  all  its  talukas  for  periods  ranging  from 
nine  to  ten  years.  Those  in  the  Kotri  and  Sehwan  talukas 
have  again  been  revised  but  not  yet  introduced,  and  revision  of 
operations  are  also  in  progress  in  the  Dadu  taluka.  The  rates 
now  in  force,  with'  6ther  information  connected  with  them,  are 
given  on  the  opposite  pslge. 

With  the  exception  of  the  Kotri  taluka,  the  bardfd  (or  rain- 
land)  in  this  division  has  not  been  surveyed  This  description 
of  land  is  so  abundant,  and  the  population  so  scant,  that  any  one 
can  take  up  and  cultivate  it;  but  it  is  generally  everywhere 
understood  with  whom  the  right  to  cultivate  certain  lands  lies, 
and  this  is  never  interfered  with, 

TENUR£S.-*~The  prevailing  tenure  in  this  division  is  the  Zamin- 
dari,  that  is  to  say,  that  which  obtains  more  or  less  all  over  the 
province.  The  principles  of  this  tenure  will  be  found  fully  treated 
upon  in  the  introductory  portion  of  this  work.  (See  page  79 
of  Chapter  IV.) 

Jagirs. — ^There  is  a  very  considerable  quantity  of  laud  held 
in  jagir  in  this  division,  chiefly  in  the  Dadu  taluka,  the  entire 
area  throughout  this  Deputy  CoUectorate  being  not  under  200,000 
acres,  or  about  one-twelfth  of  its  whole  area.  The  following  is 
a  list  of  the  Jagirdars  of  different  classes,  with  the  extent  of  each 
holding  {seepages  706-711)  : — 


2  z. 


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7o6 


S&HWAN, 


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SBHWAN. 


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716 


SSHWAN. 


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SEHWAN. 


There  are  38  Seridars  in  this  division,  who  hold  in  the  aggre- 
gate nearly  1301  acres  of  land.  These  are  distributed  through- 
out the  four  talukas  as  follows : — 


TalOka. 

Number  of 
SericUrs. 

Area  of 
SeriLand. 

1.  Dadu ":      . 

2.  Sehwan 

3.  Manjhand      ...... 

4.  Kotri 

18 
6 

4 
10 

acres,  gfintas. 
1,107      9 

127     19 

29     30 

36     16 

38 

1,300    34 

The  Mafidars  are  twenty-six  in  number ;  12  in  the  Kotri  taluka, 
and  II  and  3  respectively  in  the  Sehwan  and  Manjhand  talukas. 

Municipalities. — There  are  in  the  Sehwan  Deputy  Collec- 
torate  six  towns  which  possess  municipal  institutions ;  these  are 
Kotri,  Sehwan,  Ar£zi,  Bubak,  Dadu  aiid  Manjhand  Tlie  receipts 
and  disbanements  of  these  municipalities  for  the  three  years 
ending  1873-74  are  as  follows : — 


Where  situate. 

Date  of 

Receipts  in 

Disbursements  in 

X87X-78, 

«87»-73. 

1873-74. 

i87X-7a. 

x87a-73. 

»873-74. 

1.  Kotri       . 

2.  Sehwan  . 

3.  Arazi      . 

4.  Bttbak    . 

5.  D5du      . 

Jan.,    1854. 
July,   1854. 
Dec,  1861. 
July,   1854. 
May,  1856. 
Sept, 1861. 

rupees. 
10,040 

4,119 

1.067 

1,998 

2,112 

1,379 

rupees. 
7,010 

2,556 

715 

1,025 

1,300 

857 

rupees. 
•9,865 

3,604 
1,201 
1,622 
3,985 

1,477 

rupees. 

11,679 
3,685 
1,133 
1,801 
1,607 
1,159 

"^7 

2,448 

623 

3,402 

1,294 
810 

rupees. 

10,392 
4,625 
2,231 
2,391 

2,399 
1.297 

The  income  of  these  municipalities  is  derived  principally  from 
town  duties,  house  tax,  cattle-pound  and  market  fees;  and  the 
expenses  incurred  are  mostly  on  police,  conservancy,  education, 
arboriculture,  roads,  public  works,  &a 

Medical  Establishments. — ^The  medical  institutions  in  this 
division  consist  of  one  hospital  at  Kotri  and  a  dispensary  at  the 
town  of  Sehwan.  The  civil  hospital  at  Kotri  was  established 
about  the  year    1847,  is  situate   near  the  river,  and  has  four 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


SEHWAK 


713 


wards  for  European  and  one  for  native  patients;  each  of  the 
former  can  accommodate  six  and  the  latter  sixteen  persons.  The 
staff  employed  consists  of  a  Surgeon  of  the  Bombay  Medical 
Department,  who  is  the  Civil  Surgeon  of  the  station  ;  a  first  class 
hospital  assistant,  a  native  medical  pupil,  a  vaccinator  (who  is 
paid  by  the  Kotri  Municipality)  and  a  small  staff  of  servants  and 
others.  The  table  below  will  show  the  attendance,  &c.,  at  this 
Hospital  during  the  two  years  ending  1874 : — 


In-patients .     . 
Out-patients     , 

Total  Admissions  in 

Casualties  in 

ATcrage  Daily 
Attendance. 

»873. 

1874. 

1873. 

1874. 

«873. 

18,4. 

3,658 

2ia 

3,153 

19 

5 

20 

I 

ia-4 
S7-4 

7-4 
38-8 

An  apothecary  of  the  Bombay  Medical  Service,  who  has  a  small 
establishment  to  assist  him,  attends  to  the  Sehwan  Dispensary 
established  in  1855.  The  municipality  of  this  town  contributed 
a  monthly  sum  of  50  rupees  towards  this  institution  up  to  the 
year  1869,  when  it  was  discontinued ;  but  the  same  amount  is 
now  paid  from  the  Local  Funds.  The  following  table  will  show 
the  attendance,  &a,  at  this  dispensary  during  the  two  years  ending 
with  1874: — 


In-patients  .     . 
Oat-patiente     . 

Total  Admissions  in 

Casualties  in 

Average  Daily 
Attendance. 

1873. 

1874. 

1873. 

X874. 

1873. 

X874. 

64 
3,302 

76 
2,721 

9 
3 

6 

2 

213 
31-62 

412 

25  98 

Prisons. — There  are  lock-ups,  or  subsidiary  jails,  at  the  towns 
of  Dadu,  Sehwan,  Manjhand  and  Kotri,  each  under  the  charge 
of  the  Mukht]^rkar  of  the  taliika.  There  are  also  lock-ups  attached 
to  the  police  stations  at  the  following  places : — 

Taliika  DadlL  —  Johi,  Tando  Rahim  Khan,  Chini,  Hairo 
Khan,  PhGlji  and  Baghban. 

Talaka  Sehwan. — Bhan,  Bubak,  JhangSr,  Shah  Hasan,  Arazi 
and  TaltL 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


914 


SBHWAN, 


T^dflVst  M3njhaiSd.~Aitiri,  Laki^  Saml  and  Gopang. 

TalQka  KotrL— Budhi^r,  Baad  Vira,  Petaro  and  TauDg  (in 
Kohistin). 

Education.— There  ^imre  m  1^73-74  ia  tl^e  Sehwao  Depo^r 
CoUectorate  %%  Govemment  sdiOQia,  wilh  an  attendance  of  97$ 
pupils.  There  are  but  few  private  schools,  in  this  divisioBy  a  iact 
fiot  ^eatly  to  be  deplored*  conmdexiQg  th^  poor  amoimt  of 
instruction  which  they  afford.  A  oonsidei^bleL  increase  in  Gov^tn- 
ment  schools  may  confidently  be  looked  forward  to  in  the  future, 
in  consequence  of  the  adoption  of  the  Hindu-Sindi  character, 
which  it  is  believed  will  attract  to  tiiem  very  many  boys  of  the 
Banya  class.  The  number  of  Govemment  schools  in  eacb 
tal-ftka  of  this  district  is  shown  in  the  accompanying  table : — 


.     TafUcA. 

Govcmincnt  Schools. 

RenfaikS. 

Numbw. 

Pttpik. 

1.  Udu  .... 

2.  Sehwaa    .     .     . 

3.  Manjhaad      .     . 

4.  Kotri  .... 

Total    .     .     . 

s 

9 

9 
6 

i«5 

445 

66 

296 

Of  the  Q9venixncQt  Mthools, 
one  IS  an  Anglo- vernacular, 
and  two  are  female  schods. 

One  Anglo-vernacular  and  one 
female  school  (Govemment). 

22 

97a 

Agriculture. — The  seasons  in  which  agricultural  operations 
are  carried  on  in  this  division  appear  to  be  the  same  as  in  other 
parts  of  Sind ;  nor  do  the  crops  raised  in  them,  especially  io 
that  portion  watered  by  canals  from  the  Indus,  differ  in  any 
marked  degree  from  those  produced  elsewhere  in  the  province. 
The  northern  part  of  the  Kacha  is  watered  by  numerous  little 
.channels  leading  out  from  the  Nai  G§j,  each  field  being  suf 
rounded  by  an  embankment  ordinarily  three  feet  or  so  in  height; 
into  these  fields  the  water  is  allowed  to  flow  and  stand  for  a  cer- 
tain time,  after  which  it  is  drawn  off  into  an  adjacent  fidd,  and 
so  on  till  all  are  irrigated.  In  this  kind  of  land  splendid  ju£r 
crops  are  raised,  and  in  favourable  seasons  it  is  not  uncommon 
for  three  crops  to  be  raised  from  one  sowing.  Some  good  cotton 
jias  also  been  grown  in  this  part  of  the  division,  and  the  soi  is 
believed  to  be  well  adapted  to  the  growth  of  this  staple.  When 
heavy  floods  come  down  from  the  hills  the  area  of  cultivation  is 
much  reduced,  owing  to  the  **  bandhs,"  or  embankments,  being 

Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


SEfffTAN.  its 

then  brokd^  dbnti  by  the  fyrte  ot  the  wftter,  which  does  not 
remainiohg  enough  on  die  land  to  allow  of  its  being  soffid^ntly 
moistened.  In  the  soiitibem  portion  of  the  Kadia  similar  agri- 
cultural operations  are  in  force^  aided  by  several  hill  .stream^, 
snch  as  the  Taki»  Nali^  and  others.  Cultivation  is»  however^ 
more  Umited  in  area  in  this  part,  owing  to  the  more  precarious 
nature  of  the  water  supply.  Much  cultivs^n  is  carried  oh  in  the 
immediate  nei^bourhood  of  the  Manchhar  hke  afisr  the  su1> 
aidence  of  the  annual  inundation  waters,  and  fine  crops  of  bailey 
and  wheat  are  raised  on  the  land  which  then  becomes  exposed. 
On  that  part  which  is  not  left  uncovered  till  late  in  the  season 
pulse  and  oil'-seed  crops  are  produced.  There  is  in  tisis  division 
but  little  land  cultiviated  from  wells.  The  implements  of  agri* 
culture  in  use  are  those  generally  found  in  other  districts  of  Sind. 
In  addition  to  the  Persian  wheel,  plough,  harrow,  "  ddnto^  or 
curved  sickle,  and  ^^rambo!^  or  hoe,  there  is  the  ^^danddrii^  a 
sort  of  large  rake  drawn  by  bullocks,  and  used  in  making  the  low 
"  bandhs,"  or  embankments,  for  irrigational  purposes.  There  is 
also  the  "  >fe/>,"  or  wooden  shovel,  drawn  by  bullocks,  and 
employed  in  putting  up.  the  large  embankments  around  Barani 
fields. 
•  Trade. — It  is  a  matter  of  regret  that  no  regular  statistics 
of  the  import  and  export  trade  Of  the  S^hwan  Division  are  forth-- 
commg.  Grain,  such  as  juSr,  bS,jri  and  wheat,  as  also  rice,  is 
said  to  be  annually  exported  from  the  Sehwan  taluka,  principally 
to  Hyderabad,  to  the  value  {approximately)  of  about  3 J  lakhs 
of  rupees,  and  from  the  Dadu  taltika  to  the  value  of  about 
-2^^  lakhs.  From  this  latter  district  is  also  exported  ghi  to  the 
value  of  25,000  rupees,  and  from  the  Manjhand  and  Kotri  talukas 
to  the  value  of  29,000  rupees  and  30,000  rupees  respectively. 
There  is  a  local  trade  as  well  in  fish,  mats,  cloths,  and  oil,  but 
to  what  extent  and  value  does  not  seem  to  be  known. '  Of  the 
import  trade  and  its  value  there  would  appear  to  be  no  record 
i^tever.  There  is  a  laige  transit  trade  passing  through  this 
district  in  wool,  cotton,  dry  fruits,  and.  oUier  commodities  by 
kdfila^  from  Kandahar  and  Kelat,  and  down  through  Kohistan 
to  Karachi  Some  details  of  this  trade  will  be  found  in  the 
description  of  the  town  of  Karachi  (seep.  402). 

Mantjfactures.— Of  the  raanu&ctures  of  this  district  there 
is  also  little  to  be  said,  there  being  none  of  any  marked  import^- 
ance.  Carpets  are  made  at  the  towns  of  Sehwan  and  Bubak, 
and  there  is,  besides,  an  embroidered-leather  manufacture  at  the 
village  of  Phaka.     Coarse  cotton  cloths,  rugs  and  mats — the  latter 


uigiuzea  by 


Google 


7i6 


SEHWAN. 


from  a  kind  of  dwarf  palm  called  "/&"  or  "/^fA"  {Chamar&ps 
RitcMoM) — ^are  also  made  in  different  parts  of  this  division. 

Fairs. — ^There  are  no  very  celebrated  feirs  in  the  Sehwan 
Division,  with  the  exception  of  one  at  Sehwan,  where  is  the 
shrine  of  a  Pir,  or  saint,  called  by  Muhammadans  Lai  Shahbaz, 
but  known  among  HindOs,  by  whom  he  is  also  reverenced,  as  Raja 
BhartarL  It  consists  of  a  tomb,  in  which  lie  the  remains  of  the 
saint,  who  is  said  fo  have  come  originally  from  Khorasan.  The 
£iir  lasts  three  days,  and  was  formerly  attended  by  a  very  large 
number  of  devotees,  but  of  late  years  the  number  has  greatly 
fallen  off,  and  does  not  at  present  probably  exceed  8000, 
including  both  Musalmans  and  Hindus.  The  foUowing  table  will 
frimish  all  the  information  necessary  concerning  the  few  fairs  held 
in  this  Deputy  CoUectorate : — 


Where  hdd. 

Taloluu 

When  held,  and  for  what 
Period. 

Average 
Attendance. 

Remarics. 

1.  Schwan 

2.  Aminini 

3.  Near  the 

village 
ofShah 
Husain 

Sehwan 

Dada  . 
Sehwan 

On  the  i8th  of  the 
month  of  Shaban, 
for  three  days. 

On  the  4th  of  the 
month  of  Zilhuz, 
for  one  day. 

On  the  9th  of  the 
month  of  Zilhuz, 
for  one  day. 

From 

4,000  to 

8,000 

3.000 

600 

In  honour  of  PirUl 
Shahbaz,    a  saint 
who  is  said  to  have 
come       origiDaOy 
from  Khorasan. 

In  honour  of  a  saint 
called  Amir  Kr. 

InhonourofPirGiji, 
a     famous    saint, 
whose  tomb  is  on 
a  spur  ofa  range  of 
hilts  six  miles  from 
Shah  Husain. 

There  are  two  other  small  fairs,  one  held  at  the  village  of  Shah 
Shakar  Ganj,  attended  for  one  day  only  by  about  400  persons, 
and  the  other  at  a  place  between  the  villages  of  Shah  Husain  and 
Jhangar,  in  honour  of  a  saint  known  as  Pir  Daman,  for  one  day 
in  the  month  of  Zilkad. 

Communications. — Of  the  roads  in  the  Sehwan  Deputy  Col- 
lectorate,  main  and  branch,  which,  inclusive  of  those  in  Kohistan, 
number  in  the  aggregate  about  450  miles,  the  chief  is  that  forming 
a  portion  of  the  great  Karachi  and  Shikarpur  trunk  road.  This 
portion,  which  is  135  miles  in  length,  enters  the  southern  part 
of  this  division  at  Nai  Baran ;  thence  it  goes  on  to  Kotri,  and 
northward  through  the  towns  of  Unarpur,  Manjhand,  Sann,  and 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


SEHWAN.  717 

Amri  to  Sehwan;  six  miles  south  of  this  latter  town  it  crosses 
a  spur  of  one  of  the  ranges  of  the  Kohistan  hills  near  the  vil- 
lage of  Laki,  from  which  it  derives  its  name  of  the  Laki  pass. 
Of  late  years  this  part  of  the  road  has  been  widened  from  12  feet 
to  i8i^  feet  by  blasting  the  hillside,  and  a  parapet  wall  has  been 
erected  on  its  outer  edge.     From  Sehwan  this  road  runs  through 
Talti  to  Dadu,  entering  the  Elakar  taluka  of  the  Mehar  Deputy 
CoUectorate  near  Rukan.     North  of  Sehwan  this  road  is  bridged, 
and  this,  with  the  exception  of  a  few  bridges  and  culverts,  may 
also  be  said  of  that  part  between  Sehwan  and  Kotri.    In  the  Dadu 
taluka  the  roads  during  the  inundation  season,  owing  to  the  over- 
flowing of  the  Western  Nara,  are,  with  the  single  exception  of  the 
main  trunk  road,  in  a  bad  condition,  but  steps  are  now  being 
taken  to  render  them  passable  during  the  inundation  season  by 
a  system  of  embanking.    The  postal  lines  of  communication  in 
this  division  are  three  in  number.    The  first  runs  firom  Sehwan 
to  Johi  and  Dadu,  14  miles,  the  second  from  Kotri  to  Bula  Khan's 
Thano,  32  miles,  and  the  third  from  Manjhand  to  Hala  (in  the 
Hyderabad  CoUectorate),  28  miles,  including  the  crossing  of  the 
Indus.     These  are  all  foot  lines.     There  are  six  non-disbursing 
post-offices,  viz.,  at  Dadu,  Sehwan,  Johi,  Kotri,  Laki,  and  Manj- 
hand, while  the  branch  post-offices  are  at  Sann,  Bubak,  Bhan  and 
TaltL    The  following  table  will  show  the  principal  lines  of  road 
in  the  Sehwan  Deputy  CoUectorate,  with  other  information  con- 
nected with  them  {seepages  718-19) : — 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


718 


SBfffVAM 


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I 


n 


O        O    O  icri    flj        01 


^  3 ..  i  3  i 

0      a    M     id  id  id   -,   „ 

J3  ;3  S  SSScS< 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


SEBWAN. 


7«9 


1 


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S5 


at 

•8 


I 

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§ 


^1 


■^:s 


BSZ     2     SSSSSS252S 


mM«a«ONm««naov> 


III  I  II 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


730 


SEHWAN, 


Ferries.  —  There  are  20  ferries  in  the  Sehwan  Deputy 
CoUcctorate,  nearly  all  of  which  are  on  the  river  Indus.  The 
proceeds  from  these  femes  are  carried  to  the  credit  of  Local 
Revenue,  and  realise,  on  an  average,  about  2000  rupees  yearly. 
The  following  is  a  list  of  these  ferries,  with  other  information 
connected  with  them : — 


^ 

No.  of 

TalOka. 

Name  of  Ferry. 

Where  situate. 

Boats  em- 
ployed. 

Remaiks. 

I.  Khokhar    • 

/On  Indus,  at  Tharo\ 
\    Dawach    .     .     ./ 

D&dn.     . 

2.  Maliik  .     . 

3.  Chuneja     . 
4*  Lalen   .     . 

'  5.  Gari  wari  . 
6.  Raj  Ghat   . 

7»  Mirpnr  •     • 

/On   Indus,    at   Got! 
\    Shah  Alum     .     J 
rOn  Indus,  at  Khair^ 
\    MuhammadKorejo/ 
On  Indus,  at  Jali    . 

On  Indus,at  Gari  Wari 
/On  Indus,  3  miles  east\ 
\    of  Sehwan      .     ./ 

On  Indus,  at  Bila-^ 
walpur      .     .     ./ 

Sehwan  • 

S.  KhaiioDero 

/On  Indus,  at  Khairo) 
Dcro    .     .     .     .f 

* 

9.  Madi     .     . 

On    the    And,     fttT 
Sehwan  •     «     •  / 

la  Gantiwaro . 

/On  the  Aral,  at  Bag\ 
[    Yusuf  .     .     .     •  / 

I 

.11.  Aral     .     . 

OntheAral,atBilhan 

1 

Isapubltcfeny. 

12.  MSnjhand  . 

On  Indus,  atManjhand 

Manjhand 

13.  Sann     .     . 

14.  Amri     .     . 

On  Indus,  at  Amri  • 

15.  Kotri    •     . 

On  Indus,  at  Kotri  • 

8 

A     steam-feny 
boat  also  plies 
daily  between 
Kotri       sad 
Gidu-biiidar 

Kotri.     .    . 

to  sunset 

16.  KiroKhahu 

fOn  Indus,  at  Kaio\ 
t    Khahu     .     ,     .  / 

I 

17.  Khanpur    . 

On  Indus,  at  Khanpur 

I 

18.  Bada    .     . 

On  Indus,  at  Bada  . 

I 

19.  Unarpnr    . 

On  Indus,  at  Unarpur 

2 

,2a  KMnot      . 

On  Indus,  at  Khanot 

I 

Antiquities. — ^Besides  the  Kafir  Kila  at  Sehwan,  supposed  to 
have  been  built  by  Alexander  the  Great,  which  wiU  be  found 
fully  described  in  die  account  of  the  town  of  Sehwan,  there  are 
no  extant  remains  of  any  very  ancient  date  in  this  division.  It 
will,  however,  be  interesting  to  mention  the  fort  of  RSni-ka-Kot, 

Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


SEHWAN,  721 

distant  about  7  or  8  miles  from  the  town  of  Sann.  It  is  thus 
described  by  Captain  Delhoste,  of  the  Bombay  army,  who  in 
1839  was  Assistant  Quartermaster-General  of  the  northern  division 
of  the  army : — "  Rani-ka-Kot  was  built  by  Mir  Karam  Ali  Talpur 
and  his  brother,  Mir  Murad  Ali,  about  a.d.  181 2,  cost  12,00,000 
rupees,  and  has  never  been  inhabited,  in  consequence  of  there 
being  a  scarcity  of  water  in  and  near  it.  That  so  large  a  fort 
should  have  been  constructed  without  its  having  been  ascertained 
beforehand  that  an  article  so  indispensably  requisite,  not  only 
for  the  use  of  man,  but  even  for  the  construction  of  the  walls, 
was  wanting,  seems  most  extraordinary,  but  I  am  told  that  this 
was  the  reason  for  its  having  been  abandoned.  A  rapid  stream 
in  the  rains  runs  past  it  and  joins  the  Indus,  and,  by  a  deviation 
from  its  course,  parts  of  the  walls  of  this  fort  have  been  destroyed. 
The  object  of  its  construction  seems  to  have  been  to  afford 
a  place  of  refuge  to  the  Mirs  in  case  of  their  country  being 
invaded.  The  hill  on  the  north  face  is  the  steepest,  and,  from 
the  intelligence  I  received,  must  be  at  least  800  or  1000  feet 
high;  the  opposite  hill  is  of  considerable  height,  and  the  east 
and  west  walls  are  built  on  level  ground,  and  join  those  con- 
structed on  the  hills ;  the  whole  is  of  stone  and  chunam,  forming 
an  irregular  pentagon,  and  inclosing  a  space  capable  of  con- 
taining 20,000  men.  The  river,  believed  to  be  the  Sann  river,  ran 
formerly  round  the  base  of  the  north  face,  but  about  the  year 
1827  it  changed  its  course,  and  destroyed  part  of  the  north-west 
wall  The  bed  of  the  river  (original  course)  is  described  as 
rocky^  if  so,  nothing  could  be  more  easy  than  to  deepen  it  at  the 
point  where  it  has  taken  a  turn,  and  construct  a  tunnel  from 
thence  to  the  fort,  and  below  the  wall  (which  must  be  rebuilt  on 
arches),  an  excavation  made  inside  to  receive  the  water,  and 
a  supply  would  thus  be  secured."  At  present  the  Sann  river,  or 
as  it  is  there  called  the  Rani  Nai,  runs  through  the  fort  and  it  is 
stated  that  there  is  now  no  scarcity  of  water  whatever. 

The  remains  of  the  ruined  town  of  Khudabad  (the  ancient 
capital  of  the  Kalhora  dynasty),  in  the  Dadu  taluka  of  this 
division,  are  also  deserving  of  some  mention.  This  city  was  situate 
on  the  road  leading  from  Bhan  to  Dadu,  and  the  remains  still 
cover  a  considerable  area.  It  was  a  large  town  in  the  time  of  the 
Kalhora  dynasty,  and  is  said  to  have  declined  rapidly  after  their 
overthrow  by  the  Talpurs.  It  seems,  however,  more  probable  to 
date  its  decline  from  the  time  (1768)  when  GhuUUn  Shah  Kal- 
hora founded  the  city  of  Hyderabad,  and  resided  there.  This 
change  of  capital  no  doubt  induced  a  large  number  of  the  trading 

3  A 

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722 


SEHWAN, 


population  of  Khudabad  to  migrate  to  the  new  seat  of  royalty. 
At  present  Khudabad  is  quite  deserted.  Not  far  from  the  place 
is  the  lofty  tomb  of  Yar  Muhammad  Kalhora,  the  first  prince 
of  this  dynasty,  and  inside  the  building  are  suspended  several 
clubs,  which  were  so  placed  to  show  the  ease  with  which  that 
part  of  Sind  was  wrested  from  the  Pahwar  tribe  by  the  Kalhoras, 
the  meaning  being  that  wooden  clubs  only,  and  not  swords,  were 
used  in  subduing  it. 

Sehwan,  a  taluka  (or  revenue  sub^iivisian)  of  the  Sehwan 
Deputy  Collectorate,  containing  an  area  of  924  square  miles,  with 
II  tapas,  74  villages,  and  a  population  of  54»392  souls.  The 
revenue,  imperial  and  local,  of  this  sub-division  for  the  four  years 
ending  1873-74  is  as  follows  : — 


Imperial    .     .     . 
Local  .... 

1870-71.            x87i-7a. 

i87»-73. 

«873-74- 

rapees 
1,23,902 

14,396 

rapees. 
1,00,072 

13.375 

rupees. 
89,321 

11,978 

rupees. 
89.143 
10,597 

Total  rupees . 

1,38,298 

1,13,447      1,01,299 

1 

99.740 

Sehwan^  the  chief  town  of  the  talQka  of  the  same  name  in 
the  Sehwan  Deputy  Collectorate,  in  laL  26°  22'  N.,  and  long. 
67°  50'  E.  It  is  situate  on  an  eminence  at  the  verge  of  a  swamp 
on  the  right  or  south-west  bank  of  the  river  Aral,  which  flows 
from  the  Manchhar  lake  into  the  Indus,  and  is  about  117  feet 
above  mean  sea-level.  This  latter  river  years  ago  used  to 
flow  close  to  the  town,  but  it  has  now  quite  deserted  it  A 
few  miles  south  of  Sehwan  the  Laki  mountains  terminate  abmptlf 
on  the  river,  and  form  a  fine  and  distinctive  feature  in  ^ 
scenery  of  this  part  of  the  division.  The  town  is  seated  od 
the  main  road  leading  from  Kotri  to  Shikarpur,  vii^  LarldUia,  and 
is  distant  84  miles  N.N.W.  from  the  first-mentioned  place,  and 
95  miles  S.S.W.  from  Larkana.  Sehwan  has  road  commoni- 
cation  with  the  villages  of  Bubak,  Arazi,  Jhangar,  Talti  and 
Laki.  It  is  the  head-quarter  station  of  a  Mukhtyarkar  and  Ta- 
padar,  and  till  lately  a  native  extra  Assistant  Collector  used  to 
reside  here.  The  Deputy  Collector  of  the  division  does  not 
make  this  place  his  head-quarters  during  the  hot  weather,  owing 
to  the  intense  heat  which  prevails  here  during  that  season.  This 
arises  mainly  from  the  dry  and  arid  Laki  mountains  approach- 
ing so  near  to  the  town ;  these  act  as  a  kind  of  natural  fiimace, 


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SEHWAN,  7*3 

and  make  Sehwan  during  the  summer  months,  when  the  wind 
generally  blows  from  the  southward  and  westward,  almost  unbear- 
able to  an  European  constitution.  There  are  police  lines  for 
37  men,  among  whom  are  an  inspector,  two  chief  and  two  head 
constables.     The  mounted  portion  of  this  force  is  lo  in  number. 

The  population  of  Sehwan,  numbering  4296  in  all,  comprises 
2324  Musalmans  and  1956  Hindus ;  the  chief  tribes  among  the 
former  are  Saiyads,  Memons,  and  Muhanas  (or  fishermen),  while 
the  Hindu  castes  are  principally  represented  by  Pokamo  and 
Sarsudh  Brahmans,  Amils  and  LohSnos.  The  majority  of  the 
Muhammadan  inhabitants  are  engaged  in  fishing,  the  Hindus  in 
trade;  a  large  section  of  the  people  are  professional  beggars, 
supported  by  the  offerings  of  pilgrims  who  yearly  congregate 
at  the  venerated  shrine  of  Lai  Shahbaz.  The  inhabitants  of  this 
town  are  said,  as  a  whole,  to  be  remarkable  for  their  idleness 
and  profligacy.  Among  the  public  institutions  of  the  place  are  ^ 
a  municipality,  dispensary,  subordinate  civil  court,  a  Govern- 
ment Anglo-vernacular  school,  and  a  subordinate  post-office. 
The  municipality  was  established  in  1854,  but  the  annual  income 
is  small,  ranging  only  from  3000  to  4000  rupees,  and  is 
derived  mostly  from  town  duties  and  market  fees.  Great  im- 
provements have  resulted  from  the  introduction  of  the  Municipal 
Act,  but  ruined  houses,  mosques,  and  tombs  still  cover  a  wide 
space,  shovnng  the  former  importance  of  the  place.  Many  of  the 
houses  are  several  stories  in  height,  and  the  bazar,  as  is  usual 
in  Upper  Sind,  is  long,  winding,  and  narrow,  and  covered  with 
mats  to  keep  out  the  burning  rajrs  of  the  sun.  The  dispensary, 
established  in  1855,  is  under  the  charge  of  an  officer  of  the 
Bombay  Subordinate  Medical  Department.  This  latter  institu- 
tion receives  a  yearly  grant  from  the  Local  Funds  of  600 
rupees.  There  is  a  lock-up,  or  subsidiary  jail,  at  the  Mukh- 
tyarkar's  kutcherry,  and  the  town  also  possesses  a  cattle-poimd. 
There  is  a  Deputy  Collector's  bangalow  situate  in  the  old 
fort,  a  travellers'  bangalow,  and  dharamsala.  The  trade  and 
manufactures  of  Sehwan  are,  comparatively  speaking,  insignifi- 
cant, the  local  trade  being  in  cloth  and  grain,  and  the  transit 
trade  in  wheat  and  rice,  which  go  to  Hyderabad.  Kafilas  from 
Kandahar  and  Kelat  pass  through  this  town  en  route  for  Karachi 
The  manufactiures  consist  mostly  of  carpets,  coarse  cloths,  seal- 
engiaving,  and  pottery,  but  to  what  extent  or  value  is  not  known. 
Among  the  antiquities  of  this  town  may  be  mentioned  the  old  fort 
of  Sehwan,  said  by  the  natives  to  have  been  built  by  Alexander  the 
Great.    Captain  Delhoste,  of  the  Bombay  army,  thus  refers  to  it  in 

3  A  2 

Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


714  SEHWAN, 

his  report  upon  a  portion  of  the  province,  written  in  1839 : — "  This 
evening  we  landed  near  the  town  of  Sehwan,  and  after  visiting 
a  ruined  idgah^  which  at  a  distance  we  mistook  for  the  fort  built 
by  Alexander — or,  rather,  said  to  have  been  built  by  him — ^we 
discovered,  by  the  aid  of  the  Sindians,  that  the  mound  was 
north-west  of  the  town,  through  a  part  of  which  we  walked,  and 
ascended  the  fort  It  is  an  artificial  mound  80  or  90  paces 
high;  on  the  top  is  a  space  of  1500  by  800  feet,  surrounded  by 
a  broken  wall.  .  We  examined  the  remains  of  several  old  towers 
of  bnck,  and  I  took  a  hasty  sketch  of  the  gateway,  which  is 
remarkably  lofty.  The  mound  is  evidently  artificial,  and  the 
remains  of  several  towers  are  visible.  The  brickwork  seems  to 
extend  to  the  bottom  of  the  mound,  or,  at  any  rate,  to  a  con- 
siderable depth,  as  we  could  see  down  the  parts  washed  away  by 
the  rains.  A  well,  filled  up,  was  observed.  We  were  told  that 
coins  and  medals  were  frequently  found  in  and  near  the  place, 
but  were  not  so  fortunate  as  to  obtain  any.**  The  mound  is  now 
said  to  be  about  20  yards  high,  a  quarter  of  a  mile  in  length, 
and  aoo  yards  broad.  The  brick  lining  has  become  quite  decom- 
posed from  saline  action,  and  is  in  utter  disrepair.  There  is 
another  object  of  attraction  in  this  town,  though  by  no  means 
of  such  ancient  date  as  the  old  fort  This  is  the  tomb  or  shrine 
of  a  much  revered  saint,  known  among  the  MusalmSn  population 
as  lill  Shahbiz,  but  by  the  Hindus  as  IUj2  Bhart&ri  The  tomb 
which  contains  the  remains  of  this  saint  is  enclosed  in  a  quad- 
rangular edifice,  covered  with  a  dome  and  lantern,  said  to  have 
been  built  by  a  former  governor,  Malik  Iktiy&r-u-din,  about  A.D. 
1356,  and  having  beautiftd  encaustic  tiles  bearing  numerous 
inscriptions  in  the  Arabic  character.  Mirza  jSni,  of  the  Taridian 
d3masty,  built  a  still  larger  tomb  to  this  saint,  to  which  additions 
were  made  by  his  son,  Mirza  GhazL  The  whole  was  not,  however, 
completed  till  A.D.  1639  by  Nawab  Dindar  Khan,  who  paved  the 
courtyard  with  glazed  tiles,  and  otherwise  added  to  Uie  place. 
The  gate,  as  also  the  balustrade  round  the  tomb,  are  said  to  have 
been  of  hammered  silver,  the  gift,  it  is  believed,  of  Mir  Karam 
Ali  Khan  Talpur,  who  placed  besides  silver  spires  on  the  top  of 
the  domes.  The  keepers  of  the  shrine  are  two  wealthy  and 
influential  Saiyads— Gamban  ShUh,  of  Sehwan,  and  GtU  Muham- 
mad Shah,  of  Laki.  Great  numbers  of  pilgrims,  both  Musal- 
mans  and  HindQs,  flock  to  this  spot,  not  only  from  all  parts  <rf 
Sind,  but  from  neighbouring  countries  as  well,  and  it  is  believed 
that  a  considerable  revenue  is  obtained  from  them. 

There  can  be  no  doubt  but  that  Sehwan  is  a  place  of  gteit 

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SHAHBANDAR,  72$ 

antiquity,  and  this  is  evidenced  by  its  vast  burial-grounds.  His- 
tory informs  us  that  this  town  was  in  existence  when  the  Muham- 
madan  invasion  of  Sind  was  carried  out  by  Muhammad  Kasim 
Sakifi,  about  a.d.  713,  at  least  it  is  believed  to  be  the  same  place 
which  submitted  to  his  arms  after  the  conquest  of  Nerankot  (the 
modem  Hyderabad). 

'  Shahbandar^  a  very  large  division  and  Deputy  Collectorate 
of  the  Elarachi  district,  forming  the  extreme  southern  portion  of 
the  province  of  Sind.  It  is  bounded  on  the  north  and  east  by 
the  Tanda  division  of  the  Hyderabad  Collectorate  and  partly  by 
the  Kori  creek ;  on  the  west  by  the  river  Indus,  and  on  the  south 
by  the  Arabian  sea  and  a  portion  of  the  Kori  creek.  Its  extreme 
length  from  north  to  south  is  about  85  miles,  and  breadth  75 
miles,  and  its  area,  as  estimated  by  the  Deputy  Collector,  at  about 
3378  square  miles,  but  by  the  Revenue  Survey  Department  it  is 
computed  at  4142  square  miles.  This  district  is  divided  into 
4  talukas  and  21  tapas,  with  a  population  found  by  the  census  of 
1872  to  number  103,887  souls,  or  25  to  the  square  mile  ;  but  this 
paucity  of  population  may  be  safely  attributed  to  the  immense  area 
occupied  by  the  delta  of  the  Indus,  a  tract  much  intersected 
and  cut  up  by  numerous  creeks  and  channels,  to  the  fact  of  its 
south-eastern  portion  being  very  marshy,  and  in  consequence' 
unsuited  for  cultivation.  The  population  has  since  1872  been 
reduced  by  951  souls,  owing  to  the  transfer  of  the  Keti-hashim 
tapa  to  Jerruck.  The  following  is  a  tabulated  statement  of 
the  several  talCkkas  in  this  division,  with  their  respective  tapas, 
&C.  (see  next  page)  :— 


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7j6 


SHAHBANDAR. 


TalQka. 

AreaSq. 
Miks. 

No.  of 
debs. 

Popula- 
tion. 

Towns  having  800  In- 
habitants and  npvards. 

I.  Mirpur  Ba-\ 
toro  .     ./ 

332 

I.  Mirpur   . 

3.  Bano.     .     . 

4.  T^ikpur  . 

5.  Shah-kapur. 
,6.  Daro       .     . 

1 

•        85 

3i,<i4S 

1.  Mirpur  Brtoro. 

2.  Dara 

2.  Bclo    .     . 

294 

1.  MirzoLaghari 

2.  PinHadho 

3.  Vitalshah      . 

4.  Walishah     . 

5.  Ranta      .     . 
,6.  Sujawal  . 

►       82 

28.471 

I.  SujawaL 

3.  jati    .    . 

2,053 

[\    Bahadipur     . 

2.  Dujo  .     .      . 

3.  Gando      .     . 
(4.  Mulu .     .     ., 

80 

22,725 

I.  MugalbhiiL 

4.  ShZhbandar 

699 

fi.  Shahbandar.) 

2.  Satah      .     . 

3.  Giingani.     . 

4.  Jalbani    .     . 
.5.  Mutni     .      .. 

•      116 

1 

! 

20,095 

I.  Shahbandar. 

3.378 

1    363 

102,936 

The  approximate  area  in  English  acres  of  each  taluka,  with  other 
information,  is  also  subjoined  : — 


TaJflka. 

AL'h'Je^r    CulHv,.^. 

Cultunble. 

UnaraUe. 

1.  Mirpur  Batoro      .      . 

2.  Belo 

3.  jati 

4.  ShShbandar     .     .      . 

acres. 
212,834 

188,311 

1,314,020 

447,298 

acres. 
31.183 

24,393 

28,915 

29,897 

acres. 
42,955 

45,450 

33,503 

70,069 

acres. 

138.696 
118.468 

i,2S»,6(» 
347.33* 

General  Aspect. — For  purposes  of  description  this  discrict 
may  very  well  be  divided  into  four  parts  :  first,  the  tract  in  the 
south  and  south-east ;  second,  that  to  the  south-west ;  third,  the 
central  portion  of  the  division;  and  fourth,  that  to  the  north. 
The  first  part  will  be  found  well  described  in  the  foUowing  ex- 
tract from  a  report  by  Carless  on  the  Indus  delta,  which,  though 
written  many  years  ago,  may  still  be  considered  applicable  in  a 
general  sense  to  this  portion  of  Sind : — 

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SHAHBAADAR.  727 

"  Between  the  Sir  and  Kori  mouths  the  coast  is  overspread  with 
low  mangrove  jungle,  running  far  into  the  sea,  and  from  the 
former  a  bare  uninhalnted  marsh,  without  a  single  bush  or  other 
object  to  relieve  the  eye,  extends  up  to  the  Mai  mouth,  a  distance 
of  35  miles.  It  is  intersected  by  four  large  salt-water  creeks — the 
KLaja,  Raudah,  Wari  and  Khai — which  run  far  into  the  land,  and 
are  probably  portions  of  destroyed  rivers.  Above  the  Mai,  all 
the  mouths  of  the  Satah  reach  the  sea  within  a  space  of  20  miles, 
and  at  this  part  the  coast  presents  a  peculiarity  of  formation  not 
observable  elsewhere.  From  the  more  elevated  plains  farther 
inland  it  runs  off  in  a  number  of  long  spits  or  tongues  of  considerable 
breadth,  which,  from  the  rounded  form  they  have  assumed,  bear  the 
appearance  of  having  been  thrown  up  by  a  violent  rush  of  water. 
They  are  composed  of  the  soil  deposited  by  the  inundation,  and 
being  always  submerged  at  high  tide,  have  not  become  firm,  like 
the  tracts  that  are  only  overflowed  at  intervals.  Above  the  mouths 
of  the  Satah  tamarisk  jungle  is  seen  for  the  first  time  near  the  sea. 
The  broad  alluvial  bank,  projecting  everywhere  from  the  coast, 
extends  from  the  bay  of  Karachi  to  the  north-western  extremity  of 
Kachh,  and  in  width  varies  considerably.  At  the  Kori  mouth  it 
is  between  5  and  6  miles  in  breadth,  but  only  dries  here  and  there 
in  small  patches.'' 

This  Kori  creek  is  believed  to  have  been  formerly  the  mouth 
of  the  Eastern  Nara,  but  at  present  it  is  a  great  salt-water  creek. 
There  is  an  inmiense  number  of  creeks  running  inland  along 
this  southern  coast  line  of  Sind,  many  of  them  no  doubt,  like 
the  Kori,  once  mouths  of  the  Indus.  The  largest  of  these  is  the 
old  bed  of  the  Pinyari,  or,  as  it  was  formerly  caUed,  the  Sir  river. 
It  runs  inland  for  about  60  miles,  as  far  as  Mugalbhin,  where  it 
is  stopped  by  a  very  large  embankment.  The  south-western 
portion  of  this  district,  which  is  near  the  main  debouchure  of  the 
Indus,  differs  greatly  from  that  just  described.  Heddle  thus  writes 
of  this  part  of  the  division : — "  But  the  most  striking  physical 
peculiarity  of  this  section  is  the  occurrence  of  an  annual  inunda- 
tion which  extends  over  a  strip  (probably  along  the  whole  coast 
of  Sind  whenever  the  fresh  and  salt  waters  meet)  to  the  breadth 
of  5  or  6  miles  in  direct  distance  from  the  line  of  coast  The 
water,  which  in  the  highest  parts  of  the  river  merely  elevates  its 
level  for  a  few  feet,  but  never  surmounts  the  banks  or  floods  the 
country,  is  here  elevated  above  the  low  banks  of  this  limited  strip, 
and  produces  a  most  important  effect,  not  only  on  the  vegetation 
of  the  country,  but  influences  materially  the  whole  economy  of 
the  inhabitants  of  the  region,  contrasted  with  those  who  occupy 

Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


728  SHAHBANDAR. 

the  more  elevated  parts.     The  phenomenon  of  general  inunda- 
tion, which  is  confined  to  this  latitude,  produces  the  extensive 
pasturage  which  clothes  the  belt  bordering  on  the  sea,  and  feeds 
the  large  herds  of  cattle,  principally  buffaloes,  which  disappear  as 
soon  as  you  reach  the  country  where  the  height  of  the  banks 
prevents  the  occurrence  of  a  general  overflow.     The  strip  of 
country  subjected  to  the  annual  inundation  is  deprived  of  the 
vegetable  feature  which    characterises    the  rest  of  Sind,    The 
tamarisk  does  not  grow  here,  or  is  very  scarce,  and  where  the 
southern  limit  of  this  plant  commences  the  general  inundation 
ceases  to  prevail."    Carless  also  thus  refers  to  this  portion  of  the 
division  in  his  memoir  on  the  Indus  delta : — "  It  is  very  low, 
the  marshes  near  the  sea,  which  yield  nothing  but  coarse  grass  or 
rushes,  occupying  half  the  district,  and  it  cannot  boast  of  a  single 
bush.     In  the  upper  part  much  of  the  land  is  cultivated,  but  even 
there  it  is  very  swampy,  a  small  portion  only  being  sufficiently  ele- 
vated to  be  out  of  the  reach  of  the  tide  ;  in  general  the  soil  is  good, 
but  in  some  places  it  is  loose  and  sandy,  and  a  saline  incrustation 
appears  on  the  surface.     The  country  on  the  sea-coast  is  submeiged 
at  high  tide  for  a  distance  of  3  or  4  miles,  and  continues  swampy 
about  2  miles  farther  inland.     These  marshy  tracts,  which  in  most 
places  are  destitute  of  bushes,  afford  excellent  pasturage  for  large 
herds  of  buffaloes,  and  on  that  account  are  considered  by  the 
peasantry  as  valuable  property.     Notwithstanding  their  dreariness, 
they  often  present  a  greater  appearance  of  animation  than  is 
observed  in  more  populous  parts  of  the  country,  for  every  crcdc 
is  full  of  boats,  and  men  are  seen  in  every  direction,  cutting  grass 
for  the  cattle  of  the  distant  villages.     It  is  of  a  coarse  thorny  kind, 
that  grows  to  the  height  of  16  or  18  inches,  and  is  only  obtained 
close  to  the  sea ;  for  a  short  distance  inland  the  small  rush  springs 
up  in  such  abundance  that  it  is  impossible  to  separate  it     Being 
impregnated  with  salt,  it  is  preferred  by  the  cattle  to  the  herbage 
of  the  upper  parts  of  the  country,  and  the  natives  say  they  thrive 
on  it  much  better.     The  districts  immediately  above  these  swampy 
plains  are  the  most  productive  in  the  delta,  and  a  great  part  of  the 
land  being  free  from  jungle,  which  here  only  appears  in  patches,  is 
easily  brought  under  cultivation.     These  districts  terminate  about 
12  miles  from  the  sea,  and  the  dense  mass  of  jungle  with  which 
the  whole  of  Upper  Sind   is  overrun  here  commences."    The 
district  here  referred  to  comprises  the  Sh&hbandar  taluka,  which 
was,   till   1865,   well    watered.     In    the  central   portion  of  the 
division  there  is  much  uncultivated  land,  and  jungles  of  babal 
and  tamarisk  abound,  while  at  the  same  rime  there  is  excdlent 

Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


SHAHBANDAR.  7*9 

pasturage  for  camels.  In  the  northern  part  much  of  the  land  is 
fairly  cultivated ;  the  country  is  well  wooded,  and  there  are  several 
Government  forests  on  the  left  bank  of  the  Indus.  Fine  groves 
of  the  mango-tree  are  also  met  with  here  and  there.  But,  taken 
as  a  whole,  the  Shahbandar  division  is  one  low,  alluvial  flat,  with- 
out a  hill  to  relieve  the  dull  monotony  of  what  appear  to  be 
endless  plains,  except  the  few  attractive  objects  which  have  been 
just  mentioned  as  occuring  in  the  northern  portion  only  of  this 
extensive  district. 

Hydrography. — Of  tiie  hydrography  of  the  Shahbandar  divi- 
sion, the  most  important  features  are  the  several  large  branches 
of  the  Indus  which  have  at  various  times  contributed  to  pour  the 
waters  of  that  river  into  the  sea.  Of  these,  the  principal  are  the 
Kori  creek,  the  Pinyari  or  Sir  river,  and  the  Mai  and  Mutni 
creeks.  The  Kori  creek  forms  a  natural  line  of  demarcation 
between  Sind  and  Kachh  to  the  southward  and  eastward,  and  is 
thus  described  by  Carless : — "  The  Kori  or  eastern  branch  of 
the  Indus  was  surveyed  in  1833 ;  it  separates  Sind  from  Kachh, 
and  once  formed  the  lower  part  of  the  Fuleli,  and  it  also  received 
the  waters  of  a  large  branch  thrown  off  by  the  main  river  during 
the  inundation  near  Bukkur.  The  beds  of  both  these  branches 
are  now  partially  filled  up  throughout  the  whole  line  of  their 
course,  and  the  portion  of  water  they  receive  during  the  swell  is 
prevented  from  passing  into  the  Kori  by  bandhs  that  have  been 
thrown  across  them  by  the  Sindians.  The  alterations  caused  by 
the  earthquake  of  181 9  increased  its  magnitude  so  much  that  it 
became  a  small  gulf  or  arm  of  the  sea,  and  it  now  (1837)  gives  a 
better  idea  of  a  great  river  than  any  other  branch  of  the  Indus. 
At  its  mouth  it  is  6  miles  wide,  and  the  Sind  coast  being  very  low 
is  not  visible  from  the  Kachh  side  ;  it  begins  to  contract  at  Kotasir, 
and  continues  to  do  so  up  to  Lakhpat,  a  fortified  town  situate 
39  miles  from  the  sea,  where  it  diminishes  to  a  narrow  stream 
200  yards  wide,  and  is  so  shallow,  that  if  the  bottom  were  firm, 
it  might  be  forded  at  low  water  in  several  places  without  difficulty. 
The  broad  bank  fronting  the  coast  of  the  delta  extends  right 
across  the  entrance,  and  terminates  a  short  distance  below  it  on 
the  shores  of  Kachh.  In  many  places  the  sand-banks  are  dry 
at  low  tide,  and  the  sea  outside  them  is  very  shallow,  there  not 
being  a  greater  depth  than  5  fathoms  8  iniles  from  the  land. 
Two  channels,  the  Adhiari  and  Sir,  lead  out  of  the  river  across 
this  mass  of  shoals ;  they  are  broad  and  deep,  having  a  depth 
of  20  feet  in  the  shallowest  part,  which  is  on  the  bar  at  their 
mouths.     The    former    runs  close   along    the   Kachh,   but    the 


uiyiuzea  by 


Google 


730  SHAHBANDAR. 

latter  pursues  a  course  through  the  centre  of  the  shoals,  and 
though  not  so  easily  navigated,  on  account  of  the  number  of 
shallow  patches  in  it,  is  always  used  by  boats  proceeding  to  the 
northward.     Above  the  part  where  these  two  channels  separate, 
the  river  for  some  miles  has  a  depth  of  7  and  8  fe^thoms,  and 
in  some  places  as  much  as  14  fathoms,  and  there  are  no  sand- 
banks until  arriving  at   Kotasir.     Near  this  town  the  bed  of' 
the  stream  is  extremely  foul,  and  vessels  of  any  size  are  pre- 
vented from  ascending  any  higher  by  several  shallow  bars  or 
ridges  that  reach  across  it  in  a  lateral  direction  from  side  to  side. 
A  ^ort  distance  above  these  are  extensive  flats  of  soft  mud  which 
occupy  half  the  breadth  of  the  river,  and  the  channels  being 
narrow  and  intricate,  the  difficulty  of  the  navigation  increases 
every  mile  as  you    advance    towards    Lakhpat     The    Koii  is 
navigable  for  vessels  drawing  16  feet  to  within  a  short  distance  of 
Kotasir,  but  they  could  not  proceed  any  higher  on  account  of 
the  bars  stretching  across  the  stream  from  side  to  side.    Even 
the  country  boats  frequenting  it  seldom  draw  more  than  6  cv  7 
feet,  and  are  obliged  to  remain  at  that  town  and  send  up  thdr 
cargoes  to  Lakhpat  in  dimdhis.     Above  the  mouth  of  the  river 
the  country  on  the  Sind  side,  up  to  Lakhpat,  is  low  and  flat,  and 
thinly  covered  with  saline  shrubs,  or  the  decayed  trunks  of  bushes 
that  have  been  destroyed  by  the  salt  water.     This  part  of  the 
delta  is  evidently  depressed  below  the  level  of  the  rest,  which  is 
to  be  attributed  to  the  effects  of  the  earthquake  of  181 9;  and 
being  from  this  cause  partially  flooded,  at  times  to  a  great  extaat 
even  in  the  dry  season,  is  uninhabited.     The  soil  is  everywhere 
good,  and  is  composed  of  soft  clay  with  a  small  admixture  of 
sand,  but,  from  the  want  of  fresh  water,  none  of  the  land  has  been 
brought  under  cultivation  on  the  Kachh  side.     The  effects  of  the 
earthquake  that  visited  Kachh  in  1819,  and  laid  most  of  its  towns 
in  ruins,  are  visible  in  every  part  of  the  KorL     Opposite  Kotasir, 
the  banks  of  the  river  on  the  Sind  side  are  perpendicular  for 
about   3  miles,  and  close  along  them  there  is  a  depth  of  84 
feet.     In  this  part  the  land  is  of  alluvial  f<Hination,  but  all  the 
strata  exposed  to  view  in  the  face  of  the  banks,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  two  or  three  of  the  upper  ones,  that  have  been  deposited 
since,   are  broken  up  in  confused  masses  and  inclined  to  the 
horizon  at  an  angle  of  30  or  40  degrees.     The  alterations  that 
have  taken  place  in  this  part  of  the  river  are  very  extensive, 
and  have  evidendy  been  produced  by  the  sinking  and  upheaviog 
of  the  ground  during  this  awful  convulsion  of  nature.     The  feet  is 
attested  by  the  remains  of  several  boats  which  are  still  visible,  half 

Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


SHAHBANDAR.  731 

buried  in  the  soil  that  fills  up  the  bed  of  the  old  river ;  and  it  is 
probable  that  to  this  cause  the  Kori  owes  its  present  magnitude.'' 
The  Pinyari  or  Sir  river,  now  considered  as  a  canal,  was  once  a 
branch  given  out  by  the  Indus,  and  found  its  way  to  the  sea  by 
the  Sir  mouth.  It  enters  this  division  in  its  extreme  northern 
part,  and  still  flows  during  the  inundati(»i  season.  It  silted  up 
in  the  present  century,  and  was  then  said  to  have  been  "  banded," 
or  dammed  up,  at  Mugalbhin  in  the  Jati  taltika ;  but  other  writers 
mention  that  a  dam  40  feet  broad  with  this  object  was  thrown 
across  it  by  one  of  the  Talpur  Mirs  in  1799.  Below  this  dam 
the  Pinyari  was  then  navigable  to  the  Sir  mouth,  where  it  was  2 
miles  wide.  During  some  inundation  seasons  the  volume  of  water 
in  the  Pinyari  increases  to  such  a  degree  as  to  necessitate  the 
water  being  let  out  into  the  old  and  new  salt-water  channel  below 
the  "  bandh."  In  its  northern  portion,  where  it  enters  the  Jati 
taluka,  it  is  called  the  Gungro.  The  condition  of  the  Sir  channel 
and  the  land  adjoining  it  in  187 1  is  thus  described  by  Mr.  Walker, 
a  late  Deputy  Collector  of  this  division : — "  The  Sir,  the  old 
channel  of  the  Pinyari  river,  is  now  a  salt-water  creek.  The  dis- 
tance in  a  direct  line  from  the  embankment  at  Mugalbhin  to 
the  sea  is  45  miles,  and  by  the  windings  of  the  channel  about  80 
miles.  Four  miles  below  the  bandhare  the  little  villages  of  Sunda 
and  Duja,  adjoining  each  other.  Six  miles  below  them  is  Chuta 
Fakir-jo-g5t  Trees  are  met  with  for  a  few  miles  down  the 
channel,  as  the  tracts  receive  water  from  canals  issuing  from  the 
Mugalbhin  Lake,  but  lower  down  the  country  becomes  quite 
desolate  and  waste,  without  either  a  habitation  or  any  sign  of 
cultivation.  The  Sir  is  now  a  tidal  creek,  and  Duja,  as  the  port 
of  Mugalbhin,  has  a  small  trade  with  both  Kachh  and  Karachi 
The  average  width  of  the  Sir  is  a  quarter  of  a  mile  till  it  reaches 
the  sea,  when  it  becomes  very  much  broader.  The  Pakhar  creek 
issues  out  of  the  Sir  near  its  mouth,  and  falls  into  it  again  about 
10  miles  below  Duja.  Near  its  mouth  there  is  now  a  village 
inhabited  by  Jats,  called  Hazari  Fakir-jo-g5t,  having  about  100 
houses.  It  has  a  singular  appearance  out  by  the  sea-shore  in  the 
desert^  without  apparently  any  means  of  obtaining  sweet  water, 
but  this  is  got  from  some  small  wells.  When  the  sea  rises  at  the 
spring  tides  these  wells  are  carefully  covered  over  with  matting 
and  earth,  and  are  thus  kept  pure.  Fresh  water  is  not  to  be  had 
in  any  other  place.  The  village  is  embanked  on  all  sides,  and 
each  house  has  its  boat.  When  the  spring  tides  threaten  to  be 
unusually  high,  each  family,  taking  in  the  mats  which  form  the 
house,  gets  into  the  boats,  the  camels,  their  only  possession,  being 

Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


73a  SHAHBANDAR. 

driven  on  to  a  raised  platform,  where  they  remain  till  the  water 
subsides.  The  Daunilies  live  entirely  on  camels'  milk  and  small 
quantities  of  grain,  which  latter  they  secure  in  the  cold  weadier. 
A  plant  called  '  timar '  (Avicmnia  tamentosa) .  grows  along  the 
coast  and  furnishes  the  camels  with  food  In  the  cold  weather 
the  men  leave  their  village  and  drive  their  camels  inland  to  graze 
in  the  babul  jungles.  They  say  they  live  from  choice  in  their 
desert  home  as  their  fathers  did  before  them,  and  that  their  camels 
are  not  worried  there  by  musquitoes  during  the  inundation  season. 
The  village  owns  about  four  hundred  camels  in  alL  Ruins  d 
old  towns  and  villages  are  met  with  occasionally.  About  lo 
miles  below  DQja,  where  the  Pakhar  creek  runs  into  the  Sir,  there 
are  mounds  covering  a  large  area,  and  the  remains  of  a  sugar- 
cane  press  are  still  distinctly  visible.  Fourteen  miles  below  Duja 
is  Khada,  where  there  is  now  a  salt-bed.  It  was  once  an  old  bandar 
or  port.  On  the  other  bank  (east  of  the  Sir),  6  miles  lower  down, 
there  was  another  bandar  called  Jhargri.  Opposite  to  it  there  used 
to  be  a  village  named  Chhach,  and  below  this  another  called 
Sujawal  So  wild  and  desolate  is  this  part  of  the  country  now, 
that  it  is  difficult  to  imagine  a  time  when  it  was  cultivated  and 
inhabited.  It  strikingly  illustrates  the  saying  that  the  waters  d 
the  Indus  are  lifegiving." 

The  Mai  and  Mutni  are  also  old  branches  of  the  Indus,  bat 
are  now  considered  as  Government  canals.  Water  used  to  enter 
them  during  the  swell  of  the  river,  but  since  the  silting  up  of  the 
old  main  channel,  from  1865,  they  receive  veiy  little  water,  and 
there  is  hardly  any  cultivation  on  them.  Owing,  however,  in  1872, 
to  a  breach  in  the  Uchto,  by  the  KalindriwHh,  affecting  the  Matni, 
Bablo  and  KSti-hashim  tapas  of  the  Shahbandar  talOka,  water  has 
again  entered  the  old  river  channel.  The  K6ti-hashim  Tapa  has  in 
consequence  lately  been  transferred  to  the  Jerruck  Division,  being 
now  more  conveniently  accessible  from  this  latter  district  than  from 
that  of  Sh&hbandar.  Carless  thus  alludes  to  the  Mai  and  Mutni 
in  his  memoir,  as  they  appeared  in  his  time : — "  Thirteen  miles  frtwn 
the  mouth  of  the  river,  the  destroyed  bed  of  the  Mutni  branch  is 
seen ;  the  space  filled  up  forms  a  triangle,  each  side  about  a  mile 
and  a  half  long,  and  in  most  places  is  overrun  with  bushes.  There 
is  still  (1837)  a  small  creek  flowing  through  the  centre  of  the  plain 
amongst  the  irregular  furrows  left  in  the  bed ;  but  it  is  separated 
from  the  main  river  at  low  water  by  a  broad  bar  of  sand,  and  as  there 
is  not  a  greater  rise  of  tide  even  on  the  springs  than  2  feet,  none 
but  the  very  smallest  boats  can  pass  into  it  The  Mai  branch,  which 
is  about  3  miles  higher  up,  appears  to  have  been  as  large  as  the 


Digitized  by  CjOOQIC 


SHAHBANDAR,  733 

Mutni^  and  is  still  more  completely  choked,  the  land  having 
attained  a  more  advanced  stage  of  formation.  The  greater  part  of 
its  bed  is  now  covered  with  jungle,  or  under  cultivation,  and  the 
remainder  is  occupied  by  heaps  of  loose  sand,  with  pools  of  water 
between  them,  that  have  no  connection.  At  the  point  where  the 
banks  contract  to  the  breadth  preserved  by  the  lower  part  of  the 
river,  it  is  700  yards  wide,  and  is  dry  for  several  miles  farther 
down.  The  cause  of  the  change  that  has  taken  place  in  these 
two  branches,  and  also  of  the  foul  state  of  the  main  river  in  their 
vicinity,  is  apparent  in  the  nature  of  the  soil,  which  about  this 
part  of  the  delta  is  extremely  loose  and  sandy."  The  Mai  is 
represented  as  having  formerly  been  navigable  for  boats  of  25 
tons  as  far  as  Shahbandar,  about  18  miles  from  the  mouth. 

The  following  table  (pages  734-739)  is  a  list  of  the  canals  in 
this  division,  v^th  their  length,  average  annual  revenue  for  five 
years,  cost  of  clearance,  &c : — 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


734 


SHAHBANDA&. 


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Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


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740  SHAHBANDAR, 

There  are  thus  about  800  miles  of  water  channels,  natural 
and  artificial,  in  this  division,  the  average  annual  cost  of  clearance 
of  which  during  the  five  years  ending  with  1873-74  was  36,400 
rupees,  while  the  annual  revenue  was  2,15,380  rupees;  but  the 
remissions  that  had  to  be  made  yearly  on  account  of  the  silting  up 
of  the  old  channels  and  failure  of  fresh  water  supply,  are,  it  would 
now  seem,  decreasing  in  amount  In  four  of  the  tapas  of  the 
Shahbandar  taluka — Mutni,  Shahbandar,  Keti-Hashim  and  Bablo 
— the  remissions  on  this  account  increased  from  143  rupees  in 
1865-66  to  21,126  rupees  in  1870-71,  but  owing  to  the  excavation 
of  a  new  mouth  in  1874  to  supply  water  to  the  old  river  channel, 
these  remissions  have  greatly  diminished  in  amount,  and  in  the  year 
1873-74  only  aggregated  1 2,376  rupees,  and  a  part  of  this  was  due  to 
ravages  by  rats.  The  canals  in  this  division  are  supervised  by  the 
Executive  Engineer  of  the  Karachi  Collectorate,  who  has  under  him 
a  staff  of  overseers,  SazdwcUkdrs^  or  sub-overseers,  and  80  darogas, 
of  whom  7  are  permanently  and  73  only  temporarily  employed. 
The  floods  in  the  Shahbandar  Deputy  Collectorate  are  those 
arising  from  the  annual  inundation  of  the  Indus,  and  its  branch 
the  Pinyari,  but  in  some  years  these  are  excessive.  They  prevail 
in  the  Shahbandar  and  Belo  talukas  near  the  villages  of  Gungani, 
Saidpur  and  Jorar,  and  in  the  Bano  tapa  of  the  Mirpur  Batoro 
taluka. 

The  tabulated  statement  on  page  741  contains  aU  that  is  required 
to  be  known  of  these  floods. 

There  is  much  marsh  land  in  this  division,  both  in  the  Indus 
delta  and  in  those  parts  adjoining  the  sea-coast  There  are  also 
several  small  dhandhs^  or  sheets  of  water  left  after  the  inundation 
of  the  river,  which  either  wholly  or  partially  dry  up  during  the  hot 
season.     The  principal  dhandhs  in  this  district  are  as  follow  : — 

Taluka  Shahbandar.— Umar-jawan,  Bagwah  Kamphang,  Jadar 
and  Ubhkapio. 

Taluka  Belo. — Achh,  Gojtimani,  Chaubandi,  Ukarbi  and 
Muradpur. 

Taluka  Jati. — Kochar,  Chimai,  Jhim  and  Chaubati 

Meteorology. — The  climate  of  this  division  is  much  the  same 
as  that  of  the  Delta  portion  of  the  Jerruck  district  Carless  thus 
refers  to  the  climate  generally  of  the  Indus  delta,  of  which  the 
Shahbandar  division  forms  so  extensive  a  part : — **  For  the  winter 
season,  the  climate  of  the  delta  is  delightful,  being  cool,  dry  and 
bracing ;  the  temperature  ranges  from  45°  to  76°,  and  during  the 
day  is  most  agreeable.  Fogs  sometimes  occur,  but  they  are  by 
no  means  prevalent,  and  quickly  dissipate  as  the  sun  rises.    In 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


SHAHBANDAR. 


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742 


SHAHBANDAR. 


the  summer  months  the  heat  is  excessive,  and  less  rain  falls  than 
might  be  expected     During  the  inundation  the  climate  is  veiy 
unhealthy ;  fevers,  djrsentery  and  agues  prevail,  and  all  the  inhabi- 
tants that  reside  constantly  in  the  delta  have  an  appearance  of 
premature  old  age,  which  is  doubtless  to  be  ascribed  to  this  cause. 
None  of  the  chiefs  or  wealthy  landholders  remain  there  during 
the  hot  months,  but  repair  to  Hyderabad,  and  do  not  return  to 
their  estates  until  the  water  left   by  the  swell  has  dried  up." 
In  the  Mirpur  Batoro  taluka  the  climate  is  considered  to  be 
cool  and  pleasant  from  about  the  middle  of  November  to  the  end 
of  February,  when  the  winds  blow  mostly  from  the  north  and  north- 
west    From  March  to  July  the  weather  is  hot,  with  occasional 
dust-storms ;  but  the  mornings  and  evenings  are  generally  speak- 
ing cool,   with  heavy  dews  at  night      During  the  months  of 
August,  September,  October,  and  a  portion  of  November,  the 
weather  is  still  hot  and  close,  with  occasional  thunder-storms,  the 
prevailing  wind  at  this  season  being  from  the  south-west     The 
following   table  will  show  the  maximum,   minimum  and  mean 
temperature  at  the  town  of  Mirpur  Batoro  for  nine  years,  ending 
with  1874 :  — 


x866. 

1867. 

1868. 

1869. 

X870. 

1871. 

xSja. 

X873. 

1874. 

Maximum .     .     . 

0 

93 

0 
94 

0 

93 

0 
94 

0 
95 

0 
los 

0 
91 

0 

95 

0 

94 

Mean  .... 

77 

80 

82 

86 

87 

72 

76 

71 

67 

Minimum  .           . 

61 

66 

71 

72 

70 

50 

60 

so 

50 

The  average  yearly  rainfall  as  noted  at  the  town  of  Mirpur 
Batoro  for  a  period  of  twelve  years  is  8  •  a6  inches,  but  the  very 
heavy  falls  during  the  years  1866  and  1869  were  quite  exceptional, 
so  that  the  average  fall  yearly  can  barely  be  said  to  exceed  six 
inches.  The  following  is  a  monthly  return  for  nine  years  as  kept 
at  the  dispensary  of  that  town,  ending  in  1874 : — 


Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


SHAHBANDAR. 


743 


Month. 

1866, 

X867. 

z868.     1     1869. 

X870. 

1871. 

187a. 

X873. 

X874. 

January. 
February 
March    . 
April      . 
May.     . 
June.     . 
July.     . 
August  . 
September  . 
October.     . 
November  , 
December   . 

1-41 

>■■ 

i'8o 

14-74 

•75 

2-o8 

1-83 

•'35 

•33 
127 

•25 

"30 

1-71 

12-96 

1-46 

5*47 
... 

... 

•16 

•48 
•34 

... 
•05 

•05 

•37 
•97 

'•'36 
•04 

1-92 

3-22 
•09 
•36 

•12 
1-79 

•74 

•65 
•23 

I -12 

-62 

Total  for    i 
year   .     . 

ach" 

18-75 

3*91 

aso 

27-63 

.•34 

1-84 

5*59 

265 

12-70 

The  most  prevalent  diseases,  as  elsewhere  in  Sind,  are  inter- 
mittent fevers,  and  these,  together  with  rheumatisms,  ulcers  and 
venereal  and  chest  complaints,  occur  generally  throughout  the 
year.  Fever  is,  however,  more  frequent  after  the  subsidence  of 
the  annual  inundation  waters,  especially  in  the  months  of  October, 
November  and  December.  Cholera  visited  this  district  in  the 
years  1861  and  1865,  but  not  to  any  great  extent ;  but  in  1869 
this  epidemic  prevailed  with  great  severity. 

