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o  THE 


GAZETTEER 


OP  THE 

CENTRAL  PROVINCES  OF  INDIA. 


EDITED  BY 
CHARLES__GRANT,    Esq., 

eECnETAQT  TO  THE  CHISV  COXMISSIOSBB  OF  THB  CBKTUAI.  FSOTIKCSS. 


Second  Edition. 


Q 

Na'gpu'r, 

1870. 


PRINTED  AT  THB 

EDUCATION  SOCIETY'S  PRESS,  BOMBAY. 


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^  ^  /  *~ 


^ 


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EBIiATA. 


Pkge  xu,  last  line,  for  "  inaoeftsibility  «•  read     Pago  11,  liiieJ9,  for  "Mulk  Haibata  "  read 

"inaccessibility/* 
„     XXV,  line  17,  for  "  Chattisgarh "  read 

*'  Chhattisgarh.'* 
„     XXXVII,  line  16,  for  "Jabnlptir"  read 

"Jabalpur." 
„         do.  27  do.  do. 

„     Liii,  line   10,  for  "Chattisgarh*'  read 

"Chhattisgarh.'* 
„     Liv,    line    18,    for    "  Alhana  '*    read 

"Alhana," 
„     Lxxii,  second   note,  line  2,  for  "  San- 

chi"  rewl  "Sanchi.'' 
^     Lxxxiv,   last  line,  for  "Mnsnlmins" 

read  "  Musalmans." 
„     xc,  foot-note,  for  "  Aitchinson's  Trea- 
ties" read  Aitchison's  Treaties." 
yy     cu,  2nd  foot-note,  for  "  Hoshagabad  " 

read  "Hosliangdbad." 
„    cxiii,    the   r^erences   at  foot  should 

be  transposed. 
„    cxiv,    line    26,    for    "  Chalki "    read 

"Chalki." 
„    cxx,  in  foot-note,  for  "Bhumia"  read 

"Bhninia." 
„      1,  Article  A'd%a  on, /or  Ist  line,  read 

"  A  Zaanindari  in  the  Western  portion 

of  the  Seoni  District." 

and  in  second  line,  for  "  transferred  by ' ' 

read  "transferred  from." 
„    „    Artide  Ahiri,  line  5,/or  "Snrjagarh'  * 

read  "Suijagarh,  and  ybr  "Dewalmari" 

read  "  Pewabnarhi." 
;.  „       „     line9,/)r  "Telugd"re(w« 

Telngn. 
„      2,  Article  Ahiri,  line  13,/or"Jhimili'' 

read  "JhilmilL" 
5,      „         „     Albak^,  line  6,  for  "Kois" 

r»«i«K<H8." 
„       „         „     Almod,line  1,/ar  "Hoshan- 

gab4d  District"  read  "Chhindwdra  Dis- 
trict" 
^       4,  Artide  Andh^ri,  line  4,  for  " Jhiun" 

read  "  Jfan." 
^       6,  Article  Arpelli,  line  II,  for  ^^Dhan- 

ra"  read  "Dhanr^." 
^      7,         „     A'rTi,/or  "A  rerenne  sub- 

drvidon"  read  "  the  north-western  sub- 
division." 
^       8,         „   A'sirgMh,  line 20, /or  "com- 
mon range"  read  "  cannon  range." 
^       9,  line  31, /or  "  Aswatthhim^ "  read 

"  Aswatthiun^." 
„     IQ,  line  3^  for  " A'hmadnagar"  read 
"AJunadnagar," 


Mulk  Haibat." 
„     „         „     8rd  line  frcMn  foot^  for  "  and 

of  the"  read  "and  to  the." 
„    13,  Article  Aslanii,  line  2,/or  "  Sooir  " 

read  "Sunitf." 
„    14,     „     „     Badniiir,  line3,/or"Maeh- 
ni"  read  "Machn^." 
„      „     „     „     line   7,  for   "tahsil"  read 

"tahsilL" 
„    1 5,  Article  Bairmd,  line  4,  for  "  Sonar  *  * 

read  "  Sun4r." 
„     „        „  line  8, /(w  "Nauta"  read 

"Nuhta." 
„    16,  Artide  B4Urgh^t,Hne  11,  and  else- 
where in  this  artide,  for  "  if  au  "  read 

"Mau." 
„     „     „     1 3th  line  from  foot, /tt   "mica- 

dous"  read  "micaceous." 
„    18,  line  13,    from  oommenoement  of 

paragraph,/or  "Surma  "  read  "  Surma." 
„  19,  line  6,  for  «  dahy&  "  read  "  dahya." 
„  24,  line  19,  /br  "baolis "  read  "b^olis." 
„    26,  line  34,  for  "  Agarids  "  read  "  Agha- 

rias." 
„    26,  Artide  Banda,  line  5,  for  "  Raj& 

Madan   Singh"   read   "  Biijii   Mardan 

Singh." 
„     „    Artide    Bankheri,    3rd    line,   for 

"Pachmari"  read  "Pachmarhi." 
„    27,  line  8,  for  "  Punii "  read  "  Puna." 
„    28,  Artide  Barp^li,  line  7,  >br  "Somras" 

read  "  S&onrds." 
,y    29,  Bastar  contents^  for  "  Ukrika  *'  read 

"M&rids." 
„    30,  line  1,  /or  "  Kutru  "  read  «  Kutrii.'* 
„    32,  line  21, >br"Bijlipur"  read  "Bijd- 

p6r." 
„    36,  line  17,ybr  "dahyi"  read  "d&hya." 
„    line  1,  for  "Kutru"  read  "KutrA." 
„     „    line  10,/jr  "M&di  palm"  read  "Mdri 

palm." 
„    40,  Article  Bela,line4,/>r "baolis"  read 

"bddis.". 
„    41,  Article  Berkheri,  line  2,/or  "Soniir" 

read  "Sunir." 
„    42,  Under  roads  Now  3,  for  "towards 

Man  vid  Hard4"  read  "towards  Mhow 

vid  Hardik." 
„    44,  Kne  10  from  foot  of  the  page,  for 

"Choti  Ud4p^'  read  "Chhotd  Udgpdr." 
„    47,  lin^e  6  from  foot  of  the  page^  for 

"Pachmari"  read  "P)W5hmarM." 
„    „    infoot-note,/or"Brigg'sFariahta" 

read  "Briggs*  Kriahta." 


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Page  50,  line  25,  far  "2,400  acres''  read 
"4,300  acres." 

„  „  26, /or  "180  maunds"  read  "430 
mannds." 

„  54,  Article  Betlil,  for  "  A  Revenue  sub- 
division read  "  The  North-Eastem  Re- 
venue sub-division." 

„    55,  line  17,  for  "Nizam's"  read'^m- 

254m'8." 

„    58,    last    word,    for    "  Mhowa  '*  read 

"Mhowa." 
„     59,  line  1 0, /or  "Mhowa"  reocZ  "Mhowa." 
„    65,  line  11  from  foot, /or  "mting"  read 

"mung." 
p  ^^^  line  5,  for  "  awari "  read  "  jaw^ri." 
„  71,  Article  Bhandira,  line  1,  foi-  "  a  Re- 
venue sub-division"  reotl  "the  North- 
Western  Revenue  sub-division," 
„  73,  line  2,  for  "  Sauras"  read  Saonras." 
„  „  line  12,  for  "Uryia"  read  "Urija." 
„    74,  Article  Bhiwapur,  line  8,  for  "baoli" 

read  "baoli." 
„         „         „         14 /or  "  Agarw/Ua  "  reaci 

"Agarwal." 
„    75,  line  \,for  "Kois"  read  "Kois." 
„    „     line  8,  for  "Sonar"  read  "Sunar." 
„    „     line  6  from  foot, /or  "dahya"  read 

"dahya," 
„    7t^,  line  3,  for  "Kois"  read  "  Kois." 
„    17,  Contents,  Section  II., /or  "Anandi 

Bai"  retul  "  A'nandi  Bai." 
„    79,  line  13,  for  "  Talcheer  "  read  T41- 

chir," 
„    87,  lino   18,  for   "  Rini   Talao"   read 
.     "  lUni  T^ao." 
„    89,  In  list  of  kings.  No.  1 7,  for  "Bhiim- 

dev^"  read  "Bhimdeva." 
„         „  „  No.  19, /or  "Moha- 

deva  read  "  Mohandeva." 

No.  28, /or  "Bhupal 

Sinhadeva"  read  "Bhupal  Sinliadeva." 
„    92,  marginal  list  of  Rdjas,  for  "Kha- 

rod"  re(w2  "Karond." 
„    „     line  last  but  one, /or  "  Taiio  "  read 

"TAlao." 
„    99,  under  principal  castes.  Aborigines, 

for  "Bhumids"  lead  "Bhteiias." 
„  103,  line  11  from  foot, /or  "Kabirpan- 

thism"  read  "  Kabirpanthism." 
„  114,  line  30, /or  "utli8es"reafZ  "utilises." 
„  117,  line  14,ybr  "  Agariius'*   read  "Ag- 

hari^B." 
„  122,  Article   "Bilihra"  read  "Bilihr^." 
„  124,  line  8, /or  "Binjhils,  SauriLs"  read 

"  Binjals,  Saonr^s," 


Page  124,  Article  Bori,  line  2, /or  "Pachmdri" 

read  "  Pachmaa^hi." 
„  127,  line  24, /or  "orris"  read  "orhnie." 
„  128,  line  35,  Jor  "  Tahsildar  "  read  "  Tah- 

sildar." 
„  129,  line  24,  for  "the  silver  after  testing 

is  cast  into  the  shape  of  a  square  ingot 

(pas^)    weighing  ^rora    thirty- two   to 

sixty  tolas  and  measunng  about   two 

feet   long   and    \\    inch    square"  reoAl 

"  the  silver  after  testing  is   cast   into 

the   shape   of  a  round   ingot    (pisa) 

weighing  from  52  to  60  tolas  and  mea* 

suring   about   21    inches   long  and  li 

inch  in  average  circumference." 
„  134,  list  of  Zamindaris  No.  19 /or  "Par* 

vi  Mutanda"  read  "Pawi  Mutanda.* 
„    135,  line  5,  for  "Surjagarh"  read  "Sur« 

jagarh." 
„  136,  line  9, /or  "Bijes^r  read  "TBijesal." 
„  141,  line  25, /or  "Pdwi  Mutanda"  read 

Pdwi  Mutindfi." 
„  143,  line   20,  for   "  Pharsa  Pen"  read 

"PharsiPen." 
,,144,  line  7,   for  "Sat^rfi"  read  "S£t^^ 

r£." 
,,146,  line  24,    for    "Pandarkonra"  read 

"  Pandarkona." 
„  159, line  25,  for  "Brahma"  read  "  Brah- 

ma." 
„  162,  Une  Y7,for  "Harai"  read  "Harai." 
„  164,  line  8,  for  "  Parasia"  read  "Parasia." 
„  167,  line  1 1  from  foot,  for  "Pachmari" 

read  "  Pachmarhi." 
„      „     „      9  from  foot,  for  "  Harai "   read 

"  Harai." 
,,168,   line   24,   for    "J^irddris"     read 

"Jdgirs." 
„  170,  line  9, /or  "tahsil"  read  "tahaili." 
„  171,  Article  Chicholi,  line  3, /or  "Baoli" 

read  "baoli.*' 
,,178,  line  1 1,  for  "  Patera  "  read  "  Patera." 
„  182,  Article  Denwi,  line  2,  for  "  Pach-. 

maris  "  read  "  Pachmarhis." 
„  187,    Article  "Dhanora"  read  "Dha^ 

nora." 
„  190,  line  9,  for  "  Jumeao" read''  Jane4." 
„    „     line  10,   for  "  Raja  Behrat "    read 

"RajaBehrat." 
„     „     Article  Fatehpdr,  line  3, /or  «  B4n^ 

kheri"  read  ^Bankheri," 
„    „         „         „       /ar"Pachmari"  reoci 

"  Pachmarhi." 
„    „         „  line  8, /or  "  Tatii  Topia  "  rcaci 

"TatiaTopi6." 


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3 


F^ge  195,  Article  GaroU,  lines  6,  8,  and  10, 
or  "  Khurai"  read  "  Knrai." 
„  196,  Article  Ghes,  line  5, /or  "  Binjhils  " 

rectd  "  Binjals," 
„  198,  line  10, /or  -'MarathH"  read  **Ma. 

rithi." 
^  200,  line  24,  far  "Ganpati"  lead  "  Gan- 

pati." 
„  202,  Article  Hatt6,  line  10,  M  "baoli" 

read  "  bfioli." 
^  205,    Article   Hirdenagar,   line    2,  /or 

"lUjd  Hirde  Shah*'  read  «R»j4  Hirde 

Sa." 
„  206,  line  5.  far  "Dndhi"   read    "Dud- 

hi." 
„  208,    lines  26   and  29,  fi>r  **  Paclimari " 

read  "  Pachmarhi." 
^  209,  line  1 2,  for  "  Pachmari "  read  "  Pach- 

marhi." 
„  211,  line  24,  /or  "Dndoi^  reorf  "Ddd- 

hi." 
„  214,  line  11, /or  "Pachmari' reaJ"Pach- 

marhi." 
„  218,  line  10  from  foot,  for  "Gondwana" 

read  '*  Gondwin'v" 
„  219,  line  29,  for  "  Kalumbar ''  read  "  Ka- 

lumar." 
„  222,  Table  of  average  temperature,  un- 
der   February  minimum,  medium,  for 

'*40"r6(wi"4'»."' 
„     „     „    „  December  minimum, — hottest 

day, /or  "39"  rf(wZ"59." 
„  225,  line  5  from  foofc,  for   "  Raghunath 

Rao"  reoJ  " Raghunath  Ilao." 
„  234,  Article     Kanhargaon,    line  4,  for 

'*Bauiyan"  read  "Banian.^' 
•,  236,   Article  Karanja,  line  1,  for  "Oc- 
troi" rpod  "Octroi." 
,,  239  Article  Katangi,  line  1,/or  "BiUs- 

pur"  read  "BiLispur.'* 
„  245,  Article  Kharsal,  line  9, /or  "Saura" 

read  "Saonra." 
^  246,  lines  2  and  5,  for  "Khurai"  read 

*'KnraL" 
^  250,  line  17,  far  "  KimMsd  "  read  "Khim- 

Lisa," 
„  260,  line  1,/or  "  Mandhata "  read "Mdn- 

dhata." 
„  262,  foot-note,  far  "Captain  T.  Forsyth" 

rend  "Captain  J-  Forsyth." 

and /or  initials  "T.  P."  read  "J.  F." 

in  1st  line  of  foot-note,/or  "MandhAtd" 

read  "Mandhdta." 
^  265,  Hne  2,  for  "M4hatmya"  read  "Ma, 

hatmya." 


Page  272,  line  6  from  commencement  of  par- 
agraph, for   "  Hirde  Sdh  and  Narendra 

S£h"  read  "Hirde  S4  and  Narendra  81'' 
„  275,  line  23, /or  "Suraj  Deo"  read  "Sti- 

raj  Deo." 
„  282,  line  4,  for  "  Sdg^r  "  read  "  Sdgar." 
„     „     Garhd  Mandla  dynasty  far  "  Jad- 

hava  Riya"  read  "  Jddhara  Rava." 
„  284,  line  U  from  foot, /or  Mihar^  8a" 

recwi  "  Mahardj  Sa." 
,,288,    Article   "Moharli"    read    "Mo- 

harlL" 
,,291,  Article  Mut4ndii /or  "Pavi  Mntin- 

da"  read  "P&wi  Mut^nda." 
„  319,  line  26,  for  "only  salt  tax"  read 

"only  the  salt  tax." 
„  326,  last  line,/or  "retadi"  read  "retdri." 
„  341,  lines  21,  33,  35,  37, /or  "taldo" 

rea^"talao." 
„  342,  line  5  from  foot,  for  "  Shakardara" 

read  "  Shakardara. 
„  343,  line  5,  da  do. 

„  345,  line  2,  for  "talao"  read   "talfio." 
"  361,  Ime  16,  far  "Sindia  Shahf "  read 

"SindiaShahi." 
„  370,  Article   "  Nawdgarh  "  read  "  Na- 

vc^arh." 
„  388,  Article   Pachmarhf,  for   "  a  chief- 
ship  in  the  Hoshang^bdd  District "  reitd 

"  a  chiefship  lying  pai'tly  in  the  Chhind- 

w^rd  and  partly  in  the  Hoshangabdd 

District." 
„  400,      Article     Prat^pgarh,      substitute 

"  Pratdpgarh  Pagdra." 
„     „    lines  2  and  4,  for  Harai  read  Haraf. 
„     „     „     line  5,  for  "181  villages"  read 

"153  villages." 
„  404,  line  11  from  foot,  /or  "NawAgarh" 

reoil  "Navagarh." 
,;  427,  Article  Rampur,  line  7,  for  "  Agha- 

Has  "  read  "  Agharids." 
„     „     „     "Bhuyas"  rert(2"Bhuy4s.*' 
„  435,  line  3,  for  "beds  of  the   Sagar" 

read  "beds  of  the  Sagar  District." 
„     „      line    1 2,  for   "  Nar^yapur  "   read 

"  Narayanpur." 
„  443,  line  5   from  foot,  for  "Shigarh" 

read  "Shahgarh." 
„  449,  the  asterisk  is  wrongly  placed  in 

the     context, — it   should    come    after 

Mr.Medlicott's  name,  and  the  two  notes 

should  form  one  single  note. 
„  451,    Table   of    Imports   and    Exports. 

Expoi-ts  for  1803-64  omit  figures  which 

are  incorrect. 


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„  459,   Artide    Sambalpiir,    line    2,  Jor 

"  dakliili ''  read  "  dakhili." 
Page  463,  line  19  from  foot,  for  "  RatiBplir  " 

read  "Ratanplir." 
„  477,  line  6  from  foot,  for «'  Ganjw"  read 

«  G^njoi." 
„  479,  Article  Sindi,  first  line,  for  "  tashQ" 

read  "  tahsil.** 
^  434,   Article  Snrj&garh,  read  "Surja- 

garh." 
,,490,  line  15, /or   "sufficiet"  read  "suf- 
ficient." 
„  512,  line  2,  after  "or  right  bank"  read 

'*(a  little  above  Chanda.)" 


Page  512,    line  3,  omit  worda  "(a   little 
above  Chlmda.)" 


Throughout    the  Gazetteer  the  name  oC 
the    Mohammadan   historian   Firishta. 
has    been  errc^ieousTj  «pelt  Farishta 


The  name  of  the  Gond  deity  Dulha 
Deo  has  been  spelt  Dulii  Deo  in  th» 
Gazetteer  articles.  In  the  Introductioa 
it  is  spelt  Dulha  Deo.  This  is  proba?-- 
bly  the  more  correct  spelling. 


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CONTENTS. 

♦ 

FAG£ 

Pbeface     ....«....«...«.«..«..«.....«.....<..< V 

Introduction — 

Chapter  I.— General  Description xi 

II. — Geology ...• xxvi 

m. — Early  History xlviii 

IV.— TheGaulis  andNdgbansis lix 

„     V. — History  under  the  G  o  n  d  s  and  Mar&th&s.  Ixxiii 

,,    VL — Population     , ev 

„  VII. — Administration  and  Trade.. exxxiii 

Gazetteer 1 

Statistical  Tables  (Appendix  I.) 521 

Eoad  Tables          (        „       11.) 537 

Glossary                (        „      HI.) ! 549 

Index                    (        „      IV.) 557 


93 


i3 


W 


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PREFACE. 


In  1867  a  Gazetteer  was  published  for  these  Provinces  with  the  fol- 
lowing remarks  from  Sir  R.  Temple,  the  then  Chief  Commissioner : — 

"  It  has  long  seemed  to  the  Chief  Commissioner  that  a 
Gazetteer  is  needed  for  the  Central  Provinces.  None  will  dispute 
that  for  the  good  management  of  districts  local  knowledge  is 
necessary.  The  more  detailed  and  intimate  such  knowledge  is, 
the  better.  This  remark,  however  general  may  be  its  applica- 
tion, is  particularly  applicable  to  provinces  like  these,  where  the 
areas  are  widespread ;  where  the  tribes  and  circumstances  are 
diverse ;  where  the  component  parts  are  separated  from  each  other 
by  mountain  barriers  or  other  physical  obstacles ;  where  informa- 
tion is  often  difficult  of  acquisition  by  reason  of  the  remoteness 
of  localities ;  and  where  the  annals  of  the  country,  though  to 
some  extent  existing,  are  for  the  most  part  inaccessible  to  the 
majority  of  our  countrymen. 

"  When  such  knowledge  is  merely  acquired  by  individuals, 
it  is  apt  to  be  of  a  fugitive  character,  owing  to  those  frequent 
changes  which  are  inevitable  in  Indian  administration.  It  con- 
stantly happens  that  when  an  officer  has,  by  travelling  about,  and 
by  commimicating  with  the  people,  learnt  very  much  regarding 
his  district,  he  is  obliged  by  ill  health,  or  by  the  requirements  of 
the  service,  or  by  other  reasons,  to  leave,  and  then  he  carries  all 
his  knowledge  away  with  him,  his  successor  having  to  study 
everything  ab  initio. 

**  Thus  it  becomes  of  importance  that  the  multiform  facts  of 
local  interest  and  value  should  be  recorded  by  all  who  have  the 


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Yl  PREFACE. 

means  of  knowing  them ;  and  ttat  such  record  should  be  em- 
bodied in  an  abiding  shape,  patent  to,  and  within  the  reach  of  all, 
so  that  everyone  who  is  concerned  to  ascertain  these  things  may 
have  the  ordinary  resources  of  information  ready  to  hand. 

"  Therefore  it  was  in  1864  resolved  to  collect  materials  for 
a  Gazetteer.  With  this  view  all  officers  serving  in  these  Pro- 
vinces were  furnished  with  a  sketch  of  the  information  required. 
In  due  course  every  officer  transmitted  the  data  for  his  district. 
Advantage  was  also  taken  of  the  Settlement  Department  being 
in  operation  to  obtain  therefrom  all  the  facts  bearing  on  the 
subjects  in  question.  Thus  in  the  course  of  two  years  a  mass  of 
information  in  manuscript  was  accumulated. 

"  The  work  thus  brought  out,  though  probably  as  complete 
as  it  can  be  made  at  the  present  time,  is  yet  avowedly  imperfect, 
and  is  in  some  respects  only  preliminary.  The  information 
generally  may  from  year  to  year  be  supplemented  by  further 
details,  and  on  numerous  points  will  doubtless  be  found  suscep- 
tible of  emendation.  The  statistics  especially  will  constantly  be 
open  to  enlargement  and  rectification.  StiQ  a  broad  foundation 
for  future  superstructure  has  at  least  been  raised." 

.  The  impression  of  the  earlier  numbers  was  soon  exhausted,  and  it 
became  a  question  whether  they  should  be  reprinted.  On  revision  of 
the  sheets,  however,  so  many  inaccuracies — unavoidable  perhaps  in  a 
first  attempt  of  the  kind — were  discovered,  that  I  undertook  to  prepare 
a  new  edition.  I  am  glad  to  have  this  opportunity  of  cordially  thank- 
ing Captain  Forsyth,  Deputy  Commissioner  of  N  i  m  a  r.  Dr.  Townsend, 
Sanitary  Commissioner,  Lieutenant  Bradshaw  of  the  Police,  Mr.  Bar- 
clay and  Mr.  Vasudeva  Ballal  Kher  of  the  Chief  Commissioner's  Office, 
and  most  of  all  Mr.  J,  Neill,  Assistant  Secretary,  for  the  assistance 
which  they  have  kindly  rendered  me,  and  also  of  recording  my  grateful 
acknowledgments  to  Mr.  Morris,  Officiating  Chief  Commissioner,  for 
a  degree  of  interest  shown  in  the  Imdertaking,  and  of  consideration 
to  myself  during  its  progress,  without  which  it  would  have  been 
difficult  to  carry  through  a  laborious  task  under  the  pressure  of 
regular  daily  duties. 


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PREFACE.  Vll 

In  the  present  edition  the  alphabetical  form,  usual  in  gazetteers, 
has  been  adopted,  and  a  full  Index  has  been  added,  so  that  the  diflB- 
culties  in  tracing  information,  complained  of  in  the  first  edition,  will 
be  removed,  and  the  descriptions  of  rivers  and  moimtain  ranges, 
especially,  will  be  found  concentrated  in  one  easily  discoverable  place, 
instead  of  being  scattered  over  many  parts  of  the  Gazetteer.  A 
great  portion  of  the  matter  contained  is  either  quite  now  or  has  been 
newly  adapted  for  the  purposes  of  this  work.  Thus  the  long  articles 
on  A'sirgarh,  Balaghat,  Burhanpur,  Mandhata,  Ni- 
m  a  r,  and  the  W  a  r  d  h  a  district  have  not  before  been  published,  while 
those  on  the  Bilaspur,  Damoh,  Mandla,  Ralpur,  and  Up- 
per Godavari  districts  mainly  consist  of  extracts  from  the  Land 
Revenue  settlement  reports,  written  after  the  pubhcation  of  the  first 
edition.  The  remaining  articles  too  have  been  carefully  revised,  word 
by  word,  and  in  many  cases  amplified,  so  that  at  least  one-half  of  the 
body  of  the  work  is  new.  An  introductory  sketch  of  the  Province 
has  also  been  prefixed,  containing  a  geological  description  of  the  Pro- 
vince by  T.  Oldham,  Esq.,  LL.D.,  Superintendent  of  the  Geological 
Survey  of  India,  and  statistical  tables  and  a  glossary  of  vernacular 
words  have  been  appended. 

But  though  no  time,  toil,  or  care  has  been  spared  in  making 
the  present  edition  as  complete  as  possible,  it  is  not  to  be  expected 
that  a  work  written  and  compiled  under  the  unintermittent  pressure 
of  severe   ofl&cial  duties   should   be   free  from  many  imperfections. 
Proceeding,  too,  from  the  hands  of  many  writers,  the  Gazetteer  neces- 
sarily shows  great  diversities  both  of  form  and  of  substance.     Thus  it 
must  be  confessed  that  some  of  the  articles  do  not  reach  tlie  standard 
of  the  excellent  descriptions  of  N  a  g  p  u  r  (by  Mr.  M.  Low),  C  h  a  n  d  a 
(by  M^or  Lucie  Smith),  and  B  as  tar  (by  Major  Glasfurd),  in  the 
first  edition, — or  of  B  i  1  a  s  p  u  r  (by  Mr.  Chisholm),  and  N  i  m  a  r  and 
its  places  of  interest  (by  Captain  J.  Forsyth)  in  the  present  edition  ; 
but  however  deficient  in  uniformity,  the  articles  all  possess  this  com- 
mon reconmiendation,  that  they  were  written  on  the  spot  by  local 
officers,  thoroughly  familiar  with  their  subjects.     It  would  not  have 
beCTi  difficult  to  recast  the  information,  thus  obtained,  in  one  rigid 


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Vm  PREFACE. 

mould  for  all  districts,  but  in  the  process  all  the  genuineness,  indivi- 
duaUty,  and  freshness  of  the  local  descriptions  would  have  evaporated, 
and  substantial  value  would  have  been  sacrificed  to  form.  The  ori- 
ginal arrangement  of  the  district  articles  has  therefore  in  most  cases 
been  retained,  revision  being  confined  to  the  correction  of  the  more 
prominent  errors,  and  (where  necessary)  to  the  simplification  of  the 
style. 

The  most  effectual  method  of  obtaining  a  really  good  description 
of  the  country  is  probably  that  recently  adopted  by  the  Government 
in  some  of  the  other  provinces  of  India,  where  the  task  has  been  en- 
trusted to  selected  experts,  qualified  both  by  literary  skill  and  by 
special  knowledge  to  collect  and  give  the  best  possible  shape  to  all  the 
information  available  from  local  or  other  sources.  But  the  present 
reproduction  of  the  Central  Provinces*  Grazetteer.  was  almost  ready  for 
the  press  when  the  Government  of  India  promulgated  its  scheme  for 
a  general  gazetteer,  and  directed  that  the  local  compilations  should 
be  so  constructed  as  to  admit  of  their  ready  combination  into  an 
Imperial  Dictionary  of  Geography  for  India.  It  was  therefore  too  late 
to  attempt  so  thorough  an  alteration  of  scheme  as  these  instructions 
would  have  involved,  and  considering  the  great  cost  of  special 
agency,  and 'the  difficulty  of  carrying  through  an  official  pubhcation 
of  the  kind  at  all,  it  was  thought  better  to  take  advantage  of  its  com- 
pletion, even  in  an  imperfect  form,  and  to  trust  to  a  future  revision 
for  bringing  it  up  to  the  level  which  will  no  doubt  be  attained  by  its 
more  matured  successors  in  other  parts  of  India.  There  was,  how- 
ever, fortunately  still  time  to  take  advantage  of  some  of  the  suggestions 
of  Mr.  W.  W.  Hunter,  LL.D.,  who  had  been  deputed  by  the  Govern- 
ment of  India  to  inspect  the  progress  of  provincial  gazetteers,  and  it 
is  needless  to  say  that  where  it  has  been  possible  to  make  the  addi- 
tions suggested  by  his  practised  skill,  they  have  given  an  increased 
value  to  the  work. 

The  system  of  transliteration  employed  has  been  that  approved 
by  the  Government  of  India,  viz.  the   Jonesian  or  Wilsonian  system, 


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PREFACE.  IX 

without  diacritical  marks.  To  scientific  readers  it  may  be  necessary 
to  explain  that  in  a  few  cases  where  the  conventional  spelling,  and 
indeed  pronunciation,  had  departed  vOTy  widely  from  the  correct 
form,  a  compromise  has  been  adopted.  Thus,  for  instance,  S  i  v  a  r  i 
Narayan  has  been  spelt  Seorinarain.  There  has  been  some 
difficulty  in  showing  the  Arabic  letter  ^  without  the  usual  expedient  of 
an  apostrophe;  but  few  Persian  words  occur  in  so  remote  a  province  as 
this,  and  those  few  have  ordinarily  been  spelt  in  the  manner  adopted  in 
Wilson's  Glossary.  The  vowel  e  has  also  been  accented  in  a  few 
words  whose  pronunciation  might  otherwise  have  puzzled  an  unskilled 
reader.  For  names  of  places  in  other  parts  of  India,  especially  in  the 
case  of  well  known  locahties,  such  as  Cuttack  and  Cawnpore, 
the  conventional  spelling  has  been  retained. 

To  general  readers  it  should  be  explained  that  the  vowels  e  and  u 
and  the  accented  a  and  i  should  be  given  the  open  sound  as  in  Ita- 
lian. The  unaccented  a  should  be  pronounced  something  hke  the  u  in 
the  English  word  *  but,'  and  the  imaccented  i  like  the  i  in  the  English 
word  *  it.' 

In  conclusion  it  is  necessary  to  request  indulgence  for  occasional 
typographical  errors,  especially  in  the  names  of  places.  It  must  always 
be  hard  to  ensure  entire  accuracy  in  the  introduction  of  a  new  system 
of  spelling,  and  in  the  present  case  there  has  been  the  additional  diffi- 
culty, that  while  the  work  was  printed  at  Bombay,  the  proofs  were 
corrected  at  N a gp  ur ,  more  than  five  hundred  miles  off,  and  some- 
times in  even  more  distant  places,  so  that  close  supervision  was  not 
possible. 

CHARLES  GRANT. 


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INTRODUCTION- 


CHAPTER  I. 

GENERAL  DESCEIPTION. 


General  want  of  knowledge  regarding  G  o  n  d  w  d  n  a— Travellers'  Tales — True  wonders  of 
the  country — Formation  of  the  Central  Provinces — Their  original  amalgamation  under 
the  name  of  Gondwdn  a — H  i  n  d  iS  encroachments ;  and  partition  of  the  country 
between  Northern  and  Southern  Hindiis — Reunion  of  Northern  and  Southern 
Gondw^na  under  the  M a r a t h d s — Isolated  position  of  the  present  province — 
Physical  subdivisions — Physical  Geography — Scenery — Narbadd  country — The 
rivers — Natural  beauties — Hill  country — Removal  of  obstacles  to  its  settlement — 
Forest  country — NdgpAr  plain — Chhattisgarh. 

Ten  years  ago  the  country  which  is  now  called  the  Central  Pro- 
vinces was  for  the  most  part  a  terra  incog^ 
rcg^S^<^ondwdnT^  ^^    mf a to Englishmen.   Solatelyas  1853, when 

the  Great  Trigonometrical  Survey  of  India 
had  been  at  work  for  half  a  century,  and  the  more  detailed  surveys 
for  some  thirty  years.  Sir  Erskine  Perry,  addressing  the  Bombay 
Branch  of  the  Royal  Asiatic  Society,  wrote,  "At  present  the  Gondwana 
"  highlands  and  jungles  comprise  such  a  large  tract  of  unexplored  coun- 
"  try  that  they  form  quite  an  oasis  in  our  maps.  Captain  Blunt's  inter- 
esting journey  in  1795,  from  Benares  to  Rajamandri,  gives  us 
almost  all  the  information  we  possess  of  many  parts  of  the  interior."* 
In  these  days  such  a  description  would  scarcely  be  applicable  anywhere 
out  of  Central  Africa ;  and  it  is  difficult  to  realise  that  at  so  compara- 
tively late  and  well  known  a  period  of  Indian  history  as  the  Vicere- 
galty  of  Lord  Dalhousie,  a  country,  great  part  of  which  had  been  for 
years  under  the  prosaic  but  regular  administration  of  Magistrates 
and  Collectors,  should  have  lain  so  completely  beyond  the  ordinary 


*  Journal  of  the   Bombay   Branch  of  the  Royal  Asiatic  Society,  vol.  iv.  p.  302 
(January  1853). 


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Xll  INTRODUCTION. 

currents  of  information.     Even  within  the  last  fifteen  years  Surveyors 

and  Missionaries  have  lost  months  of  work  in  the  fertile  N  a  r  b  a  d  d 

valley  from  the  prevalent  idea  that  camp  Ufe  there  was  dangerous  till 

January.     If  one  of  the  gardens  of  India  could  be  thus  misrepresented, 

no  marvels  were  too  great  to  gain  credence  regarding  the  really  wild 

^  ,  interior.     The  Southern  Forests  are  marked 

Travellers' Tales.  .       n  •   i    i 'i    j    t.  it 

m  old  maps  as  inhabited  by  men  who  live 

in  trees,  and  though  fancy  never  went  so  far  as  to  reproduce  the  men 

**  whose  heads  do  grow  beneath  their  shoulders,"  there  were  whispers 

of  "  anthropophagi" — naked  savages  who  ate  their  relations  ;*  while 

others  a  little  higher  in  the  scale,  who  had  both  religion  and  social  ties, 

recognised  the  one  chiefly  by  human  sacrifices,  and  the  other  by  taking 

their  victims  from  among  alien  tribes  only.t     The  writings  of  three 

such  distinguished  men  as  Sir  Richard  Jenkins,  Sir  William  Sleeman, 

and   Sir  Donald  Macleod  J  should  have  done  much  to  dissipate  the 

curious  obscurity  which  shrouded  the  centre  of  our  Indian  Empire ; 

but  with  the  exception  of  Sleeman's  "  Rambles  of  an  Indian  Official," 

these  works  were  not  very  generally  diffused ;  and  all  who  have  been 

interested  in  Indian  pubHc  life  will  remember  that  Sir  R.Temple's  first 

report  on  the  Nagp  ur  Province  was  awaited  with  almost  as  much 

curiosity  as  if  it  had  been  a  story  of  exploration  in  a  new  country.    In 

the   eight  years  which  have  since  elapsed  almost  every  comer  of  the 

province  has  been  searched  out,  and  though  under  a  stronger  light  the 

gloomy  marvels  of  the  interior  have  mostly  shrunk  down  to  common- 


*  The  Bandarwisgo  entirely  naked  ;  are  armed  with  bows  and  arrows  ;  never 
build  any  huts,  or  seek  other  shelter  than  that  afforded  by  the  jungles  ;  are  said  to 
destroy  their  relations  when  too  old  to  move  about,  and  eat  their  flesh,  when  a  great 
entertainment  takes  place,  to  which  all  the  family  is  invited."— /Sir  R.  Jenkina'  Report 
OH  Nagptir,  p.  24,  Edn.  N  d  g  p  d  r ,  1866. 

t  The  Maris  "pay  but  a  nominal  obedience  to  the  B  a  s  t  a r  Rt'.jdy  *  *  *  and 
hunt  for  strangers  at  stated  times  to  sacrifice  to  their  gods."— 5ir  R.  Jenkins'  Report  on 
Nagpi&r,  p.  23,  Edn.  N  d  g  p  iS  r,  1866. 

X  Sir  R.  Jenkins'  Report  on  the  Territories  of  the  R^&  of  N  i  g  p  d  r. 

"  Rambles  and  Recollections  of  an  Indian  OflScial.*' 

B  e  n  g  a  1  and  A'  g  r  a  Guide  and  Gazetteer,  1 84  2. 


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INTRODUCTION.  XIU 

pl&oe  dimensions,  the  process  has  disclosed  many  curious  peculiarities  in 
the  people  and  the  country  which  may  interest  even  the  general  reader. 
The  accusation  of  cannibalism  against  the  Bandarwas  seems 
to  have  been  derived  from  their  taste  for  eating  monkeys.*  Human 
sacrifices  undoubtedly  occurred  in  the  State  of  B  a  s  t  a  r  until  a  com- 
paratively late  period,  but  they  were  state  ceremonials,  pubHcly  con- 
ducted by  a  semi-civilised  R  a  j  p  u  t  prince,  and  there  are  no  traces  now 
of  their  prevalence  among  the  wild  tribes.  The  M  4  r  i  s,  to  whom  this 
practice  was  attributed,  though  the  shyest  of  the  aboriginal  races,  turn 
out,  when  better  known,  to  be  cheerful,  mild-dispositioned  savages, 
with  no  pretensions  to  cleanliness,  certainly,  but  not  without  a  god- 
liness of  their  own.     The  true  wonders  of  the  country  are  under  the 

„  .       ^ .,  surface,  and  may  be  found  in  such  social 

True  wonders  of  the  country.        ,  ,i-r^..         -i         nti- 

phenomena  as  the  Deist  revival  and  aboli- 
tion of  caste  among  the  C  h  a  m  dr  s,  a  helot  people  of  0  hha  tt  i  s  g  a  r  h, 
or  such  historical  episodes  as  the  sway  of  the  G  o  n  d  dynasties,  probably 
the  only  aboriginal  t  races  which  ever  attained  so  high  an  organisation 
as  to  bear  up  against  the  Aryan  power  in  its  fiill  development.  Some- 
thing has  been  done  to  explore  these  byways  of  inquiry,  but  there  is 
no  want  of  fresh  ground  to  travel  over,  and  in  the  present  stage  of 
our  knowledge  probably  no  part  of  the  country  has  more  curious  pro- 
blems, whether  in  sociology  or  in  physical  geography,  to  offer  to  the 
student  of  Indian  subjects. 

In  1861  this  central  tract  of  highland  and  valley,  with  its  unknown 

F       tio      f  th     r  history,  its  unsuspected  resources,  and  its- 

Prorinces.  Strange  world  of  wild  tribes,   became  a 

separate  division  of  British  India,  uniting 
under  the  name  of  the  "  Central  Provinces  "  the  tracts  then  known  as 
the  N  a  g  p  u  r  Province,  and  the  S  a  g  a  r  and  N  a  r  b  a  d  a  Terri- 
tories. Though  these  component  portions  are  essentially  distinct  in 
many  of  their  characteristics,  ethnical  and  physical,  there  was  much  in 
favour  of  their  amalgamation.     Originally  they  had,  roughly  speaking, 

*  " The  Bandarwas  would  appear  to  have  got  their  name  from  the  monkey 
{bandar),  which  they  eat/'— Mr.  ChisholnCa  Bildspiir  Settlement  Report ,  para.  122. 

t  Here,  and  throughout,  the  term  "  aboriginal  *'  is  applied  to  the  non-Aryan  tribes 
for  the  sake  of  convenience  merely,   and  not  as  implying  any  foregone  conclusion  with 
regard  to  their  origin. 
2  cp^-H 


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XIV  INTRODUCTION, 

been  almost  coincident  with  the  old  territorial  division  ofGondwdna, 

and  the  G  o  n  d  s  had  sufficiently  outniun- 
anS^rtttXten:!    ^ered  the  residue  of  the  wild  tribes,  who 

with  them  had  sought  refuge  in  this  un- 
known region  of  woods  and  hills,  to  take  rank  as  a  separate  nation- 
ality among  the  peoples  of  India.  The  Sat  pur  a  plateau,  which, 
running  east  and  west  for  nearly  600  miles,  may  be  regarded  as  the 
true  barrier  between  Northern  and  Southern  India — the  hne  on  which 
settlers  from  Hindustan  met  the  opposite  wave  of  immigration 
from  Maharashtra  and  the  Deccan — seems  to  have  been  to 
these  aboriginal  tribes  a  great  natural  fastness,  making  life  possible 
to  them  amid  the  surgings  and  convulsions  attendant  on  their  dis- 
placement by  more  powerful  and  highly  organised  races.  As  they 
gained  strength  and  confidence  they  quitted  their  earher  seats  on  the 
S  a  t  p  u  r  d  s,  and  occupied  the  rich  valleys  of  the  Narbada  to  the 
north,  and  of  the  Wardhd  and  Wainganga  to  the  south. 
But  they  were  as  little  fitted  to  cope  with  men  of  Aryan  descent  in 
peace  as  in  war ;  and  though  slow  centuries  of  enervation  under  an 
Indian  sky  had  relaxed  the  Northern  vigour  of  the  races  to  whom 
they  had  once  before  succumbed,  yet  in  every  quality  and  attainment 
which  can  give  to  one  people  superiority  over  another,  there  was 
probably  as  much  difference  between  Hindus  andGonds  as  there 
is  now  between  Anglo-Americans  and  Red  Indians,  or  between 
Englishmen  and  New  Zealanders.  The  second  repulse  of  the  aborigi- 
nal tribes,  though  not  so  rapid  and  violent  as  we  may  imagine  the 
first  to  have  been,  was  more  thorough,  and  probably  more  irrecoverable. 

Step  by  step  the  Gond  cultivators  were 
H  i  n  d  d  encroachments.  ,.        i_-i_^^  .^        jii, 

driven  back  to  stony  smnmits  and  upland  val- 
leys inaccessible  to  the  plough,  and  only  culturable  by  the  rude  expedient 
of  burning  the  forest  and  sowing  in  the  wood-ash ;  while  the  deep  rich 
soil  of  the  plains  below  was  gradually  cleared,  and  occupied  by  a  yearly 
increasing  body  of  enterprising  farmers.  Those  of  the  aborigines  who 
remained  were  absorbed,  though  never  so  completely  as  to  attain  equality 
with  the  people  who  had  overrun  them.  They  form  at  present  the 
lowest  stratum  of  the  Hindu  social  system,  allowed  to  take  rank  above 
none  but  the  most  despised  outcastes.     The  Chiefs  were  assimilated  by 


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lOTRODUCTION.  XY 

the  higher  race,  and  found  themselves  slowly  but  inevitably  trans- 
formed into  Hindu  rulers  of  a  Hindu  population. 

Both  the  Southern  and  the  Northern  plains  obtained  their 
Hindu  population  in  some  such  manner  as  this,  but  from  different 
sources.     Thus    it  resulted    that  the   Narbada  valley  and   the 

country  associated  with  it  became,  ethni- 

be^l^^rt^™  tdToS     ^^^7'  a^  off^l^oot  Of  Buudelkhand  and 
ernHindus*  Malwa,   while    the    Nagpur   territory 

proper  was  overflown  by  M  ar  a  t  h  i-speaking 
tribes  from  the  D  e  c  c  a  n.  The  Southern  belt  of  the  central  plateau 
may  be  regarded  as  debatable  land,  where  the  two  races  meet,  each, 
however,  retaining  its  own  distinct  characteristics.  The  Marathd 
descendant  of  a  rice-eating  race,  bred  in  a  tropical  but  equable  cli- 
mate, has  neither  the  physical  energy  nor  the  independence  of  the 
peasant  of  the  Narbada.  In  dress  and  appearance  the  contrast 
between  the  two  races  is  striking ;  and  on  a  gala  day  when  a  southern 
crowd  presents  a  mass  of  white  clothing  and  enormous  red  turbans, 
the  more  northern  people  may  be  known  by  their  costume  of  mhowa 
green,  and  their  jaunty,  compactly -twisted  head-dress  of  white  cloth. 
Though  the  difference  in  latitude  and  elevation  is  not  considerable, 
there  is  a  most  perceptible  variation  in  the  cUmate  and  products 
"  below  and  above  the  gMts.^'  The  Narbada  country  is  a  great 
wheat-field ;  while  the  higher  temperature  of  the  N  a  g  p  u  r  plain, 
and  its  greater  facilities  for  storage  of  water,  are  favourable  to  the 
production  of  rice ;  so  that  the  opposite  advance  of  either  race  may 
in  some  degree  have  been  regulated  by  the  conditions  of  life  to  which 
it  had  been  habituated ;  and  the  Satpuras  may  be  regarded  so  far 
as  a  climatic  as  well  as  an  ethnic  boundary  between  Northern  and 
Southern  India. 

When  to  the  encroachments  of  foreign  settlers  succeeded  the 
subversion  of  their  native  princes,  and  the 

Remdon  of  Northern   «id    Gonds  lost  the  last  trace  of  a  separate 
Soutnem Gondwana  under  •  n i 

thcMarithds.  national  existence,  the  two  provinces  still 

*  remained  (with  a  brief  interregnum)  united 

under  the  dominion  of  the  B  h  o  n  s  1  a  Rajas  of  B  e  r  a  r,  and  they  were 


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Xn  INTRODUCTION. 

not  separated  until  the  cession  of  the  S  a  g  a  r  and  N  a  r  b  a  d  a  terri- 
tories to  the  British  in  1818.  So  that  notwithstanding  the  want  of 
affinity  which  has  been  already  pointed  out,  and  such  minor  incon- 
gruities as  the  existence  in  the  population  of  TJriya,  Tolugu,  and 
other  almost  equally  heterogeneous  elements,  there  was  much  historical 
precedent  for  their  union.  More  practical  arguments  in  its  favour  were 
the  difficulty  of  securing  anything  like  really  strong  central  adminis- 
tration in  charges  so  insignijScant  as  the  two  provinces  would  have 
been  standing  singly,  and  their  distance  and  isolation  from  other 

seats  of   British  Government.     The  N  a  g- 

se Jr  ro^Je'!'^^''"  ""^  ^^"^  ^'"^    P  ^  ^  province  is  almost  entirely  surrounded 

by  independent  and  semi-independent  states, 
except  where  it  joins  the  S  a  g  a  r  and  N  a  r  b  a  d  a  territories ;  while  the 
latter,  with  a  similar  exception,  only  touch  other  British  possessions  at 
three  points,  viz.  in  parts  of  the  districts  ofLalatpurin  the  north- 
western provinces,  of  Khandesh  in  Bombay,  and  oftheGoda- 
variin  Madras.  Thus  of  a  total  boundary  of  some  2,700  miles, 
not  more  than  160  march  with  British  territory. 

Of  the  nineteen  districts  which  comprise  the  united  province,  two, 

^.     ,     ^j.  . .  S  agar  and  Dam  oh,  lie  parallel  to  each 

Fiscal  subdivisions.  .^  .       ^r  •       t  i  , ,    ,       - 

other  upon  the    Vindhyan   table-land. 

Next  come  to  the  south,  in  the  N  arb  a  d  a  valley  and  its  offshoots, 

the  districts  of  M  and  la,  which  includes  the  upper  portion  of  the 

river  course  before  it  debouches  into  the  plains,  Jabalpur,  Nar- 

singhpur,  Hoshangabad,  and  a  part  of  Nimar,  the  rest  of 

which  lies  in  the  valley  of  the  T  a  p  1 1.     The  next  range  of  districts, 

continuing  southwards,  are  Betul,  Chhindwara,  Seoni,  and 

Balaghat,  which  occupy  the  S  a t p u r a  table-land,  and  attain  at 

their  central  stations  a  height  of  about  2,000  feet.     StiU  further  to  the 

south  is  the  great  N  a  g  p  u  r  plain,  formed  by  the  valleys  of  the  "W  a  r  d  h  a 

and  Wainganga,  and  comprising    the  districts     of  Ndgpur, 

War  dha,  Bhandara,  and  Chanda.     Eastwards,  and  still  below 

the  ghdts^  is  the  Chhattisgarh  plain— a  low  plateau  of  red  soil, 

containing    the   districts  of  Raipur    and   Bilaspur.     In    this 

division  is  also  included  the  district  of  Sambalpur,  which  is  not, 

however,  part  of  Chhattisgarh  proper,  either  geographically  or 


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INTRODriTION.  XVll 

historically.  It  was  originally  attached  to  the  South-west  Frontier 
Agency  of  Bengal,  and  Ues  principally  in  the  valley  of  the  M  a  h  a- 
n  a  d  i.  Last  of  all,  to  the  extreme  south,  almost  cut  off  by  forests  and 
wild  semi-independent  states,  is  a  long  strip  of  territory,  Uning  the 
left  bank  of  the  Godavari,  and  styled  the  Upper  Godavari 
district. 

Thus  within  comparatively  narrow  Umits   follow  each  other  a 
plateau  and  a  plain,  and  again  in  similar 
g   gr  p  , .  sequence,   a    larger  plateau   and   a  larger 

plain,  ending  in  a  mass  of  hill  and  forest,  which  is  probably  the  very 
wildest  part  of  the  whole  peninsula.  Even  the  continuously  level 
portions  of  this  area  are  broken  by  isolated  peaks  and  straggling  hill- 
ranges;  while  its  rugged  formation  and  rapid  slopes  give  to  the 
greatest  rivers  which  rise  in  it,  such  as  the  N  a  r  b  a  d  a  and  T  a  p  t  i 
something  of  the  character  of  mountain  torrents. 

Though  the  scenery  is  on  too  small  a  scale  to  compare  in  sub- 
^  limity  with  that  of  the  Himalaya,  it  is 

on  the  other  hand  as  far  removed  from  the 
monotony  of  the  plains  of  Hindustan.  Not  only  is  it  characterised 
by  rapid  and  constant  variety  of  form  and  level,  but  it  pos- 
sesses a  diversity  of  colour  almost  pecuhar  to  itself^  The  recurring 
contrast  of  woodland  and  cultivation,  which  brings  out  so  vividly 
the  beauties  of  each,  may  be  seen  on  a  more  imposing  though  not 
so  wide  a  scale  in  the  noble  glades  of  the  Sub-Himalayan  Forests ; 
and  the  Central  Provinces  only  share  with  the  rest  of  Central  India 
and  with  the  D  e  c  c  a  n  the  alternation  of  hill  and  valley,  wood  and 
river,  which  is  so  grateful  to  eyes  fatigued  by  the  lengthened  same- 

^    , ,  ness    of  dusty    Indian   plains.     But    pro- 

N  a  r  b  a  d  a  country.  .  ,    ^ 

bably  in  no  part  of  India  are  the  changes  of 

soil  and  vegetation  more  rapid  and  marked  than  in  the  N  a  r  b  a  d  a 

country.     In  the  pleasant  winter  months  the  eye  may  range  over 

miles  of  green  corn-lands,  only  broken  by  low  black  boundary  ridges 

or  dark  twisting  footpaths.     The  horizon  is  bounded  here  and  there 

by  hiU-ranges,  which  seem  to  rise  abruptly  from  the  plain,  but  on 

coining  nearer  to  them  the  heavj'  green  of  their  slopes  is  found  to 


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XVlll  INTRODUCTION. 

be  divided  from  the  softer  hues  of  the  young  wheat  by  broad  belts  of 
gravelly  soil — here  carpeted  with  short  sward  and  dotted  with  noble 
trees — there  uncovered  and  contrasting  their  brown-red  tints  with  the 
deep  black  of  the  valley  lands.  The  epithet  which  occurs  to  almost 
every  English  describer  in  writing  of  these  border  belts  is  "  park-like ;" 
but  though  the  smoothness  of  the  surface  and  the  noble  growth  of 
the  Mhowa  trees — too  valuable  to  fear  the  axe — may  favour  the  illu- 
sion, the  velvety  freshness  of  English  scenery  is  wanting  to  complete  it. 
It  is  only  in  favoured  reaches  of  the  rivers,  where  the  pools  never 
dry,  that  the  water-loving  shrubs  keep  their  verdure  and  brilliancy 
throughout  the  year ;  and  even  here  the  charm  of  rippling  water  and 
grateful  shade  may  not  be  free  from  that  element  of  terror  which 
associates  itself  with  all  Indian  conceptions  of  beauty.  Often  the  over- 
hanging rock,  with  its  curtain  of  foliage,  or  the  clump  of  bushes  in 
the  middle  of  a  sparkling  eddy,  which  an  artist  would  select  to  draw, 
is  the  very  retreat  which  a  tiger  has  chosen  for  his  summer  lair, 
and  though  the  high  rewards  now  paid  for  wild  beasts  are  teUing  on 
their  numbers,  the  dwellers  on  these  secluded  river-banks  have  still 
many  a  tale  to  recount  of  cattle  lost,  or  even  of  human  lives 
sacrificed. 

One  almost  universal  characteristic  of  the  rivers  is  their  limpidity. 
Even  in  the  lowlands  the  strength  of  their 
e  rivers.  currents  cuts  down  through  the  deep  soil 

to  the  rock  beneath ;  while  in  their  rapid  descent  through  the  rocky 
valleys  of  the  hill-country  they  gather  up  no  discolouring  load  of 
earthy  matters ;  and  the  play  of  the  water  on  successive  formations  of 
almost  every  known  class  and  texture  produces  an  endless  variety 
of  form  and  combination,  ranging  from  the  deep  weedless  pools, 
separated  by  dark  barriers,  of  the  streams  which  cross  the  basaltic 
region,  to  the  clear  sandy  beds  of  the  rivers  passing  through  the 
metamorphic  and  sandstone  formations. 

The  tortuous  gorge  of  white  marble  through  which  the  N  a  r  b  a  d  a 

winds  with  a  deep  silent  course  is  now  well 

Natural  beauties.  j^^^    ^    j^^^^^^  tourists,    but  there   are 

many  spots,  hidden  away  in  comers  of  httle-travelled  districts,  which 


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INTEODUOTION.  XLX 

are  m  well  worthy  of  a  visit.  It  is  often  said  that  the  Hindus  have 
no  appreciation  of  natural  beauties,  but  there  is  scarcely  one  of 
these  lovely  spots,  however  secluded,  that  has  not  been  selected  to 
point  some  ancient  legend,  or  to  adorn  the  favoured  abode  of  some 
deity,  AtAmarkantak,  where  the  Eastern  hills  reach  their  culmi- 
nating point,  in  a  country  so  rugged  and  difficult,  that  till  of  compa- 
ratively late  years  no  European  traveller  had  visited  it,  the  sources  of 
the  sacred  Narbada  are  guarded  by  a  Uttle  colony  of  priests,  who 
have  reared  their  temples  in  the  middle  of  the  soUtary  forests*  West- 
wards, the  caves  and  awful  gorges  of  the  Mahddeo  group,  which 
may  some  day  become  the  marvels  of  a  hill  sanitarium,  are  held  so 
sacred  that  many  hundreds  of  pilgrims  have  lost  their  Uves  from 
fatigue  and  cholera  in  scaling  the  difficult  approaches  to  them.*  The 
group  of  temples  atMuktagiri  inBetul,  though  selected  by 
Fergussont  as  a  type  of  Jain  architecture,  owe  their  reputation  as 
much  to  their  picturesque  position  in  a  wooded  valley,  at  the  foot  of  a 
waterfall,  as  to  the  art  and  taste  shown  in  their  construction.  But  it 
would  be  endless  to  enumerate  instances.  From  this  hill  is  heard  the 
sound  of  fieury  drums, — in  that  lake  are  seen  reflected  the  ruins  of  a 
buried  city ;  here  the  hiU-sides  have  been  hollowed  into  rude  tem- 
ples,— ^there  the  confluence  of  two  rivers  is  marked  by  some  soUtary 
temple  on  the  bluff  below  which  the  waters  meet.  In  short  almost 
every  spot  of  eminent  natural  beauty  or  interest  has  been  appropriated 
by  a  religion  which,  however  debased,  still  retains  something  of  the 
form,  if  not  of  the  spirit,  of  nature  worship. 

On  the   Satpuras  the  alternations   of  scenery  are  even  more 

frequent  than  in  the  low  country.  The  hills 
are  higher  and  more  abrupt,  the  black-soil 
deposits  are  deeper,  and  the  water-supply  is  more  abundant.  Hence 
in  the  midst  of  the  grim  rolHng  plateaus  of  basalt  there  often  may 
be  found  little  vafleys  cultivated  like  gardens, — oases  of  sugarcane 
and  opium,  which,  but  for  their  inacessibility,  would  tempt  away  the 


*  The  yearly  fair  is  now  stopped. 

t  ••  History  of  Architecture,"  vol.  ii.  p.  632  (1867). 


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XX  INTRODUCTION. 

best  cultivators  of  the  plains.  It  is  thought  that  in  some  of  these 
upland  basins — where  the  winds  are  cooled  by  passing  over  miles  of 
natural  vegetation,  and  the  air  even  in  May  is  clear  and  Hght — tea, 
coffee,  and  other  delicate  plants  might  be  raised  with  success,  but  the 
obstacles  which  have  so  long  retarded  the  settlement  of  these  plateaus, 
though  partially  smoothed  away,  still  exist,  and  can  only  be  surmounted 
by  patient  and  continued  energy.  It  is  from  steady  settlers,  pushing 
their  way  by  slow  degrees,  rather  than  from  speculating  farmers,  that 
the  reclamation  of  these  wastes  must  be  hoped.  Much  has  been  done  to 
open  out  the  country  of  late  years.  Railways  from  either  coast  run 
up  to  within  a  few  miles  both  of  the  southern  and  northern  limits  of 
the  plateau,  and  there  is  no  more  travelled  highway  than  the  road 
which,  running  through  its  heart,  forms  the  central  link  of  communi- 
cation between  C  ale  utta  and  Bombay.  Not  many  years  ago  the 
passes,  which  would  now  scarcely  excite  notice  but  for  the  boldness  of 
their  scenery,  were  looked  forward  to,  days  beforehand,  with  dread 
by  cartmen,  and  most  of  the  carriage  of  the  country  was  effected  by 
means  of  pack-buUocks.  The  valleys  were  sufficiently  smooth  and 
easy  in  the  fair  weather,  but  a  few  hours'  rain  would  convert  the 
track  through  them  into  a  trough  of  deep  black  compost,  in  which 
every  step  was  a  labour  to  the  most  lightly  laden  animal.  It  was 
not  till  many  layers  of  metal  had  been  sucked  in  that  the  road  was 
consolidated;  and  the  local  engineering  department  has  now  laid 
down  the  principle  that  black-soil  roads  should  be  constructed  **on 
the  principles  applicable  to  a  morass." 

These  are  some  of  the  difficulties  which  lock  up  vast  unoccupied 

areas  against  settlers.     The  present  state  of 
Removal  of  obstacles  to  its     ^,      ^     '^i  ,    ,  ,  *        i  ^  i      ^i 

settlement.  *J^®  trunk-road  shows  how  completely  they 

can  be  overcome ;  but  its  great  cost  must,  on 
the  other  hand,  preclude  the  repetition  of  a  similar  attempt  from  local 
resources  and  for  mere  local  interests.  Year  by  year,  however,  some- 
thing is  added  by  the  Forest  Department  to  its  system  of  roads ;  some- 
thing is  done  by  district  officers  to  smooth  the  more  difficult  ascents  or 
to  improve  the  crossings  of  streams.  As  these  attempts,  added  to  more 
direct  measures  of  encouragement,  attract  by  degrees  a  few  enterprising 


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INTBODUOTION.  XXI 

farmers  from  the  plains  to  take  up  the  virgm  land  which  awaits  them, 
the  increasing  revenues  and  importance  of  the  upland  districts  will  give 
those  interested  in  their  improvement  the  opportunity  of  working  for  it 
on  a  larger  scale;  and  though  they  may  never  attain  the  prosperity 
which  tradition  assigns  to  them  in  the  best  days  of  the  aboriginal 
princes,  it  may  be  hoped  that  the  day  is  not  very  far  distant  when 
advancing  cultivation  shall  be  strong  enough  to  neutralise  the  evil 
influences  of  the  jungle,  and  the  hfe  of  a  settler  in  these  forests  shall 
be  no  longer  a  constant  battle  against  tigers  and  malaria.  At  pre- 
sent it  is  almost  incredible  how  quickly  the  ground  which  the  hand 
of  man  has  patiently  gained,  inch  by  inch,  is  swallowed  up  again  by 
the  jungle,  when  the  pressure  of  regular  occupation  is  for  a  moment 
intermitted.  Sir  William  Sleeman,  writing  in  1826,  records  how  a  few 
days*  ill-judged  zeal  on  the  part  of  a  mere  imderling  threw  a  flourish- 
ing tract  of  country  out  of  cultivation  for  years,  and  completely  closed 
a  line  of  road.  There  had  been  a  bad  season,  and  yet  the  collection 
of  the  revenue  had  been  pressed  on  in  one  of  the  wilder  subdivisions 
of  the  Narsinghpiir  district,  without  allowance  or  consideration, 
by  an  overzealous  sub-collector.  The  hill  cultivators,  at  no  time  much 
devoted  to  their  holdings,  did  not  care  to  bear  up  against  fresh  diffi- 
culties, and  deserted  in  a  body.  When  better  times  came  it  was  found 
impossible  to  re-populate  the  deserted  villages,  for  they  had  been  so 
grown  over  by  jungle  in  a  year  or  two  that  the  very  village  sites  needed 
clearing,  and  tigers  had  so  readily  occupied  the  new  coverts  thus  made 
for  them,  that  even  travellers  shunned  the  country.*  The  district  of 
Mandla  in  the  upper  valley  of  the  Narbada  is  an  instance  of  the 
same  kind,  but  on  a  much  larger  scale,  if  tradition  is  to  be  behoved. 
It  is  said  to  have  once  returned  a  State  revenue  of  over  ten  Idkhs  of 
rupees  (£100,000),  but  its  total  assessment  is  now  only  Rs.  66,516, 
or  little  more  than  £5,000  a  year.  The  high  rewards  now  offered 
for  tigers  have,  however,  done  so  much  to  lessen  danger  from  this 
source,  that  it  may  be  ahnost  left  out  of  account  in  many  places  in 
estimating  the  drawbacks  to  jungle  settlement.  But  there  are  still 
some  great  unbroken  tracts  of  forest  on  which  man  has  as  yet  made 

♦NarsinghpiU  MSS.  Recordi. 


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XXU  INTEODUCTION. 

SO  little  impression  that  the  sums  allotted  to  keeping  up  communica- 
tions are  spent  almost  entirely  in  clearing  away  the  constantly  en- 
croaching forest,  and  it  was  on  a  road  of  this  kind  that  one  tigress 
killed,  in  1867-68,  135  men  and  women.* 

Though  these  jungle  lands  occupy  an  immense  area  in  the  Cen- 
tral Provinces,  very  small  part  of  it  is  really 
valuable  forest.  The  total  extent  of  the 
Proviaces,  including  Feudatoryships,  is  computed  to  be  111,121 
square  miles,  of  which  only  29,656  square  miles,  or  little  more  than 
one-fourth,  are  cultivated.  Of  this  vast  mass  of  waste  land  not 
above  4,000  square  miles  have  yet  been  reserved  as  State  forests. 
The  rest  is  principally  covered  by  scrub  jungle,  which,  though  often 
rich  in  wild  fruit  and  other  forest  produce,  supplies  little,  wood 
of  value  for  purposes  of  construction.  On  these  rugged  heights 
and  stony  plateaus  the  thin  soil  can  never  have  ftimished  susten- 
ance for  fine  timber ;  but  there  is  a  large  residue  of  rich  sheltered 
grazing  lands,  which  would  have  been  clothed  with  forest  trees  but 
for  the  improvidence  of  former  generations.  Not  only  was  timber 
recklessly  cut,  often  with  so  Uttle  regard  to  the  cost  of  its  removal, 
that  it  was  allowed  to  lie  where  it  fell,  but  each  one  of  the  more  valu- 
able trees  had  its  own  special  enemy.  The  teak  tree  was  the  favourite 
prey  of  charcoal-burners,  who  from  its  close-grained  wood  produced 
fuel  of  the  strongest  and  most  concentrated  kind.  The  sdl  {shorea 
robusta)  when  tapped  supplies  a  valuable  resin,  and  hence  vast  num- 
bers of  these  noble  trees  were  slowly  killed  by  girdling.  Even  more 
universally  destructive  was  the  habit  of  ddhyaf  cultivation,  now 
fortunately  on  the  wane. 

*  In  tlie  Chdndd  district. 

t  The  Ddhya  system  of  cultiyation  is  thus  described  by  Ciq>tain  H.  C  E.  Ward  in 
his  M  andla  Settlement  Report,  paras.  109 — 112 : — 

*'  1 09.  As  the  Dahya  cultivation  comprises  no  small  amount  oi  the  general  area,  I  will 
endeavour  to  describe  it  clearly.  With  no  other  instrument  of  agriculture  but  their  axe,  and 
a  smaU  sickle  (hansid)  it  is  astonishing  to  see  the  extent  of  clearing  one  village  of  B  a  i  g  £  s 
makes  on  the  sides  of  the  hills  on  which  their  village  is  located. 

**  1 10.  Until  lately  it  was  their  habit  to  select  the  spots  for  their  Ddhya  with  an 
utter  disregard  for  all  the  rules  of  Forest  conservancy.  Where  the  trees  are  large  and 
most  numerous,  there  would  the  B  a  i  g  a  resort,  and  in  the  cold-weather  months  cut  down 
sufficient  wood  to  cover  pretty  closely  the  whole  of  the  area  he  meant  to  bring  under 


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INTEODUOnON.  XXUl 

The  system  of  Forest  conservancy  introduced  in  1860  has  not  yet 
had  time  to  repair  the  ravages  of  centuries,  and  the  northern  part  of 
the  province  is  ahnost  without  tree-forests,  except  in  the  wild  inac- 
cessible country  where  the  highlands  merge  into  the  valley,  around 
and  below  the  sources  of  the  sacred  river  atAmarkantak,  orin  the 

cultivation.  In  May  and  Jane,  just  before  the  setting  in  of  the  rains,  this  wood,  and  the 
bru^wood  in  which  it  has  fallen,  is  set  fire  to,  and  almost  before  the  fire  is  out  the 
Baigis  may  be  seen  raking  up  the  ashes,  and  spreading  them  over  the  whole 
surface  of  their  field.  This  is  done  either  with  a  bundle  of  thorns,  or  with  long 
bamboos,  until  there  is  a  superstratum  of  about  an  inch  of  ashes  spread  over  the  ground. 
In  these  ashes  they  sow  Kodo  (paapalum  frumentaceum),  Kutki  (panicum  miliaeewn), 
and  occasionally  a  poor  specimen  of  rice  called  here  Baigdna.  From  being  on  the  side 
of  a  hill,  the  ashes  are  cut  up  into  furrows  by  the  action  of  the  rains,  and  often  much  of 
the  seed^ust  be  washed  away  altogether ;  but  sufficient  seems  to  remain  for  the  B  a  i  g  d '  s 
wants.  When  sown,  the  field  is  fenced  round  very  roughly  and  strongly,  small  trees  being 
felled  so  as  to  fall  one  on  to  the  other ;  the  interstices  are  filled  in  with  bamboos,  and 
the  boughs  are  carefully  interlaced,  so  that  the  smallest  kind  of  deer  cannot  effect  an 
entrance*  In  addition  to  this,  where  there  is  any  danger  of  the  crops  being  eaten  up  by 
bufialoes  or  bison,  which  push  through  any  ordinary  fence,  the  B  a  i  g  ^  s  bury  a  line  of 
broad-bladed  spears,  called  dansds,  in  the  ground,  at  about  the  spot  where  these  beasts 
would  land  if  they  jumped  the  fence ;  they  then  watch  their  opportunity,  and  sneaking 
round  to  the  opposite  side,  give  a  series  of  yells,  which  send  the  cattle  off  terrified 
oyer  or  through  the  fence.  Generally  more  than  one  is  wounded,  and  often  one  killed 
on  the  spot ;  the  rest,  once  started,  make  straight  away,  and  never  visit  that  field  again« 
In  the  fences  round  these  "  Bemars,'*  as  these  patches  of  cultivation  are  called,  are 
usually  two  or  three  cunningly-contrived  traps  for  small  deer,  something  on  the  principle 
of  the  old  figure  of  four,  and  several  nooses  for  peacocks,  hares,  &c.  These  the  B  a  i  g  £ 
carefully  examines  every  morning,  and  great  is  his  delight  when  occasionally  he  finds  a 
panther  crushed  under  one  of  the  figure-of-four  traps. 

"111.  One  of  these  "  Bemars**  lasts  the  B  a  i  g  d  at  the  outside  three  years.  He 
usually  leaves  sufficient  wood  on  the  ground  the  first  season  to  last  for  a  second  season's 
burning ;  the  third  year,  if  by  chance  he  should  make  up  his  mind  to  stick  to  one 
field  for  so  long,  his  labour  is  much  enhanced,  as  he  has  to  cut  and  drag  the  wood  for 
some  little  distance  and  lay  it  over  his  fields ;  in  addition  to  this,  the  outturn  of  the 
crops  fidls  off  every  year ;  so  that  altogether  the  B  a  i  g  d  has  every  inducement  to  change 
the  locale  of  his  cultivation,  and  where  no  restriction  has  been  put  on  his  movements,  as 
a  rule  he  does  so. 

"112.  It  takes  six  or  seven  years  before  one  of  these  old  "  Bemars"  is  sufficiently 
covered  wiih  wood  again  to  make  it  worth  the  Bhigi* b  while  to  cultivate  it  a  second 
time ;  in  three  years  it  is  probably  densely  covered  with  brushwood ;  but  this,  if  burnt, 
leaves  so  little  ash,  that  it  has  to  be  largely  supplemented  with  timber ;  and  as  this  has 
been  previously  cut  all  round  the  clearing,  it  becomes  a  work  of  supererogation  to  take 
op  one  of  these  old  plots  before  the  wood  has  well  grown,  when  other  and  more  suital)Iie 
bod  is  available." 


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XXIV  INTRODUCTION. 

deep  valley  of  the  D  e  n  w  a,  hemmed  in  between  the  S  a  t  p  u  r  a  plateau 
and  the  precipitous  masses  of  the  M  a  h  a  d  e  o  hills.  It  is  further  south, 
in  the  hill  Chiefships  which  border  the  Nagpur  andChhattis- 
garh  plains,  that  the  natural  forests  have  suffered  least.  In  these 
almost  unexplored  wilds  the  population  is  too  scanty  to  have  made 
any  serious  impression  on  the  dense  woods  which  surround  them. 

Passing  from  the  hills  and  forests  to  the  lowlands  again,  it  may 
be  said  that  the  western  portion  of  the 
Nagpur  plain  has  little  to  distinguish 
it  in  external  character  from  the  country  north  of  the  "  Ghats  J* 
There  are  the  same  low  volcanic  hills,  and  the  same  deep  black- 
soil  bottoms ;  but  to  the  east,  in  the  Bhandara  and  parts  of  the 
Chan  da  district,  comes  in  the  far  more  picturesque  metaAorphic 
formation.  Here  the  soil  may  be  lighter,  but  the  intermixture  of  hill- 
ranges  and  the  levels  of  the  coimtry  lend  themselves  to  the  construc- 
tion of  magnificent  reservoirs,  which  contribute  as  much  to  the  beauty 
of  the  scenery  as  to  the  prosperity  of  the  people.  In  this  "  Lake 
Region"  an  irrigation  tank  "is  not  apiece  of  water  with  regular  banks, 
**  crowned  with  rows  or  avenues  of  trees,  with  an  artificial  dyke  and 
"  sluices,  and  with  fields  around  it,  but  it  is  an  irregular  expanse  of 
"  water ;  its  banks  are  formed  by  rugged  hills,  covered  with  low  forests 
**that  fringe  the  water  where  the  wild  beasts  repair  to  drink;  its 
**  dykes,  mainly  shaped  out  of  spurs  from  the  hills,  are  thrown  athwart 
"  the  hollows,  a  part  only  being  formed  by  masonry ;  its  sluices  often 
"  consist  of  chasms  or  fissures  in  the  rock ;  its  broad  surface  is  often, 
"  as  the  monsoon  approaches,  lashed  into  surging  and  crested  waves."* 
The  largest  of  these  lakes — that  at  N  a  w  e  g  a  o  n — ^is  seventeen  miles 
in  circumference,  and  has  a  depth  in  places  of  90  feet,  the  average 
depth  being  40  feet.  The  whole  of  this  vast  water  storage  has  been 
effected  by  means  of  two  embankments  350  and  640  yards  in  length 
respectively. 

The  N  a gp  ur  plain  is  terminated  on  the  east  by  a  rocky  barrier 
^ ,  ,    _  -  ,  which  divides  it  from  the  low-lyine:  plateau 

known asChhattisgarh,  or  the " thirty- 

*  Sir  R.  Temple's  Administration  Report  of  the  Central  Provinces,  for  1861-62,  p.6. 


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INTRODUCTION.  XXV 

six  forts."     Land-locked  on  every  side  by  deep  forests  or  hill-passes, 
and  remote  from  all  centres,  whether  of  eastern  or  more  modem 
western  civilisation,  this  little  principality  was  till  of  comparatively 
late  years  the  least  known  portion  of  the  obscurest  division  of  India. 
Its  central  portion  is  an  open  plain,  now  so  fertile  that  it  is  known  to  the 
bands  of  B  a  n  j  a  r  4  s,  who  annually  come  with  their  long  train  of  pack 
cattle  to  carry  off  its  surplus  produce,  as  ^Khalautiy  or  the  *  Land  of  the 
Threshing-floors.'*     But  this  agricultural  wealth  is  new.   The  marks 
of  human  settlement  have  not  hitherto  gone  beyond  the  bare  necessi- 
ties of  agricultural  life,  and  the  great  central  plain  ofChhattis- 
g  a  r  h  is   to  the  eye  most  uninviting.     Nature  has   provided  a  wide 
extent  of  fertile  soil,  and  settlers  have  within  the  last  quarter  of  a 
century-  multipHed  and  prospered ;   but  they  have  not  yet  had  time, 
nor  perhaps    gained    confidence,  to   surround  themselves  with  the 
amenities  of  Indian  life.     Great  consignments  of  grain  are  sent  out 
almost    annually    to    feed  the    cotton-growing  population   of    the 
War  dha  valley,  and  even  now  Chattisgarh  exports  wheat  to 
the  wheat  country  roimd  Jab  alp  ur,  and  rice  to  the  rice  country 
lying  in  the  lower  valley  of  the  M  ah  a  n  a  d  i.t     But  the  granary   of 
other  countries  is  as  yet  rich  in  nothing  but  grain.     In  ordinary 
seasons  the  poorest  cultivator  revels  in  food,  only  to  feel  its  depri- 
vation more  keenly  when  rain  fails  and  nature  stints  her  supplies; 
but  he  is  iH  clothed  and  ill  lodged ;  he  drinks  dirty  water ;  and  he 
has  heard  of  and  seen  such  terrible  suffering  from  pestilence,  that  the 
name  of  cholera  is  enough  to  set  the  whole  country  in  wild  commo- 
tion.    There  are,  perhaps,  few  who  would  realise  in  the  long  treeless 
plain,  with  its  frequent  clusters  of  mud  huts,  and  borders  of  inhospi- 
table ravine  and  jungle,  the  capabilities  of  a  country  which,  even  in  its 
present  raw  stage,  supports  its  own  three  miUions,  and  in  spite  of 
difficult  communications  sends  out  of  its  surplus  enough  to  feed  some 
two  hundred  thousand  more  annually. 

*  The  original  meaning  of  this  word  is  somewhat  uncertain.  By  the  people  of  the 
tmmirj  it  is  pronounced  as  written  above.  It  may  be  derived  either  from  Khdldtu 
ligaifying  '  low  rice  land ' ;  or  from  Khaldvatt,  meaning  *  abounding  in  threshiog-floors.' 

fin  1868-69  the  exports  were,  wheat  to  Jab  al  ptir,  211,587  maunds  ;  rice  to 
Mahidiadf  valley,  53,504  maundt. 


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XXVI  •  INTRODUCTION. 

CHAPTER  II. 

GEOLOGY. 

Diversity  of  the  geological  character  of  the  country — General  correspondence  of  geologi. 
cal  and  physical  areas— Geological  groups.  Crystalline  and  metamorphic  rocks — 
Sub-metamorphic  rocks — Vindhyan  series— Coal-bearing  rocks — Subdivisions — 
Slltpurd  coal-fields — Western  limit — Bildspur  coal-fields — ^Wardhd  River 
coal-fields — G  o  d  d  v  a  r  f  and  P  r  a  n  h  i  t  i—Kdmthi  sub-group — Pancket  series — 
Jabulpdr  beds — MahAdeo  beds — Lametd  beds — Intertrappean  series — Deccan 
trap  features — Post  trappean  deposits — Tertiary  conglomerates — Ossiferous  gravels 
— Stone  implements — Saline  sands  and  clays — Surface  soils — Regar, 

(For  the  following  sketch  of  the  geology  of  the  provinces  I  am 
indebted  to  the  kindness  of  T.  Oldham,  Esq.,  LL.D.,  Superintendent 
of  the  Geological  Survey  of  India.) 

To  give  a  general  description  of  the  geological  structure  of  the 

Central  Provinces  in  any  detail  would  in- 

chS?f  tt!e  coL^^""    ^ol^«  the  necessity  of  entering  upon  a  discus- 

sion  of  the  geology  of  India  at  large,  as 
these  provinces  contain  representatives  of  almost  all  the  formations 
known  to  occur  within  Indian  limits,  although  frequently  these  are 
much  better  seen  in  other  districts,  and  ought  therefore  more  correctly 
to  be  described  in  connection  with  the  locaUty  where  the  most  typical 
sections  occur.  In  the  very  brief  noticfe  which  follows  I  am  there- 
fore compelled  to  presuppose  a  certain  amount  of  acquaintance  with 
Indian  rocks,  and  the  classification  of  them.  It  is  also  necessary  to 
state  that  the  few  descriptions  which  follow  have  been  drawn  up  under 
great  pressure  as  to  time,  and  while  actively  engaged  in  field  work  of 
an  important  and  intricate  nature,  and  away  from  all  maps  and  records. 

The  Central  Provinces,  divided  into  nineteen  districts,  naturally 

group  themselves  into  separate  areas,  corres- 

geobS'ard'phyTcSreas!'    VO^^g  to  weU-marked  physical  features. 

These  again  have  in  a  similar  way  a  general 
agreement  with  the  geological  structure.  To  the  north  the  districts 
of  Sagar  and  Damoh  are  altogether  on  the  Vindhyan  plateau,  and 
a  large  part  of  their  surface  is  formed  of  the  deposits  to  which  the  name 
Vindhyan  has  been  given.    These  are,  however,  concealed  over  consider- 


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INTRODUCTION.  •  XXVU 

able  areas  by  the  overflowing  volcanic  rocks  of  the  great  D  e  c  c  a  n 
trap  area.  Physically  also  these  districts  (as  is  all  the  Vindhyan 
plateau)  are  connected  with  the  country  to  the  north,  all  the  drainage 
of  the  area  being  into  the  Ganges  valley.  Immediately  to  the  south 
of  the  Vindhyan  escarpment,  along  the  marked  depression  of  the 
Narbada  valley,  he  the  four  districts  of  Jabalpur,  Narsingh- 
pur,  Hoshangabad,  and  Nimar  (taking  them  in  order  from 
e^^t  to  west),  which  are  in  great  part  on  alluvial  and  tertiary  deposits, 
with  a  narrow  belt  of  older  rocks  along  the  southern  side  of  the  valley. 
South  of  the  Narbada  valley  rise  the  extensive  highlands  constitu- 
ting the  S  a  t  p  u  r  d  range,  or  its  continuation,  which  are  in  great  part 
formed  of  the  D  e  c  c  an  traps  resting  upon  crystalline  rocks,  or  upon 
sandstone  and  other  rocks  of  later  date.  Of  this  region  M  a  n  d  1  a 
occupies  the  extreme  eastern  end,  bounded  by  the  steep  escarpment 
of  the  trappean  plateau,  near  to  the  edge  of  which  the  N  a  r  b  a  d  4 
River  has  its  source  atAmarkantak.  Along  this  same  range  to  the 
west  lie  parts  of  Balaghat,  Seoni,  Chhindwara,  and  Betul. 
South  and  south-east  of  the  S  a  t  p  u  r  a  ranges  lie  the  remaining  dis- 
tricts. Bilaspur,  Raipur,  and  Sambalpur  lie  in  the  great 
drainage  basin  of  the  Mahanadi.  The  two  former  occupy  the  low 
plain  country  of^Chhattisgarh,  formed  principally  on  rocks 
believed  to  belong  to  the  Vindhyan  series,  with  a  part  of  their  area 
covered  by  coal-bearing  rocks.  Sambalpur  isina  rugged  jungly 
country  composed  of  crystalline  and  metamorphic  rocks.  The  great 
dwunage  basin  of  the  Godavari  on  the  other  hand  includes  N a g- 
pur,  Bhandara,  Wardha,  Chanda,  and  Sironcha.  These 
districts  have  no  very  considerable  elevation.  The  two  first  are  prin- 
cipally on  gneissose  rocks,  with  much  trap  inNagpur;  Wardha 
is  almost  entirely  on  trap-rocks ;  Chanda  and  Sironcha  have  a 
very  varied  structure,  including  more  or  less  of  all  the  formations  that 
have  been  named. 

These  formations   may  be  noticed  m  ascending   order.      The 

crystalHne  and  metamorphic  rocks  have  not 

Geological  groups.  ^^  y^^  j^g^u  described  in  any  great  detail. 

^C^staUine  and  metamorphic  q^^^^^  ^f  different  varieties,  often  highly  gra- 
nitoid, predominates.     The  frequency  with 


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XXVm  INTRODUCTION. 

which  these  rocks  appear  shows  how  closely  to  the  surface  they  form  the 

substratum  of  the  whole  area.    They  are  found  at  intervals  all  round  the 

irregular  boundary  or  border  of  the  trappean  rocks,  rising  in  several 

places  nearly  to  the  fiill  height  of  the  plateau.     The  principal  areas 

occupied  by  them  are  in  N a g p u r  and  Bhandara  and  in  B e t  u  1. 

Also  inSambalpura  very  large  area  is  formed  of  these  rocks ;  but 

this  is  naturally  connected  with,  and  belongs  to  the  great  Gneissic  area  of 

Bengal.     In  obscure  relation  to  the  gneiss  there  occasionally  appear 

sub-metamorphic  rocks,  schists,  slates,  and 
Sub-metamorphic  rocks.  __ 

quartzites.     These  may  be  seen  at  many 

points  along  the  borders  of  the  N  a  r  b  a  d  a  vaUey,  from  the  north-east 

of  Jabalpur  into  Nimar. 

The  gresLtVindhyan  series  of  strata  which  form  so  prominent  and 

-^.  „  .  important  a  feature  in  the  geology  of  H  i  n- 

Vindhyan  senes.  ^       ^  o         o.^ 

d  u  s  t  a  n  are  the  next  deposits  in  succession 
of  age  foimd  in  the  Central  Provinces.  There  is,  however,  a  wide  and 
complete  separation  of  these  from  the  gneissose  rocks.  They  are 
univeraally  unconformable  to  the  latter,  and  they  exhibit  httle  or  no 
imneral  alteration,  and  only  very  locally  any  marked  mechanical  dis- 
turbance. The  range  or  escarpment,  from  which  the  name  of  the 
series  has  been  adopted,  forms  the  northern  boundary  of  the  Nar- 
b  a  d  a  valley,  and  the  districts  of  S  a  g  a  r  and  D  a  m  o  h  are  occupied 
by  the  upper  member  of  the  series — the  Bh&m-er  and  Rewd  groups. 
Each  of  these  groups  consists  of  a  strong  band  of  sandstone  resting 
upon  shales  with  subordinate  limestone — an  arrangement  which, 
coupled  with  the  nearly  horizontal  position  of  the  beds,  has,  through 
the  operation  of  denudation,  produced  the  peculiar  surface  features  of 
the  country,  namely,  local  plateaus  bounded  by  precipitous  scarps, 
overlooking  broadly  imdulating  valley-plains — ^features  even  better 
seen  in  the  Rewa  country.  The  Bijeraghogarh  pargana  in 
the  north-east  comer  of  the  Jabalpur  district  Ues  within  the  geolo- 
gical region  of  the  Son  valley,  where  the  Lower  Vindhyan  rocks 
are  so  well  exposed ;  they  consist  of  less  uniform  alternations  of  shales, 
sandstones,  and  banded  limestones,  with  some  peculiar  compact  silicious 
(cherty  and  jaspery)  layers,  very  homogeneous  and  regularly  bedded. 


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INTRODUCTION.  XXIX 

Along  the  entire  southern  margin  of  the  Vindhyan  area  these  rocks 
both  ^  Upper  *  and  *  Lower '  are  much  crushed  and  contorted,  but 
they  are  only  locally  (in  the  south-west)  penetrated  by  igneous  rocks, 
probably  of  the  same  period  as  those  of  the  great  basaltic  area.  The 
extensive  plains  ofBilaspur  and  R  a  i  p  u  r  are  formed  on  rocks  very 
similar  in  composition,  arrangement,  and  external  relations  to  those  of 
the  Lower  Vindhyan  formation  as  seen  to  the  north,  and  these  extend 
from  here  along  the  upper  courses  of  the  Mahanadi  into  very  close 
proximity,  if  not  actual  continuity,  with  the  similar  deposits  in  the 
Chan  da  and  Sironchd  districts,  and  beyond  the  limits  of  the 
Central  Provinces  to  the  south,  extend  at  intervals  into  the  Madras 
Presidency,  where  they  cover  an  immense  area  in  the  K  a  d  d  a  p  a  and 
X  a  r  n  u  1  districts.  Our  knowledge  of  these  detached  areas  is  not 
as  yet  sufficient  to  justify  an  assertion  that  they  were  once  continuous, 
although  the  striking  identity  in  lithological  character  of  the  several 
deposits  lends  strong  support  to  this  view.  Throughout  all  these  widely- 
extended  deposits  there  is  constant  physical  evidence  of  their  having 
been  accumulated  in  comparatively  shallow  water,  and  so  far  under 
physical  conditions  favourable  to  life.  The  sandstones  are  false-bedded 
and  beautifully  rippled  on  their  surfaces,  each  successive  bed  often  for 
hundreds  of  feet  in  thickness  showing  its  own  ripple-marked  surfa<;e. 
Nor  is  there  anything  in  their  mineralised  condition  to  suggest  the 
chance  of  subsequent  obliteration  of  organic  remains,  had  they  ever 
been  imbedded  or  become  fossilised.  Yet  no  success  has  hitherto  re- 
warded our  most  careful  searchings  for  such  traces  of  early  existences. 

Passing  upwards  in  the  historical  succession  of  rocks,  we  find  in 

^   , ,     .         ,  India  a  wide  gap  in  the  Geological  record 

CkNU-beanng  rocks.  °,  ^  ° 

between  the  Vindhyan  rocks  just  alluded  to 
and  the  next  succeeding  series  of  deposits,  in  which  are  rucluded  the 
coal-bearing  rocks.  The  whole  face  of  the  country  wherever  these 
occur  must  have  been  entirely  remodelled  by  long-continued  denuda- 
tion and  other  causes  before  the  commencement  of  the  deposit  of  this 
great  plant-bearing  series  of  beds.  This  series  has  attracted  much 
attention,  both  from  its  economic  importance,  and  from  the  fact  that  it 
is  in  aU  its  groups  more  or  less  fossiliferous.     And  the  proper  sub- 

4  rpff 


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XXX  INTEODUCTION* 

division  of  it  as  represented  at  distant  localities  has  been  the  subject 

of  much  study.     Nor  has  the  detailed  examination  of  the  country  yet 

been  sufficiently  extended  to  admit  of  a  final  decision  of  this  question* 

Three  great  groups  have,  however,  been  thoroughly  established — - 

the  TakhiVj  the  Bamiidu,  and  the  Pcmchet 

rocks,  and  representatives  of  these  three 

great  groups  have  been  found  wherever  the  general  series  occurs.     It 

is  only  as  to  the  exact  limits  of  each  that  any  question  still  exists, 

which  can  only  be  answered  after  more  detailed  examination.     This 

question  is,  however,  of  high  practical  importance,  because  of  the  three 

series  which  I  have  mentioned  only  one  is  proved  to  contain  workable 

beds  of  coal.     The  TAlchir  rocks  below  contain  no  coal,  and  the  Panchet 

rocks  above  are  equally  without  any  coals,  the  whole  of  the  workable 

beds  of  coal  of  this  geological  epoch  being  found  confined  to  the 

Varnddd  rocks. 

The  largest  area  occupied  by  the  rocks  of  this  great  series  within 

the  Central  Provinces  lies  in  the  hilly  region 
Sdtpurd  coal-field.  ^^    ^^^     ^^^^^  ^^   Hoshangdbid  and 

Narsinghpur,  partly  within  the  boundaries  of  these  districts,  but 
principally  belonging  to  Chhindwara,  and  embracing  the  P  a  c  h- 
marhi  orMahadeo  hills.  At  the  base  of  the  series  we  find  the 
characteristic  deposits  of  the  TaZcfe/r  group — greenish  silt  beds,  breaking 
up  into  small  splintery  flakes  and  sharp  fi:'agments,  and  hence  called 
*  needle  shales,'  and  greenish  brown  or  whitish  earthy  felspathic  sand- 
stones, in  either  of  which  pebbles  and  large  boulders  are  often  irregu- 
larly scattered.  Often  these  are  very  numerous  and  form  a  distinct 
bed,  to  which,  from  its  peculiar  constitution,  the  name  of  "  Boulder'*  Bed 
has  been  given.  These  rocks,  generally  speaking,  are  found  at  the 
edges  of  the  field,  or  weathered  out  in  the  deep  valleys.  The  thickness 
of  this  group  is  variable,  never  very  great,  and  it  is  locally  altogether 
over-lapped.  In  the  Narbadait  covers  by  far  the  larger  portion  of 
the  area.  As  noticed,  no  coal  has  ever  been  found  in  the  Tdlchir  rocks, 
and  very  rarely  any  of  the  dark  carbonaceous  shales  which  are  so  fre- 
quent an  accompaniment  of  coal,  with  the  exception  of  a  few  thin  and 
irregular  streaks  which  invariably  mark  the  transition  of  these  Tdlchir 


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INTEODUCTION.  tyyi 

rocks  into  the  DamidA  (Bardkar)  rocks  above.  This  Damudd  series  is 
chiefly  made  up  of  thick-bedded,  often  coarse  felspathic  sandstones,  with 
subordinate  beds  of  blue  and  carbonaceous  shales  and  coal.  In  Ben- 
gal and  towards  the  east  this  series  is  of  great  thickness,  and  is  easily- 
divisible  into  several  distinct  groups.  But  towards  the  west  and  the 
Central  Provinces  the  series  is  of  much  diminished  thickness,  and  the 
subdivisions  so  well  marked  in  Ben  gal  are  not  recognisable.  The 
beds  of  coal  in  the  same  way  are  much  fewer  and  less  important. 
These  variations  appear  to  have  only  a  local  development  when  viewed 
in  detail,  while  on  a  general  comparison  the  facts  would  seem  to  be  ex- 
pressed by  saying  that  the  Panchet  series,  which  immediately  succeeds 
the  coal  rocks  assumes  towards  the  west  a  much  greater  thickness  and 
importance  than  in  the  east,  while  the  Damudd  series  has  been  much 
less  developed.  In  the  N  a  r  b  a  d  a  valley  the  latter  series  is  repre- 
sented by  one  group  of  beds  only,  which  belong  to  the  lowermost 
group  recognised  in  Bengal  (the  Bardhar)^  of  no  great  thickness, 
and  covered  by  an  immense  series  of  sandstones  of  varying  age.     No 

„         ,.   .  trace  of  any  one  of  the  subdivisions  of  this 

Western  unut.  .  .  m^i  t  /     -r^       /  t  > 

greatplant-bearmgsenes — Talchiry  Damudd^ 

or  Panchets — has  been  found  to  the  west  of  about  the  parallel  of  H  o- 

shangabad  (Lokhartalai).     The  Damwcia  rocks  cover  a  wide 

spread  of  countr  yround  the  bases  of  the  noble  Pachmarhi  hills,  and 

extend  thence  to  U  m  r  e  t  h  and  B  a  r  k  o  i,  about  sixteen  miles  from 

Chhindwara.     They  rest  in  parts  immediately  on  the  gneissose 

rocks,  and  are  frequently  succeeded  directly  by  the  great  trappean 

flows. 

InBilaspur    (Chhattisgar h)    a    large  area    of  widely 

,  ^  , ,  undulatinet  country  along  the  H  a  s  d  u — an 

BiU»ptir   coal-fields.  ^    f ^i.    ivr    i,  x      ^  -     •      i      ^         a 

affluent  of  the  M  a  h  a  n  a  d  i — is  also  formed 

of  these  rocks,  and  coal  has  long  been  known  to  exist  there  in  some 
quantity.     The  district  has  not  been  examined  as  yet,  and  no  trust- 
worthy information  exists  as  to  the  quantity  or  quality  of  this  coal. 
In  the  C  h  a  n  d  a  district  again,  and  in  B  e  r  a  r  adjoining,  similar 

Bo/rdkar  rocks  are  found  resting  upon  the 
Ward  ha  Rirer  coal-fielels.        ,  ,     .  ,.     m/?  7/1-1  t 

characteristic  Takhir  beds,  and  occupying  a 


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XXXll  INTRODUCTION. 

very  small  area  in  the  large  field  of  sandstones  wliicli  there  occur. 
At  least  one  thick  group  of  beds  with  coal  is  known  in  wliich  the  coal 
itself  exhibits  the  same  characters  which  distinguish  the  bed  in  the 
Barakar  series  elsewhere — that  is  there  is  rapid  and  considerable  vari- 
ation in  the  thickness  and  quantity  of  the  coal.  Beds  of  great  thick- 
ness have,  however,  been  met  with,  and  there  is  a  very  large  supply 
therefore  of  useful  fuel. 

Similar  rocks  extend  down  the  valley  of  the  G  o  d  a  v  a  r  i  and  the 

Pranhita  for  a  long  distance,  occurring 
Goddvarf  and  Pranhitd.      .       j  ^     i     j    i       i.,.  ^   j    i  -n 

m   detached  locahties   separated  by  wide 

ridges  of  the  older  formations.  Near  the  mouth  of  the  Tal  River 
about  fourteen  miles  above  Dumagudem,  both  Tdlchir  and  Damuddj 
rocks  occur,  the  latter  containing  coal,  wliich  form  the  bed  of  the  River 
G  o  d  a  V  a  r  i  for  some  distance,  and  have  probably  a  considerable  ex- 
tension ;  and  coal  is  also  known  to  occur  about  thirty-four  miles  to 
the  south  of  the  same  town,  visible  on  the  banks  of  the  river. 

We  are  not  as  yet  able  to  speak  so  certainly  of  the  hmits  and 
relations  of  the  beds  which  occur  immediately  above  these  coal-bearing 
rocks,  so  far  at  least  as  parts  of  the  coimtry  under  notice  are  con- 
cerned. In  the  Narbada  valley  coarse  conglomeratic  sandstones 
with  ferruginous  bands,  which  are  behoved  to  be  the  representatives  of 
the  Panchet  rocks  of  B  e  n  g  a  1,  come  in  immediate  succession  on  the 
^ara/jar  beds  (M  oh  p  a  n  i,  &c.).  And  similar  rocks  occur  in  the  same 
relation  in  the  wide  flats  of  Chhattisgarh,  and  probably  at  the 
intermediate  locality  of  the  Chhindwara  fields. 

But  passing  into  the  drainage  basin  of  the  Goddvari,  a  series 

^,    ,,     ,  of  rocks  of  pecuhar  Htholoffical  character 

Kamthx  sub-group.  ^  " 

and  locally  abounding  in  fossil  plants,  is  met 
with,  no  exact  representatives  of  which  are  as  yet  known  elsewhere. 
In  their  general  mineral  aspects  they  come  very  near  to  the  ordinary 
Paiichet  rocks  of  Bengal,  and  they  appear  to  pass  upwards  into 
undoubted  representatives  of  these,  but  the  prevaihng  form  of  fern  of 
which  they  contain  the  fossihsed  fronds,  is  one  (Glossopteris  browniana) 
which  is  scarcely  known  to  extend  up  to  the  Panchet  horizon.  These 
beds  would  therefore  seem  to  indicate  either  a  commencement  in  the 


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INTRODUCTION.  ttyiii 

basin  of  the  Godavariof  the  deposition  of  rocks  having  the  pecu- 
liar minora  character  of  the  Panchet  beds  at  a  much  earher  period 
than  in  B  e  n  g  a  1  into  which  these  ferns  continued  to  exist :  or  the  flora 
of  the  G  o  d  a  V  a  r  i  basin  had  not  been  subjected  to  the  same  influen- 
cing causes,  resulting  in  a  marked  change  in  its  character,  which  in 
Bengal  led  to  the  well-defined  separation  as  to  fossils  of  the  Part' 
chets  and  upper  groups  of  the  BamMd  rocks  (Edniganj).  I  am 
disposed  to  think  that,  viewed  in  a  very  general  way,  it  gives  the 
truer  representation  of  the  facts  to  consider  these  local  rocks,  not- 
withstanding their  contained  plants,  as  belomging  rather  to  the 
Panchet  series  than  to  the  Damudd.  And  there  is  one  very  im- 
portant practical  reason  for  this  also,  inasmuch  as  no  workable 
coal  has  yet  been  found  in  either  of  these  groups,  while  it  has  invari- 
ably been  seen  to  occur  where  rocks  of  the  undoubted  Damudd  age 
are  developed. 

A  local  name  was  provisionally  given  to  these  rocks  by  Mr.  W. 
Blanford,  who  first  examined  them,  an^  as  this  has  been  published 
(although  unintentionally),  it  may  be  retained  as  a  useful  subdivision. 
One  of  the  largest  areas  of  these  rocks  in  the  N  a  g  p  u  r  country  is 
close  to  the  important  mihtary  station  of  K  a  m  t  h  i,  and  fi:*om  this  cir- 
cumstance Mr.  Blanford  spoke  of  them  as  the  Kdmthi  beds.  They 
consist,  Hthologically,  of  hard  compact  gritty  sandstones,  fine  varie- 
gated sandstones,  coarse  loose-textured  sandstone,  very  fine-grained 
deep  and  bright  red  and  bufi'  argillaceous  or  argillaceo-silicious  sand- 
stones, and  bands  of  hard  very  ferruginous  pebbly  grits. 

These  rocks  cover  an  area  of  about  twenty-five  miles  long  from 
north-west  to  south-east  near  Kamthi  (Kamthi  to  Kelod), 
and  at  the  broadest  parts  (near  Patansaongi)  about  eight  miles 
wide.  Over  a  large  portion  of  this  area  the  rocks  are  concealed  by 
thick  alluvial  deposits,  but  they  are  well  seen  atKamthi,  Silewdra, 
Bhokara,  and  south  and  south-east  of  Patansaongi,  &c.  A 
small  area  of  the  much  older  Tdlchir  rocks  is  seen  north-east  of 
Bhokara,  and  a  small  hill  north-east  of  Patansaongi.  Two 
other  localities  where  these  rocks  are  seen  have  been  exposed  within 
the  area  of  the  trap-rocks,  these  having  been  removed  by  denudation. 


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XXXIV  INTRODUCTION. 

One — the  larger  of  tlie  two — is  close  to  B e h a r  and  Bazargdon> 
about  fifteen  miles  from  N  a  g  p  u  r  on  the  road  to  A  m  r  a  o  t  i.  The  rocks 
here  are  of  the  same  type,  but  become  more  conglomeratic  towards 
the  top  than  is  seen  near  N  a  g  p  u  r .  The  other  inher  of  these  rocks 
is  about  thirty-six  miles  north-west  of  N  a  g  p  u  r,  near  the  village  of 
Chorkheri.  The  rocks  extend  over  an  area  of  only  about  six 
and  a  half  square  miles  in  all.  There  is  also  another  very  small  patch 
not  a  mile  long  near  Khutkheri,  about  one  mile  south-east  of  the 
other. 

Passing  further  southward  similar  rocks  are  more  widely  deve- 
loped in  the  C  h  a  n  d  a  district,  and  cover  a  large  area,  concealing  the 
underlying  Bardhar  beds ;  there  the  rocks  are  as  a  whole  less  fine- 
grained than  in  the  neighbourhood  of  N  a  g  p  ti  r,  and  the  tendency  to 
become  more  conglomeratic  in  the  upper  beds  of  the  group  is  still 
more  markedly  exhibited  than  in  the  case  already  noticed.  In  thia 
field  also  they  appear  to  be  closely  connected  with,  and  to  pass  up 
into  a  great  thickness  of  bright  red  clays  with  thin-bedded  sandstones^ 
which  belong  undoubtedly  to  the  Pancliet  series — well  seen  in  the 
W  a  r  d  h  a  about  P  o  r  s  a  and  in  the  country  round,  giving  additional 
evidence  of  the  connection  of  the  two  groups.  These  rocks — the 
Kdmthi  beds — yield  in  many  of  their  beds  admirable  building  stones^ 
while  others  of  a  coarser  texture  are  used  as  millstones* or  querns. 
Quarries  exist  atK  am  t  hi,  Silewara,  Bhokdra,  &c.,  also  in  the 
C  h  4  n  d  a  district,  but  owing  to  the  comparative  poverty  and  sparse- 
ness  of  the  population,  they  are  here  less  worked  than  in  the 
N  agp ur  country.  The  white  argillaceous  band  which  is  used  near 
C  h  a  n  d  a  town,  and  which  can  be  traced  for  miles  along  the  country, 
is  very  even  in  texture,  and  can  be  carved  into  very  minute  forms  of 
ornaments  (a  kind  of  work  which  is  very  skilfully  done  at  C  h  an  d  a), 
but  it  is  rather  soft.  The  beds,  excepting  the  hard  ferruginous  peb- 
bly grits,  are  not  generally  speaking  very  compact,  and  the  surface  of 
the  ground  becomes  covered  with  loose  sand  resulting  fi:om  their  dis- 
integration. The  soil  on  these,  except  where  they  are  covered  by 
the  alluvial  deposits,  is  poor  and  little  cultivated,  almost  the  whole  of 
this  tract  being  covered  with  jungle. 

The  fossils  found  in  these   Kdmthi  beds   have  been   noticed 
above.     The   fine  sandstones  ofKamthi,  Silewara,   &c.  have 


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INTEODUCTION.  XXXV 

gelded  very  beautifiil  and  numerous  specimens  of  the  large  Oloss- 
opteris  Browniana — a  fossil-fern  common  in  the  coal-bearing  rocks  of 
Bengal  and  also  in  those  of  Australia.  Similar  fronds  are  found, 
but  more  rarely,  in  the  finer  beds  of  the  vicinity  of  C  h  a  n  d  a. 

We  have  noticed  these  so-called  Kdmthi  beds  a  little  more  in 
detail  than  their  relative  importance  or  a  general  sketch  would  justify, 
because  of  their  local  development,  and  of  the  interesting  fossils 
which  they  contain. 

In  ascending  order  the  next  important  series  of  rocks  is  that  to 

n     ,  .     .  which  the  name  oiPanchet  has  been  riven. 

Fanehet  senes.  ...  .  . 

This,  which  is  a  very  extensive  formation 
in   Bengal  and  in  the    country  intervening  between  that  and 
Jabalpur,  is  not  so  largely  developed  in  the  Central  Provinces. 
Indeed  there  is  still  much  doubt  as  to  the   true  limits   and  true 
parallel  of  many  of  the  rocks  which  would  probably  at  first  be  classed 
under  this  group.     There  is  another  peculiar  feature  :   in  the  Ben- 
gal coal-fields,  the   so-called  Lower  Panchet  group,  consisting  prin- 
cipally of  red  clays,  with  fine-grained,  thin-bedded,  often  calcareous 
sandstones,  both  of  red  and  greenish  white  colours,  forms  a  set  of 
beds    of  very  considerablq  thickness   and    wide  extent.     But  on 
passing  to  the  west  this  group  rapidly  disappears  and  soon  seems  to  be 
entirely  wanting,  while  the  Upper  Panchet  group,  consisting  chiefly 
of  coarse  red  conglomerates,  &c.,  with  numerous  ferruginous  bands, 
becomes  more  largely  developed,  and  constitutes  almost  the  whole 
of  the  group.     Still  further  to  the  west  however,  as  in  the  C  h  h  i  n  d- 
w  a  r  a  fields  near  U  m  r  e  t  h,   these  red  clays  and  thin-bedded  fine- 
grained sandstones  recur  with  a  considerable  development.     And  simi- 
lar beds  cover  a  large  area  on  the  south  of  the   0  h  a  n  d  a  coal-field 
(P  o  r  s  a  and  all  the  country  around),  and  also  appear  in  other  minor 
patches  throughout  the  C  h  a  n  d  a  field  and  in  B  o  r  a  r .     These  pass 
upwards  into  coarser  beds,  pebbly  and  conglomeratic,  and  it  is  not  an 
easy  task  to  make  out  the  exact  relation  of  these  to  the  adjoining 
rocks  in  a  country  so  very  much  covered  as  is  the  greater  part  of  the 
C  h  a  n  d  a   district.      Similar  rocks   are   seen   again  further   south 
(M  a  1  e  d  i),  and  here  as  at  M  a  n  g  1  i  to  the  north  of  C  h  a  n  d  a  have 


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XXXvi  tNTEODUCTION* 

yielded  organic  remains,  which  establish  with  tolerable  accuracy  their 
true  position  in  the  general  European  scale  of  geological  formations. 
Several  forms  of  Labyrinthodont  reptiles  from  the  Loioer  Panchei  rocks 
of  Bengal,  remains  of  the  very  remarkable  genus  Dicynodon,  pre- 
viously only  known  from  South  Africa,  and  abundance  of  Estherice 
(small  bivalved  crustaceans)  mark  the  fauna  of  the  time  in  Eastern  India. 
In  the  Central  Provinces  similar  Estherice  and  a  remarkable  reptile 
(Brachyops  laticeps)ha;ve  been  obtained  from  M  a  n  gl  i  thirty  miles  north 
of  C  h  a  n  d  a ,  while  the  red  clays  of  M  a  1  e  d  i  afford  numerous  remains 
of  the  very  curious  and  interesting  Eyperodapedorij  Belodan,  and  some 
Labyrmthodont  fragments  also.  There  is  a  high  probability  that  the 
rocks  at  these  different  locahties  are  all  truly  on  or  about  the  same 
geological  horizon  (a  fact  which  can  only  be  satisfactorily  established 
by  detailed  and  carefiil  observation),  and  that  that  horizon  represents 
in  Indian  geological  homotaxis  the  period  of  the  Trias  of  Europe. 

In  the  vicinity  of  Jabalpiir  and  stretching  down  the  valley 

of  the  Narb  ad  a  to  the  S  h  er  River,  and 
a  little  beyond,  and  forming  also  a  narrow 
outcrop  fringing  the  general  line  of  the  trappean  boundary  to  the 
east  and  north  ofJabalpur,a  distinct  group  of  rocks  was  recognised 
by  Mr.  J.  Gr.  Modlicott  in  1856-57.  This  limited  group  of  beds  is 
partially  coal-bearing,  and  from  this  fact  and  from  certain  other 
obscure  relations,  it  was  at  first  designated  under  the  inappropriate 
name  of  Upper  Damudd^  with  which  series  it  was,  pending  further  in- 
quiry, supposed  to  be  connected,  while  the  fossil  plants  which  it  im- 
bedded were  closely  alUed  to  those  occurring  in  the  Jurassic  beds  of 
Rajmahal  and  C u t c h .  Subsequent  inquiry  showed  that  there 
was  really  no  ground  for  supposing  any  connection  of  these  beds  with 
the  true  Damiidd  as  parts  of  one  formation,  and  the  name  Jabalpur 
group  was  substituted  for  Upper  Damudd. 

At  about  100  miles  to  the  north-east  of  the  Narb  ad  a  coal 
basin  the  boundary  of  the  plateau  of  trap-rocks  recedes  south-east- 
wards, and  the  narrow  outcrop  of  these  Jabalpur  beds  expands  here 
into  the  open  ground  of  Sou  th  Re  wa;  there  the  Jabalpur  shales 
and  silt  beds  were  found  passing  upwards  into  massive  sandstones  (at 


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mTfiODUCHON.  XXXVU 

Bandogarh)  so  generally  identical  with  the  rocks  of  the  great 
M  a  h  a  d  e  o  hills,  that  they  were  at  once  accepted  as  their  represen- 
tatives; while  below  the  JabalpHir  shales  overlaid  strong  pebbly 
sandstones  and  conglomerates,  which  again  in  the  southern  part  of 
the  same  area  rested  upon  a  coal-bearing  group,  recognisable  at  once 
by  its  contained  fossils  and  general  character  as  representatives  of 
the  BamiM  series.  The  Jahalpitr  beds  have  not  as  yet  been 
traced  with  any  care  in  other  districts,  and  I  am  unable  to  state  their 
true  limits.  Their  contained  fossils  point  distinctly  to  a  Jv/rassic  age 
and  to  the  lower  part  of  that  great  period.  IntheNarbadanothing 
but  plant-remains  have  been  found.  We  may  however,  although 
the  connection  has  not  been  traced,  point  to  the  remarkable  beds  near 
K  o  t  a — about  five  miles  from  S  i  r  o  n  c  h  a — which  have  yielded  several 
well-marked  fish-remains  {Lepidotus  DecccmensiSf  Mchmodus^  &c.) 
considered  as  Liassic  in  their  relations,  as  a  probable  represen- 
tative to  the  south  of  the  Jdbvlpur  beds  to  the  north.  There  are 
also  some  detached  patches  of  rock  which  occur  in  the  intermediate 
country  which  may  be  representatives  of  the  same  general  age.  The 
coal  found  in  these  Jabalpur  beds  is  very  irregularly  developed 
(Sher  River;  Lametaghat).  It  is  jetty,  and  has  much  of  the 
character  of  a  true  lignite ;  indeed  in  many  specimens  the  structure 
of  the  now-carbonised  stems,  of  which  a  large  portion  of  it  is 
made,  is  well  preserved.  It  has  been  economised  recently  to  a  con- 
siderable extent  by  the  contractors  on  the  Great  Indian  Peninsula 
Bailway.  But  neither  in  amount  nor  in  quality  does  it  constitute  a 
source  of  fossil  fiiel  of  any  importance  in  a  general  view.  I  men- 
tioned above,  that  immediately  resting  on  the  Jabulpur  beds, 
where  the  succession  is  best  seen  {South  Rewd)^  came  the  massive 
sandstones  ofBandogarh,  which  were  accepted  as  representatives 
of  the  great  Mahddeo  group,  so  well  seen  in  the  upper  and  magni- 
ficent scarps  of  the  Pachmarhi  hills  (Central  Provinces). 

This  MdhMeo  group  was  first  established  after  a  brief  exami- 

Mahadeo  beds.  nation  of  these  hills  in  1856-67,  and  was 

shown    to  contain  a  vast    thickness    of 

massive  sandstones,  with  many  ferruginous*  bands  which  appeared  to 

5  cpg 


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XXXVlll  INTEODUCTION. 

be  entirely  unconformable  on  the  Damudd  beds  forming  the  lowef 
ground  adjoining.  Unfortunately  the  same  name  was  applied  to  rocks 
in  other  places  which  showed  an  approximation  to  the  same  general 
character,  and  which  appeared  to  stand  in  the  same  general  relation 
of  an  entirely  unconformable  series  above  the  Damudd  rocks.  It  was 
from  the  first  indicated  that  these  Mahddeo  rocks  would  require 
further  examination.  The  progress  of  geological  investigation  in 
India  has  since  shown  the  necessity  also  of  greater  subdivision  than 
was  at  first  apparent.  These  Mahddeo  rocks,  with  the  exception  of 
a  few  badly-preserved  and  generally  large  stems,  are  so  far  as  known 
unfossiliferous,  and  have  therefore  not  attracted  quite  as  much 
attention  as  some  of  the  other  series  I  have  noticed.  This  absence 
of  fossils  also,  and  the  detached,  or  comparatively  detached,  positions 
in  which  the  Mahddeo  rocks  occur,  have  rendered  the  question  of 
their  geological  age  more  difficult  than  it  would  have  otherwise  been.* 
Mr.  W.  Blanford,  carrying  up  his  examination  of  the  country 
from  the  west,  gave  some  good  reasons  for  supposing  that  the 
Mahddeo  beds  were  the  continuation  and  expansion  of  the  creta- 
ceous* sandstones  found  near  B a g h  in  the  western  Narbada.  A 
similar  general  conclusion  had  been  suggested  by  Mr.  Hislop  pre- 
viously, but  without  much  proof.  On  the  other  hand  it  is  right  to 
state  that  Mr.  Medlicott,  working  up  from  the  east,  saw  reason  for  sup- 
posing that  the  Mahddeo  beds  in  the  Narbada  districts,  which 
he  presumed  to  be  truly  representative  of  the  Bandogarh  rocks  in 
SouthRewa  (and  as  a  subordinate  member  of  which  he  considered 
the  Jabalpur  beds),  were  at  the  same  time  only  an  upward  extension 
of  the  same  uninterrupted  succession  of  deposits,  which  elsewhere  had 
been  justly  beUeved  to  belong  to  the  Pancliet  series. 

It  wiU  be  seen  from  this  that  the  true  position  of  these  beds  has 
not  as  yet  been  fixed.  When  first  examined  it  was  by  me  supposed 
that  they,  including  the  Lametd  group  (to  which  we  shall  pre- 
sently refer),  represented  the  lowest  portion  of  the  Tertiary  period. 

*  The  statement  originally  made  that  a  very  perfect  specimen  of  a  true  Archegosau- 
rus  found  under  thePachmarht  hills  had  been  obtained  from  these  rocks,  was  at  once 
refuted  by  the  mineral  character  of  the  rock  in  which  it  was  imbedded.  It  was  from  the 
Damudd  beds  below. 


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INTRODUCTION.  XXXIX 

The  Rev  Mr,  Hislop,  whose  untiring  exertions  have  done  so  much  to 
elucidate  the  palaeontological  history  of  the  Central  Provinces,  was 
disposed  to  view  them  as  below  all  the  Tertiary  deposits,  and  as  re- 
presenting in  India  the  upper  portion  of  the  cretaceous  epoch  of 
Europe — a  view  strongly  confirmed  by  Mr.  Blanford,  who  wus  dis- 
posed to  put  them  only  a  Uttle  lower  in  the  series,  while  Mr,  Medlicott 
would  now  make  them  much  more  ancient,  and  would  place  them 
in  the  same  subdivision  as  the  Jahalpur  beds,  which  latter  are 
probably  on  the  horizon  of  the  K  o  t  a  beds — that  is  he  would  consider 
them  Lcnoer  Jurassic*  As  stated,  the  question  cannot  at  present 
(January  1870)  be  definitely  settled. 

When  first  examining  the  N  a  r  b  a  d  a  valley  Mr.  J.  G.  MedUcott 
distinguished  in  the  country  fiinging  the 
river  to  the  south,  and  between  the 
M a h a de o  hills  and  Jabalpur,  a  series  of  well-marked  beds, 
which  he  was  then  disposed  to  consider  as  the  uppermost  group  of  the 
Mahddeo  formation,  and  to  which  he  apphed  the  local  name  of 
Lam  eta.  These  Lametd  beds  consisted  chiefly  of  whitish  earthy 
and  silicious  (cherty)  limestones  or  calcareous  muds,  often  a  good  deal 
indurated.  These  sandy  calcareous  beds  formed  only  a  thin  band  im- 
mediately underlying  the  trappean  rocks.  Further  and  subsequent 
examination,  extending  more  to  the  east  proved  that  this  band  was 
entirely  independent  of  the  rocks  below  it,  with  which  it  was  associated, 
inasmuch  as,  following  the  trappean  boundary  to  the  south-eastwards, 
the  Lainetd  group  was  found  to  accompany  the  trap-rock  steadily 
and  to  rest  indiscriminately  upon  all  rocks,  from  the  gneiss  up.  It 
was  therefore  clear  that  it  must  be  viewed  as  entirely  separate  from 
the  great  MaMdeo  series,  and  as  intimately  connected  with  the 
overlying  trappean  rocks.  As  noticed  above,  these  Lametd  beds 
consist  chiefly  of  cherty  and  gritty  limestones,  with  subordinate  beds 
of  a  nodular  limestone,  loose  greenish  sandstone,  and  purplish  or 
greenish  argillaceous  beds  either  sandy  or  marly.  They  have  been 
traced  considerably  south  of  N  a  g  p  u  r,  and  thence  at  intervals  round 


*  The  R&jmahdl  group  of  B  e  n  g  a  1  would  in  tMs  view  be  of  course  younger  than 
the  M  ah  j  d  e  o  of  the  Central  Provinces. 


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Xl  INTEODUCTION. 

by  the  trappean  boundary  to  Jabalpur,  and  down  the  Narb add 
valley  to  near  Hoshangabad.  If  Mr.  Blanford's  views  be 
supported  by  fiirther  examination,  the  limit  must  be  carried  very 
considerably  to  the  west  to  P  u n  a  s  a  and  the  Dh  a r  forest.  In  all 
cases,  too,  the  trap-rocks,  where  any  section  is  seen,  appear  to  rest 
quite  conformably  or  continuously  on  these  Lametd  beds,  and 
beds  which  cannot  be  distinguished  from  them  mineralogically  are 
frequently  met  with  interstratified  with  the  traps  (as  near  N  a  gp  ur 
and  between  N d g p u r  and  Jabalpur). 

These  remarkable  sedimentary  beds  intercalated  with  the  traps 

,  ^  _^  .  of  the  D  e  c  c  a  n  and  M  dl  w  a  areas  have 

Intertrappean  senes. 

received  much  attention.  They  constitute 
the  Intertrappean  series  of  Hislop,  and  are  interesting  from  their  fossil 
contents,  as  well  as  their  mineral  character  and  pecuhar  stratigra- 
phical  position.  It  would  be  out  of  place  here  to  enter  into  any  dis- 
cussion of  the  various  explanations  which  have  been  given  of  these. 
It  must  sufl&ce  to  say  that  both  in  their  lithological  character  [calcare- 
ous muds] ;  in  their  distribution  [local  and  irregular  lenticular  masses, 
not  extending  laterally  to  any  great  distance] ;  in  the  fossils  contained 
[fresh-water  and  lacustrine  shells,  fragments  of  plants,  &c.],  and  in 
their  occurrence  invariably  between  the  successive  flows  of  trappean 
rock,  the  upper  surface  in  all  cases  being  the  only  one  really 
indurated  or  altered  by  the  contact  of  the  igneous,  heated  mass,  they 
indubitably  point  to  their  origin  in  the  small  and  irregular  deposits  in 
lakes  or  pools  of  varying  size,  tranquilly  thrown  down  during  the 
intervals  of  the  successive  flows  of  the  lava,  which  now  forms  the  great 
covering  of  this  immense  volcanic  region.  And  I  believe  that  the 
true  explanation  of  the  Lametd  beds  of  which  I  have  just  been 
speaking,  is  that  they  were  deposited  in  a  similar  way  in  more  widely- 
extended  lacustrine  areas,  previously  to  the  commencement  of  the 
great  outbreaks  of  lava.  It  need  not  detain  us  here  to  indicate  the 
apparently  long  interval  of  time  which  elapsed  during  the  outflowing 
of  these  successive  lava  streams,  nor  to  point  out  how  entirely 
different  in  age  the  intertrappean  beds  of  the  upper  part  of  the  series 
(Bombay,  &c.)  may  be  from  those  which  accompany  the  lower  and 


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INTRODUCTION.  xli 

older  flows.     None  of  these  very  mucli  newer  beds  occur  within  the 
limits  of  the  Central  Provinces. 

0 

The  geological  epoch  of  these  intertrappean  beds  seems  to  be 
tolerably  well  established  as  belonging  to  the  Eocene  period  of  Euro- 
pean geologists ;  it  being  just  possible  that  the  lower  beds  of  the 
Lametd  group  may  represent  a  part  of  the  upper  cretaceous  time. 
The  evidence  against  this  supposition  of  Mr.  W.  Blanford  seems, 
however,  decidedly  stronger  than  that  in  its  favour. 

The  wondrous  features  of  the  great  trappean  country  of  the 
Dcccan  trap  features.  Deccan,  which  extend  over  SO  large  a 

portion  of  the  surface  of  the  Central  Pro- 
vinces, have  been  weU  described  by  many  observers.  The  immense 
area  covered  continuously  by  these  volcanic  rocks ;  the  enormous 
accumulation  of  horizontal,  or  nearly  horizontal,  layers  of  basaltic 
rocks ;  the  distinct  separation  into  beds,  or  stratification ;  the  peculiar 
physical  features, — massive  flat-topped  hills  with  sharp  precipitous 
scarps ;  the  abundance  of  beautiful  zeoHtes  and  other  minerals,  and 
the  occurrence  of  those  curious  intercalated  beds,  containing  fresh- 
water fossils,  which  I  have  just  mentioned,  could  scarcely  escape  the 
notice  of  any  observer.  I  have  already  briefly  alluded  to  the  general 
distribution  of  these  rocks,  so  far  as  the  Central  Provinces  are  con- 
cemed,and  shall  not  therefore  delay  further  than  to  refer  to  the  labours 
of  Malcolmson,  Newbold,  Grant,  Carter,  Hislop,  Medlicott,  Blanford, 
Ac.,  for  more  detailed  discussions  of  this  extraordinary  series,  which 
extends,  or  has  extended,  certainly  over  an  area  of  10  degrees  of  lati- 
tude by  15  to  16  of  longitude.  "  The  area  covered  by  them  in  the 
**  Peninsula  of  India  can  be  Uttle  less  than  two  hundred  thousand 
**  square  miles."  Their  limited  extent  within  the  boundaries  of  the 
Central  Provinces  is  therefore  but  a  very  small  fraction  of  their 
entire  area. 

Of  deposits  later  than  the  trappean  rocks  there  is  a  great  variety 
.  and  an  immense  area.  These  would  include 

^^^  '         all  the  soils  of  the   present  surface  with 

their  numerous  modifications  and  varying  agricultural  value. 


i 


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Xlii  INTBODUCllON. 

Latente  occurs  in  detached  areas  in  Sagar  and  adjoining 
districts ;  it  covers  a  considerable  space  in  the  north-east  of  J  a  b  a  1  - 
pur  district,  and  is  found  at  intervals  passing  tb  the  south  in 
C  h  a  n  d  a ,  where  it  covers  extensive  areas  in  the  eastern  and  north- 
eastern portions.  It  presents  all  the  usual  characters  of  this  deposit, 
but  nowhere  within  the  Central  Provinces  attains  that  great  thick- 
ness and  massiveness  which  admit  of  its  being  freely  used  for  building 
purposes. 

The  older  gravels  and  clays  of  some  of  the  river  valleys  would 

^    .  ,        ,  appear  to  be  next  in   succession.     These 

Tertiary  conglomerates. 

have  been  the  object  of  more  careful  study, 
on  account  of  the  numerous  remains  of  large  animals,  as  well  as 
ordinary  shells  which  some  of  the  beds  contain  locally  in  large 
number.  The  largest  continuous  area  of  these  ossiferous  gravels  and 
clays  is  found  in  the  N  a  r  b  a  d  a  valley,  along  which  they  extend  in 
unbroken  continuity  for  more  than  a  hundred  miles  from  the  falls  of 
the  marble  rocks  near  Jabalpur  to  below  Hoshangabad. 
They  also  occur  in  the  banks  of  the  river  both  above  and  below  these 
limits.  Very  similar  deposits  are  found  forming  the  banks  and  often 
the  beds  of  the  upper  feeders  of  the  Gr  o  d  a  v  a  r  i — the  W  a  r  d  h  a, 
Painganga,  &c. — and  in  the  G  o  d  a  v  a  r  i  itself;  and  here  also  they 
locally  contain  a  large  number  of  bones,  sub-fossilised,  the  remains  of 
animals  which  existed  at  the  period  of  their  deposition.  The  valleys  of 
these  streams  are,  however,  by  no  means  so  well  defined  as  that  of  the 
N  a  r  b  a  d  a,  and  the  limits  of  the  ossiferous  gravels  and  clays  are  not 
easily  fixed.  The  gravels  are  for  the  most  part  cemented  into  a  con- 
glomerate of  tolerable  hardness  by  the  infiltration  of  carbonatei  of 
lime,  and  these  beds  might  not  unfrequently  be  mistaken  for  conglo- 
merates of  greatly  older  date  on  a  cursory  examination.  There  is, 
however,  one  fact  which  enables  them  to  be  readily  distinguished,  and 
that  is  the  abundant  presence  in  them  of  rolled  pieces  of  the  trappean 
rocks — of  numerous  agates,  pieces  of  bloodstone,  &c.,  which  at  once 
prove  them  to  have  been  post-trappean  in  their  origin.  The  immense 
variety  and  abundance  of  these  pebbles  also  abundantly  indicate  the 
vast  denudation  to  which  the  trappean  rocks  have  been  subjected 
since  their  outflowing  and  deposition. 


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INTRODUCTION.  xliii 

In  general  character  these  deposits  in  their  lower  portions  con- 

^  .^  ,  sist  of  ffravels  and  sands,  frequently,  as 

Ossiferous  gravels.  .         _  _  ,    .       , 

mentioned,  cemented  together  much  m  the 

same  way  as  a  concrete  is,  and  sometimes  so  hard  as  to  be  quarried 
for  building.  Towards  the  base  the  clays  become  sandy  and  pebbly. 
Sandy  beds  occur  even  in  the  clays  and  irregular  deposition  and 
obUque  lamination  (false-bedding)  are  frequent— indeed  so  frequent  as 
to  be  almost  the  normal  condition.  It  is  not  easy  to  arrive  at  any 
just  conclusion  as  to  the  thickness  of  these  deposits.  Actual  sections 
of  more  than  fifty  feet  in  thickness  are  occasionally  met  with,  but 
twenty  to  thirty  feet  are  the  more  ordinary  limits.  The  greater  por- 
tion of  the  deposits  is  generally  clay,  the  coarser  beds  being  chiefly 
confined  to  the  portion  near  the  base.  Fossil  bones  are  not  generally 
abundant,  but  locally  considerable  numbers  have  been  met  with. 
Shells  are  not  uncommon,  and  they  appear  to  be  all  of  species  now 
existing  in  the  rivers.  These  beds  are  obviously  of  fresh- water  origin, 
and  were  in  all  probabihty  the  fluvio-lacustrine  deposits  of  the  rivers 
themselves,  at  a  time  when  the  levels  and  areas  of  their  valleys  were 
very  difierent  from  those  now  existing. 

It  is  not  intended  to  give  here  a  complete  list  of  the  organic 
remains  found,  which  would  belong  rather  to  a  detailed  description. 
But  the  very  remarkable  admixture  of  existing  and  extinct  forms 
which  these  deposits  exhibit  must  be  noticed ;  for  along  with  well-pre- 
served remains  of  Hippopotam^iSy  Rhinoceros,  Mastodon,  peculiar  forms 
of  Elephas,  and  very  remarkable  Bovines  (which  if  not  identical  with 
European  forms,  approximate  so  closely  that  nothing  but  the  most 
miuute  distinctions  can  be  made,  while  they  are  entirely  distinct  from 
any  present  Indian  forms),  are  found  equally  w%ll  preserved  remains  of 
animals  stiU  existing  in  the  country.  The  not  uncommon  tortoise 
(Emys  [Pangshara]  tecta)  is  found  quite  as  fossilised  in  these  beds  as 
any  of  the  other  remains,  and  yet  the  species  still  lives  in  the  valley 
itself.  The  imbedded  shells,  too,  are  all  of  species  stiU  living,  and  the 
evidence  is  conclusive  that  the  change  from  the  condition  under 
which  Hippopotami  wallowed  in  the  muds,  and  Rhinoceros  roamed 
in  the  swampy  forests  of  the  country,  where  Mastodons  abounded,  and 
where  the  strange  forms  of  the  Sivatherium^  Dinotherium,  Camelo^ 


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xliv  INTEODTTCTION, 

pardalis  existed,  has  been  one  of  continuous  and  gradual  alteration, 
unmarked  by  any  great  breaks  or  vast  changes  in  climate.  In  the 
general  series  of  successive  epochs  into  which  the  geological  periods 
distinguished  in  Europe  have  been  classified,  these  ossiferous  gravels 
and  clays  would  seem  to  mark  the  upper  portion  of  the  Miocene  and 
the  Pliocene ;  while,  with  unbroken  succession,  and  with  nothing  more 
than  local  change  or  break,  these  Pliocene  beds  pass  upwards  into 
the  deposits  now  being  formed.  We  thus  find  that  numerous  forms 
of  animals,  which  are  now  cotemporaries  of  man,  existed  at  this  very 
early  period  cotemporary  with  numerous  forms  of  the  larger  animals 
now  utterly  extinct  in  this  country.  Was  not  man  also  cotemporary 
with  these  now  extinct  animals  ?  As  I  have  endeavoured  to  show 
briefly,  there  is  no  physical  break  in  the  long  series  that  would 
account  for  the  destruction  of  these  species ;  there  is  not  a  shadow  of 
proof  that  the  country  was  not  then,  as  now,  fitted  for  the  abode  of 
man.  And  although  no  human  remains  have  yet  been  found,  there 
is  not  a  single  fact  which  would  lead  to  the  conviction  that  man 
could  not  have  existed  and  lived  under  the  conditions  which  then 
prevailed.  In  this  point  of  view,  the  discovery — although  not  in  the 
Central  Provinces — of  a  well-formed  agate  knife,  which  had  obvi- 
ously been  in  use,  and  which  was  undoubtedly  shaped  and  made  with 
an  intelKgent  purpose,  in  gravels  of  the  same  age  as  these  ossiferous 
gravels  of  which  we  have  been  speaking,  and  also  containing  remains 
of  large  animals,  becomes  one  of  the  highest  interest,  as  giving 
some  amount  of  positive  proof  of  the  existence  of  man  at  this  early 
period  (Pliocene). 

Of  a  later  date,  afiad  scattered  through  the  upper  soils  of  large 

^       .     ,       ,  areas,  flint  (or  rather  affate)  knives,   agate 

Stone  implements.  \  ,  .  ,      ,  i     .         i  , 

cores,  from  which  these  kmves  have  been 

chipped  off,  and  numerous  forms  of  artificially-shaped  agate  imple- 
ments, have  been  met  with  in  the  Narbada  and  Nagpur  country. 
And  of  a  later  date  still,  and  invariably  in  the  surface-soils,  or  taken 
out  of  these  soils  and  brought  together  under  trees,  or  at  the  rude 
shrines  of  the  forest  races,  a  large  number  of  well-shaped  snd  polished 
celts,  axes,  and  other  shaped  stone  implements  have  been  found  in 


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INTRODUIJTIOK.  xlv 

the  Central  Provinces.  The  most  remarkable  fact  perhaps  con- 
nected with  these  implements  is  the  identity  of  form  and  of  design 
which  they  exhibit  when  compared  with  those  found  abundantly  in 
Northern  Europe — an  identity  common  to  both  forms  of  these  stone 
antiquities,  the  rudely-chipped  and  ahnost  undressed,  or  as  they  have 
been  called  the  Palaeolithic,  and  the  more  finished  and  polished,  or 
Neolithic,  types. 

The  Central  Provinces  present  many  locahties  peculiarly  likely  to 
throw  hght,  if  carefully  studied,  on  this  intensely  interesting  question — 
the  antiquity  of  man.  But  such  inquiries  can  only  be  satisfactorily 
earned  out  by  those  who  are  long  resident  in  the  immediate  vicinity, 
and  can  therefore  watch  the  constant  changes  which  occur,  and  take 
immediate  advantage  of  any  opportunity  which  may  present  itself. 

Beneath  the  recent  conglomerates  and  ossiferous  gravels  of  a  large 

portion   of    western  Chanda  is  a  well- 
Salrne  sands  and  clays.  inn  •        *»  -in 

marked    deposit  of  browmsh-yellow  sand 

or  clayey  sandstone.  This  is  seen  over  many  miles  of  the  coun- 
try wherever  the  streams  cut  through  the  upper  beds  to  any 
depth.  It  is  not  at  all  improbable  that  it  may  prove  to  be  of 
different  geological  age,  and  quite  distinct  from  the  beds  resting  on  it. 
No  good  sections  have  yet  been  seen.  It  is  specially  noticed  here 
inasmuch  as  it  contains  a  certain  amount  of  salt,  which  is  thrown  out 
as  an  eflBorescence  where  this  loose  sandstone  is  exposed  to  the 
weather,  and  produces  miry  places  always  wet  and  soft,  and  often  diffi- 
cult to  cross.  In  connection  with  this  deposit  we  may  recall  the  occur- 
rence of  beds  very  low  down  in  the  alluvium,  or  below  it,  all  containing 
a  considerable  quantity  of  common  salt,  in  the  B  e  r  a  r  alluvial  plain 
not  far  to  the  west  of  C  h  a  n  d  a.  Into  this  salt-bearing  stratum  wells 
are  sunk  for  the  extraction  of  brine,  from  which  much  salt  is  obtained. 
I  am  not  aware  of  any  brine-wells  in  the  Chanda  district,  but  this 
deposit  contains  a  considerable  amount  of  conmion  salt,  although  much 
mixed  with  impurities,  chiefly  sulphate  of  magnesia  (Epsom  salts).* 

*  Two  specimens  of  salt  roughly  prepared  from  this  sandy  clay  by  lixiyiation  and 
evaporation  were  assayed  at  the  Geological  Surrey  Office,  and  yielded — 

Chloride  of  sodium 8289        87-58 

Sulphate  of  magnesia  ....  1602         1 1  '86 
Clay  and  organic  matter  .  •    1*60  1*40 

The  first  of  these  was  obtained  from  what  is  called  the  Vhite  chopan  soil ;  the  second 
waa  from  the  dark  chopan  soil.  ' 
6  epg 


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Xlvi  INTRODUCTION. 

It  is  not  impossible  that  the  presence  of  common  salt  in  sensible  quan* 
tities  may  indicate  that  the  clays  containing  it  have  had  a  marine 
origin,  and  are  thus  quite  distinct  from  the  beds  Which  rest  upon 
them. 

To  treat  of  the  more  recent  alluvial  deposits  of  the  country  would 

^    ,        .,  involve   rather  more   of  asricultural  than 

Surface  soils. 

geological  questions,  and  I  would  leave  such 

to  others  more  competent  to  enter  upon  them. 

The  black  soil  or  regavy  or  as  it  is  not  uncommonly  called  the 
_  *  cotton  soil,'  forms  one  of  the  most  marked 

varieties  in  these  Provinces.  It  is  the 
common  soil  of  the  Deccan,  Malwd,  Narbada  valley,  &c.  It 
varies  greatly  in  colour,  in  consistence,  and,  with  these,  in  fertility,  but 
throughout  is  marked  by  the  constant  character  of  being  a  highly 
argillaceous,  somewhat  calcareous  clay,  being  very  adhesive  when 
wetted,  and  from  its  very  absorbent  nature  expanding  and  contracting 
to  a  very  remarkable  extent,  under  the  successive  influence  of  moisture 
and  dryness.  It  therefore  becomes  fissured  in  every  direction  by  huge 
cracks  in  the  hot  weather.  It  also  retains  a  good  deal  of  moisture, 
and  requires  therefore  less  irrigation  than  more  sandy  ground.  The 
colour  of  this  soU,  often  a  deep  and  well-marked  black,  with  every 
variation  from  this  to  a  brownish-black,  would  appear  to  be  solely  due 
to  an  admixture  of  vegetable  (organic)  matter  in  a  soil  originally  very 
clayey.  Thus  deposits  of  precisely  the  same  character  as  this  regar 
are  being  formed  now  at  the  botton  of  every  jhil  in  the  country,  and 
throughout  the  very  area  where  the  regar  is  best  marked,  it  is  not  by 
any  means  an  uncommon  thing  to  find  the  slopes  of  the  small  hills  or 
undulations  formed  of  more  sandy  reddish  soil,  while  the  hollows  be- 
low consist  solely  of  the  finest  regar.  This  appears  to  be  due  to  the  more 
argillaceous  and  finer  portions  of  the  decomposed  rocks  below  being 
washed  away  by  ordinary  pluvial  action  from  the  slopes  and  accumu- 
lated in  the  hollows,  where  this  finer  mud  forms  a  soil  much  more 
retentive  of  moisture,  and  which  therefore  rapidly  becomes  more 
impregnated  with  organic  matter,  and  is  often  marshy.  Begar  can  thus 
be  formed,  wherever  a  truly  argillaceous  soil  is  formed :  and  its  general, 


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TNTEODUCTION.  xlvii 

but  by  no  means  universal,  absence  over  the  metamorphic  and  other 
rocks  is  easily  accounted  for  by  the  fact  that  these  rocks  for  the  most 
part  yield  sandy y  not  clayey  soils.  It  is  never  of  any  very  great  depth, 
and,  excepting  when  re-arranged  by  rivers  in  their  recent  deposits,  it 
is  therefore  never  met  with  at  any  great  distance  below  the  surface. 

Obviously  formed  from  the  re-arranged  wash  of  the  older  and 
more  widely-extended  soils  we  find  large  areas  of  very  fertile  soil, 
consisting  of  clays  rather  more  sandy  than  the  older  alluvium,  and  not 
therefore  so  black  or  adhesive.  Though  rarely  formed  altogether  of 
the  true  regar  soil,  it  frequently  contains  a  large  proportion  of  this, 
mixed  with  other  clays  and  sands.  Every  intermediate  form  of  soil 
occurs,  and  it  would  by  no  means  be  an  easy  task  to  distinguish  them 
all.  In  an  agricultural  point  of  view,  it  is  interesting  to  see  how 
exactly  the  limits  of  certain  kinds  of  cultivation  coincide  with  the 
limits  of  these  marked  varieties  of  the  alluvial  deposits  of  the  country— 
facte  which  the  local  ofl&cers  will  doubtless  be  able  to  illustrate  more 
fully  than  I  can. 

The  preceding  sketch  has  necessarily  been  of  the  briefest  and 
most  general  character.  Those  who  desire  to  study  the  geology  of 
the  Central  Provinces  in  greater  detail  may  refer  to  the  many  papers 
more  or  less  immediately  bearing  on  this  country — of  Malcolmson, 
(Transactions  Greol.  Soc.  Lond.) ;  Hislop  (Journal  of  Asiatic  Society, 
Bengal;  Journal  of  Bombay  Branch  Koyal  Asiatic  Society ; 
Quarterly  Journal  Greological  Society,  London) ;  Medlicott,  Oldham, 
Blanford,  Theobald  (Mem.  Greological  Survey  of  India;  Records 
Geological  Survey  of  India),  in  which  fiill  details  will  be  found  so  far 
as  the  country  has  yet  been  examined  carefuUy. 

I  shaU  also  leave  the  discussion  of  the  economic  value  of  the 
several  rocks  to  the  detailed  statements  of  the  local  ofl&cers,  who  have 
infinitely  better  opportunity  of  knowing  how  and  to  what  extent  such 
materials  are  economised  within  their  own  districts.  I  have  solely 
attempted  to  give  as  briefly  as  possible  a  general  connected  outline  of 
the  successive  formations  known  to  occur  within  the  limits  of  the 
Central  Provinces,  trusting  that  this  outline  may  be  filled  in  with 
greater  detail  by  future  researches. 


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Xlviii  INTRODUCTION. 


CHAPTER  III. 


EARLY   HISTORY. 


Ifolation  of  Gondw^na  —  Rise  of  the  Gond  power — ^Early  Aryan  settlers  — 
Legendary  Kshattriyas  — Bit  jpu  t  traditions— The  Jabalpdr  and 
C  h  e  d  i  dynasty — ^The  P  r  a  m  &  r  a  Viceroys  of  N  <  g  p  d  r —  Y  a  v  a  n  a  dynasty 
of  the  Central  plateau. 

Enough  perhaps  has  already  been   said  to   show  why  G  o  n  d- 

,,^.       -^      J,  wanaso  loner   stood  isolated  from   the 

Isolation  ofGondwana.  p 

current  of  Indian  history.  While  equally 
to  the  north  and  to  the  south  of  it  lay  wide  plains,  over  which  invad- 
ing armies,  marching  unchecked  by  natural  obstacles,  found  rich 
cities  to  plunder  and  fertile  lands  to  annex,  these  highlands  were 
occupied  by  a  race  whose  object  was  protection  rather  than  pro- 
duction, and  by  whom  the  natural  ramparts  of  their  adopted  country 
were  more  prized  than  its  corn-bearing  valleys.  The  expeditions 
organised  for  the  invasion  of  the  Dec  can  ordinarily  left  the 
forests  of  Gondwana  to  the  east,  and  traversed  the  N a r b  a d & 
valley  through  the  pass  commanded  by  the  famous  hill-fort  of 
A'sirgarh  in  Nimar.  Hence  while  armies  were  marching  and 
Countermarching,  and  the  Hindu  dynasties  of  the  D  e  c  c  a  n  were 
succumbing  to  northern  invaders,  the  Gond  people  was  gradually 
and  quietly  attaining  a  development  and  organisation  which  gave  it  a 
place  among  the  independent  powers  of  India.  Even  the  far-reach- 
ing power  of  Akb  a  r  and  the  fanatic  zeal  of  Aurangzeb  made 
themselves  but  faintly  felt  at  so  great  a  distance  from  the  seat  of 
empire,  and  it  was  not  until  one  of  the  most  powerful  of  the 
M  a  r  d  t  h  4  dynasties  enthroned  itself  at  N  a  g  p  u  r  in  A.n.  1 743  that 
the  history  ofGondw4na  merges  into  that  of  the  rest  of  India. 


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INTRODUCTION.  xlix 

The  G  o  n  d  s,  however,  had  their  annalists,  from  whose  lists, 
,  ,    ^       ,  confirmed  by  contemporary  evidence,    it 

seems  pretty  certam  that  the  aboriginal 
power  had  no  range  or  importance  until  the  sixteenth  century, 
though  it  rose  some  hundred  years  earlier.  Thus  the  known 
Gond  principalities  only  occupy  some  two  centuries  of  the 
history  of  Gondwan a — a  mere  fraction  of  the  ages  which  have 
elapsed  since  Rama  traversed  the  forest  of  D  a  n  d  a  k  a,  extending 
from  the  Ja mn  a  to  the  G  o  d  a  v  a  r  i,  on  his  way  to  the  hermitage 
of  Sutikshna  at  Ramtek  near  Nagpur.*  Then  the  Aryan 
Early  Aryan  settlers  invaders  were  represented  throughout  these 

Central  Forests  by  a  few  isolated  hermits, 
who  could  not  even  perform  their  simple  devotions  in  freedom  from 
the  mockery  of  the  mischievous  savages  among  whom  they  dwelt. 
The  picture  of  their  suflferings,  given  in  the  Bdmdyana^  would  be 
almost  pathetic  if  it  were  not  ludicrous.  "  These  shapeless  and  ill- 
**looking  monsters  testify  their  abominable  character  by  various  cruel 
"and  terrific  displays.  These  base-born  wretches  implicate  the  her- 
"mits  in  impure  practices,  and  perpetrate  the  greatest  outrages. 
"Changing  their  shapes  and  hiding  in  the  thickets  adjoining  the 
"hermitages,  these  frightful  beings  delight  in  terrifying  the  devotees. 
"  They  cast  away  the  sacrificial  ladles  and  vessels,  they  pollute  the 
"cooked  oblations,  and  utterly  defile  the  ofierings  with  blood.  These 
"  faithless  creatures  inject  frightful  sounds  into  the  ears  of  the  faithfiil 
"and  austere  eremites.  At  the  time  of  sacrifice  they  snatch  away  the 
"jars,  the  flowers,  the  fuel,  and  the  sacred  grass  of  these  sober-minded 
"men."t 

When  the  tale  is  again  taken  up  by  the  sacred  books  of  the 

Hindus,    the    Narbada    valley    had 
Legendary  Kshattriyas.       .  xii   j  i  j    /• 

become  a  settled  country,  governed   from 


*  Wheeler's  History  of  India,  vol  ii.  pp.  240,  248. 

t  Rimijana  III.  1,  15,  as  translated  in  Muir's  Sanscrit  Texts,  part  ii.  chap*  iii. 
sec.  ir.  p.  427.     (Edn.  1860), 


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1  INTRODUCTION. 

Mahishmati*  (now  Maheswar)by  the  Ha  i  hay  as — one  of 
the  most  distinguished  of  the  lunar  R  a  j  p  u  t  races,  who,  as  will  be 
seen  below,  retained  a  connection  with  Grondwana  until  the  last  cen- 
tury. The  story  of  Ar  j  una  with  his  thousand  arms,  and  the  destruc- 
tion of  theKshattriy  as  byParasurama,  are  too  well  known  to 
need  repetition  here.  To  connect  these  shadowy  sacred  legends  with 
the  comparatively  sober  prose  of  G  o  n  d  annals  there  are  but  a  few 
ruined  cities,  some  popular  traditions,  and  an  occasional  inscription 
on  brass  or  stone.  In  these  unoccupied  ages  of  an  unknown  country 
the  R  aj  pu  t  bards  let  their  imagination  run  riot.     The  line  of  the 

^..      ,  ^  J. .  Narbadd    is  not  only    claimed  for  the 

R&j put  traditions.  tt     • -i  n       t     t,  r 

Haihayas,  but  for  the  rramaras  t  (or 

P  o  n  w  a  r  s),  whose  first  capital  is  stated  to  have  been  Maheswar; 

and  lastly  for  the  Ohauhdns,  from  whose  "  seat  of  government 

**M  a  k  a  w  a  t  i  (the  present  M  a  n  d  1  a)  the  oath  of  allegiance  resounded 

"  in  fifty-two  castles";  J  while  the  famous  fortress  of  A's  i  r  g  a  r  h  appears 

to  have  been  appropriated  by  almost  every   dynasty  whose  fame 

entitled  them  to  carry  back  their  pedigrees  into  the  days  of  fable. 

There  seems  to  be  nothing  to  confirm  the  boasts  of  the  Chauhans, 

except  their  own  family  traditions ;  but  the  P  r  a  m  d  r  a  kingdom  of 

Malwa  is  matter  of  history,   and  their  power  probably   extended 

over  the  western  part  of  the  N  a r  b  a  da  valley  at  some  time  between 

the  eleventh  and  thirteenth  centuries. 

The  Haihayas  were  undoubtedly  far  more  ancient.  An  in- 
scription in  copper  found  near  M  a  n  dl a,  but  lost  in  the  pillage  of 
the  G  o  n  d  Rdjd's  palace  by  the  Marathasin  1 780,  is  said  to  have 
proved  their  dominion  over  the  Upper  Narbada  valley  up  to 
A.D.  144,§  and  a  Bdjd  of  their  line  is  mentioned  in  an  inscription  on 
a  temple  in  Chhattisgarh,  dated  Samvat  160,  corresponding 

*  Hall's  Edition  of  "Wilson's  VishnaPurina,  vol.  iv.  book  It.  chap.  xi.  p.  56» 

t  Tod's  R  i  j  a  s  t  h  A  n,  toI.  L  p.  9 1 .     (Edn.  1829.) 

X  Ibid,  Yol.  ii.  p.  445. 

§  Jounial  of  the  Asiatic  Society  of  B  e  n  g  a  1  (August  185 1),  vol.  vi.  p.  62 1* 


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INTRODUCTION.  U 

to  A.D.  103,  if  the  era  be  that  of  Vikramadi ty a.*  They  ap- 
pear again  in  the  well-known  Haihai-Bansi  line  ofRatanpur 
which  ruled  over  Chhattisgarh  for  many  centuries,  until  their 
deposition  by  the  MarathasinA.D.  1 740.  But  it  is  only  quite 
lately  that  fiirther  indications  of  their  presence  in  the  N  a  r  b  a  d  a 
country  have  been  brought  to  light.  So  far  back  as  1839  an  inscrip- 
tion found  at  K u m  b h i,  thirty-five  miles  north-east  of  Jabalpur, 
was  published  with  a  translation  in  the  Journal  of  the  Asiatic  Society 
of  B  e  n  g  a  l,t  but  there  were  then  no  existing  data  with  which  to  con- 
nect it,  and  it  was  dismissed  with  the  remark  that  it  gave  no  impor- 
tant information.  Subsequently  (in  1857)  two  inscriptionsj  relating 
to  the  same  dynasty  were  found  by  Professor  Fitz-Bdward  Hall 
atBheraghat  and  Tewar,  both  places  a  few  miles  west  of 
Jabalpur.  Again  in  1861  Professor  Hall  sent  to  the  Journal  of  the 
Asiatic  Society  of  Bengal§  another  inscription  relating  to  the  same 
line,  or  rather  to  a  branch  of  it  descending  from  K  o  k  a  1 1  a,  the  second 
king,  and  connected  by  marriage  with  the  Tadava  kings  of  the 
West,  II  and  in  1862^  he  contributed  a  revised  edition  of  the  K  u  m  b  h  i 
inscription.  Since  then  two  inscriptions  in  the  N  a  g  p  u  r  Museum 
have  been  examined,  one  of  which,  being  almost  illegible,  has  only 
served  to  confirm  a  date,  but  the  other,  which  is  on  copper,  and  very 
well  preserved,  identifies  the  dynasty  unmistakeably  with  J  a  b  alp  u  r, 

*  It  is  of  course  very  possible  that  the  era  may  be  neither  theVikramiditya 
nor  the  Siika^  but  a  mere  local  one.  The  inscription  isatChipr^  intheKaward^ 
State.  I  haTe  not  yet  been  able  to  obtain  a  perfectly  accurate  transcript,  but  the  gist  ot 
it  IB  that  a  R*'jdy  Bhawdni  Pd),  built  a  temple  to  S  i  t  a,  which  was  partially  destroyed 
by  the  H  a  i  h  a  y  a  king.  This  would  seem  to  bring  back  the  inscription  to  the  day! 
in  which  Buddhism  was  contending  with  firahmanism,  and  we  have  independent  ground! 
for  inferring  that  the  Haihaya  kings  of  Chhattisgarh  were  at  that  timi 
Buddhists. 

t  Vol.  viii.  p.  401  (June  1839). 

X  Journal  of  the  American  Oriental  Society,  vol.  vi.  p.  499. 

%  Journal  of  the  Asiatic  Society  of  Bengal,  vol.  »(z.  No.  iv.  (1861),  pp.  317  ff* 

I  Journal  of  the  B  ombay  Asiatic  Society,  vol.  iv.  p.  101  (1852). 

%  Journal  of  the  Asiatic  Society  of  B  e  n  g  a  1,  toI.  xxxi.  No.  ii.  (1862),  pp.  3  -ff. 


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lii  INTRODUCTION.       * 

the  old  name  of  which  it  gives  asJavalipattana.*  The  only  other 
source  of  information  regarding  these  princes  is  in  a  copper-plate 
inscription  found  in  a  well  at  Benares  in  1801,  which  gives  the 
names  of  four  of  the  line,t  and,  like  the  N  a  g  p  u  r  tablet,  testifies  to 
their  H  a  i  h  a  y  a  descent. 

*  In   Professor  Hall's  translation  of  the  Bherighat  inscription  we  also  find  the 
*'  Canton  of  J  d  u  1 1  *'  mentioned. 

f  Their  genealogical  table  stands  thus — 
Lakshmana  Deva  or  Yuva  Rdji  Deva. 

Kokalla  Deva. 

G^ngeya  Deva. 

Kama  Deva=A'valia  Devi,  a  Hdna. 

Yasahkarna  Deva. 

I 

Gayakarna    Dev  a= A  Ihana  Devf,  daughter  ofVijayaSinhaDeva, 

and  grand-daughter  ofUday^ditya  ofMdlwa. 


Narasinha  Deva.  Jayasinha  Deva. 

I 
Vijayasinha  Deva  =  Gi8aIa  Devi. 

Ajayasinha  Deva  (heir  apparent) . 
The  dates  on  the  various  inscriptions  are  for — 

Kama  Deva..  ,.  528  on  the  Museum  plate  ;  1  on  the  Benares  plate. 
Narasinha    ..,.907  on  the  Bher^ghat  inscription. 
Jayasinha  ....    926  on  the  T e w a r  inscription,  and  928  on  the  Museum  stone 

inscription. 
Vijayasinha  ..  .932  on  the  K  umbhf  inscription. 

Here  we  have  three  eras — that  ofKarnaDeva  himself,  qnoted  in  the  B*e  n  a  r  e  s 
•  There  is  some  doubt  about  this    inscription,   that   shown  on  the    Museum*    plate   for 

rhearuilri^d^'htC-TS  .l^"«»  »«-«.  -d  thatgivenfortherestof  the  Kings 
and  that  portion  of  the  inscription  m  the  Other  inscriptions.  Professor  Hall  calculates 
is  now  only  available  in  a  nmnu-  fy^^  ^Yke  known  dates  of  the  Pram^ra  kings  that 
Bcnptcopy,   which,  though  other-  ./»->^  ,  ^ 

wise  accurate,  may  possibly  misre-  A  I  h  a  n  a  Devi,  the  wife  of  Gayakarna  Deva, 
present  the  date.  may  have   heen  born  about  a.d.  1100,  whereas  accord- 

ing to  the  dates  given  for  her  sons  and  grandsons,  her  birth  might  have  taken  place 
as  early  as  850  of  their  era.  Therefore  the  V  a  1 1  a  b  h  i  era,  assuming  it  to  be  rightly 
counted  from  a.d.  319,  is  evidently  not  that  to  which  the  later  dates  refer,  and  even  for 
them  it  will  be  necessary  to  suppose  the  existence  of  some  local  or  unknown  era.  The 
second  date  assigned  toKarna*Deva  does  not  correspond  either  with  any  known  era 
or  with  those  given  for  his  descendants,  but  with  regard  to  the  first  it  is  not  difficult  to 


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INTRODUCTION.  liii 

So  far  nothing  can  be  gathered  with  certainty  but  that  a  line  of 

H  aihay  a  princes  ruled  in  or  near  J  a  b  a  I- 

r,i_'"i®  :.^*^*^P^'  *°^  V^^  from  the  beginning  of  the  eleventh 
C  he  di  dynasty.  ^  6  6 

century  until  the  close  of  the  twelfth,  and 
that  they  were  suflBciently  influential  to  ally  themselves  matrimonially 
with  such  powerful  families  as  the  Ponw4r  s  of  M  a  1  w  a,  the  Gahlots 
of  U  d  e  p  u  r,  and  the  Yadavas  of  the  west.  The  name  of  their 
kingdom  is  shown  by  Professor  Hall  to  have  been  Chedi,*  and  this 
estabUshes  a  curious  connection  between  them  and  their  clansmen^ 
the  Haihai-Ban  si  rulers  of  Chattisgarh,  who  are  also  called 
rulers  of  Chedi  in  one  of  the  Ratanpur  inscriptions ;t  but  this 
will  more  properly  be  noticed  below,  in  discussing  the  history  of  the 
kingdom  of  Chhattisgarh. 

While  they  held  the  Jabalpur  province,  the  present  N d g - 

pur  province  seems  to  have  been  imder  the 
The  Pr  am  4  ra  Viceroys  of    dominion  of  the  Pramaras   of  Dhar, 

or  possibly  of  a  younger  branch  of  that 
powerful  family,  which  had  established  itself  in  the  plains  south  of 
the  Satpura  plateau.  The  first  local  mention  of  the  Fr  amdras 
ofMalwd  iflinan  inscription  from  N  a  g  p  u  r ,  which  is  translated 
in  the  Journal  of  the  Bombay  Asiatic  Society,  No.  VI.  (October 
1843),  p.  259.     Subsequently  a  copper-plate  inscription  was  foimd  at 

explain  why  he  should  have  adopted  an  epoch  of  his  own.  From  all  the  genealogies  it 
aeems  dear  that  he  was  the  most  powerful  and  renowned  of  the  Kalachuri  line,  as  it 
b  called  in  the  Kumhhi  inscription.  The  discovery  of  a  tahlet  in  his  honour  at 
Benares  need  not  signify  more  than  that  he  had  endowed  a  temple  there,  and  in 
the  Niigptir  Museum  plate  the  holy  city  is  only  noticed  as  a  place  where  "his 
praises  arc  sung,"  while  the  countries  which  he  suhdued,  or  pretended  to  have  suhdued, 
are  mentioned  in  a  very  different  strain.  Most  of  these  high-flown  hoasts  are  mere 
pieces  of  grandiloquence ;  hut  there  is  a  curious  mention  in  the  N  a  g  p  ii  r  plate  of  his 
victory  over  Bhimeswara;  king  of  A'ndhra,  "at  which  the  Ooddvarf,  over- 
joyed, hrokeinto  seven  channels."    The  reigning  prince  of  the  K^kataya  line  of 

A'ndhra,  contemporary  with  Kama  Deva,  must 

iWOaon'fl Mackenzie GoUeotion,     have    heen    either    Rudra  Deva,   or   Ganapati 

Introduction,  p.  orxxi.  Deva,  80  that  further  information  is  needed  to  clear  up 

what  may  he  an  interesting  point.* 
♦  Joomal  of  the  American  Oriental  Society,  vol.  vi.  pp.  499/*.    Journal  of  the  Asiatic 
Society  of  Bengal,  vol.  xxx.  No.  iv.  (1861),  p.  317- 

t  Joamal  of  the  Asiatic  Society  of  B  e  n  g  a  1,  vol.  xxxii.  No.  iii.  (1863),  p.  278. 
7  cpg^ 


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liv  iKraoDUonoNv 

S  a  tar  a*  which  appeared  to  be  an  exact  counterpart  of  the 
W  4 gp  u  r  tablet,  allowing  for  some  obvious  errors  in  the  transcrip- 
tion of  the  latter,  and  has  therefore  been  supposed  to  have  been 
removed  by  the  Marathas  from  the  temple  to  the  portico  of  which 
the  stone  inscription  had  been  affixed. 

Both  inscriptions  commence  with  a  King  Vairisinha,  who> 
from  the  dates  given  for  some  of  his  successors,  probably  lived  towards 
the  end  of  the  tenth  century ;  but  the  name  in  their  lists  which  has 
most  local  importance  is  that  of  Lakshmana  Deva.  As  this 
prince  is  not  mentioned  in  other  lists  of  this  dynasty,  and  as,  from  the 
local  inscriptions,  his  brother  Naravarman  seems  to  have  had 
power  to  interfere  with  his  grants,  it  has  been  inferred  that  N  ar  a* 
varman  was  the  head  of  the  family,  and  carried  on  the  line 
in  Malw4,  while  Lakshmana  Deva  was  his  viceroy  in  the 
N4gpur  province.  Both  of  these  princes  must  have  been  nearly 
contemporary  with  Ta»s ah karn a  Deva  of  the  Kalachuri  or 
Jabalpur  line,  for  being  sons  of  Uday  aditya,  they  were  uncles 
of  Alhana  Devi,  thewifeof  Yasahkarna's  successor.  Except 
these  inscriptions  there  is  nothing  on  record  to  connect  the  P  r  a  ma- 
rasofMalwa  distinctly  with  these  provinces,  though  a  seal  was 
found  at  A'sirgarh,  from  which  it  has  been  inferred  that  their 
dominion  included  that  famous  fortress^t  The  mere  discovery  of  so 
portable  an  article  as  a  signet  cannot  be  regarded  as  very  conclusive, 
but  on  general  grounds  of  probability  it  may  fairly  be  assumed  that 
a  province,  to  which  the  brother  of  the  reigning  prince  was  deputed 
as  a  Viceroy,  was  held  by  something  more  than  a  transitory  tenure, 
and  as  the  western  J  portions  of  the  Narbada  and  Tapti  valleys 
lay  between  M41wa  and  Nagpur,  some  part  of  them  must  have 

♦  Journal  of  the  Asiatic  Society  of  Bengal,  vol  xxxii.  No.  ii.  (1863),  p.  92. 

In  the  above-quoted  article  Bdbu  RdjendraLilMitra  mentions  this  inscrip* 
tion  as  having  come  from  a  temple  on  the  west  bank  of  the  W  a  i  n  g  a  n  g  4,  near 
N  &  g  p  (1  r,  but  nothing  is  said  of  the  place  whence  it  came  in  the  Bombay  Journal, 
as  ti^e  date  of  its  translation  coincides  curiously  with  the  time  at  which  an  inscription 
removed  by  the  Ndgpiir  R'j'i  from  the  famous  Snake-temple  at  Bh^ndak  in 
the  C h d n d ^  district  In  a  remaining  inscription  at  the  same  temple  the  Ponwirs 
of  D  h  ^  r  are  mentioned  ;  but  the  missing  tablet  cannot  now  he  traoed,  unless  it  should 
turn  out  to  be  identical  with  the  Waingang^  temple  inscription. 

t  Journal  of  the  Asiatic  Society  of  B  e  n  gal,  vol.  v.  p.  482  (1836). 

X  Westers  as  far  as  these  provmces  are  concerned. 


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INTRODUCTION.  It 

been  occupied  by  the  Pramdra  princes,  to  keep  communicationff 
open  with  their  southern  possessions. 

So  far  these  records   on  brass  or  stone — more  lasting  than  the 

fame  of  the  forgotten  princes  whom  they 
Central  plateau.^^"**  ^  ^  Commemorate — have  shown  points  of  unison 

with  cotemporary  Indian  history.  The  ruler 
of  N  a  g  p  u  r  was  a  scion  of  the  illustrious  P  r  a  m  a  r  a  house,  which 
counts  Raja  Bhoj  a,  the  Augustus  of  India,  among  its  members, 
and  the  Kalachuri  line  of  Jabalpur  was  allied  by  marriage  both 
to  the  Pramaras  and  to  ^  the  'ornament  of  the  royal  races" — the 
sun-descended  princes  of  XJ d e  p  ur.  But  the  other  local  dynasties 
which  have  bequeathed  to  us  their  genealogies  seem  to  lie  entirely 
apart  from  the  known  currents  of  Indian  history.  One  of  them,  it  is 
true,  is  sufficiently  important  to  have  been  commemorated  in  the 
Purdnas,  but  notwithstanding  aU  that  has  been  done  to  identify  it, 
no  certain  date  or  local  habitation  can  yet  be  assigned  to  it.  This 
line  was  first  brought  to  notice  by  the  discovery  of  a  copper-plate 
grant  at  Seoni*  (on  the  Central  plateau),  but  the  list  of  kings  thus 
obtained  remained  a  mere  fragment,  unconnected  even  with  any 
known  legend,  until  in  1865  Dr.  Bh4u  Daji's  re-examination  of  the 
Ajan  th  d  caves  enabled  him  to  throw  a  new  light  on  their  history. 
From  an  inscription  in  the  Zodiac  cave,  taken  in  connection  with  the 
Seoni  plates,  and  with  certain  passages  in  the  Fur&nas^  he  came  to 
the  conclusion  that  this  Vakataka  dynasty  was  a  line  of  Y  a  v  a  n  at 
princesi  who  ruled  in  Eastern  and  Central  India  shortly  after  the 

*  Journal  of  the  Asiatic  Society  of  Be  n  g  a  1,  toI.  t.  p.  726  (1836). 
t  A  Greek,  a  foreigner  (Wilson). 

X  Their  genealogy  is  thus  given  By  him  (Journal  of  the  B  o  m  h  a  y  Asiatic  Society, 
Tol  viii.  p.  248,  1865-66)  .— 
Yindhyasakti-. 

Pravarasena. 

Rudra  Seira»  grandson  of  G  a  o>  tarn  i^  daughter  of  the  king  B  hay  an  iga.. 

Prithvi   Sctta. 

Rudra  Sena  II. 

Pravara   8  e  n  a  II.,  son  of  Prahh^vat  i  G  upt  a,  the  daughter  of  M  a  h  <  r  i  j^* 
I  dhirija  Sri  Dera  Gupta. 

DeTa  Sena. 


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Ivi  INTBODUOTION. 

**  Sah'*  or  "Sen a**  kings.  This,  according  to  his  computation, 
would  place  them  in  the  fifth  century  of  our  era.  The  locality  of 
their  kingdom  cannot  be  positively  inferred  firom  the  place  in  which 
the  Seoni  inscription  was  found,  for  a  copper-plate  is  easily  moved, 
but  taking  the  site  of  discovery  in  conjunction  with  other  cir- 
cumstances, the  Y  a  van  a  line  may  fairly  be  assigned  to  the  Cen- 
tral plateau.  The  name  of  its  founder,  Vindhyasakti,  is  in  itself 
significant.  In  the  Puranic  lists  the  term  V  i  n  d  h  y  a*  is  sometimes 
applied  to  what  is  now  known  as  the  Sat  pur  a  range.  Then  the 
Satpuras  lie  between  the  countries  which  are  said  in  the  A j a n- 
t  h  a  inscription  to  have  been  conquered  by  one  of  these-  princes,  viz. ' 
Kuntala,tAvanti,JKalinga,§Kosala,||Trikuta,^Ldta,** 
and  A'ndhr  a,tt  and  would  be  a  natural  centre  whence  to  claim,  if 
not  to  effect,  the  conquest  of  the  surrounding  kingdoms.  J  J 

*  Hairs  edition  of  Wilsons  Vishnu  Purina  (book  ii.  chap,  iii.),  vol.  ii. 
p.  128.  Vindhya'*  according  to  the  V  £  y  u  (P  u  r  dn  a)  is  the  part  south  of  the  N  a  r- 
mad  A,  or  the  S^tpud^  range."  In  the  Vishnu  Pur&na  the  Narbad^  is 
made  to  flow  from  the  V  i  n  d  h  y  a,  which  must  therefore  have  had  a  much  wider  signi- 
fication than  it  has  now. 

fKuntala  was  in  the  Adonf  or  BelHri  district  of  M  a  d  r  a  s — (Asiatic 
Researches,  vol.  ix.  p.  427)- 

^  A.  y  a  n  t  i  was  U  j  e  n — (Hall's  edition  of  Wilson's  Vishnu  Pursuit,  vol.  ii. 
p.  164,  note  13). 

$Kalinga  was  the  upper  Coromandel  Coast — (Hall's  edition  of  Wilson's 
Vishnu  Purina,  vol.  ii.  p.  156,  note  3). 

II  There  were  several  K  o  s  a  1  a  s,  but  this  is  probably  the  K  o  s  a  1  a  south  of  the 
S  j  t  p  u  r  A  range,  mentioned  in  the  Mahibhdrat  a — (vide  Hall's  edition  of  Wilson's 
Vishnu  Pur  Ana,  vol.  ii.  pp.  172-73;  and  p.  145,  Professor  Hall's  note).  See  also 
Asiatic  Researches,  vol.  xv.  p.  508,  in  which  the  southern  K  o  s  al  a  is  placed  to  the  west 
ofGondw4na  and  B  e  r  d  r*  An  inscription  of  the  ^  a  i  h  a  i-B  a  n  s  f  kings  found  at 
Ratanpdr  calls  their  kingdom  Kosala  Des,  and  HwenThsang's  Kosala, 
1,200  Ii  N.W.  of  K  a  1  i  n  g  a  and  900  Ii  N.E.  of  A'n  d  h  r  a,  corresponds  sufficiently  with 
the  same  locality.  It  may  therefore  fairly  be  assumed  that  Kosala  was  the  name  of 
a  country  nearly  corresponding  to  the  present  Chhattfsgarh. 

•[TrikiStatmitf  Vishnu  Purdna  (book  ii.  chap,  ii.),  voLii.  p.  117.  Adynasty 
of  Trikdtakas  is  mentioned  in  a  copper-plate  grant  dug  out  at  Kanherl.  Dr. 
B  h  £  d  D  &  j  i  thinks  they  were  the  same  as  the  S  a  h  s — (Journal  of  the  Asiatic  Society  of 
Bombay,  vol.  viii.  p.  248). 

*♦  Lata  is  the  present  Broach. 

ft  A'ndhra  or  Telingana. 

J  J  There  are  two  other  dynasties  whose  inscriptions  have  been  found  in  these 
pro?inces,  but  as  yet  they  are  mere  floating  lists  of  names  unconnected  with  any  of  the 


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INTEODUCTION.  Ivii 

These  broken  fragments  are  all  that  has  been  reserved  of 
the  story  of  many  centuries.  Divested  of  their  dress  of  pompous 
panegyric  they  shrink  down  to  dry  lists  of  immeaning  symbols, 
which  the  richest  imagination  could  scarcely  warm  into  life.  We 
read  how  these  unknown  princes  shamed  the  king  of  heaven  by 
their  prosperity; — how  their  beneficence  made  earth  better  than 
elysium ; — how  the  world  trembled  at  the  march  of  their  elephants, 
and  the  seas  were  swelled  by  the  tears  of  the  queens  whom  their 
conquests  had  widowed.  But  of  the  more  humble  home  afiuirs, 
which  would  at  least  have  given  them  a  sure  place  in  local  annals, 
there  is  nothing.  The  kings  of  the  eastern  and  southern  coasts  are 
awed  at  the  prowess  of  the  great  Kama,  and  his  name  makes 
itself  felt  even  in  Kashmir  and  among  the  Huns,  but  we  have 
nothing  of  the  real  extent  of  his  petty  kingdom,  nor  of  the  struggles 
which  he  must  have  maintained  with  the  then  rising  power  of  the 
aboriginal  chiefs.  The  alliances  of  the  family  with  reigning  princes 
of  name  are  pompously  recorded,  and  its  genealogy  is  traced  back  to 
heroes  and  demigods,  but  there  is  nothing  of  its  connection  with  the 

reclaimed  ground  of  history.  But  although  of  little  immediate  interest,  thej  cannot 
altogether  he  omitted  in  a  record  which  only  professes  to  he  a  groundwork  for  future 
research.  The  earliest  oftheseis  a  line  of  R^htor  RAjputs,  whose  names  are 
•Journal  of  the  iUiatio  Society  ^"«  8^^^°  >^  *  copper-plate  found  at  M  u  I  t^i  in  the 
of B e n ga  1,  ToL yi.  p.  869,  Octo-  B e t d  1  district  on  the  S^tpurii  plateau*  : — 
berl637. 

Durga  BAja 

Oovinda  RAja 

I 
Miswamika  Bija 

Sr(  Nanda  Bija. 
The  date  of  the  last  of  these  is  either  630  or  830  a.d.  according  to  Prinsep.    The 

1  «xi.    A  •  i.-  a    •  X        other  line  is  commemorated  in  an  inscriptiont  found  at 
t  Journal  of  the  Asiatic  Society  -  ,      ^«      . 

of  B  o  m  b  a  y,  ToL  i.  p.  148,  J^ril     N  a  g  p  u  r,  and  consists  of  the  foUowmg  names : — 
1842. 

Sirya  Ghosha 

Kutsa 

I 
Udayana 

I 
Bhava  Deva. 

They  are  called  sovereigns  of  U  r  ( s  (»  and  the  date  of  the  inscription  is  believed  to 
W  SMmvat  711  or  a.d.  654. 


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Iviii  INTRODUCTION. 

chiefs  of  the  same  line,  who  had  once  held  the  neighbouring  district 
ofMandla,  and  who  still  ruled  below  the  Sdtpurd  plateau  in 
Chhattisgarh.  Thus,  too,  Lakshmana  Deva,  the  supposed 
Viceroy  of  N4  gpur,  crosses  the  seas  with  his  elephants,  and  pene- 
trates into  supernatural  regions ;  but  from  the  mass  of  fable  which 
he  has  accumulated  round  his  name  it  cannot  even  be  gathered  with 
certainty  whence  he  ruled  and  where  he  ruled.  Through  the  froth  and 
false  glitter  of  these  inscriptions  all  that  can  really  be  ascertained  is 
that  in  the  fifth  century  a  race  of  foreign  ( Y  a  v  a  n  a)  origin  ruled  firom 
the  S  atp  ur4  plateau,  and  that  between  the  tenth  and  thirteenth 
centuries  the  country  round  Jabalpur  was  governed  by  princes  of 
one  of  the  most  distinguished  lunar  Rdj  pu  t  races,  while  a  territory 
south  of  the  Sdtpuris  was  held  by  the  fire-descended  P  r  am4r  a 
princes  of  M  d  1  w  a.  But  although,  as  has  been  remarked  above, 
theGond  power  did  not  become  conspicuous  until  the  sixteenth 
century,  no  definite  line  of  demarcation  can  be  drawn  between  the 
more  vivid  period,  illustrated  by  their  homely  annals,  and  the 
inanimate  age  of  inscriptions.  The  C  h  d  n  d  4  dynasty  of  G  o  n  d  s 
probably  rose  to  power  as  early  as  the  tenth  or  eleventh  century, 
but  their  kingdom  lay  so  far  to  the  south,  and  their  history  trenches 
so  little  on  that  of  their  neighbours,  that  they  may  be  omitted  in  any 
general  view  of  this  part  of  the  country  as  a  whole,  as  may  also  for 
similar  reasons  the  long-descended  H  a  i  h  a  i-B  a  n  s  i  rulers  of  C  h  h  a  t- 
ti  s  garh.  We  know,  too,  from  Fi  r  is  ht  a  that  there  were  kingsof 
Gondwdna  reigning  firom  Kherld  in  the  Betul  district  in  the 
fourteenth  and  fifteenth  centuries,  but  though  they  are  often  called 
Go n d s  it  is  questionable  whether  they  were  not  Kshattriyas.* 
There  is  thus  a  vast  though  irregular  space  to  be  filled  up  by  tradition, 
or,  where  that  fails,  by  conjecture. 


♦  See  below  p.  Ixxr. 


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IKTBODUOTION.  Tix 

CHAPTER  IV. 

THB  GAULl's   AND  N  a'qB  A  N  S  l' S. 

The  interregnum  between  the  Eshattrijiis  and  the  Gonds— The  Gaulfs — 
Gaull  traditions— A' 8  i  Ahfr^Abhfra  —  The  two  N  i  g  p  ii  r  s —Serpent 
descent  in  G  o  n  d  w  i  n  a— Existing  traces  of  Serpent-worship— Serpent-worship 
once  an  aristocratic  fidth, — but  now  out  of  fiishion — Old  NAgbansi  families  now 
claim  to  be  R  ^  j  p  u  t  s — Probable  date  of  "Nag  a"  ascendencj— Indications  of  the 
existence  of  a  N^ga  race— Niga  chiefs — ^Nagbansls  among  the  Gonds— 
"Niga  Jogi"  and  "Ndga  B  h  dmi  A  in"— Recapitulation. 

However  we  attempt  to  bridge  over  the  mysterious  voids  lying 
The    interregnum  between    l>et^een  the  age  of  inscriptions  and  the 
the  Kshattriyasand  the    period  illustrated  by  the  Gond  annals, 
*^°    *'  questions  of  curious  interest  are  raised  up. 

If  their  discussion  be  regarded  as  verging  too  much  on  the  specula- 
tive, the  character  of  this  sketch  must  be  pleaded  in  justification.  It 
is  simply  an  attempt  to  bring  together  the  information  that  already 
exists  regarding  the  obscurest  part  of  the  Peninsula,  so  as  to  form  a 
groundwork  for  future  investigation,  and  where  the  sum  of  our 
knowledge  is  so  small,  nothing  should  be  neglected  which  may  serve 
to  indicate  new  paths  of  inquiry.  The  history  and  the  physical  cha- 
racter of  the  province  are  somewhat  alike.  It  is  traversed  by  but 
few  broad,  smooth  roads,  and  those  who  follow  them  see  little  of  dis* 
tinctive  local  colouring.  But  as  the  wanderers  in  the  interior  to  this 
day  may  make  fresh  discoveries  of  imexplored  forest  tracts  and 
unknown  mineral  deposits,  so  the  byways  of  inquiry  may  prove  the 
most  profitable  in  exploring  the  past.  The  traditions,  beliefs,  and 
habits  of  the  people — even  their  names — have  a  meaning  which  may 
yield  itself  to  patient  investigation ;  but  the  many  who  are  interested 
in  local  problems  have  hitherto  worked  in  isolation,  and  without  full 
knowledge  of  the  conclusions  to  which  their  neighbours  had  come, 
and  even  an  imperfect  presentation  of  existing  data  will  at  least  serve 
to  remove  this  obstacle  from  their  way. 

Local  tradition  solves  all  difl&culties  by  reference  to  a  Gauli 

race  of  kings.     Every  ruin  of  unknown  acre, 

The  Gaulis.  ^     ^?      .  /^,    ,  ^,      ,     ^j 

every  floatmg  legend  that  cannot  be  traced 


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Ix  INTEODUCTION. 

to  Hindu  mythology,  is  assigned  to  these  pastoral  princes.  But 
where  the  popular  diflBculty  ends  ours  must  begin.  Who  were  the 
G  a  u  1  i  s  ?  It  seems  unlikely  that  they  had  any  connection  with  the 
known  tribes  of  the  same  name  who  now  live  by  tending  cattle  in  the 
great  grazing  grounds  of  the  Satpura  range.  Sir  R.  Jenkins, 
quoting  Captain  A.  Gordon,  says  that  in  his  time  (1827)  they  took 
"  pride  in  the  exploits  and  reputation  of  their  ancient  Rdjdsy  whose 
**  praises  were  sung  by  the  bards,  and  listened  to  with  delight  by  all 
"classes  of  Kirsdns.^^*  In  these  days,  notwithstanding  the  most 
persevering  investigations,  nothing  of  any  interest  has  been  elicited 
regarding  their  origin.  All  their  traditions  and  legends  seem  to 
point  to  M  a  t  h  u  r  k — the  classic  land  of  cowherds — and  to  K  r  i  s  h  n  a — 
the  pastoral  king  and  god — and  they  make  no  claim  to  local  sove- 
reignty for  their  ancestors.  They  are  said  in  some  districts  to  differ 
from  other  H  i  n  d  u  s  in  appearance,  but  they  worship  the  same  gods 
and  speak  the  same  language  as  their  neighbours.  In  the  only 
instance  in  which  the  careful  inquiries  made  about  them  seemed  to 
have  led  to  the  discovery  of  a  G  a  u  1  i  clan  differing  in  language  and 
nationality  from  the  people  of  the  country,  it  turned  out  that  they 
were  a  colony  from  North  Kanard  who  still  spoke  their  own 
language  among  themselves.  If,  then,  the  existing  Gauli  tribes 
represent  the  pastoral  chiefs  of  tradition,  they  have  so  drifted  away 
from  all  ancestral  memories  that  it  can  serve  no  historical  purpose  to 
investigate  the  question  of  their  descent. 

Another  theory  is  that  the  Gauli  rule  is  a  mere  figment  of  the 
popular  imagination,  arising  from  the  tendency  to  look  back  to  a 
pastoral  age  when  land  was  free  to  all.  Thus  Colonel  Briggs  in  a 
note  to  his  translation  ofFirishta,  says — " It  is  worthy  of  notice 
"that  many  of  the  most  ancient  hill-forts  in  India  have  reference  to 
"  the  pastoral  lives  of  their  possessors ;  and  when  the  Indians  are  at  a 
"loss  to  fix  an  era  for  any  ancient  structure  or  sculpture,  theyinvari- 
"  ably  refer  it  to  the  period  of  the  shepherd  kings.'*t    He  quotes  as 

*  Report  on  the  Territories  of  the  R^Hd  of  N^gpdr,  p.  29  (Edn.  Nigpdr 
Antiquarian  Society). 

fVol.  iv.  p.  286(Edn.  1829)- 


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INTEODUCTION.  Ixi 

instances  among  others  Gawalgar  h — the  fort  of  the  cowherd — and 
A'sirgarh,  which  is  said  by  Firishta  to  be  the  fort  of  A's4, 
the  Ahir  or  herdsman— both  well-known  fortresses  on  the  Sat- 
p  u  r  a  range.*  But  evidence  of  this  kind  may  be  used  positively 
as  well  as  negatively.  If  we  find  pastoral  names  applied  to  the  prin- 
cipal places  of  strength  in  a  tract  of  country,  it  is  as  fair  to  conclude 
that  it  has  really  been  ruled  over  by  herdsmen  chiefs,  as  that  imagi- 
nation had  been  at  work  in  shaping  nomenclature.  The  local  tradi- 
tions however,  though  vae^ie  and  indefi- 
G a uli  traditions.  .,  4.  i.     f  ^  i      •   ^       '-1.1 

nite,  are  not  so  absolutely  intangible  as  to 

drive  us  to  the  second  of  these  alternatives.  From  Deogarh  on 
the  plateau — which  before  its  subversion  by  the  midland  dynasty  of 
Go  n  d s  in  the  sixteenth  century  was,  according  to  the  popular  voice, 
the  last  seat  of  G  a  u  1  i  power — the  very  names  of  the  G  a  u  1  i  chiefs 
are  handed  down.  According  to  one  account  the  predecessor  of  the 
Gonds  was  Pandu  Gauli;  but  a  more  detailed  tradition  sets 
forth  that  Jatba,t  the  known  ancestor  of  the  Deogarh  Gond 
dynasty,  began  his  career  as  a  dependent  on  M  a  n  s  u  r  and  G  a  n  s  u  r, 
the  two  Gauli  chiefs  of  Deogarh,  and  received  from  them  a  grant 
of  land.  He  rose  to  become  their  minister,  and  at  length  obtained 
from  them  the  entire  management  of  their  country.  Having  thus 
gained  power,  he  went  on  to  depose  and  murder  his  benefactors  and 
to  usurp  their  principality.  But  a  G  a  u  1  i  chief  still  retained  posses- 
sion of  the  fort  of  N  a  r  n  a  1  a  for  a  few  years  longer,  when  he  also 
was  slain  by  the  Mohammadans.J 

There  seems  to  be  no  reason  for  discrediting  the  main  points  of 
this  accoimt.  It  is  derived  apparently  from  the  traditions  of  one  of 
the  Gond  dynasties, §  and  though  it  is  probable  that  the  Deogarh 
Gauli  s  were   not  princes   of  much    standing,  as  we  know  from 

*  He  also  quotes  Gwalior,  Golkond&  (the  shepherd's  hill),  and  Yenna 
Kond  A  (batter  hill). 

t  Mentioned  m  the  A'tn-i-Akhari  under  S(tha  B  e  r  a  r ,    Sarkdr  K  h  e  r  I  d. 

X  These  details  are  taken  from  manuscript  notes  by  Colonel  Hervey,  C.B.,  who  lived 
ftfr  long  in  this  part  of  India  as  Superintendent  of  the  Thuggee  and  Dacoitee  Department 
atjabalpdr. 

§  Probably  from  some  descendant  of  the  G  a  r  h  i-M  a  n  d  1  a  family*s  retainers,  as 
the  representative  of  the  Deogarh  line  has  not  even  preserved  his  genealogical  tree.  . 
8  cpg 


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liii  INTEODUCTION. 

Firishta  that  in  the  preceding  century  the  Rdjd  of  K h e r  1  a*  was 
the  chief  potentate  in  this  part  of  the  S  a  t  p  u  r  a  plateau,  it  is  quite 
possible  that  they  may  have  been  the  last  otfshoots  of  a  once  power- 
ful race.  The  Sagar  traditions  bring  down  the  G-auli  supre- 
macy to  an  even  later  date.  The  tracts  of  1 1  a  w  a  and  K  u  r  a  i,  both 
north-west  of  S  a  g  ar,  are  said  not  to  have  passed  out  of  the  power  of 
G  a  u  1  i  chiefs  until  the  close  of  the  seventeenth  century.  We  come 
perhaps  on  more  questionable  ground  in  quoting  F  i  r  i  s  h  t  a's  men- 
tion of  A'sa,  the  Ahir  chief  of  A'sirgarh.  The  story  is  well 
known,  but  it  may  bear  repetition  in  the  connection  which  is  now 
given  to  it. 

In  the  beginning  of  the  j&fteenth  century  there  lived  on  the  summit 
^,    ,   ^ ,  ,  of  a  high  hill  in  Khandesh  a  rich  herds- 

.A.  s  &   .A.  11 1  1*  ^^ 

man  chief,  who  was  one  of  the  principal 
landholders  of  the  country,  and  whose  ancestors  had  for  nearly  seven 
hundred  years  retained  their  estates.  Although,  besides  1 0,000  cattle, 
20,000  sheep,  and  1,000  mares,  he  had  a  strong  masonry  fort  and 
2,000  followers,  whom  he  employed  for  protection  as  well  as  for  other 
purposes,  he  was  still  known  to  the  people  to  whom  his  benevolence 
had  endeared  him  by  the  familiar  name  of  A' s  a,  the  A  h  i  r  or  herds- 
man, whence  his  fort  was  called  A'sirgarh.f  This  derivation  is 
evidently  erroneous,  as  we  find  the  name  of  A's  i  r  in  use  long  before 
A's  a  A  h  i  r '  s  time,  J  but  the  story  need  not  on  that  account  be  set  down 
as  a  fable.  It  is  much  more  likely  that  the  real  existence  of  a  chief 
called  A's  a  should  have  suggested  a  plausible  derivation,  than  that  so 
circumstantial  a  narrative  should  have  been  invented  to  help  out  a 
piece  of  etymology.  Accepting  then  Firishta' s  usually  good  cre- 
dit for  the  main  features  of  the  story,  we  may  fairly  conclude  that  a 
line  of  herdsmen  chiefs  held  part  of  the  T  a  p  t  i  valley  for  a  consider- 
able length  of  time  before  the  fifteenth  century.  A's  i  r  ga  r  h  is  called 
to  this  day  a  G-a  uli  fortress.  Going  still  further  back  we  find  that 
"in  the  Puranic  geography  the  country  on  the   western  coast  of 

♦  See  below,  p.  Ixxv. 

t  Briggs'  Firishta,  vol.  iv.  p.  287  (Edn.  1829). 

X  Vide  article  on  A's  i  r  g  a  r  h  ;  also  Tod's  Rdjasthdn,  vol.  i.  p.  105. 


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INTRODUCTION.  Ixiii 

India  from  the  TaptitoDeogarh  is  called  A  b  h  i  r  a,  tlie  region 

of  cowherds."*     Dr.  B  h  a  u  D  a  j  i  mentions 
» 1  ■■  / 

having  found  an  inscription  of  an  A  b  h  i  r  a 
king  at  N  a  s  i  k,  and  suggests  that  the  G  a  u  1  i  kings  in  the  neighbour- 
hood of  Nasik  and  Trimbakes wara  were  the  same  as  the 
A  b  h  i  r  a  kings.t  There  seems  then  to  be  a  sufficient  amoimt  of  evi- 
dence for  concluding  that  in  the  dark  ages  of  H  i  n  d  u  history  the 
west  of  India  was  occupied  by  pastoral  tribes,  and  as  we  find  indica- 
tions of  the  presence  of  similar  races  in  western  Gondwanaso  late 
as  the  sixteenth  or  seventeenth  centuries,  there  are  some  grounds 
for  supposing  that  when  pressed  out  of  the  plains  by  increasiog  cul- 
tivation, those  of  them  who  did  not  merge  into  the  agricultural 
population  retreated  to  the  wild  grazing  grounds  of  the  Sat  pur  a 
country,  and  there  lingered  on  till  they  sunk  before  the  rising  power 
of  the  G  o  n  d  s,  leaving  nothing  but  a  name  behind  them.  The 
G  auli  traditions  of  these  provinces  seem  to  be  confined  to  portion  of 
the  Nimar  district,  the  Sagar  district,  the  Sdtpura  plateau, 
and  parts  of  the  Nag  pur  province,  but  further  inquiry  may  show 
that  they  also  exist  elsewhere. 

The  next   question  which   deserves   notice  rests  perhaps   still 

m.    x_  XT  '       <  more  than  the  last  upon  hypothesis ;  but 

The  twoNagptSrs.  .       .    , 

even  if  the   solution  which  is  here  sought 

for  it  seem  fanciful  or  erroneous,  the  facts  still  remain  open  to  any 
other  interpretation.  It  must  have  struck  any  one  who  has  studied 
the  map  of  Gondwana  that  the  juxtaposition  of  the  two  Nag- 
purs  is   at  least  a  curious  coincidence.     Nag  pur  the  greater  J 

♦  Sir  Henry  Elliott's  Supplemental  Glossary,  article  **  A  h  e  e  r." 

t  Journal  of  the  Bombay  Asiatic  Society,  vol.  viii.  p.  243. 

Tod  (R  i  j  a  s  t  h  ^  n,  vol.  ii.  p.  443)  says  that  the  princes  of  G  a  r  h  d-M  a  n  d  1  a 
"  for  ages  continued  the  surname  of  P  ^  1,  indicative,  it  is  recorded  by  tradition,  of  their 
"  nomadic  occupation.  The  A  h  i  r  s  who  occupied  all  Central  India,  and  have  left  in  one 
"  nook  (Ahirwdra)  a  memorial  of  their  existence,  were  a  branch  of  the  same  race, 
"Ahir  being  a  synonym  for  P^l."  But  he  does  not  quote  bis  authority  for  these 
itatementa- 

J  It  is  true  that  the  present  name  of  the  (greater)  N  a  g  p  u  r  province  is  not  known 
to  be  old,  but  the  number  of  names  in  the  N  a  gp  dr  country,  into  the  composition  of 
vhich  the  word  Nag  enters,  shows  how  strong  an  impress  this  term  had  on  the  nomen- 
clature of  the  country. 


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Ixiv  INTRODUCTION. 

and  the  lesser*  may  be  called  representative  names  in  this  part  of 
the  country,  as  though  in  their  original  meaning  they  were  simply 
cities  of  the  Ndg  or  Snake,  they  have  been  extended  to  include  two 
of  the  principal  provinces  of  Gondwana,  and  the  significance  of 
their  joint  relation  to  the  mysterious  serpent-gods  and  serpent  races 
of  Indian  mythology  is  enhanced  when  we  find  that  the  Rdjds  of 
Chqta  Nagpur  claim  to  be  Nagbansis  or  serpent-descended, 

and  have,  or  till  lately  had,  the  lunettes  of 
^Serpent  descent  in  Go nd.    ^^^^  serpent  aucestor  engraved  on  their 

signets  in  proof  of  their  lineage.t  If  we 
cannot  trace  so  direct  an  analogy  between  the  name  of  the  country 
and  of  its  princes  in  the  greater  Nagpur  province,  it  is  probably 
because  we  are  almost  entirely  ignorant  of  its  earlier  history,  for  all 
around  it  we  find  indications  ofNagbansi  families.  The  Bdjds  of 
Gar  ha  Man  dl  a  were  Nagbansis,  and  traced  back  their  origin  to 
a  serpent  ancestor.  The  Bdjds  of  Karond — the  most  important  of 
the  group  of  Chiefships,  which,  under  the  name  of  the  Garhjats,  occupy 
a  vast  extent  of  wild  territory  to  the  extreme  south-west  of  the  province, 
bordering  upon  the  Tributary  Mahdls  of  C u 1 1 a c k — are  Nagban- 
sis. So  is  the  Chief  of  Khairagarh  in  Chhattisgarh,  who 
owns  and  rules  a  more  valuable,  though  not  a  larger,  territory  than  any 
feudatory  attached  to  these  provinces.  The  present  representatives 
of  the  G  o  n  d  line  ofDeogarh  have  lost  their  pedigree,  but  in  the 
fragments  of  it  which  remain  the  name  Ndg  occurs  more  than  once. 
The  Rdjd  of  B  a  s  t  a  r  claims  to  be  a  Rajput  of  the  lunar  line ;  but 
the  dynasty  to  which  he  succeeded  is  said  by  tradition  to  have  been 
ofNagbansi  race,  and  inscriptions  have  been  found  in  his  terri- 
tories of  a  Nagbansi  line  of  princes  dated  1130  {Samvat)^  equi- 
valent to  A.D.  1073,  who  by  their  claim  to  descend  from  Kasyapa,} 
the  mythical  progenitor  of  the  sun,  show  that  in  Indian  genealogies 
ophite  descent  may  not  be  held  incompatible  with  claims  to  the  bluest 


*  More  properly  Chutii  Nigpiir. 

f  Journal  of  the  Asiatic   Society  of  Bengal,  vol.   xxxv.,  part  ii.  (Special  number) 
pp.  160/*.     Elliott's  Supplemental  Glossary,  article  "Gour  Tug  a,"  p.  422. 
t  Wheeler's  History  of  India,  vol.  ii.  p.  2. 


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INTEOBUCmON.  IxV 

blood  of  the  royal  races,*  and  that  both  sources  of  origin  have  been 
simultaneously  claimed  by  the  same  family  in  days  when  a  serpent 
ancestry  was  more  fashionable  than  it  is  now.     So  too  in  the  small 
feudatory  State  held  by  the  Mahdrdjd  of  Patna,  the  chief  of  the 
Garhjat  confederacy,  there  are  curious  ruins  of  temples  which  are 
attributed  to  a  devout  Bdni  of  the  Nagbansi  tribe.     But  perhaps 
the  most  curious  relic  of  serpent-connection  left  in  the  province  is  at 
the  temple  of  Buram  Deva  in  Chhattisgarh,  which  is  evidently 
of  very  early  origin.     It  contains  no  image  but  that  of  a  cobra,  and 
lying  near  are  two  inscriptions,  one  containing  a  list  of  twenty-two 
kings,  who  trace  their  descent  to  the  union  of  a  snake-god  with  the 
daughter  of  a  holy  man  who  lived  south  of  the  N  a  r  b  a  d  a,  and  the 
other  relating  how  the  H  ai  h  ay  a  king  had  opposed  the  construction 
of  the  temple,  which  was  dedicated  to  M  a  h  a  d  e  o.t     The  inscriptions, 
taken  in  connection  with  the  snake  image,  may  perhaps  imply  that 
the  H  a  i  h  a  y  a  king  of  the  time  was  a  snake  worshipper,  and  imposed 
his  deity  on  the   founder  of  the  temple,   or  if  he  were  a  Buddhist, 
as  there  is  reason   to  think,  ij;  that  his  Buddhism  was  tainted  by 
serpent  worship.     In  short  we  find  frequent  traces  of  this  myste- 
rious race  on  aU  sides  of  the  present  Nagpur  country,  and  there 
is  no  great  aboriginal  house  inGondwana  which  does  not  show 
traces  of  Nagbansi  connection,  with  the  single  exception  of  the 
former  ruling  family  of  Chan  da,   which  is  of  comparatively  late 
origin.  §     On  the  theory  that  the  aborigines  are  the  "  serpent  races*'  of 
the  H  i  n  d  u  writings,  this  phenomenon,  if  it  can  be  so  called,  would  offer 
no  difficulty  whatever.     It  would  be  almost  a  matter  of  course  that 
the  Gond  princes  of  Mandla,   the  greater  Nagpur,    and  the 
Munda  (Kol)  Bdjd  of  the  lesser  Nagpur  should  claim  descent 
from  the  gods  of  their  people.     But  however  natural  and  obvious  this 

*  The  explanfttion  offered  is  that  the  divine  sage  K  a  s  j  a  p  a  was,  hy  one  of  his  wives» 
Ka  d  r  u,  father  of  the  Serpent  race — (Hall's  edition  of  Wilson's  Vishnu  Purdna,  hook  1» 
chap.  xxi.  p.  74). 

t  See  ahove  p.  li. ;  also  Mr.  Chisholm's  B  i la s p  d r  Settlement  Report,  para.  37. 

X  ^e  helow  p.  Ixxiv.  Unfortunately  I  have  not  heen  ahle  to  ohtain  accurate  trans- 
cripts of  either  of  these  inscriptions  in  time  for  this  puhlication. 

§This  dynasty  commences  probahly  in  the  eleventh  century.  See  helow,  p.  142. 
The  known  origin  of  the  D  e  o  g  a  r  h  house  is  later,  but  the  extant  fragments  of  their 
alleged  pedigree  rise  to  a  high  antiquity. 


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Ixvi  INTRODUCTION, 

explanation  may  seem,  there  are  some  considerations  wliich  tell 
strongly  against  it.  In  the  first  place  there  is  no  trace  of  reverence 
for  serpents  in  the  hagiology  of  the  G  o  n  d  people,  as  distinguished 
from  their  chiefs.  Their  pantheon,  including  some  fifteen  gods,*  gives 
a  full  place  to  that  element  of  terror  which  is  so  prominent  in  the 
beliefs  of  all  savage  tribes ;  but  their  eflTorts  of  propitiation  are  directed 
rather  against  the  inscrutable  shocks  of  storm  and  pestilence,  than 
against  the  more  tangible  and  visible  scourges  which  they  can  com- 
bat with  fleshly  weapons.!  In  fact,  a  non-Hinduised  Grond,  with 
his  omnivorous  tastes,  would  probably  sooner  think  of  eating  a  snake 

than  of  worshipping  it.  The  old  snake- 
woShiJi"^  *'"''"'  ""^  '''^'''^'    worship  has  not,  however,   even  yet  died 

out  altogether  among  the  higher  classes 
ofGonds.  It  is  said  that,  among  the  Eaj-Gonds  of  the  Eai- 
p  u  r  district,  a  solemn  service  or  pdjd  is  performed  every  seven  years 
to  the  snake-gods,  but  it  is  kept  intensely  secret,  and  may  only 
be  witnessed  by  married  worshippers.^  This  ceremony  seems  to 
have  died  out  in  the  Ndgpur  country,  but  the  Pardhdns  or 
G  o  n  d  priests  of  N  a  g  p  u  r  say  that  when  the  G  o  n  d  kings  ruled  at 
D e o g a r h,  before  their  subjection  by  the  Marathas,  the  adora- 
tion of  the  snake-god  was  formally  and  periodically  celebrated  by  the 

Th&hur  or  high-priest  of  the  Bdjds.     In 

^""ScXth.'^ ''"''*' "'''"^^"    ^^*  ^^  ^^^^  *^^*    serpent-worship    was 

among  the  G  o  n  d  s  an  aristocratic  faith, 
unknown  to  the  mass  of  the  people,  and  that  even  in  the  higher 
classes,  where  it  has  not  altogether  died  out,  it  is  carried  on  in  stealth 
and  secrecy. 

The  second  point  worth  noticing  is,  that  the  claim  to  serpent 

^   - .  , .  descent  is,  like  the  serpent  worship,  a  by- 

But  now  out  of  fashion.  ^  xt  ^    ^  i 

gone  ambition.     The  existing  N  a  g  b  a  n  s  i 

*  Papers  relating  to  the  Aboriginal  Tribes  of  the  Central  Provinces,  by  Rev.  S.  Hislop, 
edited  by  Sir  R.  Temple,  part  1,  p.  14. 

t  An  exception  to  this  is  the  Tiger  god  (B  dg  h  D  e  o)  of  the  K  u  r  k  iS  s  (vide  Set- 
tlement Report  ofHoshangdbdd,byC.  A,  Elliott,  Esq.,  p.  255). 

X  This  information  was  given  me  by  Mr.  J.  F.  K.  Hevritt,  Settlement  Officer  of 
Rdfpiir. 


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INTRODUCTION.  Ixvii 

families  either  have  become,  or  aspire  to  be  Eajputs,  A  strong 
instance  of  the  first  class  are  the  Bdjds  ofChota  Nagpur,*  who, 
though  their  family  traditions  show,  them  to  be  aboriginal  M  u  n  d  a  s, 
have  for  long  intermarried  with  Rajput  families.  The  Chiefs  of 
Khairagarh  have  not  been  so  fortunate.  They  call  themselves 
R  a j  p  u  t  s,  but  it  is  only  since  a  comparatively  recent  acquisition 
of  territory  and  importance  that  their  claim  has  been  even  admitted  to 
consideration,  and  they  have  stiU  to  pay  very  heavily  for  their  R  a  j- 
p  u  t  alliances.  The  N  a  g  b  a  n  s  i  name,  which  was  once  borne  with 
pride  as  a  mark  of  N  a  g  a  or  serpent  origin,  remains,  after  the  import- 
ance of  the  stock  from  which  it  was  derived  has  vanished ;  but  it  has 
lost  its  specific  meaning,  and  the  aboriginal  princes  by  whom  it  was 

formerly  prized,  now  attempt  to  gloss  it  over 
Jlm'tfb'eRl/puTsl"    byconfoundingit  among  the  tribal designa- 

tions  of  the  R  a  j  p  u  t  s,  in  which  it  has  pro- 
perly no  place.  This  change  of  feeling  seems  to  have  occurred  early  in 
the  Christian  era.  The  first  marked  instance  of  it.is  in  the  conversion 
ofthe  Grond  N  agbansiline  of  Garha-Mandla  into  a  so-called 
Rajput  race  by  the  alleged  marriage  of  the  G  o  n  d  heiress,  the 
daughter  of  a  king  with  the  significant  name  of  N  a  g  a  D  e  v  a,  to  a 
Pramara  or  Baghela  Rajput  called  Jadu  Rai.f  This 
event  is  placed  in  a.d.  358  J  ;  but  if  the  reigns  of  the  princes  named  in 
the  M  a  n  dl  a  inscriptions  be  calculated  at  an  average  length  of  twenty 
years,  it  would  be  deferred  until  the  seventh  century.  It  is  not  only 
curious  as  indicating  approximately  the  time  at  which  fashion  changed, 
so  to  speak,  and  Rajput  origin  began  to  be  an  object  of  preference 
to  Nag  ban  si  descent,  but  also  as  showing  how  distinct  a  hne  of 
demarcation  then  existed  between  the  N  a  g  b  a  n  s  i  and  Rajput 
stocks,   which  it  has   since  been    attempted    to    confound.      The 


*  Journal  of  the  Asiatic  Society  of  B  e  n  g  a  I  (1866),  yoI.  xxxr.  part  ii.  (Special 
Number),  p.  161- 

t  Lassen  calls  him  aPramira.  Local  tradition  calls  him  either  a  Baghela  or 
Paulas  ty  a  bansf. 

X  Joamal  of  the  Asiatic  Society  of  B  e  n  ga  1^  vol.  vi.  p.  621  (August  1837).  Asiatic 
Researches,  vol.  xv.  p.  437. 


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Ixviii  INTRODUCTION. 

next  evidence  bearing  upon  the  question  is  derived  from  the  N  a  g- 
bansi*  inscription  in  B  as  tar,  dated  Samvat  1130,  or  a.d.  1073, 
in  which  the  Nagbansi  flfl;^  of  Bhogavati  has  blossomed  into 
a  B  a  j  p  u  t  descendant  of  K  a  s  y  a  p  a,  and  a  worshipper  of  S  i  v  a. 

It    would  seem  then  that  the  Nagbansi  phase  of  the  great 
Probable  date  of  "Niga"     aboriginal  famiKes  was  ending,   and  that 
ascendency.  their    transmigration  into  B  a  j  p  u  t  s   was 

commencing  between  the  fourth  and  seventh  centuries,  and  that  the 
transition  had  been  completely  eflTected  by  the  eleventh  century. 
The  nine  Nag  a  Rdjds  known  by  their  coins  and  by  the  Puranic 
lists  are  placed  by  General  Cunningham  at  Narwar,  in  the 
Vindhya  mountains,  and  are  assigned  by  him  to  the  first  and 
second  centuries  of  the  Christian  era.t  A  king,  Bhava  Nag  a,  also 
appears  in  the  S  e  o  n  i  inscription  as  great-grandfather  of  B  u  d  r  a 
Sena  of  the  YavanaJ  Une  of  Vakataka,  and  whether  these 
T  a  V  a  n  a  s  belonged  to  the  fifth  century  or  to  a  somewhat  earlier  date, 
it  would  appear  that  princes  of  Nag  a  race  were  in  power  in  Central 
India  in  the  first  centuries  of  our  era.  Thus  serpent-worship  and  the 
pride  of  serpent-descent  were  not  only  aristocratic  rather  than  na- 
tional or  widespread  articles  of  belief  among  the  aborigines  of  Cen- 
tral India,  but  even  among  the  ruling  classes  they  seem  to  have  gone 
out  of  fashion  much  about  the  time  when  Brahmanism,  superseding 
Buddhism,  again  became  the  paramount  creed  of  the  country,  and  when 
perhaps  a  system  of  orthodox  B  a  j  p  u  t  tribes  shaped  itself  out  of  the 
congeries  of  ruling  races  in  which  Hunas,  Yavanas,  and  other 
imperfectly-assimilated  foreign  elements  had  a  place. 

The  conclusions  to  which  these  considerations  seem  to  me  to 

Indications  of  the  existence    po^^t  are  that  the  N  d  g  a  name,  assumed  by 

ofaNAga  race.  the  aboriginal  princes  of  Gond  wan  a,  was 

not  connected  with  the  national  faith  or  traditions  of  the  aboriginal 

people,  but  was  an  exotic  graft,  abandoned  when  the  stock  fi-om  which  it 

^  Selections  from  the  Records  oftheGovernment  of  Indiainthe  Foreign  Department, 
No.  xifxix.  (Report  on  B a  s  t  ar).  Appendix  xi. 

t  Journal  of  the  Asiatic  Society  of  B  e  n  g  a  1,  rol.  xxxiv.  No.  iii.  1865,  p.  1 19. 
X  See  above,  p.  Iv. 


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iNTBODucnoN.  Ixix 

was  derived  dropped  into  obscurity,  and  new  dominant  races  rose  up. 
On  any  other  theory  it  would  be  necessary  to  assume  that  the  aborigi- 
nal races,  who  have  not  even  yet  embraced  Hinduism,  abandoned  their 
distinctive  and  favourite  divinity,  while  retaining  all  the  rest,  so  com- 
pletely as  to  have  preserved  no  trace  of  it  in  their  worship.     This  is 
of  course  quite  a  possible  supposition,  but  it  seems  to  offer  greater 
diflBculties  than  the  explanation  already  suggested.     Hindu  prose- 
lytism  might,   and  as  we  know  didy  wage  war  against  what  was 
regarded  by  orthodox  Aryans  as  rank  heathenism,   but  it  is  not 
likely  to   have  Umited  its   attacks  to  one  particular  god  out  of  a 
popular  pantheon,  or  to  have  succeeded  in  obliterating  all  memory  of 
one  part  of  a  system  while  the  rest  remained  intact.     It  seems  far 
more  probable  that  the  Hindu  legends  of  serpent-sacrifices  should 
refer  to  the  attempted  destruction  of  a  small  and  prominent  class, 
whether  of  serpent- worshippers,  or  of  religionists  to  whom  the  term 
"  serpent "  was  appUed  as  a  distinctive  mark  from  their  alleged  origin, 
than  to  the  extermination  of  whole  nations,  whose  inferior  social 
organism  must  have  prevented  their  ever  being  regarded  by  Aryan 
Hindus   as  formidable  opponents.     Whether  the  Nagas  of  the 
Hindu  legends    were    Scythian    Buddhists,   as    is    supposed  by 
Sir  H.  EUiott,*  or  not,  it  seems  probable  that  they  were  a  race  apart 
in  the  earlier  centuries  of  the  Christian  era,   and  there   certainly 
seems  reason  for  inferring  the  existence  in  and  round  Central  India 
of  a  small  but  powerful  foreign  element,  distinguished  by  its  reve- 
rence, whether  reUgious  or  ancestral,  for  serpent-gods  or  progenitors, 
which  in  some  cases,  such  as  the  N  a  g  a  Une  of  the  coins,   ruled 
independently,  and  in  others  either  allied  itself  to  ruling  races,  such  as 
the  Yav anas  of  Vakataka,   and  perhaps  some  of  the  present 
N  a  g  b  a  n  s  i  families ;  or  imposed  its  name  and  faith  on  the  aboriginal 
princes,  who  now  for  similar  reasons  affect  Hind  u-R  a  j  p  u  t  origin. 
The  instance  of  the  Khairagarh  Chiefs,  who  are  steadily  buying 
their  -way  into  Rajputism  by  costly  alHances,  has  been  mentioned, 
but  a  similar  change  may  be  elsewhere  observed  in  operation  by  the 
simple  process  of  imitation  and  assumption.     In  the  wild  feudatory 

*  Supplemental  Glossary,  p.  422,  article  "Gour  Tug  a." 
9  epff 


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IXX  INTRODUCTION. 

states  of  B  a  s  t  a  r  and  Jaipur  the  Rdjds,  openly  sell,  or  until  lately 
sold,  the  sacred  thread  to  certain  castes,*  and  among  the  K an  w  a r  s 
ofChhattisgar  h — a  tribe  which,  whether  or  not  aboriginal,  is  appa- 
rently non-Hindu — some  sections  have  worn  the  thread  for  a  consider- 
able period,  and  others  have  assumed  it  within  the  last  decade,  while 
the  great  majority  do  not  even  yet  make  any  pretensions  to  it.t 
With  this  metamorphosis  going  on  before  our  eyes,  it  needs  no  far- 
fetched theory  to  account  for  a  somewhat  similar  assumption  by  abo- 
riginal chiefs  of  a  title  which  was  then  probably  as  much  a  passport 
to  respect  as  the  name  of  R  a  j  p  u  t  is  now,  especially  at  a  time  when 
the  floating  elements  of  Hindu  society  had  not  yet  taken  their  pre- 
sent rigid  shape,  and  admission  into  the  ranks  of  a  warhke  aristo- 
cracy may  still  have  been  partly  open  to  powerful  tribes  of  foreign 
descent.  K  the  N  a  g  a  races  whose  name  was  assumed  by  the  ab- 
original princes  were  of  Scythian  origin,  they  may  have  been  regarded 
like  Sakas,  Yavanas,J  and  other  foreigners,  as  impure  K  s h a t  - 
triy  as,  and  if  so,  a  connection,  alleged  or  real,  with  them  would 
have  been  an  easier  passage  to  social  elevation  for  aspiring  G  o  n  d 
and  K  ol  Chiefs,  than  the  pretensions  which  they  afterwards  adopted, 
and  still  find  it  so  difficult  to  support,  to  descent  from  the  more 
exclusive  noble  races  of  the  Hindus. 

But  if  these  inferences  have  any  foundation,  and  the  N  a  g  a  s  of 
Central  India  were  a  race  of  foreign  descent,  with  a  status  interme- 
diate between  that  of  the  aborigines  and  of  the  ruling  Kshattriya 
races  of  Hi  n  d us,  we  should  expect  to  find  that  they  had  left  some 
more  permanent  mark  on  the  population  than  the  few  indications  of 
their  presence  which  have  been  noticed  above.  Their  Chiefs  may 
perhaps  still  be  represented  by  such  families  as  the  N  a  g  b  a  n  s  i  line 

^- .      ^, .  ^  of  K  a  r  o  n  d,   which,  so  far  as  can  be  as- 

Nag a  Chiefs.  •      j     •      p         n 

certamed,  is  free  from   any  suspicion   of 

aboriginal  blood,  and  intermarries  freely  with  good  Rajput  families, 

but  the  mass  of  the  people,  if  indeed  it  was  ever  settled  here  in  mass, 


*  Colonel  Elliott's  Report  on  K  A  r  o  n  d,  p.  9. 

t  Mr.  Chishqlm's  B  i  1  d  s  p  d  r  Settlement  Report,  para.  120. 

X  Muir's  Sanskrit  Texts,  vol.  i.  p.  4S2  (Edn.  1868). 


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INTHODUCTION.  Ixxi 

is  more  diflBcult  to  trace  distinctly.     The  G  o  n  d  s  have,  however,  a 

curious   legend  regarding  the  origin  of  one 
Naisbansis  among  the        r  xi,   •      t.-  x     •     i       t^j-    •  •  ,i 

Gonds.  ^^  t"^^^  historical  subdivisions,  apparently 

now  almost  extinct,  which  would  seem  to 
show  that  a  serpent-descended  race  of  higher  origin  than  their  own 
had  been  absorbed  among  their  numbers.  They  say  that  long  after 
the  G  o  n  d  race  had  been  created,  but  many  generations  previous  to 
the  Rajput  transformation  of  the  Garha-Mandla  dynasty  in 
A.D.  358,  a  brother  of  the  Kshattriya  ruler  of  D  e  1  h  i,  when  visiting 
the  M a h  a d e o  hills  (inHoshangabad)  formed  a  connection  with 
the  daughter  of  the  serpent-god  of  the  place,  and  that,  as  a  punishment, 
their  issue  was  excjuded  from  ranking  among  Kshattriya s,  and 
was  condemned  to  wander  about  the  earth  as  part  of  the  G  o  n  d* 
tribe.  Divested  of  romance  this  may  be  taken  to  mean  simply  that 
the  Na  gb  an  s  i  section  of  the  Gonds  are  or  were  a  comparatively 
distinguished  and  recent  addition  to  their  numbers,  and,  if  so,  it  would 
be  easy  to  account  for  the  body  of  the  N  a  g  a  tribe,  as  well  as  for 
their  chiefs.  It  may  also  be  worth  mentioning  that  one  of  the  most 
curious  of  the  so-called  aboriginal  races  of  the  Central  Provinces, 
the   Baigas,   who   are    the   priests   of  other    wild    tribes,   claim 

descent  from  a  pair  bearing  the  significant 
B?^lu?l.'  ""'^  ^'*^''    namesof  "Naga  Jogi"   and    "Ndga 

Bhumiain".t  Though  classed  as  abori- 
gines they  have  no  distinguishing  dialect  of  their  own,  and  their  position 
among  their  supposed  congeners  is  sufficiently  in  accord  with  the 
social  rank  which  might  have  remained  to  the  degenerate  descendants 
of  a  race  originally  holding  themselves  above  the  aborigines,  but  not 
admitted  to  equality  by  the  highest  classes  of  the  Hindus. 

The  length  to  which  these  remarks  have  trespassed  and  the 
obscurity  of  the  subject  may  make  a  brief  recapitulation  desirable, 
and  indeed  the  substance  of  what  has  been  suggested  may  be  put  in 
a  very  few  words. 


*  Note  on  Gonds  and  B  a  i  g  a  8 — (Appendix   to   Captain   Ward's  M  a  n  d  1  a 
Settlement  Report). 

t  Report  of  Central  Proriaces'  Ethnological  Committee  (1868),  p.  52. 


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Ixidi  INTRODUCTIOK. 

The  curious  prominence  of  the  serpent  or  *'Naga"   element 
in  the   nomenclature  both  of  places    and 
Recapitulation.  families    in   Gondwana   seem   to  show 

that  a  N  a  g  a  race  must  have  played  an 
important  part  in .  the  history  of  this  part  of  India,  and  as  the 
claim  to  N  a  g  a  descent,  though  indifferently  made  by  chiefs  of  such 
opposite  origin  as  the  Kolarian  M  tin  das  and  the  Dravidian 
G  o  n  d  s,  had  seemingly  never  penetrated  down  to  the  body  of  the 
aboriginal  peoples,  the  natural  inference  is  that  the  N  agas  of  Cen- 
tral India  were  a  separate  race,  powerful  enough  to  be  an  object  of 
imitation  and  aspiration  to  the  more  ambitious  of  the  aboriginal  chiefs, 
and  probably  connected  with  the  Nag  a  dynasties,,of  whom  there  are 
traces  in  the  Vindhyan*  country.  Lastly,  the  absorption  of  the 
Central  Indian  N  a  g  a  s,  admitting  them  to  have  been  a  separate  people, 
is  shown  to  be  at  least  possible  by  the  existence  to  this  day  of 
Nag  ban  si  chiefs  unconnected  even  by  suspicion  with  any  of  the 
known  aboriginal  races,  and  of  subdivisions  among  the  aboriginal 
tribes  claiming  a  Nag  a  descent,  and  admittedly  distinct  from  the 
body  of  their  adopted  people.f 

*  N  a  r  w  a  r,  where  General  Cunningham  places  the  nine  N  d  g  a  s  of  the  coins,  ia 
in  the  Vindhyan  country,  and  the  Y  a  v  a  n  a  dynasty,  which  allied  itself  with  the 
N  d  g  a  s,  spring  from  a  founder  bearing  the  probably  allegorical  name  of  "  V  i  n  d  h  y  a- 
sakti." 

t  Since  the  above  was  written  Fergusson's  "  Tree  and  Serpent-worship  "  has  been 
received.  From  the  sculptures  at  S  a  n  c  h  i  and  Amrdvatihe  finds  evidence  of  the 
CO -existence  with  H  i  n  d  li  s  in  the  first  centuries  of  the  Christian  era  of  a  race  of  bearded 
serpent-worshippers,  probably  aborigines.  The  superior  race,  whom  he  calls  H  i  n  d  d  s, 
are  never  represented  as  worshipping  the  snake,  but  certain  sections  of  them  seem  to  have 
had  the  snake  as  their  emblem  or  tutelary  genius,  and  are  invariably  shown  with  the 
cobra  hood  canopying  their  head.  "  The  distinction  between  people  with  snakes  and 
those  without,"  says  Fergusson,  "  is  most  curious  and  perplexing.  After  the  most  atten- 
•*  tive  study  I  have  been  unable  to  detect  any  characteristic,  either  of  feature  or  costume, 
**  by  which  the  races  can  be  distinguished  beyond  the  possession  of  this  strange  adjunct. 
**  That  those  with  snakes  are  the  N  a  g  a  people  we  read  of  can  hardly  be  doubted" 
(p.  192).  His  conclusion  is  that  snake-worship  was  an  aboriginal  faith,  and  that  the 
Aryans  adopted  it  "  in  proportion  as  they  became  mixed  with  the  aborigines,  and  their  blood 
became  less  and  less  pure"  (p.  114).  May  it  not  be  that  the  people  represented  in  the 
sculptures  with  the  N  a  g  a  emblem  was  the  N  d  g  a  race  which  has  been  inferred  to  have 
been  an  object  of  imitation  and  respect  to  the  aboriginal  tribes  of  the  country  ?  It  would 
not  be  unnatural  that  a  savage  people  should  carry  their  reverence  for  the  national  symbol 
of  their  conquerors  so  far  as  to  worship  it. 


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INTRODUCTION.  Ixxiii 


CHAPTER  V. 


HISTOEY    UNDER  THE  G  0  N  D  S  AND  M  A  R  a'  T  H  a'  S. 


CoromencemeDt  of  history  in  Gondwan  a — The  K  h  e  r  I  d  dynasty — Circumstances 
under  which  the  G  o  n  d  s  rose  to  power — ^The  dynasties  of  Garhd-Mandla» 
C  h  a  n  d  a,  and  D«  o  g  a  r  h — The  character  of  the  G  o  n  d  rule — Extracts  from  Slee- 
mtn — Remarks  of  an  eye-witness  in  the  kst  century — Prosperity  of  the  G  o  n  d  king- 
doms— The  G  o  n  d  people  under  their  own  princes  and  under  the  M  a  r  d  t  h  d  s— 
Position  of  the  aboriginal  Chiefs  after  the  M  a  r  a  t  h  d  conquest — Demoralisation  of 
the  hill  G  0  n  d  s — Their  pacification  under  our  rule— M  a  r  d  t  h  d  period — Character 
of  the  M  a  r  d  t  h  d  rule — The  best  days  of  the  B  h  o  n  s  1  d  s — Deterioration  of  the 
GoTemment — The  Pindhdri  s— Their  rivals,  the  Tax  collectors — The  spoliation  of 
the  land — by  direct  violence, — by  form  of  law — Devices  for  obtaining  contributions 
from  bankers — Ingenuity  of  general  taxation — Forced  benevolences — Exhaustion  of 
the  country — Errors  of  our  early  administration — Improved  system  and  its 
effects — Constitution  of  Central  Provinces. 

It  has  already  been  said  that  history  proper  does  not  commence 
in  Grondwana  until  the   sixteenth   cen- 
Commencement  of   history     ^  j^.  ^^^  ^^^^^  that  S  a  n  g  r  a  m   S  d,  the 

mGondwana.  •'  ° 

forty-eighth   Bdjd  of  the   Gond    line    of 

Garha-Mandl  a,  issuing  from  the  M  and  la  highlands,  extended 
his  dominion  over  fifty-two  garhs  or  districts,  comprising  the  coimtry 
now  known  as  Bh  opal,  Sagar,  and  Dam  oh  on  the  Vindhyan 
plateau;  Hoshangabad,  Nar6inghpur,  and  Jabalpur  in 
the  Narbada  valley;  and  M  and  la  and  Seoni  in  the  Satpura 
highlands.  In  thesamecentury  theHaihai-Bansi  Uneof  Chhat  - 
tisgarh  emerges  from  a  darkness,  only  hghted  up  by  occasional 
inscriptions,  into  the  general  history  of  the  country,  and  in  the  suc- 
ceeding century  the  Gond  princes  ofDeogarh  transformed  them- 
selves from  obscure  aboriginal  chiefs  into  a  powerful  Mohammadan 


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Ixxiv  INTRODUCTION. 

dynasty.  The  annals  of  C  h  a  n  d  a  are  difficult  to  reduce  to  history, 
but  it  may  be  gathered  from  them  that  up  to  the  sixteenth  century  the 
B^jh  of  this  line  paid  tribute  to  some  stronger  power. 

It  is  true  that  the  Garha-Mandla  dynasty  dates  its  sove- 
reignty from  A.D.  358,  but  even  their  own  annalists  do  not  claim  any 
extended  dominion  for  them  during  the  first  twelve  centuries  of  their 
independent  existence,  and  the  vestiges  of  powerful  co temporary  dynas- 
ties, now  only  extant  in  the  inscriptions  quoted  above,  are  conclusive 
in  limiting  the  extent  of  G  o  n  d  supremacy  down  to  so  late  a  period 
as  the  eleventh  and  twelfth  centuries.  The  Haihai-Bansis  of 
Chhattisgarh  are  far  older,  and  might  perhaps  be  traced  to  times 
of  imknown  antiquity,  if  history  could  even  feel  its  way  through  the 
inanimate  era  of  inscriptions  to  the  more  living,  if  less  real,  legendary 
age  which  lies  beyond  it.  It  has  been  seen  that  some  of  the  oldest 
Hindu  legends  relate  to  the  supremacy  of  this  powerful  branch  of 
the  lunar  race  in,  the  Na  r  b  a d a  valley,  and  that  their  earliest  inscrip- 
tions carry  them  back  to  the  first  centuries  of  our  era.  The  tradi- 
tions of  the  Ratanpur  branch  ascend  even  higher,  and  there  seems 
to  be  little  doubt  that  eighteen  or  nineteen  centuries  ago  they  held  all 
the  eastern  part  of  what  is  now  known  as  the  Central  Provinces.  The 
Kshattriya  king  of  Ko  sala,  visited  byHwenThsang*in  the 
seventh  century,  was  in  all  probability  one  of  this  line,  and  it  has 
already  been  mentioned  that  Professor  FitzEdward  Hall  identifies  their 
kingdom  with  the  Puranic  realm  of  C  h  e  d  i.f  This  identification 
supplies  a  link,  if  one  were  needed,  between  the  kings  of  Chhattis- 
garh and  the  dynasty  of  the  same  race,  commemorated  by  the 
Jabalpur  tablets,  as  both  are  called  rulers  of  C h e d i  in  their 
respective  inscriptions.     But  though  there  may  be  in  these  rude  indi- 


♦Hwen  Tbsang  (Julien's  Translation,  book  iv.  p.  185,  Edn.  Paris,  1853) 
speaks  of  him  as  a  devout  Buddhist,  and  from  the  BuramDeva  inscription  referred  ta 
above  (p*  Ixv.)  it  would  seem  likely  that  the  Haihai-Bansi  kings  were  Buddhists  in 
the  earlier  centuries  of  our  era,  as  a  Br^hmanical  prince,  even  of  a  different  sect,  would 
hardly  oppose  the  construction  of  a  Saiva  temple  by  main  force, 

t  See  above,  p.  liii. 


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INTRODUCTION.  IxXV 

cations  of  a  dynastic  history,  extending  not  over  centuries  but  over 
thousands  of  years,  the  frame-work  for  a  very  curious  and  interesting 
sketch,  they  must  be  passed  over  here  with  the  bare  mention  which  is 
all  that  necessarily  limited  space  can  spare  to  them. 

Before,  however,  the  simultaneous  dominion  of  the  three  great 

^,    ^,      ,,,  Gond  houses  of  Garha-Mandla,  Deo- 

The  K  n  e  r  1  a  dynasty.  T/-n/T<        -tp 

garh,  and  Chandaumted,  for  a  time,  al- 
most the  whole  ofGondwana  under  the  sway  of  aboriginal  princes, 
a  dynasty — which  is  usually  called  Gond* — had  risen  to  temporary 
place  and  power  at  K  her  la,  on  the  Satpura  plateau,  in  the 
fifteenth  century.  The  only  written  record  now  forthcoming  of  these 
princes  is  in  the  pages  of  F  i  r  i  s  h  t  a,t  by  whom  they  are  said  to 
have  had  **  great  wealth  and  power,  being  possessed  of  all  the  hills  of 
Gond  wan  a  and  other  countries."  They  first  appear  in  a.d.  1398, 
when  Narsinha  Eaya,  the  Bdjd  of  Kh e r  1  a,  is  represented  as 
instigated  by  the  kings  of  Malwa  and  Khandeshto  invade  the 
B  a  h  m  a  n  1  territories.  A  hiU  chief  fighting  against  the  most  powerfiil 
of  the  then  vigorous  Mohammadan  dynasties  of  Southern  India  had  of 
course  little  chance,  and  Narsinha  Kaya  had  to  buy  peace  from 
Firoz  Shah,  the  B  a  h  m  a  n  i  king,  by  large  presents  of  money, 
forty-five  elephants,  and  the  hand  of  his  daughter.  But  lying  as  he 
did  between  two  far  more  highly  organised  powers,  not  even  his  high- 
land position  could  ensure  to  the  K  h  e  r  1  a  Chief  a  long  immunity  from 
invasion,  and  about  twenty  or  twenty-five  years  after,*  the  king  of 


*  The  K  h  e  r  1  a  princes  have  been  generally  set  down  as  G  o  n  d,  but  I  cannot  find 
on  what  authority.  There  seems  to  be  quite  as  much,  if  not  more,  reason  for  considering 
them  to  have  been  Kshattriyas.  The  local  legends  certainly  attribute  that  dignity 
to  them,  and  in  a  very  legendary  account  of  the  death  ofaRahmdn  Shah  Dulha, 
who  sacrificed  his  head  in  order  to  take  the  K  h  e  r  1  d  fortress  with  his  headless  trunk, 
and  to  whose  head  theie  is  a  monument  at  K  h  e  r  I  ^  while  his  body  has  similar  honours 
atEllichpiirinBer^r,  may  perhaps  be  traced  the  story  of  the  capture  of  K  h  e  r  I  a 
bj  the  B  a  h  m  a  n  f  commander-in  chief  (whose  name  is  not  given),  and  his  subsequent 
assassination  by  two  U  d  j  p  u  t  s  of  the  garrison,  as  related  by  F  i  r  i  sh  t  a — (Briggs'  trans- 
lation, vol  ii.  p.  480). 

t  Briggs'  Firishta  (Edn.  1829),  vol.  ii.  pp.  371—3/8. 


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IxXVi  INTRODUCTION. 

M  al  wa,  having  failed  in  his  attempt  to  employ  the  aboriginal  princi- 
paHty  as  a  weapon  of  offence  against  his  powerful  southern  rival, 
determined  to  take  advantage  of  it  as  a  place  of  refuge  in  the  event  of 
his  being  hard  pressed  by  his  equally  dangerous  neighbours,  the 
Mohammadan  kings  of  Gujarat.  Narsinha  Raya  got 
together  an  army  of  50,000  men,  but  his  attempts  at  defence  were 
unavailing,  and  he  was  defeated  and  slain.  A  large,  booty,  including 
eighty-four  elephants,  fell  to  the  victors,  who  also  imposed  a  tribute 
onNarsinhaRaya's  successor,  and  left  a  garrison  in  his  fortress  of 
Kh  e r  1  a.t  But  their  grasp  on  their  new  acquisition  could  not  have 
been  very  firm,  for  some  six  years  afterwards  Sultan  Hoshang  of 
Malwa  is  recorded  as  again  invading  Kher la,  though  this  time 
with  less  success.  He  was  three  times  repulsed,  and  in  the  interval 
which  was  thus  gained  the  besieged  prince  was  able  to  appeal  to 
the  Bahmani  king  for  help.  Ahmad  Shah  Bahmani 
showed  the  usual  readiness  of  these  predatory  foreign  kings  to 
embark  in  what  promised  to  be  a  profitable  war,  but  half-way  on  his 
expedition  a  pious  doubt  occurred  to  him  whether  "  hawks  should 
pyke  out  hawks'  een,"  and  true  beUevers  should  embroil  themselves 
with  each  other  for  the  sake  of  an  infidel.  His  movements  were, 
however,  quite  misinterpreted  by  the  king  of  M  a  1  w  a,  who,  less  capa- 
ble than  his  enemy  of  fine  conscientious  scruples,  put  down  his  hesi- 
tation to  simple  cowardice.  Finding  his  forbearance  so  ill  appreciated, 
the  Bahmani  king  threw  the  whole  weight  of  his  power  into  the 
scale  of  the  K  h  e  r  1  a  Chief,  and  defeated  Sultan  H  o  s  h  a  n  g  's  army  with 
great  loss.  J  This  was,  however,  but  a  temporary  respite  for  K  h  e  r  1  a, 
which  a  few  years  afterwards,  in  1433,  again  fell  before  Sultan  Ho-, 
s  h  a  n  g,  and  was  at  last  confirmed  to  him  by  treaty  with  the  Bahmani 
kings. §     This  was  renewed  after  a  war  between  the  Bahmani  power 

*   The  date  is  differentlj  given  in  the  B  d  h  m  a  n  i  and  M  A I  w  d  histories, 
t  Briggs'  Firishta,  vol.  iv.  (Edn.  1829),  pp.  178,  180. 

The  accounts  diifer  with  regard  to  Narsinha  Bay  a' s  death.     In  Firi  shta's 
B  ^  b  m  a  n  (  history  (vol  ii.)  he  is  recorded  as  living  through  this  war. 
X  Briggs'  Firishta,  vol.  ii.  pp.  407/*,  vol.  iv.  pp.  183,  184. 
§  Ibid,  vol.  ii.  p*  415. 


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INTRODUCTION.  Ixxvii 

and  M  a  I  w  a  in  1467,  in  which  K  h  e  r  1  a  was  taken  by  the  former,* 
and  though,  in  the  disorganisation  which  followed,  the  heir  of  the 
K  her  la  line  got  possession  of  his  ancestral  stronghold  through  the 
trea^jhery  of  the  governor,  and  for  a  time  held  it  in  a  sort  of  bandit 
fashion  against  all  comers,  this  seems  to  have  been  the  last  expiring 
effort  of  his  line,  of  which  we  read  no  more.t 

Indeed  it  would  seem  that  the  G  o  n  d  s,  J  although  capable  of 
,       , .  ,     approaching  far  more  nearly  to  the  Aryan 

('ircQinstances  under  which     ,,^  .       .  ,  p, 

tbe  Goads  rose  to  power.        level  of  organisation  than  any  other  of  the 

aboriginal  tribes  of  Central  India,  never 
got  beyond  a  certain  point,  and  gave  way  almost  as  certainly  at  the 
contact  of  an  established  Aryan  power,  as  their  supplanters  have  since 
done,  in  their  turn,  before  a  more  vigorous  branch  of  a  kindred 
stock.  The  two  opportunities  of  the  G  o  n  d  s  were  the  disruption  of 
the  Hindu  dominions  by  Mohammadan  invaders,  and  the  subse- 
quent subversion  of  the  independent  Mohammadan  kingdoms  by  a 
strong  imperial  power.  It  was  between  the  era  of  the  R  4 j  p  u  t 
kingdoms  of  Chedi  and  Malwa,  and  the  palmy  days  of  indepen- 
dent Mohammadanism  in  the  west  and  south,  that  the  Kh  e  r  1 4 
dynasty  found  its  place;  and  the  substantial  rise  of  the  Gon  d  s  in  the 
sixteenth  and  seventeenth  centuries  was  probably  made  possible  by 
the  increased  security  of  their  external  relations,  which  resulted  from 
the  substitution  of  the  contemptuous  tolerance  of  a  large  imperial 
power  for  the  territorial  greed  of  a  number  of  restless  rivals.  The 
Mo  gh  a  1  from  his  far-off  court  at  A'  g  r  a  was  content  with  obtaining 
from  the  lords  of  these  rugged  hills  the  nominal  submission  which  was 
sufficient  to  prevent  any  break  in  the  continuity  of  his  vast  dominions, 
where  the  petty  neighbouring  kings  always  found  something  to  hanker 
after  in  even  the  poorest  lands  lying  so  close  under  their  eyes. 

Thus    when    the    decadence    of   the   Mohammadan   power    of 

The  dynasties  of  G  a  r  h  i-     M  d  1  w  4  in  the  sixteenth  century  had  en- 

MaodU,   Chinda,   and     abledthe  Gond  chiefs  of  G  arh  a-M  and  la 

^^^^^  '  to  turn  their  principality  into  a  kingdom, 

*Br^'  Firishtn,  vol.  ii.  pp.  479/*.,   toI.  iv.  pp.  228,  230. 
t  Ibidy  Tol.  i?.  pp.  231,  232. 

X  That  Hy  assuming  the  K  h  e  r  H  princes  to  have  been  0  o  n  d  s . 
10  cpg 


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Ixxviii  INTRODUCTION. 

they  retained  their  regal  status  for  two  centuries,  only  forfeiting  it 
when  the  strong  grasp  of  the  M  o  g  h  a  1  emperors  relaxed,  and  a  hither- 
to unknown  branch  of  the  Aryan  race,  the  Marathas,  revived  the 
old  system  of  Aryan  division  and  rivalry,  which  had  once  before  been 
so  fatal  to  the  prospects  of  aboriginal  independence.  Although 
the  G  o  n  d  s  were  in  name  completely  dependent  on  Delhi,  and 
Gar  ha,  one  of  their  chief  seats  of  dominion,  w;as  included  in  the 
lists  of  Ak bar's  possessions  as  a  subdivision  of  his  province  of 
Malwa,  they  were  practically  so  far  from  the  ken  of  the  Moghal 
court  that,  except  on  occasions  of  disputed  succession  or  other  diffi- 
culty, their  history  runs  in  a  channel  of  its  own,  quite  unaffected  by 
the  imperial  policy.  Indeed  in  emergencies  they  seem  to  have  ap- 
pealed as  readily  for  aid  to  the  neighbouring  princes  of  P anna  (in 
Bundelkhand),  and  of  Deogar  h,  as  to  their  nominal  suzerains, 
and  their  alliances  with  these  powers  generally  cost  them  concessions 
of  territory  to  which  it  is  not  very  probable  that  the  consent  of  the 
imperial  court  was  obtained  or  even  asked. 

The  princes  of  Chanda  and  Deogarh,  after  their  first  sub- 
mission to  Delhi,  seem  to  have  been  practically  even  more  in- 
dependent than  their  northern  neighbour.  The  annals  of  the  former 
show  no  trace  of  Moghal  domination,  except  the  grant  of  signet 
rings  to  the  two  last  kings,  on  which  they  are  styled  "  dependents"* 
of  the  emperors.  The  latter  bought  his  independence  by  apostasy, 
and  returned  from  Delhi,  which  he  had  visited  to  make  his  submis- 
sion, with  a  dress  of  honour  and  the  high-sounding  Moslem  name 
ofBakht  Buland,  but  thenceforward  he  seems  to  have  been 
more  powerful  and  freer  from  control  than  any  of  the  other  G  o  n  d 
princes,  and  his  descendants  to  this  day  are  as  pure  Gonds  by 
blood  as  if  they  had  never  opened  out  to  themselves  the  possibihty 
of  alliances  with  the  higher  races  whose  reUgion  they  had  adopted. 
But  like  their  brothers  of  Garha-Mandla,  the  princes  both  of 
Chanda  and  Deogarh  succumbed  almost  without  a  struggle  on 
the  advent  of  the  Marathas,  and  the  middle  of  the  eighteenth  cen- 
tury saw  the  absorption  of  their  kingdoms  into  the  dominions  of  the 
B  h  o  n  s  1  a  Bdjds  of  N  a  g  p  u  r.     The  crushing  disaster  which  befel 


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INTRODUCTION .  IxxijJ 

the  M  a  r  a  t  h  a  confederacy  at  P  a  n  i  p  a  t  deferred  the  fate  of  the 
M and  la  dynasty  for  another  quarter  of  a  century,  but  in  1781  their 
territories  became  part  of  the  Maratha  principality  of  Sagar, 
and  with  them  ended  the  independence  of  the  G  o  n  d  s. 

The  time  has  passed  to  obtain  much  information  regarding  the 
The    character    of  the    real  character  of  the  G  o  n  d  rule,  apart  from 
Gondnile.  the  personal  legends  and  dynastic  disputes 

whicli  make  up  the  tale  of  the  royal  chronicles.  When  we  took  pos- 
session of  the  country,  the  Marathas  had  occupied  the  greater  part 
of  it  for  more  than  half  a  century,  and  the  accelerated  life  of  the 
people  during  a  similar  period  of  British  administration  has  done  even 
more  to  break  the  thread  of  old  traditions,  and  to  create  new  aims  and 
interests.  The  scanty  reUcs  of  information  that  still  survived  at  the 
time  of  the  cession  in  1818  were  brought  together  by  Sir  W.  Sleeman 
and  Sir  R,  Jenkins,  the  former  of  whom  especially  appUed  his  great 
powers  of  observation  to  the  task  of  studying  the  people  amongst  whom 
he  was  placed.  The  following  passage,  extracted  from  some  manu- 
script notes,  dated  1825,  and  left  by  him  in  the  Record  office  at  Nar- 
singhp  ur — the  district  in  which  he  practically  commenced  his  dis- 
tinguished career  as  an  Indian  administrator — gives,  probably,  a  very 
fair  idea  of  the  internal  poUty  of  the  G  o  n  d  principahties  :  — 

"  Under  these  G  o  n  d  Bdjas  the  district  for  the  most  part 

seems  to  have  been  distributed  among 
Extracts  from  Sleeman.  ^,  i.ni  -li        ,,      ^ 

feudatory  chiefs,  bound  to  attend  upon 

the  prince  at  his  capital  with  a  stipulated  number  of  troops  to 
be  employed  wherever  their  services  might  be  required,  but  to 
furnish  little  or  no  revenue  in  money.  These  chiefs  were 
G  ond  s,  and  the  countries  they  held  for  the  support  of  their 
families  and  the  payment  of  their  troops  and  retinue,  little  more 
than  wild  jungles ;  and  we  may  almost  trace  the  subsequent  en- 
croachments of  cultivation  by  the  changes  that  have  taken  place 
in  their  residences,  retiring  from  the  plains  as  they  were  brought 
into  good  tillage,  and  taking  shelter  in  or  near  the  hills,  where 
alone  any  considerable  jungle  is  now  to  be  found.  The  conveni- 
ence of  those  jungles  in  furnishing  wood  and  grass  to  them  and 


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IXXX  INTRODUCTION. 

their  followers  is  the  chief  motive  of  their  choice,  but  I  believe 
they  would  prefer  a  wild  jungle  as  their  residence  to  a  cultivated 
plain  did  no  advantage  of  this  kind  exist. 

"  Some  fourteen  or  sixteen  generations  ago  a  considerable 
change  appears  to  have  commenced  in  the  population  and  the 
cultivation  of  the  plains  in  this  district,  as  well  as  in  the  others 
that  border  on  the  N  a  r  b  a  d  a,  and  indeed  all  those  that  I  have 
seen  in  Bhopil,  Nagpur,  &c.,  &c.  Families  of  different 
castes  of  Hindus  from  Bhadur,  Antarvedi,  and  other 
countries  to  the  north  and  north-west,  oppressed  by  famine  or 
distracted  by  domestic  feuds  in  their  native  countries,  emigrated 
to  these  parts  ;  and  unlike  the  Mohammadans  or  Mar&thas, 
who  appeared  only  as  military  adventurers,  they  sought  a 
peaceful  and  a  permanent  esbabhshment  in  the  soil. 

"  Generally  they  seem  to  have  come  first  in  single  families, 
the  heads  of  whom  took  a  small  but  well-chosen  tract  of  rich  but 
uncultivated  land  from  the  feudatory  G  o  n  d  Chiefs  at  a  small 
rent  in  money,  or  more  commonly  in  kind ;  and  I  have  traced  many 
of  the  most  respectable  and  most  extensive  of  those  femihes 
— B  rah  man  s,  R  aj  p  ut  s,  and  others — back  to  the  time  when 
they  paid  only  a  few  mdais  of  grain  and  a  few  pots  of  ghee  a 
year  for  immense  tracts  of  waste  that  are  now  covered  with 
groves,  villages,  and  rich  cultivation,  all  owing  themselves  to  the 
industry  of  the  same  family.  These  famiHes,  increasing  from  gene- 
ration to  generation,  and  augmented  by  acquisitions  of  new  emi- 
grants from  the  same  countries  and  tribes,  who  invariably  joined 
themselves  to  the  original  establishments,  became  in  time  valuable 
and  often  formidable  to  the  G  o  n  d  Chiefs  from  their  superior  in- 
dustry, skill,  and  enterprise ;  a  better  system  of  tillage  and  greater 
industry  created  a  greater  surplus  produce,  while  a  bolder  and 
more  enterprising  spirit  enabled  them  to  appropriate  it  in  extend- 
ing improvement. 

"  Some  of  these  families  from  the  first  held  immediately 
under  the  prince,  and  almost  all  ultimately,  for  as  they  became  suffi- 
ciently strong  to  shake  off  their  dependence  on  the  feudatory  chief. 


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INTRODUCTION.  Ixxxi 

they  never  wanted  a  pretext,  either  in  their  own  disputes  with 
them,  or  in  the  jealousies  of  the  prince  himself,  who  found  them 
better  soldiers  and  more  profitable  tenants  than  the  Gond 
Chiefs,  who  required  all  the  surplus  produce  of  large  estates  to 
subsist  their  large  but  useless  train  of  followers. 

"  As  these  families  increased  and  spread  over  the  plains,  the 
Gond  population  retired  to  the  hills,  rather  than  continue  on 
plams  deprived  of  their  jungles.  Some  of  them  still  Uve  in  the 
plams,  near  the  banks  of  rivers  that  retain  their  jungle,  and  in 
other  parts,  as  about  Fatehpur,  where  the  soil  is  too  poor  to 
pay  the  expense  of  clearing  away  the  plains ;  but  I  have  frequently 
seen  a  few  Gond  families  detach  themselves  entirely  from  the 
rest  of  a  village,  and  establish  themselves  at  another  end  of  the 
estate  in  some  comer  affording  them  at  least  the  appearance  of  a 
jungle. 

"  A  great  many  of  the  villages  inNarsinghpur  that  are 
now  situated  in  the  midst  of  a  fine  cultivated  plain  retain  the 
names  of  G  o  n  d  Patels  that  formerly  held  them :  and  many  thus 
situated,  that  have  the  same  name  with  one  or  more  villages  in 
the  same  parganay  are  still  distinguished  by  the  prefix  G  o  n  d  i, 
as  Gondi  Jhirid,  to  distinguish  it  from  the  others, and  denote 
it  as  a  village  of  G  o  n  d  s,  while  not  a  G  o  n  d  has  lived  near  it 
for  ages ;  but  in  no  instance  have  I  been  able  to  discover  a 
well  or  a  tank  dug,  or  a  grove  planted  by  a  Gond  Patel  ;  all 
those  that  I  have  found  in  villages  denoted  to  have  been  possessed 
by  them  having  been  dug  or  planted  by  subsequent  occupants. 
The  Mhowa  tree,  whose  fruit  is  much  esteemed  by  them,  they  no 
doubt  cultivated,  and  though  it  now  appears  to  grow  spontaneously 
in  the  woods  to  which  they  have  retired,  is  the  only  part  of  an  estate 
that  seems  to  form  in  their  mind  any  local  tie,  and  the  Patel  in 
his  annual  assessments  is  obhged  to  assign  to  every  Gond  culti- 
vator one  or  more  of  these  trees,  if  any  stand  on  his  grounds, 
in  proportion  to  the  land  he  may  till.  But  not  only  were  groves, 
temples,  tanks,  and  other  works  of  ornament  and  utility  not  to  be 
found  in  the  different  villages  of  a  Gond  Chiefs  estate;  even  his 


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Ixxxii  INTBODUCTION. 

residence  showed  no  signs  of  such  improvement,  and  scarce  any- 
thing less  than  the  capital  of  a  large  principality  possessed  them. 
The  surplus  produce  of  their  rude  state  of  agriculture  was  small, 
and  had  the  villages  of  the  G  o  n  d  Chiefs  been  distributed  among 
their  relations  as  those  of  the  heads  of  the  Rajputs,  Brah- 
man s,  and  other  families  from  the  north  were,  they  would  have 
consumed  it  all  in  the  enjoyment  of  indolence,  the  highest  luxury 
they  knew,  as  at  present.  On  the  contrary  the  new  families  pos- 
sessed superior  knowledge,  enterprise,  and  industry,  and  their 
imaginations  were  excited  by  what  they  had  seen  or  heard  of  in 
their  parent  country,  and  they  exerted  themselves  in  such  a 
manner  as  to  render  every  tolerable  village  superior,  in  works 
which  they  esteemed  useful  or  ornamental,  to  the  capital  of  a 
Go nd  Chief." 

Though  this  picture  represents  an  indolent  semi-barbarous  race, 
it  conveys  no  impression  of  cruel  savagery  in  the  G  o  n  d  character. 
The  princes,  like  the  people,  seem  to  have  been  of  an  easy,  unambitious 
disposition,  rarely  seeking  foreign  conquests  after  their  first  establish- 
ment, and  only  anxious  to  stave  off  the  evil  day  of  dissolution  by 
concessions.*     The  following  passaget  from  the  narrative  of  a  journey 

undertaken  at  the  close  of  the  last  century 
thfrintlj'!  eye-witness  in     ^^  ^  ^^^^^^  ^^  ^^^  ^^j^^^^  g^^j^j.^^   ^^.^^ 

may  be  regarded  as  the  nearest  discoverable 
approach  to  cotemporary  evidence,  speaks  well  for  the  stewardship  of 
the  G  o  n  d  princes : — 


*  From  the  time  of  the  establishment  of  the  G  o  n  d  kingdom  ofGarhd-Mandla 
in  A.D.  1530  to  its  subversion  some  two  centuries  after,  we  do  not  read  of  a  single  accession 
of  territory  to  it,  nor  of  a  single  ofifensive  war  undertaken  by  its  princes.  The  only  really 
spirited  stand  made  by  them  was  that  ofDurg&yat { — a  R i j p  u t  princess  who  had 
married  into  their  line  (see  below,  article  M  a  n  d  1  a,  p.  283). 

t  Asiatic  Annual  Register,  1806.  "Miscellaneous  Tracts" — A  Narrative  of  a  Jour- 
ney from  Mirz&pdrtoNigpdr  by  a  route  never  before  travelled  by  any  European 
in  ]  798-99,  by  a  member  of  the  Asiatic  Society,  eminent  for  his  extensive  acquirements  in 
every  branch  of  oriental  literature  and  science,"  p.  32. 


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INTRODUCTION.  Ixxxiii 

"  The  thriving  condition  of  the  province,  indicated  by  the 
appearance  of  its  capital,  and  confirmed  by  that  of  the  districts 
which  we  subsequently  traversed,  demands  from  me  a  tribute  of 
praise  to  the  ancient  princes  of  the  coxmtry.  Without  the  bene- 
fit of  navigation — for  the  Narbadais  not  here  navigable, — and 
without  much  inland  commerce,  but  xmder  the  fostering  hand  of 
a  race  of  G  o  n  d  princes,  a  nimierous  people  tilled  a  fertile  coun- 
try, and  still  preserve  in  the  neatness  of  their  houses,  in  the 
number  and  magnificence  of  their  temples,  their  ponds,  and  other 
pubhc  works,  in  the  size  of  their  towns,  and  in  the  frequency  of 
their  plantations,  the  undoubted  signs  of  enviable  prosperity. 
The  whole  merit  may  be  safely  ascribed  to  the  former  govern- 
ment, for  the  praise  of  good  administration  is  rarely  merited  by 
M  a  r  a  t  h  a  chieftains,  and  it  is  suflBicient  applause  to  say  that 
the  Chief  of  Sagar  in  twenty  years,  and  the  Bdjd  of  Ber  ar 
in  four,  have  not  much  impaired  the  prosperity  which  they 
found." 

The  little  that  is  known  of  the  history  of  the   G  o  n  d  dynasties 

quite  confirms  this  account.     Under  their 
Prosperity    of  the    Gond  .  .1.1 

kingdoms.  ©asy,  eventless  sway  the  nch  country  over 

which  they  ruled  prospered,  their  flocks  and 
herds  increased,  and  their  treasuries  filled.  So  far  back  as  the  fifteenth 
century  we  read  in  Firishta  that  the  kingof  Khe  rla,  who  if  not 
a  G  o  n  d  himself  was  a  king  of  the  G  o  n  d  s,  sumptuously  entertained 
Ahmad  Shah  Wall,  the  Bdhmani  king,  and  made  him  rich  offer- 
ings, among  which  were  many  valuable  diamonds,  rubies,  and  pearls.* 
Under  the  Garha-Mandla  dynasty  the  revenues  oftheMandla 
district — now  a  wild  tract  of  forest  paying  with  difficulty  £5,000  per 
annum  to  the  Statef — amounted  it  is  said  to  ten  lakhs  of  rupees,  or 
£100,000.  Sleeman  writes  thus  of  the  reign  of  the -B^i  Durga- 
vat  t  (a.d.  1560), — "  of  all  the  sovereigns  of  this  dynasty  she  lives  most 
"  in  the  page  of  history  and  in  the  grateful  recollections  of  the  people. 
"  She  formed  the  great  reservoir  which  lies  close  toJabalpur,  and  is 
"  called  after  her  *RdniTaldo'or  queen's  pond  ;  ♦     ♦  many  other 

*Brigg8'  Firishta,  ▼ol.  ii.  p.  410  (Edn.  1829). 
t  The  revenue  has  been  increased  by  the  new  settlement. 


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Ixxxi  V  INT&ODUCTION , 

"  highly  useful  works  Were  formed  by  her  about  G  a  r  h  a.'**  When  the 
castle  of  Chan  rag  arh  was  sacked  by  one  of  Akbar's  generals, 
in  A.D.  1564,  the  booty  found,  according  to  Firishta,  comprised 
"  independently  of  the  jewels,  the  images  of  gold  and  silver  and  other 
"  valuables,  no  fewer  than  a  hundred  jars  of  gold  coin,"  and  a  thousand 
elephants.  Indeed  Durg&vati,  we  read,  kept  up  in  all  a  stud  of  1,500 
elephants.t  Of  the  C  h  a  n  d  a  dynasty,  Major  Lucie  Smith,  the  Deputy 
Commissioner,  who  has  studied  his  district  with  the  minutest  interest, 
writes  that "  they  left,  if  We  forget  the  last  few  years,  a  WeU-govemed  and 
**  contented  kingdom,  adorned  with  admirable  works  of  engineering 
"  skill,  and  prosperous  to  a  point  which  no  after-time  has  reached/'? 
They  have  left  their  mark  behind  them  in  royal  tombs,  lakes,  and 
palaces,  but  most  of  all  in  the  grand  enceinte  of  battlemented  stone 
wall,  too  wide  now  for  the  shrunk  city  within  it,  which  stands,  a  fitting 
emblem  of  its  half-reclaimed  founders,  on  the  very  border-line  between 
the  forest  and  the  plain,  having  in  front  the  rich  valley  of  the 
W ar  dha,  behind  and  up  to  the  city  walls  deep  forest  extending  far 
east.  The  third  contemporary  dynasty,  that  of  Deogarh,  rose  to 
power  in  the  decadence  of  the  M  o  g  h  a  1  empire,  too  near  the 
M  a  r  a  t  h  a  epoch,  and,  as  has  been  already  remarked,  it  was  only 
the  existence  of  a  strong  imperial  power  admitting  no  rival  kingdoms 
on  the  field  of  conquest,  but  extending  a  contemptuous  tolerance  to 
its  more  insignificant  and  distant  vassals,  which  made  it  possible  for 
the  aboriginal  principaUties  to  bear  up  against  the  surrounding 
pressure  of  Aryan  invaders.  The  Deogarh  history  is  therefore  but 
a  beginning  and  an  end,  with  no  eventless  middle  period  of  peaceftd 
progress,  yet  it  was  amidst  the  wars  of  B  a  k  h  t  B  u  1  an  d  (a.d.  1700), 
with  whom  this  dynasty  practically  commenced,  that  the  N  a  g  p  u  r 
country  received  its  first  great  infusion  of  H  i  n  d  u  cultivators  and  arti- 
ficers, who  were  tempted  away  by  him  fi*om  their  homes  with  liberal 
grants  of  land.  Sir  Richard  Jenkins  says  of  him  that  "  he  employed 
"indiscriminately  Musulmdns  andHindus  of  ability  to  introduce 


*  Journal  of  the  Asiatic  Society  of  Bengal,  vol.  vi.  p.  627  (Angost  1837). 
fBriggs'  Firishta,  toI.  ii.  p.  218  (Edn.  1829). 
X  See  below;  p,  144. 


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INTRODUCTION.  IxxXV 

"  order  and  regularity  into  his  immediate  domain.  Industrious  set- 
"  tiers  from  all  quarters  were  attracted  toGondwana,  many  towns 
"  and  villages  were  founded,  and  agriculture,  manxifactures,  and  even 
"  commerce  made  considerable  advances.  It  may  with  truth  be  said 
**  that  much  of  the  success  of  the  M  a  r  a  t  h  a  administration  was  owing 
**  to  the  groundwork  estabUshed  by  him.'** 

The  prosperity  of  the  kingdom  generally  implies  to  some  extent 

The   Gond  people  under    *^®  prosperity  of  the  governed,  but  it  is  a 

their  own  princes  and  under     curious  conmientarv  on  the  social  capacities 

IheMarithAs.  ^    .       ^         ,       ^/^^i    .  •  \      ij 

of  the  U  p  n  d  s  that  then*  princes  should 

have  only  been  able  to  advance  by  leaving  the  body  of  the  people 
behind.  Their  history  shows  that  they  were  more  capable  of  rising 
to  the  Aryan  level  than  other  aboriginal  tribes,  and  their  supplanters, 
the  Marathas,  admitted,  even  after  they  had  harried  them  down 
to  the  state  of  mere  blood-thirsty  savages,  that  they  were  not 
to  be  classed  with  the  K  h  o  n  d  s  and  other  mountaineers.  Captain 
Blunt,  who  has  been  mentioned  above  as  the  only  authority 
on  the  condition  of  the  G  o  n  d  s  up  to  a  very  late  period,t 
writes  that  Kamal  Mohammad,  the  oflBcer  in  charge  of 
the  Ma  rat  ha  pargana  of  Manikpatam,  "who  "appeared 
to  be  weU  acquainted  with  the  different  tribes  of  mountaineers 
"subject  to  the  Berar  Government,''  informed  him  (a.d.  1795) 
that  the  G  o  n  d  s  were  much  larger  than  the  K  h  o  n  d  s,  and  had 
in  many  instances  been  made  good  subjects,  while  all  attempts  to 
civilise  the  latter  had  proved  ineffectual.t  But  as  their  own  princes 
were  unable  to  make  farmers  and  handicraftsmen  of  them,  it  is  likely 
that,  even  if  the  Maratha  power  had  not  supervened,  the  mass  of 
the  people  would  have  been  more  and  more  trodden  under  and 
driven  back  by  the  pushing  Hindu  yeomen,  whom  circumstances 
had  forced  between  them  and  their  natural  chiefs,  and  that  but  for 
their  reputation  for  bravery,  which  made  them  valuable  as  soldiers, 
they  would  have  fared  little  better  under  princes  of  their  own  race 

*  Report  on  N  i g p  u  r,  p.  97  (Edn.  N  4  g p  d r  Antiquarian  Society). 

t  See  aboYe,  p.  xi. 

t  Asiatic  Researches,  vol.  rii.  p.  152  (Edn.  Lond.  1803). 

11  cpff 


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Ixzxyi  INTRODUCTION. 

than  under  the  H  i  n  d  u  s,  to  whom  they  were  mere  outcasts^ — worse 
than  under  the  British  Government,  before  which  they  are  at  least 
theoretically  equal  with  their  fellow-subjects.  Although  their  arms 
altogether  failed  to  save  their  independence,  they  had  a  high  miUtary 
reputation.  To  quote  Blunt  again — "TheMarathas  considered 
them  as  better  soldiers  than  even  the  Rajputs."*  They  were  pro- 
bably employed  largely  in  the  military  service,  for  we  read  in  the  A'  i  n  -  i  - 
Akbarithat  Jdtba  oftheDeogarh  Une,  which  had  not  then  (to- 
wards the  end  of  the  sixteenth  century)  quite  attained  sovereign  dignity^ 
kept  up  an  army  of  2,000  cavahy,  50,000  infantry,  and  100  elephants, 
and  that  Babaji  (Bubj  eo)  of  the  Oh&nda  line  maintained  aforce 
of  40,000  footmen  and  1,000  horsemen.t  The  smaller  chiefs  are  also 
mentioned  as  retaining  large  bodies  of  armed  men  in  their  service  ;  so 
that,  allowing  also  for  the  retinues  of  himtsmen  and  personal  retainers 
supported  by  all  of  these  forest  chiefs,  a  considerable  proportion  of 
the  Gond  people  must  have  been  artificially  preserved  from  the 
supersession  which  contact  with  the  Aryan  element  in  the  population 
invariably  brought  with  it.  Those  who  were  neither  nobles,  soldiers, 
nor  huntsmen  must  have  been,  as  now,  mere  drudges,  and  probably 
lost  little  by  the  destruction  of  their  national  independence.     It  was 

on  the  chiefs  that  the  levelling  M  a  r  a  t  h  a 

Position    of  the  aboriginal    sway  pressed  most  heavily.     To  the  feudal 
Chiefs    after  the  Marithi  ...  -.         ,  .  i     .,    .        ,.       . 

conquest.  orgamsation,  imder  which  their  subjection 

to  the  paramount  authority  was  but  nomi- 
nal, succeeded  a  military  monarchy  which  jealously  concentrated  all 
power  at  head-quarters.  The  loose  tribal  system,  so  easy  in  times 
of  peace,  entirely  failed  to  knit  together  the  strength  of  the  people  when 
united  action  was  most  required,  and  the  plain  coimtry  fell  before  the 
Mardtha  armies  almost  without  a  struggle.  In  the  strongholds, 
however,  of  the  hiUy  ranges  which  hem  in  every  partof  G  o  nd  wa  n  a,  the 
dispossessed  chiefs  for  long  continued  to  maintain  an  unequal  resist- 
ance, and  to  revenge  their  own  wrongs  by  indiscriminate  rapine  and 
slaughter.     The  M  a  r  d  t  h  a  system  of  Government  even  in  its  best — 

*  Asiatic  Researches,  vol.  vii.  p.  140. 

t  A'fn-i-Akbarf,   SUa  of   Berdr  (Gladwm's  Translation)  Calcutta   Edo. 
vol  ii.  pp.  70,  71. 


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INTRODUCTION.  IxXXVii 

that  is  in  its  earKest  days — tolerated  no  powers  and  honours  but  those 
that  proceeded  direct  from  the  throne,  and  in  the  plains  and  valleys 
which  were  accessible  to  their  armies  they  seem  to  have  succeeded  in 
producing  a  social  dead-level.  Blunt  says  of  them  that  they  "  keep  their 
**  peasantry  in  the  most  abject  state  of  dependence,  by  which  means, 
"  they  allege,  the  ryots  are  less  liable  to  be  turbulent  or  offensive  to 
**  the  Government."*  But  it  was  more  difficult  to  crush  out  all  op- 
position in  the  highland  fastnesses,  in  which  the  malcontents  of  the 
subject  race  had  taken  refuge,  and  it  does  not  appear  that  they  ever 
attained  undisturbed  supremacy  in  the  hill  chiefships.  "  The  attention 
** of  the  SiihadarSj^  writes  Blunt,  " is  chiefly  directed  to  levying  tri- 
•*  butes  from  the  Zamvnddrs  in  the  mountainous  parts  of  the  country, 
"who,  being  always  refractory,  and  never  paying  anything  until 
"much  time  has  been  spent  in  warfare,  the  result  is  often  pre- 
"  carious,  and  the  tribute  consequently  trivial.t'*  He  also  mentions 
that  the  Gond  B6jd  of  Malliwar  threw  down  and  spat  upon 
"  the  Mar  kthkparwdna  (pass),  which  he  sent  to  him  for  inspec- 
*•  tion,  saying  *  I  am  not  in  N  a  g  p  u  r,  and  I  fear  nothing  from  the 
B^'ifof  Berar'"J  In  such  cases  the  Maratha  plan§  was  to  con- 
tinue pillaging  and  harassing  the  G  o  n  d  s,  and  thus  to  obtain  from 
the  chiefs  a  nominal  acknowledgment  of  their  supremacy,  and  the 

promise  at    least    of  an    annual  tribute. 

Demoralisation  of  the  hill     jj^^^^  ^^^  treatment  the  hill  G  0  n  d  s  soon 
vv  o  n  a  s. 

lost  every  vestige  of  humanisation,  and 
became  the  cruel,  treacherous  savages  that  Blunt  foimd  them. 
Those  of  his  followers  who,  overcome  by  heat,  fatigue,  scanty  food,  bad 
water,  and  the  other  privations  of  one  of  the  hardest  marches  on  record, 
lingered  behind  for  a  little  rest,  were  cut  off  and  seen  no  more.  The 
main  body,  leaving  Chunar,  had  traversed  amid  many  dangers  the 
wild  forest-country  comprised  in  the  present  "  South- Western  frontier 
^ency,*'  and  thence  passing  through   Chhattisgarh  and  the 


*  Asiatic  Researches,  vol.  yii.  p.  110. 
t  Ihidy  p.  108. 
t  Ibid,  p.  121. 
$  Ibid,  p.  98. 


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IxXXViii  INTRODUCTION. 

G  o  n  d  State  of  K  a  n  k  e  r,  took  to  the  East,  and  attempted  to  make 
their  way  through  the  Trans-Wain  gang  a  chiefships  of  Chan  da 
and  B  a  s  t  a  r.  They  were,  however,  obhged  to  turn  back  from  the 
Indr  avati,  and  seek  a  safer  route  through  the  Tel  inga  country 
on  the  opposite  or  west  bank  of  the  G  o  d  a  v  a  r  i ;  and  the  M  a  r  d  t  h  a 
A' mil  inDewalmari  informed  them  "  that  it  was  very  fortunate 
*Hhey  had  lost  no  time  in  their  retreat,  for  notwithstanding  the 
** friendly  assurances  of  the  Gond  Chief,  all  his  vassals  and  every 
"  neighbouring  Gond  Bdjd  had  been  summoned  to  co-operate  with 
**  him  for  the  purpose  of  plundering  and  cutting  them  oflF."*  The 
Mardtha  A' mil  at  Bijur  congratulated  Captain  Blunt  on  his 
escape  from  the  mountains  and  jungles  in  which  "  so  many  of  his 
people  had  been  lost  and  never  more  heard  of.  Even  the  B  anj  a- 
r  d  s,t"  he  said,  "  who  never  ventured  among  these  G  o  n  d  s  imtil  the 
**most  solemn  protestations  of  security  were  given,  had  in  many 

"  instances  been  plundered."  J    Such  was  the 

^^Their  pacification  under  our      ^^^^^   ^j^^^j^  ^j^^    j^^gj^    Maratha   rule 

had  roused  in  a  race  of  naturally  placable 
savages.  When  the  constant  irritation  engendered  by  a  system  of 
government  strong  enough  to  harass  and  injure,  but  not  to  secure 
entire  subjugation,  gave  way  to  the  equable  discipUne  established 
by  our  Government,  these  wild  marauders  soon  settled  down  into 
rude  tillers  of  the  soil ;  indeed  some  of  the  Gond  Rajds  have  gone 
a  step  further  in  civiUsation,  and  after  giving  up  their  natural  defence 
of  sword  and  buckler,  have  become  adepts  with  the  more  civilised 
weapons  of  the  law-suit  and  the  usury  bond.  A  remarkable  instance 
of  the  rapid  pacification  of  a  tract  once  terribly  notorious  for  the 
character  of  its  inhabitants  may  be  foimd  at  Malini,  in  the  Hoshan- 
gdbad  district,  whose  aboriginal  inhabitants,  now  mere  inoffensive 
drudges,  were  not  half  a  century  ago  the  most  reckless  and  daring  of 
plunderers,  and  gained  for  their  forest-haunt  the  name  of  "  C  h  o  r 
Malini,"  or  "  M  a  1  i  n  i  of  the  robbers.''     Mr.  C.  A.  Elliott§  quotes 

*  Asiatic  Researcbes,  vol.  vii.  p.  139. 

t  Banjirds,  a  tribe  of  carriers  and  traders. 

X  Asiatic  Researcbes,  yoI.  yii.  p.  142. 

^Hosbang&bdd  Settlement  Report,  cbap.  iii.  para.  86. 


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INTBODUCTION.  Ixxxix 

from  a  report  of  1820*  the  following  remarks  on  the  Gonds : — "  The 
"  capture  of  A' sir,  the  extraordinary  fate  of  C  h  i  t  u  (Pindhdri), 
"  the  settlement  of  the  Bhils  to  the  southward,  and  the  perfect 
"  tranquillity  that  prevails  in  M  a  1  w  a,  have  made  an  impression  even 
**  on  these  savage  and  intractable  foresters,  which  I  trust  will  last 
"  till,  by  tasting  in  some  degree  the  benefit  of  their  ameliorated  con- 
"  dition,  and  contrasting  the  comforts  of  peace  and  comparative 
"  competency  with  the  wretchedness  of  a  life  of  constant  danger  and 
**  privation,  they  wiU  become  gradually  susceptible  of  the  habits  of 
"  civiUsation." 

Mr.  EUiott  adds : — "  This  description  and  the  phrase  *  savage  and 
*•  intractable  foresters'  seems  to  us  now  ludicrously  inappropriate  to 
"  the  timid,  docile  cyeatures  with  whom  we  have  to  do,  and  this  very 
"  inappropriateness  is  an  adequate  test  of  the  great  change  which  has 
"  passed  over  them.  At  present  nothing  is  so  remarkable  in  them  as 
**  their  ready  obedience  to  orders."  Numerous  other  quotations 
might  be  adduced  to  the  same  effect,  but  there  can  be  no  stronger  testi- 
mony than  that  of  Sir  Richard  Jenkins,  who  says  of  the  Gr  o  n  d  s ; — 
"  they  are  sincere,  faithful,  and  intelligent;  they  are  less  mendacious 
"  than  their  neighbours,  Hindu  or  Mohammadan,  everywhere ; 
"  and  since  our  administration  we  have  had  no  reason  to  pronoxmce  even 
**  the  wildest  of  them,  with  whom  Europeans  have  had  direct  intercourse, 
"  insensible  to  good  treatment,  or  unwilhng  to  quit  habits  of  plunder 
"  and  rapine,  imposed  upon  them  by  poverty  and  oppression,  for  more 
"  regular  and  creditable  modes  of  life."t  Unfortunately  for  the  abori- 
ginal tribes  they  were  destined  to  pass  through  at  least  three-quarters 

of  a  century  of  Mardtha  bondage  before 

the  day  of  relief  was  to  come.     In  the  ten 

years  from  1 741  to  1 751  JtheBhonsld family estabKshed its  dominion 

over  the  three  kingdoms  of  Deogarh,  Chanda,  and  Chhattis- 

garh,  and  the  Mardtha  princes  of  Sagar  effected  a  lodgement  in 


*  Bj  Major  Henley,  Political  Agent  at  S  e  k  o  r. 

t  Beport  on  N  &g  p  tir  by  Sir  B.  Jenkins  (Edn.  Ni  gp  d  r  Antiquarian  Society),  p*  23. 

t  Ibid,  p.  73. 


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XC  INTRODUCTION. 

Bundelkhand  and  northern  Gondwana  as  early  as  1733,*  from 
wliich  year  they  gradually  encroached  upon  the  territories  of  the  last 
finally  independent  Q-ond  dynasty — ^that  of  Garha-Mandla — till 
they  subverted  it  in  1781.  t  They  were  in  their  turn  expelled  from  the 
Narbada  valley  by  the  more  powerfiil  Bh  onsla  ten  years  after,J 
and  in  1818§  the  whole  of  the  coimtry,  since  known  as  the  S  a  g  a  r  and 
Narbadd  territories,  was  annexed  to  the  British  possessions,  while 
the  remnants  of  the  once  great  B  h  o  n  s  1  a  kingdom  were  taken  under 
British  management  during  the  minority  of  the  young  Bdjd  R  a  g  h  o  j  i 
III.  Thus  in  the  Nagp  ur  coimtry  the  Maratha  rule  lasted  from 
sixty-seven  to  seventy-seven  years,  with  a  second  period,  from  the 
date  of  R  agh  oj  i's  majority  in  1830  to  the  British  accession  in  1854, 
of  twenty-four  years.  In  the  S  a  g  ar  and  Narbada  territories 
the  duration  of  their  power  varied  from  twenty-nine  years  in  M  a  n  dl  a 
itself  to  eighty-five  years  in  the  northern  part  of  S  ag  ar. 

Enough  has  already  been  said  of  the  inflexibility  of  the  Maratha 

system    to  show  how  httle   allowance  it 

Character  of  their  rule.        ^^^  ^^^  ^.j^^  wayward   characters   of  the 

half-tamed  G  o  n  d  nobles.  But  however  despotic  and  levelling  in 
their  admioistration,  the  earUer  Bhonslas  were  no  mere  unre- 
flecting tyrants.  To  the  patient  mass  of  their  subjects,  which 
accepted  their  authority  without  question,  they  showed  themselves 
not  altogether  wanting  in  sympathy.  "  They  were  military  leaders, 
"  with  the  habits  generated  from  that  profession.  They  ♦  ♦  never 
"  left  the  plaiu  manners  of  their  nation,"  and  being  "bom  in  the  class 
of  cultivators,"  had  "  a  hereditary  respect  for  that  order,  and  though 
"  not  restrained  by  it  from  every  degree  of  cupidity  and  rapacity,  yet 
"  (were)  seldom  cruel  to  the  lower  classes,  and  almost  always  (paid) 
"  attention  to  established  forms  and  institutions."  ||  The  Government 
was,  according  to  Blunt,  "  well  established,  and  the  coimtry  highly 

*  Grant  Duff's  History  oftheMardthAe,  Indian  Reprint,  vol.  i.  p.  370. 

t  Journal  of  the  Asiatic  Society  of  B  e  n  g  al,  toI.  vi.  p.  624  (August  1837). 

X  Sir  B.  Jenkins'  Report  on  N  d  g  p  ti  r  (Edn.  N  d  g  p  d  r  Antiquarian  Society),  p.  82. 

§  Aitchinson's  Treaties,  vol.  iii.  p.  109. 

II  SirR .  Jenkins'  Report  on  N  d  g  p  ti  r  (Edn.  N  d  g  p  ti  r  Antiquarian  Society),  p.  99. 


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INTRODUCTION.  XCl 

cultivated/'*  even  in  1 795,  by  which  time  the  administration  had  begun 
to  deteriorate.  Some  degree  of  consideration  was  shown  even  to  the 
Gon  d  aristocracy,  provided  they  claimed  nothing  more  solid.  They 
were  allowed,  Jenkins  says,  to  rank  themselves  as  Eajputs  or 
Kshattriyas  "by  a  stretch  of  complaisance  in  the  Marathd 
"  officers,  owing  probably  to  the  country  having  been  so  long  under 
"  Bajds  of  the  G  o  n  d  tribe."t  The  king  did  not  spare  himself.  "  In  • 
"  the  smallest  as  in  the  greatest  affairs  in  every  department  (he)  was 
"  referred  to ;  nor  did  any  inconvenience  in  the  matter  of  delay  to  the 
**  public  service  arise  from  this  system,  for  even  when  not  sitting  actu- 
*'  aUy  in  Darbdrj  the  Bdjd  was  always  accessible  to  any  person  who 
**had  business  to  propound  to  him;  and  when  in  Darbdr,  the  greatest 
"  apparent  festivity  was  no  bar  to  more  serious  affairs,  where  immediate 
"attention  was  requisite  on  the  part  ef  the  Bdjd.  *  ♦  * 
"When  four  ghariSyX  of  the  day  were  spent,  he  dressed  himself  and 
"  came  out  to  an  open  verandah  looking  on  the  street,  where  he  held 
**  his  morning  Darbdr^  was  visible  to  the  people,  and  accessible  to 
*'  their  personal  calls  for  justice  and  redress  for  injuries.  He  always 
"  sat  on  his  masnad^  with  his  aword  and  shield  before  him — ^badges 
**  which  his  less  warlike  successors  disused.  The  whole  of  the  minis- 
**ters,  military  chiefs,  and  mutasaddis^W  with  their  daftarSy^  attended, 
"  and  carried  on  their  daily  business  before  him.  The  Darbdr  broke 
"  up  about  noon,  at  which  time  the  Bdjd  went  to  take  his  dinner  with 
"  his  family,  and  afterwards  reposed  himself." 


"  The^etiquette  and  ceremonies  of  the  court  of  Nagp  ur  were 
**  never  very  burthensome.  The  B^'d  received  ^almost  every 
**  stranger  of  any  rank  nearly  as  his  equal,  rising  to  take  his   salute 


*  Asiatic  ReBearches  (Edn.  Lond.  1803),  vol.  vii.  p.  107. 

t  Report  on  Nigptir,  p.  20. 

X  Spaces  of  twenty-four  minutes. 

5  Throne. 

II  Clerks  or  accountauts. 

^  Records. 


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xcii  iXTRODUCnoK. 

**and  embrace  him.  In  many  cases  he  gave  the  tstikbdl,  or 
"public  reception,  personally — that  is  he  moved  out  with  all  the 
"  principal  persons  of  his  court  to  meet  the  new  comer.  On  common 
"occasions  in  the  Darbdr,  the  Bdjd  was  not  to  be  distinguished 
"  from  any  other  individual,  either  by  his  dress  or  his  seat/** 

This  description  refers   to  Bdjd  Janoj  i,  the  second  of  the  Une, 

who  has  "  the  reputation  of  having  settled 

The    best     days     of    the     ''^^^^  ^'^  ^^*^^^  (*^^   great   Raghoji) 
B  h  o  n  8  U  8.  "  had  only  conquered."t     In  his  reign  it  is 

said  that  "justice  was  well  adminis- 
*Hered,  crimes  were  few,  and  the  punishment  seldom  capital.  The 
"  revenues  were  flourishing,  and  the  people  in  easy  circumstances. 
"The  allowances  of  all  officers,  Civil  and  Mihtary,  and  of  the 
**  troops  were  regularly  paid."t  Even  under  him,  however,  "  no 
"  means  of  making  money  by  traffic  was  deemed  disgraceful,  and 
"  the  revenues  of  Government,  as  well  as  the  interests  of  the  indus- 
"  trious  classes  of  the  population,  were  sacrificed  to  give  them— the 
"  Bdjd  and  his  followers — monopolies  in  the  various  articles  which 
"  they  chose  to  deal  in.  Whole  bdzdrs  in  the  city  were  the  property 
"  of  the  Bdjd  himself,  his  ladies,  and  his  ministers,  with  various 
"privileges  and  remissions  of  duties,  totally  subversive  of  free 
"  trade.  §"  If  such  was  the  state  of  things  under  the  best  of  the 
line,  the  people  fared  ill  indeed  when  the  sole  virtues  of  the  B  h  o  n  s- 
1  a  s,  as  rulers — their  military  simplicity  and  self-restraint — ^gave  way, 
sapped  by  two  or  three  generations  of  royalty,  and  their  natural 
rapacity  was  heightened  by  straitened  means.  J  4  n  o  j  i  died  in 
1772,  and  was  succeeded  by  his  brother  Mudhoji,  who  died 
after  a  reign  of  sixteen  years,  leaving  his  dominions  in  "  a  perfect 
state  of  tranquillity,"  and  bequeathing  a  considerable  treasure,  both 


^  Sir  B.  Jenkins'  Report  on  N&gptir  (Edn.  Nigpdr  Antiquarian  Society) 
pp.  106,  107. 

t  Ibid,  p.  76, 
t  Ibid,  p.  106. 
§  Ibid,  p.  107. 


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INTRODUCTION.  XCIU 

in   cash  and  jewels,  to   bis   son    Raghoji.*  ''      It  was  in  the 

reign  of  this   latter  that  the  character  of 
Deterioration  of  the  Govern-    the  B  h  o  n  s  1  a  administration  commenced 

tnent. 

to     deteriorate,     and     "  the    inhabitants 

**  began  to  date  the  period  of  misrule  and  oppressive  assessment, 
"though  it  was  not  carried,  at  first,  to  the  ruinous  excess  of  exaction 
"  which  marked  the  conduct  of  R  a  g  h  o  j  i  after  the  M  a  r  a  t  h  a  war 
**  of  1802/'t  It  was  after  the  crushing  defeats  of  A  s  s  a  y  e,  A'  r  g  a  o  n, 
and  Gawalgarh,  and  the  consequent  loss  of  his  rich  possessions 
in  B  er  a  r  andCu  1 1  a  c  k,  that  R  agh  o  j  i  II.,  from  the  first  inclined  to 
regard  his  subjects  as  mere  money-producing  machines,  threw  ofi*  all 
restraint  in  his  unwillingness  to  show  a  reduced  front  to  the  world. 
Not  only  did  he  rack-rent  and  screw  the  farming  and  cultivating 
classes,  but  he  took  advantage  of  the  necessities,  which  his  own  acts 
had  created,  to  lend  them  money  at  high  interest.  {  He  did  not  even 
hesitate  to  play  this  dangerous  game  with  his  troops,  whose  pay  he 
withheld,  lending  them  money  on  exorbitant  terms  through  his 
various  banking  establishments,  and  when  he  paid  them  at  last,  giving 
a  third  in  clothes,  from  his  own  stores,  at  most  exaggerated  prices. 
When  all  other  means  of  making  money  failed,  he  organised  regular 
house-breaking  expeditions  against  the  stores  of  men  whom  his 
spies  had  reported  to  be  wealthy,  and  who  "  had  decUned  the  honour 
of  becoming  His  Highness'  creditors."  §  AH  through  this  time  the 
sufferings  of  the  people  were  aggravated  by  the  ravages  of  the  wander- 
ing robber -bands  who  have  obtained  such  a  terrible  notoriety  under 

^   ^.    ,,  ,    ,  the    name   of  Pindharis.     From  their 

ThePindharfs.  ^      ,.  •       xi,      at        u     ^  '       n 

standmg   camps  m  the  N  a  r  b  a  d  a  valley 

these  marauders — who  raised  their   operations  almost  to  the  rank  of 

warfare  by    the    great  scale    on  whicli    they    carried  them   out, 

staining  them  nevertheless   by  wanton  atrocities  from  which   the 

most  debased  of  ordinary  criminals  would  shrink — poured  down 

*  Sir  R.  Jenkins'  Report  on  N  a  g  p  li  r  (Edo.  N  a  g  p  d  r  Antiq.  Society),  p.   80. 
f  Ibid,  p.  124. 
J/^ttf.  p.  107. 
§  Ibid,  p  70. 

\2rpff 


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Xciv  INTRODUCTION. 

periodically  through  the  valley  of  the  T  a  p  t  i  over  the  plains  of 
B  e  r  a  r,  and  on  one  occasion  (in  1 81 1)  carried  fire  and  sword  up  to  the 
capital  itself,  burning  one  of  its  suburbs.*  The  plain  of  Berar 
and  the  valley  of  the  W  a  r  d  h  a  have  even  now  a  semi-warlike 
appearance  from  the  mud  forts  which  a  peasantry,  naturally  peace- 
ful, was  obliged  to  erect  in  very  self-defence,  and  there  are  places  at 
which  to  this  day  the  shopkeepers,  influenced  l^y  some  Ungering 
tradition,  shrink  from  exposing  their  goods  publicly  for  sale.  There 
is  nothing  in  history  more  moving  than  the  pictures  of  the  utter 
desolation  which  these  human  locusts  left  in  their  track.  Their  plan 
of  action  is  thus  described  by  Malcolmt : — 

"  The  Pindharis  were  neither  encumbered  by  tents  nor 
baggage ;  each  horseman  carried  a  few  cakes  of  bread  for  his 
own  subsistence,  and  some  feeds  of  grain  for  his  horse.  The 
party,  which  usually  consisted  of  two  or  three  thousand  good 
horse,  with  a  proportion  of  mounted  followers,  advanced  at  the 
rapid  rate  of  forty  or  fifty  miles  a  day,  neither  turning  to  the 
right  nor  left  till  they  arrived  at  their  place  of  destination. 
They  then  divided,  and  made  a  sweep  of  all  the  cattle  and 
property  they  could  find  :  conmiitting  at  the  same  time  the 
most  horrid  atrocities,  and  destroying  what  they  could  not  carry 
away.  They  trusted  to  the  secrecy  and  suddenness  of  the  irrup- 
tion for  avoiding  those  who  guarded  the  frontiers  of  the  countries 
they  invaded,  and  before  a  force  could  be  brought  against  them 
they  were  on  their  return.  Their  chief  strength  lay  in  their 
being  intangible.  If  pursued,  they  made  marches  of  extra- 
ordinary length — sometimes  upwards  of  sixty  miles — ^by  roads 
almost  impracticable  for  regular  troops.  If  overtaken,  they 
dispersed,  and  reassembled  at  an  appointed  rendezvous;  if 
followed  to  the  country  from  which  they  issued,  they  broke  into 
small  parties.  Their  wealth,  their  booty,  and  their  families 
were  scattered  over  a  wide  region,  in  which  they  found  protec- 
tion amid  the  mountains   and  in  the  fastnesses   belonging  to 


*  Sir  R.  Jenkins*  Report  on  N  a  g  p  d  r    (Edn.  N  ag  p  d  r  Antiq.  Society),  p.  87. 
t  *•  Memoir  of  Central  India/'  (ind  Edn.  Lond.  l82 1),  vol.  i.  pp.  430,  431. 


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INTRODUCTION.  XCV 

themselves,  and  to  those  with  whom  they  were  either  openly  or 
secretly  connected ;  but  nowhere  did  they  present  any  point  of 
attack,  and  the  defeat  of  a  party,  the  destruction  of  one  of  their 
cantonments,  or  the  temporary  occupation  of  some  of  their 
strongholds,  produced  no  effect  beyond  the  ruin  of  an  indivi- 
dual freebooter,  whose  place  was  instantly  supplied  by  another, 
generally  of  more  desperate  fortune,  and  therefore  more  eager  for 
enterprise." 

Though  open  and  avowed  robbers  and  murderers,  with  only  so 
much  profession  of  religion*  in  a  country  where  religion  scarcely 
pretends  to  be  a  moral  check  as  would  satisfy  the  superstitious 
instincts  of  their  followers  and  serve  the  purposes  of  discipline,  they 
had  their  lands,  their  titles,  their  regular  organisation,  and  in  short 
every  mark  of  distinction  that  could  have  been  accorded  to  the 
most  orthodox  military  leaders,  even  to  bearing  the  name  of  the 
king  whose  countenance  they  had  bought  by  admitting  him  to 
partnership  in  their  gains. t  In  short  at  that  time  of  universal 
instability  the  life  of  a  Pindhari  was  the  best  chance  of  com- 
petence and  security  open  to  a  Central  Indian  peasant.  "  Arising," 
says  Malcolm,  "  like  masses  of  putrefaction  in  animal  matter  out 
of  the  corruption  of  weak  and  expiring  States,"  thePindharis 

*  "The  men  of  this  class,  however,  who  are  occasionally  to  he  met  with  in  jungly 
**  Tillages  and  under  the  hills  were  not  originally  Mohammadans.  Their  grandfathers 
••  were  generally  Gonds,  Kurkiis,  Bhils,  &c.,  whose  children  were  carried  off  hy 
**  the  Pindhdrisin  their  raids,  circumcised,  and  made  to  follow  that  profession.  When 
*'  the  Pindharis  were  put  down,  these  men  mostly  returned  to  their  native  villages.  They 
'*  seem  almost  utterly  without  religion,  not  practising  the  rites  of  their  faith,  nor  yet  those 
*'  of  their  families.  In  one  case  a  Pindhdrf  on  heing  asked,  was  unahle  to  tell  the  name 
•' of  his  prophet,  or  to  repeat  the  Kalma,  or  profession  of  faith." — (H oshangdhdd 
Settlement  Report,  chap.  iii.  para.  30). 

f  There  were  two  main  divisions  among  the  Pindharis,  known  as  the  H o  1  k a r 
S  h  d  h  i  and  Sindid  Shahi  respectively.  C  h  i  1 4  the  most  famous  of  all  the  P  i  n  - 
dhiri  leaders,  had  his  head-quarters  in  the  forest  tract  lying  to  the  north  of  the  N  a  r  - 
b  a  d  i,  which  then  formed  part  of  the  N  i  m  £  r  district.  *     He  also  held  the  B  d  r  h  a  estate 

•NImdr  Settlement  Report,  in  N  ar  s  in  gh  p  dr ;  and  Karfm  Khdn,another 
para.  86.  influential  Pindhari  chief,  had  lands  in  Pal  oh  din 

+  Narginghp6r  Settlement  the  same  district.f  Both  these  chiefs  belonged  to  the 
Beport,  para.  36.  SindiaShihi  division. 


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XCVl  INTRODUCTIOX. 

"  had  been  brought  together  less  by  despair  than  by  deeming  the  life 
*'  of  a  plunderer  in  the  actual  state  of  India  as  one  of  small  hazard 
"  but  of  great  indulgence,*'*  When  the  British  Government  took  it  in 
hand  to  suppress  them,  their  whole  organisation  crumbled  away  at 
once.  To  quote  Malcolm  again, "  It  was  evident  that  they  could  not 
"  exist  without  a  home  or  a  support.  To  drive  them  from  the  terri- 
"  tories  which  they  possessed, — to  identify  with  them  all  who  gave 
"  them  aid  or  protection,  was  the  only  mode  by  which  the  great  and 
"  increasing  evil  could  be  remedied.  No  measures  were  ever  more 
"  wisely  planned,  more  vigorously  pursued,  or  more  successfully 
**  accomplished,  than  those  adopted  for  their  suppression.  There 
"  remains  not  a  spot  in  India  that  a  Pindhari  can  call  his  home. 
"  They  have  been  hunted  like  wild  beasts  ;  numbers  have  been  killed  ; 
"  all  have  been  ruined.     Those  who  adopted  their  cause  have  fallen."t 

The  real  strength  of  the  P  i  n  d  h  a  r  i  s  was  in  the  weakness 
of  the  surrounding  Governments.  The  Maratha  kings  had 
more  important  things  to  think  of  than   protecting  their   subjects 

against  robbery   and  murder.     Men   and 
^^Theirrivals,theTaxCollec-    j^^^^^j    for   their   wars   were   their  great 

wants,  and  the  P  i  n  d  h  a  r  i  s  could  help 
them  in  both.  Neither  the  S  i  n  d  i  a  nor  the  Holkar  Shahi 
bands  of  Pindharis  kept  their  hands  entirely  off  the  subjects 
of  the  kings  whose  name  they  bore,  $  but  a  sufficient  percentage 
of  the  plunder  probably  went  into  the  royal  treasury ;  and  after 
all,  as  money  was  wanted  at  all  hazards,  their  ways  were  not 
so  very  much  worse  than  those  of  the  more  regularly  licensed 
plunderers  who  called  themselves  revenue  collectors  •  Indeed  in  one 
case  at  least  on  record,  the  maddened  cultivators  called  in  the  aid  of 
the  Pindharis,  preferring  the  crash  of  a  sudden  raid,  with  all  its 
terrible  accompaniments  of  fire  and  sword,  to  the  slow  torture  of  con- 
stant pressure,  or  perhaps  hoping  that,  in  the  general  upset,  good  men 
might  chance  to  come  uppermost.  This  happened  in  the  Jabalpur 
district  in  1809,  and  the  landholders  gained  their  object  at  first,  as 

*  "  Memoir  of  Central  India,"  vol.  i.  p,  431  (2nd  Edn.) 
t    Ibid,  vol.  i.  p.  461. 
X    Ibid,  vol.  i.  p.  442. 


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IXTBODUCTION.  XCVll 

the  arrival  of  the  P  i  n  d  h  a  r  i  army  so  thoroughly  frightened  the 
M  a  r  a  t  h  a  governor  that  he  quite  forgot  for  the  time  to  go  on  with  his 
exactions ;  but  before  the  plunderers  left  the  country  they  had  made 
themselves  as  much  felt  by  their  friends  as  by  their  foes,  "  appro- 
"  priating  all  they  coidd  seize,  insulting  the  temples  of  the  Hindus, 
"  defacing  the  images,  and  committing  outrages  and  excesses  such  as 
"  will  not  readily  be  forgotten,  or  the  horror  excited  by  them  be  buried 
*^  in  oblivion."* 

All  revenue  reports  of  those  times  teem  with  accounts  of  the 

cruel,    but    often  ingenious,    processes    by  which    the   Maratha 

collectors   slowly  bled  the  people.     Inconvenient     precedents    and 

institutions  were  of  course  at  once  cleared  away  as  mere  clogs  upon 

^        ,.   .       ,  ,    ,    ,        the  process    of  extracting   money.       The 
The  spoliation  of  the  land.  f^„        n      .    t  ...  n      ... 

careiully-adapted    organisation    of  village 

and  circle  officers  which  the  M  o  g  h  a  1  s,  wherever  they  had  come, 

had  grafted  on  the  old  feudalism  of  Gondwana,   with  all  its  gra- 

duated  structure  of  rights  and  duties,   gave  way  to  a  system   of 

pubHc   auction.t     Villages  were  put  up  to  the  highest  bidder,  but 

even  he  was   lucky  if  he  got  to  the  end  of  the  year    safe.     After 

passing  with   alternating  hope  and  fear  through  the  rainy  season, 

and  watching  his  crops  safe  through  the  caprices  of  thq  elements, 

some  turn  in  the  tide  of  war  or  an  unexpected  robber- raid  might 

destroy  all  the  fruits  of  the  toil  and  expenditure  of  months.     In  the 

border  districts  one  day  H  o  1  k  a  r's  army 

would  come  and  sweep  the  country  before  it. 

Then  perhaps  S  i  n  d  ia  marched  down  troops  to  defend  his  possessions, 

in  which  process  they  pastured  their  bullocks  on  the  crops,  trampled  in 

the  water-channels  with  their  elephants,  and  killed  any  of  his  subjects 

who  made  objections.     Zainabad   of  Nimar  was  thus  ruined  in 

1803.  {     In  the  intervals    between  regular   campaigns,   and    even 


*  Beport  on  the  Settlement  of  part  of  the  J  a  b  a  1  p  i^  r  district  (1828),  quoted  in 
Mr.  A.  M.  Russeirs  J  abalptir  Settlement  Report,  para.  16. 

t  Captain  Forsyth's  N  i  m  4  r  Settlement  Report,  para.  1 64.  Mr.  Russell's  D  a  m  o  h 
Settlement  Report,  para.  50. 

J  N  i  m  a  r  Settlement  Report,  paras.  82,  83. 


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XCVlll  INTRODUCTION. 

when  there  was  nominally  peace,  the  rival  armies  usually  did 
a  little  plundering  in  the  enemy's  country  on  their  own  account, 
having  practically  no  other  means  of  supporting  themselves.  The 
unfortunate  country-people  gave  up  all  attempt  at  protecting 
themselves  against  the  troops,  whether  hostile  or  nominally 
friendly,  and  when  they  heard  of  an  army  coming,  hid  themselves 
in  the  glens  and  the  rocks,  creeping  out  by  moonlight  in  a  last 
desperate  attempt  to  cultivate  their  land.*  But  then  if  they 
tided  through  these  greater  catastrophes  there  was  the  never-absent 
danger  of  predatory  inroads  from  the  hill-tribes,  or  indeed  from 
any  one  who  was  strong  enough  to  get  up  a  following. t  To  avoid 
these  they  clubbed  together  and  paid  blackmail,  or  collected  them- 
selves into  larg9  villages  and  built  mud  fortifications  round  them, 
going  out  armed  to  their  fields  many  miles  off  perhaps,  and  leaving 
wide  tracts  of  country,  in  their  own  expressive  phrase,  "  be  chirdgK^ — 
without  a  light  or  a  village  fire.  If  the  crops  thus  sown  in  sorrow  and 
tended  in  fear  came  to  maturity,  there  were  fresh  trials  to  encounter. 
Sometimes  the  lease  taken  at  the  beginning  of  the  year,  and  carried 
through  with  so  much  difficulty  and  anxiety,  was  unceremoniously 

*  Hoshangdbdd  Settlement  Report,  chap.  ii.  para.  27. 
t  The  following  extracts  from  the  epitomised  translation  of  a  petition  presented  bj 
the  inhabitants  of  the   K  h  a  n  d  w  d  pargana  of  the  N  i  m  ^  r  district  (quoted  in  Cap- 
tain Forsyth's  N  i  m  d  r  Settlement  Report,  p.  83,  para.  155)  gives  a  yivid  representation 
of  those  times,  viz.  from  1803  to  1814  : — 

''  Robbers  and  Pindh^ris  oppress  the  district  and  levy  blackmail^  which  the 
Zaminddrs  (chiefs)  share  with  them.  The  PateU  (village  headmen)  bribe  the  Kamd 
vinddr  (revenue  officer)  and  Zaminddra  to  let  them  appropriate  the  ryots'  fields,  and 
cultivate  much  land  vdthout  paying  rent  for  it.  Many  of  the  ryots  have  deserted 
the  pargana,  and  the  rest  are  preparing  to  follow.  *  *  ♦  Yot  the  last 
twenty-four  years  the  Zamind&rs  have  taken  cash  perquisites  and  rates  far  beyond 
their  dues.  They  connive  at  the  levy  of  blackmail  by  plunderers,  and  take  bribes 
both  from  plunderers  and  plundered.  Last  year  H  o  1  k  a  r  's  army  came,  and  the 
Kamdvisddr  arranged  with  the  ryots  that  they  should  abscond  for  a  few  days,  and 
return  after  their  departure.  This  they  were  ready  to  do,  but  the  ZamCnddra  pre- 
vented them.  Then  the  M  e  w  ^  s  i  s  (aboriginal  hill  tribes)  from  the  A's  { r  hills 
looted  two  villages,  and  H  o  1  k  a  r  's  troops  came  and  surrounded  the  town  of 
K  h  a  n  d  w  d  and  exacted  a  contribution  of  Rs.  30,000.  The  last  Kamdmsdir  levied 
a  third  instalment  of  revenue  from  the  pargana  after  the  two  regular  ones  had  been 
collected.  *  »  *  Tj^^  j^^  robbers  have  desolated  villages  that  had 
been  flourishing  for  a  hundred  years.         *         *        The  pargana  is  ruined.** 


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INTRODUCTION.  XCIX 

set  aside  in  favour  of  a  higher  bidder,*  and  the  unfortunate  lessee 
saw  the  harvest,  on  which  he  had  staked  his  all,  go  to  enrich  some 
private  enemy  or  clever  speculator.  Sometimes  the  village  would  be 
made  over  by  the  authorities  to  troops  in  arrearst  to  pay  themselves, 
no  question  of  course  being  asked.  Sometimes  the  crop  was  seized 
directly  by  the  Government  oflBicials  without  any  pretence  of  form  or 
reason. 

In  the   districts  of  the  interior,  where  there  was  a  little  less 

anarchy  and  confusion,  rather  more  forma- 
Uty  was  observed  in  the  process  of  exac- 
tion, though  with  very  similar  results.  Tracts  of  country  were  as- 
signed either  to  large  farmers  for  a  fixed  sum,  or  to  military  leaders 
for  the  payment  of  troops ;  and  as  the  valuation  put  upon  the  leases 
was  always  of  the  highest,  the  assignee  had  to  exercise  all  his  inge- 
nuity to  bring  his  collections  up  to  the  mark.  Taught  by  expe- 
rience, the  cultivators  assumed  the  appearance  of  poverty,  concealed 
their  stock,  and  himg  back  from  taking  farms.  But  they  were 
always  worsted  in  the  long  run.  Practically  they  had  no  choice 
except  to  cultivate  or  to  starve,  and  the  assignee  soon  found  out,  by 
means  of  his  spies,  who  were  in  the  best  position  to  take  the  leases. 
On  these  "dresses  and  titles  were  liberally  bestowed,  and  solemn 
•*  engagements  entered  into,  at  a  very  moderate  rate  of  rent,  which  en- 
"  gagements  were  most  assuredly  violated  at  the  time  of  harvest,  when. 
"  the  whole  produce  was  at  the  mercy  of  the  Jagird&r  (assignee) 
**  *  *  Thus  he  proceeded  from  year  to  year,  flattering  the  vanity 
^^  oi  ^G  Malguz&rs  (farmers)  with  dresses,  titles,  and  other  distinc- 
"  tions,  and  feeding  their  hopes  with  solemn  promises,  till  all  their 
"  capitals  were  exhausted."  J 

There   was  a  little  more  difficulty  in  tapping  the  wealth  of 

bankers  and  others,  whose  substance  was 
buSom  Sii""  ~°*""    Stored  in  a  form  less  accessible  and  promi- 

nent  than   standing   crops  or  flocks,   and 

*  D  a  m  oh  Settlement  Report,  para.  51. 
-f  Ihid^  para.  50. 

X  MSS.  "  Preliminary   Observations  to  the  Report  on  the  District  of  N  a  r  s  i  n  g  h. 
pd  r,"  by  Sir  W.  (then  Captain^  Sleeman,  para.  42. 


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C  INTUODUCTIOX. 

herds.  Even  in  those  times  it  was  not  for  every  one  to  take 
the  royal  road,  hit  upon  by  Ragh  oji  III.,  of  going  direct  to  the 
coveted  strong-boxes  by  means  of  burglary.*  So  the  notable 
device  was  discovered  of  establishing  adultery  courts,  furnished 
with  guards,  fetters,  stocks,  and  a  staff  of  witnesses.  When  good 
information  was  obtained  of  the  existence  of  a  hoard  of  money, 
the  unfortunate  possessor  was  at  once  charged  and  found  guilty, 
and  if  the  disgrace  of  a  crime  which  was  then  held  to  reflect  on 
the  whole  family  of  the  accused  was  not  sufficient  to  bring  him  to 
reason,  he  was  chained  in  the  stocks  till  he  agreed  to  pay  ransom. 
In  one  case  the  landholders  of  the  Srinagar  pargana  of 
Narsinghpur  clubbed  to  free  themselves  from  an  incubus  of  this 
kind,  agreeing  to  purchase  its  abolition  by  an  immediate  payment 
of  Rs.  45,000,  which  they  raised  by  a  cess  of  26  per  cent  all  round 
on  the  revenue  of  their  villages.  But  the  only  effect  of  their  effort 
was,  that  they  were  presumed  to  be  able  to  stand  another  turn  of  the 
screw,  and  the  amount  which  they  had  managed  to  raise  was  thence- 
forward regularly  added  to  their  assessment  for  future  years.t 

The  devices  for  levying  money  with  a  show  of  legality  in  towns 

and  populous  non-agricultural  tracts   show 

J^ngenuity  of  general  taxa-     ^^^^^  ^^^^^^  ingenuity,  though   SOme  of 

them  were  such  flimsy  veils  for  exaction 
that  it  is  difficult  to  imagine  why  the  pretence  of  form  should  have 
been  kept  up  at  all.  Thus  the  provisional  government  appointed  at 
Jabalpur  to  carry  on  the  administration  of  the  newly-annexed 
Narbada  coimtry  (1817)  was  called  upon  by  its  Mar  at  ha 
officials  to  decide,  among  other  questions, — whether  widows  should 
still  be  sold  for  the  benefit  of  the  State, — ^whether  one-fourth  of  the 
proceeds  of  all  house  sales  should  continue  to  be  paid  into  *  the 
treasury, — and  whether  persons  selling  their  daughters  should  not 
BtiU  be  taxed  one-fourth  of  the  price  realised.  At  a  meeting  of  the 
same  provisional  government  there  is  an  entry  ordering  the  release 
of  a  woman  named  P  u  r  s  i  a,  who  had  been  sold  by  auction  a  few 

*  See  above,  p.  xciii. 

t  Sleeman's  MSS.  "Preliminary  Observations,**  para.  44. 


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INTEODUOTION.  01 

days  before  for  seventeen  rupees.*  The  taxes  levied  in  diflTerent 
places  varied  with  the  idiosyncrasies  of  the  Government,  or  of  the 
individual  tax-collector ;  but  among  them  it  may  be  noticed  that 
people  were  mulcted  for  having  houses  to  live  in,  or  if  they  had  no 
houses,  for  their  temporary  sheds  or  huts ;  if  they  ate  grain,  their  food 
was  taxed  at  eveiy  stage  in  its  progress  through  the  country ;  if  they 
ate  meat,  they  paid  duty  on  it  through  their  butchers.  When  they 
married,  they  paid  for  beating  drums  or  putting  up  marquees.  If 
they  rejoiced  at  the  set  Hindu  festivals,  they  paid  again, — at  the 
**  HoU"  for  instance,  on  the  red  powder  which  they  threw  at  each 
other,  at  the  Pold^  on  the  ornaments  which  they  tied  to  the  horns  of 
their  cattle.  Drinkers  were  mulcted  by  an  excise,  and  smokers 
by  a  tobacco  duty.  Weavers,  oil-pressers,  fishermen,  and  such 
low-caste  industrials  had  as  a  matter  of  course  to  bear  a  special 
burthen.  No  houses  or  slaves  or  cattle  could  be  sold — ^no  cloth  could 
be  stamped — no  money  could  be  changed, — even  prayers  for  rain  could 
not  be  offered  without  paying  on  each  operation  its  special  and  pecu- 
liar tax.t  In  short  a  poor  man  could  not  shelter  himself,  or  clothe 
himself,  or  earn  his  bread,  or  eat  it,  or  marry,  or  rejoice,  or  even  ask 
his  gods  for  better  weather,  without  contributing  separately  on  each 
individual  act  to  the  necessities  of  the  State. 

These  were  the  regular  taxes  merely,  and  it  certainly  does  not 
seem  likely  that  any  money  could  have  slipped  by  owing  to  their  want 
of  comprehensiveness ;  but  the  revenue  accounts  of  the  times  show 
that  supplementary  measures  were  occasionally  found  necessary  to 
reach  men  who  would  otherwise  have  escaped.  Thus  in  the  accounts 
of  thei^au^dASadik All  Khan,{  govemorof  Narsinghpur,  for 
the  years  a.d.  1806 — 1816,  such  entries  as  these  may  be  found : — 

^'  A  fine  on  one  of  the  Kaniingos  found  in  good 

condition Rs.    1,000.*' 

Forced  ''A  fine  on  Bhagwant  Chaudhari,  who 

benevolences.  was  building  a  large  house    „     3,000/' 

''  A  fine   on  Mehronpurl   Gos&in^   who 

was  digging  tanks  and  building  temples. . .     „      6,000/' 

*  MSS.  Records,  Secretariat,  N  4  g  p  d  r. 

t  Mr.  C.  A.  Elliott's  Hoshangibid  Settlement  Report,  chap.  ii.  p.  41 ;  Sir  R. 
Jenkins'  Report  on  N  i  e  p  d  r  (Edn.  N  i  g  p  d  r  Antiquarian  Society),  pp.  1 58/*. 

X  MSS.  Notes  on  toe  late  Mr.  Molony's  Report  on  Narsinghpdr,  by  Sir  W. 
(then  Captain)  Sleeman,  Appendix  table  No.  I.  (1825). 
13  epg 


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en  ninioi>t7CfioK. 

It  is  hardly  possible  that  such  a  state  of  things  could  have 
endured  very  long,  even  had  it  not  been  destined  to  termination 
by  the  strong  hand  of  the  British  poTver,  and  the  people  could 
scarcely  have  borne  up  as  they  did  for  nearly  a  quarter  of  a  century, 
but  that  in  a  densely-populated  country  war  to  some  degree 
and  for  a  time  alleviates  the  evils  which  it  creates,  feeding 
the  country,  as  it  were,  on  its  own  life-blood.  The  more  ex- 
tensive the  devastation  of  the  crops,  and  the  greater  the  diminution 
of  the  means  and  number  of  the  cultivators,  the  higher  rose  the 
price  of  the  grain  produced  by  the  rest ;  and  even  a  Mardthd  army 
could  not  get  its  supplies  entirely  free  from  a  country  which  it  per- 
manently garrisoned.  Thus  great  sums  of  money  were  set  in  circu- 
lation among  the  people,  while  the  number  of  pockets  to  fill  and 
mouths  to  feed  was  much  reduced.  The  sums  spent  on  military  es- 
tablishments alone  in  the  Narsinghpur  district  averaged  nearly 
nine  Idkhs  of  rupees  (£90,000)  for  the  ten  years  previous  to  the  ces- 
sion, while  after  our  occupation  of  the  country  the  expenditure  on  all 
public  establishments  rapidly  fell  to  less  than  two  I6khs  (£20,000).* 
But  this  process  of  stimulation,  though  it  might  avert  for  a  time  the 
day  of  exhaustion,  only  rendered  it  the  more  complete  in  the  end. 

-,  ,      ,.      -,,  .  All  accounts   concur  in  representinof  the 

Exhaustion  of  the  country.  ^  .      . 

condition  of  the  once-flourishing  Nar- 
b  ad  a  districts,  which  we  acquired  by  the  war  of  1817-18,  as  desolate 
almost  beyond  conception.  An  old  map  ofHoshangabadin  the 
Bengal  Asiatic  Society's  Journal  for  1834  (p.  70)  shows  all  the 
Sohagpur  valley  as  waste  and  jungle. t  At  the  recent  settle- 
ment (1863-64)  nearly  two-thirds  of  the  culturable  area,  including 
all  the  good  land,  were  cultivated,  chiefly  with  wheat.  Of  parts 
of  Nimar  it  was  reported  in  1819  that  **  all  traces  of  former 
•*  cultivation  had  ceased  to  be  perceptible,  and,  with  the  exception 
"of  K  ana  pur,  not  a  dwelling  or  an  inhabitant  was  to  be  seen 
"  in  any  part  of  the  country."}     Their  desolation  was  expressed  even 

*  Sleeman's  MSS.  Notes  on  Mr.  Molony's  Report onNarsinghpiir,  note  2. 
t  Mr.  C.  A.  Elliott's  Hoshagdbid  Settlement  Report,  chap.  ii.  para.  27. 
X  Letter  to  Sir  John  Malcolm,  dated  26th  June  1819,  quoted   in  Captain  Forsyth's 
N  i  m  i  r  Settlement  Report,  para  1 63 . 


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INTRODUCTION,  ciii 

more  forcibly  in  the  saying— "  there  is  not  a  crew  in  Kdnapur 
Beri4." 

In  writing  of  those  times  Sir  W.  Sleeman  says  that  for  two  years, 
Errors  of  our  early  admin-     **  ^y  far  the  most  laborious  of  his  life,"  his 
istration.  whole  attention  was  engrossed  "  in  prevent- 

ing and  remedying  the  disorders  of  his  district."*  Had  all  the  colleagues 
this  distinguished  officer  possessed  as  large  a  share  of  his  clear  insight, 
as  they  undoubtedly  had  of  his  sense  of  his  duty,  the  history  of  our 
new  acquisitions  might  have  been  an  almost  unbroken  record  of 
prosperity,  and  the  ground  which  it  has  taken  fifty  years  of  often 
halting  progression  to  gain  might  have  been  covered  in  a  quarter 
of  a  century.  The  new  administrators  of  the  country — taken  many  of 
them  firom  the  ranks  of  the  very  regiments  which  had  conquered  it — 
found  a  rich  soil,  a  docile  peasantry,  and  an  equable  climate.  They 
saw  that  under  the  rule  introduced  by  them  life  and  property  were 
safe,  that  Courts  of  Justice  tried  to  deserve  their  name,  and  that  the 
people  had  at  length  breathing  time ;  and  they  jumped  to  the  conclu- 
sion that  a  country  with  such  capacities  needed  but  a  well-meaning 
government  to  enter  upon  a  golden  era  of  limitless  prosperity. 

Unfortunately,  though  the  world  may  be  generally  governed 
with  very  little  wisdom,  there  are  times  when  something  more  than 
rule  of  thumb  is  required  to  secure  success.  It  has  been  a  common 
enough  mistake  among  sanguine  young  officials,  prompted  perhaps 
by  the  wish  to  satisfy  their  distant  financial  superiors,  to  overrate 
the  vivifying  powers  of  our  rule,  and  to  estimate  its  material  value  to 
the  people  by  the  measure  of  its  moral  advantages.  In  the  present 
instance  the  illusion  was  fostered  by  the  readiness  with  which  farm- 
ers flocked  forward  to  take  village  leases,  some  themselves  sharing 
the  hopes  of  their  rulers,  but  the  majority  mere  broken  speculators,  J 
who  had  found  land-gambling  a  paying  trade  in  the  "time  of  trouble," 
and  who  took  advantage  of  a  change  of  Government  to  start  again 
with  refireshed  characters.  Thus  misled,  the  district  officers  might, 
perhaps,  be  excused  for  forgetting  that  for  the   barbaric   pomp   of 

*  MSS.  Notes  on  Mr.  Molonj*s  Report,  note  20. 
t  IM,  note  4. 


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CIV  INTBODUOTION. 

viceregal  courts  they  had  substituted  the  severe  simplicity  of  Indian 
**  cutcherries/' — that  standing  armies  had  been  replaced  by  occasional 
police  guards, — and  that  the  valley,  instead  of  being  a  centre  of  expen- 
diture,  had  now  begun  to  send  away  of  its  own  surplus  to  more  im- 
portant localities.  The  result  was,  that  with  all  our  good  intentions, 
the  commencements  of  our  rule  were  marked  by  most  vigorous  taxa- 
tion, and  the  people  found  less  cause  to  congratulate  themselves  than 
they  had  expected  in  their  change  of  masters.  They  were  no  longer 
robbed  and  murdered,  it  is  true,  but  then  they  were  equally  prevented 
from  redressing  the  inequalities  of  fortune  by  robbing  and  murderiog 
others ;  and  while  under  native  rule  the  greater  the  disorganisation, 
the  greater  was  the  hope  of  a  general  crash  and  change,  the  new 
rSgimey  with  its  heavy  uniform  pressure,  seemed  too  systematic  to  leave 

room  for  evasion— too  strong  to  allow  even 
^Improred    system   and  its     ^^^  j^^^  of  opposition.      The  excess  of   the 

evil,  however,  in  most  cases  worked  its  own 
cure,  and  by  degrees,  after  conjecture  had  been  exhausted  in  seeking 
causes  for  the  diflBiculties  of  the  people,  the  conviction  began  to 
gain  ground  that  the  fault  lay  not  so  much  with  them  as  with  their 
masters.  Within  twenty  years  from  the  cession  an  era  of  material 
prosperity  had  set  in  for  many  districts,  the  effects  of  which,  as 
shown  at  the  recent  land-revenue-settlement,  need  give  us  no  cause 
to  be  ashamed  of  our  stewardship.  Some  parts  of  the  country  have 
lagged  behind  others,  but  our  older  acquisitions  in  the  Central  Pro- 
vinces may  now  confidently  be  ranked  among  the  most  prosperous  of 
British  Indian  possessions. 

To  these  were  added  in  1854  the  last  remaining  provinces  of  the 
B h o n s Id — N d g p  u r and  Chhattisgarh,  which, having  already 
enjoyed  some  degree  of  British  protection,  directly,  during  the  last 
Bdjd's  minority,  and,  indirectly,  after  his  assumption  of  power, 
through  the  influence  of  the  Resident,  had  comparatively  little  lee-way 
to  make  up.  They  have  since  benefited  greatly  by  the  enhanced  price 
of  produce,  and  the  improvement  of  communications. 

In  1860  a  strip  of  territory  on  the  left  bank  of  the  River 
G  0  d  a  V  a  r  i  was  ceded  by  the  N  i  z  dm,    and  incorporated  in  the 


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IKTEODUCmON.  CV 

British  possessions  under  the  name   of  the   "Upper   Godavari 
District." 

In  the  following  year  (1861)  the  "Central  Provinces"   were 
Constitution  of  Central         formed  by  the  union   of  the  Sagar  and 
^^'^^'  Narbada  territories  with  the  Nagpur 

Province,  Three  years  afterwards  (in  1864)  the  new  administra- 
tion obtained  an  accession  of  territory  by  the  addition  to  it  of 
the  Ni  m  ar  district,  in  the  Narbada  and  T ap  t  i  valleys,  and  in 
1865  it  received  a  fresh  accretion  of  some  seven  hundred  square  miles 
of  coimtry,  which  had  formerly  constituted  the  native  State  of 
Bijeraghogarh  in  Central  India,  but  had  been  confiscated  in 
1857.  This  is  neither  the  time  nor  the  place  to  put  forward  specula- 
tions regarding  the  advantages  which  long-neglected  Gondwdna 
may  have  derived  from  the  concession  to  her  of  an  administration  of 
her  own,  with  no  rich,  smooth  home-domain  to  distract  its  attention 
from  these  far  out-lying  stretches  of  rugged  hill  and  valley,  but  in  the 
succeeding  chapters  details  will  be  given  regarding  the  population, 
trade,  and  present  condition  of  the  province,  which  may  enable  those 
interested  in  the  question  to  form  a  judgment  of  their  own. 


CHAPTER  VI. 


POPULATION. 


AbftrigiAal  section  of  the  population— Dravidians  and  Kolarians— G  o  n  d  legenda— 
Gond  character  and  status— The  R  A j-G  o n d s— The  Dh  dr-Gonds— The 
M  d  r  f  s— The  B  a  i  g  A  s— The  B  h  f  1  s— The  K  u  r  k  d  s— Difficulty  of  civilising 
the  aborigines— The  K  a  n  w  a  r  s— The  H  a  1  b  ^  s— Aboriginal  beliefs  and  ceremo- 
nies— Aryan  races— Aryan  colonisation— Changed  manners — Satndm{  C ba- 
rn A  r  s— Witchcraft— Punishment  of  witches— Prevalent  H  i  n  d  d  castes. 

The  Central  Provinces  have  been  aptly  compared  to  a  "  thick 
bit  of  cover  in  the  middle  of  open  country*'— a  thicket  in  which, 
•'  when  the  plains  all  round  have  been  swept  by  hunters,  or  cleared 


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CVi  INTRODUCTION. 

*'  by  colonists,  you  are  sure  to  find  all  the  wild  animals  that  have  not 

"  been  exterminated."*     But  even  this — 

popiSS"^  ''''''°  ""^  '^'     ^"^  ^f  *h^  l^s^  ^^f^g^^  ^f  ^h^  aboriginal 

races — has   been   so  largely   invaded  by 

people  of  Aryan  descent,  that  out  of  a  total  population  amounting 
in  round  numbers  to  nine  millions  of  souls,  two  millions  only  are 
classed  under  the  head  of  hill  and  aboriginal  tribes,  three-fourths 
of  whom  are  Gonds.  Whether  the  ordinarily  accepted  theory 
be  true,  that  the  less  perfectly  developed  races  .were  expelled 
from  the  rich  valleys  by  people  possessing  a  higher  organisation, 
and  were  forced  to  content  themselves  with  the  scanty  produce  of 
the  bare  hill-sides,  or  whether,  as  some  suppose,t  the  aborigines 
— hunters  by  taste  rather  than  agriculturists— never  cared  to  make 
head  against  the  heavy  tropical  vegetation  of  the  black  soil  bottoms, 
the  result  is  equally  that  the  G  ond  has  retained  nothing  of  the 
old  heritage  which  still  bears  his  name,  except  the  rocky  uplands  on 
which  a  less  hardy  race  would  find  no  sufficient  sustenance.  The 
chief  remaining  aboriginal  stronghold  is  the  Sat  pur  a  plateau, 
divided  among  the  districts  ofBetul,  Chhindwara,  Seoni, 
and  the  higher  half  of  Mandla.  Commencing  from  the  west, 
one-fourth  of  the  population  of  Betiil  is  Gond;  in  Chhind- 
ward  the  proportion  is  as  high  as  three-sevenths ;  in  Seoni,  which 
is  traversed  by  the  main  line  of  communication  through  the  plateau, 
it  sinks  to  one-third,  rising  again  to  one-half  in  the  wild  hill  dis- 
trict of  Mandla,  where  the  last  Gond  kings  held  sway.  To  the 
east  and  west  of  this  region  hill-races  of  a  different  stock  press  in 
upon  the  Gonds.  In  Betul  and  Hoshangabad  may  be 
found  the  Kurkus,  numbering  in  all  some  40,000  souls,  whose 
central  seat  is  the  Pachmarhi  group  of  hills.  Further  west  again 
in  the  Ni mar  district  we  come  into  the  Bhil  country,  but  even 
including  a  few  scattered  colonies  of  this  race  in  other  parts  of  the 
province,    they   only   contribute  some  25,000   to  the  population. 

♦Report    of   Central    ProTinces'    Ethnological    Committee   (1868),    Introductory 
chapter,  p.  2. 

t  Captain  Forsyth's  N  i  m  i  r  Settlement  Report,  para.  1 10. 


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INTRODUCTION.  Cvii 

To  the  east  the  natural  fastnesses  which  hem  in  the  head  waters 
of  the  Son  and  the  Narb  a  da— unexplored  until  of  late  years  by 
Europeans— give  a  secure  shelter  to  the  wildest  of  all  the  hill 
tribes— the  Baigas— who,  all  told,  are  under  17,000  souls.     The 

first  two  of  these  almost  certainly  belong 
DraTidiana  and  Kolarians.        to  that  group  of  aboriginal  tribes  which  is 

designated  by  Mr.  G.  Campbell  as  "  Kola- 
rian"»  or  northern,  to  distinguish  them  from  the  Dravidian  or 
southern  races;  and  the  Baigas  also  are  conjecturally  classed  with 
the  former  by  the  Central  Provinces'  Ethnological  Committee. 

Thus  the  heart  of  Gondwana  is  still  occupied  in  force  by 
the  G  o  n  d  s,  who,  according  to  the  authorities  already  quoted,  be- 
long to  the  great  Dravidian  or  southern  section  of  the  aborigines, 
while  scattered  fragments  of  the  weaker  Kolarian  races,  which 
have  never  risen  to  independent  sovereignty,  find  refuge  here  and 
there  on  its  outskirts.  The  great  southern  wilderness — covering 
many  thousand  square  miles  between  the  plains  ofChhattisgarh 
and  the  Godavari,  and  extending  from  the  Waingangaon  the 
west  almost  to  the  Eastern  Gh6ts — is  another  G  o  n  d  stronghold. 
In  these  unexplored  regions  are  to  be  found  probably  the  best 
specimens  of  the  real  wild  G  o  n  d,  who  shuns  the  sight  of  stran- 
gers, and  between  whom  and  his  rulers  communication  is  only 
maintained  through  a  sort  of  quarantine,+  his  tribute  being  deposited 
in  a  fixed  spot,  whence  the  Rajahs  officers  come  to  take  it  at  certain 
seasons.  Kolarian  colonies,  in  addition  to  those  already  men« 
tioned,  may  be  found  intermixed,  in  almost  every  direction,  with 
the  tribes  of  G  o  n  d  descent.  The  east  and  west  have  already  been 
mentioned.    To  the  extreme  north  in  the  hill  country  bordering  on 

*  Journal  of  the  Asiatic  Society  of  Bengal,  toI.  xxxv.  part  ii.  (Supplementary 
number),  p.  28* 

t  "  On  the  B  e  1  4  D  1 1  d  hills  they  flee  at  the  approach  of  any  native  not  of  their  own 
"tribe.  Their  tribute  to  the  Rujd  of  B  a  s  t  a r,  which  is  paid  in  kind,  is  collected  once  a 
"year  by  an  officer  who  beats  a  tum-tdm  outside  the  village,  and  forthwith  hides  himself, 
"whereupon  the  inhabitants  bring  out  whatever  they  have  to  give,  and  deposit  it  in  an 
••  appointed  spot." — (Hislop's  Aboriginal  Tribes  of  the  Central  Provinces,  part  i.  p.  8, 
1866.) 


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CVlll  INTRODUCTION. 

Rewa  are  some  25,000  Kols.  To  the  south-east  in  Sambalpur 
there  is  a  large  colony  ofDhangars,  apparently  belonging  to  the 
Kol  stock  from  Chota  Nagpur;  while  still  further  south,  in 
the  eastern  part  of  the  B  as  tar  dependency,  are  found  the  Gad- 
bas,  another  Kolarian  tribe.  But  even  at  these  extremities  of 
their  country  the  Gonds  and  their  congeners  out-number  other 
aboriginal  tribes. 

Mr.  Hislop  thinks  that,  from  this  curious  intermixture  within 
a  limited  area  of  tribes  of  totally  diflferent  stock,  we  may  conclude 
that  the  Dravidians,  entering  India  by  the  north-west,  here  crossed 
the  stream  of  Kolarian  immigrants  from  the  north-east.*  These 
are  matters  of  which  so  little  is  known  that  there  is  barely  ground- 
work even  for  speculation  about  them ;  but  the  aboriginal  legends 
contain  one  or  two  curious  traditions,   which,  in  the   absence  of 

any  certain  information,  may  be  worth 
mention.  In  one  of  the  Gond  hymns 
quoted  by  Mr.  Hislop  a  legendary  account  of  the  origin  of 
the  tribe  is  given,  which,  though  defaced  by  some  interpolations, 
palpably  due  to  Brahmanical  influence,  is  as  evidently  aboriginal 
in  its  incidents  and  conception.  It  purports  to  relate  how  the 
Gonds  were  created,  on  or  near  mount  Dhavalagirit  (in  the 
Himalayas)  ;  how  they  displeased  the  gods  and  were  shut  up  in 
a  cave,  four  only  escaping  through  a  jungle-country  to  a  place 
called  Kachikopa  Lohagarh,  or  the  **  Iron  valley  in  the  Red 
Hills" — a  name  sufficiently  applicable  to  many  parts  of  G  o  n  d  w  a  n  a ; 
how  here  they  found  a  giant,  who  was  at  first  inclined  to  eat 
them,  but  becoming  pacified  gave  them  his  daughters  in  marriage, 
and  from  this  union  sprang  the  present  Gond  race.J  If  any 
faith  can  be  placed  in  the  antiquity  of  this  legend  it  would  certainly 


*  Hislop's  Aboriginal  Tribes  of  the  Central  Provinces,  edited  by  Sir  R.  Temple 
part  i.  p.  27. 

t  I^idf  part  iii.  pp.  3 — 6. 