Soils. — The  soil  of  this  district  is  alluvial,  without  any  ad- 
mixture of  pebbles  or  kankar.  It  may  be  considered  as  a  kind 
of  tenacious  clay.  Heddle  thus  speaks  of  that  part  of  it  included 
in  the  delta : — *'  On  the  immediate  coast  near  the  sea,  there  is 
an  admixture  of  sand,  derived  from  the  proximity  to  and  communi- 
cation with  the  ocean.  In  the  upper  half  of  the  delta,  the  clay 
predominates;  the  soil  in  consequence  is  stiff  and  plastic,  and, 
while  it  gives  stability  to  the  bank  greater  than  that  observed  in 
the  inferior  part  of  the  main  river,  before  this  reaches  the  delta, 
is  likewise  turned  lo  account  for  the  useful  purposes  of  the  potter. 
Passing  the  delta  branches,  which,  in  the  actual  state  of  the  river, 
may  be  considered  as  terminating  at  Siani,  we  find  the  soil  com- 
posed of  a  very  loose  sand,  the  sandy  particles  consisting  of  mica, 
which  occurs  as  an  ingredient  in  the  soil  of  the  country  generally, 
but  nowhere  is  the  proportion  so  large  as  exhibited  in  this  region. 
To  the  loose  nature  of  this  soil  there  can  be  little  doubt  that,  as 
a  passive  agent,  we  must  attribute  the  sudden  deviations  of  the 
Indus,  which  take  place  to  a  wonderful  extent  in  the  region  of  its 
course  where  this  soil  prevails  and  where  we  witness,  as  in  the 
instances  of  the  Gora  and  Bhaghiar,  that  during  one  season  the 


Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


744  SHAHBANDAR. 

whole  of  a  large  body  of  water  may  be  forced  into  a  channel 
having  a  direction  at  right  angles  with  its  former  course."    In 
the  greater  part  of  this  district  salt  largely  abounds,  and  the  soil 
where  this  prevails,  and   which  is  known  under  the  name  of 
"  kalar^  is  thus  rendered  almost  uncultivable.     The  south  and 
south-eastern  parts  of  this  division  are  barren  and  sandy  deserts. 
Salt  is  largely  manufactured  at  Sirgando  in  the  desert,  24  miles 
from  Mugalbhin,  and  also  at  the  villages  of  Thoranwari,  Dirwari, 
Jagi,  Katora,  Achh  and  Muradpur.     As  salt  is  a  natural  produc- 
tion of  the  Indus  delta,  where  it  is  found  in  immense  quantities^ 
it  will  here  be  necessary  to  enter  somewhat  into  detail  concerning 
an  article  which  it  is  not  improbable  may  in  the  future  become 
an  important  source   of  revenue  to   the  province  of  Sind.    So 
early  as  the  year  1845,  a  partial  examination  of  that  part  of  the 
Shahbandar  district  adjoining  the  Sir  river  seems  to  have  been 
made  by  the  Customs  Department  with  the  view  of  ascertaining 
the  commercial  value  of  the  deposit     It  was  then  found  that  no 
sea-going  vessel  could  proceed  higher  up  the  Kori  branch  of  the 
Indus  than  Kotasir,  the  port  of  Lakhpat,  communication  being 
carried  on  between  these  two  places  by  boats  of  light  draught 
Camels,  water  and  forage  had  to  be  sent  from  Lakhpat  some 
distance  inland  from  Kotri  (on  the  Kori  creek),  where  the  article 
was  shipped  in  boats  and  sent  to  Kotasir  for  transhipment  in 
sea-going  vessels.      Salt  of  a  good  quality  was  also  known  to 
exist  on  the  Gungro,  to  the  westward  of  the  Kori  creek,  and  a 
specimen  sent  in  1846  or  1847  to  Bombay  for  analysis  was  thus 
reported  upon  by  Dr.  Leithofthe  Bombay  Medical  Department:— 
"  It  is  just  the  same  as  the  salt  obtained  by  evaporating  sea- 
water, — the  salt  that  is  called  bay  salt ;  it  is  not  so  pure  as  rock 
salt,  because  it  contains  a  little  sulphate  of  soda — very  little,  and 
of  no  consequence,  and  also  some  muriate  of  magnesia,  which 
latter  renders  it  a  little  bitter,  but  this  can  readily  be  removed  by 
washing  the  salt  in  fresh  water ;  but  as  it  is,  I  have  no  doubt  it 
would  find  a  ready  market,  for  it  is  very  much  cleaner  than  what 
is  made  in  the  Government  salt-pans  about  Bombay."     Again,  in 
1847  Lieutenant  Burke,  of  the  Bombay  Engineers,  while  travelling 
overland  from  Sind  to  Kachh,  saw  the  salt-beds  in  this  district 
He  appears  to  have  roughly  estimated  the  quantity  of  salt  at 
fifteen  hundred  millions  of  tons.     The  notice  taken  by  this  officer 
of  these  extensive   salt  deposits  seems  to  have  induced  several 
native  speculators  to  export  it  both  to  Bombay  and  Calcutta,  the 
excise  duty  being  fixed  at  12  annas  per  Indian  maund,  but  the 
venture  was  not  a  profitable  one.     In    1854  a  company,  called 

Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


SHAHBANDAR.  745 

the  "  Karachi  Salt  Company,"  was  formed  for  exporting  Sind 
salt  to  Calcutta  and  elsewhere.  The  salt  was  to  be  obtained  from 
the  deposits  in  this  division  and  brought  to  Karachi  in  boats. 
Though  the  company  was  not  successful  in  underselling  the  salt 
manufactured  in  Sind,  it  soon  had  a  fair  export  trade,  but  this 
gradually  dwindled  away,  owing  to  the  excise  duty  being  levied 
not  alone  in  Sind,  but  in  Bengal  also,  and  Sind  salt  was  in  con- 
sequence unable  to  compete  with  English  salt  exported  from 
Liverpool  to  India.  In  1868  the  export  duty  was  remitted,  but 
not  in  time  to  save  the  trade,  which  has  not  since  improved  to 
the  extent  that  was  anticipated.  Mr.  Walker,  in  his  report  drawn 
up  in  187 1,  thus  describes  the  salt-deposits  on  the  Sir  and  Kori 
creeks  : — ^**  The  salt  or  *  kcUar'  desert  extends  from  the  Rann  of 
Kachh  on  the  east  along  the  south  of  the  Shahbandar  division, 
and  is  intersected  by  the  Sir  creek.  Water  from  the  Kori  creek 
flows  over  the  district  and  forms  a  number  of  salt-water  lakes. 
Those  of  the  lakes  which  dry  up  quickly  are  called  *  khars,'  while 
those  which  retain  their  water  are  called  *  dhandhs.*  Of  the 
former  the  principal  are  the  Hakriwaro,  Dungiwaro,  Belwaro  and 
Sugandia ;  of  the  latter  the  chief  are  the  Sumri,  Dangni,  Mirbo, 
Livari  and  Ridhar.  Tracts  along  which  the  salt-water  passes  are 
termed  *  naros.*  On  the  north  side  of  this  desert  is  a  large  fresh 
rain-water  lake  called  Ahmad  Raj,  which  dries  up  when  there  is 
no  rainfall.  The  names  given  above  are  those  of  old  *  makans,' 
which  were  once  cultivated  when  the  Eastern  Nara  reached  the 
sea  by  the  Kori  mouth.  The  salt  deposits  in  this  part  of  the 
district  are  formed  when  the  spring  tides  subside,  as  then  the 
water  left  standing  evaporates  and  there  is  a  deposit  of  salt  The 
country  along  the  Sir,  where  these  salt  deposits  occur,  has  a  peculiar 
appearance,  and  indeed  at  first  suggests  the  idea  of  frozen  water 
with  a  fall  of  snow  over  it  The  salt  deposits  extend  for  miles 
along  the  sea,  and  vary  in  breadth  from  a  quarter  of  a  mile  to 
several  miles  inland.  The  deposits  are  seldom  more  than  a  foot 
deep,  and  are  practically  inexhaustible.  Salt  is  also  found  de- 
posited in  the  khars  mentioned  above,  as  the  water  evaporates  in 
them.  The  largest  is  that  to  the  east  of  the  Sir,  and  is  named 
Jhagri.  It  begins  about  20  miles  below  Mugalbhin,  and  extends 
as  far  as  the  sea.  To  the  west  of  the  Sir  the  deposits  are  named 
Khado,  Mirpur,  Jhalki,  Chhach  and  SujawaL  Traces  of  the 
salt  deposits  can  be  seen  a  short  distance  below  the  Mugalbhin 
embankment,  but  the  deposits  begin  regularly  about  10  miles 
below." 

Animals. — The  wild   animals  found  in  this  division  are  th 

Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


746  SHAHBANDAR. 

wolf,  jackal,  wild  hog,  chinkdra  or  ravine  antelope,  and  the/AjrA* 
or  hog  deer.  Hares  are  common  everywhere.  Among  domesUc 
animals,  the  camel  is  the  most  important.  In  the  upper  part  of 
the  delta  they  are  met  with  in  large  droves  of  from  fifty  to  one 
hundred.  They  feed  mostly  on  the  various  kinds  of  Sahola  found 
in  different  parts  of  this  division,  such  as  the  khara  lam  and 
others.  Another  of  their  favourite  foods  is  the  kcUfar^  or 
Salvadara  persica^  which  abounds  in  the  Belo  and  Mirpur  talukas. 
There  is  a  small  but  numerous  breed  of  horses,  and  the  ass,  which 
is  small  in  size,  is  also  common.  The  homed  cattle  do  not 
differ  in  any  marked  respect 'from  those  in  other  parts  of  India, 
Buffaloes  abound  in  the  delta,  where  they  find  excellent  pasturage 
in  the  coarse  grass  which  grows  in  the  marsh  lands.  Sheep  are 
kept  more  in  the  upper  or  northern  part  of  this  division.  The 
dogs  of  the  district  are  very  fierce,  and  especially  so  to  any 
stranger  that  may  approach  them.  The  delta,  and  indeed  nearly 
the  whole  of  this  division,  teems  with  waterfowl  of  various  kinds. 
There  are  several  varieties  of  the  wild  duck,  and  geese,  pelicans, 
flamingoes,  storks,  herons,  spoonbills,  crows,  curlew,  snipe,  and 
other  birds  abound.  The  ibis  is  common.  In  the  thick  jungles 
of  the  northern  part  of  this  district  are  found  partridges,  quail  and 
plover.  The  domestic  fowl  is  met  with  in  all*  the  towns  and 
villages,  especially  the  kind  with  black  bones  and  skin.  One  of 
the  greatest  pests  in  this  Deputy  CoUectorate  is  the  water-rat, 
which  at  times  does  incredible  damage  to  the  growing  crops. 
In  the  year  1873-74  these  animals  ravaged  the  Khanf  crops, 
especially  rice,  to  such  an  extent  that  the  Government  had  to 
grant  remissions  of  revenue  amounting  to  not  less  than  60,500 
rupees.  It  was  observed  that  the  damage  done  was  found  to  be 
more  general  and  complete  in  those  parts  where  the  water  was 
deepest 

Vegetable  Productions. — The  vegetable  productions  of  the 
Shahbandar  district  are  rice  (its  chief  staple),  juar,  bSjri,  wheat, 
sugar-cane,  mung  (Phaseolus  mungo\  urad  (Phaseolus  radiatus), 
jambho  (Eruca  sativa),  cotton,  tobacco,  &c  There  are  several 
kinds  of  rice  grown  in  the  division,  but  the  finest  sort,  called 
sugddsiy  is  grown  chiefly  in  the  Mirpur  Batoro  taluka.  The 
different  fhiits,  trees  and  grasses  growing  in  this  district  are  die 
same  as  those  obtaining  in  the  Jerruck  division  {q.  v.),  but  it  is 
necessary  to  mention  that  the  "  tamarisk "  jungle  is  very  thick 
and  dense  in  some  parts,  and,  as  a  tree,  attains  a  considerable 
size.  The  Government'  forests  in  this  division  are  13  in  number, 
and  though  possessing  a  large  area,  have  but  a  small  revenue  in 

Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


SHAHBANDAR, 


747 


comparison  with  their  size.  One  of  these  forests,  the  Mulchand, 
alone  makes  up  more  than  one-half  of  the  total  revenue,  which  is 
derived  chiefly  from  grazing  fees,  and  the  sale  of  firewood  and 
babul-pods.  These  forests  are  under  the  immediate  charge  of 
two  Tapadars  of  the  Forest  Department,  assisted  by  an  establish- 
ment of  foresters,  the  whole  costing  the  Government  yearly  about 
1,457  rupees.  The  following  is  a  list  of  these  forests,  with  their 
area  and  revenue  for  1873-74 : — 


Forest. 

Area. 

Revenue, 

» 873-74- 

Remarks. 

1.  Laikpur  . 

2.  Khadi     . 

3.  Mulchand 

4.  Bud-jo-takar 

5.  Fatah      . 

6.  Penah     . 

7.  Susati     . 

8.  Khirsar  . 

9.  Huderani 
la  Suijani  . 

11.  Ganj  .     . 

12.  Hazari    . 

13.  Makbolo 

Acres. 
7,406 

4,501 

5,454 

975 
258 

6,170 
39 
1,379 
5,5" 
1,387 
2,228 

'■S 

Rs. 
419 

1,918 
9,234 

1,339 
14 

1,379 
29 

541 

852 

377 

435 
333 
122 

Planted  in  1785,  by  M!r  GhuUlm 

Ali  Khan. 
Planted  in  1790,  by  Mir  Murad 

Ali  Khan. 
Planted  in  1783,  by  Mir  Ghulam 

Ali  Khan. 
Planted  in  1861-62. 
Planted  in   1799,  by  Mir  Mu- 
hammad Khan. 
Planted  in  1796,  by  Mir  Fateh 

Ali  Khan. 
Planted  in  1 801,  by  Mir  Fateh 

Ali  Khan. 
Planted  in  1797,  hy  Mir  Fateh 

Ali  Khan. 
Planted  in  1795,  by  Mir  Fateh 

Ali  Khan. 
Planted  in  1800,  by  Mir  Karam 

Ali  Khan. 
Ditto. 

No  mention. 
Planted  in  1822,  by  Mir  Nasir 

Khan. 

Total  aiei 

1 

38,287 

16.992 

Fisheries. — The  fisheries  in  this  division  extend  to  the  Indus, 
its  branches  and  its  dhandhs.  The  principal  fishr  taken,  besides 
**  pala,"  are  gangat,  gulu,  bUbran,  lohr,  wanur,  padar,  and  some 
others.  The  revenue  realised  by  Government  from  these  fisheries, 
which  are  put  up  to  auction  yearly,  ranges  to  between  10,000  and 
15,000  rupees;  by  far  the  largest  portion  of  this  is  derived  from 
the  take  of  the  pala  fish.  This  revenue  is  carried  to  account  under 
the  head  of  Local  Revenue.  The  following  table  will  aflford 
further  information  concerning  these  fisheries,  the  revenue  being 
that  realised  during  the  past  three  years  ending  with  1873-74 
(see  next  page). 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


748 


SHAHBANDAR. 


Name  of  Fishery. 

Revenue 

Tottl 
ReveBue. 

Remarks.            1 

Tal.  Mirpur  Batoro. 
MianaBaid 

Tal.  Belo. 

Miana  Khadi  and  Sunda      .     . 
Miana  Kot  Almo  and  BelaKhiral 
Miana  Sen  Helaia,  Tatta,  Garko 
Saidpur 

Tal.  Jati. 

Miana  Tar ] 

Miana  Chamoi 

Miana  Sitaidina  Shah    .     .      . 
Miana  Mula 

Tal.  Shahbandar. 

Miana  Siatri \ 

Miana  Chhejo / 

Total  rapees     . 

rupees. 

590 

rupees. 

8.207 

1,696 

4,228 
14,721 

Derived    from   pala 
fishing. 

Ditto. 

The  fisheries  in  this 
taluka  are   situate 
on  the  Gungro. 

J 

4.540 
3.667 

1,696 

4,228 

Population. — The  total  population  of  the  Shahbandar  division, 
both  Musalmans  and  Hindus,  was  found  by  the  census  of  1873  to 
be  102,936  ;  but  this  does  not  include  that  of  the  Keti-hashim 
tapa,  which  has  recently  been  transferred  to  Jerruck.  Of  these 
90,349  are  Muhammadans,  and  12,575  Hindus.  There  are  thus  but 
25  souls  to  the  square  mile,  but  this  is  hardly  to  be  wondered  at 
when  the  immense  area  of  marsh  and  desert  land  in  this  division, 
which  is  in  consequence  almost  uninhabitable,  is  taken  into  con- 
sideration. At  Mugalbhin,  and  several  villages  in  the  neighbour- 
hood, a  large  number  of  Kachhis  have  settled,  resulting  from  the 
constant  intercourse  and  traffic  kept  up  with  the  Kachh  province. 
In  the  southern  delta  the  great  bulk  of  the  inhabitants  are  Kannati 
Balochis  and  Jats.  Wherever  the  pana  (J^fha  elephafUina)^  an 
important  species  of  grass  growing  in  the  delta,  is  found,  there  Biso 
will  colonies  of  Sikh  mat-makers  be  found.  The  Musahn^  P^'" 
tion  of  the  population,  who  are  partly  of  the  Suni  and  Shia  sect^ 
may  be  classed  as  follows  :  — 

Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


SHAHBANDAR, 

MUHAMMADANS. 


749 


Tribes. 

Number. 

Principal  Subdivisions. 

Remarics. 

I.  Balochis 

9,067 

Rind,    Jamali,   Jatoi,    Lund,    Lashari, 

Laghari,  Man,  Zor,  Nushani,  Chalgri, 
Thorani,    Gormani,   Sehar   Zunjeja, 
Jalalani,    Talpur,    Sholani,  Almani, 
Jarwar,  Khosa,  Jalbani,  Khohawar, 
&c. 

2.  Shekhs 

2,807 

3.  Memons 

4.  Khwajas 
1;  Pathans 

472 
SI 

7.  Sindis. 

33,896 

Khokhar,  Gada,  Sufi,  Memon,  Abra, 
Shora,  Dal,  Gabol,  Sumra,  Samma, 
Burana,      Bhacha,      Baran,      Goja, 
Dhama,     Sahta,     Charan,     Kehar, 
Powar,  Babra,  Bukera,  Juneja  Detha, 
Shikari,   Hingorja,    Bateshai,   Tigr, 
Uplana,  Otha,  Jasra,  Hala,  Jakhar, 
Junia,  Mengwar,  Kanpota,  Kalhora, 
Ludia,     Rathor,     Nareja,     Nohria, 
Mohana,  Machhi,  Khwaja,  Thasein, 
Mundia,  and  numerous  others. 

8.  Saiyads. 

1,911 

Husaini,  Bokhari,  Lekhirayl. 

9.  Miscella- 

41,474 

... 

The  large  num- 

neous 

ber  under  the 

and 

head  of  mis- 

others. 

cellaneous,  no 
doubt  includes 
many  Sikhs 
and  Sindis, 
but  the  census 
papers  of  1 872 
do    not    give 

Total    . 

any  details. 

...    -      .. 

90,349 

Hindus. 

I.  Brahmans 

559 

2.  Kshatrias 

20 

Pokama,  Sarsudh,  Kachhi,  Brahmans. 

3.  Waishia 

8,935 

Sahto. 

4.Sudras 

Lohano,  Bhatia,  Amils. 

and 

.    miscel- 

laneous 

3,061 

Includes     also      Saniasis,      Bairagis, 
Udhasis,  &c. 

Total   . 

12,575  i 

Digitized  by  VjOOQ IC 


7SO 


SHAHBANDAR. 


The  manners  and  customs  of  the  inhabitants  of  this  division 
are  greatly  assimilated  to  those  prevailing  among  the  population 
of  the  adjoining  district  of  Jerruck,  and  some  account  of  the  Kar- 
mati  tribe,  inhabiting  a  large  portion  of  the  Indus  delta,  has  been 
given  in  the  description  of  that  division.     {See  Jerruck.) 

Crime. — The  chief  crime  in  this  district,  as  generally  throughout 
Sind,  seems  to  be  cattle-lifting.  As  a  rule,  the  inhabitants  are 
not  htigious,  and  it  is  said  that  the  Subordinate  Civil  Court  of  the 
district  is  as  yet  hardly  known  among  them.  The  following 
criminal  and  civil  statements  will  show  the  amount  of  crime 
and  litigation  in  this  division  during  the  four  years  ending 
1874:— 

Criminal. 


Year. 

»f,,_j-_ 

Hurts,  As- 
saults, and 

Thefts. 

Receiving 

Stolen 
Property. 

House- 
breaking. 

gots?: 

Other 

Murder,  u^^ofcrimi. 
1    nal  Force. 

Cattle 

Others. 

Ofoce- 

187I 
1872 
1873 
1874 

I 

I 

1 

187 
162 

142 

66 

75 
206 

183 

136 
128 
119 
129 

31 

34 
27 
13 

16 
21 
14 
30 

3 

2 

4 

144 

281 
212 

Civil. 


Suits  for  Land. 

Suits  for  Money. 

Other  Suits. 

Toial. 

Year. 

No. 

Value. 

No. 

Value. 

No. 

Value. 

No.          Vshie. 

1871 

8 

1,807 

474 

32,147 

7 

372 

489      34.3>9 

1872 

6 

I»273 

353 

27.149 

2 

260 

361  1    28.682 

1873 

2 

455 

485 

44,358 

4 

375 

491      45,'^ 

1874 

I 

116 

235 

21.999 

5 

520 

241       22,^35 

Establishments. — The  Shahbandar  division  is  placed  under 
the  charge  of  a  Deputy  Collector,  who  is  also  a  full-power  magis- 
trate and  Vice-President  of  the  different  municipalities  in  his 
district  He  now  resides,  when  not  on  tour,  or  at  Karachi,  at 
the  town  of  Sujawal  in  the  Belo  taluka,  where  a  bangalow  has 
recently  been  erected.     Under  the   Deputy  Collector  are  i^ 


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SHAHBANDAR. 


751 


Mukhtyarkars  and  a  number  of  TapadSrs.  The  former,  as  also 
their  head  Munshis,  are  vested  with  certain  magisterial  powers 
for  the  trial  of  oflfences  committed  within  their  respective  talukas. 
The  judicial  and  revenue  system  is  the  same  as  that  generally 
prevailing  throughout  the  province  of  SindL 

Civil  Courts. — ^The  original  jurisdiction  of  the  subordinate 
court  of  this  division,  which  has  its  head-quarters  at  Mirpur 
Batoro,  extends  not  only,  over  all  the  talukas  of  this  district,  but 
to  the  Ghorebari  taluka  of  the  Jerruck  district  as  well  This  court 
was  established  in  1867,  and  the  Judge  visits  on  circuit  the 
towns  of  Sujawal,  Mugalbhin,  Bahadipur,  Keti-Bandar,  Kotri 
Alahrakhio  and  Shahbandar. 

Cattle-Pounds. — The  cattle-pounds  in  this  division  are  1 1  in 
number,  and  are  situate  at  Mirpur  Batoro,  Dara  and  Bano  in  the 
Mirpur  taluka  ;  Sujawal,  Belo  and  Vitalshah  in  the  Belo  taluka ; 
Bahadipur  and  Mugalbhin  in  the  Jati  taluka,  and  Shahbandar, 
Lodi  and  Gungani  in  the  Shahbandar  taluka.  The  proceeds  of 
these  pounds  are  credited  to  the  different  municipalities,  where 
such  institutions  exist,  otherwise  they  are  carried  to  the  credit  of 
the  local  funds. 

Police. — The  total  number  of  police  employed  in  this  division 
is  160,  or  one  policeman  to  every  649  of  the  population.  Of 
these  28  are  mounted,  either  on  horses  or  camels,  the  rest  being 
municpal  and  foot  police.  There  are  three  ^^thanas:^  at 
Mugalbhin,  Shahbandar  and  Mirpur  Batoro;  one  sub-thana  at 
Belo,  and  15  police  posts.  This  force,  which  is  in  charge  of  an 
inspector,  is  a  portion  of  that  directly  controlled  by  the  district 
superintendent  of  police  for  the  Karachi  CoUectorate,  and  is 
distributed  as  follows  : — 


TalOka. 

Mounted 
Police. 

Anned  and  un- 
armed Foot 
Police. 

Municipal 
Police. 

1.  Mirpur  Batoro     . 

2.  Belo    .... 

3.  Jati      ...     . 

4.  Shahbandar   .     . 

Total     .     . 

12 
6 

6 
4 

32 
29 

8 

4 

s 

4 

28.             Ill 

21 

Revenue. — The  revenue  of  the  Shahbandar  Deputy  CoUec- 
torate, imperial  and  local,  is  shown  under  its  separate  heads  for 
the  five  years  ending  with  1873-74  (see  next  page). 

Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


75« 


SHAHBANDAR. 


L  Imperial  Revenue. 


Items. 

1869-70-      ,      l»70-7t. 

Z871-73. 

i87»-73. 

««73-74. 

Land  Tax      .     .     . 
Abkari     .... 
Drugs  and  Opium    . 
Stamps    .... 

Salt 

Postal  Department  . 
Income     (Certificate' 
and  Licence)  Tax  j 
Law  and  Justice 
Miscellaneous     .     . 

rupees. 
2,87,443 
4.530 
3,185 
5,258 
4,530 
1,153 
4,526 

6,465 
209 

rupees. 
2,85,273 
3,200 
5,022 
5.461 
2,600 

1,439 
7,080 

7,357 
167 

rupees. 
2,80,004 

3.375 

4,445 

9,535 

215 

2,037 

3,069 

3,253 
224 

rupees. 
2.84.148 
5.500 
4.705 
13,397 
1,571 
2.252 

1,559 

3,973 
532 

rupees. 
2,82,222 

3,990 

2,183 
3.589 

7«7 

Total  rupees  . 

3.17.299 

3,17,599  1  3,06,157     3,17,637 

3.<>S.6m 

II.  Local  Revenue. 


Items. 

1869-70. 

iS/o-yx      1      1871-72. 

1872-73. 

i87.r74- 

Cesses  on  Land  and| 
Sayer  Revenue     .  / 

Percentage  on  Alien-1 
ated  Lands      .     ./ 

Cattle-pound  Fees   . 

Ferry  Funds.     .     . 

Fisheries.     .     .     . 

Total  rupees  . 

rupees. 

16,759 

140 

1,181 

10,812 

rupees.      1       rupees. 

16,372     I      17,758 

61      1            220 

1,628      \     ,  ^_ 

410    j    ^'959 
10,596         12,579 

rupees. 
18,155 

220 

4,308 
14,172 

rupees 
17,309 

215 

4,350 

29,307 

29.067    '    33.516 

36,855 

39,683 

Formerly  the  tapas  within  the  delta  yielded  a  large  revenue, 
and  possessed  very  valuable  rice  lands,  but  owing  to  the  desertioo 
of  late  years  of  the  main  stream  of  the  Indus  for  the  Uchto  (or 
Hajamro)  channel,  and  the  consequent  failure  of  a  freshwater 
supply,  the  revenue  of  this  part  of  the  division  has  greatly  fallen 
off,  and  very  extensive  remissions  have  had  to  be  granted.  These 
remarks  do  not  now,  it  would  seem,  apply  to  the  Mutni,  Bablo 
and  Keti-hashim  tapas  of  the  Shahbandar  taluka,  in  consequence 
of  a  breach  having  taken  place  in  1871-72  in  the  Uchto  by  the 
Kalandriwah.  In  this  division  manufactured  salt  is  taxed  at  ^ 
annas  per  maund.  The  maximum  rate  at  which  country  liquor 
is  sold  in  the  Jati  taluka  is  i^  rupee  per  ser^  and  in  the  JA^p^ 
Batoro,  Belo,  and  Shahbandar  talQkas,  at  ij  rupee  per  ser. 

Survey  and  Settlement. — The  topographical  survey  of  the 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


SHAHBANDAR.  753 

Shahbandar  division  was  commenced  in  1867-68,  and  completed 
in  1869-70,  but  up  to  this  present  date  the  new  survey  settlement 
has  not  yet  been  introduced.  Pending  this  step,  the  land  is  held 
on  temporary  or  provisional  leases,  which  are  to  cease  on  the 
introduction  of  the  settlement  The  maximum  rate  now  paid  for 
land  held  on  such  terms  may  be  estimated  at  4  rupees  per  acre, 
but  on  small  cultivation,  not  held  on  lease,  the  maximum  and 
minimum  rates  are  about  3  rupees  3  annas  11  pies,  and  15  annas 
6  pies  per  acre  respectively.  The  following  are  the  rates  per 
acre  obtaining  on  particular  kinds  of  land  : — charkhi,  2  rupees  ; 
garden  land,  4  rupees ;  rice  mok  land,  3  rupees ;  and  barani, 
I  rupee.  In  the  Shahbandar  taluka  there  are  two  kinds  of  rice 
mpk,  viz.,  culturable  land,  and  land  left  by  the  river,  known  as 
bhal.  The  former  is  assessed  at  3  rupees,  and  the  latter  at 
4  rupees  per  acre.  In  tlie  tapas  of  Shahbandar,  Mutni  and 
Bablo  of  this  taluka,  the  rates  were  fixed  from  1871-72  as  fol- 
lows ; — 

nip.  a. 

On  lands  watered  by  the  river  Mutni 28  per  acre. 

On   lands    in   the    Shahbandar    and   Mutni  tapas, 
watered  by  the  Mai     .  20        „ 

In  the  Belo  taluka  there  are  two  different  rates  in  rice  mok 
land,  viz.,  during  kharif,  3  rupees,  and  during  rabi,  i  rupee 
8  annas  per  acre. 

Jagirdars. — It  is  impossible  to  state  how  much  land  in  theaggre- 
gate  is  held  in  jagir  in  this  division,  as  no  information  respecting 
this  in  the  Mirpur  Batoro  and  Belo  talukas  has  been  received. 
From  a  return  dated  in  July  1858,  from  the  office  of  the  Assistant 
Commissioner  for  jagirs  in  Sind,  it  would  appear  that  in  the 
whole  of  the  Deputy  Collectorate  of  Shahbandar  there  were 
91,725  bigasy  or  say  45,000  acres  of  jagir  land.  At  present, 
according  to  the  Deputy  Collector's  return,  there  are  nearly 
28,000  acres  of  cultivable,  and  more  than  12,000  acres  of  unarable 
jagir  land  in  the  Jati  taluka  alone,  the  largest  holder  being  Mir 
Ali  Murad  Khan  Talpur,  who  possesses  23,444  acres  out  of  this 
area.  The  following  is  a  list  of  the  Jagirdars  in  the  several  Uilu- 
kas  of  the  division,  with  the  area  of  their  several  holdings  where 
such  can  be  shown  {seepages  754-57) 


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Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


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Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


7S8 


SHABBANDAR. 


There  are  but  few  Mafidars  in  this  division — not  more  than 
twelve,  it  would  seem,  in  all:  of  these  four  are  in  the  Mirpur 
Batoro  taltika ;  six  in  the  Shahbandar,  and  but  one  in  each  of  the 
jati  and  Belo  talukas.  There  do  not  appear  to  be  any  Sen 
grantees  in  this  Deputy  CoUectorate. 

Municipalities. — There  are  eight  municipalities  in  the  Shah- 
bandar  division,  viz.,  at  Mirpur  Batoro,  Mugalbhin,  Shahbandar, 
Sujawal,  Bano,  Chuhan  Jam^,  Daro  and  Gungani.  The 
Municipal  Act  was  only  introduced  into  the  four  latter  towns 
during  1875.  The  receipts  of  these  several  institutions  are  made 
up  mostly  from  town  duties,  market  fees,  cattle-pound  funds,  fenj 
fees,  fines,  &c  The  disbursements  are  chiefly  on  account  of 
establishments,  conservancy,  police,  grants  to  medical  dispensaries, 
and  repairs  of  roads  and  buildings,  &c.  The  receipts  and  dis- 
bursements of  the  first  four  municipalities  for  the  three  years 
ending  with  1874  are  as  follows : — 


Where  situate. 

Date  of 
EsUbUshment. 

Receipts  in 

Disbursements  in 

.87a. 

1873. 

1874. 

187a. 

x«73. 

1874. 

I.  Mirpur  Batoro 
a.MagaIbhin  .     . 

4.  Suj2wal  .    .     . 

Feb.  90,  1856 . 
March  ao,  1856 
July  ao,  1856  . 
May  z,  1866   . 

nip. 
3.075 

1.584 

453 

t.ao7 

nip. 
5.6oo 

3.05X 

1.505 

X.903 

nip. 
5.756 

a.  874 

x.oga 

X.969 

rup. 
3.S03 

X.779 

587 

898 

nip. 
7.x»3 

a.  5*4 

X.786 

1.905 

9.49> 
1.3* 

Medical  Establishments. — There  are  no  hospitals  in  this 
division,  and  but  one  medical  dispensary,  at  the  town  of  Mirpur 
Batoro,  established  in  1855.  It  is  under  the  medical  charge  of 
an  apothecary  of  the  Government  service,  who  has  a  small  subor- 
dinate establishment  The  Mirpur  municipality  contributes  a 
sum  yearly  towards  defraying  the  expenses  of  this  institution.  The 
following  table  will  show  the  number  of  patients  admitted  during 
the  two  years  ending  1874  : — 


Total  Admissions.      Casualties  in 

1 

Attendance. 

I 

Remaiks. 

1873. 

x874-    1     1873. 

1874. 

X873. 

1874- 

In-patients     . 

47 
4,aa8 

1 
to,        3 

3.953  1         6 

1 

• 

i6-i 
51 

4*o 
50 

Epidemic    diote* 
prevaaediBi»» 
and  caused  a  very 
hishmoftaliir. 

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SHAHBANDAR, 


759 


Peisons. — There  are  subordinate  jails  at  the  head-quarter 
stations  of  the  four  Mukhtyarkars  in  this  division,  viz.,  at  Mirpur 
Batoro,  Belo,  Mugalbhin  and  Shahbandar. 

Education. — Education  in  this  Deputy  CoUectorate  would 
appear  to  be  in  a  less  progressive  state  than  in  any  of  the  other 
districts  of  the  Karachi  CoUectorate,  there  being,  according  to 
the  Educational  Inspector's  report  for  1873-74,  but  three  Govern- 
ment schools  in  the  whole  division.  These  are  at  the  towns 
of  Shahbandar,  Mirpur  Batoro  and  Mugalbhin,  with  an  aggregate 
attendance  of  109  pupils.  The  number  of  private  schools  does 
not  appear  to  be  known. 

Agriculture. — As  in  the  adjoining  district  of  Jerruck,  so  in  this 
division,  there  may  be  considered  to  be  two  principal  seasons  in 
the  year  for  carrying  on  agricultural  operations — Kharif  and 
Rabi — the  chief  crops  produced  in  each  of  these  are  shown  as 
follows : — 


Season. 

Time  when 

Chief  Crops  produced. 

Reaped. 

1.  Kharif. 

2.  Rabi     . 

15  May  to  I  July. 
I  Oct.  to  20  Nov. 

I  Oct.  to  30  Nov. 
15  Feb.  to  31  Mar. 

Juar,  bajri,  rice, 
sugar-cane,  cot- 
ton, &c. 

Wheat,  bhang,  &c 

Of  these  crops,  rice  is  the  chief  staple,  being  76  per  cent  of 
the  whole  cultivation  in  the  division,  and  next  to  it  comes  bajri, 
which  is  in  the  proportion  of  13  per  cent  There  are  two  distinct 
methods  of  cultivating  the  rice-plant  in  this  division.  The  first, 
which  is  common  to  the  rice-growing  districts  of  the  Bombay 
presidency,  consists  in  preparing  in  the  first  instance  a  nursery- 
bed,  in  which  the  seed,  ususilly  in  the  proportion  of  130  lbs.  to  the 
acre,  is  sown.  Here  again  there  are  two  different  ways  of  preparing 
these  nursery-beds,  which  are  technically  known  as  bijdrani  and 
khamosh.  By  the  first,  the  ground  is  well  manured  and  ploughed 
several  times,  the  seed  being  sown  by  means  of  a  ndrij  or  funnel, 
during  the  last  ploughing.  Being  sufficiently  moist  of  itself,  the 
soil  does  not  require  any  irrigation,  the  plants  being  usually  ready 
for  transplantation  in  forty  days.  They  are  then  taken  to  other 
fields,  previously  ploughed  over  several  times,  but  not  manured, 
these  in  some  cases  being  four  or  five  miles  distant  from  the 
nursery-beds,  and  here  they  are  regularly  planted  out  By  the 
second  plan,  the  stubble  is  burnt,  which,  with  manure,  is  mixed 


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76o  SHAHBANDAR, 

with  the  soil  of  the  intended  bed,  but  not  ploughed  into  it  The 
seed  is  sown  with  the  hand  These  nursery-beds  are  irrigated 
from  kcuhha  wells,  and  the  plants  are  generally  ready  for  transplant- 
ing in  about  twent) -five  days.  After  transplanting,  the  plants  are 
watered  so  as  to  insure  their  being  covered  for  two-thirds  of  their 
height.  Some  of  the  finest  rice  lands  so  cultivated  are  situate  in 
the  Mirpur  Batoro  taluka,  on  the  Khorwah  canal,  and  here  is 
produced  a  fine  description  of  white  rice  known  by  the  name  of 
sugddsi;  other  kinds  are  known  as  ganja,  motia,  satria  and  laii 
The  average  yield  per  acre^  in  good  land,  is  about  7  maunds, 
or  560  lbs.  of  cleaned  rice,  and  in  inferior  soils  4t  maunds, 
or  340  lbs.  The  average  profit,  after  deducting  expense  of  seed 
and  cultivation,  is  5  rupees  for  the  good,  and  3  rupees  per  acre 
for  the  inferior  lands.  The  second  method  of  cultivating  rice, 
which  is  practised  in  the  southern  portion  of  the  Shahbandar 
and  Ghorabari  talukas,  where  the  lands  lie  low,  is  to  sow  the 
seed  broadcast  in  a  soil  which  is  seldom  previously  ploughed  up 
for  its  reception.  No  transplanting  is  carried  out,  but  the  land 
receives  a  slimy  deposit  from  the  inundation  waters,  and  is  partially 
flooded  at  high  tides.  Little  or  no  labour  is  required  in  this  kind 
of  cultivation,  as  there  are  no  canals  to  clear,  water-courses  to 
make,  or  land  to  plough.  The  high  tides  irrigate  the  crop 
sufficiently  without  the  help  of  the  cultivator,  and  such  rice-lands 
as  these  are  in  consequence  in  great  request  The  returns  are 
heavy  also,  the  oxo^pcr  acre  often  reaching  as  much  as  i4maundsy 
or  1 1 20  lbs.  of  cleaned  rice,  and  the  net  pecuniary  profit  to 
15  rupees /^r  acre.  The  implements  of  agriculture  in  this  division 
do  not  seem  to  differ  in  any  way  from  those  in  use  in  other 
parts  of  Sind. 

Commerce. — The  trade  of  this  division,  considering  its  great 
area,  is  not  of  much  account,  and  consists  mostly  in  the  e3qx>rt  of 
grain— especially  rice,  its  staple  commodity — and  agricultural 
produce  generally  to  other  parts  of  Sind  and  to  Kachh,  and  in 
the  import  of  cloths,  oil,  ghi,  sugar,  pepper,  tobacco,  betel-nut,  and 
copper  and  brass  vessels.  The  value  of  the  imports  is  roughly 
estimated  in  the  whole  at  about  3J  lakhs  of  rupees,  and  the 
exports  to  about  7  lakhs;  but  these  amounts  must  be  taken 
as  merely  approximative^  there  being  no  proper  machinery  at 
present  in  force  to  test  the  accuracy  of  these  figures.  With  the 
exception  of  the  towns  of  Mirpur  Batoro  and  Mugalbhin — and 
these  are  by  no  means  either  populous  or  important — there  are  no 
others  of  any  consequence  in  the  whole  division.  Shahbandar,  once 
a  large  port  in  the  delta  of  the  Indus,  has  long  since  dwindled 

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SHAHBANDAR. 


761 


away  to  comparative  insignificance,  and  has  now  scarcely  any 
trade  in  connection  with  it  Sirgando,  one  of  the  subordinate 
ports  of  Sind,  situate  on  the  Sir  river,  has  a  small  import  and 
export  trade — the  former,  which  is  trifling  both  in  quantity  and 
value,  consists  mostly  of  cocoa-nuts ;  the  latter,  which  is  more 
important,  comprises  chiefly  grain  and  pulse,  firewood,  provisions 
and  oilman's  stores,  oils,  and  a  little  cotton  wool.  The  following 
table  will  show  the  value  of  the  imports  and  exports  to  and  from 
Sirgando  with  foreign  countries  and  other  presidencies  in  British 
India  for  the  five  years  ending  1873-74  : — 


1869-70.       1870-71. 

1871-73. 

1879-73.   1    1873-74. 

Exports       .... 

Imports       .... 

Total  rupees 

rupees.       i    nipees. 
85,361      ,   38.037 

2,340  i  1,373 

rupees.     |    rupees. 
84,307     108,664 

2,176   '      1,356 

rupees. 
95,864 

1,759 

87,701  1  39,410 

86,483    110,020 

97,623 

Of  transit  trade  there  is  not  much  passing  through  the  district ; 
what  there  is  mostly  comes  and  goes  from  and  to  Kachh.  The 
following  tables  will  show  the  value  (approximate)  of  the  imports 
and  exports  in  the  four  several  talukas  of  the  Shahbandar  Deputy 
Collectorate :  — 


Imports. 


Articles. 


Mirpur 
Batoro. 


Jati. 


Sh&hbandar. 


B£lo. 


Betel-nuts  . 

Cloths     .  . 

Cocoa-nuts  . 

Cotton     .  . 

Dates       .  . 
Drugs 

Dyes        .  . 

Ghi    .     .  . 
Grain  : — 

Barley 

Gram  .  . 

Wheat 

Other  grains 

Metals  :— 
Brass    .     . 
Copper 
Iron     .     . 

Metori     . 


rupees. 
1,000 

60,000 

1,000 

3,000 

3,500 


1,000 

900 

2,100 


600 


ruppes. 

600 

40,000 

420 

1,000 

4,000 

100 

200 

4,500 
4,500 


1' 


000 

000 


420 

4,200 
2,500 


rupees. 

1,600 

40,000 


500 

3,000 


300 


Digitized  by 


rupees. 
200 

4,000 

300 
300 


500 
500 

1,000 


Google 


762 


shAhbandar. 


Aitides. 

Mirpur 
Batoro. 

J4d. 

ShShbandar. 

B^lfr 

Manjit  (Madder)      .     .     . 

Oil 

Pepper  (black  and  red) .     . 

Silk  (raw)     '.     ".     !     !     \ 

Spices 

Sugar       

Sugar-candy 

Tobacco 

Wool 

Miscellaneous     .... 

Total  rupees .     . 

rupees. 
4.000 
6,500 

3.«x> 

13,000 

150 

3»«» 

20,000 

rupees. 

2,400 

100 
1,000 
4,000 

400 
300 
700 

rupees. 

1,400 
1,000 

6,000 

4,000 

rupees. 

500 

500 

200 
200 

300 

1,22,750 

1,24,340 

59,500      1        8,500 

1 

Exports. 


Articles. 

Mtipur 
Batoro. 

jati. 

Shah- 

bandar. 

B€lo. 

Remarks. 

rupees. 

rupees. 

rupees. 

rupees. 

Barley  .     . 

900 

1,200 

... 

From  the  Mirpur  Ba- 
toro   taluka   mer- 

Bajri    .     . 

5,000 

7.500 

2,000 

15,000 

chandise  is  sent  to 
Tanda  Muhammad 

Ghi      .     . 

5,000 

6,000 

Khan  and  Hyder- 
abad ;     from    the 

Jagri    .     . 

4,000 

Jati  taluka  to 
Kachh  ;   from  the 

Jambho  and 

Shahbandartoliika 

Sariah    . 

1,000 

to  Hyderabad, 
Kachh  and  Kara- 

Mung .     . 

1,000 

2,400 

chi,  and  from  the 
Belo     taliika     to 

Makai.     . 

1,200 

Tatta,  Karachi 
and  Keti-bandar. 

Rice     .     . 
Total  rup. 

1,00,000 

67,000 

85,000 

66,000 

1,10,000 

81,600 

89,200 

89,400 

Manufactures. — The  manufactures  of  this  division  are  confined 
simply  to  ordinary  articles  of  domestic  use,  such  as  salt,  coarse 
blankets,  and  leathern  and  iron  goods.  At  Jati  a  coarse  cloth  d 
camels*  and  goats'  hair  is  manufactured,  and  is  known  there  under 
the  name  of  khatha^  oxjori.  The  manufacture  of  salt,  which  is 
largely  carried  on  in  this  division,  is  both  curious  and  simple. 
The  process  is  as  follows  : — In  the  first  place,  a  kachha  well  is 
sunk  in  the  salty  land  and  the  water  taken  out,  generally  by  hand, 
and  passed  through  a  pipe  into  a  large  trough  filled  with  sand  and 
kalar^  or  salt  earth.  The  water,  after  filtering  through,  is  conveyed 


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SHAHBANDAR. 


763 


by  narrow  channels  made  in  the  ground  into  a  pit  10  or  15  yards 
distant,  where  it  has  the  consistency  of  a  thick  s)mip.  It  is  taken 
out  of  the  pits  by  buckets,  and  allowed  to  stand  in  smaU  earthen 
vessels.  In  three  or  four  days  the  water  evaporates,  leaving  the 
salt  only,  which  is  then  ready  for  the  market  The  average  whole- 
sale price  of  salt  in  this  division  is  i  rupee  per  maund.  There 
are  saltworks  at  Thoranwari,  Dirwari,  Jagir,  Katora,  Achh  and 
Muradpur.  There  are  also  some  very  large  and  valuable  salt  manu- 
factures at  Sirgando,  in  the  desert  portion  of  the  Shahbandar  district, 
about  24  miles  from  the  town  of  Mugalbhin.  Formerly  large 
quantities  of  this  salt  were  exported  to  Calcutta,  but  at  present  the 
trade  in  this  article  is  at  a  stand-still.  It  will,  no  doubt,  be  again 
exported  extensively  in  the  event  of  the  licence  system  being  again 
introduced,  and  this  step  it  is  expected  will  shortly  be  carried  out 
Fairs. — The  fairs,  large  and  small,  in  this  division  are  13  in 
number,  but  4  only  are  of  any  importance  ;  these  are  Shah  Yakik, 
Shah  Mugalbhin,  Shah  Inayat-ulah  and  Amir  Fir.  The  following 
table  will  afford  some  particulars  of  7  of  these  fairs ; — 


Name  of  Fair. 


Where  and  when  held. 


Remarks. 


I.  Shah  Yakik  .     . 


2.  Mian     Usmaii-jo-\ 
Kubo     .     .     ./ 


3.  Shah  Mugalbhin 


4.  Shah  Inayat-ulah\ 

Sufi  .     .     .     ./ 

5.  Amir  Pir  .     .     . 


6.  ShahNasar    . 


7.  UderaLal 


Tal.  Shahbandar. 

Near  Got  Landhi,  Satah 
tapa,  in  the  month  of 
Chait. 

Near  Dhaturo,  Satah  tapa, 
in  the  month  Phagan. 

Tal.  Jati. 

At  Mugalbhin,  in  the 
month  Phagan. 

Tal.  Mirpur  Batoro. 

At  Jhok,  in  the  month 

Safar. 
Near  Got  Shah-Kapur,  in 

the    month    Jamad-ul- 

Tal.  Belo. 

Near  Got  Walishah,  in 
the  month  Jamad-ul- 
awal. 

Near  Saidpur  Kharo,  in  , 
the  month  of  Chait.        1 


Is  held  annually,  and 
also  monthly. 

Annual. 


Annual,  and  is  said  to 
have  been  founded  in 
H.  600  (A.D.  1210). 


Annual ;  was  founded  in 
H.  1 130. 

Annual ;  is  stated  to 
have  been  founded 
two  centuries  ago. 


Annual ;  its  foundation 
dates  about  the  be- 
^nning  of  the  Talpur 
dynasty. 

Annual. 


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764 


SHAHBANDAR, 


CoMBiUNiCATiONS. — There  are  in  the  Shahbandar  Deputy  Col- 
lectorate  about  350  miles  of  roads,  which  are  made  of  kaiar^  or 
salt  earth,  and  so  long  as  no  rain  falls  they  remain  in  excellent 
condition,  and  require  very  little,  if  any,  repair.  When  a  shower 
of  rain  takes  place,  no  matter  how  small  in  quantity,  they  become 
at  once  quite  impassable  for  camels,  but  resume  their  former 
appearance  when  dry.  The  postal  lines  run  for  about  80  miles 
on  these  roads.  The  following  is  a  list  of  all  the  communications 
in  this  division,  with  other  information  connected  with  them  : — 


Length 

From 

To 

in 
Miles. 

Kemarics. 

iJhaina  • 

Lakha  Latifula  .      . 

7} 

Khadi    .     .     . 

Ditto       .... 

4 

Belo.     .     .     . 

Chak  Sand  .     .     . 

2 

There  is  a  dharamsala  tl 
Belo. 

Belo.     .     .     . 

Saidpur  .... 

« 

Belo.     .     .     . 

Daro 

lOi 

Has  milestones  ;  there  is 
a  dharamsala  at  Daro. 

Belo.     .     .     . 

Mugalbhln    .     .     . 

32j 

Ditto;  a  small  bangdow 
and  dharamsala  at  Ma- 
galbhin. 

Sujawal.      .     . 

Saidpur  ferry      .      . 

4 

d 

Atalshah     .     . 

Bano 

Z\ 

There  is  a  dharamsala  at 

iS 

Bano. 

n 

Kot  Alma  .     . 

Saidpur   .... 

2 

Bachal  Gugo    . 

Mangiludho  Gugo    . 

3} 

1 

Karia  Petari     . 

I^ikpur  .... 

4 

There  is  a  dhxmun^la  at 

^5 

Laikpur. 

Kot  Alma   .     . 

Belo 

10 

Laikpur.      .      . 

Kot  Alma     .     .     . 

6 

Sujawal.     .     . 

32i 

Is  a  postal  road,  and  has 
milestones  ;  there  is  a 

staging  bangalow  and 

dharamsala    at    Shah- 

bandar. 

Sujawal .     .     . 

Mirpur  Batoro    .     . 

13 

Is  a  postal  road,  and  has 
milestones;  a  Deputy 
Collector's  bangalow 
and  dharamsala  at  Suja- 
wal. 

Mugalbhln  .     . 

Mirpur  Batoro  . 
Khsaifa  Dehraj  .     . 

26 

Ditto. 

Mugalbhln  . 

1} 

Mugalbhln 

Ladi 

12J 

Has  milestones ;  a  dha- 

ramsala at  Ladi. 

Mugalbhln 

Shahbandar  .     .     . 

?l 

S 

Mugalbhln        . 

Bahadipur     .      .     . 
Ferry  Haiyat  Gaho. 

a 

Bahadipur  .     . 

2 

H 

Mirpur  . 
Shankapur  .     . 

Mulchand      .     .     . 

24 

Has  milestones. 

GandaChatan    .     . 

2 

There  is  a  dharamsala  ai 

I 

, 

Shahkapur. 

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SHAHBANDAR. 


76s 


From 


To 


Length! 

in      I 

Miles.  I 


Remarks* 


I 


3 


Shahkapur  . 

Mirpur  B.    . 

Mirpur  B.   . 

.Mirpur  B.    . 

Shanbandar 

Shahbandar 

Bahadipur 

Ladi.     . 

Chachh  . 

Gungani 

Chachh. 

Rind 

Gungani  ferry 

.Gungani  ferry 


Wadheran 

Khorwah 

!  Jhok    .     . 


Jar     .... 

Mutni      «     . 
Ghar        .     .     . 
Ladi  .... 
Janga  Jalbani 
Kuba  Usman 
Jatori       .     .     . 
Ladi  .... 
Gungani  ferry     . 
Got     Jamali    (river 

bank)  .     . 
Molena  (river  bank) 


3i 

7 

7 

.i 

7 
9 
9 
3 
10 

3 
7 
2 


There  is  a  dharamsaU  at 

Wadheran. 
Has  milestones;  a  dha- 

ramsala  at  Mirpur. 
Has  milestones ;   a  dha- 

nunsala  at  Jhok. 
Ditto. 


Has  milestones. 
Ditto. 


There  are  also  dharamsalas  at  Sitardinoshah  and  Laghari. 

As  a  general  rule,  the  roads  during  the  fine  weather  in  the 
Shahbandar  division  are  broad,  level,  and  passable  throughout ; 
but  during  the  inundation  season  those  in  the  southern  portion  of 
this  district  are  all  more  or  less  flooded,  or  intersected  by  unbridged 
canals  and  water-courses,  and  are  impassable  for  camels.  The 
southern  part  of  the  Shahbandar  taluka  is  impassable  except  by 
boat  throughout  the  year,  as  it  is  intersected  by  numerous  salt- 
water creeks.  The  road  from  Mugalbhin  to  Lakhpat,  in  Kachh, 
is  about  48  miles  in  length,  the  village,  or  rather  station,  of  Ver 
being  situate  halfway ;  here  is  a  dharamsala  and  a  few  small  wells, 
but  the  only  inhabitants  are  a  police  constable  and  a  bania.  From 
Mugalbhin  to  Ver  the  road  is  marked  out  by  side-drains.  Six 
miles  below  Ver  the  salt-water  comes  up  and  swamps  that  part  of 
the  district,  and  here  the  road  greatly  needs  to  be  raised  all  the 
way  to  Kotri  opposite  I^khpaL  At  this  latter  place  the  Kori 
creek  is  5  miles  wide,  and  is  crossed  by  boats,  the  charge  for 
each  passenger  being  2  annas.  Camels  are  crossed  over  at  a 
ford  higher  up  at  low  tide,  the  rate  for  each  head  of  cattle  ranging 
from  4  to  8  annas.  There  is  a  dharamsala  at  Kotri,  and  a  peon 
is  stationed  there  by  the  Rao  of  Kachh,  who  supplies  travellers 
from  Ver  with  sweet  water.  This  road  from  Mugalbhin  to  Lakhpat, 
vUl  Ver,  is  that  generally  taken  by  Hindu  pilgrims  bound  to  Naray- 
ansar,  in  Kachh,  a  place  of  some  sanctity.    The  postal  lines  of 


Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


766 


SHAHBANDAR. 


communication  in  the  Shahbandar  Deputy  Conectorate  are  three 
in  number,  one  reaching  Mirpur  Batoro  from  Tatta,  a  distance 
of  25  miles;  the  second  from  Belo  to  Mugalbhin,  29  miles,  and 
the  third  from  Sujawal  to  Shahbandar,  32  miles  in  length.  There 
are  non-disbursing  offices  at  Mirpur  Batoro,  Shahbandar,  Sujawal, 
Belo  and  Jati,  but  no  branch  post-offices. 

Ferries. — There  are  in  all  34  ferries  in  the  Shahbandar  division, 
situate  either  on  the  Indus,  its  branches,  or  on  canals,  but  some  of 
these  are  only  of  a  temporary  nature.  The  proceeds  from  these 
ferries  are  included  under  the  head  of  local  revenue.  TTie 
following  is  a  statement  of  these  ferries,  with  their  situation,  and 
the  number  of  boats  belonging  to  each,  but  several  of  them  are 
only  used  during  the  inundation  season  : — 


Name  of  Ferry. 


Where  situate. 


Number 
of  Boats. 


1.  Bono  .      . 

2.  Dhama     . 

3.  Laikpur    . 

4.  Khanpur  . 

5.  Dara  .     . 

6.  Alah-waraiyo  Kandra 

7.  jar     ... 

8.  Gungani  .     . 

9.  Dari    . 

10.  Chortani  . 

11.  Bachal  Gugo. 

12.  Godri  .     .     . 

13.  Belo  Jamali    . 

14.  Wadheran 

15.  Nim  Hingor-jo 

16.  Khalifa  Dehraj 

17.  Satarnoshah  . 

18.  Mugalbhin 

19.  Pir  Gajar  .     . 

20.  Mutni.     . 

21.  Small  Mutni . 

22.  Bagana     . 

23.  Chuhar  Jainali 

24.  Landhi 

25.  Machi       .     . 

26.  Saidpur    . 

27.  Ranta.      .     . 

28.  Lakho  Latifulah 

29.  Khadi  (new)  . 

30.  Khadi  (old)    . 


At  Bano,  on  the  Pinyari  .     . 
At  Dhama,  on  the  Pinyari 
At  Laikpur,  on  the  Pinyari    . 
At  Khanpur,  on  the  Pinyari  . 
At  Dara,  on  the  Mahmudwah 

{At    Alah-waraiyo    Kandra,   on  the 
Mahmudwah      .     .     . 
At  Jar,  on  the  Mahmiidwah 
At  Gungani,  on  the  Indus 
At  Dari,  on  the  Pinyari   . 
At  Chortani,  on  the  Pinyari 
At  Bachal  Qugo,  on  the  Pinyari 
At  Godri,  on  me  Pinyari  . 
At  Belo  Jamali,  on  the  Indus 
At  Wadheran,  on  the  Gungro 
At  Nim  Hingor-jo,  on  the  Giingro 
At  Khalifa  Dehraj,  on  the  Gungro 
At  Satarnoshah,  on  the  Gungro  . 
At  Mugalbhin,  on  the  Gungro    . 
At  Pir  Gajar,  on  the  Gungro 
At  the  mouth  of  the  Mutni    .     . 
At  Jc^ira,  on  the  Gungro      .     . 
At  Bagana,  on  the  MsI    .     .     . 
At  Chuhar  Jamali,  on  the  Satah . 
At  Landhi,  on  the  Satah  .     .     . 
At  Machi,  on  the  Khanta      .     . 
At  Saidpur,  on  the  Indus.     .     . 
At  Ranta,  on  the  Indus    .     . 
At  Lakho  Latifxdah,  on  the  Indus 

Ditto  ditto 

Ditto  ditto 


Antiquities. — There  do  not  seem  to  be  any  remains  of  great 
antiquity  in  this  division,  nor  are  such  likely  to  be  found  in  such 

Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


SHAHBANDAR. 


767 


a  district  as  that  of  Shahbandar.  There  is  a  tradition  of  a  town 
of  great  size,  called  Samma  Sumro,  having  once  existed  a  little  to 
the  south  of  the  present  village  of  Shah-Kapur,  in  the  Mirpur 
Batoro  taluka.  In  the  same  manner  a  town  called  Rohri,  in  the 
Jati  taluka,  is  supposed  to  have  flourished  about  two  centuries 
ago.  Remains  of  forts  are  also  in  some  places  to  be  seen,  but, 
owing  to  the  peculiar  and  erratic  course  of  the  Indus  towards  the 
sea,  and  the  consequent  changeable  nature  of  its  various  branches, 
there  is  no  district  which  is  likely  to  show  less  remains  of  antiquity 
than  that  of  Shahbandar.  The  fate  of  Shahbandar  and  other 
places  in  modem  times  proves  this  conclusively. 

Shahbandar^  a  taluka  (or  sub-division)  of  the  Shahbandar 
Deputy  Collectorate,  having  an  area  of  699  square  miles,  with  7 
tapas,  1 16  "  dehs,"  and  a  population  of  21,046  souls.  The  revenue, 
imperial  and  local,  of  this  sub-division  during  the  four  years  ending 
1873-74  was  as  follows : — 


1870-71. 

1871-73. 

1873-73. 

1873-74. 

Imperial    .      .     . 

Local  .... 

Total  rupees 

rupees. 
96,019 

7,257 

rupees. 
80,935 

8,741 

rupees. 
86,130 

10,517 

rupees. 
83,571 

10,279 

1,03,276 

89,676 

96,647 

93,850 

Shahbandar  (King's  Port),  the  chief  town  of  the  taluka 
of  the  same  name  in  the  Shahbandar  Deputy  Collectorate, 
situate  in  latitude  24°  10'  N.,  and  longitude  67°  46'  K,  distant 
30  miles  south-west  from  Mugalbhin,  and  32I  miles  south 
of  Sujawal.  It  is  in  the  Indus  delta,  and  was  formerly 
seated  on  the  east  bank  of  the  channel  which  discharged  its 
waters  into  the  sea  by  the  Mai  mouth.  At  present  it  is  10 
miles  distant  from  the  nearest  point  of  the  Indus.  The  great 
salt  desert  commences  about  a  mile  to  the  south-east  of  this  town, 
and  on  its  westward  side  are  great  jungles  of  a  long  kind  of 
grass,  known  under  the  local  name  of  din  or  bin.  It  was  to 
Shahbandar  that  the  English  factory  was  removed  from  Auranga- 
bandar  when  this  latter  place  was  deserted  by  the  Indus,  and  it  is 
recorded  that  previous  to  the  dissolution  of  the  factory  in  1775,  it 
supported  a  considerable  establishment  for  the  navigation  of  the 
river,  consisting  of  14  small  vessels,  each  of  about  40  tons  in 
burthen.  It  would  seem  that  the  extensive  flood  which  occurred  in 
Sind  somewhere  about  1819  (the  year  when  Kachh  was  visited 

Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


768  SHAHBANDAR. 

by  a  terrible  earthquake)  caused  great  alterations  in  the  lower 
part  of  the  Indus,  and  tended  materially  to  hasten  the  decay 
of  the  town  of  Shahbandar  by  withdrawing  the  water  from  the 
branch  on  which  it  stood.     '^  On  this  occasion,**  says  Carless,  in 
his  memoir  on  the  Indus,  written  in  1837,  "the  river  altered  so 
much  about  the  part  where  the  Satah  was  thrown  off,  that  a  laiger 
body  of  water  than  usual  was  forced  into  that  stream,  and  it 
increased  in  size  considerably.     The  change  became  greater  every 
successive  year,  until  at  last  the  main  river  turned  into  the  Satah, 
and  abandoned  the  Bhaghiar  altogether.     It  did  not,  however, 
pursue  the  same  course  as  that  branch  for  many  miles,  but  forced 
a  passage  for  itself,  nearly  in  a  straight  line»  through  several 
creeks,  across  the  Mugrah  and  Nair,  into  the  lower  part  of  the 
Gorah  river,  and  shortly  after  opened  a  new  mouth,  the  present 
KukaiwarL     Before  this  happened  many  of  the  branches  were 
navigable  for  large  ships,  and  at  an  earlier  period  were  frequented 
both  by  the  Company's  cruisers  and  merchant  vessels.    The  rulers 
of  Sind  had  also  a  fleet  of  15  ships,  stationed  at  Shahbandar, 
which  owes  its  name  (the  King's  Port)  to  that  circumstance,  and 
it  is  mentioned  in  the  histories  of  the  country  that  they  sometimes 
ascended  the  river  as  high  as  Tatta.     The  line  of  route  they  pur- 
sued, from  the  sea  to  Shahbandar,  is  accurately  pointed  out  by 
the  natives :  they  entered  by  the  Richhal,  the  only  accessible 
mouth,  and  passing  into  the  Hajamro,  through  what  is  now  the 
Khedewari  creek,  ascended  that  river  to  a  part  about  10  miles 
above  Vikar  (Ghorebari),  where  it  joined  the  Bagana,  or,  as  it  is 
now  called,  the  Mai,  on  which  branch,  but  considerably  lower 
down,  Shahbandar  was  situated.     They  could  also  pass  into  the 
Gorah  river  from  the  Hajamro,  and  navigate  it  down  to  Betri, 
then  a  large  town.     At  this  period  the  Richhal  mouth,  which  is 
now  nearly  closed  by  a  sandbank,  had  a  depth  of  4  fathoms, 
and  there  was  a  high  beacon  erected  on  the  south  point  to  facilitate 
the  navigation.     This,  from  its  resemblance  to  a  minaret,  the 
natives  called  Munara.     No  trace  of  it  now  remains,  but  its  name 
has  been  retained  in  that  of  a  village  built  near  its  site.     Such  are 
the  alterations  that  have  occurred  in  the  lower  part  of  the  Indus 
within  the  last  eighteen  years."  Shahbandar  is  at  present  the  head- 
quarter station  of  the  Mukhtyarkar  of  the  taluka,  and  of  a  Tapadar 
also,  and  possesses  a  police  thdna  with  a  force  of  13  men,  as  well 
as  a  municipality,  established  in  1856,  with  an  income  in  1874 
of  1,092  rupees.     It  has  besides  a  staging  bangalow  and  a  cattle- 
pound.  The  population,  according  to  the  census  of  1872,  numbers 
1203,  of  whom  469  are  Muhammadans  and  732   Hindus;  the 


Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


SHAHDADPUR. 


769 


former  are  of  the  M€mon,  Shikari,  and  MuhSna  tribes,  the  latter 
mostly  Lohanos  by  caste.  This  town,  which  when  situate  on  the 
river  boasted  of  an  extensive  trade,  has  now  dwindled  away  into 
obscurity,  and  has  no  manufacture  of  any  kind  whatever. 

ShahdadpuT;  a  talQka  (or  revenue  sub-division)  of  the  H§la 

Deputy  Collectorate,  having  6  tapas  and  63  villages,  with  an  area 

of  756  square  miles,  and  a  population  of  55,707  souls.  The  revenue 

'of  thiis  taluka,  imperial  and  local,  for  the  four  years  ending  with 

1873-74  is  as  follows : — 


1870-7X. 

X87X-72. 

«87a-73-     1      1873-74. 

Imperial    .     .     . 

Local  .... 

Total  rupees  . 

rupees. 
1,15,269 

7,773 

rupees. 
1,12,216 

7,225 

rupees. 
1,08,467 

7.242 

rupees. 

i.oa.sia 
6,176 

1,23,042 

1,19,441 

1,15,709  i    1,08,688  1 

Shahdadpur,  the  chief  town  of  the  Shahdadpur  taluka,  in  the 
Hala  district,  in  latitude  25°  49'  N.,  and  longitude  68°  44'  E., 
distant  15  miles  north-east  from  Hala,  and  40  miles  north-east 
from  Hyderabad  It  is  situate  on  the  Jamwah  canal,  and  has 
road  communication  with  Bhitshah,  Hala,  Saidabad,  Sakrand, 
Jhol,  Berani,  Adam-jo-Tando  and  Brahmanabad.  It  possesses  a 
MOkhtyarkar's  office,  subordinate  judge's  court-house,  post-ofiice, 
dharamsala.  Government  vernacular  school,  police  lines  and  a 
cattle  pound  (or  dhak).  There  is  also  a  municipality,  the  receipts 
from  which  in  1873-74  were  1922  rupees,  and  the  expenditure 
2219  rupees.  The  population  at  this  place  numbers  2232,  of 
whom  756  are  Musalmans,  and  1250  Hindus;  of  the  former  the 
Abras,  Chunas,  and  Khaskehs  are  most  numerous,  while  the  greater 
number  of  the  Hindus  are  of  the  Lohano  caste.  Their  principal 
occupations  are  agriculture,  trade,  and  oil-pressing.  The  local 
trade,  which  is  mostly  in  grain,  oil-seeds,  sugar  and  cloth,  is  valued 
at  about  60,000  rupees ;  and  the  transit  trade,  which  is  large  in 
bajri,  rice,  wheat  and  cotton,  at  a  little  over  i  lakh  of  rupees. 
The  principal  manufactiure  is  that  of  oil,  for  which  the  town  is 
famous;  about  2000  maunds,  valued  at  20,000  rupees,  are  said 
to  be  made  here  yearly.  Shahdadpur  is  rei)orted  to  have  been 
founded  about  200  years  ago  by  one  Mir  Shahdad.  The  chief 
man  of  note  in  this  place  is  Gosai  Dharamgir. 

Shahdadpur,  a  Government  town  in  the  Kambar  taluka  of  the 
Larkana  Deputy  CoUectorate,  in  latitude  27°  46'  N.,  and  longitude 

3  D 

Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


770  SHAH-JO-GOT—SHAH  HASAN. 

68^  £.,  distant  about  30  miles  north-nordi-^est  from  Laikana.  It 
is  seated  on  the  west  bank  of  the  Dato-ji-Kur  canal,  and  has  road 
communication  with  Kambar,  Garhi  Khairo,  Jamali  and  Hamal, 
and  is  the  head-quarter  station  of  a  Tapadar.  The  town  is  situate 
in  a  barren  tract,  which,  a  short  time  after  the  conquest  of  the 
Province  by  the  British,  was  almost  destitute  of  population,  and  is 
described  as  being  more  like  the  bed  of  a  salt  lagoon  in  an  interval 
of  spring  tides,  than  an  inland  district  The  population,  in 
number  about  783,  comprises  464  Musalmans  of  the  Pirzadah, 
Kalhoro,  Lashari,  Siyal,  Magsi  and  Muhana  tribes,  the  remainder 
(319)  being  Hindus.  The  chief  man  of  note  in  this  place  is  Pir 
Bakhsh  Kahawar,  a  very  influential  and  public-spirited  Zamindar, 
who  has  done  much  towards  raising  this  town  to  its  former  prosperity. 
At  one  time  Shahdadpur  was  a  large  place,  from  which  Sir  John 
Keane,  when  in  Sind,  drew  supplies  for  his  army,  then  on  the 
point  of  advancing  on  Afghanistan,  but  after  that  it  fell  into  a 
ruinous  condition — so  much  so,  that  when  Lieutenant  James,  the 
Deputy  Collector  of  the  Ch^ndko  district,  visited  it  in  1846,  an 
old  HindQ  was  its  only  inhabitant  The  town  has  a  fair  trade  in 
wool,  rice  and  grain  of  different  kinds,  but  there  are  no  manu- 
factures of  any  description  in  it 

"Near  this  town,  on  the  banks  of  the  Dato-ji-Kur  canal," 
says  Lieutenant  James,  "  there  is  a  pair  of  large  millstones  in  a 
garden  about  4  feet  in  diameter,  which  once  belonged  to  one  Dato 
Kohawar,  a  man  as  renowned  for  his  wealth  as  for  his  unboimded 
liberality.  These  millstones  are  now  considered  sacred,  for  we  are 
told  that  God  was  so  pleased  with  his  liberality  and  piety,  that  if 
even  a  handful  of  grain  was  thrown  in,  the  supply  of  flour  would 
be  equal  to  all  demands.  They  are  approached  with  bare  feet,  and 
the  precincts  are  kept  in  cleanliness  and  good  order.* 

Shah-jo-got,  a  Government  village  in  the  Rato-dero  talflka 
of  the  Larkana  Division,  distant  1 1  miles  north-east  from  Larkana. 
No  roads  lead  to  or  from  this  place.  The  population,  numbering 
in  all  1799,  is  composed  of  1499  Musalmans  of  the  Pir  tribe,  and 
300  Hindus,  who  are  Lohanos.  Their  chief  employments  are 
trade  and  agriculture. 

Shah  Hasan,  a  village  in  the  Sehwan  taluka  of  the  Sehwan 
Deputy  Collectorate,  is  situate  at  the  western  extremity  of  the 
Manchhar  lake,  distant  24  miles  west  from  Sehwan,  with  which 
latter  town,  t^/i  Jhingar,  as  also  with  Johi  and  Chhini,  it  has  road 
communication.  It  is  the  head-quarter  station  of  a  Tapadar,  and 
has  a  small  police  post,  a  school,  dharamsala,  and  a  cattle-pound. 
The  inhabitants,  1115  in  number,  consist  of  837  Muhammadans, 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


SHER  MUHAMMAD  NAITCH. 


771 


principally  Muhanas  and  Bugias,  and  278  Hindus  of  the  I.ohano 
caste.  The  manufactures  of  this  place  are  chiefly  confined  to  ropes 
and  mats  made  from  the /if  or  fishy  a  kind  of  dwarf-palm.  The 
local  trade  is  in  grain,  fish  and  mats,  but  there  is  no  transit  trade. 

Sher  Muhammad  Naitch,  a  Government  town  in  the  Kam- 
bar  taluka  of  the  LarkiUia  Division,  24  miles  north-west  from 
Larkana.  It  has  road  communication  with  Dost  Ali  and  Shah- 
dadpur.  The  population,  numbering  but  83  2  in  all,  consists  of  678 
Musalmans  of  die  Naitch  tribe,  and  154  Hindus  of  the  Lohano  caste. 

Shikarpnr  Collectorate,  a  large  and  highly  productive  dis- 
trict in  Upper  Sind,  lying  between  the  27th  and  29th  parallels  of 
north  latitude,  and  die  67th  and  70th  meridians  of  east  longitude. 
It  is  bounded  on  the  north  by  the  territory  of  H.H.  the  Khan 
of  Kelat,  the  frontier  district  of  Upper  Sind,  and  a  portion  of  the 
river  Indus ;  on  the  east  by  the  native  states  of  Bahawalpur  and 
Jaisalmir ;  on  the  south  by  the  territory  of  H.H.  Mir  Ali  Murad 
Talpur,  and  the  Sehwan  Division  of  the  Karachi  CoUectorate ;  and 
on  the  west  by  the  Khirthar  range  of  mountains,  which  form  a 
natural  line  of  demarcation  between  this  district  and  the  territory 
of  the  Khan  of  Kelat.  The  greatest  length  [of  this  CoUectorate 
from  north  to  south  may  be  estimated  at  100  miles,  and  its  greatest 
breadth  from  east  to  west  at  180  miles.  In  configuration  this  dis- 
trict is  very  irregular — the  entire  area,  including,  it  is  presumed, 
that  portion  of  the  river  Indus  flowing  between  it,  being,  according 
to  Survey  calculation,  not  more  than  10,242  square  miles.  It  is 
divided  into  four  Deputy  Collectorates  (or  divisions)  as  shown  in 
the  subjoined  table  : — 


Division. 

Area,  Square 
Miles. 

Number  of 
ViUages. 

Population. 

1.  Rohri 

2.  Shikarpnr  and  Sukkur 

3.  Larkana 

4.  Mehar 

Totak     .      .     . 

4,259 

1,238 
2,241 
2,504 

354 
268 

494 
343 

217,515 
181,832 

234.575 
142,305 

10,242 

1,459 

776.227 

The  general  aspect  of  the  Shikarpur  CoUectorate  is  that  of  a 
vast  alluvial  flat  plain,  broken  only  at  Sukkur  and  Rohri  by  a  low 
range  of  limestone  hills,  which  have  the  effiect  of  preserving  a  per- 
manent river  bank  at  those  places.    Towards  its  western  boundary, 

3    D    2  T 

uigiiizeu  uy  >^jOvJVt  l\^ 


77i?  SHIKARPUR  COLLECTORATE, 

in  the  Mehar  and  Larkana  Deputy  Collectorates,  is  the  Khirthar 
range  of  mountains,  having  an  extreme  elevation  of  upwards  of 
7000  feet,  and  forming  a  natural  boundary  between  this  portion  of 
Sind  and  Balochistan.  Extensive  patches  of  salty  land,  known 
as  kalar^  are  frequently  met  with,  more  especially  in  the  upper 
portion  of  this  CoUectorate ;  and  towards  the  Jacobabad  frontier, 
barren  tracts  of  clay  land,  and  ridges  of  sand-hills  covered  with 
caper  and  thorn  jungle,  form  a  poor  but  distinctive  feature  in  the 
landscape.  The  desert  portion  of  the  Rohri  Division,  known  as 
the  Registhdn^  is  very  extensive,  and  possesses  sand-hills  which  are 
bold  in  oudine  and  often  fairly  wooded. 

The  chief  revenue  and  magisterial  authority  in  this  large  district 
is  exercised  by  a  Collector  and  Magistrate,  who  is,  for  this  purpose, 
vested  with  very  extensive  powers,  and  has  a  large  subordinate 
establishment  under  him  for  the  proper  discharge  of  the'  many 
and  important  duties  of  his  office.  In  addition  to  the  Divisional 
Deputy  Collectors,  who  assist  him  in  carrying  on  these  duties, 
there  is  a  Huzur  Deputy  Collector  and  Magistrate  permanently 
stationed  at  the  head-quarter  town,  Shikarpur,  who  has  charge  of 
the  Treasury  and  other  office  establishments,  and  exercises  especial 
supervision  over  the  chief  town  of  the  CoUectorate  in  which  he  is 
located.  The  Collector  is  usually  on  tour  through  his  extensive 
district  with  his  Daftardar  and  office  establishment  during  the  cold 
season,  returning  generally  to  head-quarters  on  the  setting  in  of 
the  hot  weather,  or  at  other  times  when  his  presence  there  is  abso- 
lutely necessary.  For  the  efficient  discharge  of  the  judicial  duties, 
civil  and  criminal,  of  this  district,  there  is  a  District  and  Sessions 
Judge,  with  a  suitable  establishment,  whose  head-quarters  are  at 
Shikarpur.  This  officer  holds  sessions  several  times  in  the  year, 
not  only  at  Shikarpur  and  at  other  large  towns  in  the  district,  bat 
also  at  Jacobabad,  in  the  Frontier  District  For  carrying  out  works 
of  public  local  utility  and  improvement  throughout  this  CoUectorate, 
there  used  to  be  a  Local  Fund  Engineer,  but  this  appointment  has 
lately  been  aboUshed,  and  the  work  is  now  carried  on  by  the  Public 
Works  Department.  Further,  for  the  supervision  of  the  three  canal 
divisions  of  this  district — the  Rohri,  Began,  and  Ghar— there  arc 
three  specially  appointed  executive  engineers  of  the  Pubhc  Works 
Department,  with  assistants  and  subordinate  establishments,  whose 
head-quarters  are  either  at  Shikarpur  or  Sukkur. 

The  police  force  employed  in  the  Shikarpur  district,  which  is 
under  the  inmiediate  control  of  a  District  Superintendent,  whose 
head-quarters  are  at  Shikarpur,  is  divided  into  district,  foot  rural, 
and  town  police,  as  follows  : — 

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SHIKARPUR  COLLECTORATE. 


173 


Designation. 

T«.«^  '  Chief 
Inapec-     Co„. 

'°"-      stables. 

Head 
Con- 
stables. 

Con- 
stables. 

Horse 
Police. 

Camel 
Police. 

Total. 

District  Police     . 

Town  Police  .     . 

Municipal  Police . 

Total      .     .     . 

3 

I 
I 

22 

97 
lO 

i8 

621 

6o 
"5 

lOI 

82 

926 

5 

22 

125 

796 

lOI 

82 

II31 

The  annual  cost  of  this  force,  including  contingent  allowances 
and  clothing,  may  be  set  down  at  about  160,000  rupees,  and  the 
entire  strength  of  this  body  of  pohce  will  give  one  policeman  to 
every.  9  square  miles  of  area,  and  to  every  686  of  the  population. 

The  revenue  of  the  Shikarpur  Collectorate,  which  may  be  con- 
sidered under  the  two  heads  of  imperial  and  local,  is  mainly 
derived  from  the  land,  the  other  principal  sources  being  abkari, 
opium  and  drugs,  stamps,  forests,  salt,  postal  and  telegraph  receipts, 
and  the  income  tax.  Under  local  revenue  is  included  the  cesses 
on  land  and  sayer  revenue,  percentages  on  alienated  lands,  cattle- 
pound  and  ferry  fund  proceeds,  and  fisheries.  The  land  revenue 
of  this  large  district  has  steadily  gone  on  increasing  during  the  last 
twenty  years,  and  far  exceeds  that  of  the  two  other  CoUectorates 
in  the  Province ;  but  this  is  mainly  owing  to  the  Shikarpur  district 
possessing  the  finest  and  most  productive  land  to  be  met  with  in 
Sind.  With  respect  to  the  Abkari  revenue  of  this  Collectorate, 
it  may  be  mentioned  that  there  are  no  Government  distilleries,  the 
right  of  manufacturing  and  selling  liquor  (which  is  made  mostly 
from  maura,  molasses,  and  sometimes  from  grapes)  being  put  up 
to  auction  every  year,  and  sold  to  the  highest  bidder.  The  accom- 
panying table  will  show  the  realisations  firom  the  various  liquor 
farms  and  the  drug  revenue  of  this  district  from  the  year  1854-55 
to  1873-74  {see  next  page) : — 


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774 


SHIKARPUR  C0LLECT0R4TE. 


V««r. 

Liquor  Shops  Farmed. 

European  Liquor 

DnifRevemie. 

Farmers'  ,  Fanners* 
Stills.     1     Shops. 

Receipts. 

Shops. 

Receipts. 

Shops. 

Revenue. 

>8S4-S5 
i85|-s6 

•!S^S7 
I8S7-S8 
1858-59 

list 

1861-62 
1862-63 
1863-64 
1864-65 
1865-66 
1866-67 
1867-68 
1868-69 
1869-70 
1870-71 
1871-72 
1872-73 
1873-74 

10 
10 
10 
10 
12 
12 

7 

.1 

6 
21 

:i 

16 
16 
13 

4 
4 
5 

.1 

18 

"3 
142 

136 
132 
132 
131 
130 

"i 

136 
137 
130 
179 
250 

rupees. 
9,711 
11,794 
11,035 
11,041 
15,257 
19,218 
25,228 

34,059 
43.582 
26,578 
28,059 
37,894 
34,427 
23,719 
36,995 
33,949 
38,017 
30,160 
34»I49 
47,885 

■ 

5 

5 
4 
5 
5 

t 

4 
4 
4 
5 
[I 

15 

rupees. 

100 
103 

292 
310 
245 

223 
265 
240 
238 
227 
205 
211 
206 
232 
229 

'^ 

% 
% 

166 
166 
196 

rupees. 
15,139 

\^ 

6,918 

7,201 

10,199 

13.398 

27,262 

24,913 
24,144 
26,049 
25,323 
21,859 
23.827 
21,236 
22,817 

24,63? 
29,296 

30,177 

The  average  annual  net  land  revenue  of  this  Collectorate,  which 
for  the  six  years  ending  1861-62  amounted  to  12,87,942  rupees, 
had  increased  during  the  succeeding  period  of  six  years  ending 
1867-68  to  16,53,072  rupees,  and  during  a  further  period  of  six 
years  ending  1873-74  to  17,25,721  rupees.  The  imperial  and 
local  revenue  of  the  Shikarpur  Collectorate  for  the  ten  years 
ending  1873-74  is  as  follows : — 


1864-65. 

z86s-66. 

1866-67. 

1867-68. 

I868H59W 

Imperial      .     . 

Local     .     .     . 

Total  rupees 

rupees. 
24,94,612 

rupees. 
21,04,556 

rupees. 
16,61,365 

1,97,396 

rupees. 
22,79,731 

2,22,930 

rupees. 
22,41,236 

1,92,464 

24,94,612 

21,04,556 

18,58,761 

25,02,661 

24,33.7«^ 

1869-70. 

X870-71. 

1871-78. 

1879-73. 

i87r74. 

Imperial      .     . 

T/>cal     .     .     . 

Total  rupees 

2i7^^'85 
2,01,286 

rupees. 
23,09,933 

2,08,226 

rupees. 
22,38,584 

2,31,223 

nnees. 
20,64,761 

2,12,805 

rupees. 
19,06,309 

2,11,45^ 

23,85,671 

25,18,159 

24,69,807 

22,77,566 

21,17,767 

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SHIKARPUR   COLLECTORATE. 


77S 


The  revenue  derived  from  the  canals  in  the  Shikarpur  CoUeo 
torate  (which  have  been  fully  described  in  the  account  of  the 
several  divisions  through  which  they  flow)  has  greatly  increased, 
while  it  may  also  be  remarked  that  the  cost  of  clearance  is  less  in 
this  district  than  in  any  other  of  the  CoUectorates  or  Political 
Superintendences  in  Sind.  The  subjoined  statement  will  show 
the  revenue  and  cost  of  clearance  and  abkaldni  for  a  period  of  ten 
years  ending  with  1873-74  : — 


1864H5S. 

X865-66. 

1866-67. 

1867-^. 

1868-69. 

Revenue     .     . 

Cost    of  clear- 
ance and  Ab- 
kalani      .     . 

rupees. 
13,15,888 

8.332 

rupees. 
12,44,407 

44,781 

rupees. 
14,10,123 

42,760 

rupees. 
12,63,864 

79,549 

rupees. 
12,87,770 

56,231 

1      X869-70. 

xS7<>-7X. 

1871-79. 

1873-73. 

» 873-74- 

rupees. 

Revenue     .     .      12,32,517 

Cost    of  clear- 
ance  and  Ab-           38,808 
kalani      .     . 

1 

rupees. 
13,98,757 

77,037 

rupees. 
13,92,679 

1,05,987 

rupees. 
13,91,928 

69,796 

rupees. 
13,82,134 

33,949 

Floods. — In  connection  with  the  canals  in  this  Collectorate, 
a  brief  account  may  here  be  given  of  the  disastrous  floods  which 
spread  over  this  district  in  the  year  1874,  though  the  lets  (or 
floods)  which  ordinarily  inundate  this  part  of  Sind  will  be  found 
treated  upon  in  the  description  of  the  Frontier  District  and  the 
Sukkur  and  Shikarpur  Division.  In  the  month  of  May  1874  the 
river  began  to  rise  steadily,  and  in  June  the  Jhali  bandh  was 
breached  above  Madeji,  as  also  the  railway  embankment  in  that 
locality.  In  July  the  Kashmor  flood  entered  the  Larkana  district 
in  two  separate  courses;  these  united  at  Khairo  Garhi,  where, 
augmented  in  volume  by  the  flood  waters  from  the  Kachhi  hills, 
they  spread  over  the  Sijawal  taluka,  and,  passing  the  town  of 
Shahdadpur,  joined  the  Jhali  let  or  flood.  Owing  to  heavy  rain  in 
the  hills,  the  floods  came  down  in  force  about  the  middle  of  July 
into  the  Mehar  Division,  passing  into  the  Dadu  taluka  of  the  Sehwan 
district  The  flood  waters  reached  their  greatest  height  through- 
out this  Collectorate  on  the  14th,  15th,  and  i6th  of  August,  1874, 
but  began  steadily  to  subside  about  the  27  th  of  that  month.  In 
the  Sukkur  and  Shikarpur  division  upwards  of  14,000  acres  of 

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776 


SHIKARPUR  COLLECTORATE. 


cultivatioii  were  destroyed  by  these  floods.  In  the  liLikana 
Deputy  Collectorate  nearly  100,000  acres  of  cultivated  and  waste 
land  were  flooded,  and  53  villages,  more  or  less,  destroyed.  Bat 
in  the  Mehar  Division  the  loss  was  still  heavier.  No  less  than  69 
large  and  414  small  villages  were  flooded,  and  several  Govern- 
ment buildings  were  also  washed  away.  The  floods  of  1874  are 
believed  to  have  been  fix>m  five  to  eight  feet  higher  than 
those  which  occurred  in  1872.  The  net  loss  to  Government  from 
these  floods  in  the  Mehar  district  alone  was  estimated  at  nearly 
li  lakhs  of  rupees. 

Forests. — ^The  forests  in  the  Shikarpur  Collectorate  are  26  in 
number,  cover  an  area  of  132,694  acres  (or  207  square  miles),  and 
are  situate  on  the  banks  of  the  Indus,  mostly  in  the  Rohri  and 
Shikarpur  divisions.  The  following  tabulated  statement  will  give 
the  names  of  these  forests,  and  their  aggregate  area  and  revenue, 
in  each  Deputy  Collectorate  : — 


Division. 

Name  of  Forest. 

Area. 

Revemwin 
1873-74- 

Rohri  .     . 

Sukkur  and 
Shikarpur 

Larkana    . 
Mehar.     . 

1.  Ding 

2.  Gubla 

3.  Panwhari 

4.  Azizpur 

5.  Husain  Belo    .... 

6.  Shahpur 

7.  Saduja 

8.  Buhab  ...... 

9.  Budh 

10.  Rawati 

11.  Tamshero 

.12.  Darvesh 

13.  Bhindi  Dhareja     .     . 

14.  Kadarpur 

15.  ShIh  Belo 

16.  Kiabhindi 

17.  Abad 

18.  Kadumi-bhindi     .     .     . 

19.  Shahu 

20.  Bagargi 

,21.  Andaldal 

22.  Gud \ 

23.  Kanuro \ 

24.  Keti  Ubhiiio  .... 
V25.  MohbatDero.     .     .     J 

26.  Magsi 

acres. 
57.947 

63.805 

9.4  S9 
1,483 

rupees. 
20,603 

35.739 

7.029 
135 

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SHIKARPUR  COLLECTORATE.  777 

The  forests  in  the  Shikarpur  Collectorate  are  under  the  charge 
of  an  Assistant  Conservator,  with  a  subordinate  establishment  of 
Forest  Tapadars,  three  in  number.  The  Government  revenue, 
which  in  1873-74  realised  63,506  rupees,  is  derived  mostly  from 
the  sale  of  timber,  firewood,  charcoal,  babul-pods  and  bark,  and 
grazing  fees. 

Education. — In  the  matter  of  education,  the  ShikSrpur  Col- 
lectorate is  reported  to.  stand  out  favourably  when  compared  with 
the  other  districts  of  the  Province.  A  great  impetus  has  of  late 
been  given  to  the  spread  of  education,  more  especially  among  the 
Banya  population,  by  the  introduction  into  many  schools  of  the 
Hinda-Sindi  character  in  lieu  of  the  Arabic-Sindi,  which  latter  is 
not  in  vogue  among  that  class.  Female  education  is  also  advanc- 
ing, but  a  long  time  must  elapse  before  it  can  take  any  deep 
root  among  a  population  composed  mostly  of  Muhammadans, 
who,  as  a  body,  are  notably  averse  to  instruction  being  imparted 
to  their  females.  The  table  on  the  following  page  will  show  the 
state  of  education  in  this  Collectorate,  so  far  as  Government 
schools  are  concerned,  during  the  six  years  ending  1873-74. 

History. — The  district  of  Upper  Sind  can  hardly  be  said  to 
have  any  distinct  history  of  its  own,  so  much  of  it  being  neces- 
sarily mixed  up  with  that  of  the  entire  Province.  Before  the 
invasion  pf  Sind  by  the  Muhammadans,  in  a.d.  712,  this  portion 
of  it  was  ruled  by  a  Brahman  race,  with  their  capital  city  at  Aror 
(or  Alor),  five  miles  distant  from  the  modem  town  of  RohrL  It 
continued  for  some  time  afterwards  to  be  a  dependency,  first  of 
the  Ummayid  dynasty,  and  then  of  the  Abbassides.  In  conjunc- 
tion with  other  parts  of  Sind,  it  was  conquered  by  the  celebrated 
Mahmud  of  Ghazni,  about  a.d.  1025  ;  but  the  authority  of  the 
Ghaznivide  dynasty  was  not  of  long  continuance,  as  about  a.d. 
1032  the  Sumra  chieftains  began  their  rule,  recognising  in  the 
former  a  mere  titular  sovereignty  for  a  few  years  longer.  A  narra- 
tive of  the  rule  of  the  Stimra  and  Samma  dynasties  forms  a  part 
of  the  history  of  the  Province,  and  has  already  been  given  in 
Chapter  II.  of  the  introductory  portion  of  this  Gazetteer ;  still  it 
may  be  necessary  to  state  that,  during  the  latter  dynasty,  the 
whole  of  Upper  Sind  was  not  at  all  times  under  their  sway, 
Bukkur  and  the  surrounding  country  being  held  at  different  periods 
by  the  Hakims,  Malik  Feroz,  and  Ali  Shah  Turk,  on  the  part  of 
the  king  of  the  Turks.  During  the  Arghun  dynasty,  which  suc- 
ceeded that  of  the  Sammas,  Upper  Sind  appears  to  have  remained 
an  integral  part  of  the  kingdom  ruled  by  Shah  Beg  Arghiin,  who 
rebuilt  the  fortifications  of  Bukkur,  but  it  does  not  come  into  any 

Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


778 


SHIKARFUR   COLLECTORATE, 


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SHIKARPUR   COLLECTORATE.  779 

striking  notoriety  till  the  accession  to  power  of  the  Kalhora 
dynasty,  in  the  early  part  of  the  eighteenth  century.  Previous  to 
this  the  country,  which  had  been  in  1591-92  annexed  to  the  Delhi 
empire  by  Akbar,  was  ruled  by  a  succession  of  governors ;  and 
a  powerful  tribe,  the  Daudpotras,  had  risen  and  displaced  the 
Mahars,  a  clan  of  considerable  power  and  influence,  whose  chief 
town  was  then  at  Lakhi,  nine  miles  south-east  of  the  present  city 
of  Shikarpur.  These  Mahars  had  themselves  some  time  before 
driven  out  the  Jatdis,  a  race  of  Balochis,  from  that  part  of  Northern 
Sind,  in  a  manner  thus  described  by  Captain  (now  Major-General) 
Sir  F.  G.  Goldsmid,  in  his  historical  memoir  on  Shikarpur,  written 
in  the  year  1854 : — "We  learn  that  there  were  seven  brothers  of 
the  tribe  (Mahars)  in  Ubauro,  near  the  present  Bahawalpur  frontier, 
of  whom  one,  by  name  Jaisar,  not  finding  a  residence  with  his 
near  kindred  accord  with  his  views  of  independence,  turned  his  steps 
to  Bukkur,  then  occupied  by  the  noted  Mahmud,  governor,  under 
Shah  Beg  Arghun,  of  the  fort  in  a.d.  1541.  The  Jatdis,  a  race  of 
Balochis,  held  the  country  on  the  west  bank  of  the  river  between 
Burdika  and  the  Larkana  district  This  included  the  town  of 
Lakhi,  then  a  flourishing  place,  so  called  from  Lakhu,  as  Gosarji 
was  from  Gosar,  and  Adamji  from  Adam  JatoL  Jaisar  crossed  the 
river  and  took  up  his  abode  among  the  dwellings  of  this  people. 
The  Mahars  and  their  new  comrades  disagreed,  but  the  former  had 
a  friend  at  court,  one  Musa  Khan  Mehr,  who  was  a  man  of  influ- 
ence with  Mahmud,  and  obtained  the  assistance  of  some  hundreds 
to  quell  the  disturbance,  by  asserting  the  rights  of  his  own  side. 
The  consequence  was  the  subjection  of  the  Jatois,  and  a  partition 
of  the  country.  Jaisar  received  the  tract  extending  from  Mehlani 
to  Larkana  as  a  free  gift  (Tindad  and  Madad  Mash),  stating  that, 
on  the  lapse  of  a  generation,  one-tenth  produce  would  be  reclaimed 
by  the  Government  The  Jatdis  obtained  the  more  northern 
allotment,  or  from  Mehlani  to  Burdika,  on  payment,  however,  of 
the  customary  land  tax.  Jaisar  Khan  remained  at  Lakhi,  which 
thus  became,  as  it  were,  his  property,  and  at  his  death,  his  son 
Akil,  in  conjunction  with  a  brother,  Bakhar,  and  cousin,  Wadera 
Sujan  Khan,  determined  on  building  a  new  town  to  replace  the  old 
one.  The  fort  which  they  erected  may  still  be  traced.  Sujan  also 
built  a  village  called  Marulo,  after  his  son  Maru,  now  known  as 
Wazirabad,  from  Shah  Wali,  the  Wazir  of  Ahmad  Shah  Durani, 
whose  perquisite  it  in  after  years  became."  But  the  Mahars  had 
soon  to  contend  with  the  Daudpotras,  who  were  by  profession 
both  warriors  and  weavers,  and  the  results  of  the  contest,  and  the 
consequent  foundation  of  the  city  of  Shikarpur,  are  thus  narrated 

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78o  SHIKARPUR   COLLECTORATE. 

by  the  same  authority  quoted  above  : — "  The  weavers  (Daudpot- 
ras)  appealed  to  spiritual  authority,  as  vested  in  the  person  of  Pir 
Sultan  Ibrahim  Shah,  whose  tomb  still  bears  testimony  to  the  fSawrt 
of  his  existence.  He  was  a  holy  man  of  eminence,  and  numbered 
the  Mahars,  as  well  as  their  opponents,  among  his  disciples, 
and  he  moreover  himself  resided  at  LakhL  He  took  up  the  cause 
of  the  appellants,  and  eventually  obtained  permission  for  them  to 
resume  their  sport  in  the  shikirgahs,  from  which  they  had  been 
warned  oflf  by  the  Mahars.  Again,  however,  they  were  stopped, 
and  again  did  they  seek  the  Pir  for  redress.  The  Mahars  were 
summoned  a  second  time,  and  ordered  to  desist  They  remon- 
strated, and  finally  informed  their  venerable  mentor  that  they 
would  never  spare  the  intruders  till  they  had  exterminated  the 
whole  body,  or  at  least  driven  them  from  the  vicinity  of  the  shikar- 
gah,  adding,  *  If  you  wish  to  be  their  comrade,  good,  be  it  so.' 
Baffled  and  distressed,  the  Pir  bethought  him  of  the  final  resource 
in  such  cases.  He  invoked  curses  on  the  rebelling  Mahars,  and 
blessings  upon  the  oppressed  Daudpotras.  He  told  his  proiiges 
that  they  were  as  the  iron  sickle,  and  their  enemies  as  grass  or 
chaflf,  and  promised  them  the  victory  in  the  event  of  an  engage- 
ment. Matters  prospered  ;  the  crisis  drew  on,  and  the  battle  be- 
came inevitable.  According  to  the  story  of  the  sons  of  Daud,  their 
ancestors  on  this  occasion  could  only  muster  a  force  of  300  or  400 
service  men,  while  their  opponents  numbered  12,000.  A  most 
sanguinary  conflict  ensued  on  the  meeting  of  the  hostile  forces, 
which,  after  the  most  determined  endeavours  on  either  side,  event- 
ually terminated  in  favour  of  the  Daudpotras,  who  were  left 
masters  of  the  field.  Strange  to  say,  that  while  some  3000  dead 
bodies  of  Mahars  strewed  the  ground,  but  few  were  killed  on  the 
side  of  the  victors.  A  vigorous  pursuit  succeeded  this  victory.  It 
was  known  that  the  wealthy  Zamindars  of  Lakhi  had  lakhs  of  rupees 
concealed  in  that  city.  Thither  went  the  Daudpotras ;  and  it  \s 
by  no  means  unlikely  that,  on  that  particular  occasion,  they  found 
means  of  improving  the  condition  of  their  financial  and  commis- 
sariat departments.  The  Pir  received  his  successful  pupils  with  as 
much  mundane  satisfaction  as  could  be  expressed  by  so  holy  a 
man.  He  congratulated  them,  and,  mounting  his  palfi-ey  (we  will 
not  call  it  a  tattoo),  he  led  the  weavers  to  the  scene  of  their 
exploits.  He  halted  at  the  ground  on  which  now  stands  the  com- 
mercial city  of  Upper  Sind.  Muttering  some  mysterious  words, 
which  immediately  instilled  a  desirable  dramatic  awe  into  the 
hearts  of  the  bystanders,  he  raised  his  hand  high  in  the  air,  and 
gracefully  dropped  an  iron  nail,  which  had  long  been  held  there 

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SHIKARPUR   COLLECTORATE.  781 

unnoticed.  The  nature  of  the  movement  brought  the  point  well 
into  the  earth.  It  remained  transfixed  in  an  admirable  position 
for  the  chief  performer  of  the  play.  He  pointed  to  the  instru- 
ment upon  which  all  eyes  were  drawn.  *  Here/  said  the  Pir,  *  let 
a  city  be  built,  and  let  it  bear  the  distinguished  name  of  Shikarpur ! 
The  air  rang  with  shouts,  and  the  proceedings  terminated  in  the 
usual  manner  on  such  occasions.  The  jungle  was  cut  and  cleared ; 
neighbours  were  summoned,  threatened  and  cajoled ;  the  work  pro- 
ceeded with  vigour  and  rapidity,  and  by  degrees  a  town  appeared. 
The  town  in  due  course  became  a  city,  noted  for  the  wealth  and 
enterprise  of  its  merchants,  the  size  and  business  of  its  bazar,  a  hot- 
bed of  intrigue,  debauchery,  bribery,  oppression,  evil  speaking,  and 
many  other  kinds  of  corruption ;  and  so  passed  away  the  years  till  the 
dawn  of  the  eighteenth  century."  The  Kalhoras  had,  during  the 
seventeenth  century,  been  gradually  laying  the  foundation  of  their 
subsequent  sovereignty  in  Sind,  and  the  career  of  Yar  Muham- 
mad, the  first  ruler  of  this  line,  is  thus  described  by  Goldsmid  : — 
"  Mirza  Baktawar  Khan,  son  of  Mirza  Panni,  was  ruler  of  Siwi, 
and  held  a  large  tract  on  the  west  bank  of  the  Indus,  in  the 
environs  of  Shikarpur.  Yar  Muhammad,  associated  with  Raja 
Likki  and  Iltas  Khan  Brahui,  recommenced  aggressive  measures 
by  a  movement  in  the  country  bordering  on  the  Manchhar  lake. 
He  possessed  himself  of  Samtani,  expelling  the  Panhwars  and  their 
head-man,  Kaisar,  and  despatched  his  brother,  Mir  Muhammad, 
to  extend  his  acquisitions  by  a  diversion  in  an  opposite  quarter. 
His  objects  were  achieved  with  skill  and  rapidity.  His  career  of 
conquest  made  Iltas  leave  him :  *  You  have  no  need  of  me ; 
heaven  is  on  your  side;  that  suffices,'  said  the  rough  BrahuL 
Kandiaro  and  Larkana  were  taken,  among  less  important  places. 
The  latter  had  been  held  by  Malik  Alah  Bakhsh,  brother  of  Bak- 
tawar. The  Mirza,  upon  these  reverses,  appealed  to  the  Shahzada 
in  Multan,  Moiz-u-din  (afterwards  Jehandar  Shah),  who  no  sooner 
heard  the  report  than  he  turned  to  the  scene  of  disturbance. 
Then  Baktawar's  heart  misgave  him,  for  he  did  not  wish  to  see 
the  country  entrusted  to  his  charge  overrun  by  the  troops  pf  his 
master.  He  had  probably  private  and  particular  reasons  for  the 
objection  unknown  to  the  historian.  He  prayed  the  prince  to 
withhold  his  march,  and  on  the  refusal  of  his  request,  had  actually 
the  audacity  to  oppose  the  advancing  hosts.  He  was  slain,  and 
Moiz-u-din  repaired  to  Bukkur.  Yar  Muhammad  does  not  appear 
to  have  suffered  severely  for  his  offences ;  on  the  contrary,  the 
Shahzada  came  gradually  round  to  favour  his  views  of  aggran- 
disement.    One  after  another  a  new  governor  was  appointed  for 


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782  SHIKARFUR  COLLECTORATE, 

Siwi,  which  province,  in  course  of  time,  was  handed  over  to  the 
Vakils  of  the  Ralhora.  Yar  Muhammad  received  the  imperial  tide 
of  Khuda  Yar  Khan." 

The  reigns  of  the  several  Kalhora  princes  will  be  found 
described  in  some  detail  in  the  Introductory  Chapter  II.  of  this 
book.  During  the  Talpur  rule,  various  districts  in  Upper  Sind, 
such  as  Burdika,  RQpar,  the  town  of  Sukkur  and  other  places, 
which  were  dependencies  of  the  Durani  kingdom,  had,  between 
the  years  1809  and  1824,  been  gradually  annexed  to  the  posses- 
sions of  the  Khairpur  Mirs,  Sohrab,  Rtistam,  and  Mubarak. 
Shiklrpur  was  the  only  spot  that  belonged  to  A^hanistan,  and 
that  town  eventually  came  into  the  peaceable  possession  of  the 
Mirs  in  1824,  at  a  time  when  AbdOl  Mansur  Khan  was  the 
governor  of  the  place,  and  when  the  Sikhs  were  said  to  be 
contemplating  an  attack  upon  it  Goldsmid  thus  refers  to  this 
circumstance  in  his  memoir : — "  Three  or  four  months  after  the 
departure  of  Rahim  Dil  Khan,  it  began  to  be  rumoured  that  the 
Sikhs  were  contemplating  an  attack  upon  Shikarpur.  At  this 
time  the  Chevalier  Ventura  was  with  a  force  at  Dera  Ghazi  Khan. 
The  Mirs  of  Sind — I5La.ram  and  Murad  Ali  of  Hyderabad,  and 
Sohrab,  Rustam  and  Mubarak  of  Khairpur — seeing  that  it  would 
be  of  great  advantage  that  they  should  at  this  juncture  take  the 
city  into  their  own  hands,  deputed  the  Nawab  Wali  Muhammad 
Khan  Laghari  to  dispossess  the  Afghans,  and  carry  out  the  wishes 
of  his  masters.  The  NawSb  commenced  by  writing  to  Abdul 
Mansur  several  letters  to  the  following  effect : — *  Undoubtedly  the 
Sikhs  did  wish  to  take  Shikarpur,  and  were  approaching  for  that 
particular  purpose.  Its  proximity  to  the  Mirs'  possessions  in 
Sind  made  it  very  inconvenient  for  them  that  it  should  fall  into 
the  hands  of  this  people ;  moreover,  the  capture  of  the  place, 
under  the  circumstances,  would  be  disgraceful,  or  at  least  dis- 
creditable, and  it  was  the  part  of  wise  men  to  apply  a  remedy 
in  time  when  available.  The  Afghans  were  not  in  a  position  to 
oppose  the  coming  enemy  \  their  Sardars  in  Khorasan  were  in  the 
habit  of  eating  superior  mutton,  Peshawar  rice,  luscious  grapes, 
raisins,  delicious  cold  melons,  seedless  pomegranates,  and  rich 
comfits,  and  of  drinking  iced  water ;  it  was  on  account  of  this 
application  of  cold  to  the  body  that  a  martial  and  lordly  spirit 
possessed  them,  which  it  is  not  the  property  of  heat  to  impart 
It  was,  moreover,  necessary  to  the  well-being  of  their  hardy  con- 
stitution. While  the  army  was  coming  from  Khorasan,  the  city 
would  glide  fh)m  their  hands.'  A  well-known  Persian  proved) 
was  here  judiciously  interpolated,  viz..  On  calling  the  closed  fist 


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SHIKARPUR  COLLECTOR  ATE.  783 

to  remembrance  after  the  battle,  it  will  be  necessary  to  let  the 
blow  M  upon  one's  own  head.  '  In  fine,  taking  all  things  into 
consideration,  how  much  better  would  it  be  for  the  Mirs  to  occupy 
Shikarpur ;  they  were  Muhammadans  as  well  as  the  Afghans. 
Once  having  driven  away  the  Sikhs,  and  deprived  the  infidels  of 
their  dominions,  Shikarpur  was  at  no  distance ;  let  it  then  become 
the  property  of  the  Sardars.  Now,  in  the  way  of  kindness,  let 
them  (the  Afghans)  return  to  Khorasan,  and  join  their  comrades 
at  table  in  discussing  ihe  pilaus  and  fruits,  whereby  cure  is  obtain- 
able of  this  most  destructive  heat'  Abdul  MansQr  Khan,  upon 
receiving  these  communications,  became  greatly  perplexed,  and 
thought  of  returning  to  Khorasan.  The  Mirs,  much  as  they 
desired  to  take  possession  of  the  toy^n,  were  obliged  to  content 
themselves  with  assembling  an  army  without  its  walls,  on  the  plea 
of  protection  against  a  Sikh  invasion.  They  encamped  in  the 
Shahi  Bagh.  The  Niawab  sent  for  }uma  Khan  Barukzai,  and 
through  him  opened  fresh  communications  with  the  governor,  and 
tried  every  artifice  to  persuade  the  latter  to  quit  his  post  Find- 
ing a  bold  stroke  of  diplomacy  necessary,  he  urged  that  he  would 
hold  him  responsible  for  the  town  revenues  accruing  after  the  date 
of  the  original  proposition  for  transfer  to  the  Mirs !  This  argu- 
ment had  the  desired  effect  :  Abdul  Mansur  refused  to  refund, 
but  agreed  to  abandon  Shikarpur.  In  this  interval  Dilawar,  Khid-  . 
matgar  to  the  Nawab,  entered  the  city,  and  coming  to  the  house 
of  Shaukar  Muya  Ram,  established  his  head-quarters  there,  and 
caused  the  change  of  government  to  be  notified  throughout  the 
bazar  and  streets.  The  Mirs'  followers  came  gradually  in,  and  at 
length  were  regularly  installed,  and  had  obtained  the  keys  of  the 
eight  gates.  The  next  day  AbdQl  Mansur  Khan,  at  Jama  Khan's 
instigation,  visited  the  Nawab  in  the  Shahi  Bagh.  The  latter, 
after  much  flattery  and  compliment,  gave  him  his  dismissal  The 
ex-governor  repaired  with  his  effects  to  Garhi  Yasin,  a  town  in 
the  neighbourhood,  and  stayed  there  to  execute  some  unfinished 
commissions.  In  a  few  days  the  Nawab  ordered  him  to  depart 
from  thence,  which  he  did,  and  was  soon  far  on  his  way  to  Kan- 
dahar. Wali  Muhammad  felt  relieved,  and  applauded  his  own 
handiwork,  in  that  he  had  won  a  bloodless  victory.  He  had  de- 
prived the  Afghans  of  a  much-loved  settlement,  and  added  it  to 
the  possessions  of  the  Mirs.  The  revenue  was  divided  into  seven 
shares  j  four  became  the  property  of  the  Mirs  of  Hyderabad,  and 
three  of  their  relatives  of  Khairpur.  Kazim  Shah  was  the  new 
governor." 

A  comparison  of  the  administration  of  justice   and  general 

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784  SHIKARPUR   COLLECTORATE. 

govonment  of  the  Afghans  and  TaJpors,  by  the  same  authority,  will 
be  read  with  interest : — "  The  administration  of  justice  (if  the  tenn 
can  be  applied)  under  the  Afghans  must  have  been  tardy  and 
irregular.  The  seat  of  power  was  at  best  a  rickety  chair  of  state  ; 
the  Masnad  was  wanting  from  the  Government  halL  There  were 
exceptions  to  rapacious  governors,  almost  enough  in  actual  number 
and  proportion  to  nullify  rapacity  as  a  rule  of  government,  but  the 
conduct  of  individuals  did  not  seem  to  affect  the  system.  The 
energy  and  ability  of  Ghulam  Sidik,  the  stupid  fanaticism  of  Imam 
Bakhsh,  the  proverbial  generosity  of  Madad  Khan,  and  the  inca- 
pacity of  Abdul  Mansur,  were  doubtless  as  conspicuous  as  the 
sudden  riches  of  Sardar  Rahim  Dil.  One  drawback  to  efficient 
government  in  later  years  was  the  dectine  of  the  new  monarchy, 
whence  came  the  governors.  The  systems  of  legislation  and 
poUty  pursued  by  two  contiguous  Muhammadan  states  in  the 
relative  position  of  Afghanistan  and  Sind  are  not  likely  to  be 
much  opposed.  Of  the  two  nations  referred  to,  it  may  be  alleged 
that  because  the  Sind  Baloch  is  more  tender-hearted  than  the 
Afghan,  he  will  not  look  on  torture  or  destroy  with  like  reckless- 
ness ;  but  his  tenets  and  principles  are  the  same ;  he  has  menials 
who  will  use  the  rack  for  him,  and  while  the  victim  groans  he  will 
go  to  his  ablutions  and  prayers.  Prompt  and  severe  were  the 
punishments  for  theft  and  adultery.  Murder  had  its  shades  of 
palliation,  and  even  justification — not  so  these ;  but  the  lucky  thief 
who  could  command  a  bribe  had  as  much  chance  of  escaping 
chastisement  as  his  neighbour.  The  woman  who  had  broken 
faith  with  her  tyrant,  if  a  Musalman,  was  hopeless ;  the  exe- 
cutioner was  in  all  likelihood  the  husband  himself,  and  as  the 
law  refused  to  visit  him  for  the  murderous  act,  his  mode  of  venge- 
ance became,  as  it  were,  the  law.  To  the  Hindus,  this  privi- 
lege was  hardly  so  acceptable.  Less  prone  to  take  life  than  their 
Muhammadan  fellow-citizens,  they  would  often  resort  to  esta- 
blished authority  to  punish  their  women  for  infideUty.  Disgrace, 
exposure,  a  fine  from  the  male  offender —the  atonement  was  in  many 
cases  looked  upon  as  complete  after  one  or  more  of  these  conse- 
quences. We  have  good  authority  for  inferring  that  robberies  were 
less  frequent  under  the  Afghan  Hakims  of  Shikarpur  than  under 
their  successors,  a  fact  which  has  been  attributed  to  a  decline  in 
the  prosperity  of  the  town  and  district  immediately  following  the 
transfer.  The  Mirs  were  insignificant  in  name,  when  compared  to 
their  predecessors  at  Shikarpur  ;  nor  can  it  be  a  matter  of  surprise 
that  the  transfer  of  government  affected  the  commerce  of  a  city 
owing  its  importance  to  Hindu  speculators.    On  the  subject  of 

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SHIKARPUR   COLLECTORATE.  785 

police,  for  the  due  organisation  of  which  both  means  and  method 
were  wanting  on  the  part  of  the  Mirs,  the  surest  and  soundest  of 
our  informants  has  declared  the  contrast  to  have  been  greatly  in 
favour  of  the  Kandahar  administration.  The  arrangements  of  the 
latter  in  guarding  life  and  property,  both  on  and  within  the 
border,  are  spoken  of  as  having  been  judicious  and  efficient  So 
soon  as  these  active  measures  were  relaxed  or  disregarded,  it  is 
natural  to  suppose  that  nests  such  as  Chatar,  Pulaji,  and  similarly 
noted  villages,  would  send  forth  their  myriads  of  hornets,  whom 
nothing  could  disturb  so  successfully  as  impassiveness.  The  Mirs 
tried  cajolery,  bribery  and  argument  in  vain.  The  levy  of  black- 
mail was  an  evil  of  that  doubtful  nature,  that  it  became  a  mistaken 
means  of  prosperity.  That  it  was  exercised  both  under  the 
Afghans  and  Mirs,  seems  to  admit  of  little  doubt  Like  many 
other  evils,  it  grew  into  part  of  a  system,  to  which  habit  gave  sanc- 
tion and  approval.  Under  the  double  Talpur  rule  there  were 
two  kacheris  in  the  city  of  Shikarpur,  neither  of  which  was  guided 
by  a  severe  code  in  the  adjudication  of  ordinary  complaints.  Ex- 
pediency and  custom  took  the  place  of  legislative  enactments,  and 
a  fee  seemed  the  great  end  of  justice  so  far  as  the  bench  was  con- 
cerned. A  man  sued  for  60  rupees:  the  sum  demanded  for 
hearing  was  a  third,  or  20  rupees  ;  but  the  hearing  did  not  ensure 
justice,  or  even  law.  Petty  offences,  for  which  a  fine  was  exacted, 
appear  to  have  been  disposed  of  in  the  kacheri  nearest  the  scene 
of  commission."  Another  event  in  connection  with  Upper  Sind 
during  Talpur  rule  was  the  expedition  in  1833  of  Shah  Sujah,  the 
dethroned  Afghan  monarch,  to  recover  his  lost  territory.  He 
marched  with  a  force,  vi&  Bahawalpur,  towards  Shikarpur.  He  was 
met  at  Khanpur  by  Kazim  Shah,  the  former  governor  of  Shikarpur, 
and  escorted  to  the  city  with  all  honour,  where  he  was  to  stay 
40  days,  and  get  40,000  rupees.  But  though  he  took  the  money, 
he  did  not  leave  at  the  appointed  time.  Public  feeling  in  Sind 
ran  high.  Those  who  declared  for  the  Shah  on  the  west  bank  were 
taken  under  his  especial  protection.  He  appointed  his  local 
officials,  and  commenced  legislating  for  his  Sindian  protegks^ 
treating  them  in  the  light  of  subjects.  The  climax  was  a  burst  of 
indignation  from  the  offended  Mirs,  and  a  rise  among  the  Baloch 
retainers.  A  Baloch  army,  under  Mirs  Mubarak  and  Zangi  KhSn, 
crossed  the  river  at  Rohri,  and  took  up  a  position  at  Sukkur,  while 
Shah  Sujah  despatched  another  force  of  2000  men  under  his 
lieutenant,  Samandhar  Khin,  to  meet  it  The  Mirs  had  taken  up 
a  position  near  the  Lalawah  canal,  which  the  Shah's  general 
attacked,  throwing  the  Balochis  into  instant  confusion,  and  ulti- 

3  E 

Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


786 


SHIKARPUR, 


mately  defeating  them.  This  victory  resulted  in  the  payment  to 
the  Shah  by  the  Mirs  of  4  lakhs  of  rupees,  and  50,000  rupees  for 
his  officers  of  state,  while  500  camels  were  made  over  for  the 
king's  use.  The  Shah  subsequently  marched  on  his  expedition 
against  Kandahar,  but  being  defeated  by  Dost  Mahomed,  he 
retreated  to  Sind  and  proceeded  to  Hyderabad,  where  he  ob- 
tained sufficient  money  from  the  Mirs  to  enable  him  to  return  to 
Ludhiana,  in  the  Panjab. 

In  1843,  on  the  conquest  of  the  province  by  the  British,  all 
Northern  Sind,  with  the  exception  of  that  portion  held  by  the 
Khairpur  Mir,  Ali  Murad  Talpur,  was  formed  into  the  Shikarpur 
CoUectorate  and  the  Frontier  district  In  the  previous  year  (1842) 
the  towns  of  Sukkur,  Bukkur,  and  Rohri  had  by  treaty  been  ceded 
to  the  British  in  perpetuity.  In  185 1  Mir  Ali  Murad  Talpur  of 
Khairpur  was,  after  a  full  and  public  inquiry,  convicted  of  acts 
of  forgery  and  fraud,  in  unlawfully  retaining  certain  lands  and 
territories  which  belonged  of  right  to  the  British  Government 
The  forgery  consisted  in  his  having  destroyed  a  leaf  of  the  Kuran 
in  which  the  treaty  of  Naunahar,  concluded  in  1842  between  him- 
self and  his  brothers,  Mirs  Nasir  and  Mubarak  Khan,  was  written, 
and  substituted  for  it  another  leaf,  in  which  the  word  "  village  " 
was  altered  to  "  district,"  by  which  he  fraudulently  obtained  posses- 
sion of  several  large  districts  instead  of  villages  of  the  same  name: 
On  January  ist,  1852,  the  then  Governor-General  of  India  (Mar- 
quis Dalhousie)  issued  a  proclamation  depriving  the  Mir  of  the 
districts  so  wrongfully  retained,  and  degrading  him  from  the  rank 
of  Rais  (or  Lord  paramount).  Of  the  districts  so  confiscated, 
Ubaura,  Buldika,  Mirpur,  Saidabad,  and  other  parts  of  Upper 
Sind  on  the  left  bank  of  the  Indus,  now  forming  the  greater  part 
of  the  Rohri  division,  were  added  to  the  Shikarpur  CoUectorate; 

Shik&rpur,  a  taluka  (or  sub-division)  of  the  Sukkur  and  Shi- 
karpur Deputy  CoUectorate,  containing  an  area  of  472  square  miles 
with  7  tapas,  66  dehs,  and  a  population  of  73,383  souls.  The 
revenue,  imperial  and  local,  of  this  sub-division  during  the  four 
years  ending  1873-74  is  as  follows : — 


1870-71. 

i87X-7«. 

«87a-73. 

1873-74. 

Imperial    .     .     . 

Local  .... 

Total  rupees  . 

rupees. 
63,057 

13,075 

rupees. 
1,12,829 

9.902 

rupees. 
1,20,705 

10,650 

rupees. 
», 33.436 

8.918 

76,132 

1.22,731 

1.31,353 

», 42,354 

Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


SHIKARPUR,  787 

Shikarpnr,  the  chief  town  of  the  CoUectorate  of  the  same 
name  in  Upper  Sind,  situate  in  latitude  27°  55'  N.  and  longitude 
68°  45'  £.  It  is  distant  about  18  miles  west  from  the  nearest  point 
of  the  Indus,  in  a  country  so  low  and  level,  that,  by  means  of 
canals  from  that  river,  it  is,  during  the  inundation  season,  exten- 
sively flooded.  The  town  is  in  fact  only  194  feet  above  mean 
sea-leveL  Two  branches  of  the  Sind  canal  —  the  Chota  Begari 
and  the  RSiswah — flow  on  either  side  of  the  city,  the  former 
to  the  south,  and  the  latter  to  the  north  of  it.  The  soil  in  the 
immediate  vicinity  of  the  town  is  so  rich  as  to  require  no  manure, 
producing,  in  return  for  culture  and  irrigation,  very  heavy  crops. 
The  numerous  gardens  in  and  around  the  city  yield  in  abundance 
dates,  mangoes,  oranges,  mulberries,  and  other  fruits.  Among  these 
the  Shahi  Bagh,  situate  outside  the  Naushahro  gate,  and  a  little 
distance  south  of  the  town,  is  conspicuous.  It  is  under  municipal 
management,  and  the  grounds  are  laid  out  with  considerable  taste. 
Shikarpur  has  road  communication  with  Jacobabad^  in  the  Frontier 
district,  from  which  it  is  distant  south-east  26  miles  ;  with  Sukkur, 
by  an  excellent  bridged  road,  distant  north-west  22  miles ;  and 
with  Larkana,  from  which  it  is  distant  north-east  40  miles.  There 
are  also  branch  roads  leading  to  Khanpur,  Kot  Saltan,  Humayun, 
Muhromari,  and  other  villages.  Formerly  all  the  approaches  to 
Shikarpur  were  bad,  owing  to  the  numerous  watercourses  by  which 
the  surrounding  country  is  intersected  being  unbridged,  and  to  the 
roads,  which  were  much  cut  up  by  wheeled  conveyances  and  then 
constant  traflic  of  camels  and  bullocks,  always  requiring  repair ; 
but  these  obstructions  have  long  since  been  remedied,  and  the 
main  lines  of  communication,  both  in  and  around  this  city,  are 
now  as  good  as  in  any  town  of  the  province.  The  municipal 
boundaries  of  Shikarpur  are  as  follow  : — On  the  north  by  the  Rais- 
wah  canal  and  Mirzawah  bandh ;  on  the  east  by  the  western  side  of 
the  main  road  running  from  the  Collector's  kutchery  to  the  Rais- 
wah ;  on  the  south  by  the  right  of  the  Chota  Begari  canal,  from 
the  mouth  of  the  Gowazwah  to  the  Collector's  office,  and  on  the 
west  by  the  Gowazwah,  from  its  junction  with  the  Mirzawah  to 
the  Chota  Begari  canal.  These  municipal  limits  have  since  been 
extended  towards  the  south-east  by  the  addition  of  the  Lakhi 
Thar  road,  as  well  as  the  Thar  (or  ferry)  itself  which  is  situate  on 
the  Sind  canal.  The  municipal  boundary  may  therefore  be  said 
to  be  as  follows  :  on  the  north  by  the  tail  of  the  Kaziwah  canal  to 
the  junction  of  the  new  and  old  Sind  roads  \  on  the  east  by  the 
mouth  of  the  Kaziwah  to  its  tail ;  on  the  south  by  the  right  bank 
of  the  Sind  canal  from  the  Kaziwah  to  the  new  Sind  road,  and 

uigmzed  by  Google 


788 


SHIKARPUR. 


on  the  west  by  the  junction  of  the  new  and  old  Sind  roads  to  the 
Sind  canal.  Shikarpur  is  the  head-quarter  station  of  numerous 
Government  officials,  the  principal  of  these  being  the  Collector 
and  Magistrate  of  the  Shikarpur  Collectorate,  the  District  and 
Sessions  Judge,  the  Huzar  Deputy  Collector  and  Magistrate,  who 
is  permanently  stationed  here,  the  District  Superintendent  of  Police, 
the  Civil  Surgeon,  who  is  also  superintendent  of  the  Jail,  the 
Judge  of  the  Subordinate  Civil  Court,  and  the  Town  Magistrate  of 
Shikarpur.  It  is  also  the  head-quarters  of  a  Mukhtyarkar,  and 
possesses  lines  for  the  accommodation  of  7 1  police,  including  chief 
and  head  constables.  These  are  employed  in  the  city  and  at  d^erent 
Government  buildings,  such  as  the  Treasury  and  JaiL  Military 
troops  were  formerly  stationed  in  Shikarpur;  but  after  the  year 
1 86 1  they  were  withdrawn,  owing  in  part  to  the  unhealthiness  and 
heat  of  the  place,  as  well  as  to  the  fact  of  Jacobabad,  only  26  miles 
distant,  having  been  made  a  large  military  station.  The  old  can- 
tonments, which  were  to  the  east  of  the  city,  and  are  not  included 
in  municipal  limits,  still  remain,  and  cover  a  large  area,  but  many 
of  the  bangalows  of  the  European  officers  are  in  a  very  ruinous 
condition.  The  present  population  of  Shikarpur,  as  ascertained  at 
the  census  of  1872,  is  set  down  at  38,107  souls,  of  whom  14,908 
are  Musalmans,  and  23,167  Hindus,  the  remainder  being  made  up 
from  28  Christians  and  four  of  other  religions. 

It  is  not  very  well  known  what  was  the  population  of  Shikarpur 
when  under  AJfghan  rule,  but  the  place  was  then  noted  for  the 
wealth  and  enterprise  of  its  merchants,  and  the  number  of  inhabi- 
tants must  in  consequence  have  been  considerable.  Ten  or  twehrc 
years  after  Shikarpur  had  fallen  into  the  hands  of  the  Talpur  Mirs 
of  Sind,  that  is  to  say  about  a.d.  1834,  the  population  was  believed 
to  be  about  30,000,  and  Postans,  in  1841,  reckoned  it  at  nearly 
the  same  number,  of  whom  one-third,  or  about  10,000,  were 
Musalmans,  and  the  remainer  Hindus.  He  further  mentions  that 
a  census  was  taken  with  considerable  care  about  that  time,  some 
of  the  results  of  which  were  as  follow  : — 


Males. 

Females. 

Total. 

Number  of 
Houses. 

Muhammadans  . 
Hindus      .     .     .     . 
Total    .     .     . 

4,467 
9,604 

4,091 
9,409 

8,558 
19,013 

1.800 
3,686 

14.071 

•13,500     1     27,571 

S.486 

Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


SHIKARFUR.  789 

The  Hindu  population  then  possessed  upwards  of  900  shops  for 
the  sale  of  grain,  cotton,  cloth,  drugs,  metals,  silk,  enamel,  per- 
fumes, ivory,  fruits,  vegetables  and  milk.     The  Musalman  portion 
of  the  community  were  weavers,  dyers,  tailors,  leathersellers,  lapi- 
daries,  butchers,  carpenters,  gardeners,  barbers,  musicians,  and 
cultivators.      The  Saiyads  and  Mullas,  the  influential  members  of 
Muhammadan  society,  numbered  433,  and  there  were,  in  addition 
to  the  population  enumerated  above,  about  1,000  Pathans  and 
Afghans  in  the  city,  mostly  of  the  following  tribes  :   Popalzai, 
Pesheni  (Saiyads),  Barukzai,  Nurzai,  Rasakzai,  Mogal,   Lakuzai, 
Durani,  Baber,  Usterani,  Momin,  Khokhar,  Ghilzi,  Barich,  Bur- 
durani,  Firhin,  Babi,  Dumani,  Owan  and  Peruni.     As  is  the  case 
at  the  present  day,  the  HindQs  carried  on  all  the  trade,  whilst 
cultivation  and  artisanship  of  almost  eveiy  denomination  were  in 
the  hands  of  the  Musalmans.     Masson,  speaking  of  the  Hindti 
traders  of  this  town,  states  that  the  improvidence  of  the  Afghan 
rulers  left  the  management  of  money  matters  to   these  acute 
financiers,  who,  by  farming  the  revenue  and  exacting  exorbitant 
interest  on  loans,  both  public  and  private,   amassed  immense 
wealth.     These  capitalists  are  represented  by  ConoUy  as  being 
enterprising,  vigilant,  and  ravenous  for  gain,  living  impersonations 
of  heartless  avarice,  but,  at  the  same  time,  specious,  civil,  and 
intelligent  to  an  extraordinary  degree.     Their  lingual  acquirements 
are  extensive,  as  they  usually  understand  Persian,  Balochi,  Pashtu, 
Hindustani  and  SindL     Their  credit  stands  so  high  that  their  bills 
can  be  negotiated  in  every  part  of  India  and  Central  and  Western 
Asia,  from  Astrakan  to  Calcutta.    Postans  also  remarks  that,  in  their 
habits  of  life  and  religious  observances,  the  Hindus  of  Shikarpur, 
as  indeed  throughout  the  whole  of  the  Muhammadan  countries  west- 
ward of  the  Indus,  indulged  in  a  degree  of  laxity  totally  at  variance 
with  the  strict  rules  by  which  they  generally  profess  to  be  regulated. 
The  chief  public  buildings  in  Shikarpur  are  the  Collector's 
office,  situate  within  an  extensive  inclosure  (it  is  very  large  and 
commodious,  and  is  by  far  the  finest  building  in  the  place)  ;  the 
Charitable  Dispensary,  supported  by  the  municipality ;  the  Court- 
house; the  Jail,  containing  barrack  acconmiodation  for  about  800 
prisoners,  as  well  as  a  hospital  for  70  patients;  a  civil  and  police 
hospital  in  one  and  the  same  building-  erected  in  1853  (the  civil 
hospital  has  two  wards,  one  for  males  and  the  other  for  females,  witli 
fourteen  beds) ;  a  municipal  hall,  disbursing  post-office,  travellers' 
bangalow,  Anglo-vernacular  school,  serai  for  Afghan  kdfiids,  and 
a  dharamsala.     The  European  quarter  is  situate  to  the  east  of 
the  city,  and  possesses  several  large  bangalows,   surrounded  by 

Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


790  SHIKARPUR. 

extensive  gardens.     The  Municipal  Act  was  brought  into  force  in 
this  town  in  1855,  since  which  year  great  improvements  have  been 
effected,  both  as  regards  cleanliness  and  appearance.    Before  that 
time  Shikarpur  was  noted  for  its  filth  and  unsightly  appearance. 
Postans  thus  writes  of  the  place  in  184 1 : —^' Shikirpur  dates  its 
origin  fix)m  h.  1026  (a.d.  1617).    It  is  an  ill-built»  dirty  town,  with 
its  walls  in  a  state  of  dilapidation  and  decay,  the  consequence  of 
the  total  neglect  and  apathy  of  the  chiefs  of  diese  countries  to  the 
improvement  of  their  possessions,  further  shown  in  the  neglect  of 
the  Sind  canal,  which  flows  within  a  nule  of  the  city  towards 
Larkana,  providing  means  of  irrigation  to  a  large  tract  of  country, 
and  a  temporary  but  important  water  communication  from  the 
Indus  during  a  few  months  of  the  year.     The  houses  in  Shikarpur 
are  built  of  unbumt  brick,  and  are  upper-roomed,  some  of  those 
belonging  to  the  wealthier  shaukdrs  being  of  respectable  size 
and  convenient     The  streets  are  narrow,  confined^  and  diity 
in  the  extreme.     The  great  Bazar,  which  is  the  centre  of  all  the 
trade  and  banking  transactions  for  which  Shikarpur  is  celebrated, 
extends  for  a  distance  of  800  yards,  running  immediately  through 
the  centre  of  the  city.     It  is,  in  common  with  the  bazars  of  all  towns 
in  Sind,  protected  from  the  oppressive  heat  by  naats  stretched 
across  from  the  houses  on  either  side.     This,  although  it  imparts 
an  appearance  of  coolness,  occasions,  by  the  stagnation  of  the 
air,  an  insufferably  close  and  evidently  unwholesome  atmosphere, 
evinced  in  the  sickly  appearance  of  those  who  pass  nearly  the 
whole  of  their  time  in  the  shops  and  counting-houses.     This  bazar 
is  generally  thronged  with  people,  and,  though  there  is  little  display 
of  merchandise,  the  place  has  an  air  of  bustle  and  importance 
which  it  merits.     The  walls  of  Shikarpur,  also  of  unbumt  brick» 
have  been  allowed  to  remain  so  totally  without  repairs  that  they 
no  longer  deserve  the  name  of  a  protection  to  the  city.    They 
inclose  a  space  of  3800  yards  in  circumference.     There  are  eight 
gates.    The  suburbs  of  Shikarpur  are  very  extensive,  and  a  great  pro- 
portion of  the  population  calculated  as  belonging  to  the  city  reside 
outside,  particularly  the  Musalman  and  working  classes.     With  the 
exception  of  one  tolerable  mazjid  on  the  southern  side,  Shikarpur 
possesses  no  building  of  any  importance."   In  addition  to  what  has 
here  been  said,  it  may  be  remarked  that  the  place  then  possessed 
no  regular  road  communication,  and  unsightly  hollows,  filled  with 
water  from  the  canals  during  the  inundation  season,  abounded  in 
and  around  the  town.     These  spots,  to  which  water-fowl  of  various 
kinds  largely  resorted,  afforded  sport  to  the  Talpur  Mirs  on  their 
visits  to  this  neighbourhood.     Again,  there  were  large  mounds  ^ 

Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


SHIKARFUR.  791 

heaps  of  rubbish  scattered  about  here  and  there ;  one  in  particular, 
that  on  which  the  market  now  stands,  was  very  high,  and  is  said 
to  have  been  mounted  with  guns  by  a  former  ruler  of  the  town,  as 
a  defence  for  the  city.  Since  the  establishment,  however,  of  the 
municipality  much  has  been  done  to  remedy  this  state  of  things. 
The  hollows  have  been  partly  filled  in,  the  mounds  and  a  portion 
of  the  walls  razed,  while  good  roads,  lined  on  either  side  with 
large  trees,  have  been  made  in  and  about  the  town.  The  Stewart 
Ganj  Market,  so  called  after  a  popular  Collector  and  Magistrate 
of  that  name,  which  is  a  continuation  of  the  old  bazar,  is  not  only 
very  commodious  and  serviceable,  but  has  greatly  contributed  to 
improve  the  appearance  of  the  city.  The  great  bazar  has  been 
roofed  in  by  the  municipality,  and  numerous  wells  (130)  and  tanks 
for  providing  good  drinking  water  have  been  constructed  at  muni- 
cipal expense.  To  the  east  of  the  town  are  three  large  tanks, 
known  as  Sarvar  Khan's,  the  Gillespie  and  the  Hazari  tanks.  The 
first  is  situated  near  the  Khanpur  gate  of  the  town,  and  has  an 
island  in  the  middle  covered  with  tamarisk  trees.  The  Gillespie 
tank,  which  is  rectangular  in  shape,  is  near  the  Hathi  gate,  and 
was  excavated  in  1868-69.  It  has  two  flights  of  steps,  40  feet 
wide,  on  its  northern  and  western  sides.  This  tank  has  recently 
been  enlarged,  with  the  object  of  providing  earth  for  filling  in  a  hol- 
low at  the  Lakhi  gate.  The  Hazari  tank  is  supplied  with  water  from 
the  Chota  Begari  canal,  and  has  its  sides  lined  with  pine  trees. 
To  allow  of  a  proper  drainage  of  this  tank,  the  surplus  water  is 
made  to  fall  into  what  is  known  as  the  Aminshahi  hollow.  Not- 
withstanding the  many  improvements  effected  by  the  municipality 
in  different  parts  of  the  city  and  its  suburbs,  there  is  still  room  for 
more,  especially  among  the  large  number  of  narrow  winding  lanes 
which,  having  lofty  houses  on  either  side,  not  only  prevent  a  proper 
circulation  of  air,  but  assist  in  the  spread  of  any  epidemic  that  may 
break  out  in  the  place.  The  climate  of  Shikarpur  is  hot  and  dry, 
with  a  remarkable  absence  of  air-currents  during  the  inundation 
season,  and  it  is,  in  consequence,  very  trying  to  a  European  con- 
stitution. The  hot  weather  commences  in  April,  and  ends  in 
October ;  it  is  generally  ushered  in  by  violent  dust-storms ;  the 
cold  season  begins  in  the  month  of  November,  and  lasts  till  March. 
The  maximum,  minimum,  and  mean  temperatures  in  the  shade 
during  the  year  at  Shikarpur,  as  ascertained  from  the  recorded 
observations  of  eleven  years,  ending  with  1874,  are  100°,  61°,  and  81° 
respectively ;  and  the  average  yearly  rainfall,  from  the  observations 
of  twelve  years,  ending  with  1874,  may  be  stated  at  5*  15  inches. 
The  diseases  of  the  place  are  principally  malarious  fevers  and 

♦  Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


792 


SHIKARPUR. 


ulcers ;  the  former  are  most  prevalent  in  November  and  December, 
and  are  due  to  the  drying  up  of  the  water  when  the  inundation 
ceases.  Cholera  occurs  at  times,  chiefly  in  the  months  of  June 
and  July.  The  receipts  of  the  Shikarpur  municipality  for  the  yean 
1868-69,  1869-70,  1870-71,  and  1871-72  were  38,759  rupees, 
37,675  rupees,  56,243  rupees  and  48,535  rupees  respectively, 
while  the  disbursements  during  the  same  four  years  were  4i)^45 
rupees,  42,057  rupees,  53,880  rupees,  and  47,804  rupees.  The 
municipal  income  is  derived  mostly  from  town  duties,  wheel  tax 
and  cattle-pound  fees ;  and  the  expenses  are  on  establishment,  con- 
servancy, police,  educational  and  medical  grants-in-aid,  and  repairs 
to  public  buildings,  roads,  &c.  The  commission,  numbering  in 
all  25  members,  consists  of  Europeans,  Musalmans  and  Hindus, 
with  the  magistrate  of  the  district  as  President  The  Shikarpur 
municipality  has  been  somewhat  in  pecuniary  difficulties,  owing  to 
the  heavy  expenses  incurred  in  filling  in  the  numerous  hollows 
around  the  town,  and  in  carrying  out  a  system  of  horticulture  and 
arboriculture. 

The  following  tables  will  show  the  receipts  and  disbursements 
of  the  municipality,  imder  their  principal  heads,  for  the  years 
1872-73  and  1873-74  :— 

L  Rbceipts. 


Items. 


i87a-73.      I      1873^4. 


Town  Daties 

Wheel  Tax 

Slaughter  fees  and  Stall  Tax 
Cattle-pound  Fees     .     .     . 

Licence  Fees 

For  roofing  Bazar      .     . 
Municipal  Shop  Rent 

Fines 

Sale  of  Municipal  Land  . 
Monev  borrowed  on  Loan    . 
Miscellaneous  Receipts   .     . 

Total    .     . 


rupees. 
52.175 

1.753 

1,492 

1,101 

300 

49 

430 

4*5 

44 

422 


rupees. 

55.466 

2,099 

1,198 

938 

400 

47 
393 
277 

90 

30,000 

170 


58,211         91.058 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


SHIKARPUR. 

II.  Disbursements. 


793 


Items. 


1872^3. 


2873-74. 


General  Superintendence 
Conservancy  .... 

Lighting 

Police 

Dispensaries  .... 
Maintaining  Wells 

Education 

Arborioilture  .... 
Public  Works.  .  .  . 
Deadstock  .  .  .  . 
Payment  of  Debt.  .  . 
Miscellaneous .... 


rupees. 
8,015 
6,802 
3,560 
11,782 

2,633 
1,960 
2,880 

ii3a> 
8,S8i 
267 
5,0a) 
2,240 


rupees. 
8,358 
7,438 
3,096 
3,873 
2,596 

2,459 

3,243 

991 

36,363 
569 

2,192 


Total I     55,020    I     71,178 


In  educational  progress  the  town  of  Shikarpur  takes  a  high 
position,  and  has  a  large  number  of  Government  and  private  schools. 
Of  those  under  Government  supervision  there  is  a  High  School 
(established  in  1873)  with  135  pupils,  a  normal  school  dating  from 
1865,  as  well  as  several  vernacular  schools.  Eight  Hindu-Sindi 
schools  with  a  large  attendance  were  established  a  few  years  since, 
consequent  on  the  introduction  of  the  Banya-Sindi  character ;  at 
present  (1875)  the  number  is  five,  and  they  are  attended  by  1031 
pupils.  The  female  schools  in  this  town  are  three  in  number,  with 
128  pupils. 

The  trade  of  Shikarpur  has  long  been  famous,  both  under  native 
and  British  rule,  but  it  is  the  transit  trade  which  seems  to  be  of 
the  most  importance.  Situate  as  this  town  is,  on  one  of  the  great 
routes  from  Sind  to  Khorasan  vidr  the  Bolan  pass,  its  trade  with 
ELandahar  and  other  places  in  that  direction  is  considerable, 
especially  during  the  cold  season.  Postans  thus  speaks  of  the  com- 
merce of  this  place  in  1841  : — "Shikarpur  receives  from  Karachi 
bandar,  Marwar,  Multan,  Bahawalpur,  Khairpur,  and  Ludhiana, 
European  piece-goods,  raw  silk,  ivory,  cochineal,  spices  of  sorts, 
coarse  cotton  cloths,  kinkobs,  manufactured  silk,  sugar-candy,  cocoa- 
nuts,  metals,  kirami  (or  groceries),  drugs  of  sorts,  indigo  and  other 
dyes,  opium  and  saffron ;  from  Kachhi,  Khorasan  and  the  north- 
west, raw  silk  (Ttirkistan),  various  kinds  of  fruits,  madder,  tur- 
quoises, antimony,  medicinal  herbs,  sulphur,  alum,  saffron,  assa- 
foetida,  gums,  cochineal,  and  horses.  The  exports  from  Shikarpur 
are  confined  to  the  transmission  of  goods  to  Khorasan  through  the 
Bolan  pass,  and  a  tolerable  trade  with  Kachhi  (Bagh,  Gandava, 


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794  SHIKARPUR. 