X  Ihidf  part  iii.  pp.  17,  27- 


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INTRODUCTION.  CIX 

seem  to  imply  that  the  Gonds  found  their  country  already  occu. 
pied  when  they  entered  it,  and  that  they  allied  themselves  with 
their  precursors.  Another  Gond  tradition  runs,  that  when 
Sarja  Ballal  Sinha,  the  tenth  of  the  Chandaroyal  line,  by 
services  rendered,  had  established  his  right  to  ask  a  favour  from 
the  Delhi  Emperor,  he  claimed,  as  an  addition  to  his  kingdom,  all 
the  possessions  of  his  ancestor  "  K  o  1-B  h  i  1."*  Whether  this  may 
be  taken  as  indicating  that  the  predecessors  of  the  Gonds 
were  tribes  of  Kolarian  descent,  or  not,  it  is  at  least  curious 
that  the  G  o  n  d  s,  who  ordinarily  assume  themselves  to  have  been 
lords  of  the  soil  from  time  immemorial,  should  in  any  of  their 
legends  base  their  pretensions  on  a  succession  from  rival  claimants 
so  well  known  as  the  K  o  1  s  and  the  B  h  i  1  s.  Another  branch  of 
the  Kolarians,  the  B  a  i  g  a  s  of  M  a  n  d  1  a,  are  apparently  admitted 
by  the  Gond  to  be  autochthonous,  being  known  and  reverenced 
among  the  surrounding  population,  which  is  chiefly  Gond, 
as  "Bhumias,"t  or  children  of  the  soil,  and  worshipping  "Mai 
Dhar  it  r  i,'*  mother  earth.J  The  legend  first  quoted  also  shadows 
out,  it  will  be  observed,  the  idea  of  a  direct  northern  origin  for  the 
Gonds,  in  accordance  with  Mr.  Hislop^s  theory.  Their  own  re- 
miniscences certainly  seem  to  point  direct  to  the  north  as  the  cradle 
of  their  race,  for  till  lately  they  buried  their  dead,  head  to  south, 
feet  to  north,  in  order  that  the  corpse  might  be  ready  to  be  carried 
to  the  northern  home  of  its  people. § 

Whichever  of  the  two  races  can  claim  the  priority  in   order  of 

time,  the  Dravidian  Gonds  undoubtedly 
Gond  character  and  status.  ,    ,      xr    i      •         •  i         /»  i        i 

succeed  the  Kolarians  m  order  of  develop- 
ment. The  leaders  of  the  latter — in  this  part  of  the  country  at  any 
rate — never  rose  above  the  status  of  predatory  chiefs,  while  the 
Gond  princes  founded  kingdoms,  received  high  titles  of  nobility 
from  the  Moghal  Emperors, ||  and  even  in  their  decadence  were 

*  Major  L.  Smith's  C  li  &  n  d  d  Settlement  Report,  para.  183. 
t  Appendix  to  M  a  n  d  1  a  Settlement  Report,  note  on  "  B  a  i  g  a  s/'  para  2. 
X  Report  of  Central  Provinces*  Ethnological  Committee,  part  i.  p.  3. 
§  Ibidy  p.  5, 

H  Major  L.  Smith's  C  h  i  n  d  &  Settlement  Report,  paras.  194—197. 
14  epff 


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ex  INTEOBUCTION'. 

treated  by  their  Maratha  conquerors  with  all  the  form  due  to  esta- 
blished royalty.*  At  the  present  day,  however,  their  capacity  for 
taking  a  half-polish  seems  to  be  absolutely  against  them.  While  the 
Baigas  in  their  isolation  from  Aryan  contact  retain  the  free  spirit 
and  honesty  of  the  savage,  the  G  o  n  d  s  have  sunk,  in  a  rash  competi- 
tion with  the  stronger  race,  to  the  level  of  mere  drudges.  Though 
almost  everywhere  intermixed  with  the  Hindu  population,  and 
sometimes  so  closely  as  to  have  almost  lost  the  flat  head,  the  squat 
nose,  and  the  thick  lips,  which  are  the  facial  characteristics  of  their 
race,  it  is  only  in  the  wilder  and  less  populated  districts  that  the 
ordinary  Gonds  have  retained  any  share  in  the  ownership  of  the 
soil.  Throughout  the  N  a  r  b  a  d  a  valley  and  the  Nag  pur  plain 
scarcely  a  village  is  held  by  a  pure  Gond,  and  in  Chhattisgarh 
their  possessions,  though  still  pretty  considerable  in  extent,  mostly 
lie  in  jungle  tracts  of  little  value. t  The  proprietary  lists  show,  it 
is  true,  Gond  owners  even  in  the  richest  districts,  but  these  are 
not  of  the  true  non- Aryan  blood,  but  half-bred  chiefs,  generally- 
claiming  Rajput  ancestry.     Such  was  the  origin  of  the  royal  line 

^,    „..^      ,  of    Garha-Mandla,   and   probably   of 

The  Ri  j-Gonds.  /»  t      /»      -i-  • 

most  of  the  families  which  now  call  them- 
selves "  Raj-G  on  d*'  or  "  Royal  Gond."  If  so,  however,  the 
lower  blood  is  dominant,  for  in  appearance  most  of  them  obstinately 
retain  the  Turanian  type.  In  aspiration  they  are  Hindus  of  the 
Hindus,  wearing  the  sacred  cord,  and  carrying  ceremonial  refine- 
ments to  the  highest  pitch  of  parvenu  purism.  Hislopt  says  that, 
not  content  with  purifying  themselves,  their  houses,  and  their  food, 
they  must  even  sprinkle  their  faggots  with  water  before  using  them 
for  cooking.  With  all  this  exterior  coating  of  the  fashionable  faith, 
they   seem,  however,  to   retain   an   ineradicable   taint  of  the  old 


*  Raghojfl.  took  possession  of  the  D  e  o  g  a  r  h  kingdom,  as  Protector,  or  Mayor 
of  the  Palace  only,  maintaining  the  Gond  Rdjd  as  titular  sovereign — (see  below, 
article  N  i  g  p  li  r,  p.  303). 

+  In  R  d  i  p  d  r  the  average  revenue  of  the  294  villages  held  by  G  o  n  d  s  is  tinder 
Ks.  90.  (R^ipiir  Settlement  Report,  para.  120);  see  also  Bilasptir  Settlement 
Report,  para.  125. 

X  Papers  on  the  Aboriginal  Tribes  of  the  Central  Provinces,  part.  i.  p.  5. 


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INTRODUCTION.  CXI 

moutitain  superstitions.  Some  of  these  outwardly  Brahmanised 
chiefs  still  try  to  pacify  the  gods  of  their  fathers  for  their  apparent 
desertion  of  them  by  worshipping  them  in  secret  once  every  four  or 
five  years,*  and  by  placing  cow*s  flesh  to  their  lips,  wrapped  in  a 
cloth,  so  as  not  to  break  too  openly  with  the  reigning  H  in  du  divi- 
nities. The  annual  sacrifice  of  cows  to  Pharsa  Pen,  the  great 
god  of  the  Gonds,  was  not  given  up  by  the  Chan  da  kings  until 
the  reign  of  Bir  Shah,  the  last  of  the  line  but  two,  who  reigned 
at  the  close  of  the  seventeenth  century,  though  the  Brahmanic 
faith  seems  to  have  been  ostensibly  adopted  by  his  ancestors  four 
generations  before.t 

Among  the  Chhattisgarh  Gonds  there  are  to  this  day 
faint  lingering  traces  of  the  prehistoric  serpent-worship,  which  is 
said  to  have  retained  a  hold  on  the  Deogarh  kings  even  after 
their  nominal  conversion  to  Is  lam. {  In  the  social  habits  of  the 
Gond  chiefs  there  is  the  same  curious  compromise  between  the  wild 
savagery  of  the  hill-man  and  the  sleek  smoothness  of  the  modern 
Hindu,  that  is  observable  in  their  profession  of  faith.  Nearly 
all  of  them  retain  the  old  love  of  hunting ;  and  the  taste  for  thieving, 
or  rather  for  the  encouragement  of  thieves,  still  runs  in  the  blood, 
though  with  a  class,  ambitious  of  recognised  gentility,  the  prospect 
of  anything  so  vulgar  as  a  jail  life  has  undoubtedly  a  very  cooling 
eflPect.  On  the  other  hand  they  surround  themselves  with  Hindu 
priests  and  agents,  and  some  of  them  have  even  taken  to  turning  an 
honest  penny  by  the  thoroughly  Hindu  pursuit  of  money-lending. 
There  is  an  immense  gap  between  the  sensual,  Pharisaical  half-breed 
chief  and  the  down-trodden  mass  of  the  Gond  race.  The  former  has 
still  the  prestige  of  long  descent  and  great  possessions  to  support 
him  against  the  race-prejudices  of  the  Hindus.  A  struggling 
Hindu  cultivator,  whatever  may  be  his  claims  to  superiority  in  the 
abstract,  would  be  very  unlike  the  rest  of  the  world  if  he  could 
so  thoroughly  divest  himself  of  material  considerations  as  to  look 

*Ho8hang£bdd  Settlement  Report,  chap.  iii.  sec.  2,  para.  29. 
t  Sec  below,  article  «•  C  h  il  n  d  i,"  p.  143. 
X  See  above,  p.  Ixvi. 


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CXll  INTRODUCTION. 

down  on  the  man  upon  whom  he  and  hundreds  of  his  tribe  depend, 
not  only  for  the  land  which  they  till,  but  often  for  the  advances 
necessary  to  keep  body  and  soul  together  until  harvest  time* 
Seeing,  too,  that  the  purest  of  his  race  do  not  scruple  to  serve  the 
aboriginal  chief  as  priests,  agents,  and  even  as  cooks,  he  must 
feel  that  he  has  quite  sufiBcient  warrant  for  respecting  power  and 
place,  without  inquiring  too  nicely  in  whom  they  are  vested. 

But  the  plebeian  or  Dhur-Gond,   with  no  artificial  aids  to 
^    ^ ,  ,    ^       ,  keep  his  head  above  water,  has  sunk  to  the 

very  bottom  of  the  community.  Of  his 
natural  recommendations,  the  savage  straightforwardness  of 
speech  has  suflfered  somewhat  from  social  depression  and  enervating 
contact  with  Hinduism,  but  the  stalwart  limbs  and  contempt  of  fear, 
which  are  the  characteristics  of  the  race,  still  survive,  and  render 
G  o  n  d  s  useful  tools  in  employments  requiring  strength  and  courage 
rather  than  intelligence.  In  the  N  a  r  b  a  d  a  valley  the  regular 
and  avowed  calling  of  the  tame  G  o  n  d  s  is  driving  the  plough, 
but  it  is  well  known  that  unscrupulous  masters  often  use  them  in 
thieving  expeditions,  for  which  they  are  fitted,  as  well  by  the  attri- 
butes already  mentioned  as  by  a  perfectly  unreasoning  docility. 
These  qualities  have  been  more  legitimately  utilised  in  the  M  o  h  p  a  n  i 
coal-mines,  where  a  considerable  number  of  the  miners  are  G  o  n  d  s, 
and  even  for  military  purposes — a  G  o  n  d  battalion  having  been 
raised  for  service  in  the  critical  times  of  1857-58  ; — ^but  though  not 
wanting  in  courage  and  coolness,  they  were  found  scarcely  capable 
of  taking  a  suflSciently  high  polish  of  discipline  and  order.  The 
exact  position  which  these  G  o  n  d  s  occupy  in  the  social  scale  is 
ordinarily  below  the  lowest  of  the  recognised  Hindu  tribes,  but 
above  the  M  h ar  s  and  D  h  e  r  s,  who,  though  not  known  to  be  of 
aboriginal  descent,  are  equally  denied  admission  within  the  pale 
of  genuine  Hinduism,  and  thus  have  no  caste  except  among 
themselves.  But  although  beneath  the  depth  to  which  he  has  sunk 
there  is  a  lower  deep  still,  the  tame  G  o  n  d  is  so  low  in  Hindu 
estimation  that  the  huts  of  his  people  are  almost  always  clustered 
apart  from  the  better  habitations  in  the  villages  of  the  valley. 


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INTEODUCTION.  Cxiii 

In  the  highlands,  where  the  H  i  n  d  u  s  do  not  care  to  penetrate, 
the  Gonds  are  seen  to  better  advantage.  On  the  range  of  hills 
north  of  Ellichpur  (in  Berar),  where  they  come  into 
contact  with  other  aboriginal  races,  instead  of  accepting  a  subor- 
dinate position,  they  take  the  lead,  generally  becoming  the  pateU 
or  headmen  of  their  villages.*  Writing  of  this  class  in  1825, 
"Sleeman  says,t  "Such  is  the  simplicity  and  honesty  of  character 
"of  the  wildest  of  these  Gonds,  that  when  they  have  agreed  to  a 
"  JarMj  they  will  pay  it,  though  they  sell  their  children  to  do  so, 
**and  will  also  pay  it  at  the  precise  time  that  they  agreed  to. 
"  They  are  dishonest  only  in  direct  theft,  and  few  of  them  will 
"  refuse  to  take  another  man*s  property  when  a  fair  occasion  oflfers, 
"  but  they  will  immediately  acknowledge  it.  They  consider  as  a 
"matter  of  course  all  the  better  kind  of  crops  they  till  to  go 
«•  exclusively  to  pay  the  Government  rent,  and  of  that  they  dare  not 
"  appropriate  any  part.  The  Kodo  and  KuikU  or  coarser  grains,  they 
"eat  or  sell,  with  some  jungle  fruit,  to  provide  themselves  the  salt 
"they  require,  and  the  very  little  cloth  they  use  to  cover  their 
"  nakedness.*' 

These  particulars  are  quite  confirmed  by  more  modern  ob- 
servers, though  since  Sleeman's  time  civilisation  has  extended  its, 
to  them  injurious,  influence  over  a  constantly  increasing  section  of 
the  really  wild  Gonds.  The  best  specimens  of  them  now  remain, 
ing  are  in  the  feudatory  State  of  B  a  s  t  a  r ,  lying  to  the  extreme 
south  of  the  province.  In  this  ill-explored  wilderness  of  hill  and 
forest  at  least  four-fifths  of  the  population  may  probably  be  classed 
under  the  head  of  G  o  n  d  s  and  their  allied  races.  Hitherto  there 
seems  to  have  been  no  very  hard  and  fast  line  between  these  diffe- 
rent subdivisions,  rising  from  the  Maris  or  the  Marias,  the 
wildest  of  all,  to  the  semi-Hinduised  Khatolwdrs  and  Raj- 
Gonds.  InChandd,  where  the  forest-country  meets  the  more 
civilised  plain,  the  higher  classes  of  Gonds  are  recruited  from 


t  Hislop's  Aboriginal  Tribes  of  the  Central  Provinces,  part  i.  p.  13. 
^  MSS.  Notes  on  Mr.  Molony's  Report  onNarsinghpiir,  note 2. 


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Cxiv  INTRODUCTION. 

the  wilder  tribes,  and  it  is  said  that  the  process  of  transfor- 
mation may  be  observed  in  actual  operation,  the  Maria  first 
callinghimself  **  Koitur,*'  then  ''JangW'  or  "  Forest G o n  d,'*  and 
lastly  shaking  off  the  prefix  and  designating  himself  **  Gond*' — 
pure  and  simple.*  A  little  more  and  he  might  sublimate  himself 
into  the  Khatolwar  or  Khatulya  class,  under  which  are  en- 
rolled all  of  this  family  who  **  have  begun  to  conform  to  the  Hindu 
religion  and  to  ape  Hindu  manners,*'t  except  of  course  the  R^j- 
Gonds,  who  claim  a  higher  lineage. 

A  very  interesting  account  of  the  Maris  will  be  found  below 
under  the  heading  **Bastar/'J:  The 
writer,  Captain  Cjlasiurd,  describes  them  as 
a  "  shy  race,  avoiding  all  contact  with  strangers,  and  flying  to  the 
*«  hills  on  the  least  alarm.*'  He  adds  that  they  are  timid,  docile,  and 
**  not  quarrelsome — indeed  amongst  themselves  most  cheerful  and 
**  light-hearted,  always  laughing  and  joking.  *  *  *  *  In 
**  common  with  many  other  wild  races  they  bear  a  singular  character 
"  for  truthfulness  and  honesty ;  and  when  they  once  get  over  the 
**  feeling  of  shyness,  they  are  exceedingly  frank  and  communica- 
**  tive."  Of  the  same  class,  but  even  wilder,  are  the  Maris,  who  in- 
habit the  difficult  country  called  Madia n,  or  Abajmard.  The 
whole  population  will  fly  at  the  sight  of  any  number  of  strangers  ap- 
proaching their  village,  and  the  appearance  of  a  horse  is  a  perfect 
terror  to  them.  It  is  not,  moreover,  very  easy  to  find  their  habita- 
tions, which  are  constantly  shifting.  Revenue  is  collected  from 
them  through  an  official  called  a  "  Chdlkif*'  who  makes  it  his  busi- 
ness to  know  where  the  villages  are  to  be  found ;  and  such  other  com- 
munication as  they  have  with  the  outer  world  is  carried  on  through 
the  medium  of  the  cultivators  of  a  frontier  village,  who  alone  find 
it  worth  while  to  venture  into  so  rough  a  country  for  a  poor  trade 
in  cloth,  beads,  and  salt,  paid  for  in  coarse  grain  and  wax.  The 
Maris  possess  no  cattle  of  any  kind,  and  their  only  implements  of 

*  See  below,  p.  137  (article  *'  C  h  i  n  d  d)/' 

t  Hislop's  Aboriginal  Tribes  of  the  Central  Provinces,  part  i.  p.  5. 

X  See  below  (article  "  B  a  s  t  a  r),  "  pp.  34—35. 


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INTRODUCTION.  CXV 

agriculture  are  a  hatchet  and  an  iron  hoe.  Like  the  Marias,  they 
seem  quiet,  truthful,  and  honest,  and  though  timid  they  are  readily 
reassured  by  kind  treatment. 

Putting  aside,  therefore,  their  distaste  to  strangers  and  to  fresh 
water,  they  appear  to  be  harmless,  well-dispositioned  nomads,  with 
little  of  the  sensational  barbarism  which  has  been  attributed  to 
them.  It  has  been  seen  that  in  Sir  Richard  Jenkins'  time  they 
were  represented  as  naked  savages,  living  on  roots  and  sprigs,  and 
hunting  for  strangers  to  sacrifice.*  Even  in  the  far  more  recent 
work  of  Mr.  Hislop  the  Maria  women  are  said  to  wear  nothing 
but  bunches  of  twigs,  fastened  to  a  string  passing  round  their 
waists.f  The  least-clothed  Maris  seen  by  Captain  Glasfurd  wore 
a  square  patch  of  cloth,  suspended  as  the  twigs  are  supposed  to 
have  been,  and  he  describes  even  the  wildest  of  them  as  raising 
grain  for  their  food,  and  smoking  tobacco  grown  by  themselves.  It 
is  difficult  to  imagine  that  a  race,  whom  a  strange  face  now  puts  to 
flight,  should  ever  have  laid  themselves  out  systematically  to  seek 
foreign  victims,  and  it  seems  far  more  probable  that  these  old  marvels 
arose  in  city  gossip,  originated,  perhaps,  by  some  Ma  rat  ha  official 
knowing  nothing  of  Ba star  but  its  distance  and  poverty,  and  hop- 
ing  devoutly  that  unkind  fate  would  never  lead  him  to  know  more. 

As  the  Ma  r  i  a  s  are  the  most  characteristic  section  of  the  Dravi- 

dian  races  in  these  provinces,  so  the  B  a  i  - 

The  Baigis.  ,  i.     x  i  ^-         ^u  4- 

gas  may  be  taken  as  presenting  the  most 

strongly  marked  individuality  among  the  Kolarian  aborigines. 
An  excellent  account  of  them  will  be  found  below  under  the  head- 
ing "Mandla,*'{  by  Captain  H.  C.  E.  Ward,  who  has,  during 
the  last  few  years,  devoted  considerable  time  and  interest  to  study- 
ing their  habits.  Though  their  associations  and  their  religious 
ceremonies  have  stamped  them  in  the  general  opinion  as  a  non- 
Aryan  race,  they  have  qualities,  both  physical  and  moral,  which  give 

*  See  above  p.  xii.;  also  Sir  R.  Jenkins'  Report  on  N  a  g  p  d  r  (Edn.  N  i  g  p  ti  r  Anti- 
quarian Society,)  p.  23. 

t  Hialop's  Aboriginal  Tribes  of  the  Central  Provinces,  part.  i.  p.  8. 
t  See  below  (article  "Mandla),"  pp.  278—280. 


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CXvi  INTRODUCTION. 

them  a  distinct  pre-eminence  among  their  fellow-denizens  of  the 
woods  and  hills.  The  purest  of  the  race  in  the  Eastern  Forests  of 
Mandla  approach  in  feature  to  the  aquiline  Aryan  type,  and 
as  a  rule  they  are  above  the  G  o  n  d  s  in  stature.  In  character  not 
only  do  they  possess  in  a  very  high  degree  the  savage  virtues  of 
truth  and  free-bearing,  but  they  show  a  power  of  combination 
and  independent  organisation  very  rare  among  savage  tribes. 
Writing  in  1869  Captain  Ward  was  able  to  record  that  for  three 
years  not  one  of  these  wild  Baigas  had  troubled  the  district 
courts  of  justice.  All  offences  and  disputes  are  referred  by  them 
to  the  village  tribunal,  consisting  of  a  committee  of  elders,  which 
also  manages,  with  considerable  system  and  success,  the  internal 
affairs  of  the  communities.  Crime  is,  however,  rare,  except  it  be 
the  appropriation  of  a  stray  handful  of  grain  in  times  of  scarcity,  or 
an  occasional  forgetfulness  of  the  marriage-tie,  neither  of  which 
are  regarded  as  very  heinous  offences,  or  severely  visited  by  the 
representatives  of  public  opinion.  Though  their  method  of  culti- 
vation, by  burning  down  the  forest  and  sowing  seed  in  the  ash,  is 
wasteful  and  precarious,  it  is  not  adopted  so  much  from  idleness  as 
from  the  unsuitability  of  regular  husbandry  to  the  steep  hill-sides 
and  thick  forests,  in  which  alone  the  Bai  gas  find  a  congenial  soli- 
tude. Indeed  at  the  sowing  season,  when  occasion  demands  it, 
they  show  themselves  capable  of  enduring  protracted  labour  and 
considerable  privation,  though  these  qualities  are  more  generally 
displayed  in  the  chase,  of  which  they  are  passionately  fond.  With 
their  light  axes  they  bring  down  unerringly  small  deer,  hares,  and 
peacocks,  and  sometimes  even  panthers  thus  fall  victims  to  their 
skill.  Though  they  are  wonderfully  nimble  in  evading  beasts 
of  prey,  they  will  not  hesitate  to  attack  tigers  if  it  is  to  save 
a  comrade,  and  even  their  dogs  are  so  thoroughly  familiarised  with 
these  conflicts,  that  a  case  is  known  of  a  tiger  having  been  turned 
from  its  human  prey  by  the  attacks  of  a  puny-looking  Baiga 
cur.  Whether  it  be  from  this  superiority  in  mental  and  physical 
qualities,  or  from  some  lingering  tradition  of  their  exalted  descent, 
the  Baigas  are  the   accepted  priests  of  other   aboriginal  races. 


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INTRODUCTION.  CXVll 

and  their  decisions,  especially  in  boundary  cases,  command  most 
implicit  respect  throughout  the  hill  country.  Their  peculiar 
powers  are  supposed  to  lie  in  the  removal  of  disease,  and  the 
pacification  of  disturbed  spirits.  No  hill-man  will  go  near  the  spot 
where  a  comrade  has  been  killed  by  a  tiger  till  the  Ba  iga  has  per- 
formed his  rites,  both  to  lay  the  spirit  of  the  dead,  and  to  counteract 
the  increased  power  which  the  tiger  is  believed  to  absorb  from  his 
victim.  The  process  is  very  simple.  The  Baiga  goes  through  a 
series  of  antics,  supposed  to  represent  the  tiger  in  his  fatal  spring,  and 
ends  by  taking  up  with  his  teeth  a  mouthful  of  the  blood-stained 
earth.  When  this  is  done  the  jungle  is  free  again,  and  there  really 
may  be  thus  much  genuineness  in  the  remedy,  that  if  the  tiger 
were  still  hanging  about  the  spot  he  would  probably  commence 
upon  the  Baiga,  who  thus  acts  as  a  kind  of  forlorn-hope  in  meet- 
ing the  first  brunt  of  danger.  His  power  of  combating  disease 
commands  even  a  wider  acceptance,  being  admitted  and  courted  by 
the  Hindu  population  of  the  adjoining  lowlands.  When  cholera 
breaks  out  in  a  village,  every  one  retires  after  sunset,  and  the 
B  aiga  s  parade  the  streets,  taking  from  the  roof  of  each  hut  a  straw, 
which  are  burnt,  with  an  offering  of  rice,  clarified  butter,  and  tur- 
meric, at  some  shrine  to  the  east  of  the  village  site.  Chickens 
daubed  with  vermilion  are  then  driven  away  in  the  direction  of  the 
smoke,  and  are  supposed  to  carry  the  disease  with  them.  If  they 
fail,  goats  are  tried,  and  last  of  all  pigs,  which  never  disappoint 
expectation,  the  reason  being,  according  to  Captain  Ward,  that  by 
the  time  their  turn  has  come,  owing  to  the  delay  incurred  in  re- 
peated ceremonies,  and  in  getting  up  subscriptions  to  pay  for  them, 
the  epidemic  outbreak  has  ordinarily  worked  itself  out. 

The  Baigas  are  said  to  resemble  in  many  respects  the  un- 
The  B  h  ( 1 8  doubtedly  Kolarian  B  h  i  1  s,   whose  head- 

•  quarters  are  in  the  V  i  n  d  h  y  a  n  range, 
some  four  hundred  miles  west  of  the  Baiga  forests;  but  there 
are  some  striking  differences  between  the  habits  of  the  two  tribes. 
The  Baigas,  as  has  been  seen,  have  easy  notions  about  the  mar- 
riage tie,  and  build  their  villages  in  a  very  gregarious  fashion.     The 

15  cp^ 


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CXviii  INTRODUCTION. 

Bhils  are,  on  the  contrary,  very  jealous  of  the  honour  of  the  other 
sex,  and  very  doubtful  of  the  continence  of  their  own;  they 
therefore  guard  against  accidents  by  keeping  their  houses  far 
apart.*  In  m^ral  character,  however,  the  Bhils  seem  to  be 
certainly  below  their  brother  aborigines.  Whether  it  be  owing 
to  a  naturally  intractable  disposition,  or  to  the  temptations  offered 
by  their  central  position  throughout  the  M  a  r  a  t  h  a  and  Pindhari 
wars  of  the  **  time  of  trouble,*'  they  were  certainly  more  determined 
marauders  than  any  other  of  the  hill  races,  till  Outram  took  them 
in  hand.  Those  of  them  who  cultivate  are  now  said  to  be  scru- 
pulous in  keeping  their  engagements,  and  instances  are  quoted  of 
their  rising  to  the  position  of  steady  and  substantial  farmers.  The 
B  h  i  1  a  1  a  s — who  are  apparently  lowland  Bhils,  calling  themselves 
after  their  Bhil  Rajput  chiefs,  just  as  in  Scotland  the  name  of 
a  powerful  sept  was  sometimes  taken  by  subordinated  races — are 
the  dregs  even  of  the  tame  aborigines,  being  proverbial  for  dis- 
honesty and  drunkenness.  The  Mohammadan  Bhils  are  another 
instance  of  the  ill-eflTects  which  the  strong  meat  of  civilisation 
has  upon  primitive  races  ill-prepared  to  receive  it.  They  retain 
nothing  of  what  should  have  been  to  them  an  elevating  faith  but  its 
most  elementary  rites,  and  are,  "  with  few  exceptions,  a  miserable 
"  set,  idle  and  thriftless,  and  steeped  in  the  deadly  vice  of  opium- 
"  eating."t 

The  Kurkus  again,  who  live  on  and  round  the   Mahadeo 
hills,  conform  more  nearly  to  the  ordi- 

The   Kurktis.  ^^^^  aboriginal  type.    They  are  mostly 

black,  with  flat  faces  and  high  cheek-bones,  so  that  it  is  difficult  to 
distinguish  them  from  the  Gonds  in  appearance. J  Like  most  of 
these  hill  races  and  unlike  the  Bhils,  they  are  not  prejudiced 
about  feminine  chastity,  and  **  there  seems  to  be  almost  no  possible 
'*  form  of  illegitimacy  so  long  as  a  K  u  r  k  u   man  or  woman  consort 

*  Captain  Ward's  M  a  n  d  I  a  Settlement  Report,  Note  on  (V> »  d  8  and  B  a  i  g  £  s> 
para.  19* 

t  Captain  Forsyth's  Nimdr  Settlement  Report,  paras.  410,  411. 

X  Mr.  C.  A.  Elliott's Hoshangdb^d  Settlement  Report,  Appendix  i.  para.  3. 


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INTRODUCTION.  Cxix 

"  only  with  their  own  race,"*  But  they  have  the  virtues,  as  well 
as  the  failings,  of  their  kind.  **  They  are  remarkably  honest 
**  and  truthful ;  slow  at  calculation  ♦  ♦  ;  very  indignant  at 
"  being  cheated.     ♦  «  ♦     Though  too  improvident  and 

"  lazy  to  be  good  cultivators,  they  are  in  great  request  as  farm- 
"  servants  and  ploughmen,  being  too  honest  to  defraud  their 
"  master  of  labour  or  material/'t 

Everything  thus  tends  to  show  that  civilisation,  in  the  only 
form  in  which  he  as  yet  knows  it,  is  the 
Difficulty  of  civilising  the    ^^gt  f^tai   of  all  influences  to  the  semi- 
abongiaes.  ..it 

savage    aboriginal.     He  tries  to   match 

with  the  H  i  n  d  u  in  cunning,  and  loses  his  simple-minded  honesty 
without  gaining  a  step  in  the  race  of  life.  He  learns  a  more  careful 
method  of  cultivation,  but  only  to  exercise  it  as  the  tool  of  the 
superior  intelligence  by  which  he  has  been  instructed.  His  brute- 
courage  survives,  but  it  only  serves  him  to  become  a  cat's-paw  in 
dark  enterprises,  which  bring  profit  to  his  master, — to  him  risk  and 
demoralisation.  In  this  dull  helot  life  the  spirit  of  the  hill-man, 
who  in  his  own  wilds  knew  no  restraint  but  the  easy  sway  of  vague 
supernatural  powers,  becomes  cribbed  and  confined,  the  constant 
sense  of  inferiority  wears  away  his  self-confidence,  and  he  sinks  to 
the  condition  of  a  mere  besotted  animal.  Thus  the  natural  lever 
of  association  with  those  immediately  above  him  having  proved 
worse  than  ineffectual,  it  becomes  a  difficult  problem  indeed  to 
raise  his  tastes  and  aspirations.  If  he  is  too  far  behind  the  Hindu 
to  enter  into  competition  with  him  successfully,  it  may  be  that 
the  only  means  of  fitting  him  to  hold  his  own  would  be  to  develop 
his  character  and  strengthen  his  abilities  in  isolation  from  deteriora- 
ting influences.  There  are  malarious  localities  in  which  the  physical 
qualities  of  the  hill-men  should  give  them  almost  a  monopoly  of  em- 
ployment ;  and  efforts  are  now  being  made  to  induce  members  of  the 
aboriginal  tribes  to  serve  in  the  police  of  the  wilder  districts,  and  to 


♦  Mr.  C.  A.  Elliott's  Hoshangdbdd  Settlement  Report,  Appendix i.  para.  30. 
f  Ibidt  para.  4. 


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cxx" 


introduction: 


take  employment  as  watchers  and  woodmen  in  the  Government  for- 
ests. The  attempts  to  educate  them  at  the  Government  schools  have 
hitherto  necessarily  been  mere  beginnings,  but  they  have  not  been 
so  fruitless  as  to  discourage  hope,  and  a  scheme  is  on  foot  for  estab- 
lishing aboriginal  schools  in  connection  with  the  Forest  Depart- 
ment, which  promises  greater  results.  In  the  forests  of  Mandla, 
where  land  is  plentiful,  and  malaria  keeps  competitors  at  a  distance, 
the  education  of  the  wandering  Baigas  has  commenced  at  an  even 
earlier  stage ;  and  it  may  be  hoped  that  the  measures  devised  for 
confining  them  within  fixed  though  liberal  limits,  and  thus  turning 
them  from  the  chase  to  agriculture,  will  in  time  bear  fruit. 

Altogether  the  Ethnological  Committee  compute  that  there  are 
twenty-three  certain  and  six  doubtful  aboriginal  races  in  the  Cen- 
tral Provinces.  Of  the  former  thirteen  are  classed  as  Kolarian 
and  ten  as  Dravidian,  while  under  the  head  **doubtfuP'  each 
division  contributes  three.*  It  is,  however,  likely  that  some  of  the 
designations  given  as  generic  merely  mark  subdivisions  of  the 
same  race,t  and  that  others  belong  to  tribes  who,  though  generally 
considered  aboriginal,  are   of  doubtful   origin.     Thus    it   seems 

*  Report  of  Ethnological  Committee  of  the  Central  Provinces  (1868),  Introduc- 
tory chapter,  p.  7  : — 


"  Kolarian. 

Kol. 

Kurkii. 

Bhfl. 

Binj  wdr. 

BhunjCy  d. 

B  h  d  m  i  a. 

B  a  i  g  d. 

Dhdngar. 

Gadbd. 

K  a  n  w  a  r. 

Nihar. 

M^njf. 

Mdhto. 

S  a  0  n  r  d. 

Golf. 

Agharid. 


1^ 


Dravidian. 
Gond. 

B  h  a  t  r  d-G  o  n  d. 
Mdrf-Gond. 
Mdrid  or  Gottawar. 
D  h  n  r  w  e-G  o  n  d. 
Khatolwd  r-G  o  n  d. 
Agharid-Gond. 
Halbd. 
Ko£. 
Khond. 
Dhanwdr.  ^  -^ 

Ndhii.        ;>! 

Panic  a.  J§    " 


t  Thus  Binjwdrs   are  a  subdivision  of  the   B  a  i  g  d  s  • 


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INTRODUCTION.  CXXl 

doubtful    whether    the     Kan  wars — a    curious    primitive    race 

TheKanwars  ^^^  ^^^^   *^®  greater  part  of  the   hill 

country  overlooking  the  Chhattlsgarh 
country— are  not  of  Aryan  stock.  It  is  certain  that  one  of 
their  chiefs — the  Zaminddr  of  N  a  r  r  a — obtained  his  estate  some  one 
hundred  and  fifty  years  ago  as  a  marriage  dowry  with  the  daughter 
of  the  R  a j  p  ii  t  chief  of  K  h  a  r  i  a  r.  Another  sign  of  R  a  j  p  u  t  con- 
nection is  their  worship  of  the  sword  under  the  name  of  ^^Jhdgrd 
khindi**  and  it  seems  that  they  conquered  the  country,  which  they 
now  occupy,  from  the  aboriginal  B  buy  as.*  On  the  whole  there 
is  much  in  favour  of  the  theory  that  they  are  "  imperfect  R  a  j  p  u  ts 
•*  who  settled  in  early  times  among  the  hills  of  the  Vindhyan 
"ranges,  and  failed  in  becoming  Hinduised,  like  other  warlike 
**immigrants."t  They  are  now  classed  with  the  aboriginal  races 
mainly  because  their  habits  and  observances  are  non-Hindu — 
thus  they  marry  at  puberty,  bury  their  dead,  and  eat  flesh  and  drink 
liquor,  with  the  exception  of  a  limited  section,  who  conform  to  the 
more  distinguished  Brahmanical  faith,  in  the  hope  of  obtaining 
recognition  as  Raj  p u  t s.  So  palpable  is  the  innovation,  however, 
that  Kan  wars  wearing  the  aristocratic  cord  do  not  hesitate  to 
take  wives  from  among  the  unconsecrated  septs  of  their  race4 

The  only  other  aboriginal  or  quasi-aboriginal  tribe  which 
deserves  special  notice  is  the  Halba, 
which  appears  to  be  an  importation  from 
the  south,  and  where  not  Hinduised,  has  some  very  original 
customs.  In  the  wild  country  of  Bast ar  they  are  said  to  "gain 
"their  living  chiefly  by  distilling  spirits,  and  worship  a  pantheon 
"of  glorified  distillers,  at  the  head  of  whom  is  Bahadur  Kalal."§ 
In  the  Raipur  district,  where  they  hold  thirty-seven  flourish- 
ing villages,  they  have  settled  down  as  steady  cultivators,  and, 
unlike  other  aboriginal  tribes,  are  quite  able  to  hold  their  own 

*  Mr.  J.  F.  K.  Hewitt's  R  i  i  p  d  r  Settlement  Report,  para.  115. 
t  Ibid. 

X  Mr.  Chisholm's  B  i  1  £  s  p  li  r  Settlement  Report,  para.  120. 
§  Mr.  Hewitt's  R^( p d  r  Settlement  Report,  para.  117. 


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CXXll  INTRODUCTION. 

in  the  open  country.  Their  religious  observances  are  very  simple : — 
"  All  that  is  necessary  for  a  good  H  a  1  b  a  is  that  he  should  sacrifice^ 
"  once  in  his  life,  three  goats  and  a  pig,  one  to  each  of  the  national 
"deities  called  Naray an  Gosain,  Burha  Deo,  Sati,and 
"Ratna;  of  these  the  two  former  are  male,  and  the  two  latter 
"female  divinities,  and  it  is  to  Narayan  Gosain  that  the  pig  ift 
"  sacrificed/** 

In  this  brief  sketch  of  the  principal  aboriginal  tribes  of  the 

Central    Provinces   stress   has  been  laid 
Aboriffinal  beliefs  and  cere-  ,,  xi.   •    j«  x-         •  i>'  •   i    i. 

monies.  *     rather  on  their  distinguishing  social  charac- 

teristics than  on  their  rites  and  ceremonies, 
which,  whether  originally  peculiar  to  diflferent  tribes  or  not,  are  now 
so  intermingled  and  confused,  that  they  may  be  regarded  almost  as 
common  property.  The  Gonds,  according  to  Hislop,t  have 
about  fifteen  gods,  but  few  or  none  of  the  tribe  are  acquainted  with 
the  whole  list.  ThakurDeo  and  D  u  1  h  a  D  e  o— both  household 
gods— and  Burha  Deo,  the  great  god,  are  the  most  popular  objects 
of  worship  throughout  Gondwana,  and  they  command  a  certain 
respect  even  among  so-called  Hindus.  All  aboriginal  tribes 
have  a  decided  respect  for  the  powers  of  evil,  whether  in  the  form  of 
cholera  and  small-pox,  or  under  the  more  idealised  guise  of  a  de- 
structive  god  and  his  even  more  malignant  wife.  {  Indeed  the  theory 
that  the  Aryan  Hindus  drew  this  element  of  their  worship  from 
aboriginal  sources  is  not  without  strong  confirmatory  evidence  in 
these  provinces.  The  shrine  of  M  a  h  a  d  e  v  a  (Siva),  on  the  P  a  c  h- 
mar  hi  hills,  which  till  lately  attracted  the  largest  religious  fair 
in  these  provinces,  is  still  under  the  hereditary  guardianship  of 
Kurku  chiefs,  and  the  oldest  temples  on  the  far  more  widely 
celebrated  island  of  Mandhatd,  on  the  Narbada,  originally 
the  seat  of  worship  of  the  aboriginal  powers  of  evil,  Kal  Bhairava 
and  Kali  Devi,  and  afterwards  appropriated  by  the  more  civilised 


*  Mr.  J.  F.  K.  Hewitt's  B  if  p  d  r  Settlement  Report,  para.  1 18. 
t  Aboriginal  Tribes  of  the  Central  Provinces,  part  i.  p.  14. 
t  Kal  Bhairava  and  Kil(  Dev(. 


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INTRODUCTION.  CXXlll 

god  of  destruction,  Siva,  are  to  this  day  under  the  charge  of  Bhii 
custodians.*  Sun  worship  seems  to  be  a  Kolarian  proclivity, 
being  found  equally  among  the  KolsofSambalpurin  the  south- 
eastern  corner  of  the  province,  and  among  the  Kurkus  of  the 
Mahadeo  hills  more  than  four  hundred  miles  to  the  north- 
west.  The  Baigas  again  are  distinguished  by  an  extra- 
ordinary reverence  for  **  mother  earth.*'  On  the  other  hand  the 
Khonds,  who  are  classed  as  Dra vidian,  combine  both  these 
faiths.  It  is  in  short  impossible,  in  the  present  state  of  our  know- 
ledge* to  found  any  generalisations  on  the  shifting  beliefs  of  tribes 
to  whom  change  is  almost  a  necessary  of  life,  and  whose  customs 
are  constantly  acting  and  reacting  upon  each  other.  The  Ethno- 
logical Committee  appointed  in  1867  to  report  on  the  aboriginal 
tribes  of  the  Central  Provinces,  after  a  careful  analysis  of  the 
peculiar  practices  attributed  to  each  race,  came  to  the  conclusion 
that  no  distinctive  customs  had  been  elicited  by  their  analysis  as 
attaching  to  separate  tribes.  In  their  own  words, — •*  It  had  been 
**  suggested  that  the  worship  of  dead  relatives  belonged  to  the 
**Kolarians,  or  supposed  immigrants  from  the  north-east;  but 
"  it  seems  certain  that  all  the  wild  tribes  of  Central  India  worship 
"  relatives  immediately  after  death,  and,  moreover,  traces  of  this 
"  superstition  may  be  found  all  the  world  over.  The  Hindus 
"themselves  now  practise  rites  of  the  same  kind.  Herodotus 
"  and  Homer  could  be  quoted  to  show  the  antiquity  of  the 
"custom.  And  Captain  Burton  describes  the  ceremonies  as  they 
"are  now  practised  in  Central  Africa;  also,  by  the  way,  the 
**  worship  of  trees— a  very  early  and  widely-spread  supersti- 
"  tion  in  India.  If  it  be  true  that  all  races  in  their  earlier 
"periods  of  development  pass  through  certain  states  of  religious 
"belief,  then  a  general  account  of  the  religion  of  a  tribe  will 
"not  assist  the  ethnographer,  though  one  or  two  peculiar  forms 
"  of  worship  may  give  a  clue  to  recent  aflSnities.  However,  the 
"  gods  of  the  Khonds  are  plainly  the  same  as  the  gods  of  the 
"  south-eastern   G  o  n  d  s.     The  word  PeUy  or  Pennu  for  deity,  is 

*  See  below,  article  "  M  d  n  d  h  fi  t  ^"  p.  259. 


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CXXIV  INTRODUCTION. 

**  common  to  both.  And  that  ceremony  of  bringing  back  the  soul 
**  of  the  deceased  does  seem  peculiar  to  these  provinces,  at  any 
«*  rate. 

"  As  for  D  u  1  h  a  D  e  o,  so  commonly  mentioned  as  a  favourite 
**  Gond  deity,  he  comes  from  Bundelkhand,  and  is  the  apo- 
*'  theosis  of  a  bridegroom  (D  u  1  h  a)  who  died  in  the  marriage  pro- 
**  cession,  and  whose  untimely  end  so  affected  the  people  that 
**  they  paid  him  divine  honours.*  None  of  these  tribes  keep  a 
**  regular  priesthood,  but  employ  medicine-men,  exorcists,,  men 
**  who  are  the  stewards  of  the  mysteries  by  mere  profession,  not 
"  necessarily  by  birth,  or  by  entry  into  a  religious  order.  In  fact 
"  their  religion  is  simple  fetichism — the  worship  of  any  object  sup- 
**  posed  to  possess  hidden  influence  for  weal  or  woe. 

**  Funeral  rites. — Most  of  the  tribes  burn,  as  well  as  bury, 
<*  their  dead ;  they  cannot  be  divided  like  more  civilised  nations 
**  into  those  that  burn  and  those  that  bury.  Burial  is  probably 
"the  more  ancient  custom  here  as  elsewhere;  the  aborigines 
«*of  north-east  Bengal  are  usually  said  to  bury,  and  it  may  be 
**  fairly  conjectured  that  the  practice  of  burning  is  entirely  bor- 
•' rowed  from  the  Aryan  Hindus.  Most  of  these  tribes  raise 
"  memorials  to  their  dead — a  pure  Turanian  feature. 

^^  Marriage  customs  and  ceremonies  exist  in  infinite  variety  all 
"  the  world  over,  and  the  practice  of  pretending  to  abduct  the 
"  bride,  which  is  universal  among  these  tribes,  is  probably  known 
"  widely  among  all  such  societies.  The  serving  a  fixed  period  for  a 
"  bride  is  curious  ;  it  prevails  among  the  Koch  and  B  o  d  o  people 
"  of  the  north-east  hills  (Hodgson),  and  is  easily  intelligible  among 
**  very  poor  races  where  women  are  at  a  premium.  The  tribes 
**  classified  do  not  intermarry  among  each  other,  nor  do  they  usually 
''  eat  together/'t 

*  "Compare  the  legend  of  Adonis — ^his  worship —and  that  of  Thammuz,  "  whose 
annual  wound  in  Lehanon  allured  the  Syrian  damsels  to  kment  his  fate,"  &c,  &c — 
Milton.'' 

t  Report  of  the  Ethnological  Committee,  Central  Provinces  (186S),  Introductory 
chapter,  pp.  9,  10. 


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INTRODUCTION.  CXXV 

Of  all  that  has  been  said  regarding  the  gradual  displacement 

A  of  the  aboriginal  tribes  in  one  of  their  last 

Aryan  races.  ° 

refuges  by  H  i  n  d  u  races,  nothing,  perhaps, 
has  marked  the  course  of  events  more  strongly  than  the  simple  fact, 
drawn  from  the  census  records,  that  inGondwana  there  are  now 
only  two  millions  of  aborigines  out  of  a  total  population  of  nine 
millions.  The  remaining  seven  millions  almost  amount  to  a  micro- 
cosmof  the  peoples  of  India;  and  justice  is  administered  in  the 
Central  Provinces  in  five  different  languages — U  r  d  u,  Hindi,  Ma- 
rathi,  Uriya,  and  Telugu.  But  though  nearly  every  quarter 
of  the  peninsula  has  thus  sent  forth  its  representatives  to  this  de- 
batable land,  the  great  mass  of  the  population  has  been  furnished 
by  the  Hind  i-speaking  races  of  Upper  India.  In  round  num- 
bers the  seven  millions  may  be  thus  classified : — 

1^  million  of  Mar ath i-speaking  races. 
^       do.         Uriya  do. 

5         do.         Hindi  do. 

The  Marathas  proper — consisting  chiefly  of  Maratha 
B rah  mans  and  Kunbis — scarcely  exceed  half  a  million  in 
number,  but  owing  to  the  prominent  and  powerful  position  so  long 
occupied  by  them  in  the  country,  they  have  imposed  their  langu- 
age and  some  of  their  customs  on  about  twice  their  own  number  of 
menial  and  Helot  races,  such  as  D hers  and  Mang  s,  who,  Mara- 
thas in  Nagpur,  speakers  of  Hindi  in  the  Narbada  valley, 
only  retain  their  individuality  because  they  are  too  low  in  the  scale  for 
absorption.  The  Maratha  influence,  however,  did  not  penetrate 
much  beyond  the  Nagpur  plain,  consisting  of  the  lower  valleys 
of  the  Wardhaand  Wainganga.  To  thesouth  of  this  areathe 
Telinga  races  are  intermingled  with  the  settlers  from  the  west, 
though  not  in  suflSciently  large  numbers  to  influence  a  general 
calculation,  based,  like  the  above,  on  units  of  large  dimensions  only. 
To  the  east  there  isChhattisgarh,  inhabited,  after  some  fifteen 
centuries  of  R  aj  p  u  t  ascendency,  mainly  by  Hindu  races,  except 
in  the  remote  eastern  district  ofSambalpur,  which  by  language 
belongs  to  Orissa.     The  northern  line  of  demarcation  may  be 

I6cpg 


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CXXVl  INTRODUCTION. 

drawn  along  the  southern  crest  of  the  Satpura  range,  for  though 
a  few  Marathas  are  found  on  the  table-land,  there  are  probably 
more  Hindi  speakers  ** below  the  ghats''  in  the  Nagpur  plain, 
and  the  almost  universal  language  of  the  three  Satpura  districts, 
Seoni,  Chhindwara,  and  Betul,  is  Hindi.  It  would  seem 
indeed  as  if  the  stronger  race  had  rolled  back  the  weaker  one 
on  their  common  meeting  ground.  Though  for  hundreds  of  years  no 
R a j  p  u t  king  had  held  sway  in  Central  Gondwana,  while  every 
part  of  it  had  been  subject  to  the  Marathas,  there  are  whole 
colonies  ofPonwars,  Lodhis,  and  other  northern  tribes  in  the 
Nagpur  plain,  and  the  Hindi  language  is  understood  throughout 
it,  while  above  the  ghdts  M  a  r  a  t  h  a  would  be  of  very  little  assistance 
to  a  traveller  out  of  the  larger  towns.  The  predominance  of  the 
northern  races  may,  perhaps,  be  referred  to  that  seeming  law  of 
Indian  population  which  directs  the  course  of  immigration  from 
north  to  south,  training  up  in  the  rich  northern  plains  a  sturdy  and 
prolific  population,  and  causing  it  in  due  season  to  overflow  and 
force  its  way  southwards. 

For  long,  however,  the  stream  was  turned  aside  by  these  isolated 

heights,  and  it  is  only  within  the  last  three 
Aryan  colonisation.  .  ,  ^  ,      , 

centuries    that    Gondwana    has    been 

occupied  by  Hindu  races.     It  was  ruled  by  R  aj  p  u  t  chiefs,  as 

has  been  seen,*  at  a  very  much  earlier  period,  but  those  seem  to 

have  been  days  in  which  Raj  p  u t s  had  not  been  thoroughly  assi- 

milated  into  the   Hindu  caste  system,  and  it  is  quite  conceivable 

that  they  may  have  reigned  as  a  semi-foreign  tribe  directly  over 

the    aborigines,    without    the   intervention  of  a  middle  class  of 

Hindus.      Certainly   this   seems  to    have   been   the   system    in 

Nimar,  where  **at  a  very  early  period  the  aboriginal  tribes  were 

"more  or  less  subjected  to  the   domination  of  various  clans  of 

"Rajputs,    successive   immigrations   of  them    subdividing    the 

"country  into  numerous  petty  chiefships.     In   the  more  central 

"  and  open  parts  of  the  district  these  clans  appear  to  have  kept  them- 

"  selves  distinct  from  the  aborigines  they  subdued,  and  as  their  own 

*  Sec  above,  p.  Iviii. 


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INTRODUCTION.  CXXVll 

"members  increased,  to  have  gradually  passed  from  the  condition 
"  of  mere  military  lords  of  the  soil,  exacting  the  means  of  livelihood 
'*from  the  toil  of  the  indigenous  races,  to  the  actual  cultivation  of 
"  it  ^?ith  their  own  hands/** 

The  country  was  not  really  opened  out  to  Hindu  settlement 
till  the  reign  of  Akb  a  r.  Although  his  dominions  never  included 
more  than  the  western  portion  of  Gondwana,  yet  his  armies 
penetrated  to  the  easternmost  parts  of  the  Narbada  valley,  and 
the  gun  manufacturers  of  Katangi  in  Jabalpur  are  said  to  be 
descended  from  a  party  of  his  soldiers.  The  returning  troops,  even 
more  than  those  who  stayed  behind,  may  have  contributed  to  the 
settlement  of  the  country,  by  describing  its  beauty  and  fertility  in 
their  own  over-crowded  villages;  and  there  are  traces  of  a  consider- 
able Hindu  immigration  shortly  afterwards.  Sleeman  says, — 
"  Probably  such  emigration  from  the  north  began  with  the  invasion 
"  and  conquest  under  Akbar;  for  though  tradition  speaks  of  an 
"  intercourse  with  Delhi,  and  a  subjection,  nominal  or  real,  to  its 
"  sovereigns  from  him  down  to  the  paramount  sway  of  the  Mara- 
"  thas,  no  mention  is  ever  made  of  any  before ;  nor  can  we  trace 
"  any  invasion  or  conquest  of  these  parts  by  the  sovereigns  of  the 
"  Dec  can.'*  He  adds — "  The  oldest  rupees  that  ha  ve  been  found 
"  in  the  treasures  buried  in  the  earth  at  different  times  along  the 
"Narbada  valley  are  of  the  reign  of  A  k  b  a  r."t 

The  mass  of  the  Hindu  population  is  probably  of  later  date, 
and,  counting  by  number  of  generations,  may  be  referred  to  the  time 
of  Aurangzeb.J  The  older  settlers  are  in  many  districts  called 
"  Jharias'*  or**  Jharias"from  **t7A4r"  (underwood, — forest), 

^,        ,  and  are  much  looser  in  their  observances 

Changed  manners. 

than    later   comers  of  the     same    caste, 
eating  forbidden  food,  and  worshipping  strange    gods.     For  some 

*  Captain  Forsyth's  N  i  m  d  r  Settlement  Report,  para.  1 10. 
t  MSS.  "  Preliminary  Notes,"  note  2. 

X  Sir  R.  Jenkins'  Report  on  N  a  gp  d  r   (Edn.  N  dg.  Antiq.   Society),  p.  25.   Mr. 
Elliott's  Hoshangiib^d  Settlement  Report,  chap.  iii.  para.  9. 


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CXXVin  INTRODUCTION. 

generations  after  their  arrival  the  northern  importations  generally 
keep  up  their  home  connection  by  marriage,  fearing  to  ally  them- 
selves with  degenerate  brothers  who  may  have  carried  their  care- 
lessness in  social  matters  so  far  as  to  permit  misalliancesj  and, 
perhaps,  even  to  have  contracted  some  taint  of  aboriginal  blood. 
By  degrees,  however,  the  fear  of  distant  public  opinion  wears  off, 
and  they  find  it  convenient  to  follow  the  example  of  their  neigh- 
bours. Religious  and  social  standards  are  thus  very  imperfectly 
maintained.  Gods  of  most  opposite  tendencies  find  themselves 
associated  in  "  happy  families,"  and,  indeed,  some  combination 
among  them  is  probably  needed  to  withstand  the  influence  of  the 
local  deities,  who  muster  very  strong,  and  recruit  their  influence 
from  all  quarters.  Not  only  are  there  the  elemental  divinities  of  the 
hills  and  the  forests,  but  the  spirits  of  the  dead  pass  very  rapidly 
from  a  state  of  canonisation  to  one  of  deification.  Thus  in  the 
Hoshangabad  district  the  Ghori  (Mohammadan)  kings  of 
Malwa  seem  to  have  attained  this  dignity  without  distinction  of 
persons,  and  a  Hindu  in  difficulties  would  as  soon  invoke  the 
"Ghori  Badshah^as  any  other  supernatural  power.*  At 
M  u  r  m  a  r  i,  ten  miles  from  Bhandara,  the  villagers  worship  at  the 
tomb  of  an  English  ladyt — ignorant,  and  probably  careless,  of  the 
object  for  which  it  was  erected.  In  social  matters  ideas  are  equally 
confused.  There  is  amongst  most  castes  no  restriction  on  widow 
marriage,  except  with  the  widow  of  a  younger  brother ;  and  when 
a  widow  remains  unmarried,  public  opinion  allows  her  to  manage 
her  husband's  estates,  and  does  not  condemn  her  very  strongly  for 
giving  him  a  temporary  successor  or  successors.  Indeed  there  is  not 
much  rigidity  about  the  marriage  tie  at  all,  and  the  offsprings  of  irre- 
gular connections  are  often  allowed  to  succeed  equally  with  those 
born  in  regular  wedlock.  The  conventional  character  and  pursuits 
of  a  caste,  too,  are  often  quite  transformed  by  the  change  of  associa- 
tions and  circumstances.  The  G  u  j  a  r  s,  like  other  reformed  rakes, 
are  among  the  steadiest  members  of  the  community,  and  have  a 

*Hoshang£b£d  Settlement  Report,  chap.  iii.  para.  91,  foot-note, 
f  See  below,  p.  6^. 


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INTRODUCTION.  .    CXXIX 

great  deal  too  much  property  of  their  own  to  admit  the  idea  of  pro- 
fessional cattle-lifting  as  a  possibility  amongst  civilised  people. 
TheLodhis — mere  agricultural  drudges  in  Upper  India — have 
attained  some  distinction  as  swash-bucklers  and  marauders  in  the 
Narbada  country,  and  some  of  their  chiefs  still  retain  all  the 
popular  respect  due  to  families  which  have  forgotten  to  live  on  their 
own  industry.  On  the  other  hand  there  may  be  found  R  a j  p  u  t  s 
who  have  put  aside  their  swords  and  pedigrees,  and  taken  to 
banking. 

But  the  most  striking  and  interesting  of  all  these  movements 
,    ,  ^,        ,  is  the  religious  and  social  revolt  among: 

the  Chamars  of  Chhattisgarh.  In 
Upper  India  there  is  no  more  despised  race.  In  the  distribution  of 
occupations  nothing  has  been  left  for  them  but  the,  in  H  i  n  du  eyes, 
degrading  handicraft  of  skinning  dead  cattle,  which  is  so  insuffi- 
cient for  their  numbers  that  the  great  majority  of  them  are  driven 
to  earn  their  bread  from  hand  to  mouth  by  ill-paid  day-labour.  In 
the  great  isolated  plain  of  Chhattisgarh,  where  the  jungle  has 
not  even  yet  been  thoroughly  mastered  by  man,  hands  cannot  be 
spared  from  agriculture  simply  to  gratify  social  prejudices,  and  the 
Chamars,  who  make  up  some  twelve  per  cent,  of  the  population, 
are  nearly  all  cultivators.  A  considerable  proportion  of  them  have 
acquired  tenant-rights,  and  they  own  362  villages  out  of  a  total  of 
6713.  Although,  therefore,  they  have  not  quite  risen  to  an  equality 
with  other  castes,  they  have  entirely  broken  the  tradition  of  serfdom 
which  tied  them  down  and  dulled  their  aspirations,  and  they  have 
been  emboldened  by  the  material  change  in  their  condition  to  free 
themselves  altogether  from  the  tyranny  of  Brahmanism.  The 
creed  adopted  by  them  is  the  **  Satnami**  or  "  Rai  Dasi"— a 
branch  of  one  of  the  most  celebrated  dissenting  movements  in  In- 
dian religious  history.*  The  local  revival  occurred  not  quite  half 
a  century  ago,  and  was  headed  by  one  of  the  brotherhood  named 


^  The  R  &  m  a  n  a  n  d  i  s.     See  Host's  Edition  of  Wilson's  Essays  on  the  Religion  of 
the  Hindtis^Tol.  i.  p.  113  (1862). 


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CXXX  INTRODUCTION. 

Ghasi  Das.*  Since  his  time  corruptions  have  crept  in,  and  the 
attempt  to  start  with  too  high  a  standard  ofasceticism,  by  forbidding 
tobacco  as  well  as  liquor,  has  produced  a  split  in  the  community. 
The  theory  of  their  religion  is  perhaps,  like  its  social  practice,  too 
refined  for  a  rough  agricultural  people,  which  has  only  lately  emerg- 
ed from  centuries  of  social  depression.  No  images  are  allowed — 
it  is  not  even  lawful  to  approach  the  Supreme  Being  by  external 
forms  of  worship,  except  the  morning  and  evening  invocation  of  his 
holy  name  (Satndm)^  but  believers  are  enjoined  to  keep  him  con- 
stantly in  their  minds,  and  to  show  their  religion  by  charity.  A 
faith  so  colourless  and  ideal  has  scarcely  motive-power  to  influence 
the  daily  life  of  the  rough  Chamars,  and  their  morality  is 
said  not  to  be  very  strict.  The  priests  are,  indeed,  accused  by  the 
Brahmansof  using  their  power  to  gratify  their  sensual  tastes, 
but  no  Satnami  acknowledges  the  truth  of  this  charge.  Even  if 
the  creed  be  weak  as  a  moral  support,  it  is  strong  as  a  social  bond, 
and  no  longer  weighed  down  by  a  sense  of  inferiority,  the  Satna- 
mis  hold  together  and  resist  all  attempts  from  other  castes  to  re- 
assert  their  traditional  domination  over  them.  They  are  good  and 
loyal  subjects,  and  when  they  have  grown  out  of  a  certain  instabi- 
lity and  improvidence,  which  are  the  natural  result  of  their  long, 
depressed  condition,  they  will  become  valuable  members  of  the 
community. 

But  the  orthodox  Hindu  has  an  even  greater  trouble  than 
dissent  in  Chhattisgarh.  The  wild 
hill  country  from  M  a  n  d  1  a  to  the  eastern 
coast  is  believed  to  be  so  infested  by  witches  that  at  one  time  no 
prudent  father  would  let  his  daughter  marry  into  a  family  which  did 
not  include  amongst  its  members  at  least  one  of  the  dangerous 
sisterhood.t  The  non- Aryan  belief  in  the  powers  of  evil  here  strikes 
a  ready  chord  in  the  minds  of  their  conquerors,  attuned  to  dread 
by  the  inhospitable  appearance  of  the  country,  and  the  terrible 
effects    of   its    malarious   influences    upon    human  life.     In    the 

*  See  below,  article  «  B  i  U  a  p  li  r,"  p.  100. 

t  Sleeman'a  "  Bambles  and  Recollections,"  vol.  i.  pp.  93,  96. 


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INTRODUCTION.  CXXXl 

wilds  of  Mandlathere  are  many  deep  hill-side  caves  which 
not  even  the  most  intrepid  Baiga  hunter  would  approach,  for 
fear  of  attracting  upon  himself  the  wrath  of  their  demoniac  in- 
habitants; and  where  these  hill-m en,  who  are  regarded  both  by  them- 
selves  and  by  others  as  ministers  between  men  and  spirits,  them- 
selves  fear,  the  sleek  cultivator  of  the  plains  must  feel  absolute 
repulsion.  Then  the  suddenness  of  the  epidemics  to  which,  whether 
from  deficient  water  supply  or  other  causes.  Central  India  seems  so 
subject,  is  another  fruitful  source  of  terror  among  an  ignorant 
people.  When  cholera  breaks  out  in  a  wild  part  of  the  country  it 
creates  a  perfect  stampede — villages,  roads,  and  all  works  in  pro- 
gress are  deserted ;  even  the  sick  are  abandoned  by  their  nearest 
relations  to  die,  and  crowds  fly  to  the  jungles,  there  to  starve  on 
fruits  and  berries  till  the  panic  has  passed  off.  The  only  considera- 
tion for  which  their  minds  have  room  at  such  times  is  the  punish- 

ment  of  the  offenders ;  for  the    ravages 

Panisliment  of  witches.  ^  i       .1         i»  i       •.    .•       i 

caused  by  the  disease  are  unhesitatingly 
set  down  to  human  malice.  The  police  records  of  the  Central 
Provinces  unfortunately  contain  too  many  sad  instances  of  life  thus 
sacrificed  to  a  mad,  unreasoning  terror.  The  tests  applied  are  very 
various ;  as  a  commencement,  either  a  lamp  is  lighted,  and  the 
names  of  the  supposed  witches  being  repeated,  the  flicker  of  the  light 
is  supposed  to  indicate  the  culprit;*  or  two  leaves  are  thrown 
up  on  the  out-stretched  hand  of  the  suspected  person,  and  if  that 
which  represents  him  (or  her)  falls  uppermost,  opinion  goes  against 
him.t  In  Bastar  the  leaf-ordeal  is  followed  by  sewing  up  the 
accused  in  a  sack  and  letting  him  down  into  water  waist-deep ;  if 
he  manages  in  his  struggles  for  life  to  raise  his  head  above  water, 
he  is  finally  adjudged  to  be  guilty.  Then  comes  the  punishment. 
He  (or  she)  is  beaten  with  tamarind  or  castor-oil  plant  rods,  which 
are  supposed  to  have  a  peculiar  efficacy  in  these  cases ;  J   the  teeth 


*  Mr.  Chisholm's  B  i  H  s  p  li  r  Settlement  Report,  para.  132. 
t  Captain  Glasfurd's  Report  on  the  Dependency  of  B  a  s  t  ar.     Selections  from  the 
Records  of  the  Government  of  India  in  the  Foreign  Department,  No,  xxxix.  pp.  53,  54. 
t  M8S.  PoUce  Records,  1865,  R i ip  li  r. 


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CXXXll  INTRODUCTION. 

are  knocked  out  and  the  head  is  shaved.  The  extraction  of  the 
teeth  is  said  in  B  as  tar  to  be  effected  with  the  idea  of  preventing 
the  witch  from  muttering  charms,  but  in  Kumaon  the  object  of 
the  operation  is  rather  to  prevent  her  from  doing  mischief  under 
the  form  of  a  tiger,  which  is  the  Indian  equivalent  of  the  loup^ 
garou.*  The  shaving  of  the  head  is  attributed  by  an  acute  observer 
to  the  notion  of  power  residing  in  the  hair,  and  it  seems  clear,  from 
the  recorded  instances,  that  it  is  done  rather  as  an  antidote  against 
future  evil  than  merely  as  a  punishment  to  the  offender.f 

Sometimes  the  suspected  persons  escape  these  trials,  accom- 
panied as  they  are  by  abuse,  exposure,  and  confinement,  with  life, 
and  then  they  are  driven  out  of  the  village.  But  often  the  tests  are 
too  severe  for  them,  or  the  fury  of  the  villagers  is  so  roused  by  the 
spectacle  that  they  kill  their  victims  outright.  The  crime  is  not  yet 
quite  extinct,  but  it  has  been  much  checked  of  late  years  by  the 
expedient  of  executing  the  murderers  on  the  scene  of  their  misdeeds. 
To  quote  again  from  the  paper  already  mentioned — "  There  is  at 
^*  this  moment  no  logical  method  whatever  of  demonstrating  to  a  mdl- 
^*guzdr  of  R  ai p  ur  that  witchcraft  is  nothing  but  a  delusion  and 
"  an  imposition.  Your  only  chance  would  be  the  proving  that  such 
"  things  are  contrary  to  experience;  but  unluckily  they  are  by  no 
^*  means  contrary  to  every-day  experience  in  R  aip  u  r,  and  the  facts 
" are  positively  asserted  and  attested;  wherefore  we  are  reduced 
"  to  abandon  logic  altogether,  and  to  give  out  boldly  that  any  one 
"  who  kills  a  witch  shall  be  most  illogically  hanged — a  very  prac- 
'*  tical  and  convincing  line  of  argument."  J 

To  sum  up.     The  Hindu  castes  most  largely  represented  in 

the  Central  Provinces'  population  are,from 
Prevalent  H  i  n  d  d  castes.         , ,  ^i.      -r*     /  r  -n  ^  • 

the     north — B  rah  mans,     Rajputs, 

A  h  i  r  s  (herdsmen),  L  o  d  h  i  s   and  K  u  r  m  i  s  (cultivators),    and 

C  hamars  ;  from  the  south  and  west — Brahmans,  and  Kunbis. 

*  •'  Witchcraft  in  the  Central  Provinces,"  by  Mr.  A.  C.  Lyall,  in  "  Once  in  a  Way," 
p.  54. 

t  Ibid,  p.  56. 

X  Ibid,  p.  60. 


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INTRODUCTION.  CXXXlll 

Tel  is  (oil-pressers),  Kalals  (distillers),  Dhimars  (fishermen 
and  bearers),  Mai  is  (gardeners),  and  D  h  er  s  (outcastes),  are  also 
numerous  throughout  the  province,  but  have  taken  in  each  part  of  it 
the  impress  of  the  dominant  race,  speaking  Marathain  Nagpur 
and  Hindi  in  the  N  a  r  b  a  d  a  country.  Of  Mohammadans  there 
are  only  237,962  altogether  (not  three  percent  of  the  population), 
and  many  of  these  of  a  very  hybrid  sort. 


CHAPTER  VII. 


ADMINISTRATION    Al^D    TRADE. 

Etlmical  imbdivisions — Formation  of  the  Central  Provinces — First  measures  of  administra- 
tion— Non-regulation  system — General  and  Judicial  administrative  staff — District 
duties — The  revenue — Land  revenue — Land  Tenure — Salt  and  Sugar  tax — Excise — 
Stamps  and  assessed  taxes — Forest  revenues — Miscellaneous  receipts — Education — 
Higher  education — Sanitation  and  Vaccination — Dispensaries — Jails — Local  funds 
and  operations — The  Engineering  Department — Communications — Trade — Exports, 
Cotton — Native  cloth  trade — Grain  trade — Remaining  articles  of  export — Imports, 
Salt — Sugar — Piece-goods  and  other  articles  of  import — Conclusion. 

The  preceding  brief  notice  of  the  population  of  the  Central 
Provinces  shows  that  though  it  was  originally,  so  far  as  we  know, 
homogeneous,  or  at  least  that  one  race — the  G  o  n  d — predominated 
sufficiently  to  give  a  name  and  distinctive  character  to  the  country, 
yet  in  subsequent  times  the  aboriginal  stratum  has  been  so  overlaid 
by  foreign  accessions  from  the  four  quarters  of  the  compass,  that 
the  country  is  now  split  up  into  subdivisions,  ethnically  connected 

with  entirely  different  provinces  of  India. 

Ethnical  subdivisions.  rr»i         o/  jt\  t.         j.uTr* 

1  hus  IS  a  g  a  r  and  D  a  m  o  h  on  the  V  i  n  - 
d h y a n  plateau  somewhat  resemble  Bundelkhand.  The 
Narbada  valley  population,  though  more  localised  and  individual- 
ised, has  similar  affinities.  The  Nagpur  country  is  a  bastard  of 
the  Maratha  family.  Sironcha  and  parts  of  Chanda  come 
within  the  outskirts  ofTelingana.  Sambalpur  leans  to 
Orissa.  Nimar  and  Chhattisgarh,  especially  the  latter, 
are  exceptions,  each  possessing  a  dialect  and  characteristics  peculiar 
to  itself.  After  the  B  h  o  n  s  1  a  kingdom  was  broken  up,  the  experi- 
ment  was  tried  of  attaching  these  disjecta  memhra  of  different 
ir  cpg 


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CXXXIV  INTRODUCTION. 

nationalities  to  their  parent  stocks.  The  northern  provinces  were 
first  administered  by  a  semi-political  agency,  but  were  afterwards 
added  to  the  Lieutenant-Governorship  of  the  North-Western  Pro- 
vinces.  N  i  m  a  r  was  administered  directly  from  I  n  d  o  r  e,  the 
nearest  seat  of  British  power,  and  indirectly  from  A'  gra.  S  a  m  - 
balpur  was  included  among  the  non-regulation  districts  of  the 
Bengal  Province.  N  a  g  p  u  r  only  retained  a  Government  of  its 
own,  the  Resident  being  transformed  into  a  Commissioner  until 
better  arrangements  could  be  made.  Chhattisgarh  was  a  kind 
of  no-man's-land,  but  as  it  was  not  easily  accessible  from  any  side 
but  the  west,  considerations  of  administrative  convenience  pre- 
vailed, and  it  remained  attached  to  the  B  h  o  n  s  1  a  capital.  None 
of  these  dispositions  w^orked  quite  successfully.  The  Sagar  and 
N  a  r  b  a  d  a  territories  were  never  really  amalgamated  with  the  North- 
Western  Provinces,  from  which  they  are  separated  by  a  vast  inter- 
vening  tract  of  independent  country.  They  had  an  administrative 
staff,  codes,  and  procedure  of  their  own,  and  owing  to  their  dis- 
tance  from  the  seat  of  Government,  and  the  difference,  in  many 
important  respects,  of  their  physical  and  moral  characteristics  from 
those  on  which  the  experience  of  the  North-Western  administration 
had  been  founded,  the  orders  of  the  Government  often  failed  to 
to  strike  home,  and  the  province  became  practically  an  outlying 
dependency,  in  which  external  authority  was  rather  felt  as  a 
check  than  as  a  stimulus.  N  i  m  a  r  was  in  much  the  same  case, 
while  the  wild  chiefships  attached  to  Sambalpur  were  always 
hot-beds  of  disorder.  Thus  Gondwana  had  been  lopped  of  its 
extremities  and  resolved  into  two  provinces ;  neither  of  them 
large  enough  to  ensure  the  healthy  circulation  of  ideas  and 
the  emulation  among  the  official  staffs,  which  are  indispensable 
to  administrative  success.  The  nominal  supervision  of  distant 
authorities  had  proved — as  must  always  be  the  case  where  a 
poor,  distant,  and  unattractive  dependency  is  added  to  the  charge  of 
an  old  Government,  fully  occupied  with  the  established  routine  of 
its  more  importantand  immediate  interests — quite  inadequate  to  put 
spirit  into  the  administration,  or  to  throw  clear  light  on  the  real 
wants  of  the  country  and  tlie  people.     Abandoning  therefore  the 


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INTRODUCTION.  CXXXV 

experiment — which  had  indeed  originated  rather  accidentally,  in 
consequence  of  the  gradual  disintegration  of  the  Bhons  la  king- 
dom, than  in  any  set  design  of  separating  the  Hindi  and  Mara- 
t  h  a  elements  ofGondwan  a — Lord  Canning  decided,  in  Novem- 

Formation  of  the  Central  ter  1861,  to  reunite  British  Central  India 
Pronnces.  under  one  strong  Government,     It  fell  to 

the  lot  of  Sir  Richard  (then  Mr.)  Temple  to  write  the  first  official 
account  of  the  new  territories,  and  newspaper  readers  of  that  time 
(1861-62)  must  still  remember  the  curiosity  with  which  it  was  await- 
ed, and  the  interest  with  which  it  was  perused,  not  only  on  account 
of  the  high  reputation  of  the  writer,  but  owing  to  the  novelty  of  the 
subject  which  he  treated.  There  was  a  famous  lake  at  Sagarj 
Ja b a  1  p  u  r  produced  Thug  informers,  tents,  and  carpets  ;  N  a  g  p  u  r 
had  been  the  capital  of  one  of  the  great  Ma  r  at  h  a  kingdoms,  and 
the  country  generally  was  inhabited  by  G  o  n  d  s  (spelt  **  Gooands"), 
whom  some  supposed  to  be  **  a  low  caste  of  Hindu  s,'*  others,  to 
be  men  of  the  woods,  who  lived  in  trees  and  kidnapped  travellers 
to  sacrifice  them  to  their  gods  ; — these  were  the  main  heads  of  the 
popular  information  about  G on d wan  a.  Sir  Richard  Temple 
was  able,  in  less  than  a  year,  to  give  an  account  of  the  province,  its 
people,  its  history,  and  its  wants,  which  subsequent  research  has 
supplemented,  but  has  not  altered  or  improved  in  any  important 
particular.  In  his  first  two  seasons  he  penetrated  into  almost  every 
corner  of  a  province  larger  than  Great  Britain,  and  with  scarcely  a 
mile  of  made  road,  except  that  leading  out  of  it,  from  Jabalpur 
to  M  i  r  z  a  p  u  r.  The  knowledge  thus  gained  by  inquiry  and  obser- 
vation served  to  facilitate  the  still  arduous  work  of  freeing  the 
administrative  machine  from  time.-honoured  obstructions— already 
crumbling  away,  perhaps,  under  the  influence  of  air  and  light  from 
without, — and  of  building  up,  almost  from  the  commencement,  a 

First  measures  of  adminis-  fr^sh  and  more  perfect  organism.  The 
*^"^0D.  first  year's   list   of  measures*  comprises 

*  Among  these  judicial  reform  has  not  heen  mentioned,  hecause,  although  perhaps  the 
most  important  and  difficult  of  all,  it  does  not  come  under  the  class  of  creative  measures. 
The  complete  and  rapid  reorganisation  of  the  Courts  effected  hy  Mr.  John  Strachey,  was, 
however,  as  great  a  boon  as  could  possibly  have  been  conferred  on  a  law-loving  people. 


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CXXXVl  INTRODUCTION. 

thirty-nine  headings,  among  which — putting  aside  departments 
already  in  full  working,  which  only  needed  stimulation — may 
be  counted  the  land-revenue  settlement  and  record  of  agricultural 
rights;  the  introduction  of  State  education  (into  the  Nagpur 
province)  ;  the  construction  of  trunk  roads  ;  the  repression  of 
drunkenness  by  the  introduction  of  the  Central  distillery  system  ; 
the  levy  of  a  local  cess  to  support  village-schools  ;  the  organisation 
of  a  regular  constabulary;  the  creation  of  an  honorary  magistracy  ; 
the  introduction  of  jail  discipline,  and  the  erection  of  suitable  jail 
buildings;  the  preservation  of  forests;  the  improved  preparation 
of  cotton  for  the  English  market ;  the  extension  of  irrigation  ;  the 
establishment  of  mercantile  fairs ;  the  suppression  of  forced 
labour ;  and  the  collection  of  reliable  statistics  of  population, 
trade,  and  agriculture.  In  some  of  these  respects  a  commence- 
ment had  been  made,  especially  in  the  Sagar  and  Narbada 
territories,  but  in  all  there  was  much  severe  up-hill  work  required 
to  bring  the  Central  Provinces  up  to  the  level  of  other  parts  of 
India.  Thus,  although  preliminary  settlement  operations  had  for 
years  dragged  their  slow  length  along,  no  single  assessment  had 
been  announced,  and  while  the  Government  was  losing  the  benefit 
of  the  general  enhancement  which  has  since  taken  place,  the  people 
were  in  places  suffering  from  the  pressure  of  the  demand.  In  the 
Nagpur  province  the  prisons  were  "temporary  makeshifts  of 
the  worst  description."*  State  education  had  been  commenced 
in  about  a  third  of  the  province,  but  the  scheme  comprised  no 
regular  village-schools,  while  in  the  remaining  districts  there  was 
no  educational  system  at  all.  In  short  in  the  Sagar  and  Nar- 
bada territories  much  had  to  be  done ;  in  the  Nagpur  province 
almost  everything  had  to  be  done,  and  public  opinion,  for  the  first 
time  called  into  council,  demanded  a  rate  of  progress  rapid  in 
proportion  to  the  deficiencies  to  be  made  up.  The  essential  diffi- 
culties of  forcing  the  progress-rate  w^th  a  limited  command  of  men, 
money,  and  time,  were  much  enhanced  in  the  Central  Provinces  by 
the    characteristics  of  the   country.     The    distances  were   great, 

♦  Admittistration  Report  of  the  Central  Provinces  (l8Gl-0*2),  p.  59. 


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INTRODUCTION.  CXXXVii 

the  communications  were  rough,  difficult,  and  even  dangerous. 
Even  now  an  order  from  head-quarters  can  scarcely,  under  the 
most  favourable  circumstances,  be  in  the  hands  of  all  district 
officers  under  a  week's  time.  The  regular  post-lines  indeed 
worked  with  astonishing  regularity,  considering  the  rude  machi- 
nery by  which  they  were  carried  on,  and  the  inhospitable  country 
through  which  many  of  them  passed,  though  occasionally  a  man- 
eating  tiger  would  stop  all  night-travelling,  or  a  mountain  torrent 
in  flood  would  cause  a  day's  delay,  or  perhaps  a  bad  fever  season 
would  prostrate  the  post-runners  over  many  miles  of  road.  But 
when  the  missives  of  authority  had  to  be  passed  on  to  the  subordi- 
nate officials  in  the  interior,  quitting  the  main  net- work  of  com- 
munication, their  progress  was  beset  with  even  greater  difficulties. 
Admitting  that  they  reached  their  destination  safely,  effect  had  to 
be  given  to  the  instructions,  which  they  contained,  in  a  wild, 
thinly-inhabited  backward  country,  by  means  of  native  officials, 
almost  all  of  whom  were  foreigners,  little  interested  in  the  people, 
driven  from  their  homes,  perhaps,  by  inability  to  obtain  service 
where  competition  erected  a  high  standard  of  qualification,  and  . 
with  no  aspiration  but  to  shake  off  the  dust  of  their  feet  from  this 
land  of  j  ungle,  witches,  and  fever.  In  short  there  was  a  necessary 
loss  of  power  at  every  step,  and  in  judging  of  the  past  by  the  pre- 
sent, it  must  be  remembered  that  these  harassing  mechanical 
obstacles  are  now  no  longer  so  formidable,  and  that  their  mitigation 
is  mainly  due  to  Sir  Richard  Temple's  energy. 

A  detailed  account  of  the  steps  by  which  the  administration 

has  reached  its  present  form  would  be  out 

Non-regulation  system.  i?i  i  i^i-ni^i/» 

"^  of  place  even  here,  but  a  brief  sketch  of 

the  existing  constitution  of  the  Central  Provinces  may  be  useful  for 

purposes  of  comparison.     The  term  "  non-regulation,'*  as  is  well 

known,  has  quite  lost  its  original  meaning ; — it  now  merely  implies 

that  the  regulations  and  laws  passed  for  the  B  e  n  g  a  1    Presidency 

prior  to  the  promulgation  of  the   **  Indian  Councils'  Act,  1861" 

(24  &  25  Vic,  Cap.  LX  VII.)  do  not  necessarily  apply  to  the  province 

thus  designated.     All  acts  of  an  imperial  character  have  the  same 


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CXXXViii  INTRODUCTION. 

force  here  as  elsewhere  in  India  ;   and  the  Central  Provinces,  like 

other  non -regulation  provinces,  have  also. had  extended  to  them 

from  time  to  time  considerable  portions  of  the  local  law  of  the 

Bengal   Presidency.     In  almost  every  respect,   then,   the  legal 

procedure  is  as  strictly  defined  as  in  the  oldest  provinces,  and  the 

only  distinguishing  feature  of  the  system,  in   its  present  form,    is 

the  combination  of  judicial  and  executive  functions  in  the  same 

officials — a  method  which  has  more  than  a  formal  value  among  a 

simple  people,  unaccustomed  to  the  subdivision  of  authority   or  to 

the  intricacies  of  law.     The  administra- 

General  and  judicial  admin-    tion   is  carried  on  by   a  Chief  Commis- 
istrative  staff.  .  »  t    ^  %  o  i  a      • 

sioner,  aided  by  a  Secretary  and  an  Assis- 

tant  Secretary,  in  direct  subordination  to  the  Government  of  India* 
In  addition  to  his  general  duties  of  superintendence,  he  is  charged 
with  the  special  supervision  of  the  Revenue  and  the  Executive. 
The  Courts,  Civil  and  Criminal,  are  separately  controlled  by  a  Chief 
Judge,  under  the  name  of  Judicial  Commissioner,  in  deference  to  the 
principle  of  guarding  against  abuse  from  the  combination  of  judicial 
^  and  executive  functions,  by  keeping  the  former  in  the  last  resort 
independent  of  the  latter.  The  administrative  staff  consists  of  four 
Commissioners,  nineteen  Deputy  Commissioners,  seventeen  Assistant 
Commissioners,  twenty-four  Extra  Assistant  Commissioners,  and 
fifty  Tahsilddrs  or  Sub-Collectors,  who  are  distributed  over  nine- 
teen districts,  grouped  into  four  divisions.  The  police  force,  con- 
sisting of  eighteen  District  Superintendents,  two  Assistant  District 
Superintendents,  fifty-two  Inspectors,  and  7,417  petty  Officers  and 
Constables,  is  controlled  by  an  Inspector-General  in  matters  of  dis- 
cipline,  and  in  its  internal  relations  generally,  but  in  its  executive 
functions  it  is  subordinate  to  the  district  authorities.  Education, 
Forest  conservancy,  and  Vaccination  have  separate  establishments  of 
their  own,  though  the  regular  civil  staff  is  expected  to  contribute 
assistance,  direct  or  indirect,  to  the  operations  of  these  departments. 
Jail  management.  Sanitation,  and  Registration  are  more  or  less  in  the 
hands  of  the  local  authorities,  but  are  supervised  by  special  officers. 
The  Medical  staff,  consisting  of  eighteen  Civil  Surgeons  and  Apo- 
thecaries,  nine   Sub-Assistant  Surgeons,  and  ninety-five  Hospital 


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INTRODUCTION.  CXXXlX 

Assistants  or  Native  Doctors,  is  directly  subordinate  to  the  executive 
authorities;  though  a  general  control  and  supervision  is  maintained 
over  them  by  the  heads  of  the  Medical  Department  throughout 
India.  The  Public  Works  Department  is  more  detached  from  the 
regular  administrative  staff,  owning  no  subordination  to  any  local 
authority  but  the  Chief  Commissioner,  to  whom  the  Provincial  Chief 
Engineer  is  Secretary  in  that  branch  of  the  administration. 

Next  in  the  scale  of  executive  authority  to  the  Chief  Commis- 
sioner come  the  Commissioners  of  division,  whose  charges  in  three 
cases  include  five  districts — in  one  (Chhattisgarh)  only  three. 
They  are  Sessions  Judges,  having  the  power  of  death — subject  to 
confirmation  by  the  judicial  Commissioner, — and  of  all  minor  pun- 
ishments ;  Civil  Judges  of  appeal  with  powers  under  the  Central 
Provinces  Courts'  Act  (Act  XIV.  of  1865);  and  are  also  responsible 

.     ,  for  the  general  administration  of  the  coun- 

Distnct  duties.  _         ,  .     .       ,  .  , 

try.    But  the  unit  in  the  executive  scheme 

is  the  Deputy  Commissioner,  whose  duties  are  very  various. 
He  is  the  Chief  Magistrate  of  a  district,  averaging  in  these  pro- 
vinces 4,316  square  miles  in  extent,  with  an  average  revenue  of 
Rs.  6,30,000,  and  an  average  population  of  420,000  souls,  and  has 
also  special  criminal  powers  of  imprisonment  up  to  seven  years  in 
certain  cases.  His  original  civil  jurisdiction  is  unlimited  in  amount, 
and  he  hears  appeals  from  his  Assistants  up  to  Rs.  1,000.  He  is 
also  chief  of  the  police ;  chief  collector  of  revenue;  conservator  of  the 
district  forests;  supervisor  of  popular  education;  marriage  regis- 
trar; eX'Officio  member  of  all  municipalities  in  his  district,  and  head 
of  the  local  agencies  for  the  management  of  roads,  ferries,  encamping 
grounds,  public  gardens,  stock-breeding  establishments,  rest-houses 
and  other  public  buildings  not  of  an  imperial  character.  These 
duties  branch  into  many  others  too  numerous  to  mention,  but  it 
may  safely  be  said  that  the  miscellaneous  work  of  a  Deputy  Com- 
missioner  in  a  central  district  often  occupies  more  time  than  his 
more  regular  functions.  In  subordination  to  him  the  Civil  Medi- 
cal OflBcer  manages  the  jails,  lock-ups,  lunatic  asylums,*  and  dispen- 

*  Of  these  there  are  only  two  ~  one  at  N  d  g  p  li  r,  and  one  atJabalpdr. 


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Cxl  INTRODUCTION. 

saries ;  and  the  police  investigate  all  cases  which  the  law  considers 
sufficiently  serious  to  warrant  intervention  without  special  authority 
from  a  Magistrate,  and  bring  them  before  the  Courts  in  a  complete 
form  for  triaU  They  also  take  charge  of  cattle-pounds,  collect 
vital  statistics,  guard  treasuries  and  jails,  and  escort  treasure  and 
prisoners,  besides  their  regular  duties  in  the  repression  and  detec- 
tion of  crime. 

The  Assistant  and  Extra  Assistant  Commissioners  aid  Deputy 
Commissioners  in  their  general  duties,  and  try  cases  within  the 
limits  of  their  powers,*  to  obtain  which  they  must  pass  two  examina. 
nations,  by  the  higher  and  lower  standards,  and  obtain  certificates 
of  qualification  from  their  immediate  superiors.  Assistant  Commis- 
sioners are  ordinarily  drawn  from  the  covenanted  class,  consisting 
of  members  of  the  regular  civil  service  and  officers  in  the  army  ; 
while  Extra  Assistant  Commissioners — who  are  usually  natives  of  the 
country — belong  to  the  subordinate  or  uncovenanted  Civil  service, 
and  cannot  rise  to  the  higher  appointments  except  through  the  in- 
termediate grade  of  Assistant  Commissioner,  which  is  only  conferred 
in  cases  of  special  desert.  Before  dismissing  the  subject  of  judicial 
administration  it  should  be  mentioned  that  much  assistance  has 
been  rendered  to  the  regular  judicial  staff,  and  justice  has  been 
in  many  cases  brought  home  to  the  doors  of  the  people,  by  the 


*  Act  XIV.  of  1865  thus  grades  the  Civil  Courts  of  the  Central  Provinces  :  — 

(1)  The  court  of  the  TahsUilur  of  the  2nd  class,  with  power  to  try  suits  not 

exceeding  Rs       100  in  value. 

(2)  Do.  do.  Ist  class  do.  Rs.  300  do. 
(2)  Do.  of  Asst.  Comm.  ofthe  3rd  class  do.  Rs.  500  do. 
(2)  Do.  do.  do.  2nd  class  do.  Rs.  1,000  do. 
(2)  Do.  do.  do.  Ist  class  do.  Rs.  5,000  do. 
(2)  Do.  of  the  Deputy  Commissioner  with  power  to  hear  for  any  amount. 
(2)      Do.      of  the  Commissioner              do.            Appeals.  do. 

(2)      Do.      of  the  Judicial  Commissioner  do. 

The  criminal-judicial  powers  of  the  Assistant  and  Extra  Assistant  Commissioner  are 
as  in  other  parte  of  India,  those  contemplated  by  the  Indian  Procedure  Code  (Act  XXV.  of 
1861),  viz.— 

Magistrate— imprisonment  up  to  two  years,  fine  to  the  extent  of  Rs.  1,000,  or  both. 

Sub-Magistrate  I  st  Class — imprisonment  up  to  six  months,  fine  up  to  Rs.  200,  or  both. 

Do.  2nd  Class-^imprisonment  up  to  one  month,  fine  up  to  Rs.  50,  or  both. 


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IKTRODUCTIOK.  Cxli 

appointment  of  native  Honorary  Magistrates.  Of  these  gentle- 
men  there  are  now  one  hundred  and  twelve  in  the  province,  most 
of  whom  are  landholders.  A  considerable  proportion,  however, 
belongs  to  the  merchant  and  banker  class.  The  honour  is  highly 
appreciated  and  eagerly  sought,  and  it  is  but  rarely  that  those  to 
whom  it  is  awarded  are  accused  of  abusing  their  powers.  If  the 
principle  be  borne  in  mind  of  conferring  the  honorary  magistracy 
only  on  the  accepted  leaders  of  the  people,  rather  as  an  acknow- 
ledgment of  existing  status  and  character  than  as  a  stepping-stone 
to  social  promotion,  there  is  good  ground  for  hoping  that  the 
measure  may  contain  the  elements  of  political  as  well  as  of  judicial 
success. 

The   other    main   occupation   of  the   executive  staff  is  the 

collection    of  the  revenue.     This  is  no 

The  revenue.  .     .  ,  .    .      /»  .         *• 

mere  "  sitting  at  the  receipt  of  custom," 

and  taking  what  comes  in.  The  land-revenue  is  a  fixed  amount, 
it  is  true,  during  the  currency  of  the  twenty  or  thirty  years* 
engagements,  but  it  may  fail  in  a  bad  year.  The  excise,  though 
less  directly,  is  even  more  powerfully,  affected  by  the  fluctua- 
tions of  seasons  and  prices,  inasmuch  as  the  liquor  and  drug 
consumers  are  a  poorer  and  less  provident  class  than  the  land- 
holders. The  form  of  the  assessed  taxes  has  of  late  been  changed 
yearly,  but  even  if  it  had  been  maintained,  the  changes  among  the 
poorer  tax-payers  are  so  frequent  that  minute  annual  revisions 
would  have  been  necessary.  The  Forest  Revenue  is  still  in  its 
infancy,  and  needs  careful  nursing.  The  stamp-revenue  alone 
gives  the  collector  little  trouble,  and  the  inland  customs  on  salt 
imported,  and  sugar  exported,  to  native  States  are  managed  by  an 
imperial  department. 

Of  these  heads  of  revenue   the   land  furnishes  by  far   the 

greatest  contribution.     In  1868-69  it  gave 

Rs.  59,30,603  out  of  a  total  revenue,  for 

imperial  purposes,  of  Rs.  1,04,74,699.     The  whole  of  the  land  of 

the  Central  Provinces,  with  the  exception  of  certain  assignments 

for  religious  and  other  purposes,  made  chiefly  by  former  govern- 

18  cpg 


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Cxlii  INTRODUCTION. 

ments,  belongs  theoretically  to  the  State,  which,  however,  limits  it« 

demands  to  a  fixed  share,  ordinarily  one-half  of  the  gross  rental. 

The  remainder  of  the  rents  goes  to  the 
Land  tenure.  .,  ,  /^    ,         .1. 

responsible  owners  of  the  villages— a  class 

which  our  Government  has  created  by  consolidating  the  position 
of  the  revenue  farmers,  whom  we  found  managing  their  villages 
and  paying  the  Government  dues,  often  from  generation  to  genera- 
tion, but  with  no  security  for  permanence  beyond  what  might  be 
conceded  to  the  popular  feeling  in  favour  of  prescriptive  occu- 
pancy. Subject  to  certain  conditions,  the  chief  of  which  is  the 
regular  payment  of  the  revenue,  these  men  are  now  firmly  seated 
in  their  holdings,  and  feeling  no  uncertainty  about  the  future,  are 
free  to  extend  cultivation  and  improve  their  possessions.  Without 
itself  losing  anything,  the  Government  has  thus  conferred  upon 
them  a  valuable  property,  in  the  security  of  tenure  which  draws 
capital  and  enterprise  to  the  land,  while  it  has  fostered  in  a  large 
and  powerful  section  of  society  the  surest  incentive  to  self-reliance, 
and  the  strongest  interest  in  loyalty.  *  While  the  security  of  the 
revenue  and  the  prosperity  of  the  tax-payers  have  thus  been 
ensured,  subordinate  interests  in  the  soil  have  been  consulted  by 
liberal  measures  of  tenant-right.  Under  the  well-known  Bengal 
Rent  Law  (Act  X.  of  1859)  all  cultivators  of  twelve  years'  stand- 
ing can  claim  fixity  of  tenure,  subject  to  the  payment  of  fair  rents  ; 
but  though  this  concession  may  amply  meet  the  requirements  of  a 
long-settled  country,  it  would  not  have  been  a  suflScient  recogni- 
tion of  the  claims  of  tenants,  many  of  whom  had  shared  with  the 
revenue  farmer,  though  in  a  less  responsible  degree,  the  toil  and 
some  of  the  risk  of  reclaiming  their  villages  from  the  jungle. 
Accordingly  this  class  has  been  held  entitled  to  fixity  of  rent,  as 
well  as  to  stability  of  tenure,  for  the  period  of  the  revenue  settle- 
ments, which  run  from  twenty  to  thirty  years. 

The  next  great  head  of  revenue  is  the  salt  and  sugar  tax,  from 

which    Rs.   15,45,985*   were    derived   in 

^^  1868-69.     This  is  collected  by  means  of  an 

*  Details. 

Salt Rs.  14,62,406 

Sugar „  83,579 


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INTBODUOTION.  Cxliii 

Imperial  customs  line,  dividing  the  salt-producing  districts  from  the 
bulk  of  the  British  territory  attached  to  the  Bengal  Presidency, 
and  enclosing  this  province,  roughly  speaking,  to  the  west  and  south. 
The  duty  levied  is  three  rupees  per  maund  of  82  lbs.,  part  of  which 
is  taken,  in  the  case  of  Bengal  and  Madras  salt,  at  the  works 
on  the  sea-coast.  A^^small  impost  of  one  rupee  per  maund  is  also 
levied  on  British  sugar  crossing  the  line  outwards — that  is  from 
east  to  west — for  consumption  in  foreign  States.  The  Customs 
is,  however,  a  quasi-imperial  department,  worked  by  an  executive 
of  its  own;  and  the  second  place  in  the  Revenue  Collector's  duties  is 
„    .  occupied  by  the  excise,  which  in  1868-69 

produced  Rs.  9,44,931.*  The  tax  on 
liquor  is  raised  by  means  of  the  Central  Distillery  system,  under 
which  all  distillation  must  take  place  within  certain  appointed 
enclosures,  the  duty  being  paid  on  removal  of  the  liquor.  These 
restrictions  on  free  trade  in  liquor  have  occasioned  some  loss  of 
revenue,  but  the  power  which  is  gained  by  them  of  adjusting  the 
tax  to  the  circumstances  of  the  payers  admits  of  obtaining  the 
maximum  of  revenue  with  the  minimum  of  consumption.  All 
observers  concur  in  representing  the  good  effects  of  checking  the 
supply  of  intoxicating  spirits  to  the  hill-tribes,  who  are  naturally 
very  prone  to  indulge  in  them.  In  parts  of  the  Upper  G  o  da- 
V  a  r  i  district,  where  the  aboriginal  Kois  are  so  unsettled  that 
any  interference  with  their  habits  would  drive  them  to  emigrate 
in  a  body,  the  population  of  whole  villages — men,  women,  and  even 
children — may  be  seen  drunk  for  days  together  at  the  season  of  the 
year  when  the  palm -juice  ripens  for  toddy.  In  the  wilder  por- 
tions of  the  Central  Provinces  generally  the  practice  has  so  far 
died  out  since  the  introduction  of  the  Central  Distillery  system, 
that  gur  (unrefined  sugar)  is  now  habitually  used  by  the  G  o  n  d  s 
at  their  feasts  as  a  substitute  for  spirits.     The  reform  has  thus 

*  Details. 

Liquor,. Rs.  7,18,061 

Opium „     1,21,150 

Drugs  ,     ,^    1,05,720 


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Cxliv  INTRODUCTION. 

answered  its  main  object — the  check  of  demoralisation  among  the 
people, — but  it  costs  the  revenue  collector  far  more  labour,  care,  and 
thought  than  the  simple  farming  system  which  it  succeeded. 
When  the  excise  revenue  was  derived  from  the  sale  of  the  monopoly 
of  vend,  his  responsibilities  were  limited  to  securing  a  brisk  competi- 
tion at  the  auction ;  but  now  he  has  to  adjust  prices,  satisfying 
himself,  on  the  one  hand,  that  they  are  not  forced  up  so  high  as  to 
encourage  smuggling — on  the  other  that  they  are  not  kept  so  low  as 
to  stimulate  consumpti^on ;  he  has  to  see  that  distilleries  are  supplied 
in  sufficient  numbers  and  at  proper  places,  and  to  defeat  the  efforts 
both  of  the  distillers  and  of  his  own  establishment  to  defraud  the 
revenue.  In  short  he  has  in  the  interests  of  morality  to  maintain 
artificial  checks  on  consumption,  in  opposition  not  only  to  the 
drinking-classes  themselves,  whose  tastes  and  habits  he  is  obliged 
to  cross,  but  to  the  distillers,  who  know  by  experience  that  large 
consumption  at  low  rates  creates  a  far  more  paying  trade  than  that 
which  is  now  imposed  upon  them.  The  taxes  on  opium  and  intoxi- 
eating  drugs  are  at  present  farmed,  or  to  speak  more  accurately, 
the  monopoly  of  the  retail  of  these  articles  is  annually  sold  by 
auction  ;  but  modifications  in  this  system  are  under  consideration. 

The  stamps  are   nearly  as  lucrative 

-^  ,  , ,  a    source  of  revenue   as  the  excise.     In 

Stamps  and  assessed  taxes. 

1868-69  Rs.  8,37,026  were  derived  from 
stamp  revenue. 

The  assessed  taxes  produced  in  1868-69  Rs.  3,71,155.*  In  the 
present  year  the  certificate  tax  on  incomes  over  Rs.  500  has  given 
way,  as  elsewhere  in  India,  to  a  1^  per  cent  income  tax,  from  which 
about  Rs.  2,75,000  will  be  obtained.  Incomes  under  Rs.  500  are 
taxed  by  an  impost  called  "  pdndhri,*'  which  is  peculiar  to  these 
provinces,  having  come  to  the  British  Government  as  a  legacy 
from  their  M  a  r  a  t  h  a  predecessors. 


*  DetaiU. 

Certificate  Tax Rs.  1,05,887 

P&ndhn „        26,526 


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INTRODUCTION.  Cxlv 

The  Forest  Revenues  are  derived,  in  the  case  of  the  Reserved 

Forests,  from  the  sale  of  timber  and  other 
Forest  rerenues.  j^n  t      ^  ^  ^ 

forest  products.  Of  the  Reserved  Govern- 
ment Forests,  which  cover  some  4,000  square  miles  of  country,  and 
produce  Teak  (tectona  grandis)^  Sal  (vatica  robu^ta),  S6j  {ter- 
minalia  glabra  or  tornentosa)^  Bijesdl  (pterocarpus  marsupium)^ 
Sliisham  (dalbergia  latifolia),  Kawd  (pentaptera  arjuna)^  Anjan 
(Jiardwickia  binata)^  and  other  less  valuable  woods.  They  are 
managed  by  a  Conservator,  four  Deputy  Conservators,  four 
Assistant  and  three  Sub-Conservators,  besides  a  subordinate 
staff. 

The  tree  forests  of  the  Central  Provinces  have,  however,  been 
so  much  exhausted,  mainly  owing  to  the  destructive  ddhya  system 
of  cultivation  practised  by  the  hill-tribes,  that,  except  in  one  or 
two  localities,  the  labours  of  the  Forest  officers  will  for  many  years 
be  limited  to  guarding  against  further  damage,  and  thus  allowing 
the  forests  to  recover  themselves  by  rest.     By  far  the  greater  part 
of  the  uncultivated  lands  belonging  absolutely  to  the  Government 
are  stony  wastes,  incapable  of  producing  a  strong  straight  growth 
of  timber.     But  they  supply  many  of  the  daily  wants  of  the  people — 
grass  and  poles  for  thatching;  firewood;  bamboos  for  mats  and  fences ; 
tough  small  wood  for  agricultural  implements ;  wild-fruits ;  and  above 
all  the  fleshy  mhowa  flower,  from  which  not  only  is  a  spirit  distilled, 
but  the  poorer  population  draws  half  its  sustenance  at  certain  times  of 
the  year.     Then  the  disposal  of  the  hill-grazing  grounds  is  a  question 
of  the  last  importance  to  the  villages  of  the  plain,  and  the  lac, 
silk,  wax,  honey,  resin,  and  other  articles  of  commerce  are  eagerly 
bought  up  for  export.     The  district  officer  has  therefore  to  admin- 
ister the  Government  estates  not  only  so  as  to  secure  a  full  reve- 
nue,  but   with   a  due  regard  to  the   many    interests  concerned. 
Hitherto  the  revenue  has  been  ordinarily  levied  by  means  of  annual 
usufruct  farms,  but  it  has  been  found  that  the  farmers  often  take 
undue  advantage  of  their  monopoly  to  make  exorbitant  terms  with 
the  more  ignorant  villagers  ;  and  a  system  of  commutation  under 
which  each  village  shall  pay  a  small  fixed  sum  for  the  right  to 


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Cxlvi  INTRODUCTION. 

collect  jungle  produce  is  under  consideration,  and  has  already  been 
introduced  in  some  districts. 

The  Forest  Revenues  for  1868-69  amounted  to  Rs.  3,51,014,  of 
which  Rs.  1,01,851  were  contributed  by  the  Reserved  Forests,  and 

Rs.  2,49,163  by  the  Unreserved  Forests. 
Miscellaneous  receipts.  .  ^    /»       ,       ^ 

ihe  receipts  from  Fines,  Refunds,  Re- 
gistration fees.  Profits  of  jail  manufactures,  &c.  under  the  head  of 
"Lawand  Justice,  '*  amounting  to  Rs,  2,24,527,  and  the  miscellaneous 
items,  amounting  to  Rs.  2,60,581,  make  up  the  total  revenues  for 
1868.69  to  Rs.  1,04,74,699.* 

Education,  as  has  already  been  observed,  is  on  something  the 
same  footing  as  Forest  conservancy — that 

Education.  ...  . 

is  it  is  partly  conducted  by  a  special  depart- 
ment, partly  by  the  regular  civil  staff.  Since  the  Central  Provinces 
have  been  established  in  their  present  shape,  it  has  been  recognised 
that  the  real  want  of  a  thinly-populated  backward  country  like 
this  is  cheap  instruction  for  the  many,  and  that  the  high  education 
of  the  few  must  for  the  present  be  quite  a  secondary  object. 
Aryan  civilisation  is  here  an  exotic,  which  in  the  rude  atmo- 
sphere of  the  camp  and  the  farm  has  never  reached  its  ornamental 
prime.  There  was  therefore  no  basis  of  time-honoured  erudition 
from  which  to  shape  stately  schemes  of  advanced  education ;  but  on 
the  other  hand  the  mass  of  the  people,  if  apathetic,  was  unpreju- 
diced, and  had  no  deeper  objection  to  bring  against  learning  than 
its  irksomeness.  Thus  in  eight  years  the  number  of  pupils  grew  from 
)  6,766  to  72,835.  One  in  every  125  of  the  population  is  now 
under  instruction,  which,  though  unfortunately  a  low  enough  ratio 
in  the  abstract,  compares  favourably  with  the  results  obtained  in  more 
settled  provinces.t     In   one   district,    Sambalpur,  where  the 

*  There  is  a  small  difference  between  the  Revenue  and  Finance  Department  figures, 
arising  from  their  closing  the  accounts  on  different  days  at  the  end  of  the  year — a  defect 
which  is  being  remedied. 

t  In  the  N.  W.  P.— One  in  166. 

„      PunjAb—  „     in  217. 

„      Bengal—  „     in  239. 

Oudh—  „     in  26(K 


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INTRODUCTION.  Cxlvii 

population  belongs  to  a  more  intelligent  race  (the  U  r  i  y  a  )  than 
the  people  of  the  Central  Provinces  generally,  a  greater  advance 
has  been  made,  nearly  two  per  cent  of  the  people  being  under 
instruction,  great  part  of  the  cost  of  which  is  defrayed  from  their 
own  voluntary  subscriptions.  Their  appreciation  of  schools  is 
shown  not  only  by  the  sacrifices  which  they  make  to  maintain  them, 
but  by  the  crowds  which  flock  to  public  examinations.  This  is, 
however,  an  exceptional  instance  of  the  success  which  in  a  greater 
or  less  degree  always  attends  the  system  of  enlisting  the  influence 
of  the  district  officer  in  the  cause  of  education. 

The  higher  education  alone  in  these  provinces  is  left  exclusively 
„. ,       ,     ,.  to  the  care  of  the  Educational  Department, 

Higher  education.  ...  . 

which,  having  its  functions  thus  limited, 

consists  merely  of  an  Inspector-General  and  three  circle  Inspectors. 

Their  special  charge  is  confined  to  the  management  of  two  high 

schools,  sixteen  middle  class  schools,  and  six  Normal  schools  ;*  but 

they  also  inspect  the  town  and  village  schools  managed  by  district 

officers,  and  are  responsible  for  the  maintenance  of  the  prescribed 

educational  standards. 

The  cost  of  popular  education  is  defrayed  from  the  proceeds 
of  a  special  two  per  cent  cess  on  landholders,  from  subscriptions 
and  from  fees.  High  class  education  draws  something  from  these 
last  two  sources,  but  is  mainly  supported  by  a  State  grant.  Alto- 
gether of  a  total  expenditure  of  some  £50,000  (in  1868-69)  consider- 
ably more  than  half  was  met  from  local  resources. 

Sanitation  and  Vaccination  are  supervised  by  a  Sanitary  Com- 
missioner.    For  the  latter  purpose  he  has 
Sanitation  and  Vaccination.  ,,.1  .      n  -^  i«i_'/» 

an  establishment  of  vaccinators,  which,  ii 

not  numerically  adequate  to  grapple  with  the  disease  in  all  parts 
of  the  province,  has  been  of  service  in  familiarising  the  process 
to  the  people,  and  in  thus  preparing  the  way  for  its  extension  by 


*  There  arc  also  Missionary  Institutions  atNdgpdrandJabalpdr  which  teach 
to  the  "  High  School"  standard. 


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-Cxlviii  INTRODUCTION. 

means  of  local  enterprise.  The  science  of  Sanitation  is  as  yet  in  its 
infancy,  and  this  branch  of  the  Sanitary  Commissioner's  duties  is 
for  the  present  limited  to  advising  the  local  authorities  in  cases  of 
epidemics,  and  to  collecting  data,  especially  with  regard  to  the 
course  and  working  of  cholera  outbreaks. 

A  kindred  subject  is  the  Hospital  Establishment,  which,  how- 
ever, is  under  the  charge  of  the  Inspector 
of  Jails,  There  are  now  in  existence  79 
of  these  charitable  institutions,  of  which  66  are  dispensaries,  two 
are  lunatic  asylums,  one  is  a  leper  asylum,  and  six  are  poor-houses. 
The  dispensary  income  is  now  rather  over  £10,000  a  year,  of  which 
the  Government  contributes  about  a  third,  the  remainder  being 
obtained  in  nearly  equal  proportions  from  local  funds  and  private 
subscriptions.  Dispensaries  are  located  not  only  at  the  head-quarters 
of  districts,  but  at  many  places  in  the  interior,  and  afford  medicines 
and  treatment  gratis  to  all  who  apply  for  them.  In  proportion 
to  the  numbers  of  the  population  the  amount  of  medical  aid  as  yet 
available  is  but  small,  but  in  so  vast  an  undertaking  the  Govern- 
ment cannot  attempt  to  do  more  than  show  by  example  the  advan- 
tages of  scientific  treatment  in  disease,  and  lately  there  have  been 
symptoms,  in  the  voluntary  establishment  of  a  few  dispensaries, 
that  the  appreciation  for  them  is  gaining  ground. 

The  Jails  in  the  Central  Provinces  resemble  those  of  other 
parts  of  India,  and  need  no  particular 
notice.     They  are  conducted  on  the  most 

approved  principles,  and  the  earnings  of  the  prisoners  defray  about 

half  the  expenses. 

It  has  already  been  mentioned  that,  in  addition  to  the  duties 

imposed    upon    them   as  part    of  the    ad- 
Local  funds  and  operations.  .....  .    m      n  .1  ,.       . 

mmistrative  staff  of  the  country,  district 
officers  perform  certain  functions  of  a  local  character.  The 
chief  of  these  are  the  superintendence  and  guidance  of  the 
municipal  bodies  which  have  been  created  in  all  large  towns. 
Self-government,  even  in  a  very  modified  form,  is  so  strange  to 
Asiatics  that  as  yet  the  initiative  in  deliberation,  except  where  the 


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INTRODUCTION*  Cxlix 

committee  includes  European  members,  is  almost  necessarily  taken 
by  the  district  officer.  Great  efforts  have,  however,  been  made  to 
secure  a  true  representation  of  all  classes  of  the  people  in  these 
bodies,  and  as  they  are  not  only  entrusted  with  the  management  of 
communications,  conservancy,  &c.,  and  in  minor  matters  with  the 
preservation  of  order,  but  have  the  power  of  self- taxation,  the 
stimulus  of  self-interest  is  not  always  ineffectual  in  rousing  them 
to  a  sense  of  their  duties.  In  addition  to  his  municipal  duties  the 
district  officer  has  the  management  of  the  ferry  fund,  arising  from 
the  proceeds  of  ferry  leases,  pound-fees,  and  other  sources  ;  of  the 
nazid  fund,  being  the  proceeds  of  public  gardens,  building-plots 
and  buildings  in  cities,  and  other  Government  property  not  paying 
land  revenue  ;  of  the  school  fund  (already  mentioned),  derived  from 
a  two  per  cent,  cess  on  land  revenue ;  and  of  a  similar  two  per  cent, 
cess  for  the  maintenance  of  district  roads, ♦ 

The  main  lines  of  communication  are  however,  with  the  Go- 
vernment buildings,  military  and  civil,  kept 
The  Emnneerine  Department.  .  ^      ,  .  -''^  ^        ^ 

^         or  up  by   an  Engineering  department,  con- 

sisting in  these  provinces  of  a  Chief  Engineer,  three  Superintend- 
ing Engineers,  sixteen  Executive  Engineers,  and  twenty-one 
.     .  Assistant    Engineers,    besides      subordi- 

nates. This  staff  is  rather  larger  than 
would  be  retained  for  simply  local  requirements  ;  considerable 
establishments  being  employed  on  the  river  G  o  da  v  a  r  i  navigation 
works,  and  on  the  road  between  Jabalpur  and  Nag  pur,  which, 
pending  the  completion  of  the  Nar  bada  valley  extension  of  the 
Great  Indian  Peninsula  Railway,  has  been  the  connecting  link 
between  the  railway  system  of  Eastern  and  Western  India.  The  two 
railways  will  meet  shortly  at  Jabalpur,  north  of  the  Sat  pur  a 
plateau,  and  then  the  line  terminating  at  Nag  pur,  south  of  the 
plateau,  will  sink  to  the  position  of  a  mere  branch.  Passing,  how- 
ever, through  the  rich  cotton  fields  of  B  e  r  a  r  and  the   W  a  r  d  h  a 

*  There  is  also  a  half  per  cent,   cess  on  land  revenue  for  the  maintenance  of  the 
district  posts,  but  these  are  managed   by  the  Post  Office  authorities,  who,  like  the  Tele- 
graph Officers,  belong  to  an  Imperial  Department,  independent  of  the  local  Government. 
19  cpg 


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Cl  INTRODUCTION. 

valley,  and  tapping  at  N  ag  p  u  r  the  teeming  grain  stores  of  C  h  h  a  t- 
tisgar  h,  it  will  always  be  an  important  commercial  line,  even  if 
it  is  not  eventually  connected  with  the  coal  and  iron  fields  of 
tChanda,  which  lie  someSO  miles  to  the  south.  Chhattisgar  h 
is  as  yet  only  linked  to  the  Railway  system  by  an  unfinished  road, 
but  its  great  capacities  as  a  granary  will  become  yearly  more 
valuable  as  the  grain  lands  of  the  N  a  gp  u  r  plain  are  invaded  by 
cotton.  The  plain  of  Chhattisgar  h,  in  itself  rich  and  fertile, 
is  so  hemmed  in  on  all  sides  but  the  west  by  hills  and  forests  that 
its  natural  outlet  is  in  the  direction  of  Nag  pur,  and  therefore 
the  further  improvement  of  the  somewhat  costly  communications, 
between  the  cotton  country  and  the  grain  country  is  only  a  question 
of  time  and  price-currents. 

An  immense  field  is  therefore  left  for  Engineering  enterprise 
before  India  can  profit  to  the  full  by  the  coal  fields,  the  iron  mines, 
and  the  long  stretches  of  wheat  and  rice  which  are  still  shut  in  by 
their  hilly  borders.  The  progress  already  made  will  best  be  realised 
by  remembering  that  the  main  thoroughfare*  in  India  for  mails 
and  English  travellers  now  traverses  a  country  in  which  five  years 
ago  none  but  occasional  Government  officials  attempted  to  move 
about,  and  there  were  no  means  of  transit  except  by  the  slow, 
patriarchal  process  of  daily  marches.  The  effect  of  the  improve- 
ment in  the  communications  may  also  be  well  illustrated  by  the 
^j^g  course  of  trade  during  the  last  few  years. 

In  1863-64  the  exports  and  imports  of  the 
province  were  valued  at  about  four  millions  sterling.  In  1868-69 
their  value  had  risen  to  six  and  three-quarter  millions  sterling,  not- 
withstanding  that  the  prosperity  of  the  country  had  been  rudely 
shaken  by  the  general  failure  of  the  crops  in  1868. 

The  principal  articles  entering  into  this  trade  are  cotton,  grain, 

and  native  cloth  among  exports;  and  salt,  sugar,  and  English  piece- 

-,      .     ^  ..  goods  among  imports.     Cotton  is  the  most 

Exports— Cotton.  t      t  i      •  n 

valuable  item  of  export,  while  salt  is  the 

*  The  course  of  the  mails  will  be  diverted  in  a  few  days  (from  1st  April  1870)  to 
the  N  a  r  b  a  d  i  valley  railway. 


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INTRODUCTION.  cH 

chief  import.  Since  the  extension  of  the  Great  Indian  Peninsula 
Railway  to  N  agp  u  r  in  1867  the  cotton  trade  has  almost  deserted 
its  old  routes — northward  to  Mirzapur,  and  eastward  to  Cut- 
tack  vid  the  M  a  h  a  n  a  d  i, — and  has  turned  almost  entirely  in  the 
direction  of  the  western  coast,  where  the  bales  are  delivered 
••pressed"  in  the  shape  best  fitted  for  marine  transport. 

The  excellent  quality  of  the  Ward  ha  valley  staple,  which 
under  its  brand  of  **  Hinganghat**  commands  a  price  equal  to 
that  quoted  for  any  other  Indian  cotton,  will  always  give  it  a  good 
place  in  the  English  market,  but  for  some  time  to  come  it  does  not 
seem  likely  that  the  export  will  exceed  60,000  or  70,000  bales  (of 
400  lbs.)  per  annum.  Not  only  is  cotton  a  very  sensitive  crop,  and 
therefore  one  on  which  cultivators  hesitate  to  stake  their  whole 
harvest  return,  but  the  prices  of  food-grains  have  risen  so  rapidly 
of  late  years  that  it  would  not  pay  to  bring  more  land  under  cot- 
ton  at  present.  The  best  chance  for  the  extension  of  the  cotton 
culture  is  in  the  improvement  of  communication  with  Ch  hatti  s- 
garh,  now  divided  from  Nagpur  by  174  miles  of  unfinished 
road.  The  Chhattisgar  h  plain  is  a  great  granary;  the  War- 
d  ha  valley  is  the  best  cotton  field  in  these  parts  of  India,  and  when 
perfect  connection  is  established  between  the  two,  it  is  only  reason- 
able to  suppose  that  each  will  be  enabled,  by  the  division  of  labour, 
to  fulfil  its  natural  function,  and  that  the  W  a  r  d  h  a  country,  having 
no  concern  about  its  food-supplies,  will  send  to  England  enlarged 
consignments  of  cotton,  which,  returning  in  their  manufactured 
shape  to  Chhattisgar  h,  will  set  free  for  grain -production  men 
and  land  now  less  profitably  employed  in  providing  clothing  from 
an  inferior  local  staple.  Meanwhile  Hinganghat  seed  has  been 
largely  distributed  in  the  most  promising  localities,  and  cotton 
gardens  have  been  established  for  the  purpose  of  testing  the  eflfects 
of  high  cultivation  on  the  local  varieties  of  the  cotton  plant.* 


*  Among  the  Administrative  Departments  the  newly  created  Cotton  Department  was 
not  specially  mentioned,  as  its  sphere  of  operations  is  by  no  means  limited  to  this  province. 
It  is  but  just,  however,  to  record  the  debt  which  the  cotton  industry  of  the  W  a  r  d  h  d 
Tailey  owes  to  the  Cotton  Commissioner  for  the  Central  Provinces  and  the  B  e  r  d  r  s. 


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Clii  INTRODUCTION. 

The  native  cloth  manufacture  has  been  severely  tried  by  the 

^^  .      ,   ,       ,  development  of  the  cotton  trade.     In  the 

Native  cloth  trade.  n  n    ^ 

first  years  of  the  scarcity  cotton  became 

almost  too  precious  to  be  worked  up  into  the  coarser  native  fabrics, 
and  the  weavers  were  undersold  by  the  Manchester  manufacturers 
even  in  their  own  villages.  On  the  other  hand  the  finer  native 
fabrics  absolutely  gained  by  the  "cotton  crisis.**  Great  part 
of  the  wealth  poured  into  the  country  by  the  new  trade  was 
absorbed  in  the  cotton-producing  districts  of  B e r a r  and  the  Dec- 
can,  where  the  reputation  of  the  fine  Nagpur  cloths  stands 
highest,  and  thus,  while  in  1863-64  exports  to  the  amount  of  60,352 
maunds  (of  82  lbs.)  of  native  cloth  were  valued  at  £250,056  only, 
52,893  maunds  exported  in  1866-67  reached  the  high  value  of 
£560,590.  In  the  next  year  the  quotations  for  raw  cotton  fell 
to  5^d.  per  lb.,  and  the  native  manufacture  slightly  revived  in 
quantity,  at  the  same  time  falling  in  gross  value.  Last  year 
(1868-69)  the  effects  of  a  disastrous  agricultural  season  and  an 
advance  in  the  price  of  cotton  resulted  in  a  considerable  falling  off 
both  in  bulk  and  in  value. 

The  cotton  trade  at  present  attracts  most  notice,  but  the  grain 
trade  of  the  province  is  also  important  and 
extensive.  The  exports  have  of  late  years 
amounted  to  a  million  maunds  (some  170,000  quarters),  but  against 
these  must  be  set  imports  to  about  a  third  of  that  amount;  home-grown 
wheat  being  exchanged,  ^specially  in  the  southern  part  of  the 
province,  for  millet  (Jawdri)y  which  is  both  an  economical  and  a 
popular  article  of  food  among  the  labouring  classes.  Last  year 
(1869)  the  imports  of  grain  almost  equalled  the  exports  in  bulk,  an 
extraordinary  importation  having  set  in  from  Berar  late  in  the 
year  to  meet  the  gaps  caused  by  the  failure  of  the  harvest.  Not- 
withstanding two  bad  seasons,  however,  the  export  trade  has 
nearly  doubled  itself  within  the  last  six  years,  and  as  the  quantity 
exported  does  not  by  the  most  liberal  calculation  amount  to  two  per 
cent,  of  the  gross  produce,  it  is  certain  that  the  exportable  margin 
will  yet  very  considerably  expand. 


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INTRODUCTION.  cllii 

The  remaining  articles  of  produce  are  of  minor  importance ; 
among  them  may  be  mentioned  lac,  raw 
or  manufactured,  amounting  in  1868-69 
to  40,282  mawwflfe,  valued  at  £58,426;  spices  and  groceries,  including 
chillies,  turmeric,  coriander,  mustard,  and  other  condiments,  valued 
at  £48,108  ;  silk  cocoons,  valued  at  £13,470  ;  dyes  at  £22,692 ; 
and  ghee  (clarified  butter)  at  £88,700.  This  last  trade  was  en- 
tirely  created  by  the  opening  of  the  railway  to  Bombay.  The 
aggregate  exports  of  all  kinds  in  1868-69  represent  a  quantity 
canied,  exclusive  of  all  through  traffic  and  Government  and 
railway  stores,  of  88,099  tons,  valued  at  £2,763,421. 

Turning  to  imports,  the  chief  article  is  salt.     The  S  a  g  a  r  and 
N  a  r  b  a  d  a  territories  procure  their  supply 
™^^    ~      *  of  this  necessary  of  life  from  the    Raj- 

putana  lakes,  the  Nagpur  country  from  Bombay,  and 
Chhattisgarh  from  the  Eastern  Coast.  In  1868-69  the  opening 
of  the  Pan  jab  Railway  to  Umballa,  and  the  closure  of  the 
Banjar  a  carrying  routes,  from  the  effects  of  the  drought,  gave  an 
opening  to  the  P  a  n  j  a  b  and  Delhi  salts  which  can  now  be  im- 
ported so  cheaply  that  they  are  likely  to  retain  their  hold  of  the 
market.  In  the  six  years  for  which  statistics  are  available  the 
price  of  salt  has  risen  from  four  rupees  to  six  rupees  per  maundy 
mainly  in  consequence  of  the  extension  of  the  Inland  Customs 
Line  so  as  to  embrace  the  greater  part  of  the  province.  The  quan- 
tity imported,  856,000  maundSi  seems,  however,  sufficient,  at  six  or 
seven  pounds  per  head,  for  the  ordinary  consumption  of  the  people, 
but  it  is  doubtful  whether  it  allows  enough  for  cattle. 

Refined  sugar  is  another  article  which,  being  beyond  the  manu- 
facturing skill  of  the  province,  is  imported 
"^''  mainly    from     Mirzapur.      The     im- 

ports ordinarily  range  from  200,000  to  300,000  maunds  per  annum ; 
but  in   1868-69,  owing  to  the  general   distress,  they  fell  to  190,651 

maunds.     Next  in  importance  come  Eng- 
^^Hece-^oods  and  other  articles     j^gj^     piece-goods,     which    the    statistics 

show  by  weight  instead  of  by  tale.     The 


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Cliv  INTRODUCTION. 

average  import  for  the  last  few  years  has  been  45,000  maunds,  and^ 
notwithstanding  a  steady  diminution  in  prices  during  the  last  two 
years,  the  trade  has  remained  firm.  The  largest  importations  are 
from  Bomb  ay,  though,  since  the  opening  of  the  East  India  Rail- 
way to  Jabalpur,  consignments  from  Calcutta  have  increased. 
Tobacco  is  imported  from  the  Madras  Presidency,  from  B  e  r  a  r, 
and  from  the  North-Western  Provinces  to  the  extent  of  some  4,000 
or  5,000  maunds,  valued  at  £50,000 ;  Spices,  such  as  cloves,  cin- 
namon, nutmeg,  black  pepper,  &c.,  to  the  extent  of  66,000  maundsy 
valued  at  £102,420 ;  Silk  pieces  to  the  extent  of  2,791  maunds, 
valued  at  £186,527 ;  Cocoanuts,  mainly  from  Western  Coast,  to  the 
value  of  £187,085.  Altogether  the  imports  for  1868-69  amounted 
to  120,990  tons,  valued  at  £4,031,842.  According  to  the  statistics, 
they  have  more  than  doubled  both  in  bulk  and  in  weight  in  five 
years,  but  allowance  must  be  made  for  the  greater  completeness  of 
the  later  statistics  and  for  some  uncertainty  in  the  valuation,  which 
in  case  of  imports  is  not  always  reliable. 

Without,  then,  insisting  too   much  upon  the  share  which  the 

^     ,    .  efforts  of  Sir   Richard  Temple   and   his 

Conclusion.  u   j   •     r       •        xu 

successors  have  had  m  forcing  the  coun- 
try forward,  it  is  evident  that  in  the  rapid  extension  of  trade 
and  communication  with  the  outer  world  during  the  last  few  years, 
the  Central  Provinces  have  been  under  the  influence  of  stimulating 
agencies  which  would  have  disturbed  the  sleep  of  barbarism  itself. 
Under  the  heights  on  which  the  half- tamed  aboriginal  Kings  perched 
their  rude  stronghold  has  grown  up  a  large  commercial  city, 
and  the  centre  of  the  railway  system  of  India.  Chhattisgarh, 
till  lately  only  known  to  orthodox  Hindus  as  a  hateful  abode  of 
witchcraft  and  dissent,  is  now  *'  the  land  of  the  threshing-floors,** 
the  granary  of  Central  India.  Hinganghat,  in  the  valley  of  the 
Ward  ha — a  country  so  obscure  as  to  be  absolutely  without  a 
history  till  within  the  last  century — has  become  a  household  word 
in  the  markets  of  Liverpool.  C  h  &  n  d  d,  the  most  remote  and  wild 
of  all  the  G  o  n  d  principalities,  is  now  a  familiar  name  not  only- 


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INTRODUCTION,  clv 

with  Government  officials,  but  among  men  of  science  and  men  of 
business,  and  with  her  rare  combination  of  coal,  iron,  and  cotton, 
promises  to  become  one  of  the  chief  industrial  centres  of  India. 

All  these  changes — all  this  rush  of  light  and  air — have  taken 
place  within  the  last  decade.     The  first  four-fifths  of  our  half  cen- 
tury of  rule,  after  we  had  once  learned  that  the  country  was  no 
El-Dorado,  but  needed  careful  nursing  to  restore  it  even  to  mo- 
derate  prosperity,  passed  in  a  sort  of  conservative  quiescence,  which, 
in  its  dread  of  interference,  stereotyped   existing   customs  and  in- 
stitutions.    For  better  or   worse  our  ideal   has  changed.     It  was 
indeed  impossible  that  as  Western  civilisation  crept  up  by  degrees 
from  either  coast,  even  these  secluded  valleys  should  in  the  end 
escape  its  influence,  and  when,  owing  to  that  very  central  position 
which  had   so  long  retarded  access  to  them,  they   all   at  once 
became  the  keystone  of  the  system  of  communication  between  the 
Eastern  and   Western  seas,   the  first  tumultuous  throbbing  and 
pulsation  of  new  life  came  upon  them  with  almost  overwhelming 
rapidity  and  suddenness.     Within  less  than  ten  years  the  condi- 
tions  of  life  to  the  mass  of  the  people  have  undergone  a  complete 
revolution.     The  food -grains  which  were  once  so  plentiful,  that  in 
good  seasons  farmers  could  hardly  get  labour  to  carry  their  harvests, 
are  now  jealously  stored  for  export,  and  meted  out  at  what  would 
have  been  thought  famine  prices.     The  cotton  of  the  N  a  g  p  u  r 
plain,  which  was  worked  up  by  thoBsands  of  village  looms  into  a 
fabric  so  durable  as  to  make  its  cost  a  matter  of  secondary  impor- 
tance, and  yet  so  cheap-as  to  be.  within  the  reach  of  all,  is  now 
eagerly  bought  up  to  be  packed  by  steam-presses,  and  sent  across 
the  seas  to  England,  to  France,  to  Germany,  and  even  to  Russia. 
In  short,  food  has  trebled  and  clothing  has  doubled  in  price  within 
the  last  ten  years  ;  and  a  life  of  rude  plenty  and  implicit  dependence 
on  the  bounty  of  nature  has  been  perforce  exchanged  for  a  constant 
exercise  of  foresight  and  prudence.     On  the  other  hand,  if  prices 
are  high  they  are  regular ;  food,  though  seldom  superabundant,  at 
least  never  runs  altogether  short,  as  in  the  old  days  of  alternate 
waste  and  famine ;  foreign  luxuries  and  adjuncts  of  civilisation  are 


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Clvi  INTRODUCTION. 

comparatively  accessible,  and  the  standard  of  wages  has  fully  kept 
pace  with  the  cost  of  living.  Thus  the  people  have  gained  new 
powers  of  resistance,  and  live  easily  under  a  burthen  which  would 
have  crushed  their  fathers. 

Many  a  laudator  temporis  acti  no  doubt  still  looks  back  to  the 
day  when  food  seemed  to  drop  into  his  mouth,  nine  years  out  of 
ten,  without  exertion  ;  forgetting  that  terrible  tenth  season  when 
capricious  nature  held  back  her  hand,  and  there  were  no  means  of 
procuring  aid  from  without ;  forgetting  the  yearly  tale  of  victims 
yielded  without  a  struggle  to  cholera  and  small-pox  ;  and  perhaps 
scarcely  caring  to  remember  or  appreciate  the  many  roads  which 
competition  and  progress  are  daily  opening  to  him  out  of  the  dead 
level  to  which  inexorable  custom  had  hitherto  restricted  his  career. 
But  it  matters  little  now  to  balance  the  passive  delights  of  a  life  of 
brutish  ease,  chequered  only  by  the  whims  of  nature,  against  the 
higher,  if  more  hardly  earned,  advantages,  which  not  even  toil  and 
forethought  can  win  till  a  field  is  opened  to  their  efforts.  Events 
have  decided  the  question  for  themselves.  The  interests  of  the 
empire  required  the  connection  of  the  two  seaport  capitals  ;  the 
empty  factories  of  half  the  world  demanded  access  to  the 
only  cotton  fields  which  bid  fair  to  replace  the  devastated  plan- 
tations of  the  Confederate  States.  The  day  had  passed  even  for 
the  most  retrograde  policy  to  attempt  any  check  on  the  advancing 
tide  and  struggle  of  life.  It  only  remained  to  fit  the  people  for  the 
new  order  of  things,  and  to  ensure  them  their  share  in  the  benefits 
which  it  brought,  by  provi&ing  for  them  an  education  which  should 
give  them  a  fair  standing  ground  in  their  dealings  with  intellects 
sharpened  in  a  more  stirring  school,  and  by  showing  them  prac- 
tically that  the  issues  of  health  and  prosperity  were  not  altogether 
beyond  human  grasp.  No  criticisms  can  be  more  misplaced  than 
those  which  brand  the  administrative  efforts  of  the  last  eight  years — 
made  to  meet  changes  so  sudden  and  great  as  those  through  which 
the  country  is  passing — with  the  charges  of  precipitancy  and  over- 
ambitiousness.  If  the  schools,  the  hospitals,  the  post-offices,  the 
roads,  the  railways,  the  courts,  and  the  numberless  other  public 


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INTRODUCTION.  clvii 

institutions  which  have  sprung  up  since  the  formation  of  the  Cen- 
tral Provinces  could  be  doubled  in  number  and  efficiency ;  if  the 
measures  of  reform  to  which  the  governing  staff  of  the  province 
have  devoted  their  energies  and  abilities — nay  sometimes  even 
their  health  and  their  very  lives — could  be  enlarged  and  intensified 
beyond  the  most  sanguine  hopes  of  their  originators,  the  guardians 
of  the  young  province  would  still  have  but  a  very  incomplete 
account  to  render  of  their  stewardship  ;  and  indeed  they  may  well 
feel  content  if  the  foundations  laid  by  eight  years'  labour  with 
untrained  instruments,  and  in  a  difficult  soil,  prove  wide  enough  for 
the  wants  of  a  growing  people,  and  stable  enough  to  bear  a  super- 
structure worthy  of  a  more  advanced  civilisation. 


CHARLES  GRANT. 

Nigpur,  ZUt  March  1870. 


2Qcpg 


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THE 


CENTRAL  PEOYINCES  GAZETTEER 


ABHA'NA'— A  village  on  the  Jabalpdr  and  Damoh  road  in  the  Damoh 
district,  fifty-two  miles  from  the  former  and  eleven  miles  from  the  latter  place. 
There  is  a  large  tank  here,  which  abounds  in  fish  and  water-fowl.  Supplies  are 
procurable,  and  there  is  a  good  encamping-ground  in  the  neighbourhood. 

ATDE'GA'ON — ^A  zaminddri  in  the  north-east  comer  of  the  Chhindwdri 
district,  formerly  a  portion  of  the  Harai  chiefship,  and  transferred  by  the  Harai 
family  to  one  Kharak  Bhdrti,  a  Gos^n,  who  was  sdba  of  Jabalpdr,  Mandla,  and 
SeonS  in  a.d,  1801.  His  successors  still  hold  it.  The  bulk  of  it  is  jungle  and 
hiU ;  but  part  of  the  eastern  side  is  tolerably  open,  and  is  weU  cultivated.  It 
consists  of  eighty-nine  villages. 

ADIA'L — ^A  small  village  in  the  Ch^dd  district,  situated  eight  miles  to 
the  south-west  of  Brahmapuri,  and  possessing  a  very  fine  irrigation-reservoir. 

A'GAE — ^A  stream  in  the  Bil&spdr  district,  which,  rising  in  the  Maikal 
range,  flows  through  the  Pandarid  chiefship  and  the  Mungeli  pargana,  past  the 
town  of  Mungeli  itself,  and  fells  into  the  Mani&ri  near  the  village  of  KdkusdS. 
Except  in  floods  it  is  a  very  insignificant  stream,  and  is  not  navigable. 

AGARIA' — A  village  in  the  Jabalpdr  district,  about  twenty  miles  to  the 
north-east  of  Jabalpdr  near  Majhgawdn.    There  is  an  iron  mine  here. 

AHI'RI' — ^A  zamind&ri  constituting  the  southern  portion  of  the  Chdnd^ 
district.  It  is  bounded  on  the  north  by  the  Arpalli  and  Ghot  pargana,  east 
by  Bastar,  south  by  Sironchd  and  Bastar,  and  west  by  the  Pranhiti  river ;  and 
contains  an  area  of  about  2,550  square  miles.  It  is  hilly  on  the  east  and  south, 
the  most  noted  elevations  being  the  Surjdgarh,  Bdmrdgarh,  and  D^walmarl 
hiUs ;  and  is  famed  for  its  magnificent  forests.  Much  of  the  teak  has  been 
felled,  but  there  still  remain  thousands  of  ftdl-grown  and  half-grown  teak  trees. 
The  inhabitants  are  almost  wholly  Gonds,  and  the  languages  spoken  are  Gondi 
and  Telagd.  The  zaminddrin,  SdvitrJ  Bdi,  resides  chiefly  at  the  village  of  Ahirf, 
seventy  miles  south-east  of  Ghdndd.  She  is  the  first  in  rank  of  the  Chdnd^ 
zamfnddrs,  and  is  connected  with  the  family  of  the  Gond  kings. 

1   CPG 


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a  AHI— AL 

AHFRI' — A  forest  in  the  chiefship  of  the  same  name,  in  the  southern 
portion  of  the  Chindd  district,  on  the  left  bank  of  the  Pmnhiti  river.  Negotia- 
tions are  in  progress  for  leasing  the  forest  from  the  chief  on  the  part  of  govern- 
ment. Before  it  can  be  systematically  worked,  however,  considerable  outlay 
will  be  necessary  to  make  it  accessible  from  Chdndd  or  from  some  point  on  the 
river  Goddvari.  Ah(r{  wa«  first  visited  by  the  conservator  of  forests.  Major 
Pearson,  early  in  1867,  and  he  then  pronounced  it  to  be  one  of  the  very  finest 
teak  forests  in  India,  and  certainly  one  which,  considering  the  immense 
amount  of  timber  taken  out  of  it,  had  suffered  as  little  as  any.  Although, 
however,  the  whole  country  from  the  junction  of  the  Waingangd  and  Wardhi  is 
covered  with  teak,  the  trees  in  the  plains  are  generally  unsound,  ill-developed,  and 
crooked,  the  only  valuable  timber  being  found  in  and  around  a  block  of  hills 
which  lies  between  the  villages  of  Korseni,  Bemaram,  Jhilmili,  and  Talwfirfi. 
The  two  blocks  of  forest  which  it  is  proposed  to  reserve  have  been  named 
Bemaram  and  Mirkalld. 

AIRF — A  teak  plantation  in  the  Mandla  district,  about  five  square  miles  in 
extent,  and  now  under  the  charge  of  the  forest  department.  It  is  favourably 
situated  in  an  angle  formed  by  the  junction  of  the  Burhner  and  Hdlon.  The 
planting  operations  are  supervised  by  a  European  forester. 

AJMI'RGARH — A  hill  in  the  BiWsptir  district  adjoining  Amarkantak. 
It  is  about  3,500  feet  above  the  sea,  and  has  an  open  surface  on  the  top,  but 
the  summit  is  difiicult  of  access.     It  has  at  one  time  been  fortified. 

A'LB A'KA'— The  chief  village  of  an  estate  of  the  same  name  in  the  Upper 
Goddvari  district.  It  is  situated  on  the  Goddvarf,  forty  miles  to  the  north  of 
Dumagudem.  The  naib  or  deputy  of  the  zamfndSr  is  the  chief  local  authority, 
and  resides  here.  There  is  a  small  thatched  travellers'  bungalow  about  half  a 
mile  to  the  south-east  of  the  village.  The  population  is  about  250,  and  consists 
of  Kois  and  Telingas.  The  water-supply  is  from  the  river  and  a  large  tank  close 
to  the  village.  T^ere  are  some  Indo-Scythian  remains,  Cromlechs,  &c.  on  the 
hiUs  close  to  the  village  and  in  its  vicinity* 

A'LEWA'Hr — A  small  village  in  the  Chhidi  district,  with  a  very  fine 
irrigation-reservoir  twenty-four  miles  south-west  of  Brahmapurf. 

ALITUH — A  village  in  the  Hinganghdt  tahsfl  of  the  Wardh£  district,  sixteen 
miles  to  the  south  of  Wardhi.  It  is  perhaps  the  finest  agricultural  village  in 
Wardhi,  and  contains  3,303  inhabitants,  of  whom  1,882  are  cultivators.  There 
are  besides  a  considerable  number  of  weavers  and  spinners.  Alipdr  was  founded 
by  the  Nawib  SalSbat  Khin  of  Ellichpdr,  whose  family  held  the  land  in  j4g(r 
till  about  fifty  years  ago.  It  is  now  held  in  m&lgnz&rl  tenure  by  Midho  Rdo 
Gangddhar  Chitnavfs,  late  chief  secretary  to  the  Mardth^  government.  It  is 
famed  for  its  irrigation  and  the  number  of  wells  in  use,  and  is  surrounded  by 
mango-groves  and  gardens.  Here  is  a  mosque  at  which  there  is  a  small  semi- 
religious  fair  every  March.  The  chief  works  carried  out  from  municipal  funds 
have  been  the  clearing  and  levelling  of  the  market-place  in  the  centre  of  the 
town,  and  the  construction  of  a  village  school,  which  is  well  attended.  The 
municipality  support  their  own  police  and  conservancy  establishments.  There 
is  a  good  weekly  market  here  every  Tuesday  for  agricultural  produce. 

ALMOD — A  chiefship  in  the  Hoshang^b&d  district,  consisting  of  twenty- 
nine  villages,  situated  in  and  round  the  MaJi^deo  group  of  hills.     The  zamind^r 


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AL— AMB  3 

is  one  of  the  Bhop&,  or  hereditary  guardians  of  the  Mahddeo  temples.  He 
receiyes  an  allowance  from  the  government  of  Bs.  200  annually  in  lieu  of  pilgrim 
tax^  against  which  is  debited  a  quit-rent  on  his  estate  of  Bs.  40. 

ALON — ^A  river  in  the  Seoni  district,  which  takes  its  rise  near  the  village 
of  Pempdr  (pargana  Lakhn^don)  and  flows  from  west  to  east  into  the  Thdnwar. 
It  has  an  affluent  called  the  Panchmoni.  No  villages  of  any  note  are  situated 
on  the  banks  of  the  Alon,  and  the  country  through  which  it  passes  is  hilly  and 
wild.    This  unimportant  stream  is  not  to  be  confounded  with  the  Hdlon. 

AMARKANTAK — ^A  hill  which,  though  lately  transferred  to  Rewi,  with 
the  Soh%pdr  pargana,  naturally  forms  part  of  the  Bildspdr  district.  It  attains 
an  altitude  of  8,500  feet  above  the  sea,  and  has  a  very  pleasant  climate.  The 
objects  of  interest  are  the  ten^les  round  the  sources  of  the  sacred  Narbad^  and 
the  waterfalls. 

AMARWAHA' — ^A  large  village  in  the  Chhindwdrfi  district,  once  the 
capital  of  the  pargana.  A  police  force  is  stationed  here,  and  there  is  a  pretty 
good  government  schooL  Amarw^ri  is  on  the  main  road  to  Narsinghpiir, 
and  is  about  fifty  miles  from  that  place.  The  population  amounts  to  over  a 
thousand  souls. 

A'MB — ^A  river  which  takes  its  rise  in  the  hills  eastward  of  Umrer  in  the 
Ndgpdr  district,  and,  flowing  past  the  town  of  Umrer,  reaches  the  Waingangd 
at  Ambhord  in  the  same  district. 

AMBA^GARH  CHAUKI' — A  zamlnddri  situated  on  the  north-east  frontier 
of  the  Chdnd^  district.  It  is  of  considerable  extent,  and  towards  the  Rdipdr  side 
is  fidrly  cultivated.  Most  of  it  is,  however,  hilly,  and  large  tracts  are  covered 
with  jungle.  Excellent  iron,  ore  is  found  here.  Ambdgarh  is  inhabited  by 
Gonds,  with  a  sprinkling  of  Gaailis ;  and  the  languages  spoken  are  the  Gondl 
and  the  Chhattisgarhi  dialect  of  Hindi.  The  zamfnddr,  IJmr^o  Singh,  is  the 
third  in  rank  of  the  Ch&idi  chiefs,  and  resides  at  Chauki,  twenty-two  miles 
north-east  of  Wairdgarh,  An  assistant  patrol  of  the  customs  department  is 
posted  at  the  village. 

AUBGA'ON  is  the  north-eastern  pargana  of  the  Mdl  tahsfl  in  the  Ghdndd 
district,  and  contains,  with  its  dependent  zaminddris  (excluding  Ahiri),  an  area 
of  about  1,212  square  miles.  It  is  bounded  on  the  north  by  the  Wairdgarh 
pargana,  east  by  Bastar,  so^th  by  Arpalli  with  Ghot,  and  west  by  the  Wain- 
gangd ;  and  contains  67  villages  and  4  zamlnddris.  It  is  hilly,  and,  except  in 
the  vicinity  of  the  Waingangd,  consists  of  red  or  sandy  soil,  covered  with  dense 
jangle.  It  is  much  intersected  with  tributaries  of  the  Wains^angd,  the  largest 
of  which  are  the  Kdmen,  the  Potpuri,  and  the  Kurdr.  Its  staples  are  rice, 
jangle  produce,  and  ta^ar  silk ;  and  it  carries  on  considerable  trade  in  salt  with 
the  east  coast*  In  the  south  Telugd  is  chiefly  spoken,  which  yields  to  Mardthd 
on  the  north ;  but  the  traders  all  over  the  pargana  are  Telingas.  Of  the  agri- 
col  tural  classes  the  most  numerous  are  Kunbis,  Kdpiwdrs,  and  Son  TeHs.  The 
principal  towns  are  Garhchiroli  and  Chdmursi ;  and  the  village  of  Mirkandi  is 
noted  for  its  ancient  and  beautiful  group  of  temples. 

A'MBGA'ON — A  village  in  the  Ch&udi  district.  It  was  once  the  capital  of 
the  pargana,  but  is  now  a  dreary-looking  place,  consisting  of  a  hundred  huts, 
shot  in  by  dense  jungle.  It  has  two  ancient  temples,  one  dedicated  to 
Uahddeva,  and  the  other  to  Mah^kdli^  and  possesses  also  two  tanks. 


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4  AM— AN 

ATMGA'ON— The  chief  place  in  the  chiefshipofthat  name  in  the  Bhand^ra 
district.  It  has  a  large  weekly  market^  and  is  to  some  extent  an  entrep6t  for 
goods  from  the  Ehairdgarh  chiefiahip  in  Ildipdr.  Near  A'mgion  itself  extend 
miles  of  low  rocky  jungle,  infested  with  panthers,  and  the  chiefship  generally  is 
rather  noted  for  the  number  of  man-eating  tigers  which  have  been  killed  within 
its  limits  from  time  to  time.  Kunbls  preponderate  among  the  population, 
as  the  zamind^  belongs  to  that  class.  The  climate  is  considered  unfavourable, 
and  the  well-water  is  usually  brackish.  The  chief  resides  with  his  adoptive 
mother  in  an  old  walled  enclosure,  dignified  by  the  name  of  a  fort,  and  he  is 
one  of  the  most  advanced  pupils,  and  chief  supporter  of  the  flourishing  govern- 
ment school  at  A^mg&on.  lliere  are  some  curious  old  remains  of  massive  stone 
buildings  in  the  neighbourhood  at  a  place  called  Padmapdr,  but  their  origin 
is  unknown. 

A'MGA'ON — An  estate  in  the  eastern  portion  of  the  Bhanddra  district, 
which  originally  formed  part  of  that  of  Ktothi.  It  consists  of  fifty-three  villages, 
embracing  an  area  of  146  square  miles,  of  which  forty-seven  are  under  culti- 
vation.   The  population  numbers  21,543  souls. 

A'MLA' — ^A  village  in  the  Betdl  district,  situated  about  eighteen  miles  from 
Badntir  on  the  Chhindwird  road.  It  contains  368  houses,  with  a  population  of 
1,616  souls,  and  is  the  head-quarters  of  a  considerable  trade  in  brass  utensils. 
'Diere  are  some  old  tombs,  said  to  be  those  of  Grond  kings. 

A'NDHALGA'ON — ^A  town  about  sixteen  miles  north-east  of  Bhanddra 
in  the  district  of  the  same  name.  It  had  a  population  by  the  last  census  of 
3,270  souls.  The  cotton  fabrics  manufactured  here  are  in  good  repute.  There 
is  a  large  and  flourishing  government  school  in  the  town,  and  conservancy  is 
carried  out  from  the  municipal  funds.  The  water-supply  is  good,  and  the  place 
is  considered  to  be  healthy. 

ANDTTA^Rr — ^A  river  in  the  Ch&ad6,  district ;  it  has  three  main  branches,  the 
first  rising  in  the  eastern  slopes  of  the  Perzdgarh  hills,  the  second  near  Bhisf, 
and  the  ^lird  in  the  Chimdr  hills.  The  first  and  second  unite  at  Karamgion, 
and  are  joined  by  the  third  near  Jh&m ;  and  the  river  falls  into  the  Waingangd 
a  little  south  of  Gh&tkdl,  afber  a  course  from  north  to  south,  measuring  in  a 
straight  line,  of  sixty-five  miles. 

ANDORI' — ^A  large  agricultural  village  in  the  Huzdr  tahsfl  of  the 
Wardhi  district,  containing  1,165  inhabitants,  and  standing  on  the  bank  of  the 
river  Wardhi  about  eighteen  miles  south  of  Wardhd  town.  Under  the  Mardth^ 
rule  it  gave  its  name  to  a  pargana,  but  the  kam&visddr  or  revenue  officer  in  charge 
held  his  court  at  Wdigdon.     It  contains  a  village  school  and  a  police  outpost. 

ANHONI' — In  the  Hoshangdbdd  district.  Here  is  a  hot  spring,  nearly 
due  north  of  the  Mahddeo  hills,  at  the  edge  of  the  outer  range,  which  divides  the 
Denwd  from  the  Narbadd  valley;  it  is  said  to  be  good  for  boils  and  skin 
diseases,  and  is  much  visited.  There  is  another  hot  spring  south-east  of  Anhoni, 
about  sixteen  miles  ofi*,  known  as  Mahdljhir,  which  is  said  to  be  too  hot  to  dip 
the  hand  into. 

A'NJI'— A  town  in  the  Wardhi  subdivision  of  the  Wardhd  district,  on  the 
left  bank  of  the  river  Dhdm,  about  nine  miles  north-west  of  Wardh^  It  .was 
quite  a  small  village  until  the  time  of  the  Bhonsld  rule,  when  the  present  mud 
fort  was  erected,  and  the  government  officials  exerted  themselves  to  attract 


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AN— AR  6 

settlers.  It  then  became  the  pmcipal  place  of  a  pargana;  but  latterly  the 
kam&visdir^  or  pargana  reyenae  officer  under  the  Mardthd  rule,  held  his  court 
at  A'rvf.  It  suffered  also  from  being  looted  by  the  Pindhdris.  The  population 
amounts  to  2,769  souls,  principally  cultivators,  with  a  few  weavers.  Octroi  is 
levied  here,  and  a  raised  weighing-place,  within  a  gravelled  enclosure,  for 
weighing  cotton,  has  been  constructed  out  of  the  municipal  funds.  A  good 
weekly  market  is  held  here  on  Thursdays ;  and  the  cloth  woven  and  dyed  in  the 
town  forms  a  chief  object  of  trade.  There  is  a  vernacular  town  school ;  and  the 
municipaliiy  ipaintdn  their  own  town  police. 

ANKUSA' — ^A  village  in  the  Upper  Goddvari  district,  seventeen  miles 
firom  Sironch^,  on  the  road  to  Dumagudem.  There  is  a  village  school  here. 
The  water-supply,  which  is  inferior,  is  derived  from  two  small  ttmks  close  to  the 
village.     The  population  is  550,  chiefly  Telingas ;  one  shop. 

ATRANG — ^A  town  on  the  Mahfinadi,  in  the  Bdipdr  district,  comprizing 
1,044  houses  and  2,267  inhabitants.  It  has  declined  since  the  tahsfld&r's  court 
was  removed  from  it  to  Rdipiir,  about  1863.  There  are,  however,  a  good  number 
of  commercial  residents ;  and  a  large  trade  in  metal  vessels  is  carried  on. 
The  soil  in  the  neighbourhood  is  very  productive,  but  the  population  is  scanty. 
The  town  contains  some  ruins  of  temples  and  old  tanks,  as  it  was  formerly  one 
of  the  seats  of  the  Haihai  Bansl  Rajput  dynasty.  One  of  the  temples  is  Jain, 
and  believed  to  be  of  considerable  antiquity.  There  are  immense  groves  of 
mango  trees  around  A'rang,  in  which  tigers  to  the  present  day  occasionally 
take  up  their  abode ;  and  to  the  north  of  the  town  are  extensive  foundations  of 
brick  buildings,  showing  that  the  place  was  formerly  of  greater  extent  than  it 
is  at  present.  There  is  a  branch  dispensary,  with  a  native  doctor,  here ;  also 
an  assistant  patrol  of  the  customs  department. 

ARJXJNI' — An  estate  in  the  Bhanddra  district,  consisting  of  ten  villages, 
traversed  by  the  Great  Eastern  road,  and  lying  about  twelve  miles  east  of  Sdkolf. 
It  has  an  area  of  13,889  acres,  of  which  2^33  are  cultivated.  The  population 
amounts  to  2,183  souls.  The  present  chief,  Anant  Bdm,  is  a  Gond  by  caste  : 
hence  this  class  preponderate.  The  village  of  Arjunl  is  the  chief  place  in  this 
estate,  and  possesses  an  indigenous  school  and  a  government  police  post. 

ARMORI' — The  third  town  in  commercial  rank  in  the  Chdndd  district, 
situated  in  the  Wairigarh  pargana  on  the  left  bank  of  the  Waingangi,  about 
eighty  miles  north-east  of  Ohdndi.  Arm6ri  manufactures  fine  and  coarse  cloth, 
country  carts,  and  tasar  thread ;  and  is  preeminently  a  mart  at  which  forest 
produce,  cattle,  and  iron  from  the  wild  eastern  tracts  are  exchanged  for  the 
commodities  of  the  western  countries.  Its  foreign  trade  is  with  Berdr,  Wardhd, 
Ndgpdr,  Bhanddra,  Chhattisgarh,  Bastar,  and  the  eastern  coast,  and  during  the 
rains  it  carries  on  some  smaJl  boat  traffic  on  the  Waingangd.  Octroi  is  levied 
in  the  town,  the  farm  of  which  for  1866-67  realized  Rs.  2,000.  It  possesses  a 
poUce  outpost,  and  government  schools  for  boys  and  girls,  and  a  handsome 
market-place  is  now  in  process  of  construction. 

ARPA' — ^A  stream  rising  in  the  rugged  range  north  of  Kendd  in  the 
Bil&spdr  district.  After  pursuing  a  southerly  course  past  the  town  of  Bildspdr 
it  fidls  into  the  Seo  near  a  village  caUed  Urtam  in  the  same  district.  It  is  not 
navigable,  though  its  waters  are  to  some  extent  utilized  for  purposes  of  irrigation. 
In  the  diy  months  the  stream  is  very  insignificant,  but  during  the  monsoon  at 
floods  it  carries  a  large  volume  of  water. 


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6  AR 

ARPALLI'  (with  Ghot),  the  south-eastern  pargana  of  the  Mdl  tahsfl  of 
the  Chindi  district.  It  has  an  area  of  about  440  square  miles.  It  is  bounded  on 
the  north  by  the  A^mbg^on  pargana  and  the  Fiwl  Mut^ndi  zamind^i^  on  the 
east  by  Ahfri,  on  the  south  by  Ah&*i  and  the  Pranhita,  and  on  the  west  by  tiie 
Waingangd  and  A'mbg^on.  Ilie  formation  is  granitic  and  metcmiorphic ;  the 
typical  rocks  being  granite^  gneiss^  and  liomblende  schists^  through  which  ran 
masses  of  quartz^  evidently  metallifbrous.  The  country  is  hiUy,  aflFording  count- 
less  sites  for  irrigation-reservoirs,  and  is  watered  by  numerous  streams,  many 
of  which  are  fed  by  perennial  springs.  The  soil  is  chiefly  a  sandy  loam  richly 
impregnated  with  vegetable  mould,  for  hill,  plain,  and  valley  ar^  covered 
with  forest,  in  which  tendd,  mhowa,  ach^r,  ^{n,  dhauni,  karam,  and  bamboo  are 
the  most  common,  while  teak  and  shisham,  straight  but  of  small  girth,  are  found 
in  the  vicinity  of  the  Pranhitd  and  on  most  of  the  hill  spurs.  The  pargana 
contains  eighty- one  villages,  the  principal  being  Ghot,  which  is  a  thriving  place, 
with  a  considerable  stretch  of  sugarcane  fields ;  and  there  are  several  weU-to-do 
villages  along  the  banks  of  the  Waingangd  and  Pranhltd  and  about  Arpallf ;  but 
excluding  these,  most  of  the  villages  in  the  pargana  are  mere  small  clearings 
tenanted  by  Mdrids. 

AHVI' — A  town  in  the  Wardhfi  district,  situated  near  the  head  of  the 
Wardhd  valley,  about  34  nules  north-west  of  Wardhd.  Under  the  Mar&th& 
government  the  kamivisddr  in  charge  of  the  A'nii  pargana  used  to  hold  court 
here,  and  now  it  is  the  head-quarters  of  the  A  rvi  tahsil  and  police  circle.  It  is 
said  to  have  been  founded  some  three  hundred  years  ago  by  Telang  Rdo  Wall,  and  • 
his  name  is  still  associated  with  the  place,  which  is  often  styled  at  length  A'rvf 
Telang  Bio.  Hindds  claim  Telang  K&o  as  a  Brdhman,  and  Mohammadans  as  a 
fellow-religionist  of  their  own:  hence  both  sects  worship  at  his  tomb,  which  has 
been  converted  into  a  handsome  shrine  by  contributions  from  the  cotton 
merchants  and  other  townspeople.  A'rvi  at  present  contains  8,256  inhabitants, 
of  whom  the  bulk  are  cultivators  and  day-laoourers ;  but  there  are  also  294 
merchants,  besides  smaller  tradesmen,  578  oilmen,  and  249  weavers. 

The  following  statement  of  imports  and  exports  for  1868-69  shows  that  it 
is  a  considerable  trading  town  : — 


O    OB 

11 


0   « 

-I 


I 


i5 

1 


3^ 


H 
1^ 


■3 


S 

o 


Imports— 

Maunds  of  80  lbs 
each 


Value 


Rs. 


Exports — 

Haunds  of  80  lbs 
each 


Value. 


Rs. 


108,176 

9ee,86i 


90,r3Se 
843,684 


I6,S11 
389,445 


16,583 
302,200 


6,683 
67,724 


4,114 
80,671 


56,683 
162,824 


96,434 
103^4 


13,112 
50,291 


18,879 
68,420 


4,860 
125,916 


6,224 
143,112 


£38 
53,994 


256 
25,625 


181 
82,650 


163 
16,300 


991 
18,523 


472 
8,340 


No.  744 
7,440 


500 
14,343 


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AR— ASH  7 

Much  has  been  done  for  the  town  from  municipal  funds.  The  main  street, 
which  has  been  widened  and  metalled,  leads  into  a  market-place  recently  laid 
out,  whence  a  fine  broad  street  with  trees  on  each  side  leads  past  the  tahsflddr's 
court-house  to  the  Wardhd  valley  road,  which  passes  through  the  outskirts  of 
the  town.  A  range  of  dispensary  buildings  has  been  constructed  after  the 
standard  plan,  and  a  substantial  sardi,  with  sets  of  rooms  for  European 
travellers,  has  been  commenced.  Then  a  metalled  cotton  yard  has  been  laid  out, 
with  raised  platforms  for  weighing  cotton.  The  avenues  and  clumps  of  young 
trees  planted  have  been  well  tended,  and  already  begin  to  add  to  the  appearance 
of  the  town.  The  municipal  garden  is,  next  to  that  at  head-quarters,  the  best 
in  the  district.  A'rvi  contains  more  substantial  houses  than  most  towns  in 
Wardhi,  even  the  huts  of  the  poor  being  generally  tiled.  There  is  an  Anglo- 
Vernacular  town  school  here,  which  is  well  attended)  and  the  municipality 
supports  a  conservancy  establishment. 

A'RVI' — A  revenue  subdivision  of  the  Wardh4  district,  having  an  area 
of  868  square  miles,  with  489  villages,  and  a  population  of  110,595  according 
to  the  census  of  1866.  The  land  revenue  of  the  tahsil  for  1869-70  is 
Re.  1,52,511. 

AS  ARALLI' — ^A  village  in  the  Upper  Godivari  district,  twenty  miles  to  the 
east  of  Sironchd  on  the  road  to  Dumagudem.  The  road  from  this  to  Sironch^ 
has  been  well  cleared.  There  is  a  village  school  here,  also  a  thatched  travellers' 
bangalow  west  of  the  village.  From  tlus  to  Somndr,  the  junction  of  the  Indri- 
Tatf  and  God^vari,  it  is  six  miles.  The  population  is  about  450.  The  water- 
supply  is  inferior,  there  being  one  well  only  and  a  small  tank*  There  is,  however, 
a  large  tank  about  a  mile  and  a  half  to  the  west.  A  road  from  this  branches 
to  Bhdpilpatnam,  distant  about  twenty-five  miles  north-east.  Pdlkl  bearers  can 
be  obtained  here  if  some  previous  notice  be  given.  A  ferry  is  open,  except  in 
the  rainy  season,  to  Pdlnuld,  on  the  opposite  bank  of  the  Goddvari.  The  village 
itself  is  a  mile  and  a  half  from  the  Godivari. 

A'SHTI' — A  large  town  in  the  Wardhi  district,  containing  5,224  inhabi- 
tants. It  lies  18  miles  north  of  A'rvl  and  52  miles  north-west  of  Wardhd,  just 
below  the  southern  oflFshoots  of  the  Sdtpuri  range.  It  is  an  old  town,  and 
tradition  says  that  it  was  thriving  at  the  time  when  the  GauUs  were  lords  of  the 
country,  but  that  when  their  rule  ended  the  place  went  to  waste.  The  Emperor 
Jahingfr  gave  the  A^shti,  A  mner,  Paun^,  and  Tal^gdon  (Ber&)  parganas  in 
jigtr  to  Mohammad  Kh&n.  NiSzi,  an  Afghan  noble  who  held  high  rank  both 
nnder  Jahdngir  and  his  predecessor.  He  restored  A^shti,  and  brought  the 
country  round  under  cultivation.  He  died  in  1087  Fasli.  or  241  years  ago, 
and  was  buried  at  A'shti.  A  handsome  mausoleum  was  built  over  the  grave  in 
the  Moghal  style.  Mohammad  Khin  was  succeeded  by  Ahmad  Kh&n  Ni^zl, 
who  after  ruling  over  the  territories  above  mentioned  for  fourteen  years  died  in 
1061  Fasli.  A  similar  mausoleum  was  erected  over  his  tomb,  but  smaller  and  of 
inferior  workmanship.  The  two  stand  side  by  side  within  an  enclosure,  and  are 
the  sights  of  A'shtf .  They  are  indeed  striking  monuments  of  ai*t  to  find  in  such 
a  remote  spot  as  this.  After  the  death  of  Ahmad  Kh&n  the  power  of  the  Niizis 
graduaUy  declined ;  in  time  A'shti  itself  passed  from  their  hands  into  the  pos- 
session of  the  Mardthi  oflScials,  and  now  nothing  remains  to  them  save  a 
few  rent-free  fields,  sufficient  merely  for  their  subsistence.  The  tombs  of 
their  ancestors  were  already  falling  into  disrepair  owing  to  the  poverty  of  the 
fittnily,  when  they  were  taken  in  hand  by  the  district  authorities  as  worthy  objects 


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of  local  interest,  and  restored  from  municipal  funds.  Lately,  in  considei^tion 
of  the  past  history  of  the  family  and  the  local  respect  which  it  commands^  the 
Government  conferred  on  Nawdb  Wdhid  Khin,  one  of  its  representatives 
in  A'shti,  the  powers  of  an  honorary  magistrate.  The  bulk  of  the  inhabitants 
are  agriculturists,  but  a  good  trade  is  carried  on  in  country  cloth,  grain,  sac- 
charine produce,  spices,  and  cotton.  The  municipal  income  has  been  expended 
on  various  works,  among  others  danmaing  the  stream  which  passes  through 
the  town,  so  as  to  retain  a  supply  of  water  through  the  hot  weather.  The  dam 
has  been  so  placed  as  to  bring  the  reservoir  just  below  the  height  on  which 
the  tombs  of  the  Nawdbs  stand,  and  the  effect  is  very  good ;  a  market-place 
has  also  been  levelled  to  the  left  of  this  reservoir,  and  the  weekly  market 
there  held  is  well  attended.  The  town  contains  an  Anglo-Vernacular  town 
school,  and  a  suitable  school-house  has  been  erected  afber  the  standard  plan« 
There  is  also  a  police  station-house  under  a  head  constable. 

A'SHTI'— A  small  block  of  teak  forest  in  the  Wardhi  district,  which  from 
its  neighbourhood  to  well-populated  towns  has  been  much  exhausted.  The 
tract  has  been  reserved  as  a  State  Forest  more  in  view  to  preserve  the  large 
number  of  teak  saplings  on  the  ground  than  for  the  sake  of  any  valuable  timber 
which  it  now  contains. 

A'SI'RGARH — A  strong  fortress  situated  on  an  isolated  hill  in  the  S^tpuri 
range ;  height  850  feet  from  the  base,  and  2,300  feet  above  the  sea  level ;  it  is 
twenty-nine  and  a  half  miles  8outh*west  from  Khandwi,  the  head-quarters  of  the 
Nimdr  district,  and  is  situated  in  latitude  21°  26'  and  longitude  76°  20'. 

The  following  description  of  the  fortress,  which  holds  good  to  this  day,  is 
Description  of  the  fortress     given  by  Colonel  Blacker,  in  his  history  of  the 
of  A'sirgarh.  Mardthi  campaigns  of  1817  to  1819  :— 

'^  The  upper  fort  in  its  greatest  length  from  west  to  east  is  about 
eleven  hundred  yards,  and  its  extreme  breadth  from  north  to  south  about 
six  hundred,  but  owing  to  the  irregularity  of  its  shape  the  area  will  not 
be  found  more  than  three  hundred  thousand  square  yards  (60  acres).  It 
crowns  the  top  of  a  detached  hill  seven  hundred  and  fifty  feet  in  height ; 
and  round  the  foot  of  the  wall  enclosing  the  area  is  a  bluff  precipice  from 
eighty  to  one  hundred  and  twenty  feet  in  perpendicular  depth,  so  well 
scarped  as  to  leave  no  avenues  of  ascent  except  at  two  places.  To  fortify 
these  has  therefore  been  the  principal  care  in  constructing  the  tipper  fort, 
for  the  wall  which  skirts  the  precipices  is  no  more  than  a  low  curtain, 
except  where  the  guns  are  placed  in  battery.  This  is  one  of  the  few  hill-forts 
possessing  an  abundant  supply  of  water  which  is  not  commanded  within 
common  range,  but  it  fully  participates  in  the  common  disadvantage  attend- 
ing similar  places  of  strength,  by  affording  cover  in  every  direction  to  the 
approaches  of  an  enemy  through  the  numerous  ravines  by  which  its  inferior 
ramifications  are  separated.  In  one  of  these  which  terminates  within  the 
upper  fort  is  the  northern  avenue,  where  the  hill  is  highest,  and  to  bar  the 
access  to  the  place  at  that  point,  an  outer  rampart,  containing  four  case- 
ments with  embrasures,  eighteen  feet  high,  as  many  thick,  and  one  hundred 
and  ninety  feet  long,  crosses  it  from  one  part  of  the  interior  wall  to  another, 
where  a  reentering  angle  is  formed  by  the  works.  A  sally-port  of  extraor- 
dinary construction  descends  through  the  rock  at  the  south-eastern 
extremity,  and  is  easily  blocked  on  necessity,  by  dropping  down  materials 
at  certain  stages  which  are  open  to  the  top.  The  principal  avenue  of  the 
fort  is  on  the  south-west  side,  where  there  is  consequently  a  double  line 


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of  works  above,  the  lower  of  which,  twenty-five  feet  in  height,  runs  along 
the  foot  of  the  bluff  precipice,  and  the  entrance  passes  through  live  gate- 
ways by  a  steep  ascent  of  stone  steps.  The  masonry  here  is  uncommonly 
fine,  as  the  natural  impediments  are,  on  this  side,  least  difficult,  and  on  this 
account  a  third  line  of  works,  called  the  lower  fort,  embraces  an  inferior 
branch  of  the  hill  immediately  above  the  pettah.  The  wall  is  about  thirty 
feet  in  height,  with  towers,  and  at  its  northern  and  southern  extremities 
it  ascends  to  connect  itself  with  the  upper  works.  The  pettah,  which  is  by 
no  means  large,  has  a  partial  wall  on  the  southern  side,  where  there  is  a 
gate,  but  in  other  quarters  it  is  open  and  surrounded  by  ravines  and  deep 
hollows  extending  far  in  every  direction/' 

The  chief  points  in  the  early  history  of  tlie  fort  and  surrounding  country 
win  be  found  in  the  article  on  the  Nimur  district.  The  Mohammadan  historian 
Farishta*  states  that  the  fort  was  built  by  a  herdsman  named  A'sa  Ahir,  who 
ield  it  when  the  Mohammadans  conquered  the  country  (a.d.  1-370),  and 
whose  ancestors  had  possessed  it  for  seven  hundred  years  previously.  He  is 
said  to  have  been  the  landholder  of  the  whole  surrounding  country,  and  to  havo 
possessed  large  wealth  in  cattle  and  grain  stores.  But  it  seems  probable  that 
Farishta  invented  the  story  as  an  ingenious  etymological  explanation  of  the 
name  A'sir.  A'sd  Gaull  is  in  facta  fabulous  character  of  Western  India,  classed 
in  the  popular  idea  along  with  the  Pindava  brothers ;  and,  as  all  old  forts  are 
attributed  by  tradition  to  the  pastoral  tribes,  who  doubtless  at  an  early  period 
occnpied  India,  Farishta  probably  saw  no  harm  in  advancing  the  mythical 
A'sd  a  few  thousand  years  to  fit  his  story.  Wo  know  that  A'slr  was  in  fact 
occupied  by  Edjputs  to  within  a  short  time  of  the  Mohammadan  invasion,  it 
being  frequently  mentioned  by  name  in  Rdjput  poetry,  and  Ald-u-ddfn  having 
taken  it  from  the  Chauhdns  during  his  Deccan  raid  in  a.d.  1295  {vide  article 
"Nimdr^').t  Ab-ul-fazl,  who  wrote  a  few  years  before  Farishta,  says,  with  more 
probability,  that  when  the  Fdriikls  established  their  kingdom  of  Khdndesh 
there  were  only  a  few  people  in  A'sirgarh,  which  was  a  place  of  worship  of 
Asvatthhdmd.  It  is  so  still,  and  is  mentioned  as  such  in  the  Mahdbhdrat. 
A'sirgarh  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  Fdrdki  princes  of  Khdndesh  about  a.d.  1400, 
and  was  by  them  greatly  strengthened,  the  lower  fort  called  Malaigarh  having 
been  entirely  constructed  by  A  ail  Khdn  I.  the  fourth  of  the  dynasty.  A'slrgarh 
was  frequently  the  safe  retreat  of  the  Fdruki  princes  when  their  territory  was 
invaded  by  the  different  independent  Mohammadan  kings  of  Gujardt  and  the 
Deccan.  It  remained  in  their  possession  for  200  years,  till  in  a.d.  1600  the 
great  Akbar,  emperor  of  Delhi,  conquered  Mdlwd  and  Khdndcsh,  taking  the  last 
of  the  Fdrdkis,  Bahddur  Khdn,  in  A^sirgarh,  after  a  siege  which  is  thus 
described  by  the  historian  Farishtaf — 

"  When  Akbar  Pddshdh  arrived  at  Mdndu  with  the  avowed  intention  of 
invading  the  Deccan,  Bahddur  Khdn  instead  of  adopting  the  policy  of  his 
father  in  relying  on  the  honour  of  Akbar,  and  going  with  an  army  to 
cooperate  with  him,  shut  himself  up  in  tho  fort  of  A  sir  and  commenced 
preparations  to  withstand  a  siege.  To  this  end  ho  invited  fifteen  thou- 
sand persons,  including  labourers,  artizans,  and  shopkeepers,  into  the  place, 
and  filled  it  with  horses  and  cattlo  in  order  that  they  might  servo  for  work. 


*  Briggs'  Farishta,  vol.  iv.  p.  287.    Ed.  1829. 

t  Aln-i-Akbari  History  of  Stiba  Dadcs. 

^  Briggs'  Farishta,  vol.  iv.  p.  323.     Ed.  IS29. 


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and  eventually  for  food  and  other  purposes.  When  Akbar  P^dshdh  heard 
of  these  procaedings  he  sent  orders  to  Khdn  Khdndn  and  to  prince  D&ni&l 
Mirz&  to  continue  the  siege  of  A^hmadnagar^  while  he  himself  marched  to 
the  south  and  occupied  Burhdnpdr,  leaving  one  of  his  generals  to  besiege 
A'sir.  The  blockade  of  this  fortress  continued  for  a  length  of  time  till 
the  air  became  fetid  from  filth,  and  an  epidemic  disease  raged,  caused  by 
the  number  of  cattle  which  daily  died.  At  this  period  a  report  was  spread, 
and  generally  believed  in  by  the  garrison,  that  Akbar  had  the  power  of 
reducing  forts  by  necromancy,  and  that  magicians  accompanied  him  for  that 
purpose.  Bahddur  Kh&n,  believing  that  his  misfortunes  arose  from  tho 
abovementioned  cause,  took  no  means  to  counteract  the  evilsby  which  he 
was  surrounded.  He  neither  gave  orders  for  the  removal  of  the  dead  cattle, 
for  the  establishment  of  hospitals,  nor  for  sending  out  useless  persons,  till 
at  length  the  soldiers,  worn  out,  became  quite  careless  on  duty,  and  the 
Moghals  stormed  and  carried  the  lower  fort  called  Malaigarh.  Nothing 
could  exceed  the  infatuation  of  Bahddur  Khdn,  who,  although  he  had  ten 
years'  grain,  and  money  to  an  enormous  amount,  still  kept  the  troops  in 
arrears ;  and  they,  seeing  that  no  redress  was  to  be  expected,  resolved  to 
seize  hiTn  and  deliver  him  over  to  Akbar  Pidshdh.  Before  this  project 
was  carried  into  effect  Bahadur  Kh&a  discovered  the  plot,  and  consulted 
his  officers,  who  all  agreed  that  it  was  too  late  to  think  of  a  remedy.  Tho 
pestilence  raged  with  great  fury,  the  troops  were  completely  exhausted, 
and  nothing  remained  but  to  open  negotiations  for  the  surrender  of  the  fort, 
on  condition  that  the  lives  of  the  garrison  should  be  spared,  and  that  they 
should  march  out  with  their  property.  The  terms  were  acceded  to,  with 
the  exception  of  the  last  propositions  regarding  the  Khdn's  private  pro- 
perty, all  of  which  fell  into  the  king's  hands ;  and  Bahddur  Khdn,  the  last 
ion«  ^^  *^®  Ffirdki  dynasty,  humbled  himself  before  the 

a."d  *  1699  throne  of  Akbar  Pddshdh  in  a.  h.  1008. ;  while  the 

impregnable  fortress  of  A'sfr,  with  ten  years'  pro- 
visions, and  countless  treasures,  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  conqueror." 

A  vainglorious  inscription  cut  in  the  rock  near  the  main  gateway  records 
the  event  above  described,  but  gives  the  date  with  more  correctness  a.h.  1009 
(A.D.  1600). 

After  this  the  fort  appears  to  have  remained  quietly  in  the  possession  of 
the  Delhi  Emperors  up  to  the  invasion  of  their  kingdom  by  the  Mardthds. 
Another  inscription  near  the  large  tank  in  the  fort  commemorates  the  building 
of  the  great  mosque  in  the  reign  of  the  Emperor  Shdh  Jah&n.  This  mosque 
has  two  elegant  minarets,  but  no  cupolas — a  feature  peculiar  to  mosques  in  this 
part  of  the  country.  It  is  now  used  as  a  European  barrack.  Another  inscrip- 
tion is  near  the  first-mentioned  one  at  the  south-west  gate.  It  records  the 
transfer  (apparently  peaceful)  of  the  place  to  the  power  of  Aurangzeb  after 
deposing  his  father  and  murdering  his  elder  brother  in  a.d.  1660. 

Another  record  of  the  reign  of  Aurangzeb  is  to  be  found  in  an  inscription 
on  the  large  ^un  on  the  south-west  bastion.  This  piece  is  a  magnificent 
specimen  of  native  gun-casting,  and  was  made  at  Burhfinpdr  in  the  year  1663. 
It  is  made  of  a  kind  of  gun  metal  containing  a  veiy  large  proportion  of  copper 
(probably  the  "ashtdhdtu,"  which  was  composed  of  eight  metals,  including 
silver  and  gold).     The  casting  has  been  made  on  a  hollow  core  of  iron  welded 


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in  ribands^  which  now  forms  the  bore  of  the  piece.     Its  principal  dimensions 
are  the  following : — 

Feet.  Inches. 

Length,  muzzle  to  breech 12  9 

Do.         do.     to  trunnions    ...       7  3 

Girth  at  breech 8'  2J 

Do.  in  front  of  trunnion  6  6 

Do.  at  muzzle    5  7 

Diameter  of  bore  0  8J 

The  calibre  is  therefore  somewhat  larger,  while  the  length  is  considerably 
greater  than  those  of  the  63-pounders  of  the  British  service.  Its  weight 
cannot  be  less  than  seven  tons. 

The  gun  is  elaborately  ornamented  in  relief  with  Persian  inscriptions  and 
scroll  work  commencing  from  the  muzzle ;  the  inscriptions  run  thus — 

1.  "When  the  sparks  of  sorrow  issue  from  me,  life  deserts  the  body, 
as  grief  falls  on  the  world  when  flames  issue  from  the  fiery  zone.^' 

2.  Aurangzeb's  seal,  with  his  full  title,  "Abul  Muzaffar  Mohfyuddfn 
Mohammad  Aurangzeb,  Sh^  Ghdzi.'' 

3.  ''  Made  at  Burhdnptir  in  the  year  1074  a.h.^'  (a.d.  1663). 

4.  "  The  gun  '  Mulk  Haibats^ ''  (terror  of  the  country). 

5.  "  In  the  rule  of  Mohammad  Husen  Arab.^' 

6.  "  A  ball  of  35  seers,  and  1 2  seers  of  powder,  Sh^  Jah&ni  weight. '' 

It  is  to  be  nbted  that  an  iron  shot  fitting  the  bore  would  weigh  about 
70  lbs.,  so  that  the  shot  used  must  have  been  either  hollow  or  made  of  some 
light  stone. 

This  magnificent  old  gun  has  long  lain  uncared-for  on  the  ground  in  the 
south-western  bastion,  but  orders  have  now  been  received  for  its  removal  to 
England,  to  be  placed  in  the  museum  of  artillery  at  Woolwich.  A  breech-loading 
wall-piece  was  also  found  on  A'sirgarh,  and  now  lies  in  the  Khandwd  public 
garden.  It  is  of  about  one  lb.  calibre.  The  breech-loading  apparatus  is  lost, 
bat  it  seems  to  have  been  on  the  simple  plan  common  in  ancient  breech-loaders 
of  all  countries,  namely,  a  detachable  chamber  introduced  into  a  slot  in  the  side 
of  the  gun,  and  kept  in  position  by  a  wedge  or  bolt.  An  inscription  on  it 
states  tlmt  it  was  placed  in  the  fort  in  a.d.  1589  by  All  Shdh  Fdrdkf. 

In  A.D.  1760  the  fort  passed  by  treaty  into  the  hands  of  the  Peshwi  B4j{ 
Kdo,  and  in  1 778  it  was  acquired  from  him  by  treaty  by  Mahddji  Sindii.  In 
A.D.  1803  it  was  taken  with  little  resistance  from  DaulatRdo  Sindid  by  a  detach- 
ment of  General  Wellesley's  army  shortly  after  the  battle  of  Assaye  ;  but  on 
peace  being  concluded  with  the  Mardthds  in  the  same  year  it  was  again  made 
oyer  to  Sindi£  It  was  a  second  time  besieged  by  the  British  in  a.d.  1819,  its 
castellan  having  given  shelter  to  A'pd  Sdhib  the  ex-rijd  of  Ndgpdr,  and  of  the 
fiimous  Pindharf  chief  Chitd.  After  an  investment  of  twenty  days  the  fort 
capitulated,  and  during  this  siege  A'sirgarh  saw  perhaps  the  only  real  fighting 
that  had  occurred  in  the  course  of  its  history.  The  following  description  of  the 
siege  is  extracted  from  Thornton's  History  of  India*  : — 

*  Vol.  iv.  p.  673.    Ed.  1843. 


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*^  The  forces  assigned  to  the  attack  on  the  pettah  were  ordered  to 
assemble  at  midnight  on  the  1 7th  of  March,  and  to  move  a  short  time 
afterwards.  The  column  of  attack,  commanded  by  Lient.  Colonel  Praser, 
of  the  Royal  Scots,  consisted  of  five  companies  of  that  regiment,  the  flank 
companies  of  His  Majesty's  30th  and  67tli  foot  and  of  the  Madras  European 
regiment,  five  companies  of  the  first  battalion  of  the  12th  Madras  native 
infantry,  and  a  detail  of  sappers  and  miners.  The  reserve  under  Major 
Dalrymple,  of  His  Majesty's  80th,  was  composed  of  the  companies  of  that 
regiment  not  employed  in  the  column  of  attack,  one  company  of  the  King's 
(37th,  one  of  the  Madras  European  regiment,  and  nine  companies  of  native 
infantry  from  the  1st  battalion  of  the  7th  regiment,  the  first  battalion 
of  the  12th,  and  the  second  battalion  of  the  17th,  with  detachments  from 
the  2nd  and  7th  Madras  native  cavalry,  and  four  horse  artillery  guns.  The 
attacking  column  advanced  along  a  ndld  running  parallel  to  the  works 
on  the  southern  side,  till  arriving  within  a  convenient  distance  of  the 
pettah,  they  made  a  rush  for  the  gate,  and  succeeded  in  gaining  it.  The 
reserve  in  the  meantime,  in  two  parties,  occupied  points  in  the  ndld  by 
which  the  column  of  attack  advanced,  and  in  another  running  parallel  suffi- 
ciently near  to  allow  of  their  rendering  eventual  support.  Sir  John  Malcolm 
had  been  directed  to  distract  the  enemy's  attention  by  operations  on  the 
northern  side,  and  the  duty  was  performed  by  a  force  composed  of  the  3rd 
cavalry,  the  second  battalion  of  the  6th  regiment  Madras  native  infantry, 
and  the  first  battalion  of  the  14th,  the  first  battalion  of  the  8th  regiment  of 
Bombay  native  infantry,  six  howitzers,  and  two  horse  artillery  guns.  The 
town  was  carried  very  expeditiously,  and  with  small  loss,  the  troops  finding 
immediate  cover  in  the  streets.  In  the  course  of  the  day  a  battery  for  six 
light  howitzers  was  completed  on  the  pettah,  and  directed  against  the  lower 
fort.  On  the  night  of  the  19th  March  the  enemy  made  a  sally  upon  one 
of  the  British  posts  which  was  considerably  advanced,  but  were  soon 
repulsed.  In  the  course  of  the  same  night  a  battery  of  eight  heavy  guns 
was  completed.  On  the  20th  at  daybreak  its  fire  opened,  and  by  the 
evening  had  effected  a  formidable  breach  in  the  lower  fort,  besides  inflict- 
ing serious  injury  on  some  of  the  upper  works.  On  that  evening  the  enemy 
made  another  sally  into  the  pettah  and  gained  the  main  street.  They  were 
repulsed,  but  success  was  accompanied  by  the  loss  of  Colonel  Eraser,  who 
fell  in  the  act  of  rallying  his  men.  On  the  morning  of  the  21st  an  acci- 
dental explosion  in  the  rear  of  the  breaching  battery  proved  fat^il  to  two 
native  officers  and  about  a  hundred  men.  The  disaster  did  not  extend  to 
the  battery,  which  continued  firing  with  good  efiect.  In  the  afternoon  a 
mortar  battery  was  completed,  and  some  shells  were  thrown  from  it.  For 
several  days  little  occurred  deserving  report,  except  the  erection,  on  the 
night  of  the  24th,  of  another  battery,  three  hundred  and  fifty  yards  to  the 
left  of  the  breaching  battery.  Two  other  batteries  were  subsequently 
erected — one  on  the  south  side,  to  breach  in  a  second  place  the  lower  fort ; 
the  other  designed  to  silence  a  largo  gun  *  on  the  north-east  bastion  of  the 
upper  fort. 

♦  "  This  gun  is  said  to  have  been  an  enormous  gun-metal  piece  cast  at  fiurhdnpdr,  and  to 
have  been  thrown  over  the  battlements  after  the  siege,  and  sold  as  old  metal.  A  stone  shot  said 
to  have  belonged  to  it  measures  21  inches  in  diameter,  and  weighs  about  450  lbs.  The  gun  would 
therefore  be  (with  reference  to  iron  shot)  technically  a  1300-pounder.  This,  however,  is  still 
only  half  the  size  of  the  great  gun  of  BijdpiSr  in  the  Deccan,  cast  in  a.d.  1549.  The  French 
traveller  Bemier  states  that  Aurangzeb  had  French  artillerists  in  his  army  about  the  time  these 
guns  v»cre  cast*  so  that  they  may  not  be  wholly  the   product  of  indigenous  skill." 


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ASLA— AT  13 

"  On  the  29th  two  batteries  were  construeted  for  an  attack  on  the 
eastern  side  of  the  fort. 

"  On  the  following  morning  the  enemy  abandoned  the  lower  fort,  which 
was  immediately  occupied  by  the  British  troops.  The  batteries  which  had 
been  solely  directed  against  the  Jower  fort  were  now  disarmed,  and  the 
guns  removed  from  the  pettah  into  the  place  which  their  fire  had  reduced. 
In  the  situation  which  had  been  gained  the  firing  against  the  upper  fort 
was  speedily  resumed  from  various  batteries,  aided  by  others  below.  This 
continued  for  several  days,  and  so  many  shot  had  been  fired  that  a  defici- 
ency began  to  be  feared,  and  a  reward  was  offered  by  the  besiegers  for 
bringing  back  to  the  camp  the  shot  previously  expended.  This  expedient 
stimulated  the  activity  of  the  hordes  of  followers  which  hover  about  an 
eastern  camp,  and  succeeded  in  producing  an  abundant  and  reasonable 
supply.  The  operations  of  the  siege  were  vigorously  pursued  till  the  5tli 
of  April,  when  Yaswantrdo  Ldr  expressed  a  wish  to  negotiate.  Some 
.intercourse  took  place,  but  the  efforts  of  the  besiegers  so  far  from  being 
slackened  were  increased.  On  the  8th  Yaswantrdo  Ldr  repaired  to  General 
Doveton's  head-quarters,  to  endeavour  to  procure  terms,  but  in  vain,  and 
on  the  morning  of  the  9th  a  British  party  took  possession  of  the  upper  fort, 
the  garrison  descending  into  the  pettah,  and  grounding  their  matchlocks 
in  a  square  of  British  troops  formed  for  their  reception.^' 

Since  then  the  fort  of  A'sfrgarh  has  remained  in  "British  possession.  It  is 
generally  garrisoned  by  a  wing  of  native  infantry  and  two  companies  of 
Europeans.  There  is  no  artillery,  heavy  or  light,  on  the  fort,  except  the  old 
guns  already  mentioned.  A  gun-road  up  to  the  fort  is,  however,  about  to  be 
constructed.  It  is  about  seven  miles  from  the  station  of  Chdndni  on  the 
Great  Indian  Peninsula  Railway.  The  road  passes  through  thick  jungle  the 
whole  way,  and  has  been  put  in  tolerable  order.  As  a  place  of  residence  the 
fort  is  very  hefUthy.  The  approximate  mean  temperature  of  the  year  is  77^ 
or  3°  lower  than  on  the  plains  of  Nimdr.  The  nights  are  always  cool  and 
pleasant.  It  has  some  other  attractions.  It  commands  a  fine  view  over  the 
Tapti  valley.  There  is  excellent  shooting  to  be  had  in  the  neighbourhood,  and 
very  fair  grapes  are  grown  round  the  foot  of  the  hill.  But  on  the  whole  life  on 
the  hill  is  generally  found  decidedly  tedious. 

ASL  A'NA^ — A  large  village,  pleasantly  situated  on  the  right  bank  of  the 
Rondr  in  the  Damoh  district,  and  about  thirteen  miles  north-west  of  Damoh 
town.  The  river  here  forms  a  natural  *^  doh  "  or  pool,  which  is  always  filled  with 
water  and  overshadowed  by  trees.  This  part  of  the  river,  extending  for  some 
three  railes,  equals  in  scenery  any  part  of  the  Damoh  district.  The  town  contains 
395  houses,  and  a  population  estimated  at  about  1,500  souls.  The  inhabitants 
are  mostly  Brdhmans  of  respectable  family  (said  to  be  descended  from  the 
former  Chaudharis,  or  town  officers  of  Damoh),  and  Chhipds,  or  cloth-printers. 
The  cloth  printed  here  has  a  wide  sale.  There  is  a  government  school  here, 
and  a  good  ferry  across  the  river. 

ASODA' — A  perennial  stream  which  rises  in  the  A'njf  pargana  of  the 
Wardhd  district,  and  flowing  near  Deoll  and  Alfptlr  joins  the  Wardhd  below 
Khangdon. 

ATNER — A  village  in  the  Betdl  district,  lies  due  south  of  the  civil  station 
Badndr,  and  contains  441  houses,  with  a  population  of  1,938  souls.  There 
is  a  large  weekly  bdzdr  held  here,  and  a  considerable  trade  is  carried  on  with  the 


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14  AUND— BAH 

Berdrs,  A'tner  possesses  a  police  station-house,  a  branch  dispensary,  and  a 
good  school.  It  is  also  the  head-quarters  of  an  assistant  patrol  of  the  customs 
department.  There  are  the  remains  of  an  old  Mai'dth^  fort  here,  and  fine 
squared  stone  is  even  now  dug  out  of  it. 

A'UNDHI'— A  portion  of  the  T&aih&ras  zamindiiri  in  the  Chinda 
district. 

B 

BA'BAI — A  flourishing  village  in  the  Hoshangdbdd  district  on  the  high- 
road to  Jabalpdr,  sixteen  miles  east  of  Hoshangdbdd,  with  an  excellent 
weekly  market.  The  road  to  the  Bdgrd  railway  station  (six  miles  distant) 
branches  off  at  this  place.    There  is  a  neat  school-house  and  a  police  outpost. 

BADNU'R — ^The  head-quarters  of  the  district  of  Betill,  consisting,  besides 
the  European  houses,  of  two  bdzdrs.  The  largest,  the  K6thf  Bdzdr,  has*  521 
houses,  with  a  population  of  2,015  souls.  The  Sadar  Bdz^,  on  the  Maehnd, 
contains  192  houses,  with  a  population  of  about  728  souls.  Both  bdz^  are 
well  kept,  and  have  lately  been  much  improved  by  having  good  roads  made 
through  them.  The  public  buildinc's  are  the  commissioner's  court-house,  the 
district  court-house,  the  jail,  the  tahsTl  and  police  station-house,  two  government 
school-houses,  one  for  males  and  the  other  for  females,  the  post  office,  the 
dispensary,  and  the  government  central  distillery.  There  is  a  good  sarii  for 
native  travellers,  and  a  ddk  bungalow  for  Europeans  and  Natives  who  choose  to 
pay  the  usual  fees.  Not  far  fi:om  Badndr  is  KherU,  the  former  residence  of 
the  Gond  rdjds,  where  there  is  an  old  fort,  now  in  ruins,  which  used  to  be  held 
by  them. 

BA'GH — A  river  which  rises  in  the  hills  near  Chichgarh  in  the  Bhandibra 
district,  and  flows  north  until  it  meets  with  another  stream  of  the  same  name, 
when,  turning  to  the  west,  it  forms  the  southern  border  of  the  Bfldghdt  district. 
Eventually  it  empties  itself  into  the  Waingangd  at  Satona  in  the  Bhanddra 
district.  It  is  not  navigable  during  the  rains,  owing  to  a  barrier  of  rocks  within 
ten  miles  of  its  mouth,  the  removal  of  which  has  been  commenced. 

BAGHRA'JI'— A  village  in  the  Jabalpdr  district,  about  eight  miles  to  the 
south-east  of  Majhgawdn.     Here  the  iron  sand  called  dhao  is  smelted. 

B  A'GRA' — On  the  Tawd  river  in  the  Hoshang^b^  district ;  is  a  little  fortress 
of  the  t6,j6s  who  formerly  ruled  part  of  the  valley  below  the  spur  of  the  Sdtpuris 
on  which  the  fort  stands,  and  who  seem  to  have  been  extinguished  by  the 
earlier  Mardthd  invasions. 

B AHA'DURPU'R — A  town  in  Nimfo,  four  miles  west  of  Burhfopdr,  was 
built  by  Bahddur  Khfin,  the  last  of  the  Pdrdki  dynasty  of  E^hfodesh,  about  the 
end  of  the  sixteenth  century.  It  is  supplied  by  water  by  an  aqueduct  led  under 
the  ground  from  the  neighbouring  hills  in  the  manner  described  in  the  article 
^'  Burhdnpdr.*'  The  old  Deccan  road  passes  through  this  place,  and  there  ia 
a  staging  bungalow,  now  shut  up.  Bahddurpdr  has  a  Hindi  government  school, 
a  population  of  1,500,  and  a  weekly  market  held  on  Sunday. 

BAHMANGA'ON— An  estate  in  the  BdWgWt  district,  held  by  a  represen- 
tative of  a  branch  of  the  Bargion  family,  and  consisting  of  four  villages  only, 
eighteen  miles  south-east  of  B(&h^ 


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BAHr-BALA  15 

BAHMANP — A  large  village  in  the  Mandla  district.  It  is  on  the  direct 
road  to  Seoni,  and  situated  in  the  most  populous  part  of  the  district.  The 
inhabitants  are  chiefly  agricultural,  but  a  large  number  of  them  obtain  their 
living  by  carrying  grain  and  salt  to  and  from  Seoni  and  Mandla^  and  in  other 
directions,  on  droves  of  pack-bullocks.  There  are  a  school  and  a  police  station 
here. 

BAIHAB — A  town  in  the  B^Mghdt  district,  situated  about  fifteen  miles  east 
of  Paraswdr^,  in  what  may  be  called  the  east  centre  of  the  uplands.  It  has  a 
good  market  every  Monday.  There  is  a  police  outpost  here.  About  a  mile  to 
the  north  of  the  town  are  some  old  temples  which  are  worth  visiting. 

BAIRMA' — ^A  river  in  the  Damoh  district  which  rises  in  the  Vindhya 
range  at  an  elevation  of  1,700  feet  above  the  sea.  Its  source  is  a  small  pond  or 
tank  in  the  Gond  village  of  Bargi.  It  has  a  north-easterly  gourse  of  about 
no  miles,  and  falls  into  the  Sondr  (or  receives  that  river)  on  the  right  bank  in 
lat.  24°  20',  long.  79°  55'.  About  ten  miles  below  the  junction  the  united  rivers 
enter  the  Ken.  The  slope  of  the  bed  is  700  feet,  or  about  seven  feet  per  mile; 
its  velocity  is  therefore  considerable.  The  principal  places  on  its  banks  are 
Deori,  Hatrf,  Nautd,  Jujhdr,  and  Gaisdbid. 

BAXA'GHAT— 

CONTENTS. 

Page 

General  descriptioii  15 

Geographical  do.      16 

HiUs 17 

Bivers  and  Tanks  ib. 

Poreate ib. 

Wild  animals ib, 

Mioerals 18 

Agricoltural  prodaots  ib. 

Government  revenue 19 

Communications    ib. 

Population : •• ib. 

Settlers  20 

History   28 

A    district    in   the    Central     Provinces,  which    was,    as    a    temporary 
General  description  measure    for   two    years,   constituted  a  separate 

^      '  charge  and  attached  to  the  Nfigpdr  division  in 

1867.  It  may  be  briefly  described  as  consisting  of  the  eastern  portion  of 
the  central  plateau,  which  divides  the  province  from  east  to  west,  supple- 
mented to  the  south  by  a  rich  lowland  tract  lying  in  the  valley  of  the  Wain- 
gangfi.  The  highlands  of  Bildgh^t,  formerly  known  as  the  IldJgarh  Bichhid 
tract,  though  peculiarly  rich  in  natural  resources,  had  lain,  perhaps  for  centuries, 
desolate  and  neglected,  owing  to  their  remote  position  and  the  difficulty  of 
access  to  them,  when  it  was  determined  in  1866  to  open  them  out  to  the  indus- 
trious and  enterprising  peasantry  of  the  Waingangfi  valley.  To  accomplish 
this  object  the  parganas  of  Dhansu^,  Ldnji,  and  Hattd  were  taken  from  the 
Bhand&ra  district  and  added  to  the  high  country  of  B&{garh  Bichhid  and  the 
Mau  tdluka  of  Seonf ;  and  the  whole  tract  was  placed  under  a  district  officer 
resident  at  Burhd  on  the  Waingang^.  The  new  district  is  now  bounded  as 
follows  : — On  the  south  by  the  Bigh  nadl ;  on  the  west  by  the  Waingangi ;  on 
the  north  by  the  Jabalpiir  and    Chhattisgarh  road  and  an    imaginary  line 


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16  BALA 

leaving  that  road  between  Bichliia  and  the  Chilpfghdt,  and  joining  the  Wain- 
ganga  near  the  place  where  its  course  changes  from  east  to  south,  about 
sixty  miles  north  of  the  junction  of  the  B&gh  nadi ;  and  on  the  east  by  the 
feudatory  states  of  Kawardd  and  Khairdgarh.  It  lies  between  21°  25' and 
22°  30'  north  latitude,  and  80°  5'  and  81°  east  longtitude.  Its  extreme 
length  is  about  seventy-five  miles  from  north  to  south,  and  extreme  breadth 
sixty -five  miles  from  east  to  west. 

None  of  the  country  which  now  forms  Bdldghdt  was  much  known  until 
quite  a  recent  period.  The  plains  of  Hattd,  the  best  cultivated  portion  of  the 
district,  have,  it  is  believed,  been  first  brought  properly  under  cultivation  within 
the  present  century ;  and  the  Rdfgarh  Bichhii  tract  with  the  Man  tdluka  after 
relapsing  from  the  little  prosperity  they  may  have  enjoyed  during  the  best 
days  of  the  Gond  dynasty  of  Mandla,  were,  it  is  said,  first  taken  in  hand  by  one 
LcKjhhman  Ndik  about  forty  years  ago.  But  it  was  not  until  Captain  Thomson 
(then  deputy  co&missioner  of  Seoni)  examined  and  reported  on  Edfgarh  BichhiS 
in  January  1863  that  its  condition  and  resources  came  prominently  to  notice. 

Geographical  description.  ,^      Geographically   the   district  is  composed  of 

^  three  distinct  parts,  viz  : — 

1st. — The     southern     lowlands,     comprising      the    parganas    of   Hattd, 
Dhansui,  and  L^nji. 

2wtZ. — The  long  narrow  valley,  known  as  the  Mau  tdluka,  lying  to  the  north 
of  Samdpiir  between  the  hills  and  the  Waingangd  river. 

Srd, — The  lofty  plateau  on  which  is  situated  the  Rdfgarh  Bichhid  tract. 

The  first  portion  is  a  slightly  undulating  plain,  comparatively  well  culti- 
vated, and  drained  by  the  Waingang^,  Bdgh,  Deo,  Ghisrl,  and  Son  rivers.  On 
its  northern  and  north-eastern  edge  it  is  fringed  with  a  belt  of  forest,  which 
extends  from  one  to  five  miles  from  the  base  of  the  hills ;  and  at  various  places 
along  the  banks  of  the  rivers,  which  form  its  southern  and  western  borders, 
are  small  patches  of  jungle  ;  but  elsewhere  the  country  is  so  open  that  a  clear 
view  of  the  hills  can  be  obtained  from  nearly  any  spot  on  the  edge  of  the  boun- 
dary streams.  The  quality  of  the  land  varies  from  the  water-scoured  soil  on 
the  banks  of  the  Waingangd  to  the  rich  alluvial  black  deposits  found  in  the 
valleys  and  near  the  hills. 

The  second  portion  is  a  long,  narrow,  irregular-shaped  lowland  tract, 
composed  of  a  series  of  small  valleys  intersected  by  light  micacious  granite  hill 
ranges  and  peaks,  covered  with  dense  jungle,  and  trending  generally  from 
north  to  south.  From  the  main  range  to  the  Waingangi  the  breadth  varies 
from  five  to  twenty  miles.  It  is  drained  by  the  Waingangi,  and  its  tributaries, 
the  Nahrd,  Masmdr,  Mdhkdrd,  and  Uskdl.  The  soil  is  as  a  rule  of  somewhat 
inferior  quality,  and  requires  a  full  supply  of  water  to  produce  good  crops ;  bat 
to  counterbalance  this  drawback,  the  facilities  for  irrigation,  furnished  by  the 
undulating  surface  of  the  soil,  and  the  proximity  of  the  hills  with  their  perennial 
streams,  are  immense. 

The  third  is  a  vast  undulating  plateau  broken  into  numerous  valleys  by 
irregukr  ranges  of  hills,  running  generally  from  east  to  west.  The  general 
level  of  these  valleys  is  about  800  or  900  feet  above  the  plains  below,  and  nearly 
2,000  feet  above  the  sea.  By  far  the  greater  portion  of  these  highlands  is 
covered  with  dense  jungle,     ii  a  few  places,  such  as  around  Bhirf,  Paraswdri, 


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BALA  17 

BaDiar,  and  Bhimlat^  there  are  a  few  villages  worthy  of  thename^  but  most  of  the 
other  inhabited  spots  are  mere  specks  in  the  jungle,  collections  of  ten  or  twelve 
Gond  or  Baiga  huts,  which  remain  for  about  two  years,  and  are  then  burnt  by 
their  inhabitants,  who  migrate  to  other  places  in  search  of  virgin  soil.  The 
quality  of  the  soil  of  this  tract  is  extremely  varied,  and  ranges  from  the  richest 
alluvium  to  the  stony  unculturable  soil  found  in  proximity  to  the  higher  peaks. 

It  is  difficult  to  describe  in  detail  the  hills  of  the  district,  as   the  greater 
gQj^  portion  of  it  is  composed  entirely  of  hill  country. 

The  highest  points  in  the  district  are  the  peaks 
above  L^jf,  which  are  about  2,300  or  2,500  feet  above  the  sea ;  the  Tepdgarh 
hill,  about  2,600  feet  above  the  sea;  and  the  Bhainsdghdt  range,  which  in  places 
cannot  be  much  less  than  3,000  feet  above  the  sea.  In  the  plains  of  Dhansud, 
Hatti,  and  Linj(  there  are  no  hills,  and  in  the  Mau  t£uka  there  are  none 
worthy  of  particular  mention. 

The  principal  rivers  are  the  Waingangd,  with  its  tributaries  the  B&gh, 
„.  J  m    K  Nahri,  and  Usk61,  and  some  smaller  streams,  such 

Kivers  and  Tanks.  ^  ^j^^  Masmdr,  the  Mdhkdrd,    &c.,  and  the  few 

tributaries  of  the  Narbadd,  which  drain  a  portion  of  the  upper  plateau,  viz.  the 
Banjar,  Hdlon,  and  Jamdnii.  There  are  no  lakes  in  Bfldghat  worthy  of  mention ; 
smail  tanks,  however,  which  hold  water  just  sufficient  to  irrigate  the  rice  crops 
at  the  end  of  the  monsoon,  and  to  supply  the  village  cattle  with  water  during 
the  hot  months,  abound.  In  many  cases  the  tanks  are  purposely  and  completely 
emptied  soon  after  the  rains,  and  rabl  crops  are  sown  in  their  beds. 

The  forests  of  Bfldghdt  are  very  extensive.     In  the  low  country  the  bases 
p  of  the  hills  are  fringed  with  jungle,  containing 

timber  of  various  kinds,  but  not  of  Miy  great 
value.  On  the  banks  of  the  Waingangd  are  scattered  patches  of  teak ;  and  in 
Tarious  other  places  in  the  plains  are  isolated  Jungles,  containing  stunted  timber 
and  grass.  On  the  Deo,  near  the  village  of  Bhagatpdr,  and  on  the  banks  of  the 
Son,  between  Ldnji  and  Bijdgarh,  and  at  Bijdgarh  itself,  are  found  the  large 
katang  bamboos,  the  specimens  of  which  shown  at  the  Ndgpdr  and  Jabalpdr 
exhibitions  measured  about  ninety  feet  in  length.  Above  the  ghdts  the  greater 
part  of  the  country  is  covered  with  forests.  At  the  north-east  comer  is  situated 
the  large  sdl  forest  reserve  of  TopW,  where,  according  to  Major  Pearson,  ^'  the 
**  trees  are  truly  magnificent,  many  of  them  measuring  three  feet  in  diameter, 
*'  and  having  a  height  of  fifty  or  sixty  feet.''  From  Topld  to  BhimUt  and 
Baihar,  sdl  is  very  abundant.  But  little  teak  of  value  is  now  to  be  found  in  these 
forests.  On  the  Jamdnid,  near  Bhimldt,  some  3,000  trees  are  still  standing,  but 
of  these  about  forty  per  cent  are  as  yet  less  than  three  feet  in  circumference, 
and  not  fit  for  the  market. 

These  forests  are  tenanted  by  wild  animals  *  of  all  kinds,  from  the  bison, 

.  which  freq^aents  nearly  all   the  hill-crests  above 

Wild  animals.     •  j^^^^jj  ^^  ^j^^  Bhainsdghdt  range,  to  the  hare  and 

the  fox  in  the  plains  below,  but  they  are  not  easily  to  be  met  with,  for  their 
nombers  are  not  in  proportion  to  the  immense  extsnt  of  jungle  which  they 
frequent.  The  following  statement  shows  the  number  of  wild  animals  which 
were  killed,  and  for  which  government  rewards  were  paid,  in  1867-68  : — 

*  There  i<  one  wild  elephant,  which  it  is  believed  escaped  some  fifteen  years  ago  from  the 
establishment  of  the  Raja  of  Nagpiir. 

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Description  of  Animals. 

No.  killed. 

Amount  of 
Reward  paid. 

Tieers    

15 
1 

19 
3 

28 

1 

5 

398 

Bs.     a.    p. 
750    0    0 

Do.     cubs   «* 4 

20    0    0 

Panthers 

190    0    0 

Do.     cubs  

15     0    0 

Bears  

140    0    0 

Do.     cubs    

2     8    0 

H  vasnas 

10    0    0 

•^■^j  *^""« • •  •  •  • 

Snakes  

431     0    0 

Total 

470 

1,558     8    0 

There  is  every  reason  to  suppose  that  the  mineral  wealth  of  the  highlands  is 
p    ,  .  considerable ;  so  much,  however,  of  the  whole  area 

iTo  ucta— Mmerai.  ^^  ^^^  partially  explored  that  it  is   impossible  to 

state  what  the  extent  of  the  mineral  resources  may  be.  Gold  is  washed  in  both 
the  Deo  and  Son,  also  in  a  small  stream  called  the  Sonberd  n61&  near  the 
Panchera  gh&t  in  the  Dhansud  pargana,  and  in  the  Nahrd  river  of  the  Mau  tract* 
The  quantity  obtainable  is,  however,  so  small  as  scarcely  to  repay  the  labour. 
Iron  in  large  quantities  is  found  in  very  many  places  on  the  hills,  and  it  is 
extensively  worked  by  the  Gonds,  who  smelt  it  into  rough  semi-circular  shapes 
called  "  chdlis,^^  averaging  in  weight  about  10  lbs.  each.  These  are  sold  in 
the  h&z&TS  at  the  rate  of  two  to  four  chdlds  for  the  rupee.  Gerd,  or  red  ochre,  is 
found  to  the  west  of  the  Sdletekri  hills,  and  is  used  by  the  people  for  dyeing,  Ac.  > 
and  a  few  miles  to  the  east  of  Bdrhd,  surmd  (sulphide  of  antimony)  occurs 
in  large  quantities.  The  latter  is,  however,  of  no  value  here,  and  no  one  takes 
the  trouble  to  collect  it.  Both  above  and  below  the  ghdts  mica  is  abundant. 
Indeed  it  is  difficult  to  find  any  place  where  its  glittering  fragments  do  not  at 
once  attract  the  eye,  but  no  where  has  it  been  met  with  in  sheets  of  such  size  as 
to  make  it  commercially  valuable.  The  best  specimens  as  yet  brought  to  light 
have  come  from  near  Chitddongri  and  Bamni  near  Baihar,  and  have  measured 
about  two  by  three  or  four  inches.* 

Rice  is  the  principal  agricultural  product,  but 
Products — Agricultural,  other   crops   are   grown,  as  will  be  seen  by  the 

following  table  for  the  year  1868  : — 

Area  of  Acres 
under  cultivation. 

Rice 188,312 

Wheat 585 

Other  food  grains 8,770 

Oil-seeds 3,436 

Sugar ; 505 

Fibres 100 

Tobacco 688 

♦  Mr.  Micbea,  a  French  gentleman  residing  in  the  Mandla  district,  has  taken  an  experimental 
lease  uf  these  mines. 


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The  number  of  market-gardens  and  amount  of  garden  produce  is  extremely 
small.  Only  the  commonest  descriptions  of  indigenous  vegetable  are  grown  in 
the  fields;  but  the  jungles  afford  many  edible  herbs,  which  are  all  known  by  the 
comprehensive  word  ^*  bhdji^'  (or  greens).  There  are  also  many  roots  and 
bulbs  which  are  used  by  the  Baigds  and  dahyd-cutting  Gonds  for  both  food  and 
medicine. 

For  revenue  purposes  the  district  is   divided  into  two  portions,  viz.  the 

-^  Bdrh^  tahsll,  which  consists  of  the  parganas  of 

^^^^^'  DhansdS,  Ldnjl,  including  the  Sdletekri  zamin- 

darf  and  HattS,  and  the  Paraswdri  tahsll  which  is  composed  of  the  southern 

portions  of  the  Rifgarh  Bichhid  tract  and  the  Mau  tdluka.     The  revenues  of 

the  district  in  1868-69  are  shown  by  the  following  table  : — 

Land  revenue   Rs.  67,543  8  0 

Assessed  taxes „  6>925  0  0 

Excise    ' „  13,243  0  0 

Stamps „  11,342  0  0 

Forest  revenue     „  18,412  0  0 

Total Rs.  1,17,465     8    0 

There  are  no  made-roads  in  the  district.     For  six  months  in  the  year  (viz. 

^  .    ^  from  December  till  June)   the  ordinary  country 

Communications.  ,       i  ^  *  ^  jv/xiji  ••        /»•' 

tracks  are  mirly  good,  but  tor  the  remammg  five 

months  they  are,  generally  speaking,  quite  impassable  except  for  elephants  and 

foot-passengers.     The  passes  leading  from  the  low  country  to  the  highlands 

are  as  follows : — 

1.  The  B&iptlr  ghdt,  to   the  north  of  the  L&ijl  pargana,  in  the 
gorge  of  the  Deo. 

2.  The  Warai  ghit,  to  the  north-east  of  the  Dhansud  pargana,  near 
the  villages  of  Odhd  and  Dhansud. 

8.     The  Pancherd  gtdt,  to  the  north  of  the  Dhansud  pargana,  near 
the  villges  of  Pancherd  and  Dhdpewdri. 

4.  The  Bhondwi  ghit,  in  the  south-east  of  the  Mau  tdluka,  near 
Lametd  and  Bhondwd. 

5.  The  Ahmadpiir  ghdt,  lying  due  east  of  the  town  of  Mau. 

Of  these  Nos.  1  and  2  are  at  present  bad.  No.  3  is  nearly  finished,  and  good, 
and  Nos.  4  and  5  are  very  fair,  especially  the  latter. 

The  population  is  classed  under  some  ninety  castes  and  religious  denomi- 
p      ..^  nations,    but  most    of   these  are   very  scantily 

^      ^°'  represented.     By  far  the  largest  element  in  the 

population  is  the  aboriginal,  in  which  the  Gonds  and  their  congeners  are  the 
most  conspicuous.  Of  the  agricultural  classes  the  most  numerous  are  LodhJs 
and  Ponwdrs,  both  esteemed  to  be  good  cultivators,  though  the  latter  have 
merely  a  local  reputation,  while  the  former  aYe  well  known  through  Northern 
and  Central  India.  It  is  from  the  immigration  of  sturdy  peasants  of  these 
classes  that  the  reclamation  of  the  forest  wastes  may  be  hoped  for,  and  it  was 
with  the  main  object  of  facilitating  their  settlement  in  Biligh&t  that  the  new 
district  was  experimentally  formed.    The  trading  classes  are  chiefly  represented 


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by  oil-sellers  and  spirit-distillers,  who,  however,  combine  other  trades,  and  even 
agriculture,  with  their  hereditary  avocations.  The  artisan  class  scarcely  exists 
yet,  though  there  is  a  sprinklmg  of  ordinary  village  carpenters,  blacksmiths, 
and  metal-workers. 

The  following  extracts  from  a  report  on  the  new  district  by  Captain  Bloom - 

field,  the  Deputy  Commissioner,  will   show   what 
Setters.  steps   are  being  taken   to  induce   settlers  fix>m 

below  to  take  np  the  rich  virgin  lands  of  the  plateau  : — 

'^  Since  the  beginning  of  1867  every  effort  has  been  made  to  induce 
Ponwfirs,  Kunbis,  Mardrs,  and  other  good  cultivating  classes  to  immigrate 
and  take  up  land  in  the  upland  tracts.  People  applying  for  land  above 
the  ghits  have  either  received  grants  under  the  waste  land  clearance  lease 
rules,  where  the  plot  applied  for  has  been  entirely  waste ;  or,  in  cases 
where  the  applicant  has  expressed  a  desire  to  undei*take  the  management 
of  small  villages  composed  of  a  few  squatters  with  a  little  scattered  cultiva- 
tion, they  have  been  allowed  to  do  so,  and  inducements  have  been  held 
out  to  them  to  the  eflFect  that  if  they  get  the  village  inhabited,  and  cause 
the  lands  belonging  thereto  to  be  brought  quickly  under  cultivation,  the 
proprietary  right  will  be  given  to  them,  and  a  regular  settlement  made. 
The  former  of  the  conditions  above  described  (clearance  lease)  is  termed 
by  the  natives  'jangal  tardshi'  (forest  clearing),  and  the  latter  *dbddi' 
(colonisation). 

"Under  the  clearance  lease  rules,  46  plots,  with  a  total  area  of  9,171 
acres,  have  been  taken  up  by  33  Ponwirs,  6  Gonds,  1  Mardr,  1  Lodhi ; 
and  37  villages,  with  an  area  of  about  55,583  acres,  have  been  taken  up  by 
9  Ponwdrs,  2  Kunbis,  3  Gonds,  1  Kdyath,  1  Marir,  2  Rdjputs,  and  1  Sonfir. 
The  area  thus  taken  up  amounts  altogether  to  about  64,754  acres.  The 
number  of  men  (59)  thus  shown  to  have  gone  to  the  uplands  only  represents 
those  well-to-do  individuals,  who  have  ventured  to  immigrate  from  below 
in  the  hope  that  hereafter  they  may  become  mdlguz&rs  of  their  holdings. 
But  as  a  rule,  with  each  of  these  men  several  families  of  cultivators  of  the 
same  caste,  but  in  poorer  circumstances,  have  gone :  thus  the  total  number 
of  persons  who  have  emigrated  to  the  uplands  may  be  estimated  at  more 
than  500,  exclusive  of  those  who  have  gone  to  reside  in  villages  previously 
settled.  Of  this  latter  class  I  have  no  certain  statistics,  but  from  the 
number  of  people  I  have  seen  in  the  act  of  emigration,  and  from  the  great 
profusion  of  new  houses  in  the  upland  villages,  I  have  no  hesitation  in 
saying  that  the  numbers  of  this  class  of  immigrants  are  very  considerable. 


"  Of  all  the  people  who  have  gone  above  the  ghits  these  Ponw^rs 
promise  to  be  the  most  valuable  and  successful.  Wherever  men  of  this  class 
nave  taken  up  land  they  have  set  to  work  in  earnest  in  embanking  up  their 
fields  and  constructing  tanks.  In  many  places  where  they  have  settled 
down,  where  never  sod  was  turned  before,  may  now  be  seen  fields  covering 
many  acres,  with  their  embankments  (bandis)  three  and  four  feet  high, 
and  everything  ready  for  the  rains  now  commencing. 

''  The  Ponwfirs  and  otiier  settlers  have  perhaps  done  much,  considering 
the  fewness  of  their  numbers  and  the  recentness  of  their  arrival;  but  their 


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example  has,  I  believe,  done  more.  The  former  inhabitants  of  the  tracts 
seem  now  to  have  realised  the  fact  that  formidable  competitors  for  the  rich 
lands  around  them  are  daily  becoming  more  numerous,  and  they  no  longer 
imagine  that  they  alone  are  the  occupiers  of  the  soil.  Gonds  and  others 
who  were  formerly  satisfied  with  their  rough  and  shifting  cultivation,  now 
vie  with  each  other  in  raising  embankments  round  their  fields,  and  in 
constructing  tanks  where  nothing  of  the  kind  before  existed/' 

This  is  only  a  beginning,  but  it  is  regarded  as  promising  by  those  who 
know  the  country.  Special  causes  have  been  at  work  during  the  two  years,  for 
which  this  district  has  existed,  to  check  immigration,  in  addition  to  the  ordinary 
obstacles  arising  from  absence  of  enterprise  among  the  people.  One  of  the 
two  years  has  been  agriculturally  unfavourable,  and  there  has  been  a  question 
about  the  rights  of  the  indigenous  inhabitants,  which,  till  it  was  settled,  must 
have  deterred  many  intending  immigrants  from  taking  up  lands,  a  clear  title  to 
which  could  not  yet  be  given  to  them. 

In  addition  to  the  direct  modes  of  encouragement  above  described,  consi- 
derable efforts  have  been  made  to  facilitate  settlement  by  improving  the  very 
deficient  modes  of  communication  between  the  low  country  and  the  rich  wastes 
on  the  plateau.  What  has  been  done  in  this  respect  is  thus  described  in  a  late 
report  by  Mr.  Bernard^  the  Commissioner  of  the  Nfigpdr  division : — 

'^  Captain  Bloomfield's  report  describes  what  has  been  done,  and  is 
still  doing,  to  open  good  and  suflicient  intercommunication  between  the 
uplands  and  plains.  The  villages  of  the  Waingangd  plain  constitute  the 
markets  for  the  produce  of  the  uplands,  and  it  is  thence  that  the  people 
of  the  highlands  draw  their  salt,  their  copper  vessels,  their  cotton  goods, 
and  their  hardware.  Yet  two  years  ago  there  was  not  a  single  road  by 
which  a  laden  caxt  could  get  from  the  plains  to  Paraswdrd.  Up  the  tract 
where  the  Bhondwi  ghdt  now  is,  a  few  half-laden  carts  used  to  struggle ; 
and  an  occasional  cart  used  to  get  up  the  Bdnpdr  gh&t  by  dint  of  being 
unladen  and  lifted  at  five  or  six  bad  places  on  the  road.  Now  there  are  no 
less  than  three  good  cart  roads  by  which  laden  carts  can  go  up  and  down 
the  gh^ts  at  all  seasons,  and  two  more  such  ghdts  will  shortly  be  completed. 
*  *  *  I  have  myself  seen  each  of  these  ghdt  roads  once  or  twice 
during  the  present  season,  and  I  am  able  to  say  that  they  are  most  useftd 
and  economically  constructed  works.     They  may  be  enumerated  thus — 

"The  Pancherd  ghat,  costing  Rs.  15,000,  is  quite  complete.  It  is 
now  standing  the  present  rainy  season.  This  ghdt  was  formerly  quite  im- 
passable for  carts.  During  the  last  six  weeks  of  the  open  season  of  1869, 
792  carts  passed  over  it,  so  that  the  people  were  fully  sJive  to  its  conveni- 
ence as  soon  as  it  was  opened. 

"  The  Warai  ghdt,  costing  Rs.  4,000,  was  barely  completed  when  the 
rainy  season  began.  Its  side  drains,  however,  were  finished,  and  the  work 
will  doubtless  stand  the  monsoon  weather.  No  cart  had  ever  been  up  this 
ghdt  before,  but  during  the  past  season,  while  work  was  going  on,  a  few 
carts  got  up.    Next  open  season  it  will  be  in  full  working  order. 


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"  The  Bdnpdr  gMt  has  been  lialf  finished  at  a  cost  of  Es.  2,500. 

It  was  np  this  ghdt  that  carts  intended  for  the  uplands  used  to  be  carried 
on  mens'  heads.  Already,  now  that  the  most  part  of  the  ascent  is  over- 
come by  zigzags,  some  seventy  laden  carts  have  made  their  way  up  this 
gUt. 

'^  The  two  other  ghdts  lead  from  the  western  edge,  while  the  three 
above  described  lead  from  the  southern  edge  of  the  plateau. 

''  The  Bhondwi  ghit  has  for  many  years  been  used  by  carts ;  the 
slope  was  much  more  gradual  (except  for  a  short  piece  near  the  foot  of  the 
hills)  than  on  the  southern  ghdts.  But  the  road  was  extremely  rough  and 
uneven,  and  the  proportion  of  carts  which  eflFected  the  passage  of  this  ghft 
without  breaking  their  axles  or  wheels  was  formerly  small.  The  road  has 
now  been  improved,  the  steep  ascent  of  the  foot  has  been  overcome  by 
zigzags,  and  the  whole  ghdt  has  been  made  very  passable  at  a  cost  of 
Ks.  1,920. 

"  The  Ahmadpdr  ghit  is  of  the  same  character  as  the  Bhondwd,  but  it 
is  hardly  so  important  a  road  as  any  of  the  other  ghdts.  Its  improvement 
has  not  yet  been  taken  in  hand,  but  Rs.  2,000  have  been  provided  for  the 
work  in  the  current  year's  budget.  On  most  of  these  ghits  the  cutting 
has  taken  the  road  down  to  gneiss  or  to  schists,  which  make  very  fair 
road  surface.  The  banks  too  for  the  most  part  consist  of  tolerably  hard 
material ;  no  expense,  or  at  any  rate  very  little,  will  therefore  be  incurred 
in  metalling  the  ghdt  roads.  But  the  skeleton  of  the  Bfl^ghdt  road 
system  will  only  be  begun  when  the  ghdt  roads  are  finished.  Pair-weather 
roads  will  have  to  be  cut  from  the  ghit  summits  to  the  different  valleys  and 
plateaus ;  no  metalling  will  as  yet  be  attempted  on  these  roads,  but  the 
shortest  lines  will  be  selected ;  the  jungle  will  be  cut,  rocks  and  stones  will 
be  removed,  and  the  banks  of  streams  will  be  sloped  at  the  approaches  to 
fords.  The  lie  of  these  roads  has  already  been  settled  by  the  deputy  com- 
missioner ;  some  of  them  have  been  aUgned,  and  two  or  three  have  been 
already  cleared.  When  they  shall  all  be  completed,  the  communications 
of  the  BilfigMt  uplands  will  be  at  least  as  good  as  the  cross-country  roads 
of  the  plain  country  below. 

"  Before  passing  from  this  account  of  what  has  been  done  to  improve 
the  B&ldgh^t  communications  it  may  be  well  to  notice  that  the  deputy 
commissioner  has  given  some  attention  to  the  improvement  of  the  river 
communication  in  the  Bdl£gh£t  lowlands.  The  Bdgh  nadf,  the  Deo  nad(, 
the  Son  nadl,  and  the  Waingangd  traverse  the  district,  and  during  the 
flood  season  a  good  deal  of  grain  goes  down,  and  some  salt  comes  up  in 
flat-bottomed  cargo-boats.  At  several  places  on  these  rivers  there  are 
rocky  barriers,  which  impede,  or  even  stop  navigation ;  one  of  these 
barriers,  at  a  place  named  Rijdgdon  on  the  Bdgh  nadf,  was  opened  last  May 
by  Captain  Bloomfield,  who  blasted  away  the  rocky  curtain  at  a  cost  of 
about  Rs.  450.  The  removal  of  this  barrier  has  opened  out  a  long  extra 
reach  on  the  Bfigh  nadf,  and  has  also  opened  the  Deo  and  Son  rivers  for 
cargo-boats.  During  the  current  season  Captain  Bloomfield  is  taking 
experimental  river  trips  to  all  the  principal  barriers  in  the  district,  and  has 
ascertained  that  the  Waingangd  might  be  made  navigable  to  the  very  north 
of  the  district  by  the  removal  of  comparatively  inconsiderable  barriers/^ 


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As  yet  the  district  scarcely  has  a  history.     The  upper  part  of  it  belonged 
„.  to  the  dominions   of  the   Grarhfi   Mandla  kings 

^'  nntil  their  subjugation  by  the  Marithds,  and  the 

lowlands  were  included  either  in  the  Haihai  jBansi  kingdom  of  Chhattisgarh, 
which  was  absorbed  more  than  a  century  ago  by  the  Bhonsli  rulers  of  Ndgpiir, 
or  in  the  Deogarh  Gond  principality,  which  fell  even  earlier  before  the  same 
power.  The  high  plateau  has  not,  within  the  memory  of  man,  been  so  near 
prosperity  as  it  is  at  present,  and  sixty  years  ago  it  was  almost  entirely  waste. 
About  that  time  one  Lachhman  Ndik  planted  the  first  villages  on  the  Paras- 
wiri  plateau,  and  it  is  to  his  enterprise,  and  to  the  industry  of  the  immigrants 
whom  he  introduced,  that  Paraswdr^  and  the  thirty  villages  about  it  are  now 
flourishing  settlements,  surrounded  by  excellent  rice  fields,  which  never  want 
for  water  even  in  the  ^est  seasons.  There  are,  however,  traces,  in  the  shape  of 
hMidsome  Buddhist  temples  of  cut  stone,  of  a  comparatively  high  civilisation  at 
some  remote  period.  Further  researches  may  some  day  throw  light  on  this 
epoch,  which  may  probably  be  referred  to  the  days  when  a  Haihaya  line  of 
kings  ruled  over  MdriSgarh  and  Ldnji  (the  present  Mandla  and  BdlSghdt). 
But  for  the  present  at  any  rate  the  eyes  of  those  interested  in  the  district  will 
rather  be  turned  to  the  important  experiment  in  colonisation,  which  is  now 
under  trial,  than  to  the  almost  illegible  records  of  an  extinct  past. 

BAJjA'HI  hills,  in  the  Bhanddra  district,  lying  about  six  miles  west  of 
Bhand&ra,  are  about  four  hundred  feet  above  the  level  of  the  plain.  They  extend 
over  a  space  of  ground  about  twenty-four  miles  in  circumference,  and  are  quite 
bare  of  vegetation,  but  aflford  some  pasturage  for  cattle,  and  plenty  of  building 
material  in  the  shape  of  large  slabs  of  shale  and  blocks  of  laterite. 

B ATj A'KOT — ^A  fortified  village  situated  in  a  very  hilly  part  of  the  Damoh 
district,  about  twelve  miles  the  south-west  of  Damoh.  The  inhabitants  are 
Lodhfs,  and  rebelled  in  1857,  when  the  fort  was  attacked  and  dismantled  by 
British  troops.     There  is  a  police  post  here. 

BALIHRI' — A  town  situated  about  9  miles  to  tho  south-west  of  Murward, 
and  15  miles  due  north  of  Sleemandbdd.  It  is  in  all  probability  one  of  the 
oldest  towns  in  the  Jabalpdr  district.  The  main  line  of  communication  between 
the  valley  of  the  Ganges  and  Narbadd  used  to  run  through  it.  All  round  and 
in  every  street  of  it  are  to  be  seen  ancient  remains,  which  prove  it  once  to  have 
been  a  place  of  some  importance,  though  it  now  contains  only  450  houses.  At 
Yarious  times  the  name  of  the  town  has  been  changed ;  it  is  said  first  to  have 
been  called  Bdbdvat  Nagarl  or  Bdbdvati,  then  Pdpdvat  Nagarl,  and  lastly  it 
gained  its  present  name  of  BaJihrl,  according  to  tradition,  from  the  defeat  here 
of  a  Hdja  Bal.  The  inhabitants  of  the  place,  however,  say  that  the  name  of  Balihri 
is  derived  from  a  kind  of  'pdn'  for  which  the  place  was  once  famous.  This 
may  be  the  case,  as  even  now,  notwithstanding  the  decadence  of  the  place,  the 
*f&D.*  gardens  are  numerous  and  beautiful.  Again,  others  say  that  the  'pdn' 
derives  itfl  name  from  the  town,  and  not  the  town  from  the '  pdn.^  According  to 
tradition  Bdbdvati  was  many  centuries  ago  a  very  flourishing  city.  Its  temples 
were  numbered  by  hundreds ;  and  the  pilgrims  who  flocked  from  all  parts  of 
India  to  do  homage  at  the  various  shrines  were  counted  by  thousands.  It  is 
said  that  in  those  days  it  was  (8  coss)  24  miles  in  circumference.  In  the  centre 
of  the  town  there  is  now  standing  an  old  building  formerly  used  as  a  ^'  marha,^' 
and  still  C5alled  by  that  name,  from  which  not  many  years  ago  was  removed  a 
bijak  (large  stone  bearing  an  inscription),  which  has  only  been  decyphered  so 


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24  BAL 

far  as  to  show  that  this  was  a  very  early  seat  of  Jain  worship.  From  the  best 
information  now  obtainable  on  the  subject  it  appears  that  the  town  of  Balihri, 
and  the  pargana  bearing  the  same  name,  consisting  of  about  thirty  villages^ 
belonged  to  the  kings  of  Mandla,  in  whose  possession  they  continued  until 
Samvat  1838  (a.d.  1781),  when  they  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  Mardthd  chief  of 
Sdgar.  In  Samvat  1853  (a.d.  1796)  Balihri  and  some  other  districts  were 
presented  to  RaghojJ  BhonsM  I.,  Rdja  of  Nagpiir,  as  a  reward  for  services 
rendered  in  assisting  the  Peshwd  in  a  war  against  the  Nizdm.  In  Samvat 
1874  (a.d.  1817)  Balihri  was  ceded  by  the  BhonslSs  to  the  British  govern- 
ment. In  A.D.  1857,  during  the  great  Indian  mutiny,  the  fort  of  Balihri 
was  occupied  by  a  party  of  rebels  under  Raghundth  Singh  Bundeld,  of  Bichdl 
in  Pannd.  So  soon  as  this  became  known  native  troops  were  sent  against  the 
place  from  Jabalpdr  and  Ndgod,  but  before  they  arrived  the  rebels  had  decamped. 
Soon  afterwards  the  fort  was,  by  the  order  of  government,  dismantled,  and 
not  only  were  the  outer  walls  levelled,  but  the  whole  place  was  converted  into 
a  chaotic  mass  of  ruins.  The  present  town  of  Balihri  is  picturesquely  situated 
among  fine  groves  of  mango  and  other  trees,  in  a  fertile  country,  the  sur&ce 
of  which  is  broken  by  numerous  hills.  The  large  tank  (Lachhman  SSgar),  the 
many  ancient  remains,  and  the  fine  old  baolfs  in  the  town  itself,  are  well  worthy 
of  a  visit  from  travellers  in  the  neighbourhood. 

BALLAXPUH — ^A  village  in  the  ChinAi  district,  six  miles  south 
of  Chdndd,  on  the  left  bank  of  the  Wardhi.  It  was  the  seat  of  the  earlier 
Gond  kings.  Although  now  containing  only  253  houses,  foundations  can  be 
traced  for  a  considerable  distance  in  the  jungle,  showing  the  large  area  over 
which  the  old  city  extended.  There  is  a  fine  stone  fort,  much  of  which  is 
modem,  having  been  rebuilt  about  the  end  of  the  last  century.  Within  it  are 
the  remains  of  the  ancient  palace,  among  which  are  two  tunnels  sloping  at  a 
steep  angle  into  the  ground.  The  entrances  are  a  few  feet  apart,  and  the 
tunnels,  branching  oflF  in  opposite  directions,  lead  each  to  a  set  of  three  under- 
ground chambers.  When  these  were  explored  in  a.d.  1865  some  ancient 
copper  coins  and  decayed  iron  rings  were  found.  There  is  also  a  perpendicular 
shaft,  the  object  of  which  has  not  yet  been  ascertained.  North  of  tne  village 
are  the  ruins  of  a  large  and  elaborately  made  tank,  in  which,  owing  probaoly 
to  the  falling-in  of  the  under-channels,  any  water  collected  sinks  through  the 
earth,  and  appears  as  a  stream  a  little  further  down.  To  the  east  stands  a 
tomb  of  one  of  the  Gond  kings ;  and  in  an  islet  in  the  Wardh^  in  the  same 
direction  there  is  an  exceedingly  curious  rock-temple  which  during  several 
months  of  the  year  is  fathoms  under  water ;  it  is  known  as  the  ^'  R&m  Tfrth,'^ 
and  in  A.D.  1866  was  thoroughly  cleaned  out  and  explored.  A  few  hundred 
yards  beyond  the  Rdm  Tirth,  in  the  bed  of  the  Wardh^,  is  a  seam  of  coal,  laid 
Dare  by  the  action  of  the  stream.  The  situation  of  Balldlpdr  is  picturesque,  the 
Wardhi  banks  being  high  and  rocky,  and  the  river  beneath  at  all  times  deep 
and  broad,  while  ancient  groves  furnish  abundant  shade.  &.  poUce  outpost  is 
stationed  here,  and  near  the  fort  is  an  unfinished  English  house,  which  visitors 
are  generally  permitted  to  use. 

BATjOD — A  small  town  in  the  Rdfpdr  district,  situated  fifty  miles  south- 
west of  Rdipdr,  containing  802  houses  and  about  1,800  inhabitants ;  it  Kes  half 
a  mile  from  the  banks  of  the  Tanduld,  one  of  the  affluents  of  the  Seo.  The 
town  is  very  straggling,  and  bears  signs  of  having  at  one  time  been  much 
more  flourishing  than  at  present.  There  is  an  old  fort  in  a  state  of  dilapida- 
tion, said  to  hfvve  been  built  at  the  close  of  the  fifteenth  century  of  our  era  by 


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BAL  25 

a  cadet  of  the  femily  of  the  Eijput  kings  of  Ratanptlr.  In  a.d.  1778  it  was 
taken  by  the  Marlth&s  after  a  very  severe  contest.  There  is  an  old  temple  in 
the  town,  remarkable  more  for  the  large  stones  which  form  its  basement  than 
for  any  architectural  pretensions. 

BA'MRA' — ^A  feudatory  state  attached  to  the  Sambalpdr  district,  held  by 
a  Rdjput  family,  and  formerly  subject  to  Sirgdja,  but  added  to  the  Garhjdt 
cluster  by  Balr^m  Deo,  first  BAji  of  Sambalpdr.  It  lies  between  84°  20'  and 
85°  15'  east  longitude,  and  between  21°  10  and  22°  15'  north  latitude.  Its 
formation  is  extremely  irregular,  the  northern  part  running  up  to  a  point  into 
the  Bonai  and  G&ngpdr  states;  and  two  points  also  extending  considerably  to 
the  westward,  the  one  into  the  Lair^  zamlndiri,  and  the  other  into  TSlcher.  It 
is  bounded  on  the  north  by  Bonai  and  Qdngpdr,  on  the  south  by  the  Garhjdt  state 
of  Bair&khol,  on  the  east  by  Tilcher  and  Laird,  and  on  the  west  by  the  Sam- 
balpdr khdka  and  the  zamfnddri  of  Jaipdr  or  KolSbiri.  Taking  the  extreme 
length  north  and  south  it  may  be  some  seventy- five  miles,  while  the  extreme 
br€»dth  is  about  sixty-four  miles.  The  total  area  may  be  about  1750  squfiure 
miles.  Notwithstanding  the  masses  of  hill  and  jungle  in  the  southern  portion  of 
the  state,  about  three-fifths  of  the  whole  are  cultivated,  the  north-western 
part  and  the  centre  being  particulsirly  fertile.  The  soil  is  light  and  sandy, 
except  in  the  immediate  neighbourhood  of  the  hills  where  it  ia  more  loamy. 
There  are  some  splendid  sdl  forests  in  this  state ;  all  lost  to  use,  however, 
for  want  of  means  to  get  the  timber  to  a  market.  Iron  ore  is  to  be  found 
in  abundance.  The  jungles  produce  a  considerable  quantity  of  lac,  silk,  cocoons, 
be^wax,  and  honey.  Resin  is  also  extracted  from  the  sdl  trees.  The  only 
river  of  note  is  the  Brahmdnf.  But  for  certain  rocky  obstructions  that  occur  at 
one  or  two  places  timber  might  be  floated  down  this  river  to  the  coast,  as  it 
empties  itself  into  the  sea  just  north  of  False  Point.  An  old  road  to  Calcutta, 
now  fallen  into  disuse,  runs  through  the  state  from  west  to  east.  There  are 
no  other  roads  of  importance.  According  to  the  census  of  1866  the  population 
amounted  to  22,456  souls,  and  was  for  the  most  part  agricultural.  As  elsewhere 
in  these  parts,  rice  is  the  staple  produce.  Oil-seeds,  pulses,  cotton,  and  sugarcane 
are  also  cultivated.  The  principal  non-agricultural  castes  are  Brdhmans,  Rdjputs, 
and  Mahantis,  while  agriculture  is  carried  on  by  Chasds,  Gt)nds,  Khonds, 
Agari&B,  Koltis,  Suds,  and  Dum^ls. 

The  family  is  Gangd-bansi  Bijput.  They  do  not  appear  to  be  in  posses- 
sion of  any  authentic  traditions  antecedent  to  Samvat  1602  (a.d.  1545). 
In  that  year  one  R4m  Chandra  Deva  was  Edjd  till  Samvat  1635,  when  he  was 
wcceeded  by  Bikram  Deva,  who  reigned  from  1635    to   1682 

„  Ham  Deva  „ 

„  Chandra  Sekhar         „ 

„  Bhagfrath  Deva         „ 

„  Prat&p  Deva  „ 

„  Sid&sar  Deva  „ 

„  Arjun  Deva  „ 

„  Sujal  Deva  „ 

„  Tribhuvan  Deva,  the  present  rijd. 

Tribhuvan  Deva  is  a  man  of  some  fifty  years  of  age ;  he  is  quiet  and  unpre- 
tending, but  manages  his  affairs  shrewdly  and  well.  He  has  not  hitherto  done 
much  for  education  in  his  state,  but  has  recently  applied  for  teachers  in  order 
to  open  three  schools. 

4  CFO 


1682 

ff 

1698 

1698 

Jf 

1730 

1730 

}} 

1770 

1770 

fj 

1802 

1802 

}f 

1836 

1836 

}f 

1876 

1876 

i3 

1890 

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26  BAN 

B ANDA' — A  town  in  the  Sdgar  district,  about  twenty  miles  north-east  of 
Sdgar,  containing  204  houses  and  626  inhabitants.  It  is  the  head-quarters  of 
a  tahsll,  and  is  supposed  to  have  been  founded  about  200  years  ago.  About 
the  year  a.d.  1810  the  tract  of  BeherS,  in  which  Bandd  is  situated,  formed  part 
of  the  dominions  of  Rdjd  Madan  Singh  of  Garhdkotd.  After  his  death  his  son, 
Arjun  Singh,  made  over  Grarhikotd  and  Mdlthon  to  Sindii  (see  "  Garhikotd*'), 
and  kept  Beherd  and  Shdhgarh  for  himself.  In  1818,  after  the  cession  of 
Sigar  to  the  British  government  by  the  Peshwd,  the  tract  under-mentioned, 
including  Band^,  was  acquired  by  the  latter  in  an  exchange  of  territory  with  the 
a  bovementioned  Arjun  Singh. 

Prior  to  1861  the  head-quarters  of  the  tahsll  were  stationed  at  Bin^ikd,  a 
town  about  nine  miles  north  of  Bandd,  but  owing  to  the  central  position  of  Band£, 
and  the  fact  of  its  being  situated  on  the  high  road  from  Sigar  to  Cawnpore, 
at  no  great  distance  from  district  head-quarters,  the  change  was  decided  on. 
The  town  itself  is  a  very  small  and  insignificant  place.  It  should,  however, 
now  gradually  rise  in  importance.  The  new  tahsili  is  situated  on  a  small 
eminence  to  the  west  of  the  village.  It  is  a  handsome  flat-roofed  building. 
A  boys^  school  has  also  been  established  here. 

BANDA' — ^A  revenue  subdivision  or  tahsil  in  the  Sdgar  district,  having 
an  area  of  691  square  miles,  with  299  villages,  and  a  population  of  72,066, 
according  to  the  census  of  1866.  The  land  revenue  for  the  year  1869-70  is 
Rs.  46,494.  This  division  lies  to  the  north-east  of  the  district,  and  is  bounded  on 
the  north  by  Lalatpdr,  a  district  in  the  North- West  Provinces,  and  on  the  east 
by  the  native  state  of  Panni. 

BA'NDAEPUTl — A  village  in  the  Damoh  district,  containing  200  houses 
and  upwards  of  600  inhabitants.  It  is  about  nine  or  ten  miles  to  the  east  of 
Damoh.  A  fair  is  held  here  twice  a  year — once  during  February  for  the 
"  Basant  '^  Hindil  festival,  and  once  in  March  for  the  '^  Sivaritri.'^  Large 
numbers  of  pilgrims  attend  these  fairs,  and  the  traffic  is  considerable.  In 
January  1869  the  attendance  amounted  to  20,000  persons.  The  chief  articles 
brought  for  sale  are  piece-goods,  hardware,  and  trinkets  of  various  kinds. 

BANDOL — ^A  small  village  in  the  Seoul  district,  half  way  between  Chha- 
pdri  and  Seoni.  There  is  a  road-bungalow  here,  and  supplies  and  good  water 
are  procurable.  It  is  the  first  encamping-ground  after  leaving  Seoni,  from 
which  it  is  nine  miles  distant. 

BANGA'ON— A  village  in  the  Hatt^  tahsfl  of  the  Damoh  district.  It  is 
on  the  road  between  Damoh  and  Hattd,  and  about  twelve  miles  distant  from 
either  place.  There  is  an  encamping-ground  here  for  troops  passing  fyom  Sdgar 
to  Naugdon.     Bangdon  is  also  on  the  Jabalpdr  and  Bandd  route. 

BANJAR — An  affluent  of  the  Narbad^,  into  which  it  faUs  nearly  opposite 
Mandla*  It  rises  in  Sdletekri  in  the  B&lighit  district,  and  its  course  is  due 
north.  There  are  now  in  the  NigptJr  museum  specimens  of  the  gold-bearing 
sand  of  this  riveri  It  has  several  affluents ;  the  principal  on  the  left  bank  are 
the  Tannor,  Gurdr,  Bhurbhurid,  and  Bhongid.  On  the  right  bank  the  chief 
affluent  is  the  Jamdnid,  which  rises  on  the  Ghilpfghdt. 

BANKHERI' — ^A  small  town  in  the  Hoshangdbdd  district,  on  the  high- 
road from  Jabalpdr  to  Hoshangdbdd,  some  fifty  miles  east  of  the  latter.  Here 
is  a  railway  station ;  and  the  road  to  the  Pachmarf  sanitarium  runs  due  south 
from  this  point  towards  Fatehpdr. 


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BAN— BAR  27 

BA'NPUIR — An  estate  in  the  BdldgMt  district,  comprising  fifty-six 
villages,  and  an  area  of  206  square  miles,  of  which  little  more  than  five  are  under 
cultivation.  The  population  amounted  to  2,476  souls  by  the  census  of  1866. 
The  chief  and  only  good  village,  Bdnpdr,  lies  twenty-eight  miles  east  of  Bdrh^. 

BA'NSA' — A  thriving  and  rather  large  village  in  the  Damoh  district,  con^ 
taming  541  houses  and  a  population  of  1,771  souls.  It  is  situated  about  fifteen 
miles  to  the  west  of  Damoh  and  three  miles  to  the  south  of  Pathari^.  The 
estate  attached  is  held  in  jdgir  by  a  Mardthd  family  of  Fund,  and  was 
granted  on  condition  of  miUtary  service.  There  are  here  an  indigenous  school, 
fairly  well  attended,  and  a  police  station.  Ehddi  and  other  coarse  cloths  are 
made  in  the  village. 

BARBARI' — A.  village  in  the  Wardhi  district,  three  miles  south-west  of 
WardhS.  A  small  weekly  market  is  held  here  on  Tuesdays,  grain  and  country 
doth  being  the  principal  articles  brought  for  sale.  Barbari  contains  1,047 
inhabitants,  chiefly  cultivators,  with  a  few  weavers.  There  is  a  good  village 
school  here. 

BARBASPU'R — A  chiefship  attached  to  the  Rdipdr  district,  consisting  of 
twenty -two  villages,  situated  about  sixty  miles  to  the  north-west  of  Rdipdr. 
It  formerly  form^  part  of  the  Grandai  chiefship.     The  chief  is  a  Gond  by  caste. 

BAEDHA' — A  large  village  in  the  north-east  comer  of  the  Damoh  district, 
twenty-one  miles  north-west  from  Hattd  and  forty-five  miles  from  Damoh.  The 
population  is  estimated  at  upwards  of  1,000,  and  the  houses  number  482.  There 
is  a  police  outpost  at  this  village.  The  area  attached  is  17,531  acres,  being  the 
largest  estate  in  the  Damoh  district. 

B AREI' — A  stream  which  rises  in  the  Korbd  hills,  and  is  for  some  distance 
the  boundary  between  the  Bilispdr  and  Sambalpdr  districts. 

BARELA' — A  town  in  the  Jabalpdr  district,  containing  501  houses  and 
2,233  inhabitants,  and  situated  about  ton  miles  to  the  south-east  of  Jabalpdr. 
It  is  said  to  have  been  founded  in  the  reign  of  one  of  the  Gond  rijds,  some 
1,100  years  ago.  The  present  thikurs  obtained  fourteen  villages  in  tdluka 
Pendwir,  for  good  service,  from  Rdjd  Seordj  Si  of  Grarhd  Mandla,  about 
A.D.  1745.  Before  the  year  1857  the  town  was  noted  for  the  manufacture  of 
gun-barrels. 

BARELA' — A  small  forest  of  about  ten  square  miles  in  extent  in  the 
Mandla  district,  containing  some  scattered  growth  of  teak  along  the  ravines 
which  intersect  the  ground  in  all  directions.  The  young  teak  is  said  to  be 
springing  up  in  large  quantities,  and  altogether  the  forest  is  a  very  pro- 
mising one. 

BARGA'ON — A  small  chiefship  or  zaminddrl  in  the  Bdldghdt  district,  consist- 
ing of  one  village  only,  with  an  area  of  1,109  acres.  It  is  said  to  have  been 
granted  in  zammddrJ  tenure  to  the  ancestor  of  the  present  holder  for  bravery 
in  killing  a  leopard.     Bargdon  lies  eighteen  miles  south-east  of  Bdrhd. 

BARGARH — The  head-quarters  of  the  subdivision  of  the  same  name  in 
the  Sambalpdr  district,  situated  in  the  Dakhantlr  (or  southern  division),  some 


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28  BAR— BAKU 

twenty-four  miles  west  of  Sambalpdr,  on  the  highroad  between  Sambalpdr  and 
Bdipt^^  and  within  a  short  distance  of  the  Jird  river. 

BARGARH — A  tahsfl,  or  revenue  subdivision  in  the  Sambalpdr  district, 
consisting  of  332  villages  and  254  dependent  hamlets.  The  land  revenue  is 
Rs.  49,377,  and  the  population,  including  that  of  the  zamfnddrfs,  253,540.  It 
includes  within  its  limits  ten  zamind^is,  paying  in  the  aggregate  to  government 
Rs.  3,521.  There  are  no  large  towns  in  this  circle,  but  there  are  some  fine 
villages,  among  them  may  be  mentioned— 

Population.  Population. 


Remrd   3,076 

Kharmundd  2,547 

Chakkarkend    2,401 

Benidchdl  2,317 

Kumhiri   2,260 

Pdnmord   2,130 


Samparsard    1,983 

Khuntpfli     1,877 

Birmffl    1,875 

Jhar    1,849 

Sankfrdi 1,846 


BARGI' — A  small  village  in  the  Jabalpdr  district,  but  the  principal  place 
in  the  pargana  of  the  same  name.  It  is  situated  on  the  road  between  Ndgpdr 
and  Jabalpdr,  about  fifteen  nules  distant  from  the  latter  place  and  ten  miles  from 
the  Narbadd.    There  are  a  school  and  a  police  station  here. 

BATIHA' — A  large  agricultural  village  in  the  Gddarwdrd  tahsil  in  the 
Narsinghptir  district,  with  a  population  of  2,726  souls.  Within  the  last  century 
it  was  the  head-quarters  of  an  estate  of  the  same  name,  extending  as  far  as 
Sobhdpdr  in  the  Hoshangdbdd  district  and  ChichK  in  the  Narsinghpdr  district. 
It  was  held  at  one  time  by  the  Pindhdri  chief  Chitd,  who  built  a  fort  here. 
Since  the  ceSsion  the  cultivated  area  has  been  more  than  doubled,  and  there  are 
now  manufactures  in  tasar  silk,  wool,  and  cloth.  A  police  outpost  and  a 
village  school  are  the  only  government  buildings  here. 

BARPAXI' — A  chiefship  attached  to  the  Sambalpdr  district.  It  was 
created  in  the  reign  of  BaliSr  Singh,  fourth  r&jd  of  Sambalpdr,  about  three 
hundred  years  ago,  as  a  provision  for  his  second  son  Bikram  Singh.  It  is 
situated  about  thirty  miles  to  the  south-west  of  the  town  of  Sambalpdr,  consists  of 
some  seventy  villages,  and  has  an  area  of  about  twenty -five  square  miles,  nearly 
three-fourths  of  which  are  cultivated.  The  population  by  the  last  census  was 
17,304  souls,  chiefly  agricultural,  viz.  Koltds,  Somrds,  &c.,  but  a  sprinkling  of 
all  the  Hindd  castes  is  also  to  be  met  with.  Rice,  cotton,  oil-seeds,  the  pulses, 
and  sugarcane  are  produced.  The  manufactures  are  coarse  cloth,  tasar  silk,  and 
brass  vessels.  The  principal  place  is  Barpilf,  which  has  a  population  of  2,838. 
There  is  an  Anglo-Vernacular  school  here,  where  some  one  hundred  and 
thirty  pupils  are  receiving  instruction,  and  also  a  female  school  with  thirty 
girls.  There  are  likewise  some  five  or  six  schools  of  an  inferior  class  in  the 
villages. 

BAHXJ'  REWA' — A  stream  in  the  Narsinghpdr  district  which  flows 
into  the  Sher  at  a  little  distance  above  the  junction  of  that  river  with  the 
Narbadd,  after  a  course  of  some  thirty  miles.  It  is  crossed  by  a  large  railway 
bridge. 


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BASTAR*— 


CX)NTBNTS. 


Page 

General  desoriptioii  29 

Geological  conformation  80 

Minerals 31 

Internal  dlTisions  and  Beads ih. 

Trade  and  HanufiBMstores tb, 

Biseasee  and  Epidemics    32 


Page 

Tribes  and  Castes  33 

Miri&s 34 

Mirfs    36 

Language  and  Religion 37 

Superstitions  38 


A  feudatory  state  situated  between  20^  10'  and  17"  40'  of  north  latitude, 

^        ,  ,      .    .  and   80°  30'  and    82°   15'    of    east    longitude. 

General  descnption.  bounded  on  the  north  by  the  Kdnker  zaminddri 

and  the  Rifpiir  district ;  on  the  south  by  the  Sironchd  district ;  on  the  east  by 

the  Bendrd  Naw&garh  zamind^i  under  lUiptir,  the  Jaipdr  state^  and  the  Sabari 

river;  and  on  the  west  by  the  Indrdvatl  riyer  and  the  Ahiri  zaminddri. 

The  family  of  the  Eiji  of  Bastar  is  a  very  ancient  one,  and  claims  to  be  of 
the  purest  Bdjput  blood,  though  it  is  questionable  whether  it  may  not  be  of  a 
mixed  lineage — S^put  and  Gond.  It  is  said  to  have  come  originally  from 
Warangal  in  the  Deccan,  about  the  commencement  of  the  fourteenth  century. 
The  supposed  gross  revenue  of  Bastar  is  Rs.  36,102,  and  the  tribute  paid  by 
the  B4j&  to  the  British  goyemment  is  Rs.  3,056  per  annum. 

The  extreme  length  of  the  Bastar  state  is  about  170  miles,  and  the  extreme 
breadth  about  120  miles ;  the  area  may  be  estimated  at  1 3,000  square  miles,  and 
the  population  at  less  than  270,000  souls.  The  general  nature  of  the  country  is 
flat  towards  the  east  and  north-east,  while  the  centre  and  north-west  portions 
are  very  mountainous,  and  the  southern  parts  are  a  mixture  of  hill  and  plain. 
The  eastern  portion  is  an  elevated  plateau,  from  1,800  to  2,000  feet  above 
the  level  of  the  sea,  while  the  less  elevated  country  to  the  west  and  south 
portion  is  from  1,000  to  1,500  feet  lower.  The  highland  country  may  be  said  to 
extend  on  the  south  to  the  Tdng^i  Dongri  and  TulslDongri  hills ;  on  the  west  as 
far  as  the  hills  between  Ndgatokd  and  Bdrsdr,  beyond  which  the  country  falls  on 
the  north  to  where  the  Mahdnadi  and  Seo  rivers  have  their  rise;  and  to  the  east 
beyond  the  boundary  of  Jaipdr,  as  far  as  the  eastern  ghdts.  In  this  region  there 
are  few  hills,  the  streams  are  sluggish,  and  the  country  is  a  mixture  of  plain 
and  undulating  ground  covered  by  dense  sfl  forests,  A  fruitful  soil,  producing 
rich  crops  whenever  cultivated,  coyers  nearly  all  the  plateau.  The  principal 
mountains  in  Bastar  are  a  lofty  range,  which  forms  the  boundary  between  it 
and  the  Nugdr  and  Albdkd  tflukas  of  the  Sironchi  district,  running  north- 
west and  south-east,  and  ceasing  abruptly  as  it  approaches  the  Til  river — 
a  range  of  about  equal  height  in  the  centre  of  the  dependency,  known  generally 
as  the  "  Bold  Dfld''  (from  a  particular  peak  near  Dantiwdrd),  which  resembles  a 
bullock's  hump,  and  which  extends  from  the  Bijjf  tdluka  in  the  south  to  the  Indrd- 
vatl  on  the  north ;  a  third  range  running  north  and  south  near  Nardinpdr ;  a 
fourth,  called  the  Tdngri  Dongrf,  running  east  and  west ;  and  a  fifth,  the  Tulsi 
Dongri,  which  is  nearly  parallel  to,  and  south  of,  the  preceding,  bordering  on 
the  Sabari  river  and  the  Jaipdr  state.     There  is  also  a  small,  but  very  distinctly 

*  This  article  is  taken  nearly  verbatim  from  a  Report  on  Bastar  by  Captain  Glasfiird,  which 
will  be  found  pnblished  in  the  "  Selections  from  the  Records  of  the  Goyemment  of  India,  Foreign 
Department,  No.  xxxii. " 


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defined  range  which  runs  north  and  south  from  Kutru  on  the  Indrdvati^  to 
Pamsdla  and  Dumagudem  on  the  Goddvarf,  where  it  forms  the  first  barrier 
on  that  river.  The  principal  rivers  in  the  dependency  are  the  Indrdvatf,  the 
Sabari,  and  the  Tdl  or  Tdlper.     They  are  all  affluents  of  the  Grodivari. 

The  soil  throughout  the  greater  portion  of  Bastar  may  be  said  to  be  a 
r    1     cal      f       ti  light  clay   with  an  admixture  of    sand,   better 

eo  ogi     con  orma  on.  suited  for  the  raising  of  rice  and  wet  crops  than 

dry  cultivation ;  indeed  with  a  good  supply  of  water  it  is  as  fertile,  as  without 
water  it  is  poor  and  incapable  of  producing  rich  crops.  There  is  also  some 
good  soil  of  the  black  description,  but  of  the  whole  area  nine-tenths  probably 
belong  to  the  light  clayey  class.  The  hills  which  separate  Bastar  from  the 
Nugur  and  Albdk^  tdlukas  are  principally  composed  of  vitrified  sandstone, 
exceedingly  hard,  and  of  a  pinkish  colour.  ITiey  increase  in  height  as  they 
approach  the  Tdl  river,  within  a  mile  or  two  of  which  they  abruptly  terminate 
in  high  scarped  precipices  of  50  to  150  feet  high,  while  the  height  of  the  hills 
themselves  cannot  be  less  than  3,000  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea.  They  are 
in  fact  a  continuation  of  the  sandstone  ranges  which  run  from  near  the  conflu- 
ence of  the  Waingangi  and  Wardhd  through  the  chiefship  of  Ahfri  and  the 
Sironchd  tiluka,  with  similar  ranges  on  the  right  bank  of  the  Godivarf 
opposite  Sironchd.  All  these  sandstone  ranges  are  parallel  to  each  other,  and 
from  five  to  fifteen  miles  apart,  their  direction  being  invariably  north-west  and 
south-east.  One  peculiarity  about  them  is  that  as  a  northern  range  ceases, 
a  parallel  range  to  the  south  commences,  and  when  this  ceases,  a  third  to  the 
south  of  it  again  begins,  and  so  on.  The  south-eastern  falls  are  generally  steep, 
abrupt,  and  scarped  near  their  summits,  while  on  the  reverse,  or  north-west 
side,  the  slopes  are  easy.  There  is  but  little  level  space  on  their  summits, 
little  or  no  water  is  to  be  found,  and  the  whole  surface  is  strewn  with  loose 
boulders  of  vitrified  sandstone.  Eastward  from  these  high  ranges  of  sandstone 
hills  we  pass  through  a  narrow  valley,  on  the  eastern  sides  of  which  there  are 
signs  of  a  change  in  the  formation.  Greenstone  and  hornblende  appear  near  the 
banks  of  the  Tdl,  about  twenty-five  miles  from  its  confiuence  with  the  Goddvarf, 
mixed  with  coarse  quartzose  and  felspathic  rocks  in  various  stages  of  decompo- 
sition. A  small  range,  which  runs  from  Kutrd  in  the  north  to  the  head  of  the 
first  barrier  of  the  Goddvarf  in  the  south,  seems  to  be  composed  principally  of 
gneiss  with  broad  bands  of  quartz.  This  range  is  clearly  defined,  and  has  but 
few  spurs. 

From  these  hills  to  the  eastward  an  undulating  plain  of  mixed  clayey  and 
sandy  soil  extends  to  the  Bold  Dild,  which  forms  a  marked  feature  in  the  configu- 
ration of  this  part  of  the  country.  This  chain  extends  nearly  due  north  and  south. 
From  the  south  bank  of  the  Indrivati  it  is  about  200  feet  above  the  plain, 
increasing  in  height  as  it  runs  southward,  till  it  culminates  in  two  high  peaks 
called  Nandirdj  and  Pitur  Rdnl,  which  are  between  3,000  and  4,000  feet  above 
the  sea.  From  this  point  the  range  slightly  bends  to  the  south-east,  and 
extends  as  far  as  the  Bijji  tdluka  and  the  right  bank  of  the  Sabari,  and  thence 
to  the  junction  of  that  river  with  the  Goddvarf.  After  forming  the  boundary 
between  the  tdlukas  of  Sunkam  and  Chintalndr  it  loses  most  of  its  regular  and 
well-defined  character,  till  it  is  lost  in  irregular  masses  of  hill  as  it  approaches  the 
Goddvarf.  The  formation  is  for  three  or  four  hundred  feet  granite,  then 
metamorphic  shales,  and  on  the  surface  ironstone  and  laterite.  Leaving  the 
Bold  Dfld  behind  we  descend  into  the  valley  of  the  Dankanf,  which  abounds 
with  small  granitic  hills,  covered  with  thin  jungle  and  but  scanty  vegetation ; 


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further  eastward  the  country  rises,  till  after  passing  Darkari  (between  Danti- 
wiri  and  Jc^dalpdr)  the  road  gradually  descends  into  the  plain  in  which  the 
capital  of  the  dependency  stands.  Up  to  Darkari  the  formation  is  granite,  and 
the  hills  are  abrupt  and  irregular ;  beyond  this  point  a  little  vitrified  sandstone 
is  seen,  which  again  gives  way  to  clay  slate  of  various  colours,  from  a  faint 
yellow  to  pink,  finely  laminated,  and  covered  with  the  deposit  of  the  clayey  soil  so 
common  throughout  this  part  of  the  country.  This  clay  slate  extends  from  the 
Tdngrl  Dongri  range  at  Sitdpdr  to  Jagdalpdr.  Proceeding  eastwards  it  becomes 
harder  and  of  a  blue  colour,  and  continues  so  to  the  boundary  of  Bastar  and 
Jaipdr.  Blue  slate  is  again  found  north  of  Jagdalpdr  towards  Seoni,  and  on 
the  banks  of  the  Ndrangf  river,  where  it  contains  iron  pyrites  in  considerable 
quantities.  A  small  steep  range  immediately  south  of  Sitdpiir  is  composed 
almost  entirely  of  limestone.  Passing  southwards  we  reach  the  extreme  height 
of  the  Tdngri  Dongri,  where  granite,  gneiss,  and  several  varieties  of  talcoze 
rocks  are  found,  and  descending  into  the  more  level  parts  of  the  Sunkam 
tiluka  clay  slates,  while  near  Sunkam  compact  limestone  with  gneiss  occurs. 
On  the  eastern  boundary  of  the  Bastar  dependency  laterite  is  met  with,  and 
at  Jaipdr  laterite  and  steatite.  This  laterite  is  shaped  into  blocks  for  the  founda- 
tions of  houses  in  Jaipdr.  The  steatite  here  is  of  a  whitish-yellow  colour ;  it 
is  quarried  and  used  as  a  building  stone,  and  is  soft  enough  to  enable  the 
workmen  to  cut  and  fashion  it  with  an  adze. 

Iron  ore  is  found  towards  the  eastern  portion  of  the  dependency  in  small 
-,.       ,  quanties,  but  it  is  not  much  worked.     It  is  also 

*      *  found  in  immense  quantities  on   the  Beli  Dild 

and  in  tlie  valley  of  the  Jorfvdg  river.  The  quality  is  good,  but  has  hardly  ever 
been  worked,  there  being  little  demand  for  it.  It  also  occurs,  though  not  so 
plentifully,  towards  the  north-western  boundary.  Gold  is  found  in  small  quan- 
tities in  the  Kutri  river  and  towards  Pratdppdr,  as  also  close  to  the  junction  of 
the  Eutri  and  Indrdvati  rivers. 

Bastar  is  divided  into  two  distinct  parts — the  Zamfnddris  or  chiefships,  and 

Intern.1  division.  «id  Road..        Sf  ?^*  °'*  ''°"^*'^  ^®^,^  ^tf  ^  ^^x-*^®  ^l^' 

ine  tormer  occupies  nearly  all  that  portion  of  the 

dependency  which  lies  south  of  the  Indrdvatl,  and  a  small  tract  to  the  north  of 
it,  while  almost  all  the  country  to  the  north  of  the  river  is  kh^lsa.  There  is 
not  a  single  made  road  in  the  state,  although  the  configuration  of  the  country 
and  the  nature  of  the  soil  are  rather  favourable  than  otherwise  to  the  construc- 
tion of  fair-weather  cart  lines.  In  many  places  the  country  is  so  favourable  for 
wheeled  carriages  that  if  the  thick  jungle  on  each  side  of  the  present  track 
were  cut  down  and  uprooted,  the  communication  would  be  complete  during  the 
&ir  season.  There  are,  however,  at  certain  points  diflSculties  of  a  serious  nature 
to  be  surmounted,  and  for  these,  eflScient  establishments  would  be  necessary. 
There  is  one  route  which  as  soon  as  the  navigation  of  the  Goddvarf  is  opened 
will  assume  considerable  importance,  viz.  the  great  Banjdrd  line  from  the 
southern  portion  of  the  Bdipdr  district,  which  passes  through  a  portion  of 
Bastar,  and  thence  through  the  Ahiri  chiefship  and  the  Sironchd  tdluka,  to  the 
head  of  the  second  barrier.  At  this  point  one  branch  leads  to  the  large 
stations  on  the  south-east  coast,  the  other  to  Haidar^bdd.  By  this  route  wheat 
is  exported  annually  in  great  quantities  from  Ghhattisgarh. 

The  chief  exports  are  lac,  resin,  wax,  galls,  horns,  rice,  sendri  ( a  reddish 
Tn«lewdM«.uf«rt«e..  dye),  tflchtir  or  wild  arrowroot,  gur   (molasses  or 

coarse  sugar),  teakwood,  and  cocoons  of  the  tasar 


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silk-worms.  No  cotton,  and  but  a  very  small  quantity  of  wheat  and  gram,  are 
produced,  and  what  passes  through  on  its  way  to  the  coast  is  exported  from  the 
southern  portions  of  the  Rdipdr  district.  Large  quantities  of  rice  are,  howeyer, 
exported  from  Bhtipflpatnam  to  the  Nizdm's  territory.  The  imports  are 
considerably  greater  than  the  exports ;  they  consist  of  salt,  piece-goods,  brazen 
utensils,  cocoanuts,  pepper,  spices,  opium,  turmeric,  &c.  from  the  coast ;  grain, 
wheat,  and  paper  fi'om  Rdipdr ;  and  cotton,  partly  from  Rdfpdr  and  partly  from 
Wairdgarh  in  the  Chdndd  district.  The  coast  imports  come  by  the  way  of  Jaipdr, 
Sunkam,  and  Kaller.  In  the  western  portions  cloth,  tobacco,  and  opium  are 
imported  from  the  Nizdm^s  territories.  All  petty  sales  in  Bastar  are  effected  by 
barter  in  rice  or  by  cowrfs ;  but  there  is  such  a  scarcity  of  the  latter  medium 
of  exchange  that  barter  is  generally  had  recourse  to.     The  money  table  is — 

20  Cowris       =     1  Borf. 

12  Boris  =     1  BvLg&nl 

12  Dugdnfs     =     1  Government  Rupee. 

Manufactures  there  are  absolutely  none  worth  noticing.  The  weavers 
make  a  coarse  description  of  cloth,  and  the  Mahdrs  or  Parifo  weave  narrow 
pieces  of  an  inferior  fabric  which  is  used  for  langotfs  by  the  Murids  and  other 
wild  tribes.  There  is  also  a  kind  of  manufacture  of  brass-pots  from  the  frag- 
ments of  old  ones  by  a  caste  called  Ghdsids.  The  common  hatchets  and  knives 
always  to  be  seen  in  the  hands  of  the  inhabitants  are  made  at  Madder,  Bfjdpdr, 
and  Jagdalpdr,  as  even  ironsmiths  are  scarce  in  Bastar,  while  it  is  said  that 
there  is  not  a  carpenter  in  the  whole  dependency. 

At  Jagdalpdr  there  are  only  two  shopkeepers,  who  do  little  or  no  business. 
Throughout  the  rest  of  Bastar,  with  the  exception  of  at  Bijdpdr,  Madder,  and 
Bhdpdlpatnam,  there  are  none  of  this  class,  and  necessarily  in  such  a  country 
there  is  much  diflSculty  in  procuring  supplies.  The  system  at  Jagdalpdr,  as  in 
Jaipdr  and  Kdldhandi,  seems  to  be  for  the  rdjd  to  keep  up  granaries  and  store- 
houses filled  with  all  the  common  necessaries  of  life.  The  grain  is  obtained 
at  the  cheapest  rate,  being  in  some  tdlukas  received  in  part  payment  of  the 
land  tax ;  it  is  then  stored  up  in  the  rdjd^s  godowns,  and  retailed  to  his  own 
establishments  and  travellers. 

Fever  is  prevalent  to  a  great  extent  all  over  the  dependency.     It  is  most 

Tk-  4  1?   J  ^-  -  severe  during  the  months  of  September,  October, 

Diseases  and  Epidemics.  j*j  ,»         ,.        ,.       „^  ^.,      .    » 

"^  and  November,  and  is  ordinarily  accompamed  witn 

dysentery  and  diarrhoea.    There  are  no  native  doctors,  except  in  Jagdalpdr 

and  in  the  larger  villages,  and  even  they  are  the  most  ignorant  of  their  class. 

The  people  have  but  few  remedies.     The  agathotes  chirayetus  is  used  by  those 

who  live  where  the  plant  grows ;  where  it  is  not  to  be  found,  pepper,  camphor, 

and  opium  are  employed.    Cholera  is  a  rare  visitor,  not  generally  appearing  more 

than  once  in  twenty  years,  and  even  then  being  chiefly  confined  to  the  larger 

villa^s  on  the  more  frequented  routes.     Small-pox  is  common,  and  is  greatly 

dreaded  by   the  inhabitants.     This  is  evident  from  the  number  of  templea 

dedicated  to  the  goddess  "  Miti  Devi,''  which  are  to  be  found  in  nearly  every 

village  throughout  the  dependency  and  the  neighbouring  country.    The  patient 

in  this  disease,  into  whose  body  it  is  supposed  the  goddess  M&td  has  entered,  is 

attended  to  with  the  most  scrupulous  regard.    On  the  first  appearance  of  the 

disease  his  feet  are  washed  with  cow's  mUk,  and  wiped  upon  the  head  of  his 

nearest  relative.     Miti  Devi  is  then  prayed  to  take  under  her  special  protection 

the  fiunily  which  she  has  honoured  with  a  visit.    The  patient  is  placed  on  a  clean 


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bed  of  fresh  ricse-straw,  and  a  screen  is  put  round  him.  The  visits  to  the 
temple  of  Mdtd  Devi  are  frequent,  and  the  idol  is  anointed  with  "  chandan/' 
or  ground  sandalwood  and  water,  which  is  then  taken  and  sprinkled  over 
the  house  in  which  the  patient  lies,  and  signed  on  his  forehead.  The 
patient's  diet  is  confined  to  fruit,  cooling  food,  and  liquids ;  no  medicines  are 
administered.  Vaccination  too  is  unknown,  but  inoculation  is  practised  to 
some  extent.  Besides  these  more  serious  diseases,  dysentery,  diarrhoea,  and 
rheumatism  prevail,  the  two  former  especially  in  the  fever  season.  Hydrocele 
is  also  exceedingly  common. 

The  tribes  and  castes  in  Bastar  are  numerous. 
The  principal  are^ 
13. 


Tribes  and  Castes. 


1.  Brdhman. 

2.  E%ut. 

3.  Dhdkar. 

4.  Kfiyath. 

5.  Teli. 

6.  Kumbhir. 

7.  Gfihira,  or  Cowherd. 

8.  Murdr,  or  Gardener. 

9.  Kewat,  or  Fisherman. 

10.  HaM  or  Halw6. 

11.  Bhatri. 

12.  Qadwi. 


Murid. 

14.  Tagdrd. 

15.  Parj4. 

16.  Sundi,  or  Spirit-dealer. 

17.  Ghdsid. 

18.  mi,  or  Barber. 

19.  Dhobi,  or  Washerman. 

20.  Mahdr,  or  Parid. 

21.  Ghamdr. 

22.  Jhurid. 

23.  Mini. 


The  Brdhmans  found  in  Bastar  are  for  the  most  part  congregated  at  and 
around  Jagdalpur,  and  are  of  the  following  sects  : — Kanojas,  Jarwds,  and  Urids 
or  Ukkals.  They  all  eat  fish,  and  are  not  interdicted  from  drinking  water  from 
the  hands  of  the  Gdhiras.  The  Dhdkars  are  the  illegitimate  offspring  of  Brdh- 
mans,  and  wear  the  sacred  thread.  In  Bastar  and  in  Jaipiir  a  practice  formerly 
existed  of  either  bestowing  this  distinction  for  good  service,  or  selling  it  to 
particular  persons  of  certain  castes ;  but  it  does  not  follow  always  that  all  of  those 
castes  are  now  entitled  to  wear  it.  The  Halbds,  or  Halwds,  are  scattered  over 
the  more  level  and  cultivated  tracts.  They  are  seldom  found  far  south  of  the 
Indrdvati,  but  constitute  a  numerous  class  towards  the  northern  part  of  the 
state.  They  dress  and  live  better,  and  have  a  better  appecirance,  than  most 
of  the  other  castes ;  they  do  not  eat  the  flesh  of  cows  nor  of  swine,  and 
wear  the  sacred  thread.  The  Bhatrds  inhabit  the  eastern  portions  of  the 
dependency  towards  Kotpdd,  Pordgath,  and  Bdtgarh,  but  are  not  a  numerous 
caste*  They  cultivate  tiie  soil,  and  eat  nearly  everything  except  the  flesh 
of  the  cow.  A  good  number  have  the  hereditary  privilege  of  wearing  the 
sacred  thread.  The  Gadwds,  or  Gadbds,  though  scarce  in  Bastar,  are  numerous 
towards  the  east  and  in  Jaipdr.  They  subsist  partly  by  cultivation  and  partly  by 
labour.  The  dress  of  the  men  is  like  that  of  other  castes,  but  that  worn  by  the 
women  is  singular  and  worthy  of  remark.  A  cloth,  three  feet  by  six,  made 
from  the  fibre  of  the  bark  of  the  karing  tree,  with  horizontal  bands  of  red, 
yellow,  and  blue,  each  about  three  inches  in  width,  is  secured  round  the  waist 
by  a  girdle,  then  brought  over  the  shoulder  and  fastened  down  in  front  of  the 
upper  part  of  the  body.  The  gfirdle  too  is  curious ;  it  is  composed  of  from  forty  to 
fifty  separate  cords  of  about  eighteen  or  twenty  inches  in  length,  lashed 
together  at  the  ends  in  front.  Achaplet  of  the  large  white  seeds  of  the  "kusa^^ 
grass  strung  together  is  fastened  round  the  hair,  as  are  abo  sometimes  strings 
of  white  beads;  large  earrings  of  three  coils  of  common  brass  wire,  certainly 

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34  BAS 

three  or  four  inches  in  diameter,  are  suspended  to  the  upper  cartilage  of  the 
ear,  and  hang  down  to  the  shoulder ;  and  another  earring  resembling  a  brass 
button  with  a  stalk  to  it  is  worn  in  the  lobe  of  the  ear.  Nose-rings  are  seldom 
worn.  At  the  time  of  the  Dasard,  Holl,  and  other  holidays  both  men  and 
women  dance  together  to  the  music  of  a  fife  and  drum.  Sometimes  they  form 
a  ring  by  joining  hands  all  round,  springing  towards  the  centre  and  then  back 
to  the  full  extent  of  their  arms,  while  they  at  the  same  time  keep  circling  round 
and  round ;  at  other  times  the  women  dance  singly  or  in  pairs,  their  hands 
resting  on  each  other's  waists.  When  fatigued  they  cease  dancing,  and  sing. 
A  man  steps  out  of  the  crowd  and  sings  a  verse  or  two  impromptu.  One  of  the 
women  rejoins,  and  they  sing  at  each  other  for  a  short  time.  The  point  of  these 
songs  appears  to  consist  in  giving  the  sharpest  rejoinders  to  each  other  j  the 
woman  reflects  upon  the  man's  ungainly  appearance  and  want  of  skill  as  a  cul- 
tivator or  huntsman,  and  the  man  •retorts  by  reproaching  her  with  her  ugliness 
and  slatternly  habits.  Like  most  of  lower  castes  in  this  country,  they  are 
addicted  to  drinking. 

The  Murids  inhabit  the  more  cultivated  plains  around  Jagdalpdr,  and  extend 
on  the  west  from  Ndgtoki  to  the  boundary  of  Jaipdr,  and  from  Sltdpdr  to  about 
thirty  or  forty  miles  north  of  the  Indrivatf.  Their  dress  is  a  waistcloth,  or 
langoti,  with  but  seldom  any  covering  on  the  head ;  their  ornaments  are  neck- 
laces of  red  beads  and  small  brass  earrings.  They  are  active,  hardy,  and  skilful 
cultivators,  and  their  villages  are  generally  clean  and  comfortable.  Thej  eat 
everything  except  the  flesh  of  the  cow,  and  keep  great  numbers  of  pigs.  T&g&v&s 
and  Parjds  are  found  in  a  small  tract  of  country  south  of  Jagdalpdr,  extending 
from  Sftdpdr  to  Sunkam  ;  they  are  a  poor  race,  subsisting  partly  by  cultivation 
and  partly  by  hunting,  and  are  not  so  well  clothed  as  the  Murids,  Bhatrds,  or 
Halbds.  They  eat  anything,  even  snakes  and  other  reptiles.  On  occasions  of 
festivals  they  dance  like  the  Gadwds,  but  are  not  such  a  characteristic  race. 
The  Sundis,  who  are  spirit-dealers,  are  a  numerous  class,  and  generally  dispersed 
throughout  the  dependency.  Owing  to  the  habits  of  the  people  they  derive 
much  profit  from  their  calling.  The  Ghdsids  are  an  inferior  caBte,  who  serve  as 
horsekeepers  around  Jagdalpdr,  and  also  mend  and  make  brass  vessels ;  they 
dress  like  the  Murids,  and  subsist  partly  by  cultivation  and  partly  by  labour. 
The  Jhurids  are  found  principally  in  the  north-western  parts  about  Ndrdinpdr 
and  Pratdppdr,  and  extend  towards  Kdnker  >  they  are  a  numerous  class,  and 
subsist  partly  by  cultivation,  and  partly  by  hunting  and  the  fruits  of  the  forest. 
Their  dress  resembles  that  of  the  Murids,  with  whom  they  may  be  said  to 
constitute  more  than  one-third  of  the  population  of  the  Bastar  dependency, 
and  whom  they  resemble  in  customs  and  appearance. 

The  Mdrids  are  the  most  numerous   caste  in   Bastar.     They  inhabit  the 
„^j,  densest  jungles,  and  are   a  shy   race,  avoiding 

all  contact  with  strangers,  and  flying  to  the 
hills  on  the  least  alarm.  In  appearance  they  are  more  uncivilised  than 
the  Murids,  Bhatrds,  Halbds,  Parjds,  and  Tagdrds,  about  the  same  in  height, 
but  far  surpassing  them  in  strength  and  agility.  Their  dress  depends  a 
good  deal  on  their  proximity  to  civilization,  and  upon  the  accessibility  of  the 
localities  they  inhabit.  Near  Bhdpdlpatnam  and  Bijdpdr  they  are  tolerably 
well  clad,  but  in  the  wilder  and  more  unfrequented  parts,  such  as  the  valleys 
of  the  BeldDfld,  and  towards  the  Indrdvati  and  the  Kutrd  tdluka,  their  clothing 
is  of  the  very  sctmtiest  description.  They  seldom  wear  any  covering  on 
their  heads,  and  they  rarely  possess  a  dhoti;  if  they  do,  it  is  usually  wrapped 


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BAS  35 

round  their  loins.  Generally  speaking  they  are  exceedingly  averse  to  the 
use  of  cold  water;  and  as  they  wear  but  little  clothing,  and  sleep  on  the 
bare  ground  (in  cold  weather  between  two  fires),  they  are  often  begrimed  with 
dost  and  ashes.  They  shave  the  head  all  but  the  top-knot,  and  as  they  use 
an  iron  knife  for  this  purpose,  it  is  not  surprising  to  find  that  they  dread  the 
disagreeable  operation,  and  have  recourse  to  it  as  seldom  as  possible ;  conse- 
quently their  hair,  which  gets  excessively  matted,  is  all  gathered  up  into  one  knot 
behind  or  on  the  crown.  Necklaces  of  beads,  red  and  white,  fi'equently  worked 
into  collars  of  an  inch  or  two  in  width,  are  suspended  round  the  necks  of  the 
younger  men,  but  seldom  worn  by  the  elders.  The  ears  of  all  are  pierced  from 
the  upper  part  of  the  lobe,  and  are  ornamented  with  small  earrings  of  brass  and 
iron.  On  the  wrists  the  men  wear  brass  bracelets,  and  round  the  waist 
is  often  a  girdle  of  cowrfs,  double  or  single,  for  which  is  sometimes  substituted 
a  belt  of  about  ten  or  fifteen  cords  in  the  same  form,  but  smaller  than  those 
iJready  described  as  worn  by  the  Gkdwd  women.  Attached  to  the  girdle  is 
generally  a  tobacco-box,  made  of  a  small  hollow  bamboo,  with  a  stopper 
attached  by  a  string.  A  small  knife,  without  any  sheath,  made  of  iron, 
slightly  tempered,  is  invariably  stuck  in  the  girdle  behind.  They  sometimes 
wear  sandals  made  of  the  skin  of  the  bison  or  wild  bu&lo,  and  of  the  rudest 
description  and  shape,  being  secured  round  the  instep  and  great  toe  by  cords 
made  of  grass.  A  hatchet  hanging  from  the  shoulder,  or  a  bow  and  arrows, 
complete  the  costume  of  the  Mdri^  as  seen  in  his  native  wilds.  The  M^ri^s 
seldom  have  matchlocks,  their  weapons  being  bows  and  arrows  and  spears. 
The  bow  is  generally  made  of  bamboo  or  of  the  grenrica  elastica,  and  is  about 
five  feet  in  length.  The  string  of  the  bow  which,  owing  to  the  impossibility  of 
procuring  catgut,  is  composed  of  a  carefully  cut  slice  of  the  outside  of  the  bamboo, 
and  secured  by  cords  to  the  ends  of  the  bow,  answers  the  purpose  exceedingly 
well.  All  the  Mdrids  are  expert  in  its  use ;  they  often  use  the  feet  in  bending 
the  bow,  while  they  pull  the  string  with  both  hands.  An  arrow  discharged  in 
this  manner,  it  is  said,  would  almost  pass  through  the  body  of  a  man  or  deer ;  but 
it  is  only  used  from  elevated  positions,  such  as  the  tops  of  rocks,  hills,  and 
precipices,  upon  any  object  below.  The  arrows  are  of  many  forms,  shapes,  and 
sizes,   but  are  all  pointed  with  iron.     There  are  arrows  for  tigers  and  big 

Sme ;  arrows  for  fish  and  for  small  birds ;  and  arrows  for  boys  to  practice  with, 
le  Mdrids  carry  very  heavy  loads  on  k^war  sticks,  and  badly  as  they  are  fed,  no 
class  of  men  can  surpass  them  in  this  respect.  They  are  a  timid,  quiet,  docile 
race,  and  although  addicted  to  drinking,  are  not  quarrelsome.  Amongst 
themselves  they  are  most  cheerful  and  light-hearted,  always  laughing  and  joking. 
Seldom  does  a  'K&ni  village  resound  with  quarrels  or  wrangling  among  either 
sex,  and  in  this  respect  they  present  a  marked  contrast  to  the  inhabitants  of  more 
civilised  tracts.  In  common  with  many  other  wild  races  they  bear  a  singular 
character  for  truthfulness  and  honesty ;  and  when  once  they  get  over  the  feeling 
of  shyness,  which  is  natural  to  them,  they  are  exceedingly  frank  and  communica- 
tive. Curious,  like  all  savages,  the  commonest  article  of  domestic  use  is  to  them  an 
object  of  interest  j  they  are  quick  to  observe,  and  apt  to  learn.  Their  food 
consists  of  rice,  where  they  cultivate  it,  but  generally  it  is  of  kosrd,  mdndid,  and 
other  inferior  graius,  with  the  dried  flowers  of  the  mhowa  tree  and  the  fruits 
of  the  forest.  They  are  also  fond  of  tobacco,  but  opium,  gdnjd,  and  drugs  are 
g^ierally  nnknown  among  them.  The  dress  of  the  women  is  of  the  scantiest 
description,  and  consists  of  a  single  fold  of  cloth  about  one  to  two  feet  in  depth 
ronnd  their  loins.  Where  cloth  is  cheap  and  easily  procurable  they  wear  a 
small  sheet  wrapped  carelessly  around  them,  extending  from  the  shoulder  to 


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36  BAS 

the  knee^  but  this  is  rare.  They  are  tattooed  on  the  face^  arms^  and  thighs, 
which  greatly  disfigures  them.  They  wear  small  brass  earrings,  and  large 
bunches  of  beads,  generally  white,  round  their  necks ;  also  sometimes  an  iron 
hoop  about  five  inches  in  diameter,  on  which  are  strung  small  brass  and  iron 
rings.  They  seem  more  careless  regarding  personal  cleanliness  and  appearance 
than  the  men. 

The  Miris,  who  inhabit  the  wild  and  difficult  country  called  "Mddiin,^'  or 
„.  ,  "  Abajmdrd,^^  are  of  the  same  class  as  the  Mdriis ; 

but  from  living  in  a  wild  tract  to  which  few 
venture,  and  which,  from  its  remoteness,  is  quite  unknown,  they  are  even  poorer 
and  more  uncivilised  than  the  Mdrids,  who  live  in  the  more  level  country.  The 
connection  between  the  two  is,  however,  kept  up  by  intermarriage.  The 
revenue  is  paid  in  kind  in  ^^  kosrd"  {panicum  itaticum),  an  inferior  grain,  which 
is  their  chief  food.  The  collection  is  made  by  the  chdlkl  (sdrki  in  Telugu),  a 
person  whose  express  duty  it  is  to  go  round  and  collect  it  for  the  zamindir. 
He  is  the  only  person  who  is  acquainted  with  the  villages,  the  sites  of  which  are 
continually  being  changed,  as  one  patch  of  dahyi  cultivation  is  forsaken  for 
another.  The  Tells  of  a  frontier  village  called  PdrkeM  form  a  sort  of  connecting 
link  between  the  M^is  and  the  outside  world,  as  they  are  the  only  persons 
who  venture  into  Abajm^rd  for  the  sake  of  trade.  They  take  coarse  cloths^ 
beads  and  salt ;  and  return  with  kosr&,  castor-oil  seeds,  and  wax.  In  these 
wild  tracts  the  Mdris  have  the  greatest  fear  of  a  horse,  or  of  an  unusual 
number  of  people  coming  suddenly  upon  their  villages.  The  course  pursued  by 
Captain  Glasfurd,  the  deputy  commissioner  of  the  Upper  Goddvari  district, 
who  first  thoroughly  explored  this  part  of  the  country  in  company  with  Captain 
F.  G.  Stewart,  the  explorer  of  forests,  was  to  leave  his  camp  some -two  or 
three  days^  march  distent,  and  go  forward  accompanied  with  as  few  people 
as  possible,  and  without  tents  or  other  incumbrances.  On  approaching  a  village 
he  used  invariably  to  dismount,  take  a  guide  from  among  the  few  Mdrids  who 
accompanied  him  as  coolies,  proceed  quietly  to  the  village,  and  order  the  rest 
of  the  people  to  follow.  In  this  manner  the  inhabitants  were  reassured,  and 
never  ran  away,  as  they  would  certainly  have  done  on  the  sudden  appearance  of 
the  whole  party.  The  Mdrf  villages  are  all  built  of  grass,  the  walls  being 
composed  of  a  strong  high  grass  neatly  put  together,  and  afterwards  daubed 
with  mud.  Captain  Glasfurd  found  the  men  more  scantily  clothed  than  any  he 
had  hitherto  seen,  but  in  all  respects  very  similar  to  the  Mdriis.  They  did  not 
appear  to  shave  the  head.  They  seemed  to  be  of  the  same  size  as  the  other 
wild  tribes,  viz.  about  five  feet  four  inches  in  height,  and  well  made,  with  large 
and  muscular  limbs.  Most  were  of  an  exceedingly  light  copper  colour,  while 
others  were  actually  fair.  The  dress  of  the  females,  like  that  of  the  men,  was 
even  scantier  than  those  of  the  Min&  women,  consisting  merely  of  a  very  small 
cloth  wrapped  once  round  the  loins.  Their  hair  was  tied  in  a  knot  behind,  and 
secured  with  a  bamboo  comb  with  four  teeth.  As  for  ornaments,  they  had  few 
beads  and  fewer  earrings,  but  were  tattooed,  which  gave  even  those  who  might 
have  had  somepretensionp  to  good  looks  a  disagreeable  appearance.  Their  practice 
is  to  tattoo  themselves  when  about  ten  years  old :  the  skin  is  pricked  with  a  thorn, 
and  ground  charcoal  mixed  with  the  oil  of  a  certain  berry  is  rubbed  in.  Some  of 
the  elder  women  and  children  wore  only  a  square  patch  of  cloth,  suspended  on 
a  cord  fastened  round  the  waist,  upon  which  bamboo  rings  were  strung.  All  the 
Mdridsseenby  Captain  Glasfurd  seemed  healthy,  and  there  was  a  fair  percentj^^e 
of  old  people.  Like  the  Mdriis,  the  Mirfs  seemed  quiet,  truthful,  and  honest, 
and  though  timid,  they  are  readily  reassured  by  kind  treatment. 


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BAS  37 

The  portion  of  the  Mididn  country  which  is  under  Kutru  is  very  hilly,  but 
towards  the  north  it  is  said  to  be  of  a  more  accessible  nature.  Perennial 
streams  of  fine  clear  water  are  numerous  in  these  hills,  the  sides  of  which  are 
covered  with  a  fertile  red  soil  of  some  depth.  On  these  slopes  the  Mdrfs 
cultivate  kosrd,  and  on  the  more  level  places  castor-oil  seeds  and  tobacco. 
They  possess  no  buflTaloes,  bullocks,  or  cows,  and  do  not  use  the  plough,  their 
only  agricultural  implement  being  a  long-handled  iron  hoe,  which  they  use 
in  the  patches  where  they  cultivate  tobacco  and  castor-oil  seeds.  They  are 
not  so  much  addicted  to  drinking  as  the  M&rids  in  the  lower  country,  for  no 
mhowa  trees  grow  in  those  hills,  and  the  midi  pahn  (caryota  urens)  is  scarce. 
They  know  nothing  of  opium  and  other  drugs. 

The  population  of  Bastar  is  divided  into  castes  in  about  the  following 
proportions  :— 

Mirids    and  \   ak  ^^^  ^^«i. 
Jhurids /  45  per  cent. 

Halbds    and!    ,-         ^     . 
Murida  X  15  per  cent. 

Bhatrds  audi  ,e  . 

Parjds   /  15P«''<^'- 

Tagirdsandl  oe  i. 

other  castes  I  26  per  cent. 

The  Mdri^  and  Jhuri^  are  probably  a  subdivision  of  the  true  Gond  family. 
The  Halb^  are  possibly  a  superior  offshoot  of  the  same  tribe,  while  the 
Bhatr&s  and  Murids  may  be  a  somewhat  inferior  one.  The  Tagdr^  and  Parj^ 
are  the  lowest  perhaps  of  ail  the  many  branches  of  this  wide-spread  race. 

The  dialects  in  Bastar  are  numerous,  nearly  every  caste  having  its  own, 

but  they  are  most  of  them  so  similar  that  they 
Language  and  Religioo.  cannot   be   considered    as    distinct     languages. 

Omitting  Telugu,  they  may  be  roughly  classed  as 
the  Mdri^,  or  aboriginal  dialect,  and  the  Halbi.  The  last  closely  resembles 
the  Chhattisgarhi  dialect.  There  is  a  great  admixture  of  Mardthl  in  it,  or 
rather  there  are  many  Mardthf  affixes,  and  it  often  happens  that  a  pure 
Hindustani  word  is  taken,  and  a  Mardthi  termination  is  added.  Indeed  the 
whole  language  in  this  part  of  the  country  is  a  jargon  of  Mardthf  and  Hindi 
words — grammar  and  idioms  all  jumbled  up  in  indescribable  confusion.  It  is 
spoken  by  the  Halbds  and  Murife,  and  may  be  said  to  be  subdivided  into  the 
Parji  or  Tagdrd,  and  Bhatrd  dialects.  It  is  spoken  by  all  in  Jagdalpiir,  from 
the  Biijdto  the  lowest  of  his  subjects.  The  Murids,  Bhatrds,  Dhdkars,  Gadwfe, 
Miri&s,  &c.  all  worship  ^' Danteswari,^^  or,  as  she  is  sometimes  called,  "Mdull,^' 
with  '«Mdtd  Devf,''  "Bhangdrmd'^  or  "DhoUd  Devi,''  ^*Gim  Dev^' 
"  Dangan  Deo,''  and  '^  Bhlm.^'  The  higher  castes  worship  "  Danteswari ''  and 
"Mdti  Devf,'' with  the  other  well  known  deities  of  the  Hindd  Pantheon. 
Danteswari,  who  is  the  tutelar  divinity  of  the  Rdjds  of  Bastar,  and  generally 
of  the  Bastar  dependency,  is  the  same  as  Bhawdnl  or  "  Kill/'  She  is 
represented  to  have  taken  the  ancestors  of  the  reigning  family  under  her 
particular  protection  from  the  time  of  their  leaving  Hinddstdn  and  during 
their  stay  at  Warangal,  and  to  have  directed  and  accompanied  them  in  their 
flight  when  driven  out  of  the  kingdom  of  Telingana  by  the  Mohammadan 
as  far  as  Dantiw^r^,  where  she  took  up  her  abode.  The  temple  dedicated  to 
her  is  at  the  confluence  of  the  Sankani  and  Dankani  upon  a  narrow  point 


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38  BAS 

of  land  between  the  two  rivers.  The  original  building  was  erected  by  Anam 
Rdj,  and  several  additions  have  been  made  to  it  at  subsequent  periods  by  other 
Rdjds  of  Bastar.  In  appearance  it  is  a  mere  shed,  and  the  sculpture,  except  of 
«ome  small  idols  brought  from  the  ruins  near  Bdsur,  is  wretchedly  done/ 
Inside  the  temple  enclosure  the  Pdjdrl  resides.  This  person^s  office  is  hereditary, 
and  his  ancestors  are  said  to  have  followed  Danteswarf  from  Warangal.  Two 
blocks  of  steatite  which  stand  in  the  temple  bear  inscriptions  *  commemorating 
a  prince  of  the  Ndgbansl  line. 

It  is  said  that  Meria  sacrifices  were  formeriy  practised  at  this  place,  but 
the  fact  was  never  satisfactorily  brought  home  to  the  late  Rijd  or  his  brother, 
the  present  diwdn,  Dalganjan  Singh.  The  latter  was  called  up  to  Ndgpdr  in 
1842  to  be  examined  regarding  the  matter,  and  a  guard  was  placed  over  the 
temple,  which  has  up  to  the  present  time  been  continued.  If  the  abominable 
rite  ever  existed,  which  is  doubtful,  it  has  altogether  fallen  into  disuse,  and 
the  B4ji  has  been  made  personally  responsible  for  any  recurrence  of  the 
practice.  Most  travellers,  however,  sacrifice  a  goat  as  they  pass  the  shrine 
Danteswari.  The  grovelling  superstition  with  which  the  worshippers  of  this 
goddess  are  imbued,  and  the  awe  with  which  she  is  regarded  by  the  inhabitants, 
especially  in  the  vicinity  of  Jagdalpdr,  and  particularly  by  the  R&jd^s  family, 
relatives,  and  attendants,  is  not  to  be  surpassed  in  any  part  of  India.  Nothing- 
is  done,  no  business  undertaken,  without  consulting  her ;  not  even  will  the 
Rdjd  or  dfwdn  proceed  on  a  pleasure  party  or  hunting  excursion  without  con- 
sulting "  Mil''  (mother).  Dalganjan  Singh,  who  is  in  everything  but  name 
the  ruler  of  the  dependency,  is  her  most  bigoted  devotee.  Flowers  are  placed 
on  the  head  of  the  idol,  and  as  they  fall  to  the  right  or  to  the  left,  so  is  the 
reply  interpreted  as  favourable  or  otherwise. 

The  temples  to  ^^  M&ti  Devi^^  are  perhaps  as  numerous,  or  more  so  thau 
those  dedicated  to  Danteswari.  Of  the  remaining  deities,  Bhlmsen,  or  Bhim 
Deo,  is  the  principal.  He  is  represented  by  a  post  about  four  or  five  feet  high 
with  a  knob  on  the  top.  The  first  grain  of  the  season  is  always  ofiered  to  him. 
He  is  worshipped  greatly  in  seasons  of  drought,  when  pilgrimages  are  made  to 
certain  places,  and  turmeric,  mud,  and  oil  are  smeared  over  his  effigy.  In 
seasons  of  sickness  a  small  effigy  of  Danteswari  is  brought  from  Dantiwdri  to 
Jagdalpdr  and  is  there  worshipped,  and  after  the  sickness  has  abated  is  sent 
back  again.     On  these  occasions  it  is  carried  in  a  palankeen. 

Throughout  the  dependency  the  grossest  ignorance  and  superstition  prevail. 
Superstitions.  ^^^  ^^^^  *^®  minds  of  the  people,  from  the  highest 

to  the  lowest,  in  miserable  thraldom.  The  simple 
and  unsophisticated  Gond  tribes  are  believed  to  be  expert  necromancers,  and  on 
the  most  intimate  footing  with  evil  spirits.  Considering  their  seclusion  from 
civilised  life,  their  gross  ignorance,  and  the  soHtary  jungles  in  which  they  live, 
it  is  perhaps  not  to  be  wondered  at  that  the  people  invariably  impute  their  mis- 
fortunes to  witchcraft.  If  a  man's  bullock  dies,  he  puts  it  down  to  witchcraft ; 
if  his  crops  fail,  it  is  because  the  land  has  been  bewitched  bv  some  one  who  is 
at  enmity  with  the  owner  ;  a  lingering  sickness  or  painful  disease  is  laid  at  the 
door  of  an  enemy ;  and  in  short  every  evil  that  befalls  a  family,  from  the  most 
common  afiTairs  of  everyday  life  to  the  most  serious  calamity,  is  thus  accounted  for. 
In  such  an  unhappy  state  of  degradation  and  ignorance  it  is  not  surprising 

*  Vide  Selections  from  Records  of  GoTemment  of  India,  Foreign  Department,  No.  xxxix. 
page«3. 


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BATI-BAUR  39 

that  persons  suspected  of  witchcraft  are  most  cruelly  treated.  The  wonder 
is  that  many  should  be  found  to  confess  that  they  have  the  power  of  which  they 
are  accused.  The  usual  course  of  procedure,  when  any  one  is  suspected  and 
accused  of  being  a  sorcerer,  is  as  follows.  On  the  accused  person  being  arrested^ 
a  fisherman's  net  is  wound  round  his  head  to  prevent  his  escaping  or  bewitching 
his  guards,  and  he  is  at  once  subjected  to  the  preparatory  test.  Two  leaves  of 
the  plpal  tree — one  representing  him  and  the  other  his  accusers — ^re  thrown 
upon  his  out-stretched  hands ;  if  the  leaf  in  his  name  fall  uppermost  he  is  sup- 
posed to  be  a  suspicious  character;  if  the  leaf  fall  with  the  lower  part  upwards, 
it  is  possible  that  he  may  be  innocent,  and  the  popular  feeling  is  in  his  favour. 
The  following  day  the  final  test  is  applied ;  he  is  sewn  into  a  sack,  and,  in  the 
presence  of  the  heads  of  the  village,  his  accusers,  and  his  friends,  is  carried  into 
water  waist-deep,  and  let  down  to  the  bottom  3  if  the  unhappy  man  cannot 
struggle  up  and  manage  to  get  into  a  standing  posture  with  his  head  above 
water,  he.  is  said,  after  a  short  pause,  to  be  innocent,  and  the  assembled  elders 
quickly  direct  him  to  be  taken  out ;  if  he  manages,  however,  in  his  struggles  for 
life  to  raise  himself  above  water,  he  is  adjudged  guilty,  and  brought  out  to  be 
dealt  with  for  witchcraft.  He  is  then  beaten  by  the  crowd,  his  head  is  shaved, 
and  his  front  teeth  are  knocked  out  with  a  stone  to  prevent  him  from  muttering 
incantations.  All  descriptions  of  filth  are  thrown  at  him ;  if  of  good  caste,  hog^s 
flesh  is  forced  into  his  mouth;  and  lastly  he  is  driven  out  of  the  country, 
followed  by  the  abuse  and  execrations  of  his  enlightened  fellowmen.  Women 
suspected  of  soi'cery  have  to  undergo  the  same  ordeal ;  if  found  guilty,  the  same 
punishment  is  awarded  them  ;  and  after  being  shaved,  their  hair  is  attached  to 
a  tree  in  some  public  place. 

BATIA'GARH — An  old  town  and  fort  in  the  Damoh  district,  formerly  the 
residence  of  a  Mardthfi  "  A'mil,'*  and  the  head-quarters  of  a  considerable  tract. 
It  is  situated  on  the  right  bank  of  the  Biak,  twenty  miles  north-west  of  Damoh. 
There  are  here  a  police  station  and  a  district  post-oflSce.  The  population  is 
about  1,000  souls. 

BATKA'GARH— A  zamlnd^rl  in  the  Chhindwiri  district.  It  joins  Haraf 
and  Sonpdr  to  the  northward  and  westward,  and  is  bounded  on  its  northern 
face  by  the  district  of  Narsinghpdr.  It  lies  almost  due  north  of  Chhindwdrd,  and  is 
situated  partly  on  the  lofty  range  of  hills  that  intersects  the  northern  portion  of 
the  district,  running  from  near  A'd^gdon  on  the  east  to  A'sfr  on  the  western 
border,  and  thence  to  Shdhpdr  in  the  Betill  district,  and  partly  on  the  lesser 
ranges  that  intervene  between  it  and  the  valley  of  the  Narbadd.  It  consists 
of  eighty-one  villages,  sixty-five  of  which  are  inhabited.  The  zamlnddr,  who  is 
a  Crond  by  caste,  receives  an  allowance  of  960  rupees  per  annum  from  govern- 
ment in  commutation  of  rights  formerly  enjoyed  by  him,  from  which  is  deducted 
a  quit-rent  of  twenty  rupees. 

BAURGARH — ^A  hill  in  the  Jabalpdr  district,  situated  to  the  south-west  of 
Jabalptir,  rising  about  500  feet  above  the  valley.  It  is  formed  of  schistose 
quartzite,  and  is  separated  from  the  general  range  of  trap  hills  by  a  narrow 
gorge.  Coal  is  found  in  the  neighbourhood.  This  hill  must  not  be  mistaken 
for  another  of  the  same  name  thirfy-three  miles  south  of  HoshangdbSd. 

BAURGARH — An  isolated  granite  (or  granitoid)  hill  near  Shihpdr  in  the 
Bettil  district,  some  twenty-five  miles  north-west  of  Betdl.  It  is  abruptly 
scarped  on  all  sides  but  one,  and  has  the  ruins  of  an  old  fort  on  the  top. 


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40  BAUR— BEL 

BAURGARH — A  forest  range  on  the  northern  border  of  the  Betdl  district, 
of  about  one  hundred  square  miles  in  extent,  and  containing  some  fine  teak  and 
other  timber. 

BA'ZA'RGA'ON — A  village  in  the  Ndgpur  district,  situated  in  a  very 
picturesque  country  about  twenty-five  miles  west  of  Ndgpdr,  on  the  old  road 
to  Bisndr  and  Amrdoti.  It  consists  mainly  of  one  long  broad  street  lining 
the  road  on  each  side.  The  houses  are  remarkably  good  and  substantial,  and 
the  whole  place  is  clean  and  well  kept.  The  number  of  inhabitants  is  1,993, 
mostly  dependent  on  trading.  Many  of  these  traders  are  Jains.  Living  on 
the  great  road  to  Berdr  and  Bombay,  they  Were  in  former  days  able  to  forestall 
the  Ndgpdr  traders,  and  taking  advantage  of  the  fluctuations  of  the  markets, 
to  make  their  own  terms  with  the  Banjdr^  tindds  bringing  salt  and  other 
merchandise  to  Ndgpdr.  Since  the  opening  of  the  railway  the  importance  of 
the  through  traflBc  by  this — the  "  Bisndr  route^' — has  greatly  fallen  off.  An 
excellent  building  for  police,  a  good  school- house,  and  other  municipal  works 
have  recently  been  constructed  by  the  municipality.  On  the  west  side  of  the 
town  a  very  fine  masonry  reservoir  was  made  about  twenty-three  years  ago  by 
the  father  of  RAnoji  Ndik,  the  present  proprietor  of  Bdzdrgion.  The  grove  on 
its  embankment  is  a  favourite  encamping  place  for  Banjdris  and  travellers. 
There  is  a  fort  on  the  south  side  of  the  village,  built  about  sixty  years  ago  by 
Dvdrkoji  Ndik,  a  commander  of  5,000  mercenaries,  and  commissary  general 
under  R&ji  J^nojf  of  Ndgpdr,  who  also  founded  the  town.  His  grandson 
Graurijf  succeeded  to  his  lands  and  honours.  Rdnojl  Niik,  the  present  repre- 
sentative of  the  family,  receives  a  pension  from  government. 

BEL — A  river  rising  in  the  high  plateau  of  Multdi  in  the  Betdl  district, 
and  one  of  the  chief  affluents  of  the  Kanhdn. 

BELA'  (Vela) — ^An  agricultural  town  in  the  Ndgpdr  district,  ten  miles 
south  of  Bori  on  the  left  bank  of  the  river  Wand.  It  is  within  three  miles  of  the 
borders  of  the  Wardhd  district.  The  population  numbers  5,092.  The  local 
committee  have  recently  constructed  here  two  fine  *'baol(s,^^  school,  and  police 
buildings.  Strong  plain  cotton  cloth  is  made  at,  and  exported  from  Beld  ; 
and  ''gunny,''  the  fabric  of  which  the  Banjdrds'  packs  are  made,  is  also  largely 
manufactured.  The  town,  according  to  the  local  traditions,  was  founded  in  the 
time  of  the  Ghiulfs.  The  fort  was  built  by  one  Rdf  Singh  Chaudbarf ,  a  large 
landholder  in  these  parts,  whose  descendants  are  still  mdlguzdrs  of  Beld,  and 
was  twice  destroyed  during  the  Pindhdri  troubles. 

BELONA' — ^A  town  in  the  Ndgpdr  district,  situated  four  miles  north-east 
of  Mowdrand  fifty-six  miles  from  Ndgpdr,  on  the  banks  of  a  small  tributary  of 
the  Wardhd.  The  houses  are  generally  poor.  The  surrounding  country  is  rich, 
and  the  population,  which  is  purely  agricultural,  numbers  3,492  persons. 
Since  octroi  has  been  levied  here  some  improvements  have  been  taken  in  hand 
by  the  local  committee,  and  Belond  now  has  its  school,  market-place,  and 
streets. 

BELPATf— A  small  village  in  the  Bildspdr  district,  situated  fifteen  miles 
west  of  Bildspur.  It  is  believed  that  a  natural  spring  here,  called  "  Narbadd, '' 
is  an  emanation  from  the  source  of  the  great  Narbadd  at  Amarkantak.  Some 
centuries  ago,  the  legend  runs,  a  devout  Brdhman  resided  at  Belpdn,  who  at  an 
advanced  age  was  constant  in  his  pilgrimages  to  Amarka&tak.  Though  his  sight 
was  dimmed  with  years,  and  his  body  was  weak  and  emaciated,  he  stfll  persisted 


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41 


m  these  journeys,  in  the  face  of  all  the  sufferings  and  inconveniences  they 
entailed.  As  a  reward,  this  spring  was  opened  near  his  own  residence,  and  he 
was  informed  that  it  issued  from  the  great  Narbad^.  A  temple  was  then  built 
neap  the  spring,  and  a  large  reservoir  constructed.  Subsequently  the  Kijd  of 
Ratanpdr  endowed  the  temple  with  the  revenues  of  the  Belpdn  village,  which  was 
granted  rent-free  to  the  descendants  of  the  devout  Brihman.  The  Marithds 
upheld  the  grant,  which  continues  to  be  enjoyed  under  the  British  government. 

BELPATHA'R — A  village  in  the  Jabalpdr  district  near  JhdnsJghit,  at 
which  the  viaduct  of  the  Great  Indian  Peninsula  Railway  crosses  the  Narbadd. 

BEMAEAM — A  block  of  teak  forest  belonging  to  the  group  described 
under  the  article  '*  Ahlrf .'' 

BENI' — A  town  in  the  Bhanddra  district,  situated  on  the  Waingangi,  about 
fifty  miles  north-east  of  Bhanddra.  It  contains  534  houses,  with  a  population 
of  2,569  souls.  There  is  here  a  small  trade  in  cotton-cloth  locally  manufac- 
tnred ;  and  the  dyers  of  Beni  are  noted  for  the  excellence  of  their  colours  and 
of  their  patterns  for  carpets,  Ac.  There  are  a  small  government  school  and  a 
pohce  outpost  in  the  town.  The  site  is  well  raised  and  open,  and  the  climate 
is  considered  healthy. 

BERIA' — A  market-town  in  the  Nim£r  district,  about  twenty-eight  miles 
N.E.  of  Khandwd,  containing  1,200  inhabitants.  It  was  founded  in  the  time 
of  the  Ghori  dynasty  of  Mdlwd.  A  large  reservoir  was  then  constructed  at 
Lichori,  about  two  miles  south  of  the  town.  It  had  long  been  breached  and 
useless,  when  Captain  French,  political  agent,  repaired  it  in  a.d.  1846.  It  now 
irrigates  about  two  hundred  acres  of  land,  and  supplies  the  town  with  abundance 
of  pure  water.  There  are  here  a  police  station-house  and  government  school ;  and 
a  weekly  market  is  held  on  Sundays.  Among  the  inhabitants  are  a  good  many 
Jain  merchants,  who  are  building  a  handsome  temple  in  their  peculiar  style. 

BERKEERI' — A  small  village  in  the  Damoh  district  on  the  right  bank 
of  the  Sondr,  and  on  the  high  road  to  Sigar  from  Damoh.  The  encamping- 
ground  on  the  banks  of  the  river  is  good. 


BETUTi  (Battool)— 


CONTENTS. 


Page 

Greneral  description 41 

Boods    42 

Climate     48 

Geology ib. 

Cool   45 

Forests 48 

History ib. 


Page 

Population    47 

Aboriginal  tribes 48 

Tenures 49 

Agricnltnre   50 

Subdivisions ih, 

Bemarkable  places  ib. 


A  district  lying  entirely  in  the  hill  country,  comprising  the  westernmost 

General  de«sription.  ^^^^'^  °^  *^®  gf®'''^  ^dtpuri  plateau.    Beyond  its 

'^  western  border  the  Berar  country  begins.     On  the 

north  it  is  bounded  along  its  whole  length  by  the  Hoshangdbdd  district  and  the 
Makr^  territory,  and  on  the  east  by  Chhindwdrd ;  while  of  its  southern  border 
the  eastern  half  touches  the  N4gpdr  district,  and  the  western  half  marches  with 
Berir.^  It  is  situated  between  21°  20'  and  22°  35'  of  north  latitude,  and 
77°  20'  and  78**  35'  of  east  longitude ;  and  has  a  mean  elevation  above  the  sea  of 
about  2,000  feet,  though  some  points  of  course  are  much  higher,  reaching  to  little 

6    CPG 


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42  BET 

slioi't  of  3,700  feet  above  the  sea  level.  Essentially  a  highland  tract,  but  pos- 
sessing every  variety  of  external  feature,  it  divides  itself  naturally  into  several 
distinct  portions,  diflFering  both  in  outward  appearance,  character  of  soil,  and 
geological  formation.  The  chief  town  of  Betdl  is  centrically  situated,  and  lies  in 
a  level  basin  of  rich  soil,  traversed  by  the  perennial  streams  of  the  Machnd  and 
SdmpnS,  and  shut  in  by  abrupt  lines  of  stony  hills  on  all  sides  but  the  west,  where 
it  is  bounded  by  the  deep  valley  of  the  Taptf,  clothed  on  either  side  with  dense 
jungle.  This  tract  is  almost  entirely  under  cultivation,  and  is  studded  with 
numerous  and  thriving  village  communities.  To  the  south  lies  a  rolling  plateau 
of  basaltic  formation,  with  the  sacred  town  of  Multdf,  and  the  springs  of  the  river 
Taptl  at  its  highest  point, — extending  over  the  whole  of  the  southern  face  of  the 
district,  and  finally  merging  into  the  wild  and  broken  line  of  ghits  which  lead 
down  to  the  lower  country  of  the  plains.  This  part  of  the  district  consists  of  a 
succession  of  stony  ridges  of  trap-rock,  enclosing  valleys  or  basins  of  fertile  soil 
of  very  varying  extent  and  capabilities,  to  which  the  cultivation  is  mostly 
confined,  except  where  the  shallow  soil  on  the  tops  of  the  hills  has  been  turned  to 
account.  The  whole  of  the  culturable  soil  has  now  been  taken  up ;  there  are  but 
few  trees ;  and  the  general  aspect  is  bare  and  uninviting.  To  the  north  of 
Betdl  there  lies  a  tract  of  poor  country,  thinly  inhabited,  and  sparsely  cultivated, 
terminating  in  the  main  chain  of  the  Sdtpuri  hills,  beyond  which  a  considerable 
fall  takes  place  in  the  general  level  of  the  country.  North  again  lies  an  irre- 
gular plain  of  sandstone  formation,  having  in  places  the  appearance  of  a  vast 
park,  well  wooded,  but  with  a  pcanty  population,  and  little  cultivated  land,  much 
of  it  being  virtually  unfit  for  the  plough.  To  the  extreme  north  the  district  is 
bounded  by  a  line  of  hills  which  rise  abruptly  out  of  the  great  plain  of  the 
Narbadd  valley.  The  western  portion  of  this  tract  is  a  mass  of  hill  and  jungle, 
inhabited  almost  wholly  by  Gonds  and  Kurkds.  It  has  but  a  few  hamlets, 
isolated  by  long  tracts  of  waste  land,  and  when  seen  from  the  top  of  some 
neighbouring  hill  presents  the  appearance  of  a  vast  unbroken  wilderness. 

The  principal  rivers  of  the  district  are  the  Taptl,  the  Wardhd,  the  Bel, 
the  Machnd,  the  Sdmpnd,  and  the  Moran.  The  first  three  of  these  rise  in  the 
high  plateau  of  Multdl,  which  thus  sends  its  waters  both  to  the  western 
and  eastern  coasts.  The  Tawd  rises  in  Chhindwdrd,  and  flowing,  for  a  short 
distance  only,  through  the  north-east  corner  of  this  district,  eventually  joins 
the  Narbadd  above  Hoshangdbdd.  These  are  the  only  rivers  of  any  size;  but 
throughout  the  district,  and  more  especially  in  the  Multdf  and  A'tner  parganas 
amid  the  trap  formation,  there  are  a  number  of  smaller  streams  which  retain 
water  in  places  all  the  year  round.     Some  use  is  made  of  these  for  irrigation. 

«    ,  Five  main  roads  *  i^adiate  from  the  centre  of 

*^^*-  the  district— 

(1)  From  Badndr  (Betdl)  towards  Ndgpdr;  partially  bridged. 

(2)  „  „  towards  Hoshangdbdd ;  bridged  the  whole  way. 

(3)  „  „  towards  Milu  via  Hardd. 

(4 )  „  „  towards  Ellichpdr  and  Badnerd ;  partially  bridged. 

(5)  „  „  towards  Chhindwdrd. 

Carts  can  travel  at  all  seasons  of  the  year  on  the  above  five  roads. 
There  is  also  a  branch  road  from  Shflipdr  towards  Sohdgpdr. 

♦  See  Appendix  A. 


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BET  43 

The  only  high-level  plateau  is  on  the  hill  of  Khdmld,  in  the  south-west 
corner  of  the  distriet.  This  forms  part  of  a  range 
Climate.  adjoining  the  hills  of  G^walgarh  and  Chikaldi  in 

Berir^  and  attains  a  height  in  places  of  3,700  feet  above  the  sea.  It  is  almost  out 
of  reach  of  the  hot  winds,  and  would  no  doubt  be  an  agreeable  residence  during 
the  hot  season.  The  present  difficulty  is  the  want  of  water,  ^1  eiforts  to  obtain 
well-water  having  hitherto  failed,  and  all  supplies  having  to  be  brought  a  con- 
siderable distance  from  the  base  of  the  hill.  The  climate  of  Betiil  generally,  at 
least  to  Europeans,  is  fairly  salubrious ;  its  height  above  the  plains  and  the 
neighbourhood  of  extensive  forests  moderate  the  great  heat  of  the  sun,  and 
render  the  temperature  pleasant  throughout  the  greater  part  of  the  year.  During 
the  cold  season  the  thermometer  at  night  continually  falls  to  several  degrees 
below  the  freezing  point ;  Httle  or  no  hot  wind  is  felt  before  the  end  of  April, 
and  even  then  it  ceases  after  sunset.  The  nights  in  the  hot  season  are  invari- 
ably cool  and  pleasant.  During  the  monsoon  the  climate  is  very  damp,  and  at 
times  even  cold  and  raw,  thick  clouds  and  mist  enveloping  the  sky  for  many  days 
together.  The  average  rainfall  is  forty  inches.  In  the  denser  jungles  of  course 
malaria  prevails  for  months  after  the  cessation  of  the  rains,  but  the  Gonds  do 
not  appear  to  suffer  much  from  its  effects.  Travellers  and  strangers  are^ 
hoifever,  liable  to  fever  of  a  severe  type  at  almost  all  seasons  of  the  year. 
In  Appendix  B  will  be  found  a  table  of  observations  taken  in  1868. 

The  geology  of  Betdl  is  very  remarkable.     The  appended  extracts,  from  a 

description  by  Mr.  Blanford  of  the  Geological 
^  ^^'  Survey*,  will  give  a  good  idea  of  it : — 

*'  The  tract  described  consists  principally  of  the  upper  drainage  avea 

.  of  the  Taptf  as  distinguished  fi-om  that  of  its  great 

affluent,  the Pdmd.     A  small  portion  of  the  country 

drained  by  the  tributaries  of  the  greater  Tawi,  and  therefore  within  the 

Narbadd  watershed,  is  also  included.         ****** 

"  All  the  southern  and  western  portions  of  this  area  are  of  trap.    Around 

T>^.  Betdl,  and  for  some  distance  west  of  that  town, 

infra-trappean  rocks  are  met  with.     *     *     South 

of  this  (the  Tawd  valley)  is  a  belt  of  high  ground  upon  which  Betdl  stands. 

To  the  north  this  is  composed  of  metamorphic  rocks ;  to  the  south  all  is  trap. 

''  The  boundary  of  these  rocks  from  A  mid  to  Sohdgpdr  and  thence 
westward  south  of  Betdl  is  natural  and  not  faulted.  Its  features  are  well 
marked,  the  traps  rising  in  a  continuoua  range,  flat-topped,  as  usual,  to  the 
south,  while  the  very  granitoid  metamorpLics  either  occupy  a  level  plain  or 
form  isolated  hills  and  short  ranges.  Upon  some  of  the  latter  outliers  of  trap 
occur,  but  they  are  of  no  great  size.  At  one  spot  there  is  a  small  patch  of 
conglomerate  between  the  base  of  the  trap  and  the  metamorphics.  Gneiss, 
rather  less  granitoid  than  further  east^  but  stiQ  highly  crystalline,  forms  the 
hills  stretching  across  to  the  north  of  the  civil  station  of  Badndi'.  Some 
crystalline  limestone  was  found  in  them,  but  it  was  so  much  intermixed  with 
felspar  as  to  be  useless  for  burning  into  hme. 

'^  The  highly  cultivated  plain  of  Betdl  is  composed  of  a  thick  alluvial 
deposit,  entirely  devoid  of  black  ^oil.f     It  is  traversed  by  the  upper  portion 

*  Memoirs  of  the  Geological  Survey  of  India,  vol.  vi.  part  3,  pp.  108/". 
t  This  is  one  of  numerous  instances  in  which  the  boundary  of  the  traps  is  the  boundary  of 
the  black  soil  also. 


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44  BET 

of  the  Maclind  river,  a  tributary  of  the  Tawi.  The  range  of  low  trap  hills 
already  mentioned  bound  this  valley  to  the  south,  and  form,  in  fact,  the 
parting  ridge  between  its  drainage  and  that  of  the  Tapti. 

"  Along  this  low  scarp  the  beds  of  trap  are  in  part  horizontal,  in  other 
places  they  have  a  very  low  southern  dip.  For  mme  distance  along  the 
range  there  is  a  bed,  and  in  places  probably  two  beds  of  intertrappean 
sedimentary  deposits,  abounding  in  fossils.  The  most  eastern  locality 
where  this  is  seen  is  east  of  Bay^wadi ;  beyond  that  to  the  eastward  the 
intertrappean  band  probably  thins  out.  An  unfossiliferous  calcareous  mass 
was  met  with  near  Khipi,  still  further  east,  but  it  was  at  a  higher  level, 
and,  if  belonging  to  an  intertrappean  bed,  must  have  been  part  of  a  distinct 
stratum  from  that  seen  at  Bay&wudf .  About  Sohigpdr  and  further  east  no 
trace  of  any  intertrappean  bed  could  be  found.  The  fossiliferous  bed  is 
best  exposed  near  the  village  of  Loh&ri,  and  on  the  sides  of  the  road  from 
Betdl  to  Dholan  and  Maustid.  At  the  top  of  the  ghit,  upon  this  road,  there 
are  many  scattered  fragments  containing  shells,  wood,  cyprides,  Ac,  but 
no  bed  is  seen  in  place.  On  the  face  of  the  hill,  however,  a  few  feet  below 
the  top  there  is  a  bed  scarcely  distinguishable  in  mineral  character  from 
the  trap,  from  the  debris  of  which  it  appears  to  have  been  composed,  but 
abounding  in  fossils,  especially  physa  pHnsepii,  lymnea,  paludvna,  valvata, 
and  plants.  Lower  down  there  is  a  thin  band  of  very  silicious  rock 
resembling  homstone,  also  abounding  in  shells.  It  is  not  quite  clear  that 
this  bed  is  distinct  from  the  upper  one,  but  it  has  much  the  appearance  of 
being  so,  and  it  is  highly  probable  that  the  fragments  found  on  the  top  of  the 
gMt  are  from  a  still  higher  bed. 

^'  The  principal  sedimentary  band  was  seen  in  place  at  Surgion,  and 
traced  by  fragments  further.  The  same  or  another  occurs  also  south  of 
Ker(,  on  the  road  leading  south  to  theTapti  (the  Betiil  and  EUichpdrroad), 
and  again  south  of  the  river,  near  the  top  of  the  ghdt,  ascending  to  the 
tableland.     It  abounds  in  fossils  everywhere. 

"  The  traps  south  of  Betdl  are  mostly  horizontal  until  the  neighbour- 
hood of  the  scarp  at  the  verge  of  the  Berdr  plain. 

"  To  the  west  of  Betdl  the  metamorphic  rocks  disappear  gradually 
beneath  the  trap,  not  being  all  covered  up  at  once  as  to  the  south,  but 
stretching  in  valley  far  within  the  trap  hills.  Between  the  two  series  also  in 
this  direction  conglomerates  and  sandstones  are  met  with,  which  represent 
similar  beds  in  the  Dh^  forest  and  elsewhere,  and  are  almost  certainly 
representatives  of  the  Bigh  beds. 

^^  Commencing  north-west  of  Betdl  the  sandstone  represented  on  the 
very  edge  of  Mr.  Medlicott's  map  near  Kopribdni  is  about  100  feet  thick, 
coarse,  and  conglomeritic  in  part,  and  resembling  that  on  the  top  of 
Batanmal  hill,  north  ofChotd  Ud^pdr,  and  that  of  the  Dh^r  forest.  Like 
them  it  contains  small  pebbles  of  red  jasper.  It  forms  near  Kopr^bdni, 
a  small  plain  on  the  top  of  a  rise  of  metamorphic  rock.  It  is  represented 
by  Mr.  Medlicott  as  Mahideva — a  circumstance  which  is  in  favour  of  the 
identification  of  that  formation  with  the  cretaceous  beds  of  Bdgh. 

'^  At  Chikli,  south-east  of  Koprdbdnf,  there  is  no  sandstone  at  the 
site  of  the  present  village,  and  trap  laBsts  directly  upon  the  metamorphics. 
Just  south,  however,  at  the  old  site  the  sandstone  recurs,  and  extends 
away  to  the  south  towards  AJampdr,  east  of  which  village  it  becomes  much 
thicker,  and  covers  a  tract  of  country  extending  for  about  three  miles  along 


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BET  45 

the  ChichoM  and  Betdl  road.  Very  little,  however,  is  seen  at  the  surface. 
A  well  at  Alampdr,  sunk  just  south  of  the  road,  passed  through  a  few  feet 
of  trap,  and  was  then  dug  for  at  least  twenty-five  feet  through  argillaceous 
sandstone,  bright  brick-red  in  colour,  but  in  part  mottled  with  white  and 
Klac.  The  greater  part  of  the  sandstone  is  coarse  and  conglomeritic,  but 
argillaceous  bands,  red  or  purple  in  colour,  occur  occasionally.*  Some  of 
the  sandstones  are  hard,  massive,  and  white  in  colour,  like  those  of  Sdlbaldi 
in  Berdr.  The  whole  thickness  must  be  considerable.  *  *  The  areas  of 
sandstone  and  metamorphics  are  in  reality  dotted  over  with  outliers  of  the 
higher  formations,  and  the  lower  beds  are  exposed  frequently  within  the 
main  boundary  of  the  traps. 

''  There  must  be  a  great  thickness  of  sandstone  in  the  valley  of  Khatt^- 
pdni  and  Khimdpdr.  The  beds  are  massive,  but  still  distinctly  bedded, 
and  have  a  general  dip  to  the  south.  On  the  hills  south-west  of  Kiatti- 
pdnf  a  comparatively  thin  band  of  horizontal  conglomerate  is  alone  met 
with.  This  is  in  favour  of  the  Khattdpini  sandstones  being  something 
distinct.  Similar  beds  to  the  last,  and  with  the  same  close  resemblance  to 
the  conglomerates  of  Chikll,  are  traced  between  the  traps  wid  meta- 
morphics south  of  the  Taptl.  They  are  constantly  conglomeritic,  containing 
pebbles  of  various  coloured  quartzites,  red  jasper,  &c.  They  we  not  fels- 
pathic,  nor  do  they  contain  calcareous  or  ferruginous  concretions.  At  Bori 
close  to  the  road  leading  through  Jin  to  Kiri  some  of  the  sandstone  is  so 
much  mixed  with  silica  as  to  be  in  part  converted  into  chert.  This  has  been 
shown  to  be  a  common  character  in  the  B^gh  and  Lamet^  beds. 

"  There  is  a  peculiar  inlier  of  metamorphics  and  sandstone  exposed  in 
the  Taptl  south-west  of  Betdl.  To  the  north  about  Chikli,  Alampdr,  &c. 
the  traps  are  horizontal,  but  they  roll  over  to  the  south  just  north  of  the 
river,  and  the  lower  rocks  are  for  the  most  part  concealed  by  them.  The 
Taptl,  however,  runs  in  a  deep  narrow  gorge,  in  the  bottom  of  which  the 
infratrappean  rocks  are  exposed  again.  At  the  eastern  extremity,  which 
is  near  Klrl,  no  sandstone  occurs,  but  a  few  miles  to  the  west  it  comes  in, 
and  continues  to  be  exposed  further  to  the  west  than  the  metamorphics 
are.  On  the  road  from  Betdl  to  Ellichpdr  this  trough  of  metamorphic 
rocks  is  crossed,  and  the  base  of  the  trap  south  of  the  river  appears  to  be 
decidedly  lower  than  to  the  north,  showing  the  sharp  southern  dip  of  the 
base  of  the  traps.  Here  the  river  runs  from  east  to  west,  but  a  little  higher 
up  it  runs  from  the  south,  and  just  above  the  turn  the  traps  alone  occur  in 
the  river  bed,  the  top  of  the  metamorphics  having  dipped  under  them.*' 
The  most  important  outcrops  of  coal  in  this  district  will  be  found  thus 
p    ,  described     in  the   Memoirs    of  the    Geological 

^'^*-  Survey  of  India,  Vol.  11.  Part  2,  p.  268  :— 

''  2.  Sulci  Nalu — Only  strings  three  or  four  inches  thick  occur,  as 
noted  by  Mr.  Medlicott. 

"  3.  About  two  miles  east  of  Shflipdr,  in  the  Machni  river,  a  seam  two 
feet  three  inches  thick  is  seen  associated  with  shale,  and  a  lower  seam  three 
inches  thick,  as  above  mentioned.  The  upper  seam  can  be  traced  for  a 
short  distance,  about  one  hundred  yards. 

"  4.  Mardanpitr,  on  the  Machni — Mr.  Medlicott  saw  two  seams  here; 
one  was  probably  concealed  by  sand  at  the  timeof  my  visit,  but  it  was  only 
six  inches  thick;  the  other  amounts  to  three  feet  in  places,  but  is  extremely 

♦  It  «  possible  that  these  rocks  may  be  the  same  as  those  of  Kamthi  near  Nagpwr. 


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46  BET 

variable.  The  roof  is  agaia  coarse  sandstone.  The  seam  isseenforsereral 
yards  along  the  south  (right)  bank  of  the  stream,  but  is  not  seen  where, 
if  continuous,  it  should  recur  on  the  north  bank.  It  is  possible  that 
there  may  be  a  fault,  but  I  could  find  no  indication  of  one ;  it  i^peared  to 
me  that  the  associated  sandstone  reappeared  without  the  coal  seam,  and  my 
impression  was  that  the  latter  had  thinned  out  and  vanished  completely. 

'^5.  Bawandeo,  on  the  Tawd  river — L  careful  description  and  a 
measured  section  of  this  locality  are  given  by  Mr.  Medlicott  at  page  1 54  of 
the  Memoirs ;  yet  such  changes  have  been  produced  by  the  stream  in  ten 
years  that  I  had  much  difficulty  in  recognising  several  of  the  beds.  I 
believe  the  rocks  in  the  upper  part  of  the  section  to  be  better  exposed  on 
the  whole  now  than  they  were  in  1856,  while  the  lower  portion  is  now 
comparatively  concealed.  I  counted  eleven  outcrops  of  coal,  Mr.  Medlicott 
thirteen,  of  which  he  considers  several  to  be  repetitions  caused  by  small 
faults.  At  the  same  time  he  mentions  that  there  was  no  clear  evidence  of 
faulting,  and  I  certainly  do  not  think  there  is  any  in  the  upper  part  of  the 
section,  and  I  think,  so  far  as  the  number  of  seams  exposed  is  concerned, 
that  he  has  underrated  the  resources  of  the  spot  rather  than  otherwise. 
Some  of  the  coal  is  of  excellent  quality,  and  one  or  two  seams  are  four  feet 
thick,  in  places  at  all  events. 

"  On  the  other  hand  the  roof  is  frequently,  though  not  always,  coarse 
sandstone.  The  seams  are  not  of  even  thickness  throughout,  some,  per- 
haps all,  being  very  variable.  Most  of  them  are  only  seen  for  a  few  feet,  and 
in  only  two  cases  could  I  trace  them  the  whole  distance  across  the  river.  One 
so  traced  varied  but  slightly  in  thickness, being  about  one  foot  to  one  foot  three 
inches ;  the  other  was  two  feet  thick  on  one  bank  of  the  stream  and  gradu- 
ally thinned  away,  vanishing  completely  before  reaching  the  other  bank^  less 
than  fifty  yards  distant.     Both  these  seams  were  associated  with  flags  and 


"It  will  thus  be  seen  that,  except  at  Riwandeo,  not  one  seam  is 
known  to  occur  exceeding  three  feet  in  thickness,  and  I  doubt  if  «my  seam 
of  that  thickness  can  be  profitably  mined  in  India.  I  am  aware  that  much 
thinner  seams  are  worked  in  England,  some,  I  believe,  not  exceeding  eighteen 
inches,  though  that  is  exceptional.  But  in  England  there  are  three  advan- 
tages at  least  which  are  wanting  in  India.  These  are— 1,  A  large  local 
demand.  2,  Excellence  of  quality.  3,  A  skilled  mining  population/' 
The  forests  are  very  extensive,  the  whole  uncleared  region  occupying 
p^^g^  some  700  square  miles.     Five  of  the  best  timber- 

bearing  tracts  have  been  reserved  by  the  govern- 
ment ;  they  contain  a  vast  quantity  of  young  teak,  with  some  fine  trees ;  some 
magnificent  sdj  {pentaptera  glabra) f  kawi  {pentaptera  arjuna),  shlsham 
{dalbergia  latifolia),  silai  (boswellia  thurifera),  and  other  good  timber  trees.  The 
unreserved  wastes  have  been  divided  into  lots  of  3,000  acres,  for  sale  or  grant 
on  clearance  leases.  The  woods  are  under  the  management  of  the  district 
authorities,  and  are  guarded  by  the  forest  law. 

Of  the  history  of  the  district  we  know  nothing  until  we  come  to  quite 

TT-  ^  recent  times.     We  do  indeed  know  that  the  dis- 

^'  trict  must  have  been  the  centre  of  the  first  of  the 

four  ancient   Gond   kingdoms  of  Kherld,  Deogarh,  Mandla,  and  Ch&idd,  but 

except  an  occasional  mention  in   Farishta,  no   historical  information  as  to  the 

Kherld  kingdom  remains. 


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The  following  particulars  regarding  the  Kherlfi  Gond  dynasty  are  taken 
from  Farishta.*  These  princes  are  first  mentioned  in  1398,  when  they  are 
said  to  have  had  great  wealth  and  power^  being  possessed  of  all  the  hills  of 
Oondwdna  and  other  countries.  About  that  year  Narsingh  Rdf  of  Kherli  invaded 
Berdr,  but  was  defeated  by  Firoz  Shdh,  the  Bdhmani  king.  Twenty  years 
afterwards  Kherld  was  invaded  by  Sultan  Hoshang  Shdhof  Mdlwd,  and  reduced 
to  the  position  of  a  dependency  on  that  kingdom.  About  1427  the  Riji  of 
Kherl&  invoked  the  assistance  of  the  Bdhmani  kings  against  Hoshang  Shdh  of 
Mdlwi,  who  was  defeated,  and  had  to  withdraw  into  his  own  territories.  Six 
years  later,  however,  in  1 433  the  Mdlwi  prince,  taking  advantage  of  the  war 
between  tibe  kings  of  Gujardt  and  the  Deccan,  again  invaded  Kherld>  and 
entirely  reduced  the  fortress  and  its  dependent  territories.  This  conquest  was 
recognised  by  the  Bdhmani  king  on  the  condition  that  his  claim  to  Berar  should 
thenceforward  stand  unquestioned.  For  thirty-four  years  Kherld  remained 
undisturbedly  in  the  possession  of  the  kings  of  Milwi,  but  in  1467  it  was 
again  besieged  and  taken  by  the  Bdhmani  power.  It  was,  however,  restored  by 
treaty  on  the  former  conditions.  A  century  afterwards  the  kingdom  of  Mdlwd 
became  incorporated  into  the  dominions  of  the  Emperor  of  Delhi. 

It  is  said  that  a  Gtiuli  power  supplanted  the  ancient  Gond  dynasty,  and 
that  it  again  yielded  to  a  second  Gond  upheaval.  Be  this  as  it  may,  it  is  not 
until  the  commencement  of  the  eighteenth  century  that  we  touch  upon  history 
at  all.  At  this  time  (a.d.  1 703)  the  Musalmdn  convert  Gond  Bdjd  Bakht 
Buland  reigned  at  Deogarh,  in  the  present  Chhindwdrd  district,  and  possessed 
the  whole  of  the  Ndgpdr  country  below  the  ghdts.  He  was  succeeded  by  Chdnd 
Sultdn,  who  had  two  sons,  the  elder,  Burhdn  Shdh,  and  the  second,  Akbar  Shdh. 
When  Chdnd  Sultdn  died  in  1739,  these  two  boys  being  very  young.  Waif 
Shdh,  an  illegitimate  son  of  Chdnd  Sultdn,  usurped  the  throne.  The  boys^ 
mother  then  applied  to  Baghqji  Bhonsld,  the  Mardthd  ruler  of  Berdr,  for  assist- 
ance ;  he  came  with  an  army,  killed  Wall  Shdh,  released  the  boys,  and  put 
them  both  on  the  throne  on  their  promising  to  pay  him  half  the  revenue  of 
their  kingdom.  Raghoji  then  retired  to  Berdr,  but  received  half  the  revenue 
of  the  Deogarh  kingdom,  according  to  agreement,  until  a.d.  1742. 

In  1 743  Burhdn  Shdh  and  Akbar  Shdh  quarrelled,  on  which  the  Gonds  rose  in 
rebellion  and  plundered  the  country  for  a  whole  year,  but  were  put  down  by 
Raghoji,  who  being  again  called  in,  supported  Burhdn  Shdh  and  expelled  Akbar 
Sh^.  Soon  after  he  (Raghojf )  removed  Burhdn  Shdh  to  Ndgpdr ;  and  though 
the  country  above  the  ghdts  was  for  some  time  left  under  the  nominal  authority 
of  the  Gond  rdjd,  yet  the  eastern  part  at  any  rate  was  virtually  annexed  to  the 
kingdom  of  the  Bhonslds. 

In  A.D,  1818,  after  the  defeat  and  flight  of  Apd  Sdhib,  this  district  formed 
part  of  the  territorv  ceded  to  the  British  for  payment  of  the  contingent,  and  by 
the  treaty  of  1826  it  was  formally  incorporated  with  the  British  possessions. 
Detachments  of  British  troops  were  stationed  at  Multdl,  Betdl,  and  Shdhpdr  in 
1818,  in  order  to  cut  oflF  Apd  Sdhib^s  escape  westward  from  Pachmarf,  but  he 
passed  the  line  and  got  oflF.  A  military  force  was  quartered  at  Betdl  until 
June  1862. 

The  entire  population  aomunted  at  the  census  of  1 866  to  258,335  souls,  and  as 

p     ,  ^  the  area  of  the  district  is  about  4,1 1 8  square  miles, 

^  '  this  gives  an  ave  ragerate  of  about  62*7  to  the 

♦  Brigg'8  Ftmhta,Ed.  1829,  vol.  u.  pp.  371/.,  407/.,  415,  479;  vol.  iv.  pp.  178,  180, 183, 
228/. 


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square  mile.  In  Multii,  however,  the  population  rate  is  as  high  as  119  to  the 
square  mile,  while  in  the  forest  reserves  and  other  waste  tracts  there  are  often  not 
more  than  four  or  five  human  beings  in  a  similar  area. 

Of  the  agricultural  community  the  prevalent  caste  are  the  Mardthd  Kunbls. 
They  occupy  the  southern  parts  of  the  district,  and  originally  emigrated  firom 
Nigpdr  and  Berdr.  Distinct  from  them  are  the  Pardesl,  or  foreign  Kurmis,  a 
race  from  Upper  India  speaking  the  Hindustani  language ;  these  are  confined  to 
the  immediate  neighbourhood  of  Betdl,  whither  they  immigrated  under  the 
grandfether  of  the  present  proprietor  of  Betdl,  Tezi  Singhu 

Besides  the  Pardesi  Kurmis  above  noticed,  there  are  the  Desi  or  Dholwar 
Kunbis,  who  also  speak  the  Hindustani  language.  These  are  chiefly  confined  to 
m  few  villages  of  the  small  tdluka  of  Bdmpiir.  Next  to  the  Kunbis  in  point  of 
numbers  come  the  Bhoyars,  a  race  said  to  have  come  originally  from  Upper 
India ;  they  are  hard-working  and  industrious  cultivators,  thoroughly  alive  to 
the  advantages  of  irrigation,  and  generally  expending  much  labour  and  capital 
in  the  sinking  of  wells.  They  are  unfortunately  addicted  to  drink,  which  is 
said  to  have  led  many  of  thom  into  debt  and  difficulties.  They  are  settled 
chiefiy  in  the  Mult^i  pargana.  Biiputs  are  found  in  the  Multdi  pargana, 
in  the  villages  adjoining  the  Chhindwdrd  district,  and  also  in  some  few  of  the 
villages  of  the  A'tner  pargana  in  the  south.  Their  numbers  are  very  inconsi- 
derable. The  most  skilftil  cultivators  are  the  Mdlis;  a  sprinkling  of  these  is  to 
be  found  throughout  the  whole  of  the  open  parts  of  the  district.  Kirfirs  are 
the  next  in  importance  of  the  agricultural  community,  and  are  about  equal  in 
numbers  to  the  Milis,  and  are  also  distributed  more  or  less  all  over  the  district. 
As  regards  social  status  they  are  inferior  to  the  abovementioned  castes, 
who  maintain  a  general  feeling  of  social  equality,  though,  of  course,  keeping 
completely  apart  in  all  ceremonial  observances.  They  are  hard-working 
and  industrious ;  but  the  majority  of  them  are  poor,  and  not  very  good 
cultivators. 

The  other  numerous  classes,  besides  the  s^riculturists  proper,  are  Telis 
(oil-pressers),  Kal£s  (distillers),  Musalm^ns,  and  Brdhmans;  these  two  last  live 
chiefly  in  the  larger  villages ;  Gaulis,  pastoral  inhabitants  of  these  upland  regions, 
who  five  by  flocks  and  herds,  and  by  occasional  tillage ;  a  low  caste  Hindd 
tribe  called  Bagars;  O^rpag^ris,  whose  profession  it  is  to  avert  hail ;  and  the 
usual  miscellaneous  society  of  artisans,  shopkeepers,  and  religious  sectarians. 
The  hill  tribes  of  Gonds  and  Kurkds  demand  separate  notice,  though  it  must 
necessarily  be  short. 

The  Gonds  are  found  in  all  the  wild  and  jungle  villages,  and  also  in  some 

of  the  more  open  ones,  where  they  live  chiefly  by 
Aboriginal  tribes.  manual  labour  in  the  fields,  following  the  plough 

or  tending  cattle. 

The  Kurkds  are  almost  entirely  confined  to  a  few  tilukas  of  the  Sduligarh 
pargana,  which  belong  to  a  Kurkd  proprietor,  Gendd  Patel.  Some  of  them 
are  very  industrious  in  the  cultivation  of  rice,  but  the  majority  of  them  are' 
very  similar  to  the  Gonds  in  character  and  disposition.  Neither  class  has  any 
idea  or  wish  beyond  living  from  hand  to  mouth ;  and  thus  taking  no  thought 
for  the  morrow,  they  are  often  obliged  to  put  up  with  little  food  and 
scanty  clothing.  Their  favourite  mode  of  livelihood  is  by  cutting  grass  and 
firewood,  which  they  sell  in  the  nearest  market ;  but  they  also  carry  on  a  little 


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agriculture,  chiefly  in  the  method  termed  ddhya.  The  two  tribes  are  clearly 
distinct  one  from  the  other.  The  Qonds  have  a  religion  and  language  of  their 
own.  They  are  subdivided  into  about  twenty  tribes  ;  and  they  count  twelve 
and  a  half  religious  sects^  the  separating  characteristic  being  the  number  of 
gods  worshipped  by  each.  Seven  is  the  number  most  usually  adored.  The 
lowest  caste  of  all  worships  any  number  of  gods,  and  indeed  anything  having 
been  left  out  (according  to  popular  tradition)  when  the  formal  distribution  of 
deities  to  each  sect  orginally  took  place* 

Births  and  marriages  are  celebrated  by  certain  curious  and  peculiar 
customs^  and  a  suitor  will  serve  for  his  wife  during  a  stated  number  of  years 
after  the  manner  of  Jacob.  As  a  rule  they  bury  their  dead,  and  sometimes  kill  a 
cow  over  the  grave ;  but  the  more  prosperous  families  now  occasionally  bum 
their  dead  according  to  the  custom  of  the  Hindds,  whose  ancient  and  exclusive 
rites  are  invariably  imitated  by  the  outcast  tribes  as  they  rise  in  the  scale  of 
civilisation.  There  is  some  tendency  to  suppose  for  the  Gonds  a  Scythian 
origin, — to  view  them  as  the  stranded  waif  of  some  of  the  Scythian  immigra- 
tionSj  which  undoubtedly  penetrated  very  far  into  India  at  a  period  antecedent 
to  the  Christian  era.  The  language  has  certainly  some  intermixture  with  T^mil ; 
but  this  may  have  been  subsequently  acquired.  The  religion  of  the  KurktSs, 
or  Muw&sfs,  is  essehtially  different  from  that  of  the  Gonds,  being  imitative 
of  Hinddism.  They  worship  the  Hindd  Mah^deva,  the  Sun,  and  Ddld  Deo. 
They  do  not  touch  coW^s  flesh,  and  will  neither  eat  nor  drink  with  the  Gonds. 
They  worship  their  ancestors,  as  do  also  the  Gonds.  They  have  no  priesthood, 
by  class  or  profession,  and  their  ceremonies  are  performed  by  the  elaers  of  the 
family.  The  rites  at  births  and  marriages  differ  from  those  of  the  Gonds, 
except  in  the  matter  of  drinking-bouts,  which  are  religiously  held  on  such 
occasions  in  either  tribe.  The  Irish  practice  of  waking  the  dead,  or  something 
like  it,  is  also  common  to  the  funeral  rites  both  of  Gonds  and  Kurkds.  The 
latter  sometimes  bury,  and  sometimes  bum,  burial  being  probably  the  more 
ancient  custom,  as  in  every  nation.  The  Kurkd  language  is  said  to  have  some 
affinity  with  the  Santhdli  and  Uriya;  it  has  no  connection  whatever  with  the 
Oond,  although  the  habits  of  life  of  the  two  tribes  are  much  the  same,  and  in 
personal  appearance  they  are  not  unlike  each  other. 

Under  the  old  Marithd  government  each  village  had  its  patel,  or  headman, 
Y  who  collected  the  rents  from  the  tenants,  and  paid 

them  into  the  government  treasuries,  subtracting 
his  authorised  percentage.  He  had  also  certain  powers  to  decide  criminal 
charges,  and  was  the  general  arbiter  of  village  disputes.  As  long  as  these 
duties  were  satisfactorily  performed  the  office  remained  in  the  family,  and  thus 
became  very  frequently  hereditary.  But  the  exactions  of  the  MardtM  govern- 
ment in  its  Wars  at  the  beginning  of  this  century  drove  out  the  race  of  Watan- 
dirs,  or  hereditary  patels,  and  brought  in  a  swarm  of  speculating  farmers, 
who  took  the  villages  at  rack^-rentSf  and  who  never  lasted  long.  The  farms 
were  continually  changing  hands }  one  man  got  hold  of  several  villages,  and  the 
old  Patel  merged  into  the  modem  M&lguzar.  This  state  of  affairs  seems  to 
have  lasted  up  to  1837,  when  a  light  settlement  for  the  long  period  of  twenty 
years  enabled  those  who  then  possessed  the  estates  to  hold  on  and  prosper ; 
and  it  is  on  these  men  or  their  descendants  that  the  settlement  just  completed 
has  finally  conferred  proprietary  right.  The  present  proprietors  have  full 
liberty  to  dispose  as  they  will  of  their  land,  subject  only  to  the  payment,  by 
the  possessor,  of  the  government  revenue,  and  to  the  recognition  of  such 
tenant-right  as  has  been  recorded.     Many  of  the  cultivators  have  certain  rights 

7  cpo 


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of  occupancy,  and  of  holding  at  fixed  rents  under  certain  conditions.     All  such 
claims  have  been  inquired  into  and  determined  according  to  law  and  custom. 
The  principal  agricultural  products  of  the  district  are  wheat  and  pulses,  more 

than  three-fourths  of  the  open  lands  being  devoted 
gricu  ure.  ^^  these  crops.     The  seed  is  sown  in  October,  no 

manure  is  used,  and  the  fields  are  very  rarely  irrigated ;  the  grain  ripens  early 
in  the  spring.  The  autumn  harvest  is  important  only  in  the  hill  villages. 
Cotton  is  raised,  but  its  cultivation  is  not  well  understood ;  also  jawiri  (millet), 
a  little  rice,  kutki  (an  inferior  rice),  kodo  (a  kind  of  rye),  and  other  poor  grains. 
The  d^hya  system  of  cultivation  is  widely  practised  by  the  hill  tribes.  A  newpiece 
of  ground,  generally  on  a  hill  slope  or  edge  of  a  stream,  is  selected  and  cleared 
of  all  jungle.  The  surface  is  then  covered  over  with  logs  of  wood  of  varying 
size,  and  these  again  with  smaller  brushwood.  This  work  goes  on  during  the 
hot  weather  to  let  the  new-cut  wood  get  properly  dry ;  just  before  the  rains  the 
wood  is  set  fire  to  and  thoroughly  burned  to  ground,  and  after  the  first  fall  of  rain 
the  seed  is  scattered  among  the  ashes ;  when  the  ground  is  steep  it  is  generally 
thrown  in  a  lump  along  the  top  of  the  plot,  and  is  left  to  be  washed  to  its  place 
by  the  rains.  Sugarcane  does  very  well  in  Betiil.  The  Otaheite  cane  was 
introduced  many  years  ago  by  Colonel  Sleeman ;  but  the  common  plant  of  the 
country  is  more  extensively  grown.  It  is  planted  in  January  and  ripens  in 
December.*  Opium  cultivation  is  carried  on  chiefly  in  the  Multdi  pargana.  The 
sowing  usually  begins  in  November;  in  February  the  plant  flowers,  and  the 
pods  are  ripe  about  March.  The  juice  extracted  is  exported  in  its  raw  state  by 
the  merchMits,  who  buy  it  up  and  send  it  to  Indore  or  elsewhere  for  manufacture. 
The  area  under  cultivation  is  reckoned  at  2,400  acres,  which  are  said  to  give  an 
outturn  of  180  maunds  of  80  lbs.  weight. 

The  district   is  divided  for  revenue   purposes    into   two   tahsfls— Multfii 
^  ^.  .  .  and  Betiil ;  and  for  police  purposes  into  the  six 

station  circles  of  Multdi,  Betdl,  A'tner,  Shdhpdr, 
S^ulfgarh  or  Chicholi,  and  Bordihf,  and  twenty-two  outposts.  Multdl  and 
Bordihl  are  within  the  Multii  tahsil,  and  the  other  four  in  the  Betdl  tahsfl. 
The  revenues  for  1868-69  are  as  follows: — land  revenue,  Rs.  1,91,592;  excise, 
Rs.  72,188;  assessed  taxes,  Rs.  11,367;  forests,  Rs.  12,183;  stamps,  Rs.  27,436. 
Among  the  objects  of  interest  may  be  mentioned  the  fort  of  KherW, 
Rem    k  ble  ol  c  situated  on  a  small  isolated  hill  about  four  miles 

east  of  the  civil  station.  This  was  the  seat  of 
government  under  the  Gonds  and  preceding  rulers,  and  hence  the  district 
was,  until  the  time  of  its  annexation  to  the  British  dominions,  known  as 
the  ''  Kherli  SarkSr.''  The  local  legend  is  that  the  fort  was  built  by  a  Rdji 
Jayapil ;  and  it  is  more  than  probable  that  he  and  his  family  were  Gonds  by 
origin.  The  place  afterwards  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  Mohammadans,  for 
many  parts  of  the  buildings  now  remaining  are  unmistakeably  the  ofispring  of 
Moslem  art.  The  temple  near  Bhaisdahl  is  supposed  to  be  of  Buddhist  origin, 
and  was  once  of  considerable  extent,  as  is  evidenced  by  the  masses  of  stone 
lying  about.  The  entrance,  and  a  portion  of  the  pillars  of  the  fa<jade  in  front 
of  it,  are  still  standing,  and  the  carving  in  many  parts  is  still  wonderfully  clear, 
though  probably  not  much  under  three  hundred  years  old.  Additions  have 
been  made  to  the  original  structure,  as  is  shown  by  the  introduction  of  palpable 
obscenities  into  some  of  the  carvings,  the  majority  of  which  are  quite  free 

♦  The  total  area  under  cultivation  is  (1867)  about  8,000  acres,  and  the  yield  of  gur  (molasses) 
is  estimated  at  80,000  maunds  of  80  lbs. 


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from  any  such  objectionable  subjects.  A  large  pfpal  tree  has  grown  out  of  the 
rear  of  the  building  and  displaced  large  portions  of  the  masonry,  and  has  also 
destroyed  the  dome.  As  in  all  similar  buildings  in  this  part  of  India  of  a  like 
age,  no  cement  of  any  kind  was  used  in  uniting  the  several  layers  of  stone.  The 
temple  near  Silbaldi  is  also  said  to  be  of  Buddhist  origin,  and  is  of  equal 
antiquity  with  that  of  Bhaisdahi,  but  is  in  an  even  more  advanced  state  of  dila- 
pidation. A  number  of  temples  of  various  ages  and  descriptions  of  architecture, 
but  none  of  any  remarkable  beauty  as  regards  ornamentation,  are  found  at 
Maltdi,  surrounding  the  artificial  tank  at  that  place,  from  the  centre  of  which 
the  river  Taptl  is  said  to  take  its  rise :  hence  the  reputed  sanctity  of  the  locality, 
and  the  consequent  accumulation  of  temples  in  its  honour.  Another  collection 
of  temples,  but  of  more  modem  construction,  is  to  be  found  at  Muktagiri  on 
the  confines  of  Berdr  and  within  ten  miles  of  Ellichpdr.  They  are  clustered 
together  on  the  side  of  a  hill  in  the  immediate  neighbourhood  of  a  considerable 
fall  of  water ;  the  site  is  extremely  picturesque,  and  the  place  one  of  considerable 
resort  for  the  residents  of  Ellichpdr.  These  temples  are  all  in  good  order. 
There  are  also  ruins  of  old  forts  at  Baurgarh  and  Jdmgarh  in  the  north, 
Siuligarh  in  the  west,  and  Jetpdr,  where  was  once  the  seat  of  a  minor  Gond 
dynasty,  in  the  east. 


APPENDIX  A. 

(BETU'L.) 

I. 

The  Main  Road  from  Badnur  {Betul)  towards  N6gpi&r,  and  information  regarding  it. 


BaJndr 


Betdl 


Httlt^.... 
Chichendi 


Miles. 


14 


28 


38 


Civil  station — sarils  in  sadar  and  kothf  hizit — charitable 
dispensary — church — d&k  bungalow — town  and  female 
school-houses — sadar  distillery — water  from  river — three 
tanks  and  numerous  wells — police  head-quarters,  and 
imperial  post-office. 

No  sarii  or  covered  accommodation  for  travellers — water 
from  river  and  wells — several  large  topes  of  mango  trees 
for  shelter  during  dry  weather — town  police  post— chari- 
table dispensary — imperial  post-office — Baniis  put 
travellers  up — a  patel  has  a  good  garden  on  the  English 
system — vegetables  procurable  in  season  —  about  5,000 
inhabitants. 


Sar^ — water    from 
Europeans. 


wells — large  village — resthouse    for 


Sadif — ^water  from  tank  and  wells— town — 6,000  inhabi- 
tants —  police  station-house  —  district  post-office  — ► 
charitable  dispensary — town  school— d&k  bungalow — 
tahsll — imperial  post-office. 

Sarii— water  from  river  Wardhi — supplies  cannot  be  ob- 
tained here  for  more  than  two  or  three  people  at  a  time. 


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II. 

The  main  Route  from  Badnir  {BettU)  toward*  Hotkangib&d,  and  information 

regarding  it. 


Badniir 

Miles. 

13-5 
26-6 

36-1 
43 

Same  as  route  No.  I. 

Nimpanf 

Sarif — room  for  Europeans,  with  khidmatgir — water  from 
wells  and  rirer — police  outpost — supplies  plentiful. 

Water  from  river  Machn^^  shopkeepers  give  travellers 
and  traders  accommodation  in    their  shops — supplies 
plentiful — police  station-house  and  district  post-office 
— resthouse    for    Europeans     unfurnished— charitable 
dispensary— village    school-house— large    bridge    over 
Machn^. 

Sarii — room  for  Europeans,  with  khidmatgir— water  from 
a  well— supplies  very  scanty— police  outpost — supplies 
have  to  come  from  Bordhd,  eight  miles  off. 

Water  from  wells  and  river— shed  for  travellers — supplies 
plentiful — ^police     outpost — good    encampment    under 
trees  in  fine  weather. 

Shflipdr  

DWr    

KesW  

III. 

The  main  Route  from  Badndr  (Betiil)  towardi  Mhow,  vid  Hard^,  and  information 

regarding  it* 


Badndr 

Milei. 
16-6 

29 
40 

8 

Same  as  route  No.  I. 

Chicholl  

Police  station-house  and  district  post-office — water  from 
well  and  tank — sarai — a  good  large  village — supplies 
plentiful— a  village  school-house  just  built. 

Police  outpost — water  from  river  and  well — sarif — a  few 
huts — 'malguzir  has  just  built  a  substantial  house — 
plenty  of  Gonds — villages  within  two  miles. 

Police  outpost— water  from   well    and   river — sar^-'-no 
village  at  all — a  Banid's  shop  established  by  local  fund 
committee. 

Police  outpost — water  from  river — a  large  village — sup- 
plies plentiful«^five  miles  from  Seoni.     This  is  now  in 
Hoshang^b&l  district. 

ChiripitU    

Gawisen  

Lokhartalai 

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IV. 

The  main  Route  ft  ont  Badniir  {Betul)  toteardt  EUichpur  and  Badneru,  and 
information  regarding  it. 


Btdadr 

Miles. 

8 
20 

30 

42 
52 

Same  as  route  No.  I. 

Kherf  

Police  outpost— water  from  weUs  and  tank— supplies  from 
the  village— a  village  school-house  just  built  here. 

Water  from  well  and  tank — a  branch  road  to  Bhaisdahf  ten 

Jhalir 

Gvdgaon 

miles — supplies  from  the  village — a  village  school-house 
lately  built  here. 

Police    outpost — ^water  from    well— supplies    from    the 
village — a  village  lies  some  distance  from  the  road,  and 
is  hidden  from  view. 

Water  from  river — old  police  outpost— one  or  two  huts — 
no  supplies  on  spot,  must  be  collected. 

Police  outpost — road  passable  for  carts  from  Dhibd  to 
Lokhartalai — ^water  from  river — an  oldmusjid  affords 
protection  to  travellers — a  few  Gond  huts — trade  statis- 
tic post. 

S^mfanendUL 

DMW 

The  main  Route  Road  from  Badnur  (Betul)  towards  Chhindw&rd^  and  information 

regarding  it. 


Same  as  route  No.  I* 

A  good  sized  village — water  from  tank  and  wells — village 
school-house — police  outpost — supplies  plentiful — 
several  large  villages  close  by. 

A  large  village — ^water  from  river  and  wells — supplies 
plentiful — d&k  bungalow — sar^i — ^poUoe  station-house- 

VI. 
Branch  Road  from  SMhpur  towards  8oh6gpiSLr,  and  information  regarding  it. 


Bhinsi. 


See  route  No.  II. 

This  is  a  Baniar^  route — a  fair-weather  road  has  been 
made  through  the  jungle  up  to  Tawd  river  on  the  other 
side  ;  three  miles  remain  to  oe  finished  to  meet  the  road, 
which  has  been  completed  from  Hoshangdb^d  dbtrict. 
The  portion  is  much  used  by  carts. 


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APPENDIX  B. 

Temperature. 
Thermometrieal  Obtervations  taken  at  BetAl  in  1868. 


Thbrhohbtbr. 

■ 

In  Shade. 

In  Son's  raye. 

Bbxabk*. 

Maxi- 
mum. 

Mini- 
mum. 

Hediom. 

Itfaxi- 
mum. 

Mini- 
mum. 

Medium. 

January   1868 

78 

86 

81 

110 

113 

110 

102 

88 

8S 

87 

82 

75 

47 
44 
53 
67 
62 

n 
n 

71 
70 
69 
52 

48 

62 
65 

67 
88 

91 

91 
87 
79 
79 
78 
61 
61 

104 
108 
110 
119 
122 
126 
118 
118 
116 
114 
112 
110 

50 
53 
54 
68 
84 
72 
72 
72 
71 
70 
60 
58 

11 
80 
82 
93 
98 
94 
95 
95 
93 
92 
86 
86 

This  distiict  is  said 

February    „ 

to  be  excessive- 

March       >f 

ly  dry  in  the 
hot    and    cold 

AdHI          .. 

May           „    

weather,       and 

June           „    

very  damp  in 
the  rains. 

July           „    

Auffust       «    ...  ........ 

September  „    

October      ,,    

November , 

December  .. 

BETUTi  (BAITOOL)— A  revenue  subdivision  or  tahsfl  in  tbe  district  of 
the  same  name,  having  an  area  of  3,160  square  miles,  with  1,071  villages,  and 
a  population  of  179,581  according  to  the  census  of  1866.  The  land  revenue  for 
the  year  1869-70  is  Rs.  1,21,807. 

BETU'L  (BAITOOL) — ^A  town  in  the  district  of  the  same  name,  situated  on 
the  Simpni  nadi,  and  four  miles  distant  from  Badnrir,  the  district  head-quarters. 
It  contains  1,212  houses,  with  a  population  of  4,466  souls.  The  inhabitants 
mostly  belong  to  the  Kurmi  and  Mardthi  Brdhman  castes,  and  live  by 
agriculture ;  but  there  is  also  a  brisk  trade  in  pottery.  There  are  here  two 
schools,  a  police  outpost,  an  old  fort,  and  an  English  cemetery.  The  district 
head-quarters  were  here  before  their  removal  to  Badniir. 

BHADRA' — A  chiefship  in  the  Bfldghit  district,  comprising  seventy-eight 
villages.  The  area  is  128  square  miles,  and  the  population  16,293  souls. 
Thirty-six  square  miles  are  under  tillage.  The  estate  was  given  by  the 
Subaddr  of  Ldnji  at  the  end  of  the  last  century  in  zamfnd&r{  tenure  to  Zainuddfn 
Khin  Pathdn,  whose  family  still  retains  possession  of  it.  The  chief  resides  in 
Beld,  one  of  the  villages  of  the  tilnka,  which  is  situated  about  thirty-eight  miles 
south-east  of  Bdrhi. 

BHADRA'CHALLAM — The  chief  town  of  the  estate  of  the  same  name  in 
the  Upper  Goddvari  district.  It  is  situated  on  the  banks  of  the  Goddvari,  forty 
miles  from  Sironchd  and  about  fifteen  from  Dumagudem.  This  place  owes 
its  importance  to  an  old  and  well-known  temple  of  Rdmchandra,  which  is 
situated  on  an  eminence  in  the  village,  and  is  supposed  to  have  been  built  about 


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BHAG— BHAN  55 

four  hnndred  years  ago  by  one  Eishi  Pratishtha,  but  has  been  added  to 
at  subsequent  periods  by  various  rdjds.  It  consists  of  one  main  building 
covered  by  a  fine  dome,  and  flanked  by  smaller  temples  on  both  sides.  The 
space  in  the  centre  is  paved,  and  there  is  a  stone  mandap,  or  open  flat-roofed 
building,  in  front  of  the  chief  shrine.  The  temples  are  surrounded  by  a 
high  wall,  and  from  the  river-side  are  entered  by  a  flight  of  steps.  A  good 
cotip^Vceil  of  the  whole  group  may  be  obtained  by  ascending  the  hill  close  by, 
from  whence  also  there  is  a  fine  view  of  the  village  and  surrounding  country. 
Religious  observances  are  supported  by  a  money  grant  of  Rs.  13,000  (Haidar^- 
bSd  currency)  per  annum.  The  jewels  belonging  to  the  temple  are  said  to  be 
very  valuable.  There  are  no  manufactures  in  Bhadrdchallam.  The  trade  con- 
sists chiefly  of  imports  for  the  population  of  the  town  and  surrounding  villages. 
Small  country  boats  come  up  the  river  as  far  as  this  point  from  Rdjmandri 
and  the  coast,  but  are  precluded  from  proceeding  ftirther  by  the  rocks  and 
rapids  which  form  the  first  barrier  of  the  Goddvarf.*  There  is  a  town  school 
and  a  police  outpost  here,  and  the  district  post  from  Dumagudem  to  EUor 
passes  liu*ough  the  town  and  crosses  into  the  Nizam^s  territories.  A  large  fair  is 
held  here  in  April  each  year,  at  which  about  10,000  people  assemble  from  all 
parts  of  the  country,  chiefly  from  the  coast  districts.  Business  to  the  amount 
of  about  Rs.  50,000  is  done  on  these  occasions  in  English  and  country  cloth, 
sugar,  opium,  spices,  hardware,  &c.  The  population  is  about  2,000,  chiefly 
Brdhmans  and  Telingas.  The  estate  consists  of  137  villages;  and  the  zamlnddrin 
traces  her  ancestry  to  Andpd  Aswa  Rdo,  who  is  said  to  have  obtained  the 
grant  from  the  Emperor  of  Delhi  in  a.d.  1324. 

BHAGWA'NPU'R — A  village  in  the  Chdndd  district,  seven  miles  south- 
west of  Brahmapuri,  possessing  a  fine  irrigation- reservoir. 

BHATNSA'KHAND— A  part  of  the  Kaimdr  range  of  hills,  situated  in 
latitude  23°  45'  55''  and  longitude  80°  15'  28",  in  the  Sleemandbdd  tahsfl  of  the 
Jabalpdr  district. 

BHAISDAHI' — A  town  in  the  Betul  district,  situated  on  the  Pdrnd,  thirty- 
two  miles  south-west  of  Badndr.  It  is  said  to  have  been  founded  by  Pirdjl  Haibat 
Rao  Desmukh,  whose  family  was  once  very  powerful ;  the  remnants  of  a  fort 
erected  by  them  still  exist,  and  the  town  is  now  owned  by  them.  There  are 
here  a  police  outpost  and  a  government  school.  The  population  amounts  to 
2,343  souls. 

BHA'MGARH — A  town  in  the  Nimdr  district,  eight  miles  east  of 
Ehandwd,  containing  2,240  inhabitants,  chiefly  cultivators.  Rdo  Daulat  Singh, 
zamlndar  of  the  Bhdmgarh  pargana,  has  a  fort  here,  which  was  captured  and 
burnt  by  Yaswant  Rdo  Sahi  in  a.d.  1806.  There  is  also  a  Hindi  school.  From 
the  river  Bhdm  close  by  are  taken  excellent  fish.  A  weekly  market  is  held 
here  on  Sunday. 

BHA'NDAK — ^Is  the  eastern  pargana  of  the  Warord  tahsfl  of  the  Chdndd 
district,  containing  an  area  of  about  384  square  miles,  with  76  villages.  It  is 
bounded  on  the  north  by  the  Chimur  and  Qurhborl  parganas,  on  the  east  by  the 
Hawaii  pargana,  on  the  south  by  the  Wardhd,  and  on  the  west  by  the  Warord 
pargana.  By  far  the  larger  portion  is  hill  and  forest,  and  it  is  intersected  from 
north  to  south  by  the  Virai  and  Andhdri  rivers.     In  the  vicinity  of  the  Wardhd 


♦  This  has  since  been  partially  opened. 


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56 


BHAN 


black  loam  prevails,  on  wtich  cotton  and  dry  crops  are  grown ;  and  beyond  this 
belt  the  soil  is  sandy  or  yellow,  chiefly  producing  rice.  Bh^ndak  and  Chandan- 
kheri  are  the  two  largest  towns.  The  population  is  Mar^th&,  with  a  mixture  of 
Telingas. 

BHA'NDAK — A  town  18  miles  north-west  of  Ch&nii  and  about  a  mile 
west  of  the  Southern  Boad.  It  contains  470  houses,  and  is  a  long  straggling 
place,  spread  over  a  large  extent  of  ground,  and  surrounded,  except  on  the  west, 
by  old  groves  and  jungle.  Local  tradition  identifies  it  with  the  great  city  of 
Bhadrdvati,  mentioned  in  the  Mahi  Bhdrat,  extending  from  BhatiU  on  the  west 
to  the  Jharpat  on  the  east ;  and  the  scene  of  the  battle  for  the  Sdmkama  horse, 
which  eventually  was  borne  away  by  the  demi-god  Bhima,  for  sacrifice  by 
Dharma,  the  king.  The  architectural  remains  in  and  around  Bhdndak  are  of 
remote  antiquity  and  great  interest,  among  them  being  the  temple-caves  at 
Bhdndak  and  in  the  Winjhisanf  and  Dewfli  hills,  the  footprint  of  Bhfma  on  the 
latter  hill,  the  temple  of  Bhadrivati,  the  site  of  the  king's  palace,  the  bridge 
over  a  now  dried-up  lake,  the  outlines  of  forts  on  the  Winjhdsanf  and  Dewdld 
hills,  and  numerous  ruined  temples  and  tanks — proving  the  existence  of  a  great 
city  in  the  far  distant  past.  Bhdndak  now  has  little  trade  in  itself,  but  an 
extensive  fair  assembles  here  yearly  in  February,  the  transactions  at  which  are 
very  large.  The  products  of  the  town-lands  are  chiefly  pan  leaves,  turmeric,  and 
rice;  and  the  residents  are  mostly  Marithds.  Bh^ndak  has  government  schools 
for  boys  and  girls,  a  poUce  station-house,  a  district  post-oflSce,  and  a  sardl. 

BHANDAH — ^A  village  in  the  RdJpdr  district.  It  is  the  head-quarters  or 
sanctuary  of  the  Satndmi  Gham&rs  of  Chhattfsgarh,  and  came  into  importance 
about  twenty-seven  years  ago,  when  Ghdsi  Dds,  the  founder  of  the  new  faith, 
became  proprietor  of  the  village.  He  built  in  the  centre  a  large  square  temple- 
like house,  and  to  this  place  his  followers  flock  three  times  a  year  for  confessiou 
and  absolution. 


BHANDATIA- 


OOKTENTS. 


Page 

General  description 5t5 

Geology 67 

Eivere    68 

Forests ib. 

Minerals 69 

Animals xb* 

Tanks  and  lakes  60 

Bead  commimioations 61 

Population    ib* 

Manners  and  oostoms 62 


Languages ...., 6S 

Diseases    ., ih, 

Agprionlture « 64 

Manufactures 66 

Commerce    * %b» 

School , 67 

Chiefships 68 

Tradition  and  histoty ib, 

Bevenu«  administration 69 

Judicial  and  Police  administmtlon  ...  70 


One  of  the  five  districts  comprised  in  the  Ndgpdr  commissionership,  of 
Ge    nJ  d      *  ti  n  which  it  occupies  nearly  the  whole  of  the  eastern 

portion.  It  has  an  area  of  about  3,922  square 
miles,  and  is  bounded  on  the  north  by  Seoni  and  BiMgh&t,  on  the  south  by 
Chdndd,  on  the  east  by  Rfiipdr,  and  on  the  west  by  Nfigpdr.  The  station  of 
Bhanddra  is  about  thirty-eight  miles  east  of  Ndgpdr.  The  district  stretches 
northwards  for  some  miles  beyond  Rdmpiilf,  and  from  that  point  to  a  village 
called  Sowerd  in  the  south  the  distance  is  about  eighty  miles  as  the  crow  flies, 
while  if  a  line  were  drawn  through  the  centre  of  the  district  it  would  measure 
about  eighty  miles  direct  from  east  to  west.  There  are  few  mountains  of  any 
size  within  the  district ;  but  the  north,  north-east,  and  east  are  bounded  by 


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BHAN  57 

lofty  hills,  inhabited  chiefly  by  Gonds  and  other  wild  tribes.  The  west  and 
north-west  are  comparatively  open.  Several  small  ranges — branches  of  the 
Sdtpurd — make  their  way  into  the  interior  of  the  district,  generally  taking 
a  southerly  direction.  Different  bluffs  and  marked  elevations  in  these  ranges 
bear  the  names  of  the  villages  near  which  they  occur,  but  there  is  no  general 
name  for  the  whole*  These  hills  are  thickly  covered  with  forest  trees  and 
bamboos,  but  they  do  not  contain  much  valuable  timber.  Another  range  of 
hills,  about  sixty  miles  in  length,  skirts  the  south  of  the  Chdndpdr  pargana. 
Their  average  height  is  between  300  and  400  feet  above  the  level  of  the  plain, 
and  they  are  known  by  the  name  of  the  Ambdgarh,  or  Sendurjharl  hills.  This 
range  is  clothed  with  very  little  timber  of  any  size,  but  it  furnishes  a  fair  amount 
of  firewood.  In  addition  to  the  above  ranges  there  are  a  few  detached  hills 
worthy  of  mention,  viz.  the  Baldh(  hills,  the  Kanherl  hills,  and  the  Nawegdon 
hills. 

The  formation  of  these  hills  is  mostly  granitic  and  schistose,  with  here  and 

there  a  range   of  overlying   sandstone.     Among 
^  ^*  certain  geological  papers  on  Western  India,  pub- 

lished in  1857  by  the  Bombay  Grovernment,  is  an  article  by  Messrs.  Hislop  and 
Hunter,  in  which  is  described  the  great  granitic  area  within  which  the  whole 
district  lies,  and  which,  beginning  from  Ndgpdr  town  on  the  west,  is  said  to 
extend  as  far  east  as  the  Bay  of  Bengal.  The  following  extracts  make  up  a 
brief  sketch  of  the  geological  structure  of  the  country  round  the  Waingangd : — 

"  Granitic  and  Schistose  Rocks.-^The  plutonic  and  metamorphic  forma- 
tion, the  extent  of  which  I  shall  now  briefly  indicate,  lies  chiefly  in  the  east- 
em  portion  of  our  area.  It  is  intersected  by  the  Waingangd  for  the  greater 
part  of  its  course.  The  tract  on  the  left  bank  of  the  river  I  have  had  little 
opportttnity  of  exploring,  but  from  the  cursory  examination  I  have  given 
it,  I  have  reason  to  believe  that  there  is  a  large  development  of  granite 
ajid  its  aUied  rocks,  including  an  extensive  outburst  of  porphyry,  which 
coincides  nearly  with  the  upper  portion  of  the  course  of  the  Bdgh  river. 
This  eruption  exhibits  crystals  of  quartz  and  of  white,  occasionally  red, 
felspar,  imbedded  in  a  dark  paste  of  the  same  ingredients.  On  the  right 
bank  of  the  Waingangd,  in  the  district  near  its  junction  with  the  Wardhd, 
the  extent  of  the  formation  is  not  so  great.  It  is  observed  principally  in  the 
channel  of  the  Waingangd,  though  it  may  also  be  traced  around  the  bases  of 
the  sandstone  chains  of  hills,  which  it  has  been  the  means  of  upheaving. 
In  both  the  districts  under  consideration  the  general  strike  of  the  strata 
•  is  north  and  south,  corresponding  with  the  direction  of  the  streams  and 
mountain  rp,nges,  and  in  the  last-mentioned  the  dip  is  for  the  most  part 
to  the  west.  But  it  is  on  the  north  that  the  greatest  development  of  granite 
and  crystalline  schists  occurs.  There  we  may  perceive  these  rocks  rising 
to  the  surface  (though  it  would  be  hazardous  to  conclude  that  there  are  not 
others  of  a  different  character  in  the  hollows  covered  up  by  the  deep  soil) 
from  Ndgpdr  north-eastward  to  the  Ldnji  hills. 

"  On  either  side  of  the  Waingangd  we  meet  with  some  isolated 
remnants  of  the  sandstone  formation.  One  of  these,  but  very  limited  in 
its  dimensions,  lies  on  the  banks  of  the  Seldri,  a  small  stream  which  joins 
the  Waingangd  near  the  town  of  Paunl.  Another,  further  down  the  river, 
extends  for  some  distance,  first  on  the  right  bank,  and  then  on  the  left. 
In  the  district  on  the  east  of  the  Waingangd  a  little  sandstone  proper  is 

8  CPG 


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58  BHAN 

met  with  in  patches  among  the  hills  on  the  west  bank  of  the  Gdrhri  and 
B^gh  rivers,  reaching  from  Mahdgdon  as  far  north  as  A'mgdon/' — 
Geological  Papers  of  Western  Indioj  pp.  254 — 256. 

Extensive  beds  of  lat^rite,  overlying  the  primary  rocks,  are  found  in  the 
district  about  Kdmthd,  and  are  again  seen  near  Pauni,  whence  they  stretch 
southward  in  a  broad  belt  far  into  the  Chdnd^  district. 

The  chief  river,  and  the  only  one  that  does  not  dry  up  in  the  hot  weather, 
«.  is  the  Waingangi,   which  runs  along   the  whole 

length  of  the  western  border  of  the  district. 
Its  most  important  affluents  in  this  district  ard  the  Bdwanthari,  the  Bdgh  nadf, 
the  Kanh&n,  and  the  Chulban.  There  are  several  other  small  streams,  which 
serve  as  affluents  to  those  above  mentioned,  but  they  are  very  insignificant, 
viz.  the  Pdngoli  nadi  and  the  Katangi  ndld,  running  into  the  Bigh  nadJ,  and 
the  Sit  nadi  into  the  Chulban.  The  Sur  nadi  waters  a  large  tract  of  land 
immediately  north  of  Bhanddra,  and  empties  itself  into  the  Waingangi  only 
about  a  mile  from  the  station.  The  Chant  nadi  waters  above  a  hundred  miles  of 
the  district,  and  flowing  past  Rfimpdili  and  Katangtotd,  empties  itself  into  the 
Waingangd  at  a  village  called  Mahdlgdon,  about  ten  miles  south  of  Bdmpdilf. 
The  Bdwanthari  runs  through  the  district  for  about  thirty  miles  of  its  course, 
and  waters  all  the  country  immediately  north  of  Chdndptir  and  Ambdgarh, 
reaching  the  Waingangd  at  a  village  called  Buperd,  eight  miles  east  of  Chdndptir. 
All  the  above  streams,  with  the  exception  of  the  Waingangd,  dry  up  in  the  hot 
weather.     There  are  no  towns  of  importance  on  any  of  them. 

Of  the  entire  area  about  1,509  square  miles,  or  more  than  one-third,  are 

covered  with  jungle.     The  smaller  jungles  are  in 
Forests.  parts    of  the   middle  of  the  district  and  in  the 

Chdndpiir  pargana. 

None  of  these  forests  contain  many  valuable  timber  trees  of  sufficient  girth 
for  large  buildings,  excepting  the  mhowd  {bassia  latifoUa)  trees,  which  are 
preserved  by  the  people  for  their  blossoms,  as  they  are  eaten  by  the  poorer 
class,  and  country  liquor  is  distilled  from  them. 

The  valuable  timber  trees  are — 

1.  Tedona  grandis     (teak)   called  Sdyd  in   this  district,  and  Sdj  in 

other  parts. 

2.  Pterocarpus  marsupiurrif  called  Biwld  in  this  district,  and  in  qjbher 

parts  Bijesdl. 
S.     Dalbergia  lati/oliay  called  Siras  in  this  district,  and  in  other  parts 
Shisham. 

4.  Pen  taptera  glabra,  called  A'in  in  this  district,  and  in  other  parts  Sdj . 

5.  Diospyros  ebenum,  called   Temrdn  in  this  district,  and  in  other 

parts  Tendd. 

6.  Nauclea  cordifolia,  called  Haldi  in  this  district,  and  in  other  parts 

Hardu£. 

7.  Conocarpus  latifolia,  JSh&xai. 

8.  Lagersirasmia  parviflora,  Sendi,  called  also  Sehnd  in  this  district, 

and  in  other  parts  Kulid  Sej^. 

9.  Bassia  latifoUa^  Mhow£. 


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BHAN  59 

The  jangles  also  yield  gnm^  medicinal  fruits  and  nnts^  edible  fruits^  lac  and 
honey.  The  gums  considered  the  best  for  their  adhesive  qualities  and  for  edible 
purposes  are  those  exuded  by  the  din  or  sfij,  dh^urd^  and  palds  or  chintfi.  The 
palds  tree  is  also  called  dh&k  in  other  parts.  The  medicinal  fruits  are  the  harr^ 
{terminaUa  chebula),  baherd  {belhric  myrobolan),  baibrang  (a  medicinal  seed^ 
like  ablack  pepper-corn),  and  bel  (cratceva).  The  nuts  are  the  kuchl£  (strychnoa 
nttx  vomica),  and  bhil&wi  (semicai'pua  anacardium).  The  fhiits  which  are  sold  in 
the  markets  from  jungle  trees,  and  which  the  poorer  class  of  natives  eat,  are 
those  of  the  tendd,  ach&r  or  chironjl  (chironjia  sapida),  ixmii  (phylanthus  em- 
6Uca),  hhH&wi{8em{carpu8anacardium),  mhowd  {bassia  latifolia),  plum,  kdrindi 
l^awat  or  kaith4  {ferovia  elephantum) ,  bel  (cratoeva),  custard-apple,  umbar  (ficus 
^lomerata),    and  jdmun   (syzygium  jambolanum).     Lac  is    produced  on  the 

!>him,  pel&s  {batea  frondosa),  jplpal  {ficus  religioea),  and  the  pfpri  (the  small- 
eafed  pfpal)  trees. 

Bees  settle  on  all  descriptions  of  trees,  and  on  rocks,  where  they  form 
tlieir  hives  and  gather  honey.  The  men  who  generally  take  down  honeycombs 
ajid  gather  other  jungle-produce  are  Gonds. 

A  little  gold  is  found  in  the  bed  of  the  Son  nadl,  but  hardly  repays  the 
^^j.       ,  trouble  of  searching  for  it,  as  even  after  cleaning 

it  is  somewhat  impure,  and  only  fetches  from  ten 
to  twelve  rupees  a  told.  The  separation  of  the  particles  of  gold  from  the  sand 
axid  dirt  is  effected  by  washing,  and  subsequent  application  of  quicksilver. 
Iron  is  found  to  some  extent,  and  the  supply  is  not  only  sufficient  for  the 
local  demand,  but  also  constitutes  an  article  of  export.  The  chief  mines 
are  situated  in  the  parganas  of  Chdndptlr,  Tiror^  and  Pratfipgarh,  the  best 
being  that  obtained  from  Chindpdr.  The  mines  are  mere  pits,  being 
generally  only  ten  or  twelve  feet  in  depth;  and  the  vertical  clay-furnaces 
for  smelting  the  ore  are  very  primitive  and  inefficient,  requiring  a  great  deal 
of  time  and  trouble  to  produce  a  very  small  result.  The  people  usually  engaged 
in  this  laborious  work  are  Gonds,  Godrds,  Pardhdns,  and  Dhimars,  from  whom 
the  middle-men  purchase  the  rough  iron  slabs.  The  iron  obtained  from  the 
mines  at  A'gri  and  Ambdjhari  in  the  Chdndpdr  pargana  is  reported  to  be  very 
tough  and  malleable.  Gerd,  a  kind  of  red  ochre,  is  found  in  the  Sdletekr( 
tract  of  the  Bdldghdt  district,  and  is  used  to  some  extent  in  this  district  for 
staining  wood  and  dyeing  cloth.  Of  stone  for  masonry,  the  laterite,  shale, 
and  sandstone  are  found  all  over  the  district,  though  the  largest  quarries  exist 
near  Bhand^ra,  at  Korambi,  and  in  the  Baldhf  hills.  Hone-stones  and  white 
soft  stone  for  pottery  are  also  found  in  some  quantity  in  the  Kanherf  hill,  near 
Pohori. 

Owing  to  the  large  extent  of  forest,  wild  animals  abound.     The  tiger  and  the 
.     .  panther  are  the  most  dangerous  and  destructive 

™*  ''  to  human  life ;  and  during  the  rainy  season  many 

people  die  from  the  bites  of  venomous  snakes.  Deer  of  all  kinds  and  wild  pigs 
frequently  cause  great  injury  to  the  crops.  Of  farm  cattle,  the  bullock  of  this 
district  is  noted  for  its  staunchness  and  endurance,  though  rather  small  in  build. 
The  cows  generally  are  excellent,  and  in  some  parts  of  the  district  are  of  good 
size.  Bulls  are  usually  imported  from  Berir,  but  the  government  has  lately 
brought  in  some  stock  from  Nellor  in  Madras  for  the  improvement  of  the  breed. 
Sheep-breeding,  for  the  sake  of  the  wool,  is  carried  on  to  some  extent,  though 
suitable  pasturage  is  somewhat  limited.    The  silkworm  is  also   bred  in  some 


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60  BHAN 

parts  of  the  district  with  success,  producing  a  coarse  kind  of  silk;  but  there  are 
very  few  persons  engaged  in  this  culture.  The  soil  and  climate  generally 
throughout  the  district  are  favourable  to  the  successful  cultivation  of  all  grains, 
as  the  seasons  are  mild  and  the  rainfall  abundant,  though,  from  sparseness  of 
population  and  absence  of  enterprise,  nearly  half  the  area  of  the  district  is 
still  (1869)  waste  land. 

This  part  of  the  country  is  chiefly  cultivated  by  means  of  irrigation  from 
-    ,        ^  T  It  tanks,  for  which  the  Bhandara  district  is  famous, 

lanks  and  l^akes.  ,,  rpj^^^^   tanks,''  writes  a  former   chief  commis- 

sioner,*  Sir  Richard  Temple,  *^  are  so  numerous,  and  some  of  them  so  large, 
'^  being  many  miles  in  circumference,  that  this  tract  might  almost  be  called  the 
*'  Lakb  Region  of  Ndgpdr.  Here  a  tank  is  not  a  piece  of  water,  with  regular 
"  banks,  crowned  with  rows  or  avenues  of  trees,  with  an  artificial  dyke  and  sluices, 
"  and  with  fields  around  it,  but  it  is  an  irregular  expanse  of  water ;  its  banks 
'^  are  formed  by  rugged  hills  covered  with  low  forests  that  fringe  the  water, 
"  where  the  wild  beasts  repair  to  drink ;  its  dykes,  mainly  shaped  out  of  spurs 
'^  from  the  hills,  are  thrown  athwart  the  hollows,  a  part  only  being  formed  by 
"  masonry ;  its  sluices  often  consist  of  chasms  or  fissures  in  the  rock ;  its  broad 
'^  surface  is  often,  as  the  monsoon  approaches,  lashed  into  surging  and  crested 
"  waves/'  The  principal  lakes  are  Imown  by  the  names  of  Nawegdon,  Seoni, 
and  Siregion.  Besides  these  are  thousands  of  minor  tanks,  used  for  irrigation, 
many  of  which  retain  an  ample  supply  of  water  throughout  the  hot  season. 
There  are  also  numerous  sites  for  new  tanks  of  lar^  size,  now  ruined  and 
requiring  repair,  though  at  such  an  outlay  as  to  render  the  undertaking  one  of 
doubtfiil  advantage. 

Major  Pearson,  late  conservator  of  forests.  Central  Provinces,  in  a  report 
upon  the  irrigation  of  the  valley  of  the  Waingangi  submitted  to  the  chief  com- 
missioner in  March  1 863,  points  out  that  there  are  two  distinct  kinds  of  tanks 
in  this  region.     He  describes  them  in  the  following  passage  : — 

"  The  first  and  by  far  the  largest  are  formed  in  the  undulating  country 
of  the  lower  districts  in  the  valley,  by  taking  advantage  of  the  contour 
of  the  ground,  and  constructing  a  short  dam  so  as  to  form  a  lake  or  basin 
from  the  drainage  of  the  surrounding  hills.  The  second  class  is  that 
commonly  found  in  the  flatter  country,  and  away  from  the  hills,  where  a 
long  low  dam  is  raised  across  the  upper  portion  of  a  gently-sloping  plain. 
These  are  more  or  less  excavated  near  the  centre,  where  some  nili  or 
depression  of  the  ground  is  taken  advantage  of  to  create  a  reservoir  more 
or  less  deep.  The  long  arms  of  the  dam  collect  the  drainage,  which  fills 
into  the  centre  reservoir,  and,  when  this  is  ftiU,  spreads  itself  out  into  a 
large  shallow  tank  ;  the  water  is  thence  distributed  to  the  rice  fields  below ; 
and  although  there  is  an  enormous  loss  from  evaporation,  yet,  as  the  rice 
does  not  require  water  for  above  two  months,  or  at  most  seventy-five  days, 
the  tanks  generally  suffice  for  the  purpose  required.  Tanks  of  the  last 
description  are  sometimes  of  very  large  size,  but  commonly  they  are  what 
are  called  ^^  borls,"  having  embankments  not  more  than  ten  or  twelve  feet 
high,  and  as  soon  as  the  rice-crop  is  gathered  the  dam  is  cut,  any  remaining 
water  let  out,  and  a  crop  of  wheat  or  linseed  sown  in  the  bed.  This  is 
almost  a  universal  practice  in  the  northern  parganas  of  Bhanddra.  Indeed  it 
seems  the  only  means  of  raising  a  dry  crop  which  the  people  possess  in  those 
districts.     I  have  seen  several  very  large  tanks  so  drained  and  cultivated." 

*  Administratioii  Report,  Central  Provinces,  1862,  p^  6,  para.  12. 


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BHAN  61 

There  are  altogether  3,648  lakes  aud  tanks ;  some  of  the  rivers  also  aflTord 
facilities  for  irrigation.  The  Biwanthari,  for  instance,  which  runs  from  east  to 
west  of  the  pargana  of  Chindpdr,  supplies  water  for  the  cultivation  of  sugar- 
cane, which  is  grown  in  large  quantities  on  both  banks. 

The  only  road  which  is  raised,  bridged,  and  metalled  for  any  distance  is 

„    J  .    ^.  the  Great  Eastern  Road,  which  enters  the  district 

Road  communications.  ,,  ,,      '  -i,  1*01.^1.^  t 

on  the  wesc,  near  the  village  of  Shahpur,  and 

passing  through  Bhanddra,  Sdkoli,  Arjunf,  and  Deorf  Kishori,  crosses  the  Bigh 
nadi  by  a  substantial  bridge  into  the  Rdipiir  district,  at  a  point  about  sixty-five 
miles  due  east  of  Bhanddra.  ITiis  road  is  nearly  completed  to  a  point  beyond 
SakoH,  or  upwards  of  twenty-four  miles  from  Bhanddra  towards  Riipdr,  and,  with 
the  exception  of  the  Waingangd,  all  the  important  streams  and  nil&s  are  bridged. 
At  the  crossing  of  the  Waingangd  during  the  dry  season  there  is  a  raised  fascine 
roadway  for  the  convenience  of  the  traffic  across  the  sandy  bed,  and  a  couple  of 
platform-boats  during  the  rains.  There  is  a  second  class  of  roads,  unmetalled 
and  unbridged  (except  by  temporary  contrivances),  but  smoothed,  levelled, 
and  sloped  at  the  crossings  of  watercourses.  Of  these  the  following  are  the 
most  important,  viz.  the  district  road  from  Rdfpiir  to  Chdndd,  which  enters 
this  district  on  the  south-east,  and  passing  through  Chichgarh,  Paldnddr,  Naw^- 
g&on,  Digorf,  and  Pauni,  proceeds  to  Ch^dd  via  Brahmapuri ;  and  the  district 
road  from  Rdfpdr  to  Kdmthf  via  Darekasd,  A'mgdon,  Bdgarband,  and  Tumsar. 
The  second  route  has  the  heaviest  traffic,  and  where  it  crosses  the  Waingangi 
at  Umarwiri,  there  is  a  raised  fascine  roadway  across  the  sandy  bed  of  the  river 
during  the  dry  season.  The  minor  communications  of  the  second  kind  are  as 
follows,  viz.  to  and  from  Rirapdili  and  Katangi  in  the  Seoni  district  via  Arjuni ; 
and  from  Rdmpdili  and  Wdrd-Seoni  in  the  Seoni  district  via  Mendlwird ;  to 
and  from  Kdmthd  and  Mandla  via  the  Samndpiir  ghdt,  which  has  been  cleared 
and  levelled ;  and  to  and  from  the  Ndndgdon  zammddrl  in  the  Rdipiir  district, 
and  Kdmthd  vid  Dhiri,  MangH,  and  Nandord,  by  which  route  most  of  the  traffic 
is  carried  on  men^s  heads,  owing  to  the  difficult  mountain-passes  which  separate 
this  district  from  Rdipdr  at  that  point.  The  whole  of  the  roads  belonging  to 
the  second  class  are  excellent  fair-weather  roads,  but  are  almost  impassable  for 
wheeled  traffic  during  the  rains.  When  all  other  routes  are  closed  during  the 
monsoon  the  water  communication  on  the  Bdgh  nadi  and  Waingangd  is  of 
great  use,  and  would  probably  rise  to  some  importance  if  the  dangerous  bamers 
of  rocks  in  the  bed  of  the  Bdgh  nadi  at  Satond,  and  in  the  bed  of  the  Waingangd 
at  Chichgdon,  could  be  removed.  At  present,  owing  to  these  barriers,  the  com- 
munication by  river  during  the  rains  is  limited  to  the  interior  of  the  district ; 
whereas  if  they  were  removed  the  communication  might  be  extended  to  the 
heart  of  Mandla  and  into  the  richest  parganas  of  the  Rdipiir  district.  The 
carriage  used  on  all  these  roads  is  chieHy  the  common  country  cart  and  the 
pack-bullock ;  while  on  the  river  the  boats  employed  are  dongds,  which  are 
usually  large  logs  of  teak  scooped  out  and  lashed  together. 

According  to  the  census  of  November   1866   the  population  amounts   to 
p    ^,.  608,480  souls.     Setting  aside  the  primitive,  and 

^^       ^°'  (so  called)   aboriginal   tribes    of  Gonds,  Baigds, 

and  the  like,  this  population  may  be  generally  classed  under  the  two  great 
divisions  of  Hindds  and  Mohammadans,  though  the  latter  do  not  equal  five 
per  cent  of  the  former.  Of  the  Hindds  the  caste  divisions  are  chiefly  as 
follows,  viz.  Brdhmans,  *'  Pardesls^'  or  foreigners  (generally  Rdjputs),  Ponwdrs, 
liodhis,  Kunbis,  Eoris,  Kal&ls^  Telis,  Dhimars,  Koshtis,  Godras,  and  Dhers. 


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62  BHAN 

The  two  first-mentioned  castes  are  the  most  educated  and  intelligent ;  the  four 
next  are  the  most  industrious  and  skilful  agriculturists^  and  the  last  two  are 
the  most  numerous.  The  higher  castes — such  as  Brahmans  and  Pardesis 
— are  usually  landholders  and  land  agents,  or  are  found  in  government 
employ;  the  middle  castes — such  as  Ponwirs,  Korfs,  Kalils,  Lodhfs,  Knnbfs, 
and  Telfs — are  mostly  engaged  in  agriculture,  either  as  farmers  or  tenants  of 
land ;  and  the  lower  classes — such  as  Godrfis  and  Dhers — furnish  the  labour 
for  all  public  or  private  works,  farm  service,  &c.  Besides  the  above  there 
are  a  few  intermediate  classes,  which  are  occupied  in  commerce — such  as  the 
Mdrwdris,  Banids,  and  Parwdrs;  and  in  trades  and  manufactures — such  as 
Koshtis,  KdsSrs,  Panchdls,  Lohdrs,  Barhafs,  Belddrs,  and  Kumbhdrs.  Of 
these  the  Koshtis,  or  weavers,  are  the  most  numerous,  while  the  other 
intermediate  castes  are  comparatively  ill-represented,  and  confined  to  certain 
localities,  generally  large  towns  and  villages.  The  Dhfmars  also  are  a  numerous 
class,  and  live  chiefly  by  fishing,  and  the  hire  of  their  boats  for  carriage. 
Of  the  Mohammadan  portion  the  greater  part  are  employed  as  Pinjdrds,  or 
cleaners  and  dealers  in  cotton,  and  KdnchSrs,  or  makers  of  glass  ornaments ;  and 
a  few  are  landholders  and  cultivators.  The  lowest  section  of  the  people  of  this 
district  includes  the  Kaikdris,  Holids,  Halbds,  and  Pardhdns.  Among  these 
the  Kaikdris  are  notorious  as  skilfiil  and  determined  thieves. 

The  inhabitants  of  Bhanddra  are  rude  and  unpolished    in  their  manners, 
^  d     8to  ^^^  sometimes  say  and  do  things  in  company  with 

each  other  that  would  shock  the  ideas  of  propriety 
entertained  by  any  civilised  Hindustdnf.     The  higher  classes  are  no  exception 
to  this  rule,  though,  from  their  superior  education  and  intelligence,  they  might 
be  supposed  to  be  more  capable  of  appreciating  the  advantages  of  courtesy. 
Nor  can  it  be  said  that  these   defects  are  compensated  for  by  a  very  high 
standard  of  truth  or  manliness,  for  it  must  be  confessed  that  the  people  have  no 
larger  share  of  these  virtues  than  more  civilised  orientals.     However,  the  Gonds 
and  Baigds   are  generally  honest  and  hard-working  when  well  treated.     The 
Ponwdrs  and   Koris,  too,  among    agriculturists,  are    industrious.     The  two 
proverbs  most  current  in  this  district  sufficiently  indicate  the  general  tone  of 
morals.     They  are  as  follows  : — '^  Charity  remains  at  home,''  and  "  Deceit  is  the 
perfection  of  wisdom.''     The  higher  classes  have  none  of  the  hardy,  active  habits 
of  life  which  are  still  maintained  in  Northern  India  by  many  persons  in  good 
position.  They  have  an  indolent  dislike  of  standing  if  they  can  possibly  sit;  and 
they  very  seldom  mount  a  horse,  using  small  two-wheeled  ox-carte  for  all  journeys, 
long  or  short.     And  it  is  not  easy  to  get  a  fair  day's  work  out  of  the  labourer. 
Cheap  food  and  a  stationary  population,  a  mild  equable  climate,  and  a  land-locked 
district  without  roads,  are  among  the  causes  to  which  these  characteristics  may 
be  traced ;  but  with  the  cessation  of  the  last  of  these  causes  some  change  is 
already  appearing.     There  are  few  social  customs  or  religious  ceremonies,  current 
in  this  district,  which  are  not  common  to  all  classes  of  Hindds  in  other  parte  of 
India  j  but  perhaps  nowhere  is  the  marriage-tie  less  considered  than  among 
the  lower  castes  here,  more  especially  among  the  women,  who  often   divorce 
themselves  from  their  husbands,  and  select,  of  their  own  will,  several  mates  in 
succession,  without  any  opposition  from  their  lawful  lords.     All,   except  the 
higher  classes  of  Hindds — such  as  Br&hmans  and  Pardesis— also  adopt  a  cere- 
mony called  Pdt,  iu  lieu  of  a  formal  marriage,  for  joining  a  man  and  woman  who 
affree  to  live  together.    This,  however,  can  only  take  place  after  the  death  of 
the  first  husband  or  wife,  and  is  considered  a  kind  of  lawful  concubinage.    The 


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BHAN  63 

ceremony  much  resembles  the  "  Nikdh^'  marriage  common  among  Moham- 
madans.  The  Ponwdrs,  Lodhfs,  and  Kunbis  are  moat  notorious  for  these  pecuHar 
notions  regarding  the  obligations  of  marriage.  Again,  contrary  to  the  custom 
prevalent  in  other  parts  of  the  country,  in  this  district  girls  are  more  honoured 
than  boys,  and  the  ordinary  mode  of  proceeding  in  betrothal-engagements  is 
reversed,  as  the  father  or  relatives  of  a  boy  are  obliged  to  seek  out  and  humbly 
supplicate  the  parents  of  the  girl  with  whom  they  wish  to  marry  their  son,  instead 
of  being  sought  after  themselves.  The  proportion  of  educated  and  influential 
men  of  the  higher  classes  among  the  Hindds  is  so  small,  that  in  few  districts  are 
the  mass  of  the  people  more  ignorant  of  even  the  forms  and  ceremonies  attached 
to  their  own  religion.  This  leads  to  a  great  diversity  of  ideas  on  the  subject, 
and  very  loose  notions  regarding  the  worship  of  the  various  Hindii 
deities.  The  most  common  object  of  worship,  however,  throughout  the 
district  is  the  lingam,  or  conventional  representation  of  generative  power, 
symbolising  the  creative  attributes  of  Mahadeva.  But  in  addition  to  this  common 
object  of  worship,  all  kinds  of  quadrupeds,  different  kinds  of  reptiles,  and  even 
remarkable  tombs,  are  all  worshipped  by  their  individual  votaries :  and  a  large 
tomb  near  the  village  of  Mxirm&ri,  about  ten  miles  from  Bhanddra,  where  rest 
the  remains  of  an  English  lady,  is  held  in  great  veneration  by  the  surrounding 
villages*  The  Mohammadans  in  this  district  form  only  a  small  fraction  of  the 
popiJation,  and  are  rather  notorious  for  the  neglect  of  their  religious  duties 
and  their  disorderly  dissipated  life. 

The  language  in  common  use  ia  Marithl,  though,  from  the  neighbourhood 
j^  of  TJrdd-speaking  districts,  Urdd  is  understood 

^^^^*  generally  throughout  the  district,  with  the  excep- 

tion of  a  portion  of  the  villages  in  the  southern  parts  of  the  Sdngarhf  tahsfl. 
The  Mardthl,  however,  as  spoken  and  written  commonly  in  this  district  is  by 
no  means  pure,  and  is  largely  mixed  with  Urdd.  There  are  also  several  dialects 
peculiar  to  different  classes  of  the  people,  which  are  only  understood  by  them ; 
they  are  used  by  the  Gonds,  Baigis,  Goldrs,  and  Kaikdrls. 

The  diseases  most  prevalent  are  fever,  small-pox,  and  cholera.     Under 
j)iggi^ggg  this .  last  title   the  natives  also  include   without 

distinction  all  diseases  of  the  stomach  and  bowels. 
Fever  prevails  throughout  the  year,  but  is  more  general  and  &tal  during  the 
months  of  September,  October,  and  November,  at  the  time  of  the  ripening  of  the 
rice-crops.  Among  the  lower  classes  the  result  of  an  attack  is  generally  delirium 
and  death  within  two  or  three  days.  Scanty  food  and  clothing,  and  hard  work 
in  the  rice-fields  in  water,  with  a  burning  sun  overhead,  are  no  doubt  predis- 
posing causes ;  but  in  almost  all  cases  in  this  district  an  attack  of  autumnal 
fever  goes  to  the  head,  and  is  exceedingly  prostrating  in  its  effects,  even  when 
it  is  not  fataL  Small-pox  is  also  very  common,  more  especially  during  the 
months  of  April,  May,  and  June,  when  it  carries  off  a  number  of  victims, 
chiefly  among  the  younger  members  of  the  community;  whereas  fever  is 
more  prevalent  among  the  village  population  and  those  engaged  in  agriculture. 
Vaccination  has  made  but  little  progress  as  yet,  and  the  superstition  and  igno- 
rance of  the  mass  of  the  people  place  great  obstacles  in  its  way.  Cholera  is 
common,  and  conmaits  great  ravages,  more  particularly  during  the  rainy  season ; 
when,  however,  all  deaths  occurring  from  diseases  of  the  stomach  or  bowels  are 
credited  indiscriminately  to  cholera  by  the  natives.  An  attack  of  cholera 
is  almost  always  followed  by  a  fatal  result,  as  the  apathy  and  superstition 
of  the  natives  prevent  their  taking  even  such  remedies  as  are  offered.     The 


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64  BHAN 

spread  of  intelligence  by  means  of  education,  the  practical  aid  afforded  by  the 
establishment  of  branch  dispensaries,  and  the  vigorous  measures  adopted  for 
the  enforcement  of  simple  sanitary  rules,  will  no  doubt  cause  a  great  decrease 
in  the  mortality  in  future. 

Agricultural  operations  are  carried  on  much  in  the  same  way  as  in  the 
^^.    ,  adjoining  districts.     The  implements  used  are  the 

^^  *  tifan,  or  drill-rake,  with  three  shares ;  the  nigar, 

or  ordinary  drill-plough,  with  one  share ;  the  bakhar,  or  hoe-plough ;  and  the 
dauran,  or  small  weeding-plough.  The  tifan  is  used  for  ploughing  the  ground 
only  when  it  is  suflBciently  moist  to  be  drawn  over  it.  The  ordinary  drill- 
plough  is  used  when  the  ground  is  hard  and  caked,  or  when  ample  time  is 
remaining  to  complete  the  sowings.  With  the  bakhar  the  weeds  in  field  are 
destroyed,  and  inequalities  partially  levelled  before  either  of  the  drill-ploughs 
are  drawn  over  it.  The  dauran  is  used  to  weed  jawdri  (millefc)  fields  between  the 
drills,  to  loosen  the  earth  at  the  roots  of  the  plants,  to  raise  the  earth  at  their 
roots,  and  thus  promote  their  growth  and  give  them  greater  stability,  and 
also  to  thin  the  field  of  some  of  the  stalks.  These  results  are  obtained  by 
drawing  the  dauran  once  over  the  field.  There  are  two  sowings  in  the  year- 
one  at  the  commencement  of  the  rainy  season,  and  the  other  at  its  close.  The 
former  sowings  are  called  ''  Syari,"  and  the  latter  "  Unhdli.'^  The  sydri  sowings 
are  performed  thus :  at  the  setting-in  of  the  rains  the  bakhar  is  drawn  over  the 
ground  a  couple  of  times,  after  which  it  is  sown  with  the  tlfan,  which 
forms  three  furrows,  and  drops  the  seed  into  them  at  each  turn.  The 
furrows  are  not  deep;  but  the  tifan  is  well-suited  for  preparing  fields  in 
the  rainy  weather,  when  the  ground  is  soft,  and  the  operation  of  sowing  requires 
to  be  performed  expeditiously.  For  the  unhalf  sowings  the  tffan  can  only  be 
used  when  the  rains  continue  to  the  middle  of  October,  about  which  time  these 
sowings  commence.  The  bakhar  is  drawn  over  the  fields  reserved  for  spring 
crops  whenever  there  is  an  intermission  of  rain  for  a  week  or  more,  to  destroy 
the  weeds,  and  open  out  the  ground  so  as  to  enable  it  to  absorb  as  much  water 
as  possible.  If  the  rains  are  not  favourable,  the  ndgar,  or  drill-plough  with 
one  share,  is  generally  used  to  plough  and  sow  the  fields.  The  furrows 
formed  by  the  ndgar  are  deeper  than  those  made  by  the  tifan,  and  the  seeds 
sown  in  the  furrows  by  the  former  are  covered  by  its  operation ;  that  is,  the 
seeds  dropped  in  the  first  furrow  are  covered  when  the  second  one  is  formed, 
and  so  with  the  second  and  every  subsequent  furrow.  Of  the  drills  formed  by 
the  tifan,  the  seeds  in  the  two  inner  drills,  at  each  turn  of  that  instrument,  are  left 
uncovered  with  earth.  In  the  rainy  season  this  is  not  of  much  consequence,  as 
the  water,  running  down  the  ridges,  carries  some  earth  with  it  into  the  drills ;  but 
in  the  unhdli  sowings,  when  there  is  no  rain,  the  seeds  which  are  exposed  are 
liable  to  be  picked  up  by  birds.  The  kharff  (sydri)  or  autumn  crops  are  the  rice, 
jawdri  {holcus  sorghum) ,  l^odo  (paspaluvi  frumeniaceum) ,]!iniki  (pcmicum  milia- 
ceum,)  tdr  {cytisvs  cajan),  cotton,  and  til  (sesamum).  The  rabi  (unhdlJ)  or  spring 
crops  are  wheat,  gram,  linseed,  mung  {phaseolus  mungo),  lakh  (pigeon  pea), 
batdnS  (common  pea),  and  popat  (dwarf  bean).  Some  of  the  seeds  are  sown 
in  drills,  and  some  broadcast.  The  seeds  sown  in  drills  are  wheat,  jawdri, 
linseed,  gram,  tdr,  cotton,  Idkh,  mung,  batdnd,  popat,  and  til ;  and  those 
sown  broadcast  are  kodo,  rice,  and  kutki.  There  is  no  peculiarity  in  the 
mode  of  sowing  any  of  the  seeds  but  those  of  rice  and  sugarcane  tubers. 
The  rice  is  sown  in  three  diflFeront  ways  :  one  of  these  is  called  "  hoti,*  which 
is  sowing  by  broadcast ;  another  is  called  *'  kaurak/'  which  is  by  first  steeping 


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onhasked  rice  in  hot  water  for  a  few  minutes^  after  which  the  rice  is  taken  out 
and  heaped  in  a  dry  room.  The  heap  of  rice  is  then  coyered  over  with  a  piece 
of  gunny  for  three  days,  when  the  rice  begins  to  germinate.  In  the  mean^ 
time  a  field  is  ploughed,  water  is  let  into  it,  and  a  rake  then  drawn  over,  with 
the  teetii  downwards,  to  work  up  the  soil  and  remoye  any  weeds  there  may  be  in  it. 
Affcer  this  the  rake  is  reversed  and  drawn  on  its  back  over  the  field  to  level  it. 
The  field  being  now  readv  to  receive  the  sprouting  seeds,  they  are  removed  to  it, 
and  sown  bro^cast.  This  mode  of  sowing  is  only  adopted  when  from  some 
cause  the  sowing  has  been  delayed.  After  the  fields  have  been  soMm,  a  man  keeps 
off  the  birds  from  the  seeds  till  the  crops  come  out.  The  third  made  of  sowing 
rice  is  called  ron&.  A  nursery  of  young  crops  is  first  formed  by  the  rice 
being  sown  in  a  small  piece  of  ground,  which  is  previously  ploughea  and  well 
muiured.  A^en  the  crops  have  attained  the  height  of  a  foot  they  are  taken 
np,  put  on  sledffes,  and  then  taken  to  the  field  prepared  for  them,  where  they 
are  transplanteo.  The  field  is  prepared  in  the  same  way  for  the  ron£  sowinsf 
as  for  the  kaurak  sowing.  The  plants  are  sown  about  an  inch  apart  from  each 
other.  The  first  weeding  takes  place  about  one  month  after  the  transplantation 
of  the  crops ;  the  second  about  the  same  time  after  the  first  weeding.  A  field 
intended  for  sugarcane  cultivation  is  utilised  by  one  of  the  inferior  descrip- 
tions of  rice  which  comes  early  to  perfection  being  first  sown  in  it.  These  crops 
ripen  by  the  beginning  of  October.  After  they  are  cut  the  field  is  manured, 
and  ploughed  with  the  bakhar  three  times.  The  bakhar  is  then  reversed 
and  drawn  over  the  field  to  break  np  the  clods  of  earth  and  level  it.  The 
subsequent  processes  are  to  divide  the  field  into  beds  of  a  square  yard  each, 
to  water  these  beds,  to  cut  the  upper  parts  of  canes  into  pieces  of  three  knots 
each,  and  then  to  put  these  pieces  longitudinallyinto  the  divided  field.  After 
this  the  field  is  irrigated  till  the  rains  set  in.  The  thick  black  canes  are  sown 
in  January  and  are  fit  to  cut  in  November.  The  thin  country  canes  are  gene* 
rally  perfect  in  September.  A  second  crop  is  not  raised  from  the  stumps,  as  in 
some  parts  of  these  provinces.  Manure  is  only  nsed  and  irrigation  resorted 
to  in  the  cultivation  of  vegetables,  sugarcane,  rice,  and  betel.  At  the  harvest 
the  crops  are  cut  with  sickles,  and  labourers  employed  in  cutting  them  receive 
per  diem  one  and  a  half  -piUi  (equal  te  one  seer,  fourteen  chhat^mks)  of  grain, 
either  of  the  description  of  crops  they  cut,  or  of  some  other  kind  of  grain. 
When  employed  in  cutting  rice  and  mung  crops,  however,  they  receive  different 
rates  of  remuneration.  For  cutting  rice  crops  a  labourer  receives  two  p^s  (two 
seers  and  eight  chhat&nks)  per  diem,  but  for  cutting  mung  crops  only  one  p&iK. 
The  wages  of  labourers,  in  l^d,  are  fixed  with  reference,  to  the  value  of  the  grain 
cat  and  the  labour  of  cutting.  The  labour  of  cutting  rice-crops  is  as  great  as 
that  of  cutting  jaw&rf,  wheat,  tdr,  &c.,  which  are  all  cut  in  a  steeping  posture, 
snd  the  market-value  is  generally  much  lower.  The  labour  required  to  cut 
mling  is  comparatively  less,  as  it  is  cut  sitting,  which  is  a  less  tiresome  position 
than  stooping.  When  the  treading-floor  of  me  owner  of  the  field  is  near,  the 
labourers  carry  the  sheaves  of  corn  te  it  and  stack  them  there,  but  when  it  is 
at  a  distance,  the  owner  provides  carriage  te  have  them  conveyed  te  it.  Tdr 
and  caster-seeds  are  beaten  off  the  stalks  with  a  stick,  after  which  the  pulse  is 
trodden  out  of  the  tdr  pods  by  cattle,  which  walk  over  them  round  a  pole. 
The  til  is  shaken  out  of  tiie  capsules,  as  on  ripening  the  capsules  open  out.  All 
the  other  kinds  of  grain  are  trodden  out.  The  com  is  then  stered  in  small 
cylindrical  granaries  called  bandds,  built  on  platforms,  which  are  supported  on 
dabs  of  flagstene,  and  covered  with  light  roofs  thatehed  with  grass.  They  are 
of  various  sizes,  according  to  the  quantity  of  grain  required  te  be  put  into 

9  CPG 


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66  BHAN 

them^  but  never  very  large.  The  grain  is  put  into  and  removed  from  these 
granaries  from  the  top  by  lifting  the  thatched  roofs.  The  cylinders  are  bailt 
on  raised  platforms  of  stone,  to  prevent  rats  and  other  vermin  from  burrowing 
into  them  and  injuring  the  corn.  Sometimes  oblong  corn-houses  are  also  built. 
These  are  called  bakhdris.  The  principal  staples  of  the  district  are  rice  and 
awirU 

The  articles  manufactured  in  the  district  are  native  cloth,  brass  wares, 

potstone  wares,  cart-wheels,  and  straw  and  reed 
Manufactures.  baskets.       Native  cloth   is  made    in     Bhanddra, 

PaunI,  A  ndhalgdon,  Moh&r(,  Sihori,  Adir,  and  Bhdgri.  The  finest  and  beat 
description  of  cloth  is  manufactured  in  the  town  of  Pauni.  This  cloth  is  mucli 
prized  by  the  higher  class  of  natives,  who  sometimes  pay  a  couple  of  hundred  rupees 
for  a  turban  or  dopattd.  Cloth  of  such  high  value  is  now  made  only  to  order. 
The  original  manufacturers  of  these  excellent  descriptions  of  cloth  are  said  to 
have  come  to  these  parts  from  Paithan  on  the  Goddvari,  and  Burhinpdr  on  the 
Tapti,  on  an  invitation  from  the  Rdji  of  Nigpiir  in  the  early  part  of  the  present 
century.  Very  fine  chdrkhdni  cloth  (called  jdso  jlulmili)  is  also  manufactured  in 
Pauni.  The  cotton-thread  used  in  the  manufacture  of  the  Paunf  cloths  is  span 
by  a  low  caste  of  men  called  Mahdrs  or  Dhers.  The  manufacturers  of  the  cloth 
are  called  Koshtls.  Red  sdrfs,  with  different-coloured  borders  of  silk  and  cotton, 
are  fabricated  in  A  ndhalgion  and  Mohdrf .  They  are  dyed  with  fast  colours,  and 
are  made  of  qualities  ranging  in  value  as  high  as  twenty-five  or  thirty  rupees  for 
a  s&ri.  The  town  of  Bhanddra  produces  turbans  and  waistcloths  of  a  superior 
quality,  manufactured  of  white  cotton- thread.  The  waistcloths  are  generally 
made  with  coloured  borders.  The  value  of  a  turban  or  waistcloth  is  sometimes  as 
much  as  fifteen  or  twenty  rupees.  In  Sihord,  Ad&,  and  Bhdgri  the  inferior  kinds 
of  native  cloth  are  fabricated.  The  Bhdgrikhddi  cloth  is  of  a  stout  texture,  and 
noted  for  its  durability.  Brass-wares  are  manufactured  in  the  towns  of  Bhanddra 
and  Pauni,  but  more  extensively  in  the  former.  The  articles  produced  are 
cooking-utensils  and  water-pots  of  all  kinds  used  by  natives,  lamps,  drinking- 
cups,  bells,  and  fountains.  These  vessels  are  made  by  men  of  the  Kis&r  and 
Panchdl  castes.  They  also  work  in  bell-metal,  pewter,  and  copper.  Pot-stone 
wares  are  manufactured  at  Kanheri  and  Pendri^  in  the  Sdkoli  subdivision,  by 
carpenters  and  turners.  The  articles  turned  are  cups,  plates,  and  pipe-bowls. 
They  are  generally  made  thick  for  the  village  market,  as  the  stone  is  soft  and 
chalky,  but  when  ordered,  very  good  and  light  vessels  can  be  produced. 
Cart-wheels  are  made  in  Tumsar  and  some  other  towns.  Straw  and  reed  baskets 
are  woven  in  difierent  parts  of  the  district.  They  are  coarse  and  rather  clumsy, 
yet  good  enough  to  find  ready  sale  among  the  natives  of  these  parts,  who  seldom 
see  better  baskets. 

The  commerce  of  the  district  has  received  a  great  impetus  since  its  annexa- 
^  tion,  with  the  rest  of  the  province  of  Ndgp^^^^  proper, 

ommerce.  -j^^  ^j^^  British  government.     The  vastly  improved 

condition  of  the  Great  Eastern  Road  and  of  the  district  communications,  and  a 
well-ordered  police,  have  greatly  facilitated  traffic.  The  extinction  of  the  Bhonsli 
rule  has,  however,  diminished  the  demand  for  the  superior  description  of  Paunf 
cloth  ;  and  the  competition  of  English  piece-goods,  together  with  the  simul- 
taneous rise  in  the  price  of  cotton,  has  reduced  the  sale  also  of  the  inferior  kinds 
of  cloth ;  but  the  export  of  the  cloth  from  this  town  is  still  greats  having  last 
year  amounted  in  value  to  Rs.  50,373.  The  chief  articles  imported  are 
cotton,   salt,  wheat,   rice,  oil-seeds,   hardware,  English   piece-goods,   tobacco. 


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BHAN  67 

aOk^  dyes,  and  cattle ;  and  the  articles  most  extensively  exported  are  country 
doih,  tobacco^  and  hardware.  The  direction  of  the  trade  is  chiefly  to  and 
from  N^igpdr  and  Edipdr  by  the  Great  Eastern  Road,  and  by  another  route 
through  raldndilr.  Also  to  and  from  Kdmthl  by  the  Tumsar  route,  and  towards 
Mandla  by  Hatt^  and  K&mth^.  Of  the  articles  imported,  salt  is  brought  from 
Ber&r  and  the  eastern  coast ;  sugar,  metal,  and  spices  from  Mirzdpiir ;  hardware 
from  Mirz&pdr  and  Mandla;  European  cloth  and  silks  from  Mirzdpdr  and 
Bombay ;  country  silks  from  Burhdnpdr ;  Khdrwd  cloth  from  Mhow  and 
B&nipiir  in  the  Jhdnsi  district ;  wheat  and  rice  from  Rdfpdr ;  and  cattle  from 
the  Seoni  and  Mandla  districts.  Of  the  articles  exported,  country  cloth  is 
Beat  from  Paunf,  A  ndhalg^on,  Mohdri,  Bhanddra,  and  Bhdgrl,  to  Ndgpdr,  Puna, 
and  Bombay;  hardware  from  Bhand^ra  and  Pauni  to  Ndgpdr,  Kdfpdr,  and 
Jabalpdr.  Articles  of  traflSc  are  generally  conveyed  in  small  country  carts  and 
on  pack-bollocks. 

Though  education  received  no  attention   or  encouragement   from    the 
g.     ,  BhonsM  government,  yet  the  people  were  not  in- 

sensible of  its  value.     In  the  district  of  BhandSra, 
which  was  formerly  called  the  Waingangd  district,  there  were  no  less  than 
55  Mardthi  and  Persian  private  schools,  numbering  in  the  aggregate  452  pupils, 
of  whom  45  were  taught  the  Persian  language,  and  the  rest  Mardthi.   Twenty- 
eight  of  these  schools  were  established  in  the  large  towns,  and  27  in  the  villages. 
The  teachers  were  Brdhmans,  or  Viddrs.*     The  teachers  were  paid  a  sum  varying 
from  two  annas  to  one  rupee  per  mensem  by  the  parents  of  each  pupil,  according 
to  their  means.    There  are  now  38  government  schools,   all  of  which  have  been 
established  within  the  last  six  years.     One  of  these,  which  is  at  the  head*quarters 
of  the  district)  is  called  the  zili  school,  and  has  two  branches  in  the  town  of 
Bhand^^ ;  six  are  in  the  large  towns  and  are  termed  town-schools ;  26  are  in 
villages,  and  are  styled  village  schools;  and  three  are  female  schools.     Many  of 
the  old  town  and  village  schools  served  as  foundations  for  some  of  the  existing 
institutions,  on  the  introduction  of  the  present  system  of  education.     In  addi- 
tion to  these  government  institutions,  there  are  78  indigenous  or  private  schools, 
77  of  which  are  Mardthi  and  one  TJrdd.     These   schools   aflford  instruction  to 
7,324  children,  of  whom  7,1 09  are  boys,  and  215  girls.     Ninty-nine  of  the  boys 
are  taught  English,  90  are  tauffht  Urdd,  and  6,920  Mardthi.     All  the  girls  are 
also  taught  Mardthi.     Neat  and  commodious  school-houses  have  now  been  built 
for  the  children ;  and  efficient  teachers  have  been  employed  to  educate  them.     A 
flrirls'  school  has  been  built  in  Bhand^a  by  Yddo  Rdo  Pdnd^,  one  of  the  principal 
bankers  of  the  town.     The  Brdhman  and  Viddr  teachers,  who  educated  the 
children  under  the  former   government,  were  not  scholars,   but  men   who 
endeavoured    to  get  a  living  by  keeping  up   schools.     Education,  before  the 
establishment  of  the  government  schools,  was  generally  carried  no  further  than 
was  sufficient  to  qualify  for  a  profession.     The  educational  establishment  of  the 
district  consists  now  of  a  district  inspector,  38  masters,  and  23  assistant  masters. 
Hie  annual  cost  of  schools  amounts  to  Rs.  14,016.     Of  this  sum  Rs.  4,212  are 
paid  from  the  imperialrevenues,  Rs.  6,900  from  the  school  cess  ftind,  and  Rs.  2,904 
from  the  local  funds.     The  management  is  conducted  through  local  conmiittees, 
composed  of  respectable  natives  of  the  towns  and  villages  in  which  the  schools 
established. 


*  legitimate  descendants  of  Brdhmans. 


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68  BHAN 

The  chiefships  are  situated  near  the  eastern  limits  of  the  district,  from  the 
^, .  -, , .  left  bank  of  the  Waingangfi   on  the  north,  to  the 

Chiefthipt.  Gb&ad&  boundary  on   the  south.    They  are  25 

in  number— eight  in  the  Kimthi  pareana,  and  seventeen  in  the  S&igarhi  and 
Prat&pearh  parganas  of  tahsil  S^koli.  Their  names  are  A'mg&on,  Arjunf^ 
Bijll,  Chichgwrh,  Chikhll,  Dfingurli,  Dawi,  Dalli,  Gond-Umri,  Jimrl,  Kimthfi, 
Ehajri,  E^hairf,  Kanhare&on^  Kararg&on,  Mah^g&on,  Nansari,  Umri  of  pargana 
Pratdp^h,  PurtW,  Pa&hedi,  Palasg^n,  Parasgion,  RfijoM,  Tu-kher(,  andTurml^ 
puri.  The  most  important  and  extensive  of  these  estates  is  K4mth£,  which 
with  Hatt£  was  originally  granted  by  Baghoji  I.,  t&j&  of  N&gpdr,  to  an  ancestor 
of  the  present  chief  of  Kim^pdr,  named  K&m  Patel,  a  Kunbi  by  caste,  to 
bring  into  cultivation.  The  two  estates  of  K^th£  and  Hattl^  together  with 
A^mg^on,  fiijlf,  Palkher^,  Purdrfr,  and  Tirkheri  Malpnrf,  formed  the  E£mth6 
zammd^f  till  a.d.  1856.  Narbad  Patel,  a  Lodhl  by  caste,  obtained  it  on  its 
confiscation,  in  1818,  from  Chimni  Patel,  nephew  of  K^m  Patel,  for  the  offence 
of  rebellion  against  the  Government.  The  zamfnd^rs  of  Edmthd  and  Hatt6 
were  styled  Patels  till  a.d.  1843.  The  Hatti  estate  was  granted  by  Narbad  Patd 
to  his  brother  Sukal  Patel,  since  which  time  it  has  been  held  distinct  from 
Kimthi,  but  continued  in  subordination  to  the  elder  branch  of  the  family  till 
▲•B.  1856.  The  A^mg&on  estate  was  granted  away  by  Gondu  Patel,  brother  of 
"R&m  Patel,  more  than  seventy  years  ago.  The  Pi^herd  estate  was  granted  by 
Chimn&  Patel,  nephew  of  B&m  Patel  and  third  possessor  of  the  Omthi  tfiluka,  to 
his  nephew  Deo  I^atel.  There  is  no  record  as  to  when,  and  by  whom,  the  Por&HE 
estate  was  sliced  off  from  that  of  K6mth&.  The  Tirkheri  Malpuri  estate  is  said 
to  have  been  granted  in  a.d.  1815  by  Baghoj(  II.  to  the  father  of  the  present 
holder.  The  Eom^pdr,  Bh^dr^,  and  Dasg^on  estates  are  the  next  in  importance^ 
but  the  two  former  have  been  transferred  to  B^ldgh&t,*  and  Dasg^n  has  been 
broken  up.  The  others  are  small  zamfnd^ris,  but  of  more  ancient  origin.  Ten 
years  after  Chimn&  Patel  lost  the  Edmth£  t^luka  by  rebellion  he  received  the 
J^im&pdr  tiluka,  which  has  ever  since  been  held  by  his  family.  The  whole  of 
these  zamind^ris  comprise  an  area  of  1,509  square  miles,  which  are  formed  into 
571  villages,  and  contain  a  population  of  166,005  souls,  each  square  nule  sup- 
porting on  an  average  110  persons.  The  proportion  of  area  under  tillage  is  about 
one-fifth.  The  rest  is  composed  of  culturable  waste,  jungle,  and  hill.  A  brief 
account  of  each  chiefship  is  given  in  its  proper  place. 

Of  the  earlier  history  of  this  district  nothing  is  known,  but  tradition  says 
T^A'^^      A  v^  tliat  the  country  was  visited  by  some  great  cala- 

^  mity  at  a   remote  period,  when  a  tribe  of  men 

called  (faults  or  Gaulars  overran  and  conquerea  it.  The  present  Gaulis  are 
ft  pastoral  and  wandering  race  of  men,  who  encamp  in  the  jungles  and  seldom 
visit  villages,  except  to  sell  their  cattle,  dispose  of  the  produce  of  the  dairy,  or 
purchase  provisions.  There  is  a  tradition  that  the  country  was  at  one  time 
under  the  Mohammadan  princes  of  the  Deccan,  but  at  the  end  of  the  seven- 
teenth century  it  certainly  belonged  to  the  Gond  Biji  of  Deogarh.  Bakht 
Buland,  the  founder  of  this  dynasty,  turned  Mohammadan  in  oraer  to  obtain 
the  support  of  Aurangzeb.  Under  his  rule  a  number  of  Lodhis,  B&jpnts, 
Ponwirs,  Koris,  Kards,  and  Eunb(s  were  attracted  into  and  settled  in  the  district 
and  the  villages  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Waingangfi;  Pauni  especially  improved  ia 
tillage  from  the  industry  and  agricultural  skill  introduced  by  them.  The 
Marfithis  under  Raghojl  I.  conquered  the  country  about  a.d.  1788,  but  it  was 
not  formally  administered  from  Nagpdr  until   1743.    Under  the  Bhonslis  a 


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BHAN  69 

nmnber  of  the  commercial  and  soldier  classes— ^M^urw&ria^  Agarw^rfs^  Lidg^tSj 
and  Marfith^  Eanbis — came  and  established  themselves  in  the  district.  When 
A'p£  S^hib^s  intrignes  bronght  on  hostilities  with  the  British  in  A.  n.  181 7| 
the  ladies  of  his  palace,  his  jewels,  and  other  yalaable  effects  w^re  sent  by  him 
for  security  to  Bhandfira,  whence  they  were  escorted  back  to  Nigpdr  by  the 
British  troops  after  the  surrender  of  the  city  of  Ndgptir<  In  a.d.  1818  Chimn£ 
Patel,  zaminddr  of  the  Edmthi  and  Wardd  tdlukas,  rebelled  against  the  Govern- 
ment,  when  Captain  Gordon  was  deputed  to  Kimihi,  where  he  remained  for  three 
or  four  months,  to  quell  the  disturbance.  In  the  same  year  Captain  Wilkinson 
was  appointed  superintendent  of  the  district,  and  proceeded  to  Kamthd,  where  he 
remained  tiU  the  end  of  a.d.  1820,  and  then  removed  to  Bhand^ra.  Captain 
Wilkinson  continued  in  Bhanddra  till  a.d.  1830,  when  B>6,}&  Baghojf  III.  having 
attainedhis  majority,  the  management  of  the  country  was  made  overtohim.  Bijd 
Baghoji  III.  governed  thecountry  till  his  death  in  a.d.  1868.  On  the  1 1th  October 
1854  Captain  C.  Elliot  was  appointed  deputy  commissioner  of  the  district,  and  no 
incident  worthy  of  note  has  occurred  since.  The  district  continued  perfectly  tran- 
qnil  e?en  during  the  prevalence  of  the  general  rebellion  in  1 85  7  and  1 858.  Three 
companies  of  infantry  and  a  small  body  of  horsemen  were  stationed  at  Bhandiira 
for  the  protection  of  the  district  till  a.d.  1860,  since  when  the  police  is  the  only 
armed  force  which  has  been  maintained  here. 

Under  the  Gk>nd  dynasty  the  country  was  divided  into  departments  called 
-.  J   •  •  X   X-  pariranas,   varying  in  the  numoer    of    villages 

allottea  to  them,  and  m  the  aggregate  amount  of 
revenue  demandable  from  them.  The  subdivisions  were  managed  by  officials 
called  Huddedars,  Desmukhs,  and  Despindy&s.  These  offices  were  abolished 
under  the  MadLtM  government,  and  Ea^ndvisdiurs,  Fharnavises,  and  Bar&r  P^n- 
djis  were  substituted.  The  kam^visddr  was  the  head  fiscal  officer  of  the  sub- 
division. An  estimate  of  the  annual  receipts  and  disbursements  of  his  pargana 
was  furnished  te  him  in  the  month  of  August,  according  te  which  he  regulated 
his  demands.  One  or  more  villages  were  managed  by  a  patel,  who  had  a  kotw&l  ' 
and  pfindyi  to  assist  him.  The  patel  fixed  and  collected  the  rents  payable 
by  the  tenante.  The  pateli  of  a  village  was  neither  hereditary  nor  saleable. 
The  sons  of  patels  were,  however,  often  allowed  te  succeed  te  the  villages  held 
by  their  &ther  by  sufferance,  or  by  a  new  appointment  from  government* 
Leases  were  only  given  to  tenants  for  one  year  at  a  time,  the  rent  being  liable  to 
variation  annuaUy.  The  lands  were  divided  into  fields,  each  having  a  separate 
name,  by  which  it  was  recorded  in  the  village  accounts.  The  lands  were 
let  to  the  highest  bidder  at  the  commencement  of  the  agricultural  year.  In 
these  settlemente  the  patel  acted  as  the  government  agent.  A  paper  was  main- 
tained in  each  village  called  the  "  Wgwan,''  which  showed  in  deteil  the  rents  of 
the  tenante  as  concluded  for  the  season.  The  revenue  was  divided  into  two 
portions — ^the  first  payable  in  three  instalments  in  the  months  of  September, 
October,  and  November,  and  the  other  in  two  instalmente  in  the  months 
of  February  and  March.  From  the  beginning  of  the  Mardth^  rule  till 
A.D.  1792  the  country  prospered  under  a  fair  revenue  demand,  but  thence- 
forward the  oppressive  assessments,  exaction  of  large  nazars,  and  the  realisation 
of  the  rente  in  advance,  brought  irretrievable  embarrassmente  on  the  patels  and 
tenante,  and  caused  much  land  to  be  thrown  out  of  cultivation.  During  the 
minority  of  Baghoji  III.  the  British  government  assumed  the  management  of 
his  country,  and  a  new  apportionment  of  the  whole  province  was  made  into 
eonvenient  divisions. 


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70  BHAN 

The  district,  then  called  the  Waingaogd  district,  was  divided  into  thirteeu 
pargana3.  Captain  Wilkinson  was  appointed  superintendent  of  the  whole^ 
and  under  him  a  kamdvisd^  was  appointed  to  each  subdivision.  The  district 
now  contains  1,772  villages,  divided  into  nine  parganas,  and  these  again  into  two 
tahsfls.  The  parganas  of  Pauni,  Bhanddra,  ionb^arh,  Chdndpdr,  Tirori, 
and  Bdmpdili  form  the  Bhanddra  subdivision,  with  the  head-quarters  at  Bhan- 
ddra.  This  tahsil  contains  886  villages,  and  includes  the  full  half  of  the 
district  from  north  to  south  on  the  western  side.  The  remaining  half  on  the 
eastern  side  forms  the  tahsil  of  Sdkoli,  with  the  parganas  of  Kdmthd,  Sdngarhi^ 
and  Pratdpgarh,  and  a  list  of  villages  exactly  equal  to  that  in  Bhanddra.  The 
head-quarters  of  this  subdivision  are  at  Sdkol(,  on  the  Great  Eastern  Bockd^ 
about  twenty- four  mile^  from  Bhanddra.  A  tahsflddr,  with  the  usual  staflF  of 
officials,  manages  each  subdivision  uuder  the  direction  of  the  district  officer^ 
besides  which  there  is  an  independent  ndib  tahsflddr  at  Tirord,  in  the  Bhanddra 
tahsfl.  This  officer  has  no  treasury,  but  he  assists  in  the  genbral  administratioa 
of  the  northern  parganas.  In  1867  a  settlement  of  the  government  demand  on 
account  of  land  revenue  for  the  term  of  thirty  years  for  the  whole  district  was 
completed,  and  the  result  was  an  assessment  of  Rs.  4,08,942.  This  is  payable 
in  two  instalments,  viz.  in  April  and  January.  The  settlement  was  made  with 
regard  to  the  present  and  prospective  capacity  of  each  village,  and  as  the  rate 
is  very  low,  there  is  a  large  margin  left  for  the  encouragement  of  industry,  and 
already  the  numerous  improvements  to  tanks  and  wells,  and  a  general  exten- 
sion of  the  cultivated  area,  attest  the  advantages  of  a  fixed  demand.  The  other 
revenues  of  the  district  are  as  follows : — Stamps,  Rs.  37,749 ;  excise,  Rs.  55,921 ; 
assessed  taxes,  Rs.  50,515;  forests  Rs.  25,535  (1869). 

There  were  no  established  courts  of  justice  durinor  the  Mardthd  reign,  but 

Judicial  and  PoUce    admims-     kam^ijisdirs   a^d    patels     adininistered    justice 

tration.  according  to  their  own  notions  of  right.     Ihere 

was  no  written  law  or  custom  which  was  either  well 
imderstood  or  generally  accepted.  In  matters  of  succession  the  Mohammadan 
law,  in  the  case  of  Mohammadans,  and  the  Hindil  law,  in  the  case  of  Hindds,  was 
usually  followed.  Suits  of  above  one  thousand  rupees  in  value  generally  came 
before  the  rajd,  who  either  decided  them  himself,  or  referred  them  for  decision 
to  a  panchdyat.  Kamavisddrs  were  assisted  by  the  phamavlses,  bardr  pdndyds, 
and  head  patels  of  their  subdivisions.  A  fee  of  one-fourth,  called  '*shukrdna," 
was  levied  from  the  winning  party  in  all  suits  decided,  and  an  equal  sum  was  im- 
posed on  the  party  who  lost,  as  fine.  These  sums  were  paid  to  the  government, 
A  fee  of  from  five  to  ten  rupees,  called  "  bhdt  masdlah,^'  was  also  paid  to  the 
kamdvisddr,  to  defray  the  expense  of  summoning  the  defendants.  The  person, 
summoned  had  also  to  support  the  man  who  served  the  summons  on  him.  In 
each  village  there  was  a  mahdjan,  or  arbitrator,  who  was  chosen  by  the  patels  and 
cultivators  for  the  adjudication  of  their  disputes.  Among  the  lower  classes  the 
heads  of  the  castes,  styled  "  setyds,^^  decided  disputes  referred  to  them.  If  the 
parties  were  dissatisfied,  a  panchdyat  of  setyds  was  convened,  whose  decision 
was  generally  final.  The  mahdjans  and  setyds  were  always  persons  of  consider- 
able consequence  in  their  respective  communities.  Civil  cases  were  decided 
bypanchdyats.  These  generally  assembled  at  a  ^'chabutrd"  (platform)  where 
an  idol  of  Mahddeva  was  placed,  which  was  supposed  to  give  the  sanctity 
of  an  oath  to  any  statement  made  there.  The  plaiutifi*,  if  a  man  of  wealth, 
provided  victuals,  betel,  tobacco,  Ac.  for  the  members.  Among  the  Gonds  he 
provided  liquor.  The  proceedings  of  ordinary  village  panchdyats  were  rarely 
recorded,  except  in  the  case  of  those  assembled  by  the  higher  authorities. 


}y 


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BHAN  71 

when  the  sentences  needed  confirmation.  The  duty  of  seeing  the  decision 
carried  into  efiTect  devolved  on  the  person  under  whose  authority  the 
panch^yat  was  assembled.  In  criminal  cases  patels  imposed  small  fines 
for  petty  offences.  Offenders  taken  to  the  thdnas  were  generally  flogged  and 
confined  in  the  stocks  for  fifteen,  twenty,  or  thirty  days,  and  if  they  were  in 
a  condition  to  pay,  fines  were  imposed  on  them.  For  house-breaking  and 
theft  they  were  punished  at  times  by  imprisonment  in  irons,  confiscation  of 
goods,  flogging,  detention  in  the  stocks,  and  fine.  For  second  offences 
they  were  punished  by  mutilation  of  hands,  nose,  and  fingers.  If  the  person 
robbed  was  also  wounded,  the  punishment  was  generally  mutilation;  if 
murdered,  the  award  was  death.  Brdhmans  and  women  were  excepted  from 
this  rule.  Women  guilty  of  the  murder  of  their  husbands  were  punished 
sometimes  with  mutilation  of  their  noses.  Pecuniary  compensation  was  some- 
times allowed  if  the  relatives  of  the  deceased  agreed  to  the  arrangement,  the 
ordinary  payment  being  Rs.  350  to  the  heirs  of  the  person  murdered.  Coiners 
had  one  of  their  hands  crushed  to  pieces  with  a  blow  from  a  heavy  mallet 
or  pesUe.  For  fornication  the  person  named  by  the  woman  was  charged 
with  the  offence  and  fined  heavily,  part  of  the  fine  being  carried  to  the  govern- 
ment account,  and  part  taken  by  the  officer  imposing  the  fine.  The  woman 
was  then  made  over  to  her  caste  people,  to  be  dealt  with  according  to  their 
award.  The  deputy  commissioner  is  now  the  chief  judge  in  all  cases — revenue, 
criminal,  and  civil — within  the  district ;  he  has  also  general  control  over  all 
matters  executive  or  administrative.  The  assistant  commissioners  exercise  the 
judicial  powers  of  their  grade,  and  take  up  any  share  of  the  administrative 
business  which  the  deputy  commissioner  may  allot  to  them.  The  tahsflddrs 
are  vested  with  subordinate  judicial  and  fiscal  authority  within  their  circles. 
The  stipendiary  officers  are  assisted  on  the  criminal  side  by  honorary  magis- 
trates chosen  from  the  more  intelligent  and  influential  residents.  The  direction 
and  distance  of  the  country  criminal  courts  from  Bhandira  are  given  below : — 

Sdkoli 24  miles  east. 

Murddrd 30  miles  N.N.  east. 

Tirord 24  miles  N.,  where  an  independent 

ndib   tahsflddr,   officiating  as 
tahsildir,    exercises    judicial 
powers  within  the  limits  of  the 
northern  parganfts. 
There  are  station-houses  of  the  police,  each  under  a  chief  constable,   at 
Bhanddra,  Kdmthd,  Sdkoli,  Mohdrf,  Tirord,  Rdmpdilf,  Arjuni  (Pratdpgarh),  and 
Paunf.    There  are  also  16  outposts  under  the  charge  of  head  constables.    The  dis- 
trict superintendent  of  police  has  his  office  at  head-quarters.     The  old  fort  is  used 
as  the  jail  of  the  district.     All  classes  of  prisoners — civil,  revenue,  and  criminal — 
are  coniSned  in  it,  the  two  first  mentioned  classes  being  accommodated  in  separate 
wards.     There  are  seldom  any  revenue,  and  but  few  civil,  prisoners  in  it. 

BHANDA'RA  is  the  nanie  of  a  revenue  subdivision  or  tahsfl  in  the  district 
of  the  same  name,  having  an  area  of  1,748  square  miles,  of  which  757  are  cul- 
tivated, 384  culturable,  and  607  waste.  It  contains  886  villages,  and  a  population 
of  345,870,  according  to  the  census  of  1866.  The  land  revenue  for  the  year 
1869-70  is  Rs.  2,80,760.  This  tahsfl  consists  of  two  judicial  subdivisions  with 
a  sub-oMce  at  Tirord. 

BH  AND  A'RA — The  chief  station  and  head-quarters  of  the  district  of  the 
same  name.     It  is  situated  on  the  Waingangd,  close  to  the  Great  Eastern  Road, 


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72  BHAN— BHE 

sbont  tliirtj-eight  miles  east  of  Ndgpdr.  The  town  containd  2,986  housest 
with  a  population  of  12^753  souls,  and  has  a  considerable  trade  in  cotton^cloth 
and  hardware  locally  manu£stctured.  The  inhabitants  are  mostly  Dhers,  Koshtis, 
and  Kis&rSj  with  a  fair  sprinkling  of  Mohammadans  and  Br&hmans.  As  the 
head-quarters  of  the  district,  Bhanddra  contains  a  district  office,  post-office, 
government  dispensary,  jail,  police  head-quarters,  with  district  and  town  police 
station-houses,  travellers'  bungalow,  assistant  engineer's  office,  public  library, 
and  government  zild  school.  There  are  besides  a  female  school  and  two  indi- 
genous schools — one  for  Mardthf,  and  the  other  for  Persian  and  Urdd.  The 
watch  and  ward  and  conservancy  of  the  town  are  provided  for  from  the  town 
duties.  The  town  is  kept  very  clean  and  well  drained,  and  is  considered  healthy. 
It  is  built  entirely  upon  red  gravel  soil,  so  that  even  the  lanes  are  easily  kept 
dry  and  in  good  repair  throughout  the  year.  The  well-water  inside  the  town  is 
generally  brackish,  but  there  are  several  wells  of  sweet  water  and  some  tanks 
just  outside,  while  the  river  Waingangd  runs  at  no  great  distance. 

BHAURER — ^A  portion  of  the  Vindhya  hill  system,  of  which  it  may  be 
said,  in  the  Jabalpdr  district  and  Maihir  state,  to  form  the  south-eastern  fistce. 
The  limits  of  the  appellation  are  not  very  closely  defined,  but  the  Bhdnrer  range 
may  be  taken  to  commence  opposite  Sdnkalghdt  on  the  Narbad^,  in  the  Nar- 
singhpdr  district,  and  to  run  in  a  north-easterly  direction  for  some  hundred 
and  twenty  miles,  forming  in  its  last  section  the  upper  boundary  of  the  Maihir 
valley^  The  highest  peak  in  these  provinces  of  the  Bh&nrer  hills  is  Kalumb^ 
or  E^ldmar,  which  is  2,544  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea. 

BHATAIL  or  BHA.TEL— A  village  in  the  Sfigar  district,  about  ten  miles 
to  the  west  of  Sdgar,  celebrated  for  its  annual  fair,  which  is  held  in  November. 
In  1868  it  was  attended  by  50,000  people,  and  merchandise  to  the  amount  of 
Bs.  5,800  changed  hands. 

BBARDA'GARH — A  zamindari  consisting  of  forty  villages,  in  the  north 
of  the  Chhindw^^  district.  The  zamfnddr  is  a  Bhop&  or  hei^tary  guardian 
of  the  Mah^deva  temples. 

BHATA'LA' — A  village  in  the  Chdndfi  district,  situated  twentnr-six  miles 
north-west  of  Bh&ndak,  and  supposed  to  have  formed  part  of  tne  ancient 
Bhadrdvati.  On  a  long  hill  near  the  village  are  the  remains  of  a  very  fine 
ancient  temple,  lofty  and  in  good  preservation,  and  the  whole  hill  bears  traces 
of  having  been  fortified,  while  at  the  foot  are  several  tanks  which  once  were 
approached  by  long  flights  of  steps.  Close  by  there  is  a  quarry  of  excellent 
free-stone. 

BHATGA'ON— A  small  zaminddri  in  the  Bilfcpdr  district,  south  of  the 
Mah^nad(.  It  is  a  fairly  level  tract,  overlooked  by  the  Phuljhar  hills,  and 
contains  thirty-nine  villages,  covering  an  area  of  sixty-two  square  miles*  The 
extent  of  cultivation  is  10,794  acres,  while  the  culturable  area  amounts  to  12,000 
acres.  The  soil  is  fuUy  up  to  the  average  of  the  Seorinar^in  pargana,  and  most 
of  the  villages  are  in  a  fairly  prosperous  condition.  The  population  is  7,904, 
falling  at  ^e  rate  of  127  to  the  square  mile.  The  zamfnd^r  is  a  Biji&  by 
caste. 

BHEDAN  or  BASAIKELA'— A  very  old  Gond  chiefship  now  attached 
to  the  Sambalpdr  district.  It  is  said  to  have  existed  before  the  Ghauh^  lULjput 
dynasty,  or  some  seven  hundred  years  ago.  It  is  situated  about  thirty  miles  to 
the  south-south-west  of  the  town  of  Sambalpdr,  and  consists  of  twenty-five 
villages,  with  an  area  of  some  fifteen  square  miles,  the  whole  extent  of  which 


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BHE— BHI  73 

is  cultdyate<L  The  population  by  the  last  census  amounted  to  7^15  souls^  and  is 
chiefly  agricultural^  the  principal  cultivating  classes  being  Koltds^  Saurds^  Gonds, 
and  Dum&Is.  The  staple  product  is  rice^  but  the  pulses^  oil-seeds^  &o.  are  also 
grown.  Tasar  silk  and  coarse  cotton-cloths  are  manufactured.  The  principal 
village  is  Bhedan,  where  the  chief  resides ;  it  has  a  population  of  1^412  souls. 
There  is  an  excellent  school  in  this  village,  where  some  one  hundred  and  forty 
popiLs  are  receiving  instruction ;  and  there  are  also  schools  in  the  surrounding 
villages.  The  father  of  the  present  chief  joined  the  rebellion  under  Surendra  Si, 
and  was  killed  in  an  action  with  our  troops.  The  other  members  of  the 
fiEunily  surrendered  under  the  amnesty,  and  the  present  chief,  Baijndth  Singh, 
a  young  man  of  some  eighteen  years  of  age,  succeeaed  to  the  estate.  He  can  read 
and  write  Uryia,  and  lus  relations  all  attend  school. 

BHERA'GHAT — A  village  in  the  Jabalpdr  district,  situated  on  the  banks 
of  the  Narbada,  at  a  place  where  that  river  forces  itself  through  perpendicular 
magnesian  limestone  rocks  120  feet  in  height.  The  scenery  here  is  magni- 
ficent. The  best  way  to  see  it  is  to  hire  a  boat  in  the  cold  weather,  and  to 
proceed  up  the  river,  which  is  as  clear  as  crystal,  between  rocks  that  seem  to 
meet  overhead.  The  channel  is  devious,  and  every  opening  presents  new 
features  of  beauty.  In  one  place  the  river  is  so  narrow  that  the  natives  call  the 
pass  the  "  monkey's  leap.''  There  is  a  myth  that  '^  Indra"  made  this  channel 
for  the  waters  of  the  pent-up  stream,  and  that  the  footsteps  of  Indra's  elephant 
are  still  to  be  seen.  The  marks  on  the  surface  of  the  rock  which  pass  for  these 
footsteps  still  receive  the  adoration  of  the  ignorant  and  superstitious.  The 
effect  of  the  scenery  is  very  much  heightened  by  the  bright  light  of  the  moon, 
which  has  a  weird  effect  on  these  stupendous  and  sometimes  grotesque  masses  of 
rock.  Near  this  ghdt,  which  is  only  nine  miles  from  Jabalpdr,  there  are  several 
conical  hills,  on  one  of  which  is  rather  a  remarkable  Hindd  temple.  The 
whole  hill  is  covered  with  wood  to  the  top,  except  on  one  side,  where  a  sloping 
ascent  has  been  made,  and  steps  lined  with  masonry  have  been  constructed. 
The  temple  consists  of  an  inner  shrine,  and  is  surrounded  by  a  circular  cloister, 
in  which  are  sculptures  of  many  of  the  Hindd  gods,  among  which  represen- 
tations of  Siva  predominate.  Many  of  these  images  have  been  greatly  injured 
by  the  Mohammadans.  There  is  a  tradition  that  most  of  this  injury  was  done 
when  a  portion  of  Aurangzeb's  army  was  encamped  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
Sangdlmpdr.  Some  rude  excavations  are  also  shown  here  in  which  ascetics  are 
said  to  have  lived.  The  view  from  the  temple  is  exceedingly  fine.  A  fair  is 
held  at  Bher^hdt  every  year  in  November,  rather  for  religious  purposes  than 
to  promote  trade. 

BHUILAT — A  small  Gond  village  in  the  B&Ughit  district,  about  sixty-four 
miles  due  east  of  Seoni  and  twenty -eight  miles  east  of  Paraswdrd,  on  the  Banjar 
river.  Near  the  village  is  a  curious  stone  pillar  or  Idt,  lying  on  the  ground  in 
a  grove  of  mango  trees,  which  is  said  to  be  the  Idt  of  Rdjd  Bhim.  It  is  cut  out  of 
a  peculiarly  fine-grained  stone,  and  seems  to  have  been  brought  from  a  distance, 
as  no  stone  of  the  kind  has  yet  been  discovered  in  the  district.  It  has  no 
inscription  on  it,  Bhlmldt  is  also  noted  for  having  within  its  borders  one  of 
the  finest  Banian  trees  in  the  Central  Provinces.  The  Banjar  and  the  Jamdnid 
onite  upon  its  borders. 

BHIRI' — A  town  in  the  Bdldghdt  district,  lying  about  four  miles  to  the 
south-east  of  Paraswdrd.     It  is  not  a  place  of  any  great  pretensions,  but  is 
chiefly  noted  for  the  best  and  most  frequented  market  in  the  upland  tracts  of 
Bdldghdt. 
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BHIRI' — An  old  village  situated  to  the  south-west  of  the  Wardh^  district, 
about  twenty  miles  from  Wardhi.  The  population  amounts  to  1,23d  souls,  most 
of  whom  are  cultivators  of  the  lands  round ;  but  there  are  also  a  good  many 
weavers.  An  annual  fair  of  eight  days^  duration  is  held  here  at  the  time  of  the 
Hindii  holiday  of  Janma  Ashtamf.  Monday  is  the  weekly  market  day,  but  the 
market  is  not  of  much  importance.  A  village  school  has  been  established  at 
Bhirf,  and  the  customs  department  have  a  salt  post  here.  The  principal  building 
is  an  old  temple  of  carved  stone  dedicated  to  Gopdldevft. 

BHISI' — A  town  in  the  Ch^ndd  district,  of  600  houses,  eleven  miles  north 
of  Chimdr.  It  has  a  boys^  school,  a  girls'  school,  and  a  police  outpost.  There 
IS  also  a  modem  temple  handsomely  carved. 

BHITRI'GARH— A  range  of  hills  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  Jabalpdr 
district,  bisecting  the  pargana  of  Kumbhi.  There  are  remains  of  a  fort  on 
these  hills  near  Bhitri, 

BHIWATtm — A  town  in  the  Ndgpdr  district,  sixteen  miles  south-east  of 
Umrer  and  forty-four  from  Ndgpdr,  on  the  road  from  Umrer  to  Pauni  in  Bhanddra. 
Close  to  it  is  a  small  river  named  the  Mard,  a  tributary  of  the  WaingangS. 
The  town  is  closed  in  on  the  north  and  west  by  fine  groves  of  mango  trees 
and  by  a  large  tank.  The  population  amounts  to  4,557  persons,  and  is 
genenJly  well  to  do.  The  octroi  receipts  have  been  spent  by  the  local  com- 
mittee in  the  construction  of  two  good  metalled  roads  through  the  town,  a 
new  school-house,  sardl,  and  market-place-  A  large  public  baolf,  or  well 
with  steps  leading  down  to  the  water,  has  been  made  in  the  market-place. 
Improvements  are  now  going  on  in  excavating  the  bed  of  a  fine  tank  outside 
the  town,  and  enlarging  and  converting  into  a  road  the  high  earthen  retaining- 
wall.  The  appearance  of  the  town  is  neat  and  clean,  and  the  houses  are  generally 
good.  A  considerable  amount  of  trade  and  banking  is  carried  on,  this  last 
being  mostly  in  the  hands  of  A'garwdld  Mdrwdrfs,  who  have  been  long  settled 
here.  The  cloth  manufactured  is  considered  inferior  only  to  that  produced  at 
Ndgpdr  and  Umrer.  Bhiwdpdr  was  a  very  early  settlement  of  the  Gonds,  the 
original  settler  having  been  one  Bhimsd,  who,  in  the  middle  of  the  sixteenth 
century,  built  the  now  dilapidated  fort,  as  a  protection  to  his  little  colony. 
Around  this  grew  up  a  thriving  town,  early  noted  for  its  manufacture  of  silk  and 
cloth.  A  poor  blind  Gond,  confidently  asserted  both  by  himself  and  by  the 
people  to  be  the  lineal  descendant  of  the  original  founder  of  the  town,  still  lives 
in  the  old  fort,  and  receives  a  small  pension  from  government.  His  only  son  is 
now  a  pupil  in  the  government  school,  the  last  of  his  race,  and  probably  the 
very  first  to  cultivate  the  art  of  letters. 

BHOMA'RA — A  village  in  the  Rdfpdr  district,  lying  fifby-six  miles  to  the 
flouth-west  of  Rdfpdr,  in  the  middle  of  the  jungles  of  the  Sanjdri  pargana.  It 
is  noteworthy  as  being  the  place  to  which  the  forest  produce  of  a  large  tract  of 
country  is  brought. 

BHUTAXPATNAM— A  zamfnddri  or  large  estate  of  the  Bastar  depen- 
dency,  containing  about  700  square  miles  and  150  villages.  It  is  the  most 
western  of  the  Bastar  zaminddrls,  and  lies  partly  on  the  Indrdvatf,  and  partly 
on  the  Goddvarf.    The  zaminddr  is  a  Gond. 

BHUTAXPATNAM— The  chief  place  of  the  zamindirf  of  the  same  name 
in  the  Bastar  state,   thirty-two   miles   east   of  Sironchi.     The  population  is 


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BI-BIJ  75 

about  600^  chiefly  Oonds^  Kois^  and  Telingas.    There  is  a  high  hill  about  eight 
miles  to  the  south  called  Ejrislma  Gutti,  where  a  fair  is  held  every  February. 

BIA^S — ^"A  river  rising  in  the  hills  of  Sirmau  in  the  Bhopfl  state,  close  by  the 
south-western  boundary  of  the  Sdgar  district ;  it  flows  thence  near  Jaisinghnagar 
in  a  north-easterly  direction,  passing  within  ten  miles  of  Sigar,  where  it  is 
crossed  by  a  beautiful  iron  suspension-bridge,  of  200  feet  span,  built  by  Colonel 
Presgrave,  formerly  mint-mttster  at  Sigar,  in  the  year  18S2.  From  thence  it 
still  keeps  in  a  north-easterly  direction,  and  eventually  falls  into  the  Sondr  near 
Narsinghgarh  in  the  Damoh  district. 

BIJERA'GHOQARH— A  tract  of  country  in  the  Jabalpdr  district.  It  is 
bounded  on  the  north  by  the  Maihlr  state,  east  by  Rewd,  and  west  by  the 
Sleemanibid  tahsil  and  Pannd.  The  area  is  about  750  square  miles.  It  has 
been  thus  described  by  the  settlement  officer — 

"  The  western  half  ia  a  valley  lying  between  the  Kaimdr  hills  on  the 
north,  and  a  low  range  known  as  the  Kainjdd  on  the  south.  The  central 
portion  of  this  valley  appears  to  be  generally  high  and  arid,  but  there  is  a 
belt  of  rich  land  under  each  hill  range.  The  population  here  belong 
chiefly  to  the  Brdhman,  Kurmf,  and  Kdchhf  classes ;  and  the  hill  tracts  of  the 
Kainjd^  are  stated  to  be  inhabited  by  Gonds.  The  eastern  is  the  richest 
half,  and  contains  a  good  deal  of  black  soil,  especially  to  the  north.  The 
southern  part  consists  both  of  black  and  light  soil,  and  is  interspersed 
with  hill  and  jungle.  Here  is  a  reserved  government  forest,  managed  by 
the  forest  department  of  the  Central  Provinces.  The  best  lands  in  this 
portion  of  the  pargana  are  occupied  by  Kurmis." 

The  country  is  chiefly  valuable  for  agricultural  purposes,  though  there  is 
some  fine  timber  in  the  portion  reserved  as  a  government  forest.  Iron  is  also 
found  at  several  places,  and  is  smelted  in  the  native  method.  Bijerighogarh 
was  formerly  a  protected  chiefship  belonging  to  a  branch  of  the  family  which 
owns  Maihfr,  but  was  confiscated  in  consequence  of  the  excesses  committed,  in 
defiance  of  British  authority,  by  the  young  chief  and  his  followers  in  the  critical 
times  of  1857,     The  population  amounts  to  about  70,000  souls. 

BIJERA'GHOGARH— The  chief  town,  or  rather  village,  of  the  tract  of 
that  name  in  the  Jabalpdr  district,  containing  a  population  variously  estimated 
at  from  1,200  to  1,500.  There  is  a  handsome,  but  comparatively  recent,  fort 
here,  which  was  formerly  the  residence  of  the  chiefs.  Its  outer  defendbs  are 
now  partially  dismantled,  but  the  intiBrior  buildings  have  been  until  lately  used 
as  subdivisional  revenue  and  police  offices.  The  grounds  attached  to  the  fort 
are  kept  up  as  a  public  garden.  The  trade  is  not  great,  and  there  are  only  two 
bankers  of  any  means  in  the  town. 

BUEB A'GHOGARH — ^A  small  sdl  forest  of  about  thirty-one  square  ndlea 
in  extent,  lying  chiefly  on  the  banks  of  the  (lesser)  Mahdnadi,  in  the  south-east 
comer  of  the  pargana  of  that  name  in  the  Jabalpdr  district.  The  timber  has 
sufiered  much  in  former  years  from  the  dahy£  system  of  cultivation  practised  by 
the  aboriginal  tribes,  and  will  require  rest  for  some  years. 

BIJJI' — ^A  zamfnddrf  or  large  estate  of  the  Bastar  dependency,  with  an 
area  of  850  square  miles  and  150  villages,  is  noted  for  its  teak  forests,  which, 
though  very  extensive  in  former  years,  have  been  greatly  over-worked.  Teak 
is  still  exported  in  large  quantities,  though  felling  is   said  to  have  gone  on 


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76  BIJ— BIL 

continuously  here  for  the  last  forty  years.  The  timber  is  dragged  either  to  the 
Godivarf  at  Parnsfli,  or  the  Sabari  river  at  Kunti,  and  from  these  points  floated 
down  to  the  coast.  The  population  is  scanty,  and  consists  chiefly  of  Kois  and 
M&n&B. 

BIJLI' — A  chiefship  on  the  north-eastern  border  of  the  Bhand^  district, 
consisting  of  forty-eight  villages,  with  an  area  of  140  square  miles,  of  which 
twenty-one  are  under  cultivation,  and  a  population  of  8,704  souls.  A  ffood  deal 
of  valuable  timber  is  found  in  its  forests.  The  present  holders  are  Lodhis,  and  the 
majority  of  the  population  are  Gonds  and  Lodhfs.  The  village  of  BijK  itself  is 
the  only  one  of  any  size.  One  of  the  main  district  roads  to  Rifpdr  passes 
'  through  this  chiefship,  and  leaves  it  by  the  Dar^kasd  pass,  which  has  been 
recently  improved  and  put  in  thorough  repair.  Near  the  pass  there  are  some 
curious  caves  in  the  adjoining  hills,  partly  natural  and  partly  artificial.  They 
are  called  '^  Kachagarh,'*  or  the  fort  of  safety,  and  must  have  been  very  useful  as 
a  refuge  in  former  times,  having  a  good  water-supply  from  a  spring  of  water 
close  by,  and  being  difficult  of  approach  owing  to  the  denseness  of  the  bamboo 
jungle.  Just  below  the  Darflcasi  pass  there  is  a  large  pool  of  very  deep  water 
formed  by  the  fall  of  the  *'  Kuardds'^  stream  from  a  height  of  about  fifty  feet. 
This  is  a  favourite  camping -ground  of  the  Banjirds ;  and  the  scenery  around 
is  very  grand  and  impressive. 

BIJNA' — A  river  which  rises  in  the  Chhindw&d  district,  and  flows  east, 
till  it  meets  the  Bdnganga.  The  junction  occurs  a  few  miles  north-east  of 
Chhapird. 

BIJUA' — A  range  of  low  hills  situated  about  ten  miles  to  the  north-east 
of  Sihord  in  the  centre  of  the  Jabalpdr  district.  They  are  composed  of  meta- 
morphic  rock.     The  highest  peak  is  that  of  Bichua. 

BILAIGARH— A  chiefship  in  the  Bil&pdr  district.  This  estate  is 
similar  to  that  of  Bhatgion,  which  it  adjoins,  namely,  a  generally  level  tract 
broken  up  by  hills  on  its  southern  face.  It  contains  fifty  villages,  and  covers 
an  area  of  109  square  miles.  The  soil  is  of  average  quality,  smd  the  staple 
produce  is  rice.  The  cultivated  area  is  10,977  acres,  and  perhaps  twice  as 
much  may  be  culturable  waste.  The  population  amounts  to  7,409,  and  falls  at 
the  rate  of  sixty-eight  to  the  square  mile,  the  low  rate  being  attributable  to  the 
partially  hilly  character  of  the  tract,  and  to  the  bad  management  of  the  chief, 
who  is  a  Gond. 

BILAIGARH— The  head-quarters  of  the  chiefship  of  that  name  in  the 
Bildspdr  district.  Here  are  the  remains  of  an  extensive  fort  and  the  ruins  of  some 
ancient  temples,  showing  that  the  town  held  formerly  a  position  of  considerable 
importance.  It  is  now  an  insignificant  hamlet,  consisting  of  a  few  huts,  which 
hold  the  personal  retainers  of  the  zamlnddr. 


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[SicnoK  I. — General  deaoription.] 


BIL 


77 


BILA'SPU'E  *- 


CONTENTS. 
Page  I 


filOriON  L — GKNKRA.L  OlSCmiPTION 77 

Area  and  appearance ih. 

Geological  formation 78 

Sabdivisions    79 

Deicription  of  Kh&lBa    80 

Zamfndiri  jurisdiction  ih. 

Ooremment  waste 82 

Main  traffic  routes *b, 

BiTers  83 

Bain&ll  and  Climate ih. 

Towns  and  Markets  84 

Temples  86 

Ports    86 

Tanks  87 

8BCTI0N  II.— History.  ib, 

Antiqnity  of  Batanp6r  familj ib. 

Cbhattfegarli — origin  of  name 88 

ListoflUyAs  ib. 

Tr«»s  of  first  B^&s  90 

Sordera  and  subsequent  B&jds ih. 

End  of  liailiai  Bansi  dynasty    94 

Bestoraticm  of  Raghunith  Singh ib. 

BlmWiji  Bhonsli 96 

Tjankoji  Bhonsld  and  Anandi  Bdf   ib. 

86ba  goremment  96 

British  protectorate   ih. 

Change  of  system   97 

Betnm  to  Native  role ib. 

Administration  since  annexation 98 

Sonfikhin  outbreak    ib, 

SBCTION  IIL— Population 99 

Its  distribution    ib. 


F«g» 

SBCTION  nL— Population  (oontinuU), 

Beligioos  divisions 100 

Cham&rs  ih, 

Satn&mi  religion 101 

Pank&s 108 

Kabirpanthi  fiuth  104 

Pank&sand  EaMrpanthis lOS 

Hind(i  races ib, 

Gonds   ib, 

Kanwars 108 

Other  hill  tribes 107 

Landholding  castes    108 

Habits  of  the  people 109 

Prevailing  superstitions 110 

Education HI 

Crime  112 

Cheapness  of  living    US 

SECTION  IV.— Bbsouecis. ib. 

Agricultural  plenty    ih. 

Shifting  tenures 114 

Irrigation 116 

Wheat  and  other  staples  ih. 

Exhaustion  of  soil 116 

Minerals ih. 

Waste  tracts    117 

Forest  products 113 

Industnal  products   ih, 

SECTION  v.— Teade. 119 

Imports  and  Exports ib. 

The  vreaving  trade 121 


Administration 


ib. 


The  most  northerly  of  the  eastern  districts  of  the   Central  Provinces,  forms 
Sbc  I  -^General  de$cr%DtioH        *^®  northern  section  of  that  tract  of  country  which 
'  '  ,  ^      *        is  usually  known  as  the  Chhattfsgarh  plateau.     It 

Area  and  appeannce.  ^  situated  between  21°  45'  and  23°  10'  of  north 

latitude,  and  81°  30'  and  83°  15' of  east  longitude,  and  is  bounded  on  the  north  by 
the  Soh&gpdr  pargana  belonging  to  the  native  state  of  Bewd,  and  by  the  Eori& 
and  Sirgdjachiefships  subordinate  to  the  Commissioner  of  Chotd  N^gpdr,  on  the 
east  by  the  Ud^pdr  estate  of  Chotd  Ndgpdr  and  the  zamind^ris  of  the  Sambalpdr 
district,  on  the  south  in  the  main  by  the  open  plain  of  the  Bifpdr  district,  and 
on  the  west  by  the  hilly  tracts  of  Mandla  and  Bdl&ghdt.  The  extreme  length  of 
the  district  north  and  south  is  105  miles,  its  extreme  breadth  east  and  west 
136  miles,  and  it  comprises  an  area  of  8,800  square  miles.  This  extensive  area 
possesses,  as  might  be  anticipated)  marked  and  varied  natural  features.  If  the 
CMattfegarh  country  be  regarded  as  the  basin  of  the  Mahdnadi,  with  the  tract 
surrounding  the  centre  open  and  cultivated,  the  approaches  to  the  sides  wild  and 
woody,  and  the  sides  themselves  irregular  ranges  of  hills,  then  the  Bildspdr 
district  would  be  described  with  fair  accuracy  as  the  upper  half  of  this  basin. 
It  is  almost  enclosed  on  three  sides,  viz.  on  the  north,  west,  and  east  by  ranges 
of  hills,  while  its  southern  boundary,  which  extends  along  the  line  of  the  Rifpdr 
district,  is  generally  open,  accessible,  and  cultivated.  T^e  outer  boundaries  of 
the  district  are  fairly  well  defined.  The  western  hills,  which  may  best  be  de- 
scribed as  the  '*Maikal  Range,*'  run  continuously  in  a  south-westerly  direction  from 
Amarkantak,  which  is  situated  at  the  north-western  extremity  of  the  district,  and 

*  This  article  is  almost  entirely  extracted  from  Mr.  Chisholm's  Settlement  Report  on  BiUspdr. 


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78  BIL  £S«CTiOH  L— QenenJ  de8cription.J 

merge  in  the  Sil^tekri  range  of  the  Bhandira  district.  From  the  same  point 
irregular  blocks  of  hills  run  east,  wedging  in  the  district  on  the  north.  This 
irregular  chain  of  hills,  though  known  in  each  limited  locality  under  special  desig- 
nations, is  really  a  part  of  the  "  Vindhyan  range,*''  which  stretches  from  east  to 
west  across  the  whole  continent  of  India.  On  the  eastern  boundary  the  Korb& 
hills,  offshoots  of  the  Vindhyas,  running  south  for  some  distance  from  the  main 
range,  fringe  the  plain;  and  although  these  hills  strike  east  into  the  Sambalpdr 
district,  and  leave  a  break  of  open  country  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Mahdnadf,  no 
sooner  is  the  river  crossed  than  the  Sondkhdn  block  of  hills  present  themselves 
as  a  formidable  barrier,  thus  almost  completing  a  semicircle  of  hills  enclosing  tlie 
plain.  Of  these  different  ranges  the  northern  or  Vindhya  range  constitutes,  as  far 
as  theBilfepdr  district  is  concerned,  the  most  important  and  extensive  series  of  hills. 
They  run  along,  as  it  were,  the  whole  face  of  the  plain,  here  thrusting  forth  an  arm 
or  throwing  up  an  isolated  peak,  and  advancing  boldly  into  the  level  country,  there 
receding  into  deep  hollows  and  bays,  usually  covered  with  luxuriant  vegetation. 
It  is  from  some  of  the  offshoots  of  this  northern  range  that  the  best  idea 
can  be  formed  of  the  natural  features  of  the  country.  For  this  purpose  there 
is  perhaps  no  better  point  than  the  ''  Dahld  hill,''  which  stands  right  out  in 
the  plain,  isolated  and  detached,  at  a  distance  of  fifteen  miles  east  of  Bil&spdr.. 
The  sides  of  this  hill  are  rocky  and  precipitous,  its  shape  peaky  and  conical, 
and  it  rises  very  abruptly  to  a  height  of  2,600  feet.  These  peculiarities  render  it 
a  prominent  landmark  capable  of  identification  from  spots  divided  and  distemt,- 
and  familiarises  it  to  the  people  as  a  silent  sentinel  of  locality.  From  the 
summit  is  seen  on  one  side  a  great  expanse  of  plain,  stretching  as  far  as  the 
eye  can  reach ;  on  the  other  this  open  country  is  hedged  in  by  irregular  ranges 
of  hills,  throwing  their  reflection  in  dark  shadows  on  the  green  surface  below. 
The  open  country  is  dotted  with  villages,  which  are  easily  distinguishable- 
in  the  landscape,  even  when  the  huts  of  the  peasantry  are  hid  from  view  by 
the  one  or  more  tanks  in  their  vicinity,  the  waters  of  which  sparkle  in  the  sun- 
light, and  by  the  mango,  pfpal,  and  tamarind  trees,  more  or  less  numerous, 
which  cluster  round  the  village  site  and  break  the  dull  monotony  of  level  plain. 

The  following  notice  of  the  geological  formation  of  the  district  is  quoted 

^    ,    .   ,  ,       ^.  from  the  Records  of   the  Geological  Survey  of 

Geological  fomation.  j^^^  ^^^  j^^  jggg^  ^^j  j  p^  B  ^^  ^  _  y 

'*  From  the  Hasdd  and  the  plains  of  Bildspdr  the  main  mass  of  the 
crystalline  rocks,  which  greatly  predominate,  Hes  to  the  north-west,  forming 
the  hilly  region  of  Mdtfn,  while  the  numerous  and  almost  detached 
areas  of  the  secondary  rocks  (chiefly  of  the  talcheer  series)  are  extensions 
from  the  eastwards,  where  the  table-topped  hills  of  Ud^pdr  appear  to 
be  formed  altogether  of  the  sandstones.  With  this  extension  of  that 
series  of  rocks  is  connected  the  small  coal  basin  of  Korbi.  On  the 
Mdtfn  hills  themselves  a  few  remnants  of  the  upper  sandstones  stand 
up  Hke  old  fortresses  on  the  highest  summits. 

"  Over  the  area  lying  between  the  Korbi  coal  basin  and  the  plains  of 
Bil&spdr  there  is  no  continuous  high  ground.  Isolated  ridges,  mostly  of 
inconsiderable  elevation,  and  composed  of  the  crystalline  rocks,  occur. 

'*  In  this  region  of  the  Mahdnadi,  as  also  in  that  of  the  Goddvarf 
drainage  basin,  the  only  knowledge  we  had  of  the  structure  of  the  country 

*  It  is  questionable  whether  the  term  "  Yindhya"  should  be  applied  south  of  the  Narbad^ 


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BIL 


79 


was  derived  from  the  Reverend  Mr.  Hislop's  exertions.  He  had,  however, 
confounded  rocks  belonging  to  two  distinct  series  between  the  deposition 
of  which  there  had  been  an  immense  interval  of  time.  The  great  plains  of 
Chhattfsgarh  were  coloured  as  belonging  to  the  same  series  as  the  coal  field 
of  Korbd.  In  reality,  however,  the  rocks  belong  to  that  very  much  older 
series  to  which  the  general  name  of  Vindhyan  has  been  given.  These 
cover  an  area  of  more  than  12,000  square  miles,  limestone  being  the 
prevalent  rock.  On  the  north  they  abut  against  the  crystalline  rocks ;  on 
the  west  they  pass  under  the  Deccan  traps  ;  to  the  south-west  stretch  to 
an  unknown  (as  yet)  distance  in  the  valley  of  the  Mah&nadi ;  to  the 
south-east  they  rest  upon  crystalline  rocks,  and  to  the  east  they  are 
crushed  up  with,  and  upon,  similar  rocks  in  a  complicated  manner.  The 
more  recent  talcheer  rocks  are  filled  with  debris  from  these,  but  nowhere 
was  the  actual  contact  or  superposition  visible.'^ 


The  natural  divisions  of  the  country  have  had  extended  to  them  from  a 
,  remote  period  different  modes  of  detailed  revenue 

visions.  management,    corresponding  in   the  main   with 

their  physical  features.  Thus,  the  hiUy  area,  covering  5,800  square  miles,  is 
ahnost  entirely  held  by  large  landed  proprietors  called  zamlnddrs,  who  have 
always  occupied  a  somewhat  independent  position,  while  the  open  country,  with 
an  area  of  3,000  square  miles,  is  known  as  "  ESiSlsa^^  jurisdiction,  or  the  tract 
tmder  direct  revenue  management  through  mdlguzto.  All  that  is  wild,  pic- 
turesque, and  beautiful  in  the  district  is  contained  in  the  former,  but  in  the  latter 
or  "  khilsa  ^'  area  alone  has  population  advanced,  cultivation  increased,  and 
aDything  like  material  progress  been  attained.  It  is  usually  to  the  '^  khdlsa '' 
that  reference  is  made  when  points  arise  in  connection  with  the  district,  for  the 
zamindiris  generally  are  so  inaccessible,  so  thinly  peopled,  and  so  backward 
that  they  count  for  comparatively  little  in  ordinary  administration. 


These   different  tracts  may  now 

Present  Parganas.    Former  Tdlukas, 

Bij4p6r. 

Takhtptir. 

Bdlodl 

Ratauptir. 
Bila'spu'r -^      Kdranji. 

Bartori. 

Malbdr. 

Okhar. 

Bitkuli. 

Mimgeli. 

Naw^arh. 

Mdrti. 

hiri. 

Gurhd. 

Patharia. 

Kharod. 

Khokrd. 

Birrd. 

Ur^  Kherd. 
Seori'nara'in  ....<(      Kikarda. 

Nawdgarh. 

Akalts^. 

Bhdtia. 

Sarsiid. 


The  ''TDiilssL'' 
parganas,  with  a  tahafl 
head-quarters   of 


liiUNGBU' «; 


be  briefly  described, 
comprises  three 

station  at  the  head-quarters  of  eachi 
The  most  westerly  is  the  Mungelf  par- 
gana,  the  eastern  boundary  of  which  is 
the  Manidrf  river.  The  central  pargana 
is  Bildspdr,  lying  in  the  main  between  the 
Manidrf  stream  on  the  west  and  the  Lfld- 
gar  stream  on  the  east,  but  comprising 
the  tracts  of  L6rmi  and  BilodL  Outside 
the  limit  of  these  streams  is  Seorinardin, 
the  most  easterly  pargana,  containing  the 
tract  of  country  lying  east  of  the  Lfldgar 
stream.  This  arrangement  of  parganas 
is  of  modern  origin,  but  it  renders  the 
jurisdiction  of  tiie  sub-coUectorates  in 
every  way  convenient  and  compact. 
The  old  division  was  into  tdlukas.  In 
the  margin  is  ^ven  a  detail  of  the  old 
tdlukas,  indicatmg  the  manner  in  which 
they  have  been  absorbed  in  the  new 
parganas. 


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[SscTiON  I. — General  descriptioD.] 


The  kliilsa  parganas  are  closely  studded  with  villages^  and^  except  at  two 
T^      •  ^    '  i.iri-^1  or  three  points  where  khdlsa  and   zamindirf 

'^  areas  adjom,  you  may  travel  over  the  length 

and  breadth  of  the  entire  tracts,  encountering — to  employ  a  familiar  metaphor — 
no  eminence  higher  than  an  ant-hill,  and  no  forest  tree  bigger  than  a  bramble 
bush.  But  although,  as  thus  explained,  the  villages  in  khdisa  jurisdiction  are 
numerous^  and  the  cultivation  extensive,  it  would  be  a  mistake  to  suppose  that 
the  country  presents  a  generally  unbroken  and  continuous  sheet  of  cultivation. 
The  nature  of  the  surface  and  soil  alike  prohibit  this  result.  The  whole  plain  is  a 
series  of  undulations,  sometimes  a  long  stretch  of  sandy  or  stony  upland,  alter- 
nating gently  with  a  long  expanse  of  low-lying  rice  land ;  at  others  the  alter- 
nations are  more  abrupt,  the  surface  irregularly  wavy,  and  ravines  and  beds 
of  streams  frequent  and  prominent.  A  Chhattlsgarh  village  is  not  ordinarily  an 
inviting  object  of  inspection.  A  cluster  of  mud  huts  packed  closely  togeiJier, 
with  no  kind  of  order  or  arrangement,  and  intersected  by  narrow  and  circuitous 
paths  which  seem  to  have  no  proper  commencement  or  end.  In  most  cases 
*'  distance  lends  enchantment  to  the  view,*'  for  the  best  villages  have  then  their 
baldness  hidden  by  clusters  and  groves  of  trees  of  varied  tint  and  hue,  peeping 
from  under  which  the  most  conspicuous  objects  are  not  always  the  thatched 
houses  of  the  people,  but  the  whited  spires  or  domes  of  two  or  three 
ancient  temples.  Speaking  generally,  however,  the  plain  is  singularly  destitute 
of  shade.  Like  all  tracts  where  clearance  has  been  going  on,  it  has  been  cleared 
too  much.  In  the  Bildspdr  and  Seorfnar&in  parganas  there  are  a  fair  number 
of  villages  possessing  more  or  less  extensive  mango-groves,  but  in  the  MungeH 
pargana  such  villages  are  few,  and  there  is  consequently  no  part  of  the  district 
which  in  the  hot- weather  months  looks  more  bleak  and  desolate,  or  in  which 
moving  about  is  more  trying  and  irksome. 

Turning  to  the  Zamfnddrf  jurisdiction  we  find  the  surrounding  circum- 

Za   '  dirf  *     iiavti  stances  entirely  diflTerent,  and  see  that  in  the  wilder 

^"      *    °°'  tracts  man  is  making  but  feeble  way  against  the 

forces  of  nature.  The 
marginal  entry  shows  in 
detail  the  zaminddris  of 
the  district.  In  two  in- 
stances alone — Saktl  and 
E^award^ — have  the  chiefs 
been  acknowledged  as 
feudatories. 

The  Pendrd  zamfndiri 
occupies  the  north-western 
comer  of  the  district.  It 
is  entirely  situated  on  the 
hilly  uplands  of  the  Vin- 
dhyan  range,  and  presents 
a  varied  aspect  of  hill  and 
dale.  At  one  time  is  met  a 
vast  forest,  the  unvarying 
shade  broken  only  here 
and  there  by  seas  of  high- 
waving  grass,  and  with  no 
indication  far  and  wide  of  human  habitation ;  at  another  a  cleared  and  open  valley 


£ 


1 

2 
3 
4 
5 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 

11 

12 

13 

14 


Name  of  Chiefship. 


Pendri  . . , 
Mddn  ... 
Upror^  . . . 
Kendi  ... 
Uphd  ... 
Chhdri  ... 
KotU  ... 
CMtnpd    . 

Saktl 

Bhatgion . 
BiULigarh  . 
KatangL  . 
Pandam  . 
Rawardd  . 
Madanpdr . 


Jurisdiction. 


Ordinary. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 
Feudatory. 
Ordinary. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 
Feudatory. 
Ordinary. 


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[Sacnoif  L— GenMal  d^aoription.]  BIL  81 

18  found,  from  which  the  jungle  has  disappeared  and  been  replaced  by  thriving 
village  commumties.  The  Mdtfn  estate  lies  east  of  Pendra,  jind  jturiher  east 
again  is  the  Uprori  chiefship.  These  three  adjoining  zaminddrls  form  together 
the  extreme  northern  section  of  the  Bilispdr  district.  Mitin  and  Upror£,  like 
Pendri,  are  situated  on  the  hilly  uplands  of  the  Vindhyan  range,  but,  unlike 
Pendrd,  they  contain  no  open  valleys  whichhave  been  reclaimed  and  utilised.  The 
majority  of  the  villages  that  exist  convey  no  impression  of  permanence,  and  are 
only  solitary  breaks  in  a  vast  mountain  wilderness.  This  is  perhaps  the  wildest 
part  of  country  in  Chhattlsgarh,  and  here  it  is  that  the  shattered  forest  trees, 
the  broken  and  crushed  bamboo  clumps,  the  hollows  and  footprints  in  a 
hundred  marshes  and  watercourses,  indicate  the  presence  of  wild  elephants. 
This  &ct  realised,  and  the  paucity  of  settlers  ceases  to  surprise.  The  tale  is 
often  told  how  in  a  night  the  struggling  tenant  sees  disappear  the  crop  which 
has  occupied  the  labour  of  months,  and  with  no  food  left  for  himself  and  family, 
finds  his  only  alternative  is  to  seek,  not  figuratively,  but  literally,  a  new  field  for 
his  exertions.  Entire  destruction  of  crop,  however,  is  very  unusual,  for  ordinarily 
the  slightest  enclosure  acts  as  a  protection.  It  may  be  said  that  the  wild 
elephants  are  confined,  as  far  as  the  Bildspdr  district  is  concerned,  to  these  two 
chiefships.  Occasionallv  a  herd  may  roam  into  the  ^joining  zaminddrfs  at 
that  most  unwelcome  of  all  periods,  when  the  rice  crop  is  ripening,  but  from 
M&tfn  and  Dpror^,  unless  when  hunted,  they  are  never  absent,  and  may  be 
seen  at  any  time  on  the  wooded  slopes  of  the  Hasdd  river,  in  the  shady  depths 
of  the  foresty  or  near  some  splashing  waterfall,  or  deep  still  pool  in  the  bed  of  a 
mountain  torrent. 

As  the  chiefship  of  Pendri,  Mdtln,  and  Uprori  are  in  a  line — one  estate 
lying  east  of  the  other — so  south  of  these,  also  in  a  line,  lie  the  chiefships  of 
Kendd,  Ldph^,  and  Chhdri.  The  most  westerly  of  these  is  Kendi,  lying  south  of 
Pendri,  then  comes  Liphd  falling  south  of  M4tin,  and  finally  Chhdri  south  of 
Uprorfi,  These  three  zaminddris,  though  largely  covered  with  hill  and  forest, 
have  yet  fair  stretches  of  open  country,  and  as  at  their  southern  extremity  they 
abut  on  khilsa  jurisdiction,  their  waste  lands  often  come  to  be  taken  up  by  the 
discontented  spirits  of  the  plain.  From  the  position  of  these  six  chiefships — 
lying  three  abreast  from  east  to  west — it  is  clear  that  from  the  north,  viz.  from 
tiie  side  of  Eewd  and  MirziptJr,  there  is  no  direct  access  to  the  open  country  of 
the  Chhattisgarh  plain  without  passing  over  several  ranges  of  hills,  and  encoun- 
tering difficulties  and  drawbacks  of  no  ordinary  character.  A  large  portion  of 
the  eastern  extremity  of  the  district  is  monopolised  by  the  Eorbd  zaminddrf, 
which  is  a  very  extensive  chiefship.  It  lies  to  the  east  of  Uprori,  Chhdri,  and 
KhilBa  jurisdiction,  extending  from  the  hills  and  fastnesses  of  the  extreme  north 
to  the  very  heart  of  the  level  country.  The  northern  section  of  the  estate  is 
very  wild  and  inaccessible^  and  though  the  southern  section  has  large  tracts 
open  and  well  cultivated,  yet  even  here  there  is  a  great  deal  of  forest,  and 
finequent  interruptions  by  low  ranges  of  hills.  Adjoining  Eorb£  to  the  south  are 
the  two  small  estates  of  Saktf  and  Chdmp^,  which  in  the  main  consist  of  open 
country,  and  require  no  special  remark.  Leaving  Saktf  and  Chibnpd  there  is  a 
stretch  of  khdlsa  jurisdiction  up  to  the  Mahdnadf  river,  after  crossing  which 
there  are,  made  up  with  some  kh&lsa  villages  and  government  forests,  which  have 
been  reserved,  three  small  chiefships,  viz.  Bhatgdon,  Bildigarh,  and  Eatangf, 
comprising  in  each  case  a  compact  tract  of  level  country  with  hills  in  the  back- 
ffround,  stretching  from  this  point  almost  uninterruptedly  to  the  wilds  of 
Baslar.    The  western  zamlnddris  alone  remain  for  description,  namely,  Eawardd 

11  CPG 


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82  SlIj  [SicnoH  I. — (Jenenil  deacription.} 

and  Pandari^.  They  have  each  a  large  stretch  of  level  country  extending  from 
the  base  of  the  Maikal  range  as  far  as  the  Mungeli  pargana.  This  portion  of 
the  chiefships  is  generally  open  and  cultivated.  The  atea  covered  with  hill  and 
forest  continues  from  the  margin  of  the  plain  right  into  the  mountainous  tracts 
of  B&i&gh&t  and  Mandla^  and  thus  on  the  western  side^  as  on  the  north,  these 
hill-ranges  operate  as  an  effectual  barrier  to  easy  communication  with  the 
Chhattisgarh  plain.  To  complete  the  roll  of  zamlnddris,  it  need  only  be  added 
that  the  small  and  divided  estate  of  Madanpdr  adjoins  Pandarid^  and  is  mixed  up 
with  the  kh^lsa  villages  of  Mungeli.  It  is  settled  and  cultivated^  and  possesses 
no  special  characteristics. 

This  detailed   description   of    khdlsa  and   zamfnddrf  jurisdiction   remains 

^  ^       ,  incomplete  without  a  reference  to  the  crovemment 

Government  waste.  l  rni.  i.*  2.     i.  l'  r  4.\. 

wastes.     The   most  miportant  section    of  these 

wastes  stretches  from  the  base  of  the  Amarkantak  range  over  a  vast   extent  of 

hill  and  forest,  comprising  the  tracts  known  as  the  Lamni,  Lormi,  Bijdpdr,  and 

Korf  jungles,  down  to  the  cultivated  plain.     All  the  hilly  area  lying  between  the 

Pandarid  zaminddri  on  the  west,  the  Kendd  zaminddrf  on  the  east,  the  Pendri 

chiefship  on  the  north,  and  the  open  khdlsa  lands  of  the  south,  constitute  a 

separate  government  waste  at  the  future  disposal  of  the  district  authorities. 

Running  east  from  this  point,  and  skirting  the  zamlnddrfs  of  Kendi,  LdphS,  and 

Korbi,  excess  wastes  have  been  separated,  but  these  ordinarily  are  very  limited. 

The  most  extensive  tract  is  the  Bitkuli  waste,  which  contains  much  valuable 

timber  and  extensive  resources  in  bamboos  and  grass.     Independent  of  these 

main  tracts  there  are  isolated  patches,  here  and  there  in  the  plain  which,  having 

been  entirely  cleared  of  timber,  are  only  useful  for  grazing  purposes.     Across 

the  Mahdnadi,  however,  there  is  a  large  tract  of  government  forest  called  SonS- 

khdn,  the  deserted  and  confiscated  estate  of  a  former  zaminddr,  16,000   acres 

of  which  have  been  purchased  by  an  English  gentleman   under  the  waste-land 

rules.     Adjoining  this  tract  is  the  forest  department  teak-reserve  of  Hdthibdrf, 

and  the  unreserved  wastes  of  Mahdrdjf.     Such,  concisely,  is  the  position  of  the 

government  wastes  in  the  district. 

The  traffic  routes  of  the  district  are  five  in  number,  the  three  most  important 

n*  •    j^a:        J.  of  which  are  ruffcred  and  inaccessible,  quite  unfit 

Mam  traffic  routes.  «  i_     i  j  •  j         i        j     'ij.-  ^ 

for     wheeled     carriage,  and    only   admittmg  or 

export  or  import  by  means  of  pack-bullocks  during  six  months  of  the  year* 

There  are  the  two  northern  routes,  one  leading  from  the  Chhattisgarh  plaia 

through  Kendd,  Pendrd,  and  Sohdgpdr  to  RewS,  the  other  through  L^phd,  Chhiirf, 

Uprord,  and  Sirgdja   to   Mirzdpdr.     Both   these  routes  are,  through  a   great 

portion  of  their  length,  simply  tracks  across  the  hills  and  through  the  jungles, 

along  which  few  traders  or  travellers    would   venture  alone.     They  proceed 

through  so  difficult  a  country  (part  of  which  is  in  foreign  territory),  and  extend 

over  so  great  a  distance,  that  there  seems  little  prospect  of  much  ever  being 

done    to   open   communications   in   this   quarter.     The   necessity  too    is  not 

pressing  now  that,  owing  to  tlie  opening  of  the  Railway  from  Jabalpdr,  the  trade 

will  tend  westward.     The  construction  of  a  line   of  road  from  the  plains   of 

Chhattisgarh,  through   Mandla,  to  Jabalpdr,  is  the  most  urgent  want  of  this 

district,  and  until  this  is  undertaken  as  an  imperial  work,  to  act  as  a  feeder  to  the 

railway,  the  tract  of  country  here  must  continue  in  a  comparatively  backward  and 

undeveloped  condition.     At  present  the  line   followed  by  Banjdrds  resembles 

the  northern  routes — a  circuitous  track  over  hills  and  valleys  intersected  by 

numerous  streams,  the  rocky  beds  of  which  present  most  formidable  obstacles. 


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[SiCTioii  I. — General  description.] 


BIL 


83 


This  hilly  and  difficult  country  extends  over  a  distance  of  about  one  hundred 
miles,  and  even  if,  without  being  metalled,  it  were  made*  throughout  its  length 
a  good  cold-weather  road>  with  the  ghdts  properly  sloped,  and  the  small  streams 
bridged  so  as  to  admit  of  cart  traffic,  an  outlet  would  be  afforded  for  the 
Borplus  produce  of  this  district,  and  a  great  impulse  given  to  its  prosperity. 

The  whole  drainage  and  river  system  of  the  district  centres  in  the  MahSnadf . 

p.      ^  , .     ,^  The  general  flow  of  the    streams    is    from    the 

^^^  '  northern  and  western  hills  south  and  eastwards. 

These  hills,  however,  constitute  a  distinct  watershed,  and  are  the  source  of  streams 
which,  flowing  north  and  west,  and  leaving  the  Chhattisgarh  country  behind 
them,  gradually  gather  volume,  and  assume  in  their  onward  course  the  dignity  of 
rivers.  Such  are  the  Son,  which  first  sees  the  light  in  a  marshy  hollow  in 
Pendr^  and  the  Narbadd,  rushing  picturesquely  over  the  rocky  heights  of 
Amarkantak.  The  Mahdnadi  enters  the  Bildspdr  boundary  eight  miles  west  of 
Seorlnarain,  and  as  it  only  flows  for  twenty-five  miles  at  the  south-eastern 
extremity  of  the  district,  it  has  not  much  local  importance.  It  is  navigable  for 
six  months  from  Seorinardin  to  the  coast,  but  the  frequency  of  rocky  barriers 
renders  the  navigation  by  no  means  an  easy  task.  In  this  district,  however, 
there  are  no  barriers,  the  bed  being  open  and  sandy,  and  banks  usually  low, 
bare,  and  unattractive.  In  the  rains  the  Mahinadf  is  a  magnificent  river, 
attaining  in  places  a  breadth  of  two  miles,  and  during  sudden  floods  a  vast 
volume  of  water  often  submerging  the  low-lying  land  in  its  vicinity,  and  present- 
ing the  appearance  of  a  large  inland  sea.  The  contrast,  however,  between  the 
Mahinadl  in  September  and  the  Mahdnadi  in  May  is  something  astounding. 
In  the  hot-weather  months  it  is  nothing  more  than  a  narrow  and  shallow  channel 
in  a  vast  expanse  of  sand,  and  is  then  almost  at  any  point  forded  with  ease. 
The  affluents  of  the  Mahdnadl  partake  of  its  general  character,  being  propor- 
tionately mighty  and  formidable  in  the  monsoon  months,  and  comparatively 
insignificant  during  the  hot  season.  The  most  important  of  its  affluents  are  the 
Seondth  and  Hasdd. 

The  minor  streams  are  the  Sakri,  the  Hdmp,  the  Tesud,  the  A'gar,  the 
Mani&ri,  the  Arp£,  the  Kharod,  the  Lfl^gar,  the  Jonk,  and  the  Barei. 

In  the  margin  are  tables  showing  the  average  rainfall  and  the  temperature 

in  each  month  for  some  years.  As  a  rule  the 
rains  are  fairly  regular  and  copious,  and  drought 
rarely  occurs.  The  climate,  though  inveighed 
against  and  dreaded  by  strangers,  is  not 
specially  unhealthy.  Cholera  and  fever  are 
the  great  scourges  of  the  plain,  so  much  so 
as  almost  to  assume  an  endemic  character. 
But  as  regards  cholera  there  have  been 
special  local  and  removeable  causes  acting 
as  aggravating  agents,  among  the  chief  of 
which  may  be  mentioned  the  fact  that  the 
pilgrim  route  to  Jaganndth  passed  through 
the  plain,  and  was  crowded  during  the  hot- 
weather  months  with  a  throng  of  weary  and 
exhausted    devotees,     among    whom     the 


Rainfall  and  CUmate. 


Table  of  Rainfall, 


Years. 

Average  Rainfall. 

1862 

63-86 

1863 

67-31 

1864 

62-82 

1865 

63-93 

1866 

35-98 

1867 

37-70 

1868 

3a69 

*  Thii  will  now  be  undertaken. 


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84 


BIL 


[BscTioir  I.— QraenJ  detoiiptioii.] 


1864. 


1865. 


1866. 


1867. 


Monthi. 


a 


January. . . 
February 
March  « • . 
April  .  •  • . 
May  ••  .. 
June  .... 
July  ..,• 
August  .• 
September. 
October. . . 
November. 
December 


98 

98 

100 

120 

107 

105 

96 

106 

100 

96 

86 

95 


B 
g 

i| 

to 
3 


97 

85 

105 

110 

115 

101 

100 

100 

101 

96 

91 

89 


-a 

a 


45 
59 
59 
60 
72 
66 
69 
70 
67 
65 
40 
38 


98 
99 
108 
106 
116 
116 

no 

99 
96 
98 
98 
94 


1 


2 


disease  almost  invariably  broke  out,  and  was  disseminated  over  the  whole  conntry. 
This  passage  of  pilgrims  has  for  two  years  been  prohibited  with  the  best 
results,  there  having  been  during  this  period  no  outbreak  at  aU.  Then  fever, 
though  very  prevalent,  does  not  seem  of  a  worse  type  than  that  common  to 

Table  of  Temperature.  province,  and  until  some 

kind  of  reliable  mortuary 
statistics  are  matured, 
and  have  exhibited  com- 
parative results  for  a 
series  of  years,  it  is  quite 
an  open  question  whether 
the  Chhattfsgarh  fever  is 
more  than  ordinarily  fatal. 
Small-pox  prevails  about 
theendof  the  cold  weather 
months,  but  not  to  an 
extent  greater  than 
elsewhere.  It  must  be 
acknowledged,  how- 
ever, that  each  season 
seems  to  possess  its  pre- 
vailing type  of  disease. 
In  the  hot  weather  we 
have  generally  cholera, 
though  its  outbreak  at 
this  time  seems  to  be 
connected,  as  noted,  with 
the  passage  of  pilgrims, 
now  interdicted.  In  the 
close  of  the  cold-weather 
From 


37 
39 
62 
63 
64 
76 
73 
72 
74 
59 
51 
41 


93 

102 

101 

101 

110 

103 

99 

99 

100 

94 

89 

88 


45 

51 
62 
62 
72 
76 
70 
68 
76 
67 
61 
55 


not 


Note, — 1868  was  an  exceptional  year,  and  is  therefore 
quoted. 

rains  and  at  their  close  fever  sets  in,  and  about  the 
months  small-pox.  The  climate  itself,  though  relaxing^  is  not  oppressive, 
the  middle  of  April  till  the  middle  of  June  hot  winds  prevail,  and  the  heat  is  at 
times  very  trying.  Still  it  is  mild  compared  with  the  Upper  Provinces,  and 
showers,  which  are  not  unusual  even  at  this  period,  supply  a  cool  day  now  and 
again,  while  the  nights,  as  a  rule,  are  very  bearable.  After  the  first  heavy 
fall  of  the  monsoon  the  climate  is  cool  and  agreeable,  and  pankhds  can  often  be 
dispensed  with  entirely.  There  are  comparatively  few  close,  muggy,  windl^ss 
days,  and  the  few  that  are  experienced  are  soon  forgotten  from  the  welcome 
deluge  of  showers  which  is  sure  to  succeed  them.  The  cold  weather  ia 
not  bracing,  but  altogether  from  November  to  February  is  a  very  pleasant 
period. 


The  towns  in  the  district  containing  more  than  5,000  inhabitants  are 

Batanpdr,  Bil^spdr,  and  Eaward^.     The  names  of 
the  small  townships,  or  rather  large  Villages,  are 


Towns  and  Markets. 


1.  Takhtpflr. 

2.  Lormi. 

th 

1.  Munee]i. 

2.  Nawtoirh. 

e  small  townshi 

1.  Seorfnardin. 

2.  Kharod. 

3.    Ganiiri. 

3.    M£rti. 

3.    Rhokrd. 

4.  Qhutkd. 

5.  B41od4. 

4.  Nawdgarh. 

5.  8Mg^. 

1. 

2. 
3. 
4. 
5. 


PandarUL. 

Pdnddtaral. 

Pendri. 

ChlidH. 

Qhkmpk. 


given  m  the 
margin.  By 
thelast  census 
Batcmptir  con- 
tai^ed  6,190 
inhabitants. 


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BIL  85 


The  whole  history  of  the  plateau 


[SiGTioN  I.— General  dcieriptioii.] 

Bflfapdr  6,110,  and  Kawardi  over  5,000. 
centres  as  it  were  in  Ratanpdr. 

The  marked  absence  of  towns  soon  strikes  a  visitor  to  Chhattfsgarh,  and  is 
the  more  singular  that  the  entire  plain  is  covered  with  hamlets.     It  arises  from  the 
(act  that  the  people  are  a  simple  agricultural  community,  requiring  few  of  the 
loxuries  which  have  become  necessities  in  more  advanced  localities.     The  tract 
too  possesses  but  little  amassed  wealth,  having  lain  for  so  long  a  period  distant 
and  remote  from  all  the  regular  channels  of  trade.     All  the  demands  of  the 
people  are  fuUy  satisfied  by  the  weekly  markets,  which  are  very  numerous  all 
over  the  district.     There  are,  however,  no  less  than  170  regular  markets,  some 
few  of  which  are  held  twice  a  week.    The  largest  bdzirs  are  those  of  Bimindi 
in  the  Ch&mvi  zamindirf,  Ganiirl  and  Takhtpdr  in    the  Bilfapdr  pargana, 
and  Mongell  in  the  Mungeli  pargana.     These  are  well  known  markets  at 
which  cattle  are  largely  sold,  and  are  frequented  every  week  by  thousands  of 
purchasers,  the  articles  exposed  for  sale  being  usually  of  greater  variety  than  is 
found  at  smaller  gatherings.    The   display  on  the  whole  at  these  bizdrs  to  an 
Enghsh  taste  does  not  seem  very  inviting ;  more,  however,  with  reference  to  the 
mode  of  its  arrangement  and  exhibition  than  actually  as  regards  the  articles 
themselves.    There  is   grain   of  every   description;  sweetmeats,   fish,   fruits, 
vegetables,   glass  bangles,  and  other  adornments;  baskets,   and  mat-work; 
embroidery,  spices,  sugar,  cocoanuts,  metal  drinking-vessels,  and  plates ;  iron,  and 
large  supplies  of  cloth,  both  of  English  and  Native  manufacture.     The  market 
is  sometimes  held  in  a  convenient  mango-grove,  which  aflfords  pleasant  shelter 
and  shade  to  all  comers,  but  more  usually  in  some  open  space  near  the  village, 
aflfording  neither  shelter  nor  shade,  and  consequently  both  in  the  hot  weather 
and  monsoon  many  of  these  bdzirs  are  but  scantily  attended.    It  is  strange 
that  cowries  should  still  be  found  almost  the  sole  medium  of  exchange  among 
the  great  bulk  of  the  people ;  but,  that  they  are  so,  is  clearly  observable  on  all 
market  days,  when  it  will  be  noticed  that  nearly  everything  purchased  is  paid 
for,  not  in  copper,  but  in  cowries.    There  is  no  question,  however,  that  while 
most  commodities  remain  cheap,  cowries  form  a  convenient  unit  for  satisfying  the 
petty  requirements  of  the  poorer  classes,  and  render  them  somewhat  reluctant 
to  adopt  copper,  the  unit  in  which  does  not  reach  so  low. 

the  district  are  very  numerous,  verifying  local  tradition  as 
to  the  great  antiquity  of  the  ancient  Hindti  govern- 
ment. They  are  almost  invariably  large  stone 
the  shape  of  an  obelisk  or  a  dome,  with  a  long  pillared  portico 
in  front  of  the  doorway.  The  carved 
images  are  generally  very  rude,  and 
if  here  and  there  a  graceful  figure  or 
outline  is  traced,  the  whole  effect  is 
ruined  by  the  immediate  proximity 
of  another  figure  either  grotesque 
or  hideous.  The  names  of  the  most 
ancient  and  noted  temples  are  given 
in  the  margin.  Most  of.  these 
are  at  least  from  eight  hundred  to 
one  thousand  years  old,  and  are  de- 
voted to  the  service  of  the  different 
Hindd  deities.    The    most  anci^t 


The  temples  in 
Temples, 
stmctures,  either  in 

At  Ratanpur, 

1.  Mth4m&i. 

2.  lUmpayLn. 

3.  Briddheswar. 

4.  BhatntYEiiith. 

5.  Narbadeswar. 

6.  Kichri  Kedimikth. 

7.  Khantideva. 

8.  Giijiban. 

9.  Sangameswar. 

10.  Jagum&th. 

11.  Laclihmin<iT4iw. 


At  Seonnar&iu. 

12.  Ndr4in. 

(At  Kharod.) 

13.  Lakhneswar. 

14.  Seori  Debi. 
(At  J&njgir.) 
Mah&deva. 
(At  P4li,  village  of 

L&ph4  zam(nd£rl.) 
Mabadeva. 
( AtChdpr4,village  of 
Kaward4    feuda- 
tory.) 
17.  Buramdeva. 


15, 


16. 


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86  BIL  [Section  I. — General  deicnption.^ 

temple  is  that  of  Boramdeva  at  Chdprd  village  near  Eaward£^  which^  if  the  year 
inserted  on  its  tablet  can  be  relied  on^  was  built  in  a.d.  103.  The  inscription  sets 
forth  that  one  of  the  Haihai  Bansf  rdjds  of  Batanpdr  tried  to  prevent  its  construc- 
tion, bnt  was  repnlsed.  It  is  built  of  large  blocks  of  stone  closely  set,  but  with- 
out lime  cement,  and^is  picturesquely  situated  on  the  banks  of  a  tank.  The  only- 
image  it  contains  is  that  of  a  cobra,  which  in  itself  points  to  a  very  early  period, 
when  fetichism  in  the  form  of  snake-wonship  was  at  least  common,  if  not  universal, 
and  certainly  before  Hinddism  held  complete  sway.  The  PdW  temple  is  the  best 
specimen  of  ancient  native  architecture  in  the  district,  and  is  therefore  the  only 
one  that  need  be  described  in  detail.  It  is  to  be  regretted  that  timely  care  has 
not  preserved  the  original  structure  intact,  for,  judging  from  the  portion  still 
uninjured,  the  entire  building  must  have  been  elaborately  and  tastefully  finished, 
and  is  eminently  deserving  of  preservation.  Outside  there  is  a  dilapidated 
desolate  air,  owing  to  the  slabs  and  other  debris  of  the  temple,  which  are  scat- 
tered everywhere,  telling  their  tale  of  desertion  and  decay.  What  now  remains 
is  a  large  octagonal  dome,  acting  as  a  portico  to  an  inner  building  formerly 
dedicated  to  the  service  of  Mahddeva.  As  you  enter  the  dome  you  are  at  once 
struck  with  the  minute  and  elaborate  carvings  which  extend  from  the  floor  to 
the  very  summit  of  the  building.  The  dome  is  supported  by  pillars,  on  all  of 
which  are  images  of  mythological  characters  famous  in  Hindd  legend  and  song. 
Above  these  pillars  the  lower  circle  of  the  dome  is  a  series  of  minute  figures, 
often  chiselled  into  the  most  fantastic  shapes,  the  figures  running  one  into 
another  in  happy  confusion.  From  this  lower  circle  of  petty  and  fantastic  figures 
to  the  top  of  the  dome  is  on  all  sides  a  continued  line  of  tasteful  carving.  The 
most  elaborate  workmemship,  however,  is  found  at  the  entrance  door  to  the  inner 
building.  Much  of  the  carving  here  is  so  minute  and  so  exquisitely  executed, 
that  the  eye  seems  ever  discovering  new  beauties.  The  portals  are  guarded  by 
two  imposing  figures,  which,  in  form  and  proportion,  are  fair  specimens  of  native 
art.  Above  the  doorway  is  much  careful  chiselling,  as  of  cabinet  work,  while 
the  panels  have  carvings  of  flowers  modelled  with  great  care  and  skill.  All 
round  the  doorway  is  a  mass  of  carving  almost  oppressive  from  its  extent  and 
continuousness— dwarf  figures  in  every  variety  of  attitude;  animals,  amongst 
which  the  sacred  bull  stands  prominent ;  birds  represented  by  the  pigeon  and 
goose, — ^the  whole  work  a  fitting  monument  to  the  taste  and  ingenuity  of  the 
sculptor,  whose  name  tradition  has  not  condescended  to  hand  down.  This  P&1{ 
temple  is  said  to  have  been  built  by  Jdjal  Deva,  T&ji  of  Katanpdr,  in  the  tenth 
century,  and  from  the  nature  of  many  of  its  carvings,  as  also  the  name  P&U,  is 
not  improbably  of  Buddhist  origin,  subsequently  modified  by  the  Hindds. 

Of  the  forts  in  the  district  the  two  principal — Batanpdr  and  L^phd — ^have 
p  already  been  alluded  to.     They  are  the   most 

ancient  and  the  most  imposing  structures.  The 
great  majority  of  the  minor  forts  consist  simply  of  a  high  earth  embankment 
surrounded  by  a  ditch,  supplying  a  ready  protection  at  a  time  when  the  country 
was  overrun  by  bands  of  robbers,  who  plundered  the  people.  In  these  peaceful 
days,  when  men's  swords  are  turned  into  plough-shares,  these  formidable 
enclosures  are  no  longer  tended,  and  show  rents  and  gaps  indicating,  happily,  the 
desuetude  into  which  they  have  fallen.  There  is  some  stirring  legend  associated 
with  each  fort,  which  the  village  bard  recites  at  times  to  an  admiring  audience, 
belauding  perhaps  the  ancestor  of  some  landholder  who  is  present,  or  else 
verifying  the  omnipotent  character  of  some  local  god.  The  grand  want,  which 
these  forts  now  supply,  is  a  certain  amount  of  irrigation  from  their  deep  ditches 


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[Skction  II.— History.] 


BIL  87 


for  the  sugarcane  crop,  so  that,  when  situated  between  two  villages,  a  dispute 
the  settlement  department  had  often  to  settle  was  the  quantity  of  water  fairly 
apportionable  to  each. 

One  prominent  feature  remains  to  be  alluded  to,  and  that  is   the  great 

number  of  tanks  found  scattered  all  over  the 
*^  '•  district.     All   but    newly-established    and  small 

viDages  have  at  least  one  tank  ;  large  villages  have  five  or  six,  and  Eatanpdr 
has,  within  its  boundaries,  one  hundred  and  fifty.  The  settlement  statistics 
show  a  total  of  7,018  tanks,  and  although  these  include,  under  the  name  of 
tanks,  reservoirs  of  a  very  petty  kind,  yet  an  adequate  idea  may  be  formed 
from  these  figures  of  the  extent  to  which  tanks  have  been  constructed.  There 
is  perhaps  no  more  sacred  duty,  in  the  eyes  of  a  comfortable  landholder  than  to 
devote  his  surplus  to  the  digging  of  a  tank.  Then  follows  the  ceremony  of 
marriage,  when  the  Brdhmans  are  fed,  and  a  great  high  pole  is  placed  in  the 
centre ;  and  this  completed,  the  high  embankment  is  fringed  with  mango  trees. 
There  are  very  many  remarkably  picturesque  tanks  thus  lined  with  shade,  but 
none  containing  a  large  sheet  of  water.  In  fact  tanks  of  extravagant  dimen- 
sions were  beyond  the  means  of  the  people,  and  the  two  largest — Rdni  Taldo, 
of  Eatanpdr,  and  the  tank  of  Jdnjgir — are  not  really  of  any  note,  except  by 
comparison  with  others  in  their  vicinity.  The  prevalence  of  tanks  has  placed 
wftlls  at  a  discount,  and  until  within  the  last  three  years  they  were  in  the 
interior  absolutely  unknown.  Local  efibrt,  however,  having  been  unremitting  in 
promoting  their  construction,  there  are  now  several  hundred  wells,  but  so 
inveterate  are  the  proclivities  engendered  by  habit,  that  though  demonstrably  the 
well-water  is  purer,  the  people  stick  to  their  tanks,  and  declare  that,  though  the 
water  may  be  muddy  from  the  wallowing  of  cattle,  it  is,  all  the  same,  sweet 
and  palatable. 

The  annals  of  Bil&spfir  go  back  to  a  very  early  age,  and  are  connected 
,,  -.  — His/  ^^^  *^®  history  of  the   Haihai  Bans!  kings  of 

ECTioN     •         ^^'  Mandla,    L&nji,    and    Eatanpdr.      The     earliest 

qui  y  a  p  r  am  y.  recoi^ded  prince  of  the  Eatanpdr  or  Chhattisgarh 
line  was  Mdrta  Dhvaja,  whose  fabled  adventures  with  Krishna  are  related  in 
the  Jaimini  Purina  (Jaiminiya  Aswamedha).  The  story  runs  that  Krishna, 
disguised  as  a  Brihman,  asked  half  of  M6rta  Dhvaja^s  body  to  test  his  faith. 
Mdrta  Dhvaja  consented  to  be  sawn  in  two;  but  when  the  operation  was  com- 
mencing, Krishna  revealed  himself,  and  showered  blessings  on  the  head  of  the 
devout  prince.  It  is  said  that,  in  consequence,  the  use  of  the  saw  was  entirely 
prohibited  in  the  Chhattfsgarh  country,  and  was  only  reintroduced  under  Mardthi 
rule.  It  would  appear  then  that  from  the  very  earliest  period  of  ascertainable 
history  until  the  advent  of  the  Marithis  in  the  eighteenth  century  this  Haihai 
Bansi  dynasty  ruled  over  Chhattfsgarh.  The  traces  of  their  rule  are  found  in 
tanks  and  temples  scattered  over  the  country,  in  the  ruins  of  many  edifices  at 
their  capital,  Eatanpdr,  and  in  all  the  traditions  of  the  people.  But  unfortunately 
no  local  annals  exist  of  these  princes,  fi:om  which  could  be  compiled  anything 
Kke  a  detailed  history.  The  only  sources  of  knowledge  on  the  subject  are  to  be 
found  in  disconnected  old  documents,  many  of  them  worn  and  tattered,  in  the 
possession  of  Eewd  Edm  Kiyath  and  Durgd  Datt  Shdstrf,  the  descendants,  re- 
spectively, of  a  former  diwdn  and  priest  of  the  family,  and  also  in  various  Sanskrit 
inscriptions,  which  have  been  written  on  tablets  from  time  to  time  in  different 
temples.  The  information  thus  obtained,  though  meagre  and  incomplete,  has 
been  thrown  into  a  narrative  form  as  continuous  as  the  materials  available 
"admitted. 


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BIL 


[Section  II.— HiatoryJ 


The  Chliattfsgarli  r&j&s  ruled  originally  over  thirty-six  forts^  and  thus  tlie 
oui.  j^      X.       •  •     *  tract  came  to  be  called  Chhattisgarh,  or  the  conn- 

Chhattlsgarh-ongin  of  name,  try  of  thirty-six  forts.  The  thirty-six  forts  were  09 
follows,  and  are  arranged  with  reference  to  the  subsequent  distribution,  render- 
ing them  subordinate  to  the  senior  and  junior  branches  of  the  family,  ruling 
respectively  at  Eatanpdr  and  Rdlpdr : — 


1.  Batanpdr* 

2.  Mdrd. 
S.  Bijdpdr. 

4.  Kharod. 

5.  Kotgarh. 

6.  Nawdgarh. 

7.  Sonti. 

8.  Okhar. 

9.  Pandarbhdtd. 

10.  Simdrid. 

11.  Madanpdr  (Ghdmpd  zamlnddrQ. 

12.  Ldphd. 

13.  Eosgdi  (Chhdrf  zamfnddri). 

14.  Eendd. 

15.  Mdtln. 

16.  Uprord. 

17.  Kandrl  (Pendrd). 

18.  Karkati. 


1.  Rdfpdr. 

2.  Pdtan. 
8.  Simgd. 

4.  Sringdrpdr. 

5.  Laun. 

6.  Am(rd. 

7.  Drdg. 

8.  Sdrdd. 

9.  Sirsd. 
10.  Mohdf. 
U.  KhaldrL 

12.  Sirpdr. 

13.  FinMswar. 

14.  Rdjlm. 

15.  Singangarh. 

16.  Sdarmdr. 

17.  Tengndgarh* 

18.  Ekalwdrd. 


In  all  36  forts. 

These  forts,  as  they  wore  called,  were  in  reality  each  the  head-quarters  of 
a  tdluka,  comprising  a  number  of  villages,  and  held  sometimes  '^  khdm,'^  at 
others  as  feudal  tenures  by  relations  or  influential  chiefs.  To  the  original 
divisions  additions  were  made  by  conquest,  so  that  in  Kalydn  Sahi's  time  a 
detail  is  given  in  his  papers  of  forty-eight  forts.  As  regards  the  eighteen 
old  Batanpdr  divisions,  compared  with  the  present  district  of  Bildspdr,  it  may 
be  noted  that  the  first  eleven  are,  and  have  been  ever  since  Mardthd  rule, 
khdlsa  jurisdiction ;  the  following  seven  were,  and  are  still  zaminddrfs ;  while 
the  eighteenth  division,  adjoining  the  Pendrd  chiefship  above  the  ghdts,  appears 
to  have  been  made  over  to  Rewa,  as  a  marriage  dowry  to  his  daughter,  by  Bdjfi 
Dddd  Rdi  about  a.d.  1480.  Of  other  tracts  now  included  in  Bildspdr  it  would 
seem  that  Pandarid  and  Kawardd,  on  the  west,  were  wrested  from  the  Otond 
dynasty  of  Mandla.  Korbd  was  taken  from  Sirgdja  by  Bahirsahl  Rajd  about  the 
year  a.d.  1520,  and  the  small  zam(nddr(  of  Bildigarh,  &c.,  south  of  the  Mahdnadf , 
together  with  the  khdlsa  tract  of  Kikardd  on  the  east,  from  Sambalpdr,  by 
B^d  Lachhman  Sahf  about  the  year  1580.  This  sufficiently  explains  the  present, 
as  compared  with  the  past  position  of  the  Batanpdr  half  of  the  Chhattfsgarh 
country. 


In  the  margin  is  given  a  list  of  the   rdjds  of  the  Haihai  Bans(  line  who 

are    supposed    to    have    reigned    at  Batanpdr. 
There  are  many  copies  of  this  list  extant,  but  the 


LiitofRdjdf. 


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[Section  II. — History.] 


BIL 


89 


oldest  that  has  beon  seen  seems  to  have  been  written  in  the  sixteenth  century  in 

the  time  of 
Kalydn  Sahf . 
Palpably  the 
detail  is  too 
complete  to 
bo  reliable, 
but  it  can 
safely  bo  as- 
serted that 
the  list  is 
based  on 
fact;  that  it 
contains  tho 
genealogical 
treOjCherish- 
ed     as      an 

heirloom 
by  the  fa- 
mily them- 
selves, and 
-that  where 
external  evi- 
dence, such 
as  tem- 

ple tablets, 
have  been 
available  to 
verify       its 

entries, 
these     have 

fairly  stood  the  test  both  as  to  dates  and  names.     The  temple-slabs  in  which 

♦  From  this  reign  downwards  the  dates  are  given  as  computed  by  Mr.  Chisholm,  but  they  do 
not  seem  to  rest  on  sufficient  authority  until  we  come  down  to  the  sixteenth  century. 

t  For  the  dates  from  Surdeva  asfar  as  Ratna  Sinhadeva  there  are  the  following  authorities  : — 

(1)  Amarkantak  inscription. — (Nagpur  Antiquarian  Society's  Journal  No.  2.)    This  gives 
the  following  list : — 

Prithvideva. 
Jajvalyadeva  (his  son). 
A  distant  relation  (no  name  given)  =  Somaliddevu 

Ratnadeva. 

I 

Ratnadeva  (his  grand-nephew)  Sam  vat  1041  =  984  a.d. 

(2)  Ratanpdr  inscription. — Bengal  Asiatic  Society's  Journal  for  1863,  p.  277,   gives  the 
following  list : — 

Jdjaladeva. 

Ratnadeva. 

Prithvideva^-who,  by  computation  from  the  date  given  for  the  descendant  of  his  con- 
temporary, in  the  family  whom  the  mscription  commemorates,  may  have  reigned  about  A  .D.  950. 
JV.B.--Other  inscriptions  and  lists  show  that  this  last  prince  was  also  called  Bir  Sinhadeva. 

(3)  The  Ratanpdr  inscription  (mentioned  in  Asiatic  Researches,  vol.  xv.  p.  501)  is  said  to 
give  nine  kings,  but  the  inscription  cannot  at  present  be  traced,  and  the  only  kmg  mentioned  ia 

12  CPG 


No. 

Name  of  BujA. 

Probable 

period  of 

reign. 

No. 

Name  of  Edjd. 

Probable 

period  of 

reign. 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 

11 

13 

13 

14 

15 

16 

17 

18 

19 

20 
21 
22 
23 
24 
25 
28 
27 

Mfirtadhvaja 

c 
P 

>  1 

1 

t 

< 

A.D. 

^950  to  990 

28 
29 
30 
31 
33 
33 
3t 
35 
3G 
37 
38 
39 
40 
41 
42 
43 
44 
46 
48 
47 
48 
49 
50 
51 
52 
53 
54 
55 

Bhupiil  Sinhadeva* ... 
Karmasendeva 

A.D. 

1088  to  1126 
1126  to  1150 
115t]  to  1195 
1195  to  1225 
1225  to  1250 
1250  to  1293 
1293  to  1311 
1311  to  1333 
1333  to  1371 
1371  to  1407 
1407  to  1420 
1426  to  1514 
1514  to  1462 
1462  to  1487 
1-187  to  1509 
1509  to  1536 
1538  to  1573 
1573  to  1581 
1581  to  1590 
1596  to  1007 
1607  to  1622 
1622  to  1835 
1635  to  1649 
1649  to  1675 
1675  to  1689 
1689  to  1712 
1712  to  1732 
1732  to  1745 

T&mradhv£^a    

Ohitra     do 

Visva       do 

Chandra  do 

Mahipfil  do 

Bikram  Sen. 

Bhansendeva    

Narsinhadova  

Bh^isinhadeva  

Pratdpsinhadova 

Jaisinhadeva 

Bbimsen 

Bharmasinhadeva .  ... 
Jagannithsinhadeva. 
Birsinhadova    

Knmar^en 

Kamap&l. '. 

Knarpal 

Kavalsinhadova    

Sankarsah  ide va    

Mohansahidova    

Dddusahideva  

Merpil 

Mohanp&L 

J^jalDeva.   

Devapdl 

Purshottarasahfdeva  . 
Bahirsahidova 

Bhftpdl  

Bhumdeva 

KalyansahSdeva    

Lachhmansahideva. . . . 

Sankarsabideva    

Mukundsahidova 

Tribhuvansahidova.. . . 
Jajjrraohansahideva .... 
AdlSsahidova     

K&mdeva  

Mohadeva 

Sordevat  

Prithvideva 

Brahmadova 

Budradeva    

Ranjitsahidova 

Jdjaldeva  

Takhtsinhade va    

R^jasinha 

Ratnadeva    

Bir  Sinhadeva 

Batna  Sinhadeva... 

Sard4rsinhadeva 

Raghundthsinha  

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90  BIL  [Section  II.— Histor}.] 

references  to  the  dynasty  are  given  are  those  at  Amarkantak,  Eatanpdr,  Kong&i, 
Malhir,  and  Seorinariin.  Of  course  in  the  earlier  years,  where  we  should  have 
expected  to  find  several  blanks  and  find  none,  we  may  plausibly  presume  that 
the  Brfflunans  have  been  at  work,  and  have  successfully  suppHed  each  hiatus 
with  a  lucky  name,  in  order  to  establish  in  favour  of  the  rdjds  an  unbroken  lunar 
origin ;  but  as  we  come  to  more  recent  times,  the  detail  may  be  accepted  as 
historically  accurate,  and  altogether  the  list  itself  is  not  devoid  of  local 
interest. 

It  is  in  connection  with  the  earlier  rdjas  that  the  very  vaguest  traditions 
.,  exist.     Allusion  has  already  been  made  to  Mtir- 

Traces  of  first  Rajiis.  tadhvaja  and  Tdmradhvaja.   The  LSphd  fort  already 

mentioned,  the  ruins  of  which  show  it  to  have  been  a  formidable  work,  is  said 
to  have  been  built  by  Mrirtadhvaja  in  the  early  days  of  Rdjput  ascendancy.  Then 
tradition  assigns  the  credit  of  having  first  established  a  town  at  Amarkantak  to 
Chandradhvaja,  while  the  fort  of  Ajmirgarh,  on  the  hill  of  that  name  near  Amar- 
kantak, where  a  partially  filled  tank  and  the  debris  of  former  buildings  are  still 
objects  of  interest,  is  attributed  to  Mohan  Pdla.  Again,  the  tenth  rijd,  Kamapil, 
and  the  seventeenth  rdj4,  Bhimdeva,  have  each  a  large  tank  bearing  their  names, 
viz.  at  Batanpdr  and  a  village  called  Jdnjgir.  These  tanks  they  are  said  to 
have  excavated,  and  to  have  constructed  the  masonry  ghdts,  the  ruins  of  which 
alone  remain. 

It  was  on  the  accession  of  the  twentieth  rdjfi,  Surdeva,  about  A.n.  749,  that 
g^  the   Chhattisgarh  country  was  divided  into  two 

sections.  Surdeva  remained  at  Ratanpiir  and 
governed  the  northern  section,  while  his  younger  brother  Brahmadeva  moved 
to  Eifpdr  and  ruled  the  southern  section.  From  this  time  there  continued 
permanently  the  rule  of  two  separate  rdjds  in  Chhattisgarh ;  for  although  after 
nine  generations  the  direct  line  from  Brahmadeva  became  extinct,  a  younger  son 
from  the  Ratanpdr  house  again  proceeded  to  Rdlptir,  namely,  Devandth  Singh,  the 
Bon  of  Rijd  Jaganndth  Sinhadeva,  about  the  year  a.d.  1360,  and  his  issue  con- 
tinued in  uninterrupted  possession  till  the  arrival  of  the  Mardthds.  This  division 
of  the  jurisdiction  under  the  sway  of  the  Haihai  Bansis  did  not  affect  the  abso- 
lute supremacy  of  the  senior  branch  of  the  family,  which  remained  at  Ratanpdr, 
with  whom  the  final  authority  still  remained,  and  round  whom  all  the  traditional 
associations  centred. 


the  Asiatic  ResearcheB  is  Prithvideva,  the  sixth  of  the  Hne.    The  ninth  king  is  shown  by  the 
inscription  to  have  reigned  in  915.    If  this  be  the  Saka  era  his  date  would  be  a.d.  993. 

(4)  The  Rijim  inscription  (Asiatic  Researches,  vol.  xv.  p.  512)  is  much  defaced,  but  apps- 
•rently  records  the  subjugation  of  a  kins,  Ratnadeva,  and  the  marriAge  of  Jagat  Pala,  a  foreign 
'Conqueror,  to  the  daughter  of  Prithvmeva,  by  which  he  acquired  the  fort  of  Durga  (Dr6g). 
The  date  of  Jagat  Pala  may  be  either  Samvat  796  or  896,  and  if  the  king  referred  to  is  the  first 
TrithTideva,  the  Saka  era  would  agree  more  nearly,  with  the  other  dates  adopted,  than  the 
Yikram&ditya  Samvat.  The  second  Ratnadeva  appears  from  the  above  inscriptions  to  have 
reigned  in  tne  last  quarter  of  the  tenth  century.  But  the  first  Ratnndeva,  as  we  know  from  the 
Amarkantak  inscription,  was  his  grand-uncle,  and  the  first  Prithvideva,  was  two  generations 
anterior  to  htm  (Ratnadeva  I.),  so  that  as  Jagat  Pala  was  probably  the  contemporary  either  of 
Prithvideva  I.  or  of  Jdvalvadeva,  his  date  may  be  taken  as  796  Saka,  which  +  78  =  874  a.d., 
which  would  eorrespond  fairly  with  the  dates  computed  for  Bir  Sinhadeva  and  Ratna  Sinha- 
deva. But  there  arc  so  many  transcripts  of  inscriptions  and  so  few  actual  inscriptions  extant,  or 
jat  least  now  to  "be  found,  that  the  list  of  kings  prior  to  the  sixteenth  century  can  only  be 
jregardeditf  jtpproxioialely  correct.— [Ed.] 


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[Section  II— HUtory]  BIL  91 

The  son  of  Surdeva  above  referred  to  was  Prithvfdeva.     He  seems  to  have 
P  thvideva  reigned  towards  the  end  of  the  ninth  century.    As 

local  tradition  is  full  of  his  deeds,  we  may  conclude 
that  his  rule  was  a  successful  and  prosperous  one.  He  built  the  old  fort  of 
Batanpdr  and  the  palace,  both  of  which  are  now  in  ruins.  The  Mah^mif  temple 
— the  most  ancient  building  of  the  kind  in  Eatanpdr — ^was  originally  erected 
by  Prithvfdeva,  though  subsequently  renewed  seven  centuries  later  by  Bahirsahi. 
In  the  sculptured  tablets  of  Malhdr  and  Amarkantak,  the  virtues  of  this  rijd  are 
san^  in  all  the  rhythmic  sweetness  of  Sanskrit  verse  :  thus,  he  was  brave  and 
fikUml  in  battle ;  a  terror  to  his  enemies ;  a  friend  to  his  people ;  generous  to  the 
learned,  and  himself  fond  of  learning.  But  beyond  this  we  get  little  information 
of  any  kind* 

Following  Prithvideva  there  are  four  rajds,  Brahmadeva,  Rudradeva,*  Jdjal- 
™l     j      xTiioi-f  deva,  and  Ratnadeva,  whose  names  are  recorded 

m  dmerent  temple-slabs  as  having  attamed  great 
honour,  and  who  are  represented  as  having  discharged  in  an  exemplary  manner 
their  duty  by  their  subjects.  It  would  be  occupying  useless  space  to  give  a 
detail  of  the  tanks  and  temples  attributed  to  these  princes,  as  none  of  them  are 
of  a  sufficiently  marked  character  to  necessitate  description.  Of  their  mode  of 
government  no  mention  is  made  in  any  record,  and  all  through  there  is  a 
similar  silence  for  some  five  centuries  until  we  come  to  the  forty-third  raj4, 
Bahirsahi.  He  built  the  fort  of  Kosgdi,  in  the  Chhuri  zaminddri,  about  the  year 
A.D.  1520,  from  the  tablet  in  which  it  would  seem  that  there  was  during  this^ 
reign  a  Mohammadan  irruption  from  the  north,  which  the  T&ji  successfully 
resisted,  driving  back  the  invaders.  As  general  history,  however,  does  not 
show  that  any  Mohammadan  army  ever  visited  this  part  of  the  country,  the 
Patkdns,  whom  Bahirsahi  defeated,  must  have  been  a  small  force  under  some 
needy  adventurer  in  search  of  plunder. 

It  is  not  till  the  reign  of  Elaly&n   Sahl  that  the  overpowering  influence 
K     £    ^h"  ^^    Mohammadan    sovereignty   extended   into   a 

^  °        *  region  so  land-locked  and  isolated  as  Chhattisgarh. 

Ealy&n  Sahl  seems  to  have  reigned  between  the  years  a.d.  1536  and  1573. 
The  annual  crowd  of  pilgrims  who  flocked  from  the  Upper  Provinces  through 
Rat&nptir  to  Jaganndth  must  often  have  related  in  glowing  language  the  pomp 
and  splendour  of  the  Moghal  court  of  Delhi.  Whether  excited  by  curiosity, 
or  impelled  by  fear  lest  his  kingdom  should  be  absorbed,  it  is  impossible  to 
decide,  but  Kalyin  Sahi  determined  on  proceeding  to  Delhi  and  having  audience 
of  the  great  Akbar.  He  made  over  the  management  of  his  country  to  his 
son  Lachhman  Sahi,  and,  accompanied  by  a  large  body  of  followers,  proceeded 
on  his  mission.  He  is  represented  as  haviug  been  absent  eight  years,  and  then 
returning  to  Batanpdr  laden  with  honours,  having  been  invested  with  the  full 
rightB  of  raja  and  a  high-sounding  title. 

One  of  the  revenue  books  of  the  Kalydn  Sahi  period  is  still  extant,  and  contains 

much  interesting  information  on  the  condition  of 

Extent  of  bis  terntory.  Chhattisgarh   some   three    centuries    ago.     It   is 

much  to  be  regretted  that  more  books  of  this  kind  do  not  exist,  for  from  a 
careful  comparison  of  different  periods  we  should  have  been  able  to  form  some 
idea  of  the  gradual  changes  which  have   occurred.     It  would   seem  that  the 

*  Rudradeva  seems  to  have  been  merely  a  regent —[Ed.] 


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92  BIL  [Section  1L— History.! 

Eatanpdr  government,  at  the  time  indicated,  including  Rilpdr,  comprised  forty- 
eight  '^  garhs'^  or  talukas,  yielding  a  revenue  of  C^  Idkhs  of  rupees,  and,  includ- 
ing '^  siija,T/'  or  transit  dues,>5iine  Idkhs  of  rupees,  which,  considering  the  relative 
value  of  money  in  those  eariy  days,  and  now,  indicates  a  large  share  of  prosperity. 
The  jurisdiction  of  Kalyan  Sahi,  from  the  details  given,  extended  over  the  whole 
of  the  country  now  known  as  Chhattfsgarh,  with  the  exception  of  Kaward^ 
Khairigarh,  and  the  other  zamlnddria  skirting  the  western  hills,  which  are  not 
mentioned,  and  evidently  must  at  the  time  have  belonged  to  the  Gond  d3masty  of 
Mandla.  But  in  addition  to  the  present  limits  of  Chhattfsgarh  it  would  seem  to 
have  included  Korid,  Sirgdja,  and  other  parts  of  the  Chotd  Ndgpiir  division, 

with  Rdmgarh,  now  included  in  Mandla, 
and  Ldnji  of  Bdldghdt.  The  rijds  named 
in  the  margin  are  noted  as  subordinates, 
or  rather  as  feudatories  of  the  Haihai 
Bans!  house,  which,  there  seems  no  doubt, 
exercised  paramount  authority  for  a  long 
series  of  years  over  this  thinly-populated,  but  extensive  eastern  tract  of  the 
present  Central  Provinces. 

The  army  maintained  by  Kalydn  Sahl  was  not 
His  anny.  of  a  formidable  character.     The  following  is  a  detail 

of  its  strength  : — 

2,000  swordsmen. 
5,000  daggermen. 
3,600  matchlockmen. 
2,600  archers. 
1,000  sawirs. 


1.  Sambalpdr. 

6.  Sarangarh. 

2.  Patni. 

7.  Sonpur. 

3.  Kharidr. 

8.  Rdigarh. 

4.  Bastar. 

9.  Sakti. 

5.  Kharod. 

10.  Chandrapiir. 

Total... 14,200  men. 

There  would  seem  also  to  have  been  maintained  an  establishment  of  116 
elephants.  Such  a  force  was  fully  adequate  for  the  maintenance  of  internal  order, 
and  considerably  greater  than  could  be  brought  together  by  any  of  the 
surrounding  chiefs.  As  for  external  enemies,  the  difficulties  of  approach,  and 
the  comparative  remoteness  and  poverty  of  the  country,  made  an  invasion  ,ia 
earlier  years  by  no  means  an  inviting  prospect,  and  subsequently  K^lyin  Sahf'.s 
Bhrewdness  in  proceeding  to  Delhi,  and  his  acknowledgment  by  the  Emperor 
Akbar,  tended  to  prolong  for  years  the  rule  of  his  dynasty. 

On  the  death  of  Kalydn  Sahf  his  son  Lachhman  Sahi  succeeded,  bat  there 

T    1.1.        o  1 '  X    T»z'  o-    1.       is  nothincf  of  a  recordable  character  to  be  noted  in 

Lachhman  Sahi  to  Rfij  Sineh.  , .  ^        vli    i  •        i         mi  i  •  j 

•'      °         connection  with  his  rule.     The  same  may  be  said 

of  his  successors  for  several  generations  until  we  come  to  Takht  Singh  who  was 

rdjd  between  a.d.  1675  and  1689.     He  built  a  rude  palace  at  Takhtpdr,  now  ia 

ruins,   and   a  temple,  and  instituted  the  weekly  market  there,  which  is  still  an 

important  gathering.     Edj  Singh,  his  son,  ruled  from  a.d.  1689  to  1712,  and 

built  a  new  palace  at  the  eastern  limit  of  Ratanpur,  one  of  the  two-storied  walls 

of  which  now  alone  remains.     He  also  excavated  a  large  tank  in  front  of  this 

palace,  which  he  ornamented  with  masonry  steps,  and  a  portion  of  which  was 

enclosed  by  walls  for  the  convenience  of  the  ladies  of  the  household.    The  part 

of  Ratanpdr,  above   alluded  to   is  still  called  "  Rajpdr,^'  and  the  tank  ''  Rdnikd 

Taldo.'^     The  tank  after  the  rains  is  a  fine  sheet  of  water,  well  worthy  a  visit, 

but  the  ruins  themselves  are  not  of  an  interesting  character. 


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[Section  II.— History]  BIL  9S 

Rdj  Singh  had  been  married  some  years  and  had  no  offspring.    His  nearest 
Df^tli   f  B^  S'    h*  ^^^  ^^^  ^^^  grand-uncle   Sarddr   Singh,  son   of 

J  oing         n.  Ranjit  Singh,  but  Rij  Singh  had  no  wish  that  ho 

(Sarddr  Singh)  should  succeed  him,  and  so  he  took  counsel  of  his  Brahman 
diwdn,  a  hereditary  servant  of  the  family.  After  much  and  frequent  discussion 
the  sacred  books  were  appealed  to  as  authorising  a  special  procedure  under 
special  circumstances,  and  it  was  finally  resolved  that  a  Brdhman,  selected  by 
the  diwdn,  should  visit  the  favourite  Rdnl.  In  due  time  a  son  was  bom,  who 
was  named  Bishnith  Singh,  and  the  popular  rejoicings  knew  no  bounds.  Imme- 
diately Bishndth  Singh  grew  up  he  was  married  to  a  daughter  of  the  Rijd  of 
Eew5,  intermarriages  being  frequent  between  the  Rewd  and  Haihai  Bansi 
families.  Some  time  after  the  marriage  festivities  were  over  the  young  couple 
were  one  day  playing  together  a  game  of  chance.  In  the  course  of  their  play 
Bishndth  Singh  took  several  questionable  advantages  over  his  fair  opponent,  and 
sorely  tried  her  temper  by  defeating  her  game  after  game.  At  last  she  made 
the  discovery  that  the  play  on  his  part  had  been  false,  and  is  represented  as 
rising  and  saying,  half  in  jest  and  half  in  scorn,  "  Of  course  I  should  expect  to 
bo  overreached,  for  are  you  not  a  Brdhman  and  no  Rdjput  V^  Taunted  thus 
with  his  birth,  of  which  he  had  already  heard  whispers,  he  went  out  and 
stabbed  himself. 

No  sooner  was  R4j  Singh  informed  of  what  had  happened  than  he  resolved 
-n  -X    ^       r  Tk'  /    TiiP  ^         to  have  revenue  on  his  diwin,  through  whose 

imprudence,  or  worse,  the  shame  ot  his  house 
had  been  circulated  abroad.  The  "  Biwin  Y&r&Z'  or  in  English  phraseology 
"Minister  Square,^^  of  Ratanpdr  was  at  the  time  in  question  an  imposing  part  of 
the  town.  Here  lived  the  dfwdn,  and  congregated  round  him  were  a  crowd  of 
relations,  who,  however  distantly  connected,  had  in  eastern  fashion  come  together 
near  the  fortunate  representative  of  the  family.  The  rdjd  blew  down  with  his 
guns  the  whole  of  this  part  of  the  town,  and  involved  in  one  common  disaster 
every  member  of  the  small  community,  numbering,  it  is  said,  over  four  hundred 
men,  women,  and  children.  At  the  same  time  were  destroyed  most  of  tho 
papers  and  records  appertaining  to  the  dynasty,  which  would  have  been  so 
useful  in  later  days. 

Subsequent  to  these  transactions  it  was  generally  understood  that  Mohan 

o         •       r  o    J/    o-    I.  Sinffh,  of  the  Rdiptir  house,  had  been  selected  by 

Succession  of  Sardar  Singh.  t>^-   o-      i.  i_-  -kit  \.        o--u- 

^  Raj  bmgh,  as  his  successor.       Mohan   bingn  is 

represented  as  a  young  man  of  much  physical  strength  and  considerable  personal 

attractions.     He  frequently  remained  for  months  with  Rij  Singh,  who  openly 

exhibited  the  greatest  attachment  for  the  young  man.     The  death  of  Rdj  Singh, 

however,  was  sdmewhat  sudden,  and  circumstances  prevented  his  carrying  out 

whatever  wishes  he  may  have  entertained  regarding  Mohan  Singh.     A  fall  from 

lua  horse  was  the  immediate  cause  of  his  death.     He  sent  for  Mohan  Singh  and 

also  for  his  two  grand-uncles,  Sarddr  Singh  and  Raghundth  Singh.     There  was 

some  delay  in  Mohan  Singh's  arrival,  as  he  was  absent  at  the  time  on  a  shooting 

expedition.     Meanwhile  the  rdjd  was  sinking  fast,  so  he  took  tho  "pagri''  and 

)ut  it  on  the  head  of  Sarddr  Singh,  thus  acknowledging  him  as  his  successor. 

JCL  a  few  days  Mohan  Singh  arrived,  and  found  Sarddr  Singh  duly  installed.  He 
was  greatly  enraged  at  being  thus  superseded,  and  in  leaving  said  that  he 
would  yet  return  and  assume  the  government.  Sarddr  Singh,  however,  ruled 
quietly  for  twenty  years,  and  having  no  son,  was  succeeded  in  a.d.  1732  by  his 
brotlier  Raghundth   Singh,  a  man   already  over  sixty,   and   quite  unable  to 


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94  BIL  [Section  II.— Histwy,  J 

encounter  with  a  bold  front  the  trials  and  difficulties  which  were  shortly  to 
overtake  his  country. 

At  the  close  of  1740^  when  Eaghnn&th  Singh  had  been  some  three  years  on 

-,,.„.,,,,     ,  J       .  the  throne,  occurred  the  invasion  of  Chht^lsffarh 

Lnd  of  Haihai  Banal  dynasty.       ^^   ^^^  ^^^^^  ^^^^j  ^^^^^  p^^^     ^^^ 

time  Kaghunith  Singh  was  bowed  down  with  a  heavy  sorrow.  He  had  lost  his 
only  son,  and  had  ceased  for  nearly  a  year  to  take  any  interest  in  his  govern- 
ment. A  feeble  man  at  best,  but  now  worn  out  with  years  and  afflicted  in 
mind,  he  made  no  eflfort  to  defend  his  '^  v&j/^  but  waited  in  the  calmness  of 
despair  till  Bhdskar  Pant  had  reached  his  capital.  Even  then  there  was  no 
attempt  at  resistance.  Bh&skar  Pant  brought  his  guns  to  play  on  the  fort, 
and  a  part  of  the  palace  was  soon  in  ruins.  At  this  juncture  one  of  the 
S4n(s  mounted  the  parapet  and  exhibited  a  flag  of  truce.  The  gates  were  then 
opened,  and  the  invading  army  entered  and  took  possession.  In  this  inglorious 
manner  ended  the  rule  of  the  Haihai  Bans!  dynastv,  which,  from  a  period  lost 
in  the  hazy  mists  of  tradition,  had  governed  Chhattisgarh,  and  now  at  the  very 
first  summons,  and  without  a  struggle,  yielded  up  its  heritage.  No  struggle, 
however  bitter,  could  have  altered  results,  but  history  almost  requires  that  the 
last  of  a  long  line  of  rdjds  should  die  sword  in  hand  defending  his  country,  and 
leave  in  the  memory  of  posterity  a  noble  example  of  patriotism  and  courage^ 
If,  at  the  time,  the  whole  resources  of  Chhattisgarh  and  Sambalpdr  had  been 
exercised  by  one  central  authority,  the  Mardth^s  might  have  encountered  a 
really  formidable  opposition.  But  as  it  was,  there  was  no  central  authority- 
possessing  any  vigour,  and  the  Hiiihai  Bansis  merely  stood  at  ihd  head  of  a 
number  of  petty  rijis  and  chiefs,  each  of  whom  was  to  a  large  extent  indepen- 
dent, and  among  whom  the  whole  country  was  divided.  It  was  an  essentially 
weak  system,  adapted  for  a  peaceful  state  of  society  alone,  and  must  have 
fallen  long  previously  had  any  well-organised  foreign  invasion  ever  been 
attempted.  When  the  Mardthds  came,  they  marched  through  the  whole  country 
without  any  opposition,  and  having  substituted  their  own  authority  for  that  of 
the  Haihai  Bansf  r&jds,  they  demanded,  and  obtained,  the  allegiance  of  all  the 
surrounding  states. 

Bh^skar  Pant,  having  reduced  Batanptlr,  left  a  small  garrison  in  it  and 

w.^  i.T>i.it^i-oi.  marched  for  Cutteck.  A  fine  of  a  likh  of  rupees 
Restoration  of  Racrhunath  Singh.  i.-rii.-T.  jxi.x 

^  ^        IS  mentioned  as  having  been  imposed  on  the  town, 

and  all  that  remained  in  the  treasury  was  appropriated.     The  army  is  said  to- 

have  consisted  of  40,000  men,  chiefly  horse,  who   pillaged  the   country  in  all 

directions.     No  violence,  however,  was  done  to  Raghunith  Singh,  who  in  fact  waa 

permitted  to  carry  on  the  government  in  the  name  of  the  Bhon^ds. 

Previous  mention  has  been  made  of  Mohan  Singh,  who  left  Batanpdr 
s        aed  b   M  hAn  S'    h         disgusted,   when,   in  a.d.    1 712,    Sardir    Singk 
^  ^  '         succeeded  Rdj  Singh,  and  threatened  to  return 

and  assume  the  government.  His  efibrts  to  raise  a  party  in  his  favour,  stronff- 
enough  to  create  a  local  revolution,  proving  fruitless,  he  left  for  Ndgpir  and 
finally  joined  Raghojl.  He  became  a  favourite  with  this  prince,  was  made  a 
Bhonsld,  and  accompanied  Ba^oji  in  his  expedition  against  Bengal.  In  a.d.  1746, 
when  Raghoji  returned  from  bengal,  he  crossed  from  Rewd  to  Ratanplir,  and 
finding  that  Raghundth  Singh,  the  late  rdjd,  whom  his  general,  Bhiskar  Pant,, 
had  maintained  in  authority  in  Chhattfsgarh,  was  dead,  he  installed  Mohan 
Singh  as  rdjd,  and  then  proceeded  with  his  army  through  Chhattisgarh  to 


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ISkctiow  II.— History.] 


BIL  95 


Nigpdr.  Mohan  Singh  seems  to  have  ruled  in  Chhattfsgarh  till  a.d.  1758,  when, 
after  the  death  of  Raghoji,  his  younger  son  Bimbijl  had  the  Chhattisgarh 
country  made  over  to  him.  No  sooner  did  this  intelligence  reach  Mohan  Singh 
than  he  prepared  to  oppose  Bimbajl's  progress.  He  was  taken  suddenly  ill, 
however,  and  died  at  Rdipdr,  where  he  had  collected  a  force,  and  thus  Bimbiji 
assumed  the  government  without  disturbance. 

Before  dismissing  the  subject  of  the  Haihai  Bansl  dynasty  it  may  be  noted 

^  .        -  FT  .      that    the   only   surviving  representative    of  the 

JS  repre«5ntatiTe  of  Hai-     ^.^^  .^^  ^  ^^^  ^^  pensioner  of  the   British  govern- 

ment— a  quiet,  simple-minded  Rijput,  with  no  indi- 
cation of  a  distinguished  ancestry.  He  represents  the  junior  or  Rdipdr  branch 
of  the  family,  the  elder  or  Batanpdr  branch  being  absolutely  extinct.  It  has 
sometimes  been  suggested  that  these  Haihai  Bansfs  might  really  have  been  abori- 
ginal "  Kanwars"  (a  race  somewhat  numerous  and  peculiar  to  this  part  of  the 
country),  and  not  Rijputs,  being  raised  only  to  the  latter  dignity  by  the  fertile 
ingenuity  of  the  Brdlunans  after  the  country  was  settled,  and  their  power  estab- 
hsned.  It  is  possible  of  course,  but  the  fact  of  intermarriage  with  Bew^  and 
other  B^jput  houses  already  alluded  to  renders  it  improbable,  as  also  the  fact 
that  none  of  the  "  Kanwar'^  zamlnddrls  have  any  tradition  allying  them  to  the 
reigning  house,  which,  if  a  common  origin,  however  remote,  had  existed,  they 
would  certainly  have  claimed.  On  the  whole,  the  Haihai  Bans!  rulers  may  be 
regarded  as  veritable  Bijputs. 

Bimb&j{  Bhonsld  ruled  at  Ratanpdr  from  about  a.d.  1758  till  his  death  in 

.   ^.-  ,,  A.D.  1787.     Though  generally  regarded  as  subor- 

Bimbftji  Bhonsla.  ^^^^^  ^^  ^j^^  ^^^^  ^^  ^^^  BhonsUs  at  N%p(ir,  he 

was  virtually  to  a  large  extent  independent.  In  alluding  to  the  respective 
position  of  the  elder  and  younger  brothers  in  the  Ndgpiir  family.  Sir  R.  Jenkins  * 
states  '^  that  the  elder  brother  as  rdjd  or  sovereign  had  a  right  to  the  allegiance  of 
"  the  others,  and  to  certain  military  services  on  account  of  thoir  fiefs  or  appanages. 
*'  But  the  latter  managed  their  country  entirely,  and  they  had  their  separate 
"  courts,  households,  ministers,  and  armies,  subject  to  no  interference  whatever  on 
"the  part  of  the  T&i&/'  This,  then,  was  the  position  of  Bimbdjl.  He  stepped 
into  the  place  of  the  old  rdjds  of  Chhattisgarh,  maintained  a  regular  court 
at  Batanpdr,  surrounded  himself  with  a  considerable  Mardthd  following,  and 
with  their  assistance  maintained  his  authority.  In  the  earlier  years  of  his 
reign  he  was  very  oppressive,  but  as  time  passed  on  he  more  and  more 
identified  himself  with  his  people,  and  has  left  a  memory  fairly  popular  and 
respected. 

He  was  succeeded  (a.d.  1788)  by  Vyankojf,  a  younger  brother  of  Rdjd  Rag- 
Yj^oa  and  A'n«dl  M.  '      ^^,1^-  ^^  N^gpdr.     Vjankoji  though  he  paid  two 
^       ^  or  three   nying   vists   to  Lnnattisgarh,  and  went 

through  it  in  1811  to  Benares,  where  he  died,  never  entered  regularly  on  the 
government,  being  too  much  mixed  up  with  the  more  important  politics  of 
Ndgpdr.  A  sdba  was  posted  to  Ratanpdr,  but  all  authority  centred  in  A'nandf 
Bdi,  the  widow  of  Bimb^jf,  one  of  those  strong-minded  able  women  not  un- 
conmion  in  Indian  history.  It  is  to  her  that  allusion  is  made  by  Sir  R.  Jenkins 
in  his  report,  page  80,  when  he  says,  "  The  only  disturbances  which  existed  in 
'*the  cotmtry  were  caused  by  the  widow  of  Bimbijl  in  Chhattisgarh.^'     These 

♦  Keport  on  Nagpdr  Territories,  p.  99.    Edition  N^gpdr  Antiquarian  Society* 


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9G  BIL  [Section  II.— Histor>.] 

disturbances  were  of  a  very  insignificant  character,  and  consisted  in  the  repulse 
of  the  first  sdba,  who  was  ordered  by  Vyankoji  to  assume  the  government  on  the 
death  of  Bimbdji.  The  troops  of  the  latter  supported  the  cause  of  his  widow.  A 
compromise,  however,  was  efiected.  It  was  decided  that  the  government  should 
be  carried  on  in  the  name  of  Vyankoji,  who  should  be  represented  by  a  sdba  on 
the  spot,  but  that  the  sdba  should  be  bound  to  obey  all  orders  of  A'nandi  Bdi, 
who  should  be  consulted  on  all  the  details  of  the  government.  Practically, 
A  nandi  Bd(  wielded  all  authority  until  her  death  at  the  beginning  of  the 
present  century. 

From  this  period  up  to  a.d.  1818,  when  A'pd  Sdhib  was  deposed,  and  the 

^,  administration  of  the  Ndgpdr  country,  during  the^ 

govemmen  .  minority  of  the  last  Raghojf,  was  assumed  by  the 

British  government,  the  Chhattisgarh  province  was  governed  by  a  succession  of 

sdbas,  who  exercised  in  all  departments  a  very  extensive  authority.     The  head- 

•quarters  of  the  sdba  was   Ratanpdr,  the  old  seat  of  government,  and  he  was 

1    Y'tth  1  D'  k  assisted  in  the  interior  by  sub-collectors  called 

2.  Kurd  Pant  kamdvisddrs.     A  detail   of  the  Ratanpdr    sdbas, 

3.  Keshava  Pant.  immediately  preceding  our  assuming  charge  of  the 

4.  Bhik  Bhdu.  country,   is    given   in   the   margin.     They  were 

5.  Sakhardm  Bdpd.  subject  to  very  little,  if  any,  control,  and  as  long 

6.  Yadava  Mo  Diwdkar.  ^^  ^j^^y  ^^^^  maintained  in  power  by  the  central 
authority  at  Ndgpdr,  most  of  them  were  very  unscrupulous  as  to  the  means 
pursued  to  become  rich.  They  were  almost  driven  to  this  course  by  the  know- 
ledge that  their  position  would  certainly  be  short-lived,  and  that  they  must 
inevitably,  within  a  short  interval,  be  superseded  by  some  new  favourite.  The 
tradition  still  survives  of  this  early  sdba  government  being  a  period  when  a  system 
of  universal  "  loot "  was  a  recognised  state  poKcy,  and  Colonel  Agnew,  a  most 
reliable  authority,  writing  of  the  administration  of  the  country  at  the  time, 
describes*  it  as  presenting  *^one  uniform  scene  of  plunder  and  oppression, 
"  uninfluenced  by  any  consideration  but  that  of  collecting,  by  whatever  means, 
•*'  the  largest  amount  possible.'^  One  of  the  last  of  the  sdbas,  Sakhdrdm  Bdpd, 
was  shot  by  a  resident  of  Ratanpdr.  He  had  under  false  pretences  promised 
to  raise  the  man  to  a  position  of  independence  and  dignity  as  a  large  landed 
proprietor,  and  thus  deliberately  robbed  him  of  a  considerable  fortune. 

It  was  in  supersession  of  a  government  such  as  described,  where  power  was 
B  ti  h       tpcto   t  ^°^y    wielded  as  an  instrument  of  violence  and 

'^  ™   *  oppression,  that  in  a.d.   1818  the  country  came 

under  the  superintendence  of  British  officers.  The  change  under  any  circum- 
stances would  have  been  a  welcome  one,  but,  as  it  happened,  the  chief  authority 
in  Chhattisgarh  was  entrusted  to  an  officer  whose  special  qualifications  were 
such  as  to  win  the  respect  and  esteem  of  the  whole  coiiimunity.  Colonel  Agnew, 
who  presided  for  many  years  at  Rdlpdr  as  superintendent  of  Chhattisgarh,  still 
lives  as  a  household  word  in  the  memory  of  the  people,  and  will  probably  continue, 
so  long  as  British  rule  lasts,  to  represent  to  the  minds  of  all  classes  the  highest 
English  ideal  which  their  traditions  supply.  His  praises  are  sung  alike  by  the 
largest  zamfndfir  and  the  poorest  peasant,  and  there  is  no  comer  so  remote 
where  "  Agnew  Sdhib^^  will  not  be  afiectionately  mentioned  if  any  inquiries  are 
made  into  the  former  history  of  the  province.     There  could  be  no  higher  tribute 

*  Report  on  Ndgpdr,  by  Sir  R.  Jenkins,  p.  149,  Edition  Ndgpdr  Antiquarian  Society. 


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[SiCTiON  II.— History.]  BIL  97 

to  the  justice,  moderation,  and  wisdom  of  the  first  representative  of  British  rule 
in  these  eastern  districts,  than  the  respectful  gratitude  with  which  his  name  is 
still  remembered  after  the  changes  and  trials  of  forty  years. 

It  was  Colonel  Agfnew  (after  the  death  of  Mr.  Edmonds,  who  had  first 
^,  f     te  taken  charge  of  the  district)  who  removed  the 

*^^  °  ^^      '  head-quarters  of  Chhattisgarh  from  Ratanpdr  to 

Eaipdr,  as  being  a  more  important  and  central  position,  and  from  that  time 
Eatanpdr  has  ceased  to  be  of  any  administrative  importance.  Within  the 
present  limits  of  this  district  there  were  three  kamivisddrs  stationed,  namely, 
one  at  Ratanptir  for  the  central,  one  at  Naw^garh  for  the  western,  and  one  at 
Kharod  for  the  eastern  tdlukas.  These  kamivisddrs  exercised  very  much  the 
same  authority  as  tahsildirs  under  our  system,  and  though  their  main  duty 
was  connected  with  the  settlement  of  the  government  demand,  and  the  realisa- 
tion of  the  revenue,  they  also  exercised  civil  and  criminal  jurisdiction.  There 
were  altogether  in  Ghhattlsgarh  eight  kamdvisddrs  acting  under  the  orders  of 
the  superintendent.  Colonel  Agnew,  whose  position  was  somewhat  analogous 
to  that  of  a  commissioner  of  division.  Administrative  details  largely  devolved 
on  the  pargana  official,  acting  imder  the  general  control  of  the  British  superin- 
tendent Violence  and  oppression  ceased  to  exist,  while  method  and  order 
characterised  every  branch  of  the  administration.  It  is  indeed  from  the  period 
of  the  British  protectorate  in  a.d.  1818  that  prosperity  has  revisited  Chhattis- 
garh.  In  the  time  of  its  ancient  r^jds,  who  were  bound  to  the  people  by  ties 
of  tradition  and  sympathy,  there  was  an  extent  of  peace,  comfort,  and  happiness 
sadly  in  contrast  with  the  evil  days  which  followed  the  wave  of  Marfithd 
conquest.  Here  was  an  irruption  of  soldiers,  flushed  with  victory,  among  a  people 
whose  past  history  had  been  singularly  free  from  "  wars  and  rumours  of  wars,'' 
thus  creating  a  community  markedly  timid  and  unwarlike.  As  a  natural  result 
they  were  trodden  down  unmerciftdly,  and  their  country  robbed  and  desolated. 
To  realise  what  the  country  must  have  sufiered  between  a.  n.  1740  and  1818, 
we  have  to  remember  that  not  only  was  a  considerable  Mardthd  force  perma- 
nently maintained  in  Chhattisgarh,  but  that  large  armies  were  often  traversing 
the  country,  not  only  living  on  the  people,  but  literally  fleecing  them.  Then 
there  were  the  raids  of  the  Pindhdris,  whose  depredations  were  connived  at  by 
the  BhonsU  government,  and  a  regular  black  mail  accepted  by  the  rdjd  or  his 
oflBcials  from  the  booty  acquired  in  pillaging  the  people.  Add  to  all  this  the 
exactions  and  oppressions  of  the  MarSthd  sdbas,  already  referred  to,  who 
exercised  the  chief  civil  authority,  and  we  need  not  be  surprised  that  during 
the  half  century  which  immediately  followed  the  Mardthi  conquest  the  country 
materially  retrograded,  and  tracts  relapsed  into  waste  which  had  formerly  been 
reclaimed  and  cultivated. 

The  British  protectorate  continued  from  a.d.  1818  till  1830.     During  the 

»^      X   XT  X-        1  ereaterportionof  this  period  Colonel  Aff  new  conti- 

Return  to  Native  rule.  j  •   i.      j     i       t:i  ic>:>Ai.-ii  i  oc^ 

nued  as  supermtendent.     From  a.d.  18o0  tillI854 

the  country  remained  under  Native  administration.  The  revenue  system  seems 
to  have  continued  much  the  same  as  during  the  British  protectorate,  the  post  of 
superintendent  being  occupied  by  a  Mardthd  suba.  During  these  twenty-four 
years  Chhattfsgarh  was  governed  by  sdbas,  who  resided  at  Rdfpdr,  and  subor- 
dinate to  whom  were  kamdvisddrs  or  sub-collectors  in  each  pargana  or  cluster 
of  t&lnkas.  The  time  had  passed  when  violence  and  oppression  could  be  recog- 
nised as  fixed  principles  by  those  in  power,  for  all  protests  against  the  action  of 
the  local  sdbas,  if  thrown  out  by  the  rdj^  himself,  were  almost  invariably  carried 
13  cpo 


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08  BIL  [Section  II.— History.] 

to  the  British  Resident  at  Ndgpur,  whose  simple  edict  was  usually  sufficient 
to  redress  any  glaring  wrong.  Judging  by  the  tone  of  the  people  in  talking  of 
these  days,  they  seem  to  have  been  fairly  contented  and  prosperous,  and 
although  there  were  doubtless  many  individual  sufferers  from  occasional  acts  of 
injustice  on  the  part  of  native  officials,  yet  such  cases  are  not  entirely  unknown 
even  under  more  civilised  systems.  In  this  district  the  people  were  very  remote 
from  the  central  authority ;  they  were  not  inundated  by  a  swarm  of  unprincipled 
subordinates,  and  so  little  was  really  known  of  them  and  their  country,  that 
practically  the  masses  were  little  interfered  with.  On  the  whole  then,  in  this  part 
of  the  country,  the  interval  of  Native  government,  as  controlled  by  the  British 
Resident,  seems  to  have  been  a  period  of  slow  but  steady  progress. 

On  the  lapse  of  the  Nigpdr  province  to  the  British  government  in  1854, 
....  Chhattisgarh  was  formed  into  a  separate  deputy 

Administration  smce  annexation,  commissionership  with  head-quarters  at  Rifptir. 
After  some  years^  experience  the  charge  was  found  too  heavy  for  one  officer, 
and  finally,  in  1861,  Bildsprfr  was  constituted  a  separate  district,  and,  including 
the  additions  subsequently  made,  comprises  the  northern  section  of  the  Chhattis- 
garh country.  Within  the  jurisdiction  are  included,  as  mentioned  before,  three 
sub-collectorates,  thirteen  zaminddri  estates,  and  two  feudatoryships.  With 
the  exception  of  the  two  small  tdlukas  of  Bhutyi  and  Sarsud,  now  forming  a 
part  of  the  eastern  pargana  of  Seorinariin,  and  the  feudatoryship  of  Sakti  trans- 
ferred from  Sambalpiir,  the  district  consists  of  tracts  separated  from  Riipdr, 
which,  notwithstanding  the  extensive  area  thus  transferred,  still  remains  the 
largest  district  in  the  Central  Provinces. 

In  a  period  less  than  three  years  after  the  introduction  of  British  rule  the 
So  ^Vh'       th     V  Mutiny  broke  out,   and  its  disturbing  influences 

extended  to  Chhattisgarh.  A  section  of  the  small 
military  force  at  Rdfpdr  was  mutinous  and  insubordinate,  and  it  was  only  by 
the  timely  and  vigorous  action  of  Major  Elliot  and  Captain  Smith  that  an  open 
outbreak  was  prevented.  The  central  authority  being  thus  preserved,  no  local 
disturbances  occurred  except  at  Sondkhdn,  a  hilly  estate  at  the  south-eastern 
extremity  of  the  Bildspdr  district,  the  zamfnddr  of  which,  having  been  pre- 
viously confined,  on  a  charge  of  dacoity  with  murder,  in  the  Rdfpdr  jail,  effected 
his  escape,  and  returning  to  his  fastnesses,  openly  defied  authority.  He  was  of 
course  supported  by  his  own  immediate  followers,  but  neither  the  surrounding 
chiefs  nor  people  were  attracted  to  his  standard.  His  small  estate  was  wild, 
remote,  and  difficult  of  access,  and  if  the  spirit  of  disaffection  had  spread,  the 
nature  of  the  country  might  have  necessitated  harassing  military  operations. 
Captain  Smith,  however,  at  once  proceeded  to  the  spot  with  a  small  force,  and 
the  zamfnddr,  Ndrdyan  Singh,  finding  resistance  hopeless,  unconditionally 
surrendered.  He  was  tried  and  executed,  his  zaminddri  at  the  same  time  being 
confiscated,  and  this  necessary  example  effectually  prevented  opposition  every- 
where. After  his  capture  the  villages  on  his  estate  were  speedily  deserted,  and 
the  whole  tract  became  waste.  It  is  still  in  the  main  a  great  wilderness,  and 
has  consequently  been  reserved  as  a  government  waste,  though  the  best  part  of 
the  estate — 16,000  acres — has  been  purchased  by  Mr.  Meik,  an  English  gentle- 
man. Thus  the  insignificant  rebellion  of  a  petty  chief  may  be  the  means  of 
attracting  English  capital  to  what  seems  prima  fa^ic  a  very  unpromising  field, 
and  confer  on  the  country  a  most  unlooked-for  benefit.  The  surviving  descen- 
dants of  Nuruyan  Singh  now  hold  land  in  the  adjacent  zaminddris. 


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[SccTiON  m.— Population.] 
Section  111.— Population, 


BIL 


99 


The  census  statistics  show  the  population  as 
follows : — 
Males,  Females, 

Adults 211,128  Adults 215,191 

Under  14  years  ...188,378  Under  14  years  ...165,806 


399,506        Total 780,503 

Principal  Castes. 


380,997 


Hindis, 


Chxmin 

Pankis  

Ahirsor  Rduts 

Telis  

Kurmls  

MiHs 

Brihinans 

Bairigfs 

Bijputs 

Bttuas    

Other  Hindd  Castes . 


No.  of 
Population. 


Percent- 
age  of 
each 
Caste. 


164,388 
72,972 
66,574 
51,679 
39,843 
25,145 
17.167 
11,092 
10,702 
4,873 

133,833 


Total 598,268 

Grand  total. 


21 
9 

8 
7 
5 
3 
2 
1 
1 

17 


Aborigines. 


Gonds     

Kanwars     

Bhumi^s    

Binjw^rs     

Dhanw^rs  

Other  Ahorigines 


Total 
Mohammadans 


Total 


.780,503 


No.  of 
Population. 


120,159 
30,436 
2,264 
7,009 
3,988 
9,338 


173,194 


9,041 


182,235 


Percent 
age  of- 
eacU 
Caste. 


15 


1 

4 

I 


Tie  total  area  of  the  district  is  8,800  square  miles,  so  that  with  a  popula- 
Tta  A'  trib  ti  *^^^  ^^  780,503  souls  the  rate  per  square  mile  is 

88  persqps.  This,  however,  is  one  of  those  general 
deductions  from  statistics  on  which  no  conclusions  can  be  based.  Viewed  in 
the  abstract,  these  figures  indicate  that  the  district  is  miserably  imderpopulated, 
bat  this  is  only  true  of  the  hilly  tracts  which  enclose  the  plain  on  three  sides. 
The  level  country  is  as  densely  peopled  as  any  other  district  of  the  Central 
Provinces.  In  order  therefore  to  arrive  at  any  clear  knowledge  of  the  facts, 
it  is  necessary  to  deal  separately  with  the  hilly  and  plain  tracts.  This  will  be 
effectually  done  by  showing  the  figures  for  khdlsa  and  zaminddrl  areas  apart. 
The  khdlsa  parganas,  or  tracts  which  have  come  under  regular  settlement  with 
proprietors,  village  by  village,  cover  an  area  of  3,000  square  miles,  and  contain 
a  population  of  530,541  persons.  Here  there  are  1 78  persons  to  each  square 
mile — an  average  as  high  as  exists  in  the  rich  Narbadd  valley.  The  above  too 
is  a  general  average,  while  at  special  points,  of  course,  the  population  is 
much  more  dense.  In  the  zamfnddris  on  the  contrary,  owing  to  the  wild  and 
hilly  nature  of  most  of  the  country,  there  is  only  a  population  of  249,962 
persons  to  an  area  of  5,800  square  miles,  or  an  average  of  forty-eight  persons  per 
square  mile.     Low  as  this  rate  is,  it  is  not  an  unprecedented  average  for  a  hilly 


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100  BIL  [Section  III.— Population.] 

area,  for  it  appears  from  the  North- West  census  report  (para.  40)  that  in 
Kumdon  the  population  only  attains  a  density  of  fifty-eight  to  the  square  mile, 
while  in  some  of  the  Swiss  cantons  the  average  falls  as  low  as  thirty. 

The  population,  as  distributed  above,  shows  Hindus  seventy-six  per  cent, 
.  .  .  Aborigines  twenty-three  per   cent,  and  Moham- 

igious   ivisions.  madans  one  per  cent.     Under  the  designation  of 

Hindds  are  included  all  those  classes  who  are  of  Aryan  origin — the  division 
has  been  made  with  reference  to  race,  not  religion,  for  it  so  happens  that,  in 
this  district,  among  the  Aryan  tribes  there  are  prominent  castes  who  do  not 
conform  to  the  Hindd  religion.  They  may  be  termed  Hindd  dissenters.  The 
Chamirs,  who  are  twenty-one  per  cent  of  the  population,  call  themselves 
"  Satndmfs,"  and  are  followers  of  their  own  priest  Ghdsi  Dds.  The  Pankds  and 
Gdndds,  who  are  nine  per  cent  of  the  population,  are  *'  Kabir  Panthls.^'  This 
same  "  Kabir^'  has  numerous  followers  in  other  castes,  viz.  among  Ahirs,  Kurmis, 
Telis,  &c.,  but  their  number  it  is  impossible  to  compute.  Approximately  it  may  • 
be  stated  that  of  the  seventy-six  per  cent  of  recorded  Hindds,  half  are  so  in  race 
only.  Turning  to  the  Aborigines,  the  most  numerous  section  consists  of  Gonds. 
They  are  fifteen  per  cent  of  the  population  ;  then  follow  ^^  Kanwars,^^  who  are 
four  per  cent.  All  other  castes  are  limited  in  number.  The  Mohammadan 
element  is  insignificant,  being  but  one  per  cent,  and  in  the  aggregate  counts 
for  little.  Arranged  according  to  creed,  the  population  would  stand  as  follows : 
orthodox  Hindds,  thirty-eight  per  cent ;  dissenters,  thirty-eight  per  cent ; 
worshippers  of  local  deities,  twenty-three  per  cent ;  and  Mohammadans,  one 
per  cent. 

In  describing  the  specialities  of  the  more  important  classes  of  the  com- 
p,      ,  mtmity,  the  Chamdrs  should  be  named  first,  for 

almost  every  fourth  man  in  the  district  belongs 
to  this  section  of  the  people.  They  have  been  so  long  settled  in  Chhattisgarh 
that  they  seem  to  have  no  kind  of  tradition,  even  in  the  remote  past,  of  any 
other  home.  As  a  body  they  possess  active  and  well-set  figures,  are  more 
brown  than  black  in  colour,  and  are  less  marked  in  features  than  the  easy  and 
higher  classes.  They  are  fairly  energetic  and  industrious  cultivators,  are  some- 
what tenacious  of  their  rights,  and  considerable  numbers  of  them  have  attained 
a  position  of  comfort  and  respectability.  A  description  of  the  religious  move- 
ment, which  has  given  prominence  to  the  Chamdrs  of  Chhattisgarh,  may  not  be 
out  of  place.  Ghisi  Dds,  the  author  of  tBe  movement,  like  the  rest  of  his  com- 
munity, was  unlettered.  He  was  a  man  of  unusually  fair  complexion  and  rather 
imposing  appearance,  sensitive  and  silent,  given  to  seeing  visions,  and  deeply 
resenting  the  harsh  treatment  of  his  brotherhood  by  the  Hindds.  He  was  well 
known  to  the  whole  community,  having  travelled  much  atuong  them,  had  the 
reputation  of  being  exceptionally  sagacious,  and  was  universally  respected. 
By  some  he  was  believed  to  possess  supernatural  powers,  by  others  curative 
powers  only,  by  all  he  was  deenaed  a  remarkable  man.  In  the  natural  course 
of  events  it  was  not  long  before  Ghds{  Dds  gathered  round  himself  a  band  of 
devoted  followers.  Whether  impelled  by  their  constant  importunities,  or  by  a 
feeling  of  personal  vanity,  or  both  causes  combined,  he  resolved  on  a  prophetic 
career,  to  be  preceded  by  a  temporary  withdrawal  into  the  wilderness.  He 
selected  for  his  wanderings  the  eastern  forests  of  Chhattfsgarh,  and  proceeded 
to  a  small  village  called  Girod  on  the  outskirts  of  the  hilly  region,  bordering  the 
Jonk  river,  near  its  junction  with  the  Mahdnadi.  He  dismissed  the  few  foUowerB 
who  had  accompanied  him,  with  the  intimation  that  in  six  months  he  would 


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[Section  III.— Population.]  BIL  101 

return  with  a  new  revelation,  and  mounting  the  rocky  eminence  overhanging 
the  village,  disappeared  into  the  distant  forest.  Meanwhile  the  followers,  who 
had  accompanied  him  to  the  foot  of  that  henceforth  mysterious  hill  were  active 
in  spreading  through  the  whole  Chamir  community  his  farewell  message,  with 
the  warning  that  all  should  appear  at  Girod,  as  the  termination  of  the  six  months' 
interval  approached. 

Among  a  superstitious  people  these  tidings  worked  marvels,  and  created  a 
perfect  ferment  of  expectation.  During  the  period  of  suspense  nothing  else 
was  talked  of,  and  the  public  mind  anxiously  looked  for  some  revelation.  As 
the  close  of  tie  appointed  time  drew  near,  Uhamdrs  from  all  parts  of  Chhattis- 
earh  flocked  to  Girod.  The  scene  as  described  by  an  eye-witness  was  strange 
and  impressive.  The  roads  leading  to  this  hitherto  unfrequented  hamlet  were 
traversed  by  crowds  of  anxious  pilgrims.  The  young  and  old  of  both  sexes 
swelled  the  throng — mothers  carrying  their  infants,  and  the  aged  and  infirm 
led  by  stronger  arms.  Some  died  by  the  way,  but  the  enthusiasm  was  not 
stayed*  At  last  the  long-looked-for  day  arrived,  and  with  it  the  realisation  of 
the  hopes  of  this  hitherto  despised  community.  In  the  quiet  of  the  early 
morning  their  self-appointed  prophet  was  seen  descending  the  rocky  eminence 
overhanging  Girod,  and,  as  he  approached,  was  greeted  with  the  acclamations 
of  the  assembled  crowd.  He  explained  to  them  how  he  had  been  miraculously 
sustained  for  the  period  of  six  months  in  the  wilderness ;  how  he  had  held 
commonion  with  a  higher  Power;  and  how  he  had  been  empowered  to  deliver  a 
special  message  to  the  members  of  his  own  community.  This  message  abso- 
lutely prohibited  the  adoration  of  idols,  and  enjoined  the  worship  of  the  Maker 
of  the  universe  without  any  visible  sign  or  representation,  at  the  same  time 
proclaiming  a  code  of  social  equality.  It  apppiuted  Ghdsi  Dds  the  high  priest 
of  the  new  faith,  and  added  the  proviso  that  this  office  would  remain  in  his 
family  for  ever. 

The  simple  faith  thus  enunciated  may  best  be  termed  a  '^Hinddised  deism,'' 
S  t  Mmi  diiri  ^^^  there  were  mixed  up  with  it  certain  social  and 

religion.  dietary    regulations    copied    from    Brdhmanism. 

The  movement  occurred  between  the  years  1820  and  1830,  and  is  scarcely  half  a 
century  old.  It  includes  nearly  the  whole  Chamdr  community  of  Chhattlsgarh, 
who  now  call  themselves  "  Sat  Ndmis,"  meaning  thereby  that  they  are  worship- 
pers of  "  Sat  Ndm"  or  "  The  True  One" — their  name,  and  a  very  appropriate 
one,  for  God.  They  would  fain  bur/ the  opprobrious  epithet  ^^chamir"  among 
other  relics  of  the  past,  did  it  not  with  traditional  pertinacity,  and  owing  to  the 
hatred  of  the  Br&hmans,  refuse  to  forsake  them.  In  the  early  years  of  the 
movement  an  eflfort  was  made  to  crush  its  spread,  but  in  vain,  and  Ghdsi  D&a  lived 
to  a  ripe  old  age  to  see  the  belief  he  had  founded  a  living  element  in  society, 
confititating  the  guide,  and  directing  the  aspirations,  of  a  population  exceeding  a 
quarter  of  a  million.  He  died  in  the  year  1 850,  at  the  age  of  eighty,  and  while  the 
work  he  accomplished  by  our  clearer  light  seems  darkened  with  prejudice,  ignor- 
ance, and  imposture,  yet  there  can  be  no  doubt  he  did  a  good  fight  in  demo- 
lishing, even  within  a  small  area,  the  giant  evils  of  idolatry,  and  thus  perhaps 
preparing  his  community  for  the  reception  of  a  higher  and  purer  faith.  On  the 
def^  of  Ghfai  Dds  he  was  succeeded  in  the  office  of  high  priest  by  his  eldest  son 
B4iak  D&s.  This  Bdlak  D&s  carried  his  feeling  of  equality  to  so  high  a  pitch,  that 
he  outraged  all  Hindd  society  by  assuming  the  Brdhmanical  thread.  Wherever 
he  wpeained  he  offensively  paraded  the  thin  silken  cord  round  his  neck  as  an 
emblem  of  sacredness,  and  hoped  to  defy  Hindd  enmity  under  cover  of  the 


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102  BIL  [Section  III.— Population.] 

general  security  against  violence  afforded  by  British  rule.  So  bitter,  however, 
was  the  hostility  he  raised,  and  so  few  the  precautions  he  took  against  private 
assassination,  thiat  his  enemies  at  last  found  an  opportunity.  He  was  travelling 
to  B^ipdr  on  business,  and  remained  for  the  night  at  a  roadside  resthouse. 
Here  a  party  of  men,  supposed  to  be  Rijputs,  attacked  and  killed  him,  at  the 
same  time  wounding  the  followers  who  accompanied  him.  This  occurred  in 
the  year  1860,  and  the  perpetrators  were  never  discovered.  It  exasperated  the 
whole  Chamdr  community,  and  a  deeper  animosity  than  ever  now  divides  them 
from  their  Hindd  feUow-citizens. 

Bdlak  Dis  was  succeeded  nominally  by  his  son  Sdhib  Dds,  a  child,  but  really 
by  his  brother  A'gar  Dds,  who  is  now  virtually  high  priest.  The  duties  of  this 
office  are  more  of  a  dignified  than  onerous  character.  The  high  priest  decides 
finally  all  questions  involving  social  excommunication,  ana  prescribes  the 
penalties  attending  restoration.  For  those  who  can  attend  on  him  personally, 
or  whom  he  can  arrange  to  visit,  he  performs  the  ceremonies  |at  marriage  and  on 
naming  children ;  at  the  latter  ceremony  a  bead  necklace,  in  token  of  entrance 
into  the  Sat  Ndmi  brotherhood,  is  placed  round  the  neck  of  the  child.  It  is  not 
absolutely  necessary,  however,  that  the  high  priest  should  officiate  at  any  cere- 
monies. They  are  sufficiently  solenmised  by  meetings  of  the  brotherhood. 
Most  Chamdrs  once  a  year  visit  the  high  priest,  and  on  these  occasions  a 
suitable  ofiering  is  invariably  made.  They  have  no  public  worship  of  any  kind, 
and  consequently  no  temples ;  they  have  no  written  creed,  nor  any  prescribed 
forms  of  devotion.  When  devotionally  inclined,  it  is  only  necessary  to  repeat 
the  name  of  the  deity,  and  to  invoke  his  blessing.  No  idol  of  wood  or  stone 
is  seen  near  their  villages.  They  have  a  dim  kind  of  belief  in  a  fiiture  state; 
but  this  does  not  exercise  any  practical  influence  on  their  conduct.  Their  social 
practices  correspond  for  the  most  part  with  those  of  Hindds.  They  ignore, 
however,  Hindd  festivals.  As  a  rule  they  are  monogamists,  though  polygamy 
is  not  specially  prohibited.  TTieir  women  are  not  in  any  way  secluded  from 
public  gaze,  and  are,  equally  with  men,  busy  and  industrious  in  home  and  field 
pursuits.  In  fact  in  most  of  their  arrangements,  to  a  superficial  observer,  the 
Chamdrs  present  nothing  peculiar,  and  it  is  only  after  inquiry  that  many  of 
their  distinguishing  features  are  discovered. 

The  account  thus  given  has  been  gathered  from  oral  testimony — a  source  of 

«    ^-    ^         .  knowledge  liable  to  error  and  exaggeration.    In 

™  ^      *     '  its  main  features,  however,  it  is  accurate;  disputed 

foints  have  not  been  touched.  One  is  whether  Bdlak  Dds  was  accepted  as  an 
ncamation.  Most  Sat  N^(s  deny  regarding  him  as  such.  Another  is  whether 
Sat  Ndmi  brides  associate  with  the  lugh  priest  before  being  taken  to  their 
husbands'  homes.  No  Sat  N&mi  will  aclaiowledge  this,  and  the  calunmy  is 
attributed  to  Brdhmanical  ingenuity.  Some  forms  of  prayer,  collated  from  Hindd 
authors,  are  said  to  exist  among  the  teachers,  but  these  are  quite  unknown  to  the 
people,  and  the  only  act  of  devotion  which  a  Sat  N^mf  practises  is  to  fall 
prostrate  before  the  sun  at  mom  and  eve  and  exclaim  '^  Sat  ndm,''  '^  Sat  n&ai/' 
"Sat  ndm,''  translated  literally  "God !  God !  God  V^  or  perhaps  implying  "God,  have 
mercy!  have  mercy!''  Turning  to  their  social  practices,  it  is  found  that  they  eat 
no  meat.  They  will  not  even  drink  water  except  from  one  of  their  own  caste, 
and  liquor  is  prohibited.  They  marry  ordinaiily  at  the  age  of  puberty,  the 
parents  selecting  a  bride ;  the  marriage  itself  is  purely  of  a  civil  nature,  being  cele- 
brated by  the  elders,  with  a  feast  given  to  the  friends  of  the  family.  They  bury 
their  dead  without  any  religious  ceremony,  and  in  everyday  life  their  moral 


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[Section  III. — Population.] 


BIL  103 


notions  are  not  rigid.  A  fatal  spKt  in  the  community  has  arisen  from  a  most 
trivial  cause — the  use  of  tobacco.  In  the  first  outburst  of  religious  enthusiasm, 
which  animated  the  followers  of  Ghdsi  Dds,  it  would  seem  that  drink  and  tobacco 
were  simultaneously  forsaken.  The  use  of  liquor  apparently  was  a  weakness 
which  was  easily  and  effectually  overcome,  but  the  strange  solace  which  smokers 
appear  to  find  in  tobacco,  and  more  especially  a  labouring  population,  possessed 
irresistible  charms.  A  reaction  set  in,  and  finally  a  considerable  portion  of  the 
community  returned  to  their  pipes.  To  talk  of  pipes  in  connection  with  an 
eastern  people  seems  an  anomaly,  but  in  Chhattisgarh  it  is  strictly  correct. 
The  hooka  of  Northern  India  is  unknown  here,  and  in  its  stead  the  broad  ''  palis** 
leaf  is  folded  into  a  pipe-like  shape  with  a  bowl  at  one  end,  in  which  dry  tobacco  is 
placed.  It  is  called  a  '^  chtingi,^'  is  universally  indulged  in  by  all  classes,  and  field 
laboxirers,  by  its  use,  break  the  dull  monotony  of  their  daily  toil.  The  Sat  Nimfe 
who  again  took  to  chiingis  came  to  be  opprobriously  designated  '*  Chtlngiis^ 
by  their  brethren,  and  retain  the  appellation.  They  maintain  their  orthodoxy, 
and  urge  that  Ghdsi  Dds  had  a  subsequent  revelation  conceding  the  use  erf* 
tobacco  to  his  people,  and  that  consequently  in  his  latter  years  he  absolutely 
withdrew  his  origiual  prohibition.  The  Sat  N^mls  thus  remain  divided  into 
two  grand  sections — the  " smokers''  and  "non-smokers.''  It  is  said  that  the 
smokers  eat  meat,  and  are  not  real  Sat  Ndmis,  but  as  a  body  they  perfectly 
repudiate  the  insinuation.  The  Sat  Ndmis  thus  described  are  a  strange  and 
interesting  people,  and  as  a  special  mission  has  lately  been  inaugurated  for  their 
enlightenment  and  iustruction,  they  are  perhaps  destined  in  the  future  to  exercise 
an  influence  proportioned  to  their  numbers  and  position  in  the  annals  of 
Chhattisgarh.  There  is  no  class  more  loyal  and  satisfied  with  our  rule  than  this 
community,  and  if  it  Should  happen  that,  like  the  Kols,  they  are  favourably 
impressed  with  Missionary  teaching,  a  time  may  come  when  they  will  be  a  source 
of  strength  to  our  government. 

The  Pank&,  who  form  about  a  sixth  of  the  population,  are  another  peculiar 
p    ,  sect,  and  are  all,  as  already  mentioned,"  KabfrPan- 

thfs."  The  majority  of  them  now  are  cultivators, 
thongh  originally  they  all  seem  to  have  been  weavers,  and  correspond  with  the 
Korl  tribe  elsewhere.  As  it  is,  a  considerable  number  still  stick  to  weaving, 
while  others  weave  only  during  the  intervals  of  field  work.  The  village  watch- 
men are  usually  of  the  Pankd  class,  and  are  then  called  "  Gfod^,"  being 
distinct,  however,  from  the  men  known  as  "  Bajgarid  Gdndds,^  the  great 
musicians  of  Chhattisgarh,  who  play  on  festive  occasions,  but  are  considered 
somewhat  low  in  the  social  scale,  as  they  eat  meat,  drink  liquor,  and  are  in 
other  respects  impure.  The  Pank^s  do  none  of  these  things.  They  are  a  quiet 
industrious  people,  and  do  not  class  with  the  Hindds,  because  they  make  no  pre- 
tensions to  equality,  and  besides,  "Kabir  panthism"  has  been  so  long  established, 
that  the  most  orthodox  seem  to  concede  that  it  rests  on  a  basis  of  truth.  The 
Pankd  deity  is  Kabir,  who  is  supposed  to  be  god  incarnate,  and  is  said  to 
have  appeared  several  times  on  earth,  at  least  once  during  each  cycle  of  man's 
history.  During  the  present  historic  period  he  has  only  appeared  once,  about 
A.D.  1060,  in  the  vicinity  of  the  sacred  city  of  Benares.  The  story  runs  that 
the  wife  of  a  weaver,  in  drawing  water  from  a  tank  in  the  outskirts  of  the 
dty,  heard  to  her  surprise  the  cries  of  an  infant.  She  approached  the  spot 
whence  the  cries  proceeded,  and  there  beheld  a  child  struggling  among  the 
lotus  leaves.  Rushing  immediately  into  the  tank  she  rescued  the  infant,  and, 
returning  to  the  bank,  spread  a  cloth  on  which  she  laid  her  now-found  charge. 


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1 0  i  BIL  [Skction  III.— Popubtioo.] 

which  gradually  assumed  the  proportions  of  a  man.  Terrified,  she  attempted 
to  fly.  Seeing  this,  Kabir  revealed  himself  as  a  deity,  who  had  appeared  in 
the  form  of  man.  He  accompanied  the  woman  to  her  house,  and  from  this 
humble  home  commenced  his  divine  career.  Kabir  worked  miracles  and 
had  many  followers,  but  the  strangeness  of  his  origin,  issuing  as  it  were  from  a 
weaver^s  hovel,  soon  caused  the  Brdhmans  to  stigmatise  him  as  the  "  weavers' 
god.^^  It  is  an  up-hill  struggle  to  surmount  entirely  the  shaft  of  satire,  and 
even  in  a  superstitious  age,  unfamiliar  with  the  principle  of  a  regular  sequence 
in  the  laws  of  nature,  and  prepared  to  accept  at  every  turn  the  unknown  action 
of  miraculous  interposition,  a  cutting  sarcasm  has  its  influence.  The  taunt  of 
the  Brdhmans  had  the  effect  of  keeping  off  the  higher  and  educated  classes,  and 
of  confining  his  mission  to  the  lower  and  less  influential  castes.  So  it  has 
continued.  His  followers  are  mainly  among  the  weaver  tribe  all  over  India.  In 
this  district  nearly  the  whole  community  of  Pankds,  Gindds,  and  Koshtis,  whether 
at  the  present  time  by  trade  weavers  or  agriculturists,  are  in  religion  Kabir 
Panthfs,  not  Hindiis.  Other  castes — ^Banife,  Kurmis,  Tells,  Kumbhdrs,  Ac- — are 
Kabir  Panthis  and  Hindds,  viz.  accepting  the  Hindd  mythology  in  all  its 
integrity,  and  adding  thereto  Kabir  as  one  more  divinity.  Taking  all  classes, 
probably  one-fourth  of  the  population  are  more  or  less  followers  of  KAbir. 

The  cornerstone  of  the  faith  may  be  said  to  be   this,  that  a  deity  named 

ir  1-'       xi./  r  VI.  Kabir  appeared  on  the  earth  as  a  man,  and  during  a 

Kabirpanthi  faith.  •  r  j.     •         e  j  i^ 

^  sojourn  ot  some  centuries  performed  many  marvels, 

underwent  trying  pilgrimages  and  privations,  led  a  life  of  perfect  devotion, 
and  then,  having  firmly  planted  his  religion,  voluntarily  disappeared,  allowing 
the  mantle  of  earthly  apostleship,  or  representativeship,  4;o  devolve  on  a  faithful 
disciple  named  Dharm  Dds.  Kabir  himself  is  represented  as  having  remained 
on  earth  from  A.n.  1149  to  1449,*  or  three  hundred  years.  He  left  a 
list  of  the  succession  in  the  direct  line  from  Dharm  Dds,  and  the  name 
of  each  successive  holder  of  the  apostleship  was  recorded.  There  are  to  bo 
in  aU  forty-four  apostles,  each  of  whom  is  to  govern  twenty-five  years  before 
his  death,  and  after  the  list  Kabir  himself  will  again  appear  on  earth.  The 
present  chief  apostle  is  Parghatndm  Sdhib,  resident  at  Kiiwardd,  in  the  Bildspdr 
district,  who  succeeded  to  the  headship  in  1856.  He  is  the  eleventh  in 
the  succession,  and  has  thirteen  years  more  of  his  apostleship  to  run.  As 
420  years  have  passed  since  Kabir^s  death,  had  the  twenty-five  years^  rule 
for  each  apostle  as  instituted  been  maintained,  we  should  now  have  found  the 
seventeenth  instead  of  the  eleventh  succession.  Kabir's  prophetic  prediction 
of  a  twenty-five  years'  life,  after  succession  to  the  apostleship,  for  each  individual 
incumbent,  has  thus  clearly  been  falsified.  The  chief  apostle  is  always 
surrounded  by  a  host  of  disciples,  who  in  turn  travel  all  over  the  country,  per- 
forming religious  services,  and  collecting  voluntary  contributions  for  the  main- 
tenance of  the  order.  They  are  the  priests  of  the  system.  They  assume  a 
peculiar  dress — a  white  peaked  cloth  cap,  a  loose  white  tunic,  and  the  usual 
dhoti.  As  a  rule  these  garments  are  kept  scrupulously  clean,  and  in  religious 
processions,  following  their  chief  in  a  long  line,  two  or  four  abreast,  they  ediibit 
considerable  order  and  system.  They,  in  common  with  all  Kabir^s  followers, 
are  prohibited  from  touching  flesh,  also  spirituous  liquors  and  tobacco. 
Theoretically  there  seems  no  caste  in  the  community,  but  practically  the  con- 
verts from  the  higher  castes  of  Hinddism,  who  are  numerous  among  the  priest- 
hood, maintain  certain  distinctions.     Celibacy  is  usual  among  the  priesthood, 

♦  Wilson's  "Essays  on  the  Religion  of  the  Hindds,"  vol.  i.  p.  71,  Ed.  1862. 


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[Section  III. — Population.] 


BIL  105 


though  not  compulsory,  and  the  chief  apostlo  invariably  marries  in  order  to 
maintain  tho  succession. 

Setting  aside  the  speciality  of  a  priesthood,  who  coUect  from  all  parts  of 
riumrtP    f  p  nici  India  round  Parghatnim  Sdhib  at  Kawardi,  and 

'  ^  '*  are  appointed  by  him  to  their  respective  posts, 

there  is  very  little  difference  between  the  local  and  religious  practices  of  Kabfr 
Panthi  Pankfc  and  Sat  Nfimis.  They  both  avoid  meat  and  liquor,  many  usually 
at  the  age  of  puberty,  ordinarilv  celebrate  their  ceremonies  through  the  agency 
of  elders  of  their  own  caste,  and  bury  their  dead.  Practically  the  one  worships 
a  supreme  being  under  the  name  of  ^'  Kabir,^'  and  the  other  under  the  name  of 
"  Sat  NSm,**  while  in  each  case  there  is  a  high  priest  to  whom  special  reverence 
is  paid.  There  is  a  rhyme  very  common  with  tho  people  regarding  the  change 
of  faith  among  the  Pank£s,  which  is  regarded  by  them  as  pleasing  and  com- 
plimentary : — 

Pdni  se  Pankfi  bhaye 

Bdndau  hu&  sarir 

A'ge  Janm  men  Pankd 

Pichhe  Dfa  Kabfr.  • 

which  in  English  doggrel  might  be  translated  thus — 

In  former  lives  tho  Panki 

Dragged  on  a  mean  career ; 

Now  bom  again  from  water, 

Ho  shines  a  Dds  Kabir.* 

Tho  said  Kabfr  has  a  very  large  following  in  almost  every  district,  and  as 
no  loss  of  caste  results  from  becoming  a  believer,  his  sect  has  made  one  of  the 
largest  rents  in  Hinddism. 

Of  the  essential  Hindd  population  it  is  not  necessary  to  speak  in  any 
„.  ,  detail.     In  all  main  characteristics  they  resemble 

^*^  '  their  brethren  elsewhere,  and  have  been  frequently 

described.  The  castes  have  all  northern  aflBmities,  and  the  emigrations  to  this 
district  have  been  almost  entirely  from  the  north  and  west.  Of  southern  races 
there  are  almost  none,  and  the  MardthS  element  is  nearly  exclusively  ponfined 
to  the  Brdhman  community.  The  Kurmis  and  Tells  are  a  very  numerous  section 
of  the  agricultural  community,  aggregating  twelve  per  cent  of  tho  population. 
In  both  cases  there  is  the  class  called  "  Jharids,'^  from  "Jhdrkhand^^  (the  forest), 
who  were  settlers  here  while  Chhattfsgarh  was  still  a  wilderness,  and  have 
indeed  been  so  long  in  the  country  that  they  have  altogether  lost  count  of  tho 
number  of  generations.  This  appellation  '^  Jharid''  is  found  in  other  castes  too, 
and  invariably  indicates  length  of  residence.  Then  there  are  Desdhd  and 
Kanojia  Kurmfs  and  Tells,  and  a  separate  class  of  Kurmis  called  "  Chand- 
ndhds.''  These  represent  the  later  immigrations  about  two  or  three  hundred 
years  since.  None  of  these  divisions  either  eat  together  or  intermarry,  though 
practically  their  social  customs  are  very  little  at  variance.  The  Kurmis  and 
Tells  are  the  best  of  all  cultivators.  They  are  not  so  restless  and  fanciful  as 
Sat  Ndmls,  and  have  to  a  greater  extent  an  attachment  to  thefr  holdings. 

Turning  to  the  aboriginal  population,  'the  most  numerous  class  is  Gonds, 

^     .  who  amount  to  fifteen  per  cent  of  the  population. 

They  have  mixed  hero  so  much  with  Hindd  races 

♦  Slave  or  disoiple  of  Kabir. 
14  CPG 


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106  BIL  [Section  IIL— Population.} 

that  they  have  lost  most  of  their  marked  characteristics,  and  have  not  even 
retained  their  own  special  language.  They  are  thus  not  ordinarily  distinguishable 
from  the  other  classes  of  the  labouring  population,  and  so  great  an  intermixture 
has  apparently  taken  place,  that  the  flat  forehead,  squat  nose,  prominent  nostril, 
'dark  skin,  and  thick  lip,  indicating  an  aboriginal  type,  are  not  in  any  way 
conspicuous.  The  Gonds  as  a  rule  only  worship  two  gods— Bari  Deva  (the 
great  god),  and  Ddl4  Deva.  They  have  not  the  variety  of  deities  mentioned 
in  Hislop^s  published  notes.*  There  is  no  image  of  either  deity,  but  while 
Bard  Deva  requires  a  sacrifice  of  blood,  and  is  worshipped  beneath  some  sacred 
tree  or  by  some  mound  of  stones,  Ddld  Deva  is  supplicated  in  the  house  with  an  . 
offering  usually  of  rice,  flowers,  or  oil.  The  worslup  of  Bard  Deva  is  therefore 
a  more  expensive  ceremonial,  involving  the  offering  of  a  fowl,  a  goat,  or  a  pig, 
and  is  only  publicly  undertaken  on  special  occasions;  while  DdM  Deva,  the 
household  god,  can  bo  approached  at  all  times,  so  that  devout  spirits,  especially 
among  the  women,  make  a  regular  offering  from  their  daily  meal.  These  two 
deities  all  Gonds  worship,  but  many  in  addition  take  up  with  Thdkur  Deva, 
Bhawdni,  and  Kdll  Deyi,  which  generally  require  a  sacrificitd  offering.  The 
jpriestly  office  among  the  community  is  discharged  by  an  elder,  who  receives  the 
respectful  appellation  of  '*  Beig&"  and  is  called  in  on  all  occasions  of  rejoicing 
or  sorrow,  donbt  or  difficulty.  He  is  deemed  as  powerful  to  circumvent  a 
troublesome  tiger,  as  to  dispel  a  lingering  disease.  Gond  marriages  ordinarily 
take  place  at  the  age  of  puberty,  and  the  main  ceremony  consists  in  anointing 
with  turmeric,  and  circling  round  a  post  seven  times.  They  are  arranged  by 
the  parents,  and  generally  something  is  paid  for  the  bride — a  common  feature 
among  all  aboriginal  races.  A  feast  is  invariably  given,  and  liquor  freely 
partaken  of.  A  man  never  marries  more  than  one  wife,  though  polygamy  is  not 
absolutely  prohibited.  A  widower  may  remarry  ;  a  widow  may  not,  though  she 
may  take  up  with  a  brother  of  her  deceased  husband,  or  contract  a  second-hand 
marriage  with  a  person  of  her  own  caste.  The  tribe  bury  their  dead,  on  which 
occasion  there  is  a  gathering  of  friends,  who  indulge  freely  in  the  good  things 
provided,  and  then  disperse. 

Following  Ck)nds,  the  Kanwars  are    the  next  largest  section  of   the 
1^  aboriginal  population.     They  number  over  thirty 

thousand  souls,  and  occupy  an  influential  position, 
as  all  the  northern  zaminddrs  belong  to  this  tribe.  It  is  an  eminent  weakness 
among  the  heads  of  all  aboriginal  races,  when  they  come  to  occupy  a  good  posi- 
tion and  are  powerful,  that,  owing  to  the  crafty  teaching  of  the  Brdhmans,  they 
soon  become  fired  with  an  ambition  to  link  their  lineage  with  the  great  military 
caste  of  the  Hiiidds.  So  it  is  that  the  upper  crust  among  the  Kanwars  would 
fain  pass  as  Bdjputs,  and  having  imbibed  all  thesacredness  which  is  supposed  to 
attend  an  assumption  of  the  thread  worn  by  the  twice-born,  they  call  themselves 
*'Tawars,"  "  Rdj  Kanwars,''  "Kanwar  BansJs,''  and  so  forth.  The  result 
of  all  this  is  that  they  have  become  split  up  into  quite  a  formidable  number 
of  divisions  or  ^'  gets,''  like  the  more  aristocratic  taibes  whom  they  emulate* 
There  are  said  to  be  more  than  a  hundred  gets  among  them.  Two — ^the  Ddld 
Kanwar  and  the  Dh^ngar — ^have  worn  the  thread  for  a  considerable 
period ;  while  the  Tilasi  or  Tawar,  and  the  Sfodil  or  Sarwaya,  have  only 
assumed  it  within  the  last  dectide.  None  of  the  others  have  yet  advanced 
80  far,  but  the  affair  seems  so  simple  that  there  is  hope  for  them  in  the  future. 
Of  course  those  who  are  now  socially  elevated  will  not  recognise  the  poorer  and 

*  Hifllop's  PapenoQ  the  Aboriginal  Tribes  of  the  Central  ProTinces,  Ed.  1865,  p.  13. 


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[Sbctioh  UL— Population.]  BIL  107 

wQder  portions  of  the  tribe  as  brother  caste-men  at  all^  but  it  is  after  mixing 
mach  with  these  that  the  undoubtedly  aboriginal  type  of  the  whole  community  is 
illustrated.  There  has,  however^  been  a  great  deal  of  mixture  with  Aryan  races, 
and  the  Kanwars,  like  the  Gonds,  have  not  here  any  special  language.  Their 
great  deities  are  Thikur  Deva  and  Ddli  Deva,  already  referred  to  as  common 
among  the  Gonds.  Pahdr  Pi&t,  the  presiding  genius  of  the  hill,  is  worshipped 
by  many,  a  stone  being  set  aside  in  some  solitary  spot,  to  which  at  certain 
intervals  offerings  are  made.  lUtm&i,  alleged  goddess  of  night,  is  worshipped 
by  some  during  darkness,  in  order  to  avert  misfortune.  Others  worship 
lAchhmi,  goddess  of  wealth,  by  placing  a  slab  near  their  grain-store,  to 
which  offerings  are  made  in  order  to  elicit  the  smiles  of  fortune.  The  higher 
classes  once  a  year,  at  the  Dasar^  worship  the  broadsword  as  an  emblem  of 

Eower,  under  tiie  name  of  •^  Jhdra  khand^'  or  "  Jhdgrikhand.''  This  period  is 
eld  as  a  festival,  to  which  followers  and  retainers  are  invited,  and  after  proces- 
sion and  o£Eerings  the  evening  is  passed  under  the  exciting  influence  of  dance 
and  song.  No  Elanwar  marries  in  his  own  '^got;^'  and  so  palpable  is  the 
thread  innovation,  that  he  may  seek  a  bride  among  subdivisions  which  have 
not  yet  adopted  it.  In  the  same  way  he  may  even  receive  food  fipom  such 
classes,  though  this  is  being  gradually  prohibited.  Where  the  Bi^put  tendency 
is  dominant,  marriage  occurs  in  infancy,  and  is  celebrated  by  a  Brdhman  priest, 
who  avails  himself  of  the  opportunity  to  invest  the  uninitiated  bridegroom  with 
the  solenm  paraphernalia  of  the  tmread.  Ordinfury  Kanwars  follow  the  Gond 
practice,  and  marry  at  puberty^  the  ceremony  of  anointing  with  turmeric,  and 
revolving  round  a  pole,  beinc  gone  through  before  relations  and  elders.  Among 
the  poor  a  money-payment  is  made  to  the  bride's  father,  and  runs  from  five  to 
thirty-three  rupees,  besides  the  expenses  of  the  marriage  feast  and  garments, 
which  fall  on  the  bridegroom.  A  considerable  number  of  the  Kanwars  eat  flesh 
and  drink  liquor,  while  those  who  have  abjured  these  things  are  as  stringent  in 
diet  as  Brfihmans  and  Sat  N^mis.  In  the  same  way,  it  is  only  a  small  minority 
who  bum  their  dead,  the  recognised  practice  of  the  caste  being  to  bury. 
Altogettier  these  Kanwars  are  a  simple,  primitive  people,  found  chiefly  in  the 
northern  and  eastern  hills  of  Chhattfegarh,  alarmingly  superstitious,  and 
marvellously  obedient. 

Other  hill  tribes  scarcely  require  any  detailed  mention.    The  Biniwirs  and' 
Other  hill  trih  Dhanwfirs  are,  in  their  social  practice  and  worship, 

exactly  like  ordinary  Kanwars.  They  have  nume- 
rous subdivisions,  and  are  probably  mere  branches  of  the  Kan  war  family.  The 
Dh&igars  are  the  Urions  of  Chot^  N^pdr,  and  have  been  described  in  the 
Journal  of  the  Asiatic  Society  *  by  Colonel  Dalton.  They  have  their  own 
special  tongue,  and  are  not  numerous  in  the  district,  being  scattered  here  and 
there,  chiefly  in  service,  for  which  their  laborious  habits  and  fidelity  are  said 
eminently  to  (]^ualify  them.  The  wildest  class  of  all  that  we  have  is  the  Bhdmid* 
The  real  genmne  Bhdmid  is  only  found  in  remote  tracts,  for  centuries  within  the 
shadow,  as  it  were,  of  Aryan  civilisation,  yet  entirely  unaffected  thereby.  His 
sole  heritage  is  an  axe,  and  the  veriest  shred  of  cloth  attached  to  a  string 
safiSces  to  cover  his  nakedness.  He  apparently  scorns  regular  cultivation,  and 
looks  upon  ploughing  as  beneath  the  d^nity  of  man.  He  rears  a  crop  under  the 
sjrstem  known  as  ^  ^hya,''  which  consists  in  cutting  down  a  patch  of  jungle, 
firing  it  in  May,  and  then  throwing  seed  among  the  ashes.  This  germinates, 
and  ^rings  up  very  fitst  after  the  first  faH  of  the  monsoon.    Onepateh  of  jungle 

♦  Journal  of  the  Asiatic  Society  of  Bengal,  vol.  xxxv.  part  2  (1866),  pp.  168—198. 


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108  BIL  [Section  III. —Population] 

yields  in  this  way  for  two  years,  and  then  a  new  tract  is  taken  up,  while  the 
abandoned  land  will  not  recover  itself,  and  be  fit  to  be  occupied,  for  some 
twelve  or  fifteen  years.  This  savage  and  wasteful  process  has  effected  the 
destruction  of  some  of  the  finest  forests,  and  there  seems  a  very  remote  prospect 
of  its  being  abandoned-  These  Bhdmi^s  are  one  of  the  Kolarian  tribes  referred 
to  in  Mr.  Georgo  Campbell's  essay  on  the  Ethnology  of  India,*  but  a  very  wild 
section  of  them.  They  do  not  collect  in  villages;  in  fact  their  style  of 
cultivation  is  against  this ;  but  two  or  three  families  are  encountered  in  some 
rude  huts  on  the  hill  side,  and  even  here,  if  disturbed  too  much,  they  will  at 
once  levant.  The  rice,  kodo,  kutkf  or  grain  which  they  sow  only  lasts  for  half 
the  year,  and  they  have  to  eke  out  the  remainder  by  bartering  bamboos  for  rice, 
or  else  doing  their  best  on  jungle  roots  and  fruits.  They  are  groat  hunters, 
and  use  their  arrows  with  marked  skill.  Then  their  patch  of  cultivation,  which 
is  paled  in  on  all  sides,  has  numerous  primitive  traps  for  snaring  rats  and  other 
vermin,  on  which,  when  opportunity  offers,  they  make  a  good  meal.  The 
Bhdmids  either  worship  Thikur  Dova  or  Ddli  Deva,  but  apparently  at  very 
protracted  intervals.  They  marry,  like  the  Gronds,  at  tiie  age  of  puberty,  and 
they  pay  a  few  rupees  for  their  bride-  They  bury  their  dead  without  any 
ceremony  except  a  feast.  They  are  a  short,  slim  black  race,  often  with  long 
shaggy  hair,  and  wild  looking,  but  essentiaUy  timid. 

At  page  24  of  Sir  R.  Jenkin's  report  on  the  Ndgpdr  territories  (a.d.  1827) 
two  very  wild  tribes — Bandarw^s  and  Pirdhis — are  alluded  to  as  inhabiting 
the  hiUy  and  woody  country  near  Ratanpdr.  The  former  are  represented  as 
cannibals ;  the  latter  as  not  quite  so  bad,  but  still  very  savage.  The  Pdrdhls 
are  not  known  now  at  all,  and  the  few  Bandarwds  still  to  bo  found  are  not  so 
wild  as  the  hill  Bhdmids,  but  would  appear  to  have  got  their  name  from  the 
monkey  (bandar),  which  they  eat.  This  very  peculiarity  may  in  fact  have 
originated  the  story  of  their  eating  men.  A  subdivision  oi  them,  rumour  still 
asserts,  is  addicted  to  living  up  in  trees,  and  to  wandering  about,  both  men  and 
women,  in  a  stale  of  nature.  They  were  said  to  be  in  the  Korbd  hills,  but 
when  inquiries  came  to  be  made,  they  were  not  to  be  found,  and  it  seems  likely 
that  the  description  given  of  them  is  somewhat  mythical. 

In  the  khdlsa  area  nearly  a  fourth  of  the  villages  are  held  by  Brdhmans,  and 
-     ,,   .,.  half  ofthese  are  in  the  hands  of  MardthdBrdhmans. 

an  ng  cas  e  .  rpj^^  preponderating  influence  of  this  class,  under 

a  Native  government,  suflSciently  accounts  for  this  result.  Kanwars  follow 
Brdhmans,  but  they  hold  chiefly  in  zamlndari  jurisdiction,  and  only  in  a  few 
khdlsa  villages,  adjoining  the  zaminddrls.  Gonds  have  a  considerable  number 
of  villages,  chiefly,  however,  in  the  hilly  tracts.  •  Then  Kurmls,  Rdjputs,  Bairdgfe, 
Banids,  and  Chamdrs  hold  about  an  equal  number  of  villages.  The  proportion 
of  Bairdgi  and  Banid  villages  is  swelled  by  the  fact  of  a  tdluka,  in  each  instance, 
being  held  by  a  member  of  this  caste,  for  Lorml,  containing  103  villages,  is  held 
by  a  Bairdgi,  and  Tarengd,  containing  145  villages,  by  a  Banii.  Two  or  three 
other  members  of  these  communities  hold  several  villages  together,  which  they 
obtained  as  grants  for  cultivation  under  the  Native  government.  Telis  and 
Mohammadans  have  a  fair  position  as  proprietors,  the  latter  being  instances  of 
individuals  holding  several  villages,  obtained  as  reward  for  service  in  the  old 
Bhonsld  regiments.  In  the  case  of  other  castes  no  remarks  are  necessary,  except 
to  note  how  few  Pankds  have  obtained  proprietary  right ; — ^attributable  to  the 

*  Journal  of  the  z\siatic  Society  of  Bengal,  vol.  xxxv.  part  2  (1866),  p.  34. 


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[SicTioN  III.— Population]  BIL  109 

&ct  that^  altliongli  forming  so  considerable  an  element  in  the  population,  they 
are  largely  devoted  to  the  occupation  of  weaving.  It  is  certainly  strange  that 
although  this  class  forms  about  a  sixth  of  the  community,  they  should  not 
have  succeeded  in  obtaining  one  viUage  in  the  kh^lsa  parganas.  Eighteen 
villages,  shown  as  held  by  Sikhs,  belong  to  one  member  of  this  community,  who 
is  a  Banj^rd  trader,  and  acquired  his  villages  after  the  mutinies,  when  relin- 
quished by  their  original  holders. 

Beference  will  now  be  made  to  some  of  the  peculiarities  of  the  Ghhattisgarh 

population  as  a  whole,  when  compared  with  similar 
o  peop  e.  classes  elsewhere.     One   prominent  feature  is  the 

scantiness  of  apparel  common  to  the  whole  cultivating  community — a  cloth 
round  the  loins,  and  this  often  of  meagre  dimensions,  constitutes  generally 
a  man's  fuU  dress.  Those  who  have  advanced  a  stage  beyond  this  throw 
a  cloth  loosely  over  one  shoulder,  covering  the  chest,  and  assume  an  apology 
for  a  pagrl  by  wrapping  a  cloth  carelessly  round  the  head,  leaving  the  crown 
generaJly  bare,  as  if  this  part  of  the  person  required  special  sunning  and  venti- 
lation. Among  women  all  the  requirements  of  fashion  are  satisfied  by  one 
cloth,  measuring  from  eight  to  twelve  yards,  one  half  of  which  envelopes  the 
person  in  one  fold  from  the  waist  to  below  the  knee,  hanging  somewhat 
loosely.  It  is  tightened  at  the  waist,  and  then  the  remaining  half  is  spread 
over  the  breast,  and  drawn  across  the  right  shoulder.  Sometimes  the  cloth  is 
left  to  droop  down  the  back  from  the  right  shoulder,  but  in  public  it  is  gene- 
rally carried  over  the  head,  open  like  a  sheet,  and  then  brought  over  the  left 
shoulder  and  arm.  There  is  a  sculpture-like  simpUcity  about  the  sohtary 
garment  worn  by  women,  which  is  calculated  to  display  a  graceful  figure  to 
advantage,  more  especially  on  festive  occasions,  when  those  who  can  afibrd  it 
appear  arrayed  in  tiEbsar  sDk ;  but  to  Western  ideas  it  seems  more  convenient 
than  modest.  The  most  common  articles  of  adornment  are  bracelets  of  gold, 
silver,  and  coloured  glass,  according  to  the  pretensions  of  each  individual  wearer ; 
as  also  gold,  silver,  and  bead  necklaces.  Ear-rings  and  nose-rings  are  not 
usual,  nor,  except  among  young  Gond  ladies,  are  toe-rings  and  anklets.  By  men 
a  gold  or  silver  bracelet  is  frequently  worn ;  they  also  aflfect  small  ear-rings  not 
a  httle,  and  a  silver  waistband  is  perhap?  a  comfortable  agriculturist's  highest 
ambition.  The  ordinary  practice  with  all  classes  is  to  have  three  meals  per 
diem — rice  and  ddl  at  midday,  rice  and  vegetables  cooked  with  ghee  in  the 
evening,  and  rice  gruel  in  the  morning  before  commencing  work.  This  rice  is 
called  ''bdsi,''  being  simply  the  remains  of  the  night's  repast,  filled  up  with 
water,  and  taken  cold.  Some  men  are  said  to  get  through  three  pounds  of  rice 
per  diem.  The  castes  who  eat  fish  and  flesh  have  of  course  a  greater  change  of 
diet.  Wheat  is  very  little  used  by  the  community,  and  in  fact  flour-cakes'  are 
only  prepared  on  special  occasions.  Sometimes  rice  is  pounded  and  made  into 
cakes,  not  unlike  the  oat-cakes  of  Scotland,  and  a  similar  process  is  adopted 
with  the  coarse-grained  kodo.  Then  those  who  can  afford  it  have  an  occasional 
spread  of  sweet  things,  and  in  most  villages  milk  and  gur  are  very  common 
commodities,  out  of  which  a  matron  of  resources  can  turn  out  morsels  which 
are  deemed  marvellously  inviting.  On  the  whole,  the  great  body  of  the  people 
may  be  said  to  live  comfortably  and  well,  and,  as  regards  quantity,  will  pro- 
bably never  enjoy  greater  abundance.  The  language  spoken  by  the  people  is 
a  corruption  of  Hindi,  with  an  admixture  of  aborigintd  words,  somewhat  con- 
fusing to  a  stranger;  but  it  rests  on  a  strictly  Hindi  basis,  and  tiiere  are 
comparatively  few  Persian  words  in  use.    The  following  words  may  be.  quoted  as 


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110  BIL  [Sectiom  III.— Population.] 

specimens.  Man  and  woman  are  called  '^  dank&^'  and  '^  dankf/^  a  honse  is 
called  a  "  kAni"  a  fowl  "  kokrl/^  while  instead  of  saying  "  mat  j&ni^^^  or  "  nahf  n 
j4n6^'  (don't  go),  as  in  Hinddstknl,  a  Chhattfegarhf  wonld  say  "  jhanj^  bo/*  or 
if  he  were  declaring  that  his  field  had  been  forcibly  taken^  he  would  never  think 
of  saying  "  zamin  hamdri  zabardastf  le  li&  faai,^  bat  would  convey  his  grievance 
in  the  words  '^  bhtien  mor  bar  p^  har  lis/'  SufiGlcient  has  been  said  to  show 
that  the  differences  in  terms  are  considerable,  and  this  in  a  limited  space  is  all 
that  can  be  attempted. 

Among  the  characteristics  of  the  people  their  marvellous  credulity  is  the 

_, ...  _..^  most  markea.     Hemmed  in  by  continuous  hill 

Prevaihng  supentitioM.  rmges^  their  intercourse  with  the  outer  world  haa 

been  limited,  so  that  they  still  remain  victims  to  the  most  gross  and  antiquated 
superstitions,  which  the  steady  contact  with  new  ideas  has  gradually  dispelled 
among  more  fiekvourably  situated  comnranities.  Every  hill  has  its  god,  every 
stream  its  spirit;  villages*  have  generally  their  protecting  deity  or  deities,  who 
are  invariably  supplicated  when  epidemics  prevail,  when  murrain  appears 
among  the  cattle,  when  drought  threatens  the  crop,  and  on  all  occasions  of 
misfortune  or  bereavement.  A  special  priest  invokes  all  these  deities,  excepting 
Ddl&  Deva,  who  at  all  times  can  be  supplicated,  and  belongs  to  one  of  the 
aboriginal  races,  thus  showing  the  origin  of  the  superstition  itself.  He  is 
ordinarily  a  Gh>nd,  and  in  virtue  of  his  office  is  called  a  "  BsigL"  The  position 
is  generally  hereditary,  and  carries  with  it  not  unfrequently  a  plot  of  rent-free 
land,  in  addition  to  periodical  fees.  A  successful  Baig£,  or  perhaps  more 
properly  a  Baig^  who  has  obtained  a  reputation  for  success,  is  a  man  of  great 
mfluence,  and  any  injmiction  he  delivers  will  almost  invariably  be  impUcitly 
obeyed.  The  most  public  exemplification  of  this  influence  is  in  cases  of  witch- 
craft, for  here  the  most  melancholy  consequences  have  resulted  in  several  trials. 
A  common  instance  is  when  cholera  visits  a  village.  First  one  falls,  then  another, 
and  there  is  something  so  unaccountable  in  the  origin  of  the  disease,  so 
mysterious  in  its  selection  of  an  apparently  arbitrary  route,  while  its  attacks  are 
so  sudden  and  £ettal,  that  we  can  be  little  surprised  if,  among  an  ignorant 
people,  a  state  of  almost  abject  despair  follows  its  advent.  In  this  temper  of  the- 
community  a  Baig&  is  summoned,  and,  after  going  through  certain  ceremonies,, 
he  declares  what  should  be  done.  Sometimes  it  is  a  cock  or  a  goat  that  has 
to  be  sacrificed  to  appease  the  local  deity  |  and  if  this  is  unsuccessful,  then 
the  whole  commuml^  temporarily  deserts  the  village,  leaving  behind  only  the 
dying  and  the  dead.  At  other  times  the  Baigd  declares  that  a  witch  (locally 
known  as  a ''  tonhf '')  is  the  cause  of  the  suffering  of  the  people.  The  adult  males 
of  the  village  are  then  assembled  in  solemn  conclave,  while  the  Baigd,  sitting  in 
their  midst,  proceeds  to  ascertain  what  unfortunate  woman  is  guilty.  Of  course 
each  individual  Baigi  has  his  own  particular  procedure.  One  of  the  most  noted 
in  this  district  had  two  most  effectual  methods  for  checkmating  the  witches. 
His  first  effort  was  to  get  the  villagers  to  describe  the  marked  eccentricities  of 
the  old  women  of  the  community,  and  when  these  had  been  detailed,  his  ex- 
perieiice  soon  enabled  him  to  seize  on  some  ugly  or  unlucky  idiosyncrasy  which 

*  The  two  most  common  local  deities  are  **  Thdkur  Deva,"  the  Preserver  of  the  village,  who 
hat  often  a  snug  little  tabeniacle»  carefully  thatched*  made  for  him  outside  the  village;  and 
**  D61&  Deva,''  we  Protector  of  the  hearth,  to  whom  a  comer  inside  each  house  is  set  apart,  and 
frequent  off^'mgs  are  made.  Th&knr  Deva  requires  annuidly  a  sacrifice  of  hlood,  while  DdHl 
DeTa  is  prointiated  by  an  offbring,  however  humble. 


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[Section  III  —Population .]  BIL  111 

indicated  in  unmistakeabte  clearness  the  unhappy  offender.  If  no  conclusion 
could  be  arrived  at  in  this  way,  he  lighted  an  ordinary  earthen  lamp  {chir&gh),  and 
repeating  consecutively  each  woman^s  name  in  the  village,  he  fixed  on  the  witch 
or  witches  by  the  flicker  of  the  wick,  when  the  name  or  names  were  mentioned. 
The  discovery  of  the  witch  soon  resulted  in  her  beine  grossly  maltreated,  and 
under  the  Native  government  abnost  invariably  in  her  death,  Since  the  introduc- 
tion of  Briti^  rule  these  cases  are  becoming  year  by  year  rarer,  but  tiie  belief  itself 
remains  strong  and  universal,  and  the  same  class  of  superstitions  pervades  every- 
day life.  There  is  no  sudden  death  that  is  not  attributed  to  the  malignity  of  some 
evil  spirit.  A  lingering  or  strange  sickness  is  often  supposed  to  be  occasioned 
by  the  glance  of  an  evil  eye,  while  any  unfortunate  family  bereavement  is  in 
itself  usually  accepted  as  necessitating  a  change  of  residmoe,  ev^i  though  it 
involve  the  relinquishment  of  ancestral  fields,  and  the  severance  of  all  early 
associations  and  ties.  Of  course  the  so-called  witches  come  in  for  the  blame  of 
many  misfortunes,  and  there  are  marked  women  in  every  neighbourhood,  who 
obtain  special  credit  for  working  charms  in  secret  on  their « enemies,  which 
inevitably  result  in  sickness  or  death.  The  wildest  tales  are  told  of  their  power, 
and  with  such  earnestness  and  circumstantiality,  that  even  educated  native  officials 
from  other  districts  almost  invariably  become  converts  to  the  popular  idea. 
In  some  instances,  where  results  have  been  verified  by  indubitaUe  testimony, 
they  can  only  be  attributed  to  animal  magnetism  or  mesmeric  influence ;  and 
a  case  lately  occurred  in  which  an  English  police  officer  stated  that  he  Inmself 
saw  a  girl  lying  senseless  after  having  been  handled  by  a  reputed  witch,  the 
girl  having  been  again  resuscitated  in  his  presence  through  the  said  witch's 
influence.  If  the  officer  in  question  was  not  imposed  upon,  or  did  not 
in  any  way  misapprehend  the  facts,  then  this  solitary  example  indicates  some 
knowledge  of  mesmerism,  as  existing  among  special  portions  of  the  community. 
The  extreme  credulity  of  the  people  exposes  them  at  times  to  cruel  hoaxes. 
A  strange  story  is  current  in  the  Mungeli  pargana  of  a  Pankd  named  Mangal, 
resident  in  Bhadrdll  village,  who  some  fifteen  or  twenty  years  ago  gave  out  that 
a  deity  had  taken  possession  of  him.  This  was  nothing  strange,  fcr  both  gods 
and  devils  are  accused  of  constant  interference  with  mortals.  Mangal  was 
credited  with  the  power  of  curing  diseases,  and  securing  to  his  worshippers  future 
happiness.  He  used  to  sit  with  a  light  before  him,  and  his  devotees  approached, 
saluted,  and  touched  his  feet.  He  was  literally  inundated  with  followers,  and  the 
offerings  of  grain,  cocoanuts,  and  such  like  gifts  were  something  incredible.  His 
influence  was  confined  to  a  few  short  weeks,  for  his  advent  occurred  about  the 
cultivating  season,  and  he  had  declared  that  good  mens'  crops  would  spring 
up  without  sowing.  It  appears  that  thousands  of  cultivators  were  fools  e90ugh 
to  attach  credence  to  this  teaching,  and,  as  viewed  practically,  this  simply 
amounted  to  a  loss  of  revenue.  When  the  time  for  collection  arrived,  the 
Native  government  at  once  arrested  Mangal,  who  was  left  to  ponder  over  his 
departed  greatness  within  the  walls  of  the  Rdipdr  jail.  The  beUef  in  Mangal's 
powers  vanished  with  his  imprisonment,  and  against  some  of  the  more  respect- 
able men  who  were  his  dupes  (notably  the  tdlukad&r  of  Lorml)  the  whole 
affair  remains  a  standing  joke. 

As  strenuous  efforts  are  being  made  for  the  education  of  the  rising  genera- 

„     ^  tion,  the  cloud  of  ignorant  de^kness  which  now 

uca  on.  envelopes  the  people  must   gradually  disappear. 

The  following  return  shows  the  number  of  schools  and  of  children  under 

instruction :— - 


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112 


BIL 


[Section  III. — PopulatiouJ 


Schools. 

No. 

No.ofPupik. 

Average  daily 
attendance. 

Goremment 

Private           

33 

58 

1,934 
1,142 

1,073 
800 

Total... 

91 

3,076 

1,873 

When  the  total  jnvenile  population  is  considered,  this  can  only  be  regarded  as  a 
very  small  proportion  undergoing  tuition.  The  boys  under  fourteen  exceed 
188,000^  and  supposing  that  a  fourth  of  these  are  of  a  teachable  age  and  available 
for  instruction,  there  are  some  45,000  boys  as  possible  pupils.  Of  these  only 
3,000  are  being  taught,  so  that  a  vast  field  exists  over  which  to  spread  the 
benefits  of  education* 

An  allusion  to  crime  may  not  be  out  of  place,  as  showing  that  although  the 
^  .  people  are  ignorant,  they  are  not  addicted  more 

"™®'  than    their    neighbours    to   crimes    of  violence. 

Murders  are  not  numerous,  and  there  has  been  no  case  of  dacoity  for  a  consider- 
able period.  In  fact  the  following  figures,  from  the  Police  Report  of  the  Central 
Provinces  for  1868,  show  that  crimes  of  all  kinds  are  less  frequent  in  the  Chhat- 
tisgarh  division  than  in  any  other  part  of  the  province  : — 

Population.       heinous       JflJ^i^!?!     Total, 
offences. 


Nfigptir  division 
JabsJptlr  do. 
Narbadd  do. 
Chhattiagarh  do. 


2,263,062 
2,024,645 
1,563,912 
2,104,570 


72 
61 
79 
40 


and  burglaries. 

3,679 
4,181 
3,665 
1,797 


3,751 
4,942 
3,744 
1,837 


There  are  probably  two  causes  which  contribute  to  this  result — the  degree 
of  rude  plenty  which  prevails,  and  the  general  abstemious  character  of  the 
population ;  for  it  is  worthy  of  note  that  the  drinking  classes  are  comparatively 
few,  and  even  these,  living  among  large  masses  who  absolutely  abstain,  are 
insensibly  influenced,  and  thus  come  to  confine  their  indulgence  to  festive 
occasions,  which  are  few  and  far  between.  There  can  scajxiely  be  a  population 
more  submissive  and  obedient  than  the  great  bulk  of  the  people  in  Chhattisgarh. 
Whether  they  are  constikutionally  timid,  or  a  long  course  of  oppression  has 
created  the  feeUng,  is  immaterial.  Certain  it  is  that  they  have  a  great  dread 
of  authority,  and  as  they  are  incapable  of  distinguishing  between  a  regular  and 
irregular  exercise  thereof,  they  are  liable  to  sufier  for  their  meekness  at  the 
hands  of  unscrupulous  subordmate  officials.  Any  creature  with  a  badge,  or 
some  such  insignia  of  office,  is  quite  a  magnate  in  the  interior,  and  will  always 
be  fed,  usually  obeyed,  and  often  feeM.  It  cannot  but  follow  that  people  so 
ignorant  come  to  be  oppressed,  for  they  are  afraid  to  complain,  and  the  only 
effectual  remedy  is  the  gradual  spread  of  intelligence,  which  will  teach  individuals 
to  realise  their  position  and  rights.  The  injurious  results  of  over-submissive- 
ness  are  palpably  evident  in  all  roadside  villages.  Ordinarily  the  mei^e  approach 
of  a  road  should  be  a  source  of  profit,  for  the  constant  passage  along  it  creates 


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[Section  IV.— Resources.]  BIL  113 

a  demand  for  supplies  and  carriage,  which  would  tend  to  enrich  the  resident 
community.  But  in  Chhattisgarh  it  is  considered  a  fatal  calamity,  and  there  is 
scarcely  a  roadside  village  that  is  not  in  a  more  or  loss  unhappy  condition, 
verging  at  times  on  absolute  desertion.  The  reason  is  obvious.  The  people, 
instead  of  insisting  on  payment,  have  a  constant  drain  on  them,  and  it  is  only  when 
their  weakness  has  been  painfully  imposed  upon,  that  they  represent  the  fact,  and 
have  it  remedied. 

To  the  non-agricultural  population  the  cheapness  of  living  is  a  fertile 

source  of  comfort,  and  there  are  a  considerable 
Cheapness  of  living.  clsLSQ  of  pensioners  and  others  who,  owing  to  this 

cause  have  migrated  from  less  favoured  regions,  and  taken  up  their  quarters  in 
the  district.  With  wheat  and  rice  selling  often  at  a  maund  and  a  half  per 
mpee,  and  other  articles  of  native  consumption  in  proportion,  a  labouring  man 
and  family  can  live  comfortably  on  one  anna  a  day.  The  classes  socially  higher 
in  the  same  way  can  secure,  to  an  extent,  luxury  and  plenty  with  means  which 
elsewhere  would  necessitate  stinting  and  anxiety.  Beggars  are  altogether  a  rare 
commodity,  and  can  scarcely  ever  be  pressed  hard  for  food.  The  greater  wealth 
of  the  community  is  a  feature  which  in  the  future  may  with  certainty  bo  calcu- 
lated on,  but  it  may  be  questioned  whether  the  humbler  classes  will  ever  be  so  free 
from  care  as  they  are  at  present,  in  regard  to  the  simple  necessaries  of  life. 
The  outward  marks  of  prosperity  are,  however,  few.  The  passion  for  display  has 
not  yet  arisen,  and  even  those,  who  have  means,  care  not  to  erect  imposing 
houses  or  surround  themselves  with  any  of  tho  outward  marks  of  affluence.  As 
the  country  has  only  been  recently  and  partially  opened  out,  there  is  doubtless 
less  accumulated  wealth  here  than  elsewhere,  and  almost  no  really  rich  people 
exist  But  hoarding  in  small  sums  is  a  universal  habit,  and  with  it  all  there  is 
an  amount  of  rude  comfort  among  the  agricultural  population  which  any  ono 
movincr  among  them  cannot  but  perceive.  Their  grain-stores  are  generally 
well  aied-  cattle  exist  in  great  numbers;  the  luxury  of  a  pony  for  locomotion 
is  a  very  common  feature;  earthen  plates  have  been  largely  displaced  by  metal 
vessels  •  at  all  festive  gatherings  a  large  portion  of  the  agricultural  community 
are  seen  to  possess  jewellery  of  a  more  or  less  expensive  character,  and  on  such 
occasions  they  are  often  arrayed  in  what  may  bo  regarded,  for  Chhattisgarh,  as 
quite  a  superfluity  of  clothing ;  while  marriages  aro  said  to  have  increased,  and 
to  involve  a  larger  expenditure.  These  circumstances  denote  an  advancing 
prosperity.  The^kndholders,  as  a  class,  are  not  indebted,  and  they  have  had 
conferred  on  them  the  boon  of  proprietary  right,  equivalent,  at  present  rates, 
to  a  sum  of  twenty  Idkhs  of  rupees  (£200,000),  so  that  altogether  the  people 
may  be  regarded  as  in  a  comfortable  and  progressive  condition.  They  require 
in  fact  only  an  outlet  for  their  produce,  to  occupy  a  position  which  would 
compare,  not  unfavourably,  with  that  of  the  agricultural  classes  of  other  districts 
in  the  province. 

The  chief  wealth  of  tho  district  consists  in  its  agricultural  produce.    The 

adventurous   carrier  class    (Banjdrfe),   following 

Section  IV.—IUsources.  ^^^^  strings  of  bullocks  through  the  hilly  wilds. 

Agricultural  plenty.  which  shut  in  the  Chhattisgarh  plain,  in  order  that 

they  may  return  laden  with  grain,  have  not  inaptly  termed  this  "  the  land  of 

plenty"  (khalauti).*     They  find  hero  a  surplus  produce,  which  from  tho  absence 

*  This  is  more  commonly  interpreted  to  mean  "  the  low  countr>'." 

15  CPG 


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114  BIL  [Section  IV.— Resources.] 

of  facilities  for  export,  seems  almost  inexhaustible,  for  in  a  great  number  of 
villages  they  cannot  fail  to  observe  the  prominent  and  capacious  grain-stores, 
well  raised  above  the  ground,  walled  and  thatched,  and  containing  from  fifty  to 
two  hundred  cart-loads  of  the  great  staple,  rice.  Then  wheat  and  oil-seeds  and 
pulses  are  produced  in  great  abundance,  and  there  is  a  kind  of  reckless  improvi- 
dence in  many  places  in  feeding,  free  of  cost,  all  travellers  who  pass,  that 
indicates  a  condition  in  which  it  may  be  said  that  want,  using  it  in  the  sense 
of  food,  is  almost  unknown.  Of  the  entire  produce  sixty-five  per  cent,  is 
rice.  It  is  grown  on  all  soils,  and  the  average  yield  is  often  enhanced  more 
from  the  lie  of  the  land  than  the  quality  of  the  soil.  The  prevalent  soils 
are  black,  mixed,  red,  and  sandy.  The  black  soil,  as  has  been  often  stated, 
is  the  debris  of  trap ;  the  red  is  probably  decomposed  laterite;  the  sandy,  as  the 
name  implies,  represents  deposits  from  sandstone  rocks ;  while  the  mixed  is 
allied  to  the  soil,  either  black  or  other,  which  most  preponderates  in  its  com- 
position. The  black  soilis  of  course  the  most  valuable,  because  both  spring  and 
autumn  crops  can  be  grown  on  it.  But  it  seems  a  disputed  point  whether  the 
most  abundant  yield  of  rice  is  generally  obtained  from  black  or  from  red  soil. 
The  sandy  soil  again,  when  manured  and  irrigated,  is  well  adapted  for  sugarcane 
and  all  kmds  of  garden  produce,  and  is  much  prized,  but  there  is  too  much 
percolation  in  it  to  suit  the  rice  crop.  Looking  then  at  these  main  divisions  of 
soil,  it  may  be  said  that  the  western  tracts  of  the  district  are  the  richest,  being* 
nearly  all  black  soil.  The  centre  has  land  of  very  mixed  quality,  while  the 
whole  eastern  parganas  are  almost  entirely  (except  in  patches)  either  red  or  sandy- 
soil.  A  peculiarity  of  rice-fields  in  Chhattisgarh  is  their  extreme  minuteness. 
In  every  village  numbers  of  fields  are  found  not  exceeding  a  few  poles,  or  about 
the  dimensions  of  a  public  dining-table.  The  practice  is  said  to  have  arisen 
from  the  impossibility  of  obtaining  tenants,  imless  each  received  a  share  in  the 
good  or  best-lying  land.  Thus  land  lying  near  the  village  is  coveted  because 
it  is  so  easily  worked  and  manured,  and  a  low  dip,  because,  when  ridged,  it  best 
ntlises  the  annual  rainfall.  These  stretches  then  come  to  be  very  minutely 
divided.  Again,  now  that  the  custom  of  small  fields  has  become  stereotyped,  it 
is  generally  urged  that  in  red  soil  the  smaller  the  surface  enclosed,  the  better  the 
water  is  stored,  and  the  larger  the  crop.  Thus  what  originated  for  convenience 
is  retained  for  profit.  The  reason  may  be  that  red  soil  does  not  retain  moisture, 
though  at  the  same  time  surface-water  does  not  percolate  freely  through  it.  In 
soil  like  this  it  is  therefore  important  to  obtain  as  much  surface-water  as  possible 
for  rice,  and  this  is  efiected  by  ridging-in  small  areas.  This  trouble  is  not  taken 
with  soil  which  retains  moisture,  and  in  which,  if  surface-water  remains  long, 
the  crop  is  likely  to  rot.  In  fact  it  is  always  found  that,  where  the  fields  are  large, 
the  soil  is  black,  and  that,  where  the  converse  is  the  case,  it  is  on  account  of 
the  peculiar  attributes  of  the  red  soil.  Under  the  present  system  of  rice 
cultivation,  small  fields  in  Chhattisgarh  are  thus  not  oiJy  a  convenience,  but  an 
absolute  necessity. 

Another  peculiarity  is  the  practice  of  changing  fields.    This  would  occur 
Sh'ftin   te  periodically,  so  that  no  tenants  should  monopolise 

g    nures.  the  best  land.     The  practice  is  not  universal ;  it 

exists  in  some  villages  only.  The  want  of  attachment,  however,  to  individual 
holdings  is  an  almost  universal  feature,  and  a  very  trifle  will  often  induce  even 
a  hereditary  tenant  to  relinquish  his  land.  The  result  is  that  there  is  little  of 
that  minute. and  persistant  care  which  is  so  marked  a  feature  in  a  peasantry 


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[Section  IV.— Resources.]  BIL  115 

attached  to  the  soil.  Few  cultivators  feel  so  deeply  rooted  as  to  devote  extra 
labour  to  permanently  enhancing  the  yield  of  their  fields,  and  so  cultivation 
generally  comes  to  be  desultory,  and  is  carelessly  carried  out. 

Where  an  agricultural  population  depends  so   entirely  on  a  solitary  crop, 
,   .     .  and  that  crop  one  which  requires  an  abundant  rain- 

rnga  i  n.  ^^jj^  ^^^^  Succeeding  season  becomes  a  period  of 

uncertainty  and  anxiety.  A  failure  of  rain  involves  famine ; — a  deficiency,  wide- 
spread scarcity.  It,  however,  fortunately  happens  that  Chhattlsgarh,  being 
girdled  by  hills,  enjoys  a  fairly  regular  monsoon.  Thus  there  are  traditions  of 
partial  failure  of  crop,  but  no  tradition  of  a  famine ;  for  if  the  absence  of  rainfall 
has  blaisted  hopes  in  one  quarter,  the  area  is  so  extensive  that  at  some 
other  point  the  fall  has  been  adequately  abundant.  Besides  periodical  showers, 
the  rice-crop  requires  four  heavy  downpours,  namely,  one  in  each  of  the  four 
monsoon  months.  The  September  one  should  be  late  in  the  month,  and  as  this 
is  often  untimely  or  deficient,  bumper  liarvests  are  the  exception,  not  the  rule. 
It  is  at  this  time,  if  bright  sunny  days  persistently  succeed  each  other,  that 
heavy  care  is  pourtrayed  on  every  countenance,  from  a  horrid  dread  that  the 
whole  season's  labour  will  be  lost.  Then  the  village  gods  are  piteously  sup- 
plicated, while  the  elders  find  comfort  in  relating  their  experiences,  and  the 
weatherwise  make  their  prophecies,  scanning  every  cloud  lest  haply  they  may 
find  a  hopeful  omen.  At  the  same  time  the  country  is  not  entirely  dependent 
on  the  regularity  of  the  monsoon.  There  are,  scattered  over  the  district,  some 
seven  thousand  tanks,  which  the  forethought  of  succeeding  generations  has 
contributed  to  construct.  Although  not  entirely  available  for  watering  the 
fields  (for  many  are  strictly  preserved  to  provide  water  during  the  heats  of 
summer  for  man  and  beast),  yet  a  large  number  are  utiUsed  for  purposes  of 
irrigation,  and  thus  some  portion  of  the  crop  in  numerous  villages  at  all  times 
comes  to  be  saved. 

•  Besides  rice  the  most  common  crops  are  kodo,  wheat,  pulses,  oil-seeds,  and 
-p,     .     ;»    ..       ,1  cotton;  jawdri  i3  not  cultivated.     Kodo  {paspa^ 

^  Lum  frumentaceum)  is  a  very  poor  staple,  and  has 

no  market  yalue.  It  is  grown  generally  on  inferior  soils,  and  at  the  same  time 
as  rice.  The  yield,  however,  is  much  larger,  always  exceeding  a  hundred-fold. 
It  is  rarely  grown  for  more  than  two  years  in  the  same  land.  Wheat,  gram, and 
pulses  are  only  grown  on  the  best  land,  while  oil-seeds  and  cotton  are  often  pro- 
duced on  the  light  and  poorer  soils.  Both  of  these  are  largely  produced,  and 
the  yield  of  oil-seeds  is  considerable.  The  cotton,  however,  is  generally  inferior, 
from  the  character  of  the  soil  on  which  it  is  usually  raised,  and  the  returns  are 
limited.  The  best  cotton  is  found  in  the  zaralnddris  of  Kaward^  and  Pandarii, 
where  the  undulating  stretches  of  black  soil  are  eminently  fitted  for  its  pro- 
duction. It  is  never  sown  alone,  but  always  mixed  with  arhar  or  kodo.  Of 
regular  rabl  crops  a  large  number  of  villages  have  none  whatsoever,  but  where 
these  exist  they  are  tended  with  considerable  care.  For  both  wheat  and  gram 
the  land  is  ploughed  four  times,  and  for  the  former  some  of  the  fields  are 
regularly  embanked  to  retain  moisture  and  increase  the  yield.  None  of  the  rab( 
crops  are  either  irrigated  or  manured.  They  are  sown  in  October  and  November 
and  reaped  in  March.  In  fact,  excepting  garden  produce — the  favourite  pur- 
suit of  Mdlfs,  Mardrs,  &c. — the  only  crop  which  is  regularly  both  manured  and 
irrigated  is  sugarcane.  It  entails  an  immense  amount  of  labour,  being 
frequently  irrigated,  some  twelve  times  ploughed,  and  manured  on  two  or  three 


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IIG  BIL  [Section  IV. — Resources.] 

different  occasions.  Tlio  few  acres  of  sugarcane  cultivation,  however,  which 
each  village  undertakes  are  raised  by  the  joint  efforts  of  the  whole  cultivating 
community.  Each  cultivator  receives  a  small  plot  proportioned  to  the  size  of 
his  general  holding,  the  lion's  share  falling  to  the  proprietor;  and  all  labour 
together  in  preparing  the  field,  tending  the  crop,  and  extracting  the  gur.  In 
the  western  portion  of  the  district  there  are  villages  which  produce  sugarcane 
without  irrigation,  but  the  crop  is  uncertain  and  scant.  Instances  also  occur 
where  it  is  raised  without  manure,  but  this  is  only  in  the  vicinity  of  streams 
which  overflow  their  banks  in  the  monsoon,  and  leave  a  deposit  that  enriches 
the  soil. 

In  this  district  one  hears  but  little  of  the  exhaustion  of  the  soil.     Tear 
.  aftor  year  rice  is  produced   in   the   same   fields 

Exhaustion  o  soi .  without  any  change  of  crop,  or  oven  an  occasional 

fallow,  and  yet  the  yield  is  apparently  iminfluenced.  It  seems  from  the  state- 
ments of  es;perienced  cultivators  that  new  land  falls  to  the  level  of  old  in  four 
or  five  years,  and  that,  daring  this  interval,  the  extra  yield  averages  from  twenty- 
five  to  thirty  per  cent.  There  is  no  further  progressive  deterioration.  Rice 
is  not  an  exhaustive  crop,  and  then,  as  has  been  pointed  out,  the  land  is  gene- 
rally manured.  This  may  account  for  the  fact  that  rice  is  the  only  crop  with 
which  neither  rotations  nor  fallows  are  practised.  AVTiere  wheat  is  sown,  it  will 
be  followed  by  gram  or  masdr  one  year  and  then  perhaps  kodo.  And  where 
this  is  not  done,  after  four  or  five  years  the  land  is  left  fallow  to  recover  itself. 
Again,  cotton  is  often  succeeded  by  til  or  some  other  oil-seed,  so  that  all  tlirough 
a  reguJar  rotation  is  adhered  to,  experience  having  taught  the  people  that  their 
soil  is  not  rich  enough,  as  in  some  of  the  Narbadd  districts,  to  yield  steadily 
without  a  change  of  crop  or  a  fallow,  and  manure  not  being  available,  as  it  is 
absorbed  by  the  rice  and  sugarcane  fields. 

The  mineral  resources  of  this  district  are  but  little  known,  and  owing  to 
^.       ,  _p    .  remoteness  and  inaccessibility  are  not  likely  to  bo 

developed  for  many  years.  In  the  vicinity  of  the 
Hasdd,  coal  crops  up  in  several  places,  and  it  is  probable  that  if  a  Railway  ever 
be  constructed  from  Calcutta,  through  the  plains  of  Chhattfsgarh,  to  Kdgpdr^ 
the  Korbd  coal-beds  would  yield  an  invaluable  supply  of  fuel.  On  the  right 
bank  of  the  Hasdd,  near  Korbd  itself,  there  is  an  ex])Osed  surface  of  coal  extend- 
ing for  about  a  hundred  yards,  and  in  a  drainage  channel  near  this  same  bed 
it  also  crops  up  in  several  places.  Again,  some  distance  from  Korbd,  on  the  left 
bank  of  the  Hasdd,  there  are  the  beds  of  two  hill  streams — the  Bijdkherd  and 
ilundjharid — in  which  coal  appears  near  the  villages  of  Kalwd  and  Sankherd, 
and  to  such  an  extent  that,  walking  up  the  Bijdkherd  rivulet,  the  coal  is  traceable 
for  at  least  a  mile.  Exploration  would  doubtless  lead  to  other  similar  disco- 
veries. There  has  been  no  digging  or  searching,  and  what  has  been  traced  has 
simply  resulted  by  the  action  of  the  annual  rains  exposing  the  surface.  This 
being  the  case,  it  is  only  fair  to  conclude  that  the  coaly  region  is  very  extensive, 
and  if  once  regularly  worked  would  yield  an  immense  supply.  What  the 
quality  of  the  coal  is  can  only  be  pronounced  after  careful  professional  scrutiny. 
The  surface  coal  is  shaly  and  inferior,  but  this  in  itself  is  not  a  discouraging  fact, 
for  systematic  borings  might  establish  the  utility  of  the  lower  beds.  Until  this 
is  undertaken  no  opinion  can  be  formed,  and  the  question  will  probably  remaia 
undecided  until  the  time  arrives,  by  the  opening  out  of  the  country,  for  a  final 
verdict  to  be  given.     At  present  no  attempt  is  made  to  work  the  coal,  though 


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[Section  IV. — Resources.] 


BIL  117 


a  few  enterprising  smelters  use  it  at  times  for  the  manufaeture  of  iron  after 
the  native  fashion. 

In  the  vicinity  of  all  the  hiU  ranges  in  the  district  iron  ore  is  found,  and 

its   manufacture   is   confined   to   the    zamfnddri 
^°'  estates.     As  far  as  can  bo  ascertained  there  are 

only  some  forty  furnaces  at  work,  the  annual  outturn  of  iron  being  about 
four  hundred  maunds.  This  is  miserably  inadequate  for  the  requirements  of 
the  people,  and  the  result  is  that  a  large  importation  occurs  from  Mandia  and 
the  Sambalpdr  zaminddris.  With  all  this,  prices  range  high,  and  the  ordinary 
selUng  rate  is  not  more  than  three  seers  per  rupee,  or  say  thirteen  rupees 
per  maund.  The  consumption  of  the  district  cannot  be  under  twelve  hundred 
maunds  annually,  two-thirds  of  which  comes  to  be  drawn  from  other  tracts. 
The  limited  production  of  iron  does  not  arise  from  a  deficiency  of  the  ore,  but 
from  an  absence  of  the  class  called  "  Agarids,'*  who  are  employed  in  its  manu- 
facture. If  Gonds  and  other  tribes  would  only  acquire  the  art,  they  would  find 
in  it  a  fertile  source  of  gain.  The  profession,  however,  is  scarcely  an  inviting 
one,  for  although  the  native  process  of  manufacture  is  extremely  rude,  the 
labour  involved  is  very  considerable.  There  is  the  charcoal  to  be  made,  and 
the  ore  to  be  collected.  The  selected  ore  is  then  taken  and  mixed  with  charcoal, 
and  is  placed  in  a  clay  furnace  about  three  feet  high.  A  regular  current  of  air  is 
kept  playing  on  the  furnace  from  the  primitive  pair  of  bellows  worked  by  the 
feet.  When  the  ore  is  smelted,  the  manufactured  article  comes  rushing  out  in  a 
lava-like  stream  from  a  crevice  at  the  bottom  of  the  furnace.  It  is  then 
kiramered  and  run  into  broad  bars  fit  for  sale.  The  iron  which  is  made  is  of 
fair  quality,  but  has  no  special  reputation  in  the  market. 

In  connection  with  mineral  products   it  may  not  be  quite  out  of  place  to 
^,  .  mention  quarries.     The  best-worked   quarries  are 

ne  quames.  those  near  Bildspiir  and  Seorlnardin,  which  con- 

tain sandstone  excellently  suited  for  building  purposes,  to  an  extent  capable  of 
meeting  lai'ge  requirements.  Similar  facilities  exist  at  many  points  all  over  the 
district,  were  the  people  sufficiently  advanced  to  appreciate  structures  of  per- 
manent masonry.  For  road -making  there  are  everywhere  large  quantities  of 
suitable  gravel ;  but  no  regular  beds  of  "  kankar^'  (nodular  limestone),  which 
experience  shows  to  be  more  durable,  have  yet  been  found. 