Kotri  and  Dadar).  They  consist  of  indigo  (the  most  important), 
henna,  metals  of  all  kinds,  comitry  coarse  and  fine  cloths,  Euro- 
pean piece-goods  (chintzes,  &c),  Multani  coarse  cloths,  silks 
(manufactured),  groceries  and  spices,  raw  cotton,  coarse  sugar, 
opium,  hemp-seed,  shields,  embroidered  horse-cloths,  and  dry 
grains.  The  revenue  of  Shikarpur  derivable  from  trade  amounted 
in  1840  to  54,736  rupees,  and  other  taxes  and  revenue  from  lands 
belonging  to  tiie  town,  16,645  rupees,  making  a  total  of  71,381 
rupees,  which  are  divided  among  the  Khairpur  and  Hyderabad 
Talpur  chiefs,  in  the  proportion  of  three-sevenths  and  four-sevenths 
respectively."  Again,  in  1851-52,  from  a  return  furnished  by  the 
then  Deputy  Collector  of  Customs  at  Karachi,  it  was  shown  that 
out  of  a  total  import  trade  across  the  land  frontier  of  Sind, 
amounting  in  value  to  a  little  over  23I  lakhs  of  rupees,  that  through 
the  Shikarpur  Collectorate  was  the  most  extensive,  a^regating 
nearly  1 1  l^s,  much  of  which,  consisting  of  articles  from  Khorasan 
and  other  countries  to  the  west  of  Sind,  passed,  no  doubt,  as  at 
present,  through  the  town  of  Shikarpur.  The  exports  also  during 
the  same  year,  through  the  same  districts,  were  greater  in  value 
than  those  passing  through  any  other  Sind  Collectorate.  At  the 
present  time,  the  trade  of  Shikarpur,  both  local  and  transit,  is 
believed  to  be  very  extensive,  and  it  is  still  the  great  centre  of 
commerce  in  Upper  Sind,  though  the  town  of  Sukkur  is  believed 
to  have  drawn  away  much  of  its  former  trade  with  the  Panjab,  and, 
in  the  event  of  a  branch  line  of  railway  being  constructed  from 
that  place  to  the  entrance  of  the  Bolan  pass,  will,  it  is  thought,  still 
frirther  reduce  its  commerce.  In  the  transit  trade  the  principal 
articles  are,  as  in  former  years,  piece-goods  of  sorts,  indigo  and 
other  dyes,  fruits,  metals^  silk  manufactures,  spices,  sugar  and 
other  saccharine  matter,  tobacco,  wool,  and  horses.  The  following 
table  will  show,  but  approximately  only,  the  quantity  and  value 
of  nearly  all  the  diflferent  articles  received  at  and  sent  from 
Shikarpur,  and  though  these  statistics  are  possibly  far  from  being 
exact,  they  will  nevertheless  serve  to  exhibit  in  some  degree  the 
extent  of  the  commercial  transactions  of  the  place.  The  state- 
ment gives  the  imports  and  exports  for  the  years  1873  and  1874 
{see  next  page). 

The  manufactures  of  Shikarpur  consist  chiefly  of  carpets  and  a 
coarse  cloth  worn  by  the  poorer  classes  of  the  inhabitants.  These 
would  seem  to  be  the  principal  articles  manufactured  here.  In  the 
Government  jail  carpets  (woollen  and  cotton),  cloths  of  different 
kinds,  postins  or  winter  coats,  baskets,  reed  chairs  covered  with 
leather,  tents,  shoes,  and  a  variety  of  other  articles  are  made  by 

Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


SHIKARPUR. 


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SIJAWAL—SUJAWAL, 


the  prisoners  under  the  personal  superintendence  of  a  European 
jailor.  At  the  Karachi  exhibition  of  1869  several  prizes  wa« 
awarded  for  articles  manufactured  at  this  jaiL  Among  these  were 
some  pile  carpets,  which  were  very  generally  admired  for  their 
stoutness  of  composition  and  brightness  of  colour.  Paper  of  an 
inferior  kind  is  also  made  at  the  jail 

The  postal  routes  from  Shikarpur  are  three  in  number^  and  run 
to  Jacobabad  in  the  Frontier  district^  to  Sukkur,  and  southward 
to  Larkana  and  Mehar.  The  Government  telegraph  line  fh>ni 
Sukkur  also  passes  through  this  town  towards  .the  large  military 
station  of  Jacobabad.  There  is  a  telegraph  office  at  Shikarpur  in 
the  European  quarter.  There  do  not  appear  to  be  any  very 
ancient  buildings  or  other  antiquities  in  eidier  Shikaipiu:  itself  or 
its  immediate  neighbourhood  that  are  deserving  of  any  special 
notice.  The  town  itself  was  founded  as  late  as  a.  d.  161 7  ;  but  its 
history,  which  is  for  the  most  part  mixed  up  with  that  of  the 
Upper  Sind  district,  will^  such  as  it  is,  be  found  mentioned  in  the 
description  of  the  Shikarpur  Collectorate. 

Sijawal,  a  taluka  (or  sub-division)  of  the  Larkana  Deputy  Col- 
lectorate, containing  an  area  of  192  square  mUes,  with  3  tapas, 
86  villages,  and  a  population  of  15,107  souls.  The  revenue,  im- 
perial and  local,  of  this  sub-division  during  the  four  years  ending 
1873-74  is  as  follows : — 


Imperial    .     .     . 
Local  .... 

1870-7X. 

1871-72. 

1872-73. 

«873-74. 

rupees.             rupees. 

54,729   ;   60,083 
4,224       4,865 

rupees. 
61,969 

4,851 

rupees. 
61,220 

4.559 

Total  rupees     . 

58,953     64.948     66,820 

65,779 

Sujawal;  a  village  in  the  Belo  talaka  of  the  Shahbandar  Deputy 
Collectorate,  situate  about  4  miles  from  the  left  bank  of  the 
Indus.  It  is  on  the  road  from  Belo  to  Bahadipur,  and  is  distant 
13  miles  south-west  from  Mirpur  Batoro,  32!  miles  north  from 
Shahbandar,  and  4  miles  east  of  Saidpur  ferry.  It  is  the  head- 
quarter station  of  a  Tapadar^  and  has  a  police  post  with  4  men, 
a  dharamsala,  as  also  a  cattle  pound.  The  popidation  of  Sujawal 
is  1369,  of  whom  613  are  Musalmans  of  the  Saiyad  and  Muhana 
tribes,  and  752  Hindus  of  the  Brahman,  Kachhi'and  Loh^o 
castes.  Small  as  is  this  place,  it  possesses  a  municipality,  established 
in  1866,  with  an  income  in  1874  of  1969  rupees.  There  is  very 
little  trade  here^  and  there  are  no  manufactures  of  any  importance. 


uigiiizea  by 


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SUKKUR  AND  SHIKARPUR. 


797 


Sukkur  and  Shikarpur  Deputy  CoUectorate,  or  smallest 
division  of  the  Shikarpur  Collectorate,  is  bounded  on  the  north 
and  west  by  the  frontier  district  of  Upper  Sind,  the  "Began" 
canal  forming  a  well-defined  line  of  demarcation ;  on  the  east,  by 
the  river  Indus,  and  on  the  SQuth  by  the  Larkana  Deputy 
CoUectorate.  The  entire  area  of  this  Deputy  Collectorate,  ac- 
cording to  the  Deputy  Collector's  report,  is  1166  square  miles, 
but  by  Survey  estimate  1238  square  miles,  and  is  divided  into 
3  talukas  and  20  tapas,  with  a  total  population,  according  to  the 
census  of  1872,  of  181,832  souls,  or  147  to  the  square  mile,  as 
shown  in  the  following  table : — 


Area  in 

Number 

Towns  having 

Talfika. 

Square 
MUes. 

Tapas. 

of 

Population. 

800  Inhabitants 

Dehs. 

and  upwards. 

I.  Kot  Sultan      .     . 

2.  Nut     Muhammad 

Shikarpur. 

Sujrah     .     .      . 

Khanpur. 

I.  Shik&rpiir. 

472 

3.  Thairo  .... 

4.  Khanpur    .     .     . 

5.  Shikarpur  .      .      . 

6.  Jano      .... 

7.  Muhromari      .     ., 

66 

73,383 

Jagan. 
Kot  Sultan. 
Mian  Saheb. 
.Humaiyim. 

New  and  old 

Sukkur. 

I.  Sukkur       .     .     . 

Lakhi,   Man, 

2.  Gosarji .     *     .     . 

Abad(new). 

X 

3.  Sukkur     . 

279 

3.  Tjikhi    .... 

4.  Chand  .... 

90 

60,223 

Rustam,  Bag- 
eni,  Gosarji, 
Chak,  Miani. 

5.  Bhirkan      .     .      . 

6.  Muhanmiad-a-bagh 

Garhi      Adu- 

7.  Kasim  ..... 

shah. 

' 

Abdu,  Vazir- 

1 

,    abad. 

3.  Naushahro' 
Abro.     ., 

1 

1 

1 

1.  GarhiYasin     .      ,\ 

2.  Gaheja .... 

3.  Kot  Habib      .     . 

4.  Ali  Khan  WasU   . 

5.  Dakhan      .     .     . 
0.  Abid  Markiani 

112 

48,226 

fMadeji. 
Gahefa. 
Garhi  Yfem. 
Kot  Habib. 
Dakhan. 
AbidMarkiani. 
Amrote  (old). 

1,166 

268 

181,832 

The  area  in  English  acres  of  each  talaka,  sho^^ing  the  extent 
cultivated,  culturable,  and  unarable,  is  as  follows : — 


Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


798 


SUKKUR  AND  SHIKARPUR, 


TalOka. 

Total  Area 

inEngUsh 

Acres. 

Cultivated. 

Culturable. 

Unaiable. 

1.  Shikarpur      .... 

2.  Sukkur 

3.  Naoshahro  Abro.     .     . 

acres. 
302,274 

178,3" 
265,590 

acres. 
44,440 

54,879 
I", 535 

acres. 
82,014 

37,660 

28,095 

175,820 

85,772 

125,960 

Physical  Aspect. — The  general  aspect  of  this  division  is, 
with  the  exception  of  the  low  limestone  range  of  hills  at  the  town 
of  Sukkur  and  its  neighbourhood,  a  flat  and  level  plain,  in  parts 
highly  cultivated,  as  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  Shikarpur,  but 
nevertheless  possessing  a  great  deal  of  wholly  unproductive  land, 
more  especially  towards  the  Upper  Sind  frontier,  where  it 
consists  of  barren  tracts  of  clay  and  ridges  of  sand-hills  covered 
with  caper  and  thorn  jungle.  Between  the  town  of  Sukkur  and 
the  mouths  of  the  Sind  canal  a  few  sheets  of  water  give  a  little 
light  to  the  landscape,  and  the  beautifully  brilliant  foliage  of  the 
bahan-tree  mingles  pleasantly  with  the  tamarisks  and  acacias. 
There  are  many  fine  old  trees  scattered  about  here  and  there  in 
this  division,  and  the  great  pipal  grove  at  the  old  town  of 
Lakhi,  situate  on  rising  ground,  is  visible  many  miles  off.  Much 
of  the  best  land  in  this  division  is  covered  with  extensive  forests, 
which  skirt  the  Indus  and  give  a  distinctive  feature  to  what  would 
otherwise  be  tame  and  uninteresting  scenery.  The  average 
elevation  of  this  district  above  sea-level  may  be  estimated  at  about 
210  feet,  though  there  are  spots,  such  for  instance  as  Lakhi,  which 
possess  a  trigonometrical  survey  station  234  feet  above  the  level 
of  the  sea. 

Hydrography. — In  treating  of  the  water  system  of  this  portion 
of  the  Shikarpur  Collectorate,  though  prominence  will  be  given  to 
the  canals,  both  main  feeders  and  their  branches,  which,  drawing 
their  water  either  directly  from  the  Indus  or  from  dhandhs 
(flood-hollows),  flow  through  and  fertilise  the  land,  it  will  be 
necessary  to  refer  to  other  means  of  irrigation  arising  from  the 
prevalence  more  or  less  of  floods  or  lets  as  they  are  called, 
which  are  a  distinguishing  feature  in  the  hydrography  of  the 
Shikarpur  district.  When  these  floods  can  be  kept  mthin  due 
bounds  they  become  of  service  to  the  cultivator,  but  when 
excessive  they  are,  on  the  other  hand,  terribly  destructive  to  the 
land  over  which  they  flow,  making  a  desert  of  what  was  once 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


SUKKUR  AND  SHIKARPUR,  799 

flourishing  cultivation.  One  of  the  principal  floods  in  this  division 
is  the  Muhromariy  which  has  existed  in  a  greater  or  less  degree 
from  the  year  1849.  It  was  not  till  1863-64  that  it  assumed  any 
alarming  proportions,  but  in  the  inundation  season  of  that  year 
it  covered  the  whole  of  the  northern  part  of  the  Shikarpur  taluka, 
and  sweeping  across  the  Jacobabad  and  Larkana  road,  flooded 
all  the  north-western  side  of  the  Naushahro  Abro  taluka,  and  then 
entered  the  Sijawal  and  Rato  Dero  talukas  of  the  Larkana  Deputy 
CoUectorate,  where  it  did  great  damage.  It  converted  a  large 
tract  of  country  lying  between  the  Begari  canal  and  the  village 
of  Abad  Melani  in  the  east,  and  extending  along  the  southern 
bank  of  the  former  canal  almost  to  Khairo  Garhi  and  Sijawal  in 
the  west,  into  one  vast  jungle,  with  only  patches  here  and  there 
of  rabi  cultivation.  It  moreover  partially  ruined  the  once 
flourishing  villages  of  Kot  Sultan,  Zarkhel,  Nur  Muhammad 
Sajrah  and  Khanpur,  which  became  almost  deserted,  as  many 
agriculturists  left  them  to  seek  on  the  northern  side  of  the 
Begari  canal  for  more  permanent  prospects  of  cultivation.  Some 
idea  of  the  devastating  effects  of  this  flood  may  be  conceived 
when  it  is  mentioned  that  the  kharif  crops  which  in  1861-62  in 
the  Shikarpur  and  Naushahro  Abro  talukas  brought  in  51,416 
rupees,  only  realised  in  1869-70  the  small  sum  of  13,740  rupees. 
To  some  extent  where  a  flood  of  this  description  contracts  the 
growth  of  kharif  crops  there  is  an  increase  in  rabi  cultivation, 
which  was  the  case  afl:er  the  disastrous  flood  of  1863-64 ;  but  when 
a  third  flood  sweeps  over  the  same  land  it  becomes  no  longer  fit 
for  cereal  cultivation,  and  nothing  but  grass  and  jungle  will  grow 
on  it.  To  keep  out  this  Muhromari  let  a  handh  had  previously 
(1858)  been  made,  but  owing  to  the  sweeping  nature  of  this  flood, 
and  to  the  bandh  being  wilfully  damaged  in  several  places  by 
catde-owning  Balochis,  it  became  hopelessly  breached  at  its 
northern  end.  Numerous  plans  have  at  various  times  been  put 
forward  to  keep  out  this  Ht^  but  the  latest  proposition  is  to 
make  another  bandh  opposite  the  town  of  Muhromari  itself^  and 
for  this  work  Government  sanction  is  fully  expected  to  be  obtained. 
The  Zamindars  have,  meanwhile,  determined  on  constructing  one 
for  themselves,  and  this  may  for  a  time  arrest  the  progress  of  this 
flood  till  the  more  permanent  bandh  is  built,  when  it  is  hoped  the 
land,  so  frequently  swept  by  the  flood-waters  of  the  Indus,  may 
once  more  be  gradually  brought  under  cultivation.  During  the 
inundation  season  of  1870  another  of  these  leis^  which  left  the 
river  Indus  between  the  towns  of  Jhali  and  Madeji,  swept  over 
the  southern  portion  of  this  division,  and  crossing  the  Shikarpur 

Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


8oo  SUKKUR  AND  SHIKARPUR. 

and  Larkana  road,  did  much  injury  in  the  Larkana  districts. 
About  seven  years  before  this  took  place  a  similar  flood  swept 
over  the  same  tract  of  country.  To  prevent  a  repetition  of  this 
disaster,  a  hcmdk  was  constructed  from  the  Shahdadwah  canal, 
near  Bagirji,  to  the  Ghar  canal  at  Madeji,  but  during  the  inunda- 
tion season  of  1874,  the  Jhali  handh  was  breached  above  Madeji 
in  the  month  of  July,  as  also  the  railway  embankment  in  its 
neighbourhood.  In  the  same  month  the  Muhromari  Ht  breached 
the  handh  of  that  name,  and,  jointly  with  the  Kashmor  and  Begari 
floods,  submerged  11,000  acres  of  cultivation  in  the  Shikaxpur 
taluka,  and  1200  acres  in  that  of  Naushahro  Abro.  About  1836 
acres  of  cultivation  in  the  Sukkur  taluka  were  also  destroyed, 
mainly  from  a  superabundance  of  water  in  the  Sukkur  canaL  To 
the  east  of  the  Sukkur  taluka,  there  is  a  hne  of  bandlis  constructed 
with  the  same  object ;  these  are  the  Rahuja,  and  Raban  bandhs. 
They  have  been  found  very  serviceable,  but  require  to  be  put  in 
thorough  repair  every  year.  The  average  annual  cost  of  repairing 
the  Rahuja  and  Raban  bandhs  during  the  four  years  ending 
1873-74  has  been  1195  rupees.  The  total  length  of  these  bandhs 
is  \o\  miles. 

Canals. — The  canals  of  this  division  do  not  appear  to  be  very 
numerous,  but  several  of  them  are  large  and  important  Among 
these  is  the  "Sindwah,"  having  three  mouths,  which  lead  out 
from  the  Kot  Shaho  dhandh.  The  original  mouth  of  the 
Sindwah  was  at  Abad  Melani  in  the  Sukkur  taluka,  but  in 
1859-60  a  fresh  cut  was  made  to  it  at  Adur  Takio  (Sukk.  tal.), 
which  joined  the  old  bed  at  Shahpur.  The  third  branch,  called 
the  Sanhri  Sind,  which  existed  in  the  time  of  the  Talpur  Miis, 
joins  the  original  stream  about  two  miles  west  of  Abad  MelanL 
It  is  to  the  circumstance  of  this  canal  possessing  three  mouths 
that  are  attributed  its  great  irrigating  qualities.  Another  large 
canal,  the  Sukkur,  76  miles  in  length,  of  which  39  miles  flow 
through  the  Sukkur  and  Naushahro  talukas,  was  only  opened 
in  June  1870.  It  has  the  advantage  over  other  canals  in  this 
district  in  possessing  a  permanent  mouth  at  the  place  where  it 
taps  the  Indus,  which  is  protected  by  sohd  rock.  It  flows  through 
land  formerly  watered  by  the  Garang  canal,  into  which,  since  the 
opening  of  the  Sukkur,  no  water  now  flows,  the  latter  being 
much  lower  in  level  than  the  Garang.  Upwards  of  3000  acres 
of  land  have  in  consequence  been  thrown  out  of  cultivation,  but  a 
project  for  cutting  a  canal  below  New  Sukkur  to  irrigate  this  area 
is  under  consideration,  and  is  greatly  desired  by  the  Zamindars 
of  the  neighbourhood. 

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SUKKUR  AND  SHIKARPUR. 


80 1 


The  following  is  a  list  of  the  Government  canals  in  this  division, 
with  other  information  connected  with  them : — 


Canal. 

1 

Width 

ft 
Mouth. 

Average 

Annual 
Cost  of 
Clearance 
forsYeare, 
ending 
1873-74. 

Average 
Annual 
Revenue, 
for  5  Years, 
ending 
«873-74- 1 

Remarks. 

miles* 

feet 

rupees. 

rupees. 

I.  Sindwah 

37 

60 

3.597 

96,444 

Has  three  mouths  leading  out 
from  the  Kot  Shaho  dhandh, 
and  flows  from  the  village 
of    Shahpur,    between   the 

Sukkur  and  Shikarpur  ta- 

lukas. 

2.  Began  (large) 

This  canal  is  under  the  manage- 
ment of  the  Frontier  district 
authorities  (for  information 
respecting  it  see  under  Fron- 
tier district). 

3.  Began  (small) 

6 

12 

1,015 

10,939 

Is  a  branch  of  the  Sindwah, 
and  waters  the  southern  part 
of  the  Shikarpur  taluka. 

4.  Raiswah.     . 

6 

14 

1,039 

10,451 

Ditto. 

5.  Alibahar 

24 

22 

Waters  the  Naushahro  Abro 
taluka. 

6.  Fazal-bahar. 

4 

24 

... 

Waters  the  Naushahro  Abro 
taluka. 

7.  Ghar       .     . 

6 

60 

Is  a  very  large  canal,  but  only 
6  miles  of  it  are  in  this  di- 
vision ;  it  more  properly 
belongs  to  the  Larkana 
district. 

8.  Sukicur  Canal 

76 

24 

9,482 

116,867 

Main -feeder;  flows  through 
the  Sukkur  and  Naushahro 
Abro  talijkas  for  about  39 

1 

1 
1 

miles. 

The  table  on  next  page  shows  the  principal  Zamindari  canals 
in  this  division ;  they  are  under  the  management  of  the  Zamindars 
of  the  district,  but  the  Deputy  Collector  and  the  Mukhty^rkars 
exercise  a  kind  of  supervision  as  to  clearance,  &c. 


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SUKKUR  AND  SHIKARPUR. 


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SUKKUR  AND  SHIKIRPUR.  803 

The  Government  canals  are  under  the  control  of  the  Engineer 
Department — that  is  to  say,  the  Sindwah,  Begari  and  Raiswah 
under  the  Executive  Engineer  for  the  Begari  division,  and  the 
Ghar  and  others  under  the  Engineer  for  the  Ghar  division, — all 
the  clearance  work  is  carried  out  jointly  by  them  and  by  the 
Deputy  Collector  during  the  cold  season. 

Meteorology. — ^This  division  of  the  Shikarpur  Collectorate, 
like  other  portions  of  Upper  Sind,  can  be  said,  so  far  as  climate 
is  concerned,  to  possess  only  two  seasons,  the  hot  and  cold ;  the 
former  beginning  in  March  and  terminating  about  the  latter  end 
of  October,  and  the  other  commencing  in  November  and  finishing 
generally  by  the  middle  of  March.  The  change  from  the  cold  to 
the  hot  season  is  frequently  very  sudden,  and  the  heat  even  early 
in  March  is  at  times  intense.  The  hot  winds  set  in  fairly  in 
April,  blowing  generally  from  8  o'clock  in  the  morning  till  5  o'clock 
in  the  evening.  At  times  the  suk^  a  blasting  hot  wind  of  the 
desert,  prevails,  destroying  alike  animal  and  vegetable  life  with 
great  suddenness.  In  1841  thirteen  hundred  camels  are  said  to 
have  perished  from  its  effects  in  the  grazing  grounds  at  Sukkur. 
The  hot  winds  prevail  from  March  to  July,  blowing  commonly 
from  the  north  and  west,  and  the  mercury  in  the  thermometer  at 
that  time  not  unfrequently  shows  a  temperature  of  165°  in  the 
sun's  rays  at  noon.  Occasional  thunder-storms  occur  in  these 
months,  they  are  generally  preceded  by  dust-storms,  which  tend 
greatly  to  purify  the  atmosphere.  In  November  the  cold  season 
commences,  the  thermometer  in  the  month  of  January  sometimes 
showing  a  temperature  as  low  as  27^  Fahr.  The  air  in  the  months 
of  December,  January,  and  a  portion  of  February  is  cold,  pure, 
and  bracing.  The  maximum,  minimum,  and  mean  temperature 
of  Sukkur,  ascertained  from  several  years'  observations,  has  been 
found  to  be  109°,  51°  and  82°  respectively.  The  following  table, 
showing  the  maximum,  minimum,  and  mean  observations  in  the 
shade,  taken  at  the  town  of  Shikarpur  for  eleven  years,  ending  with 
1874,  may  be  taken  as  a  fair  illustration  of  the  temperature 
generally  prevailing  throughout  this  Deputy  Collectorate : — 


3  F  2 

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SUKKVR  AND  SHIKARPUR. 


Years, 

Maximum. 

Minimum. 

Mean. 

0 

0 

0 

1864 

P 

61 

77 

1865 

% 

79 

1866 

90 

78. 

1867 

III 

44 

77 

1868 

107 

40 

73 

1869 

103 

78 

90 

1870 

lOI 

74 

87 

187I 

103 

65 

90 

1872 

104 

41 

74 

1873 

107 

38 

W 

1874 

107 

39 

Rainfall. — The  average  annual  rainfall  in  this  division  may 
be  put  down  at  5*15  inches,  the  result  of  twelve  years*  observations 
at  the  town  of  ShikSrpur.  The  months  when  rain  is  most  frequent 
would  appear  to  be  January,  August,  and  December.  The 
following  table  will  show  the  monthly  rainfall  at  the  town  of 
Shikarpur  for  the  nine  years  ending  1874 : — 


Months. 

1866. 

1867. 

1868. 

1869. 

1870. 

1B71. 

1872.      1873. 

1874. 

in. 

in. 

in. 

in. 

in. 

in. 

in.            in. 

in. 

January     . 
February  . 

•53 

•19 

r8o 

•17.    HO] 

1-75 

.32 

•50 

•05          ... 

March.     . 

•25 

... 

•20 

3'90 

112 

•12 

... 

AprU   .     . 

•07 

May     .     . 

... 

... 

I -06 

...       4"6i 

•08 

June    .     . 
July     .    • 

... 

"65 

•44 

*97 

I -'30 

:3 



6-89 

August 

4*15 

364 

5'57 

i-oi     4-19 

3-»S 

September. 

•01 

2-50 

•18     ... 

October     . 

... 

•07 

... 

... 

November. 

... 

... 

•01 

... 

... 

1 

December , 

Total      for 
each  year^ 

•20 

•33 

... 

•42 

... 

•25 

4-93 

3-85 

3"27 

8-93 

8-41 

1-67 

1*36      9  22 

ii'tf 

The  average  annual  rainfall  at  the  town  of  Sukkur  during  the 
three  years  ending  1874  was  7*37  inches. 

Diseases. — The  most  prevalent  diseases  in  this  district  are 
malarious  fevers  and  ulcers.  The  former  are  due  to  the  drying 
up  of  ground  that  has  been  flooded  during  the  inundation  seasoOi 
the  most  unhealthy  months  being  October  and  November,  that 
is  to  say,  a  month  or  two  after  the  gradual  subsidence  of  the 
flood  waters.     Cholera  is  an  occasional  but  not  a  regular  visitant 

Geology  and  Soils. — Of  the  geological  formation  of  this  part 


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SUKKUR  AND  SHIKARPUR,  805 

of  the  Shikarpur  Collectorate  there  is  but  little  to  be  said.  Like 
other  portions  of  the  great  valley  of  the  Indus,  it  consists  of  an 
immense  tract  of  alluvial  deposit,  nearly  the  whole  of  which  has 
at  one  time  or  the  other  been  overflowed  by  the  Indus  in  its 
eccentric  course  from  the  northern  mountains  to  the  sea.  That 
part  at  present  watered  by  this  river  and  extending  inland  for  a 
distance  varjdng  from  two  to  twelve  miles  is  of  superior  richness 
and  of  amazing  fertility,  while  the  "  Pat,"  or  desert  of  Shikarpur, 
extending  from  the  town  of  that  name  to  and  beyond  its  north- 
western boundary,  consists  of  an  indurated  alluvial  day,  requiring, 
however,  nothing  but  irrigation  to  make  it  fertile  and  productive. 
The  soils  in  the  Sukkur  and  Shikarpur  division  are  numerous,  each 
having  a  distinguishing  name.  The  following  is  a  list  of  these, 
with  their  different  characteristics : — 

Latiyari — a  soil  formed  from  the  silt  of  the  inundations. 

TAnak — the  hard  soil  left  by  repeated  inundations. 

Thoria&i — a  **  cracked"  soil,  often  seen  near  the  river  with  great  cracks 

in  it. 
Gasari — a  dusty  soil. 

Rabb — a  hollow,  and  Khariri,  an  uneven  soil. 
Pati — a  good  soil,  with  a  sandy  stratum  below. 
Kanuri — a  soft  soil,  and  Wariasi,  a  sandy  soil. 
Kalar — a  salt  soil,  covered  on  the  surface  in  parts  with  an  efflorescence  of 

carbonate  of  soda. 
Thait  Kalar— a  very  salt  soil. 

Salt  and  saltpetre  are  the  only  minerals  obtained  in  this  division. 

Animals. — The  wild  animals  in  the  Sukkur  and  Shikarpur 
Deputy  Collectorate  are  the  tiger,  bear,  hyena,  wolf,  fox, 
jackal,  and  different  kinds  of  deer.  Among  the  birds,  are  the 
eagle,  hawk,  kite,  crow,  parrot,  pigeon,  tilur  (a  kind  of  bustard), 
quail,  partridge,  several  varieties  of  wild  duck  and  other  water- 
fowl The  reptiles  comprise  snakes,  of  different  kinds,  alligators, 
guanas,  lizards,  &c.  The  domestic  animals  are  the  horse,  camel, 
buffalo,  cow,  donkey,  goat,  sheep,  dog  and  cat  Poultry  are 
common  everywhere.  Excellent  ponies  are  bred  in  some  parts  of 
the  Shikarpur  district 

Vegetable  Productions. — The  chief  vegetable  productions 
of  this  division  are  juar  {Sorghum  vulgare)^  bajri  \Pendllaria 
vulgaris)^  wheat,  barley,  rice,  indigo,  cotton,  hemp,  sugar>cane, 
tobacco,  grain,  mung  (Phaseolus  mungo),  matar  {Lathyrus  saiivuf^^ 
kirang  (  Seta  Italica)^  &c.  The  fruit-trees  are  the  fig,  mulberry, 
apple,  mango,  date,  palm,  grape,  ber  {Zizyphus  vulgaris)^  pome- 
granate, and  guava.     Of  the  forest-trees  the  chief  are  the  bahan 


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SUKKUR  AND  SHIKARPUR, 


(Populus  EupAraHca),  kandi  (Proso^  s^gera)^  siias  (Aiimosa 
sirissa)^  babul  {Acacia  Arabica)^  pipal  {Ficus  reiigiosa)^  bhar  (Fiats 
Indica\  but  the  babul,  so  common  in  Lower  and  Central  Sind,  is 
scarce  in  this  district  Numerous  trees  have  of  late  years  been 
introduced  into  this  division,  and  with  considerable  success.  The 
following  is  a  list  of  the  forests  with  their  approximate  areas  in 
English  acres,  and  the  revenue  derived  from  them  in  the  year 
1873-74:— 


Forest. 

^     n^^^t 

1.  Bhindi  Dhareja.     .     .     . 

2.  Kadarpur 

3.  Shahbelo 

4.  Kiabhindi 

5.  Abad \ 

6.  Kadumi-bhindi.     .     .     ./ 

7.  Shahu 

8.  Bagarji   ...... 

9.  Andaldal 

Total      .     . 

6,954 
2,485 
13,433 
3,  "8 
5,604 

6,099 
13,920 
12,192 

nipoes. 
5,726 

",'346 
1,687 

2,3*9 

i!7i8 
7,895 

63.805    I    35,739 

These  forests,  which  are  not  much  more  than  fifty  years  old, 
having  been  planted  in  the  time  of  Mirs  Sohrab  Khan  and  Mubarak 
Khan  Talpur,  are  under  the  management  of  the  Government 
Forest  Department,  and  are  included  in  the  forest  tapa  of 
Sukkur.  They  are  under  the  especial  charge  of  the  Tapadar  of 
that  particular  forest  division,  who  is  assisted  in  this  duty  by 
foresters,  or,  as  they  are  called  rakhas.  They  are  again  super- 
vised by  the  inspector,  whose  range  extends  over  two  or  more  tapas. 
or  by  an  assistant  to  the  conservator  of  forests,  who  has  a  stiB 
more  extensive  charge.  The  bush  jungle  of  the  district  includes 
the  kirar  {Capparis  aphyiia),  the  ak  {Calotropis  Bamiitonii),  ^ 
{jypha  eiephantina)y  kip  {Leptadenia  Jacguemontiana)^  Kad.  others 
Of  vegetables,  there  is  the  potato,  garlic,  onion,  brinjal,  pumpkio? 
cabbage,  turnip,  horse-radish,  radish,  carrot,  and  many  others. 

Fisheries. — There  are  numerous  fisheries  in  this  division,  which 
are,  however,  not  confined  to  the  river  Indus  only,  but  comprise 
also  those  of  the  dhandhs^  and  koldbs,  in  some  of  which 
fish  abound.  The  fish  obtained  in  these  are  of  different  kinds, 
and  include  the  dambhro,  kuriri,  goj  (eel),  khago  (cat-fisli),  jcria 
gangat  and  others.  Pala  is  plentiful,  but  is  found  only  in  th€ 
Indus.     The  following  is  a  list  of  the  fisheries  in  the  three  talukas 

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SUKKUR  AND  SHIKARPUR. 


807 


of  Shikarpur,  Sukkur,  and  Naushahro  Abro,  with  their  average 
revenue  during  the  past  three  years  ending  1873-74.  These 
fisheries  are  annually  put  up  to  auction,  and  the  revenue  derived 
from  them  is  credited  to  local  funds : — 


Talflka. 

Name  of  Fishery.                          Revenue  for      ^  Total 
x^ameoirunery.                                x873-74-          Revenue. 

Shikarpur . 
Sukkur      . 

i 

Naushahro 
Abro      . 

! 
1 

kolab"Lundi" 

Do.    Taiai 

Do.    Muhromari 

Do.    Mahando 

Do.    Angaho 

/bhandh  Meharwari 

Gungiwah 

Duba  Rahujanjo 

Do.  Dch  Chak 

Pala  fishery  from  Old  Sukkur  to  Begaxi 
Do.        from  Jatoi  to  the  limit  of 
<     Naushahro  Abro 

Pala  fishery  from  New  Sukkur    .     . 

Dhori  Shekhmaluk 

Machi  Bhal  Saidabad      .... 

Bhal  Bezari  Bagaiji 

Fish  from  Lakhi  reservoir      .     .     . 

Other  Dubas,  Khads  &c.  .     .     .     . 

/Machi  Makan  Lundi 

Do.    Bhambo  Dero 

Do.    TajeDero 

Do.    AbidMarkiani 

Do.    Kolab  Khan  Kalhoro  .     .     . 

Deh  Chango  Rahuja 

Do.    Mirzanpur,  &c 

Do.    AUdidadani      ..... 

Do.    Adamji 

Deh  Sanghi 

Let  Wahni  (fish) 

Kolab  deh  Palija 

Pala  fish  from  Ghulilm  Muhammad 

Khan's  viUage  to  Jhali .     .     .     . 

Pala  fish  from  Ghulam  Kh&n*s  village 

to  Rajidera 

Deh  Murad  Unar 

\From  other  sources 

rupees. 
1,003 
139 

31 
3 

rupees. 
1.4*9 

1,038 
1.459 

327 
7 

4 

13 

204 

140 

23 
II 

78 
49 

51 
120 
60 
28 
12 
35 
553 

26t 

62 
28 
33 

66 

35 
90 
21 

; 

! 

3.946 

Population. — The  total  population  of  the  Sukkur  and  Shi- 
karpur division,  which  is  made  up  mostly  of  the  two  great  classes, 
Muhammadans  and  Hindus,  the  number  of  Europeans,  Indo- 
Europeans,  Parsis,  Sikhs,  &c.,  not  exceeding  453,  may  be  estimated 


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SUKKUR  AND  SHIKARPUR. 


at  181,832,  thus  giving  about  147  souls  to  each  square  mile, 
which  is  high  when  compared  with  other  districts  in  Sind.  The 
Musalman  portion  of  the  inhabitants,  numbering  126,394,  may 
be  classed  as  follows  : — 


MUHAMMADANS. 


Tribes. 

Number. 

SubKuvisons. 

I.  BalochLs     .     . 

Not 

Jatoi,  I^ashari,  Khosa,  Burdi,  Pitafi,  Chan- 

known 

dia,  Kaheri,  Sundrini,  Kadan,  Laghari, 
Mashori,  Gopang,  Jagarani,  Jalbani, 
Bukbari,  and  Rind. 

by  census 

of  1872 

2.  Pathans      .     . 

2,5^9 

Mashiiv^Lni,  Jaran. 

3.  Saiyads.      .     . 

1,923 

Koreshi. 

4.  Sindis   .     .      . 

Not 

Kalhora,    Mahar,   Niln,   Kakra,    Nappnr, 

known 

Sudaya,  Sumra,  Behun,  Silra,   Khuara, 

by  census 

Kalir,     Pahari,    Sujrah,    Setar,    Bapur, 

of  1872 

Juneja,  Unar,  Jamra,  Hakra,  Dhamia, 
Khumbra,  Biighia,  Bhuta,  Phulpotia, 
Bekhari,  Junia,  Rahri,  Rahuja,Chhachhar, 

Kori,    Mochi,    Hajam,    Shikari,    Labor, 

Khati,  Sonara,  Machi,  KhaskeU,  Bhuti, 

Shekh,   Abra,   Mohana,   Kasai,   Kanjur, 

Mahesar,  Dhareja,  Deda,  Perar,   Rajur, 

Dakhan,    Kumbar,    Patoli,    KhQmbati, 

Shidi,  Pawar. 

5.  Mogals,  MemoDs 

and  Shekhs  . 

6,293 

6.  All    others    in- 

cluding Balo-  . 

chis  and  Sindis 
Total    .     . 

115.659 

126,394 

Hindus. 

I.  Brahmans  .     . 

1.242 

Pokama,    Sarsudh,  Jajak,  Bhat,    Sinnali, 

Chanchria,  Acharj. 

2.  Kshatrias    .     . 

26s 

3.  Waishia      .     . 

52,011 

Bhogri,  Sikha,  Rajani,  Nangdeo,  Chobra, 
Makhija,  Kukreja,  Chichria,  Ahiija, 
Chugh,  Wadhwa,  Thareja,  Dameja, 
Sonara,  Rohra,  Marwai,  Kara,  Jukhia, 
Manjur,  Banga,  Bilai,  Dakhna. 

4.  Sudras         and 

others      .     . 

L,467 

Thakur,   Bainigi,   Jogi,   Nanga,  Chachria, 

Total      .     . 

Gut,  Tdaraji. 

54,985 

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SUKKUR  AND  SHIKARFUR.  809 

Character. — Of  the  two  great  classes  inhabiting  this  division,  Le, 
the  Musahnans  and  the  Hindus,  the  former  may,  as  elsewhere  in 
Sind,  be  said  in  point  of  character  to  be  more  open,  candid,  and 
independent  than  the  Hindus,  and  in  point  of  physique  to  be  a 
very  much  superior  race ;  but  the  Muhammadan  is  thriftless,  ex- 
travagant and  lazy,  while  the  Hindu,  on  the  other  hand,  is  careful 
and  thrifty,  though  cunning  and  avaricious.  At  the  same  time 
there  is  much  difiference  in  the  characters  of  the  various  Musalman 
tribes  inhabiting  this  district,  and  the  Baloch  can  in  no  way  be 
included  in  the  same  category  with  the  Sindi  Muhammadan, 
the  characteristics  of  the  two  being  essentially  different ;  thus,  the 
one  is  rough,  violent,  and  quarrelsome  in  disposition,  but  at  the 
same  time  brave  and  hardy,  while  the  Sindi  has  not  a  spark  of 
independence  in  his  character,  and  is  besides  notoriously  lazy 
and  cowardly.  The  Hindu  portion  of  the  community  are  much 
in  the  minority  as  regards  number,  but,  as  elsewhere,  give  their 
whole  attention  to  trade  and  commerce.  Their  influence  in  this 
respect  at  Shikarpur,  where  the  trade  may  be  said  to  be  almost 
wholly  in  their  hands,  is  great  and  important,  and  many  of  the 
Hindu  merchants  there,  whose  business  transactions  with  Central 
Asia  and  different  parts  of  British  India  are  on  a  most  extensive 
scale,  are  very  wealthy  men.  In  food,  dress,  habitations,  lan- 
guage and  religion  the  inhabitants  of  this  division  resemble,  for 
the  most  part,  their  brethren  in  other  parts  of  Upper  Sind,  and 
the  description  of  these  for  one  district  may,  as  a  general  rule,  be 
taken  to  apply  to  aU. 

Crime. — The  prevailing  crimes  in  the  Shikarpur  and  Sukkur 
division  are  house-breaking,  theft  of  cattle,  or,  as  it  may  more 
properly  be  termed,  "cattle-lifting,"  to  which  several  of  the  Baloch 
tribes  are  very  much  addicted.  These,  combined  with  other 
kinds  of  theft,  are  the  offences  which  are  most  commonly  com- 
mitted by  the  inhabitants.  The  following  statistical  tables  will 
show  the  various  crimes  committed  during  the  four  years  ending 
with  1874  in  this  Deputy  Collectorate,  as  also  the  amount  of 
litigation  by  the  number  and  variety  of  suits  brought  into  the 
civil  courts  during  the  same  period : — 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


8io 


SUKKUR  AND  SHIKARPUR. 

Criminal. 


Year. 

Murders. 

Hurts, 
Assaults, 
and  use  of 
Criminal 

Force. 

Thefts. 

Receiving 

Stolen 
Property. 

House- 
breaking. 

§»: 

Other 
Offences. 

Cattle. 

Others. 

1871 
1872 
1873 
1874 

3 
4 

131 
218 
265 

373 

94 
50 
44 

37 

133 
173 
188 

167 

33 
27 
38 
24 

46 

32 

38 

55 

2 
4 
7 

4 

138 
251 

526 

697 

Civil  (for  towns  of  Old  and  New  Sakkur). 


Year. 

Suits  for  Land. 

Suits  for  Money. 

Other  Suits.' 

• 

TotaL 

No. 

Value, 

No. 

Value. 

No. 

Value. 

No. 

Value. 

187 1 

4 

rupees. 
1,154 

490 

rupees. 
1,3^,783 

I 

rupees. 
200 

495 

rupees. 
1,38,137 

1872 

4 

510 

269 

13,795 

7 

466 

280 

14,771 

1873 

2 

350 

278 

18,421 

3 

26 

283 

18.797 

1874 

3 

339 

430 

21,956 

14    3,085 

1 

4*7 

25,380 

Civil  (Shikarpur,  Sukkur,  and  Naushahro  Abro  Talukas). 

Year. 

Suits  for  Land. 

Suits  for  Money. 

Other  Suits. 

TotaL 

No. 

Value. 

No. 

Value. 

No. 

Value. 

No. 

Value. 

1871 

29 

rupees. 

8,238 

958 

rupees. 
1,32,730 

18 

rupees. 
2,035 

1.005 

rupees. 
1.43,003 

1872 

34 

6,604 

863 

88,605 

12 

3,864 

909 

99,073 

1873 

26       3,298 

1052 

79,788 

4 

400 

1,082 

83,486 

1874 

18     1  2,538 

1070 

1,16,529 

10 

4,936 

1,098 

1,24,003 

Establishments. — The  chief  revenue  officer  in  this  division 
is  the  Deputy  Collector,  who  is  also  vested  with  certain  magis- 
terial powers,  but  he  may  in  this  respect  be  said  to  be  less  so  than 
other  Deputy  Collectors  of  the  Shikarpur  Collectorate,  since  the 
town  of  Shikarpur  is  the  head-quarter  station  of  the  collector  and 
magistrate  of  the  whole  district,  and  either  this  place  or  the  town 


Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


SUKKUR  AND  SHIKARPUR,  8ii 

of  Sukkur  is  his  usual  residence  during  the  hot  season  or  when 
not  on  tour.  Under  the  Deputy  Collector  are  the  Mukhtyarkars 
of  the  three  talukas  of  Shikarpur,  Sukkur,  and  Naushahro  Abro, 
who,  besides  being  revenue  officers,  are  invested  with  certain 
magisterial  powers  for  the  trial  of  criminal  offences.  In  their 
revenue  capacity  the  Mukhtyarkars  are  assisted  by  the  Tapadars, 
each  of  whom  has  the  revenue  charge  of  a  tapa,  several  of  which 
make  up  a  taluka  (or  mukhtyarkarate).  There  are  also  two  town 
magistracies,  one  at  Sukkur  and  the  other  at  Shikarpur. 

CArrLE-PouNDS.  —There  are  numerous  cattle-pounds  (or  dkaks) 
established  in  different  parts  of  this  division,  the  proceeds  from 
which  are  credited  to  local  revenue.  They  are  placed  under  the . 
charge  of  mflnshis  with  peons  to  assist  them.  The  average  annual 
revenue  derived  from  this  source  during  the  four  years  ending 
1873-74  was  8622  rupees. 

Civil  Courts. — The  court  of  the  District  Judge  and  Sessions 
Judge  of  the  Shikarpur  district  is  situate  at  the  town  of  Shikarpur, 
where  also,  and  at  Sukkur,  there  are  subordinate  judges'  courts, 
with  the  usual  establishments  of  nazir,  bailiffs,  and  munshis. 
The  judge  of  the  Shikarpur  Subordinate  Civil  Court  visits  Ja- 
cobabad,  Thul,  and  Kashmor,  his  jurisdiction  extending  over  the 
talQkas  of  Shikarpur,  Sukkur  (except  the  towns  of  Old  and  New 
Sukkur),  Naushahro  Abro,  Jacobabad,  Mirpur,  and  Kashmor. 
The  jurisdiction  of  the  Sukkur  court  extends  over  the  towns  of 
Old  and  New  Sukkur,  the  talukas  of  Rohri,  Saidpur,  Ghotki, 
Mirpur  Mathelo,  and  Ubauro. 

Police. — The  total  number  of  police  of  all  descriptions  em- 
ployed in  the  Sukkur  and  Shikarpur  division  is  523,  or  one  police- 
man to  every  348  of  the  population.  This  number  forms  a 
portion  of  the  entire  police  force  of  the  district,  which  is  directly 
controlled  by  the  district  Superintendent  of  Police,  whose  head- 
quarters are  at  Shikarpur.  It  is  divided  into  mounted,  rural,  and 
city  police.  In  this  division,  the  head-quarter  stations  are  at 
Shikarpur,  Chak,  and  Dakhan,  and  the  number  of  thdnas  is  15. 
There  is  a  town  Inspector  of  Police  at  both  Sukkur  and  Shikarpur. 
The  force  is  distributed  as  follows : — 


Digitized  by  VjQOQlC 


8l2 


SUKKU'R  AND  SHIKARPUR. 


Talakas. 

Mounted 
Police. 

Armed  and 

Unarmed  foot 

PoUce. 

Municipal 
or  Town 
Police. 

Remarks. 

1.  Shikarpur.      .      . 

2.  Sukkur    .      .     . 

3.  Naushahro  Abro. 

25 
6 

7 

246 

73 
35 

71 

53 
7 

Of  the  mounted  police  some 
are  camel  and  others  are 
hone  police. 

38 

354 

131 

Revenue. — The  revenue  of  this  division,  which  has  been 
divided  into  imperial  and  local,  is  derived  principally  from  the 
land,  the  other  important  items  being  stamps,  abkari,  dings 
and  opium,  postal  department  and  income  tax.  In  no  part 
of  this  district,  nor  indeed  in  any  portion  of  the  Shikarpur  Col- 
lectorate,  are  there  any  Government  distilleries,  but  the  right  of 
manufacture  and  sale  of  spirits  is  put  up  to  auction  yearly  and 
given  in  farm.  The  salt  revenue  is  derived,  in  addition  to  the 
local  fund,  from  an  8-anna  duty  on  every  maund  of  salt  manu- 
factured, the  total  out-turn  from  the  twenty-two  manufactories  in 
this  division  during  the  year  1873-74  being  16,054  maunds. 
The  present  system  is  for  the  manufacturer  to  contract  to  turn 
out  a  certain  quantity  of  salt  in  a  certain  time ;  should  he  fail  to 
do  this,  he  has  still  to  pay  duty  on  the  quantity  originally  con- 
tracted for,  unless  he  can  show  very  strong  and  urgent  reasons 
for  a  remission.  Manshis,  placed  over  every  two  or  three  of 
these  manufactories,  superintend  the  work  and  measure  the  salt 
made,  but  it  is  believed  that  a  great  quantity  of  salt  is  manufac- 
tured which  never  pays  any  duty  whatever  to  Government  The 
following  table  will  show  the  imperial  and  local  revenues  of  this 
division,  under  their  different  heads,  for  the  five  years  ending 
with  1873-74: — 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


SUKKUR  AND  SHIKARPUR. 
I.  Imperial  Revenue. 


813 


1869-70. 

1870-71. 

1871-79. 

i87»-73. 

1873-74 

L^d  Revenue 
Abkari      .     . 

rupees. 
2,82,969 
13.408 

rupees. 
2,80,298 
21,797 

rupees. 
2,52,387 
16,353 

rupees. 
2,57,428 
15,545 

rupees. 
2.39,346 
23.091 

Drugs         and! 
Opium  .     .J 

70,793 

5.978 

8,797 

12,416 

13,130 

Stamps      .     . 
Salt      .     .     . 

63.785 

".594 

72,973 
14,277 

40,719 

u,674 

48,602 
8,254 

46,255 
8,095 

Regbtration     1 
Department  / 

Postal  do. .     . 

Tel^^ph  do. . 

Income  and  Li-| 
cence  Taxes./ 

Fines  and  Fees 

Miscellaneous. 

Total  Rs. 

3.719 

15.325 
5.149 

45.057 

4,162 

17,804 
6,054 

61,779 

5.665 
23,127 

3,026 

6,105 
3.682 

27,169 

4.303 
14,278 

3,295 

9,051 

3,563 

15,108 

3.639 
14,238 

3.367 

7,216 
3,082 

21 

3.670 
15,702 

5,16,540 

5.13.914 

3,88,493 

3,91,139 

3,62,975 

II.  Local  Revenue. 


Realisations  i 

n 

Items. 

1869-70. 

1870-71. 

1 871-78. 

1872-73. 

1878-74. 

One  anna  Cess  per  rupee 
Percentage  on  Alienated-) 
Lands    

rupees. 
20,103 

1,141 

rupees. 
22,452 

5,011 

rupees. 

18,535 

809 

rupees. 
17,279 

826 

rupees. 
16,678 

951 

Fisheries 

Cattle-Pound   Fund  and\ 
Ferry  Fund       .     .     ./ 

4.326 
8,907 

3,858 
14,009 

3,184 
27,127 

4,602 
27,774 

2,676 
27.751 

Government      Bangalo\v\ 
Fund / 

246 

415 

542 

495 

648 

Jail  Fund 

4,240 

5,594 

4,054 

1,854 

864 

Total  rupees  .     .     . 

38,963 

51,339 

54,251 

52,830 

49,568 

The  only  tolls  which  used  to  be  levied  were  those  on  the  Shi- 
karpur  and  Sukkur  road,  but  these  were  abolished  by  the  Com- 
missioner in  Sind  in  1870. 

Survey  and  Settlement. — The  survey  settlement  was  intro- 
duced Into  all  three  talflkas  of  Sukkur,  Shikarpur  and  Naushahro 
Abro  in  the  years  1862-63,  1873-74,  and  1874-75  respectively. 
That  for  Sukkur  is  now  again  being  revised,  and  is  expected  to  be 
re-introduced  some  time  in  1877.  The  survey  rates  at  present 
in  force  in  these  talukas  are  contained  in  the  following  table : — 


L'lyiiizea  by 


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8i4 


SUKKUR  AND  SHIKARPUR. 


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Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


SUKKUR  AND  SHIKARPUR. 


815 


Tenures. — ^The  tenures  obtaining  in  this  portion  of  the  Shi- 
karpur  Collectorate  are  the  "  Maurasi  Hari  "  and  the  "  PattadarL" 
The  first  is  where  the  tenant  possesses  a  right  of  occupancy,  the 
term  "  Maurasi  Hari "  meaning  literally  "  hereditary  cultivator." 
This  kind  of  tenure  is  especially  prevalent  in  the  Sukkur  taluka. 
The  Pattadari  grants,  which  are  exclusively  confined  to  parts  of 
the  three  talukas  of  this  division,  will  be  found  fully  explained  in 
Chap.  IV.  of  the  introductory  portion  of  the  Gazetteer,  page  79. 

Jagirs. — There  is  but  a  smdl  portion  of  land  held  in  jagir  in 
this  district,  the  aggregate  not  much  exceeding  16,000  acres. 
The  following  is  a  list  of  the  Jagirdars,  with  other  particulars  con- 
nected with  the  land  (culturable  and  unarable)  which  they  hold : — 


Yearly  Amount 

NameofjSgixdfir. 

Class. 

TalOka  and  Village. 

Area. 

of  Government 
Revenue  received. 

Shik.  Tal. 

acres. 

K- 

nip. 

a.     p. 

I.  Mir  Ghulilm  Hai-\ 
darKhan     .     ./ 

DehChodia    .     . 

2,324 

15 

2,726 

10    6 

2.  Dewan  Mulsing  . 

Abdal.     .     .     . 
Sukkur  Tal. 

3.6IS 

27 

238 

2     9 

3.  Ghulam  Shah  and' 
Babn  Khan.     ., 

Izmat  .... 

5,165 

10 

7,393 

0   0 

4.  Pirlmamuldinand 
Shiafildin     .     . 

Gujo    .... 

553 

34 

694 

0    0 

5.  Saiyad         Tanula 
Shah  and  Munld 

New  Abad      .     . 

i»579 

15 

1,499 

0   0 

AU  Shah     .     . 

6.  Saivad         Tanula 
Shah  and  Murad 

* 

Angaho     .     .     . 

125 

24 

600 

0   0 

Ali  Shah      .     . 

7.  Saiyad  Ali  Akbor 

3 

SherKot  ... 

Naushahro  Abro 
Tal. 

1,033 

2 

1,702 

0    0 

8.  Pir    Muhammad' 
Ashrif  .     .     ./ 

HabibKotAbro. 

167 

34 

1,000 

0    0 

9.  Pir  Imamuldin  . 

Ditto   .... 

103 

12 

400 

0   0 

la  MirGhulamHaiO 
darKhan  .     .) 

Hamid  Dakhan    . 

774 

33 

2.3SO 

0   0 

II.  Ali Haidar Khan 

Achar  Sudaio .     . 

193 

28 

;g 

12     0 

12.  AU  Haidar  Khan 

Kauija.     .     .     . 

193 

28 

2     8 

13.  MirGhulamHai-\ 
darKhan  .     ./ 

Dug&ro      .     .     . 

206 

24 

500 

0     0 

14.  Tuiab  Ali  Shah. 

TandoBhur    .     . 

51 

0 

200 

0     0 

i<.  Dewan    Chandu\ 
Mai      .     .     J 

2 

Kot  Habib      .     . 

14 

19 

77 

0     0 

16.  Kaim  Shah  Pa-\ 
than     .     .     ./ 

2 

Madeji.     .     .     . 

20 

26 

50 

0    0 

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8i6 


SUKKUR  AND  SHIKARFVR. 


Municipalities. — There  are  in  this  district  three  towns  which 
possess  municipal  institutions ;  these  are  Shikarpur,  Sukkur,  and 
Garhi  YasiiL  The  receipts  and  disbursements  of  these  several 
municipalities  for  the  three  years  ending  with  1873-74  are  ^own 
as  follows : — 


Where  utuate. 

Date  of 

Estab- 
lishment. 

Receipts  in 

1 
1871-72.11 879-73. 

1873-74. 

1871-72. 

.      1 

i87a-73-  1873-74- 

I.  Shiklrpur  . 
a.  Sukkur  .     . 
3.  Garhi  Yasin 

i«5S 

S863 
X870 

rupees,  j  rupees. 
48.535I    5«.a«i 

X, 00.96a  X,  17,902 
4.589       4.958 

rupees. 
91.058 

«.o5,456 
6,aoz 

rupees. 
47.804 

X, 01, 487 

rupees.  |  rupees. 
55,oao'  7i,i78 

«.«6.399   90,352 

5.a74  1    5.439 

The  income  of  these  several  municipalities  is  chiefly  made  up 
from  import  duties  on  merchandise,  wheel  tax,  and  cattle-pound 
fees.  The  Shikarpur  municipality  is  somewhat  in  debt,  owing  to 
the  great  expense  incurred  in  filling  up  the  numerous  laige  pits 
surrounding  the  town,  the  fetid  exhalations  from  which  during 
the  hot  season  were  almost  unbearable.  Another  great  item  oi 
expense  has  been  the  proper  maintenance  of  the  many  roads  in 
and  about  the  town,  all  of  which  have  rows  of  trees  lining  them 
on  either  side.  The  Sukkur  municipality,  on  the  other  hand,  is 
in  a  flourishing  condition,  having  upwards  of  a  lakh  of  rupees  in 
hand  over  and  above  all  expenses.  The  chief  items  of  disburse- 
ment are  the  improvement  of  the  bandar  adjoining  the  river 
Indus,  which  is  being  gradually  faced  with  solid  stone  masonry 
the  whole  length  of  the  town ;  the  construction  of  a  very  laige 
market  is  also  in  progress,  and  the  lighting  of  the  town  and 
the  proper  maintenance  of  the  roads  within  municipal  limits  also 
entail  a  very  heavy  outlay. 

Medical  Establishments. — The  medical  establishments  in 
this  division  are  all  situate  at  the  towns  of  Shikarpur  and  Sukkur, 
there  being  at  the  former  place  three  hospitals  and  a  dispensary, 
the  latter  in  connection  with  the  Shikarpur  municipality.  Two 
of  these  hospitals,  the  civil  and  police,  occupy  one  and  the  same 
building,  erected  in  1853,  while  the  jail  hospital  is  within  the  jail 
walls.  The  average  yearly  number  of  patients  in  the  civil  and 
police  hospitals  during  1873-74  was  1350.  They  are  all  under 
the  charge  of  the  Civil  Surgeon  of  the  station,  who  has  a  small  sub- 
ordinate establishment  to  assist  him  in  this  duty,  and  are  annually 
inspected  during  the  cold  season  by  the  Deputy  Surgeon  General 


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SUKKUR  AND  SHIKARPUR.  817 

of  Hospitals  of  the  Sind  division.  The  attendance  of  patients  at 
the  Shikarpur  dispensary  during  the  year  1874  was — in-patients  91, 
the  death-rate  among  tliem  being  10  per  cent;  the  number  of 
out-patients  in  the  same  year  was  6431.  At  Sukkur  there  is 
a  civil  hospital  and  a  dispensary,  both  under  the  charge  of  a 
medical  officer  of  the  Bombay  Government,  who  has  a  subordi- 
nate establishment  under  him.  The  hospital  occupies  a  portion 
of  the  old  artillery  barracks  on  the  hill,  and  has,  it  may  be  said, 
unlimited  accommodation,  while  the  ventilation  and  other  arrange- 
ments are  good.  The  in-patients  at  this  hospital  in  1874  num- 
bered 130,  the  percentage  of  deaths  being  9*2,  while  the  out- 
patients during  that  same  year  amounted  to  2109.  The  Sukkur 
dispensary,  like  the  hospital,  is  situate  on  the  hill,  and  in  1874 
accommodated  310  in-patients  and  4407  out-door  patients.  The 
mortality  among  the  former  was  as  high  as  14*5  per  cent  This 
dispensary  is  supported  partly  by  Government,  and  partly  by  the 
Sukkur  municipality. 

Prisons. — There  were  in  this  district  two  principal  jails,  one  at 
Shikarpur,  known  as  the  district  jail,  and  the  other  in  the  island 
fort  of  Bukkur,  which  is  subsidiary  to  that  at  Shikarpur  but  this 
latter  was  directed  to  be  abolished  from  ist  January,  1876.  There 
is  also  a  lock-up  or  receiving  jail  in  Sukkur,  which  is  under  the 
charge  of  the  Mukhtyarkar  of  that  place.  The  jail  at  Shikarpur, 
which  is  under  the  immediate  control  of  a  Superintendent  (who  is 
also  the  Civil  Surgeon  of  the  station),  assisted  by  a  European  jailor 
and  a  number  of  native  guards,  &a,  is  situate  at  a  little  distance 
south-east  of  that  town,  being  193  feet  above  sea-level,  and  having 
an  inner  superficial  area  of  50,000  square  yards.  There  is  barrack 
accommodation  for  nearly  800  prisoners,  allowing  500  cubic 
feet  of  space  to  each,  and  hospital  accommodation  for  about  70 
patients.  Extensive  repairs  to  this  jail  were  carried  out  in  1864-65. 
The  dry  system  of  conservancy  is  in  force  here,  both  the  soil  and 
climate  being  favourable  to  its  being  done  well  and  effectually. 
There  is  a  school  established  here  for  the  instruction  of  the 
convicts,  and  about  thirty  of  them  are  being  taught  the  Sindi 
language.  There  are  numerous  articles  manufactured  in  this  jail 
by  the  prisoners ;  among  these  are  carpets  (woollen  and  cotton) 
of  excellent  workmanship,  cloths  of  different  sorts,  such  as  table- 
cloths, towelling,  napkins,  &c.,  tents,  reed  chairs,  baskets,  shoes, 
tape,  postins  (or  winter  coats),  and  a  variety  of  other  articles. 
Of  those  manufactured  at  this  jail  and  sent  to  the  Karachi  Ex- 
hibition of  1869,  the  pile  carpets  were  much  admired,  and  obtained 
a  first-class  prize,  and  to  the  jailor  (Mr.  J.  M'Carter)  was  awarded 

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8x8 


SUKKUR  AND  SHIKARFUR, 


a  bronze  medal  for  his  careful  supenntendence  over  these  manu- 
fsictuies.  The  following  table  will  show  certain  statistics  in  con- 
nection with  the  prisoners  of  this  jail  for  a  period  (A  ten  yeais, 
ending  with  1874 : — 


Year. 

Average 
StrengUi 

Pmonen. 

Annual  Gross  Cost  of 
each  Prisoner. 

Annual  Net  Cost  of 

each  Prisoner  after 

dedoctinff  value  of 

Labour. 

Average 

Mortality  per 

Centum. 

1864-65 

596 

nip.     a. 
58      9 

p- 

2 

rupw     a.       p. 
40       3      2 

29 

i86s-^ 

S66 

69     14 

II 

55    10    10 

47 

1866-67 

S06 

61       4 

48      3      9 

8-4 

1867-68 

S39 

65      7 

53    14     8 

4*4 

1868-^ 

578 

73    13 

44     ID     10 

10 

1869-70 

S89 

64     9 

47      4     9 

5*7 

1871 

634 

59      7 

51     14      3 

6-9 

1872 

447 

68    12 

9 

55    15      2 

S-6 

X873 

S8i 

63    12 

0 

53      4      3 

4-8 

1874 

588 

57      7 

6 

30     6      3 

35 

The  subsidiary  jail  at  Bukkur  was  established  in  1865  and  has 
a  superficial  area  of  about  5663  square  yards.  It  consists  of  tvo 
barracks,  formerly  tenanted  by  European  soldiers,  which  can 
jointly  accommodate  320  prisoners,  many  of  whom  are  engaged 
in  manu&cturing  various  articles  for  sale,  such  as  doth  ^ 
trousers,  table-cloths,  towels,  napkins,  reed  chairs  and  so^ 
carpets,  baskets,  bricks,  shoes,  &c.  The  greater  number  of  the 
convicts  are,  as  may  be  expected,  Muhammadans.  The  prevail- 
ing disease  is  malarious  fever,  but  the  average  mortality  is  not 
high,  the  water  supply  being  good  and  the  dry  system  of  con- 
servancy in  force.  No  juvenile  offenders  are  received  in  this 
jail,  nor  is  there  any  school  for  the  instruction  of  the  prisoneis. 
The  establishment  employed  in  the  Bukkur  jail  is  not  an  imperial 
charge,  but  its  cost  is  debited  to  the  Jail  Local  Fund.  The 
following  table  regarding  the  average  strength  of  the  prisonei^ 
their  cost,  &c,  for  a  period  of  eight  years,  ending  1874,  is 
appended  {see  nextpagii)  : — 


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SVKKUR  AND  SHJKARPUR. 


819 


Year. 

Average 
Strength 

of 
Prisoners. 

Annual  Gross  Cost  of 
each  Prisoner. 

Net  Cost  after. 

deducting  value  of 

Labour. 

Average 

Mortality  per 

Centum. 

1866-67 

3»9 

rup.     a.        p. 

33    15      a 

rup.     a.       p. 

7-8 

1867-68 

276 

39    "      7 

2-5 

1868-^ 

233 

40    13    " 

... 

2-1 

1869-70 

200 

44      2      2 

50 

1871 

256 

57      2      3 

37      7      5 

7*4 

1872 

125 

95      3    " 

59      6      5 

7-2 

1873 

46 

167      9      . 

153    "o    '0 

42 

1874 

141 

87      7      8 

74      4      7 

3*5 

This  jail  has  since  been  abolished,  and  a  subordinate  jail  esta- 
blished at  the  town  of  Sukkur. 

Education. — ^The  number  of  Government  schools  in  the  three 
talukas  of  this  division  would  appear,  according  to  a  late  report 
put  forward  by  the  Educational  Inspector  in  Sind,  to  be  32,  with 
an  attendance  of  2988  pupils.  There  is  a  Normal  and  Anglo- 
vernacular  school  at  Sukkur,  and  a  High  school  at  Shikarpur, 
besides  several  vernacular  institutions  and  4  female  schools. 
Since  the  introduction  of  the  HindU-Sindi  character  5  schools, 
with  an  attendance  of  1031  boys,  have  been  established  in  the 
city  of  Shikarpur  alone.  Of  late  years  education  has  made  great 
progress  in  this  district,  and  this  is  especially  the  case  in  both 
the.  towns  of  Shikarpur  and  Sukkur.  The  number  of  private 
schools,  with  attendance,  does  not  appear  to  be  well  known,  but 
the  following  table  of  educational  statistics  in  this  district,  for  the 
year  1873-74,  will* show  the  number  of  Government  schools  in 
each  taluka  and  that  of  the  scholars  attending  them  : — 


TalQka, 

Government  Schools. 

Remarks. 

Number. 

PupiU. 

1.  Shikarpur      .... 

2.  Sukkur 

3.  Naushahro  Abro.     .      . 

Total   .      .     . 

17 
12 

3 

1,915 
891 
182 

The  number  of  pupils 
in    the   Shikarpur 
and  Sukkur  talukas 
includes  girls. 

32 

2.988 

3^2^ 

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8ao 


SUKKUR  AND  SHIKARPUR. 


Agriculture. — The  principal  seasons  during  which  agricultural 
operations  are  carried  on  in  this  division  are  three  in  number,  viz. 
kharif^  rabi,  and  peshras ;  the  crops  raised  during  these  seasons 
are  shown  below : — 


Seawm. 

Time  when 

Sown. 

Reaped. 

1.  Kharif. 

2.  Rabi     . 

3.  Peshras. 

July     .     . 
January      . 

March .     . 

November. 
May     .     . 

August 

Juar,  bajri,  rice,  indigo,  til,  and 
mung. 

Wheat,  barley,  sarhia  (oil-seed), 
tobacco,  onions,  wangan  (egg- 
plant), gram,  matar,  bhang, 
jiro  (cummin),  and  waduf 
(false  fennel). 

Cotton,  hemp,  sugar-cane,  krin- 
gle  (or  kirang),  mendi,  and 
musk  melons. 

The  cultivation  in  the  Shikarpur  taluka  is  mostly  "  sailab,"  that 
is  to  say,  rabi  crops  are  generally  produced,  especially  wheat, 
upon  land  previously  inundated.  This  restricted  cultivation  is 
owing  to  the  Muhromari  Ht^  or  flood,  of  which  an  account  has 
already  been  given  under  the  heading  "  Jiydrography."  Should 
these  floods  eventually  be  stopped,  the  cultivation  would  then 
become  chiefly  "  charkhi,"  and  the  land  which  is  now  "  sailab " 
would  be  watered  from  the  Begari  canal  In  the  Sukkur  and 
Naushahro  Abro  talukas  the  cultivation  is  principally  ^  mok," 
but  there  is  a  fair  proportion  also  of  well  and  charkhi.  There  is  no 
"barani"  (or  rain-land)  cultivation  in  the  Sukkur  and  Shikarpur 
Division. 

The  chief  agricultural  implements  in  use  in  this  district  are  the 
har  (or  plough) ;  the  kodar  or  spade ;  the  kuharo^  which  is  a  small 
hatchet  used  to  cut  down  trees ;  the  vaJiolo,  a  kind  of  hatchet,or 
rather,  perhaps,  adze  for  trimming  beams ;  the  datro^  or  sickle  for 
reaping  purposes;  the  vatohar^  or  clod-crusher;  and  the  ramb&^ 
which  is  a  small  kind  of  hand  hoe  useful  for  procuring  short  grass 
or  fodder. 

Commerce  and  Manufactures. — The  commerce  of  the  Sukkur 
and  Shikarpur  Deputy  CoUectorate  may  be  said  to  be  wholly 
centred  in  the  two  large  towns  of  Shikarpur  and  Sukkur,  and,  in 
the  description  of  these  in  the  Gazetteer,  some  conception  of  the 
trade,  bodi  local  and  transit,  has  been  attempted  to  be  given. 
No  statistics  of  that  at  Sukkur  are  available  for  publication,  while 


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SUKKUR  AND  SHIKARPUR,  821 

those  furnished  for  Shikarpur,  though  only  approximative^  and, 
in  the  absence  of  any  systematic  plan  for  collecting  such,  to  be 
received  with  caution,  are  nevertheless  useful  in  conveying  some 
idea  of  the  extent  of  the  local  and  transit  trade  of  the  town,  and 
of  the  nature  of  the  different  articles  traded  in.  With  the  excep- 
tion of  these  two  towns,  there  are  no  others  throughout  the  division 
in  which  the  trade,  either  local  or  transit,  deserves  any  mention. 
The  same  may  be  said  of  the  manufactures  of  this  district,  which 
are  almost  entirely  confined  to  such  articles  as  are  in  ordinary  use 
among  the  inhabitants.  At  Shikarpur  coarse  cloths  and  carpets 
are  made  to  some  extent,  and  in  the  Government  jail  at  that 
town  are  manufactured  a  great  variety  of  articles — the  work  of 
the  prisoners — ^under  the  superintendence  of  the  jailor.  These 
have  already  been  referred  to  under  the  heading  "  Prisons." 

Fairs. — The  annual  fairs  which  take  place  in  this  district  are 
5  in  number,  and  they  are  held  at  Lakhi  Thar,  Jind  Pir,  Old 
Sukkur,  Naushahro  and  JhalL  The  first  is  a  place  of  great 
resort  on  the  Sind  canal,  and  is  close  to  the  town  of  Shikarpur. 
The  fair  is  held  twice  in  the  year,  once  in  the  month  of  July,  for  a 
period  of  nine  days,  hence  its  name  of  Naoroz.  The  attendance 
ranges  from  20,000  to  25,000  people,  who  mostly  bathe  and  do 
honour  to  the  river-god.  Again  in  the  following  month  of  August 
another  fair  is  held  at  the  same  spot,  but  the  attendance  of 
people  is  much  smaller  than  in  the  preceding  month.  It  is  called 
"  Chaliho,"  from  its  taking  place  during  the  very  hottest  portion 
of  the  year,  which  is  supposed  to  extend  over  a  period  of  forty 
days.  Another  fair  of  great  renown,  held  in  the  month  of  March, 
is  that  at  Jind  Pir,  a  small  island  in  the  Indus  a  little  to  the 
north  of  the  Bukkur  fort  It  is  here  that  the  river-god,  known  by 
the  Hindus  under  the  name  of  Jind  Pir,  and  by  the  Musalmans 
as  Khwaja  Khizr,  is  venerated.  Some  account  of  the  origin  of 
this  fair  will  be  found  in  the  description  of  the  town  of  Rohri. 
The  third  fair  is  that  held  at  Old  Sukkur  in  the  month  of  De- 
cember in  honour  of  Durga  Sah  Saheb  Shah  Khair-ul-din,  to  which 
many  thousands  of  Musalmans  resort  At  Naushahro,  and  also 
at  the  village  of  Jhali  in  the  same  taluka,  a  fair  is  held  on  the 
first  Monday  of  every  month  in  honour  of  Pir  Chatan  Shah,  to 
which  numbers  of  Hindus  go,  it  would  seem,  to  worship  Shiva  on 
the  banks  of  the  river.  Besides  these  there  are  no  fairs  for  traffic 
or  merchandise  in  this  division,  those  previously  described  being 
solely  for  worship  and  pleasure. 