The  extensive  forests  of  the  district  are  situated  in  the  zaminddris,  and  are 
^  private  property,  the  only  large  tracts  of  govern- 

ment forest  being  the  wastes  spreading  over  tho 
LormJ  and  Lamni  hills  on  the  north-west,  and  the  Sondkhdn  area  on  the  south- 
east. Besides  these  two  tracts  there  are  several  considerable  patches  of  jungle, 
which  have  been  reserved  in  the  portion  of  the  plain  skirting  the  northern  hills. 
The  largest  of  these  are  the  Korl,  Bijdpdr,  Bitkull,  and  Pantord  wastes.  Again, 
out  in  the  plain  there  are  a  few  isolated  patches  of  waste  ;  of  no  value,  however, 
except  for  grazing  cattloo  The  total  area  of  government  waste,  excluded  from  the 
private  properties  by  the  operations  of  the  settlement  department,  is  443,500 
acres,  or  693  square  miles.  The  chief  blocks,  as  already  noted,  are  Lormi  and 
Lamni  190,269  acres,  Sondkhdn  and  Mdrdjl  97,503  acres,  Korf  20,776  acres, 
Bijdpur  48,571  acres,  Bitkull  25,509  acres,  and  Pantord  13,604  acres.  The 
annual  revenue  realised  at  present  is  about  6,000  rupees.  The  smallness  of 
the  forest  revenue,  compared  with  the  extent  of  waste,  arises  from  the  fact  that 


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118  BIL  [Section  IV.-BewiircM.] 

tlie  most  valuable  of  the  government  forests  are  more  inaccessible  than  some 
of  the  zaminddri  jungles,  so  that  villages  in  the  plain  come  to  indent  largely 
on  these  latter  to  meet  their  annual  requirements.  Thus  the  Lormi  and  Lamni 
forests  are  cut  off  by  hills,  while  Sondkhdn  is  isolated  by  the  deep  waters  and 
wide-spreading  sands  of  the  Mahdnadi.  The  nearer  jungles  on  the  other  hand 
having  been  hacked  and  hewed  at  for  years,  are  considerably  thinned,  and  do 
not  now  furnish  adequate  supplies  to  satisfy  the  wants  of  the  whole  community. 

Sdl  is  the  only  valuable  timber  which  exists  in  all  the  forests  of  the  district 
,  in  great  quantities.     Good  timber  of  this  descrip- 

rores  pro  u    .  ^^^  j^  therefore  available  almost  to  any  extent. 

Sdj  too  is  much  met  with,  but  it  is  not  generally  of  large  size.  Shisham  and 
bijesdl  are  both  scarce,  while  teak  is  almost  unknown,  except  in  the  forest 
reserve  of  Hdthibdri  near  Sondkhdn.  Of  other  building  timber  the  most 
common  trees  in  use  are  tendd,  shisham,  kawd,  dhdurd,  semar,  anjan,  khair, 
kalmi,  and  bijrd.  There  are  some  twenty  other  trees  which  are  utilised,  but 
their  timber  is  very  inferior.  Besides  building-timber,  the  supply  of  grass  and 
bamboos  in  ihe  forests  is  very  extensive.  Then  the  valleys  of  Lormi,  Pendrfi, 
Mdtin,  and  Uprord  aflFord  vast  grazing  groimds,  watered  by  perennial  springs, 
and  verdant  even  in  the  heats  of  summer.  Here  the  cattle  from  the  plain  find 
abundant  pasture,  and  are  only  brought  down  when  the  monsoon  has 
commenced.  With  edible  roots  and  fruits  the  jungles  are  well  stocked,  and  they 
are  an  immense  resource  to  the  hill  tribes,  who  have  not  unfrequently  to  remain 
content  with  "a  dinner  of  herbs.^'  The  tamarind,  the  mhowa,  the  tendd,  the 
achdr,  the  jdmun,  the  gasto,  the  dunld,  and  the  bel  fare  the  fruits  in  ordinary 
use,  and  are  the  most  palatable.  Then  for  medicinal  purposes  instinct  and 
experience  have  promoted  the  use  of  many  plants,  and  those  who  are  learned 
in  their  application  are  much  resorted  to.  For  fever,  decoctions  are  made  of 
nim,  chinhdr,  donjari,  andgur;  for  diarrhoea  and  dysentery,  bel  and  gindel  are 
used ;  for  weakness,  bohar,  baridri,  gursakri,  and  kesarwd;  for  indigestion, 
dunld,  dandbehrd,  and  sdtdr;  for  rheumatism,  bansami  and  behrd;  for  head- 
aches, jasmdr  and  dasmdr,  and  so  on  through  a  host  of  simple  remedies  for  all 
ordinary  and  general  complaints. 

Of  industrial  products  the  most  extensively  in  demand  is  lac.     The  insect 

covers     the    tiny   branches   of  the  kusam   tree 
Lac  and  other  industrial  pro-     (schleichera  trijuya)  with  its  coral-like  protuber- 
^^**'  ances.     The  crusty  material  thus  formed,  includ- 

ing in  its  recesses  several  insects,  constitutes  the  stick  lac  of  commerce,  and 
produces,  when  manufactured,  the  deep  red  dye  so  largely  required.  Each  tree 
yields  from  twenty  to  thirty  lbs.,  a  portion  being  left  for  seed,  or  in  other  words 
to  reproduce  the  material  in  demand,  and  the  annual  value  of  a  tree  runs  from 
three  to  four  rupees.  As  a  consequence  the  "  kusam*'  is  very  rarely  cut  down, 
and  is  invariably  preserved  as  a  valuable  property.  Following  lac,  resin  is  a 
product  in  considerable  demand.  This  is  extracted  from  the  sdl  tree  {shorea 
robiista),  which  unfortunately  has  been  generally  ringed  in  the  process  instead 
of  being  punctured.  Some  magnificent  forests  have  been  thus  destroyed,  for 
the  ringed  trees  speedily  dry  up,  and  then,  when  the  annual  conflagrations  come, 
they  are  enveloped  in  the  sweeping  flame  and  augment  its  volume.  It  is  truly 
melancholy  to  wander  over  the  charred  remnants  of  magnificent  timber  thus 
uselessly  destroyed,  and  it  is  only  to  be  hoped  that  in  the  future  the  mode  of 
procedure  hitherto  prevalent  in  extracting  resin  will  entirely  disappear. 


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[Section  V.— Trade]  BIL  119 

One  interesting  item  of  forest  resource  remains  to  be  referred  to — the  tasar 

cocoons,  which  supply  the  useful  silk  so  esteemed 
SUk  cocooM.  ^y  ^j^^  community.     The  Bhiimids  and  other  hiU 

men  collect  these  during  the  monsoon,  and  are  marvellously  active  and  shrewd 
in  finding  them  in  the  jungles.  They  are  found  chiefly  on  the  sij  tree  (pen- 
iaptera  glabra).  In  the  month  of  August  the  primitive  huts  of  these  wild 
races  are  invaded  by  rearers  of  the  tasar  worm,  from  the  more  open  portions 
of  the  district.  These  men  come  to  purchase,  and  a  party  usually  consists  of 
seven  or  eight  persons.  A  sufficient  stock  having  been  obtained,  these  rearers 
return  to  their  selected  locaHty,  which  is  a  tract  of  stunted  sdj  trees,  covering 
eight  or  ten  acres  near  a  village  skirting  the  forest.  Here  in  September  they 
tie  the  cocoons  to  a  series  of  strings,  each  string  stretching  from  a  branch  of 
one  tree  to  a  diflerent  branch  in  another,  the  cocoons  thus  suspended  looking 
from  a  distance  like  a  great  row  of  eggs.  By  degrees  the  moths  cut  through 
the  cocoons,  during  which  process  they  are  closely  watched,  and  after  they 
have  paired,  the  females  are  placed  in  earthen  vessels  (ghards),  in  which  they 
lay  their  eggs  and  die.  The  males  fly  away.  The  eggs  are  kept  in  the  huts  of 
tie  people,  generally  in  cloth,  and  incubated  by  heat.  They  are  Uttle  round 
dots  about  the  size  of  mustard  seed.  In  eight  or  ten  days  the  worm  is 
formed,  and  as  each  female  moth  placed  in  the  vessel  deposits  about  a  hundred 
eggs,  a  great  outturn  is  obtained.  The  worms  thus  incubated  are  taken  out 
and  placed  on  sdj  trees,  on  the  leaves  of  which  they  feed.  They  are  small  tiny 
insects  at  first,  but  they  grow  in  size  till  they  attain  the  thickness  of  a  man's 
finger,  and  are  perhaps  two  and  a  half  inches  long.  At  this  stage  they  are  very 
prettily  marked;  but  in  three  months  they  have  attained  their  full  size,  and  then 
commence  their  cocoons,  which  are  finished  in  two  days.  It  is  quite  an  interesting 
spectacle  to  see  these  insects  busily  employed  throwing  one  thread  round  their 
bodies  and  then  another,  until  they  are  completely  encased  in  their  silken  home. 
A  period  of  some  four  months  elapses,  viz.  from  September  to  December,  from 
the  time  the  moth  breaks  out  of  the  old  cocoon  to  the  formation  by  the  freshly 
generated  worm  of  the  new  one,  through  the  processes  of  incubation,  develop- 
ment, &c.  The  new  cocoons  are  sold  to  the  silk-weavers,  who  steep  them  in  hot 
water,  mixed  with  tamarind  pods  or  leaves,  in  order  to  communicate  to  the  thread 
additional  strength  and  elasticity,  when  the  thread  is  carefully  wound  oflF,  and 
manufactured  into  the  light-textured  tasar  silk.  One  piece  requires  on  an 
average  some  800  cocoons,  and  as  the  probable  amount  of  silk  woven  may  be 
estimated  at  10,000  pieces,  the  annual  supply,  to  admit  of  this,  must  be  some- 
thing like  eight  million  cocoons,  the  outturn  probably  of  some  80,000  moths. 
It  is  strange  that  the  Kewats,  who  rear  the  worms,  instead  of  depending 
annually  on  the  Bhdmids'  supply  from  the  wilds,  do  not  themselves  maintain  a 
permanent  stock  to  breed  from.  They  urge  that  experience  has  not  proved  this 
process  profitable ;  but  the  true  reason  probably  is  that  it  would  entail  too  much 
system  to  satisfy  their  tastes.  As  it  is,  while  employed  in  rearing  they  remain 
away  from  their  homes,  confine  their  diet  to  rice  and  salt,  and  depend  on  the 
prayers  of  the  Bhdmia  "  Baigds^'  for  success.  The  absence  of  this  last  element 
has  in  every  instance,  it  is  alleged,  been  followed  by  failure. 

S  V  — r   de  ^^^  following  view  of  the  trade  of  the  district 

-  '  '  is  tabulated  from  the  Trade  Statistic  Eetums  for 

Imports  and  Exports.  ^^^  ^^^  ^^^^  ^^^^^ ._ 

[Table 


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120 


BIL 

IMPOETS. 


[Section  V.— Trade.] 


1864435 

1865-66 

•    1866^7 

1887-68 

Maunds 
of  82  lbs. 

Bnpees. 

Maunds 
of  82  lbs. 

Rupees. 

Maunds 
of  82  lbs. 

Rupees. 

Maunds 
of  82  lbs. 

Rupees. 

Sugar  ,,,.,, 

1,791 

'      2,927 

721 

Head. 

14,220 

9,237 

35,820 

1,04,703 
04,169 

1,27,980 
1,29,298 

2,262 

1,265 

310 

Head. 

16,112 

5,941 

45,240 

47,115 
27,590 

1,45,008 
83,174 

2,183 

2,822 

1,341 

Head. 

35,565 

15,338 

43,040 

94,451 
1,18,829 

3,30,085 
1,10,659 

9,637 

2,969 

1,269 

Head. 

10,266 

7,522 

62,740 

Motala     and     hard- 
waro      ',»'•• 

1,09,853 

EDglish  pieoo-goods. 
Cattle  

1,11,941 
92,399 

"M  i4PuIlaiicoiis ......... 

1,05,308 

Total 

28,890 

4,61,970 

25,890 

3,48,127 

57,^19 

7,03,664 

24,663 

4,72,241 

Rice 

5i4,74t 

106,017 

17,313 

12,771 

12,479 

26,ni 
4,408 

6,44,744 
1,0(J,017 

17,313 
1,66,023 

49,916 

4,17,776 
48,488 

EXP 

134,099 

43,354 

7,645 

15,312 

4^053 

60 

17,721 

12,428 

GETS. 

184,099 

43,354 

7,645 

l,99,05(t 

16,212 

120 

2,83,536 

1,36,708 

106343 

18,421 

144 

1,724 

4,38(. 

45 

0,169 

0,067 

1,06,843 
18,421 
144 
22,212 
17,544 
90 
98,704 
06,737 

86,591 

C8,036 

1,502 

12,621 

793 

90 

9,752 

5,099 

86,591 

Wheat 

68,033 

Other  odiblo grain... 
Cotton 

1,502 
1,64,073 

Gur 

2,972 

Oil-seeds 

180 

Lac       . • •••• 

1,56,033 

Misccllanooaa     ...... 

50,089 

Total 

723,843 

13,50,277 

234,672 

8,20,730 

143,709 

3,30,695 

184,484 

5,35,475 

In  tho  above  table,  for  purposes  of  comparison,  a  uniform  unit  of  value  has 
been  maintained  for  each  item  in  all  the  years,  adopting  for  this  purpose 
average  rates.  The  imports  consist  chiefly  of  sugar,  metals,  English  piece-goods, 
and  cattle.  Salt  is  not  shown,  as  the  customs  department  registers  this  on  its 
crossing  from  the  coast,  including  in  the  return  the  whole  of  Chhattisgarh.  The 
exports  are  mainly  rice,  wheat,  other  edible  grains,  and  lac.  The  great  year  for 
the  agriculturists  here  was  1864-65.  They  then  exported  over  650,000  maunds 
(100,000  quarters)  of  grain,  compared  with  only  150,000  maunds  during 
1867-68,  and  50,000  rupees' worth  of  gur  compared  with  3,000  rupees' worth 
in  1867^68.  As  a  permanent  feature,  however,  a  large  export  cannot  be  cal- 
culated on,  for  so  long  as  pack-bullocks  remain  the  sole  means  of  transport  for 
produce,  the  grain  from  Chhattisgarh  only  repays  carriage  when  prices  west- 
ward have  risen  to  a  more  than  ordinarily  high  rate.  Independent  of  grain  tho 
only  other  large  agricultural  product  that  is  exported  is  cotton.  The  area  under 
cotton  cultivation  is  83,371  acres,  which  at  alow  estimate  yields  twenty  seers  or 
forty  lbs.  of  cleaned  cotton  per  acre,  or  altogether  41,685  maunds  of  cotton  per 
annum.  The  whole  trade  has  a  western  tendency  to  the  railway  at  Jabalpdr,  and, 
as  has  already  been  urged,  to  connect  the  Bil^spdr  district  with  so  near  a  market 
is  a  matter  of  paramount  local  importance.  Eathcr  less  than  a  fifth  of  tho 
produce  of  the  district  has  been  calculated  to  be  available  for  exportation,  and  of 
this  only  a  fourth  is  recorded  as  having  obtained  a  market.  No  statistics  exist  of 
the  trade  south  via  the  Eiipdr  district,  and  east  vid  Sambalpur.  The  former  is 
very  limited,  and  the  latter  consists  chiefly  of  wheat,  gram,  oil-seods,  and  cotton. 
If  this  be  estimated  at  100,000  maunds  per  annum  altogether,  there  still 
remains  a  lamentable  deficiency ;  for  while  the  country  is  capable  of  maintaining 
a  produce  trade  of  50,000  tons  annually,  owing  to  its  land-locked  condition,  the 


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[Section  v.— Trade]  BIL  121 

trade  carried  on  only  amounts  to  some  14,000  tons.  The  liic  trade  represents 
an  important  item,  the  average  export  of  the  last  four  years  being  nearly  15,000 
maunds,  aggregating  in  yalae  about  two  and  a  half  Mkhs  of  rupees.  This  is 
not,  however,  entirely  from  this  district,  but  from  all  Chhattisgarh.  The  grain 
exports  hitherto  alluded  to  appertain  properly  to  Bildspilr,  because  the  Rdipdr 
grain  export  is  to  the  south,  mainly  along  the  Grreat  Eastern  Road ;  but  this  is 
not  the  case  with  lac,  which  from  both  districts  proceeds  over  the  same  lines  to 
Mirz^pdr  and  Jabalpdr.  The  stick-lac  is  purchased  up  by  agents  of  firms  at 
low  rates,  and  must  yield  a  large  profit  to  the  purchasers,  compared  with  the 
small  returns  theactus^  collectors  receive.  No  mere  local  resident,  however,  has 
found  it  a  remunerative  process  to  export  on  his  own  account,  the  manufacture 
of  the  dye  being  almost  a  monopoly.  ITie  whole  business  therefore  is  carried 
on  by  agents  on  the  spot,  who  despatch  the  commodity  at  the  instance  of  the 
firms  employing  them.  The  expansion  of  the  trade  is  not  a  likely  contingency, 
as  the  demand  fluctuates,  and  the  "  kusam"  trees  on  which  the  lac  insects  are 
fostered  are  somewhat  limited  in  number. 

Of  local  industries  tibe  most  important  is  the  weaving  trade.     There  are 
—  .      ^,  in  the  regular  weaving  trade  some  6,000  looms. 

^       ^*  The  average  outturn  of  each  loom  is  a  hundred 

cloths  a  year,  so  that  the  aggregate  outturn  must  be  600,000  dhotfs,  valued 
at  one  rupee  each,  or  six  l&khs  of  rupees.  Then  all  the  Pankd  caste  weave,  in 
addition  to  cultivation,  and  nearly  half  the  cloth  in  the  district  is  made  by  them. 
There  are  among  them  about  12,000  looms,  the  average  outturn  of  each  being 
about  forty  cloQis  a  year,  giving  a  total  of  say  500,000  dhotfs.  They  are 
generally  small,  and  made  for  the  cultivators,  selling  singly  for  about  ten  annas 
each,  so  that  the  aggregate  value  would  be  about  three  lakhs  of  rupees.  The 
total  number  of  cloths  made  must  be  at  least  eleven  hundred  thousand,  valued 
at  nine  Idkhs  of  rupees.  Besides  this  some  10,000  pieces  of  tasar  silk  are  manu- 
factured annually,  selling  at  from  five  to  six  rupees  a  piece.  It  is  estimated 
that  there  are  600,000  persons  in  the  district,  requiring  on  an  average  two 
cloths  each;  this  would  be  1,200,000  dhotfs;  and  now  looking  at  the  number  of 
looms  we  find  that  the  outturn  approaches  this  limit.  The  estimate  given 
may  therefore  be  accepted  as  a  very  close  approximation  to  the  real  extent  of 
the  weaving  trade.  Tlie  great  majority  of  weavers  arc  in  comfortable  circum- 
stances, but  nothing  more.  They  make  fi^m  two  to  three  annas  a  day  as  the 
price  of  their  labour,  which,  with  grain  cheap,  is  sufficient  to  support  a  family. 
The  weavers  of  the  fine  cloths  make  from  four  to  six  annas  a  day,  and  this  is 
the  extreme  limit. 

Ad   inistrat'  ^^  revenues  of  the  district  for  the  year  1 868-69 

were — 

Land Rs.  2,71,056 

Excise   „  8,022 

Stamps ,,  22,.']:J8 

Forests  „  4,337 

Assessed  taxes „  12,220 

The  executive  staff  consists  of  a  deputy  commissioner  with  two  assistants  at 
head-quarters,  and  tahsfldirs  or  sub-collectors  at  Bildspilr,  Mungclf,  and  Seorf- 
nariin.  The  police  station-houses  are  at  Bilaspiir,  Mungelf,  Seorfnariin, 
Katanpilr,  Surgdon,  Lormf,  and  S&v&g&on. 

16  CPG 


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122  BIL— BIN 

BILA'SPU'R — The  central  revenue  subdivision  or  tahsU  in  the  district  of 
the  same  name,  having  an  area  of  1,674  square  miles,  with  975  villages,  and  a 
population  of  223,388  according  to  the  census  of  1866.  The  land  revenue  of 
the  tahsil  for  the  year  1869-70  is  Rs.  1,01,917-2-0. 

BILA'SPU'R — The  head-quarters  of  the  district  of  the  same  name, 
pleasantly  situated  on  the  south  bank  of  the  river  Arpd.  It  has  a  population 
of  6,190  souls.  The  town  is  said  to  have  been  founded  rather  more  than  three 
hundred  yeai*s  ago  by  a  fisherwoman  named  Bildsi,  from  whom  it  takes 
its  name.  For  a  long  period  it  consisted  of  only  a  few  fishermen's  huts, 
but  about  one  hundred  years  ago  one  Kesava  Pant  Sdba,  the  manager  of 
the  district  on  the  part  of  the  Mardthds,  took  up  his  residence  here  and  began 
to  build  a  fort.  This  fort  was  never  completed,  but  a  portion  of  it  still  exists 
on  the  banks  of  the  river,  at  one  extremity  of  the  present  town.  It  is  a  brick 
structure,  in  no  respect  imposing,  and  with  no  pretensions  to  architectural 
beauty.  As  the  town  became  the  residence  of  an  important  oflScial,  and  the 
head-quarters  of  a  military  contingent,  traders  commenced  to  settle  in  it. 
Subsequently,  however,  the  Mar^thds  fixed  their  head-quarters  at  Batanpdr, 
and  Bildspdr  dwindled  into  comparative  insignificance.  It  was  in  1862  again 
constituted  the  head-quarters  of  a  British  district,  and  is  now  a  rising  town. 
The  vicinity  is  well  wooded ;  there  are  many  gardens  and  mango-groves ;  and 
the  view  of  the  distant  hills  affords  a  pleasant  prospect.  The  only  buildings 
of  any  importance  are  those  erected  for  government  purposes.  Bildspdr 
is  69  miles  N.N.B.  of  Rdlpur,  144  S.W.W.  of  Mandla,  and  140  N.W.  of 
Sambalpur. 

BILIHRA — ^An  estate  in  the  Sdgar  district,  about  twelve  miles  south  of 
Sdgar,  consisting  of  five  villages,  with  an  area  of  fifteen  square  miles.  As  men- 
tioned in  the  account  of  "  Sdgar,''  this  estate  was  assigned  by  the  Peshwi 
to  Prithvl  Pat,  the  original  possessor  of  Sdgar.  It  then  comprised  twelve 
villages,  which  were  held  at  a  quit-rent.  His  descendants  remained  in  un- 
disturbed possession  till  A.D.  1818,  when  this,  with  Sdgar,  was  ceded  to  the 
British.  At  that  time  Bahddur  Singh,  an  adopted  son  of  Mdn  Singh,  the  last 
lineal  descendant  of  Prithvl  Pat,  was  in  possession.  With  him  an  arrange- 
ment was  made  by  the  government  that  the  quit-rent  should  be  discontinued, 
and  that  seven  villages  out  of  the  twelve  should  be  fully  assessed,  leaving  the 
remaining  five  rent-free  for  ever.  The  village  contains  299  houses,  with  1,331 
inhabitants.     There  is  a  school  here  for  boys. 

BILTARA' — ^A  small  village  in  the  Damoh  district,  ten  miles  and  a  half 
from  Damoh  on  the  Jokdf  road.  Between  this  and  Damoh  are  no  less  than 
sixteen  ndlds,  fifteen  of  which  are  bridged.  Water  can  be  obtained  from  a  tank 
and  from  a  well.     The  encamping-ground  is  tolerably  good. 

BI'NA' — A  river  which,  taking  its  rise  in  the  Bhopdl  state,  enters  Sdgar 
in  the  south-western  extremity,  and  flows  almost  due  north,  past  Rdhatgarh, 
where  it  is  crossed  by  a  large  stone  bridge  of  fourteen  arches.  It  then  turns 
in  a  westerly  direction  towards  Bhopdl,  forming  the  boundary  between  that 
state  and  Sdgar  for  about  twenty-five  miles,  till  it  passes  Eran,  and  from  thence 
forms  the  boundary  between  Sdgar  and  Gwdlior,  till  it  falls  into  the  Betwd. 

BINAIKA'— In  the  Sdgar  district,  the  chief  village  of  a  tract  known  by  the 
name  of"  Bindikd  Patau  !^  It  is  situated  about  twenty-four  miles  north  of  Sdgar, 
and  contains  256  houses,   with  848  inhabitants.     The  history  of  this  village 


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BIN— BORA  128 

and  tract  till  the  year  a.d.  1733  is  the  same  as  that  of  the  state  of  Dh^monf, 
of  which  they  formed  part.  In  that  year  Rij4  Chhatra  Sal  made  over  Bindiku 
to  the  Peshwfi,  but  on  the  death  of  the  former,  his  son  Edjd  Jagat  Rdj  refused 
to  ratify  the  transfer,  and  kept  possession  himself.  Some  five  years  afterwards 
the  Peshwd  forcibly  established  his  claim,  and  the  tract  thus  became  part  of  the 
Mardthd  territory.  The  fort  was  built,  and  the  village  was  much  improved, 
during  the  Mardthd  occupancy  by  Vindyak  RSo,  one  of  the  Peshwd^s  governors 
of  Sdgar.  In  the  year  1818  the  tract  formed  part  of  the  territory  ceded  to  the 
British  government  by  the  Peshwd.  The  tahsll  head-quarters  were  held  in 
this  village  from  the  year  1832  to  1861,  having  been  removed  thither  from 
Dhdmoni.  The  fort  has  been  for  the  most  part  destroyed  since  the  removal  of 
the  tahsfl  to  Bandd.  The  village  itself  is  one  of  no  importance,  though  one  of 
the  largest  in  the  Bandd  subdivision.  No  trade  of  any  kind  is  carried  on. 
A  weekly  market  is,  however,  held  on  Thursdays,  at  which  provisions  and  cloths 
are  brought  for  sale. 

BINDRA'  NAWA'GARH— One  of  the  Pdtnd  group  of  chiefships  attached 
to  the  Rdipdr  district.  It  is  situated  to  the  south-west  of  Kharidr,  and  adjoins 
Narrd  and  others  of  the  south-eastern  zaminddris  of  Chhattissrarh.  Only  a  small 
proportion  of  the  area  is  under  cultivation.     The  chief  is  a  Gond  by  caste. 

BIRUTi — A  large  village  in  the  A'rvi  tahsil  of  the  Wardhd  district,  con- 
taining 1,949  inhabitants,  chiefly  cultivators  and  oil-pressers.  It  lies  about 
nineteen  miles  west  of  Wardhd.  The  village  mud  fort,  now  in  disrepair,  was 
built  by  the  Desmukh  family  who  founded  the  village  some  two  hundred  and 
fifty  years  ago,  and  still  retain  a  share  in  it.     There  is  a  village  school  here. 

BISNU'R — A  large  village  in  the  A  rvi  tahsil  of  the  Wardhd  district, 
containing  1,493  inhabitants,  chiefly  cultivators.  It  is  situated  on  the  bank  of 
the  river  Wardhd,  forty -five  miles  north-west  of  Wardhd.  The  road  from 
Amrdoti  to  Ndgpiir  enters  the  Wardhd  district  at  Bisndr,  so  a  police  outpost 
has  been  established  here  to  guard  the  traffic.  The  Bisndr  fort  has  recently 
been  converted  into  a  sardf .  There  is  a  good  village  school,  and  a  small  weekly 
market  is  held  here  every  Friday. 

BOR — A  stream  which  rises  in  the  Ndgpdr  district  and  enters  the  Wardhd 
district  near  Hingnf.  Thence  it  flows  past  the  town  of  Seld  and  joining  the 
Dhdm  flows  into  the  Wand. 

BORA'SA'MBAR — A  chiefship  which  formerly  belonged  to  the  cluster  of 
states  known  as  the  eighteen  Garhjdts,  and  is  now  classed  among  the  ordinary 
khdlsa  zaminddrfs  attached  to  the  Sambalpdr  district.  It  is  about  forty  miles 
long  by  twenty  broad,  thus  having  an  area  of  some  eight  hundred  square  miles. 
About  one-half  is  cultivated,  and  the  remainder  is  jungle  and  waste.  The  soil 
is  light  and  sandy,  like  the  rest  of  the  country  in  this  portion  of  the  Mahdnadf 
valley.  A  long  range  of  hills,  which  do  not,  however,  rise  over  2,200  feet  above 
the  level  of  the  sea,  forms  a  natural  boundary  to  the  northward  between  this 
state  and  Phuljhar.  A  still  more  continuous  and  lofty  range,  of  which  the 
height  varies  from  2,000  to  near  3,000  feet,  forms  the  boundary  between  Bord- 
sdmbar  and  Pdtnd.  Nearly  one-half  of  the  state  is  covered  with  forest.  Teak 
is  scarcely  ever  met  with,  but  sdl  {shorea  robusta)^  sdj  (pentaptera  glabra), 
dhdnrd  (conocarpus  latifoUa)^  tendd  {diospyros  melanoxylon),  khair  (acacia 
catechu),  and  many  other  useful  woods,  as  ako  lac  and  cocoons  of  the  tasar 
silkworm,  are  common.  The  principal  river  is  the  Ong,  a  tributary  of 
the  Mahdnadi;    it  rises  in  the  hill    range   to  the  westward  in  the  Kharidr 


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124  BORI— BOTE 

zaminddri^  and  flows  through  the  whole  length  of  Borda^mbar  from  west  to 
east.  There  is  nothing  deserving  the  name  of  a  road  in  the  whole  state,  but 
from  Kharidr  (Thdnot)  there  is  a  track,  a  good  deal  used  by  Banjdrds.  This  is 
clearly  enough  defined,  but  a  laden  cart  could  not  go  along  it.  The  climate  is 
similar  to  that  of  Sambalpdr,  Tigers,  panthers,  bears,  and  wild  buffaloes  are 
numerous. 

By  the  last  census  (1866-67)  the  population  is  shown  at  19,203  souls. 
The  principal  agricultural  classes  are  the  Koltds,  Binjhdls,  Sauris,  KhondB,  and 
Gonds.  There  are  also  a  few  Brihmans,  and  a  sprinkling  of  the  artisan  classes. 
The  Binjhdls  have  customs  somewhat  similar  to  the  Gronds,  and  have  also  the 
same  type  of  countenance,  but  they  are  not  recognised  by  any  of  the  tribes  of 
Gonds  in  these  parts  as  clansmen.  It  is  supposed  that  they  have  immigrated 
from  the  westward,  i,e,  firom  the  great  VincUiyan  range  of  hills.  The  manufac- 
tures are  limited  to  iron  implements  and  coarse  cloths ;  rice  is  the  chief  agricul- 
tural product,  but  the  pulses,  oil-seeds,  sugarcane,  and  cotton  are  also  grown. 
The  revenue  is  estimated  roughly  at  about  ,Rs.  2,000  per  annum  in  cash,  but 
nazrdna  payments  in  kind,  &c.  would  probably  increase  this  by  another  thousand 
rupees  at  least.  The  chiefship  consisted  originally  of  only  a  few  villages,  and 
was  known  by  the  name  of  A'tgarh.  By  degrees  the  famUy,  which  was  a  very 
warlike  one,  increased  in  power,  and  acquired  territory  from  the  neighbouring 
chiefships  of  Phuljhar  and  Titni,  till  Bordsdmbar  became  an  important  state, 
and  was  deemed  worthy  of  being  included  amongst  the  Garhjdt  cluster. 
It  has  been  in  the  family  of  the  present  holder  for  some  twenty-eight 
generations. 

BORI' — A  thriving  village  in  the  Ndgpdr  district,  on  the  left  bank  of  the 
river  Wand,  and  lying  between  the  Great  Southern  Road  and  the  Railway,  about 
eighteen  miles  from  Ndgpdr.  The  population,  amounting  to  3,371  souls,  is 
mostly  employed  in  agriculture,  or  in  weaving  and  dyeing  country  cloths. 
The  Rangdris  (dyers)  are  an  important  section  of  the  people.  Cloths  dyed  at 
Bori  are  in  especial  request,  as  the  dye,  of  a  red  brick  colour,  is  very  durable. 
This  quality  the  dyers  ascribe  to  properties  possessed  by  the  waters  of  the 
Wand.  There  are  several  fine  groves  to  the  north  of  the  town,  and  some  good 
gardens.  Near  the  railway  station  is  a  commodious  sardi,  lately  built,  and  on 
the  Great  Southern  Road  is  a  good  travellers^  bungalow.  There  is  also  a 
government  school  here.  The  town  was  founded  by  one  Safdar  Klidn,  a  Pathdn 
silahddr  of  Bakht  Buland.  It  remained  in  his  family  for  seventy-five  years.  It 
was  afterwards  held  by  Maind  Bdi  Nimbdlkarin,  who,  with  a  garrison  of  two 
hundred  men,  successfully  held  her  fortress  against  three  raids  of  the  Pindhdrls. 

BORI' — A  small  forest  tract  of  some  thirty  square  miles  in  extent,  situated 
south  of  the  Pachmarl  range  of  hills  in  the  Chhindwdrd  district,  and  containing 
some  fine  teak  and  other  timber.  Plantation  operations  have  been  commenced  in 
this  forest. 

BOTEWA'HI'— A  river  in  the  Chdndd  district.  It  rises  in  the  eastern 
slopes  of  the  Perzdgarh  hills,  and  after  an  easterly  course  of  twenty-eight  miles 
falls  into  the  Waingangd  at  Banmanchan.  This  stream  never  dries,  and  the 
water  is  considered  peculiarly  good  for  drinking  purposes.  During  the  rains  its 
clear  current  can  be  traced  flowing  in,  but  not  intermingling  with,  the  muddier 
volume  of  the  Waingangd. 


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BRAH— BUR  125 

BRAHMAPURI' — ITie  north-eastern  revenue  subdivision  or  talisil  in  the 
Chdndi  district,  having  an  area  of  1,905  square  miles,  with  449  villages,  and  a 
population  of  158,114  according  to  the  census  of  1866.  The  land  revenue  of 
the  tahsQ  for  the  year  1869-70  is  lU.  87,802. 

BRAHMAPURI' — A  municipal  town  in  the  Chdndd  district,  and  the  head- 

2uarters  of  the  Brahmapuri  tahsil,  situated  eighty  miles  north-north-east  of 
!hindd,  in  a  bend  of  the  Waingangi.  It  contains  1,358  houses,  and  is  more 
a  place  of  residence  for  the  neighbouring  landholders  than  a  trading  mart.  It 
manufactures^  however,  fine  cotton  cloth  and  thread,  excellent  brass  and  copper 
utensils,  and  good  driving-carts.  The  town  is  prettily  situated  on  red  gravelly 
soil,  and  surrounded  with  picturesque  groves  and  undulating  rocky  ground. 
In  the  highest  part  of  it  is  an  old  fort,  the  walls  of  which  have  been  levelled, 
making  a  spacious  place,  fi^m  which  the  whole  of  the  surrounding  country  is 
seen  stretched  out,  and  in  this  square  stand  the  government  school-house,  the 
tahsil  court-house,  and  the  police  station-house ;  while  it  is  hoped  before  long 
to  complete  the  work  by  a  handsome  tank  with  a  broad  flight  of  steps.  There 
are  also  here  a  post-office,  a  female  school,  and  a  branch  dispensary.  The 
people  are  chiefly  Mardthfo. 

BUTIHA' — The  present  head-quarters  station  of  the  Bdldghdt  district; 
well  situated  on  high  and  dry  soil,  about  ten  miles  to  the  north  of  Hatti,  and  a 
mile  from  the  Wain  gangd.  On  the  north-east  and  south  sides  it  is  sheltered  by 
large  groves  of  mango  trees.  Before  the  country  lapsed  to  the  British  govern- 
ment a  kamdvisddr  or  government  agent  had  his  head-quarters  at  this  place. 
At  the  census  of  1866  the  population  amounted  to  1,206  souls,  but  it  has  since 
considerably  increased.  There  is  no  trade  peculiar  to  the  place,  the  inhabitants 
being  principally  agriculturists. 

BUHHA' — At  present  the  only  tahsfl  in  the  Bdldghat  district,  having  an 
area  of  2,822  square  miles,  with  859  villages,  and  a  population  of  1 70,964. 
The  land  revenue  of  the  tahsfl  is  for  the  year  1869-70  Rs.  67,987,  but  thfe  total 
revenues  amount  to  Rs.  1,18,762.  A  ndib  tahsflddr  is  stationed  at  Paraswdrd 
on  the  tableland. 

BURHA'NPU'R — The  southern  revenue  subdivision  or  tahsfl  in  the  Nimdr 
district,  having  an  area  of  1,225  square  miles,  with  133  villages,  and  a  population 
of  68,914  according  to  the  census  of  1866.  The  land  revenue  for  the  year  1 869-70 
is  Rs.  63,924. 

BURHA'NPU'R— A  town  in  the  Nimdr  district,  situated  in  latitude  21°  18' 
General  description  ^^^  longitude  76°  20',  on  the   north  bank  of  the 

^  river  Tapti,  and  distant  forty-one  mfles  south  by 

west  from  Elhandwd,  the  head-quarters  of  Nimdr,  and  two  miles  from  the  Great 
Indian  Peninsula  Railway  station  of  Ldlbdgh.  It  was  founded  about  a.d.  1400 
by  Nasir  Kix&n,  the  first  independent  prince  of  the  Fdrtiki  dynasty  of  Khdndesh, 
and  called  by  him  after  the  famous  ShekhBurhdn-ud-din  of  Daulatdbdd.  It  was 
held  by  eleven  princes  of  this  dynasty  for  two  hundred  years  till  a.d.  1600,  when 
the  kingdom  of  the  Fdrdkis  was  annexed  by  the  Emperor  Akbar.  During  thia 
time  it  was  repeatedly  sacked  by  the  rival  Mohammadan  princes  of  the  Deccan, 
and  never  seems  to  have  attained  to  any  great  state  of  magnificence.  Of  the 
earlier  Fdrdkf  works  no  traces  now  remain,  except  a  pair  of  minarets  of  rude 
unshapely  form  in  the  citadel  called  the  Bddshdh  Kild.     An  old  I'dgdh  near  the 


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126  BUR 

town  is  attributed  to  the  fifth  of  the  line,  A'dil  Khdti.*  The  tombs  of  this 
prince  and  of  some  of  his  successors  are  also  in  tolerable  preservation,  and 
though  not  remarkable  for  great  architectural  beauty  are  curious  examples  of 
the  style  of  that  period.  The  twelfth  Fdrdkf  rdj5.  All  Khdn,  greatly  improved 
the  city,  and  built  the  handsome  Jdmia  Masjid,  still  in  excellent  preservation. 
The  city  was  greatly  extended  and  embellished  during  the  rei^s  of  Akbar 
and  his  successor  on  the  throne  of  Delhi.  In  the  **  A'in-i- Akbari"  it  is  described 
as  a  "large  city  with  many  gardens,  in  some  of  which  is  found  sandal- 
*^wood,  inhabited  by  people  of  all  nations,  andabounding  with  handicraftsmen. 
*'  In  the  summer  the  town  is  covered  with  dust,  and  during  the  rains  the  streets 
*'  are  full  of  mud  and  stone/'  It  formed  the  seat  of  government  of  the  Deccan 
provinces  of  the  empire  till  the  reign  of  Sh£h  Jahdn,  when  (a.d.  1635)  it  was 
transferred  to  Aurangdbdd  in  the  Deccan,  after  which  the  city  was  the  capital 
of  the  large  sdba  of  Khdndesh.  The  holder  of  this  government  was  usually 
a  prince  of  the  royal  blood.  The  first  was  Prince  DdniiSl,  who  drank  himself  to 
death  here  in  a.d.  1605.  In  1614  Sir  Thomas  Roe,  ambassador  from  James  I. 
of  England  to  the  Great  Moghal,  thus  describes  his  visit  to  Prince  Parviz,  son 
of  Jahingir,  governor  at  Burhdnpdr  f  ' — 

"  The  cutwall,  an  oflScer  of  the  king  so  called,  met  me  well  attended, 
with  sixteen  colours  carried  before  him,  and  conducted  me  to  the  seraglio 
where  I  was  appointed  to  lodge.  He  took  his  leave  at  the  gate,  which 
made  a  handsome  front  of  stone ;  but  when  in,  I  had  four  chambers  allotted 
to  me,  like  ovens  and  no  bigger,  round  at  the  top,  made  of  bricks  in  the 
side  of  a  wall,  so  that  I  lay  in  my  tent;  the  cutwall  making  his  excuse  that 
it  was  the  best  lodging  in  the  town,  as  I  found  it  was,  all  the  place  being 
only  mud  cottages,  except  the  prince's  house,  the  chants,  and  some  few 
others.  I  was  conducted  by  the  cutwall  to  visit  the  prince,  in  whose  outward 
court  I  found  about  a  hundred  gentlemen  on  horseback  waiting  to  salute 
him  on  his  coming  out.  He  sat  high  in  a  gallery  that  went  round,  with 
a  canopy  over  him,  and  a  carpet  before  him.  An  officer  told  me  as  I  ap- 
proached that  I  must  touch  the  ground  with  my  head  bare,  which  I  refused, 
and  went  on  to  a  place  right  under  him  railed-in,  with  an  ascent  of  three  steps, 
where  I  made  him  reverence,  and  he  bowed  his  body :  so  I  went  within, 
where  were  all  the  great  men  of  the  town,  with  their  hands  before  them 
like  slaves.  The  place  was  covered  overhead  with  a  rich  canopy,  and  under 
foot  all  with  carpets.  It  was  like  a  great  stage,  and  the  prince  sat  at 
the  upper  end  of  it.  Having  no  place  assigned,  I  stood  right  before  him, 
he  refusing  to  admit  me  to  come  up  the  steps,  or  to  allow  me  a  chair. 
Having  received  my  present,  he  ofiered  to  go  into  another  room,  where  I 
should  be  allowed  to  sit ;  but  by  the  way  he  made  himself  drunk  out  of  a 
case  of  bottles  I  gave  him,  and  so  the  visit  ended.'' 

Tavemier  passed  through  Burhdnpiir  (eras  he  wrote  it,  Brampour)  in  1641, 
and  again  in  1658  on  his  journeys  between  A'gra  and  Surat.  This  is  how  he 
writes  of  it  in  1658  t  : — 

*  The  F&rdkls  were  all  entitled  Khkn,  a  designation  bestowed  on  them  by  the  Kiu;  of 
Gujar&t,  to  whom  they  paid  allegiance  as  suzerain ;  hence,  according  to  some  authorities,  the  name 
of  their  country,  Khandesh. 

t  Pinkerton's  Voyages  and  Travels,  vol.  viii.  p.  6. 

X  Tavernier's  Travels  in  India,  Part  II.  Book  I.  p.  31,  Edition  1678  (London). 


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BUR  127 

"  It  is  a  great  city,  very  mucli  ruined,  the  houses  being  for  the  most 
part  thatched  with  straw.  There  is  also  a  great  castle  in  the  midst  of  the 
city,  where  the  governor  lives.  The  government  of  this  province  is  a  very 
considerable  command,  only  conferred  upon  the  son  and  uncle  of  the  king. 
There  is  a  great  trade  in  this  city,  and  as  well  in  Brampour  as  over  all  the 
province;  there  is  made  a  prodigious  quantity  of  calicuts,  very  clear  and 
white,  which  are  transported  into  Persia,  Turkey,  and  Muscovia,  Poland, 
Arabia,  to  Grand  Cairo,  and  other  places.  There  are  some  which  are 
painted  with  several  colours,  with  flowers,  of  which  the  women  make  veils  and 
scarfs ;  the  same  calicuts  serve  for  coverlets  of  beds  and  for  handkerchiefs. 
There  is  another  sort  of  linen  which  they  never  dye,  with  a  stripe  or  two  of 
gold  or  silver  quite  through  the  piece,  and  at  each  end  from  the  breadth 
one  inch  to  twelve  or  fifteen,  in  some  more,  in  some  less,  they  fix  a  tissue 
of  gold,  silver,  and  silk  intermixed  with  flowers,  whereof  there  is  no  wrong 
side,  both  sides  being  as  fair  the  one  as  the  other.  If  these  pieces,  wJiich 
they  carry  into  Poland,  where  they  have  a  vast  utterance,  want  at  each  end 
three  or  four  inches  at  the  least  of  gold  or  silver,  or  if  that  gold  or  silver 
become  tarnished  in  being  carried  by  sea  from  Surat  to  Oormus,  and  from 
Trebizan  to  Mangala,  or  any  other  parts  upon  the  Black  Se^,  the  merchant 
shall  have  much  ado  to  put  them  off  without  great  loss.  He  must  take 
care  that  his  goods  be  packed  up  in  good  bales  that  no  wet  may  get  in, 
which  for  so  long  a  voyage  requires  great  care  and  trouble.  Some  of  these 
linens  are  made  purposely  for  swath-bands  or  sashes,  and  those  pieces 
are  called  orris.  They  contain  from  fifteen  to  twenty  ells,  and  cost  from  a 
hundred  to  a  hundred  and  fifty  rupees,  the  least  not  being  under  ten  or 
twelve  ells.  Those  that  are  not  above  two  ells  long  are  worn  by  the  ladies 
of  quality  for  veils  and  scarfs,  of  which  there  is  a  vast  quantity  vended  in 
Persia  and  Turkey.  They  make  at  Brampour  also  other  sorts  of  cotton 
Imen,  for  indeed  there  is  no  province  in  all  the  Indies  which  more  abounds 
in  cotton.^' 

The  city  is  shown  by  the  remains  of  its  mosques,  houses,  &c.  to  have 
extended,  at  the  height  of  its  prosperity  under  the  Moghals,  over  an  area  of  about 
five  square  miles,  with  a  circumference  of  about  10^  miles.  It  was  plentifully 
supplied  with  pure  water  by  a  system  of  water-works  exhibiting  considerable 
skill  in  their  construction.  There  are  eight  sets  of  these  stiU  to  be  traced  in 
the  neighbourhood.  Two  of  these  were  channels  led  off  from  running  streams, 
partly  under  and  partly  above  ground.  The  channels  of  both  are  now  destroyed, 
but  the  dam  on  the  Utiulf  river,  south  of  the  city,  still  forms  a  fine  sheet  of 
water-  The  remaining  six  consisted  of  a  number  of  wells,  connected  by  a  subter- 
ranean gallery,  and  so  arranged  as  to  catch  the  percolation  of  the  water  from  the 
neighbouring  hills  towards  the  centre  of  the  valley.  When  a  sufficient  supply 
has  thus  been  obtained,  it  is  led  off  in  a  masonry  adit^pipe  to  its  destination  in 
the  city  or  its  neighbourhood.  One  set,  called  the  Phutd  Bandera,  supplied  the 
palace  and  the  centre  of  the  city,  and  still  supplies  the  greater  part  of  the  town. 
Another,  called  Tirkhuti,  was  made  for  a  suburban  garden  called  Ldlbdgh. 
These  were  both  made  about  a.d.  1640.  Three  more  go  to  the  town  of 
Bahidurptir,  a  suburb  of  the  city  built  by  Bahddur  Kiin,  the  last  of  the 
Fdrdkis,  and  were  constructed  between  1690  and  1 71 0.  The  last  of  the  six  goes 
to  a  palace  erected  by  Rdo  Eatan,  rdji  of  HarautJ,  who  was  for  some  time 
governor  of  the  city  in  the  reign  of  Jahdngir.  All  these  channels,  where  they  run 
underground,  are  furnished  at  short  intervals  with  tall  hollow  columns  of  masonry 
rising  to  the  level  of  the  water  at  the  source  of  the  works.     They  seem  to  have 


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128  BUR 

been  manholes  to  give  access  to  silt  traps,  and  may  have  been  designed  for 
other  purposes  as  well,  regarding  which  authorities  seem  to  differ.  They  form 
a  marked  feature  in  the  plain  around  Burhinpdr.  The  modem  city  is  confined 
to  a  much  smaller  area  than  this,  and  is  surrounded  by  a  brick  wall  erected  by  the 
Nizdm  A'saf  Jiihin  a.d.  1731.  It  has  numerous  bastions,  and  nine  gateways, 
but  does  not  seem  to  have  been  designed  to  resist  artillery.  The  circumference 
IB  about  5 J  miles,  enclosing  an  area  of  1  J-  square  miles.  All  the  architectural 
remains  of  any  note,  comprising  a  portion  of  the  Bddshah  kili  or  citadel, 
a  pleasure-house  called  the  fihii  khdna  (deer  park)  on  the  south  side  of  the 
Taptf,  and  numerous  mosques  and  tombs,  belong  to  the  period  of  Moghal 
rule,  and  form  altogether  an  exceedingly  meagre  display,  considering  the 
long  period  during  which  the  city  was  the  residence  of  princes  and  nobles. 
Almost  the  only  one  of  any  merit  is  the  tomb  of  one  Shdh  Nawiz  Khdn, 
son  of  the  famous  Abd-ul-Rah(m  Khun  (khandni) ,  a  soldier  of  fortune  who  married 
his  daughter  to  the  Emperor  Shdh  Jahdn,  and  afterwards  lived  the  life  of  a 
recluse  at  Burhdnpdr.  The  tomb  was  built  during  his  lifetime,  and  is. a  really 
handsome  structure. 

Burhdnpdr  continued  to  play  an  important  part  in  the  wars  of  the  empire, 
„.  particularly  in  the  reign  of    Aurangzeb.     It  was 

^'  plundered  in  a.d.  1685  by  the  Mardthds,  just  after 

that  prince  had  left  it,  with  an  enormous  army  and  magnificent  equipage,  to 
subjugate  the  Deccan.  Repeated  battles  were  thereafter  fought  in  its  neighbour- 
hood, until  in  A.D.  1719  the  demands  of  the  Mardthds  for  the  "chauth''  or  one- 
fourth  of  the  revenue  were  formally  conceded.  In  a.d.  1720  A'saf  Jdh  Nizdm- 
ul-Mulk  seized  the  government  of  the  Deccan,  and  thereafter  resided  much  at 
Burhdnpdr,  where  he  died  in  a.d.  1748.  He  was  interred,  however,  at 
Aurangdbdd.  In  1760  Burhdnpdr  was  ceded  by  the  Nizdm  to  the  Peshwd  after 
the  battle  of  Udgf,  and  in  1778  was  transferred  by  him  to  Sindid.  In  a.d.  1803 
the  army  under  General  Wellesley  took  Burhdnpdr  and  A'sirgarh ;  but  by  the 
treaty  of  Surji  Anjangdon,  concluded  in  1804,  these  places  were  restored  to 
Sin  did.  In  1860-61  Burhdnpdr  and  the  surrounding  mahdls  were  ceded  by 
Sindid  in  consequence  of  some  territorial  arrangement,  since  when  the  city  of 
Burhdnpdr  and  the  pargana  of  Zaindbdd  became  part  of  the  district  of  Nimdr. 
It  is  now  the  residence  of  an  assistant  commissioner  and  sub-collector 
(tahs(ldar).  There  is  a  post-office  in  the  city,  and  a  travellers'  bungalow  near 
the  railway  station  at  Ldlbdgh,  two  miles  north  of  the  town.  The  Ldlbdgh  is  a 
finely-wooded  park,  well  supplied  with  roads,  nurseries  of  trees,  flower  beds,  and 
vegetable  gardens.     It  is  always  open  to  the  public. 

Tho*city  is  one  of  the  principal  seats  of  the  Bohrd  trading  community — ^a 
Gu  jardtf  Mohammadan  sect.  A  mulld,  subordinate  to  the  chief  mulla  at  Sdrat, 
resides  here.  The  Bohrd'hurial-place,  though  celebrated,  has  nothing  archi- 
tectural to  recommend  it. 

Burhdnpdr  has  long  been  declining.     The  removal  from  it  of  the  seat  of 

Tnule  and  manufecture..  ?^^J^  government  is  one  cause  of  this.     Another 

IS  the  return  of  peaceful  tunes,  which  have 
induced  many  cultivators  of  the  neighbouring  lands,  who  resided  within  the  walls 
for  protection,  to  move  nearer  to  their  fields.  A  third  is  the  advent  of  the 
Railway,  which  has  knocked  Burhdnpdr  on  the  head  as  an  enireyiot  for  the  trade 
between  Mdlwd,  the  Upper  Narbadd  valley,  and  the  Deccan.     Another,  and  the 


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BUR  129 

one  usually  adduced  as  the  sole  cause,  is  the  falling  off  in  the  demand  for  the  rich 
fabrics  of  gold  and  silks,  for  the  production  of  which  the  city  was  long  famous, 
owing  to  the  breaking  up  of  so  many  native  courts.  It  now  contains  8,000 
masonry  houses,  aiid  a  population  of  34,137,  most  of  whom  are  dependent  in 
one  way  or  other  on  the  wire-drawing  and  cloth-weaving  industries  of  the 
place,  which  merit  some  description.  They  have  already  been  referred  to  above 
as  having  formed  the  basis  of  a  highly  important  trade  to  places  as  distant  even 
as  Turkey  and  Poland,  about  the  middle  of  the  seventeenth  century.  They  are 
said  to  have  continued  in  high  prosperity  till  the  Mohammadan  power  began  to 
wane  before  the  Mardthfe,  early  in  the  eighteenth  century,  when  they  began  to 
decline.  The  more  recent  introduction  of  English  fabrics  has  supplanted  here, 
as  elsewhere,  the  native  production  of  the  "  fine,  clear  calicuts^'  mentioned  by 
Tavemier,  and  now  the  industry  is  confined  to  the  manufacture  of  fine  cotton 
and  silk  fabrics  interwoven  with  the  gold-plated  silver-thread  drawn  in  the  city, 
and  to  the  coarser  cotton  goods,  which  have  not  yet  been  supplanted  in  the 
estimation  of  the  people  by  Manchester  piece-goods. 

The  value  of  the  fine  fabrics  depends  mainly  on  the  purity  of  the  metals 
employed  in  the  composition  of  the  wire,  and  to  secure  this  the  wire-drawing 
has  always  been  kept  under  government  inspection.  A  hereditary  tester  called 
the  *'  chaukasi'^  received  and  assayed  all  the  silver  and  gold  brought  to  the 
'' taksdl*' or  mint  (where  the  Burhdnp dr. rupee  was  also  coined),  and  here  the 
wire  was  drawn  out  to  a  certain  degree  of  fineness  before  being  allowed  to  pass 
again  into  the  hands  of  the  manufacturers — an  arrangement  still  continued  by  us. 
The  silver  after  testing  is  cast  into  the  shape  of  a  square  ingot  (p^sd),  weighing 
from  thirty-two  to  sixty  tolds,  and  measuring  about  two  feet  long  and  1 J  inch 
square,  and  on  this  a  duty  amounting  to  Rs.  2-6-9,  including  the  fees  of  the 
chaakasf  and  some  other  servants  of  the  place,  was  exacted  during  Sindid's 
tenure  of  Barhdnpdr.  There  were  three  other  places  in  the  neighbourhood 
where  wire-drawing  was  then  carried  on,  two  being  in  the  neighbouring  British 
territory.  The  duties  in  these  places  were  somewhat  lower  than  at  the  Burhdn- 
pdr  taksdi.  When  the  city  came  under  our  administration  the  pdsd  was  fixed  at 
sixty  tolds  (of  180  grains  troy  each)  weight  of  silver,  and  the  taksdl  duty  at  three 
per  pdsd,  subsequently  reduced  to  one-eighth.  Two  of  the  four  taksdls  were  also 
then  abolished,  and  the  drawing  now  takes  place  only  at  Burhdnpdr,  and  Lodhlpurd, 
a  suburb  of  the  old  city.  The  silver  bars  are  covered  with  a  thin  gold  leaf 
weighing  from  four  to  forty- two  mdshds  (of  fifteen  grains  troy  each)  to  each  pdsd, 
that  is  from  about  half  to  six  per  cent  on  the  amount  of  the  silver.  The  number  of 
mdshds  employed  is  called  the  ''ran^  '^  (colour)  of  the  wire.  The  adhesion  appears 
to  be  effected  purely  by  mechanical  skill  on  the  part  of  the  workmen  called 
"  Pdsd  Tdnids.^^  It  is  then  passed  by  the  same  workmen  through  a  series  of 
holes  in  steel  plates  of  diminishing  size,  by  manual  power,  applied  by  means  of  a 
spoked  wheel  of  the  rudest  construction.  It  is  passed  through  forty  of  these 
holes  before  it  leaves  the  taksdl,  and  is  then  reduced  to  about  the  size  of  an  ordi- 
nary soda  water  wire.  Thence  it  goes  into  the  hands  of  another  set  of  operatives 
called  Tdnias,  who  still  further  reduce  it  through  a  gradation  of  forty  more  holes, 
the  last  of  which  is  as  fine  as  a  human  hair.  Their  apparatus  is  of  somewhat  more 
delicate  construction,  but  the  work  requires  neither  the  same  skill  nor  hard  work 
ms  the  first  operation.  The  wire  is  drawn  by  them  down  to  various  degrees  of 
fineness,  according  to  the  work  for  which  it  is  destined.  The  round  wire  is  then 
given  to  the  Chaprids,  who  flatten  it  into  an  almost  impalpable  film,  by 
hammering  between  two  polished  steel  surfaces,  an  operation  requiring,  it 
is  said,  superior  skill.     In  this  state  it  is  termed  "  bddld,''  and  is  used  for  some  few 

17  CPG 


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130  BUR 

sorts  of  work.  The  greater  part  of  it  has,  however,  to  be  spun  into  a  thread 
along  with  silk,  before  being  woven  up.  This  is  done  by  persons  called  Bitdis^ 
who  use  no  sort  of  apparatus  for  the  purpose,  excepting  a  couple  of  wooden 
spindles  twirled  by  the  hand.  Indeed  the  beauty  of  the  result  obtained 
by  such  primitive  implements  must  strike  every  one  with  amazement.  The 
layer  of  gold  on  the  finest  wire  must  be  of  almost  inconceivable  thinness. 
The  mixed  thread  is  called  "  kaldbatdn,''  which  is  woven  into  the  kinkhdbs  and 
other  brilliant  fabrics  worn  by  rich  natives  on  high  occasions.  It  is  partly- 
exported  as  thread  from  Burhdnpdr,  and  partly  made  into  cloth  in  the  city.  In 
either  case  an  export  duty  of  four  per  cent  ad  valoretn  was  levied  on  it  by 
Sindid's  government,  which  has  of  course  been  taken  off  by  us.  The  wire- 
drawers  were  originally  Pathdns  introduced  from  Upper  India  by  the  Emperor 
Akbar,  but  now  all  castes  work  at  the  trade.  The  wages  of  the  most  numerous 
of  the  classes  engaged  in  this  industry  are  extremely  low,  varying  from  about 
three  to  six  rupees  per  mensem,  or  about  one-half  the  ordinary  wages  of  a 
labourer  on  the  railway  works.  The  Pdsi  Tdnids  get  about  Rs.  1-8  a  day ;  but 
their  work  is  much  more  severe,  and  they  do  not  get  steady  employment. 

At  the  recent  census  (1866)  the  number  of  persons  employed  in  this  work 
was  set  down  at — 

Wire-drawers 601 

Flatteners  411 

Kaldbatdn  spinners    412 

The  cloth-weaving  business  of  the  city  is  quite  distinct  from  the  operation 
of  drawing  the  wire  and  spinning  the  kaMbatdn  thread  above  described.  The 
fabrics  are  of  many  different  sorts,  many  of  them  of  great  beauty.  Ejnkhdb 
(vulgarly  kincob),  which  is  of  mixed  silk  and  gold  thread,  is  now  little  made  in 
Burhdnptir ;  the  Ahmaddbid  and  Ben^es  articles,  from  being  produced  both 
cheaper  and  nearer  the  great  markets  for  such  stuffs,  having  driven  it  out  of 
the  field.  The  same  may  be  said  of  mashrdd — a  fabric  of  silk  warp  with 
the  woof  of  cotton  thread  wrought  with  a  pattern  in  kaldbatdn ;  though  made 
to  a  small  extent,  it  is  greatly  inferior  to  the  produce  of  Ahmaddbld.  The 
chief  fabrics  still  made  in  the  city  are  zari — a  very  rich  light  stuff  in  which  the 
flattened  wire  is  interwoven  with  silk  in  the  warp,  with  a  thread  woof,  chiefly 
made  up  into  scarves  and  siris  worn  by  females  on  wedding  and  other  high 
occasions.  Seldri  is  half  silk  and  half  thread,  with  brilliant  edging  and  borders 
of  silk  and  gold  thread,  mostly  in  the  form  of  sdris  and  dopattds.  Pitimbar, 
all  silk  with  the  same  edging,  is  a  better  sort  of  the  same.  Turbans,  sashes,  Ac. 
are  made  in  all  these  fabrics.  The  gold  thread  also  is  much  woven  up  with 
silks  into  rich  borders  and  edgings,  exported  to  be  attached  to  the  cloth  manu- 
factures of  other  places.  The  silk  for  these  cloths  is  all  imported ;  it  is  mostly 
from  China,  generally  spun  and  dyed  in  fast  colours  at  Puna;  a  little,  however, 
is  spun  in  the  city  from  the  material  imported  raw.  The  cotton-thread  used 
is  extremely  fine,  and  is  both  English  and  made  on  the  spot.  The  former  costs 
in  Burhdnpdr  exactly  one-fourth  of  the  latter,  but  it  is  greatly  inferior  both  in 
strength  and  cleanness.  The  closely-twisted  native  thread  breaks  with  a  sharp 
crack,  while  the  English  article,  from  its  flu%  open  character,  parts  without  any 
noise.  The  people  attribute  this  in  part  to  the  different  nature  of  the  cotton 
used,  the  indigenous  fibre  being  hard  though  short,  while  the  English  yam  is 
made  from  the  much -desired  '^  long  soft  staples.^'  The  English  thread,  from 
its  greatly  superior  cheapness,  has,  however,  completely  supplanted  the  native 
for  all  but  the  finest  stuffs.     The  city  thread  is  spun  by  the  families  of  the 


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BUR  131 

weavers  and  others,  the  best  being  produced  by  the  Balahf  (Dher)  caste.  A 
coarser  thread  is  generally  spun  throughout  the  country  by  the  women  of  almost 
every  caste.  It  is  woven  into  every  description  of  common  cloth  by  the  Bur- 
hinpdr  weavers,  even  the  best  of  them,  when  out  of  fine  work,  having  to  take 
to  the  commoner  stuffs.  The  latter  now  greatly  preponderate  in  quantity,  and 
it  is  said  that  every  day  the  demand  is  getting  smaller  for  the  finer  qualities. 
It  is  not  diflicult  to  account  for  this.  The  supersession  by  the  rough  and  ready 
Mar^thds  of  the  luxurious  Mohammadan  princes  and  nobles  was  probably  the  first 
blow  to  the  trade.  The  courts  of  Sindia  and  the  BhonsU  Edja  of  Ndgpdr  were, 
after  them,  the  greatest  customers  for  rich  goods ;  and  both  of  these  have  now 
been  lost,  the  former  having  ceased  to  patronise  Burhanpilr  since  its  transfer 
to  us,  while  the  same  articles  can  be  got  cheaper  in  tJpper  India,  and  the 
Ndgpdr  court  having  ceased  to  exist.  But  besides  the  diminution  cf  general 
demand  for  such  stuffs,  the  Burhdnpdr  produce  is  at  a  disadvantage  compared 
with  other  seats  of  the  same  industry.  The  neighbourhood  does  not  produce 
nearly  enough  food  for  the  supply  of  itself  and  the  city,  and  nearly  all  the  grain, 
gur,  condiments,  &c.  used  have  to  be  imported  from  considerable  distances. 
Prices  therefore  range  very  high  in  Burhdnpdr,  and  besides,  the  materials — silk, 
silver,  and  gold — have  to  be  brought  further,  and  the  goods  have  to  be  taken  a 
greater  distance  to  market  than  those  of  many  other  places.  It  is  not  to  be 
wondered  at  then  that  the  commoner  stuffs  used  nearer  at  hand,  and  by  a  lower 
class  of  people,  are  chiefly  made.  The  increased  wealth  of  the  mass  of  the 
people,  due  to  the  cotton  demand  and  other  causes,  has  recently  somewhat 
revived  the  demand  even  for  fine  goods  (as  shown  by  the  amount  of  duty 
received  at  the  taksdls),  and  it  is  not  hopeless  to  expect  that,  as  this  wealth 
increases,  Burhdnpdr  may  at  least  cease  to  decline  as  a  manufacturing  town^  if  it 
does  not  actually  recover  its  old  place. 

The  average  earnings  of  the  weavers  range  from  about  five  to  ten  rupees  a 
month,  besides  what  their  families  earn  by  spinning,  dyeing,  and  odd  work 
connected  with  the  trade.  They  are  thus,  it  appears,  a  good  deal  better  off  than 
the  operatives  connected  with  the  manufacture  of  kaldbatdn,  as  was  to  be 
expected  firom  the  greater  decay  that  has  occurred  in  the  gold-wire  trade  than 
in  the  manufacture  of  cloths.  A  weaver,  if  out  of  fine  work,  can  always  make 
common  siris,  dhotfs,  &c.,  for  which  there  is  a  steady  demand,  and  for  which 
Uttle  capital  is  required  ;  but  a  wire-drawer  can  only  draw  wire,  and  can  never 
afford  the  capital  to  work  on  his  own  account ;  in  fact  there  is  reason  to  believe 
that  the  weaving  operatives,  like  most  others  at  present,  are  rather  improving 
in  their  relations  to  capital  than  otherwise,-  Till  lately  the  whole  command  of 
both  the  wire-drawing  and  weaving  trades  was  in  the  hands  of  the  merchants 
of  the  city.  They  found  all  the  materials,  and  merely  paid  the  stated  rates  for 
piecework  executed  by  the  operatives  ;  the  latter  were  always  kept  under  heavy 
advances,  and  under  Sindid^s  rule  they  could  not  leave  their  employers  while  these 
were  unpaid,  unless  their  new  masters  chose  to  clear  them ;  in  short  they  were 
regularly  bought  and  sold  like  slaves.  The  employers  now  complain  of  their 
inabihty  to  keep  them  to  their  work,  and  seldom  now  make  advances,  as  the 
operatives  firequently  abscond,  and  being  without  chattek,  debts  cannot  be 
recovered  from  them  under  our  legal  procedure.  Of  course  this  is  altogether 
advantageous  to  the  operative  class;  they  are  thus  gradually  emancipating 
themselves  from  the  thraldom  of  the  capitalist  merchants,  and  a  good  deal  of 
the  outcry  made  by  the  latter  about  the  decay  of  the  trade  may  mean  only  the 
transfer  of  a  part  of  their  old  profits  on  fine  goods  to  the  independent  manu- 
fectorers  of  coarser  stuffs. 


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132  BURH~CHAM 

We  have  taken  off  the  Mardthd  export  taxes  on  cloths,  which  amounted  to 
four  per  cent  on  their  value,  and  there  is  now  no  direct  burden  on  any  part  of 
the  trade,  except  the  taksil  fee  of  Rs.  1-8  on  each  pdsi  of  silver  made  into  wire. 
This  the  wire-drawers  themselves  would  not  desire  to  be  withdrawn,  as  it  is 
thought  to  give  a  sort  of  protection  to  the  genuine  Burhinpdr  article  against 
the  inferior  imitations  made  at  River  in  Khdndesh  and  other  places.  How  it  does 
so,  however,  it  is  impossible  to  understand,  for  it  does  not,  like  the  English 
Hall-mark,  impress  any  stamp  on  the  goods,  and  there  is  no  law  to  prevent  the 
importation  of  the  inferior  article  to  be  re-exported  as  Burhdnpdr  produce,  which 
is  in  fact  already  done.  Moreover  the  Burhinpdr  wire  is  itself  deteriorating  in 
quality,  for  whfle  it  was  seldom  made  below  from  thirty  to  forty-two  mdshds  of 
gold  per  pfei  of  silver,  ten  to  twenty  are  now  much  more  commonly  used,  and 
this  only  because  there  is  no  demand  for  the  more  costly  sort. 

The  census  statements  show  that  there  are  in  Burhdnpdr — 

Silk  spinners 45 

Cloth  dyers 457 

Kaldbatdn  weavers   382 

Other  weavers 4,437 

Burhdnpdr  offers  a  singularly  promising  field  for  the  establishment  of  a 
factory,  on  English  principles,  for  the  production  of  the  coarser  cotton  fabrics 
worn  by  the  common  people.  With  so  many  hands  available  who  are  already 
skilled  in  thread-spinning  and  weaving  by  hand,  steam  machinery  on  a  mode- 
rate scale  would  certainly  enable  such  an  establishment  to  supply  better  and 
cheaper  goods  of  this  description  than  either  the  imported  Manchester  cloth, 
which  has  neither  the  strength  nor  substance  looked  for  by  the  common  people 
for  their  every-day  wear,  or  than  the  hand-wove  native  fabrics  now  in  vogue.  His 
Highness  Holkar  is  now  establishing  such  a  factory  at  Indore,  and,  if  possible 
there,  its  chance  would  certainly  be  much  better  at  Burhdnpdr. 

BURHNER' — ^A  river  in  the  Mandla  district.  It  rises  thirty  miles  to 
the  south-west  of  Amarkantak,  and  before  its  junction  with  the  Narbadd  at 
Deogdon  in  the  Singhirpdr  estate,  it  receives  the  Hflon  river  at  Ghughrl.  It  has 
a  devious,  but  generally  westerly,  course,  about  a  hundred  miles  long. 


CHAKRATl — A  river  rising  in  a  lofty  plateau  some  thirty  miles  to  the 
south-west  of  Amarkantak.  It  has  a  due  northerly  course,  and  up  to  its  junc- 
tion with  the  Narbadd  may  be  about  forty  miles  in  length. 

CHATiiPA'— A  chiefship  in  the  Bildspfir  district,  containing  forty-seyen 
villages,  with  an  area  of  120  square  miles.  The  country  is  level  and  fairly 
open,  and  the  population  is  18,666  souls,  or  155  to  the  square  mile.  The 
zaminddr  belongs  to  the  Kanwar  caste. 

CHA'MPA'— The  head-quarters  of  the  chiefship  of  the  same  name  in  the 
Bildspdr  district.  It  is  little  more  than  a  collection  of  miserable  mud  huts ;  but 
there  are  resident  here  a  considerable  number  of  weavers,  whose  manufactures 
find  ready  sale  in  the  adjoining  market  of  Bamnidehf. 


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CHAM— CHAN 


133 


CHATdiURSI' — ^A  town  in  the  Gh^d^  district,  situated  near  the  left 
bank  of  the  Waingang^,  forty-four  miles  east  of  Chindi.  It  contains  750 
houses;  and  the  inhabitants  are  chiefly  Telingas.  The  number  of  wells  is 
noticeable,  there  being  at  least  a  hundred  within  the  town,  and  their  water  is 
peculiarly  good.  A  market  is  held  here  on  Saturdays,  at  which  groceries,  salt, 
tobacco,  and  vegetables  are  retailed.  There  is  also  a  trade  in  castor-seed  from 
the  Haidardbdd  territory,  and  in  ghee,  tasar  cocoons  and  tasar  thread,  and  salt 
from  the  East  Coast.  Chdmursi  possesses  government  schools  for  boys  and 
girls,  a  post-office,  and  a  police  outpost. -^ 

CHA'ND— A  thriving  village  in  the  Chhindw^  district.  It  was  formerly 
the  head-quarters  of  a  tahsll,  which  was  abolished  five  years  ago.  It  is  situated 
on  the  right  bank  of  the  Kolbird,  seventeen  miles  east  of  Chhindwdri.  A 
poUce  force  is  stationed  here,  and  there  is  a  small  fort. 

CHA-NDA'  or  CHANDRAPUH  * — 

CONTENTS. 
Page 

General  description 133 

Rivers 134 

HiUs «b. 

Geological  features   135 

Minerals »^- 

Forests 136 

Natural  products  and  animals ib. 

Climate    it. 

Population 137 

Language   139 

Manufactures 140 

A  district  lying  between  19°  7'  and  20°  51'  north  latitude,  and  78°  51'  and 

80°  51'  east  longitude.     Its  extreme  length,  north 
General  description.  ^^  ^^^^^^  .^  jgQ  miles ;  its  extreme  breadth,  east 

uid  west,  130  j  and  the  area  contained  is  about  10,000  square  miles.  In  shape  it 
is  an  irregular  triangle,  with  the  northern  angle  resting  on  the  Rdipdr  district, 
and  the  western  on  the  junction  of  the  Wand  and  the  Wardhd,  while  the 
Boathem  angle  on  Sironchd  is  cut  off.  It  is  boimded  on  its  northern  side  by 
the  districts  cf  Rdfpdr,  Bhanddra,  and  Wardhd;  on  its  western  side  by  the 
Wardhd  and  Pranhitd,  which  divide  it  from  Berir  and  the  Haidardbdd  territory ; 
on  its  southern  apex  by  Sironchd,  and  on  the  east  by  Bastar  and  Rdipdr. 

It  is  divided  into  eleven  parganas  or  revenue  subdivisions  : — 


Trade    140 

Lakes    ; 141 

History ih, 

MarAthirule    144 

British  rule 147 

Mar&th&  interregnum    ih. 

Incorporation  of  Gh&ndd  in  British 

dominions    ib. 

Administration   148 

Beyenue ib. 

LooalinBtitntionB ib. 


1. 

2. 
3. 
4. 
5. 
6. 
7. 
8. 


I 


Haweli 

Bijgarh    

Ghdtkdl    ^constituting  the  Mdl  tahsfl. 

Ambgdon    

Arpalli  and  Ghot    , 


SS°t:::::;::r;.:::::;H"ffi«»« 

Wairigarh   j 


tahsfl. 


the    Brahmapurf 


*  The  whole  of  this  article,  with  one  interpolation,  is  from  the  pen  of  Major  Lucie  Smith, 
Deputy  Commissioner  of  Ch6nd6. 


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134 


CHAN 


9.    Warori ) 

10.  Bhdndak  /  constituting  the  Warord  tahsfl. 

11.  Chimdr ) 

And  twenty  zamfnddHs  or  chiefships — 


1. 

2. 

8. 

4. 

5. 

6. 

7. 

8. 

9. 
10. 
11. 
12. 
13. 
14. 
15. 
16. 
17. 
18. 
19. 
20. 


Ambdgarh  Chaukf 

A'nndhf    

Dh^ord  

DudhmiU    

G-awardi  

Jhdrdp&pr^  

Khntgdon    

KordcM  

Kotgal 

Muramg^on , 

Pdndbdras    

Palasgarh    

Rdngi  , 

^iraondi 

Sonsar( 

AhW 


attached  to  the  Wairfgarh  par- 
gana. 


1 


rrn^        {attached  to  the  A'mbgion  par- 


Pdrvi  Mutinda 
Pot^don , 


gana. 


Through  the  centre  of  the  district,  from  north  to  south,  flows  the  Wain- 
jy  gangi,  meeting  the  Wardhi  at  Seoul,  when  their 

united  streams  form  the  Pranhitd.  To  this  point 
Chdndi  mainly  consists  of  a  great  central  valley,  the  southern  portion  of  the 
basin  of  the  Waingangi,  and  of  the  left  slope  of  a  smaller  valley  trending  from 
the  north-west,  tie  eastern  half  of  the  Wardhd  basin.  Below  Seoul  the 
Pranhlt^  valley — ^a  prolongation  of  that  of  the  Waingangd — commences,  and 
has  the  southernmost  part  of  the  district  on  its  eastern  face.  This  description 
shows  the  country  according  to  its  most  salient  features,  but  going  more 
into  detail  we  find  that  the  north-east  comer  lies  within  the  basin  of  the 
Mahdnadl,  while  the  eastern  side  of  the  Waingangi  and  Pranhlti  valley  is 
divided  into  two  portions  running  north  and  south,  the  western  of  which  is 
by  those  drained  rivers,  and  the  eastern  by  the  IndrdvatI,  which  flows  from  the 
east*  Thus  the  lines  of  drainage  in  the  two  portions  are  at  right  angles 
to  one  another.  Numerous  large  streams  fcJl  into  the  five  main  rivers, 
watering  the  country  abundantly  in  their  course,  and  fed  by  almost  countless 
rivulets.  The  principal  of  these  tributaries  are :  of  the  Waingangfi,  on  its  eastern 
bank — ^the  Grdrhvl,  the  Kobrigarhl,  the  Kimen,  the  Potpurl,  and  the  Kurdr ;  on 
its  western  bank — the  Bot^wdhl  and  the  Andhdrl ;  of  the  Wardhd — the  Viral 
and  the  Sir;  of  the  Pranhlti — ^the  Dini;  of  the  Indrivatl — the  Bond,  the 
Parlakot,  and  the  P&ml^  Gautam ;  and  of  the  Mah&nadl — the  Seondth. 

Except  in  the  extreme  west,  hills  are  thickly  dotted  over  the  whole  &oq  of 
mij  the  country,  sometimes  in  detached  ranges,  some- 

times rising  isolated  from  the  plain,  but  all  with 


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CHAN  135 

a  southerly  trend.  East  of  the  Waingangd  they  increase  in  height,  and  form  a 
broad  tableland  some  2,000  feet  above  the  sea  at  the  highest  point.  Among 
the  most  noticeable  are  the  Virgdon,  Ambdgarh,  Pdndbdras,  Kotgal,  Kordchd, 
Muramgdon,  DhdnorS,  A'jandhl,  Khutgdon,  Jirondi,  Bhdmrdgarh,  Chimdr,  and 
Mdl  ranges,  and  the  Tepdgarh,  Surjdgarh,  Perzdgarh,  and  Dewalmari  hills- 

The  general  configuration  of  the  country,  the  strata  of  its  elevations,  where 
p    .    •    1  /•  t^  these  are  of  sedimentary  origin,  their  position, 

eo  ogic  s.  ^^^  21^^  ^£  direction,  appear  to  point  to  the  con- 

clusion that  the  detached  ranges  and  isolated  hills  have  chiefly  resulted  from 
denudation,  and  that  their  summits  now  mark  what  was  once  the  level  of  the 
surface.  East  of  the  Waingangd  the  formation  is  mainly  plutonic  and  meta- 
morphic;  granite,  gneiss,  hornblende,  schist,  mica-schist,  and  massive  quartz 
being  the  typical  rocks.  Sandstones  occur  rarely,  and  when  met  with  are  much 
indurated.  West  of  the  Waingangd  sandstones  of  the  Damddd,  or  true  coal- 
bearing  series  of  India,  intermixed  with  those  of  other  series,  form  a  belt  along 
the  Wardha,  fairly  parallel  with  its  course,  from  a  little  above  the  village  of 
Ekond  to  the  head  of  the  third  barrier  (of  the  Godavari  navigation  scheme)  below 
Kirmirf.  This  tract  is  seventy-five  miles  long,  and  varies  in  breadth  from 
eight  to  twenty-two  miles,  comprising  an  area  of  about  one  thousand  square 
miles.  Seven  seams  of  coal  have  already  been  discovered,  one  of  which  is 
thirty-three  feet  thick.  The  varieties  of  sandstone  included  in  this  series  and 
in  series  associated  with  it  are  very  numerous,  the  strata  in  some  places  being 
extremely  thick -bedded,  in  others  thin  bands  of  flagstone,  and  in  others  again 
mere  laminaD  not  a  tenth  of  an  inch  thick,  while  the  texture  ranges  from  coarse 
conglomerate  to  a  stone  of  the  finest  grain,  and  th^*  colours  shade  from  white 
to  purple,  and  from  yellow  to  red.  Fire-clay  and  other  valuable  clays  are 
interstratified  in  the  system ;  and  in  the  boulder  and  conglomerate  beds  of  the 
Talchfrs,  which  underlie  the  Damridds,  limestone  occurs  in  great  abundance. 
Bounding  these  carboniferous  sandstones  on  the  north,  and  surrounded  on 
three  sides  by  granitic,  metamorphic,  and  trap  rocks,  stretches  a  larger  area 
occupied  by  another  series  of  sandstones,  all  moi'C  or  less  indurated,  some  very 
highly  so.  Along  the  north  of  this  altered  group  lie  beds  of  serpentine  and 
steatite  of  considerable  thickness.  A  large  portion  of  the  Brahmapurf,  Garhborl, 
and  Rdjgarh  parganas  is  covered  with  laterite,  which  hero  shows  unmistakeable 
signs  of  aqueous  deposition,  and  its  thickness  must  once  have  been  great,  as  is 
testified  by  the  height  of  the  laterite  hills  scattered  about. 

Chdndd  is  peculiarly  rich  in  iron  ores,  which  occur  from  the  extreme  north 
.  to   the  extreme   south,  and  as   far  west  as  the 

^^    ^'  eastern  side   of  the   Chimdr  pargana.     The  ore 

varies  in  appearance  from  a  bright  steely  substance  to  a  dull  red  brown  rock, 
and  from  a  ferruginous  earth  to  a  black  sand.  Gold  particles  are  found  in  the 
sand  of  some  of  the  hill  streams,  and  it  is  probable  that  the  metamorphic  rocks 
in  the  south-east  contain  this  metal  in  considerable  quantity,  while  in  the 
Berth  copper  ore  is  believed  to  exist ;  indeed  tradition  points  out  the  places 
where  it  is  said  once  to  have  been  mined.  Diamonds  and  rubies  were  formerly 
obtained  near  Wairdgarh,  but  the  mines  have  long  since  been  abandoned.  The 
ochres  and  plastic  clays  of  the  district  are  numerous  and  excellent.  There  is 
also  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Wardhd  a  layer  of  silicious  sand,  as  fine  in  grain  as 
the  finest  flour,  which  is  not  without  value.  The  soil  over  the  greatest  portion 
of  Chdndd  is  red  or  sandy,  streaked  with  patches  of  black  or  yellow  earth, 


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136  CHAN 

which,  as  the  Wardha  and  Waingangi  are  neared,  change  into  belts  of  heavy 
black  loam,  and  of  yellow  loam  on  the  left  bank  of  the  Pranhlti, 

Dense  forests  clothe  the  country,  girdling  or  intersecting  the  cultivated 
_  lands,   and  feathering  the  highest  hills.     Teak 

°'®'   '  grows  everywhere,  but  it  is  only  along  the  eastern 

frontier  that  it  is  now  found  of  any  size.  There  large  trees  are  sprinkled  along  the 
entire  line  from  north  to  south,  the  most  valuable  reserve  being  in  Ahlri,  where 
at  present  there  are  standing  many  hundred  thousands  of  full-grown  and  half- 
grown  trees.  Bijesdl  (pterocaiyus  marsupium),  shisham  (dalhergia  latifolia),  and 
sij  {pentaptera  glabra ) ,  are  widely  distributed,  the  latter  in  great  numbers.  Kawd 
{pentaptera  arjuna)  is  plentiful  in  the  vicinity  of  water;  and  mhowa  {bassia 
latifolia)  and  achSr  or  chironjf  {huchanania  I-atifoUa)  grow  profusely  in  all  red 
and  sandy  soils.  Great  tracts  of  bamboo  jungle  exist ;  some  of  the  canes  are 
of  immense  size;  and  rohan  (soymida  febrifuga)^  haldi  (curcwnia  longa),  khalr 
(a/:acia  catechu),  tfwas  {dalbergia  oogeinenais) ,  shfwan  {gmelina  arborea), 
kusum  {sleichera  trijuga),  dhdurd  {conocarpv^  latifolia),  bel  (cratoeva  religiosa), 
tendd  {diospyros  melanoxylon) ,  and  wood-apple  are  common. 

Chdnda  is  also  rich  in  wild  fibres,  lac,  tasar  cocoons,  beeswax,  mhowa,  and 
a  ts  d  ■  1  other  forest  produce ;  in  useful  stone  of  various 
a  pro  uc  an  anima  s,  cQjQupg  ^j^^  composition,  from  the  hardest  granite 
to  the  softest  soapstone;  in  coal,  ochres,  plastic  clays;  and  iron  ores.  Rice  and 
gur  (raw  sugar)  are  the  chief  agricultural  staples ;  but  excellent  cotton,  jawirf, 
oil-seeds,  wheat,  gram,  and  pulses  are  also  grown,  and  the  Chdndd  pdn  gardens 
are  famous  throughout  the  province.  Horned  cattle  are  bred  in  great  numbers, 
but  are  not  possessed  of  any  special  good  qualities.  Large  flocks  of  sheep 
abound,  principally  kept  for  their  wool  and  manure,  and  are  of  three  distinct 
breeds,  which  are  locally  known  as  the  Warord,  Mdl,  and  Goddvari  sheep  ;  the 
last  have  hair  instead  of  wool,  and  are  found  only  in  the  extreme  south.  Goats 
and  poultry,  both  good  of  their  kind,  are  plentiful.  To  a  sportsman  Chdndd 
offers  a  magnificent  field,  for  game  of  every  description  swarms  in  the  forests, 
hills,  and  lakes  of  the  district. 

In  the  hilly  wooded  region  on  the  east  the  temperature  is  cooler  and 
p,.  more  moist  than  is  found  further  west,  but  the 

climate  of  the  district  generally  does  not 
differ  materially  from  that  of  other  parts  of  the  Ndgpdr  country  below  the 
ghdts.  The  annual  rainfall  in  Chdndd  registered  during  the  last  eight  years 
averages  44*67  inches,  but  on  the  eastern  frontier  it  must  be  much  more. 
The  principal  rains  are  from  the  middle  of  June  to  the  end  of  September. 
Showers  are  also  loojced  for  in  November  and  December,  and  on  these  depends 
much  of  the  success  of  the  dry  crops  and  sugarcane.  From  the  middle  of 
September  to  the  close  of  November  fever  of  a  malarious  type  prevails  all  over 
the  district,  few  escaping  an  attack,  and  special  care  should  be  taken  to  avoid 
exposure  to  the  night  air  during  the  period  named.  Cholera  frequently  occurs, 
and  in  some  places  with  severity ;  but  as  a  rule  the  presence  of  dense  jungle 
appears  to  arrest  its  spread.  Many  villages  of  the  eastern  forests,  for  instance, 
have  never  known  the  disease.  Small-pox  carries  off  yearly  a  large  number  of 
children,  attacking  but  few  adults,  probably  because  the  great  majority  of 
these  were  infected  in  their  youth. 


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CHAN  l;37 

In  the  Chdndd  country  three  distinct  nationalities  meet — the  Gond,  the 
.  Telinga,  and  the  Marithd;  and  every  town  possesses 

opu  a  ion.  ^  proportion  of  the  three.     Still,  intermingled  as 

they  are,  the  great  mass  of  each  may  be  broadly  said  to  inhabit  different  tracts — 
the  Gonds  lying  chiefly  east  of  the  Waingangi  and  the  Pranhitd,  the  Telingas 
along  the  east,  centre,  and  south,  and  the  Mardthds  in  the  northern  and  western 
parganas  west  of  the  Waingangd.  The  numerous  castes  included  in  these  great 
divisions  are  described  in  Sir  R.  Jenkins^  report  on  the  Ndgpur  territories ; 
and  it  will  be  sufficient  here  to  note  the  races  of  the  Chdndd  district  that  are 
believed  to  be  aboriginal. 

These  are — 

1 .  The  Gond,  Pardhdn,  and  Halbd — of  the  Gond  type. 

2.  The  Kohrl  and  Mind— of  the  Kohri  type. 

The  first  are  famous  for  the  construction  of  tanks,  the  second 
as  agriculturists. 

3.  The  Golkar  and  Gowdri— of  the  Gaull  type. 
The  ChSndi  Gonds  are  divided  into  four  tribes — 

1 .  Mdrii  or  Kohitur  Gond. 

2.  Ndik  or  Dhurwe  Gond. 

3.  Rdj  Gond. 

4.  Khatolwdr  Gond. 

The  M^rids,  or  as  they  are  called  towards  the  north  the  Kohiturs,  inhabit 
the  wild  wastes  of  hill  and  forest  which  lie  beyond  the  Waingangd,  and  are  in 
all  probability  the  purest  type  of  Gond.  Whether  they  are  the  root  from  which 
the  other  tribes  have  sprung  can,  in  our  present  state  of  knowledge,  be  mere 
matter  of  speculation,  but  it  is  worthy  of  note  that  in  villages  bordering  upon 
the  more  cultivated  tracts  the  change  of  name  from  Mdri^  to  Kohitdr,  then  to 
Jangli  Gond,  and  then  to  Gond,  can  be  seen  in  progress,  and  it  is  easy  to 
imagine  that  a  well-to-do  Mdrid  family  calling  themselves  Gond  might  in  two 
or  three  generations  adopt  the  more  fashionable  stylo  of  Rdj  Gond.  Then  again, 
until  a  recent  period,  marriages  occasionally  took  place  between  members  of 
different  tribes,  and  it  is  only  Hindd  example  which  tends  in  these  latter  days 
to  harden  the  difference  of  tribe  into  distinction  of  caste.  The  Mdrias  have  a 
language,  called  Mdr(,  of  their  own,  which  is  quite  distinct  from  Gondi.  They 
are  divided  into  the  following  twenty-four  families  or  houses  : — 

I. 

Worshippers  of  seven  minor  deities. 


1.  Dudi 

2.  Hindekd, 

3.  Mesram. 

4.  Rapanjf. 


5.  Tandii. 

6.  Talandf. 

7.  Wuro. 


II. 

Worshippers  of  six  minor  deities. 


1.  Gerem. 

2.  Hichdml, 

3.  Katwo. 


4.  Dosendl. 

5.  Wevdd. 
G.     Wuikd. 


ISCPG 


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ViS  CHAN 


III. 

Worshippers  of  five  minor  dvitkif. 


1.  Dugal. 

2.  Koildr. 

3.  Kumrd. 

4.  Koddmi. 


5.  MinL 

6.  Nug\\^at(. 

7.  Pdtui. 


IV. 

Worshippers  of  four  minor  deities, 

1.  Dond^.  I  3.     Mohondo. 

2.  Kondo.  I  4.    Pugdti. 

The  Ndik  or  Dhurwe  Gonds  are  found  in  the  south  of  the  district,  but  their 
numbers  are  very  small.  They  appear  under  the  Gond  kings  to  have  boen 
employed  as  soldiers,  and  at  the  present  day  they  prefer  service  with  a  zamfndjir 
to  agricultural  work.  Their  language,  called  "  Ndik (/'  is  a  dialect  of  Gondi, 
but  is  so  dissimilar  that  a  Rdj  Gond  often  fails  to  understand  it.  They  are 
divided  into  seventeen  families  or  houses,  viz : — 

I. 


Worshippers  of  seven 

minor  deities. 

1. 

2. 

A'tram. 
Kumdto. 

II. 

3.  Kordpd. 

4.  Wuikd. 

Worshippers  of  six 

minor  deities. 

1. 

2. 

Kamdkd. 
Kohachdr. 

3.  Kumrdm. 

4.  Mardnl. 

III. 

Worshippers  of  five 

minor  deities. 

1. 

2. 

A'dd. 
Paigam. 

3.  Mdldongre. 

4.  Kursengd. 

IV. 

Worshippers  of  four 

minor  deities. 

1. 
2. 
3. 

Kawachi. 

Kowd. 

Markdm. 

4.  ParchdkJ. 

5.  Tekam. 

The  Edj  Gonds  rank  first  of  the  four  tribes,  and  the  epithet  of  Rdj  may 
have  originally  been  used  to  designate  members  of  royal  and  noble  families, 
from  whom  it  may  have  spread  to  their  followers  and  the  governing  classes 
generally,  or  it  may  describe  the  tribe  which  in  ancient  days  conquered  the 
land  from  the  other  aboriginal  races.  The  Rdj  Gonds  speak  "  Gondi,^^  which  is 
a  distinct,  though  unwritten,  language.  They  are  divided  into  twenty-seven 
families  or  houses,  viz ; — 


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CHAN  IGO 


I. 


Worshqipei's  of  seven  minor  deities. 


1.  Kusimkd. 

2.  Mesrdm. 


3.  Mardwi. 

4.  Marskold. 


II. 

Worshippers  of  six  minor  deities. 


1 .  A'trim. 

2.  Gerim. 

3.  Kurmetd. 

4.  Kopal. 

5.  Uret^ 


6.  Penddin. 

7.  Saldm. 

8.  Toridl. 

9.  Velodi. 


III. 

Worshippers  of  Jive  minor  deities. 


1.  Alam. 

2.  Dhurwe. 

3.  Graure. 

4.  Jugnihk&. 


5.  Karpetd, 

6.  Kumrd. 

7.  Kimdlikd. 

8.  Soiyfim, 


IV. 
Worshippers  of  four  minor  deities. 


1.  Kowd. 

2.  Naitdm. 

3.  Sardti. 


4.  Sirdm. 

5.  SirndhkL 

6.  Talandi. 


The  Khatolwir  Gonds  have  the  same  family  names  as  the  Rdj  Gonds,  but 
they  wear  the  **  Janed/'  and  try  hard  to  believe  that  they  are  of  Rdjput  descent. 
They  are  found  in  the  north-east  of  the  district,  and  speak  Gondi  and  the 
Chhattfsgarh  dialect  of  Hindi.  They  come  originally  from  the  Edfpdr  plains. 
All  Gonds  of  whatever  tribe  worship  one  Supreme  God,  called  by  them  Pharsd 
Pen,  and  they  also  all  acknowledge  a  minor  deity  named  Bh(m  Pen ;  but  there 
is  no  sufficient  reason  to  suppose  that  this  Bhim  is  identical  with  the  second 
of  the  five  Pdndavas. 

The  so-called  out- castes  are  the  Khdtik,  Chamdr,  Mhdr  or  Dher,  Mddgl, 
and  Bhangl.  Of  these  the  Mhdrs  play  no  unimportant  paii;  in  the  polity  of 
the  district,  for  they  are  very  numerous  and  widely  spread;  they  form  the 
chief  thread-spinners  and  weavers  of  coarse  cloth  in  the  country,  and  the  village 
watch  and  ward  are  mainly  in  their  hands.  It  may  be  surmised  that  they  are 
in  fact  an  aboriginal  race  which,  conquered  by  more  warlike  tribes,  and  forced 
to  perform  degrading  offices,  sank  at  length  into  the  position  they  now  hold. 
Pew  foreigners,  beside  those  of  the  Mardthd  and  Telinga  nations,  have  settled  in 
Chdndd.  Deccan  Musalmdns  are  the  most  numerous ;  and  Mdrwdris,  Bundelds, 
and  men  from  northern  India  are  occasionally  met  with,  but  the  aggregate  of 
all  these  classes  is  small. 

The  Gond,  Telinga,  and  Mardthd  each  speaks  his  national  language,  and 

J     ^  ^   the  two  latter  have  generally  in  addition  an  ac- 

anguage.  quaintance  with  each  other^s  tongue,  or  with  Hindi. 

Neither  Mdri,  Ndiki,  nor  Gondi  is  a  written  language,  and  for  their  documents 

the  Gonds  in  the  south  use  Tolugu,  in  the  centre  Marathf  or  Hindi,  and  in  the 


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140  CHAN 

north  Hind(.  All  the  Gond  chiefs  have  a  knowledge  of  the  latter.  Sir  R. 
Jenkins  mentions  that  in  a.d.  1826  Telugu  and  Mardthi  were  spoken  in  nearly 
equal  proportions ;  but  the  ratio  now  is  in  favour  of  Mardthi,  which  is  also  the 
language  of  the  courts. 

The   chief  manufacture   of  the   district  is  coarse  and  fine  cotton-cloths, 
^  which  are  largely  .exported  to  Western  India,  and 

ures.  formerly  found  their  way  as  far  as  Arabia.     The 

Telinga  weavers  turn  out  cloths  of  coloured  patterns,  some  of  which  are  in  very 
good  taste  ;  and  cotton-thread  of  a  wonderful  fineness  is  spun,  chiefly  for  export. 
Silk  fabrics  are  well  made,  though  the  demand  for  them  is  not  great ;  and  there 
are  also  stuffs  manufactured  of  a  mixture  of  silk  and  cotton.  Large  numbers  of 
tasar  silkworms  are  bred  in  the  forests,  and  the  wound  silk  obtained,  both  in  a 
dyed  and  undyed  state,  forms  an  important  item  of  export.  In  some  places  it 
is  woven  into  pieces  for  local  consumption.  Great  quantities  of  excellent  iron 
are  smelted,  alike  for  home  and  foreign  use,  the  industry  employing  a  consider- 
able body  of  men.  Carts  for  driving  purposes  and  for  the  carriage  of  goods 
are  extensively  made,  as  may  be  gathered  from  the  fact  that  the  value  of  those 
sold  at  the  Chdndd  fairs  during  1865-66  amounted  to  Rs.  3,38,700.  Chdndd 
was  formerly  distinguished  for  workers  in  precious  and  in  baser  metals,  but 
much  of  that  fame  has  now  been  lost.  The  district  still,  however,  has  a  few 
good  goldsmiths,  silversmiths,  and  cutlers;  and  the  Brahmapuri  braziers  turn 
out  utensils  of  combined  brass  and  copper  of  a  superior  sort.  The  Chdndd 
stone-cutters  are  skilful  as  a  body ;  some  possess  no  mean  talent  for  carving, 
and  others  gain  their  livelihood  by  shaping  bowls  and  platters  out  of  the  Jdm- 
bulghdtd  soapstone.  Good  carpenters  are  found  only  in  Chdndd  itself,  and  are 
scarce  even  there  ;  but  some  of  these  are  excellent  workmen.  In  minor  trades 
the  district  possesses  a  reputation  for  native  slippers,  which  are  made  chiefly  in 
the  city  of  Chdndd  and  at  Brahmapuri,  and  its  basket-work  and  matting  hold  a 
high  place. 

The  external   trade  of  Chdndd  is  principally  with  the  Wardhd,  Ndgpiln 
rp    ,  Bhanddra,  and  Rdfpdr  districts,  with  Bastar  and 

the  Eastern  Coast,  and  with  the  Haidardbdd  terri- 
tories and  Berdr.  The  sales  of  the  year  are  mostly  transacted  at  fairs,  which 
assemble  annually  at  Chdndd,  Bhdndak,  Chimdr,  Mdrkandi,  and  Warhd,  the  two 
first  being  by  far  the  most  numerously  attended.  They  are  held  in  the  following 
order : — 

Chimiir,  in  January, 
Bhdndak,  in  February, 
Mdrkandi,  in  February, 
Chdnda,  in  April, 
Warhd,  in  November, 

and  are  frequented  by  visitors  from  distant  parts  of  India.  The  sales  actually 
effected  at  them  in  1868-69  amounted  to  Rs.  15,22,238  (£152,224).  Subsequently 
to  the  Mardthd  conquest  of  Chdndd  trade  gradually  dwindled  away,  and  the 
capital,  being  on  no  highway  of  traffic,  felt  the  change  with  special  severity. 
Within  the  last  few  years,  however,  trade  has  wonderfully  revived,  and  the  posi- 
tion of  Chdndd  now  promises  to  be  of  great  commercial  value,  for  in  all  proba- 
bility a  few  years  will  see  the  city  connected  by  railway  with  Bombay  on  the 
west  and  Haidardbdd  on  the  south,  while  water  communication  will  open  out 
traffic  with  the  Eastern  Coast.     The  resources  of  Chdndd  in  coal,  cotton,  and  iron 


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CHAN  141 

will  then  doubtless  create  great  manufacturing  industries^  and  tlie  district  may 
in  time  become  the  Lancashire  of  India. 

Chdadd  is  thickly  studded  with  fine  tanks,  or  rather  artificial  lakes,  occur- 
-  ring  in   greatest   number   in   the   Grarhbori   and 

Brahmapuri  parganas  ;  indeed  thirty-seven  can  be 
seen  at  once  from  the  heights  of  PerzSgarh.  These  lakes  are  formed  by  closing 
the  outlets  of  small  valleys  watered  by  a  stream,  or  throwing  a  dam  across 
sloping  land  intersected  by  rivulets ;  and  the  broad  clear  sheets  of  water  thus 
created  are  often  most  picturesque  in  their  surroundings  of  wood  and  rock  and 
hill.  Among  the  finest  are  those  at  Rajdll,  Adydl,  Alewdh(,  Dongargdon, 
Palasg^on,  Mdngrdl,  Jdndld,  Ekdld,  Tekr(,  Tdrobd,  Sindewdhl,  Nawargdon, 
Gunjewdhf,  Junond,  Naukhald,  Jdmnl,  MoharK,  KdtwaK,  Madndgarh,  Rdjghdtd, 
KuQghdrd,  Saighdtd,  Bhagwdnpiir,  and  Mhesd. 

The  chief  architectural  objects  of  interest  are  the  cave-temples  at  Bhdndak, 
Winjbdsani,  Dewdld,  and  Ghugds ;  the  rock-temple  in  the  bed  of  the  Wardhd, 
below  Balldlpdr ;  the  ancient  temples  at  Mdrkand(,  Ner(,  Bhatdld,  Bhdndak, 
Wairdgarh,  A'mbgdon,  Wdghnakh,  and  Kesldbori;  the  monoliths  nearChdndd; 
the  forts  of  Wairdgarh  and  Balldlpdr ;  and  the  walls  of  the  city  of  Chdndd,  its 
system  of  water-works,  and  the  tombs  of  the  Gond  kings.  The  following  places 
are  also  worthy  of  visit : — the  rapids  of  the  Wardhd  at  Soft ;  the  junction  of  the 
Wardhd  and  the  Waingangd  at  Seoul ;  the  Rdmdighi  pool  near  Kesldbor( ;  the 
Mugdai  spring  and  cave  in  the  Perzdgarh  hills,  about  a  mile  from  Domd ;  the 
coal  seams  near  Ldti,  Ghugds,  and  Balldlpdr ;  the  quarries  in  the  vicinity  of 
Chdndd  and  Jdmbulghdtd;  and. the  iron  mines  at  Lohdrd,  Ambdgarh  Chaukf, 
Dewalgdon,  Wagarpeth,  Pipalgdon,  Tdtoll,  and  Pdwi  Mutandd. 

The  characters  which  trace  the  early  history  of  Chdndd  are  her  ancient 
„.  temples,  but  as  yet  we  can  only  read  their  mean- 

^'  ing   dimly.     Three  eras,  however,   are  distinctly 

marked — the  first  by  the  cave-temples  ;  the  second  by  the  massive  unadorned 
temples,  put  together  without  mortar,  and  clamped  with  iron ;  and  the  third 
by  the  temples  of  a  construction  similar  to  the  second,  but  richly  carved. 
Turning  to  tradition  we  find  narratives  connecting  these  temples  with  events 
recorded  in  the  sacred  books  of  the  Hindds.  We  hear  the  wide-spread  legend 
that  great  kings  once  reigned  over  the  land ;  that  some  fearful  and  unknown 
calamity  swept  them  away,  devastating  their  cities  and  leaving  them  unpeopled ; 
and  that  a  dark  age  succeeded  in  which  forests  overgrew  the  silent  land. 
Lastly  we  hear  that  as  late  as  a.d.  800  the  country  was  one  vast  wilderness 
in  which  a  few  savage  tribes  lived  and  warred,  and  that  none  of  the  temples  of 
the  three  eras  were  constructed  by  the  race  which  then  rose  to  power. 

A  curious  and  romantic  chronicle  of  the  Chdndd  Gond  dynasty,  whose  own 
annals  carry  them  back  to  a.d.  870,  has  been  compiled  from  extinct  genealo- 
gies, and  various  oral  and  written  traditions,  by  Major  Lucie  Smith,  deputy 
commissioner  of  the  district.  Although,  like  most  of  these  family  histories,  the 
story  of  the  Gond  dynasty  is  almost  entirely  made  up  of  extravagant  legend, 
and  the  periods  assigned  to  the  various  reigns  are  often  of  almost  incredible 
length,  the  genealogy  need  not  be  altogether  rejected.  It  has  been  collected 
fi^m  so  many  concurrent  sources  that  it  may  be  accepted  as  a  fairly  correct  list 
of  the  princes  of  this  line,  though  some  names  are  probably  omitted.  From 
A.D.  870  to  A.D.  1751  nineteen  reigns  only  are  recorded,  which  would  give 
more  than  forty-six  years  to  each.  Making  the  ordinary  allowance  of 
twenty  years  for  a  reign,  there  would  only  be  names  sufficient  to  carry  back 


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142  CHAN 

the  dynasty  to  a.d,  1371,  but  wo  find  in  the  A'in-i-Akbari  that  a  prince  named 
Bubjeo  was  ruling,  when  the  list  of  Akbar's  territories  was  compiled,  towards  tho 
end  of  the  sixteenth  century.  This  Bubjeo  is  evidently  the  Bdbdji  Ballil  Si  or 
Shdh  who  is  recorded  as  reigning  from  1442  to  1522.  He  is  therefore  placed  in 
tho  lists  about  a  century  too  soon,  while,  as  they  only  give  him  five  successors 
up  to  1751,  he  should,  according  to  the  doctrine  of  averages,  be  brought  down. 
to  the  middle  of  the  seventeenth  century,  or  nearly  three-quarters  of  a  century 
after  his  real  date.  The  probable  explanation  is,  that  not  only  some  names  may- 
have  been  omitted,  but  that  an  average,  calculated  from  the  reigns  of  powerful 
princes,  who  were  exposed  from  the  prominence  of  their  position  to  constant 
dangers,  does  not  apply  to  the  case  of  these  Forest  chiefs.  No  one  under  whose 
notice  many  of  these  genealogies  have  come  can  fail  to  have  been  struck  by 
the  regularity  of  the  successions,  and  the  long  average  duration  of  the  reigns  or 
tenancies,  in  even  the  best  authenticated  examples.  Fathers  are  almost  invari- 
ably succeeded  by  sons,  family  assassinations  are  rare,  and,  as  may  be  imagined, 
insurrections  are  scarcely  known  against  the  authority  of  princes,  who  wero 
recognised  by  their  subjects  as  their  natural  and  tribal  chiefs.  Therefore  in  the 
absence  of  more  exact  information,  the  reigns  of  the  Chdndd  kings  may  be  fairly 
assumed  as  equalling  in  average  length  the  usually  accepted  term  for  a  genera- 
tion, or  33. ^1  years.  On  this  assumption,  and  allowing  for  the  possibility  of 
occasional  omissions,  the  origin  of  the  dynasty  would  be  carried  back  to  tho 
eleventh  century.  Sir  R.  Jenkins,*  it  is  true,  says  that  "  the  reigning  family  at 
"  Chdndd,  termed  Balhar  Shdhi — probably  a  remant  of  the  Warangal  race  of 
"  kings — were  supplanted  by  successors  of  the  Gond  tribe.^'  But  he  gives  no 
authority  for  his  historical  sketch,  and  his  information  must  have  been 
imperfect,  for  the  Balhar  Shdhi  line,  which  he  thinks  may  have  belonged  to 
the  Hindd  stock  of  Warangal,  was  in  fact  the  very  Gond  dynasty  which  ho 
mentions  as  having  succeeded  to  the  earlier  race.  This  will  be  clearly  seen  from 
the  following  list  of  names  as  given  by  Major  L.  Smith : — 

BhlmBaMSinha  870  to    895 

Kharja  Balldl  Sinha 895,,    935 

HfrSinha 935  „    970 

Andra  Balldl  Sinha 970  „    995 

Talwdr  Sinha    995  „  1027 

Kesar  Sinha 1027  „  1072 

Dinkar  Sinha  1072  „  1142 

Edm  Sinha    1142  „  1207 

Sarjd  Balldl  Sinha  1  .  o 07       1 9  i  9 

Sher  Shah  or  Balldl  Shdh  ...  / ^"^^^  ''  ^^^^ 

Khdndkid  Balldl  Shdh    1242  „  1282 

HlrShdh  1282  „  1342 

LS^intlj;}    13^2  „  1402 

KondiiShdh 1402  „  1442 

B^Mji  BaUdl  SMh  1442  „  1522 

Dhundii  Kdm  Shdh 1522  „  1597 

Krishna  Shdh  1597  „  1647 

BfrShdh    1647  „  1672 

Rdm  Shdh 1672  „  1735 

NllkanthShdh 1735  „  1751 


*  Report  on  Nagpiir  Province,  Edition  of  Nagpur  Antiquarian  Society,  p.  22. 


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CHAN  11:J 

Altliough  no  one  who  has  seen  the  curious  old  cifcy  of  ChdncM,  with  its 
six  miles  of  stone  walls  and  battlements,  its  fine  gates — ^with  the  Balhar  Shdhi 
cognisance  engraved  upon  them, — and  its  regal  tombs,  can  suppose  that  the 
Chdndd  princes  were  nothing  more  than  petty  aboriginal  chiefs ;  their  history  is 
even  more  obscure  and  uneventful  than  those  of  the  kindred  dynasties  of 
Kherld,  Grarhd  Mandla,  and  Deogarh.  From  amid  the  mass  of  fable  which 
represents  their  annals  it  may  be  inferred  that  up  to  the  time  of  Hlr  Shdh,  the 
eleventh  of  the  line,  who  may  have  lived  in  the  end  of  the  fifteenth  century,  and 
is  said  to  have  built  the  Chdndi  citadel  and  founded  the  city  walls,  the  Balhar 
ShdhI  kings  were  tributary  to  some  great  power,  for  it  is  expressly  stated  of 
him  "  that  he  paid  tribute  to  no  one/^  There  is,  however,  nothing  in  Farishta 
to  show  that  the  dominions  of  the  Bdhmanl  kings,  whose  power  collapsed  when 
Hir  Shdh's  is  supposed  to  have  risen,  extended  east  of  the  Wardhd.  In  none 
of  the  descriptions  of  their  territories  is  any  place  on  this  side  of  the  river  men- 
tioned. From  the  prominent  manner  in  which  his  grandson  Kondid,  or  Kam 
Shdh,  is  represented  as  having  summoned  large  numbers  of  Tclinga  and  other 
Brdhmans,  set  up  lings  of  Mahddeva,  and  built  numerous  temples,  it  is  not 
improbable  that  he  was  the  first  of  his  line  to  relinquish  the  Gond  deities  and 
to  adopt  the  Hindd  faith ;  though  not  until  the  days  of  Blr  Shdh,  the  last  of  the 
line  but  two,  was  the  yearly  sacrifice  of  cows  to  Pharsa  Pen,  the  great  god 
of  the  Gonds,  entirely  abolished.  It  is  the  son  of  this  Kam  Shdh  who  is 
mentioned  in  the  A'in-i-Akbari  as  an  independent  prince,  paying  no  tribute 
to  Delhi,  and  having  an  army  of  1,000  cavalry  and  40,000  infantry.  His 
territories  are  also  stated  to  have  included  the  lately  conquered  territory  of 
"Beeragarh^'  (Wairdgarh),in  which  was  a  diamond  mine,  and  eight  parganas 
properly  belonging  to  *^  Sarkdr  *  Kallem ''  of  Berdr.  The  only  mention  f  of  this 
line  in  Farishta  seems  to  be  more  than  a  century  earlier,  in  a.d.  1437,  when  a 
Edjd  of  Gondwdna  is  recorded  as  having  helped  Nasir  Khdn,  raler  of  Khdndesh, 
in  an  attack  on  Berdr.  As  the  Kherld  Gond  line  was  extinguished  in  1433,  the 
Rdjd  mentioned  was  probably  one  of  the  Chdndd  kings,  who  were  at  that  par- 
ticular time  the  only  Gond  dynasty  in  power,  and  if  so  the  contemporary  name  in 
the  Usts  would  be  that  of  Khdndkid  Balldl  Shdh,  the  father  of  the  Hlr  Shdh,  who 
is  stated  to  have  raised  his  dynasty  to  an  entirely  independent  position. 

From  the  time  of  Akbar  until  the  days  of  the  Marathds  the  Chdndd  princes 
seem  to  have  been  tolerably  independent  and  powerful,  for  both  in  their  own 
annals,  and  in  those  of  the  Deogarh  line,  we  find  them  recorded  as  gaining  an 
important  victory  over  that  rising  Gond  power  in  the  middle  of  the  seventeenth 
century.  Indeed  the  conversion  of  the  Deogarh  princes  to  Mohammadanism  is 
said  to  have  been  due  to  their  hope  of  obtaining  the  aid  of  the  Emperor  Aurangzeb 
in  re-estabUshing  th^ir  power  after  its  temporary  subversion  by  the  Chdndd 
kings.  Probably  it  is  to  this  period  that  may  be  referred  the  carvings  of  the 
Chdndd  device — a  winged  lion — ^which  have  lately  been  found  on  the  walls  of 
Gdwalgarh,  a  famous  hill  fortress  on  the  southern  brow  of  the  Sdtpurd  range, 
which  was  for  long  the  stronghold  of  Berdr. 

Sir  R.  Jenkins  observes  J  that  if  the  Mohammadan  historian  of  the  Deccan, 
KafI  Khdn,  is  to  be  believed,  the  amount  of  tribute  in  cash,  jewels,  and 
elephants  taken  in  Aurangzeb^s  time  from  the  Gond  rdjds  of  Deogarh  and  Chdndd 


*  Gladwin's  A'in-i-Akbari,  S6ba  of  Berar. 

t  Briggs'  Farishta,  vol.  ii.  p.  427,  Edition  1829. 

X  Report  on  Nagpur,  by  Sir  Richard  Jenkins,  Edition  Nagpur  Antiquarian  Society,  p.  22. 


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indicates  considerable  opulence.  According  to  Captain  Smithes  chronicle,  the 
T&J&  contemporary  with  Aurangzeb  was  Rdm  Shah,who  is  known  to  have  built  the 
Eamfld  tank  and  the  Rim  bdgh,  the  latter  near  the  present  Chdndd  court-house. 
The  Govindpdr  suburb  and  the  Nagini  bdgh  (on  part  of  which  the  Chindi 
public  garden  now  stands)  were  constructed  by  Govind  Shdh,  fe,ther  to  Rdm 
Shdh. 

In  A.D.  1718  we  find  the  Rdjd  of  Satdrd  attempting  to  obtain  from  the  Delhi 
Emperor  the  cession  of  Chdnda;  and  about  the  same  year  the  former  sent 
Kdnhojl  BhonsM  to  invade  Gondwdna.  Kdnhoji  met  with  no  military  successes 
in  the  Chdndd  kingdom,  and  latterly  betook  himself  to  plundering,  chiefly  west  of 
the  Wardhd.  He  appears  subsequently  to  have  been  recalled,  but  the  summons 
having  been  disregarded,  Raghoji  Bhonsld  was  ordered  to  enforce  his  return, 
and  about  a.d.  1730  Raghoji  captured  him  near  Mandar,  in  the  Sirpdr  pargana 
(now  of  Berdr),  and  forwarded  him  to  Satdrd.  Raghoji  then  proceeded  to  the 
city  of  Chdndd,  where  he  was  courteously  received  by  the  king ;  and  tradition 
states  that  the  Mardthd  soldier  was  so  awed  by  Rdm  Shdh's  calm  mien  and 
bearing,  that,  in  place  of  seeking  pretext  for  quarrel,  he  did  him  homage  as  a 
god.  Rdm  Shdh  was  gathered  to  his  fathers  in  a.  d.  1735,  and  he  still  lingers 
in  the  memory  of  the  people  as  a  saint-like  man,  unruffled  by  the  cares  of 
earth,  inspiring  a  love  not  unmixed  with  solemn  dread.  His  son  Nilkanth 
Shdh,  who  now  succeeded  to  the  throne,  was  an  evil  and  cruel  prince .  He 
put  to  death  his  father^s  trusted  diwdn,  Mahddoji  Vaidya,  and  dismissed  with 
contumely  all  the  high  officers  of  the  former  reign.  The  people  he  ground  to 
the  dust ;  and  he  interfered  in  the  political  disputes  of  Deogarh.  Retribution 
overtook  him  swiftly,  for  in  a.d.  1 749  the  Mardthds  were  at  his  gates  and  the 
city  fell,  not  by  the  award  of  battle,  but  by  the  treachery  of  an  estranged 
court.  Raghoji  thereupon  dictated  a  treaty  of  partition,  by  which  two-thirds 
of  the  revenues  were  alienated  to  the  Mardthds ;  but  the  remnant  of  power  then 
spared  soon  vanished,  for  in  a.d.  1751  Raghoji  took  entire  possession  of  the 
kingdom,  and  made  Nilkanth  Shdh  a  prisoner.  The  latter  afterwards  died  in 
confinement,*  and  thus  ended  the  dynasty  of  the  Gond  kings  of  Chdndd. 
Originally  petty  chiefs  of  a  savage  tribe,  they  spread  their  sway  over  a  wide 
dominion,  reclaiming  and  peopling  the  wild  forests  in  which  they  dwelt,  and, 
save  a  nominalf  allegiance  to  the  Delhi  throne,  preserving  their  soil  for  several 
hundred  years  inviolate  from  foreign  rule.  When  at  length  they  fell,  they  left, 
if  we  forget  the  few  last  years,  a  well-governed  and  contented  kingdom,  adorned 
with  admirable  works  of  engineering  skill,  and  prosperous  to  a  point  which  no 
after-titne  has  reached. 

From  this  time  Chdndd  became  a  province  of  the  Bhonsld  family,  and  it  will 

^    . ,  ^     .  be  sufficient  to    record  only  those  events  which 

directly     affected    the   former  .J     In    a.d.    1755 

Raghoji  died,  leaving  four  sons,  Jdnoji,  Sdbdji,  Mudhoji,  and  Bimbdji.     Jdnoji, 

the  eldest,  succeeded;  but  the  succession  was  disputed  by  Mudhoji,  who  was 

supported  by  the  court  of  Puna,  and  several  encounters   took  place  between 

*  Report  on  the  Territories  of  the  Rajd  of  Ndgpur,  by  Sir  Richard  Jenkins,  Edition  Nagpdr 
Antiquarian  Society,  pp.  73,  74  et  seq. 

t  Both  in  architectural  remains  and  in  local  tradition  there  is  a  complete  absence  of  the 
Mohammadan  element. 

X  In  the  narrative  of  events  from  a.d.  1755  to  a.d.  1819  Sir  R.  Jenkins's  Report  and  Grant 
DufPs  History  of  tbe  Mardthds  have  been  largely  drawn  upon.  Where  the  two  authorities  differ 
the  latter  has  been  usually  followed. 


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CHAN  145 

tJie  brotkepa.  Mudiioji  having  been  worsted,  the  matter  was  referred  to  the 
Peshwd,  who  confirmed  Jinojl  in  the  government  of  Ndgpdr  with  the  title 
of  Sen^  Sdhib  Siiba,  while  Mudhojf  was  granted  Chdndd  and  Chhattfsgarh, 
with  the  appellation  of  Sen£  Dhorandhar.*  Madhoji  was  wasteful  and  rapa- 
cious, and  did  much  to  ruin  the  country  under  his  rule.  In  a.d.  1758  he 
left  Chdndi  in  the  hands  of  his  creditors,  and  proceeded  to  Hindustan  with 
Raghunith  Eio,  the  uncle  of  the  Peshwfi.  J^ioji  died  in  1773,  and  during  the 
struggle  for  power  between  the  two  brothers  Mudhoji  and  Sdbijf,  who  both 
claimed  the  regency  on  the  death  of  their  elder  brother,  Chindi  was  not  undis- 
turbed. BalM  Shdh,  a  son  of  Nflkanth  Shih,  escaped  from  confinement  in  the 
BallSlpdr  fort,  and  collected  a  considerable  force  of  Gonds,  with  the  intention 
of  seizing  Chdndfi  and  MSnikdrdg.  The  insurgents,  however,  were  routed  at 
Ganpdr,  m  the  Ghdtkul  pargana,  by  Mahipat  Bio,  the  siibadSr  of  Chdndi ;  and 
Ballfl  Sh£h,  after  receiving  a  gunshot  wound,  was  captured  and  sent  in  to 
N^dr. 

About  this  time  a  party  of  the  Puna  ministerial  forces  penetrated  to  Chor* 
morf  near  Bhindak,  and  made  prisoners  of  the  ladies  of  Mudhoji^s  family. 
Vyankat  R^o,  zaminddr  of  Ahirf,  and  his  brother  Mohan  Shdh,  were  at  the  time 
military  governors  of  the  Chindd  city,  and  a  third  brother,  Visvfis  Rio,  was 
in  charge  of  the  Mdnikdrdg  fortress.  These  three  attacked  the  Puna  troops, 
and  rescued  the  ladies,  who  were  escorted  into  Ch£ndd.  Mudhojf  finally  defeated 
his  brother,  whom  he  killed  with  his  own  hand  in  battle.  He  himself  died 
in  A.D.  1788,  and  his  son  Raghoji  II — till  then  but  titular  rSjfi — assumed  the 
government.  He  obtained  from  the  court  of  Puna,  for  his  younger  brother 
Vyankiji,  the  title  of  Seni  Dhurandhar,  and  allotted  to  him  ChSndd  and  Chhattfs- 
garh.  In  a.d.  1789  he  released  Ballfl  Sh&h,  and  granted  him  a  yearly  pension 
of  Ks.  600.  Vyankdji,  commonly  caJled  Ndnd  Sdhib,  resided  at  Chdndd, 
and  was  of  a  quiet  and  religious  disposition.  He  rebuilt  the  Ball&lpdr  fort 
and  the  Chindi  citadel,  both  of  which  had  fallen  to  ruin,  and  he  erected  a 
palace,  a  fragment  of  which  forms  the  present  kotwdlf .  Several  temples  owe 
their  construction  to  him,  the  handsomest  being  the  new  building  over  the 
Bhrine  of  Achaleswar,  and  the  Murlldhar  temple  within  the  palace  precincts. 

In  September  a.d.  1 797  the  Viral  rose  to  an  extraordinary  height,  flooding 
the  entire  city  of  Chdndd,  and  submerging  numerous  dwellings* 

In  A.D.  1 803  Baghoji  11,  by  the  treaty  of  Deogdon,  lost  Cuttack,  and  the 
provinces  west  of  the  Wardhd — MSnikdrdg  and  Sirpdr,  the  ancient  seat  of  the 
Ball&l  Shih  dynasty  thus  passing  away  from  Chdndd.  About  this  time  the 
Pindhdrfs  first  made  their  appearance  in  the  district,  and  gradually  overran  the 
country,  few  villages  escaping  pillage,  and  many  being  rendered  wholly  desolate. 
Their  visits  roused  the  plundering  classes  into  action,  and  Ae  injury  inflicted, 
directly  and  indirectly,  was  incalculable. 

In  A.D.  1811  Vyankajf  died  at  Benares,  and  his  son  Mudhojf,  known  as  A  pd 
Sdhib,  succeeded  to  the  title  of  Send  Dhurandhar.  A  pd  Sdhib  appears  to  have 
been  bom  and  brought  up  at  Chdndd,  but  no  act  of  his,  prior  to  his  becoming 
the  head  of  the  Ndgpdr  state,  has  left  its  mark  on  the  district.  In  a.d.  1816t 
Baghoji  n  died,  leaving  but  one  son,  Parsojl,  who  was  imbecile  in  mind  and 

-^  Qnat  Duff's  Histoiy  of  the  Mardth^s^  Indian  Reprint,  vol.  ii.  p.  53. 

+  Do.  do.  do.  vol.  iii.  pp.  280— 317  e<  5fg. 

19  CPG 


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146  CHAN 

body.  After  some  opposition  A'pi  S&hib  was  declared  regent,  and  sedulously 
courted  the  British  alliance.  In  January  1817  he  proc€H^ed  to  Ch^ndi,  and 
during  his  absence  irom  Ndgpdr  Parsoj(  died — murdered,  as  it  was  subsequently 
learnt,  by  A  pd  S^ib's  secret  orders.  The  latter,  as  nearest  heir,  now  became 
Edjd  of  Nfigpdr.  Avowedly  a  warm  friend  of  the  British,  he  privately  intrigued 
against  them  in  all  directions,  until  November  following,  when  he  threw  off  the 
mask  and  declared  hostilities.  The  battles  of  Sit^baldi  and  N&gpdr  followed, 
in  which  he  was  signally  defeated,  and  was  forced  personally  to  surrender  and 
to  agree  to  terms,  which  rendered  him  wholly  dependent  on  the  British. 

In  January  1818  he  was  permitted  to  resume  the  government,  and  imme- 
diately recommenced  his  intrigues.  He  invited  the  Peshwd,  Bdji  Rio,  to  move 
on  Nigpdr,  stirred  up  the  Gonds  to  oppose  the  British,  and  ordered  the  Eildd&r 
of  Chdndd  to  recruit,  intending  to  escape  to  that  city ;  but  the  Resident,  Mr. 
Jenkins,  was  watching  his  plans,  and  on  the  15th  of  March  caused  him  to  be 
seized  and  brought  a  prisoner  to  the  Residency.  In  the  meanwhile  his  adherents 
were  hastily  making  efforts  to  garrison  Chdndd.  Bhujang  Rio,  zamfndir 
of  Ahiri,  and  his  brother  Kondo  Bipd,  zamfnddr  of  Arpalli,  threw  themselves 
with  their  followers  into  the  place,  and  every  able-bodied  citizen  of  the  lower 
classes  was  pressed  into  the  ranks.  On  the  2nd  April  the  van  of  Biji  Rio's 
army  reached  Warhi,  ton  miles  west  of  Chindi,  on  the  left  bank  of  the  Wardhi, 
but  was  there  checked  by  Lieutenant- Colonel  Hopeton  Scott,  who  had  been 
despatched  from  Ndgpdr  to  prevent  Bdji  Rio  getting  into  Chindi.  Colonel 
Adams,  with  a  second  division,  shortly  arrived  in  the  vicinity,  and  on  the  17th 
April  the  combined  forces  attacked  and  routed  Biji  Rio  at  Pandarkonri,  west 
of  the  Wardhi.  The  British  troops  then  laid  siege  to  Chindi,  one  brigade 
taking  ground  at  Kosiri,  on  the  right  bank  of  the  Viral,  north-west  of  the 
city,  while  the  second  was  massed  south-east  of  it,  at  the  junction  of  the  Jharpat 
and  Viral.  Batteries  were  posted  on  an  eminence  (called  the  Mineh  hill)  in  the 
latter  position,  and  fire  being  opened,  a  breach  was  soon  made  in  the  line  of 
curtain  between  the  Pathinpuri  gate  and  the  Haniunin  wicket.  On  the  morn- 
ing of  the  2nd  May  the  storming  parties  moved  to  the  assault,  and  were  met  in 
the  breach  by  the  regular  garrison,  who  are  said  to  have  fallen  to  a  man  in  its 
defence,  while  the  kilidir,  (rangi  Singh,  was  also  slain,  rewarding  with  his 
dying  breath  one  All  Khin,  who  claimed  to  have  shot  an  English  officer.  The 
struggle,  however,  was  of  short  duration,  and  the  British  were  quickly  masters 
of  the  place,  which  was  given  up  to  sack ;  but  in  the  general  plunder  which 
ensued,  the  kilidir  slain  protected  his  home  far  better  than  his  living  arm  could 
have  defended  it,  for  the  English,  in  admiration  of  his  conduct  at  the  assault, 
caused  his  house  to  be  scrupulously  respected. 

A'pi  Sihib's  repeated  treachery  having  proved  him  unworthy  of  trust,  the 
British  Government  decreed  his  deposition,  and  placed  Raghojl,  a  grandson  of 
Raghojl  II.,  at  the  head  of  the  Nigpdr  state.  As  the  new  Riji  was  only  some 
nine  years  old,  a  regency  was  appointed  under  his  grandmother  Biki  Bil,  and 
the  administration  of  the  country  was  conducted  by  the  Resident,  acting  in  the 
name  of  the  Riji,  and  assisted  by  British  officers  in  charge  of  each  district  atnd 
department.  The  mean,  rapacious  spirit  which  characterised  the  Bhonslis  in  all 
dealings  with  their  subjects  had  caused  infinite  harm  to  the  Chindi  district,  and 
from  A.D.  1803  constant  disturbances  and  lawlessness  had  added  their  evil  fruits. 
It  is  on  record  that  the  population  in  a.d.  1802  was  double  that  in  a.d.  1822, 
and  that  the  houses  in  the  city  of  Chindi  had  decreased  during  that  period  in 
nearly  the  same  proportion. 


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CHAN  147 

The  able  men*  who  from  a.d.  1818  to  a.d.  1830  now  administered  the 

district  in  succession  did  much,  each  in  his  time, 
Bntish  rule.  ^^  restore  the  former  prosperity  of  the  country. 

The  Crond  chiefs  who  had  rebelled  were  brought  to  submission ;  plundering  was 
stopped,  and  order  established ;  the  heavy  assessments  on  land  were  reduced ; 
deserted  villages  repeopled  ;  and  ruined  irrigation  works  repaired.  Education 
was  encouraged,  and  during  this  period  Sudiji  Bdpd,  a  Telinga  firdhman  of 
Cbinii,  gained  an  Indian  reputation  by  his  published  works  in  Marithl,  Telugu, 
and  Saiiskrit,  the  scientific  value  of  which,  particularly  of  his  treatise  on  the 
Copemican  system,  was  warmly  acknowledged  by  the  Government  of  India  and 
the  Asiatic  Society  of  Bengal, 

But  in  June  a.d.  1830  the  management  of  the  country  was  made  over  to 
,  the    rdjd,    Eaghoji    III,    and   progress    stayed, 

in  rregnum.  Short-sighted,  grasping  measures  took  the  place 

of  a  broad  and  generous  policy ;  men  without  interest  found  their  lands  taxed 
to  almost  their  full  return,  while  those  -jvith  influential  friends  paid  less  than 
their  just  due ;  many  of  the  old  proprietors  were  ejected,  and  the  best  villages 
bestowed  on  relatives  and  favourites  of  the  rdjd,  or  on  official  underlings.  Thus 
sprang  up  a  body  of  absentee  proprietors,  holding  the  richest  estates  in  the  dis- 
trict, but  knowing  nought  about  them,  and  having  hardly  an  interest  in  common 
with  the  country  or  its  people,  anxious  only  to  obtain  the  largest  possible 
income,  and  utterly  careless  of  the  well-being  of  their  tenantry — a  striking 
contrast  to  the  policy  pursued  by  the  Gond  kings.  Plundering  revived  in 
spite  of  military  parties  posted  thickly  over  the  district ;  and  as  late  as  a.d.  1852 
a  Government  treasure  escort  was  attacked  and  robbed  by  Gonds  on  the  Mdl 
road,  not  sixteen  miles  from  Ch&ndd. 

In  A.D.  1853  Eaghoji  HI  died  heirless,  and  ttie  Nfigpdr  province  was  then 

incorporated  into  the  British  empire,  the  adminis- 
Bt^X^i°J1is^^  ^^'^^^^  ^^    tration  being  conducted  by  a  commission  under 
ominions.  ^^^  Supreme  Government.     The  first  deputy  com- 

missioner of  Chdndd,  Mr.  R.  S.  Ellis,  of  the  Madras  Civil  Service  (since  created 
a  Companion  of  the  Bath)  assumed  charge  of  the  district  on  the  18th  December 
A.D.  1854. 

The  swell  of  the  great  wave  of  rebellion  which  swept  over  India  in 
A.D.  1857-58  was  felt  in  Chdndd ;  and  the  wild  nature  of  the  country,  the  predatory 
habits  of  the  Gonds,  and  the  proximity  of  th©  Haidardbdd  territory,  combined 
to  render  the  management  of  the  district  during  this  period  a  task  of 
peculiar  anxiety;  but  Captain  W.  H.  Crichton  (the  then  deputy  commissioner) 
prevented  anv  outbreak  until  March  1858,  when  Bdbd  B^,  a  petty  chief 
of  Monampalli  in  the  Ahfrl  zaminddri,  commenced  plundering  the  Rijgarh 
pargana,  and  was  shortly  afterwards  joined  by  Vyankat  Rdo,  zamfnddr  of  ArpalH 
and  Ghot.  These  two  leaders  then  openly  declared  rebellion ;  and  collecting  a 
mixed  force  of  Rohillas  and  Gonds,  withstood  the  troops  sent  against  them. 
On  the  night  of  the  29th  April  a  party  of  the  insurgents  attacked  Messrs.  Gart- 
land.  Hall,  and  Peter,  telegraph  employes,  who  were  encamped  near  Chunch- 
gondf  on  the  Pranhiti,  and  killed  the  two  first.  Mr.  Peter  escaped  into  the 
Ahlrl  keep,  and  as  soon  as  possible  joined  Captain  Crichton,  who  was  in  the 
vicinity,  directing  operations.  Subsequently,  when  it  was  desired  to  communicate 
with  Lachhmi  Bdi,  the  zamlnddrin,  Mr.  Peter  disguised  himself  as  a  native,  and 

♦  These  were  Captain  G.  N.  Crawford,  Captain  Pew,  and  Captain  L.  Wilkinson. 


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CHAN 


safely  delivered  to  her  Captain  Crichton's  letter.  The  rebels  made  a  stand  at^ 
several  points,  but  never  with  success;  and  at  length,  by  the  exertions  of 
Lachhmi  B&i,  Bdbd  R&o  was  captured,  and  was  immediately  sent  in  to  Chdnd^, 
where  he  suffered  death  on  the  21st  October  1858.  Vyankat  IWo  escaped  to 
Bastar,  but  in  April  a.d.  1860  he  was  arrested  by  the  rdjd  of  that  dependency, 
and  on  being  handed  over  to  the  British  authorities  was  sentenced  to  trans- 
portation ror  life,  with  forfeiture  of  all  property. 

On  the  2nd  March  1861  the  N%pdr  province  and  the  Sigar  and  Narbadi 
. ,    .  .       .  territories  were  formed  into  the  government  of 

ni8  ra  ion.  ^^^  Central  Provinces,  and  Chdnda  then  became 

a  district  of  the  Nigpur  division.  The  administration  of  the  district  is  conducted 
by  a  Deputy  Commissioner,  assisted  by  a  District  Superintendent  of  Police, 
an  Assistant  Commissioner,  an  Extra- Assistant  Commissioner^  a  Medical  Officer, 
and  three  Tahsflddrs  ;  the  five  first  having  their  head-quarters  at  the  station 
of  Chdndd,  and  the  three  last  being  located  at  Mdl,  Brahmapurf,  and 
Warord  respectively.  The  imperial  customs  line  runs  through  the  district,  and 
is  officered  by  one  patrol  and  two  assistant  patrols.  The  station  is  garrisoned 
by  a  detachment  of  Native  infantry,  and  in  military  matters  is  under  the 
officer  commanding  the  Ndgpdr  force.  It  is  occasionally  visited  by  the  chaplain 
ofSftdbaldf. 


The  revenues  for  the  year  1868-69  were — 
Imperial.  Rs. 


I.  Land  revenue : . .  2,40,65& 

II.  Forests   23,823 

III.  Excise     52,956 

IV.  Customs 2,557 

V.  Pindhritax    32,412 

VI.  Stamps    22,228 

VII.  Certificate  tax 6,112 

VIII.  Miscellaneous 4,855 


Total...... 3,85,602 


Local, 


Rs. 


I. 

II. 
III. 
IV. 

V. 
VI. 


School  cess  6,055 

D&k      do 1,572 

Road     do 6,044 

Ferry  fund 3,577 

Naziil        do 240 

Municipal  do 32,551 


Total 50,039 


The  chief  local  institutions  under  public  management  are  dispensaries, 

•      , .    ,.,  ,.  schools,  district  post-offices,  and  a  museum.     Of 

Local  institutions.  x-i      /•  xi.         •        ^    j.    i         j  •  •     j.i. 

the  former  there  is  a  nrst-class  dispensary  m  the 

city  of  ChAndd,  with  branch  dispensaries  at  Armori,  Brahmapuri,  and  Warord. 
The  government  schools  for  boys  consist  of  a  high  school  at  the  head-quarters  of 
the  district,  where  pupils  are  carried  as  far  as  the  matriculation  standard  of 
the  Bombay  University  ;  three  Anglo- Vernacular  and  three  Vernacular  town 
schools ;  eleven  branch  schools  subsidiary  to  the  high  and  town  schools } 
twenty-seven  village  schools ;  and  one  police  school,  making  forty-six  in  all. 
For  girls  there  £«*e  twenty-five  schools,  and  one  normal  school  for  the  training  of 
mistresses.  There  are  also  eighteen  indigenous  schools,  which  declare  them- 
selves open  to  government  inspection.  In  addition  to  five  imperial  post-offices, 
seven  district  post-offices,  with  the  necessary  establishments  of  runners  and  deU- 
very-peons,  are  distributed  over  the  district.  Lastly,  at  the  station  of  Chindfi  a 
museum  and  an  extensive  public  garden  are  being  formed,  and  a  Protestant 
church  will  shortly  be  completed. 


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CHAN  149 

CHATTDA'— The  capital  city  of  the  Ch^ndi  district,  situated  in  19^  57'  north 
latitude  and  79°  22'  east  longitade,  in  the  angle  formed  by  the  junction  of  the 
Virai  and  Jharpat.  For  its  history  the  reader  is  referred  to  the  article  on  the 
Ch^nd&  district.  It  is  surrounded  by  a  continuous  line  of  wall  crowned  with 
battlements,  five  and  a  half  miles  in  circuit,  of  cut  stone,  in  perfect  preservation, 
with  crenellated  parapet  and  broad  rampart,  traced  in  re-entering  gugles  and 
semicircular  bastions.  It  is  pierced  with  four  gates,  called  Jatpur^,  Bimb^  or 
Ghormaid^,  PatMnpuri,  ana  Mahdkfli  or  Achaleswar;  and  five  wickets, 
named  Chor,  Vithobi,  Hanumant,  Masdr,  and  Bagar.  Inside  the  walls  are  de- 
tached villages  and  cultivated  fields,  interspersed  with  buildinffs  more  worthy  of 
a  city ;  and  without  the  walls  are  the  suburbs  of  Jatpuri,  Govmdpdr,  HiwarpurJ, 
Ldlpeth,  and  Bdbdpeth,  the  whole  having  a  total  of  4,326  houses.  The  popula- 
tion is  chiefly  Mar^thd  and  Telinga,  the  traders,  shopkeepers,  and  craftsmen 
(notably  the  masons)  being  generally  the  latter.  The  city  was  formerly  famous 
for  the  learning  of  its  Brdhmans,  and  this  fame  has  not  heen  wholly  lost.  The 
principal  products  and  manufactures  are  pdn  leaves,  sugarcane^  and  vegetables, 
and  fiuie  and  coarse  cotton-cloths,  silk  fabrics,  brass  utensils,  leather  slippers, 
and  bamboo-work.  A  considerable  trade  is  carried  on,  the  imports  and  exports 
in  1868-69  amounting  in  value  to  Rs.  17,80,444  (£178,044),  and  Rs.  11,43,424 
(f  1 14,342)  respectively,  mainly  in  cotton,  grain,  country-cloths,  metals,  and  hard- 
ware, cotton,  spices,  English  goods,  tobacco,  sugar  and  gur,  timber,  carts,  oil- 
seeds, and  salt*  A  large  portion  of  the  transactions  occur  at  the  Ch&nd&  fair, 
which  commences  in  April  and  lasts  for  about  three  weeks.  The  booths  and 
sheds,  which  cover  a  large  area,  are  erected  east  of  the  city,  near  the  Mahdkdli 
temple ;  and  it  is  a  remarkable  fact  that,  though  this  fair  is  held  during  the  height 
of  the  hot  weather,  no  instance  is  remembered  of  cholera  having  spontaneously 
broken  out  at  it.  Goods  brought  to  the  fair  are  free  of  municipal  tax,  and  the 
town  duty  receipts  are  consequently  somewhat  small;  the  octroi  farm,  for 
instance,  in  1866  only  realised  Rs.  12,100.  The  appearance  of  the  city  from 
without  is  most  picturesque.  Dense  forest  stretches  to  the  north  and  east ;  on 
the  south  rise  the  blue  ranges  of  Mdnikdrdg,  and  westward  opens  a  cultivated 
rolling  country  with  distajat  lulls.  Set  in  this  picture  sweep  the  long  lines  of 
fortress  wall  now  seen,  now  lost,  among  great  groves  of  ancient  trees ;  in  front 
gutters  the  broad  expanse  of  the  RamdU  tank ;  and  the  Jharpat  and  the  Virai 
gird  either  side. 

The  objects  in  ChirLA&  which  a  visitor  should  inspect  are  the  city  walls  and 
gates,  the  Ram^M  tank,  with  its  system  of  water- works,  the  tombs  of  the  Gond 
kings,  the  citadel  (now  enclosing  the  jail)  with  its  large  well  and  underground 
passage,  the  latter  leading  no  one  knows  whither,  the  Achaleswar,  McSiikdli, 
and  Murlidhar  temples,  and  the  massive  monoliths  at  Ldlpeth.  The  publie 
buildings  consist  of  the  kotwdli,  the  ziU  school-house,  the  dispensary,  the  jail, 
the  travellers'  bungalow,  and  the  sardi.  In  front  of  the  kotwili  is  the  kotwili 
garden,  and  nearer  the  Jatpur^  gate  the  Victoria  market  (imder  construction), 
while  between  the  city  and  the  station  a  public  park,  called  by  the  natives  Nagfn^ 
B^h,  is  being  formed. 

The  civil  station,  or  head-quarters  of  the  district,  is  situated  north  of  the 
city,  having  the  military  cantonment  at  the  west  end,  with  the  civil  lines  in  the 
centre  and  east.  The  public  buildings  consist  of  the  district  court-house,  the 
head-quarter  police  station-house,  and  a  Christian  cemetery,  to  which  a  Pro- 
testant church  will  shortly  be  added,  and  the  usual  militaty  buildmgs  for  a 
regiment  of  Native  infantry.  There  are  also  an  imperial  post-oflEice  and  a 
district  post-office. 


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150  CHAN 

CHA'NDAliA' — A  small  zamfild&rf^  containiiig  seven  villages^  attached  to 
the  A  mbg^oD  pargana^  in  the  Ch&ndd  diBtrict.  It  is  of  recent  creation^  having 
been  granted  to  the  first  holder  by  Captain  Crawford^  about  a.d.  1820. 

CHANDANKHERA'— A  large  village  in  the  Chini&  district,  situated  on 
the  Viraf,  twenty-eight  miles  north-north-west  oi  Ch^d^.  It  was  founded  by 
a  branch  of  the  Balldl  Sb&hl  dynasty,  and  from  this  branch  descended  Bdm 
Shdh,  who  by  adoption  became  King  of  Ch&nd£  in  a.d.  1672.    Chandankheri 

Sossesses  two  forts,  now  in  ruins,  and  is  under  the  protection  of  the  Gond 
emi-god  named  ''  Daiyat,''  who  has  an  invincible  antipathy  to  women,  and  to 
mud,  stone,  and  brick  walls.  The  latter  dislike  is  unfortunate,  as  in  consequence 
the  best  houses  are  mere  structures  of  grass  and  bamboo. 

CHANDEAPUH  with  Padmapu'b — ^A  chiefsliip  which  was  formed  from 
two  khdlsa  parganas  of  the  Sambalprfr  district  in  A.i>.  1860,  under  the  following 
circumstances.  One  Rdi  Rdpsingh,  a  Rdjput,  who  had  held  the  position  of  Deputy 
Collector  in  this  district  for  some  eight  or  ten  years,  had  certain  estates  made 
over  to  him  in  1858,  the  owners  of  which  had  joined  the  Surendra  S&i  rebellion. 
When,  however,  the  amnesty  was  extended  to  the  district,  the  landholders  in 
question  represented  to  the  authorities  that  they  Could  not  take  advantage  of 
it  unless  their  lands  were  restored  to  them.  The  annual  profits  accruing  to  the 
landholders  were  roughly  estimated  at  Rs.  3,000,  and  as  the  revenue  payable 
to  Government  from  the  parganas  of  Chandraprfr  and  Padmapdr  at  that  time 
was  Rs.  7,548,  the  late  deputy  commissioner.  Major  Impey,  recommended  that, 
in  lieu  of  the  lands  above  specified,  these  parganas  should  be  made  over  to  Rdi 
Rdpsingh  at  a  fixed  demand  of  Rs.  4, 130  for  forty  years,  so  that  the  outlawed 
landholders  might  come  in  under  the  amnesty,  and  be  restored  to  their  posses- 
sions. The  proposal  was  sanctioned  by  the  Government,  and  the  parganas  have 
since  been  held  in  zamfnddrf  tenure.  Some  arrangement  will,  however,  have  to 
be  made  at  the  time  of  settlement  to  secure  the  rights  of  proprietors  of  long- 
standing. 

Padmapdr  is  situated  about  forty  miles  N.W.  of  the  town  of  Sambalpur, 
and  Chandrapur  is  some  twenty  miles  further  westward.  Both  are  on  the 
Mahdnadi,  but  a  portion  of  the  Rdfgarh  feudatory  state  intervenes  between 
the  two  parganas.  In  Padmapdr  there  are  fifty-seven  villages,  with  an  area 
of  about  twenty-five  square  miles,  nearly  the  whole  of  which  is  cultivated. 
The  population  numbers  14,959,  and  is  chiefly  agricultural.  In  Chandrapdr 
there  are  182  villages,  with  an  area  of  about  ninety  square  miles,  and  a  popu- 
lation, also  chiefly  agricultural,  of  36,157  souls.  At  both  places  tasar  silk  and 
cotton-cloths  are  manufactured.  Some  very  pure  limestone  rock  is  also  to  be 
found  near  Padmapdr  in  the  bed  of  the  Mahinadf.  It  is  the  most  fertile  tract  of 
the  whole  of  the  Sambalpdr  district.  Rice,  cotton,  the  pulses,  oil-seeds,  and 
sugarcane  are  the  chief  products,  and  in  parts  of  Chandrapdr  wheat  and  gram 
are  also  grown.  There  is  a  good  Anglo- Vernacular  school  at  Chandrapdr, 
where  some  eighty  pupils  are  receiving  mstruction.  At  Padmapdr  there  is  a 
good  Vernacular  school  with  ninety-two  pupils.  There  are  also  several  other 
schools  distributed  throu^out  the  viUages.  The  present  chief  is  Harihar  Singh, 
son  of  the  aforenamed  Kdi  Rdpsingh.  He  is  still  a  minor,  being  only  some 
fifteen  years  of  age,  and  is  a  student  at  the  Sambalpdr  zild  school.  He  has  had 
a  good  vernacular  education,  and  has  also  acquired  a  fair  knowledge  of  English. 
His  two  younger  brothers  are  also  pupils  at  the  same  school.  The  estate  is 
managed  by  his  maternal  uncle  Nakdl  Ssdii. 


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CHAN-  CHAU  151 

CH A'NDU'R — ^A  thriving  and  somewhat  picturesque  village  in  the  Ch&nd£ 
district^  fourteen  miles  west  of  Ghdnd&.  In  the  bed  of  a  small  stream,  about  a 
mile  south  of  the  village^  a  seam  of  coal  shale  strikes  the  surface. 

CHA'NWARPA'THA'— The  northern  revenue  subdivision  or  tahsfl  in  the 
Narsinghptir  district,  having  an  area  of  269  square  miles,  with  179  villages,  and 
a  population  of  44,348  according  to  the  census  of  1866.  The  land  revenue  of 
the  subdivision  for  the  year  1869-70  is  Rs.  57,379-14-0. 

CHA'NWARPATHA'— A  village  in  the  Narsinghpdr  district,  containing 
a  population  of  1,230  souls.  It  lies  twelve  miles  distant  from  Narsinghpdr,  on 
the  right  bank  of  the  Narbadd,  and  is  the  residence  of  the  tahsflddr  of  the 
subdivision  of  Chdnwarpdthd. 

CHARL A' — ^The  chief  village  of  the  estate  of  the  same  name  in  the  Upper 
6od4vari  district.  The  niib  or  deputy  of  the  zamlnd^r  resides  here,  and  is  the 
chief  local  authority.  There  is  a  police  outpost  and  a  small  travellers'  bungalow 
atTegdd^  three  miles  distant.  Here  are  also  the  remains  of  a  small  mud  "  garW 
OP  fort,  and  of  a  large  tank.  There  is  a  limestone  quarry,  worked  by  the  public 
works  department,  Upper  God^vari  works,  about  a  milo  and  a  half  to  the  east^ 
at  a  place  called  Bumdlankd.  Charl^  is  distant  about  twenty-one  miles  from 
Dumagudem,  ninety-nine  from  Sironchd,  and  three  from  the  river  Godivarf. 
The  estate  consists  of  thirty  villages.  The  chief  is  of  the  family  of  the  Sardes- 
mukhs  of  the  Aramgir  Sarkfo  of  the  Nizdm's  territories,  whose  ancestor,  Jagpati 
lUo,  obtained  the  estate  about  A.n.  1698. 

CHATIWA' — A  small  town  in  the  Hoshangdb^d  district  lying  west  of  Hardi, 
on  the  old  highroad  to  Bombay.  There  are  one  or  two  substantial  traders  here, 
and  a  police  station  and  good  weekly  market ;  but  the  place  lies  away  from  the 
railroad  and  the  main  routes  north  or  south.  It  is  best  known  as  giving 
a  name  to  a  very  extensive  tract  of  scrub  jungle. 

CHAURAT)A'DAR— A  hill  plateau  in  the  eastern  ghdts  of  the  Mandla 
district.  Its  height  is  between  3,200  and  3,400  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea, 
being  nearly  equal  to  that  of  its  celebrated  neighbour  and  rival,  Amarkantak,  on 
which  are  the  sources  of  the  Narbadd.  On  the  plateau  of  Chaurddidar  in  the 
winter  months  the  nights  are  intensely  cold,  while  in  December  and  January  the 
thermometer  often  registers  6°  or  7°  of  frost,  and  in  the  hottest  days  of  April  and 
May  the  heat  is  not  oppressive.  Water  is  abundant  near  the  surface,  and  but 
for  its  inaccessibility  Chaurddfidar  might  be  an  eligible  spot  for  a  sanitarium. 

CHAURA'GARH — A  ruined  fortress  in  the  Narsinghpiir  district,  situated 
on  the  crest  of  the  outer  range  of  the  Sdtpurd  tableland,  and  twenty  miles  south- 
west of  Narsinghpdr.  It  embraces  within  its  circle  of  defences  two  hills,  and 
the  plateau  enclosed  is  eight  hundred  feet  above  the  level  of  the  Narbadi  valley. 
There  are  three  approaches  to  it— one  from  the  little  village  of  Chaug&i  to  the 
east ;  another  by  a  road,  which  winds  at  the  foot  of  the  northern  face  of  the  fort, 
known  as  the  artillery  road,  and  joins  the  first  road  near  the  fort  gate ;  and  the 
third  from  the  south,  by  the  hills  on  a  level  with  the  fort.  The  northern, 
eastern,  and  western  faces  of  the  fort  are  scarped  for  several  hundred  feet. 
Water  is  to  be  found  all  the  year  round  inside,  for  numerous  tanks 
enclosed  by  stone  walls  have  been  constructed  to  catch  the  rainfall  and  receive 
the  drainage  of  the  two  hills  enclosed,  which  are  divided  by  a  dip  of  about  one 
hundred  yards.  A  place  is  shown  to  the  south  of  the  fort  called  "  BundeM  Kot,*' 
commemorating  a  traditionary  Bundeld  attack.  On  the  enclosed  hill  to  the  west 
are  ruins  of  the  palaces  of  the  old  Gond  r^jds,  and  in  many  places  the  colours 


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152 


CHATT-CHHAT 


painted  on  the  walla  are  still  very  fresh.  On  the  hill  to  the  east  are  remains  of 
buildings  erected  by  the  Nigpdr  government  for  infantry,  cavalry,  and  artillery. 
The  exterior  walls  of  the  fort  are  still  good  in  many  places,  but  all  the  interior 
buildings  are  in  ruins,  and  the  place  is  very  seldom  visited.  To  the  south  a 
small  hill  has  been  fortified  as  an  outwork. 

CHAURAI' — A  large  village  in  the  ChhindwSrfi  district,  situated  about 
twenty-four  miles  east  of  Chhindwdrfi.  A  police  force  is  stationed  hero.  The  soil 
is  black  for  miles  around,  and  great  quantities  of  wheat,  grain,  &c.  are  exported 
from  the  neighbourhood.  The  number  of  inhabitants  is  1,248,  most  of  whom 
are  cultivators. 

CHAURIA' — ^A  chiefship  in  the  Bfflfighfit  district,  consisting  of  some 
twenty-five  square  miles  of  country,  only  705  acres  of  which  are  cultivated. 
The  grant  appears  to  have  been  made  on  condition  of  guainiing  the  neigh- 
bouring passes.  The  chief  village,  Ldird,  is  thirty-eight  miles  east  by  south  of 
Bdrhfi. 

CHHAPAHA' — A  decayed  town  in  the  Seon(  district,  on  the  road  to 
Jabalpdr,  about  22  miles  to  the  north  of  Seoni.  The  past  history  of  Ghhap&di 
will  be  found  described  in  the  article  on  the  Seoni  district.  It  has  never 
recovered  the  sack  of  the  Pindhdris  under  Wazlr  Mohammad  Kh^  of  Bhopffl, 
and  the  removal  of  the  head-quarters  of  the  tahsfl  to  Lakhnddon.  There 
are  here  an  excellent  encamping-ground  under  a  grove  of  trees,  a  travellers' 
bungalow,  a  road  bun^low,  and  a  fair  school,  attended  by  about  sixty  pupils. 
The  bridge  over  the  Bdngangi  (Waingangd)  is  worth  looking  at,  and  the 
remains  of  the  old  Gond  fort  still  exist. 

CHHATER — ^A  chiefship  or  zamJnddrf  in  the  north  of  the  Chhindwfirfi 
district,  consisting  of  fourteen  villages.    The  zam(nddr  is  a  Gond. 

CHHATTI'SGARH— 

CONTENTS. 


,  Page 

General  aesoription 152 

Ohiefshipa 158 

Natural  diviaioiiB i6. 

Climate 154 

WildanimalB tb. 

Character  of  surface   155 

Population    tb. 


Page 

Agriculture 156 

BuperstitioDS  \b, 

Education    157 

Communications ib. 

Carriers    158 

Histoiy 159 

Marath&mle    160 


This  forms  the  south-eastern  division  or  commissionership  of  the  Central 
_        ,  ,      ...  Provinces,  and  comprises  the  districts   of  Rdiptir, 

General  de«jnption.  Bilfopdr,  and  Sambalpdr.     The  first  two— Mpdr 

and    Bildspdr — constitute  Chhattisgarh  Proper,  and  will  be    found  noticed 

separately. 

Chhattisgarh  lies  between  80°  30'  and  83°  15'  of  east  longitude,  and  16°  50' 
and  23°  10'  of  north  latitude.  On  the  north  it  is  bounded  by  Sohdgpdr  in  the 
Eewd  territory,  and  the  Sirgdja  and  Ud^pdr  states  subordinate  to  the  Choti 
N^gpdr  agency  of  the  Bengal  presidency  ;  on  the  east  by  Sambalpdr ;  on  the  south 
by  the  territory  of  the  R§i  of  Bc^tar,  a  feudatory  of  the  Central  Provinces ; 
on  the  west  by  the  Chdndi,  Bhanddra,  Bdlighdt,  Seoni,  and  Mandla  districts. 
On  the  north-west  comer  of  Chhattisgarh,  being  the  terminal  ridge  of  the 
Maikal  range,  which  is  the  continuation  of  the  Sdtpurd  range,  stands  Amar- 
kantak.    From  the  side  of  this  well  known  hill  rises  the  Narbad^>  flowing 


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CHHAT  153 

nearly  due  west  to  the  Bombay  coast,  and  the  Son,  a  tributary  of  the  Ganjfes. 
From  Amarkantak  the  hills  run  in  an  easterly  direction,  inclining  slightly 
northwards  in  a  semi-circular  form  till  a  point  is  reached  near  Korb^  east- 
ward of  the  Hasdd  river;  from  thence  they  run  due  south  till  they  reach 
the  valley  of  the  Mahdnadf  eastward  of  Seorfnardin ;  then,  reappearing  on 
the  opposite  side  of  the  Mahdnadi,  they  continue  close  to  the  eastern  branch 
of  that  river  till  they  connect  themselves  with  that  great  southern  range 
from  which  the  Mah^nadi  takes  its  rise,  and  which  bears  its  name.  Again,  from 
Amarkantak  running  south-west  are  the  hills  of  Chilpi  and  Rdj^dhar)  forming 
part  of  an  offshoot  of  the  Maikal  or  Sitpuri  range,  commonly  called  the 
Ldnjl  hills,  but  which  should  more  properly  bear  the  name  of  Sil^tekri,  their 
principal  point ;  while  below  these,  and  still  running  south-west,  are  several  irregu- 
lar ranges,  which  become  blended  in  the  Mahinadi  range.  These  several  moun- 
tain boundaries  form  a  vast  watershed  drained  by  the  *^  Great  River  "  and  its  tribu- 
taries ;  the  enclosed  area  consists  chiefly  of  plains  generally  open,  for  the  most 
part  culturable,  partly  cultivated,  partly  inhabited  by  a  considerable  population, 
in  places  very  rich,  and  on  the  whole  offering  an  enormous  field  for  improve- 
ment. The  plateau  is  called  Chhattisgarh,  which  means  ^^  thirty-six  garhs^'  or 
subdivisions  of  territory.  They,  with  the  rest  of  the  Ndgpdr  districts,  were 
annexed  to  the  British  dominions  in  1854.  During  Mar^tM  rule  the  Chhattfs- 
garh  country  did  not  improve,  in  some  respects  it  probably  deteriorated. 
During  the  twelve  years  that  have  elapsed  since  the  introduction  of  British  rule 
the  rate  of  progress  has  been  nothing  like  what  may  in  future  be  obtained. 
Cultivation  and  population  are  universally  believed  to  be  increasing ;  but  still 
at  this  moment  Chhafctfsgarh  is  probably  the  most  backward  of  all  the  plain  or 
champaign  districts  of  British  India*  The  whole  of  this  great  plateau  is  under 
British  rule,  but  parts  are  not  exactly  under  British  administration. 

At  the  base  of  the  various  hills,  which  have  been  described  as  forming  the 
Chief  hi  ^^^^  boundaries  of  Chhattisgarh,  there  run  tracts 

^'  which    constitute    what    are     called    zaminddri 

estates,  managed  by  their  own  chiefs  or  zamfndirs.  The  zamfndirs  are  of 
ancient  origin,  and  some  have  held  a  feudal  and  partly  independent  position  under 
our  predecessors  as  well  as  ourselves.  They  are  in  some  respects  subject  to 
the  British  civil  authorities,  but  in  several  important  particulars,  especially 
those  concerning  the  land  revenue  and  landed  tenures,  they  are  masters  in 
their  own  territories,  and  within  those  limits  they  receive  all  the  revenue  ordi- 
narily leviable  by  the  state,  paying  a  fixed  tribute  to  the  Government,  and 
maintaining  some  sort  of  police  and  establishments  at  their  own  expense. 
The  zamfnd^is  form  a  sort  of  girdle  round  the  plateau.  The  chief  of  them  in 
the  north  are  Pendri  and  Mdtln ;  on  the  east,  Korbfi  and  Kaurii ;  on  the  south, 
Einker  and  Lohdrd ;  and  on  the  west,  Ndndgdon,  Khairigarh,  Ghhui  Khadfin, 
Eaward^,  and  Pandari^.  The  last-named  are  strips  of  noble  country  between 
the  base  of  the  Sdl^tekri  hills  and  Seonith  river,  and  are  in  fact  the  very 
finest  portions  of  all  Chhattisgarh.  There  remains  the  centre  and  heart  of  the 
plateau — British  territory — administered  in  the  usual  way.  It  is  divided  into 
two  civil  districts,  viz.  Bil^spdr,  comprising  the  northern  portion  of  the  tract,  and 
R&ipdr,  comprising  the  southern. 

Natural  divisions  ^^  respect  of  productive  resources  the  plateau 

may  be  regarded  in  four  different  sections : — 

let. — ^The  valley  of  the  Seonfith,  and  the  tract  between  that  river  and  the 
SfiWtekri  hills. 
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154  CHHAT 

2nd. — ^The  tract  between  the  Seonith  and  the  Hasdd  rivers. 
3rd. — The  tract  between  the  Seondth  and  the  Mahdnadf. 
Uh. — The   tract   south  of  Rdlpdr,    extending  downwards    towards    the 
Mahdnadi. 

The  tract  between  the  Seondth  and  the  hills  has  a  rich  soil^  in  some  places 
red,  in  others  black,  and,  as  already  stated,  belongs  to  the  western  zaminddri 
estates.  It  is  the  principal  cotton  field  in  Ghhattisgarh,  and  the  cotton  grows 
on  the  red  soil  as  well  as  on  the  black.  The  culture  was,  up  to  a  recent  period, 
insignificant,  but  it  is  fast  increasing.  Besides  cotton  this  tract  produces 
sugarcane  (of  middling  quality  as  yet) ;  gram  and  wheat  of  excellent  quality ; 
and  linseed  and  other  oil-seeds  of  various  sorts.  The  principal  mart  in  it 
is  E^awardd.  The  tract  between  the  Seondth  and  the  Hasdd  has  a  darkish 
clayey  soil,  producing  abundant  harvests  of  rice,  wheat,  and  pulses.  It 
is  quite  open,  fairly  cultivated,  and  fairly  populated ;  almost  every  village  has 
its  tank,  and  every  tank  has  its  grove  of  trees ;  but  the  fields  are  bare  of  foliage. 
The  tract  between  the  Seondth  and  the  Mahanadf  has  chiefly  a  reddish  soil, 
yielding  fine  crops  of  rice,  wheat,  and  oil-seed,  and  some  sugarcane*  Here  also 
there  are  numerous  tanks  and  groves ;  otherwise  the  country  is  bare  of  foliage, 
and  there  is  but  little  jungle.  It  is  strange  that,  situated  in  the  midst  of  terri- 
tories where  the  forests  are  so  superabundant  and  overwhelming,  the  plateau 
«f  Chhattisgarh  itself  is  so  destitute  of  wood  and  shrubs  that  fuel  has  to  be 
obtained  from  long  distances.  The  tract  south  of  B&{pdr  is,  in  essential  charac- 
teristics, similar  to  that  last  named,  but  as  it  proceeds  southwards  the  country 
becomes  poorer,  and  scrub  jungle  begins  to  appear,  till  at  length  the  greater 
forests  and  the  hills  encroach  upon  the  plain. 

The  climate  is  on  the  whole  good.    There  is  sickness  at.  certain  seasons, 
^j.  owing  to  excessive  moisture;  and  in  most  villages 

the  people  injure  their  constitutions  by  drinking 
water  from  swampy  and  dirty  tanks.  Wells  for  the  supply  of  drinking-water  to 
the  inhabitants  aro  now  being  simk  in  almost  everv  vilk^.  Deadly  epidemics 
are  not  unfrequently  prevalent.  Owing  to  the  vicmity  of  hills  and  forests  all 
round  the  plateau,  the  rains  are  so  regular  and  copious  that  droughts  are  almost 
unknown,  and  artificial  irrigation  is  not  attempted.  So  good  and  moist  is  the 
soil  that  even  sugarcane  can  be  raised  without  regular  irrigation.  But  this 
plateau,  so  propitiously  endowed  by  nature,  is  but  an  oasis  surrounded  by  com- 
paratively desolate  regions.  Though  in  itself  rich,  it  is  on  all  its  four  sides  cut 
off  from  civilisation.  Its  trade,  though  absolutely  not  inconsiderable,  is  yet  out 
of  all  proportion  small  as  compared  vrith  the  population  and  the  produce  of  the 
country.  One  consequence  is  that  the  produce,  especially  that  of  the  cereals,  so 
exceeds  the  demand  for  consumption  on  the  spot,  that  some  years  back  the 
prices  of  grain  used  to  be  as  low  as  one-fourth  of  those  elsewhere,  and  the  com 
often  rotted  in  the  stacks  for  want  of  a  sale. 

Ghhattisgarh  offers  great  excitement  and  amusement  to  the  sportsman : 
WW     'mid  ^^  *^®  hot-weather  months  tigers  and  leopcurds 

*    ""     *'  are  found  in  the  vicinity  of  the  several  streams 

and  rivers  which  intersect  the  country ;  in  the  hills  bears  also  are  abundant. 
In  the  hills  to  the  north  the  elephant,  till  lately  sole  master  of  the  posi- 
tion, ranged  over  a  picturesque  tract  of  country,  and  so  serious  had  the 
devastations  of  these  animals  become,  that  in  1864  it  became  necessary  to 
establish  a  government  khedi  for  their  capture.     During  the  two  seasons  of 


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CHHAT  155 

1865-66  and  1866-67  there  were  117  elephants  caught.  To  the  east  of  the 
district  the  wild  buffalo  may  bo  pursued  over  plains  stretching  as  far  as  the  eye 
can  reach^  and  in  every  direction  the  antelope^  the  spotted  deer^  and  other 
yarietiee  of  game  may  be  met  with. 

The  area  of   the  plains  of  Chhattisgarh  is   computed  at  about  10,000 
nk     .^     ^    ,^  square  miles,    including  most  of  the  zaminddri 

Character  of  surface.  ^^^^^^  ^^^  excluding  tracts  of  hill  and  forest. 

It  is  supposed  that  about  half,  or  5,000  square  miles,  may  be  cultivated. 
Of  the  remainder  at  least  a  considerable  portion  is  culturable  and  fit  for  culti- 
vation. If  all  the  outlying  hill  and  forest  tracts  attached  to  the  Bdfpdr  and 
BiMspdr  districts  be  included,  then  the  total  area  of  hill,  forests,  and  plain  may 
amount  to  20,000  square  miles.  Some  parts  of  the  Seondth  valley  near  Drdg 
are  splendidly  cultivated,  with  scarcely  an  acre  of  waste  to  spare.*  But  in  aU 
other  parts  of  the  plateau  there  is  great  room  for  increased  cultivation  within 
the  area  of  every  village.  In  the  plains  the  culturable  waste  is  generally 
interspersed  with  cultivation.  There  are  no  large  prairies,  no  uninterrupted 
expanses  of  rich  land  awaiting  only  the  plough  and  the  tiller ;  but  there  are 
numerous  pieces  and  patches  of  culturable  waste  scattered  among  the  villages 
and  fields.  There  is  therefore  not  much  scope  for  European  settlement,  nor 
for  sale  of  waste  lands,  in  the  plains  of  Chhattisgarh.  The  greatest  proportion 
of  waste  will  probably  be  found  in  the  tract  known  by  the  name  of  Laun,  south 
of  the  Seonfith  and  the  Mahdnadf ;  in  Khaldri  and  Sehi wd,  on  the  left  bank  of  the 
Mah4nad{ ;  in  Sanjfri  and  Bdlod,  south  of  Rdfpdr ;  in  the  tract  south-west  of 
Batanp6r,  known  as  Lormi  and  Bijdpdr ;  also  in  the  tracts  of  Kdnker  near 
Dhamtarf. 

The  population  of  Chhattisgarh,  according  to  the  census  of  1866,  is  2,103,1 65. 
Pod  lati  races  which  inhabit  this  part  of  the  country 

^  *  are  the  same  in  caste  and  religious  prejudices  as 

those  found  in  other  parts  of  India.  Their  clothing  and  diet  still  mdicate  a 
primitive  simplicity.  A  narrow  cloth  about  the  loins  is  almost  universally  the 
only  covering  in  use.  They  wander  in  the  sun,  and  toil  in  their  fields  with  the 
head  perfectly  unprotected,  and  exhibit  in  this  respect  a  marvellous  capacity 
for  exposure.  Their  diet  is  almost  entirely  rice,  eaten  once  at  night  and 
again  cold  as  gruel  in  the  morning.  It  is  then  called  '^  h&si/'  and  without  this 
morning  gruel  no  man  will  enter  on  the  business  of  the  day.  These  habits  are 
not  found  among  the  poor  only,  they  are  peculiar  to  all  classes,  and  it  is  only 
of  late  years  that  village  headmen  and  others  on  coming  before  official  snpe- 
nors  assume  more  clothing.  Taking  the  community  as  a  whole,  it  will  be 
found  that  the  Chamir  caste  maintain  here  a  numerical  preponderance.  They 
are  not,  however,  leather-workers,  like  so  many  of  their  brethren  in  other  parts 
of  India ;  on  the  contrary  they  are  eager  and  industrious  agriculturists,  and 
nearly  a  fourth  of  the  cultivation  of  the  district  must  be  in  their  hands.  Having 
changed  their  traditional  occupation,  it  has  so  happened  that  they  have  also 
changed  their  traditional  faith.  About  fifty  years  ago  a  large  portion  of  their 
body  passed  through  a  religious  reformation,  throwingover  Brdhmanical  teach- 
ings^ ftnd  evolved  a  new  faith,  which  may  be  styled  a  Hinduised  form  of  deism. 
Tms  strange  movement  had  its  origin  at  Girod,  a  small  hamlet  in  the  Bildspdr 
diatrict,  on  the  south  bank  of  the  Mahdnadf  and  on  the  borders  of  the  Son^khdn 
estate.* 

*  Vide  article  on  Bilaspur. 


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156  CHEAT 

This  class  of  deistical  Chamirs  now  numbers  at  least  200,000.  They  are  a 
thriving  and  industrious  race,  occupying  a  very  important  position  as  cultivators 
and  village  headmen  in  the  Bildspdr  district.  They  are  regarded  naturally 
with  hatred  and  contempt  by  the  Brdhmans  and  other  castes  of  Hindus,  whicdi 
their  ever-reiterated  assertion  of  equality  only  tends  to  aggravate.  The  idea 
that  such  social  refiise  as  Chamdrs  should,  by  any  change  of  religious  beUef, 
acquire  a  higher  social  standing  is  galling  and  painful  to  the  Br&bman  mind. 
On  the  other  hand  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  this  change  in  their  faith  has 
practically  changed  their  character,  by  creating  an  independence  of  spirit  to 
which  they  were  formerly  strangers.  In  many  respects  the  feeline  of 
antagonism  which  exists  between  them  and  the  higher  castes  of  Hindds  is  to 
be  regretted.  It  has,  however,  engendered  among  Satn&mfs  a  wish  to  learn, 
in  order  to  remove  one  formidable  barrier  which  degraded  them  in  the  eyes  of 
the  enlightened  class,  hitherto  the  repositories  of  e^L  knowledge.  This  desire 
is  a  good  omen  as  regards  future  progress  and  improvement  among  the 
community,  and  indicates  the  field  as  a  &vourable  one  for  Christian  Missionary 
enterprise. 

In  addition  to  Chamdrs  there  is  a  large  sprinkling  of  Br&hmans,  R&jputs, 
Kurmis,  and  B^uts.  These,  however,  have  no  distinctive  peculiarity.  The 
Mohammadan  element  exists  to  a  very  limited  extent,  and  in  a  very  modified 
form.  The  Mohammadans  are  poor  and  uninfluential)  and  borrow  largely  the 
customs  of  Hindds — celebrating  Hindd  festivals,  and  respecting  Hindd  traditions. . 
Turning,  however,  from  the  plain  to  the  hilly  tracts  of  the  district  we  find  a 
complete  change  in  the  nature  of  the  community.  In  the  latter,  Gonds,  Bhd- 
mi&s,  and  Baigis  are  the  sole  inhabitants.  The  Gonds  are  partially  civilised, 
and  carry  on  to  some  extent  a  rude  system  of  cultivation.  The  Bhdmids,  on  the 
other  hand,  seem  thoroughly  uninfluenced  by  the  progress  of  events  at  their 
very  thresholds.  Their  home  is  the  wilderness;  they  mix  little  with  other 
classes ;  they  rarely  approach  the  open  plain ;  they  migrate  into  more  remote 
forests  if  their  hamlets  are  resorted  to ;  they  hunt  much,  being  adepts  with 
the  bow  and  arrow ;  they  cultivate  little ;  they  relish  largely  the  spontaneous 
products  of  the  woods ;  and  they  live  more  as  isolated  fammes  than  as  commu- 
nities. Thus  then,  though  the  people  generally  are  in  a  backward  state,  we 
have  in  striking  contrast  to  the  bulk  of  them  still  ruder  and  more  barbarous 
races,  who  fly  from  the  approach  of  the  white  man. 

Agricultural  arrangements  are  of  the  most  primitive  character ;  thus  it  is  cus- 
.    .    ,  tomary  for  the  landlord  of  a  village  to  change  the 

^^^  ^  '  fields  of  his  tenants  every  third  or  fourth  year  in 

order  that  every  man  may  have  his  turn  of  the  best  piece.  If  this  were  refused, 
the  tenant  would  migrate  to  another  village,  so  little  regard  have  the  tenantry 
for  the  occupancy  of  particular  fields,  and  so  great  is  the  demand  for  their  labour 
on  the  superabundant  land. 

A  belief  in  witchcraft  and  in  evil-spirits  is  universal,  leading  not  nnfr«- 
g        ^^  quently  to  the  commission  of  the  most  atrocious 

"^  crimes.    When  unusual  numbers  of  deaths  have 

occurred  in  any  village  or  in  any  particular  family,  they  are  attributed  to  witch- 
craft, and  the  following  method  is  adopted  for  discovering  the  witch  or  wizard. 
A  pole  of  a  particular  wood  is  erected  on  the  banks  of  a  stream,  and  each  sus- 
pected person  after  bathing  is  required  to  touch  the  pole,  and  it  is  supposed 
that  when  this  is  done  the  hand  of  the  person  in  whom  dwells  the.  evil-spirit 


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CHEAT  157 

swells.  No  rales  are  laid  down  for  attaching  saspicion  to  any  pcurticolar  person^ 
for  persons  of  all  ages  and  both  sexes  (though  women  are  generally  the  victims) 
are  selected^  and  aocased  upon  the  most  whimsical  and  arbitrary  gronnds ;  while 
the  treatment  which  they  receive  varies  according  to  the  amount  of  inveotive 
genius  for  torture  possessed  by  the  inhabitants  of  the  village.  Shaving  the  head 
with  a  blunt  knife,  knocking  out  two  front  teeth,  firing  the  buttocks,  tying  the* 
legs  to  a  plough-share,  seating  in  the  sun  and  administering  a  potion  of  the 
water  of  a  tannery,  are  the  usual  orthodox  methods  of  exorcising  the  evil-spirit ; 
and  scourging  with  rods  of  tamarind  tree  or  castor-oil  plant  is  never  neglected^ 
as  these  are  supposed  to  possess  some  peculiar  virtue  for  the  detection  of  witches. 

Education  up  to  1862  was  almost  unknown.    When  an  educational  system 
Edu»Aiimi  ^^    commenced  there  was  nowhere    found    in 

HdwMwu.  Chhattfsgarh,  save  in  the  town  of  Rdfpdr  itself,  one 

institution  that  could  be  called  a  school^  or  a  single  person  who  could  be  called 
a  schoolmaster.  There  are  now^  however,  in  Chhattfsgarh  government  schools 
for  boys,  schoob  for  girls,  and  indigenous  schools  affording  education  to 
children.  The  language  of  the  people  of  the  plains  is  a  corrupt  dialect  of 
Hindi,  commonly  c^ed  phhattfsgarhi.  The  Gonds  and  some  of  the  other  hill 
tribes  have  languages  peculiar  to  themselves. 

The  existing  traffic  connected  with   Chhattisgarh   follows  several  land 

^  .    ^.  routes.  The  principal  of  these  is  that  now  known 

Communications.  .,  x  ^    v   ^       i.-  i.  n  -kr^      /  j. 

as  the  eastern  line,  wmch  runs  from  Nagpur  to 

the  Mahdnadf.    By  this  line  the  cotton  and  surplus  grain  of  Chhattfsgarh  is 

conveyed  on  carts  to  Nigpdr.    After  leaving  the  Chhattisgarh  limits  it  passes 

through  the  jungle  country  in  a  westerly  direction  till  it  reaches  the  Waingangfi, 

-and  crossing  that  river  at  Bhand^ra  proceeds  due  west  to  N&gpdr.    During  the 

winter  months  this  road  is  literally  blocked  and  choked  up  with  endless  strings 

of  carts  laden  with  cotton  and  all  sorts  of  cereal  produce.     From  Chhattisgarh 

the  line  proceeds  eastward  till  it  touches  the  Mah^nadi  at  Sambalpdr,  having  a 

branch  to  Binkd,  also  on  that  river.     For  the  greater  portion  of  this  line — ^firom 

Nigpdr  to  the  Mahdnadi — surveys,  plans,  and  estimates  have  been  prepared  by 

the  public  works  department,  and  several  sections  of  it  are  under  construction. 

There  are  also  two  other  roads — one  north  and  the  other  south — running  parallel 

to  the  main  line,  by  which  the  produce  of  the  valley  of  the  Seondth  is  conveyed 

to  Ndgpdr.    One  of  these  passes  from  the  north-west  comer  of  the  valley  through 

Ehaii^garh,  and  skirting  the  apex  of  the   Sdl^tekri  plateau  proceeds  a  little 

south  of  A^mgdon  and  Tirord,  in  the  Bhanddra  district,  and  passing  the  Wain- 

gangd  near  Mohdri  proceeds  direct  to  Kdmthf.     This  route  is  traversable  by 

carts  after  the  rice  is  off  the  ground,  and  is  much  used.     The  other  passes  from 

the  south  of  the  valley  of  the  Seondth  through  the  hilly  country  of  Chichgarh, 

and  crossing  the  Waingangd  below  Bhanddra,  proceeds  direct  to  Ndgpdr. 

The  latter  route  is  difficult,  and  only  available  for  pack-bullocks ;  but  bo&  are 

much  used.    At  present  the  Great  Eastern  line,  with  its  northern  auxiliary  route, 

is  the  only  one  on  which  the  principal  carriage  consists  of  carts. 

For  the  other  lines  now  to  be  mentioned  the  carriage  consists  chiefly  of 
pack-bullocks.  Of  these  lines  the  first  to  be  noted  is  that  from  Rdipdr  to 
Jabalpdr  by  the  Chilpi  pass,  which  leads  from  the  north-west  comer  of  the 
Chhattisgarh  plateau  across  the  mountains  to  Mandla,  on  the  Narbadd,  and 
thence  to  Jabalpdr.  This  has  heretofore  been  an  unimportant  line ;  it  is  now  in 
parts  under  survey  and  in  parts  under  construction,  and  it  has  recently  been 
made  passable  for  carts  in  fair  weather.    Again^  from  the  upper  extremity  of 


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CHHAT 


Chhattisgarli,  near  Batanpdr^  there  run  northwards  two  hilly  routes,  one  of 
which,  winding  round  the  Ainarkantak  mountains,  falls  into  the  valley  of  the 
Son  near  Sohdgpiir,  and  thence  proceeding  onwards  joins  the  Great  Deccan 
road  near  Bewd  en  route  to  Mirz&ptir ;  while  the  other,  passing  the  mountains 
which  overlook  the  plains  of  Chhattfsgarh,  and  the  undulating  and  upland 
country  of  Sirgdja,  crosses  the  Son  near  Mirz^pdr,  and  so  reaches  that  great 
mart.  These  last  nampd  routes  are  used  solely  by  pack-bullocks.  Another 
route  follows  the  banks  of  the  Mahdnadi  downwards  from  Seorfnardin,  and 
passing  by  the  towns  of  Chandrapdr,  Padmapdr,  Sambalpdr,  B'mki,  Sonpdr, 
Bod,  and  Kantilu,  so  reaches  Guttack.  This  road  has  been  more  or  less  roughly 
made  throughout,  and  in  the  section  below  Bod  it  has  been  greatly  improved 
under  orders  of  the  Bengal  government.  Portions  of  it  are  traversed  by  carts 
at  certain  seasons.  There  is  a  direct  road  from  Seorfnar&in  to  Binkd  and  Sonpdr, 
on  which  at  certain  times  of  the  year  there  is  some  traffic ;  it  passes  through  the 
Grarhjdt  state  of  Sdraagarh,  and  is  greatly  frequented  by  pilgrims  from  the 
North- Western  Provinces  going  to  Jaganndth.  There  is  also  a  direct  road  from 
Sambalpdr  to  Cuttack  viA  Angdl.  This  was  partly  made  for  purposes  of  postal 
communication ;  and  it  has  not  any  traffic  worthy  of  mention.  A^in,  there  is 
a  route  from  mfpdr  across  the  countries  of  Kharidr,  Pdtnd,  and  Kdldhand(  to 
Granj&m  on  the  eastern  coast ;  and  it  is  by  this  that  the  supplies  of  salt  for 
all  Chhattisgarh  are  brought.  It  is  one  of  the  wildest  and  most  unhealthy 
routes  in  all  India,  though  it  is  at  present  a  most  important  one.  Lastly,  there 
is  the  route  from  Dhamtari,  south  of  IWfpdr,  which  crosses  the  wilderness  of 
Bastar,  a  most  inhospitable  country,  and  joins  the  Godivari  at  Sironchd.  The 
improvement  of  this  latter  route  is  in  contemplation. 

These  routes,  even  the  most  wild  and  unhealthy,  are  traversed  by  troops  of 
'^    .  pack-bullocks,  often  several  hundreds  in  number, 

and  sometimes  numbering  even  thousands.  They 
belong  to  a  peculiar  class  named  Banjdrds,  who  are  both  traders  and  carriers. 
These  men  are  of  a  daring  and  adventurous  character,  and  are  habituated 
to  the  most  insalubrious  climates.  In  order  to  exhibit  at  one  glance  the 
extent  to  which  land  carriage,  generally  over  rugged  country,  is  made  use  of  in 
this  part  of  India  at  considerable  expense,  at  some  risk  of  human  life  and 
health,  and  with  great  wear  and  tear  of  cattle  and  carriage,  it  maybe  worthwhile 
to  state  the  distances  of  the  various  routes  above  mentioned  : — 


From 


>y 

yy 
>} 

99 
19 
99 
99 
99 
99 
99 
99 
99 


Rdfpdr  vid  A'rang  and  Sonpdr  to  Cuttack 

Rifpdr  to  Ndgpdr  

E  df pdr  to  Sambalpdr  direct       

Edfpdr  to  Sonpdr  

Bdfpdr  vid  Mandla  to  Jabalpdr  

Elhairdgarh  to  Ndgpdr 

Seondth  river  vid  Chichgarh  to  Ndgpdr 

Ratanpdr  vid  Sohdgpdr  to  Mirzdpdr     

Batanpdr  vid  Sirgdja  to  Mirzdpdr        

Seorfnardin  vid  Sambalpdr  and  Sonpdr  to  Cuttack 

Sambalpdr  vid  Angdl  to  Cuttack         

Rdfpdr  to  Ganjdm  

Rdlpdr  to  Sironchd 


Miles. 

339 
183 
163 
180 
218 
130 
125 
305 
299 
313 
155 
339 
230 


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On  the  early  history  of  this  part  of  the  country  even  tradition  throws 
„.  no    light.     It   seems    probable,   however,    that 

^'  the  aborigines  were  Gonds,  and  that  the  country 

passed  from  them  to  the  Edjput  Haihai  Bansi  dynasty  which  ruled  at 
Batanpdr.  For  many  years  there  seems  to  have  been  a  perpetual  struggle 
between  the  Hindrfs,  who  under  their  Bdjput  chiefs  had  migrated  here,  and 
the  wilder  inhabitants  of  the  country.  As  a  result  we  find  that  the  primary 
characteristic  of  the  first  positions  taken  up  by  the  Hindds  is  one  of  security. 
They  built  fortresses  on  high  plateaus,  from  whence  they  could  descend  for  a  raid 
on  the  plains,  and,  returning  with  their  spoil,  lodge  it  in  safety  with  their  women. 
The  increasing  strength  of  the  Hindds  and  their  greater  resources,  as  representing 
a  higher  civilisation,  in  time  ensured  their  triumph  over  the  wilder  and  weaker 
race,  and  this  led  to  the  establishment  of  a  capital  which  was  fixed  at  Batanpdr. 
This  event  occurred  under  a  rdjd  named  Prithvl  Deva,  in  the  latter  half  of  the  ninth 
century.  From  that  period  the  gradual  clearance  and  cultivation  of  this  part  of  the 
country  commenced.  Tracts  were  given  to  warriors  to  whose  valour  the  chief 
owed  his  position,  to  favourites  of  various  kinds^  and  to  aboriginal  Oonds  of 
position  and  influence  whose  good-will  it  was  important  to  secure.  In  this  way 
the  Haihai  Bansi  dynasty  of  Chhattisgarh  became  consolidated,  and  hamlets 
and  towns  began  to  spring  up  where  hitherto  there  had  been  nothing  but  the 
solemn  silence  of  the  forest. 

In  common  with  other  Hindd  dynasties  the  origin  of  the  Haihai  Bansf  rdj^s 
is  carried  back  to  the  most  remote  antiquity,  i.e.  through  the  seventeen  hundred 
thousand  years  which  comprised  the  Satyayuga  epoch,  to  the  origin  of  mankind 
by  the  ci-eative  act  of  the  great  Brahma.  After  the  lapse  of  the  Satyayuga  period, 
and  before  the  commencement  of  the  Samvat  era,  3,044  years  of  the  old 
Hindd  calendar,  or  "  Yudhishthir^'  era  elapsed.  During  this  period,  as  shown 
in  the  Haihaya  genealogical  table,  only  eight  rulers  are  supposed  to  have 
reigned,  which  would  give  to  each  rdjd  on  an  average  a  reign  of  over  three 
hundred  years.  In  facfc  some  of  them  are  recorded  as  having  ruled  for  nearly 
five  hundred  years.  Such  marvellous  longevity  accorded  to  those  who  lived 
in  the  remote  past  is  not  peculiar  to  the  chronicles  of  the  Haihaya  dynasty,  and 
is  attributable  to  that  great  respect  for  the  past  which  characterises  all  nations 
in  certain  stages  of  civilisation,  and  makes  them  concede  to  the  ancients  virtues 
and  powers  miich  the  pigmies  of  the  present  cannot  achieve. 

Tradition  asserts  that  at  the  end  of  the  Satyayuga  period  a  monarch  named 
Sadhyum  presided  over  the  destinies  of  the  East.  Of  his  descendants  one  son, 
Nfla  Dhvaja,  got  the  throne  of  Mahismati  (Mandla  or  Maheswar) ;  a  second, 
Hansa  Dhvaja,  became  monarch  of  Ghandrapdr,  supposed  to  be  Chdndd;  and 
the  third  received  the  kingdom  of  Ratanpdr,  then  called  Manipdr,  by  which 
name  it  is  known  in  some  of  the  Purdns.  The  two  former  kingdoms  of  Mandla 
and  Ghandrapdr,  after  the  lapse  of  some  generations,  were  overthrown  by  the 
Gonds,  and  the  Manipdr  or  Ratanpdr  kingdom  alone  survived  till  the  advent 
of  the  Mardthds.  The  first  rdjd  of  whom  anything  of  a  veritable  character  is 
recorded  is  E^amapdl,  the  tenth  of  the  line,  who  reigned  from  Samvat  172  to 
251  (a.d.  115  to  194).  He  made  a  city  at  Amarkantak,*  and  raised  temples 
there.  He  consecrated  the  spot  as  the  source  of  the  Narbadd,  and  from  that 
time  it  has  been  considered  a  holy  and  worthy  object  of  pilgrimage  among 
Hindds.    Between   Samvat  367  and  427  (a.d.  310  to  370)   a  successor   of 

♦  This  is  also  attributed  to  Chandra  Dhvaja,  the  fifth  of  the  line. 


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160  CHHAT 

Kamap&l^  called  Mohanpdl,  built  a  city  called  Dhanpdr  on  a  high  flat  hill 
between  Fendrd  and  Ajnarkantak.  There  was  a  formidable  fort  erected  here 
called  Ajmirgarhy  and  the  place  was  for  many  years  a  great  stronghold^  and  thickly 
peopled.  Although  centuries  have  passed  since  its  greatness  vanished^  there 
can  still  be  seen  on  this  plateau^  amidst  the  towering  b&I  trees^  remains  of  walls^ 
tanks,  and  enclosures,  which  evidence  the  promment  position  it  formerly 
occupied.  In  the  eighth  century,  on  the  death  of  Mohan  (or  Moha)  Deva,  his  two 
sons  Sur  Deva  and  Brahma  Deva  divided  the  kingdom,  the  elder  branch  remaining 
at  Batanpdr,  and  the  younger  proceeding  to  Ildipdr.  The  latter,  however,  was 
to  a  certain  extent  subordinate  to  the  former.  The  Batanpdr  riji  ruled  over 
Bildspdr,  Sirgdja,  and  Sambalpdr ;  the  Rdipdr  ruler  held  the  present  district  of 
B4fpdr,  with  Bastar  and  Kdrond.  These  seem  to  have  been  the  limits  of  the 
Haihai  Bans{  rdjds  for  many  years,  in  fact  until  the  arrival  of  the  Mar&th&s. 

The  change  of  capital  to  Ratanpdr  above  adverted  to  is  the  next  event  of 
any  importance.  Batanpdr  was  built  and  made  the  capital  by  Prithvf  Deva. 
The  old  capital  Manipdr  was  situated  on  the  top  of  the  Liphi  hill,  about  fifteen 
miles  north  of  Ratanpdr.  There  is  a  large  expanse  of  tableland  on  the  top  of 
this  hill,  which  stands  at  an  elevation  of  about  3,400  feet  above  the  sea.  The 
remains  of  a  fort,  tanks,  temples,  and  buildings  are  still  apparent,  and  the  posi- 
tion possessed  the  advantages  of  prominence  and  security.  From  Samvat  895 
to  1620,  beyond  the  record  of  some  temples  erected  and  towns  established,  of 
which  now  no  traces  remain,  the  Br&hmanical  narrative  is  occupied  with  the 
imaginary  virtues  of  diflFerent  rulers.  In  Samvat  1620  (a.d.  1563),  however,  the 
influence  of  the  Mohammadan  emperors  of  Delhi  was  felt  even  here ;  and  Rdjd 
Kaly^  Singh  proceeded  to  Delhi  with  the  view  of  being  acknowledged  as  ruler 
of  the  Batanpdr  territory.  He  was  acknowledged,  and  he  and  his  successors 
continued  to  pay  tribute  to  the  royal  house  of  Delhi. 

The  Haihai  Bansf  dynasty   continued    in  undisturbed   possession  of  the 
M   kihi  ml  Ratanpdr  rij  till  a.d.  1741-42,  when  the  Mardthi 

authority  was  partly  established  in  Ghhattfsgarh 
during  the  expedition  of  Bhdskar  Pant  to  Bengal.  In  1745  Rdjd  Raghoji 
Bhonsld  sent  an  expedition  into  Chhattisgarh  under  Viswandhar  Pant,  who 
conquered  and  deposed  the  last  of  the  Rdjput  kings  named  Raghun&lh  Singh,  but 
afterwards  entered  into  a  treaty  with  him  by  which  the  afiairs  of  the  country 
were  to  be  conducted  conjoint'y  by  Raghundth  Singh  and  himself.  Shortly 
afterwards  Vishwandhar  Pant,  having  occasion  to  proceed  to  Calcutta,  nominated 
one  Kalydn  Gir  Gosdin  ii  act  for  him  in  his  absence,  but  he  died  on  the  road, 
and  his  locum  tenens  (Kalydn  Gfr  Gosain )  was  thrown  into  prison  by  Raghundth 
Singh,  the  old  rdjd.  These  proceedings  having  come  to  the  knowledge  of  Kaghojf, 
while  on  his  way  to  Calcutta  in  1 745,  he  finally  deposed  Raghundth  Singly, 
allowing  him  a  small  jdgfr  for  maintenance. 

The  Mardthd  rule  of  Chhattisgarh  may  be  considered  to  commence  from 
1745,  the  year  in  which  Raghundth  Singh  was  deposed.  His  place  was  taken 
by  Mohan  Singh,  an  illegitimate  son  of  Rdjd  Raghoj(,  who  administered  the 
affairs  of  the  district  for  eight  years,  and  died  m  a.d.  1753.  In  this  year 
Raghojf  also  died  after  reigning  seventeen  years,  leaving  four  sons :  Jdnoji,  Sdbdji, 
Mudhoji,  and  Bimbdjf;  and  during  a  difference  regarding  the  succession  between 
Jdnoji  and  Mudhdi  (sons  of  Raghoji  by  different  wives)  one  Rdnoji,  the  brother- 
in-law  of  Mohan  Singh,  assumed  charge  of  Chhattisgarh,  which  he  held  for  a 
year.     In  a.  d.  1765  Jdnoji  sent  his  youngest  brother  Bimbdji  to  Chhattisgarh, 


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CHHAT  161 

which  he  allotted  to  him  as  an  appanage ;  and  the  Mardthd  rale  was  now 
extended  over  the  whole  of  Chhattfsgarh,  Sambalpdr,  and  the  neighbouring  zam- 
fndirfs.  Bimb&ji  held  the  district  for  not  bss  than  thirty-two  years,  when  he  died 
in  the  year  a.d.  1787,  leaving  a  widow,  Rdni  A  nandi  Bd(,  who  managed  it  for  a 
year.  She  was  then  relieved  by  one  Yashwant  Rdo  Bhawdni,  appointed  sdba 
from  Ndgpdr.  Since  that  time  the  district  has  been  under  subas,  with  the 
exception  of  the  interval  during  which  the  province  of  Ndgpdr  was  under  the 
superintendence  of  the  British  Government — from  1818  to  1829 — until  its 
annexation  in  1854.  In  a.d.  1803  Raghoji  having  united  with  Sindid  to  oppose 
the  objects  of  the  treaty  of  Bassein,  two  victories,  obtained  over  the  united 
armies  of  these  chiefs  at  Assaye  and  A  rgdon,  led  to  the  treaty  of  DeogSon  with 
Raghojf,  by  the  provisions  of  which  he  was  deprived  of  a  great  part  of  his  terri- 
tories, and  among  others  of  Sirgdja,  Sambalpdr,  Pdtnd,  Kharidr,  and  Nawdgarh- 
Bhendrf,  attached  to  Chhattfsgarh,  and  bordering  on  its  present  northern  and 
western  limits.  Although  these  districts  were  in  a.d.  1806  restored  and 
re-annexed  to  the  Ndgpdr  state,  they  were  resumed  during  the  arrangements 
consequent  on  the  defection  of  A  pd  Sdhib  in  1818,  and  transferred  to  Chotd 
Ndgpdr. 

The  Rdlpdr  branch  of  the  family  shared  the  same  fate.  Amar  Singh,  the 
rSja,  however,  carried  on  the  government  subordinate  to  the  Mardthds  till  1812 
Samvat  (a.d.  1755),  when  Bimbdji  Bhonsld  assumed  the  government  himself,  and 
allowed  Amar  Singh  a  grant  of  one  rupee  from  each  village.  This  allowance, 
as  also  a  rent-free  village,  was  continued  to  Amar  Singh^s  son  Mudj  Singh 
in  Samvat  1879  (a.d.  1822).  Mr.  Jenkins  granted  to  the  successor  of  Mudj 
Singh,  Baghundth  Singh,  five  rent-free  villages  in  lieu  of  the  allowance  of 
the  one  rupee  from  each  village  enjoyed  by  his  father.  Raghundth  Singh  still 
survives,  and  is  now  the  representative  of  the  Haihai  Bansi  line — a  quiet, 
simple-minded  Rdjput,  showing  no  indications  of  a  distinguished  ancestry. 

The  recognised  extent  of  the  Ratanpdr  kingdom  included  the  present  dis- 
tricts of  Bdfpdr,  Sambalpdr,  and  Bildspdr,  with  Sirgdja.  The  Batanpdr  Brdhmans 
certainly  believe  that  many  centuries  back  Bengal,  Cutteick,  and  the  Carnatic 
were  also  subject  to  the  sway  of  the  Ratanpdr  rdjds,  but  there  is  no  evidence 
to  support  their  traditions,  and  their  accounts  of  so  extensive  an  empire  are 
very  visionary.  The  districts  above  mentioned,  in  all  probability,  alone  formed 
the  territory  of  the  Haihai  Bansi  sovereigns.  These  rulers  do  not  seem  to 
have  been  a  powerftd  race,  possessed  of  standing  armies,  and  capable  of 
carrying  on  extensive  warlike  operations.  The  long  existence  of  the  dynasty 
must  be  attributed  to  the  geographical  features  of  the  country,  and  partially 
perhaps  to  its  poverty.  The  territory  was  surrounded  on  all  sides  by  ranges  of 
mils,  and  oflFered  formidable  obstacles  to  an  invading  force,  either  from  the  north 
or  the  south.  When  at  last  the  Mardthds  invaded  Chhattisgarh  on  their  way  to 
Bengal,  the  Haihai  Bansfs  fell  almost  without  a  struggle.  The  only  existing 
remains  of  the  former  dynasty  now  existing  consist  of  temples  scattered  over 
the  country,  and  the  ruins  of  former  forts  and  buildings.  None  of  these 
seem  to  have  possessed  any  architectural  beauty,  nor  do  they  exhibit  any  traces 
of  refined  taste.  They  show  that  the  people  had  arrived  at  a  certain  rude 
state  of  civilisation,  but  there  are  no  signs  of  any  progressive  tendency.  In 
fact  it  is  not  improbable  that  we  found  the  people  at  the  commencement  of  our 
role  very  little  changed  in  their  social  feelings,  habits  of  thought,  and  general 
acquirements  from  the  condition  of  their  ancestors  six  centuries  before. 

21CPG 


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162 


CHHIN 


CHHINDWA'RA  — 


CONTENTS. 


Page 

General  desoription     162 

Geological  formsition   ib. 

Coal    168 

Forests  185 

CUmate  166 

Popnlation tb. 

Historj ib. 


Pago 

Administration    187 

ReTenne  168 

Education    %b. 

Agriculture,  cattle,  and  wild  animals.  ib. 

Roads  169 

Towns  and  trade    ib. 


A  district  with  an  area  of  3,852  square  miles^  lying  between  21°  25'  and 

General  description  ^^°  ^^'  ^^^^  latitude,  and  78®  and  79*"  30'  east 

escnpnon.  longitude.     It  has  two  distinct  natural  subdivi- 

sions— the  hill  country  above  the  slopes  of  the  Sdtpurd  mountains,  cjJled  the 
B&l&ghit;  and  a  tract  of  lowland  beneath  them  to  the  south,  and  called  the 
Zer^iit.  The  BSL&gh&t  may  be  roughly  described  as  that  section  of  the  Sdtpurd 
range  which  lies  between  the  districts  of  Seoni  to  the  east  and  fietdl  on  the 
west.  Northwards  the  district  does  not  extend  beyond  the  outer  line  of  the 
hills  south  of  the  Narbad^  valley,  and  on  the  north-west  it  stops  at  the  Denw& 
river  within  the  hills ;  but  on  the  south  its  boundary  extends  into  the  plain,  and 
includes  three  parganas  which  form  the  Zerghit,  touching  upon  Ndgptir  and 
Berdr.*  The  high  tableland  of  the  Bilagh&t  lies  for  the  most  part  upon  the 
great  basaltic  formation  which  stretches  up  from  the  south-west  across  the 
S&tpurfe  as  far  east  as  Jabalprir.  The  count^  consists  of  a  regular  succession 
of  lull  and  fertile  valley,  formed  by  the  small  ranges  which  cross  its  surface  in  a 
general  direction  east  and  west.  The  highest  of  these  ridges  conunences  on 
the  confines  of  the  Harai  j&gir,  and  runs  westward  across  the  district,  with  a 
mean  breadth  of  about  eight  miles.  Throughout  its  extent  this  ridge  can  be 
approached  from  the  south  and  north  only  by  ascending  passes  more  or  less 
difficult,  the  ascent  from  the  south  being  much  the  easiest.  A  beautiful  valley 
skirts  the  southern  base  of  this  highland,  and  is  again  divided  by  an  ill-defined 
range  of  hills  from  a  tract  of  broken  country,  through  which  is  the  descent  to 
the  plains  of  Ndgpdr  by  the  ghdts.  The  average  height  of  the  highest  uplands 
is  2,500  feet;  but  there  are  many  points  very  much  higher  :  Ghhindw&r^  on  the 
second  level,  is  2,200  feet ;  and  the  third  step  above  the  ghdts  is  about  1,900 
feet,  or  800  feet  above  N^dr.  The  appearance  of  the  Zerghdt  below  the  hills 
is  generally  open  and  undulating.  The  country  is  intersected  by  several  streams, 
of  which  the  Kanh&n  is  the  most  considerable,  and  is  chequered  by  isolated 
hills  and  low  ridges  covered  with  nodular  trap  and  limestone.  Near  the  hills 
and  along  the  streams  are  strips  and  patches  of  jangle,  while  the  villages  are 
oflen  surrounded  with  groves  of  tamarind,  mango,  and  other  shade-givingia:^es. 

The  following  is  a  short  geolo^cal  description 
Geological  fonnatioD.  from  the  pen  of  the  late  Mr.  Hidop,  but  hi^rta 

unpublished  : — 

'^  The  district  of  Chhindwdrfi  presents  a  considerable  variety  of  rocks. 
Around  the  chief  station,  and  in  a  strip  of  country  to  the  west  of  it,  as  well 
as  below  the  gh&ts,  granite  occurs  with  the   usual  metamorphic   strata, 

^Tbis  description  of  the  physical  features  of  the  district  is  taken  for  the  nost  part  bwa 
Sir  R.  Jenkins'  Report  on  the  N&gpur  Province. 


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CHHIN  168 

including  marble.  The  greater  part  of  the  district,  however,  is  covered  with 
trap,  which  on  the  south  rests  directly  on  the  plutonic  rocks,  and  in  the 
north  on  sandstone.  Enclosed  in  the  trap  there  is  found  an  interesting 
fresh-water  deposit  which  at  Butdrid,  east  of  Chhindwdrd,  and  Misldnwdr^, 
south  of  it,  and  various  other  localities,  yields  shells,  &c.  of  the  Eocene 
epoch.  The  strata  next  to  this  in  age  are  of  iron-banded  sandstone,  which 
constitutes  the  mass  of  the  Mah&deo  hills  to  the  north-west  of  the  district. 
Prom  the  locality  where  these  arenaceous  beds  are  so  largely  developed 
Dr.  Oldham  has  given  the  name  of  '  Mahddewa  ^  to  this  group,  which  I  am 
inclined  to  consider  the  equivalent  of  the  upper  cretaceous  rocks  of  Europe. 
Underlying  the  ferruginous  sandstone  there  are  met,  in  beds  of  argillaceous 
sandstone,  shale,  and  coal)  the  last  of  which  is  wrought  at  Barkoi  north 
of  Umreth. 

*'  The  soil  is  black  where  it  overlies  the  trap,  and  red  where  it  rests 
on  sandstone  or  plutonic  rocks.  There  is  nothing  particular  about  the 
water,  except  the  hot  spring  at  Mah^ljhir  on  the  east  of  the  Mah&deo  hills.^' 

The  only  important  mineral  product  as  yet  discovered  is  coal.     The  oldest- 
^    .  known  coal-field  in  the  district  is  at  Barko(,  and 

has  been  experimentally  worked  since  1 860,  though 
hitherto  with  little  success,  owing  to  the  high  cost  of  carriage.  It  was  first 
discovered  in  1852,  and  was  mentioned  by  the  late  Reverend  Mr.  Hislop  in  his 
Memoir  "  On  the  age  of  the  Coal  strata  in  Western  Bengal  and  Central  India,'' 
published  in  the  Journal  of  the  Asiatic  Society  of  Beng^,  Vol.  XXIV.  p.  347, 
and  republished  in  the  quarterly  Journal  of  the  Geological  Society  of  London, 
1855.  The  mine  was  visited  by  Colonel  Harley  Maxwell,  Chief  Engineer 
of  the  Central  Provinces,  in  1861,  when  he  reported  that  ^^  the  extent  of  the 
*'  present  known  coal  is  decidedly  limited ;  it  measures  about  two  feet  in  thick- 
*'ness,  one  foot  of  which  may  be  considered  good  coal,  the  remainder  has  much 
**  of  lignite  mixed  with  it ;  but  still  the  whole  burns  freely  together,  and  will  be 
*'  invaluable  for  brick-burning  and  other  building  operations.  For  three  miles 
*^  this  seam  is  traced  along  the  bed  of  a  stream ;  and  allowing  this  spot  to  extend 
*^  one  and  a  half  mile  on  each  side  of  the  stream,  there  will  be  about  nine 
^'  square  miles,  or  thirteen  and  a  half  million  tons  of  coal.''  Since  the  date  of 
Colonel  Harley  Maxwell's  visit  our  knowledge  of  the  coal  resources  of  the  district 
has  been  much  extended.  The  seam  at  Barkoi,  at  first  beUeved  to  be  two  feet 
only  in  thickness,  one  foot  alone  of  which  was  thought  to  be  good  coal,  is  now 
known  to  yield  over  five  feet  of  good  coal,  with  the  certainty  of  another  seam  below 
the  one  now  explored.  The  chemical  analysis  of  this  coal  goes  to  prove  that 
it,  as  a  fuel,  is  superior  to  any  of  the  yield  produced  in  the  "Damddd"  valley, 
and  that  its  heating  qualities  are  equal  to  two-thirds  of  the  best  Welsh  coal. 
There  would  seem  also  to  be  a  great  extent  of  coal-bearing  strata  extending 
to  the  east  from  Barkoi  as  far  as  Sirgorf,  a  distance  of  ten  miles,  and  to  the 
west  stretching  not  less  than  forty  miles  in  a  direct  line,  within  which  distance 
the  actual  presence  of  coal  has  been  detected  in  forty-one  distinct  localities,  in 
many  of  which  the  outcrops  are  numerous  and  extensive.  It  is  estimated  that 
the  area  over  which  coal  may  be  said  to  be  in  plenty  is  more  than  250  square 
miles,  the  width  of  some  of  the  seams  being  as  much  as  eighteen  feet. 

In  the  beginning  of  1866  Mr.  W.  T.  Blanford,  of  the  Geological  Survey, 
Tisited  the  Chhindw&ri  district,  and  drew  up  a  report  on  the  Chhindwiri  coal- 


L 


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164  CHHIN  ^ 

j&eldB  after  examining  the  out-crops  of  coal  at  eleven  different  places,  (1)  Sirgori, 
the  most  eastward  locality  where  coal  was  found ;  (2)  A  second  coal-seam  to  the 
west-north-west  of  Sirgori ;  (3)  A  seam  in  the  bed  of  the  Pench  river,  four  miles 
west  of  Sirgori,  and  half  way  between  the  villages  of  Chendd  and  Digawdnl ;  (4) 
Harai,  two  miles  south-west  of  Digawdni ;  (5)  A  seam  about  a  mile  north  of  the 
Harai  seam  and  half  a  mile  south-west  of  the  village  of  Rdvanwdrd ;  (6)  A  second 
seam  a  mile  west  of  Rivanwdrd;  (7)  A  seam  three-quarters  of  a  mile  west-south- 
west of  the  village  of  Pdrdsid ;  (8)  A  second  seam  rather  more  than  a  mile  south- 
west of  Pdrdsid  and  on  the  boundary  of  the  village  lands  of  Pirdsid  and  Bhand^d ; 
(9)  A  seam  about  a  mile  west  of  the  village  of  But&n&  and  half  a  mile  east  of 
Bhandirid ;  (10)  Barkoi ;  (1 1)  A  seam  near  a  small  shrine  dedicated  to  Hingld  Devi 
Gogrl.     In  this  report  he  writes  as  follows : — 

"  The  above  details  will,  I  think,  serve  to  show  that  these  discoveries 
,.  of  coal-seams    are  the  most  important  that 

ofJXS!^?  '^''^''"'^    ^^®  ^^^  ™^^    "^   India  for  many   years. 

Amongst  all  the  previously  known  coal  loca- 
lities in  Central  India  to  the  west  of  the  parallel  of  Jabalpdr  there  are  but 
two  seams,  both  at  Mohpdni,  in  Narsinghpdr  district,  which  exceed  four  feet 
Thickness  of  the  coal-field.         ^^  thickness      Near  the  Pench,  within  an  area 

of  sixteen  miles  in  length  from  east  to  west,  no 
less  than  six  (or  including  Bhanddrid  seven)  locaUties  have  now  been  dis- 
covered in  which  seams  exceeding  that  thickness  occur,  and  when  it  is  borne 
in  mind  that,  with  two  exceptions  only  (Barkoi  and  Hingld  Devi)  the  whole 
of  these  localities  have  been  discovered  since  the  month  of  October  last,  and 
solely  through  the  researches  of  Major  Ashburner,  I  think  it  is  only  reasonable 
to  believe  that  many  other  workable  seams  may  still  remain  unchscovered  in 
this  neighbourhood,  and  that  there  is  every  probability  that  this  portion  of 
the  great  Narbadd  coal-field  equals  in  mineral  wealth  the  coal-fields  of  the 
Damddd  valley  in  Bengal. 

"The  circumstances  under  which  the  coal  occurs  appear  in   most 

„  , ,         ,.  .       .       instances  to  be   favourable  to   mining  enterprise. 

Favourable  conditions  for     mrj-  i  j         j*  "j.,* 

^jjjjjjjj.^  The   dips  are  very  low,  and,  so  rar  as  a  judgment 

can  be  formed  from  the  very  imperfect  sections 

exposed  at  the  surface,  there  appears  good  reason  to  anticipate  that  both 

the  quality  and  thickness  of  most  of  the  seams  will  be  found  constant,  at  all 

events  over  a  considerable  area.     Faults  are  numerous,  but  the  majority  do 

not  appear  to  be  of  sufficient  amount  to  afiect  mining  operations  injuriously. 

It  is  probable  that  these  faults  will  be  found  to   decrease  in  number,  the 

greater  the  distance  from  the  fault,  bounding  the  coal  measures  to  the 

south. 

^^  The  quality  of  the  coal,  so  far  as  judgment  can  be  formed  by  inspeo- 
Qualitv  of  coal  ^^^^  *^^  ^^  burning  it  in  heaps,  is  similar  to  that 

of  the  coals  of  Riniganj  and  other  mines  in  that 
neighbourhood.  It  is  a  free-burning,  non-coking  coal.  It  is  decidedly 
inferior  to  the  better  qualities  of  English  coal,  both  on  account  of  the  larger 
proportion  of  ash,  and  of  the  lower  percentage  of  fixed  carbon.  At  the 
same  time  I  see  no  reason  for  doubting  that  for  railway  purposes  the 
Pench  river  coal  is  perfectly  adequate :  it  is  just  as  well  suited  as  the 
Rinlganj  coal,  with  which  the  East  Indian  Railway  is  worked  for  some 


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CHHIN  165 

hundreds  of  miles,  and  I  believe  that  for  all  local  purposes,  or  for  fuel  for 
stationary  steam-ei^gines,  it  is  excellently  adapted ;  while  for  the  manu&c- 
ture  of  iron,  the  fireedom  from  pyrites  possessed  by  the  Sirgorl  seam,  if  found 
to  be  constant,  should  give  that  coal  advantages  over  most  other  Indian 
coals  with  which  I  am  acquainted. 

^' There  is  one  circumstance  connected  with  the  Barkoi  coal  (and  the 
C  k  f  B  k  '  al  ^^^^^  seams  are  probably  similar  in  this  respect) 
which  renders  it  possible  that  it  may  excel  the 
coals  of  Rdnlganj  in  the  kind  of  coke  produced.  Mr.  Stanbrough's  agent  at 
Barkoi,  Mr.  Adams,  showed  me  some  heaps  of  coke  which  he  had  made  from 
the  Barkoi  coal  in  pits.  True  coke  it  was  not ;  none  of  the  non-coking 
coals  will  yield  by  heating  the  same  description  of  coke  which  the  highly 
bitumenous  coking-coals  will  produce.  But  the  result  was  very  much 
more  compact,  and  apparently  contained  more  carbon  than  any  specimen 
I  ever  saw  of  coke  obtained  from  the  coals  of  the  Rinlganj  field.* 

^^  The  question  may  possibly  arise  whether  some  or  all   of  the  seams 

discovered  may  not  be  identical.     Without  a  much 

dSt  ^"^^^^  probably     closer  examination  of  the  country  than  it  has  been 

possible  to  make  hitherto  it  would  be  impossible 
to  answer  this  question  precisely  in  every  instance,  and  even  were  an  exact 
survey  made,  the  large  area  of  ground  covered  and  concealed  by  trap  and 
other  formations  more  recent  than  the  coal-bearing  rocks  would  render  the 
tracing  of  each  seam  a  hopeless  task  until  mining  operations  had  advanced 
considerably.  But  there  can,  I  think,  be  no  question  that  the  majority  of 
the  seams  are  quite  distinct  from  each  other,  and  I  have  not  been  able  in 
a  single  instance  satisfactorily  to  ascertain  that  any  seam  examined  was 
identical  with  one  seen  elsewhere. 

^^  Amongst  the  localities  I  have  described  above  I  am  disposed  to 

T  ^r*-     i.^*      --t  J  ^       believe  that  those  best  suited  for  mining  purposes 
Localities  best  suited  for  c?-         i    -o  j.j^  -ji         j    t>    i    /      i.   x^/»    xi 

mining.  ^"^   Su"gon,  Butana,   and    Barkoi;    but    ftirther 

explorations  by  boring,  as  I  have  shown  above,  are 

desirable  in  every  instance.     The  availability  of  the  splendid  seam  on  the 

Pench,  at  Chendd,  depends,  as  I  above  stated,  on  its  continuance  to  the 

north,  beneath  the  trap  in  the  river.     Further  exploration  is   required  at 

P&risi&,  and  it  is  extremely  desirable  that  the  thickness  of  the  seams  there 

and  at  Buiini,  and  above  all  at  Sirgorl,  should  be  ascertained  at  once.^' 

The  forests  of  Chhindwdrd  are  very  extensive,  and  lie  principally  on  the 

p^ygg^  southern  slopes  of  the  S^tpurds.     They  contain 

teak,  saj,  shlsham,kaw&,  and  most  of  the  commoner 

jungle  trees.     In  the  extensive  forest  which  stretches  from  Deogarh  eastward 

to  the  Pench  river  the  large  teak  had  all  been  cut  down  before  it  was  taken  in 

hand  by  the  Forest  department,  but  some  fine  s^j  timber  has  escaped.     These 


*  "  I  am  inclined  to  believe  that  this  coke,  at  all  events  if  mixed  with  coal,  might  be 
*|  well  adapted  for  railway  purposes.  From  its  much  smaller  weight  the  cost  of  transport  would 
"  of  course  be  ereatlj  diminished  by  using  it.  It  has  the  advantage  too  of  being  to  a  great  extent 
"  desulphurised." 


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166  CHHIN 

tracts^  measuring  in  tho  aggregate  upwards  of  250  sqnaremiles^  have  now  been 
reserved  by  the  Forest  department^  whicb  is  taking  efficient  steps  to  check  the 
system  of  burning  for  cultivation^  and  of  indiscrimmate  felling. 

The  climate  above  the  ghkts  is  temperate  and  healthy.    In  the  cold  season 

^y  the  thermometer  falls  low,  the  average  tempera- 

ciunate.  ^^^  ^^^^  ^^^^  ^yo  ^  ggo  j^  ^^^  f^^  ^j^  months 

during  the  past  five  years.  Frosts  are  not  uncommon ;  and  ice  is  frequently 
seen  in  the  small  tanks  at  an  elevation  of  about  2,000  feet.  Until  May  the  hot 
wind  is  very  little  felt,  while  during  the  rains  the  weather  is  very  cool  and 
agreeable.    The  average  rainfiedl  is  about  thirty-six  inches. 

The  totalpopulationof  the  district,  according  to  the  census  of  1866,  is  327,875 
p    ^^^  persons.    In  the  towns  are  the  usual  non-agri- 

^       ^^'  cultural  castes  and  classes  of  this  part  of  India, 

with  ^  few  Mirwirfs  and  Agarw&ls  among  the  richer  shopkeepers.  Above 
the  ghdts  the  country-people  are  chiefly  Kunbfs,  Lodhfs,  Ponwdrs,  Bdjputs,  and 
a  few  Kanojia  Brdhmans,  with  Telis  and  a  sprinkling  of  Mohammaduis  in  the 
larger  villages.  Along  the  edge  and  slopes  of  the  gh&ts  the  hamlets  are 
inhabited  by  Gk)nds  and  a  few  GlauKs.  The  language  generally  prevailing  in  the 
B^ghdt  (or  montane)  portion  of  the  district  is  a  mixture  of  Hindi  and  Mar^thi, 
while  the  Gonds  and  Kurkds  speak  dialects  of  their  own.  The  Brihmans  - 
of  the  district  and  some  of  the  agricultural  tribes  seem  to  have  come  down 
from  Hindust^  about  180  years  ago,  when  the  first  Gond  T&ji  of  Deogarh 
visited  Delhi  and  induced  some  of  the  more  civilised  classes  to  emigrate  to  his 
dominions.  The  Mdrwdris  and  Agarw^ls  came  in  with  the  Mar&thds.  The 
Gkiulis  are  herdsmen  and  shepherds.  The  Gonds  and  Kurkds  are  the  descen- 
dants of  the  wild  tribes  who,  whether  aboriginal  or  not,  inhabited  this  country 
before  the  Aryan  immigrations.  Of  these  two  primitive  races  the  lang^uage, 
customs,  and  system  of  worship  are  quite  distinct.  The  Gondi  tongue  seems 
somewhat  allied  to  Tdmil,  while  the  Eurkd  seems  to  have  some  affinity  with 
Santhili  * ;  but  these  languages  have  never  hitherto  been  scientifically  studied. 
Any  long  digression  about  these  curious  tribes  would  be  out  of  place  in  this 
article.  Their  physiognomy  classes  them  apart  from  other  races :  they  have  usually 
broad  flat  noses  and  thick  lips.  They  are  simple,  truthful,  and  good  labourers ; 
and  nothing  about  them  is  more  remarkable  than  the  docility  with  which  they 
have  turned  from  a  life  of  thieving  and  gang-robbery  under  tiie  Native  rule  to 
settled  habits  and  honest  labour  under  i£e  British  Government. 

The  following  account  of  the  Deogarh  Gt)nd  dynasty,  taken  principally 
gj^  from  Sir  R.  Jenkins'  report  on  the  NAgpdr  provmoe, 

^'  contains  in  outline  almost  all  that  is  known  of  the 

history  of  these  obscure  hill  tracts  before  they  were  annexed  by  the  Marithds. 
Tradition  says  that  most  of  the  country  of  Deogarh  above  and  below  the  gh&ts, 
after  being  ruined  and  devastated  by  some  great  calamity,  had  been  overrun  and 
conquered  by  tribes  of  Gthulfs.  Farishta  f  indeed  mentions  A'sd  Ahfr,  the  (Jauli 
chief  and  founder  of  A'sfrgarh,  as  having  ruled  over  Gondwdna;  but  how  he 
acquired  it  is  not  hinted  at.  J^tba,  a  Gk)nd,  subverted  the  GauU  power  above 
the  ghdts,  and  his  descendant  Bakht  Buland  carried  his  arms  south  beyond 
N£gp6r,  and  made  conquests  and  acquisitions  both  from  Mandla  and  Ghindiu 

*  The  affinity  between  the  Knrkd  as  spoken  in  Hoshangibid  and  Santh&li  is  very  great, 
especially  in  the  pronouns  and  nouns  denoting  familiar  objects, 
t  Briggs'  Farishta,  vol.  iv.  p.  287,  Edition  1829. 


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CHHIN  167 

The  or^in  of  this  family,  and  the  steps  by  which  it  rose  to  be  a  powerful 
ijuastv,  are  lost  in  obscurity.  It  is  known,  however,  that  Bakht  Buland  visited 
Delhi  m  the  time  of  Anrangzeb  and  turned  Mohammadan,  in  order  to  obtain  the 
imperial  protection,  taking  at  the  same  time  the  name  by  which  he  is  known. 
His  rule  was  an  era  of  great  improvement  in  the  country  which  he  governed.  He 
employed  Mohammadans  and  Hindds  of  ability  to  introduce  order  and  regularity 
into  his  immediate  domain  j  industrious  settlers  were  attracted  from  all  quarters  ; 
and  agriculture  and  manufactures  made  some  progress.  Bakht  Buland  usually 
remained  in  the  districts  above  the  gh6ts,  except  when  prosecuting  his  military 
expeditions.  Towards  the  latter  end  of  Aurangzeb^s  reign  he  plundered  in 
Berar,  and  extended  his  devastations  over  the  districts  held  by  the  Moghals  to 
the  southward  and  westward  of  Ndgpdr.  The  Gond  Rfij&  up  to  this  time,  it 
appears,  paid  a  tribute  to  the  Emperor  of  Delhi,  and  an  oflScer  resided  at  one 
of  their  hamlets  for  the  purpose  of  collecting  it  on  the  part  of  the  Faujddr  of 
Faundr,  which  was  the  chief  seat  of  the  Musalmdn  government  east  of  the 
Wardhd.  The  next  riji,  Chdnd  Sultdn,  resided  principally  in  the  country  below 
the  ghita  at  Nigptir.  On  his  death  the  government  was  usurped  by  an  iUegi- 
idmate  son  of  Bakht  Buland,  whom  the  Mar^thd  chief,  Raghojf,  put  to  death,  and 
replaced  by  two  legitimate  sons  of  Chdnd  Sultin.  When  these  two  brothers, 
Borh^  Shdh  and  ^bar  Shdh,  quarrelled,  Baghoji  took  the  side  of  Burh^n  Sh^h, 
and  after  expelling  Akbar  Shdh  with  his  adherents,  the  Mardthd  leader  gra- 
dually usurped  the  whole  territory  of  the  Gond  prince  whom  he  had  supported. 
About  the  middle  of  the  last  century  the  Gond  rdjds'  sovereignty  above  the 
gh&ta  became  virtually  extinct.  The  earlier  Mardth^  princes  are  said  to  liave 
managed  the  country  well,  and  to  have  improved  it ;  but  Sir  R.  Jenkins  records 
that  when  the  districts  above  the  ghits  came  under  British  superintendence 
they  had  suflTered  much  from  the  ruinous  rack-renting  which  had  been  carried 
to  its  highest  excess  under  Baghoji  II.  It  should  be  mentioned  that  the 
mountainous  parts  of  the  country  above  the  gh^ts  had  long  been  occupied  by 
petty  Gond  or  Kurkd  chiefs,  who  were  under  feudal  subjection,  first  to  the  (Jond 
rijfis,  and  afterwards  to  the  Mardthds.  When  A'pd  Sdhib,  the  Ndgpdr  rajd, 
escaped  in  May  1819  from  the  custody  of  a  British  escort,  he  made  his  escape 
to  the  territories  of  these  chiefs,  and  was  there  joined  by  the  Pindharl  leader 
Chitd.  A  pi  and  Chitd  were  well  received  and  supported  by  the  Gonds ;  they 
ravaged  the  neighbouring  districts,  and  gave  some  trouble  before  the  leaders 
could  be  expelled  and  the  country  pacified.  When  order  had  been  permanently 
established,  the  British  agents  adopted  the  policy  of  allowing  the  petty  rijds 
to  retain  their  lands  and  rights  as  tributaries,  and  of  making  them  responsible 
for  the  peaceftil  management  of  their  estates.  This  system  was  entirely 
successful,  and  was  still  continued  when  the  whole  district  finally  lapsed  to  the 
British  empire  in  1854.  In  1865  the  jdglrs  of  Aimed,  Pagdrd,  and  Pachmarl 
in  the  Mahideo  hills  were  transferred  from  the  Chhindwdrd  to  the  Hoshans^dbdd 
district.  There  remain  with  Chhindwdrd  the  jdgirddrs  of  Harai,  Batkdgarh,  and 
others. 

The  district  is  now  under  the  charge  of  a  Deputy  Commissioner  and  his 
Adniinistration  assistants,  whose  head-quarters,  fiscal  and  judi- 

cial, are  at  the  station  of  Chhiudwfod.  The  sub- 
divisions of  Chhindwdrd  and  Sausar  are  under  tahsildirs,  who  exercise  petty 
judicial  and  revenue  powers.  Sausar  lies  below  the  ghdts.  The  stations  of  the 
district  police  are  at  Chhindwdrd,  Kham^dnf,  BordehJ,  Pdndhumd,  Sausar, 
Mohkher,  Chdnd,  Chaurai,  and  Amarwdrd.     There  are  likewise  outposts  of  police 


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168  CHHIN 

at  Singiri,  Bijogord,  Jdmbai,  Belpeth,  Jliilmili,  Mohgdon,  Lodhikherd,  Bichud, 
Ghordr,  Rdmdkond,  Rdjnd,  Ainberd,  Mof,  and  Salid. 

The  annual  revenue  derived  from  land  for  the  year  1868-69  amounts  to 

Rs.  2,10,729;   from  dbklrf  (excise  on  liquor  and 

Revenue.  drugs),  Rs.  46,368  ;  pdndhri  and  certificate  taxes, 

Rs.  5,412 ;  stamps,  Rs.  32,138 ;  forests,  Rs.  15,704- 

There  are  in  the  district  four  town  schools  *  and  twenty-seven  village 
_        .  schools,   which   are  periodically  inspected  by  a 

"^  *°°*  district  oflSicial,  and  visited  as  opportunity  offers 

by  all  the  oflScers  of  the  district.  Education  is,  it  is  beheved,  beginning  to 
make  some  impression  upon  the  masses,  and  the  movement  is  becoming  more^ 
popular.  The  number  of  children  now  voluntarily  attending  the  government: 
schools  is  1,312. 

The  system  of  agriculture  is  in  no  way  peculiar  to  the  district ;  it  is  rudo^ 

.     .    -^  ^,         J       u     of  its  kind:  and  chiefly  owing  to  the  absence  of 

^culture,   cattle,  and    wild     ^^^^^    .^  ^^^  ^^^^.^^    ^^  ^^^p^^    ^^^    ^^^  ^^^^ 

employment  of  manure,  the  produce  is  less  than  it 
should  be.  The  crops  depend  entirely  on  the  seasons,  as,  with  the  exception  of 
the  sugarcane,  there  is  little  cultivation  aided  by  artificial  irrigation.  The 
harvests  are  the  kharlf  and  rabl — the  former  gathered  between  September  and, 
in  some  places,  as  late  as  February ;  the  latter  reaped  from  February  ap  to  the 
close  of  May,  according  as  the  season  may  be  an  early  or  late  one.  The  area 
under  cereals  is  about  450,000  acres ;  but  this  estimate  is  exclusive  of  the 
jigfrddrfs,  wherein  the  cultivation  is  very  inconsiderable,  and  the  population 
sparse-  The  cotton  cultivation  may  be  estimated  at  about  15,000  acres,  and 
this  crop  is  for  the  most  part  confined  to  the  Sausar  subdivision.  Sugarcane 
again  is  chiefly  grown  above  the  ghdts,  whilst  the  wheat-producing  country  is 
mainly  in  the  valley  of  the  Pench,  and  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Mohkher,  Chaurai, 
and  Khamirpdnf ;  the  pulses  are  grown  generally  near  Chdnd ;  and  the  oil-seeds 
are  nearly  confined  to  the  high  tablelands  near  the  Pench  and  in  the  Umreth 
pargana.  The  cultivation  of  potatoes  has  been  introduced  for  many  years  ; 
indeed  in  the  time  of  Mardthd  rule  it  was  practised ;  and  the  tuber  is  not  only 
appreciated  and  readily  eaten  by  the  natives,  but  its  cultivation  is  steadily 
increasing.  The  produce  is  chiefly  exported  to  Kdmthl,  but  in  every  village 
bdzdr  it  is  to  be  seen  exposed  for  sale ;  it  amounts  annually  to  about  3,000 
maunds.  The  best  breed  of  cattle  is  that  produced  in  the  pargana  of  Khamdr- 
pdni ;  their  colour  is  usually  white,  and  they  have  all  the  attributes  of  a  pure 
race ;  in  size  they  are  large,  with  no  great  bulk  of  body,  and  more  adapted  for 
draught  than  for  slaughter  purposes.  The  dewlap  is  unusually  lar^,  and  the 
cattle  appear  to  be  alUed  closely  to,  if  not  identical  with,  the  pure  Gujardt  breed. 
The  breed  is  much  esteemed  in  this  part  of  the  country  for  its  tractability,  and 
staunchness  in  yoke ;  they  are  haray ,  and  easily  kept  in  condition,  and  are 
quite  distinct  from  what  are  called  locally  the  Gond  cattle,  which  are  a  much 
smaller  breed,  but  famous  as  being  good  milk-producing  animals.  The  animals 
which  are  destructive  to  human  life  are  the  tiger,  panther,  and  bear,  occasion- 
ally the  hyaena ;  there  are  in  addition  the  hunting  chltd,  the  wild  dog,  and  the 
wolf,  which  prey  upon  flocks  and  herds.     The  wild  boar,  and  deer  of  all  kinds, 

*  Including  a  school  at  the  station  of  Chhindward  under  superintendence  of  the  Missionariet 
of  the  Free  Church  of  Scotland. 


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CHHIN  169 

including  the  sdmbar^  nflgdi^  and  cbftal  cause  incessant  damage  to  the  crops. 
There  are  other  wild  animals,  such  as  foxes,  jackals,  and  lynxes,  &c.,  which 
keep  down  so  successfully  the  quantity  of  small  game  in  the  district  that  it  is 
disproportionately  scarce.  Bub  there  are  hares,  partridges,  and  quails ;  and  in 
the  cold  season  the  district  is  visited  by  the  migratory  birds,  such  as  snipe, 
wild-fowl,  and  the  kulang,  which  latter  disappear  after  the  gathering  of  the 
rabi  harvest.  The  bustard  and  florican  are  to  be  met  with  occasionally,  but  in 
no  great  numbers.  In  the  Khamdrpdnf  jungles  the  bison  is  to  be  seen,  and 
also  in  the  hills  forming  part  of  the  Sdtpurdi  range. 

There  is  only  one  so-called  imperial  road ;  it  runs  between  Chhindwara  and 
^    ,  Ndgpdr.    All  the  other  communications  have  been 

classed  as  local.  The  Ndgpdr  road  has  made  some 
progress  towards  establishing  a  permanent  communication :  many  bridges  have 
recently  been  built,  and  the  greater  portion  of  the  earthwork  has  been  liid  as 
far  as  Ramdkond.  The  descent  into  the  low  country  by  the  Sildwdni  ghdt  has 
been  rendered  easy,  and  the  road  there  has  been  remarkably  well  chosen.  The 
greater  number  of  the  bridges  on  the  ghat  have  been  constructed,  but  the  line 
of  road  between  RSmdkona  up  to  the  limits  of  Chhindwdrd  district  to  the  south 
is  over  a  very  difficult  country — black  cotton  soil,  crossed  and  cut  up  incessantly 
by  ndlas  or  watercourses,  with  deep  channels  and  muddy  beds.  The  remain- 
ing roads  in  the  district  are  only  fair-weather  ones,  but  at  that  season  they  are 
all  quite  practicable  for  wheeled  conveyances,  except  towards  Narsinghpur. 
Nothing  has  been  done  yet  to  reduce  the  natural  difficulties  of  the  latter  route, 
and  consequently  it  is  rarely  attempted  as  a  line  of  traffic  by  any  but  camels, 
pack-buUocks,  or  buffiiloes.  Dak  bungalows  (rest-houses)  are  kept  up  at 
feimdkona  and  Chhindwdrd  on  the  imperial  line,  at  Umreth  and  Bordehl  on 
the  Betul  road,  and  at  Pdndhumd  on  the  road  between  Betdl  and  Ndgpdr. 
There  are  sardfs  at  Eamdkond,  Lodhikerd,  Sausar,  and  Chhindwdrd. 

The  chief  towns  are  Chhindwdrd,  about  seventy-six  miles  north  of  Ndgpdr ; 
rn  dtmd  Lodhikherd,   on   the  same  road   about  midway, 

situated  on  the  Jdm  river ;  Mohgdon,  about  ten 
miles  direct  west  of  Lodhlkherd,  which,  under  the  Maratha  rule,  was  always 
the  head-quarters  of  the  Zerghab  (submontane)  country;  Pdndhurnd,  on  the 
direct  route  from  Ndgpur  to  Betul;  and  lastly  Sausar,  now  the  residence  of  the 
tahsllddr.  Nearly  all  the  houses  are  built  of  mud,  and  until  very  recently 
were  thatched ;  in  this  latter  respect  much  reform  is  being  worked  by  the  sub- 
stitution of  tiles  for  grass.  The  greater  portion  of  the  district  trade  is  internal, 
bub  the  surplus  takes  the  direction  of  Ndgpdr,  the  Berdr  country,  and  Bombay. 

CHHINDWA'RA.'-^The  northern  revenue  subdivision  or  tahsfl  in  the  dis- 
trict of  the  same  name,  having  an  area  of  2,167  square  miles,  with  1,479  villages, 
and  a  population  of  201 ,35i  according  to  the  census  of  1866.  The  land  revenue 
for  the  year  1869-70  is  Es.  1,14,375. 

CHHINDWA'RA' — The  head-quarters  of  the  district  of  the  same  name. 
It  is  situated  on  the  banks  of  the  Bodri  ndld,  one  of  the  affluents  of  the  Kolbfrd, 
which*  again  falls  into  the  river  Pench,  about  seventy-six  miles  north  cf 
Ndgpdr.  The  site  is  on  high  ground,  elevated  2,200  feet  above  the  sea, 
and  surrounded  by  ranges  of  low  hills,  the  landscape  being  filled  up  midway 
by  cultivated  fields  interspersed  with  groves  of  mango  trees.  The  soil  is 
excellent  for  a  station,  being  composed  of  light  gravelly  red  earth,  which  never 
remains  long  moist.    The  site  of  the  European  station  extends  nearly  two  miles 

22CPG 


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170  CHHIN— CHICH 

in  length,  and  in  parts  is  well  wooded.  It  is  generally  considered  to  be  very 
healthy,  and  is  resorted  to  by  European  visitors  from  Ndgpdr  and  E&mthf  daring 
the  hot  weather.  A  public  garden  is  kept  up  by  local  funds,  and  is  a  great 
attraction.  The  supply  of  water  is  plentiful ;  but  most  of  the  wells  inside  the 
town  contain  brackish  or  bad  water ;  the  best  are  nearly  all  outside  the  town. 
A  large  masonry  tank  is  in  course  of  construction,  and  will,  when  finished,  be  a 
g^eat  boon  to  the  people.  The  conservancy  arrangements  are  good,  and  the 
town  is  clean  and  cheerful.  The  principal  public  buildings  are  the  district  court- 
house, the  commissioner's  circuit  house,  the  jail,  the  tahsfl,  and  the  police 
buildings.  The  charitable  institutions  are  the  dispensary,  the  Free  Church. 
Mission  native  school,  the  poorhouse,  and  the  sardf.  The  number  of  inhabi- 
tants is  8,185. 

CHHINDWA'RA'— A  small  town  on  the  Ebna  ndld  in  the  Narsinghptir 
district,  twenty-three  miles  east  of  Narsinghpur.  The  main  road  from  Jabalpiir 
to  Narsinghpdr  passes  through  the  town,  and  the  Great  Indian  Peninsula 
Railway  has  a  station  here.  The  population  amounts  to  about  1 ,500  souls,  and 
a  large  cattle  market  is  held  here  weekly.  Chhindwdrd  was  established  by 
Sir  W.  Sleeman  about  1824  for  the  convenience  of  travellers  through  the 
Narbadd  valley. 

CHHUIKHADA'N  orKONDKA'— A  feudatory  chiefship  attached  to  the 
Bdfpdr  district,  situated  to  the  north  of,  and  contiguous  to,  Khair^garh.  It  consists 
of  three  tdlukas,  separated  from  each  other  by  the  Gandal,  Parporl,  and  Barbaspfir 
Eaminddrfs,  and  lying  at  the  foot  of  the  Sdl^bekri  hill.  The  area  in  the 
plains  is  not  large,  but  it  is  well  cultivated  and  fertile.  It  comprises  101  villages, 
and  the  chief  pays  a  tribute  of  Rs.  1 1,000  per  annum  to  Government.  The  towa 
in  which  he  resides  is  situated  ten  miles  north  of  Khairdgarh  and  forty-eight 
miles  west  by  north  of  Rdfpdr,  and  contains  400  houses,  with  1,000  or  1,200 
inhabitants.  The  chiefs  own  house  is  a  substantial  stone  building,  standing  ia 
a  fortified  square,  and  is  in  strange  contrast  to  the  thatched  mud  huts  of  his 
people.  He  is  a  Bairdgf,  but  belongs  to  a  sect  among  whom  marriage  is 
permitted.  The  grant  was  obtained  by  his  family  in  the  reign  of  Mudhojf,  rdj4 
ofNdgpdr,  iuA.D.  1750. 

CHHU'RI' — A  chiefship  in  the  north-east  of  the  Bildspdr  district,  cover- 
ing an  area  of  320  square  miles,  and  containing  120  villages.  The  country  is 
a  mixed  tract  of  hill  and  plain,  with  a  population  of  13,281  souls,  at  the  rate 
of  forty-one  to  the  square  mile.  The  extent  of  cultivation  is  27,907  acres,  and 
the  culturable  area  is  estimated  at  48,538  acres.  The  chief  is  a  member  of  the 
Kanwar  caste. 

CHHUTII' — ^The  head-quarters  of  a  chiefship  of  the  same  name,  in  the 
Bildspdr  district.  It  is  a  small  town,  situated  at  the  foot  of  the  Vindhyan  range, 
south  of  Uprord,  east  of  Kenda,  and  about  thirty-five  miles  north-east  of 
Bildspdr.  The  chiefs  residence  is  a  mere  mud  structure  with  thatched  roofs, 
and  there  are  no  indications  that  his  ancestors  were  in  a  more  flourishing  condi- 
tion than  himself. 

CHICHGARH  (CHEEZGURH)— An  extensive  but  poor  estate  situat^dnear 
the  south-eastern  borders  of  the  Bhanddra  district,  on  the  road  leading  from 
Sangarhf,  by  the  Nawegaon  lake,  to  the  Chdnda  district.  The  area  is  237  square 
miles,  of  which  twenty-one  and  a  half  square  miles  are  cultivated ;  the  rest  con- 
sists of  culturable  waste,  and  barren  hill  and  forest  lands.  The  population, 
numbering  8,371  souls^  is  very  small  compared  with  the  enormous  area  of  this 


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CHICH-CHIM  171 

estate,  and  consists  ctiefly  of  Gronds,  Godrds,  and  Halbds.  The  forests  abound  in 
valaable  timber,  and  there  is  a  good  deal  of  fine  young  teak  well  cared  for.  The 
two  chief  villages  are  Chichgarh  and  Palandur,  each  of  which  possesses  an  indi- 
genous school ;  besides  which  there  is  a  government  police  post  at  Chichgarh. 
One  of  the  main  district  roads  passes  through  this  chiefship  by  a  formidable  pass 
near  Chichgarh,  more  than  three  miles  in  length,  and  bordered  by  dense  bamboo 
jungle.  At  the  foot  of  this  pass  the  chief  has  dug  a  well  and  built  a  sard!  for 
the  convenience  of  travellers.  The  holding  is  believed  to  be  a  very  old  one, 
and  the  chief  is  a  Halbd  by  caste. 

CHICHLI' — A  large  village  in  the  Narsinghpdr  district,  only  noticeable  as 
giving  its  name  to  a  tdluka  which  has  been  held  for  many  generations  by  a 
&mily  of  Rdj-Gonds,  whose  hereditary  representative  still  resides  here.  The 
estate  comprises  thirty-nine  villages,  and  lies  in  the  main  to  the  south  of 
GddarwdrS,  on  the  left  bank  of  the  Chitd-Rewd,  extending  down  to  the  hills. 
When  AmIrKhdn  invaded  this  country  in  1809,  Rdjd  Sangram  Singh  of  Chichlf 
stood  manfully  by  the  defeated  representative  of  the  Ndgpdr  government,  and 
distinguished  himself  in  a  skirmish  whereby  the  Pindhdrls  received  a  decided 
check.    Brass  vessels  are  largely  manufactured  here. 

CHICHOLI' — A  small  agricultural  village  in  the  Chhindwdrd  district,  on 
the  main  road  from  Betdl  to  Ndgpdr,  and  forty-four  miles  south  of  Chhindwdrd. 
Here  is  a  wonderfully-spreading  bargat  or  banian  tree,  with  a  large  baoli 
underneath  it.  The  tree  covers  several  acres  of  land,  and  it  is  said  that  500  horses 
can  be  picketed  underneath  it.  A  fakfr  receives  a  small  allowance  from 
Government  to  keep  the  place  in  proper  order. 

CHICHOLI' — A  large  village  in  the  Betdl  district,  lying  twenty  miles  to 
the  west  of  Badndr,  on  the  Wardhd  road.  It  has  a  population  of  1,776  souls. 
There  are  a  police-station  and  a  government  school  here. 

CHIKHLI' — An  estate  in  the  Bhanddra  district,  which,  though  ranking  as  a 
zaminddrl  or  chiefship,  cousists  of  two  villages  only.  The  present  holder  is 
a  Halbd  by  caste.  Chikhlf  is  situated  to  the  south  of  the  Great  Eastern  Road, 
about  nine  miles  south-east  of  Sakoll. 

CHIMU'R— The  northern  pargana  of  the  Warord  tahsfl  of  the  Ch&ndd 
district;  bounded  on  the  north  by  the  Nigpdr  district,  on  the  east  by  the  Brah- 
mapurl  and  Garhbori  parganas,  on  the  south  by  the  Garhbori  and  Bhdndak; 
parganas,  and  on  the  west  by  the  Bhdndak  and  Warord  parganas  and  the  Wardhd 
district.  It  contains  an  area  of  about  416  square  miles,  and  has  158  villap^es. 
It  is  hilly  along  the  east  and  south,  and  branches  of  the  Andhdrl  and  the  ViraJ 
intersect  it  from  north  to  south.  The  southern  half  is  largely  covered  with 
forest,  which  also  extends  along  the  west  and  east.  The  soil  is  principally  red, 
sandy,  or  yellow,  with  considerable  stretches  of  black  loam.  Rice,  sugarcane, 
oil-seeds,  wheat,  cotton,  gram,  and  jawdrl  are  largely  grown ;  and  there  are  many 
fine  tanks,  chiefly  under  the  eastern  hills.  Mardthl  is  the  prevailing  language. 
The  principal  towns  are  Chimur,  Nerf,  and  Bhisl,  and  midway  between  them  is 
the  village  of  Jdmbulghdtd,  where  the  largest  weekly  market  in  the  district 
assembles. 

CHIMUTl — A  town  in  the  Ghdndd  district,  situated  on  a  branch  of  the 
Andhdri,  forty-eight  miles  north  of  Chdndd.  It  is  the  fourth  town  in  commercijJ 
rank  in  the  district,  and  contains  1,000  houses,  the  population  being  Mardthds, 
with  a  sprinkling  of  Telinga  traders  and  artisans.     The  manufactures  are  fine 


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172  CHIN— DAL 

and  coarse  cotton-cloths^  chiefly  the  former^  which  have  a  local  reputation 
for  peculiar  durability,  also  carts,  both  for  travelling  purposes  and  for  carriage 
of  goods.  The  principal  trade  is  in  cotton,  grain,  cotton-cloths,  sugar  and 
gur,  oil-seeds,  and  carts ;  and  a  large  portion  of  the  sales  are  effected  at  the 
annual  fair  which  is  held  in  January.  There  are  some  fine  groves  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  town,  and  it  possesses  several  temples  worth  visiting.  There  are 
also  here  a  town  school  for  boys,  a  girls^  school,  a  police  station-house,  and  a 
district  post-offica.  A  handsome  place  has  been  nearly  completed  on  the  raised 
area  of  the  old  fort ;  and  hero,  facing  the  river,  stands  the  town  school-house - 
East  of  Chiradr  commences  a  range  of  hills,  which  runs  due  south  as  far  as 
Moharif,  and  is  twenty  miles  long  by  six  broad.  Both  slopes  and  summits  are 
covered  with  thick  forest,  and  the  range  forms  a  striking  feature  in  the  scenery 
of  the  surrounding  parganas.  In  a  basin  in  the  south-west  is  the  Tdrobd  lake, 
and  all  along  the  foot  of  the  hills  run  numerous  springs,  which  never  fail. 

CHINTALNA'R — Azarafnddrl  orchiefship  of  Bastar,  with  an  area  of  480 
square  miles,  and  100  villages.  The  zamiadir  resides  at  Jigargunda.  The 
estate  has  some  (air  teak  forests,  the  timber  from  which  is  exported  by  the 
Chintdlong — a  small  stream  flowing  into  the  Tdl  river.  The  population  con- 
sists of  Telingas,  Kofs,  and  Mdrids.  Chintalndr,  one  of  the  principal  villages 
in  the  zamlnddrf,  is  situated  105  miles  south-east  of  Sironchd. 

CHITA'  REWA  or  SITAHEWA'— An  affluent  of  the  Shakar.  It  rises  in 
the  Chhindwdrd  district  and  joins  the  Shakar,  after  a  course  of  some  fifty  miles 
or  more,  about  a  mile  above  the  railway  bridge  at  Pdtlon  in  the  Narsinghpdr 
district.  The  coal,  now  worked  by  the  Narbadd  Mining  Company,  crops  out  in 
the  gorge  through  which  this  river  leaves  the  Sdtpurd  tableland. 

CHULBAN — A  river  in  the  south-east  part  of  the  Bhandara  district,  which, 
rising  in  the  hills  about  twenty  miles  south  of  A'mgdon,  and  passing  near 
Sdngarhi,  joins  the  Waingangd  at  a  village  called  A'ulL 


DA3HA' — ^A  town  in  the  Ch^nda  district,  situated  forty  miles  south-east 
of  Chanda,  and  containing  416  houses.  It  is  built  on  both  banks  of  abroad  and 
shallow  tributary  of  the  Wardha,  and  is  surrounded  by  numerous  groves.  The 
manufactures  are  tasar  silk,  handkerchiefs,  and  coloured  cloths,  and  the  place 
is  noted  for  the  production  of  neat  silver  snuff-boxes.  It  formerly  turned  out 
handsome  woollen  rugs,  but  this  industry  has  died  out.  There  is  a  small  irade, 
principally  in  cotton-cloths,  groceries,  and  salt.  The  population  is  almost  wholly 
Telinga.  Until  a  recent  period  Dabhi  was  subject  to  constant  raids  by  the  wild 
tribes  on  the  other  side  of  the  Wardhd,  and  to  this  day  the  shopkeepers  do  not 
expose  their  goods  for  sale.  The  town  possesses  a  government  school  for  boys, 
a  girls'  school,  a  police  station-house,  and  a  district  post-office,  and  an  assistant 
patrol  of  customs  is  stationed  here. 

D ABW AHA' — A  village  in  the  Jabalpdr  district,  twenty  miles  to  the  north- 
east of  Jabalpdr.     Coal  is  found  here. 

D ALLI' — An  estate  in  the  Bhandara  district,  composed  of  seventeen  villages, 
situated  on  the  Great  Eastern  Road,  about  midway  between  SakoK  and  the 
eastern  borders  of  the  district.  The  area  is  33,506  acres,  or  nearly  fifty-three 
square  miles,  of  which  five  and  a  half  only  are  under  cultivation.     The  population 


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DAM 


173 


amounts  to  2,331  souls.  The  holding  is  an  ancient  one,  and  has  always  been 
included  in  the  list  of  chiefships.  The  present  holder  is  a  Gond,  and  the 
population  mostly  belongs  to  this  class.  There  are  no  villages  of  any  size,  and 
the  cultivation  is  very  rude.  The  Mundipdr  pass,  on  the  Great  Eastern  Road, 
fiills  within  the  limits  of  this  estate ;  and  the  hills  adjoining  furnish  an  abundant 
supply  of  bamboos. 


DAMOH  *— 


General  description  173 

Hills  and  rivers ih. 

Boada  and  commnnications 174 

Principal  towna 175 

Fairs    ib. 

Trade  i6. 

Climate,  temperature,  and  rainfall.  176 


CONTENTS. 


Pago 

History ,.  176 

Gond  rule 177 

Mohammadan  rule ib, 

Bnndeld  rale ib. 

ManUhi  rule    178 

Population 179 

Administration 180 


A  district  lying  between  22^  10'  and  23°  30'  of  north  latitude,  and  79°  5' 
^      .  .      .    .  and  80^  of  east  longitude.     It  is   situated  on   the 

era     escrip  ion.  tableland  of  the  Vindhyan  range  of  hills,  and  in  its 

extreme  length  measures  about  ninety  miles  north  to  south,  with  an  average 
breadth  from  east  to  west  of  some  fifty  miles,  being  broadest  about  the  centre, 
and  narrowest  towards  the  southern  extremity.  The  total  area  is  2,457 
square  miles,  and  the  population  262,641  souls,  giving  an  average  of  107 
souls  to  the  square  mile.  To  the  north  Damoh  is  bounded  by  the  native 
states  of  Fannd  and  Chhatrapdr  in  Bundelkhand,  to  the  south  by  the  districts  of 
Narsinghpdr  and  Jabalpdr,  to  the  west  partly  by  the  Pannd  state  and  partly 
by  the  Sdgar  district,  and  to  the  east  by  the  Jabalpdr  district  and  Pannu.  The 
general  contour  is  irregular,  and  in  some  parts  not  well  defined  ;  there  is  no 
well-defined  natural  boundary  to  the  north,  but  here  the  tableland  on  which  the 
district  is  situated  ends,  and  an  abrupt  dip  in  the  surface  occurs,  beyond  which 
he  the  plains  of  Bundelkhand,  visible  for  many  miles.  The  southern  boundary, 
however,  is  well  defined  by  a  high  hill  range  lying  west  and  east,  efiectually 
separating  the  Damoh  from  the  Narsinghpdr  and  Jabalpdr  districts.  «In  the  east 
again  the  boundary  line  is  not  definite  or  regular  throughout,  as  portions  of  the 
Jabalpdr  district  and  the  Panna  state  in  several  places  run  quite  into  the  Damoh 
boundary.  The  western  limit  is  somewhat  better  marked,  as  in  the  lower  half 
there  are  the  small  hills  which  hem  in  the  Pitihra  raja's  jdgir  in  Sugar  ;  then 
there  is  the  Bids  river  for  a  few  miles,  and  lastly  the  low  broad-backed  Vindhya- 
chal  hilU  for  the  upper  half.  For  fiscal  and  administrative  purposes  the  district  is 
divided  into  the  two  tahslls  or  subdivisions  of  Damoh  and  Hattd,  each  of  which 
is  again  subdivided  into  parganas.  In  the  former  are  included  the  parganas 
of  Damoh,  Narsinghgarh,  Patharia,  Tejgarh,  and  Mdngarh,  and  in  the  latter 
those  of  Hattd,  Batidgarh,  Paterd,  Marid-Doh,  and  Kontd  or  Kumhdrl.  A 
larger  number  of  parganas  were  recognised  before,  but  several  have  been 
abohshed  since  the  recent  settlement  commenced. 

Generally  speaking  the  southern  and  eastern  portions  of  the  district  are 

„.„       J  .  hilly  and  wooded,  while  the  rest  of  it  consists  of 

Huls  and  rivers.  "^      ,   .         #•  •        j  r  x»  _^-tx       •   x 

open  plams  of  varying  degrees  ot  fertility,  inter- 
spersed with  detached  hills  and  low  ranges,  the  richest  tracts  lying  in  the  centre. 
To  the  former  class  belong  the  parganas  of  Tejgarh,  Mdngarh,  and  Kontd,  and 
to  the  latter  those  of  Damoh,  Patharid,  Batidgarh,  Narsinghgarh,  Hattd,  Paterd, 

*  This  article  is  taken  mainly  from  the  Settlement  Report  by  Mr.  A.  M.  Russell. 


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174  DAM 

and  Mari^-Doh.  Tha  river-system  is  most  complete.  The  two  priacipal 
streams — the  Sun6r  and  the  Bairmd — traverse  the  entire  length  of  the  district 
from  south  to  north,  receiving  in  their  progress  the  waters  of  the  Bids,  Koprd, 
Gurayyd,  and  other  minor  streams.  At  the  extreme  northern  boundary  the 
Sundr  takes  a  bend  eastwards  and  joins  the  Bairmd,  which,  emerging  from  the 
district,  is  met  a  little  further  on  by  the  Ken  of  Bundelkhand,  and  the  united 
streams  then  flow  into  the  Jamnd.  There  are,  besides,  three  principal  and  several 
minor  streams  in  the  district.  The  names  of  the  former,  in  the  order  of  their 
importance,  are  the  Bids,  the  Gurayyd,  and  the  Koprd.  They  all  take  their  rise 
beyond  the  limits  of  the  district  and  flow  northwards,  the  fall  of  the  country- 
being  in  that  direction.  Among  the  minor  streams  may  be  mentioned  the  Son  in 
Mdngarh,  the  Bakrdi,  and  the  Biak  in  Batiagarh,  the  Bdrdnet  in  Marid-Doh, 
and  the  Sajli  in  Patharid,  besides  several  others  of  lesser  note.  None  of  the 
streams  are  utilised  for  irrigation  to  any  extent,  although  well  situated  for  the 
purpose  in  many  places.  The  hills  of  the  district  may  be  described  in  a  few  words. 
To  the  south  there  are  the  ofi'shoots  of  the  Vindhyan  range,  which,  however, 
are  not  remarkable  here  for  height  or  scenery.  The  Bhdnier  range  of  hills  run 
along  the  eastern  boundary  for  some  distance,  and  attain  to  a  considerable  height 
in  several  places.  The  Vindhydchal  hills  run  along  the  western  boundary  for 
a  considerable  distance,  and  in  several  places  open  out  into  broad  plains  of 
tableland,  thickly  wooded  with  low  jungle.  Towards  the  north-east  of  the 
Damoh  pargana  rise  the  Bhondld  hills — a  low  range,  which  follows  an  easterly- 
course  until  it  is  lost  in  the  offshoots  of  the  Bhdnrer  range.  These  hills 
generally  consist  of  the  coarse  sandstone  of  the  Vindhyan  series,  but  to  the 
west  of  the  district  the  overlying  trap  of  the  Sdgar  plateau  is  met  with. 

The  district   do3s  not  at  present  possess  any  metalled  roads ;  consequently- 

„     ,       ,  .    ^.  wheeled  conveyances  cease  to  run  between  July- 

Roads  and  commimications.  j   r\  l  i.  •       x    xi_      ^  v  ^  /• 

and  October,  owmg  to  the  prevailmg  nature  of 

the  soil  being  black  loam,  which  becomes  quite  adhesive  after  the  first  fall  of 

rain.     The  principal  road  is  that  which  connects  the  military   station  of  Sdgar 

with  the  important   town  of  Jabalpdr,  and,  passing  through  the   station   of 

Damoh,  ruAs  some  forty  miles  in  the  district,  out  of  a  total  length  of  one  hundred 

and  ten  miles.     It  is  partly  bridged,  except  the  larger  streams,  which,  however, 

are  all  fordable  during  the  open  season,  when  much  traflSc  passes  this  way.    The 

line  next  in  importance  connects   Sdgar  with  Jokdi  on  the  Mirzdpdr  road,  and 

traverses  some  thirty  miles  of  the  Damoh  district,  commencing  from  the  town 

of  Damoh  itself.     This  route  is  considerably  shorter  for  the  Mirzdpdr  and  Sdgar 

traJKc   than   that  via   Jabalpdr,  and   it   should  become   an   important  railway 

feeder.     The   only  other  line   deserving  separate   notice    is   the   road  from 

Damoh  towards  Ndgod   via  Hattd,  the  largest  town  in  the  district.     By  this 

route  all  foreign  goods  from  Mirzdpiir  and  the  Upper  Provinces  are  imported, 

and  the  surplus  cotton  produce  of  the  district  is  exported.     The  rest  of  the 

communications    are    simply    tracks.     The    most   frequented   are    two    lines 

leading    into    Bundelkhand    from    the    north-west   and    north-east    of    the 

district,  by  which  a  large  number  of  Banjdrds  carrying  grain,  and  other  traders 

who  employ  pack-bullocks,  travel  during  eight  months  of  the  year.     Another 

line  of  the  same  kind  extends  southwards,  traversing  the  entire  length  of  the 

wooded  pargana  of  Tejgarh,  and  runs  down  to  the  Narbadd  valley.     By  this 

route  a  great  deal  of  grain  finds  its  way  into  Bundelkhand.     The  only  other 

line  which  may  be  mentioned  is  a  direct  road  from  Rehlf  in  Sdgar  to  Pdtan  in 

Jabalpdr,  which  is  a  much  shorter  route  than  that  via  Damoh,  but  it  is  very 

little  used,  owing  to  the  wild  nature  of  the  country. 


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DAM  176 

The  principal  towns  in    the  district  are   Damoh,  Hatt^,    and  Hindorid. 
Principal  towns  Those  of  lesser  note  are  Narsinghgarh,  Patharia, 

^  '  Paterd,   and  Marid-Doh.     Of  these  Hattd  is  the 

richest,  and  contains  the  wealthiest  population  :  it  is  in  fact  the  emporium  of  the 
district  for  all  foreign  goods.  Hindorid  and  Paterd  are  manufacturing  towns  in 
brass  and  metals.  Marid-Doh  is  noted  for  its  cloth  and  woollen  manufactures, 
and  Patharid  and  Narsinghgarh  for  wealthy  grain-dealers. 

Two,  or  more  properly  speaking  three,  annual  fairs  are  held,  viz.  one   at 
p  .  Kundalpdr     and   two    at    Bdndakpdr,  with    an 

interval  of  one  month  between  them.  They  all 
have  their  origin  from  religious  gatherings,  but  have  now  in  course  of  time 
commenced  to  attract  large  numbers  of  visitors  and  traders  from  all  parts  of  tho 
country,  and  occupy  a  respectable  place  among  the  important  fairs  of  the 
Narbadd  country.  The  fairs  at  Bdndakpdr  are  held  in  the  latter  end  of  January 
and  February,  at  the  Basantpanchml  and  Sivardtri  festivals  respectively,  when 
thousands  of  devotees,  both  men  and  women,  visit  the  place  for  the  purpose  of 
pouring  Ganges  or  Narbadd  water  on  the  image  of  Jdgeswar  Mahddeva,  in 
fulfilment  of  vows  made  for  wishes  gratified  or  favours  solicited.  Offerings  are 
made  on  these  occasions  to  the  idol,  amounting  to  nearly  Rs.  12,000  in  the  year, 
three-fourths  of  which  are  claimed  by  the  proprietor  of  the  temple,  and  one-fourth 
by  the  priests.  The  local  legend  with  regard  to  the  origin  of  this  temple  is 
that  the  father  of  Ndgojl  Balldl,  a  respectable  Mardthd  pandit  of  Damoh,  in 
A.D.  1781  dreamed  a  dream  that  at  a  certain  spot  in  the  village  of  Bdndakpdr 
lay  buried  under  the  earth  an  image  of  Jdgeswar  Mahddeva,  and  that  if 
he  built  a  suitable  temple  over  the  spot  indicated,  the  image  would  make  its 
appearance.  On  the  strength  of  this  dream  the  pandit  built  the  temple,  and  in 
course  of  time,  it  is  asserted,  the  image  developed  itself  without  the  help  of  man ; 
hence  its  great  fame  in  the  surrounding  country.  The  share  of  the  offerings 
appropriated  by  the  proprietor  of  the  temple  is  said  to  be  expended  on 
religious. objects.  The  Kundalpdr  fair  commences  with  an  annual  gathering 
of  Jains,  immediately  after  the  Holl  festival.  A  Jain  temple  had  been  erected 
there  by  the  Ponwdr  Banids,  and  all  of  that  sect  in  the  neighbourhood  used 
to  visit  the  place  for  the  purpose  of  worshipping  their  idol  (Nemindth  or 
Pdrsvandth),  and  for  settling  all  caste  disputes.  These  disputes  used  frequently 
to  be  settled  by  the  imposition  of  fines  on  the  delinquents,  and  the  sums  thus 
realised  were  thrown  into  a  fund  for  the  repairs  of  the  temple,  and  for  embel- 
lishing its  vicinity  with  tanks,  groves,  &c.  In  this  manner,  and  from  special 
endowments,  the  number  of  Jain  temples  has  greatly  increased,  and  they  now 
attract  a  large  concourse  of  people,  of  which  traders  in  the  surrounding  country 
take  advantage. 

The  import  trade  on  the  north-east  frontier  is  considerable.     It  consists  of 
-    ,  European  and   country-made  piece-goods,  betel, 

cocoanuts,  hardware,  tobacco,  spices,  rum,  salt, 
sugar  from  Mirzdpdr  and  the  north-west.  The  imports  in  transit  through  the 
district  may  be  valued  at  thirteen  Idkhs  Of  rupees.  A  great  proportion  of  these 
is  sent  to  Sdgar  and  Bhopdl,  and  merely  passes  through  Damoh.  Salt  is  brought 
by  the  Banjdrds  in  large  quantities  from  the  Rdjputdnd  salt  lakes  via  Sdgar,  to 
supply  the  markets  of  Bundelkhand.  The  value  of  the  salt  annually  carried 
through  the  Damoh  district  has  been  estimated  at  three  Idkhs  of  rupees.  Tho 
exports  consist  of  wheat,  gram,  rice,  hides,  ghee,  cotton,  and  coarse  cloths. 


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176  DAM 

The  climate  is  on  the  whole  salubrious.     Cholera,  as  in  other  parts  of  tho 

country,  sometimes  does  sweep  over  the  district, 
CUmate,  temperature,  and  ^^   small-pox  carries   oflf  a  number  of  chadren 

annually.  Fevers  too  are  prevalent  about  the 
conclusion  of  the  monsoons,  but  not  to  so  great  an  extent  as  in  the  adjoining* 
district  of  Jabalpilr,  But  a  decrease  in  small-pox  cases  and  in  fevers  may  now  be 
confidently  looked  forward  to — in  the  one  from  the  introduction  of  vaccination 
operations,  and  in  the  other  from  an  improved  system  of  conservancy,  which  is 
gradually  being  extended  even  to  villages  in  the  interior,  which  formerly  used  to 
be  choked  up  with  filth  and  manure.  The  disease  most  common  to  the  district, 
however,  is  the  guinea- worm.  This  was  supposed  to  be  engendered  from  the 
unwholesome  water  of  the  tanks  in  and  around  Damoh,  but  as  people  in  the 
interior  of  the  district  are  as  subject  to  it  as  the  inhabitants  of  Damoh  itself, 
the  hypothesis  must  be  incorrect.  Europeans  are  seldom  or  never  attacked  by- 
it  ;  and  it  generally  breaks  out  at  the  commencement  of  the  rainy  season.  Tho 
first  attack  is  severe,  but  with  careful  treatment  the  patient  generally  recovers 
in  a  couple  of  months.  The  temperature  is  lower  than  in  the  Narbadd  valley 
districts  generally,  and  the  hot  winds  are  milder  and  of  shorter  duration  than 
in  Upper  India.  The  nights  especially  are  cool  throughout  the  year.  In  the 
winter  it  generally  rains,  and  then  the  weather  becomes  really  cold ;  heavy 
frosts  too  somecimes  occur.  The  atmosphere  is  not  nearly  so  damp  in  the  rainy 
season  as  at  Jabalpdr  or  Sdgar.  The  following  tables  give  the  average  tempera- 
ture and  rainfall  for  three  years  :— 

Tbmperatube. — In  the  shade.  Rainfall — Average  of  three  years. 

Maximum..... 105°        During  1865    55*7  inches. 

Minimum 60°  „        186t5  37'8       „ 

Medium 75*50°        „        1867  45-5      „ 

Exposed  to  the  San*«-ray8  at  4  p.m. 

Highest 130° 

Average 115°  to  120° 

The  early  history  of  an  isolated  and  unimportant  district  like  Damoh  is 
„.  necessarily  involved  in  a  good  deal  of  obscurity, 

^'  especially  as  no  remarkable  events  would  appear 

to  have  occurred  vrithin  the  district  limits,  or  in  its  immediate  vicinity,  to 
connect  it  in  any  way  with  the  general  history  of  the  country.  The  only  sources 
from  which  information  can  now  be  drawn  are  local  inquiries  based  on  popular 
tradition,  and  such  fragments  of  documents  as  our  predecessors — who  enjoyed 
greater  facilities  of  acquiring  historical  facts — may  have  left  us.  In  the  latter 
respect,  however,  Damoh  is  particularly  unfortunate,  having  lost  all  its  earlier 
records  during  the  mutinies  of  1857.  According  to  the  universally  accepted 
tradition,  the  first  known  government  in  these  parts  was  that  of  the  Chandel 
Edjputs,  commonly  called  the  *' Chandel (  RdjV  whose  seat  of  government  was 
at  Mahobd  in  Bundelkhand,  with  a  local  governor  stationed  at  Balihri  in  Jabalpdr, 
to  whom  the  territory  now  comprised  in  the  Sdgar  and  Damoh  districts  was 
subordinate.  The  Chandel  rule  is  supposed  to  have  terminated  about  the  end 
of  the  eleventh  century,  but  Durgdvati,  the  queen  of  Sangrdm  Sd,  one  of  the 
Gond  rdjds  of  Grarhd  Mandla,  who  reigned  in  the  sixteenth  century,  is  said  to 
have  been  the  daughter  of  a  Chandel  prince. 


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DAM  177 

The  only  monuments  left  by  the  Chandels  are  some  temples  known  as 
"  marhs/'  which  are  attributed  to  them,  but  they  are  entirely  devoid  of  inscrip- 
tions. 

After  the  decadence  of  the  Chandels  the  country  seems  to  have  fallen 

into  various  hands  at  different  times,  but  the  most 
^   "*  ®*  definite  of  the  local  traditions  point  to  a  period 

of  Gond  supremacy  exercised  from  KliatoM  in  Bundelkhand,  the  seat  of  a  long- 
since  extinct  Gond  principality,  and  subsequently,  as  regards  the  southern 
portions  of  the  district,  from  Chaurdgarh  in  the  Narbadd  valley,  one  of  the 
capitals  of  the  Mandla  dynasty.  The  KhatoW  principality  is  believed  to  have 
been  subverted  at  the  beginning  of  the  sixteenth  century  by  the  notorious 
Bundeld  chief,  Rdjd  Barsinghdeva  of  Orchhd,  who  established  the  head-quarters 
of  his  new  conquests  at  Dhdmonl  in  Sdgar. 

The  Mohammadan   power  had  made  itself  felt  in  the  district  from  a  very 
.  early  period.     The  first  indication    of  it  is  in  a 

o    mma  an  ru  e.  Persian  inscription  formerly  aflSxed  to  the  principal 

gateway  of  the  town  of  Damoh,  which  purports  to  have  been  put  up  during 
the  reign  of  Ghiyds-ud-dfn,  and  bears  the  date  Hijra  775  (a.d.  1373.)  The 
actual  occupation  of  the  district  by  the  Mohammadans  did  not  take  place 
till  some  two  centuries  later,  and  seems  to  have  been  accomplished  without 
much  opposition,  except  at  Narsinghgarh,  where  the  Gonds  made  a  show  of 
resistance  to  ShdhTaiyab,  the  commander  of  the  imperial  forces.  During  the 
Mohammadan  occupation,  Damoh,  Narsinghgarh  (the  name  of  which  was  changed 
by  them  to  Nasratgarh),  and  Lakhronf  were  their  principal  centres  of  authority, 
and  evidences  of  their  presence  are  still  to  be  found  there  in  the  ruins  of  forts, 
tombs,  and  mosques.  The  Mohammadan  element  in  the  population  is  now 
very  insignificant  both  in  numbers  and  in  position,  and  though  the  Kdzis  of 
Narsinghgarh  claim  descent  from  Shdh  Taiyab,  they  have  fallen  so  low  that  they 
are  glad  to  take  occupation  as  messengers  and  process-servers. 

When  the  Moghal  empire  began  to  crumble  before  the  rising   Marithd 
,  ,  -     .  power,  the  Mohammadan  hold  over  such  an  out- 

lying dependency  as  this  naturally  weakened,  and 
Chhatrasfl,  the  powerful  rdjd  of  Pannd,  took  the  opportunity  to  overrun  Sdgar 
and  Damoh,  and  to  add  them  to  his  territory,  though  he  does  not  seem  to 
have  ever  established  his  authority  over  the  Gonds  and  other  wild  tribes  of 
the  south  and  east  of  the  Damoh  district.  In  his  time  was  built  the  fort  of 
Hiitt^,  now  in  ruins.  In  the  year  a.d.  1 733  *  Rijd  Chhatrasdrs  possessions  being 
threatened  by  to  invasion  from  the  norfch  by  the  Nawdb  of  Farukhabid,  he 
had  to  solicit  assistance  from  BdjI  E4o  Peshwd.  This  assistance  was  rendered  in 
good  time,  and  the  invader  was  repulsed.  To  mark  his  sense  of  gratitude  Rijii 
Ohhatrasdl  ceded  a  third  of  his  possessions  to  the  Peshwd.  This  memorable 
cession  was  called  the  Tehrfi,  all  the  territory  held  by  Rdjd  Chhatrasal  being 
divided  into  three  equal  parts,  one  for  each  of  his  two  sons  Hirde  Shdh  and 
Jagat  Rij,  and  one  for  Bijl  Rio  Peshwd,  whom  also  he  formally  adopted.  By 
this  division  the  districts  of  Sigar  and  Julaun,  and  part  of  Damoh,  fell  to  the 
share  of  Bdj{  Rio  Peshwd ;  Shdhgarh,  Garhd  Kotd,  and  part  of  Damoh  to  that 
of  Hirde  Shdh;  Charkhdri,  Bijawar,  Jetpiir,  and  part  of  Damoh  to  that  of  Jagat 
Rij.  The  Marithds  subsequently  wrested  the  whole  of  Damoh  from  the  Bundelfe. 
It  was  some  time,  however,  before  the  petty  chiefs  and  relatives  who   held  the 

•  Grant  Duff's  Tlistory  of  the  Marath&,  Indian  Reprint,  vol.  i.  p.  370. 
23cPG 


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178  DAM 

diflTerent  parganas  during  Rijd  ChhatrasdrB  reign  could  be  induced  to  vacate  and 
hand  them  over  to  the  Peshwd's  officials^  and  some  had  to  be  ejected  by  force. 

Damoh  then  became  subordinate  to  the  governors  at  Sdgar^  the  first  of 
--    , , .     ,  whom  was  Govind  Pandit,  who  was  killed  near 

Martthft  rule.  Pdnipat  in  A.D.  1760*,  when  his  son  Bfldjf  suc- 

ceeded, and  he  in  his  turn  was  succeeded  by  his  son  Baghundth  Rdo,  alicts  A^ 
Sdhib,  in  a.d.  1800.  After  his  death  in  1802  his  widow  Rukmd  Bii  conducted 
the  government  until  the  cession  of  these  territories  to  the  British  Grovemment 
in  1817-18.  During  the  Mardthd  rule  the  district  was  administered  by  two 
principal  and  seven  subordinate  dmils  or  m&mlatddrs.  The  former  were 
stationed  at  Damoh  and  Hattd,  and  the  latter  at  Narsinghgarh,  Pathari^  Patera 
Batidgarh,  Tejgarh,  JCijh^r,  and  Kontd ;  and  there  were  as  many  parganas  in 
the  district.  The  dmils  were  all  Mardthd  pandits,  and  to  each  was  attached  a 
famavfs  or  accountant  of  the  same  class,  also  a  kdyath  k&ndngo,  who  kept 
the  fiscal  accounts  in  Hindi.  The  authority  of  the  dmils  was  supported  by  a 
military  garrison  amounting  in  all  to  some  1,600  infantry,  400  cavalry,  and 
10  guns;  but  of  course  the  full  complement  was  seldom  maintained,  although 
regularly  charged  for  in  the  annual  accounts  submitted  to  Sdgar.  For  the 
administration  of  civil  and  criminal  justice  no  regularly  salaried  agency  was  kept 
up.  There  were,  however,  several  officials  styled  "chaudharis'^  who  assisted  the 
governors  in  "  dand  mdmild  f'  that  is  to  say  in  regulating  the  amount  of  fine 
to  be  divided,  and  then  negotiating  for  its  realisation.  These  men  were  paid  by 
fees  on  the  amount  thus  realised.  The  only  punishments  recognised  by  the 
Code  of  Criminal  Procedure  were  (1)  fines  for  the  wealthy,  (2)  banishment  and 
confiscation  of  household  property  for  the  middle  classes,  and  (3)  banishment 
for  the  poorer  classes.  Civil  suits  were  neither  brought  for  hearing  nor  enter- 
tained. The  revenue  system  of  the  Marithfe  was  to  keep  as  many  villages  as 
C'lble  under  government  management,  collecting  direct  from  the  cultivators, 
es  or  ij^s  were,  however,  frequently  given  for  short  terms  from  one  to 
three  years.  The  terms  on  which  these  leases  were  given  left  but  a  very  small 
margin  of  profits  to  the  lessees,  seldom  more  than  one-tenth  of  the  rental  assets, 
and  very  often  the  demand  exceeded  the  estimated  assets  of  the  village.  The 
profits  left  to  village  lessees  were  called  *'  dupsl,"  which  would  appear  to  be  a 
contraction  of  the  words  do-biswi,  and  if  so  would  have  amounted  to  two  biswds 
in  the  bfghd  of  twenty  biswds.  Thus  one-tenth  of  the  whole  income  constituted 
the  lessee's  profits,  and  nine-tenths  were  appropriated  by  the  state.  Village 
lessees,  however,  had  the  option  of  making  what  they  could  out  of  the  cul- 
tivators, who  had  no  redress  at  all,  as  cultivating  rights  wereVot  recognised. 
Another  method  of  realising  the  revenue  was  to  tell  off  a  certain  number  of 
troops  in  arrears  of  pay  to  recover  the  amount  of  their  wages  from  khdlsa 
villages,  or  from  village  lessees,  in  the  best  manner  they  could.  The  revenue 
instalments  were  so  regulated  that  unrealisable  arrears  of  revenue  were  unknown 
in  the  Mardthi  accounts.  The  plan  adopted  was  to  fix  all  the  payments,  of 
which  there  were  three — ^and  hence  the  term  '^  tihdi  '*  for  revenue  instalments  in 
this  district — ^before  the  spring  harvest  came  on,  so  that  if  any  of  them  were  not 
made  good  at  the  appointed  time,  there  were  the  standing  crops  which  could 
at  once  be  seized.  Thus  the  first  instalment  was  taken  in ''  Sriwan^'  or  July, 
the  second  in  '*  Kdrtik^'  or  October,  and  the  third  in  "  Phdlgun  "  or  February. 
Under  such  a  system  of  revenue  administration  landed  property  quite  lost  its 

♦  Grant  DufiTs  History  of  the  Mardthas,  Indian  Reprint,  vol.  ii.  p.  104. 


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DAM  179 

valae^  the  people  were  demoralised,  and  the  cultivating  classes  reduced  to  a 
hopeless  state  of  poverty. 

Half  a  century  of  British  administration  has  now  brought  about  a  very 
difiFerent  state  of  things.  Although  our  earlier  settlements  followed  too  closely 
the  native  models,  and  for  long  depressed  the  agricultural  classes,  the  district 
now  enjoys  a  light  assessment  and  fixed  tenures,  the  result  of  which  is  already 
evident  in  the  spread  of  cultivation  and  the  very  high  market  value  of  land.* 

The  mass  of  the  population,  which  amounts  to  262,641  souls,  at  an  average 
p      ,  ^  rate  of  only  107  to  the  square  mile,  is  Hindd. 

^^       ^^'  The  Mohammadan  element,  composed  mainly  of 

the  lower  orders,  such  as  cotton-carders,  weavers,  and  the  like,is  barely  equal  to 
three  per  cent  of  the  whole.  There  are  upwards  of  sixty  diflferent  castes  or 
sects  of  Hindds ;  but  the  classes  which  prevail  most  among  the  agricultural 
population  of  the  Narbadd  valley — such,  for  instance,  as  the  Gujar,  the  Jit,  the 
Kiouri,  the  Elirdr — are  hardly  represented  in  Damoh.  The  Kurmfs  are  the 
most  numerous  caste.  Then  follow  the  Lodhis,  Chamdrs,  Qonds,  Br&hmans, 
Ahirs,  &c« 

They  may  be  roughly  classified  thus — 

Kurmfs 34,907 

Lodhis 31,980 

Chamdrs  28,401 

Gonds  26,724 

Brdhmans 23,666 

Ahirs 15,281 

Baniis  9,783 

Eijputs 9,187 

179,929  souls. 
Other  castes 82,712     „ 


Total .262,641 


}i 


Some  of  the  castes  inhabiting  the  district  are  indigenous,  and  some  have 
immigrated  in  large  bodies  from  Bundelkhand  and  the  upper  provinces  at 
remote  periods.  iSius  the  Lodhis  are  from  Bundelkhand,  and  have  now  been 
established  here  for  nearly  three  centuries.  The  principal  tfflukaddrs  and 
landholders  are  of  the  Loifiii  caste,  the  Mehdela  subdivision  predominating 
over  all  others.  The  Kurmis  too  are  foreigners,  having  immigrated  here  from 
the  Dodb  about  two  and  a  half  centuries  ago.  Then  there  are  the  aboriginal 
Gonds  and  the  Ahirs,  who,  whatever  their  origin,  appear  to  have  quite  lost  their 
nationahty  and  even  the  peculiar  patois,  which  many  castes  in  the  Narbadd 
valley  have  retained  almost  unaltered,  particularly  the  Kirfirs,  who  to  this  day 
speak  the  broad  sort  of  Hindustdni  peculiar  to  the  Farukhdbdd  people. 

The  best  agriculturists  are  decidedly  the  Kurmis,  but  they  seldom  occupy 
the  wilder  portions  of  the  district,  and  are  found  mostly  in  rich  black-soil  tracts. 
It  is  a  common  saying  that  no  Kurmf  can  exist  where  he  is  unable  to  raise  rabi 
crops.  They  are  a  most  peaceable  set  of  men,  and  have  always  been  remarkable 
for  their  loyalty  to  the  ruling  power.  They  are  very  tenacious  of  their 
ancestral  holdings,  and  seldom  alienate  rights  in  land  unless  under  the  greatest 


* 


Some  villages  sold  lately  by  auction  realised  more  than  thirty  years'  purchase. 


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180  DAM 

pressure  of  circumstances.  A  Kurmi  is  rarely  known  to  follow  any  other 
profession  but  tliat  of  agriculture,  whether  as  cultivator  or  farmer ;  and  the  real 
secret  of  their  unfailing  success  in  agricultuml  pursuits  generally  does  not 
appear  to  lie  so  much  in  their  reputed  superior  skill,  as  in  the  fact  of  the  women 
as  well  as  men  engaging  equally  in  field  work,  while  the  women  <5f  several  other 
agricultural  classes  are  precluded,  from  prejudice  or  custom,  from  assisting  the 
male  population  in  their  labours.  Scarcely  inferior  to  the  Kurmis  as  agri- 
culturists are  the  Lodhis,  who,  however,  are  the  opposite  of  the  former  in  natural 
temperament,  being  turbulent,  revengeful,  and  ever  ready  to  join  in  any  disturb- 
ance. They  make  good  soldiers,  and  are  generally  excellent  sportsmen.  Both 
among  Kurmis  and  Lodhis  there  is  no  distinction  between  a  mistress  and  wife, 
provided  always  that  the  former  is  of  the  same  caste  as  the  husband,  or  better 
still  the  widow  of  an  elder  brother  or  cousin,  however  far  removed.  The  chil- 
dren bom  from  such  connexions  are  on  an  equal  footing  as  regards  inheritance 
of  property,  whether  personal,  real,  or  ancestral,  with  those  bom  from  regularly- 
married  wives.  Large  numbers  of  the  Gonds  and  Ahirs  too  are  agriculturists. 
They  are  the  only  tribes  which  inhabit  the  wooded  and  hilly  portions  of  the 
district,  and  are  generally  poor,  of  unsettled  habits,  and  indifferaat  agricul- 
turists.    In  the  plains  they  are  principally  employed  as  farm  servants. 

Among  village  proprietors,  as  among  cultivators  and  the  population  gene- 
rally, Lodhis  occupy  the  first  place,  holding  as  they  do  316  villages  out  of  1,228, 
or  more  than  a  fourth ;  the  Kurmis  come  next  in  order,  and  hold  154  villages, 
or  fully  an  eighth;  then  the  Brdhmans,  who  hold  145;  then  Banids,  who 
hold  116  ;  and  Gonds>  who  hold  75.  Musalmdns  hold  71  villages;  but  of  this 
number  63  are  in  the  possession  of  one  family,  to  whom  a  whole  tdluka  was 
awarded  in  proprietary  right  as  a  reward  for  loyal  services  rendered  during  the 
mutinies.     The  remaining  351  are  held  by  various  castes. 

The  Lodhis  abound  in  the  parganas  of  Tejgarh,  Damoh,  Mdngarh, 
Batidgarh,  and  Kumhdrf ;  Kurmis  in  Narsinghgarh,  JDamoh,  Hattd,  Batidgarh, 
and  Fatehpdr ;  Brdhmans  in  Hattd,  Damoh,  and  Narsinghgarh ;  Gonds  in  Tejgarh 
and  Fatehpdr. 

The  district   staff  consists  of  a  Deputy  Commissioner,   an  Assistant  or 
Administrat'on  Extra- Assistant     Commissioner,     a   Civil    Medical 

Officer,  and  a  District  Superintendent  of  Police  at 
head-quarters,  with  Tahsllddrs  or  Sub-Collectors  exercising  judicial  powers  at 
Damoh  and  Hattd.  The  police  number  410  of  all  ranks;  they  have  station- 
houses  at  Damoh,  Hattd,  Mariddoh,  Batidgarh,  Patharid,  Tejgarh,  Jaberd,  and 
Kumhdri,  besides  eighteen  outposts. 

Revenues.  The  revenue  of  the  district  for  1868-69  was— 

Land  revenue Rs.  2,55,547 

Excise „  4,997 

Stamp  duties „  24,575 

Forests ,,  8,886 

Assessed  taxes  „  8,218 

Educational  cess   „  5,110 

Road  cess  „  5,110 

Postal  cess „  1,277 

Total Rs.    3,13,720 


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DAM— DAWA  181 

DAMOH-^The  southern  revenue  subdivision  or  tahsll  in  the  district  of 
the  same  name,  having  an  area  of  1,787  square  miles^  witii  798  villages^  and  a 
population  of  168,513  according  to  the  census  of  1866.  The  land  revenue  for 
the  year  1869-70  is  Es.  1,43,301. 

DAMOfl — The  head-quarters  of  the  district  of  the  same  name.  Here  reside 
the  Deputy  Commissioner  and  his  staff.  The  town  contains  1,908  houses  and 
a  population  of  8,563  souls.  Near  it  are  some  bluff  hills  which  radiate  the  heat 
in  the  hot  weather,  and  tend  to  increase  the  temperature.  In  spite  of  the  fine 
timk  called  the  Phutera  Tdl)  there  is  a  difficulty  in  obtaining  good  water.  The 
sandstone  on  which  Damoh  is  built  is  of  so  porous  a  character  that  it  does  noi 
easily  retain  water,  and  there  are  but  few  wells.  Most  of  the  old  Hindd  temples 
here  were  destroyed  by  the  Mohammadans,  and  their  materials  were  used 
to  construct  a  fort,  which  in  its  turn  has  been  destroyed,  so  that  few  buildings 
of  interest  remain.  The  inhabitants  are  mostly  Lodhis,  Kurmfs,  and  Brdhmans, 
but  there  are  also  some  Mohammadans.  Damoh  is  situated  on  the  highroad 
between  Sfigar  and  Jabalpur,  and  between  SAgar  and  Allahdbdd  via  Jokdf. 
It  is  45  miles  east  of  Sdgar,  55  north-west  of  Jabalpdr,  and  775  miles  from 
Calcutta  via  Allahdb^d* 

DATTGURLI' — A  small  estate  on  the  left  bank  of  the  Waingangfi  in  the 
north  of  the  Bhanddra  district,  which  ranks  as  a  zamlnddri  or  chiefship.  The 
total  area  is  only  1,905  acres,  of  which  two-thirds  are  under  cultivation.  There 
is  only  one  village  on  the  estate,  A  very  large  quantity  of  the  castor-oU  plant 
is  grown  here.     The  chief  is  a  Edjput. 

DANTIWAHA' — The  chief  village  of  a  subdivision  of  the  same  name  in 
the  Bastar  state.  It  derives  its  importance  from  a  celebrated  temple  to  ^'  Dantes- 
wari ''  or  Kfflf,  the  household  goddess  of  the  rdjds  of  Bastar  for  many  genera- 
tions. There  is  nothing  remarkable  about  the  building,  which  is  unpretentious. 
It  is  said  that  Moria  sacrifice  used  to  be  practised  here  in  former  years,  and 
in  front  of  the  shrine  is  the  stone-pillar  or  block  to  which  the  animals  now 
sacrificed  are  tied  up  before  being  killed.  The  village  is  situated  at  the  con- 
fluence of  the  Dankani  and  Sankani  rivers,  about  sixty  miles  distant  from 
Jagdalpdr,  and  about  one  hundred  and  twenty  from  Sironchd,  on  the  direct  route 
between  these  places  to  the  west  of  the  Bold  Dflds — a  large  and  lofty  range 
of  hills.  The  population  amounts  to  about  three  hundred  souls,  and  consists  of 
Gonds,  Bdjputs,  and  other  castes. 

DARSANI' — A  village  in  the  Jabalpdr  district,  two  miles  to  the  north- 
west of  Sihord,  containing  some  743  inhabitants.  It  is  said  to  stand  on  the 
site  of  a  legendary  town  called  A  ndhemagarf,  so  called  from  the  vices  of  its 
inhabitants. 

DAWA' — ^A  chiefship  in  the  Bhanddra  district,  about  thirty  miles  north-east 
of  Bhanddra  and  a  httle  north  of  the  Great  Eastern  Bead.  It  consists  of  twelve 
villages,  with  an  aggregate  area  of  twenty-six  square  miles,  of  which  4,709  acres 
are  under  tillage*  The  population  amounts  to  4,085  souls.  The  present  holder 
is  a  Halbd  by  caste,  and  the  majority  of  the  population  are  Gonds  and  Halbds, 
though  there  is  a  strong  colony  of  Koris  at  Kor  Seoni.  There  are  only  two 
large  villages,  in  the  estate,  viz.  Dawd  and  Kor  Seoni,  both  of  which  possess 
indigesuous  schools. 


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1S2  DEN— DEO 

DENWA' — A  river  in  the  Hoshangdbfid  district,  running  almost  in  a  rough 
Bemi^circle  round  the  scarped  cliffs  on  the  eastern  and  northern  faces  of 
the  Mahideo  hills.  It  winds  through  a  deep  glen  out  into  a  smaller  valley 
shut  off  from  the  main  Narbad^  valley  by  an  irregular  line  of  low  hills,  and 
entering  the  hills  again  towards  the  west  it  meets  the  Tawd  a  few  miles  above 

DENWA'— A  forest  reserve  in  the  Hoshang^bid  district,  with  an  area  of 
about  one  hundred  square  miles,  extending  close  under  the  Pachmaris  along  the 
valley  of  the  Denwd  river ;  it  is  a  level  tract,  with  a  good  deal  of  fine  large  sil 
woodL 

DEO-— A  river  in  the  BdUghdt  district,  which  rises  in  the  Bijdgarh  hills 
and  flows  westwards,  until,  arriving  at  a  gorge  to  the  north  of  B&npdr,  it 
turns  southwards  and  after  reaching  the  plains,  maintains  a  south-westerly 
course  until  it  empties  itself  into  the  B&gh,  about  ten  miles  to  the  south  of 
Hattd. 

DEOGARH — ^A  village  in  the  Chhindwdri  district,  situated  in  the  hills, 
about  twenty-four  miles  south-west  of  Chhindwdri.  It  was  the  ancient  seat  of 
the  midland  Gond  kingdom.  The  village  at  present  consists  of  only  fifty  or 
sixty  houses,  but  foundations  can  be  traced,  in  what  is  now  jungle,  for  a 
considerable  distance  round.  These,  with  the  numerous  remains  of  wells, 
tanks,  &c.,  show  that  the  former  city  must  have  extended  over  a  very  large 
area.  There  are  also  several  old  templeSi  Outside  the  village  the  ruins  of  a 
fine  stone  fort  are  still  standing  on  a  high  peak.  The  whole  of  the  buildings 
«;re  constructed  of  the  finest  limestone.  The  situation  of  Deogarh  is  extremely 
picturesque. 

DEOGARH— A  state  forest  in  the  west  of  the  Chhindwird  district,  of 
&l30ut  ninety  square  miles  in  extent,  and  containing  some  fine  teak  and  other 
timber. 

DE0LAPA1^-A  village  in  the  Seonl  district,  forty  miles  from  Seoul,  on 
the  Ndgpdr  road.  There  are  here  a  travelers'  bungalow,  a  road  bungalow,  a 
police  station,  and  an  encamping-ground.  The  village  is  small,  containing  some 
sixty  houses  only. 

DEOLr — A  town  in  the  Wardhi  district,  eleven  miles  to  the  south-west 
of  Wardhd,  This  has  long  been  a  place  of  importance,  and  is  now  the  second 
largest  cotton-mart  in  the  district.  The  weekly  market  which  lasts  two  days — • 
Saturday  and  Sunday — is  also  important;  it  is  well  attended,  and  much  property, 
especially  cattle  and  agricultural  produce,  changes  hands  here.  The  trade 
returns  for  the  year  from  Ist  June  1868  to  31st  May  1869  show  the  imports 
and  e:q)orts  of  Deoli,  thus — 


[Table 


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DEO 


183 


Artioles. 


Cotton    ..:.:- 

Sugar  and  gur 

Salt  

Grain     

Oil-seeds  

Metals  

English  piece-goods 
Timber  and  wood    .. 

Dyes 

Country  cloth 

Ghee  and  oil    

Cocoanuts     

Tobacco     

Spices  

Country  stationery  . . 

Hides  and  horns 

Miscellaneous  


Total. 


Cattle 


Grand  Total. 


Imports. 


Quantity. 

Mds. 

23,317 

5,890 

6,200 

60,639 

14,300 

86 

107 

1,510 

963 

1,303 

668 

127 

2,399 

8,874 

6 

71 

1,915 


113,375 


No. 
6,397 


Value. 


Rb. 

6,38,437 

47,721 

26,977 

1,26,203 

53,564 

1,672 

13,722 

4,520 

14,620 

1,23,281 

14,549 

708 

36,363 

44,910 

151 

2,052 

16,243 


10,66,693 


1,43,049 


12,08,742 


BxroBxs. 


Quantity. 

Mds. 

22,742 

482 

8,204 

8,240 

3,135 

81 

•  •  •  • 

500 

73 

306 

219 

8 

1,288 

506 


2,761 


48,495 


No. 
589 


Talae. 


6,04,848 

5,026 

16,418 

27,688 

11,815 

825 

•  •  •  • 

1,000 
1,122 
3,790 
5,624 
69 
21,210 
8,029 


7,011 


6,18,470 


12,953 


6,26,523 


A  large  and  well  arranged  market-place  has  been  constructed  at  Deoli  from 
municipal  funds,  consisting  of  rows  of  raised  and  masonry-fronted  platforms 
for  the  tents  and  stalls  of  the  traders,  with  metalled  roads  between,  and  ground 
fenced  oflf  for  the  cattle  trade.  A  special  market-place  has  been  set  aside  for 
the  cotton  merchants,  the  ground  being  here  covered  with  loose  stones  to 
preserve  the  cotton  from  dirt  and  white-ants,  and  two  raised  platforms  being 
provided  in  the  centre  for  the  cotton  to  be  weighed  at.  A  fine  broad  street 
has  been  opened  up  the  middle  of  the  town,  and  a  frontage  wall  with  masonry 
drains  built  down  either  side,  up  to  which  the  principal  resident  merchants 
are  building  their  houses.  There  is  a  good  Anglo-Vernacular  town  school  here, 
and  a  government  garden  has  recently  been  laid  out.  A  sardi  has  been 
provided  for  the  convenience  of  travellers,  with  a  set  of  furnished  rooms  for 
Europeans.  A  dispensary  is  now  being  erected,  and  the  police  have  an  outpost 
here.  The  population  amounts  to  6,333  souls,  about  a  fourth  of  whom  are 
agriculturists.  Riji  JAuoji  BhonslA,  the  representative  of  the  former  rulers  of 
Ndgpdr,  is  the  proprietor  of  Deoll,  at  a  quit-rent. 

DEORI' — ^A  chiefship  attached  to  the  Rdfpdr  district,  consisting  of  fifty 
villages,  only  nine  of  which  ai'o  under  cultivation,  and  they  are  all  poor  and 
unproductive.  It  is  situated  on  the  west  of  the,  Jonk  river  between  Kauri^  and 
Sondkhdn.  The  revenue  demand  is  only  ten  rupees.  The  grant  is  of  very 
ancient  origin,  and  the  chief  is  by  caste  a  Binjwdr  (one  of  the  aboriginal  tribes). 


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184  DEO 

DEORI' — ^The  chief  town  of  a  tract  of  the  same  name  in  the  Sigar  district, 
is  situated  about  thirty-seven  miles  south  of  Sigar,  on  the  Narsinghpdr  road,  at 
an  elevation  of  1,700  feet  above  the  sea,  in  latitude  23°  22'  north,  and  longitude 
79°  A!  east.  The  place  is  sometimes  called  Bari  Deori  to  distinguish  it  from 
another  village  of  the  same  name.  The  old  name  was  Ramgarh  Ujdrgarh,  and 
the  present  name  is  said  to  have  been  derived  from  a  temple,  which  is  still 
largely  resorted  to.  In  a.d.  1713,  according  to  tradition,  Durga  Singh,  the  son 
of  Himmat  Singh,  the  Gond  ruler  of  Q^urjhimar,  took  possession  of  the  place. 
He  enlarged  the  fort,  and  built  it  as  it  now  stands,  at  a  cost  of  about  a  Wkh  of 
rupees.  In  a.d.  1741  Deori  was  attacked  by  the  troops  of  the  Peshwi,  who 
took  the  fort  and  put  Durga  Singh  to  flight.  Under  the  Mardthis  the  popu- 
lation rapidly  increased,  and  the  town  grew  in  importance.  In  a.d.  1767 
Deori  and  the  Panj  Mahil,  or  five  tracts  attached  to  it,  were  bestowed  rent  free 
by  the  Peshwfi  on  one  Dhondo  Dattdtraya,  a  Mardthd  pandit.  In  a.d.  1813 
Zilim  Singh,  rijd  of  Garhikoti,  attacked  one  of  Dhondo  Dattfitraya^s  descend- 
ants named  Govind  Rfio,  and  having  defeated  and  killed  him,  plundered  the 
town  and  set  it  on  fire,  and  thus  nearly  destroyed  it ;  30,000  persons  are  said 
to  have  perished  in  the  conflagration.  He  appears,  however,  to  havo  made  no 
attempt  to  keep  possession  of  the  place,  and  so  fUmchandra  B^o,  the  son  of 
Govind  B^o,  succeeded  his  father. 

At  the  cession  of  Sdgar  to  the  British  Government  by  the  Peshwd  in  1817, 
the  Panj  Mahdl,  with  Deori,  wore  included  in  the  territory  ceded,  but  they  were 
made  over  to  Sindid  by  the  treaty  of  1818  for  the  adjustment  of  boundaries,* 
and  another  estate  was  assigned  by  Government  to  Rdmcliandra  Rdo  (see 
**  Pithorid'^).  In  the  year  1825t  Deori  was  again  transferred  to  the  British 
Government  for  management  by  Sindid.  At  that  time  the  country  round  was 
in  a  state  of  great  desolation,  a  number  of  the  villages  were  uninhabited,  and 
the  town  of  Deori  in  particular  was  entirely  ruined  by  the  ravages  of  Zdlim 
Sin^h  (mentioned  above).  The  Panj  Mahdl  were  finally  made  part  of  British 
territory  by  the  treaty  of  1860. J  Deori  was  at  first,  in  1827,  made  the  head- 
quarters of  a  tahsil,  including  the  subdivisions  of  Gaurjhdmar  and  NdharmaU. 
It  is  now  part  of  the  Eehli  tahsil. 

Deori  is  an  essentially  agricultural  place,  and  contains  no  very  large  houses. 
The  population  amounted  at  the  last  census  to  4,237  souls.  The  town  stands  on 
the  southern  bank  of  a  small  river  called  the  Sukhchin,  and  is  traversed  by  the 
highroad  from  Sdgar  to  Narsinghpdr.  The  chief  trade  is  in  com,  which  is 
usually  procurable  here  at  a  cheaper  rate  than  in  other  parts  of  the  district. 
A  kind  of  coarse  white  cloth  is  also  largely  manufactured  here  for  export,  and 
a  weekly  market  is  held  on  Saturdays. 

The  fort  is  situated  to  the  west  of  the  town.  It  must  have  been  a  place  of 
considerable  strength,  and  is  even  now  in  tolerable  preservation.  Within  the 
walls  is  included  a  space  of  three  acres  which  was  formerly  for  the  most  part 
covered  with  buildings,  but  is  now  a  complete  waste.  In  1857,  soon  after  the 
beginning  of  the  mutiny,  a  Gond  named  Durjan  Singh,  who  owned  SinghptSr 
and  other  villages  adjoining  Deori,  took  possession  of  the  fort  with  a  band  of 
insurgents,  and  expelled  the  ofiicers  of  government.  About  a  month  after  this, 
however,  Safdar  Husen,  the  officer  in  charge  of  the  Deori  police,  having  collected 

♦  Aitchisou's  Treaties,  vol.  iv.  p.  263. 
t  Do.  <lo.         vol  iv.  p.  2fi2. 

X         Do.  do.         vol.  iv.  p.  272. 


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DBWA— DHA  186 

a  number  of  men  from  the  neighbouring  estate  of  Pitihrd,  attacked  the  fort  and 
captured  a  number  of  rebels,  putting  the  remainder,  with  Durjan  Singh,  to  flight. 
A  dispensary  was  established  in  1862  in  a  small  native  building  on  the  north 
side  of  the  river.  There  are  here  also  a  police  station,  a  district  post-ofl5ce,  a 
customs  post,  and  three  schools — two  for  boys,  and  one  for  girls. 

DEWATiA'— A  village  in  the  Chdndd  district,  six  miles  west  of  Bhdndak. 
It  is  a  place  of  some  interest  on  ticcount  of  its  architectural  remains,  for  an 
account  of  which  see  "  Bhdndak/^ 

DEWALGA'ON — A  village  in  the  Chdndd  district,  ten  miles  south-west 
of  Wair^garh,  known  by  a  remarkable  lull  in  the  vinicity,  from  which  excellent 
iron-ore  is  quarried. 

DEWALWAHA'— A  small  village  in  the  Wardhd  district  on  the  bank  of 
the  river  Wardhi,  six  miles  west  of  A'rvf.  It  is  noted  for  the  large  fair  held 
annually  during  November  in  the  bed  of  the  river  close  by.  This  fair,  like 
most  others  in  India,  is  of  a  semi-religious  nature:  pilgrims  congregate  to 
worship  there,  and  advantage  is  at  the  same  time  taken  of  the  gathering  to  buy 
and  seU.  It  is  said  that  immediately  opposite  Dewalwdrd  stood  Kundinapdr, 
described  in  the  tenth  chapter  of  the  sacred  book  "  Bhigvat  '^  as  extending 
from  the  bank  of  the  river  Vidarbha  (modem  Wardhi)  to  Amrdotf,  which  accord- 
ing to  the  legend  was  the  capital  of  Bhlmak,  king  of  the  Vidarbha  country, 
whose  daughter  married  the  god  Krishna.  The  present  religious  gathering  is 
rather  more  than  a  century  old;  and  the  great  object  of  attraction  is  a 
fine  temple  of  the  goddess  Rukml.  The  fair  lasts  from  twenty  to  twenty-five 
days,  and  is  attended  by  pilgrims  and  merchants  from  Ndgpdr,  Puna,  N&sik, 
Jabalpdr,  &c.  The  value  of  business  done  is  estimated  at  Rs,  1,00,000  or 
Rs.  1,25,000. 

DHATi — ^A  stream  which  rises  in  the  DMmkund  (or  pool  of  the  Dhdm) 
in  the  north  of  the  Wardhd  district,  and  passing  the  towns  of  A'nji  and  Paundr 
finally  falls  into  the  Wand  near  Mdndgdon. 

DHAMDA' — A  town  in  the  Rdfpdr  district,  situated  about  twenty-four 
miles  to  the  north-west  of  Rdfpdr.  It  contains  600  houses,  with  some  2,500 
inhabitants.  Around  are  fine  groves  of  trees,  and  the  remains  of  some  tanks  of 
considerable  size,  and  of  an  old  fort,  at  one  time  the  head- quarters  of  a  Gond 
chief,  who  was  subordinate  to  the  kings  of  Ratanptlr.  On  the  conquest  of 
Chhattlsgarh  by  the  Mardthds,  the  Chief  of  Dhamdd  was  for  some  treachery 
seized  by  the  officers  of  the  Rdjd  of  Ndgpdr  and  blown  away  from  a  gun.  The 
fort  has  two  very  fin6  gateways  in  a  fair  state  of  preservation.  Dhamdd  has  a 
town  school,  a  district  post-office,  and  a  police  station-house.  Among  the 
inhabitants  are  a  great  number  of  brass-workers,  who  manufacture  the  heavy 
brass  anklets  worn  by  the  females  of  the  country. 

DHATtfONI' — ^A  village  in  the  Sdgar  district,  situated  about  twenty-nine 
miles  north  of  Sdgar,  in  latitude  24°  11'  32''  and  longitude  78°  48'  34".  It  was 
founded  about  four  hundred  years  ago  by  one  Sdrat  Sd,  a  scion  of  the  great  Gond 
dynasty  of  Mandla.  The  Gonds  were  then  rulers  of  the  whole  of  this  part  of  the 
country-  About  the  end  of  the  sixteenth  century  Rdjd  Barsingh  Deva,  the  Bun- 
deli  chief  of  the  neighbouring  state  of  Orchhd,  attacked  and  defeated  Sdrat  Sd, 
and  took  possession  of  the  fort  and  country.  He  completely  rebuilt  the  fort  and 
town  on  an  enormous  scale,  and  made  it  the  capital  of  a  large  tract  containing 
2,558  villages,  and  including  the  greater  part  of  the  present  districts  of 
24  CPG 


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186  DHA 

SAgar  and  Damob.  He  was  succeeded  by  his  son  Pahdr  Singh,  whose  rale 
continued  till  the  year  a.d.  1619,  when  the  country  became  an  integral  portion 
of  the  Delhi  empire.  The  Mohammadans  retained  it  for  about  eighty  years, 
during  which  time  it  was  ruled  by  five  successive  governors  appointed  from  Delhi. 
The  last  of  these — one  Nawfib  Ghairat  Khin — ^was,  in  about  the  year  1700,  at 
th^  time  of  the  decline  of  the  Moghal  empire,  attacked  and  defeated  by  the 
celebrated  Bundeld  chief,  Rdji  Chhatrasdl  of  Pannd.  He  at  first  assigned  the 
subdivision  of  Beherd  for  the  maintenance  of  Ghairat  Khdn,  but  after  a  short 
time  resumed  it.  ChhatrasAl  died  about  the  year  a.d.  1 735,  and  the  State  of 
Dhdmoni  remained  under  his  descendants  till  the  year  1 802,  when  Umrio  Singh, 
y  rijd  of  Pdtan,  a  small  place  near  Dhdmonf,  obtained  possession  of  the  fort  and 
country  by  treachery.  After  ruling  there  some  five  months  he  was  himself 
attacked  and  defeated  by  the  army  of  the  Rdjd  of  Ndgpdr,  who  annexed  the 
country.  In  a,d.  1818,  soon  after  the  defeat  and  flight  of  A  pi  Sdhib,  rdjd  of 
Ndgpdr,  the  fort  was  invested  by  a  British  force  under  General  Marshall,  who, 
having  ineffectually  offered  the  garrison  Rs.  10,000  in  payment  of  arrears  of 
pay,  on  condition  of  immediate  evacuation,  opened  batteries  against  the  place 
with  such  effect  that  in  six  hours  it  was  yielded  unconditionally.  Dhimonf  thus 
came  under  British  rule,  but  the  tract  then  had  been  reduced  from  its  former 
dimensions  to  thirty-three  villages  only. 

The  present  condition  of  the  place  is  desolate  and  miserable  in  the  extreme, 
the  whole  population  being  little  more  than  one  hundred  souls.  The  ruins  of 
mosques,  tombs,  and  buildings  that  may  be  seen  for  nearly  a  mile  round  the  fort 
and  lake  show  what  a  large  and  important  town  it  must  have  been,  especially 
during  the  Mohammadan  rule.  The  town  is  situated  to  the  west  of  the 
fort,  and  the  lake,  which  is  of  considerable  size,  to  the  south-west  of  the  town^ 
The  supply  of  water  is  very  good,  and  the  soil  near  the  village  is  remarkably 
fertile,  as  is  shown  by  the  luxuriant  and  varied  vegetation.  Inside  and  close 
to  the  fort  are  large  groves  of  custard-apple  trees. 

The  fort  stands  on  an  eminence  at  a  short  distance  from  the  summit  of  the 
ghdts  leading  to  Bundelkhand,  and  commands  the  valley  of  the  river  Dhasdn« 
It  is  of  a  triangular  ground-plan,  and  encloses  a  space  of  fifty-two  acres. 
The  ramparts  ai'e  in  general  fifty  feet  high,  and  in  most  parts  fifteen  feet  thick^ 
with  enormous  round  towers.  There  are  besides  interior  works  strengthening 
the  defences  of  the  eastern  quarter,  where  the  magazine  and  oflScers'  quarters 
were  probably  situated. 

DHAMTARI' — The  southern  revenue  subdivision  or  tahsfl  in  the  Rdfpdr 
district,  having  an  area  of  2,089  square  miles,  with  1,140  villages,  and  a  popula- 
tion of  228,575  according  to  the  census  of  1866.  The  land  revenue  of  the 
tahsfl  for  the  year  1869-70  is  Rs.  1,22,169-4-0. 

DHAMTARI^ — The  largest  and  most  important  town  in  the  southern 
portion  of  the  Rfiipdr  district.  It  is  situated  thirty-six  miles  to  the  south  of 
Rdfpdr,  and  is  the  head-quarters  of  a  tahsfl  (sub-coUectorate).  It  contains 
1,500  houses  and  4,632  inhabitants.  It  is  not  a  place  of  any  great  antiquity,  nor 
is  there  anything  remarkable  connected  with  it.  The  main  road  from  the  north 
to  the  territories  of  Bastar  and  Kinker  passes  through  the  town.  The  country 
around  is  level,  and  the  soil  of  great  fertility.  The  crops  of  wheat,  rice,  cotton, 
oil-seeds,  and  sugarcane  are  not  surpassed  in  any  other  part  of  Chhattfsgarh. 
Here  are  a  town  school,  a  girls*  school,  a  dispensary,  a  post-office,  and  a  police 
station-house.  There  are  also  several  lac  agencies,  which  purchase  the  raw 
material  as   brought  in  by  the  collectors  from  the  jungles,  and  export  from. 


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DHA-DON  187 

2,000  to  2,400  buUock-loads  yearly.  The  lac  is  bought  on  the  stick  called  Jcdri, 
and  is  cleaned  at  the  agents^  godowns  by  women.  The  loss  in  weight  may  on 
the  average  be  put  down  as  four  to  five  maunds  in  the  bojha  of  twelve  maunds. 
Thus  cleaned  it  is  styled  dal;  it  is  then  bruised  small,  and  having  been  securely 
pckcked  for  export  in  gunny  bags,  is  removed  on  the  backs  of  bullocks. 
Banjdr^  reckon  the  bojha  of  lac  at  eight  maunds,  or  128  seers,  and  for  each  such 
bojha  receive  from  Es.  5-12-0  to  Rs.  6-4-0  for  transport  to  Mirzdpdr,  or  Rs.  4  to 
Jabalpdr. 

DHANORA' — A  zamlndiri  in  the  Chdndd  district,  situated  twenty-three 
miles  east-south-east  of  Wairdgarh,  and  containing  twenty  villages. 

DHANORI'— A  village  in  the  A'rvi  tahsil  of  the  Wardhd  district,  situated 
about  twenty-six  miles  north-west  of  Wardhd.  It  contains  1,100  inhabitants, 
principally  cultivators,  with  some  dyers  and  weavers.  Only  separated  from 
Dhanori  by  a  small  stream  (which  dries  up  in  the  hot  season)  is  the  village  of 
Bahddurpur.  The  two  are  so  close  together  that  their  names  are  often  joined. 
Dhanori  contains  a  village  school  and  a  police  outpost.  A  small  market  is  held 
here  every  Friday. 

DHATEWA'RA'— A  small  town  in  the  Ndgpdr  district,  bisected  hf  the 
Chandrabhdgd,  and  in  the  midst  of  a  plain  of  great  fertility.  It  is  twenty  miles 
north-west  of  Ndgpdr,  and  equidistant  between  Kalmeswar  and  Sdoner.  The 
population  amounts  to  4,566,  of  whom  a  great  proportion  are  Koshtfs,  employed 
in  the  manufacture  of  cotton -cloth.  The  manufacture  of  cotton  goods  was 
established  here  earlier  than  in  almost  any  other  town  in  the  district,  so  that  the 
skilled  workmen  of  the  place  have  been  in  much  demand  elsewhere.  The  fort, 
which  stands  in  a  commanding  position  overlooking  the  town  and  the  river, 
was  built  for  protection  against  the  Pindhdris  about  sixty  years  ago.  The  town 
is  well-drained,  clean,  and  healthy. 

DHASA'N — This  river  rises  in  Bhopdl,  a  few  miles  to  the  north  of  Sfrmad, 
at  an  elevation  of  some  2,000  feet.  After  a  course  of  ten  or  twelve  miles  it 
enters  the  Sdgar  district,  through  which,  after  flowing  about  sixty  miles,  it  runs 
along  the  southern  boundary  of  the  Lalatpdr  district  of  the  North- West  Pro- 
vinces, and  finally  falls  into  the  Betwd.  Its  total  length  may  be  about  220  miles. 
On  the  road  between  Sdgar  and  Rdhatgarh  it  is  crossed  by  a  stone  bridge. 

DHmiA' — A  village  in  the  Seonf  district,  situated  thirteen  miles  to  the 
north  of  Lakhnddon,  and  thirty -four  miles  from  Jabalpdr  on  the  Northern  Road 
at  an  elevation  of  1,800  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea.  There  are  here  a  school, 
encamping-ground,  police  station,  a  travellers'  bungalow  and  road  bungalow. 
The  population  exceeds  1,000  souls. 

DIN  A' — A  river  in  the  Chdndd  district,  which  rises  in  the  north  of  the 
Ahirf  zaminddrf,  and  after  a  southerly  course  of  twenty- five  miles  falls  into  the 
Pranhitd  a  little  below  Bori. 

DOMA' — A  flourishing  village  in  the  Chdndd  district,  situated  under  a 
western  bluff  of  the  Perzdgarh  range,  fourteen  miles  north-east  of  Chimdr. 
It  is  held  in  mokhdsa  tenure  by  a  Mardthd  sarddr,  whose  ancestor  was  present 
with  Raghojf  L  at  the  conquest  of  Chdndd.  About  a  mile  east  of  Domd  is  the 
Mugdaf  spring. 

DONG ARG  AON — A  prosperous  village  in  the  Chdndd  district,  twenty-six 
miles  south-west  of  Brahmapuri,  possessing  a  very  fine  irrigation-reservoir. 

DONGARGARH — A  small  village,  situated  in  the  south-east  of  the 
Khairdgarh  zamfnddrf,  attached  to  the  Rdipdr  district.    It  was  once  a  town  of 


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188  DON— DIIM 

importance,  and  a  large  weekly  market  is  still  held  here.  The  place  is  now 
chiefly  remarkable  for  the  ruins  of  the  fort,  which  must  have  been  a  place  of 
considerable  strength.  Its  remains  are  still  visible  along  the  north-east  base 
of  a  detached  oblong  rocky  hill,  about  four  miles  in  circuit,  near  the  village.  The 
spurs  of  the  hill,  which  is  very  steep,  and  covered  with  large  boulders,  were 
connected  by  walls  of  rude  and  massive  masonry,  inside  of  which  tanks  were 
dug;  and  there  are  traces  of  a  deep  fosse  beyond  the  walls.  There  are  no 
remains  of  buildings  on  the  hill,  nor  can  any  vestiges  of  military  works  on  any 
of  its  other  faces  be  traced.  Indeed  no  other  defences  were  necessary,  as  the 
hill  is  in  most  parts  all  but  inaccessible.  It  must,  however,  if  held  for  any  time 
have  required  a  very  large  garrison :  and  it  is  hard  to  see,  in  the  absence  of  any 
building  for  storing  grain,  how  the  necessary  garrison  could  have  been  fed 
during  a  long  siege. 

DONGARTATi— A  village  in  the  Seonl  district  at  the  foot  of  the  ghdts, 
celebrated  for  its  breed  of  cattle,  and  inhabited  by  Gaulis.  It  is  situated  on 
the  old  road  between  Seoni  and  Ndgpdr,  and  is  not  far  from  Deolapfo,  through 
which  the  new  road  runs.  There  are  here  a  very  fine  tank  and  the  ruins  of 
an  old  fort,  both  of  which  are  attributed  to  Tdj  Khdn,  the  ancestor  of  the 
Dl^ins  of  Seoni. 

DRU'G — The  western  revenue  subdivision  or  tahsll  in  the  lUiptlr  district, 
having  an  area  of  977  square  miles,  with  516  villages,  and  a  population  of 
168,403  according  to  the  census  of  1866.  The  land  revenue  of  the  tahsfl  for 
the  year  1869-70  is  Ite.  1,38,131. 

DRU'G — A  town  in  the  R^fpdr  district,  situated  on  the  Great  Eastern  Boad, 
twenty-four  miles  to  the  west  of  Rdfpdr;  is  the  head-quarters  of  the  tahsfl 
(sub-collectorate)  of  the  same  name.  The  fort,  now  in  a  dismantled  condition, 
is  knoYm  to  be  of  great  antiquity.  The  MarithAs  made  it  their  base  of  opera- 
tions in  A.D.  1740-41,  when  they  overran  the  Ghhattfsgarh  country.  Besides 
occupying  the  fort,  they  formed  an  intrenched  camp  on  the  high  ground  on 
which  the  town  stands,  and  from  which  a  clear  view  of  the  surrounding  country 
is  obtainable,  thus  rendering  a  surprise  next  to  impossible.  Drdg  now  con- 
tains about  500  houses  and  2,200  inhabitants.  The  cloths  manufactured  here 
are  celebrated  throughout  the  district  for  their  excellence.  The  public  institu- 
tions are  a  tahsfli,  a  police  station-house,  a  girls^  school,  a  town  school,  a  post- 
office,  a  travellers^  resthouse,  and  a  dispensary. 

DUDHI' — A  river  rising  in  the  Chhindwdrfi  district  and  flowing  into  the 
Narbadd  after  a  course  of  some  fifty  miles.  For  the  greater  part  of  its  course  it 
divides  the  Hoshangdbdd  and  Narsinghpdr  districts.  It  is  crossed  by  a  railway 
bridge  near  the  village  of  Junhetd  in  the  Hoshangdbdd  district. 

DUDHMAXA' — A  small  zamfnddri  or  chiefship  in  the  Chdndd  district, 
situated  seventeen  miles  south-east  of  Wair&garh.     It  contains  thirteen  villages. 

DUMAGUDEM — ^The  head-quarters  of  the  Upper  Gt)ddvari  navigation 
works,  distant  about  one  hundred  and  twenty  miles  from  Sironchd  and  one 
hundred  and  twenty  miles  from  EUor.  A  magistrate  resides  here  permanently, 
and  the  place  has  a  post-office,  telegraph  office,  and  police  station-house.  There 
is  regular  communication  with  R^jdmandri  and  the  coast  by  river  for  six  months, 
and  more  or  less  for  the  remainder  of  the  year,  by  tramway  for  twenty  miles  to 
Gollagudem,  and  thence  by  steamer  or  boat.  The  Church  Mission  Society  have 
a  branch  establishment  here,  besides  several  schools  in  the  village  and  in  its 
vicinity. 


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EKA— BRAN  189 

E 

EKA'LA' — ^A  pleasantly  situated  and  thriving  village  in  the  ChdndA  district, 
twenty  miles  south  of  Brahmapurf,  possessing  a  very  fine  irrigation-reservoir. 

ERAN — The  chief  village  of  a  tract  of  the  same  name  in  the  Sigar  district, 
about  forty-eight  miles  west  of  Sdgar.  It  contains  107  houses,  with  446  inhabi- 
tants. The  following  account  of  the  antiquities  for  which  it  is  famous  was 
contributed  by  General  Cunningham  to  the  Journal  of  the  Asiatic  Society  of 
Bengal*  in  August  1847  : — 

'*  Ehrin,  in  the  Sigar  territory,  is  now  a  village  on  the  left  bank  of  the 
Beaia  near  its  junction  with  the  Betwah,  about  twenty-five  miles  N.E.  from 
Serong ;  but  it  appears  once  to  have  been  a  town  of  some  local  repute.  Small 
copper  coins  can  still  be  found  after  each  successive  annual  denudation  of 
the  mounds  which  mark  its  site;  and  several  adjoining  monuments  of  stono 
— remains  perhaps  of  an  extensive  integral  series — ^make  the  place  well 
known  for  many  miles  around.  Some  of  the  coins  accompany  this  letter, 
but  nothing  perhaps  can  be  made  of  them.f 

^'  The  most  remarkable  of  the  monumental  remains  is  Vishnu,  manifest 
as  the  Boar.  The  animal  stands  about  ten  feet  high,  with  his  snout  in 
the  air,  and  it  is  in  length  perhaps  twelve  feet.  The  body  is  carved  all  over 
with  successive  rows  of  small  figures,  having  the  short  tunic  and  high  cap  or 
head-dress  remarked  at  Oodehghir  and  Satcheh.  A  band,  ornamented 
with  human  figures  seated,  encircles  the  neck  of  the  animal.  The  tongue 
projects,  and  supports  a  human  figure  erect  on  its  tip.  A  young  female, 
here  as  at  Oodehghir,  iiangs  by  the  arm  by  the  right  tusk,  while  the  breast 
is  occupied  with  an  inscription,  of  which  a  copy  hai  been  made  as  accurately 
as  its  mutilated  state  and  the  shortness  would  allow.j: 

'^  The  Boar  itself  is  ill-shaped,  but  the  human  figures  show  more  skill 
in  design. 

"  To  one  side  of  this  '  Owtar^  stands  a  four-armed  divinity,  twelve  or 
fourteen  feet  high.  His  habiliments  are  Indian ;  that  is,  his  loins  are  girt. 
He  has  a  high  cap  or  head-*dress,  while  round  his  neck  and  reaching  to  his 
feet  there  is  a  thick  ornamental  cord  resembling  a  modem  '  boa,'  with  its 
ends  joined.  The  vestibule  of  a  small  cupola  which  once  probably  covered 
this  statue  is  still  standing.  On  these  entrance  columns  are  seen  figures  who 
wear  the  Juneeao  or  thread  of  the  noble  Indian  races,  in  addition  to  the 
ornamental  cord  above  described.  Other  devices  consist  of  twisted  snakes, 
suspended  bells,  of  figures  of  elephants,  fishes,  frogs ;  of  women  naked, 
recumbent,  and  giving  suck  to  children ;  and  of  seated  Buddhas.  There 
are  also  many  faces  of  Satyrs  filling  bosses  or  compartments. 

''  Behind  a  small  pillared  temple  there  still  stands  a  figure  with  the 
face  perhaps  of  a  lion,  but  with  a  human  body  and  with  human  limbs. 

''The  above  three  figures  form  one  row  or  series,  with,  however, 
other  undescribed  remains  between  them  or  beyond  them.  In  front  of 
them  there  are  three  figures  of  couching  lions,  and  in  front  of  these  again 

♦  No.  cbtxxi.  pp.  760,761. 

t  *'  Small,  square,  and  much  worn  copper  coins,  with  the  bodhi  tree,  swastica,  and  other 
Buddhist  emblems."— [Eds  .] 

X  "  This  inscription  has  been  published,  with  a  translation,  in  vol.  vii.  p.  632  of  the  Journal." 

—[Eds.] 


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190  FAT—GAD 

are  two  columns,  or  rather  one  pillar  and  a  fragment,  and  a  small  temple, 
half  buried  in  the  soil.  The  column  has  a  broad  base ;  for  about  fifteen 
feet  the  shaft  is  square,  and  for  about  ten  feet  more  it  is  round.  The  bell 
capital,  described  at  Satcheh,  occupies  perhaps  two  feet ;  a  second  capital,  so 
to  speak,  adds  three  feet  more  to  the  height,  and  forms  a  pedestal  for  a  small 
double-frontyed  four-armed  statue.  On  this  column  there  is  likewise  an 
inscription,  which  has  been  copied  as  well  as  time  and  decay  would  allow. 

*^  Among  the  many  figures  carved  on  fallen  pillars,  the  use  of  the 
Juneeao  majr  be  observed ;  and  the  whole  of  the  remains  are  attributed  to 
one  Raja  Behrat.'^ 
It  may  be  added  that  these  remains  are  principally  interesting  on  account 

of  the  inscription  on  the  column,  from  which  the  date  of  Buddhagupta,  of  the 

great  Gupta  line  of  Magadha,  is  established. 


FATBHPU'R — A  large  village  in  the  Hoshangdbad  district,  situated  on 
the  outer  slope  of  the  low  limestone  hills  which  shut  in  the  Denwi  valley  just 
below  the  Mahideo  mountain.  The  road  from  Bdnkheri  up  to  Pachmari  passes 
through  this  place,  which  was  formerly  of  some  importance  as  being  the  resi- 
dence of  an  old  family  of  Gond  r^j^s,  who  held  a  kind  of  semi-independent 
dominion  over  the  surrounding  country  from  the  days  of  the  Mandla  dynasty 
down  to  our  own  times.  The  present  repr^sentative8  of  the  line  hold  large  pro- 
prietary estates  in  the  neighbourhood,  and  still  live  at  Fatehpdr.  Tdtia  Topii 
passed  this  way  to  the  Sdtpurds  in  1858.  » 

FINGESWAR— A  chiefship  attached  to  the  Eiipdr  district,  and  situated 
thirty  miles  to  the  south  of  Raipdr.  It  is  said  to  have  been  granted  in  a.d,  1579 
to  an  ancestor  of  the  present  family.  It  consists  of  eighty  villages,  and  contains 
some  valuable  forests.     The  chief  is  by  caste  a  Rij-Gond. 

G 

GA'DARWA'RA' — The  western  revenue  subdivision  or  tahsfl  of  the 
Narsinghpdr  district,  having  an  area  of  654  square  miles,  with  361  villages,  and 
a  population  of  147,280  souls  according  to  the  c  ensus  of  1866.  The  land 
revenue  of  the  tahsil  for  the  year  1869-70  is  Rs.  1,70,884.  G&d&rwivi  is  the 
most  flourishing  portion  of  the  Narsinghpdr  district. 

GADARWA'RA' — A  flourishing  commercial  town  in  the  Narsinghpdr  dis- 
trict, situated  on  an  undulating  piece  of  land  on  the  left  bank'of  the  river  Shakar, 
with  two  main  streets,  which,  though  narrow,  are  well-kept.  The  supply 
of  water  is  abundant,  there  being  besides  the  river  Shakar,  which  has  a 
perennial  stream,  seven  masonry  and  twenty-eight  unlined  wells.  The  popula- 
tion consists  of  5,523  souls,  the  majority  of  whom  are  tradesmen  and  artisans. 
The  preponderating  castes  are  Brihmans,  Rdjputs,  and  Kurmls.  Gddarwdrd  is 
the  centre  of  a  brisk  and  extensive  trade  in  cotton,  salt,  and  grain.  Khdrwi 
cloth  and  "  chhdntf^^  are  manufactured  here.  Some  of  the  bankers  are  known  to 
be  men  of  means,  and  among  these  may  be  mentioned  Seo  Baksh  and  Mohanlfl 
S^th,  who  have  shown  their  public  spirit  by  building  a  large  resthouse,  at 
a  cost  of  Rs.  5,825.  The  public  offices  of  the  fiscal  and  judicial  officers  and 
of  the  police  inspector  are  in  the  small  fortress  on  the  banks  of  the  Shakar,  the 
outer  walls  of  which  are  said  to  have  been  built  by  a  family  of  Gond-Rdjputs 


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GAD— GAR  191 

for  their  own  protection  in  the  early  part  of  the  Mardthd  rule.  Government 
offices  were  built  within  the  quadrangle  by  Lachhman  Sahl  on  his  appointment 
by  Nawdb  Sddik  AH  KhSn,  the  governor  of  the  province,  as  kamdvisddr  of  the 
district,  in  Samvat  1863  (a.d.  1806).  Thenceforward  the  town  rose  in  impor- 
tance, and  the  population  and  trade  increased.  Its  position  is  commercially  a 
good  one,  being  situated  on  the  bifurcation  of  the  roads  to  Jabalpdr  and  Sdgar. 
There  is  a  boys'  school  here  of  the  town  school  grade,  with  an  English  class. 
Two  markets  are  held  weekly — one  on  Monday  and  the  other  on  Friday.  The 
station  of  Narsinghpdr  is  distant  twenty -eight  miles  by  the  main  road. 

GADHAIRI' — An  aflBuent  of  the  Sunir  in  the  Sdgar  district.  On  the 
ground  at  the  confluence  of  the  Gadhairi  and  Sundr  stands  the  town  of 
Garhdkotd. 

GAISA'BA'D — A  village  in  the  Damoh  district,  on  the  road  from  Hattd  to 
Ndgod,  sixteen  miles  from  the  former  place,  on  the  left  bank  of  the  Bairmd. 
It  now  contains  only  237  houses,  with  a  population  of  874  souls,  but  was  an 
important  place  under  the  Bundelds.  An  annual  fair  is  still  held  here,  and  there 
are  a  police  outpost  and  a  government  school, 

GANDAI — A  chiefship  attached  to  the  Rdipdr  district,  lying  at  the  foot  of 
the  Sdletekri  hills,  about  fifty-six  miles  to  the  north-west  of  Rdfpdr.  It  was 
once  much  larger,  but  in  a.d.  1828,  by  the  sanction  of  the  Rdjd  of  Ndgpdr,  the 
estate  was  dtvided  into  three  parts,  and  given  to  the  three  sons  of  the  former 
holder.  This  portion  now  consists  of  eighty-five  villages  only.  The  chief  is  by 
caste  a  Gond. 

GANESGANJ — A  small  village  in  the  Seoni  district,  with  an  encamping- 
ground,  situated  on  the  Northern  Road,  32  ^  miles  to  the  north  of  Seon(.  There 
is  here  a  bridge  of  five  arches  over  the  Bijnd. 

G  ANJA'L — A  stream  in  the  Hoshangdbad  district,  which  rises  in  the  Sdtpurd 
hills,  and  after  traversing  the  plain  between  Seoni  and  Hardd  falls  into  the 
Moran,  and  so  joins  the  Narbadd.  During  the  rainy  season  it  is  a  mountain- 
torrent,  impassable  when  the  floods  are  out,  but  for  the  rest  of  the  year  it  is  a 
clear  shallow  stream,  flowing  over  a  deep  gravelly  bed. 

GARHA' — In  the  Jabalpdr  district,  once  the  capital  of  the  Gond  dynasty  of 
Grarhd  Mandla,  whose  ancient  keep,  known  as  the  Madan  Mahal,  still  crowns  the 
low  granite  range,  along  the  foot  of  which  the  town  is  built.  These  hills  form  a 
detached  group  of  about  two  miles  in  length,  and  the  town  extends  itself  for  about 
the  same  distance.  Tradition  gives  Garhd  a  great  antiquity,  and  it  probably 
existed  before  the  Christian  era.  Its  decline  in  importance  dates  from  the 
removal  of  the  Gond  dynasty  to  Singaurgarh,  and  subsequently  to  Mandla.  The 
Mahal  was  built  about  a.d.  1100  by  Madan  Singh,  and  is  now  a  ruin.  Under 
it,  to  the  west,  is  the  beautiful  Gangd  Sdgar  tank,  and  near  it  is  the  large  sheet 
of  water  called  the  Bdi  Sdgar.  The  trade  of  Garhd  is  insignificant,  though  the 
place  consists  of  1,045  houses,  and  has  4,126  inhabitants.  There  is  an  excellent 
government  school  here,  numbering  about  100  scholars ;  and  there  was  formerly 
a  mint  in  which  an  inferior  rupee  called  the  Bdld  Shdhl  was  coined,  which  was 
current  throughout  Bundelkhand.  The  mint  was  in  full  operation  when  Mr. 
Daniel  Leckie  passed  through  the  place  in  1790.  Grarhd  is  90  miles  S.E.  from 
Sdgar,  200  S.W.  from  Allahdbdd,  303  S.  from  A'gra,  and  273  W.  from  Mhow. 

GARHA^OTA' — The  chief  town  of  a  tract  of  the  same  name  in  the  Sdgar 
district,  situated  in  an  angle  formed  by  the  rivers  Sundr  and  Gadhairf,  about 
twenty-seven  miles  east  of  Sdgar,  and  two  hundred  and  six  miles  south-west  of 


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192  GAR 

Allahdbid,  in  north  latitude  23°  47',  and  east  longitude  79°  12'.  It  contains 
2,553  houses  and  10,330  inhabitants,  and  has  an  elevation  of  about  1,435  feet 
above  the  sea.  The  place  is  supposed  to  have  been  founded  by  the  Gonds  about 
four  hundred  years  ago,  the  whole  of  the  adjacent  country  being  also  probably  at 
the  time  under  their  rule.  They  remained  in  possession  till  about  a.d.  1629,  when 
a  RSjput  rdjd  named  Chandra  S&  came  down  from  Bundelkhand  and  expelled 
them.  He  built  the  fort,  which  is  now  standing,  between  two  small  streams — 
the  Gradhairi  and  Sundr.  His  descendants  retained  the  place  till  a.d.  1703  when 
Hirde  Sd,  son  of  the  famous  Bundeli  chief  Chhatra  H&l,  r&ji  of  Pann^  invaded 
the  country  and  took  the  fort,  giving  the  Rijput  chief  in  lieu  the  single  village  of 
Naiguwdn  in  Rehlf,  which  is  still  held  on  a  quit-rent  by  one  of  his  descendants 
named  Guldb  Singh.  Soon  after  this  Hirde  o&  built  another  town  east  of  the  fort 
on  the  other  side  of  the  river,  and  called  it  after  his  own  name — Hirde  Nagar. 
He  also  improved  and  enlarged  the  fort  and  town.  He  died  in  a.d.  1739,  and 
for  three  generations  after  him  the  territory  remained  undisturbed.  But  in  the 
year  a.d.  1744,  during  the  reign  of  Subha  Singh,  a  younger  brother  named  Prithvi 
Singh,  who  had  failed  in  obtaining  what  he  considered  a  proper  share  of  the 
inheritance,  invited  the  Peshwi  to  his  assistance,  promising  that,  if  the  territory 
should  be  recovered  for  him,  a  fourth  of  its  revenues  should  be  paid  regularly 
to  that  power.  This  being  agreed  on,  troops  were  despatched,  by  whom  Subha 
Singh  was  defeated,  and  Prithvi  Singh  set  up  as  ruler  of  the  town  and  tract 
of  Garhikotd  with  other  subdivisions  adjoining.  In  a.d.  1810,  when  Mardan 
Singh,  a  descendant  of  Prithvi  Singh,  was  in  possession,  the  Biji  of  Ndgpdr 
invested  the  fort.  After  some  fighting  Mardan  Singh  was  killed,  on  which  his 
son  Arjun  Singh  begged  assistance  fiom  Sindii,  promising  that  if  efiectual 
reUef  was  afibrded,  one-half  of  the  territory  should  be  ceded  to  him.  Sindid 
acceded  to  these  terms,  and  despatched  an  army  under  the  command  of  Colonel 
Jean  Baptiste.  The  latter  defeated  and  put  to  flight  the  Ndgpdr  troops,  and 
according  to  the  stipulation  retained  possession  of  M^lthon  and  Grarhdkoti, 
leaving  to  Arjun  Singh  the  country  of  Shihgarh  with  other  territory.  Baptiste 
remained  at  GarhfikotA  for  some  time  as  governor  of  the  fort.  Some  eight  years 
after  this,  in  a.d.  1819,  Arjun  Singh  managed  by  treachery  again  to  seize  the 
fort.  After  he  had  been  there,  however,  for  about  six  months  he  was  ejected  by 
General  Watson  with  a  British  force.  The  place  was  taken  possession  of  on 
behalf  of  Sindid,  but  the  management  of  the  country  was  carried  on  by  the 
British,  the  revenues  being  annually  accounted  for  to  the  Gwalior  darbar,  till 
A.D.  1861,  when  an  exchange  of  territories  was  effected,  and  Sindid's  nominal 
possession  was  terminated. 

Garhdkot&  is  now  one  of  the  largest  and  most  flourishing  towns  in  the  Sdgar 
district.  It  consists  in  fact  of  two  towns,  viz.  Gbrhdkotd  and  Hirdenagar, 
the  former  situated  on  the  west,  and  the  latter  on  the  east,  bank  of  the 
river  Sun  fir.  It  is  in  Hirdenagar  that  all  the  trade  of  the  place,  which  is 
considerable,  is  carried  on ;  but  Garhfikotfi  has  always  been  the  name  of  the 
combined  towns.  The  chief  articles  of  manufacture  are  red  cloths  called 
''  idhi"  and  ^'  pathl,^'  worn  chiefly  by  women.  Gur,  or  coarse  sugar,  is  also 
largely  produced  and  exported.  Grain,  especially  rice  and  wheat,  is  also  sent 
both  north  and  south.  A  market  is  held  here  every  Friday,  and  is  well  attended. 
The  chief  articles  of  sale  are  cattle,  grain,  and  cloths.  Native  and  English. 
A  large  fair  is  also  held  here  yearly,  generally  lasting  for  six  weeks,  commencing 
from  the  18th  of  January.  It  is  essentially  a  cattle  fair,  and  is  usually  attended 
by  about  30,000  people,  who  bring  their  cattle  from  Gwalior,  Bhopdl,  Bundel- 
khand, Nagptir,  and  most  districts  of  the  Central  Provinces.     Besides  cattle^ 


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GAR 


193 


fruit  and  eatables  of  every  description,  copper  and  brass-wares,  and  cloth  of  all 
kinds,  are  exposed  for  sale.  According  to  an  ancient  custom  a  small  fee  is 
levied  for  the  registration  of  sales  of  cattle  at  this  fair.  The  total  fees  some- 
times amount  to  as  much  as  Rs.  5,000  per  annum. 

The  accompanying  table  exhibits  the  Imports  and  Exports  of  the  town  of 
Garhdkotfi  for  the  year  1868-69  :— 


Articles. 

Imports. 

Exports. 

Qaantity. 

Value. 

QjiMitity. 

Value. 

Cotton 

Mds. 

88 

1,375 

421 

3,713 

2,261 

4,768 

986 

226 

209 

143 

1 

827 

"125 

""io2 

22 

3 

183 
461 
215 

4,617 

Rs. 

1,810 

10,500 

3,980 

9,253 

7,782 

9,391 

2,599 

5,322 

14,743 

9,083 

10 

4,572 

1,'819 

790 

40 

91 

427 

80,449 

3,017 

2,463 

Mds. 

6,160 

549 

7,869 

5,819 

507 

6,414 

408 

74 

34 

588 

76 

84 

""i*08 

'""20 
42 

6 

144 
541 

8*103 

Rs. 

83,897 
6,477 

Sagfar  and  erur     

Salt  

5,183 

Wheat  

15,949 

Rice , 

Other  edible  grains 

2,290 

14,818 

1,303 

2,890 

Oil-seeds  of  all  descriptions  ... 
Metals  and  hardware  ,  ....••••.. 

Bdsrlish  piece-eroods    

4,551 

Country  cloth , 

30,028 
673 

Lac   *....•..•..• 

Tobacco    

851 

Spices  , , 

Country  stationery 

1,615 

Silk  and  silk  cocoons , 

Dyes •«....•....... 

215 

Hides  and  horns 

570 

Opiam  

Wool 

113 

Timber  and  wood   • «... 

2,200 

Ghee  and  oil    i 

9,647 

Cocoanu  ts 

Miscellaneous 

17,912 

Total 

20,246 

1,69,583 

31,996 

2,00,682 

Horses 

No. 

85 
1,233 
2,220 

Rs. 

1,000 
6,982 
2,275 

No. 

"245 
1,825 

Rs. 

Cattle   

5,400 
2,173 

Sheep    

Total 

3,488 

10,257 

2,070 

7,573 

Grand  Total 

1,79,840 

2,08,255 

25  CPG 


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194  GAR 

Town  duties  have  been  collected  in  this  town  since  the  year  1855.  The 
charges  for  town  police,  conservancy,  &c.  are  defrayed  from  the  local  funds 
thus  raised.  The  public  institutions  here  are  a  district  post-oifice,  andl:)oys' 
and  girls^  schools. 

The  fort  is  situated  on  a  lofty  eminence  to  the  east  of  the  town,  between  the 
rivers  Sundr  and  Gadhairi,  A  natural  moat  is  thus  formed  on  three  sides  of  it, 
and  on  the  fourth  side  an  artificial  one  has  been  constructed.  The  place,  both 
from  its  natural  advantages,  and  the  solidity  and  excellence  of  its  construction, 
must  have  been  one  of  enormous  strength,  and  without  large  guns  almost 
impregnable.  The  inner  walls  enclose  a  space  of  eleven  acres,  the  greater  part 
of  which  is  covered  with  buildings  and  palaces.  These  are  for  the  most  part  now 
in  ruins,  as  are  also  the  outer  walls  and  bastions.  The  latter  were  breached 
by  Sir  Hugh  Rose  in  1858,  when  the  fort  was  taken,  and  were  afterwards  partly 
levelled  by  sappers.  About  two  miles  north  of  the  town,  on  the  borders  of  a 
large  forest  (the  Ramnd),  there  stand  the  remains  of  what  appears  to  have 
been  a  large  summer-palace  built  by  the  abovementioned  rSjd,  Mar  dan  Singh. 
The  most  remarkable  part  of  these  ruins  is  a  lofty  tower  to  the  north  of  tho 
buildings,  which  is  still  standing  in  tolerable  preservation,  although  some  of  tho 
lower  part  of  the  wall  has  fallen  down.  The  ground-plan  of  this  tower  is  almost 
square,  each  side  measuring  about  fifteen  feet.  It  is  built  in  six  stories,  each 
one  slightly  tapering  upwards.  The  total  height  amounts  to  about  one  hundred 
feet.  There  is  a  winding  stone  staircase  tho  whole  way  up.  Close  by  these 
ruins  a  large  flat-roofed  house  was  built  in  a.d.  1823  by  Sir  Herbert  Maddock, 
then  Agent  to  the  Governor-General  at  Sdgar,  as  a  kind  of  country  residence. 
This  has  been  lately  placed  in  charge  of  the  Forest  department,  by  whom  it  is 
kept  in  repair. 

GARHA'KOTA'  KAMNA'— A  forest  of  six  square  miles  in  extent,  in  tho 
midst  of  a  highly-cultivated  country  in  the  Sdgar  district.  The  character  of 
the  timber  and  the  freedom  of  the  indigenous  growth  prove  the  soil  to  be  very 
favourable  for  teiak. 

GARHBORI' — The  south-western  pargana  of  the  Brahmapuri  tahsfl  in  the 
Chdndd  district,  bounded  on  the  north  by  the  Brahmapuri  pargana,  on  tho  cast 
by  the  Brahmapuri  and  Rdjgarh  parganas,  on  the  south  by  the  Edjgarh  and 
Haweli  parganas,  and  on  the  west  by  tho  parganas  of  Bhdndak  and  Chimur. 
Its  area  is  about  576  square  miles,  and  it  contains  129  villages.  It  is  very 
hilly,  being  intersected  fi-om  north  to  south  by  four  branches  of  the  Andhdrf ;  and 
large  tracts  are  covered  with  forest.  The  soil  is  chiefly  red ;  and  the  cultivation 
consists  of  rice  and  sugarcane.  This  is  par  excclhiice  the  lake  pargana  of 
Chdndd — the  most  picturesque,  and  the  one  best  deserving  the  visit  of  a  tourist. 
Here  are  found  the  Kohrls  (or  Koris)  in  greatest  numbers,  too  often  dispossessed 
of  the  magnificent  tanks  their  forefathers  constructed ;  and  here  too  the  Mdnds 
abound.  Mardthi  is  generally  spoken,  but  in  the  south  Telugu  prevails.  The 
chief  places  are  Sindewdhi,  Talodhi,  Nawargdon,  Gunjewdhi,  and  Garhbori.  In 
early  times  the  Gdrjibori  pargana  was  held  by  Mdnd  chiefs,  who  subsequently 
were  conquered  by  the  Gonds,  and  the  pargana  then  became  an  appanage  of  tho 
Gond  princes  of  Wairdgarh. 

GARHBORI' — A  town  situated  sixteen  miles  north-north-west  of  Mdl,  on 
a  branch  of  the  Andhdri.  The  houses  cluster  round  a  fortified  hill  in  th& 
centre,  and  the  whole  is  enclosed  by  forest.  A  number  of  the  neighbouring' 
landholders  reside  here,  but  the  place  is  in  a  decaying  state,  and  there  is  very 


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GAR  195 

Hfctle  trade.  A  spaciality  of  the  town  is  a  sdri  (native  female  garment)  of  a 
peculiar  pattern,  wliich  is  only  manufactured  here ;  and  the  Garhborl  p^n  has 
a  high  reputation  throughout  the  Ndgpdr  province.  In  the  vicinity  are  quarries 
of  excellent  freestone  and  limestone.  Here  are  government  schools  for  boys  and 
girls,  and  a  police  outpost. 

G  ARHCHIROLr — A  town  in  the  Chdnd^  district,  situated  on  the  loft  bank 
of  the  Waingangd,  tweaty-three  miles  east-north-east  of  Mill.  It  has  750  houses, 
and  is  the  largest  trading  mart  in  the  A'mbgdon  pargana.  About  one-fourth 
of  the  population  is  Telinga,  and  the  remainder  Mardthd.  Kice  and  sugarcane 
are  grown  in  the  neighbourhood  ;  and  the  manufactures  are  chiefly  cotton -cloths, 
tasar-thread,  and  carts.  The  trade  is  in  cotton,  cotton-cloths,  tasar-cocoons 
and  tasar-thread,  jungle  produce,  carts,  and  salt.  Here  are  government  schools 
for  boys  and  girls,  and  a  police  outpost.. 

6ARH  PIHRA' — A  village  in  the  Sdgar  district,  about  seven  miles  to  the 
north  of  Sdgar,  before  the  foundation  of  which  Garh  Pdhrd  was  the  principal 
place  in  this  part  of  the  country. 

GA'RHVI' — A  river  which  rises  near  Chichgarh  in  the  Bhanddra  district, 
and  after  a  southerly  course  of  about  150  miles  falls  into  the  Waingangd  on  its 
eastern  bank,  a  little  below  Seoul  in  the  Chdndd  district.  There  is  a  legend 
that  this  stream  issued  from  the  earth  at  the  prayer  of  a  holy  man  named 
Garga  Rishi. 

GAROLA' — A  rent-free  estate  in  the  Sdgar  district,  about  twenty-seven 
miles  north  of  Sdgar,  consisting  of  one  village,  with  an  area  of  5,479  acres,  and 
yielding  a  revenue  of  Rs.  880  per  annum.  The  village  is  supposed  to  have 
been  founded  about  four  hundred  years  ago.  It  appears  soon  afterwards  to  have 
risen  to  some  importance,  and  to  have  become  the  head-quarters  of  a  tract  of 
1(31  villages,  including  Khurai,  which,  together  with  the  tract  of  Eran,  including 
fifty-two  villages,  was  bestowed  by  the  Emporor  of  Delhi  on  one  Rdo  Kdm 
Chandra  as  a  reward  for  his  services.  Shortly  before  the  latter's  death,  Khurai,. 
with  forty -four  villages,  was  transferred  by  him  to  two  of  his  relations  (men- 
tioned under  "  Khurai'') ,  and  nineteen  other  villages  to  his  son  Dal  Singh.  When 
Rao  Kdm  Chandra  died  in  a.d,  1705,  Garold,  with  the  remaining  130  villages, 
passed  to  his  son  Rdo  Chandjd.  On  the  death  of  the  latter,  his  eldest  son 
Bahadur  Singh  obtained  the  tract  of  Eran,  and  the  next  son,  Bishan  Singh,  that 
of  Garold,  with  ninety-eight  villages.  The  former  of  these  was  driven  out  of 
Eran  soon  after  this  by  the  Nawdb  of  Kurwdrf,  and  came  to  live  with  his 
brother.  In  the  year  1 746,  soon  after  the  acquisition  of  Sdgar  by  the  Mardthds, 
the  Pcshwd  resumed  all  the  villages  belonging  to  Bishan  Singh,  giving  him  back 
nine,  with  Garold,  on  a  quit-rent.  After  the  cession  of  Sdgar  in  1818  the  exaction 
of  this  rent  was  discontinued  by  Government,  and  in  lieu  ei^ht  villages  were 
resumed,  and  Garold  was  secured  rent-free  to  Hindd  Pat  and  Bhabhiit  Singh, 
the  sons  of  Bishan  Singh.  Shortly  afterwards,  on  account  of  Hindd  Pat's 
character,  the  village  was  assigned  to  lus  brother,  an  assignment  of  land  being 
made  to  Hindd  Pat  for  maintenance.  Bhabhut  Singh  died  in  1826,  and  the 
\'illage  was  soon  after  bestowed  on  his  son  Balwant  Singh  and  his  heirs  rent-free. 
The  village  of  Garold  contains  413  houses  and  1,048  inhabitants.  It  is  of 
tolerable  size,  and  Contains  a  small  fort  and  the  remains  of  several  old  buildings. 
The  whole  is  surrounded  by  a  stone  wall.  To  the  east  of  the  village  there  is  a 
large  lake  of  Seventy -six  acres  in  extent.     The  soil  about  is  very  fertile,  and 


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196  GATJR— GHES 

rice  is  largely  produced  close  to  the  lake.     Mangoes  and  plantains  also  flourish 
here.    There  is  a  government  school  for  boys  in  the  village. 

GAUR — A  river  rising  in  the  Mandla  district  and  emptying  itself  into  the 
Narbadd  near  Silwd.     It  has  in  the  Jabalpdr  district  a  westerly  course. 

GAURJHA'MAR — A  large  village  in  the  Sdgar  district,  about  twenty- 
seven  miles  to  the  south  of  Sdgar,  and  nine  miles  to  the  south-west  of  Rehll. 
The  road  from  the  latter  place  lies  through  dense  jungle.  This  is  an  ancient 
village,  and  is  said  to  have  been  established  by  the  Gonds,  who  once  held  Deori 
and  the  Panj-Mahdl.  There  are  excellent  government  schools  here  for  boys  and 
girls,  and  a  good  encamping-ground  in  a  grove  of  mango  trees. 

GEWARDA' — A  chiefship  in  the  Chdndd  district,  situated  fifteen  miles 
north-north-east  of  Wairdgarh,  and  attached  to  the  Wairdgarh  pargana.  It 
nominally  contains  fifty-six  villages,  but  a  large  number  of  these  are  waste. 
It  is  of  comparatively  modem  origin,  being  a  Mardthd  grant. 

GHANSOR — A  village  in  the  Seoni  district,  some  sixty-four  miles  to  the 
north-east  of  Seoul,  on  the  direct  road  from  Bargf  and  Khalautd.  Here  are 
the  remains  of  some  forty  or  fifty  temples,  very  elaborately  ornamented  with 
sculptures  carved  in  a  beautiful  sandstone.  The  Ndgpdr  museum  possesses 
specimens  representing  the  incarnations  of  Vishnu.  The  village  is  now  -quite 
insignificant.     There  is  a  police  post  here. 

GHATKUX— The  southern  pargana  of  the  Mrfl  tahsfl  in  the  Chdndd 
district,  is  bounded  on  the  north  by  the  HaweH  and  Kdjgarh  parganas, 
on  the  east  by  the  Waingangd,  and  on  the  south  and  west  by  tjie  Wardlid.  It 
contains  an  area  of  about  868  square  miles,  and  has  eighty -one  villages.  Tho 
western  half  is  very  hilly,  and  the  north,  west,  and  centre  are  covered  with 
heavy  forest,  the  cultivated  tracts  being  chiefly  along  the  Waingangd.  In  the 
vicinity  of  the  rivers  the  soil  is  mostly  black  loam,  and  in  the  centre  and 
north  red  or  sandy.  Rice,  sugarcane,  and  wheat  are  the  chief  products.  The 
people  are  principally  Telingas,  but  in  most  cases  speak  Mardthl  or  Hindi  in 
addition  to  their  own  tongue.  The  chief  places  are  Ddbhd,  Talodhl,  and  Tohgdon. 
This  pargana  in  the  beginning  of  the  present  century  was  continually  overrun 
by  plunderers  from  the  opposite  side  of  the  Wardhd,  and  numerous  villages 
were  in  consequence  deserted,  and  have  remained  desolate  to  this  day. 

GHATKU'L — A  village  in  the  Chdndd  district,  situated  at  the  junction  of 
the  Andhdri  and  Waingangd,  twelve  miles  north-north-east  of  Ddbhd.  This 
was  formerly  the  pargana  town,  but  is  now  only  a  moderate-sized  village. 

GHES — A  chiefship  attached  to  the  Sambalpiir  district,  situated  some  fifty 
miles  west  and  a  little  south  of  the  town  of  Sambalpdr.  The  area  is  from  ten 
to  twelve  square  miles,  of  which  about  three-fifths  are  cultivated.  It  consists 
of  nineteen  villages,  and  the  population  amounts  to  5^338  souls,  chiefly  of  tho 
agricultural  classes,  such  as  Koltds,  Binjhdls,  Gonds,  and  Khonds.  Rice  is  the 
staple  product.  The  principal  village  is  Ghes,  with  a  population  of  052  souls. 
There  is  a  fine  school-house  in  course  of  erection  here  at.  which  some  130 
pupils  are  receiving  instruction. 

Tho  chiefs  family  are  Binjwdrs  (or  Binjdls)  and  were  much  mixed  up  in  the 
Surendra  Sdi  rebellion.  Kurgal  Singh,  uncle  of  the  present  chief,  remained  in 
outlawry  several  years  after  the  amnesty  had  been  proclaimed.  He  was  captured 
in  1865,  and  was  hanged  for  murder.  His  father  was  also  transported  in  1864, 
and  died  while  undergoing  sentence. 


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GHIS— GIR  197 

GHISRr — A  river  in  the  BMgh&t  district.  It  rises  in  the  hills  to  the 
north-east  of  the  Dhansud  pargana,  and,  flowing  dne  south  through  the   Hattd 

Eargana,  empties  itself  into  the  Bdgh^  within  five  miles  of  the  junction  of  the 
itter  with  the  Waingangi. 

GHOT— A  chiefship  in  the  Chdndd  district— (see  ^'AhW'^). 

GHOT — ^The  principal  village  of  the  Arpalli  and  Ghot  pargana,  in  the 
Ghdndd  district,  is  a  thriving  place,  with  government  schools  for  boys  and  giris. 

GHUGHRI' — A  picturesque  spot  at  the  junction  of  the  Burhner  and  the 
Hdlon  in  the  Mandla  district.  The  village  itself  is  but  small,  but  there  is  an 
excellent  encamping-groundon  the  banks  of  the  river  under  a  grove  of  mango 
trees.  The  estate,  comprising  ninety-eight  villages,  was  given  to  Lachhml 
Parshdd,  a  Brdhman,  who  behaved  very  well  in  the  disturbances  of  1857-58.  He 
was  also  presented  with  a  sword  of  honour. 

GHUGU'S — A  large  village  in  the  Chdndd  district,  thirteen  miles  west  of 
Chdndd,  with  abundant  shade,  and  possessing  remains  which  show  it  to  have  been 
formerly  a  place  of  importance.  It  has  three  temple-caves,  and  in  their  vicinity 
are  some  carved  stones,  apparently  meant  to  represent  animals,  but  so  weather- 
worn that  the  intention  of  the  sculptor  can  only  be  guessed  at.  Near  the 
village,  about  the  end  of  the  seventeeth  century,  occurred  a  battle  between  the 
Gond  king  Bdm  Shdh  and  the  insur^rent  princes  Bdgbd,  A'gbd,  and  Kdgbd. 
A'gbd  fell  on  the  field,  where  his  tomb  is  still  to  be  seen;  and  in*  the  neigh- 
bourhood is  the  ^^  Ghord  Ohdt,^'  so  called  from  Bdgbd^s  fabled  leap  across  the 
AVardhd.  On  the  bank  of  this  river,  between  Ghugds  and  Chdndtir,  a  seam  of 
coal  thirty-three  feet  thick  crops  out  on  the  surface,  and  a  shaft  has  been  sunk, 
from  which  coal  has  been  taken  out  for  trial  on  the  railway. 

GHUTKU' — A  town  ton  miles  north-west  of  Bildspdr  in  the  Bildspdr 
district,  containing  a  population  of  2,000  souls,  chiefly  weavers.  Cotton  and 
silk  cloths  are  manufactured  here  to  a  considerable  extent,  and  the  community 
is  in  a  fairly  flourishing  condition.  Although  the  town  is  said  to  have  been 
established  by  the  Gonds  in  the  remote  past,  there  are  no  indications  of  anti- 
quity in  the  vicinity,  nor  objects  of  interest  to  attract  the  visitor. 

GILGA'ON — A  zam(nddr(  or  chiefship  attached  to  the  A'mbgdon  pargana 
of  the  Chdndd  district.  Its  extreme  dimensions  are  twenty-six  miles  by  sixteen, 
but  it  only  contains  twelve  villages,  as  most  of  the  area  is  hill  and  forest. 
There  is  some  good  timber,  mostly  sdl  and  bijesdl.  The  tenure  is  said  to  be 
ancient. 

GIRAR — A  town  in  the  Hinganghdt  tahsil  of  the  Wardhd  district,  thirty- 
seven  miles  south-east  of  Wardhd.  It  gains  much  local  importance  from  the 
shrine  of  the  Musalmdn  saint,  Shekh  Khwdja  Farid,  on  the  top  of  the  hill 
close  by,  which  attracts  a  continual  flow  of  devotees,  Hindil  as  well  as  Musalmdn. 
The  story  goes  that  Khwdja  Farid  was  bom  in  Hindustdn,  and  that  after 
wandering  about  for  some  thirty  years  as  a  fakir  he  came  and  settled  on  the 
Girar  hill  about  the  year  a.d.  1244.  Several  fantastic  legends  have*  grown  up 
in  celebration  of  the  power  which  he  gained  by  his  devotions,  but  the  only  one 
worth  mention  is  that  by  which  the  zeolitic  concretions  on  the  Girar  hill  are 
accounted  for.  These  are  said  to  be  the  petrified  cocoanuts  and  other  articles 
of  merchandise  belonging  to  two  travelling  traders  who  mocked  the  saint,  on 
which  he  turned  their  whole  stock-in-trade  into  stones  as  a  punishment.     They 


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198  GIR— GODA 

implored  his  pardon,  and  ho  created  a  fresh  stock  for  them  from  dry  loaves, 
on  which  they  were  so  struck  by  his  power  that  they  attached  themselves  per- 
manently to  his  service ;  and  two  graves  on  the  hill  are  said  to  bo  theirs.  The 
hill  bears  the  appearance  of  having  once  been  fortified,  and  indeed  a  solitary  liill 
of  this  description,  rising  like  a  truncated  cone  from  the  plain  around,  is  well 
fitted  for  a  stronghold.  Local  tradition  says  that  the  walls  were  built  by  a 
worshipper  at  the  shrine,  in  fulfilment  of  a  vow  that  he  would  do  so  if  Grod 
granted  him  a  son.  But  this  is  probably  a  mere  fable  to  increase  the  honour  of 
the  saint,  for  the  remains  of  the  fortification  seem  older  than  the  shrine.  The 
shrine  of  Girar  absorbs  the  revenues  of  five  villages ;  in  Marathd  times  it  also 
received  considerable  grants  of  money.  Girar  itself,  however,  is  not  among  tlie 
number.  It  is  a  small  municipality,  with  a  population  of  1,836  souls ;  and  has  a 
police  outpost,  a  good  village  school,  and  a  weekly  market. 

GIROD — A  small  and  insignificant  village  in  the  BiUspdr  district,  contain- 
ing some  sixty  huts,  with  a  population  of  200  or  300  souls.  It  is  situated 
fifty  miles  south-oast  of  Bildspur,  on  the  south  bank  of  the  Mahdnadf  and  on 
the  borders  of  the  Sondkhdn  estate.  The  spot  itself  has  no  peculiar  attraction, 
but  here  originated  the  religious  reformation  of  the  Chamirs  of  Chhattisgarh — 
(see  ^' Chhattisgarh ''  and  "Bildspdr^')- 

QODAfVARV — Of  the  whole  course  of  this  river,  which  is  some  900  miles 
in  length,  about  150  miles  border  the  Central  Provinces  to  the  south-west. 
Regarding  the  earlier  part  of  the  river's  course  it  will  be  sufficient  here  to  say 
that  it  rises  near  Ndsik,  on  the  eastern  declivity  of  the  western  ghdts,  and  flows 
south-oast  and  east  for  some  650  miles  through  the  Bombay  presidency  and  the 
Ntziin^s  territories,  until  ib  is  joined  by  the  Pranhftd  at  Sironchd,  in  the  Upper 
Godavarf  district,  Tlio  portion  of  it  touching  on  these  provinces  has  been  thus 
described  by  Sir,  R.  Temple,  whoso  account,  it  should  be  premised,  commences 
from  the  highest  point  of  the  projected  navigation  system,  viz.  at  the  Falls  of 
the  river  Wardhd : — 

"  Starting  then  from  the  Falls  of  the  Wardhd  near  Hinganghdt  the 
voyager  would  see  on  the  right  hand  the  wild  hilly  country  of  the  Nizdm'a 
dominions,  and  on  the  left,  or  British  side,  a  broad  level  valley  covered 
with  cultivation.  Further  down  the  river,  past  the  junction  of  the  Pain- 
gangi,  as  the  third  or  upper  barrier  is  approached,  the  rich  valley  on  the 
left  becomes  narrower  and  narrower,  more  and  more  trenched  upon  by  hill 
and  forest,  till  it  is  restricted  to  a  fringe  of  cultivation  along  the  river's 
bank  ;  while  on  the  right  h'lnd  the  country  somewhat  improves,  and,  though 
still  hilly,  is  more  open.  The  junction  of  the  Waingangd  is  hidden  from 
view  by  the  hills.  The  barrier  itself  lies  closed  in  by  rocky  hills  and  dense 
forests,  a  narrow  strip  being  left  on  the  right  bank,  along  which  the  tram- 
road  or  the  canal  is  to  pass.  Below  the  barrier  the  river  is  called  tho 
Pranhftd.  On  the  left,  or  British  side,  the  hills  at  first  arrange  themselves 
in  picturesque  groups,  one  of  which  has  been  compared  by  some  to  the 
group  of  Seven  Mountains  (Sieben  Gebirge)  on  the  Rhino,  and  after  that 
continue  for  many  miles  almost  to  overhang  the  river,  sometimes  display- 
ing the  fine  foliage  and  blossoms  of  the  teak  tree  down  to  the  water's  edge. 
On  the  opposite  or  Nizam's  bank  the  most  noticeablo  feature  is  tho  mouth 
of  tho  Bibrid  stream,  justly  noted  for  its  beauty.  Further  down,  on  tbo 
British  side,  tho  only  point  of  note  is  Sironchd,  with  its  old  fort  overlooking 
tho  water ;  the  CO jntry  continuing  to  be  hilly  or  jungly  with  patches  of 


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GOL  199 

cultivation.  But  on  ike  opposite  or  foreign  side  the  junction  of  the  Godd- 
vari  Proper  causes  great  tongues  of  land  and  broad  basins  to  be  formed,  all 
which  are  partially  cultivated,  and  are  dotted  over  by  such  towns  as  Chindr, 
Mantdnl,  Mahddeopdr,  and  the  sacred  Kdleswar.  Then  the  hills,  of  some  * 
variety  and  beauty,  cluster  thick  round  the  second  or  middle  barrier. 
This  junction  of  the  Indrdvati  also  is  concealed  from  view  by  the  hills.* 
Below  this,  on  the  British  side,  long  ranges  of  hills,  rising  one  above  the 
other,  run  almost  parallel  with  the  river,  till  the  junction  of  the  Tdl  is 
reached.  On  the  opposite  or  Nizdm's  side  again  the  country  is  more 
cultivated  and  open,  and  marked  by  the  towns  of  Nagaram  and  Mangam- 
peth.  Below  the  latter  place  again  the  sacred  hill  of  Rutab  Guttd  rises  into 
view,  immediately  opposite  to  Dumagudem,  on  the  British  bank,  where  the 
head- quarters  of  the  navigation  department  are  established.  Proceeding 
downwards  at  the  first  or  lower  barrier,  the  country  is  comparatively 
level  on  both  sides,  and  this  barrier  is  far  less  formidable  than  the  two 
preceding  ones.  Below  the  barrier,  down  to  the  junction  of  the  Sabarl,  the 
prominent  object  on  the  British  side  consists  of  the  small  hills  of  Bhadrd- 
challam,  crowned  with  cupolas,  cones,  and  spires  of  Hindi!  temples.  On 
the  opposite  or  Nizam's  side  is  that  Tank  region  already  mentioned,  which 
extending  inland  some  250  miles  to  beyond  Warangal,  the  capital  of  ancient 
Telingana,  is  marked  by  the  remains  of  countless  works  of  agricultural 
improvement,  attesting  a  wisdom  in  the  past  not  known  to  the  Native 
dynasties  of  the  present. 

"  Near  the  junction  of  the  Sabari  the  Goddvarl  river  scenery  begins 
to  assume  an  imposing  appearance.  Bitherto  as  it  passed  each  barrier,  and 
gained  the  successive  steps  in  its  course,  the  river  has  been  increasing  in 
width,  generally  being  about  a  mile  broad,  and  sometimes  even  2  J  miles. 
Hero  also  the  whole  range  of  the  eastern  ghdts  comes  fully  into  view, 
some  2,500  feet  high,  bounding  the  whole  horizon,  and  towering  over  all 
the  lesser  and  detached  hills  that  flank  the  river.  Passing  the  Sabari 
junction  the  Goddvari  becomes  more  and  more  contracted  and  pressed  on 
either  side  by  the  spurs  of  the  main  range,  till  at  length  it  forces  a  passage 
between  them,  penetrating,  by  an  almost  precipitous  gorge,  through  the 
heart  of  the  mountains  that  mark  the  frontier  of  the  Central  Provinces. 
It  is  at  this  gorge  that  the  scenery  of  this  river  has  been  justly  compared 
to  that  of  the  Rhine.  Imprisoned  for  some  twenty  miles  between  the  hills, 
the  river  flows  in  a  narrow,  but  very  deep  channel,  with  a  current  that 
sometimes  lashes  itself  into  boiling  whirlpools.  Then  escaping  from  its 
imprisonment,  the  mass  of  water  spreads  itself  over  a  broad  smooth  surface, 
resembling  a  lake  surrounded  with  hills  and  dotted  with  islands,  somo 
of  which  are  surmounted  with  Hindd  temples.  Then  finally  emerging 
from  the  hills  it  forms  itself  into  one  mighty  stream  between  flat 
cultivated  banks,  till  passing  by  the  Madras  station  of  Rdjdmandrl,  and 
approaching  the  Great  Dhawaleswaram  Anient,  it  breaks  off  into  those 
numerous  channels  which  permeate  the  Delta.  At  Dhawaleswaram  there 
commences  that  network  of  canals  which  not  only  irrigate  the  lands,  but 
also  afford  perfect  navigation  to  the  seaport  of  Cocanada.'' 

GOLLAGUDEM — A  small  village  on  the  bank  of  the  Goddvari  in  the 
Upper  Goddvari  district,  twenty  miles  below  Dumagudem ;  only  important  as 
being  the  point  at  which  the  steamers  and  boats  belonging  to  the  Upper 
Goddvari  navigation  works  take  in  and  deliver  cargo.    There    is  a  small 


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200  GOND— GWA 

inspection  bungalow  here,  belonging  to  the  public  works  department,  which 
travellers  are  allowed  to  occupy. 

GOND-TJMRI' — An  estate  in  the  Bhanddra  district,  consisting  of  ten 
villages,  situated  from  five  to  ten  miles  north-east  of  Sdngarhi,  and  containing 
much  jungle  and  waste  land.  The  area  is  17,715  acres,  of  which  2,862  only  are 
•cultivated.  The  population  numbers  2,282  souls,  chiefly  Gonds  and  Dhers. 
The  present  chief  is  a  Brdhman.  Gond-Umrl  is  the  only  large  village,  and 
possesses  an  indigenous  school.  Near  the  village  of  Kokna  on  this  estate  there 
is  a  banidn  tree  in  full  vigour,  and  of  remarkable  size,  being  capable  of  sheltering 
at  least  one  hundred  and  fifty  men.     The  forests  generally  are  of  little  value. 

GOSALPCT'R — An  ancient  and  considerable  village  in  the  Jabalpur  district, 
on  the  road  to  Mirzapdr,  about  19  miles  N.E.  from  Jabalpdr.  lliere  are  a 
government  school  and  poUce  post  here.  On  the  high  downs  surrounding  the 
village  a  house  has  been  erected,  which  is  much  used  by  the  European  residents 
of  Jabalpdr  for  change  of  air.  Gosalpdr  is  mentioned  in  an  old  narrative  of  1 790 
"  as  a  large  and  clean  place,''  and  it  still  maintains  its  reputation, 

GUMGA'ON — A  small  town  in  the  Ndgpdr  district,  on  the  left  bank  of 
the  WanS  river,  twelve  miles  south  of  Ndgpdr.  Its  population  amounts  to  3,342 
souls,  and  is  mostly  employed  in  agriculture,  though  a  considerable  quantity  of 
cotton-cloth  is  manufactured  by  the  Koshtfs.  The  municipal  funds  have  been 
spent  by  the  town  committee  in  making  a  street  through  the  town,  in  building 
and  supporting  a  school,  and  in  improving  the  bdzdrs.  Near  the  police  quarters, 
in  a  commanding  position  overhanging  the  river,  are  the  remains  of  a  very  con- 
siderable Mardthd  fort,  and  near  this  is  a  fine  temple  of  Ganpati,  with  strongly- 
built  walls  of  basalt  facing  the  river.  Both  fort  and  temple  were  erected  by 
Chimd  Bdf,  wife  of  Rdjd  Raghojl  II.,  who  may  be  said  to  have  founded  the  town, 
and  since  whose  time  this  estate  has  continued  in  the  direct  possession  of  tho 
Bhonsld  family. 

GUNDARDEHI' — A  chiefship  attached  to  the  Rdfpdr  district,  containing 
fifty-two  villages,  which  cover  an  area  of  about  eighty  or  ninety  square  miles. 
It  lies  in  the  northern  portion  of  the  Bdlod  pargana,  and  is  surrounded  on  all 
sides  by  khdlsa  villages.  It  contains  no  jungle,  and  is  generally  weU  cultivated, 
the  population  and  crops  being  similar  to  those  in  the  cultivated  portion  of  tho 
district.  The  estate  has  been  in  the  possession  of  the  present  chiefs  family 
for  three  hundred  years.     He  is  by  caste  a  Raj -Kan war. 

GTJNJEWA'HI' — A  large  village  in  the  Chdudd  district,  twenty-six  miles 
south  of  Brahmapuri,  possessing  a  fine  tank.  The  inhabitants  are  almost  wholly 
Telingas.  It  has  a  police  outpost,  and  government  schools  for  boys  and  girls. 
About  two  miles  from  Gunjewdhi  is  the  TdtoK  hill — ^a  long  low  ridge  from  which 
iron -ore  is  quarried. 

GUNJI' — ^A  hill  near  Saktf,  in  the  Bildspur  district,  of  local  interest  and 
sacredness. 

GURAYYA' — A  river  which  forms  part  of  the  boundary  between  the  Damoh 
and  Jabalpdr  districts.  It  rises  at  Katangf  in  the  Jabalpur  district,  and  after  a 
devious  course  of  about  thirty  miles  flows  into  the  Bairmd. 

GWA'RI'GHAT— In  the  Jabalpdr  district.  Here  the  Narbadd  is  crossed 
on  the  main  road  between  Jabalpdr  and  Ndgpdr  about  five  miles  from  the  former. 
The  river  is  fordable  during  part  of  the  cold  weather,  and  all  the  hot  season. 


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HAL— IIAR  201 

but  in  the  rains  it  is  a  rapid  torrent  more  than  fifty  foet  in  depth.  Here  there 
is  a  post  for  collecting  duties  on  timber,  which  is  floated  down  from  the  Mandla 
forests. 


HAXON — A  river  which  rises  about  eight  or  ten  miles  to  the  south  of  the 
Chilpfghit  in  the  Maikal  range,  and  after  a  northerly  course  of  some  sixty 
miles  through  the  BiHlghdt  and  Mandla  districts  flows  into  the  Burhn^r.  The 
average  elevation  of  its  valley  is  about  2,000  feet.  It  is  not  to  be  confounded 
with  the  comparatively  unimportant  stream  of  the  Alon. 

HA 'MP — A  stream  in  the  Bildspdr  district,  ^laving  its  rise  in  the  Pandarid 
hills.  It  flows  south  and  east  through  the  Pandarii  chiefship  and  the  Mungeli 
pargana,  and  then  forms  for  several  miles  the  boundary  line  between  Rdlpdr  and 
Bildspdr,  finally  falling  into  the  Seondth  near  Ndndghdt. 

HANDIA' — An  old  Mohammadan  town  in  the  Hoshangdbdd  district, 
formerly  the  head-quarters  of  a  sarkdr  or  district  under  Akbar's  rule.  It  had 
a  handsome  stone  fort  on  the  river,  said  to  have  been  built  by  Hoshang  Shdh 
Ghori  of  Hdlwd,  but  now  dismantled.  Handid  was  on  the  old  highroad  from  the 
Deccanto  A'gra,  and  was  once  a  large  and  flourishing  place,  of  which  the  extent 
may  still  bo  traced  by  the  ruins  scattered  for  some  distance  along  the  bank 
of  the  Narbadd.  On  the  withdrawal  of  the  Moghal  oflScials,  about  a.d.  1 700, 
and  the  construction  of  a  straighter  and  better  road  across  the  Vindhya  hills 
vid  Indore,  it  fell  into  ruin,  and  its  present  population  is  only  1,992  souls.  There 
were  here  once  a  large  number  of  Juldhds,  or  Mohammadan  weavers,  but  they' 
have  all  emigrated.  The  place  was  given  up  to  the  British  by  the  Mardthds 
in  1817. 

HARAI' — This  is  the  most  important  of  the  hill  chiefships  or  zaminddrf  s,  in 
the  north  of  the  Chhindwdrd  district.  It  lies  mainly  in  the  mountainous  tract 
to  the  north  of  Amarwdrd,  but  a  portion  lies  below  the  ghdts  leading  into  the 
valley  of  the  Narbadd.  The  chiefs  residence  is  a  moderate-sized  masonry  fort  in 
the  lowland  tract.  The  estate  comprises  ninety-one  villages,  of  which  eighty-six 
are  inhabited.  The  chief,  who  is  a  Gond,  receives  an  allowance  of  Rs.  6,000 
per  annum  from  Government,  in  commutation  of  certain  privileges  formerly 
enjoyed  by  him. 

HATIAT — ^A  village  in  the  Damoh  district.  It  was  a  place  of  some  impor- 
tance under  the  Bundolds,  but  is  now  only  noticeable  for  some  Mohammadan 
tombs,  and  a  waterfall  of  the  Sundr,  on  the  left  bank  of  which  the  village 
stands.  It  is  three  miles  south-west  of  Hattd,  and  about  twenty  miles  north  of 
Damoh. 

HARD  A' — The  western  revenue  subdivision  or  tahsfl  in  the  Hoshangdbdd 
district,  having  an  area  of  2,001  square  miles,  with  409  villages,  and  a  popula- 
tion of  120,546  souls  according  to  the  census  of  1866.  The  land  revenue  for 
the  year  1869-70  is  Rs.  1,29,761-0-3. 

HARDA^ — The  chief  town  in  the  subdivision  of  the  same  name  in  the 
Hoshangdbdd  district.  It  is  on  the  highroad  to  Bombay,  and  has  risen  on 
the  ruins  of  Handid,  which  is  twelve  miles  ofi*.  Under  the  Mardthd  government 
Hardd  was  tho  residence  of  an  dmil  or  governor,  and  on  the  opening  of  the 
campaign  in  1817  Sir  John  Malcolm  established  here  the  head-quarters  of  tho 
26  CPG 


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202  HAS— HAT 

army  under  his  command.  Since  the  cession  in  1844  a  resident  assistant 
commissioner  has  held  special  charge  of  the  subdivision,  aided  by  a  tahsild^r 
holding  subordinate  criminal,  civil,  and  revenue  jurisdiction.  This  was  already 
a  thriving  place  when  the  country  was  ceded,  and  since  then  a  good  deal  has 
been  done  for  its  improvement.  Its  principal  street  is  broad  and  well  built, 
and  a  handsome  market-place  has  been  laid  out,  surrounded  by  substantial 
houses.  In  1864  a  dam  was  thrown  across  the  river  close  by,  which  secured 
a  good  and  convenient  water-supply  to  the  people.  These  and  many  other 
improvements  were  carried  out  by  Mr.  J.  F.  Beddy,  who  resided  as  assistant 
commissioner  at  Hard^  for  several  years,  and  to  whose  activity  «ad  practical 
resources  the  town  owes  very  much  of  its  prosperity.  There  is  a  railway  station 
here.  The  principal  trade  is  in  the  export  of  grain  and  oil-seeds.  The  popula- 
tion amounts  to  7,499  souls, 

HASDU' — A  stream  which,  rising  amid  the  hills  of  Mdtfn,  flows  nearty 
due  south  till  it  joins  the  Mahknadi,  eight  miles  east  of  Seorinariin,  in  the 
Bildspdr  district.  Owing  to  many  barriers  in  its  course  this  river  is  very  rarely 
navigable.  In  high  floods  boats  of  fair  size  can  ascend  fropi  the  Mahdnad( 
fifteen  or  twenty  miles,  but  as  the  country  in  the  vicinity  of  the  river  is  wild 
and  sparsely  populated,  boats  laden  with  merchandise  rarely  ascend.  In  the 
hot  and  cold  weather  months  Hasdd  is  a  very  insignificant  stream. 

HATHI'BA'RI' — A  state  forest  of  about  fifteen  square  miles  in  extent, 
in  the  Bildspdr  district,  lying  along  the  Jonk  river,  twenty  miles  from  SeorJ- 
nardin.  There  is  some  fine  teak  still  remaining  here,  and  a  plantation  of  teak 
lately  formed  gives  very  fair  promise  of  success. 

HATTA' — A  chiefship  in  the  Bfldghdt  district,  originally  part  of  the 
Kdmthd  chiefship,  which  was  bestowed  upon  a  Kunbl  family  about  a.d.  1 750, 
and  on  their  rebellion  in  1818  was  grantea  to  theLodhi  family  in  whose  posses- 
sion it  now  is.  The  prosperity  of  the  Hatt&  chiefship  is  entirely  due  to  the 
grantee,  who  is  still  alive,  and  though  more  than  one  hundred  years  old,  retains 
his  faculties  to  an  extraordinary  extent.  The  estate  covers  an  area  of  134 
square  miles,  of  which  sixty-six  are  under  cultivation ;  and  contains  se^nty-five 
villages. 

HATIA' — A  town  in  the  BdMghdt  district,  well  situated  on  a  piece  of 
high  ground  studded  with  mango-groves,  about  eighty  miles  to  the  north-east 
of  Bhanddra,  and  eight  miles  to  the  east  of  the  Waingangd.  The  fort,  which 
now  encircles  the  residence  of  the  zamlnddr,  is  a  relic  of  the  Gond  days,  when 
the  surrounding  plains,  now  well  cultivated,  were  covered  with  thick  jungle. 
The  present  zamlnddr,  Gkinpat  Rdo,  who  was  created  an  honorary  magistrate  in 
1865,  has  done  much  for  the  town.  In  the  centre  he  has  erected  a  good 
school-house,  and  contiguous  to  it  a  spacious  dispensary;  he  has  also  improved 
the  town  roads,  and  keeps  up  a  regular  conservancy  establishment.  Close  to 
the  entrance  of  the  fort  is  a  remarkably  fine  baoli  (a  well  with  sloping  descent 
to  the  water),  which  was  constructed  by  the  former  Kunbl  zaminddr,  Chimnd 
Patel.  At  the  last  census  the  inhabitants  numbered  2,655  souls.  There  is  no 
trade  peculiar  to  Hattd,  the  inhabitants  being  chiefly  agriculturists  of  the  Kunbi, 
Lodhi,  Godrd,  and  Bangdrf  castes. 

HATTA' — ^The  northern  revenue  subdivision  or  tahsfl  in  the  Damoh 
district,  having  an  area  of  1,007  square  miles,  with  546  villages,  and  a  popu- 
lation of  115,118  souls  according  to  the  census  of  1866.  The  land  revenue  for 
the  year  1869-70  is  Es.  1,20,107. 


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HAT— HIN  203 

HATTA' — ^Tte  head-quarters  of  the  subdivision  of  the  same  name  in  the 
Damoh  district.  It  has  always  been  a  place  of  some  importance.  The  Gonds 
had  a  fort  here,  near  the  north  gate,  of  which  scarcely  anything  now  remains. 
A  second  and  larger  fort  was  erected  here  in  the  seventeenth  century  by  the 
Bundelfis,  who  then  ruled  in  this  part  of  the  country,  and  was  afterwards 
enlarged  by  the  Mardthds.  When  the  district  was  ceded  to  the  British  in  1818 
the  head-quarters  were  established  here,  and  were  not  removed  until  1885.  The 
public  building^  are  a  tahsili  or  sub-coUector^s  office,  a  police  station,  a  dispen- 
sary, a  sar&i,  and  a  fine  government  school-house.  There  is  a  market  twice  a 
week,  and  a  considerable  trade  in  red  cloth,  which  is  manufactured  for  export  to 
Bundelkh»nd  and  elsewhere.  The  population  amounts  to  7,100  souls.  Hatt^  is 
situated  on  the  right  bank  of  the  Sun^r,  twenty -four  miles  north  of  Damoh,  on© 
hundred  and  seventy  miles  south-west  of  Allahibdd,  and  sixty-one  north-east 
t)f  Sdgar,     Latitude  24°  8'  north,  longitude  79®  40'  east. 

HAWBLI' — Is  the  western  pargana  of  the  Mdl  tahsfl,  in  the  Ch^ndi 
district,  and  is  bounded  on  the  north  by  the  Bhdndak  and  Garhborl  parganas, 
on  the  east  by  the  Rijgarh  and  Ghfitkdl  parganas,  on  the  south  by  the  Wardhd 
river,  and  on  the  west  by  the  Wardhd  and  the  Bhdndak  parganas.  Its  area  is 
about  448  square  miles  j  and  it  contains  102  villages.  On  the  north-east  and 
east  the  country  is  hilly,  and  more  than  half  of  the  pargana  north  and  east  is 
covered  with  dense  jungle.  The  Virai  intersects  it  from  north  to  south,  and 
the  AndhSrf  flows  in  a  south-easterly  direction  along  its  eastern  boundary.  The 
soil  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Wardhd  is  black  loam,  and  in  other  parts  sandy  and 
somewhat  stony.  The  language  spoken  is  chiefly  Mardthi.  Dhaniji  Kunbls 
form  the  largest  agricultural  class*  Ch&ndd  is  the  only  large  town  in  the 
pargana* 

HINAUTA'— A  large  market-village  in  the  Damoh  district,  thirty  miles 
north-east  of  Damoh  and  ten  miles  from  Hatti,  on  the  highroad  to  Ndgod.  It 
contains  389  houses,  with  a  population  of  1,154  souls,  and  has  a  considerablo 
grain-trade  with  Bundelkhand.  There  are  hero  a  government  school  and  an 
encamping-ground  for  troops. 

HINDORIA' — The  third  town  in  importance  in  the  Damoh  district,  situated 
nine  miles  north-east  of  Damoh.  It  is  held  in  ubSrf  (or  quit-rent  tenure)  by 
Umrdo  Singh,  a  Bundelfi.  During  the  mutiny  of  1857  the  inhabitants  of  this 
village  rose  in  rebellion,  and  burnt  all  the  records  and  public  offices  in  Damoh. 
The  place  was  reduced  by  a  small  body  of  troops  from  Sigar ;  and  the  fort, 
then  in  a  good  state  of  preservation,  was  demolished.  The  town  contains  1,135 
houses,  and  a  population  of  3,600  souls.  The  inhabitants,  who  are  mainly 
Lodhis  by  caste,  still  maintain  the  bad  reputation  acquired  by  them  in  1857. 
A  venr  fine  description  of  betel  leaf,  called  "  desd  bangW,^^  is  here  cultivated  by 
Mochu.  A  weekly  market  is  held  on  Tuesdays.  There  are  here  a  police  station 
and  a  government  school. 

HINGANGHAT — The  south-eastern  revenue  subdivision  of  the  Wardhi 
district,  having  an  area  of  722  square  miles,  with  415  villages,  and  a  population 
of  93,680  according  to  the  census  of  1866.  The  land  revenue  of  the  tahsfl  for 
1869-70  is  Rs.  1,45,057. 

HINGANGHAT — ^A  large  trading  town  in  the  Wardhd  district,  situated 
twenty-one  miles  south-east  of  Wardhd.  The  following  table  shows  the  Imports 
and  Exports  of  the  town  for  1868-69  :— 


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201 


HIN 


6 

Saccharine 
produce. 

O 

Country 
Cloth.       1 

CO 

ft 

Spices  and 
Cloves.       ' 

Ghee  and  Oil. 

1 

O 

^ 

1" 

i 

TMaunds... 
Imports? 

C  Value,  Rs. 

89,218 

9,145 

52,595 

3,889 

402 

6.346 

480 

15,553 

1,271 

1,90,399 

1 

18,80,175 

63,106 

2,17,797 

2,59,700 

4i,613  05,042 

12,137 

61,220 

15,50428,81,682 

TMaunds... 
Exports.? 

(  Value,  Bs. 

65,393 

2,752 

7402 

2,503 

62    1,868 

64 

1,253 

555 

97^02 

1     • 

11,48,940 

22,755 

22,633 

1,77,114 

3,217  20,161 

1,782 

4,92^i 

9,432 

14,01,912 

Hmganglidt  cotton  has  established  for  itself  a  name  in  the  mercantilo 
world,  and  is  admittedly  one  of  the  best  staples  indigenous  to  India.  It  is 
properly  speaking  the  produce  of  the  rich  Wardh^  valley,  brought  for  sale  to  the 
Hinganghdt  market ;  but  a  good  deal  of  the  cotton  known  in  Bombay  as  Hin- 
ganghdt  is  not  really  produced  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  town,  but  is  grown 
elsewhere,  and  attracted  to  Hinganghdt  by  the  ready  market  there  found  : 
thus  some  inferior  stuff  goes  into  the  market  as  Hinganghdt.  The  best  foreign 
cotton  is  that  brought  from  Edaldbdd  in  the  Haidardbdd  territory,  where  tho 
growth  of  the  Paingan gd  valley  is  collected.  This  cotton  Is  reckoned  quite  as 
good  as  the  Hinganghdt  staple,  and  is  eagerly  sought  after.  Messrs.  Warwick 
&  Co.  have  established  an  agency  here,  with  capacious  iron-roofed  warehouses^ 
and  a  stock  of  full  and  half-presses ;  and  they  press  for  shipment  direct  to 
England.  Tho  principal  native  traders  are  Mdrwdris,  many  of  whom  have  largo 
transactions,  and  export  to  Bombay  and  elsewhere  on  their  own  account.  But 
the  greater  number  merely  act  as  middlemen  between  the  cultivators  and  the 
large  merchants,  buying  up  the  cotton  at  the  villages  and  smaller  marts,  and 
introducing  it  on  speculation  into  the  Hinganghdt  market.  The  municipal 
committee  have  opened  a  large  gravelled  market-place  and  storaga-yard  for 
general  use,  with  raised  platforms,  and  scales  for  weighing  the  cotton.  Round 
this  yard  are  ranged  the  ginning-sheds  and  private  cotton -enclosures  of  the 
native  traders,  but  these  at  present  are  mere  temporary  structures  of  bamboo- 
work.  The  committee  contemplate  erecting  permanent  structures  of  safer 
materials,  and  letting  them  to  the  traders.  Meanwhile  the  latter  are  obliged 
to  provide  small  reservoirs  for  water  in  their  enclosures,  and  these  are  kept 
full  from  funds  provided  by  the  cotton  department.  The  municipal  committee 
have  further  erected  two  half-presses  in  the  cotton-yard ;  but  the  natives,  rather 
than  take  the  trouble  of  entertaining  pressmen  and  finding  their  own  ropes  and 
gunnies,  prefer  to  make  over  their  cotton  to  Messrs.  Warwick  &  Co.  to  be  full 
or  half-pressed  for  them,  at  so  much  a  bale. 

The  chief  native  resident  of  Hinganghdt  is  the  khildtkdr,  Edm  Rdo.  He 
traces  his  origin  to  Puna,  where,  about  ninety  years  ago,  his  ancestors  were 
attached  to  the  court  of  the  Peshwd,  their  service  being  **  mdnkari,''  or  personal 
attendance  on  the  Peshwd.  They  were  summoned  thence  by  Rdjd  Raghojf 
Bhonsld  of  Ndgpdr,  and  after  holding  various  oflSces,  obtained  one- fourth  of 
these  town  lands,  which  they  had  reclaimed  from  the  jungle.  Their  descendants 
now  hold  several  villages  and  a  cash  pension.  The  population  of  Hinganghdt 
amounts  to  8,500  souls,  chiefly  traders  of  all  kinds  or  their  servants,  weavers, 
and  day-labourers.     The  octroi  collections  for  the  three  years  1865-66, 1866-67, 


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HIN-HIR  2o5 

and  1867-68  let  respectively  for  Rs.  01,600,  Rs.  45,000,  and  Rs.  45,100. 
The  Iast*mentioned  farm  was  only  for  eleven  months.  The  money  has  been 
expended  principally  in  laying  out  streets,  avenues,  and  shop-frontages  for  New 
Hinganghat.  Old  Hinganghdt  was  a  straggling,  ill-arranged  town,  liable  to  be 
flooded  by  the  river  Wand  during  the  monsoon.  The  new  town  has  been  laid 
out  on  the  rising  ground  to  the  south  of  the  old  town  in  broad  parallel  streets, 
marking  off  rectangular  blocks.  Of  the  total  population,  about  three-fifths, 
including  all  the  principal  traders  and  more  respectable  residents,  live  in  the  new 
city,  whUe  the  remainder  cling  to  the  old  town.  One  main  reason  of  this  is 
the  difficulty  of  procuring  water  in  New  Hinganghdt.  Springs  have,  however, 
recently  been  struck  to  the  west  of  the  new  town,  and  there  is  now  every  prospect 
of  a  good  water-supply  throughout  the  year.  The  people  in  New  Hinganghdt 
are  fast  becoming  attached  to  the  place,  wliich,  with  its  broad  clean  streets  and 
rising  avenues,  begins  to  present  quite  an  attractive  appearance.  The  zild  (or 
chie^  school  of  the  district  is  at  Hinganghdt,  and  here  both  English  and  Verna- 
cular are  taught  up  to  an  advanced  standard.  A  female  school  has  also  been 
opened  here,  but  has  not  as  yet  met  with  much  success.  Hinganghdt  contains 
a  tahsll  office,  a  furnished  travellers'  bungalow,  a  large  sardl,  with  several  good 
rooms  in  it  reserved  for  Europeans,  where  travellers  may  halt  three  days  free  of 
charge,  and  a  dispensary,  with  a  range  of  hospital  buildings  after  the  standard 
plan. 

HINGNI' — A  town  in  the  Huzdr  tahsfl  of  the  Wardhd  district,  about 
sixteen  miles  to  the  north-east  of  Wardhd,  founded  about  150  years  ago  by 
Ragheundth  Pant  Siibadar,  grandfather  of  the  present  mdlguzdr.  A  large  masonry 
fort,  two  temples,  two  large  houses,  twenty-one  wells,  and  three  hundred 
fine  mango  and  tamarind  trees,  remain  to  attest  the  energy  of  the  founder. 
In  the  time  of  the  Pindhdri  disturbances  the  then  mdlguzdr  held  the  fort  with 
two  hundred  of  his  own  followers.  The  population  of  Hingnl  is  3,061,  of 
whom  about  a  fourth  are  cultivators  and  another  fourth  weavers.  An  annual 
fair  is  held  here  on  the  second  day  of  the  Holf,  and  the  weekly  market  on 
Fridays  is  well  attended.  A  government  village  school  has  been  established 
here. 

HIRAN — A  small  but  deep  and  rapid  river,  rising  in  latitude  23°  30' and 
longitude  80^  26'.  After  a  course  of  more  than  one  hundred  miles  it  falls  into 
the  Narbadd  at  Sdnkal,  in  latitude  23^  4'  and  longitude  79°  26'.  Its  general 
course  is  south-west. 

HI'RA'PU'R — A  village  in  the  extreme  north-east  of  the  Sdgar  district, 
on  the  road  from  Shdhgarh  to  Cawnpore.  There  are  here  an  encamping-ground 
and  a  staging  bungalow.  Iron-ore  is  found  in  the  neighbourhood;  and  the 
reserved  government  forest  of  Tigord  lies  to  the  north-east  of  the  village. 

HERDENAGAR — A.  large  and  populous  village  in  the  Mandla  district. 
It  was  founded  by  the  Rdjd  Hirde  Shah  about  a.d.  1644.  An  annual  fair  is  held 
here  on  the  banks  of  the  Banjar,  at  which  there  was  an  attendance  in  1 868  of 
25,000  persons.  The  value  of  the  merchandise  exposed  for  sale  was  estimated 
at  Rb.  1,14,250,  and  the  value  of  that  sold  at  Rs.  79,524. 


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200  HOS 

HOSHANGA'BA'D— 

CONTENTS. 


Pago 

General  description  200 

Geology  ib. 

Forests  and  rivers     211 

Commanications t6. 

Climate  and  rainfall 212 

Agricultore xb. 


Pftgir 

Minerals,  forest  products,  and  cattle  ...  218 

Administration  t6. 

Area  and  population ib. 

Tenures   214 

Manufactures  and  trade   215 

History    i6. 

A  district  forming  a  portion  of  the  Narbadd  valley,  lying  entirely  on  the  left 
Q^     ,  ,      ,  ^  bank  of  the  river,  and  including  some  large  tracts 

era    esc  p      .  ^  ^^  Sitpuri  hills.     It  is  bounded  on  the  north 

by  the  territories  of  Bhopdl,  Sindid,  and  Holkar,  from  which  it  is  separated  by 
the  Narbad^.  On  the  east  the  Dudhl  river  divides  it  from  the  Narsinghpdr 
district.  On  the  west  it  adjoins  the  Nimdr  district,  the  boundary  being  the 
Chhotd  Tawd  river,  which  flows  into  the  Narbadd— a  stream  called  the  GuH, 
which  flows  into  the  Tapt(, — and  an  imaginary  line  across  the  hill  joining  the 
sources  of  those  two  streams.  On  the  south  lie  the  districts  of  Western  Berfir, 
Betdl,  and  Chhindwdrd.  The  boundary  line  on  this  side  is  very  uncertain  and 
arbitrary.  For  many  miles  it  lies  along  the  foot  of  the  hills,  or  includes  only  the 
outer  spurs  and  low  hills  which  fringe  the  Sdtpuri  range.  But  in  four  places  it 
makes  a  great  sweep  to  the  south,  and  brings  in  four  large  hill  tracts  knovm  as 
the  Mah^deo  hills,  and  the  tdlukas  Mdlinf,  Rdjdbordri,  and  Kdlibhit  respectively* 
The  boundary  line  includes  Kdlibhlt  by  following  the  river  where  it  flows  out  of 
the  Rdjdbordri  hills  to  theTapti  ,•  it  marches  with  the  Tapti  for  sixteen  miles  until 
it  meets  the  Nimdr  frontier,  and  turns  northward  again  along  the  little  stream  called 
the  Gulf.  The  district  may  be  generally  described  as  a  long  valley  of  varying 
breadth,  running  for  150  miles  between  the  Narbadd  and  the  S^purd  range. 
The  soil  consists  in  the  main  of  the  well-known  black  basaltic  alluvium,  often 
more  than  twenty  feet  deep ;  but  there  are  submontane  tracts  of  red  soil  and 
rock,  with  low  hills  of  various  formations.  From  Lokhartalai  (near  Seonl) 
eastward  to  the  extremity  of  the  district  these  are  almost  invariably  of  the 
Mahddeo  sandstone,  its  line  "  faulted^^  or  broken  here  and  there  by  the  intrusion 
of  other  rocks,  notably  at  Patroti,  where  the  road  from  Hoshangdbid  towards 
Betdl  strikes  the  base  of  the  S&tpurds,  and  "  passes  close  under  two  high  pointed 
hills,  which  are  formed  of  nearly  vertical  beds  of  schistoze  quartzite.  *  It  is  to 
the  east  of  the  glen  of  the  Tawd  river  that  the  district  boundanr  takes  its 
southern  sweep,  which  brings  in  the  Milinl  forests  and  the  M^ddeo  hills. 
Below  the  northern  base  of  the  Mahddeo  hills  lies  an  inner  valley  shut  out  from 
the  main  Narbadd  valley  by  an  irregular  chain  of  low  hills,  and  drained  by 
the  Denwd  river.  A  little  beyond  Fatehpdr,  which  stands  in  the  gorge  through 
which  the  Denwd  valley  is  entered  from  the  plains,  the  boundary  line  of  the 
district  turns  north  to  the  Narbadd.  All  down  along  the  Narbadd,  as  fieur  west- 
ward as  Handid,  the  champaign  country  is  only  broken  by  a  few  isolated  rocks, 
but  to  the  west  of  Handid  the  plain  is  crossed  and  cut  up  bv  low  stony  hills 
and  broad-backed  ridges.  Here  the  Vindhyas  throw  out  juttmg  spurs,  which 
occupy  a  large  area,  and  are  known  as  the  Bairf  hills ;  and  from  the  south- 
west the  Sdtpurfo  push  up  similar  branches,  which  almost  touch  the  Vindhya 
outposts. 

The  following  extracts  from  the  Memoirs  of  the  Geological  Survey  of  India 

Q   ,  will  give  an  idea  of  the  geology  of  Hoshangdbfid. 

ogy*  ipjjQ  jjjjjg  ^iiicii  bound  it   on  the  south  belong 

♦  Memoirs  of  the  Geological  Survey  of  India,  vol.  ii.  p.  231. 


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HOS  207 

mainly  to  the  series  classed  as  ^'  Mahddeva  ^*  and  '^  Lower  Damild^/^  but  in 
places  basaltic,  metamorphic,  and  crystalline  rocks  occur.  The  Mahideva  group 
is  thus  described  by  Mr.  J.  G.  MedUcott  *•: — 

^^The  range  of  hills  which  forms  the  south  side  of  the  Narbad^  vaJley 
is  formed  of  these ;  and  along  much  of  that  part  of  the  valley  which  extends 
from  Jabalpdr  to  Handid  and  Seoni  they  form  a  series  of  escarpments 
quite  as  remarkable,  and  more  picturesque,  since  less  regular,  than  do 
those  of  the  Vindhyan  range  on  the  north.  In  the  central  portion  of  this 
range  they  attain  their  greatest  development,  and  form  the  fine  masses  of 
the  Pachmarhi  or  Mah^deva  hills,  from  which  their  name  has  been  taken. 
Here  they  present  a  thickness  of  at  least  2,000  feet,  and  many  miles  away 
from  this  central  culminating  mass  they  still  attain  very  considerable 
development. 

3|C  #|C  ^  I*  I*  *P  3|C 

Lithologically  considered,  the  Mahfideva  group  consists  of  sandstones 
and  grits,  with  a  few  exceptions  hereafter  to  be  described.  In  their  typical 
localities  these  grits  (thick  and  thin  bedded)  make  up  the  whole  thiclmess 
of  the  formation  as  seen  in  the  Mahddeva  hills,  and  are  characterised 
throughout,  but  more  especially  near  the  top,  by  hard  earthy  ferruginous 
partings.  A  very  prominent  characteristic  of  the  Mahddeva  area  is  the 
way  in  which  these  great  sandstone  masses  are  disposed :  vertical  escarp- 
ments, with  clear  rock  faces  many  hundred  feet  high,  are  constantly  met, 
and  this  remarkable  feature  is  presented  wherever  these  rocks  are  (in  this 
district)  found.'* 

The  lower  Damddi  (including  the  Tdlchlr  groups)  are  describedf  as 
ascending  from  "  obscurely  bedded  or  unbedded  masses  of  green  mud"  into 
shales,  flags,  and  coarse  sandstones.  The  occurrence  of  these  rocks  in  the 
Hoshang&bdd  district  is  thus:|:  mentioned  :— 

"  The  Moran  river  exposes  some  beds  of  the  Lower  Damddi  series  : 

^         •      h  d  shales,  flags  and  sandstones,  and  a  bed  of  poor 

oran  nver   e    .  ^^^|  ^  ^^jj^q  ^  ^^  surface.     The  beds  have  been 

considerably  disturbed,  and  the  massive  thick  sandstones  of  the  Mah&deva 
group  (see  below)  rest  unconforraably  on  them. 

"ITie  Damddd  beds  are  found  only  at  the  bottom  of  the  Moran  glen, 
and  only  a  very  small  patch  of  them  can  be  seen.  Both  sides  of  the  glen  are 
formed  of  Mahddeva  sandstone  (as  stated  above),  and  on  the  west  these  are 
almost  immediately  covered  up  by  trap. 

*  Memoirs  of  the  Geological  Survey  of  India,  vol.  ii.  part  2,  pp.  183,  184. 

t  Ditto  ditto  ditto  p.  148. 

X  Ditto  ditto  ditto  pp.  149, 160,  and  165—167. 

§  '*  With  respect  to  the  coal  seam  here  we  may  remark  that  it  is  at  its  outcrop  about 
three  feet  thick,  but  very  much  impregnated  with  pyrites.  A  strong  eflBorescence  of 
sulphur  and  of  alum  covers  its  exposed  surface,  as  well  as  that  of  some  of  the  accompanying 
shales.  Such  impurities,  if  equally  abundant  throughout,  would  render  the  mineral  com- 
mercially useless — a  circumstance  the  more  to  be  regretted  as  no  coal  is  known  to  exist  to  the 
west  01  this  place,  and  the  position  of  the  outcrop  gives  it  many  advantages  over  Sonadi, 
which  is,  next  to  this,  the  most  westerly  coal  of  the  district.  From  that  place  a  quantity  of 
coal  was  taken  to  Bombay  some  years  since  under  the  auspices  of  Sir  R.  Hamilton. 
Situated  on  the  level  of  the  Narbada  valley,  and  many  miles  to  the  west  of  any  other  known 
outcrop,  this  locality  will  doubtless  receive  a  trial  whenever  a  demand  for  the  mineral  exists 
within  a  distance  sufficiently  short  to  admit  of  its  being  worked  to  a  profit,  after  cost  of 
transport  has  been  paid." 


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208  nos 

*'  Proceeding  hence  towards  the  east  the  Damddi  and  Tdlchir  beds 

..  will  be  seen  to  occupy  a  large  area  in  the  valley 

Tawa  valley.  ^^  ^^^  r^^^^     rpj^^  rp^^^  ^  ^  considerable  stream 

confluent  with  the  Narbadi,  a  little  above  Hoshangdbdd,  and  issues  from 
tho  hills  on  the  south  side  of  the  valley  through  a  gorge,  at  the  entrance 
of  which  the  old  fort  of  Bdgr^  stands.  It  drains  a  very  large  area  within 
the  range  to  the  south ;  its  numerous  tributaries  reach  many  miles  to  the 
east  and  west  among  the  hills,  and  itself  flows  across  a  wide  plain  surrounded 
almost  on  all  sides  by  the  high  ground.  All  the  low  ground  of  this  plain, 
and  of  many  of  the  glens  which  open  into  it,  is  occupied  by  the  rocks 
under  consideration,  and  many  fine  sections  of  them  are  exposed, 

"  The  green  muds  and  boulder  bed  are  occasionally  met  with  in  almost 
every  part  of  this  area,  but  they  are  far  more  largely  developed  towards 
the  south  of  it,  and  it  is  there  that  they  may  be  best  studied. 

3^  ^C  ^t  ^^  ^^  ^^  ^* 

"  Leaving  the  Tawd  valley  and  proceeding  up  the  Narbadd  valley  for 

•     about  thirty-tive  miles  (in  a  straight  line)   the  hill  district  may  be  again 

entered  through  a  gorge,  at  the  mouth   of  which  the  fortified  village  of 

Fatohpilr  stands.     Within  and  south  of  the  narrow  glens  which  connect 

it  with  the  Narbadi  valley  lies  a  wide  spread  of  flat  country. 

"  The  flat  ground  is  occupied  by  tho  Tdlchir  and  Lower  Damdd^  beds ; 
De    4  Vail  ^^  ^  drained  by  the  Denwd  river,  which,  passing 

^'  from  here  to  the  west  among  the  hills,  joins  the 

Tawd  just  above  Bdgrd.  This  may  be  called  the  Lower  Denwd  valley,  and 
if  we  follow  that  stream  up  its  course,  it  will  be  found  to  wind  through 
deep  glens  and  between  high  vertical  scarps  as  it  works  its  way  from 
south  to  north  among  the  eastern  and  lower  spurs  of  the  Pachmari  hills ; 
again  to  the  south  of  these  its  valley  becomes  once  more  wide  and  flat. 
The  stream  itself,  and  its  tributaries,  draining  the  country  under  tho 
southern  face  of  the  great  Mahddeva  sandstones  of  the  Pachmari,  expose 
many  fine  sections  ot  the  rocks  of  the  Lower  Damddd  series,  similar  to 
those  seen  in  the  Tawd  valley.  Similar  to  these  in  texture  and  structure 
wo  have  fossiliferous  shales,  flags,  and  seams  of  impure  coal,  and  like  them 
in  habit  we  find  an  irregular  and  sometimes  inverted  dip,  faults,  and  trap 
dykes.     ♦♦*♦♦♦♦♦ 

^^  As  in  the  valley  of  the  Tawd,  we  here  find  the  rocks  of  the  Tdlchir  and 
Lower  Damddd  groups  presenting  a  flat  or  gently 
Upper  Denwd  valley.         undulating  surface,  from  which  the  massive  vertical 
scarps  of  the  Mahddeva  sandstone  rise.^' 

The  typo  of  the  granitic  rocks,  which  occur  in  one  or  two  places  only  in 
this  part  of  the  valley,  is  thus*  described : — 

"  Below  Hoshangdbdd  much  granite  is  exposed  in  the  banks  of  the 
Narbadd,  and  here  also  it  is  mostly  either  this  syenitic  porphyry  with  pink 
felspar,  or  a  pink  felspar  granite ;  this  latter  is  the  rock  seen  at  Han  did. 
A  similar  red  felspar  granite  forms  a  range  of  hills  in  the  southern  portion 
of  tho  country  surveyed,  and  is  also  well  seen  in  the  Chitd  Eewd  section 
near  Berkherd.^' 

*  Memoirs  of  the  Geological  Suncy  of  India,  vol.  il  part  2,  pp.  122,  123. 


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HOS  209 

Westward  of  Hoshangdbdd  the  following  account  is  given  ♦  of  the  district 
by  Mr.  W.  T.  Blanford  :— 

''  This  tract,  from  Hoshangdbdd  to  Hardd,  consists  of  a  gently  undulat- 
ing plain  of  cotton  soil.  No  rocks  appear  in  general  even  in  the  streams, 
although  outcrops  would  probably  be  met  with  here  and  there,  in  the 
deeper  ravines,  if  the  place  were  thoroughly  searched.  About  Hardi  rock 
begins  to  appear  more  generally  in  the  streams,  and  occasionally  at  the 
surface  of  the  ground,  and  farther  west  trap  to  tho  south,  and  metamorphic 
rocks  to  the  north  are  largely  exposed.  This  is  especially  the  case  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  the  Narbadd,  which  runs  through  a  rocky'  bed  between 
low  hills  of  Bijdwars  and  gneiss.  To  the  south  is  the  western  extension  of 
the  Pachmarl  and  other  hills,  much  diminished  in  height,  and  gradually 
sinking  more  and  more  towards  the  plain.  It  is  chiefly  composed  of  trap. 
Mr.  Medlicott's  map  comprises  the  only  portion  of  the  range  consisting 
of  older  rocks,  with  the  exception  of  a  small  patch  of  Mahddeva  beds  in  the 
Ganjdl  river,  the  existence  of  which  is  proved  by  pebbles  brought  down  by 
the  stream,  but  which  was  not  reached.f  It  is  far  within  the  hills,  and 
is  evidently  of  small  extent.  The  section  of  Mahddeva  rocks  at  the  Mora'n 
river  has  already  been  referred  to  in  the  chapter  devotad  to  those  rocks  in 
general.  For  about  two  miles  south  of  Lokhartalai  trap  is  seen  in  the  river, 
then  from  beneath  the  trap  coarse  conglomerates  crop  out,  dipping  at  about 
lO''  to  west,  2QP  north.  These  conglomerates  contain  pebbles  of  various 
kinds,  some  of  metamorphic  rocks,  amongst  which  quartzite  predominates, 
others  of  the  peculiar  purplish  quartzite  sandstone  of  the  Vindhyans ; 
a  few  are  of  red  jasper,  and  mixed  with  the  mass  are  blocks,  frequently 
two  or  three  feet  across,  of  soft  felspathic  sandstone,  evidently  derived 
from  the  Damddds,  which  are  in  place  close  by.  Below  the  coarse  conglo- 
merate is  brown  sandstone,  slightly  conglomeritic.  This  rests  on  felspa- 
thic sandstone,  succeeded  by  flaggy  beds  and  carbonaceous  shale,  the  latter 
clearly  belonging  to  the  Damddd  series.  Despite  the  unconformity  between 
the  two  series  shown  by  the  Damddd  detritus  contained  in  the  Mahddeva 
conglomerate,  it  was  impossible  precisely  to  determine  the  line  of  separation. 
It  is  clear,  however,  that  the  Mahddevas  do  not,  at  this  spot,  exceed  two 
hundred  feet  in  thickness,  and  probably  half  that  amount  is  nearer  the  truth. 
Up  the  Moran  river  the  Damddds  soon  turn  over  to  the  south,  and  dis- 
appear again  below  the  traps.  The  Mahddevas  appear  to  be  wanting.  They 
are,  however,  much  thicker  in  the  hills  east  of  the  Moran  than  in  the  river. 
No  good  sections  are  seen.  The  hills  further  west,  about  Makrdf,  are 
composed  of  bedded  trap,  either  dipping  at  low  angles  to  the  south  or 
horizontal.  Some  intertrappeans  occur  in  the  upper  part  of  the  Agni 
stream,  west-south-west  of  KdKbhit.  South  of  Hardd,  towards  Chdrwd,  there 
is  a  great  bay  of  the  alluvium  stretching  further  to  the  west  than  is  tho 
case  near  the  river.  This  larger  quantity  of  surface-deposit  away  from  the 
river  appears  to  indicate  a  former  distribution  of  the  rivers  throughout 
this  country  diSerent  from  that  at  present  prevailing.  It  may  have  some 
connexion  with  the  great  break  near  A'slrgarh,  in  the  hills  which  separate 
the  valleys  of  the  Taptl  and  Narbadd.     Tho  trap    demands  but  little 

♦  Memoirs  of  the  Geological  Survey  of  India,  vol.  vi.  part  3,  pp.  83 — 86. 
t  **  Its  existence  was  only  discovered  just  before  leaving  the  field.    I  had  no  map  of  the 
country,  and  could  not  spare  the  three  or  four  days  it  migtit  have  required  to  hunt  it  out 
and  survey  it." 
27  CPG 


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210  HOS 

notice,  and  the  neighbourhood  of  the  Narbadd  west  of  Hardd  received 
so  very  hurried  an  examination  that  but  little  of  importance  can  be 
stated  concerning  it.*  The  rocks  consist  principally  of  metamorphics 
and  Bijdwars,  overlying  trap  occurring  here  and  there.  On  the  Narbadi 
a  range  of  hills  formed  of  quartzite  rises  from  the  alluvial  pledn  about 
two  nriles  west  of  Handid.  This  range  stretches  along  the  river  for 
some  distance  to  the  westward.  Similar  quartzite  occurs,  as  already 
mentioned,  at  Nimdwar,  north  of  the  river,  opposite  Handid.f  About 
Hardd  syenitic  and  granitic  rocks  occur.  Much  alluvial  cotton  soil 
covers  the  surface,  but  it  is  often  very  thin.  Thus  in  one  place,  a  few 
miles  west  of  the  town,  on  the  road  to  Khandwd,  although  no  rock  what- 
ever was  visibfe  on  the  surface,  blocks  of  granite  for  the  railway  works 
were  being  quarried  from  a  depth  of  only  six  or  eight  feet.  In  the 
Mdchak  river  trap  is  found  about  DanwdrS.  In  the  upper  part  of  this 
stream  no  rock  is  met  with  as  a  rule,  although  trap  is  exposed  near  Mohanptir 
and  Gdhi).  About  half  a  mile  below  Danwdra  coarsely  crystalised  peg- 
matite ( or  rather  protogene),  containing  a  ohlorite-like  mineral,  is  met  with, 
and  forms  the  bed  of  the  stream  for  a  considerable  distance.  At  Devdpdr 
there  is  metamorphic  limestone.  The  rocks  are  extensively  metamor- 
phosed, and  no  foliation  can  be  recognised.  In  the  country  between  the 
Mdchak  and  the  Tawi  large  outliers  of  traps  overlie  the  metamorphic 
rocks.  The  same  is  the  case  north  of  the  Mdchak,  but  to  a  smaller  extent. 
No  attempt  has  been  made  to  ascertain  precisely  the  boundaries  of  these 
numerous  little  patches.  The  larger  areas  have  been  roughly  surveyed  so 
as  to  indicate  the  general  mode  of  occurrence.  Most  of  the  patches  are  oval 
or  oblong,  their  larger  axis  corresponding  with  the  general  strike  of  the 
metamorphic  rocks,  or  about  east  20°,  30°  north,  and  it  is  evident  that  they 
are  due  to  the  traps  having  overflowed  the  irregular  surface  of  the  under- 
lying formations,  in  which,  as  at  the  present  day,  ridges  of  the  harder  beds, 
chiefly  quartzite  or  compact  granitoid  gneiss,  stood  up  above  the  general 
level  of  country.  Where  denudation  has  so  far  removed  the  traps  that  the 
old  surface  is  once  more  visible,  the  hard  ridges  again  protrude,  while 
some  trap  yet  remains  in  the  hollows  between  them.  Trap  dykes  occasion- 
ally occur  in  the  metamorphics.  They  were  especially  observed  in  the  jungles 
north-east  of  Punghdt.  They  appeared  at  that  place  to  have  two  principal 
directions,  south-east  and  east-20°-north,  the  latter  coinciding  with  the 
lamination  of  the  metamorphics.  A  very  interesting  section  occurs  in  the 
Tawa  river  {  near  its  junction  with  the  Narbad&.  At  the  mouth  of  the 
Tawfi  the  Bijdwar  hmestone  is  seen  presenting  a  peculiar  concentric 
structure;  the  alternating  bands  of  siliceous  and  calcareous  minerals, 
instead  of  being  plane,  are  concentric  around  nuclei  of  quartz.  Many 
of  these  concentric  masses  are  of  great  size.  A  little  further  south  there 
is  an  immense  mass  of  hard  quartzose  breccia  similar  to  that  seen  north 
of  the  river  north-west  of  Chdndgarh,  composed  of  purplish  jasper-like 
rock,  with  enclosed  angular  fragments  of  quartzite;  upon  this  rest  Vindhyan 
shales,  sandy  as  usual,  and  passing  upwards  into  the  typical  quartzite 
sandstone,  which  forms  hills  west  of  the  stream.     It  is  difficult  to  say  what 

*  *'  It  has  since,  like  the  neighbouring  country  north  of  the  river,  been  examined  by 
Mr.  Mallet,  who  will  probably  describe  it  in  greater  detail.'* 

t  "This  quartzite  has  been  shown  by  Mr.  Mallet  to  belong  to  the  Bij£wars." 
X  "  This  is  the  smaller  Tawa,  called  the  Chhotd  Tawa  or  Suktawi  river," 


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HOS  211 

is  the  position  of  the  breccia.  It  was  at  first  supposed  to  be  Bijdwar,  but  the 
occurrence  of  similar  breccia,  apparently  interstratified  in  the  Vindhyans  on 
the  Narbadd  close  by,  renders  it  possible  that  it  may  belong  to  that  series.* 
The  shaley  beds  appear  to  be  unconformable  upon  the  breccia,  and  the 
breccia  upon  the  Bijdwar  limestone,  but  neither  unconformity  is  very 
clearly  made  out,  and  apparent  unconformities  of  breccia  or  quartzite  beds 
resting  upon  Bij^wars  must  be  regarded  with  suspicion  on  account  of  the 
predominance  of  cleavage  foliation  in  some  of  the  beds  of  that  series,  and 
its  absence  in  the  hornstones  and  quartzites.  Higher  up  in  the  Tawd  trap 
comes  in,  and  further  on  still  there  is  a  patch  of  metamorphic  rocks.  It  is 
of  no  great  extent.     The  rock  is  granitoid.'^ 

The  finest  forests  are  the  two  reserved  tracts  which  were  made  over  to  this 
p  -  .  district  from  Chhindwdrd  in  1865 — the  Borf  and 

Denwd  reserves;  but  throughout  the  woodland 
country  the  teak  is  very  common,  and  the  saplings  thrive  well  where  they  are 
protected.  There  are  some  such  tracts  on  the  Narbadd,  and  a  good  deal  of 
forest  lies  west  of  Handii.  Of  jungle,  scrub,  or  brushwood,  there  is  more  or 
less  throughout  the  valley,  but  least  in  the  eastern  and  most  in  the  western 
parganas.  To  the  east  of  Seoni  the  jungle  has  been  only  allowed  to  remain  in  tho 
poor  sandy  soil,  which  is  not  worth  cultivation.  Strips  of  wood  run  down  along 
the  sandy  banks  of  the  streams  which  cross  the  flat  plain  from  the  hills.  But  in 
Cb&rwi  there  is  an  extensive  tract  of  dense  low  forest. 

The  chief  rivers  are  the  Anjan,  Tawd,  Hdthir,  Denwd,  Ganjdl,  Moran,  and 
Dudhl,  besides  the  great  boundary  streams  of  the  Narbadd  and  Taptl.  The 
district  is,  however,  throughout  intersected  by  innumerable  little  streams,  many 
of  them  perennial,  which  run  down  from  the  hills  to  the  Narbadd. 

The  best  road  in  the  district  is  now  the  line  from  Hoshangdbdd  by  Itdrsi 
^  .    ^  towards    Betdl.     It  is  already  partly  metalled, 

bridged,  and  embanked,  and  work  on  the  remamder 
is  in  active  progress.  It  passes  the  railroad  at  the  Itdrsi  station,  eleven  miles 
from  Hoshangdbdd.  The  highroad  to  Bombay,  which  runs  right  through  the 
district  from  east  to  west,  is  only  aligned  in  parts,  and  nowhere  well  embanked 
or  drained.  Bridges  have  been  built  over  a  few  of  tho  streams,  and  causeways 
thrown  across  others.  The  road  from  Hardd  to  Handid — the  old  highroad  in  the 
days  of  the  Moghals  from  the  Deccan  to  A'gra — is  a  wide  track,  well  defined, 
but  not  metalled,  and  out  of  repair.  All  other  roads  in  the  district  are  merely 
fair-weather  routes,  which^  are  being  gradually  demarcated  and  drained.  The 
roads  from  Seoni  and  Hardd  towards  Betdl  are  pretty  good,  except  in  the  rainy 
months.  The  Grreat  Indian  Peninsula  Eailroad  (expected  to  be  completed  to 
Jabalpdr  in  1870)  now  intersects  the  whole  district  from  west  to  east,  with 
stations  at  Bigrd,  Hard4,  Seoni,  Itirsi,  Sohdgpdr,  and  Bankheri.  It  crosses  the 
Tawd  by  a  viaduct  at  the  opening  of  the  gorge  through  which  the  river  issues 
from  the  Sdtpurds,  and  it  is  carried  by  a  short  tunnel  under  an  interposing 
projection  of  the  hill  close  by.  A  system  of  railway  feeders  has  for  some  time 
been  under  the  consideration  of  the  local  Government,  and  is  gradually  being 
carried  out. 


'  This  was  pointed  out  by  Mr^  Mallet." 


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212  HOS 

The  temporature  is  said  to  be  higher  than  that  of  Narsinghpdr  or  Jabalpilr, 

,.  ,     .  - ,,  but  it  is  of  a  very  medium  character,  free  from 

Climate  and  rwnfalL  ^^^^^^  ^^  ^^^^  ^^  ^^^^^     rpj^^  ^^^^^  ^^^^  ^^^^^ 

sun  are  very  powerful ;  .but  hot  winds  are  the  exception,  and  are  seldom  very 
violent,  while  the  nights  in  the  hot  weather  and  rains  are  always  cooL  The 
thermometer  seldom  rises  above  100°  in  the  shade ;  the  average  maximum  of 
July,  August,  and  September  1864  was  91°  in  the  shade,  the  average  minimum 
was  73°.  The  cold  weather  is  seldom  bitter,  and  often  hardly  bracing,  though 
frosts  of  one  or  two  nights^  duration  are  not  uncommon.  The  rainfall  is  exceed- 
ingly variable,  ranging  between  the  limits  of  forty  and  sixty  inches  in  the  year. 
The  winter  rains  are  very  regular,  insomuch  that  it  is  a  local  proverb  that  there 
have  been  famines  from  too  much  rain,  but  never  any  from  drought.  Prom 
the  position  of  the  district,  as  a  long  valley  or  gorge  between  the  two  great 
ranges  of  the  Sdtpurd  and  Vindhya  hills,  it  is  subject  to  violent  atmospheric 
changes,  and  the  harvest  is  seldom  gathered  without  hailstorms  and  thunder- 
showers;  dust-storms,  however,  are  unknown.  On  the  whole,  considering  that 
the  district  is  within  the  tropics,  and  not  raised  above  the  ordinary  level  of 
Indian  plains,  it  may  be  considered  fortunate  in  having  a  climate  which  is 
decidedly  better  than  might  have  been  expected.  Hoshangdbad  itself  is  about 
1,000  feet  above  the  sea;  but  as  the  fall  of  the  valley  is  twenty  feet  in  seven 
miles,  the  eastern  end  of  the  district  is  about  four  hundred  feet  higher  than  the 
western  end.  An  east  wiud  blows  often  in  the  cold  weather,  and  is  rather  bitter 
and  piercing. 

From  the  thinness  of  the  population  and  the  plentifulness  of  waste  land  all 
.    .    ,  round,  it  naturally  follows  that  the  cultivation  is 

^       ^^'  not  laborious,  nor  of  a  high  order.     Cereals  are 

raised  entirely  without  manure  and  irrigation,  and  the  rich  black  soil  of  the 
valley  is  almost  independent  of  any  system  of  rotation,  and  produces  fine  crops 
of  wheat  without  change  or  fallow  for  thirty  or  forty  years.  Only  garden  crops 
and  sugarcane  are  manured  and  watered.  The  total  cultivated  area  of  tie 
district  in  the  year  1868  was  891,587  acres,  and  the  principal  crops  grown  are 
cotton,  gram,  wheat,  jawdrf,  and  til;  since  1864  a  great  quantity  of  the  land 
formerly  under  gram,  jawdri,  and  til  has  been  given  up  to  cotton.  But  the 
great  flatness  of  the  land  is  against  the  cultivation  of  cotton,  and  is  the  chief 
cause  why  kharif  (or  rain)  crops  bear  so  small  a  proportion  to  rabi  (or  cold 
weather)  crops.  The  black  soil  will  only  grow  rain  crops  when  it  is  thoroughly- 
well  drained,  and  in  default  of  a  good  system  of  subsoil  draining,  this  amounts  to 
saying  that  rain-crops  will  only  grow  in  ground  which  slopes  considerably,  and 
which  is  generally  light  and  stony.  The  black  soil,  when  supplied  with  unlimited 
moisture  and  heat,  throws  up  a  crop  of  weeds  which  choke  whatever  is  sown, 
and  which,  from  the  deep  muddy  nature  of  the  soil,  cannot  be  hoed  up  till  dry 
weather  comes ;  consequently  this  soil,  which  is  the  prevailing  one,  will  only 
grow  rabi  crops,  and  is  devoted  almost  entirely  to  wheat.  In  1 860,  before  the 
American  war,  the  cotton-growing  area  was  calculated  at  24,000  acres,  produc- 
ing 40  lbs.  to  the  acre.  In  1864  the  extent  of  area  had  doubled ;  but  the  cotton 
is  never,  or  very  seldom,  grown  on  what  is  called  the  '* black  cotton  soil";  it  is 
confined  to  the  lighter  or  inferior  soils.  The  Government  waste  lands  are 
chiefly  hilly  tracts,  only  useful  for  pasturage,  or  fit  for  growing  teak  or  other 
timber.  But  at  the  western  extremity  of  the  district,  in  the  Chdrwd  pargana, 
there  are  some  very  fine  waste  lands,  which  would  well  repay  the  expense  of  cul- 
tivation.   South  of  the  highroad  to  Bombay  there  are  about  two  hundred  square 


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HOS  213 

miles  of  such  land,  interspersed  only  witli  three  or  four  villages.  Low  ranges 
of  stony  hills  run  through  the  tract,  covered  with  low  scrub.  In  the  valleys 
between,  which  are  often  of  considerable  depth,  the  soil  is  of  very  fine  quality. 

Coal  is  found  in  small  quantities  in  the  bed  of  almost  every  stream  which 
Minerals,  forest  produets,  and     cuts     through    the    Mahddeo    sandstone     range, 
cattle.  notably  in  the  bed  of  the  Tawd ;  but  no  coal  mines 

of  any  value  have  yet  been  worked  in  this  district.  Ironstone  occurs  in  several 
places,  especially  in  the  low  hills  near  Hardd,  and  is  roughly  smelted  by  the  hill 
tribes.  Fruits,  drugs,  dyes,  and  tanning-barks  are  brought  down  from  the  hills, 
a  little  tasar  silk  is  produced  and  some  lac  is  collected,  but  not  in  any  large  quan- 
tities. There  are  a  few  good  brood-mares  in  the  district;  most  of  them  belong 
to  substantial  Gujar  Mdlguzdrs,  who  breed  in  a  small  way ;  and  the  better  class 
of  farmers  from  Hindustan  seem  always  to  have  kept  horses  for  riding.  But 
horses  and  ponies  are  by  no  means  so  common  as  in  Upper  India.  Two  fine 
stallions  have  been  procured  by  the  Government  for  improving  the  district  stock. 
The  cattle  belong  mostly  to  the  Mdlwa  and  up-country  breeds,  the  Mdlwd 
stock  being  in  highest  favour.  The  oxen  are  stout  beasts,  useful  for  heavy 
draught  and  for  ploughing  the  deep  black  soil,  but  much  inferior  in  pace  and 
activity  to  the  small  Ber^  buUocks.  Of  late  years  there  have  been  very  large 
importations  of  high-priced  cattle  from  the  north,  to  meet  the  demand  among  the 
prosperous  agriculturists  of  this  valley.  Sheep-breeding  is  not  carried  on  to  any 
large  extent ;  the  supply  is  from  Bundelkhand. 

At  Hoshangdb^d  are  the  courts,  civil  and  criminal,  of  the  Deputy  Commis- 
.       .  sioner  and  of  his  assistants.     Here  also  is  the  office 

Administration.  of  the  collector  of  customs,  and  of  a  patrol.     The 

district  has  four  administrative  subdivisions,  under  tahsilddrs,  who  have  their 
head-quarters  at  HoshangSbdd,  Sohdgpdr,  Seonf,  and  Hardd  respectively,  and 
who  exercise  judicial  and  fiscal  authority.  There  are  police  stations  at  all  the 
four  places  above  mentioned,  also  at  Bankheri  and  Chdrwd  near  the  eastern  and 
western  extremities  of  the  district.  Several  outposts  of  police  are  stationed  at 
various  intermediate  points.  The  police  force  is  429  strong,  including  all  ranks. 
An  Assistant  Commissioner  resides  and  holds  court  at  Hardi. 

The  imperial  revenues  of  the  district  for  1868-69  are — 

Land  Ks.  4,37,694 

Excise    „  53,818 

Stamps „  95,280 

Forests  „  65,866 

Customs „  1,06,151 

Assessed  taxes  „  15,277 


Total    Es.    7,74,086 

The  area  of  the  district  is  4,300  square  miles.    Of  this  2,300  square  miles 
Area  and  population.  ^^  contained  in  the  fertile  valley  of  the  Narbadi, 

and  the  hill  tracts  are  estimated  to  cover  about 
2,000  square  miles.  The  population,  according  to  the  census  of  November  1866, 
amounts  to  440,433  souls,  giving  an  average  of  102  to  the  square  mile.  Of  this 
47  per  cent  are  returned  as  females.  The  agriculturists  are  to  the  mercantile 
and  artisan  population  as  100  to  114.  The  non-agricultural  portion  of  the  people 
is  very  smaU  as  compared  with  the  agriculturists.    Almost  all  the  principal 


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214  HOS 

traders  in  the  towns  are  Mirwdris.  There  are  also  the  usual  classes  of  petty  shop- 
keepers ;  and  there  are  large  colonies  of  weavers,  Mahdrs,  Kolf  s,  Chamdrs,  and 
Koshtis.  The  principal  agricultural  classes  are,  in  the  east,  Kirdrs,  Gujars,  and 
Eaghubansis,  emigrants  from  Bundelkhand  and  from  Oudh.  Westward,  Gujars, 
Jdts,  Rdjputs,  and  Bishnois  from  Mdrwdr  and  Mdlwd,  Kurmis  and  Menos  from 
Nimdr  and  Khdndesh.  There  are  also  a  large  number  of  Gonds  and  Kurkus — 
aboriginal  hill  tribes — with  non-Aryan  languages  and  non-Aryan  habits  of 
their  own.  In  the  valley  they  are  considered  too  improvident  to  be  good  culti- 
vators, but  they  are  hardworking  and  trustworthy  farm-servants.  In  the  hill 
tracts  they  form  the  sole  population,  Gonds  and  Kurkds  alone  inhabiting  the 
eastern  tracts  of  Pachmari  and  Mdlini ;  Kurkds,  with  an  admixture  of  J&onds, 
occupying  Rdjdbordri  and  Kdllbhit,  They  are  chiefly  remarkable  for  their 
truthfulness,  inoflFensiveness,  and  shyness,  and  it  is  hard  to  believe  that  only 
fifty  years  ago  they  were  the  most  reckless  and  daring  of  robbers,  and  that 
their  depredations  filled  the  whole  valley  with  terror,  and  gave  to  Mdlini  its 
title  of  Chormdiini,  or  '^Robber  Mdlini/^  There  has  probably  never  been  a 
stronger  instance  of  the  character  of  a  whole  race  being  completely  changed 
in  a  generation  by  peaceful  government.  The  subjoined  figures,  which  are 
understood  to  be  rather  under  the  mark,  show  that  the  population  is  most 
numerous  in  the  eastern  parganas,  and  decreases  rapidly  from  pargana  to 
pargana  going  towards  the  west : — 

Persons* 

Rdjwdrd 166^^ 

*  Sohdgpdr 165  j 

Hoshangdbad    146  ^  per  square  mile. 

Seoni 130  | 

Hardd    123J 

In  this  district,  as  throughout  the  Narbadd  valley,  there  are  some  estates 
^  which  have  for  generations   belonged  to  petty 

chiefs  or  heads  of  families,  who  have  been  strong 
enough  to  keep  their  lands  together,  and  to  pay  only  tribute  or  feudal  service 
to  the  ruling  power.  Such  have  been  the  Rdjds  of  Fatehpdr  and  the  Rdjds  of 
Sobhdpdr,  who  held  their  fiefs  originally  from  the  princes  of  Mandla,  and  who 
have  contrived  to  retain  the  bulk  of  their  ancestral  estates  through  the  changes 
of  times  and  dynasties  up  to  the  present  date.  With  these  also  may  be  classed, 
but  at  a  long  distance  below  them,  the  Tdlukaddrs  of  Bdbai,  and  one  or  two 
other  small  proprietors,  who  hold  at  a  quit-rent  some  half-cultivated  tracts  of 
Hardd.  These  families  were  undoubtedly  lords  of  their  domains,  and  their 
proprietary  right  as  tdlukaddrs  or  quit-rent  holders  has  been  recognised  in  the 
recent  settlement  of  land  revenue.  In  some  cases,  where  long  hereditary  occu- 
pancy appeared  to  give  some  prescriptive  title  to  the  farmers  of  villages  on 
these  tdlukaddri  estates,  or  where  the  farmers  have  sunk  capital  in  the  land,  a 
sub-settlement  has  been  made  recognising  their  possession  of  inferior  proprie- 
tary rights,  and  protecting  them  from  being  ejected  at  the  pleasure  of  their 
landlord.  The  status  of  the  petty  hill  chiefs  in  the  Mahddeo  hills  also  deserves 
special  mention.  For  many  generations  their  ancestors  held  the  difficult  and 
unproductive  country,  on  and  around  the  Pachmarhf  plateau,  under  a  sort  of  feudal 
subjection  to  the  rulers  of  Deogarh  and  Ndgpdr,  but  were  never  entirely  subdued 
until  1818.  They  sheltered  and  supported  A  pd  Sdhib  when  he  escaped  into 
their  fastnesses ;  they  raised  their  clans  in  his  favour;  and  were  thoroughly 
put  down  by  the  British  troops  sent  to  expel  him.    But  the  British  agents 


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HOS  215 

adopted  the  policy  of  maintaining  these  tilukaddrs  in  their  rights,  continuing 
the  same  system  of  receiving  nominal  tribute  from  some,  while  others  received 
stipends  from  the  state.  Upon  the  recommendation  of  Sir  E.  Temple,  late  chief 
commissioner,  the  Government  formally  confirmed  in  this  position  all  of  these 
j%irdirs,  except  the  Zamindfo  of  Rdikherf,  who  rebelled  in  1858,  and  whose 
lands  were  confiscated.  Of  these  jdgfrddrs  or  zaminddrs  those  of  Almod, 
Pachmarhl,  and  Pag^ri  are  the  most  important. 

There  are  no  manufactures  of  any  note,  and  few  handicrafts,  except  the  or- 
Manufacture.  and  trade.  ^^^  leather-curing,  weaving,  and  the  like.     The 

workers  m  brass  have  a  good  name  m  the  country 
round.  The  local  weaving  trade  was  flourishing  until  the  enormous  demand 
for  cotton  in  1863-64  raised  the  price  of  raw  material  beyond  their  means. 
Cotton  was  then  exported,  and  English  piece-goods  were  imported.  These  dis- 
advantages, with  the  high  price  of  day-labour,  stopped  a  large  number  of  looms ; 
but  the  trade  has  by  no  means  succumbed  yet,  and  will  probably  continue  for 
some  time  to  supply  the  coarser  and  stouter  fabrics  in  which  the  outdoor 
working-man  clothes  himself  and  family.  The  export  trade  is  almost  entirely 
composed  of  agricultural  produce.  It  is  a  very  large  and  increasing  traded 
affording  employment  to  a  great  deal  of  capital  and  a  large  number  of  merchants, 
and  pouring  an  immense  quantity  of  silver  into  the  district.  It  has  received  a 
great  stimulus  of  late  by  the  high  prices  which  have  prevailed  in  Mdlwi  and 
Berdr,  in  consequence  of  bad  seasons,  increased  consumption,  and  other  causes. 
The  value  of  wheat  exported  has  been  roughly  calculated  at  four  Idkhs  of  rupees 
(£40,000)  annually.  Besides  wheat,  the  export  of  gram,  oil-seeds,  and  cotton 
is  considerable.  In  return,  English  piece-goods,  spices,  and  cocoanuts  are  the 
principal  imports  from  the  west,  salt  from  Bhopdl,  sugar  by  way  of  Mirzipdr 
fi^m  the  east.  But  the  gradual  approach  of  the  open  railway  from  the  west 
increases  every  year  the  tendency  of  the  district  trade  in  that  direction.  When 
the  line  is  completed  it  is  most  probable  that  this  part  of  the  Narbad^  country 
will  deal  almost  entirely  with  Bombay.  It  has  been  roughly  reckoned  that  five 
Idkhs  of  rupees  (£50,000)  worth  of  English  piece-goods  are  imported  every 
year. 

Little  is  known  of  the  ancient  history  of  the  district  before  the  Marithfi 
2j  .^  ■  invasion.     The  eastern  portion,  or  the  Edjwdrd 

18  ory.  pargana,  is   owned  by  four  Gond  Rdjds,*  who 

derive  their  title  from  the  Rdjds  of  Mandla.  The  centre  of  the  district  was  subject 
to  the  R^ji  of  Deogarh  either  directly,  as  Sohdgpdr,  or  indirectly  through  his 
feudatories,  the  petty  Rdjds  of  B&gri  knd  SduKgarh.  In  the  extreme  west  the 
Grond  Rdjd  of  Makrdi  is  said  once  to  have  had  an  extensive  independent 
jurisdiction.  But  there  are  hardly  any  writings  or  traditions  belonging  to  this 
period.  In  Akbar's  time  Handid  was  the  head-quarters  of  a  sarkdr,  and  was 
occupied  by  a  faujddr  and  diwdn,  and  by  Moghal  troops ;  Seoul  was  attached 
to  a  province  of  Bhopdl ;  and  HoshangSbdd  is  not  mentioned  at  all.  •  Several 
reasons  concur  to  give  probability  to  the  idea  that  the  eastern  part  of  the  district 
was  never  conquered  by  Delhi  at  all,  but  was  thought  too  wild  and  valueless  to 
wrest  firom  the  Gonds  who  occupied  it.  Dost  Mohammad,  the  founder  of  the 
Bhopfl  family,  took  Hoshangdbdd  itself,  and  annexed  a  considerable  territory 
with  it,  from  Seoul  to  the  Tawd,  or  to  SoMgpdr,  as  some  say.  From  the  dates 
of  sanads  now  existing  he  must  have  done  this  about  the  year  a.d.  1720. 

*  The  R4}4  of  Sobhapdr  and  the  three  lUgas  of  Fatehptir  mentioned  before. 


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216  HOS 

In  A.D.  1742  the  Peshwd,  Bdldjl  B4ji  Rao,  passed  up  the  valley  on  his  way  to 
attack  Mandla;  but  he  seems  to  have  kept  permanent  possession  of  the 
Handid  parganas  only.  In  1750-51  Rdjd  Raghoji  Bhonsld  of  Ndgpiir  overran 
the  whole  range  of  hill  from  Gfiwalgarh  to  Mahddeo,  and  reduced  the  country 
east  of  Handid  and  south  of  the  Narbadd,  except  the  portion  held  by  Bhopdl. 
The  Rdjwdrd  Gond  rdjds  seem  to  have  retained  their  independence  until 
A.D.  1775,  and  we  hear  of  no  hostilities  between  Bhopdl  and  Ndgpdr  about  this 
time.  But  in  a.d.  1795  an  officer  of  Raghoji^s  attacked  and  took  Hoshangdbdd. 
In  A.D,  1802  Wazir  Mohammad,  the  ruler  of  Bhopdl,  retook  it ;  he  also  occupied 
Seonf,  thirty  miles  to  the  west  of  Hoshangdbdd,  and  made  an  unsuccessful 
attack  on  Sohdgpdn  The  Bhopdl  chief  held  the  country  round  Hoshangdbdd, 
until  he  was  driven  across  the  Narbadd  by  the  Ndgpdr  troops  in  1807.  During 
the  war  which  followed  between  Ndgpdr  and  Bhopdl,  Wazlr  Mohammad  called  in 
the  Pindhdrfs  to  his  help,  and  till  they  were  finally  extirpated  in  1817  the  whole 
of  this  fertile  valley  was  a  prey  to  their  insatiable  thirst  for  plunder  and  dis- 
regard of  life.  Large  tracts  of  country  were  laid  entirely  waste,  and  the  accu- 
mulated wealth  of  the  district  was  effectively  dispersed.  In  1818  that  part  of 
T)he  district  which  was  owned  by  Ndgpdr  was  ceded  under  the  agreement  of 
that  year,*  confirmed  by  the  treaty  of  1826.t  In  1844  the  district  of  Hirdfi 
Hand&d  was  made  over  by  Sindid  at  an  estimated  value  of  Rs.  1 ,40,000,  in  part 
payment  of  the  GwaUor  contingent,  and  by  the  treaty  of  1860  it  was  per- 
manently transferred,  and  became  British  territory.  The  mutiny  of  1857  dis- 
turbed iJie  district  very  little.  There  was  some  trouble  with  the  police  at  Hardd : 
a  petty  chief  rebelled  in  the  Mahddeo  hills,  and  Tdtid  Topid  crossed  the  valley 
in  1858.  But  the  authority  of  the  British  officers  was  at  no  time  seriously 
shaken. 

HOSHANGA'BAT) — The  north-eastern  revenue  subdivision  or  tahsfl  in 
the  district  of  the  same  name,  having  an  area  of  987  square  miles,  with  392 
villages,  and  a  population  of  1 36,1 78  souls  according  to  the  census  of  1 866.  The 
land  revenue  for  1869-70  is  Rs.  1,47,479-3-7. 

HOSHANGA'BAD— The  head-quarters  of  the  district  of  the  same  name  ; 
is  situated  in  latitude  2QP  40'  north,  and  longitude  77°  51'  east,  on  the  south 
side  of  the  Narbadd,  which  is  here  700  yards  wide  from  bank  to  bank,  though 
in  the  hot  weather  the  stream  is  not  more  than  300  yards  across,  and  is 
fordable  both  above  and  below  the  town.  The  road  from  Bhopdl  to  Betdl  and 
Ndgpdr  passes  through  it,  as  also  the  highroad  to  Bombay,  although  the 
greater  part  of  the  through  traffic  cuts  off  the  angle  made  here,  and  passes  about 
five  miles  to  the  south.  The  town  is  supposed  to  have  been  founded  by  Hoshang 
Shdh,  the  second  of  the  Ghori  kings  of  Mdlwd,  who  reigned  about  a.d.  1405 
(according  to  Prinsep's  genealogical  tables).  It  is  said  that  he  died  and 
was  buried  here,  but  that  his  bones  were  removed  to  Mdndd  and  buried  again 
there.  The  town,  however,  remained  very  small  till  the  Bhopdl  conquest,  about 
A.D.  1720,  when  the  fort  was  either  built  or  enlarged,  and  a  trading  population 
began  to  collect  round  it.  Tfce  fort  was  a  very  massive  stone  building  of 
irregular  shape,  with  its  base  on  the  river  commanding  the  road  to  Bhopdl. 
It  has  now  been  mostly  removed  piecemeal.  It  was  attacked  in  a.d.  1795  by 
Benl  Singh  Sdbaddr,  an  officer  of  the  Rdjd  of  Ndgpdr,  and  after  a  two  months' 
siege  was  evacuated  by  the  Bhopdl  troops.  In  a.d.  1802  the  kildddr  or  governor 
of  the  fort  was  a  Mardthd  Brdhman,  a  man  of  peace,  and  his  fears  were   so 

♦  Aitchison's  "  Treaties,"  vol.  iii.  p.  109. 
t         Do.  do.  do.     p.  113. 


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IND— ITA  217 

worked  on  by  men  nnder  the  Bliopfl  inflaence^  tliat  he  gave  it  up  without  a 
blow,  and  it  was  immediately  reoccupiedby  Wazfr  Mohammad,  then  the  virtual 
ruler  of  Bhopdl.  This  success  added  so  much  to  his  prestige  and  military 
strength  that  he  overran  all  the  Sohdgpdr  pargana  and  besieged  the  fort  of 
Sohdgpdr,  but  before  he  could  take  it  the  siege  was  raised  by  the  arrival  of  a 
force  from  Seoni  Chhapiri,  which  defeated  him  with  heavy  lossi  He  was  hotly 
pursued  into  Hoshang^bdd,  and  making  a  stand  outside  th^  town  his  horse 
was  killed  under  him.  A  rude  stone  figure  of  a  horse  still  marks  the  spot. 
He  mounted  his  celebrated  tail-less  horse  Pankhrij  (which  gave  him  the  title 
of  B^dd  Ghorekd  Sawfir),  and  escaped  only  by  leaping  him  over  the  battle- 
ment of  the  fort*  The  Nigpdr  army  besieged  the  fort  for  some  time,  and,  being 
unable  to  take  it,  contented  themselves  with  burning  the  town,  and  departed. 
In  1809  Hoshang&bdd  was  again  attacked  by  a  N&gpdr  force,  and  after  a  siege 
of  three  months,  when  their  communications  with  Bhop&l  were  cut  off,  and  a 
battery  had  been  erected  on  the  north  side  of  the  river  against  them,  the 
garrison  surrendered.  In  1817  General  Adams  occupied  the  town,  and  threw 
up  some  earthworks  outside  it,  to  protect  it  against  an  enemy  coming  from  the 
south  and  east.  Prom  a.d.  1818  it  has  been  the  residence  of  the  chief  British* 
official  in  charge  of  the  district,  and  lately  it  has  been  made  the  head-quarters 
of  the  Narbadd  division.  A  church  has  just  been  built,  and  a  central  jail  is 
under  construction.  There  is  a  dispensary,  and  there  are  one  or  two  well-filled 
school-houses.  It  is  also  occupied  by  the  wing  of  a  Native  regiment.  It  is 
the  head-quarters  of  the  English  piece-goods  trade  of  the  district,  and  a  good 
deal  is  done  in  cotton,  grain,  and  bills  of  exchange.  The  h&zir  is  a  good  one, 
with  some  petty  shops  at  which  European  articles  are  sold.  The  railway 
passes  about  eleven  miles  off.  The  nearest  station  is  Itdrsf  on  the  Betdl  road. 
The  population  of  the  town  is  8,032  souls. 


INDRA'NA' — ^A  village  in  the  Jabalpdr  district,  picturesquely  situated 
near  the  Hiran  river;  latitude  23''  24'  2',  longitude  79°  56'  22'.  It  is  said  to 
have  been  founded  by  BAji  Nizdm  Shdh  of  Mandla;  and  a  garden  laid  out  and 
a  well  dug  by  Pandit  Bil&ji  Sdba,  under  the  Sdgar  t&j&'s  administration,  still 
exist,  ^ere  is  a  mud  fort  here  belonging  to  the  petty  chief  who  owns  the 
surrounding  estate.  On  the  south  of  the  town  runs  the  Hiran,  which  is  here 
two  hundred  feet  broad.  The  place  is  noted  for  dyeing  cloths.  The  country 
round  abounds  in  game,  and  there  is  good  fishing  in  the  river. 

INDRATATI' — A  river  which  rises  in  the  highlands  of  Thuamdl,  in  the 
eastern  ghats,  and  after  a  course  of  about  250  miles  becomes  the  boundary 
between  a  portion  of  the  Upper  Goddvarf  district  and  the  Bastar  dependency 
'  for  a  distance  of  about  twenty-five  miles,  and  then  falls  into  the  Goddvari,  about 
thirty  miles  below  its  confluence  with  the  Pranhita.  Its  bed  is  full  of  rocks, 
and  is  a  succession  of  rapids. 

rNDUPU'R — ^The  ancient  name  of  Chdndd  in  the  pre-historic  age. 

ITA'WA' — ^An  estate  in  the  Sdgar  district,  about  thirty-eight  miles  north- 
west of  Sdgar.  It  contains  forty-four  villages,  with  a  1>otal  area  of  seventy- 
seven  square  miles.  At  the  cession  of  Sdgar  to  the  British  Government  by  the 
Marddids  in  A.D.  1818,  this  tract,  which  then  consisted  of  forty-six  villages, 
yielding  a  yearly  rental  of  Rs.  8,964,  was  assigned  rent-free  for  life  toa  Mardthd 
pandit,  by  name  Rdm  Bhdd,  in  lieu  of  Malhdrgarh  and  Kanjid,  the  former 
28  cpo 


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being  an  estate  situated  to  the  extreme  north-west  of  the  S&gar  district  on  the 
other  side  of  the  river  Betwfi^  which  he  held  under  the  Mar^tUls  on  the  Bam9 
tenore^  and  which  was  made  over  by  the  Government  to  Sindi^.  At  the  late 
settlement  sixteen  villages  were  given  to  the  tdlakad&r  in  proprietary  right, 
and  in  twenty-eight  the  superior  proprietary  right  only  was  given  to  him. 
The  village  itself  is  of  tolerable  size  and  importance.  It  contains  371  housesy 
with  a  population  of  1,402.  It  is  supposed  to  have  been  founded  about  325 
years  ago  by  a  Bundel^  officer  of  Akbar  named  Indrajit.  From  the  Moham- 
madans  the  country  appears  to  have  passed  into  the  hands  of  a  race  called 
Graulfs,  who  were  succeeded  about  the  beginning  of  the  eighteenth  century 
by  Dlwdn  Anup  Singh,  rdjd  of  Fanni,  then  in  possession  of  Khimlds^  and  the 
i^urrounding  country.  The  small  fort  now  standing  was  built  by  him  about  that 
time,  and  large  improvements  and  additions  were  made  to  the  town.  In  a.d.  1 751 
he  made  over  the  place  to  the  Peshwd  in  return  for  assistance  sent  him  by 
the  latter  against  the  Bundelds.  The  Mar£th^  improved  the  fort  and  town,  and 
enlarged  the  latter  considerably.  There  are  some  fine  buildings  in  and  close 
to  the  town,  the  stone- work  and  carving  in  which  are  really  remarkable,  especi- 
ally in  an  unfinished  temple  now  under  construction.  A  market  is  held  nere 
every  Friday,  the  chief  sales  at  which  consist  of  com  and  native  cloths.  There 
is  no  trade  worth  mentioning.     A  boys^  school  has  been  lately  established  here. 


JABALPU'R  (JUBBULPORB)— 

CONTENTS. 


Page 

General  description 218 

Watergheds  and  rivers    %b. 

Geological  formation  and  minerals  .  219 

Climate      221 

Forests 222 


Page 

Manofaotnres  and  trade    228 

Commnnications    tb. 

Administration  224 

Population  and  languages    ib. 

History    225 


One  of  the  largest  and  most  populous  districts  in  the  Central  Provinces, 
bounded  on  the  nortibby  Pann&  and  Maihfr;  on  the  east  byRewd;  on  the  south 
by  Mandla^  Seoul,  and  Narsinghpdr ;  and  on  the  west  by  Damoh.  It  lies 
between  latitude  22°  40'  and  24°  8'  north,  and  between  81®  6'  and  79°  85'  east 
longitude;  and  contains  an  area  of  4,261  square  miles, 

The  main  body  of  the  district  is  a  large  plain  of  rich  soil  watered  by  the 

^,        ,  -      .    .  Narbadd,  the  Paret,  and  the  Hiran,  extending  from 

ueneral  description.  g^^^^  ^^  ^^^  ^^^^  ^  ^^^  ^^^^^  ^^^  Lameti  ghits 

of  the  Narbadd  on  the  south,  and  from  Kumbhf  on  the  east  to  S^nkal,  where  the 
Hiran  unites  with  the  Narbadd,  on  the  west.  It  is  surrounded  by  spurs  of  the 
Gondw&nfi  range  on  the  south,  by  the  Bh&nrer  and  Kaimdr  hills  on  the  north 
and  west,  and  by  the  Bhitrfgarh  hills  on  the  east.  These  hill-ranges  break  the 
monotony  of  the  prospect  in  the  plain,  in  every  part  of  which  uie  horizon  is 
mar]ced  in  more  than  one  direction  by  high  ground,  and  give  a  very  diversified 
character  to  the  scenery  of  the  borders  of  the  district,  where  hill  and  valley, 
forest  and  stream,  succeed  each  other  in  rapid  variety. 

There  are  two  principal  watersheds  in  the  district.     The  one  is  a  curved 

w-*^  1,  4      4  •  irregular  line,  with  a  general  north-easterly  and 

Watersheds  and  nvers.  ^         i.    i      j-      x-  j  t      x    xt_  xt.      !• 

south-westerly  direction,  and  hes  to  the  north  of 

the  Bhdnrer  and  Kaimdr  ranges,  by  which  it  is  formed.    Eivers  to  the  north  of 


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JAB  219 

tbis  watershed  are  affluents  of  tlie  Jamn£.  The  second  commences  in  the  Bhitrf- 
garh  range  of  hills,  and  crossing  the  Gh*eat  Northern  Boad  between  Sleeman^bid 
and  Sihord  passes  to  the  north  of  the  latter  place.  In  this  watershed  the 
Katnf  (sometimes  called  Katnd)  riyer  takes  its  rise^  and  after  a  circuitous  course 
crosses  the  Great  Northern  Boad  near  Murwdrd,  and  falls  into  the  Mah^adf,  an 
affluent  of  the  Son,  which  debouches  into  the  Ganges^  and  finally  unites  its 
waters  with  the  Bay  of  Bengal.  Thus  travellers  from  Jabalpdr  to  'Mirz&piiT  pass 
over  the  great  watenrshed  b^ween  the  Gulf  of  Cambay  and  the  Bay  of  Bengal. 
Water  fallinsf  to  the  north  and  east  of  them  pours  into  affluents  either  of  the 
Ganges  or  Jsmni,  whilst  that  shed  to  the  south  or  west  unites  with  the  rapid 
stream  of  the  Narbad^.  The  principal  rivers  are  the  Mah&nadf,  which,  rising  in 
the  Mandla  district,  pursues  a  generally  northerly  course,  till  in  the  Bijer^ghogarh 
subdivision  it  bends  to  the  east  and  discharges  itself  into  the  Son ;  tiie  Gurayyi, 
between  Jabalpdr  and  Damoh ;  the  Patn&,  on  the  boundary  of  Pannd  and  Jabal- 
pdr;  and  the  Hiran,  which  flows  into  the  Narbadd  at  SdiJcal.  The  affluents  of 
the  Mah^nadf  are  the  Sdkan  river,  a  very  small  portion  of  whose  course  lies  in 
the  Jabalpdr  district,  the  Katni,  and  other  smaller  streams.  The  principal 
affluents  of  the  Hiran  are  the  Ker,  the  Bilori,  and  the  Lambert,  the  whole  of 
whose  course  is  within  the  Jabalpdr  district.  The  above  join  the  Hiran  on  its 
right  bank,  whilst  the  Paret  is  the  principal  affluent  on  the  left  bank.  The 
Narbadii  also  flows  through  the  district  for  about  seventy  miles  from  east  to 
west.     On  its  right  bank  is  the  Gaur,  and  on  the  left  bank  the  Timar. 

The  geological  aspect  of  the  Jabalpdr  district  proper  may  be  thus  gene- 

rally  described  from  the  map  attached  to  the 
^^^^G^logical  formation  and  Memoirs  of  the  Geological  Survey  of  India,  Vol.  U., 

Part  2.  Its  most  valuable  portion  is  a  long,  narrow 
plain  running  north-east  and  south-west,  which  may  be  regarded  as  an  offshoot 
from  the  Narbadi  valley*  To  the  north-west  it  is  bounded  by  the  Bhdnrer 
kills,  which  belong  to  the  Vindhyan  sandstone  series,  though  the  Kalumbar  hill 
to  the  north-west  of  Katangi  is  trappean.  To  the  south-east  the  boundary 
line  is  a  thin  irregular  strip,  consisting  chiefly  of  rocks  of  the  Upper  Damddd 
and  Mahddeo  series,  interspersed  in  places  with  metamorphic  and  crystalline 
rocks.  The  plain  itself  is  covered  in  its  western  and  southern  portions  by  a  rich 
alluvial  deposit  of  the  black  cotton  soil  class,  while  to  the  north-east  it  merges 
into  an  undulating  tract  of  metamorphic  and  lateritic  formation.  The  country 
from  Pdndgar  on  the  south  to  Gosalpdr  on  the  north,  and  Majhgaw^n  on  the 
west,  is  also  metamorphic,  thus  breaking  to  some  extent  the  continuity  of  the 
central  plain.  The  southern  and  eastern  portions  of  the  district,  lying  parallel 
with  the  black  soil  plain,  belong  to  the  great  trappean  area  of  Central  India  and 
the  Deccan.  In  the  north-eastern  part  of  the  district,  rocks  of  the  Lower 
Damddd  series  occur,  intermingled  with  kindred  formations.  The  granitic 
rocks  are  thus  mentioned  *  by  Mr.  J.  G.  Medlicott  :— 

''Bocks  of  granitic  type,  although  often  seen  at  the  surface,  do  not 
occupy  large  areas  in  this  portion  of  Central  India ;  the  largest  of  these 
areas  is  found  near  Jabalpdr,  where  the  granite  forms  a  range  of  low  hills 
i^nnning  from  Lamet^  Ghdt  on  the  Narbadd  in  a  north-east  direction. 


♦  Memoirs  of  the  Geological  Survey  of  India,  vol  ii.  part  2,  pp.  120—122. 


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220  JAB 

"  Near  where  the  old  town  of  Grarhi  staada  the  hilly  area  of  the 
granite  is  about  two  miles  wide^  and  abuilding  now  in  ruins^  called  the  Madan 
Mahal,  stands  on  the  highest  point  of  this  part  of  the  range.  *  *  * 
From  this  place  the  granite  may  be  followed  for  many  miles  to  the  north- 
e€tst,  forming  a  narrow  irregalar  band  among  the  metamorphic  rocks ;  it  is 
•not  even  quite  continuous,  but  sometimes  thins  out  and  disappears  for  a  short 
space,  coming  to  the  surface  again  in  the  same  general  direction.  This  line 
of  the  granite  is  approximately  parallel  to  the  strike  of  the  metamorphic 
rocks,  though  not  absolujbely  so.  Whenever  we  find  the  igneous  rocks  near 
to  the  altered  bedded  formations,  their  relations  seem  equivocal;  a  definite 
line  can  rarely  be  drawn  between  the  two,  and  the  transition  firom  the  one 
to  the  other  is  often  imperceptibly  graduated. 

"  Lithology  of  the  Granitic  Bocks. — ^The  mineral  characters  of  rocks 
included  under  this  head  are  in  our  area  very  various.  That  variety  which 
is  most  widely  spread,  and  occupies  the  greatest  extent  of  surface,  is  a 
porphyritic  syenite,  whose  matrix  is  a  mixture  of  glassy  quartz  with  pale 
pink  or  pale  green  felspar,  along  with  a  small  proportion  of  hornblende, 
and  which  contains  embedded  crystals  of  dull  lead  grey  felspar  (adalaria), 
about  one-third  of  an  inch  long,  and  in  great  number,  firequently  forming 
a  large  proportion  of  the  mass.  A  rock  answering  more  or  less  closely 
to  this  description  forms  the  Garhfi  hills,  much  local  variation  in  the 
composition  of  the  mass  obtains,  and  this  sometimes  to  the  extent  of 
totaUy  altering  the  general  aspect  of  the  rock.  Thus  the  adularia  crystals 
are  sometimes  altogether  absent ;  elsewhere  they  become  so  numerous  as 
to  constitute  of  themselves  two-thirds  of  the  rock  mass ;  again,  minuto 
crystals  of  black  mica  are  found  replacing  the  hornblende,  and  were  in  on© 
case  noticed  along  with  it  in  a  hand  specimen;  sometimes  the  rock 
becomes  fine-grained  syenite  without  any  detached  crystals,  and  with 
very  little  quartz.  A  good  case  of  this  occurs  at  the  second  bridge  from 
Jabalpdr  on  the  road  thence  to  Sohigpdr,  where  the  hornbjtende  is  in 
unusually  large  proportion.^* 

The  most  remarkable  of  the  metamorphic  rocks  are  thus  described  *  : — 

'^  The  saccharine  limestone  shows,  save  only  in  a  few  of  its  massive 
beds,  a  more  or  less  distinctly  observable  laminated  structure ;  the  lines  of 
lamination  are  sometimes  marked  by  variations  of  colour  and  texture,  evi- 
dently due  to  the  presence  of  new  ingredients,  and  the  shading  ofi*  above 
spoken  of  is  efiected  by  a  gradual  increase  in  the  frequency  of  the  recur- 
rence of  such  indications,  and  by  the  intermixture  of  these  argillaceous 
and  arenaceous  partings  becoming  a  more  and  more  prominent  ingredient 
in  the  mass,  until,  from  beiug  impurities  in  a  calcareous  schist,  they  come 
to  constitute  the  rock,  an  argillaceous,  or  siliceous  schist,  with  layers, 
bands,  and  veins  of  carbonate  of  lime  scattered  through  it. 

"  About  nine  miles  from  Jabalpdr,  on  the  south-west,  a  considerable 
extent  of  tolerably  pure  and  beautifully  saccharine  white  limestone  is  seen  ; 
the  river  cuts  a  deep  channel  through  the  mass  of  this  rock,  exposing  sheer 
vertical  surfaces  of  the  white  limestone,  in  places  120  feet  high;  it  is  scarcely 
possible  to  exaggerate  the  picturesque  efiect  of  the  varied  outline  and  colour 
of  the  whole.     The  locality  is  well  known  as  the  'Marble  Kocks.'  " 

*  Memoirs  of  the  Geological  Survey  of  India,  roL  ii.part  2,  pp.  134 — 136. 


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JAB  221 

Coal  is  found  at  "R&mgh&t,  lAmetighit,  Bherdgh^t^  aud  near  Sing^pdr  on 
tiie  Mali^nadf.  The  latter  seam  is  eighteen  inches  thick^  and  is  said  to  be 
*'  poor  and  unworkable/'  The  Lometighit  coal,  for  long  thought  useless,  has 
again  attracted  attention,  and  now  promises  well.  Iron  is  found  in  more  than 
a  hundred  places,  of  which  the  principal  are  Simri,  Gogrf,  Bolid,  Agariri, 
Dalrora,  Jauti,  Pdndgar,  and  Lamet^.  The  iron  is  worked  entirely  by  native 
processes.     The  ores  of  the  Narbada  valley  have  been  classed  as  follows  : — 

1 .  The  detrital  ores. 

2.  The  iron   clay  sands    of  the  Damddd  and  Mah^deo  sandstone, 
sometimes,  though  rarely,  smelted. 

3.  The  ores  extracted  from  the  beds  of  the  crystalline  rocks,  which 
are  interstratified  with  the  quartzite. 

4.  The  ores  which  are  accumulated  along  fault  lines. 

To  this  last  class  the  mines  of  Dabwdrd,  Agarid,  and  Jauti  belong.  They 
are  by  far  the  most  productive  mines.  "  The  ore  is  chemically  hydrous  peroxide.^' 
No.  3  is  that  next  in  importance  commercially,  and  includes  Lametfi,  Pdndgar, 
and  other  mines.  Near  all  of  the  above  mines  liinestone  is  believed  to  be 
abundantly  obtainable.  But  perhaps  the  most  important  iron  mines  in  the 
Jabalpdr  district  are  those  of  the  Kumbhl  pargana,  about  twenty  or  thiriy  miles 
to  the  north-east  of  Jabalpdr,  which  belong  to  the  second  class.  The  ore  occurs 
in  the  form  of  a  black  iron  sand,  which  is  an  article  of  extensive  traffic.  It  is 
known  by  the  name  of  *^  Dhdo,''  and  having  been  smelted,  is  made  up  into  all 
kinds  of  utensils  at  Pdnigar.  The  iron  trade  of  the  Jabalpdr  district  is  con- 
siderable ;  but  it  would  be  fallacious  to  quote  the  returns  here,  unless  iron 
imported  for  railway  purposes  could  be  separated  from  that  produced  from  native 
ore.  The  limestone  of  the  hills  at  Bherdgh&t  is  celebrated ;  and  at  Murwdrd  is 
said  to  exist  a  limestone  suited  for  '^  lithographic  purposes.^'  The  limestone  of 
the  marble  rocks  is  adolomite ;  and  sandstone  of  every  variety  abounds.  Clay 
suitable  for  bricks  is  found  everywhere,  and  for  pottery  in  some  parts. 
Roofing-slate  is  found  near  Sihori  at  Kudn,  about  thirty  miles  north  of  Jabalpdr. 
The  collection  of  agates  in  the  Ndgprfr  museum  from  this  district  is  worthy  of 
remark. 

At  Jabalpdr  itself,  where  the  cantonment  is  built,  the  soil  is  sandy,  and 
water  is  found  very  near  the  surface.  Thus  the  roads  of  this  station  are  pro- 
bably superior  to  those  of  any  other  in  the  Central  Provinces.  There  is  also  a 
fi*esliness  and  greenness  even  in  the  hot  season  which  is  not  observable  in 
stations  situated  on  basaltic  soil.  To  the  north-east,  north,  and  west  opens  out 
the  plain  of  the  Narbadd  and  Hiran,  which  has  been  already  described.  It 
includes  the  parganas  of  Garh^,  Sihor^,  and  some  portion  of  Kumbhf.  In  some 
places  the  soil  of  this  plain  is  ^  black  soil,''  whilst  in  others  there  is  a  thick 
deposit  of  pale,  brownish-coloured  alluvium ;  and  again  in  other  localities  the 
*'  regar"  has  been  entirely  removed  by  causes  now  in  action,  and  its  place  is 
occupied  by  deposits  of  silt  brought  down  by  the  Narbad^.  This-  silt  is  said  to 
be  highly  productive.  Beyond  the  limits  of  the  parganas  named  above  the 
soil  is  sandy,  and  all  the  small  ranges  of  hills  are  of  sandstone. 

The  climate  is  salubrious.     The  rainfall   ordinarily  exceeds  forty   inches. 

p..  The  temperature  is  extremely  moderate.  ^  In  the 

^°^  *  cold  weather  the  thermometer  on  the  ground  in 

the  neighbourhood  of  Kundam  has  been  recorded  as  low  as  26^  Fahr.     There 


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are  only  two  montlis  of  hot  weather,  and,  except  immediately  before  the  raing, 
no  great  heat  is  experienced.  The  rains  commence  early  in  June  and  last 
nntil  late  in  September.  The  preyailing  winds  are  westerly.  In  the  rains 
the  wind  varies  a  few  points  to  the  sonth^  and  in  the  hot  weather  as  mneh 
to  the  north.  The  coldest  wind  is  from  the  north  and  north-east }  westerly 
winds  in  the  cold  weather  usually  bring  clouds  and  increased  temperature. 
A  south*east  wind  is  rather  uncommon^  north-westerly  winds  are  rare.  Hail- 
storms occur  in  February  and  March,  and  sometimes  occasion  great  damage  to 
the  rab(  crops.  Annexed  is  a  register  of  the  thermometer  kept  for  a  single  year 
by  the  late  Dr.  Spilsbury,  from  whose  records  the  above  account  of  the  climate 
is  taken.  The  average  temperature  has  not  varied  muck  since  1840,  when  the 
register  was  kept :— 


Months. 

Coldest 
day. 

Hottest 
day. 

Medium. 

Rbmakks. 

T                        f  minimum 

40 
67 
40 
68 
52 
72 
58 
91 
76 
99 
72 
74 
72 
77 
71 
79 
71 
82 
54 
78 
42 
77 
39 
68 

61 

8S 

58 

89 

72 
100 

82 
105 

88 
110 

90 
107 

76 

90 

77 

92 

76 

93 

75 

92 

63} 

84 

39 

80 

50} 
75 
40 
78} 
62 
■      86 
70 
88   ^ 
82 
104} 
81 
90} 
74 
88} 
74 
85} 
734 
87} 
84} 
85 
52} 
80} 
48 
74 

January   ...•..<  ^„^;^„^ 

-,  ,                     f  minimum 

®oruary "^  maximum 

_-.     _                1  mJTiiTnum  •T «•«•... 

^'^^^ \n,^xin,„n,     .    .. 

.      .,                J  minimum 

P        \maximum 

■^                      f  minimum 

y  "* J  maximum 

-r                         f  minimuTTi  ...,,,... 

June <  "^^^"r^'*^ 

j^  maximum 

T  -                      r  minimum 

Jnly                                J    "AAiiiAXXlAXXA 

^ 1  maximum 

.                           €  minimum 

^ugusL <  maximum 

rw     .      1             1  miniTnnm  ...t*.... 

September  ...|^?^^:.:..:::: 

-^  .  ,                  •  minimum 

October  1  Zl^^V™ 

1  maximum . . .  •  - 1  •  r . 

•»v                 «                       1    TYlinilTITHTl   •«......« 

NoTember  ...•{~~^,~, 

--^         ,              f  minimum 

Uecemoer   ...<  ^_  . „ 

^  maximtiTTi 

Average  mmimum 67}      n„i^^.        83  g 

The  principal  complaints  are  fevers  and  dysentery.  The  former  prevail 
from  the  setting  in  of  the  rains  to  the  end  of  November.  The  epidemics  are 
cholera^  influenza^  and  small-pox. 

The  plain  country  is  well  wooded,  and  the  hills  are  covered  with  forests. 

p^^^^  Formerly  these  forests  suflFered  great  loss  from 

the  annual  burnings  by  the  hill  tribes  and  others, 

or  by  accidental  conflagration  of  the  grass  of  the  previous  year's  growth.    In 


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JAB  223 

many  places  a  spectator  miglit  pitch  his  tent  in  an  amphitheatre  of  hills,  enjoy 
tihe  beautiful  scenery  by  day,  and,  as  night  advanced,  watch  the  hills  glowing 
with  fire.  The  Forest  department  now  use  every  effort  to  prevent  these  exten- 
sive fires,  which  do  not  usually  kill  outright,  but  scar  the  bark  of  the  young 
teak  tree.  The  most  useful  kinds  of  indigenous  timber  are  the  teak  (tectona, 
grandis),  sij  {pentaptera  glabra),  kaw&  (pentaptera  arjuna),  hardd  {nauclea  cor- 
difolia),  kem  {nauclea parvif olid) j  tendd  (dyospyrus  melanoxylon) ,  bdbdl  (acacia 
arabica),  and  bamboo  {bambusa).  The  mhowa  (bassia  latifolia),  chironjifi 
(buchanania  latifolia),  jimxm  {»yzygium  jambolanum),  ffuava,  mango,  ber  {zizy^ 
phus  jujuba),  mulberry,  and  tamarind  trees  abound.  Amongst  the  oma- 
mentid  trees  may  be  noticed  the  pipal  (ficus  religiosa),  the  banian  {ficus  indica), 
the  kachndr  {bauhinia  variegata).  Besides  the  ordinary  Indian  fruits,  such  as 
plantains  and  cape  gooseberries,  peaches,  pineapples,  and  strawberries  will 
grow,  as  also  very  excellent  potatoes  and  other  garden  produce.  Tracts  of 
forest  land  in  the  Sangrdmpdr  valley,  and  on  the  west  banks  of  the  Mahanadi 
in  Bijerdghogarh,  have  been  marked  off  as  State  reserves. 

The  forests  produce  lac  and  the  tasar  moth,  from  the  cocoon  of  whose 
worm  a  valuable  silk  is  manufactured.  There  are  also  gum-bearing  trees ; 
their  gums  are  used  in  preparing  sweetmeats,  and  some  are  said  to  possess 
medicinal  properties.  Besides  these  fruits  and  products  already  enumerated 
may  be  mentioned  mainphal  {vanguieria  spinosa),  eaten  as  a  vegetable  when 
green,  and  when  dry  used  as  a  medicine,  and  in  some  parts  of  India  as  a 
narcotic;  honey  and  wax;  roots  of  various  kinds,  as  kuld-kand,  bichandi, 
dardi  kand,  and  ghatdld;  tikhdr,  or  the  wild  arrowroot;  the  khdjdr,  or  date 
palm,  used  in  making  mats  and  brooms;  the  hard  dhaurf,  and  baherd  {belleric 
myroholan),  used  as  dyes;  and  the  barks  of  the  rfnjd,  babdl,  and  sdj,  used  for 
tanning.  Com  is  grown  from  the  "bearded  wheat"  known  as  ddddf;  sugar, 
pdn  (betel),  maize,  tobacco,  red  pepper,  linseed,  sesamum,  safflower,  sarson 
{nnapis  dichotoma) ,  the  castor-oil  plant,  bdjrd  (holcus  spicatus),  jawdri  {sorghum 
valgare),  gram  (cicer  arietinum),  peas,  and  various  kinds  of  adl  and  rice,  are  all 
produced. 

The  chief  manufactures  are  iron,  cotton-cloth,  and  brass  utensils  of  various 

M      fftct  d  tr»A  kinds.     The  chief  seat  of  the  iron  manufacture  is 

ures  an         e.         Pdndgar.     At  Katangl  and  Bareld  gun-barrels  are 

made.     Tents  and  carpets  are  made  at  Jabalpdr,  both  in  the  School  of  Industry 

and  by  private  persons.    At  Jaberd  knives  are  manufactured,  and  there  are  in 

the  district  many  excellent  workers  in  leather. 

The  trade,  as  will  have  been  seen  from  the  list  of  productions,  is  of  con- 
siderable importance.  In  1868-69  the  imports  through  Mirzdpdr  and  from 
Central  India  amounted  to  645,998  maunds,  and  were  valued  at  Rs.  1,09,35,260, 
whilst  the  exports  to  the  above  localities  were  163,111  maunds,  valued  at 
Rs.  26,97,793.  The  export  of  manufactured  lac-dye  from  Jabalpdr  during 
1 868-69  amounted  to  53,468  maunds,  which  may  be  valued  at  five  Idkhs  of 
rupees. 

A  railway  connects  Jabalpdr  with  Mirzdpdr  on  the  north,  and  another 

^  .     .  will  shortly  be  opened  to  Bombay,  vid  Narsinghpdr 

ommum     loiw.  ^^^  Hoshangdbdd,  on  the  west.     The  line  will 

cross  the  Narbadd  near  Jhdnslghdt  by  a  viaduct  371  yards  long,  which  is  to 

cost  nearly  £120,000.     The  bed  of  the  river  is  rock.    There  is  an  excellent 


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224  JAB 

road  to  Mirz&pdr,  whicli  is  one  long  avenue  of  trees^  and  also  to  Seonf  on 
the  south*  These  two  lines  ai^  bridged  and  metalled.  There  are  fair-weather 
roads  to  Sigar  and  to  Narsinghpdr^  a  track  to  Mandla^  and  a  partially  made 
road  to  Sh^hpurd  in  the  east^  and  to  Pdtan  in  the  west.  These  are  all  the 
roads  of  any  importance. 

The  stages  on  the  Sigar  road  are- 
Bel  Khdrd,^    10     miles. 
Katangf,     *    11}     ,, 

Sangrdmpdr,   8^^     „      Travellers*  bungalow. 
Jaberti^  9      „ 

The  stages  on  the  Narsinghprirroad  are  Mfrganj,  nine  miles,  and  Shflipilr, 
four  miles  ;  beyond  is  JhinsfgMt  on  the  Narbadd.  The  first  halting-place  on  the 
Seoul  road  is  at  Nigrf,  which  is  about  ten  miles  from  Jabalpdr  on  the  south  side 
of  the  Narbadd ;  the  next  is  at   Sukrf,  where   supplies  are  procurable.     This 

5 lace  is  ten  miles  from  Nigrf.  The  road  after  leaving  Sukrf  enters  the  Seoul 
istrict  before  the  next  encamping-ground  is  reached.  On  the  Mandla  road 
the  first  station  is  at  Mohg&on,  eight  miles  from  Jabalpdr.  Here  supplies  are 
procurable.  The  second  encamping-ground  is  at  DanoK,  fourteen  miles  from 
the  former  station.  At  Nardinganj,  nearly  eleven  miles  from  Danolf,  a  travellers' 
bungalow  is  about  to  be  built.  As  far  as  this  place  the  road  is  good,  but  hilly 
and  stony  in  places,  and  it  passes  through  thick  scrub  jungle.  The  road  all  the 
way  to  Mandla  is  practicable  for  lightly  laden  small  country  carts. 

The  district  is  comprised  within  the  commissionership  or  division  of  the  same 
.  .       -  name.     It  is  administered  by   a  Deputy  Com- 

missioner, who  is  assisted  by  four  or  five  Assistant 
and  Extra- Assistant  Commissioners.  For  revenue  and  police  purposes  Jabalpdr 
is  divided  into  three  tahsfls — Jabalpdr,  Sihord,  and  Murwdrd.  The  area  of  the 
district  is  4,261  square  miles,  of  which  884,740  acres  are  under  cultivation,  and 
of  this  not  a  hundred  and  seventy-seventh  part  is  irrigated.  The  barren  waste 
amounts  to  513,766  acres.  The  remainder  of  the  land  is  either  fallow  or  fit  for 
cultivation.  About  one-fifth  of  the  cultivated  area  is  cultivated  by  proprietors, 
two-fifths  by  hereditary  cultivators,  and  the  remainder  by  tenants-at- will.  The 
number  of  villages  in  these  tahslls  is  2,707,  of  houses  163,094,  of  wells  in  use 
5,515,  and  of  ploughs  61>803.  The  revenue  amounts  to  Rs.  8,45,452,  of  which 
Rs.  7,93,886  are  imperial,  and  Rs.  51,566  are  local.  The  land  revenue  for  1868-69 
was  Rs.  5,70,434,  which  is  a  tax  often  annas  per  acre  on  the  cultivated  area. 
The  other  imperial  revenues  were  as  follows  :— 

Assessed  taxes  Rs.  41,599 

Excise „  49,423 

Stamps „  73,838 

Forests „  56,240 

Miscellaneous „  2,352 

The  population  of  the  district  amounts  to  620,201  souls,  or  about  145  per 
„      ,  ^.         , ,  •   square  mile.     The  non-affriculturists   exceed  the 

Population  and  languages.  agriculturists  by  about  357000.     The  people  are  for 

the  most  part  Gonds,  (jond-Rdjputs,  Lodhfs,  Fonwdrs,  Kurmfs,  Kahdrs,  Dhfanars, 
Dhers,  and  Chamdrs.  There  are  also  Brdhmans,  both  from  the  Mahdrdshtra 
and  from  Mathurd,  Kdyaths  firom  Farukhdbdd  and  elsewhere,  and  Musalmdns* 
There  are  now  no  Gond  landholders  of  any  importance,  but  there  are  some. 


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JAB  226 

Lodhf  chiefs  who  once  possessed  a  local  celebrity.  Under  the  Marfthd  rule  all 
Kahirs  and  Chamdrs  were  required  to  pay  a  portion  of  their  earnings  to  the 
state;  and  Kurmfs  and  Lodbis  were  not  allowed  to  marry  a  second  time 
without  paying  a  fine.  The  Gonds  were  probably  the  indigenous  inhabitants 
of  Jabalpdr.  The  Lodhls  and  Kdyaths  appear  to  have  settled  in  Jabalpdr  when 
Bakht  Buland  was  i*djd  of  Deogarh,  that  is  in  the  time  of  Aurangzeb.  Con- 
cerning this  immigration  Sir  R.  Jenkins  remarks  *: — "He  employed  indiscri- 
*'  minately  Musalmdns  and  Hindds  of  ability.  Industrious  settlers  from  all  quar- 
"  ters  were  attracted  to  Gondwdna ;  many  towns  and  villages  were  founded ;  and 
'* agriculture,  manufactures,  and  even  commerce,  made  considerable  advances,*' 
He  appears  to  have  made  considerable  conquests  from  Mandla;  and  although 
Jabalpdr  never  formed  part  of  his  kingdom,  yet  we  may  conclude  that  tne 
Lodhis  first  settled  in  the  district  about  the  time  of  his  reign.  The  language 
spoken  is  a  dialect  of  the  Hindi.  Urdd  is  commonly  understood,  and  is  the 
language  of  the  courts.  The  Hindi  dialect  is  commonly  known  as  thb  Bagheld. 
Its  peculiarities  that  particularlyattracttheattentionof  a  stranger  from  Northern 
India  are  the  elision  of  nearly  all  short  vowels,  and  the  substitution  of  ^  for  ^ 
and  ff  for  51. 

The  early  history  of  Jabalpdr  is  obscure.     It  probably  belonged  to  the 
_.  Vallabhf,  and  perhaps  subsequently  to  the  Pramdra 

"  ^^'  kingdom  of  Central  India,  for  the  first  centuries  of 

onr  era,  but  in  the  11th  and  12th  centuries  we  find  in  inscriptions  evidence  of 
a  local  line  of  princes  of  that  Haihaya  race,  which  has  at  difierent  times  been  so 
largely  connected  with  the  history  of  Gondwdna.  In  the  1 6th  century  the  Gondf 
rdjd  of  Garha  Mandla  {Sangrdm  Sd)  extended  his  power  over  fifty-two  dis- 
tricts, including  the  present  Jabalpdr.  In  the  minority  of  his  grandson,  Prem 
Ndrdin,  permission  was  obtained  by  A'saf  Khdn,  the  viceroy  of  Kara  Mdnikpdr 
on  the  Ganges,  to  conquer  the  Garkd  principality,  which  he  did  after  a  battle 
fought  under  the  castle  of  Singaurgarh,  in  which  the  Gond  queen  Durgdvatf 
committed  suicide  to  avoid  the  disgrace  of  defeat.  Garhd  was  held  some  time 
independently  by  A'saf  Khdn,  who,  however,  eventually  submitted  himself  to 
the  Emperor  Akbar  and  resigned  his  pretensions  to  sovereignty.  In  the  list  of 
Akbar's  dominions  given  in  the  A'in-i-Akbar(,  Garhd  is  included  as  a  division 
of  the  government  of  Mdlwd,  but  the  Mohammadan  power  seems  to  have  been 
faintly  felt  there,  at  any  rate  after  Akbai's  death,  for  the  princes  of  Garhd  Mandla 
carried  on  their  affairs  in  almost  entire  independence  until  their  subjugation  by 
tbe  governors  of  Sdgar  in  1781.  In  1798  the  Bhonsld  rulers  of  Ndgpdr  obtained 
a  grant  of  Mandla  and  the  Narbadd  valley  from  the  Peshwd,  and  the  Jabalpdr 
district  remained  under  them  until  it  was  occupied  by  the  British  after  an 
engagement  on  the  19th  December  1817.  Immediately  after  the  occupation  of 
Jabalpdr  a  provisional  government  was  formed,  the  president  of  which  was  Major 
(yBrien.  Their  proceedings  throw  a  curious  light  upon  the  government  which 
they  succeeded.  Immediately  after  their  assumption  of  office  they  appointed 
Raghundth  Rao,  rdjd  of  Inglid,  acting  sdbaddr.  That  officer  presented  a  petition, 
asking  whether  certain  rules  and  regulations  enforced  by  the  Mardthds  should 
be  continued.   Among  these  rules  were  the  following : — 

1.     All  widows  to  be  sold,  and  the  purchase-money  to  be  paid  into 
the  treasury. 

*  Report  on  Ndgpdr  by  Sir  R.  Jenkins,  Edition  Nfegptir  Antiquarian  Society,  p.  97. 
i  Journal  of  the  Asiatic  Society  of  Bengal,  vol.  vi.  pp.  644—646. 

29  CPG 


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226  JAB 

2.  All  persons  receiving  any  sum  through  an  order,  or  the  interfer- 
ence or  interposition,  of  any  person  in  office  or  authority,  to  pay  one-fourth 
of  the  sum  recovered  to  the  state. 

3.  Any  person  selling  his  daughter,  to  pay  one-fourth  of  the  purchase- 
money  to  the  stat3. 

4.  One-fourth  of  the  purchase-money  of  all  houses  to  be  paid  into  the 
treasury. 

These  rules  at  the  time  of  the  British  assumption  of  authority  were  by  no 
means  obsolete.  At  a  meeting  of  the  same  provisional  government  we  find  the 
government  ordering  the  release  of  a  woman,  by  name  PursiS,  who  had  been 
sold  by  auction  a  few  days  before  for  seventeen  rupees.  Slavery  undoubtedly 
existed  in  a  certain  modified  form  under  the  Mardthds,  and  it  is  reported 
commonly  amongst  the  people  of  Jabalpdr  that  under  the  Gond  rule  human 
sacrifices  were  not  unknown. 

When  the  provisional  government  was  abolished,  the  Sagar  and  Narbadi 
territories  were  for  a  time  governed  by  a  Commissioner,  who  was  subject  to  the 
Resident  at  Nagpilr.  Subsequently  these  districts  were  separated  from  the 
Ndgpiir  agency,  and  in  1 843  Lord  Ellenborough  recast  the  whole  system  of 
administration.  The  superintendence  of  the  departments  of  civil  and  criminal 
judicature  was  separated  from  that  of  revenue  and  police,  and  the  latter  was 
entrusted  to  the  Commissioner  and  his  staflf ;  while  for  the  former  a  Civil  and 
Sessions  Judge  was  appointed,  with  two  superior  and  sixteen  inferior  Native 
Judges.  The  system  here  sketched  lasted  until  November  1861,  when  the 
Sdgar  and  Narbadd  territories  became  part  of  the  Central  Provinces,  and  were 
placed  under  the  control  of  a  Chief  Commissioner,  resident  at  Ndgpdr. 

JAB ALPU'R — The  southern  revenue  subdivision  or  tahsfl  in  the  district 
of  the  same  name,  having  an  area  of  1,540  square  miles,  with  1,186  villages,  and 
a  population  of  276,229  according  to  the  census  of  1866.  The  land  revenue  for 
the  year  1869-70  is  Rs.  3,08,739. 

JABALPU'R — The  head-quarters  of  the  district  of  the  same  name.  It 
is  situated  in  East  longitude  79°  59'  43%  and  in  North  latitude  23"^  9'  31'. 
Its  elevation  above  the  sea  has  been  variously  computed,  but  is  believed  to 
be  about  1,458  feet.  It  is  165  miles  N.E.  from  Ndgpdr,  108  miles  S.E.  from 
Sdgar,  and  221  miles  S.W.  from  Allahdbdd.  The  name  has  been  derived  from 
the  Arabic  word  for  peak  ( (J^> ) ;  but  though  this  derivation  derives  a 
certain  plausibility  from  the  situation  of  the  town  in  a  rocky  basin,  it  is  incorrect, 
as  in  an  old  inscription,  now  in  the  Ndgpdr  museum,  the  original  name  of 
Jabalpdr  is  given  as  Jdvali-paftana.  'J'he  facilities  for  damming  up  water, 
aflForded'by  the  numerous  gorges  and  declivities  of  the  surrounding  rocks,  have 
been  taken  advantage  of  so  as  to  surround  the  town  with  a  series  of  lakes  and 
reservoirs,  which,  shaded  by  the  fine  trees  which  are  here  so  numerous,  and 
bordered  by  fantastic  rocks  and  massy  bouWers,  give  a  very  diversified  character 
to  the  environs.  The  town  itself  is  modern,  and  contains  no  monumental  build- 
ings, but  it  is  well  laid  out,  and  bears  every  evidence  of  progress  and  prosperity. 
The  principal  streets  are  wide  and  regular,  and  contain  numerous  dwellings, 
suited  to  an  affluent  middle  class.  There  are  several  fine  places  in  which  markets 
are  held,  and  the  public  buildings,  though  not  large  or  magnificent,  are  wf*ll 
situated,  and  generally  constinicted  with  some  taste.  At  the  entrance  to  the 
town  is  a  prettily  laid-out  public  garden,  and  near  its  centre  is  a  fine  tank^ 
surrounded  by  groups  of  temples.  Altogether  Jabalpdr  will  well  repay  a  visit, 
though  it  must  be   regarded  for  the  present  as  in  a  state  of  transition.     The 


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JAB 


227 


completion  of  the  two  railway  systems,  connecting  the  Eastern  and  Western 
capitals  of  India  via  Jabalpdr,  can  hardly  fail  to  raiss  the  commercial  importance 
of  the  latter,  already  considerable.  The  population  is  almost  entirely  Hindd, 
not  more  than  five  per  cent,  being  Mohammadana.  All  trades  are  followed, 
but  the  principal  trafiBc  is  an  exchaoge  of  grain  and  forest  produce  against 
piece-goods  and  salt.  The  manufactures  are  insignificant,  and  the  community 
may  be  regarded  as  essentially  a  trading  one.  The  town  trade  for  1868-69  is 
given  below  : — 


Name  of  Article. 


Imports. 


QuantitT. 


Value. 


Exports. 


Quantity. 


Value. 


Cotton 

Snsrar  and  gur 

Salt  

Wheat 

Bice 

Oth*>r  edible  grains 

Oil-seeds  of  all  descriptions  .. 

Metals  and  hardware 

English  piece-goods    

Hiscellaneoas  European  goods 

Country  cloth 

Lao  

Tobacco   ." 

Spices  

Country  stationery 

Silk  and  silk  cocoons 

Dyes 

Hides  and  horns 

Opium 

Wool    

Timber  and  wood  

Ghee  and  oil    

Cocoannts    

Miscellaneous 


Total. 


Sheep 
Horses 


Total. 
Grand  Total. 


Mannds. 

8.470 

69,021 

88,157 

198,498 

72,796 

92,577 

80,144 

5,945 

4,864 

6,736 

2,680 

9,548 

10,437 

14,827 


7 

1,448 

1,020 

89 

327 

66,574 

901 

2,849 

46,167 


Rupees. 

1,87,547 

5,67,124 

2,65,336 

5,69,219 

3,30,167 

2,46,280 

90,690 

2,28,416 

4,86,800 

3,16,809 

1,60,800 

84,052 

94,758 

2,24,276 

15,504 

11,200 

45,i:'0 

16,320 

24,960 

6,540 

28,287 

1,80,574 

56,646 

2,77,002 


Maunds. 

3,784 

11,965 

5,995 

1,905 

3,649 

8,396 

2,024 

1,281 

1,249 

1,114 

585 

7,824 

2,937 

8,942 

53 

2 

255 

675 


1 

100 

1,769 

1,128 

6,681 


669,501 


45,14,757 


62,214 


No. 
88,923 
1,120 


1,16,754 
10,458 


40,043 


1,27,212 


46,41,969 


Rupees. 

79,894 

1,01,814 

47,960 

5,715 

15,842 

9,422 

6,072 

89,1 13 

1,24,900 

65,700 

85,100 

74,896 

.26,924 

61,554 

848 

8,200 

7,690 

9,200 


20 

60 

85,840 

21,656 

40,086 


8,01,996 


8,01,996 


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228  JAB— JAI 

The  civil  station  and  cantonment  are  divided  from  the  city  by  a  small 
stream  called  the  Umtf.  Although  the  site  is  regarded  as  unhealthy  for 
Europeans,  owing  to  the  existence  of  a  swampy  hollow  below  the  high  ground 
on  which  their  houses  are  built,  the  mildness  of  the  climate  and  the  variety  of 
the  scenery  render  the  station  attractive,  and,  combined  with  its  situation,  have 
raised  the  question  whether  the  Capital  of  India  might  not  suitably  be  located 
here.  It  may  be  hoped  that  the  measures  now  in  progress  for  draining  the 
swamp  will  effectually  remove  the  unhealthiness  which  is  now  the  only  draw- 
back to  Jabalpilr.  The  regular  civil  community  comprises  a  Divisional  Com- 
missioner and  his  oflSce,  the  ordinary  district  staff,  the  supervisors  of  the  Thug 
school  of  industry  and  of  a  central  jail,  a  branch  of  the  Church  of  England  Mis- 
sion, who  have  good  schools  here,  some  mercantile  residents,  and  a  large  body 
of  railway  officials.  The  Bank  of  Bengal  has  a  branch  here.  There  is  already 
a  church,  and  a  larger  one  is  being  built.  The  garrison  consists  of  a  battery  of 
artillery,  the  head-quarters  and  six  companies  of  a  regiment  of  European 
infantry,  a  regiment  of  Native  infantry,  and  a  squadron  of  Native  cavalry.  The 
school  of  industry,  where  Thug  and  Dacoit  approvers  and  their  families  are 
employed  in  one  of  the  largest  manufactories  of  tents  and  carpets  in  India,  is 
worth  visiting. 

JABERA' — A  village  in  the  Jabalpdr  district,  on  the  road  to  Sdgar,  thirfcy- 
nine  miles  north-west  of  Jabalpdr.  The  population  is  chiefly  agricultural,  but 
knives  are  to  some  extent  manufactured.  The  government  school  here  is  well 
attended. 

JA-GDALPU'R — ^The  principal  town  of  Bastar,  and  the  residence  of  the  rdji 
and  the  chief  people  of  the  dependency.  It  is  distant  about  one  hundred  and 
eighty  miles  east  from  Sironchi.  The  place  is  small  for  the  capital  of  a  state 
like  Bastar,  and  is  a  mere  collection  of  grass  huts,  surrounded  by  a  mud  wall  and 
deep  ditch,  one  face  of  which  is  on  the  Indrdvati  river,  here  a  small  stream  about 
one  hundred  yards  wide.  There  are  no  temples  or  buildings  of  any  size  or 
pretensions.  Outside  the  walls  are  the  suburbs,  where  the  Mohammadans  chiefly 
reside.  A  large  tank  lies  close  to  the  town.  The  country  is  open,  well  culti- 
vated, and  dotted  with  villages  and  groves.  Jagdalpdr  is  only  forty  miles  from 
Jaipdr,  the  capital  of  the  Jaipdr  state,  where  there  is  an  assistant  agent  subor- 
dinate to  Vizagapatam,  a  police  officer,  and  a  strong  police  force. 

JAGMANDAL — A.  hilly  forest  tract  in  the  Mandla  district,  having  an  area 
of  about  fifty -three  square  miles.  Teak  is  found  growing  here  along  the  ranee 
of  hills  separating  the  valleys  of  the  Hdlon  and  the  Burhner  from  that  of  the 
Motidrf,  but  the  forest  has  been  much  exhausted,  and  will  require  long  rest. 

JAISINGHNAGAE — The  principal  place  in  a  tract  of  the  same  name  in  the 
Sdgar  district,  about  twenty-one  miles  south-west  of  Sdgar.  It  contains  606 
houses  and  2^555  inhabitants,  and  is  said  to  have  been  founded  by  one  Bi}& 
Jai  Singh,  thornier  of  Garh  Pihrd  or  Old  Sdgar,  about  180  years  ago.  He  built 
a  fort,  which  may  be  seen  still,  for  the  protection  of  the  surrounding  country 
from  the  small  predatory  chiefs,  who  then  existed  in  large  numbers.  At  the 
cession  of  Sdgar  to  the  British  in  1818  this  tract  formed  part  of  the  territory 
made  over,  and  in  1826  was  assigned  as  a  residence  for  Rukmd  Bdi,  one  of  the 
widows  of  A'pd  Sdhib,  the  last  Mardthd  ruler  of  Sdgar.  The  village  is  tolerably 
prosperous  and  flourishing,  and  though  no  trade  of  any  importance  is  carried  on 
in  it,  it  has  two  weekly  markets-^on  Mondays  anS  Fridays.  The  sales  consist 
of  grain,  cloths,  and  provisions  of  various  kinds.  Two  village  schools  have  been 
established  here — one  for  boys,  and  the  other  for  girls. 


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JAL— JA'M  229 

JALA'LKHERA — A  town  in  the  Ndgpdr  district,  sitnated  about  fourteen 
miles  west  of  Kdtol,  near  where  the  Jdnoi  joins  the  Wardhd,  here  about  one 
hundred  yards  wide.  The  population  numbers  3,396  persons,  mostly  cultivators. 
Here  are  the  remains  of  a  large  fort  to  which  tradition  assigns  a  GauK  origin, 
and  for  nearly  two  square  miles  around  the  present  village  are  to  be  found  traces 
of  the  old  town,  lb  is  said  that  at  one  time  this  place  had  30,000  inhabitants, 
but  that  it  was  ruined  by  the  ravages  of  a  band  of  lawless  Pathdns,  who  were 
but  nominally  subject  to  the  Nizdm.  It  is  probable  that  Jaldlkherd  with  A'mner 
on  the  right  or  Berdr  bank  of  the  river,  once  formed  a  single  large  city. 

JALGA'ON— A  fine  agricultural  village  in  the  Wardha  district,  six  miles 
north-west  of  A'rvf,  and  forty  miles  distant  from  Wardhd,  containing  2,000  inha- 
bitants, and  paying  a  land  revenue  of  Bs.  4,000.  The  inhabitants  are  chiefly 
cultivators,  with  a  few  weavers.  The  lands  are  well  watered  from  over  ninety 
wells,  and  the  village  contains  pdn  and  other  gardens.  A  market  is  held  here 
twice  a  week — on  Tuesdays  and  Sundays,  and  there  is  a  village  school. 

JAM — A  river  in  the  Chhindwdrd  district.  It  rises  amongst  the  hills 
which  separate  the  Chhindwdrd  and  Betdl  districts,  about  four  miles  from 
Segdon,  and  runs  directly  to  the  east,  passing  the  town  of  Pdndhurnd  ;  thence 
it  winds  itself  among  the  hills  between  that  and  Mohgdon  and  falls  into  the 
Elanhdn,  of  which  it  is  one  of  the  chief  tributaries,  near  the  town  of  Lodhfkherd. 

JA'MBULGHA'TA'— A  village  in  the  Chdndd  district,  situated  seven  miles 
north-east  of  Chimdr.  The  largest  market  in  the  district  is  held  here  every 
Tuesday  and  Wednesday,  and  is  numerously  attended  by  traders  from  the 
surrounding  districts.  The  chief  Chdndd  products  sold  are  cotton-cloths  and 
irim.  About  a  mile  from  the  village  are  extensive  quarries  of  soapstone, 
which  have   been  worked  rather  more  than  a  hundred  years.     They  are  at 

E resent  in  the  hands  of  three  families  of  stone-cutters,  who  employ  hired 
kbour  to  aid  in  digging ;  and  about  fifty  cart-loads  of  stone  are  annually  quarried 
and  fashioned  into  bowls  and  platters.  Close  to  these  quarries  are  others  of  a 
very  fine  black  serpentine.  They  were  worked  for  three  years  by  Raghojl  III, 
who  employed  on  them,  for  eight  months  out  of  twelve,  on  fixed  wages, 
about  250  persons,  the  stone  being  principally  used  in  the  construction  of  a 
temple  at  Ndgpdr.  On  RaghojCs  death  the  establishment  was  discharged;  and 
the  quarries  have  subsequently  fallen  in.  The  main  excavation  is  an  irregular 
oval  of  about  thirty-eight  feet  by  sixty  feet;  «nd  the  cost  of  clearing  away  the 
debris  is  roughly  estimated  at  Rs.  5,000.  The  surrounding  soil  is  red  or 
sandy,  with  a  considerable  quantity  of  quartz  cropping  up,  and  some  little 
laterifce.  Octroi  is  levied  here,  and  with  the  funds  thus  raised  a  fine  well,  having 
an  excellent  spring,  has  been  constructed ;  and  a  market-place  will  shortly  be 
commenced,     A  police  outpost  is  stationed  at  the  village. 

JA'MNI'— A  village  in  the  Chdndd  district,  situated  thirty-two  miles  north 
of  Chdndd,  under  the  eastern  slopes  of  the  Chimdr  hills,  and  on  the  brink  of  a 
iargo  artificial  lake.  Dense  forest  shuts  in  both  lake  and  village,  rendering  the 
spot  as  picturesque  as  it  is  unhealthy  for  strangers.  The  Chdndd  and  Chimdr 
road  passes  by  Jdmni,  and  a  police  outpost  is  located  here  for  the  protection  of 
travellers. 

JA'MRr— A  small  zamlnddri  or  chiefship  in  the  Bhanddra  district,  north 
of  the  Great  Eastern  Road,  and  close  to  SdkoK.  It  consists  of  four  villages, 
with  an  aggregate  area  of  9,811  acres,  of  which  only  707  are  cultivated.  The 
chief  is  a  Gond,  and  the  inhabitants  belong  chiefly  to  that  class.    All  the 


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230  JA'N— JU'N 

villages  are  small,  and  the  cnltivation  is  yery  imperfect.  There  is  some  fine 
timbdr  of  the  unreserved  kind,  from  the  sale  of  which  the  owner  obtains  a 
moderate  income. 

JA'NA'LA' — A  village  situated  eight  miles  south-west  of  Mdl,  in  the  Chdndd 
district,  under  a  spur  of  the  Mdl  hills.  It  possesses  a  magnificent  tank,  the  water 
of  which,  however,  is  deleterious  to  strangers. 

JA'NJGI'R — A  small  town  in  the  Bildspdr  district,  thirty  miles  north-east 
of  Bildspdr,  and  formerly  a  favourite  resort  of  the  Ratanpdr  court.  A  handsome 
temple,  built  by  one  of  the  Ratanpdr  rdjds  about  five  hundred  years  ago,  still 
stands  in  a  remarkably  complete  condition.  It  is  perhaps  the  best  specimea 
of  ancient  architecture  in  the  district,  and  the  minute  and  quaintly  sculptured 
images  which  crowd  its  base  possess  considerable  interest.  In  its  vicinity  is  an 
immense  tank. 

JHA'RATATRA'— A  chiefship  in  the  Chdudd  district,  forty-four  miles 
north-east  of  Wairdgarh.     It  contains  thirty-three  villages. 

JHARPAT — A  broad,  shallow  stream  in  the  Chdndd  district,  which  rises  a 
few  miles  north-east  of  Chdndd,  and  falls  into  the  Virai  opposite  the  Pathdnpui*d 
gate  at  Chdndd.  ♦ 

JHILMILA' — A  village  in  the  Jabalpilr  district,  about  nine  miles  to  the 
north  of  Kundam.  In  the  neighbourhood  are  a  number  of  iron  furnaces,  and 
the  jungle  has  been  entirely  destroyed  by  the  charcoal-burners.  The  country 
between  Jhilmild  and  Kundam  is  wild  and  picturesque,  but  there  is  no  valuable 
timber  in  it. 

JIGARGUNDA'— The  chief  village  of  the  Chintalndr  estate  of  Bastar. 
The  zamfuddr  resides  here.  It  is  distant  about  sixty  miles  from  Dumagudem, 
on  the'  route  from  that  place  to  Bastar.  The  population  consists  of  Kois  and 
Telingas,  and  is  estimated  at  about  three  hundred  souls. 

JOGA'  or  JOGrGARH — Thirteen  miles  west  of  Handid  in  the  Hoshanjrdbdd 
district.  Here  is  a  Pathdn  fort  in  perfect  condition,  very  picturesquely  situated 
upon  an  island  in  the  stream  of  the  Narbadd.  It  probably  dates  from  the  time 
of  A'lamgfr. 

JONK— A  stream  which,  taking  its  rise  in  Kharidr,  flows  northward 
through  Bordsdrabar  and  Phuljhar,  forms  the  boundary  on  the  west  between 
Phuljhar  and  Kdipilr,  and  falls  into  the  Mahdnadf  near  Seorinardin. 

JD'JHA'R — ^An  old  village  which  formerly  gave  its  name  to  a  pargana  in 
the  Damoh  district.  It  is  prettily  situated  on  the  left  bank  of  the  Bairmd,  about 
twelva  miles  east  of  Damoh.  The  country  in  the  neighbourhood  is  undulating, 
and  there  is  a  small  waterfall  near  the  village. 

JUNONA' — A  village  in  the  Chdndd  district,  situated  seven  miles  east  of 
Chdndd  and  six  miles  north  of  Balldlpdr,  with  which  latter  place  it  is  supposed 
to  have  been  connected  during  its  occupation  as  the  capital  of  the  Chandd 
kingdom.  It  possesses  a  very  fine  tank,  on  the  stone  embankment  of  which 
stand  the  remains  of  an  ancient  palace,  and  in  its  rear  are  traces  of  a  wall  four 
miles  in  length.  In  communication  with  the  tank  is  an  elaborate  system  of 
nnder-ohannels,  some  of  which  have  evidently  been  injured^  as  a  large  volume 
of  water  now  escapes  by  them. 


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KAI— KAL  231 


KAIMtm — A  detached  portion  of  the  Vindhyan  ratig'e^  commencing  near 
Eatangi  in  the  Jabalpdr  distfict^  and  ranning  parallel  with  the  Bh&nrer  bills 
for  a  distaDce  of  more  than  a  hundred  miles.  After  forming  the  south-eastern 
boundary  of  the  Maihlr  valley  it  takes  a  turn  to  the  east,  c  mpelliug  the  river 
Son  to  a  similar  course.  In  places  this  range  almost  disappears,  being  only 
marked  by  a  low  rocky  chain>  and  it  never  rises  in  these  provinces  many 
hundred  feet  above  the  plain. 

KAIMU'RI' — A  large  village  in  the  Jdbalpdr  district.  It  is  situated  on 
the  Hiran,  five  miles  from  Katangf,  nine  miles  from  Pitan,  and  nineteen  miles 
to  the  north-west  of  Jabalpdr.  The  village  belongs  to  an  Ahlr  chief,  who  owns 
a  good  deal  of  land  hereabouts,  and  is  tenth  in  descent  from  Chdrdman^  the 
founder  of  the  family.     The  river  is  fordable  here. 

KA'LI'Bni'T  Tdluka— A  hilly  tract  in  the  Hoshangdbdd  district,  about 
eighty  miles  in  length  by  twenty  in  breadth.  A  portion  of  it  has  been  i^Bserved 
by  the  Forest  dep^ment;  but  although  the  wood  is  plentiful,  it  is  at  present 
of  small  scantling. 

KATj^BHIT — A  state  forest  of  some  thirty  square  miles  in  extent,  about 
fifteen  miles  south  of  Hardd,  and  eictending  from  the  Ghmjdl  to  the  Gulf  river 
in  the  Hoshangdbdd  district. 

KALLBR — A  village  in  the  Upper  Goddvari  district,  situated  on  the  left 
bank  of  the  Sabari,  twenty-four  miles  above  its  confluence  with  the  Goddvarf. 
The  population  consists  of  Kofs  and  Telingas.  The  Sabari  is  navigable  by 
boats  from  this  point  downwards,  and  there  is  some  traflBo  in  lac,  honey,  wax, 
galls,  and  timber  by  this  route. 

KALMESWAR — A  flourishing  town  in  the  Ndgpdr  district,  fourteen  miles 
west  of  Ndgpdr.  It  is  built  on  a  plain  of  black  soil  lying  low,  with  a  bad 
natural  drainage.  The  country  to  the  north  and  west  is  very  fertile,  but 
towards  Ndgpdr  it  is  sterile  and  stony.  In  the  gardetns  west  of  the  town 
opium,  sugarcane,  and  tobacco  are  raised.  There  is  a  very  considerable  trade  in 
grain,  oii-seeds,  and  country  cloth.  The  pressing  of  oil-seeds  is  also  carried  on  to 
a  great  extent,  as  many  as  eighty  mills  being  kept  continually  at  work.  Cloth  is 
the  staple  manufacture ;  it  is  of  medium  quality,  and  is  mostly  sent  to  be  sold  at 
Kaundanpiir  and  other  places  in  Berdr.  The  imports  of  agricultural  and  manu- 
factured products  for  the  year  1868-69  amounted  in  value  to  Rs.  10,27,146, 
and  the  exports  to  Rs.  2,56,753.  The  proceeds  of  the  octroi  duties  have  been 
laid  out  to  great  advantage.  The  committee  have  made  a  handsome  and  com- 
modious mar!;et-place,  and  from  this  have  opened  wide  metalled  roads  towards 
Ndgpdr,  Kdtol,  Dhdpewdrd,  and  Mohpd.  Pacing  the  market-place  on  one  side 
are  the  police  station  and  school-house>  and  a  sardl  is  to  be  added.  On  tho 
other  side  are  excellent  shops  belonging  to  the  wealthier  traders. 

In  the  centre  of  the  town,  on  elevated  ground,  is  the  old  fortress,  now  the 
residence  of  the  village  proprietor.  It  is  said  to  have  been  built  by  a  Hindd  family 
from  Delhi,  which  in  the  time  of  Bakht  Buland,  the  Gond  rdjd  of  Deogarh,  main- 
tained, for  the  royal  service,  a  force  of  four  hundred  infantry  and  one  hundred 
cavalry.  Family  quarrels  and  Pindhdrl  raids  reduced  them  from  the  dignified 
position  which  they  had  continued  to  maintain,  even  after  the  accession  of  the 
Mardthds,  and  the  village  has  now  passed  into  tiie  hands  of  a  Kunbf  family. 


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232  KAL-KA'M 

KALUMBE  or  KALU'MAR— The  highest  peak  in  the  Bhfinrer  ran^  of 
hills  in  the  Jabalprfr  district.  It  is  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Katangl.  Altitude 
2,544  feet;  latitude  23^  27'  58";  longitude  79°  46'  51''. 

KA'MEN — A  stream  in  the  Chdndd  district,  which  rises  near  the  IWnjfhills, 
and  after  a  generally  westerly  course  of  twenty-five  miles  falls  into  the  Wain- 
gangd  a  little  above  Garhchiroli. 

KAMTARA'  NA'LA— Astate  forest  of  about  tweoty-five  square  miles  in 
area,  in  the  Rdfpdr  district,  on  the  banks  of  an  affluent  of  the  Jonk  river.  It  is 
heavily  wooded  with  sdl.  It  is  proposed  to  add  to  it  by  lease  two  adjoining 
tracts  of  similar  character,  which  belong  to  the  Deori  and  Kaurid  chiefshrps. 

KA'MTHA' — An  estate  in  the  Bhanddra  district,  consisting  of  207  villages, 
with  an  extent  of  about  503  square  miles,  two-fifths  of  which  are  under  cultivation. 
It  was  originally  conferred,  more  than  a  century  ago,  on  a  Kunbf  family.  They 
rebelled  against  the  Rdjd  of  Ndgpdr  in  1818,  on  which  their  lands  were  confiscated, 
and  granted  to  the  ancestor  of  the  present  chief,  a  Lodhf,  whose  family,  by 
payment  of  heavy  fines,  have  since  acquired  the  privilege  of  holding  in  zamfei- 
ddri  tenure  or  chiefship.  There  is  only  one  town  on  the  estate,  that  of  Kdmtha, 
but  there  are  several  large  and  flourishing  villages  tenanted  by  cultivators, 
chiefly  of  the  Lodhf  and  Ponwdr  castes.  The  estate  is  a  rich  one,  and  the  quit- 
rent  payable  to  Government  amounts  to  Rs.  46,799.  The  chief  has  considerabla 
local  influence. 

K  A'MTHA' — A  town  in  the  Bhanddra  district,  about  sixty  miles  to  the  north- 
east of  Bhanddra.  The  population  amounts  to  2,661  souls,  mostly  agriculturists, 
as  there  is  little  or  no  Trade.  The  zam(nddr  or  chief  has  a  handsome  residence 
here,  surrounded  by  a  wall  and  moat.  The  conservancy  of  the  town  is  pro- 
vided for  by  him,  and  a  large  dispensary  has  been  built  at  his  sole  expense. 
The  government  buildings  are  a  good  school-house,  a  district  post-ofiice,  and 
a  police  station-house. 

KA'MTHr  (KAMPTEE)— A  large  town  and  cantonment  in  the  Nagpdr 
district,  nine  miles  north-east  of  Ndgpdr,  on  the  right  bank  of  the  river  Kanhdn, 
immediately  below  the  junction  of  that  river  with  the  Pench  and  the  Koldr. 
The  cantonment  proper,  that  is  to  say  the  military  lines  and  bdzdrs,  extends  in 
one  long  narrow  line  along  the  river,  and  is  laid  out  on  the  principle  of  a  camp, 
except  that  the  cavalry  are  on  the  extreme  left  instead  of  on  the  right.  The 
town  is  a  little  distance  south-east  of  the  cantonment,  and  separated  from  it  by 
an  extensive  parade-ground.  The  whole  cantonment — which,  besides  the  mili- 
tary lines  and  the  town,  includes  a  considerable  area  of  cultivated  land — is  in 
the  shape  of  a  trapezium,  having  for  its  longest  side  the  river  bank.  The  total 
area  is  4,598  acres,  or  about  seven  square  miles.  Both  cantonment  and  town 
present  a  remarkably  neat  and  tidy  appearance.  The  roads  are  particularly  well 
kept.  The  main  thoroughfare  through  the  cantonment  is  a  handsome  broad  line 
of  road,  extending  from  the  artillery  lines  on  the  extreme  right  up  to  the  cavalry 
lines  on  the  left,  about  four  miles  long.  The  appearance  of  the  cantonment  is 
rendered  agreeable  and  cheerful  by  the  avenues  lining  the  roads,  and  by  the 
neatly-kept  gardens  and  compounds  surrounding  each  bungalow.  The  bun- 
galows themselves  are  generally  thatched,  and  poor  in  appearance,  though  there 
are  some  good  houses.  During  the  monsoon  fine  views  are  to  be  obtained  of  the 
reaches  up  and  down  the  river.  The  town  is  well  laid  out,  and  built  in  regular 
streets  at  right  angles  to  each  other.  The  streets  are  broader  and  better 
drained  than  is  usual  in  this  part  of  the  corntr}'.     The  total  number  of  houses  is 


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KA'M  233 

8,129,  of  which  1,960  are  of  stone  or  brick  with  flat  masonry  roofs,  and  5,820 
are  of  mud  with  tiled  roofing.  The  walls  of  these  last  are  coated  with  white 
or  coloured  plastering.  ITie  cantonment  used  to  be  considered  unhealthy. 
This  reputation,  however,  probably  resulted  from  the  mortality  amongst  the 
troops  in  by-gone  times,  before  the  late  improvements  in  barrack  accommoda- 
tion and  in  sanitary  arrangements  had  been  attempted.  Of  late  years  the 
death-rate  has  very  greatly  decreased.  The  supply  of  water  is  chiefly  from  the 
Kanhdn,  but  there  are  besides  a  large  artificial  tank  and  360  wells. 

Municipal  affairs  are  managed  by  two  separate  committees,  each  of  which 
has  its  separate  functions.  The  committees  consist  of  non-official  Native,  as 
well  as  of  ex-officio  EngUsh  members.  The  president  is  the  Brigadier-General 
commanding  the  force.  Municipal  improvement  of  all  sorts  has  been  conti- 
nuously maintained  for  many  years  past.  Great  attention  has  always  been  paid 
to  the  roads.  The  most  recent  improvements  are  an  excellent  masonry  tank, 
constructed  partially  at  the  expense  of  Bansildl  Abirchand  Rdi  Bahddur,  the 
most  influential  native  resident  of  Kdmthl;  the  Temple  Gardens — a  place  of 
public  recreation,  tastefully  laid  out ;  an  excellent  sardi  for  travellers,  and  a 
large  central  market-place.  The  town  has  its  dispensary,  its  schools,  and  its 
dharmsdlds  for  travellers.  In  the  cantonment  there  is  a  large  public  building 
used  for  municipal  meetings,  station  theatre,  public  receptions,  &c.  The  Pro- 
testant chvirch  (built  in  18-33)  is  a  commodious  structure.  There  is  a  Roman 
Catholic  establishment  of  the  order  of  St.  Francis  de  Sales,  with  its  convent  and 
large  church.  There  are  five  Mohammadan  mosques  and  seventy  Hindd  temples. 
The  total  population,  inclusive  of  military,  is  as  follows  : — 

Adult  males    20,382 

Do.  females 14,818 

Male  infants 8,317 

Female  do 7,413 

Total 50,930 

Of  these,  2,011  are  Europeans  or  Eurasians. 

The  Brigadier-General  commanding  the  force  is  the  chief  civil  executive  as 
well  as  military  authority  in  the  cantonment.  The  Cantonment  Magistrate  is 
the  civil  judge  as  well  as  magistrate. 

The  present  military  force,  which  is  a  first  class  brigade  command  belong- 
ing to  the  Madras  establishment,  consists  of  three  batteries  of  artillery,  a  regi- 
ment of  Madras  cavalry,  a  regiment  of  European  infantry,  and  a  regiment  and 
a  half  of  Madras  Native  infantry. 

The  trade  of  the  town  is  large  and  flourishing,  though  there  are  no  manu- 
factures save  a  little  coarse  cloth.  The  greatest  amount  of  business  done  is  in 
grain  and  oil-seeds  of  all  sorts,  country  cloth,  salt,  European  piece  and  miscel- 
laneous goods.  There  are  also  a  considerable  trade  in  cattle,  and  a  brisk 
traffic  in  wood,  which  is  floated  down  the  rivers  Kanhdn,  Pench,  and  Koldr,  and 
sold  here.  The  trade  of  the  town  has  been  registered  for  some  years.  In  the 
year  1868-69  the  declared  value  of  the  imports  of  Kdmthl  was  Rs.  59,50,830 ; 
of  its  exports  Rs.  18,76,069.  It  will  be  obvious  that  so  large  a  trade  as  this 
does  not  depend  on  the  supplies  for  troops  alone.  The  fact  is  that  during  the 
ilardtha  rule  traders  flocked  to  Kdraihf  on  account  of  the  immunity  which  they 
30  CPG 


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234  KAN 

Enjoyed  within  the  cantonment  from  the  taxation  to  which  thej  woald  have  been 
subjected  anywhere  else  in  the  Ndgpdr  province.  The  grain  trade  is  almost 
entirely  in  the  hands  of  the  Mdrwdris. 

The  history  of  the  place  dates  only  from  the  establishment  of  the  canton- 
ment under  Brigadier-General  Adams  in  1821.  Previous  to  that  year  there 
were  no  habitations  here,  except  one  or  two  hamlets  on  the  banks  of  the  river. 
But  on  the  other  side  of  the  river,  where  the  village  of  old  Kdmthi  now  stands, 
there  are  some  ruins  indicating  the  former  existence  of  a  small  town. 

KANDELr — A  town  in  the  Narsinghpilr  district,  situated  one  mile  from 
Narsinghpdr,  on  the  east  bank  of  the  Singrf  ndld^  which  divides  the  two  towns. 
The  government  oflBces  and  houses  of  the  European  community  are  in  Kandeli, 
but  the  head-quarters  station  is  commonly  known  by  the  name  of  Narsinghptir. 
Under  the  Gond  rule  Kandeli  was  a  little  village  belonging  to  the  Singhpdr 
subdivision,  where  the  subordinate  governing  authority  resided.  Now,  having 
become  the  head-quarters  of  the  district,  it  is  a  rising  town,  with  a  population, 
apart  from  Narsinghpur,  of  nearly  5,000  souls.  The  Railway  will  have  a 
station  here,  which  will  add  to  its  importance  and  commerce.  The  only  manu- 
facture is  that  of  common  native  cloth. 

KANHA'N — A  river  rising  in  the  Sdtpurd  hills  in  the  Chhindwdrd  district. 
Taking  a  south-easterly  du'ection  it  winds  through  a  series  of  sn^all  hills  in 
the  Ghargajgarh  forests,  and  after  passing  close  to  the  old  Deogarh  fort,  now 
in  ruins,  it  continues  the  same  course  until  it  reaches  Rdmdkond  on  the  road 
to  Ndgpur,  where  it  takes  a  turn  more  directly  south,  until  near  Lodhikhera  it 
resumes  its  south-easterly  course.  Just  below  Lodhikherd  it  is  joined  by  the 
Jdm — a  large  stream  emerging  from  the  Chhindwdrd  district  into  the  highly 
cultivated  plain  of  Ndgpur,  and  joining  the  Pench  a  little  above  the  military 
flcantonment  of  Kdmth(,  the  united  streams  flow  on  until  they  fall  into  the 
Waingangd  below  Bhanddra.  A  magnificent  stouo  bridge  is  now  being  con- 
:structed  over  the  Kanhdn  at  Kdmthi,  at  a  cost  of  about  £80,000.  The  length 
•of  the  river  from  its  source  to  the  junction  of  the  united  streams  with  the 
Wadagangd  may  be  about  140  miles. 

KANHARGA'ON — A  small  estate  in  the  Bhanddra  district,  which,  though 
consistiHg  of  one  village  only,  ranks  as  a  chiefsbip.  The  area  amounts  to  1,404 
;acres,  but  very  little  is  cultivated.  Around  the  former  village  site  are  very  fine 
ttrees — ^man^o,  pfpal,  tamarind,  and  date  palm — including  a  magnificent  banyan 
fof  great  age,  and  covering  a  considerable  surface.     The  chief  is  a  Rdjput. 

KANHERF — A  hill  in  the  Bhanddra  district,  about  eighteen  miles  to  the 
rsouth-east  of  Bhanddra.  It  is  some  three  hundred  feet  above  the  level  of  the 
plain,  and  quite  barren.  Jt  yields  some  good  building  stone,  and  in  portions  of 
it  hone-stones  and  white  soft  stone  for  pottery  are  found. 

KA'NHrWA'RA' — A  considerable  village  in  the  Seonl  district,  situated 
sixteen  miles  to  the  east  of  Seoni  on  the  road  to  Mandla.  A  good  deal  of 
pottery  is  made  here. 

KANJI  A' — The  principal  place  of  a  tract  of  the  same  name  on  the  northern 
frontier  of  the  Sdgar  district,  sixty -nine  miles  north-west  of  Sdgar.  It  is 
supposed  to  be  very  old,  but  the  first  of  its  rulers  of  which  anything  is  now 
known  was  a  Bundeld  chief  named  Debi  Singh.  To  his  son  Shdhji  is  attributed 
the  fort,  which  is  still  standing  on  an  eminence  to  the  south  of  the  village. 


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KA'N  235 

Hi3  descendants  remained  undisturbed  till  a.d.  1 726  when  one,  by  name 
Vikramdjit,  was  attacked  and  defeated  by  Hasan-ulla  KhSn,  nawSb  of  kurwdf, 
a  neighbouring  state.  Vikramdjit  fled  to  Piprdsi,  a  small  village  situated  on 
the  extreme  northern  boundary  of  the  tract  under  mention,  where  a  descendant 
of  his,  by  name  Amrit  Singh,  is  still  living  on  a  rent-free  estate  of  five  villages. 
In  the  year  1 758  the  Peshwd's  army  defeated  the  Nawdb  of  Kurwdi  and  drove 
him  out  of  Kanjid.  The  Peshwd  then  conferred  the  tract  on  one  of  his  officers, 
by  name  Khanderdo  Trimbak.  His  successor,  Rdmchandra  Balldl  (otherwise 
RdmBhdd),in  a.d.  1818,  when  Sdgar  was  ceded  to  Government  by  the  Peshwd, 
at  once  gave  up  Kanjid  and  Malhdrgarh,  a  neighbouring  tract,  and  in  return 
the  tract  of  Itdwd  was  bestowed  on  him  (see  **Itdwd").  In  the  same  year 
Kanjid  was  made  over  by  Government  to  Sindid,  under  whom  it  remained  till 
the  year  1860,  when  an  extensive  exchange  of  territory  was  effected,  and  it  was 
incorporated  with  the  Sdgar  district.  In  the  beginning  of  the  mutiny  in  1857 
a  party  of  Bundelds  came  down  from  the  adjoining  native  states  upon  Kanjid, 
expelled  Sindid's  officer,  and  forcibly  set  up  the  abovementioned  Amrit  Singh  as 
their  ruler.  He,  however,  only  remained  in  that  position  a  few  days,  and  was 
glad  to  get  away  from  his  dangerous  elevation.  The  Bundelds  plundered  the 
town  and  laid  waste  the  country,  but  after  remaining  about  eight  months, 
decamped  on  hearing  of  the  advance  of  Sir  Hugh  Rose  from  Rdhatgarh. 

Although  this  tract  bears  evidence  of  possessing  great  capabilities,  yet  its 
present  condition  is  anything  but  satisfactory.  The  inhabitants  were  greatly 
over-taxed  under  Native  rule,  it  being  well  known  that  in  several  instances 
officers  considered  deserving  of  reward  were  sent  for  a  short  term  to  Kanjid, 
with  liberty  to  get  whatever  they  could  from  the  inhabitants,  paying  only  the 
fixed  revenue  to  the  government.  The  greater  part  of  the  town  is  now  in  ruins, 
chiefly  owing  to  the  visit  of  the  Bundelds  mentioned  above.  Its  condition  has, 
however,  begun  to  improve  since  the  new  settlement  of  the  land  revenue,  and 
much  further  development  may  be  looked  for.  A  weekly  market  is  held  on 
Tuesdays ;  to  which  nothing,  however,  but  the  necessaries  of  life  are  brought 
for  sale.  The  fort  stands  on  a  considerable  eminence  to  the  south  of  the  town. 
It  is  square,  with  a  tower  at  each  corner,  and  encloses  a  space  of  about  two 
acres,  covered  for  the  most  part  with  ruined  buildings.  A  boys*  school  has 
been  established  here. 

KA'NKER — A  chiefshig  situated  to  the  south  of  the  Rdfpdr  district^ 
bounded  on  the  north  by  the  "  khdlsa^*  pargana  of  Dhamtari,  on  the  east  by  that 
of  Sehdwd,  on  the  south  by  the  feudatory  state  of  Bastar,  and  on  the  west  by  the 
Pdndbdras  zaminddri  belonging  to  the  Chdndd  district,  by  that  of  Lohdrd 
belonging  to  Rdfpdr,  and  by  the  khdlsa  pargana  of  Bdlod.  The  whole  of  it 
is  more  or  less  hilly,  and  except  in  the  eastern  portion,  along  the  valley 
of  the  Mahdnadi,  there  are  few  fertile  plains  of  any  extent,  and  even  in  the 
lai^ter  valley  a  large  portion  of  the  soil  is  shallow,  and  a  considerable  area  is 
occupied  by  outcropping  masses  of  rock  and  scattered  boulders.  It  is  divided 
into  eleven  tdlukas,  and  contains  444  villages.  Except  in  the  Kdnker  tdluka^ 
which  comprises  the  whole  of  the  Mahanadi  valley,  the  prosperous  villages 
are  few  and  far  between,  and  the  habits  of  the  population  are  shown  by  the 
state  of  the  jungles,  which  are  almost  ruined  by  ddhya  cultivation,  large  tracts 
of  country  being  entirely  denuded  of  all  vegetation,  except  under-sized  stunted 
trees,  while  the  soil  is  for  the  most  part  so  poor  as  to  render  continuous  cul- 
tivation unprofitable,  if  not  impc  ssible.     The  total  area  of  the  estate  is  about 


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236  KA'R 

1,000  square  miles,  perhaps  rather  more  than  less,  of  which  about  one-third  is 
cultivated ;  and  the  total  population  amounts  to  36,144  souls,  at  the  rate  of 
about  thirty-six  per  square  mile.     Of  these  some  21,176  are  Gonds. 

The  zamindar  belongs  to  a  very  old  Rajput  family,  and  according  to  tradi- 
tion his  ancestors  were  raised  to  the  throne  by  a  vote  of  the  people.  During 
the  reign  of  the  Haihai  Bansl  dynasty  in  Chhattlsgarh  the  Kdnker  zaminddrs 
seem  to  have  been  both  prosperous  and  powerful,  as  in  the  old  Haihai  Bansi 
records  Kdnker  is  reckoned  among  the  feudatory  dependencies^  such  as  Bastar, 
Sambalpdr,  Ac,  while  at  the  same  time  the  r^jds  held  the  large  and  fertile 
khalsa  pargana  of  Dhamtarf . 

The  total  revenue  of  the  estate  (1808)  is  as  follows : — 

Land  revenue Rs.  6,218 

Cesses  and  excise „   2,726 

Forest  revenue   „    1,02 1 

Total Rs.  9,960 

KA'RANJA— A  small  octroi  town  in  the  A'rvi  tahsfl  of  the  Wardh4 
district,  forty-one  miles  north-west  of  WardhS.  It  was  founded  some  260 
years  ago  by  Nawdb  Mohammjtd  Khdn  Niuzi  of  A'shti.  The  site  is  on  high 
land  surrounded  by  hills,  but  in  the  valleys  between  are  some  fine  gardens 
where  opium  and  sugar  are  grown.  A  market-place  in  the  centre  of  the  town, 
a  new  school-house,  and  a  good  road  connecting  the  town  with  the  highroad 
from  Nagpilr  to  Amruotf,  are  the  principal  works  carried  out  from  the  municipal 
funds,  lidranjd  contains  about  «5,000  inhabitants — cultivators,  traders,  and 
weavers. 

KARARGA'OX — A  small  estate  in  the  extreme  south  of  the  Bhanddra 
district,  which,  though  ranking  as  a  zamfaddri  or  chiefship,  only  consists  of  one 
village.  The  area  is  1,208  acres,  of  which  one-tenth  only  is  under  cultivation. 
The  owners  are  a  poor  Mohammadan  family. 

KA'ROND  or  KA'L  A'H ANDI'— A  feudatory  chiefship  attached  to  the  Sam- 
balpilr  district,  and  lying  between  19^5'  and  20'  30' of  north  latitude,  and  82°  40' 
and  83°  50'  of  east  longitude.  It  is  bounded  on  the  north  by  the  Pdtnd  state, 
on  the  east  by  the  Jaipdr  state  and  the  Vizagapatam  district,  on  the  soath  by 
Jaipdr,  and  on  the  west  by  Jaipdr,  Bindrd  Nawdgarh,  and  Kharidr.  The 
country  is  thus  described  by  Colonel  (then  Captain)  Elliot  in  a  report  submitted 
in  1 856,  which  will  be  found  printed  in  No.  XXX  of  the  Selections  from  the 
Records  of  the  Government  of  India  in  the  Foreign  Department : — 


(( I 


The  general  appearance  of  the  Kdrond  country  answers  more  nearly 
Q        1  d      •  t*  *^  ^^^  character  given  of  it  in  Sir  Richard  Jenkinsr' 

"  *  ^*  report  than  what  has  there  been  said  regarding 

Bastar,  though  there  is  a  greater  extent  of  plain  than  might  be  sup- 
posed on  reading  his  remarks.  The  country  is  high,  lying  near  the  foot 
of  the  main  line  of  the  eastern  ghdts,  and  partaking  of  the  watersheds 
both  of  the  Mahdnadf  and  IndrdvatJ,  which  last,  with  several  tributaries  and 
sub-tributaries  of  the  first,  rise  within  its  limits ;  it  is  well  supplied  with  water, 
and  in  some  parts  (as  Thndmdl,  &c.)  the  soil  is  enabled  to  yield  two  crops 
of  rice  within  the  year.     The  hills  are  chiefly  plutonic,  and  independently 


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KA'R  287 

of  two  or  .three  considerable  ranges  hereafter  to  be  noticed^  detached  hills 
of  greater  or  less  size  are  interspersed  throughout  the  dependency ;  the 
light  alluvial  soil  washed  from  their  slopes  is  rich,  fertile,  and  easily  worked, 
yielding  heavy  crops  of  almost  every  description.  Further  in  the  open 
country  the  soil  approaches  more  to  the  character  of  black  cotton  soil, 
mixed  with  lime  nodules,  and  occasionally  alternating  with  red  gravel,  but  , 
all  appears  capable  of  cultivation,  and  likely  to  give  good  returns  for 
labour  well  expended.  The  population  is  thinly  distributed  however,  and 
the  tracts  of  wast-e  land  are  extensive,  as  are  also  those  of  land  once  cul- 
tivated but  now  abandoned.  At  the  same  time  the  villages  are  numerous 
and  small,  and  the  people  appear  to  bo  well  cared  for,  though,  as  in  Bastar, 
and  partly  for  the  same  reasons,  there  is  no  stimulus  for  them  to  exert 
themselves.  Their  case,  however,  is  better  than  in  Bastar  :  they  are 
evidently  more  contented  and  numerous,  and  less  apprehensive  of  inter- 
course. The  drawbacks  here  appear  to  be,  in  addition  to  the  universal 
fault  of  the  cultivator  being  unable  to  reap  the  fruits  of  his  labour, 
or  rest  his  claims  on  any  stated  share  of  the  common  property,  that, 
although  there  are  several  large  villages  and  many  small  ones,  their  com- 
munication one  with  another  is  exceedingly  limited  andunfrequent;  there 
are  no  periodical  bdzdrs,  and  the  produce  of  one  village  finds  its  way  with 
difficulty  to  the  next.  These  causes  are  the  source  of  stagnation,  and 
much  retard  the  development  of  the  resources  of  this  rich  tract.  The 
disposition  of  the  people  however,  and  the  good  intentions  of  the  rdjd,  give 
every  hope  that  these  hindrances  will  be  gradually  and  effectually  removed, 
and  the  country  be  made  to  assume  that  increased  appearance  of  pros- 
perity which  it  is  naturally,  from  many  advantages,  so  capable  of  main- 
taining. Tho  hills  are  well  wooded  where  the  process,  called  ddhya  here, 
has  not  cleared  the  way  for  cultivation.  In  some  parts,  as  Thudmdl,  clearing 
has  taken  place  to  some  considerable  extent,  principally  by  the  hill  Khonds, 
whose  fields  occupy  the  slopes  and  tops  of  the  hills,  but  which  latterly  and 
gradually  they  appear  to  be  leaving  for  the  plains.  This  disposition  will 
doubtless  increase  as  they  gain  confidence  in  the  dwellers  in  the  low  country, 
and  be  much  fostered  and  encouraged  by  the  establishment  of  bdzdrs  in 
the  various  large  villages  in  their  neighbourhood,  which  the  rajd  has  at  my 
suggestion  proposed  to  give  immediate  attention  to.  The  trees  most 
commonly  met  with  in  tho  dependency  are  in  the  southern  parts ;  the  sarai, 
fio  common  in  Bastar,  yielding  large  quantities  of  a  very  useful  dammer  or 
resin,  and  the  wood  of  which  possesses  the  property  of  not  rotting  when 
immersed  in  water  or  inserted  in  the  ground,  the  pillar  commonly  seen  in 
the  middle  of  tanks  in  this  country  being  generally  of  sarai  wood;  and 
several  kinds  of  hard  woods  useful  for  building  purposes,  but  of  no  great 
size.  The  orange,  though  not  indigenous,  is  here  cultivated  in  consider- 
able quantities,  and  produces  very  fine  fruit.  I  cannot  learn  from  whence 
it  has  been  introduced ;  those  whom  I  have  asked  say  from  Jaipdr  and 
Naurangpdr,  but  I  am  not  aware  that  the  tree  is  originally  a  native  of  those 
parts,  or  that  the  vegetation  there  differs  materially  from  that  of  this 
dependency. 

'^  The  principal  range  of  hills   in  the  Kdrond  dependency,  which  is 
„...  considerable,  is  contributed  by  the  Eastern 

Ghits,  and,  though  in  some  places  disconnect- 
ed, runs  from  north  to  south,  and  rather  west  through  Madanpiir,  Kdrond, 


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238  KA'R 

and  L^njfgarh^  in  the  south  of  which  last  ZBmitxd&rl  the  range  divides,  the 
main  branch  proceeding  south  through  Jaipdr  to  Gunapdr;  and  the  other, 
broad  and  mountainous,  winds  towards  the  west  through  Korldp^t  and 
Thudmdl ;  again  dividing,  one  branch  running  west  into  Nawdgarh  Bhendri, 
and  the  other  south  to  join  the  original  range.  It  receives  names  at 
different  points  from  the  villages  near  its  base,  the  highest  part  being 
perhaps  that  called  Nayangiri,  near  Ldnjigarh.  Small  lolls  are  also  inter- 
spersed throughout  the  dependency. 

''  The  rivers  in  this  dependency  are  for  the  most  part  small,  and  all 
^  tributaries  of  larger  rivers.     Those  most  de- 

serving of  notice  are  the  Indrdvatf,  a  tributary 
of  the  Goddvarl ;  the  Tel,  a  tributary  of  the  Mahanadl ;  and  the  Hatti,  which 
falls  into  the  Tel.  *  *  *  * 

"  The  villages  of  Kdroud  are  more  numerous,  and  very  much  exceed 
^  in  size  and  condition  those  of  Bastar.     The 

principal  town  of  the  dependency,  Jundgarh, 
is  situated  on  the  banks  of  the  Hattf  river,  distant  from  Rdfpdr  about 
210  miles  south-east.  It  contains  nearly  five  hundred  houses,  principally 
of  thatch  and  bamboos ;  the  streets  are  irregular,  each  house  being  separate, 
with  a  small  enclosure  or  piece  of  ground  attached ;  the  prevailing  system 
of  aiTangement  tending  both  to  insecurity  and  the  accumulation  of  dirt.  The 
rij&'a  house  is  built  of  brick  and  mortar,  and  in  one  part  consists  of  two 
stories  with  a  terraced  roof.  The  town  of  Bhundesar,  the  temporary  residence 
of  the  riji,  in  consequence  of  the  cholera  having  carried  off  his  younger 
brother  about  seven  years  since,  is  situated  about  twenty  miles  to  the  north- 
east of  Jundgarh,  and  contains  about  two  hundred  houses.  Next  in  size  and 
importance  to  Jundgarh,  however,  is  the  town  of  Dadpdr,  about  thirty  miles 
to  the  north-east  of  it.  It  contains  upwards  of  four  hundred  housea  of  the 
same  construction,  the  walls  being  formed  of  wattled  bamboo,  plastered  on 
both  sides  with  mud,  and  the  roof  thatched  with  grass.  The  houses  are 
generally  broad  and  of  convenient  size,  and  the  material  forms  a  comfort- 
able and  substantial  habitation.  Asurgarh,  on  a  tributary  of  the  Tel  river, 
about  fifty  miles  north-east  of  Jundgarh,  contains  about  one  hundred  houses. 
Ldnjfgarh,  about  forty-two  miles  south-east  of  Jundgarh,  at  the  foot  of  the 
Nayangiri  hills,  is  the  principal  town  of  the  zamfnddrf  of  that  name,  and 
contains  about  150  houses.  Kdsfpdr,  one  of  the  principal  towns  of  the 
Thudmdl  zam(nddr(,  situated  sixty  miles  to  the  south  and  rather  east  of 
Jundgarh,  contains  about  one  hundred  houses.  Besides  these  the  towns 
named  below  are  not  unworthy  of  mention  : — 

No.  of  hoasea  about 

Khairfpodar 200 

Mahdlpdtnd  100 

Ddspur  100 

Chichyd 100 

Sosid 80 

Kanat    80 

Kuksard 60 

Medinpdr 60 

Chilchild   60 

Dohgdon  50 


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KA'R— KAT  239 

'*  The  bulk  of  the  population  belongs  to  the  hill  tribe  called  Khonds, 

p      .  ^  whose  restless  disposition  seldom  allows  them  to 

opua  on.  remain  long  in  the  same  spot,  and  the  greater 

part  of  whom  pay  nothing  to  Government,  and  have  but  little  intercourse 

with  its  officers. 

"The  productions  of  the  Kdrond  dependency,  though  various,  are  none 
p    ,     .  of  them   of  a  very  superior  quality,  or  in  such 

quantities  as  to  admit  of  exportation,  the  greater 
part  of  them  being  consumed  within  the  limits  of  the  estate.  They  may  be 
thus  enumerated : — Rice,  kutkf,  mandid,  kodo,  gurji,  mung,  urad,  kandol, 
kulthi,  sarson,  til,  erandf,  sugarcane,  cotton,  and  tobacco.  Wheat  and 
several  kinds  of  pulse,  common  in  other  parts,  are  not  cultivated  here, 
though  the  soil  is  admirably  adapted  for  them,  and  gram  is  produced  to  a 
very  limited  extent.  There  appears  to  be  no  obstacle  to  their  introduction, 
farther  than  that  they  do  not  form  articles  of  consumption  by  the 
inhabitants.  Turmeric,  fennugreek  (methi),  and  most  of  the  vegetables  used 
by  the  natives  are  cultivated  in  abundance.  The  imports  from  the  west 
consist  of  wheat,  gram,  &c. ;  from  the  east,  tobacco,  salt,  cloths,  and 
condiments,  as  pepper,  ginger,  assafoetida,  &c.  Trade  is  principally  carried 
on  by  barter,  the  rupee  being  the  only  current  coin. 

'*  The  climate  of  Kdrond  is  in  general  good,  and  presents  no  peculiari- 
ties.     Being  near  the  ghdts,  the  rains  are  regular 
i™»^e.  ^^^  abundant,  during  which  season  fever  prevails, 

particularly  amongst  new  arrivals  and  those  unaccustomed  to  the  climate 
and  food  of  the  country.  The  water,  however,  is  good,  at  least  that  of  the 
rivers  and  wells,  for  a  custom  obtains  here  which  pollutes  the  water  of  the 
tanks,  and  renders  it  unfit  for  drinking  purposes.  Universally  throughout 
the  dependency  the  people  are  in  the  habit  of  anointing  their  bodies  with 
oil  and  turmeric  as  a  prophylactic  against  cold  and  fever,  and  from  washing 
in  the  tanks  the  water  becomes  so  much  defiled  that  persons  making  use 
of  it  for  any  length  of  time  are  very  liable  to  fall  sick,  as  was  exemplified 
in  the  cases  of  some  of  my  camp.  Though  cholera  is  not  unknown,  its 
visits  are  not  frequent,  nor  its  ravages  great.^' 

But  few  changes  have  taken  place  since  this  report  was  written  in  ]  856. 
The  chief,  a  Rdjput,  has  a  high  character,  and  administers  his  state  well  and 
successfully. 

KIATJU'N — ^A  river  which  rises  in  the  territor)'  of  the  chief  of  Kdnker,  and 
passing  the  town  of  Rdlpdr  joins  the  Seo  not  far  from  Simgd.  It  is  navigable 
during  the  rains,  and  stores  from  Calcutta  have  been  landed  three  miles  west 
of  Rdipiir  by  it.  This,  however,  is  practicable  only  in  times  of  extraordinarily 
high  floods,  as  the  river,  as  a  general  rule,  is  shallow,  with  a  rocky  bottom. 

KATANGI' — The  southern  revenue  subdivision  or  tahsfl  in  the  Seoni 
district,  having  an  area  of  899  square  miles,  with  332  villages,  and  a  population 
of  134,511  according  to  the  census  of  1866.  The  land  revenue  for  the  year 
1869-70  is  Rs.  86,855.  It  is  remarkable  for  its  rice  cultivation,  and  from  its 
proximity  to  the  large  commercial  centres  of  Kdmthf  and  Ndgpdr,  finds  a  good 
market  for  its  produce. 

KATANGI' — A  small  chiefship  in  the  Blldspdr  district,  containing  thirty- 
eight  villages,  and  covering  an  area  of  fifty-seven  square  miles.     It  adjoins 


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240  KAT— KAU 

BiMigarh^  and  is  wedged  in  on  one  side  by  the  Mahdnadf^  on  the  other  by  the 
Son^hSn  hills.  The  tract  on  the  whole  is  fairly  level  and  open,  and  contains 
average  soil.  The  cultivated  area  amounts  to  10,814  acres,  and  the  culturable 
waste  to  about  15,000  acres.  The  population  is  9,407,  or  at  the  rate  of  165  per 
square  mile.     The  chief  is  a  Gond. 

KATANGI' — The.  head-quarters  of  a  small  chiefship  of  the  same  name  in 
the  Bildspdr  district,  is  situated  on  the  Jonk  near  its  junction  with  the  Mabdnadi. 
The  town  contains  a  small  and  flourishing  community  of  traders  and  weavers, 
and  a  weekly  market  is  held  to  which  all  the  villagers  in  the  vicinity  resort. 

KATANGI' — A  state  forest  of  about  1 70  square  miles  extent  in  the  Betdl 
district.  Commencing  from  the  village  of  Katangd  on  the  Taptl  it  extends 
westwards  to  the  river  Ganjdl.  The  chief  product  is  teak,  which  in  many  parts 
grows  luxuriantly. 

KATANGI' — A  large  but  decaying  village  in  the  Jabalpdr  district, 
situated  at  the  foot  of  the  Bhdnrer  hills,  twenty -two  miles  to  the  north-west 
of  Jabalpdr,  on  the  north  side  of  the  Hiran,  and  on  the  road  to  Sd^ar.  Hero 
are  a  large  tank  and  the  remains  of  some  mosques.  Many  of  the  inhabitants 
are  Mohammadans,  and  are  said  to  be  the  descendants  of  the  soldiers  of 
Akbar  and  Aurangzeb,  both  of  whom  encamped  near  this  place.  Katangi  used 
to  be  famous  for  the  manufacture  of  gun-barrels,  which  were,  Thornton  says, 
"  largely  exported.^^  The  place  has  now  348  houses,  and  an  agricultural 
population  numbering  2,947  souls.     There  is  a  government  school  here. 

KATTOL — The  north-western  revenue  subdivision  or  tahsfl  in  the  Ndgpdr 
district,  covering  an  area  of  803  square  miles,  with  498  villages,  and  a 
population  of  133,798  according  to  the  census  of  1866.  The  land  revenue  of 
the  tahsll  for  1869-70  is  Rs.  2,26,536. 

KATOL — A  town  in  the  Ndgpdr  district,  ten  miles  north-west  of  Kon- 
dhdli  and  forty  miles  from  Ndgpdr,  on  the  left  bank  of  the  Jdm,  a  tributary  of 
the  Wardhd.  The  population  amounts  to  4,1  lt>  persons,  most  of  whom  are 
agriculturists.  A  new  school  building  and  a  market-place  have  lately  been 
constructed  by  the  local  committee.  Some  attempts  too  have  been  made  to 
open  out  the  town  by  new  streets,  but-ife^^site  on  which  it  is  built  is  extremely 
uneven,  and  intersected  by  ravines.  Almost  all  the  houses  are  thatched,  and 
the  general  aspect  of  the  place  is  mean.  The  remains  of  an  old  fort  are  still  to 
be  seen  overhanging  the  river  banks.  There  is  a  curious  temple  here  of  very 
early  date,  built  entirely  of  layers  of  sandstone,  which  must  have  been  quarried 
many  miles  off.  No  mortar  is  used  about  it,  and  the  stones  have  many  grotesque 
carvings.  It  is  called  the  house  of  "  Bhawdnf,'^  but  is  without  any  image,  and 
without  any  legend,  save  that  of  an  undefined  miraculous  origin.  Here  are  the 
head-quarters  of  a  tahsll  subdivision. 

KATOL — A  village  in  the  Chdndd  district,  situated  fourteen  miles  east- 
south-east  of  Segdon,  and  possessing  a  very  fine  irrigation-reservoir. 

KAURI  A' — A  chiefship  attached  to  the  Rdfpdr  district,  consisting  of  162 
villages.  A  good  deal  of  the  land  is  poor  and  uncultivated,  and  the  quit-rent  is 
merely  nominal.  The  zaminddr  is  a  Gond  by  caste.  Kaurid  lies  about  eighty 
miles  to  the  east  of  Rdfpdr  on  the  Sambalpdr  road. 

KAURIA' — A  village  five  miles  to  the  west  of  Sleemandbdd,  in  the 
Jabalpdr  district.  It  now  contains  228  houses  and  1,262  inhabitants.  The  tank 
to  the  north  of  the  village  is  said  to  be  very  ancient. 


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J 


KAU~KEL  241 

KATTRIA' — A  large  village  in  the  Narsinghpdr  district,  containing  651 
IionseB>  with  a  population  of  3,158  souls.  It  is  on  the  highroad  between  Jabal- 
pdr  and  Hoshang^bid,  about  two  miles  from  Gida,TW&ri.  Its  chief  importance 
is  derived  from  the  large  cotton  sales  that  are  transacted  in  January  and  February. 
The  resident  population  are  chiefly  agriculturists,  but  there  are  also  some  M^r- 
w^(s  and  other  merchants.  The  manufactures  are  insignificant.  A  good  town 
school  exists ;  and  the  municipal  frinds,  though  small,  are  sufficient  to  keep  up  a 
conservancy  establishment  and  build  drains  in  the  nudn  streets.  It  belongs  to 
the  Bdja  of  Gangai. 

KAWARDA' — ^The  largest  feudatoryship  in  the  BiMspdr  district.  It 
contains  an  area  of  912  square  miles ;  the  western  half  is  a  network  of  hills  locally 
known  as  the  Chilpi  range,  and  at  their  base  is  situated  the  cultivated  portion 
of  the  estate.  There  are  altogether  321  villages,  many  of  which  are  surrounded 
by  unbroken  sheets  of  cultivation,  and  contain  comfortable  and  thriving 
communities.  Much  of  the  soil  is  of  first  class  quality,  and  cotton  is  the  chief 
product.  The  cultivated  area  is  112,785  acres,  and  the  land  fit  for  cultivation  is 
estimated  at  176,000  acres.  The  population  is  69,077,  or  at  the  rate  of  73  to 
the  square  mile.  K  the  plain  and  hill  portions  be  taken  separately,  the  rate  for 
the  former  rises  to  227  persons  per  square  mile,  while  the  hilly  area  has  only  10. 
Altogether  the  estate  is  in  a  flourishing  condition,  and  possesses  marked  capa- 
bilities of  future  development.     The  chief  is  a  Rdj-Gond. 

KAWARDA' — The  head-quarters  of  the  chiefehip  of  the  same  name  in  the 
BU^dr  district,  is  situated  at  the  foot  of  the  Sfl^tekri  range  sixty  miles  west  of 
Bil^dr,  and  has  within  the  last  few  years  risen  into  a  town,  with  a  population 
exceeding  5,000  souls,  and  including  many  traders  and  agents  for  the  purchase 
of  lac  and  cotton  from  Mirz^dr  and  Jabalpdr  firms.  The  houses  are  generally 
tiled,  an  unusual  feature  in  Chhattfsgarh,  and  here  and  there  stand  prominently 
forward  some  imposing  structures  of  masonry.  The  most  conspicuous  of  these 
is  the  residence  of  the  chief,  containing  several  double-storied  blocks,  from  the 
terraced  roof  of  which  the  town  has  a  good  appearance.  The  present  high  priest  of 
the  Elabir  P^nthi  sect  also  lives  here,  and  lus  presence  attracts  devotees  from  all 
parts  of  India. 

KELJHAR— A  town  in  the  Huztir  tahsfl  of  the  Wardhi  district,  situated 
about  sixteen  miles  to  the  N.B.  of  Wardhd  on  the  old  Ndgptir  and  Bombay 
highroad.  It  is  said  to  occupy  the  site  of  an  ancient  city  called  Chakranagar, 
an  account  of  which,  and  of  the  demon  which  preyed  on  it,  is  contained  in  the 
Hindd  sacred  book  called  Bh&rat.  The  place  contains  the  remains  of  a  well- 
built  fort,  in  the  gateway  of  which  is  a  famous  idol  of  Ganpati,  in  whose  honour 
an  annual  hir  i&  held  on  the  fifth  of  Mdgha  Suddha,  the  month  which  corres- 
ponds with  the  latter  half  of  January  and  the  first  half  of  February. 

KELOD — ^A  town  in  the  Ndgpdr  district,  about  seven  miles  north  of 
Sioner  on  the  main  road  to  Chhindw&r&.  It  is  situated  at  the  foot  of  the 
Sitpord  hills,  and  has  a  population  niunbering  4,303  persona.  The  municipal 
funos  have  been  employed  in  the  construction  of  roads,  drains,  school  and 
police  buildings,  and  a  market  square.  There  are  several  old-established  firms 
of  M&rw&ri  money-dealers  here,  but  the  business  they  carry  on  is  mostly 
locaL  The  chief  branch  of  industry  is  the  manufacture  of  brass  and  copper 
vessels  of  a  good  description,  winch  are  exported  to  places  as  distant  as 
Amr&oti  and  ]S4{ptir.  Beddes  this,  the  only  manufacture  is  that  of  rough  glass 
ornaments.  Kelod  is  said  to  have  been  founded  fourteen  generations  ago  by 
31  C^G 


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242  KEN— KHAI 

the  ancestors  of  the  present  Mflgoz&r  and  Desmnkh^  at  the  same  time  that  a 
neighbouring  QbmH  chief  formea  the  extensive  old  tank  at  Jatghar  near  the 
town.  The  fort,  now  falling  to  decay,  seems  to  have  been  built  in  the  early 
Mar^thd  period. 

KBNDA' — A  chiefship  in  the  Bilisptir  district,  adjoining  the  Liphd  estate. 
It  covers  an  area  of  298  square  miles,  of  which  only  13,655  acres  are  cultivated. 
The  hilly  portion  contains  some  good  sSL  forest,  and  a  good  deal  of  lac  is 
exported  from  here  to  Mirzdpdr.  "nie  population  amounts  to  5,162  souls,  the 
average  rate  being  only  seventeen  to  the  square  mile.  The  chief  belongs  to  the 
E^nwar  caste. 

KENDA' — ^The  head-quarters  of  a  small  chiefship  of  the  same  name  in  the 
Bildspdr  district,  situated  twenty  miles  nprth  of  Batanpdr  on  the  Bildspdr  and 
Bew£  road  at  the  foot  of  the  Yindhyan  range  of  hills. 

KEOLADATDAR — A  small  patch  of  forest  land  about  ten  square  miles  in 
extent,  situated  on  the  Narbad^,  in  the  Jabalptir  district.  It  is  proposed  after 
survey  and  fiirther  examination  to  reserve  it  as  a  State  forest. 

EEBBANA' — An  important  village  in  the  Damoh  district,  on  the  left  bank 
of  the  Bi&s,  twenty-four  miles  north-west  of  Damoh.  It  has  a  population  of 
1,100  souls.  The  proprietor  is  considered  to  be  one  of  the  chief  Lodhis  in  the 
Damoh  district. 

KESLA'BORr— A  village  in  the  Chdndi  district,  situated  under  the 
western  slopes  of  the  Chimdr  hills,  ten  miles  north-north-east  of  Seg^on.  It 
has  a  considerable  area  under  rice,  irrigated  by  a  hill  spring,  the  water  of  which 
is.  stated  to  be  very  deleterious  to  strangers.  The  village  now  consists  of  only 
a  few  huts,  but  the  gi-assy  reaches  around  show  that  it  once  was  of  large  size. 
In  the  vicinity,  at  the  foot  of  a  precipice,  is  the  Rimdighlpool,  hollowed  out  of  the 
rock,  about  forty  feet  in  diameter,  and  of  unknown  depth ;  and  into  this  basin 
falls,  during  the  rains,  a  considerable  stream  from  the  precipice  above.  Tradi- 
tion attributes  the  formation  of  the  pool  to  Rdma ;  and  on  an  eminence  above  is 
an  ancient  temple,  in  which  are  two  good  carvings  of  a  warrior  with  shield  and 
straight  sword.  The  temple  is  fast  crumbling  to  ruin ;  and  even  the  additions 
to  the  original  structure  are  said  to  be  more  than  a  century  old. 

KHAIRA'GARH — ^The  most  important  of  the  Chhattlsgarh  feudatory  states. 
It  consists  of  four  parganas  or  subdivisions,  with  585  villages,  mostly  lying  in  the 
richest  part  of  the  Chhattfsgarh  plain.  The  original  possessions  of  the  family, 
which  is  of  the  Rdj-Gond  caste,  and  descended  from  the  royal  family  of  Garh^ 
Mandla,  were  confined  to  the  small  forest  tract  known  as  Kholwd,  at  the  foot  of 
the  Sdldtekrl  range.  Subsequently  they  obtained  extensive  grants  in  1818,  both 
from  the  Mandla  princes  and  from  the  Mar^th^  rulers  of  Nd^prir.  Two  of  the 
principal  passes  through  the  Sdl^tekrf  range  between  Chhattisgarh  and  N^gpdr 
are  in  the  Khairdgarh  country,  but  a  d^erent  hne  has  been  adopted  for  the 
Great  Eastern  Road.  The  town  of  Ehairdgarh  is  at  the  junction  of  the  A'm  and 
the  Piparii,  forty-five  miles  west  by  north  from  Rdfptir.  The  tribute  paid  by  the 
Chief  to  the  British  Government  amounts  to  Rs.  47,000. 

EIHAIRI' — ^A  small  estate  in  the  Bhand^  district,  consisting  of  four 
villages,  with  an  area  of  8,848  acres,  of  which  679  only  are  under  cultivation. 
It  is  situated  about  eight  miles  north  of  S&koU  on  the  Great  Eastern  Road. 
The  chief  is  a  Kunbi  by  caste,  and  the  residents  are  mostly  Gt>nds.  The 
forests  on  the  estate  yield  a  good  deal  of  timber  of  the  inferior  kinds,  but  very 
little  good  wood. 


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KHAJ— KHAN  243 

EBAJM'— A  small  estate  in  the  Bhandfra  district,  which,  though  consisting 
of  two  villages  only,  ranks  as  a  zamind^ri  or  chiefship.  The  area  is  4,359 
acres,  of  which  1,600  are  cultivated.  The  zaminddr  is  a  Halbd,  and  the  culti- 
vators are  Bbdhis  and  Gonds.  Khajri  is  situated  about  six  miles  north  of  Arjuni, 
on  the  Great  Eastern  Road. 

KHALAUr — ^A  village  situated  in  the  centre  of  an  estate  of  the  same 
name,  in  the  Rdlp6r  district,  about  13  miles  from  Riiptir.  Here  are  four  very- 
ancient  temples,  which  tradition  attributes  to  giants  of  former  ages ;  they  are 
small,  but  of  peculiar  construction,  and  are  probably  of  Jain  origin.  The  stones 
with  which  they  are  btiilt  are  uncemented,  but  their  disposition  is  so  accurate 
that  the  structures  have  withstood  the  wear  of  ages.  Khaldri  has  an  annual 
reUgious  fair  at  the  Chaitra  Punava,  or  about  the  end  of  March,  at  which  some 
3,000  persons  attend  for  the  worship  of  Khaldri  Devi,  to  whom  is  dedicated  a 
small  chabdtri  at  the  top  of  the  adjacent  hill.  The  hill  is  of  considerable  height, 
and  the  extreme  summit  is  crowned  by  huge  granite  boulders,  which  render 
access  to  the  very  top  a  work  of  toil ;  but  the  trouble  is  repaid  by  the  extensive 
view  of  the  surrounding  country.  It  is  at  the  base  of  these  boulders,  or  on  the 
first  plateau,  that  the  fair  is  held.  There  is  a  deep  hole  in  the  rock  resembling 
an  artificial  cistern,  which  is  said  to  contain  a  spring,  though  the  appearance  of 
the  water  is  much  against  this.  Khaldri  was  the  seat  of  a  kam^visd^,  or  revenue 
manager,  in  the  Mardthd  times. 

KFAMARIA^ — An  ancient  village  in  the  Sdgar  district,  only  remarkable 
as  having  been  the  first  settlement  of  the  Baladeos — a  shepherd  race  who  after- 
wards settled  at  Rehlf,  one  mile  to  the  south.  Very  little  is  now  known  about 
them. 

KHAMA'RPA'NI' — A  village  in  the  Chhind,w4rd  district,  thirty-six  miles 
south-east  of  Chhindwdrd.  It  has  a  police  station-house.  It  is  entirely  shut  in 
by  thick  forests,  abounding  in  teakwood,  and  is  said  to  be  most  unhealthy. 

KHANDWA' — The  eastern  revenue  subdivision  or  tahsfl  in  the  Nimdr 
district,  having  an  area  of  1,425  square  miles,  with  377  villages,  and  a  popu- 
lation of  102,568  souls  according  to  the  census  of  1866.  The  land  revenue  for 
the  year  1869-70  is  Rs.  82,416. 

KHANDWA' — The  head-quarters  and  civil  station  of  the  district  of 
Nimir.  It  contains  1,219  houses  and  9,708  inhabitants.  It  has  a  station  on 
the  Great  Indian  Peninsula  Railway,  and  here  the  whole  traffic  of  Central  India 
towards  Bombay  meets  the  line.  The  town  is  rapidly  increasing  in  import- 
ance. The  city  of  Burhdnpdr,  which  used  to  be  the  centre  of  trade  between 
Mflw£,  the  Narbadd  valley,  and  the  Deccan,  is  now  quite  superseded  in  that 
position  by  Khandwd,  and  many  of  the  merchants  have  already  transferred 
their  places  of  business  to  the  latter.  There  are  here  a  good  travellers'  bungalow, 
and  a  spacious  new  sardl,  close  to  the  railway  station,*  An  extensive  range 
of  barracks  has  also  been  built  as  a  rest-house  for  the  numerous  troops  which 
pass  through  in  the  cold  season. 

Khandwd  is  a  place  of  considerable  antiquity.  It  is  mentioned  by  the 
Arabian  geographer  Al  Birtinl,  who  wrote  early  in  the  eleventh  century.  In 
the  twelfth  century  (and  probably  earlier)  it  was  a  great  seat  of  Jain  worship, 
and  the  modem  town  is  built  on  a  mound  which  is  full  of  remains  of  old  Jain 
buildings.  Most  of  the  more  modem  stone- work  about  the  place  is  built  of  the 
hewn  blocks  dug  out  of  this  mound.    Many  finely  carved  pillars,  cornices,  &c. 


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244  KHAT-KHAR 

may  atill  be  seen  lying  about,  or  built  into  Brfflimanical  temples,  the  walls 
of  the  Mardthi  fort,  and  other  structures.  There  are  four  ''  kundg^'  or  water 
reservoirs,  one  on  each  side  of  the  town,  surrounded  by  Sivite  temples,  aD  of 
which  are  composed  of  the  old  Jain  stones  and  carvings.  The  date  A.n.  1132 
has  been  found  on  those  of  the  Padma  Eunda,  west  of  the  town.  Ehandwd  is 
also  mentioned  by  the  historian  Farishta  as  the  seat  of  a  local  governor  of  the 
Ghorl  kingdom  of  Mflwi  in  A.n.  IbW.  It  was  burnt  by  Yaswant  R4o  Holkar 
in  A.D.  1802,  and  again  partially  by  Tatii  Topii  in  1858. 

The  civil  station,  two  miles  east  of  the  town,  contains  a  fine  court-house, 
circuit  house,  and  church,  and  is  the  residence  of  a  Deputy  Commissioner  and 
the  usual  civil  staff.  Travellers  for  Mflwd  and  Central  India  leave  tie  Great 
Indian  Peninsula  Railway  here.  The  road  to  Indore  is  now  in  good  repair. 
The  means  of  transit  are  either  the  government  mail  cart,  which  runs  daily, 
and  carries  one  passenger  and  a  little  luggage,  or  if  a  specisJ  cart  be  engaged — 
which  is  permitted  at  sdl  times  except  when  the  overland  mail  is  being  con- 
veyed— ^two  passengers  and  a  good  quantity  of  personal  baggage  can  be  taken. 
The  latter  plan  has  the  advantage  of  allowing  the  traveller  to  halt  where  he 
likes  on  the  road.  The  journey  to  Indore  occupies  about  ten  hours.  Bullock 
carts  may  be  hired  from  Ealyinji  Seojf,  with  relays  along  the  road,  and 
baggage  can  be  sent  in  the  same  way.  There  are  no  horsed  conveyances  on  the 
road  except  the  mail  cart  above  mentioned. 

KHATA' — A  town  in  the  Ndgpdr  district,  situated  on  the  right  bank  of 
the  Kanh&n  river,  twenty  miles  north  of  Ndgpdr,  with  which  it  is  connected  by 
the  Chhindw^  road  as  far  as  Pdtansdongi  (fourteen  miles),  and  thence  by  a 
main  district  road  (six miles).  The  total  population  is  7,876  ;  and  the  number  of 
houses  is  2,471,  of  which  2,1  S|5  are  tiled,  and  the  rest  thatched.  This  town,  which 
is  one  of  the  most  thriving  and  wealthy  in  the  district,  is  built  on  a  site  high  above 
the  river  and  immediately  overhanging  it,  while  on  the  land  side  it  is  com- 
pletely shut  in  by  fine  groves.  The  late  municipal  improvements  have  been 
extensive.  Not  to  speak  of  small  works,  four  good  metalled  roads,  drained 
with  masonry  channels,  converge  in  the  ''  Chauk,"  or  central  market-place^ 
which  is  lined  on  all  four  sides  by  good  substantial  buildings,  erected  by  the 
traders.  The  dispensary,  the  school,  and  police  buildings,  and  a  sardf  are 
also  among  recent  municipal  erections.  The  town  is  well  kept,  and  its  general 
appearance  is  now  suitable  to  its  wealth  and  population.  The  school  (where 
!^glish  forms  one  of  the  branches  of  study)  has  at  present  122  pupils.  The 
site  is  healthy,  and  well  supplied  with  water,  both  from  the  river  and  from 
numerous  wells*  Melons  are  cultivated  to  a  considerable  extent  on  the  sand* 
bcmks  in  the  bed  of  the  river.  The  great  manufacture  of  Khdp^  is  its  cotton 
cloth,  which  is  of  good  quality  and  strength,  though  inferior  in  texture  and  dye 
to  that  of  Ndgpdr  and  Umrer.  The  exports  consist  chiefly  of  country  cloth;  the 
imports  are  cotton,  wool,  and  cotton  yam,  grain,  European  goods  and  hardware, 
and  silk  thread.  There  are  several  firms  here  which  have  large  transactions 
in  bills  with  Puna  and  other  distant  cities.  The  town  is  said  to  be  ancient,  but 
there  is  no  known  event  of  interest  connected  with  its  history. 

KHABIAH — A  chiefship  attached  to  the  Rdfptir  district.  It  is  said  to 
have  been  formed  many  generations  ago  out  of  the  P^tn^  state,  having  been 
given  as  a  dowry  by  the  rdtn&  chief  to  his  daughter.  It  is  bounded  on  the 
north  and  south  by  Chhattisgarh  Proper,  on  the  eastby  Bords^bar  and  Vibni, 
and  on  the  west  by  Bindr^  Nowdgarh.    It  is  fifty-three  miles  frx)m  north  t» 


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KHAR-KHm  245 

souths  and  tiurty^two  A*om  east  to  west.    Nearly  half  of  the  area  is  under  culti- 
vation.   The  chief  is  a  Chauhfin  by  caste. 

KHAEOD — An  important  town  in  the  Bilispdr  district,  about  forty  miles 
east  of  Bil^spdr,  containmg  a  population  of  8,000  inhabitants.  There  are  resi- 
dents here  of  all  trades ;  and  a  weekly  market  is  held,  which  is  largely  resorted 
to  by  the  people  of  the  neighbourhood.  The  origin  of  the  town  is  unascer- 
tainable,  but  an  inscription  on  an  old  tablet  indicates  its  existence  as  long  ago 
asSamvat902  (a.1).  845).  The  remains  of  ancient  earthworks,  over  portions 
of  which  the  plough  has  long  travelled*  show  that  it  was  once  slarongly  fortified. 

KHAROND— A  stream  in  the  Bil&pdr  district,  which  rises  in  It&phi,  flows 
east  of  Ratanpdr,  and  after  a  short  career  of  twenty  miles  through  the  Bil&sptir 
pargana  is  absorbed  in  the  Arp£.  Except  during  sudden  floods  the  Kharond 
IS  a  very  insignificant  stream. 

KELARSAL — ^A  chiefship  attached  to  the  Sambalptir  district,  the  nucleus 
of  which  was  first  formed  in  the  reign  of  BcJi&r  Singh,  T&ji  of  Sambalpdr, 
some  three  hundred  years  ago,  by  the  grant  of  the  village  of  Kharsal  to  one  Udam 
Gond  in  reward  for  services  rendered.  What  with  subsequent  accessions  of 
territory  by  gift,  and  vrith  clearing  away  forest,  the  chiefship  now  consists  of 
eighteen  villages  great  and  small,  with  an  area  of  about  twelve  square  miles. 
It  is  situated  about  thirty  nules  west  of  the  town  of  Sambalpdr.  The  population 
by  the  census  of  1866  is  computed  at  4,298  souls,  and  is  entirely  agricultural^ 
belonging  chiefly  to  the  Kolti,  Gond,  Saurfi,  and  Binjfl  (Binjwir)  castes. 
Kharsal,  the  principal  village,  is  very  insignificant,  the  population  being  only  5S0. 
It  has,  however,  a  good  school,  at  which  some  eighty  pupils  are  receiving 
instruction.  The  present  chief,  Mah&  Singh  Sardir,  is  a  mere  youth.  His 
&ther,  Day£[  Sarddr,  was  hanged  in  1860  for  having  taken  an  active  part  in  the 
Surendra  Sdi  rebellion. 

KHATORA'^ — ^A  village  in  the  Ch&aii  district,  situated  twenty-six  miles 
north  of  Cb&ndi.  It  was  formerly  a  large  town,  giving  its  name  to  the  pargana, 
but  is  now  a  mere  cluster  of  Gond  huts  in  a  wide  forest.  For  a  considerable 
distance  round  Khdtord  are  reaches  of  grass  unbroken  by  trees,  showing  where 
cultivated  ground  existed  at  no  remote  period;  and  there  are  the  remains  of 
a  considerable  stone  fort  with  a  moat,  and  double  lines  of  defences*  Near  one 
of  the  bastions  is  the  tomb  of  Gh^d  Kh^,  who  is  much  venerated  by  the 
Musalmdns  of  the  district.  The  water  used  here  is  that  of  a  hill  spring,  and  is 
most  deleterious  to  strangers. 

KUKRI'— An  ancient  village  in  the  immediate  neighbourhood  of  Mandla. 
It  was  here  that  the  Gond  rfijds  formerly  stationed  the  small  band  of  cavalry 
which  they  kept  in  their  pay.  There  is  a  tank  here  which  was  constructed  in 
A.D.  1690. 

KHIMLA'SA' — ^A  town  in  the  SSgar  district,  about  forty-two  miles  north- 
west of  S^igar,  fifty  miles  south-west  of  Tehrf,  and  one  hundred  and  seventy 
north-east  of  Oojein.  It  is  a  large  place,  surrounded  by  a  stone  wall  tweniy 
feet  or  more  in  height,  with  a  fort  in  the  centre,  but  it  is  ill  laid-out,  with 
narrow  streets,  and  the  population  is  only  2,461.  It  originally  belonged  to  a 
dependent  of  the  Delhi  emperor,  but  was  taken  by  the  B&jd  of  Pann^  in  a.d.  1 695« 
On  the  death  of  his  son  without  heirs  in  A.n.  1746  the  fort  and  surrounding 
country  were  occupied  by  the  representative  of  the  "Pes^wi  at  S%ar,  and  were 


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246  KHO— KIN 

by  liim  made  over,  with  Sfigar,  to  the  British  in  1818.  In  July  1857,  when  the 
Bh&npdr  rajd  occupied  E^hurai,  he  also  seized  KhimUsd.  From  the  cession  in 
1818  to  the  date  of  the  land-revenue  settlement  in  1834  this  town  was  the 
head-quarters  of  a  tahsfl.  In  that  year,  however,  the  tahsflf  was  moved  to 
Khurai  by  Mr.  Fraser,  the  settlement  officer,  on  account  of  the  latter  being  in 
a  more  central  situation,  and  on  the  direct  route  of  the  salt  traffic  from  Sironj 
to  S&gar. 

Khimlisd  is  still  one  of  the  principal  places  in  the  district,  and  most  of  the 
houses  are  better  built  than  those  of  any  other  town,  except  Sigar.  A  great 
part  of  it  is,  however,  now  uninhabited,  and  has  been  so  since  the  Mutiny, 
when  it  was  most  effectually  plundered  and  laid  waste  by  the  Hiji  of  Bh^pdr 
€uid  his  army.  Bows  of  lofty  and  well-built  houses  of  two  and  even  more 
stories  in  height  may  now  be  seen  ownerless,  and  the  whole  town  to  a 
casual  observer  has  a  deserted  appearance.  The  space  vrithin  the  walls  is  sixty- 
three  acres,  and  that  within  the  fort,  which  is  situated  on  high  ground  in  the 
centre  and  slightly  to  the  west  of  the  town,  is  five  acres.  The  police  station- 
house  occupies  some  old  buildings  inside  the  fort,  in  which  there  are  also  two 
other  remarkable  edifices.  One — a  Mohammadan  btiilding — is  apparently  the 
burial-place  of  some  saint.  It  was  originally  a  square  structure,  surmounted  by 
a  lofty  dome,  each  side  being  about  thirty  feet  in  length.  The  most  remarkable 
portions  of  it  are  the  side  walls,  from  the  ground  to  the  spring  of  the  dome. 
They  consist  of  enormous  slabs  of  stone  about  an  inch  and  a  half  in  thick- 
ness, placed  sideways  one  over  the  other,  and  cut  with  the  most  beautiful 
fretwork  designs  right  through  the  stone,  so  that  the  pattern  is  visible  from 
both  the  exterior  and  interior  of  the  building.  These  walls  are  the  only  part 
of  the  building  now  standing,  as  the  dome  has  fallen.  The  other  is  a  Eindd 
building,  and  was  apparently  a  place  of  the  kind  known  to  natives  as  a  "  Shlshd 
Mahal,'*  or  glass  palace.  It  is  two  stories  in  height,  and  on  the  upper  floor 
was  an  apartment  fitted  up  with  mirrors,  many  tra-ces  of  which  still  remain, 
though  the  roof  has  been  entirely  destroyed.  Two  schools  have  been  established 
here — one  for  boys,  and  the  other  for  girls.  No  trade  worth  mentioning  is 
carried  on.  A  market  is  held,  however,  every  Sunday,  the  attendance  at  which 
averages  four  hundred  people. 

KHOBRA'GABHI'— A  river  in  the  Chdndd  district.  It  rises  in  the 
eastern  chiefehip  of  Wairdgarh,  and  flowing  westward  is  joined  near  the  town  of 
Wairdgarh  by  the  Tepdgarhi,  which  flows  from  the  extreme  north.  The  united 
streams,  sometimes  known  as  the  Khobrdgarhf,  sometimes  as  the  Yaitochanf^ 
fall  into  the  Waingangd  two  miles  south  of  Seoni,  after  a  course  of  fifty  miles. 

KHUJJI' — A  small  chiefship  attached  to  the  lUipdr  district  and  bordering 
on  Ndndgdon.  It  consists  of  twenty-seven  villages,  in  a  fairly  open  country, 
and  is  situated  seventy  miles  to  the  south-west  of  Bdfptir.  The  chief  is  a  Moham- 
madan. 

KHXJTGA'ON — A  chiefship  in  the  Chdndd  district,  twenty  miles  south-east 
of  Wairdgarh,  and  containing  about  fifty  villages.  It  is  attached  to  the  Wairfi- 
garh  pargana. 

KINHI' — A  chiefship  of  recent  origin  in  the  Bfldghft  district.  The 
ancestors  of  the  present  zamfnddrs  were  the  head  herdsmen  of  the  Gond  and 
BhonsM  kings  of  Ndgpdr,  and  tended  the  royal  flocks  in  the  upland  pastures  of 
Lfinjf .  The  estate  in  its  original  form  was  of  considerable  value,  but  now  that  it 
is  divided  into  no  less  than  eight  shares  it  is  rapidly  deteriorating.    It  contains 


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KIO-KOL  247 

iixty-foup  villages,  and  covers  159  square  mUes,  partly  above  the  hills  and 
partly  below.  The  head-quarters  village,  Kinhl,  is  twenty-five  miles  S.E.  of 
Bdrhd.  ' 

KIOLAHI' — Al  large  market  village  in  the  Seoni  district,  situated  in  an 
extensive  plain  not  far  from  the  right  bank  of  the  Bingangd  (Waingangd)  at  the 
pomt  where  it  receives  the  Sdgar.  Both  these  rivers  are  subject  to  sudden  floods, 
and  the  village  is  sometimes  submerged.  There  are  here  a  police  station-house 
and  a  village  school,  and  the  highroad  from  Seoni  to  Mandla  passes  through 
the  village.    The  population  amounts  to  1,018  souls. 

KIRNATU'R — ^An  estate  in  the  Bflfighit  district,  consisting  of  twenty-five 
villages,  with  an  area  of  forty  square  miles.  It  was  bestowed  upon  Chimn^ 
Patel,  the  once  powerftil  possessor  of  the  K6mt'h&  and  surrounding  tdlukas, 
in  1828,  and  now  forms  his  sole  possession.  The  population  numbers  21,251 
souls. 

KmNATUTl— A  town  in  the  Bfldghdt  district,  the  residence  of  the 
zamind^  of  Kim^pdr.  It  is  situated  on  high  ground,  about  sixteen  miles  to  the 
south-east  of  Bdrh^.  The  old  temples  which  are  to  be  found  at  various  parts  of 
the  town  denote  that  it  is  a  place  of  some  antiquity.  There  is  a  good  government 
school  and  a  police  outpost  here,  and  the  district  post  to  Ldnji  passes  daily. 

KISANGANJ — ^A  village  in  the  Damoh  district,  about  ten  miles  to  the 
north-west  of  Damoh,  containing  407  houses  and  a  population  of  1,100  souls. 
The  holder,  who  pays  no  revenue  to  government,  is  bound  to  distribute  the 
income  of  the  village  to  Gosdfns  and  other  religious  mendicants.  There  is  a 
government  village  school  here. 

KODATJENDHI^ — A  town  in  the  Nigpdr  district,  situated  on  the  banks 
of  the  river  Sur,  thirty-two  miles  north-east  of  Ndgpdr,  with  a  population,  mostly 
agricultural,  of  over  1,000  souls.  It  is  built  on  a  slope  closely  overhanging  the 
river,  and  around  it  are  fine  groves  of  mango  and  tamarind  trees,  and  ^ood 
gardens.  The  houses  are  particularly  neat  and  well-kept  for  so  small  a  pkce. 
The  more  recent  municipal  erections  are  a  good  school-house,  police  outpost, 
saril,  and  market-place ;  and  a  broad  street  has  also  recently  been  made  right 
through  the  centre  of  the  town.  Some  coarse  cloth  is  manufactured,  which  em- 
ploys about  forty  looms.  The  "  gui^^  made  here  is  believed  to  be  the  best  in  the 
district.  The  town  is  said  to  have  been  founded  by  one  Jamdl  Khan,  a  Pathdn, 
a  retainer  of  the  Gond  prince  Bakht  Buland,  about  the  year  a.d.  1710.  But  no 
trace  of  Jamdl  Khin's  family  is  now  to  be  found.  The  lands  passed  many  years 
ago  into  the  possession  of  near  relatives  of  the  late  reigning  family,  and  now 
belong  to  one  of  the  lineal  descendants  of  that  house.  A  very  large  cattle  and 
grain  market  is  held  here. 

KOLA'BIRA' — ^A  chiefship  now  attached  to  the  Sambalpdr  district,  and 
created  in  the  reign  of  Jeth  Singh,  rdjd  of  Sambalpdr,  about  ad.  1760. 
It  is  situated  twenty-five  miles  north  of  Sambalpdr,  and  consists  of  some 
sixiy  villages,  with  an  area  of  140  square  miles,  about  two-thirds  of  which  are 
cultivated.  The  population  is  computed  at  1 7,191,  chiefly  belonging  to  the  agri- 
cnltaral  classes,  viz.  Gonds,  Bords,  Koltds,  Aghaxi&a,  Kharidrs,  and  (Hnd^. 
The  agricultural  products  are  rice,  the  pulses,  ou-seeds,  sugarcane,  and  cotton* 
The  principal  vulages  are  KoUbird  and  Baghundthpallf;  the  former  has  a 
population  of  611  souls,  and  the  latter  of  1,080.    There  is  a  good  school-house  at 


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248  KON~KOT 

Kciihiri^  where  some  tliirty  pupils  are  receiving  instruction.  There  are  ateo 
several  other  schools  distributed  among  the  villages.  The  present  chief, 
Ghanasydm,  is  about  thirty  years  of  age ;  he  is  the  fif£  of  his  line.  His  grand- 
father was  hanged  during  the  rebellion^  and  his  father  died  an  outlaw.  The 
chiefship  was  restored  to  the  family  after  the  amnesty. 

KONDHAXI' — ^A  little  town  in  the  Ndgptir  district,  with  a  population  of 
3,128  persons.  It  is  ten  miles  west  of  B^kzirg6on  and  thirty-five  miles  finom 
N&gpdr,  on  the  Bisndr  road.  After  the  cotton-gathering  season  the  market 
held  here  is  brisk.  The  town  has  its  newly  laid*out  streets,  its  school,  and  polioe 
buildings,  market  square,  and  travellers'  rest-house.  The  hills  around  are  wild 
and  wooded,  and  much  infested  with  tigers  and  bears*  The  original  settlers 
came  from  Ber^r  about  250  years  ago. 

KONTA' — ^An  old  town  in  the  Damoh  district,  about  twenty-two  miles 
north-east  of  Damoh,  on  the  riffht  bank  of  the  Bairm£.  A  good  deal  of  grain  is 
exported  hence  to  Bundelkhand.  The  place  has  diminished  in  size  and  importance 
since  the  cession  of  the  eountry  by  the  Mardth&s,  and  now  has  only  667 
inhabitants. 

KOBA'BAGA' — ^A  small  chiefship  attached  to  the  Sambalptir  district,  and 
situated  about  thirty  miles  north-west  of  Sambalpdr.  It  consists  of  eighteen 
petty  villages,  with  an  area  of  ten  or  twelve  square  miles,  and  a  population, 
chiefly  agricultural,  of  2,836  souls  according  to  the  census  of  1866.  Rice  is 
the  staple  produce,  but  the  cultivation  is  poor  and  slovenly.  About  one-half 
of  the  area  is  still  covered  with  jungle.  Kor&bag^  is  the  largest  village,  but 
its  population  is  under  three  hundred  souk.  There  is,  however,  a  school  there. 
The  family  was  formerly  very  lawless,  and  took  an  active  part  in  the  rebellion 
under  Surendra  S&  in  1857  and  the  subsequent  years. 

KOBA'CH A' — ^A  zamind&rf  or  chiefship  cm  the  extreme  east  of  the  Ch&ndi 
district,  forty  miles  east  of  Wair&garh.  It  contains  seventy-five  villages,  the 
largest  of  which  is  M^pdr.  Through  this  place  great  numbers  of  Chhattisgarh 
Banjddb  pass  to  and  firom  the  Eastern  Coast  with  grain. 

KOBJBA' — A  chiefship  in  the  north  of  the  BiMsptir  district,  containing  232 
villages,  and  covering  an  area  of  823  square  miles.  It  has  a  scattered  popuktion 
of  2  7,464  souls,  bein^  only  33  to  t^^e  square  mile.  The  estate  is  partly  m  the  hills 
and  partly  in  the  plams,  and  is  mostly  wild  and  poorly  cultivated,  but  possesses 
both  timber  and  coal,  and  would  be  valuable  if  means  of  communication  were  faci- 
litated. The  only  export  now  is  silk.  The  cWef  is  of  the  Elanwar  caste.  The 
principal  village,  Korb^  is  on  the  river  Hasdd,  forty  miles  east  of  BiUspdr. 

KOSGAl'— A  sacred  hill  near  Chhtiri  in  the  Bil&pdr  district. 

KOTATALLT' — A  subdivision  of  the  Bastar  dependency,  with  an  area  of 
four  hundred  square  miles,  and  containing  sixty  villages.  It  is  noted  for  its 
teak  forests,  which  were  once  very  valuable,  but  which  have  been  overworked. 
The  timber  is  felled  and  dragged  a  short  distance  to  the  banks  of  the  Tdl,  and 
is  then  floated  down  the  God^vari  The  population  consists  of  Eois,  MjirUsy 
and  TeUngas.    The  chief  villages  are  P^mar  and  Teklet. 

KCXTGAL — ^A  small  chiefship,  consisting  of  eighteen  villages,  situated 
seventy  miles  north-east  of  WairagaA  in  the  Ch^di  district.  The  area  is 
very  hilly.  Among  these  hills  rises  the  Seon^th,  which  is  the  principal 
tributaiy  of  the  MahinadL 


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KOTr— KTJR  249 

KOTI' — A  large  village  in  the  Jabalpdr  district,  about  fifteen  miles  east 
by  north  of  MurwirL  Here  is  a  fine  stone  tank,  and  iron  aboimds  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood. 

KUHI' — A  poor  town  in  the  Ndgpdr  district,  with  a  population  of  8,305 
persons.  It  is  situated  twenty-two  miles  south-east  of  Nagpdr,  in  the  midst  of 
very  fine  groves  of  fruit  trees,  and  has  some  large  tanks  from  which  rice-lands 
are  irrigated.    There  are  here  a  police  outpost  and  a  new  school-building. 

KXJMBHI' — ^The  chief  village  of  the  pargana  of  the  same  name  in  the 
Jabalpdr  district,  about  ten  miles  east  by  south  of  Sihori,  and  twelve  miles  south 
of  Sleeman&bdd.  It  is  situated  on  a  rising  ground  on  the  banks  of  the  Hiran^ 
and  contains  several  temples.  The  place  was  once  of  importance,  and  a  large 
fair  was  formerly  held  here.  The  surrounding  country  produces  a  good  deal 
of  iron-ore. 

KUMHAHI' — A  village  on  the  road  between  Damoh  and  Allah^bid,  in 
the  Damoh  district,  thirty  miles  from  Damoh.  The  forest  in  the  neighbourhood 
is  very  dense,  and  the  road  from  here  to  Jdjh&r,  distant  twenty-four  miles,  is 
a  mere  jangle  track.  Here  are  an  encamping-ground,  a  police-station,  and  a 
sartf. 

KUNDALPU'R— A  vill^fe  in  the  Damoh  district,  situated  at  the  foot  of 
ttie  BondeU  hills,  twenty«-one  miles  firom  Damoh.  It  iA  celebrated  for  its  fair, 
which  is  held  in  March  and  lasts  for  a  fortnight,  and  for  the  Jain  temples  on 
the  surrounding  hills. 

KXJNDAM — A  village  in  the  Jabalpdr  district  on  the  road  to  Shdhpur^, 
lying  about  twentyseven  miles  due  east  from  Jabalpdr.  About  half  a  mile  to 
tiie  soath-east  is  a  small  tank,  which  is  said  to  be  the  source  of  the  Hiran 
river% 

KUNGHA^RA' — ^A  flourishing  village  of  four  hundred  houses,  situated 
ten  miles  nortJi-east  of  Chimursi,  in  the  Ch&ndi  district.  It  possesses  a  fine 
tonk. 

KURA'  BANGOLI' — A  small  village,  situated  fourteen  miles  to  the  north- 
west of  Bdfpdr,  in  the  Bdfpdr  district.  It  is  known  for  its  annual  fiair  in  January, 
which  is  usuaQy  visited  by  some  20,000  persons,  and  at  which  a  good  deal  of 
traffic  is  done  in  cloth,  English  and  Native  hardware,  spices,  and  live  stock.  In 
the  centre  of  the  villa^  is  a  chabdtr^,  or  platform,  under  a  tree,  which  is  the 
monument  to  one  GhdsT  Dds,  a  saint  amon?  the  Kabir  Panthfs.  An  agent  from 
Eaward& — ^the  head-quarter  of  the  Ejkbir  Panthis— ordinarily  lives  here  to 
take  care  of  the  monument,  and  to  receive  the  offerings  of  sugar,  cocoanuts, 
money,  &c.  which  are  made  at  it. 

KURAI' — ^The  north-western  revenue  subdivision  or  tahsfl  in  the  Simr 
district,  having  an  area  of  921  square  miles,  with  546  villages,  and  a  population 
of  105,517  soms  according  to  the  census  of  1866,  The  land  revenue  for  the 
year  1869-70  is  Rs.  1,00,243. 

KUEAI' — A  town  in  the  S&gar  district,  about  thirty-two  miles  to  the 
north-west  of  Sigar,  in  latitude  24°  T,  and  longitude  78"  22'.  Here  are  the 
head-quarters  of  a  tahsfl  or  revenue  subdivision.     Kurai  is  supposed  to  have: 

32  CP6 


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250  KUR 

been  occupied  very  early  by  the  GauKs^  from  whom  it  passed  to  the  Mohatn- 
madan  roiers  of  Delhi.  Aurangzeb  united  the  pargana  of  Knraf  with  that  of 
Garold^  and  gave  them  in  jdgfr  to  a  Ddngi  chief,  who  built  the  fort. 

In  the  year  1753  Grovind  Pandit,  as  the  representative  of  the  Peshwd,  took 
possession  of  Kurai  also,  and  appointed  a  subordinate  to  its  charge.  He  altered 
and  enlarged  the  fort,  and  built  a  temple  on  the  south-west  side  of  it.  This  he 
isolated  with  water,  supplied  from  a  lake  on  the  south  side  of  the  fort,  which 
he  had  previously  excavated.  The  temple  is  still  in  good  preservation.  He  also 
built  the  present  tahsil  court-house,  dug  a  large  well  for  a  garden  inside  the 
fort,  and  improved  the  town  generally.  In  the  year  1818  Kurai  formed  part 
of  the  country  ceded  to  the  British  by  the  Peshwd.  In  the  beginning  of  the 
Mutiny,  viz.  in  July  1 857,  the  Rdji  of  Bhdnpdr  invested  Kurai,  on  which  the 
Government  tahsflddr,  Ahmad  Bakhsh,  gave  up  the  town  and  fort,  and  joined 
the  rebels  himself.  They  placed  officers  in  charge  on  their  own  account,  who 
remained  till  February  1858,  when  the  R&ji  of  Bhdnpdr  and  his  army  were 
beaten  at  Barodid  Naunagar  by  Sir  Hugh  feose,  and  fled,  taking  with  them  all, 
the  officers  they  had  posted  at  Kurai,  Kimldsd,  &c. 

The  town  of  Kurai  is  remarkably  well  built,  with  wide  streets  and  sub- 
stantially-constructed houses.  On  the  north  side  of  the  fort  there  are  several 
handsome  and  solid  Hindd  temples.  The  principal  streets  as  they  now  stand 
were  built  in  the  year  1852.  The  chief  trade  is  in  cattle  of  all  sorts.  These  are 
brought  to  the  weekly  markets,  not  so  much  from  the  adjoining  country  com*- 
prised  within  the  S&gar  district,  as  from  the  native  states  of  Gwalior,  Kurwii, 
Ac,  and  especially  from  the  former.  The  whole  of  the  meat  supplied  by  the  com- 
missariat for  the  use  of  the  European  troops  at  Sdgar,  Jabalpm:>,  and  Naug^n 
comes  from  here.  The  country  arouna  Kurai  was  for  some  tiBao  much 
depressed,  partly  from  alleged  inequalities  in  the  land-tax,  but  maidly  from  the 
ravages  of  the  rebels  in  1857.  Since  the  new  land-revenue  settlement  there 
has  been  marked  improvement,  and  further  development  may  be  looked  for. 
The  bulk  of  the  population  consists  of  a  class  of  agricultural  Sdjputs,  called 
Dingls.  Next  to  them  the  lower  castes,  such  as  Kdchhis  and  Chamirs,  pre- 
ponderate. Town  duties  have  been  coUected  in  Kurai  since  the  year  lo55, 
and  from  the  funds  thus  raised  the  town  police  and  conservancy  establishment 
are  supported.  The  tahsil  is  held  in  an  old  Mardthd  building  inside  the  forti 
which  IS  in  tolerable  repair,  and  of  considerable  strength.  Like  most  native  struc- 
tures of  the  kind,  it  consists  of  round  towers  connected  with  curtain  waQs.  It 
encloses  a  space  of  eleven  acres,  and  is  situated  on  the  north  bank  of  a  large 
lake.  There  are  here  also  a  police  station-house,  a  post-office,  and  three  8cho(^, 
one  for  boys  and  two  for  girls. 

KURAI' — ^A  small  village  in  the  Seoul  district,  on  the  road  to  N^gptbv 
twenty  miles  south  of  Seoni.  Here  the  Northern  Bead  descends  the  gfa^ts, 
which  are  about  seven  hundred  feet  above  the  plain  below.  The  rocfcd  falls 
two  hundred  feet  at  the  Ldlghdt,  and  430  feet  at  the  Kurafghdt.  The  village 
itself  is  below  the  ghdts.  There  are  here  a  travellers^  bungalow,  a  road  bungalow, 
an  encamping-ground,  and  a  police  outpost.  The  place  is  said  to  be  very 
unhealthy,  and  the  water  unwholesome. 

KTrRUTi — A  river  with  several  branches,  rising  in  the  hilly  ranges  of  the 
A'mbgion  chiefship  in  the  Chindi  district.  After  a  very  winding  course  of 
forty  miles  it  falls  into  the  Waingang^,  a  little  above  Chimunsi. 


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KUT— LAT  251 

KUTRD'— A  cliefsliip  of  Bastar,  with  an  area  of  1,000  square  mUeB  and 
150  villages.  The  chief  is  by  caste  a  Gond.  The  estate,  though  it  is  the  largest 
in  Bastar,  is  exceedingly  poor,  the  villages  being  far  apart,  and  the  forest 
dense.     It  is  bounded  on  the  north  and  west  by  the  river  Indr^vatL 


TiATRA' — ^A  chiefship  attached  to  the  Sambalpdr  district.  It  is  situated 
about  seventeen  miles  north-east  of  Sambalpdr,  and  consists  of  twenty-five 
villages,  with  an  area  of  some  twenty-six  square  miles,  nearly  the  whole  of  which  . 
is  cultivated.  The  population  is  estimated  at  4,248  souls,  belonging  almost 
entirely  to  the  agricultural  classes,  and  divided  among  Gonds,  Khonds,  and 
(}dnd^.  The  agricultural  products  are  rice,  the  pulses,  oil-seeds^  and  sugaiw 
cane.    Iron-ore  is  found  here.    The  zamfnddr  is  a  Oond. 

LAKHNA'DON — The  northern  revenue  subdivision  or  tahsfl  in  the  Seoni 
district,  having  an  area  of  1,399  square  miles,  with  841  villages,  and  a  popula- 
tion of  120,594  according  to  the  census  of  1866^  The  land  revenue  for  the 
year  1869-70  is  Rs.  52,163. 

LAKHNADON — A  town  in  the  Seoni  district^  thirty-seven  miles  to  the 
north  of  Seoni,  with  a  population  of  1,420  souls.  Here  are  the  head-quarter* 
of  a  tahsd,  a  school,  a  dispensary,  and  a  public  garden.  There  are  also  % 
travellers'  bungalow  and  an  encamping-ground,  and  supplies  are  readily 
obtainable. 

LA'LBARA' — k  town  in  the  Seonf  district,  situated  to  the  east  of  Seon^ 
on  the  Bingang^  ( Waingangd).  The  population  amounts  to  1,773  souls.  There 
are  here  a  school  and  a  police  post,  and  some  cotton-cloth  is  made. 

L  A  MFiTA'GH  AT— In  the  Jabalpdr  district,  on  the  Narbadt  Coal  has 
been  found  in  the  neighbourhood,  and  has  lately  been  worked  with  success. 

LA'NJI' — A  town  in  the  BffldghSt  district,  badly  situated  in  low  ground 
dotted  with  tanks,  and  bounded  on  the  north  by  dense  jungle,  about  ninety  miles 
north-east  of  Bhanddra  and  foi*ty  miles  east  of  Bdrhd.  The  fort  is  believed 
to  be  the  work  of  the  Gonds  in  the  early  part  of  the  eighteenth  century ;  it  is 
surrounded  by  a  moat,  and  was  no  doubt  once  a  place  of  much  strength,  but 
is  now  out  of  repair.  There  are  a  good  government  school  and  a  police  station 
in  the  town,  and  the  district  post  connects  it  with  the  imperial  postal  lines. 
The  population  at  the  last  census  was  2,116.  The  name  of  the  town  is  said  to 
be  derived  from  L^njk^i  (the  goddess  K&K),  in  whose  honour  a  temple  has  been 
built  on  the  edge  of  the  fort  moat.  In  the  bamboo  jungles,  a  mfle  ijo  the  north- 
east of  the  town,  is  an  old  temple  dedicated  to  Mahideva,  surrounded  by  what 
are  said  to  be  the  remains  of  the  original  town. 

LATHA' — A  chiefship  in  the  north  of  the  Bil&spdr  district,  consisting  of 
fifty-five  vilWes,  with  an  area  of  272  square  miles,  of  which  11,886  acres  are 
cultivated.  iSie  grant  is  said  to  date  firom  a.d.  936.  The  portion  to  the  nofth 
is  hilly,  to  the  south  open  and  hilly.    The  chief  is  of  the  Kanwar  tribe. 

LATHA'GARH— A  hill  fortress,  twenty-five  miles  to  the  north  of  Bflisp^r. 
The  Itiphi  hill  is  about  3,600  feet  above  the  sea-level,  and  has  an  open  area 
at  the  top  of  some  three  square  miles,  now  mostly  overgrown  with  unoerwoodu 
The  Haihai  Bansi  rulers  of  Ghhattfsgarh  had  one  of  their  earliest  seats  here. 


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252  LAUN-LOHA' 

but  tihey  left  it  more  than  a  thousand  years  ago  for  the  open  country,  m  which 
tiiey  established  their  capital  of  Ratanpdr.  Much  of  the  fort  wall  is  standing, 
and  in  remarkable  preservation.  It  is  composed  of  large  slabs  of  well-cut 
stone.    The  climate  on  the  plateau  is  cool  and  pleasant. 

LAUN — A  tract  of  country  attached  to  the  Rdfpdr  district,  lying  to  the 
east  of  Simgd,  and  containing  about  423  villages,  with  an  area  of  some  800 
square  miles.  It  is  watered  by  the  Seon&th  and  Mah^nadf,  and  possesses  a 
most  fertile  soil ;  but  by  far  the  greater  portion  is  covered  by  scrub  jungle, 
containing  but  little  valuable  timber.  West  of  the  Mahdnadi  the  country  is 
generally  well  cultivated,  particularly  to  the  south  of  the  pargana.  The 
uncultivated  portions  bear  rich  crops  of  thatching-grass,  whence  the  greater 

{)art  of  the  cultivated  villages  of  the  district  are  supplied  with  that  article.  To 
he  east  of  the  Mah^adf,  with  the  exception  of  a  portion  to  the  north-east  along 
the  river,  almost  the  whole'  country  consists  of  low  hills,  covered  with  bamboos 
and  thatching-grass,'  while  along  the  extreme  eastern  boundary  there  are  fine 
ftdl  forests.  The  principal  crop  is  rice,  which  is  produced  in  very  large 
quantities. 

LATIN — A  large  tract  of  forest  land  in  the  subdivision  of  that  name  in 
the  Bdfpdr  district,  which  has  been  provisionally  reserved  from  sale  under  the 
waste  land  rules — not  so  much  on  account  of  the  value  of  the  timber  now  on  the 
land,  but  in  order  that  its  general  resources  may  be  husbanded  to  meet  the 
growing  wants  of  B4(ptir  and  other  towns  in  the  neighbourhood. 

LINGAGIRI — A  small  estate  in  the  Bastar  feudatoryship,  containing 
ten  villages,  with  an  area  of  about  fifty  square  miles.  The  population  consists 
entirely  of  aboriginal  Kols  and  M&ri&a. 

LODHI'KHERA  —  A  rich  trading  town  in  the  Chhindw&i  district,  thirty- 
eight  miles  from  Chhindwdri,  on  the  Nagpdr  road.  The  river  Jim  flows  by  the 
tovm.  Excellent  brass  and  copper  utensils  and  coarse  cotton-cloth  are  made 
here.  The  population  according  to  the  census  of  1866  amounted  to  15,298  souls. 
Many  improvements  have  been  made  of  late  in  the  way  of  opening  out  the  town 
and  constructing  new  streets.  There  are  here  a  charitable  dispensary,  a  school, 
and  a  sardi. 

LOHA'RA' — A  chiefship  attached  to  Rdfpdr,  lying  to  the  south-west  of 
the  district,  between  the  Baled  and  Sanjdrf  parganas.  It  is  generally  hilly 
and  covered  with  jungle,  and  to  the  south  the  hills  reach  a  considerable  height, 
diminishing  in  size  as  they  approach  the  north,  till'they  sink  into  the  plain  near 
the  northern  boundary.  It  contains  182  villages,  with  an  area  of  375  miles. 
There  is  but  little  cultivated  land,  and  the  population  is  chiefly  composed  of  Gonds, 
Kalfls,  and  Halbis.  The  country  is  well  watered,  being  bounded  respectively  on 
the  east  and  west  by  the  rivers  Tenduld  and  HiarkM^,  while  numerous  n61ia 
descend  from  the  hills  and  water  the  valleys.  The  principal  hill  is  the  Dallf 
Pahdr ;  it  is  from  1,800  to  2,000  feet  high,  and  was  formerly  covered  with  teak, 
as  was  also  a  large  part  of  the  chiefship ;  but  there  are  now  few  valuable  trees  left. 
The  jungles  still  contain  a  good  deal  of  kusam,  mhowa,  bijesdl,  and  other  similar 
trees,  and  lac,  wax,  and  honey  are  yearly  produced  in  very  large  quantities. 
Hemp  and  cotton  are  also  exported  by  Banj^r&s,  who  buy  up  the  supply;  and 
iron  IS  smelted.  The  zamind^  is  a  Gond  by  caste ;  and  the  estate  was  originally 
granted,  in  ▲•d.  1538,  in  return  for  military  service,  by  one  of  theBatanpdr  r&j£s. 


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LOHA'— MACH  253 

LOHAILA.' — ^A  small  village  in  the  Ch&adi  district^  twenty  miles  south- 
wdsi  of  Brahmapori^  famous  for  a  hill  of  iron-ore  in  its  vioinity.  From  it  is 
obtained  a  large  portion  of  the  iron  exported  from  the  district.  The  view  firom 
the  fiummit  is  worth  the  ascent. 

LOHAHA'  SAHASPUH— A  chiefehip  of  the  Rdipdr  district,  containing 
eighty-four  villages,  and  situated  about  sixty  miles  to  the  north-west  of  Bdfpdr^ 
and  south  of  the  Kawardii  chiefship  belonging  to  the  Bildsprir  district.  The 
greater  part  of  the  estate  lies  below  the  Sdl^tekri  hills,  and  is  exceedingly 
fertile  and  well  cultivated.  The  portion  lying  among  the  hills  is  almost  all 
eovered  with  jungle.  The  chief  is  related  to  the  Kawardfi  and  Pandari£ 
families. 

LOI'SINGH — A  small  chiefship  created  some  two  hundred  years  ago  by 
4  former  r&ji  of  Sambalpdr,  and  now  attached  to  the  Sambalpdr  district.  It  is 
situated  about  twenty  miles  south-south-east  of  Sambalpdr,  and  consists  of 
fdxteen  villages,  with  an  area  of  some  fifteen  square  miles,  of  which  scarcely 
one-third  is  cultivated.  The  population  is  computed  at  935  souls — nearly  all 
Oonds  and  Ehonds.  The  inhabitants  of  this  chiefship,  under  the  guidance  of 
Surendra  Si,  gave  the  greatest  trouble  during  the  rebellion  of  1857,  and  as  the 
highroad  from  Cuttack  runs  through  the  estate,  they  were  in  a  position  to  do  a 
great  deal  of  mischief.  Muddd,  the  brother  of  the  present  chief,  was  hanged 
for  having  taken  part  in  the  murder  of  a  European  officer — a  Dr.  Moore— 
who  was  proceeding  to  Sambalpdr  vid  Cuttack.  The  present  chief,  Chandru, 
was  restored  to  the  estate  after  the  amnesty. 

LOKAPU'R — An  ancient  name  of  Chdndi. 

LORMF — A  tdluka  or  estate  in  the  west  of  the  BiUspdr  district,  containing 
103  villages,  with  a  total  area  of  58,368  acres,  or  ninety-two  square  miles.  The 
cultivation  is  30,953  acres,  and  there  remains  a  culturable  area  of  nearly  20,000 
acres.  The  population  is  20,320,  falling  at  the  rate  of  220  per  square  mile. 
This  is  a  valuable  property,  and  is  owned  by  a  Bairfigl,  to  whose  father  it  was 
granted  some  forty  years  ago. 

LORMI' — In  the  Bildspdr  district,  the  head-quarters  of  the  estate  of  the 
«ame  name,  forty  miles  west  of  Bildspdr  and  eight  miles  south  of  the  Maikal 
range  of  hiUs. 


MA'CHA'  RBWA'— The  principal  affluent  of  the  Sher.  It  rises  in  the 
Seoni  district,  but  its  course  is  chiefly  through  the  Bachaf  subdivision  of  the 
Narsinghpdr  district.  Coal  is  exposed  in  the  river-bed  two  miles  above  its 
jundion  with  the  Sher. 

MACHIDA' — ^A  small  chiefship  attached  to  the  Sambalpdr  district.  It  is 
situated  some  twenty-five  miles  north-west  of  Sambalpdr,  and  consists  of  only 
five  villages,  with  an  area  of  some  five  or  six  square  miles,  and  a  population  of 
539  souls.  There  is  a  school  at  the  chief  village,  Machf  d^,  with  twenty-seven 
{mpila  The  occupant  family  is  Gond,  and  obtained  the  estate  about  a  hundred 
years  ago.  They  were  a  very  lawless  set  a  few  years  ago,  but,  in  conmion  with 
the  rest  of  the  turbulent  characters  of  this  district,  have  now  completely  settled 
down,  and  are  engaged  in  harmless  and  peaceful  pursuits. 


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254  MACH— MAHA' 

MACHNA'— *A  river,  which  rising  in  the  hills  that  shut  in  the  rich  basin 
of  Betdl,  and  uniting  its  waters  with  the  S&mpn&  at  the  civil  station  of  Betdt,. 
thence  forces  its  ifay  through  the  main  chain  of  the  S^tpuri  hills,  and  joins  the 
Taw&  at  Kotmi  below  Shdhpdr,  on  the  eastern  edge  of  the  Betdl  district. 

MADANPU'R — A  small  zamSndiri  or  chiefship  in  the  Bil^spdr  district. 
It  is  properly  a  ttiere  subdivision  of  the  Mungeli  pargana,  with  the  villages  of 
which  it  is  completely  mixed  up.  It  contains  forty-four  well-cultivated  viUagea,. 
with  an  area  of  16,446  acres,  or  about  twenty-five  .square  miles.  The  soil  is  of 
excellent  quality.  The  main  crop  is  rice,  but  a  considerable  area  is  devoted  to 
wheat,  gram,  Atid  other  winter  staples.  The  population  is  5,717,  giving  th& 
high  average  ot  224  per  square  mile.  The  chief  is  a  B£j-6ond;  and  the  grant 
dates  from  1812  only. 

MADDEH — A  village  in  the  Upper  Goddvari  district,  situated  twelva. 
miles  beyond  fihdpilpatnam,  and  forty-four  miles  from  SironcM  on  the  road  to^ 
Jagdalpdr.     The  population  amounts  to  four  hundred  souls. 

MADHPtJRI' — A  village  which  has  a  high  reputation  for  sanctity,  situated 
about  six  miles  east  of  Mandla  in  the  Mandla  district.  It  is  named  after 
Madhukar  Si  who  is  said  to  have  founded  it  in  a.d.  1000.  An  annual  &ir  is 
held  here  in  lionour  of  Mah^deva. 

MADNA'GARH — A  very  fine  reservoir  in  the  Chindfi  district,  situated 
eleven  milefl  east-north-east  of  Chimdr,  under  the  western  slopes  of  the  Perzdgarh 
range.  It  il  filled  by  means  of  a  long  line  of  embankment,  which  turns  a  hill 
stream  into  it.  At  the  end  of  the  dam  are  the  remains  of  a  hill-fort.  The 
village  is  flow  deserted,  but  the  lands  are  cultivated  by  people  of  the  neigh- 
bourhood. 

MADNI' — One  of  the  smaller  towns  of  the  Wardhi  district,  situated  ott 
the  right  bank  of  the  Dhim,  about  ten  miles  to  the  east  of  Wardh&.  The 
weekly  m&rket  held  here  on  Sundays  is  of  considerable  importance,  and  a  good 
deal  of  cotton  changes  hands  at  it.  The  place  contains  920  inhabitanta,  prin- 
cipally agriculturists.     Oil  and  country-cloth  are  made  here. 

MAOARDH A' — An  ancient  village,  about  five  miles  to  the  north  of  Balihrf 
in  the  Sleemandbid  tahsil  of  the  Jabalpdr  district.  Here  is  a  Gond  fort,  or 
rather  the  remains  of  one. 

MAflADEO  PAHA'R— A  group  of  hills  in  the  Hoshangibdd  district. 
They  are  the  finest  in  the  whole  Sdtpur^  range,  and  at  one  point  rise  to  a  height 
of  4,500  feet  above  the  sea.  It  is  in  this  cluster  that  the  very  remarkable  group 
of  rocks  known  by  geologists  under  the  name  of  tde  Mah&deo  sandstones  attains 
its  greatest  development.*  Here  the  sandstone  mass  presents  a  thickness  of 
2,000  feftt,  and  the  finest  of  all  those  striking  vertical  escarpments  which  chu^bc- 
terise  this  formation  is  seen  on  the  south  face  of  the  Mahideo  block,  where  it 
rises  from  the  flat  ground  of  the  Denw^  valley.  The  summits  of  the  Pachmarhi 
hills,  alt  seen  from  the  Narbadd  valley,  present  a  huge  grotesque  outline^  which 
bears  marked  contrast  with  the  ordinary  contour  of  the  basaltic  range.  These 
lulls  are  entirely  isolated  from  the  main  Sitpurd  range  by  scarps  and  precipitous 
ravines,  and  are  almost  encircled  by  the  Denw^  and  Sonbhadra,  which  rise 
in  the  yalley  to  the  south  of  the  range,  and  unite  on  its  north  side.  The  slop» 
x>{  the  hills  to  the  north  is  as  gentle  and  easy  as  the  cliff  to  the  south  ia  steep 

♦  Memoirs  of  the  Geolo^cal  Surrey  of  India,  vol.  ii.  p.  183. 


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MATTA^  255 

And  abrupt^  and  laden  animals^  or  even  wheeled  caxts^  may  soon  be  able  to 
ascend  by  the  road  whicli  is  now  under  construction,  and  which  runs  direct  to 
the  plateau  from  the  Bankherf  railway  station,  some  twenty-two  miles  distant 
firom  the  foot  of  the  mountain.  The  ascent  up  the  hill  jnay  be  twelve  miles 
long.  Nothing  can  be  prettier  than  the  plateau  itself,  varied  like  a  park  with 
glades  and  clumps  of  trees,  watered  by  a  stream  that  rung  winding  down  nearly 
its  whole  length,  and  curiously  sheltered  from  the  winds  and  storms  by  a  rim  of 
low  rocks  that  bound  it  wherever  it  borders  upon  the  outer  face  of  the  hills. 

It AHA'GA'ON — A  small  chiefship  or  zamfnddri  on  the  southern  boundary 
of  the  Bhanddra  district,  consisting  of  fourteen  villages,  with  an  area  of  thirty-one 
square  miles,  of  which  little  more  than  one-tenth  is  cultivated.  The  forests 
yield  a  good  deal  of  valuable  timber,  chiefly  teak  and  sdj,  and  there  is  ample 
Msturage  for  cattle,  which  assemble  here  in  the  hot  months  in  large  numbers. 
The  only  large  village  is  Mahigdon  itself,  where  the  zaminddr,  who  is  a  Bdjput, 
resides.  There  is  a  government  village  school  established  here,  and  the  remains 
of  an  ancient  fort  are  still  visible.  The  famous  hill  fortress  of  Pratdpgarh  over- 
looks the  village  of  Mahdgdon,  though  beyond  its  limits. 

MABA-'NADI',  or  "  Great  River,^^  is  one  of  the  largest  and  most  important 
rivers  in  the  Central  Provinces;  it  rises  about  twenty-five  miles  south  of 
lUfptir,  in  a  mountainous  region  which  bounds  the  Chhattfsgarh  plateau  on  the 
south  and  divides  it  from  the  Bastar  country.  This  region  is  probably  the 
wildest  of  all  the  wild  parts  of  the  Central  Provinces.  Thence  the  river  flows 
in  a  northerly  direction  past  the  towns  of  Dhamtari,  Rdjfm,  and  AVang,  and  so 
arrives  at  a  point  named  Seorinardin.  Thus  far  it  has  been  a  comparatively 
insignificant  stream,  and  it  is  rarely  used  for  purposes  of  navigation.  But  near 
here  it  is  joined  by  three  affluents — the  Seondth  or  Seo  river,  the  Jonk,  and 
the  Hasdd.  From  the  town  of  Malhdr  the  Mahdnadi,  considerably  increased  in 
volume,  and  quite  navigable  during  the  greater  part  of  the  year,  takes  an  easterly 
course  for  above  sixty  miles,  passing  by  Chandrapdr  to  a  point  near  Padmapdr. 
During  this  space  it  is  joined  by  two  feeders — the  Mdndand  theKeld — running 
downwards  to  it  from  the  north.  Though  these  are  small  streams,  yet  they 
would,  at  certain  seasons,  carry  country  boats  for  at  least  a  short  distance 
above  their  junction  with  the  Mahdnadi.  The  former  of  these  rivers  is  navi- 
gated for  a  short  distance.  Near  Padmaptir  the  Mahdnadf  changes  its  course 
to  a  southerly^directiun,  and  enters  a  series  of  rocks,  which  crop  up  all  over  its 
bed,  and  split  it  into  streamlets  for  several  miles,  thereby  rendering  it,  if  not 
mmavigable,  at  least  very  difficult  of  navigation.  Then  it  is  joined  by  the  Eb — 
a  stream  of  similar  character,  flowing  from  the  north-east,  and  partially  navigable* 
Then  again,  struggling  through  masses  of  rocks,  the  Mah&nadf  flows  past  Sam* 
balpdr.  There  its  course  is  less  obstructed,  but  it  is  occasionally  interrupted  by 
mighty  rocks — the  terror  of  boatmen — standing  up  in  mid-stream,  and  realising 
the  exact  notion  of  Scylla  and  Charybdis.  Thence  it  passes  by  Bink^  and 
Sonpdr,  at  which  latter  place  it  is  joined  by  the  Tel. 

Below  Sonpdr  the  Mahinadi,  taking  an  easterly  course,  pursues  a  tortuoua 
way,  cribbed,  confined,  and  tossed  about  between  ridges  and  ledges,  and  crags 
of  rocks  for  many  miles,  yet  still  struggling  and  rushing  onwards  with  some 
velocity,  till  passing  Bod  (the  capital  of  a  state  of  that  name)  it  reaches  a  place 
called  Dholpdr.  After  this  its  troubles  and  vicissitudes  among  the  rocks  come 
to  an  end,  and  rolling  its  unrestrained  waters  along,  it  makes  straight  for  the 
range  of  the  eastern  ghit  mountains.  There  it  pierces  the  mountains  by  a 
gorge,  about  forty  miles  in  length,  slightly  inferior  in  grandeur,  but  equal  iri 


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256  MAHA'— MAK 

beauty,  to  the  gorge  of  the  Goddvarf.  There  overlooked  by  hiUs,  and  shaded 
by  forests  on  either  side,  it  flows  deep  and  quiet,  navigable  at  all  seasons* 
Emerging  from  the  hills  it  expands  its  bed,  and  spreads  itself  over  sands,  till  it- 
reaches  Cuttack,  where  the  delta  commences  by  which  it  emerges  into  the  Bay 
of  Bengal. 

MAH  A'N  ADI' — A  stream  of  comparatively  small  importance,  which  must 
not  be  confounded  with  the  larger  river  of  the  same  name,  that  rises  in  the- 
southern  hill-ranges  of  the  Rdfpdr  district.  The  Lesser  Mahdnadf  rises  in  the- 
Mandla  district,  and  flows  into  the  Son  after  a  course  of  about  one  hundred 
miles,  during  a  portion  of  which  it  forms  the  boundary  between  Rewd  and 
Jabalpdr.  Coal  is  found  on  its  banks  near  Deorf,  where  there  is  also  a  warm 
spring.     Sdl  {sltorea  robxist-a)  grows  freely  on  both  sides  of  the  river. 

MAHA'RA'JPUTl — A  large  and  populous  village  in  the  Mandla  district, 
immediately  opposite  to  Mandla,  at  the  confluence  of  the  Narbadi  and  Banjar. 
Its  ancient  name  is  said  to  have  been  Brahmaputra,  but  in  a.d.  1737  B&j& 
Mah&rdj  S&  founded  the  present  village,  and  its  name  was  then  altered  to 
Mah&rdjpdr.  There  is  a  good  school  here.  An  annual  fair  is  held  opposite  ta 
Mah&r^'pdr,  on  the  right  bank  of  the  Banjar,  at  its  confluence  with  the  Narbad^, 
at  the  village  of  Purw^. 

MAIKAL — The  name  generally  given  to  the  range  of  lulls  running  south- 
west from  Amarkantak  for  a  distance  of  some  seventy  miles,  whence  they  are  con- 
tinued by  a  similar  range,  locally  known  as  the  Sdl^tekri  hills.  The  Maikal  hills 
form  the  eastern  scarp  or  outer  range  of  the  great  hill  system^  which  traverses 
India  almost  from  east  to  west,  south  of  the  Narbadi.  They  do  not  ordinarilv 
exceed  2,000  feet  in  height,  but  the  L&ph^  hill,  which  is  a  detached  peak 
belonging  to  this  range,  has  an  elevation  of  3,500  feet.  The  range  is  best  known 
by  the  magnificent  forests  of  sfl  (ehorea  robiLsta),  which  still  clothe  its  heights 
in  many  places.  Measures  are  now  being  taken  to  preserve  them  from  further 
damage ;  but  they  have  already  suffered  considerably  through  a  long  succession 
of  years,  perhaps  centuries,  from  the  wasteful  mode  of  cultivation  adopted  by 
the  aboriginal  tribes,  who,  instead  of  ploughing,  cut  down  and  bum  wood  on 
the  hill  sides,  and  sow  their  hardy  crops  in  the  ashes. 

MAIKAL — ^A  b£L  forest  of  some  2,000  square  miles  in  extent,  lying  along 
a  range  of  hills  of  the  some  name  in  the  Mandla  and  Biligh&t  districts.  It 
has  not  yet  been  surveyed  or  demarcated.  The  belts  of  large  trees  which  com- 
pose it  diverge  to  considerable  distances  from  the  main  range,  and  include  open 
plains  and  glades  spreading  over  a  very  considerable  extent  of  country.  This 
IS  idso  known  as  the  Topld  forest. 

MAJHGAWA'N — A  considerable  village  in  the  Jabalpdr  district,  situated 
thirty  miles  to  the  north-east  of  Jabalpdr.  There  is  a  large  tank  close  by, 
covering  125  acres,  and  called  Srdvan  Sagar  after  its  excavator.  The  village  ia 
surrounded  by  beautiful  groves  of  trees,  and  the  soil  is  fertile.  The  population 
amounts  to  2,318  souls,  and  includes  a  good  many  iron-workers. 

MAKRAT — A  small  independent  chiefship  in  the  Hardd  subdivision  of  the 
Hoshang4bid  district,  containing  ninety- two  villages,  with  an  area  of  215  square 
miles,  and  a  revenue  of  Rs.  22,000.  The  territory  was  formerly  much  larger, 
including  Kfliibhf  t  and  Chfcwi,  but  most  of  it  was  annexed  by  the  Peshw^  and 
Sindi^.  The  rdj^,  who  is  a  Gond,  in  virtue  of  his  position  as  a  feudatory  has 
civil,   criminal,   and  executive  jurisdiction  in  his  estate,  subject  only  to   the 


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MAL— MA'ND  257 

general  control  of  the  British  Grovemment.  Makrif  itself  is  an  insignificant 
village  lying  in  and  round  a  hill-fort  which  the  T&j&  inhabits ;  but  there  are 
some  rich  villages  in  the  valley  portion  of  the  estate. 

MALHA'R — A  village  situated  twenty  miles  south-east  of  Bil^spdr.  It 
is  said  to  be  very  ancient,  and  to  have  been  once  important.  It  is  now  a  fair- 
sized  village,  with  indications  of  its  former  extent  in  the  remains  of  a  long 
earthwork  with  a  surrounding  ditch,  which  probably  enclosed  the  old  city.  There 
;are  the  ruins  too  of  some  very  old  temples,  which  would  no  doubt  be  interesting 
to  the  archaeologist. 

MA'LTHON — The  principal  town  of  a  tract  of  the  same  name  in  the  Sigar 
district,  situated  about  forty  miles  north  of  Sdgar,  on  the  southern  slope  of  the 
Narat  Ghdt  or  pass.  The  ascent  is  gentle,  and  is  commanded  by  the  fort. 
About  A.D.  1 748  Prithvf  Singh  of  Garhakot^  took  possession  of  the  village  in 
the  name  of  the  Peshwi,  and  altered  its  site  to  where  it  now  stands.  He  also 
built  the  present  fort.  He  died  in  1773,  and  his  descendant  Rijd  Arjun  Singh 
in  A.D.  1811  made  over  Mdlthon  and  GarhSkoti  to  Sindid,  in  return  for  assistance 
given  to  him  by  the  latter  in  expelling  the  army  of  the  Rdjd  of  Ndgpdr  from 
Garhdkota  (see  "  Garhikotd'').  In  a.d.  1820,  shortly  after  the  cession  of  the 
Sdgar  district  by  the  Peshwd,  Mdlthon  was  made  over  by  Sindid  to  the  British 
in  exchange  for  some  other  territory.  In  July  1857,  when  the  Mutiny  com- 
menced, two  companies  of  the  31st  Native  Infantry  were  sent  from  Sdgar  to 
Mdlthon,  but  on  their  arrival  before  the  place,  as  the  Rajds  of  Shdhgarh  and 
Bhdnpdr  were  close  by  with  a  large  force,  they  went  back  to  Sdgar,  and  the 
Shdhgarh  Rdjd,  a  descendant  of  the  abovementioned  Prithvf  Singh,  took  pos- 
session of  the  town  and  fort,  and  remained  there  till  January  1858,  when  he 
decamped  on  hearing  the  news  of  the  defeat  of  the  Bhdnpdr  Rdjd  at  Barodid 
Naunagar. 

A  weekly  market  is  held  here ;  nothing,  however,  of  much  importance  is 
brought  for  sale.  The  road  from  Sdgar  to  Lalatpdr  and  Jhdnsl  runs  through 
Mdlthon,  and  there  is  a  travellers^  bungalow  close  to  the  fort.  Two  schools  have 
been  established  here — one  for  boys,  and  the  other  for  girls, — and  a  dispensary 
was  set  on  foot  in  1863,  at  which  there  is  accommodation  for  in-patients. 

MA'NDGA'ON— A  small  town  in  the  Hinganghdt  tahsfl  of  the  Wardhi 
district,  situated  about  nineteen  miles  S.W.W.  of  Wardhd,  near  the  river 
Wand,  shortly  below  its  junction  with  the  combined  streams  of  the  Dhdm  and 
Bor.  It  contains  3,195  inhabitants,  chiefly  cultivators,  weavers,  and  oil- 
pressers.  The  opening  out  of  a  high  street  and  erection  of  a  town-school- 
house  have  been  the  principal  works  carried  out  from  municipal  income.  A 
conservancy  establishment  and  a  force  of  town  police  are  also  kept  up  by  the 
municipality.  The  weekly  market  held  on  Tuesday  is  well  attended,  and  a  good 
number  of  cattle  are  brought  to  it  for  sale. 

MA'NDHAL — ^A  small  town  in  the  Ndgpdr  district,  about  fifty  miles 
south-east  of  Ndgpdr,  with  a  population  of  2,522  persons.  It  has  a  fairly  good 
school,  and  a  small  manufacture  of  plain  cotton-cloth. 

MA'NDHATA'* — An  island  in  the  Narbadd  belonging  to  the  Nimdr  district, 
remakarble  as  containing  numerous  temples,  ancient  and  modern,  including  the 
great  shrine  of  Omkdr,  a  form  of  Siva.  The  island  covers  an  area  of  about  five- 
sixths  of  a  square  mile.  Towards  the  northern  branch  of  the  river  the  slope  is  not 
very  abrupt  in  most  places,  but  its  southern  and  eastern  faces  terminate  in  bluflf 

*  This  article  is  by  Captain  J^  Fomth,  Deputy  Commissioner  of  Nimar. 
33  CPG 


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258  MA'ND 

precipices  400  or  500  feet  in  height.  It  is  cleft  in  two  by  a  deep  ravine  mnning 
nearly  north  and  south,  the  eastern  end  containing  about  one-third  of  the  whole 
area.  The  southern  bank  of  the  Narbadd  opposite  Mdndhitd  (called  Godarpur^)  is 
as  precipitous  as  Mindhiti,  and  between  them  the  river  forms  an  exceedingly  deep 
and  silent  pool,  full  of  alligators  and  large  fish,  many  of  which  are  so  tame  as 
to  take  grain  oflf  the  lower  steps  of  the  sacred  ghdts.  The  rocks  on  both  aides  of 
the  river  are  of  a  greenish  hue,  very  boldly  stratified,  and  said  to  be  homstone 
slate.  The  island  is  said  in  the  Narmadd  Khand  (professing  to  be  a  portion  of 
the  Skanda  Purina)  to  have  been  originally  called  Baiddrya  Mani  Parvat, 
which  was  changed  to  Mindhdtd  as  a  boon  granted  by  Omkir  to  the  R&jd 
MindhStri,  seventeenth  of  the  solar  race,  who  had  here  performed  a  great  sacrifice 
to  the  god.  Be  this  as  it  may,  there  is  no  doubt  that  the  worship  of  Siva  was 
established  here  at  an  early  age.  On  Mindhdti  the  shrine  of  Omkdr,  and  on 
the  southern  bank  that  of  Amareswar  (lord  of  the  immortals),  are  two  of  the  twelve 
great  Lingas  which  existed  in  India  when  Mohammad  of  Ghazni  demolished  the 
temple  of  Somndth  in  a.d.  1024.*  The  name  Omkdr  is  from  the  syllable  Om, 
which,  says  Professor  Wilsonf,  is  a  combination  of  letters  invested  by  Hindd 
mysticism  with  peculiar  sanctity,  employed  in  the  beginning  of  all  prayers. 
It  comprehends  all  the  gods,  the  Vedas,  the  three  spheres  of  the  world,  &c. 
The  Br^hmans  who  now  oflSciate  at  the  shrine  wish  to  exclude  Omkdr  from 
the  twelve  Lingas  usually  called  ^'  A'di'^  or  first,  as  something  above  and  before 
them  alj.  The  Narmadi  Khand  supports  them  in  this  assertion,  but  as  it 
contains  a  prophecy  of  the  time  when  India  shall  be  ruled  by  Mlechhas  (non- 
Hindds)  and  other  modern  allusions,  its  antiquity  is  certainly  a  good  deal  open 
to  doubt.  The  evidence  of  the  Kdsi  Khand  and  other  Sivite  writings  is  against 
them ;  and  the  pilgrims,  who  have  vowed  to  visit  the  Bdri  Jyoti  Lingas,  pay 
their  adorations  both  to  Omkdr  and  Amareswar.  Regarding  the  latter  they 
are,  however,  avowedly  left  by  the  Brdhmans  under  a  pious  mistake.  Amtires- 
war  was  altogether  lost  during  the  wars  of  the  seventeenth  and  eighteenth  cen- 
turies, the  south  banks  having  been  deserted  and  overgrown  with  jungle,  and 
when,  towards  the  close  of  the  eighteenth  century,  the  Peshwd  desired  to  rebuild 
the  temple,  neither  the  Linga  nor  its  old  temple  could  be  found.  The  temple 
was,  however,  built,  together  with  a  group  of  smaller  ones,  from  slabs  brought 
chiefly  from  the  ruined  temples  on  the  island,  and  some  time  afterwards  in 
digging  for  bricks  (many  of  which  of  an  old  shape  are  found  all  over  the 
neighbourhood),  the  old  Linga  was  found  standing  on  four  arghas^  one  above 
the  other,  showing  that  it  had  existed  through  the  four  ages  of  the  world. 
It  was  also  pronounced  to  be  the  true  one  by  the  Benares  pundits,  in  conse- 
quence of  being  situated  in  a  line  with  Omk^r  and  the  Kapila  Sangam,  where 
a  small  stream  joins  the  Narbadd.  Bdo  Daulat  Singh,  the  last  rdjd  of  Mindhdt^ 
built  a  temple  over  it;  but  its  honours  and  name  were  gone,  and  it  has  now  been 
dubbed  Viswa  Ndth,  to  distinguish  it  from  its  fraudulent  rival.  Indeed  it 
seems  very  doubtful  whether  the  present  OmkSris  the  real  old  deity  of  that  name. 
The  temple  is  evidently  of  modem  construction,  and  all  the  really  old  temples  in 
the  place  are  situated  along  the  banks  of  the  northern  branch  of  the  Narbadi,  not 
the  southern.  Tradition  also  states  that  the  chief  places  of  worship  used  to  be 
on  that  side  of  the  island,  and  probably  at  one  time  it  was  also  the  main 
channel  of  the  river,  as  indeed  it  still  is  during  floods.  It  has  now  been  dubbed 
the  Kdveri ;  and  the  fiction  is  that  a  stream  of  that  name  which  enters  the 

♦  Professor  H.  H.  Wilson's  Essays  on  the  Religion  of  the  Hindds,  vol  i.  p.  223,  Edn.  1862. 
t  Hall's  Edition  of  Wilson's  Vishnu  Parana,  vol.  i.  part  1,  chap.  I.,  p.  1,  now  I. 


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MA'ND  259 

Narbad^  about  a  mile  higher  up  from  the  south  passes  unmixed  through 
its  waters  and  again  leaves  it  at  Mdndhdtd^  in  order  to  confer  additional 
sanctity  on  the  place  by  making  a  double  sangam  or  junction  of  two  holy 
rivers.  The  Rdji  of  Mindhiti,  who  is  hereditary  custodian  of  all  the  modem 
temples,  is  a  Bhildla,  claiming  descent  from  a  Chauhdn  Rdjput  named  Bhdrat 
Singh,  who  is  stated  in  the  family  genealogy  to- have  taken  Mdndhit^ 
from  a  Bhil  chief  in  the  year  a.d.  1165.  The  genealogy  gives  twenty-eight 
generations  to  the  family  since  then,  or  twenty-five  years  to  each  generation. 
The  Bhildlas  of  this  part  of  India  are  all  descended  from  alliances  of 
Eijputs  with  Bhfls,  and  take  the  name  of  the  RAjput  clan  to  which  they 
trace  back  their  origin.  The  same  genealogy  affirms  that  at  that  time  a 
Gosdin,  named  Darydo  Ndth,  was  the  only  worshipper  of  Omkdr  on  the  island, 
which  could  not  be  visited  by  pilgrims  for  fear  of  a  terrible  god,  called  Kdl 
Bhairava,  and  his  consort.  Kill  Devi,  who  regularly  fed  on  human  flesh. 
Darydo  Ndth,  however,  by  his  austerities  shut  up  the  latter  in  a  subterranean 
cave  (the  mouth  of  which  may  still  be  seen),  appeasing  her  by  erecting  an 
image  outside  to  receive  worship,  and  arranged  with  Kdl  Bhairava  that 
for  the  future  he  should  receive  human  sacrifices  at  regular  intervals ;  and 
accordingly  thereafter  devotees  were  induced  to  precipitate  themselves  over 
the  Bfrkhald  rocks,  at  the  eastern  end  of  the  island,  on  to  the  rocks  by  the  river 
brink,  where  the  terrible  deity  resided — a  practice  which  continued  till  1 824,  in 
which  year  the  British  officer  in  charge  of  Nimar  witnessed  the  last  ofiFering  of 
the  sort  made  to  Kdl  Bhairava.  The  Chauhdn  Bhdrat  Singh  is  related  to  have 
been  invited  by  Darydo  Ndth  to  kill  Nathii  Bhil,  which  he  did ;  but  it  is  more 
likely  that  he  only  married  his  daughter,  and  thus  founded  the  present  family, 
as  Nathd's  descendants  are  still  the  hereditary  custodians  of  all  the  temples  on 
the  top  and  north  side  of  the  hill,  that  is  of  all  those  that  are  reaUy  ancient.  The 
disciples  of  Darydo  Ndth  still  enjoy  lands  on  account  of  the  worship  of  Omkdr. 
It  is  not  difficult  to  trace  in  this  fragmentary  story  the  revival  of  the  worship  of 
Siva,  which  took  place  about  the  tenth  or  eleventh  century,  and  its  gradual 
propagation  by  adventurous  missionaries,  adopting  as  it  went  the  Kdlis  and 
Bhairavas  of  the  savage  tribes,  as  mythological  consorts  and  sons  of  Siva,  just  as 
it-s  Rdjput  protectors  allied  themselves  with  the  daughters  of  the  wild  hill 
chiefs  who  worshipped  these  blood-thirsty  deities. 

The  old  temples  about  Mdndhdtd  have  all  suffered  greatly  from  the  bigotry 
of  the  Mohammadans  who  ruled  the  country  from  about  a.d.  1400.  Every 
old  dome  is  overthrown,  and  not  a  single  figure  of  a  god  or  animal  is  to  be 
found  unmutilated.  The  fanatic  Ald-ud-din  passed  through  this  country  in 
A.D.  1295  on  his  return  from  his  Deccan  raid,  and  as  he  took  A'sirgarh,  which 
is  not  far  off,  it  is  improbable  that  he  would  have  passed  over  so  tempting 
*n  idol  preserve  as  Mdndhdtd,  Doubtless  the  work  commenced  by  him 
was  continued  by  the  Ghori  princes  of  Mdlwd,  and  completed  by  that  arch- 
iconoclast  Aurangzeb,  Yet  much  remains  among  the  ruins  which  must 
be  highly  interesting  to  the  archaeologist.  Both  the  hills  are  covered  with 
remnants  of  habitations  built  in  stone  without  cement.  The  walls  of  the 
different  forts,  two  of  which  enclose  the  two  sections  of  the  island  itself,  and 
two  more  the  rocky  eminences  on  the  southern  banks,  display  some  excellent 
specimens  of  the  old  style  of  Hindd  architecture.  They  are  formed  of  very 
large  blocks  of  stone  without  cement.  The  stone  is  partly  the  basalt  of  the 
hill  itself,  and  partly  a  coarse  yellow  sandstone,  which  must  have  been  brought 
from  a  considerable  distance.  The  gateways  are  formed  with  horizontal  arches, 
and  ornamented  with  mach  fine  carving,  statues  of  gods,  &c.    The  best  are  those 


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260  MA'ND 

on  the  eastern  end  of  the  island^,  or  Mandhiti  Proper,  which  also  appears  to  be 
the  only  part  that  has  ever  received  any  repairs.  It  is  easy  to  distinguish  these 
from  the  old  works,  some  being  even  as  recent  as  the  Mohammadan  period,  as  at 
the  Bhimirjunf  gate  ( opposite  the  Birkhald  rocks ) ,  whei*e  there  is  a  distinct  pointed 
archway  laid  in  mortar.  The  oldest  Sivite  temple  in  the  place  is  probably  that  on  the 
BirkhaM  rocks,  at  the  extreme  eastern  point  of  the  island.  It  consists  of  a  sort  of 
closed  court-yard  with  a  front  verandah,  through  which  apparently  was  a  passage 
to  the  shrine,  which  has  now  completely  disappeared.  It  is  totally  diflFerent 
in  plan  from  any  of  the  other  temples,  which  consist  of  the  ordinary  shrine 
and  porch.  The  stones  are  of  great  size,  the  verandah  and  colonnades  of  the 
court-yard  being  supported  on  massive  pillars  very  plainly  carved  in  rectilineal 
figures.  On  the  Mfindhdti  hill  are  the  remains  of  what  must  have  been,  if  it 
ever  approached  completion,  a  remarkably  fine  Sivite  temple,  now  called  Sid- 
dheswar  Mahddeva.  The  dome  which  covered  the  shrine  is,  however,  completely 
gone,  and  has  been  recently  replaced  by  a  mean  flat  roof,  not  so  high  as  the  remain- 
ing pillars  of  the  porches.  In  its  fall  it  has  also  overthrown  and  covered  many 
of  the  pillars  of  the  porches,  and  much  of  the  fine  work  of  the  plinth.  It  appears 
to  have  been  a  square  shrine  of  about  twenty-six  feet  outside  measurement,  with 
projections  added  at  the  four  sides,  each  about  five  feet  in  depth.  In  each  of 
these  was  a  doorway,  and  in  front  of  each  doorway  a  porch  (Sabhi  Mandap) 
resting  on  fourteen  pillars.  These  pillars  are  fourteen  feet  high  to  the  archi- 
trave, each  porch  being  thus  a  perfect  cube.  They  are  elaborately  carved  in 
squares,  polygons,  and  circles,  and  most  of  them  have  a  curious  frieze  or  fillet  of 
Satyr-like  figures  about  half  way  up.  They  are  about  three  feet  square  at  the 
foot,  and  do  not  taper  very  much.  They  are  all  crowned  with  bracket  capitals,  on 
which  rest  the  architraves,  each  bracket  being  carved  into  a  grotesque  squat 
human  figure.  The  roofs  of  these  porches  appear  to  have  been  of  flat  slabs. 
It  is  impossible  now  to  say  what  the  adytum  or  shrine  was  like;  but  if  it 
corresponded  with  the  porches,  it  must  have  been  a  most  imposing  structure. 
The  most  remarkable  feature  of  the  building,  however,  is  the  plinth  or 
platform  on  which  it  is  built ;  this  projects  ten  or  twelve  feet  beyond  the 
porches,  in  front  of  each  of  which  it  is  broken  into  a  flight  of  ten  steps.  It  is 
raised  about  ten  feet  oflF  the  ground,  and  appears  to  have  been  faced  all  round 
with  a  frieze  of  elephants,  carved  in  almost  complete  relief  on  stone  slabs. 
The  elephants  are  between  four  and  five  feet  in  height,  and. are  executed  with 
singular  correctness  and  excellence  of  attitude.  The  material  is  yellow  sand- 
stone, and  they  are  consequently  now  a  good  deal  weather-worn.  In  some  cases 
there  are  two  on  a  single  slab  in  an  attitude  of  combat,  but  more  generally  a 
single  one,  resting  one  foot  on  a  small  prostrate  human  figure.  This  frieze 
does  not  appear  to  have  been  completed,  as  close  by,  within  an  enclosure  of 
which  two  sides  are  still  standing,  are  a  number  of  detached  slabs  with 
elephants  carved  on  them,  exactly  like  those,  on  the  plinth.  All  these, 
and  most  in  the  temple  also,  have  been  sadly  mutilated,  the  trunks,  ears,  and 
figure  of  the  rider  being  generally  broken  off.  The  Rdji  of  M4ndhit4  has 
also  removed  a  number  to  build  into  his  new  palace,  after  getting  a  mason  to 
chisel  them  down  to  a  manageable  size.  The  only  two  left  at  all  perfect  have 
now  been  rescued,  and  will  be  properly  cared  for.  There  is  no  record  of 
any  extensive  crescentades  against  idols  between  the  time  of  Ali-ud-din  and 
Aurangzeb,  nor  is  it  ^ery  likely  that  so  pretentious  a  work  as  this  would  have 
been  undertaken  so  late  as  the  time  of  Aurangzeb ;  besides  which  its  style  and 
excellence  of  architecture  seem  evidently  to  belong  to  an  earlier  age.  It  is  not 
therefore  unreasonable  to  conclude  that  it  was  just  being  finished  in  a.d.  1295 


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MA'ND  261 

when  Saltan  Ald-ud-din  interrupted  the  works,  demolishing  even  the  elephants 
that  were  still  standing  in  the  workshop.  Most  of  them  had,  however,  been  fixed 
in  their  places,  and  the  superstructure  was  probably  complete.  If  so,  the  temple 
mast  have  been  inferior,  as  a  work  of  art,  to  no  structural  Hindd  temple  of  that 
period,  of  which  illustrations  or  descriptions  have  been  given  to  the  public ; 
besides  which  it  appears  to  have  been  on  a  plan  unusual  in  any  known  school 
of  Hindd  architecture ;  at  least  Fergusson  gives  no  notice  of  four  open-pillared 
porches  in  a  Hindd  temple. 

There  is  another  old  Sivite  temple  below  the  Mindhitd  hill,  on  the  bank  of 
the  so-called  Kdveri  branch  of  the  Narbadd.  The  porch  only  of  this  too  is 
all  that  remains  of  the  old  work,  and  though  probably  older,  it  is  inferior  in 
carving- and  general  eflfect  to  the  temple  already  described.  In  neither  of  these 
buildings  is  there  a  trace  of  lime  in  the  old  part  of  the  work. 

On  the  northern  section  of  the  island  called  Muchkund  (after  Rdjd  Mdndhd- 
tri^s  son)  there  are  no  temples  now  standing  of  any  age.  That  of  Gaurf  Som- 
ndth  appears,  however,  to  be  an  old  shrine  rebuilt  with  lime.  Somndth  himself 
is  a  gigantic  linga,  now  black,  but  once,  as  the  story  goes,  white,  in  accordance 
with  his  name.  The  Mohammadan  leader,  who  destroyed  old  Mdndhdtd,  is  related 
to  have  been  told  that  this  linga  had  the  property  of  displaying  to  the  curious 
a  reflection  of  the  subject  into  which  their  souls  should  pass  at  their  next 
metempsychosis,  and,  on  inquiring  as  to  his  own  fate,  the  devout  son  of  Isldm 
was  shown  in  the  linga  a  pig,  whereon  he  cast  it  into  the  fire,  and  since  then 
it  has  assumed  its  jet  black  hue.  An  immense  Nandi  (Siva's  buU),of  a  fine  green 
stone,  lies  headless  in  front  of  the  shrine,  and  about  a  hundred  yards  in  front  of 
the  door  is  an  overthrown  pillar,  which  has  been  nineteen  and  a  half  feet  high 
with  its  capital,  and  stood  on  a  raised  platform  of  basalt  blocks.  For  the  first 
six  and  a  half  feet  it  is  two  and  a  half  feet  square — thence  polygonal,  with  occa- 
sional round  belts  to  the  capital,  which  is  square — and  furnished  with  five  holes 
in  the  top,  either  to  hold  lamps  or  the  fastenings  of  some  figure. 

On  the  north  bank  of  the  so-called  Kdveri  opposite  Mdndhdtd  is  a  series 
of  deserted  temples,  evidently  of  considerable  antiquity.  Mdndhdtd  itself 
seems  to  have  been  a  perfect  stronghold  of  Sivaism,  no  temple  having  ever 
been  erected  save  to  the  destroyer  or  his  associate  deities.  Here,  however, 
besides  one  or  two  old  structures  that  seem  to  have  been  also  consecrated  to 
Siva,  we  find  several  devoted  to  Vishnu,  and  a  whole  group  of  Jain  temples, 
the  existence  of  which  has  only  recently  been  ascertained.  Just  where  the 
Narbadd  forks  are  the  remains  of  a  large  Vi?hnuite  erection,  of  which  only 
some  gateways,  and  a  shapeless  building  formed  of  the  old  materials,  exist. 
The  former  are  in  the  same  style  of  architecture,  without  cement,  as  the  oldest 
on  the  Mdndhdtd  hill.  In  the  latter  are  twenty-four  figures  of  Vishnu  and  his 
various  avatdrs,  carved  in  good  style  in  a  close-grained  green  stone,  including  a 
large  vardha  or  Boar  avatdr,  covered  with  the  same  panoply  of  sitting  figures 
as  that  at  Khandwd.  Jain-like  sitting  figures  also  appear  in  the  other  carvings 
of  Vishnu,  illustrating  the  intimate  connection  between  the  two  religions.  The 
date  1346  appears  on  an  image  of  Siva  in  the  same  building,  but  there  are  no 
legible  dates  on  the  others.  Further  down  the  river  bank  are  some  very  old 
remains,  formed  of  huge  blocks,  and  apparently  from  the  carvings,  Sivite.  Of 
one,  a  portion  of  the  dome  is  standing,  formed  in  the  same  manner  of  blocks 
crossing  each  other  at  the  angles.  A  little  way  on  is  a  small  ravine  running 
down  from  the  hills^  called  the  Bdwana  ndld,  in  which  are  some  curious  remains* 


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262  MA'ND 

First  comes  a  prostrate  figare  carved  in  bold  relief  on  four  basalt  slabs 
laid  end  to  end.  From  bead  to  foot  it  measures  eighteen  feet  and  a  half  in 
length.  It  is  rather  rudely  executed ;  it  is  much  weather-worn,  and  the  legs 
are  gone  from  the  thighs  to  the  ancles.  It  has  ten  arms,  all  apparently 
holding  clubs  and  pendent  skulls,  but  only  one  head.  One  foot  rests  on 
a  snialler  prostrate  human  figure,  in  which  also  are  fastened  the  tiger- 
like  claws  of  a  small  figure  on  the  left.  A  scorpion  is  carved  on  the  chest 
of  the  large  figure,  and  a  rat  is  sculptured  on  the  slab  near  hia  right 
side.  The  people  call  it  Rdwan,*  the  demon  who  carried  off  Sitd,  the  wife 
of  lUma,  but  it  is  questionable  if  statues  are  ever  erected  to  him,  nor  have 
the  scorpion  and  rat,  it  is  believed,  anything  to  do  with  the  story  of  the 
Edmdyana.  The  figure  was  evidently  intended  to  be  erected  in  a  mammoth 
temple,  which  never  advanced  far  towards  completion.  The  adjoining  bed  of 
the  ravine  is  strewn  with  huge  basalt  blocks,  rough-hewn,  and  slightly  carved 
in  some  places.  They  are  from  ten  to  fifteen  feet  in  length,  and  about  two  feet 
and  a  half  square ;  a  few  intended  for  uprights  are  partially  cut  into  polygons 
and  circles.  A  number  of  blocks,  shaped  like  crosses,  are  also  to  be  seen.  They 
are  quite  rough,  five  and  six  inches  across  each  limb,  the  four  projections 
being  of  equal  size — cubes  of  one  foot  nine  inches.  They  were  evidently 
intended  to  be  cut  into  the  bracket  capitals  of  the  temple.  It  cannot  but 
occur  to  an  observer  how  closely  some  of  these  resemble  the  so-called  Christian 
cross  recently  discovered  in  the  Goddvari  valley,  and  figured  in  the  Proceedings 
of  the  Asiatic  Society  ;t  and  had  any  of  the  huge  blocks  been  erected  in  their 
places,  how  easy  it  would  have  been  to  make  out  of  them  the  remains  of  a 
Druidical  circle.  Numbers  of  the  stones  from  this  ndld  appear  to  have  been 
removed  to  build  the  modern  town  of  Mindhdtd.  The  dry  bed  of  the  Narbadi, 
near  the  fork,  is  strewn  with  them,  as  if  they  had  fallen  out  of  boats  in  the 
attempt  to  transport  them  during  floods.  It  may  be  conjectured  that  the 
figure  is  some  form  of  Bhairava  or  some  other  of  Siva^s  sanguinary  develop- 
ments. Rdwana  should  have  twenty  arms  and  ten  heads,  and  if,  to  save  labour, 
they  divided  his  arms  by  two,  at  least  they  should  have  done  the  same  by  his 
heads,  and  given  him  five  instead  of  one. 

The  most  curious  of  all  the  remains  along  this  branch  of  the  river  is  the 
group  of  Jain  temples.  They  cover  an  elevation  overlooking,  but  a  little  retired 
from,  the  river.  The  building  nearest  the  figure  just  described  appears  rather  to 
be  a  monastery  than  a  temple.  It  may  be  described  as  a  quadrangle,  measuring 
outside  53  feet  east  and  west,  by  43 ^  north  and  south.  The  western  extremity 
is,  however,  rounded  off  at  the  comers,  so  as  to  make  a  sort  of  bow-face  towards 
the  river.  In  the  centre  is  an  open  courtyard  23^  feet  by  14  feet.  The 
whole  of  the  rest,  except  in  three  places,  has  been  roofed  by  flat  stone  slabs, 
resting  on  numerous  carved  pillars,  with  bracket  capitals,  which  differ  only  in 
the  style  of  ornamentation  from  those  of  the  neighbouring  old  Hindd  temples. 

*  Regarding  this  figure  Captain  T.  Forsyth,  the  writer  of  this  article,  has  contributed  the  fol- 
lowing additional  information : — 

"  On  a  second  visit  to  Mandhfiti  and  careful  examination  of  this  figure,  I  am  satisfied  that  it 
"  represents  the  consort  of  Siva  in  her  more  terrible  form  of  MahfikUi.  It  is  certainly  a  female, 
*'  has  a  girdle  and  necklace  of  snakes,  and  is  either  eight  or  ten-handed,  it  is  not  very  clear  which. 
**  The  sword,  bell,  mace,  skull,  and  head  held  by  the  hair  in  her  hands,  point,  I  think,  clearly  to 
"  the  dread  goddess  K41i."— T.  F. 

t  Proceedings  of  the  Asiatic  Society  of  Bengal,  No.  v..  May  1868. 


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MA'ND  263 

There  are  four  main  rows  of  these  pillars  numing  round  the  building,  and  they 
stand  about  ten  feet  apart.  They  are  also  about  ten  feet  high,  and  the  building 
is  therefore  wholly  wanting  in  external  architectural  effect.  But  the  three 
spots  now  uncovered  were  evidently  at  one  time  covered  by  domes  or  spires. 
l*wo  of  these  were  of  small  diameter,  on  either  side  of  the  main  entrance,  at  the 
eastern  end  of  the  building.  Of  one  of  these  a  portion  is  still  standing,  and  it 
seems  to  have  been  of  a  ribbed  pyramidical  shape.  The  third  must  have  been 
a  large  dome,  over  an  octagonal  opening  in  the  centre  of  the  western  or  rounded 
end  of  the  building.  It  appears  to  have  been  built  of  large  flat  bricks, 
some  of  which  are  still  in  situ.  The  building  appears  to  have  been  closed  by 
walls  on  all  sides  except  that  towards  the  river.  The  eastern  wall  is  still 
complete.  The  carviug  is  mostly  in  the  form  of  circles  of  foliage,  quadrated 
lozenges,  and  variations  on  the  square,  polygonal,  and  circular  sections  of  the 
pillars.  It  is  all  done  in  the  same  yellow  sandstone  as  the  Hindd  temples, 
and  is  of  greatly  inferior  execution  to  the  Jain  remains  at  Khandwi.  The 
building  seems  to  have  been  left  almost  entirely  devoid  of  external  ornament. 
To  the  right  of  the  eastern  entrance  have  been  two  chambers  projecting  into  the 
building,  and  immediately  under  the  small  spires  already  mentioned.  That  to 
the  lett  is,  with  its  spire,  in  ruins.  In  that  to  the  right  the  writer  found 
a  greatly  mutilated  image  of  one  of  the  Tirthankars ;  but  neither  on  it,. nor  any 
where  in  the  building,  was  there  any  trace  of  an  inscription.  Immediately  to 
the  right  and  left  of  the  doorway,  on  entering,  are  two  figures  carved  on  slabs 
about  two  feet  in  height.  That  to  the  left  might  be  taken  for  Bhaw^nf,  the 
consort  of  Siva,  with  her  tiger  and  usual  accompaniments,  except  that  she  has 
a  sort  of  corona,  or  canopy  ot  radiating  foliage,  and  holds  in  one  of  her  four  hands 
a  sort  of  triple-knotted  rope,  both  of  which  emblems  are  often  seen  in  Jain 
carvings.  That  to  the  right  is  palpably  an  adaptation  of  a  Tirthankar  to  Sivite 
ideas,  and  may  be  considered  a  most  curious  exemplification  of  the  proneness 
of  the  later  Jains  to  adopt  the  Hindd  mythology  of  the  sect  that  happened 
to  be  most  in  fashion  in  their  neighbourhood.  It  is  a  pronouncedly  naked 
(Digdmbar)  figure,  with  a  single  cord  round  the  waist,  and  pendent  ends, 
which  alone  would  stamp  it  as  Jain.  It  has  also  large  circular  ear-rings  and 
plain  round  anklets.  It  is  standing  in  an  easy  attitude,  one  leg  encircled  by 
a  long  loop,  seemingly  part  of  a  snake,  which  also  passes  along  the  left  side, 
through  the  left  hand,  and  up  behind  the  head,  where  it  ends  in  three-hooded 
snake-heads,  forming  a  canopy  over  the  head.  So  far  it  might  all  be  Jain  (the 
serpent  making  it  out  as  Pdrsvandth) ;  but  beyond  this  it  has  four  hands,  one 
occupied,  as  stated,  by  the  snake,  while  two  hold  a  sword  and  buckler,  and 
the  fourth  Siva's  drum  or  hour-glass  (damam).  These  and  the  Tirthankar 
already  mentioned  seem  to  be  the  only  images  now  left  in  the  building,  though 
the  usual  Jain  figures  are  carved  all  over  the  ornamentation  of  this  and  the 
other  two  buildings  now  to  be  mentioned.  It  should  be  added  that  this  building 
is  erected  on  a  platform  of  basalt  blocks  five  or  six  feet  high. 