Communications. — The  Sukkur  and  Shikarpur  Division  pos- 
sesses in  all  about  500  miles  of  roads  of  various  classes.     Of 

Digitized  by  VjQOQ IC 


822  SUKKUR  AND  SHIKARPUR. 

these,  the  best  is  that  running  from  Sukkur  to  Jacobabad  through 
ShikSrpur;  between  this  latter  town  and  Sukkur  this  road  is 
raised  in  many  places,  and  carried  by  means  of  numerous  bridges 
over  that  part  of  the  country  which  is  exposed  to  annual  flooding. 
Between  Shikarpur  and  Jacobabad  this  road  is  under  the  control 
of  the  Public  Works  Department,  but  on  the  Sukkur  side  it  is  in 
the  charge  of  the  Deputy  Collector  of  the  division*  The  tolls  on 
this  road  were  abolished  in  r87o.  Another  fine  road  is  that  con* 
necting  Shikarpur  with  Larkana  vi&  Gaheja  and  Naushahro ;  it  is 
bridged  throughout.  The  postal  lines  of  communication  in  this 
division  are  those  running  from  Sukkur  to  Jacobabad,  and  from 
Shikarpur  southwards  towards  Larkana  and  Mehar.  The  fomter 
is  a  horse  dak,  and  the  latter  a  foot  line.  The  disbursing  post- 
office  is  at  Shikarpur,  and  there  are  non-disbursing  post-offices  at 
Stikkur  and  Garhi  Yasin.  The  following  tabular  statement  will 
show  the  various  roads  in  this  division,  with  other  information 
connected  with  them  {seepages  823-25) : — 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


SUKKUR  AND  SHIKARPUR. 


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SUKKUR  AND  SHIKARPUR. 


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836 


SUKKUR  AND  SHIKARPUR. 


Ferries. — ^There  are  24  ferries  in  this  division,  of  which  7 
are  in  the  Shikarpur  taluka,  4  in  the  Naushahro  Abro,  and 
13  in  the  Sukkur  talQkas.  The  annual  receipts  from  these 
are  credited  to  local  funds;  the  amount  is  fluctuating,  but  the 
yearly  average  for  the  four  years  ending  with  1870-71  may 
be  calculated  at  2,800  rupees.  There  are  two  steam  ferry-boats 
now  plying  between  Sukkur  and  Rohn,  in  place  of  the  row-boats 
formerly  in  use.  The  ferries  at  Jafirabad  and  Bagarji  in  the  Sukkur 
taluka  will  shortly  be  aboUshed,  as  it  is  in  contemplation  to  build 
at  those  places  two  bridges  over  the  Shahdadwah  canaL 


Name  of  Feny. 


Wliere  situate. 


Number 

of  Boats 

employed. 


Tal.  Shikarpur. 


1.  Muhromari 

2.  Mari.     . 

3.  Napur     . 

4.  Khubri    . 

5.  Paunahar 

6.  Nun  .     . 

7.  Kol  Shahu 


Tal.  Naushahro  Abro. 

8.  Nobji  Muradani      .     .     . 

9.  Mirzapur 

10.  Jhali  Suhi 

11.  Madeji 


Tal.  Sukkur. 


12.  Aliwahan 

13.  Khia  Beli     . 

14.  Abad  Melani 
Farid  Mako 
Saidabad 
Garhi  Halim 
Man . 
Shahpur. 
Araien    . 

21.  Saba. 

22.  Ghumra  . 

23.  Tafirabad 

24.  Ibagarji   . 


11: 

17. 

18. 

19. 
20. 


On  the  river  Indus  . 
On  the  Sindwah 

Ditto 

Ditto 

Ditto 

Ditto 

Ditto 

On  the  river  Indus  . 

Ditto 

Ditto 

Gharwah.     . 

On  the  river  Indus  . 

Ditto 

Ditto 

Ditto 

Ditto 

On  the  Sindwah .     . 

Ditto 

On  the  Sukkur  Canal 

Ditto 

Ditto 

Ditto 

Ditta.     .... 
Ditto.     .     ,     .     . 


Electric  Telegraph,  Sind  Circle. — There  is  an  electric 
telegraph  line,  that  of  the  Government  Indian  Telegraph  Depart- 
ment, passing  through  this  division  from  Sukkur  on  to  Shikarpur, 
and  thence  to  Jacobabad  in  the  Frontier  district     Sukkur  has 


uigiuzea  by 


Google 


SUKKUR. 


827 


electric  communication  by  an  aerial  line  which  crosses  the  Indus 
by  Bukkur  fort  There  are  telegraphic  offices  at  both  Sukkur  and 
Shikarpur. 

Antiquities. — ^There  are  but  few  remains  of  old  buildings  in 
the  Sukkur  and  Shikarpur  Deputy  Collectorate  deserving  of  any 
mention.  In  the  town  of  Old  Sukkur  the  most  noticeable  is  the 
tomb  of  Shah  Khair-u-din  Shah,  built  in  h.  1174,  or  A.D.  1758.  It 
is  of  brick,  octangular  in  shape,  and  is  surmounted  by  a  dome. 
In  New  Sukkur  stands  the  minaret  of  Mir  Masum  Shah,  built 
in  H.  1027,  or  A.D.  1607.  It  is  a  heavy,  ill-proportioned  column, 
about  100  feet  in  height,  with  a  stone  foundation,  but  the  upper 
portion  is  built  of  bricks,  which  have  become  so  hard  as  to  take  a 
bright  polish.  It  is  a  curious  circumstance  that  this  minaret  is 
out  of  the  perpendicular,  but  whether  so  designed  from  the  first, 
or  that  a  portion  of  the  foundation  gave  way  at  some  subsequent 
period,  is  not  known.  A  winding  stone  staircase  leads  to  the  top, 
from  which  is  a  noble  prospect  of  the  surrounding  country.  At 
the  city  of  Shikarpur  is  a  comparatively  modem  structure,  the 
tomb  of  one  MakdUm  Abdul  Rahman,  built,  it  is  said,  as  late  as 
H.  1253,  or  A.D.  1837,  oi pakka  brick.  There  are  no  decorations 
to  this  building  deserving  of  any  special  mention.  On  the  road 
between  the  towns  of  Dakhan  and  Rato  Dero,  in  the  Naushahro 
Abro  taluka,  stand  on  rising  ground  the  Thahim  tombs,  con- 
structed oi  pakka  brick. 

Sukkur,  a  taluka  (or  sub-division)  of  the  Sukkur  and  Shikarpur 
Deputy  Collectorate,  containing  an  area  of  279  square  miles,  with 
7  tapas,  90  dehs,  and  a  population  of  60,223  souls.  The  revenue, 
imperial  and  local,  oif  this  sub-division  during  the  four  years  ending 
1873-74,  is  as  follows : — 


Imperial  .     .     . 
Local.     .     .     . 

Total  rupees. 

X870-7X. 

x87X-7a. 

1872-73. 

1873-74. 

rupees. 
83,227 

10,471 

rupees. 
1,56,026 

32.278 

rupees. 
1,53,792 

32,529 

rupees. 
1,27,547 

32.045 

93,698 

1,88,304 

1,86,321 

1,59.592 

Sukkur,  a  large  Government  town  in  the  Sukkur  talQka  of  the 
Sukkur  and  Shikarpur  Deputy  Collectorate,  situate  on  the  western 
(or  right)  bank  of  the  Indus,  in  lat.  27°  41'  N.,  and  long.  68°  54' 
E.  On  the  opposite  side  of  the  river  is  the  town  of  Rohri,  and 
about  midway  in  the  stream  between  these  two  towns  is  the  island 
fortress  of  Bukkur,  and  a  little  southward,  and  nearer  to   the 


Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


828  SUKKUR, 

Sukkur  shore,  the  wooded  island  of  Sadh  Beku  A  limestone  range 
of  hiUs  of  low  elevation,  and  utterly  devoid  of  all  vegetation, 
slopes  down  to  the  river,  and  it  is  on  this  rocky  spot  that  the 
town  of  New  Sukkur,  as  distinguished  from  the  old  town  of  the 
same  name  about  a  mile  distant,  is  partly  built,  while  fringing  the 
river  bank  are  groves  of  date  palms,  which  in  some  degree  lessen 
the  othermse  arid  and  desolate  appearance  of  the  place.  Sukkur 
has  communication  by  road  with  Shikarpur,  distant  24  miles 
north-west;  with  Kashmor  in  the  Frontier  district  about  80  miles 
north-east,  and  formerly  with  Larkana,  till  the  road  was  washed 
away  by  the  river  floods  in  187 1.  By  the  Indus  it  has  communi- 
cation with  the  towns  of  Multan  and  Kotri  by  means  of  steamers 
and  native  craft,  and  at  times  a  very  large  number  of  river 
boats,  receiving  and  discharging  cargo,  may  be  seen  at  the 
"bandar"  here,  which,  it  is  as  well  to  remark,  is  faced  with 
stone,  and  has  ghdts^  or  landing-places,  at  regular  intervals.  The 
new  town  is  well  built,  and,  by  the  aid  of  the  municipality,  is 
kept  in  a  cleanly  state,  besides  being  well  drained.  The  greater 
number  of  the  bangalows  of  the  European  portion  of  tlie  com- 
munity are  erected  on  the  hill,  having  fine  views  of  the  river; 
while  farther  inland,  and  between  the  two  towns  of  Old  and  New 
Sukkur,  stand  the  barracks  constructed  in  1843  ^or  the  use  of 
such  European  troops  as  were  formerly  stationed  here.  Scattered 
about  are  the  ruins  of  numerous  tombs,  ©nd  at  the  western  side 
of  the  town,  overlooking  the  river,  is  the  lofty  minaret  of  Mir 
Masum  Shah,  erected,  it  is  supposed,  about  h.  1024  (a.d.  1607). 
This  column,  which  is  somewhat  out  of  the  perpendicular,  is  about 
100  feet  high,  and  has  a  stone  foundation,  with  the  upper  portion 
built  of  red  brick.  It  can  be  ascended  by  means  of  a  winding 
staircase,  and  is  supposed  to  have  been  formerly  used  as  a  watch- 
tower.  The  view  from  the  summit  is  a  fine  one,  and  at  the  same 
time  very  extensive,  but  as  several  natives  have  dehberately  com- 
mitted suicide  by  throwing  themselves  from  the  top,  it  is  now 
surmounted  by  a  kind  of  iron  cage  to  prevent  such  acts  of  self- 
destruction  for  the  future.  Sukkur  is  the  head-quarter  stadon  of 
the  Deputy  Collector  of  the  Shikarpur  and  Sukkur  Division,  as 
well  as  of  the  Mukhtyarkar  of  the  taluka,  and  of  a  Tapadar.  A 
town  magistrate  also  resides  permanently  in  this  place.  The 
police  force  comprises  about  53  men  of  the  city,  district,  and  foot 
rural  police.  The  chief  public  offices  and  buildings  in  Sukkur  are 
the  civil  and  criminal  courts,  civil  hospital,  dispensary,  Govern- 
ment Anglo-vernacular  school  (estabhshed  in  1859),  a  girls*  school, 
two  vernacular  schools,  subordinate  jail,  post-office,   telegraph 

Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


SUKKUR. 


829 


ofSce,  market,  travellers'  bangalow  and  dhasramsilla.  It  possesses, 
besides,  a  Freemason's  Lodge  (Sukkur,  No.  1508  E.C.)  which  was 
instituted  in  1864.  The  meetings  are  held  monthly.  A  small 
Protestant  church  is  also  being  built  in  New  Sukkur.  The  Sukkur 
municipality,  which  now  includes  Old  Sukkur  within  its  limits,  was 
established  in  1862,  and  is  at  present  in  a  flourishing  condition, 
its  income  during  the  year  1874  having  amounted  to  1,05,456 
rupees,  while  the  disbursements  were  90,352  rupees.  The  receipts 
are  made  up  mostly  from  town  duties,  wheel  tax,  compound 
fees  for  camels,  &c.,  sale  of  municipal  garden  produce,  cattle- 
pound  fees  and  fines ;  the  chief  disbursements  are  upon  establish- 
ments, conservancy,  police,  lighting,  dispensaries,  education  and 
public  works.  The  principal  commission  consists  pf  a  President, 
Vice-President,  and  sixteen  members,  ex-offido  and  appointed, 
and  the  follovdng  table  will  show  the  receipts  and  disbursements 
of  this  municipality  for  the  years  1873  and  1874 : — 


Receipts. 


1873- 


1874. 


Town  Duties 

Wheel  Tax 

Cattle-pound  and  Compound  Fees  .     .     .     . 

Sale  of  Garden  Produce 

Interest  on  Notes  and  Deposits 

Fines  and  Fees 

Market  Fees  and  Rent 

Extraordinary  Receipts,  including  sale  of  Occu- 
pancy of  Land 

Miscellaneous 

Total  rupees 


,01,907 
1,983 
2,340 
236 
5.042 
1,520 
1,870 

446 
2,759 


1,17,902 


rupees. 
82.893 

1,945 
2,823 
224 
3,291 
1,757 
2,281 


1,05,456 


Disbursements. 


1873. 


X874. 


General  Superintendence  and  Contingencies 
Conservancy  and  watering  roads     .     . 

Police 

Dispensary 

Lighting 

Dharamsalas 

Education 

Horticulture,  &c. 

Public  Works 

Dead  Stock 

Town  Magistrate's  Office 

Town  Survey 

Miscellaneous 


rupees. 
16,676 
12,610 
11,320 

3,593 

7,566 

136 

3,725 

1,823 

32,000 

13,867 

2,160 

623 

10,300 


Total  rupees ,  1,16,399 


rupees. 
16,304 

12,688 

8,415 
3,226 
6,316 
108 
4,390 
2,104 
21,840 
2,839 
2,235 
1,061 
8,826 


90.352 


Digitized  by  VjOOQ IC 


830 


SUKKUR. 


The  population  of  this  town  was  found  by  the  census  of  1873 
to  be  13,318  souls,  of  whom  85  are  Europeans,  6 161  Muhammad- 
ans,  6952  Hind&s,  and  the  remainder  (120)  Eurasians,  Parsis, 
native  Christians,  and  others.  The  chief  Musalman  tribes  are 
Saiyads,  Shekhs,  Pathans,  &c.,  while  the  Hindus  comprise  the 
Brahman  and  Waishia  castes.  Bumes  estimated  the  population  of 
Sukkur  in  1834,  when  in  a  decayed  state,  at  not  more  than  4000. 

The  trade  of  Sukkur,  both  local  and  transit,  is  believed  to  be 
considerable ;  and  it  is  a  matter  of  regret  that  no  reliable  or  accu- 
rate statistics  concerning  it  are  obtainable,  and  that  no  record 
seems  to  be  kept  of  the  quantity  and  value  of  that  received  and 
shipped  at  Sukkur  from  the  westward  and  eastward,  or  of  that 
which  leaves  it  for  the  districts  in  the  same  direction.  Statistics 
of  traffic  on  the  Indus,  showing  the  number  of  boats  which 
arrived  both  from  up  and  down  river,  and  dischai;ged  their  cargoes 
at  Sukkur  bandar,  appear  to  have  been  regularly  kept  by  an  officer 
of  the  late  Indian  Navy,  called  the  Deputy  Superintendent  of 
Boats,  from  the  year  1855-56  down  to  1861-62,  and  these  afford 
some  idea  of  the  magnitude  of  the  transit  trade  of  the  place. 
Between  1862  and  1865-66  no  returns  seem  to  have  been  made 
up,  but  from  the  latter  year  they  were  carried  down  to  1867—68, 
after  which  they  were  discontinued  altogether.  The  following 
tables  will  show  the  boat  traffic,  with  the  tonnage  employed,  so 
far  as  Sukkur  is  concerned : — 


Year. 

Up-river. 

DischareiDg  Cargoes  at 

Proceeding  with  Cargoes 
from  Sukkur. 

No. 

Xoniuige. 

No. 

Tonnage. 

1855-56 

600 

7,750 

629 

8,000 

1856-57 

851 

12,136 

899 

13,116 

1857-58 

571 

8,931 

630 

10,070 

1858-59 

1,138 

17,543 

1.039 

19,000 

1859-60 

1,946 

35,777 

1,733 

24,630 

1860-61 

1,716 

26,507 

1,699 

37,ooo 

1861-62 

1:232 

20,232 

1,714 

16.317 

1865-66 

334 

3,048 

3,io8 

55,004 

1866-67 

82 

r,iii 

4,846 

23.915 

1867-68 

293 

5,171 

6.167 

96,362 

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Digitized  by 


Google 


SUKKUR. 


83t 


Y«ar. 

Down 

-river. 

Discharging  Cargoes  at 

Proceeding  with  Cargoes 
from  Sukkur. 

No. 

Tonnage. 

No. 

Tonnage. 

1855-56 

2,210 

33,125 

2,288 

29,214 

1856-57 

2,077 

3S,8oo 

3,097 

32,634 

1857-58 

2,440 

41.583 

2,189 

28,404 

1858-59 

2,014 

34,868 

2,430 

25.146 

1859-60 

918 

16,127 

978 

15,546 

1860-61 

940 

18,178 

929 

17.085 

1861-63 

479 

7,694 

646 

11,456 

1865-66 

5,555 

75,030 

3,354 

44,143 

1866-67 

«.034 

42,131 

6,313 

107,620 

1867-68 

1,580 

24,739 

6,860 

"4,358 

The  downward  exports  from  Sukkur  towards  Kotri  and  Keti 
are,  it  may  be  mentioned,  simply  those  articles,  or  'at  least  the 
greater  portion,  imported  from  the  Panjab,  and  reshipped  at 
Sukkur,  consisting  principally  of  silk,  opium,  country  cloths  of 
sorts,  raw  cotton,  wool,  saltpetre,  sug^  and  other  saccharine 
matter,  dyes,  brass  utensils,  &c.  In  the  same  manner  the  upward 
exports  towards  Multan  and  other  places  comprise  chiefly  piece- 
goods,  iron  and  other  metals,  wines,  spirits,  beer,  and  European 
stores  of  various  kinds;  country  produce,  such  as  fuller's  earth 
{tnii)^  chunam,  potatoes,  rice,  &c.,  are  also  so  exported^  though  a 
laige  quantity  of  these  articles  is  consumed  in  the  town  of  Sukkur 
itself.  There  would  appear  to  be  a  considerable  traffic  between 
Sukkur  and  Jaisalmir,  the  imports  into  Sukkur  from  this  latter 
State  being  mainly  ghi,  wool,  iron  and  brass  utensils,  and  the 
exports  (w<l  Rohri)  piece-goods,  grain,  and  various  kinds  of  metals. 
There  is  also  a  laige  traffic  between  Sukkur  and  Shikarpur,  but  it 
is  of  a  local  character. 

There  is  no  special  manufacture  peculiar  to  Sukkur,  but  simply 
the  ordinary  manufactures  common  to  most  towns  throughout 
the  province.  The  town  of  Old  Sukkur,  which  is  but  one  mile 
from  New  Sukkur,  and  is  connected  with  it  by  a  metalled  road, 
would  seem  to  be  a  place  of  no  great  antiquity,  though  there  are 
the  remains  of  numerous  tombs  and  mosques  in  and  about  it 
Among  the  former  is  the  tomb  of  Shah  Khair-ul-din  Shah,  erected, 
it  is  supposed,  about  h.  1174   (a.d.  1758);   it  is  constructed 

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831  SUKKUR. 

of  brick,  is  octangular  in  shape,  and  is  surmounted  by  a  dome. 
The  town  of  New  Sukkur  is  comparatively  of  modem  date,  and 
may  be  said  to  owe  its  existence  to  the  location  of  European 
troops  here  in  1839,  at  the  time  when  Bukkur  fort  was  made  over 
to  the  British,  and  the  place  was  soon  converted  from  a  scene 
of  desolation  and  wretchedness  to  one  of  activity  and  prosperity. 
Barracks  were  built  on  the  limestone  range  of  hills  near  the  river 
in  1843,  the  year  of  the  conquest  of  the  province,  but  in  1845 
there  occurred  the  fatal  attack  of  fever  among  H.M.'s  78th  High- 
landers, which  did  not  leave  them  till  upwards  of  400  men  had 
succumbed  to  the  disease.  After  this  Sukkur  was  abandoned  as 
a  station  for  European  troops,  but  the  barracks  still  exist,  and 
some  have  been  converted  into  bangalows.  Little  seems  to  be 
known  of  Old  Sukkur  in  the  days  of  Afghan  rule,  but  it  is  believed 
that  some  time  between  the  years  1809  and  1824  the  place  was 
given  up  by  that  people  to  the  Khairpur  Mirs.  It  was,  no  doubt, 
a  spot  that  derived  some  importance  from  the  fact  of  its  being 
so  dose  to  the  great  Bukkur  fort,  a  stronghold  of  considerable 
consequence  to  the  various  dynasties  which  ruled  Sind.  In 
1833  it  was  the  scene  of  a  conflict  between  Shah  Sujah-ul-Mulk, 
the  dethroned  Durani  sovereign,  and  the  Talpur  Mirs,  the  latter 
being  defeated..  In  1839,  owing  to  the  fort  of  Bukkur  being 
delivered  up  by  treaty  to  the  British  by  the  Khairpur  Mirs,  Eng- 
lish troops  were  stationed  at  Sukkur,  and  in  1842  the  town  itself, 
in  common  with  Karachi,  Tatta  and  Rohri,  was  hy  another  stipu- 
lation made  over  to  the  British  Government  in  perpetuity.  From 
that  date  the  town  of  New  Sukkur  may  be  said  to  have  sprung 
into  existence,  and  Old  Sukkur  to  have  gradually  decayed.  The 
regular  navigation  of  the  Indus  by  the  Flotilla  steamers  also 
brought  the  town  into  considerable  prominence,  and,  as  it  was 
seated  upon  a  permanent  bank  of  the  river,  caused  it  to  become 
a  kind  of  halfway  station  between  Kotri  and  Multan.  It  was 
also  made  the  southern  terminus  for  the  operations  of  the  Panjab 
flotilla  (now  abolished).  New  Sukkur,  which  has  by  degrees 
largely  increased  in  both  extent  and  population,  owes  its  advan- 
tages, it  must  be  admitted,  to  its  position  on  the  great  water 
highway  of  Sind  and  the  Panjab,  and  promises  to  be  of  still 
greater  importance  so  soon  as  the  Indus  Valley  line  of  railway 
becomes  an  accomplished  fact  A  branch  line  running  from 
Sukkur  through  Shikarpur,  and  on  by  Jacobabad  to  Dadar,  near 
the  Bolan  pass,  would  do  much  towards  attracting  to  this  place 
the  rich  trade  from  Kandahar,  Kabul,  Herat  and  Bokhara,  a 
trade  as  yet  in  its  infancy,  and  which  may  make  Sukkur  in  the 

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TAJPUR—TANDO  BAGO.  833 

future  the  great  enirepbi  for  those  articles,  the  chief  of  which  at 
present  are  wool,  dry  fruits,  and  horses,  and  which  are  now 
brought  down  with  much  trouble  and  delay  to  Karachi  by  kafilas, 
1^  Kelat  and  Bela. 

Tajpur^  a  village  in  the  Hala  taluka  of  the  Hala  district,  dis- 
tant 26  miles  south-south-east  from  Hala,  situate  on  the  Nastr- 
wah  canal,  and  having  road  communication  with  Nasarpur  and 
Hyderabad.  No  Government  officers  reside  at  this  place,  nor  are 
there  any  public  buildings  in  it.  The  population  is  940,  compris- 
ing Muhammadans  and  Hindus,  but  the  number  of  each  is  not 
known.  The  former  are  mostly  Memons,  Lagharis  and  KhSskSlis ; 
the  latter  are  of  the  Lohano  caste.  Nearly  all  are  engaged  in  agri- 
cultural pursuits.  The  trade  of  this  place,  both  local  and  transit, 
is  of  no  importance,  nor  are  there  manufactures  of  any  kind. 

This  town  was  built  in  a.d.  1790,  by  one  Mian  Murad  Khan. 
The  chief  men  of  note  resident  in  the  place  are  Nawab  Muham- 
mad Khan  Laghari  and  Nawab  Dost  Ali  KhSn  Talpur. 

Talti,  a  town  in  the  Sehwan  taluka  of  the  Sehwan  Deputy 
Collectorate,  8  miles  north  of  Sehwan,  but  2  miles  oflf  the  trunk 
road  leading  from  the  latter  place  to  Larkana.  It  has  road  com- 
munication with  Sehwan  and  the  villages  of  BhS.n  and  Bubak,  is  the 
head-quarter  station  of  a  Tapadar,  and  has  a  small  police  post. 
There  is  a  Government  vernacular  school,  as  also  a  post-office  and 
a  dharamsala  here.  The  inhabitants,  numbering  1183,  comprise 
512  Muhammadans,  principally  of  the  Khaskeli  tribe,  and  671 
Hindus  of  the  Lohano  caste. 

The  chief  resident  of  the  place  is  one  Dewan  Chandiram,  an 
old  servant  under  the  Talpur  dynasty,  his  son  Dewan  Wadhumal 
is  the  present  Huzur  Deputy  Collector  of  Shikarpur.  Dewan 
Chandiram  owns  a  veiy  fine  garden  in  this][ village.  Talti  does 
not  appear  to  possess  any  manufactures  of  consequence ;  all  that 
is  made  here  being  coarse  cloths  and  rugs.  The  local  trade  is  in 
ghi,  grain,  and  oil,  but  of  transit  trade  there  is  none. 

Tanda  Deputy  Collectorate.  (See  Muhammad  Khan's 
Tanda.) 

Tando  BSgO;  a  taluka  (or  sub-division)  of  the  Tanda  Deputy 
Collectorate,  having  an  area  of  700  square  miles,  with  6  tapas, 
100  dehs^  and  a  population  of  47,922  souls.  The  revenue,  imperial 
and  local,  of  this  sub-division  during  the  four  years  ending  1873-74 
is  as  follows  (see  next  page)  : — 


Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


834       7AND0  BAGO—TANDO   GHULAM  ALL 


Imperial    .     .     . 

Local  .... 

Total  rupees  . 

1870-71. 

1871-72. 

i87»-73. 

J873-74- 

rupees. 
1,07,779 

9,002 

rupees.             rupees. 
1,11.41s       1,15,719 

11,504           10,891 

Tupees. 
96,622 

8,938 

1,16,781 

1,22,919      1,26,610 

1,05,560 

Tando  Bftgo,  the  principal  town  and  head-quarter  station  of 
the  Mukhtyarkar  of  the  Tando  Bago  taluka  of  the  Tanda  Deputy 
CoUectorate,  is  situate  in  latitude  24°  42'  N.  and  longitude  68®  53' 
E.  on  the  left  bank  of  the  Shadiwah  canal,  58  miles  south-east  of 
Hyderabad,  with  which  it  has  road  communication  through  Tando 
Muhammad  Khan,  as  well  as  with  Wango  Bazar.  It  is  connected 
also  by  cross  roads  with  Khairpur,  Pangryo  and  Badin,  and  with 
Nindo  Shahr  by  the  postal  road.  This  town  possesses  a  Mukhty- 
arkar's  kutcherry  with  jail  attached,  and  close  by  police  lines 
for  the  accommodation  of  2  officers  and  7  constables.  There  is 
also  a  municipality,  established  in  1857,  which  is  progressing 
satisfactorily,  owing  to  the  cattle-pound  receipts  being  made  over 
to  it  The  income  in  1873-74  was*  1890  rupees,  while  the 
expenditure  was  19 10  rupees.  Tando  Bago  has  a  Government 
vernacular  school,  a  post-office,  a  cattle-pound,  and  a  commodious 
dharamsala,  the  latter  being  maintained  at  the  expense  of  the 
municipality.  The  inhabitants  number  1452,  of  whom  484  are 
Musalmans,  and  875  Hindus.  These  comprise  mostly  cultivators, 
traders,  shopkeepers,  goldsmiths,  lahoris,  servants^  dyers  and 
washermen.  Several  of  the  Talpurs  of  the  Bagani  family  reside 
here,  the  principal  man  of  note  being  Mir  Wali  Muhammad,  a 
lineal  descendant  of  the  founder  of  the  town,  one  Bago  Khan  Talpur, 
who  built  it  about  140  years  ago.  The  place  is  visited  twice  a  year 
on  circuit  by  the  native  judge  of  the  Subordinate  Civil  Court  of  the 
division.  The  trade  of  this  town  is  mostly  in  rice  and  grain,  sugar, 
cloths,  oil,  tobacco,  country  liquor  and  drugs,  but  it  is  insignificant, 
and  there  is  little  or  no  transit  trade.  The  manufactures  are  small 
and  unimportant. 

Tando  Ghulam  Ali^  the  largest  Government  town  in  the 
Dero-Mohbat  taluka  of  the  Tanda  Deputy  CoUectorate,  distant 
20  miles  east  of  Tanda  Muhammad  Khan,  36  miles  south-east  of 
Hyderabad,  and  14  miles  west  of  Digri,  the  head-quarter  station 
of  the  Mukhtyarkar  of  the  taluka.  It  has  road  communication 
with  Hyderabad  by  the  postal  line,  and  by  cross  road  with  Tanda 
Muhammad  Khan,  Haji  Sawan  and  Raja  KhananL     This  town 

Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


TANDO  LUKMAN.  835 

is  situate  in  the  midst  of  jagir  lands,  with  no  publit  buildings, 
except  police  lines  for  the  accommodation  of  a  few  constables. 
There  is  an  Anglo-vernacular  school,  supported  mainly  by  Mir 
Muhammad  Khan.  The  inhabitants  number  in  all  1412,  but  the 
number  of  Hindus  and  Musalmans  is  not  known ;  the  great  majority 
however  are  lahoris,  traders,  shopkeepers,  servants,  goldsmiths, 
and  a  few  cultivators.  Mir  Khan  Muhammad  Khan  TaJpur  Mani- 
kani,  a  Sardar  of  the  first  class,  resides  here  with  his  family.  He 
owns  extensive  jagirs,  and  is  reported  to  be  wealthy.  The  trade 
of  this  town  is  mainly  in  grain,  dates,  sugar,  molasses,  spices,  salt, 
cloths,  metals,  oil,  tobacco,  indigo,  country  liquor  and  drugs.  The 
transit  trade  is  principally  in  grain,  cotton,  ghi  and  wool,  the 
grain  going  to  the  Thar  and  Parkar  district  Tliere  are.no  manu- 
factures of  any  consequence.  This  town  was  built  about  181 9, 
by  Mir  Ghulam  Ali  Manikani,  the  father  of  the  present  resident 
Mir. 

Tando  Lukman^  a  town  in  the  Khairpur  State  of  H.H.  Mir 
Ali  Murad  Khan  Talpur,  a  short  distance  to  the  north  of  the 
town  of  Khairpur  on  the  road  leading  to  Rohri.  It  has  a  popu- 
lation of  about  1580  souls,  and  the  place  is  noted  not  only  for  its 
manufacture  of  ardent  spirits,  but  for  carved  and  coloured  wood- 
work, such  as  cradles,  bed-posts,  small  boxes,  and  other  articles. 
This  town  is  said  to  have  been  built  about  the  year  1785  by  one 
Lukman  Khan  Talpur. 

Tando  Masti  Khin,  a  large  town  in  the  Khairpur  State  of 
H.H.  Mir  Ali  Murad  Khan  Talpur,  distant  about  13  miles  south 
from  Khairpur,  and  18  from  the  town  of  Ranipur.  The  main  road 
from  Hyderabad  to  Rohri  runs  through  this  place.  The  number  of 
inhabitants  is  said  to  be  4860,  of  whom  by  far  the  greater  number 
are  Muhammadans.  This  town  was  built  about  the  year  1803  by 
one  Wadero  Masti  Khan.  Near  it  in  a  southerly  direction  are 
the  ruins  of  Kotesar,  a  town  once  supposed  to  have  been  very 
populous.  On  the  western  side  are  the  shrines  of  Shah  Jaro  Pir 
Fazul  Nango  and  Skekh  Makai. 

Tando  Muhammad  Khan,  the  largest  town  in  the  Tanda 
Deputy  CoUectorate,  situate  in  latitude  25°  28'  N.  and  longitude 
67°  55'  E.,  on  the  right  bank  of  the  Guni  canal,  by  which  it  has 
water  communication  for  five  months  in  the  year  with  Hyderabad 
and  the  different  taliikas  of  this  division.  This  town  is  in  the  Guni 
taluka,  and  is  the  head-quarter  station  of  the  Deputy  Collector 
and  Magistrate  in  charge  of  the  division,  as  well  as  of  the  Mukhty- 
arkar  of  the  Guni  taluka,  and  of  the  native  Judge  of  the  Subordi- 
nate Civil  Court.     It  is  distant  21  miles  south  of  Hyderabad,  with 

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836  TANDO  MUHAMMAD  KHAN, 

which  it  has  communication  by  the  trunk  road  running  from  that 
city  on  to  Kachh,  viA  Badin  and  Rahimki-bazar.  Cross  roads  also 
lead  from  this  town  to  Khorwah,  Dhandhi,  Jerruck  ferry  \;pi&. 
Katyar),  Fazul  Tando,  Ghulam  Ali-jo-Tando,  Mobhat  Dero  and 
Matli.  The  principal  public  buildings  are  the  Deputy  Collector's 
bangalow  and  office,  seated  in  a  fine  garden  on  the  banks  of  the 
Guni  caual,  the  Mukhtyarkar's  kutcherry  with  subordinate  jail  at- 
tached, and  in  the  same  compound  the  police  lines,  capable  of  ac- 
commodating I  chief  constable,  9  mounted  constables,  and  13  foot 
police.  There  are  also  a  civil  court  house,  hospital  with  dispen- 
sary attached  (both  built  from  local  funds),  a  good  market,  com- 
modious dharamsala,  school-house,  and  a  post-office.  The  town 
also  possesses  a  municipality,  established  in  1856,  with  twelve 
commissioners,  and  a  revenue  which  in  1874  amounted  to  3,489 
rupees,  while  the  expenditure  for  the  same  year  was  3,163  rupees. 
The  inhabitants  number  in  all  341 2|  of  whom  1703  are  Musalmans 
and  1597  Hindus.  These  comprise  shroflfs,  goldsmiths,  cultivators, 
shopkeepers,  lahoris,  servants,  tailors,  weavers,  dyers,  washermen, 
oil-pressers,  silkworkers,  ironsmiths,  &c.  ^  There  would  also  appear 
to  be  a  large  number  of  professional  beggars  in  this  town,  no  less 
than  430  being  entered  in  the  population  returns.  Several  Mirs 
of  the  Shahwani  family,  holding  first-class  jagirs,  reside  in  this 
place.  The  chief  of  these  is  Alah  Bakhsh,  a  descendant  of  the 
founder  of  the  town.  The  other  residents  of  note  are  Miis 
Muhammad  Husain,  Budho  Khan,  Ghnlam  Ulah  and  Ali 
Murad. 

The  trade  of  Tando  Muhammad  Khan  is  chiefly  in  rice,  bajri 
and  other  grains,  dates,  ghi,  sugar,  sweetmeats,  salt,  cloths  (of 
sorts),  silk,  metals,  tobacco,  dyes,  matting,  cochineal,  saddle-cloths, 
country  liquor  and  drugs.  The  transit  trade  is  mostly  in  rice, 
bajri,  juar  and  tobacco,  the  grain  going  to  the  Thar  and  Parkar 
district.  The  manufactures  comprise  copper  and  iron  ware, 
earthenware,  silk  thread,  blankets,  cotton  cloths,  shoes,  country 
liquor,  and  a  variety  of  articles  in  wood. 

This  town  is  said  to  have  been  founded  about  eight  years  after 
the  commencement  of  Mir  Fateh  Ali  Khan's  rule  by  Mir  Muham- 
mad Khan  Talpur  Shahwani;  soon  after  this  event  the  lands 
around  the  town  came  into  his  possession  as  "  jagir."  It  was  at  one 
time  more  prosperous  than  at  present,  but  its  decline  is  attributed 
to  a  severe  visitation  of  cholera  about  forty-eight  years  ago,  which 
carried  off  many  of  the  leading  inhabitants.  Mir  Muhammad 
Khan  died  in  1813,  and  was  succeeded  by  his  son,  Mir  Kanun 
Khan,  and  he  again  by  Mir  Ghulam  Shah,  who  was  killed  in 

Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


TATTA. 


837 


battle  about  the  time  the  British  took  Sind  (1843);  his  grandson 
Alah  Bakhsh  is  the  young  Mir  ahready  alluded  to. 

Tatta  (or  Thato);  a  taluka  (or  sub-division)  of  the  Jerruck 
Deputy  Collectorate,  having  an  area  of  622  square  miles,  with  6 
tapas,  29  villages,  and  a  population  of  37,926  souls.  The  revenue, 
imperial  and  local,  of  this  sub-division  during  the  four  years  ending 
1873-74  is  as  follows  : — 


Imperial    .     .     . 

Local  .... 

Total  rupees  . 

X870-71. 

1871-72. 

1872-73. 

«873-74- 

rupees. 
41,182 

10,573 

rupees. 
56,705 

11,490 

rupees. 
64,329 

12,764 

rupees. 
61,352 

12,280 

5'i755 

68,195 

77,093 

73,632 

Tatta  (or  Thato,  but  known  among  the  inhabitants  as  Hagar 
Thato),  is  the  chief  town  of  the  taluka  of  the  same  name  in  the 
Jerruck  Deputy  Collectorate,  in  lat.  24*^  44'  N.,  and  long  6^""  E. 
It  is  between  38  and  39  feet  above  mean  sea-level^is  situate  about 
4  miles  to  the  west  of  the  right  or  western  bank  of  the  Indus,  and 
is  built  on  a  slight  eminence  composed  of  the  rubbish  of  former 
buildings  in  an  alluvial  valley  at  the  foot  of  the  Makli  range  of 
hills.  It  would  appear  to  have  been  at  one  time  insulated  by  the 
waters  of  the  Indus,  and  to  this  day,  after  the  subsidence  of  the 
annual  inundation,  numerous  stagnant  pools  are  left  which 
infect  the  air,  producing  that  terrible  fever  which  has  made  the 
town  of  Tatta  so  notoriously  unhealthy  at  particular  seasons  of  the 
year.  It  was  mainly  from  this  cause,  coupled  with  the  unwholesome 
water  of  the  place,  that  the  British  troops  stationed  here  in  1839 
suffered  such  a  dreadful  mortality.  Tatta  is  distant  about  50  miles 
K  from  Karachi,  32  miles  S.S.W.  from  Jerruck,  and  24  miles 
N.E.  from  Mirpur  Sakro.  It  has  road  communication. with  Jer- 
ruck vid  Helaia  and  Sonda,  with  Mirpur  and  Keti  bandar,  and  also 
with  Karachi  by  Gujo  and  Gharo ;  but  Tatta  is  more  easily  and 
speedily  reached  from  Karachi  by  the  Sind  Railway  as  far  as 
Jungshahi,  whence  a  metalled  road,  13  miles  in  length,  leads  directly 
to  the  town  itself.  Tatta  is  the  head-quarter  station  of  a  Mukhty- 
arkar  and  Tapadar,  and  there  is  a  police  thana  here  with  a  force 
of  26  men  (6  of  whom  are  mounted),  including  a  chief  constable, 
who  is  in  command.  The  population,  as  found  at  the  census  of 
1872,  numbers  7951,  of  whom  3874  are  Musalmans,  and  4070 
Hindus.     Of  the  former  the  most  influential  are  the  Saiyads  of 


uigiiizeu  uy  v_jv^vy 


gle 


838  TATTA. 

the  Sufi,  Shirazi,  Bokhari  and  other  families^  many  of  whom  have 
been  settled  here  for  upwards  of  three  centuries.  There  are 
several  learned  men  among  them,  and,  as  a  rule,  they  are  much 
looked  up  to  and  respected  by  the  inhabitants.  Other  Musalman 
tribes  are  the  Balochis,  Jokias,  Batis,  Muhanas,  Koreshis,  Sumras, 
Sammas  and  others. 

Of  the  Hindus  the  principal  castes  are  SaisUdh  and  Pokama 
Brahmans  and  several  sub-divisions  of  the  Waishia  tribe,  such  as 
Amils,  Banyas,  and  others. 

The  population  of  Tatta  has  fallen  off  very  much  during  the  past 
fifty,  and  it  may  even  be  said  one  hundred  years.    It  would  appear 
never  to  have  completely  recovered  from  its  destruction  about 
A.D.  1 591,  when  the  province  of  Sind  was  conquered  by  one  of  the 
lieutenants  of  the  Mogal  emperor,  Akbar.     Hamilton,  who  visited 
the  town  in  1699,  calls  it  a  very  large  and  rich  city,  about  three 
miles  long  and  one  and  a  half  broad.     He  states  that  80,000  per- 
sons had  a  short  time  previous  to  his  visit  died  of  the  plague,  and 
that  one-half  of  the  city  was  in  consequence  uninhabited.     It  is  also 
mentioned  by  Pottinger  that  when  the  Persian  king   Nadir  Shah 
entered  Tatta  at  the  head  of  his  army  in  1742,  there  were  40,000 
weavers,  20,006  other  artisans,  and  60,000  dealers  in  various  de- 
partments.    In  1840  the  number  of  inhabitants  was  variously  esti- 
mated at  from  10,000  to  40,000,  but  the  late  Captain  J.  Wood  (of 
the  Indian  navy),  who  had  good  opportunities  of  judging  in  this 
respect,  estimated  in  1837  the  number  of  tradesmen  and  artificers 
at  982,  and  the  entire  population  at  not  more  than  10,000.    Tatta 
possesses  a  municipality,  established  in  1854,  the  annual  income 
of  which  ranges  from  8000  to  9000  rupees.     This  institution  has 
been  a  great  means  for  improving  the  town  and  its  immediate 
neighbourhood  in  every  way.     It    entirely  supports  another  im- 
portant institution,  the  Charitable  Dispensary,  established  in  1866, 
which  is  under  the  charge  of  a  sub-assistant  surgeon  of  the  Bombay 
Medical  Department.    That  the  town  of  Tatta  stood  in  need  of  a 
municipahty  must  fairly  be  conceded  from  the  dismal  accounts 
given  of  the  place  by  different  authorities  about  the  time  of  the 
conquest  of  the  province  by  the  British.     "  Tatta,  viewed  at  some 
distance  from  the  outside/'  says  one  writer,  "  presents  a  very 
striking  and  picturesque  appearance,  as  its  lofty  houses  rise  over 
the  numerous  acacia  and  other  trees  everywhere  interspersed,  and 
form  altogether  as  fine  a  picture  of  city  scenery  as  can  be  seen 
in  India ;  but  the  illusion  is  at  once  dissipated  on  entering  the 
town,  where  the  houses  are  everywhere  falling  into  ruin,  to  which 
they  are  prone,  being  constructed  for  the  most  part  of  a  timber 


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TATTA.  839 

frame-work,  on  the  outside  of  which  are  nailed  laths  plastered  over 
with  mud  of  a  grey  colour,  so  as,  when  new,  to  have  the  appear- 
ance of  a  solid  wall  of  masonry.  These  structures  are  sometimes 
three  or  four  storeys  high,  and  covered  with  flat  roofs  of  earth. 
From  the  fragile  nature  of  the  materials  they  can  last  but  a  short 
time,  and  this  work  of  ruin  is  continually  in  progress  in  the  town." 
Pottinger  and  Wood  both  write  in  a  similar  strain  : — "  All  the 
houses  are  surrounded  by  badgirs,  literally  wind-catchers,  a  sort 
of  ventilator  built  somewhat  in  the  shape  of  a  wind-sail,  and  con- 
veying, even  in  the  most  sultry  weather,  a  current  of  cool  and 
refreshing  air.  The  appearance  of  the  town  is  mournful.  The 
streets  are  deserted,  the  bazars  in  ruins,  and  everything  indicates 
depression  and  poverty ;  the  inhabitants  are  dirty,  squalid,  and  of 
unhealthy  appearance."  There  is  a  Government  Anglo-vernacular 
school  at  Tatta,  and  several  private  schools,  a  post-office,  and  sub- 
ordinate jail  attached  to  the  Mukhtyarkar's  dera.  The  civil  and 
criminal  court-house  is  situate  on  the  Makli  hills,  close  to  the  town, 
where  also  is  a  neat  Deputy  Collector's  bangalow,  formerly  one  of 
the  tombs.  The  present  trade  of  Tatta  is  not  a  tithe  of  what  it 
once  was.  It  now  consists  mostly  of  silk  and  cotton  manufactures 
and  grain.  Lungis  (scarves  or  shawls),  a  thick,  rich,  and  variegated 
fabric  of  cotton  and  silk,  are  still  made,  but  not  to  the  same 
extent  as  formerly.  At  the  Karachi  Exhibition  held  in  1869  the 
lungis  from  Tatta  were  much  admired.  Coarse  cotton  fabrics, 
both  plain  and  coloured,  are  also  manufactured  to  some  extent, 
but  they  have  been  greatly  superseded  by  the  cheaper  Manchester 
goods.  In  1758  a  factory  was  established  here  during  the  reign  of 
Ghulam  Shah  Kalhora  by  the  East  India  Compan/s  government, 
but  it  was  withdrawn  in  1775.  Again  in  1799  another  commer- 
cial mission  was  attempted  under  the  same  auspices,  but  this,  like 
the  former,  terminated  unsatisfactorily.  The  house  belonging  to 
the  factory  at  Tatta  was,  up  to  1839,  in  good  repair,  and  in  that  year 
it  was  occupied  by  a  portion  of  the  British  garrison.  In  1837  the' 
total  silk  and  cotton  manufactures  of  Tatta  were  valued  at  41,400/. 
(4,14,000  rupees),  and  the  imports  of  British  goods  at  3000/. 
(30,000  rupees).  At  present  the  entire  value  of  the  local  import 
trade,  comprising  upwards  of  twenty  different  articles,  appears  to 
average  between  4  and  5  lakhs  of  rupees  yearly,  the  largest  items 
being  grain  (of  sorts),  ghi,  sugar,  and  raw  silk.  The  exports  are 
but  few  in  number,  consisting  of  but  four  articles — silk  manufac- 
tures, grain,  cotton  cloths  and  hides.  Of  the  transit  trade  nothing 
seems  to  be  known,  but  grain  may,  without  doubt,  be  included  in 
it,  since  a  portion,  at  least,  of  that  received  from  Hyderabad  taluka 


uigiiizea  by 


Google 


840 


TATTA. 


and  the  Shabandar  and  Sehwan  Divisions,  evidently  finds  its  way 
from  this  town  to  Karachi  and  the  hill  countiy  of  RohistaJi.  The 
following  tables  show,  though  approodmaUly  only,  what  the  average 
local  import  and  export  trade  of  Tatta  was  a  few  years  ago;  no 
later  statements  are  available. 

I.  Imports. 


Articles. 


Two  Years* 
Average. 


Whence  Imported. 


Grain  (of  sorts) 


/ 


Ghi    .     .     . 
Sugar(and  saccharine'^' 

matter)  .  . 
Raw  Silk  .  . 
Silk  Cloths  .  '  . 
Dried  Fruits,  &c 
Dyes  (and  Indigo) 
Oils  .... 
Ivory .... 


Drugs  and  Medicines 

Metals 

Tobacco 

Spices 

Gums 

Oil-cake 

Betel-nut 

Dried     (and     fresh) 

Cocoa-nuts 
Cotton  Yam 


Salt  .  .  . 
Wool        .      . 

Wood  .  . 
Cotton  .  . 
Gunny  Bags . 


rupees. 
2.72.457 

48,810 
31,022 
20,015 

13.990 
10,100 

7,592 

7,530 
5,406 

3,606 

3,753 
4,177 
2,350 
2,360 
1,750 

1,447 
760 

1,250 

387 
296 
150 


From  Hyderabad  taluka,   and  Shah 

bandar  and  Sehwan  Divisions. 
From  Jerruck  and  Shahbandar  Divisions. 

From  Karachi. 

From  Bombay. 

From  Karachi. 

Ditto. 

From  Upper  Siud. 

Ditto. 

From  Bombay  and  Alahyar-jo-Tando 

(Hala). 
From  Upper  Sind  and  Karachi. 
From  Karachi 

From  different  parts  of  Sind. 
From  Karachi. 
Ditto. 

From  various  parts  of  Sind. 
From  Karachi 

Ditto. 

From  Upper  Sind  and  Tando  Muham- 
mad Khan. 

From  the  Shahbandar  Division. 

From  Kohistan  and  the  Jerruck  and 
Shahbandar  districts. 

From  Jerruck  Division. 

From  Hyderabad  CoIIectorate. 

From  Karachi. 


Total  Value  Rs.    !  4,43,519 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


TATTA. 

II.  Exports, 


841 


Articles. 

Two  Years' 
Average. 

Where  sent. 

Grain  (of  sorts)  .     . 
Silk  Manufactures  . 
Cotton  Cloths    .     . 
Hides      .... 

Total  value  Rs. 

rupees. 

27,500 

10,000 

6,000 

2,000 

To  Karachi  and  Kohistan. 
Hyderabad  and  Karachi. 
Ditto. 
Karachi. 

40,000 

Among  the  ancient  remains  of  Tatta  may  be  mentioned  the 
Jama  Mazjid  and  fort.  The  town  of  Tatta  itself  is  undoubtedly  of 
great  antiquity,  and  it  has  by  some  been  supposed  to  be  the 
Patala  of  the  ancients,  Outram  assigns  its  foundation  to  the  year 
1445,  ^^'  other  writers  state  that  it  was  not  founded  before  a.d. 
1522.  The  general  opinion  is  that  the  former  date  is  the  more 
correct,  and  that  the  town  owes  its  rise  to  a  prince  of  the  Samma 
dynasty,  Jam  Nizam-u-din  (commonly  called  Jam  Ninda),  whose 
tomb  is  to  this  day  pointed  out  among  others  on  the  Makli  hills. 
In  1555  Tatta  is  said  by  Postans  to  have  been  pillaged  and  burnt 
by  some  Portuguese  mercenaries.  In  1591  it  was  agaia  destroyed 
during  the  invasion  of  the  country  by  the  Mogal  armies  in  the 
reign  of  the  Emperor  Akbar.  The  Jama  Mazjid,  by  far  the  finest 
building  in  Tatta,  is  supposed  to  have  been  commenced  originally 
in  1644  by  order  of  the  Mogal  emperor  Shah  Jehan,  as  a  memorial 
of  his  regard  for  the  inhabitants,  he  having  been  permitted  to  pay 
his  devotions  in  the  former  chief  mosque  during  his  flight  from  his 
father,  Jehangir.  This  edifice  is  rectangular  in  shape,  being  315 
feet  long  by  19b  feet  wide,  and  covers  a  space  of  6316  square 
yards.  The  interior  of  this  building  is  beautifully  painted  in  encaus- 
tic, the  delicacy  and  harmony  of  the  colouring  being  remarkably 
fine  ;  there  are  also  some  very  elegant  specimens  of  perforated 
stonework  in  different  parts  of  this  mosque.  It  is  said  to  have  cost, 
in  all,  9  lakhs  of  rupees;  and  it  would,  in  all  probability,  like  the 
tombs  on  the  Makli  hills,  have  long  since  fallen  into  decay,  had  not 
the  inhabitants  of  Tatta,  by  subscriptions  raised  among  them- 
selves, assisted  by  a  money  grant  from  the  British  Government,  put 
the  building  into  substantial  repair.  The  fort  of  Tatta  was  com- 
menced about  A.D.  1699,  during  the  reign  of  the  Mogal  emperor 
Aurangzib,  by  one  Nawab  Hafizula,  but  it  was  never  completed. 
The  foundation  l^is  now  been  almost  entirely  removed  to  provide 
material  for  building  purposes. 


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84« 


THAR  AND  PARKAR. 


Thar  and  FSrkari  a  Political  Superintendency  of  great  extent 
in  the  eastern  part  of  the  province  of  Sind.  It  is  bounded  on 
the  north  by  the  Khaurpur  state  of  Mir  Ali  Murad  Talpur ;  on 
the  east  by  the  foreign  states  of  Jaisalmir,  Malani,  Jodhpur  and 
Pahlanpur;  on  the  south  by  the  Rann  of  Kachh,  and  on  the 
west  by  the  Hyderabad  Collectorate.  The  entire  area  of  this 
large  tract,  according  to  the  Revenue  Survey  authorities,  is  12,729 
square  miles,  and  it  is  divided  into  5  principal  and  2  subordinate 
talukas,  with  23  tapas,  62  dehs  (and  1750  villages  and  hamlets), 
and  has  a  population  according,  to  the  census  of  1872,  of  180,761 
souls,  or  only  14  to  the  square  mile,  as  shown  in  the  following 
table  :— 


TalOka. 


Area  in 
Square 
MUes. 


Tapas. 


No.  of 
Dehs. 


Population. 


Towns  having 

800  Inhabitants 

and  i^ivards. 


I.  Khipra  (in- 
cluding the 
Sanghar  ta- 
luka)  .     .     . 


3. "4 


2.  Umarkot  (in-' 
eluding  the  I 
Chachsa  ta-l 
luka)      .      .1 


3.  Mitti     .     .     . 

4.  Dipla    .     .     . 

5.  Nagar  Parkar . 

Total     .     . 


1,107 


8,508 


12,729 


1.  Khipra  . 

2.  Ranahu  . 

3.  Khahi     . 
4*  GhulamNabi 

Shah    . 

5.  Tikhosar 

6.  Sanghar  . 

7.  Tando  Mitha 

Khan   . 
.8.  Kandiari 


1.  Umarkot 

2.  Sufi  Fakir 

3.  Juda  .     . 

4.  Nabisar  • 

5.  Samaro  . 

6.  Kaplur    . 

7.  Chichra  . 

8.  Cheliar   . 
Q.  Gadro     . 

1.  Mita  .     . 

2.  Islamkot 
i.  Dipla      . 

2.  Rahim-ki 

bazar  . 
I.  Nagar  . 
.2.  Virawah. 


28 


45.145  :\sanghar. 


! 


23 


64,794 


62 


1,80,761 


Umarkot 
Chor. 
Samara 
Nabisar. 
Chachra. 
Gfldra. 
IChelar. 


23.039 
14,524  ' 
33.259  J 


Islamkot 
Mitll 
Dipla. 
Nagar  Pir* 

kar,  Vila- 

wah. 


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THAR  AND  PARKAR. 


Hz 


The  area  in  English  acres  of  these  talQkas,  showing  approxi- 
mately the  extent  cultivated,  culturable  and  imaiable  in  1873-74, 
is  also  tabulated  below : — 


Taiflka. 

Total  Area  in 
English  Acres. 

Cultivated. 

Culturable. 

Unarablc. 

1.  Khipra         (in- 

cluding Sang- 
har)     .     .     . 

2.  Umarkot      (in- 

cluding   Cha- 
chra)  .     .     . 

3.Mitti      .     .     . 

4.  DipU    .     .     . 

5.  Nagar  Parkar  .) 

acres. 
1,992,960 

709.587 
5,445.120 

acres. 
71,117 

115,225 

(        14,122 
11,224 
50,789 

acres. 
275,533 

250,857 

43,715 
30,561 
86,057  J 

acres. 
1,646,310 

343,505 
5,208,652 

Physical  Aspect. — This  district  may,  in  a  geographical  point 
of  view,  be  divided  into  two  portions,  the  one  called  the  "  Pat," 
or  plain,  of  the  Eastern  Nara,  including  the  Umarkot  district,  and 
the  other  the  "  Thar,"  or  desert  The  former,  in  its  western  part, 
lies  from  50  to  100  feet  above  the  dead  level  of  the  Sind  plain, 
and  some  of  the  sand-hills  in  it  may  be  100  feet  higher,  but  they 
are  not  so  elevated  as  those  in  the  Thar.  On  its  northern  and 
western  side,  in  the  Sanghar  taluka,  the  soil  is  loose  and  sandy, 
but  to  the  east  it  is  covered  with  sand-hills.  Formerly  this  part 
of  the  district  exhibited  a  dry  and  arid  appearance,  owing  to  the 
poor  and  insufficient  supply  of  water  in  the  Nara,  but  since  the 
construction  of  the  Rohri  supply  channel,  and  the  consequent 
additional  flow  of  water  brought  down  by  it,  the  valley  of  the 
Nara  is  covered  with  jungle  and  marsh  land.  Through  this 
district  flow  the  Eastern  Nara  and  the  Mithrau  canals,  the  former 
a  natural  channel,  greatly  improved  of  late  years,  with  its 
branches,  the  Chor  and  Thar  canals;  the  latter  (Mithrau)  an 
artificial  stream  running  to  the  westward  of  the  Nara,  but  in 
some  degree  parallel  to  it  for  a  distance  of  about  80  miles.  The 
Thar,  or  desert  portion,  consists  of  a  tract  of  sand-hills,  in  appear- 
ance like  the  waves  of  a  sea,  running  north-east  and  south-west ; 
these  hills  are  higher  towards  the  west  than  to  the  east,  and  are 
composed  of  a  fine  but  slightly  coherent  sand.  There  are  no 
cands  or  rivers  of  any  kind  in  the  Thar.  To  the  south-east 
again  of  the  Thar  is  the  Parkar  district,  differing  from  the  former 
in  possessing  hills  of  hard  rock.     It  is,  in  fact,  a  plain  intersected 


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844  THAR  AND  PARKAR, 

by  ranges  of  low  hills,  the  highest  being  not  more  than  350  feet 
above  the  surrounding  level.  There  are  sand-hills  also  in  this 
portion  of  the  district,  but  towards  the  east  these  become  less 
elevated,  and  merge  at  last  into  a  large  open  plain  of  stiff  clay, 
through  which,  in  places,  limestone  is  found  occasionally  crop- 
ping out  The  peninsula  of  Parkar,  which  in  its  extreme  south- 
eastern direction  juts  out  into  the  Rann  of  Kachh,  is  flat  and 
level,  except  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  town  of  Nagar 
Parkar,  where  there  is  an  extensive  area  of  elevated  land  known 
as  the  Kalunjhar  hills,  composed  mostly  of  syenite  rock.  In  many 
parts  of  this  Political  Superintendency  numerous  beds  of  rivers 
long  dried  up  are  found  intersecting  the  arid  tract  of  the  Thar ; 
and  these  would  seem  to  show  that  the  waters  of  the  Indus,  or 
of  some  of  its  branches,  once  flowed  through  it,  fertilising  what 
is  now  a  wilderness,  and  finding  their  way  to  the  sea  by  either 
one  of  the  eastern  mouths,  or  through  the  Rann,  or  great  salt 
marsh,  of  Kachh.  Vestiges  of  ancient  towns  have  also  been 
observed  in  the  great  quantities  of  bricks  and  pottery  which  in 
various  places  are  found  scattered  over  the  surface. 

The  Rann. — Of  the  great  Western  Rann,  which  more  espe- 
cially belongs  to  the  province  of  Kachh,  it  may  not  be  out  of  place 
here  to  mention  that  it  is  an  immense  salt  marsh  about  160  miles 
in  length  from  east  to  west,  and  80  in  breadth  from  north  to 
south,  with  an  area  estimated  at  7000  square  miles.  Throughout 
this  wide  expanse  there  are  several  islands,  or  more  elevated 
tracts,  some  of  them  of  considerable  extent  Though  called  a 
marsh,  it  has  none  of  the  characteristics  of  one,  not  being  covered 
with  water,  except  at  certain  periods  (from  June  to  November). 
It  has  neither  reeds  nor  grass  in  its  bed,  which,  instead  of  being 
slimy,  is  hard,  dry  and  sandy,  and  of  a  consistency  that  never 
gives  way,  unless  a  long  continuance  of  water  in  any  individual 
spot  has  converted  it  into  clay,  which  is  rare,  nor  is  it  otherwise 
fenny  or  swampy.  So  salt  is  the  Rann  that,  owing  to  the  evapora- 
tion of  the  water  by  the  sun,  it  is  often  incrusted  with  that  mineral 
an  inch  deep,  and  even  lumps  of  salt,  beautifully  crystallized, 
may  be  picked  up  as  large  as  a  man's  fist  During  the  monsoon 
the  Rann  is  flooded  by  sea-water  blown  into  it  at  Lakhpat  Bandar, 
at  Anjar  in  Kachh,  and  at  Joria  Bandar  in  Katiawar,  as  well  as 
by  fresh  water  derived  from  the  rains,  or  discharged  into  it  by 
various  swollen  rivers.  In  the  dry  season  fresh  water  is  not  to 
be  had  anjrwhere,  except  on  the  islands,  or  rocky,  elevated  spots, 
and  even  there  it  is  scarce.  The  Rann  throughout  is  devoid 
of  herbage,  and  vegetable  life  is  discernible  only  in  an  occasional 

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THAR  AND  PARKAR.  845 

tamarisk  bush  growing  by  means  of  the*  rain-water  falling  near  it. 
The  sirdhy  or  mirage,  prevails  here  very  vividly,  magnifying  objects 
so  highly  that  patches  of  shrubs  sometimes  resemble  forests,  and 
wild  asses,  the  only  quadrupeds,  excepting  antelopes,  to  be  seen 
in  this  desolate  tract,  appear  as  large  as  elephants.  During  the 
dry  season,  when  the  sun  is  shining,  the  Rann  may  be  mistaken 
for  a  great  expanse  of  water,  owing  to  the  reflection  of  light  from 
its  glazed  saline  surface.  Flies  are  so  numerous,  it  is  said,  in  the 
Rann,  that  it  is  almost  impossible  to  breathe  without  swallowing 
some  of  them,  and,  though  they  do  not  bite,  it  is  very  difficult  to 
force  a  horse  through  their  swarms.  This  immense  morass  is 
supposed  to  have  been  originally  a  permanent  inlet  of  the  sea, 
but  to  have  had  its  bed  raised  subsequently  by  an  earthquake. 

Hydrography. — The  water  system  of  this  district,  which,  it 
may  be  as  well  to  mention,  is  confined  solely  to  that  part  watered 
by  the  Nara,  there  being  no  torrents,  floods,  canals,  or  rivers  in 
the  Thar  and  Parkar  proper,  comprises,  in  the  first  place,  the 
Eastern  Nara,  previously  described  as  being  a  natural  channel, 
and  most  probably  at  some  remote  period  the  outlet  to  the  sea 
of  the  waters  of  some  great  river  like  the  Indus,  together  with  its 
branches  the  Thar,  Chor  and  Umarkot.  Secondly,  there  is 
the  Mithrau  canal,  which  was  commenced  in  1858-59,  and 
intended  to  irrigate  the  western,  or  more  elevated,  portions  of  this 
district,  which  the  Nara  is  unable  to  reach.  It  is  upwards  of  80 
miles  in  length  (with  its  branches  123  miles),  having  its  head 
in  the  Maki  "  dhandh,"  and  flows  through  the  Sanghar,  Khipra 
and  Umarkot  talukas.  It  has  six  branches  of  a  length  varying 
from  2  to  10  miles,  besides  about  300  miles  of  minor  distribut- 
ing channels.  The  cost  of  this  canal,  when  completed,  is  ex- 
pected to  be  between  7  and  8  lakhs  of  rupees;  up  to  1873-74  . 
it  had  cost  7,38,336  rupees.  The  Eastern  Nara,  as  has  been 
observed  in  the  hydrography  of  the  Rohri  Deputy  Collectorate, 
draws  its  water  mainly  from  the  floods  in  the  Bahawalpur  State. 
It  has  its  first  well-marked  and  continuous  head  at  a  place  called 
Khari,  a  short  distance  from  the  town  of  Rohri,  and,  after  passing 
through  the  Khairpur  territory,  enters  the  Nara  district  near  the 
village  of  Mithrau,  from  the  large  Maki  dhandh  previously 
mentioned.  Hence  it  skirts  the  sand-hills  as  far  as  the  village 
of  Saiyad  Ghulam  Nabi-ka-Got,  after  which  it  continues  its  course 
to  the  southward,  passing  near  the  towns  of  Nabisar  and  Nawakot. 

Before  the  construction,  in  1859,  of  the  Rohri  supply  channel, 
which  now  throws  a  regular  body  of  water  into  the  Nara,  the 
quantity  in  this  latter  stream  was  mainly  dependent  upon  the 

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«46  THAR  AND  PARKAR. 

strength    of   the  floods,  or   lets^   from    the    Bahawalpur   State. 
Years  would  sometimes  elapse  without  any  water  at  all  finding 
its  way  into  the  Nara,  while  strong  floods  would,  on  the  other 
hand,  be  experienced  for  a  series  of  successive  seasons.     The 
people  on  the  lower  part  of  the  Nara  believed,  and,  indeed,  main- 
tain to  this  day,  that  the  supply  was  cut  ofl"  by  an  artificial  "  bandh," 
or  dam,  put  up  by  one  Fateh  Muhammad  Ghori,  a  Jagirdar,  in 
the  year  1838;  and  Captain  Rathbome,  Collector  of  Hyderabad, 
in  1843  made  an  oflicial  report  to  the  same  effect,  but  no  one  could 
find  the  "  bandh,"  and  CaptsCin  (now  Colonel)  Fife,  R.K,  in  1850, 
proved  that  no  such  **  bandh  "  ever  existed.     After  the  opening 
of  the  supply  channel  at  Rohri,  much  of  the  flood  water  was 
expended  in  filling  up  the  numerous  depressions  called  "  dhandhs," 
or  "  kolabs,"  which  line  the  eastern  bank  of  the  Nara  like  a  fringe 
throughout  the  greater  part  of  its  course.     They  are  very  deep, 
and  extend  some  miles  into  the  desert     To  prevent  this  supply 
from   being  lost,  strong  embankments  were  thrown  across  the 
feeding  channels  leading  to  these  dhandhs,  and  the  water  was 
thus  forced  into  the  plain.     It  was,  however,  in  a  few  years  found 
that  this  annual  flooding  caused  great  damage  by  converting  the 
country  into  a  jungly  swamp,  and,  to  correct  this,  excavations 
were  made  in  the  bed  of  the  Nara  itself,  so  as  to  feciUtate  the 
flow  of  the  water  southwards.     A  series  of  embankments  on  the 
right  bank  were  also  erected  to  arrest  the  overflow  of  the  water, 
regular  cultivation  being  carried  out  on  distributing  channels, 
instead  of  on  the  flood  water,  which  latter  plan,  though  oflfering 
great  facilities  for  raising  crops,  was,  at  the  same  time,  both  pre- 
carious and  wasteful.     These  remedies  are  still  in  progress.     In 
the  Sanghar  taluka  two  canals,  the  Dimwah  and  the  Heranwah, 
branch  off"  from  the  Nara ;  the  former  has  its  head  in  the  Maki 
dhandh.     The  Juda  tapa  of  the  Umarkot  taluka  is  watered  by 
the  tail  of  the  Nasirwah,  a  canal  in  the  Hyderabad  CoUectorate ; 
while  the  Nurwah,  a  small  canal  excavated  by  Marwaris,  also 
draws  its  supply  from  the  Nara,  and  waters  a  portion  of  the  same 
taluka.     The  following  is  a  list  of  canals  in  the  Nara  district,  not 
including  the  Eastern  Nara,  with  other  information  connected 
with  them  {see  next  page). 


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THAR  AND  PARKAR. 


847 


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848 


THAR  AND  PARKAR. 


These  canals  are  under  the  superintendence  of  the  Executive 
Engineer,  Eastern  Nara  Division,  who  has  an  assistant  under 
him.  The  Mithrau  and  Thar  canals  are  each  under  the  imme- 
diate charge  of  a  daroga,  and  during  the  irrigation  season  there 
is  a  jamadar  for  each  su1>division  of  the  canal,  averaging  in  length 
about  xo  miles. 

Climate. — ^The  climate  of  the  Thar  and  Parkar  is,  from  all 
accounts,  somewhat  similar  to  that  of  Kachh,  and  is  subject  to 
considerable  extremes  in  temperature,  being  excessively  hot  in 
the  summer  and  very  cold  in  the  winter  season,  the  cold  increasing 
as  the  sand-hills  are  approached.  From  the  beginning  of  No- 
vember to  the  end  of  February  the  weather  is  said  to  be  pleasant 
and  bracing,  after  which  the  hot  winds  set  in,  accompanied  with 
heavy  dust-storms.  The  glare  and  heat  during  the  sununer 
months  are  intense.  The  maximum,  minimum  and  mean  ton- 
peratures  of  the  towns  of  Umarkot,  Mitti  and  Nagar  Parkar 
for  the  past  three  years,  taken  from  the  records  of  the  medical 
dispensaries  at  these  places,  are  shown  in  the  accompanying 
Uble :— 


Year. 

Umarkot. 

Mean. 

Nagar  PSrkar. 

Mild. 

Max. 

Min. 

Max. 

Min. 

Mean. 

Max. 

Min. 

Mean. 

1869 

i?)6 

^ 

76 

I°00 

0 

73 

& 

0 
III 

0 
50 

& 

1870 

105 

50 

78 

97 

74 

85 

109 

43 

76 

1871 

103 

50 

76 

97 

70 

84 

108 

44 

76 

1872 

96 

69 

84 

lOI 

71 

86 

108 

45 

76 

1873 

95 

69 

8r 

100 

74 

88 

112 

42 

77 

1874 

96 

66 

80 

[     96 

69 

82 

108 

44 

76 

Rainfall. — The  rainfall  in  the  Thar  and  Parkar  does  not 
appear  to  be  equable  throughout  its  extensive  area,  that  in  tbc 
Parkar  being  heavier  than  in  either  the  Nara  or  Umarkot  talukas. 
The  average  yearly  fall  in  the  towns  of  Umarkot,  Nagar  Parkar 
and  Mitti,  during  the  past  nine  years,  is  found  to  b.e  9*17,  I7'i8and 
9*66  inches  respectively.  Taken  as  a  whole,  the  annual  fall  is 
heavier  in  this  district  than  in  other  parts  of  Sind,  as  the  fol- 
lowing table,  giving  the  monthly  rain^Edl  for  the  five  years  ending 
1874  at  the  same  three  towns  will  show  {see  rtexifiage). 