A  little  to  the  north  of  the  last  building  is  the  second,  a  great  part  of 
which  is  a  ruin.  This  ruin  seems  to  have  been  the  temple  proper,  and  to  have 
been  formed  of  a  pyramidical  shape  with  numerous  smaller  spires.  The  build- 
ing still  standing  is  its  anterior  porch,  closely  resembling  that  of  A'mwd  near 
Ajanthi,  figured  in  Fergusson's  Architecture,  vol.  II.  p.  626,  except  that  the 
plinth  extends  much  further  out  all  round,  forming  in  fact  a  wide  open  terrace 
about  sixty  feet  square  in  front  of  the  porch,  and  cut  down  the  centre  into  a 
long  flight  of  steps.    In  form  it  is  a  square  of  fifteen  feet  and  a  half,  worked 


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264  MA'ND 

into  an  octagon  by  large  slabs  thrown  across  tlie  comers,  on  whicb  appears  to 
have  rested  the  dome,  now  quite  gone.  From  each  side  of  the  square  project^ 
a  recess  or  alcove  about  six  feet  square.  At  each  angle  is  a  carved  pillar,  the 
intervals  being  filled  up  with  dressed  sandstone  blocks.  The  pillars  are 
richer  than  those  in  the  monastery,  and  the  ceiling  in  particular  appears  to 
have  been  exceedingly  richly  carved  in  concentric  circular  patterns  of  foliage. 
The  main  entrance  is  to  the  east,  opposite  the  steps.  The  northern  alcove  is 
closed  by  a  wall ;  and  in  it  the  writer  found  a  headless  sitting  image  of  a 
Tirthankar,  carved  in  the  same  green  stone  as  the  images  in  the  Vishnuite 
temple  already  mentioned.  It  bears  a  Sanskrit  inscription  on  the  pedestal, 
stating  it  to  be  Sambhdndth.  It  has  not  yet  been  properly  deciphered,  but 
the  date  appears  to  be  illegible.  It  is  very  correctly  carved,  but  does  not 
appear  to  be  of  any  very  great  age.  Probably  all  these  green  stone  images 
were  brought  from  a  distance  long  after  the  erection  of  the  temples  in  which 
they  stand.  The  recess  in  the  southern  face  may  have  been  either  a  doorway  or 
another  image  chamber,  and  is  now  quite  ruined.  The  doorway  from  the 
porch  into  the  ruined  shrine  is  covered  with  ornamental  carving,  chiefly  sitting 
female  figures  like  that  on  the  left  of  the  entrance  to  the  monastery,  with 
friezes  of  elephants^  heads,  and  figures  of  goats  with  human  heads.  No  doubt 
the  most  interesting  part  of  the  building  is  the  shrine,  now  buried  beneath  ihe 
ruins  of  its  dome. 

The  third  building  is  merely  a  small  temple,  nineteen  feet  square,  built  on 
the  top  of  a  pyramid  of  basalt  blocks,  about  twenty-five  feet  high,  and  with 
very  steep  sides.  The  dome  must  have  been  a  very  high  one,  judging  from  the 
quantity  of  ruins,  and  it  appears  to  have  had  no  porch  of  any  sort.  It  has  an 
image  recess  in  the  southern  face,  which  is  now,  however,  empty.  The  sitting 
figures  over  its  doorways  and  other  carvings  are  precisely  similar  to  those  in 
the  two  larger  buildings.  It  is  probable  that  these  buildings  date  from  the 
same  period  as  the  other  Jain  remains  of  Nimdr  at  Wdn,  Barwdni,  Hasdd,  and 
KJiandwd,  viz.  a.d.  1166  to  1293;  but  excepting  those  at  Wdn,  they  are  the 
only  remains  of  the  sort  at  all  in  decent  preservation.  The  hills  adjoining 
these  temples  are  like  Mdndhdtd  itself — covered  with  remains  of  habitations 
and  walls  of  stone,  and  no  where  is  there  any  trace  of  the  use  of  lime  in  the 
building.  It  seems  therefore  that  the  whole  of  the  section  of  the  Narbadi 
valley,  in  which  Mdndhdtd  stands,  was  at  one  time  the  seat  of  a  populous  com- 
munity. It  is  now  unoccupied  except  by  the  attendants  of  the  temples  and  the 
Eijd's  people.  The  great  fair  of  Omkirji  takes  place  on  the  fifteenth  of  Kdrtik 
(end  of  October  and  beginning  of  November),  and  10,000  to  15,000  people 
usually  attend,  with  numerous  shops  and  traders  from  all  parts  of  the  country. 
The  place  is  easily  accessible  from  the  Barwii  travellers^  bungalow,  from  which 
it  is  about  seven  miles  distant  by  a  good  bridle-road.  It  is  said  to  be 
increasing  in  importance.  The  southern  bank,  which  was  wholly  waste  at  the 
close  of  last  century,  is  now  the  site  of  numerous  temples  and  several 
monasteries  of  Godar  (whence  its  name  of  Godarpurd),  Nirdnjani,  Dasn&mi,  and 
other  devotees,  built  and  endowed  by  Ahilyd  Bil  and  other  Mardthd  chiefs, 
and  the  Mahdrdjd  Holkar  hsis  recently  intimated  his  intention  of  founding 
another.  •  The  Mdndhiti  Brdhmans  fully  rely  on  the  accomplishment  of  a 
prophecy  contained  in  the  Bhavishya  Pur^a  (and  copied  of  course  into  the 
local  gospel),  that  after  5,000  years  of  the  Kaliyuga  the  sanctity  of  the  Gangd 
river  will  expire,  and  the  Narbadd  will  be  left  witiout  a  rival.  There  are  now 
only  thirty-one  years  left  of  this  period,  but  it  remains  to  be  seen  whether  the 


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265 


Gangetic  Brahmans  will  not  discover  some  means  of  averting  such  a  disastrous 
extinction  of  the  profitable  "  MihitmjB,"  of  their  river. 

MA'NDHERI' — A  flourishing  village  in  the  Chdndd  district,  eleven  miles 
west-north-west  of  Warord,  at  which  a  large  weekly  market  is  held.  Govern- 
ment schools  for  boys  and  girls  have  been  opened  here,  and  a  market-place  will 
shortly  be  commenced. 


MANDLA  *— 


CONTENTS. 


Page 

General  description • . .  265 

Mandlatahsil  286 

Rimgarh  tahsU    ih. 

Prat&pf^arh  and  M ukutpur    267 

R&mlpiir ih. 

ChaowiM,  Mehdw&ni,  and  K^totia  268 

Country  north  of  the  Ntirbad^  : — 

Shihpdr t6. 

Shibpurd ib. 

Niw&ns    •• • ih, 

Want  of  roads • ib. 

Hills 269 

Mineral  prodacta    270 

Gedof  y    • • ib. 

Towns  and  trade •...•• •  •  ib. 

Climate  and  rainfall ib. 

Disease 271 

Population ih, 

Mdhto  Telfs    272 


Population --c(m/iniie<f.  Page 

K^puts    273 

Gonds • ib. 

Appearance  • • •  •  •  •  274 

Character    •...••  ib. 

Religious  ceremonies  .  • • •  275 

Small-pox  and  cholera  •  •  • .  • 276 

Marriage  • •  •  •  •  • •  ib. 

Widow  marriage ••••• •  277 

Ceremonies  after  death •••.••  278 

Baig&s • ••  ih. 

Physical  appearance  •••••.• 279 

Character    • .••••  ib. 

Dress    • • ib. 

Religious  ceremonies • . .  •  280 

Sites  and  communities    • •••  ib, 

D&hya  cultivation  •  •  • .  •  ih. 

History     281 

Administration    .....••« 285 

Conclusion    • !••.••••••  ib. 


A  district  lying  between  23°  2'  and  22°  north  latitude,  and  between  80* 

General  deacription  ^^^  ^^°  "^^  ^^^^  longitude.     It  is  bounded  on 

the  east  by  the  native  state  of  Rewi  and  a 
portion  of  the  BiMspdr  district ;  on  the  north  by  the  Sohigpdr  and  Chendyd 
tflukas  of  Rewd,  and  a  small  portion  of  the  Sleemandbid  tahsil  of  the  Jabalpdr 
district ;  on  the  w^st  by  the  districts  of  Jabalpdr  and  Sooni ;  and  on  the  south 
by  the  districts  of  Seoni,  Bffldghat,  Rdfpur,  and  Bildspdr.  The  district  presents 
such  a  variety  of  different  features  that  to  give  a  general  description  of  it  in  a 
few  words  is  not  easy.  It  might  almost  be  called  a  mountainous  tract,  com- 
prising the  valleys  of  numerous  rivera;  these  valleys  being  broken  into  irregular 
sizes  and  shapes  by  the  spurs  of  low  hills  running  down  from  the  main  ranges 
towards  the  larger  rivers.  The  singular  feature  of  these  ranges  of  hills  is  that 
many  of  them  are  quite  flat  at  the  top,  and  an  abrupt  steep  ascent  culminates 
in  a  fine  plateau  with  a  general  slope  downwards  to  the  east.  The  traveller 
fix)m  west  to  eastward  crosses  over  a  series  of  steppes,  varying  in  height  and 
extent,  until  he  reaches  the  main  range  of  the  Maikal  ghSts,  which  form  the 
border  of  the  district  to  the  south-east,  and  from  this  range  continual  spurs 
run  do^vn — some  richly  clothed  with  sdl  forest — dividing  the  country  into 
valleys.  The  extreme  length  of  the  district  from  east  to  west  is  156  miles.  Its 
width  varies  very  much.  From  the  Chilpf  Ghdt  to  ShShpdr  cannot  be  less  than 
130  miles,  while  in  the  eastern  tdlukas  of  Rdmgarh  it  is  not  more  than  thirty 
miles.    The  total  area  may  be  set  down  as  8,000  square  miles,  much  of  which 

♦  This  article  consists  almost  entirely  of  extracts  from  the  Land  Revenue  Settlement  Report 
o{  the  Mandlft  district  by  Captain  H.  C.  E.  Ward. 
34  CPG 


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266  MAND 

is  waste.  For  revenue  purposes  the  district  is  divided  into  two  portions,  the 
old  pargana  boundaries  having  been  retained,  as  thej  are  so  well  known  to  the 
people ;  but  as  the  two  parganas  of  Bdmgarh  and  Mandla  differ  much  one  from 
the  other,  and  but  little  is  known  of  the  former,  a  short  description  of  each  may 
be  of  service. 

The  Mandla  tahsfl  occupies  the  western  and  southern  portion  of  the  district, 
M    dl  tab  '1  *^^  ^^  better  populated  and  much  richer  than  the 

other.     It  comprises  portions  of  the  valleys  of  the 
Narbadi,  the  Banjar,  Burhner,  Hflon,  Phen,  Thinwar,  and  other  smaller  streams 
too  numerous  to  mention.     Most  of  these  rivers  run  at  a  great  depth  below  the 
surface  of  the  country  through  which  they  pass,  and  consequently  in  but  few 
places  are  they  utilised  for  irrigation.     They  lie  mostly  to  the  east  and  south  of 
Mandla  itself,  and  in  their  valleys  all  the  best  cultivation  of  the  tahsfl  is  com- 
prised.    To  the  westward  of  Mandla  the  country  is  very  hilly  and  difficult, 
opening  into  valleys  here  and  there,  where  the  rivers  Bdbai,  Bal^,  and  Hingn^ 
force  their  way  through  the  hills  towards  the  Narbad^  but  altogether  throwing 
many  obstacles  in  the  way  of  travellers  and  settlers,  owing  to  its  inaccessi- 
bility in  the  rains,  for  the  streams,  dry  in  the  hot-weather  months,  come  down 
with  such  violence,  that  a  few  hours'  heavy  rain  is  sufficient  to  cut  off  all  com- 
munication.    The  country  too  is  so  inhospitable  in  appearance,  and  so  wild  in 
reality,   that  it  is  not  after  all   very  surprising  that  Mandla  should  have    a 
bad  name,  for  in  the  rainy  season  the  black  soil  in  the  valleys  becomes  so  deep 
as  to  render  the  journey  from  Jabalpdr  one  of  no  ordinary  labour,  and  once  in 
Mandla  it  used  to  be  no  uncommon  thing  to  have  all  communication  with  the 
outer  world  cut  off  for  three  days  together.     Of  the  valleys  to  the  westward, 
that  of  the  Baldi  for  the  last  six  miles  of  its  course,  through  the  plain  in  which 
Nariinganj  is  situated,  is  one  of  the  best  cultivated,  but  there  is  still  plenty  of 
room  for  improvement.     The  soil  is  of  the  richest  black  cotton  quality,  and  it  is 
only  lately  that  it  has  been  brought  into  proper  order.     Some  of  the  valleys 
of  the  Hingnd  and  Graur  rivers  nearer  Jabalpdr  are  capable  of  anything  almost 
in  the  way  of  cultivation,  but  are  dreadfully  neglected  at  present.     The  Haweli 
lands  south  of  the  Narbadi,  near  Mandla,  are  the  richest  and  best  cultivated  in 
the  whole  district,   and  in  them  the  best  villages  of  the  Mandla  district  are 
situated.     They  are  formed  by  irregular  spurs  of  low  hills,  running  northwards 
from   the  Bhainsd  Ghdt  towards  the   Narbadd,  and  are  watered  by  the  rivers 
mentioned  above,  between  two  of  which  the  Banjar,  an  affluent  of  the  Narbada, 
and  the  Thinwar,  an  affluent  of  the  Waingangi,  a  range  of  low  hills  runs,  on  the 
top  of  which  is  an  extensive  plateau,  where  some  of  the  best  Gond  villages  are 
situated,  scattered  about  with  no  regularity,  and  divided  by  strips  of  jungle. 
As  must  be  expected  with  such  irregular  features,  the  variety  of  soils  is  gre»t. 
In  the  low  lands  there  is  abundance  of  rich  black  cotton  soil,  patches  of  which 
are  found  surrounded,  as  the  lands  rise  towards  the  hills,  with  red  gravelly  soil, 
usually  covered  with  masses  of  stones  and  flint,  and  fit  for  nothing  but  the  com- 
monest kinds  of  crops.     In  some  valleys  less  favoured  than  others,  instead  of  the 
rich  black  soil  a  light  friable  sandy  soil  takes  its  place,  here  called  '^  sehar/' 
In  fact  it  is  difficidt  to  find  two  of  these  valleys  aUke,  and  in  some  places  the 
difference  is  very  striking.     The  general  elevation  of  the  tahsfl  varies  from  1,600 
to  2,500  feet. 

The  Eimgarh  tahsil  is  very  poor,  thinly  populated,  and  but  little  known. 

Riminirh  uhsil  Even   the  people  of  Mandla  itself  look  upon  it  as 

the  Ultima  Thule  of  civilisation,  and  it  is   most 


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MAND  267 

difficalt  to  induce  any  official  to  remain  there.  That  such  should  be  the  case 
18  much  to  be  regretted^  for  it  has  sufficient  natural  advantages  to  counter- 
balance even  its  inaccessibility^  were  it  once  known  :  and  in  reality  it  is  not  by 
any  means  inaccessible.  Between  Mandla  and  Rdmgarh  there  are  only  tw6 
ranges  of  hills  to  cross,  and  over  one  of  these  a  road  passable  for 
carts  has  been  made,  while  over  the  other  there  is  a  very  fair  path  which 
has  been  lately  widened ;  but  the  fact  is  that  the  difficulties  of  the  road 
between  Jabalpdr  and  Mandla  are  quite  considerable  enough  to  deter  would-be 
travellers,  for  they  not  unnaturally  expect  to  find  the  whole  district  the  same,  and 
to  visitors  from  the  north  via  SMhpurd  the  aspect  of  the  country  is  certainly 
not  enticing.  The  different  subdivisions  of  this  tahsil  comprise,  if  possible, 
more  variety  of  feature  than  any  part  of  the  Mandla  tahsfl ;  but  the  description 
above  of  the  different  soils  in  the  valleys  will  hold  good  for  the  greater  part  of 
Pntimnrh     d  M  k  tod  Eimgarh  also.     The  two  tdlukas  to  the  eastwards 

t^>gar   an      u    ipur,  — Pratdpgarh    and    Mukutpdr — deserve     special 

mention.  The  former  of  the  two  may  be  said  to  be  a  magnificent  pasture, 
watered  by  several  rivers  running  near  the  surface,  offering  every  facility 
for  irrigation,  and  covered  all  through  the  hot-weather  months  with  abund- 
ance of  short  but  thick  green  grass.  To  the  south  the  Maikal  ghits  form  the 
boundary,  and  in  these  the  rivers  Kermandalf,  Tdr,  Turdr,  SeonC  Sontirth,  and 
Chakrdr  take  their  rise,  flowing  due  north  to  the  Narbad^  which  here  forms  the 
northern  boundary.  The  valleys  of  these  rivers  are  separated  by  low  spurs  of  hills , 
running  down  from  the  main  range  towards  the  Narbadi,  and  mostly  covered 
with  sfl  forests.  The  rivers  do  not  ever,  even  in  the  hottest  months,  become 
quite  dry,  and  throughout  these  parts  water  is  at  all  times  procurable  near  the 
surface  with  but  little  trouble ;  natural  springs  are  indeed  so  numerous  that 
there  is  not  one  single  well  in  the  whole  place. 

The  formation  of  the  hills  all  along  the  south  is  basalt,  capped  with  laterite,  so 
that  iron  is  abundant.  Mukutpdr  is  more  hilly  than  the  abovementioned,  but 
has  much  the  same  characteristics,  the  valleys  of  its  several  rivers — the  Burhner, 
Kharmiar,  Kachn&ri,  Kemar,  H^mti,  and  Kukri — being  rich  in  magnificent 
pastures,  with  a  great  extent  of  black  soil,  capable  of  producing  any  crop. 
Wheat  and  gram  wherever  sown  grow  luxuriantly.  These,  with  the  usual  kodo 
and  kutk(,  are  the  staple  products  of  the  country.  These  two  tflukas  com- 
prise an  area  of  1,066  square  miles,  with  a  population  of  about  thirty-nine  to 
the  square  mile,  so  that  large  tracts  are  completely  waste.  The  climate  is  very 
variable,  the  elevalaon  at  Chaurddidar,  the  highest  plateau,  being  the  same  as  at 
Amarkantak — 3,400  feet ;  while  Kdrinjid,  in  the  plain  below,  is  2,696  feet  above 
the  sea,  and  Bdmgarh,  sixty  miles  to  the  westward,  2,000  feet  above  the  sea. 
The  action  of  the  hot  winds  is  comparatively  little  felt  in  these  parts ;  the  grass 
is  never  parched  up  even  late  in  May;  the  nights  are  always  cool,  except  just 
at  the  break  of  the  monsoon  in  June  ;  and  when  the  hot  wind  does  blow,  it  is 
hardly  felt  till  noon,  and  disappears  at  sunset.  The  scenery  is  picturesque 
in  the  extreme  near  the  heads  of  the  valleys  of  these  rivers,  the  hills  being 
covered  with  sdl  forest  or  their  remains.  There  is  no  jungle  in  the  lowlands, 
but  the  valleys  present  the  appearance  of  rolling  prairies,  broken  here  and 
there  with  belts  of  forest  trees,  or  perhaps  a  patch  of  cultivation  intersected  by 
the  river,  with  a  fringe  of  green  trees  on  its  banks. 

Lying  between  the  tdlukas  of  Mukutpdr  and  the  Narbadd   is  the  small, 

jw    ,  ,  but    comparatively     rich    tdluka    of    Bdmfpdr, 

'^^^'  comprising   some   of   the  best    villages  in     the 


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268  MAND 

tahsfl.  Of  essentially  volcanic  formation,  the  appearance  of  the  country  when 
the  wheat  crops  have  been  cut,  and  the  grass  in  the  plains  burnt,  is  bleak  and 
dismal,  for  even  the  sdl  tree,  which  grows  on  the  hills  bordering  the  tdluka, 
and  on  the  spurs  dividing  the  rivers  Michrdr  and  Kutrdr,  is  of  a  dwarfed  and 
stunted  description.  The  rich  lands  in  this  tdluka  are  strangely  intersected 
and  cut  up  by  spurs  of  low  hills,  covered  with  a  variety  of  siliceous  fragments, 
and  quite  unfit  for  any  cultivation  other  than  that  of  kodo. 

The  three  poorest  tdlukas,  with  fewer  natural  resources  than  the  rest, 

are  those  of  Chauwisi,  Mehdwdni,  and  K^totil 
Chauwisfi,  Mehdwdni,  and  K6-     rpi^gy.  ^^^   j^y^  ^^^  ^^  ^j^j^  ^^^p  ravines,  and 

®    •  covered  throughout  with  trap  boulders  and  frag- 

ments of  igneous  rocks;  their  geological  character  is  volcanic,  with  laterite  resting 
upon  trap  in  some  of  the  valleys.  The  soil  would  be  rich  were  it  not  for  the 
enormous  quantities  of  stones  which  crop  up  in  every  direction.  They  are  so 
surrounded  by  hills  and  jungles  that  access  to  them  is  at  all  times  difficult,  and 
their  population  is  perhaps  even  more  scanty  than  that  of  other  parts  of  the  tahsil. 

North  of  the  Narbadd  the  tiluka  of  Shihpdr  and  Kdrhe  Sondi,  buried  as 

it  is  in  the  heart  of  the  wilds,  is  the  most  backward 
-.SmW  "^''^  ^^  *^^  Narbadk     ^^f  ^U  .  it  is  rugged,  cut  up  with  deep  ravines  and 
^  ^'  rivers,  and  intersected  with  high  ranges  of  hills, 

some  very  wild  and  inaccessible.  People  appear  to  have  a  superstitious  dread  of 
many  parts  of  it,  and  caves  are  pointed  out  as  the  homes  of  evil  spirits,  into 
which  no  human  being  can  venture  in  safety.  There  are  many  Gond  villages  in 
the  heart  of  these  jungles ,  which  had  never  been  visited  by  any  travellers,  and 
which  were  quite  unknown,  except  to  their  own  inhabitants,  until  they  were 
inspected  by  Captain  Ward  in  the  course  of  the  land  revenue  settlement  just 
completed  (1869). 

Shihpuri  and  Nlwdns  are  both  much  more  advanced,  with  some  extent  of 
Sh&h    r6  really  good  cultivation.     Contact  with  the  people 

^  of  the   Jabalpdr  district  has   made  the  inhabi- 

tants more  civilised,  if  such  an  expression  can  be  used  of  a  wild  Gond,  and 
better  able  to  hold  their  own  in  transactions  with  traders  than  their  brethren 
further  east.  One  peculiarity  of  Shdhpuri  is  that  the  river  Silghi,  which  runs 
through  its  south-eastern  portion,  has  a  fall  to  the  eastward,  being  an  aflBuent 
of  the  Narbadi,  while  in  the  north-west  the  Sonkal  and  Kupdbd  fall  to  the 
west,  being  affluents  of  the  Mahdnadf,  a  tributary  of  the  Son,  so  that  the  high 
land  dividing  these  streams  becomes  a  watershed  between  Eastern  and  Western 
India. 

Niwins  is  much  in  the  same  style ;  but  even  in  its  best  lands  the  trap  rock 
j^j^j^^  is  very  near   the   surface,   and  consequently  its 

covering  of  black  soil  is  not  rich,  and  is  incapable 
of  bearing  any  crops  for  long  continuously.  The  range  of  hills  spoken 
of  in  the  previous  paragraph  divides  its  lands,  and  causes  its  rivers  to  flow 
both  to  the  east  and  west,  the  Silghi  and  Gaur  falling  into  the  NarbadS, 
while  the  Mahinadi,  which  rises  not  many  miles  from  the  Graur,  but  on  the 
northern  ridge  of  the  same  high  land,  flows  to  the  north-east  until  it  joins 
the  Son. 

The  chief  reason  for  the  backward  state  of  the  district  is  the  total  absence 

Want  of  roads  ^^  roads.     On  coming  into  the  district  from  the 

westwards  the  wildness  of  the  country  and  its 


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MAND  269 

jangle  aspect  is  striking :  the  hills  are  bine,  wild,  covered  with  dense  scrub 
jangle,  and  apparently  deserted ;  through  these  are  nothing  but  narrow  foot- 
paths, touched  on  either  side  by  jungle  and  long  grass ;  and  stories  of  deaths 
from  starvation,  tigers,  or  thirst  are  numerous.  From  hunger  and  thirst  in  the 
hot  weather  there  is  really  some  danger,  but  the  accounts  of  tigers  are  absurdly 
exaggerated,  for  when  the  immense  extent  of  the  country  is  taken  into  consi- 
deration, the  number  of  deaths  from  tigers  is  very  small.  Still  there  is  sufficient 
truth  in  the  stories  to  deter  timid  travellers  from  undertaking  trips  into  the 
interior  of  Mandla.  The  local  authorities  have  never  had  any  money  to  spend 
in  opening  out  communications.  The  road  fund  amounts  to  only  about  Es.  1,000 
per  annum,  and  the  bulk  of  that  is  usually  expended  in  keeping  open  the 
communication  with  Jabalpdr.  It  is  now  under  contemplation  to  make  the 
section  of  the  road  between  Jabalpdr  and  Bdfpdr,  and  untU  this  is  done  much 
cannot  be  expected  from  Mandla.  Once  this  road  is  opened,  and  trade  from 
the  south  begins  to  flow  through  the  district,  as  it  gives  every  promise  of  doing, 
the  prosperity  of  the  country  must  increase.  Already  even  the  opening  of  the 
Railway  to  Jabalpdr  has  given  an  impetus  to  Mandla  trade,  and  been  marked 
by  a  greater  influx  of  carts  and  traders  than  has  ever  before  been  known. 

A  description  of  the  district  would  be  incomplete  without  some  account  of 

the  hills.     Of  these  Chaurididar  in  the  Maikal 
'*  range   is  the  highest  and  most  important.     Its 

height  is  nearly  that  of  Amarkantak,  which  is  given  by  Major  Wroughton 
as  3,328  feet  at  the  temples,  where  the  source  of  the  Narbadd  is  said  to  be,  and 
the  hill  above  these  must  be  from  80  to  100  feet  higher,  so  that  the  height  of 
Chaurididar  may  be  computed  to  be  between  3,200  and  3,400  feet  above  the 
level  of  the  sea.  The  plateau  comprises  about  six  square  miles,  overlooking, 
to  the  south,  the  tdluka  of  Lamnf,  now  a  portion  of  the  Bilispdr  district,  and  to 
the  north  the  tdluka  of  Pratipgarh.  In  the  winter  months  the  cold  here  at  nights 
is  intense,  and  in  January  and  December  the  thermom.eter  (Fahrenheit)  not 
unfrequently  registers  six  and  seven  degrees  of  frost.  So  late  as  April  the  heat 
is  not  oppressive  even  in  the  hottest  hours  of  the  day.  Water  is  abundant  near 
the  surface,  more  than  one  stream  taking  its  rise  in  the  plateau,  and  were  it  not 
for  its  inaccessibility,  it  would  be  well  suited  for  a  sanitarium,  for  it  is  cleared  of 
jungle,  and  consequently  feels  the  effects  of  all  the  cool  breezes  from  whatever 
quarter  they  may  come.  It  is  not  nearly  so  pretty  as  the  Amarkantak  plateau, 
which  is  about  twelve  miles  to  the  east  of  it,  but  the  latter  is  in  the  Bewdi 
country,  while  Chaurddidar  forms  part  of  the  Mandla  district. 

In  Shdhptir,  north  of  the  Narbadi,  and  overlooking  the  Johili  Nadf — an 
affluent  of  the  Son — there  are  some  high  and  very  wild  hills,  covered  with  sdl 
forests  or  their  remains,  and  with  precipitous  descents  into  the  valley  of  the 
Johild,  which  here  flows  at  an  immense  depth  through  rugged  hills,  occasionally 
opening  out  into  small  basins.  This  section  of  the  Maikal  ghits  in  ShdhptSr 
is  also  a  part  of  the  watershed  of  Eastern  and  Western  India,  for  the  Johili 
flows  east,  and  the  water  from  the  top  of  the  hill  overhanging  it  flows  into  the 
Narbadi,  and  is  carried  west  to  the  &ulf  of  Cambay.  The  hills  here  are  wild 
in  the  extreme,  very  rugged  and  inaccessible,  with  but  a  small  Gond  and  Baig^ 
population.  Out  of  the  numerous  small  affluents  of  the  Johili,  which  flow  down 
the  northern  sides  of  these  hills,  the  Ganjar  and  Ganjarf  are  the  only  rivers 
worthy  of  mention,  and  they,  not  for  their  size,  but  for  their  peculiar  falls  from 
the  highlands  into  the  valley  below,  into  which  they  descend  by  a  succession 
of  jumps,  as  it  were,  from  one  plateau  on  to  another.    The  highest  fall  is  about 


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270  MAND 

sixty  feet^  and  behind  this  are  some  vast  caves  of  unkown  extent,  whicli  sr? 
carefully  avoided  by  the  people,  as  being  the  homes  not  only  of  wild  beasts,  but 
of  evil  spirits,  who  are  said  to  have  resided  there  ever  since  the  time  of  the 
Pdndavas.  AH  these  hills  are  considered  to  be  especially  under  the  protection 
of  Mah&deva. 

The  formation  of  almost  all  the  hills  in  the  Maikal  range  is  laterite. 
^.       .       ,  Iron-ore    is  therefore  abundant,  and  the  mine* 

^  '  near  Bdmgarh  are  said  to  produce  the  most  valu- 

able metal ;  but  in  Mowai,  also  of  the  RdTgarh  Bichhid  tract,  there  are  many  good 
mines,  which  supply  most  of  the  neighbourhood  with  axe-heads,  plough- 
shares, &c.  Coal  has  not  been  discovered  in  any  part  of  the  district,  though 
Dr.  Spilsberry*  notes  that  it  has  been  found  in  the  Johild  river  near  Pdli  of 
Sohdgpdr.  The  course  of  that  river,  however,  lies  for  but  a  short  distance  within 
the  Mandla  district.     No  other  minerals  have  been  discovered. 

The  geology  of  the  Mandla  district  presents  but  little  variety ;  excepting 
^    /  at  its  southern  and  eastern  confines  nearly  the 

^'  whole  of  its  area  is  covered  by  overflowing  trap. 

To  the  south,  the  formation  of  the  tract  of  country,  on  either  side  of  the  Banjar, 
to  within  a  short  distance  of  its  junction  with  the  Narbadd,  consists  of  crystalline 
rocks,  but  they  are  not  superficial  over  any  wide  extent.  Eastward  of  the 
Banjar  valley,  though  granite,  syenite,  and  limestone  frequently  appear  on  the 
banks  of  the  streams  and  form  the  sides  of  hills,  yet  almost  everywhere,  even 
to  the  tops  of  the  highest  peaks,  trap  is  the  uppermost  rock,  and  sometimes  the 
trap  is  itself  covered  by  laterite.  A  bed  of  this  formation  occupies  a  considerable 
area  north  of  the  Chilpi  Ghdt  and  Rijddhdr,  interposed,  as  it  were,  between  the 
crystalline  and  trappean  rocks. 

Mandla  has  few  villages  which  are  worthy  of  the  name  of  town.     Mandla, 
„  d  t   d  Bahmani,  and  Shdhpurd,  whose  population  is  re- 

spectively 4,336,  2,179,  and  1,497,  maybe  said  to 
be,  the  two  first,  the  only  towns  in  the  Mandla  tahsfl,  and  the  last,,  in  the  Rdmgarh 
tahsfl.  In  many  villages  bdzdrs  are  held,  but  none  of  these  can  be  said  to  have 
any  real  trade,  either  export  or  import.  There  is  a  considerable  traffic  in  grain 
throughout  the  district,  but  in  Bdmgarh  it  is  almost  entirely  dependent  on  the 
foreign  traders,  who  travel  through  the  district  with  large  herds  of  cattle,  and  as 
the  people  are,  to  a  great  extent,  dependent  on  them  for  a  market,  they  can  as 
a  rule  pretty  well  command  their  own  rates — a  state  of  things  which  would  be 
quite  impossible  were  the  country  more  open  and  accessible.  In  Mandla  itself 
there  are  a  few  indigenous  grain-dealers,  as  also  in  the  Bdmfpdr  tdluka  of  Bdm- 
garh,  and  in  Shdhpurd,  on  tiie  borders  of  the  Jabalpdr  district,  where  the  people 
just  come  within  the  range  of  the  high  prices  prevailing  now  throughout  the 
surrounding  country.  In  B&j&g,  until  lately,  there  used  to  be  considerable 
traffic  in  country  cloths  brought  for  barter  in  exchange  for  forest  products 
with  the  wild  tribes  who  inhabit  the  Maikal  ghdts. 

The  climate  is  throughout  the  district  very  variable.     There  is   none  of 

^,.     ^      J     .  -  „  the  intense  heat  of  Upper  India,  and  the  nights  as 

a  rule  are  cool.    In  Mandla  itself  it  is  perhaps 

hotter  than  in  other  parts  of  the  district  which  are  more  open,  for  surrounded 

as  it  is  by  hills,  the  hot  wind  blows  only  in  fitful  gusts,  which  prevent  the 

khaskhas  tattfs  working  with  any  continued  good  efiect.     Away  to  the  east  of 

♦  Journal  of  the  Asiatic  Society  of  Bengal,  vol.  ix.  part  2,  p.  901,  July  to  December,  1840. 


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MAND  271 

lUmgarh  tte  tot  winds  only  last  a  few  hours,  beginning  between  eleven  and 
twelve  o'clock  and  ceasing  at  sunset,  seldom  blowing  with  any  great  force,  and 
not  overpoweringly  hot.  The  hottest  time  in  the  year  is  at  the  break  of  the 
monsoon  in  June,  just  before  the  rains  commence,  and  in  September,  when  they 
cease.  The  cold  weather  commences  in  October  or  November  and  lasts  till  the 
end  of  February ;  but  even  in  March  the  heat  is  nothing  to  speak  of,  the  ther- 
mometer generally  ranging  between  60  and  85  degrees. 

During  the  monsoon  the  rainfall  is  heavy,  the  average  measurements  being 
from  fifty-six  to  sixty  inches  during  the  season.  Rain  seldom  falls  for  more 
than  three  days  without  a  break,  and  while  the  rains  last  the  climate  is  generally 
pleasant  and  variable.  Pankhds  are  not  absolutely  necessary  at  nights,  as  fre- 
quently the  wind  off  the  river  Narbadi  comes  up  very  cold ;  it  is,  however,  con- 
sidered dangerous  to  sleep  exposed  to  its  ill  efiects.  Storms  are  frequent,  even 
during  the  hot  weather.  Hail  is  much  dreaded  all  over  the  district,  as  the  stones 
are  sometimes  of  such  size,  and  the  storm  so  violent,  that  whole  fields  are  swept  of 
their  crops  as  clean  as  if  they  had  been  cut,  carried,  and  carefully  gleaned.  The 
hailstones  in  the  month  of  March  are  sometimes  as  large  as  pigeons'  eggs ;  and 
heaps  of  these  stones,  when  collected  in  a  shady  place,  often  remain  unmelted 
the  whole  of  the  following  day. 

Mandla  has,  throughout  its  length  and  breadth,  a  very  bad  name  for  fever, 

and  not  without  cause,  as  the  local  type  is  a  virulent 
®'  one,  more  typhoid  than  the  ordinary  kind  of  fever 

and  ague.  It  is  very  fatal  in  its  effects  if  not  properly  treated,  and  does  not 
succumb  easily  to  quinine ;  strangers  are  peculiarly  subject  to  it ;  and  the  people 
have  a  theory  that,  once  cured  of  a  really  bad  attack,  you  are  free  for  seven 
years.  Cholera  visits  the  country  occasionally,  apparently  about  once  in  every 
four  or  five  years.  Small-pox  is  very  virulent  and  fatal ;  the  district  can  hardly 
ever  be  said  to  be  thoroughly  free  from  it,  and  vaccination  having  made  but 
little  progress,  the  people  sufier  greatly. 

No  census  of  the  whole  district  appears  to  have  been  taken  prior  to  that 
p      ,   .  of  November  1866,  nor  are  there  any  old  settle- 

opa  a  ion.  ment  records.     No  comparison  therefore  can  be 

made  in  the  Mandla  tahsil  between  the  present  and  former  rate  of  the  popula- 
tion. Throughout  Rdmgarh  Captain  Wroughton  completed  his  revenue  survey 
in  1842,  and  in  his  report  the  population  statistics  of  each  tdluka  are  given. 
From  these  it  appears  that  twenty-six  years  ago  the  whole  population  amounted 
to  41,766  souls.  At  the  time  of  the  last  census  in  1866  there  were  71,621 
inhabitants  throughout  the  tahsfl — an  increase  of  some  seventy-five  per  cent. 

The  population  for  the  whole  district  is  given  by  the  census  of  1866  as 
amounting  to  187,699  souls,  and  of  these  127,958  are  returned  as  ag^riculturists. 
The  average  per  square  mile  is  only  seventy-six,  and  this  alone  would  seem  to 
be  sufficient  to  account  for  the  very  backward  state  of  the  district.  There  is 
some  hope  that  since  this  census  was  taken  the  population  has  increased  some- 
what by  foreign  immigration,  especially  during  the  current  year  1869,  for  the 
harvests  of  the  two  past  seasons  have  been  above  the  average,  and  consequently, 
in  spite  of  the  high  prices  ruling  for  food-grwis,  the  agricidtural  classes  have 
been  prosperous.  This  has  proved  a  temptation  to  outsiders,  and  a  considerable 
number  of  people  both  from  Rewd,  parts  of  Sihord  of  the  Jabalpdr  district,  and 
even  from  the  native  states  of  Bundelkhand,  have  taken  up  land  in  Mandla 
lately.  The  following  extract  from  the  Census  Return  of  1866  classifies  the 
population  :— 


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llAKD 


No.  of  houses 42,506 

■.jr.       f  Adults 5M^8     p,       ,       /Adults 55,703 

Males.  I  Under  14  years...  41,203     ^^^^^^^'  \ Under  14  years...  36,335 

Principal  Castes, 


Brdtmans 6,242 

Rdjputs 882 

Kurmis 4,341 

KicUiis 2,452 

Mehrfis 6,456 

Pankfe 8,085 

Bfeors    2,470 

Ahirs 7,829 

LoMrs   2,847 

K^yaths,  &c.j  ' 


Telfs 5,524 

Lodhfs 3,546 

Mardrs     2,525 

Otter  castes   28,121 

Dhfmars 6,934 

Mohammadans  1,403 

Gonds 87,652 

Baigds 10,388 

Kols 3,550 


Total...  187,699 


The  original  inhabitants  of  this  district  are  undoubtedly  the  Gonds  and 
Baigis,  who  at  the  present  time  form  the  larger  share  of  the  population.  Next 
to  these  the  oldest  residents  may  be  considered  the  Brahman  families,  some  of 
whom  aflTect  to  trace  back  their  arrival  in  Mandla  to  the  time  of  J^dhava  lUya 
in  Samvat  415  (a.d.  358),  though  it  is  much  more  probable  that  they  settled 
here  in  the  reigns  of  Hirde  Sdh  and  Narendra  Sdh,  from  Samvat  1663  to  1788 
(a.d.  1606  to  1731).  The  former  of  these  two  kings  introduced  a  number  of 
foreigners  into  the  country,  especially  a  large  colony  of  Lodhls,  who  settled  in 
the  valleys  of  the  Banjar,  Moti^ri,  and  Narbad^,  gave  the  name  of  Hirdenagar 
to  the  tdluka  thus  brought  into  cultivation,  and  did  much,  by  digging  tanks 
and  otherwise,  to  colonise  the  best  parts  of  the  district.  With  these  exceptions, 
and  that  of  the  Mdhto  TeM  immigration  into  R^mgarh  at  a  much  later  period, 
there  is  no  other  trace  of  the  population  of  the  district  having  been  recruited 
from  foreign  resources.  These  Mfflitos  are  without  exception  the  best  culti- 
M^hto  T  r  vating  class  in  the  Rimgarh  tahsfl.     They  have 

almost  taken  possession  of  the  rich  tiluka  of 
Rimfpdr,  and  brought  it  into  really  fair  order.  They  are  a  thriving,  pushing 
race,  a  little  inclined  to  be  turbulent,  but  devoted  to  agriculture.  The  first 
pioneers  of  this  class  are  said  to  have  been  brought  into  R4mgarh  some  eighty 
or  ninety  years  ago,  but  these  were  only  a  stray  family  or  two.  The  bulk 
of  the  M^hto  emigrants  who  have  settled  in  Rdmfpdr  must  have  come  in 
since  1842,  for  Captain  Wroughton  then  reports  that  the  population  there  was 
comprised  solely  of  Gonds  and  Baig^s,  and  that  the  cultivation  then  amounted 
to  18,500  acres,  most  of  it  of  the  poorest  kind,  whereas  now  (1869)  there  are 
28,785  acres  cultivated. 

These  people  are  Hindds,  originally  of  the  Tell  caste,  and  formerly 
resident  at  Maihfr.  Their  tradition  is  that  between  two  hundred  and  three 
hundred  years  ago  a  Rdthor  Teli  of  that  place  became  disgusted  with  his 
hereditary  avocation  of  oil-pressing,  and  determined  to  do  what  he  could  to  raise 
himself  and  his  people  to  a  better  position.  As  he  was  a  wealthy  and  influential 
man,  he  succeeded  in  collecting  around  him  a  considerable  number  of  followers, 
who  accepted  him  as  their  leader,  gave  up  oil-pressing  as  a  profession,  and  took 
to  cultivation.  The  other  tribes  disliked  his  procee^ngs.  He  was  sufficientlv 
powerfid  to  hold  his  own  against  them,  and  eventually  the  then  Riji  of  Maihir 


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was  persuaded  to  take  the  new  Beet  under  his  protection,  raise  them  above  the 
rank  of  the  common  Telfs,  and  allow  them  to  take  the  name  of  a  Sanskrit  word 
signifying  great,  which  has  been  corrupted  by  course  of  time  into  ^'  Mdhto/' 

The  Rijputs  are  but  few ;  they  are  supposed  to  be  descendants  of  tlie 

hangers-on  of  the  old  kings  of  Mandla,  and  appear 
^^^  *•  to  be  mostly  of  impure  blood.     Among  them  are 

a  number  of  Rij-Gonds,  who  ape  the  manners  and  customs  of  the  Hindds,  and 
are  often  more  attentive  to  their  religious  observances  than  the  Hindds.  These 
always  wear  the  Janed  or  Brdhmanical  thread,  while  the  original  Eijputs  of 
purer  descent  are  frequently  seen  without  it.  With  the  exception  of  the  Gonds 
and  Baigds,  none  of  the  other  tribes  appear  to  call  for  separate  mention. 

In  Mandla  the  Gond  race  is  divided  into  two  classes,  which  again  are  sub- 
Q     ,  divided  into  forty-two   different  castes  or  gots. 

The  two  classes  are  the  RSj -Gonds  and  the  Rawan 
Bansfs.  The  former  is  the  highest  of  the  two,  and  shows  the  advantage  of  even 
the  spurious  civilisation  with  which  it  has  been  brought  In  contact.  They  outdo 
the  highest  caste  Hindds  in  the  matter  of  purifying  themselves,  and  ape  them  in 
all  their  religious  ceremonies.  They  wear  the  Janed  or  Brihmanical  thread, 
and  consider  themselves  deeply  insulted  if  compared  in  status  with  a  Gond. 
Mr.  Hislop  ♦  says  that  they  carry  their  passion  for  purification  so  far  that  they 
have  the  faggots  with  which  their  food  is  cooked  sprinkled  with  water  before 
tise.  They  may  be  said  to  have  benefited  by  their  connection  with  the  Hindds 
so  far  that  they  have  certainly  given  up  many  of  the  filthy  habits  of  their  own 
tribe,  and  if  they  are  a  little  over-scrupulous  in  aping  the  Hindd  religion,  they 
are  very  much  the  cleaner  for  it.  The  Riwan  Bansi  tribe  is  split  up  into  the 
following  castes  or  gots : — 


Marobl. 

Kumbard. 

Markdm. 

Danketf. 

Warkard. 

A'rmon. 

Sri  A'm. 

Kordpd. 

Tekam, 

Simd. 

Dhorda. 

A'mdan, 

Karyain. 

Temerfa, 

Warwitf. 

Darzdm. 

Partilf. 

Kinddm. 

Sarjdn. 

Korchd. 

Chichain. 

Kalkd. 

Marskold. 

Temirachf, 

Sarotd. 

A'megd. 

Paolf. 

Mehrdm. 

Bhagdyd. 

Kurdm. 

Wuikd. 

Nakmd. 

Pandd. 

To  these  may  be  added  the  folk 

>wing : — 

Agharid  or  MukJ. 

Barhayd. 

Pardhdn  Pathdri 

Bhend. 

or  Gugyd. 

Bhiman. 

Dhdlyd- 

Ghasid. 

*  Papers  relating  to  the  AborigiiuJ  Tribes  of  the  Central  Provinces^  £dn.  18&6,  p.  5. 
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These  last  differ  in  some  slight  peculiarities  from  the  6onds,  but  nndoabt- 
edly  belong  to  the  same  race.  The  Pardh^ns  act  as  bards  to  the  Gonds^  and 
attend  at  births^  deaths^  and  marriages.  The  Agharid  is  a  worker  in  iron ;  he 
frequents  the  Baigi  villages,  and  acts  as  blacksmith  to  the  whole  communily — 
no  light  task  where  the  iron-ore  has  to  be  dug  from  the  hill,  carried  to  the 
village  forge,  smelted,  and  then  worked  up  to  meet  the  wants  of  the  people. 
These  people  may  be  set  down  as  the  laziest  and  most  drunken  of  all  the 
Gonds. 

Mr.  Hislop,*  no  mean  authority,  describes  the  Gond  of  the  Nfigpdr 
.  country  thus : — "  A  little  below  the  average  height 

ppearance.  ^^  ^^  Europeans,  and  in  complexion  darker  than  the 

'^  generality  of  Hindds  j  bodies  well  proportioned,  but  features  rather  ugly — ^a 
'^  roundish  head,  distended  nostrils,  wide  mouth,  thickish  lips,  straight  black  hair, 
'^  and  scanty  beard  and  mustaches .  *  *  Both  hair  and  features  are  decidedly 
''Mongolian."  The  description  agrees  very  well  with  the  Gonds  above  the  ghSts. 
Their  women  are  as  a  rule  better  looking  than  the  men.  Gonds'  wives  are 
looked  upon  as  so  much  property,  for  they  are  expected  to  do  not  only  all  the 
household  work,  but  the  bulk  of  the  agricultural  labour  also.  It  is  a  common 
expression  among  them,  when  speaking  of  a  well-to-do  farmer,  to  say  that  he 
is  a  man  of  some  substance,  having  four  or  five  wives ;  occasionally  they  have 
seven,  but  this  is  exceptional,  and  the  poor  content  themselves  with  one. 

In  dress  the  women  are  usually  decent,  though  they  wear  only  the  dhoti 
and  shoulder-cloth  of  coarse  country-made  stuffs,  white,  with  a  coloured  thread 
border.  For  ornaments  they  wear  strings  of  red  and  white  beads,  ear-rings  of 
brass  wire  in  coil,  and  polished  zinc  bosses ;  sometimes  nose-rings  of  the  same, 
and  anklets  and  armlets  of  copper  and  zinc  mixed,  or  of  pewter  and  zinc.  These, 
with  the  inevitable  "  kards**  of  lac,  make  up  the  sum  total  of  their  attempts  at 
adornment.  Wild  as  these  people  are,  and  scanty  as  is  their  dress,  they  are  by 
no  means  above  a  certain  amount  of  vanity,  and  show  that  the  use  of  fsJse  hair 
is  not  confined  to  their  civilised  sisters  of  Europe.  On  festive  occasions  they 
wind  long  tresses  of  sheep  or  goat's  wool  in  their  own  hair,  which  is  generally 
worn  long,  and  tied  up  in  a  bunch  behind,  somewhat  in  the  style  adopted  by 
European  ladies  of  the  present  day.  They  wear  no  other  covering  for  their 
heads,  but  occasionally  adorn  their  hair  with  small  brass  coins  and  glass 
beads.  They  are  tattooed  at  an  early  age,  some  much  more  than  others,  and 
allow  themselves  to  be  put  to  a  considerable  amount  of  pain  in  the  performance. 
The  Pardhdns  and  Dholyds  are  the  people  who  practise  the  art  of  tattooing,  and 
some  have  quite  a  local  reputation  for  their  skill  in  the  art,  and  for  the  successful 
patterns  with  which  they  adorn  the  bodies  of  their  victims.  They  usually  work 
with  needles,  and  rub  in  indigo  and  gunpowder  or  saltpetre. 

Wild,  uncivilised,  and  ignorant,  the  Gonds  are  among  themselves  honest, 
Chancte  faithful,  and   trustworthy,   courageous   in  some 

points,  and  truthful  as  regards  faults  they  have 
conmiitted  (as  a  rule  they  plead  guilty  when  brought  before  the  courts).  Asa 
race  they  are  now  well  behaved  and  very  amenable  to  authority,  however 
turbulent  they  may  have  been  in  former  days.  They  occasionally  exercise 
their  talents  in  cattle-lifting,  but  when  the  innumerable  opportunities  which 
they  have  are  taken  into  consideration,  and  the  facilities  with  which  crime  of 
this  sort  might  be  committed,  it   seems  wonderful  that  there  is  not  very  much 

*  Papers  relating  to  the  Aboriginal  Tribes  of  the  Central  Provinces,  Edn.  1866,  p.  1. 


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more.  The  Gond  in  service  is  exceptionally  faithful  and  obedient  to  his 
employer^  so  much  so  that  he  would  not  hesitate  to  commit  any  crime  at  his 
orders,  and  sooner  than  turn  informer  would  himself  die.  This  description 
applies  only  to  the  really  wild  Gonds,  who  have  not  become  contaminated  by 
contact  with  spurious  civilisation,  for  the  domesticated  Gond  is  mean,  cringing, 
cowardly,  and  as  great  a  liar  as  any  other  low  class  of  Indian.  Under  favourable 
circumstances  Gonds  are  strong  and  well  proportioned,  though  slightly  built,  very 
expert  ynth  the  axe,  and,  though  lazy,  do  not  make  bad  farm  servants.  They 
still  like  strong  liquors ;  but  Mr.  Hislop's  remark*  that  "  their  acts  of  worship 
invariably  end  in  intoxication^'  is  too  sweeping  at  the  present  day.  Spirits  are 
a  necessary  part  of  their  religious  ceremonies  ;  but  drinking  to  excess  appears  to 
be  becoming  less  common  among  them^  and  in  some  parts  the  Gonds  have  almost 
given  up  the  use  of  spirits  and  taken  to  gur  (unrefined  sugar)  as  a  stimulant  in 
its  place*  This  change  has  been  in  a  manner  almost  compulsory,  for  the  intro- 
duction of  the  central  distillery  system,  and  the  enforcement  of  the  prescribed 
penalties  for  illicit  distillery,  for  a  time  rendered  it  difficult  to  procure  spirits,  and 
afterwards  the  natural  apathy  of  the  Gond  and  his  dislike  to  over-exertion  made 
him  prefer  doing  without  spirits,  to  travelling  a  number  of  miles  to  the  nearest 
licensed  vendor's  shop. 

The  number  of  their  deities  seems  everywhere  to  differ.    Mr.  Hislop  says  f 
«  jj.  that  he  never  could  get  any   one  man  to   name 

ugioiu  ceremonies.  more  than  seven.     The  best  known  are  Ddlddeo, 

Nardin  Deo,  Suraj  Deo,  Mdtd  Devi,  Bard  Deo,  Khair  M^tS,  Thdkur  Deo,  and 
Ghansy^m  Deo.  Besides  these  the  Gond  peoples  the  forests,  in  which  he  lives, 
with  spirits  of  all  kinds,  most  of  them  vested  with  the  power  of  inflicting  evil, 
and  quite  inclined  to  use  their  power.  To  propitiate  them  he  sets  up  '^  pats  '^ 
in  spots  selected  either  by  himself  or  by  his  ancestors,  and  there  performs 
certain  rites,  generally  consisting  of  small  offerings  on  stated  days.  These  pats 
are  sometimes  merely  a  bamboo  with  a  piece  of  rag  tied  to  the  end,  a  heap  of 
stones,  or  perhaps  only  a  few  pieces  of  rag  tied  to  the  branches  of  a  tree. 
However,  the  spirit  is  supposed  to  have  taken  up  his  abode  there,  and  in  con- 
sequence, on  the  occasion  of  any  event  of  importance  happening  in  the  Gond's 
family,  the  spirit  has  his  share  of  the  good  thmgs  going,  in  the  shape  of  a  little 
spirit,  and  possibly  a  fowl  sacrificed  to  him.  In  Mandla,  ThSkur  Deo  is  sup- 
posed to  represent  especially  the  household  deity,  and  to  preside  over  the  well- 
being  of  the  house  and  farm-yard ;  he  has  no  special  residence,  but  has  the 
credit  of  being  omnipresent,  and  is  consequently  not  represented  by  any  image. 
In  lUmgarh  too  this  deity  is  held  in  great  reverence,  but  there  he  is  supposed 
to  occupy  more  than  one  shape.  One  village  (Jdti)  in  the  Shdhpdr  tSluka  is 
said  ta  be  very  highly  favoured  as  one  of  the  residences  of  their  deity.  Captain 
Ward  was  shown  there  a  few  links  of  a  roughly -forged  chain  which  the  supersti- 
tion of  the  people  had  gifted  with  the  power  of  voluntary  motion ;  this  chain 
looked  very  old,  and  no  one  could  say  how  long  it  had  been  at  Jiti ;  it  was 
occasionally  found  hanging  on  a  ber  tree,  sometimes  on  a  stone  under  the  tree, 
and  at  others  in  the  bed  of  a  neighbouring  ndld.  At  the  time  of  Captain 
Ward^s  visit  it  was  on  the  stone  under  the  tree,  from  which  it  was  said  to  have 
descended  four  days  before.  Each  of  these  movements  is  made  the  occasion  of 
some  petty  sacrifice,  of  which  the  attendant  Baigd  priest  reaps  the  benefit,  so  that 

*  Papers  relating  to  the  Aborijnnal  Tribes  of  the  Central  Provinces,  Edn.  1866,  p.  1. 
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it  is  of  course  to  his  advantage  to  work  on  the  credulity  of  the  Gonds ;  he  doesnot^ 
however,  appear  to  abuse  his  power,  as  these  movements  onlyoccur  about  oncein  four 
months,  so  that  the  Gonds  can  hardly  complain  ofbeing  priest-ridden  to  any  extent. 
None  of  the  people  will  touch  the  chain  in  which  they  suppose  the  deity  to  be  incor- 
porated. In  the  tffluka  of  Shdhpdr  there  are  several  places  where  Gond  deities 
are  said  to  reside,  and  the  wild  rugged  nature  of  the  country,  with  its  hills  rent 
into  vast  chasms  by  volcanic  action  in  former  periods,  and  full  of  vast  caverns 
and  passages,  apparently  running  deep  into  the  bowels  of  the  earth,  is  quite 
sufficient  to  persuade  a  superstitious  creature  like  the  Gond  that  it  must  be  the 
very  home  of  deities  and  evil  spirits.  Throughout  the  greater  part  of  Bdm- 
garh,  and  also  in  parts  of  Mandla,  Ghansydm  Deo  is  held  in  great  reverence,  and 
about  one  hundred  yards  from  each  village  where  he  is  in  favour  a  small  hut  is 
built  for  him.  It  is  generally  of  the  rudest  material,  with  little  attempt  at  orna- 
mentation. A  bamboo,  with  a  red  or  yellow  rag  tied  to  the  end,  is  planted  in  one 
comer,  an  old  withered  garland  or  two  is  hung  up,  and  a  few  blocks  of  rough 
stone,  some  smeared  with  vermilion,  are  strewn  about  the  place,  which  is  thus 
especially  dedicated  to  Ghansyim  Deo.  He  is  considered  the  protector  of  the 
corps,  and  in  the  month  of  Kirtik  (November)  the  whole  village  assembles  at 
his  shrine  to  worship  him  ;  sacrifices  of  fowls  and  spirits,  or  a  pig  occasionally, 
according  to  the  size  of  the  village,  are  oflFered,  and  Ghansydm  is  said  to  descend 
upon  the  head  of  one  of  the  worshippers,  who  is  suddenly  seized  with  a  kind 
of  fit,  and  affcer  staggering  about  for  a  little,  rushes  ofi*  into  the  wildest  jungles, 
where,  the  popular  theory  is,  if  not  pursued  and  brought  back,  he  would  in- 
evitably die  of  starvation,  a  raving  lunatic ;  for,  as  it  is,  after  being  brought 
back  by  one  or  two  men,  who  are  sent  after  him,  he  does  not  recover  his  senses 
for  one  or  two  days.  The  idea  is  that  one  man  is  thus  singled  out  as  a  scape- 
goat for  the  sins  of  the  rest  of  the  village.  • 

Small-pox  is  worshipped  under  the  name  of  '^  Mdtd  Devi,"  and  cholera 

en  J    v  1  under  that  of  "Marl."     They  try  to  ward  off  the 

Small-pox  and  cholera.  /..,  .,       ...        "^  xi  -j      xi. 

'^  anger  of  these  evil  spu'its,  as  they  consider  them, 

by  sacrifices,  and  by  thoroughly  cleaning  their  villages,  and  transferring  the 
sweepings  across  their  own  boundary  into  some  road  or  travelled  track. 
Their  idea  is  that  unless  the  disease  is  thus  communicated  to  some  passer-by,  who 
will  take  it  on  to  the  next  village,  it  will  not  leave  them.  For  this  reason 
they  decline  throwing  the  sweepings  into  a  jungle,  as  no  one  passes  that  way, 
and  consequently  the  benefit  of  the  sweeping  is  lost.  Bari  Deo  and  Ddli  Deo 
are  also  favourites  among  the  people,  and  have  a  considerable  amount  of 
attention  paid  them ;  while  Suraj  Deo,  Nariin  Deo,  and  the  others  are  more  or 
less  neglected  in  Mandla,  where  religious  ceremonies  are  never  carried  to  any- 
very  high  pitch.  The  priests  of  the  tribe  are  the  Baigds,  and  as  these  people 
seem  to  belong  to  a  different  stock  from  the  Gonds,  they  will  be  described 
separately. 

Some  of  the  Gond  ceremonies  are  peculiar.     Thus  they  have  seven  different 
«  kinds   of  marriages,   some   much   more  binding 

^^^^^  '  than  others,  but  all  supposed  to  contain  a  suflS- 

cient  quantum  of  matrimonial  sanctity  about  them.  The  first  and  the  surest  is 
the  Bydh  Shddl.  When  a  Gond  wants  to  marry  his  daughter,  he  first  looks  for 
a  husband  among  his  sister's  children,  as  it  is  considered  the  proper  thing 
for  first-cousins  to  marry  whenever  such  an  arrangement  is  possible ;  thougH, 
strange  to  say,  the  rule  is  only  thought  absolutely  binding  where  the  brother's 
child  happens  to  be  a  girl,  and  the  sister's  a  boy.     Even  in  the  opposite  case. 


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however,  it  is  very  generally  done,  as  by  so  providing  for  a  relation  for  life, 
the  man  is  said  to  have  performed  a  very  right  and  proper  act.  Another 
reason  is  that  less  expense  is  entailed  in  marrying  a  relation  than  the  daughter 
of  a  stranger,  who  is  apt  to  be  more  exacting.  Among  the  poorer  classes 
who  can  ofiTer  no  money  as  a  dower,  the  bridegroom  serves  the  bride^s  father 
for  periods  varying  from  seven  or  eight  months  to  three  years,  or  sometimes 
more,  according  to  arrangements  made  by  the  parents.  When  the  children 
are  ten  or  twelve  years  old  only,  a  committee  of  the  village  elders  is  generally 
held,  and  the  term  of  the  apprenticeship  decided ;  the  term  of  service  being 
usually  somewhat  longer  when  the  youth  is  serving  his  uncle  for  his  cousin,  as 
relations  are  supposed  not  to  exact  so  much  work  from  the  *'  Lamjin^.^^ 
The  youth  lives  in  one  of  the  outhouses,  and  has  to  perform  all  the  menial  work 
of  the  household,  both  in  the  house  and  in  the  field.  During  his  period  of  proba- 
tion he  is  forbidden  to  hold  any  intercourse  with  the  girl.  This  is  called  Lam- 
jind  Shddi.  Another  description  of  marriage  is  when  the  woman  makes  her 
own  match,  and  declining  the  husband  provided  for  her  by  her  relatives,  runs 
away  with  the  man  of  her  choice ;  this  is  called  the  marriage  ^'  Ba  ikhtiy^ri 
aurat/'  or  of  the  woman's  own  will.  A  case  of  this  sort  seldom  happens.  It 
is,  however,  quite  recognised  among  the  Gonds  that  the  women  have  the  right 
to  take  their  own  way  if  they  have  the  courage ;  and  the  elders  of  the  village 
in  which  the  man  resides  generally  endeavour  to  arrange  matters  to  the  satis- 
faction of  all  parties.  Connected  with  the  above  marriage  is  another  called 
''  Sh^df  Bandhoni,"  or  compulsory  marriage.  Even  after  the  girl  has  run  away 
from  her  father's  house,  and  taken  up  her  residence  in  the  house  of  the  man  of  her 
choice,  it  is  quite  allowable  for  the  man  she  has  deserted  to  assert  his  rights  to  her 
person  by  carrying  her  off  by  force ;  in  fact  not  only  is  this  right  allowed  to  the 
deserted  lover,  but  any  one  of  the  girl's  first-cousins  may  forcibly  abduct  her  and 
keep  her  himself,  if  he  has  ibhe  power.  Once  carried  off,  she  is  kept  in  the  house 
of  her  captor,  carefully  watched,  until  she  finds  it  is  useless  to  attempt  to 
resist,  and  gives  in.  Occasionally  where  the  girl  has  made  what  is  considered 
an  objectionable  match  with  a  poor  man,  who  has  few  friends,  abductions  of  this 
sort  are  successfully  carried  out ;  but  as  a  rule  they  are  not  attempted.  The 
''  Shddi  Baitho"  is  for  the  very  poorest  people,  or  girls  with  no  relations.  In 
the  latter  case  she  selects  some  man  of  her  acquaintance,  and  going  to  his 
house  takes  up  her  abode  there.  He  signifies  his  acceptance  by  putting  on  her 
arms  the  bangles  or  "  chiiris,"  and  giving  a  small  feast  to  the  village  elders. 
Sometimes  he  objects,  if  the  woman  is  useless  or  of  bad  character ;  but  he  gets 
little  redress  from  the  elders ;  and  unless  he  can  induce  some  other  man  to 
take  her  off  his  hands,  he  is  generally  supposed  to  be  bound  to  keep  the  woman. 
As,  however,  the  women  are  usually  good  labourers,  and  well  worthy  of  their 
hire,  a  man  of  property  seldom  raises  any  objection ;  the  women  too  are  usually 
quite  sufficiently  worldly-wise  to  choose  for  their  keepers  men  fairly  well-to-do. 

Widows  are  expected  to  remarry,  and  the  Gond  customs  provide  for  their 

™.. ,  remarriage  in  two  ways — the   '*  ChtSrid   Pahanni 

Widow  mamage.  gj^^^j,,  ^^  ^j^^  ,,  ^^^^  gj^^^j,,     ,pj^^  ^^^  ^^^^ 

sists  simply  in  the  woman  proceeding  to  the  house  of  the  man  she  has  agreed  to 
live  with  after  her  husband's  death.  The  other  is  where  the  younger  brother 
marries  his  eW.er  brother's  widow,  which  he  is  expected  to  do  by  the  custom  of  the 
tribe,  unless  the  widow  should  insist  upon  making  some  other  arrangement  for 
herself.  The  ceremony  in  both  of  these  cases  consists  simply  of  a  presentation  of 
bangles  by  the  husband  to  the  wife,  and  of  a  feast  to  the  village  elders.     Elder 


\ 


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278  MAND 

brothers  are  not  allowed  to  marry  the  widows  of  tbeir  younger  brothers.  The 
only  limit  to  the  number  of  wives  a  Gond  may  have  is  his  power  of  supporting 
them. 

Cremation  is  considered  the  most  honourable  mode  of  disposing  of  the  dead, 

^ .      A.    ^    ♦!.  ^^^  being  expensive,  is  very  seldom  resorted  to, 

Geremomet  ailer  detlb.  ^^^^^  ^  ^^  ^^^^  ^f  ^^^  ^j ^^^  ^^  ^j^^  ^j^      rjr^^ 

rule  is  that,  if  possible,  men  over  fifty  should  be  burned ;  but  as  these  wild  tribes 
have  no  means  of  telHng  the  ages  of  their  friends,  it  results  that  all  old  men  are 
burned.  Women  are  always  buried.  Formerly  the  Gonds  used  to  bury  their 
dead  in  the  houses  in  which  they  died,  just  deep  enough  to  prevent  their  being 
dug  up  again  by  the  dogs ;  now  they  have  generally  some  place  set  apart  as  a 
burial-ground  near  the  village.  T^eir  funeral  ceremonies  are  very  few  ;  the 
grave  is  dug  so  that  the  head  shall  lie  to  the  south  and  the  feet  to  the  north  } 
the  idea  being  that  the  deceased  has  gone  to  the  home  of  the  deities,  which 
is  supposed  to  be  somewhere  in  the  north ;  but  the  Gonds  do  not  appear  to  have 
any  reel  theory  as  regards  an  after-life,  or  the  immortality  of  the  souU  They 
seem  to  consider  that  man  is  bom  to  live  a  certain  number  of  years  on  the  earth, 
and  having  fulfilled  his  time  to  disappear.  When  the  father  of  a  family  dins  bis 
spirit  is  supposed  to  haunt  the  house  in  which  he  lived  until  it  is  laid.  The 
ceremony  for  this  purpose  may  be  gone  through  apparently  at  any  time  after 
death  from  one  month  to  a  year  and  a  half,  or  even  to  two  years.  During  that 
period  the  spirit  of  the  deceased  is  the  only  object  of  worship  in  the  house.  A 
share  of  the  daily  food  is  set  aside  for  him,  and  he  is  supposed  to  remain  in  tbe 
house  and  watch  over  its  inmates.  After  his  funeral,  when,  if  the  relatives  can 
afford  it,,  they  clothe  the  corpse  in  a  new  dress,  a  little  turmeric  and  a  pice  is 
tied  up  in  a  cloth,  and  suspended  by  the  Baigi  to  one  of  the  beams  of  the  house  ; 
there  it  remains  until  the  time  comes  to  lay  the  spirit,  which  is  done  by  the 
Baigd  removing  the  cloth,  and  offering  it,  with  a  portion  of  the  flesh  of  a  goat 
or  a  pig,  to  the  god  of  the  village ;  a  feast  is  given  to  the  relations  and  elders, 
and  the  ceremony  is  complete. 

The  Baig^  are  the  acknowledged  superiors  of  the  Gond  races,  being  their 
g  .  .  priests  and  their  authorities  in  all  points  of  religious 

**^    '  observance.     The  decision  of  the  Baigd  in  a  boun- 

dary dispute  is  almost  always  accepted  as  final,  and  from  this  right  as  children 
of  the  soil,  and  arbiters  of  the  land  belonging  to  each  village,  they  are  said  to 
have  derived  their  title  of  Bhdmid,  the  Sanscrit  word  *^  Bhdmi"  meaning  the 
earth.  In  the  Mandla  district  the  two  words  Bhdmid  and  Baig£  are  certainly 
S3rnonymous  and  interchangeable.  In  language  the  Baig^s  differ  entirely  from 
the  Gond,  their  vocabulary  consisting  almost  altogether  of  Hindi  words.  They 
belong  to  three  sects  or  castes — the^injwir  or  Bichwir,  the  Mundfy^  and  the 
Bhirontiyd— 'each  of  which  is  subdivided  into  seven  other  classes  as  follows : — 

1.  Mardbf.  5,  Chulpuryi. 

2.  Markim.  6.  Kusydr. 

3.  Umarl^.  7.  Barharyi. 

4.  Subharyd. 

The  Binjwirs  are  said  to  be  the  highest  caste,  and  from  these  chiefly  the 
priests  of  the  tribe  and  of  the  Gonds  are  derived.  They  live  quite  distinct 
from  any  other  race,  and  though  nominally  often  in  the  same  village  as  Gonds, 
the  Baig^  settlement  is  usually  at  some  little  distance  from  the  Gond  quarter- 
often  on  the  very  top  of  a  high  hill  over  the  latter. 


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HAND  279 

In  physical  appearance  the  Baigds  differ  so  much  as  almost   to  defy  de- 
scription.    One  sect — the  Mundijd — is  known  by 
Physical  appearance.  ^^^  j^^^^   ^^-^^  g^a^^^    ^H  ^^^^  ^^^    j^^,^^     The 

Binjwdrs  on  the  other  hand  wear  their  hair  long,  never  cutting  it,  and  tie  it  up 
in  a  knot  behind ;  so  do  the  Bhirontiyds.  In  stature  some  are  taller  than 
Gronds,  but  as  a  rule  they  are  all  very  much  below  the  average  height  of 
Europeans.  The  Baigds  to  the  eastwards,  on  the  Maikal  range,  are  much 
finer  specimens  of  humanity  than  those  near  Mandla.  In  habits  too  they  are 
superior,  being  a  fine  manly  race,  and  better  looking  than  their  brethren  near 
Mandla.  They  have  not  the  flat  head  and  nose  and  receding  forehead  so 
common  among  the  Gonds ;  the  head  is  longer,  the  features  more  aquiline,  and 
the  hands  are  peculiarly  small.  Some  among  them  have,  however,  all  the 
types  of  low  civilisation — flat  heads,  thick  lips,  and  distended  nostrils ;  but  on  the 
whole  the  appearance  of  these  Baigis  of  the  Eastern  Gh^ts  is  striking,  as 
compared  with  that  of  other  wild  tribes. 

In  character  too  they  difier  much  from  the  more  degenerate  aboriginal 
^,  races.     Fearless,  trustworthy,  independent,  ready 

*^^  ^'*  enough  to  give  their  opinion,  and  very  willing  to 

assist,  they  manage  their  communities  in  a  way  deserving  of  high  praise. 
Social  crimes,  such  as  abduction  of  women,  are  more  or  less  prevalent  among 
them,  but  these  cases  are  always  decided  by  the  village  elders,  generally 
to  the  satisfaction  of  all  parties.  Thefts  among  each  other  seem  unknown, 
except  perhaps  in  years  of  scarcity,  when  it  is  not  uncommon  for  a  man  to  help 
himself  to  grain  from  his  neighbour's  field ;  but  self-preservation  is  held  to  be 
the  first  law  of  nature,  and  the  elders  do  not  punish  these  offences  very 
severely.  Of  slight  wiry  build,  they  are  very  hardy,  extremely  active,  and 
first-rate  sportsmen.  Cunning  in  making  traps  and  pitfalls,  and  capital  shots 
with  their  small  bows  and  arrows,  they  soon  clear  the  whole  country  of  game ; 
persevering  to  a  degree,  they  never  leave  the  track  of  blood ;  and  the  poison  on 
their  arrows  is  so  deadly  to  the  animal  struck,  that  sooner  or  later  it  is  certain 
to  die.  Unarmed,  save  with  the  axe,  they  wander  about  the  wildest  jungles ; 
and  the  speed  with  which  they  fly  up  a  tree  on  any  alarm  of  tigers  is  wonderful ; 
yet  the  courageous  way  in  which  they  stand  by  each  other,  on  an  emergency, 
shows  that  they  are  by  no  means  wauting  in  boldness.  Their  skill  in  the  use 
of  the  axe  is  extraordinary,  and  they  often  knock  over  small  deer,  hares,  and 
peacocks  with  it.  It  is  indeed  by  no  means  rare  to  see  panthers  brought 
m  either  speared,  or  knocked  on  the  head  with  the  axe.  Their  capabi- 
lities of  standing  fatigue  and  privation  are  remarkable.  On  their  hunting 
expeditions,  which  sometimes  last  three  or  four  days,  they  subsist  almost  entirely 
either  on  what  they  kill,  or,  if  unsucciBssful,  on  roots  and  fruits  found  in  the 
forests.  When  they  are  preparing  a  hill  side  for  their  dihya  cultivation,  from 
morning  tiU  night  in  the  hottest  weather  the  ring  of  their  axes  is  incessant, 
and  even  this  is  followed  by  harder  work  still,  when  they  set  to  work  dragging 
the  logs  into  proper  position.  Even  when  occupied  with  his  fields,  the  love  of 
field-sports  seems  inherent  in  the  Baigd,  and  in  the  rains,  when  he  has  little 
else  to  do,  he  and  his  companions  amuse  themselves  with  running  down  s^mbar 
and  spotted  deer  with  their  dogs,  following  them  into  the  water,  and  killing 
them  with  their  axes  when  brought  to  bay. 

Their  dress  is  as  scanty  as  it  well  can  be — ^in  the  hot  weather  certainly  not 

-^  sufiicient  for  decency,    consisting    of  the  very 

smallest  rag  round  the  loins  in  the  shape  of  a 


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280  MAND 

"langotV^  This  is  supplemented  in  the  cold  season  with  a  cloth  worn  crosswise 
over  the  shoulders  and  chest.  The  women  dress  decently,  and  are  like  the 
Gonds  in  appearance,  wearing  much  the  same  ornaments.  Both  sexes  aflTect 
strings  of  red  and  white  beads,  but  the  males  leave  them  off  when  they  are 
married.  A  very  favourite  ornament  among  them  is  the  rupee,  and  to  the 
east  the  fortunate  possessor  of  so  large  a  coin  generally  wears  it  round  his 
neck.  The  women  are  all  tattooed,  and,  like  the  Gonds,  they  wear  bunches  of 
wool  tied  up  in  their  own  hair.  They  are  no  cleaner  than  their  neighbours, 
neitier  sex  affecting  the  use  of  cold  water  any  more  than  can  be  helped. 

In  their  religious  ceremonies  they  much  resemble  the  Gonds,  reverencing  the 

^  ,.  .  same  crods,  but  adding  to  them  as  the  chief  obiect 

ReLg.ou.ceremon.e..  ^^  ^^^^^   ^^^  ^^^^S^    ^^^^  „  j^^j  Dharitrf." 

Thdkur  Deo  is  supposed  to  have  special  charge  of  the  village,  and  is  honoured 
accordingly.    But  the  Baigds  have  a  great  belief  in  the  spirits  which  are  sup- 

Eosed  to  haunt  the  forests ;  and  in  the  localities  which  are  more  especially  the 
omes  of  these  spirits,  'Spats''  are  set  up,  each  under  the  charge  of  an  appointed 
Baigi,  There  appears  to  be  no  especial  rule  regarding  the  institution  of  a  pat. 
Sometimes  it  is  the  place  where  a  man  has  been  killed  by  a  tiger  or  a  snake ; 
sometimes  no  reason  whatever  is  given  for  the  selection.  In  connection  with 
these  pats  they  have  a  peculiar  ceremony  for  laying  the  spirit  of  a  man  killed 
by  a  tiger.  Until  it  is  gone  through  neither  Gond  nor  Baigd  will  go  into 
the  jungle  if  he  can  help  it,  as  they  say  that  not  only  does  the  spirit  of  the 
dead  man  walk,  but  the  tiger  is  also  possessed  for  the  nonce  with  an  addi- 
tional spirit  of  evil,  which  increases  his  powers  of  intelligence  and  ferocity, ' 
rendering  him  more  formidable  than  usual,  and  more  eager  to  pursue  his 
natural  enemy — ^man.  Some  of  the  Baigds  are  supposed  to  be  gifted  with  great 
powers  of  witchcraft,  and  it  is  common  for  a  Baigii  medicine-man  to  be  called 
in  to  bewitch  the  tigers,  and  so  prevent  their  carrying  off  the  village  cattle* 
The  Gonds  thoroughly  believe  in  the  powers  of  these  men.  Their  other  religious 
ceremonies  are  mostly  the  same  as  those  of  the  Gonds;  and  at  marriages, 
deaths,  and  births,  much  the  same  rites  are  observed. 

The  Baigds  take  considerable  care  in  selecting  the  sites  for  their  villages, 

o.,        ,  .^.  which  are  usually  located  on  the  southern  side 

Sites  and  communities.  p      i.-ii  j  •  •  j         i-xxi       u 

01  a  nill,   and  on  rismg   ground,   a  uttie  above 

where  their  supply  of  water  is  taken  from.  They  are  generally  sufficiently 
elevated  for  the  square,  in  which  they  are  arranged,  to  be  naturally  well 
drained;  and  the  women  are  expected  to  keep  it  clean.  In  the  middle 
a  heap  of  firewood  is  piled  up,  round  which  the  village  elders  assemble  Sf 
there  is  work  to  be  done.  Buried  as  they  are  in  the  heart  of  the  jungles,  these 
villages  are  very  difficult  to  find,  for  one  may  be  on  the  top  of  a  high  hill, 
and  the  next  is  low  down  in  the  valley.  The  manner  in  which  their  village 
communities  are  regulated  is  really  remarkable ;  and  it  is  impossible  not  to 
admire  their  wild  and  independent  spirit.  They  do  not  hide  themselves  in  the 
jungles  from  any  fear  of  man,  but  simply  because  they  prefer  the  wild  life,  free 
from  restraint,  to  any  more  civilised  state. 

As  the  d^hya  cultivation  covers  a  large  area  in  this  district,  it  must  be 

D4h     cultivation  prominently  mentioned.     With  no  other  instru- 

^  '  ment  of  agriculture  but  their  axe,   and  a  small 

sickle  ("  hansyd"),  it  is  astonishing  to  see  the  extent  of  clearing  that  one  village 

of  Baigds  makes  on  the  sides  of  the  hills  on  which  their  village  is  located. 

Until  lately  it  was  their  habit  to  select  the  spots  for  their  ddhyas  with  an  utter 


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MAND  281 

disregard  for  all  the  rules  of  forest  conservancy.  In  the  cold  weather  movths 
they  cut  down  sufficient  wood  to  cover  pretty  closely  the  jrhole  of  the  area  they 
mean  to  bring  under  cultivation.  In  May  and  June,  just  before  the  setting  in 
of  the  rains,  this  wood  and  the  brushwood  into  which  it  has  fallen,  are  set  on 
fire,  and  almost  before  the  fire  is  out  the  Baigds  may  be  seen  raking  up  the  ashes, 
and  spreading  them  over  the  whole  surface  of  the  field.  This  is  done  either  with 
a  bundle  of  thorns  or  with  long  bamboos,  until  there  is  a  superstratum  of  about 
an  inch  of  ashes  spread  over  tne  ground;  in  these  ashes  they  sow  kodo  (j>a«- 
palum  friuneDtaceum),  kutkf,  and  occasionally  a  poor  specimen  of  rice  called 
here  '^  baigdnd/'  Owing  to  their  position  on  the  side  of  a  hill,  the  ashes  are 
cut  up  into  farrows  by  the  action  of  the  rains,  and  often  much  of  the  seed  must 
be  washed  away  altogether,  but  sufficient  seems  to  remain  for  the  Baigds'  wants. 
When  sown  the  field  is  fenced  round  very  roughly  and  strongly,  small  trees 
bemg  felled  so  as  to  fall  one  on  to  the  other.  The  interstices  are  then  filled  in 
with  bamboos,  and  the  boughs  are  carefully  interlaced,  so  that  not  even  the 
smallest  kind  of  deer  can  effect  an  entrance.  In  addition  to  this,  where  there  is 
any  danger  of  the  crops  being  eaten  up  by  buffaloes  or  bison,  which  push  through 
any  ordinary  fence,  the  Baigds  bury  a  line  of  broad- bladed  spears,  called  '^damsds,'* 
in  the  ground,  at  about  the  spot  where  these  beasts  would  land  if  they  jumped 
the  fence ;  they  then  watch  their  opportunity,  and  sneaking  round  to  the  oppo- 
site side  give  a  series  of  yells,  which  send  the  cattle  off  terrified  over  or  through 
the  fence.  Generally  more  than  one  is  wounded,  and  often  one  killed  on  the 
spot ;  the  rest,  once  started,  make  straight  away,  and  never  visit  that  field  again. 
In  the  fences  round  these  *'  bemars,'^  as  these  patches  of  cultivation  are  called, 
are  usually  two  or  three  cunningly -contrived  traps  for  small  deer,  and  several 
nooses  for  peacocks,  hares,  &c. ;  these  the  Baigd  carefully  examines  every  morn- 
ing, and  great  is  his  delight  when  occasionally  he  finds  a  panther  crushed  under 
one  of  the  traps. 

One  of  these  ''  bemars''  lasts  the  Baigd  at  the  outside  three  years.  He 
nsoally  leaves  sufficient  wood  on  the  ground  the  first  season  to  last  for  a  second 
season's  burning.  The  third  year,  if  by  chance  he  should  make  up  his  mind 
to  stick  to  one  field  for  so  long,  his  labour  is  much  enhanced,  as  he  has  to  cut 
and  drag  the  requisite  wood  for  some  little  distance,  and  lay  it  over  his  fields. 
In  addition  to  this,  the  outturn  of  the  crops  falls  off  every  year,  so  that  altogether 
he  has  every  inducement  to  change  the  locale  of  his  cultivation,  and,  where  no 
restriction  has  been  put  on  his  movements,  as  a  rule  he  does  so. 

It  takes  six  or  seven  years  before  one  of  these  old  ''  bemars"  is  sufficiently 
covered  with  wood  again  to  make  it  worth  the  Baigd's  while  to  cultivate  it  a 
second  time.  In  three  years  it  is  probably  covered  with  densly-covered  brush- 
wood; but  this,  if  burnt,  leaves  so  little  ash  that  it  has  to  be  largely  supplemented 
with  timber,  and  as  this  has  been  previously  cut  all  round  the  clearing,  it  becomes 
a  work  of  supererogation  to  take  up  one  of  these  old  plots  before  the  wood  is 
well  grown  again,  when  other  and  more  suitable  land  is  available. 

The  ordinary  cultivation  in  Mandla  does  not  differ  from  that  prevailing  in 
the  Province  generally,  and  therefore  needs  no  special  notice. 

It  was  only  three  centuries  ago  that  Mandla  became  known  as  the  chief  seat 

of  the  Grond  kingdom.     Prior  to  that  it  formed 
History.  y^^^  ^^  insignificant  part  of  the  coantry  known  as 

36  opQ 


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MAND 


Gondw^na.  According  to  Sir  W.  Sloeman*  the  Garh&  Mandia  dynasty  first 
became  powerful  in  the  reign  of  Sangrdm  Hi,  who  before  his  death  in  a.d.  1580 
had  extended  his  dominion  over  fifty-fcwo  *'  garhs  "  or  provinces,  comprising  the 
present  districts  of  Mandia,  Jabalpdr,  Damoh,  Sdgdr,  Narsinghpdr,  Seoni,  and 
part  of  Hoshangdbdd,  and  the  principality  of  Bhopdl.  Mandia  itself  seems, 
however,  to  have  been  added  to  the  dominions  of  the  Gondw&na  princes  by 
Qop6l  Sd  as  early  as  a.d.  634,  and  then  it  was  that  the  whole  kingdom  became 
first  known  as  Garhd  Mandia.  To  give  even  a  brief  history  of  this  dynasty 
Would  be  impossible  here.  Their  names  and  the  dates  of  their  probable  acces- 
sion to  the  throne,  as  given  by  Sir  W.  Sleeman,  are  shown  in  the  following  list : — 


1. 


8. 

4. 

6. 

6. 

7. 

8. 

9. 
10. 
11. 
12. 
18. 
14. 
15. 
16. 
17. 
18. 
19. 
20. 
21. 
22. 
28. 
24. 
25. 
26. 
27. 
28. 
29. 
80. 
81. 
82. 
88. 


Yean. 
Jadhava  Bdya  An:  Sam  415, 

reigned Sf 

Mddhava  Sinha,  his  son 33 

Jaganndth    25 

Raghundth  64 

Rudra  Deva    28 

BehdriSinha    31 

Narsinha  Deva 33 

Sdraj  Bhdd  29 

Eds  Deva  or  (Vdsudeva) 18 

GopdlSd  21 

BhdpdlSd     10 

Goplndth  37 

Bdmchandra 13 

SurtanSinha  29 

Harihar  Dhvaja  17 

Krishna  Deva , 14 

Jagat  Sinha 9 

Mahd  Sinha 23 

DurjanMall 19 

Jaskama  36 

Pratdpdditya    24 

Jaschandra  or  (Yaachandra.)  14 

Mandhar  Sinha   29 

Gbvind  Sinha  25 

Rdmchandra 21 

Karna   16 

Ratan  Sen 21 

Kamal  Nayana 30 

Bir  Sinha  or  ( Virsinha) 7 

NarharDeva    26 

Tribhavan  Rdya  28 

PrithvlRdya 21 

Bhdrtya  Chandra 22 


Tean. 

34.  Madan  Sinha 20 

35.  OkarSen    86 

36.  RdmSabf   24 

37.  Turdchandra  34 

38.  Udaya  Sinha 15 

39.  Bhim  Mitra    16 

40.  BhawdnfDds 12 

41.  Siva  Sinha 26 

42.  Harindrdyan  6 

43.  Sabal  Sinha   29 

44.  Rdj  Sinha  31 

45.  Dddi  Rdya 37 

46.  GorakhDdsJ 26 

47.  Arjun  Sinha 32 

48.  Sangrdm  Sa  60 

49.  Dalpat  Sd 18 

50.  BfrNdrdyanor  ( Vfrndrdyan) ..  15 

51.  Chandra    Sd,    his     paternal 

uncle    12 

52.  Madhukar  Sd.  his  son  20 

53.  Prem  Ndrdyan,  ditto 11- 

54.  HirdeSd 71 

55.  ChhatraSd    7 

56.  Kesri  Sd. 3 

57.  Narendra  Sd 44  or  54 

58.  Mohrdj  Sd 11 

59.  Sdraj  Sd 7 

60.  Durjan  Sd  2 

61.  Nizdm  Sd,  his  paternal  uncle.  27 

62.  Narhar   Sd,   his  nephew,  son 

of  Dhan  Sinha,  brother  of 
Nizdm  Sd,  but  of  a  different 
mother     3 

63.  SamirSd, ditto 9  months 


*  Journal  of  the  Asiatic  Society  of  Bengal,  vol.  vi.  p.  621  (August  1837).  The  whole 
ti  dlis  bistoriciil  sketch  is  abstracted  (Vom  the  above  article,  which  is  believed  to  be  founded 
principally  on  the  chrouicles  of  the  fidjpai  family,  who  were  the  hereditary  prime  ministers  of  the 
Gond  princes. 

-t  Some  of  the  periods  given  for  reigns  are  probably  open  to  modification,  as  is  shown  by 
Captain  Ward  in  the  Ifandia  Settlement  Report,  but  it  has  been  thought  best  to  follow  a  single 
antbority,  as  it  would  be  difficult  to  clear  up  the  discrepancies. 

X  *'  He  built  the  town  of  Qorakhpfir  near  Jabalpur.  and  another  of  the  same  name  in  Bargi." 


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MAND  288 

The  namesy  from  that  of  J^dhaya  B&ya^  the  firsts  down  to  IVeux  S^^  the  fifly* 
third  on  the  list^  were  found  engraved  in  Sanskrit  on  a  stone  in  the  temple 
at  Bdmnagar,  which  was  boilt^  it  is  said^  by  the  son'*  of  the  latter  prince. 
Though  the  history  of  Gondwina  prior  to  the  accession  of  Jddhava  Rdya  is  more 
or  less  shadowy  and  uncertain,  it  seems  at  least  highly  probable  that  he  received 
the  kingdom  from  his  father-in-law,  the  Gond  r&^i  N%deva,  about  Samvat  415^ 
or  A.D.  358,  and  that  while  with  the  latter  passed  away  the  old  Gond  dynasty, 
in  the  person  of  Jddhava  Kdya,  there  commenced  the  long  line  of  Gond-Rdjput 
soTereigns,  who  ruled  for  a  period  of  1,400  years.  The  story  regarding  the 
end  of  the  original  Gond  rulers,  and  the  succession  of  the  Bijput  Jddhava  B&ya, 
as  told  by  Sir  W.  Sleeman,  is  as  follows : — Jddhava  Rdya  while  in  the  service  of 
one  of  the  Haihai-Bansi  rulers  dreamed  that  he  should  one  day  receive  sove- 
reign power.  A  certain  holy  Brdhman  interpreting  his  dream  advised  him  to 
enter  the  service  of  the  Gond  r&}&  Ndgdeva  (also  called  Dh^ru  Si),  which  he  did, 
and  eventually  married  the  old  r&j&'s  daughter  and  only  child.  Ndgdeva  finding 
himself  sinking,  and  having  no  hope  of  an  heir  to  his  throne,  deteruiined  to 
appeal  to  heaven  to  choose  one  for  him,  and  on  an  occasion  of  great  solemnity) 
J&dhaya  B&ya  was  unmistakeably  pointed  out  by  the  gods  as  his  successor.  On 
ascending  the  throne,  Jddhava  Rdya  made  the  Brdhman,  Sarbhf  Pdthak,  his  prime 
minister,  and  while  the  descendants  of  the  one  reigned  from  a.d.  358  down 
to  the  time  of  the  Sdgar  conquest  in  a.d.  1781,  the  descendants  of  the  other 
discharged  the  duties  of  prime  minister  for  the  same  long  period.  After 
Sangr&m  Sd,  who  has  already  been  mentioned  as  the  founder  of  the  Gond  power 
on  a  large  scale,  there  is  little  worthy  of  record  until  we  come,  in  the  year  1560, 
to  the  regeucy  of  Rinl  Durgavatf,  widow  of  Dalpat  Si.  *'  Of  all  the  sovereigns 
"  of  this  dynasty,''  says  Sir  W.  Sleeman,  "  she  lives  most  in  the  grateful  recol- 
"  lection  of  the  people ;  she  carried  out  many  highly  useful  works  in  diflFerent 
"  parts  of  her  kingdom,  and  one  of  the  large  reservoirs  near  Jabalpdr  is  still 
•'  called  the  *  Banf  Taldo,'  "  in  memory  of  her.  During  the  fifteen  years  of  her 
regency  she  did  much  for  the  country,  and  won  the  hearts  of  the  people,  while 
her  end  was  as  noble  and  devoted  as  her  life  had  been  useful. 

In  1564*  A'saf  Khdn,  the  imperial  viceroy  at  Kara  Mdnikpdr  on  the  Gkinges, 
invaded  the  Gondwina  kingdom  at  the  head  of  a  considerable  force*  The  queen 
regent  met  him  near  the  fort  of  Singaurgarh  (in  the  Jabalpdr  district),  whence, 
haying  been  defeated,  she  retired  upon  Garhd,  and  again  towards  Mandla, 
where  she  took  up  a  strong  position  in  a  narrow  defile.  A'saf  Kh&n,  who  could 
not  bring  up  his  artillery,  was  here  repulsed  with  loss,  but  on  the  following 
day  the  bEtttle  was  renewed,  and  by  that  time  the  guns  had  come  up,  and  the 
queen  was  compelled  to  give  way.  Mounted  on  an  elephant,  she  refused 
to  retire,  though  she  was  severely  wounded,  until  her  troops  had  time  to  recover 
the  shock  of  the  first  discharge  of  artillery,  and  notwithstanding  that  she  had 
received  an  arrow-wound  in  her  eye,  bravely  defended  the  pass  in  person.  But 
by  an  extraordinary  coincidence  the  river  in  the  rear  of  her  position,  which 
had  been  nearly  dry  a  few  hours  before  the  action  commenced,  began  suddenly 
to  rise,  and  soon  became  unfordable.  Finding  her  plan  of  retreat  thus  frus- 
trated, and  seeing  her  troops  give  wky,  she  snatched  a  dagger  from  her  elephant- 
ixiveiF  and  plunged  it  into  her  bosom.  A^saf  Khin  acquired  an  immense 
hooty,  including,  it  is  said,  more  than  a  thousand  elephants.  He  was  BO 
elated  with  his  success  that  he  determined  to  become  an  independent  prinee, 
and  actually  maintained  some  show  of  independence  for  a  few  years,  when  hi 

*  Compire  Briggt'  Fariihta,  Edn.  1829,  vol  ii.  pp.  2I7»  S16. 


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284  MANB 

was  pardoned,  *  and  returned  to  his  alleppance*  On  liis  departure  the  dominioii 
reared  np  by  Sangrdm  Sd  received  its  first  serious  shock  in  the  loss  of  ten 
districts  (afterwards  formed  into  the  state  of  Bhopdl),  which  were  ceded  to  the 
Emperor  Akbar,  to  obtain  his  recognition  of  the  succession  of  Chandra  Sfi, 
the  brother  of  Dalpat  Sd.  Thenceforward,  until  the  Moghal  empire  lost  its 
prestige,  the  princes  of  this  line  seem  to  have  admitted  their  subjection 
to  the  imperial  power,  for  we  find  the  next  two  of  them  visiting  Delhi  to  pay 
their  respects  to  the  Emperor.  In  the  reign  of  Prem  Ndrdyan,  the  grandson 
of  Chanara  Sd,  occurred  the  Bundeld  invasion,  conducted  by  Jiijhdr  Singh, 
rdjd  of  Orchhd,  which  is  remarkable  as  the  first  of  those  encroachments  by 
neighbouring  princes  which  by  degrees  sapped  away  the  strength  of  the  Garhd 
Mandla  kingdom.  Prem  Ndrdyan  took  refuge  from  the  invading  army  in  the 
castle  of  Chaurdgarh,  in  the  Narsinghpiir  district,  but  he  was  treacherously 
assassinated,  and  the  fort  fell.  His  successor  Hirde  Sd  repulsed  tho  Bundelds 
and  re-established  his  power  by  the  aid  of  tho  Mohammadan  chief  of  Bhopdl, 
to  obtain  which,  however,  ho  had  to  cede  territory  containing  300  villages. 
After  this  Hirde  Sd  had  a  long  and  prosperous  reign,  during  which  he  con- 
structed, among  other  works  of  utility,  the  Gangd  Sdgar — a  fine  piece  of  water 
near  Garhd.  An  inscription  on  a  stone  at  Eldmnagar,  made  in  his  reign,  bears 
the  date  Saravat  1724,  or  a.d.  1667.  Again,  in  the  reign  of  his  great  grandson 
Narendra  Sd  the  Garhd  Mandla  territories  suffered  serious  diminution.  The 
young  prince,  opposed  by  his  cousin  Pahdr  Singh,  had  to  obtain  the  recogni- 
tion of  the  Emperor  by  the  cession  of  the  four  districts  of  Dhdmonf,  Gurhd 
Kotd,  and  Shdhgarh  (in  the  modem  Sdgar),  and  Marid  Doh  (in  the  modem 
Damoh).  Even  after  Pahdr  Singh's  death,  his  sons,  obtaining  for  the  first  time 
in  Mandla  history  Mardthd  aid,  kept  up  the  family  feuds,  and  though  they 
were  eventually  defeated  and  killed,  the  struggle  cost  Karendra  Sd  great  part 
of  his  dominions,  which  he  was  obliged  to  cede  to  neighbouring  princes  to  buy 
their  aid.  He  thus  lost  the  country  forming  the  modem  district  of  Seoni  to 
Bakht  Buland,  the  celebrated  ruler  who  had  raised  the  Gond  chiefship  of  Deo- 
garh  to  the  rank  of  a  powerful  principality ;  while  to  Chhatra  Sdl,  the  equally 
well  known  Bundeld  rdjd,  who  made  Pannd  a  formidable  power,  he  ceded  the 
western  and  the  southern  portions  of  i^dgar  and  the  southern  portion  of 
Damoh,  the  northern  parts  of  both  districts  having  already  passed  out  of  his 
hands  into  those  of  the  Emperor.  He  died  in  1731,  leaving  to  his  son 
Iddhdrdj  Sd  only  twenty-nine  of  the  fifty- two  districts  which  had  composed  the 
Mandla  dominions  in  the  reign  of  Sangrdm  Sd.  In  1742  the  Peshwd  invaded 
the  country,  and  after  defeating  and  killing  Mahdrdj  Sd,  placed  his  son  Seo  R&j 
Sd  on  the  throne,  on  condition  that  he  should  pay  four  Idkhs  of  rupees 
a  year  as  **  chauth'*  or  tribute  of  one-fourth.  "  By  this  dreadful  invasion  of  the 
Peshwd,''  writes  Sleeman,  "  the  whole  country  east  of  Jabalpilr  was  made  waste 
and  depopulate,t  and  has  never  since  recovered.''  The  day  of  the  Mardthds  had 
now  come,  and  the  Peshwd  was  followed  by  the  Bhonsld  Rdjd  of  Ndgpdr,  who 
annexed  the  districts  which  had  anciently  comprised  the  whole  of  the  dominions 
of  the  the  Haihai-Bans(  sovereigns  of  Ldnjf,  and  now  form  part  of  the  modem 
districts  of  Mandla,  Bdldghdt,  and  Bhanddra.  The  next  loss  of  territory 
occurred  on  the  accession  of  Nizdm  Sd,  about  A.D.  1 749,  when  the  succession 
being  disputed,  the  three  districts  which  were  afterwards  known  as  the  ''  P^nj 
Mahdl"  of  Deorf,  lying  in  the  north  of  the  Narsinghpdr  and  the  south  of  the 

♦  Briggt'  Famhta,  Eiln.  1829,  vol.  ii.  p.  225. 

t  Jounud  of  the  Aaiaitic  Society  of  Bengal,  vol.  vi.  p.  636, 


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MAND  285 

Sigar  districts,  were  ceded  to  the  Peshwi,  who  had  now  replaced  the  Emperor 
as  paramonnt  power,  in  return  for  his  recognition.  Thenceforward  the  Garhil 
Maiidla  kingdom  lay  entirely  at  the  mercy  of  the  semi-independent  rulers  of 
Sdgar,  who  represented  the  Peshwd  in  this  part  of  the  country,  until  in  1781 
the  last  of  the  Gond-ttdjput  line  was  deposed,  and  his  territories  were  added  to 
the  iSdgar  principality.  The  country  was  ruled  from  Sdgar  for  eighteen  years. 
Only  one  of  the  6dgar  chiefs,  Vdsudeva  Pandit,  has  left  any  mark  on  the  district, 
and  of  him  it  is  said  that,  in  a^few  months,  he  did  more  towards  the  ruin  of  Mandla 
than  either  internal  dissensions  or  the  raids  of  the  Pindhdrls  would  have 
effected  in  as  many  years.  In  1799  Mandla  was  annexed  by  the  Bhonsld  rdjds 
of  Ndgpdr,  and  during  the  period  of  eighteen  years  which  followed,  the  town  of 
Mandla  was  fortified  against  the  Pindhdris,  who,  though  they  freely  pillaged  the 
rest  of  the  country,  never  succeeded  in  plundering  the  town  itself.  Id  a.d.  1818 
Mandla  was  transferred  to  the  British,  *  and  the  Mardthd  garrison  in  the  fort 
making  a  difficulty  about  the  surrender,  a  force  under  General  Marshall  marched 
against  it,  and  on  the  24th  March  1818  it  was  taken  by  assault.  The  first  year 
of  British  rule  was  marked  by  a  severe  famine,  and  the  first  outbreak  ef  cholera 
ever  known  in  the  country,  which  commenced  some  days  only  after  its  occupa- 
tion by  our  troops.  At  the  commencement  of  the  mutiny  in  1857  the  chiefs  of 
Bdmgarh,  Shdhpilr,  and  Sohdgpdr  joined  the  mutineers,  for  which,  when  order  \y 
was  restored,  bohdgpilr  was  made  over  to  Rewd,  and  the  estates  of  Kdmgarh 
and  Shdhpdr  were  confiscated.  Early  in  1858,  after  some  further  unsuccessful 
attempts  at  mutiny,  British  administration  was  firmly  established  at  Mandla ; 
and  on  further  inquiry  it  turned  out  that  the  people  themselves  had  been  little 
disaffected, — the  Gonds,  whose  ideas  of  English  rule  were  indistinct,  having 
followed  their  respective  chiefs  with  the  unquestioning  faithfulness  which  with 
them  is  a  second  nature. 

The  imperial  revenues  of  the  district  as  it  now  stands  are  as  follows : — 

Land Rs.  56,516 

Excise  „  15,654 

Assessed  taxes    „      4,206 

Forests „       7,193 

Stamps „       5,073 

Miscellaneous „         502 

Total Rs.  89,144 

The  administration  is  conducted  by  a  Deputy  Commissioner,  a  Civil  Surgeon, 
. ,   .  .       .  and  an    Extra- Assistant  Commissioner  at  head- 

Quarters,  with  Tahsilddrs  or  Sub-Collectors  exercis- 
ing judicial  powers  at  Rdmgarn  and  Mandla.  The  police  force  consists  of  280 
of  all  ranks,  under  a  District  Superintendent,  aided  by  two  Inspectors.  They 
have  station-houses  at  Mandla,  Pindrai,  Nardinganj,  Rdmgarh,  Shdhpurd,  and 
Selwdrd,  besides  ten  outposts. 

Without  increased  population  the  state  of  the  country  and  people  must 
^     ,    .  remain  very  backward :  but  the  increase  can  only 

be  very  gradual,  as  the  surronndmg  countries  are 
too  thinly  populated  to  spare  people  for  an  immigration  on  any  large  scale. 
Much  of  this  backwardness  may  be  safely  attributed  to  the  unpopularity  of 
Mandla,  and  the  ignorance  entertained  by  the  population  of  the  vicinity  of  its 
advantages.     On  the  principle  of  om/w  ignotum  pro  tei-ribili,  the  Mandla  district 

*  Aitchiion'i  Treatiei,  vol.  iii.  p.  109. 


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286  MAKD 

it  sapposed  to  be  a  wild  and  dense  jnngley  snrroanded  by  impenetrable  hills, 
and  guarded  by  nnmberless  wild  beasts^  instead  of  being  known  as  a  series  of 
magnificent  Talleys,  watered  by  streams  which,  never  dry,  offer  unasnal  oppor« 
tnnities  of  irrigation,  and  rich  prairies  of  black  soil,  capable  of  producing  anything. 
The  present  inhabitants  may  be  said  to  be,  if  not  well  off,  at  least  well  satisfiM 
with  their  condition.  Having  once  faced  the  hills  with  which  Mandia  is 
surrounded,  they  have  now  no  wish  to  leave  the  fertile  spots  where  they  are 
settled.  There  is  yet  but  little  accumulated  capital  in  the  country,  and  with  the 
exception  of  the  ''  HawelP^  lands  round  Mandia,  it  is  still  in  a  state  of  transition; 
but  as  the  new  road  opens  it  up,  and  the  people  acquire  enlarged  markets  for 
their  goods,  their  prosperity  cannot  but  increase,  and  the  time  may  come  when 
Mandia  under  British  rule  will  recover  the  position  and  wealth  which  it  gained 
by  centuries  of  fostering  care  from  its  native  princes,  and  lost  by  a  few  decades 
of  Mar^thd  oppression. 

MANDL A — The  south-western  revenue  subdivision  or  tahsfl  in  the  district 
of  the  same  name,-having  an  area  of  2,215  square  miles,  with  920  villages,  and 
a  population  of  130,929  souls  according  to  the  census  of  186(5.  &e  land 
revenue  for  the  year  1869-70  is  Rs.  46,991. 

MANDL  A — The  principal  town  of  the  district  of  the  same  name,  situated 
in  latitude  2>'*  43',  and  longitude  80^  35',  at  an  elevation  of  1,770  feet.    It  is 

59  miles  south-east  from  Jabalpdr,  635  north-east  from  Bombay,  and  135 
north-north-east  from  Ndgpdr.  The  town  is  naturally  one  of  some  strength, 
being  surrounded  on  three  sides  by  the  Narbadd..  It  now  contains  a  population 
of  about  5,000,  and  the  number  of  houses  is  estimated  at  1,200.     Of  these  some 

60  only  are  built  of  stone  or  brick,  about  150  are  made  of  mud,  and  the  remainder 
of  "  wattle  and  daub.^'  The  town  was  made  the  seat  of  his  government  by  Uiji 
Narendra  Sd,  the  fifty-seventh  rdjd  of  the  Grarhd  Mandia  line,  in  1 680.  He  erected 
a  fort  on  a  piece  of  ground  having  the  river  on  three  sides,  and  separated  from 
the  town  by  a  deep  ditch.  Within  the  fort  he  built  a  large  palace.  He  also 
constructed  a  temple,  a  ghdt,  and  several  houses  for  his  followers.  About 
▲•D.  1739  Mandia  was  taken  by  the  Peshwd,  Bdldjf  Bdj(  Rdo,  who  named  the  ^te 
on  the  Jabalpdr  road,  where  he  entered  the  town,  the  "  Fateh  Darwdza.'*  The 
Mardthds  built  a  wall  with  bastions  and  gates  on  the  side  of  the  town  not  pro- 
tected by  the  river,  and  otherwise  strengthened  the  place.  In  1818,  when  it 
was  taken  by  General  Marshall,  the  fort  and  palace  were  found  in  a  very  dilapi- 
dated state,  and  were  partially  destroyed.  The  streets  of  the  town  are  narrow, 
but  from  a  distance  the  temples  and  ghdts  give  the  plaoe  a  picturesque  appear- 
ance. Of  the  latter  there  are  as  many  as  thirty-seven  on  the  banks  of  the 
Narbadd,  the  earliest  built  in  1680,  and  the  latest  in  1858.  The  trade  of  the 
town  is  inconsiderable.  The  only  manufacture  is  one  of  so-called  '^  bell-metal^ 
vessels,  made  of  an  alloy  of  zinc  and  copper. 

MANDLADAI' — A  hill  in  the  Seon(  district,  about  twenty  miles  to  the 
north-east  of  Seoni.  It  has  an  elevation  of  2,500  feet  above  the  sea,  but  is 
diiScult  of  access. 

MANDU  MAHAL  SIEGIRA'— A  small  chiefship  attached  to  the  Sam- 
balp4r  district,  situated  to  the  south-west  of  Bd(s(.  It  consists  of  four  villaget 
only,  and  the  area  is  not  more  than  six  square  miles.  The  population  is  com* 
puted  at  1,005  souls,  of  the  agricultural  classes,  vis.  Gonds,  Khonds,  Sdonrds,  and 
feiindls  (Binjwdrs).  Bice,  as  elsewhere  in  the  Sambalpdr  distriet,  is  the  staple 
agricultural  product.  The  principal  village  is  Sirgira,  the  population  of  which 
is  677  ionls. 


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MA'N— MAll  287 

M A'NGRUX — A  village  in  the  Ch&ndd  district,  lying  twenty  miles  soutli- 
Irest  of  Brahmapurf,  on  the'  eastern  side  of  the  Perzdgarh  range.  It  possesses  a 
Tery  fine  irrigation-reservoir,  and  is  picturesquely  situated. 

M  ANIAHI' — A  stream  in  the  Bildspdr  district,  which  has  its  rise  in  the 
Lormf  hills,  and  flowing  south  and  west  past  the  towns  of  Lormf,  Bijipdr,  and 
Takhtpdr,  forms,  for  a  greater  portion  of  its  course,  the  boundary  line  between 
the  MungeK  and  Bildspdr  parganas.  After  a  circuitous  course  of  some  seventy 
miles  it  falls  into  the  Seondth  river  in  the  Tareugd  tdluka.  It  has  a  wide 
straggling  bed,  but,  except  at  intervals  in  the  rains,  contains  no  volume  of  water. 
In  the  hot  and  cold  weather  months  many  parts  of  its  channel  are  quite  dry> 
while  in  other  places  there  are  reaches  of  water,  which  are  utilised  for  purposes 
of  iirigation. 

MARIATDOH — A  village  and  fort,  prettily  situated  on  a  pool  of  the  Jogfdd- 
bdr  ndld,  about  ten  miles  north  of  Hattd,  in  the  Damoh  district.  The  fort  ^;r«t8 
built  by  the  Bundeld  rdjds  of  Charkhdrf,  to  whom,  until  1860, 4he  place  belonged. 
It  was  then  made  over  to  the  British  in  exchange  for  some  territory  in  the 
Hamfrpdr  district.  There  is  a  building  still  standing  in  the  fort  called  the 
**  Bdrddarf ,^^  where  the  Charkhdrf  rdjds  used  to  live  when  they  visited  Mariddoh, 
and  not  far  from  the  village  is  their  game-preserve  or  "ramnd.^'  A  good  deal 
of  coarse  cloth  is  manufactured  in  the  village,  which  contains  a  police  station- 
house,  a  district  post-office,  and  a  village  school. 

M  A^RKANDI' — A  village  in  the  Chdndd  district,  situated  on  the  left  bank 
of  the  Waingangd,  three  miles  north-north-west  of  Chdroursi.  It  contains  twenty, 
five  hooses  only,  and  derives  its  name  from  a  beautiful  group  of  temples  which 
stand  on  a  high  bluflf  overlooking  the  river.  Here  the  waters  of  the  Waingau^d 
flowing  south  suddenly  change  their  course,  and  roll  backwards  to  the  north, 
then  sweeping  round  in  a  wide  curve  they  resume  their  progress.  The 
Mdrkandi  group  comprises  a  monastery,  and  is  enclosed  in  a  quadrangle,  with 
entrances  from  the  river  front  and  the  two  sides,  while  along  the  rear  side  runs 
a  row  of  cells  facing  the  Waingangd.  The  buildings  themselves  are  of  great 
antiquity,  but  much  of  the  rich  carving  which  adorns  the  centre  temple  is  of 
comparatively  recent  date.  Its  apex  has  fallen,  and  some  of  the  stones  on  the 
top  are  twisted  round,  overlapping  the  base,  so  as  to  give  the  idea  that  at 
any  moment  they  may  come  crashing  down;  but  it  is  stated  that  they 
have  hung  thus  for  two  generations.*  Formerly  a  broad  flight  of  steps 
led  from  the  front  to  the  river's  bed,  but  much  now  has  been  swept  away.  The 
monastery  is  constructed  of  a  purple  stone,  obtained  from  rocky  islets  in  the 
Waingangd.  Among  the  ancient  sculptures  are  several  of  warriors  with  sword 
or  battle-axe,  and  bow  and  arrows.  The  best  of  these  is  about  three  feet  hi^h^ 
and  displays  a  soldier  with  a  short,  straight  sword  in  his  right  hand,  and  in  his 
left  a  long  bow,  while  at  his  back  he  carries  a  quiver  full  of  arrows.  All  the 
warriors  ^ve  anklets.  The  more  modem  carving  is  of  rare  excellence,  cover- 
ing every  inch  of  space  on  the  centre  temple,  and  consisting  mainly  of  human 
figures  about  two  reet  high,  which  appear  to  represent  scenes  in  a  continuous 
tide.  The  village  is  said  to  have  been  founded  as  early  as  the  fourteenth  cen- 
tury (of  the  Christian  era)  by  Vyankat  Rdo,  a  Gond  chief  of  ArpalU.  It  is  now 
sabjeot  to  yearly  inundation,  and  in  consequence  few  will  reside  here.  A  fair 
is  held  annually  near  the  monastery  in  February,  but  the  attendance  of  late 
years  has  not  been  large.  Good  stone  for  mills  is  found  in  the  islets  of  the 
Waingangd  close  to  MdHcandf,  and  is  worked  up  by  the  Chdmursi  masons. 


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288  MA'RU'— MOH 

MATIU' — A  small  town  in  tlie  Bildspdr  district,  sitnatcd  twenty  miles 
Bonth-west  of  Bildspdr.  It  is  said  to  have  been  founded  about  three  hundred 
years  ago  by  a  brother  of  the  then  ruler  of  Ratanpdr.  It  was  protected  by  a 
large  earthwork  and  ditch,  the  former  of  which  is  nearly  level  with  the  ground^ 
but  the  latter,  forty  feet  wide,  still  remains.  The  present  population  amounts 
to  about  1,500  souls.     A  well- attended  weekly  market  is  held  here. 

MATI'N — A  chiefship  to  the  north  of  the  Bildspdr  district,  containing 
forty  villages,  with  an  area  of  569  square  miles.  The  population  by  the  last 
census  amounted  to  2,760  souls  only,  giviug  the  low  average  rate  of  four  to  the 
square  mile.  The  estate  lies  entirely  in  the  hill  country,  and  is  infested  by 
wild  elephants,  which  until  lately  almost  entirely  prevented  cultivation.  A 
''  khedd  "  was  established  a  few  years  ago,  which  has  now  been  trsuisferred  to 
fresh  ground,  after  having  materially  diminished  the  herds.  The  chief  is  of 
the  Eanwar  caste. 

MATI'N  DEVA— A  sacred  hill  near  Mdtln,  in  the  Bildspdr  district. 

MAU — A  tract  of  country  in  the  BSldghdt  district.  It  appears  to  have 
been  settled  some  thirty  or  forty  years  ago  by  Ponwdrs  from  the  Waingangd 
valley,  under  the  enterprising  management  of  the  grantee,  Lachhman  Ndik^  and 
is  now  the  most  flourishing  portion  of  the  Bdldghdt  highlands. 

MAU — A  village  in  the  Bdldghdt  district,  well  situated  on  high  and  well- 
draited  ground,  in  the  centre  of  the  extensive  estate  of  the  same  name.  It  is 
about  thirty-six  miles  to  the  north  of  Bdrhd,  and  five  miles  from  the  Waingangd. 
There  is  a  police  outpost  here. 

MAUNDA'  (MOHODA')— A  town  in  the  Ndgpilr  district,  situated  on  the 
eastern  bank  of  the  Kanhda,  half  way  between  Ndgprir  and  Bhanddra.  The 
surrounding  estate  belongs  to  Yaswant  Rdo  Gujar,  who  has  a  fort  in  the  town, 
which  also  contains  a  large  market-place  and  a  good  main  street.  There 
are  here  a  government  school-house  and  a  police  station.  The  population, 
great  part  of  which  is  employed  in  the  cotton-cloth  manufacture,  amounts  to 
3^148  souls. 

MHESA^ — A  village  in  the  Chdndd  district,  situated  three  miles  west- 
south-west  of  Segdon,  and  possessing  a  fine  irrigation-reservoir. 

MIRKALLU' — A  block  of  forest  forming  part  of  that  described  under 
''  Ahlrf ''  in  the  Chdndd  district. 

MOHATir — A  town  in  the  Bhanddra  district,  situated  on  an  affluent  of 
the  Sur  river,  about  ten  miles  due  north  of  Bhanddra.  The  population  amounts 
to  7,622  souls,  and  there  is  a  considerable  trade  in  the  cotton-cloth  manu- 
factures of  the  town,  which  are  well  known  and  esteemed  in  the  country  round. 
There  is  also  some  trade  in  g  ain.  The  watch  and  ward  and  conservancy  are 
provided  from  the  town  duties;  and  the  town  is  kept  fairly  clean.  It  is  con- 
sidered healthy,  though  the  weU-water  is  brackish,  and  the  supply  is  scanty  in 
the  hot  season.  There  are  here  a  large  and  flourishing  government  school^  a 
police  station,  and  a  district  post-office. 

•  MOHARLI — A.  village  in  the  Chdndd  district,  situated  twenty  miles  north 
of  Chandd,  in  the  midst  of  thick  jungle.  It  possesses  a  very  fine  tank,  and 
produces  a  good  deal  of  rice  and  sugarcane.  The  Chdndd  and  Chimilr  road 
passes  here ;  and  there  are  a  police  station-hoHse  and  a  district  post-office  in 
the  village. 


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MOH— MOW  289 

MOHGA'ON — ^A  municipal  town  in  the  Chhindwdra  district,  situated  on  a 
tributary  of  the  river  Jim,  about  thirty-eight  miles  south  of  Chhindwdri. 
The  population  njimbers  4,789  souls,  chiefly  cultivators ;  but  there  are  also  a 
good  many  traders;  and  this  is  said  to  be  almost  the  only  place  in  the 
Chhindwird  district  where  there  is  an  appreciable  proportion  of  beggars,  chiefly 
Brihmans^  among  the  inhabitants.  On  either  side  of  the  river  is  a  large  Hindu 
temple,  one  of  which,  sacred  to  MaMdeva^  is  said  to  be  three  centuries  old. 

MOHKHEB — A  large  village  in  the  Chhindwdrd  district,  situated 
foarteen  miles  south  of  Chhindwdrd,  formerly  the  capital  of  the  pargana.  It 
possesses  a  good  school,  a  police  station-house,  and  a  tank.  The  population 
numbers  2^1 74  souls,  a  good  many  of  whom  are  carriers  by  trade.  Leathern 
vessels  for  ghee  are  largely  manufactured  here. 

MOHPA' — A  town  in  the  Ndgptir  district,  between  Siwargaon  and  Kal- 
meswar,  twenty  miles  from  Ndgpdr,  on  the  left  bank  of  the  Chandrabhagfi. 
It  has  a  population  of  5,509  souls,  mostly  agricultural.  The  Mdlf  caste  musters 
strong  here,  and  in  consequence  most  of  the  rich  land  close  to  the  village  is 
cultivated  and  irrigated  like  a  garden.  This  is  the  chief  place  in  a  small  but  rich 
estate  belonging  to  the  Nawdb  Hasan  All  Khdn,  the  representative  of  an  old  and 
distinguished  family.  The  Nawdb  collects  his  own  octroi,  and  arranges  for  con- 
servancy and  watch  and  ward.  The  new  road  through  Kalmeswar  to  Sdwar- 
g^n  will  pass  through  this  town.  A  good  school-house  has  been  recently  built. 

MORAN — A  stream  rising  in  the  Sdtpuri  hills  in  the  Betdl  district,  and 
entering  the  Hoshangibdd  district  near  the  town  of  Seoni.  During  the  rains  it 
is  a  mountain  torrent,  for  the  rest  of  the  year  a  clear,  shallow  stream.  It  unites 
with  the  river  Ganjdl  before  reaching  the  Narbadd.  In  its  bed,  before  leaving 
the  hills,  a  vein  of  indifferent  coal  has  been  found, 

MORTAKKA' — ^The  north-western  revenue  subdivision  or  tabsil  in  the 
Kimiv  district,  having  an  area  of  690  square  miles,  with  133  villages,  and  a 
population  of  19,079  souls  according  to  the  census  of  1866.  The  land  revenue 
for  the  year  1869-70  is  Rs.  16,758. 

MOTUH  (MOHTOOR)— A  plateau  in  the  Chhindw^d  district,  thirty-four 
miles  to  the  north-west  of  the  station  of  Chhindwdrd.  The  following  short 
description  of  this  place  is  taken  from  Sir  Richard  Templets  Administration 
Report  for  1861-o2  :— 

"  The  height  above  the  sea  is  3,600  feet.  The  neighbouring  hills  and 
valleys  are  clothed  with  low  and  thick  wood.  And  this  circumstance  is 
calcidated  to  injuriously  afiect  the  climate  during  the  rainy  months  and  the 
autumn.  But  during  the  winter,  spring,  and  early  summer,  or  more  than  half 
the  year,  the  climate  is  delightful.  The  plateau  of  the  hill  itself  is  open,  and 
generally  free  from  jungle.  The  soil  and  water  are  everything  that  could 
be  desired.  On  the  northern  aspect  the  scenery  is  fine.  In  the  hot  months 
the  atmosphere  is  cool  and  invigorating,  and  the  sun  is  not  overpowering.'* 

The  place  has  been  tried  as  a  sanitarium  for  European  troops  from  Kdmthi, 
but  has  been  abandoned,  partly  owing  to  the  difficulty  of  reaching  it  at  an 
inclement  time  of  year,  and  over  a  bad  road,  and  partly  owing  to  the  distaste  of 
the  soldiers  for  so  solitary  a  situation,  • 

MOWA'R — A  town  in  the  Ndgptir  district,  six  miles  north  of  Jalfilkherd, 
and  about  fifty-six  from  Ndgptir,  on  the  left  bank  of  the  Wardhd.  The 
country  around  is  extremely  fertile,  and  is  covered  with  groves  and  garden 
cultivation,  which  completely  surround  the  town  on  all  sides  but  that  of  the  river. 
Mowdr  is  flourishing,  having  3,762  inhabitants,  mostly  engaged  in  cultivation 

37  CPG 


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290  MUG— MUL 

or  in  the  manuCetcture  of  ordinary  cotton-clotli.  The  municipal  funds  have  been 
laid  oat  in  the  construction  of  a  good  b^z^r^  new  streets^  and  school  and  polioe 
buildings.  Two  large  dams  have  also  been  made  on  the  banks  of  the  river^ 
which  used  often  at  these  points  to  overflow  and  flood  the  town  during  the 
monsoons.     The  town  has  the  reputation  of  being  somewhat  unhealthy. 

The  trade  of  Mowdr  is  considerable.  The  declared  value  of  its  exports  for 
the  year  1866-67  was  Rs.  1,21,501,  and  of  its  imports  Rs.  3,24,869. 

MUGDAI' — A  spring  and  cavern  in  the  Perzdgarh  hills,  about  a  mile  east  of 
Domd,  in  the  Chdndd  district.  On  ascending  this  portion  of  the  range  a  plat* 
form  of  rock  is  reached,  and  beyond  it  rises  a  smooth  sheer  precipice,  a  hundred 
feet  in  height,  of  sandstone  rock,  black  from  exposure,  but  naturally  white. 
Over  this  in  the  rains  plunges  a  broad  cascade,  and  in  the  driest  weather  a 
slender  stream  trickles  from  the  foot  of  the  precipice,  and  falls  into  a  cleft  in 
the  rocky  platform,  four  feet  long  by  one  fo">t  wide,  where  throughout  the  year 
is  an  unvarying  depth  of  seven  feet  of  water.  A  few  yards  from  the  crevice  is 
a  large  shallow  cavern*  sacred  to  the  Mini  goddess  Mugdaf.  During  the 
ravages  of  the  Pindhdrfs  the  Mugdaf  platform  was  the  refuge  of  the  neighbour- 
ing villages ;  and  a  small  fair  is  still  held  there. 

MD'L — A  range  of  hills  in  the  Chdndd  district,  situated  three  miles  west 
of  Mdl,  and  measuring  eighteen  miles  from  north  to  south,  and  thirteen  from 
east  to  west*  They  are  covered  with  forest,  among  which  is  a  ffood  deal  of 
large  bijesdl,  and  under  the  southern  slopes  nenr  Pipalkot  teak  is  springing 
up  in  great  profusion.  Numerous  perennial  streams  abound  along  the  foot  of 
the  range,  dotting  the  forest  with  patches  of  sugarcane.  The  valleys  of  Dhon{ 
aiid  Jhirri  on  tne  south,  and  of  Kholsd  on  the  west,  were  once  immense  artificial 
lakes,  with  large  villages  on  the  slopes  of  the  hills,  at  which  extensive  markets 
met.  Now  there  are  only  a  few  clusters  of  Gond  huts  on  the  site  of  the  lakes,  and 
thick  forest  on  the  hill-sides.  In  the  very  driest  weather  the  grass  in  tiiese 
valleys  is  brilliantly  green,  and  the  streams  running  through  them  bright  and 
limpid.  The  Dhoni  valley  especially  is  worthy  of  a  visit  during  the  summer 
months ;  but  the  visitor  should  be  careful  to  boil  the  spring- water  before  using  it. 
On  the  hills  is  found  a  species  of  snowdrop,  the  leaves  of  which  are  eaten  by  the 
Gonds  as  a  vegetable ;  and  under  the  southern  slopes  is  a  large  excavation 
in  which  the  elephants  that  once  abounded  in  this  part  of  the  country  were 
entrapped  by  the  Gond  hunters. 

MU'L — The  southern  revenue  subdivision  or  tahsfl  in  the  Chdndd  district^ 
having  an  area  of  1,952  square  miles,  with  430  villages,  and  a  population  of 
168,519  souls  according  to  the  census  of  1866.  The  land  revenue  of  the  tahsfl 
for  the  year  1869-70  is  Rs.  69,150. 

MU'L — A  town  in  the  ChiaAi  district,  situated  thirty  miles  north-east  of 
Chdndd,  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  Mdl  hills.  It  is  the  head-iquarters  of  the 
Mdl  tahsfl,  and  contains  776  houses.  Three-fourths  of  the  population  are 
Telingas.  Rice  and  sugarcane  are  grown  iix  the  neighbourhood ;  and  the  chief 
manrdfactures  are  coloured  cotton-cloths  and  native  shoes  and  sandals.  There  is 
little  trade  beyond  what  arises  from  the  consumption  of  the  inhabitants.  A 
tahsfld^r  is  stationed  here ;  and  there  are  a  town  school  for  boys,  a  girls^  school^ 
a  police  station-house,  a  post-office,  and  a  nursery  for  young  trees. 

MnLTA'I'*-The    southern   revenue  subdivision    or  tahsfl  in  the  Betdl 

district,  having  an  area  of  958  square  nules,  with  365  villages,  and  a  population 

of  78,764  souls   according  to  the  census  of  1866.    The  land  revenue  for  the 

year  1869-70  is  Rs.  68,601.    Opium  is  more  largely  cultivated  in  this  tahsfl 

..than  in  any  other  part  of  the  Central  Provinces* 


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MUL-NA'CH  291 

MULTAT— A  town  in  the  Betdl  district,  situated  on  the  Tapti,  twenty- 
eight  miles  east  of  Badndr.  The  population  amounts  to  3,320  souls,  and  there 
is  some  trade,  especially  in  opium  and  unrefined  sugar,  which  are  produced  in  the 
country  around.  There  is  a  Inrge  tank  here,  which  is  reverenced  by  Hindds 
as  the  source  of  the  Tapti,  and  is  ornamented  by  several  temples.  The  public 
baildings  are  a  tahsil  court-house,  a  police  station-house,  a  government  school, 
and  a  charitable  dispensary.  There  is  also  an  English  burial-ground  here,  now 
disnsed. 

MUN6BLI' — The  western  revenue  subdivision  or  tahsfl  in  the  Bildspdr 
district,  having  an  area  of  679  square  miles,  with  609  villages,  and  a  population 
of  140,500  socds  according  to  the  census  of  1866.  The  land  revenue  of  the  tahsfl 
for  the  year  1869-70  is  Rs.  1,32,556-6-0. 

MUNGELI' — The  head-quarters  of  a  sub-collectorate  in  the  Bilfapdrdistrict. 
It  is  situated  on  the  river  A'gar,  thirty-six  miles  west  of  Bildspdr,  on  the  direct 
road  between  that  place  and  Jabalpdr.  The  river  at  this  point  is  so  tortuous  in 
its  course  as  to  envelope  the  town  on  three  sides.  Mun^K  is  daily  increasing 
in  importance,  being  conveniently  situated  for  traders.  Two  large  markets  are 
held  here  weekly,  and  there  are  a  police  station-house  and  a  town  school. 

MDRAMGA'ON — A  small  chiefship  in  the  Chdndd  district,  situated  thirty, 
five  miles  east-south-east  of  Wairdgarh.     It  contains  twenty-five  villages. 

MURWAHA' — The  northern  revenue  subdivision  or  tahsfl  in  the  Ja- 
balpdr district,  having  an  area  of  1,276  square  miles,  with  577  villages,  and  a 
population  of  146,435  souls  according  to  the  census  of  ld66.  The  land  revenue 
for  the  year  1869-70  is  Rs.  91,975. 

MURWA'RA' — A  Fmall  but  rising  town  in  the  Jabalpdr  district,  on  the 
road  to  Mirzdpdr.  It  is  6fty -seven  miles  north-east  of  Jabalpdr,  and  has  a  popu- 
lation of  1,735  people,  chiefly  agriculturists.  There  is  a  government  school 
here ;  and  the  Katna  river  is  crossed  by  two  fine  bridges,  the  one  on  the  northern 
road,  and  the  other  on  the  Railway. 

MUTA'NDA'— See  ''  Pav(  Mutdndd.'' 


N 

NA'CHANGA'ON— A  town  in  the  Huzdr  tahsfl  of  the  Wardhd  district, 
lying  two  miles  to  the  south  of  the  Pulg^on  railway  station,  and  about 
twenty-one  miles  from  Wardhd.  It  is  said  to  be  very  old,*  and  parts  of  the 
wall  which  formerly  surrounded  it  still  exist.  The  sardi  is  the  most  conspicuous 
building  in  the  place.  With  its  strong  stone  walls  and  gateway,  it  more 
resembles  a  fort  than  a  sardf,  and  it  was  successfully  used  by  the  inhabitants 
for  purposes  of  self-defence  against  the  Pindhdris.  The  rooms  for  travellers, 
also  of  strong  masonry,  abut  on  the  inside  of  the  walls,  leaving  a  clear  space 
containing  a  well  in  the  middle.  A  carved  stone  on  the  well  purports  to  show 
that  the  building  was  constructed  nearly  four  centuries  ago  by  one  Bddshdh  Ldr. 
One  of  the  principal  works  carried  out  by  the  muncipality  has  been  the  clearing 
and  levelling  of  a  square  or  market-place  in  the  centre  of  the  town.  A  weekly 
market  is  held  here  every  Thursday,  but  it  has  fallen  off  of  late  years.  An 
annual  religious  fair  is  held  in  the  temple  of  Purdnik,  on  the  fourth  of  A^swin 
Yadya,  the  month  corresponding  to  the  latter  half  of  September  i^nd  the  first 
half  of  October.  There  is  a  good  village  school  and  a  police  outpost  in  the 
town.     It  contains  3,571  inhabitants,  chiefly  agriculturists* 


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292 


NA'G 


[Section  I. — General  description.] 


NA'G — A  small  stream  which,  lising  amongst  the  little  hills  north-west  of 
Sitdbaldf  in  the  Nigpdr  district,  flows  through  the  city  of  Ndgpdr,  and  after 
receiving  the  PHI  and  other  smaller  streams  empties  itself  into  the  Kanhdn. 

NA'GAR — ^A  range  of  forest-covered  hills  lying  between  Jabalpdr  and 
Mandla.  They  may  be  considered  as  forming  a  portion  of  the  northern  boun- 
dary of  the  Narbadd,  whose  course  in  the  Barg{  pargana  of  the  Jabalpdr  district 
is  nearly  due  north  and  south. 

NA'GBHI'R — ^A  town  in  the  Chdndd  district,  situated  twelve  miles  west- 
south-west  of  Brahmapuri,  and  containing  900  houses.  The  population  is  chiefly 
Mardthd.  Fine  cotton-cloths  of  peculiar  excellence  are  manufactured  here,  and 
there  is  some  little  trade.  Rice  is  the  chief  product  of  the  surrounding  country. 
The  town  possesses  an  old  fort  now  in  ruins,  a  boys'  school,  a  girls'  school,  and 
a  police  outpost. 


NA'GPUH*-^ 


CONTENTS. 
Page 


SECTION  I.— General  oescriptiok.  ..  292 

Qaographical  description    ib. 

Hill  tmcu 293 

PlaiiM    295 

Detached  hills 296 

Biven    • t6. 

Climate 297 

Geology 299 

SECTION  II.— History 301 

Gaalikinies   ib. 

Gond  d.viiHSty 302 

The  Bhonslft  family 308 

Bagboji  I ib. 

Jtooji    ;..  306 

S6l>ljiand  Mudbfiji     dOii 

Raghoji  II .307 

A'p^Sihib     309 

RaghojlIII 313 

Bhonsl&  polity   i6. 

Bbon8l&  adroinisimtion     •.,  314 

Briiish  administration     ib. 

Mutiny  of  1857 315 

SECTION  III.— Administration    317 

District  staff ib, 

Impanal  revenue 318 

Local  revenue    319 

SECTION  IV.— Population     321 

Classification ••.... ib, 

Dateof  stttlement  , 32*2 

Languafte  and  religion    • . .  • .  ti2^ 

Occupations  and  customs ib. 


Page 


SECTION  IW— continued. 

Social  condition    • • 324 

Towns  and  villages   325 

SECTION  v.— Productions 326 

Cultivation    ib, 

Kharif  crops ,,  387 

Bubi  crops     ib. 

Garden  crops 388 

Live  stock 329 

Forest  produce ib. 

Stone  and  minerals ib. 

Manufactures   ••  330 

SECTION  VI.— Trade    331 

Under  the  MaHith&  rule ib. 

Cotton  traffic    ......•• {6. 

Imports  and  exports    ...•. 332 

Country  cloth ib, 

£otrep6ts 833 

Banking  • ib. 

SECTION  VII.^Communications 334 

Roads ib. 

Old  lines    335 

New  lines • •  •  386 

Northern  Road ib. 

Eastern  Koad     337 

Southern  Road ib. 

North-Wesiern  Hoad ib. 

Local  lines 338 

Progress  of  the  c'»untry ib. 

River  communication     339 

SECTION  VIII.— Education   ib. 

A  district    in   tlio   Central    Provinces,    bounded    on  the  north-west  by 

a  short  stretch  of  the  river  Wardhfi,  on  the  north 
by  the  districts  of  Chhindwird  and  Seonl,  and  on 
the  east  by  the  district  of  Bhanddra.  A  small 
portion  of  the  Chdndd  district  adjoins  its  ex- 
treme southern  frontier;  and  throughout  its  whole  length,  from  north-west 
to  south-east,  it  is  bounded  by  the  new  district  of  Wardhd.  Thus,  with  the 
exception  of  the  short  frontier  on  the  river  Wardhfi,  beyond  which  lies  EJast 
Berdr,  it  is  entirely  enclosed  by  other  districts  belonging  to  the  Central 
Provinces,  and  is  situated  in  the  south-western  portion  of  the  extensive  territory 

♦  This  article,  with  the  exception  of  one  or  two  slight  interpolations,  is  by  Mr.  M.  Low,  late 
Deputy  Commissioner  of  Nfi^fir,  wh  >  acknowledges  the  assistjinoe  he  has  received  from  Messrs. 
Nicholls,  Macdougall,  and  Munton,  his  subordinates. 


SECTION  I.— General 

DESCRIPTION. 

Geographical  description. 


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[Section  I.— General  detcription.]  NA'G  293 

now  subject  to  tliat  administration.  It  lies  immediately  below  the  great  table- 
land of  the  Sdtpurfo.  It  comprises  the  central  portion  of  the  Upper  Dodb  be- 
tween the  Waingangd  and  the  Wardhi,  and  is  identical  with  the  most  important 
part  of  that  tract  of  country  which  was  known  in  by-gone  days  as  "  Deogarfa 
below  the  ghits.'^  Nagpdr,  the  chief  town,  and  the  present  seat  of  the  adminis- 
tration of  the  Central  Provinces,  is  situated  nearly  in  the  centre  of  the  district^ 
in  north  latitude  21^  9',  and  east  longitude  79^  11'.  The  outline  of  the  district 
is  oneven,  but  in  genei^  terms  its  shape  may  be  called  triangular.  The  apex 
of  the  triangle  would  be  the  short  reach  of  the  river  Wardhi  in  the  north-west, 
and  the  base,  the  boundary  line  of  Bhanddra  on  the  east ;  while  the  other  two 
sides  would  be  formed  by  the  Sdtpuri  hills  on  the  north,  and  the  Wardhd  district 
boundary  on  the  south-west.  The  extreme  length  of  the  district  from  east  to 
west  is  eighty  miles,  and  its  extreme  breadth  from  north  to  south  seventy-eight 
miles.  Its  total  area  is  2,356,809  acres,  or  3,682  square  miles,  being  just  a 
Uttle  smaller  than  the  East  and  West  Ridings  of  Yorkshire. 

For  revenue  and  administrative  purposes  it  is  divided  into  four  subdivisions 
or  tahsils.  These  are  Ndgpdr,  Kdtol,  Rdmtek,  and  Umrer.  The  Ndgpdr 
tahsil  may  be  said  to  comprise  the  central  and  south- western  parts  of  the  district. 
The  north-western  portion  belongs  to  Kdtol,  the  north  and  north-eastern  to 
Rdmtek,  the  south  and  south-eastern  to  Umrer.  The  entire  district,  as  thus 
comprised,  possesses  great  varieties  of  surface  and  scenery.  Before  describing 
the  hill  tracts,  the  plains,  and  the  rivers,  each  in  their  turn,  it  will  be  well  to  turn 
for  a  moment  to  the  map,  in  order  to  see  the  local  disposition  according  to  which 
these  features  of  the  country  are  severally  grouped,  it  will  be  found  that  the  hill 
ranges  form,  so  to  speak,  the  skeleton.  The  plain  country  is  as  it  were  the  body, 
the  whole  of  which  is  knit  together,  and  its  diflferent  portions  separated  by  this 
upland  framework.  Throughout  each  portion  is  distributed  its  own  system  of 
rivers  and  sti-eams  as  arteries  and  veins.  The  northern  frontier  of  the  district  is 
one  continuous  range  of  hills,  consisting  sometimes  of  spurs  from  the  S^tpurds,  and 
sometimes  of  the  Sdtpurds  themselves.  A  second  great  division  of  hills  encloses 
the  district  from  north-west  to  south-east,  except  at  a  break  where  the  river  Wand 
passes  through,  and  again  lower  down  where  the  range  is  resumed  in  the  same 
direction,  but  is  shifted,  so  to  speak,  further  north,  leaving  the  Ndnd  valley 
between  the  southern  side  of  the  range  and  the  Wardhd  district  boundary.  The 
whole  of  the  plain  country  (excepting  the  Ndnd  valley)  is  thus  enclosed  between 
two  great  hill  ranges  and  the  boundary  line  of  Bhanddra.  But  these  two  mountain 
ranges  are  themselves  connected  together  by  a  third  hill  range  running  across 
the  plain  thus  enclosed ;  so  that  the  whole  country  is  divided  into  three  great 
hill  ranges,  and  three  great  plains,  which  the  hill  ranges  either  enclose  or  de- 
marcate, while  each  one  of  these  plains  has  its  own  system  of  streams  or  rivers 
peculiar  to  itself. 

The  hills  and  hill  ranges  are  extensive  in  area,  though  they  attain  no  great 
„.„  altitude.     The  chains  exhibit   great  variation  in 

height,  breadth,  contour,  and  outline.  They  are 
sometimes  in  a  high  degree  picturesque.  Sometimes  they  are  covered  only  with 
loose  stones  and  low  brushwood.  In  some  cases,  again,  they  are  quite  bare 
and  arid ;  in  others  their  slopes  and  summits  possess  a  good  soil  for  trees^  and 
carry,  or  could  carry,  valuable  timber.  Generally  they  run  on  in  unbroken 
chains,  save  at  certain  intervals,  where  perhaps  a  stream  with  fertile  tracts 
on  either  bank  has  to  pass  through ;  some  again  are  absolutely  detached. 
They  must  all,  however,  it  seems  be  regarded  as  off:^hoots  belonging  to  the 
Sdtpurd  range  on  the  north ;  and  themselves  generally  rocky  and  comparatively 


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294  NA'G  [Section  I.-^General  deioriptkm.] 

sterile^  they  liave  this  peonliaritj  in  common^  that  the  valleys  and  lowlands 
intersecting  and  adjoining  them  possess  a  soil  not  merely  culturable^  bat  even 
extremely  fertile.  In  the  midst  of  barren  hills,  covered  with  nothing  but  loose 
boulders  and  low  scrubs  the  traveller  unexpectedly  finds  himself  looking  down 
on  valleys  studded  with  fruit  trees,  and  teeming  with  com  and  garden  cultiva- 
tion. Strips  of  rich,  highly  cultivated  soil,  entering  from  the  lowlands  below 
stretch  away  through  the  hill  gorees,  creeping  as  it  were  up  the  sides  until 
they  abruptly  terminate  in  rock  and  brushwood.  It  is  in  the  abruptness  and 
frequency  of  the  contrasts  thus  offered  between  hill  and  dale,  rock  and  black 
soil,  scrub  and  corn-field,  jungle  and  homestead,  and  in  the  ever*recurring 
juxtaposition  of  desert  and  garden,  that  the  most  striking  feature  of  the  hill 
scenery  is  to  be  found. 

The  first  division  to  be  noticed  is  the  northern  boundaiy  range.  This 
consists  of  the  outlying  hiUs  below  the  S^tpur&s,  on  the  west,  and  of  the 
actual  ghdts  themselves,  and  of  spurs  from  the  lower  part  of  the  gh^ts,  on  the 
east.  Commencing  with  the  extreme  western  point,  and  continuing  on  in  a 
straight  line  eastwards  to  the  river  Kanhdn,  this  strip  is  exceedingly  narrow; 
and  the  Chhindw&r&  district  is  reached  at  all  points  before  the  ascent  of  the 
gh&ts ;  but  between  the  Kanhdn  and  the  Pench  it  is  widened  by  a  deep  inden- 
tetion  into  the  Chhindwdrd  district ;  and  the  entire  ascent  of  the  ghdts  is  made 
opposite  Khamirp&ii  in  Chhindwdrd,  before  the  Ndgptir  boundary  is  passed. 
Tne  strip  here,  including  the  Tikdri  hill  (1,668  feet  above  the  sea  level)  and 
other  offshoots,  averages  twelve  miles  broad.  It  has  some  excellent  young 
timber,  and  the  whole  of  it  forms  part  of  a  great  forest  reserve.  The  scenery 
about  Bheogarh  and  along  the  banks  of  the  Pench  is  very  picturesque. 
The  views  commanding  the  plain  from  the  top  of  the  ghits  are  striking 
and  even  grand.  This  tract  contains  the  old  Gond  site  of  Bheogarh,  with  some 
interesting  ruins.  Beyond  the  Pouch  the  district  boundary,  proceeding  east* 
wards,  again  recedes,  leaving  only  a  comparatively  narrow  strip  south  of  Gauli- 
ghdt.  Further  east  it  becomes  narrower  still  at  Jundwdni,  but  broadens  again 
as  the  district  boundary  extends  towards  Seoni.  For  the  last  sei^en  or  eight 
miles,  before  the  eastern  boundary  is  reached,  it  again  broadens  to  about  ten 
or  eleven  miles;  but  here  the  hills  are  only  offshoots  from  the  ghdts,  not  the 
ghdts  themselves.  The  breadth  then  of  this  division  varies  from  two  and  three 
to  ten,  twelve,  and  even  eighteen  miles.  Its  entire  length  from  west  to 
east  is  about  sixty-four  miles.  It  is  most  of  it  capable  of  bearing  excel* 
lent  forest  timber,  and  contains  useful  stone  and  minerals  of  various  kinds. 
To  the  south  of  this  division,  near  its  eastern  extremity,  and  detached  from  it 
by  a  few  miles  of  cultivation,  stands  the  sacred  hill  of  Rimtek,  with  its  ancient 
temples  and  fortress.  This  hill  attains  the  height  of  1,400  feet  above  the  sea. 
It  is  in  the  form  of  a  horse-shoe,  the  heel  of  which  stands  to  the  south-east. 
At  the  outer  extremity,  towards  the  north,  the  cliff  is  scarped,  rising  sheer  from 
the  base  about  500  feet.  On  the  summit  are  the  old  fortress  and  the  temples* 
Below  in  the  hollow,  formed  by  the  inner  sides  of  the  hill,  and  embosomed  in 
groves  of  mango  and  tamarind,  nestles  a  lake,  its  margin  adorned  with  temples, 
and  enclosed  by  broad  flights  of  steps  of  hewn  stone,  reaching  down  to  the 
water.  From  above  the  prospect  is  highly  picturesque.  To  the  east  and  south 
the  eye  stretches  across  the  Dodb  of  the  Pench  and  Elanhdn,  and  again  over  the 
plain  of  N%pdr  as  far  as  the  Sit^baldf  hill.  On  the  north  and  north-east  is 
seen,  first,  a  narrow  belt  of  cultivation,  then  a  broad  reach  of  low  hills  and  forest 
bounded  by  the  Sdtpurd  ghits.  On  the  east  lies  the  valley  of  the*  river  Sur, 
winding  its  way  towards  the  Waingangd,  its  course  marked  by  a  silvery  line 


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TSbction  I. — Geuefal  description.]  NA  Gr  295 

fringed  with  the  green  of  the  sugarcane ;  then  undulating  forest  land ;  while  in 
the  distance  appears  the  blue  outline  of  the  hills  at  Amb&garii.  To  the  souths 
fitr  away  beyond  the  lake  and  its  encircling  heights^  lies  extended  for  miles 
and  miles  a  vast  cultivated  plain,  dotted  with  trees  and  tanks,  and  terminated 
only  by  the  low,  jagged  hills  below  Umrer.  Again,  a  little  to  the  right  of 
TJmrer  may  be  fai^itly  seen  on  the  horizon  the  abrupt  peak  of  Girar,  where  is 
a  mosque  dedicated  to  Pir  Shekh  Farfd,  a  place  of  pilgrimage  as  celebrated  with 
the  MusalnUms,  as  Rdmtek  itself  is  amongst  the  Hindds. 

The  second  great  hill  tract  is  that  adjoining,  and  in  great  part  extending 
into,  the  Wardhd  district.  This  range  is  a  branch  of  the  Sdtpurds.  It  enters 
the  two  districts  at  nearly  the  same  point  of  latitude.  In  this  district^  with  the 
exception  of  a  single  break  of  seven  or  eight  miles  at  the  river  Wand,  it  may  be 
said  to  extend  A*om  the  north-west  to  the  south-east^  either  along  or  close  to 
the  entire  length  of  the  frontier.  Above  the  Wanfi  valley  its  breadth  is  very 
variable,  ranging  from  two  or  three  miles  at  the  extreme  north,  to  not  less  than 
twenty-five  miles  at  the  south.  Its  length  down  to  the  Wani  valley  is  about  fifty 
miles.  In  this  range  is  the  hill  of  Kharki,  south-west  of  Kdtol,  rising  to  almost 
2,000  feet  above  the  sea*  This  is  the  highest  elevation  in  the  district  not  actually 
belonging  to  the  Sdtpur^.  Below  the  Wand  valley  the  chain  is  resumed^  but 
diminished  both  in  breadth  and  height^  and  though  running  in  the  same 
direction  as  before  to  the  confines  of  the  Chdndd  district^  is  yet,  as  it  were, 
shifted  a  little  northwards,  so  as  to  leave  between  its  southern  side  and  the 
district  boundary  the  cultivated  strip  through  which  flows  the  Ndnd.  The 
length  of  this  second  portion  is  twenty-two  miles  ;  its  average  breadth  may  be 
about  ten  miles ;  but  it  is  much  broader  in  the  middle,  and  tapers  away  to  the 
south-east*  The  upper  tract  is  full  of  culturable  waste  land,  and  abounds  with 
young  teak  and  other  valuable  saplings.  It  contains  some  cultivated  land  of 
great  richness,  and  possesses  some  wUd  and  beautiful  scenery*  For  the  most 
part  the  hills  are  clothed  with  trees  or  brushwood  up  to  the  very  top.  In  the 
lower  tract  the  hills  are  generally  dwarfed  and  rugged,  vegetation  is  scanty,  and 
the  country  uninteresting. 

The  third  hill  range — another  spur  from  the  Sdtpurds — ^bisects  the  Kdtol 
tahsfl  from  north  to  south,  forming  a  connecting  link  between  the  two  hill 
divisions  already  described.  Its  length  is  from  sixteen  to  eighteen  miles.  Its 
breadth  varies  considerably,  bein^  nowhere  more  than  ten  miles,  and  in  some 
places  not  more  than  two.  llie  Imls  are  bare  and  sterile,  both  in  aspect  and  in 
reality.  Their  internal  scenery  is  relieved  from  insipidity  by  their  rugged  and 
grotesque  outlines.  They  contain  the  hill  named  Pilkdp&'  (height  1,899  feet), 
which  is  their  culminating  point. 

The  whole  of  the  plain  country  is,  as  said  before,  either   encompassed  or 
p.  .  demarcated  by  these  ranges  of  hills.    By  far  the 

"'  greatest  part  of  it  is  comprised  in  iJie  two  great 

tracts  of  level  or  imdulating  country  on  either  side  of  the  third  mountain  range, 
culminating  in  Pilkdpdr.  The  first  of  these  tracts  forms  the  western  half  of  the 
Eldtol  tahsU,  and  contains  the  most  highly  cultivated  land  in  the  district.  It  is 
surrounded  on  three  sides  by  mountain  chains^  and  on  the  fourth  side  by  the 
river  Wardhd.  It  possesses  a  soil  profusely  fertile.  It  abounds  in  mango  and 
other  fruit  trees,  and  teems  with  the  richest  nrden  ctdtivation.  Its  total  area 
is  probably  about  three  hundred  square  miles.  Its  slope  is  towards  the  river 
Wardhd.  The  second  great  tract,  in  area  at  least  six  times  larger,  lies  to  the  east 
of  the  Pilkdpdr  range,  extending  between  the  Sdtpurds  on  the  north,  and  the 
second  great  division  of  hills  on  tiie  south,  to  the  ooi^nes  of  Bhand^m  aad  Chindd 


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296  NA^G  [Section  I.^-Genertl  descriptiaii.] 

on  the  east  and  sontli-east.  It  consists  of  one  vast  cultivuted  plain.  Its  surface^ 
however,  is  hardly  ever  level.  It  abounds  in  mango-groves  and  trees  of  all 
sorts ;  and  in  some  portions,  especially  towards  the  east,  it  is  studded  with  small 
tanks,  which  form  quite  a  feature  in  the  landscape.  As  was  before  shown,  it 
pierces  the  second  division  of  hills  by  the  Wani  valley,  which  thus  connects  it 
with  the  great  cotton  field  of  Wardhd.  Except  in  this  valley,  the  general  slope 
of  the  country  is  towards  the  Waingangd.  The  third  and  last  tract  of  plain 
country  is  the  narrow  belt  of  cultivated  land  lying  between  the  southern  side  of 
the  hills,  described  as  the  lower  portion  of  the  second  division  of  hills,  and  the 
district  boundary.  This  tract  naturally  belongs  to  the  great  Wardha  cotton 
field,  of  which  it  forms  the  most  eastern  and  elevated  part.  It  possesses  for  the 
most  part  the  black  soil  common  to  the  rest  of  the  Wardhd  cotton  field,  and  is 
throughout  well  cultivated.  Its  slope,  as  indicated  by  the  course  of  the  Ndnd 
river,  is  westwards  to  the  Wand  valley.  Its  breadth  varies  from  four  to  ten 
miles,  and  its  length,  measured  south-east  to  north-west,  is  almost  twenty-four 
miles. 

But  in  the  largest  of  these  three  tracts  of  plain  country  there  are  some 
-.      ,    , ....  detached    hills     that    merit    a    passing    notice. 

Detached  hillt.  g^^j^   ^  ^^^  HaldoK  hiUs  (highest  point,  1,300 

feet)  in  the  south-east;  the  hills  at  Chdpgarbi  and  Bheokund;  the  hiU  of 
SUdpahdr  (height  1,433  feet)  in  the  s^uth-east  corner  of  the  tahsfl  of  Rdratek, 
and  the  hills  at  Ambhord  on  the  Waingangd.  These  last  are  in  themselves 
insignificant  both  in  height  and  extent,  but  they  are  interesting  as  having 
originally  belonged  to  a  range  in  the  Bhanddra  district  on  the  other  side  of  the 
river,  which  must  have  forced  its  way  through  the  chain  at  this  spot.  Lastly, 
towards  the  middle  of  this  plain  is  the  isolated  little  hill  on  which  stands  the 
S(tdbald(  fort — insignificant  as  to  its  mere  altitude,  but  interesting  from  its 
historical  associations,  and  remarkable  for  the  expanse  of  country  which  the 
view  from  it  commands,  and  for  the  distance  from  which  it  can  be  seen  from 
all  surrounding  directions.  The  mean  elevation  above  the  sea  of  the  plain, 
country  is  1,000  feet  in  its  central  portion,  lessening  to  below  900  feet  towards 
the  Waingangd  and  Wardhd. 

The  district  has  been  described  as  being  bounded  on  the  north-west 
^  by  a  short  stretch  of  the  river  Wardhd ;  similarly 

the  course  of  the  Waingangd  adjoins  it  for  a 
short  distance  on  the  east.  As  these  two  rivers  in  no  way  belong  to  the 
Ndgpdr  district,  any  description  of  them  would  be  out  of  place  here.  It  should, 
however,  be  observed  that  it  is  into  them  that  the  drainage  of  the  whole  area 
under  description  finds  its  way.  Of  all  the  streams  flowing  through  this  dis- 
trict there  is  not  one  which  does  not  eventually  discharge  its  waters  either  into 
the  Waingangd  in  the  east  and  south-east,  or  else  into  the  Wardhd  on  the  west 
and  south-west.  It  has  been  said  that  each  of  the  three  plain  tracts  described 
in  the  foregoing  paragraphs  has  its  own  system  of  rivers.  The  waters  due  to  the 
first  and  third  of  these  plains  flow  westward  to  join  the  Wardhd.  The  rivers 
draining  the  second,  and  by  far  the  largest  plain,  and  that  portion  of  the 
Sdtpura  range  which  immediately  overhangs  it,  flow  (with  one  exception  only) 
eastwards  to  the  Waingangd. 

The  rivers  traversing  the  first  tract  are  the  Jdm  and  the  Maddr.    The 
single  stream  in  the  third  tract  is  the  Kdnd. 

The  rivers  of  the  second,  or  great  plain,  are  numerous,  and  will  be  found 
described  under  their  proper  headings.    The  two  largest  are  the  Kanhdn  and 


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297 


tbe  Pench.  These  and  the  KoWp  unite — the  two  first  at  Bind,  the  last  at 
War^gdon — a  little  above  Kdmthf,  and  thence  flowing  in  a  single  stream  (the 
Eanhdn)  past  the  military  cantonment,  join  the  Waingan^a  at  Tim,  a  little  above 
Arabhord.  In  the  next  rank  come  the  Sur,  the  Marbn,  the  A  mb,  the  Ndg,  the 
N^nd,  the  Bor,  and  the  Wand.  The  main  characteristics  common  to  all  these 
streams  are  their  high  banks  and  confined  channels,  which,  however,  become 
less  steep  and  more  sloping  where  the  tracts  they  traverse  are  open  and  undulat- 
ing;— the  depth  of  their  channels  far  below  the  surface  of  the  adjacent 
country; — their  sandy  beds  interspersed  at  intervals  with  abrupt  and  jagged 
ledges  of  rock  ;  and  most  of  all,  the  astonishing  suddenness  with  which  thdi: 
waters  rise  and  subside,  and  the  extraordinary  impetuosity  of  their  currents 
while  a  flood  lasts.  During  the  dry  season  the  largest  of  them — the  Kanhdn, 
the  Pench,  the  Kolir,  the  Wand,  the  Sur,  the  Bor,  and  the  Ndnd — ^have  indeed 
always  water ;  but  what  there  is  may  be  said  to  be  in  the  pools,  some  of  which 
are  very  fine.  Where  the  water  flows,  the  volume  delivered  during  this  season, 
is  quite  insignificant,  in  many  instances  but  a  mere  rivulet ;  the  rest,  as  streams, 
may  be  said  to  be  completely  dried  up,  having  water  only  in  pools  here  and 
there.  On  the  other  hand,  during  a  flood  in  the  monsoon  the  largest  among 
them  assume  the  dimensions  of  great  rivers,  while  every  paltry  rivulet  and  dry 
nSM  is,  in  an  hour,  swollen  into  a  powerful  stream,  or  changed  into  a  channel  or 
a  torrent. 

The  mean  temperature  is  higher  than  in  many  other  parts  of  India  of  the 

Clim&te.  same  height  above  sea  level.     But  the  absence  of 

the  really  bracing  air  in  the  cold  season  for  Upper 

India  is  in  some  degree  compensated  for  by  fresh  cool  weather  during  the 

greater  part  of  the  monsoon,  and  by  tolerably  cool'  nights  in  the  summer 

months. 


The  following  table  gives  the  temperature  for  twelve  months: — 

Months. 

Mkzimam. 

Minimum. 

Mean. 

1866.* 
June 

Degrees- 

112 
97 
90 
97 
97 
88 
85 

92 

96 

106 

109 

113 

Degrees. 

73 
70 
73 
65 
59 
54 
48 

52 
53 
63 
64 
70 

Dtgreei. 

81 '7 

July  

81-7 

^    J    

AufiTUSt   <. ♦ 

80-6 

Senteraber 

81- 

October 

78- 

November 

71' 

December ,,. 

66' 

1867. 
January 

7M 

February 

75- 

March    .,.--. - .--.,, ,  -  • 

84-5 

April 

«8'6 

May   

S3*5 

•***•/ 

*  This  U  BelecCed  u  ad  average  jevr. 


M  CPG 


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298 


NA'G 


[Section  I. — General  deicription.] 


As  in  other  parts  of  India^  there  are  three  seasons— the  hot,  th«  cold,  and 
the  rainy.  The  positively  hot  weather  ordinarily  commences  about  the  1st  of 
Aprils  and  lasts  till  the  first  week  in  June.  The  monsoon  lastt  throughout 
June,  July,  and  August.  At  this  season  the  climate,  though  full  of  moisture,  is 
fresh  and  pleasant  to  the  feelings.  In  September  there  are  long  breaks  between 
each  fall  of  rain,  when  the  weather  is  often  close  and  sultry,  though  never  so 
much  so  as  in  the  plains  of  the  north  of  India  at  this  time.  October  is  generally 
sultry  and  unpleasant,  but  diversified  occasionally  by  refreshing  showers.  The 
cold  weather  does  not  fairly  set  in  till  the  middle  of  November.  Prom  the  15th 
of  November  to  the  end  of  February  the  air  is  generally  cool  and  pleasant. 
Often,  however,  with  the  appearance  of  clouds  the  thermometer  rises  as  much 
as  seven  or  eight  degrees,  and  the  climate  becomes  disagreeable  and  close. 
Prom  the  15th  of  February  the  weather  gets  warmer,  and  the  hot  winds  blow 
from  the  beginning  of  April  till  the  monsoon.  Rain  falls  during  every  month 
in  the  year,  usually  during  the  hot  and  cold  season  only  in  showers,  but  some- 
times accompanied  with  violent  storms.  Hail  falls  occasionally  in  January, 
February,  and  the  early  part  of  March,  sometimes  in  very  large  stones,  doing 
much  damage  to  the  spring  crops. 

It  is  considered  that  the  average  annual  rainfieJl,  taking  a  great  number 
of  years  back,  is  about  forty  inches. 

The  following  table  gives  the  rainfiJl  for  three  years  : — 


Months. 


January  

February 

March 

April    

May 

June 

July 

August    

September 

October   

November  

December    

Total 


1864. 


2-04 


•50 
1-95 
7-34 
9-70 
10-46 
8-45 

*0-i5 


35-59 


1865. 


1-56 

2-59 

1-22 

1-27 

10-22 

10-77 

8-33 

3-32 

1-75 

•14 

•46 


41-63 


1866. 


610 

10-10 

14-42 

8-89 

1-40 

•  •  •  • 

•20 


41-11 


Remarks. 


9  S 
to  ^ 

§^ 

32 

***  00 

Go  "^ 

•  is 


The  climate  during  the  rains  is  considered  by  the  poorer  inhabitants,  who  are 
exposed  to  it,  as  more  trying  than  the  cold  of  the  real  cold  weather.  In  July 
and  August  it  is  not  unusual  to  see  people  sitting  round  a  fire  in  the  very  early 
momine  before  goin^  out  for  their  da/s  labour.  The  climate  is  certainly  not 
unhealthy;  but  the  late  collection  of  vital  statistics  has  not  been  extended 
generally  enough  to  make  possible  any  comparison  of  deaths  with  population 
for  the  entire  district.  Fever  is  the  most  frequent  amongst  the  epidemic 
4i3ease8.  The  most  unhealthy  season  is  from  the  second  we«k  in  September  till 
the  second  week  in  December.     The  jungle  tracts  are  certainly  not  fceo  from 


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[Section  I. — General  description  ]  NA  G  299 

malaria  until  the  cold  weather  has  well  set  in,  and  during  the  greater  part  of 
November  it  is  decidedly  feverish  in  camp.  Epidemic  cholera  occurs  occa- 
sionally. In  1865  there  were  a  large  number  of  deaths  from  this  disease. 
Small-pox  too  occurs  at  intervals,  but  lately  its  ravages  have  been  materially 
lessened  by  vaccination. 

The  juxtaposition  of  volcanic  and  plutonic  rocks,  enclosing  between  them, 
Q^j  as  they  do  in  this  district,  the  wreck  of  a  vast 

^^'  sandstone  formation,  invests  the  geology*    of 

N£f2^tlr  with  particular  interest.  In  the  middle  of  the  district  stands  the 
Sit&baldi  hill — the  centre  of  interest,  as  well  geologically  as  historically. 
Within  the  limits  of  the  horizon,  as  seen  from  its  summit,  every  formation 
belonging  to  the  district  is  to  be  met.  More  than  this,  within  the  circuit  of  a 
few  hundred  yards  we  have  an  epitome  of  the  geology  of  the  Peninsula. 
Standing  on  the  hill-top  we  see  the  surface  strewn  with  nodular  trap.  A  few 
feet  below,  in  the  scarped  face  of  the  hill,  may  be  traced  a  shallow  layer  of  fresh- 
water formation ;  below  this  a  soft  bluish  tufa,  which  passes  into  a  porous 
amygdaloid,  and  deeper  into  an  exceedingly  fine  augitic  greenstone.  At  the 
base  of  the  hill,  beneath  the  basalt,  we  have  sandstone,  below  which  again  is 
gneiss. 

Generally  the  trappoan  portion  of  the  district  is  clearly  demarcated  from 
the  plains  by  a  sudden  rise  in  elevation,  and  this  line  of  geological  separation 
pretty  nearly  corresponds  with  the  eastern  limits  of  the  third  and  second  hill 
tracts  already  described.  To  the  west  and  south  of  this  line,  with  one  unimportant 
exception,  the  groundwork  of  the  country  is  trap.  Again,  that  small  tract  of 
the  Nfigpdr  district,  lying  above  the  Sdtpurd  ghdfc,  is  trappean.  This  tract  is 
scarcely  ten  miles  long,  and  seldom  more  than  two  miles  broad.  The  trap  lies 
about  one  hundred  feet  deep  over  schistose  rocks. 

Thus  trap  is  the  surface  rock  over  about  1,900  square  miles,  or  more  than  a 
half  of  the  whole  area  of  the  district.  From  the  Sftdbaldl  hill  looking  to  the 
northern  and  north-eastern  points  of  the  compass,  we  meet  hills  massive  and 
ronnd-topped^  After  a  long  sweep,  where  in  the  direction  of  Koddmendhi  the 
rich  plain  stretches  beyond  the  horizon,  we  faintly  see  the  serrated  outline  of 
the  Baldhf  hills  near  Bhand^ra.  These  forms  are  characteristic  of  the  crystalline 
formations — which  with  a  few  interruptions  extend  from  here  down  to  Cuttack — 
as  the  flattened  summits  are  of  the  trap. 

Again,  tumine  to  the  north  we  have  in  the  foreground  the  gently  swelling 
undulations  of  sandstone  and  shales,  running  from  Eorhddf  up  to  Pdrseonf.  The 
area  over  which  sandstone  formations  occur  at  the  surface  is  comparatively  small. 
The  sandstone  enters  the  Sftdbaldf  hill  on  the  eastern  side  beneath  the  trap. 
On  the  western  side  it  emerges,  and  is  seen  for  a  short  space ;  then  gneiss  takes 
its  place  down  as  far  as  the  Ndg  river ;  sandstone  then  reappears,  but  is  soon  lost 
under  the  trap  at  Ambdjharf .  A  sheet  of  sandstone  about  fifteen  square  miles 
in  extent  reappears  at  a  distance  of  seventeen  miles,  near  Vydhdr  (BehSr),  on  the 
upper  part  of  the  Wand  valley.  Northwards  again  from  Ndgpdr  over  the  T^H 
plain  to  Silewdrd,  Korhddi,  and  Surddf,  up  the  basins  of  the  Koldr,  the  Kanhdn,  and 
the  Pench,  sandstone  formations  predominate— a  tract  perhaps  on  the  average 

*  This  geological  sketch  is  founded  on  the  description  of  the  Geology  of  N&srpfir  hy  the 
Bey.  Messrs.  Hislop  and  Hunter,  which  first  appeared  m  the  Quarterly  Journal  of  the  Geological 
8odety  of  London,  vol.  xi.  part  3,  p.  345— August  I,  1855,  and  was  reprinted  in  the  "  Gedugical 
Papers  on  Western  India,"  published  by  the  Bombay  Government  in  1857  (p.  247). 


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300  NA'G  [Section  I.— General  description.] 

thirty  miles  long  by  nine  broad.  Detacbed  from  tbis  continuous  bed  sandstone 
is  again  found  at  Ghdrkbdrf  and  CbilcboK^  north  of  Pilk&p&r,  near  the  sources 
of  the  Koldr,  surrounded  by  trap.  These  outliers  point  to  a  continuation  of 
sandstone  underlying  trap  as  far  as  Cbikaldd  in  Ber&r,  and  also  following  the 
direction  of  the  Kanhdn  to  the  Ghhindwdrd  coal  district^  and  the  sandstone  of 
Motdr.  Small  patches  of  candstone  occur  also  among  the  Sindwihirf  hills  and 
in  the  neighbourhood  of  XJmrer,  showing  the  connections  of  the  N&gpdr  beds 
with  those  of  Chindi  and  Bhanddra.  In  some  few  parts  beds  of  laterite  are 
found  on  the  surface,  as  at  Pdndarthal,  south-west  of  Umrer,  at  Maundd  (Mobodd), 
and  Earbf,  and  at  Dharmdpdr,  in  the  valley  of  the  Sumadf.  At  Kerdnld,  east 
of  XJmrer,  it  rests  on  gneiss*.  Limestone  is  found  in  some  quantity  in  the  hills 
running  east  and  west  from  the  Pench  river  to  the  north  of  Pdrseonf .  Through- 
out the  whole  of  the  rest  of  the  district  granite  and  kindred  rocks  form  the 
groundwork  of  the  country. 

The  superficial  deposits  are  the  **  regar/^  or  black  cotton  soil,  and  the  red 
«  J.  soil,  the  former  occurring  almost  universally  with 

trap,  the  latter  with  plutonic  rocks,  sandstone,  or 
laterite.  The  regar  seldom  in  this  district  exceeds  twelve  feet  in  depth. 
It  seems  to  be  destitute  of  organic  remains  of  any  antiquity.  Its  chemical 
composition  is  very  nearly  the  same  as  that  of  the  black  soil  of  the  soathem 
Bnssian  steppes.  This  does  not  show  greater  affinity  to  the  trap  than  to  the 
granite  rocks,  nor  would  its  colour  prove  that  the  regar  is  produced  firom 
the  disintegration  of  trap.  Yet  its  position,  constantly  attendant  on  the  trap, 
its  composition  including  the  same  minerals,  as  agates,  chalcedony,  zeolite,  and 
its  fusing  like  basalt  into  obsidian,  are  strong  arguments  against  the  counter- 
theory  of  its  being  a  lacustrine  deposit.  It  is  frequently  permeated  with 
hanhiT  in  seams,  and  often  in  the  drying  beds  of  small  streams  gives  a  con- 
siderable saline  efflorescence.  The  red  soil  is  much  deeper  than  the  regm*, 
sometimes  as  much  as  fifty  feet,  but,  like  it,  it  generally  rests  on  a  retentive 
calcareous  clay,  with  a  layer  of  conglomerate  at  its  bottom.  It  also  abounds  in 
nodular  carbonate  of  lime.  Both  of  these  superficial  deposits  are  mostly  un- 
fossiliferous;  but  judging  from  such  remains  of  moUusca  and  mammalia  as  have 
been  found,  it  would  seem  that  they  are  post-pliocene.  The  brown  clay,  with 
its  accompanying  band  of  conglomerate,  underlying  these  superficial  deposits, 
averages  a  depth  of  twenty  feet.  It  is  not  known  to  be  fossiliferous.  The  beds 
of  laterite  which  occur  in  this  district  are  generallv  less  than  ten  feet  in  depth, 
and  seem  to  be  without  organic  remains.  No  satisfactory  theory  has  yet  been 
advanced  to  account  for  the  manner  of  their  formation. 

In  the  descending  series  we  next  meet  the  overlying  trap.  Between  this 
and  the  underlying  beds  of  basalt  a  layer  of  fresh-water  formation  intervenes. 
In  the  hill  of  Sitdbaldi  and  the  little  flat-topped  hills  around^  the  general  depth 
of  the  overlying  layer  is  firom  fifteen  to  twenty  feet. 

The  iresh-water  deposit  which  succeeds  this  is  extremely  varied,  sometimes 
one  or  two  inches,  sometimes  six  feet  in  depth;  sometimes  it  is  sandy  or  of  clay, 
here  altered  by  heat  to  a  crystalline  state,  there  reduced  to  a  cinder, — ^now  rich  in 
fossils,  now  destitute  of  them.  But  wherever  both  layers  of  trap  are  present,  the 
fresh-water  seam  intervenes.  The  height  of  all  the  basalt  hiUs  depends  entirely 
on  the  thickness  of  the  lower  bed^  as  it  lies  on  the  sedimentary  rocks  below. 

We  find  that  this  fresh-water  deposit  was  lacustrine,  and^  from  the  fossils 
^amined^  that  it  corresponds  more  nearly  with  the  London  clay  than  with  any 


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[SicnoN  II.— Hirtory.]  if  A'G  301 

otber  formation ;  we  must  therefore  class  it  as  belonging  to  the  Eocene  series. 
Thus  of  these  three  the  lower  basalt  is  the  most  recent,  and  the  fresh-water 
formation  the  oldest. 

The  minerals  of  the  trap  are  jasper,  obsidian,  heliotrope,  and  mesotype. 
Next  below  the  amygdaloid  come  the  various  beds  of  sandstone.  The  upper 
bed  (which  is  best  seen  at  Bokhdrl)  has  a  thickness  of  twenty-five  feet.  It  is 
coarse  and  gritty,  but  very  hard.  In  this  upper  bed  are  often  included  frag^ 
ments  of  a  finer  sandstone  from  below.  Lying  between  this  upper  bed  and 
the  next  in  succession  we  find  bands  of  ferruginous  conglomerate.  The  layers 
underlying  the  iron  bands  are  on  the  top  especially  soft  and  argillaceous,  highly 
fossiliferous  and  fissile.  After  a  depth  of  about  fifteen  feet  the  stone  gradually 
becomes  quite  hard.  It  is  clear  from  a  comparison  of  fossil  remains  that  this 
second  bed  corresponds  with  the  carbonaceous  and  bituminous  shales  of  Umreth 
and  Barkoi,  and  of  Chdnd^ ;  and  if  coal  does  exist  in  this  district,  it  is  here  that 
we  shall  probrbly  find  it.  The  depth  of  this  second  layer  of  sandstone  is  pro- 
bably in  this  district  under  three  hundred  feet.  In  some  parts  of  the  district,  for 
example  between  Korh&d(  and  Bokh&ri,  red  shale  beds  and  CTeen  argillaceous 
strata  have  been  forced  up  to  the  surface  by  the  action  of  gramte  dykes.  These 
formations  underlie  the  second  sandstone  bed.  These  shales  are  again  found  in 
Ch&nd^  The  green  shale  has  a  depth  of  thirty  feet,  the  red  of  fifty  feet.  The 
white  marble  (which  appears  on  the  surface  at  Korhddf)  succeeds  the  green  and 
red  shales.  Similar  strata  are  found  at  Gok&U,  Dddhg&on,  and  Amb&jhari,  in  the 
valley  of  the  Pench.  A  range  of  small  hills  of  this  crystalline  limestone  extends 
from  Nawegdon,  on  the  Pench,  to  Eumdrf,  north  of  Bdmtek.  We  cannot  expect 
to  find  organic  remains  in  this  crystallised  rock.  This  bed  is  probably  not  more 
than  one  hundred  feet  in  depth.  The  first  and  second  beds  of  sandstone  are 
probably  very  neariy  of  one  age.  Their  equivalent  strata  in  the  English  system 
are  in  the  lower  Oolitic  series.  The  green  and  red  shales  are  not  much  older, 
and  must  be  part  of  the  same  Jurassic  group.  Metamorphic  and  plutouic  rocks 
occur  in  such  varied  combinations  that  it  is  very  difficult  to  give  any  general 
description  of  them.  Near  N&gpdr  gneiss  is  the  most  common  form,  passing 
into  mica  schist.  Quartz  dykes  are  common.  Pegmatite  is  here  more  common 
than  syenite  or  granite.  The  plutonic  rocks  are  not  of  one  age.  Sometimes 
dykes  of  granite  are  seen  traversing  other  masses  of  the  same  kind  of  rock,  when 
between  the  two  much  difierence  of  consistency  and  composition  exist. 

The  remote  history  of  the  country  is  quite  lost  to  us.    The  general  term 
SECTION  II  —Hi      ry       "  Gondwdna^'  was  known  to  the  Hindds  of  the 

Gangetic  valley,  and  was  applied  by  them  in  the 
later  Sanskrit  literature  to  a  region  of  large  but  undefined  extent,  lying  towards 
the  ^*  Dakshan  Aranya/'  or  southern  forest  land.  In  Gondw&na  there  were  at 
various  periods  four  Gk>nd  kingdoms— Garhd  Mandla,  Kherl^  Deogarh,  and 
Ch£nd&.  Of  the  area  now  comprising  the  Ndgpdr  district  so  much  is  certain 
that  it  belonged  to  the  third  of  these  states,  and  that  it  was  in  the  year  a.d.  1700 
subject  to  the  Gond  prince  Bakht  Buland.  But  among  the  people  tradi- 
GauKkinw  *^^°'  widespread  though  V^gue,  is  not  wanting, 

^*  pointing  to  a  time  far  anterior  to  the  Gonds,  when 

throughout  Deogarh  Gaulf  chiefs  held  sway.  The  exploits  and  renown  of  these 
ancient  chiefs  are  often  referred  to  in  the  songs  of  the  villagers.  There  are 
forts  too,  and  tanks  and  temples,  or  remnants  of  such  structures,  evidently 
the  handiwork  of  races  precedmg  the  Gonds.  The  villagers  of  to-day,  though 
unable  to  apprehend  from  the  ruins  themselves  the  architectural  charact-eristics 


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302  NA'G  [Section  It— Hirtory.] 

of  either  race^  are  qnite  aware  that  much  distinction  is  to  be  made  between 
them.  '^  It  was  a  Gaulf  not  a  Gond  king,  so  our  fathers  have  told  us/'  this 
is  the  common  answer  to  all  questions  respecting  such  relics. 

The  first  R&j-Gond  ruler  who  resided  below  the  gh&ts  was  named  J£tb£. 
Oo  a  iivnastv  ^®  built  a  strong  fortress  on  the  Bheogarh  hiU, 

yn»wy-  overlooking  the  river  Pench  and  the  chief  passes 

from  Chhindw^rd  to  the  plains  of  Ndgpdr.  Below  the  hill  he  erected  a 
residence  for  himself,  and  founded  a  town.  He  is  said  to  have  been  a 
youngfer  brother  of  the  then  ruling  chief  of  Deogarh.  But  it  is  probable  that 
before  his  coming  there  were  Gond  chieftains  holding  under,  and  dependent  on, 
the  Deogarh  rdjds,  since  we  find,  at  a  time  which  local  tradition  would  fix  at 
about  A.D.  1560,  a  v&ji  of  Deogarh  encouraging  settlers  to  come  from  the  richer 
district  of  Ch^ndd  and  form  a  settlement  at  Bhiw&pdr,  then  in  the  heart  of  a 
jungle ;  and  that  at  this  time  a  fort  was  raised  here  by  one  Bh(m  Si  or  by  his 
father  Jantan  Si,  who  appear  to  have  been  the  first  settlers  of  the  place.  It  is 
to  be  remarked  that  the  descendants  of  these  men  are  still  recognised  as  kinsmen 
by  the  descendants  of  Jithi,  and  that  all  the  local  accounts  go  to  show  that  the 
numerous  Gond  forts,  studded  over  the  district,  were  raised  to  protect  new 
batches  of  settlers,  while  the  jungles  around  were  being  brought  under  the 
plough.  These  and  similar  traditions,  especially  prevalent  in  the  south-eastern 
part  of  the  district,  as  well  as  tanks  and  other  evidences  of  a  people  of  settlers 
and  colonists,  afibrd  faint  glimpses  of  their, condition  and  progress.  They  seem 
to  have  been  undergoing  a  struggle,  not  against  men,  but  against  the  uncurbed 
forces  of  nature, — against  the  dominion  of  the  jungle.  Their  achievements 
remain  in  the  vast  areas  redeemed  from  waste ;  but  their  names  have  faded 
away  from  memory.  Even  their  forts,  their  works  of  irrigation,  and  other 
instruments  of  their  success  have  crumbled  into  decay. 

According  to  the  current  traditions  of  the  Gonds  the  original  forts  of 
P^tansdongf  and  Nandardhan  (  Nagardhan )  were  built  by  Jithi.*  He  is  called  the 
father  of  Ku&r  Ekdandf  Mohpeswara,  who,  being  dispossessed  of  his  father^s 
acquisitions  below  the  ghits,  went  to  Delhi  and  entered  the  service  of  the  Emperor 
Aurangzeb.  The  story  goes  that  he  performed  some  signal  service  and  gained 
favour,  and  that  the  Emperor  induced  him  to  abandon  the  rites  of  Bhfmsen,  and 
to  adopt  the  Mohammadan  faith,  on  which  he  was  both  reinstated  in  his  father's 
possessions,  and  acknowledged  as  Ri^i  of  Deogarh  under  the  name  of  Bakht 
Buland.  Certain  it  is  that  Prince  Bakht  Buland  returned  from  the  court  of 
Delhi,  nominally  a  tributary  chief  of  the  Mughal  empire,  and  ruled  over  all 
Deogarh.t  He  brought  with  him  numbers  of  artificers  and  agriculturists,  both 
Hindds  and  Mohammadans,  whose  services  must  have  been  of  great  value  in  the 
backward  state  of  the  country.  He  added  to  his  dominions  from  those  of  the 
"Rijis  of  Chdndd  and  Mandla,  acquiring  from  the  latter,  who  then  ruled  from 
Ghaurdgarh,  possession  of  Seonf,  Eatangf,  Chhap&r^,  and  Dongartdl,  which  were 
held  for  him  by  a  relative,  Biji  Rim  Singh.  He  then  turned  his  attention  to 
settling  his  old  possessions  and  his  new  conquests,  and  established  many  towns 
and  villages  by  allowing  the  original  settlers  to  hold  their  lands,  at  first  rent- 
free,  and  afterwards  (fa  a  very  light  assessment.  Finally  he  founded  the  city  of 
N^g^dr  on  the  site  of  some  hamlets,  then  known  as  fiij&pdr  Bivsi.     Ch&nd 

*  J^tb^'s  real  place  in  history  is  in  the  reien  of  Akbar.  Vide  A'ln-i-Akbarf,  Account  of  Sdba 
Ber&r  (under  '*  Klierld.")  There  must  therefore  have  been  three  or  four  generations  between 
him  and  Bakht  Buland.— [Ed] 

t  This  sketch  of  the  Qond  dynasty  rests  mainly  on  Sir  Richard  Jenkins' ''  Report  on  the 
Territories  of  the  R4j&  of  NUgpdr/' 


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[Section  II.— History.]  NA'G  303 

Snltdn  succeeded  Bakht  Baland^  and  like  him  turned  his  attention  to  the  improve- 
ment  of  his  country,  and  especially  to  agriculture.  He  walled  in  the  city  of 
N&gpdr  and  made  it  his  capital,  and  considerably  extended  his  possessions  to 
the  east  of  the  Waingangd.  On  his  death,  in  a.d.  1739,  Wall  Shdh,  an  illegiti- 
mate son  of  Bakht  Buland,  seized  on  the  vacant  throne.  But  the  widow  of  the 
deceased  prince  called  in  Raghojf  Bhonsld  from  Berir  to  support  her  two  sons 
Burhdn  Sh&h  and  Akbar  Shdh.  The  usurper  was  put  to  death,  and  the  rightful 
heirs  placed  on  the  throne.     Raghoji  then  retired  to  his  charge  in  Berfir. 

This  was  the  first  direct  connection  of  the  Bhonsld  family  with  Ndg^dr, 
although  part  of  Gondwdna  had  been  conquered  by  Kdnhojf  Bhonsld  as  early 
as  A.D.  1716.*  But  the  country  was  not  destined  to  remain  long  without 
BaghojTs  interference.  Dissensions  between  the  brothers  ripened  into  civil 
wars.  In  the  year  a.d.  1742,  on  one  occasion,  12,000  Gonds  are  said  to  have 
been  massacred  in  the  fort  of  Pdtansdongf.  In  the  following  year  (1743) 
Baghojf  was  called  in  to  support  the  elder  brother  Burhdn  Shdh.  Akbar  Shdh 
was  driven  into  exile  and  fmally  poisoned  at  Haidardbdd.  Baghojf  had  not 
the  heart  to  give  back  to  the  weaker  Gond  a  second  time  the  country  he  held  in 
his  grasp.  He  constituted  himself  Protector,  took  all  real  power  into  his  own 
hands,  and  making  Ndgpdr  his  capital,  quickly  reduced  all  Deogarh  to  his  own 
authority.  But  still  he  studiously  preserved  the  show  of  Burh&n  Shdh's 
dignity;  whilst  in  reality  he  reduced  him  to  the  condition  of  a  state  pensioner, 
having  a  fixed  share  of  the  revenue,  and  the  empty  title  of  rdjd.  In  this 
position  Burhdn  Shdh  and  his  descendants  have  continued  to  remain.  The 
present  representative  of  the  deposed  prince  resides  at  Ndgpdr  as  a  state 
pensioner,  with  the  title  of  rdja.  He,  like  his  ancestors,  is  well  known  as  a  kind 
and  intelligent  landlord. 

At  the  same  time  that  the  sovereignty  passed  away  from  the  Gond  family, 

mu   «!.      1/ !«-    1  til©  impress  of  the  race  on  the  country  bei^ran  to 

The  Bbonsla  mnily.  j.i      x  xi.  x  j  x*       •    xi 

^  wane,  until,  at  the  present  day,  exceptmg  m  the 

rdjd's  fiimily  alone,  there  is  not  to  be  found  either  in  city  or  village  any  Gond 
holding  a  leading  position.  Their  customs,  language,  and  institutions  ceased  to 
prevail,  save  in  their  own  families.  Henceforward  the  country  becomes  essen- 
tially Mardthd,  and  its  interests  follow  the  fortunes  of  the  family  of  Raghojf 
Bhonsld.  Of  the  origin  and  rise  of  this  remarkable  family  Sir  Richard  Jenkins' 
Beport  contains  the  following  account  if — 

''  The  early  history  of  the  Ndgpdr  branch  of  the  Bhonsld  family  or  tribe 
j^^,   .^  J  is  obscure.     The  present  members  of  the  family 

^  '*^^  '  do  not  profess  to  trace  their  origin  beyond  Mud- 

hoji,  the  great-grandfather  of  the  founder  of  the  Ndgpdr  state;  and  their 
pretensions  to  a  defined  relationship  with  the  first  sovereigns  of  the 
Mardthd  empire  have  either  fallen  into  oblivion  or  were  never  seriously 
believed. 

*'  Mudhojf^s  sons  were  Bdpdjf,  Parsojf,  and  Sdbdji,  contemporaries  of 
the  great  Sivdjl,  and  in  his  military  service.  Parsojf  only  was  distinguished ; 
and  under  Sdhd  Rdjd  he  was  entrusted  with  an  extensive  military  command 
and  the  collection  of  ^'chavth^'  in  Berdr.  He  died  about  the  year  a.d.  1709, 
and  was  succeeded  by  his  son  Kdnhoji,  who  fixed  his  residence  at  Bhdm  in 

♦  Grant  Duff.  Indian  Reprint,  1863,  vol.  i.  p.  320. 

t  Report  on  N4gpur  by  Sir  Richard  Jenkins,  Edition  Ndgpur  Antiquarian  Society,  pp.  71  #• 


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304  NA'G 


[Section  II.— History .] 


Berdr.  Baglioif  BhonsU  was  the  son  of  Bimbajf^  the  third  son  of  B^ptijf^ 
the  brother  of  Parsoji.  He  was  bom  aboat  the  year  a.d.  1698  at  his 
father's  village  of  Pdndawdrf,  near  Puna.  He  served  for  some  years  with 
his  relation  Kdnhojf,  who^  it  is  said^  at  one  time  proposed  to  adopt  him  as 
his  heir^  bat  on  a  son  being  bom  to  him,  Raghojf  quitted  his  service  in 
disgust  and  remained  for  a  short  time  with  Chdnd  Sultdn  at  Ndgpdr.  From 
thence  he  went  to  Sat&r^^  and  was  pitched  upon  as  a  fit  person  to  supplant 
K&nhoj(,  who  had  rendered  himself  obnoxious  at  court.  Raghoji's  appoint- 
ment to  Berdr  is  generally  referred  to  the  year  a.d.  173 1 ,  though  the  earliest 
orders  in  the  records  for  the  collection  of  the  "  cliauth*'  of  Berdr  and  Gond- 
wdna  directed  to  Raghojl  are  dated  a.d.  1737,  to  which  were  added  in  the 
vear  following  more  extensive  predatory  commissions,  including  Bengal^ 
Beh&r^  Oudh,  &c.  It  was  in  this  year  that  Raghojl  came  to  Ndgpdr,  and 
having  put  Wali  Shdh  to  death,  and  set  up  Burh&n  Shdh  and  Akbar  Shih^ 
the  two  legitimate  sons  of  Ch&nd  Sultdn,  he  concluded  a  treaty  with  them,^ 
by  which  he  received  eleven  Idkhs  of  rupees  and  several  districts  on  the 
Waingang^  as  the  price  of  his  assistance,  and  was  appointed  the  organ  of  all 
communication  between  the  Gonds  and  the  Gt)vernment  of  Sat^&.  Baghoj{ 
returned  for  the  present  to  Berfir.'* 

While  the  war  was  being  carried  on  between  the  Mar&th£  nation  and  the 
Portuguese,  Raghojf,  holding  himself  aloof,  seized  the  opportunity  of  extending^ 
his  possessions  to  the  eastward,  and  succeeded  in  plundering  Cuttack.  Again^ 
in  1 738,  when  the  Peshwd  was  fighting  with  the  Niz^m  and  the  Moghals  in 
Bhopdl,  Raghojf,  though  urgently  summoned  by  the  Peshwd  to  join  him«  took 
no  notice  of  the  summons,  but  made,  on  his  own  account,  an  incursion  to  the 
northward  as  far  as  Ailahdbdd,  from  which  he  returned  loaded  with  booty.  To 
enforce  his  submission  and  punish  him  for  his  disobedience,  the  Peshw^,  after 
defeating  the  Moghals,  sent  one  of  his  generals  against  Raghojf,  but  the  Pesh- 
wfi*s  oflScer  was  unsuccessful,  and  the  news  of  the  invasion  of  India  by  Nddir 
Sh^h  induced  the  Peshw£  to  postpone  any  further  attempt  to  reduce  Raghojf, 
with  whom  he  ultimately  became  reconciled.* 

In  1741-42  Bh^skar  Pandit,  one  of  Raghojf's  generals,  made  an  expedition, 
to  Bengal.  On  this  occasion  the  Mar^thd  authority  was  partially  established 
in  Chhattfsgarh.  Up  to  this  time  the  M^thds  had  never  penetrated  inta 
Chhattfsgarn,  which  was  governed  by  two  rfij£s  of  the  Haihai-Bansf  family, 
and  now  tribute  was  only  demanded.  But  in  1 745  the  Raj&  of  Ratanpdr  was 
deposed,  and  ten  years  afterwards  the  whole  of  Chhattfsgarh  and  Sambalpdr 
was  Marithd  territory. 

In  1743  the  kingdom  of  Deogarh  had  been  finally  overthrown,  and  in  1749 
the  Gond  r&jfi  of  Chdndd  was  obliged  to  cede  a  portion  of  his  territory.  In 
1751  the  fort  and  town  of  Chdndd  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  Mardthds,  and  the 
rij£  became  a  prisoner.f 

Taking  advantage  of  the  difficulties  in  which  the  Peshw&  found  himself 
placed  in  1 744,  Raghojf  obtained  for  himself  a  saruid  conferring  on  him  the  right 
of  collecting  all  revenue  and  contributions  from  Lucknow,  Patn&,  and  Lower 
Bengal,  including  Behdr,  and  vesting  him  with  the  sole  authority  to  levy 
tribute  from  the  whole  territory  from  Berdr  to  Cuttack.J 

•  Grant  Duff,  Indian  Reprint,  vol.  i.  pp.  3jPf>.  392,  .•^99.  ~ 

i  Sir    Kichard  Jenkins'  Report    on   Nagpdr  Territories,    Edition  N4gptir  Antiqaarimn 
Society,  p.  74.    Grant  Duff,  rol.  ii.  p.  17  et  $eq. 
X  Grai»t  Duff,  vol.  ii.  p.  13. 


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[Sbcwow  II.:-Hirtory.]  NA'G  S0§ 

In  1750  he  received  new  tancbds  for  Berdr,  Gondwdna,  and  Bengal.  In 
the  same  year  he  sent  another  army  to  Bengal,  and  in  the  next  year  the  whole 
province  of  Cuttack  as  far  north  as  Bil^sor  was  ceded  to  him.  He  now  turned 
his  attention  to  the  Deccan,  where  the  Peshwi  was  at  war  with  Snldbat  Jang> 
and  taking  several  fortresses,  laid  waste  the  country,  but  on  his  return  to 
N^pdr  died  there  in  March  1755.* 

Bold  and  decisive  in  action,  he  was  the  perfect  type  of  a  Mardth^  leader. 
He  saw  in  the  troubles  of  other  states  only  an  opening  for  his  own  ambition ; 
he  did  not  wait  even  for  a  pretext  for  plunder  and  invasion.  Though  he  was 
unscrupulous  in  his  dealings  with  his  neighbours,  yet  he  was  liked  and  admired 
by  his  countrymen,  who  even  now  look  with  pride  to  Raghojl  Bhonsli,  the  first 
and  greatest  of  the  Ndgpdr  house.  With  him  occurred  the  great  influx 
of  Mardthfo,  which  resulted  in  the  spread  of  the  Kunbis  and  cognate  Mar£th£ 
tribes  over  the  entire  district.  It  is  erroneous,  however,  to  suppose  that  there 
were  no  Mardth^s  hero  before  Baghojf.  On  the  contrary  there  are  the  strongest 
proofs  of  grants  of  land  by  Bakht  Buland  to  certain  Mardthds  before  Raghoji^s 
nrist  visit.  Although  from  the  documents  now  extant  it  would  seem  that  both 
the  Marithl  and  Urdd  languages  were  used  at  Bakht  Buland's  court,  yet  the 
vernacular  was  undoubtedly  Gondf,  and  the  bulk  of  the  people  Gonds.  But  from 
this  time  the  vernacular  in  every  village  became  Mardthf.  We  know  but  little 
of  the  administration  under  the  Gonds,  but  it  is  certain  that  much  of  the  material 
prosperity  under  the  first  Mardthd  princes  was  owing  to  the  groundwork  laid 
by  Prince  Bakht  Buland. 

The  Bhonsli  family  having  obtained  Deogarh  through  '*  treaty^'  with  the 
original  possessors,  afterwards  allowed  the  title  of  rdjd  to  the  dispossessed 
princes,  and  granted  them  a  share  of  the  Nigpdr  revenue,  as  it  stood  when  the 
tareaty  was  made.  The  commutation  was  received  by  the  Gond  princes  through 
their  own  officers.  All  state  ceremonial  was  ostentatiously  rendered  to  the 
deposed  princes.  They  gave  the  "  tiki/*  or  mark  of  investiture,  to  the 
BhonsU  on  each  subsequent  accession  to  the  throne,  and  they  affixed  their  seal 
to  certain  revenue  papers.  And  in  this  there  was  deep  policy,  as  the  Bhonsl&s 
would  be  seen  holding  the  Ndgpdr  territory  from  the  Gonds,  and  not  subject  to 
the  paramount  power  at  Puna,  and  thus  deriving  a  position  superior  to  that  of 
other  military  chiefs  of  the  Mardthd  empire,  who  owed  their  elevation  to 
the  Peshw&,  and  held  their  fiefs  by  his  favour.  Raghojf  was  succeeded  in 
J,     .,  A.D.   1755  by  his  eldest  son  Jdnojl,  though  not 

^^ '  without  opposition  from  another  brother,  Mudhojf. 

The  matter  was  referred  to  Puna  ;  the  former  was  confirmed  in  the  sovereignty 
of  Ndgpdr,  with  the  title  of  Send  Sdhib  Sdba  ;  while  Chdndd  and  Chhattisgarh 
were  given  as  an  appanage  to  Mudhojl.  Jdnojl  turned  all  his  attention  to 
settling  the  territory  leCb  him  by  his  father.  He  and  his  kingdom  sustained  no 
loss  by  the  battle  of  Pdnipat,  but  rather  from  the  terrible  losses  of  the  other 
MardtM  princes  he  became  relatively  stronger.  Soon  after  this  the  Nizdm^ 
taking  advantage  of  the  minority  of  the  Peshwd,  Mddho  Bdo,  took  up  arms. 
Jdnoji  was  bought  off  from  an  alliance  with  him  by  the  promise  of  the 
Sardesmukhi  of  Serdr,  and  full  liberty  to  plunder  his  brother  at  Chdndd;  but 
though  he  abandoned  the  Moghals,  he  afforded  no  aid  to  the  Peshwd.    The 

*  Grant  Duff,  vol.  ii.  p.  53.  There  is  a  discrepancy  here  hetween  authorities.  Grant  Duff 
says  Bagho)(  died  in  17^8,  while  Jenkins  has  it  1/66.  The  latter  date  has  heen  adopted,  as 
Jenkins  is  more  likely  to  he  correct  on  such  a  pdnt. 

39  CFO 


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306  NA'G  [Section  IL-Hirtory.] 

Nizdm  in  that  year  was  successful,  and  dictated  peace  almost  at  the  gates  of 
Puna  in  1762.  Next  year,  however,  he  broke  through  his  treaties  and  gained 
oyer  J^noji  to  join  him.  Together  they  sacked  and  burned  Puna.  This  was  not 
the  last  of  Jdnoji^s  treachery.  By  the  promise  of  territory  yielding  thirty-two 
l&khs  of  annual  revenue  he  was  induced  to  betray  the  Nizdm,  and  attack  his 
army  in  concert  with  the  Peshwd's  troops,  in  consequence  of  which  the 
Moffhals  were  entirely  defeated.  The  price  was  paid  to  Jdnoji,  but  the  boy 
Peshwd  did  not  fail  to  reproach  him  with  his  treachery.  He  detested  Jinoji 
already,  and  in  1765  united  with  the  Nizim  to  avenge  the  sack  of  Puna.  The 
confederate  armies  advanced  to  Nfigpdr  and  burned  it,  and  forced  the  riji 
to  disgorge  the  greater  part  of  the  price  of  his  former  treachery.  Two  years  later 
Jdnoji  was  again  in  arms  against  the  Peshwd,  having  joined  in  the  rebellion  of 
B&ghobd — uncle  of  the  Peshwi — and  the  Gdikwdr.  Oil  this  occasion  the 
Pealiwd  advanced  through  Berdr  up  to  Nigpdr,  while  Jdnojf,  having  given 
him  the  slip,  was  plundering  around  Puna.  But  he  was  ultimately  obliged 
to  sue  for  peace,  which  was  concluded  in  April  1 769.  In  the  treaty  concluded 
Jfinoji's  dependence  on  the  Peshwi  was  fully  acknowledged.  He  bound 
himself  to  furnish  a  contingent  of  six  thousand  men,  and  to  attend  the  Peshwd  in 
person  whenever  required;  to  pay  an  annual  nazar  of  five  Mkhs  of  rupees; 
to  enter  into  no  general  negotiation  with  foreign  powers,  and  to  make  no  war 
without  the  Peshwd's  sanction.  In  the  year  1771  Jinoji  went  to  the  court  of 
Puna,  and  obtained  sanction  to  adopt  his  nephew  Kaghojf,  the  son  of  his 
brother  Mudhoji  of  ChindL  Doubtless  his  intention  of  doing  this  had  pre- 
served peace  between  the  brothers  all  through  the  complications  with  the  Niz4m 
and  the  Peshwd.  On  his  return  journey  to  Ndgpdr  in  May  1772  he  died  at 
Tuljdpdr  on  the  Godivarl.*  During  his  reign  the  country  of  Nigpdr,  except  on 
two  occasions,  had  perfect  peace  within  its  boundaries.  Jduojf  s  name  is  remem- 
bered as  the  settler  of  what  his  father  only  conquered.  In  his  private  life  he 
was  easy  of  access,  and  most  regular  in  the  observance  of  all  duties  of  state  and 
of  religion.  On  the  whole,  his  treacherous  disposition  notwithstanding,  he  was 
far  from  a  bad  type  of  a  Mardthd  sovereign  of  the  time.  Justice  was  well 
administered,  crimes  were  few,  and  capital  punishment  seldom  inflicted  in  his 
reign.     The  revenue  flourished,  and  the  people  were  well  08". 

After  the  death  of  Jdnojf,  before  Mudhoji  with  his  youthful  son  Baghojf, 

Sihi'i     d  M  dh  i  ^^^  king's    nephew  and  heir  by    adoption, 

^  ^^ '  could  reach  NigpiSr,   Sdbijf,  another  brother  of 

J£noj{,  had  usurped  the  government.     During  the  next  two  years  and  a  half 

a   civil  war    raged,   diversified  in   a.d.   1773  by   a  short  reconciliation  and 

{oint  government,  and  characterised  by  repeated  desertion  of  either  party 
)y  Daryi  Bdl,  widow  of  the  late  Bijd  Jinojl,  who  now  supported  one  claimant 
to  the  throne  and  now  the  other.  The  closing  scene  of  this  contest  was 
on  the  battle-field  of  Pinchgion,  six  miles  south  of  Nigpdr.  The  fortune  of 
the  day  had  declared  for  Sdbdjf,  and  Mudhoji  was  being  surrounded  by  his 
brother's  troops.  Flushed  with  the  fight  and  with  victory,  S6h&ji  drove  his 
elephant  against  that  on  which  his  brother  was  seated,  and  called  on  him  to 
surrender.  A  pistol-shot  was  the  only  reply.  One  brother  had  slain  the  other, 
and  gained  the  undisputed  regency  in  behalf  of  his  son,  and  the  title  of  Seni 
Dhurandhar.f  Mudhoji  at  once  set  about  restoring  order  in  the  affairs  of  the 
state,   governing  wisely  and  moderately.     In  the  year  1777  he  entered  with 

*  Sir  Richard  Jenkins,  p.  76 ;  Grant  Dnff,  vol.  ii.  pp.  54,  68,  85,  \\2,  121  et  seq.  175, 
t  Sir  Richard  Jenkins,  p.  77  ;  Grant  Duff,  vol.  ii.  p.  22?. 


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[Section  II.-History.]  NA'G  307 

caution  into  engagements  with  the  English,  who  were  then  preparing  to 
support  the  claims  of  Rdghobi  as  Peshwi.  He  was  obliged,  however,  in  order 
to  keep  ap  appearances  at  Puna  to  send  troops  down  to  Uuttack.  Their  march 
was  intentionally  delayed.  When  they  arrived  they  did  not  act  against  the 
British  Government,  who  were  all  the  time  kept  informed  that  this  march  on 
Cuttack  was  a  mere  pretence.  The  Eegent  even  assisted  the  march  of  Colonel 
Pearse  through  his  provinces,  when  a  force  was  being  sent  from  Bengal  against 
Haidar  All.  This  display  of  a  conciliatory  spirit  towards  the  English  happened 
too  at  a  time  when  Bengal  was  denuded  of  troops.  In  1785  Mandla  and  the 
Upper  Narbadd  valley  were  nominally  added  to  the  Ndgpdr  dominions  by  a 
treaty  in  which  Mudhoji  agreed  to  pay  twenty-seven  Idkhs  of  rupees  into  the 
Puna  treasury. 

The  Regent  died  in  a.d.  1788,  leaving  all  the  Nigpdr  state  tranquil  and 
j»^t   •'  |T  prosperous — conditions   which  had  lasted  within 

^*  ^^^     *  the  present  Nigpdr  district  ever  since  the  battle  of 

Pdnchg^on.  He  left  great  treasure  in  cash  arid  in  jewels  to  his  family.  His  son 
Raghojf,  though  of  age  and  nominally  riji,  had  remained,  during  the  lifetime 
of  his  able  father,  in  perfect  submission  and  obedience.  He  now  assumed 
control  of  the  state.  He  went  to  Puna,  where  his  titles  and  dignity  were  con- 
firmed. He  also  obtained  for  his  younger  brother  Vyank^jl  the  father's  title  of 
Send  Dhurandhar,  with  Chindi  and  Chhattfsgarh  as  an  appanage.  Chim- 
ndji,  the  other  brother,  was  to  have  had  Mandla,  but  he  died  shortly  after 
Raghoji's  return  to  Ndgpdr  very  suddenly,  and  not  without  suspicion  of  foul 
play.*  The  Rdjd  took  up  his  residence  at  Nigpdr,  while  his  troops  were  fighting 
m  the  Peshwd's  armies  agidnst  the  Nizdm  and  Tipd  of  Mysore.  He  participated 
in  all  the  advantages  gained  by  the  Mardthds  in  these  wars,  and  commanded 
the  right  wing  of  the  Peshwd's  army  at  the  victory  of  Khardld.  In  the  year 
1 796,  when  the  political  condition  of  Western  India  was  much  confused,  he  seized 
upon  Hoshangdbdd  and  the  Lower  Narbadd  valley.  In  the  two  following  years 
he  had  gained  the  forts  of  Chaurdgarh,  Tezgarh,  and  Mandla  from  the  Chief  of 
Sdgar,  as  also  the  fort  of  Dhdmoni  from  another  Bundeld  chieftain.  He  then 
began  to  consolidate  his  power  in  these  newly-acquired  districts.  In  the  year 
1797  Yashwant  Rdo.  Holkar  fled  for  shelter  to  Ndgpdr,  but  found  only  a  prison. 
During  this  time  the  connection  of  Ndgpdr  with  the  Bengal  Government  had 
been  growing  firmer,  and  in  a.d.  1798  Mr.  Colebrooke  was  appointed  Resident 
to  the  court  of  Raghojf,  but  he  did  not  arrive  at  Ndgpdr  until  March  1799.  In 
May  1801  the  British  Resident,  who  had  vainly  endeavoured  to  enter  into  a 
defensive  alliance  against  Sindid,  withdrew  from  Nagpdr,  and  Sindid  and 
Raghoji  united  together  in  the  year  1803  to  oppose  the  British  Government, 
which  had  now  replaced  Bdjf  Rdo,  the  Peshwd,  after  the  treaty  of  Bassein.  This 
they  did  in  accordance  with  the  wishes  and  secret  directions  of  Bdji  Rdo  himself. 
General  Wellesley  soon  brought  the  confederates  to  battle  at  Assaye.  Raghojf 
left  the  field  at  the  commencement  of  the  battle;  Sindid's  troops  bore  the 
brunt  of  the  day  and  suffered  very  heavily ;  but  at  A  rgdon,  a  few  weeks  after, 
the  Ndgpdr  army  under  Vyankdjf  Bhonsld  was  completely  worsted.  The  fort  of 
Gdwalgarh  soon  after  fell  to  the  British.  Meanwhile  from  the  Bengal  side 
Colonel  Harcourt  had  won  the  whole  of  Raghoji's  province  of  Cuttack.  The  price 
of  the  peace  which  he  now  sued  for  was  heavy  :  nearly  one- third  of  his  kingdom 
was  shorn  off*,  comprising  East  and  West  Berdr  up  to  Bdldsor,  Sambalpdr  and  its 
dependencies ;  lastly,  the  Rdjd  was  to  receive  permanently   a  Resident  at  his 

*  Grant  Duff  calls  this  brother  Khandoii,  vol  iii.  p.  65. 


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3^  NA'G  [Section  II.— Hirtory.] 

court  at  N&gpdr,  and  Mr.  Mountstuart  Elphinstone  was  appointed  to  the  post. 
Tku8^  of  all  the  territory  won  by  the  great  lUgboji  and  his  two  sons,  there  only- 
remained,  after  the  treaty  of  Deogdon, — Deogarh,  Chdndd,  Chhattisgarh  with  its 
dependencies,  and  the  districts  on  the  Narbadd.  Before  this  peace  Raghojl's 
^pT^i^ftl  revenue  had  been  nearly  one  crore  of  rupees,  but  after  the  loss  of  Cut- 
tack  and  Berdr  it  fell  to  about  sixty  Idkhs.  Before  the  war  he  had  18,000  horse, 
mostly  Mardthds  of  the  Puna  country,  and  25,000  infantry,  of  which  11,000 
were  of  regular  battalions ;  besides  these  he  entertained  a  body  of  4,000  Arab 
mercenaries.  His  artillery  counted  ninety  guns,  but  of  these  thirty-eight  were 
lost  at  AVgdon.  His  cavalry  also  were  much  reduced  after  that  battle,  and 
after  the  ensuing  peace  the  regular  infantry  were  never  replaced.  Raghojf  now- 
had  the  heavy  task  of  putting  the  finances  of  his  country  in  order,  settling  his 
new  boundaries,  and  securing  his  subjects  from  the  famine,  which  was  then  so 
severely  felt  in  the  Deccan.  To  retrieve  his  finances  he  exacted  large  sums 
from  his  ministers  and  bankers,  and  with  regard  to  the  payment  of  his  troops 
practised  the  meanest  frauds. 

During  the  campaign  which  Ra^hoji  had  undertaken  with  Sindid,  the 
Naw&b  of  Bhop^l  had  seized  on  Hoshang^bdd.  This  the  "Riji  recovered  in 
1807.  Sambalpdr  with  its  dependencies  was  restored  to  him  by  the  English  in 
▲.D.  1806,  but  some  of  the  zamfnd^rs  were  opposed  to  the  transfer,  and  their 
refiistance  was  not  overcome  until  1808. 

The  Nigpdr  portion  of  his  dominions  now  became  the  scene  of  frequent 
contests  with  the  Pindhiris  and  the  robber  hordes  of  Amir  Khdn.  For  security 
against  these  marauders  most  of  the  village  forts  were  built,  the  remains  of 
which  stud  the  whole  of  this  district.  Insignificant  as  they  may  appear  to  us 
now,  many  of  them  have  been  the  scenes  of  struggles  where  the  peasant  fought 
for  bare  life,  all  he  possessed  outside  the  walls  being  already  lost  to  him.  There 
are  some  old  men  now  alive  who  can  tell  us  of  the  hard  lot  of  those  days,  how 
they  sowed  in  sorrow,  with  little  hope  of  seeing  the  harvest,  and  how,  whenever 
they  did  reap,  they  buried  the  com  at  once  in  the  ground.  The  Besident 
repeatedly  suggested  that  the  Bdjd  should  entertain  a  subsidiary  force,  but  his 
pride  would  not  permit  him  to  consent.  The  boldness  of  these  robber  bands 
became  so  great  that  in  November  1811  they  advanced  under  Amir  Kh&n's 
leadership. up  to  NSgpdr,  burned  one  of  the  suburbs,  and  only  retired  when  they 
knew  that  two  British  columns  were  approaching  from  the  Nizam's  dominions 
to  drive  them  back.  There  is,  however,  great  reason  to  believe  that  many  of  the 
bands  of  marauders  who  plundered  the  country  did  not  belong  to  the  Sindi^ 
Shdhl  or  Holkar  Shdhi  bands  of  Pindhirfs,  but  were  portions  of  the  Ndgpdr 
army,  which,  when  they  could  not  be  paid  from  the  treasury,  were  allowed  in 
this  way  to  help  themselves.  The  name  of  Dharm&j(  Bhonsld  is  well  remem- 
bered as  a  leader  in  these  forays.  In  this  same  year  Baghoji  had  been  trying 
to  conquer  Garhikotd,  the  possession  of  a  petty  chief  near  Sdgar,  but 
Baptiste,  one  of  Sindid's  generals,  advanced  to  its  relief,  and  routed  the  Ndgpdr 
troops.  In  the  year  a.d.  1813  the  Rijd  of  Ndgpdr  entered  into  a  compact  with 
Sindi^  for  the  conquest  and  partition  of  the  territories  of  Bhopdl.  Aftier 
besieging  the  capital  for  nine  months,  the  confederates  had  to  retire  in  July 
1814,  bafBed  by  the  energy  and  heroism  of  Wazir  Mohammad.  Baghoji  would 
have  renewed  his  attempt  in  the  following  year  had  not  the  Bengal  Government 
declared  that  this  could  not  be  permitted.* 

f  Sir  Richard  Jenkiiw,  p.  88;  Grant  Duff,  vol.  iii.  pp.  €5,  79, 101,  161,  ei.  Meq.  221, 230,  231, 280. 


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[Section  II.-Hirtory.]  NA'G  30$ 

Eaghoji  died  in  March  a.d.  1816.  He  was  coarse  and  vulgar  in  person, 
jealous  of  every  one,  and  so  prying  into  the  minute  details  of  government  that  no 
one  served  him  heartily.  His  rapacity  has  been  seen,  his  avarice  was  proverbial. 
He  owned  whole  rows  of  shops  in  the  bizdr.  He  first  kept  his  troops  out  of 
their  pay,  then  lent  them  money  firom  his  own  banking  establishment,  and  at  last, 
when  he  did  pay  them  their  arrears,  he  would  oblige  them  to  take  a  portion 
of  it  in  goods  from  his  own  stores.  The  same  spirit  pervaded  his  &mily  and 
his  court. 

He  was  succeeded  by  his  son  Parsojf — a  man  blind,  lame,  and  paralysed, 
p      ..  Very  soon  after  his  accession  the  new  Bij&  became 

*"  ^*'  totally  imbecile,  and  it  was  necessary  to  appoint 

a  Begent.  The  B6ki  Bii,  widow  of  the  deceased  Bijd,  with  his  nephew  Guj^bd 
Didi  Gujar,  for  some  time  kept  possession  of  the  Bdj^^s  person  and  the  regency, 
until,  with  the  consent  of  the  Mdnkaris  (Mardthd  nobles)  and  the  military  leaders, 
Mudhojf  Bhonsld,  the  son  of  the  late  Rdji's  younger  brother  Vyankiji,  and  next 
of  kin  to  Parsoji,  succeeded  in  becoming  Regent.  While  the  issue  was  still  un» 
certain,  and  after  being  installed  as  Begent,  Mudhoji,  or  A^p&  Sdhib  as  he  was 
generally  called,  courted  the  countenance  of  the  new  Resident,  Mr.  Jenkins, 
and  was  anxious  to  get  a  subsidiary  force,  for  he  knew  that  there  was  much 
debt  to  be  cleared  off,  and  that  it  would  be  necessary  to  reduce  the  strength  of 
the  army — ^a  measure  sure  to  create  much  discontent.  Accordingly  on  the 
28th  of  May  1816  a  treaty  of  defensive  alliance  was  signed,  by  which  the  British 
were  to  maintain  six  battalions  of  infantry,  with  cavalry  and  artillery,  while 
Parsoji  was  to  pay  seven  and  a  half  l&khs  of  rupees  annually,  and  to  maintain  a 
contingent  of  2,000  horse  and  2,000  infantry  for  the  purposes  of  the  alliance. 
It  was,  however,  found  in  the  campaign  against  the  Pindhdris  in  the  cold  season 
of  that  year  that  the  contingent  thus  furnished  by  the  Bdjd  was  useless.  In 
January  A.n.  1817  A^pd  Sdhib  went  away  from  the  capital  under  pretence  of 
visiting  Ch&udd  on  urgent  state  afiairs.  A  few  days  after  his  departure  the 
Bdjd  was  found  dead  in  his  bed — ^poisoned,  as  it  subsequently  proved,  by  his 
cousin  A'pi  Sahib.'*' 

Parsoji  had  no  son,  begotten  or  adopted ;  consequently  A'pfi  Sffliib,  being 
A'ui  S4h*b  *^®  nearest  relative  to  the  deceased  in  the  male 

*^       *  *  line,  ascended  the  throne  before   any   opposition 

could  be  made  by  B6k&  Bdi  and  her  party.  From  this  time  the  bearing  of 
A'pd  Sdhib,  before  so  cordial  to  the  British,  underwent  a  speedy  change.  The 
emissaries  of  the  Peshwd  won  him  over  to  join  with  their  master  in  his  plots 
and  treachery.  He  also  joined  in  the  schemes  of  Sindid,  and  afforded  encourage- 
ment to  the  Pindhdris,  even  proceeding  so  far  as  to  receive  into  his  presence 
the  emissaries  of  the  notorious  Chitd,  and  to  confer  on  them  dresses  of  honour. 
All  this  time,  however,  he  was  full  of  protestations  before  the  Besident  of 
good  faith  and  feeling  to  the  English.  During  the  early  part  of  November  the 
conduct  of  A'pi  Sdhib  was  very  suspicious.  The  Nigpdr  troops,  which  should 
have  been  sent  on  to  the  Narbadd  to  join  in  the  Pindhdri  campaign,  were  kept 
back ;  there  was  a  force  already  drawn  around  the  capital  of  8,000  horse  and 
as  many  foot ;  lastly,  an  active  levy  of  troops  from  as  far  even  as  Milwfi  was 
commenced.  The  Besident  on  his  part  called  in  the  detachment  of  Colonel 
Scott  from  Nandardhan  near  Bdmtek,  and  messengers  were  sent  to  Colonel 


*  Grant  Duff  says  he  was  strangled  (vol.  iii.  p.  281). 


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310  NA'G  [Section  IL— HiitoryJ 

Gkthan  to  hurry  back  from  the  neighbourhood  of  Hoshangdb^d.  The  news  from 
Puna^  of  the  Peshwfi  having  now  openly  broken  from  his  engagements  with  the 
British)  reached  Niepdr  on  the  14th  November.  On  the  night  of  the  24th 
the  mj£  informed  Mr.  Jenkins  that  the  Peshw^  had  sent  him  a  khilat,  with  a 
golden  standard^  and  the  high  title  of  Sendpati.  He  intimated  his  intention  of 
receiving  investiture  of  title  and  honours  in  state  on  the  following  day,  and 
invited  the  Resident  to  be  present  at  the  ceremony.  Mr.  Jenkins  remonstrated, 
stating  that  as  the  Peshwd  wad  at  that  moment  in  arms  against  the  English,  the 
mjd's  public  acceptance  of  these  marks  of  distinction  was  inconsistent  with  the 
terms  of  his  alliance  with  our  Government.  On  the  following  day  the  Rdjd 
received  the  khilut  in  public  darbar,  and  afterwards  proceeded  to  his  chief 
camp,  beyond  T&kli,  where,  in  front  of  his  troops,  he  assumed  with  every  cere- 
mony the  dignity  of  general-in-chief  of  the  armies  of  the  Mar&thd  empire. 
The  next  morning  an  extreme  measure  which  had  been  delayed  to  the  utmost 
was  carried  out :  the  brigade  under  Lieutenant-Colonel  Hopeton  Scott  moved 
from  its  lines  to  the  Residency,  also  occupying  thfe  double  hill  of  Sit&baldi. 
This  movement  was  executed  only  just  in  time,  for  a  body  of  Arabs,  stationed 
in  a  village  where  now  stands  the  railway  station,  were  only  awaiting  the  final 
order  to  secure  this  position  for  themselves.  Expresses  were  also  sent  to  call 
up  General  Doveton  with  the  second  division  of  the  Deccan  army  from  Ber^r. 
The  troops  with  Lieutenant-Colonel  Scott  were  a  brigade  of  two  battalions  of 
Madras  Native  infantry,  one  battalion  being  of  the  20th,  the  other  of  the  24th, 
both  much  weakened  by  sickness.  There  were  also  the  Resident's  escort,  two 
companies  of  Native  infantry,  three  troops  of  Bengal  Native  cavalry,  and  four 
six-pounders  manned  by  Europeans  of  the  Madras  artillery. 

The  hill  of  Sitdbaldi,  standing  close  over  the  Residency,  consists  of  two 
eminences  joined  by  a  narrow  neck  of  ground,  about  300  yards  in  length,  of 
considerably  lesser  elevation  than  either  of  the  two  hills.  The  whole  surface  is 
rock,  so  that  it  was  impossible  in  a  short  time  to  throw  up  any  intrenchment. 
Of  the  two  eminences,  that  to  the  north  is  the  lesser,  but  being  within  musket 
range  of  the  principal  summit,  its  possession  was  of  vital  importance,  particularly 
as  on  that  side  the  suburbs  of  the  city  came  close  up  to  its  base,  and  gave  cover 
to  the  enemy,  who  throughout  the  26th  were  seen  collecting.  Three  hundred 
men  of  the  24th  Regiment,  under  Captain  Saddler,  were  posted  on  the  smaller 
hill  with  one  gun.  The  cavalry  occupied  the  enclosures  about  the  Residency 
just  below  the  lower  hill  on  the  west ;  the  remainder  of  the  force,  scarcely  800 
men,  were  posted  on  the  larger  hill.  On  the  evening  of  the  26th  the  battle 
beean  by  the  Arabs,  from  the  village  already  mentioned,  opening  fire  on  the 
pi(S:ets  of  the  smaller  hill .  This  was  the  signal  for  a  general  attack  on  the  English 
position.  The  engagement  lasted  till  about  two  o'clock  in  the  morning,  when  it 
slackened  somewhat  on  the  side  of  the  Mar^thds.  Several  times  during  the  night 
the  Arabs  had  come  on,  sword  in  hand,  and  tried  hard  to  carry  the  smaller  hill,  but 
were  repulsed  every  time,  though  at  the  cost  of  many  lives  to  the  defenders. 
Time  after  time,  as  the  ranks  of  the  24th  Regiment  were  thinned,  help  was  sent 
down  from  the  20th,  which  was  posted  on  the  larger  hill.  Dawn  of  the  morning 
on  the  27th  November  saw  the  English  troops  holding  an  isolated  position. 
Eighteen  thousand  men,  of  whom  nearly  one-quarter  were  Arabs,  were  drawn  up 
against  them,  with  thirty-six  guns,  all  brought  into  position  during  the  past  night. 
At  five  o^clock  in  the  morning  the  few  remaining  men  of  the  24tn,  being  utterly 
exhausted,  were  withdrawn,  their  place  being  taken  by  the  Resident's  escort, 
with  orders  to  confine  their  defence  to  the  summit  of  the  smaller  hill,  which 
bad  by  this  time  been  somewhat  strengthened  by  a  breastwork  of  bags  of  grain. 


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[Section  1L— History.]  NA'G  311 

Thus  they  continued  to  fight  till  nine  o'clock,  when  the  Arabs  again  charged 
home.  Just  as  they  gained  the  crest,  the  accidental  explosion  of  a  tumbrel 
caused  some  conftision  among  the  defenders.  The  sepoys  were  overpowered, 
the  lesser  hill  lost,  and  the  gun,  which  fell  into  the  enemy's  hands,  was  turned 
against  the  greater  hill.  The  brigade  had  now  lost  much  of  their  superiority 
in  position ;  from  the  nearness  of  the  enemy  and  the  fire  of  the  gun  on  the  lost 
hill,  oflScers  and  men  began  to  drop  fast.  The  enemy's  cavalry  and  infiintry 
began  to  close  in  from  every  side,  and  to  prepare  for  a  general  assault.  To  add 
to  the  perplexity  of  the  moment  the  Arabs  broke  into  the  huts  of  our  troops, 
and  the  shrieks  of  their  wives  and  children  reached  the  ears  of  the  sepoys.  The 
three  troops  of  Bengal  cavalry,  together  with  the  Madras  horsemen  of  the 
Resident's  escort,  had  been  kept  all  this  while  in  the  enclosures  around  the 
Residency.  Their  commander.  Captain  Fitzgerald,  now  formed  his  men  outside 
the  enclosures,  and  charged  the  principal  body  of  the  enemy's  horse.  The 
Mardthds  did  not  long  re^st  the  onset  of  this  little  band,  but  breaking  in  all 
directions,  abandoned  a  small  battery  by  which  they  had  been  supported. 
Captain  Fitzgerald  pursued  them  for  some  distance,  then  reforming,  charged  the 
battery,  took  some  of  the  guns,  and  brought  them  into  the  Residency  in  triumph. 
This  success  had  been  witnessed  by  all  the  infantry  on  the  hill ;  and  the  men, 
before  drooping  from  the  fatigue  of  fifteen  hours'  fighting,  became  once  more 
animated.  A  combined  attack  of  cavalry  and  infantry  on  the  Arabs  was  being 
arranged  when  another  tumbrel  on  the  lesser  hill  blew  up,  causing  great  con- 
fusion amongst  the  enemy.  The  advantage  was  seized,  and  the  little  hill  was 
in  a  few  moments  again  in  possession  of  our  troops,  who  pursued  the  enemy 
through  the  Arab  village,  and  spiked  two  guns  beyond  it  before  they  returned 
to  their  posts.  Again  the  Arabs  were  rallied,  and  fresh  troops  brought  up. 
Just  as  they  were  ready  to  advance  against  the  hill,  a  well-timed  charge  around 
the  base  of  it,  by  a  single  troop  of  cavalry  under  Cornet  Smith,  took  them  in 
the  flank,  and  finally  scattered  them.  The  troops  from  the  hill  now  made  a 
general  advance,  and  cleared  the  ground  all  about.  By  noon  the  enemy's  artil- 
lery was  carried  away,  and  the  battle  was  over.  The  British  lost  367  killed 
and  wounded.  Amongst  the  killed  was  Mr.  Sotheby,  of  the  Civil  Service,  who 
had  been  in  attendance  on  the  Resident  throughout  the  engagement.  After  this 
humiliating  defeat,  the  R^jd  hastened  to  disavow  any  connection  with  the  attack, 
and  to  express  his  regret  for  what  had  occurred.  His  troops  and  guns  were 
withdrawn  from  the  sTtibaldf  side  of  the  city.  On  the  29th  Colonel  Gahan's 
detachment  came  in,  so  that  the  Resident's  position  became  much  stronger. 
Major  Pitman  also  arrived  on  the  5th  December  with  a  detachment  of  troops 
belonging  to  the  Nizim;  and  on  the  12th  the  light  part  of  General  Doveton's 
division,  consisting  of  five  battalions  of  Native  infantry,  the  6th  Bengal  Cavalry, 
a  troop  of  horse  artillery,  and  two  companies  of  the  1st  Royals.  The  Rijd  had 
already  been  informed  that  no  communication  would  be  held  with  him  till  his 
troops  were  disbanded. 

The  Resident  on  the  15th  December  demanded  the  imconditional  sur- 
render of  the  'R&ji,  and  the  disbandment  of  his  troops.  Till  four  o'clock  on  the 
following  morning  was  given  for  consideration.  On  the  same  afternoon  all  the 
stores,  baggage,  and  women  were  sent  to  the  Sitdbald!  hill,  under  guard  of  the 
troops  who  had  previously  so  gallantly  defended  that  position.  At  dawn  next 
morning  the  English  troops  took  position,  having  their  left  on  the  Ndg  Nadi, 
with  the  cavalry  on  their  right  in  the  open  ground  towards  A'njni.  At  nine  o'clock 
A^pd  Sibib  surrendered,  but  his  troops  prepared  for  an  obstinate  resistance. 


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812  NA'G  [Section  II.- Hittwy.] 

The  ensning  battle  was  fought  on  the  eroand  lying  between  the  N^  Nad(,  i}i0 
Shakardard  tank,  and  the  present  sonthem  and  ola  Son^gdon  roads,  quite  close 
to  Nfigfpdr.  The  Mardthds  were  completely  routed.  They  lost  their  whole 
camp,  with  forty  elephants,  forty-one  guns  in  battery,  and  twenty-three  in  a 
neighbouring  depot.  The  Mardthi  chiefs  who  had  not  surrendered,  beings 
deprivedof  A  pd  SdhiVs  authority,  lost  all  control  over  the  scattered  forces,  which 
now  dispersed  all  over  the  country.  But  in  the  city  a  large  body  of  Arabs  and 
Hindustanis  held  out  for  special  terms  beyond  payment  of  all  that  was  due  to 
them,  and  would  not  listen  to  the  orders  of  A'pi  Sdhib  to  lay  down  their  arms. 
They  were  promised  their  arrears,  and  every  inducement  for  marching  out  of 
the  countiy  in  all  security  was  offered  to  them,  but  without  effect.  Ooisupying 
a  number  of  separate  houses,  the  only  approach  to  which  was  by  narrow  lanes, 
they  maintained  for  some  days  a  stout  resistance.  They  did  not  capitulate  until 
the  29  th  or  the  30th  December  1817,  when  they  departed  with  a  safe-conduct 
to  Berfir.  ^ 

After  the  reduction  of  the  city  the  Resident  entered  into  a  provisional  en- 
gagement to  retain  A'pd  Sdhib  on  tibe  throne  on  the  following  conditions* — "  That 
"  he  should  cede  all  lus  territories  to  the  northward  of  the  Narbadd,  as  well  as 
**  certain  possessions  on  the  southern  bank,  and  all  his  rights  in  Ber^r,  G^walnrh, 
''  Sir^dja,  and  Jashpdr,  in  lieu  of  the  subsidy  and  contingent ;  that  the  civil  and 
''  military  afi&tirs  of  his  government  should  be  settled  and  conducted  by  ministers 
''  in  the  confidence  of  the  British  Government,  according  to  the  advice  of  the  Besi- 
*'  dent ;  that  the  Rdjd  with  his  family  should  reside  in  the  palace  at  Ndgpdr,  under 
'^  the  protection  of  the  British  troops ;  that  the  arrears  of  subsidy  should  be  paid 
'^  up  until  the  final  transfer  of  the  above-mentioned  territories  had  taken  place ;  that 
''  any  forts  in  the  territory,  which  we  might  wish  to  occupy,  should  immediately  be 
'^  given  up ;  that  the  person,  whom  he  described  as  principally  resisting  his  orders 
"  should  if  possible  be  seized  and  delivered  up  to  the  British  Government ;  and 
''  that  the  two  hills  of  Sitdbaldf,  with  the  bdzdrs  and  an  adequate  portion  of  land 
"  adjoining,  jhoold  be  ceded  to  the  British  Government,  which  should  be  at  liberty 
''  to  erect  on  them  such  military  works  as  might  be  deemed  necessary.*'  On 
tkeae  conditions  A^pd  Sdhib  was  permitted  to  return  to  his  palace  on  the  9th  of 
January. 

The  division  of  General  Doveton  proceeded  westward  to  help  in  taking  the 
forts  in  the  territory  ceded  by  Holkar,  and  in  the  pursuit  of  the  Peshwd.  No 
sooner  had  General  Doveton's  troops  left  Ndgpdr  than  A'pd  Sdhib  renewed  his 
intrigues,  raised  the  Gonds,  and  sent  secret  instructions  to  the  Kildddrs  not  to 
surrender  the  forts,  which  they  were  holding,  to  the  English ;  and  finally  he 
applied  for  assistance  to  Bdjf  Rdo.  Even  within  a  day's  march  of  the  capital  the 
wild  Gonds  were  burning  Magardhokrd,  A'mbgdon,  and  other  villages  belong- 
ing to  the  Bdkd  Bd(,  the  Rdjd's  political  opponent.  He  sent  messages  for  help  to 
the  Peshwd,  and  arranged  for  his  own  escape  to  Chdndd.  At  this  time  also  his 
participation  in  the  murder  of  his  cousin  had  become  known.  Sir  R.  Jenkins  now- 
arrested  the  Rdjd,  and  it  was  determined  that  he  should  be  confined  for  life  in 
Hindustdn.  He  was  sent  under  escort  towards  Allahdbdd,  but  on  the  road  he 
managed  to  corrupt  his  guard,  and  escaped  in  the  dress  of  a  sepoy.  He  fled 
to  the  Mahddeo  hiUls,  where  he  was  joined  by  Chitd,  the  last  of  the  Pindhdr( 
leaders.     He  ultimately  escaped,  first  to  A^sfrgarh  and  then  to  the  Panjdb. 

*  Aitchiion's  Trtaties,  vol.  iii.  pp.  109,  110. 


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[Sbction  IL-Hittoiy.]  Nl'G  318 

On  the  final  deposition  of  A  p£  Sihih  a  maternal  grandchild  of  Baghoji  II.  waa 
Ij^.  .. ...  adopted  by  the  widows  of  his  grandfather.    He 

^*  ^^       '  took  the  name  of  BhonsU^  and  was  recognised  as 

'Riji  Baghoj(  IIL  on  the  same  terms  as  were  granted  to  Afpi  S&hib  in  181 6.  A 
Begency  was  established^  at  the  head  of  which  was  the  Bdkd  Bii,  widow  of  the 
second  Raffhoj(.  She  had  the  care  of  the  young  R&jd^s  person^  but  the  Resident 
superintended  and  administered  every  department  of  the  state  through  officers 
appointed  by  himself.  In  the  year  1830,  durinff  the  Residentship  of  the 
Honourable  R.  Cavendish,  and  four  years  after  the  departure  of  Sir  R.  Jenkins 
from  the  scene  of  his  labours,  the  R&ji  was  permitted  to  assume  the  actual 
government.  The  time  of  the  Rdjd's  minority,  when  the  country  was  adminis- 
tered by  British  officers  under  the  Resident,  is  still  remembered  with  favour  by 
the  people.  Nothing  occurred  to  disturb  the  peace  at  large  during  the  next 
seventeen  years ;  the  country  was  quiet  and  prosperous  ;  and  the  security, 
afforded  by  a  firm  and  just  rule,  was  a  great  stimulus  to  banking  and  trade. 
In  the  year  a.d.  1848  an  impostor  named  Righobhdrti  Gosdin,  pretending  to  be 
A  pd  Sdhib,  raised  an  insurrection  in  Berdr,  but  the  disturbance  did  not  extend 
to  Ndgpdr.  Raghoji  III.  died  in  December  1858  without  a  child,  begotten  or 
adoptea.  The  Marquis  of  Dalhousie,  then  Governor-General,  declared  that  the 
state  of  Ndgpdr  had  lapsed  to  the  paramount  power.  This  order  was  confirmed 
by  the  Court  of  Directors  of  the  late  East  India  Company  and  by  the  Crown^ 
and  Ndgpdr  became  a  British  province. 

It  may  be  well  here  te  attempt  a  brief  examination  inte  the  composition  of 

Bh     li     rtv  ^^^  government  under  the  Bhonslds.     The  Bhons- 

po  ity.  j^g^  ^^  j^^^g^  ^^^  g^g^  ^^^^  ^j  them,  were  military 

chiefs,  with  the  habits  of  rough  soldiers,  connected  by  blood  and  by  constant 
fiuniliar  intercourse  with  all  their  principal  officers.  Descended  from  the  class 
of  cultivators,  they  ever  favoured  and  fostered  that  order.  They  were  rapacious 
indeed,  yet  seldom  cruel  to  the  lower  classes.  The  prince  regnant  was  far  from 
absolute,  as  we  have  seen  ;  the  younger  brothers  held  portions  of  the  kingdom 
as  appanages ;  they  were  bound  te  serve  the  R&jd  as  their  feudal  chief,  but  held 
their  own  independent  courts,  and  had  entire  management  of  their  own  terri- 
tories. The  near  relations  of  the  family  had  a  voice  in  all  matters  of  moment. 
MThen  the  great  Raghoji  I.  came  into  Berdr,  certain  officers  of  state  were  sent 
with  him,  for  whom  he  had  te  provide.  These  men,  known  as  Darakd&rs  and 
M^nkarfs,  often  acted  as  spies  on  him,  always  looking  to  Puna  as  their  home, 
and  working  in  the  interests  of  the  Peshwd.  Next  in  degree  to  the  members 
of  the  reigning  family  and  their  immediate  connections  among  the  M&nkaris 
came  the  civil  and  militery  functionaries.  Of  these  the  Dlwfo  was  at  the  head  of 
all  departments  of  the  state,  the  Famav(s  was  the  accountant,  the  Wardr  "Pindyi 
(originally  an  officer  under  the  Gonds)  was  keeper  of  the  '*  L^gwan  Records,'* 
which  showed  the  actual  state  of  cultivation,  occupancy,  and  rents  of  land.  This 
would  be  a  very  important  office  in  a  stete  where  the  land  assessments  were 
annual.  The  Chitnavis  was  the  chief  Secretary,  and  the  Munshf  was  Secretory 
for  Foreign  affairs,  while  the  Sikkanavis  was  keeper  of  the  great  seal.  These 
offices  were  considered  hereditary;  where  the  person  inheriting  office  was  unfits 
the  department  was  managed  by  deputy,  but  a  portion  of  the  emoluments  went 
to  the  support  of  the  hereditary  office-bearer.  The  principal  military  officers 
were  the  Sardafbar  or  Controller  of  army  estates^  the  Mir  Bakhshi  or  Paymaster 
General,  the  P^g^biavfs  or  Controller  of  the  body  guard,  and  a  similcur  officer 
for  the  artillery.  The  Sdbaddrs  of  provinces  held  military  and  civil  command 
40  CPG 


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314  NA'G  tStcnoN  U.— Hklory.] 

within  their  respectiye  local  jorisdictioiiB.  These  officers  were  for  the  most  part 
paid  by  j^girs,  or  by  other  grscnts  of  land  on  exceptionally  fi^vourable  terms. 
There  were  no  separate  officers  employed  exclnsively  in  the  judicial  or  police 
departments.  Important  suits  of  a  civil  nature  and  heinous  crimes  were  decided 
by  the  RSjd  himseff,  or  sometimes  by  panchiyats  in  open  darb^r.  Petty  affiBiirs 
were  settled  by  the  revenue  officers  in  the  districts^  and  by  specially-appointed 
courts  in  the  city. 

Of  the  success  of  the  Mar&thd  admiuistration,  we  may  say  that  firom  their 

«t-     lic   J   •  '  .    .'  first  arrival  up  to  a.d,  1792  the  country  was  on 

Bhonsia  admmistratioii.  .1        -,    ^  *^  a  ^  xi    .  .  •        <  ^  •^ 

the  whole  prosperous.     At  that  time  the  revenue 

and  the  area  of  cultivation  had  reached  their  maximum^  but  thenceforward 
they  commenced  to  deteriorate  from  misrule  and  oppressive  assessment.  When 
Berdr  and  Cuttack  were  lost  to  Raghoji  II.  he  would  not  reduce  his  army  and 
expenditure  in  proportion  to  his  lessened  revenue.  In  the  districts  near 
Ndgpdr  many  petty  and  hitherto  unheard-of  taxes  were  imposed^  and  a  system 
of  taking  '*  nazars^'  resorted  to.  In  more  remote  districts  large  tracts  were 
given  in  j^glr  to  military  leaders  for  the  support  of  their  troops.  Added  to 
these  causes  for  retrogression,  the  country  was  being  overrun  year  after  year  by 
the  Pindhiris,  and  this  retrogression,  it  may  be  remarked,  occurred  simulta- 
neously with,  and  in  spite  of,  a  great  immigration  from  East  Berdr.  The  short 
reign  of  A  pS  Sdhib  was  marked  by  still  greater  exaction  than  had  prevailed 
under  Raghoji  11.;  land  fell  out  of  cultivation,  and  patel  or  ryot  alike  was 
involved  in  debt,  from  which  he  was  only  able  to  extricate  himself  during  the 
wise  rule  of  Sir  Richard  Jenkins.  It  is  remarkable  that  between  a.d.  1820  and 
1825  the  total  area  of  cultivation  had  increased  twelve  per  cent.  In  their  Uves 
the  people  generally  seem  ever  to  have  been  quiet,  abstemious,  and  temperate; 
and  the  women,  even  of  the  highest  classes,  enjoyed  much  more  personal  freedom 
than  is  common  in  most  parts  of  India.  Their  habits  were  simple,  their 
manners  boorish.  They  were  capital  colonists  and  farmers.  There  seems  never 
to  have  been  any  large  permanent  military  population,  looking  to  the  sword  as 
their  inheritance.  The  cavalry  was  mostly  raised  in  the  Puna  country.  The 
Silahddrs  who  took  service  here  never  regarded  Ndgpdr  as  their  home.  The 
"  clouds  of  Mar£th&  horsemen,'^  of  whom  we  often  read,  never  could  have  applied 
to  the  N&gpiir  indigenous  armies.  On  the  whole  it  seems  certain  that  the  earlier 
Bhonslfo,  rapacious  as  they  were  as  regards  the  territory  of  their  neighbours,  were 
not  addicted  to  oppression  at  home.  On  the  other  hand,  from  the  second 
Raghoji^s  time  the  Pindhdri  incursions  and  oppressive  taxation  caused  much 
suffering  amongst  the  peaceful  inhabitants.  Among  all  the  native  rulers  and 
chiefs  of  whom  mention  has  been  made  in  these  pages,  there  are  four  names 
still  cherished  in  the  district  for  having  made  the  welfare  of  the  people  the  chief 
aim  of  their  lives — first  the  Gond,  Bakht  Buland;  then  the  Mardthi,  Kijd  Jinoji, 
"  the  settler  of  what  his  father  only  conquered,^'  with  his  soldierly  general 
and  able  civil  officer,  Raghoji  Kardndyd,  who  was  "  like  a  father  to  the  people 
committed  to  his  charge '/'  lastlv,  the  ^ood  widow  of  Raghoji  11.,  the  BSki  B6i, 
who  throughout  her  long  and  usefm  life  was  as  much  distinguished  as  the 
protectress  of  her  own  people,  as  by  her  steady  support  of  the  English,  and  of 
the  cause  of  order  and  good  government. 

From  1853  till  1861  the  dominions  of  the  late  H&ji  were  admmistered  by 
n^^,^.  ^A^;^i^^^^^  ^  commission  of  officers,  at  whose  head  was  tiiB 

Commissioner  of  the  "  Nagpur  province.'      ine 
•ven  course  of  affairs  in  that  period  was  broken  only  by  the  local  events 


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[SECTION  II.— Hfttory]  NA'G  315 

oonneoted  with  the  great  Mutiny  and  disturbances  of  1857-58.  It  has  never 
been  discovered  that  any  special  communications  from  other  quarters  had  been 
received,  previous  to  the  outbreak  of  the  Bengal  army,  by  those  parties  in 
N^gpdr,  which  about  the  very  beginning  of  the  Mutiny  became  more  or  less 
disturbed.  The  "  chapdtia ''  had  indeed  been  circulated,  but  here,  as  in  other 
parts  of  India,  their  import  was  certainly  not  understood  by  the  bulk  of  the 
people,  amongst  whom  they  failed  to  attract  any  particular  attention.  There 
was  noticed,  however,  about  the  end  of  April,  on  the  part  of  some  of  the  leading 
Mohammadans  of  the  city,  an  unwonted  opposition  to  the  orders  of  Government 
on  the  subject  of  extra-mural  sepulture.  This  opposition  was  met  by  decisive 
action ;  intra-mural  sepulture  was  prohibited,  and  the  order  was  obeyed,  but  not 
without  covert  hints  that  the  time  for  issue  of  orders  by  any  British  Government 
was  not  far  from  its  close.  The  behaviour  of  the  Musalm&ns  was  from  this  time 
carefully  watched.  At  the  beginning  of  May  1857  Mr.  Plowden  was  commis- 
sioner of  the  N&gpdr  province;  the  officer  in  charge  of  the  district  was  Mr. 
Ellis,*  of  the  Madi^  Civil  Service ;  his  Assistant  Commissioner  was  Mr.  Eoss. 
The  troops  stationed  at  Nigpdr  belonged  to  the  N^gpdr  irregular  force,  and  they 
consisted  of  a  regiment  of  irregular  cavalry,  mostly  composed  of  Mohammadans, 
and  many  of  them  connected  by  relationship  with  the  Mohammadans  of  Ndgpdr, 
a  battery  of  light  field  artillery,  and  the  1st  Kegiment  of  Irregular  Infantry,  who 
were  mostly  Hindustanis.  The  cantonment  of  K^mthi  was  garrisoned  by 
Madras  troops,  consisting  of  two  European  batteries  of  artillery,  one  regiment  of 
Native  cavalry,  and  two  regiments  of  Native  infantry. 

Intelligence  of  the  calamities  at  Meerut  and  Delhi  arrived  at  Ndgptfr  before 
Mutin  of  1857  *^®  ®^^  ^^  May;  and  it  seems  that  immediately 

^  *  after  this  a  scheme  for  rising  was  concocted  in  the 

lines  of  the  irregular  cavalry,  in  conjunction  with  the  Musalmins  of  the  city. 
Secret  nightly  meetings  in  the  city  had  been  discovered  by  Mr.  Ellis ;  and  the 
Scotch  Church  Missionaries,  who  had  schools  and  some  influence  in  the  city,. 
had  given  warning  that  the  public  mind  was  much  disturbed.  The  rising  was 
fixed  for  the  night  of  the  13th  of  June,  when  the  ascent  of  a  fire-balloon  from 
the  city  was  to  have  given  the  signal  to  the  cavalry.  But  just  before,  probably 
to  allay  suspicion,  tho  cavalry  had  formally  volunteered  for  service,  and  had 
asked  to  be  led  against  the  mutineers  in  Upper  India.  On  the  13th  one  squadron 
of  the  regiment  received  orders  to  march  towards  Seonf  as  part  of  a  force 
moving  to  the  north  from  Kdmthf.  This  was  just  a  few  hours  before  the  time 
fixed,  wid  it  took  them  by  surprise.  A  dafSddr  by  name  Dddd  Khdn  was 
deputed  to  the  infantry  lines  to  rouse  the  regiment  to  action.  D&dd  Eli&n 
was  at  once  seized  and  confined  by  the  first  man  whom  he  addressed.  Mr. 
Ellis  and  Mr.  Boss,  as  soon  as  they  had  been  made  aware,  through  informa- 
tion communicated  by  one  Pdran  Singh,  the  jail  d^rogha,  of  certain  suspicious 
movements  in  the  cavalry  lines,  at  once  communicated  personally  with  Captain 
Wood,  second  in  command  of  the  cavalry.  At  Captain  Wood^s  house  it  was 
discovered  that  the  regiment  were  saddling  their  horses.  It  was  now  past 
ten  o'clock  at  night,  and  by  this  time  the  alarm  was  general.  Mr.  EUis  sent 
the  ladies  of  the  station  for  safety  to  Kdmthi;  and  troops  were  summoned  from 
that  place.  Meantime  the  arsenal  had  been  cared  for  by  Major  Bell,  commis- 
saiy  of  ordnance.  Loaded  cannon  were  brought  up  to  command  the  entrance  ' 
and  approaches,  while  a  small  detachment  of  Madras  sepoys  proceeded  to  the 

*  Mr.  R.  S.  EUis,  C.B.,  the  present  Chief  Secretary  to  the  GoTenunent  of  Ifadru. 


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3 1 6  NA'Q^  [Sbctiom  IL— Hirtory.] 

Sft^baldi  hSl,  and  got  all  the  gans  in  position.  The  behaviour  of  these  last  was 
such  as  to  remove  anj  anxiety  as  to  the  Madras  troops  having  been  tampered 
with.  But  at  this  juncture^  until  the  arrival  of  troops  from  Edmthi^  everytliing 
depended  on  the  temper  of  the  irregular  infantry  and  artillery.  The  officer  com- 
manding  the  infantry  was  prostrate  from  wounds  received  from  a  tiger;  the  only 
other  officer  of  the  regiment  was  away  from  the  station.  Accordingly  Liente* 
nant  Cumberlege,  the  Commissioner's  personal  assistant,  who  had  previously 
been  with  this  regiment,  proceeded  to  their  lines,  and  took  temporary  commana. 
He  found  that  the  regiment  had  fallen  in  of  their  own  accord  on  their  parade- 
ground,  most  ready  and  willing  to  execute  any  orders.  The  battery  of  artillery, 
commanded  by  Captain  Play  fair,  evinced  a  spirit  equally  good.  Having  made 
sure  of  these  portions  of  the  troops,  Mr.  Ellis  now  went  down  to  the  city. 
Everything  was  found  perfectly  tranquil.  The  conspirators  must  have  become 
aware  that  the  authorities  were  on  the  alert,  that  their  co-operators  in  the  cavalry 
had  failed  to  get  the  infantry  to  join,  and  were  now  hesitating.  The  fire-balloon 
was  never  sent  up. 

The  cavalry,  when  they  heard  of  the  fate  of  their  emissary,  seem  to  have  lost 
all  heart.  They  unsaddled  their  horses  and  remained  quiet.  Subse(|uently  they 
were  turned  out  on  foot  without  their  arms,  the  infantry  and  the  artillery  being 
drawn  up  in  position  fronting  and  flanking  them.  It  was  in  vain  that  efforts 
were  made  to  induce  them  to  name  the  ring-leaders,  or  those  who  had  been 
saddling  their  horses.  The  dafddir  who  had  been  seized  in  the  infantry  lines 
was  tried  by  court-martial  on  the  next  day,  and  condemned  to  death.  The 
behaviour  of  the  native  officers  of  the  cavalry  had  been  closely  watched  by 
Mr,  Ellis.  The  senior  risdldir,  the  "  wurdee  major,''  and  a  "  kot  dafiSddr"  were 
arrested.  Within  a  few  days,  chiefly  through  the  instrumentality  of  a  native 
gentleman,  Tafazul  Husen  Khdn,  whose  loyalty  had  been  throughout  conspi- 
cuous, complete  evidence  was  brought  forward,  by  means  of  which  these  three, 
together  with  another  lisildSr  and  a  jamadir,  were  convicted.  They  were 
hwged  from  the  ramparts  of  the  fort  overlooking  the  city.  Also  from  among 
the  Musalmdns  of  the  city  two  persons  were  executed,  viz.  the  Nawib  Kfidar  Al( 
Eh^n  and  Yil&yat  Mi&n,  both  men  of  high  family  and  position.  The  bulk  of  the 
treasure  was  now  removed  for  security  to  the  fort  on  the  Upper  Sltdbaldf  hill, 
into  which,  and  the  arsenal  situated  at  its  foot,  a  supply  of  provisions  for  three 
months  was  speedily  thrown.  On  the  24th  June  the  cavalry  were  disarmed. 
Their  arms  and  accoutrements  were  removed  to  the  arsenal.  The  men  were  kept 
till  November  under  surveillance  in  their  own  lines.  In  November  they  were 
again  armed,  and  employed  towards  Sambalpdr,  where  they  performed  their 
duties  well.  Besides  this  there  was  no  actual  disturbance  within  the  district 
of  Ndgpdr.  In  the  cavalry  there  had  been  one  squadron  composed  almost 
entirely  of  Mardthds,  and  these  seem  to  have  been  implicated  just  as  much  as  the 
Musalm&ns,  for  amongst  a  number  of  officers  ana  men  expelled  from  the 
regiment  were  one  Mardthd  risdldir,  one  ndib  risilddr,  and  two  troopers. 
The  vast  majority  of  the  population  having  hitherto  remained  quiescent,  and 
the  fidelity  of  the  Madras  force  at  Kdmthf  being  now  placed  beyond  question, 
the  local  crisis  was  passed.  For  the  skill,  the  forethought^  the  judgment,  and 
the  resolution  with  which  affairs  were  managed  in  the  city  up  to  the  time  of 
the  crisis,  for  the  discovery  of  the  meetings,  for  the  subsequent  watch  put  on 
the  conspirators,  and  for  the  promptitude  with  which  punishment  fell  on  the 
chief  offenders,  no  small  meea  of  praise  is  due  to  Mr.  Ellis  and  to  his  coadjutor 
Mr.  Boss.  And  it  ought  not  to  be  forgotten  that  here  again  the  aged  princess 
Biki  BH  brought  all  her  influence  to  bear  on  the  side  of  the  authorities  in 


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[SscTiON  III.— Administration.]  NA^G  317 

dealing  with  the  doubtftdly-inclined  Mar&thds  connected  with  the  late  reigning 
family^  when  the  Southern  Mar&thd  Country  was  much  disturbed^  and  was 
lGR)king  to  Nigpdr  as  to  a  beacon^ — ^when,  too,  the  turbulent  subjects  in  the 
north  of  the  Nizdm^s  territory  would  hardly  have  remained  quiet  had  there  been 
any  serious  difficulty  at  N&gpdr. 

The  course  of  events  after  the  year  1857  does  not  find  its  place  here,  except 
to  mention  that  the  necessity  for  guarding  against  any  irruption  into  the  Ndgpdr 
province  by  the  ubiquitous  Titii  Topid,  who  had  at  the  close  of  the  year  1858 
crossed  the  Narbadi,  east  of  Hoshangdbdd,  was  met  by  sending  out  to  the 
banks  of  the  Wardhd  river  from  Kdmthl  a  column  consisting  of  one  troop  of 
European  horse  artillery,  the  7th  Madras  Cavalry,  and  the  26th  Madras  Native 
Infantry,  under  Colonel  Osborne,  with  Mr.  Ross  as  civil  officer;  while  Major 
Henry  Shakespear,  with  a  body  of  irregular  cavalry,  accompanied  by  Lieutenant 
Cumberlege  in  a  civil  capacity,  proceeded  to  the  Chhindw&rd  district.  The 
efiect  of  these  dispositions  was  that  Tdtid  Topid,  who  had  penetrated  as  far  as 
and  burnt  Multdf,  in  the  Betdl  district,  was  turned  oflf  in  an  easterly  direction, 
when  he  was  met  by  a  column  from  Amrdotf  under  Brigadier  Hill,  defeated^ 
and  again  driven  northwards.  It  remains  only  to  add  that  in  the  year  1861 
the  "  Ndgpdr  Province^'  was  amalgamated  with  the  provinces  known  as  the 
'*  Sigar  and  Narbadd  Territories,''  the  whole  forming  the  present  "  Central 
Provinces,''  with  the  head-quarters  of  the  administration  at  Nigpdr. 

The  method  of  revenue,    general,    and  judicial   administration  will  be 
SECTION  III.— Adminis-         noticed  very  briefly,  as  it  is  precisely  the  same  as 
TRATioN.— District  staff.  in  other  districts  belonging  to  these  and  to  other 

provinces  in  India,  governed  under  what  is  termed  the  non-regulation  system. 
'ilie  Deputy  Commissioner,  or  head  executive  and  administrative  officer  in 
the  district,  is  collector  of  the  general  revenue  in  all  its  branches,  the  head  civil 
judge,  and  the  chief  magistrate.  He  is  charged  also  with  general  control  over 
the  police,  with  the  superintendence  of  public  instruction,  with  the  collection  and 
expenditure  of  local  funds,  with  the  construction  of  local  public  works,  and  with 
other  general  and  miscellaneous  duties  which  it  is  needless  here  to  mention. 
To  assist  him  in  his  revenue,  judicial,  and  miscellaneous  duties,  the  Deputy  Com- 
missioner of  Ndgpdr  has  generally  four  Assistant^  or  Extra-Assistant  Commis- 
sioners, who  are  assistant  or  deputy  collectors,  assistant  magistrates,  and  assistant 
civil  Judges.  At  the  head-quarters  of  each  of  the  four  subdivisions  or  tahsfls  * 
is  a  Tahsflddr,  who  is  in  his  turn  sub-collector,  and  subordinate  magistrate,  and 
civil  judge.  Sometimes  the  naib-tahsflddr,  or  deputy  sub-collector,  has  juris- 
diction in  petty  civil  suits.  At  K&mthi  is  a  Cantonment  Magistrate,  who  is  sub- 
ordinate to  the  Deputy  Commissioner  in  judicial  matters.  There  are  thus  nine 
stipendiary  magistrates'  courts  subordinate  to  the  Deputy  Commissioner,  besides 
fifteen  non-sfcipendiary  courts  presided  over  by  honorary  magistrates.  These 
native  gentlemen  answer  in  some  respects  to  justices  of  the  peace  in  England. 
They  decide  a  considerable  number  of  cases.  The  Deputy  Commissioner,  the 
Cantonment  Magistrate  of  Kdmthf,  and  generally  two  of  the  Assistant  Commis- 
sioners, are  also  justices  of  the  peace,  with  jurisdiction  to  try  and  punish  European 
offenders  in  petty  cases,  and  to  commit  for  felonies  to  the  High  Court  at  Bombay. 
The  civil  judicial  courts  are  at  present  ten  in  number,  and  are  presided  over  by 
eight  of  the  above-named  officers  in  their  capacity  as  civil  judges,  by  a  Snudl 
Cause  Court  Judge,  and  by  a  Sub-Collector. 

^  The  four  subdivisions  are  N&gpdr»  Umrer,  Rimtek,  and  K4toL 


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318  NA'G  [StCTiON  III.— Admmiitratioii.] 

The  civil  and  criminal  courts  of  the  Deputy  Commissioner  and  the  Assistant 
Commissioners  ordinarily  sit  at  the  head-quarters  of  the  district — SiUlbaldi,  a 
suburb  of  Ndgpdr.  The  Ndgpdr  court  of  small  causes,  and  civil  and  criminal 
courts  of  the  Tahsilddr  of  Ndgpdr,  sit  in  the  city  of  N&gpdr.  The  Cantonment 
Magistrate  of  Kdmth(  holds  his  civil  and  criminal  courts  in  the  Cantonment. 
Of  the  honorary  magistrates,  thirteen  hold  their  courts  at  Ndgpdr,  one  at 
K^mthl,  and  one  in  Mohp4.  The  Divisional  Commissioner's  court  is  held  at  T&kli, 
another  suburb  of  Nigpdr.  On  the  civil  side  it  is  an  appellate  court  only. 
On  the  criminal  side  it  is  a  sessions  court,  with  powers  up  to  fourteen  years' 
imprisonment  and  transportation  for  life,  and  is  competent  also  to  pass  sentence 
of  death,  subject  to  confirmation  by  the  court  of  the  Judicial  Commissioner  of 
the  provinces.  The  whole  of  the  district  administration,  whether  in  the 
revenue,  judicial,  or  miscellaneous  departments,  is  subject  to  the  geueral  super- 
vision and  control  of  the  Divisional  Commissioner,  who  superintends,  besides 
this  district,  the  four  neighbouring  districts  of  Bhanddra,  Wardhi,  Ch£nd£,  and 
BHighit. 

The  constabulary  force  consists  of  two  distinct  bodies — the  district  police, 
and  the  town  police.  The  former  are  paid  from  the  general  revenues,  and  are 
available  for  service  throughout  the  Central  Provinces;  the  latter  are  paid  from, 
the  municipal  funds  of  the  towns  in  which  they  are  stationed,  and  theoretically 
their  duties  are  confined  to  that  town  alone.  The  district  superintendent  of 
police  (always  an  English  officer,  who  ordinarily  has  under  lum  a  European 
assistant)  is  at  the  h&m  of  the  whole  force. 

The  Government  revenues  are  derived  from  the  land  tax ;  the  income  tax  ; 
J      ^,  the  excise  on  spirits,  opium,  and  drugs ;  stamps ; 

mpe  revenue.  forests ;  salt,  "  p^ndhrl  ;^'  and  a  few  miscellaneous 
petty  taxes.  The  land  revenue  demand  for  the  year  1868-69  Was  Rs.  7,98,476. 
This  branch  of  revenue  will  remain  fixed  at  the  same,  or  almost  at  the  same; 
annual  amount  until  the  close  of  the  present  settlement.  The  excise  revenue  in 
the  year  1868-69  amounted  to  Rs.  1,91,848.  It  is  levied  according  to  the 
central  distillery  system,  which  consists  in  the  prescription  of  certain  places  in 
which  alone  spirits  may  be  manufactured,  and  the  payment  of  a  fixed  duty  on  their 
removal  by  licensed  vendors  ;  and  the  tendency  is  to  diminish  consumption,  but 
to  prevent  any  large  fiscal  loss,  by  the  higher  duty  levied  on  the  dmiinished 
amount  manufactured.  The  revenue  realised  on  opium  and  drugs  is  obtained 
chiefly  by  leasing  out  monopolies  of  right  to  sell  by  retail,  and  in  some  small 
part  by  fees  levied  on  the  cultivation  of  the  poppy.  The  total  revenue  from 
this  source  for  1868-69  was  Rs.  40,945.  From  the  stamp  revenue  of  1868-69, 
realised  under  the  rules  of  the  Stamp  Act  (Act  X.  of  1862),  was  obtained 
the  sum  of  Rs.  1,66,644.  The  increase  in  this  branch  depends  on  the 
increase  in  commercial  transactions  and  litieation,  and  on  the  efficiency  of 
the  arrangements  for  the  detection  and  punishment  of  offences  against  the 
stamp  laws. 

The  unreserved  forests  and  waste  lands  of  the  district  are  for  the  most  parfe 
let  out  on  usufruct  leases,  and  thus  afford  a  considerable  amount  of  revenue* 
The  system  has  been  introduced  of  leasing  out  the  right  to  collect  or  levy  dues 
on  minor  forest  produce  only,  viz.  grass,  mhowa  and  forest  fruits,  gums,  fire- 
wood, and  the  like,  the  district  authorities  reserving  the  right  to  duty  on  all 
timber  excepting  firewood.  The  area  from  which  this  revenue  is  produced  will 
annually  diminiim  as  the  plots  are  disposed  of  under  existing  waste  land  sale  and 
clearance  leeae  rules.    These  rules  permit  the  sale  in  freehold  of  all  waste  lands 


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[Sectiow  III.-Admiiiiitrttioii.]  NA'G  319 

at  a  minimcim  price  of  Rs.  2-8-0  per  acre^  and  provide  for  their  disposal  on  long 
leases^  conditional  on  final  clearance  and  reclamation.  Bnt  it  is  hardly  necessary 
tasay  that  any  loss  thus  efiected  in  annual  revenue  will  be  more  than  counter- 
balanced by  the  proceeds  of  sale  in  the  one  case^  and  by  the  additional  area 
ultimately  brought  under  assessment  in  the  other.  The  forest  revenues  of 
1868-69  amounted  to  Rs.  19,274. 

The  pdndhri  is  a  tax  peculiar  to  this  part  of  the  country,  and  has  the 
sanction  of  long  usage.  It  was  levied  under  the  MarSth&  nominally  on  all 
non-agriculturists,  and  was  calculated  on  the  ostensible  means  of  each  rate- 
payer. It  has  generally  been  considered  to  partake  of  the  nature  of  a  house 
tax ;  but  without  doubt  there  used  to  be  many  non-agricultural  householders 
Specially  and  somewhat  arbitrarily  exempted;  nor  was  much  care  taken  to 
equalise  its  incidence  so  as  to  distribute  it  equitably  over  the  rate-paying  popu- 
lation. The  tax,  however,  is  one  to  which  thi  people  are  accustomed,  and  not 
indisposed.  It  provides,  moreover,  a  legitimate  means  of  making  the  non-agri- 
cultural classes  pay  their  fair  share  towards  the  expenses  of  the  state.  The 
assessment  lists  have  recently  been  revised ;  an  improvement  has  been  made  by 
exempting  many  of  the  poorer  classes  ;  while  the  result  on  the  whole  has  been 
a  large  increase  in  revenue.  Act  XIV.  of  1867  has  now  placed  this  tax  on  a 
fimf  basis.    This  impost  yielded  Rs.  53,305  in  1868-69. 

The  income  tax  reimposed  in  the  current  year  1869-70,  on  incomes  exceed- 
ing Rs.  500  per  annum,  will  yield  about  Rs.  73,360. 

The  revenue  under  the  heading  miscellaneous  is  unimportant.  It  consists 
of  royalties  on  certain  quarries,  oil-mills,  fisheries,  and  the  like.  There  remains 
under  general  revenues  only  salt  tax.  This  is  levied  not  under  district  arrange- 
ments, but  by  a  special  department  (the  customs).  The  duty  is  three  rupees  per 
maund  of  82  lbs. 

The  local  revenues,  or  the    funds  spent  in  the  district,  arise  from  the 
T  ^  road,  school,  and  post  cesses ;  from  the  nazdl  and 

ferry  funds;  and  from  octroi.  The  road  and 
school  cesses  are  paid  by  the  landholders,  and  are  calculated  at  the  rate  of  two 
per  cent  respectively  on  the  fall  assessment  rate  (kdmil  jami)  of  each  estate. 
The  revenue  in  1868-69  under  these  two  heads  was  Rs.  31,940,  or  for  each 
Rs.  15,970.  The  proceeds  are  applied  to  the  purposes  which  their  denominations 
import — ^the  first  to  the  repair  and  construction  of  local  roads,  the  latter  to  the 
maintenance  of  rural  schools.  The  former,  since  the  year  1866-67,  has  been 
augmented  by  large  grants  from  the  municipal  ftmds  of  tiie  towns  most  benefited 
by  the  construction  of  local  lines  and  railway  feeders ;  the  latter  forms  only  a 
part  of  the  educational  frmds, — the  remainder  accruing  partly  from  other  local 
sources,  such  as  grants  fr^m  municipal  funds  and  voluntary  contributions,  and 
partly  from  state  grants-in-aid.  Similarly  the  dak  or  postal  cess,  imposed  for 
local  postal  service,  is  a  tax  on  the  proprietors  of  land.  The  rate  is  one-half  per 
cent  on  the  full  assessment  of  each  estate.  The  funds  realised  under  this  head 
are  not  spent  exclusively  in  the  district.  The  realisations  from  every  district  in 
the  province  are  lumped  together,  and  an  allotment  up  to  the  amoutit  of  its  own 
actual  requirements  is  then  made  to  each  district.  The  amount  raised  under 
this  head  during  the  year  1868-69  was  Rs.  8,992. 

The  nazdl  consists  of  the  annual  proceeds  of  rent,  farm  usufruct  profits,  or 
sale  of  buildings,  lands,  orchards,  wardens,  and  other  real  property  beloxL^ng 
to  Qovemment,  and  not  subjected  to  assessment  of  laud  revenue.    This  is  a 


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820 


NA'G 


[Sbctiok  III.— AdminiftritxHL] 


very  important  heading  of  local  revenne.  The  proceeds  are  spent  in  keeping 
the  different  Gk>yemment  buildings  and  gardens  in  good  order  and  repair^  in 
defrayment  of  charges  for  model  fiEurms^  purchase  of  improved  agricaltiurat 
implements,  breeding  live-stock,  inhorticiiltnre,  arboricoltore,  experiments  with 
foreign  cotton  and  cereals,  and  in  other  matters  intended  to  promote  the  good  of 
the  people,  and  the  general  advancement  of  the  district  in  agricultural  and  com- 
mercial prosperity.  Rs.  7,050  were  realised  from  this  source  in  the  year  1868-69. 
The  ferry  fund,  as  its  name  imports,  consists  of  the  proceeds  of  fees  levied  at 
ferries,  or  from  the  annual  sale  of  ferry  contracts.  It  is  supplemented  by  the 
profits  of  pounds  and  other  minor  headings,  and  is  expended  in  purchase  and 
repair  of  boats,  improvement  of  ghits  or  approaches  to  rivers,  and  such  like 
matters.  The  proceeds  in  1868-69  amounted  to  Rs.  12,650.  The  most  im- 
portant of  the  local  revenues  is  the  octroi.  This  tax  is  now  levied  in  twenty-six 
towns.  The  administration  of  these  funds  (after  the  deduction  of  cost  of 
town  police)  is  entrusted  to  the  different  municipal  committees.  The  right  to 
collect  octroi  is  let  out  in  annual  contracts,  separately  for  each  town.  The  tax 
is  one  to  which  the  people  have  long  been  accustomed  during  the  Mar^thi 
government  under  the  name  of  B&iv.  Generally  it  is  paid  with  the  utmost 
contentment,  and  is  certainly  the  form  of  local  tax  most  suitable  to  the  inhabitants 
of  this  part  of  India.  The  Mar^thd  '^  s&ir''  was  in  reality  more  a  transit  than 
an  octroi  duty.  But  pains  have  been  taken  to  re-constitute  it  on  a  proper 
basis,  and  now  no  imports  but  those  intended  for  actual  local  sale  or  consump- 
tion are  subjected  to  duty.  This  branch  of  local  revenue  is  the  main  source  from 
which  funds  have  been  derived  to  carry  out  the  extensive  municipal  improve- 
ments,  which  have  been  going  forward  for  the  last  few  years.  The  impost  is 
regulated  so  as  to  fall  lightly,  except  on  certain  articles,  and  the  schedules  have 
lately  been  revised  so  as  to  make  the  burden  lighter  than  ever.  The  octroi 
funds  of  the  municipal  towns  in  1866-67  reached  the  large  sum  of  Rs.  3,07,050, 
of  which  Rs.  52,489  were  set  apart  for  watch  and  ward,  Rs.  33,849  for  grants- 
in-aid  to  district  road  fund,  and  the  remainder  spent  in  municipal  improve- 
ments* This  income  has,  however,  been  much  diminished  by  the  recent  redac- 
tion of  rates,  and  wiU  fall  still  lower  after  the  present  year  (1869-70)  when, 
under  the  orders  of  the  Government  of  India,  octroi  will  cease  on  all  but  a  few 
selected  articles. 

The  following  table  will  show  the  receipts  of  revenue  under  the  different 
heads,  imperial  and  local,  for  four  years : — 


Description  of  Revenue. 


Proceeds  in  Rupees. 


1865-66. 


1866-67. 


Imperial, 

Land  revenue 

Excise 

Opium  and  other  drugs.... 

Stamps    

Forests    

Pdndhrf   

Miscellaneous  petty  taxes , 

Total  Imperial 


8,01,247 

2,00,797 

23,828 

1,13,228 

16,417 

70,833 

5,979 


12,32,329 


7,96,941 

2,29,888 

25,016 

1,23,366 

14,000 

83,307 

2,935 


12,75,453 


1867-68. 


♦4,34,820 

2,15,063 

43,309 

1,50,909 

20,906 

89,352 

3,171 


9,57,530 


1868-69. 


7,98,476 

1,91,848 

40,945 

1,66,644 

19,274 

53,305 

2,720 


12,73,212 


*  The  appMent  diminution  of  receipts  under  this  head  arises  from  an  alteration  of  the  year 


of  account 


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[Section  IV.— Population.] 


NA'G 


321 


Description  of  Reyenuc. 


Local. 


Road  cess    , 
Ferry  fund 

Nazdl   

School  cess 
Postal  cess 
Octroi 


Total  Local. 
Grand  Total. 


Proceeds  in  Rupees. 


1865-66. 


1866-67. 


17,714 

5,152 

5,857 

17,714 

3,726 

2,99,375 


3,49,538 


15,81,867 


17,535 

8,126 

8,869 

17,535 

4,436 

3,07,050 


3,63,551 


16,39,004 


1867-68. 


8,696 

13,000 

13,000 

8,696 

2,174 

2,93,323 


3,38,889 


12,96,419 


1868-69. 


15,970 
12,650 

7,050 
15,970 

3,992 
3,02,760 


3,58,392 


16,31,604 


SECTION  IV.— Population.  The  total  population  as  ascertained  by  the  census 

Classification.  taken  in  November  1866  may  be  classed  thus — 

1.  Europeans  and  Eurasians 2,462 

2.  Parsees 28 

3.  Hindds  of  all  classes 573,562 

4.  Musalmdns 27,371 

5.  Gonds  and  other  aboriginal  tribes  30,698 

Total 634,121* 

The  population  rate  is  172  to  the  square  mile.  When  it  is  considered  that 
1,841  square  miles  of  the  district  are  uncultivated,  this  rate  will  not  appear  very 
low  for  this  part  of  India. 

The  Hindi!  tribes  are  as  follows  : — 

1.  Brdhmans  26,597 

2.  Edjputs 3,458 

3.  Mardthds,  Kunbls,  and  cognate  Mar^thi  tribes...  177,183 

4.  Pardesls,  Tells,  Mills,  Ahirs,  Pardhdns,  and  Barais  106,483 

5.  Vidurs     (mostly)     illegitimate    descendants    of 

Bi'dhmans 5,094 

Carried  over 318,815 


Including  the  military  force  at  Kdmthi. 


41  CPG 


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322  NA'G  [Section  IV.— Population.] 

Brought  forward 318,815 

6.  Banids,  Ponw^rs,  Mdrw&Is,  Halwais,  and  Kaldls .    17,118 

7.  Gosdins  5,203 

8.  Kdnsdrs,  Sipfs,  Son&s,  Guraos,  BeldSrs,  Barhafs, 

Koshtis,  Dhobis,  Khdtiks,  Ndis,  Bhois,  Dli{- 
mars,  Banjdrds,  Madrassee  castes,  Bhdmtyds, 
andEangdris    118,019 

9.  Outcastes,  consisting  of  Dhers,  Chamdrs,  Mdngs, 

and  Bhangis 114,407 

Total 573,562 

The  tribes  described  as  *^  Gond  or  other  aboriginal  tribes"  consist  almost 
entirely  of  Gonds,  with  a  very  few  Kurkds  and  Bhils  (mostly  cultivators). 

The    Musalmdns,   divided    under  the    customary   great  divisions,   are   as 
follows : — 

Shekhs  14,838 

Saiyads  5,392 

Moghds 388 

Pathdns 6,753 


Total 27,371 


Under  the  Shekh  class  are  included  all  Musalmdns  whose  tribe  does  not  come 
distinctly  under  any  one  of  the  other  three  classes.  The  Musalmdns  are  thus 
to  the  Hindds  and  Gonds  as  one  to  twenty-one. 

A  very  brief  account  of  the  order  of  time  in  which  the  different  castes  settled 
-      ,  in  the  district  may  not  be  out  of  place.     In  Bakht 

Dateot  settlement.  Buland's  time  (a.b.  1700)  the  bulk  of  the  popula- 

tion was  undoubtedly  Gt)nd ;  but  during  his  reign,  and  possibly  to  a  slight  extent 
before  it,  there  had  set  in  an  immigration  of  Brdhmans  and  Kunbis  from  Berdr 
and  the  West,  and  of  Musalmdns  and  Hindds  of  all  castes  from  Hindustdn.  Bakht 
Buland^s  visits  to  Delhi  had  shown  him  the  superiority  of  foreigners  over  his 
subjects  in  all  branches  of  industry.  He  encouraged  foreigners  to  settle  by 
granting  them  unredeemed,  or  partially  redeemed,  tracts  on  very  favourable 
terms,  and  furthermore  attracted  them  to  his  own  military  and  administrative 
services  by  large  grants.  These  persons  again  induced  numbers  of  their  fellow- 
countrvmen  to  settle  as  cultivators ;  and  so,  long  before  the  arrival  of  the  first 
Raghojl,  the  wild  original  tribes  (never  probably  more  than  sparsely  distributed 
over  the  face  of  the  country)  had  begun  to  recede  before  the  more  skilfiil  and 
superior  settlers.  Yet  the  great  influx  of  the  Brdhmans,  Mardthds,  Kunbis, 
Koshtis,  and  Dhers  doubtless  did  not  commence  until  the  usurpation  of  the 
Gond  sovereignty  by  Baghoji  in  a.d.  1743,  when  Burhdn  Shdh,  Bakht  Buland^s 
descendant,  was  deposed.  Before  these  tribes  the  Gonds  gradually  receded  into 
the  mountain  tracts,  leaving  most  of  the  cultivated  and  culturable  tracts  in  the 


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[Section  IV.-Populatioxi.]  NA'G  323 

hands  of  the  new  comers.  The  Gonds  are  now  as  one  to  eighteen  of  the  strictly 
Hindd  population.  The  Musalmdns  have  come  from  all  directions — some  from 
the  Delhi  country,  some  from  Berdr  and  the  West,  but  probably  the  greatest 
number  from  the  Nizdm's  dominions  in  the  south.  Only  a  very  few  trace  their 
ancestry  in  these  parts  as  far  back  as  the  time  of  Bakht  Buland.  By  far  the 
greater  portion  came  with,  and  after,  the  Mardth^s. 

The  language  of  the  bulk  of  the  population  is  Mardthi ;  but  Urdd  (excepting 
-  ii     r  •  amongst  the  women)  is  generally  understood.     The 

anguagean    re  gion.  language  of  the  country -people  is  not  pure  Mardthl, 

but  a  patois  consisting  of  an  ungrammatical  mixture  of  the  two  languages.  There 
is  nothing  in  the  religion  or  in  the  customs  of  either  Hindiis  or  Musalmdns  espe- 
cially peculiar  to  this  part  of  the  country.  The  Brdhmans  profess  to  worship 
Brahmd,  Vishnu,  and  Siva  equally.  It  is  probable,  however,  that  Siva  is  most 
worshipped.  The  Mar^th^s,  Kunbis,  Koshtis,  and  even  the  outcaste  Dhers  (the 
classes  forming  the  great  bulk  of  the  population),  ahnost  exclusively  worship 
Siva,  under  the  appellation  of  Mahddeva.  The  Mdrwdrls  are  many  of  them  Jains, 
worshippers  of  Pdrsvandth. 

The  agricultural  classes  are  chiefly  Kunbfs,  Mardthds,  Pardesis,  Tells,  Lodhfs, 

-^  .  J     ^  Mdlis,  Barais,  and  Pardhins.     The  best,  as  well  as 

Occupations  and  customs.  ,'  '  •i-Lj.ji.xj.T-TT'i.^ 

'^  most  numerous,  are  without  doubt  the  Kunbis. 

They  are  simple,  frugal,  and  generally  honest  in  their  dealings  with  each  other. 
In  general  industry,  in  capability  for  sustained  labour,  and  in  agricultural  skill, 
they  will  bear  no  comparison  with  the  Jdts  and  other  good  cultivators  of  Upper 
Incia ;  but  still  they  may  be  regarded  as  the  backbone  of  the  country.  The 
Brdhmans  follow  many  diflFerent  professions.  They  are  priests,  shopkeepers, 
grain-sellers,  bankers,  servants,  writers,  and  a  few  of  them  soldiers.  Their 
manners  are  more  rude  and  homely  than  those  of  their  kindred  in  Hindustdn. 
They  are  often  fair  scholars  and  efficient  public  servants.  The  most  impor- 
tant of  the  industrial,  but  non-agricultural,  classes  are  the  Koshtis  and  Dhers. 
These  are  the  weavers  and  spinners  of  the  country,  the  manufacturers  of  the 
diflFerent  fabrics  of  cloth  which  the  district  has  for  many  years  past  so  largely 
produced.  The  Gonds  now  form  a  very  unimportant  section  of  the  people,  and 
any  detailed  examination  into  their  religion  and  habits  would  be  out  of  place  here. 
They  still  preserve  in  some  degree  the  rude  forms  of  their  old  religion,  the  chief 
object  of  their  worship  being  Bhfmsen,  who  is  represented  by  a  piece  of  iron  fixed 
in  a  stone  or  in  a  tree.  But  many  of  them  have  betaken  themselves  to  the 
worship  of  Mahddeva,  and  most  of  them  have  adopted  more  or  less  of  the 
Hindd  religious  observances.  Among  the  Mohammadans  there  is  nothing 
specially  peculiar  to  this  part  of  the  country.  They  engage  in  every  sort  of 
occupation — farming,  trading,  service,  and  the  like.  Most  of  the  Brdhmans 
and  the  trading  and  the  artisan  classes  take  two  meals  a  day— one  in  the 
morning,  and  the  other  in  the  evening.  Field  labourers  take  three — one 
in  the  early  morning,  one  at  midday,  and  the  third  after  sunset.  All  classes, 
except  Brdhmans,  Mdrwdris,  and  a  few  others,  eat  animal  food  when  they  can 
afford  it.  All  the  Mardthd  tribes  eat  fowls  and  eggs — the  food  held  in  so  much 
abhorrence  by  all  the  higher  castes  in  Hindustdn.  With  the  same  exceptions, 
viz.  the  Brdhmans,  Mdrwdris,  and  a  few  others,  all  the  people  use  spirituous 
liquor  distilled  from  the  fruit  of  the  mhowa  tree.  The  Mardthds  and  Kunbis 
indeed  profess  not  to  drink,  but  in  private  almost  all  do  consume  spirits. 
Generally,  however,  the  people  drink  in  moderation,  and  the  use  of  spirits  appears 
to  have  no  bad  eflfect  on  them.     But  two  castes — the  Dhers  and  the  Gonds — 


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324 


NA'G 


[Section  IV. — Population.] 


are  notable  exceptions  to  this  rule  of  moderation.  Many  of  these  are  habitual 
drunkards.  The  mass  of  the  people  are  orderly  and  well-disposed.  They  €tre 
quiet,  peaceable,  and  without  much  physical  courage ;  they  are  rather  simple 
than  crafty ;  their  manners,  if  we  except  the  Brdhmans,  are  rude  and  unpolished. 
They  are  neither  treacherous,  vindictive,  nor  cruel.  They  are  kind  to  their 
relations  and  to  their  women,  who  are  allowed  a  large  amount  of  liberty. 
Jealousy  is  rare,  not  perhaps  because  of  any  great  amount-  of  chastity  amongst 
their  women,  but  more  because  the  general  standard  of  conjugal  fidelity  is  low. 
They  have  little  of  that  cringing  servility  to  superiors  seen  in  many  parts  of 
India.  Amongst  each  other  they  are  usually  truthful  and  straightforward,  but 
when  they  disagree  and  have  to  bring  forward  their  disputes  in  the  courts,  they 
are  often  regardless  of  truth.  The  Brdhmans,  Mdrwdris,  Banids,  and  other  classes, 
who  are  either  wholly  or  partly  traders  or  bankers,  are  intelligent  and  generally 
trustworthy.  They  are  quick  to  enter  into  undertakings  of  enterprise,  and 
to  adopt  any  modern  improvement  likely  in  the  end  to  be  serviceable  to  them- 
selves. The  agricultural  classes  are  for  the  most  part  honest,  stolid,  apathetic, 
and  naturally  averse  to  innovation  of  any  kind.  Heinous  crimes  are  rare,  as  will 
be  seen  from  the  following  table  for  three  years  : — 


Crimes. 


Murders  

Cases  of  culpable  homicide 

Dacoity 

Robbery 

Thefts 


Number  of  Crimes  perpe- 
trated during 


1866. 


4 
7 
2 
6 
1,009 


1867. 


0 
1 
4 
4 
743 


1868. 


6 
0 
3 
3 
661 


Population 


CO 
CO 


Number  of 

Cases  of  Crime 

to  each  100,000 

souls  in  1868. 


•9 
•0 
•5 
•5 
103-2 


Of  late  the  condition  of  the  agricultural  classes  has  been  steadily  improving. 
So  al     ndito  '      -^P^^^  ^^^  *^®  various  benefits  resulting  from  the 

thirty  years^  settlement,  the  last  few  years  have 
brought  with  them  the  greatly  enhanced  demand  for  cotton  for  the  English 
market,  and  the  flow  of  a  steady  exportation  of  grain  and  cereals  to  Berdr  and  the 
West ;  and  these  conditions  have  been  accompanied  by  increased  means  of  transit 
and  exportation  by  road  and  rail.  Large  tracts  of  country  hitherto  growing 
edible  grain  have  been  brought  under  cotton  cultivation ;  and  of  the  grain  grown, 
the  ryot  or  farmer,  after  laying  by  sufficient  for  his  own  or  for  local  supply, 
proceeds  to  sell  the  remainder  for  exportation  towards  the  West.  The  country, 
thus  drained  of  its  edible  grain,  has  had  in  a  large  measure  to  look  for  its  supplies  to 
districts  on  the  East  and  North,  from  which  a  steady  tide  of  importation  has  set  in. 
The  result  has  been  that  though  the  price  of  food  and  the  general  expenses  of 
living  have  nearly  trebled,  the  agriculturists,  having  found  markets  so  profitable 
for  the  disposal  of  their  produce,  are  now  in  a  condition  of  hitherto  unexampled 
prosperity.  They  have  for  the  most  part  been  able  to  dispense  with  the  money- 
lenders altogether,  and  have  indeed,  many  of  them,  saved  a  considerable  amount  in 
cash,  which,  it  is  to  be  feared,  they  still  prefer  to  hoard,  instead  of  expending  it 


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[Section  IV.— Population.] 


NA'G 


325 


on  improved  stock  or  instruments  of  tillage,  or  in  the  gratification  of  secondary 
wants.  Improved  fanning  stock,  and  indulgence  in  the  gratification  of  hitherto 
unknown  luxuries,  will  no  doubt  follow ;  it  is  after  all  only  a  question  of  time. 
But  at  present  the  possession  of  a  surplus  of  cash  suggests  to  the  ryot  but  little 
beyond  the  treasuring  of  rupees,  or  the  purchase  of  ornaments  for  his  wife  and 
fitfnily.  As  regards  the  non-agricultural  portion  of  the  people,  they  too  are  on 
the  whole  better  off  than  they  used  to  be,  though  their  share  in  the  increased 
prosperity  is  but  small  when  compared  to  that  of  the  agriculturists.  The  increase 
in  the  wages  of  labour,  if  it  has  not  overstepped,  has  at  least  kept  pace  with  the 
rise  in  the  prices  of  food ;  and  the  demand  for  labour,  especially  for  the  lower 
classes  of  skilled  labour,  has  largely  increased.  Most  of  the  artisans  and 
labourers  are  well  fed,  well  lodged,  and  sufficiently  clad.  Of  real  indigence  there 
is  little  or  none. 

The  total  number  of  towns  and  kasbas  containing  above  2,000  inhabitants 
...  is  thirty-five,  and  the  aggregate  number  of  their  in- 

Towns  and  villages.  habitants  is  315,851.     The  total  number  of  villages 

and  hamlets  containing  a  population  below  2,000  is  2,193. 

The  size,  population,  and  importance  of  the  large  towns,  when  compared  to 
the  total  district  population  and  area,  are  rather  remarkable.  The  circumstance 
is  perhaps,  in  some  measure,  to  be  accounted  for  by  the  system  of  the  Mardthd 
government,  which  made  the  kamdvisdi*,  or  heSsid  administrative  official  of 
each  pargana,  reside  at  the  head-quarters  of  the  pargana.  The  parganas  were 
small  and  many.  The  kam^visddr  brought  in  his  train  a  numerous  retinue,  for 
whose  food,  lodging,  and  clothing  arrangements  had  to  be  made  on  the  spot,  and 
tbus  the  nucleus  of  something  like  a  town  was  commenced  at  once  by  the  drawing 
together  of  a  body  of  artisans,  grain-sellers,  and  others,  who  were  required  to 
provide  for  the  wants  of  the  officials  and  their  followers.  The  cloth  trade  again, 
which  is  so  largely  followed  and  so  widely  dispersed  over  the  district,  must  have 
done  much  to  increase  the  towns.  There  may  be  other  special  causes  on  which 
it  would  here  be  out  of  place  to  speculate.  At  all  events,  to  whatever  cause 
ascribable,  the  preponderance  in  number  of  the  rural  over  the  urban  population 
is  here  much  smaller  than  in  most  other  districts  in  India. 


The  principal  towns  are  the  following : — 

Nagp&r  Tahsil. 


1.  Ndgpilr. 

2.  Kdmthi. 

3.  Gumgion. 

4.  Bizdrgdon. 


9.     TJmrer. 

10.  Bhiwdpdr. 

11.  Mdndhal. 


15.  Rdmtek. 

16.  Pdrseoni. 

17.  Pdtansdongl 

18.  Khdpd. 


5.  Kalmeswar. 

6.  DhdpewdrS. 

7.  Tdkalghdt. 

8.  Borf. 


TJmrer  Tahsil. 

12.  Kuhf. 

13.  Weltdr. 

14.  BeW. 

Edmteh  Tahsil. 

19.  Koddmendhl. 

20.  Maundd  (Mohodd). 

21.  Nandardhan  (Nagardhan). 

22.  Wdkorf. 


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326 


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[Section  V.— Productions.] 


Eatol  Tahsil. 

23. 

Kdtol. 

28. 

24. 

Sdwiargdon. 

29. 

25. 

Kondhdll. 

30. 

26. 

Narkher. 

31. 

27. 

Mow&r. 

32. 

Belong. 

Sdon^r. 

Kelod. 

Jaldlkherf. 

Mohpd. 

But  none  of  them,  excepting  Nigpdr  and  Kdmtlif,  were,  until  very  lately,  any 
thing  more  than  an  agglomeration  of  houses,  built  for  the  most  part  of  mud  walls  ; 
sometimes,  it  is  true,  tiled,  but  oftener  thatched.  They  had  no  regularly-defined 
streets,  and  no  drained  roads ;  the  houses  were  ugly,  and  built  not  in  rows,  but 
anyhow,  the  comers  and  fronts  pointing  in  any  direction,  according  to  the  fancy 
of  the  builder ;  the  roads  (such  as  they  were)  were  narrow  lanes — in  the  dry  season 
passages,  and  in  the  rains  water-channels.  There  was  no  attempt  at  conservancy  ; 
and  the  habits  of  the  people  being  in  some  respects  the  reverse  of  cleanly,  the 
state  of  the  interior  of  the  larger  towns  was  excessively  filthy.  Heaps  of  cattle- 
refuse,  manure,  and  rubbish  lay  piled  about  and  exposed  in  the  most  public 
places,  while  great  chasms,  from  which  the  mud  had  been  originally  excavated 
to  form  the  walls  of  the  houses,  diffused  pestilential  malaria  from  the  drainage 
and  filth  collected  in  them.  Even  now,  after  the  expenditure  of  no  small  amoimt 
of  pains  on  the  part  of  the  government  officials,  the  smaller  towns  and  villages 
are  much  behind  those  of  many  other  parts  of  India.  Still  a  beginning  has  been 
made  towards  persuading  the  people  of  the  advantages  of  the  more  obvious 
sanitary  precautions.  Many  of  the  landholders  have  adopted  a  regular  system 
of  whitewashing  all  the  houses  in  the  villages,  and  of  insisting  on  proper  conser- 
vancy. But  as  regards  the  larger  towns  the  advance  made  within  the  last  few 
years  has  been  really  great.  Mimicipalities  acting  under  the  district  officials 
have  been  appointed,  and  systems  of  conservancy  have  been  matured  and  carried 
out.  Funds  have  been  raised,  and  municipal  works  have  been  pushed  forward 
with  a  rapidity  and  effect  sufficient  in  some  cases  to  transform  the  appearance 
of  the  places;  wide  thoroughfares,  metalled  and  drained,  have  been  driven, 
through  the  more  populous  quarters,  conmiodious  school  buildings,  dispensaries, 
police  stations,  and  sariis  have  been  erected,  central  market-places  have  been 
formed,  and  the  people  have  been  induced  to  build  their  dwelling-places  in  a  style 
suitable  to  the  new  streets. 

The  agricultural  produce  may  be  divided  into  three  classes — the  kharif  or 

SECTION  V -Productions        ^^    ^^^P^ '*    *^®  ^^^  ^^  ^P"^»    ^^^P^  ^   *^^    *^® 
SECTION  V     PRODUCTIONS.      B^gi^^t  ^^  ^^^^^  ^j.^pg      YoT  Bdghdit  the   best 

Cultivation.  ^^^^  g^y  ^  ^j^^g^  invariably  selected.     The  kharif 

and  rabf  crops  usually  grown  on  the  different  soils  are  as  follows : — 

Crops, 

t ' — ^ 1 

Soils.  Kharif.  Rail 

KfUi  (black  soil).  Cotton,  jawirf  {holctis  Wheat,  linseed,  safflower, peas. 

sorghum),  tdr  (cajanas 
irtdiyus) 
Mimvnd  (brown  clay  with  Jawirl,  mung  {phaseolus   Gram,  masdr    ( ervum    lens  ) 

limestone  nodules).  mungo),  rice.  wheat,  peas. 

Khardi  (white  clay  with  Jawdrl,  tdr,  vetches.  Wheat,  castor,  gram,  peas. 

limestone  nodules). 
Bardi  (stony).  Cotton,  jawirf,  tilr.  Castor. 

Bet&di  (sandy).  Castor.  Castor. 


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[Section  V.— ProductioM.]  NA'G  327 

The  ploughing  for  the  kharif  (autumn)  harvest  commences  in  April,     The 
^,    ,.  paring-plough    (bakhar)  is  first  used  to  level  any 

^^^^'  irregularities  of  the  surface ;  the   ground  is  then 

ploughed  three  or  four  times  or  even  more.  The  seed  is  not  sown  till  after  the 
first  fall  of  rain,  which  ordinarily  takes  place  early  in  June.  The  tifan  or 
treble  drill-rake  is  the  instrument  ordinarily  used  for  sowing.  Three  furrows  are 
thus  sown  at  once.  Shortly  after  the  crop  appears  above  the  surface,  the  ddvan 
or  hoe-plough  is  passed  between  the  furrows  to  destroy  the  grass  and,  if  necessary, 
to  thin  the  crop,  while  the  earth  is  turned  over  so  as  to  cover  the  roots.  After  the 
lapse  of  a  few  weeks  the  hoe-plough  is  once  more  used,  and  sometimes  even  a 
third  time. 

Cotton  has  now  become  the  most  important,  and  generally  the  most  remunera- 
tive, of  all  the  crops.  During  the  last  four  years  its  cultivation  has  been  so 
stimulated  by  the  demand  in  the  English  market,  that  it  is  now  raised  throughout 
largo  tracts  of  country  formerly  devoted  to  the  cultivation  of  edible  grain. 
The  most  valuable  crops  are  grown  in  the  north-west  comer  of  the  Kitol  tahsil ; 
but  the  whole  of  the  Kdtol  and  Ndgpdr  tahsfls  may  now  be  said  to  be  cotton- 
growing  country.  The  total  out-turn  of  this  crop  in  the  year  1868-69  was 
calculated  at  86,081  mds.  or  6,886,480  lbs.  The  indigenous  staple  is  in  itself 
of  a  fair  quality ;  but  much  improvement  is  to  be  looked  for  by  introduction  of 
foreign  seed,  and  fi:'om  the  sowing  in  one  part  of  the  country  of  seed  selected 
from  another  part.  Some  extensive  experiments  in  this  interchange  of  in- 
digenous seed  are  now  being  tried ;  and  seed-gardens  designed  to  afford  picked 
seed  for  distribution  have  been  established.  Improvements  in  the  method  of 
cultivation  have  followed  the  increased  demand  for  the  staple,  and  there  seems 
little  reason  to  doubt  that  the  cotton  of  this  district  may  in  a  short  time  equal 
any  producible  in  the  country.  The  weeding  and  picking  are  better  and  more 
carefully  done  than  they  used  to  be ;  and  many  cultivators  have  already  begun 
to  adopt  that  plan  of  light  but  careful  manuring  which  seems  in  this  soil  to 
produce  the  heaviest  crops.  Rice  is  not  extensively  cultivated,  but  wherever 
irrigation  is  available  from  artificial  tanks  a  few  rice-fields  rarely  fail  to  be  seen. 
Jawdri  is  grown  in  great  abundance,  chiefly  in  the  Ndgpdr  and  Kdtol  tahsfls. 
The  crops  are  very  fine.  A  good  deal  of  tdr  is  grown ;  it  is  often  raised  in  the 
same  field  as  cotton,  generally  five  ridges  of  cotton  to  one  of  tdr. 

For  the  pihi  (spring)  harvest  the  fields  are  first  worked  with  the  paring- 
T*  V  /  plough  in  Jime  and  July.     They  are  then  ploughed 

I  crops.  throughout    the    rains    (the  oftener    the    better) 

according  to  the  means  and  leisure  of  the  husbandmen.  The  sowing  takes  place 
in  October  and  November,  and  the  crop  is  ready  for  harvest  at  the  end  of  Feb- 
ruary or  beginning  of  March.  Wheat  is  the  grand  rabi  crop.  The  great 
wheat-field  is  in  the  Umrer  and  Rdmtek  tahsfls,  in  a  tract  lying  to  the  south  of 
Rdmtek,  and  enclosed  on  the  east  by  the  Bhanddra  boundary,  on  the  south  by 
the  hills  below  Umrer,  and  on  the  west  by  a  line  drawn  north  and  south  through 
Nandardhan,  Harbolf,  Magardhokrd,  and  Sirsf.  Here  this  cultivation  is  uninter- 
rupted over  many  miles  of  country.  In  February  the  whole  country  appears 
covered  with  one  vast  expanse  of  yellow  com.  The  crop  is  usually  cut  at  the  end 
of  February.  The  com  is  trodden  out  by  bullocks,  and  winnowed  in  the  wind. 
The  other  rabl  crops  do  not  need  any  particular  mention.  Ghand  (gram)  is  grown 
chiefly  in  the  Umrer  and  R^tek  tsJisfls ;  the  remaining  crops,  perhaps,  most  in 
the  tahsfls  of  Ndgpdr  and  Kdtol.  The  alsl  (linseed)  of  the  district  is  said  to 
be  very  good.     The  erandf  (castor  plant)  of  the  Kdtol  tahsfl  is  particularly  fine. 


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328  NA'G  [Section  V.—Productions.] 

The  garden  cultivation  is  devoted  to  sugarcane^  plantain^  tobacco,  poppy, 
^    ,  betel-leaf,  yams,  ginger,  turmeric,  garlic,  onions, 

ops.  carrots,  turnips,  and  other  vegetables.     Sugarcane 

is  cultivated,  but  not  nearly  so  much  as  it  might  be.  It  is  chiefly  raised  in  the 
valley  of  the  Sur  in  the  R^tek  tahsfl,  and  in  the  rich  garden  villages  of  Kitol. 
The  crops  raised  are  fair,  but  the  gur  (molasses)  manufactured  from  the  cane 
is  said  to  be  poor.  One  reason  for  the  comparative  neglect  of  sugaarcane  culti- 
vation may  be  this,  that  here  the  mhowa  flower  is  used  instead  of  gur  for  the 
distillation  of  spirituous  liquor ;  another  reason  is,  that  the  people  have  not  yet 
learnt  the  art  of  manufiicturing  sugar  from  gur.  The  ground  for  sugarcane 
cultivation  is  first  prepared  by  the  bakhar,  and  then  by  the  plough.  It  is 
next  covered  with  a  thick  layer  of  manure,  channels  and  cross-channels  for 
irrigation  are  then  made,  and  the  whole  field  is  well  watered.  The  plants  are 
raised  from  cuttings  from  the  old  canes.  They  throw  out  their  sprouts  (one 
from  each  knot  of  the  cutting)  commonly  in  the  course  of  thirty-five  or  forty 
days.  The  young  sprouts  are  at  first  careftdly  supported  with  earth,  which  is 
not  removed  untU  they  are  grown  to  some  height  above  the  ground.  As  the 
plant  grows  up,  the  branches  are  tied  up.  From  ten  and  a  half  to  eleven  and 
a  half  months  elapse  from  the  planting  of  the  cuttings  to  the  complete  ripening 
of  the  canes.  Continued  irrigation  is  required  until  the  monsoon  sets  in ;  and 
as  this  crop  is  considered  the  highest  branch  of  garden  cultivation,  so  its 
successful  management  demands  skill,  patience,  and  capital  all  combined. 
The  plantain  is  largely  cultivated  in  all  the  garden  villages ;  it  has  a  triennial 
duration,  and  is  generated  from  sprouts  of  the  old  plants.  The  betel-leaf  culti- 
vation is  carried  on  with  much  success  in  a  few  gardens.  Those  at  Bimtek  are 
celebrated  throughout  this  part  of  India  for  the  excellence  of  their  produce. 
A  large  portion  indeed  of  the  crops  is  now  sent  by  rail  to  Bombay.  T3ie  plant 
requires  a  particular  kind  of  soil,  and  has  to  be  partly  sheltered  from  the  outer  air. 
This  is  effected  by  enclosing  the  plantation  round  the  sides,  and  by  roofing  it 
over  at  the  top  with  a  framework  made  of  grass  and  bamboos.  Much  manure 
is  employed.  Ghee,  or  clarified  butter,  is  used  largely  for  this  purpose.  The 
plant  has  a  triennial  duration,  and  requires  ground  that  has  lain  fallow  for  some 
time.  It  is  propagated  from  cuttings,  and  is  planted  in  July.  The  leaves  are 
not  fit  for  use  until  twelve  months  after  the  shoots  are  put  in,  and  thereafter  they 
are  picked  every  fortnight.  The  poppy  is  cultivated  in  a  few  places  for  opium. 
The  cultivation  might  easily  be  increased.  The  juice  is  extracted  by  scoring  the 
poppy  heads  from  top  to  bottom  with  a  sharp  knife.  The  juice  thus  expressed 
is  subjected  to  the  usual  processes ;  but  there  are  no  skilful  manipulators  in  this 
part  of  the  country,  and  the  opium  is  not  considered  very  good.  None  of  the 
other  garden-crops  need  special  description.  The  fruit-trees  cultivated  in 
gardens  and  orchards  may  be  briefly  noticed.  The  oranges,  lemons,  sweet  limes, 
mangoes,  and  guavas  are  plentiful,  and  remarkably  fine.  The  Nagpdr  oranges 
in  particular  are  justly  celebrated  for  their  size  and  flavour.  Their  cultivation  is 
increasing,  and  they  are  exported  in  large  quantities  to  Bombay.  Manure  is 
applied  to  all  kinds  of  garden  cultivation.  It  is  usually  produced  from  the  culti- 
vator's own  stock.  Sometimes  flocks  of  sheep  and  goats  are  turned  out  into  the 
fields.  The  people  quite  appreciate  the  use  of  manure  for  all  crops.  The  supply, 
however,  is  very  limited,  as  large  quantities  of  cow-dung  are  used  in  fires  for 
cooking.  Vegetable  manuring  is  not  much  practised,  but  stubble  after  being 
burnt  is  often  used  as  manure.  Irrigation  is  almost  entirely  confined  to  garden 
cultivation  and  rice.  Wells  are  ordinarily  the  means  used  in  the  case  of  the 
former,  and  artificial  tanks  for  the  latter.     Enclosures  are  only  used  for  garden 


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[Section  V.— Productions.]  NA'G  329 

cultivation  and  for  fields  adjoining  jungles,  where  they  are  required  to  protect  the 
crops  from  wild  animals.  The  rest  of  the  cultivation  is  all  open,  a  narrow  strip 
of  unploughed  land  serving  to  demarcate  field  from  field..  The  village  boundaries 
are  marked  by  stone  pillars. 

Horse-breeding  has  hitherto  been  quite  neglected.     Indeed,  excepting  at 
L'     stock  NSgpdr  and  Kimthi,  there  are  no  horses.     Ponies  of 

an  inferior  breed  are  to  be  met  with,  but  not  very 
many  even  of  these.  Recently  an  attempt  has  been  made  (on  a  very  small  scale) 
to  improve  the  breed  of  these  ponies  by  crossing  them  with  Arab  blood.  Homed 
cattle  are  bred  in  large  numbers.  The  breed  is  smaller  than  that  of  Upper  India, 
and  very  inferior  in  size  and  appearance  to  the  Mysore  and  Nellore  stock.  On  the 
other  hand  they  are  compact  and  wiry,  and  possess  great  bottom,  endurance,  and 
speed.  The  trotting  bullocks  used  with  the  light  travelling  cart,  or  rengi,  are  well 
known,  and  one  or  two  pairs  of  these  little  animals  are  possessed  by  every  weU-to-do 
mflguzir.  They  will  frequently  travel  long  distances  of  thirty  miles  or  more, 
at  the  rate  of  six  miles  an  hour.  The  district,  however,  does  not  appear  to  breed 
cattle  in  sufficient  numbers  for  its  own  consumption.  Numbers  are  imported 
every  year  from  Rdipdr,  and  also  from  Upper  India,  especially  from  Cawnpore. 
The  price  of  a  good  pair  of  plough  bullocks  ranges  from  70  to  150  rupees. 
For  a  pair  of  fast-trotting  bullocks  from  200  to  250  rupees  is  frequently  given. 
For  field  operations  it  seems  certain  that  it  would  be  an  improvement  to  have 
animals  of  more  power  them  those  of  the  indigenous  breed.  The  district  authori- 
ties have  lately  imported  some  very  fine  bulls  of  the  Nellore  breed  to  cross  with 
the  indigenous  cows,  but  sufficient  time  has  not  yet  elapsed  to  judge  of  the  results. 
There  are  plenty  of  buffaloes,  but  the  breed  is  not  more  than  ordinariW  good. 
Sheep  and  goats  are  to  be  met  with  in  abundance  all  over  the  district.  The  best 
flocks  of  sheep  are  reared  in  the  Kitol  and  Ndgpiir  tahsfls ;  but  the  wool  is  coarse 
and  inferior,  and  the  mutton  coarse,  though  sweet.  Some  Patna  and  other 
foreign  rams  have  recentty  been  imported,  and  have  been  very  successfully  crossed 
with  indigenous  ewes.  Domestic  fowls  of  every  sort  and  description  are  reared 
in  great  numbers.     The  Mardthd  game-fowls  are  remarkably  fine. 

The  total  area  of  forest  lands  may  be  computed  at  about  320,000  acres. 
_  ,  Until  lately  there  was  no  system  of  conservation, 

o       pro  ucc.  ^^^  ^^^  result  has  been  that  most  large-sized 

timber  of  the  valuable  sorts,  such  as  teak  (tedona  grandis),  sfl  {shorea  robusta), 
and  shisham  (dalbergia  latifolia),  has  been  felled.  To  prevent  the  total 
destruction  of  the  best  timber,  it  was  found  necessary  altogether  to  prohibit  for 
the  time  the  cutting  of  these  valuable  trees,  and  to  adopt  a  system  of  regular 
conservation,  which  has  been  in  force  since  1862.  The  saplings  are  now  making 
progress,  but  it  will  not  be  for  some  years  to  come  that  any  large  timber  will  be 
fit  to  cut.  Of  forest  fruit-trees  the  most  important  is  the  mhowa,  from  the 
flowers  of  which  is  distilled  ddru — ^the  spirituous  liquor  most  used  in  this  part  of 
the  country.  A  little  honey  and  bees-wax  are  annually  gathered  from  the  wild 
honeycombs,  which  the  insect  generally  constructs  on  the  loftiest  forest  trees. 
Excellent  grass  grows  in  most  of  the  forests.  This  grass  is  cut  and  stored  as 
fodder  for  cattle,  and  is  also  used  for  thatching  houses. 

The  district  is  rich  in  the  different  sorts  of  building  stone.     In  speaking  of 

_^  J    •       1  R^ology,  the  trap,  sandstone,  laterite,  and  granitic 

Stone  and  mmepalB.  Formations  have  all  been  described.     The  basalt  is 

not  always  found,  near  the  surface,  of  a   sufficiently  large  grain  for  building 

purposes.     Wherever  it  is  so  found,  it  forms  an  excellent  building  material. 

12  CPG 


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330  ^A'G  [Section  V.-Production..] 

The  Railway  Company  have  used  it  largely  in  their  bridges^  and  lately  it  has 
come  into  use  for  building  in  the  town  and  station  of  Ndgpdr.  Broken  up  into 
small  fragments^  it  form^  the  very  best  metalling  procurable  for  roads.  A  very 
fine  sandstone  found  near  E4mthi  is  much  used  for  building.  The  sandstone  at 
Sil^wiri  is  much  prized  for  ornamental  carving,  being  fine-grained,  soft,  of 
good  colour,  and  free  from  impurities.  Granite  rock  is  plentiful,  but  is  not  much 
used  for  building  ;  it  is  of  short  grain  and  of  variable  composition.  Laterite 
is  used,  and  might  be  more  utilised  than  it  is.  When  dug  from  the  quarry  this 
composition  is  quite  soft,  but  when  exposed  to  the  air  it  rapidly  hardens  imd 
forms  a  durable  building  material.  The  limestones  are  also  used  for  building. 
The  lime  used  for  making  mortar  is  procured  from  the  quarries  of  kankar,  which 
are  to  be  found  almost  everywhere  in  the  alluvial  ana  regar  soils.  Coal  has 
not  yet  been  found,  but  probably  it  does  exist  more  or  less  in  the  sandstone 
formations,  which  lie  between  the  coal-producing  sandstone  tracts  of  Chhindw&rfi 
and  Ch^cUi.  Associated  with  the  trap-rocks,  or  enclosed  in  them,  are  occasion- 
ally found  chalcedony,  flint,  heliotrope,  and  jasper.  Some  clays  well  adapted 
for  pottery  are  to  be  met  with  here  and  there,  especiallv  in  the  TdklJ  beds  near 
Nigpdr,  and  at  Chicholi  north  of  Pilkdpdr.  Of  metals  tnere  is  a  scarcity.  Gold 
is  said  to  have  been  noticed  in  a  quartz  matrix  near  Nandardhan,  but  this  seems 
doubtftd.  Indubitably  it  exists  in  very  small  particles  in  the  sand  of  some  of  the 
rivers,  notably  in  that  of  the  Sur.  The  particles  are,  however,  so  minute,  and  the 
labour  of  washing  the  sand  so  great,  that  very  few  persons  follow  the  occupation 
of  gold-washers.  Sulphuret  of  lead  {galena)  has  been  noticed  in  one  or  two 
places.  Iron-ore  of  good  quality  is  found  near  Mansar,  and  must  exist  in  many 
other  places.  It  is  too  hard  to  be  worked  by  natives,  who  prefer  extracting  the 
metal  from  the  softer  oxides  contained  in  laterite  rock.  Manganese  exists  with 
the  iron,  especially  connected  with  the  laterite  beds  in  the  valley  of  the  Sur  river, 
and  at  Maundd  (Mohodd)  on  the  Kanhdn. 

The  great  article  of  manufacture  is  cloth.     Cotton  and  silk  fabrics  of  all 
M      fiii!tiirea  sorts  and  descriptions  are  produced  in  abundance, 

from  dhotis  (cloths  worn  round  the  loins),  valued 
at  500  rupees  a  pair,  to  the  common  cloths,  costing  a  rupee  and  a  half,  worn  by 
Conunon  coolies.  Pagris  (turbans),  siris  (garment  pieces  worn  by  women), 
and  dhotis  and  dopattas  (cloths  worn  by  men),  are  the  articles  most  manu&ctured. 
The  most  noticeable  of  all  are  the  Ndgpdr  and  Umrer  dhotis.  These  are 
made  of  the  very  finest  cotton-cloth  (undyed),  fringed  with  a  border  of  silk. 
The  pattern  and  colour  of  the  silk  border  is  according  to  the  taste  of  the 
wearer.  Some  of  the  designs  are  very  tasteftd  ;  they  are  formed  by  interweaving 
silk  of  different  colours  with  gold  thread,  the  groundwork  of  the  whole  being 
generally  of  a  briUiant  crimson.  The  pagris  are  generally  made  of  finely- woven 
cotton-cloth  either  coloured  or  undyed,  with  a  broad  fringe  of  gold.  Sdris  and 
dopattds  are  sometimes  made  of  plain  white  cotton-cloth,  with  handsome  silk 
borders,  sometimes  entirely  of  silk,  sometimes  of  dyed  cotton-cloth  with  silk 
border.  The  very  best  of  these  finer  cloths  are  made  in  Ndgprir  and  Umrer ;  but 
Kh&pi,  Maundi,  Bhiwdprir,  and  many  other  towns  also  manufacture  superior 
fabrics.  The  manufacture  is  in  the  hands  of  the  Koshtis — ^an  industrious  and 
skilftQ  class  of  workmen.  The  looms  are  somewhat  elaborate  in  their  gear,  and 
difficult  to  work.  The  weaver  has  to  serve  a  long  apprenticeship  before  he  be- 
comes a  skilled  workman.  High  commendation  and  several  prizes  were  awarded 
to  specimens  of  these  fabrics  at  the  recent  Exhibitions  at  A'gra,  Lucknow, 
Ndgpdr,  Jabalpdr,  and  ATcoli.  The  coarser  fabrics  consist  of  stout  cotton-cloth, 
either  white  or  dyed  in  various  colours.     The  manufacture  is  carried  on  all  over 


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[Suction  VI.— Trade.]  NA'G  381 

the  district.  Indeed  there  is  hardly  a  considerable  village  that  has  not  a  number 
of  persons  engaged  in  this  manufacture.  The  workmen  are  chiefly  Dhers.  The 
rest  of  the  manufactures  are  unimportant^  and  may  be  dismissed  in  a  few  words. 
They  consist  of  blankets,  white  and  black,  made  from  indigenous  wool,  t&tpattf 
or  sacking,  coarse  basket-work,  common  pottery,  and  some  creditable  brass  work 
consisting  of  lot^,  katords,  and  cooking  utensils.  These  last,  however,  are 
made  only  in  a  very  few  towns.  There  are  a  few  workers  in  steel.  One  house  is 
noted  for  the  manidacture  of  steel  weapons,  such  as  daggers  and  hunting  spears. 
Stone  and  wood  carving  had  in  former  days  reached  a  very  creditable  stage  of 
progress,  as  old  carvings  abundantly  testify.  The  art  has  to  a  certain  extent 
fidlen  into  disuse.  There  are  still  however,  especially  at  NSgpdr  itself,  many 
excellent  workmen ;  and  some  efforts  have  lately  been  made  to  revive  the  art. 
The  workmen  are  found  quite  capable  of  excuting  European  designs,  and  some 
of  the  indigenous  patterns  show  excellent  taste  and  workmanship. 

The  trade  of  the  district  was  always  considerable.     In  the  time  of  the  Mar£- 

QprTTOM  vf     To  A  «*        ^^1^  gr^^f  oil-seeds,  and  country  cloth  formed  the 

T1  J    xi.   %/r  -ic^u/     1  chiei  articles  of  export.     In  excnauire  for  these 

under  the  Maratha  rule.  -,.,.       ,,       j-  x  •  i.  j -ci 

commodities  the  district  received  Jburopean  piece 

and  miscellaneous  goods ;  salt  from  Bombay  and  Ber^ ;  silks,  sugar,  and  spices 
from  Bundelkhand,  Mirz&ptir,  and  the  North ;  and  rice  from  Edipdr,  Bhand&ra, 
Mid  the  East.  Except  in  times  of  depression,  produced  by  the  foreign  struggles 
or  internal  commotions  of  the  State,  the  general  tendency  of  trade  under  the 
Mar&ihfo  was  to  increase ;  but  there  were  three  prominent  causes  at  work  to 
prevent  the  rajnd  development  of  commerce.  The  first  was  the  diflScult  nature 
of  the  country,  and  the  wretched  means  of  communication,  impeding  equally 
import  and  export.  The  seccmd  was  the  feeling  of  insecurity  fipom  tine  greed 
of  the  rulers  of  the  State  or  their  agents.  Forced  loans  were  frequently  taken 
from  wealthy  merchants  and  bankers,  without  any  pretext  whatever,  except 
that  the  State  wanted  money,  with  the  fall  understanding  on  both  sides  that  the 
amount  was  to  be  wholly  or  partially  left  unpaid.  It  would  seem  indeed  that  the 
later  Nigpdr  rulers  indulged  in  this  species  of  plunder  to  a  greater  degree 
than  almost  any  other  native  government.  Ute  result  of  this  svstem  was  to 
make  the  merchant  hoard  his  surplus  wealth,  and  secrete  it  in  the  form  of  bullion 
and  jewels,  instead  of  embarking  it  in  profitable^  but  visible,  mercantile  invest- 
ments. The  third  cause  is  to  be  found  in  the  existence  of  certain  regulations 
trammelling  the  free  export  of  grain,  and  in  the  establishment  of  vicious  systems 
of  private  monopolies  and  transit  duties.  The  two  last  causes  have  been  removed 
for  many  years ;  indeed  nothing  of  them  but  a  few  of  the  transit  duties  remained 
after  the  deposition  of  A'pi  SQnb  in  1818.  The  last  of  these  duties  were  not 
removed  until  aft;er  the  annexation  of  the  Ndgpdr  kingdom  in  1853. 

The  last  six  years  have  been  marked  by  a  sudden,  and  hitherto  unprecedented, 
Cotto   traffic  commercial  activity,  and  accumulation  of  weidth. 

Many  causes,  diversified  in  their  character,  but 
similar  to  those  operating  in  other  parts  of  India,  have  contributed  to  produce 
this  effect.  But  two  of  them  stand  prominently  forward.  The  first  is  to  be  found 
in  the  increased  demand  for  cotton  for  the  English  market;  the  second 
in  the  very  recent  development  of  conmiunications  by  road  and  railway. 
The  latter  subject  will  be  treated  of  separately.  The  efiEect  produced  on  the 
district  by  the  increased  demand  for  cotton  requires  some  brief  mention.  The 
increased  demand  for  the  English  market  first  affected  the  cotton  sowings  in  the 
agricultural  year  1862-63.     In  that  year  the  price  of  cotton  at  Bomh^y  more 


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332  NA'G  [Section  VI.-^Tmde.] 

than  doubled.  In  the  district  of  Wardhd  and  in  the  Ber&rs — always  cotton-grow- 
ing tracts — the  cultivation  was  at  once  enormously  extended,  taking  up  large 
tracts  of  country  hitherto  devoted  to  the  cultivation  of  edible  grains^  A  similar, 
though  less  extended,  movement  took  place  in  this  district,  where  the  cultivation 
probably  doubled.  In  1863-64  the  prices  at  Bombay  rose  still  higher,  and  the 
cultivation  and  export  of  the  staple  continued  to  extend.  This  district,  always 
in  the  habit  of  drawing  considerable  quantities  of  grain  from  Chhattlsgarh  and 
Bhanddra,  and  also  of  exporting  grain  towards  Wardhd  and  the  Berirs,  now 
required  more  from  the  former  country,  and  could  afford  less  for  the  latter* 
The  Chhattisgarh  and  Bhandira  country  was  able  to  meet  the  demand,  and 
exported  in  enormous  quantities  to  Ndgp^r,  Wardhd,  and  the  Berirs-  The  local 
prices  of  food  rose,  but  on  the  other  hand  so  great  was  the  profit  from  the 
cotton  exported  to  Bombay,  that  the  aggregate  result  was  a  large  augmentation  of 
agricultural  wealth.  In  1 864-65  the  prices  of  cotton  fell.  In  1 865-66  they  again 
slightly  rose.  The  increased  cultivation  and  export  of  the  staple  had,  however, 
been  too  firmlv  established  to  yield  much  to  these  fluctuations.  On  the  other 
hand,  partial  failure  of  the  grain  crops  in  Chhattisgarh  during  these  two  years 
lessened  the  import  of  cereal  produce  from  that  country,  and  this  district,  obliged 
to  look  elsewhere  for  its  supplies,  began  to  draw  from  an  entirely  new  source, 
viz.  Jabalpdr  and  the  North.  At  the  same  time  the  extended  cotton  cultivation 
in  the  Ndgpdr  and  Kdtol  tahsfls  had  now  withdrawn  so  much  land  from  cultiva- 
tion of  jawdri,  that  for  the  first  time  there  was  an  ebb  in  the  usual  tide  of  traffic 
from  Bast  to  West,  and  there  sprang  up  an  import  of  this  grain  from  Berdr. 

At  the  present  time  the  agricultural  produce  exported  consists  of  cotton, 

J  ,  oil-seeds,  and  some  edible  grain  ;  while  the  imports 

mpo  8  an   expo    .  ^^^  ^^^  wheat,  and  other  edible  grain,  partly  from 

Chhattisgarh,  and  partly  from  Jabalpdr  and  the  North,  and  some  jaw&f  from  the 
Berdrs.  In  articles  not  being  agricultural  produce,  the  dhief  imports  are  Euro- 
pean piece  and  miscellaneous  goods  from  Bombay,  salt  from  the  Concan,  sugar 
and  spices  from  Mirz^ptir  and  the  North,  and  hardware  from  Bhanddra  and  from 
the  Narbadd  districts.     The  only  export  of  consequence  is  the  country  cloth. 

The  trade  in  salt  and  in  European  miscellaneous  goods  appears  to  be  greatly 
on  the  increase.  The  annual  import  of  sugar,  spices,  and  hardware  is  probably 
stationary,  or  nearly  so. 

It  seems  probable  that  the  manufacture  of  the  commoner  sorts  of  country 
-,      trv  1  th  cloth  is  on  the  decline.     The  increased  local  prices 

^  of  raw  cotton  arising  from  the  late  exports,  and 

the  sharp  competition  of  machine-made  stufis  from  England,  have  combined  to 
depress  the  local  manufacture.  Last  year  indeed  the  exports  were  apparently 
in  excess  of  those  of  the  year  preceding,  the  flail  in  the  prices  of  cotton  having 
a^ain  tended  to  stimulate  local  manufacture,  while  at  the  same  time  there  was  a 
duninution  in  the  import  of  European  piece-goods.  There  appears,  however,  to 
be  little  doubt  that  this  was  a  mere  fluctuation,  arising  chiefly  from  the  depressed 
condition  of  the  Bombay  market.  Some  of  the  ordmary  sorts  of  cloth  peculiar 
to  Ndgpdr  and  Umrer  have  now  been  imitated  in  England,  and  are  actually 
sold  here  at  much  lower  prices  than  their  local  prototypes.  TTiere  seems,  too^  to 
be  a  growing  preference  for  the  English  goods,  and  already  many  of  the  weavers, 
weary  of  competing  any  longer,  have  betaken  themselves  to  more  profitable 
employment.  On  the  whole  then,  although  the  manufacture  and  export  of 
home-made  cloth  is  still  briskly  maintained,  it  seems  probable  that  in  the  natural 
course  of  things  the  trade  must  decline,  and  perhaps  eventually  disappear  before 
machine-made  stufis. 


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CSbction  VI.— Trade.]  NA'G  333 

By   far  the  largest  enti*ep6t  for    wheat,  rice,  and  other  edible  grain  is 
Entrepots  Kdmthi,  where  there  are   many  wholesale  dealers; 

^     '  other  considerable    entrepots   are  Nigptir,  Umrer, 

S&)ner,  Khdpd,  and  Kdtol.  With  one  or  two  important  exceptions  the  trade  is 
in  the  hands  of  the  Mdrwdris,  who  have  their  agents  for  the  purposes  of  purchase 
and  import  stationed  in  Bhand^ra  and  Chhattisgarh,  and  latterly  at  Jabalpdr. 
They  also  buy  in  the  open  market  from  the  Gdonthiis  (village  headmen),  who 
bring  in  the  com  at  their  own  venture  from  the  countries  where  it  is  grown. 
They  export  again,  either  by  consignment  to  their  own  agents  stationed  in 
Wardhfi  and  in  the  Berdrs,  or  else  sell  at  the  entrepots  to  agents  sent  by  the 
wholesale  dealers  in  those  districts.  The  district  has  no  entrepots  for  cotton,  if 
we  except  K4mth{,  which  does  a  small  trade  in  this  staple.  The  cotton  of  the 
Nigpdr  tahsfl  mostly  finds  its  way  to  the  great  entrepot  of  Hinganghit  in  the 
Wardhd  district;  that  of  the  Kdtol  tahsil  to  Amriotl  in  Berir ;  and  from  these 
places  it  is  sent  to  the  difierent  stations  on  the  railway  for  transport  to  Bombay* 
The  trade  in  European  cloth  and  mixed  goods  is  chiefly  in  the  hands  of  the 
Bohrds,  who  have  large  shops  at  Nigprir.  The  retail  dealers  buy  from  these 
Bohrds,  and  disperse  the  stuffs  throughout  the  town  and  country  bdzdrs.  Br^- 
mans  and  Mdrw^is  are  also  engaged  in  this  trade,  as  also  in  the  export  trade  of 
country  cloth.  The  entire  interchange  of  commodities  may  be  thus  summarised. 
The  district  exports  raw  cotton,  grains,  and  other  agricultural  produce  and  cloth, 
and  receives  in  return  salt,  sugar,  English  piece  and  miscellaneous  goods,  cattle, 
hardware^  and  cutlery.  The  balance  of  trade  is  without  doubt  greatly  in  fevour 
of  the  district,  and  is  adjusted  by  imports  of  bullion,  which  it  is  to  be  feared  is 
still  extensively  (though  less  so  now  than  formerly)  hoarded  in  cash  or  ornaments, 
or  in  other  unproductive  representations  of  wealth. 

Almost  all  the  '^  s^ukdri  ^'  or  banking  transactions  are  carried  on  by  the 
g^^  Mirwdris.     There  are,   however,  a    few  banking 

^'  houses  conducted  by  Brflmians.  The  rate  of  interest 

is  certainly  less  than  it  used  to  be.  This  is  the  natural  result  of  the  increased 
plentifulness  of  money.  It  is  impossible  to  give  any  average  rate  of  interest,  as 
this  varies  with  so  many  variable  conditions,  such  as  the  amount  to  be  borrowed, 
the  nature  of  security,  and  the  tightness  of  the  money-market,  but  it  may  be  said 
that  money  can  always  be  obtained,  on  good  security,  for  twelve  per  cent  per 
annum,  and  often  for  considerably  less.  The  security  demanded  is  usually  the 
pledge  or  pawn  of  valuable  jewels  and  the  like,  mortgages  on  real  property,  or 
personal  security  of  men  of  known  substance.  Ordinarily  the  better  class  of  bankers 
will  not  lend  very  small  sums.  But  some  few  of  the  very  wealthiest  of  them 
combine  the  largest  with  the  smallest  sorts  of  transactions.  Besides  their  large 
establishments  at  Ndgpdr,  these  men  have  their  agents  established  at  every  petty 
town  in  the  district,  and  lend  out  the  very  smallest  sums  to  poor  people  at  high 
interdlBt.  Gold  and  silver  bullion  used  to  be  imported  both  from  Calcutta  and 
Bombay,  but  now  it  comes  almost  entirely  from  Bombay.  The  gold  importation 
has  probably  quadrupled  during  the  last  few  years.  The  value  of  this  import, 
it  is  believed,  reached  in  the  year  1866-67  the  enormous  sum  of  forty  l&khs  of 
rupees  in  Nigpdr  alone,  while  the  silver  bullion  was  valued  at  tei\  Idkhs.  The 
increased  demand  for  the  precious  metals  is  directly  traceable  to  the  flourishing 
state  of  the  export  trade  in  cotton  and  grain.  The  successfrd  agriculturist  has 
as  yet  little  id^  of  investing  his  savings  in  anything  but  ornaments,  and  the 
bankers  have  regulated  their  importations  accordingly.  The  profit  derived  bv 
the  bankers  in  this  branch  of  their  business  is  not  so  large  as  might  be  expected, 


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334  NA  G  [SfieruiN  TTI. — Commnnieations.] 

being  probably  not  more  than  from  four  to  six  annas^  evt  every  hundred  rapees' 
worth  of  bullion.  The  most  extensive  transactions  in  bill*  of  exchange  are  with 
Calcutta,  and  after  Calcutta  with  the  following  towns  according  to  the  order  in 
which  they  are  placed : — ^Bombay,  MirzdptSr,  Benares,  lndore^Amr&>ti,  Jaip(ir,.and 
Haidar&bdd.  All  the  principal  bankers  have  agents  and  covrespondents  at  these 
places.  It  would  be  impossible  to  state  the  annual  amomnt  of  transactions,  but 
it  may  be  confidently  affirmed  that  their  increase  of  late  yeais  has  been  enormous. 
The  rate  of  exchange  varies  with  the  variable  conditions  goreming  the  state  of 
the  money-market,  both  at  home  and  at  the  place  on  which  a  bill  is  to  be  drawn, 
but  bankers  generally  manage  to  make  a  fair  profit  at  all  times,  and  under  all 
conditions  of  the  money-market.  There  are  regular  quotationa  of  exchange  well 
known  and  kept  to  by  the  Sdhukdr  brotherhood  in  their  dealings  witii  one 
another,  but  they  are  not  the  least  ashamed  to  make^  as  mvch  as  they  possibly 
can  out  of  chance  customers.  In  granting  bills  they  will  charge  such  people 
far  beyond  the  current  rates  of  exchange^  and  think  it  qmte  in  the  legitimate  Ime 
of  business.  In  Ndgpdr  the  money-market  is  gpnerally  tight  from  October  to 
March,  when  money  is  out  in  the  purchase  of  cotton  and  grains,  and  easy  for  the 
remainder  of  the  year.  It  is  not  usual  to  grant  bflls  pi^able  at  sight,  though 
these  can  always  be  procured  at  a  high  rate  of  exchange.  In  the  ordmary  course 
of  business  bills  are  drawn  thus  : — 

Bills  drawn  on — 

Calcutta  are  payable » *  61  diay»  after  sight. 