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THAR  AND  pIrKAR, 


849 


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S50  THAR  AND  PARKAR, 

Diseases. — The  diseases  most  prevalent  in  the  Thar  and 
P^rkar  are  fevers  and  rheumatisms,  and  small-pox  has  at  times 
committed  great  havoc.  Cholera  visited  this  district  in  a  severe 
form  in  1869,  causing  a  serious  mortality.  The  desert  portion 
of  the  Thar  and  Parkar  is,  however,  wonderfully  free  from 
epidemic  disease. 

Soils. — The  prevailing  soil  in  the  Nara  district  is  said  to  be 
a  light  loam  called  by  the  natives  gasar — z.  medium,  in  fiaict, 
between  a  stiff  clay  and  a  fine  sand.  Salt-pans  are  worked  to 
a  small  extent  near  the  village  of  Bakar.  Soda,  or  khara  chdniah, 
is  obtained  from  the  dhandhs,  and  exported,  and  chiroli,  a  sul- 
phate of  lime,  or  gypsum,  is  found  near  the  village  of  Ghulam 
Nabi-jo-got  In  the  Umarkot  plains  there  is  a  very  large  extent 
of  pat^  or  salt  waste,  especially  on  the  north-west  side  bordering 
on  Khipra  and  Hala.  All  along  the  Nara  are  dhandhs  for  about 
56  miles,  from  which  much  salt  is  produced,  mostly  for  the  curing 
of  fish  and  other  purposes.  In  the  Dipla  and  Mitti  talukas  are 
extensive  salt  lakes  containing  almost  unlimited  supplies  of  this 
mineral ;  elsewhere  the  soil  \a  alluvial,  and  of  good  quality. 

In  the  Thar  portion  of  this  district  >is  a  salt  lake  called  the 
Mukhai,  from  which  large  quantities  of  this  mineral  are  made  and 
exported.  The  cost  of  carriage  and  scarcity  of  forage  are  reasons 
for  the  salt  in  the  Thar  and  Parkar  district  not  being  exported 
into  the  Sind  markets.  The  present  system  is  to  levy  a  duty  on 
salt  of  8  annas  per  maund  In  the  Parkar  district,  between  the 
Thar  and  the  Rann,  the  soil  is  said  to  be  made  up  of  the  d&ris 
of  syenite  rocks,  of  which  the  Kalunjhar  hills,  in  the  vicinity  of 
Nagar  Parkar,  are  composed.  Nothing,  it  is  believed,  has  as  yet 
been  written  upon  the  geological  features  of  this  extensive  district, 
but  there  is  much  that  would  no  doubt  repay  the  trouble  of  a 
careful  and  at  the  same  time  scientific  geological  research. 

Animals. — ^The  wild  animals  found  in  the  Nara  district  aie 
hog,  the/^ar^?,  or  hog-deer,  chinkara,wolf,  jackal,  fox,  jungle^at, 
hare,  mungoos,  otter,  &c.  Among  birds  are  the  garava  (bustard), 
tilur,  geese,  wild  fowl  of  many  varieties,  as  the  mallard,  widgeon, 
whistling  teal,  snipe,  coot,  and  water-hen ;  the  adjutant,  pelican, 
flamingo  and  various  kinds  of  wading  birds  are  also  found  here. 
Other  birds  are  the  grey  and  black  partridge,  sand-grouse  of 
several  varieties,  plover  and  quail,  the  eagle,  vulture,  kite,  several 
kinds  of  the  hawk,  crow,  owl,  and  numerous  others.  Snakes 
are  very  numerous,  especially  in  the  hot  season,  when  they  are 
frequently  met  with.  The  same  animals  which  are  common  to 
the  Nara  district  are  also  found  in  the  Thar  and  in  the  Parkar, 


uigiiized  by 


Google 


THAR  AND  PARKAR,  851 

with  the  exception  of  wild  hog,  phara,  black  partridge  and  water* 
fowl,  the  latter  arriving  only  after  a  very  heavy  rainfall.  There  is, 
however,  the  gurkhar^  or  wild  ass,  which  frequents  the  Parkar, 
and  the  hyaena  and  lynx,  the  Thar.  The  domestic  animals 
throughout  the  entire  Superintendency  comprise  the  camel,  horse, 
ass,  buffalo,  ox,  sheep,  goat,  dog,  cat  and  poultry.  The  desert 
ponies  are  hardy  and  well  made.  Camels  and  horned  cattle  are 
bred  extensively  in  the  desert ;  of  the  latter  a  large  number  are 
sent  to  Gujrat  for  sale. 

Vegetable  Productions. — ^The  chief  vegetable  productions 
of  the  Thar  and  Parkar  are  rice,  juar,  bajri,  cotton,  oil-seeds, 
mung  {Phaseolus  mungo)^  til,  tobacco,  &c.  The  fan  or  pana  (the 
iypha  eiepkaniina)  from  which  pankhas  are  made,  the  pabban,  or 
lotus  plant,  and  various  grasses  from  which  ropes  and  mats  are 
constructed,  are  also  found  in  this  district  There  are  no  forests 
in  any  part  of  this  Superintendency. 

Fisheries. — The  fisheries  are  confined  entirely  to  the  Nara  and 
the  dhandhs  fed  by  it,  the  fish  most  commonly  met  with  being  the 
jerki,  singara,  dambhro,  marko,  popri,  gandan,  goj  (eels),  chiton, 
thaili,  makar,  patno  and  kuro.  The  yearly  revenue  derived  by 
Government  from  the  Nara  fisheries  amounts,  on  an  average,  to 
about  4,000  rupees. 

Population. — The  population  of  the  Thar  and  Parkar  Political 
Superintendency  as  found  by  the  census  of  1872  is  180,761,  or  say 
14  persons  to  the  square  mile.  Of  these  the  number  of  Musalmans 
is  entered  at  96,604,  and  of  Hindus  at  only  62,500,  the  Christian 
community  numbering  35  souls  and  other  castes  and  tribes  21,622. 
These  latter  comprise  no  doubt  Kolis,  Mengwars,  Rathors  and 
others,  who  might  very  well  have  been  included  among  the  Hindu 
castes.  The  number  of  the  several  tribes  and  castes  according  to 
the  latest  census  is  unobtainable,  but  if  the  present  population  be 
sub-divided  in  the  same  proportion  as  was  approximately  shown 
in  the  statement  given  in  the  first  edition,  the  numbers  will  stand 
as  in  the  following  table : — 


Digi3^eJbvC00gIe 


8Sa 


THAR  AND  PARKAR. 


i 

SI 

1 


■5-5 


Op:* 

■§1 


Is 

0-5 


1-S 

^  3 


3 


M  Q  Q  M 


g; 


J 


.j3  iS  J  6 

c2S2o 


1 


J 

PS 

i            ^' 

«                          g 

?*                     .^  ^ 

S"                     *i  tf 

■  -^                           (5ji  n 

Q 

2 

. 

1              II 

s 

.a 

.a 

•-a.                      a  o 

^ 

I^-S          Isl 

M 

"■i^       o35 

m 

st^          111 

gO^                 g"tfi„. 

v-v— '     ■ 

T 

II         a  1 

1 

2   2^               8>  5 

^ 

,-^-v                                        — *                 1 

•-O    •                      •  3    • 

^ 

1.  Brahmans 

2.  Sodas      (ax 

Rijputs) 

3.  Waishia . 

4.  Miscellaneoi 

castes   . 

uiyiiizea  by 


Google 


THAR  AND  PARKAR.  853 

Dress,  Character,  &c — In  the  matter  of  dress  and  food 
there  does  not  appear  to  be  any  particular  or  marked  contrast 
between  that  in  use  among  the  people  of  the  Thar  and  Parkar 
district  and  the  inhabitants  of  Sind  generally.  In  dress  there 
is  one  peculiarity  worthy  of  mention,  and  this  is  in  the  petticoats 
or  lower  garments  worn  by  the  Musalman  and  Hindu  women, 
those  of  the  former  being  cut  and  coloured  in  a  very  different 
manner  from  that  worn  by  Hindu  females.  This  difference 
tends  to  produce  a  striking  contrast  between  the  two  classes.  As 
the  greater  portion  of  the  population  are  cattle  proprietors,  milk 
diet  is  more  common  among  them  than  that  of  flesh.  Bajri  is 
the  staple  food  of  the  people  throughout  this  district  The  Soda 
tribe,  formerly  the  dominant  race  in  the  Thar  and  Parkar,  are 
presumed  to  have  conquered  this  district  from  the  Sumras  be- 
tween 300  and  400  years  ago.  They  are  of  Rajput  origin, 
and  in  character  are  a  warlike  people.  The  Khosas  are  fine, 
robust  and  martial  men,  inured  to  fatigue  and  hard  fare.  They 
are  brave  and  enterprising,  but  slothful  and  improvident  Chief 
among  the  nomadic  tribes  in  this  district  are  the  Udejas,  who 
came  originally  from  Sind ;  they  are  fine,  athletic  men,  and  well- 
behaved,  and  have  for  some  time  pa^t  turned  their  attention  to 
agricultural  pursuits.  The  Bhils  rank  very  low  in  the  social 
scale,  and  are  much  addicted  to  theft  Taken,  however,  as  a 
whole,  the  inhabitants  of  the  Thar  and  Parkar  are  represented 
to  be  a  peaceable  race,  and  in  disposition  neither  so  litigious  nor 
quarrelsome  as  their  Sind  neighbours.  They  are  said  to  place 
great  reliance  on  panchayats^  or  arbitration  committees.  The 
language  spoken  in  this  district  is  a  mixture  of  Sindi  and  Kachhi; 
formerly,  when  the  Thar  and  Parkar  was  under  the  administra- 
tion of  the  Political  Agent  at  Kachh,  all  written  correspondence 
was  carried  on  in  the  Gujrathi  language. 

Crime. — The  crime  most  rife  in  this  district,  as  in  Sind  gene- 
rally, is  cattle-stealing  or  lifting.  The  following  tables  will  show 
the  amount  of  crime  and  litigation  prevaihng  in  this  Superin- 
tendency  during  the  four  years  ending  with  1874  : — 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


854 


THAR  AND  PARKAR. 


L  Criminai. 


Year. 

Muiden. 

Hurts, 
Assaults, 
and  use  of 

Thefts. 

Receiving 

Stolen 

Hoose- 
breaking. 

SSs: 

Oilier 
OOeaoes. 

Criminal 
Force. 

Cattle. 

Others. 

Piupeiiy. 

187I 
1872 
1873 
1874 

3 

6 
4 

159 
"34 
143 
116 

a53 

181 

114 

77 

182 
122 
III 

69 

41 

57 
4* 
29 

"3 
22 

17 
9 

I 

a 

126 

x86 
28s 
231 

IL  Civil. 


Suits  for  Land. 

Suits  for  Money. 

Other  Suits. 

Total. 

No. 

Value. 

No.    1     Value. 

No. 

Value. 

No.    1    Vahic 

I87I 

II 

rupees. 
813 

1    rupees. 
295      16,109 

18 

rupees. 
7,114 

324 

rupees. 
24,03  . 

1872 

8 

1.399 

300  :  20,463 

33 

4»440 

341 

26,302 

1873 

7 

1,190 

248  ,   13,950 

60 

4,627 

315 

19,767 

1874 

7 

1,496 

235 

22,306 

27 

5,212 

269 

29,014 

Establishments. — The  chief  revenue  and  judicial  authority  in 
the  Thar  and  Parkar  district  is  vested  in  a  Political  Superin- 
tendent, who  in  his  judicial  capacity  exercises  the  powers  of  a 
magistrate  of  a  district,  and  has,  besides,  the  civil  jurisdiction  of  a 
judge.  Under  him  is  an  Assistant  Political  Superintendent,  who 
in  his  judicial  capacity  exercises  the  powers  of  a  first-class 
subordinate  magistrate,  and  tries  civil  cases  up  to  500  rupees  in 
value ;  there  are  also  seven  Mukhtyarkars,  each  having  the  powers 
of  either  a  first  or  second-class  magistrate,  and  being  empowered 
to  decide  civil  cases  up  to  200  rupees  in  value  within  their 
respective  jurisdictions.  The  head  Munshis  and  two  of  the 
second  Munshis  of  these  Mukhtyarkars  are  also  vested  with  magis- 
terial powers  of  either  the  first  or  second  class.  The  Mukhty- 
arkars are  also  ex-officio  superintendents,  and  the  second  Munshis 
ex-offido  jailors  of  the  jails  in  their  respective  talukas. 

The  civil  courts  are  situate  at  Umarkot,  Chachra,  Mitti,  Nagar 
Parkar,  Dipla,  Khipra  and  Sanghar. 

Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


THAR  AND  PARKAR. 


855 


Police. — ^The  police  force  employed  in  the  Thar  and  Pirkar 
Political  Superintendency  numbers  in  all  502  men,  of  whom  377 
are  mounted  on  horses  and  camels,  107  rural  and  18  municipal 
police.  There  is  thus  one  policeman  to  about  every  358  of  the 
population.     This  force  is  distributed  as  follows : — 


Talflluu 

Foot  Police. 

Monnted  Police. 

Municipal 

Total. 

PoliceT^ 

Horse. 

Camel. 

Khipra     (tnclnding     the\ 

IS 

39 

16 

3 

73 

Sanghar  taluka)     .     ./ 

Umarkot   (including   the\ 
Chachra  taliika)     .     ./ 

64 

112 

48 

9 

233 

Mitti 

7 

19 

IS 

2 

43 

Dipla 

7 

21 

15 

I 

44 

Nagar  Parkar.     .     .     . 
Total.     .     .     . 

15 

49 

42 

3 

109 

108 

240 

136 

18 

502 

Revenue. — The  revenue  of  the  Thar  and  Parkar  Political 
Superintendency,  divided  into  imperial  and  local,  is  shown  under 
its  separate  heads  for  the  four  years  ending  with  1873-74  in 
fhe  following  tables : — 

I.  Imperial. 


Items. 

1871-73. 

i87a-73. 

1873-74. 

Land  Tax 

Abkari 

Drugs  and  Opium     .     . 

Stamps 

Salt 

Registration    .... 

Postal 

Income  Tax  (andGhi  Tax) 
Fines  and  Fees     .     .     . 
Miscellaneous.     .     .     . 

Total  rupees   . 

rupees. 

2,26,559 

2,605 

17,884 

3,181 

6,883 

185 

2,455 

52,801 

8,216 

419 

rupees. 

2,61,275 

2,800 

19,168 

7,898 

4,697 
199 
4,067 
6,802 
3.681 
44,277 

rupees. 
2,97,594 
3,249 

8,238 
5,301 

201 

4,884 

2,9^ 

33,393 

rupees. 

2,33,844 

3,932 

18,241 

7,611 

7,670 

4,801 

3,296 
32,228 

3,21,188 

3,54,864  ;  3,74,726 

3,12,030 

Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


856 


THAR  AND  PARKAR. 


II.  Local. 


Items. 

1870-^x. 

r87i-7«. 

r87a-73. 

»873-74. 

Cesses  on  Land  and  Sayer 
Revenue      .... 

Percentage  on  Alienated\ 
Lands / 

Cattle-pound   and  Ferry^ 

Fisheries 

Total  rupees   . 

rupees. 
12,127 

3,643 
.1,599 

rupe^. 
17,041 

52 

9,243 
4,  "9 

rupees. 
22,887 

51 

8,795 
3.954 

nipecs. 
15,151 

24 
7,788 
4,056 

17,369 

30,455 

35.687 

27.019 

The  present  duty  on  salt  manufactured  in  this  district  is 
8  annas  per  maund. 

JXgirs. —  The  j^gir  holdings  in  the  Thar  and  Parkar  district 
are  few  in  number  and  inconsiderable  in  area,  not  being,  in  the 
aggregate,  more  than  2039  acres;  of  this  quantity  the  largest 
areas  are  in  the  Umarkot  and  Nagar  talukas.  The  subjoined  table 
will  give  all  information  necessary  on  this  head : — 


Nameof  JaginUr. 

Class. 

TalQka  and  Village. 

Cultivable 
Land. 

Uncultui^ 
able 
Land. 

Ycsriy 

Amount  of 

GovnmenL 

Revcoise 

repcesenttL 

1.  Ghulam     Mus-\ 

tafa  .      .      ./ 

2.  Shamatji  walad\ 

Chanduji     ./ 

3.  Phulbi  .     .     . 

4.  Ako  Soda  .     . 

5.  WaH    MnhamO 

mad    .     .     , 

3 

3 

3 
5 

5 

Umarkot,  U.Tal.. 

Bojasar,NagarTaL 

Pitapur,NagarTaL 
Umarkot,  U.  TaL 

Sanghar,  S.  TaL  . 

acres,  glint. 
39024 

200     0 

680     0 

15438 

31     0 

acres.g11nt. 
243  13 

150     0 

142     0 
32    6 

IS    5 

rupees. 

243 

150 

142 
32 

IS 

The  Seri  grants  in  this  district  are  small  in  extent,  comprising, 
in  all,  but  846  acres,  which  are  divided  among  49  persons. 

Municipalities. — There  are,  in  all,  11  municipalities  in  the 
Thar  and  Parkar;  the  income  and  expenditure  of  each  for  the 
two  years  ending  1873-74  are  shown  in  the  following  state- 
ment : — 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


THAR  AND  PARKAR. 


857 


Where  situate. 

When 
Established. 

Receipts. 

Expenditure. 

x87a-73. 

1873-74. 

x87a-73. 

187-74. 

1.  Umarkot      .     . 

2.  Nabisar .     .     . 

3.  Khipra  .     .     . 

4.  Sanghar .     .     . 

5.  Chachra.     .     . 

6.  Gadra     .     .     . 

7.  Mitti      .     .     . 

8.  Islamkot      .     . 

9.  Nagar  Pirkar    . 

10.  Virawah.      .     . 

11.  Dipla     .     .     . 

1863 
1862 
1862 
1862 
1862 
1862 
1862 
1863 
1863 

rupeen. 
8,263 
1,703 

2,575 

705 
2,253 

2,056 

If? 

rupees. 
9,692 
2,064 
2,362 
1,269 

1,535 
714 

2,215 

rupees. 
8,266 
1,357 

2,418 
1,981 

683 
1,103 
2,003 

460 
1, 220 

611 

886 

rupees. 

7,523 
1,292 
2,178 
1,512 

1,924 

878 

1,662 

683 
655 

The  receipts  of  these  municipal  institutions  are  derived  mostly 
from  town  duties,  cattle-pounds,  fines,  &c. ;  the  expenditure  is 
principally  upon  establishments,  public  works,  education,  dis- 
pensaries, &a 

Medical  Establishments.  —  There  are  no  hospitals  in  the 
Thar  and  Parkar  district,  but  dispensaries  at  each  of  the  towns 
of  Umarkot,  Mitti  and  Nagar  Parkar,  which  are  under  the  charge 
respectively  of  an  officer  of  the  Bombay  Subordinate  Medical 
Department,  assisted  by  small  establishments.  The  cost  of  these 
dispensaries  is  defrayed  partly  by  Government  and  partly  by  the 
municipality  of  the  town  where  such  dispensary  is  situate.  The 
following  table  will  show  the  attendance,  &c,  of  patients  at  each 
of  these  dispensaries  during  the  two  years  ending  1874 : — 

Umarkot. 


In-patients. 
Out-patients 

Total  Admissions  in 

Casualties  in 

Average  Daily 
Attendance. 

Remarks. 

1873. 

1874- 

'873- 

X874. 

1873. 

1874. 

43 
2,620 

31 
1,064 

6 

5 

1-7 
26- 1 

•87 
608 

This    dispen- 
sary was  es- 
tablished on 
,^h    May. 

Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


«S8 

THAR  AND  PARKAR. 

MiTTI. 

In-patients. 
Out-patients 

1 

Average  Daily 
Attendance. 

Renuuks. 

1873.          »874.    1   1873. 

1874. 

'873. 

1874. 

3 
3,109 

26 
2.340 

... 

I 
6 

16-4 

18-2 

This  dispen- 
sary was  es- 
tablished on 
4th  May. 
1863. 

Nagar  Parkar. 

In-patients. 
Out-patients 

25 

2,866 

7 

2,719 

2 

3 

I 

22' I 

25-9 

This  dispen- 
sary was  es- 
tablished in 
1855. 

Prisons. — ^The  only  prisons  in  this  district  are  the  permanent 
subordinate  jails  at  Nagar  Parkar,  Khipra,  Sanghar,  Mitti,  Dipla 
and  Chachra;  these  are  under  the  charge  of  the  Mukhtyarkars 
of  their  respective  talukas,  and  their  second  Munshis  act  as  ex- 
officio  jailors. 

Education. — There  are  16  schools  in  all  in  the  Thar  and 
Parkar  Political  Superintendency,  one  of  these  being  an  Anglo- 
vernacular  institution  of  the  second  grade  in  the  Umarkot  taluka. 
The  following  is  a  statement  of  the  number  of  Government 
schools  and  pupils  during  the  five  years  ending  1873-74 : — 


Description  of  School. 

X869-70. 

X870-7X. 

x87X-7a. 

X873-73. 

«873-74- 

Schools. 
Pupils. 

m 

1 

1 

1 

SchooU. 
Pupils. 

t 

Nonnal  Schools 

..|    .. 

., 

,, 

,, 

,, 

,, 

,  ^ 

.. 

Anglo- Vernacular  Schools,  xst  grade  . 

..|.. 

.. 

.. 

.. 

.. 

.. 

.. 

.. 

,. 

Ditto              ditto              and  grade  . 

xlx34 

X 

»34 

x 

ISO 

X 

13' 

X 

122 

Vernacular  Schools 

Total  Boys'  Schools     .     . 

14  '  681 

«4 

68t 

13 

605 

«3 

6*5 

»3 

639 

X5     8x5 

X3 

815 

M 

755 

M 

756 

•4 

76I 

Girls'  Schools 

Grand  Total 

X       X3 
x6  ^  828 

X 

J3 

X 

13 

I 

9 

.. 

,. 

x6 

838 

»5 

^ 

»S 

765 

14      76I 

Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


THAR  AND  PARKAR. 


859 


There  are  a  number  of  private  schools  scattered  about  this  dis- 
trict, but  no  reliable  statistics  concerning  them  are  forthcoming. 
The  following  table  will  show  the  number  of  Government  schools 
and  pupils  in  each  taluka  during  1873-74 : — 


1873-74. 

Schools. 

Pupils. 

1.  Umarkot    . 

2.  Chachra     . 

3.  Mitti     .     . 

4.  Dipla    .     . 

5.  Nagar  Parkar 

6.  Khipra .     . 

7.  Sanghar      . 

3 
3 
I 
I 
S 

I 

222 
162 
126 
28 
193 

30 

Total 

14 

761 

There  are  now  no  Government  female  schools  in  this  Political 
Superintendency. 

Agriculture. — ^There  are  throughout  the  Thar  and  Parkar  dis- 
trict three  seasons  in  which  agricultural  operations  are  carried  on, 
viz.,  kharif,  rabi  and  adawah ;  but  as  the  times  of  sowing  and 
reaping  the  crops  seem  to  differ  somewhat  in  the  Nara  districts 
from  those  in  the  Thar,  or  desert  portion  of  this  Political  Super- 
intendency, two  separate  tables  are  here  given  on  this  head, 
showing,  also,  the  various  crops  produced  in  each  season  : — 

Nara  Districts. 


Seasons. 

Hme  when 

Description  of  Crop 
produced. 

Sown. 

Reaped. 

1.  Kharif      . 

2.  Rabi   .     . 

3.  Adawah  . 

June  to  Middle 
of  August 

Middle  of  Sep. 
tember  and 
October. 

February. 

Middle  of  Oc- 
tober to  mid- 
dle of  De- 
cember. 

January     and 
February. 

April  and  May. 

Rice,  jbar,  bajri,  til,  cot- 
ton,   tobacco,    bhang, 
nemp,  &c. 

"Wheat,  barley,  siri,  jam- 
bho,  and  kumba. 

Cotton,  juar,  mung,  and 
melons. 

Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


86o 


THAR  AND  PARKAR. 


Thar  and  Parkar. 


Seasons. 

Time  when 

Description  of  Crop 
produced. 

Sown. 

Reaped. 

I.  Kharif      . 
a.  Rabi  .     . 
3.  Adawah   . 

June  and  July. 

October    and 
November. 

January. 

October    and 
November. 

March       and 
ApriL 

May  and  June. 

Rice,  juir,  bajri,  til,  mung, 
and  tobacco. 

Wheat,   barley,  jambho, 
sirsu,  and  kurar. 

Cotton,  joar,  mung,  and 
water-melons. 

The  staple  crops  in  the  Nara  district  are  rice,  juar,  bajri,  wheat, 
mung,  oil-seeds,  til,  cotton,  sugar-cane  and  tobacco.  Pulses,  as 
well  as  fruits  and  vegetables  of  different  kinds,  are  also  grown. 
In  the  Thar  and  Parkar  the  staple  crops  are  bajri  and  wheat, 
but  the  cultivation,  which  in  the  former  districts  is  chiefly  mok^ 
is  in  the  Thar  and  Parkar  entirely  bardniy  or  that  dependent  on 
rainfall.  The  agricultural  implements  in  use  generally  throughout 
this  superintendency  are  the  hal^  or  plough,  the  jaithin^  or  clod- 
crusher,  the/fl«r^i,  and  a  few  others. 

Commerce. — The  exports  from  the  Thar  and  Parkar  district 
consist  principally  of  grain,  wool,  ghi,  camels,  homed  cattle,  hides, 
fish,  salt,  chdniha  and  pan  or  pana^  a  kind  of  reed  from  which 
pankhas  are  made.  The  grain,  chiefly  rice  and  wheat,  oil-seeds, 
cattle,  goats  and  sheep,  are  sent  to  Gujrat,  Pahlanpur  and  Jodh- 
pur  j  hides  and  wool  to  Hyderabad;  ghi  to  Kachh  and  Gujrat; 
and  salt,  fish,  chdniha  SLudpan  oi pana  to  Hyderabad  and  Karachi 
The  chief  imports  appear  to  be  cotton,  metals,  dried  fruits,  dyes, 
piece-goods,  silk,  sugar-candy  and  tobacco.  Neither  the  quan- 
tity nor  value  of  this  trade  appears  to  be  known,  but  it  is,  no 
doubt,  considerable. 

Manufactures. — The  manufactures  of  this  Political  Superin- 
tendency do  not  appear  to  be  of  any  marked  importance,  and 
consist  merely  of  woollen  blankets  and  bags,  camel  saddles  and 
covers,  and  coarse  cotton  cloths;  neither  the  quantity  yeariy 
manufactured  nor  the  value  seems  to  be  known. 

Fairs. — One  fair  of  note  only  is  held  yearly  in  the  Nara  dis- 
trict, at  the  town  of  Pithora,  near  Akri,  in  the  month  of  September. 
It  is  in  honour  of  one  Pithora,  a  spiritual  guide  among  the  Meng- 
war  community,  and  is  attended  by  about  9000  people,  princi- 


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THAR  AND  PARKAR.  86i 

pally  of  that  tribe.  There  are  seven  other  small  fairs  held  in 
various  parts  of  the  Thar  and  Parkar  district,  but  none  are  of 
sufficient  consequence  to  require  notice. 

Roads. — The  roads  in  the  Thar  and  Parkar  district  are  numerous, 
but  travelling  in  the  Thar,  or  desert  portion,  is  very  tedious  and  diffi- 
cult, owing  to  the  numerous  sand-hills  which  have  constantly  to  be 
crossed  Umarkot,  the  chief  town  in  this  PoHtical  Superin- 
tendency,  has  communication  with  Hyderabad  by  a  good  road, 
which  is  bridged  throughout,  excepting  over  the  Eastern  Nara, 
which  crosses  it  between  the  villages  of  Garhur  and  Saseb-ke-thul. 
From  Umarkot  this  road  is  continued  on  to  Virawah  and  Nagar 
Parkar  by  two  branches,  one  vi&  Chachra,  and  the  other  vi& 
Islamkot  Other  lines  also  lead  from  Umarkot  to  Khipra,  in  the 
northern  part  of  this  district,  and  to  the  Marwar  boimdary,  but 
the  direct  thoroughfare  to  the  Jaisalmir  territory  passes  from 
Mirpur  Khas  (in  the  Hala  district)  through  Khipra.  Southward 
a  road  runs  from  Umarkot  vi&  the  towns  of  Nabisar  and  Nawa- 
kot  There  are  roads  also  communicating  with  the  Eastern 
Nara,  as  well  as  with  different  parts  of  the  Mithrau  canaL  From 
Nagar  Parkar  a  road  runs  across  a  portion  of  the  Rann  to  Disa, 
while  another  from  Wango  and  Rahim  Bazars  also  crosses  the 
Rann,  and  leads  to  the  town  of  Bhuj  in  Kachh.  A  tabulated 
list  of  these  communications  cannot  here  be  given,  owing  to.  want 
of  proper  information  on  the  subject,  but  in  the  Appendix  will 
be  found  described  several  of  the  main  lines  of  road  running 
through  this  district,  and  principally  those  passing  through  its 
chief  town,  Umarkot 

Electric  Telegraph  and  Postal  Line. — The  Government 
telegraph  line  connecting  Hyderabad  with  Disa  runs  through  the 
Thar  and  Parkar  district  vUt^  Umarkot,  where  there  is  an  office. 
The  postal  line  from  Hyderabad  to  Bombay  viA  Ahmadabad 
also  passes  through  this  district,  and  between  tiie  former  city  and 
the  town  of  Suigaon,  in  the  Baroda  territory,  is  under  the  charge  of 
the  Political  Superintendent  of  the  Thar  and  Parkar,  who  has 
under  him,  for  this  work,  a  mail  superintendent,  2  overseers, 
3  jamadars,  several  munshis  and  others,  besides  52  horses  and 
116  camels.  The  non-disbursing  post-offices  are  situate  at 
Umarkot  and  Nagar  Parkar. 

Ferries.  —  There  are  9  ferries  in  this  district,  all  of  which 
are  situate  on  the  Nara,  but  the  number  of  boats  attached  to  each 
is  not  known.  These  ferries  are  to  be  found  near  the  fol- 
lowing villages,  from  which  they  take  their  name: — i.  Bakar; 
2,  Chotiari;  3,  Mita  Khan's  Tanda;  4,  Juma-ka-gher ;  5,  Khipra; 


uigiiizea  by 


Google 


862 


THAR  AND  PARKAR. 


6,  Sehuji-ka-gher ;   7,  Ghulam  Nabi;  8,  Dilaiyar;  and  9,  Snfi 
Fakir-got 

Dharamsalas. — These  are  to  be  found  at  the  following  towns 
and  villages  in  this  district : — 


I.  Khtpra  .     . 

a.  KhaU    .     . 

3.  Dengan.     . 

4.  Ghulam  Nabt 

5.  SSnghar.     . 

6.  Kandiari  •  . 
T.  Baklr  .  .  , 
8.  Umarkot  .  . 
9    Ramjago  .     . 

10.  Kharoro    .     . 

11.  Darelo  .  .  . 
xa.   Tuda     .     .     « 

13.  Nawakot        • 

14.  Dengan     .     . 

15.  Char    .     •     . 

16.  Chor    .     •     . 

17.  Mini  .  .  . 
x8.  NawaTar.  . 
19.  Khario      .     • 


TalOka. 
.    Khipca 
•     •  do. 
.     .  do. 
Sh.    do. 
.   SSnehar 
.     .    do. 
,     .   du. 
,    Umarkvt 
.     •   do. 

.   do. 
.     •  do. 

.  do. 

.   do. 

.   do. 

.  do. 

.    do. 

.  Mitti^ 

.   do. 

.   do. 


ao.  Vijntaho  . 

ax.  Bugiar  • 

aa.  Borii    .  . 

33.  Borlo  •  • 

34.  Dunia  .  . 
85.  Dipla   .  . 

36.  Baiiari .  . 

37.  Siro      •  . 

38.  Vinj^.  . 

39.  Rahimki  . 

30.  Dhabro  • 

31.  Nagar.  . 
3a.  Kasba  •  . 

33.  BarSno 

34.  Naro  Bet  . 
35-  Gari      .  . 

36.  Dabho.  . 

37.  Pilu      .  . 

38.  MisiishAh. 


Talaka. 

Talfika. 

Mittl 

39^  Baitalah    .    .  Nagar  P. 

do. 

40.  Virlwah    ...  da 

do. 

41.  Chlchra     .     .  CMchta 

do. 

4a.  Chclar  ....  do. 

do. 

43.  Mondra.     ...  do. 

DipU 

44-  Mithrio .     .     .    .  dow 

do. 

4«.  Mitha  Tar  ...  do. 
46.  Tar  Ahmad  Riad.  do. 

do. 

do. 

47.  Chapar  Kelanvari  do. 

do. 

48.  Ke<^    .     .     .     .do. 

do. 

49.  Dahli do. 

'r"- 

50.  Tar  Dos     ,     .     .do. 

51.  Gadrao  ....  do. 

do. 

5a.  Dhakl    ....  do. 

do. 

S3*  Shekhro      ...  do. 

do. 

54-  I>apla    .     .     .     .do. 

do. 

55-  Chanrar      •    •    •  do. 

do. 

56.  Buh do. 

do. 

Antiquities. — ^There  are  the  remains,  it  is  said,  of  several  old 
temples  in  the  Parkar  portion  of  this  district;  one  of  these  is 
a  Jain  temple  14  miles  north-west  of  Virawah,  which  contained 
an  idol  of  great  sanctity  ^and  repute  known  under  the  name 
of  Gorcha.  Near  the  same  town  also  are  the  remains  of  an 
ancient  city  called  Para  Nagar,  covering  quite  6  miles  in  area. 
It  is  reported  to  have  been  founded  by  one  Dharma  Singh,  but 
at  what  period  is  not  known,  and  to  have  been  very  wealthy  and 
populous  ]  its  final  decay  is  presumed  to  have  taken  place  some 
time  during  the  sixteenth  century.  The  remains  of  five  or  six 
Jain  temples  still  exist,  displaying  some  excellent  sculpture  and 
beautifully  executed  designs.  Another  ruined  city  is  Rata-kot, 
situate  on  the  Nara,  south  of  the  town  of  Khipra,  and  distant 
about  20  miles  from  the  village  of  Ranahu.  It  is  supposed  to 
have  remained  in  a  ruinous  condition  during  the  past  500  years, 
and  to  have  been  originally  founded  some  900  years  ago  by 
a  Mogal  named  Rata.  There  are  several  forts  in  different  parts 
of  this  district,  such  as  those  of  Islamkot,  Mitti  and  Singala,  but 
they  are,  comparatively  speaking,  of  modem  erection,  having  been 
built  mostly  during  the  Talpur  dynasty;  they  are  now,  how- 
ever, fast  falling  into  decay,  and  the  materials  are  being  used  for 
building  purposes. 

History. — Less,  perhaps,  is  known  of  the  early  history  of  the 
Thar  and  Parkar  district  than  of  that  of  Sind  proper,  and  it  is 
necessary  to  bear  in  mind  that  it  is  not  many  years  since  the 
desert  portion  and  Parkar  were  under  the  exclusive  administra- 
tion of  the  Political  Agent  in  Kachh.     The  Soda  Rajputs,  the 


uigiiizeu  uy  v-j  v^\_^_x  iv. 


THAR  AND  PARKAR.  863 

upper  class  of  the  district,  and  descended,  it  is  said,  from  one 
Parmar  Soda,  are  supposed  to  have  come  into  this  part  of  Sind 
from  Ujain  about  a.d.  1226,  when  they  quickly  displaced  the 
then  rulers  of  the  country,  but  other  authorities  state  that  they  did 
not  conquer  the  country  from  the  Sumras,  the  dominant  race,  before 
the  beginning  of  the  sixteenth  century.  The  Sodas,  in  their  turn, 
succumbed  to  the  rule  of  the  Kalhoras  about  a.d.  1750,  since 
which  period  this  district  has  more  or  less  been  subject  to  Sind. 
On  the  fall  of  the  Kalhora  dynasty  it  fell  under  the  domina- 
tion of  the  Talpurs,  who  built  a  number  of  forts  in  different 
places  more  effectually  to  overawe  the  population,  who  were 
brave  and  warlike  in  their  habits.  In  the  Mitti  and  Islamkot 
districts  the  Talpurs  are  said  by  Raikes  to  have  levied  as  revenue 
twthfifihs  of  the  produce  of  the  land,  but  no  regular  revenue 
system  was  introduced  till  the  years  1830  and  1835,  ^^^^^  dis- 
turbances at  once  took  place.  The  Mirs  sent  a  large  force  to 
reduce  the  people  to  submission,  and  several  chiefs  were  taken 
prisoners,  who  were  not  released  until  they  had  paid  heavy  fines. 
The  Thar  and  Parkar  was  for  a  long  time  the  head-quarters  of  a 
banditti  who  made  plundering  excursions  into  Kachh  and  other 
neighbouring  districts.  On  the  conquest  of  Smd  by  the  British 
in  1843,  the  inhabitants  of  the  Thar  and  Parkar  evinced  a  desire 
to  be  placed  under  KLachh,  and  with  this  view  the  districts  of 
Baliari,  Dipla,  Mitti,  Islamkot,  Singala,  Virawah,  Pitapur,  Bojasar 
and  Parkar  were  in  1844  made  over  to  that  State.  The  Umarkot, 
Gadra,  and  other  tracts  on  the  NSra  became  a  portion  of  the 
Hyderabad  Collectorate,  or,  rather,  formed  part  of  the  Deputy 
Collectorate  of  Mirpur.  All  emoluments  from  fields  and  rent- 
free  lands  enjoyed  by  Patels,  as  well  as  cesses  on  Hindu  mar- 
riages, were  abolished,  and  the  chiefs  were  further  forbidden  to 
wear  arms.  In  consequence,  it  would  seem,  of  these  prohi- 
bitions, the  district  was  in  1846  represented  to  be  in  open 
rebellion,  but  quiet  was  soon  after  restored,  and  the  Soda  Rajputs, 
who  appear  to  have  been  the  prime  movers  in  this  disturbance 
were  called  upon  by  Government  to  state  their  grievances,  of 
which  the  following  is  a  brief  outline.  They  contended  for  their 
right  of  levying  a  tax  of  26^  rupees  on  every  marriage  among 
the  Krar  Banyas,  and  also  a  fee  of  one  rupee's  worth  of  cloth  for 
enforcing  debts  due  to  that  caste.  They  complained  that  the 
fields  they  formerly  enjoyed  rent  free  were  eidier  reduced  in 
number,  or  taken  away  altogether  from  them,  and  they  main- 
tained that  in  times  of  scarcity  they  were  entitled  to  exemption 
from  all  payment  of  duty  on  opium  and  grain.     They  asserted 

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864  THAR  AND  PARKAIL 

their  right  as  Sodas  to  receive  food  when  travelling  from  Banyas 
without  any  payment,  and  that  this  caste  were  also  bound  to 
supply  them  with  bedsteads  and  coverlets.  They  further  desired, 
as  formerly,  to  be  permitted  to  receive  a  portion  of  the  Umarkot 
customs.  The  Government,  in  reply  to  this  list  of  grievances, 
allowed  the  Sodas,  as  compensation  for  the  fees  derived  by  them 
from  the  Krar  Banyas,  the  annual  interest  at  5  per  cent  on  the 
sum  of  14,000  rupees,  and  also  permitted  several  of  their  tribe 
to  hold  a  certain  number  of  fields  rent  free,  provided  they  under- 
took to  cultivate  them.  They  were  also  granted  a  share  in  the 
Umarkot  customs,  but  the  rest  of  their  demands  were  not  com- 
plied with.  In  1850  the  Umarkot  and  Nara  districts  were  leased 
out  up  to  1854  to  Soda  Zamindars  on  a  light  settlement,  and  at 
the  end  of  that  year  the  then  Commissioner  in  Sind,  Mr.  (now 
Sir  Bartle)  Frere,  introduced  in  the  Thar  a  fixed  assessment  on 
a  ten  years'  lease.  Before  that  time  the  Government  share  was 
fixed  after  an  inspection  of  the  fields  and  an  estimate  made  of 
the  crop.  In  1856  the  desert  portion  of  this  Political  Superin- 
tendency,  together  with  the  Parkar  district,  which  had  been 
administered  by  the  Assistant  Political  Agent  in  Kachh  since 
1844,  was  incorporated  in  the  province  of  Sind  In  1859 
a  rebellion  took  place  in  the  Thar  and  Parkar,  necessitating  the 
despatch  of  a  military  force  under  Colonel  Evans  firom  Hyder- 
'  abad  to  quell  it  This  officer  in  the  month  of  May  of  that  year 
occupied  the  town  of  Nagar  Parkar,  and  captured  the  Rkna, 
driving  back  in  the  following  month  a  large  body  of  Kolis,  who 
had  ventured  to  attack  the  place.  The  Rana  and  his  minister 
were  in  i860  both  tried  for  sedition,  and  convicted,  the  former 
being  sentenced  to  14  years',  and  the  latter  to  10  years'  trans- 
portation. From  that  period  down  to  the  present  the  Political 
Superintendency  of  the  Thar  and  Parkar  has  enjoyed  peace  and 
quietness,  and  a  new  stimulus  has  been  given  to  agricultural 
exertion  in  the  Umarkot  and  Nara  districts  by  the  improvements 
which  during  the  past  twelve  years  have  been  effected  in  the 
Eastern  Nara  by  the  construction  of  the  Mithrau  canal  and  the 
opening  out  of  numerous  branches  and  distributing  channels 
from  both  these  streams.  This  state  of  things  has,  however, 
at  times  been  disturbed  by  the  attacks  of  epidemic  disease  and 
famine,  which  in  some  instances  have  been  very  severely  felt 
This  was  especially  the  case  in  the  year  1869,  when  cholera  of  a 
severe  type  visited  the  Thar  and  Parkar,  occasioning  a  very 
heavy  mortality  among  the  people  of  this  scantily-populated  dis- 
trict;  but,  notwithstanding  these  visitations,  this  portion  of  the 

Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


THARI  MOHBAT---THARU  SHAH,  865 

Province  of  Sind  must  be  considered  to  be  in  a  thriving  con- 
dition, a  fact  which  is  conclusively  borne  out  by  the  gradual 
increase  in  the  yearly  revenue  obtained  by  the  Government 

Thari  Mohbat,  a  Government  village,  formerly  in  the  Tigar, 
now  in  the  Mehar  taluka  of  the  Mehar  Deputy  Collectorate, 
7  miles  east  from  Mehar,  with  which  town  it  has  road  communica- 
tion, as  well  as  with  the  villages  of  Jatial,  Radhan  and  Walu 
Gurir  Dairio  and  Shah  Panjo.  It  is  seated  on  the  Western  Nara, 
which  is  another  means  of  communication  between  it  and  other 
towns  and  villages  situate  on  the  same  stream.  It  is  the  residence 
of  the  Mukbtyarkarof  the  taluka,  and  of  a  Tapadar,  and  besides 
their  deras^  it  has  a  Deputy  Collector's  staging  bangalow,  distant 
about  a  mile  from  the  town,  on  the  right  bank  of  the  Nara ;  lines 
for  14  men  of  the  district  and  foot  rural  police ;  a  musafirkhana, 
cattle-pound^  and  a  Government  vernacular  school.  The  popula- 
tion, numbering  in  all  931,  comprises  636  Musalmans,  and  295 
Hindus.  The  former  are  of  the  Chandia,  Kori,  Nareja  and  Nunari 
tribes,  the  latter  chiefly  Lohanos.  This  town  has  no  manufactures 
or  trade  of  any  consequence. 

Thara  Bhah,  a  Government  village  in  the  Naushahro  taluka  of 
the  Naushahro  Division,  situate  on  the  Naulakhi  canal  ^which  is 
navigable  for  large  boats).  It  is  distant  10  miles  south-west  from 
Kandiaro  and  7  miles  north-west  from  Naushahro,  with  both 
which  towns,  as  also  with  Abji  (9  miles),  Bhorti  (7  miles),  Manjut 
(5  miles),  Darbelo  and  Abad  (10  miles),  and  Bhiria  (6  miles),  it  has 
road  communication.  It  is  worthy  of  mention  that  all  the  roads 
in  and  about  this  village  are  lined  on  both  sides  with  fine  trees. 
It  is  the  head-quarter  station  of  the  Deputy  Collector  of  the 
division  and  of  a  Tapadar,  who  resides  here.  There  are  police 
lines  for  19  men,  a  Deputy  Collector's  bangalow  with  a  fine  garden 
attached  to  it,  well  stocked  with  orange  and  other  fruit-trees ;  a 
hospital  and  dispensary,  with  quarters  for  the  medical  officer  in 
charge,  a  jail,  market,  travellers'  bangalow,  dharamsala  and  an 
Anglo-vernacular  school ;  this  last  is  now  accommodated  in  a 
well-built  brick  bangalow,  previously  erected  for  a  telegraph  office. 
The  town  also  possesses  a  municipality,  established  in  1861,  the 
income  of  which  in  1873-74  was  2194  rupees,  and  the  expenditure 
2185  rupees.  The  population,  numbering  about  2219  persons, 
comprises  654  Musalmans  of  the  Memon  and  Kuri  tribes,  and 
414  Hindus,  chiefly  of  the  Lohano  caste,  the  remaining  1147 
being  of  other  castes,  mostly  Sikhs.  Their  occupation  is  prin- 
cipally trade  and  agriculture. 

This  town  in  1852,  according  to  Lieutenant  Jameson,  had  433 

3  K 

Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


86< 


THUI^UBAURO. 


Muhanimadans  and  1237  HindOSy  with  315  houses  and  106  shops. 
The  principal  manu&cture  of  this  place  consists  in  the  weaving  of 
coarse  country  cloth  ;  cotton  twist  and  goats'  hair  cloth  are  also 
made  here.  Grain  is  largely  exported  by  boats  which  bring  goods 
from  Sukkur,  but  neither  the  quantity  nor  the  value  of  the  trade 
of  this  place  seems  to  be  known. 

The  town  of  Tharu  Shah  is  presumed  to  have  been  built  aboat 
eighty  years  ago  by  a  colony  from  the  old  and  dilapidated  village 
of  Kot  Bahadur,  distant  4  miles.  The  cause  of  this  migration 
from  the  latter  town  is  said  to  have  been  a  quarrel  which  took 
place  between  the  Saiyads  and  Hindus. 

Thai,  a  taluka  (or  sub-division)  of  the  Frontier  District  of 
Upper  Sind,  with  an  area  of  968  square  miles ;  it  has  5  tapas, 
23  villages,  and  a  population  of  34,807  souls.  The  revenue,  im- 
perial and  local,  of  this  subnlivision  during  the  four  years  ending 
1873-74  is  as  follows : — 


Imperial    .     .     . 
Total  rupees   . 

1870-7X. 

X 871-73. 

1879-73. 

X873-74- 

rupees. 
77,052 

2,976 

rupees. 
1.09,632 

3.036 

I  "8^45 
3.024 

rupees. 
92,236 

3.696 

80,028    ,  1,12,668- 

1,21,669 

95,93« 

Thul|  the  chief  town  of  the  taluka  of  that  name,  and  distant 
23  miles  east  from  Jacobabad,  with  which  town,  as  also  with 
Mirpur,  Garhi  Hasan,  and  Tangwani,  it  has  road  communicatioD. 
It  is  the  head-quarters  of  a  Mukhtyarkar  and  Tapadar,  and 
there  is  a  permanent  subordinate  jail,  of  which  the  Mukhtyarkar 
is  ex-officio  superintendent,  and  his  second  Munshi  ex-affido  jailer. 
It  has  also  a  police  chauki,  vernacular  school,  and  cattle  pound, 
but  no  bangalow  for  district  officials.  This  and  a  serai  axe 
building  at  New  Thul,  i  mile  north  of  this  town.  The  trade  of 
the  whole  taluka  passes  through  its  bazar,  but  the  manufiau:ti]res 
of  Thul  are  of  no  special  importance.  The  population  numbers 
in  all  1033,  of  whom  636  are  Hindus  and  407  Musalmans. 

nbanrOy  a  taluka  (or  sub-division)  of  the  Rohri  Deputy  Col> 
lectorate,  formerly  known  under  the  name  of  Daharki,  containing 
an  area  of  450  square  miles,  with  7  tapas,  94  villages,  and  a 
population  of  42,043  souls.  The  revenue,  imperial  and  local, 
of  this  sub-division  during  the  four  years  ending  1873-74  is  ai 
follows : — 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


UBA  URO—  UMARKOT. 


867 


Imperial    .     .     . 

Local   .... 

Total  rupees   . 

1870-71. 

1871-73. 

1872-73. 

1873 -74. 

rupees. 
92,095 

11,208 

rupees. 
96,053 

10,859 

rupees. 
90,913 

11.664 

rupees. 
71,643 

6,480 

1,03,301 

1,06,912 

1,02,577 

78,123 

UbanrOy  a  Government  town  in  the  Rohri  Deputy  Collectorate, 
and  the  head-quarters  of  the  Mukhtyarkar  of  the  taluka  of  the  same 
name,  m  latitude  28°  11'  north,  and  longitude  69°  30'  east  It  is 
distant  about  70  miles  from  Rohri,  and  is  situate  on  the  main  road 
leading  from  that  town  to  Multan.  It  has  road  communication 
with  Rawati,  Kaharki,  Khairpur,  Reti,  Ghundi  and  Wasti  Jiwan 
Shah.  This  town  has  a  MOkhtyarkar's  kutcherry,  a  Tapadar's 
dira^  a  vernacular  school,  travellers'  bangalow,  musafirkhana,  a 
t?idna  with  17  policemen  (mounted  and  foot),  and  a  cattle  pound. 
The  population,  numbering  in  all  2585,  comprises  1614  Hindus  of 
the  Brahman  and  Banya  castes,  and  971  Musalmans  of  many 
tribes,  the  chief  of  which  are  the  Koris,  Muhanas,  Maliks,  Dhars, 
Koreshis,  Dakhans,  DhandQs  and  Mirasis.  The  inhabitants  are 
engaged  mostly  in  trade  and  agriculture.  The  trade  of  the  place 
is  principally  in  grain,  oil,  cotton,  ghi,  &c.  The  chief  person  of 
note  resident  here  is  Jam  Abul  Khair,  who  is  the  Zamindar  of  the 
whole  taluka,  and  the  head  of  the  tribe  of  Dhars,  and  has  one-eighth 
of  the  Government  revenue  of  all  the  villages  in  the  Ubauro  taluka 
excepting  six.  He  has  built  a  large  house  in  this  town,  where  it 
is  known  by  the  name  of  the  *'  Rangmahal."  There  is  an  ancient 
mazjid  here,  said  to  have  been  erected  by  one  Shekh  Muhammad 
so  early  as  h.  960  (a.d.  1552).  The  town  itself  dates  from  a  much 
earlier  period,  having  been  founded,  it  is  supposed,  about  a.d.  987 
by  an  ancestor  of  the  Shekh  Muhammad  previously  mentioned. 
It  is  the  head-quarters  of  the  Dhar  tribe,  who,  about  a.d.  1150, 
are  reported  to  have  come  from  Rfijputana,  and  conquered  from  th^ 
King  of  Aror  tracts  of  land  at  present  forming  portions  of  the 
Ubauro  and  Bahawalpur  districts.  At  that  time  the  Dhars  were 
HindQs,  but  they  afterwards  became  Muhammadans. 

Uxnarkot,  a  taluka  (or  sub-division)  of  the  Thar  and  Parkar 
Political  Superintendency,  having  an  area,  including  the  Chachra 
talQka,  which  is  subordinate  to  it,  of  1107  square  miles,  with 
9  tapas,  23  dehs,  and  a  population  of  64,794  souls.  The  revenue, 
imperial  and  local,  of  this  sub-division  during  the  four  years  ending 
1873-74  is  as  follows  {see  next  page)  : — 

3    K    2 

Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


868 


UMARKOT. 


• 

Imperial    .     .     . 

Local   .... 

Total  rupees  . 

1870-71. 

i87X-7a. 

1872-73. 

i87r74. 

rupees. 
1,22,966 

7.485 

rupees.             rupees.             nipces. 

1,73,431     1,93.097     i,».oS5 
13,329  ,      15,601         9,610 

I. 30.451 

1,86,730  1  2,08.698     1.27.665 

1 

Umarkot,  the  chief  town  in  the  taluka  of  the  same  name  in  the 
Thar  and  Parkar  Political  Superintendency,  in  latitude  25°  19' 
north,  and  longitude  69°  47'  east  It  lies  on  the  confines  of  the 
sand-hills  forming  the  Eastern  desert,  and  a  canal,  known  as  the 
Umarkot  branch,  leading  out  from  the  Eastern  Nara,  now  reaches 
the  town,  tailing  off  into  a  large  tank.  Umarkot  has  direct  road 
communication  with  Hyderabad  viA  Tando  Alahyar  and  Mirpur 
K.has,  and  is  distant  from  this  latter  place  about  48  miles.  Roads 
also  lead  lirom  Umarkot  to  Nawakot,  vi&  Nabisar,  to  Chachra, 
Gadra,  Samaro,  Chor  and  Ghulam  Nabi  Shah.  It  is  the  head- 
quarter station  of  the  Political  Superintendent  of  the  district,  and 
of  the  Mukhtyarkar  of  the  taluka,  and  has  a  police  thana  with  the 
large  force  of  97  men.  There  are  civil  and  criminal  courts,  a 
dispensary,  Government  schools,  telegraph  office,  post  office, 
dharamsala  and  a  cattle  pound.  The  Government  telegraph  line 
passes  through  this  town  on  its  way  from  Hyderabad  to  Disa. 
There  is  also  a  fort  about  500  feet  square,  and  having  formerly  a 
mud  wall  40  feet  high,  with  a  strong  round  tower  at  each  comer, 
and  six  square  towers  at  each  side.  The  usual  garrison  of 
this  fort,  when  in  the  possession  of  the  Talpur  Mirs,  was  400 
men.  At  present  the  principal  Government  buildings  are  situate 
within  this  stronghold.  The  municipality,  established  in  1859, 
had  in  1873-74  an  income  of  9692  rupees;  while  the  expenditure 
in  the  same  year  did  not  exceed  7523  rupees.  The  inhabitants, 
numbering  in  all  3999,  comprise  3354  Hindus  of  the  Brahman, 
Lohano,  and  other  castes,  499  Muhammadans,  principally  Khosas 
and  Khaskelis,  the  remaining  146  belonging  to  other  classes. 
Their  chief  employments  are  agriculture  and  cattle-breeding. 
The  HindQs  devote  their  attention  also  to  trade,  several  of  the 
Umarkot  merchants  being  wealthy  men.  Among  these  the  chief 
is  one  Dyaram  Naryandas,  whose  business  transactions  are  said 
to  be  very  extensive.  The  local  trade  of  Umarkot  is  in  grain, 
ghi,  camels,  cattle  and  tobacco ;  and  the  transit  trade,  which  in- 
cludes among  other  articles,  cotton,  metals,  dyes,  dried  fruits, 
ghi,  grain,  oil,  piece-goods,  wool  and  tobacco,  is  very  probably 


Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


UNARPUR—VIKIA   SANGHL  869 

large,  but  of  the  quantity  and  value  of  either  nothing  appears  to 
be  known.  The  manufactures  seem  to  be  confined  to  the  making 
of  camel  covers  (or  naths)  and  coarse  cloths  generally. 

The  town  of  Umarkot  is  said  to  have  been  founded  by  one 
Umar,  a  chief  of  the  Sumra  tribe,  but  at  what  date  is  not  known. 
The  place  was  evidently  one  of  some  importance,  from  the  fact 
of  its  lying  on  the  high  road  to  Sind  from  the  eastward.  Here, 
in  October  1542,  was  bom  Akbar,  the  son  of  Huma3ain,  the  exiled 
emperor  of  Hindustan,  then  on  his  way  to  Sind.  The  presumed 
place  of  Akbar's  birth  is  marked  by  a,  stone  slab,  on  which  the 
event  is  inscribed.  It  was  through  this  town  that  Akbar,  when 
emperor,  marched  in  a.d.  1591  to  conquer  Sind — ^an  expedition 
which,  as  history  relates,  was  successful.  In  the  year  1813^ 
Umarkot  was  captured  by  the  Talpur  Mirs  from  the  Raja  of 
Jodhpur,  in  whose  possession  it  had  remained  for  some  time,  and 
afler  their  downfall  in  1843  it  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  British. 

Unarpor^  a  village  in  the  Kotri  taluka  of  the  Sehwan  Deputy 
Collectorate,  in  latitude  25°  38'  north,  and  longitude  68°  20'  east 
It  is  situate  close  to  the  western  bank  of  the  Indus,  and  is  on  the 
trunk  road  leading  from  Kotri  to  Sehwan,  being  30  miles  north 
from  the  former  town.  A  portion  of  the  road  between  Unarpur 
and  Petaro  was  washed  away  in  1869.  It  is  the  head-quarter 
station  of  a  Tapadar,  and  has  a  school,  dharamsala  and  a  small 
police  post  The  inhabitants,  numbering  1633,  comprise  1281 
Musalmans  of  the  Shora  tribe,  and  352  Hindus  of  the  Lohano 
caste.  Their  occupation  is  mostly  agricultural  This  place  does 
not,  it  would  seem,  possess  any  manufactures  of  consequence, 
but  there  is  a  small  local  trade  in  grain,  ghi  and  oil  Kafilas, 
with  various  commodities  from  Kandahar  and  Kelat,  pass  through 
this  village  en  route  for  South  Sind. 

Vazirabad,  a  Government  village  in  the  Sukkur  taluka  of  the 
Sukkur  and  Shikarpur  Division,  distant  8  miles  west  of  Shikarpur. 
No  roads  lead  to  or  from  this  place.  The  population,  numbering 
in  all  851  souls,  is  made  up  of  604  Musalmans  of  the  Mahar 
tribe,  and  247  Hindus,  whose  occupations  are  chiefly  trade  and 
agriculture. 

Vikia  Sanghi,  a  Government  village  in  the  Larkana  taluka 
of  the  Larkana  Division,  distant  9  miles  north  from  Larkana. 
No  roads  lead  to  or  from  this  place,  and  it  possesses  only  a 
cattle  pound.  The  inhabitants,  numbering  892  in  all,  com- 
prise 763  Musalmans  of  the  Sanghi  tribe,  and  129  Hindus 
of  the  Bhupra  caste.  The  chief  employment  of  the  people  is 
agriculture. 

Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


870  VIRAWAff—WALID. 

Virawahy  a  Govenunent  village  in  the  Nagar  taluka  of  the 
Thar  and  Parkar  Political  Supehntendency,  situate  106  miles 
from  Umarkot  and  15  from  Nagar  Parkar,  with  which  latter  town, 
as  also  with  Islamkot,  Chachra,  Haro  and  San  Mukhai,  it  has  road 
communication.     It  is  the  head-quarter  station  of  a  Tapadar,  and 
has  a  police  post  with  9  men,  and  there  are  besides  a  GoYemment 
school,  dharamsala  and  a  cattle  pound     The  place  also  possesses 
a  municipaUty,  the  receipts  in  1873-74  being  591  rupees,  and  the 
expenditure  683  rupees.     The  population,  numbering  1 126  in  all, 
comprises  167  Musalmans,  chiefly  Kumbhars,  and  950  Hindus  of 
the  Lohano  and  Oswar  castes.    The  occupations  of  the  inhabitants 
are  agriculture  and  trade.     The  trade,  both  local  and  transit,  is 
unimportant,  and  the  only  manufacture  seems  to  be  in  knives. 

Wagan,  a  Government  village  in  the  Nasirabad  taluka  of  the 
Mehar  Deputy  Collectorate,  25  miles  north-west  of  Mehar,  with 
which  town,  as  also  with  Larkana,  Warah,  Nasirabad  and  Kambar, 
it  has  road  communication.  It  is  the  head-quarter  station  of  a 
Tapadar,  and  besides  possessing  pohce  lines  for  two  constables,  has 
a  Government  vernacular  school,  travellers*  bangalow,  musafirk- 
hana  and  a  cattle  pound.  The  inhabitants,  numbering  in  all  960, 
of  whom  560  are  Musalmans  and  400  Hindus,  are  chiefly  given  to 
agriculture.  The  local  and  transit  trade  is  mostly  in  rice,  but  to 
what  extent  is  not  known.  There  are  no  manufactures  of  any 
importance.  This  place  is  said  to  have  been  founded  by  Nor 
Muhanunad  Kalhora  about  200  years  ago. 

Walidy  a  Government  village  in  the  Larkana  taluka  of  the 
Larkana  Division,  2  miles  north-north-west  from  Larkana,  near 
the  Ghar  canal  The  population,  in  number  969,  consists  of  739 
Musalmans  of  the  Kalhora  tribe,  and  230  Hindus.  Their  chief 
employments  are  agriculture  and  trade. 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


APPENDIX  I. 


871 


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APPENDIX  J. 


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APPENDIX  I. 


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878 


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APPENDIX  IV. 


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Appendix  V. 


An  Explanato&t  Vocabuulrt  of  Vernacular  Words,  some  op  them 
being  of  frequent  use  in  the  province  of  sind. 


Abad  .... 
Abadi  .... 
Abkalani     .     .     . 

Abkari  .... 

Abwib  .... 
Adalat  .... 
Adamdakhla  .  . 
Adam-sailab     .     . 

Adfaaon      .     .     . 

Adhawa      .     .     • 

Adhelo  .... 
Adrak  .... 
Afim  .... 
Aghotri. 

Ahalkar  (or  Ahilkar 
Ahur      •     •     .     . 
Ait 

Aitia      .... 

Ajrak     .... 

Ak 

Akhar  .... 
Amal  .... 
Amanat  .  .  . 
Amani  .... 
Amil      .... 

Amin  .... 
Amla     .... 

Anagi  .... 
Ang  .... 
Ang^ri  .... 

Anjam-namo    .     . 


Popnloiis ;  cultivated. 

Cultivation. 

An  establishment  provided  yearlj  to  look  after 

canals  and  bandhs  dnring  the  inundation  of 

the  river  Indus. 
The  excise  or  revenue  derived  from  the  manufac- 

ture  of  spirituous  liquors. 
A  fee  or  due  ;  extra  cess, 
literally  means  justice ;  a  court  of  justice, 
literallv  non-entry ;  transfer  entries. 
Applied  to  lands  watered  by  floods  to  which 

water  has  not  reached. 
Late  spring  crop  grown  between  the  labi  anl 

khanf,  or  kharif  and  rabi  seasons. 
Name  for  a  cultivating  season  in  some  parts  of 

Sind,  extending  from  April  to  August 
Half  a  pice. 
Green  ginger. 
Opium. 

A  tariff;  a  price  current 
A  writer ;  a  cleric 
Oil  seed,  mustard  {Sina^  ramasa). 
Literally  a  spinning  wheel    In  North  Siad  t 

double  Persian  wheeL 
A    rich   alluvial   soil   constantly  under   tiOage 

(Cen.  Sind). 
A  kind  of  shawl  worn  over  the  head  or  shoolden 

by  Musalmans. 
A  camel-fodder  plant  (the  Calatropis  HamiUm^ 
Month  of  June. 

Opium  ;  also  rule,  government. 
Deposit ;  arbitration. 
On  trust 
A    writer   and   keeper   of  accounts    on  public 

business ;  now  applied   generally    to    a  sab- 
division  of  the  Lohkno  caste,  who  are  employed 

as  Government  clerks,  &c 
An  arbitrator ;  a  dasser  of  fidds  in  the  Settk- 

ment  Department 
Litendly  a  crowd,  retinue ;  but  applied  to  the 

collective  subordinate  native   omcers  of  toy 

office. 
An  allowance. 
A  numeral ;  A  figure 
A  kind  of  destructive  weed  growing  in  graia 

fields ;  also  the  soil  in  which  it  springs  np. 

Smut  or  blackness  found  in  ripening  com. 
A  deed  of  agreement 


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APPENDIX  V. 


883 


Ano 

An   anna;  also  a   i6th  part   of  any  measure, 

weight,  && 
Cultivation  of  musk  and  water-melons. 

Aran 

Araro 

The  ploughing  of  wet  land  for  rice  crops  after  it 

has  been  flooded  with  water. 

Arba 

Wednesday. 

Arbab 

A  great  land-owner ;  a  head  man. 

Are  (or  Aral)    .... 

A  petition. 

Asa 

The  month  of  September. 

Athsatho 

A    paper    formerly  compiled    to    assist  in    the 

preparation  of  the  "jama  bandi,"  or  revenue 

returns  for  the  year. 

Awal 

First;  paramount 

Bab 

An  item;  chapter;  head  or  subject  matter. 

Babar  (or  Babur)   .     .     . 

The  Sindi    name    for    the    Babul  tree   (Acacia 

Arabica), 
A  small  stone  boundary  mark  to  show  the  direc- 

Bachro  

tion  of  the  boundary  line. 

Badgir 

Literally     wind-catcher,     used    for    ventilating 

purposes. 

Bado 

The  month  of  August. 

Bagh 

A  garden. 

Baghat  

Garden  land. 

Baeicho 

A  small  garden. 

Bahan    

A  timber  tree  (the  Populus  mphratka). 

Bainamo 

A  deed  or  certificate  of  sale. 

Bairagi 

Bajhn(orBajri)     .     .     . 
Baka^ 

A  religious  ascetic 

A  gram  (the  Holcus  spicatus), 
BaUnce  of  revenue  arrears 

Baki 

Remainder. 

Bakir 

A  declivity. 

Baleshahi 

A  scavenger ;  the  caste  that  performs  the  menial 

offices  of  sweepers. 

Bandar 

A  port ;  harbour ;  landing  place. 

Bandh  (or  Bund)    .     .     . 

An  earthen  embankment. 

Bandharo    

A  well-buUder. 

Bandho 

A  weir  for  catching  fish  ;   lump  of  earth  which 

closes  the  passage  for  water  into  a  bed  in  a 
field. 
A  small  account  book ;  a  prisoner. 

Band! 

Bandobast 

An  arrangement ;  a  settlement 

Bani 

A  field  ;  a  crop ;  a  farm. 

Barani 

Lands  cultivated  on  rainiiedl,  or  crops  produced 

by  rain. 

Bari 

A  river  creek- 

Baro 

A  bed  in  a  field  made  for  purposes  of  irrigation. 

Batai 

Share  of  crops,  usually  one-third  of  the  gross  out- 

turn.   This  used  to  be  the  Government  share 

when  the  revenue  was  collected  in  kind. 

Bataidar 

One  who  measures  the  Government  share  of  grain. 

Batelo 

A  flat-bottomed  boat ;  a  small  cutter. 

Bati 

A  distillery ;  a  large  furnace. 

Bazar 

A  market 

Be^ri 

Forced  labour. 

Beghu    

Behadi   

A  place  where  two  nalas  meet 

A  pair  of  water-wheels,  one  of  which  from  below 

supplies  water  for  the  other. 

3    L    2 

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884 


APPENDIX  V. 


Bel An  iron  instrument  used  in  cleaning  out  welk 

Beldar One  who  works  with  a  "  bel ; "  a  clearer  out  of 

canals. 

Bclo       ......  A  forest ;  a  wood. 

Beri A  boat ;  fetters ;  handcufil 

Bet An  island  in  a  river. 

Bewaris Without  an  heir. 

Bewaris-mal      ....  Intestate  property. 

Bhagio A  cattle  owner ;  a  man  of  means. 

Bhaiwar A  partner. 

Bhaiwari <  Partnership. 


Bhal 

Bhan 
Bhan 
Bhang 


Bhangho     . 
Bhar       .     . 
Bhit.     .     .     , 
Biga  (or  Bigo) 


Bigoti    . 
Bijarani 


Bilmukti 
Bindi  . 
Bol  .  . 
Bosi 


Bulani 

Bur,  Buri  (or  Buiini) . 


But 


Chabutro 
Chahi    . 


Chahi 

Chaho 
Chak 


Chakar.     . 
Chakbandi 
Chakr    .     . 
Chilan  .     , 


Cluaiho 


Ghana  (or  Chano) 
Chanihi  (or  Chaniho) 


Chanwar 


Land  in  the  Indus  delta  left  by  the  river  in  which 

rice  is  generally  sown. 
A  large  kind  of  fish-net. 
Cattle-pen;  manure. 
Hemp  {Cannabis  sativa)  from  which  an  intoucat- 

in^  drink  is  made. 
Portion  of  a  district,  field,  or  the  like. 
A  tree  (the  Ficus  Indica,) 
A  sand-hilL 
A  land  measure  nearly  half  an  acre  in  extent  and 

containing  22,500  square  feet 
According  to  measurement  by  bigtu ;  rereniie 

assessed  at  so  much  per  Irigo, 
A  nurseiy  bed  prepared  for  rice  cultivation  in  the 

Indus  Delta. 
In  a  lump  sum. 
Sailab  islands  in  a  river. 
An  oral  agreement. 
LAud  flooded  in  autumn  for  cultivatian  in  spring ; 

also  the  crop  so  raised. 
A  porpoise. 
The  pollen  from  the /ana  prepared  as  a  dish,  and 

eaten. 
A  stiff  clay  soil  uncultivable  with  native  imple- 
ments of  agriculture  (Cen.  Sind). 

A  custom  house ;  a  police  office. 
A  small  well  used  for  cultivation ;  well  cultiva- 
tion. 
A  staked  dam  or  fence  fixed  across,  or  for  the 

support  of  the  banks. 
A  water  melon. 
Settlement    map   of  a    "deh,"    or  viUage;  a 

circular  shield  sunk  in  well-digging. 
A  servant. 

The  fixing  of  village  boundaries. 
A  potter's  wheel. 
A  letter  of  advice ;  letter  of  commitment  seat 

with  a  prisoner  by  the  police. 
Forty  days  of  either  summer  or  winter,  when  the 

heat  or  cold  is  supposed  to  be  at  its  greatest 
Gram  {Cker  arittinum), 
A  kind  of  mineral  alkali,  or  alkaline  earth  used 

by  washermen    and    in    the  manufacture  of 

pottery. 
A  grain  of  rice  cleansed  from  the  husk ;  eight  of 

which  make  a  rati^  or  jewellers*  weight 


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APPENDIX  V. 


885 


Chaprasi 

A  messenger,  or  other  servant  wearing  a  chaprds. 

or  breast-plate. 

Charas 

The    resinous    exudation    of  'the    hemp    plant, 

possessing  strong  intoxicating  powers. 
A  boundary  line  or' trench. 

A  large  water-wheel  worked  by  a  camel  or  two 

Chari  (or  Charo)    .      .      . 

Charkhi 

Charkho 

bullocks. 

Charkh  Shumari    .     .     . 

Literally  "  wheel-counting.*'    The  name  given  to 

the  book  in  which  a  register  is  kept  of  wheels, 
or  of   lands  cultivated  each  season  in  each 

**  deh  "  or  village. 

Chaudhri 

The  head  man  in  a  trade  or  profession,  or  of  a 

body  of  merchants,  or  of  a  bazar,  whose  duties 

are  those  of  a  policeman  in  charge. 

Chauki 

A  police  or  toll  station. 

Chaukidar 

A  watchman  ;  a  police  or  customs  peon. 

A  pulse  (the  Dolkkos  sinensis), 

A  kind  of  vetch  (the  Dolickos  biflorus) ;  a  domed 

Chauli 

Chaunro 

building  made  of  brushwood  and  thatched  with 
grass,  the  ordinary  dwellings  of  the  people  in 

the  Thar  and  Parkar  district. 

Chauri 

A  station  house  ;  a  Tapadar's  office  or  station. 

Chauthai 

One-fourth  of  a/a//,  or  the  one-sixteenth  of  a  tcya. 

Chauthun 

(Adj.)  Fourth. 

Chawara 

A    maritime  plant  growing  in  the  Delta  (the 

Ogecercu  majtis). 

Chelo 

A  pupil  or  disciple  generally  of  a  fakir  or  other 
religious  mendicant 

Chct 

The  month  of  March. 

Chhab 

A  weir  (temporary). 

Chhabrati 

A  soil  in  which  chkabar  grass  [Cynodon  dactylon) 

is  found. 

Chhadya 

A  basket  used  for  winnowing  grain. 

Chhan    

A  depression  in  land ;   a  low  spot  of  land  on 

which  grass  has  sprung  up. 

Chhapar 

A  thatched  roof ;  a  range  of  hills. 

Chhar 

Expanse  of  water ;  water  spread  over  a  country 

sifter  a  rain  or  flood. 

Chhat 

Crops  sown  broadcast. 

Chichro 

A  sugar  cane  mill  or  press. 

Chikan 

A  wet  soil  found  in  marshy  lands. 

Chiki 

A  kind  of  clayey  earth  used  in  the  manufacture  of 

pottery ;  a  description  of  soil  well  adapted  for 

purposes  of  cultivation. 
Sulphate  of  lime  or  gypsum. 

Chiroli 

Chitti 

A  note  ;  a  letter. 

Chitto 

A  panther  or  leopard. 

Chobdar 

A  mace-bearer. 

Choli 

A  kind  of  spencer  or  bodice  worn  by  women. 

Choth 

One-quarter  share  of  produce  payable  by  Jagir- 

dars  to  Government. 

Chuhuro,  or  Chohro  .     . 

A  sweeper. 

Chuna 

lime. 

Chungi 

A  tax  on  articles  brought  for  consumption  ;  octroi ; 

a  handful  of  grain  levied  by  the  head  man  for 

distribution  among  mendicants  zxA  fakirs. 

Chuni 

A  ploughshare ;  a  horizontal  piece  of  wood  fixed  in 

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886 


APPENDIX   V. 


the  body  of  a  plough  to  which  the  plon^isliaie 

is  attached. 

Chuno 

The  nnder  skin  of  rice  taken  off  the  cJkanwar  by 

pounding. 

Dabh 

A  kind  of  grass  (the  Pda  cynoturoides), 
A  mounted  head  c<H>stable. 

Daiedar 

Daftar 

Office  records  ;  the  place  where  such  are  kept. 

Daftard2r 

A  collector's  auditor  of  native    accounts;    his 

native  personal  assistant 

Dai 

A  wet-nuise  ;  a  midwife. 

Dakhla 

A  register  ;  a  permit  or  certificate  of  dnties  paid. 

Dal 

Coarsely  ground  pulse. 

Dalai 

A  broker ;  a  salesman. 

DalaU 

Brokerage. 

Daman 

Shallow  soiL 

Dambhro 

A  large  fish  found  in  the  Indus  (the  Laheo  rokHa), 

Damn 

A  nominal  coin  of  the  value  of  i6  kauris;  the 

eighth  part  of  a  pice. 

Dan 

Tribute ;  contribution  to  a  holy  man  by  his  dis- 

ciples ;  money  given  to  a  fakir;  the  fixed  pay 

or  fee  of  9^  fakir. 

Dan 

Danbandi 

A  gift ;  a  grant 

A  form  of  land-tax  which  used  to  be  levied  by  a 

fixed  assessment  on  the  standing  crop ;  it  ap- 

plied generally  to  fields,  which  would  not  bear 

• 

the  expense  of  Kardwas^  or  watchmen. 

Dand 

A  fine ;  punishment 

Dandari.     .     .     »     .     . 

A  large  rake  drawn  bv  bullocks,  and  used  in 

irrigational  purposes. 

Danto  (or  Datro)  .     .     . 

A  sickle. 

Darbar  ...... 

A  court ;  hall  of  audience  ;  a  levee. 

Dargah 

A  palace  ;  a  shrine. 

Daria  (or  Darya)    .     .     . 

The  River  Indus  ;  a  river ;  the  sea. 

Daria-baramadi      .     .     . 

Land  thrown  up  by  the  river. 

Daria-bardi      .... 

lAnd  eroded  suddenly  in  large  masses. 

Land  gradually  eroded  by  the  river,   or  other 

Daria-khurdi    .... 

ninmng  water. 

Darkhast 

An  application. 

Darogo 

A  kind  of  religions  fair  or  meeting. 

Darsan  ...... 

Dasar  (or  Gasar)    .     .     . 

good  in  a  productive  point  of  view. 
A  Hindu  festival  celebrated  on  the  day  of  the  new 

Deari 

moon  of  the  month  Asu. 

Deh 

A  village  with  the  lands  belonging  to  it 

Place  of  residence,  used  in  some  cases  for  office ; 

Dero 

a  Zenana,  and  generally  the  females  of  a  family. 

Dewal 

A  temple. 

A  cattle-pound. 

A  small  Persian  wheel  used  for  raH  cultivation. 

Dhak 

Dhako 

Dhal 

Land  revenue ;  tax ;  rent ;  Government  assessment 

on  land. 

Dhandh       

Water  left  after  floods ;  a  marsh;  a  lake. 

Dharam.     .     •     •     •     . 

Charity;  alms;  religious  duty. 

Dbaramsala      .     .     •     . 

A  plaice  built  for   charitable   purposes,   as  for 
travellers  to  put  up  in ;  a  rest-house.- 

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APPENDIX   V. 


887 


Dharo  .... 
Dhedh  .... 
Dhoro    .... 

Dhoti  (or  Dhotiyo) 

Diwin   .... 

Dofasli  .... 
Dokar    .     .     .     . 

Dol 

Doli 

Drib 

Duasto  .... 
Dumbo  .... 
Dundi  (or  Dundo) . 

Eksalo  .... 

Faisalnamo.  .  . 
Faislo  .... 
Fakir  .  .  .  . 
Farash  .... 

Farasi  .... 
Fasal  .... 
Fatwa    .... 

Faujdar  .  .  . 
FazU      .... 

Gajar  '.  .  .  . 
Gamb  .... 
Gandho .     .     .     . 

Ganj      .... 

Ganjo  .... 
Gasar  .... 
Gasari    .... 

Gehu  .... 
Ghair-abSd .  •  . 
Ghair-maurasi  .     . 

Ghano  .... 
Gharial  .... 

Gharo  .... 
Ghero  .... 
Gidro     .... 

Gih 

Goin  .... 
Got 


Plunder ;  dacoity. 

Name  of  a  caste  who  work  in  leather. 

A    natural  water-course  ;    a  depression  in    the 

ground  where  water  lodges. 
A  cloth  worn  round  the  waist  passing  between 

the  legs  and  fastened  behind. 
Title  of  courtesy  given  to  high  Hindu  of&cials ; 

the  head  of  an  office. 
Land  cropped  twice  in  one  year. 
A  pice. 

A  bucket  or  vessel  for  drawing  water. 
A  kind  of  sedan,  or  palanquin. 
An  uncultivable  sandy  waste. 
A  kind  of  country  liquor  (spirituous). 
A  breed  of  sheep  in  Sind  with  large  fat  tails. 
A  flat-bottomed  cargo  boat  used  on  the  Indus. 


Literally, 
leases. 


'  for  one  year,"    applied  to  one  year 


A  judgment  drawn  up  on  paper. 

Judgment ;  decision  ;  verdict ;  award. 

A  Muhammadan  mendicant. 

A  servant  whose  business  it  is  to  spread  and 

sweep  the  mats,  carpets,  &c. 
A  cotton  carpet. 
A  crop ;  harvest. 
The  sentence  or  decision  of  a  Muhammadan  law 

officer. 
A  town  inspector  of  police. 
Over-collection;  surplus. 

A  carrot  (the  Daueus  carata). 

A  clayey  sort  of  soil  used  for  building  purposes. 

A  land  measure  of  ^^  feet ;  a  piece  of  land  left 

undug  in  the  mouth  of  a  canal  to  keep  out 

water  till  the  excavation  is  completed;  a  ayke. 
A  heap  ;  a  stack ;  also  a  market  in  certain  towns, 

such  as  Ford-Ganj  in  Larkana,  Cowper-Ganj 

in  Rohri,  and  Steuart-Ganj  in  Shikarpur. 
The  hemp-plant  (Cannabis  sath/a), 
(See  Dasar.) 
An  alluvial  soil  deposited  by  the  river  Indus, 

suited  for  wheat  cultivation. 
Wheat. 

Devoid  of  cultivation  ;  uninhabited. 
A  kind  of  land  tenure,  in  which  the  tenant  has  no 

hereditary  right  in  the  soil  he  cultivates. 
An  oil-mill  or  press. 
An  alligator  of  the  long-snouted  kind,  found  in 

the  Indus. 
A  creek ;  a  natural  water-channel ;  a  backwater. 
Enclosing ;  surrounding. 
A  musk  melon. 
Clarified  butter ;  ghi. 
A  kind  of  deer  met  with  in  Upper  Sind. 
A  town  or  village.    (See  Deh.) 


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888 


APPENDIX   V. 


Gunto 

A  land  measure ;  the  fortieth  pait  of  an  acre. 

Gur 

Molasses;  inspissated  juice  of  the  sugar-cane; 

treacle. 
Wild  ass,  found  in  and  about  the  Rann  of  Kachh. 

Gurkhar 

Guru 

A  spiritual  guide  or  teacher. 

Gutewalo 

A  contractor. 

Gttto 

A  contract 

Hadbast 

Settlement  of  field  and  village  boondaiies. 

Hadd 

Boundary;  limit;  termination. 

Hak 

Right ;  due;  just  claim. 

Hakim 

A  ruler  ;  a  governor. 

Hakkaba 

A  tax  on  water  for  irrigation. 

Hal 

A  plough. 

Halalkhor 

A  sweeper ;  a  scavenger. 

Haphto 

A  week. 

Ha? 

A  plough. 

Hari 

A  ploughman ;  a  cultivator. 

Hat 

A  shop. 

Hath 

The  hand;  a  cubit 

Hijri 

The  date  of  the  flight  to  Medina. 

Hiscdar 

A  partner ;  a  sharer. 

A  kind  of  vegetable ;  the  seed  of  the  plant  fenn- 

Hurbo 

greek. 

Huri 

A  tree  plantation  or  reserve. 

A  Persian  water-wheel  worked  by  one  buUock, 

Hurlo 

and  capable  of  irrigating  Irom  four  to  five  acres 
Head-quarters. 

Huxur 

Id 

A  festival  among  the  Mnhammadans. 

fdgah 

The  place  where  festivals  are  performed. 

Duties  levied  on  imported  and  exported  goods ;  a 

Ijara 

land-tax. 

Ijardar 

A  contractor,  or  fiumer  of  taxes. 

Ikiamamo 

Inam 

Donation ;  gift ;  reward ;  alienated  land. 

Inamdlr 

The  holder  of  an  inam. 

Irsalara 

Letter  of  advice  sent  with  money  to  a  treasury. 

Ishkar 

A  low  shrub  used  for  dyeing  purposes. 

Ishtihar,  or  Istihir.     .     . 

Notification ;  proclamation* 

Itlanamo 

A  letter  of  advice. 

Tsahar 

A  deposition ;  a  statement 

Jfigir      ...... 

A  erant  of  land  on  a  service  tenure ;  an  estate. 
A  holder  of  free  land  on  service  tenure. 

'agirdar 

faithun 

A  dod  crusher. 

Jajik 

A  musician;  a  dass  of  Hindus  who  beat   the 

dtaaara^  or  drum,  and  perform  other  offices  in 
connection  with  the  Brahman  at   maniages^ 

deaths,  &c. 

Jak 

A  fence  built  to  prevent  water  firom  destroying 

canal  banks. 

ami 

Total  revenue,  reodpts,  and  credits. 

amabondi 

Annual  record  of  land  revenue  settlement 

amadSr 

A  chief  consUble,  a  head  man  over  workmen. 

ama-kharch     .... 

Recdpts  and  disboisements. 

Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


APPENDIX   V. 


889 


Tama-wasiil            .     .     .. 

Abstract  of  collections  and  disbursements. 

ambho 

An  oil-seed  (the  Eruca  sativa). 

Janam-patri            ... 
,  anio 

A  horoscope. 

The  sacred  Brahmanical  thread. 

at 

A  Musalman  Sindi  peasant ;  a  camel-driver. 

atra 

A  pilgrimage. 

.  au 

Barley  (the  Hordeum  hexastichon). 

et 

Month  of  May. 

^  hampti 

A  state  barge,  as  used  by  the  Mlrs  of  Sind. 

[hangal  shikafi .... 

Cutting  of  trees  and  brushwood  on  canal  banks. 

Jhau 

Jinsa 

The  tamarisk  {T,  OrierUalis). 

Sort ;  kind ;  species. 

fircb 

A  land  measure  equal  to  about  half  an  acre. 

or 

Total  sum. 

Juar 

A  grain  ;  Indian  millet  [Sorghum  vulgar^. 

,  umo 

Friday. 

Kabalo 

A  deed ;  a  title  deed. 

Kabuli 

Applied  to  Government  fields  taken  up  for  cul- 

tivation. 

Kabuliat 

A  deed  of  agreement ;  commonly  an  agreement 

to  take  up  a  field. 

Kachahri 

Commonly  pronounced  as  Kacheri ;  office ;  court 

of  justice. 

KachhKaian  .... 

To  measure  land. 

Kacho 

Literally  unripe,  raw;  alluvial  land  thrown  up  by 

the  river  Indus. 

Kadim 

Old;  ancient. 

Kaid 

Imprisonment;  captivity. 

Kaidi 

A  prisoner. 
Information ;  report 

Kaifiat 

Kal 

A  kind  of  grass  or  rush  growing  in  marshy  ground. 

Kalal 

A  distiller,  a  publican* 

Kalam 

A  pen;  a  slip  or  young  plant ;  a   paragraph;  a 

section. 

Kalar 

Salt  land. 

KalarThait      .... 

A  very  salty  soil  (Upper  Sind). 

Kalrati 

A  soil  impregnated  with  salt 

The  sugar-cane. 

Kamdar 

Kandi 

A  thorn  bush. 

Kantho 

A  border;  bank;  shore;  the  land  adjacent  to  the 

edge  of  the  Rann  df  Kachh. 

Kaiar 

A  watchman  of  grain  or  fie)  ds. 

Karawo 

Karazdar 

A  debtor. 

Karba 

Straw  or  stalk  oijudr  and  bajru 

lUrdar 

A  native  revenue  and  judicial  officer  (see  Mtikh- 

Kardari 

tyarkar). 
A  kardar's  court  or  office. 

Karelo 

A  vegetable  (the  Momordica  charantia). 

Kario 

A  narrow  water-course. 

Kasar 

A  saving;  a  gain. 

Kashtgar 

A  zamindar  ;  a  cultivator.                   .     . 

Kasi 

A  small  cut  from  a  branch  canal ;  a  drain ;  a 

water-course. 

KlLsid 

A  runner ;  a  messenger. 

Kaso 

One-sixtieth  part  of  a  kharwar  (a  diy  measure). 

Digitized  by  VjOOQ IC 


890 


APPENDIX   V. 


KaU 


Kaub     .  . 
Kaimtal 

Kizi      .  . 

Keti.     .  . 
Khahuri 

Khairat.  . 
Khairatdar. 


Khajar  . 
Khaksi. 
Khalso  . 

Khamosh 

KhSmrio 
Khan     . 


Khan     ...... 

Khan-bahador,  Khin-saheb 


Khando 
Khapir  . 
Khar     . 


Khaia-chaniha . 
Kharabo 
Kharch.     .     . 
Kharif  .     .     . 
Kharo    .     .     . 


Kharwir  (or  Kharar) 
Khas     .... 


Khasro  . 
Khatedar 


Khati 
Khato 
Khan 


Khadnchi 
Khazano 
Khenju  . 
Khesi  . 
Khet  . 
Khot  . 
Khiihado 


Kin. 


Kip 


The  antumn  crop ;  name  of  a  month,  part  October 
and  pait  November. 

Akxnd  of  grass  from  which  roofing  mats  are  made 

A  ferry  b(»t  ' 

A  Mnhammadan  law  officer. 

An  island  in  a  river. 

A  dry  crumbling  kind  of  soil. 

Alms;  charity. 

One  to  whom  land,  portion  of  produce,  or  cash 
allowance  is  given  for  charitable  purposes.. 

Barren  land ;  sterile  soiL 

A  lascar. 

Land  paying  assessment  to  Government;  opposed 
to  alienated  land. 

A  nursery  bed  prepared  for  rice  cultivation  in  the 
Indus  Delta. 

A  canal  digger. 

A  reed  grass  from  which  rough  mats  for  canal 
banks  are  made. 

A  mine  ;  pit:  quarry. 

Titles  usually  conferred  on  Muhammadan  or 
Parsi  officers  of  certain  standing,  in  considera- 
tion of  their  official  position. 

A  ledger;  a  head  in  a  ledger. 

A  kind  of  venomous  snake  (the  Scytab  fyzi>nala). 

Alkali;  potash  ;  the  name  for  a  salt-water  lake  in 
the  Delta,  which  dries  up  quiddy. 

Soda. 

Unassessed  waste ;  literally  ''bad  land.'* 

Expense  ;  expenditure  ;  consumption. 

Autumnal  crops. 

A  place  where  grain  is  collected  in  the  fields  after 
harvest  for  division. 

A  measure  of  grain,  varying  from  1680  to  1840  lbs. 

A  crop  in  which  no  grain  forms  on  the  stalk ; 
seedless;  fruitless. 

Fieldbook  of  land  measurement,  or  record  of 
crop-measurement ;  a  rent-roll. 

A  person  having  a  separate  heading  to  himself  in 
me  Tapadar's  ledger  ;  the  owner  of  a  separate 
estate  or  field. 

Canal  clearance. 

A  ledger ;  a  head  in  a  ledger. 

A  smsdl  timber  tree  (the  OUa  cuspidata)  only  found 
in  the  hills  ;  the  wood  is  hard  and  tougb. 

A  treasurer. 

A  treasury. 

A  stump  of  a  tree  stuck  in  a  shoal  of  a  river  ;  a  snag. 

A  kind  of  parti-coloured  cloth  made  in  Sind. 

Afield. 

Loss;  defalcation;  deficit 

The  cut  in  the  side  of  a  canal  in  which  a  water- 
wheel  works. 

A  wooden  shovel  or  board  drawn  by  bullocks, 
when  employed  in  putting  up  large  embank- 
ments. 

A  camel  fodder  plant  (the  Ltpiadema  jacqut^ 
moMtuuia)» 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


APPENDIX  V. 


891 


Kirrar 

The  wild  caper  {Capparis  aphylla). 

Kist 

An  instahnent  of  revenue  or  money. 

Kist-bandi 

Fixing  dates  of  instalments. 

Kist-war  (or  Kishtwar)     . 

Division  of  lands  by. the  Settlement  Department. 

Kochho 

A  piece  of  land  set  aside  for  the  pasturage  of 

Kodar 

village  catUe. 
A  spade;  a  hoe. 

Koh 

KohistSn 

A  hiU  district 

Kolab 

A  marsh ;  a  lake ;  a  depression  in  the  land  where 

water  lodges. 

Kot 

A  fort 

Kotar 

A  peon  on  the  Tapadar's  establishment 

Kotiyo 

A  magisterial  officer. 

Kotwal 

Kttbo 

A  dome ;  a  cupola ;  a  tomb. 

Kuharo 

An  axe ;  a  hatchet 

Kumbh 

A  deep  natural  pond. 

Kumbhar 

A  potter. 

Kuni 

A  water  lily  (the  Nymphcta  pubesccns). 

Kur 

A  deep  canal. 

Labaro  ...... 

Harvest 

Ladawa      ..... 

Resigning  of  land. 

Lai 

The  tamarisk  (7*.  Indica). 

Lai 

Wages  for  reaping. 

Lak 

Lakh 

A  mountain  pass. 
One  hundrec  thousand. 

Landhi 

A  building  made  of  brushwood  and  thatched  with 

grass;  ashed. 

Lapo 

Share  of  the   crop  paid  by  a  cultivator  to  the 
zamindar  after  the  Government  assessment  has 

been  satisfied ;  these  zamindari  rights,  or  dues, 
are  not  now  in  force  in  all  parts  of  Sind. 

Lat 

Let 

A  flood ;  inundation. 

Lundi 

A  kind  of  snake. 

Lut 

Plunder;  waste. 

Machhwo 

Mafi 

Exemption ;  remission  from  rent  and  tax  (land). 

MaEdar 

The  holder  of  a  revenue  free  grant 

Mah 

A  pulse  (the  Phaseolus  radiatus), 

A  Hindu  merchant ;  a  respectable  Hindu  dealer ; 

Mahajan 

also  used  of  the  collective  Hindu  community 

in  a  village. 

Mahant 

The  head  man  of  a  religious  establishment  of  the 
mendicant  order  of  iCndiis. 

Mahlo 

Block  of  buildings  or  quarter  of  a  town;    an 

msect  injurious  to  mangoe  trees. 

MahsOl 

Tax  ;  customs ;  rent ;  duty  on  goods. 
Formerly  applied  to  land  which  paid  rent  in 
money  when  the  battai  system  was  in  force ; 

Mahsuli 

Maku 

garden  crops ;  v^;etables. 
Indian  com. 

MakSn 

Portion  ofsidek',  parish ;  an  estate. 

Makato  or  Makado     .     . 

A  contract. 

Mil 

Property ;  wealth ;  cattle. 

Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


892 


APPENDIX    v. 


MaU 
Malik 


Malkino 


Mamul 


Mamuldir 


Mamuli . 
Man 


Mangh  (or  Magh)  . 
Manjit  .... 
Map  .... 
Masan  .... 
Mashalchi  .  .  . 
Maskirat  .  .  . 
Maso  .... 
Matar  .... 
Mati       .... 


Maurasi . 


Mayad  .... 

Mazkuri  .  .  . 
Mehnatano .     .     . 

Mekhzani    .     .     . 

Melo  (or  Mero).     . 

Met 

Methi  .  .  .  . 
Minis  .... 
Mirbahir  .  .  . 
Misl  .  .  .  . 
Mistri  (or  Mestri)  . 

Mochi  .... 
Modikhano       .     . 

Mok  .  .  .  . 
Moki     .     .     .     . 

Mot 

Muchilko  .  .  . 
Muhano  .  .  . 
Muhri  .  .  .  . 
Mujawar     .     .     . 


A  gardener. 

Lord ;  master;   a  title  given  to  the  chief  of  a 

Baloch  tribe. 
Proprietarj ;    applied  to  a  zamindar's  Xery  on 

croDs  in  virtue  of  his  owning  the  soil,  being  one 

of  the  rights  appertaining  to  Lapo. 
A  tenore  by  which  land  was  held,  the  Govern* 

ment  rent  being,  remitted  in  consideration  of 

services  to  be  performed  in  cultivation. 
A  holder  of  a  small  gnmt  of  land  for  village  or 

other  service. 
Customary  ;  a  seri  grant 
Also    called   "mannd;"  a  weight  or  measure 

ea  ual  to  forty  sers, 
A  Hindu  montii  (January — February). 
Madder. 
Measure. 

A  place  where  Hindiis  bum  their  dead. 
A  torch-bearer. 
Intoxicating  drugs. 
One-twelfth  of  a  tola. 
A  pulse  (the  Latkynts  sativus). 
The  jar,  or  earthen  vessel  on  which  a  fisherman 

floats  in  the  river  when  catching  the  ^aJd  fish. 
{Adj.)  Hereditary  ;  thus  a  maurasi  hiiri  is  a  tenant 

who  has  by  purchase  or  otherwise  acquired  a 

right  to  hold  certain  lands  in  perpetuity,  subject 

to  the  payment  of  a  certain  sum  of  money,  or 

of  a  share  of  the  produce  as  quit-rent  (called 

Lapo)  to  the  original  owner  of  the  land,  that  is 

to  the  samindar.     (See  HarL) 
A  fixed  period  appointed  for  anything,   as  in  a 

summons  for  the  person  summoned  to  appear. 
A  civil  court  messenger. 
Price  of  labour ;  wages;  remuneration  for  tronhle 

or  labour  incurred  or  undergone. 
Process  of  putting  pegs  in  be£  of  canals  to  make 

the  length  for  dearance. 
A  fair. 

Fullers  earth. 

The  plant  fenugreek  {Tfigwte/la/tefutgraatm). 
Heritage,  patrimony.    ^ 
A  tribe  of  boatmen  and  fishermen. 
File  of  papers,  or  correspondence. 
A  subordinate  employea  in  supervising  a  work  ', 

a  native  overseer. 
A  worker  in  leather. 
A  pantry ;  the  Commissariat  Department ;  the 

supplies  necessary  for  an  army. 
Surface  irrigation  from  canals  by  natural  overflow. 
Land  liable  to  surface  irrigation  from  canals  by 

natural  overflow. 
A  kind  of  pulse. 
Recognisance  bond. 
Tribe  of  boatmen  and  fishermeiL 
A  pulse  (the  Phcueolus  acomtifoluu), 
A  servant  or  sweeper  of  a  Muhammadan  temple 

or  shrine. 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


APPENDIX   V. 


893 


Mujrar.       .     .     .*   .     , 

Allowance  or  deduction  in  account;   credit  in 

account 

A  head  man  among  labourers  ;  a  leaseholder ;  a 

farmer. 

Mukhi 

Head  of  the  Hindu  community  in  a  village ;  the 

head  of  the  Khwaja  sect  of  Muhammadans  at 

Karadhi. 

Mukhtyarkar    .... 

Chief  native  revenue  and  judicial  officer  in  a 

taliika. 

Mukhtyar-namo     .     .     . 

A  power  of  attorney.               .      .      . 

Munafidar 

A  sharer  in  Government  revenue. 

Mung 

Munshi 

A  kind  of  pulse  (the  Phaseolm  mungo). 
A  vernacular  clerk. 

Musafirkhana  .... 

A  rest-house  for  native  travellers.    (See  under 

Dharamsala,  and  Sarai.) 

A  title  prefixed  to  the  names  of  women. 

Mutafarko 

Miscellaneous. 

Mutasarfi 

Share  (enjoyment  or  right). 

Mutedar 

Lessee;  contractor. 

Muth  (or  Mosht)    .     .     . 

A  fistfiU ;  a  handful  of  anything. 

Muto 

A  lump  sum ;  a  kind  of  grain  contract  formerly 

in  use  in  Sind. 

Nadar 

An  insolvent 

Nildari 

Insolvency. 

New  land ;  virgin-soil. 

Nahwar 

Nai 

A  hill  or  mountain  torrent 

Naib 

NaibDaftardar      .     .     . 

A  deputy. 

The  daflardar's  deputy. 

Naik 

A  grade  in  menud  service  above  the  rank  of 

peon. 

Nakedar 

A  toll-gatherer ;  a  receiver  of  customs  or  other 

transit  dues. 

Nako 

A  toll-house. 

NakRho 

A  map,  a  statement 

Nangli 

A  kind  of  grain  (the  EUusine  coracana). 

Land  flooded  by  the  river,  which  afler  the  sub- 

Nao 

sidence  of  the  inundation  waters  is  left  covered 

with  deep  fissures. 

Napat 

A  newly-dug  kario^  or  branch  canal. 
A  charkha,  or  large  water-wheel,  woxked  by  one 
camel  or  two  bmlocks. 

Naf 

Nan 

A  drill  for  sowing  seed. 

Nar5 

A  tract  along  which  salt  water  passes  in  the 

Indus  Delta. 

Natt 

A  station  where  transit  dues  were  formerly  pay- 

able under  native  rule. 

Nazar 

An  officer  of  a  dvU  court ;  a  bailiff. 

Nazarano 

Customary  fee  or  present 

Nikah 

Nilam 

An  auction. 

Nirkh  (or  Nurkh)  .     .     . 

A  rate  or  market.price.     . 

Niru 

Nunar 

Indigo. 

A  place  where  salt  is  manufactured  by  straining 

water  through  baskets  of  salt  earth. 

Niinari 

One  who  manufactures  or.  sells  salt . 

Otaro 

A  rest-house  or  inn.    .      . 

Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


894 


APPENDIX   V. 


Pabban 

Pachando   

A  kind  of  lotos  plant  (the  Ntbtmbium  speckamY 
Baseofasand-hilL 

Pado 

A  block  of  houses  in  a  large  town  ;  a  division  or 

Paghar  

quarter  of  a  town. 
Maiy;  pay. 

Pagi 

One  who  tracks  thieyes  or  mnaways  by  thdr 

footmarks. 

Pagri 

Pahar    

Atnrban. 

A  watch  of  three  hours. 

Pahiran 

Ashirt 

Paho 

Village  road ;  foot-path ;  line  marked  on  land  for 

PSi 

One-third  of  a  put;  in  Upper  Sind  a  iaw,  or 

grain  measure,  of  which  sixty  go  to  a  kkarar. 

Paidaish 

Produce  (of  land). 

Paimaish 

Survey ;  measurement  of  land. 

Pakki 

A  firm  rich  soil  fit  for  any  crop. 

Pako 

High  land  abore  the  river  floods. 

Palki 

A  palankin. 

A  nsh  met  with  in  the  Indus  firom  which  Govern- 

Palo  

ment  derives  a  revenue  at  the  rate  of  one-third 

of  the  produce ;  the  **  Hilsa"  of  the  Ganges. 

Pan  (or  Pana)  .... 

A  grass  known  as  the  lypka  depkantma  growing 

in  the  Indus  Delta. 

Panch 

An  influential  Hindu  among  a  society  of  Hindvi 

Panchait 

Arbitration ;  a  popular  jury ;   a  conunittee  of 

arbitratora. 
A  learned  Hindu. 

Pandit 

Panjari 

The  yoke  or  cross  stick  placed  on  the  nedcs  of  a 

pair  of  bullocks. 

PankSni      ...... 

Matting  made  from  the/aw  or  pana  grass. 

Pankho 

A  large  fan ;  a  kind  of  mat  made  of  reeds  or 

flags  used  for  roofing  purposes. 

Panth    ...... 

A  sect. 

Pardo 

A  screen. 

Parit 

A  washennan. 

Partal 

A  test ;  the  proving  the  correctness  of  an  excava- 

tion account,  or  of  land  measurement  by  means 

of  a  fresh  survey. 

Parwano 

A  written  order. 

Pat 

An  open  bare  plain ;  a  waste. 

Patan 

A  ferry. 

Patedar 

One  who  enjoys  a  share  in  land  for  which  be 

holds  a  lease. 

Patel 

A  head  village  officer  holding  a  seri  grant 

Pati 

One-fourth  of  a  toyo. 

Pato 

A  lease. 

Patwari 

A  land-measoxer. 

Pan 

A  quarter  of  anything,  such  as  grain,  &c. ;  the 

weight  of  four  annas. 

Peho 

A  plattbrm  on  which  watchers  of  crops  sit. 

Perati 

An  irrigation  wheel  woriced  by  the  feet. 
A  tracker  of  footsteps.    (See  Pagi.) 

Perewadhi 

Pero 

The  impression  of  a  foot  on  the  ground. 

Peshgi 

Peshkish  (or  Pcshkash)    . 

An  advance. 

A  poll-tax. 

A  late  spring  crop. 

Peshras 

Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


APPENDIX  V. 


895 


Pharho  .  .  . 

Phori     .  .  . 

Phuti     .  .  . 

Piado     .  .  . 

Pinki      .  .  . 

Pir   .     .  .  . 

Pirzado .  .  . 

Pis  (or  Phis)  . 

Pokh     .  .  . 

Postin    .  .  . 

Potkhatedar  . 

Prohit    .  .  . 

Piija.     .  .  . 

Pujaro   .  .  . 

Puni.     .  .  . 
Pusht-ba-pusht 

Pust.     .  .  . 

Rabi      .  .  . 

Rais      .  .  . 

Raiyat  .  .  . 

Raiyati  .  .  . 

Raj  ...  . 

Raji      .  .  . 

Rakab   .  .  . 
Rakam  . 

Rakh     .  .  . 

Rakha  .  .  . 

Rambo .  .  . 

Rani      .  .  . 

Rap.     .  .  . 

Rasid     .  .  . 

Rati .     .  ..  . 


Razinamo 
Reli .     . 
Roznamo 
Rubkari 


Sadapani 

Sadavirt 
Sag.     . 

Sahanjiro 
Sahar  . 
Sahib  (or  Saheb) 


Sailab  (or  Selap)   . 
Sailabi  (or  Sdapi) 


The  hog-deer  (the  Cervus  poreinus), 

A  name  for  alluvial  soil  in  Upper  Sind. 

A  cotton  pod. 

A  footman ;  a  foot  soldier. 

One-fourth  of  a  toyo. 

An  old  man  ;  a  Musalman  saint 

The  son  or  disciple  of  a  Pir. 

A  species  of  fan-palm  found  in  parts  of  Sind ;  from 

its  leaves,  mats,  ropes  and  baskets  are  made. 
Sowing ;  cultivation ;  a  crop. 
A  winter  coat 

Sub-occupant  of  a  survey-field. 
The  family  priest  who  conducts  all  the  ceremonials 

and  saoihces  of  a  house. 
Adoration;  idolatrous  worship. 
A  worshipper  of  the  river  j  a  worshipper. 
(See  Kum.) 

From  generation  to  generation. 
The  poppy  plant 

Winter  or  spring    crop    as  distinguished  fhnn 

"Kharif." 
A  chief;   landed  gentleman;   head  of  an  old 

family. 
A  subject ;  a  tenant     * 

Applied  to  land  subject  to  Government  assessment 
A  body  of  persons  of  any  particular  trade  or 

class  in  the  community. 
A  king  ;  a  prince. 
Rate  of  Government  assessment. 
An  item  in  accounts. 
A  grazing  and  timber  preserve. 
A  forester ;  a  timber  preserve. 
A  chisel ;  a  grass  scraper. 
A  queen. 
A  hard  day  soiL 
A  receipt ;  acknowledgment 
Name  of  a  weight  used  in  weighing  precious 

stones,  pearls,  and  precious  metels ;  the  eighth 

part  of  a  i9XAf tf ;  mildew;  smut 
A  deed  of  compromise. 
Moveable  sand-hills  in  the  desert  tract 
A  day-book. 
State;  condition;  circumstance. 

Applied  to  a  field  which  enjoys  a  supply  of  water 
all  the  year  round. 

Alms  or  food  distributed  daily  to  the  poor. 

Discovery  of  a  portion  of  stolen  property ;  a  trace 
by  which  property  is  found. 

The  horse-rsulisn  tree. 

A  harrow. 

A  lord ;  a  master ;  a  respectful  title  for  European 
gentlemen. 

Natural  overflow  of  water  firom  floods  or  inun- 
dation. 

{,Adj,)  Wet,  soaked,  or  thoroughly  moist  as  ap- 
plied to  land. 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


896 


APPENDIX   V. 


Sair  (also  spelt  Sayer) 

A  harrow ;    misceDaneoos  revenue  not  derived 

from  land.  - 

Sais 

Salami 

A  gixwm ;  housekeeper. 

San 

Aycar;  age;  era. 

Sanad 

A  deed  of  grant ;  a  lease. 

Sangharo    

Name  of  the  season  when  water  subsides. 

Sar 

A  reed-grass  (the  Aruttdo  karka). 

Saiaf 

A  banker ;  a  money  lender. 

Sarai  (or  Serai)      .     .     . 

A  rest-house  for  travellers. 

Sarak  (or  Sadak)  .     .     . 

Ahig^road. 

Sarasari 

Average;  proportion. 

Sarbarahkir     .... 

The  manager  of  an  estate  for  minors  by  an  ad- 

ministrator. 

Sardar 

A  headman;  a  chieftain. 

Sar-darakhti     .... 

Fruit  from  trees. 

Sarhad 

A  boundary ;  a  border. 

SarhU 

A  species  of  mustard  {Sinapis  giaucaU 

Sarkir 

The  Government ;  the  State. 

Sarkari 

Belonging  to  the  Government 

Sarpanch 

Chief  umpire  or  referee. 

A  poll-tax  formerly  levied  on  Musalman  artificeis ; 

Sarson 

It  nmced  frxnn  2  to  5  rapees/«r  annmm. 
Mustard  seed  {Sinafns  ramosa),    (U.  Sind.) 
A  division  ;  a  dividend. 

Satmi •. 

Sawan 

Name  of  a  month,  July— August. 

Sawar 

A  mounted  policeman,  or  horseman. 

Sawini 

Sawinipani      .... 

Applied  to  land  which  enjoys  water  during  the 

annual  rise  of  the  river. 

Sazawalkar 

A  canal  supervisor. 

Sek 

Light  day  land  not  flooded  but  percolated  bjr 

water. 

Ser 

A  weight  of  80  tolas,  or  2  lbs.  avoirdupois. 

Sen 

A  grant  of  land  formerly  conferred  on  patds  in 
return  for  general  service  done  as  heads  of 

their  respective  villages. 

Seridar 

One  holding  a  jm  grant 

The  head  native  officer  of  a  court  of  justice. 

Serishtadar 

Sett 

The  head  of  a  native  firm  or  banking  house. 

Shaukar      

A  rich  merchant ;  a  moneyed  man. 
Field  phm ;  a  genealcgical  tree. 
A  park  for  confining  animals  of  the  chase. 
A  hunter ;  a  sweeper  (also  called  Dapher). 

Shijro 

Shikargah 

Shikari 

Fisheries  in  rivers,  streams  and  ponds. 

Shorai 

A  saltpetre  manufacturer. 

Shoro 

Saltpetre. 

Siaro 

The  cold  season. 

Sim 

A  term  used  for  the  water  which  percolates  or 

oozes  through  the  soil,  as  for  instance  through 

•  handhs  during  the  inundation. 

Sinni  (or  Sunni)     .     .     . 
Sipahi 

The  Crotolariajuncea ;  a  cordage  plant  from  whidi 

ropes  and  fishing  gear  are  made. 
A  soldier ;  a  sepov. 

Main  channel  of  the  river  in  the  deep  stream. 
Literally  "  the  lofty-headed ;"  a  title  given  by  a 

Sir 

Sir  BiUand 

ruling  power  as  a  mark  of  distinction. 

Sitaphal 

The  custard  apple  {Amma  sfuamosa). 

Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


APPENDIX   V. 


897 


Sochi 
Sodho 
Sradh 

Sak. 


A  Hindu  shoemaker. 

A  tribe  of  Rajputs  in  the  Thar  and  Parkar  district 

A  ceremony  in  which  food  and  water  are  offered 

to  the  deceased  ancestors  of  the  sacrificer. 
A  name  for  the  blasting  hot  wind  of  the  desert 


Sukho I  Bhang  prepared  from  the  Cannabis  sativa  as  a 

draught 

Suph 'An  apple. 

Susi ,  A  kind  of  cotton  cloth  made  in  Sind  and  used  for 


trousenng. 


Takabi  (or  Takani) 
Tak 


Money  advanced  for  cultivation. 
A  hard  dark-coloured  soil  containing  little  or  no 
sand,  hard  to  plough  up,  but  considered  suit- 
able for  rice  cultivation. 

A  hill ;  a  mountain. 

Takid I  A  reminder ;  warning'';  injunction. 

Taksim i  Dividing  the  share  of  a  part-owner  in  a  survey 

I      field. 
Talao A  tank  ;  pond  ;  reservoir  of  water. 


Takar 


Tali. 
Taliiko 


Tapadar 

Tapal     . 
Tapo     . 


Tarbuz 

Tarij 

Tasar 

Tasdik 
Tewar 


Thag 
Thaki 


Lbast 


Thakur  . 


Thakurdwaro 
Thali  .  . 
Thanedar  . 
Thano  .  . 
Thikdar  . 
Thoriani     . 


Timar    .     . 
Tir  (or  Til) 
Tirghati      . 
Tolo      .     . 
Tosha-khana 


Toto  .  . 
Toyo  .  . 
Tudo  .  . 
Tukhamzadi 


A  tract  of  ground  between  two  bills. 
Subdivision  of  a  division  of  a  district  in  the 

revenue  charge  of  a  Miikhtyarkar. 
A  stipendiary   accoimtant  and  collector  of  the 

revenues  of  a  group  of  villages  called  a  ia^o. 
The  post ;  mail. 
Subdivision  of  a  taiuko  containing  one  or  more 

dehs, 
A  musk-melon« 

A  summary  or  abstract  of  accounts. 
A  kind  of  cloth  made  from  silk,  the  produce  of  a 

particular  worm  (the  Bombyx  paphia). 
Attestation. 
A  kind  of  wood  growing  in  the  Indus  Delta  (the 

Sonneratia  aciaa). 
A  cheat ;  impostor ;  deceiver. 
A  settlement  of  the  boundaries  of  zamind2rs' 

estates. 
A  lord;  master;  chief;    title  of  a  head  man 

among  the  Sodhas. 
A  Hindu  temple  in  which  idols  are  kept 
A  flat  dish ;  a  plate. 
Head  police  officer  at  a  thdno, 
A  police  station. 
A  contractor. 
A  cracked  soil  often  seen  near  the  river  with 

great  fissures  in  it 
A  camel  fodder  plant  {Aincennia  tonuntosa). 
An  oil  seed  (the  Sesamum  indicum), 
A  mark  where  three  boundaries  join. 
A  rupee  weight 
A  store-room  ;  a  place  where  objects  of  curiosity 

or  value,  not  in  daily  request,  are  kept. 
Loss  ;  deficit 

One-fourth  of  a  kdso^  about  4  sers. 
A  mound  of  earth  or  rubbish  in  canals. 
Applied  to  land  in  which  the  seed  has  germinated, 

but  withered  from  drought  shortly  afterwards. 

3  f.      . 

Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


893 


APPENDIX    V. 


UdSsi     .     .  . 

UmedwSro .  . 

Und      .     .  . 

va.    .    .  . 

Vahi      .     .  . 

Vahi    \     .  . 

Vabolo  .     .  . 

Valdl     .     .  . 

Viiiio    .     .  . 

Varo      .     .  . 

VarsSLrc.     .  . 

Vasiyat-nimo  . 
Vasti(orVasi). 

VasuU    .     .  . 

Vaun     .     .  . 

Vegio-mal  .  . 

Veswo  .     .  . 

Viswas  .     .  . 

Wadero      .  . 

W5h      .     .  . 

Wihur  .     .  . 

Wangi  .     .  • 

Wanto  .     .  . 

Wan      .     .  . 

Wariyasi     ,  . 

Wasi     .     .  . 

Wasijat-nsLmo  . 

Yadast  .     .  . 

Zabit     .     .  . 

Zabt.     .     .  . 

Zabti     .     .  . 
Zamanat-namo . 

Zamindar    .  . 
Zamindari  . 

Zaxait    .     .  . 
Zaurak  .     . 
Zer-darakhti 

Zilo       .     .  . 


A  kind  of  religious  mendicant  among  the  foUowen 

ofNanakSh&h. 
A  candidate  ;  an  expectant. 
A  kind  of  poise  (the  Fkaseobu  radiaiats). 

A  canal. 

An  accomit  book. 

A  watchman  for  crops ;  a  small  piece  of  garden 

near  a  welL 
An  adze. 
A  pleader. 

A  Sanya  ;  a  shop-keeper. 
A  catUe-pen  ;  a  melon  bed. 
The  rainy  season. 
Will;  deed  of  gift 
A  village  or  hamlet 
A  collection  of  money. 
The  cotton  plant. 
Property  given  in  exchange,  or  in  lieu  of  that 

stolen. 
The  20th  part  of  a  digo. 
The  20th  part  of  a  zfentfo. 

Head  man  of  a  village  or  of  a  tribe;  a  laige 

landed  proprietor. 
(See  Vah.) 
A  branch  of  the  Indus  which  again  rejoins  it ;  a 

branch  canal. 
A  water  course  taken  from  a  hill  stream,  or  an 

auxiliary  irrigational  cut  or  channel  to  a  large 

water  course. 
A  share  ;  a  portion. 
Sand. 

Sandy  or  applicable  to  soils. 
A  hamlet ;  a  village. 
AwilL 

A  memorandum  ;  a  list 

A  measurer ;   a  person  employed  to  assist  the 

tapadar  in  crop  measurements. 
Lsmd  measuring ;  confiscation. 
Attachment 
A  security  bond. 

A  landed  proprietor ;  a  landowner. 
An  estate  held  by  one  person  or  by  several  con* 

jointly  ;  the  office  and  rights  of  a  zamindar. 
Cultivated  land. 

A  large  kind  of  boat  used  on  the  Indus. 
Vegetables  and  produce  of  land  as  opposed  to  the 

fruit  of  trees. 
A  district ;  a  coUectorate. 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


APPENDIX  V.  899 


Days  of  the  Week. 

Monday Samar. 

Tuesday Angaro. 

Wednesday Arba. 

Thursday Khamis. 

Friday Jumo. 

Saturday Chhanchar. 

Sunday Achar. 


Months  of  the  Year. 

January Magh. 

February Phagan. 

March Chet 

April Vaisakh. 

May Teth. 

June Akhar. 

July Sawan. 

August Bado. 

September Asu. 

October Kati. 

November Nahri  (or  Manghir). 

December Poh. 


3   M   2 

Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


900 


APPENDIX   VL 


Appendix  VL 
PuNCiFAL  Road  Routes  in  Sinix 


No. 


Routes. 


MOcs.     Page. 


I. 
2. 
> 

4- 
5. 
6. 

7. 
8. 

9. 
10. 
II. 
12. 
13. 
14. 
15. 
16. 

17. 
18. 

19. 
2a 
21. 
22. 

23. 
24. 
as- 
26. 


XIX. 
XX. 

XXL 

XXIL 

XIV. 

XV. 

XVI. 

L 

IL 

IIL 

V. 

IV. 

VIL 

VIIL 

X. 

XL 

XIL 

XXIII. 

IX, 
XVIIL 
XVIL 
XIIL 
VL 
XXIV 
XXV. 
XXVI. 


Hyderabad  to  Rahim-ki-bazar    .... 

Hyderabad  to  Wango  KLzar 

Hyderabad  to  Rohri 

Hyderabad  to  Umarkot 

Jacobabad  to  Kelat  {viA  Mala  pass)  .  . 
Jacobabad  to  Quetta  {piA  Bolan  pass)  .  . 
Jaoobabad  to  Kashmor  [yiA  Tangwani).  . 
Karachi  to  Shah  Bilawal  (Kelat  State)  .     . 

Kaiachi  to  Kotri  (viA  Tatta) 

Karachi  to  Kelat  (viA  Las  Bela)  .... 
Kaiachi  to  Lakhpat  (Kachh  Bhuj)  .  .  . 
Kaiachi  to  Sehwan  (by  hill  road)  .  .  . 
Kotri  to  Bttla  Khan's  Thana  (Kohistan)      . 

Kotri  to  Sehwan 

Larkana  to  Shikarpur 

Larkana  to  Sukkur 

LSrkana  to  Jacobabad 

Rohri  to  Sabzalkot  (Bahawalpur  State).     . 

Sehwan  to  larkana 

Shikarpar  to  Khairo  Gaihi 

Sukkur  to  Kashmor 

Sukkur  to  Jacobabad 

Tatta  to  Keti-bandar 

Umarkot  to  Nagar  Parkar 

Umarkot  to  Rahim-ki-bSzar 

Umarkot  to  Jai«Umir  boundary  (viA  Khipra) 


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INDEX, 


Adminifltration,  civil,  of  Sind,  65  etseq. 

Adminiitratlon,  method  of,  in  the 
Frontier  District,  171  ;  Hala  D.  C, 
196 ;  Hyderabad  CoUectorate,  227  ; 
Hyderabad  TalOka,  242;  Jerruck 
D.  C,  308;  Karachi  Collectorate, 
332  ;  Karachi  Taluka,  347  ;  Khairpur 
State,  427  ;  Kohistan  District,  447  ; 
Larkana  D.  C,  479 ;  Mehar  D.  C, 
526  ;  Naushahro  D.  C,  609  ;  Rohri 
D.  C,  660 ;  Sehwan  D.  C,  701 ; 
Shahbandar  D.  C,  750 ;  Shikarpur 
Collectorate,  772  ;  Sukkur  and  Shi- 
karpur D.  C,  810 ;  Tanda  D.  C, 
564 ;  Thar  and  Parkar  Police 
Superintendency,  854. 

Agrionltore,  in  Sind  generally,  8 ;  in 
Frontier  District,  170  ;  Hala  D.  C, 
215  ;  Hyderabad  Taluka,  249  ;  Jer- 
ruck D.  C,  316;  Karachi  Taluka, 
346  ;  Khairpur  State,  426 ;  Kohistan 
District,  448 ;  Larkana  D.  C,  492  ; 
Mehar  D.  C,  534 ;  Naushahro  D.  C, 
628;  Rohri  D.  C,  669;  Sehwan 
D.  C,  714  ;  Shahbandar  D.  C,  759; 
Sukkur  and  Shikarpur  D.  C,  820; 
Tanda  D.  C,  570  ;  Thar  and  Parkar 
P.  S.,  859. 

All  Miirftd  Xh&n,  of  Khairpur.  (See 
Mir  Ali  Murad.) 

Amil  population  of  Sind,  93. 

Animal  kingdom  in  Sind,  14. 

Animals,  wild  and  domestic,  in  Frontier 
District,  168 ;  HalaD.  C,  192 ;  Hyder- 
abad Taluka,  238  ;  Jerruck  D.  C, 
298  ;  Karachi  Taluka,  344  ;  Khairpur 
State,  426  ;  Kohistan,  446  ;  Larkana 
D.    C,   472;    Mehar  D.   C,    521; 


Naushahro  D.  C,  602  ;  Rohri  D.  C, 
654 ;  Sehwan  D.  C,  693  ;  Shah- 
bandar D.  C,  745  ;  Sukkur  and  Shi- 

.  karpur  D.  C,  805  ;  Tanda  D.  C,  558 ; 
Thar  and  Parkar  Police  Superinten- 
dency, 850. 

Arghnn  dynasty  in  Sind,  29,  30. 

Arsenal  military,  at  Hyderabad,  257  ; 
at  Karachi,  358. 

B. 

Bagh&r  (or  Baghi&r),  natural  branch 
of  the  Indus,  286. 

Bijri,  cultivation  of  in  Sind,  10. 

Bambnra,  ruins  of,  123,  323. 

Bandar  Vikar.    (See  Ghorabari.) 

Bandhs  (Bxmds  or  raised  banks)  in 
Frontier  District,  158;  in  Rohri 
D.  C,  651 ;  Sukkur  and  Shikarpur 
D.  C,  800. 

Bangalows  (district  and  travellers)  at 
Abdu,  117  ;  Alahyar-jo-Tando,  119  j 
Amri,  120 ;  Badin,  123  ;  Bakrani, 
498;  Bangu  Kalhoro,  498;  Chak, 
149;  Chausul,  498;  Dadu,  150; 
Daulatpur,  152  ;  Dokri,  498 ;  Gaheja, 
177  ;  Garhi  Yasin,  178  ;  Ghaibi  Dero, 
*79»  498  ;  Gharo,  179  ;  Ghotki,  181 ; 
Hala  (New),  224  ;  Halani,  225  ;  Hu- 
maiyun,  226  ;  Hyderabad,  257  ;  Jer- 
ruck, 326  ;  Johi,  327  ;  Kambar,  329  ; 
Kandiaro,  330  ;  Karachi,  356 ;  Katyar, 
418  ;  Kotri,  453  ;  Lakhi,  461 ;  Lar- 
kana, 502  ;  Matari,  507;  Mehar,  539  ; 
Mirpur  (Rohri  D.  C),  541  ;  Mirpur 
Khas,  542  ;  Moro,  546 ;  Nasirabad, 
593  ;  Naushahro,  639  ;  Nawa  Dera, 
640 ;  Rato  Dero,  643  ;  in  the  Rohri 
3  O 

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930 


INDEX, 


D.  C,  676  ;  Rustam,  681  ;  in  the  Seh- 
wan  D.  C,  718  ;  Shahbandar  D.  C, 
764;  in  the  Sukkur  and  Shikarpur 
D.  C.,  823-25  ;  Tando  Muhammad 
Khan,  836  ;  Tatta,  839  ;  Than  Moh- 
bat,  865  ;  Tharu  Shah,  ib.  ;  Thul 
(New),  866  ;  Ubauro,  867  ;  Wagan, 
870. 

Bank  buildiDgs  at  Karachi,  355. 

Biran  (hill  torrent),  109,  445. 

Batai  system,  as  formerly  prevailing  in 
the  Naushahro  and  Kandiaro  par- 
ganas,  615. 

Begftii  canal,  155,  157- 

Blood  feuds  in  Kohistan,  45a 

Book  Depdt  (central),  Government,  at 
Karachi,  373. 

Bnla  Kh&n*8  Thino  (Kohistan),  449. 

Bukknr  (island  fort)  taken  by  the 
Samma  prince,  Jam  Junah,  28 ; 
captured  by  Shah  Beg  Arghun,  29  ; 
taken  by  Nur  Muhammad  Kalhora, 
32 ;  made  over  to  the  British  in 
1839,  37  ;  jail  at,  abolished  in  1876, 
818. 

Burdii,  tribe  of,  163. 

BnmeflS  Lieut,  journey  through  Sind 
in  1830,  36. 

BnniB'  gardens  at  Karachi,  356. 

C. 

Camel  saddles,  manufacture  of,  at  Jer- 
ruck,  326. 

Oa&al  revenue  in  the  Hyderabad  Col- 
lectorate,  230 ;  Karachi  Collectorate, 
334  ;  Shikarpur  Collectorate,  775. 

Caoali  in  Sind,  general  description  of, 
16  ;  revenue  from,  loa 

Caoali  in  Frontier  District,  155  ;  Hala 
D.  C,  187;  Hyderabad  Taluka, 
234  ;  Jerruck,  D.  C,  286  ;  Khairpur 
State,  425  ;  Larkana,  464 ;  Mehar, 
D.  C,  510  ;  Naushahro,  D.  C,  595  ; 
Rohri,  D.  C,  646  ;  Sehwan,  D.  C, 
687  ;  Shahbandar,  D.  C,  734  ;  Suk- 
kur and  Shikarpur  D.  C,  800 ;  Tanda 
D.  C.,  550 ;  Thar  and  Paikar  P.  S., 

845. 
Cantonmeiits  (military)  at  Hyderabad, 
255  ;  at  Jacobabad,  280 ;  at  Karachi, 

357. 
Cattle-poundi    at   Abdu,     117;    Abid 


Markiani,  ib. ;  Adalpur,  118  ;  Alah- 
yar-jo-Tando,  120  ;  Amri,  ib.  ;  Arazi, 
121  ;  Badin,  122 ;  Belo,  124  ;  Bhan, 
125;  Bhian,  ib.\  Bubek,  146;  Cha- 
chra,  149  ;  Chelar,  ib. ;  Chujna,  150  ; 
Padu,  ib.\  Dakhan,  151  ;  Daro,  i*.  ; 
Daulatpur,  152  ;  DipU,  153  ;  Gadra, 
176  ;  Gaheja,  177 ;  Gaji  Kuhawar, 
ib.  ;  Garhi  Khera,  178  ;  Garfii  Yasin, 
ib.  ;  Ghotki,  181  ;  Hairo  Khan,  185  ; 
Hala  (New),  224;  Islamkot,  279; 
Jhangar,  283 ;  Kashmor,  418  ;  Kat- 
yar,  ib. ;  Khairpur  Dharki,  439 ; 
Khairpur  Natheshah,440 ;  Khanpnr, 
441  ;  Khipra,  442  ;  Kot  Habib,  451  ; 
Kotri,  453  ;  Lakhi,  461  ;  Madeji, 
505  ;  Magsi,  ib. ;  Manjhand,  506 ; 
Matari,  507 ;  Mehar,  539  ;  Miani 
(Suk.  Tal.),  540  ;Mirpur  (Roh.  D.  C), 
541  ;  Mirpur  Khas,  542  ;  Mitli,  545  ; 
Nabisar,  583  ;  Nagar  Parkar,  584 ; 
Nasarpur,  592 ;  Nawa  Dera,  640 ; 
Panhwari,  641 ;  Rawati,  644  ;  Rohri, 
679  ;  Sanghar,  683  ;  in  Shahbandar 
D.  C,  751  ;  Shahdadpur,  769  ;  Shih- 
Hasan,  770;  Sujawal,  796;  Tando 
Bago,  834 ;  Thari  Mohbat,  865 ; 
Thul,  866  ;  Ubauro,  867  \  Umarkoi, 
868  ;  Virawah,  870 ;  Wagan,  ib. 

Chaoh,  a  Hindu  ruler  of  Sind,  24. 

Chaehnama,  129. 

Chamber  of  Comm«ree  (Karachi),  estab- 
lishment of,  59  ;  cost  of  building,  355. 

GhazitaUe  Dispensaries.  (See  Dispen- 
saries.) 

Chureh  IfiMianary  SoeLety,  branch  at 
Hyderabad,  with  school,  231,  249, 
256 ;  at  Karachi  with  church  and 
schools,  363. 

CiTil  Hospltala.     (See  Hospitals.) 

Civil  and  Criminal  Courts,  generally  in 
Sind,  66;  in  Frontier  District,  173; 
Hala,  D.  C.,  197;  Hyderabad 
Taluka,  241 ;  Jerruck,  D.  C,  308 ; 
Kandiaro,  330  ;  Karachi,  355,  369; 
Khairpur  State,  428  ;  Khipra,  442  ; 
Kotri,  453;  Larkana,  480,  502; 
Mirpur  Khas,  542 ;  Milti,  545 1 
Moro,  546 ;  Nagar  Parkar,  584 ; 
Naushahro,  639 ;  Rato  Dcro,  643 ; 
Sanghar,  683  ;  Sehwan,  D.  C,  702  ; 
Shahbandar  D.  C,  751  ;  Shahdad- 


Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


INDEX, 


931 


pur,  769 ;  Shikarpur,  789  ;  Sukkur, 
828  ;  in  Thar  and  Parkar  P.  S.,  854  ; 
Umarkot,  868. 

Civil  Baits,  statistics  of,  Frontier  Dis- 
trict, 167  ;  Hala,  D.  C,  185  ;  Hy- 
derabad  Taluka,  234  \  Jerruck  D.  C, 
308  ;  Karachi  TalOka,  369  ;  Larkana 
D.  C,  479  ;  Mehar  D.  C.  526 ;  Nau- 
shahro  D.  C,  609  ;  Rohri  D.  C,  659 ; 
Sehwan  D.  C,  701  ;  Shahbandar 
^'  ^-y  750 ;  Sukkur  and  Shikarpur, 
810;  Tanda  D.  C,  564;  Thar  and 
Parkar  P.  S.,  854. 

Clifton  sanitarium,  357. 

Climate  of  Sind  generally,  7  ;  of  Fron- 
tier District,  158  ;  Hala  D.  C,  190 ; 
Hyderabad  Taluka,  236  ;  Hyderabad 
(town),  237,  261  ;  Jerruck  D.  C, 
291  ;  Karachi  Taluka,  343  ;  Karachi 
(town),  376 ;  Khairpur  State,  425  ; 
Kohistan  District,  445 ;  Larkana 
D.  C,  469;  Mehar  D.  C,  512; 
Naushahro  D.  C,  6oi ;  Rohri  D.  C, 
652;  Sehwan  D.  C,  690;  Shah- 
bandar D.  C,  74P ;  Shikarpur  (town), 
791  ;  Sukkur  and  Shikarpur  D.  C, 
803  ;  Tanda  D.  C,  557 ;  Thar  and 
Parkar  P.  S.,  848. 

Code  of  Civil  Prooednre  (viii.  of  1859) 
extended  to  Sind  in  1862,  59. 

Colloetor's  Offloe  (Karachi),  368. 

Conuneroe.    (See  Trade.) 

Conuniiiioiier  in  Sind,  his  office,  powers, 
&c.,  65.        , 

ConBOrvanoy  of  river  Indus,  59,  277. 

Cotton,  cultivation  of  in  Sind,  10  ;  trade 
in,  loi  et  seq. 

Cotton  experimental  farm  at  Salaro 
(Hala  D.  C),  103,  215. 

Cotton  Frauds  Act  in  Sind,  61,  102. 

Cotton  Pretoes  (steam)  at  Karachi,  354- 

55- 

Criminal  statistics,  Frontier  District, 
167 ;  Hala  D,  C,  196  ;  Hyderabad 
Taluka,  241  ;  Jerruck  D.  C,  307 ; 
Larkana  D.  C,  479  ;  Mehar  D.  C, 
525  \  Naushahro  D.  C,  608  ;  Rohri 
D.  C,  659 ;  Sehwan  D.  C,  701  ; 
Shahbandar  D.  C,  750 ;  Sukkur  and 
Shikarpur  D.  C,  810;  Tanda  D. 
C,  563  ;  Thar  and  Parkar  P.  S.,  854. 

Crope,  principal,  in  Sind,  8. 


Cultivation,  methods  of,  in  Sind,  9  et 

stq, 
Cnrrenoy    in    circulation    during    the 

Talpur  dynasty,  48,  393. 
CnstomB    Department    in    Sind,    70 ; 

Karachi  sea-customs  revenue,  403  ; 

Keti- bandar  ditto,  422. 

D. 

Dabba  (Dabo),  battle  of,  43. 
Dftnbandi  system  of    assessment,   de- 
scription of,  619. 
Daana  Towen  sanitarium,  account  of, 

515. 

D&fidpotriU,  tribe  of,  in  Sind,  30. 

Delta  of  the  Indus,  266 ;  climate  and 
soil  of,  268,  297  ;  grasses  in,  268  ; 
that  portion  in  the  Shahbandar  D.  C, 
726. 

Dhandhi,  the  Kinjhar,  Sonahri  and 
Halaji,  291  ;  in  Rohri  D.  C,  649 ; 
Sehwan  D.  C,  690 ;'  Shahbandar 
D.  C,  740. 

Dhan,  Musalman  race  of,  439. 

Dhar  T&ro  sanitarium,  513. 

DharamaUae  at  Adam-jo-Tando,  118; 
Alahyar-jo-Tando,  120;  Amri,  ib,\ 
Badin,  123 ;  Bangui  Dera,  499 ; 
Bano,  764  ;  Belo,  124  ;  Bhian,  125  \ 
Bhiria,  126 ;  Chachra,  149  ;  Chausul, 
172;  Chelar,  149 ;  Chor,  ib,  ;  Dadu, 
150;  Dakhan,  151  ;  Darbelo,  ib.\ 
Daro,  ib, ;  Daulatpur,  152  ;  Dipla, 
153;  Gadra,  176;  Gaheja,  177; 
Garhi  Yasin,  178;  Gerelo,  499; 
Ghaibi  Dero,  179  ;  Gharo,  ib.\  Gho- 
tana,  180 ;  Ghotki,  181  ;  Gidnban- 
dar,  182 ;  Hala,  224 ;  Halani,  225  ; 
Hasan  Wahan,  499 ;  Humaiyun, 
226 ;  Hyderabad,  251  ;  Islamkot, 
279  ;  Jacobat>ad,  281  ;  Jam-jo-Tando, 
251;  Jhangar,  283;  Jerruck,  326; 
Jhok,  765  ;  Johi,  327  ;  Kakar,  329  ; 
Kambar,  ib,  \  Kandiaro,  330 ;  Ka- 
rachi, 374  ;  Khairpur  Dharki,  439  ; 
Khairpur  Juso,  440 ;  Khanpur,  441  ; 
Khera  Garhi,  172 ;  Khipra,  442 ; 
Kohistan  District,  449';  Kot  Sultan, 
451  ;  Kotri,  453  ;  Udi,  764;  Lagbari, 
764  •;  Laikpur,  764 ;  Laki,  462  ;  Lar- 
kana, 503 ;  Mahrabpur,  505  ;  Manj- 
hand,  506;  Malari,  507 ;  Mehar,  539  ; 
302 


Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


932 


INDEX. 


Mehar-ke-kha,  172  ;  Mira  Khan,  499  ; 
Mirpur  (Roh.  D.  C),  541  ;  Mirpur 
Batoro,  544 ;  Mirpur  Khag,  542  ; 
Mitti,  545  ;  Moro,  546  ;  Mugalbhin, 
547  ;  Mugger  Peer  (Pir  Mangho),  343  ; 
Nabisar,  583  ;  Nagar  Parkar,  584 ; 
Nasarpur,  592  ;  Nasirahod,  593 ;  Nau- 
shahro,  639  ;  Nawa  Dcra,  640 ;  Nin- 
do  Shahr,  ib. ;  Rajo  Khanani,  642  ; 
Rato  Dero,  643;  Rawati,  644;  in 
the  Rohri  D.  C,  676 ;  Rustam,  681 ; 
Sanghar,  683;  Sann,  684;  in  the 
Sehwan  D.  C,  71^19  ;  Shahbandar 
D.  C,  764-65,  Shahdadpur,  769; 
Shah  Hasan,  770;  Sujawal,  796; 
in  the  Sukkur  and  Shiklrpur  D.  C, 
823-25  ;  Tando  Bigo,  834 ;  Tando 
Muhammad  Khan,  836  ;  in  Thar  and 
Parkar  P.  S.,  862  ;  Than  Mohbat, 

865  ;  Tharu  Shah,  ib.  ;  Thul  (New), 

866  ;  Ubauro,  867  ;  Umarkot,  868  ; 
Unarpur»  869;  Virawah.  870;  Wa- 
gan,  ib, 

DiseaaM  of  Sind  generally,  7  et  seq, 

IHmmm  prevailing  in  the  Frontier 
District,  160;  Hala  D.  C,  192; 
Hyderabad  (town),  261 ;  Jernick 
D.  C,  294  ;  Karachi  (town),  375  ; 
Khairpur  Sute,  425  ;  Larkana  D.  C, 
471  ;  Mehar  D.  C,  513  ;  Naushahro 
D.  C,  628;  Rohri  D.  C,  653; 
Sehwan  D.  C,  692 ;  Shahbandar 
D.  C.,  743  ;  Shikarpur  (town),  791  ; 
Sukkur  and  Shikarpur  D.  C,  804 ; 
Tanda  D.  C,  558  ;  Thar  and  Parkar 
P.  S.,  850. 

Siipenflariot  at  Alahyar-jo-Tando,  119, 
214 ;  Bula  Khan's  Thano,  449  \  Hala, 
214,  224 ;  Hyderabad,  246,  257  ; 
Jacobabad,  280;  Jerruck,  314,  326  ; 
Karachi,  374;  Kcti-bandar,  315, 
419;  Khipra,  442;  lilrkana,  490, 
503 ;  Mehar,  533  ;  Mitti,  545,  858  ; 
Mirpur  Batoro,  758 ;  Nagar  Parkar, 
584,  858;  Rohri,  668;  Sehwan, 
713  ;  Shikarpur,  817  ;  Sukkur,  ib, ; 
Tando  Muhammad  Khan,  570,  836 ; 
Tharu  Shah,  627,  865  ;  Tatta,  315, 
838  ;  Umarkot,  857,  868. 

Danibld,  tribe  of.  Upper  Sind,  164. 

Dnndhi,  or  cargo  boat  of  the  Indus, 
271. 


Dyeing  doths,  method  used  in  Lark- 
ana  D.  C,  495. 


Xdoeation  in  Frontier  District,  173; 
Hala  D.  C,  214;  Hyderabad  Col- 
lectorate,  231 ;  Hyderabad  Talilka, 
248 ;  Jerruck  D.  C,  315 ;  Karachi 
CoUectorate,  335 ;  Karachi  (town), 
370  et  siq, ;  Khairpnr  State,  42S ; 
Larkana  D.  C,  491  ;  Mehar  D.  C, 
533  ;  Naushahro  D.  C,  628  ;  Rohri 
D.  C,  669 ;  Sehwan  -D.  C,  714 ; 
Shahbandar  D.  C,  759;  Sbikirpur 
CoUectorate,  777 ;  Sukkur  and  Shi- 
karpur D.  C,  819;  Tanda  D.  C^ 
570 ;  Thar  and  Parkar  P.  S.,  858. 

XdiieationAl  Department  in  Bind,  71 
et  seq, 

Elaetrie  Telegraph  lines.  (See  Tde- 
graph  lines.) 

European  and  Indo-Xuvpeaa  school 
at  Karachi,  361. 

BzhiMtioiL,  industrial,  at  Karachi,  113. 

Kzperimental  farm  at  Salaro,  105, 
215. 


Fain  at  Aminani,  716;  Amir  Pir, 
763;  Aror,  674;  Badin,  122,  578; 
Bhanot,  220;  Bhitshah,  126,  220; 
Bukera,  147,  220;  Bnlri,  578; 
Clifton  (near  Karachi),  351  ;  DarbdOk 
635  ;  Dubarwahan,  674 ;  Gaji  Dero, 
535  ;  Ghotki,  674 ;  Hala,  220,  225  ; 
Halani,  635 ;  Jhimpir,  321 ;  Jind 
Pir,  680 ;  Jhali,  821 ;  Kaisar  Got, 
220 ;  Kambir  AH  Shah,  320 ;  Khe- 
trani,  220;  Khanpur,  535;  Khuaja 
Khizr,  674 ;  Lakhi  Thar,  821 ;  L5l- 
Udero,  220 ;  Matari,  507 ;  Mia 
Patoi,  320;  Mian  Usman-jo-Knbcs 
763  ;  Manora,  351 ;  Mugalbhin,  548 ; 
Nango  Shah,  535 ;  Nasarpur,  220 ; 
Nasir  Muhammad,  535 ;  Naushahro 
D.  C,  635;  Pir  Nath,  535;  Pir 
Patho,  320 ;  Pir  Vahio,  220 ;  Pithora, 
860;  Rohri,  674;  Sardh^  584; 
Sehwan,  716 ;  Shah  Godro,  535 ; 
Shah  Husain,  716 ;  Shah  Inayat- 
ulah   Sufi,  763  ;  Shah  Nasar,  763 ; 


Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


INDEX. 