Bombay            „        13  „  „ 

Mirz^pdr          „         ►...  51  „  „ 

Benares            „         51  ,,,  „ 

Indore              „ 21  „  „ 

Amr&oti            „        13  „  „ 

Jaipdr               „        ^  ,^  ^ 

Haidar^bdd      „ 21  „  „ 

The  construction  of  roads,  whether  main  or  branch  lines,  is  of  very  recent 

date.     Under  the  Mardthds  the  only  made  road 

SECTION  VII.— CoMMDNi-      ^j,^^  ^j^^  ijj^g  towards  Sambalpdr— a  fairly  service- 

CATI0N8.      j^^^  able  road  made  under  English    svperintendence 

for  postal  service  between  Calcutta  and  Bombay. 
This  postal  route  was  long  ago  discontinued,,  and  the  road  fell  into  disuse* 
Excepting  this,  the  only  road,  until  very  lately,  was  the  short  line  (nine 
miles)  from  Nagpdr  to  K^thf,  which  was  metalled  and  bridged  some  years 
ago.  The  history  of  road-making,  in  short,  i»  comprised  entirely  in  the  period 
succeeding  the  year  1861,  when  the  Central  Provinces  admniietration  waa 
formed.  During  the  past  eight  years  strenuous  exertions  have  been  made 
to  open  out  both  main  and  branch  lines.  A  Sberal  expenditure  of  money  and 
labour,  and  a  large  amount  of  professional  skBl,  have  been  bror^ht  to  bAur  on 
their  construction,  and  the  operations  have  been  continuously  maintained.  In 
this  respect  Nagpdr  has  been  obviously  at  a  great  advantage  as  compared  with 
any  other  district  in  the  Central  Provinces ;  for  as  most  of  the  new  imperial 
lines  of  comniunication  leading  to  distant  places  have  aU  been  pianned  so  as  to 
radiate  from  N&gpdr,  the  capital  of  the  Central  Provinces,  so  it  has  happened  that 
the  N&gpdr  district  has  reaped  both  in  the  first  instance,  and  in  the  most  plentiful 
degree,  the  advantages  which  these  great  works  have  conferred  on  the  country 
at  large.  The  recent  prolongation  of  the  railway  to  Ndgpdr  has  linked  the 
district  with  Bombay.     Four  great  imperial  roads,  starting  from  the  city   of 


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{Sbction  VII.— 0€Fmmunicati(mir)  NA  G  335 

Nigpdr,  traverse  the  district  to  tke  north,  to  the  south,  to  the  east,  and  to  the 
north-west,  while  district  cross-roads  and  feeders  (purely  local  works)  are  being 
poshed  forward  from  town  to  town,  and.  from  tract  to  tract,  with  due  regard  to 
the  trading  and  agricultural  interests,  which  the  railway  and  the  great  imperial 
roads  seem  most  likely  to  subserve.  The  result  of  these  operations  has  been  to 
work  a  complete  metamorphosis  in  the  circumstances  and  conditions  on  which 
traffic  and  transport  depend.  And  since  the  change  is  remarkable,  not  merely  from 
its  magnitude,  but  still  more  so  from  the  rapidity  with  which  it  has  been 
brought  about,  it  may  be  worth  while  to  describe  the  old,  before  enumerating 
the  new  routes  of  communication,  «o  as  to  portray  the  full  contrast  between  the 
present  and  the  scarcely  past.  The  following  descriptions  will  be  easily  under- 
stood by  a  reference  to  the  revenue  survey  map. 

Before  1862  the  main  line  of  communication  from  the  north,  vid  Seoul  from 
Q,,j.  Mirzdpdr    and  Jabalpdr,  descended  the  Sitpuri 

ghits  at  Kurai  in  the  SeonJ  district,  and  passing 
through  Deolapdr  entered  this  district  a  little  above  Chorbiolf,  twenty-eight 
miles  from  Ndgpdr.  Here  the  line  doubled,  one  branch  going  vid  lUimtek,  the 
other  by  the  village  of  Songhdt,  and  both  again  converging  at  a  village  called 
Kherd!,proceeded  thence  in  a  single  line  vid  Sitak  to  Kdmthf,  crossing  the  Kanh^ 
at  the  Yerkherd  Ghdt,  in  the  centre  of  the  miUtary  cantonment.  Again,  between 
Kdmthi  and  Nigpdr  there  were  two  routes — the  one  by  the  present  metalled 
road  (Grreat  Northern)  to  Sftdbaldi,  the  other  from  the  place  where  the  K^thf 
sardi  now  stands  to  the  heart  of  the  Ndgpdr  City.  This  line  was  in  ftdl  use  for 
seven  months  of  the  year,  but  traffic  was  all  but  impossible  during  the  rains  and 
October.  The  whole  line  lay  through  a  dense  jungle  from  Chorbdolf  to  the  top 
of  the  ghits ;  and  this  region  was  unhealthy  from  malaria  for  at  least  four  months  of 
the  year.  Nobody  ever  travelled  at  night  on  account  of  wild  beasts.  People 
obliged  to  travel  in  the  rains  preferred  to  go  fit)m  Seonf  to  Chhindwdrd,  and  so  to 
Ndgpdr  by  the  old  Chhindwdri  line.  The  principal  routes  from  Bombay  and  Bertir 
entered  the  old  Ndgpdr  province  at  three  separate  points  on  the  Wardhi  river. 
These  points  are  (1 )  Jaldlkheri,  in  the  nortii-west  comer  of  the  Kitol  tahsfl  ; 
(2)  Bisndr ;  and  (3)  Nichangdon,  both  in  the  present  district  of  Wardhi.  The  first 
of  these  places  was  in  distance  from  NSgpdr  fifty-six  miles,  the  second  sixty-seven 
miles,  the  third  fifty-eight  miles.  The  most  important  of  the  three  routes  was  that 
crossing  at  Ndchangdon.  Traversing  the  present  district  of  Wardhd  from  west  to 
east,it  entered  the  Ndgpdr  district  near  Asol^,  twenty-six  miles  from  Ndgpdr,  which 
it  reached  by  way  of  the  villages  of  Tdkalghdt  and  Gum^Son.  It  was  by  this  route 
that  the  bulk  of  the  export  trade  of  cloth  and  silk  fabrics  was  conveyed  to  Jdlnd, 
Aurangdbdd,  Sat&rd,  Puna,  and  other  distant  cities  in  the  Deccan.  The  line 
by  Bisndr  was  used  in  a  degree  hardly  less.  It  proceeded  by  Kdranjd  (Wardhd 
district),  Kondhfli,  and  Bdzdrgdon.  The  Jal£kherd  route  went  by  the  town  of 
K^tol,  and  traversing  the  Edtol  tahsfl  from  north-west  to  south-east,  and  then 
passing  through  Kalmeswar,  entered  N^gpdr  at  Tdklf.  All  of  these  lines  were 
practicable  omy  daring  the  dry  months,  and  then  only  for  the  light  country  carts 
used  here.  During  the  rains  they  were  only  passable  for  pack-bullocks.  Such 
traffic  as  was  obliged  to  be  taken  in  the  rains  would  generally  choose  the  Bisndr 
line,  which  is  the  stoniest  of  the  three,  but  which  traverses  less  morass  and  black 
soil  than  either  of  the  others.  The  traffic  both  ways  in  the  dry  months  along 
the  Bisndr  and  N^hang^on  lines  was  enormous.  Security  at  night  was  afibrded 
hj  well-known  Pardos,  which  were  supplied  with  ordinary  provisions  for  travellers. 
Tne  traffic  from  the  Bhanddra,  Bdipdr,   and  Chhattisgarh  country  entered  the 


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336  NA'G  [Section  Vll.—Conimunicttioni.l 

district  by  two  main  lines — the  first  leading  direct  from  the  town  of  Bhandfira  to 
Maund^  (Mohodd) — ^twenty  miles  from  Nigpdr — on  the  Kanhdn,  and  so  through 
the  Pdldi  suburb  into  Ndgpdr ;  the  seeond  connecting  with  Nigpdr  the  towns 
of  Mohdrl  and  Tumsar,  in  the  Bhanddra  district,  and  the  northern  portion  of 
the  Rdipdr  country,  entered  the  district  east  of  VirsJ,  and  passing  through 
T&rsi  went  westwards  to  Kdmthi.  So  far  as  can  be  ascertained  these  lines  were 
occasionally  used  by  strong  convoys  of  Banjdrds  with  pack-bullocks  even  during 
the  rains,  but  like  all  the  rest  they  were  at  that  season  utterly  impracticable  for 
wheeled  traffic.  By  these  lines  were  delivered  the  imports  of  wheat,  rice,  and 
other  grain  from  ChhattJsgarh.  There  were  two  routes  from  Chdndd  and  the 
south— one  entering  the  district  below  Umrer,  which  it  reached  via  Chimdr  (in 
the  Ch^d£  district),  and  thence  led  to  Ndgpdr  in  a  straight  line  north-west ; 
the  other  entering  just  above  Jdm  (in  the  Wardhd  district)  passed  through 
Tdkalgh&t,  and  entered  Ndgpdr  by  the  suburb  of  Son^gion.  Lastly  there  were 
the  routes  to  Betdl  and  Chhmdw^rfi,  and  fit)m  these  places  to  Mhow,  Ajmir,  and 
Bijputdnd.  These  routes,  after  descending  the  Sdtpurfe  by  the  Taldo  and  Mohi 
ghSts,  joined  at  Sdoner  (twenty-one  miles  north  of  Ndgpdr),  reaching  Ndgptir  by 
the  vilLskges  of  Adh^  and  Branmapuri.  The  traffic  on  these  was  inconsiderable. 
Like  the  others  they  were  nearly  impassable  during  the  rains.  As  for  the  purely 
local  lines,  they  did  not  exist  at  all  as  defined  tracks.  Excepting  through  moun- 
tain-passes, their  courses  were  not  even  demarcated.  People  made  their  way  from 
town  to  village,  and  from  village  to  market-place,  as  best  they  might ;  the  tracks 
being  shifted  from  watercourse  to  upland,  and  from  field  to  field,  according  to  the 
seasons  and  alternations  of  the  crops. 

Such  were  the  great  arterial  lines  of  communication  along  which,  with  no 
constructed  roads,  and  in  despite  of  every  obstacle  interposed  by  nature,  a  vast 
traffic  to  and  from  this  country  contrived,  during  eight  months  of  the  year,  to 
force  its  way  to  Jabalpdr  and  the  North,  to  Ber^,  the  Deccan,  and  Bombay ;  to 
Bhanddra,  Ghhattisgarh,  and  the  East;  to  Haidardb&d  and  the  South;  toB^j- 
putdnd  and  the  North- West.  The  little  Marithi  carts,  convoys  of  bullocks  and 
buffidoes,  and  to  some  slight  extent  camels,  formed  the  only  means  of  transport ; 
and  with  these  means  the  entire  imports  and  exports  of  the  country  had  to  be 
dragged  through  tracts  of  pestilential  jungle,  through  quagmire  and  morass, 
down  the  precipitous  banks  and  across  the  stony  beds  of  rivers,  and  over  narrow 
and  dangerous  hill-passes.  The  time  occupied  in  transit  was  of  course  enormous. 
The  marvel  is  how  so  great  a  traffic  could  have  been  conducted  at  all.  What  has 
been  done  during  the  last  few  years  to  facilitate  communication  will  now  be 
shown.  ( 

That  portion  of  the  Great  Indian  Peninsula  Bailway  known  as  the  Ndgptlr 

^     y  branch,   leaving  the  main  line  from  Bombay  to 

Jabalpdr,  at  Bhosiwal,  in  the  Bombay  district  of 

Kh&ndesh,  traverses  the  Berdr  country  from  west  to  east,  and  crossing  the 

Wardh4,  near  the  station  of  Pulgion,  enters  the  Central  Provinces.     Prom  Pul- 

gdon  its  course  is  still  east.     It  has  stations  at  Wardhd  and  Sind(,  in  the  Wardhi 

district,  and  another  at  Borl,  in  this  district.     At  Bori  (nineteen  miles  from 

Ndgpdr)  the  line  curves  sharply  to  the  north  and  continues  in  that  direction  to 

its  terminus  at  Sitdbaldf,  the  western  suburb  of  Ndgpdr.    The  Railway  was  opened 

^     ,       -.     ,  to  the  terminus  on  the  20th  of  February  1867. 

The  new  Northern   Road  is  now  complete   the 

whole  way  to  Jabalpdr.     The  only   rivers   still  unbridged  are  the  Kanhdn  at 

Kdmthf,  and  the  Narbadi  at  Jabalpur.     The  Kanhin  bridge  is  now  under  con- 


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[Section  VII. — Communications.]  NA'G  337 

struction.  Meantime  a  temporary  pile-bridge  is  annually  erected  immediately 
after  the  rains,  and  is  in  use  for  eight  months  of  the  year.  The  road  leaves 
Ndgpdr  close  to  the  railway  terminus,  and  goes  to  Kdmthi.  Thence,  after  cross- 
ing the  Kanhdn,  it  proceeds  northwards  by  Mansar  and  Chorbdoll  (twenty-one 
and  twenty-seven  miles  respectively  from  Ndgpdr),  and  passing  through  Deola- 
p&r  enters  the  Seoni  district,  ascends  the  Sdtpurd  ghdts  at  KuraJ,  and  so  on 
through  Seoul  over  the  tableland  of  the  Sitpur^s,  whence  it  descends  again  at  a 
point  distant  about  thirty  miles  from  Jabalpdr.  Li  the  Nigpdr  district  its  entire 
course  is  about  thirty-three  miles.  In  this  length  it  has  three  sardfs,  exclusive 
of  those  in  Ndgpdr  itself,  two  excellent  new  ones  at  Kdmthi  and  Mansar,  and 
an  old  one  at  Chorbioll ;  two  travellers'  bungalows  at  Kdmthi  and  at  Mansar ; 
four  police  posts  at  Indori,  Kdmthf,  Mansar,  and  ChorbdoH.  An  avenue  of  trees 
has  been  planted  along  almost  the  whole  length,  and  there  are  numerous  wells 
and  grain-dealers'  shops  at  convenient  places  throughout. 

The  Eastern  Eoad  leaves  Ndgpdr  by  two  branches,  starting  from  the  north 
EMte     Ro  d  ^^^  from  the  south  of  the  city.     Thence  it  pro- 

ceeds still  eastward  to  Bhanddra  (forty  miles  from 
Nfigpdr),  crossing  the  Kanh&i  at  Maundd  half  way.  The  line  is  completed  as  far 
as  Bhanddra,  the  only  stream  unbridged  being  the  Kanhdn.  Beyond  Bhanddra  a 
large  portion  of  this  road  has  been  completed  towards  Rdfpdr,  but  as  a  metalled 
road  it  can  at  present  only  be  said  to  be  open  for  through  traffic  between 
Ndgpdr  and  Bhanddra.  Its  course  in  this  district  is  about  twenty-nine  miles, 
in  which  distance  it  has  three  police  posts,  viz.  Pdld(,  Maundd,  and  Klarbf,  the 
last  twenty-seven  and  half  miles  from  Ndgpdr.  There  is  a  travellers'  bun- 
galow at  Maundd,  where  there  is  also  a  sardi.  An  avenue  of  trees  lately  planted 
lines  it  almost  throughout  its  oourse  to  Bhanddra. 

The  Southern  Eoad,  like  the  last,  starts  from  Ndgpdr  by  two  distinct 
«     ,       R    d.  branches — the  first  from  Sitdbaldi,  the  second  from 

the  south-west  of  the  city.  These  converge  at  a 
point  two  miles  out  of  the  city  and  station.  Then  in  a  single  line  the  road  goes 
southwards  to  Bori  (nineteen  miles  from  Ndgpdr),  generally  parallel  to  the  railway, 
which,  however,  it  thrice  crosses  before  it  leaves  the  district.  From  Bori  there 
is  a  separate  branch  of  seven  miles  to  Asold — a  village  on  one  of  the  old  routes 
to  Bombay.  Crossing  the  Wand  at  Bori,  the  main  line  goes  on  in  a  southerly 
direction,  leaving  the  district  a  little  below  a  small  village  called  Son^gdon, 
twenty-eight  miles  from  Ndgpdr.  Thence  it  continues  by  Jdm  (Wardhd 
district),  from  which  place  there  is  a  branch  to  Hinganghdt,  to  Warora  (Chdndd 
district),  and  so  on  to  Chdndd.  It  has  now  been  completed  as  regards  metalling, 
but  the  Wand  and  other  streams  have  not  yet  been  bridged.  This  road  too  is 
planted  with  young  trees  throughout  its  course  in  this  district.  It  has  a  travellers' 
bungalow  and  a  sardi  at  Bori,  and  there  are  police  posts  at  Bori  and  Son^gdon. 

TM«,*i,  w«  *      Tj    1  The  North-Westem  Road  leaves  Ndgpdr  at  the 

North-Westem  Road.  northern  suburb  of  Tdkli,  and  crossing  the  Mi 

nadi  and  the  Koldr  by  masonry  causeways,  touches  the  village  of  Dahigdon  (ten 
miles  from  Ndgpdr).  At  this  place  it  is  met  by  a  similar  metalled  road  coming 
from  Kdmthi.  Thence  proceeding  in  a  single  line  the  road  passes  Pdtan- 
sdongi  a  little  to  the  right,  and  so  leads  on  to  Sdoner.  From  tins  point  it  is 
still  incomplete,  but  it  is  to  be  continued  over  the  ghdts  to  Chhindwdrd.  It  is 
partly  planted  with  trees.  The  chief  streams  are  not  yet  bridged.  There  is  an 
excellent  sardi  at  Sdoner,  and  a  smaller  one  at  Pdtansdongi  (fourteen  miles  from 

43  cro 


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338  NA'G  [Section  VII. — Communications.] 

NdgptJr).     There  are  wells  at  short  intervals.     There  are  police  posts  at  T^kli, 

'Piteoisiongi,  Sdoner^  and  Kelod. 

The  local  lines  now  under  survey  and  con- 
LocaJ  lines.  .       j^*  i  ^    j 

stmction,  or  completed,  are — 

(1)  Road  from  Nigptir  via  Elalmeswar,  Mohp6,  S4warg4on,  and  Narkher 
to  Mowir,  on  the  extreme  north-west  frontier,  on  the  river  Wardhfi,  to  open 
out  the  Kdtol  subdivision  of  the  district,  and  connect  it  with  the  railway.  Of 
this  road  twelve  miles  have  been  completely  bridged,  fourteen  miles  have  been 
partially  bridged,  and  in  the  remaining  twenty-tin^  miles  bridging  is  going  on. 
An  avenue  of  trees  has  been  planted  along  eleven  miles.  At  Kalmeswar  there  is 
a  sardf. 

(2)  Boad  from  Umrer  to  Borl  (railway  feeder) — total  distance  twenty  miles. 
This  is  to  connect  Pauni  (in  the  Bhanddra  district)  and  Umrer  with  the  nearest 
point  on  the  railway.  This  road  has  been  completed  for  the  first  eight  miles 
from  Bori.     Bori  has  a  good  sardi  and  a  police  outpost. 

(8)  Boad  from  Khdpd  to  join  the  imperial  road  to  Chhindwdrd  at  P£tans&>ng(, 
so  as  to  connect  Kh^p£  directly  with  Nigpiir — ^total  distance  seven  miles.  This 
line  is  completed,  and  has  avenues  of  trees  all  the  way.  There  are  sardis  and 
police  stations  both  at  Kh&pi  and  at  P&tans&ongi. 

(4)  Boad  from  BorJ  railway  station,  to  join  the  southern  road — one  mQe 
and  a  half.     This  is  completed,  and  an  avenue  of  trees  has  been  planted. 

(5)  Boad  between  Ndgprir  and  Umrer — twenty-eight  miles.  Of  this  seven 
miles  have  been  completed  and  bridged.  None  of  the  above  roads  are  to  be 
metalled  for  the  present. 

(6)  Boad  from  Mansar  through  B4mtek  to  the  Amb^  tank— distance  seven 
miles.  This  is  metalled  throughout,  and  an  avenue  of  trees  has  been  planted. 
This  road  connects  the  town  of  Bdmtek  with  the  imperial  Northern  Boad. 

(7)  Boad  from  NdgptJr  to  Kimthi  from  the  heart  of  the  city  to  the  new 
Kdmthi  sardi — eight  miles.  Five  miles  have  been  completed  with  bridging  and 
metalling. 

The  eflTect  of  all  of  these  recent  works  on  the  trade  and  general  progress  of 
p  fth  trv  ^^®  country  is  already  very  manifest.     The  goods' 

rogresso      e        try.  gheds  and  platform  at  the  railway  terminus   are 

crowded  with  merchandise  and  wares  of  all  sorts  from  Bombay  and  the  West, 
and  with  cloth,  cotton,  and  agricultural  produce  from  the  surrounding  country  for 
export.  The  old  routes  to  Bombay  must  be,  and  indeed  already  are,  given  up 
altogether  for  any  other  use  than  mere  local  traffic.  The  caravans  of  oxen  bring- 
ing salt  and  jawdrf,  the  long  string  of  carts  taking  hence  cotton,  cloth,  wheat,  rice, 
and  other  articles  to  the  West,  must  soon  disappear  altogether.  Merchandise, 
instead  of  taking  two  months  in  transit  between  Nigpdr  and  Bombay,  is  now 
conveyed  in  three  to  four  days. 

Again,  the  traffic  with  Mirzdptir  and  the  East  Indian  Bailway,  Jabalpdr,  and 
the  North,  heretofore  spread  over  several  local  lines,  is  now  compressed  into  one 
channel  along  the  new  Great  Northern  Boad.  The  large  roomy  waggons  used 
on  the  good  roads  in  Upper  India  are  rapidly  supplanting  the  miserable  Mardthd 
carts,  giving  the  trader  the  power  of  transporting  four  times  the  amount  of  bulk 
with  the  same  amount  of  draught,  while  transit  takes  up  half  the  time  that  it  did 
with  the  old  lines,  and  is  carried  on  continuously  throughout  the  year.  Nor  are 
these  improvements,  whether  as  regards  the  ease,  the  speed,  or  the  continuity  of 
the  means  of  transport,  less  apparent  in  the  case  of  the  three  other  great  imperial 


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[Section  VIIL— Education.]  NA'G  839 

lilies,  though,  from  the  larger  rivers  being  still  unbridged,  the  effects  are  not  yet 
so  complete.  Even  the  local  lines,  unfinished  as  they  are,  have  already  done 
something  to  facilitate  internal  trade  in  the  district,  and  to  perform  their  work  as 
feeders  to  the  railway  and  the  great  lines. 

The  conditions  of  the  rivers  in  the  district  are  such  that  navigation,  even  in 
River  commnnie«ion.  the  largest  of    them  (including  the  Waingangi 

itself),  can  only  be  earned  on  durmg  and  shortly 
after  the  rains.  Even  during  the  rains  the  difficulties  in  the  Way  of  navigation 
are  great.  They  arise,  first,  from  the  velocity  and  strength  of  the  currents, 
rendering  an  upward  voyage,  even  of  empty  boats,  an  affair  of  great  toil  and 
duration  j  secondly,  from  the  suddenness  of  the  rise  and  fall  of  the  waters, 
and  the  consequent  continual  variations  in  the  depth  of  the  different  channels ; 
thirdly,  from  the  ledges  of  rock  which  sometimes  form  barriers  right  across  the 
beds.  This  last  difficulty  may  be  found  to  be  partially  capable  of  remedy.  For 
example,  the  bed  of  the  river  Kanhdn,  between  the  town  of  Khdpd  and  the 
Waingang4  (sixty-three  miles),  has  only  four  points  where  the  rocks  dangerously 
threaten  navigation  in  the  rains.  A  scheme  has  been  discussed  for  blasting  the 
rocks  at  those  points  so  as  to  afford  a  clear  passage.  Again,  as  regards  the  river 
Waingang^,  supposing  an  artificial  channel  could  be  made,  so  as  to  avoid  a  heavy 
barrier  of  rocks  at  Tidi,  above  Ambhori,  there  would  be  nothing  whatever  to 
impede  navigation  by  light  boats,  in  the  monsoon,  from  the  junction  with  the 
Kwihfin  down  to  Paunl,  one  of  the  largest  towns  in  the  neighbouring  district  of 
Bhand^.  Notwithstanding  all  these  drawbacks  the  rivers  Kanh^,  Pench,  and 
Kol^",  and  of  course  the  Waingangi,  during  and  after  the  monsoon  may  be,  and 
are  navigated  by  loaded  boats  and  rafts.  They  are  not  even  as  much  used  as 
they  might  be ;  yet  timber  from  the  jungles  below  the  Sitouris,  and  forest 
produce,  are  brought  down  in  considerable  quantities  to  K^thf,  and  some 
consignments  of  grain  from  the  north  of  the  Bhanddra  district  find  their  way  down 
Pauni  and  below.     None  of  the  other  rivers  are  either  navigated  or  navigable. 

Education,  still  comparatively  backward,  is  now  undoubtedly  making  rapid 
SECTION  VlII.-EoucAT,oN.     advances     Formerly  «ie  only    educated  classes 

were  the  Brahmans  and  a  few  of  the  Musalmins. 
The  agriculturists  generally  were  devoid  of  any  education  whatever ;  the  traders 
and  shopkeepers  knew  just  enough  to  be  able  to  keep  their  accounts.  There 
were  some  indigenous  schools,  but  the  standard  of  learning  to  be  acquired  in 
them  was  extremely  low.  The  present  system  of  public  instruction  was  inaugu- 
rated in  the  year  1862.  The  to^  number  of  boys  schools  in  the  district  is  now 
122,  or  1  to  every  934  of  the  non-adult  male  population.  The  different  institu- 
*tions  may  be  thus  classified : — 

Class  of  School.  Number  of  Institutions, 

Normal  school  ...  ...  ...  1 

ZM          do.  1 

Grant-in-aid  schools  ...  ...  ...  7 

Anglo-vernacular  town  schools  ...  ...  8 

Vernacular  schools  ...  ...  ...  8 

Village            do.  ...  ...  ...  55 

Indigenous      do.  ...  ...  .••42 

The  Normal  school — ^the  local  institution  for  teaching  and  training 
masters — is  at  Ndgpdr.  This  establishment  has  not  been  able  completely  to 
meet  the  local  demand  for  masters,  many  of  whom  have  had  to  be  brought  fix)m 


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[Section  VIII. — Education.] 


the  Bombay  presidency,  but  so  far  as  it  has  gone  it  has  done  well.  Each  pupil 
receives  from  four  to  ten  rupees  monthly  for  his  support.  At  the  Zild  school, 
the  Normal  school,  and  three  of  the  Grant-in-aid  schools  a  superior  education  is 
given  both  in  English  and  Vernacular.  The  zila  school  is  at  Kdmthf,  and  the 
grant-in-aid  schools  are  at  Ndgpiir  and  KdmthJ.  Of  the  latter,  four  have  been 
established  by  the  Free  Church  of  Scotland  Mission.  They  are  called  "  grant- 
in-aid^'  from  the  fact  of  their  receiving  regular  pecuniary  assistance  from 
Government.  In  the  Anglo-Vernacular  town  schools  is  given  a  thorough 
instruction  in  the  vernacular  (Mardthi),  a  fairly  good  course  of  Geography, 
Mathematics,  and  Grammar,  and  the  groundwork  of  the  study  of  English.  The 
other  town  schools  give  the  same  course,  with  the  exception  of  English. 
These  town  schools  Eire  established  only  in  the  larger  and  more  populous 
towns.  They  are  supported  partly  by  grants  from  general  revenues,  partly 
by  municipal  ftinds,  and  partly  by  voluntary  subscriptions.  The  cost  of  village 
schools  is  defrayed  entirely  from  the  educational  cess,  which  is  a  tax  of  two 
per  cent,  on  the  land  revenue  of  the  district,  and  is  paid  by  the  landowners. 
In  these  schools  the  standard  is  lower  than  in  the  town  schools.  The  indigenous 
schools  are  supported  by  fees  from  pupils.  They  are  established  by  the  people 
themselves,  and  have  no  connection  with  Government,  except  that  they  are 
inspected  by  the  educational  authorities.  These  schools  receive  grants-in-aid 
according  to  the  payment-by-results  system.  The  course  of  study  is  rather 
lower  than  that  of  the  village  schools.  The  total  number  of  boys  now  studying 
in  these  schools  is  6,763.  The  total  nimiber  of  non-adult  males  in  the  district  is 
113,996.  So  that  about  one  boy  in  seventeen  is  receiving  education.  And  if 
due  allowance  be  made  for  boys  too  young  or  too  old  to  go  to  school,  then  the 
proportion  would  be  about  one  to  twelve.  In  the  matter  of  female  education  only 
a  commencement  has  been  made.  There  is  a  Normal  school  at  Ndgpdr  for  the 
purpose  of  training  schoolmistresses ;  and  there  are  now  seven  ordinary  schools — 
two  at  Ndgpiir  itself,  and  five  at  towns  in  the  interior  of  the  district.  The 
statement  below  shows  the  progress  of  education  in  each  of  the  different  classes 
of  schools  from  the  commencement  of  the  system  up  to  the  present  time  : — 
Statement  showing  the  state  of  Schools  in  the  Nagpur  district  during  the  last  7  years. 


1862.68. 

1868-64. 

1864-66. 

1865-66, 

1866-67. 

1867-68. 

1868-69. 

Description  of  Schools. 

i 

1 

CO 

m 
1 

1 

1 

0 

CO 

1 

0 

CD 

1 

1 
1 

1 

1 

1 

8 

1 

'0 

1 

Male  Normal  schools 

1 
1 
8 

19 
58 

82 

70 
100 
531 

767 
1,244 

2,712 

1 
1 

4 

19 
38 
89 

102 
"2 

54 
112 
640 

1,281 

4,007 

"43 

1 
1 
6 

17 
41 
40 

39 
102 
670 

1,239 

901 

1,069 

1 
1 

7 

17 
41 
41 

45 
174 

785 

1,2*63 
1,276 
1,070 

1 
1 
7 

8 

9 

45 

82 

103 

59 
130 
704 

1,008 

664 

1,758 

1,841 

5,654 

1 
1 
6 

8 
9 

48 
44 

65 
130 
719 

815 

719 

2,877 

1,465 

1 
1 
7 

8 

8 

55 

42 

78r 

Zild  schools 

193 

Grant-in-aid  schools- 

Anglo-Vernacular     town 

schools 

Vemacnlar  town  schools 

Village  schools  

847 

746 

670 

2,700 

1,529 

Indigenoas  schools    

Total  Boys' schools 

106 
"2 

4,020 

108 

4,563 

117 

6,290 

122 

6,763 

Female  Normal  schools 

Gills'  schools 

*  39 

1 
8 

22 
53 

1 
9 

19 
190 

209 

1 
10 

14 
259 

1 
7 

23 
232 

... 

Total  Female  schools 

2 

■ 
43 

2 

89 

4 

75 

10 

11 

278 

8 

255 

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NA'G  341 

NA'GPU'R — The  central  revenue  subdivision  or  tahsfl  in  the  Nigpilr 
district,  covering  an  area  of  835  square  miles,  with  555  villages,  and  a  population 
of  246,376  according  to  the  last  census  in  1866.  The  land  revenue  of  the  tahsil 
for  1869-70  is  Rs.  2,20,466. 

NA'GPU'R — The  principal  town  in  the  district  of  that  name,  and  the  seat 
of  the  administration  of  the  Central  Provinces.  It  is  situated  in  the  centre 
of  the  district,  on  the  left  bank  of  a  small  stream  called  the  Ndg.  The  municipal 
limits  include,  besides  the  city,  the  suburb  of  Sitdbaldi,  the  European  station 
of  Sltibaldi  with  Tdkli,  and  a  considerable  area  of  land  under  cultivation.  The 
soil  is  for  the  most  part  "  regar'^  or  black  soil.  The  drainage  of  Tikll  and 
Sitibaldi  is  good ;  the  site  of  the  city  is  low,  and  the  drainage  is  ill-defined, 
but  the  general  slope  is  to  the  south-east.  The  Sitdbaldi  hill,  on  which  stands  the 
fort,  may  be  regarded  as  the  centre  of  the  municipal  limits,  and  from  its  summit 
is  to  be  seen  the  best  view  of  the  station  and  surrounding  country.  Below,  on 
the  north  and  west,  lies  the  prettily-wooded  station  of  Sitdbaldl ;  beyond  this,  on 
the  north,  are  the  military  lines  and  bdzirs ;  and  again  beyond  these,  partially 
hidden  by  low  basaltic  hills,  is  the  Tdkli  suburb — once  the  head-quarters  of  the 
Ndgpur  irregular  force,  but  now  occupied  only  by  a  few  bungalows.  Close  under 
the  southern  side  of  the  hill  is  the  native  suburb  of  Sitdbaldi.  Below  the  eastern 
glacis  is  the  railway  terminus.  Beyond  this  lies  the  broad  sheet  of  water  known 
as  the  Jumd  Taldo,  which  separates  the  city  from  the  station  and  suburbs.  The 
view  13  bounded  on  this  direction  by  the  buildings  on  the  extreme  east  of  the  tank. 
The  city  itself,  though  immediately  east  of  the  tank,  is  completely  hidden  from 
the  sight  by  a  mass  of  foliage.  The  site  of  the  European  station  is  pretty  and 
undulating.  It  is  in  general  well  wooded,  though  some  parts,  especially  towards 
the  extreme  west,  are  somewhat  bare.  The  roads  are  lined  with  ornamental 
trees.  The  bungalows  of  the  European  residents  are  generally  thatched,  and 
plain  in  appearance ;  but  most  of  the  enclosures  have  gardens  immediately  sur- 
rounding the  house,  and  contain  good  trees  planted  here  and  there,  so  that  the 
general  aspect  of  the  place  is  cheerfiil  and  pleasant.  During  the  hot  weather 
the  ground  looks  parched,  but  in  the  rains  and  cold  season  the  verdure  is  bright 
and  pleasing.  Outside  the  city  there  are  handsome  tanks  and  gardens,  constructed 
by  the  Mardthd  sovereigns.  The  three  finest  tanks  are  the  Jumd  Taldo,  between  the 
city  and  station,  and  tie  two  artificial  lakes  of  Ambdjhar$  and  Telingkherf .  Of 
these  the  largest  is  the  Ambdjhari,  and  the  smallest  Jumd  Taldo.  The  storage  of 
water  in  these  artificial  reservoirs  is  very  great.  The  retaining-walls  are  bmlt  of 
massive  basalt  masonry,  and  are  admirably  constructed.  The  Jumd  Taldo  supplies 
a  considerable  portion  of  the  city  with  water.  The  other  two  lakes  are  at  some 
distance  from  the  city.  They  aflFord  a  partial  supply  of  water  to  certain  portions 
of  the  city  and  station  by  means  of  pipes.  These  great  artificial  tanks  are  real 
ornaments  to  the  place,  and  form  a  lasting  monument  of  the  best  times  of  the 
Bhonsld  rule.  The  principal  public  gardens  are  the  Mahdrdj  Bdgh,  in  the  station 
of  Sitdbaldf,now  managed  by  the  Ndgpdr  Agri-Horticultural  Society;  the  Tulsi 
Bdgh,  inside  the  city;  and  the  four  suburban  gardens  of  Pdldi,  Shakardara^ 
Son^don,  and  TeUngkheri.  These  four  are  mamtained  in  good  order  by  local 
funds,  and  form  agreeable  places  for  pubUc  resort  and  recreation.  There  are 
no  Mohammadan  mosques  of  any  note.  Hindd  temples  are  numerous.  Some 
of  these  are  in  the  best  style  of  Mardthd  architecture,  with  elaborate  carvings. 

The  Bhonsld  palace,  which  was  burnt  to  the  ground  in  1864,  was  the  only 
dweUing-house  of  any  structural  magnificence.  It  was  built  of  black  basalt, 
profusely  ornamented  with  wood-carving.     The  courts  in  its  interior  possessed 


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small  gardens  and  fonntains.  The  great  "  Nakirkhdna"  gate,  which  is  now  tho 
only  remnant  of  the  palace^  is  an  imposing  structure.  The  tombs  of  the  Bhonsl^ 
kings  are  in  the  Sukrawdri  quarter,  to  the  south  of  the  city.  These  are  in  no 
way  magnificent,  though  their  construction  is  curious.  The  best  is  that  erected 
over  the  ashes  of  the  great  Baghojf.  It  is  in  the  form  of  a  cross,  the  arms 
projecting  some  ten  feet  from  the  body  of  the  tomb.  It  has  some  narrow  pillars 
or  minarets,  said  to  be  in  memory  of  the  Rdnfs  who  immolated  themselves  on  his 
funeral  pyre.  The  tombs  of  the  Gond  Bijds  are  ordinary  plain  Musalm^n 
monuments,  without  any  architectural  merit. 

In  spite  of  the  extensive  municipal  improvements  of  the  last  five  years,  the 
general  aspect  of  the  city  is  even  now  poor  and  insignificant  when  compared  to 
the  wealth  and  number  of  the  inhabitants.  The  new  great  thoroughmres  are 
indeed  excellent  roads,  well  metalled,  and  well  drained ;  and  there  is  a  consider- 
able number  of  handsome  edifices  belonging  to  the  richer  inhabitants;  but  the 
great  majority  of  houses  are  of  mud  walls  with  tiled  roo&.  The  walls  are  often 
made  to  look  well  by  a  coating  of  white  or  straw-coloured  plaster ;  but  the 
houses  are  older  than  the  roads,  and  were  built  originally  without  any  regard  to 
frontage,  so  that  it  was  impossible  to  secure  a  good  fronterge  when  the  new  roads 
came  to  be  made  through  the  most  populous  quarters.  Thus  many  of  the  houses 
in  the  new  streets  appear  irregularly  built,  and  of  a  style  not  suitable  to  the 
excellence  of  the  roads.  Still  perceptible  improvement  is  being  made :  the  old 
houses  are  gradually  disappearing  in  several  of  the  principal  thoroughfares,  and  new 
buildings  of  a  superior  description,  and  built  in  regular  line,  are  taldng  their 
places.  The  total  number  of  houses  is  32,450,  of  which  1,580  are  built  of  stone 
or  brick  with  flat  masonry  roofs,  23,553  are  tiled,  and  the  remainder,  7,317, 
thatched ;  some  of  the  better  classes  of  houses  are  ornamented  with  well-executed 
wood-carving.  The  principal  thoroughfares  in  Sitdbaldl  are  Bdt(  street,  and  the 
Sitdbaldi  bdz^  road,  with  the  Temple  bdzdr  square  between  them.  As  has  been 
stated  before,  the  fort  lies  between  the  European  station  and  the  city.  Imme- 
diately east  of  the  fort  is  the  railway  terminus,  and  the  railway  line  running 
north  and  south.  East  again  of  the  railway  line  is  the  Jumd  lake,  immediately 
beyond  which  is  the  "  Sxxmi  darwdza'^  entrance  to  the  city.  The  city  is  connected 
with  the  European  station  by  three  great  lines,  of  which  two  are  respectively 
on  the  north  and  south  banks  of  the  lake,  while  the  third,  the  most  northern, 
crosses  the  railway  by  an  over-bridge  north  of  the  terminus.  The  last  after 
crossing  the  railway  becomes  the  Gnrganj  road,  and  traverses  the  north  part  of 
the  city  from  west  to  east.  The  two  first  are  connected  together  by  a  road  on 
the  eastern  embankment  of  the  lake.  In  the  centre  of  this  road  is  the  entrance 
to  the  Jumd  darw^za  street.  This  is  the  main  street  of  the  city.  A  double- 
storied  line  of  shops  extends  for  about  a  third  of  a  mile  up  to  the  site  of  the  old 
Bhonsli  palace,  through  a  square  called  the  Gachi  Pigd,  and  so  on  eastwards 
through  the  town.  The  JumI  darw&za  and  the  Gurganj  roads  are  the  main  lines 
of  tn&c  running  east  and  west  through  the  northern  and  southern  portions  of  the 
city.  They  converge  in  the  suburb  of  Pdldl,  some  little  distance  out  of  Ndgpiir. 
They  are  connected  by  various  lines  running  north  and  south,  the  principal  of 
which  are  the  Pinch  Pdull  road  and  the  Itwiri.  The  other  principal  streets  are 
the  roads  leading  from  the  Nak&rkhdna  gate  of  the  old  palace,  and  from  the 
Grachf  P&gd  to  the  Tulsi  Bdgh ;  the  Sukrawiri  and  the  Sh£^ardar4  roads  lead- 
ing from  the  Jumi  darwdza  road  to  suburbs  on  the  south  side  of  the  N4g;  and 
the  new  K&mthi  and  Indord  roads  leading  through  the  northern  outskirts  of  the 
city  towards  Kdmthi.  The  best  streets  are  the  Jum6  darw&za,  the  Gurganj,  and 
the  Itwdrf.     The  houses  belonging  to  the  Mirwiris  at  the  northern  end  of  the 


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Itwdrf  are  curious  old  buildings,  of  three  and  even  four  stories  high,  and  profusely 
ornamented  with  woodwork.  The  street  here  is  very  narrow,  and  is  the  only 
really  oriental-looking  part  of  the  town.  The  principal  grain  markets  are  those 
at  Bagarganj  at  the  eastern  end  of  the  Jumfi  darwdza  ro€id,  and  the  Sukrawari 
and  the  ShakardarS,  to  the  south  of  the  Jumd  darwdza.  The  bulk  of  the  cloth 
trade  is  done  in  the  Gurganj  road  and  its  immediate  neighbourhood.  The 
jewellers  and  bankers  reside  mostly  in  the  northern  end  of  tiie  Itwdrf .  Large 
weekly  hiz&rs  are  held  in  the  Gurganj  square  and  in  the  Grachi  Pag£. 

Municipal  concerns  are  managed  by  a  committee,  of  which  the  Divisional 
Commissioner  is  the  president,  and  the  Deputy  Commissioner  of  NSgpdr  the 
vice-president.  The  committee  consists  altogether  of  twenty-seven  members, 
ofwhomtenare  official,  and  seventeen  elected  annually.  Of  the  last,  two  are 
English,  and  the  rest  Native  gentlemen  of  position  and  influence.  The  muni- 
cipal revenue  is  spent  mainly  in  watch  and  ward,  in  conservancy,  and  in  material 
improvements.  The  improvements  of  the  last  five  years  have  consisted  chiefly  in 
opening  out  and  improving  the  main  lines  of  communication.  These  works  have 
been  carried  on  with  a  rapidity  and  comprehensiveness  which  have  sufficed  to 
alter  the  entire  appearance  of  the  place.  Before  1862  the  only  well-constructed 
road  within  the  city  was  the  Jum^  darwdza,  and  that  only  as  far  as  the  site 
of  the  old  palace.  The  station  roads  too  have  of  late  been  greatly  extended  and 
improved.  The  conservancy  arrangements  are  good.  The  public  latrines  are 
on  the  dry-earth  system ;  the  private  latrines  are  periodically  inspected.  The 
supply  of  water  is  plentiful,  but  many  of  the  wells  in  the  city  do  not  contain 
good  water.  Pipes  from  the  Ambijharf  and  Telingkheri  lakes  supply  only  a 
few  of  the  houses  in  the  station  and  city.  A  scheme  of  water-supply  for  the  whole 
city  and  station  has  lately  been  proposed  by  the  committee,  and  is  now  under 
consideration.  Both  town  and  station  are  considered  healthy.  Liver-complaint 
is  the  most  frequent  illness  amongst  the  Europeans,  and  fever  amongst  the  Natives. 
Visitations  of  cholera  occur  at  intervals.  Small-pox  is  common,  but  is  gradually 
yielding  te  vaccination. 

p    ^.^  The  entire  population  of  the  city  and  suburbs 

^^       ^^'  of  Nfigpilr,  inclusive  of  ndlitary,  is  as  follows : — 

Adult  males  29,532 

Do.  females  33,035 

Male  infants  ...         ...         ...         ...         ...  11,621 

Female  do.  ...         11,473 


Total  ...     85,661 

Of  these,  456  are  Europeans  and  Eurasians,  and  10  are  Parsees.  Among  the 
Native  Hindd  population  the  most  numerous  class  are  the  Brdhmans,  who  number 
17,413  souls.  Then  come  Koshtis  (weavers)  8,642,  Kunbfs  7,271,  and  MardthSs 
6,453.  The  Musalmdns  are  under  10,000  in  number.  The  occupations,  under 
which  are  classed  the  largest  proportions  of  the  population,  are  those  of  farm- 
servants  and  day-labourers,  which  number  18,397  and  1 7,395  respectively.  Of 
the  banking  class  there  are  6,367  persons.  Among  artisans — weavers,  carpenters, 
and  masons  are  most  largely  represented. 

The  trade  of  the  town  is  large  and  increasing.     The  chief  articles  of  import 

-,^  are  wheat  and  other  grain,  salt,   country  cloth, 

^'  European  piece  and  miscellaneous  goods,  silk  and 

spices.    The  grand  article  of  manufacture  and  export  is  country  cloth.    The  finer 


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NA'G 


fabrics  of  Nigpdr  have  long  been  celebrated  for  their  richness  and  good  quality, 
and  are  still,  in  spite  of  the  competition  of  English  stuffs,  in  great  request,  not 
only  here,  but  in  distant  parts  of  the  country. 

The  following  table  shows  the  entire  trade  for  the  years  1867-68  and  1868-69 : — 


Cotton  , 

Sugar  and  gar 

Salt   , 

Wheat  

Bico  

Other  edible  grains 

Oil-seeds  of  all  descriptions. 

Metals  and  hardware 

English  piece-goods    , 

Hiscellaneoos         Eoropean 

goods 

Country  cloth  

Lao    

Tobacco    

Spices  

Country  stationery 

Silk  and  silk  cocoona 

Dyes 

Hides  and  horns 

Opium 

Wool 

Timber  and  wood    

Ghee  and  oil    

Coooanuts 

Miscellaneous 


Total., 


Horses  

Cattle    

Sheep    , 

Total, 

Grand  Total 


Imposts. 


1867.e8. 


Weight 

in 
Maunds. 


8,518 

25,908 

68,742 

224,786 

202,439 

103,452 

65,743 

3,908 

4,844 

399 

8,370 

243 

4,964 

80,259 

86 

872 

695 

467 

108 

119 

60,283 

6,677 

3,290 

61,511 


846,684 


No. 

883 

881 

89,488 


41,147 


Value  in 
Rupees. 


88,968 
2,64,128 

2,98,688 
4,86,007 
3,75,458 
2,23,609 
2,14,367 
92,501 
2,54,457 

84,405 

65,652 

8,672 

49,433 

2,40,662 

2,039 

5,00,953 

69,709 

9,385 

72,371 

2,524 

63,857 

1,71,297 

32,904 

5,58,071 


40^5,180 


12,655 
16,290 
66,381 


95,226 


41,80,866 


1868-68. 


Weight 

in 
Maunds. 


28,930 

88,892 

210,727 

104,090 

157,116 

65,698 

4,649 

2,573 

649 

2,75S 

178 

3,289 

36,210 

2 

674 

701 

433 

214 

262 

62,621 

7,914 

2,884 

83,503 


812,160 


Value  in 


49,928 
2,59,514 
3,61,475 
6,86,378 
8,94,187 
4,38,067 
2,51,785 
1,02,968 
2,64,053 

62^99 

4,76,778 

2,070 

46,131 

2,99,397 

100 

3,40,609 

89,215 

9,497 

1,14,833 

5,071 

77,022 

2,09,833 

17,947 

6,39,735 


51,89,484 


No. 

810 

873 

42,261 


43,944 


10,158 
13,346 
71,022 


94,526 


62,84,010 


EXFOBIB. 


1867-68. 


Weight 

m 

VaoiKU. 


Value  in 
Rupees. 


19 

2,380 

10,161 

2,996 

12,369 

3,888 

232 

863 

208 

25 

3,754 

145. 

139 

6,198 

29 

132 

174 

214 

7 

4 

1,820 

2,445 

45S 

1,890 


820 
33,693 
48,649 
6,811 
30,010 
10,306 
961 
16,899 
24,002 

2,416 
6,99,501 

1,603 

1,810 

48,991 

932 

77,542 

18,634 

4,064 

4,200 
82 

1,617 
46,223 

5,140 
90,147 


52,55610,74,866 


1868-69. 


Weltht 

In 
Maondf. 


4,633 

10,897 

1,024 

4,831 

3,553 

187 

583 

66 

2 

3,835 

297 

68 

9,275 

2 

1S2 

185 

157 

9 

20 

2,782 

2,192 

241 

4,505 


49,208 


Value  in 
Rupees. 


5,491 
60,377 
61,014 

2,439 

13,407 

10,590 

706 

21,5  U 

7,170 

180 
6,92,012 

4,224 

897 

90,807 

loa 

75,040 

14,820 

3,711 

5,9kS 
827 

3r47» 
4^,433 

2.695 
86,303 


11,96,712 


No. 

481 

180 


661 


16,931 

4,812 


21,743 


10,96,099 


No. 

1 

63 
8 


67 


12 
1^480 

7 


1/499 


11,98,211 


At  the  head-quarters  of  the  administration  the  public  oflSces  are  of  coarse 
numerous.  They  are  most  of  them  in  the  civil  station  of  SitdbaJdf.  The  old 
Nigpdr  Residency,  now  the  official  residence  of  the  Chief  Commissioner,  is  situated 
in  extensive  and  well-wooded  grounds.  The  building  itself  is  commodious, 
but  of  a  very  plain  and  unpretending  exterior.  The  Secretariat  is  a  large  and 
substantial  pile  of  buildings.     The  other  public  offices  in  the  station  are  hdd  in 


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NA'G  345 

ordinary-looking  houses  and  bungalows,  in  no  way  differing  in  external  appear- 
ance fix)m  private  dwelling-places.  The  most  notable  public  offices  in  the  city 
aje,  the  Small  Cause  Court,  lately  built  on  the  eastern  bank  of  the  Jumi  Talio ; 
the  Tahsfli,  an  old  Mardthi  building  in  a  good  style  of  architecture ;  the  Honorary 
Magistrates'  Court ;  and  the  Police  Station-houses.  The  useful  and  charitable 
institutions  are  the  following  : — the  NSgptir  Central  Jail,  an  excellent  building, 
consisting  of  two  large  octagons,  built  to  contain  1,060  prisoners  ;  the  City  Hos- 
pital, with  three  branch  dispensaries  in  different  quarters  of  the  town ;  the  Lunatic 
Asylum ;  the  Leper  Asylum ;  the  Sitdbaldi  Poor-house ;  the  Free  Church  Mission 
Native  School;  and  the  Bishop's  School,  for  the  education  of  European  and 
Eurasian  boys.  There  are  three  public  sardis  or  travellers'  rest-houses,  besides 
several  private  dharmsilds  for  similar  purposes.  The  Native  schools  are  shown 
below ;  —  ' 

DeBcription  of  School.  Number  of  Number  of 

Schools.  Pupils. 

Mission  school,  Nigpiir 1  286 

Do.         do.      Sit^baldi  bizdr 1  52 

Do.         do.          do.       station    I  39 

The  city  grant-in-aid  school 1  162 

Lidigenous  schools 22  1,101 

Male  normal  school    1  57 

Female  do.       do 1  22 

Girls'  schools 2  55 

Total 30     1,774 

The  military  force  consists  of  a  small  detachment  from  the  English  regiment 
at  Kdmthf,  and  the  head-quarters  and  right  wing  of  a  regiment  of  Native  infantry. 
The  former  garrison  the  fort.  The  military  works  of  the  fort  (bmlt  in  1819) 
are  about  to  be  remodelled  and  strengthened.  The  arsenal,  which  is  just  below 
the  fort,  contains  considerable  stores  and  munitions  of  war. 

No  part  of  the  town  is  more  than  160  years  old.  In  Bakht  Buland^s 
time  (a.d.  1 700)  the  site  of  the  city  was  a  low  swamp,  on  which  were  twelve 
small  hamlets,  known  collectively  as  "  Bijipdr  Bhdrsi.  Chind  Sultin,  Bakht 
Buland's  successor,  was  the  first  sovereign  who  made  Ndgpdr  his  capital.  Traces 
of  a  circumvaUation  made  by  him  stiU  exist.  The  town  was  probably  most 
populous  just  at  the  close  of  the  reign  of  the  second .  Raghoji.  In  Sir  Richard 
Jenkins'  report  of  1826  the  inhabitants  are  shown  to  have  numbered  over 
111,000 ;  since  then  the  total  population  has  much  declined.  There  has,  however, 
been  no  decrease  in  the  mercantile  and  industrial  classes.  The  artisans  are  much 
more  numerous  now  than  in  the  days  of  Sir  Richard  Jenkins.  The  diminution 
has  occurred  in  the  non-industrial  classes,  in  the  numerous  semi-military  retinues 
of  the  chiefs,  and  the  servants  and  hangers-on  attached  to  that  retinue.  The 
bulk  of  these  people  have  now  disappeared,  having  taken  to  agricultural  or  other 
employments  elsewhere.  Their  exodus  was  a  necessity  of  later  times  and  circum- 
stances,  and  is  certainly  not  a  subject  for  regret. 

NA^HARMAU — A  village  in  the  Sigar  district,  situated  about  eight  miles 
due  west  of  Gaurjhdmar.     It  is  the  highest  point  in  S^gar,  being  2,324  feet  above 
the  sea.     It  gives  its  name  to  the  surrounding  country. 
44  cpo 


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346  NAH— NAR 

NAHRA^ — A  narrow  rocky  stream  in  the  Bfl&gh&t  district,  which  in  its 
coarse  receives  the  waters  of  the  Uskfl,  and  eventually  flows  into  the  Waingangi. 
It  was  formerly  the  boundary  line  between  the  Ndgpdr  and  the  Mandla  territories. 

NA'ND — A  river  which  enters  the  Nigpdr  district  at  its  south-eastern 
extremity,  and  proceeding  westwards  fells  into  the  Wand  in  the  Wardhd  district. 

NA'NDGA'ON— A  feudatory  chiefship  attached  to  the  Rdipdr  district.  It 
contains  560  villages,  in  a  fertile  tract  of  country,  a  large  portion  of  which  is  under 
cultivation,  and  is  divided  into  four  parganas,  viz.  Ndndgdon  and  Dongargarh  to 
the  south ;  Pdndddd,  about  twenty  miles  to  the  north,  at  the  foot  of  the  Sfl^tekri 
hills,  and  separated  from  Ndndgdon  by  the  Khairdgarh  pargana  and  that  portion 
of  Dongargarh  belonging  to  the  Khairdgarh  chief;  and  Mohgdon,  about  fifty  miles 
to  the  north — a  very  fertile  pargana,  lying  between  the  Dhamdd  and  Deorbijii 
kh&lsa  parganas,  to  the  south  and  east,  and  Khamarid,  belonging  to  Khair&garh, 
to  the  north.  The  chief  is  by  caste  a  Bairdgf,  or  religious  devotee,  and  celibacy 
being  one  of  the  observances  of  the  sect,  the  succession  has  been  maintained  by 
adoption.  The  grantee  was  the  family  priest  of  the  Rijd  of  NSgpdr,  and  the  date 
of  the  original  grant  is  a.d.  1723.  Ad^tions  were  made  to  it  in  a.d.  1765,  and 
again  in  a.d.  1818.  The  tribute  paid  annually  to  Grovemment  amounts  to  nearly 
Es.  46,000. 

The  chief  village,  which  is  situated  forty-two  miles  west  of  Rdfpdr  on  the 
Great  Eastern  Road,  has  a  population  of  from  1,000  to  1,200  souls. 

NANDARDHAN  (NAGARDHAN)— A  decayed  town  in  the  Ndgpdr  district, 
situated  about  four  and  a  half  miles  from  R&mtek,  just  off  the  old  Kdmthi  road. 
It  was  formerly  a  cavalry  station  of  the  Ndgpdr  rdjds.  An  old  castle  is  still 
remaining,  outside  which  an  action  was  fought  when  the  English  were  besieging 
Ndgpdr  in  December  1817.  The  population  amounts  to  2,893  souls.  A  school- 
house  has  been  built  here,  and  is  well  attended. 

NANSARr — ^A  small  zaminddri  or  chiefship,  situated  about  nine  miles 
south-east  of  Edmthd,  in  the  Bhand&ra  district ;  it  consists  of  eight  villages,  with 
an  area  of  8,350  acres,  more  than  5,000  of  which  are  cultivated.  The  holder  is  a 
Brdhman  descendant  of  one  of  the  official  femilies  attached  to  the  late  Ndgpdr 
government.  A  large  weekly  market  for  cattle  is  held  at  Kathipdr  on  this 
estate. 

NARBADA'  (NERBUDDA)— A  river  which  is  regarded  as  the  boundary 
between  Hindustan  and  the  Deccan.  It  rises  in  the  dominions  of  the  Rdjd  of  Rewfi 
and  flows  into  the  sea  below  the  town  of  Bharoch  (Broach)  in  the  Bombay  district 
of  the  same  name.  But  as  the  greater  part  of  its  course  is  in  the  Central  Pro- 
vinces, it  finds  a  legitimate  place  in  this  compilation.  Its  ancient  name  as  found 
in  the  Purinas  is  Kewd ;  and  it  bears  a  high  reputation  for  sanctity.  Local 
devotees  sometimes  place  it  above  the  Ganges ;  and  there  is  a  saying  that,  whereas 
it  is  necessary  to  bathe  in  the  Granges  to  obtain  forgiveness  of  sins,  the  same 
object  is  attained  by  mere  contemplation  of  the  Narbad^. 

The  following  description  of  the  river  is  extracted  from  an  article  on  the 
scenery  of  the  Narbadi  by  Sir  R.  Temple,  published  in  "  Once  in  a  Way/'  a 
Miscellany  got  up  for  the  Jabalpdr  Exhibition  of  1866 : — 

'^  The  source  is  at  Amarkantak,  a  massive  flat-topped  hill,  forming  the 
eastern  terminus  of  that  long  mountain  range  which  runs  right  across 
the  middle  of  India  from  west  to  east.     If  the  peninsula  may  be  imagined 


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NAB  347 

as  a  shield^  and  if  any  spot  be  the  boss  of  such  a  shield^  then  Amarkantak 
is  that  spot.  South  of  the  Himalayas  there  is  no  place  of  equal  celebrity  so 
isolated  on  every  side  from  habitation  and  civilisation.  To  the  east  and  to 
the  north  hundreds  of  miles  of  sparsely  populated  hills  and  forests  intervene 
between  it  and  the  Qangetic  countries.  On  the  west  there  extend  hilly 
roadless  uplands  of  what  are  now  called  the  Sitpuri  rerions.  To  the  south 
indeed  there  is  the  partly-cultivated  plateau  of  Chhattfegarh,  but  that  after 
all  is  only  an  oasis  in  the  midst  of  the  great  wilderness.  It  is  amongst  these 
mighty  solitudes  that  the  Narbad^  first  sees  the  light. 

'*  The  river  *****  bubbles  up  gently  in  a  very  small  tank  in 
one  of  the  undulating  glades  on  the  summit  of  the  mountain.  Thence  it 
flows  through  a  little  channel,  and  winds  along  the  perennially  green 
meadows.  But  soon  the  waters  are  reinforced  by  the  countless  springs 
which  abound  in  those  trap-rock  formations,  and  *****  after  a 
course  of  some  three  miles  from  the  source,  the  abrupt  edge  of  the  Amar- 
kantak plateau  is  reached. 

''There  it  tumbles  over  the  ledge  of  a  black  basaltic  cliff  with  a 
sheer  descent  of  seventy  feet,  a  glistening  sheet  of  water  against  the 
intensely  dark  rock.  After  its  fall  it  is  for  a  brief  q)ace  hidden  amongst  the 
crevices  of  the  stones,  but  soon  struggles  upward,  and  dashes  along  through 
a  glen  with  lofty  precipitous  sides,  a  splendid  confusion  of  rock  and  foliage, 
and  of  wild  beauty  not  easily  surpassed.  These,  the  first,  and  perhaps  the 
loveliest,  of  all  the  many  fsdls  of  the  Narbad^  are  called  Kapila-Dh&r&. 

*********  A  short 
distance  from  the  stream  is  another  fall  of  lesser  height  called  Dddhdh^d, 
or  the  '  Stream  of  Milk,^  the  myth  being  that  once  the  river  here  ran  with 
that  liquid. 

*****  3|( 

''  After  descending  some  hundreds  of  feet  by  falls  and  rapids  from  the 
heights  of  Amarkantak  the  Narbadd  skirts  the  upland  valley  just  mentioned, 
and  winds  about  the  hills  of  the  Mandla  district,  pursuing  a  westerly  course 
till  it  flows  under  the  weJIs  of  the  ruined  palace  of  Eimnagar  a  few  miles 
from  the  town  of  Mandla  itself. 

''  Since  quitting  Amarkantak  the  Narbadd  has  run  a  course  of  near  a 
hundred  miles,  and  receiving  the  drainage  of  a  long  hill  district,  has  become 
a  fine  river.  At  this  point  its  reach  forms  almost  a  semicircle,  so  that  the 
spectator  can  see  several  miles  both  up-stream  and  down-stream.  The 
river  does  not  flow  here  in  an  unbroken  expanse,  but  is  divided  into  several 
channels,  between  which  there  rise  wooded  islets ;  in  midstream  too  there 
protrude  peaks  and  ledges  of  black  trap-^rock  in  all  directions.  The  banks 
are  clothed  with  thick  foliage  to  the  water^s  edge,  and  the  horizon  is 
bounded  all  round  with  hills,  some  near,  some  distant. 


"  Thus  fiur  the  river's  course,  constantly  interrupted  by  rocks  and  islands, 
has  been  frequently  tortuous.  But  below  B&mnagar  for  several  miles  down 
to  Mftndlft  it  flows  in  a  comparatively  straight  line,  with  an  unbroken 
expaase  of  blue  waters,  between  banks  adorned  with  lofty  trees  *  *  . 
These  pools  or  reaches  (called ''  doW^  by  the  natives)  in  many  of  the  rivers  of 


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348  NAR 

the  Central  Provinces  are  reckoned  as  gems  in  the  landscape.  This  doh 
or  pool  of  the  Narbad^^  between  Bdmnagar  and  Mandla^  is  quite  the  finest 
of  them  all. 

"  Below  Mandla,  at  the  point  Gwirighdt,  where  the  Trmik  Road  crosses 
from  Jabalpilr  to  Nigpdr,  the  river  for  a  moment  wears  the  look  of  trade 
and  industry ;  for  here  are  collected  many  hundreds  of  logs  of  timber  cut 
in  the  forests,  and  thence  thrown  into  the  stream  to  be  floated  down  by  the 
current,  like  rafts,  to  the  marts  of  Jabalpdr,  shortly  afterwards. 

"  Then  the  Narbadi,  becoming  pent  up  among  magnesian  limestone 
rocks,  flings  itself  tumultuously  over  a  ledge  with  a  fall  of  some  thirty 
feet,  called  Dhudn-dhdr  (the  'Misty  Shoot'),  and  then  enters  on  a 
deeply-cut  channel,  literally  carved  through  a  mass  of  marble  and  basalt 
for  nearly  two  miles.  The  river,  which  above  this  point  had  a  breadth  of  a 
hundred  yards,  is  here  compressed  into  some  twenty  yards.  At  the  channel 
below  the  surface  of  the  surrounding  country  the  river  passes  through  a 
double  row  of  marble  bluffs,  or  even  between  a  wall  of  marble  on  either  side. 
These  glittering  white  steeps  are  from  fifty  to  eighty  feet  high.  This  is  the 
place  known  as  the  '  Marble  Rocks/ 

}|e  :|e  :|e  3|c  :ie  :|s 

^'  Up  to  this  time  the  Narbadd  has  not  been  troubled  much  by  the 
works  of  man,  having  only  passed  through  wild  hilly  tracts  inhabited  by 
half-civilised  races,  doubtless  of  a  temperament  congenial  to  the  localities. 
But  now  it  has  to  enter  upon  a  valley,  broad  and  rich,  highly  cultivated, 
thickly  populated,  for  some  two  hundred  miles.  It  is  near  here  crossed  by 
a  great  railway  viaduct  with  massive  piers.  Thereafter  it  flows  in  a  gene- 
rally straight  westerly  course  between  the  two  parallel  mountain  ranges  of 
different  geological  structure  *  *  *  *  *.  But  inasmuch  as  many 
miles  of  fertile  plain  intervene  on  either  side,  the  mountains  are  seen  only 
in  grey  distance  in  a  sort  of  vanishing  perspective.  The  channel  of  the 
river  from  about  here  down  to  Hoshangibdd — a  distance  of  near  two  hundred 
miles — is  not  obstructed  nor  blockaded  by  anv  marked  bars  or  barriers,  but 
the  constant  occurrence  of  rapids  and  rocky  interruptions  renders  it  quite 
unnavigable  for  three-quarters  of  the  year.  During  one — the  rainy  quarter — 
in  the  full  flush  of  the  floods  boats  can  pass  down  with  the  current,  which 
is  somewhat  violent  however,  and  in  this  way  there  is  some  brief  and 
precarious  traffic. 

"  The  soil  of  this  broad  valley  consists  of  alluvial  deposits  of  a  recent 
geological  epoch.  By  some  it  is  supposed  that  at  a  prehistoric  period  there 
were  vast  inland  lakes  in  this  region.  PossU  bones  of  extinct  animals  have 
been  discovered  of  great  value  to  the  geologist.  On  some  of  the  hill- 
sides bordering  the  valley  there  have  been  discovered  some  of  those  strange 
flint  implements  which  in  other  parts  of  the  world  have  so  roused  the 
curiosity  of  antiquarians.  Their  discovery  by  the  late  Lieutenant  Downing 
Swiney  has  added  one  more  to  the  many  associations  connected  with  the 
Narbadd. 

"  In  this  valley  the  river,  quitting  the  district  of  Jabalpdr  and  entering 
that  of  Narsinghpdr,  reaches  the  spot  known  as  Birmdn  Ghat.  Here  one 
of  the  largest  annual  fairs  in  the  Central  Provinces  is  held  in  the  month 
of  November.     The  high  banks  are  crowned  with  structures,  and  flights  of 


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NAR  349 

steps  lead  down  to  the  water's  edge.  The  bed  of  the  river  is  broad  here ; 
and  the  waters,  receding  and  subsiding  after  the  rainy  season  is  over,  leave  a 
broad  space  of  sand  and  shingle. 

}|e  3|c  :ic  a|c  9|c  }|e 

"  The  next  section  of  the  river^s  course,  though  not  remarkable  in  its 
external  aspect,  is  noted  for  agricultural  industry;  the  country  being  a  great 
cotton-field,  and  also  a  great  granary,  producing  wheat  of  such  quality  and  in 
such  abundance  as  often  to  have  afforded  succour  to  famine-stricken  districts 
in  other  parts  of  India.  It  is  equally  noticeable  for  its  mineral  wealth,  rich 
seams  of  coal  having  been  found  near  the  left  bank,  and  iron-ores  being 
worked  near  the  right  bank.  These  combined  coal  and  iron  operations  may 
ultimately  render  the  name  of  the  Narbadd  a  household  word  among  the 
mercantile  community. 

"  Thus  the  river  traverses  long-stretching  plains  clothed  with  waving 
harvests  twice  a  year,  past  Hoshangibid,  past  Handid  and  NemSwar — ^towns 
now  decayed,  but  once  famous  in  Mohammadan  story — past  Jogigarh,  where 
it  rushes  with  clear  swift  rapids  right  beneath  the  battlemented  walls  and 
bastions,  till  it  once  more  enters  the  jungles. 

"  These  jungles,  in  the  Nimdr  district,  are  the  wilds  which  at  the  begin- 
ning of  this  century  furnished  a  home  and  refuge  to  the  Pindhari  hordes, 
where  these  predatory  bands  were  at  last  brought  to  bay  by  the  pursuing 
vengeance  of  British  power,  where  their  leaders  were  hunted  down,  and 
where  the  fugitive  Chitd  died  a  robber's  death  in  the  grip  of  a  tiger. 

:|c  3ic  ♦  ♦  ♦  ^e 

'^  Emerging  from  these  horrid  wilds  the  Narbadd  again  becomes  beau- 
tiful, crashing  in  grand  turmoil  over  dark  trap-rocks,  then  flowing  quietly 
down  in  the  shadow  of  wall-like  ridges,  and  then  surrounding  the  sacred 
island  of  Omkdr  Mdndhitd,  the  heights  of  which  are  covered  with  temples  and 
priestly  buildings.  Here  again  the  river  forms  itself  into  deep  pools  of  still 
water,  in  which  are  imaged  all  the  forms  of  the  rocks  and  the  structures. 
Here  also  at  stated  times  are  held  religious  gatherings,  which  greatly  add  to 
the  beauty  of  the  place.  In  former  days  devotees  used  to  precipitate 
themselves  from  the  rocky  peaks,  to  earn  immortality  by  perishing  in  the 
NarbadS. 

"  A  few  miles  ftu-ther  on  below  Barwdi  (where  the  road  from  Bombay 
to  Indore  crosses  the  river)  there  is  one  of  the  deep-water  reaches,  extending 
from  Mandleswar  to  Maheswar.  At  Maheswar  there  are  stately  religious 
edifices  with  broad  flights  of  steps  leading  down  to  the  river,  erected  by  the 
famous  Mardthd  princess  Ahilyd  Bdi. 

"At  some  distance  from  the  right  bank  the  headland  and  promon- 
tories of  the  Vindhyas  have  a  well-defiied  outline.  On  one  of  these  there 
stands  all  that  remains  of  Mandd,  the  once  splendid  and  royal  city  of  the 
Mohammadan  kings  of  Mdlwd  and  Nimdr. 

****** 
"  Thereafter  the  river  runs  for  some  way  through  an  open  country  till 
it  approaches  that  point  where  the  parallel  ranges  of  the  Vindhya  and 
Sdtpurds  (which  have  heretofore  been  separated  by  the  broad  valley  above- 
mentioned)  gradually  trend  nearer  and  nearer  towards  each  other  till  they 
almost  converge,  before  they  both  become   finally  lessened,  and  drop  down- 


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word  towards  the  western  coast  territoiy  of  Gujarat.  At  the  nearest  point  of 
this  convergence  they  are  separated  from  each  other  only  by  the  Narbadi 
itself;  and  about  here  the  scenery  is  of  a  mountainous  character.  The  river 
courses  along  the  bold  passes  (sometimes  with  rocks  jutting  out  diagonally 
into  midstream)  with  falls  and  rapids^  some  of  which  are  said  to  extend  for 
miles  past  the  hill  of  Turan  Mai,  which  has  a  fine  lake  on  its  broad 
summit,  and  has  been  thought  of  as  a  sanitarium,  through  the  gorge  of  the 
Haran  Pfl,  said  to  be  so  called  from  being  a  *  deer's  leap/ 

'^  From  Haran  Pffl  to  the  temple  of  StOpdni  Mahideva — a  distance  of 
some  seventy  miles — ^there  occurs  the  main  barrier  of  the  Narbad^.  Hitherto 
we  have  dwelt  chiefly  on  the  beauties  of  the  river,  but  here  the  Narbadii 
displays  all  her  terrors.  Twice  has  the  passage  been  essayed  in  the  flood 
season  by  spirited  British  oflBcers — Captain  Evans  and  Captoin  Fenwick. 

^^  Thrilling  are  the  accounts  given  of  the  perils  of  the  whole  way,  and 
of  the  hopelessness  of  any  craft  living  in  some  of  the  worst  parts  of  the 
streams. 

''  It  is  said  that  sometimes  the  water  lashes  itself  into  waves,  curling, 
crisping,  crested.  Sometimes  it  swells,  curves  over  rocks,  and  thence 
rushes  headlong  into  deep  troughs.  Again  it  tosses  foam  and  spray  about  in 
its  fury,  or  it  whirls  in  countless  eddies,  and  sweeps  round  in  swift-moving 
circles — sometimes  in  little  maelstroms  bubbling  up  from  the  bottom  witS 
roarinff  surge.  At  length  its  force  culminates  at  the  great  whirlpool  near 
MakrdT,  described  as  actually  terrific,  and  embracing  the  whole  bed  of  the 
stream,  some  four  hundred  yards,  from  bank  to  bank. 

"  Thereafter  the  Narbadd  enters  on  the  rich  plains  of  Broach  which 
border  on  the  sea.  In  this  particular  section  it  is  securely  navigable,  and  is 
actually  navigated  by  country  craft.  It  is  here  compared  in  appearance  by 
Captain  Fenwick  to  the  Hoogly. 

"  It  has  now  run  a  course  of  near  eight  hundred  nules,  and  has 
attained  opposite  the  city  of  Broach  a  width  of  about  two  miles.  It  is 
here  spanned  by  a  viaduct  of  imposing  length  and  dimensions  belonging  to 
the  Eailway  between  Bombay  and  Barodd.  The  lofty  piers  are  formed  by 
iron  screw-piles  driven  down  into  the  sandy  ground  to  a  depth  of  many  feet. 
The  immense  structure  has  the  appearance  of  wonderftd  lightness  for  its 
strength  and  size,  and  the  trains  passing  over  it  seem  as  if  suspended  by  a 
slender  framework  in  mid-air.  This  work  has  been  severely  toed  by  the 
floods  of  the  river,  which — swollen  with  the  fast-accumulating  drainage  of 
the  hills  that  are  in  such  close  proximity— descend  with  mighty  volume  and 
velocity,  carrying  with  them  the  drift  trunks  of  forest  trees  and  other 
masses  of  debris — sometimes  even  the  bodies  of  wild  animals,  in  token  of 
the  devastating  character  of  the  inundation, — and  causing  a  tremendous 
collision  with  the  opposing  piers  of  the  viaduct.  The  importance  of  this 
bridge,  the  obstacles  successfully  encountered  in  its  erection,  the  scientific 
questions  involved  in  the  method  of  its  construction,  and  the  force  of  the 
flood  which  it  has  to  withstand,  keep  alive  to  the  last  the  interest  which  has 
pertained  to  the  Narbadd. 

"The  city  of  Broach,  though  doubtless  growing  in  wealth  and  with  a 
great  future  before  it,  is  not  remarkable  for  external  appearance.  Upto 
Broach  seagoing  ships  of  considerable  burden  and  draft  can  penetrate.    The 


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river  in  fact  is  here  an  estuary^  and  the  associations  are  almost  those  of  a 
seaport. 

''  From  this  point  the  Narbadd  has  but  some  thirty  miles  to  proceed 
before  it  pours  itself  in  the  Gulf  of  Cambay." 

The  physical  character  of  the  river  is  thus  described  by  Dr.  Impey  * : — 

''  The  Narbadi,  then,  rising  in  the  highest  land  of  Central  India,  5,000 
feet  t  about  the  sea,  and  pursuing  a  serpentine  westerly  course  for  750  miles 
through  a  hilly  tract,,  which  runs  parallel  to,  and  borders  closely  both  its 
banks,  may  be  said  to  flow  through  a  longitudinal  cleft  rather  than  a  distinct 
valley,  and  to  present  the  general  characters  of  a  mountain  stream  more 
than  anything  else.  No  great  depth  of  water  can  ever  be  expected  in  it, 
from  the  nature  of  its  tributaries,  except  in  the  monsoon ;  neither,  were 
they  to  promise  better,  could  it  be  retatued,  owing  to  the  gre^t  declivity  of 
the  bed  of  the  river,  which  from  Jhdnsi  Ghdt,  near  Jabalpi&,  to  the  sea  falls 
1,200  feet  in  500  miles. 

''  The  bed  of  the  river  in  its  whole  length  is  one  sheet  of  basalt,  seldom 
exceeding  150  yards  in  absolute  width,  which  has  been  upheaved  in  ridges, 
which  cross  it  diagonally  in  N.E.  and  S.W.  directions.  These  elevations 
occur  every  few  mues,  and  cause  a  kind  of  natural '  bdndh'  (dam),  above  which 
the  water  is  invariably  formed  into  a  pond  more  or  less  deep. 

''  It  is  this  peculiarity  of  geological  and  physical  formation,  creative  of 
80  many  natural  barriers,  which  gives  rise  to  the  numerous  fords  which,  in 
all  the  open  and  cultivated  parts  of  the  Narbadi  valley,  are  found  occurring 
every  few  miles,  with  a  town  on  each  bank ;  and  their  very  existence  indi- 
cates the  absence  of  any  extent  of  navigation,  which  can  only  be  absolutely 
free  between  limited  intervals. 

"  In  such  a  condition  of  the  bed  the  only  change  produced  by  time  is 
due  to  the  erosion  of  the  water,  whose  course  being  straight,  and  the  force 
of  its  accessary  feeders  so  strong,  is  much  obstructed  by  the  deposit  of  sand 
and  detritus,  which  the  transporting  power  of  the  monsoon  brings  down  and 
carries  to  spots  where  some  natural  impediment  arrests  them,  or  where  the 
rapidity  diminishes. 

^'  Thus,  where  the  Narbadi  is  closed  by  hills,  its  breadth  less,  and  the 
vehemence  of  the  entering  streams  intense,  the  rush  of  water  furnishes  and 
lodges  the  large  erratic  blocks  of  debris,  which  the  diflTerent  natural  rocky 
barriers  stop,  and  which  contribute  to  the  formation  of  rapids,  and  to  the 
decrease  of  water  over  them  in  those  places. 

''  But  in  the  larger  basins,  where  the  banks  are  high,  and  of  alluvial 
and  vegetable  character,  the  hills  further  distant,  and  the  impetuosity  of  the 
flood  is  lost,  the  larger  debris  are  left  behind ;  and  the  detritus,  consisting 
of  light  gravel  and  sand,  subsides,  and  accumulates  more  opposite  or  just 
bdow  the  entrance  of  the  large  tributaries.  The  character,  then,  of  the  bed 
of  the  Narbad^  in  fair  weather — ^independent  of  the  large  falls — ^may 
be  summed  up  as  consisting  of  a  narrow  rocky  channel,  obstructed 
by  numerous  rapids,  occurring  in  the  openings  of  the  bare  rocky  ledges 

*  Selections  from  the  Records  of  the  Bombay  Govemment,  No.  xiv.  New  Series,  1865, 
p.  5  ef  teq, 

t  The  height  of  Amarkantak  is  really  not  above  3,400  feet. 


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which  cross  it  diagonally.  These  rapids  are  tortuous,  often  at  right  angles 
with  the  general  course  of  the  river,  and  from  fifty  yards  to  five  miles  in 
length,  very  shallow,  and  rendered  still  more  so  by  the  accumulation  of 
sand,  rock,  and  gravel,  deposited  at  the  mouths  of  the  numerous  feeders, 
which  cause  a  broken  eddying  current,  with  from  six  inches  to  a  foot  and  a 
half  of  water  over  them,  and  are  not  safe,  in  consequence  of  projecting 
cliffs,  with  a  rise  of  twenty  feet  of  water,  at  which  time  formidable  whirl- 
pools, and  a  strong  unmanageable  current,  subject  to  freshes  of  thirty  feet 
in  a  few  hours,  take  place. 

''  The  basins  of  the  Narbadi  are  those  portions  of  the  valley  which  are 
so  fertile  and  productive.  The  upper  one,  1,000  feet  above  the  sea,  extends 
from  the  marble  banks  of  Bheri  Ghit,  opposite  Jabalpdr,  to  a  little  below 
Handii,  nearly  two  hundred  miles  in  length,  but  of  little  width  northerly 
and  southerly,  the  hills  being  nowhere  above  twenty  miles  distant. 

'^  The  other  great  basin,  500  to  750  feet  high,  stretches  from  the 
quartz  hills  above  Barwdi  to  Chikaldd,  upwards  of  one  hundred  miles ;  it 
is  more  open,  with  the  Sdtpurd  range,  in  some  places  forty  miles  distant,  to 
the  south ;  while  to  the  north  the  Vindhyas  approach  to  between  fourteen 
and  sixteen  miles. 

"  The  banks  of  both  basins  are  forty  feet  high,  the  soil  alluvial,  com- 
posed of  marl  and  clay  below,  the  superior  stratum  being  the  black  vegetable 
mould.  The  upper  basin  is  so  level  that  from  Jabalpdr  to  Hoshangibdd, 
upwards  of  120  miles,  the  fall  is  little  more  than  fifty  feet.*  In  the  lower,  the 
fall  averages  about  two  hundred  feet.  The  centre  of  the  latter  is  neverthe- 
less nearly  400  feet  below  that  of  the  upper,  Mandleswar  being  700,  and 
HoshangibSd  1,070  feet  above  the  sea,  and  TalakwSrd,  in  the  inferior  or 
third  basin,  100  miles  lower  down,  is  450  feet  lower  than  Mandleswar.'* 

The  Narbadii  is  fed  principally  from  the  south  side,  as  the  watershed  of  the 
Vindhyan  tableland,  which  bounds  the  valley  on  the  north,  is  almost  entirely 
northwards.  The  principal  affluents  are,  on  the  left  bank — the  Makrdr,  Chak- 
rir,  Kharmer,  Burhner,  and  Banjar,  which  with  others  rise  in  the  wilds  of 
BWgarh  and  Rdigarh.  The  Banjar  empties  itself  into  the  Narbadi  just  opposite 
to  Mandla.  From  this  point,  owing  to  the  propinquity  of  the  cliffs,  of  wluch  the 
tablelands  slope  to  the  south,  we  have  no  more  tributary  streams  until  we 
meet  the  Tfanar— a  considerable  affluent  falling  into  the  Narbadd  in  the  Bargi 
pargana,  above  the  Graur.  Then  we  have  the  Son^r  between  Jabalpdr  and  Nar- 
singhpdr,  the  Sher  and  Shakar  in  the  latter  district,  the  Dddhf,  Kordmi,  Machnd, 
Tawi,  Ganjil,  and  Ajndl,  in  Hoshangdbfid,  the  Dfb,  thirty  miles  west  of  Mand- 
leswar, and  the  Grohi,  thirty-nine  miles  further  west. 

"  These  streams  f  after  escaping  from  the  gorges  of  the  Gondwdna  hills 
have  hollowed  out  channels  for  themselves  across  the  flat  ground  of  the  valley 
beyond,  exposing  throughout  most  of  their  course  many  rocks  distinct  from 
each  other  in  age,  and  differing  among  themselves  in  lithological  character. 
And  whether  among  the  hills  or  on  the  plain  beyond,   the  various  texture 

*  The  height  of  Jahalpdr  is  given  hy  the  Trigonometrical  Survey  at  1,458  feet,  and  that  of 
Hoshang&b&d  by  the  G.  I.  P.  R.  authorities  at  1,120  feet.    The  real  fall  is  therefore  338  feet, 
t  Memoirs  of  the  Geological  Sur^'cy  of  India,  vol.  ii.  part  2,  p.  119. 


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and  structure  of  these  rocks,  as  well  as  their  diverse  modes  of  occurrence 
and  of  disintegration,  have  impressed  on  the  landscape  that  endless  variety 
of  outline  from  which  its  principal  charm  is  derived. 

On  the  right  or  north  bank  the  principal  affluents  are  the  Bal^f,  passing 
under  Shankar  Ganj,  the  Hingni,  the  (jaur — a  beautifiil  stream  a  little  east  from 
Jabalpdr, — the  Hiran  in  the  same  district,  the  Jimner  in  Bhopdl,  the  Kfein  in 
Holkar's  dominions,  crossed  by  the  Bombay  and  Indore  road,  the  Hatni  in 
AlirijptJr — a  small  district  in  Mdlwi  under  the  political  superintendence  of  the 
Govemor-GleneraFs  Agent  at  Indore, — the  Aurin  in  Rewd  K&iti,  and  some  others 
of  less  note. 

These  northern  feeders,  being  comparatively  smaller  than  the  southern,  are 
also  fewer  and  shorter.  "  The  proximity  *  of  the  hills  increases  their  number, 
**  adds  immensely  to  their  volume  and  velocity,  and  accounts  equally  for  the  sudden 
*'  flushing  of  the  river  in  the  rains  to  seventy  and  ninety  feet,  often  in  a  few  hours, 
*'  and  also  for  its  shallowness  in  the  fair  season.  The  tributaries,  being  literally  the 
*'  drainage  of  the  mountain  ranges,  rapidly  empty  themselves,  owing  to  their  short 
*'  coarse  and  rapid  fall ;  their  rugged  and  precipitous  nature,  in  fact,  makes  them 
*'  torrents  rather  than  streams.  Of  their  size  some  idea  may  be  gathered  from  one 
*^  (the  Tawi),  whose  flood  area  is  stated  by  Mr.  Berkley  to  be  1,276  yards  from 
"  bank  to  bank  in  the  rains,  while  it  is  all  but  dry  in  the  fair  weather.  The  Kfein 
'*  ^o,  near  Gujri  on  the  north  bank,  is  nearly  as  wide,  requiring  a  bridge  of  five 
''  large  elliptical  arches  to  span  it.'' 

The  falls  are  those  of  Kapiladhdrd  and  Dddh-dhdri  near  its  source — ^the 
„  ..  former  of  78  feet.     The  next  is  at  Umarid  in  the 

Narsinghptir  district,  of  about  ten  feet.  AtMandhdr, 
ninety  miles  below  Hoshangib^d^  and  about  twenty -five  below  Handii,  there 
is  a  fall  of  forty  feet ;  at  Didri,  near  Pundsi,  twenty-five  miles  below  Mandh&p, 
there  is  another  fall  of  forty  feet.  Near  Mandhdr  the  river  presents  an  unbroken 
sheet  of  water  one  hundred  feet  from  bank  to  bank.  The  navigation  is  there 
quite  impracticable.  In  the  dry  season  there  are  four  or  five  channels.  At 
Saheswar  Dhdrfi,  below  Mandleswar,  there  is  a  fall  of  ten  feet.  Then  the  fall  and 
rapids  of  Haran  Pdl  beyond  Chikald^  occur.  At  H&np,  in  the  Rewi  Kdntd  divi- 
sion of  Gnjardt,  there  is  the  BfflSgori  rapid ;  at  Makrdi  there  is  another  fall ;  and 
a  little  lower  down  a  dangerous-  whirlpool,  which  is  said  to  embrace  the  whole 
bed  of  the  Narbadi.  The  Makrdi  barrier  is  one  of  the  worst  in  the  Narbadi.  Tt 
is  about  sixty  miles  below  the  Haran  Pffli.  Below  this  barrier  and  whirlpool  the 
bed  of  the  river  is  comparatively  open. 

NARB^HER — A  town  in  the  Nigptir  district,  four  miles  fix)m  Belonfi'  and 
fifty-two  from  Nigpiir  on  the  Betdl  road.  Its  population  amounts  to  7,319 
souls,  mostly  belonging  to  the  agricultural  classes.  A  good  market-place,  retain- 
ing-walls  of  masonry  facing  the  river,  school  and  police  buildings,  and  streets, 
have  recently  been  made,  the  cost  being  defrayed  partly  from  town  duties  and 
partly  by  private  subscriptions.  A  little  cloth  is  manufiictured  here,  but  not  more 
than  sufficient  to  supply  the  local  demand.  The  town  is  prettily  situated  among 
extensive  groves,  but  is  not  considered  to  be  healthy. 

NARRA'— A  chiefship  attached  to  the  RifptJr  district.  It  was  separated 
about  the  year  a.d.  1710  from  the  Garhjit  state  of  Kharidr,t  and  given  as  his 

*  Bombay  Goyernment  Records,  New  Series,  No.  xiv.  p.  5. 

t  The  Garhj&t  chief  of  Kharidr  calls  himself  a  Chauhdn,  so  that  this  alliance  would  either 
invalidate  his  pretension  to  R&jput  blood,  or  raise  those  of  the  Kan  war  tribe. 

45  CPG 


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wife^B  dowry  to  the  ancestor  of  the  present  chief.  It  consists  of  thirteen  miserablj 
poor  villages^  in  the  south-eastern  comer  of  Chhattisgarh.  The  chief  is  by  caste  a 
Kanwar.  There  are  a  police  station-house  and  district  post-office  at  the  village 
of  Narri. 

NARSINGHA' — A  remarkable  hill,  or  rather  rock,  in  the  Seonl  district. 
It  is  dome-shaped,  one  hundred  feet  in  height,  and  rises  out  of  the  plain  of  one 
of  the  basins  in  the  valley  of  the  B&ngang^  (Waingangi).  On  the  top  of  the 
rock  there  is  a  temple  sacred  to  Narsinha,*  and  in  the  temple  is  an  image  of  the 
god.     The  village  at  the  foot  of  the  rock  is  called  Narsinghii. 

NAESIN6HGARH — ^A  very  old  town  in  the  Damoh  district,  situated  twelve 
miles  north-west  of  Damoh,  on  the  right  bank  of  the  river  Sundr,  and  on  the 
route  from  Sigar  to  Eewd.  During  the  period  of  Mohammadan  ascendency  it 
was  known  as  "  Nasratgarh,"  but  this  was  changed  into  the  present  name  by  the 
Marith&.  A  fort  and  mosmie  are  the  only  relics  of  the  Mohammadans.  A 
second  fort,  erected  by  the  Mardthds,  was  partially  destroyed  by  the  British, 
troops  in  1857,  Most  of  the  better  buildings  are  now  in  ruins,  and  the  popula- 
tion  is  below  1,000  souls.    There  is  a  police  station-house  here. 


NARSINGHPUHt— 


CONTENTS. 


Page 

ConsUtation  of  district 854 

General  appetrance  ..•••••.•• 855 

Geology  •••• • ib. 

Drainage  system   857 

Affluents  of  the  Narbadi 858 

Villages ib. 

fiubmontane  and  hill  tracts • ...  859 

Population 860 

ib. 

ib. 

861 

ib. 

ib. 

862 


Composition  of  population 
Appearance  and  manners* 
Thugs  and  Pindh&ria  • . . 

Gond  dynasty    

Castle  of  Ohanrfigarh  • .  • 
Bigdx  administration    .  •  • 


Page 


Bhonsli dynasty    •••.•..•......•.••••.•  868 

British  accesaioB «...•• 863 

fioU ib. 

Agriculture • .  • 864 

Priadpal  staples  of  the  district   865 

Mineral  resources*. 866 

Forests   868 

Trade • %b, 

Birm&n  fUr ib. 

Cotton    • 869 

Manufactures •. •••...    ib. 

Roads... ib. 

Admiaistration  • • • ib. 


A  district  which,  lying  between  22°  45'  and  23°  15'  of  north  latitude  and  TS""  38' 

Constitution  of  district.  ^^  ^^^  I?  ^^  ^.  ^on^^^e,  consists  of  two,  or 

more  exactly  speakmg  oi  three,  distinct  portions. 
The  largest  of  these  lies  south  of  the  Narbadi,  and  is  clearly  defined  on  three 
sides  by  rivers,  viz.  on  the  north  by  the  Narbadi,  on  the  east  by  the  Soner,  and 
on  the  west  by  the  Dddhf .  The  southern  boundary  is  an  irregular  east  and  west 
line,  including  a  strip  of  the  Sdtpurfi  tableland,  generally  narrow,  but  of  varying 
width.  The  Trans-Narbadi  portions  are  two  isolated  tracts,  annexed  to  the  dis- 
trict after  its  original  formation.  The  easternmost  is  a  mere  insignificant  patch 
of  hill  and  ravine.  The  westernmost  is  a  small  but  fertile  valley,  enclosed  by 
the  Narbadd  in  a  crescent-shaped  bend  of  the  Vindhyan  range.  The  whole  area 
of  the  district  is  1,916  square  miles,  of  which  about  half  is  cultivated.  The 
extreme  length  from  east  to  west  is  about  seventy-five  miles,  and  the  extreme 
breadth  about  forty  miles.  The  number  of  villages  is  1,108,  giving  an  average 
area  to  each  village  of  nearly  a  square  mile  and  urree  quarters. 

*  An  incarnation  of  Vishnu. 

t  This  article  consists  almost  entirely  of  extracts  from  the  Report  on  the  Land   Revenue 
Settlement  of  Narsingbpdr  by  Mr.  C.  Grant. 


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The  district  may  be  described  with  approximate  accuracy  as  forming  the 
upper  half  of  the  Narbadi  valley  proper.  The  first  of  those  wide  alluvial  basins 
which,  alternating  with  rocky  gorges,  give  so  varied  a  character  to  the  river's 
course,  opens  out  just  beyond  the  famous  marble  rocks  at  BherSghdt,  about 
eight  miles  west  of  Jabalpdr,  and  fifteen  miles  east  of  the  Narsinghpdr  district 
boundary.  It  is  stated  to  extend  as  far  as  Handid  in  the  Hoshangibid  district — 
a  distance  of  about  225  miles.  The  general  elevation  exceeds  1,000  feet  above 
the  sea,  and  the  fall  is  very  gradual.*  In  the  opinion  of  geologists  the  basins, 
of  which  this  is  one,  were  originally  lakes, f  which  were  ''  more  or  less  intimately 
"  connected  with  each  other,  and  were  fed  by  a  slowly  flowing  river  down  which 
"  clayey  sediment  was  carried,  and  distributed  in  a  gradual  and  uniform  manner 
"  over  a  considerable  extent  of  country."  J  On  the  conglomerate  and  clay  thus 
deposited  lie  twenty  feet  of  the  rich  alluvium,  so  well  known  as  the  "  regar  ^'  or 
black  cotton  soil  of  India. 

The  face  of  the  S&tpur£  range  overlooking  the  valley  is  generally  regular, 
p        .  and  probably  nowhere  rises  more  than  500  feet 

ppearan    .  above  the  low  land.     It  runs  in  a  line  almost  parallel 

to  the  course  of  the  river^  at  an  average  distance  from  it  of  fifteen  or  twenty 
miles.  The  intervening  space,  as  has  been  stated  above,  forms  the  bulk  of  the 
Narsinghpdr  district.  The  Vindhyan  tableland,  though  also  sandstone,  is  an 
entirely  distinct  formation  from  the  Sdtpurd  range.  Its  southern  scarp,  though 
genersJly  abrupt,  is  irregular  in  its  alignment,  twice  abutting  on  the  river  bed, 
and  twice  opening  out  into  the  bay-like  curves  which  have  been  already  mentioned 
as  the  detached  Trans-Narbadd  portions  of  the  district.  Still  the  efiect  of  the 
hill  lines,  viewed  from  a  little  distance,  is  sufficiently  regular  not  to  interfere  with 
the  otherwise  compact  configuration  of  the  district. 

The  following  description  of  the  two  opposite  ranges  and  the  valley  which 

lies  between  them  is  extracted  from  the  Memoirs 
Geology.  of  the  Geological  Survey  of  India,  Vol.  II.  Part  2, 

pp.  117— 120,  122:— 

^^  This  (the  Vindhyan)  range  of  flat-topped  clifis  is  marked  by  great 
Uniformity  of  outline,  averaging  from  three  hundred  to  four  hundred  feet 
above  the  level  of  the  valley,  in  rare  cases  rising  to  eight  hundred.  It  is, 
howevei*,  incorrect  to  speak  of  this  as  a  range  of  hills.  Seen  from  the  south 
it  presents  An  almost  uninterrupted  series  of  headlands  with  projecting 
promontories  and  receding  bays,  like  a  weather-beaten  coast  line ;  but  these 
form  the  abrupt  termination  of  a  tableland,  and  are  not  an  independent 
range  of  hills.  It  would  be  difficult  to  point  out  a  finer  example  of  cliffs, 
once  formed  by  the  denuding  action  of  shore-waves,  but  now  far  inland,  than 
is  exhibited  along  this  range.  Prom  the  summit  of  these  cliffs,  however, 
there  is  no  descent  to  the  north  corresponding  to  their  southern  declivity ; 
on  the  contrary  the  plateau  is  found  to  stretch  away  in  this  direction  in 
gentle  undulations.  The  northward  slope,  though  slight,  commences  from 
the  very  edge  of  the  escarpment,  and  a  reference  to  the  map  will  show  that 
the  Betwd,  the  Dhas^n,  and  the  Sunir  rivei*s  have  their  origin  in  places 
overhanging  the  valley  of  the  NarbadS.     In  one  or  two  localities,  where  the 

*  From  Jabalpdr  to  Ho»haiig4b6d,about  165  miles,  the  fall  is  stated  by  Dr.  Impey  (**  Physical 
ebaracter  of  the  Narbad^  River  ")  not  much  to  exceed  50  feet,  but  the  real  fall  is  338  feet. 
Vide  artiele  '*  Narbadi." 

t  Dr.  Impey  on  the  NarbadI,  Bombay  Government  Records,  New  Series,  No.  xiv.  para  8 

t  Memoirs  of  the  Geological  Survey  of  India,  vol.  ii.  part  2,  p.  238. 


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latter  river  in  its  winding  course  flows  close  to  the  north  side  of  its  valley, 
the  southern  limits  of  the  drainage  area  of  the  Granges  may  there  be  seen  to 
reach  to  within  little  more  than  a  mile  of  the  actual  main  stream  of  the 
Narbadd. 

^'  On  the  south  side  of  the  valley  the  hills  present  a  more  broken  and 

Th  M  \\^A  t       ^^^^  regular  outline  than  on  the  north.     Instead 

scarp        .      ^|.  ^  uniform  range  of  escarpment  like  that  of  the 

Vindhyan  hills,  we  here  have  irregular  groups  of  hills  of  different  heights 

and  different  forms  of  contours,  and  which  are  composed  of  different  rock. 

^h  T^  ^F  ^F  ^r  '^  ^F  ^P 

''  The  great  escarpments  north  and  south  of  the  valley  above  mentioned 
are  no  doubt  sufficiently  remarkable  when  considered  simply  as  physical 
phenomena ;  but  they  become  still  more  interesting  when,  as  is  found  to  be 
the  case,  they  are  known  to  coincide  with  geological  boundaries. 

"  Thus  the  tableland  of  Mdlwd  and  Bundelkand  is  formed  of  the  sand- 
stones seen  in  the  Vindhyan  escarpment,  and  described  in  the  following 
pages  under  the  name  of*  Vindhyan  Sandstones' — a  group  of  rocks  not  known 
to  occur  anywhere  south  of  this  line  of  the  north  escarpment  of  the  Narbadi 
valleyi  at  least  not  within  the  area  mapped. 

"  In  a  similar  manner  the  line  of  escarpment  bounding  the  valley  on 
the  south  marks  the  northern  limit  of  a  series  of  rocks,  which  will  be  found 
described  below,  as  including  those  formations  called  in  our  lists  '  Tflchir,' 
'  Damddi,'  *  Mah^deo,'  &c.,  and  no  rocks  belonging  to  any  of  these  groups  are 
known,  within  our  area,  to  occur  north  of  this  line  of  escarpment. 

"  On  both  sides  of  the  valley  the  high  ground  is  often  occupied  by 
basaltic  trappean  rocks.  On  the  north  such  rocks  spread  into  wide  patches 
over  the  country  towards  Bhopdl,  Sdgar,  and  Damoh,  in  which  direction  they 
gradually  die  out ;  on  the  south  and  south-west  the  trap  is  found  to  cover 
considerable  areas  among  the  Gondwdna  hills,  and  it  becomes  gradually  more 
and  more  the  prevailing  surface  rock  in  this  direction,  and,  so  far  as  known, 
connects  itself  with  the  great  trap  area  of  the  Deccan. 

"Besides  the  rocks  already  mentioned  several  other  varieties  exist. 
Granitic  and  gneissose  rocks  and  crystalline  schists  are  exposed  in  many 
places  in  the  banks  of  the  Narbadd,  in  those  of  its  numerous  tributaries, 
and  in  many  other  parts  of  the  valley,  sometimes  covering  considerable  areas, 
and  often  forming  prominent  features  in  the  scenery  of  some  of  the  most 
picturesque  parts  of  the  country. 

"  The  hills  near  Hinotii  village,  south  of  Narsinghpdr,  are  mostly  made 
up  of  this  syenite  porphyry ;  here  the  detached  crystals  are  of  pink  felspar/' 

The  formation  of  the  Vindhyan  series  is  thus  described,  pp.  141,  142  : — 

"  The  prevalence  of  regularly-bedded  fine-grained  grits,  with  a  charac- 
teristic red  colour,  is  the  most  striking  lithological  feature  of  the  Vindhyan 
group :  and  speaking  of  the  formation  generally,  its  most  marked  characteris- 
tic certainly  is  the  persistency  of  this  lithological  aspect  over  great  areas. 
This  sameness  of  texture  is  strongly  in  contrast  with  the  prevailing  character 
of  all  those  more  recent  sandstone  formations  to  the  south,  to  be  hereafter 
described. 


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"  This  general  constancy  in  lithological  character  does  not  of  course 
imply  the  entire  absence  of  varieties  among  the  beds  of  the  series  :  instead 
of  clear  quartz  grits^  slightly  earthy  sandstones  are  founds  and  in  many  places 
ferruginous  clay  has  been  so  largely  accumulated  as  to  form  a  considerable 
ingredient  in  the  mass. 

^'  This  earthy  matter  most  commonly  occurs  at  the  partings  of  the 
arenaceous  beds,  and  sometimes  exists  as  irregular  aggregations  through 
the  mass  of  the  beds  themselves ;  less  commonly  the  argillaceous  and  sandy 
ingredients  have  been  mixed  together,  producing  an  earthy  or  a  shaley 
sandstone. 

''  In  many  places  the  sandstone  is  mottled  and  spotted  at  the  surface, 
from  the  decomposition  of  grains  of  magnetic  iron,  which  is  often  abundantly 
scattered  through  the  rock,  and  may  on  a  fresh  fracture  generally  be 
detected  in  its  undecomposed  condition. 

'^  Mica  is  not  a  common  ingredient  of  the  Vindhyan  sandstones,  yei 
occasionally  this  mineral  is  present  in  quantities  sufficient  to  constitute  the* 
rock  a  micaceous  flag,  and  it  seems  generally  to  cause  or  accompany  a 
laminated  and  fissile  structure. 

*^  Ripple-marking  may  be  considered  as  a  phenomenon  characteristic 
of  the  Vindhyan  series ;  almost  totally  absent  in  all  the  other  groups  of 
sandstone  of  Central  India,  it  is  almost  everywhere  throughout  them  found 
preserved  in  the  most  extraordinary  perfection.^' 

The  southern  range  consists  of  a  mere  narrow  strip  belonging  to  the 
Mahddeo  and  Upper  Damddd  series — which  will  be  found  described  in  the  article 
on  the  Hoshangibdd  district,  where  they  are  seen  on  a  much  larger  scale — lying 
between  rocks  of  metamorphic  formation  to  the  north>  &cing  the  valley^  and  the 
great  trap  overflow  of  the  S^tpurd  plateau  to  the  south* 

A  broad  strip,  walled-in  on  either  hand  by  low  hill  ranges,  and  green  from 
end  to  end  with  young  wheat :  such  is  the  appearance  of  this  section  of  the  valley 
in  the  winter  months,  when  strangers  usually  visit  it ;  for  the  black  soil  roads 
are  almost  impassable  in  the  monsoon,  and  the  temperature  in  the  hot  season, 
though  ftw  more  moderate  than  in  the  parched-up  plains  of  Upper  India,  is 
sufficiently  severe  to  make  ti»avelling  for  the  time  a  matter  rather  of  duty  than  of 
pleasure.  But  though  the  regularity  of  the  hill  ranges  and  the  general  absence 
of  detached  peaks  give  the  landscape  an  open  appearance  on  tiie  whole,  yet 
jv    .  the  abruptness  of  the  drainage  system  is  such  as  to 

rauiage  sys  leave  a  very  distinct  mark  on  the  surfisice  of  parts 

of  the  valley.  The  actual  fall  of  this  section  of  the  Narbadi  bed  is  comparatively 
inconsiderable,  but  the  nearness  of  the  hill  ranges  gives  the  affluents  of  the  main 
rivers  an  impetus  which,  augmented  ever  by  the  gentle  slope  of  the  valley 
towards  the  sea,  tells  very  markedly  on  the  deep  alluvial  soil.  Indeed  it  has 
been  remarked,  and  with  justice,  that  never  was  a  river  system  attended  with 
deeper  or  more  widely  ramifying  ravines  than  that  of  the  Narbadi  valley.  These 
features  are  of  course  most  prominently  exemplified  in  the  case  of  the  Narbadi, 
by  few  the  largest  river  in  the  district,  though  perhaps  no  part  of  its  course 
is  less  precipitous  and  broken.  In  the  whole  length  of  seventy-five  miles 
there  are  only  two  low  fisJls— one  near  Qhugrf,  the  other  almost  opposite  the 
village  of  Umarid.  But  this  last  is  the  spot  in  which  some  of  the  principal 
rivers  of  the  district  unite  and  join   the  Narbada   through  a  close  network 


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of  ravines^  which  seam  the  sarronnding  ooontry  for  miles.  Although^  however, 
the  characteristic  vehemence  of  the  stream  is  much  modified  in  this  section, 
yet  it  retains,  throughout,  the  narrow  basaltic  bed  and  the  high  precipitous 
banks  which  are  its  distinctive  features.  Running  in  a  confined  unyielding 
channel  through  a  narrow  valley,  its  floods  are  so  vehement  and  sudden  as  to 
impose  serious  difficulties  in  the  way  of  either  navigators  or  engineers.  The 
liouse  built  for  visitors  on  a  seemingly  inaccessible  point  near  the  &mous  marble 
rocks  (in  the  JabcJpdr  district)  was  washed  away  after  standing  untouclied  for 
many  years*  The  Narbadd  railway  bridge  at  Belpath^r,  designed  after  the  most 
careful  inquiry  to  give  waterway  to  the  highest  flood  tiien  known,  was  found  to 
be  inadequate,  fortunately  before  completion,  to  meet  floods  such  as  that.of  1864. 

The  Narbad^  is  fed  almost  entirely  from  the  south,  as  the  watershed  of  the 
Affl     taof  th  N  rb  d4  Vindhyan  tableland  stands  but  little  back  from  ita 

"**  cat.  Bouthem  face.     Its  principal  affluents  are  the  Sher 

and  the  Shakar,  the  latter  of  which,  according  to  native  tradition,  was  once  known 
by  the  less  dipiified  name  of  "  Sdar  "  or  pig,  and  owes  its  new  appellation  to  the 
euphemistic  scruples  of  a  Mohanmiadan  of  rank,  who  emptied  into  it  a  cart-load 
of  sugar.  These,  with  their  tributaries,  the  Michi-Bewi  and  Chftd-Rewlf>  take 
their  rise  in  the  S£tpur£  tableland,  and  are  essentially  mountain  torrents  through- 
out. Their  streams,  rapid  but  irregular,  pour  through  deep  rocky  (Channels, 
fringed  on  either  hand  with  unbroken  series  of  ravines.  Here  and  there  how- 
ever, more  especially  in  the  Shakar  and  Chitd-Rewd,  their  beds  open  oi^  into 
small  oases  of  the  richest  alluvial  deposits,  which  are  tilled  like  gardens  with  the 
finer  kinds  of  sugarcane  and  vegetables.  In  the  second  rank  are  the  Dddhi, 
Bfird^Rewd,  and  Soner.  The  latter  resembles  the  rivers  already  described.  The 
two  former  differ  from  them  in  the  sandy  character  of  their  channels,  which  are 
litde  utilised  except  by  an  occasional  melon  bed.  The  smaller  rivers  are  too 
numerous  for  separate  notice ;  but  it  may  be  mentioned  as  an  illustration  of  the 
extraordinary  rapidity  of  rise  which  is  common  to  them  all,  that  the  Singhrf — a 
little  stream  which  rises  not  ten  miles  from  Narsinghpdr  and  KandeK — ^Ims  been 
more  than  once  known  to  inundate  the  tewn  of  Ewdeli,  and  te  occasion  serious 
loss  both  of  life  and  property  te  the  townspeople. 

Excepting,  however,  where  the  soil  has  been  denuded  by  the  action  of 
Yillaffes  water,  the  undulations  of  the  surfisioe  are  few  and 

^^^'  insignificant,  save  in  the  Trans-Narbadd  tahsO  of 

Ch&nwarp£thd,  where  frequent  isolated  peaks  shoot  up  in  the  veiy  heart  of  the 
black  soil.  In  other  parte  of  the  district  the  rich  level  is  but  seldom  broken, 
except  by  occasional  mounds  of  gravel  or  kankar  (nodular  limestone),  which  are 
most  serviceable  for  vfllage  sites.  The  hard  black  soil  after  rain  sofliens  into  a 
stiff  bog,  in  which  every  step  is  a  fresh  difficulty.  Hence  the  preference  for  sites 
oftien  bare  and  repulsive  in  appearance,  and  the  poverty  of  the  crops  immediately 
surrounding  villages,  in  direct  contrast  to  the  "  Gdonrd "  fields  of  Hindustan, 
which  are,  as  is  natural,  the  best  irrigated  and  most  highly  manured  lands 
in  the  village  area.  It  is  only  the  poorer  villi^s,  however,  that  suffer  much 
in  appearance  from  this  peculiarity  of  location,  and  poor  villages  are  scarce 
in  so  flourishing  a  district.  The  inequalities  of  the  surrounding  sur&ce  are 
sometimes  so  fiur  advantageous  that  they  facilitate  the  construction  of  artificial 
tanks  and  reservoirs,  in  memselves  picturesque,  and  generally  adorned  by  the 
graceful  domed  temples,  which  here  take  ihe  place  of  the  needle-shaped  spires 
so  common  in  the  Mrndd  shrines  of  Upper  Lima.  There  are  few  villages  whidi 
are  not  embellished  by  deep  mango-groves,  and  old  plpal  and  tamarind  trees. 


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Indeed  the  commonest  names  for  villages  are  those  derived  from  trees.  Thus, 
P^ni  (from  the  pipal)^  Imalid  (from  the  iml(  or  tamaiind)^  X7marf£  (from  the 
omar  or  wild  fig)>  abound  in  every  part  of  the  district.  Less  universal^  but  still 
frequent,  are  A'mgion,  'Hhe  mango  village/'  and  Sigonl,  from  the  sigon  or 
teak  tree.  The  better  villages  do  not  lose  on  a  closer  view.  The  mSlguzfir's 
house  usually  stands  well  above  the  other  buildings,  and  is  often  a  handsome 
two-storied  building  of  brick  and  stone.  Ii^j^ide  are  large  court-yards,  well 
stocked  with  cattle,  and  surrounded  by  dwelling-houses  and  granaries.  On  one 
side  are  generally  piled  up  lar^e  mounds  of  white  cotton  on  raised  platforms, 
which  stand  out  as  landmarks  from  afar.  Few  houses  are  without  their  pets— 
spotted-deer,  antelopes,  or  rams, — and  everything  tends  to  create  an  impression 
of  rude  comfort  and  plenty.  The  cultivators*  houses,  though  of  course  inferior 
to  those  of  their  landlords,  are  by  no  means  devoid  of  all  pretension  to  appearance. 
The  better  kind  are  neat  cottages  with  tiled  roofs.  The  gaily-painted  verandah 
posts  and  the  clean  plastered  platforms,  bordered  by  moulded  cornices,  and 
ornamented  by  large  flower  jars,  show  a  decided  taste  for  comfort,  and  even  for 
luxury.  The  meaner  quarter  of  the  village,  tenanted  by  the  weavers,  the 
labourers,  and  the  menial  classes  of  the  little  community,  has  seldom,  it  is  true, 
other  than  a  squalid  appearance.  But  even  here  the  Gonds,  who  fill  the  place  of 
hewers  of  wood,  though  not  of  drawers  of  water,  are  better  lodged  than  in  the 
wretched  grass  huts,  which  barely  shelter  them  in  their  own  wilas. 

But  as  soon  as  the  limits  of  the  '^  haweli/'  or  black  soil  tracts,  are  passed,  the 

-  ,       ^  , ,  .„  ,    ^  characteristics  of  the  country  chancre.     Below  either 

Submontane  and  hill  tracts.  rvn     u  i. --.  •  n  xi.     Oitj-     z 

range  of  hills,  but  more  especially  on  the  Sdtpura 

side,  are  broad  belts  of  red  gravelly  soil,  which  merge  through  woody  borders 

into  the  lower  slopes  of  the  high  land.     The  wheat  of  the  valley  is  here  replaced 

by  rice,  sugarcane,  and  the  poorer  rain  crops ;  the  village  roofs  are  thatch  instead 

of  tile ;  forest  trees  take  the  place  of  mango-groves,  and  reservoirs  are  replaced 

by  mountain  streams.     The  country  is  in  short  less  rich  and  productive,  but  more 

picturesque  and  beautiful.    The  open  glades,  covered  by  short  sward  and  dotted 

with  old  mhowa  trees,  suggest  the  idea  of  English  park  scenery,  and  the  river 

gorges  are  often  of  rare  beauty,  combining,  as  tiiey  do,  all  the  grand  features  of 

hill  scenery  and  tropical  vegetation  with  a  moist  freshness,  which  is  the  one  thing 

wanting  to  the  lifeless  surrounding  forests.*    The  hill  country  included  in  the 

Narsin^hpdr  district  is  insignificant  in  extent.     To  the  north  in  the  Gh^nwarpithfi 

tahsfl  me  boundary  is  the  outer  watershed,  that  is  the  watershed  of  the  smaller 

streams,  and  this  limit  includes  no  whole  villages.    Between  the  Ch^warp£th& 

tahsfl  and  the  smaller  Trans-Narbad^  block,  ^own  as  the  Hfr^pdr  tfiluka,  the 

river  itself  is  the  northern  boundary.     This  portion  of  the  HWpdr  tiluka,   some 

14,000  acres  in  extent,  and  contaiiung  ten  vilWes,  is  perhaps  the  only  compact 

block  of  hills  in  the  district,  as  the  Bachaf  and  Srinagar  parganas,  though  broken 

by  spurs  of  the  Sitpurd  range,  contain  more  valley  ttian  hill,  and  the  strip  of  hill, 

facing  the  Narsinghptir  and  Gidarwdra  parganas,  seldom  exceeds  three  or  fom* 

miles  in  depth.     This  perhaps  is  the  wildest  part  of  the  district,  as  the  passes  from 

the  plain  are  generally  difficult  of  access  to  any  but  mountaineers,  and  the  country 

is  more  broken  and  precipitous  than  the  inner  tracts  of  the  tableland ;  but  it  is 

not  sufficiently  extensive  to  form  an  appreciable  element  in  the  composition  of  the 

district. 

*  The  Narsinghpdr  jungles  are  ill-stocked  with  large  game,  and  are  remarkahle  for  the  scarcity 
of  their  birds. 


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The  possessors  of  this  fertile  valley  are  a  Hindd  race^  with  a  substratum  of 
p    ^^  aboriginal  Gonds.     The  population  of  the  Nar- 

^^       ^^'  singhpdr  district   is  in  round  numbers   336,000 

souls^  of  whom  rather  more  than  one-third  are  returned  as  belonging  to  the 
non-agricultural  classes.  The  average  population  rate  is  about  175  to  the  square 
mile.  At  first  sight  it  must  seem  singular  that  a  given  area  in  this  magnificently 
fertile  valley  should  only  support  one  man,  when  in  the  sandy  plains  of  Upper 
India  the  same  extent  of  land  affords  sustenance  to  three,  or  even  four.  But  it 
must  be  remembered  that  the  Narbadi  valley  is,  to  all  intents  and  purposes,  a 
new  country,  which  has  only  been  reclaimed  from  wild  forest  within  the  last  two 
or  three  centuries.  Little  by  little  the  body  of  agricultural  immigrants  have 
grown  and  spread,  till  the  whole  valley  has  passed  into  their  hands.  But  the  same 
difficulties  of  communication  which  for  so  long  formed  a  perfect  barrier  round 
the  valley  have  operated  even  under  more  favourable  circumstances  to  isolate  it 
from  external  influences.  There  has  been  little  or  no  trade,  and  therefore  no 
inducement  to  congregate  in  towns.  The  soil  is  so  bountiftd  that  small  exertion  is 
needed  to  secure  an  ample  return  horn  it ;  but  the  means  of  carrying  off  the 
surplus  produce  have  been  so  deficient,  that  it  has  attracted  but  little  external 
demand.  In  short,  the  inhabitants  may  be  few,  but  the  land  asks  little  expendi- 
ture of  toil  in  return  for  a  yield  more  than  ample  for  local  wants ;  and  external 
requirements  have  only  now  begun  to  raise  up  a  demand  which  must  surmount 
serious  obstacles,  both  natural  and  artificial,  before  it  can  bring  about  a  higher 
development  of  cultivation,  by  increasing  the  agency  employed  in  the  production 
of  food-grains. 

The  composition  of  the  population  is  almost  purely  Hindd.     The  Mohamma- 
c  ti      f      Mkti  ^^"^  number  little  more  than  three  per  cent  of  the 

mpon  on  o  pop  on.  y^hole.  The  Gonds  have  not  been  separately  regis- 
tered, as  most  of  this  race  who  dwell  in  the  valley  conform  to  Hindd  rites  and 
observances.  Therefore,  besides  the  Mohammadans,  the  only  dissentients  from 
the  Hindd  faith  are  a  few  Jain  merchants  and  mountain  Gonds.  The  most  influen- 
tial landholding  classes  are  Brdhmans,  Rdjputs,  Rdj -Gonds,  Lodhls,  Kurmfs, 
and  Eiomis.  The  Brdhman  and  Eijput  zamind^rs  are  scattered  all  over  the 
district.  The  Eij-Gonds  and  Kiom^s  are  to  be  found  principally  in  the 
Western  subdivision — Grddarw&d,  the  Lodhfs  in  the  Eastern  and  Central  sub- 
divisions, and  the  Kurm(s  in  Narsinghpdr.  Besides  genuine  B^jputs  and  Kdonr^ 
there  are  three  other  castes,  well  represented  among  the  hmdholding  body, 
who  claim  Rijput  descent,  viz.  Bundelis,  Raghubansfs,  and  Kirdrs.  Tlie  total 
number  of  landholding  classes  is  thirty-two,  and  the  total  number  of  castes 
represented  in  the  district  is  not  less  than  twice  that  number. 

Isolation  and  a  purely  agricultural  life  have  had  their  natural  effects  on  all 

.  J  classes.     The  very  dress  and  appearance  of  the 

Appearance  and  manners.  -j     x       x»  xt_     "^  n       v  ^^     j         j-  i-    T 

'^'^  residents  of  the  valley  have  assumed  a  distinct 

type  from  those  of  the  picturesque  races  of  Upper  India.     Though  the  people  of 

tiie  valley  are  generally  well  grown,  few  among  them  are  pre-eminent  for  great 

stature  or  striking  appearance.    Their  costume  too  is  unbecoming.    Among  men 

the  forourite  colour  of  the  angarkhd,  or  long  coat,  is  yellow,  with  a  green  shade 

from  the  mhowa  dye.     The  sleeves  are  turned  back  on   the  wrists,  and  the 

waist-cloth  is  worn  on  or  below  the  hips.     This,    with  a  white  turban,  is  the 

ordinary  dress  of  a  well-to-do  peasant.     The  Chiefs  aflfect  the  Mardthd  turban,  tied 

so  much  on  one  side  as  almost  to  cover  one  eye,  or  what  appears  to  be  a  Gond 

fashion — a  turban  composed  of  innumerable  folds  of  cloth  twisted  like  a  rope. 


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Their  dress  stJdom  corresponds  witli  tlieir  pretensions,  and  some  of  tlie  oldest 
Raj  is  and  Thdkurs  might  be  taken  for  poor  peasants.  It  is  true  that  titles  of 
honour  are  so  common  as  to  have  lost  much  of  their  significance.  Eijas,  Thdkurs, 
R^os,  Dlwdns,  and  Chaudharis  abound  in  every  part  of  the  district,  and  it  is  so  much 
the  custom  to  adopt  any  available  distinction,  that  such  designations  as  Jamaddr 
and  Mukhtir  are  pressed  into  the  service  as  hereditary  honours.  There  is 
certainly  neither  the  closeness  of  ritual  observance,  nor  the  rigidity  of  social 
usage,  which  prevail  in  Hindustdn.  Among  Brdhmans  the  Kanojids  still  keep 
up  their  intercourse  with  their  parent  country,  and  adhere  to  their  traditionary 
rights  and  habits ;  but  the  Sanorids,  who  take  a  high  rank  in  Upper  India,  are 
here  very  lax,  forming  connections  with  women  of  other  classes,  and  neglecting 
the  niceties  of  Hindd  worship. 

The  predatory  classes  belong  rather  to   the  history  than  to  the   present 

Th  t\  P'   }h^  '  population  of  the  district.     But  it  may  be  interest- 

ugs  an      m(   ans.  .^^  ^^  ^^^^  ^^^^  ^^  ^-^^  three  principal  Pindhdri 

leaders  of  the  "  Sindid  Shahl"  two  had  possessions  in  the  Narsinghpdr  district. 
Chitd,  a  chief  who  led  5,000  horsemen,  held  Bdrhd  in  jdgir.  Karim  Khdn,  a  com- 
mander of  more  than  1,000  horse,  had  at  one  time  lands  in  Palohd.  The  Pindhdrls 
are  fortunately  a  thing  of  the  past ;  and  though  the  complete  extinction  of  the 
Thugs  cannot  be  predicated  with  equal  confidence,  it  is  at  least  curious  now  to 
hear  that  in  Captain  Sleeman's  time  a  gang  of  Thugs*  lived  not  four  hundred 
yards  from  his  court-house,  and  that  the  groves  of  Mandesar,  some  twelve  miles 
from  Narsinghpdr,  were  one  of  the  greatest  '^  bels^'  or  places  of  slaughter  in  all 
India,  though  nothing  of  this  was  known  to  Captain  Sleeman  till  seven  or  eight 
years  afterwards,  in  1831. 

The  four  known  periods  of  the  history  of  this  part  of  the  valley  are  the 
p  Gond  rule,  the  dominion  of  the  Mardthd  Sdbas  of 

bond  dynasty.  g^^^^^  ^^^  ^^j^  ^^^^^  Bhonsld  Rdjds  of  Ndgpdr,  and 

our  own  administration.  The  origin  of  the  Gond  Rdjds  of  Garhd  Mandla  is  lost 
in  antiquity,  but  the  Gond  Rdjput  family  f,  which  was  supplanted  by  the  Mardthds,  is 
said  to  have  sprung  from  Jddhava  Rdya,  a  Rdjput,  who  succeeded  his  father-in-law, 
the  Gond  Rdjd  Ndgdeo,  in  a.d.  358.  Forty-eighth  in  descent  from  him  was  Rdjd 
Sangrdm  Sd,  who  is  stated  to  have  extended  his  dominions  over  fifty-two 
districts,  only  three  or  four  of  which  he  received  from  his  father.  The  Nar- 
singhpdr district  came  under  the  Mandla  rule  in  his  reign,  and  he  is  said  to 
have  built  the  fort  of  Chaurdgarh. 

There  could  be  little  to  connect  an  outlying  district  like  Narsinghpdr  with  the 
/^     1     If  rM,     ^     X.  history  of  its  princes  had  it  not  been  for  the  exist- 

Castle  of  Chaurdgarh.  ^^^^   .^   .^  ^^  ^j^.^  ^^^  fortress.     Situated  on  the 

crest  of  the  outer  range  of  the  Sdtpurd  tableland,  and  embracing  within  its  circle 
of  defences  two  hills,  it  is  less  a  fort  than  a  huge  fortified  camp.  The  vast  scale 
of  the  whole  work,  its  numerous  tanks  and  wells,  excavated  at  so  unusual  an 
elevation,  and  the  massive  debris  of  its  buildings,  attest  the  lavish  outlay  incurred 
in  its  completion,  and  the  importance  which  was  attached  to  it  as  a  royal 
stronghold.  In  fact  there  is  scarcely  a  marked  vicissitude  in  the  history  of  the 
Mandla  dynasty  the  crowning  scene  of  which  did  not  occur  in  Chaurdgarh.  The 
first  great  blow  to  their  power  was  the  invasion  by  A'^saf  Khdn,  one  of  the  imperial 

*  *•  Ramaseeana,"  by  Captain  SIcenian,  ]).  Ii2,  Edn.  183(). 

t  Sleeman*s  Note  oii  Ilistorv  of  Garhd  Mandla   Rajas,   Asiatic    Society's   Journal,  No.  68, 
August  1837. 
4G  CPQ 


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viceroys,  in  a.u.  15G1.  He  defeaU^J  and  killed  Darguvati,  the  still  famous 
Rdjput  princess,  widow  of  the  Gond-Rijput,  Rdjd  Dalpat  Sd,  and  took  by  storm 
Chaurdgarh,  and  with  it,  it  is  said,  the  enormous  booty  of  100  jars  of  gold  coin 
and  1,000  elephants.  This  invasion  is  remarkable  as  having  probably  opened 
out  the  valley,  for  the  first  time,  to  the  foreign  immigration  which  has  been  the 
means  of  reclaiming  it  from  barbarism.  A'saf  Khdn  held  Grarhd  for  some  years 
as  an  independent  principality,  and  there  are  various  circumstances  which  indi- 
cate an  incursion  of  northern  settlers  nearly  contemporaneous  with  his  epoch. 
Tradition  is  almost  silent  now  with  regard  to  ages  so  remote,  but  Sleeman  says 
that  in  his  time,  that  is  forty  years  ago,  "  it  spoke  of  an  intercourse  with  Delhi, 
*^  and  a  subjection,  nominal  or  real,  to  its  sovereigns  from  Akbar  downwards,"* 
but  that  no  mention  was  ever  made  of  any  such  connection  in  the  period  before 
Akbar's  reign.  He  adds  that  the  oldest  rupees  found  in  the  earth,  along  the 
line  of  the  Narbadd,  were  of  the  reign  of  Akbar ;  and  in  connection  of  these  first 
signs  of  the  introduction  of  northern  influence  with  the  facts  of  northern  immigra- 
tion, he  adduces  the  histories  of  many  of  the  principal  families  in  the  district, 
which  then  dated  back  from  twelve  to  sixteen  generations. 

The  Rdnl  Durgdvati's  successor,  Chandra  Sd,  re-obtained  his  ancestral 
dominions  through  the  recognition  of  Akbar,  on  cession  of  the  ten  districts  which, 
afterwards  constituted  the  principality  of  Bhopdl.  But  the  now  contracted  princi- 
pality was  again  lost  (about  a.d.  1593)  by  Chandra  Sd^s  grandson,  Prem  Ndrdyan, 
who  incurred  the  anger  of  Bir  Singh  Deo,  rdjd  of  Orchhd,  and  brought  upon  him- 
self an  invasion  from  Jdjhdr  Singh,  that  princess  son.  Prem  Ndrdyan  took  refuge 
in  Chauirdgarh,  where  he  was  fur  months  closely  besieged.  On  his  death,  by 
treachery,  the  fort  fell,  and  all  the  other  garrisons  of  Garhd  followed  its  example. 

As  Chaurdgarh  had  before  been  the  theatre  of  two  events  so  important  in 

c,r        J    •  •  ^   ^-  the  annals  of  the  Gond  dynasty,  so  was  the  closinsr 

Saear  administration.  p  xi.   •    i.  •  i.  i        i       1  •     'x      xi  i     ^ 

°  scene  oi  tneur  history  played  out  m  it.    It  was  here 

that  Narhar  Sd,  the  last  of  the  Mandla  rdjds,  took  refuge  when  pressed  by  Mordjl, 
the  Mardthd  sdba  of  Sdgar.  The  Gond  prince  was  betrayed,  and  ended  his  days 
in  imprisonment  at  Kurai,  while  his  dominions  fell  into  the  hands  of  his  con- 
querors in  A.D.  1 781 .  The  Sdgar  administration  lasted  only  seventeen  years,  and 
is  little  remarkable,  except  as  having  made  way  for  a  considerable  influx  of  Hindd 
immigrants  from  the  north. 

The  Sdgar  sdbas  were  in  their  turn  expelled  by  the  powerful  Bhonsld  rdjds. 
Bhonsld  dynasty.  ""^^  Ndgpilr  army,  before  occupying  Narsinghpiir, 

^       ^  overran  Hoshangdbdd,  which,  being  thus  left  per- 

fectly defenceless,  was  periodically  plundered  by  the  Pindhdris  and  the  Nawdb  of 
Bhopdl,  until  a.d.  1802.  The  distress  thus  occasioned  amounted  in  1803  and 
1804  to  actual  famine,  and  forced  a  number  of  people  into  the  more  secure  and 
prosperous  district  of  Narsinghpiir.  In  the  years  1807  to  1810  similar  accessions 
were  received  from  Bhopdl,  which  had  been  ravaged  by  Amir  Khdn  and  the  Pin- 
dhdris. Thus  largely  recruited,  and  possessing  a  ready  market  for  its  produce 
in  the  consumption  of  the  troops,  Narsinghpiir  attained,  in  Sleeman^s  words, 
^'a  state  of  cultivation  and  prosperity  which  it  had  never  before  known, 
^^  and  from  which  it  has,  generally  speaking,  been  declining  ever  since,  with  the 
^^  exception  of  the  first  three  years  of  our  government,  while  the  market  the 
"  district  had  lost  was  more  than  supplied  by  our  own.'^f  This  gleam  of  prosperity 
was,  however,  of  short  duration.     In  1807  the  Narsinghpdr  and  Hoshangdbdd 

♦  Manuscript  Records,  Narsmghptir  District  office, 
t  Ibid, 


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districts  were  made  over  to  Nawdb  Sadik  All  Khin  for  the  support  of  the  frontier 
force.  But  as  the  military  expenses  amounted  in  all  to  about  ten  lakhs  of  rupees, 
while  the  joint  revenue  of  the  two  districts  was  only  seven  Mkhs,  it  was  arranged 
that  the  balance  of  three  likhs  should  be  remitted  annually  from  Ndgpiir.  For 
two  or  three  years  the  remittances  arrived  regularly,  but  in  1810  supplies  from 
head-quarters  began  to  fail,  and  at  this  inopportune  moment  Amir  Khdn  invaded 
the  district.  He  was  repulsed,  and  his  defeat  was  followed  up  by  the  invasion  of 
Bhopil.  But  in  these  campaigns  Sadik  Ali  Klidn  incurred  expenses  which  could 
only  be  met  by  increased  taxation,  and  the  smaller  j^irddrs  took  the  combined 
opportunity,  afiTordod  by  his  pressing  wants  and  by  his  absence,  to  give  fiiU 
vent  to  their  natural  rapaciousness.  When  extortion  by  main  force  failed, 
other  devices  were  not  wanting ;  patels  were  tempted  by  titles  and  dresses  of 
honour  to  bid  against  each  other,  and  were  alternately  coaxed  and  squeezed  till 
they  had  nothing  left  to  make  them  worth  attention.  The  law  itself  was  made 
the  instrument  of  illegal  exaction  from  merchants  and  others  not  ostensibly  con- 
nected with  land.  Courts  of  justice  were  created,  whose  whole  stafif  consisted 
of  a  guard  of  soldiers  and  a  few  ready  witnesses.  The  only  crime  of  which 
cognizance  was  taken  was  adultery,  and  procedure  was  simplified  by  throwing 
the  burden  of  proof  on  the  accused,  who  was  of  course  a  rich  man. 

The  commencement  of  British  rule  dates  from  1818.     In  November  181 7,  on 
g  . .  ,  .  the  first  intelligence  of  the  conmiotions  at  Ndgpilr 

and  the  treachery  of  the  rdjd,  A'pd  Sdhib,  Briga- 
dier-General Hardyman  was  directed  by  Lord  Hastings  to  advance  his  force  from 
the  frontier  of  Rewd  in  the  direction  of  Ndgpdr.  On  arrival  at  Jabalpdr  he 
engaged  and  defeated  a  considerable  body  of  Ndgpur  troops.  Shortly  afterwards 
he  was  apprised  of  the  success  at  Sitdbaldi  on  the  16th  December  1817,  and  was 
recommended  to  take  up  a  position  between  Jabalpdr  and  Gddarwdrd  in  the 
Narsinghpdr  district,  for  the  interception  of  the  fugitives  from  Ndgpdr.  Addi- 
tions were  accordingly  sent  to  a  force  already  stationed  at  Gddarwdrd,  under 
Lieutenant-Colonel  Macmorine,  who,  thus  reinforced,  was  enabled  to  attack  and 
defeat  the  Srinagar  garrison,  consisting  of  3,000  foot  and  4,000  horse.  Chau- 
rdgarh,  however,  still  continued  to  hold  out,  and  Colonel  Macmorine^s  detach- 
ment while  encamped  at  the  foot  of  the  fort-hill  was  even  fired  on  by  a  body  of 
guerilla  troops.  The  fort  was,  however,  evacuated  by  the  enemy  on  the  approach 
of  the  left  division  of  the  army  under  Brigadier-General  Watson,  and  British 
ascendancy  was  thus  finally  established  in  the  district.  We  found  the  country, 
as  may  bo  imagined,  in  a  much  exhausted  condition ;  and  Colonel  Sleeman  has 
left  it  on  record  that  the  two  most  laborious  and  anxious  years  of  his  life  were 
spent  in  trying  to  keep  together  the  agricultural  communities  of  his  charge. 
His  hands  were  strengthened  by  the  wise  liberality  of  Mr.  Molony,  the  chief 
civil  authority  of  the  province ;  and  each  successive  settlement  of  the  land  revenue 
lightened  the  burdens  of  the  agricultural  class,  tiU  in  1835  they  were  in  a  posi- 
tion to  reap  the  full  benefits  of  the  first  long-term  settlement,  which  was  made 
•on  terms  of  unprecedented  liberality.  Secure  at  once  from  foreign  raids  and 
domestic  exactions,  the  people  have  grown  rich ;  and  the  western  part  of  the  dis- 
trict, which  is  the  most  recently  developed,  may  well  bear  comparison  with  most 
similar  tracts  in  India. 

The  bed  of  the  valley  has  already  been  described  as  consisting  of  a  deep  bed 

^^  ..  of  black  soil,  flanked  at  the  base  of  the  hills  on 

either  side  by  bands  of  the  more  recent  sandstone 

detritus,  and  scoured  away  on  river  banks  by  the  convorprincr  drainacfc*  of  the 


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valley.  It  is  from  this  ricli  central  deposit  that  the  valley  derives  its  chief 
wealth.  Wheat  is  taken  from  it  year  after  year  without  any  attempt  at  ^elie^'ing 
it,  either  by  manure  or  by  a  system  of  rotation.  But  though  its  annual  tribute 
is  unfailingly  rendered,  it  is  useless  to  deny  that  the  powers  of  the  soil  have  de- 
teriorated under  so  constant  a  strain.  The  average  return  of  wheat  is  six  maimds, 
or  about  eight  bushels  per  acre,  being  not  more  than  four  times  the  seed  sown. 
Captain  Sleeman,  writing  in  1824,  says  that  in  Saravat  1863  (corresponding  to 
A.D.  1807)  land  newly  broken  up  in  this  district  yielded  from  fifteen  to  twenty  re- 
turns. That  after  twenty  years'  uninterrupted  tillage  the  returns  of  the  same  land 
had  sunk  to  from  eight-fold  to  five-fold,  but  that  in  the  adjoining  districts  belonging 
to  Bhopdl  and  to  Sindid,  lying  on  the  other  side  of  the  Narbadi,  the  returns 
were,  at  the  time  of  his  writing,  equal  to  those  recorded  in  this  district  in  Samvat 
18G3,  and  that  many  cultivators  had  thrown  up  their  lands  because  they  only 
yielded  nine-fold.  He  adds  that  the  average  returns  of  the  Narsinghpdr  district 
are  not  more  than  from  four  to  seven-fold,  the  mean  therefore  being  five  and  a- 
half  fold.  Some  landholders'  accounts  of  their  home-farms  for  the  same  period 
show  tte  average  returns  at  five-fold  and  six-fold.  The  next  returns,  in  point  of 
time,  consist  of  an  investigation  of  produce  made  in  1828,  in  which  average  wheat 
produce  is  recorded  as  five-fold.  Captain  Ouseley  in  his  settlement  report  of 
1836,  though  he  has  left  no  regular  statistics  on  the  subject,  casually  mentions 
in  one  place  that  three-fold  is  a  very  low  return,  and  eight-fold  is  a  very  high 
one  for  wheat.  From  that  it  seems  probable  that  in  his  time  the  rate  of  produce 
was  much  the  same  as  in  1828,  viz.  five-fold.  It  will,  however,  be  noticed  from 
these  figures  that  while  twenty  years'  cultivation  reduced  the  returns  from 
twenty-fold  to  six  or  seven- fold,  it  has  taken  nearly  double  that  time  (from  1828 
to  1866)  to  reduce  them  from  five- fold  to  four-fold.  The  present  rate  of  diminu- 
tion is  so  minute  as  to  be  imperceptible.  Therefore  for  all  practical  purposes  it 
may  be  assumed  that  the  rates  of  produce  will  remain  constant  at  the  present 
point,  even  if  improved  modes  of  cultivation  are  not  introduced,  with  the  develop- 
ment of  the  country. 

The  principal  implements  of  husbandry  now  employed  are  the  "  bahhar^' 
.    .    J  and  the  ordinary  plough.     The  former  is  a  kind  of 

^  *  scarifier,  having,  instead  of  a  share,  a  broad  iron 

blade  set  horizontally  and  at  right  angles  to  its  body.  It  is  used  in  preparing 
the  land  for  the  rain  crops,  twice  if  possible  before  the  setting  in  of  the  rains, 
and  twice  afterwards.  The  seed  is  then  sown  broadcast,  and  a  heavy  beam  of 
wood  is  dragged  across  the  land,  to  crush  in  the  seeds  and  to  break  the  clods. 
For  the  winter  crops  a  little  more  trouble  is  taken.  The  haldiar  is  used 
about  four  times  before  the  conclusion  of  the  rains,  when  breaks  admit  of  it. 
After  this  preparation  the  land  is  furrowed  by  a  regular  plough,  to  which  a 
simple  apparatus  is  attached  for  dropping  the  seed  as  the  plough  goes  on. 
Another  plough  follows,  marking  its  furrow  a  little  to  one  side  of  the  last,  and 
the  earth  thus  turned  up  covers  the  seed  deposited  by  the  first  plough.  This 
rude  process,  efiectcd  by  implements  of  the  lightest  and  most  elementary  con- 
struction, is  all  that  is  done  for  the  soil,  which  is  expected  to  produce  an  unfailing 
crop  of  wheat.  It  has  been  already  remarked  that  the  unbroken  succession  of 
wheat  crops  returned  by  the  same  land  is  often  surprising ;  but  sometimes  the  soil 
shows  signs  of  complete  exhaustion.  In  these  cases  pfram,  or -some  other  pulse,  is 
usually  substituted  for  wheat  for  two  or  three  years.  Cultivators  are  afraid  to  leave 
their  lands  fallow,  even  for  a  single  year,  for  the  vacant  ground  is  immediately 
occupied  by  rank  "  kdns"  grass,  which  no  exertions  can  eradicate  till  it  has  run 
its  appointed  time.     This  is  in  IIk^  l)('st  soils  trn  or  twelve  years,  in  poorer  land 


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proportionately  less.  At  the  expiry  of  this  time  of  forced  rest  the  land  is 
restored  to  the  cultivator,  refreshed  and  re-invigorated  ;  but  so  much  is  the  long 
fallow  feared,  that  landlords  will  take  up,  even  at  a  loss,  lands  unexpectedly 
thrown  out  of  cultivation  by  their  tenants. 

Manuring  and  irrigation  are  almost  unknown,  except  for  sugarcane  and 
vegetables.  There  is  a  fine  tract,  containing  fifty  or  sixty  villages,  lying  on  the 
borders  of  the  Gddarwdrd  and  the  Narsiughpur  parganas,  in  which  both  these 
processes  are  very  profitably  adopted.  The  staple  produce  of  these  villages  is 
sugarcane,  irrigated  from  unlined  (kachd)  wells,  by  means  of  a  Persian  wheel. 
The  favourable  lie  of  the  substrata  gives  unusual  facilities  for  irrigation  here, 
but  there  is  nothing  to  prevent  the  general  use  of  manure  except  long  habit  to 
the  contrary.  In  the  adjoining  Jabalpdr  district  the  practice  prevails  to  some 
extent.  The  neglect  of  so  important  an  adjunct  to  agriculture  arises  probably 
rather  from  apathy  than  from  any  want  of  means.  In  Upper  India,  with  a  far 
greater  deficiency  of  ligneous  fuel,  it  is  found  possible  to  manure  a  very  large 
portion  of  the  cultivated  area.  Here,  although  the  general  excuse  for  non- 
manuring  is  that  all  the  available  cattle-manure  is  required  for  fuel,  there  are 
some  who  are  candid  enough  to  admit  that  the  process  is  too  laborious  for  them. 
The  nature  of  the  soil  has  something  to  do  with  this  apathy.  It  is  deep,  retentive 
of  moisture,  and  most  tenacious  in  its  texture.  Hence  the  amount  of  working 
and  irrigation  which  might  amply  fertilise  lighter  soils,  would  here  be  thrown 
away.  It  must  be,  and  in  the  case  of  sugarcane,  is  kept  constantly  irrigated,  to 
prevent  the  rapid  induration  and  subsequent  fissility,  which  characterise  it  in  its 
drying  state.  Therefore  irrigation  here  necessitates  more  labour  and  expense  than 
in  lighter  soils ;  and  though,  by  softening  the  soil,  cultivators  would  avoid  two 
great  sources  of  damage  to  which  they  are  now  subject,  viz.  loss  of  the  seed 
which  drops  into  the  fissures  of  the  earth,  and  occasional  loss  of  land,  which  dries 
up  before  they  can  plough  it,  they  prefer  the  present  easy  system,  under  which 
they  are  certain  of  a  maintenance,  to  a  life  of  laboriousness  which  would 
neither  suit  their  habits  nor  seem  required  by  their  necessities. 

The  principal  products  of  the   district  are   sugarcane,   wheat,   gram,   and 

^  .    .    ,   ,    ,      j,^,    J.  . .  .      cotton :  though  among  food  grains — rice,  shdmikh 
Pnncipal  staples  of  the  district.      ,         .  °,  \ij/  i  x 

^        ^  (pamcnvi    colomLm),     kodo    (paspalum  fnimen' 

taceum),  kutkl  {panicum  miliaceum),  and  to  a  very  small  extent  barley,  are 

represented.     Among  oil-seeds — ^linseed,  til  [sesamum  indicum),  castor-oil,  and 

mustard.     Among  millets — jawir    (Indian  millet),   bijrd   (Italian  millet),  and 

kangnl    (spiked   millet).     Among  pulses — arhar  or  rdhar  (pigeon   pea),   urad 

(doUchos  pilosus),  mung  {phaseolus  mungo),  masdr  {ervum  hirsutum).     Among 

dyes — Q.  (morinda  citrifolia).     Among  fibres — hemp  and  dmbiri  (hibiscus  canna- 

hinus).     And  among  garden  products — ^tobacco,  sweet  potatoes,  potatoes,  onions, 

turnips,  and  radishes.     The  wheat  is  of  two  kinds — "jaldlid^^  (large),  and  "  pissF^ 

(small).     In  one  village  only  (Bachai)  is  the  "  kathyd,^^  or  red  wheat,  grown,  but 

that  is  said  to  be  unsurpassed  in  quality.     Sugarcane  is  of  five  kinds — two  large, 

one  of  which  is  indigenous,  and  the  other  is  the  Otaheite  cane,   imported  by 

Colonel  Sleeman.     These  are  used  only  for  eating.     Of  the  smaller  kinds,  one 

alone — the  "  katbardhf' — is  put  into  the  mill ;  gur  is  made  from  its  juice,  but  no 

sugar.     There  remain  the  white,  "  kusidr,^^  and  the  "  pachrang  V  or  five-coloured 

cane,  used  exclusively  for  eating.     The  finest  canes  are  produced  by  irrigation. 

But  on  the  edges  of  forests  a  practice  prevails  of  protecting  the  young  shoots 

by  layers  of  brushwood  till  they  attain  strength.     Cotton  is  grown,  not  on  the 

so-called  black  cotton  soil,  but  on  the  light  undulating  soils  on  the  banks  of 


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rivers  and  ndlis.  No  artificial  means  of  stimulating  its  growth  being  employed, 
the  crops  have  ordinarily  the  poorest  appearance,  and  some  estimates  rate  the 
average  produce  as  low  as  eight  or  ten  lbs.  of  cleaned  cotton  per  acre.  It  is 
probably  about  three  times  as  much. 

The  district  is  even  better  known  for  its  mineral  stores  than  for  its  agricul- 
^.       ,  tural  wealth,  as  an   English   company   has   been 

formed  to  work  its  iron  and  coal.  The  selected 
mines  are  almost  on  the  same  meridian  of  longitude ;  but  the  iron  pits  lie  north 
of  the  Narbadd,  near  the  Vindhyan  hills  ;  and  the  excavations  for  coal  have  been 
made  at  Mohpdnf,  in  the  Sdtpurd  hills,  at  the  debouchure  of  the  Chltd-Rewd 
river.  The  place  is  distant  eleven  miles  from  the  Gddarwdrd  railway  station.  It 
has  been  worked  by  the  Narbadd  Coal  and  Iron  Company  since  1861,  under  a 
mining  license,  but  up  to  the  present  time  little  coal  has  been  extracted.  The 
field  is  described  in  the  Memoirs  of  the  Geological  Survey  of  India,  Vol.  II. 
Part  2,  p.  169.  In  the  section  exposed  in  the  gorge,  through  which  the  Chltd- 
Rewd  rivbr  escapes  from  the  hills,  the  three  seams  of  coal  aggregate  nineteen 
feet  thick — the  first  seam  being  ten  feet,  the  second  five  feet,  and  the  third  four 
feet.  Several  galleries  have  already  been  sunk,  and  a  steam-engine  has  been 
put  up  to  draw  out  the  loaded  trucks.  The  miners  are  principally  Gonds,  whose 
insensibihty  to  fear  qualifies  them  well  for  underground  work.  Mr.  Fiyar, 
mining  geologist  in  connection  with  the  Geological  Survey,  who  has  lately  visited 
these  mines,  draws  the  following  conclusions  from  his  inspection  of  them  *  :  — 

^^  1st. — That  although  the  present  openings  at  Mohpdni  show  the  coal- 
seams  to  be  considerably  disturbed  by  faults,  there  is  yet  a  certainty  of  coal 
supply  of  60,000  tons  per  annum  for  twenty-four  years. 

''2nd. — That  there  is  a  probability  of  these  seams  being  in  a  workable 
condition  between  the  trap  dykes  Nos.  1  and  2. 

''3rd. — That  the  coal-seams  north  of  No.  2  trap  dyke,  which  are 
marked  on  the  map  "  Mr.  KnoUes'  mine,^'  evidently  extend  in  an  easterly 
direction  far  into  the  Narbadd  Coal  and  Iron  Company^s  property,  and  will 
yield  a  large  supply  of  coal. 

"  4th. — That  the  same  series  of  seams  as  seen  in  Chitd-Rewd  (Sltd-Rewd) 
river  at  Mohpdni  may  by  judicious  searching  be  found  to  extend  in  a  pro- 
fitably working  condition  to  a  great  distance  south-west  from  the  mines  at 
present  in  operation. 

"  hth. — That  the  seams  at  present  being  worked  by  Mr.  E^noUes  are 
likely  to  yield  a  large  yearly  out-put  both  in  depth  and  in  westerly  extent.^* 

And  ho  gives  the  following  description  of  the  mines  : — 

"  The  coal-bearing  rocks  extend  for  many  miles  to  the  south  and  south- 
west from  Mohpdni ;  and  when  once  the  coal  mines  of  the  district  are  in 
full  operation,  and  the  demand  for  coal  such  as  to  induce  a  vigorous  effort 
in  the  search  for  coal  by  enterprising  individuals  and  companies,  I  am  of 
opinion  that  the  coal  resources  of  the  field  will  be  found  to  be  equal  to  the 
demand  for  very  many  centuries  to  come. 

^^The  Narbadd  Coal  and  Iron  Company  seem  to  have  made  very 
praiseworthy  attempts  to  properly  establish  their  mining  works.     The  coal- 

*  Report  by  Mr.  Fnar,  printed  with  letter  No.  243G-217>  dnted  10th  August  ^^Q^,  from 
Secretary  to  Chief  Commissioner  Central  Provinces  to  Secretary  to  Government  of  India,  1>  P  W 
pp.  2-1.  •     * 


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seams  have  been  entered  by  levels  driveu  into  the  bills  on  the  north  side  of 
the  river,  as  indicated  by  the  section  on  the  skeleton  map.  Two  pits  have 
been  sunk  (to  the  coal  I  am  informed — one  on  the  north  side  of  the  river, 
and  the  other  on  the  south  side) ;  but  at  neither  of  these  pits  have  any 
machinery-arrangements  yet  been  made  either  for  drainage  or  for  raising 
coal.  A  steam-engine  has  been  erected  at  the  top  of  an  incline  leading 
into  No.  2  coal  on  the  north  side  of  the  river,  and  this  is  at  present  in 
operation,  raising  water  and  coal  to  the  surface  by  haulage  up  the  incline. 
This  is  a  well-made  coupled  horizontal  engine,  with  ten-inch  cylinders, 
and  works  into  gearing  of  about  one  to  twelve.  An  engine  of  the  same 
description  is  on  the  works  ready  for  erqction  and  use,  and  a  small  portable 
engine  is  at  work  driving  a  lathe  in  the  jBtting-shop.  Pump-trees,  working- 
barrels,  pump-rods,  and  bobs  are  all  on  the  ground  ready  for  use  wherever 
and  whenever  they  may  be  required. 

"  There  is  no  coal  in  store ; — all  that  has  hitherto  been  worked  seems 
to  have  been  sold  or  used  up  at  the  mines. 

*^  The  method  of  subterranean  work  pursued  is  that  generally  known  in 
England  by  the  name  of  ^  pillar  and  stall.^  Galleries  are  excavated  at  right 
angles  to  each  other,  and  blocks  or  pillars  are  left  to  support  the  roof- 

"*  *  *  *  *  I  have  formed  a  favourable  opinion  of  this 
coal  as  a  steam  fuel.  That  it  contains  a  large  amount  of  ash  as  compared 
with  EngUsh  coal  is  doubtless  correct,  but  the  same  is  the  case  with  all 
Indian  coals  at  present  used,  as  steam  fuel  by  the  East  Indian  Bailway. 
In  a  report  given  of  the  Narbad^  coal  by  K.  Haines,  Esq.,  Acting  Chemical 
Analyser  to  the  Government  of  Bombay,  dated  12th  July  1860,  it  is  stated 
to  contain  66*63  per  cent  coke  and  33*37  per  cent  of  volatile  matter,  or 
45*54  per  cent  of  coke  after  deducting  ash,  and  18*09  per  cent  of  ash. 

"  The  coals  examined  by  Mr.  Haines  at  the  date  mentioned  could  only 
have  been  surface-specimens,  and  consequently  not  a  fair  sample  of  the 
workable  seams  from  the  interior  of  the  mine-  From  a  rough  experiment 
by  distilling  coal  in  a  ghar^,  at  the  Mohpdni  mines,  I  found  that  it  contained 
seventy-five  per  cent  of  carbon  and  twenty-five  per  cent  of  volatile  matter, 
I  had  no  safe  or  ready  means  of  estimating  the  amount  of  ash,  but  from 
observing  the  burning  of  the  coal,  and  the  amount  of  ash  made  in  the 
English  fire  at  the  works,  I  am  of  opinion  that  the  eighteen  per  cent  of  ash 
given  by  Mr.  Haines  is  in  excess  of  what  will  be  found  to  be  the  case  in 
using  the  coal  as  locomotive  engine  fiiel.  To  use  practical  engineering 
phraseology,  it  is  a  strong  non-coking  coal,  capable  of  doing  a  fair  amount 
of  duty  as  a  steam  fiiel,  and  making,  I  believe,  an  amount  of  ash  not  greater 
than  what  is  made  by  the  generality  of  Indian  coals  now  used  by  the  East 
Indian  Railway*'^ 

Coal  is  also  found  in  the  rivers  Sher  and  Shakar,  but  in  small  quantities. 
A  specimen  from  Sihord  ghdt,  on  the  Sher  river,  exhibited  by  the  Deputy  Com- 
missioner, gained  the  first  prize  at  the  Ndgptir  Exhibition.  It  is  said  to  be  like 
Cannel  coal — hard,  compact,  jetty,  and  free  from  pyrites  of  iron.  The  seam  from 
which  it  was  taken  is  not  believed  to  be  very  extensive.  Lately  a  seam  has  been 
discovered  to  the  west  of  the  Chiti-Rewd,  which  has  been  profitably  worked  by  one 
of  the  Railway  Company^s  engineers,  Mr.  T.  Knolles.  The  Narbadd  Coal  and  Iron 
Company  have  not  yet  commenced  operations  at  Tenddkherd,  and  the  iron  which 
bears  the  name  of  that  town  is  still  worked  by  native  miners.     Tenddkherd  itself 


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is  situated  on  the  banks  of  a  bill  stream,  about  two  miles  south  of  the  Vindhyan 
escarpment,  and  thirty-five  miles  from  the  Gudarwfii*d  railway  station.  From  the 
employment  of  cliarcoal  exclusively  in  smelting,  the  town  has  not  the  smoky 
appearance  with  which  wo  are  accustomed  to  associate  manufacturing  cities ;  but 
the  ceaseless  clink  of  hammers,  which  may  be  heard  from  some  distance,  marks 
it  as  distinct  in  character  from  the  agricultural  villages  of  the  valley.  The  mines 
are  in  the  open  plain,  though  not  far  from  a  long  low  limestone  hill,  about  two 
miles  to  the  south-west  of  the  town.  They  are  mere  open  pits,  cut  to  the  depth 
of  about  thirty  feet  through  the  black  soil  and  the  underlying  clay,  and  require 
to  be  reconstructed  yearly  after  the  rainy  season.  The  iron  produced  is  of 
excellent  quality.  Mr.  Blackwell,  late  Mineral  Viewer  to  the  Bombay  Govern- 
ment, says  of  it,  that  "  it  will  contain  on  an  average  about  forty  per  cent  of  iron, 
"  and  is  calcareous  ore,  somewhat  similar  to  the  Forest  of  Dean  ores,  worked  in 
"  the  mountain  limestone  of  Gloucestershire.'^* 

The  forest  produce  of  Narsinghpdr  is  insignificant.     There  is  probably  no 
„  district  in   the  province   so  devoid  of  extensive 

waste  tracts.  Parts  of  the  valley  of  the  Dddhl  (in 
Gidarw^rd),  of  the  Sher  and  Mdchd-Rewd  (in  Bachaf),  and  of  the  UmarandSoner 
(in  Srinagar),  come  legitimately  under  the  denomination  of  forest  land;  but 
they  do  not  now  contain  any  fine  timber,  except  mhowa  trees,  which  are  too 
valuable  for  purposes  of  sustenance  to  allow  of  their  being  cut  down.  These 
lands  have  been  marked  off  into  lots,  and  can  be  purchased  from  Government  at 
an  upset  price  per  acre.  The  usual  forest  produce — lac,  honey,  wax,  gum,  mhowa, 
and  chironji — are  found  in  the  waste  tracts,  but  the  means  of  access  to  them  are 
too  easy  to  allow  of  their  being  very  plentiful. 

There  are  only  two  real  trading  towns  at  present,  Narsinghpdr  and  Gddar- 
m    ,  wdrd,   though   there  are   a   few  merchants    and 

bankers  located  about  the  district,  at  such  places 
as  Chhindwird  and  Kaurid  on  the  main  road,  and  Singhpdr,  Palohd,  Sdinkherd, 
and  Bdrhd  in  the  interior.  Narsinghpdr  is  now  a  thriving  place,  containing 
with  Kandelf,  which  adjoins  it,  nearly  ten  thousand  inhabitants.  The  value  of 
the  imports  and  exports  is  stated  in  the  trade  report  for  18(38-09  at  Rs.  6,33,323. 
The  former  are  described  as  consisting  of  the  staples  ordinarily  required  for 
Indian  domestic  consumption,  viz.  sugar,  salt,  spices,  grain,  cloth,  tobacco,  opium, 
hardware,  &c.  The  exports  are  principally  wholesale  consignments  to  smaller 
towns  or  fairs.  Narsinghpdr  is  in  fact  an  entrepot  for  the  rest  of  the  district ; 
and  the  trade,  though  insignificant  measured  by  that  of  the  commercial  centres 
of  India,  will  not  seem  inconsiderable,  viewed  with  regard  to  the  former  status  of 
the  town  and  of  the  district.  The  banking  and  mercantile  houses  by  whom  the 
trade  is  now  carried  on  are  mostly  branches  of  large  firms  established  in  important 
cities,  who  sent  down  their  agents  in  the  wake  of  the  grand  army  in  1818. 
Similarly,  G^darwdrd,  which  has  now  some  five  thousand  five  hundred  inhabitants, 
and  a  mercantile  capital  probably  amounting  to  eight  or  ten  Idkhs  of  rupees,  is 
said  not  to  have  possessed  a  single  trader  of  any  standing  under  the  Mardthds, 
though  the  head-quarters  of  the  sdba,  Nawdb  Sadik  All  Khdn,  and  his  force, 
were  for  some  time  located  there. 

Hitherto,  in  the  absence  of  any  large  mart,  the  distribution  of  foreign  neces- 

p.     ^  ^  .  saries  has  been  effected  a  good  deal  by  means 

of  an  extensive  fair,  which  is  held  yearly  in  the 

months  of  November  and  December  on  the  sands  of  the  Narbadd  at  Birmdn, 

♦  Selections  from  Records  of  Bombay  Govermnent,  No.  xliv.,  New  Series,  p.  12. 


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distant  fourteen  miles  from  Narsinghpdr.  The  primary  object  of  the  fair,  as  of 
all  such  assemblages  in  India,  is  religious ;  but  the  shops  and  booths  now  fully 
hold  their  own  against  the  temples.  The  goods  brought  to  this  fair  in  1868 
were  estimated  by  the  Deputy  Commissioner  as  worth  Rs.  8,00,000,  of  which  about 
half  found  a  sale.  The  principal  item  of  merchandise  was  English  cloth,  of 
which  three  Idkhs  worth  was  received,  after  that  lac  ornaments,  and  then  copper 
utensils.  The  attendance  was  estimated  at  about  seventy-five  thousand,  but 
there  must  have  been  a  much  larger  gathering  upon  the  S£W3red  nights,  when 
crowds  of  Hindds  assemble  to  bathe  in  the  river  at  the  moon's  change,  while  the 
average  number  of  persons  who  come  merely  to  buy  and  sell  cannot  be  less  than 
twenty  thousand. 

The  only  export  of  any  consequence  until  lately  has  been  cotton.     The 

p  mercantile  firms  of  Narsinghpdr  and  Gr^darwiri 

have  taken   full   advantage  of  the    extraordinary 

English    demand,  and  the   wealth  and  extended  views  thus  acquired  will  be 

turned  to  good  account  when  the  opening  of  the  railroad  expands  the  trade  of  the 

valley. 

The  manufactures  of  the  district  may  be  dismissed  in  a  few  words.     Brass 
^      -  and  bell-metal  vessels  are  made  at  Chichlf,  where 

there  are  forty  or  fifty  families  of  brass-founders,  but 
not  to  a  sufficient  extent  even  to  supply  local  consumption.  A  kind  of  stamped 
cotton  fabric  is  made  at  Gddarwdri.  Iron  is  manufactured  at  Tenddkheri,  and 
tasar  silk  is  woven  at  Narsinghpdr,  where  also  are  made  saddle-cloths,  which  have 
a  rather  wide  local  reputation. 

The  highroad  from  Jabalpdr  towards   Bombay   runs  right   through   the 
P     ,  Narsinghpdr   district   from  east  to  west.     It  is  a 

good  fair-weather  road,  but  unmetalled,  and  only 
partially  bridged,  and  therefore  impracticable  during  the  rainy  season.  There 
are  travellers'  bungalows  at  Chhindwdri,  Narsinghpdr  station,  and  Nidner.  The 
route  from  Narsinghpdr  northwards  across  the  Narbadd  towards  Sdgar  is 
the  ordinary  line  of  communication  betwen  the  Western  Ndgpdr  and  Narbadi 
districts,  and  Bundelkhand.  After  crossing  the  Narbadd  this  road  is  taken 
through  an  opening  in  the  hills,  by  which  all  ascent  is  avoided  until  the  level 
Chdnwarpdthd  valley  ends  at  the  Jhirid  Gh^t,  at  the  base  of  the  Vindhyas.  The 
road  towards  Seoni  runs  southwards  by  Srinagar  to  the  foot  of  the  Sdtpurds, 
crossing  the  rivers  Sher  and  Umar.  The  road  to  Chhindwdrd  passes  by  Harai. 
None  of  these  are  yet  metalled,  but  the  more  difficult  watercourses  have  been 
bridged,  and  each  season  advances  the  work  of  improving  the  communication. 
The  Great  Indian  Peninsula  Railway  passes  through  the  length  of  the  district 
from  east  to  west,  with  stations  at  Chhindwdrd,  Korakbel,  Narsinghpdr,  Karelf, 
Sihord,  Mandesar,  and  Gddarwdrd.  A  first-class  military  road  will  connect  Sigar 
with  the  line  at  one*»of  these  points,  and  a  system  of  railway-feeders  has  been 
undertaken. 

The  administration  of  the  district  is  conducted  by  the  usual  civil  staff*,  consist- 
Ad   *  '  tmti  ^^^  ^^  ^  Deputy  Commissioner,  three  Assistant  and 
Extra- Assistant  Commissioners,  a  Civil  Surgeon, 
and  a  District  Superintendent  of  Police  at  head-quarters,  and  Tahsflddrs  at  Nar- 
singhpdr, Grddarwdri,  and  Chdnwarpdthi.     The  police  force  has  a  strength  of  377 
of  ^1  ranks.     They  have  station-houses  at  Narsinghpdr,  Gddarwdr^,  Chhindw&r^, 
Bachaf,  Tenddkherd,   and  Birmdn,  besides  fifteen  outposts.     The  customs  line 
47  CPG 


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370  NAR— NAW 

passes  through  the  district,  and  there  is  a  patroFs  station  at  Palohd.    The  revenues 
of  the  district  for  1868-69  are  as  follows : — 

Imperial. 

Land  Bs.  4,18,056 

Excise „  29,185 

Stamps  „  67,070 

Assessed  taxes  „  11,367 

Forests  „  3,426 

Local. 

School  cess    „  8,361 

D&k      do „  2,090 

Road     do „  8,361 

Ferry  and  pound   „  11,233 

Nazdl „  7,525 

Municipal „  9,531 

Total... Rs.  5,76,205 

NARSINGHPUTl — The  eastern  revenue  subdivision  or  tahsfl  in  the  district 
of  the  same  name,  having  an  area  of  993  square  miles,  with  568  villages,  and  a 
population  of  145,168  according  to  the  census  of  1866.  The  land  revenue  of  the 
tahsfl  for  the  year  1869-70  is  Rs.  2,09,337-6-0. 

NARSINGHPU'R  (with  KANDELr)— The  head-quarters  of  the  district  of 
the  same  name,  situated  on  the  west  bank  of  the  Singri,  which  has  been 
dammed  up  to  furnish  a  water-supply  for  the  town.  The  original  name  of  the 
place  was  (Jadarid-kherd.  Under  the  Mardthds  it  became  the  head-quarters 
of  the  force  maintained  in  the  Narbadd  valley,  and  was  then  known  as  Chhotd 
G^darw^.  The  name  was  again  changed  to  Narsinghpur,  after  the  erection  of  a 
large  temple  to  Narsinha,  one  of  the  avatdrs  of  Vishnu.  The  town  is  now  prosper- 
ous, and  will  become  more  so  when  the  railway  opens.  It  has  no  manufactures 
of  importance,  but  it  is  one  of  the  chief  entrepots  for  the  grain  and  cotton  trade 
of  the  rich  Narbad^  valley.  The  main  street  is  well  built  and  well  kept.  The 
principal  government  buildings  are  the  courts  and  offices  of  the  Deputy  Commis- 
sioner and  the  Police  Superintendent.  There  are  also  here  a  jail,  a  dispensary,  a 
travellers'  bungalow,  and  a  native  travellers'  rest-house.  The  post-office  is  under 
the  control  of  a  native  deputy  postmaster.  The  zil^  school-house  is  a  commodious 
building,  and  has  now  (1869)  an  attendance  of  two  himdred  and  fourteen 
scholars,  of  whom  seventy  learn  English.  There  are  in  addition  two  private 
schools  and  a  police  school. 

NAWA'GARH — A  town  fifty  miles  south-west  of  Bilispdr,  containing  a 
population  of  2,500  souls.  It  derives  its  name  &om  having  been  in  ancient 
times  the  chief  of  a  group  of  nine  forts,  and  is  said  to  have  been  established 
three  hundred  years  ago.  The  ruins  of  an  old  and  extensive  earthwork  exist,  but 
there  are  no  other  noticeable  remains.  It  was  formerly  the  chief  place  of  a 
Bub-coUectorate. 

NAWAKHALA' — ^A  village  in  the  Chdndi  district,  containing  three 
hundred  houses,  and  situated  one  mile  north-west  of  Ndgbhfr.  It  has  two  fine 
irrigation-reservoirs. 

NAWBGA'ON— A  town  six  miles  north  of  Garhbori  in  the  Ch&idd  district, 
containing  756  houses.    The  streets  are  wide  and  straight,  and  the  town  gene- 


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371 


rally  is  one  of  the  neatest  in  the  district.  At  some  little  distance  is  a  very  fine 
tank.  A  large  quantity  of  cotton-cloths  are  manufactured  here  for  export,  and 
rice  is  extensively  grown.  The  population  is  principally  Mar^th^ ;  and  there  are 
government  schools  for  boys  and  girls. 

NAWEGA'ON  HILLS—In  the  Bhandira  district,  encircle  the  large  tank  or 
lake  of  that  name,  and^^  though  scantily  clothed  with  vegetation,  are  infested  with 
wild  animals.     They  are  about  two  hundred  feet  above  the  level  of  the  plain. 

NAWEGrA'ON — This  fine  artificial  lake,  in  the  Bhand^ra  district,  is  seven- 
teen miles  in  circumference,  and  has  an  average  depth  of  forty  feet,  increasing 
in  places  to  ninety  feet.  It  is  surrounded  by  hills  showing  eight  distinct  peaks, 
which  are  known  in  the  neighbourhood  as  the  ^*  seven  sisters  and  their  little 
brother.*^  Numerous  streams  pour  their  waters  into  this  rocky  basin,  which  is 
closed  by  two  weirs  or  embankments,  330  and  540  yards  in  length  respectively. 
The  work  was  constructed  about  a  century  and  half  ago  by  Chimnd  Patel,  the 
great-great-grandfather  of  the  present  proprietor  of  the  village  of  Naweg&on, 
and  now  irrigates  some  five  hundred  acres  of  rice  and  sugarcane  land. 

NERF — A  town  in  the  Chindi  district^  situated  on  a  tributary  of  the 
Andh&ri,  five  miles  east-south-east  of  Chimur^  and  containing  917  houses.  The 
population  is  Marithd,  with  a  sprinkling  of  Telingas,  principally  of  the  Panchfl 
caste.  Rice  is  largely  grown  in  the  neighbourhood,  and  brass  and  copper  utensils 
and  cotton-cloths  are  manufitctured  for  export.  There  is  a  considerable  trade  in 
these  goods,  and  also  in  grain>  groceries,  and  salt.  The  place  is  divided  into  the  old 
town  and  the  new  town,  with  an  extensive  stretch  of  rice  cultivation  between. 
The  antiquities  are  two  old  forts,  now  in  ruins,  and  an  ancient  temple  of  no  small 
size  and  beauty,  the  pillars  and  carving  of  which  resemble  those  met  with  in  the 
cave-temples  of  Ajanthi.  Of  more  modem  construction  are  some  gracefiil  Panchil 
tombs,  in  which  husband  and  wife  sleep  side  by  side.  There  are  schools  here 
both  for  boys  and  girls. 


NIMATR*— 


CONTENTS. 


Page 


General  description 372 

Geology 373 

Minerals 376 

Early  history 377 

Hindii  period ib. 

Ghorf  kings  of  Mdlwd  878 

F4riiki  dynasty  of  Khdndesh  t6. 

Gonqaest  of  Akbar  ib. 

Invasion  of  the  Mar&th&s    879 

Aoqaisition  of  Nim&r  by  the  Niz&m   tb. 

The  Peshw&*s  administration ib. 

The  district  transferred  to  8indi4  880 

The  **  Time  of  trouble**    ib, 

ThePindhAris    ib, 

British  administration ih. 

Oar  early  Revenne  management  881 

The  mutiny  of  1867 ib. 


Page 


Recent  changes  in  the  district   882 

Completion  of  the  land  revenue  settle- 
ment    ib. 

Other  revenues ib. 

Administration ib. 

C^mmonioations    , 883 

Population ib. 

Soils    884 

Agricultural  system 885 

Domestic  animals t&. 

Trade ib. 

Forests   886 

Culturable  wastes ib. 

Climate  887 

Wild  animals  and  sport ib. 

Maps  of  the  district     , ib. 

Principal  places  of  interest ib. 


Nim&r  is  the  westernmost  district  of  the  Central  Provinces.  On  the  east 
it  marches  with  the  Hoshangdb^d  district^  the  Chhot^  Ta,wi,  and  its  tributary 
the  (jang^p^t  to  the  north  and   the  Guli  to  the  souths  marking  its  boundary 

•  This  article  is  by  Captain  Forsyth,  Settlement  Officer  and  Deputy  Commissioner  of  Niin4r. 


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372  NIM 

almost  from  point  to  point ;  on  the  north  it  touches  the  territories  of  the  Ponwir 
of  Dhir  and  of  the  Mahdrijd  Holkar ;  and  on  the  west  it  is  bounded  throughout 
by  the  dominions  of  Holkar.  On  the  south  it  meets  the  Khdndesh  coUectorate  of 
the  Bombay  presidency  and  the  border  of  West  Berdr. 

The  modem  district  has  an  area  of  about  3,340  square  miles.     It  includes  but 

^        1  dfi     *  t'  ^  small  portion  of  the  ancient  Hindi!  subdivision  of 

^^^  ^      *  Prdnt  Nimdr,  which  occupied  the  whole  of  that 

portion  of  the  Narbadd  valley  lying  between  the  Vindhyan  hills  on  the  north  and  the 

S^tpurd  range  on  the  south,  and  extending  east  and  west  about  225  miles,  from  a 

?oint  near  the  junction  of  the  Narbadd  and  Ganjdl  rivers,  in  east  longitude 
7*^  !(/,  to  the  Haranpdl  (deer's-leap)  in  longitude  74'',  being  thus  about  9,000 
square  miles  in  area.  On  the  other  hand  that  part  of  the  modem  district  which 
lies  south  of  the  Sdtpurds  in  the  Tapti  valley  was  no  part  of  old  Prdnt  Nimdr, 
but  belonged  to  the  Hindd  division  of  Talner,  subsequently  called  by  the  Moham- 
madans  Khdndesh. 

The  northern  section  of  the  district  in  the  Narbadd  valley  is  much  broken  up 
by  low  irregular  hills,  and  does  not  anywhere  present  the  open  and  level  surface 
remarkable  in  the  districts  higher  up  the  valley,  which  gives  them  their  great 
natural  fertility.  It  is  drained  by  the  small  rivers  called  the  Suktd,  Abni,  Wand, 
Bhfim,  Bildi,  and  Phiprdr,  which  unite  in  a  considerable  stream — ^the  Chhotd 
Tawd — ^before  joining  the  Narbadd,  and  by  the  Ajndl,  Kiverl,  and  Bikdr,  which  fall 
directly  into  that  river.  The  best  parts  of  this  tract  are  the  basin  of  the  Abnd  and 
Suktd  surrounding  the  town  of  Khandwi,  and  the  tract  along  the  Narbadd  in  the 
extreme  north-west  comer  of  the  district,  which  forms  the  commencement  of  the 
fourth  natural  basin  in  the  valley  of  that  river — ^the  kernel  of  old  Prdnt  Nimdr. 
The  principal  towns  in  this  northern  section  are  Khandwd,  which  is  also  the  civil 
station ;  Pandhdnd,  a  large  grain  mart,  containing  500  houses  and  a  population  of 
2,400  ;  Bhdmgarh,  Mundf,  Berid,  and  Kdndpdr,  the  chief  towns  of  the  parganas  of 
the  same  names.  This  section  of  the  district  is  tolerably  well  cultivated,  except 
in  the  north-east  comer,  where  there  is  a  large  tract  quite  waste  along  the 
Chhotd  Tawd  and  Narbadd  rivers.  But  it  is  so  broken  up  with  unculturablo 
elevated  ridges  that  it  does  not  present  at  all  a  rich  appearance  to  the  casual 
traveller.     Its  average  elevation  above  the  sea  is  about  1,000  feet. 

The  southern  section  of  the  district,  in  the  Tapti  valley,  is  naturally  much 
more  open  and  fertile.  The  western  part  of  it  is  completely  cultivated,  but 
higher  up  the  valley  the  land,  though  of  exceeding  richness,  is  still  completely 
desolate.  In  this  valley  is  situated  the  large  city  of  Burhdnpdr  and  the  con- 
siderable towns  of  Bahddurpiir,  Lonl,  and  Shdhpdr.  The  average  elevation,  above 
the  sea,  of  the  Tapti  valley  is  about  850  feet. 

The  central  range  which  divides  these  valleys  is  very  irregular  and  broken. 
On  its  highest  point  stands  the  fortress  of  A''s(rgarh,  about  800  feet  above  the 
general  level  of  the  country  and  2,200  feet  above  the  sea,  and  commanding  a  pass 
through  the  range  which  has  for  centuries  been  the  chief  highway  between 
Upper  India  and  the  Deccan.  This  range  has  an  average  width  of  about  fifteen 
miles,  and  is  almost  entirely  unculturable.  It  is  the  only  part  of  the  great  hilly 
backbone  of  the  Central  Provinces,  generally  called  in  maps  the  Sdtpurd  range, 
which  is  really  known  by  that  name  to  the  common  people. 

The  southern  boundary  of  the  district  is  formed  by  the  watershed  of  another 
branch  of  the  same  great  range.     This  is  a  continuation  of  the  Gdwalgarh  hiUs, 


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NIM  373 

and  is  known  in  Nimfir  by  the  name  of  the  Hattis.  The  watershed  is  close 
to  its  southern  edge,  the  descent  to  the  plains  of  Bei4r  being  usually  steep, 
while  that  towards  the  Tapti  valley  is  long  and  gradual,  including  some  plateaus 
of  considerable  extent,  and  in  places  of  excellent  soil.  The  general  elevation  of 
this  range  is  2,000  feet,  and  the  highest  point  (in  the  extreme  south-east  comer 
of  the  district)  3,000  feet  above  the  sea. 

Altogether  about  half  the  area  of  the  district  is  thus  composed  of  land 
incapable  of  any  sort  of  cultivation.     Only  310,306  acres,  or  less  than  one-seventh  * 
of  the  whole  area,  are  now  under  the  plough,  leaving  about  758,000  acres  of  cul- 
turabie  waste  to  be  taken  up.     340,318  acres  of  this  are  private  property,  and 
about  418,000  acres  are  State  property  available  for  sale  or  lease. 

The  following  description  of  the  geology  of  Nimdr  has  been  given  by  Mr.  W. 
^    ,  Blanford  in  his  paper  on   the   "  Geology  of  the 

i^oiogy.  ^^p^j  ^^^  Narbadd  valleys.^^  * 

"Section  4. — Narbadd  valley  south  of  that  river  ^  from  the  smaller  Tawa 
on  the  east  to  the  Jharkhal  on  the  west,  including  tlie  Barwdni  hills, 

"  The  whole  of  this  country,  with  the  sole  exception  of  one  small  strip 

j^  ,  in    the    immediate   neighbourhood   of   the   river 

between  the  Tawd  and  Barwdl,  consists  of  trap. 

The  excepted  tract  is  composed  of  Vindhyans,  being  a  portion  of  the  area 

occupied  by  those  beds  in  the  Dhdr  forest.     Close  to  the  Tawfi,  and  just 

south  of  the  village  of  Bijalpdr,  there  is  a  small 
Granite  and  infra-trappean     p^tch  of  granite  or  granitoid  gneiss.     To  the  south 
limestoDe  near  Bijalpur.  i» -j.  •   j.  •       t_  x_        'j.       j  j.t_    x 

^  '^  ot  it,  intervening  between  it  and  the  trap,  is  impure 

nodular  gritty  limestone,  which  may  possibly  be  inter-trappean,  but  which 
appears  to  resemble  the  upper  limestone  of  the  Bigh  beds  more  closely 
than  any  other  formation.  It  contains  small  fragments  of  quartz  and  felspar, 
besides  minute  portions  of  fossil  wood.  No  distinct  organisms  could  be 
made  out ;  some  markings  resembling  fragments  of  shells  were  seen,  but 
'  their  nature  could  not  be  determined. 

"  This  bed  is  also  seen  at  Nigpiir  on  the  Tawfi,  where  it  is  in  parts 
j^,      ^,     ,  decidedly  conglomeritic,  contfoning  quartzite  peb- 

^^  '  bles  in  considerable  quantities.     In  a  ndld  on  the 

west  side  of  the  river,  just  above  Ndgpdr,  a  soft  white  sandstone  with 
ferruginous  conglomerate  beneath  it,  about  one  foot  in  thickness,  and  appa- 
rently lower  in  position  than  the  limestone,  is  seen  resting  upon  metamor- 
phic  rocks.  This  much  strengthens  the  probability  of  the  whole  belonging 
to  the  H&gh  beds.  North  of  the  little  patch  of  metamorphics,  and  just 
south  of  the  village  of  Bijalpdr,  Vindhyans  come  in,  and  at  the  village  trap 
occurs.     No  intervening  beds  are  seen. 

''  To  the  north  of  Bijalpdr,  Vindhyans  re-emerge  almost  immediately 
from  beneath  the  traps  and  rise  into  hills  which 

Vindhyans  north  of  continue  steadily  to  the  westward.  The  beds  are 
Bijalpur.  undulating,  and  resemble  precisely  those  already 

described  on  the  north  bank  of  the  river. 

''Just  west  of  Pundsi  near  the  village  of  Bhorlfi  a  considerable  expanse 

T>^  u  I-  J  n    ^  it  of  CTOund  is  covered  with  sedimentary  rocks, 

Bagh  beds  near  PunM.  ^        xi       r  xi.  xi.    t>/  i.  i.  j 

°  apparently  oi  the  same  age  as  the  Bagh  beds, 

♦  Memoirs  of  the  Geological  Survey  of  India,  vol.  vi.  part  3,  pp.  103—106. 


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374  NIM 

and  intervening  between  the  trap  and  the  Vindhyans.  At  the  tank  close  to 
Bhorlfi  porcelanic  clay  is  seen,  probably  hardened  by  trap,  which  is  in  place 
close  by.  Just  west  of  Bhorld  massive  nodular  grey  limestone  in  horizontal 
beds  crops  out  on  the  north  side  of  the  road  to  Tdkli.  This  appears  to 
be  higher  in  position  than  the  clay,  and  may  possibly,  in  parts  at  least,  be 
intertrappean,  more  especially  as  blocks  of  typical  intertrappean  beds  with 
the  usual  fossils  (cyprides  and  plant  remains)  occur  near  Tdkli.  The 
BhorM  limestone  contains  irregular  cherty  lumps  and  fragments  of  fossil 
shells  in  abundance.*  To  the  north  of  the  tank  the  groimd  is  covered  by 
black  soil.  About  one-half  or  three-quarters  of  a  mile  north  of  BhorM  the 
Vindhyans  crop  out.  Just  south  of  them,  and  resting  upon  them,  are  sand- 
stones and  conglomerates  precisely  similar  to  those  underlying  the  traps  in 
Dhdr  forest,  and  to  the  beds  of  Alampdr  north-west  of  Betdl.  There  can 
therefore  be  little  question  about  the  occurrence  in  this  spot  of  beds  of 
cretaceous  age.^' 

"  Some  of  the  conglomeritic  sandstones  north  of  Bhorld  have  very 
much  the  appearance  of  the  Vindhyans — an  ap- 
Cretaceous  beds  formed  from     pearance  due  to  their  being  composed  principally, 
detritus  of  the  Vindhyans.        ^^^^  entirely,  of  detritus  derived  from  those  beds. 
On  closer  examination  the  difference  is  easily  seen  :  the  Vindhyans  are 
dense,  homogeneous,  and  compact,  scarcely  a  trace  of  structure  being  dis- 
coverable, while  the  separate  grains  of  which  the  cretaceous  beds  are  formed 
may  be  distinguished  in  general  with  the  naked  eye.     The  jungle  covering 
tl^e  two   rocks    also    is  very    distinct.    Here,  as  elsewhere,  that  on  the 
Vindhyans  is  characterised  by  the  absence  of  underwood,  the  thinness  of 
the  grass,  and  the  prevalence  of  the  sdlai  [boswellia  thurifera),  which  in 
places  is  almost  the  only  tree,  while  the  jungle  on  the  cretaceous  beds  is 
varied  in  kind,  and  both  grass  and  underwood  are  thick  and  luxuriant. 

"  Vindhyans  continue  nearly  as  far  west  as  to  opposite  Barwdi,  and  end 
close  to  the  spot  where  they  cease  on  the  north 

•  Vindhyans  north-west  of    bank  of  the   river.     A  few   patches  of  overlying 
Pundsd.  trap  occur  upon  them.     They  present  no  features 

of  interest. 
''With  the  exception  of  the  small  tract  just  briefly  described,  the 

«      .  ,      e      ..  whole  of  the   country   comprised  in  this  section 

Remainder  of  section.  •  ^      rj„  xt  "^    xi.      •  ^  ^-  r 

consists  01  trap.     -Near  the  nver,  accumulations  of 

cotton  soil,  sometimes  of  considerable  thickness,  are  of  frequent  occurrence 

between  Barwdf  and   Barwdni.     West  of  the  latter  town  all  the  country 

is  very  hilly,  and  the  river  runs  through  a  deep  rocky  gorge. 

"  Throughout  by  fer  the  greater  portion  of  this  tract  the  traps  appear 

D'd  of  trans  in  Nimdr  ^  ^^  horizontal.     The  exceptions  are  to  the  east 

and  *&tpurii  hills.  ^^  Nimdr,  where  they  have  a  low  south  dip,  so 

small  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Khandwd  as  to  be 
scarcely  perceptible,  and  in  the  Sitpurd  hills  west  of  A'sirgarh.  Beneath 
that  fortress  itself  the  beds  are  horizontal,  but  in  the  low  hSls  immediately 
to  the  west  there  is  a  strong  southern  dip,  in  places  amounting  to  as  much 
as  10*^  or  15*^.  This  is  an  exception,  but  low  dips  of  2°  or  3P  prevail  largely 
throughout  the  range,  both  on  the  Khdndesh  and  on  the  Nimdr  side. 

*  ''  Mr.  Wynne  obtained  marine  fossils  from  Bbor1£,  but  it  is  not  quite  certain  from  what 
portion  of  the  lunettone ;  it  was  before  the  beds  of  this  part  of  the  country  were  well  known. 
It  is  clear  that  both  intertrappean  and  cretaceous  beds  occur  at  this  spot." 


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"  Beds  of  volcanic  ash  are  of  frequent  occurrence,   and   occasional 
.  .  strata  of  red  bole  are  met  with.     With  these 

Volcanic  rocks  met  with .  exceptions  the  whole  of  the  broad  undulating 
plain  of  Nimfo*  consists  of  various  forms  of  basalt,  usually  more  or  less 
amygdaloidal.  On  the  railway  from  Burh&ipiir  to  the  Narbadd  plain  there 
are  no  sections  of  any  importaiice,  and  very  few  are  seen  on  the  sides  of  the 
low  hills  which  occur  here  and  there  throughout  the  coimtry,  the  surface  of 
the  trap  being  generally  much  decomposed  and  concealed/^ 

The  formation  of  the  Tapti  valley  section  of  the  district  is  also  thus 
described  by  Mr.  Blanford  *  : — 

'^The  sandstones  end  out  twenty  miles  above  Melghdt,  and  no  beds 

„    ,     .    ^     ,  ,        ,, ,  , ,      from   beneath  the   traps  emerge  thencefor- 

to^Dpiii^*^*    '''°'     ^^         ^^^  throughout    the  whole  course   of  the 

Tapti.  The  bed  of  the  river  from  Melghdt 
to  Burh^pdr  presents  no  peculiar  geological  interest.  Basaltic  columns 
occur  in  two  or  three  places  near  Melghit,  and  they  appear  to  be  as 
common  here  as  they  are  in  the  lowest  beds  of  trap  beneath  the 
Mfflwi  plateau.  These  Tapti  beds  must  also  be  amongst  the  oldest  of  the 
lava  flows.  Some  of  the  best  basaltic  columns  are  seen  about  two  miles 
above  Melghdt,  and  again  lower  down  near  the  small  village  of  Hardi. 
Passing  down  the  river,  alluvium  begins  to  be  found  in  considerable  quan- 
tities near  Sindwdl,  and  to  form  a  large  proportion  of  the  river's  bank. 
It  gradually  increases  in  amount,  and  covers  more  of  the  adjoining  country, 
StiU  there  is  no  continuous  alluvial  plain  along  the  river  till  near  Burhdnprh*. 
The  alluvium  presents  the  usual  characters. 

"  The  hills  north  of  the  Tapti  between  Melghdt  and  Burh&ipiir  are  of  no 

HiU,  north  of  Tapti.       g^l^^f^\-     They  consiBt  entirely  of  toap      The 

Gdwalgarh  range.  great  uawalgarh  range  between  the  rurna  and 

the  Tapti  is  entirely  composed  of  basaltic  rocks. 

.The  beds  along  the  southern  border  dip  to  the  north ;  the  features  of  the  scarp 

will  be  noticed  in  the  next  section.     Near  the  Tapti  the  dips,  when  ajiy 

are  seen,  are  to  the  southward.     Only  the  verge  of  these  hills  was  examined, 

but  in  the  streams  running  from  them  none  but  trap  pebbles  could  be 

found. 

* 
"  Below  Burhfopdr  very  little  rock  is  seen  in  the  Tapti.     North  of  the 

^      ^  T.    Lif    ^         town  there  is  thick  alluvium,  but  a  little  to  the 

Country  near  Burhaopar.  ,  .  .         r\_  xi.  ^-u         i-i.  j  x 

^  ^  west  trap  comes  m.     On  the  north,  on  the  road  to 

A'sirgarh,  trap  is  met  with.     About  five  miles  from  Burhdnpdr,  near  to  this 

spot,  a  little  east  of  the  road,  and  about  a  mile  north-east  of  the  village  of 

Chiilkhfo,  there  is  a  singular  patch  of  limestone. 
nir"chSkhi^    sandstone     j^  jg  compact,  but  shows  no  signs  of  crystallisation, 

and  it  appears  to  contain  no  fossils.  It  is  quite 
isolated,  all  around  being  trap,  and  about  fifty  feet  in  length.  At  one 
end  of  it  there  is  a  white  sandy  rock,  resembling  decomposed  gneiss 
in  appearance,  and  standing  on  end  as  if  it  were  part  of  a  vertical  bed ;  it, 
however,  contains  rounded  grains,  and  is  probably  sandstone.  Some  red  clay 
is  associated  with  it.     This  mass  of  sedimentary  rocks  is  evidently  a  portion 

♦  Memoirs  of  the  Geological  Survey  of  India,  vol.  vi.  part  3,  p.  113/". 


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of  some  intertrappean  formation,  very  probably  Lameta  or  B&gh,  either 
brought  up  by  a  dyke,  or  included  in  a  lava  flow,  like  the  granite  in  the  river 
bed  at  Mandleswar.  As  frequently  happens,  the  rocks  around  are  not  suflB- 
ciently  well  seen  to  prove  which  of  these  is  the  case,  but  there  is  no  evidence 
of  a  dyke. 

^'  The  traps  in  the  hills  around  A'sfrgarh  are  not  horizontal,  but  dip 
.,  ,      y  very  irregularly,  and  the  same  is  the  case  for  a 

Trapt  near  A  sirgarh.  j^^^  distance  to  the  west.  At  a  considerable  dis- 
tance south  of  the  main  range  there  are  low  rises  stretching  across  from 
Burhdnpiir  to  near  Rdver.  The  traps  in  them  appear  to  dip  north  at 
about  bV' 

Mr.  Blanford  writes  as  follows  on  the  iron-ores  in  the  northern  part  of  the 

district.*     A   much  more  detailed  account  of  the 
^^™  '•  minerals  of  Nimdr  (iron  and  limestone)  will,  how- 

ever, be  found  in  No.  XIV.  of  the  published  Selections  from  the  Records  of  the 
Bombay  Government : — 

"  Coal  is  entirely  wanting  throughout  the  tract  under  description ;  no 
.  trace  of  any  of  the  rocks  usually  accompanying  it 

^  *  having    been   anywhere   seen  where  lower  beds 

appear  from  beneath  the  trap. 

"  The  iron  manufactured  in  the  Dhdr  forest  near  Punisd  and  Ch^ndgarh 
has  already  been  fiilly  treated  of  by  Dr.  Oldham  in 
^^^'  the  second  volume  of  the  Memoirs,  p.  271. 

"  Some  fine  works  were  subsequently  built  by  the  Indian  Grovemment 
.,  at  Barwii  under  the  superintendence  of  Mr. 

®'^  **  Mitander,   a  very  able  Swedish  metallurgist. 

Every  difficulty  was  overcome,  and  the  works  were  perfectly  ready  for  the 
manufacture  of  iron,  when  the  Government,  finding  that  additional  European 
assistance  was  necessary  in  order  to  carry  on  the  manufacture,  declined  to 
sanction  any  further  expense,  and  ofiered  the  works  for  sale  in  1864. 
Unfortunately,  despite  the  great  demand  for  iron  throughout  the  country,  no 
attempt  has  been  made  by  any  private  person  or  public  company  to  carry 
on  the  working. t 

"  The  ore  at  Barwdl  is  found  in  irregular  masses  of  breccia,  the 
matrix  of  which  is  chiefly  brown  haematite  in  the  Bijdwar  series.  It  is  not 
clear  that  there  is  ariy  distinct  bed,  but  the  ore  is  rich,  and  found  in  several 
places. 

"  The  few  fdmaces  which  still  exist  around  Chdndgarh  (the  manufac- 

ChinA     h  ^^  ^^  ^^^^  ^J^S  ^^*  ^^  account  of  the  difficulty 

^^  *  of  procuring  fuel)  are  similar  in  form  and  size  to 

those  employed  in  other  parts  of  India,  but  differ  in  a  few  peculiarities : 
they  are  hollowed  out  of  a  bank  (as  in  Birbhdm)  and  not  built  up,  and  are 
square  inside,  not  round.  They  are  about  five  feet  high.  The  bellows  used 
are  worked  by  the  hand. 

♦  Memoirs  of  the  Geological  Survey  of  India,  vol.  vi.  part  3jpp.  216 — 217. 
t  These  works  have  subsequently  been  made  over  to  His  Highness  Holkar,  with  Pargana 
Banv&i. 


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NIM  377 

**  Throughout  the  trap  country  limestone  is  in  general  wanting,  except 
-,  where  beds  of  calcareous  intertrappeans   occur, 

p  country.  These  are  only  found  near  the  base,  and  are  in 

general  wanting  to  the  westward.  A  bed  near  Barwii  afforded  the  best 
limestone  for  iron  smelting  that  could  be  found  in  the  neighbourhood.  With 
this  exception  the  only  source  of  lime  in  the  trap  country  is  the  Jcanlcar, 
which  abounds  wherever  there  is  a  deep  soil  above  the  rocks,  and  especially 
in  the  larger  masses  of  alluvial  olay.^' 

Before  proceeding  to  describe  further  the  modem  district  it  will  be  well  to 
£a  W  hiatorv  sketch  its  history.     It  has  always  been,  as  it  still 

lymscory.  ^^  a  *' border  land.'^     The  aboriginal  inhabitants 

even  belong  to  two  distinct  divisions — the  Bhfls  and  KoHs  of  Western  India 
here  meetii^  the  Gbnds  and  Knrkds  of  the  Eastern  Central  Provinces.  Hindd 
sacred  literature  states  that  Mdhishmati,  the  modem  Maheswar,  a  city  of  Pr^nt 
Nim&r  (now  Holkar's),  was  the  capital  of  the  Haihaya  kings.*  A  deposit  of 
silver  coins,  probably  belonging  to  them,  was  found  here  in  1838,  and  luts  been 
described  by  the  Rev.  Dr.  Wilson  in  the  Central  Provinces  Antiquarian  Journal 
No.  1.  The  Haihayas  are  said  to  have  been  expelled  by  the  Brdhmans,  who 
established  the  worship  of  Siva,  in  the  form  of  the  Linga  Omkdr,  on  the  island  of 
M&ndh&td,  in  the  river  Narbadd. 

We  next  read  in  Rijput  poetry  of  the  country  being  raled  by  the  Chauhin 

The  Hindd  period.  ^JP"?  S'w  ^^l^Ip'^  VT^  ^^  "^^'^ 

'^  was  at  Makavatit   (Cxarha  Mandla).     They  were 

supporters  of  the  gods  of  the  Brdhmans,  and  appear  to  have  been  at  last  overcome 
by  the  Pramira  I&jputsJ  who  established  the  great  Buddhist  kingdom  of  MilwL 
A  branch  of  this  family  called  Tdk§  held  A'slrgarh  from  the  beginning  of  the  ninth 
to  the  close  of  the  twelfth  century  of  our  era.  Several  times  during  this  period 
are  the  T&ks  of  A'sir  mentioned  by  the  poet  Chfind,  as  leaders  in  the  Hindd  armies 
battling  in  Northern  India  against  the  Mohammadan  invader.  During  this 
period  the  Jain  religion — a  schism  from  Buddhism — ^was  paramount  in  Nimir, 
and  numerous  remains  of  finely-carved  temples  &c.  yet  remain  at  Wdn,  Bar- 
w&nf,  and  other  places  in  Pr&ntNimdr,  II  and  at  Khandwd  and  near  M^ndhdtd 
in  the  modem  district.  Before  the  invasion  of  the  Mohammadans,  the  Chauhtos 
again  seem  to  have  recovered  A'sirgarh  and  the  southern  part  of  the  district.  In 
A.D.  1295  Sultdn  Ald-ud-din,  returning  from  his  bold  raid  in  the  Deccan,  took  A'sir, 
and  put  all  the  Chauhdns  to  the  sword,  excepting  one,  whose  descendants  were 
afterwards  the  rijis  of  Harautf.^  The  present  Rdn^  of  Pfplod  in  Nimdr  also 
claims  descent  from  the  A'sir  Chauhins,  and  his  pretensions  are  in  great  mea- 
sure supported  by  his  genealogy  and  family  history.  Northern  Nimdr  about  this 
time  came  into  the  possession  of  a  Rijd  of  the  Bhildla  tribe  (which  is  believed  to 
be  a  cross  between  Bhfl  and  Rijput  blood),  and  his  descendants  are  stUl  to  be 
found  in  the  chiefs  of  Bhdmgarh,  Mindhdtd,  and  Sildni.  The  Mohammadan 
historian  Farishta**  relates  a  story  of  a  shepherd-chief  called  A'si  ruling  over  all 

♦  Hall't  edition  of  Wilson's  Visbmi  Pur&na,  Book  iv.  chap.  xi.  p.  56  (1868).    Muir's  Sanskrit 
Texts,  vol.  i.  p.  462  (1868). 

t  Tod's  IWjasthdn,  vol.  ii.  pp.  442,  443  (Edn.  1829). 
t  Ibid,  vol.  i.  p.  91. 
4  Ibid,  vol.  i.  p.  105. 

II  Journal  of  the  Asiatic  Society  of  Bengal,  vol.  xviii.  pp.  91S  jf.  (September  1849.) 
IF  Tod's  R^asthiin,  vol.  ii.  p.  456. 
•♦  Briggs'  Farishta  (Edn.  1829),  vol.iv.  p.  207. 
48  CPG 


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Southern  Nim^  at  the  time  of  the  invasion  of  the  Mohammadans^  and  building 
the  masonry  fort  which  was  called  after  him  A^sirgarh  (from  A'sd  and  Ahfr  a 
herdsman) .  The  tale^  however^  seems  doubtful^  to  say  the  least  of  it.  It  is  almost 
certain  that  the  conntry  was  wholly  in  the  hands  of  the  Chaoh&n  and  Bhilila 
chiefs  above  mentioned  at  the  time  of  the  Mohammadan  conquest. 

Northern  Nimir  became  part  of  the  independent  Mohammadan  kingdom  of 
rm.   A^i.  _^  1  •  ^    r^ifi-^  Mdlwd  about  A.D.  1387.     Its  capital  was  at  Mdndd 

The  Ghorf  kings  of  mXwi.         ^^  ^^^  ^^^  ^^  ^^^  Vindhyan  range.     It  is  now  a 

desolate  ruin,  but  with  many  fine  remains  of  the  Ghorf  dynasty.  A  description  of 
it  would  be  out  of  place  in  a  work  referring  only  to  the  Central  Provinces,  but 
full  details  concerning  it  will  be  found  in  Briggs^  Farishta,  Malcolm's  Central 
India,  Fergusson's  Architectmre,  and  in  a  volume  of  excellent  sketches  of  the 
place,  with  descriptive  letter-press,  published  by  Captain  Harris  of  the  Madras 
Army. 

In  A.D.  1370  Malak  R&j^  F^rdkl  obtained  Southern  Nim&r,  then  uncon- 

mu    T7z-^i  f  J       ^   i.  rri-z        Quered,  from  the  Delhi  emperor,*  and  afler  estab- 

The  Fariiki  dynasty  of  Khan-     i*  i  •         xi.      tit  i.  j  -      j,\.      m     ^e 

j^jj^  ^       ^  lishing   the    Mohammadan    power    m   the    Tapti 

valley,  was  succeeded  by  his  son  Nasfr  Kh^, 
who  assumed  independence,  and  established  the  F&rdki  dynasty  of  Eh&ndesh  in 
A.D.  1399.  He  captured  A^'slrgarh  (according  to  Farishtaf  from  A's4  Ahlr), 
and  founded  the  cities  of  Burh^npdr  and  Zaindbdd,  in  honour  of  the  Moham- 
madan shekhs  Burh^n-ud-d(n  and  Zain-ud-din,  on  opposite  banks  of  the  river 
Tapti.  The  Fdrdki  dynasty  held  Khindesh,  with  their  capital  at  BurMnpdr, 
during  eleven  generations,  from  a.d.  1399  to  a.d-  1600.  Their  independence 
was,  however,  of  a  very  modified  sort,  as  they  were  throughout  under  the 
suzerainty  of  the  more  powerful  kings  either  of  Gujardt  or  Mdlwd,  and  whenever 
they  ventured  to  throw  off  their  vassalage,  or  attacked  their  neighbours,  were 
quickly  brought  to  their  senses  by  a  force  which  they  in  no  case  successftdly 
resisted.  Burhdnpdr  was  several  times  sacked  by  different  invaders,  and  the 
Fdrdkis  were  driven  to  retreat  to  A^'sfrgarh.  They  are  said,  however,  to  have 
exacted  tribute^  from  the  Gond  country  to  the  east  as  far  as  Glarhd  Mandla, 
and  A^dil  Khdn,  the  fifth  of  the  dynasty,  assumed  the  title  of  Sh&h-i- Jhdrkhand, 
or  King  of  the  Forests.  They  built  the  fine  Jama  Masjid  and  several  other 
mosques  and  Tdgdhs  in  Burhdnpdr.  They  are  also  said  to  have  had  fine  palaces 
there,  but  if  so,  none  of  them  now  remain.' 

In  A.D.  1600  the  Emperor  Akbar  annexed  Nimir  and  Khdndesh,  capturing 
C  t  f  Akb  A'sfrgarh  by  blockade  from  Bahadur  Kk&a,  the 

^  *  last  of  the  Fdrdkl8.§     He  divided  Northern  Nimdr 

into  the  districts  of  Bijigarh  and  Handid,  and  attached  it  to  the  siiba  of  Mdlwfi. 
Northern  Nimfir  became  part  of  sdba  Khdndesh.||  Some  description  of  these  is 
to  be  found  in  the  A'in-i-Akbari,  the  most  noteworthy  point  being  the  existence  of 
wild  elephants,  of  which  there  are  now  none  nearer  than  1 50  miles  further  east. 
The  prince  Ddnidl  was  made  governor  of  the  Deccan,  with  his  capital  at  Burhdn- 
pdr,  where  he  drank  himself  to  death  in  a.d.  1605.  Akbar  and  his  successors 
did  much  to  improve  the  district,  which  became  under  them  a  place  of  the  first 

♦  Farishta'g  History,  Briggs*  translation,  vol.  iv.  p.  282  (Ed.  1829). 

t  Ibid,  vol.  iv.  p.  286 

t  Ibid,  vol.  iv.  p.  298. 

§  Ibid,voV  ii.  p.  2/8. 

I)  A'in*i-Akbari,  Gladwin's  translation,  vol.  ii.  pp.  43 — 61. 


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NIM  379 

importance.  He  induced  many  cultivators  to  immigrate  firom  Hindustan  and 
the  Deccan^  and  subsidised  the  principal  chiefs  of  the  surrounding  hills  to  act  as 
repressers  of  the  hill-robbers.  In  the  reign  of  Shdh  Jahin  the  city  of  Burhdnptlr 
attained  the  height  of  its  prosperity. 

"  It  is  probable,"  says  Sir  R.  Temple  in  his  Report  on  Nimfo,  "  that  dtiring 
"  the  Mohammadan  period  Nimir  reached  the  highest  degree  of  prosperity  it  has 
"ever  known — a  prosperity  much  exceeding  that  which  it  enjoys  now,  even 
"  after  forty  years  of  British  rule  succeeding  the  general  pacification  of  1818. 
"  Though  the  territory  was  diversified  by  hifls,  rocks,  and  forests  in  many  direc- 
"  tions,  still  the  plains  and  valleys  were  doubtless  well  cultivated^  There  was  a 
"  government,  which,  though  of  foreign  extraction,  was  yet  strong  and  considerate. 
"  The  towns  were  flourishing;  there  was  a  well-to-do  non-agricultural  popula- 
"  tion ;  there  were  large  military  and  other  establishments.  Emperors,  governors, 
"  and  armies  passed  this  way.  There  were  good  markets  for  agricultural  pro- 
"  duce ;  there  were  nobles  and  chiefs  with  their  retinues  to  give  encouragement  to 
"  trade.  The  road-stages  were  thronged  with  traflSc  to  and  fro  between  the 
"  capitals  of  Mdlwi  to  the  north  and  the  Deccan  to  the  south.  The  villages  had 
"  strong  and  industrious  communities  }  there  was  much  artificial  irrigation.  In 
"  short,  the  face  of  the  country  was  sprinkled  over  with  public  buildings  or  works 
"  of  improvement,  with  caravanserais,  with  rest-houses  and  wells,  with  aqueducts, 
"  with  tanks  and  reservoirs." 

In  A.D.  1670  the  Marithis  first  invaded  Khindesh  and  plundered  the  conn- 
Inv«ionoftheMarftthiU.         tiy  up  to  the  gates  of  Burhfinpfc*     ^?S  fo- 

cessive  harvest  seasons  they  returned,  and  m  1do4 
plundered  the  city  itself  immediately  after  Aurangzeb  had  left  it  with  his  rash  and 
unwieldy  army  to  subdue  the  Deccan.  By  1690  they  had  overrun  Northern 
Nimfir,t  and  in  1716  the  ckauth  or  fourth  of  all  revenues,  and  the  sa/rdesmvikhi 
or  ten  per  cent  on  revenue,  were  formally  conceded  to  them  by  the  Moghals. 

In  1720t  the  Niz^,  A^'saf  Jdh,  seized  the  government  of  the  Deccan,.  con- 

.    ,  firming  at  first  the  alienations  of  revenue  to  the 

^A^msition  of  Nimir  by  the    Marithds.     Disputes,  however,  continued  between 

the  Niz&n  and  the  Peshwi,  and  Nim&*  was  often 
plundered  by  the  latter,  until,  by  the  treatv  of  Munge  Pattan,  Northern  Nimir 
became  the  Peshwi^s  in  a.d.  1740.&  Bdji  Rdo  Peshwi,  however,  died  the  same 
year  at  Rdver  on  the  banks  of  the  Narbadi,  which  he  was  just  about  to  cross  on 
a  second  invasion  of  Hindustan.  His  cenotaph  of  variegated  sandstone  is  still  to 
be  seen  at  Rdver.  Eight  years  later  his  great  rival  A'saf  Jdh  died  at  Btirhdhpdr.. 
In  1755  Southern  Nimir  was  also  conceded  to  the  Peshwd,  except  Burh^pdr 
and  A'sirgarh,  which,  however,  followed  in  1760.|| 

One  N^  Balldl  Bhuskute  became  the  Peshw^'s  manager  in  Nim^,  and  the 
rrv^  i>-^u-^»    J   •  --i^*-  family  aftierwards  attained  great  power  as  posses- 

The  P«ihw4'.  «lnnn«tr.Uon.       ^^  ^^  ^^^  hereditary  offic^  of  &tr  Mandloi  aad 

Sar  Elantingo.  The  Peshwi's  administration  seems  to  have  done  much  to  recover 
the  district  from  the  evils  which  had  overtaken  it  during  the  struggle  for  power 
of  the  Moghal  and  the  Mar^thii. 

*  Grant  DuflTt  Histonr  of  the  Maiith6s»  vol.  i.  p.  248  (old  Edn.) 

t  Malcohn't  Central  India,  vol.  v.  p.  61. 

X  Grant  Duff's  History  of  the  Mar&th&s,  vol.  i.  p.  464. 

^  Revenue  Papers,  Nimdr. 

II  Grant  Durs  History,  vol.  ii.  p.  125. 


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In  A.D.  1778  the  whole  country  now  included  in  the  district^  excepting  ' 
mi.  j-^^  ^      ^      J  *  o-  j-^     parffanas  E^^ptir  and  Berid^  reaerved  for  the  sup- 
Thed«tncttr.nrfemdtoSu.d,4.    JXofBiji  tt£o,  was  transferred  to  MaWW^ 

Sindiii.*    Holkar  at  the  same  time  acquired  most  of  the  rest  of  Print  Nimir. 

Up  to  A.D.  1800  the  district  was  left  in  tolerable  peace,  but  from  that  year 
Tk   <•♦•       t*     ki  >»  ^  ^^^  ^'^^  ^f  ^®  Maiithi  and  Pindhiri  wars  in 

The    time  of  trouble.  ^gjg  .^  ^^^   subjected  to  one  unceasing  round  of 

invasion  and  plunder,  still  known  as  the  "  time  of  trouble/*  inflicting  a  blow  on 
its  prosperity  from  which  it  has  not  yet  nearly  recovered.  In  1801  and  1802 
Yaswant  Eio  Holkar  repeatedly  devastated  Sindii^s  districts.  In  1803.Sindii 
gathered  a  large  army  at  ^urhinpdr,  which  grievously  oppressed  ihe  people,  and 
a  figdlure  of  rain  at  the  same  time  occurring,  a  terrible  mmine  resulted,  which 
was  general  throughout  the  Deocan.  Wheat  sold  in  Burh&nptir  for  one  seer  per 
rupee,  and  many  persons  are  said  to  have  perished  throughout  the  district. 
Many  tracts  date  their  relapse  to  desolation,  from  which  they  have  never 
recovered,  to  this  year. 

In  1803  Southern  Nimir  was  taken  by  the  British  after  the  battle  of  Assaye,t 
but  again  restored  to  Sindii.  During  the  next  fifteen  years  the  district  was 
regularly  laid  under  contribution  by  Holkar's  oflScers,  by  the  Pindhdrls,  and  by 
Sindii's  own  semi-rebellious  local  governors,  particularly  Yaswant  Bio  Lir,  the 
castellan  of  A'sirgarh. 

The  Pindhiris  may  in  fact  be  said  to  have  been  at  home  in  Nimir.     Their 
Th  Pi  Ahl '  chief  camps  were  in  the  dense  wilds  of  Handii, 

*  ''  between  the  Narbadi  and  the  Vindhyan  range. 

Chitd,  the  most  daring  of  their  leaders,  usually  frequented  the  jungles  of  Irwis 
and  Limanpdr  due  north  of  Nimir.  In  1817  the  British  troops  attacked  the 
Pindhiris  and  drove  them  out  of  these  haunts.  Chitd  himself,  aft)er  fleeing  to 
Pachmarhi  and  A'sirgarh,  being  again  driven  to  the  haunts  he  knew  so  well, 
was  killed  by  a  tiger  in  the  Siti  Ban  jungle  of  Limanpdr,  a  place  still  well  known 
to  British  sportsmen  as  a  sure  find  for  tigers. 

The  last  Peshwi,  Bij{  Rio,  took  reftige  in  Nimir  after  his  defeat  in  the 
Deccan,  and  surrendered  to  Sir  John  Malcolm  in  a.d.  1818.  A^sfrgarh,  in  which 
A'pi  Sihib,  the  ex-riji  of  Nigpdr,  had  taken  refiige,  was  reduced  byti^e  British 
troops  in  the  same  year,  and  unhappy  Nimir  was  at  last  allowed  to  be  at  rest. 

We  acquired  parganas  Kinipdr  and  Berii  in  1818  as  successors  to  the 
B  tirfi  adminittrati  Peshwi.    A'sfrgarh  and  seventeen  villages  round  it 

"  ^*  were  retained  wter  the  siege,  and  the  rest  of  Nimir 

came  under  our  management  by  treaty  with  Sindii  in  a.d.  1824-25.  We  found 
the  country  nearly  depopulated.  The  tracts  in  the  Narbadi  valley  "  exhibited,'' 
says  Colonel  Smith,  who  took  charge  of  them,  "nothing  but  one  continued  scene  of 
''  desolation  and  ruin  \  all  traces  of  former  cultivation  Imd  ceased  to  be  perceptible, 
**  and  extensive  tracts  were  observed  overgrown  with  jungle ;  and  with  the  excep- 
"  tion  of  Elinipdr,  not  a  dwelling  nor  an  inhabitant  was  to  be  seen  in  any  part  of 
"  the  country.  Southern  Nimir,  if  not  quite  so  bad  as  this,  was  yet  in  a  suffi- 
ciently deplorable  state.  Measures  were  at  once  taken  for  the  resuscitation  of  the 
district,  and  with  the  return  of  peace  many  of  the  cultivators,  who  had  fled  to 

•  Revenue  Papers,  Nimir. 

t  Grant  Duff's  History,  vol.  iii.  p.  244. 


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NIM  381 

quieter  places^  or  joined  the  plundering  bands,  returned  to  their  old  places.  For 
some  years  the  Bhils  were  tronblesomey  but  they  were  at  length  quieted,  chiefly 
by  the  efforts  of  Captain  (afterwards  Sir  James)  Outram. 

At  first  our  revenue  management  was  moderate  and  judicious,  but  soon  the 

pressure  placed  on  the  local  officers  for  increased 
Our  early  revenue  management,     revenue  led  to  the  deplorable  system  of  &rming  the 

revenue  to  speculators  on  short  leases.  The  district 
was  greatly  over-assessed ;  Mardth^  rates  were  retained  after  the  high  prices  of  war 
times  which  enabled  them  to  be  paid  had  ceased.  At  the  same  time  no  roads 
were  made,  no  tanks  nor  wells  were  dug,  nothing  was  done  to  assist  the  enfee- 
bled country.  As  a  later  district  officer  remarked,  "  while  exacting  the  rights 
of  property,  we  forgot  its  duties.''  The  fitrming  system  hopelessly  broke  down 
in  1845,  and  all  the  villages  were  again  taken  under  direct  management.  The 
ancient  hereditary  patels  (village  headmen),  whose  "  watans''  or  rights  of  pro- 
perty were  as  old  as  the  Aryan  settlement  of  the  country,  and  had  been  fostered 
and  defined  by  the  Mohammadans,  were  reinstated  in  their  proper  position  as 
heads  and  managers  of  their  villages.  The  cultivators  were  also  secured  in  the 
possession  of  then*  lands  at  a  moderate  revenue  assessment.  Advances  of  money 
for  the  extension  of  agriculture,  digging  wells,  &c.,  were  freely  made.  Many 
new  tanks  were  constructed,  and  old  ones  repaired.  The  chief  of  these  is  the 
fine  reservoir  of  Lachhord,  near  Mauza  Beri&,  originally  constructed  by  the 
Ghori  kings  of  Mdndd.  Schools  were  everywhere  established,  and  several  dis- 
pensaries bmlt.  Best-houses  for  travellers  were  made  at  every  important  village. 
The  main  road  between  Indore  and  Burhinpdr  was  greatly  improved,  ^hits 
being  made,  and  several  fine  masonry  bridges  thrown  over  the  principal  nvers. 
The  fiscal  and  police  establishments  were  reorganised  on  an  economical,  but 
efficient  scale.  Sir  B.  Temple  writes  after  inspecting  the  district  in  1864 : 
"  I  have  never  yet  seen  any  district  in  which  so  much  has  been  done  by  the 
civil  authorities  alone  for  public  works  as  Nimdr.'' 

The  names  of  Captains  French,  Evans,  and  Keatinge,  to  whom  the  district 
owes  these  benefits,  will  long  be  remembered  as  household  words  by  the  people. 
In  1852  a  settlement  for  twenty  years  of  the  land  revenue  was  commenced  under 
the  instructions  of  the  Lieutenant-Governor  of  the  North-Western  Provinces,  and 
during  the  succeeding  years  was  completed  for  about  half  the  district.  The 
occurrence  of  the  mutiny  of  1857  interrupted  this  work,  and  for  various  reasons 
nothing  more  was  done  until  1866. 

The  district  passed  through  considerable  excitement  and  danger  in  1857, 
Th  M  tin     f  1867  though  no  actual  disturbance  occurred.    A^s(rgarh 

^    ^    y^       '•  and  Burh&npdr  were  garrisoned  by  a  detachment 

of  the  Gwalior  Contingent.  Major  Keatinge,  then  in  charge  of  the  district, 
collected  a  local  force,  and  fortined  the  Elati  Oib&ii  pass  on  me  Southern  Boad, 
and  also  an  old  fort  at  Punish,  where  the  European  fionilies  and  treasure  were 
secured.  The  A^sfrgarh  troops  were,  however,  quietly  disarmed  by  a  detachment 
of  Bombay  infantry.  In  1858  T&tid  Topi£  traversed  the  district  with  a  numerous 
body  of  starving  followers.    Considerable  plundering   occurred,  and  several 

S»lice  stations  and  public  buildings,  particularly*  those  at  Pfplod,  Khandw^,  and 
okalg^n,  were  burnt.    The  people  of  the  district,  however,  showed  no  signs  of 
disafiection  during  the  mutiny. 


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382  Nm 

In  1854  several  parganas  were  transferred  from  Hosliang£b<kd  to  Nim^, 

Kecent  clumge.  in  the  dirtrict.      ^f  .^^,^^^1.  T^^i'^  f^^^  f  ZainiMd  and 
°  Manjrod^  with  the  city  of  Bnrhanpar,  were  obtained 

by  exchange.     At  the  same  time  all  Sindi&'s  parganas  which  we  had  been 

managing  for  him  since  1824  became  British  in  full  sovereignty.*     In  1864 

Nimur  was  attached  to  the  Chief  Commissionership  of  the  Central  Provinces,  and 

became  a  district  of  the  Narbad^  division,  the  head-qnarters  of  which  are  at 

present  at  Betdl,  but  are  shortly  to  be  transferred  to  Hoshangdbdd.     The  civil 

head-quarters  of  the  district  used  to  be  at  Mandleswar,  which,  as  the  district  is 

now  constituted,  is  inconveniently  situated  for  the  greater  part  of  the  population. 

Khandwd,  in  the  heart  of  Nim&:  and  on  the  railway  line,  was  therefore  constituted 

the  new  civil  station.     Subsequently,  in  1867,  three  parganas  in  the  north-west 

comer  of  the  district — ^Kasriwad,  Dharg&on,  and  Barwli — ^were  transferred,  in 

exchange  for  some  territory  in  the  Deccan,  to  the  Mah^jd  Holkar.     Mandleswar 

was  also  included  in  this  transfer. 

Since  Nim&r  has  been  attached  to  the  Central  Provinces  the  settlement  of 
^       ,   .       -  ,    ,    ,  the  land  revenue  has  been  resumed  and  completed. 

seSkSS?*"  """^    ^'^  *^e  °^j°"*y  °f  ^^  ~P°^  having  been 

destroyed  during  the  mutiny,  it  was  found  neces- 
sary to  re-measure  the  whole  of  the  previously-settled  parts  and  prepare  the 
records  afresh.  The  whole  district  is  now  settled  for  twenty  years  from  1867-68. 
All  proprietary  rights  have  been  inquired  into  and  determined.  Every  cultivator 
of  any  standing  has  been  secured  in  the  proprietorship  of  his  holding ;  while  the 
hereditary  patels  have  been  ftdly  restored  to  their  ancient  rights,  by  being  con- 
stituted the  responsible  managers  of  these  small  properties,  with  a  small  percent- 
age on  the  assessment  as  remuneration  for  their  trouble  and  risk  in  collecting 
the  revenue.  They  have  also  been  constituted  sole  proprietors  of  the  wasteland, 
and  of  land  held  by  tenants  settled  on  it  by  themselves,  subject  only  to  the  right 
of  the  proprietary  cultivators  to  add  to  their  holdings  by  taking  up  additional 
unoccupied  waste.  The  land  revenue  payable  under  the  new  settlement  is 
Rs.  1,71,408,  exclusive  of  alienations,  which  are  very  large  in  this  district. 
This  assessment  is  at  the  rate  of  ten  annas  one  pie  (one  shilling  and  three  pence) 
per  acre  of  cultivated  land. 

Q^  In  adddition  to  the  receipts  from  land  the 

er  revenues.  following  revenues  were  collected  in  1868-69  :— 

Excise Rs.  93,116 

Forest  revenue „  9,650 

Stamps „  69,823 

Assessed  taxes „  15,672 

Total Bs.  1,88,261 

or  with  land  revenue,  Rs.  3,59,669  (£35,967).  This  taxation  falls  at  the  rate  of 
one  rupee  and  fourteen  annas  (three  shillings  and  nine  pence)  on  each  unit  of  the 
population.  In  addition  to  this,  close  on  a  l&kh  of  rupees  (£10,000),  or  about  one 
shUling  per  unit  of  the  population,  is  raised  for  local  purposes. 

The  cost  of  the   regular  administration  for  the  year  1867-68  amounted 

Administration  ^  ^'  ^^9,938  (£12,993).    The  district  is  now 

divided  into  three  subdivisions,  each  of  which  is 

*  Aitchison's  Treaties,  vol  iv.  p.  271. 


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NIM  383 

in  charge  of  a  Tahsflddr^  or  sub-collector  of  revenue,  who  is  also  usually  vested 
with  petty  civil  and  criminal  jurisdiction  within  his  subdivision.  The  Deputy 
Commissioner  and  other  civil  oiBcers  reside  at  Ehandwd,  and  there  is  usually 
an  Assistant  Commissioner  at  Burhdnpdr.  The  garrison  of  A^sirgarh  consists  of 
two  companies  of  Europeans  and  a  wing  of  Native  infEuitry.  There  are  no  regular 
artillery  in  the  fort.  The  police  force  consists  of  890  constables  of  all  ranks, 
and  has  police  station-houses  at  Khandwd,  Burhdnpdr,  A's(rgarh,  Dhang&on, 
Piplod,  and  Mundi,  and  twenty-three  outposts  distributed  through  the  district. 
The  larger  towns  are  guarded  by  municipal  police. 

There  is  now  one  government  school,  English  or  Vernacular,  to  every  ten 
villages,  and  there  is  one  scholar  in  every  seventy-nine  resident  souls  of  the 
population — a  result  much  above  the  average  of  other  parts  of  India. 

There  are  three  dispensaries  maintained  partly  by  State  grants,  and  partly 
by  private  subscriptions — one  at  Khandw^,  and  two  at  Burhinpdr.  There  are 
six  district  post-offices,  besides  the  imperial  offices  at  Burhdnpdr  and  Khandwd. 

The  Great  Indian  Peninsula  Railway  traverses  the  district  throughout.     The 
p  .     .  stations  are — L41  Bdgh,  for  Burhinpdr    (distant 

ommumca  lont.  ^^  miles,  with  a  travellers^  bungalow  at  the  sta- 

tion); Chdndni,  for  A'sfrgarh  (distant  eight  miles) ;  Dongargdon,  for  Pandhdnd; 
Khandwd,  the  civil  station;  Jdwar,  a  passing  station;  and  B(r,  for  Mundl.  At 
present  (1869)  the  line  is  opened  only  as  far  as  Bir,  but  it  is  hoped  that  com- 
munication will  be  established  throughout  the  valley  early  in  1870.  The  principal 
road  in  the  district  is  that  between  Khandwd  and  Indore.  It  carries  a  very  large 
traffic  in  opium,  cotton,  &c.,  and  has  recently  been  put  in  thorough  repair ;  there 
are  travellers'  bungalows  and  rest-houses  at  easy  stages.  A  new  road  between 
Khandwd  and  the  Narbadd  by  a  better  line,  in  supersession  of  this  one,  is  under 
consideration.  The  other  district  roads  are  of  little  importance  as  through  trade 
routes.  The  continuation  of  the  old  Deccan  road  by  A'sfrgarh,  Burhfinpdr,  and 
Ichhdpdr,  now  superseded  by  the  railroad,  is  stiU  in  tolerable  repair,  but  the 
staging  bungalows  have  been  closed. 

The  road  towards  Hoshangdbdd  for  Jabalpdr  runs  easterly  up  the  valley 
from  Khandwd.  There  are  no  staging  bungalows  along  this  line,  which  was 
never  metalled  or  thoroughly  bridged,  and  which  is  now  to  a  great  extent  super- 
seded by  the  railway,  in  respect  to  all  but  local  communication.  The  other  roads 
are  fair-weather  tracks  kept  in  decent  repair.  The  principal  are,  a  road  passing 
east  and  west  through  the  northern  part  of  the  district  by  Ghisdr,  Mundf,  and 
Pundsd,  to  Barwdi ;  another  from  Khandwd  running  south  to  the  important  town 
of  Borgdon ;  and  one  from  Burhdnpdr  penetrating  the  Upper  Tapti  valley  as  far  as 
G£ngri  in  Berdr,  much  used  by  Banjdrd  carriers,  and  for  the  export  of  forest 
produce. 

The   population  of  Nimdr  numbers  190,440  souls,  at  the  rate  of  seventy  to 
p      .    .  the  square  mile.     It  is  much  denser,  however,  in 

^*^      '  ^*  the  really  inhabited  parts  of  the  district.     Twenty- 

eight  per  cent  only  of  the  people  are  recorded  as  a^cultural  occupants  of  land, 
though  many  others  are  more  or  less  engaged  in  its  ctdtivation  as  temporary 
labourers,  &c.  The  population  has  increased  by  fifty-two  per  cent  since  1833, 
the  area  under  the  plough  having  also  increased  by  seventeen  per  cent  since 
1852,  before  which  no  data  are  available  for  comparison. 


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384  NIM 

Of  the  whole  population^  34,805  are  aboriginal  Bhils,  Kurktis,  &c.  There 
are  scarcely  any  Gbnds  in  Nim&r.  The  Eurkds  are  the  same  tribe  that  occn^Hes 
the  Qiwalgarh  hills  of  Berfir  and  E[£l(bhit  in  Hoshang&bdd,  and  whose  manners 
and  customs  have  been  ably  described  in  Mr.  Elliott's  Hoshang&b&d  Settlement 
Beport.  The  Bhfls,  as  a  distinct  tribe,  are  found  chiefly  in  the  block  of  hills 
surrounding  the  fortress  of  A'sirgarh.  Many  of  them  were  converted  to  Moham- 
madanism  during  the  rule  of  Aurangzeb  over  the  Deccan,  but  their  adherence 
to  this  faith  is  now  confined  to  the  performance  of  the  most  elementary  rites, 
and  their  worship  is  abnost  entirely — that  of  their  women  especially — ^the  old 
aboriginal  fetichism.  Until  of  late  years  they  were  a  troublesome  set  of  robbers, 
and  are  still  a  dissipated  and  idle  race.  They  are  improving  however,  and  a 
good  many  of  them  have  become  possessed  of  cattle,  and  have  settled  down  to 
regular  ctdtivation.  Nearly  every  village  in  Nimir  has  a  family  of  Bhfls,  who 
are  its  hereditary  watchmen. 

The  Hindd  immigrants  number  118,508  souls,  and  the  Musalm^  18,279. 
Dhers,  M&ngs,  and  other  outcaste  tribes  amount  to  1 8,446,  and  there  are  402  Euro- 
peans, Eurasians,  and  members  of  other  foreign  races.  The  best  cultivators  are 
the  Kunbfs,  Gujars,  Mfl(s,  and  B&jputs.  Brdhmans  are  numerous  (6,983),  but  do 
not  engage  much  in  agriculture.  They  are  chiefly  from  the  Deccan,  and  fiU  nearly 
all  the  public  offices.  The  common  language  of  Nim&-  is  a  dialect  composed  of 
Hindi  and  MardtU,  with  a  good  many  Persian  words.  It  is  written  in  a  peculiar 
current  Devandgari  character. 

The  soil  of  Nim^r  is  chiefly  formed  from  the  decomposition  of  the  underlying 
g^,  Irop-rock.    The  process  may  still  be  seen  going 

on  wherever  railway  cuttings,  &c.,  have  laid  bare 
the  previously  unexposed  rock.  Partially  decomposed  trap  is  called  muram, 
and  is  used  for  metaUing  roads,  but  in  a  short  time  it  becomes  wholly  decom- 
posed, and  is  then  painfully  recognised  by  travellers  as  their  old  enemy — ^the 
black  cotton  soil.  In  the  course  of  ages  this  soil  has  got  washed  down  by  the 
floods  to  the  lowest  levels  along  the  banks  of  the  numerous  streams,  which  inter- 
sect the  country  in  every  direction,  and  has  been  enriched  by  constant  admixture 
of  vegetable  mould.  Thus  we  find  the  quality  of  the  soil  gradually  deteriorating 
as  we  leave  the  river-banks  and  reach  higher  ground,  till  on  the  ridges  we  meet 
with  the  bare  trap  which  underlies  all. 

Though  of  course  varying  by  infinitely  gradual  shades  of  quality,  for  con- 
venience sake  the  soil  of  Nim&r  has  been  roughly  divided  by  the  people  (a  divi- 
sion also  adopted  in  revenue  classification)  into  four  classes  : — 

1.  6att£ — the  rich  black  mould  along  rivers,  which  will  yield  two  crops 
each  year  without  irrigation. 

2.  Qohflf — a  black  soil  found  a  little  higher  up,  which  will  yield  a  rabi 
crop  (wheat,  &c.)  without  irrigation. 

3.  Mffl — a  brown  soil,  stifier  and  less  deep  than  the  preceding,  which  will 
not  in  ordinary  seasons  carry  a  rabl  crop  unirrigated,  but  yields  the  best  kharff 
(rain)  crops.  When  this  soil  is  underlaid  by  a  substratum  of  muram  to  carry 
off  the  excess  of  moisture,  it  forms  an  admirable  soil  for  the  production  of  cotton, 
and  it  is  the  prevailing  soil  throughout  Nimdr. 

4.  Khardi — the  highest  and  lightest  of  all,  either  light  brown  or  red,  oflen 
strewn  with  trap  boulders,  and  mixed  with  kankar  (nodular  limestone)  and  gn^vel, 
yields  only  rain  crops,  and  is  apt  to  &il  when  the  rains  are  light. 


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The  first  class  produces  rice^  s^wd^  and  bMdli  (inferior  species  of  rice)  as  a 
rain  crop ;  and  wheat,  gram,  masiir,  &c.  in  the  rabl  harvest.  The  second  yields 
wheat,  gram,  and  all  cold-weather  crops,  also  jaw^i  and  cotton  in  rotation. 
The  third  is  principally  sown  with  jawfo-i,  the  staple  article  of  food  in  the  district, 
also  cotton,  tdr,  and  oil-seeds  as  a  rotation,  and  wheat,  &c.  with  irrigation. 
The  fourth  yields  the  poorer  sorts  ofjaw&l  and  inferior  cotton,  also  bijrfi, 
kutkf,  til,  &c.  There  is  very  little  land  of  the  first  two  classes,  and  consequently 
the  autumn  or  monsoon  harvest  is  much  the  most  important  one  in  Nim^. 
All  these  soils  are  manured,  but  chiefly  the  better  classes,  the  poorer  being 
treated  to  a  periodical  fallow  instead.  Little  manure  is  wasted  in  Nimfir. 
Irrigation  is  also  a  good  deal  practised  both  from  wells,  for  which  the  close- 
ness of  the  water-bearing  strata  to  the  surface  in  many  places  is  favourable, 
and  from  dams  across  the  smaller  streams,  on  the  system  which  appears  to  have 
been  carried  on  by  the  Pathdn  and  Moghal  conquerors  of  India,  wherever  they 
obtained  power.  The  irrigated  crops  are  opium,  tobacco,  gfinji  {ccmmibts 
sativa),  wheat,  gram,  sugarcane,  chillies,  and  garden  stuffs.  Some  tolerably 
good  grasses  are  grown  about  A'slrgarh.  Altogether  the  Nimfo  cultivator  is 
both  skilful  and  industrious,  understanding  well  the  value  of  manure,  irrigation, 
and  the  rotation  of  crops,  and  thus  he  is  enabled,  notwithstanding  a  much 
inferior  soil,  both  to  raise  heavier  crops,  and  to  pay  a  higher  land  revenue,  without 
difiSculty,  than  his  neighbours  who  occupy  the  more  fertile  parts  higher  up 
the  Narbadi  valley.  There  is  a  large  number  of  very  fine  mango  and  mhowa 
trees  all  over  Nim^r,  the  produce  of  which  adds  not  a  little  to  the  wealth  of  the 
landholding  classes.  ' 

The  great  peculiarity  of  the  agriculture  of  Nim&*  is  the  preponderance  of 
...      ,  the  monsoon   (autumn)    harvest  over  the  spring 

Agricultural  system.  harvest.     The  quantity  of  land  fitted  to  grow  spring 

crops  of  wheat,  gram,  &c.  without  irrigation  is  very  limited,  and  irrigation  has 
not  as  yet  extended  sufficiently  to  allow  the  bulk  of  the  cultivators  to  raise  a 
spring  crop  by  it.  Thus  for  a  considerable  part  of  the  year  many  of  the  culti- 
vators are  idle,  or  employ  themselves  and  their  farm-cattle  in  the  carrying-trade.  A 
heavy  plough  called  "  n&gar  "  is  used  in  breaking  up  waste  land,  but  thereafter  the 
plough  is  seldom  used,  unless  the  field  gets  overrun  with  the  leans  grass,  when  it 
receives  a  ploughing  and  fallow.  The  land  is  usually  prepared  for  sowing  by  the 
bakliar  instead.  This  is  a  sort  of  large  bullock-hoe,  which  pares  the  smrface  of 
the  land  for  four  or  five  inches,  which  is  considered  sufficient  depth  of  working 
for  the  rain-crops.  Sowing  is  performed  with  a  drill-plough  of  two  or  three 
barrels  {dosan  or  tifan),  and  the  seed  is  afterwards  fielded  up  by  the  hahhar. 
Grarden  crops  are  sown  by  hand ;  weeding  is  done  with  a  smaller  bullock-hoe  called 
"  kolpd"  or  by  hand.  The  staple  crops  are  cut  and  harvested  in  November  and 
December,  and  by  the  end  of  January  the  cultivator  is  again  idle  until  towards 
the  end  of  May. 

A  fine  breed  of  cattle  is  produced  in  Nim^*,  especially  in  the  western  parts  of 
Ti      ^  ^  the  old  Print.     The  cattle  bred  there  are  called 

Domestic  ammals.  ,,  ^^^j^  mahalas/'  and  sometimes  seU  for  Ks.  800 

and  Es.  400  a  pair.  Those  now  produced  in  the  modem  district  are  not  so 
large  and  showy,  and  fetch  much  lower  prices,  Es.  60  to  Es.  150  being  a  fair 
price  for  a  pair  of  plough-oxen.  Pew  are  now  exported,  the  production  being 
barely  sufficient  for  the  local  demand  in  extending  cultivation,  &c. 

Nimfir  produces  annually  about  280,000  quarters  of  food-grain,  which  is 
«,  some  2,000,000  quarters  short  of  the  requirements 

*•  of  its  population.    The  deficit  is  supplied  chiefly 

49  CPG 


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386  NIM 

by  importation  of  wheat  from  Hoshangdb^d.  Nor  does  tlie  soil  yield  any  other 
article  which  is  not  locally  consumed,  excepting  a  little  cotton  and  a  small 
amount  of  forest  produce.  The  district  imports  altogether  about  twenty  Ukhs 
of  rupees  (£200,000)  worth  of  goods.  Its  exports  are  ahnost  entirely  composed 
of  the  fine  gold-embroidered  cloth-fabrics  made  at  Burh&nptir.  This  industry 
has  been  described  in  the  article  on  Burhdnptir.  There  is  a  rerj  large  ihrougli 
traffic  in  Nimir,  some  60,000  tons  being  carried  every  year.  Tlie  Railway  and 
other  public  works  also  require  much  labour  and  carriage.  This  gives  employ- 
ment to  a  large  number  of  persons  and  cattle,  so  that  labour  and  carriage  of  every 
description  are  extremely  dear.  So  much  of  the  food-supply  having  to  be  im- 
ported, the  price  of  grain  is  also  much  higher  than  in  other  districts  of  the  Central 
Provinces ;  wheat  selling  for  eleven  or  twelve  seers  per  rupee,  while  the  rate  is 
nineteen  or  twenty  seers  in  Hoshangfibid.  This  inequality  will  be  to  some  extent 
removed  when  the  Eailway  penetrates  the  Upper  Narbad^  valley.  The  ordinary 
h&z&r  grain-measure  is  the  "chaukf,^'  which  holds  four  seers  of  eighty  tolds 
(or  two  lbs.)  each.  Sixteen  chaukis  make  a  maund,  and  twelve  maunds  a  mani. 
Weekly  bizdrs  are  held  in  twenty-four  of  the  principal  towns,  and  three  large 
annual  fairs  combined  with  religious  gathering  are  held,  viz.  at  Omk&r  M&idhit£ 
in  October,  Singiji  in  September,  besides  several  other  minor  annual  fiurs.  At 
these  fairs  English  piece  and  other  goods,  country  cloth  and  copper  vessels,  and 
cattle  form  the  chief  articles  of  traffic. 

Of  the  extensive  forest  lands  in  this  district  the  only  tract  reserved  by  Gro- 
p  ^^  vemment  is  the  Pun^  forest,  which  stretches 

over  am  area  of  about  one  hundred  and  twenty 
square  miles,  lying  in  a  strip  along  the  southern  bank  of  the  Narbad^,  and  con- 
taining a  very  fine  growth  of  teak  saplings.  The  south-eastern  comer  of  the 
district  in  the  Tapti  valley  is  also  covered  with  a  promising  young  forest  of  teak 
and  other  valuable  timber  trees.  It  is  a  continuation  of  the  !^Q[(bhft  forest  in 
Hoshang&b^d,  and  exhibits  much  the  same  character :  its  area  may  be  four 
hundred  square  miles.  Pargana  Ch^dgarh,  north  of  the  Narbad^,  also  contains 
a  promising  growth  of  young  teak  and  some  fine  timber  of  other  kinds.  Besides 
these  forest  tracts  proper,  there  is  much  land  overspread  by  low  jungle ;  there 
are  also  extensive  waste  tracts,  culturable  and  unculturable. 

The  principal  timber  trees  are  the  teak  {tectona  grandis),  s&j  {termincdia 
Uymentosa),  and  the  anjan  {hardwichia  binata).  The  latter  is  the  most  abundant 
timber  tree  now  in  the  district. 

Teak  of  very  large  girth  does  not  exist,  but  sij  and  anjan  of  great  size  may 
be  found  in  the  forest  along  the  Narbad^.  The  Nim^r  forests  yield  all  the  usual 
produce  in  gums,  lac,  bark,  and  the  like ;  but  their  chief  product  is  the  gum  of 
the  dh&vr&  tree  {conoearpiis  lat\f olid),  which  is  exported  to  be  converted  into  the 
gum  arabic  of  trade.  It  is  a  very  pure  and  excellent  gum,  and  there  are  large 
forests  of  this  tree  north  of  the  Narbad^.  The  trade  has  as  yet  been  but  little 
developed.  Bees*  wax  is  also  very  plentifiil  in  the  same  tract,  many  of  the 
precipitous  hill-sides  in  the  Chindgarh  pargana  being  perfectly  covered  with 
bees'  nests,  the  honey  of  which  is  of  excellent  quality ;  but  neither  honey  nor  wax 
are  exported  to  any  extent. 

The  waste  lands  available  for  sale  or  lease  amount  to  some  418,000  acres. 
Culturabl  wastei.  They  are  now  in  course  of  being  surveyed  in  con- 

venient blocks,  and  plans  and  descriptions  of  them 
will  shortly  be  available.  They,  however,  oflfer  small  attractions  at  present  to  the 
European  settler,  being  mostly  remotely  situated,  and  having  an  extremely 


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NIM  387 

unliealthy  climate*  They  comprise  the  naturallyricheBt  landsin  the  district^  much 
of  them  consisting  of  the  finest  black  soil,  capable  of  growing  anything.  In  many 
places,  too,  works  of  irriffation  might  be  easily  constructed.  The  upset  price  of 
these  waste  lands,  tree  of  all  revenue  demaifd,  is  at  present  Rs.  2-8  (five  shillings) 
per  acre.  They  may  also  be  leased,  subject  to  the  payment  of  land  tax,  on  very 
fi&vourable  terms. 

The  climate  of  the  open  parts  of  Nimdr  is  on  the  whole  good,  though  the 
Climate  '^^  ^  ^®^  fierce  in  the  Narbadd  and  Tapti  valleys 

during  April  and  May.  Central  Nimdr  does  not 
suffer  excessive  heat  in  summer,  while  during  the  monsoon  months  the  air  is 
cool  and  clear,  even  during  the  lulls  which  are  usually  so  unpleasant  in  other 
districts  of  such  small  elevation  above  the  sea.  The  average  rainfall  is  thirty-five 
inches,  of  which  twenty-eight  fell  between  June  and  October.  Fevers  a^e  rather 
prevalent  about  the  close  of  the  monsoon  in  the  lower  parts  of  the  district,  and 
epidemic  cholera  used  to  be  an  almost  annual  scourge  of  the  district.  But  since 
the  stoppage  in  1864  of  the  great  religious  gatherings  of  pilgrims  in  the  Upper 
Narbadi  valley  during  the  hot  season,  cholera  has  only  once  visited  the  district. 
The  jungle  parts  of  Nimir  are  extremely  malarious  fi'om  July  to  December,  and 
are  consequently  inhabited  only  by  aboriginal  tribes. 

Nimfo  offers  great  attractions  to  the  sportsman.     Tigers  are  numerous,  and 

.  are  easily  got  at  along  most  of  the  rivers  in  the  hot 

Ni^d?  ""™*^  "^^    ^^^    "^    seaflon.     Cattle  and  game  being  easily  procurable 

by  them,  the  Nimfe-  tigers  seldom  become  regular 
man-eaters.  Bears,  panthers,  and  wolves  are  also  numerous  in  many  parts. 
The  Upper  Taptl  valley  is  a  favourite  haunt  of  the  bison  [bos  frontalis).  S&nbar 
and»  spotted-deer  are  very  numerous  in  some  parts,  and  nilgii  and  wild  hogs 
are  plentiful  throughout  the  district.  There  are  very  few  antelope,  as  little  of 
the  district  consists  of  the  open  plains  which  they  fi^uent.  Of  small  game,  the 
painted  partridge,  quail,  hares,  and  pea-fowl  are  the  chief.  Jungle-fowl  are 
found  in  the  Taptf  valley.  Sheets  of  water  being  rare,  wild-fowl  and  snipe  are 
unusually  scarce.  The  larger  rivers  yield  excellent  fish.  Several  parties  of 
sportsmen  have  lately  run  up  ifrom  Bombay  to  enjoy  a  month's  shooting  in  Nimir, 
and  there  are  few  places  in  India  at  once  so  accessible,  and  affordmg  so  pro- 
mising a  field  for  such  excursions.  A  party  has  only  to  bring  tents  and  horses 
to  the  Lfl  Bdgh  railway  station,  where  plenty  of  cart-carriage  is  always  available 
for  hire,  and  march  fifteen  or  twenty  miles  up  the  Mohnd  valley,  south-east  of 
Burh&ipdr,  to  be  in  the  centre  of  a  very  sportsman's  paradise.  It  is,  however, 
no  use  to  attempt  it  earlier  than  March,  when  the  jxmgle  grass  gets  burnt. 

The  Bengal  Revenue  Survey  is  now  surveying  the  district,  and  a  map  of  the 
M        f  th   district  northern  section  will  be  ready  ahnost  immediately. 

*^        ^  The   complete  map  of  the  district  may  be  looked 

for  about  the  close  of  1870.  In  the  meantime  there  are  good  MS.  maps  in  the 
district  offices ;  and  the  Indian  atlas  sheets  No.  8  (R^putdnfi),  and  No.  54 
(Grdwalgarh),  give  a  tolerably  correct  idea  of  the  district.  The  map  published  of 
the  Central  Provinces  is  very  incorrect  as  regards  this  district,  but  a  new  edition 
is  shortly  expected.  Major  Keatinge's  lito^raphed  map  of  Nimdr  is  on  the 
whole  the  best  of  those  published  as  yet,  but  is  cdfficult  to  procure. 

The  places  of  main  interest  in  the    district  are   Burhinptir,  A'sirgarh, 

£handw£,  B^ver,  and  Omk&*  M&adih&t&y  and  on 
Principtl  placet  of  interest.         these  separate  articles  will  be  found,  also  one  on 

the  Tapti  river. 


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388  NUG— PAL 

NUGU^R — The  principal  village  of  the  estate  of  the  same  name,  in  the  Upper 
Gbd^vari  district.  The  agent  of  the  chief  resides  here.  The  district  post  Une 
passes  through  the  place,  and  ther^  is  a  small  bungalow  for  travellers.  The 
water-supply  is  from  a  tank  close  to  the  village. 

NUHTA' — ^A  village  in  the  Damoh  district,  on  the  main  road  to  Jabalptir, 
near  the  confluence  of  the  Gurayy^  and  the  Bairm^  rivers.  The  ruins  of  some 
Jain  temples  in  the  neighbourhood  are  well  worth  seeing.  A  branch  dispensary 
and  a  pouce  station  are  located  here,  and  there  is  an  encamping-ground  for  troops 
outside  the  village. 

0 

OMKAH  MA'NDHATA'— See  ^^  MduOhdtl^^ 


PACHMARHI' — ^A  chiefship  in  the  Hoshaufffibdd  district,  consisting  of 
twenty-four  villages,  in  the  very  heart  of  the  Mahldeo  hill-group.  It  contains 
much  beautiful  bSI  timber,  and  the  chief  has  arranged  for  its  being  preserved  by 
the  Government  Forest  department.  The  zaminddr,  who  is  a  Kurku  by  caste,  is 
the  principal  of  the  Bhopds,  or  hereditary  guardians  of  the  temple  on  the  Mah&deo 
hills,  and  receives  Rs.  750  per  annum  in  lieu  of  pilgrim  tax,  against  which  is 
debited  a  quit-rent  of  Bs.  25  per  annum  on  his  estate. 

PACHMARHr — ^A  plateau  in  the  Hoshangibdd  district,  round  which  the 
Chaur&deo  JatdPah^ and Dhtipearh  hills  stand  sentinel;  it  is  about  3,500  feet 
high,  or  2,500  feet  above  the  plain  in  which  Sohigpdr  lies ;  and  its  avei^pge 
temperature  is  probably  from  seven  to  ten  degrees  lower  than  that  of  the  valley. 
It  is  not  free  from  fever,  and  in  the  rains  the  violence  of  the  downfall  and  the 
growth  of  the  jungle  would  bo  disadvantages ;  but  when  the  roads  of  approach  to 
it  are  finished,  and  houses  built,  the  residents  of  the  valley  will  be  able  to  escape 
from  heat  and  glare  to  one  of  the  greenest,  softest,  and  most  lovely  of  sanitaria 
that  eirist  in  India.     There  are  some  interesting  ancient  temples  at  Pachmarhf. 

PADMAPTjnA—Vide  Chandraptir  article. 

PAGAHA' — ^A  zamlnd^*!  or  chiefship,  situated  in  the  Mahddeo  hills,  in  the 
Hoshang^b&d  district.  It  originallv  comprised  only  ten  villages.  In  a.d.  1820 
four  villages  from  an  estate  in  Pratapgarh  were  added,  making  a  total  of  fourteen 
villages.  The  chief  is  one  of  the  Bhopds,  or  hereditary  guardians  of  the  places  of 
pilgrimage  on  the  Mahddeo  hills. 

PAHAH  SIRGIRA'— An  old  Gond  chiefship,  now  attached  to  the  Sam- 
balptir  district.  Tradition  says  that  the  family  originally  came  from  Mandla  some 
seven  hundred  years  ago,  and  settled  at  Pitkolandd  near  Bhedan  ;  in  &ct  the 
chiefs  of  Pah&*  Sirgiri,  Bhedan,  and  Pttkolandd  are  sprung  from  the  same  stock. 
The  estate  is  situated  some  fifteen  miles  due  west  of  the  town  of  Sambalpdr, 
and  consists  of  six  villages,  with  an  area  of  some  forty  miles,  about  three-fifths  of 
which  are  cultivated.  The  population  is  put  down  at  1,056  souls,  chiefly  belong- 
ing to  agricultural  tribes,  viz.  Koltis,  Gonds,  and  Sfonrfa.  Rice  is  the  staple 
product,  and  great  quantities  of  sugarcane  are  also  grown.  The  principal  village 
is  Pah£r  Sirgtri,  which  has  a  population  of  626  souls.  There  is  a  good  school 
where  ninety-three  pupils  are  receiving  instruction. 

PALASGA'ON — ^An  extremely  wild  estate  in  the  Bhand&u  district,  consist- 
ing of  fourteen  villages,  situated  in  the  hilly  tracts  seven  miles  east  of  the 


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PAL— PAN  389 

extensive  Nawegiou  lake.  It  has  an  area  of  134  square  miles,  of  which  less 
than  two  square  miles  are  under  cultivation.  The  population  amounts  to  794 
souls  only.  The  present  chief  is  a  Halbd  ty  caste,  and  the  majority  of  the  resi- 
dents belong  to  the  same  class.  The  forests  on  the  estate  yield  some  valuable 
timber  of  the  reserved  kinds,  and  are  said  to  contain  herds  of  wild  buffalo  and 
bison. 

PALASGA'ON — ^A  village  in  the  Chanda  district,  on  the  Andhfri  river, 
twelve  miles  south-east  of  Chimiir,  and  possessing  a  very  fine  irrigation- 
reservoir. 

PALASGARH — ^A  hilly  estate  (zamindarJ)  in  the  Chand^  district,  situated 
twenty  miles  north-north-east  of  Wair^garh,  and  containing  fifty-one  villages. 
It  has  the  remains  of  a  hill-fort,  which,  after  the  conquest  of  Ch&idi,  was 
attacked  and  occupied  by  the  Marithfo.  The  chiefship  was  formerly  held  by  a 
Gond  prince  of  the  Wairigarh  family,  and  now  belongs  to  a  Rij-Gond  of  the 
Saigam  section. 

PALKHERA' — A  small  zamlnd&'i  or  chiefship  in  the  Bhandira  district, 
situated  near  the  north-east  boundary  of  the  Sdngarhi  pargana,  about  three  miles 
firom  the  source  of  the  Pangoli,  and  traversed  by  the  main  road  fi*om  Kdmth4  to 
S^koli.  A  good  deal  of  sugarcane  is  grown  on  the  estate,  and  there  are  some 
patches  of  sdl  and  bijesdl  in  the  forests.  The  area  amounts  to  fifty  square  miles, 
of  which  about  one-fourth  is  under  cultivation.  There  are  altogether  twelve 
villages,  the  principal  being  Palkher^  and  Gir^f.  Until  1856  the  estate  was  a 
dependency  of  K&nthi.  The  chief  and  most  of  the  inhabitants  belong  to  the 
Kunbi  caste. 

.  PATMLGARH — An  insignificant  village  in  the  Bildspdr  district,  on  the  road 
to  Seorlnariin,  twenty  miles  east  of  Biluspdr.  In  the  early  history  of  Ratanpdr 
the  fort  of  Pdmgarh  occupies  a  prominent  position  as  a  formidable  stronghold. 
The  remains  of  a  high  earthwork,  covering  a  large  area,  and  enclosing  a  tank, 
still  exist  in  a  partially  complete  condition. 

PA^NA^ATRAS — A  zaminddri  in  the  Chdndd  district,  situated  eighty  miles 
east-north-east  of  WairSgarh.  It  has  now  very  little  cultivated  land,  but  it  is 
stated  that  at  one  time  360  villages  dotted  its  valleys  and  hill-sides.  The  whole 
country  is  mountainous,  and  is  covered  with  forests,  in  which  are  thousands  of 
noble  teak  trees.  Prom  these  forests  was  supplied  the  teak  used  in  the  con- 
struction of  the  Nigpiir  palace,  the  Kdmthl  barracks,  and  the  Residency  at 
Sftdbaldi;  but  of  late  years  the  timber  has  been  much  thinned  by  timber  con- 
tractors. Wild  arrowroot  (tfkhiSr)  grows  abundantly  in  the  valleys,  and  large 
quantities  of  wax  and  honey  are  obtained  in  the  hills.  The  climate  is  moist  and 
cool,  even  in  the  summer  months,  so  much  so  that  natives  of  P^dbdras  feel  the 
heat  oppressive  when  at  Chdndd.  Included  in  Pdndbdras  is  a  dependent  zamin- 
ddrf  called  A'undhl.  The  chief  of  Pdndbdras  is  the  first  in  position  of  the  Waird- 
garh  zaminddrs. 

PA'NA'BATR.AS — ^A  forest  in  the  chiefship  of  the  same  name  in  the  south- 
eastern parts  of  the  Chdndd  district,  containing  a  large  quantity  of  fine  teak 
timber.  In  the  words  of  the  Conservator,  who  explored  the  country  in  the  season 
of  1866,  '^  there  is  more  teak  collpcted  here  within  a  few  square  miles  than  during 
six  years*  exploration  I  have  seen  in  all  the  rest  of  the  Central  Provinces 
together."  The  entire  zaminddri  estate  is  described  as  lying  in  the  centre  of  the 
dense  belt  of  jungle  which  skirts  the  left  bank  of  the  Waingangd  river  from  its 
source  in  the  Sdtpurd  range  to  its  junction  with  the  War&d,  where  the  joint 


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390  PAN 

stream  is  known  as  the  Prauhit^.  This  whole  area  is  covered  with  scrub  jungle, 
consisting  principally  of  d(n,  dhdurd^  kawi,  kumbhi,  and  other  timber  trees 
common  to  the  Province ;  but  the  teak  is  confined  to  the  block  of  hiUs  in  the 
sonth-east  comer  and  along  the  streams  below  them,  and  covers  an  area  of 
about  twenty-five  square  miles,  the  boundary  of  which  has  been  cleared  and 
demarcated  by  the  Forest  department.  No  complete  enumeration  of  the  trees  fit 
for  felling  has  yet  taken  place,  but  the  measurement,  carried  out  on  a  few  acres, 
gives  on  an  average  for  each  acre  fifteen  logs  of  from  four  to  eight  feet  in  girth,  and 
about  thirty  feet  in  length,  many  of  the  trees  being  forty  feet  up  to  the  first 
branch.  In  places  single  trees  measured  twelve  feet  in  girth  by  fifty  feet  in 
length,  13'  8*  X  45',  12'  5'  x  35',  W  3"  x  40',  11'  X  60',  and  so  on,  some  of 
them  containing  from  150  to  200  cubic  feet  of  timber.  The  system  of  ddhya 
cidtivation  seems  to  be  unknown  in  this  wild  region.  The  inhabitants  are  Gronds. 
A  temporary  agreement  has  been  entered  into  with  the  chief  for  working  the 
forest  on  behalf  of  Government,  but  beyond  collecting  a  number  of  logs  lying 
in  the  forest  and  cut  in  former  years,  little  has  been  done  in  the  shape  of  felling 
operations. 

PA'NA'GAR — ^A  growing  town  in  the  Jabalpdr  district,  distant  nine  miles 
and  a  quarter  from  Jabalpdr  on  the  Northern  Road,  and  containing  1,303  houses, 
with  a  population  of  4,063  people.  The  majority  of  the  inhabitants  are  agri- 
culturists. In  the  neighbourhood  are  several  iron  mines;  and  iron  is  the 
principal  article  of  trade. 

PANCHAMNAGAR — A  village  in  the  Damoh  district,  situated  on  rising 
ground  on  the  bank  of  the  river  Bids,  twenty-four  miles  north-west  of  Damoh. 
From  the  number  of  ruined  houses  and  atone  enclosures  around  and  about  the 
place  it  would  appear  to  have  been  once  much  larger  than  it  is  now.  The  popu- 
lation amounts  to  2,024  souls  according  to  the  census  of  1866,  and  the  village  is 
principally  known  as  the  seat  of  paper  manufactures.  The  paper  produced  here 
has  a  considerable  reputation,  and  sells  for  from  three  to  eight  rupees  per  "  gaddi" 
of  ten  quires.     There  are  here  a  police  station-house  and  a  village  school. 

PA'NDA'  TARA'r— A  village  in  the  Bil&pdr  district,  about  fifW  miles  west 
of  fiil&spdr,  near  the  foot  of  the  Maikal  range,  which  separates  the  Mandla  high- 
lands from  the  Ghhattisgarh  plateau.  It  is  said  to  be  a  very  ancient  town,  and 
heaps  of  buried  debris  are  often  come  upon  in  making  excavations  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood. It  has  now  a  considerable  trade,  being  visited  annually  by  carriers 
from  Jabalpdr,  who  come  for  the  grain  of  the  country.  The  population  amounts 
to  about  5,000  souls,  and  includes  several  traders,  shopkeepers,  goldsmiths,  and 
weavers.  The  weekly  market  held  here  is  the  largest  in  the  Pandarid  chiefship. 
The  houses  are  mostly  of  the  meanest  description. 

PANDALPXJ'R — ^A  village  near  Rehli  in  the  Sdgar  district.  A  well-known 
fair  is  held  here  in  November  and  December,  chiefly  for  religious  purposes ;  and 
there  is  a  temple  in  the  village  dedicated  to  Pandharfndth. 

PANDARIA' — ^A  chiefship  in  the  Bilfcpdr  district.  This  may  be  called  a 
sister  estate  to  Kawardi,  which  it  adjoins.  They  possess  physical  features  of  a 
similar  character,  one-half  of  either  chiefship  being  covered  with  hills,  while  the 
other  half  is  level  plain,  studded  with  villages,  and  extensively  cultivated.  A 
great  portion  of  the  level  area  consists  of  first-class  black  soil,  and,  owing  to  the 
gently  undulating  character  of  the  surface,  is  largely  devoted  to  cotton.  Wheai, 
gram,  and  other  rabi  crops  are  also  extensively  grown,  and  there  is  a  considei> 
able  acreage  under  sugarcane.  The  estate  consists  of  292  villages,  and  covers  an 
area  of  486  square  miles* 


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PAN— PAT  391 

It  is  one  of  the  oldest  of  the  Ghhattisgarh  chiefships^  and  is  said  to  have  been 
conferred  on  an  ancestor  of  the  present  holder,  a  Rij-uond,  some  three  hundred 
years  ago  by  the  6ond  B&j^  of  Garh^  Mandla. 

PANDHA'NA' — ^A  market-town  and  trading  mart  in  the  district  of  Nimdr, 
ten.  miles  south-west  of  Khandwi,  with  a  population  of  2,500  souls.  A  weekly 
market  is  held  here  on  Tuesdays,  and  the  place  is  a  great  centre  of  trade  in  grain^ 
forest  produce,  and  cloth. 

PA'NDHURNA' — ^A  municipal  town  in  the  Chhindwfird  district,  situated 
about  fifty-eight  miles  south-west  of  Chhindw^,  on  the  main  road  from  BettQ 
to  Nfigpdr.  The  villages  of  Bamni  and  Sdwargion  adjoin  Pdndhumd,  and  the 
three  united  form  one  town,  with  a  population  of  5,084  souls,  mostly  engaged 
in  agriculture.  The  soil  in  the  neighbourhood  is  rich,  and  produces  a  good  deal 
of  cotton.  There  are  here  a  police  station-house,  a  travellers'  bungalow,  a  sar&f, 
and  a  government  school. 

PABASGA'ON — ^A  small  estate,  consisting  of  two  villages,  situated  nine 
miles  south-east  of  Sikolf  in  the  Bhanddra  district.  The  area  is  1,834  acres,  of 
which  730  only  are  cultivated.  The  inhabitants  number  403  souls.  The  chief 
is  a  R&jput,  but  the  estate  is  under  mortgage,  and  he  lives  on  an  allowance  from 
his  creditor.  The  holding  only  differs  in  name  from  an  ordinary  m&lgnziri 
tenure. 

PARASWA'RA'— The  chief  town  in  the  highland  portion  of  the  BdWghdt 
district.  It  is  situated  in  the  centre  of  a  well-cultivated  plain,  the  boundaries  of 
which  are  yearly  extending  with  the  rapid  increase  of  population.  A  ndib 
tahsflddr  and  police  station-house  are  located  here. 

PARLAKOT — ^A  chiefship  in  the  extreme  north-westportionof  Bastar,  with 
an  area  of  five  hundred  square  miles,  and  fifty  villages. 

PARNASA'LA^ — A  village  on  the  GoddvarJ,  about  six  miles  from  Dumagudem, 
in  the  Upper  Godfivari  district.  There  is  a  temple  here,  which  is  connected  with 
those  at  Bhadrdchallam,  and  is  supported  from  the  same  grant.  But  this  place  is 
chiefly  noted  as  being  the  point  at  which  most  of  the  timber  felled  in  the  forests 
of  Bastar  is  collected  before  being  finally  bought  up  and  exported  to  the  Coast. 
Tiitber  merchants  from  Rdjdmandri,  Ellore,  and  Masulipatam  collect  here,  and 
make  their  purchases  from  the  local  agents  or  traders.  The  population  of  four 
hundred  souls  consists  chiefly  of  Telingas. 

PARPORr — ^A  chiefship  attached  to  the  Rilptlr  district,  the  greater  part 
of  which  lies  to  the  west  of  the  Dhamdd  pargana.  Its  area  is  rich  and  well  culti- 
vated, and  comprises  thirty  five-villages.     The  chief  is  by  caste  a  Gond. 

PAHSEONr — A  town  in  the  Ndgpdr  district,  situated  in  the  Boih  of  the 
Kanhdn  and  the  Pench,  about  eighteen  miles  from  Ndgpilr.  The  population 
amounts  to  about  4,000  souls.  A  weekly  market  is  held  here,  which  supplies 
the  whole  of  the  wild  hill-tracts  of  Bheogarh.  There  are  two  verj*^  fine  temples 
in  the  town.  The  only  manufactures  are  coarse  cloth  and  some  tolerable  pottery. 
Via  (betel-leaf)  is  a  good  deal  cultivated  in  the  neighbourhood. 

PATAN — A  town  in  the  Jabalptir  district,  situated  twenty-one  miles  to  the 
north-west  of  Jabalptir.  It  consists  of  669  houses,  and  has  a  population  of 
2,513  souls.  The  only  trade  is  in  grain.  There  are  a  government  school  and  a 
police  post  here. 


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392  PAT 

PA'TANSA'ONGr— A  town  in  the  Ndgpur  district,  situated  on  the  left 
bank  of  the  K0I&*  near  its  junction  with  the  Chandrabhdgd,  fourteen  miles  from 
Ndgpdr.  The  plain  around  is  very  fertile,  and  considerably  elevated  above  the 
bed  of  the  river.  The  population  numbers  nearly  5,000  souls.  Cotton  stuffs 
are  manufactured  here,  and  exported  to  a  considerable  extent.  Tobacco  is  also 
much  cultivated  and  exported.  The  chief  improvements  of  late  in  the  town  have 
been  the  building  of  a  good  market-place  and  a  sar^f,  and  the  construction  of 
metalled  roads  and  streets.  ITie  place  is  of  considerable  antiquity.  Traditions 
in  the  '^  Swasthinik'**  (Gond  rdjds')  family  tell  how  in  a.d.  1742,  in  the  struggle 
between  Wall  Shdh  and  the  legitimate  princes,  12,000  men  were  massacred  by 
the  victorious  party  in  and  around  the  now-ruined  fort.  It  continued  to  be  the 
station  of  a  troop  of  horse  up  to  the  decease  of  the  late  rijd.  Until  lately  it 
was  the  head-quarters  of  a  tahsil. 

PATERA' — A  village  in  the  Damoh  district,  situated  eighteen  miles  north- 
east of  Damoh,  and  containing  a  population  of  2,120  souls.  The  local  industries 
are  brass-working  and  the  grain-trade.     A  good  market  is  held  here. 

PATHAEIA' — ^A  considerable  village  in  the  Damoh  district,  situated  twenty- 
four  miles  west  of  Damoh,  on  a  low  range  of  trap  hills,  which  is  crossed  here  by 
the  main  road  between  Jabalpdr  and  Sdgar.  Under  the  Mardthfc  an  A'mil  lived 
here,  and  there  are  still  several  respectable  Mardthi  families  in  the  town.  From 
the  great  quantity  of  hewn  stone  lying  about  in  all  directions,  the  place  would 
seem  to  have  been  once  much  larger  than  it  is  now.  There  are  here  a  large 
government  school,  a  dispensary,  a  police-station,  and  a  travellers*  bungalow. 

PATKOLANDA' — ^This  is  a  small  but  very  ancient  chiefship,  now  attached 
to  the  Sambalpdr  district.  It  is  situated  about  thirty-five  miles  to  the  south- 
west of  Sambalpdr,  between  the  two  chiefships  of  Barpfli  and  Bhedan,  and 
consists  of  six  villages.  The  area  is  not  more  than  eight  square  miles,  the  whole 
of  which  is  under  cultivation.  The  population  amounts  to  1,095  souls,  chiefly 
belonging  to  the  agricultural  classes,  viz.  Koltfis,  Gonds,  and  Sdonrfis.  The  chief 
product  is  rice.  The  principal  village  is  Pdtkolandd,  which  has  a  population  of 
635  souls.     The  occupant  family  is  Gond. 

PA'TNA' — ^lliis  was  formerly  the  most  important  of  all  the  Native  States 
p        .  -      .  ^  attached  to  the  Sambalpdr  district,  and  the  head 

escnp  on.  ^^  ^   cluster   of  States   known   as  the  eighteen 

Garhjdts.  It  lies  between  82^  45^  and  83^  40'  of  east  longitude,  and  between 
20°  5'  and  21°  of  north  latitude ;  and  is  bounded  on  the  north  by  the  Bord- 
sdmbar  zamindirl  of  the  Sambalpdr  district,  on  the  east  by  the  feudatory  state 
of  Sonpdr,  on  the  west  by  the  zaminddri  of  Khariir,  belonging  to  the  B&ipdr 
district,  and  on  the  south  by  the  feudatory  state  of  Kdldhandi.  The  average 
length  is  about  fifty  miles  long  by  as  many  broad,  giving  an  area  of  some  2,500 
square  miles.  The  country  is  an  undulating  plain,  rugged  and  isolated,  with  hill- 
ranges  rising  in  various  directions, — a  lofty  irregular  range  forming  a  natural 
boundary  to  the  north.  The  soil  is  for  the  most  part  light  and  sandy.  About 
two-thirds  of  the  whole  ai*ea  are  imder  cultivation,  the  rest  being  for  the  most 
part  dense  jungle.  Indeed  for  some  thirty  miles  round  the  town  of  P&tn& 
there  is  a  vast  forest  of  sdl,  sdj,  bijesdl,  dhduri,  ebony,  and  other  woods,  with 
small  cleai-ings  here  and  there.  These  jungles  are  infested  with  tigers,  man- 
eaters  being  common ;  wild  buffaloes,  bears,  and  leopards  are  also  numerous. 

The  principal  rivers  are,  the  Tel,  which  forms  the  boundary  on  the  south- 

«^ ,       ,  .  east  between   P^tnd  and  K^l&handi ;    the  Ong, 

an   nvcrs.  which  divides  Titn&  from  the  Sambalpdr  hJial^a 


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PAT  393 

on  the  north ;  the  Suktel,  and  the  Sundar.  There  are  no  roads  of  any  import- 
ance, but  a  few  Banjfiri  tracks  cross  the  state  from  the  north  and  west  to  the 
south  and  east. 

The  temperature  is  very  much  the  same  as  that  of  the  plains  generally ;  in 
^y  the  cool  months  the  thermometer  is  often  as  low 

as  45®  Fah.  at  daybreak,  and  at  midday  rarely 
rises  above  80^^.  The  hot  months  are  from  April  to  the  middle  of  June,  the 
thermometer  rising  then  sometimes  as  high  as  110®  in  the  shade.  The  climate 
is  reputed  to  be  very  unhealthy,  but  the  inhabitants  appear  to  be  generally 
robust  and  well-looking.  Cholera  visitations  are  frequant,  especially  in  the 
larger  villages. 

No  correct  return  of  the  population  has  as  yet  been  received,  but  judging 
p      .    .        d      d    t  f^om  the  returns  of  other  states  it  may  be  esti- 

opu  a  on  an    pro  uc  s.  mated  in   round   numbers   at   90,000,   belonging 

chiefly  to  the  agricultural  classes.  The  most  common  Hindd  castes  are  Brfihmans, 
Mahantfs,  Bijputs,  Agharids,  and  Kolt^s.  The  aboriginal  tribes  are  the  Gronds, 
Khonds,  and  Binjdls  (Binjwirs.)  There  are  a  few  artisans  in  most  of  the  larger 
villages. 

Iron-ore  is  found  to  the  south,  and  is  smelted  by  certain  castes  and  tnade 
p    ,  into  agricultural  implements.     The  staple  agricul- 

tural product  is  rice, but  oil-seeds,  pulses,  sugarcane, 
and  cotton  are  also  grown. 

The  main  subdivisions  of  the  state  are — 

(1)  The  khalsa  or  directly  administered  country,  consisting  b{  some  thirty 
g  ,  ,.  .  .  villages,  and  two  estates  held  by  relations  of  the 

Mahirdjd,  viz.  Jorfeinghi  and  A'^galpdr. 

(2)  Five  hereditary  estates  held  chiefly  by  Gond  Thdkurs,  viz.  A'thgdon, 
LoJsinghd,  Pandrdnl,  Bdlbhond,  and  Mandal. 

(3)  Six  Binjfr  estates  held  by  Binjfl  chiefs — ^a  warUke  race  of  aborigines — 
viz.  Rdmod,*  Nandol,  Nandupdnd,  Bhonpdr,  Kaprikhol,  and  Korfpdni. 

(4)  Five  Gkrhotiihfs,  or  clusters  of  villages,  the  revenues  of  which  are  set 
apart  for  the  maintenance  of  bodies  of  police  each  under  a  Garhotii. 

(5)  Nine  E3iond  Mahdls,  viz.  Bagamundd,  Bubarkhd,  Lowd,  Haldf,   Tal- 
gadkd,  Safar  Pahdr,  Saintald,  Topd,  and  Upargadkd. 

A  detailed  account  of  the  history  of  the  Pdtnd  family  was  written  by  the  late 

Major  Impey  in  1863,  from  which  the  following 
History.  sketch  is  abstracted,  with  a  few  necessary  modifi- 

cations : — 
"The  Mahdrdjds  of  Pdtnd  claim  direct  descent  from  a  race  of  Edjput 
rdjds  of  Gturh  Sambar,  near  Mainpuri,  and  trace  it  through  thirty-one 
generations.  It  is  alleged  that  Hitambar  Singh,  the  last  of  these  rdjds; 
offended  the  king  of  Delhi,  and  was  killed ;  that  his  family  had  to  abandon 
their  country  and  fly  in  every  direction  ;  and  that  one  of  his  wives,  who 
was  at  the  time  enceinte,  found  her  way  down  to  Pdtnd,  which  was,  it  seems, 
at  that  time  represented  by  a  cluster  of  eight  'garhs,^  and  the  chief  of  each 

*  Sdlij^idm,  the  chief  of  this  estate,  was  transported  in  186 1  for  harbouring  rebels.    The 
Mahdrijd  of  Pdtnd  has  resumed  the  estate. 

50  CPO 


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394  PAT 

garh  took  it  in  turn  to  rule  for  »  day  over  the  whole.  The  Chief  of  Kol&garh 
received  the  Bdnf  kindly^  and  in  due  time  she  gave  birth  to  a  boy^  who  was 
called  Bamai  Deva.  The  chief  adopted  him,  and  eventnally  abdicated  in 
his  favoHr ;  and  when  it  came  to  his  turn  to  rule,  he  took  the  first  opportunity 
of  causing  the  chiefs  of  the  other  seven  garhs  to  be  murdered,  and  setting 
himself  up  as  ruler  over  the  whole,  with  the  title  of '  mahdr&jd/  He  con- 
trived to  preserve  his  position  through  the  influence  which  he  had  obtained 
by  a  marriage  with  a  daughter  of  the  then  ruler  of  Orissa.  Between  the 
reigns  of  Bamai  Deva  and  Baijal  Deva,  the  tenth  mahdrijd,  or  during 
a  period  of  some  three  hundred  years,  Pitni  obtained  considerable 
accessions  of  territory,  viz.  the  states  of  Khariir  and  Bindri  Nawdgarh 
on  the  west,  Phuljhar  and  Sirangarh  to  the  north,  andBdmail,  Gdngpdr,  and 
Bimri  to  the  north-east,  which  were  all  made  tributary  dependencies ;  while 
the  zamind&H  of  Bairdkhol,  with  a  tract  of  land  to  the  eastward  on  the  left 
bank  of  the  Mah^nadi,  was  annexed.  A  fort  was  also  erected  in  the  Phuljhar 
state,  and  the  Chandrapdr  pargana,  also  on  the  left  bank  of  the  Mah£iuid(, 
was  forcibly  wrested  from  the  ruler  of  Batanpdr.  Narsingh  Deva,  the 
twelth  m&b&riji  of  P£tn£,  ceded  to  his  brother  Balrdm  Deva  such  portions 
of  his  territories  as  lay  north  of  the  river  Ong.  The  latter  founded  a  new 
.  state  (Sambalpdr),  which  very  soon  afterwards,  by  acquisition  of  territory 
in  every  direction,  became  the  most  powerful  of  all  the  Gtirhjdts ;  while  from 
the  same  time  the  power  of  Pdtnd  commenced  to  decline,  and  though  for 
some  generations  a  certain  amount  of  allegiance  was  paid  to  it  by  the  sur- 
roundmg  states,  by  degrees  it  sunk  into  insignificance,  and  it  is  now  one  of 
the  poorest  of  all  the  Gurhj^ts. 

"  The  only  relics  of  former  ages  are  some  old  temples  on  the  banks  of  the 

,    , ..    ^     ,  Tel,    and   others  at  a  place   called  Einf  JhiriS, 

Architectural  remains.  ,  .  ,  -j  x    -i.       j.  f     j.  xi.  j 

which  are  said  to  be  at  least  one  thousand  years 

old,  and  to  have  been  constructed  by  a  pious  BAni  of  the  Chauhdn  tribe. 

There  is  nothing  to  show  that  since  the  advent  of  the  Chauh&n  rulers  of 

P4tni,  now  some  750  years  ago,  there  has  been  any  attempt  to  construct 

works  either  of  beauty  or  utility.     During  all  that  time  the  people  have 

been  apparently  cut  off  from  all  communication  with  the  outer  world,  and 

have  lived  on  in  the  darkest  ignorance.     Within  the  last  two  or  three 

centuries,  however,  some  of  the  better  classes  have  by  degrees  crept  in  from 

the  Cuttack  districts,  and  have  settled  here  as  landholders. 


".< 


^  Sur  Prat^p  Deva,  the  present  mahdrdji,  is  the  twenty-sixth  ruler  of 
Ruli  tt  fanul  Pitnd.    He  is  by  no  means  wanting  in  intelligence, 

^*  reads  and  writes  XJriya  and  Urdd,  and  understands 

a  little  Persian.  He  is,  however,  sensual  and  lazy ;  rarely  stirs  out  of  hia 
house  to  transact  business,  and  indulges  in  opium.  The  consequence  is 
that  his  afl&drs  are  left  in  the  hands  of  native  mukhtfirs,  who  not  unfre- 
quently  abuse  their  power  to  serve  their  own  ends.  The  following  is  a  list 
of  the  mahdrijds  of  Pitnd  from  the  time  of  Bamai  Deva  to  the  present 
mahdrijd,  showing  approximately  the  period  that  each  reigned : — 

1.  Bamai  Deva  32  years, 

2.  Mahiling  Sinha    6      „ 

8.     Baijal  Deva  1 65     „ 

4.  Baikrdj  Deva 13     „ 

5.  BhujangDeva   34     „ 

6.  Pratip  EudraDeva 39 


>i 


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PAT— PAU  395 

7.  Bhtipfl  Deva .• 11  years* 

8.  Nigsinha  Deva 80     „ 

9.  Vikramdditya  Deva  84     „ 

10.  BaijalDevall  80  „ 

11.  Bhanjan  Hlrddhar  Deva  30  „ 

12.  Narsinlia  Deva 7  „ 

13.  Chhatrapffl  Deva 3  „ 

14.  Baijal  Deva  III 63  „ 

15.  Hridaya  Ndrdyana  Deva  15  „ 

16.  PratdpDeva 22  „ 

17.  Vikramdditya  Deva  15  „ 

18.  MukundDeva  30  „ 

19.  BalrfmDeva 8  „ 

20.  Hird^SdDeva 7  „ 

21.  Riismha  Deva 80  „ 

22.  Prithvi  Rdj  Sinlia  Deva  3  „ 

23.  Rim  ChandraDeva 55  „ 

24.  Bhdpfl  Deva 28  „ 

25.  Hlri  Vajra  Deva  18  „ 

26.  Sur  Pratdp  Deva  (The  present  rdji)  1  „ 

PATNA' — ^A  small  river  rising  in  the  Bhinrer  range  of  lulls  in  the  Slee- 
masi&h&d  tahsfl  of  the  Jabalpdr  district.  After  a  northerly  course  of  thirty-five 
miles  it  fisdls  into  the  Bairmd  on  the  right  bank.  For  some  distance  this  river 
forms  a  boundary  between  the  Pannili  state  and  the  Jabalpdr  district. 

PATTAN — A  town  in  the  Betdl  district,  about  ten  miles  to  the  south-east 
of  Multdf.  The  population  amounts  to  1,887  souls.  There  are  here  a  govern- 
ment school  and  a  customs  post.  Local  tradition  has  it  that  the  climate  is  fatal 
to  pigs  because  a  Musalm^  saint  once  staid  here. 

PAUNA'Tl — ^A  town  in  the  Huzdr  tahsfl  of  the  Wardhd  district,  situated  on 
the  right  bank  of  the  river  Dhim,  about  five  miles  to  the  north-east  of  Wardhi» 
This  is  a  very  old  place,  and  is  associated  in  the  minds  of  the  people  round  with 
many  curious  traditions.  Tradition  tells  of  a  Pawan  rijd — a  Kshatri  of  the  race 
of  the  sun — ^who  ruled  over  Paundr,  Paunl,  and  Pohni.  He  is  said  to  have  pos- 
sessed the  philosopher's  stone,  so  that  his  cultivators,  who  were  Gkiulfs,  paid 
no  rent,  but  merely  gave  him  the  iron  of  their  ploughs,  which  forthwith  was 
changed  into  gold.  He  kept  no  standing  army,  and  tiie  people  after  a  time 
began  to  reflect  that  if  an  enemy  were  to  come  they  would  be  despoiled.  The 
t6j&  assured  them  that  he  had  only  to  take  a  bundle  of  reeds  and  cut  them  into 
small  pieces,  and  any  enemy's  army  would  be  destroyed.  The  people,  wishing 
to  prove  his  power,  separated  into  two  bands  and  got  up  a  fight,  in  which 
blood  was  drawn.  This,  they  informed  the  rdji,  had  been  done  by  an  enemy's 
army.  After  thrice  asking  them  if  they  spoke  the  truth,  and  being  answered  each 
time  in  the  affirmative,  the  rdjd,  who  was  a  man  of  his  word  and  "  of  one  wife/* 
called  for  the  reeds  and  began  to  chip  them,  and  having  done  so,  he  assured  the 
deputation  that  the  enemy  was  destroyed.  On  their  return  they  found  that 
the  heads  of  the  Gaulfs  in  the  wood  had  been  miraculously  cut  off.  Yielding, 
however,  to  the  supplications  of  the  widows  and  children  of  the  men  thus  slain, 
the  T&ji  restored  them  to  life.  His  power  was  thenceforward  acknowledged 
nntil  the  arrival  of  one  Saiyad  Shdh  Eabir,  a  greater  enchanter  than  himself,  who, 
hearing  that  the  r&j&  cotdd  decapitate  his  enemies  fix)m  a  distance,  took  the 


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396  PAU 

precaution  of  removing  his  own  head. before  visiting  him.  The  Pawan  T&ji  on 
hearing  this  perceived  his  rule  wfi«  over,  and  with  his  wife  sank  into  the  deep 
waters  of  the  Dh&n,  under  the  fort  of  Paundr.  Strange  stories  are  told  of  the 
pool  into  which  the  royal  pair  disappefia^d.  One  is  that  for  twelve  years  a  herds- 
man^ who  grazed  his  cattle  on  the  bank  of  the  river,  observed  a  strange  black 
cow  feeding  with  his  cattle.  He  received  no  pay  for  looking  after  it,  and  at  last 
asked  it  whose  it  was.  As  the  cow,  on  being  questioned,  was  about  to  step  into 
the  pool,  the  herdsman  caught  hold  of  its  tail  and  disappeared  with  it.  Under 
the  water  he  found  a  temple,  where  was  a  stranger,  who  began  to  tie  up  the  cow, 
but  the  herdsman  demanded  first  his  hire  for  looking  after  the  cow  so  long.  He 
was  given  some  vegetable  bulbs,  but  rejected  them  angrily,  and  laying  hold  of  the 
black  cow's  tail  emerged  with  it  from  the  water.  The  next  day  he  found  that  a 
little  of  the  vegetable  still  left  with  him  was  gold.  More  homely  than  this  is 
the  story  of  how  the  people  of  Paundr^  when  they  required  dishes  for  their  enter- 
tainments, could  always  get  them  by  going  to  the  pool,  making  known  their 
wants,  and  throwing  in  an  oflTering  of  rice.  The  next  day  they  would  find  the 
dishes  on  the  bank ;  but  they  were  required  always  to  put  them  back  again  aft«r 
having  nsed  them,  when  the  dishes  would  disappear  in  the  water  of  themselves. 
But  on  one  occasion  a  man  kept  back  a  dish,  and  from  that  day  the  marvel 
ceased. 

Paundr  contains  a  ruined  fort,  which  must  formerly  have  been  a  place  of 
considerable  strength,  built  as  it  is  on  a  height  surrounded  on  two  sides  by  a  deep 
roach  of  the  river  Dhfim.  The  ruins  of  the  old  town-wall  can  still  be  traced, 
and  one  of  the  gateways — a  large  imposing  structure  of  stone — yet  remains. 
Another  was  recently  razed  to  make  way  for  some  municipal  improvements. 
Sir  Richard  Jenkins,  in  his  Report  on  the  Territories  of  the  R4ji  of  Ndgpdr 
(1827),  notes  that  Paundr  was  formerly  the  chief  seat  of  the  Musalmdn  govern- 
ment east  of  the  river  Wardhd,  and  that  an  oflBcer  styled  the  Faujddr  of  Plaunfc 
resided  thei^,  and  was  charged  with  the  collection  of  the  tribute  then  paid  by 
the  Gond  RAjds  of  Deogarh  to  the  Emperor  of  Delhi.  In  a.d.  1807  the  Pindh- 
drfs  attacked  Paundr  and  looted  the  town.  Under  the  Mardthd  rule  it  was  the 
chief  plsice  of  a  kamdvisddri,  and  the  pensioned  families  of  several  Desmukhs 
and  Despdndyds  now  live  there.  At  the  recent  census  it  was  found  to  contain 
2,441  inhabitants,  principally  cultivators  of  the  lands  around.  But  the  numerous 
scattered  ruins  of  former  houses  show  that  it  has  immmensely  fallen  oflf  since  the 
day  when  it  was  the  seat  of  power,  and  a  place  to  be  sought  fo^\  the  protection 
ofiered  by  its  fort. 

PAUNI' — ^A  large  enclosed  town  in  the  Bhanddra  district,  situated  on  the 
Waingangd,  about  thirty-two  miles  south  of  Bhanddra.  It  is  surrounded  on  three 
sides  by  high  ramparts  of  earth  and  a  ditch,  the  walls  being  in  some  parts  crowned 
with  stone  battlements ;  and  on  the  fourth  side,  to  the  east,  is  the  scarped  bank 
of  the  Waingangd.  Two  or  three  handsome  stone  ghdts  lead  down  to  the 
water's  edge,  and  some  temples  of  fair  architecture,  interspersed  with  fine  trees, 
overlook  the  river.  The  town  contains  2,719  houses,  with  a  population  of  11,265 
souls.  Many  of  the  houses,  however,  are  deserted  and  in  ruins,  and  the  number 
of  the  inhabitants  has  considerably  decreased  within  the  last  twenty  years. 
This  decay  is  owing  partly  to  the  unhealthiness  of  the  climate,  and  partly  to  the 
removal  of  the  wealthier  residents  to  Ndgpdr.  There  is  still,  however,  a  consi- 
derable trade  in  cotton-cloth  and  silk  pieces ;  and  some  of  the  finer  fabrics 
manufactured  in  this  town  are  exported  to  great  distances,  and  are  noted  for 
their  beauty  and  closeness  of  texture.     There  are  numerous  Hindd  temples  hore^ 


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PAWI-PHUL  397 

some  of  great  antiquity,  but  the  great  temple  of  Murlldhar,  though  compara- 
tively a  recent  construction,  is  the  only  one  of  much  repute.  This  is  a  handsome 
and  lofty  building,  surrounded  by  a  fortified  wall.  The  public  establishments 
are  a  laj*ge  and  flourishing  government  school,  a  police  station,  a  district  post- 
office,  and  a  small  rest-house  for  travellers  on  the  bank  of  the  river.  The  watch 
and  ward  and  conservancy  of  the  town  are  provided  from  the  town  duties.  The 
town  is  considered  very  unhealthy,  the  causes  apparently  being  its  enclosed 
position,  and  the  dense  jungle  both  in  and  around  it.  The  water,  too,  of  the 
wells  is  generally  brackish,  and  most  of  the  inhabitants  use  the  river  water  for  all 
domestic  purposes. 

PA'Wr  MUTA'NDA'— A  chiefship  in  the  Ch^udi  district,  situated  sixteen 
miles  east  of  Chdmursi.  Excellent  iron-ore  is  found  here,  and  the  forests  produce 
a  good  deal  of  teak,  ebony,  and  bijesdl.     The  estate  consists  of  thirty-five  villages. 

PENCH — A  river  rising  on  the  Motdr  plateau  in  the  Chhindwdrd  district. 
In  its  windings  it  collects  the  waters  from  the  central  tableland  of  Chhindwdrd ; 
and  its  principal  affluent,  theKolbiri,  is  itself  a  stream  of  considerable  size.  For 
a  few  miles  after  leaving  the  highlands  its  course  is  south-easterly  up  to  Mdchfi- 
ghord,  a  famous  fishing  locality ;  thence  it  trends  southwards  to  near  the  village 
of  Chdnd,  where  it  turns  north-east,  until  stopped  by  the  hills  dividing  the  Seoni 
and  Chhindwdrd  districts ;  thence  it  flows  due  south  until  its  junction  with  the 
Kanh^Ti  in  the  Ndgpdr  district.  The  length  of  the  Pench  may  be  about  120  miles. 
A  scheme  is  under  consideration  for  damming  up  its  waters  as  they  emerge 
from  the  hills,  and  forming  an  immense  irrigation-reservoir. 

PENDRA' — ^The  northernmost  chiefship  of  the  Bildspdr  district,  is  situated 
on  the  hilly  uplands  of  the  Vindhyan  range,  and  though  intersected  by  hills, 
consists  mainly  of  an  extensive  plateau,  part  of  which  is  fairly  cultivated.  It 
contains  no  less  than  165  villages,  and  covers  an  area  of  585  square  miles.  The 
extent  of  cultivation  is  40,000  acres,  and  there  is  a  culturable  area  of  over  300,000 
acres.  The  chief  is  a  Rdj-Gk)nd,  and  is  said  to  have  obtained  the  grant  more  than 
three  centuries  ago  from  the  Haihai-Bansl  rulers  of  Ratanpdr. 

PENDRA^ — ^The  head-quarters  of  the  chiefship  of  the  same  name,  in  the 
BildsptSr  district,  is  a  good-sized  town,  on  the  direct  road  from  Bildspdr  to  Rew^, 
along  which  there  is  a  constant  flow  of  traffic  by  carriers  in  the  cold  months. 
There  are  the  remains  of  a  fort  here.  A  magnificent  grove  of  mango  trees, 
interspersed  here  an^  there  with  wide-spreading  tamarind  trees,  affords  a  pleasant 
encamping-groimd. 

PERZA'GARH — A  range  of  hills  in  the  Chindd  district,  forming  the  eastern 
boundary  of  the  Chimdr  pargana,  and  dividing  it  from  BraJimapuri.  They  are 
thirteen  miles  long  by  six  broad,  and  terminate  on  the  south  in  a  striking-looking 
scarped  cliff,  which  commands  the  surrounding  country,  and  can  be  seen  for 
forty  miles  to  the  south.  This  cliff,  which  gives  its  name  to  the  range,  is  also 
called  the  "  S4t  Bahin V  from  seven  sisters  who  are  supposed  to  have  lived  in 
religious  seclusion  on  its  summit.  Some  of  the  valleys  in  these  hills  have  patches 
of  rice  cultivation. 

PHEN — ^A  river  in  the  Mandla  district,  rising  in  the  Chilpl  Ghdt  and  flowing 
into  the  Burhner.  ^ 

PHUUHAR — ^This  is  one  of  the  cluster  of  states  formerly  known  as  the 
-,        ,  ,      .    .  eighteen  Grarhjdta,  and  is  now  included  amongst 

General  description.  ^^  ordinary  kh&ha  zamfndiirfs  of  the  Sambalpdr 


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398  PIP 

district.  It  is  about  forty  miles  long  by  twenty-five  broad ;  and  its  area  may  be 
computed  at  about  1,000  square  miles,  about  three-fifths  of  which  are  cultivated. 
The  soil  is  light,  and  has  a  good  deal  of  sand  mixed  with  it,  except  here  and  there 
in  the  valleys.  .  To  the  west  there  are  some  fine  belts  of  s41  jungle  on  either 
side  of  the  main  road  between  Rdipdr  and  Sambalptir,  especially  near  the  banks 
of  the  Jonk. 

The  climate  is  similar  to  that  of  Sambalpdr  Proper.  Rice  is  the  staple  crop ; 
but  pulses,  cotton,  oil-seeds,  and  sugarcane  are  also  produced.  Here  and  there 
also  small  quantities  of  gram  are  grown.  Iron-ore  of  good  quality  is  to  be  found. 
The  jungle  along  the  whole  length  of  the  main  road  was  a  few  years  ago  so  infested 
with  tigers,  that  it  was  quite  unsafe  to  travel  through  it ;  they  used  firequently  to 
attcfcck  the  dfik  horses  and  runners.  They  have,  however,  been  pretty  well  cleared 
oflf  during  late  years.  The  Deputy  Commissioner,  Major  Cumberlege,  has  killed 
ten,  all  near  the  highroad,  two  of  which  were  confirmed  man-eaters.  Wild 
buffiJoes  are  to  be  found  near  the  Jonk  river,  also  bears,  leopards,  &c.  in  the  hills. 

The  census  returns  of  1866  give  the  population  at  32,721.    The  agricultural 

p     ,  ^  classes  are   chiefly  Aghariis,  Koltis,  and  Gonds, 

^^       ^°'  but  there  is  a  sprinkling  of  other  castes,  such  as 

Brihmans,  Mahantis,  Telis,  MdUs,  &c.    A  few  Khonds  are  also  settled  here  and 

there.     There  is  a  school  in  Phuljhar,  at  which  some  fifty  boys  are  receiving 

instruction.  ^ 

The  chiefship  is  subdivided  into  eight  smaller  estates,  viz.  let,  Fhuljhargarh, 
g  ,  ^  .  .  held  by  Dharm  Singh,  Grarhotid,  an  Aghari^,  which 

visions.  consists  of  fourteen  villages  great  and  smaU.     2nd, 

Kelindd,  held  by  Manbodla  Parganiili,  consists  of  twelve  villages.  Srd,  Boit&rf, 
held  by  Bhairdo  Singh  Dlwdn,*  consists  of  twelve  villages.  4^A,  Basnd,  held  by 
Parmig  Si  D(win,  consists  of  twelve  villages,  bth,  Balidd,  held  by  Udaya  Singh 
Diwdn,  consists  of  ten  villages.  6th,  Borsar^,  held  by  Sundar  Singh  Pradhdn, 
consists  of  eleven  villages.  The  7th,  Singhoi^,  held  by  D(nbandhu  Jamadir, 
consists  of  seven  villages.  This  last  petty  zamfndfri  has  been  only  established  of 
late  years,  the  Jamaddr  having  been  made  guardian  of  the  Singhor^  GUiit — a  hill- 
pass  through  which  the  road  from  Riipdr  to  Sambalpdr  is  carried.  The  8th, 
Sdnkr£,  is  held  by  Jagann&th  Diw&n,  .and  consists  of  seventeen  villages,  lately 
granted  rent-free  for  five  years  on  condition  of  clearing  the  jungle.  The  total 
annual  land  revenue  paid  in  cash  for  these  zamind&rl  tenures  is  stated  to  be 
but  BrS.  500,  but  there  are  doubtless  payments  made  in  kind  also.  Besides  the 
zamfnd&ris,  there  are  some  250  hh^Ua  villages  in  the  estate,  that  is,  villages 
held  directly  by  the  &rmers  from  the  chief.  The  chief  estimates  his  annual 
income  at  but  little  over  Bs.  5,000 ;  but  taking  payments  in  kind,  nazr^na  (fees 
on  renewal),  &c.  into  account,  it  will  probably  not  ML  much  short  of  Rs.  8,000. 
The  annual  tribute  paid  by  him  is  Bs.  500. 

The  chiefs  femily  is  R4j-Grond.     The  chiefship  was  created  some  three 

hundred  years  ago  by  the  P&tn&  T&fis,  and  has 

History.  been  held  by  the  same  &mily  ever  smce.    It  was 

granted  in  reward  for  service  rendered  in  the  field. 

PrPARWAITI' — ^A  large  village  in  the  Seoul  district,  about  thirty-five  miles 
south  of  Seoni.  It  con&ins  439  houses,  and  has  a  population  of  1,111  souls. 
There  are  here  a  village  school,  a  weekly  market,  and  a  police  outpost. 

*  DMn  in  this  connection  is  ordinarily  employed  to  mean  a  relation  of  the  Chief. 


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PIT— POT  399 

PITHORIA'' — ^A  revenue-free  estate  in  the  Sdgar  district,  about  twenty 
miles  north-west  of  Sdgar.  It  contains  twenty-six  villages,  with  an  area  of  fifty- 
one  square  miles,  and  yields  a  revenue  to  the  proprietor  of  Rs.  4,545  per  annum. 
In  A.D.  1818,  when  the  whole  of  Sdgar,  &c.  was  made  over  by  the  Peshwd  to 
the  British  Gt)vernment,  the  present  jdgirdir  of  Pithorid,  Rio  Kimchandra  Rio, 
who  was  then  only  ten  years  old,  was  in  possession  of  Deorl  and  the  "  Panj  Mahil/^ 
In  1819  the  Panj  Mahilwere  transferred  to  Sindid,*  but  owing  to  the  tender  age 
of  the  Rio,  his  mother  preferred  taking  compensation,  in  the  form  of  a  cash 
pension  of  Rs.  1,250  per  mensem,  to  receiving  another  estate.  Soon  after  this 
she  died,  and  he  requested  the  Government  to  assign  him  a  tract  of  land  in  lieu  of 
the  money-payment.  On  this  the  village  of  Pithorii  and  eighteen  others  were 
assigned  to  him ;  but  as  the  revenue  of  these  villages  did  not  equal  the  required 
amount,  seven  other  villages  were  added,  making  twenty-six  in  all,  yielding  a 
yearly  revenue  of  Rs.  14,300.  These  villages  are  still  in  the  possession  of  the 
jiglrdir ;  but  the  estate  has  deteriorated,  and  the  revenue  has  fallen  off  consider- 
ably during  the  last  forty  years. 

Pithorii  itself  is  a  village  of  no  importance.  It  contains  566  houses  and 
1,786  inhabitants.  The  fort  was  built  about  a.d.  1750  by  oneUmrio  Singh,  a 
Rijput,  to  whom  the  place  had  been  given  rent-free  by  Govind  Pandit,  the 
Peshwi's  lieutenant  at  Sdgar.  A  market  is  held  here  every  Thursday,  but  no 
trade  worth  mentioning  is  carried  on. 

PITIHRA'  (PUTERA)— A  rent-free  estate,  situated  to  the  extreme  south- 
east  of  the  Sigar  district,  and  separated  from  the  Narsinghptir  district  by  the 
river  Narbadd.  It  contains  104  villages,  with  an  area  of  231  square  miles,  and 
yields  about  Rs.  22,667  per  annum  revenue  to  the  rdji.  Tie  whole  estate, 
with  the  exception  of  eight  villages,  is  situated  in  the  subdivision  of  Deori,  the 
chief  place  of  the  Panj  Mahil.  Deori  was  seized  about  a.d.  1731  by  the  Gt)nd 
Rijd  of  Gaurjh&nar,  who  was  in  his  turn  driven  out  by  the  troops  of  the  Peshwd 
ten  years  later.  His  son,  however,  procured  assistance  from  Mjoidla,  and  began 
to  plunder  the  country  about,  when  the  Mardth&s  induced  him  to  come  to  terms 
by  making  over  to  him  the  four  "  tappds^*  or  estates  of  Ktihri,  Mu^,  Keslf, 
and  Tarard,  containing  eight  villages.  He  died  in  a.d.  1747,  and  his  grandson 
Kir&j  Singh  obtained  in  a.d.  1 798  another  '^  tappi*'  called  Balldi,  consisting  of 
fifty-three  villages,  from  the  Mar^th^s.  At  the  cession  of  Sdgar  to  the  British 
Government  in  1818,  Kirij  Singh  was  not  disturbed.  But  when  he  died  in 
A.D.  1827,  thirty  villages  from  the  estate  of  Balldi  were  resumed,  and  the  remainder, 
consisting  of  104  villages,  were  secured  to  his  son  Balwant  Singh,  who  is  still  in 
possession.  The  head-quarters  of  the  v&]i  are  in  Pitihrd,  a  small  village  on  the 
banks  of  the  Narbad^,  containing  230  houses,  with  804  inhabitants. 

POHNA' — ^A  village  in  the  Hinganghdt  tahsil  of  the  Wardhi  district,  on 
the  river  Wardhi,  thirty-one  miles  souiji  of  Wardhi  town.  It  is  said  to  have 
been  founded  some  three  hundred  years  ago  by  the  ancestors  of  the  Desp&ndy^ 
who  now  hold  it.  Under  the  Mar&th^  rule  it  gave  its  name  to  a  pargana.  It 
contains  1,500  inhabitants,  principally  cultivators,  and  pays  a  land  revenue  of 
Rs.  1,700.  A  small  weekly  market,  principally  for  agricultural  produce,  is  held 
here  on  Fridays ;  and  there  is  a  good  village  school. 

POTE'GA^ON — ^A  chiefship  in  the  Chdnd^  district,  situated  sixteen  miles 
east-  north-east  of  Chdmursi,  and  containing  eleven  villages.  The  country  is  hilly ; 
and  sdj,  bijesfl,  and  ebony  grow  in  considerable  abundance. 

♦  AitchUon's  Treaties,  vol.  iv.  p.  256. 


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400  POT— PUR 

POTTKALL — A  small  chiefship  of  the  Bastar  dopondency,  with  an  area  of 
350  square  miles,  and  thirty  villages.  It  is  held  by  a  Telinga,  but  the  population 
is  almost  all  of  the  Koi  caste.  Potikall,  the  chief  village,  consisting  of  about  one 
hundred  houses,  is  situated  on  the  left  bank  of  the  T^  river. 

POTPURI' — ^A  river  which  rises  in  the  eastern  chiefship  of  A'mbgdon,  and 
after  a  westerly  course  of  twenty  miles  falls  into  the  Waingangi  five  miles  below 
Garhchiroli,  in  the  Chindd  district. 

PRANHrTA'— The  name  of  the  united  streams  of  the  Wardhi  and  Wain- 
gangi  up  to  their  junction  with  the  Godivari  at  Sironchi.  It  is  about  seventy  miles 
in  length.  Some  forty  miles  above  Sironchi  occurs  what  is  known  as  the  third 
barrier,  which  is  a  far  more  formidable  obstruction  to  navigation  than  either 
of  the  other  Godivari  barriers.  The  river  has  a  broad,  sandy  bed,  which  in  the 
rainy  season  is  full  from  bank  to  bank  with  a  rushing  flood,  but  in  the  dry  weather 
consists  for  the  greater  part  of  broad  reaches  of  sand,  with  small  and  shallow 
streams  flowing  through  them. 

PRATATGARH— A  chiefship  in  the  west  of  the  Chhindwiri  district, 
situated  near  Motdr.  With  Sonpdr  it  formed  a  portion  of  the  Harai  zamindirf ; 
but  in  the  early  part  of  the  present  century  it  was  separated  from  the  parent  estate, 
and  came  under  the  management  of  the  Harai  chiefs  brother.  It  has  the  lai'gest 
area  of  all  the  chiefships  in  this  quarter,  and  comprises  181  villages,  which  pay  no 
revenue  to  the  Government. 

PULGA'ON — ^This  is  the  name  of  the  railway  station  which  is  reached 
immediately  on  crossing  the  river  Wardhd  from  the  Bombay  side,  about  twenty 
miles  west  of  Wardhd.  The  site  was  unoccupied  until  the  commencement  of  the 
railway  works,  but  when  the  spot  was  fixed  on  for  a  railway  station,  land  was 
set  aside  for  a  village  also.  As  the  cotton  and  other  produce  of  the  rich  Wardhd 
valley  must  come  here  for  transport  by  rail  to  Bombay  and  other  markets,  it 
is  possible  that  PulgSon  will  some  day  be  an  important  plac«.  A  road  connecting 
it  with  the  cotton  marts  of  Deoli  and  Hinganghit  to  the  south-east  is  now  nearly 
completed,  and  another  road  running  north  to  A'rvi  and  A'shti  has  been  laid  out. 
There  is  a  police  station-house  here,  and  a  dispensary  has  been  commenced.  Near 
Pulgion  is  a  picturesque  waterfall  od  the  river  Wardhd.  The  Hindds  consider 
this  a  holy  place,  and  have  built  a  temple  in  the  neighbourhood.  Lately  an 
annual  fair  has  been  started  here  in  view  to  aiding  the  new  town. 

PUNA'S  A' — A  proposed  forest  reserve  in  the  north  of  the  Nimir  district,  of 
about  150  square  miles  in  extent. 

PUNA'SA' — A  market  town  in  the  north  of  the  Nimdr  district,  about  thirty- 
three  miles  from  Khandwd.  It  was  at  one  time  a  couvsiderable  place,  and  was  held  by 
Rinds  of  the  Tuar  clan.  A  largo  stone-fort,  built  by  Rdm  Kusal  Singh  in  A.n. 
1 730,  and  still  in  good  preservation,  formed  a  safe  refuge  for  the  European  fami- 
lies in  the  troubles  of  1857.  The  country  round  is  mostly  waste,  never  having 
recovered  from  the  destruction  wrought  by  the  Pindhdrfs  at  the  commencement 
of  the  present  century.  There  is  a  large  tank  here,  which  was  repaired  by 
Captain  French  in  a.d.  1846,  and  a  weekly  market  is  held  on  Saturdays. 

PURA'RA' — ^A  small  zamfnddrl  or  chiefship,  consisting  of  six  villages, 
situated  on  the  Bdgh  river,  near  the  south-eastern  confines  of  the  Bhanddra  dis- 
trict.    The  area  is  thirty-nine  square  miles,  seven  of  which  only  are  cultivated. 

The  occupant  family  is  Gond,  and  the  residents  are  chiefly  Gt)nds  and 
Godrds.  Purdrd  itself  is  a  large  village,  and  has  an  indigenous  school.  The 
forests  on  the  estate  contain  some  good  building  timber,  and  are  noted  for  the 
number  of  tigers  which  infest  them. 


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PUR— UAH  401 

PURWA''— A  village  in  the  Mandia  district,  situated  at  the  confluence  of 
the  Narbadd  and  the  Banjar,  by  the  former  of  which  it  is  separated  from  Mandal, 
and  by  the  latter  from  Mahdrijpdr.  An  annual  fair  is  held  here,  which  was 
established  by  Niz^m  Sh^h  in  a.d.  1751. 


RA'H  ATGrARH — The  chief  town  of  a  tract  of  the  same  name  in  the  Sdgar  dis- 
trict, is  situated  about  tWenty-five  miles  west  of  Sdffar.  After  passing  through 
Various  hands  it  seems  to  have  come  into  the  possession  of  a  branch  of  the  Bhopdl 
family,  to  one  of  whom — Sultdn  Mohammad  Kiidn — the  fort  is  attributed.  His 
descendants  remained  in  possession  till  a.d.  1807,  when  it  was  taken  by  Daulat 
R&o  Sindid,  after  a  siege  of  seven  months.  In  a.d.  1810  B&hatgarh  was  made 
over  to  the  British  among  other  districts  for  the  payment  of  the  contingent,*  and 
in  1861  it  was  given  over  entirely  to  the  British  Gt)vemment,  in  accordance  with 
a  treaty  made  with  the  Government  on  the  12th  December  1860.t  In  1857,  when 
the  Mutiny  commenced,  Nawib  A'dil  Mohammad  Kiidn  and  his  brother  Fdzil 
Mohammad  Khin,  descendants  of  the  Sultdn  Mohammad  Khdn  mentioned  above, 
who  were  in  possession  of  a  tract  in  the  Bhopil  state,  by  name  Garh  A'm&p&ai, 
came  down  with  a  band  of  insurgents  and  took  possession  of  the  fort.  In 
February  1858  the  fort  and  town  were  invested  and  captured  by  Sir  Hugh  Rose 
with  the  Central  India  Force,  and  the  rebels  were  defeated  with  great 
slaughter.  A^dil  Mohammad  ICh^  fled,  but  Fdzil  Mohammad  KMn  was  taken 
and  hanged.  The  fort  was  also  destroyed  in  a  great  measure,  but  the  ruins  still 
remain,  showing  what  an  enormous  structure  it  was  originally. 

Rihat^arh  is  a  good-sized  town,  well  situated  on  the  banks  of  the  Bind,  which 
has  many  picturesque  and  beautifully  wooded  reaches  close  to  it.  There  is  a  tra- 
vellers' bungalow  here,  and  the  place  is  a  favourite  resort  of  the  residents  of  Sdgar 
for  change  of  air.  A  fine  bridge  of  fourteen  arches  crosses  the  river  about  a  mile 
from  the  fort,  over  which  the  Bhopdl  and  Bombay  road  passes.  The  shoes  made 
here  are  highly  esteemed,  and  are  sent  for  sale  to  Sdgar  and  to  the  different  towns 
in  Bhopdl.  Native  cloth  of  a  kind  called  "  dostSti^'  is  also  largely  manufactured  and 
exported.  There  is  a  weekly  market  on  Fridays,  at  which  tne  abovementioned 
articles,  with  grain  of  all  kinds,  are  sold. 

The  fort  is  situated  on  a  lofty  eminence  to  the  south-west  of  the  town,  and 
surrounded  by  it  on  the  south,  west,  and  north  sides.  As  mentioned  above,  it 
was  chiefly  built  by  Sultdn  Mohammad  IChdn,  but  Wfi«  afterwards  altered  and 
added  to  by  his  successors,  and  thus  took  upwards  of  fifty  years  to  complete.  •  It 
is  the  largest  fort  in  the  Sdgar  district,  and  probably  in  all  the  adjoining  country. 
The  outer  walls  consist  of  twenty-six  enormous  towers,  some  of  which  were  used 
as  dwellings,  connected  by  curtain-walls,  and  enclose  a  space  of  sixty-six  acres. 
This  space  was  for  the  most  part  covered  with  buildings  of  all  descriptions,  and 
contained  a  large  bdzdr  and  numerous  temples  and  palaces.  One  of  these  latter 
is  called  the  ''  Bddal  Mahal,''  or  cloud  palace,  from  its  great  height  and  elevated 
situation.  It  is  attributed  to  one  of  the  Rdj-Gond  chiefs  of  Garhd  Mandia.  Most 
of  the  buildings  are  now  in  ruins,  and  the  outer  fort-walls  are  also  in  a  ruinous 
state.     The  east  wall  was  breached  for  a  distance  of  nearly  a  hundred  yards  by 

*       '        ■  ■  I — 

♦  Aitchiwn^t  Treaties,  vol.  iv.  p.  259.  t  /*«rfi  P-  279. 

51  CPG 


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402  RAI 

Sir  Hugh  Rose's  siege  guns  in  1858,  when  he  captured  the  fort  from  the  rebels 
The  view  from  the  fort  of  the  surrounding  country,  and  of  the  river  Bind,  flowing; 
at  the  base  of  the  hill  on  which  it  stands,  is  of  great  beauty  and  interest. 

A  government  school  has  been  established  here.  The  population  amounts 
to  3,426  souls  according  to  the  census  of  1 866. 

RATGARH — ^An  old  chiefship  now  attached  to  the  Sambalptir  district.  It 
lies  between  83°  and  83^  35'  of  east  longitude,  and  between  21^  45'  and  22^  35' 
of  north  latitude,  and  is  bounded  on  the  north  by  the  native  states  of  Sirgdja 
and  Gingpilr  under  Chotd  Nigpdr,  on  the  south  by  the  river  Mah^nadf  and  the 
Sambalpdr  khalsa,  on  the  east  by  the  zaminddrl  of  Jaipdr  or  Kolibiri,  on  the 
south-west  by  the  zaminddri  of  Chandrapdr,  and  on  the  north-west  by  the  feuda- 
tory state  of  Sakti  under  Bildspdr. 

Its  extreme  length  is  about  sixty  miles,  by  thirty-five  miles  in  breadth. 
The  southern  portion  towards  the  Mahdnadi  is  fertile  and  well  cultivated,  but 
the  soil  is  naturally  poor,  having  in  it  a  large  admixture  of  sand.  The  northern 
and  eastern  portions  are  a  mass  of  hill  and  jungle,  and  contain  a  good  deal  of  s&l 
{shorea  robusta),  s4j  {terminalia  tomento8a),hijes&l  {pterocarpus  marsupium) ,  and 
many  other  kinds  of  useful  building  timber,  but  no  teak  {tedona  graridis)  of  any 
size.  The  principal  rivers  are  the  Mahinadi  and  its  affluents  the  Tedi,  M&n,  and 
Keld.  The  direct  road  from  Sambalpdr  to  Bildspdr  passes  through  the  southern 
portion  of  this  state,  but  there  are  no  other  roads  of  consequence.  The  climate  is 
similar  to  that  of  Sambalpdr  Proper,  and  is  considered  very  unhealthy. 

According  to  the  census  lately  taken  by  the  rdji,  the  population  amounts  to 
81,925  souls,  chiefly  belonging  to  the  agricultural  classes.  Rice  is  the  main  crop, 
but  cotton,  pulses,  oil-seeds,  and  sugarcane  are  also  produced.  The  manu&ctures 
are  brass  and  bell-metal  vessels,  tasar-silk  fabrics,  and  coarse  cotton-cloths. 
Iron-ore  is  found  in  considerable  quantities,  and  the  forests  produce  lac,  tasar, 
cocoanuts,  and  rdl,  or  s&l  resin. 

The  principal  castes  are : — (Agricultural)  Koltds,  Agharids,  Kanwars,  S^onrds 
Gonds,  and  Bhdmids ;  (others)  Brdhmans,  Rdjputs,  Mahantis,  with  a  fair  pro- 
portion of  artisans. 

There  are  altogether  some  500  villages  in  the  state ;  and  it  has  four  sub- 
ordinate zamfnddrls  held  by  connections  of  the  rdjd,  viz.  those  of — 

Anjdr  Singh,  consisting  of 12    villages. 

Amar  Singh,         ditto        5         do. 

Thikur  Raghunith  Singh,  consisting  of 30        do. 

Thdkur  Parameswar  Singh,       ditto        30         do. 

The  chiefs  family  has  no  written  records,  but  according  to  tradition  one 
of  its  ancestors,  Thdkur  Darydo  Singh,  for  some  assistance  afibrded  by  him  to 
the  Marithis,  obtained  the  title  of  "rdjd."  He  was  succeeded  by  his  son 
Jdjhdr  Singh,  who  again  was  succeeded  by  Deonith  Singh.  His  son  Ghana- 
sydm  Singh,  the  present  rdjd,  has  now  (1869)  held  for  six  years.  This  territory 
includes  the  once  independent  neighbouring  chiefship  of  Bargarh,  which  was 
conferred  on  the  family  some  forty  years  ago. 

The  ruling  family  is  Gt)nd.  Ghanasydm  Singh,  the  present  rdjd,  is  a  very 
quiet,  unpretending  man,  and  has  neither  ability  nor  energy  to  look  very  closely 
after  the  afiairs  of  his  state,  but  he  has  some  sensible  intelligent  relatives  around 
him  who  assist  him  in  everv  way,  and  on  the  whole  he  gets  on  very  well. 
There  is  a  fair  school  at  K^fgarh,  with  some  forty  or  fifty  pupils  receiving 
instruction. 


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RAI 


403 


RATPU'R*- 


CONTENTS. 
Page 


Position  of  the  district 403 

Features  of  coantry    404 

Biver  Bjstem    405 

Hill  coantry     t6. 

Geological  charactoristics  406 

Soil  and  water-supply    ib. 

Aainfisill  and  climate    407 

Towns  and  buildings  tb. 

Metalled  and  fair-weather  roads  408 

Early  history    ib. 

Haihai- Bans!  rule    409 

Conquest  of  Chhattisgarh  by  the  Mard- 

th^   410 

British  adnunistration    411 

Be-introduction  of  Mar&th&  rule   ib. 

Introduction  ofBritish  rule  in  1854,  and 

subsequent  administration     ib. 


Page 

Population 412 

Chom-lra ib, 

Gindda 418 

Kanwars    ib, 

Halbds  414 

Aboriginal  tribes 415 

Landholding  classes    ib. 

Peculiar  tribes 416 

Agriculture    ib. 

Eain-crops ib, 

Babi  cul  ti vation  and  sagarcane 417 

Quality  of  agriculture ib. 

Forests ib. 

Jangle  produce 418 

Trade 419 

Trade  routes 420 

Administration t&. 

Education 421 

General  condition  of  the  people   ib, 

A  district  lying  between  80^  28^  and  82^  38"  east  longitude,  and  19*^  48^  and 
»    •*:       r  L   J-  *  -^  21®  45'  nortli   latitude.     Within  these  limits  is 

Position  of  the  district.  comprised  the  larger  part  of  the  tract  known  by 

the  name  of  Chhattisgarh,  together  with  a  large  area  formerly  attached  to 
Sambalpdr.  It  is  about  150  miles  in  breadth  from  east  to  west,  and  135  miles 
in  length  from  north  to  south.  Besides  the  Jchalsa  portion  of  the  district, 
which  is  more  directly  under  the  management  of  the  district  authorities,  there 
is  a  large  area  of  country  held  by  petty  chiefs,  called  zaminddrs,  holding  their 
estates  at  low  quit-rents,  and  by  semi-independent  feudatories.  These  estates 
are  as  follows  : — 

rZaminddr  of  Ndndgion. 
.        Do.         of  Khaiiigarh. 
"j       Do. 


Feudatories 


r 


00 

I 

I 


North-Westem 


South-Westem. 


Eastern   ^| 


Do. 
"  Parpori. 

Lohdrd  Sahasptlr. 

Gandai. 

Barbaspdr. 

Silheti. 
^.Thikurtold. 

fWardrband. 
Khujjf. 
Daund(  Loh^. 
l^Gundardehi. 
^Fingeswar. 
Sdarmdr. 
Narrd. 
Kauria. 
Deorf. 


of  Chhuikhaddn. 
of  Kdnker* 


to 
d 

§ 


J 


Kharidr. 

Bindrd  Nawdgarh. 


Lately  attached 
to    Rdiptir,  for- 
l^merly  belonging 
J  to  SambalpS*. 


*Thi8  article  consists  almost  entirely  of  extracts  from  the  Land  ReTcnue  Settlement  Report 
on  Riipdr,  by  Mr.  J.  F.  K.  Hewitt. 


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The  whole  area  of  these  tracts  as  shown  by  the  Settlement  Records  is  as 
follows : — 

Acres.  Square  Milet. 

Khflsa,  inclusive  of  Government  wastes.... 50,442,365  7,881 

Chhattisgarhi  zaminddrls    1,130,844  1,767 

Sambalpdr  zam(nd£ris  attached  to  Rdipilr 2,800 

Fetidatories    2,940 

Total 15>388 

Of  these  areas  only  those  of  the  khalsa  and  Ghhattfsgarh  zam(nd&:{s  are 
given  from  actual  measurements  made  by  the  Settlement  department.  Those  of 
the  Sambalpdr  zaminddrfs  are  calculated  from  the  maps  of  the  Topographical 
Survey ;  while  the  area  of  the  feudatoryships  are  only  approximate  guesses,  as 
there  are  as  yet  no  maps  of  these  tracts. 

Though  the  name  of  Ghhattfsgarh  was  orginally  applied  to  a  portion  only  of 
p  ft  *^®  country  now  included  in  the  R^ipdr  and  Bil&s- 

ea  uret  o  coun  ry.  ^^^  districts,  yet  the  whole  of  the  area  of  both 

districts  is  geographically  homogeneous,  and  may  be  shortly  described  as  the 
basin  of  the  Upper  Mahdnadf  and  its  tributaries,  together  with  the  hills  in  which 
these  tributaries  take  their  rise.  The  whole  of  this  tract  is  surrounded  by 
ranges  of  hills  branching  from  the  great  Vindhyan  chain  of  Central  India.  Below 
the  hills  to  the  west  and  south  of  Chhattisgarh  there  is  a  broad  belt  of  black 
soil.  The  north-western  portion  of  this  belt  is  in  the  district  of  BUdspdr,  while 
the  remainder  of  the  tract  belongs  to  the  zamind^i  estates  of  Parpori,  hohiri, 
Sahaspdr,  Gandai,  Silheti,  and  Barbasptir,  and  to  the  feudatories  of  Chhuikhaddn, 
Khair&garh,  and  Ndndg&on.  To  the  south  the  black  soil  tract  is,  with  the 
exception  of  a  portion  in  the  Gimdardehi  zaminddrf,  entirely  within  the  khalsa 
parganas  of  Rdjlm,  Dhamtari,  Bdlod,.  and  Sanjdrf.  The  centre  of  Chhattisgarh 
beyond  the  black  soil  is  an  undulating  plain,  intersected  by  numerous  rivers  and 
n^^s,  ¥rith  broad  fertile  valleys,  which  are  separated  trom  one  another  by  rolling 
downs.  This  formation  affords  peculiar  facilities  for  irrigation,  which  have  as  yet 
been  by  no  means  fully  utilised.  Almost  the  whole  of  this  is  cleared  of  jungle, 
inhabited,  and  cultivated.  To  the  east  of  the  Mahdnadl  the  hills  come  close  to  the 
stream,  leaving,  except  in  the  R^jfm  pargana,  and  in  the  north-east  of  that  of 
Dhamtari,  but  a  small  share  of  fertile  plain  between  the  hill-country  and  the  river. 
The  khalsa  lands  are  now  separated  into  four  tahsfl  subdivisions,  viz.  Simgd, 
R^fpdr,  Drdg,  and  Dhamtari.  To  make  these  as  compact  as  possible  it  has  been 
found  necessary  to  disregard  in  many  instances  the  old  pargana  boundaries. 

Of  these  tahstls  the  most  northern  is  Simg£.  It  contains  the  very  fertile 
tracts  of  Naw^garh,  Deorbiji,  and  the  northern  portion  of  the  Dhamd&  pargana. 
The  rest  of  the  tahsfl  has  been  recently  cleared,  but  still  contains  a  good  d^  of 
low  scrub-jungle  here  and  there.  This  is,  however,  retained  rather  to  satisfy  the 
requirements  of  the  people  than  from  their  inabUity  to  clear  it,  and  a  good 
deal  of  it  is  rocky  soil,  and  more  valuable  as  jungle  than  if  it  were  cultivated ;  but 
there  is  also  a  large  portion  which  remains  uncultivated  because  of  the  thatching- 

5:rass  it  yields — a  product  which  is  quite  as  valuable  as  an  average  crop  of  cereals, 
n  the  lUfpdr  tahsfl  the  western  portion  is  well  cultivated  and  populous,  but 
in  the  east  there  is  a  large  area  of  jungle  and  the  extensive  Government  waste  of 
Laun,  Sirpdr,  and  KhaWrf.  Drdg  has  no  jungle  whatsoever  within  its  limits,  and 
the  whole  of  the  tahsfl  is  well  cultivated,  while  Dhamtarf  presents  the  greatest 


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contrasts  of  all  the  tahsfls.  There  are^  except  in  Laun,  no  such  wild  tracts  in  the 
district  as  the  Seh^wd^  Dhamtari^  B&lod^  and  Sanj^rf  jungles^  while  the  villages  in 
the  black-soil  tract  in  the  centre  of  Dhamtari  and  of  BiUod  are  the  most  fertile 
and  populous  in  the  country. 

Within  the  country  above  described  there  are  two  principal  river  systems 
^.  i.  T^    ,.  . .  .         which  subsequently  unite  and  form  the  Mahdnadf 

River  system  of  the  district.        p^^p^^      rj^^  ^^  ^^^  these-the  Seondth-which 

contains  much  the  larger  supply  of  water,  rises  in  the  hills  of  the  P^n^b&ras 
zamfnddri  in  the  Chdndd  district,  and  flows,  after  its  entrance  into  Bdipdr,  in  a 
direction  for  the  most  part  north-east  for  about  one  hundred  and  twenty  miles,  till 
it  is  joined  by  the  Hdmp  from  the  west ;  after  this  junction  it  turns  eastward  for 
about  forty  miles,  till  it  joins  the  Mahdnadi  in  the  north-east  comer  of  the  district. 
Its  tributaries  in  the  Rdfpdr  district  are  on  the  left  bank,  proceeding  from  the 
south,  the  Gtmiarii,  A'm,  Sdrf,  Gdrdghdt,  Ghogwd,  and  H^p ;  on  the  right 
bank,  the  Karkard,  Tenddld,  Eirdn,  and  Eliorsi.  In  the  latter  part  of  its  course, 
after  the  jimction  with  the  Hdmp,  it  forms  the  boundary  between  the  Bil&spdr  and 
Rdfpdr  districts,  except  where  it  flows  to  the  north  of  the  Tarengi  pargana,  belong- 
ing to  Bildspdr,  but  lying  to  the  south  of  the  Seondth.  The  stream  known  as  the 
Mahdnadf  in  Bdipdr,  though  it  ultimately  gives  its  name  to  the  river,  is  of 
very  little  importance  to  the  country  as  compared  with  the  Seondth  and  Kdrdn. 
It  takes  its  rise  a  few  miles  to  the  east  of  the  town  of  Sehfiwi  in  the  extreme 
south-east  of  the  district,  in  an  insignificant  puddle  in  the  middle  of  a  rice-field, 
and  thence  fiows  due  west  through  the  SeMwd  pargana  and  the  K&nker  feuda- 
tory estate  for  about  thirty  miles,  after  which  it  turns  sharply  to  the  north-east 
through  a  very  narrow  valley,  in  some  places  not  much  more  than  five  hundred 
or  six  hundred  yards  broad,  through  which  it  flows  for  about  twenty  miles.  It 
continues  in  this  course  till  it  reaches  a  point  about  sixteen  miles  to  the  north- 
east of  the  town  of  Dhamtari,  where  it  turns  more  to  the  north,  and  thence  flows 
in  a  north-east  direction  till  its  junction  with  the  Seondth.  The  Mahdnadf 
receives  no  large  tributary  till  it  reaches  Rdjfm,  about  thirty  miles  to  the 
south-east  of  Rdipdr,  where  it  is  joined  by  the  Pairi,  which  flows  from  the 
south-east,  rising  in  the  Bindrd  Nawdgarh  zam(nddr(,  and  flowing  in  a 
north-easterly  direction  throujgh  a  hilly  country  for  about  sixty  miles  before 
its  junction  with  the  MaMnadL  About  fifteen  miles  to  the  south  of  Rdj(m  the 
Pair!  is  joined  by  the  Sundar — a  river  of  nearly  equal  length,  which  rises  in  the 
Jaipdr  estate  under  the  Madras  Government,  and  fiows  through  a  similar 
country  to  the  Pairi.  The  other  tributaries  of  the  Mah&nadf  are  the  Kesho, 
Kordr,  and  Nain(,  all  of  which  flow  from  the  east  through  hilly  tracts,  watering 
narrow,  but  fertile  valleys.  Along  the  western  bank  it  only  receives  a  few 
insignificant  ndlds,  and  the  space  of  fertile  black-soil  plain  which  lies  between  it 
and  the  uplands  of  the  interior  of  the  district  is  generally  narrow.  The  general 
character  of  the  Mahdnadi  and  the  rivers  in  the  east  of  the  district  is  very 
different  from  that  of  the  Seondth  and  its  tributaries.  The  latter  streams  gene- 
rally flow  over  a  rocky  or  gravelly  bottom,  and  consequently  retain  water  for 
the  whole,  or  greater  part,  of  the  year ;  while  the  beds  of  the  former  are  wide 
wastes  of  sand,  dry  for  more  than  half  the  year,  and  at  no  time,  except  during 
high  flood,  containing  much  water.  The  Mahdnadf  is  occasionally,  but  very  seldom, 
navigable  for  boats  of  light  draught  from  A^rang,  about  fifty  miles  below  its 
junction  with  the  Seondt£. 