933 


Shah  Panjo,  535  ;  Sliah  Yakik,  763  ; 
Shekh  Bhirka,   250;  Shekh  Musa, 
220;   SukkuT    (Old),    821;     Tanda 
D.  C,  578  ;  Tir,  220. 
Tain,  annual,  establishment  of,  by  Sir 

Bartle  Frere,  52. 
Female  Sohools  in  Hyderabad  Collect- 
orate,   233 ;  in  Karachi,   361,   364, 
374  ;  Shikarpur  Collectorate,  778. 
Ferries  in  Hala  D.  C,  222 ;  Hyderabad 
Taluka,  251 ;  Jerruck   D.  C,   322 ; 
Khairpur  State,   430;  Kotri,   460; 
Larkana  D.  C,  500 ;  Mehar  D.  C, 
538 ;  Naushahro  D.  C,  637  ;  Rohri 
D.  C,   676;  Sehwan  D.  C,   720; 
Shahbandar    D.   C,    766;    Sokkur 
and  Shikarpur  D.  C,  826;  Tanda 
D.  C,  582 ;  Thar  and  Parkar  P.  S., 
861. 
Fife,  Colonel  J.  G.,  extracts  from  his 

report  on  Sind  canals,  16  ^/  seq. 
Fifh  of  the  Indus,  270 ;  of  the  Habb 

river,  183. 
Fisheries  in  the  Frontier  District,  170; 
Hala  D.  C,  193 ;  Hyderabad  Taluka, 
239;  Jerruck  D.  C,   302;  Karachi 
Taluka,  343;  Larkana  D.  C,  472; 
Mehar  D.  C,  522  ;  Naushahro  D.  C, 
603;    Rohri  D.  C,  655;    Sehwan 
D.  C,  696;  Shahbandar  D.  C,  747 ; 
Sukkur  and  Shikarpur  D.  C,  806 ; 
Tanda  D.  C,  560 ;  Thar  and  Parkar 
P.  S.,  851. 
Floods  in  Frontier  District,  157 ;  Jer- 
ruck D.   C,   290;  Larkana  D.  C, 
469  ;  Rohri  D.  C,  650  ;  Shahbandar 
D.  C,  740 ;  Sukkur  and  Shikarpur 
D.  C,  79«. 
Forests  in  Sind,  number  and  extent, 
12 ;  management,   revenue  and  ex- 
penditure, 14. 
Forests  in  Frontier  District,  168 ;  Hala 
D.  C,  193  ;  Hyderabad  Collectorate, 
231  ;  Hyderabad  Taluka,  239 ;  Jer- 
ruck D.  C,  301 ;  Karachi  Collecto- 
rate,   335;    Larkana  D.    C,  475; 
Naushahro  D.  C,  604 ;  Rohri  D.  C, 
654;   Sehwan  D.   C,   695;    Shah- 
bandar D.  C,  746 ;  Shikarpur  Col- 
lectorate, 776;  Sukkur  and  Shikar- 
pur D.  C,  806 ;  Tanda  D.  C,  559. 
Forts  at  Alahyar-jo-Tando,  1 19  ;  Buk- 


kur,  147;  Diji,  152;  Ghaibi  Dero» 
179;  Hyderabad,  253,  257;  Imam- 
garh,  264 ;  Kafir  Kila,  723 ;  Khair- 
pur Juso,  440 ;  Larkana,  504 ;  Luari, 
583 ;  Manora,  352  ;  Mathelo,  677 ; 
Mirpur  Khas,  543;  Rani-ka-kot 
683,  721;  Tatta,  841;  Umarkot, 
868. 

Freemasonry  in  Hyderabad,  257 ;  Ka- 
rachi, 385 ;  Sukkur,  829. 

Frere,  Mr.  (afterwards  Sir  Bartle),  his 
administration  of  Sind,  52 ;  establishes 
Karachi  library  and  museum,  ib, ; 
also  the  Karachi  municipality,  54 ; 
turns  first  sod  of  Sind  railway,  56 ; 
appointed  member  of  the  Supreme 
Council,  and  leaves  Sind  in  1859, 

57. 

Frere  Hall  (Karachi),  58,  367. 

Frontier  District  (of  Upper  Sind), 
l^undaries,  area,  &c.,  154 ;  physical 
aspect  and  canals,  155  ;  floods,  157  ; 
climate  and  prevailing  diseases,  158  ; 
soik  and  cultivation,  160 ;  population 
and  account  of  the  Mazari,  Burdi, 
Khosa  and  Jakrani  tribes,  i^,;  means 
adopted  by  General  Jacob  to  reclaim 
them,  165 ;  crime  and  litigation, 
167;  animal  and  vegetable  produc- 
tions, id,;  forests  and  agriculture, 
170;  manufactures,  fisheries,  roads 
and  administration,  id, ;  education 
and  military  establishments,  173 ; 
police,  revenue  (imperial  and  local), 
/A;  jagirs,  175;  trade  of  the  dis- 
trict, 176. 


(Hi  river,  686. 

G&aja  hills  (Hyderabad  Collectorate), 

3,  227. 
Churden  grants  (of  land),  84. 
Gardens  (Goyemment)  at  Karachi,  358. 
Gazette,  official,  of  Sind,  62,  390. 
Geology  of  the  Jerruck  District,  295. 
Gh&r  canal,  465. 
Gh&ro  creek,  286. 
Ghorab&ri,  description  of,  419. 
Gisri,  military  sanitarium,  357,  365. 
Government  House  (Karachi),  368. 
Gnrban,  mountain  torrent.  (See  Malir.) 


zea  Dv  "N—J"  v^  vy 


gle 


934 


INDEX. 


H. 


Habb  river,  3.  183,  444. 

HijimrOi  branch  of  the  Indus,   267, 
287. 

HakralL    (See  Nara  Eastern.) 

HiU  Deputy  Collectorate,  area, 
boundaries  and  sub-divisions,  185 ; 
general  aspect,  i86 ;  canal  system, 
ib. ;  climate,  rainfall  and  diseases, 
190 ;  geology  and  soils,  animal  and 
vegetable  productions,  and  fisheries, 
192  ;  population  and  its  divisions, 
194;  their  dress,  food,  character 
and  language,  195  ;  criminal  and 
civil  statistics,  196  ;  administration, 
canal  and  police  establishments,  ib, 
revenue,  imperial  and  local,  198 
survey  and  settlement,  199  ;  tenures 
and  jagirs,  201  ;  muiicipalities  and 
dispensaries,  213;  education  ^md 
agriculture,  214;  trade  (local  and 
transit)  and  manufactures,  216  ;  fairs 
and  roads,  220 ;  ferries  and  antiqui- 
ties, 222. 

EU&  mountains.  (See  Khirthar  moun- 
tains.) 

Halijl  dhandh,  291. 

Harbour  improvement  works  (Karachi), 
estimate  of  cost  and  progress  up  to 
1866,  107 ;  opposition  to  scheme 
and  stoppage  of  works,  108 ;  re- 
sumption in  1868,  and  completion  of 
Manora    breakwater  in    1873,    108, 

413. 
High  Court  in  Sind,  establishment  of, 

60. 
High  School  government  at  Karachi, 

370. 
Hill  stations  at    Dhar  Yaro,    (Mehar 

D.  C),  and  the  Danna  Towers  (Me- 
har D.  C),  493- 
Hindu  dynasty  in  Sind,  23,  139. 
Hindft  population  in  Sind^  90 ;  religion, 

dress,  education  and  character,  91 ; 

females,  97  ;  burial  ceremonies,  ib. 
History,  early,  of  Sind,  23  ;  of  Karachi, 

414  ;  of  the  Khairpur  State,  430 ;  of 

the  Shikarpur  district,  777. 
Hofpitali  at  Hyderabad,  246,  257 ;  at 

Karachi,  375  ;  at  Kotri,  453.  7" ; 

at  Shikarpur,  816;  Sukkur,8i7,  828. 


Hot  Springi  at  Mugger  Pir  (Pir  Man* 
gbo),  339  ;  at  Laki,  69a 

Hnm&yiis  (Mogal  Emperor)  attempts 
the  capture  of  Bukkur  fort,  30;  in- 
vades Sind  in  A.D.  1540^  though  un- 
successfully, 31. 

Hyderabad  Collectorate,  area,  divisiaiis 
and  general  aspect,  226 ;  administra- 
tion, canal  revenue,  police,  227 ; 
revenue,  imperial  and  local,  229 ; 
forests,  230;  education,  231  ;  various 
changes  in  boundaries  and  area,  232. 

Hyderabad  Taliika,  area,  bonndaiks 
and  sub-divisions,  254;  g^encral 
aspect  and  canal  system,  ib. ;  dimjite 
and  rainfall,  236  ;  soils,  animal  and 
vegetable  productions,  238  ;  forests 
and  fisheries,  ib,\  popolation  and  its 
divisions,  239;  criminal  and  dvil 
returns,  241  ;  administration,  police, 
revenue  (imperial  and  local),  242 ; 
survey  settlement  and  tenures,  244  ; 
jagirs,  245  ;  municipalities  and  medi- 
cal establishments,  246 ;  jail,  247  ; 
education  and  agriculture,  248  ;  trade 
and  manufactures,  250;  fairs  and 
rodds,  ib, ;  ferries,  electric  telegraph 
and  postal  lines,  251. 

Hyderabad  (town),  its  position  as  de- 
scribed by  Heddle,  253  ;  road  com- 
munication, 255 ;  cantonments, 
churches,  jail,  &c,  ib, ;  lunatic  as>'- 
lum,  257 ;  municipality,  258 ;  water 
supply  schemes  and  population,  260; 
climate,  rainfiiU  and  prevailing  dis- 
eases, 261 ;  manufactures  and  trade, 
262 ;  tombs  of  the  Kalhora  and 
Talpur  princes,  ib,\  Mir-jo-Tando, 
and  history  of  the  town,  264. 


Dm  Biliiiar,  the  supposed  founder  of  the 
Sumra  dynasty,  27. 

Q&ra  cess,  description  of,  614. 

Indm  river,  description  of  that  portioa 
flowing  through  Sind,  265  ;  the 
Delta,  its  area  and  aspect,  266  ;  dif- 
ferent mouths,  266,  272 ;  soil  and 
climate  of  delta,  and  prevailing  winds 
on  river,  268 ;  erratic  nature  of 
stream  and  present  obstructions,  269 ; 

Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


INDEX. 


935 


fish,  270;  boats  used  on  the  river, 
271 ;  the  Indus  Flotilla,  72  ;  Orien- 
tal Inland  Steam  Companj,  275 ; 
river  traffic  by  native  craft,  276; 
conservancy  of  river  by  special  de- 
partment, 277. 

Indus  Steam  Flotilla,  272,  453  ;  traffic 
by,  458,  461. 

Indui  Conservancy  Department,  277. 

Indus  Valley  Railway,  survey  made  in 
1871-72,  63  ;  progress  of,  64- 

Inyerarlty,  Mr.  J.  D.,  commissioner 
in  Sind,  alteration  of  revenue 
management,  58;  reorganization  of 
police  establishments,  extension  of 
education,  &c.,  59 ;  Sind  railway 
opened,  60. 

Irrigation  in  Sind,  system  generally 
adopted,  15  ;  various  methods  of,  17  ; 
results  of  a  defective  system,  20. 

J. 

Jaoob,  late  General  John,  his  connection 
with  the  Frontier  District  of  Upper 
Sind,  162  ;  founds  the  town  of  Jaco- 
babad,  279  ;  and  dies  there  in  1858, 
280. 

Xftgin,  under  the  Talpur  and  British 
Governments,  45,  47,  49,  59,  82. 

Jftgiri,  in  the  Frontier  District,  175  ; 
Haia  D.  C,  202  ;  Hyderabad  Taluka, 
245  ;  Jerruck  D.  C,  310  ;  Ka^;achi 
Taluka,  349  ;  liLrkana  D.  C.,  486 ; 
Mehar  D.  C,  529  ;  Naushahro  D.  C, 
625  ;  Rohri  D.  C,  662 ;  Sehwan 
D.  C,  705  ;  Shahbandar  D.  C,  753  ; 
Sukkur  and  Sliikarpur  D.  C,  815  ; 
Tanda  D.  C,  568 ;  Thar  and  Parkar 
P.  S.,  856. 

Agiidan  of  Sind,  proclamation  by  Sir 
Charles  Napier  to  the,  49. 

Jails  at  Hyderabad,  247,  256 ;  Karachi, 
381  ;  Shikarpur,  817  ;  Sukkur,  ib, 

Jakrftnis,  tribe  of,  Upper  Sind,  164. 

Jamalis,  tribe  of.  Upper  Sind,  164. 

Jftm  Unar,  first  prince  of  the  Samma 
dynasty,  28. 

Jatois,  tribe  of.  Upper  Sind,  164,  779. 

Jermok  (or  Jhirak)  Deputy  CoUectorate, 
area,  boundaries  and  sub-divisions, 
283  ;  general   aspect,   285 ;  various 


branches  of  the  Indus  flowing  through 
this  district,  canal  system,  286; 
torrents  and  floods,  290;  dhandhs, 
climate,  rainfall,  and  prevailing  dis- 
eases, 291  ;  geological  nature  of  the 
district,  295  ;  animal  and  vegetable 
productions,  298 ;  forests  and  fisheries, 
301  ;  population  and  its  divisions, 
303 ;  the  Karmati,  Jokia  and  Num- 
ria  tribes,  304;  Tatta  Saiyads,  their 
birth,  marriage  and  funeral  expenses, 
306 ;  reduction  of  these,  307 ;  cri- 
minal and  civil  statistics,  ib. ;  ad- 
ministration, civil  courts,  cattle- 
pibunds  and  police,  308 ;  revenue, 
imperial  and  local,  309 ;  survey  and 
settlement,  310;  jagirs,  311  ;  muni- 
cipalities and  medical  establishments, 
314 ;  education  and  agriculture, 
315;  trade  and  manufactures,  317; 
fairs,  roads,  and  ferries,  319;  Sind 
railway,  postal  lines,  and  antiquities, 

323- 
Jermek    (Jhirak),    town,    temperature 

and  rainfall,  293 ;  municipality  and 

dispensary,  314- 
Jhampti,  state  barge  of  the  Sind  Mirs, 

271. 
Jind  Fir  (or  Khwaja  Khizr),  147,  680, 

821. 
Jokia,   tribe  of   Muhammadans,   304, 

447. 
Jnir,  cultivation  of,  in  Sind,  10.     (See 

Agriculture.) 

K. 

Kftoka  plain,  686. 

Xaohk,  Rann  of,  situation  and  area, 
2,  844. 

K&fir  KiU  at  Sehwan,  723. 

Kalftn  Kot  (or  great  fort),  324. 

Kalhoia  dynasty  in  Sind,  their  rise, 
31 ;  gradual  acquisition  of  Sind  by 
its  princes,  31 ;  Ghulam  Shah  makes 
Hyderabad  his  capital,  33;  their 
defeat  by  the  Talpur  Mlrs,  ib, ;  list  of 
the  Kalhora  princes,  34. 

Xaraehi  CoUectorate,  boundaries,  divi- 
sions and  aspect,  331 ;  administra- 
tion and  police,  332;  revenue  (im- 
perial and  local),  canals  and  forests, 
333 ;  education,  &c.,  335. 


uigiuzea  by 


Google 


936 


INDEX. 


Karidii  Taluka,  boundaries,  area  and 
divisions,  338;  aspect  and  hydro- 
B"iphyf  339 ;  Mugger  Peer  (or  Pir 
Mangho),  its  hot  springs  and  alligator^, 
339  ;  climate  and  sea-fisheries,  343  ; 
oyster  fishery,  ib, ;  agricultare,  tiie 
Malir  district,  346;  population  and 
administrative  establishments,  347; 
revenue,  local  and  imperial,  survey 
and  settlement,  348;  jagirs,  ma6 
grantees,  fairs,  roads  and  manufac- 
tures, 349. 

Xarftohi  (town  of),  its  situation,  352 ; 
mole  bridge,  native  jetty  and  custom- 
house, 353  ;  the  old  town  —  chief 
buildings  in  diflferent  municipal  quar- 
ters, 354 ;  military  cantonments  and 
arsenal,  357;  Trinity  and  SL  Pa- 
trick's churches  and  school,  359; 
European  and  Indo-European  school, 
361  ;  St  Andrew's,  Christ's,  and  St. 
Paul's  churches,  363 ;  Church  Mis- 
sionary Society  and  schools,  ib. ; 
Napier  Barracks  and  Gisri  Sanita- 
rium, 364 ;  Indo-European  telegraph 
offices,  post-office,  365  ;  Frere  Hall, 
Government  House,  367;  General 
Library  and  Museum,  ib,  \  Collec- 
tor's office  and  Small  Cause  Court, 
368;  Government  schools,  370  et  seq.\ 
Central  Book  Depot,  373  ;  Parsi  pri- 
vate schools,  374 ;  Charitable  Dispen- 
sary and  Civil  and  Lock  hospitals,  374 
f/j^^.;  prevalent  diseases,  climate,  and 
rainfall,  376  ;  water  supply,  378;  jail 
and  police,  381 ;  population  by  census 
of  1872, 383 ;  freemasonry  in  Karachi, 
385  ;  municipality,  ib,  \  city  survey 
and  lands  enquiry  commission,  390  ; 
newspaper  press,  ib,  \  trade  under  the 
Talpur  Mlrs,  39 1 ;  trade  (sea-borne  and 
inland)  under  British  rule,  394,  402  ; 
sea-customs  revenue,  403  ;  shipping, 
limits  of  port,  rules,  dues  and  fees, 
404;  directions  for  ships  in  making 
the  port,  41 1 ;  early  history  of  the 
place,  414. 

X*rai*i»^  harbour,  conservator  of,  7a 

X*rai*i»^  harbour  improvement  works, 
60,  63,  106,  404,  413. 

Xarftchi  Industrial  Exhibition  of  1869, 
»t3. 


yaritohi  municipality,  when  established, 
385 ;  its  organization,  receipts  and 
expenditure,  386;  monthly  grants- 
in-aid,  paid  by,  388 ;  boundaries  of, 
39a 

Karfcohi  dty  survey  and  lands  enqniiy, 
390.  ^ 

Kanniti,  tribe  of  Muhammadans,  304. 

Xiagi  s]rstem  of  assessment,  description 
of;  618. 

KfitL-haadAr,  temperature,  293;  pre- 
vailing winds,  294;  municipality, 
314 ;  dispensary,  315 ;  sea-borne 
and  river  trade,  420 ;  customs  dues, 
422. 

Khaizpnr  Stata,  boundaries,  area  and 
divisions,  424 ;  aspect,  hydrography 
and  chief  towns,  425 ;  climate,  dis- 
eases, soils,  and  animal  and  vege- 
table kingdom,  ib, ;  population,  re- 
venue, mode  of  administration,  426 ; 
education  and  trade,  428 ;  manufac- 
tures, roads  and  ferries,  429 ;  his- 
tory, 43a 

Xhair&ts,  or  charitable  grants  (of  land), 

84. 

Sharif  crops  in  Sind,  9. 

XhUewftri,  branch  and  mouth  of  the 
Indus,  267. 

Kbirthar,  range  of  mountains,  their  ex- 
tent and  elevation,  3. 

Khoias,  a  tribe  of  Upper  Sind,  164. 

XhudftMd,  a  ruined  town  in  Hala  D.  C^ 
223 ;  another  in  the  Sehwan  D.  C^ 
721. 

Khwija  Khiir  (or  Jind  Pir),  147,  680^ 
821. 

Kiamftri,  bland  of,  353. 

Kii^ar  (or  Khiighar)  dhandh,  285,  291. 

Kohiittn,  boundaries,  area  and  aspect, 
444  ;  principal  streams,  ib,\  dimate, 
rainfall,  and  animal  kingdom,  445 ; 
population,  revenue,  446 ;  land  as- 
sessment, and  administrative  estab- 
lishment, 448;  roads,  chief  town 
(Bula  Khan's  Thana),  449;  blood 
feuds,  45a 

Kori,  a  creek  and  month  of  the  Indus, 
267,  727,  729. 

Xotri,  great  cholera  outbreak  at,  in 
1869,  692. 

Kukftiw&xi,  a  mouth  of  the  Indus,  267. 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


INDEX. 


937 


laeqnared  ware  of  Hala,  219. 

Lakes  in  Sind,  the  Manchhar,  4,  6S6. 
(See  Dhandhs.) 

Lakki  hills,  situation,  length  and  ele- 
vation, 4,  5,  686. 

Lai  Udero,  great  fair  in  Hali  D.  C, 
220. 

Lftl  Shfthbfti,  shrine  of,  at  Sehwan, 
724. 

Land  Tenures.    (See  Tenures.) 

L&rk&na  DepMty  Collectorate,  boun- 
daries, area  and  divisions,  462 ;  as- 
pect, 464  ;  hydrography,  ib.\  floods, 
469 ;  climate,  rainfall  and  diseases, 
ib.\  soils,  animals  and  fisheries,  471 ; 
vegetable  productions,  forests,  475  ; 
population  and  its  divisions,  476 ; 
character,  dress,  food,  &c,  478 ; 
criminal  and  civil  statistics,  479  ;  ad- 
ministration, civil  courts  and  police, 
ib,\  revenue  (imperial  and  local)  and 
various  modes  of  assessment  under 
Talpur  rule,  480 ;  survey  settlement 
and  rates,  483  ;  jagirs,  486 ;  munici- 
palities and  medical  establishments, 
490 ;  prisons,  education  and  agricul- 
ture, 491 ;  trade  and  manufactures, 
494  ;  method  of  weaving  and  dyeing 
cloths,  495 ;  roads,  paper  manufac- 
ture, 497  ;  postal  lines,  ferries  and 
antiqmties,  500. 

Layari  river,  339. 

Library  and  Xnsenm  (Karachi),    52, 

367,  388. 
Loeal  funds  establishment  in  Sind,  69. 
Look  Hospitals.    (See  Hospitals.) 
Loh&no  caste,  in  Sind,  93. 
Lnnatie  Asylum  (Kauasji  Jehangir)  at 

Hyderabad,  246,  257  ;  old  asylum  at 

Larkana,  490. 

M. 

Kafi  grants,  in  Hala  D.  C,  213 ;  in 
Hyderabad  Taluka,  246;  Jemick 
D.  C,  314 ;  Karachi  Taluka,  349 ; 
Larkana  D.  C,  490 ;  Mehar  D.  C., 
532  ;  Naushahro  D.  C,  627  ;  Seh- 
wan, 712  ;  Shahbandar,  758. 

Iffahinli  system  of  assessment,  619. 


XakU  hills,  length  and  elevation,  3, 
285  ;  geological  features,  295  ;  ruined 
tombs  upon  them,  324. 

Mai  (or  Bagana)  river,  732. 

Kalir  district,  346. 

Mallr  river,  339,  445. 

¥anohhar  lake,  4,  686;  method  of 
catching  birds  and  fish  there,  696. 

Xauora,  suburb  of  Karachi,  352 ; 
brebkwater,   108 ;  fair,  352  ;  church 
(St.  Paul's),  364. 

Mantfleld,  Mr.  S.,  Commissioner  in 
Sind  from  1862,  improvements  in 
revenue  and  judicial  departments, 
60 ;  opened  Frere  Hall  in  October 
1865,  ib, 

Mannfaoturesof  Alahyar-jo-Tando,  120 ; 
Badin,  123  ;  Bubak,  146 ;  Frontier 
District,  170 ;  Hala  D.  C,  218,  224 ; 
Hyderabad  Taluka,  250  j  Hyderabad 
(town,)  262 ;  Jerruck  D.  C,  319,  327; 
Karachi  (town),  350 ;  Khairpur  State, 
429  ;  Larkana  D.  C,  494  ;  Larkana 
(town),  504  ;  Naushahro  D.  C,  633  ; 
Rohri  D.  C,  672,  680 ;  Sehwan  D.  C, 
715  ;  Shahbandar  D.  C,  762 ;  Shik- 
arpur  (town),  794 ;  Sukkur  and  Shik- 
arpur  D.  C,  821  ;  Tanda  D.  C,  577  ; 
Thar  and  Parkar  P.  S.,  860. 

Markfifts  at  Alahyar-jo-Tando,  120; 
Bhiria,  126  ;  Hyderabad,  256 ;  Jer- 
ruck, 326  ;  Kandiaro,  330 ;  Karachi, 
354,  357;  Larkana,  503;  Mehar, 
539  ;  Moro,  546  ;  Naushahro,  639  ; 
Shikarpur,  791;  Sukkur,  829 ;  Tando 
Muhammad  Khan,  836  ;  Tharushah, 
865. 

Xarwar,  severe  famine  in,  during  1869, 
63. 

XasTim  Shih,  minaret  oi^  at  Sukkur, 
827,  828. 

Xa^krit,  tribe  in  Upper  Sind,  162. 

Kaqids  at  Ghotki,  182 ;  Tatta,  841  ; 
Ubauro,  867.     (See  Tombs.) 

ICedioal  Department  (Civil)  in  Sind, 

73. 

Xeeanee,  battle  of,  41. 

Hehar,  Deputy  Collectorate,  bound- 
aries, area  and  .divisions,  508  ;  gene- 
ral aspect,  510 ;  canals,  511 ;  climate, 
rainfall  and  diseases,  y2 ;  Dhar 
Yaro  and  Danua  Towers  hill  stations, 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


938 


INDEX. 


513  ;  geolc^  and  soils,  520 ;  animal 
and  vegetable  productions,  fisheries, 
521  ;  population  and  its  divisions, 
524 ;  character,  &c.,  of  the  people, 
civil  and  criminal  statistics,  525  ;  ad- 
ministrative staff,  police,  revenue 
(imperial  and  local),  526  ;  survey  and 
settlement,  527 ;  jagirs  and  mafi 
grants,  529  ;  municipalities  and  medi- 
cal establishments,  prisons,  educa- 
tion, and  agriculture,  533  ;  fairs  and 
roads,  535  \  postal  lines,  ferries,  &c., 

538. 

X«ndioants,  religious,  in  Sind,  96. 

]Urew«th«r,  Sir  W.  L.,  Commissioner 
in  Sind,  police  re-organized,  and 
revenue  and  canal  departments  im- 
proved, 61 ;  Sind  Official  Gazette 
first  published  and  rural  messenger 
post  introduced,  62 ;  Manora  break- 
water completed  in  1873,  64. 

Xilitary  cantonments.  (See  Canton- 
ments.) 

Military  establishments  at  Jacobabad, 
173,  280 ;  at  Hyderabad,  255,  261 ; 
at  Karachi,  357,  384. 

mneral  productions  of,  Hyderabad 
Taluka,  238 ;  Jemick  D.  C,  298 ; 
Khairpur  State,  425  ;  Mehar  D.  C, 
521 ;  Shahbandar  D.  C,  744;  Suk- 
kur  and  Shikarpur  D.  C,  805  ; 
Tanda  D.  C,  558 ;  Thar  and  Par- 
kar  P.  S.,  850. 

Kir  AU  Xnrftd  Khftn,  bom  in  1815, 

430  ;  attempts  on  part  of  his  brothers 
to  defraud  him,  his  communication 
with  Mr.  Ross  Bell,  Political  Agent, 

431  ;  rupture  with  his  brother  Mir 
Rustam  and  subsequent  treaty  of 
Naunahar,  434 ;  his  requests  to  Sir 
Charles  Napier,  38,  434 ;  raised  to 
the  dignity  of  "  Rais,"  38,  435  ;  is 
suspected  of  fraud  in  the  matter  of 
the  treaty  of  Naunahar,  436;  his 
conviction  and  subsequent  d^;rada- 
tion,  53,  437.     (See  Khairpur. ) 

ICir-jo-Taiido,  near  Hyderabad,  264. 
KiMion  church  (Christ's)  and  schools 

(Karachi),  363. 
Kithran  canal,  587,  845. 
Xohftaa  (or  XiUi&na)  tribe  of  Sindis, 

700. 


Xokai  (or  Xnkhai)  salt  lake  in  the 
Thar  and  Parkar,  85a 

Xugger  Pew.     (See  Pir  Xaagho.) 

Xnhammad  Kinm  SUdfi,  the  earliest 
known  invader  of  Sind,  24 ;  his  un- 
timely end,  25. 

Xnhamaud  Khfta'a  TeodA  (or  the  Tuda) 
division,  boundaries,  area  and  sab- 
divisions,  548 ;  general  aspect  and 
canal  system,  550;  climate,  rainfall 
and  diseases,  557  ;  geology  and  soils, 
558;  animal  and  vegetable  produc- 
tions, forests,  ib.\  fisheries,  560 ; 
population  and  its  divisions,  ib.\  cha- 
racter, language,  dress,  &c.,  562; 
criminal  and  dvil  statistics,  563  ;  ad- 
ministration, 564 ;  cattle-pounds, 
civil  courts  and  police,  565  ;  revenue 
(imperial  and  local),  566  ;  survey 
and  settlement,  tenures,  567 ;  jagirs, 
568 ;  municipalities  and  medical 
establishments,  569  ;  education  and 
agriculture,  571  ;  trade  (local  and 
transit),  574;  manufactures,  577 
fairs,  roads  and  ferries,  578 ;  electric 
telegraph  and  postal  lines,  antiquities^ 
&c,  582. 

Xnhammadaa  invasion  and  conquest  of 
Sind,  24 ;  capture  of  Nerankot, 
Brahmanabad  and  Alor,  25. 

Xnhammadan  population  of  Sind,  their 
divisions,  86 ;  character,  religion 
and  education,  88 ;  language,  litera- 
ture, &c,  88^^^^^. 

Xunidpal  institutions  at  Adam-jo- 
Tando,  118,  213  j  Alahyar-jo-Tando, 
120,  213 ;  Aiazi,  121,  712  ;  Badin, 
122,  570 ;  Bhiria,  126,  627  ;  Bubak, 
146,  712  ;  Chachra,  149,  857  ;  Dadu, 
150^  712  ;  Daro,  151  ;  Dipla,  153, 
857  ;  Gadra,  176,  857  ;  Garhi  Yasin, 
178 ;  Ghotana,  x8o,  213  ;  Ghotki, 
181,  668;  Hala,  213,  224;  Hyd- 
erabad, 246,  258;  Islamkot,  279, 
857  ;  Jerruck,  314,  326  ;  Jacobabad, 
176,  281  ;  Jam-jo-Tando,  246 ;  Kam- 
^»r,  329,  490 ;  Kandiaro,  330,  627  ; 
Karachi,  385;  Kcti-bandar,  314, 
420 ;  Khairpur  Natheshah,  440,  533 ; 
Khipra,  442,  857  ;  Khokhar,  213 ; 
Kotri,  453,  712;  Larkana,  503; 
Manjhand,  506,  712 ;  Matari,   213, 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


INDEX. 


939 


507  ;  Mehar,  533  ;  Mirpur  Batoro, 
544,  758  ;  Mirpur  Khas,  213,  542  ; 
Mitti,  545,  857  ;  Moro,  546,  627  ; 
Mugalbhin,  547,  758 ;  Nabisar,  583, 
857  ;  Nagar  Parkar,  584,  857  ;  Nas- 
arpur,  592 ;  Naushahro,  627,  639  ; 
Nindo  Shahr,  640 ;  Rajo  Khanani, 
642  ;  Rohri,  668 ;  Sanghar,  683  ; 
Sehwan,  712,  723 ;  Shahbandar, 
758  ;  Shahdadpur,  769  ;  Shikarpur, 
792 ;  Sujawal,  796,  Sukkur,  829 ; 
Tando  Bago,  834;  Tando  Muham- 
mad Khan,  836  ;  Tatta,  838 ;  Thar 
and  Parkar  P.  S.,  856  ;  Tharu  Shah, 
865  ;  Umarkot,  857,  868 ;  Virawah, 
857,  870. 

Xusftfirkhftaa.    (See  Dharamsala.) 

Xiueiim  (at  Karachi),  52,  367. 

Xata  contract,  description  of,  619. 

Xntiny  at  Karachi  in  1857,  56. 

Xutiii  river,  732. 

N. 

Hal     (See  Torrent.) 

VapUr,  Sir  CharlaB  J.,  arrives  in  Sind 
in  1842  as  chief  military  and  politi- 
cal officer,  37 ;  capture  of  the  desert 
fort  of  Imamgarli,  38 ;  battles  of 
Meeanee  and  Dabba,  41  ;  his  ap- 
pointment as  Governor  of  Sind,  49  ; 
campaign  in  1845  ^"  ^^^  Man  hills, 
50 ;  expedition  to  Bahawalpur,  efforts 
to  put  down  abuses  in  Sind,  ib, ; 
resignation  of  office  in  1847  and  death 
in  1853,  SI. 

Napier  Barracks  (Karachi),  364. 

Napier  mole  bridge,  353. 

Nftrft,  Eastern,  canal,  57,  I37,  425»  S^Sf 
845. 

N&r&,  Weetem,  canal,  465,  591,  687. 

Nandiahro  Deputy  CoUectorate,  bound- 
aries, area  and  sub-divisions,  593  ; 
general  aspect,  canal  system,  595 ; 
clearance  of  canals  under  native  rule, 
600 ;  climate  and  rainfall,  601  ; 
soils,  fisheries,  animal  and  vegetable 
productions,  602  ;  forests,  604 ;  popu- 
lation and  its  divisions,  id.;  language, 
dress,  food,  &c.,  606 ;  criminal  and 
civil  statistics,  608  ;  administration, 
civil  courts,  and  cattle-pounds,  609  ; 


police,  revenue  (imperial  and  local), 
610;  revenue  of  the  Kandiaro  and 
Naushahro  districts  under  native  rule, 
611  ;  customs,  transit  duties,  poll- 
tax  and  other  taxes,  612  ;  the  Batai 
system,  615  ;  Kasgi,  mahsuli,  dan- 
bandi,  and  muta  systems,  618 ;  sur- 
vey and  settlement,  tenures,  620 ; 
Zamindars  of  the  district,  622  ;  their 
former  dues  in  the  Sahiti  district, 
jagirs,  624  ;  municipalities,  and  medi- 
cal establishments,  627 ;  education 
and  agriculture,  628 ;  trade  (local 
and  transit),  630 ;  manufactures  and 
fairs,  633 ;  roads,  ferries,  antiquities 
and  early  history,  635. 

Nerankot,  ancient  city  of,  24,  264. 

Kewipaper  press  at  Karachi,  390. 

Nfimria  tribe  of  Muhammadans,  305. 


Ordeal,  trials  by,  under  Talpur  rule, 

48. 
Oriental  Inland  Steam  Company,  57, 

^2,  275. 
Ontnun,  X^jor  (afterwards  Sir  James), 

37  ;  his  return  to  Sind  in  1843,  38 ; 

his  gallant  defence  of  the  Residency 

near  Hyderabad,  ib. 
Oyiter  fisheries  in  Sind,  345. 


Pabb  hills,  their  situation,  length,  and 

elevation,  3. 
Pala  fishing  on  the  Indus,  27a 
Pana  (or  Pan),  grass  of  the  Indus  Delta, 

268,  300. 
Pani  schools  at  Karachi,  374. 
Pat,  or  Shikarpur  desert,  4. 
Pattadari  grants,  84. 
Pearl  fishery  of  Sind,  345. 
PSehkiflh  tax,  description  of,  614. 
Pilot   establishment,   at    Manora    70, 

406  ;  charges  by,  410. 
Pinyiri  river.    (See  Sir.) 
Pir  Xangah  (or  Xng^er  Peer),  339. 
Polioe  in  Sind,   their  re-organization, 

59-61 ;   their  number  and  division, 

68. 
Police  force  in  Frontier  District,  173 ; 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC 


940 


INDEX. 


Hala  D.  C,  197 ;  Hyderabad  Col- 
lectorate,  228;  Hyderabad  Taluka, 
242 ;  Hyderabad  (town),  261 ;  Jer- 
rnck  D.  C,  308 ;  Karachi  CoUecto- 
rate,  332  ;  Karachi  (town),  382  ;  Ko- 
histan,  448;  LariuLna  D.  C,  480; 
Mehar  D.  C,  526 ;  Nanshahro  D.  C, 
610;  Rohri,  D.  C,  660;  Sehwan 
D.  C^  702  ;  Shahbandar  D.  C,  751  ; 
Shikarpnr  CoUectorate,  772;  Suk- 
kurand  Shikarpur  D.  C,  81 1 ;  Tan- 
da  D.  C^  565 ;  Thar  and  Parkar 
P.  S„  855. 

Pdlioe  posts  at  Abji,  118 ;  Adalpur,  ib. ; 
Adam'jo-Tando,  ib,\  Alahyar-jo-Tan- 
do,  120 ;  Amri,  ib,\  Arazi,  X2i  ; 
Badin,  122;  Belo,  124;  Bhan,  125; 
Bhian,  U>.\  Bhiria,  Uf,\  Bubak,  146; 
Budhapur,  ib,\  Bula- Khan's  Thano, 
449 ;  Chachra,  149 ;  Chak,  ib,\ 
Chor,  ib.\  Dadu,  150 ;  Dakhan,  151  ; 
Daro,  /A;  Daulatpur,  152  ;  Deparja, 
ib.\  Dipla,  153  ;  Gadra,  176;  C^aheja, 
177  ;  Garelo,  ib,-y  Garhi  Adu  Sh5h, 
178 ;  Garhi  Khera,  ib,\  Garhi  Yasin, 
ib,\  Gharo,  179 ;  Gidtt-bandar,  i^ ; 
Ghotana,  180 ;  Ghotki,  181  ;  Hairo 
Khan,  185 ;  Hala,  224 ;  Humaiyon, 
226 ;  Hyderabad,  261 ;  Islamkot, 
279  ;  Jagan,  281 ;  Jemick,  326 ;  Jhan- 
gar,  283  ;  Johi,  327  ;  Kakar,  328  ; 
Kambar,  329  ;  Kandiaro,  330 ;  Ka- 
rachi (town),  382  ;  Karampur,  417  ; 
Katyar,  418 ;  Keti,  420 ;  Khairo 
Dero,  424  ;  Khairpur  Dharki,  439  ; 
Khairpurjuso,  440;  Khairpur  Nathe- 
shah,  ib,  \  Khanpur,  441  \  Khatian, 
442 ;  Khipra,  ib,\  Khokhar,  443 ; 
Khorwah,  ih, ;  Kot  Habib,  451 ;  Kot 
Sultan,  ih, ;  Kotri,  453 ;  Lakhi,  461  ; 
Laid,  462 ;  Larkano,  503 ;  Madeji, 
505 ;  Mahrabpur,  ib, ;  Manjhand, 
506 ;  Matari,  507 ;  Mehar,  539 ; 
Mian  Saheb,  540;  Mirpur  (Roh. 
D.  C),  /^.;  Mirpur  (Fron.  D.)  541 ; 
Mirpur  Batoro,  543 ;  Mirpur  Khas, 
542  ;  Mitti,  545 ;  Moro,  547 ;  Mah- 
bat  Dero  Jatoi,  546;  Mugalbhin, 
547 ;  Nabisar,  583 ;  Nagar  Parkar, 
584 ;  Nasarpur,  592 ;  Nasirabad, 
593  ;  Naushahro,  639 ;  Nawa  Dera, 
640;  Nindo  Shahr,  *^.;  Phaka,  641  ; 


Rajo  Khanani,  642;  Rato  Dero, 
643 ;  Rawati,  644 ;  Rohri,  679 ; 
Rustam,  681 ;  Sangfaar,  6S3  ;  Sang- 
rar,  ib, ;  Sann,  684 ;  Sehwan,  723 ; 
Shahbandar,  76S ;  Shahdadpur,  769 ; 
Shah  Hasan,  770;  Sujawal,  796; 
Talti,  833  J  Tando  Bago,  834  ;  Tan- 
do  Ghulam  Ali,  835  ;  Tando  Mn- 
hammad  Khan,  836;  Tatta,  837; 
Thari  Mohbat,  865 ;  Thani  Shah,  ib.\ 
Thul,  866 ;  Ubauro,  867  ;  Umarkot. 
868 ;  Unarpur,  869  ;  Virawah,  870 ; 
Wagan,  870. 

FopnlatioiL  of  the  province  of  Sind,  85 
a  seq, 

Popalation  of  Frontier  District,  160 ; 
Hala  D.  C,  194 ;  Hyderabad  CoUec- 
torate, 227 ;  Hyderabad  Taluka,  239; 
Hyderabad  town,  261 ;  Jerruck  D. 
C.,  303 ;  Karachi  CoUectorate,  331  ; 
Karachi  Taluka,  347  ;  Karachi  town, 
383 ;  Khairpur  State,  426 ;  Larkana 
D.  C,  476 ;  Mehar  D.  C,  524 ;  Nau- 
shahro D.  C,  604 ;  Rohri  D.  C^  656  ; 
Sehwan  D.  C,  698;  Shahbandar 
D.  C,  748;  Shikarpur  town,  788; 
Sukkur  and  Shikarpur  D.  C,  807 ; 
Tanda  D.  C,  560 ;  Thar  and  Parkar 
P.  S.,  851. 

Port  dues  and  fees  at  Karachi,  406. 

Port  establishment  at  Karachi,  70,  35a 

Port  fund  (Karachi),  409. 

Port  of  Karachi,  limits  of,  406 ;  di- 
rections for  ships  making  it,  41 1. 

Port  rules  of  Karachi,  407. 

Post-olBoei  at  Adam-jo-Tando,  118; 
Alahyar-jo-Tando,  120 ;  Badin,  122  ; 
Bagudra,  677;  Belo,  766;  Bhiria, 
637;  Bubak,  146;  Bula  Khan's 
Thano,  449;  Dabeji,  323;  Dadu, 
150 ;  Daulatpur,  637  ;  Garhi  Yasin, 
178;  Gidu-bandar,  182;  Ghotana, 
220 ;  Ghotki,  i8i ;  Hala,  220 ;  Hy- 
derabad,  252,  256 ;  Jati,  766 ;  Jer- 
nick,  323;  Johi,  327;  Jungshahi, 
323;  Kaka^,  329,  538;  Kambar, 
329,  500 ;  Kandiaro,  330,  637 ;  Ka- 
rachi, 367;  Keti,  323;  Kiamari, 
353  ;  Kotri,  453  ;  Laki,  462;  Lar- 
kana,  503;  Mirpur,  677;  Mirpur 
Batoro,  766  ;  Moro,  637  ;  Nabisar, 
583  ;  Nagar  Parkar,  584,  861 ;  Nau- 


Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


INDEX. 


941 


shahro,  639 ;  Pano  Akil,  677  ;  Rato 
Dero,  643;  Rohri,  679;  Sann,  684, 
Sakrand,  637 ;  Sehwan,  723 ;  Shah- 
bandar,  766 ;  Shahdadpur,  769  ;  Su- 
jawal,  766;  Talti,  833;  Talhar, 
583  ;  Tando  Bago,  583,834  ;  Tando 
Muhammad  Khan,  583,  836 ;  Tatta, 
839;  Tharu  Shah,  637;  Umarkot, 
861,868. 

Poft,  rural  messenger,  established  in 
1868,  71. 

Foital  Department,  Sind,  71. 

Pottery,  glazed,  of  Hala,  218. 

FOttmger,  Colonel  W.,  his  mission 
in  1839,  to  Sind,  35. 

Ftmi,  newspaper,  at  Karachi,  390. 

Fxingle,  Mr.,  his  administration  as 
Commissioner  in  Sind,  52. 

PrifODB.     (See  Jails.) 

PnUie  Works  Department  in  Sind,  69. 

Pnrftn  (or  the  "ancient"  stream),  2, 
137,  847. 

R. 

Bald  crops  of  Sind,  9. 
Bailway  (Sind),  commencement  and 
completion,  56,  109  ;  description  of, 
no;  sanctioned  extension  to  the 
Panjab,  63 ;  receipts  and  expendi- 
ture, III  ;  goods  carried  by  it  be- 
tween Kohi  and  Karachi  during  cer- 
tain periods,  458.  (See  Indus  Valley 
Railway.) 

BainfUl  in  Sind  generally,  7  ;  Frontier 
District,  160;  Hala  D.  C,  191 ; 
Hyderabad  (town),  237 ;  Jerruck 
D.  C,  294 ;  Karachi  (town),  374 ; 
Kohistan,  446;  Kotri,  294;  Lar- 
kana  D.  C,  471 ;  Mehar  D.  C, 
512 ;  Mirpur  Batoro,  742 ;  Mitti, 
849;  Nagar  Parkar,  849;  Nau- 
shahro  D.  C,  601 ;  Rohri  D.  C, 
653 ;  Sehwan  D.  C,  691 ;  Shikarpur 
(town),  804;  Tanda  D.  C,  557; 
Tatta,  294 ;  Umarkot,  849. 

Baj&  Bhartari.    (See  Lai  Shahbaz.) 

B&ni-kft-kot,  fort  of,  683,  721. 

Bann  of  Kaohh,  its  area  and  situation, 
2,  844. 

SeligiovB  mendicants  of  Sind,  96. 

Kevenue  of  Sind,  91  et  seq. 

Hevenue  (imperial  and  local)  of  Fron- 


tier District,  173  ;  Hala  D.  C,  198  ; 
Hyderabad  CoUectorate,  229;  Hy- 
derabad Taluka,  243  ;  Jerruck  D.  C, 
309;  Karachi  CoUectorate,  333; 
Karachi  Taluka,  348;  Khairpur 
State,  426;  Larkana  D.  C,  480; 
Mehar,  D.  C,  526 ;  Naushahro  D. 

C,  610 ;  Rohri  D.  €.,  66i  ;  Sehwan 

D.  C,  702  ;  Shahbandar  D.  C,  751 ; 
Shikarpur  CoUectorate,  773;  Suk- 
kur  and  Shikarpur  D.  C,  812 ; 
Tanda  D.  C,  565  ;  Thar  and  Parkar 
P.  S.,  855. 

Bioe  cultivation  in  Sind,  10 ;  methods 
practised  in  the  Shahbandar  D.  C, 
759.    (See  Agriculture.) 

Bichhal  mouth  of  the  Indus,  267,  286. 

Boads  in  Frontier  District,  171 ;  Hala 
D.  C,  220 ;  Hyderabad  Taluka,  251  ; 
Hyderabad  (town),  255;  Jciruck 
D.  C,  321  ;  Karachi  TaTOka,  350; 
Khairpur  State,  429  ;  Kohistan,  448 ; 
Larkana  D.  C,  498 ;  Mehar  D.  C, 
535  ;  Naushahro  D.  C,  635  ;  Rohri 
D.  C,  673 ;  Sehwan  D.  C,  716 ; 
Shahbandar  D.  C,  764 ;  Sukkur  and 
Shikarpur  D.  C,  821  ;  Tanda  D.C., 
579 ;  Thar  and  Parkar  P.  S.,  861. 

Bohii  Deputy  CoUectorate,  boundaries, 
area  and  sub-divisions,  644 ;  gene- 
ral aspect,  645  ;  canal  system,  646  ; 
dhandhs,  floods  and  bandhs,  649; 
climate,  rainfall  and  diseases,  652 ; 
soils,  653;  animal  and  vegetable 
productions,  forests,  654;  fisheries, 
^55  \  population  and  its  divisions, 
656 ;  language,  dress,  food,  &c.,  657  ; 
criminal  and  civU  statistics,  659  ; 
administration,  civil  courts,  and 
police,  660 ;  cattle-pounds,  revenue 
(imperial  and  local),  ib.\  survey 
settlement  and  tenures),  662 ;  jagirs, 
ib,\  Saiyads  of  Bakhur  and  Rohri 
667;  municipalities  and  medical 
estabUshments,  668;  education  and 
agriculture,  669;  trade  (local  and 
transit),  670;  manufactures  and 
fairs,  672;  roads,  ferries  and  anti- 
quities, 673. 

Buins  at  Aror,  121 ;  Bambura,  123, 
323;  Brahmanabad,  126;  Hakra 
(near   Rohri),   677;   Kafir   Kila  at 


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942 


INDEX. 


Sehwan,  723;  Kalan  Kot  (near 
Tatta)^  324;  Khudabad  (HaJa  D. 
C),  223;  Khudabad  (Sehwan  D. 
C),  721  ;  the  Man  (near  Helaia), 
324 ;  Rata-kot,  862  ;  tombs  on  the 
Makli  hills,  324 ;  Tatta-Tort,  841  ; 
Para  Nagar  (T.  and  P.),  862. 


Uiiti  District  (See  Naushahro  Deputy 
CoUectorate.) 

Baijads  of  Bakhur  and  Rohri,  667  ; 
of  Tatta,  their  reduction  of  birUi, 
marriage  and  funeral  expenses,  306. 

Salt  company  (Karachi),  745. 

Salt,  manufacture  of,  at  Sirgando,  744, 
763  ;  in  the  Thar  and  Parkar,  860. 

Salt  trade  in  Sind,  105,  745. 

Saiiima  dynasty  in  Sind,  28.  - 

SehoolB  at  Abdu,  117;  Abji,  118; 
Adalpur,  ih, ;  Adam-jo-Tando,  ib, ; 
Alahyar-jo-Tando,  120 ;  Arazi,  121  ; 
Badiri,  123 ;  Bagirji,  ib ;  Bhiria, 
126;  Bubak,  146;  Chachra,  149; 
Chelar,  ib. ;  Cbor,  150 ;  Dadu,  ib.  ; 
Dakhan,  151  ;  Darbelo,  ib. ;  Dipla, 
153;  Gadra,  176;  Garhi  Yasin, 
178;  Gidu-bandar,  182;  Ghotki, 
181  ;  Hala  (Old),  224 ;  Hala  (New), 
ib. ;  Halani,  22$  ;  Hyderabad,  256  ; 
Jacobabad,  1 73  ;  Jam-jo-Tando,  282  ; 
Jhangar,  283  ;  Jerruck,  326  ;  Kakar, 
329  ;  Kambar,  ib.  \  Kandiaro,  330 ; 
Karachi,  370;  Khahi  Rahu,  423; 
Kashmor,  418  ;  Khairo  Dero,  424  ; 
Khairpur  Dharki,  439 ;  Khairpur 
Natheshah,  440 ;  Kot  Habib,  451  ; 
Kot  Sultan,  ib. ;  Kotri,  453  ;  Lakhi, 
461  ;  Larkano,  502  ;  Mahrabpur, 
505  ;  Manjhand,  506  ;  Manora,  352  ; 
Matari,  507 ;  Mehar,  539 ;  Mian 
Saheb,  540 ;  Mirpur  (Fron.  D.),  543  ; 
Mirpur'  Khas,  542 ;  Mitti,  545 ; 
Moro,  546 ;  Nabisar,  583 ;  Nagar 
Parkar,  584 ;  Nasarpur,  592  ;  Nawa, 
Defa,  640  ;  Nindo  Shahr,  641  ;  Rato 
Dero,  643  ;  Rohri,  679  ;  Sanghar, 
683  ;  Sangrar,  683  ;  Sann,  684  ;  Seh- 
wan, 723 ;  Shahdadpur,  769 ;  Shah 
Hasan,  770;  Talti,  833;  Tando 
Bago,     834 ;    Tando    Ghulam    Ali, 


'      835  ;  Tando  Muhammad  Khan,  836 ; 
!      Tatta.  839;    Than    Mohbat,   865; 
I      Tharu  Shah,  ib, ;  Thul,  866  ;  Ubau- 
I      ro,  867  ;    Umarkot,  868  ;   Unarpnr, 
j      869  ;  Virawah,  870  ;  Wagan,  ib. 
I  Sea  fisheries  of  Sind,  343. 
Sehwan  Deputy  CoUectorate,  boand- 
aries,  area  and  sub-divisions,   684 ; 
general  aspect,  685  ;  Manchbar  Lake, 
686;    canals,   687;   dhandhs,    hot- 
springs  and   climate,   690 ;  rainfall 
and  diseases,  691 ;  soils,  animal  and 
vegetable  productions,  693  ;    forests 
and  fisheries,  695  ;  netting  wild  fowl 
and  catching  fish,  696 ;  population 
and  its  divisions,  698 ;  criminal  and 
civil  statistics,   700;  administration, 
civil  courts  and  police,  701 ;  revenue 
(imperial  and  local),    702;    survey 
and  settlement,  tenures  and  jagirs, 
705 ;     municipalities    and    medical 
establishments,  712  ;  prisons,  educa- 
tion and  agriculture,  713  ;  trade  and 
manufactures,  715 ;  fairs,  roads  and 
post-offices,   716;  ferries  and   anti- 
quities, 720. 
Serii.    (See  Dharamsala.) 
Seri  grants  in  Hala  D.  C.,  213  ;   Hy- 
derabad Taliika,  246  ;  Jerruck  D.  C, 
314 ;  Naushahro  D.  C,  627  ;   Seh- 
wan D.  C,  712  ;  Thar  and  Parkar 
P.  S.,  856. 
Settlement  Department.     (See  BoTwtff 

and  Settlement  Department.) 
ShUkbandar  Deputy  CoUectorate, 
boundaries,  area,  and  sub-divisions, 
725  ;  general  aspect,  726 ;  creeks 
and  canals,  727 ;  floods,  dhandhs 
and  climate,  740 ;  temperature,  rain- 
fall, diseases  and  soils,  742 ;  salt 
deposits  at  Sirgando  and  other 
places,  744 ;  animal  and  v^etable 
productions,  745 ;  forests,  fisheries, 
population  and  its  divisions,  746 ; 
criminal  and  civil  statistics,  750 ; 
administration,  cattle-pounds  and 
poUce,  ib. ;  revenue  (imperial  and 
local),  751 ;  survey  and  assessment, 
752 ;  jagirs,  753 ;  mafidars,  758  ; 
municipalities  and  medical  establish- 
ments, ib.  ;  prisons,  education  and 
agriculture,    759 ;   methods  of    rice 


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INDEX, 


943 


cultivation,  ib. ;  trade,  manufactures 
and  fairs,  760 )  roads,  post-offices 
and  ferries,  764. 

Shahdadwftli  canal.    (See  Snkkiir  canal.) 

Shall  Btljali,  his  march  towards  Shikar- 
pur  in  1833  and  its  results,  785. 

Shlk&rpur  Collectorate,  boundaries, 
area  and  divisions,  general  aspect, 
771 ;  chief  administrative  officers, 
772  ;  police  force,  revenue  (imperial 
and  local)  and  abkari,  773 ;  canal 
revenue,  forests,  775  ;  education  and 
early  history  of  the  district,  777 ; 
dissensions  between  the  Mahars  and 
Daudpotras,  779 ;  founding  of  the 
city  of  Sbikarpur,  781  ;  rise  of  the 
Kalhoras,  and  state  of  the  district 
under  Talpur  rule,  ih.  \  government 
of  the  Afghans  and  Talpurs  com- 
pared, 783  ;  Shah  Siijah*s  expedition 
to  Sind,  and  its  results,  785  ;  forma- 
tion of  Collectorate  on  conquest  of 
the  province  by  the  British  and  sub- 
sequent incorporation  in  it  of  certain 
districts  formerly  by  Mir  All  Murad 
Talpur,  786. 

Shik&rpiir,  town  of,  situation  of  the 
place,  787  ;  means  of  communication 
with  other  towns,  ib, ;  municipal 
boundaries  and  police  lines,  16.  ; 
present  and  past  population,  788 ; 
chief  buildings  and  aspect  of  town  in 
1841,  790;  improvements,  tempera- 
ture and  prevalent  diseases,  791 ; 
municipality,  792 ;  trade,  manufac- 
tures, postal  routes,  &c.,  793  el  seq. 

Bhippinff  at  Karachi,  405  ;  port  dues 
and  fees  on,  406  et  seq, 

ShipSi  entering  and  leaving  port  of 
Karachi,  405 ;  wrecked  near  Ka- 
rachi, ib, ;  directions  for,  in  making 
Karachi,  411. 

Sikhs  of  Sind,  95. 

Sind,  its  boundaries  and  area,  extent  of 
sea-coast,  i,  2 ;  physical  geography, 
scenery,  soil,  and  climate,  3 ;  diseases, 
crops  and  various  methods  of  culti- 
vation, 8  ef  seq.  ;  extent  of  cultivated 
land,  forests  and  their  management, 
12  ;  animal  kingdom,  14  ;  irrigation, 
canals,  15  ;  methods  of  irrigation  and 
classes  of  cultivation,  17  ;  loi^s  from 


imperfect  cultivation,  21  ;  ancient 
Hindu  dynasty  in  Sind,  23  ;  Mu- 
hammadan  invasion  and  conquest, 
24;  revenue  of  Sind,  and  state  of 
trade  under  Arab  rule,  26  ;  conquered 
by  Mahmud  of  Ghazni,  Siimra  dy- 
nasty, 27 ;  Samma  dynasty,  28 ; 
Arghun  dynasty,  29  ;  Turkhan  dy- 
nasty, 30 ;  Humayun's  unsuccessful 
invasion,  ib.;  conquest  by  Akbar,  the 
Daudpotras,  ib, ;  ruled  by  the  Kal- 
hora  princes,  31  ;  by  the  Talpur 
Mirs,  33 ;  English  factory  in  Sind, 
unsuccessful  mission  of  Mr.  Crowe, 
Colonel  W.  Pottinger  sent  to  Sind 
in  1832,  35  ;  Bumes' journey  through 
Sind  in  i330^  and  march -of  Sir  John 
Keane's  army  in  1838,  36  ;  occupa- 
tion by  a  British  force  in  1839,  ib, ; 
conquest  in  1843  by  Sir  Charles  J. 
Napier,  41  ;  state  of  the  country 
under  Talpur  rule,  45  ;  administra- 
tion by  Sir  Charles  Napier,  the  first 
Governor,  49  ;  under  the  first  com- 
missioner, Mr.  Pringle,  52 ;  under 
Mr.  (afterwards  Sir  Bartle)  Frere, 
ib. ;  under  Messrs.  Inverarity  and 
Mansfield,  58;  under  Sir  W.  L. 
Merewether,  61  ;  division  of  Sind 
for  political,  judicial,  and  revenue 
purposes,  method  of  administration, 
65  ;  police  force  in  Sind,  68 ;  various 
departments  employed  in  the  Pro- 
vince such  as  the  pubUc  works,  69 ; 
customs,  70;  port  establishment,  ib.; 
postal  and  educational,  71  ;  civil  and 
medical,  vaccination,  73  ;  telegraphs, 
75  ;  survey  and  settlement,  77  ;  land 
tenures,  79  et  seq, ;  population  and 
its  division  into  Muhammadans  and 
Hindus,  *$ ;  their  character,  lan- 
guage, religion,  dress,  &c,  87 ;  Sikhs, 
95  ;  religious  mendicants,  96 ;  re- 
venue uf  Sind  under  Brkish  ^e,  98  ; 
trade,  lOO  ;  resumd  of  improvements 
carried  out  in  the  Province  from  date 
of  conquest  (1843)  ^o  ^^1S$  II4- 

Sind  Official  Gazette,  published  from 
1868,  390. 

Sindhu,  ancient  name  of  the  river  Indus, 
265. 

Sindw&h  (canal),  800. 


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944 


INDEX. 


ffir  river,  727,  731- 

8ir  flOraiiiiri  tax,  description  of,  612, 
614. 

ffirgaado,  salt  deposits  at,  744,  763. 

BDUdl  CftQte  Covt  (Karachi),  59,  369. 

SnakeUte  in  Sind,  55. 

(or  8odha)  race  of  Rajputs,  852, 
862. 

in  Sind  generally,  6 ;  in  t^e 
Frontier  District,  160 ;  Hali  D.  C, 
192  ;  Hyderabad  Taliika,  238  ;  Jer- 
nick  D.  C,  298;  Khairpur  State, 
425  ;  T^rkana  D.  C,  471  ;  Mehar 
D.  C,  520 ;  Naoshahro  D.  C,  601 ; 
Rohri  D.  C,  653 ;  Sehwan  D.  C, 
693  ;  Shahbandar  D,  C,  743  ;  Suk- 
kur  and  Shikarpur  D.  C,  805; 
Tanda  D.  C,  558  ;  Thar  and  Parkar 
P.  S.,  8sa 

Bonthxi  dhandh  (or  lake),  285,  291. 

Springs,  hot,  at  Mugger  Peer  (Pir 
Mangho),  339 ;  at  Laki  (Sehwan 
D.  C).  690. 

Bt  Andrew*!  church  (Kaiachi),  363. 

8t  Fatriek's  church  and  school  (Ka- 
rachi), 36a 

8t  Paul's  church  (Manora),  364. 

Sfeoambotts,  when  first  used  on  the 
Indus,  272.  (See  Indus  Steam 
Flotilla.) 

StMUB-liiRies  at  Kotri,  460 ;  at  Sukkur, 
826. 

Bftoeks,  Dr.,  his  remarks  on  the  soil  and 
climate  of  Sind,  6  ;  on  the  vegetable 
productions  of  Sind,  9. 

Sndra  caste  in  Sind,  95. 

Bagar-cane  cultivation  in  Sind,  11. 
(See  Agriculture.) 

Snkknr  and  Shikirpar  Deputy  Col- 
lectorate,  boundaries,  area,  and  sub- 
divisions, 797  ;  aspect,  798  ;  floods 
and  canals,  ib, ;  climate,  rainfall, 
diseases  and  soils,  803 ;  animal  and 
vegetable  productions,  forests,  805  ; 
fisheries,  806 ;  population  and  its 
divisions,  807  ;  character,  &c.,  of  the 
people,  criminal  and  civil  statistics, 
809 ;  administration,  cattle-pounds, 
civil  courts  and  police,  810  ;  revenue 
(imperial  and  local),  survey  assess- 
ment. 812  ;  tenures  and  jagirs,  815  ; 
municipalities,     medical      establish- 


ments' and'  prisons,  816 ;  education 
and  agriculture,  819;  trade,  manu- 
factures and  fairs,  820 ;  roads  and 
post-offices,  821  ;  ferries,  telegraph 
line  and  antiquities,  826. 

Snkknr  (old  town),  when  obtained  by 
the  Talpur  Mirs,  832. 

Snkknr  canal,  800. 

Mmra  dynasty  in  Sind,  its  chief  princes, 
27 ;  length  of  rule,  is  succeeded  by 
the  Sammas,  28. 

Survey  and  Bettlement  departments  in 
Sind,  77. 

Surrey  and  Settleniflttt  of  the  Frontier 
District,  171  ;  Hala  D.  C,  199 ; 
Hyderabad  Taliika,  244 ;  Jerruck  D. 

C,  310 ;  Karachi  Taluka,  348 ;  Lar- 
kana  D.  C,  483  ;  Mehar  D.  C,  527  ; 
Naushahro  D.  C,  620 ;  Rohri  D.  C, 
662  ;  Sehwan  D.  C,  705  ;  Shahban- 
dar D.  C,  752;  Sukkur  and  Shikarpur 

D.  C,  813 ;  Tanda  D.  C,  567. 
Surrey  (dty)  of  Karachi,  390. 


Tslpur  dynasty,  came  into  note  during 
Kalhora  mle^  32;  assassination  of 
Mirs  Bahram  and  Bijar  Khan,  33; 
defeat  of  the  Kalhoras  by  Mirs  Ab- 
dula  Khan  and  Fateh  Khan,  r^.; 
division  of  the  country  by  the  Tal- 
purs,  34 ;  dissensions  among  them- 
selves, and  treaties  entered  into  by 
them  with  the  British,  35 ;  tfa^r 
possession  of  parts  of  North  Sind, 
ib, ;  further  treaties  with  the  British 
Government,  and  their  objection  to 
the  march  of  a  British  force  through 
Sind,  36 ;  important  treaty  in  1839 
between  the  Mirs  and  the  British, 
37 ;  another  treaty  concluded  in  1843, 
ib,  \  capture  and  destruction  of  ^Uie 
fort  of  Imamgarh  by  Sir  Charles 
Napier,  38;  Baloch  attack  on  the 
Hyderabad  Residency,  in  1843,  c^-; 
battle  of  Meeanee  and  its  results  to 
the  Talpur  mlers,  41 ;  battle  of 
Dabba,  43;  captive  Mirs  sent  to 
Bombay  and  Poona,  afterwards  to 
Calcutta,  45  ;  permitted  to  return  to 
Sind  in  1854,  origin  of  the  Talpurs, 

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INDEX. 


945 


their  character  and  system  of  govern- 
ment, 45  et  seq, 

Taada  Deputy  CoUectorate.  (See  Mu- 
hammad Khan's  Tanda.) 

Turkhftn  dynasty,  succeeded  the  Arghtm 
dynasty,  30 ;  lasted  but  thirty-eight 
years  when  Sind  was  conquered  by 
the  Mogal  Emperor,  Akbar,  ib, 

Tatta  (town),  sacked  by  the  Arghun 
prince,  Shah  Beg,  in  a.d.  1520,  29 ; 
English  factory  established  in  1758, 
839  ;  climate,  291 ;  rainfall,  294 ;  re- 
form in  birth,  marriage  -and  funeral 
expenses  among  the  Saiyad  popula- 
tion, 306 ;  municipality,  314 ;  dis- 
pensary, 315  ;  mazjid,  841. 

Telegraph  Department  (Government), 
76. 

Telegraph,  Indo-European,  75,  365. 

Telegraph  lines  in  Frontier  District, 
171  J  Hala  D.  C,  222;  Hyderabad 
Talilka,  252 ;  Sukkur  and  Shikaipur 
D.  C,  826  ;  Thar  and  Parkar  P.  S., 
861,  868. 

Temperature.    (See  Climate.) 

Tennres,  land  in  Sind  generally,  79 
ei  seg. ;  Hala  D.  C,  201 ;  Hyderabad 
Taluka,  244;  Jerruck  D.  C,  310; 
Larkana  D.  C,  486;  Naushahro 
D.  C,  620;  Rohri  D.  C,  662 ;  Seh- 
wan  D.  C,  705  ;  Sukkur  and  Shikar- 
pur  D.  C,  815  ;  Tanda  D.  C,  568. 

Thkr  and  P&rkar  Political  Superinten- 
dency,  boundaries,  area,  and  sub- 
divisions, 842 ;  physical  aspect,  843  j 
the  Rann  of  Kachh,  844 ;  the  Mith- 
rau,  Eastern  Nara  and  other  canals, 
845 ;  climate  and  rainfall,  848 ; 
diseases  and  soils,  850 ;  animal  and 
vegetable  productions,  fisheries,  ii, ; 
population  and  its  divisions,  851 ; 
dress,  character,  &c.,  of  the  people, 
853;  civil  and  criminal  statistics, 
administration,  854;  civil  courts, 
police  and  revenue  (imperial  and 
local),  id.;  jagirs,  856;  municipali- 
ties and  medical  establishments,  id. ; 
prisons  and  education,  858  ;  agricul- 
ture and  trade,  859;  manufactures, 
fairs  and  roads,  860;  ferries,  anti- 
quities and  general  history,  861  ; 
insurrection  in  1859,  862. 


Tobaeoo,  cultivation  of,  in  Sind,  11. 
(See  Agriculture.) 

Tombt  of  the  Kalhora  and  Talpur 
dynasties  at  Hyderabad,  262  ;  in  the 
Hala  D.  C,  223 ;  on  the  Makli  hills, 
324 ;  at  Matari,  507  ;  Nasarpur,  592  ; 
of  the  Sathbain  at  Rohri,  679 ;  at 
Sehwan,  724 ;  Shah  Baharah  at  Lar- 
kana, 504 ;  of  Shahal  Muhammad 
Kalhora  (liurkana  D.  C),  501  ;  at 
Shikarpur,  827  ;  of  Sukkur  (Old),  id. 

Torrents  in  Jerruck  D.  C,  290 ;  Ka- 
rachi Taluka,  339  ;  Sehwan  D.  C, 
686.    (See  Floods.) 

Trade  of  Frontier  District,  176  ;  Gho- 
tana,  181  ;  Hala  D.  C,  216 ;  Hy- 
derabad Taliika,  250 ;  Jerruck  D.  C, 
317;  Keti-bandar,  420;  Khairpur 
State,  425  ;  Kotri,  454 ;  Larkana, 
D.  C,  494 ;  Nasarpur,  592  j  Nau- 
shahro D.  C,  630;  Rohri  D.  C, 
670 ;  Sehwan  D.  C,  715  ;  Shahban- 
dar  D.  C,  760 ;  Shikarpur  town, 
793;  Sukkur  (New),  830;  Tanda 
I>.  C.,  574 ;  Tatta,  839 ;  Thar  and 
Parkar  P.  S.,  860. 

Trade  of  Sind,  100 ;  in  cotton,  loi ; 
wool,  103  ;  and  in  salt,  105. 

Trade  (sea-borne  and  inland)  of  Karachi, 
under  the  Talpur  rule,  391  ;  under 
British  rule,  394  e/  seq. 

Trinity  church  (Karachi),  359. 

TafiEit-nl-Xiram  (history  of  Sind),  130. 

U. 
Uehto  river.    (See  Hajamro.) 

V. 

Taeoination  in  Sind,  74. 
Yadia  (mountain  torrent).   (See  Malir.) 
Vegetable  productions  of  Sind  gene- 
rally, 9 ;  of  the  Frontier  District, 
169  ;   Hala  D.  C,  192  ;   Hyderabad 
Taluka,  238 ;  Jerruck  D.  C,    299  ; 
Karachi  Taluka,  347;  Khairpur  State, 
426 ;  Larkana  D.  C,  475  ;   Mehar 
D.  C,  521  ;  Naushahro  D.  C,  603  ; 
Rohri  D.  C,  654 ;   Sehwan  D.  C, 
694  ;   Shahbandar  D.  C,  746 ;  Suk- 
kur   and   Shikarpur,    D.   C.,   805  ; 
3   P  T 

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946 


INDEX, 


Tanda  D.  C,  559 ;  Thar  and  Parkar 

P.  S.,  851. 
▼eaeli.    (See  Ships.) 
▼ikar.    (See  Ghorabari.) 

W. 

Waifhia  caste  of  Hindus  in  Sind,  92. 
Wloi  (or  YSni)    (See  Lohano. ) 
War  Xubtatk  at  Rohri,  679. 
Water-fupplj  of  Hyderabad,  254,  260 ; 


of  Karachi,. 378 ;  projected  schemes 

of,  380. 
Weaving  in  the  Laiicana  D.  C,  495. 
Wool  trade  of  Sind,  103. 


Zamindftri  tennie,  46,  81. 

Zamindin  of  the  Naushahro  and  Kan- 

diaro  parganas,  their  rights,  &c,  620 ; 

respected  by  the  Jaipur  Mirs,  624. 


LONDON  :  PSINTBD  BY  WILLIAM  CLOWBS  AND  SONS,  STAMFOKD  STRUn*. 
AND  CHASIMG  CBOSS. 


Digitized  by  VjOOQIC 


Digitized  by  VjOOQlC