As  above  stated  the  whole  of  the  country  to  the  east  of  the  Mahinadf  occu- 
„.«  pied  by  the  zamfnddrls  of  Deorf,  Kaurid,  Narrd, 

urn  country.  Sdarmdr,FingeBwar,Kharidr,and  Bindrd  Nawdgarh 


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406  RAI 

is  hilly  and  covered  with  jungle,  and  the  same  may  be  said  of  the  tract  to  the  south 
of  the  district  occupied  by  the  pargana  of  Sehiw4,  the  Kinker  feudatory  state, 
and  the  southern  portion  of  the  Dhamtarl,  BSlod,  and  Sanj&i  parganas,  together 
with  the  zaminddrls  of  Daundi-Lohdrfi,  and  Khujjl.  To  the  west  the  feudatories 
of  Ndndgdon,  Khairdgarh,  and  Chhuikhaddn  hold  but  a  small  portion  of  hill 
country,  the  hills  in  this  direction  for  the  most  part  belonging  to  the  Bhand&ra 
and  Bdldghdt  districts,  and  the  same  may  be  said  of  the  zaminddris  to  the  north- 
west, where  the  Thdkurtold  zamfnddrl  is  the  only  one  of  which  the  whole,  or  greater 
part,  of  the  area  is  occupied  by  hill  and  jungle.  The  hills  are  generally  low, 
rarely  rising  over  1,500  or  1,600  feet  high,  except  the  Graurdgarh  plateau,  and  the 
range  in  the  south  of  Sehdwd,  extending  into  Bastar  and  K^iker. 

The  district  has  not  yet  been  geologically   surveyed,   but  the   following' 
_    ,    .    ,   ,      ^   .  ^-  characteristics  may  be  accepted  as  a  fairly  correct 

Geological  cbtrtctcnstic.  account  of  the  leading  geological  features.     The 

hilly  tracts  on  the  outskirts  of  the  district  are  mostly  composed  of  gneiss  and 
quartzite,  while  the  sandstone  rocks  are  intersected  with  trap  dykes.  Iron-ore 
is  abundant^  and  that  found  in  Dalli  in  the  Lohdrd  zamfnddrf,  and  in  the  hills  to 
the  west  of  Grandai,  is  particularly  good.  *  Lead  has  been  also  found  in  the  south- 
west of  the  Ndndgdon  zamf addrf,  and  the  red  ochre  of  Grandai  and  Thdkurtoli 
is  celebrated.  In  the  interior  of  the  district  the  stratum  below  the  alluvial 
deposits  is  invariably  a  soft  sandstone  slate,  covered  generally  by  a  layer  of 
laterite  gravel,  and  in  many  places  the  shale  has  been  converted  into  hard 
vitrified  sandstone,  forming  an  excellent  building  stone.  Below  this  again  lies 
the  blue  limestone  which  crops  out  in  nimierous  places  on  the  surface,  and  is 
invariably  found  in  the  beds  of  the  rivers. 

Throughout  the  plain  country  the  soil  is  generally  fertile,  about  fifty-seven 
^.,      ,  ,  per  cent  being  equally  adapted  for  the  growth  of 

an      a   r-supp  y.  ^^  ^^ ^  cold-season  crops ;  while  of  the  remainder 

about  twenty-three  per  cent,  though  not  fitted  for  rabi  crops,  produces  better 
rice  crops  than  any  soil  but  that  of  the  best  first-class.  The  rest  is  either 
rocky  or  hard  poor  laterite,  which  will  only  occasionally  yield  a  second-rate  crop 
of  the  inferior  grains,  such  as  kodo.  In  the  hilly  country  the  soil  is  mostly  poor, 
except  in  the  narrow  valleys,  in  which  the  constant  supply  of  water,  and  the 
natural  barriers  to  its  outlet  furnished  by  the  hills,  keep  the  land  almost  always 
in  that  swampy  state  which  is  necessary  for  the  production  of  the  best  crops  of 
rice.  One  of  the  most  distinguishing  features  of  the  district  is  the  great  number 
of  tanks.  These  are  generally  formed  by  throwing  a  dam  across  a  hollow ;  but 
in  most  large  villages  there  are  one  if  not  more  tanks  to  be  found  embanked  on 
all  four  sides,  and  planted  with  trees, — ^the  work  of  some  public-spirited  villager, 
or  perhaps  of  some  enterprising  Banjdrd  who  used  to  pasture  his  cattle  in  the 
village  in  the  day  when  the  jungle  was  uncut.  These  tanks,  which  depend 
almost  entirely  on  the  rainfall  for  their  water-supply,  are  considered  on  that 
account  to  give  better  drinking-water  than  those  formed  by  throwing  a  dam 
across  the  valleys,  and  in  this  respect  they  must  be  allowed  to  have  some  advan- 
ti^es ;  but  as  but  little  care  is  taken  to  keep  them  clear,  the  water  before  the  hot 
weather  is  generally  a  muddy  mass  of  impurity.  Besides  the  trees  round  the 
tanks,  there  are  but  few  to  be  seen  throughout  the  greater  part  of  the  district,  and 
mango-groves,  so  common  in  Upper  India,  are  here  few  and  far  between.  Wells 
were  unknown  in  the  district  till  the  last  two  years ;  but  the  recent  orders  grant- 
ing rent-firee  land  to  persons  digging  wells  have  led  to  the  construction  of  wells 
lined  with  masonry  in  many  of  the  hh&Ua  villages.     Along  the  banks  of  the 


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Mahdnadi  and  to  the  south  of  the  district  water  is  found  at  from  twelve  to 
twenty-four  feet  from  the  surface,  but  in  the  east  it  is  not  so  easily  procured. 

The  average  rainfall  is  about  forty  inches.     The  hills  which   encircle  the 

-,  .  -  „      ,    ,.     ,  district  generally  insure  the  fall  of  an  adequate,  or 

Rainfall  and  climate.  i        j  i.  i        r       i.  j      \li_'     xi. 

nearly  adequate,  supply  oi  water,  and  withm  the 

last  fifty  years,  beyond  which  no  records  are  available,  only  one  very  severe 

famine  has  been  known  in  Rdipiir.     This  occurred  in  1835,  and  numbers  of 

people  are  said  to  have  died  of  hunger.     There  is  no  trustworthy  evidence 

extant  from  which  the  extent  of  the  calamity  can  be  learnt,  but   that  it  must 

have  been  severe  is  shown  by  the  fact  that  the  revenue  of  almost  all  the  villages 

in  the  district  declined  considerably  in  the   next  few   succeeding  years,  while 

another,  but  less  severe,  famine  occurring  in  1844,  completed  the  ruin  of  many 

villages.*     The  climate  is  generally  good,  varying  less  than  in  the  districts  of 

Bengal  and  Upper  India,  and  though  the  cold  season  is  very  difierentfrom  that 

of  Behar  or  even  of  Bengal,    yet  the  rains  are  always  cool  and  pleasant.     The 

district  has  been  for  the  last  few  years  generally  healthy,  though  previously  it 

had  a  bad  reputation  from  the  cholera  which  had  visited  it  almost  every  year 

for  twenty  years;  but  the  lastf  bad  outbreak  of  the  disease  was  in  1866,  and  then 

it  was  confined  to  the  north  of  the  district  only.     The  people  attribute  this 

immunity  in  a  great  measure  to  the  sanitary  precautions  which  have  lately  been 

introduced,  and  the  coincidence  of  the  cessation  of  cholera  and  the  introduction 

of  sanitary  reform  is  certainly  fortunate,  as  it  has  induced  the  people  to  take  up 

with  a  sort  of  enthusiasm  a  system  of  precautions  which  is  generally  distasteful 

to  the  natives  of  the  country.     It  is  to  be  hoped  that  their  newly-bom  faith  may 

not  sink  under  a  premature  trial.     Besides  cholera  the  prevalent  disorders  are 

fevers  and  small-pox;  the  former  are  very  frequent  during  the  rains  and  the 

beginning  of  the  cold  weather ;  but,  except  in  the  jungles,  the  fever  is  generally 

of  a  mild  type.     Small-pox  has  hitherto  yearly  carried  oflf  a  large  number  of 

children,  but  now  that  vaccination  has  been  introduced,  its  ravages  may  be 

mitigated,  if  it  be  not  entirely  exterminated.     Stone  is  also  very  prevalent,  and 

a  large  number  of  operations  for  this  disease  are  yearly  performed  at  the  Rdlpdr 

dispensary. 

There  are  no  large  towns  in  the  district  except  Rdfpdr,  but  Dhamtari  and 
_  ,  t   ., ,.  Rdiim  are  risinc:  places.     The  population  of  these 

Towns  and  buildings.  ^j^  ^^^  ^^^^  .^  as  follows  :- 

Rdipdr 16.645 

Dhamtari 4,632 

Edjim 2,571 

Rdipdr  is  the  head-quarters  of  the  grain  trade  of  the  district,  and  the  residence 
of  the  principal  merchants,  while  Dhamtari  and  Bdjim  derive  their  importance 
principally  from  the  jungle-produce  which  is  brought  there  for  sale.  The  trade 
is  a  somewhat  speculative  one,  but  very  lucrative  to  those  who  succeed,  and 
the  number  of  those  who  engage  in  it  is  yearly  increasing,  as  the  value  of  the 
jungle-produce  becomes  better  known.  Afr&ng  was  formerly  the  seat  of  a 
considerable  trade  in  lac,. but  the  clearing  of  the  jungles  to  the  east  of  the 
district  has  greatly  diminished  its  importance.  Among  agricultural  villages, 
Kurudh,  Paldri,  and  A^'mdi — all  of  them  in  Dhamtari — are  the  most  populous. 

♦  There  has  been  drought  and  severe  distress  this  year  also  (1868-69). 
t  Cholera  again  appeared  this  year  (1869)  aoiong  the  half -fed  gangs  of  pauper-labourers  on 
relief  works. 


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408  RAI 

Drdg^  as  the  head^quarters  of  a  tahsfl,  and  Dhamd^^  $LA  the  former  residence  of 
a  Gond  dynasty^  only  extinct  within  the  last  seventy  or  eighty  years^  also 
contain  a  considerable  number  of  inhabitants ;  while  in  the  other  parts  of  the 
district^  Kusmf^  Laun^  and  Sdrdg^on  in  the  Simgd  tahsil^  and  Kur^  in  that  of 
Rd(pdr^  deserve  mention.  In  Rdfpdr,  Dhamdd^  Pdtan^  Drtig,  Dhamtarf^  and 
Bdlod  there  are  the  ruins  of  old  forts  of  considerable  extent ;  but^  except  in 
Dhamdd^  these  remains  are  of  Uttle  architectural  beauty.  In  Laun^  along  the 
Mahdnadi^  the  forts  are  almost  as  numerous  as  the  villages^  but  they  are 
invariably  rude,  and  now  ruined  structures,  made  for  the  security  of  the  inhabi- 
tants, on  the  occasion  of  the  periodical  raids  of  the  Binjwdrs  from  the  Son&khdn 
hills.  At  A'rang  in  the  Rdipdr  tahsil,  at  Deobalodd  in  the  Drtlg  tahsfl,  and  at 
Crandai  in  the  zam(nddr{  of  that  name,  there  are  fine  Buddhist  or  Jain  temples, 
and  at  K&j{m  the  original  portion  of  the  temple  which  still  exists  shows  a  good 
deal  of  artistic  skill  and  taste.  Throughout  the  district  there  are  numerous 
ruius  of  temples,  and  almost  every  village  has,  as  its  deity,  some  old  statue  reft 
from  a  decayed  building,  often  showing  considerable  refinement  in  the  sculp- 
tors, and  almost  always  exhibiting  a  skill  which  would  now  be  sought  for  m 
vain  in  Chhattfsgarh.  Of  more  extensive  ruins  those  of  Sirpdr  may  be  men- 
tioned)  consisting  of  the  remains  of  temples  and  palaces  of  stone,  for  the  most 
part  hidden  in  the  jungle. 

The  only  metalled  road  in  the  district  is  the  Great  Eastern  Road— the  im- 
perial line  running  from  Ndgpdr  to   Sambalpdr 
^^etallcd  and  fair-weather  through  Rdfp dr.     The  part  of  the  road  between 

Rd(ptir  and  the  western  boundary  of  the  district 
towards  Ndgpdr  is  nearly  finished,  but  that  between  Ild(pdr  and  Sambalpdr 
has  not  been  begun.  Two  fair-weather  roads  have  been  made  from  local  funds — 
one  to  Dhamtari,  and  the  other  via  Simgd  to  Ndndghdt  on  the  banks  of  the 
Seondth,  where  it  meets  the  Bildspdr  district  road  leading  to  that  station.  A 
branch  from  Simgd  to  join  the  road  from  Bildspdr  to  Jabalpdr  over  the  Chilpi 
Ghdt  is  now  being  begun,  and  a  road  from  Rd(pur  to  Seorinardin  has  also  been 
commenced.  On  the  Simgd  road  a  few  bridges  have  been  built ;  but,  except 
on  the  Great  Eastern  Road,  no  bridges  have  yet  been  attempted  on  the  other 
lines. 

The  isolated  state  of  Chhattfsgarh  from  the  earliest  times  renders  the  facts 

Earl    h'storv  of  its  history,  except  as  they  illustrate  the  growth 

y     scary,  ^^  .^^  present  institutions  and  customs,  of  little 

interest  or  value,  while  the  paucity  of  the  materials  extant  renders  it  a  task  of 

some  diflSculty  to  obtain  even  such  an  outline  as  is  necessary  for  the  purpose  of 

this  Gazetteer.     However,  from  traditions — many  of  which,  owing  to  the  hetero- 

feneous  character  of  the  population,  and  the  fact  that  most  of  the  inhabitants  are 
escended  from  recent  immigrants,  are  vague — inscriptions  either  existing  in 
the  original,  or  in  copies  made  by  orders  of  Colonel  Agnew  when  in  charge  of 
Chhattisgarh  from  1818 — 1825,  and  hints  found  in  the  customs  of  the  people, 
a  not  wholly  inadequate  account  of  the  past  history  of  the  district  may  be 
framed. 

Like  the  rest  of  Central  India,  Chhattisgarh  seems  to  have  been  inhabited 
in  the  earliest  times  by  Bhunjiyis  and  other  Kolarian  races  from  the'East.  These, 
however,  having  little  administrative  ability  or  instinct  for  cohesion,  never 
succeeded  in  establishing  anything  like  a  regular  government,  and  were  in  very 
early  times  conquered  and  dnven  to  the  hills  by  the  Gonds,  by  whom  the  first 
system  of  government  was  founded ;  and  in  this  system,  though  greatly  corrupted 


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— *and  111  ihe  last  three  or  four  hundred  years  almost  obliterated— will  be  found 
the  key  to  the  innumerable  anomalies  which  now  perplex  the  inquirer  into  the 
customs  of  Chhattisgarh.  To  the  east  of  the  Mahdnadi  the  Bhunjijds  and 
Binjwdrs  maintained  themselves  till  a  late  period.  The  last  Binjwdr  chief  of 
Sondkhdn  was  hanged  in  the  Mutiny ;  while  tradition  still  tells  of  the  Gond 
conquest  of  Bindra  Nawdgarh,  and  the  victories  of  the  Gond  heroes  over  the 
barbarian  giants^  though  the  latter  were  assisted  by  magical  and  supernatural 
gifts. 

It  is  impossible  to  say  exactly  when  R&lpdr  became  part  of  the  dominions 
Hailia'  Ban  C     1  ^^    ^^^    ancicnt    Haihai-Bansf  dynasty,    but    it 

appears  to  have  been  cut  off  from  the  Ratanpdr 
kingdom,  and  separately  governed  by  a  younger  branch  of  the  reigning  family 
about  the  ninth  century.  An  inscription  in  a  temple  at  R^jlm,*  dated  Samvat 
796,  commemorates  the  conquests  in  these  parts  of  a  chief  named  Jagatpdl, 
who  appears  to  have  acquired  the  fort  of  Durra  or  Drdg  in  the  Rdipdr  district 
by  a  marriage  connection  with  Rija  Prithvi  Deva  of  the  Haihai-Bans(  line. 
From  the  time  of  this  inscription  to  Samvat  1458,  corresponding  to  a.d.  1401, 
in  which  year  a  rdjd  named  Lachhman  Deva  appears,  from  an  inscription 
formerly  existing  in  the  Bd(pdr  fort,  to  have  reigned,  there  is  no  trustworthy 
record  of  the  history  of  this  principality.  But  from  an  inscription  at  Batanpiir 
it  would  seem  that  as  late  as  the  end  of  the  eleventh,  or  commencement 
of  the  twelfth  century  the  reigning  prince  of  the  elder  line,  which  always 
retained  a  feudal  superiority  over  the  Rdipdr  branch,  were  driven  back  from 
Katanpdr  to  the  hills  by  an  uprising  of  Bdkshasas,  or  aboriginal  tribes, 
so  that  the  Edipdr  government  was  probably  not  very  solid  until  some 
centuries  after  its  establishment.  Under  the  Haihai-Bansl  dynasty  the 
government  seems  to  have  been  a  patriarchal  aristocracy,  the  system  being 
derived  from  the  Gonds.  Under  the  nomad  invaders  of  the  Turanian 
race  the  unit  seems  not  to  have  been^  as  among  some  at  least  of  the 
more  civilised  Aryans  of  Upper  India,  the  fSamily,  but  the  clan  :  hence,  while  in 
Upper  India  the  family  developed  into  the  village  community,  among  the 
Turanian  races  the  clan  settled  themselves  in  a  number  of  neighbouring  viUages, 
which  were  formed  into  a  tdluka.  All  the  original  inhabitants  of  each  of 
these  tdlukas  were  attached  to  their  chief  by  the  ties  of  blood  or  community  of 
interest.  As  long  as  the  original  tradition  of  a  connection  between  the  members 
of  each  tdluka,  and  of  the  different  tdlukaddrs  with  one  another  under  a 
common  chief,  existed,  the  aggregate  thus  formed  was  a  powerful  state,  formi- 
dable aUke  for  attack  and  defence ;  but  as  the  hereditary  bond  of  connection 
was  weakened  by  time  and  the  loss  of  the  constant  stimulus  of  common  action, 
the  parts  separated  from  each  other  and  fell  easily,  one  by  one,  under  the  yoke 
of  a  common  invader.  Such  an  invader  would  replace  the  indigenous  chiefs  by 
strangers  attached  to  himself,  and  hence  the  system  would  receive  a  further 
shock  from  the  absence  of  any  bond  between  the  new  t^ukad^rs  and  their 
subordinates,  and  this  process  had  probably  taken  place  once  at  least  before  the 
conquest  of  the  district  by  the  Haihai-Bansi  princes.  They  introduced  a  number 
of  adventurers  from  Hindustan,  making  over  to  them  the  lands  of  the  older 
settlers  ;  and  the  lists  of  Bildspdr  tdlukaddrs  prepared  in  the  time  of  Lachhman 
Sen  show  that  the  greater  part  of  the  tdlukad^rs  were  of  foreign  extraction. 
As  there  are  no  such  lists  extant  for  Biipdr,  it  does  not  appear  how  far  the 

*  Asiatic  Researches,  toI.  xv.  pp.  500  Jf. 
52  CPG 


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410  RAI 

chaDgo  had  been  caiTied  in  this  part  of  the  country ;  but  there  can  be  little  doubt 
that  the  old  system  had  been  even  at  this  time  greatly  changed,  while  in 
succeeding  generations  it  was  almost  obliterated,  and  not  only  were  the  older 
holders  ejected  from  their  tdlukas,  but  the  boundaries  of  tonkas  were  dis- 
regarded, and  two,  or  three,  or  even  single  villages  were  given  to  applicants,  while 
the  Gond  ryots  were  swamped  by  foreign  settlers.  It  is  clear  that  under  such 
a  system  the  only  bond  that  united  the  whole  country  was  their  common  depen- 
dence upon  a  united  authority,  and  when  that  authority  was  weakened  by  the 
gradual  decay  of  the  ruling  race,  the  Mardth^  met  with  little  or  no  opposition 
when  they  invaded  the  country. 

The  first  Mardthd  invasion  took  place  in  a.d.  1741,  when  Bhdskar  Pandit, 

while  on   his   way  to  attack  Bengal,    defeated 
M  ^Jl^K?*  ^^  ChhatKsgarh  by    Raghundth  Singh,  the  representative  of  the  older 
the  Martthfts.  branch  of  the  Haihai-Bansi  race,  at  Ratanpdr ;  but 

neither  he  nor  Mohan  Singh,  who  was  put  in  charge  of  Chhattisgarh  by  Raghojl 
Bhonsld,  rdjd  of  Ndgpdr,  in  1745,  seems  to  have  at  first  interfered  with  Amar 
Singh,  the  representative  of  the  younger  branch  ruling  in  Rdfpdr.  He  continued 
to  administer  the  government  till  1750,  when  he  was  quietlv  ousted,  and  received 
for  his  maintenance  the  parganas  of  Rdjim,  Pdtan,  and  Rdipdr,  for  which  he  paid 
a  yearly  tribute  of  Rs.  7,000.  On  his  death,  in  1753,  his  son  Seordj  Singh  was 
absent  on  a  pilgrimage,  and  the  Mardthd  government  confiscated  the  parganas; 
but  when  Bimbdjf,  the  younger  brother  of  Jdnojf,  the  heir  of  Raghojf,  assumed 
the  government  in  1757,  he  gave  Seordj  Singh  the  village  of  Bargdon  in  the 
Rdipdr  taslill  free  of  revenue,  and  one  rupee  on  every  village  in  the  district 
for  his  maintenance.  This  arrangement  continued  till  1822,  when  in  lieu 
of  one  rupee  on  every  village  in  the  district,  Raghundth  Singh,  son  of  Seordj 
Singh,  received  the  villages  of  Govin-^d,  Mdrbend,  Ndndgdon.  and  Bdleswar, 
all  near  Bargdon,  free  of  revenue,  and  these  he  still  holds.  When  the  Mardthds 
undertook  the  government  of  the  country,  decay  had  already  in  all  probability 
reduced  it  to  a  state  very  much  inferior  to  that  which  it  had  attained 
during  the  earlier  days  of  the  Haihai-BansI  rule;  and  the  raids  of  the 
Binjwdrs  of  Sondkhdn  (a  tribe  allied  to  the  Bbdnjiyds  living  in  the  hills  to 
the  east  of  Laun,  between  the  Mahdnadi  and  the  Jonk)  had  seriously  afiFected 
the  prosperity  of  the  eastern  parganas  of  Laun,  Sirpdr,  Khaldrf,  and  the  eastern 
portion  of  Rdipdr,  and  a  continuance  of  these  disorders  gradually  caused  their 
almost  total  depopulation.  So  entirely  was  the  country  ruined  that  the 
revenue  of  the  three  first  named  tracts,  which  had  amounted  to  Rs.  63,160  in 
A.D.  1563,  was  reduced  to  between  3,000  and  4,000  Ndgpdr  rupees  in  a.I).  1817, 
and  it  is  only  within  the  last  few  years  that  they  have  begun  to  recover  their 
original  prosperity.  After  the  assumption  of  the  government  of  Chhattisgarh 
by  Bimbsji,  order  was  maintained,  though  chiefly  by  the  strong  hand  of  military 
rule,  and  some  efforts  were  made  to  harmonise  the  Mardthd  and  Chhattisgarh 
institutions,  which  had  already  been  assimilated  by  the  influx  of  immigrants 
accustomed  to  the  village  system  of  Upper  India.  On  his  death  in  1 787  his 
widow,  A'nandi  Bdi,  managed  the  country  for  a  year,  and  was  succeeded  by  a 
sdbaddr,  Vitthal  Divdkar,  who  is  said  to  have  introduced  a  form  of  pargana 
accounts  on  the  village  system  known  to  the  Mardthds.  After  his  time  the 
government  seems  to  have  degenerated  into  anarchy :  insurrections  were,  as  is 
stated  by  Colonel  Agnew,  frequent,  and  the  revenue  of  the  Ichaha  lands  was 
raised  in  the  eighteen  years  between  1799  and  1817  from  Rs.  1,26,000  to 
lis.  3,83,000.  The  character  of  the  administration  may  be  judged  from  the 
description  of  Major  Agncw  in  1819,  who  says  that  the  country  ^^  presented  one 


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RAI  411 

"  uniform  scene  of  plunder  and  oppression,  uninflaenced  by  any  considerations 
"  but  that  of  collecting,  by  whatsoever  means,  the  largest  amount  possible/^* 

After  the  deposition  of  A'pd  Sdhib  in  1818  the  country  was  taken  under 

T>  x-  1.    J    •  •  X   ..  British  superintendence  during  the  minority  of 

British  administration.  .i  ^  -d      i,   -^        j  r»     i.  •      i?j         j 

the  younger  Raghoji,  and  Captain  Ldmonds  was 

the  first  officer  put  in  charge  of  Chhattfsgarh.  He,  however,  had  scarcely  suc- 
ceeded in  putting  down  the  disturbances  in  Dongargarh,  in  the  west  of  the 
district,  when  he  died,  a  few  months  after  his  arrivd,  and  was  succeeded  by 
Colonel  Agnew.  This  officer,  whose  name  is  still  well  remembered  throughout 
the  country,  was  superintendent  from  1818  to  1825.  His  first  task  on  assuming 
charge  was  to  put  down  the  pretended  heirs  of  the  Gond  rdja  of  Dhamdd,  who 
had  rebelled,  and  to  compel  the  Binjwdr  chief  of  Sondkhdn  to  give  up  the 
government  lands  he  had  usurped  during  the  disturbances.  Having  restored 
peace,  and  adjusted  the  large  balances  of  revenue  shown  as  due  in  the  Mardthd 
accounts,  he  proceeded  to  organise  the  civil  administration.  In  doing  so  his 
leading  principle  was  to  work  as  much  as  possible  through  the  people  them- 
selves, and  under  his  mild,  but  firm  administration  the  country  rapidly  began 
to  improve.  The  clearance  of  the  fertile  black-soil  tracts  to  the  south  of  Dham- 
tari  and  Bdlod,  the  greater  part  of  the  Rdjfm  pargana  and  that  of  the  eastern 
part  of  Bdipdr,  which  had  been  allowed  to  lapse  into  jungle,  was  commenced, 
and  everywhere  the  area  under  cultivation  increased.  But  the  progress  of  the 
country  is  best  shown  by  the  revenue  of  the  khalsa  of  Chhattfsgarh,  which 
increased  from  Rs.  3,31,470  in  1818  to  Rs.  4,03,224  in  1825,  or  over  twenty-one 
per  cent  in  eight  years. 

From  1830  till  1851,  when  Chhattfsgarh  with  the  rest  of  the  dominions  of 

»    •  *    J    *.•      *nc  ^.vic     I        the  NdsTpdr  Bdid  lapsed  to  the  British  Govem- 
Re-introduction  of  Maratha  rule.  i.    riili.  xx^        i.  j  i.        >'u         u  j. 

ment,  Chhattisgarh  was  governed  by  subas ;  but 

the  general  system  followed  was  the  same  as  that  organised  by  Colonel  Agnew. 
The  country  seems  to  have  been  on  the  whole  well  administered;  and  it 
might  have  improved  rapidly  had  it  not  been  for  the  famines  of  1835  and  1844, 
which  checked  the  increase  of  the  population  and  ruined  many  villages.  How- 
ever, on  the  whole,  progress  was  made,  and  the  district  was  in  a  much  more 
flourishing  condition  when  taken  over  in  1854  than  when  Colonel  Agnew  received 
charge  in  1 8 1 8.  The  revenue  of  Rdf  pdr  alone  in  1 855— the  year  after  the  annexa- 
tion— amounted  to  2,78,536  Company's  rupees,  equal  to  about  3,25,886  Ndgpdr 
rupees,  or  very  nearly  the  revenue  paid  by  the  whole  of  Chhattfsgarh  in  1818. 

The  first  officer  appointed  to  the  charge  of  Chhattfsgarh  after  the  annexa- 
tion was   Captain    Elliot.     His    jurisdiction,    of 
Introduction  of  British  rule  in     which  the  limits  were  the  same  as  in  the  time  of 
1854,  and  subsequent  administra-     Colonel  Agnew,  included   not  only  the  whole  of 
^^^'  Chhattfsgarh,  but  also  Bastar — an  extent  of  country 

which  necessitated  at  first  the  continuance  of  a  system  of  patriarchal  govern- 
ment similar  to  that  instituted  by  Colonel  Agnew;  but  from  1856,  when  the 
country  was  divided  into  three  tahsfls,  of  which  two — ^Dhamtarf  and  Rdfpdr — 
were  in  the  Rdfpdr  district,  a  more  regular  system  began  to  be  introduced. 
In  1857  Drdg  was  made  a  tahsfl,  and  in  1861  Bildspdr  was  separated  from 
Rdfpdr,  and  in  1863  a  fourth  tahsfl  at  Simgd,  completing  the  number  now 
existing,  was  added  to  Rdfpdr.  Rdfpdr  suflTered  but  little  during  the  mutiny, 
the  only  disturbances  being  those  which  were  excited  by  Ndrdyan  Singh  of 

*  Rdfpdr  MSS.  records. 


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412  RAI 

Sonilkhfin.  He  w^as  hanged  in  1 858,  and  his  estate  confiscated.  Since  that  time 
the  Binjwir  raids  into  the  east  of  the  district  have  been  completely  discontinued, 
and  the  flourishing  tracts  of  Laun,  Sirpilr,  and  Khaliri,  which  had  so  long 
Buffered  from  the  oppression  of  these  hill  tribes,  are  rapidly  becoming  one  oif 
the  most  flourishing  portions  of  the  district. 

The  first  census  taken  in  Chhattfsgarh  seems  to  have  been  that  made  in 
.  1820-21  by  Colonel  Agnew.     It  is  not  clear  what 

opu  a  on.  ^^^^  j|.  comprised,  but  even  if  it  was  confined  to 

the  population  of  the  hhalsa  area  of  Bilfapdrand  Bdlpdr,  the  number  of  571,915 
inhabitants  would  only  give  about  fifty  persons  to  the  square  mile.  If  this 
could  be  relied  on  as  an  accurate  enumeration  of  the  people,  it  would  show  more 
forcibly  than  any  words  could  do  the  wretched  condition  to  which  the  country 
was  then  reduced.  The  next  census  taken  was  on  the  night  of  the  5th  Novem- 
ber 1866.  The  population  then  counted  amounted  to  952,754  souls,  or  about 
101  persons  to  the  square  mile  over  the  whole  area  of  the  khdlsa  and  the 
Chhattisg&rh  zaminddris,  exclusive  of  the  Feudatories  and  the  wild  tracts  of 
Kharidr  and  Bindr^  Nawdgarh.  In  the  khalsa  the  total  population  was  835,874 
souls,  giving,  after  deducting  the  1,850  square  miles  of  uninhabited  waste,  an 
average  of  about  130  persons  to  the  square  mile  ;  while  in  the  more  populous 
portions  of  the  Dhamtarl  tahsfl  the  population  is  from  210  to  230  per  square 
mile.  In  the  Feudatory  estates  the  population  was  found  to  amount  to  317,275 
souls,  giving  an  average  of  about  108  persons,  or  if  the  wild  tract  of  Kfinker  be 
excluded,  about  140  to  the  square  mile ;  while  in  Kharidr  and  Bindrd  Nawdgarh 
the  total  population  was  only  52,633  souls,  or  about  eighteen  to  the  square 
mile. 

The  population  of  Rdiptir  has  been  recruited  from  all  quarters ;  but  the 
most  important  immigrants,  and  the  earliest  after  the  first  great  Gond  invasion, 
are  those  who  hare  come  from  the  north.  From  the  east  the  immigration  has 
been  very  small,  and  the  immigrants  consist  chiefly  of  a  few  wild  wanderers 
in  the  jungles,  while  from  the  south  and  west  there  has  been  a  considerable 
influx  of  population.  Of  the  immigrant  tribes,  the  Kurmls,  Tells,  Lodhis,  Cham- 
drs,  Ahirs  or  Gdirds,  Gindds,  and  E^nwars  seem  to  have  come  from  the  north, 
though  a  large  section  of  TeKs  and  some  few  Kurmls  have  come  from  Nagpdr. 
The  greater  number  of  immigrants  from  the  south  and  west  are  Halb&s  from 
Bastar  and  Chandd,  and  Mar&thfa.  The  principal  cultivating  castes  are 
Kurmls,  Tells,  Chamdrs,  and  Halbds,  though  of  these  only  the  Kurmis  and  Tells 
are  large  landholders. 

The  Chamdrs  lay  claim  to  a  very  high  antiquity  among  the  inhabitants 
Chamdra  ^^  *^®  district ;   but  the  truth  of  their  asser- 

tions appears  open  to  doubt.  They  all  call 
themselves  Baiddsis — a  name  which  none  of  them  can  explain,  but  which  evi- 
dently comes  from  Rai  D&a — a  Chamdr  reformer  and  disciple  of  Rdmdnand,  who 
is  said  to  have  lived  about  the  fifteenth  century  in  the  country  lying  to  the 
south  of  Oudh  and  in  Bewd.  The  creed  he  preached  seems  to  have  been  very 
similar  to  that  of  Gh&sl  D&a,  the  celebrated  Satn^ml  teacher,  who  started  the 
great  movement  among  the  Chamdrs  fifty  years  ago,  which  has  excited  so  much 
attention,  and  who  seems  rather  to  have  revived  the  teaching  of  Bai  Dds  than 
preached  a  new  religion.  The  name  of  Satndml  was  that  assumed  by  the  fol- 
lowers of  Bai  Dis,  and  the  constant  reference  to  his  name  shows  that  his  doc- 
trine must  have  sunk  deeply  into  their  minds  before  they  came  to  Chhattlsgarh, 
as  there  is  no  trace  of  Rai  Dlis  having  ever  visited  the  country.     Again,  the 


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RAI  413 

Cham^rs  are  chiefly  found  in  the  north-west  of  the  district,  there  being  very 
few  south  of  the  Riiprfr  tahsil,  and  they  have  never,  like  the  Gonds,  Telis,  and 
Ahfrs,  spread  all  over  the  districfc — a  fact  which  seems  to  show  that  they  are 
immigrants  of  a  comparatively  late  date.  It  is  generally  supposed  that  the 
names  of  *^  Satndmfs'^  and  Chamirs  are  synonymous ;  but  this  is  by  no  means 
the  case,  as  the  Satnimi  religion  does  not  refuse  to  receive  proselytes 
from  any  class.  But  as  the  Chamdrs  form  the  majority  of  the  sect,  and 
as  no  distinctions  of  caste  are  admitted  among  its  members,  all  converts 
of  other  castes  become,  in  the  eyes  of  the  Hindds,  Chamdrs.  Under  the 
influence  of  Ghdsf  D&a  a  considerable  number  of  men  of  other  castes 
became  Satn^mfs,  especially  Ahirs,  and  similar  accessions  must  have  taken 
place  from  time  to  time,  otherwise  it  is  hard  to  account  for  the  very  large 
numbers  of  Chamdrs  found  in  the  district.  As  a  class,  too,  they  do  not  present 
the  same  degraded  appearance  as  their  brethren  in  other  parts  of  India,  and 
as  a  rule  they  are  lighter  in  colour  than  the  members  of  other  cultivating  castes, 
while  some  of  the  men,  and  many  of  the  women,  are  remarkable  for  good  looks. 
Although  the  Chamdrs  are,  in  the  parts  of  the  district  where  they  are  chiefly 
found,  by  far  the  most  numerous  of  all  the  castes,  they  have  failed  in  securing 
a  leading  position  in  any  part  of  the  country.  They  are  looked  down  upon  by 
the  Hindds ;  the  Chamdr,  and  Hindd  *'  F&ris/'  in  villages  where  both  classes 
are  found,  being  always  separate  and  distinct;  but  at  the  same  time  the 
Chamir  ryots  are  a  power  in  the  land.  As  a  class  they  always  act  together, 
and  are  persistent  assertors  of  their  rights,  real  and  fancied,  and  a  terror  to  en- 
croaching mdlguzdrs,  few  being  found  bold  enough  to  stand  up  against  the  resist- 
ance of  Chamdr  ryots  to  unpopular  measures.  Outwardly  though,  as  Satnimfs, 
scrupulous  about  their  eating,  they  are  slovenly  and  untidy  in  their  habits, 
and  the  houses  of  even  the  wealthiest  of  them  are  generally  miserable  hovels. 
They  are  generally  industrious  though  careless  cultivators,  and  frugal  in  the 
extreme,  indulging  in  no  extravagance  in  dress  or  jewellery.  The  dress  of  the 
men  is  usually  a  single  cloth,  one  end  of  which  encircles  their  loins  and  another 
their  head,  and  the  women  wear  little  or  no  jewellery;  yet  they  rarely  make 
money,  and  seem  to  want  the  talent  of  getting  on  in  the  world.  Their  villages 
are  seldom  prosperous,  though  there  are  some  few  mdlguzdrs  who  form  con- 
spicuous exceptions  to  the  rule.  Though  this  apparent  inability  to  improve 
their  position  is  partly  due  to  Hindd  opposition,  yet  one  great  cause  of  the 
phenomenon  seems  to  be  their  individual  fickleness  and  want  of  perseverance. 
A  very  slight  cause  will  send  a  Ghamdr  cultivator  away  from  his  village,  and 
though  they  generally  return  after  a  short  interval,  yet  these  migrations  must 
necessarily  hinder  the  accumulation  of  property. 

The  Gdndds  or  Pankds  deserve  notice  as  Kabirpanthfs,  or  followers  of  Kabfr 
Q .   , .  — a  founder  of  a  sect  who  is  said  to  have  appeared 

in  the  weaver  caste,  in  the  same  country,  and  at 
the  same  time,  as  Bai  Dds,  both  being  disciples  of  Rdm^nand,  and  their  doctrines 
being  similar  in  many  respects.  Though  they  cultivate  the  land,  they  are  not 
generally  esteemed  as  cultivators,  while  the  few  villages  they  hold  as  land- 
holders are  miserable  in  the  extreme. 

The  Kanwars  are  usually  looked   upon  as  aborigines,  and  though  their 

^  appearance  and  their  preference  for  the  jungles  to 

aowars.  ^^^  cultivated  tracts,  as  well  as  their  abstinence 

from  Hindd  observances,  would  seem  to  point  to  this  opinion,  there  is  also 

some  ground  for  supposing  them  to  be  imperfect  Bijputs,  who  settled  in  early 


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times  among  tlie  hills  of  the  Vindhyan  range^  and  so  failed  in  becoming  Hin- 
ddised  like  other  warlike  immigrants.  Probably  they  are  of  Turanian  origin, 
but  they  seem  to  be  distinct  from  the  Kolarian  and  Dradivian  races.  Early 
documents  extant  at  Katanpdr  show  that  they  conquered  the  north-east  of  the 
Bildspdr  district  from  the  Bhdy&s ;  and  there  can  be  little  or  no  doubt  that  the 
chief  counsellors  and  the  most  trusted  followers  of  the  Haihai-Bansi  princes 
were  Kanwars.  It  was  to  Kanwar  chiefs  that  they  entrusted  the  hill  fortresses 
of  BUdspdr  on  their  descent  into  the  plains ;  while  the  assistance  rendered  by 
the  Kanwars  in  the  conquest  of  the  south  of  lUfpdr  and  Bastar  was  rewarded 
by  large  grants  of  land,  which  are  still  held  by  their  descendants  in  Dhamtarf, 
the  GhinSardehi  Zam(nd&r  and  the  Tdlukaddr  of  Bhutfdehi  being  both  de- 
scendants of  these  colonists.  They  have  always  made  a  claim,  though  in  a  half- 
hearted way,  to  be  considered  as  Rdjputs  connected  with  the  Tuar  tribe  of  the 
North- West,  and  their  claim  has  certainly  been  recognised  in  one  instance, 
as  the  first  Kanwar  chief  of  Narrd  received  his  estate  as  a  dowry  with  the  daughter 
of  the  Bdiput  chief  of  Kharidr.  Though  the  warlike  traditions  of  the  race  are 
preservedin  their  worship  of  Jhdgrd  KMnd  (or  Jhagrd  Khdndd)  under  the  form  of 
a  sword — a  form  of  worship  not  uncommon  among  Rdjput  tribes,  and  recalling 
to  mind  the  sword  which  was  the  national  deity  of  the  Huns  under  Attila — 
yet  whatever  they  may  have  been  originally,  the  Kanwars  of  the  present  day 
are  the  most  peaceable  and  quiet  of  men,  and,  when  once  fairly  settled  in  a 
cultivated  country,  are  industrious  and  good  cultivators  and  landlords.  In 
the  jungles  they  have  conformed  generally  to  the  customs  of  their  neighbours, 
and  worship  Ddld  Deo  and  Burhd  Deo,  as  their  Gond  brethren  do;  and  they 
always  seem  to  be  ready  to  take  up  with  the  belief  of  those  about  them,  though 
all  of  them,  except  the  richer  classes,  who  wish  to  be  considered  good  Hindds, 
avoid  Brdhmans.  They  bury  their  dead ;  and  marriages  are  performed  before 
the  elders  of  the  village.  In  the  khdlsa  they  are  chiefly  found  in  the  north- 
east of  the  district,  and,  except  the  colony  in  Dhamtarf,  they  are  rarely  found  in 
other  parts,  though  they  are  numerous  in  the  feudatory  states. 

The  Halbds  are  immigrants  from  the  South,  and  are  only  found  in  large 
„  .^,  numbers  in  the  south  of  the  district,  their  principal 

colony  being  in  the  south-west  of  the  Drdg  tahsfl, 
where  they  hold  thirty-seven  flourishing  villages.  They  gain  their  living  chiefly 
by  distilling  spirits ;  and  worship  a  pantheon  of  glorified  distillers,  at  the  head  of 
whom  is  Bahddur  KaldL  But  this  description  most  probably  applies  only  to  a 
section  of  the  tribe.  In  this  district  they  are,  next  to  the  TeHs,  the  best  cultivators 
in  the  jungle-villages,  and  show  themselves  quite  able  to  hold  their  own  in 
the  open  country,  where  their  villages  are  always  prosperous.  Except  in  the 
jungles,  they  have  generally  become  Hinddised,  and  abandoned  most  of  their 
peculiar  observances,  but  in  the  jungles  they  maintain  their  traditional  customs 
and  usages.  Their  religion  does  not  impose  an  elaborate  or  frequently-repeated 
ceremonial.  All  that  is  necessary  for  a  good  Halbd  is  that  he  should  sacrifice 
once  in  his  life  three  goats  and  a  pig,  one  to  each  of  the  national  deities,  called 
Ndrdyan  Grosdin,  Burhd  Deo,  Sati,  and  Ratnd.  Of  these,  the  two  former  are  male, 
and  the  two  latter  female  divinities,  and  it  is  to  Ndrdyan  Gosdin  that  the  pig  is 
sacrificed.  But  though  their  own  religion  imposes  no  heavy  burden  on 
them,  they  yield  to  no  tribe  in  their  superstition  and  devotion  to  the  local 
deities,  who  abound  on  every  high  hill  and  under  every  green  tree.  There  is 
nothing  peculiar  in  their  form  of  marriage ;  but  they  bury  their  dead,  and  wor- 
ship their  ancestors,  prayers  to  a  deceased  father  being  supposed  to  be  very 
efficacious  against  the  attack  of  a  tiger. 


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Of  the  purely  aboriginal  tribes  the  Gonds  are  alone  of  importance^  and 
Aho  *  *    1 1  h  taking  the  area  of  the  whole  district,  they  form 

nginn    n  es.  ^j^^  most  numerous   section  of  the   population. 

Though  the  oldest  settlers  in  the  country,  they  have  succumbed  to  the  Hindd 
invaders,  and  are  now  rarely  found  holding  villages,  except  in  the  jungles,  the 
average  revenue  of  the  294  villages  in  the  possession  of  Gond  mdlguzdrs  being 
only  eighty-nine  rupees.  In  the  open  country  they  are  ahnost  entirely  Hindtiised; 
and  though  some  of  them  show  energy  and  industry,  yet  generally  speaking 
they  are  a  down-trodden  race,  and  rarely  attain  wealth  or  comfort.  In  the 
jungles  also  the  old  religion  of  the  tribe  is  disappearing,  and  while  all  Gonds 
worship  Bnrhd  Deo  and  Ddld  Deo  (the  latter  being  the  household  god),  they 
know  little  of  Pauritola  (or  KaritoW),  Barangasura,  and  Gumartola,  who,  with 
Burh^  Deo,  form  the  distinctive  gods  of  the  Dhdr  Gonds,  to  which  tribe  most 
of  the  Chhattisgarh  Gonds  belong.  They  are  all  intensely  superstitious,  and 
worship  the  numerous  local  deities  assiduously ;  though,  except  in  the  jungles, 
the  Baigd  or  village  priest,  whose  business  it  is  to  propitiate  the  evil  spirits  of 
the  neighbourhood,  is  as  often  as  not  a  Kewat,  Telf,  or  Ahir,  as  a  Gond.  The 
other  aboriginal  tribes  are  the  Binjwdrs,  Bhunjfyds,  Sdonrds,  Ndhars,  and  Kamdi's. 
Of  these  the  Binjwdrs  are  allied  to  the  Baigds,  who  are  found  in  the  Mandla 
district.  They  chiefly  live  in  the  north-east  of  Bdipur,  and  occasionally  cultivate. 
The  Bhunjfyds  are  comparatively  numerous  all  through  the  east  of  the  district, 
and  are  particularly  so  in  the  Kharidr  and  Bindrd  Nawdgarh  zamfnddris,  where 
they  hold  a  good  many  fairly-cultivated  villages.  The  Sdonrds  are  only  found  in 
Khaldri  in  the  east  of  the  Rdfpdr  tahsW.  They  are  very  few  in  number,  but  are 
the  most  industrious  of  all  the  jungle  tribes.  The  Ndhars  and  Kamdrs  utterly 
refuse  to  cultivate,  and  generally  live  in  the  most  remote  jungles,  supporting 
themselves  on  jungle-fruits  and  small  game.  All  these  jungle  tribes  seem  to 
have  come  from  Orissa,  and  their  dialects  are  all  akin  to  Uriya.  Except  the 
Sdonrds,  they  all  gain  their  livelihood  more  by  collecting  jungle  produce  than  by 
cultivation. 

The  largest  landholders  are  the  Brdhmans,  who  hold  606  villages,  and  of 
_      ,  ...       .  these   185  are  held  by  Mardthd  Brdhmans  and 

o   ing  c  a«8C8.  recent  immigrants,  whfle  the  remainder  are  in  the 

hands  of  residents  of  long  standing  in  the  district,  whose  families,  as  tradition 
asserts,  were  brought  from  Kanoj  by  Kalydn  Sah(,  the  great  fiaihai-Bansi  rdjd, 
in  the  sixteenth  century.  These  Chhattisgarh  Brdhmans  are  regarded  as 
impure  by  their  brethren  who  have  more  recently  left  the  land  of  orthodoxy, 
and  they  are  said  to  be  exceedingly  immoral ;  but  they  make  good  landlords, 
and  are  not  unpopular  with  their  ryots.  The  Mardthd  Brdhmans  and  other 
Mardthd  proprietors  are  all  of  recent  origin,  and  the  villages  held  by  them  have 
for  the  most  part  been  cleared  and  peopled  by  their  relations.  This  is,  how- 
ever, chiefly  true  of  the  Dhamtarf  tahsU  in  Rdipdr.  Almost  all  the  villages  held 
by  Mardthd  Brdhmans  have  been  acquired  by  the  ousting  of  older  proprietors. 
ITie  Bdjput  and  Baniyd  proprietors,  who  between  them  hold  fifty-five  villages, 
for  the  most  part  belong  to  &milies  who  have  been  settled  in  Chhattisgarh 
for  generations,  and  but  few  of  the  villages  originally  held  by  these  castes  are 
in  the  hands  of  strangers.  The  Rdjputs  are  generally  descendants  of  immi- 
grants from-  the  north,  though  in  the  Dhamtarf  tahsil  there  are  some  few  who 
have  come  from  the  Jaipdr  state  under  the  Madras  Gt)vemment,  and  it  is  only 
this  latter  class  who  will  hold  the  plough.  The  remainder  of  the  landholding 
classes,  with  the  exception  of  the  Gosdins,  are  all  cultivators. 


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416  RAI 

Besides  the  cultirating  and  landowning  classes^  there  are  some  others 
p     ..     ^,  which   may  not  be  considered   undeserving   of 

ecuiar      et.  notice.     Of  these  the   most   important    are  the 

Banj&rds  or  carriers,  of  whom  a  large  number  are  found  in  the  district.  They 
are,  however,  retreating  to  the  east  as  the  jungle  disappears ;  and  it  is  most 
probable  that,  as  the  hnaUa  lands  are  cleared^  they  will  leave  these  tracts  and 
betake  themselves  to  the  jungles  of  the  zamind&rfs,  where  alone  they  can  find 
pasturage  for  their  cattle.  The  Beldirs  or  Uriyas  are  an  interesting  caste. 
They  are  tank-diggers  by  profession,  and  are  all  under  the  command  of  a  chief 
called  a  jamaddr,  who  holds  three  villages  in  the  district.  Under  the  jamaddr 
are  a  number  of  ndiks,  each  of  whom  has  the  command  of  a  gang.  These 
gangs  have  no  settled  home,  but  go  wandering  about  the  district  wherever  they 
can  get  work.  They  rendered  good  services  in  the  expedition  again&t  Ndrdyan 
Singh,  the  Sondkhdn  zaminddr,  in  1 858,  and  their  chief  was  rewarded  by  the 
grant  of  two  villages  in  the  Drdg  tahsil,  which  are  held  free  of  revenue. 

The  great  staple  produce  of  Chhattfsgarh  is  rice,  and  it  would  appear  to 
.    .    ,         ^^  have    been   at   one  time  almost  the   only  crop 

^      "  ^  grown*     At   present    the    ryots  in   the  jungles 

rarely  grow  rab(  crops,  alleging  that  the  labour  of  watching  both  kharifaud 
rabi  is  too  much  for  them ;  and  it  is  the  rice  crop  alone  that  is  under  the 
special  protection  of  Thdkur  Deo,  the  great  local  deity,  and  his  priest  the  Baigd ; 
while  the  important  question  as  to  the  time  of  sowing  the  more  modern 
wheat  crop,  the  colour  of  the  bullocks  to  be  yoked  to  the  plough,  and  the  direc- 
tion in  which  the  sower  is  to  proceed,  are  referred  to  the  Purohit.  The  ryot 
who  cultivates  both  khartf  and  rabi  crops,  called  locally  "  sydrf  and  *^unlidri/' 
leads  by  no  means  an  idle  life ;  though,  as  he  has  little  to  fear  from  theft  or  from 
wild  animals,  except  in  the  comparatively  few  villages  near  the  jungle,  he  has 
not  to  undergo  the  labour  of  watching  and  fencings  and  consequently  has  not 
to  work  so  hard  during  certain  seasons  as  the  people  of  most  other  districts  of 
the  Central  Provinces.  In  the  hot  weather  he  begins  by  preparing  the  land 
for  the  "  Bj&rl"  crops,  and  planting  sugarcane^  if  he  is  fortunate  enough  to  be 
able  to  get  a  little  land  below  the  village  tank.  After  the  first  heavy  fall  of 
rain  he  must  sow  his  rice,  and  the  sowing  of  the  rice  is  rapidly  followed  by 
that  of  the  kodo,  cotton,  arhar,  and  til  crops.  During  the  rains  his  time  is 
occupied  in  tending  his  rice  and  other  kharif  crops,  and  in  ploughing  the  land 
for  rabi.  In  October  the  rabl  crops  are  sown ;  and  the  kharif  harvest  begins 
and  lasts  during  November  up  to  the  beginning  of  December.  As  soon  as  it  is 
over,  the  rice  and  kodo  has  to  be  trodden  out,  the  sugarcane  cut,  and  the 
remainder  of  the  year  is  taken  up  with  the  cutting  of  the  rabi  crops,  winnowing, 
husking,  and  storing  the  produce,  any  spare  time  being  devoted  to  selling 
his  crop,  or  bringing  in  timber  and  grass  firom  the  jungles.     Besides  rice  the 

Erincipal  kharif  crops  are  kodo,  amar,  til,  and  cotton.  For  all  of  these  the 
,nd  is  ploughed  twice  before  sowing,  and  the  seed  is  sown  broadcast.  In 
hard  soils  the  seed  is  raked  in  with  the  ''  daiari  '^  after  sowing,  but  in  black 
soils  this  is  not  necessary.  Cotton  and  kodo  are  weeded,  but  the  other 
crops  are  left  to  themselves  aftier  being  sown.  Kodo  is  a  grain  of  great 
importance  to  the  country,  as  it  is  the  food  of  the  greater  number  of  the  poorer 
classes,  and  one  much  appreciated  for  its  prolific  yield  (often  a  hundred-fold), 
and  for  its  satisfying  qualities.  Another  advantage  is  that  it  does  not  require 
so  much  water  as  rice,  and  will  yield  a  fine  crop  in  a  year  when,  from 
a  deficient  rainfall,  there  is  a  small  yield  of  rice.  A  pound  of  kodo  will 
be  an  ample  meal  for  a  full-grown  man,  who  would  eat  double  the  quantity 


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of  rice.  Arliar  or  t\ir  is  principally  grown  in  the  west  of  the  district,  and 
two  kinds  are  known — the  small  and  eariy  arhar  called  "  harond/'  and  the 
large  and  later  kind  called  '^  mihi/'  Both  are  sown  at  the  same  time,  but  the 
former  ripens  about  two  months  before  the  latter.  Of  til  there  are  also  two 
kinds — the  white  and  black  til,  the  former  sown  in  the  beginning  of  July,  and 
the  latter  in  the  beginning  of  August.  Both  til  and  arhar  are  frequently  sown 
in  the  same  field  with  kodo.  The  cotton  of  the  district  is  very  poor,  and  is 
principally  used  for  home  consumption,  what  little  is  exported  being  chiefly 
from  the  feudatory  states  and  the  western  zaminddris,  where  the  quality  is 
slightly  superior  to  that  grown  in  the  Jchalsa. 

The  fields  in  which  the  unhin  or  cold-weather  crop  is  sown  are  called 
„  , ,    ,  .    ^.         ,  locally  '*Barh{.^'     The  principal  and  most  valu- 

Rabi  cultivation  and  8«gar«me.     ^^le  ^rain  is  wheat,  whU  ia  only  sown  in  the 

best  soils  after  repeated  ploughings.  For  gram  and  castor^oil  the  soil  is 
generally  by  the  better  class  of  ryots  prepared  as  carefully  as  for  wheat;  but 
most  content  themselves  with  ploughing  the  land  only  once  or  twice,  both  for 
these  as  for  the  other  rabi  crops.  Sugarcane  is  a  crop  of  which  the  area  is 
yearly  increasing,  and  though  the  produce  of  the  small  canes  of  Ghhattisgarh 
is  scanty  as  compared  with  that  of  the  larger  Otaheite  cane,  yet  it  is  one  of  the 
most  valuable  crops  a  ryot  can  grow,  even  if  the  great  labour  attending  the 
cultivation  is  taken  into  account.  For  sugarcane  the  land  must  be  ploughed 
ten  times  at  least,  and  the  clods  thoroughly  pulverised.  It  is  grown  from  cut- 
tings, which  are  planted  in  the  open  about  the  end  of  April  or  beginning  of  May, 
and  the  crop  must  then  be  watered  thrice  daily  till  the  rains  begin ;  after  that, 
if  the  rains  are  plentiful,  artificial  irrigation  is  not  much  required  till  the  end  of 
the  rainy  season,  but  from  that  time  till  the  crop  is  cut  it  must  be  regularly 
carried  on. 

The  rotation  of  crops  is,  as  might  be  supposed,  utterly  unknown  in  Chhattls- 

^  ,._    -      .    ,^  garh :  but  there  is  a  theory  current  that  the  proper 

Quality  of  umculture.  ^        >  .  _i      i/    i  t_i     i      *^-i     • 

•^      ^  crop   to  sow  m  newly  broken-up  black  soil    is 

linseed,  which  is  generally  followed  by  kodo,  after  which  wheat  or  some  more 

valuable  crop  is  sown.     On  the  whole  the  agriculture  of  the  Rdipdr  district  is 

exceedingly  slovenly, — the  result  not  so  much  of  any  want  of  industry  on  the 

part  of  the  ryots,  as  of  the  smallness  of  the  population,  the  bad  distribution  of 

land  resulting  fi'om  district  customs,  the  inferiority  of  the  cattle,  and  want  of 

means. 

The  forests  of  the  district  surround  the  cultivation  on  all  sides  except 
„  to   the  north ;  but  though  they  occupy  an  area 

^^^  '  of  at  least  5,000  square  miles,  with  the  exception 

of  the  great  sdl  forests  of  Sehdwi  and  Bindrd  Nawdgarh,  and  that  along  the 
Kamtard  nili  in  the  Deori  and  Kauris  zaminddrfs,  they  are  of  but  little  value 
as  timber-yielding  tracts ;  nor  do  they  present  many  attractions  to  the  settler, 
as  the  forest-^country  is  almost  all  hilly  and  stony,  with  but  little  arable  soil. 
In  former  times  teak  grew  luxuriantly  along  the  banks  of  all  the  rivers  and 
nflds,  but  of  these  vast  forests  there  are  only  scanty  remains  now  left,  and  among 
these  only  the  forests  on  the  Udet  river  in  the  Khariir  and  Bindrd  Nawigarh 
zaminddris,  and  that  in  the  south-west  of  the  Kdnker  feudatory  state,  contain 
any  good  timber  available  for  present  use.  In  addition  to  the  regular  forests  there 
are  large  tracts  containing  teak  trees,  more  or  less  advanced  in  growth.  The 
most  important  are  those  in  the  Gandai  and  Lohdrd  zamfnddris— along  the 
sources  of  the  Suri  and  its  tributary  streams  in  the  former,  and  along  the  Korkard 

53  CPG 


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41d  RAI 

river  and  the  sottth-wesfcern  valleys  in  tlie  latter  estate.  Besides  sfl  and  teak 
the  other  timber  trees  found  in  the  Chhattfsgarh  jangle  are,  s&j  {pentapiera 
tomentosa),  baherd  {temiinalia  bellenca),  dh&nrd  {canocarptu!  latifolia),  tendd 
{diospyros  melanoxylon),  bfjesti  (ptei'ocarpus  maraupium),  kaw&  (terminalia 
arjuna),  hardd  {nauclea  parvifolia),  mhowa  (basaia  latifolia),  tinsd  (dalbergia 
oogeinensis),  shfsham  {dalbergia  latifolia),  gambhdr  {gmelina  arborea),  rohnl  («oy- 
midafebrifuya) ;  but  except  mhowa,  few  fine  specimens  of  these  trees  are  to  bo 
found  in  the  fe/iai/fa  jungles,  except  on  the  sidesof  some  of  the  hills  to  the  east  of  the 
Mahinadi  in  Laun,  Sirpdr,  andKlialirl.  In  the  less  elevated  jungles  of  KhaUrf 
and  Dhamtarf  there  is  a  fair  number  of  good  bijesAl  trees  j  and  among  the  hills  of 
the  Gaurfigarh  plateau,  as  well  as  on  the  high  range  in  the  south  of  Bindrfi 
Nawigarh  and  Sehfiwi,  where  the  Pair!  and  Sundar  take  their  rise,  there  are 
noble  forests  of  sdj  and  tendd.  Fine  specimens  of  tinsi,  shlshara,  and  rohnt  are 
very  rare.  The  mhowa  is  common  everywhere,  and  is  the  one  tree  which  is 
always  preserved  when  other  trees  are  cleared  away.  It  is,  however,  especially 
abundant  in  the  jungles  of  the  Dhamtarf  tahsll.  Other  useful  jungle  trees  and 
shrubs  commonly  found  are,  kusam  {achleichera  irijtu/a),'pSl&s(butsafroiido8a), 
khair  {acacia  catechu),  dhiurd  or  dhowdf  {grialea  tomentosa),  mdkdr  tendd  or 
wild  mangosteen  {garcinia  mangostana),  dunld  (phyUantiis  emblica),  jdmun 
{syzygiumjambolanum)  bel  {cegle  maitnelos),  chironji  {buckani^ia latifolia),  kurii 
{gardenia  lucida),  gular  {ficus  racemosa),  gurld  (stercnlia  urau),%ili{  (boswellia 
serrata),  hirsing^r  {nyctanthes  a/rbor-trviiis) ,  sendh  or  dwarf  palm.  The  amotto 
shrub  {bixa  orellana),  the  kuchld  {strychnos  nux^vow^'*'^^ .  t.«^  '  r 
{rottlera  tinctoria),  are  also  found,  but  are  rare.  Tht 
commonly  grown  by  the  better  class  of  ryots  near  their  1 

The  trade  in  jungle-produce  in  Rifpdr  is  still  in  its  i         ^  v  t^'^' 

Junele-Droduce  ducts  which  are  valued  in  other  parts  of  the  coun- 

try are  either  unknown  or  disregarded  in  Chhattls- 
garh.  The  products  which  are  regarded  as  most  valuable  are  bamboos, 
thatching-grass,  and  lac.  Bamboos  are  becoming  scarcer  every  year,  and  it  is 
only  in  the  remote  jungles  in  the  hills  to  the  north-east  of  the  Rdlpdr  tahsil,  in 
those  of  the  north-western  zamfnd^rfs,  or  in  the  still  more  remote  forests  of  Kha- 
ridr,  Bindr^  Nawigarh,  and  Sehiwd,  that  they  are  found  in  any  great  quantity. 
Thatching-grass  will  probably  long  continue  to  be  greatly  in  demand,  as  the 
clay  of  Eifpdr  is  not  well  adapted  for  tile-making,  and  potters  are  everywhere 
rare.  The  best  thatching-grass,  called  locally  "  gandli,^'  only  grows  on  first-class 
black  soil,  and  is  chiefly  found  in  the  fertile  tracts  of  Laun  in  the  north-east  of 
the  Rdipdr  and  the  east  of  the  Simgi  tahsfls,  and  it  is  regarded  as  so  valuable 
that  a  plot  of  thatching-grass  will  fetch  nearly  as  high  a  rent  as  a  similar  area 
of  cultivation.  The  lac  trade  owes  its  origin  to  the  Mirzdpdr  and  Jabalpdr 
merchants,  who  export  yearly  large  quantities  from  Rdfpdr.  Lac  is  chiefly 
produced  on  the  kusam  and  pilis  trees ;  but  the  produce  of  the  former  is  twice  aa 
valuable  as  that  of  the  latter.  The  mode  of  propagation  on  both  trees  is  similar, 
but  takes  place  at  different  seasons  of  the  year.  The  propagation  of  the 
most  important  crop — ^that  of  the  kusam  lac — is  begun  at  the  end  of  January  or 
February.  At  that  time  freshly-cut  sticks  on  which  the  lac  insect  has  made 
its  cells  are  wrapped  in  bundles  of  grass,  and  tied  on  to  the  branches  of  the 
tree  on  which  the  new  lac  is  to  be  grown,  four  bundles  being  generally  the 
complement  for  one  tree ;  and  from  these  centres  the  insects  propagate  them- 
selves in  all  directions,  covering  all  the  smaller  twigs  with  their  excretions. 
The  crop  is  collected  in  the  month  of  November  or  December  following  the 


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sowing,  and  the  yield  very  mucli  depends  upon  the  quantity  of  rain, — light 
rains  bringing  a  light  crop.  The  process  of  propagating  lac  on  the  pdlds  tree 
is  similar  to  that  described  above,  except  that  it  is  begun  in  September  and 
October,  and  the  crop  is  gathered  in  the  following  July.  The  cultivation  of 
the  lac  is  the  occupation  of  the  wild  Gonds,  Bhunjiyds,  Ndhars,  and  Kamdrs  of 
the  jungles ;  and  they  sell  the  crop  to  middlemen,  who  again  dispose  of  it  to 
the  great  dealers,  who  live  chiefly  in  Dhamtarf,  Bdlod,  and  Rdjlm.  Other 
articles  of  jungle-produce  are  dye  from  the  dengld,*  dhdurd,  or  dhowdf  shrubs, 
fruits  of  the  wild  mangosteen,  the  gardenia  lucida,  the  gard^a  grandiflorOf 
jdmun,  bel,  gular,  and  chironji,  oil  from  the  kusam,  mhowa,  gurld  and  gardenia 
lucida,  the  last  yielding  the  dikdmdli  oil  so  useful  as  a  plaster  for  wounds, 
dried  mhowa  flowers,  gum  from  the  gurld  and  sdlai  trees,  charcoal,  sdj  bark  for 
tanning,  bees^  wax,  and  wild  arrowroot.  Tasar  cocoons  are  occasionally  brought 
to  the  Dhamtari  and  Rdjim  markets  by  the  jungle  tribes ;  but  the  greater  number 
of  those  brought  are  wild :  and  but  little  attempt  has  been  made  to  propagate 
the  tasar  worm,  though  the  large  number  of  sdj  trees  in  the  jungles  afford 
peculiar  facilities  for  doing  so.  Only  Kewats  will  attend  to  the  cultivation. 
The  value  of  the  khair  tree  is  utterly  unknown  to  the  people,  and  though  it 
abounds  in  the  jungles,  no  attempt  has,  so  far  as  is  known,  been  ever  made  to 
extract  catechu  from  it. 


The  trade  of  B4ipdr  may  be  said  to  have  been  created  only  since  the  country 
-,    ,  came  under  British  rule,  for,  before,  the  transit 

duties  levied  by  the  Mardthd  Government  were  an 
almost  total  bar  to  its  development  in  these  remote  tracts ;  and  though  those 
who  exported  produce  from  Cfhhattisgarh  made  large  profits,  owing  to  iSie  extra- 
ordinary cheapness  of  grain,  yet  it  was  only  after  the  establishment  of  the  British 
Government,  and  the  restoration  of  tranquillity  after  the  Mutiny,  that  the  trade 
reached  such  proportions  as  to  have  any  great  effect  upon  prices.  Even  at  pre- 
sent the  export  trade  only  is  of  importance.  The  only  branch  of  import  trade 
which  universally  affects  the  people  is  that  in  metals ;  while  that  in  English  piece- 
goods  has  not  penetrated  beyond  the  official  and  mercantile  classes  and  the 
wealthier  mdlguzdrs,  the  great  bulk  of  the  people  still  taking  the  produce  of 
their  patch  of  cotton  to  the  native  weavers  (one  or  more  of  whom  are  to  be  found 
in  most  villages) ,  to  be  converted  into  clothing  for  themselves  and  families.  These 
weavers  form  a  prosperous  class,  who  export  a  good  deal  of  coarse  cloth,  and  make 
money.     The  following  table  shows  the  trade  of  the  district  for  1868-69  : — 


Cotton. 

Sugar. 

Salt. 

Edible  Grainn, 

1 

6 

1 

1 

1 

t 

6 

1 

•a 
1 

1 

Impiuris « 

HdB. 

90 
7,478 

Ba. 
2,288 
1,78,605 

Mds. 
4,212 
8,058 

Bs. 

18,846 
88,578 

Mds. 
169,846 
5,500 

Bs, 
7,90,838 
81,0J0 

Mds. 
11,208 
810,292 

Bs. 
87,797 

Xxportfl •••. 

32,48,157 

'*'  A  shrub  growing  near  the  banks  of  udUs,  the  reeds  of  which  yield  a  brown  dye.    Its 
botanical  name  is  uncertain. 


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Imports  . 
Exports 


Country  Cloth. 


fe: 


Mds. 
1,144 
1,811 


S3 


Bs. 
1,71,533 

2,64,469 


English  Piece- 
goods 


^ 


Mds. 
1,461 
951 


I 


Ks. 
2,78,217 
1,40,100 


Cattle. 


12,886 


o 

d 


Bs. 
70,145 


17,626      56,252 


Other  Articles. 


Mds. 


81,735 


d 


Bs. 


77,856   6,55,298     6,55,298 


Total 
value. 


Bs. 


4,80,464   17,99,683 


Of  tliis  trade  by  far  the  most  important  part  is  that  between  Riipilr  and 

.  Nagpdr,  which  follows  two  principal  routes — one 

i-rade  routes.  ^j^^^  ^j^^  g,  ^^^  Eastern  Road,  and  the  other  by 

a  line  about  twenty  miles  to  the  north,  passing  through  the  town  of  Khairdgarh, 
and  thence  by  Kdmtha  and  Tumsar  in  Bhanddra  to  Ndgpdr.  The  trade  with 
the  Eastern  Coast  is  chiefly  carried  over  a  route  running  south-east  through 
Fingeswar  and  the  north-east  of  the  Bindra  Nawigarh  zaminddrfs,  whence  it 
turns  due  south  through  the  valley  of  Kharidr,  and  thence  through  Junagarh 
and  Jaipdr  to  the  coast.  This  route  is  joined  in  the  Jaipdr  state  by  another 
running  south  firom  Sehdwd,  along  which  a  great  deal  of  the  traffic  passes. 
The  trade  with  Jabalpdr  is  not  as  yet  of  much  importance  ^^  ^\  ■  '1'^  . 
generally,  and  little  of  the  produce,  except  that  of  a  portion  of 
of  the  district,  follows  this  route.  The  two  principal  lines  a- 
traffic  is  carried  are,  that  by  the  Chilpi  Ghdtin  the  Bildspdr  distr  ■  \*\  '.udn4  d 
Mandla,  and  that  over  the  Moisar  or  Pipardhdr  ghfits  in  the  Ganaai  and  Lohdr^ 
Sahaspdr  zamindiris  of  this  district,  and  thence  by  the  village  of  Bher,  about 
ten  or  twelve  miles  to  the  south  of  Mandla,  to  Jabalpdr.  Besides  these  routes, 
others  less  frequented  are  those  through  Bdlod  and  Daundi  in  the  Daundi  Lohdri 
zamindiri  to  Wairigarh  on  the  Waingangi  in  the  Chindi  district,  and  that 
via  Dhdmtar(  and  K^nker  to  Bastar  and  the  God^varf . 

Administration  ^®  imperial  revenues  of  the  district  are  ba 

follows : — 

Land Rs.  6,34,175 

Excise „  24,904 

Stamps 4..  „  34,220 

Forest „  14,136 

Customs  „  2,09,681 

Assessed  taxes    „  25,664 

Total Rs.    9,42,780 

The  district  staff  consists  ordinarily  of  a  Deputy  Conmiissioner,  three 
Assistant  Commissioners  or  Extra- Assistant  Commissioners,  four  Tahsflddrs  or 
Sub-Collectors,  and  a  Civil  Surgeon.  The  police  number  496  of  all  ranks,  under 
a  District  Superintendent.  They  have  station-houses  at  Rdipdr,  A'rang,  Dhamtari, 
Drdg,  Simgd,  Bilod,  Dhamdd,  Warirbdndh,  Rdjim,  Narri,  Laun,  and  Sehfiwd, 
besides  twenty-five  outposts.  The  Customs  Une  runs  through  the  district, 
having  patrol  stations  at  Dhamtarf,  A'rang,  and  Sdnkri,  and  a  Collector  of 
Customs  at  Rdfpdr. 


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Education  can  scarcely  be  said  to  have  as  yet  made  any  great  progress, 

and  though  the  fifty-eight  schools  now  in  existence, 

"^  ^^^'  with  a  daily  attendance  of  2,355  pupils,  show  a 

great  advance  upon  the  total  blank  which  existed  ten  years  ago,  when  there  was 

not  a  school  in  the  district,  yet  a  great  deal  of  up-hill  work  remains  to  be 

done  before  any  sensible  impression  can  be  made  on  the  prevalent  mass  of 

ignorance. 

The  general  condition  of  the  people  till  within  the  last  few  years  may  be 

^        1       J-.-       i?.i-  I       shortly  described  as  one  of  rude  plenty  and  com- 

General  condition  of  the  people.  .^  «    ,        _,  .     j      ..,    ^..     •'  .  .. 

^    '^        parative  comfort,  combmed  with  utter  stagnation 

— one  which  almost  realised  a  state  which  some  philosophers  have  considered 

as  the  ideal  of  happiness.     They  knew  little  of  the  value  of  time,  the  division 

of  labour,  or  the  perturbations  of  trade.     Each  family  had  suflBcient  to  support 

life  without  exhausting  labour,  and  the  wealthiest  had  little  to  boast  of  in  point 

of  comfort  over  his  poorer  brethren.     Debt  was  only  a  luxury  for  a  few  hardy 

speculators,  and  among  the  landholding  population  there  were  very  few  who 

owed  anything  to  speak  of.     As  they  had  no  recognised  right  in  their  villages, 

and  were  liable  to  be  turned  out  at  any  time  by  t^e  Marfithd  government,  no 

one  would  lend  them  anything  on  the  security  of  their  lands ;  and  though  their 

cattle  were   generally  numerous,  yet  they  represented  too   small  a  value  in 

money  to  allow  of  debts   being  contracted  on  such  security ;  and  when  a  mil- 

guzir  was  in  want  of  money,  his  only  resource  was  to  give  up  his  village,  sell 

the  greater  number  of  his  cattle,  and  take  to  cultivating  on  a  small  scale.     The 

few  landed  proprietors  who  are  in  debt  are  men  introduced  lately  under  the 

Marithi  rule,  who  have  contracted  debts  in  their  capacity  of  traders,  not  as 

landholders. 

With  regard  to  the  cultivators,  similar  causes  operated ;  and  though  many 
ryots  got  seed-grain  from  the  m&lguz&r  for  which  they  paid  twenty-five  per  cent 
interest,  yet  these  debts  pressed  but  lightly  on  them,  and  as  they  were  gene- 
rally paid  in  grain,  were  almost  always  settled  at  the  end  of  each  harvest.  At 
present,  as  far  as  can  be  ascertained,  about  one-third  of  the  ryots  borrow  seed- 
grain  ;  but  most  pay  from  year  to  year,  and  there  are  few  or  none  who  have  old 
accounts  pending.  Under  these  circumstances,with  an  industrious  population  firee 
from  debt,  well  supplied  with  grain,  and  enriched  beyond  all  former  example  by 
several  years  of  a  trade  more  active  than  has  been  hitherto  known,  Eiipdr  has 
much  to  hope,  and  Httle  to  fear,  for  the  future.  Except  the  isolated  position  of 
the  district,  there  is  nothing  to  hinder  its  progress ;  but  at  present,  where  there 
is  so  much  scope  for  improvement  within  its  limits,  this  hindrance  will  not  be 
much  felt,  and  it  can  wait  in  patience  for  the  day  when  it  will  be  brought 
nearer  to  the  outer  world,  and  when  perhaps  it  may  find  itself  called  on  to  supply 
the  necessities  of  manufacturing  centres  yet  to  be  created  for  the  development 
of  the  metallic  wealth  of  the  hills  of  Central  India. 

RAITUTI — The  central  revenue  subdivision  or  tahsfl  in  the  district  of 
the  same  name,  having  an  area  of  3,260  square  miles,  with  1,195  villages,  and  a 
population  of  282,453  souls  according  to  the  census  of  1866.  The  land 
revenue  of  the  tahsfl  for  the  year  1869-70  is  Rs.  1,41,035. 

RA'ITU'R — The  only  place  worthy  of  being  called  a  town  in  the  district  to 
which  it  gives  its  name.  It  is  situated  in  the  midst  of  an  open  plain  or  plateau, 
at  an  elevation  of  some  nine  hundred  and  fifty  feet  above  the  sea,  about  one 
hundred  and  eighty  miles  due  east  of  Ndgpdr,  on  the  road  from  that  city  to 
Calcutta,  via  Sambalpdr  and  Midndptir.     Of  tne  early  history  of  IWlpdr  but  Uttla 


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can  be  gathered^  but  it  would  appear  to  have  been  a  place  of  little  note  till  the 
beginning  of  the  ninth  century,  when  a  branch  of  the  Eatanpdr  king's  family 
established  its  court  at  B£(pdr.  The  site  of  the  town  in  those  days  was 
considerably  more  to  the  south  and  west  than  it  is  at  present,  and  extended 
to  the  banks  of  the  river  at  Mahddeo  Ghdt.  In  a.d.  1818  the  country  was  placed 
under  British  superintendence,  and  Colonel  Agnew,  who  was  sent  as  Superin- 
tendent by  the  British  Resident  at  Nfigptir,  moved  the  head-quarters  of  his 
charge  from  Batanpdr  to  Rdipdr.  From  that  time  some  degree  of  security  for 
property,  and  confidence  in  the  Government,  began  to  arise,  and  the  town 
gradually  increased.  In  a.d.  1830  Colonel  Agnew  laid  out  what  is  now  the 
main  street  of  the  town.  He  also  encouraged  the  building  of  shops  and  houses 
on  an  approved  plan,  which  has  greatly  added  to  the  appearance  of  the  place. 
In  the  same  year  the  country  was  again  made  over  to  the  Mardthd  Government. 
The  British  Superintendent  was  withdrawn,  and  Sdbas  from  Ndgpdr  governed 
in  Eifpdr  till  a.d.  1854,  when  the  district  was  finally  annexed  to  the  British 
territories.  Id  that  year  a  civil  officer,  a  military  commandant,  and  a  medical 
officer  marched  up  with  the  troops,  and  took  up  a  position  on  the  east  side  of 
the  town.  They  each  built  a  house  on  the  spot  where  they  had  respectively 
pitched  their  tents,  and  since  then  eight  or  ten  other  houses  have  sprung  up 
around  them.  Since  1863  a  church,  a  travellers'  bungalow,  a  district  court- 
house, central  jail,  tahsfl,  8ar£(,  and  market-place  have  been  erected.  In  the 
latter  part  of  1859  Captain  Smith,  who  was  then  Deputy  Commissioner,  completed 
the  main  street  through  the  town  commenced  by  Colonel  Agnew.  This  street 
is  now  nearly  two  miles  in  length,  and  contains  a  good  bdz&r  and  many  fine 
houses,  some  of  them  remarkable  for  the  elaborate  wood-carving  of  their  pillars 
and  balconies.  The  town  is  surrounded  by  tanks  and  groves  of  trees,  and  has 
a  prosperous  appearance. 

The  most  remarkable  of  the  old  buildings  is  the  fort,  which  is  said  to 
have  been  founded  by  R4jd  Bhuvaneswar  Singh  in  a.d.  1460.  A  ghdt  in  the 
Bdrhd  tank  at  the  main  gate  of  the  fort  was  added  by  R&j&  Tribhuvan  Singh 
of  Ratanpdr  some  years  after.  Before  the  days  of  gunpowder  the  fort  must 
have  been  a  place  of  immense  strength.  The  ramparts  and  bastions  are  built 
of  stone  and  mud,  and  were  pierced  by  three  large  gates  and  one  postern. 
The  main  gate  near  Bdrhd  tank,  on  the  north  side,  was  entire  when  the  British 
took  possession  of  the  country  in  1818.  Immense  masses  of  fine  limestone  and 
granite  were  used  in  the  construction  of  these  walls,  though  no  old  quarries 
exist  in  the  neighbourhood,  nor  can  stones  of  the  same  kind  and  magnitude 
be  procured  now  without  great  difficulty.  The  fort  appears  to  have  been 
nearly  a  mile  in  circumference,  and  to  have  had  five  bastions,  with  connecting- 
curtiuns.  It  was  protected  on  the  east  by  the  Bdrhd  tank,  and  on  the  south  and 
half  round  the  west  side  by  the  Mahdriji  tank,  while  the  old  town  lay  on  the 
north  and  east  of  it.  When  knocking  down  one  of  the  old  bastions  lately  the 
workmen  came  upon  some  old  tombs  at  least  twenty  Teet  below  the  suiface, 
and  carefully  protected  by  ptone  walls.  These  tombs  are  probably  above  four 
hundred  years  old,  but  there  was  no  inscription  to  tell  their  history. 

There  are  numerous  tanks  and  reservoirs  in  and  about  the  town,  of  which  the 
Bdrhd  tank  is  the  most  ancient,  being  according  to  tradition  coeval  with  the  fort, 
that  is  nearly  five  hundred  years  old.  It  lies  on  the  east  face  of  the  old  fort, 
and  was  very  large,  covering  at  least  one  square  mile  of  country,  but  has  lately 
been  reduced  in  extent  and  n^uch  improved  by  the  local  committee,  who  have 
constructed  a  masonry  embankment  near  the  north-eastern  comer  of  the  fort. 


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The  accumulated  silt  of  so  many  years  had  reduced  this  fine  tank  to  the 
condition  of  a  pestilential  swamp  in  many  parts^  and  it  is  expected  that  the 
recent  altdrations,  by  confining  the  water  within  well-defined  limits,  will  tend  to 
keep  it  deeper,  and  prevent  the  accumulation  of  mud.  On  the  east  side  of  this 
tank  public  gardens  have  been  laid  out.  The  Mah&r^jf  tank  was  originally  a 
swamp  on  the  south  side  of  the  old  fort,  from  which  the  country  falls  steadily  for 
nearly  half  a  mile.  About  one  hundred  years  ago  an  embankmen  t  was  constructed 
half  a  mile  from  the  fort  by  one  Mah&r&j  Ddni — a  revenue  farmer  under  the 
Mar&thds.  This  changed  the  swamp  into  a  fine  tank,  which  was  named  the 
Mah^rdji  in  honour  of  the  maker.  Though  not  deep,  it  is  a  large  tank  covering 
about  half  a  square  mile  of  ground.  To  the  south  of  this  tank,  and  close  to  the 
embankment,  is  a  temple  to  E4mchandra,  built  and  endowed  in  A.n.  1775  by 
Bimbdji  BhonsU,  rdjd  of  Rdipdr.  The  Koko  tiank  is  perhaps  the  most  substan- 
tial in  the  place,  and  was  constructed  by  one  Kodand  Singh, -ikamdvisddr  of 
Rdfpdr,  about  forty  years  ago.  It  is  supposed  to  have  cost  about  Rs.  30,000, 
and  has  stone  retaining-walls  on  three  sides,  with  steps  down  to  the  water. 
Into  this  tank  are  thrown  the  images  of  Ganpati  at  the  close  of  the  festival 
of  Ganes  Ghaturthi.  The  A'mbd  tank  is  supposed  to  be  about  two  hundred 
years  old,  and  was  originally  constructed  by  a  Tell,  whose  name  has  been 
lost.  It  had  got  much  out  of  repair  about  twenty  years  ago,  when  it  was 
thoroughly  repaired  and  faced  with  massive  stone  terraces,  having  steps  to  the 
water  on  three  sides.  This  work  was  done  at  a  cost  ofRs.  10,000,  by  one 
Sobhdrdm  Mahdjan,  who  is  still  living  in  Rdipdr.  This  tank  lies  to  the  north 
of  the  town,  at  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  distance,  and  supplies  good  drinking- 
water  to  a  large  number  of  the  inhabitants.  The  Rajd  tank  lies  to  the  west  of 
the  city,  at  about  a  mile  distance.  It  is  said  to  have  been  constructed  in  the  days 
of  Rdjd  Baridr  Singh,  two  hundred  years  ago.  One  side  only  is  faced  with  stone. 
The  Teli  Bdndh  was  constructed  by  Dfnandth,  father  of  Sobhdrdm  Mahdjan,  about 
forty  years  ago.  One  side  is  faced  with  stone.  This  tank,  though  small,  holds 
deep  water,  and  is  much  valued  by  the  inhabitants.  The  KankdR  tank  is  in  the 
middle  of  the  city,  and  was  constructed  of  stone  throughout,  about  two  hundred 
years  ago,  by  Kirpdl  Gir  Mahant,  who  also  built  a  small  temple  to  Mahddeva 
in  the  middle  of  it.  The  water  has  a  fetid  smell,  and  it  is  disagreeable  to 
come  near  it ;  yet  the  people  of  the  city  esteem  it  highly,  and  use  the  water  for 
washing  purposes. 

Rdipdr  has  now  a  considerable  trade  in  grain,  lac,  cotton,  and  other  produce, 
and  is  steadily  rising  in  importance.  At  the  first  accession  of  the  British  rule, 
in  A.D.  1818,  there  were  only  ten  or  twelve  small  shopkeepers  in  the  place.  The 
town  consisted  of  about  700  grass  huts,  with  not  one  tiled  or  masonry  building. 
Coin  was  not  current,  every  transaction  being  carried  on  in  kind  or  with  cowries. 
Grain  sold  for  four  or  five  khandfs  per  rupee ;  lac  and  cotton  were  ten  rupees  a 
bojha  of  176  lbs.  The  ground  now  occupied  by  the  district  court-house  was  then 
covered  with  low  jungle.  Tigers  and  other  wild  beasts  were  not  unfrequently 
met  with.  The  population  was  then  computed  at  between  5,000  and  7,000  souls. 
In  A.D,  1830,  when  Colonel  Agnew,  the  first  British  Agent,  left  the  station, 
Rdfpiir  had  more  than  doubled  in  size.  As  already  stated,  the  main  bdzdr  street 
had  been  opened  out,  and  shops  formed  along  both  sides  of  it.  The  Mdrwdris' 
shops  alone  had  increased  to  nearly  one  hundred  in  number.  The  Ndgpdr  rupee 
was  current  in  the  town  itself,  but  in  the  district  generally  cowries  were  still  the 
only  circulating  medium.  Since  1 854,  when  the  Ndgpdr  State  lapsed  to  the  British 
Governmeut,  material  and  intellectual  progress  has  made  rapid  strides.  Formerly 
it  was  difficult  to  find  any  man  who  could  read  and  write  sufficiently  to  keep  the 


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424  RAI 

most  elementary  accounts ;  now  the  Mahdjans  of  the  place,  as  a  body,  are  tolerably 
well  educated.  Trade  has  expanded ;  competition  is  to  a  slight  extent  begin- 
ning to  be  felt  in  the  ruling  prices  of  the  bdzdr ;  and  the  principles  of  free  trade 
being  strictly  enforced,  the  place  is  daily  increasing  both  in  wealth  and  import- 
ance. The  internal  trade  of  the  city  itself  is  considerable,  upwards  of  Ks.  20,000 
being  realised  from  the  octroi  duties.  The  population  has  increased  from 
about  5,000  in  a.d.  1818  to  12,000  in  1830,  and  to  about  17,000  in  1866. 

The  garrison  consists  of  a  regiment  of  Native  infantry,  which  is  under  the 
orders  of  the  Brigadier-General  commanding  the  Ktothl  force.  As  the  head- 
quarters of  the  Chhattfsgarh  division  of  the  Ceij^l  Provinces,  there  is  at 
Kdipdr  the  court,  civil  and  criminal,  of  a  Divisional  Commissioner,  besides  the 
ordinary  district  oflSces.  It  is  also  the  head-quarters  of  a  Circle  of  education  ; 
and  possesses  a  thriving  Anglo-vernacular  school,  and  a  Normal  school  for  the 
training  of  vernacular  masters.  There  are  also  a  main  and  branch  dispensary, 
an  excellent  travellers'  bungalow,  and  a  first-class  saril  for  native  travellers  ; 
a  post-office;  a  central  jail ;  and  a  handsome  kotw^li  or  town  police  station- 
house. 

RAIRA'KHOL— A  chiefship  attached  to  the  Sambalpdr  district.  It  was 
formerly  subordinate  to  B^mr£,  but  was  erected  into  an  independent  state,  and 
constituted  one  of  the  (Jarhjdt  cluster,  by  the  Pdtna  rijis,  about  a  century  ago. 
It  lies  between  84°  and  84°  48'  east  longitude,  and  between  20**  56' and  2  P  20' 
north  latitude.  It  is  bounded  on  the  north  by  Bimrd,  on  the  east  by  A'tmalik  and 
Angdl,  on  the  west  by  the  Sambalpdr  kh^lsa,  and  on  the  south  by  Sonpiir. 
It  is  of  irregular  formation,  the  extreme  length  east  and  west  being  some  fifty 
miles,  and  the  extreme  breadth  thirty  miles.  The  mean  length  is,  however,  not 
more  than  forty  miles,  and  the  breadth  twenty.  The  total  area  may  be  about 
eight  hundred  square  miles,  of  which  some  three-fifths  are  cultivated,  the  rest 
being  dense  forest  and  hill.  The  soil  is  light  and  sandy.  There  are  some  fine 
B&L  forests  in  the  state,  and  plenty  of  other  useful  timber  for  building  pur- 
poses, but  for  want  of  means  of  transport  it  can  find  no  market.  The  principal 
rivers  are  the  Chanpili  and  the  Tikkir^.  They  are,  however,  insignificant 
streams.  The  main  road  from  Sambalpdr  to  Cuttack  vid  Angdl  passes  through 
the  state  to  the  south;  there  is  also  to  the  northward  another  road  to  Cuttack, 
now  fallen  into  disuse.     The  climate  is  similar  to  that  of  Sambalpdr  Proper. 

The  census  returns  for  1866  give  the  population  at  25,000  souls.  Sdl.  resin 
and  bees-wax  are  the  only  articles  of  forest-produce  collected.  Rice  is  the  staple 
crop  ;  but  the  pulses,  cotton,  oil-seeds,  and  sugarcane  are  also  produced.  The 
non-agricultural  castes  are  Brdhmans,  Rijputs,  and  Mahantis.  The  agricultural 
castes  are  Tasis,  Koltds,  and  Dumdls. 

There  is  also  a  sprinkling  of  the  cloth-manufacturing  and  artisan  classes, 
chiefly  iron-smelters  and  manufacturers  of  iron  implements.  Notwithstanding 
that  iron-ore  is  so  plentiful  throughout  the  Sambalpdr  country,  this  is  the  only 
part  of  it  where  smelting  is  carried  on  to  any  extent.  Here  there  are  some 
eight  or  ten  villages,  the  inhabitants  of  which  are  constantly  thus  employed. 
Traders  from  Cuttack  come  up  periodically  and  carry  off  the  iron  on  pack- 
bullocks.  The  rdjd  derives  little  or  no  income  from  the  trade;  the  smelters 
merely  pay  him  a  very  trifling  tax  for  the  right  to  work  up  the  ore.  It  is  said 
that  the  iron  is  very  good  indeed,  and  that  traders  make  an  enormous  profit  by 
its  sale.  The  smelters  are  all  deeply  in  their  books  for  advances,  and  are 
therefore  compelled  to  work  for  them,  and  them  only.  The  chief  is  by  caste  a 
Chauhdn  Rdjput. 


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RAJ  425 

RA'JA'BORA'Rr — A  state  forest  of  about  160  square  miles  in  extent,  on  tlie 
southern  border  of  the  Hoshangdbdd  district,  and  extending  from  SiuUgarh  on 
the  east  to  Kdlibhft  and  Makrdi  on  the  west.  It  has  been  much  exhausted  hj 
indiscriminate  cutting,  and  will  require  many  years^  rest. 

RA'JGARH — The  north-centre  pargana  of  the  Mdl  tahsfl,  in  the  Chdndd 
district,  bounded  on  the  north  by  the  Garhbori  pargana,  on  the  east  by  the 
Waingangfi,  on  the  south  by  the  Ghitkdl  pargana,  and  on  the  west  by  the 
parganas  of  Ghfitktil,  Haweli^  and  Garhbori.  Its  area  is  about  447  square 
miles,  and  it  contains  140  Villages.  It  is  intersected  from  the  north  by  two 
branches  of  the  Andh^f,  which  meet  about  its  centre,  and  a  third  branch  flows 
along  its  western  boundary  in  a  south-easterly  direction.  The  western  and 
northern  portions  are  hilly  and  covered  with  forest.  The  soil  is  chiefly  sandy, 
producing  rice  and  sugarcane.  Telugu  is  the  general  language,  the  most 
numerous  agricultural  class  being  the  Eipewdrs.  Sduli  and  Mdl  are  the  prin- 
cipal towns.    This  pargana  formerly  belonged  to  the  Gond  princes  of  Wairdgarh. 

RA'JGHATA^ — A  small  village  in  the  Chindd  district,  five  miles  north-east 
of  GarhchiroK,  with  a  fine  irrigation-reservoir. 

RA'JI'M — ^A  town  in  the  Rdlpdr  district,  situated  on  the  right  bank  of  the 
Mah^nadf  at  the  junction  of  the  Pairi  with  that  river,  and  about  twenty-four 
miles  to  the  south-east  of  Rdfpdr.  It  is  celebrated  for  the  temple  of  R^jfva 
Lochan,  and  for  the  annual  pilgrimage  and  fair  held  in  his  honour  in  April. 
The  fair  lasts  for  a  month,  and  usually  attracts  between  20,000  and  30,000 
people.  In  the  temple  is  an  image  of  Rimchandra,*  four  feet  high,  of  black 
stone,  in  a  standing  posture,  facing  the  west.  It  has  four  arms,  holding  the 
four  common  Hindd  emblems — ^the  sanhh  (conch),  the  chahra  (discus),  the 
gadd  (club),  and  the padma  (lotus).  Gtunida  (the  bird  and  vehicle  of  Vishnu), 
as  usual,  faces  the  god  in  a  posture  of  devotion,  and  behind  him  on  a  separate 
terras  are  images  of  Hanumdn  and  Jagatpfl — the  king  who  is  said  to  have 
built  the  temple.  The  latter  is  in  a  sitting  position.  Between  these  two 
is  a  doorway,  beautifiiUy  sculptured  with  representations  of  Ndgas  (serpent 
demi-gods)  entwined  together  in  endless  folds.  This  doorway  leads  to  two 
modem  temples  of  Mahideva,  and  a  third  behind  them  is  dedicated  to  the  wife 
of  an  oil-seller,  respecting  whom  there  is  a  popular  story  connected  with  the 
ancient  image  of  Rdj(va  Lochan,  which  makes  her  contemporary  with  Jagatpdl. 
In  the  same  court  of  the  great  temple  are  shrines  dedicated  to  Narsinha, 
Wdman,  Var^ha,  Badrindth,  and  Jaganndth.  There  are  two  ancient  inscriptions 
on  the  walls  of  the  temple  of  Rdmcbandra,  one  of  which  bears,  the  date 
Samvat  796,  or  a.d.  750.  Both  of  them  relate  to  the  origin  of  Jagatpil,  and 
to  his  prowess  in  subduing  many  countries,  and  they  give  the  names  of  the 
enemies  conquered,  or  assaUed  by  Jagatpdl.  Mention  also  is  made  of  a  fort  called 
Durga  being  obtained  on  his  marriage.  This  is  no  doubt  the  fort  of  Drdg, 
situated  twenty-five  miles  to  the  west  of  Rdipdr,  which,  according  to  local 
tradition,  Jagatpdl  obtained  by  marrying  the  daughter  of  the  Rdjfi  of  Drdg.  On 
a  small  rocky  island  at  the  junction  of  the  Pairi  and  Mahdnadi  is  a  temple  of 
Mahddeva  called  Kuleswar,  said  to  have  been  built  by  the  Rdni  of  Jagatpdl. 

*  This  account  is  taken  from  an  article  in  "'Asiatic  Researches,"  vol.  xv.  p.  499  ff.  From 
the  symbols  here  mentioned,  the  image  would  appear  to  be  that  of  Vishnu  and  not  Rdmchandra, 
who  is  usually  represented  with  a  bow  and  arrow,  and  a  quiver,  and  with  Hanum&i)  before  him, 
rather  than  Garuda. 

54  CPG 


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426  RAJ-^RAM 

There  is  an  inscription  on  the  wall,  but  it  is  now  entirely  illegible.  'Bi^im  is  a 
pretty  little  town  containing  700  houses,  with  between  3,000  and  4,000  inhabit- 
ants. It  has  a  town  school,  a  district  post-office^  and  a  police  station.  There 
are  agencies  here  for  the  collection  and  export  of  lac,  of  which  from  3,000  to 
4,000  Dullock-loads  are  annually  sent  to  the  Mirz^pdrand  Jabalpdr  markets. 

RA'JOLI' — A  small  zamind&i  or  chiefehip  in  the  south-eastern  comer  of 
the  Bhanddra  district,  consisting  of  thirteen  villages,  with  an  area  of  nearly 
forty-three  square  miles,  of  which  about  a  square  mile  and  a  half  may  be  under 
cultivBtion.  The  holder  is  a  Mohammadan,  and  the  grant  is  of  some  standing. 
The  residents  belong  mostly  to  the  Gond  and  Gaull  castes,  and  the  forests 
afford  pasturage  for  large  herds  of  cattle. 

RA'JPU'R — A  chiefship  now  attached  to  the  Sambalpdr  district-  It  is 
said  to  have  been  created  by  Madhukar  S&,  a  former  rijd  of  Sambalpdr,  in  favour 
of  a  son  by  a  left-hand  marriage  {Phul  Shddi),  about  three  hundred  years  ago. 
It  is  situated  about  thirty  miles  due  north  of  Sambalpdr,  and  has  an  area  of 
some  thirty  square  miles,  about  three-fourths  of  which  are  cultivated.  It  con- 
sists of  twenty-one  villages,  and  the  population,  which  is  chiefly  agricultural,  is 
numbered  at  2,756.  Rico  is  the  staple  product.  Iron  is  found  in  parts.  There 
is  also  some  good  timber  to  be  met  with  (s^l  and  &&j),  but  no  teak.  The  pre- 
vailing castes  are  Agharids,  Koltds,  Sdonrds,  and  Gonds. 

RA'JULI' — A  thriving  village  in  the  Chdndd  district,  eight  miles  north  of 
Mdl.  Three  miles  to  the  north-east  of  it,  in  the  basin  of  lulls,  is  a  magnificent 
artificial  lake. 

RA^MDIGHI'  POOL— See  "Kesldbori/' 

RA'MGARH'— The  north-eastern  revenue  subdivision  or  tahsfl  in  the 
Mandla  district,  having  an  area  of  2,503  square  miles,  with  681  villages,  and  a 
population  of  71,620  souls  according  to  the  census  of  1866.  The  land  revenue 
for  the  year  1869-70  is  Rs.  17,286-4-0. 

RA'MGARH — A  village  in  the  Mandla  district,  situated  on  a  rocky  emin- 
ence, at  whose  base  fiows  the  Burhner,  separating  Rdmgarh  from  the  village 
of  Amarpdr.  The  encamping-ground  is  at  the  latter  place.  In  a.d.  1680  the 
whole  of  the  temtory  bearing  this  name  was  bestowed  by  Rdjd  Narendra  Sd, 
together  with  the  title  of  ^^  rdjd,''  on  a  chief  who  had  gi7en  him  great  assistance  in 
recovering  his  ancestral  dominions,  from  which  he  had  been  expelled  by  a 
cousin,  aided  by  a  Mohammadan  contingent.  The  quit-rent  payable  by  the 
Thdkur  was  fixed  at  Rs.  3,000  or  Rs.  3,500,  which  was  still  in  force  at  the 
British  occupation  in  1818.  On  the  execution  of  Rdjd  Shankar  Sd,  the  repre- 
sentative of  the  Gond  kings  of  Garhd  Mandla,  at  Jabalpdr  in  1857,  the  Rdnl — ^who 
then  represented  the  family  on  behalf  of  her  lunatic  son  Amdn  Singh — ^broke 
into  rebellion,  drove  the  oflSciala  from  Rdmgarh,  and  seized  the  place  in  the 
name  of  her  son.  Eventually  a  small  force  was  sent  against  her.  She  behaved 
with  great  bravery,  and  is  said  to  have  headed  her  own  troops  in  several 
skirmishes,  but  was  eventually  compelled  to  flee  to  less  accessible  parts  of  the 
district.  When  the  pursuit  grew  warm,  she  dismounted  from  her  horse,  seized  a 
sword  from  an  attendant,  and  plunged  it  into  her  stomach.  She  was  carried 
into  the  victor's  camp,  where  she  was  attended  by  a  surgeon,  but  medicd  skill 
was  unavailing,  and  she  expired.  After  her  death,  the  insane  Rajd  and  his  two 
sons  surrendered  themselves.     The  former  was  deprived  of  the  title  of  rdjd  and 


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RAM  427 

of  his  estate,  and  a  stipend  was  assigned  to  the  family  for  their  support. 
Rdmgarh  is  now  the  head-qnarters  of  a  tahsil,  and  there  are  here  a  police 
station  and  a  school. 

R A'MNAGAR — A  town  in  the  Mandla  district,  situated  about  ten  miles  to 
the  east  of  Mandla,  at  one  of  the  most  beautiful  spots  in  the  whole  surrounding 
country.  Here  the  Narbadd  makes  a  bond,  and  from  where  the  present  palace 
stands  the  most  enchanting  views  of  both  reaches  of  the  river  are  obtainable. 
Rimnagar  was  selected  as  a  royal  residence  in  a.d.  1663  by  Hirde  S&,  the  54th 
king  of  the  Garhd  Mandla  line.  The  power  of  the  Gond  dynasty  had  received 
so  severe  a  shock  from  the  storm  of  Chaurdgarh  by  the  Bundel&,  and  was  so  rapidly 
being  overshadowed  by  the  growing  Moghal  empire  on  the  one  hand,  and  by 
the  rising  strength  of  the  Deogarh  Gond  line  on  the  other,  that  it  became  advisable 
for  the  Geurhd  Mandla  kings  to  select  a  more  retired  stronghold  than  Garhi,  or 
Chaurdgarh  in  the  Narbadd  valley.  This  place  then  became  the  capital  of  the 
Garhd  Mandla  kingdom,  and  must  at  one  time  have  been  a  town  of  considerable 
size.  There  still  exists  a  baolij  now  four  miles  to  the  east  of  the  palace,  which  is 
represented  to  have  then  been  in  the  heart  of  the  town.  The  ruins  are  very  exten- 
sive, the  most  remarkable  being  those  of  a  palace  built  by  Bhagwant  Rio,  the 
prime  minister  of  Hirde  SL  It  is  said  to  have  been  of  five  stories,  and  to  have 
over-topped  the  palace  of  the  king,  who  therefore  ordered  that  its  walls  should  be 
lowered.  Rdjd  Hirde  Sd's  own  palace  is  a  quadrangle  built  round  an  open  court- 
yard, and  divided  into  numberless  small  rooms  and  narrow  winding  passages • 
In  the  centre  of  the  open  court  is  a  small  tank,  with  remains  of  fountains  to  raise 
water,  for  which  a  dam  was  made  in  the  river  almost  opposite  to  the  palace. 
Close  by  is  a  small  temple  with  a  Sanskrit  inscription  on  stone,  recording  the 
names  of  the  Gond  line  from  Samvat  415  to  the  time  of  Hirde  SL  Rdmnagar 
remained  the  seat  of  government  for  eight  reigns,  until  Rdjd  Narendra  S& 
removed  to  Mandla. 

RAT^PU'R — ^A  chiefship  now  attached  to  the  SambaTptlr  district,  and 
created  in  the  reign  of  Chhatra  Sd,  rdjd  of  Sambalpdr  (a.d.  1630),  by  whom 
it  was  conferred  on  Prin  Nith,  a  Rijput.  It  is  situated  about  twenty-five,  miles 
north-west  of  the  town  of  Sambalp6r,  and  consists  of  sixty-three  villages,  with 
an  area  of  some  hundred  square  miles.  The  population  is  computed  at  5,288 
souls,  belonging  chiefly  to  the  agricultural  classes.  The  prevailing  castes  are 
Agharids,  Gonds,  and  Bhuyis.    l^e  agricultural  products  are  rice,  oU-seeds,  the 

SiUses,  &c.  Iron-ore  is  found  in  considerable  quantities.  There  is  also  a  good 
eal  of  usefril  timber,  such  as  sfl  {shorea  robusta),  sdj  (pentaptera  tomentosa ) ,  dhduri 
{conoearptis  latifolia),  ebony  (di^oapyros  melanoxylon),  &o*  Darydo  Singh  is 
the  present  chief.  In  the  time  of  RSjd  Ndriyan  Singh  (a.d.  1835)  several  of  his 
relations  were  murdered  by  the  brothers  Surendra  S4  and  Udant  S4,  who  for 
this  offence  were  sentenced  to  imprisonment  for  life.  They  were  undergoing 
their  sentence  at  Haz&rib^gh  when  they  were  released,  in  the  year  of  tho 
great  rebellion  in  1857,  by  the  mutineers,  and  in  the  same  year  they  came 
down  and  set  on  foot  rebellion  in  Sambalpdr. 

RATMLTEK — ^The  north-eastern  revenue  subdivision  or  tahsfl  in  the  Ndgpiir 
district,  covering  an  area  of  1,072  square  miles,  with  560  villages,  and  a  popula- 
tion of  134,846  souls  according  to  the  census  of  1866,  The  land  revenue  of  the 
subdivision  for  1865-70  is  Rs.  1,85,301. 


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428  RAM 

RA.'^MTEK — The  head-quarters  of  the  tahsil  (5f  the  same  name^  in  the  N&^dr 
district.  It  is  situated  twenty-four  miles  north  of  Nigpdr,  and  four  miles  east  of  the 
Ndgpdr  and  Jabalpdr  road,  at  the  southern  foot  of  a  ridge  of  hills  detached  by  a  few 
miles  of  cultivation  from  the  undulating  forest  country,  which  extends  up  to  the  base 
of  the  Sitpurfa.  The  town  is  built  on  gravelly  soil,  and  is  surrounded  by  exten- 
sive groves  planted  about  the  base  of  the  hill.  The  houses  are  generally  good 
and  substantial.  The  population  amounts  to  7,933  souLs.  Of  these  one-twelfth 
are  Musalmdns,  one-eighth  areBr^hmans,  and  one-eighth Barais  (p&n  gardeners). 
Of  the  remainder,  one-half  are  cultivators.  There  are  also  many  Parwfir  shop- 
keepers of  the  Jain  religion.  The  trade  of  Bdmtek  is  not  important,  except  that 
from  hence  a  great  quantity  of  betel-leaf  is  exported.  The  quality  of  the  Rdm- 
tek  ''pin"  has  long  been  well  known,  and  large  quantities  have  always  been 
taken  mto  Seoul,  Chhindwfod,  Jabalpdr,  theBer&:«,and  other  districts.  During 
the  last  ten  years  the  cultivation  had  languished  till  \he  opening  of  the  railway, 
since  which  time  a  large  export  has  begun  towards  Bombay.  Prices  have  consi- 
derably risen,  and  the  area  of  cultivation  is  increasing.  The  cultivation  of  p6n  is 
said  to  have  flourished  here  for  three  centuries,  having  been  introduced  from 
Deogarh  by  an  ancestor  of  the  present  owner  of  the  gardens.  The  sums  realised 
from  octroi  are  spent  by  the  town  committee  in  the  support  of  their  schools 
and  town  police,  and  on  municipal  works.  A  good  metalled  road  from  Mansar, 
on  the  trunk  line  between  Jabalpdr  and  Ndgpdr,  is  now  nearly  completed 
through  the  town  to  the  village  of  Ambild,  where,  on  the  banks  of  a  small  lake, 
an  annual  fair  is  held  in  the  month  of  "  Kdrtik,"  corresponding  to  November. 
Last  year  (1868)  there  were  not  far  short  of  100,000  people  present  during  the 
busy  fortnight.  There  is  an  excellent  bungalow  on  the  ridge  of  the  hill,  about  500 
feet  above  the  plain.  From  this  spot  a  varied  and  extensive  view  is  obtained  in 
every  direction.  The  tahsili  is  a  commodious  structure  at  the  western  end  of 
the  town. 

Rdmtek  has  ever  been  a  chosen  seat  of  religious  veneration  amongst 
the  Hindds.  Of  the  many  old  temples  the  oldest  appears  to  be  one  in  a 
small  dell  on  the  north  side  of  the  hill.  It  is  built  of  hewn  stones,  well  fitted 
together  without  mortar.  From  its  shape  and  structure  it  is  probably  a  Jain 
temple,  though  local  tradition  would  make  it  the  work  of  one  Hemdr  Pant,  by 
some  said  to  have  been  a  Brdhman,  by  others  a  "  Bikshasa,''  with  whose  name 
many  remains  of  buildings  in  the  Bhanddra  and  Nigpdr  districts  are  connected. 
Near  this  temple  are  the  modem  **  Parwdr"  temples — a  large  and  handsome 
group,  enclosed  in  courts  well  fortified  against  approach  from  the  plain  to  the 
north.  The  centre  of  interest,  however,  is  the  group  on  the  western  extremity 
of  the  hill,  where  the  temple  ofRdm  (BSmchandra),  the  tutelary  god,  stands 
conspicuous  above  the  rest  and  above  the  walls  of  the  citadel.  The  lull  on  the 
south  and  west  sides  is  protected  by  a  lofty  natural  scarp  ;  the  north  side  alone 
is  very  steep,  and  has  a  double  line  of  defence.  The  inner  line  belongs  to  the 
citadel ;  the  outer  one  from  the  western  point,  running  below  the  citadel  walls, 
gradually  diverges  more  and  more,  till  some  300  yards  beyond  the  inner  portion 
it  turns  to  the  south,  and  is  carried  across  a  narrow  valley  which  leads  down  to 
Ambdla.  From  the  place  where  it  meets  the  bluff  on  the  south  side  of  the  hill, 
facing  the  town  of  Bdmtek,  it  is  continued  along  the  edge,  here  strengthened 
with  a  bastion,  there  with  barrier-walls,  blocking  up  the  small  ravines  which 
creep  up  the  lull-side,  till  it  joins,  at  the  extreme  west  point,  the  more  recent 
walls  of  the  citadel.  This  outer  fortification  is  now  in  ruins.  Though  of  rude 
construction,  being  made  by  piling  ponderous  stones  on  one  another,  it  was 


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RAM  429 

high  and  strong.  It  is  without  doubt  very  old,  and  is  believed  to  be  a  work  of 
the  Gaulfs<  mthin  it  was  a  considerable  village,  a  few  traces  of  which  are  still 
to  be  seen.  The  citadel  is  at  the  western  and  highest  extremity  of  the 
enclosure,  having  the  chief  temples  at  the  apex  of  the  angle.  It  was  only 
on  the  eastern  side  that  the  approach  of  an  enemy  could  be  feared.  To 
ascend  to  the  citadel  from  the  i^b&ld  side,  the  road  passes  under  a  small 
wooded  hill,  having  on  its  top  a  fortified  summer-palace,  accessible  from  one 
side  only,  which  is  said  to  have  been  built  by  a  riji  of  the  Sdrya-Vansl 
(Solar)  race.  Following  this  road,  which,  after  passing  through  the  town,  winds 
first  round  the  outer  and  then  round  the  inner  side  of  the  southern  ridge 
of  the  hill,  we  have  in  front  the  embankment  of  the  tank,  along  which  a 
line  of  defences,  with  strong  bastions  flanking  the  gateway,  was  built  by 
Baghoji  I.  Inside  this  is  Amb£i&,  with  its  pretty  Idke,  its  bathing  gh&ts, 
and  numerous  temples,  each  belonging  to  one  of  the  old  Marithd  families  of 
this  country.  From  the  western  corner  of  the  tank  flights  of  stone  stairs,  half 
a  mile  in  length,  lead  up  to  the  citadel,  passing  through  the  Graulf  walls  by  a 
narrow  gateway.  All  pilgrims  going  to  worship  at  the  temples  ascend  the  hill 
by  this  way.  Nearly  at  3ie  top,  on  the  right,  is  a  large  and  very  ancient  open 
baoU,  with  a  dharmsala  attached.  To  the  left  are  two  plain,  but  very  old, 
temples  of  Elrishna  in  the  avat&r  of  Narsinha.  Opposite  to  these  is  a  plain 
mosque,  said  to  have  been  built  in  commemoration  of  a  great  man  in  the  retinue 
of  the  Emperor  Aurangzeb. 

From  this  a  flight  of  steps  leads  up  to  the  outer  gate,  a  massive  building, 
which,  with  all  the  outer  line  of  walls  belonging  to  the  citadel,  was  built  by  the 
first  Mardthd  ruler.  Inside  the  gateway,  on  the  right,  are  Hindd  temples  of 
Nirfiyan ;  on  the  left  are  other  temples,  where  Parwirs  annually  resort.  Passing 
through  this  lower  court,  the  Singhpdr  gate  in  the  second  line  of  walls  is  reached. 
The  buildings  here  are  much  more  ancient  than  those  in  the  first  line,  and  are 
referred  to  the  time  of  the  Sdrya-Yansfs.  In  the  second  court  the  Mardth^ 
had  their  arsenal,  of  which  a  few  wall-pieces  are  still  left.  The  third  court  is 
reached  through  a  very  fine  gateway  ceJled  the  Bhairava  Darw^;  in  this  part 
the  walls  and  bastions  restored  by  the  Mardth^  are  in  very  good  repair.  This 
innermost  court  has  on  either  side  the  dwellings  of  the  servants  of  the  temples, 
and  at  the  frurther  end  the  Gokul  Darw&za — a  building  of  the  most  fSemtastio 
architecture  leading  to  the  shrines  of  Gbnpati  and  Hanum&n ;  and  lastly,  built  on 
the  edge  of  the  hbaS,  the  shrine  of  Bdma.  From  this  inner  court  another  series 
of  stone-stairs  lead  down  into  the  town  of  B^tek.  In  the  time  of  Baghojf  I. 
the  fort,  with  its  temples,  must  have  been  safe  {torn  any  force  which  coiud  then 
have  been  brought  against  it. 

Though  the  name  of  Bdmtek  is  seldom  heard  in  Hindustan  as  a  celebrated 
resort  of  pilgrims,  yet  the  annual  number  of  visitors  to  it  is  very  great.  The  great 
fair  attracts  people  from  £&(pdr,  Bhopfl,  and  Haidar^bdd.  All  attempts  to 
obtain  from  the  traditions  of  the  people  a  coherent  or  intelligible  history  of  the 
various  ancient  shrines  and  ruins  have  proved  fruitless.  The  buildings  them- 
selves throw  little  light  on  the  past.  Tlie  present  fortress  was  in  great  measure 
built  or  restored  by  the  Mardth^.  In  the  beginning  of  the  Mar^thd  times  two 
very  fine  old  laolisy  which  had  for  ages  been  covered  over  by  earth,  were 
discovered,  long  after  all  tradition  of  their  existence  had  been  lost.  These 
were  probably  built  before  the  ascendancy  of  the  Gonds.  These  bdolis  and  much 
of  the  temples  and  citadels  must  be  ascribed  to  Hindds,  such  as  the  traditional 


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430  RAM— RAT 

Sdrya-Vansi  rdjds — ^immigrants  from  Ayodhyd.  Anterior  to  these  are  the  Ganli 
walls^  and  traces  of  a  Gauli  town ;  and  still  earlier  the  small  Jain-like  temples 
built  without  mortar.  The  architectural  characteristics  of  the  different  races 
are  easily  distinguishable  the  one  from  the  other;  but  what  gaps  of  time  sepa- 
rated the  eras  of  the  Jain  and  the  GauH,  the  Sdrya-Vansf,  and  the  Gond,  can 
only  be  the  subject  of  conjecture. 

RA'MTI'RTH  Temple— See  ''  Balliilptir.^' 

RANEH — ^A  town  in  the  Damoh  district^  sitnated  about  twenty-one 
miles  north-east  of  Damoh.  The  population^  according  to  the  census  of  1866^ 
exceeds  three  thousand  souls.  Some  cotton-cloth  is  manufactured  here^  and  the 
town  has  a  police-station  and  a  government  school. 

RA'NGI'  —  A  chiefship  in  the  Chindi  district,  situated  twelve  miles 
south-east  of  Waird^arh,  and  containing  seventeen  villages.  The  soil  is  sandy, 
producing  rice  and  in  some  places  sugarcane.  The  eastern  portion  is  very  hiUy, 
with  a  good  deal  of  teak ;  but  sdj  and  mhowa  trees  are  more  common.  A  weekly 
market,  attended  by  some  three  hundred  visitors,  takes  place  at  the  village  of 
R^gi,  which  is  the  head-quarters  of  the  ^minddri.  At  Ingdrd  there  is  an 
ancient  temple,  on  which  there  is  a  carving  of  a  warrior  with  a  short  straight 
sword  and  a  shield. 

RA'NGI'R — One  of  the  oldest  villages  in  the  Sfigar  district,  about  twenty- 
two  miles  south-east  of  Sdgar.  An  annual  fair  is  held  here  in  March,  at  which  the 
attendance  in  1869  was  65,000  persons. 

RANMACHAN — A  village  in  the  Ch&idd  district,  situated  six  miles 
south-east  of  Brahmapurl,  at  the  point  where  the  Bot^dhi  falls  into  the  Wam- 
gangd.  In  the  vicinity  a  battle  was  fought  between  the  Mdnd  princes  of 
Wairdgarh  and  Brahmapuri,  in  which  the  latter  was  defeated. 

RASUTiA'BA'D— A  village  in  the  A'rvi  tahsfl  of  the  Wardhd  district, 
eighteen  miles  west  of  Wardhi.  It  was  founded  some  two  hundred  years  ago 
by  Nawdb  Indyat  Khdn  of  Ellichptir,  who  called  it  Rasdldbdd  in  honour  of  his 
son  Rasdl  Eh&n.  It  now  contains  2,565  inhabitants,  chiefly  cultivators.  A 
government  village  school,  lately  opened  here,  is  doing  well.  A  large  weekly 
market  is  held  here  on  Fridays,  and  town  duties  are  collected.  The  village 
lands  are  rich  and  well  cultivated. 

RATANPU'R  (RATNAPUH)— A  town  in  the  district  (rfBil&ptir,8ituated 
twelve  miles  north  of  Bildspdr  town.  It  was  here  that  the  ancient  rdjds  of 
the  country  first  held  their  court,  and  it  was  from  this  point  that  the  early 
Hindd  settlers,  gradually  acquiring  strength,  displaced  the  aborigines, 
reclaimed  the  wilderness,  and  spread  over  the  plain  their  civilisation  and  faith. 
Although  the  importance  and  ancient  glory  of  Ratanpdr  have  long  since  de- 
parted, there  is  probably  no  town  ijx  Chhattisgarh  which  to  the  Q^tiofuarian  or 
archaaologist  would  be  more  interesting  and  attractive.  The  town  is  situated 
at  the  base  of  the  Kend^  o£&hoots  of  the  Vindhyan  range,  and  lies  in  a  hollow, 
almost  surrounded  by  isolated  hills.  The  result  is  that  nothing  is  seen  of  it 
till  its  precincts  are  entered,  though  the  white  edifice  which  crowns  Temple 
Hill  distantly  indicates  its  position,  and  often  creates  a  delusive  hope  that  it 
has  been  nearly  reached.    Like  all  towns  once  populous  but  now  declining, 


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RAV— REH  431 

there  is  about  many  of  the  streets  of  Batanpdr  an  air  of  dilapidation  and  deser- 
tion. A  cluster  of  houses  is  met  with  in  one  spot,  then  a  great  gap,  then 
another  cluster,  and  so  on,  over  a  long  straggling  disconnected  stretch  of 
habitations.  There  are  here  and  there  a  few  houses  of  permanent  masonry — the 
melancholy  relics  of  past  greatness — amid  a  throng  of  thatched  and  tiled  build- 
ings ;  then  we  come  on  the  crumbling  arches  of  the  old  fort,  the  broken  walls 
and  scattered  debris  of  the  ancient  palace,  and  the  partially-filled  moat  which 
surrounded  the  city — all  speaking  of  days  gone  by.  Nothing,  however,  seems 
so  striking,  or  dwells  so  vividly  in  the  memory  in  connection  with  Batanpdr^ 
as  its  numerous  groves,  temples,  and  tanks.  Ruins  are  a  heritage  common  to 
all  old  cities,  and  there  is  admittedly  nothing  of  marked  interest  or  beauty 
about  those  of  Ratanpdr.  But  here  is  a  township  covering  an  area  of  fifteen 
square  miles,  and  containing  within  its  limits  a  perfect  forest  of  mango 
trees,  amid  the  luxuriant  shade  of  which  are  scattered  an  almost  countless 
number  of  tanks  and  temples.  It  is  quite  possible  to  wander  for  days  through 
these  groves,  ever  discovering  some  new  tank  or  stumbling  upon  some  fresh 
temple,  and  although  the  inquirer  may  have  occasion  to  do  s(5  often,  he 
will  always  find  some  new  pile^  till  then  unobserved,  to  enter  and  examine. 
Mixed  up  with  the  temples  are  great  blocks  of  masonry,  of  much  the  same  shape, 
Sacred  to  distinguished  "  Satis  ^' — ^those  unhappy  victims  to  a  melancholy  reli-  "f' 
gious  fanaticism.  The  most  prominent  of  these  is  near  the  old  fort,  where  a 
large  building,  gracefully  adorned  on  all  sides  with  arches  and  minarets,  pro- 
claims that  here,  some  230  years  ago,  twenty  Bdnfs  of  "R&ji  Lachhman  Sahi  -^^ 
became  voluntary  martyrs  to  Brihmanical  cruelty  and  popular  feeling.  Batanpdr 
is  essentially  a  city  of  the  past,  and  has  declined  much  in  population  even  within 
the  last  few  years.  Less  than  two  years  before  the  census  a  house-to-house 
enumeration  was  made,  and  the  population  stood  at  8,462,  which  at  the  time  of 
the  census  had  feUen  to  6,910,  or  a  decrease  of  1,552  inhabitants.  The  estab- 
lishment of  Bildspdr  as  the  head-quarters  of  the  district  has  doubtless  been  the 
cause  of  this  decrease^  and  Batanpdr  has  only  now  probably  reached  its  standing- 
point.  The  community  comprises  a  fair  sprinkling  of  traders,  who  have  consi- 
derable dealings  in  lac,  cloth,  spices,  and  metals  with  Mirz^pdr ;  but  its  distinc- 
tive element  is  a  large  section  of  lettered  Brdhmans — the  hereditary  holders 
of  rent-free  villages — who  are  the  interpreters  of  the  sacred  writings,  and  the 
ministers  of  religious  ceremonies,  for  a  great  portion  of  Chhattisgarh.  The 
palmy  days  of  Batanpdr  ended  with  B&j4  Bimbdjf  BhonsUi  in  a.d.  1787. 

BA'VBB — A  small  town  in  the  Nimir  district,  situated  on  the  banks  of  the 
Narbadd,  about  forty  miles  from  Khandwd.  It  is  noteworthy  only  as  containing 
the  cenotaph  of  the  Peshwd  Bdj(  Bdo,  who  died  here  in  a.d.  1740  when  on  the 
point  of  crossing  the  Narbadd  to  invade  Hindustdn  for  the  second  time.  It  is 
an  unimposing  structure  of  variegated  sandstone,  enclosed  in  a  spacious  dharm- 
sola  of  strong  masonry.  A  handsome  ghat^  opposite  the  platform  in  the  centre 
of  the  river,  where  his  funeral  obsequies  were  performed,  has  now  been  a  good 
deal  destroyed  by  the  annual  floods.  The  place  is  now  quite  off  any  main  line 
of  traffic,  but  is  easily  accessible  from  the  Barwdi  or  Dhangdon  travellers'  bun- 
galows, being  a  short  ride  only  from  either.  Boats  can  also  go  from  Barwdi  to 
Kdver  on  the  Narbadd. 

BEHLr — ^The  southern  revenue  subdivision  or  tahsfl  of  the  Sdgar  district, 
having  an  area  of  1,268  square  miles,  with  723  villages,  and  a  population  of 
147,407  souls  according  to  the  census  of  1866.  The  land  revenue  of  the  tahsfl 
for  the  year  1869-70  is  Bs.  1,31,025. 


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432  RBH— ROH 

REHLF — A  village  in  the  Sdgar  district,  situated  aboat  twenty-eight 
miles  south-east  of  S^gar,  at  an  elevation  above  the  sea  of  1,350  feet.  Accord* 
ing  to  tradition  its  first  rulers  were  the  Gonds,  to  whom  succeeded  a  race  of 
shepherds  known  as  Baladeos.  Their  first  settlement  was  a  village  named 
Khamarii,  which  is  about  a  mile  from  Rehl(,  but  in  time  they  removed  their 
quarters  to  Rehli  itself,  and  here  a  fort  was  built  by  them.  Thenceforward  the 
population  of  Rehli  began  to  multiply,  and  soon  the  village  rose  to  the  dignity 
of  a  town.  The  place  next  passed  into  the  hands  of  the  Bundeld  chief  of 
Pann£,  R&ji  Chhatra  Sdl,  who,  having  defeated  Mohammad  Kh&a  Bangash,  the 
sdba  of  Farukh&b^d,  with  the  assistance  of  B£j{  Rdo  Peshwd,  made  over  to 
the  latter,  in  acknowledgment  of  his  services,  a  part  of  his  territory,  including 
Rehlf,  of  the  annual  value  of  about  thirty  likhs  of  rupees,  in  a.d.  1735.  Rehlf 
thus  came  under  the  Peshwd,  and  the  fort  which  still  exists  there  was  built 
by  him.  In  a.d.  1817  Rehli  was  made  over  to  the  British,  with  Sdgar,  by  the 
Peshwd.  From  the  year  1827  to  1833  it  formed  a  district  subordinate  to  Sfigar, 
and  included  the  subdivisions  of  Tejgarh,  Hatt£,  Damoh,  Grarhdkot^,  Deori, 
Graurjhimar,  and  Niharmaii.  The  old  court-house  (a  large  flat-roofed  bungalow, 
situated  about  half  a  mile  from  the  town  overlooking  the  river)  is  still  in 
existence,  and  is  kept  in  repair  by  the  Sdgar  local  funds  committee.  It  is 
frequently  resorted  to  for  change  of  air  by  the  residents  of  Sfigar. 

Rehli  is  now  remarkably  prosperous  and  flourishing.  This  may  be  consi- 
dered as  partly  owing  to  the  natural  advantages  of  the  place,  such  as  the  healthi- 
ness of  the  climate  and  the  fertility  of  the  soil,  and  partly  to  the  fact  that  the 
settlement  of  the  land  revenue,  which  has  just  expired,  does  not  appear  to  have 
borne  so  heavily  on  the  people  of  this  subdivision  as  on  those  of  otiier  parts  of 
the  district.  The  wealth  of  the  inhabitants  of  this  subdivision  is  indeed  appa- 
rent from  the  fact  that  more  civil  suits  are  filed  in  Rehli  than  in  the  whole  of 
the  remainder  of  the  district,  including  the  town  of  Sdgar.  The  bulk  of  the 
population  may  be  said  to  consist  of  Brihmans  and  Gonds.  Gt>od  skilled  labour 
is  readily  procurable  here.  The  chief  export  is  "  gur'' — a  kind  of  coarse  sugar — 
which  is  manufactured  largely  in  the  town  and  surrounding  villages.  Grain 
of  all  sorts,  but  especially  wheat,  is  also  largely  exported.  Weekly  markets  are 
held  here  on  Mondays  and  Thursdays.  An  octroi  has  been  levied  in  Rehli  since 
1863.  From  the  proceeds  the  town  police  and  conservancy  charges  are  paid, 
and  the  surplus  is  used  in  improving  the  town. 

The  fort,  as  mentioned  above,  was  built  by  the  Mardthis  nearly  150  years 
ago.  It  stands  on  the  north  bank  of  the  Sunir,  opposite  to  the  junction  of  that 
river  with  another  small  stream  called  the  Dehdr,  on  a  considerable  eminence 
overlooking  the  town.  The  space  enclosed  within  it — ^nearly  two  acres  in  extent 
— was  once  covered  with  Marlthd  buildings  of  two  or  more  stories,  most  of  which 
have  been  destroyed.  A  large  and  handsome  flat-roofed  building,  surrounded 
with  an  enclosure-waU,  has  lately  been  erected  by  voluntary  contributions 
from  the  people  of  Rehli  and  the  surrounding  villages  for  a  school-house.  The 
attendance  averages  180  boys  per  diem.  Five  female  schools  have  also  been 
established  here.  The  average  daily  attendance  of  girls  in  these  schools 
amounts  to  125.  There  are  also  a  dispensary  and  a  post-office.  The  popula- 
tion, according  to  the  census  of  1866,  is  3,595  souls* 

ROHNA' — A  small  market-town  in  the  AWi  tahsil  of  the  Wardhd  district, 
situated  twenty-three  miles  west  by  north  of  Wardhi.    The  weekly  market. 


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433 


wliioh  is  well  attended,  is  held  on  Tuesdays  in  the  dry  bed  and  along  the  bank 
of  the  stream  flowing  past  the  town.  A  considerable  annual  fair  is  held  here  in 
the  first  half  of  the  month  of  Mdgh,  corresponding  with  the  second  half  of 
January  and  the  first  half  of  February.  A  site  for  a  market-place  has  been 
cleared  on  the  bank  of  the  river,  and  an  embankment  has  been  raised  to  prevent 
its  being  flooded  in  the  rains.  A  village  school  has  also  been  established 
from  municipal  funds.  The  town  contains  2,565  inhabitants,  the  bulk  of  whom 
are  cultivators ;  but  there  are,  besides,  some  weavers,  blanket-makers,  and  a 
few  families  of  bangle-manufacturers.  The  fort  was  built  about  one  hundred 
years  ago  by  Krishniji  Sindia,  who  held  the  village  rent-free  from  the  Haidar- 
dbdd  and  Bhonsli  governments,  in  consideration  of  maintaining  a  troop  of  two 
hundred  horsemen.  In  the  neighbourhood  of  the  town  are  gardens  of  opium, 
sugarcane,  and  spices,  and  the  lands  generally  are  rich  and  well  cultivated. 

ROHNI' — A  village  on  the  bank  of  the  river  Wardhd,  in  the  Huzdr  tahsfl 
of  the  Wardhd  district,  about  twenty-five  miles  south-west  of  WardhS  town. 
It  is  the  site  of  an  annual  semi-religious  fair  held  on  the  4th  of  Mdgh  Vadya 
(about  the  end  of  January  or  the  beginning  of  February),  on  which  day  ffindds 
resort  here  to  bathe.  On  the  river-bank  stands  a  fine  temple  dedicated  to 
Koteswar  Mahddeva.     Rohni  contains  878  inhabitants,  principally  cultivators. 


s 


SABARF — ^A  river  rising  in  the  Eastern  Ghdts  in  the  Jaipdr  state.  The 
last  twenty-five  miles  of  its  course  are  within  the  limits  of  the  Upper  Goddvari 
district,  and  for  this  distance  it  is  free  from  obstructions,  but  above  it  is  a 
mass  of  rocks  and  rapids.  It  falls  into  the  Goddvari  in  the  Bdkdpaili  tdluka, 
and  is  the  last  affluent  of  any  size  received  by  that  river  before  it  discharges 
itself  into  the  Bay  of  Bengal. 


SAGGAR- 


CONTENTS. 


Page 

General  description 433 

Bivers    4S6 

Climate ib. 

Cattle  and  prodaoe ib. 

Minerals    i6. 

Forests 437 

Administration ih. 


Page 

Education 438 

Popnlation    ih. 

Statistical  acoonnt tb. 

Trade 489 

Eoads ' 440 

Fast  histoiy,  and  antiquities 441 


A  district  situated  in 
General  description. 


the  extreme  north-west  of  the  Central  Provinces, 
and  comprised  within  north  latitude  23°  5'  and 
24°  25;  and  east  longitude  78°  10'  and  79°  15', 
It  is  bounded  on  the  north  by  the  Lalatpdr  district,  and  the  native  states  of 
Bijdwar,  Pannd,  and  Charkhdri ;  on  the  east  by  Panni  and  the  district,  of 
Damoh ;  on  the  south  by  the  district  of  Narsinghpdr,  and  the  native  state  of 
Bhopdl ;  and  on  the  west  by  Bhopdl,  and  the  native  state  of  Gwalior.  The 
extreme  length  from  north  to  south  is  about  eighty-five  miles,  and  the  extreme 
breadth  sixty-five  miles.  The  total  area  is  about  4,005  square  miles,  and  the 
popnlation  about  498,642  souls. 


The  district  may  be  regarded  as  an  extensive,  elevated,  and   in  parts 
tolerably  level  plain,  broken  in  places  by  low  hills  of  the  Vindhyan  sandstone. 
55  CP6 


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434  SAG 

All  the  lower  portions  have  been  filled  by  overflowing  trap^  in  some  places 
rising  into  hillocks^  and  pierced  oocasionaUy  by  sandstone  hills^  as  at  Rdhatgarh. 
The  general  slope  is  to  the  north-east ;  and  the  plain  is  bounded  on  the  south 
by  tihe  Bh^nrer  range  and  its  offshoots,  and  on  the  north-east  by  the 
V  indhyas.  The  soil  of  the  south  and  centre  is  black  soil,  formed  by  the  aecay- 
ing  trap,  and  to  the  north  and  east  is  a  reddish-brown  alluvium.  The  black 
soU  extends  on  the  north-west  right  up  to  EhimUs^.  The  boundaries  of  the 
trap  and  sandstone  are^  however,  so  irregular  that  the  formation  can  be  only 
thus  generally  described : — 

The  country  is  mostly  covered  with  trap,  but  there  are  two  neat  inliers 
of  Vindhyan  sandstone — one  to  the  north,  running  down  from  me  northern 
scarp  of  the  district  to  the  latitude  of  S^gar,  but  a  little  west  of  it,  broadening 
out  opposite  Euraf  and  dying  away  southwards ;  the  other  to  the  east,  running 
south-west  from  near  Grarh^otd  to  beyond  Surkhi,  a  distance  of  about  twenty 
miles,  with  a  mean  breadth  of  some  five  miles.  Grarh^kotd  itself,  and  a  narrow 
strip  of  country  as  far  south  as  Behl(,  are  on  limestone,  and  north  of  these  the 
western  boundary  of  the  district  is  marked  by  a  strip  classed  under  '^  Inter- 
trappean  or  Bdgh  beds'* ;  besides  isolated  patches  of  similar  formation  near 
Bdhatgarh,  Euraf,  Ehimldsd,  Itdwd,  and  Eojanpdr.  The  trappean  area  is  thus 
described  by  Mr.  Mallet  of  the  Geological  Survey : — 

''  The  trappean  area  is  one  which  presents  much  diversity  in  aspect. 
Plains,  more  or  less  level  as  a  whole,  in  some  parts  are  covered  with  broad 
spreads  of  *  cotton  soil,'  where  wheat  is  grown  in  immense  quantities. 
Elsewhere  the  ground  is  broken  and  irregular,  and  the  trappean  rocks, 
without  a  covering  of  soil,  prevent  any  but  the  scantiest  vegetation. 
Innumerable  hills,  disposed  singly  or  in  groups,  and  ranges  and  plateaus 
of  limited  extent,  diversify  the  prospect,  some  of  them  covered  with  jungle, 
others  stony  and  barren.  The  form  of  the  trap  hills  distinguishes  them  at 
once  from  inlying  hills  of  sandstone,  and  the  vegetation  of  each  is  also 
sufficiently  distinct ;  one  of  the  most  characteristic  differences  being  the 
abundant  supply  of  teak-saplings  on  the  trappean  hills,  which  are  quite 
uncommon  on  ike  sandstone.* 

''The  boundary  is  sometimes,  as  east  of  S^igar,  marked  by  a  clear 
trappean  escarpment,  but  in  other  parts  it  is  indicated  by  no  physical 
feature.  The  V  indhyans  have  in  places  been  somewhat  altered  immediately 
beneati  the  trap,  but  not  to  any  very  great  extent.  To  the  east  and  south- 
east of  Sdgar  the  infra-trappean  or  I^metd  limestone  is  lai^ely  developed, 
attaining  a  thickness  of  over  one  hundred  feet  in  places,  but  it  varies  greatly 
in  this  respect,  sometimes  being  entirely  absent,  the  trap  then  resting 
directly  on  the  Vindhyans.  The  rolled  pebbles  which  often  make  up  a 
considerable  portion  of  its  bulk  have  been  derived  from  the  Yindhyan 
sandstones.''t 

The  Vindhyan  outcrops  belong  to  the  group  named  by  the  G-eologfical  Sutvot 
the  '*  Upper  Bewi/'  which  is  described  by  Mr.  Mallet  as  a  ''  mixture  of  thick 
''massive  strata  and  &lse-bedded  flags,  usually  hard  and  compact,  and  ofben 


*  Memoirs  of  the  Geological  Surrey  of  India,  vol.  vii.  part  1,  p.  18. 
t  Ibid,  p.  24. 


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SAG  435 

"  glazed  or  semi-vitrified,  yellowish  and  greyish-white  in  colour,  sometimes 
*'  reddish/'*  The  curious  intertrappean  beds  of  the  Sigar,  and  the  silicified  trees 
which  they  contain,  are  thus  described  by  Mr.  J,  G.  Medlicott  f  :— 

*'  So  far  then  as  we  have  to  do  with  them,  the  beds  of  this  intertrap- 
pean age  are  the  remains  of  lacustrine  deposits,  formerly  accumulated  m 
probably  detached  basins,  and  under  conditions  sUghtly  differing  in  different 
places. 

^'  The  calcareous  bands  of  the  intertrappean  rocks  occur  krgely  near 
Sdgar.    ********* 

"  From  the  S^gar  parade-ground,  along  the  foot  of  the  hills  to  the 
north  of  the  Indore  road,  a  nearly  continuous  outcrop  may  be  traced  for 
miles.  Again,  to  the  south  of  Sdgar,  near  Ndr£yapdr,|  a  similar  bed  is 
found,  resting  on  the  Vindhyan  sandstones,  and  covered  by  trap.  Here 
the  rock — itself  sometimes  a  mass  of  minute  Paludinas — is  hardened  inta 
a  marble  in  one  place,  while  a  few  feet  off  it  is  so  friable  as  to  crumble 
between  the  fingers.  Besides  the  small  shells,  large  specimens  of  XJnia 
Dacanensis,  of  Physa  Prinsepii  and  colossal  vertebrate  bones,  are  embedded 
in  this  calcareous  bed.  These  bones  were  too  much  broken  for  identifica- 
tion. They  have  been  supposed  to  have  belonged  to  large  Pachyderms^  or 
possibly  to  Cetacea. 
********** 

"  Many  years  ago  Dr.  Spry,J  and  subsequently  to  him  Captain 
Nicolls,IJ  studied  and  described  certain  trunks  of  palm-trees  whose  sili- 
cified remains  are  found  embedded  in  the  soft  intertrappean  mud-beds  near 
Sdgar.  Many  points  of  considerable  interest  are  involved  in  the  descrip- 
tions and  speculations  published  by  both  these  geologists,  for  which  their 
papers  may  be  referred  to.  The  trees  are  embedded  in  a  layer  of  cal- 
careous black  earth,  which  formed  the  surface  soil  in  which  they  grew;  this 
soil  rests  on,  and  was  made  up  of  the  disintegration  of  a  layer  of  basalt* 
It  is  covered  over  by  another  and  similar  layer  of  the  same  rock  near  where 
the  trees  occur.  The  ordinary  fossil  shells  of  the  intertrappean  beds  are 
found  in  the  continuation  of  the  same  intertrappean  layer  which  contains  the 
trees  both  where  the  tree-bed  is  still  soft  black  calcareous  clay,  and  further 
on  where  it  is  a  hard  limestone.  Large  distorted  specimens  of  Physa 
Prinsepii  have  been  found  in  this  bed.  The  trees  must  have  been  thrown 
down  or  have  fallen,  and  been  silicified  before  the  advent  of  the  layer  of 
basalt  which  now  lies  on  them,  and  they  could  not  have  been  transported 
by  water  from  a  distance  and  deposited  here  together.  Thus  they  of  course 
cannot  be  supposed  to  belong  to  an  older  formation,  and  to  have  been 
re-deposited  in  an  intertrappean  bed  after  fossilisation  during  a  geologically 
anterior  period.ir 
4c  *  *)|e  *  *  *  *  *« 

♦  Memoirs  of  the  Geological  Survey  of  India,  vol.  vii.  part  1,  p.  72. 
t  Ibid,  vol.  ii.  part  2,  pp.  200,  203,  204,  206,  216. 
X  "  Captain  NicolU'  fossU  locaUty." 
^  "  Journal  of  Asiatic  Society  of  Bengal,  vol.  ii.  p.  639." 
II  "  Journal  of  Asiatic  Society,  Bombay,  vol.  v.  p.  614." 

f  "  Vide  contribution  to  Geology  of  Western  India,  by  Dr.  Carter,  Bombay  Asiatic  Society's 
Journal,  vol.  v.  p.  614." 


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436  SAG 

^'The  palm-trees,  now  found  fossilised,  grew  in  the  soil,  wlucli  in  the 
condition  of  a  black  c^careons  earthy  bed  we  now  find  lying  round  their 
prostrate  stems.  They  fell  (from  whatever  cause)  and  lay  until  their  sili- 
cification  was  complete.  A  slight  depression  of  the  surface,  or  some 
local  or  accidental  check  of  some  drainage  course,  or  any  other  similar  and 
trivial  cause,  may  have  laid  them  under  water.  The  process  of  silicifica- 
tion  proceeded  gradually  but  steadily,  and  after  they  had  there,  in  lapse  of 
ages,  become  lapidified,  the  next  outburst  of  volcanic  matters  overwhelmed 
them,  broke  them,  partially  enveloped  and  bruised  them,  until  long  sub- 
sequent denudation  once  more  brought  them  to  light.  They  may,  no  doubt, 
have  been  still  further  shattered  by  subsequent  movements  of  the  rocks, 
or  even  by  the  shock  of  the  next  superincumbent  flow  of  basalt,  but  there 
is  no  necessity  for  resorting  to  such  an  idea  to  explain  their  present  state 
and  position.^' 

The  direction  of  the  principal  rivers — which  are  the  Sun^,  the  Biis,  the 

Dhdp^,  and  the  Bind — ^is  northward  to  the  Gbn- 

^^"'  getic  valley.     The  Kne  of  watershed  dividing  the 

affluents  of  the  northern  rivers  from  those  of  the  Narbadd  is  on  the  very 

southern  boundary  of  the  district,  where  the  scarp  of  the  Yindhyan  tableland 

rises  abruptly  from  the  Narbadd  vaUey. 

The  climate  at  Sdgar,  and  generally  throughout  the  district,  is  very  moderate 
^.  considering  the  latitude.     The  minimum  tempe- 

""^  *  rature  may  be  stated  at  40°  in  the  cold  weather, 

and  the  maximum  at  109^  in  the  hot  season.  The  district  is  therefore  during 
the  greater  part  of  the  year  very  salubrious  both  for  Europeans  and  Natives. 
The  most  prevalent  disease  is  a  kind  of  intermittent  fever,  which  comes  on  after 
the  rains,  in  the  months  of  September,  October,  and  November,  especially  in 
the  second  of  these  months.  The  rains  seldom  fall  to  such  an  extent  as  to 
damage  the  crops,  and  the  fall  varies  from  thirty -four  to  forty-six  inches. 

Cattle  and  buffaloes  are  bred  to  a  large  extent  in  the  district,  both  for 

Cattle  «.d  produce.  ^°?^*;  "jj  "'^^  f^*^  **f  f"^  ^  purposes, 

'^  especially  the  manufacture  of  ghee.    At  Kurai — a 

small  town  to  the  north  of  Sdgar — ^a  large  cattle-fair  is  held  every  week;  and  at 
Garhdkotd — an  important  town  to  the  south-east  of  Sdgar — a  large  yearly  cattle- 
fair  is  held.  Cattle  are,  however,  seldom  bred  of  any  size»  but  some  fine  speci- 
mens are  brought  from  M&lwL  Some  bulls  from  Hiss^r  and  Mysore  have  been 
imported  to  improve  the  indigenous  breed.  There  are  remarkably  few  sheep, 
not  enough  being  raised  even  for  home  consumption.  The  staple  food  is  wheat, 
which  is  produced  in  large  quantities  all  over  the  district.  Sugarcane  is  also 
grown  in  many  villages ;  and  gur,  or  coarse  sugar,  is  largely  exported  to 
Lalatpdr,  Jhdnsi,  &c.  The  soil  is  in  most  places  favourable  for  the  growth  of 
cotton,  which  is  now  exported  to  Mirzdpdr  and  Bombay  vid  Narsinghpdr. 

The  mineral  produce  is  small,  but  iron-ore  is  found  and  worked  at  Hir£- 
^|v      ,  ptSr— a  small  village  in  the  extreme  north-east. 

It  is  said  to  be  of  excellent  quality,  but  at  present 
only  a  few  smelting-fumaces  of  the  commonest  native  description  exist.  The 
greater  part  of  the  iron  manufacture  is  sent  to  Cawnpore.  Some  of  the  sand- 
stone is  said  to  be  eaual  to  the  English  "  tiling  stone.*^  The  principal  houses 
in  the  towns  of  Kurai,  Khiml&d,  Rihatgarh,  Milthon,  and  a  part  of  Sigar,  are 


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SAG  437 

entirely  roofed  with  sandstone  slabs.  The  roof  of  the  Sdgar  church  is  a  fine 
specimen  of  sandstone  tiling.  The  slabs  are  in  fifteen  or  twenty  inch  squares^ 
and  about  a  quarter  or  three-quarters  of  an  inch  thick.  They  are  arranged 
diagonally  upon  bamboos,  and  each  is  attached  by  a  single  pliant  nail.  The  best 
sandstone  is  firom  a  village  called  ^'  Pithdri/^  and  from  Maswdsi  immediately 
north  of  Sigar.     It  is  as  well  adapted  for  carving  as  for  buildingjpurposes. 

There  are  several  densely-wooded  tracts  in  the  district,  but  there  is  no 

p  very  great  quantity  of  the  finer  sorts  of  timber. 

The  largest  forest  is  the  ''  Ramnd/'  or  preserve 

to  the  north-east  of  Oarhdkotd,  containing  chiefly  teak  and  sij.    In  the  southern 

parts  of  the  district  there  are  other  small  forests,  viz.  Mohlf^  about  fifteen  miles 

east  of  Behlf^  and  Tarhd  KfsU  to  the  south  of  Deori.     These  produce  teak  and 

sdj^  and  also  bamboos.     Towards  the  north  of  the  district,  in  Shdhgarh,  there 

are  large  tracts  of  forest,  containing  chiefly  mhowa  and  sdj,  with  some  teak^ 

and  bamboos  in  abundance.     The  reserved  forests  are  those  of  G^rhdkot^  and 

Tigori.    The  Grarhdkotd  reserve  contains  eight  square  miles,  and  the  Tigori 

or  Shdhgarh  reserve  contains  an  area  of  two  square  miles.     The  total  amount 

of  unreserved  waste  land  is  451,430  acres,  which  is  divided  into  272  blocks 

technically  called  "  chaksJ^    These  waste  lands  may  either  be  bought  outright, 

or  hired  on  clearance  leases^  or  farmed  for  their  produce. 

The  administration  is  conducted  by  a  Deputy  Commissioner,  with  ordi- 
Ad   '   itrati  narily    three  Assistants    at   head-quarters,   and 

^^^  Tahsilddrs  or  sub-collectors,  with  judicial  powers, 

at  the  tahsfl  stations,  which  give  their  names  to  the  four  subdivisions  or  tahsils, 
viz.  Sdgar,  Eurai,  BehK,  and  Bandd.  Each  of  these  subdivisions  consists  of 
two  or  more  minor  subdivisions  or  parganas.  The  following  is  a  list  of  the 
principal  towns  and  villages  : — 


1.  Sdgar. 

2.  Bdhatgarh. 

3.  Jaisinghnagar, 
4.1lehll. 


5.  Garhdkot^. 

6.  Deori. 

7.  Kurai. 

8.  EhimUsl 


9.  ItiwL 

10.  Kanjii. 

11.  Mdlthon. 

12.  Bran. 


13.  Band£. 

14.  Bindiki. 

15.  Sh^hgarh. 

16.  DhimonL 


The  police  number  627  of  all  ranks,  under  a  District  Superintendent.  Ther 
have  station-houses  at  Kurai,  Bandd,  Behli,  Gopdlganj,  Elhimldsd,  Baroda, 
Shdhgarh,  Baretd,  Dh^moni,  Deori,  Garhdkota,  and  Bdhatgarh,  besides  thirty- 
three  outposts.  The  Customs  line  passes  through  the  district,  having  a  Collec- 
tor's station  and  bonded  warehouse  at  Sdgar,  and  patroFs  stations  at  Mflthon, 
B^ndri,  Sdgar,  Till!,  Gaurjhdmar,  and  Deori.  The  total  imperial  revenue  of  the 
S^gar  district  in  1868-69  amounted  to  Bs.  10,90)928.  It  may  be  exhibited 
under  the  following  heads  : — 

Land  revenue Rs.  4,29,830 

Excise,  including  opium  and  drugs  „  35,149 

Customs,  inclu<£ng  salt  and  sugar  „  5,41,788 

Stamp  revenue    „  61,794 

Forest  revenue,  not  including  sales  of  waste  ,,  12,926 

Pdndhri    „  9,441 

Total Rs.  10,90,928 


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438  SAG 

In  addition  there  were  collections  on  account  of  octroi  in  1868-69  amounting 
to  Rs.  64^000.  The  educational  cess  also  yielded  about  Bs.  8^600,  the  road  cess 
the  same  amount^  and  the  district  postal  service  cess  Bs.  2^150.  Thus  the  total 
revenue  may  be  estimated  at  Bs.  11^74^278. 

There  were  in   1868-69  in  this  district  109  schools  and  4,812  scholars. 
„ ,     ^  Of  these  the  Government  institutions  were  78  in 

number.  The  best  school  in  the  Central  Pro- 
vinces is  at  Sdgar.  The  language  spoken  in  the  district  calls  for  no  particular 
remark.     It  is  a  dialect  of  Hindi. 

The  population  of  the  district  amounts  to  498,642  souls,  of  whom  220,070 
p     ,  ^  are  returned  as  agriculturists  and  278,572  as  non- 

^^^     ^^'  agriculturists.    The  best  cultivators  are  Kurmis^ 

K&chhfs,  Lodhis,  and  Ddngfs.  The  artisans  and  handicraftsmen  are  chiefly 
Lobars,  Barhais,  Eohris,  and  Sun^.  Except  in  some  of  the  large  towns,  and 
the  city  of  Sigar  itself,  the  manners  of  the  inhabitants  generally  are  decidedly 
uncouth.  Towards  the  northern  part  of  the  district,  where  it  borders  on 
Bundelkhand,  their  character  and  tone  undergo  a  decided  chan^  for  the  worse, 
resulting  most  likely  from  their  proximity  to  a  part  of  India  famous  for  a  low 
standard  of  morals,  and  whose  normal  state  may  be  said  to  be  discontent  and 
disaffection.  To  the  south  of  the  district  the  people  are  more  tractable  and 
yielding,  and  altogether  better  satisfied  and  contented  with  their  condition  than 
those  of  the  north.  The  tribes  most  addicted  to  crime  are  the  Lodhls,  Bundel^, 
Brdhmans,  Khangdrs,  Churdrs,  and  Eohris.  They  are  mostly  to  be  found  in  the 
borders  of  the  district  near  native  states,  where  they  find  protection  and  con- 
cealment if  pressed  by  our  police.  On  the  whole  the  inhabitants  of  Sdgar  may 
be  said  to  be  a  sturdy  race.  They  are  not  high  in  stature,  but  they  possess  a  &ir 
share  of  stamina,  muscles,  thews  and  sinews.  They  are  much  attached  to  their 
own  part  of  the  country,  and  are  seldom  induced  to  leave  it.  They  appear  to 
have  no  fondness  for  dress.  Simple  white  cloth — the  produce  of  the  country — 
is  in  common  use  in  the  hot  season  with  the  poorer  class^  and  cloth  &(  a  fiuier 
texture,  but  of  the  same  colour,  with  those  better  off.  In  the  cold  weather  this 
is  changed  for  a  thick  cotton  padded  coat,  reaching  past  the  knees  ;  and  green 
^  mhowa"  is  the  favourite  colour,  more  particularly  to  the  north  of  the  district 
bordering  on  Bundelkhand,  where  this  is  considered  the  national  colour.  Cloth 
dyed  with  dl  or  madder  is  also  much  worn,  particularly  by  females.  Grain 
and  vegetables  are  the  staple  food.  Some  of  the  lower  classes,  such  as  Chamfos, 
Gonds,  &c.,  eat  flesh  when  they  can  get  it,  and  are  not  particular  as  to  its  condi- 
tion. Those  who  can  afford  it  eat  wheat,  barley,  and  ddl ;  the  poorer  classes 
content  themselves  with  hiyri,  kodo,  kutki,  and  often  in  seasons  of  scarcity 
they  subsist  on  the  mhowa  berry  and  other  such  jungle  fruits.  The  houses  are 
generally  built  of  either  stone,  or  stone  and  mud,  and  are  tiled.  A  few  of  the 
huts  inhabited  by  the  poorer  classes,  such  as  Champs,  Sundrs,  and  Gonds,  &o., 
are  thatched,  with  walls  formed  of  wattle  and  dab;  but  every  endeavour  is 
being  made  to  get  them  to  build  permanent  residences,  not  subject  to  be 
destroyed  by  fire. 

Q*.f;.^^i  .««^.«*  The  following  is  a  detailed  statistical  state- 

otantacal  account.  .     -..-i     o^        j*  i_-  j. 

ment  of  the  Sagar  district :— ^ 


Digitized  by 


Google 


SAG 


439 


Name 

of 
Tahsfl. 


Name  of  Pargana. 


Number 

of 
Villages. 


Land  Rerenue 
for  1868-69. 


Area  in  Acres 


Number  of 
Houses. 


Sdgar  

Bdhatgarh  .... 

Naraoli    

Jaisinglmagar. 


Total. 


Enrai  Eliimldsd  . 
Mfflthon  DugdM. 

Eran     

It&wi  

Kanjid 


Total. 


Si 


^  i 


ReUi    

Deori  

Niharmau  . 
GraorjMmar 
GarMkot<t   . 


Total. 


Bherit  .... 
Dhdmoni . 
SMIigarh. 


Total. 
Grand  Total. 


259 

134 

95 

5] 


539 


175 

195 

27 

44 

105 


546 


209 

328 

46 

31 

109 


723 


81 

67 

36 

115 


299 


2,107 


Bs. 

94,399 

27,571 

22,895 

8,471 


368,394 

132,281 

112,452 

55,417 


1,53,336 


668,544 


40,436 

24,875 

4,672 

8,819 

18,515 


183,020 

231,308 

16,537 

38,982 

119,581 


97,317 


45,956 
31,955 
10,689 
9,468 
31,459 


1,29,527 


14,539 

21,397 

2,837 

10,877 


49,650 


4,29,830 


589,428 


240,852 

365,449 

45,839 

38,006 

123,646 


813,792 


109,133 
92,213 

48,884 
191,878 


442,108 


2,513,872 


23,794 
5,889 
4,955 
2,274 


36,912 


7,680 
7,029 
858 
1,452 
3,388 


20,402 


12,727 

13,514 

2,162 

2,401 

8,145 


38,949 


4,175 

5,162 

937 

8,312 


18,586 


114,849 


The  district  is  in  parts,  especially  towards  the  south,  well  cultivated ;  to- 

_,^,  wards  the  west  the  cultivation  is  fast  increasing. 

It  exports  grain  to   the  neighbouring  states  of 

Bhop&l,  Gwalior,  and  Bondelkhand.    The  town  of  S^gar  is  the  entrep6t  of  the 

salt  trade  with  B&jputim£.      The  following  table  exhibits  the  Exports  and 

Imports  during  1867-68  and  1868-69  :— 


Digitized  by 


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MO 


SAG 


Exports. 

Impobts. 

iLTtideB. 

1867-68 

1868-69 

1887-68 

1868-69 

Quantity. 

Value. 

Quantity. 

Value. 

Quantity. 

Value. 

Quantity. 

Value. 

Ootton •  ••• 

Mds. 

278 

5,632 

11,814 

108,249 

11,744 

6,887 

1,890 

8,411 

289 

1,274 

997 

137 

175 

70 

58 

8,088 

1,043 

12 

88 

1,289 

685 

735 

11,295 

Bs. 

4,751 

4,84,334 

72,085 

2,48,042 

85,785 

13,144 

9,299 

1,29,926 

88,970 

99,137 

10,755 

1,433 

5,298 

1,068 

8,275 

65,485 

14,631 

4,595 

1,776 

655 

12,130 

19,501 

2,07,387 

Mds. 

277 

24,860 

26,709 

82,396 

8,021 

85,191 

8,384 

6,567 

109 

1,045 

888 

1,498 

129 

49 

40 

1,234 

129 

'"    'il4 

8,116 

4,963 

133 

87,798 

Bs. 

6,518 

2,32,575 

1,41,083 

2,88,857 

60,478 

75,019 

27,288 

65,706 

21,435 

70,487 

782 

11,028 

1,368 

940 

2,275 

15,813 

2,858 

■*2,988 

1,12H 

81,095 

8,180 

2,16,867 

Mds. 

618 

18,880 

257,240 

29,181 

6,943 

6,356 

954 

3,814 

405 

9,281 

1,168 

622 

63 

1 

29 

1,015 

71 

13 

119 

4,196 

792 

278 

14,532 

Bs. 

8,199 

147,970 

10,67,189 

72,563 

21,812 

8,629 

2,905 

95,660 

59,952 

3,87,354 

10,484 

8,786 

1,281 

18 

2,711 

45,876 

1,620 

6,048 

2,400 

5,105 

11,449 

6,855 

2,07,833 

Mds. 

107 

7,167 

130,278 

48,275 

8,429 

86,033 

6.008 

3,846 

253 

798 

2 

8,698 

16 

32 

'"402 
28 

67 

1,545 

901 

22 

10,269 

Bs. 
1,495 

Rn  CULT  Mid  aur     

45,286 

Bait 

7,42,550 

Wheat 

1,79,295 

Bice 

16,558 

Other  edible  grain 

Oil-BoedB 

86,244 
9,128 

Metals  and  hardware... 
English  piece-goods  ... 
Ooantry  cloth 

27,298 
89,706 
67^18 

Lao  

8 

Tobttoco 

27,095 

Spices 

960 

Country  stationery 

Silk  and  silk  cocoons... 
Dyes    

606 
"'8,665 

Hides  and  horns 

603 

Opinm ... ...t..-r. t-t-r.>.t 

40 

Wool    

840 

Timber  and  wood  

Ghee  and  oil   

657 
18,509 

Coooftntit<«    ,..-,,.,,-„... 

409 

Ififfoellaneoiis  trt .--- 

70,469 

Total 

176,085 

14,78,362 

287^60 

18,08,768 

849,971 

20,96,648 

252,066 

18,28,928 

Horses 

No. 

1 
3,190 
6,284 

16 

80,909 

7,600 

No. 

107 

11,759 

6,861 

3,362 

1,01,082 

8,425 

No. 

81 

6,963 

23,538 

5,747 
87,629 
28,941 

No. 

162 
15,239 
18,731 

2,256 

Cattle  

87,677 

Sheep 

18,601 

Total 

9,475 

88,425 

18,727 

142,869 

30,527 

1,22,817 

84,182 

1,08,434 

Grand  Total 



15,11,787 

... ••• 

14,21,637 

22,18,960 

14,87,356 

The  principal  fairs  are  held  at  Bhdpail  or  Bhdpel,  Kurai^  Pandalpdr,  Rdngfr, 
and  Qttrhdkoti.  As  has  already  been  mentioned,  at  Gtu-hikoti  is  a  great  cattle 
fair.  The  estimated  value  of  the  cattle  brought  for  sale  there  in  1868-69 
amounted  to  Us.  1,80,657,  and  the  number  actuedly  sold  cost  Bs.  1901,635. 

The  main  lines  of  communication  through  the  district  are,  as  yet — (Firstly) 
«,  the  road  from  north-east  to  south-west,  from  Jabal- 

pdr  to  Sdgar,  and  from  thence  towards  Indore  vi£ 
B&atgarh ;  from  Jabalpdr  to  Sdgar  it  is  bridged  and  metalled  in  some  places ; 
and  from  Sdgar  to  Rdhatgarh — a  distance  of  twenty-six  miles — it  is  made  and 
bridged  throughout,  but  no  further.  There  are  travellers'  bungalows  at  Sigax 
and  Rihatgarh.  (Secondly)  from  north-west  to  south-east  from  Gwalior  vid 
Jhinsi  and  Lalatpdr  to  Sigar,  and  from  thence  towards  Narsinghpdr,     At 


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SAG  441 

M&lthon^  close  to  the  extreme  north  boundary  of  the  district,  there  is  a  tra- 
vellers' bungalow.  The  road  is  not  made  nor  bridged  from  Gwalior  to  SSgar. 
From  Sdgar  to  Singhpdr — the  southern  boundary  of  the  district — the  road  is 
partly  made  and  bridged,  with  the  exception  of  the  large  streams.  (Thirdly) 
from  S^ar  in  a  north-easterly  direction  towards  Cawnpore.  This  road  enters 
the  district  in  the  extreme  north-east  comer  at  Hirdpdr.  It  is  not  made  or 
bridged  till  within  about  ten  miles  of  S^gar.  There  is  no  travellers'  bungalow 
on  it  within  the  limits  of  the  district,  but  one  has  lately  been  constructed  at 
Shihgarh,  about  forty  miles  from  S^gar.  (Fourthly)  from  Sigar  in  a  north- 
westerly direction  to  Sironj  in  Sindid's  territory,  and  Mhow  via  Kurai,  the 
latter  place  being  at  the  extremity  of  the  district.  This  road  is  made  and 
bridged,  with  the  exception  of  one  stream  (the  Dhasdn),  from  Sigar  to  Kuraf — 
a  distance  of  about  thirty -six  miles.  But  the  road  which  is  destined  to  be  the 
main  artery  of  communication  and  outlet  of  the  Sigar  district  is  still  nnder 
construction.  It  is  to  connect  Sigar  with  the  Great  Indian  Peninsula  Railway, 
having  Kareli  as  its  terminal  point,  and  crossing  the  Narbadd  at  the  Birmdn 
Ghdt,  believed  to  be  one  of  the  best  on  the  river. 

The  Sigar  district  was  not  always  united  under  one  head.     Semi-inde- 

„    , , .  ^  J     .•    -^  pendent  rulers  of  small  tracts  have  co-existed  at 

Past  history,  and  antiquities.         ^     .  ,  j      r -i  j.  ^i.  xi.         i.  ii»  i_ 

^  ^  various  places  ;  and  whilst  the  southern  half  has 

been  governed  from  Rehlf,  the  northern  half  has  been  subject  to  Dhdmoni  or 

Shihgarh.     It  is  therefore  preferable  to  narrate  the  history  of  these  and  other 

centres  of  domination  separately,  and  thus  we  may  form  a  correct  idea  of  the 

Sast  history  of  the  whole  district.  Antiquities  too  may  perhaps  be  better 
escribed  in  notices  of  the  places  where  they  actually  occur.  The  articles  to 
which  reference  should  be  made  are  those  on  the  towns  of  Deori,  Dhdmonf,  Eran, 
Garhdkotd,  Gtiroli,  Itdwd,  Kurai,  Khimldsd,  Kanjid,  Edhatgarh,  Sdgar,  and 
Shdhgarh. 

SA'GAR — The  central  revenue  subdivision  or  tahsU  of  the  district  of  the 
same  name,  having  an  area  of  1,048  square  miles,  with  539  villages,  and  a  popu- 
lation of  130,340  souls  according  to  the  census  of  1866.  The  land  revenue  for 
the  year  1869-70  is  Rs.  1,51,543. 

SA'GAR — The  principal  town  in  the  district  of  the  same  name,  and  said  to 
be  the  Sageda  of  Ptolemy.  It  is  situated  in  latitude  23°  49'  49",  and  longitude 
78^  48'  45",  at  an  elevation  above  the  sea  of  about  1,940  feet.  Some  of  the 
hills  have,  however,  a  greater  altitude ;  that  on  which  the  magistrate's  court  is 
built  being  upwards  of  2,000  feet  above  the  sea  level.  Sdgar  is  one  hundred 
and  nine  miles  north-west  of  Jabalpdr ;  two  hundred  and  forty-seven  miles  via 
Narsinghpdr  to  the  north  of  Ndgpdr ;  two  hundred  and  twenty-three  miles  south- 
west of  Allah^bid;  two  hundred  and  thirty-three  miles  south  of  A'gra;  eight 
hundred  and  eight  miles  west  of  Calcutta ;  and  two  hundred  and  fifteen  mSes 
north-east  of  Mhow.  It  is  situated  on  the  borders  of  a  fine  lake  of  oval 
shape,  with  a  circumference  of  about  four  miles,  and  nearly  one  mile  across. 
Locied  tradition  takes  back  the  history  of  Sdgar  to  a  very  remote  period. 
Up  to  the  eleventh  century  of  our  era  it  is  said  to  have  been  held  by  the 
aboriginal  tribes.  Then  it  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  pastoral  Ahirs,  whose 
chief  town  was  Garh  Pihri — a  place  about  seven  miles  to  the  north  of 
S^gar.  They  were  dispossessed  shortly  afterwards  by  the  Rajput  Rijds  of 
Jdlaun  in  Bundelkhand,  who  became  masters  of  a  territory  here,  embracing 
some  350  villages.  In  a.d.  1660  a  small  fort  was  built  on  the  site  of  the  pre- 
sent structure  by  one  of  these  chiefs,  and  a  village  was  founded  called  Parkot^, 
56  cpo 


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442  SAG 

which  is  now  one  of  the  quarters  of  the  modern  town.  Thus  the  present  town 
of  S jgar  is  not  more  than  two  centuries  old^  though  the  lake  from  which  it 
derives  its  name  is  said  to  be  a  Banjdr^  work^  and  much  older.  The  next 
possessor  of  S^gar  was  Chhatra  S^l^  the  famous  chieftain  of  Panni,  whose 
descendants  still  hold  the  estate  of  Bilihrd.  In  a.d.  1733  Chhatra  S6\,  being 
kard  pressed  by  Mohammad  Khdn  Bangash^  the  governor  of  Allahdb^  and 
M41wa^  asked  the  aid  of  the  Peshw^^  who  drove  the  Mohammadans  out  of  this 
part  of  the  <50untry.  Rdjd  Jai  Singh  was  afterwards  i^pointed  governor  of 
Milvrij  but  he  <jame  to  an  agreement  with  the  PeshwS,  and  yielded  his  govern- 
ment to  him.  On  Chhatra  SSI's  death  in  1835  he  left  one-third  of  his 
kingdom  to  the  PeshwS,  who  sent  a  confidential  agent  named  Govind  Pandit 
to  take  charge  of  his  new  heritage.  The  territory  made  over  comprised  the 
districts  of  SSgar,  Garhpihri,  and  others,  yielding  an  estimated  annual  revenue 
of  about  thirty-six  l&khs  of  rupees*  Govind  Pandit  remained  in  charge  as 
manager,  and  extended  his  dominions  to  Kdlpi,  which  he  then  made  his  head- 
quarters, leaving  his  son-in-law  Visaji  as  his  representative  at  Sdgar.  Govind 
Pandit  was  killed  in  1760  at  the  battle  of  PSnipat.  He  was  succeeded  by  his 
son  BdlSji,  who  was  again  succeeded  by  his  son  Raghundth  Rdo,  commonly 
known  as  A'bi  Sihib,  in  whose  time  Sdgar  was  twice  plundered  by  the  Nawdb 
of  Tonk  and  his  army.  A'bfi  S4hib  died  without  heirs  in  a.d.  1802,  but  his 
two  wives,  BSdhd  Bii  and  RukmS  BSi,  carried  on  the  government  through  a 
regent,  one  Viniyak  Rio.  In  a.d.  1 804  Sindid  plundered  the  town,  and  made  a 
prisoner  of  YinSyak  Rio ;  giving  him  his  liberty,  however,  on  payment  of 
Rs.  75,000. 

In  the  beginning  of  the  year  a.d.  1818,  by  a  treaty  concluded  between  the 
Peshwi  Biji  R4o  and  the  British  Government,  Stear,  with  the  greater  part  of 
the  present  Sigar  district,  Damoh,  Jabalpdr,  and  Mandla,  were  made  over  to 
the  British.  At  that  time  Viniyak  Rio  was  acting  as  agent  for  Ridhi  Bif  and 
Rukmd  Bi(.  A  small  army  commanded  by  General  Marshall,  with  Mr.  Wau- 
chope,  the  Political  Agent  for  Bundelkhand,  was  sent  by  Government  to  take 
possession  of  the  ceded  districts,  which  was  done,  and  a  yearly  sum  of  two  and  a 
half  likhs  of  rupees  was  allotted  by  Government  for  pensions  to  Rukmi  Bif, 
Viniyak  Rio,  ana  the  other  ofiicers  of  the  Marithi  Government.  A  descen- 
dant of  Rukma  Bif  still  enjoys  a  pension  of  Rs.  10,000  per  annum.  The  son  of 
Viniyak  Rio  is  now  an  Honorary  Magistrate  at  Sigar,  with  a  like  pension.  Iq 
March  1842  occurred  the  outbreak  which  is  known  as  the  Bundoli  insurrection, 
Jawihir  Singh,  the  holder  of  Chandrapur  (a  small  town  about  sixteen  miles  north 
by  west  of  Sagar,  on  the  Ijalatpur  road),  with  Madhukar  Si  and  GaneshjtJ,  the  two 
sons  of  Rio  Bije  Bahidur,  of  Nirhat  (a  small  hilly  tract  about  forty  miles  north 
of  Sigar,  now  in  the  district  of  Lalatpdr),  having  been  sued  on  account  of  decrees 
of  the  Civil  Court,  broke  out  into  open  rebellion,  killed  several  police,  and 
homed  and  plundered  the  towns  of  Khimlisi,  Kurai,  Naraoli,  Dhimoni,  and 
Biniiki.  On  hearing  of  this,  Delan  Si,  a  Gond  chief,  living  to  the  south  of  the 
district,  also  rose  and  plundered  Deori  and  the  surrounding  country.  In  the 
following  year  the  two  sons  of  Rio  Bije  Bahidur  were  caught  by  Captain 
Hamilton,  an  Assistant  at  Sigar,  in  the  Bhinpdr  state.  One  was  hanged,  and 
the  other  transported ;  the  remaining  leaders  gave  themselves  up,  and  were 
pardoned.  The  whole  district  suffered  immensely  from  this  outbreak,  and  the 
land  revenue  was  realised  with  difficulty  for  several  years.  It  was  in  conse- 
anence  of  the  supposed  discredit  thrown  on  the  British  Government  by  these  events 
that  Lord  Ellenborough  broke  up  the  administration  of  the  Sigar  wid  Narbadi 
territories,  and  reorganised  it  on  an  entirely  new  footing. 


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SAG  443 

In  June  1857,  when  the  Sepoy  Mutiny  commenced,  the  regiments  stationed 
at  Sdgar  were  the  31st  N.  I.,  commanded  by  Major  Hampden,  and  the  42nxl,  by 
Colonel  Dalzell,  with  the  3rd  Irregular  Cavalry  and  a  few  European  gunners. 
The  forces  were  commanded  by  Brigadier  Sage.  As  the  officers  had  little 
reason  to  believe  that  their  regiments  would  behave  better  than  others,  they,, 
with  the  European  artillery  and  residents  of  the  station,,  by  order  of  the 
Brigadier,  moved  into  the  fort  on  the  27th  June  1857,  taking  all  the  arms  they 
could  collect,  and  the  treasure  from  the  district  office.  The  regiments  remained 
in  their  lines  for  a  short  time,  when  the  42nd  imd  the  Cavalry  mutinied,  com- 
mitted several  outrages  in  the  cantonments,  and  burnt  a  good  many  houses. 
They  also  took  possession  of  all  the  treasure  that  had  been  left.  The  Slst, 
however,  remained  faithful,  and  made  a  demonstration  against  the  42nd  and 
the  Cavalry,  on  which  the  greater  number  of  the  two  latter  made  off  towards 
Shdhgarh.  When  the  news  of  the  mutiny  of  the  regiments  at  Sigar  got  about, 
Mardian  Singh,  'Riji  of  Bhinpdr,  came  down  and  took  possession  of  the  present 
subdivision  of  Kuraf,  placing  his  officers  in  charge  at  the  different  towns. 
The  Bdj4  of  Shdhgarh  also  took  possession  of  Bandi,  Rehli,  and  G^rhdkotd  ;.and 
A'dil  Mohammad,  Nawdb  of  Garhf  A'mdpdni — a  place  now  in  Bhopdl — ^took  pos- 
session of  Bihatgarh.  In  fact  these  three  divided  the  whole  district  between 
them.  The  Europeans,  however,  still  kept  the  fort  and  the  town  of  Sdgar, 
though  postal  communication  was  stopped,  and  no  revenue  could  of  course  be 
collected.  All  the  police  and  customs  officers  who  had  remained  faithful  were 
sunmioned  into  Sdgar,  and  assisted  in  saving  the  city  from  plunder.  The 
rebels  frequently  made  demonstrations  against  the  fort,  but  never  dared 
to  actually  attack  it.  Things  remained  in  this  state  for  about  eight  months, 
viz.  from  July  1857  to  the  end  of  January  1858.  During  this  time  such 
troops  as  coidd  be  got  together  at  S^Lgar  had  three  times  engaged  the 
rebels.  First,  at  Bin^k^  there  was  an  engagement  with  the  forces  of  the 
ShAgarh  and  Pdtan  r^j&s,  in  which  our  troops  captured  a  gun.  Secondly, 
at  NaraoK,  where  Colonel  Dalzell  of  the  42nd  N.  I.  and  several  others 
were  kiUed.  Thirdly,  at  Bhdpail.  None  of  these  actions  were,  however,  in 
anyway  decisive.  In  February  1858  Sir  Hugh  Rose  arrived  at  Rihatgarh 
with  the*  Central  India  Field  Force,  totally  defeated  the  rebels  under  the 
Naw^b  of  Garhi  Ainip&if,  and  took^  and  partially  destroyed,  the  fort  of  BAat- 
earh.  From  thence  he  passed  oato  Barodi^  Naunagar,  about  ten  miles  &om 
Kfliatgarh,  where  he  met  and  defeated  the  troops  of  the  Rijd  of  Bhfinpdr,. 
and  then  came  into  Sdgar.  In  consequence  of  the  abovementioned  defeats,, 
the  whole  of  the  rebels  about  Bdhatgarh  and  Kurai  fled,  taking  with  them  the 
officers  whom  they  had  placed  in  clmrge.  Passing  through  Sigar,  Sir  Hugh 
Rose  went  on  to  Grarhdkotd,  where  he  met  and  defeated  the  Riji  of  Shdhgarh's 
troops,  and  took  the  fort,  where  the  rebels  had  lefl  a  large  quantity  of  treasure 
and  property  of  all  kinds.  Sir  Hugh  Rose  then  came  back  to  Sigar,  imd  went 
'off  towards  Lalatpdr  and  Jhdnsf,  leaving  the  whole  district  free  from  rebels,. 
He  met  the  remainder  of  the  Shdhgarh  rdjd's  troops  at  Madanpdr,  and  d^ated 
them  with  great  slaughter.  By  the  beginning  of  March  1858  the  whole  district 
had  been  put  into  tolerable  order  again,  and  the  police  and  revenue  offices  re- 
established. The  dominions  of  the  Shdgarh  rdjd  were  confiscated,  and  a  part 
of  them  was  added  to  the  Sdgar  district.  Sdgar  is  perhaps  a  solitary  instance  of 
a  station  and  city  being  held  almost  intact,  while  the  whole  surrounding 
country  was  in  the  possession  of  rebels.  The  prestige  of  the  fort  was  always 
very  great  with  natives,  and  now  stands  higher  than  ever. 


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444 


SAG 


The  town  itself  is  situated  in  a  hilly  tract,  considerably  eleyated  above 

the  surrounding  country.     It  is  built  along  the 

n        X  X  ^     m_  J  west,  north,  and  north-east  sides  of  the  larcre  lake. 

Present  state— Trade.  ?       j  j.-        j        i.-  i.  i.  _• 

as  already  mentioned,  which  occupies    a    basm 

surrounded  by  hills.  The  number  of  houses 
is  about  7,328,  and  the  population  about  29,917.  The  military  cantonments 
and  the  sadar  bdz&r,  though  not  containing  more  than  one-third  of  the  number 
of  houses  in  the  city,  are  computed  by  the  military  authorities  to  have  a  population 
of  20,463.  The  town  is  well  built,  and  most  of  the  streets  are  wide  and  hand- 
some. There  are  several  large  bathing  ghdts  on  the  banks  of  the  lake,  mostly 
surrounded  with  Hindd  temples,  which  add  much  to  the  appearance  of  the  place. 
The  chief  trade  of  Sigar  is  in  salt.  Prior  to  1 863  the  city  was  a  free  mart ;  that  is 
salt  was  allowed  to  enter  free  of  duty.  Since  that  period  a  bonded  warehouse 
has  been  established,  where  the  merchants  can  store  their  salt,  and  from  thence 
at  their  convenience  it  is  exported  to  Jabalpdr,  Rewd,  Narsinghpdr,  and  Bun- 
delkhand.  The  salt  is  brought  to  S&gar  by  Banjdr^,  and  is  of  two  sorts, 
called  Kdnsf  and  Sdmbhar,  the  former  coming  from  the  Pachbhadra  salt  marshes 
in  the  Bdjput  state  of  Jodhpdr,  and  the  latter  from  the  salt  lake  at  Sdmbhar, 
which  belongs  partly  to  Jodhpdr  and  partly  to  Jaipur.  A  Collector  of  Customs 
is  stationed  at  Sdgar,  and  the  duties  collected  by  him  on  salt  and  sugar  are 
very  considerable.  During  1868-69  the  collections  amounted  to  Rs.  5,41,788, 
as  follows ; — 

Salt Es.  4,99,466 

Sacharine  produce  „       42,322 

A  large  trade  is  also  carried  on  in  sugar  and  kir&na,  i,e.  grocery,  from  Mirz&plir. 
The  latter  term  includes  spices  of  all  descriptions,  cocoanuts,  tobacco,  dried  fruit, 
betelnut,  and  the  like.  Cloths  of  English  manufacture  are  also  largely  im- 
ported from  Mirzipdr,  and  English  piece-goods  in  large  quantities  come  into 
the  Sdgar  markets  from  Bombay  via  Hoshangdb^.  The  following  table 
exhibits  the  Import  and  Export  trade  of  the  town  for  the  year  1868-69  : — 


Articles. 

Imports. 

EXPORTK. 

Quantity. 

Value. 

Quantity. 

VaJue. 

Cotton .-.-.. ••.. 

Mda. 

456 

17,981 

28,809 

80,144 

9,474 

17,069 

7,074 

4,631 

Rs. 

9,400 
1,60,189 
2,00,592 
88,817 
42,281 
39,631 
28,135 
46,608 

Mds. 

5,84'9 

37,939 

1,858 

iVsoi 

5i'9 

Bs. 

Su&rar  and  aur    

58,153     . 
8,38,933 
5,585 

Salt 

Wheat 

Rice 

Other  edible  grains    

5,384 
4,279 

Oil-seeds  of  all  descriptions  . . . 
Metals  and  hardware 

Carried  over 

115,528 

6,15,558 

47,669 

4,07,284 

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445 


A  rfinl^a 

Imports. 

Exports. 

A.riii;ics* 

Quantity. 

Value. 

Quantity. 

Value. 

Brought  forward 

Sncrlisli  piece-croods  

Mds. 

115,528 
3,821 
2,114 
4,022 
49 
3,919 

80 

1 
15 

13,631 

75 

2,224 

27,215 

Es. 

6,15,553 

2,29,256 

20,422 

58,839 

392 

37,720 

'552 

900 

15 

9,836 

17,46'2 

1,380 

14,991 

81,245 

Mds. 

47,669 
288 

l",'275 

557 
663 

""\7 
15 

'"22 

1,'496 

6 

7,549 

Es. 

4,07,284 
31,969 

57,996 
5,503 
6,511 

Miscellaneous  European  goods. 
Country  cloth , . 

Lac  

Tobacco   , 

Spices 

Country  stationery 

175 

Silk  and  silk  cocoons    

l.^ft 

Dyes    

Hides  and  horns 

Opium 

Wool    

200 

Timber  and  wood    

Ghee  and  oil 

29,503 
58 

Cocoanuts    

AfiRp^ll  ATI  Anna 

50,564 

Total 

172,650 

10,88,553 

59,551 

5,89,892 

Horses 

No. 
15 
100 

349 
150 

No. 

35 

50 

100 

665 

Cattle  

262 

Sheep • 

150 

Total 

115 

499 

185 

1,077 

Grand  Total 

10,89,052 

6,90,969 

Town  duties  have  been  collected  in  Sdgar  since  1855.  From  their  proceeds 
the  whole  cost  of  the  city  and  cantonment  police,  and  of  the  lighting  and  con- 
servancy of  the  city  and  cantonment,  is  defrayed,  and  the  surplus  is  applied  to 
local  improvements  in  the  city  and  station. 

The  fort,  as  stated  before,   was  commenced  by  the  Edjputs  in  a.d.  1660, 

iSiW  h  liH       &  ^^^  ^^  completed  as  it  now  stands  by  the  Mard- 

c       dings,    c.  ^j^^g  about  one  hundred  years  ago.     It  stands  on 

the  north-west  banks  of  the  lake  at  a  considerable  elevation,  commanding  the 

whole  of  the  city  and  surrounding  country.    It  has  been  built  on  no  particular 

flan,  but  so  as  to  take  the  best  advantage  of  the  ground  on  which  it  stands, 
t  consists  of  twenty  round  towers,  varying  from  twenty  to  forty  feet  in  height. 


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U6  SAG 

connected  by  thick  curtain-walls,  and  enclosing  a  space  of  six  acres.  This 
space  is  for  the  most  part  covered  with  old  Mar^th^  buildings  of  two  stories. 
Since  the  accession  of  the  British  Government,  a  magazine,  a  large  building 
now  used  for  medical  stores,  and  a  barrack  for  the  European  guard,  besides 
other  small  buildings  for  the  magazine  stores,  &c.,  have  been  constructed. 
There  is  only  one  place  of  exit  and  entrance — on  the  east  side.  The  bulk  of  the 
treasure  has  always  been  kept  in  the  fort,  but  orders  have  lately  been  received 
for  the  construction  of  a  suitable  building  close  to  the  Deputy  Commissioner's 
court-house  for  its  reception,  A  large  castellated  jail  was  built  by  the  Public 
Works  Department  in  a.d.  1846,  at  a  cost  of  Rs.  50,000,  about  half  a  mile  east 
of  the  lake.  It  is  capable  of  containing  500  prisoners.  Its  situation  is,  however, 
too  low.  The  present  Deputy  Commissioner's  court — a  large  building  situated 
on  a  high  hill  overlooking  the  city  and  lake — was  built  about  the  year  1820 
as  a  Eesidency  for  the  Governor-General's  Agent.  In  a.d.  1862  and  1863  a 
Sessions  Court-house  was  built  to  the  north  of  the  Deputy  Commissioner's 
court-house,  at  a  cost  of  Rs.  5,000.  In  ]  820,  soon  after  the  cession  of  Sdgar  to 
the  British,  a  large  and  handsome  building  was  erected  for  a  Mint,  about  a  mile 
east  of  the  lake,  by  Captain  Presgrave,  Assay-master.  This  mint  used  formerly 
to  employ  400  men,  but  coining  was  only  continued  for  about  ten  or  twelve 
years,  when  the  business  was  transferred  to  Calcutta.  The  building  is  now 
used  as  the  office  of  the  Customs  department.  The  present  city  "  kotwdll,''  or 
station-house,  is  a  fine  building,  situated  under  the  western  walls  of  the  fort, 
close  to  the  banks  of  the  lake,  and  overlooking  one  of  the  principal  thorough- 
fares of  the  city.     It  was  built  in  1856. 

Up  to  the  year  1862,  to  the  north-east  of  the  lake,  and  dividing  the  main 
portion  of  the  city  from  the  quarter  called  Gopdl  Ganj,  there  existed  a  large 
unhealthy  swamp  quite  unculturable,  and  covered  durmg  tie  rains  with  low 
jungle  vegetation.  In  1862-63  this  was  thoroughly  drained  and  converted  into 
a  large  garden,  with  numerous  drives,  and  a  piece  of  ornamental  water  surround- 
ing a  small  island,  at  a  cost  of  Rs.  30,000.*  To  it  there  was  then  added  a 
small  garden  which  formerly  existed  to  the  north-east  of  the  swamp,  and  the 
whole  now  forms  a  large  public  garden  of  upwards  of  sixty  acres,  which  supplies 
regularly  nearly  the  whole  of  the  residents  in  the  civil  station  and  cantonments 
with  flowers  and  vegetables ;  it  is  supported  partly  by  its  own  proceeds,  and 
partly  by  yearly  grants  from  the  Sdgar  octroi. 

The  High  School  at  Sigar  was  established  about  1828  by  Captain  James 
«,       .  Paton,  of  the  Bengal  Artillery,  and  was  supported 

from  his  private  funds.  He  was  greatly  assisted 
by  "Rio  Krishna  Rdo,  the  son  of  a  Marithd  gentleman  and  official*  Lord 
William  Bentinck  was  so  pleased  with  Rdo  Krishna  R&o,  that  he  invited  him 
to  Calcutta,  gave  him  a  gold  medal,  and  procured  for  him  a  Jdgir  for  two 
generations,  valued  at  from  Rs.  600  to  Rs.  1,000  per  annum.  He  also  gave  him 
the  title  of  "  Rdo.'^  Rdo  Krishna  Rdo  is  still  alive,  and  is  an  Honorary  Magis- 
trate. The.  languages  originally  taught  were  Persian,  Hindi,  and  Mardthf, 
but  the  present  curriculum  comprises  Urdd,  Hindd,  English,  and  Sanscrit.  The 
school  is  now  located  in  a  commodious  building  erected  at  a  cost  of  Rs.  11,000. 
It  is  affiliated  t6  the  Calcutta  University,  of  which  some  of  its  scholars  are 
already   members,    though   still    in  statu   pup  ill  art.    The     educational   staff 

*  This  improvement  was  principally  effected  by  Mr.  J.  S.  Campbell,  the  then  GommiMtoner 
of  the  Sigar  Division. 


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SAI-SAK  447 

comprises  seven  English  masters  on  salaries  varying  from  Rs.  30  to  Bs.  400 
per  mensem,  and  four  Vernacular  masters.  There  is  also  a  hbrarian.  The 
number  of  pupils  on  the  rolls  in  March  1869  was  283,  and  the  average  daily 
attendance  was  221,  all  of  whom  learn  English.  Sdgar  has  also  a  Vernacular 
middle  class  school — attended  by  more  than  a  hundred  scholars — several 
indigenous  schools,  and  a  female  school. 

The  civil  station  commences  with  the  mint,  about  a  mile  east  of  the  lake, 

^   .,      ,     .,.^       ^  ,.  and  extends  northwards  for  about  a  mile,  till  joined 

Civil  and  mihtary  stations.        i      ii         -tj.  l  j.         i. •  -l         •         x      j 

^  by  the  mihtary  cantonments,  which  again  extend 

in  a  north-easterly  direction  for  two  miles  and  a  half  or  more.  The  undulating 
nature  of  the  ground  (the  houses  being  built  all  over  it,  and  some  on  the  tops 
and  sides  of  surrounding  hills)  gives  the  station  a  varied  and  pleasing  aspect, 
particularly  in  the  rainy  season,  when  the  ground  loses  its  parchea  and  arid 
appearance.  The  church  is  erected  almost  in  the  centre  of  the  military  canton- 
ments. It  is  in  the  Gothic  style,  but  has  few  pretensions  to  elegance.  There 
are  some  barracks  for  Europeans  erected  on  an  eminence  close  to  the  city,  but 
the  greater  number  of  barracks,  in  which  the  European  regiment  and  artillery 
are  located,  are  situated  on  a  hill  with  a  level  plateau  to  the  top,  to  the  extreme 
north  of  the  military  station.  These  barracks  are,  however,  only  temporary,  and 
the  magnificent  new  two-storied  buildings  are  approaching  completion.  Before 
the  Mutiny  the  cantonments  were  exclusively  garrisoned  by  Native  troops,  with  a 
detail  of  European  artillery.  Ever  since,  however,  a  European  regiment  and 
two  batteries  of  European  artillery,  with  a  Native  cavalry  and  infantry  regi- 
ment, have  been  stationed  there.  There  is  a  large  magazine  and  depot  of 
medical  stores  in  the  fort. 

SA'IGHATA' — A  small  village  in  the  Chindi  district,  six  miles  west  of 
Brahmapuri,  possessing  a  fine  irrigation-reservoir. 

SAINKHERA' — A  small  town,  with  a  population  of  2,325  souls,  situated 
on  the  DiSdhi  in  the  extreme  north-western  comer  of  the  Narsinghpdr  district. 
Some  cloth,  tasar  silk,  and  brass  and  copper  vessels  are  manufactured  here, 

SA'KOLI' — The  eastern  revenue  subdivision  or  tahsfl  in  the  Bhandira  dis- 
trict, composed  of  three  parganas,  viz.  Sinorarhi,  Kimthi,  and  Pratipgarh,  and 
having  an  area  of  2,1 74  square  miles,  of  which  522  are  cultivated,  750  culturable, 
and  902  waste.  The  population  amounts  to  262,610  souls,  inhabiting  886 
towns  and  villages,  and  givinpr  an  average  rate  of  121  to  the  square  mile.  The 
land  revenue  for  the  year  1869-70  is  Rs.  1,22,610. 

SAKRI' — A  stream  in  the  Bilispdr  district,  which,  having  its  rise  in  the 
Chilpl  hills,  flows  east  through  the  Kawardi  chiefship  and  the  Mungeli  pargana, 
and  is  eventually  absorbed  in  the  Hdmp. 

SAKTI' — A  small  feudatoryship,  situated  at  the  extreme  eastern  limit  of 
the  Bildspdr  district,  containing  97  villages,  and  covering  an  area  of  115  square 
miles.  It  was  originally  one  of  the  Gurhjdt  states  attached  to  the  Sambalpdr 
district,  and  consists  of  a  curved  strip  of  level  country,  partly  open,  partly 
covered  with  forest,  skirting  the  base  of  a  prominent  range  known  locally  as 
the  GunjI  hills,  t'he  cultivated  area  is  26,318  acres,  and  the  culturable  42,000 
acres.  The  population  is  11,784,  giving  an  average  of  102  souls  to  the  square 
mile.     The  chief  is  a  Gond. 


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SAK— SAM 


SAKTI' — The  head-quarters  of  the  Saktl  chiefship  in  the  Bilfepdr  district. 
It  is  situated  seventy  miles  east  of  Bildspiir^  and  is  a  small  hamlet  of  no  import- 
ance. 

SAX  AT — A  large  agricultural  village  in  the  Huzdr  tahsil  of  the  Wardhd 
district,  about  nineteen  miles  north-east  of  Wardhd.  It  is  said  to  derive  its 
name  from  the  number  of  sdl  trees  that  had  to  be  cut  down  to  clear  a  site  for 
the  village.  A  well  is  still  pointed  out  as  having  been  dug  by  the  founder 
about  150  years  ago. 

SA'LETEKRI'— A  chiefship  in  the  BaMghdt  district,  the  principal  vil- 
lage of  which  is  some  fifty  miles  south-east  of  Bdrhd.  Nothing  certain  is 
known  of  the  early  history  of  this  tenure,  but  it  is  believed  to  have  been  one 
of  the  grants  made  for  guarding  the  passes  of  the  hill  country,  and  has  been  in 
the  familjf  of  the  present  holders  for  many  generations.  The  estate  now  covers 
an  area  of  about  284  square  miles,  composed  chiefly  of  hilly  country,  with  but 
a  small  proportion  of  cultivation,  and  has  in  all  seventy-one  villages.  Bamboos 
of  the  largest  and  best  description  are  found  here  in  great  abundance. 

The  present  zamfnddr,  Amfr  Singh,  is  a  fine  specimen  of  a  highland  chief. 

SA'LETEKRr — A  continuation  of  the  Maikal  range  in  the  Bhandira 
and  B&l^ghdt  districts. 


SAMBALPU^R— 


CONTENTS. 
Page 


General  description 448 

Physioal  features  and  geological  formation.  449 

Mineral  prodacts- t7>. 

Timber    450 

Biyers tb. 

Hills    t6. 

Eoads 451 

Trade ih. 

Manufactures    452 


Page 

Education  452 

Climate  ih. 

History   ih. 

Disputes  with  the  Mar&th&s    ih. 

Restoration  of  the  Sambalpfir  line 453 

Lapse  to  British  Government 454 

Disturbances  of  1857  and  1861    455 

Population 457 

Administration 458 


The  most  easterly  district  of  the  Chhattisgarh  division  of  the  Central  Pro- 
p,        ,  ,      .  ^  vinces.     It  lies  between  19^  10'  and  22°  35'  of 

General  descnption.  ^^^^^  latitude,  and  82^  40'  and  85^  5'  of  east  longi- 

tude. Its  extreme  length  from  north  to  south  is  about  250  miles,  and  its  ex- 
treme breadth  from  east  to  west  165  miles.  The  khdlsa,  or  Government  portion 
of  the  district,  is  computed  to  comprise  2,500  square  miles.  It  is  surrounded  by 
a  circle  of  chiefships,  sixteen  in  number,  called  the  khalsa  zaminddris,  and  these 
again  are  encircled  by  eight  larger  states,  hitherto  known  as  the  Grarhjdt  states. 
To  the  extreme  south,  beyond  the  Pdtni  Gkrhjdt  state,  is  the  large  feudatory 
state  of  K^ond  or  Kdldhandi.  The  total  area  of  the  khdlsa  zamfnd&ri  lands  is 
estimated  at  700  square  miles,  and  the  Qttrhjdts,  including  Kdrond  or  Kil&hsJidi, 
are  about  20,000  square  miles,  so  that  at  a  rough  computation  the  total  area  of 
Sambalpdr,  with  all  its  native  states  and  zamind^is,  may  be  some  23,000 
square  miles.  Of  the  total  area  about  two-fifths  are  under  cultivation,  and  the 
remainder  is  forest,  jungle,  and  waste. 


The  eight  Grarhjdt  states  above  referred  to  are : — 


F&tnL 
Sonpdr. 


R&igarh  with  Bargarh. 

S&rangarh. 

Rair&khol. 


Bords^bar, 
Phuljhar. 


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449 


The  chiefs  of  the  first  six  have  been  recognised  by  the  British  Government 
as  feudatories,  but  the  last  two  now  come  under  the  head  of  ordinary  chiefships. 
The  BAj&  of  K&*ond  is  also  a  feudatory. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  the  Sambalpdr  zamind^rs  in  the  Uttartir  or 
Northern  subdivison  : — 


KoWbiri  or  Jaikor. 
Bdmpdr. 
Rdjpdr. 
Ko^bagd. 

In  the  Southern  subdivision  or  Dakhantir 

Barp^i. 
Ghes. 
Basaikeld. 
EliarsaL 


Laird. 

Loisingh. 

Machidd. 

Chandrapdr,  with  Padmapilr. 


Pdtkolandd. 
Mandu  Mahal  Sirgird. 
Pahdr  Slrgird. 
Uttdl  or  Bdisi. 


These  places  will  all  be  found  more  fully  described  elsewhere. 

The  khalsa  portion  of  the  Sambalpdr  district  is  divided  into  two  subdivisions, 
namely,  Sambalpdr  and  Bargarh — ^the  former  lying  to  the  north  and  east,  and 
the  latter  to  the  south  and  west  of  the  MaMnadi.  They  are  popularly  known 
as  the  Uttartir  and  the  Dakhantir. 

The  greater  part  of  this  country  is  an  undulating  plain,  with  rugged  ranges 

of  hills  rising  in  every  direction.     The  principsS  of 
Physical  features  and  geologi-     these  ranges  is  the  Bard  Pahdr  in  the  Dakhantir, 
cal  formation.  i.  •  i.  •    •     i?    j.  •         /»  • 

which  IS  m  fact  a  succession  of  ranges,  covering 

an  area  of  some  350  square  miles.  It  was  the  stronghold  of  Surendra  Sd  and 
his  followers  during  the  rebellion.  The  hhaUa  is  well  cultivated,  rice  being  the 
staple  crop ;  and  in  the  Dakhantir  especially,  with  the  exception  of  the  Bard 
Pahdr  jungle  tract,  the  jungle  and  forest  have  been  completely  cleared,  nothing 
being  left  but  mango,  mhowa,  and  other  fruit-trees,  and  here  and  there  a  small 
patch  of  sdl  jungle.  This  part  of  the  country,  especially  when  seen  from  a 
slight  elevation,  is  very  picturesque,  and  has  the  appearance  of  a  vast  park. 
Every  village  nearly  has  its  one  or  two  tanks ;  but  though  some  of  them  are 
large  and  deep,*  none  are  faced  with  stone  or  otherwise  solidly  constructed. 
Mr.  Medlicott^s  f  remarks  on  the  geological  formation  may  be  here  quoted : — 

"  The  soil,  not  being  alluvial,  varies  a  good  deal  with  the  nature  of  the 
underlying  rock  :  and  this  being,  as  a  rule,  highly  sUicious  and  indurated, 
so  is  the  soil  light  and  sandy.  A  very  large  proportion  of  the  district  is 
occupied  by  crystalline  metamorphic  rocks.  A  small  portion  of  the 
north-west  comer  of  the  district  is  composed  of  the  sandstone,  limestone, 
and  shale,  which  cover  such  a  large  area  in  the  Edlpdr  and  Bildspdr 
districts.  In  the  north  there  are  outlying  patches  of  various  extent  of 
different  groups  of  the  Indian  carboniferous  series,  principally  composed 
of  soft  sandstone.'' 

Iron-ore  is  found  in  nearly  all  the  zaminddrfs  and  Garhjdt  states.     It  is 

...       1    _^    X  most  plentiful  and  of  the    best  description  in 

Mmeralproducte.  Eairakhol.     There  are  two  or  three  descriptions 

of  building  stone ;  one  sandstone  is  particularly  good,  being  easy  to  cut,  while 

♦  Of  the  Geological  Survey. 

t  These  remarks  are  taken  from  a  note  drawn  up  for  the  Deputy  Commissioner. 

57  CPG 


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450  SAM 

it  hardens  on  ezposnre.  Limestone  is  abundant.  In  the  riyer  Mahdnadi^  near 
Padmapdr^  there  are  large  masses  of  limestone  rock^  almost  as  pure  in  i^pear- 
ance  as  marble.  Grold  dost  is  procored  in  the  Mah&nadi  and  in  its  affluent^  the 
Eb,  but  the  process  of  coUectinor  it  is  scarcely  remunerative.  Diamonds  used 
to  be  found  also  in  the  MahdnadI  near  an  island  called  Hirakhudd  or  the 
Diamond  Isle,  also  at  the  spot  where  the  Bb  joins  the  above  river.  During 
the  period  of  native  rule  some  fifteen  or  twenty  villages  were  granted  rent-free 
to  a  class  called  Jhir&s,  in  consideration  of  their  undertaking  the  search  for 
diamonds.  When  the  country  lapsed  in  1850  these  villages  were  resumed ;  and 
though  an  attempt  was  made  to  lease  out  the  right  to  seek  for  diamonds,  the 
farm  only  fetched  some  Bs.  200  per  annum  for  a  short  time,  and  even  at  that 
low  rent  it  does  not  appear  that  the  farmer  made  anything  out  of  it,  for  he 
eventually  gave  it  up.  Under  the  native  government  it  was  the  practice  to 
give  the  J]£r4s  a  village  rent-free  if  they  produced  a  good-sized  diamond,  land 
being  of  little  or  no  toIuo  then.  The  smaller  diamonds  they  used  to  secrete 
and  sell.  As  far  as  can  be  learnt,  the  best  stones  ever  found  here  were  thin  and 
flat,  with  flaws  in  them,  but  they  were  admirably  suited  for  setting  in  native 
jewellery. 

There  is  little  or  no  timber  of  value  to  be  found  in  the  JchaUa  portion  of 

-^  .  the  district.     In  the  zamfaid&ris  there  are  tracts 

'*  of  sdl  (shorea  rohicsta),  sdj  (terminalia  tomentosa), 

dhdurd   {conoccvrpus   latifolia),  bijes&l    (pierocarpus   marsupium),   and  ebony 

(diospyros  melanos^ylon),  and  in  the  Grarhjdt  states  of  Fhuljhar  and  Bairdkhol 

there  are  vast  forests  of  sdl. 

The  principal  rivers  are  the  Mahdnadf,  which  rises  in  the  Biipdr  district 
^  in  a  hilly  range  between  Dhamtar(  and  Bastar, 

^^^"'  and  entering  the  Sambalpdr  district  to  the  east- 

ward of  Seorinarfiin  in  the  Bildspdr  district,  flows  due  east  for  some  twenty-fivo 
miles,  when  it  takes  a  south-easterly  direction  for  some  forty  miles,  passing 
Chandraptir  and  Padmapdr,  until  it  reaches  the  town  of  Sambalpdr.  From 
Sambalpdr  its  course  is  due  south  for  some  forty-five  miles,  as  far  as  Sonpdr, 
where  it  suddenly  changes  to  due  east,  following  that  direction  until  it  empties 
itself  into  the  sea  beyond  Cuttack.  Its  bed  as  far  as  Chandrapdr  is  tolerably 
free  from  obstructions,  but  from  Chandrapdr  to  a  little  beyond  Bod  it  is  more 
or  less  full  of  them ;  its  current  is  more  or  less  hindered  by  boulders,  jhdd 
jungle,  and  even  trees.  The  other  rivers  deserving  mention  are  the  Eb,  the 
Keld,  and  the  Jhird — all  tributaries  of  the  Mah£nad{. 

The  principal  lull  ranges  in  the  Jchalsa  are  those  of  the  Bard  Pahdr,  in  the 

„.„  northern  portion  of  the  Dakh>antir — a  succession 

nilb.  r  •  r  oca 

of  ranges  covenng  an  area  of  some  350  square 

miles.      They  are  all    covered  with  dense  jungle,  but  scattered  here  and 

there  in  the  valleys  are  small  villages,  with  patches  of  cultivation.     The 

highest  point  is  Debrigarh — 2,267  feet  above  tiie  plain.    The  main  portion 

of  this  network  of  hills  is  situated  in  a  bend  of  the  Mahdnadi,  by  which  it 

is  almost  surrounded  on  three   sides;   but  to  the  south-west   an  outiying 

range  projects  some  thirty  miles  to  a  place  called  "  Sin^ord  Ghdt,*^  where 

the  road  from  Rdfpdr  to  Sambalpdr  wmds  through  it.    rrom  this  point  the 

hills  continue  in  a  southerly  direction  through  Phuljhar,  and  then  turning 

ofiF  abruptly  to   the  westward,  form  a  natural  boundary  for  some  distance 

between  the  two  zaminddrfs  of  Phuljhar  and  Bordsdmbar*     This   Singhor^ 


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SAM  451 

Pass  is  famons  for  the  numerous  actions  tliat  have  been  fought  there. 
Whenever  the  Glonds  of  Phuljhar^  Bordsdmbar,  and  the  8urroun£ng  states 
wished  to  harass  enemies  approaching  from  the  Chhattisgarh  side^  it  was  invari- 
ably at  this  pass  that  they  made  a  stand.  It  was  here  tlmt^  during  the  rebellion 
of  1857,  the  troops  under  Captain  Wood,  Major  Shakespear,  and  Lieutenant 
Rybot,  marching  to  the  relief  of  Sambalpdr,  on  three  separate  occasions 
met  with  determined  resistance  from  the  rebels  imder  Surendra  Sd.  Another 
range  of  importance  is  that  of  Jarghdti,  in  the  Uttartir,  which  crosses  the 
Chotd  Nfigpur  road  some  twenty  miles  north  of  Sambalpdr.  Its  highest  point  is 
1,693  feet  above  the  plain,  and  it  also  was  used  as  a  stronehold  by  the  rebels. 
To  the  southward,  and  running  parallel  with  the  Mah^nad^  are  a  succession  of 
broken  ranges  for  some  thirty  miles,  the  highest  points  of  which  are  Mandhar, 
1,563  feet,  and  Bod^pdU,  2,331  feet.  There  are  also  numerous  isolated  hills  and 
small  ranges  scattered  over  the  Ichalsa.  The  most  lofty  are  Sun£r(,  1,549  feet ; 
CheM,  1,450  feet;  and  Boaord,  1,646  feet. 

The  imperial  lines  of  road  in  the  district  are  as  follows : — The  Rfifpdr  and 
Ij^ ,  Sambalpdr  road,  from  Sdnkrd   on  the  Jonk  river 

to  Sambalpdr,  one  hundred  miles.  The  Sambal- 
pdr and  Cuttack  road  via  Bairdkhol  and  Angdl,  fifty  miles.  From  SoheU  to 
Binkd — a  branch  road  from  the  Rdfpdr  and  Sambalpdr  road — thirty-five  miles. 
The  two  first-named  are  kept  in  tplerable  repair  by  the  Public  Works  Depart- 
ment, wooden  bridges  being  thrown  over  tiie  principal  n&lds ;  these  bridges, 
however,  require  to  be  repaired,  and  sometimes  entirely  renewed,  after  every 
monsoon.  The  road  from  Scheie  to  Binkd  has  merely  been  lined  out,  and  a 
little  earthwork  was  commenced  some  four  or  five  years  ago,  but  it  was 
suddenly  stopped,  so  that  it  may  be  called  now  no  road  at  all. 

The  district  roads  are  from  Sambalpdr  to  the  Bildspdr  frontier,  some 
seventy  miles,  vid  Padmapdr  and  Chandrapdr ;  from  Sambalpdr  to  Binkd,  twenty- 
eight  miles,  and  from  Sambalpdr  towards  Rdnchf,  twenty-five  miles*  All  these 
roads  are  in  very  bad  order  iiH)m  want  of  funds.  The  small  amounts  available 
frx>m  the  local  funds  scarcely  suflSice  for  carrying  out  the  most  trifling  repairs. 

-,^  The  total  value  of  the  Exports  and  Imports  of 

the  district  for  six  years  are  as  follows: — 
Imports — valae.  Export! — ^ralae. 

1863-64 Rs.  5,58,395  Rs.  25,328 

1864-65 „  3,38,939  „  5,17,577 

1865-66 „  5,49,808  „  6,64,899 

1866-67 „  2,28,370  „  4,54,034 

1867-68 „  3,47,910  „  5,87,882 

1868-69 „  3,19,688  ; „  «,46,942 

The  falling  off  in  1866-67  in  the  trade  was  owin^  to  the  £Eimine  in  Orissa,  and 
the  consequent  stagnation  of  commerce;  it  was  altogether  an  exceptional  year. 
The  principal  articles  of  export  are  rice,  oil-seeds,  gur,  stick-lac,  tasar-silk, 
cotton,  and  iron.  The  chief  imports  are  salt,  refined  sugar,  Europe  piece-goods, 
cocoanuts,  muslins,  fine  cloths  of  native  manufacture,  and  metals.  A  wealthy 
firm  at  Mirz&pdr  employs  an  agent  at  Sambalpdr  to  collect  lac  and  export  it  to 
Mirz^dr.  The  demand  fluctuates  of  course  according  to  the  prices  that  obtain 
at  Mirz&pdr  and  Calcutta.  There  has  been  considerable  depression  of  late  years 
in  the  trade,  but  it  is  expected  that  it  will  recover.  In  ordinary  seasons  a  very 
high  profit  is  made  on  this  export.    The  grain  exports  find  their  way  chiefly  to 


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452  SAM 

Cuttack,  whence  in  return  come  salt,  sugar,  cocoanuts,  &c.  During  1866-67 
no  less  than  30,178  maunds  of  rice,  valued  at  Rs.  1,01,717,  were  exported  to 
Cuttack  to  meet  the  demand  caused  by  the  famine. 

The  manufactures  of  this  district  are  few  and  of  no  great  commercial 
_-      -.  value.     Tasar  silk-cloth  is  about  the  only  article 

*°         ^^'  exported  ;  the  best  i3  of  a  very  fine   description. 

Coarse  cotton-cloths  are  made  in  every  village  nearly,  as  are  also  coloured 
sdris  and  dhotis  for  the  better  classes.  Vessels  of  brass  and  .bell-metal,  and 
gold  and  silver  ornaments  of  rude  workmanship,  are  also  manufactured.  There 
are  but  few  skilled  artisans  in  any  trade,  and  to  judge  from  the  few  architectural 
remains  that  exist,  there  never  have  been  any. 

Education  has  made  wonderful  progress  in  the  district  during  the  past 
-,    ^  three  years.    At  the  zili  or  district  school  some 

°     ^°*  141  pupils  are  receiving  education,  of  whom  74 

are  learning  English.  There  are  also  four  branch  schools  in  various  quarters  of 
the  town,  where  the  younger  children  receive  elementary  education  previous  to 
being  transferred  to  the  zild  school.  There  are  two  town  schools,  five  village 
schools,  two  hundred  and  twenty-throe  grant-in-aid  schools,  three  zamfndiri 
schools,  fourteen  female  schools,  and  one  hundred  and  ninety  indigenous  schools. 
Altogether  18,091  boys  and  1,273  girls  are  receiving  instruction.  In  nearly 
every  village  of  any  size  there  is  a  good  school-house ;  and  the  better  classes 
and  landholders  show  considerable  interest  in  the  cause. 

The  climate  of  Sambalpdr  is  considered  very  unhealthy.     Fever  is  very 
p..  prevalent,  especially  from  September  to  Novem- 

ber inclusive.  Foreigners  sufier  terribly  firom  it, — 
natives  more  perhaps  even  than  Europeans.  Cholera  appears  nearly  every  hot 
season,  but  it  is  to  be  traced  generally  to  the  gatherings  at  the  temple  of 
Jaganndth  at  Puri. 

According  to  tradition  the  first  rdjd  of  Sambalpdr  was  Balrdm  Deva — & 
„.  brother  of  Narsingh  Deva,  the  then  mahdrdjd  of 

^^'  Pdtnd,  and  chief  of  the  group  of  Grarhjdt  states. 

He  obtained  from  his  brother  a  grant  of  all  the  jungle  country  lying  beyond 
the  Ung — ^a  tributary  of  the  Mahdnadi — and  by  degrees  acquired  a  considerable 
territory  by  conquest  from  the  neighbouring  chiefs  of  Sirgdja,  Gdngpdr,  Bonai, 
and  Bdmrd.  In  a.d.  1493  his  eldest  son  Hari  Ndrdyan  Deva  succeeded  him.  He 
settled  the  country  now  named  Sonpdr  on  his  second  son  Madan  Gopil,  whose 
descendants  still  hold  it.  His  immediate  successors  were  Balidr  Singh,  Batan 
Singh,  Chhatra  Sd,  and  Ajit  Singh,  in  whose  reigns  nothing  worthy  of  notice 
here  occurred.  Ajit  Singh  was  succeeded  by  his  son  Ubhaya  Singh  (a.d.  1732), 
and  in  his  reign  seems  to  have  occurred  the  first  collision  of  these  wild  chiefs 
with  the  spreading  Mardthd  power. 

Several  guns  of  large  calibre,  it  is  said,  were  being  taken  from  Cuttack 
T>'      te     *th  th  M  rithd  ^P  *^®  Mahdnadl  in  boats,  in  view  to  their  ultimate 

ispu  s  wi  8.        transport  to  Ndgpdr.     Akbar  Bdya,  the  minister, 

thinking  it  a  good  opportunity  for  strengthening  the  Sambalpdr  fort,  caused 
the  boatmen  to  scuttle  the  boats  in  deep  water,  so  that  the  guns  all  sunk, 
and  many  Mardthd  artillery-men  were  drowned.  The  guns  were  subse- 
quently recovered  and  mounted  on  the  Sambalpdr  fort.  The  Rijd  of  Ndgpdr 
sent  a  strong  detachment  from  Ndgpdr  to   avenge  the  insult  and  recover  the 


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SAM  453 

Suns,  but  it  was  repulsed  with  slaughter.  About  a.p.  1797,  in  the  reign  of 
eth  Singh,  successor  to  Ubhaya  Singh,  another  violent  quarrel  with  the  Ndgpdr 
Mar&thds  took  place.  It  appears  that  N^d  Sdhib — a  relation  of  the  Ndgptir 
Edji — was  going  on  a  pilgrimage  to  Jaganndth  with  a  large  party  of  followers. 
On  his  way  he  was  treacherously  set  upon  by  the  Sdrangarh  and  Sambalpdr 
people,  and  also  by  those  of  Sonpdr  and  Bod.  He  contrived,  however,  to 
push  his  way  to  Cuttack,  where  there  were  some  Mardthfi  troops.  Bringing 
these  with  him  on  his  return,  after  some  severe  fighting  he  took  the  Bod 
chief  and  Prithvi  Singh,  the  chief  of  Sonpdr,  prisoners.  He  then  encamped 
for  the  rainy  season  in  the  Sonpdr  country.  Meanwhile  Jeth  Singh  had 
been  strengthening  the  Sambalpdr  fort  in  expectation  of  being  attacked.  As 
soon  as  the  rains  were  over  Ndnd  Sdhib  appeared  before  Sambalpdr,  and 
regularly  invested  the  town.  For  five  months  he  remained  before  the 
walls  without  being  able  to  eflFect  an  entrance,  but  by  chance  one  of  his  men 
discovered  that  the  moat  near  the  Samldf  gate  was  fordable.  The  Ndnd,  on 
hearing  this,  assembled  his  people,  made  a  rush  across  the  moat,  and  forced  the 
gate.  The  fort  was  taken  after  a  fierce  resistance,  the  Rdjd  Jeth  Singh  and 
his  son  Mahdrdj  Sd  being  taken  prisoners.  The  Ndnd  Sdhib  took  them  oflf  to 
Ndgpdr  with  him,  and  the  Ndgpdr  Rdjd  had  them  confined  at  Chdndd.  Bhdp 
Singh,  a  Mardthd  jamaddr,  was  left  in  charge  of  Sambalpdr  to  collect  revenue, 
and  administer  the  country  in  behalf  of  the  Mardthd  government.  Bhdp  Singh, 
however,  soon  got  into  trouble  with  his  government,  and  on  being  summoned 
to  Ndgpdr,  refused  to  go.  The  Ndgpdr  Rdjd  then  sent  a  large  force  to  compel 
him  to  obedience,  but  getting  the  assistance  of  the  Rdigarh  and  Sdrangarh 
people,  he  lay  in  ambush  at  the  Singhord  pass,  where  he  drove  back  the  Mardthds, 
and  completely  routed  their  force.  He,  however,  foolishly  made  an  enemy  of 
one  Chamrd  Gdonthiyd,  by  "looting^^  his  village,  which  was  near  the  pass.  Conse- 
quently some  short  time  after,  when  a  second  body  of  Mardthds  arrived  from  Ndg- 
pdr, Chamrd,  instead  of  sen^g  word  to  Bhdp  Singh,  placed  the  Mardthd  troops 
m  ambush  in  the  same  pass  where  they  had  been  previously  defeated,  and 
sending  word  to  Bhdp  Singh  that  a  few  troopers  only  were  looting  the  country 
on  the  western  side  of  the  ghdt,  induced  him  to  bring  a  force  through  it,  when 
the  Mardthds  fell  upon  his  party  and  almost  annihilated  it.  Bhdp  Singh  fled  to 
Sambalpdr,  whence,  taking  the  Rdnfs  of  Jeth  Singh  with  him,  he  retired  to 
Koldbird.  While  there  he  implored  the  assistance  of  the  British  in  behalf  of 
the  Rdnfs,  and  Captain  Roughsedge,  with  a  portion  of  the  Rdmgarh  local  batta- 
lion, was  sent  to  Sambalpdr  in  a.d.  1804.  On  their  arrival,  Tdtid  Phamavls,  the 
Mardthd  manager,  who  had  replaced  Bhdp  Singh,  withdrew  with  all  his  people 
to  Ndgpdr.  Raghoji  Bhonsld,  the  then  rdjd  of  Ndgpdr,  remonstrated  with  the 
British  Government  for  thus  turning  him  out  of  a  country  that  he  had  fairly 
conquered,  and  the  Government  restored  it  to  him. 

The  country  remained  for  some  years  under  the  Mardthd  Government,  but 

Restorati       f  S    b  I  '  1*         Major  Roughsedge,  who  was  in  command  of  the 

am  a  pur  in  .    jj^jjjgj^pj^   \ocsl  battalion  at  Hazdribdgh,  pleaded 

the  cause  of  Jdth  Singh  so  energetically,  that  Sir  Richard  Jenkins,  the  Resident 

at  Ndgpdr,  obtained  his  release  from  Chdndd  in  A.D.  1817.    He  was  restored  to 

S)wer  in  that  year,  but  died  in  1818.  The  country  was  then  held  by  the 
ritish  Government  for  a  year ;  but  Mahdrdj  Sd,  the  son  of  Jdth  Singh,  was 
made  Rdjd  in  1820,  though  without  the  feudal  superiority  which  the  former 
rdjds  had  held  over  the  other  chiefships,  and  Major  Roughsedge  was  also 
established  at  Sambalpdr  as  Assistant  Agent  to  the  Governor-General  and  Super- 


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464  SAM 

intendent  of  Tribntary  Mah&ls.  Mah^j  Sd  died  in  a*d«  1827^  and  his  widow^ 
B£n(  Molian  Kom&ri^  was  allowed  to  sncceed.  Bat  disturbances  almost  imme- 
diately commenced  to  break  oat^  and  several  2iamind&rs  and  Th&knrs  rebelled. 
Amongst  others  were  Sorendra  Sd  and  Govind  Singh,  both  "  Chaohfins  '^  and 
pretenders  to  the  chiefship.  The  khaUa  villages  were  plundered  to  within  a 
few  miles  of  Sambalptir,  but  Lieutenant  Higgins,  with  a  body  of  the  Bdmgarh 
battalion,  which  was  located  in  the  fort,  drove  off  the  rebels  for  a  time.  Matters 
were,  however,  getting  so  serious  that  the  Agent,  Captain  Wilkinson,  from 
Hazdr(b&gh,  had  to  come  himself  to  settle  them.  Several  of  the  rebels  were 
captured  and  hanged ;  but  Captain  Wilkinson,  seeing  that  there  would  be 
endless  disturbances  so  long  as  the  Rdni  Mohan  Kumdrf  remained  in  power, 
deposed  her,  and  set  up  Ndrdyan  Singh,  a  descendant  of  Bikram  Singh,  the 
eldest  son  of  the  Bdjd  Balidr  Singh,  who,  as  has  before  been  shown,  was  not 
considered  qualified  to  hold  the  "v^j/*  owing  to  his  mother  being  of  inferior  caste. 
Ndrdyan  Singh  was  at  this  time  what  is  called  at  Sambalpdr  a ''  Bdbd'^  — a  title  of 
no  importance,  but  implying  that  the  individual  is  of  the  '*  Chauhdn'^  or  chief  ^s 
family.  He  was  moreover,  it  would  seem,  a  sort  of  personal  attendant  on  the 
Bdnf  Mohan  Kumdrf.  He  is  described  to  have  been  perfectly  astounded  when 
it  was  proposed  to  make  him  rdjd,  and  to  have  actually  prayed  the  Agent 
not  to  exalt  him  to  so  dangerous  a  position.  However,  Mohw  Kumdri  was 
sent  off  to  Cuttack,  the  Government  troops  were  withdrawn,  and  Ndrdyan 
Singh  left  to  manage  his  newly-acquired  kingdom  in  the  best  manner  he  could. 
As  a  matter  of  course,  rebeUion  broke  out  at  once.  Balabhadra  Sd,  zamtnddr  of 
Lakhanptlr,  a  Gt)nd,  commenced  it,  and  it  was  a  long  time  before  he  could  be 
put  down,  as  he  always  found  shelter  in  the  vast  range  of  hills  known  as  the 
6ard  Pahdr.  He  was,  however,  at  last  slain  at  Debrigarh,  the  highest  point  of 
the  said  hills,  and  a  noted  rebel  stronghold.  In  1839  Mcyor  Ouseley  succeeded 
to  the  appointment  of  Assistant  Agent  at  Sambalpdr,  and  in  the  same  year  there 
were  great  disturbances,  set  on  foot  chiefly  by  Surendra  Sd,  who  looked  upon 
Ndrdyan  Singh  as  an  usurper,  and  himself  as  an  injured  person.  He  considered 
himself  the  lawful  heir  to  the  throne,  on  the  ground  of  his  being  descended 
from  Madhukar  Sd,  fourth  rdjd  of  Sambalpdr.  In  1840  he  and  his  brothar 
Udet  Sd,  with  their  uncle  Balr^  Singh,  ruthlessly  murdered  the  son  and  fathw 
of  Darydo  Sin^,  zaminddr  of  Bdmpdr.  Upon  this  the  three  were  arrested, 
tried,  and  sent  off  to  the  jail  of  Chotd  Ndgpdr  as  life-prisoners. 

Ndrdyan  Singh  died  in  1849,  and  his  widow,  Ildn{  Mukhpdn  Ddj(,  assumed 

T        X   »  -x:  I.  «  X       tl^®  reins  of  government :  but  as  he  had  died 

Ltp*  to  Bntiah  GoTemmcnt.       ^^^^^^  ^^^  ^^^^^   ^^^  ^^^  ^^  j^^j^  ^  ^^^^ 

lapsed  to  the  British  Government.  Accordingly  Mr.  Crawford,  the  Agent  to 
the  Governor-General,  issued  a  proclamation  to  that  effect,  and  sent  down  two 
Native  officials — ^Munshf  Prasanna  Ldl  and  Edi  Rdp  Singh — to  take  over  the 
Bajd^s  papers,  and  to  dispose  of  petty  cases,  &c.  Mr.  Crawford  himself  arrived 
at  Sambcdpdr  with  a  regiment  of  the  Rdmgarh  local  battalion  in  December  1849, 
bringing  with  him  Dr.  J.  Cadenhead.  The  latter  officer  was  left  in  charge  of 
the  district  in  the  position  of  Principal  Assistant  to  the  Govemor-Greneral's 
Agent ;  Ndrdyan  SingVs  widow — ^the  Rdni  Mukhpdn  Ddji— being  sent  off  to 
Cuttack,  with  a  pension  of  Rs.  100  per  mensem.  The  Native  official  Edp  Singh 
was  also  left  at  Sambalpdr  in  the  capacity  of  Native  Assistant.  The  first  acts 
of  the  new  government  were  not  apparently  judicious  or  conciliatoiy,  for  the 
revenue  was  at  once  raised  by  one-fourth  indiscriminately,  without  reference 
to  the  capabilities  of  the  villages;  and  the  whole  of  the  freehold  grants,  reli- 


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SAM  455 

gioas  and  other,  were  resumed;  those  who  held  villages  entirely  rent-free  were 
assessed  at  half  jamd,  withoat  any  reference  to  the  period  for  which  the  grant 
had  been  held,  or  to  the  terms  of  the  tenure ;  all  assignments  in  money  or  grain 
from  the  revenues  of  villages  were  resumed,  as  well  as  all  assignments  of  land 
in  villages.  Great  dissatisfaction  was  consequently  created  at  the  outset,  and  so 
seriously  did  the  Brdhmans,  who  form  a  numerous  and  powerful  community,  look 
upon  it,  that  they  went  up  in  a  body  to  Bdnch(  to  appeal.  They,  however,  ob- 
tained no  redress.  In  1854  a  second  settlement  was  made  on  equally  indiscrimi- 
nate principles,  the  assessments  of  all  villages  being  again  raised  by  one-fourth. 

In  the  month  of  September  of  the  year  1857 — ^a  few  months  after  mutiny 

Tk'^r.  *noc'7     J  iQ/:i      and  rebelUon  had  broken  out  in  the  Upper  Pro- 

Disturbances  of  185/ and  1861.        .  o  J         O/         J   !-•     I.     xl-        TTJ  1.    Ol^ 

vmces — burendra  ba  and  his  brother  Udet  Sa, 
who  had  been  released  from  the  jail  at  Hazdribfigh  by  the  Bengal  sepoy 
mutineers,  re-appeared  at  Sambalpdr.  They  were  joined  by  nearly  all  the  chiefs. 
The  chief  of  Kol^bir^  or  Jaipdr  was  about  the  most  powerful  of  these  zamfn- 
d^rs ;  and  on  his  going  in  heart  and  soul  for  the  rebel  cause,  many  of  the  others 
followed  from  the  force  of  example,  or  were  compelled  to  join  by  the  more 
influential.  A  few,  however,  held  aloof,  among  whom  may  be  mentioned 
Govind  Singh  of  Jdrsugrd,  who  has  been  alluded  to  before  as  having  revolted 
against  the  Ti&ai  Mohan  Knm&ri.  The  fact  was  that  he  looked  upon  himself  as 
the  rightful  heir  to  the  state,  and  did  not  therefore  support  the  pretensions  of 
Surendra  S&.  Surendra  S^,  having  collected  a  large  force,  marched  straight 
into  the  town  of  Sambalpdr,  and  estal^lished  himself  within  the  precincts  of  the 
old  fort,  which  was  in  ruins.  Captain  Leigh,  who  was  the  Principal  Assistant, 
went  down  to  confront  him,  taking  with  him  some  Madras  infantry  and 
some  men  of  the  B&mgarh  battalion.  Surendra  S&  demanded  the  country  as 
his  right,  but  after  a  long  debate  it  seems  that  he  was  induced  to  give  himself 
np,  and  to  direct  his  adherents  to  disperse.  He  was  placed  under  the  charge 
of  the  B&mgarh  battalion,  but  no  severe  restraint  was  put  on  him.  The  conse- 
quence was  that  one  day,  on  his  being  remonstrated  with  rather  severely 
regarding  the  rebellion  of  some  persons  with  whom  he  was  supposed  to  be  in 
communication,  he  made  his  escape,  and  joined  the  rebels  in  the  hills.  From 
that  time  up  to  the  early  part  of  1862  troops  were  employed  in  every  direction 
trying  to  hunt  him  down  and  disperse  his  band,  but  without  success.  The 
most  daring  atrocities  were  committed  by  him.  If  any  villager  showed  the 
slightest  inclination  to  afford  assistance  to  the  Government,  his  village  would 
be  fired  and  plundered,  and  himself  and  family  murdered.  A  European  officer^ 
Dr.  Moore — who  was  proceeding  to  Sambalpdr  was  barbarously  murdered. 
Lieutenant  Woodbridge,  of  the  40th  Madras  Native  Infantry,  was  also  killed 
in  an  engagement  on  the  Bard  Pahdr,  and  his  head  carried  off-  In  short,  the 
authorities  could  not  cope  with  the  rebels  with  the  force  then  employed. 
In  November  1 859  the  Royal  proclamation  of  amnesty  was  made  known  to 
them,  but  they  refused  to  take  advantage  of  it.  In  1861  the  late  Deputy  Com- 
missioner, Major  Lnpey,  arrived  at  Sambalpdr  and  was  placed  in  charge, 
subordinate  to  the  Commissioner  of  Cuttack.  He  at  once  adopted  a  concilia- 
tory policy,  and  under  its  operation  a  great  many  chiefs  surrendered,  and 
returned  to  their  homes.  But  Surendra  Si  and  some  of  his  most  trusty  adher- 
ents obstinately  refused  to  give  themselves  up  unless  he  waB  made  Bdjd  of  Sam- 
balpdr. Among  those  was  K&ihi  Singh  of  Ghes,  and  Kunjal  Singh  his  brother, 
Eamal  Singh  Deva  and  Khageswar  Deva,  descendants  of  Balabhadra  S&,  the 


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456  SAM 

former  rebel  zaminddr  of  Lakhanpdr;  Lil  S&,  chief  of  Khol,  a  zaminddri  of 
the  Khariir  state;  Umed  Singh  and  SuWd  Singh,  also  of  Kharidr.     When 
however,  Surendra  Sd   saw  many  of  the  better-disposed  chiefs  and  others 
giving  themselves    up   and  being  reinstated  in   their  former  positions,  and 
when  he  found  also  that  fresh  troops  were  arriving  in  view  to  hunting  him 
down,  he  resolved,  by  the  advice  of  his  friends,  to  listen  to  the  overtures  of 
the  Deputy  Commissioner,  but  in  doing  so  attempted  to  stipulate  that,  if 
he  did  give  himself  up,  he   should  be   made  BAjL     The  Deputy  Commis- 
sioner of  course  would  not  consent  to  treat  on   these  terms.     But  at  last 
seeing  that  the  authorities  fully  intended  to  pardon  him  if  he  came  in,  Sur- 
endra Sd  yielded  himself  up  in  May  1862.     Strange  to  say  his  captains,  Kunjal 
Singh,  Kimal  Singh,  and  one  or  two  others,  refused  to  su.«render  even  then. 
The  object  of  their  so  refusing  was  not  apparent  at  the  time,  but  it  can  now 
be  explained-     One  of  the  last  excuses  maide  by  Surendra  S&  was,  that  Eamal 
SingVs  band  would  not  let  him  surrender  unless  he  paid  them  a  certain  sum  of 
money.    This  statement  was  fully  believed  by  Major  Impey,  and  he  actuallj 
sent  some   Rs.  500   to   Surendra   Si  to   distribute  amongst  Kamal  SingVs 
followers,  who  were  then  in  open  rebellion.     For  some  time  afler  the  surrender 
of  Surendra  Sd  the  country  remained  quiet.    The  rebel  family  had  handsome 
stipends  and  several  villages  settled  on  them,  and  thoso  who  had  been  instru- 
mental in  procuring  their  submission  were  also  liberally  rewarded.     On  this 
ground  alone  one  Lokndth  Pdnd^,  a  Brdhman,  who  had  two  or  three  villages 
only,  and  who  was  very  nearly  being  hanged  in  1857  for  being  one  of  the  first  to 
join  Surendra  Sd  in  the  rebellion,  was  constituted  a  Chief,  and  nineteen  khalsa 
villages  were  made  over  to  him  at  half  assessment  for  a  period  of  forty  years. 
Mrity unjaya  Pdnigrdhi,  another  wily  Brdhman,  was  also  freely  rewarded  on  similar 
grounds.     In  short,  the  authorities  seemed  to  think  that  nothing  was  too  much 
to  give  to  the  men  who  were  considered  to  have  completely  and  satisfactorily 
achieved  the  pacification  of  the  country,  which  had  been  a  prey  to  rebellion  and 
bloodshed  without  intermission  for  five  years.     Early  in  1863,  however,  fresh 
political  upheavings  commenced  to  be  felt,  the  first  indication  of  which  appeared 
in  the  form  of  a  petition.    The  country  had  been  recently  incorporated  with  the 
Central  Provinces,  and  the  Chief  Commissioner,  Mr.  (now  Sir  R.)  Temple,  was 
about  to  pay  his  first  visit  to  the  new  provinces.     The  opportunity  was  therefore 
taken  to  revive  the  old  demand  for  the  restoration  of  Native  rule.     A  petition 
was  got  up  purporting  to  be  from  the  landholders,  Brdhmans,  and  influential 
people  of  Sambalpdr,  setting  forth  that  they  had  been  much  harassed  by  the 
mtroduction  of  stamps,  taxes,  &c. ;  that  there  were  still  rebel  zamfndars  in  the 
hills  whose  depredations  they  dreaded,  but  that  if  the  lawful  heir  Surendra  Sd 
was    made  rdjd  all  would  bo  well,  and  the  Government,  in  place  of  losing 
by  the  country,  might  demand  a  heavy  tribute,  and  thereby  become  gainers 
by  the  arrangement.     Of  course  nothing  was  obtained  by  the  petition,  and 
the  Deputy  Commissioner  was  under  the  impression  that  it  was  got  up  by  some 
designing  people,  without  the  knowledge  or  concurrence  of  Surendra  Sd.     It 
has  since  appeared  highly  probable  that  it  was  set  on  foot  by  Surendra  Sd  and 
his  advisers,  the  names  of  many  landholders  and  influential  mhabitants  having* 
been  aflSxed  to  it  without  their  knowledge  or  consent.     Shortly  after  the  Chief 
Commissioner's  departure  affairs  began  to  get  more  serious,  Kamal  Singh  and 
his  gang  appearing  on  the  scene,  and  re-commencing  to  commit  the  most  savage 
outrages  in  the  klialsa  villages.   No  less  than  fifteen  or  sixteen  dacoities,  attended 
with  aggravated  circumstances,  took  place  in  six  weeks,  and  a  threatening 


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SAM  457 

letter  was  sent  to  the  Deputy   Commissioner,  warning  him  that  the  country 
should  know  no  peace  until  Surendra  Sd^s  rights  were  recognised. 

It  became  evident  that  Surendra  S&  was  still  bound  up  with  Kamal  Sin^h 
and  other  rebel  leaders,  and  by  degrees  the  most  serious  plots  and  intrigues 
were  laid  bare,  distinctly  proving  that  the  surrender  of  Surendra  S^  in  1862 
was  merely  a  blind,  and  that  he  had  never  for  a  moment  intended  to  abandon 
the  darling  object  of  his  life,  viz.  the  recovery  of  the  Sambalpdr  '^  rdj/*  Major 
Impey  died  at  Sambalpdr  in  December  1863,  but  not  before  he  had  fully 
recognised  the  critical  position  of  afl&iirs  at  Sambalpdr,  and  the  necessity  that 
existed  for  arresting  Surendra  Si  and  his  immediate  relations  and  adherents. 
Circumstances,  however,  tended  to  prevent  the  arrest  until  the  23rd  of  January 
1864,  when  it  was  successfully  effected  by  the  Magistrate  and  the  Deputy 
Inspector-Greneral  of  Police,  assisted  by  the  few  European  officers  at  the  station. 
Not  a  single  native  was  entrusted  with  the  secret  of  the  intention,  as  it  was 
known  that  Surendra  S&  had  a  host  of  friends  and  spies  in  the  town,  even 
among  those  who  were  believed  to  be  faithful  servants  of  Government ;  and 
had  he  got  the  slightest  inkling  that  his  arrest  had  been  intended,  or  even 
thought  of,  there  is  no  doubt  that  he  would  at  once  have  taken  to  the  hills 
and  joined  the  zaminddrs  who  were  still  in  rebellion.  It  was  not  legally 
proved  that  Surendra  Si  was  preparing  to  wage  war  against  the  Grovernment, 
but  the  Chief  Commissioner  and  the  Supreme  Government  have  recognised  the 
necessity  for  keeping  him,  with  certain  of  his  relations  and  adherents,  in  con- 
finement as  dangerous  political  offenders,  and  the  consequence  has  been  that 
dacoity  has  now  ceased,  and  profound  peace  has  succeeded  the  dangerous  and 
critical  period  preceding  Surendra  Sd's  capture. 

The  total  population  of  the  district  by  the  census  of  1866  was  812,348 
p      ,   .  souls,  of   whom  497,774  were  classed  as  agri- 

^"  *  *  °*  culturists  and  314,574  as  non-agi'iculturists.    Of 

the  former  the  most  industrious  and  respectable  agricultural  classes  are  the 
Koltds ;  they  are  Hindds,  and  gradually  obtained  a  footing  in  these  parts  under 
successive  rijds.  At  present  they  hold  most  of  the  best  villages  in  the  Tchalsa. 
It  is  not  known  precisely  where  they  came  from,  but  Colonel  Dalton,  in  one  of 
his  reports,  alludes  to  a  similar  class  in  Assam,  Next  come  the  Aghariis, 
There  are  but  very  few  of  them  in  the  khalsa,  but  they  are  very  numerous  in 
the  Garhjdt  states  of  Rdfgarh  and  B^mrd,  and  also  in  the  Chandrapdr  chiefship. 
They  claim  to  be  Eijputs  by  descent,  but  do  not  wear  the  sacred  thread. 
They  are  remarkably  fair  and  good-looking.  A  great  number  of  Brdhmans  also, 
especially  the  Jhdrwds,  are  engaged  in  agriculture.  These  three  are  the  chief 
landholding  classes.  The  cultivators  are  drawn  from  the  inferior  cultivating 
castes,  such  as  Pdbs,  Sdonrds,  Gdndds,  Gonds,  Mills,  Godlis,  &c.  The  Mahantis 
have  acquired  some  few  villages,  but  they  do  not  themselves  hold  the  plough 
like  the  Koltds  and  Agharids.  The  principal  castes  among  the  population 
general  are  Brdhmans,  Mahantis,  Rdjputs,  Bhdlids,  Koshtfs,  Mehrds,  Sundrs, 
Kdnsdrs,Gurids,  Sdnsids,  Telfs,  Musalmdns,  Barhais,  Lohdrs,  Kumbhdrs,  Pdnhdris, 
Tambolis,  Kewats,  and  Ghdsis. 

There  are  two  classes  of  Brdhmans  in  these  parts — the  Uriyas  and  the  Jhar- 
wds.  The  first  have  come  from  Cuttack  and  Purl  within  comparatively  recent 
times,  while  the  latter  settled  here  many  hundred  years  ago.  The  Uriyas,  who 
consider  themselves  the  most  holy  of  the  two,  and  will  not  eat  with  the  Jharwds, 
are  a  lazy,  improvident  set,  subsisting  chiefly  by  beggirig.  On  the  other  hand, 
58  CPG 


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458  SAM 

the  Jharwis,  or  jungle  Brflimans  bm  their  title  denotes,  are  careful,  hardworking, 
and  intelligent ;  they  are  not  above  cultivating  the  soil,  engaging  in  trade,  or  in 
fact  taming  their  hand  to  anything  useful  and  profitable.     The  Mahantis  are  the 
Kdyaths,  or  writers  of  Qrissa;   they  are  immigrants  from  the  districts  to  the 
east,  and  take  occupation  as  clerks  in  Government  offices,  schoolmasters,  &c. 
They  are  an  intelligent  but  somewhat  effeminate  race.    The  Rijputs  are  few 
in  number,  consisting  chiefly  of  the  illegitimate  ofishoots  of  the  Rdjput  rijis  and 
their  descendants.    The  Bhtilifis  are  weavers  of  cotton-cloths.    These  cloths 
are  not  celebrated  for  fineness  of  texture,   but  for  briUiancy  of  colour  and 
variety  of  pattern  they  can  hardly  be  excelled  among  coarse  native  fabrics. 
Cotton-cloths  are  also  made  by  the  Mehrds.     The  Koshtis  are  weavers  of  tasar 
silk-cloth.     Their  manufacture  is  justly  celebrated ;  the  texture  is  very  even, 
and  the  silk  has  a  lustre  which  never  fades,  however  long  it  may  have  been  in 
wear.     Prizes  were  obtained  for  specimens  at  the  Exhibitions  of  Nfigpdr  and 
A'gra.     The  Sunirs,  or  goldsmiths,  are  not  particularly  good  workmen,  but 
they  are  apt  imitators,  and  might  improve.     They  manufacture  all  the  orna- 
ments worn  by  females,  which,  by  the  way,  are  very  peculiar,  unlike  those  used  in 
other  parts  of  India.    The  prettiest  ornaments  made  here  are  the  '^  Tcanthas"  or 
neck-laces  of  large  gold-fluted  beads,  worn  often  by  Brdhman  and  Rdjput  sepoys 
of  the  Native  army.    The  Kansdrs  are  workers  in  bell-metal  and  brass ;  they  make 
all  sorts  of  vessels  and  utensils  very  neatly  indeed.     The  Gurids  are  the  sweet- 
meat sellers.     The  Sdnsiis  are  masons  and  stone-carvers.    Their  work  is  rough, 
but  solid,  and  they    soon  pick  up    anything  that  is  shown  them.     Telis  are 
oil-sellers — a  numerous  and  well-to-do  class.     The  few  Mohammadans  are  chiefly 
merchants  and  Government  servants.     Pdnhdris  and  Tambolfs  are  betel-sellers. 
Kewats — fishermen  and  boatmen  combined — are  a  numerous  and  hardy  race, 
and  sometimes  engage  in  small  ventures  of  trade  also.     Ghdsfs  are  grass- 
cutters  and  grooms ;  they  will  also  perform  the  duties  of  sweepers. 

The  aboriginal  tribes  of  the  khalsa  are  Gonds,  Pdbs,  S^onrds,  Binjfls 
(Binjwdrs),  and  Kols  or  Dh^ngars.  The  latter  came  from  the  Chotd  Nigpdr  direc- 
tion. They  are  as  a  class  hard-working,  honest,  and  light-hearted,  and  when 
not  engaged  in  cultivating  either  for  themselves  or  for  others,  they  will  take 
service  of  any  kind.  Road-making,  pdlki-bearing,  gardening,  pankhi-puUing — 
all  come  alike  to  them  ;  and  the.  women  work  equsdly  hard  with  the  men.  They 
are  fond  of  strong  drink,  but  apparently  only  give  way  to  it  on  festive  occasions. 
At  certain  periods  of  the  year  they  perform  the  most  curious  kind  of  dance. 
.  Women  and  men,  all  linked  together  in  a  circle,  pace  round  in  a  monotonous  but 
perfectly  regular  measure,  swaying  at  the  same  time  their  bodies  backwards 
and  forwards,  occasionally  almost  touching  the  g^und  with  their  heads.  They 
are  all  decked  out  in  their  best,  the  women  ornamenting  their  hair  fantastically 
with  feathers  and  flowers. 

The  administration  is  conducted  by  a  Deputy  Commissioner,  with  ordinarily 
Ad   '  iatniti  ^^®  Assistant  or  Extra-Assistant  Commissioner,  a 

Tahsild^,  a  Civil  Surgeon,  and  a  District  Superin- 
tendent of  Police,  at  head-quarters.  There  is  another  Tahsflddr  stationed  at 
Bargarh.  The  police  force  has  a  strength  of  350  of  all  ranks.  They  have 
station-houses  at  Sambalpdr,  Bargarh,  Ambdborfi,  Lopangi,  and  Mdri,  besides 
eighteen  outposts  in  the  interior  of  the  district. 


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SAM  459 

The  imperial  revenues  of  Sambalpdr  district  for  the  year  1869-70  are  as 
follows : — 

Land  revenue Rs.  65,868 

Assessed  taxes   ^  ,,  11,839 

Excise  on  spirits    „  7,158 

Opium ,,  8,200 

Drugs „  10,205 

Stamps ,,  7,000 

Tribute  payable  by  feudatories   „  11,830 

Revenue  payable  by  zaminddrs  or  chiefs    „  9,850 

Total Rs.  1,31,950 

SAMBALPTJ'R — A  tahsU  or  revenue  subdivision  in  the  district  of  the 
same  name,  consisting  of  one  town,  190  asU  or  parent  villages,  and  122  dakhili 
villages  or  hamlets,  and  having  an  area  of  1,500  square  miles.  The  total  land 
revenue  is  Rs.  41,163-4-3.  The  population  is  198,808  souls.  Within  the  limits 
of  this  tahsil  are  also  included  eight  zaminddris,  paying  in  the  aggregate  to 
Government  Rs.  6,329,  and  five  Garhjit  states,  the  aggregate  tribute  of  which 
amounts  to  Rs.  9,880  annually.     The  principal  villages  are — 

Population.  Population. 


'DUm& 2,461 

RdmpdUl 2,731 

Lairi    2,037 

Arhdpiri 2,065 

Tflpatii    1,746 


Khindi 1,729 

Sdmasingd    1,658 

Katarbagi    1,603 

Bagrd   1,472 

Lopangd  1,305 


The  population  of  all  these  belongs  almost  entirely  to  the  agricultural 
classes. 

SAMBALPTJ'R — ^The  chief  town  in  the  district  of  the  same  name.  It  is 
situated  in  north  latitude  21^31',  and  east  longitude  84®  V.  The  district  court- 
house, the  sub-divisional  or  tahsil  oflSce,  and  the  houses  of  the  civil  oflBicers  are 
pleasantly  situated  on  the  north  bank  of  the  Mahdnadf,  to  the  south  and  a 
little  to  the  east  of  the  town.  The  river  is  here  nearly  a  mile  broad ;  during 
the  monsoon  it  is  often  full  from  bank  to  bank,  and  on  one  or  two  occasions 
has  been  known  to  overflow  its  banks  and  partially  swamp  the  town.  It  falls 
rapidly  after  the  monsoon,  and  during  the  greater  portion  of  the  year  there  is  only 
a  small  stream,  some  forty  or  fifty  yards  wide,  which  it  is  necessary  to  cross 
in  boats.  Opposite  the  town  and  station  the  river-bed  is  a  mass  of  rocks 
with  thick  "jhdd^'  jungle;  the  banks  on  either  side  are  well -wooded  with 
numerous  mango  and  other  groves,  and  to  the  south  there  is  a  splendid 
background  of  lofty  hills  ;  the  scenery  altogether  is  very  beautiful.  The  native 
town  of  Sambalpdr  is  also  on  the  river  bank,  and,  including  the  suburbs,  may 
be  about  two  miles  long  by  a  quarter  of  a  mile  broad.  It  is  divided  into  two 
portions — the  town  proper,  and  a  large  suburb  called  the  Bar£  Bdz^r ;  the  two 
being  separated  by  the  area  comprised  within  the  old  fort  walls.  In  the  town 
proper  some  fifty  or  sixty  brick,  terraced-roofed  houses,  most  of  them  two 
stories  high,  have  lately  been  erected  in  the  main  street ;  about  1,500  houses  are 
tiled,  and  but  few  still  remain  thatched.  In  the  Bard  Bdzdr  most  of  the  houses 
are  still  thatched. 


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460  SAM 

Town-dues    were   only  introduced   in   1864-65,  and  tave   been  steadily 
increasing  from  year  to  year,  as  will  be  seen  from  the  following  figures  : — 

1864-65  (four  months) Es.       940 

1865-66  (wholeyear)     „     6,000 

1866-67        (do.)       „     7,370 

1867-68  (eleven  months) „   10,000 

The  town  has  of  late  been  much  improved.  In  1864  it  scarcely  contained 
a  single  tiled  house,  and  it  was  with  diflSculty  that  a  cart  could  go  through  the 
main  street.  Two  large  streets  have  lately  been  made,  with  drains  on  either 
side,  through  the  whole  length  of  the  town,  and  wide  roads  have  been  opened  out 
to  the  river  bank.     The  conservancy  and  drainage  are  carefully  looked  after. 

The  fort  is  to  the  north-west  of  the  town  proper ;  nothing  remains  of  it 
but  a  crumbling  stone-wall  on  the  river  face,  and  a  few  mouldering  bastions. 
The  remains  of  the  moat  are  still  visible,  but  it  has  been  here  and  there  filled  up. 
The  only  gateway  left  is  that  of  Samldl,  near  the  temple  of  the  goddess 
Samlii,  who  was  apparently  the  tutelar  deity  of  Sambalpdr.  There  are  several 
other  temples  also  within  the  precincts,  the  principal  of  which  are  those  of  Padmes- 
war(  Devi,  Bard  Jaganndth,  and  Anant  Sajjd — all  built  between  the  years  1500 
and  1600  a.d.  They  are  of  uniform  design,  and  neither  remarkable  for  beauty  of 
architecture  nor  for  solidity  of  structure.  There  are  also  some  remains  of 
dwellings  of  former  rdjds  within  the  fort,  but  most  of  them  are  in  such  a 
dilapidated  and  dangerous  state  that  it  has  become  necessary  to  remove  them. 
One  only,  which  has  some  little  pretension  to  appearance,  is  about  to  be 
repaired,  and  will  be  available  for  the  accommodation  of  native  chiefs  when 
they  visit  Sambalpdr. 

Beyond  the  fort  is  the  Bard  Bdzdr.  It  was  formerly  a  mere  market-place, 
but  by  degrees,  as  the  town  became  crowded,  people  went  and  settled  there. 
It  is  chiefly  inhabited  by  goldsmiths,  weavers,  and  "  Kewats"  (boatmen  and 
fishermen).  The  town  has  few  wealthy  inhabitants,  and  it  is  only  of  late  years 
that  there  has  been  any  trade  worth  speaking  of.  The  statistics  of  the  traflSc 
for  the  few  past  years  are  as  follows  : — 

Imports.  Exports. 

Value,  Rs.  Value,  Rs. 

1864-65 1,83,295  1,01,284 

1865-66 2,70,294  1,19,171 

1866-67 3,00,015  1,58,171 

1867-68 8,51,379  1,36,353 

1868-69 3,15,418  1,33,477 

Besides  the  Government  court-house  and  the  sub-divisional  office,  already 
p  w       ii   th    h  la*  mentioned,  on  the  river  bank,  there  is  a  Commis- 

u  ic  an  o  er  ings.  gioner's  circuit-house,  a  good  post-office,  a  jail 
(lately  built  on  the  standard  plan),  a  sardl  near  the  town,  and  another  in  course 
of  erection  on  the  opposite  bank  of  the  river.  A  dispensary  building  with  female 
wards  has  lately  been  built  by  a  Uberal  native  on  the  standard  plan,  as  also  a 
new  district  school -building.  There  is,  too,  a  handsome  terraced-roofed  covered 
market-place.  The  people  accept  most  thankfully  the  benefits  of  the  dispensary. 
Indeed  their  prejudices  seem  to  yield  very  readily  in  most  matters.     To  give  an 


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SAM— SAN  461 

instance^  it  may  be  mentioned  that,  thougli  they  at  first  showed  the  greatest 
abhorrence  of  vaccination,  during  the  past  five  years  nearly  30,000  children  and 
adults  have  been  vaccinated,  viz : — 

1864 743 

1865 2,744 

1866 373 

1867 1,984 

1868 23,416 

Total 29,260 


In  former  years  the  town  was  almost  annually  visited  by  cholera,  and  the 
epidemic  sometimes  remained  for  months.  The  people  attribute  it  to  the  con- 
stant influx  of  pilgrims  returning  from  Jagannith :  and  no  doubt  their  view  is 
correct;  but  the  dirt,  the  narrow  streets,  and  the  crowded  state  of  the  town  must 
also  have  aggravated  the  disease  considerably.  During  the  past  few  years  they 
have  been  more  fortunate ;  but  everything  shows  that  this  has  been  solely  owing 
to  the  precautions  that  have  been  taken  for  keeping  out  pilgrims,  attending  to 
conservancy,  widening  streets,  and  the  like.  Small -pox  was  also  very  prevalent ; 
but  now  that  the  children  are  vaccinated,  instead  of  being  inoculated  as  formerly, 
the  violence  of  the  disease  may  abate. 

S  A'^MPNA'  — A  river  which,  rising  in  the  hills  that  shut  in  the  rich  basin 
of  Betdl,  unites  its  waters  with  the  Machnd  at  the  civil  station  of  Betdl,  and 
thence  forcing  its  way  through  the  main  chain  of  the  Sdtpurd  hills,  joins  the 
Tawd  at  Kotmi  below  Shdhpdr. 

SA'NGARHr — ^A  town  in  the  Bhanddra  district,  situated  about  twenty-four 
miles  to  the  south-east  of  Bhandara,  and  three  miles  south  of  the  Seoni  lake.  The 
population,  according  to  the  census  of  1860,  amounted  to  4,367  souls.  The  local 
industries  are  the  manufacture  of  cotton-cloth — which,  though  slightly  inferior 
to  that  made  at  Mohdrl  and  A'ndhalgdon,  has  a  good  repute,  and  is  largely 
exported — and  silk-spinning.  The  town  is  built  on  a  gravelly  soil,  and  is  kept 
fairly  clean,  but  is  considered  unhealthy,  probably  owing  to  the  brackishness  of 
the  water-supply  from  most  of  the  wells.  The  watch  and  ward  and  conservancy 
are  provided  for  from  the  town  duties ;  and  there  are  here  a  poUce  post  and  a 
large  and  flourishing  government  school.  Sdngarhi  derives  its  name  from  the 
old  Pathdn  fort,  now  in  ruins,  which  commands  it. 

SANGRA'MPU'R — A  village  in  the  Jabalpdr  district,  thirty  miles  north- 
west of  Jabalpdr  on  the  road  to  Sdgar.  It  is  said  to  have  derived  its  name  from 
Sangrdm  Si,  the  most  distinguished  of  the  Gond  line  of  Grarhd  Mandla,  who 
died  in  a.d.  1 530,  after  having  extended  his  dominion  over  fifty-two  districts. 

SANGRA^MPU'R — A  small  forest  of  6,555  acres,  on  the  highroad  between 
Jabalpdr  and  Sdgar,  in  the  former  district.  It  comprises  the  block  of  hills 
around  the  Singaurgarh  fort,  and  was  recently  selected  for  a  State  forest  as  a 
particularly  favourable  locality  for  the  natural  production  of  teak. 

SANKARPUH — ^A  town  in  the  Chdndd  district,  situated  sixteen  miles 
north-north-east  of  Chimdr,  and  containing  five  hundred  houses,  some  of  which 
are  well  built,  and  a  modem  fort  of  earth  and  brick  in  tolerable  condition. 
Under  the  Mardthd  rule  a  cannon-foundry  was  worked  here,  and  some  of  the 


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462  SAO— SAR 

half-finislied  guns  are  still  to  be  seen.     The  town  has  government  schools  for 
boys  and  girls. 

SA'OLI' — A  town  in  the  ChSndi  district,  situated  seven  miles  east  of  Mdl, 
and  containing  eight  hundred  houses.  The  population  is  almost  wholly  Telingd. 
Cotton-cloths,  coloured  and  plain,  are  manufactured  here,  and  there  is  some  trade 
in  cotton,  cotton-cloths,  grain,  groceries,  and  gur.  There  is  also  a  weekly 
market,  with  an  average  attendance  of  six  hundred  persons.  The  town  has 
government  schools  for  boys  and  girls. 

SA'OLI'GARH — A  state  forest  of  about  130  square  miles  in  extent,  in  the 
northern  part  of  the  Betdl  district.  It  comprises  several  blocks  of  hills 
between  ''the  Moran  river  on  the  east  and  north,  and  Rdjdbordri  on  the  west. 
The  chief  forest  growth  is  of  teak  and  s4j,  the  former  predominating. 

SA^ONER — One  of  the  most  prosperous  towns  in  the  Nigpdr  district,  situ- 
ated twenty-four  miles  north-west  of  Nagpdr,  just  off  the  main  road  to  Chhind- 
wdrd.  It  has  a  population  of  4,895  persons,  the  majority  of  whom  are  employed 
in  agriculture.  The  town — built  on  both  sides  of  the  Kol^r  river,  in  a  plain  of 
considerable  fertility — is  surrounded  by  field  and  garden  cultivation.  A  good 
deal  has  been  done  here  of  late  years  in  the  way  of  municipal  improvement.  A 
good  branch  road,  metalled  and  planted  with  trees,  connects  the  town  with  the 
imperial  line  from  Ndgpdr  to  Chhindwird,  leading  into  the  new  market-place 
at  the  eastern  entrance.  The  market-place  is  in  the  form  of  a  circle,  within 
which  are  large  masonry  platforms  for  the  accommodation  of  the  traders  and 
their  wares ;  from  it  two  broad  metalled  roads,  one  leading  south-west  and  the 
other  west,  traverse  the  town  in  the  most  populous  quarters.  These  two  lines 
are  connected  by  a  third  street  of  similar  dimensions,  running  north  and  south. 
There  is  here  a  travellers^  bungalow,  and  among  the  more  recent  structures  are  a 
handsome  sardi,  and  good  buildings  for  the  police  and  the  school,  in  which  ninety- 
six  scholars  are  now  taught  English  as  well  as  Vernacular.  The  local  industries 
are  the  manufacture  of  cotton-cloth,  which  is  largely  exported,  and  of  an  inferior 
kind  of  snuff  which  is  made  by  the  Musalmdn  population.  A  large  cattle 
market  is  also  held  here  weekly.  The  fort,  situated  near  the  centre  of  the  town, 
is  now  in  ruins.  Il  must  formerly  have  been  a  place  of  large  extent  and  great 
strength ;  and  the  lines  of  fortifications  are  different  from,  and  more  elaborate 
than,  those  built  in  the  time  of*  the  Pindhdri  incursions.  According  to  local 
tradijiion,  which  is  as  usual  vague,  it  was  built  before  the  time  of  the  Gonds  by 
^me  GaCiiii  ^ihiefs ;  but  about  the  latter  the  people  can  give  no  particulars.  How- 
ever that  may  be,  the  town  has  belonged  to  the  "  Swasthdnik^'  family  for  many 
generations  continuously,  and  the  present  Gond  rdjd  is  now  proprietor  of 
Sdoner. 

S  A'EANGARH — A  state  which  is  now  attached  to  the  Sambalpdr  district, 
f.        ,  J      .    .  but  was  formerly  one  of  the  cluster  known  as  the 

ueneral  dewnption.  eighteen  ^'Garhjats.^' It  lies  between  83^  and  83^25' 

of  east  longitude,  and  between  21®  18'  and  21®  36'  of  north  latitude.  It  is  bounded 
on  the  north  by  the  zaminddri  of  Chandrapdr  and  by  a  portion  of  the  Bdfgarli 
feudatory  state,  on  the  east  by  the  khalsa  of  Sambalpdr,  on  the  south  by  the 
zamfnddrf  of  Phuljhar,  and  on  the  west  by  the  district  of  Bildspdr.  The  mean 
length,  north  and  south,  is  about  twenty  miles,  and  the  mean  breadth,  east 
and  west,  about  twenty-five,  giving  an  approximate  area  of  some  five  hundred 
square  miles.     The  country  is  generally  level,  but  to  the  south  and  east  there  rise 


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SAR  463 

abruptly  two  considerable  ranges  of  hills.  The  soil  is  generally  light  and  friable, 
with  a  strong  admixture  of  sand.  About  four-fifths  of  the  whole  area  are  culti- 
vated, while  the  rest  is  jungle  and  hills.  It  has  no  forests  of  any  magnitude,  but 
sal,  sij,  dhdurd,  tendd,  &c.  are  to  be  met  with  in  patches  here  and  there. 
The  Mahdnadi  runs  to  the  north  of  the  state.  The  only  other  river  of  any  pre- 
tensions to  size  is  the  Ldth ;  but  even  this  is  an  insignificant  stream.  The  main 
road  between  Sambalpdr  and  Eiipdrruns  alongportion  of  the  southern  boundary ; 
there  are  no  other  roads  of  consequence.  The  climate  is,  like  that  of  the  rest 
of  the  Sambalpdr  district,  considered  unhealthy,  and  during  the  months  of 
September,  October,  and  November  fever  is  prevalent.  The  inhabitants  them- 
selves are  not  in  appearance  inferior  to  those  of  other  parts  of  India.  The 
thermometer  in  the  coldest  weather  does  not  fall  below  45°  Fah.,  while  at 
the  hottest  period  of  the  year  it  rises  to  as  high  as  110°  in  the  shade.  Tigers, 
bears,  and  leopards  are  to  be  found  in  the  hilly  and  jungle  portions.  Formerly 
there  used  to  be  a  great  number  of  wild  buffaloes,  but  of  late  years  they  have 
been  driven  off,  the  people  having  taken  to  attack  them  with  arrows.  Wander- 
ing herds  are,  however,  still  occasionally  met  with. 

According  to  the  rijd^s  returns  the  population  is   put  down  at  51,619, 
p      .  ^  about    three-fourths   of  whom   are    engaged    in 

opu  a  on.  agriculture.     Rice  is  the  staple   crop  produced, 

with  here  and  there  at  rare  intervals  a  small  quantity  of  wheat,  gram,  pulses, 
oil-seeds,  cotton,  and  sugarcane.  The  principal  castes  among  the  population 
are  Brdhmans,  Edjputs,  Agharids,  Koltis,  Koshtis  or  weavers,  Mehrds  (also 
weavers),  Dhdngars  (weavers  of  coarse  cloths  and  village  watchmen),  Gonds, 
Binjdls  (Binjwirs),  and  Kolis.  The  language  current  is  the  Laryd  or  dialect  of 
Chhattisgarh,  and  the  Hindi  character  is  used  for  writing.  The  only  manu- 
factures are  tasar  silk-cloth  and  coarse  cotton-cloths. 

The  family  of  S^ngarh  is  of  very  ancient  date,  and  has  preserved  its 
„.  traditions  as  far  back  as  the   Samvat  year  148. 

^  °'^'  It  is  of  the  aboriginal  tribe  known  as  Rdj-Gond. 

According  to  tradition,  in  Samvat  148,  or  a.d.  91,  Narendra  S^,  rdjd  of  Ldnji 
(in  Bhanddra),  had  two  sons,  Virbhadra  Sd  and  Jagdeva  SL  The  latter  went  and 
offered  his  services  to  Narsingh  Dova,  rdji  of  Ratdnpdr,  who  was  then  at  war 
with  a  neighbouring  chief.  On  his  returning  victorious,  Narsingh  Deva  pre- 
sented him  with  a  Jchilat,  and  conferred  on  him  the  title  of  *^  dtwan/'  together 
with  eighty-four  villages  in  the  Sdrangarh  tract.  The  family  retained  the  title 
of  ^*  diwaa  "  through  some  forty-two  generations,  when  Kalydn  Sd,  the  then 
diwan,  obtained  the  title  of  ^*  rdjd  "  in  the  following  manner.  Baghojl  Bhonsld 
of  Ndgpdr  was  proceeding  to  Cuttack  with  a  small  body  of  retainers  via  the 
Sambalpdr  district.  On  his  arrival  at  the  Singhord  Ghdt,  between  Sdrangarh  and 
Phuljhar,  his  advanced  guard  was  opposed  by  the  Phuljhar  people,  who  stopped 
the  passage  of  the  ghdt  and  killed  several  of  his  men.  Raghoji  sent  word  of  his 
difficulties  to  the  Ilatanpdr  rdjd,  Banojf,  who  directed  Kalydn  Sd  to  drive  off  the 
assailants  and  clear  the  ghat.  Kalydn  Sd  executed  those  orders  satisfactorily, 
and  in  i*eward  he  had  the  title  of  ^'  rdjd  "  conferred  on  him,  with  the  right 
to  carry  a  standard.  The  title  was  afterwards  confirmed  by  Rdjd  Chhatra  Sd 
of  Sambalpdr,  when  Sdrangarh  had  become  a  dependency  of  that  state.  The 
rdjds  of  Sdrangarh  seem  to  have  had  special  warlike  proclivities,  for  in  the 
reigns  subsequent  to  Kalydn  Sd  we  find  them  constantly  called  to  the  assistance 
of  the  Sambalpdr  rdjds,  either  to  suppress  rebellion  within,  or  to  resist  foes  from 
without.     For  these  services  they  were  usually  rewarded  by  grants  of  pargana^. 


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villages,  Ac,  so  that  by  degrees  Sdrangarh  came  to  be  a  state  of  some  importance. 
In  Sam  vat  1865  also  they  sent  a  contingent  to  aid  the  Mardthda  in  the  wars  in 
Orissa.  They  count  fifty-three  generations  from  the  commencement  of  their 
occupancy,  including  the  reign  of  the  present  chief,  which  has  lasted  thirty-five 
years. 

The  only  building  of  any  pretension  in  the  state  is  the  temple  of  Samleswar 
^    , .    ^    ,  Deva  :  but  it  is  of  no  great  antiquity,  having  been 

Architectural  remains.  ^^^^^^^  ^^  ^^^  ^.^j^^^  g^  j^j^^^  .^  September  1748, 

or  about  120  years  ago.  At  a  place  called  Sdlar,  about  twelve  miles  to  the 
north  of  Sarangarh,  is  the  tomb  of  a  Mr.  Elliott,  B.C.S.,  who  died  on  the 
12th  September  a.d.  1778,  while  on  a  mission  from  the  Government  to  the 
Court  at  Ndgpdr.  The  monument  was  erected  by  the  British  Government,  and 
has  lately  been  repaired  by  the  Sdrangarh  Raj^  at  the  request  of  the  Deputy 
Commissioner.*  It  is  of  simple  design,  having  a  square  base,  with  a  pyramidal 
superstructure  about  ten  or  twelve  feet  high,  the  whole  being  surrounded  by 
a  wall.  Sangrdm  Singh,  the  present  T&j&,  is  a  steady,  competent  man.  He 
looks  after  his  own  affairs,  and  manages  his  territory  profitably  and  well.  He 
has  established  a  good  school  at  the  head- quarters  of  his  state,  where  some 
seventy  or  eighty  pupils  are  receiving  instruction.  Lately  also  he  has  started  a 
few  indigenous  schools  in  the  interior  of  his  territory. 

SATPURA' — This  name  is  now  generally  applied  to  the  great  range  or 
table-land  which,  commencing  eastwards  at  Amarkantak,  runs  nearly  up  to 
the  western  coast,  though  the  appellation  seems  to  have  been  formerly  restricted 
to  that  portion  of  the  range  which  divides  the  Narbadd  and  Tapti  valleys.f 
The  Sdtpurds  are  thus  described  J  by  Mr.  Blanfcrd  of  the  Geological  Survey  : — 

"  This  range  §  is  well  defined  to  the  westward,  and  from  Edjpfpld  to 
A'sirgarh  consists  of  a  belt  of  mountainous  country,  forty  or  fifty  miles 
in  breadth,  and  of  an  average  height,  at  the  crest  of  the  chain,  but  little 
under  2,000  feet  above  the  sea,  while  many  peaks  rise  above  3,000,  and 
some  (and  even  some  table-lands,  as  Turan  Mdl)  are  as  high  as  4,000  feet. 
Nearly  the  whole  of  this  range,  both  hills  and  valleys,  consists  of  trap ;  but 
towards  the  west,  along  the  northern  boundary  of  Khdndesh,  a  series  of 
craggy  peaks  are  met  with,  such  as  are  but  rarely  seen  in  the  trap  region. 
Elsewhere  the  summit  of  the  range  is  more  or  less  a  table-land.  Just  east 
of  A'sirgarh  there  is  a  break,  through  which  the  railway  from  Bombay  and 
Khdndesh  to  Jabalpdr  passes,  the  highest  part  of  which  is  only  1,240 
feet.  It  is  worthy  of  notice  that  this  break  leads  from  close  to  the 
junction  of  the  two  alluvial  plains  in  the  Tapti  and  Piimd  to  a  flat  tract 
lying  between  the  two  Narbadd  plains.  East  of  this  break  the  trap  hills 
continue  till  south  of  Hoshangdbdd,  where  sandstone  and  metamorphic 
rocks  emerge  and  form  a  great  portion  of  the  hills  of  the  Pachmarhl  and 
Betdl  country.  There  is  a  table-land  of  considerable  extent  round  BetiSl, 
which  extends  far  to  the  eastward  beyond  Chhindwdrd  and  Seoul,  and  joins 
the  high  plateau  of  Amarkantak.  Upon  this  plateau  trap  still  predomi- 
nates, and  a  great  spur  from  it  extends  between  the  Taptf  and  the  Pdmd, 
forming  the  northern  boundary  of  Berdr  as  far  as  the  confluence  of  those 

♦  Major  Cumberlege. 

t  Thornton's  Gazetteer,  article  **  Satpur^." 

X  Memoirs  of  the  Geological  Survey  of  India,  vol.  vi.  part  3,  p.  24. 

§  In  Gujardt. 


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SAT  466 

rivers.  This  range  is  also  of  considerable  height,  in  places  nearly  4,000 
feet.  Like  most  other  ranges,  it  has  no  definite  name,  and  is  generally 
looked  upon  as  a  portion  of  the  Sfitpurd." 

It  has  been  necessary  to  quote  the  above  description  at  length,  as  there 
appears  to  be  some  doubt,  which  can  only  be  set  definitely  at  rest  by  geologists, 
as  to  the  eastern  limits  of  the  Sitpurds.  By  some  describers  the  Amarkantak 
plateau,  and  the  Maikal  range,  which,  running  south-west  from  it,  walls  in 
Chhattisgarh  on  the  north-west,  are  included  in  the  Vindhyan  hill  system. 
For  present  purposes,  however,  it  will  be  sufficient  to  assume  that  the  Narbadfi 
divides  the  Vindhyas  from  the  Sdtpuris,  and  that  the  whole  system  of  con- 
tinuous or  nearly  continuous  ranges,  commencing  from  Amarkantak,  and 
running  south  of  the  river,  may  be  included  under  the  generic  name  of  Sitpurd. 
It  may  here  be.  worth  noticing  that  though  the  Vindhyan  sandstones,  north  of 
the  Narbadd,  are  entirely  distinct  from  the  Mahddeo  and  other  groups  which 
enter  into  the  composition  of  the  Sdtpurds,  and  the  two  systems  are  divided 
by  a  well-marked  valley,  the  name  "  Vindhya"  has  been  sometimes  extended 
to  include  them  both.  Thus  Professor  Wilson  says,*  "Vindhya  is  the 
'<  general  name  of  the  chain  that  stretches  across  Central  India.  According  to 
^'  the  Y&yn  (Purdna)  it  is  the  part  south  of  the  Narmadd  or  the  Sdtpudd  range.^' 
The  ordinary  Puranic  appellation  for  these  hills,  however,  seems  to  have  been 
the'*Riksha.^' 

Accepting  Amarkantak  as  the  eastern  boundary,  the  Sdtpurds  would  have 
a  range  from  east  to  west  of  about  six  hundred  miles,  and  in  their  greatest  depth 
would  exceed  one  hundred  miles  from  north  to  south.  The  shape  of  the  range 
would  be  almost  triangular.  From  Amarkantak — 3,328  feet  above  the  level  of 
the  sea — ^an  outer  ridge  runs  south-west,  for  about  one  hundred  miles,  to  a  point 
known  as  the  Sdl^tekri  hills  in  the  Bhanddra  district,  thus  forming  as  it  were 
the  head  of  the  range,  which  shrinking,  as  it  proceeds  westward,  from  a  broad 
table-land  to  two  parallel  dorsal  ridges,  bounding  on  either  side  the  valley  of  the 
Tapti,  ends,  so  far  as  these  provinces  are  concerned,  at  the  &mous  lull-fortress 
of  A'slrgarh. 

The  slope  of  the  range  is,  in  the  Mandla  district,  mainly  towards  the  north — 
a  succession  of  table-lands  leading  down  to  the  Narbadd.  In  the  Seonf  and 
Chhindwdrd  districts  the  country  slopes  mainly  southwards.  So  also  in  the 
Betdl  district,  where  the  main  chain  of  the  Sdtpurds  lies  to  the  extreme  north. 
The  Multdf  plateau  in  this  district  is  the  watershed  of  the  rivers  Taptf,  Wardhd, 
and  Bel,  the  former  of  which  flows  westwards  along  the  southern  base  of  the 
Sdtpurds,  while  the  latter  flow  south  and  south-east  into  the  plain  of  Ndgpilr, 

The  diffJerent  plateaus  and  valleys  may  be  thus  briefly  described.  In  the 
Mandla  district  there  are  four  principal  upland  valleys,  each  sending  down  a 
feeder  to  the  Narbadd.  To  the  west  lies  the  valley  of  the  Banjar  ;  in  the  centre 
are  the  valleys  of  the  Hdlon,  the  Phen,  and  the  Burhner ;  to  the  east  the  valleys 
of  the  Elharmer,  Chirkdr,  and  Seonf ;  and  to  the  north-west  the  valley  of  the 
Salj{.  The  eastern  valleys  are  higher  than  those  to  the  west.  The  country  between 
the  Kharmer  and  Burhner  rivers  present  a  rugged  mass  of  bare  and  lofty  moun- 
tains hurled  together  by  volcanic  action;  the  general  formation  being  basaltic 
intermixed  with  laterite,  with  which  the  higher  peaks  are  ci^ped.    There  is  a 

*  Ball'i  edition  of  Wilson's  Vishnu  Purdna,  vol.  ii.  p.  128  (1866). 
59  CPO 


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466  SAT 

lofty  range  of  hills  between  the  Chirk^r  and  Kharmer.  On  the  east  c^f  this 
^volcanically -formed  country  several  fine  '^  dddars  "  or  plateaus  and  rich  valleys, 
especially  those  of  Sontirth  and  Kharmandal^  occur.  These  valleys  are  well 
watered,  and  sheltered  from  the  winds ;  and  here,  even  in  April,  the  streams  are 
fringed  with  verdant  grass.  The  Chauridddar  plateau,  with  an  area  of  about 
six  square  itiiles,  is  probably  one  of  the  most  favourable  spots  for  a  European 
settler  in  the  whole  of  these  wilds. 

The  Banjar  vfiJley,  running  partly  into  the  Seoni  district,  has  two  large  open 

5>lains  at  Baihar  and  Bhimldt,  both  well  watered.  The  H^on  valley  is  approached 
rom  the  Banjar  valley  by  the  Girfighit  range,  which  form  the  eastern  margin  of 
the  Banjar.  At  Bichhi^  it  opens  into  a  fine  open  and  fertile  plain,  some  fifteen 
miles  long  by  five  broad.  It  is  even  better  watered  than  the  valley  of  the  Banjar. 
The  valley  of  the  Burhner  resembles  that  of  the  Kharmer,  having  a  general  eleva- 
tion of  above  2,500  feet  above  the  sea  level,  and  a  pleasant  climate.  Going  on 
to  the  Seon(  district  the  plateaus  of  Seon^  and  Lakhnddon,  ranging  in  height 
from  1,800  to  2,200  feet,  are  well  cultivated  and  clear  of  jungle.  The  valley  of 
the  Bdngangi  *  may  be  said  to  commence  after  the  confluence  of  its  waters 
with  those  of  the  Th^nwar.  It  is  of  varying  breadth,  sometimes  widening- 
ont  into  bays  of  considerable  extent,  and  sometimes  contracted  by  hill-spurs. 
The  first  basin  contains  the  Bhansd  Bhdr  forest,  which  is  all  unreclaimed*  The 
second  bay  includes  Themd  and  a  part  of  Mali,  and  is  about  five  miles  across, 
and  well  watered.  The  third  basin  includes  Narsinghd,  and  is  here  of  consider^ 
able  extent  and  well  watered.  South  of  this  basin  the  hills  run  parallel  to,  and 
a  short  distance  from,  the  banks  of  the  river,  until  it  receives  the  Uskdl  and 
Nahri  rivers,  from  which  point  the  fourth  basin  commences.  The  Paraswdrfi 
plateau  separates  tlie  valleys  of  the  Bdngangd  and  the  Banjar,  and  has  a  general 
width  of  between  six  and  ten  miles,  well  watered.  The  Phen  valley  is  more 
open  than  the  HSlon,  to  which  it  is  nearly  parallel.  The  valleys  of  the  XJskdl  and 
Nahri  are  narrow,  but  in  one  or  two  places  they  open  into  plains.  In  the 
CJhhindwird  district  the  principal  upland  valleys  are  those  of  the  Pench  and 
Kolbird.  In  many  places  they  present  broad  open  plains,  which  about  Chdnd, 
Chhindwdri,  and  Chaurai  are  highly  cultivated  and  well  watered.  The 
general  elevation  is  about  2,200  feet.  Less  open  are  the  valleys  which  follow 
the  course  of  the  river  Kanhdn,  through  Deogarh,  before  its  descent  into  the 
plains.  The  plateau  of  Pachmarhi — 3,481  feet  above  sea  level — is  said  to  be 
twelve  square  miles  in  extent.  The  scenery  is  of  surpassing  beauty  and 
variety.  Through  the  centre  of  it  there  flows,  for  the  greater  portion  of  the 
year,  a  fine  clear  stream,  which  appears  at  one  time  to  have  been  dammed  up  for 
the  storage  of  water.  The  plateau  presents  many  advantages  for  the  establish- 
ment of  a  sanitarium,  and  is  easily  reached  from  the  north  from  Bankheri — a  rail- 
way station  thirty-five  miles  distant.  On  the  south  it  is  separated  from  the  great 
SStpurd  chain  by  the  valley  of  the  Denw^.  Another  plateau — that  of  Motdr 
(Mohtoor),  8,500  feet  high — though  inferior  in  some  respects,  has  many  of  the  cha- 
racteristics of  the  higher  PacUmarhl  as  a  sanitarium,  and  is  easily  accessible  from 
the  south.  In  the  Betdl  district  ike  Machn^  and  S&mpn&  rivers  traverse  a 
broad  level  bctsin  of  rich  and  well-cultivated  land,  in  which  is  situated  the  chief 
town  of  Bettil.  It  is  shut  in  by  abrupt  lines  of  stony  hills  on  all  sides  but  the  west, 
where  it  is  bounded  by  the  deep  valley  of  the  Taptf.  The  Mult&i  plateau  to  the 
south  is  of  considerable  extent,  and  is  noted  for  its  opium  and  sugarcane.    The 

*  The  name  by  which  the  upper  portion  of  the  Waingaiigi  it  locally  known. 


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SAT-SEH  467 

only  bigh  level  plateau  in  this  part  of  the  range  is  on  the  hill  of  Khimli,  in 
the  south-west  comer  of  the  Betdl  district.  This  is  said  to  be  a  little  below 
8,700  feet — the  general  height  of  the  Grdwalgarh  hills,  with  which  it  is  connected. 
The  absence  of  water  on  the  plateau  is  the  obstacle  to  its  being  selected  as  a 
sanitarium.     Some  of  the  highest  points  in  the  range  are  approximately — 

Feet. 

Chaurddadar  (Mandla) 3,300 

KhdmU  (Betdl)     3,700 

Motdr  (Mohtoor)  (Chhindward) 3,500 

S^"^b'} <°»-»°8««>  I:::;;::::::::::::;:::::.:::::::::  iZ 

SATPURA'  RESERVE— A  state  forest  of  about  1,000  square  miles  in 
extent,  lying  along  the  southern  slopes  of  the  hill-range  of,the  same  name  in  the 
Seonf,  Chhindwdri,  and  Nigpdr  districts.  S^  abounds  in  the  eastern  portion, 
while  in  the  western  teak  is  the  chief  growth.  The  proximity  of  this  tract  to 
the  large  markets  of  Kdmthi  and  Nigpdr  has  led  to  the  almost  complete 
exhaustion  of  all  but  young  growing  timber,  but  systematic  measures  are  in 
progress  for  preserving  what  remains.  Leases  are  annually  granted  for  the 
cutting  of  the  unreserved  kinds  of  timber,  and  for  the  collection  of  jungle  fruits, 
roots,  dyes,  &c.,  and  also  for  grazing  cattle  in  certain  portions  of  the  forest. 
Plantation  experiments  under  the  superintendence  of  a  Europecm  gardener  are 
being  conducted  at  Suk^t^  and  SitdjharL 

SAUSAR — The  southern  revenue  subdivision  or  tahsfl  in  the  Chhindw&rd 
district,  having  an  area  of  1,076  square  miles,  with  439^  villages,  and  a  popula- 
tion of  94,915  souls  according  to  the  census  of  1866.  The  land  revenue  for  the 
year  1869-70  is  Rs.  97,884. 

SAUSAR — The  head-quarters  of  the  tahsJl  of  the  same  name,  in  the 
Chhindwdrd  district.  It  is  situated  thirty-four  miles  south  of  Chhindwdrd,  on  the 
main  road  to  NSgpdr,  and  has  a  population  of  4,077  persons,  mostly  belonging 
to  the  cultivating  classes.  There  are  here  a  government  school  and  a  small 
fort.  The  proprietor  of  the  village  is  Rdjd  Sulemdn  Sh&h — the  representative 
of  the  Gond  line  of  Deogarh. 

SA^ARGA'ON— A  town  in  the  Ndgpdr  district,  situated  forty-four 
miles  from  NSgpdr,  on  the  road  to  Betdl  vid  In  arkher.  The  population,  amount- 
ing to  2,590  souls,  is  chiefly  engaged  in  agriculture.  The  country  around  is 
hiny  and  stony.  Since  town-duties  have  been  levied,  efforts  have  been  made  to 
improve  the  water-supply,  which  was  deficient;  and  a  new  school-house  and 
Biarket-place  have  been  constructed. 

SEGA'ON — A  town  in  the  Chindi  district,  situated  thirteen  miles  north- 
east of  Warori,  and  containing  600  houses.  It  formerly  was  a  place  of  consi- 
derable trade,  and  the  capital  of  the  pargana,  but  is  now  in  a  decaying  state.  A  ' 
weekly  market  is  held  here  on  Fridays.  There  are  here  an  old  stone  fort,  now 
in  ruins,  with  a  handsome  gateway,  government  schools  for  boys  and  girls,  and 
a  police  outpost. 

SEHA^A' — A  forest  in  a  wild  hilly  tract  of  the  same  name  in  the  Rifpdr 
district.    It  has  not  yet  been  fiilly  examined  or  demarcated. 

SEHA'WA' — A  tract  of  country  lying  to  the  south  of  Dhamtarf,  in  the 
B&{pdr  district    It  covers  an  area  of  about  550  square  miles,  and  contains  288 


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villages^  270  of  which  are  uninhabited.  The  inhabitants  are  mostly  Gonds,  who 
live  by  collecting  jungle  produce.  Lac^  wax^  and  thatching-grass  abound^  and 
there  are  some  fine  sdl  forests. 

SELERU — ^A  river  which  rises  in  the  Eastern  Gh^ts^  and  after  a  course  of 
eighty  miles  falls  into  the  Sabari  at  a  point  about  twenty-five  miles  above  its 
confluence  with  the  Godivarl.  For  the  last  twenty  miles  of  its  course  this 
stream  forms  the  boundary  between  a  portion  of  the  Upper  God&varf  district  and 
the  Jaipdr  state. 

SELU' — A  town  in  the  Huzdr  tahsll  of  the  Wardhd  district,  situated  on 
the  right  bank  of  the  Bor  river  about  eleven  miles  north-east  of  Wardhd.  The 
old  highroad  from  Ndgpdr  to  Bombay  runs  through  the  place ;  and  there  is  a 
travellers^  bungalow  here.  Seld  was,  according  to  tradition,  an  old  Gond  settle- 
ment, but  the  fort  is  attributed  to  a  chief  named  Kandeli  Sarddr.  Hazdri 
Bhonsld,  former  mukhdsaddr  of  Seld,  had  a  skirmish  here  with  the  Kndhdrls, 
which  is  still  remembered.  The  present  population  amounts  to  3,184  souls,  and 
is  principally  engaged  in  weaving  and  in  cidtivating.  The  weekly  market — an 
important  one — is  held  every  Tuesday.  Native  cotton-cloths  of  all  kinds, 
manufactured  by  the  Seld  weavers,  are  among  the  most  important  goods  offered 
for  sale.  A  good  deal  of  cotton  also  changes  hands  here.  The  town  has  a  sardi^ 
a  police  outpost,  and  a  vernacular  town-school. 

SEONATH  or  SEO— A  river  rising  in  the  Pdndbdras  chiefship  of  the 
Chinii  district.  The  first  part  of  its  course  is  through  a  hilly  tract  of  country, 
after  leaving  which  it  flows  through  the  territory  of  the  Ndndgdon  chief,  and 
the  richer  parts  of  the  Bd(pdr  district.  Then,  entering  Bildspdr  to  the  north  of 
the  town  of  Simgd,  it  turns  to  the  east,  and  forms  the  boundary  between  Bilds- 
pdr  and  Eifpdr,  until  it  reaches  the  Tarengd  estate  of  the  Bildspdr  district, 
which  it  skirts  for  about  thirty  miles,  thence  again  forming  the  boundary 
between  Laun  and  Bildspdr  as  far  as  Seorinardin,  a  few  miles  from  which  it 
joins  the  Mahdnadf  at  a  place  named  Devighdt.  The  chief  affluents  of  the  Seo 
are  the  A'gar,  Hdmp,  Manidri,  Arpd,  Kdrdn,  and  Lfldgar. 


SEONI'— 


CONTENTS. 


Page 

General  description     468 

Geology 470 

Forests  and  waste  lands ib. 

Prodacts    ib. 

Trade 471 


Page 

Boads  and  oommonioations 472 

History  and  antiquities    473 

Population 474 

Administration 476 


One  of  the    most    interesting    districts    of  the  Central  Provinces.     It 
Q        .  ,      .    .  deserves   notice   as    well  for  the  beauty  of   its 

encra    escnp  ion.  scenery,  the  fertility  of  its  valleys,  the  elevation  of 

its  plateaus,  its  salubrity  and  moderate  temperature,  as  on  account  of  its  past 
history,  which  shows  that  it  once  supported  a  far  larger  population  than  it  does 
now.  It  lies  between  21°  35'  and  22^  55'  of  north  latitude,  and  between  79^  20' 
and  80°  10'  of  east  longitude ;  and  is  bounded  on  the  north  by  Jabalptir  and 
Mandla,  on  the  west  by  Narsinghptlr  and  Chhindwfirfi,  on  the  south  by  Ndgpdr 
and  Bhand&ra,  and  on  the  east  by  Mandla  and  Bdl&ghdt.  The  area  is  about 
3,608  square  miles,  and  the  population  amounts  to  421,650  souls,  or  116  to  the 
BQuare  mile.  The  fiscal  subdivisions  are  Seon(,  Elatangi,  and  T<akhn<tdon,  each  of 
wnich  is  managed  by  an  officer  of  the  rank  of  Tahaildiur. 


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SEO  469 

The  district  is  a  portion  of  tliat  upland  tract  formed  by  the  Sitpurd  or  Gond- 
V9&na,  range  of  hills^  which  extends  sJong  the  south  bank  of  the  Narbadd  from 
the  plains  of  Broach  on  the  west  to  the  Maikal  range  in  the  east.  The  slope  of 
the  country  from  the  confines  of  Chhindwdrd  to  a  line  drawn  due  north  and 
south  through  the  ghit  range,  parallel  to  the  valley  of  the  Banjar  river,  is  from 
north  to  south.  Between  that  range  and  the  valley  of  the  Phen  river  it  is  from 
south  to  north.  There  is  also  a  general  rise  from  west  to  east.  Thus  the  water- 
shed of  the  Banjar  is  higher  than  the  watershed  of  the  Bingangd  (Waingangi), 
and  the  watersheds  of  the  Phen  and  the  Hdlon  are  higher  than  the  watershed 
of  the  Banjar.  The  Seonf  district  is  geographically  divided  into  four  sections- 
Is/. — ^The  northern   section,   including    the   plateau   of  Lakhnddon, 

separating  the  basins  of  the  Sher  and  the  Bdngangd. 

2nd. — ^The  western  section,  including  the  plateau  of  Seoni,  and  forming 
the  western  watershed  of  the  Bdngangd.  This  plateau  is  crossed  by  the 
highroad  at  Kuraf,  where  the  ascent  of  430  feet  mounts  a  spur  of  the  Sdtpuri, 
stretching  from  Bheogarh  to  Kiol^f,  and  separating  the  basins  of  the  Pench 
and  the  Gangd. 

Srd, — The  eastern  watershed  and  elevated  basin  of  the  Bdngangd  and 
the  valleys  of  the  Nahrd  and  Uskdl  rivers — aflSuents  of  the  Bdngangd. 
This  watershed  has  a  general  depression  south  from  the  junction  of  the 
Thdnwar  and  Grangd,  and  also  a  slope  to  the  west. 

4th, — ^The  last  natural  division  of  the  Seoul  district  is  the  narrow  strip 
of  land  at  the  southern  part  of  the  table-land,  through  the  western  half  of 
which  the  highroad  passes.  This  is  called  DongartSl,  and  though  excel- 
lent grazing  ground,  well  known  for  the  breed  of  its  cattle,  i3  rocky  and 
unprofitable  for  purposes  of  cultivation.  The  eastern  portion  belongs  to 
the  Katangf  valley,  and  though  the  soil  is  light,  it  is  hfghly  cultivated  and 
irrigated,  and  supports  an  industrious  and  dense  population. 

The  plateaus  of  Seonf  and  Lakhnddon  have  a  varying  height  of  from 
1,800  to  2,200  feet.  They  are  well  cultivated,  clear  of  jungle,  and  their  tem- 
perature is  always  moderate.  They  are  thus  very  salubrious.  Great  part  of  the 
Bdngangd  valley  has  lately  been  transferred  to  the  new  Bdldghdt  district,  but 
the  upper  portion  of  it  is  still  in  Seonf. 

The  rivers  are  naturally  divided  into  two  well-marked  groups — 

let. — ^The  affluents  of  the  Narbadd, 

2nd, — The  Bdngangd  and  its  affluents. 

The  affluents  of  the  Narbadd  are  the  Timar  and  the  Sher.  The  affluents  of 
the  Bdngangd  are  the  Hiri  and  the  Sdgar  on  the  right  bank,  the  TheK,  the 
Bijnd,  and  the  Thdnwar  on  the  left  bank.  The  Pench  forms  a  portion  of  the 
boundary  between  Seoul  and  Chhindwdrd. 

The  soil  of  the  Seoul,  Chhapdrd,  and  Lakhnddon  plateaus  is  the  rich  black 
cotton  soil,  or  regar,  formed  by  disintegrated  trap.  Generally  it  may  be  said 
that  two-thirds  of  the  Seoul  district,  including  all  the  loftier  plateaus,  are  com- 
posed of  black  soil.  But  towards  the  south,  where  clifis  of  gneiss  and  other 
primitive  formations  occur,  the  soil  is  silicious,  and  contains  a  large  proportion 
of  clay*  This  is  the  rice  land  of  the  Seoni  district.  The  average  ramfall  is 
sixty-one  inches. 


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470  SEO 

The  district  of  Seonl  Jias  not  been  surveyed  geologically,  but  it  may  be 
^-    .  roughly  described  as  consisting  of  two  portions— 

^^*  the  southern,  which  includes  Katangi  and  part  of 

the  Ebweli  tahsfl,  and  in  which  the  formation  consists  of  crystalline  rock ; 
and  the  northern  and  larger  portion,  which  geologically  is  a  part  of  the  wide 
field  of  overflowing  trap  that  occupies  the  area  between  the  Pachmarhi  hills 
to  the  west  of  Seoni  and  Chhindw^r^,  and  the  Maikal  range  to  the  east  of 
Mandla.  Towards  the  western  boundary  of  the  district  the  metamorphic  rocks 
(chiefly  gneiss  and  micaceous  schist)  form  the  southern  face  of  the  ghdts  that 
bound  the  Seoul  plateau.  Northwards  they  are  lost  sight  of  in  the  bed  of 
laterite,  which  lies  over  this  part  of  the  plateau,  and  covers  the  trap  to  within  a 
short  distance  of  the  town  of  Seoni.  A  few  miles  east  of  Seoni  the  crystalline 
rock  again  comes  to  the  surfftce,  and  from  this  point  eastward  the  valley  of 
the  S^gar  may  be  considered  the  line  of  demarcation  between  the  two  formations. 
The  district  is  hilly  throughout,  but  the  physical  features  characteristic  of  the 
two  formations  form  a  marked  contrast.  In  the  southern  portion  of  the  district 
the  hills  are  more  pointed ;  the  valleys  more  confined ;  the  soil  in  the  valleys  is 
rich,  but  contains  a  large  admixture  of  sand;  and  over  both  hill  and  valley  forest 
trees  of  large  size  abound.  The  beds  of  the  streams  are  composed  of  loose  sand ; 
and  there  is  but  little  water  visible  in  the  dry  season.  The  trap  hills,  on  the 
other  hand)  either  take  the  form  of  ridges  with  straight  outlines  and  flattened 
tops,  or,  rising  more  gradually,  expand  into  wide  undulating  plateaus.  The 
valleys  are  wide  and  bare,  and  contain  the  rich  black  soil  spread  over  a  deep 
deposit  of  calcareous  clay ;  and  the  streams  that  intersect  them,  cutting  through 
this  deposit,  expose  broad  masses  of  bare  black  basalt,  alternating  with  marshy 
stagnant  pools  of  water.  The  hills  are  commonly  clothed  with  small  stunted 
trees ;  but  in  the  valleys  and  plateaus,  notwithstanding  their  rich  soil,  forest 
trees  are  very  thinly  scattered,  and  are  seldom  of  large  size. 

The  disposable  waste  lands  in  this  district  are  very  considerable,  amounting 
F      ta     d      te  U  d  ^  extent  to  686,031  acres.     In  1868-69  the  usu- 

fruct of  the  waste  tracts  was  leased  for  Rs.  16,039. 
In  addition  there  are  the  reserved  forests  of  the  Forest  department — 

let, — ^The  great  firewood  reserve  for  K&nthl  and  Ndgpdr.  The  area  is 
about  315  square  miles,  or  201,600  acres. 

2nd, — ^The  reserve  in  the  south  of  the  district  for  the  protection  of  satin- 
wood  {chloroxylon  sunetenia).  This,  though  managed  by  the  ordinary  dis« 
trict  staff,  is  considered  to  be  of  some  importance,  as  satinwood  is  in  consi- 
derable demand  for  various  purposes  in  the  Nigpdr  arsenal. 

The  timber  resources  of  the  Seoni  district  must  at  one  time  have  been  very 
great.  On  the  north  side,  Arom  the  borders  of  Mandla  to  Narsinghpdr,  the 
hiUs  are  more  or  less  covered  with  teak.  But  the  tree  is  stunted,  and  throws 
out  large  branches  five  or  six  feet  above  the  ground.  Along  the  B&ngang^ 
(Waingang^)  there  are  a  few  patches  of  young  teak,  and  the  vast  bamboo 
forest  of  Sondwdni  in  the  south-east  comer  of  the  district  contains  fine  bijes&l 
(pterocarpus  marsupium),  and  tendd  (diospyros  melonoxylan),  while  to  the  north 
there  is  on  the  ghat  some  fine  sij  {terminiilia  tomerUosa). 

All  the  usual  rabi  and  kharif  crops  are  grown  in  this  district.     As  has 

Produista  already  been  mentioned,  there  are  extensive  plains 

suitable  for  the  growth  of  rice,  while  the  basaltic 

soil  produces  all  kinds  of  aromatic  herbs;  coffee^  and  it  is  thought  tea  plants. 


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SEO  471 

might  be  profitably  cultivated  on  it.  Then  sugarcane,  opium,  wheat,  gram  {deer 
arietinuyn) ,  flax,  masiir  (ervum  lens),  may  all  be  produced  in  almost  unliinited 
quantities.  In  addition  to  the  ordinary  products  of  the  country  may  be  men- 
tioned as  specialties  of  the  Seonf  district,  or  at  least  as  more  readily  to  be  met 
with  here  than  elsewhere — 

1«^.— The  sarai  or  sdl  tree  {shorea  robiLsta). 

2nd. — The  kdsa  grass. 

3rd. — The  banslochan, 

4th. — The  baheri  {terminalia  bellerica). 

htk. — The  harrd  (terminalia  chebula). 

6th, — The  manjit  (rubia  munjista), 

7th.— The  guli  bakaoli. 

The  k^sa  grass  yields  an  oil  like  the  cajipat.  Banslochan  is  a  kind  of  crys- 
tallised salt  found  in  the  bamboo,  and  believed  to  be  a  febrifuge.  It  is  sold 
at  a  considerable  price.  The  Baig^s  are  very  quick  at  discovering  the  bamboos 
in  which  the  salt  is  found.  The  flowers  of  the  baher^  are  used  as  a  dye.  Like 
the  sarai,  it  is  a  large  forest  tree.  The  nut  of  the  harrd  is  also  a  valuable  dye. 
There  are  two  kinds  of  manjit — "  bel  manjit"  and  "baherd  manjit."  The 
former  is  a  creeper,  the  latter  is  like  the  baherd  tree.  The  manjit  produces  the 
madder  root  used  for  dyeing.  The  best  kind  is  the  *^  bel  manjit."  It  is  not  cul- 
tivated, but  grows  spontaneously  under  the  shade  of  large  trees  near  water.  The 
roots  are  dug  up  by  Gonds  between  November  and  May,  and  sell  at  about  five  seers 
the  rupee.  The  ^'  bel  manjit "  will  only  grow  in  a  moist  and  comparatively  cold 
cUmate.  The  "  baherd  manjit"  grows  necu*  the  Narbadd,  both  in  the  Narsingh- 
pdr  and  Hoshangdbdd  districts.  Colonel  Sleeman,  from  whom  the  above  facts  are 
derived,  mentions  that  some  time  ago  Rs.  600  were  ofiered  for  a  large  tree  of  this 
kind  in  the  Narsinghpdr  district.  The  tree  is  ^*  said  to  produce  neither  flowers 
nor  seed."  The  guli-bakdoli  is  a  lily  celebrated  in  oriental  song.  It  grows 
wild  about  Amarkantak.  Besides  the  above  vegetable  productions  which  pecu- 
liarly belong  to  Seoni  and  its  immediate  neighbourhood,  may  be  enumerated 
the  satinwood  tree,  of  which  a  preserve  has  already  been  mentioned;  the 
''  rohan,"  a  durable  heavy  wood,  of  a  deep  red  colour,  furnishing  a  febrifugal 
bark ;  the  *'  tinsd,"  celebrated  for  its  toughness ;  the  '^  gdbdi,"  of  so  resinous  a 
nature  that  splinters  of  it  are  used  for  torches ;  the  •*  hdr  singdr,"  yielding  a  de- 
liciously-scented  flower,  from  which  a  yellow  dye  is  prepared ;  and  the  ^'  dddhi," 
prized  by  turners.  There  is  also  the  *'  mowai,"  which,  though  not  a  timber 
tree,  is  used  for  drums ;  it  is  a  very  flexible  wood.  The  tendd  or  ebony  tree, 
and  the  bijd  and  dhdurd  are  also  met  with. 

Iron  is  found  in  Juni  and  Katangi ;  specimens  of  it  have  been  lodged  in  the 
Ndgpdr  museum. 

There  are  no  manufactures  except  the  common  native  cloths,  and  atEdnhi- 
wdrd  there  is  some  pottery,  which  is  perhaps  superior  to  that  generally  made  in 
the  Central  Provinces.  At  Ehawdsd,  in  the  midst  of  the  forest,  leather  is  beauti- 
fully tanned ;  but  the  art  is  not  extensively  practised. 

The  interior  traffic  between  the  difierent  parts  of  the  country  is  shown  in 
_,^  the  annual  reports  on  the  trade  of  the  Central  Pro- 

vinces. The  exports  from  or  through  Seoni  to 
Ndgpdr  and  Bhanddra  amount  in  bulk  to  453,277  maunds,  and  are  valued  at 
Rs.  32,17,449.  The  imports  from  or  through  Nd^dr  and  Bhanddra  amount  in 
value  to  Rs.  11,31,177,  and  the  estimated  weight  is  142,208  maunds. 


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The  principal  local  markets  are  Ldlbarf,  Wdrd  Seonl,  and  Plparwdni,  to  wluch 
the  grain  of  the  rice-producing  districts  to  the  south  is  brought  for  export  to 
Ndgpdr  and  Kimthi.  There  is  also  a  large  salt  market  at  Kohkd,  between  Wdrd 
Seoni  and  Piparwdnl.  There  are  only  two  annual  fairs  in  the  Seonl  district. 
In  1868-69  the  total  value  of  the  property  brought  to  these  feirs  was  estimated 
at  Rs.  1,07,570,  and  the  sales  amounted  to  Rs.  54,090. 

The  chief  artery  of  communication  in  the 
Seonf  district  is  the  highroad  from  Ndgpdr  to 
Jabalpdr. 


Rotds  and  communications. 


The  stages  from  Seonl  to  Nigptlr  are  as  follows : — 


Names  of  Yillaj^. 

Miles. 

Furlongs. 

Remarks. 

Mohg^on   

11 

8 
8 

4 
4 
6 

A    small    village  ;   encamping* 

gronnd  to  the  sonth. 
Travellers'  bungalow. 

A    large    village  ;     encamping- 
ground  to  the  north. 

Kural 

Khawfcd    

The  road  then  enters  the  Ndgpdr  district,  from  which  Seoni  is  distant  aboat 
seventy-eight  miles.  ^ 

The  stages  from  Seonl  to  Jabalpdr  are — 


Names  of  Tillages. 

Miles. 

Furlonga. 

Remarks, 

Bandol   

11 

10 

9 

7 

13 

7 
3 

5 

A     moderately-sized  village ;  en- 
camping-ground  to  the  west. 
Travellers'  bungalow. 

Encamping-ground  to  the  west. 

A    large    village  ;    encamping- 
ground  to  the  east. 
Travellers'  bungalow. 

Chhapird  

6anes0^ni 

Liakhn^don 

Dhdmfi  

The  road  then  enters  the  Jabalptir  district.  A  district  road  with  American 
platform-bridges  runs  from  Seonf  through  Katangf  to  join  the  Great  Eastern 
Koad.     There  are  besides  numerous  Banjdrd  tracks — 

(1)  From  Bargl  to  Jabalpdr  viSi  Diwdri  Barelfi,  and  Sarai  of  Seonf, 
and  thence  through  Bdldgh&t  to  Chhattfsgarh. 

(2)  From    Seonf  to   Kiolarf  by  Ednhfwdr^^    and  on    to  Mail   of 
Bdldgh^t. 


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SEO  473 

(3)  By  Khdrl  and  the  Sdd  gMfc  of  Seoni  to  the  Khairi  ghfit  of 
Bdfgarh  in  BMgMt. 

(4)  To  Ndgpdr  from  Tbirid  and  the  Khairi  ghdfc  by  Chicheri  near 
Ldlbar^^  and  thence  to  Elatangf  and  Deolap^. 

(5)  From  Thiri^  via  the  Tikilrii  gh^t,  along  the  Usk£  to  Chicherl 
and  Ldlbar^ 

(6)  By  Dh^pewdr^  and  Dhuper^  to  Katangf^  and  £rom  thence  to 
Deolap^r. 

(7)  To  Hattd,  Kdmth^  and  Ldnji. 

The  present  Lieutenant-Governor  of  the  Punjab,  Sir  Donald  F.  Macleod, 

„._^  ,     ^.    .^  who  was  in  1836  Assistant  to  the  Commissioner 

History  and  antiquities.  r  xi.      vr    -l   jif    x       -j.     •  x  p 

^  ^  of  the  JNarbada  territories,   sent  a  copy  of  an 

engraved  plate— one  of  five  in  the  possession  of  one  of  the  Seonf  jigfrdirs-rto 
Mr.  James  Prinsep,  then  Secretary  to  the  Asiatic  Society  of  Bengal,  a  transla- 
tion of  which  is  to  be  found  in  vol.  v.  (p.  726)  of  the  Journal  of  the  Asiatio 
Society  of  Bengal.  The  character  of  the  inscription  is  identical  with  that  of 
the  Chhattisgarh  inscriptions  published  in  the  Asiatic  Researches  (vol.  xv. 
p.  507).  The  inscription  itself  is  an  ordinary  grant  by  Riji  Pravara  Sena, 
of  a  piece  of  ground  in  a  conquered  territory,  to  his  officiating  priest,  in 
perpetuity.  For  a  long  time  no  clue  was  found  to  this  dynasty,  but  some  light 
has  lately  been  thrown  upon  it  by  the  researches  of  Dr.  Bh^d  D&ji  of  Bombay, 
and  especially  by  his  reading  of  an  inscription  in  the  Zodiac  cave  at  Ajanth^. 
This  question  will  be  found  more  fully  discussed  in  the  Introduction.  The  his- 
tory of  Seonf  practically  commences  from  the  reign  of  Kiji  Sangr&n  Si*  of 
Garhi-Mandla,  who  in  A.D.  1530  extended  his  dominion  over  fifty-two  districts, 
three  of  which  f — Ghumsar  or  Ghansor,  Chaurl,  and  Dongartfl — form  the  main 
part  of  the  present  district.  These  tracts  were  in  the  early  part  of  the  eighteenth 
century  assigned  by  Rdji  Narendra  8i  of  Mandla  to  Raji  Bakht  Buland  of 
Deogarh,  in  acknowledgment  of  assistance  given  in  suppressing  a  revolt. 

Shortly  afterwards  the  Deogarh  R&jd,  according  to  local  tradition,  placed  his 
relative  Rdj4  Rim  Singh  in  possession  of  the  Seoni  tract.  The  head-quarters 
were  then  at  Chhapdri,  and  Riji  R4m  Singh  built  the  fort  there.  On  hia 
progress  through  the  district,  Bakht  Buland  visited  the  Gond  Tdlukadir  or 
Thdkur  of  Sulemd  in  Seoni,  and  there  formed  the  acquaintance  of  Tij  Khin,  a 
Mohammadan  adventurer,  with  whose  bravery  in  killing  a  bear  with  his  sword, 
single-handed,  he  was  so  pleased  that  he  conferred  upon  him  the  Dongartil  f 
tdluka  rent-free.  At  the  instigation  of  Bakht  Buland,  and  probably  by  the 
assistance  of  his  father-in-law — a  resident  of  Pratdpgarh  in  the  Bhandira 
district — T&j  Khin  attacked  and  took  Singarhl  in  the  Bhandira  district  in 
the  name  of  the  Rijd  of  Deogarh.  He  died  at  Sdngarhi  a.d.  1734,  and 
was  succeeded  by  his  son  Mohammad  Kh&n.  In  1743  Ragohjf,  the  Mardthd 
ruler  of  Berir,  assumed  the  government  of  Ndgpdr,  ana  consequently  of 
Deogarh  and  Seoni.  Notwithstanding  the  death  of  his  legitimate  sovereign, 
and  the  usurpation  of  the  BhonsUs,  Mohammad  Khdn  held  Singarhf  for  three 
years.     Raghoji  struck,  it  ie^said,  with  Mohammad  Khdn^s  fidelity,  offered  him 

*  Journal  of  the  Asiatic  Society  of  Bengal,  vol.  vi.  (No.  68,  August  1837),  p.  644. 

t  Ibid,  p.  635. 

X  Dongart&l  b  now  in  the  N^gptir  district. 

60  CPG 


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the  Seonf  district  if  he  would  give  up  Sdngarhi.  He  consented,  and  repaired  to 
Chhapiri,  whence  he  governed  Seoni  with  the  title  of  ''diwdn  f  and  at  his  death 
in  1759  he  is  said  to  have  left  the  country  populous  and  well  cultivated.  He 
was  not,  however,  uniformly  fortunate  in  his  government,  for  on  one  occasion 
during  his  absence  at  Ndgpfir  the  Mandla  BAji  attacked  and  captured  Chhapdrd. 
The  people  who  were  killed  in  the  attack  were  all  buried  in  one  large  pit,  over 
which  a  square  tomb  was  erected.  This  tomb,  which  is  in  the  fort,  still  exists. 
The  Diwdn,  advancing  from  Ndgpdr  with  large  forces,  speedily  drove  back  the 
Mandla  garrison ;  and  the  Thdnwar  and  the  Gungd  from  its  junction  with  the 
Thdnwar  were  then  again  declared  to  be  the  boundaries  between  the  Mandla  and 
Seoni  kingdoms.  Majid  Khdn,  the  eldest  son  of  Mohammad  Khdn,  succeeded 
his  father  about  A.D.  1761.  To  him  succeeded  in  A.D.  1774  his  son  Mohammad 
Am(n  Khdn,  who  removed  the  district  head-quarters  from  Chhapdrd  to  Seonf, 
where  he  built  the  present  family  residence.  After  occupying  the  diwdni  for  twenty- 
four  years,  with  much  credit  to  himself,  he  died  in  a.d.  1798.  He  had  four  sons, 
the  eldest  of  whom,  Mohanmiad  Zamdn  Khdn,  succeeded  his  father.  Chhapdrd^ 
even  after  the  removal  of  the  diwdni  to  Seoni,  was  a  considerable  place,  and  at 
the  close  of  the  eighteenth  century  it  is  said  to  have  numbered  about  40,000  inha- 
bitants, and  conteined  some  9,000  houses.  During  Zamdn  Khdn^s  time  it  was 
sacked  by  the  Pindhdrls,  and  it  is  now  a  mere  village.  Shortly  afterwards  ho 
was  ejected  by  the  Mardthds  from  his  diwdni,  either  because  he  was  incapable, 
or  because  Eaghoji  Bhonsld  was  much  impoverished  by  the  cession  to  the 
British  in  a.d,  1804  of  the  fort  of  Gdwal  and  his  Berdr  dominions.  The  next 
eovemor  of  Seoni  was  Kharak  Bhdrti,  a  Gosdin,  who  obtained  the  government 
from  Eaghoji  by  an  oflTer  of  Rs.  3,00,000  a  year  for  it.  From  this  period 
the  diwdn's  family  fell  into  poverty,  until  the  British  accession,  when  some 
assignments  of  money  and  land '  were  made  for  their  support.  It  may  also  be 
noted  that  the  first  TahsQddr  appointed  by  the  British  after  the  cession  of  the 
territory  was  Bhik  Mohammad  Khdn,  who  was  a  son  of  Eoshan  Khdn,  and 
grandson  of  Mohammad  Khdn.  Diwdn  Mohammad  Zamdn  Khdn  died  without 
male  issue  in  1821,  and  now  the  head  of  the  family  is  Najaf  Khdn,  the  nephew 
of  the  former  diwdn. 

There  are  few  architectural  remains  in  Seoni.  At  Umargarh,  Bhainsdgarh, 
Pratdpgarh,  and  Kaubdgarh — all  situated  on  commanding  spots  along  the 
southern  margin  of  the  Sdtpurds — ^there  are  ruined  forts  which  are  popularly 
attributed  to  the  Bundela  rdjds.  Of  these  the  Bhainsdgarh  fort  has  not  been 
quite  destroyed.  The  walls,  bastions,  and  some  of  the  inner  rooms  and  parti- 
tion-walls are  still  standing.  There  are  also  two  old  Gond  forts,  one  in  the 
Son^wdrd  forest,  near  A'shta,  and  one  in  the  Gondi  tdluka  near  U'gli,  called 
Amoddgarh,  which  is  situated  on  an  isolated  and  well-nigh  inaccessible  rock  in 
the  bed  of  the  Hiri  river.  At  Ghansor,  about  twenty  miles  north-east  of 
Seoni,  there  are  remains  of  some  forty  temples,  which,  it  is  supposed,  indicate 
the  former  existence  here  of  a  large  town.  Some  of  the  plinths  are  still  iti  situ. 
They  are  said  to  be  very  old,  and  to  have  been  built  by  a  class  of  Hindds  from 
the  JOeccan  called  ''  Hemdrpantis.'' 

The  population  of  the  district  amounts  to  421,650  souls,  of  whom  135,954 
Population  belong  to  the  Gond,  Baigd,  and  other  aboriginal 

tribes.  The  Hindd  classes  most  largely  repre- 
sented are  the  Ponwdrs — excellent  agriculturists — of  whom  there  ?ire  30,323, 
and  the  Ahirs  and  (Jaulis — pastoral  tribes — who  have  occupied  the  fine  grazing 
ground  to  be  fouud  in  most  parts  of  the  district.    Mohammadans  muster 


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475 


pretty  strong — ^there  being  as  many  as  13,941 — ^probably  owing  to  the  footing 
gained  in  the  district  by  the  Path^n  family,  whose  head  now  bears  the  title  of 
dfwdn. 

The  administration  of  the  district  is  conducted  by  the  usual  civil  staff, 
Adm'  'atr  ti  consistingof  a  Deputy  Commissioner,  two  Assistant 

or  Extra- Assistant  Commissioners,  a  Civil  Surgeon, 
and  a  District  Superintendent  of  Police  at  head-quarters,  and  Tahsflddrs  at 
Sooni,  Katangi,  and  Lakhnddon.  The  police  force  has  a  strength  of  321  of  all 
ranks.  They  have  station-houses  at  Seonf,  Katangf,  Lakhnddon,  Kioldrf,  and 
Kurai,  besides  seventeen  outposts. 

The  total  revenues  may  be  thus  exhibited  for  1868-69 : — 


Heads  of  Revenue. 

Rupees. 

Land  revenue   

2,21,858 
46,407 

Excise    , ,,,,     

Stamps 

22,035 

Forests  

20,008 

A aserSflod  taxes  ....,• 

13,842 

Total  Imperial... 

...Bs* 

3,24,150 

Educational  cess   ,. 

4,437 

Koad  cess 

4,437 

Dak  cess    • 

1,109 
8,378 

Octroi    

Total  Local... 
Grand  Total... 

...Rs. 
...Ra. 

18,361 

3,42,511 

SEONI' — The  south-western  revenue  subdivision  or  tahsil  in  the  district 
of  the  same  name,  having  an  area  of  1,149  square  miles,  with  656  villages,  and  a 
population  of  166,545  sorJs  according  to  the  census  of  1866.  The  land  revenue 
for  the  year  1869-70  is  Rs.  82,840. 

SEONT' — ^The  central  revenue  subdivision  or  tahsil  in  the  Hoshangdbdd 
district,  having  an  area  of  380  square  miles,  with  170  villages,  and  a  papuLition 
of  55,347  souls  according  to  the  census  of  1866.  The  mnd  revenue  for  the 
year  1869-70  is  Rs.  63,528-8-0. 

SEONI' — The  head-quarters  of  the  district  of  the  same  name,  situated  on 
the  road  from  Ndgptir  to  Jabalpdr,  nearly  half  way  between  the  two ;  in  north 
latitude  22°  4',  and  east  longitude  79^  39^.  It  was  founded  in  a.d.  1774  by 
Mohanamad  Amin  Khdn,  who  made  Seoni  his  head-quarters  instead  of  Chha- 
ip&T&.  It  contains  large  public  gardens,  a  fine  market-place,  and  a  noble  tank,, 
which  has  recently  been  improved  and  deepened.  The  principal  buildings  are 
the  court-house,  jail,  school-house,  dispensary,  and  post-office.  A  handsome 
church  is  about  to  be  erected.    The  population  of  the  town  proper  is  8,608 


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476  SEO 

BOTils.  Including,  however,  the  two  outskirts  of  Mangll  Path  and  Bhairao  Ganj 
(in  reality  component  parts  of  Seonl)  tho  population  is  10,621  souls.  The 
town  school  contains  about  175  pupils.      , 

The  climate  of  Seoni  is  salubrious,  and  the  temperature  moderate.  There 
are  excellent  available  building  sites,  and  the  average  price  of  food  is  slightly  less 
than  either  at  Jabalpdr  or  Nigpiir. 

SEONI' — A  town  in  the  Hoshangdbdd  district.  It  existed  in  the  time  of 
Akbar ;  but  there  are  no  old  buildings  about  it.  The  present  town  dates  from 
the  conquest  of  the  country  round  about  by  Raghoji  BhonsM  of  Ndgpdr,  circa 
A.D.  1 750,  since  when,  until  the  cession,  an  A'mil  resided  here ;  and  a  fort  was 
built,  under  the  protection  of  which  a  town  grew  up.  The  fort  was  taken  in 
1818  by  a  detachment  of  British  troops  from  Hoshangdbdd.  Seoul  is  situated 
on  the  highroad  to  Bombay,  and  is  a  most  populous  and  thriving  place,  only 
checked  in  its  extension  by  the  difficulty  of  getting  building-ground.  It  is  the 
chief  mercantile  town  in  the  HoshangSbdd  district,  and  probably  in  the  whole 
NarbadS  valley.  Its  merchants  are  chiefly  engaged  in  the  cotton  trade ;  and 
all  the  cotton  exported  to  Bombay  from  Bhopdl  and  Narsinghpilr,  as  well  as 
the  Hoshangdb^d  district,  passes  through  their  hands.  There  is  also  a  large 
export  trade  in  grain,  and  import  of  English  cotton  fabrics,  metals,  and  spices. 
The  railway  passes  through  Seonl,  and  has  a  station  there.  A  sardf  has  also 
been  built  for  the  accommodation  of  travellers.  An  Extra- Assistant  Commis- 
sioner and  a  Patrol  of  the  Customs  department  are  stationed  here. 

SEONr  BAND — An  artificial  lake  of  considerable  size,  in  the  Bhanddra 
district,  about  eight  miles  north-west  of  the  Naw^don  Tank.  It  was  constructed 
about  325  years  ago  by  Dddii  Patel  Kohr(,  whose  family  retained  possession 
of  the  village  of  Seonl  for  about  250  years.  In  the  time  of  Raghoji  I.  it  was 
given  to  Bdkd  Bdl,  whose  descendants  hold  it  now.  It  is  about  eight  miles  in 
circumference,  and  has  an  average  depth  of  about  thirty  feet.  The  weir  is  630 
feet  in  length. 

SEORI'NARAIN  (Sivari'na'ra'yan) — The  eastern  revenue  subdivision 
or  tahsll  of  the  Bildspdr  district,  having  an  area  of  1,022  square  miles,  with  550 
villages,  and  a  population  of  168,927  souls  according  to  the  census  of  1866. 
The  land  revenue  of  the  tahsfl  for  the  year  1869-70  is  Rs.  65,992-10-0. 

SEORI'NARAIN — ^The  head-quarters  of  the  tahsll  of  the  same  name,  in 
the  Bildspdr  district,  situated  thirty-six  miles  east  of  Bildsprir,  on  the  banks  of 
the  Mahdnadl.  The  population  amounts  to  1,500  souls.  This  was  in  former 
days  a  favourite  residence  of  the  Ratanpiir  Court,  and  the  royal  ladies  at  certain 
seasons  repaired  here  to  bathe  in  the  sacred  stream.  The  first  settlers  are 
supposed  to  have  located  themselves  here  more  than  a  thousand  years  ago. 
The  temple  to  Ndrdyan,  from  which  the  place  takes  its  name,  is,  from  the 
inscription  on  one  of  its  tablets,  supposed  to  have  been  built  about  the  Samvat 
year  898  (a.d.  841).  It  is  an  object  of  interest  on  account  of  its  extreme 
antiquity,  but  possesses  no  architectural  beauty.  The  sub-collectorate  and 
police  station-house  are  substantial  buildings,  facing  the  river.  An  annual  fair 
is  held  at  Seorlnardin  in  February,  and  is  an  important  gathering.  In  the  rains 
the  Mahdnadl  at  this  point  is  a  magnificent  stream,  and  is  navigable  from. 
Sambalpdr  for  large  boats.  Even  in  the  dry  season  the  appearance  of  the  river 
is  not  unimposing,  and  retains  a  channel  with  a  depth  of  several  fathoms  of 
water. 


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SHA  47? 

SHA'HGARH — ^The  chief  town  of  the  tract  bearing  the  same  name  in  the 
Sfigar  district,  about  forty  miles  north-east  of  Sdgar.  It  is  supposed  to  havo 
originally  formed  part  of  the  great  Gond  kingdom,  whose  head-quarters  were 
atMandla.  In  or  about  the  year  a.d.  1650,  according  to  tradition,  one  Shdh- 
man,  a  Bundeld  chieftain,  obtained  possession  of  the  village  and  surrounding 
tract,  defeating  and  killing  Chintdman,  its  Gond  ruler.  It  is  well  known  that 
at  that  time  the  notorious  free-booters  of  Bundelkhand  frequently  found  safe 
shelter  in  the  dense  and  impenetrable  jungles  of  Shihgarh.  Shdhman  greatly 
improved  and  enlarged  the  village,  and  built  the  fort  which  is  now  partly  standing. 
In  A,D,  1798  Mardan  Singh,  rdjd  of  Gurhdkoti,  attacked  and  defeated  Khdnjd, 
the  descendant  of  Shdhman,  and  took  possession  of  the  place.  He  was  after- 
wards killed  at  Garhdkotd  by  the  Edji  of  Ndgpdr,  and  was  succeeded  by  his  son 
Arjun  Singh,  who  died  in  the  year  a.d.  1842,  and  was  succeeded  by  his  nephew 
Bakht  Ball.  This  latter  joined  the  insurgents  in  1857,  taking  possession 
of  Mdlthon  and  G^rhdkotd,  and  the  present  subdivision  of  Bandd.  He  was, 
however,  defeated  by  Sir  Hugh  Rose  at  G^rhikotd  and  Madanpiir,  and  his  troops 
dispersed,  soon  after  which  he  gave  himself  up,  under  the  amnesty,  at  Mardurd, 
and  was  sent  as  a  state  prisoner  to  Lahore,  where  he  still  remains.  His  pos- 
sessions have  been  divided  into  three  portions,  which  have  been  annexed  to 
the  districts  of  Sdgar,  Damoh,  and  Lalatpdr.  Shdhgarh  itself  is  considered  a 
place  of  some  note,  as  having  been  till  very  lately  the  head-quarters  of  an 
independent  chief  of  ancient  lineage.  It  is,  however,  by  no  means  a  large  place, 
and  is  scarcely  worthy  of  being  called  a  town.  It  stands  at  the  foot  of  a  lofty 
range  of  hills,  and  is  for  the  most  part  surrounded  with  dense  jungle.  The 
only  structure  of  any  importance  in  it  is  a  small  fort  to  the  east  of  the  village, 
which  contained  the  rdjd's  palace.  This  was  a  building  of  some  two  or  more 
stories,  and  was  well  and  solidly  built,  but  is  now  a  total  ruin.  Excepting  the 
manufacture  of  iron,  there  is  no  special  industry  in  Shdhgarh.  At  the  four 
villages  of  Bdretd,  Amarmau,  Hirdpdr,  and  Tigord — ^all  situated  in  the  northern 
extremity  of  this  tract — ^iron-ore  is  found  and  smelted.  It  is  chiefly  sent  to 
Cawnpore,  Bi-weekly  markets  are  held  here  on  Tuesdays  and  Saturdays,  which 
are  attended  by  the  inhabitants  of  the  surrounding  villages,  who  barter  small 
quantities  of  grain,  coarse  cloth,  cotton,  &c.  for  other  products.  There  are  in 
the  village  a  government  boys^  school,  a  girls'  school,  and  a  dispensary. 

SHA'HPUTl — A  village  in  the  Betdl  district,  situated  twenty-four  miles 
north  of  Badndr,  on  the  river  Mexhnd.  It  is  said  to  have  been  founded  some 
125  years  ago  by  Bhawdni  Singh  Kiladdr.  The  population,  according  to  the 
census  of  1866,  amounted  to  1,318  souls.  There  are  here  a  pohce  station- 
house,  a  branch  dispensary,  and  a  government  school;  and  the  Machnd  is  crossed 
by  an  excellent  bridge, 

SHA'HPUH — A  range  of  hills  in  the  Mandla  district,  situated  north  of  the 
Narbadd,  and  overlooking  the  Johild  river.  This  portion  of  the  Pachel  ghdts 
would  seem  to  be  portion  of  the  watershed  of  Eastern  and  Western  India. 
The  scenery  here  is  wild  in  the  extreme  ;  and  the  little  villages  of  Gonds 
and  Baigds  are  few  and  far  between.  The  rivers  Gejar  and  Gunjal  flow 
down  from  the  highlands  in  a  succession  of  waterfalls,  the  finest  of  which  is 
sixty  feet  in  height ;  while  behind  the  falls  are  caverns  of  unknown  extent, 
which  are  carefully  avoided  by  the  people  as  being  the  homes  not  only  of  wild 
beasts,  but  also  of  evil  spirits.  Most  of  the  mountain  ranges,  however,  are  said 
to  be  under  the  immediate  protection  of  Mahddeva. 


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478  SHA— SIH 

SHA'HPtTR — A  town  lying  six  miles  soutli  by  west  from  BnrMnptir,  and 
forty-seven  miles  from  Khandwi,  in  the  Nimdr  district.  It  contains  500  honses, 
with  2^500  inhabitants,  all  of  whom  are  cultivators,  also  a  Hindi  government 
school,  and  a  police  station-house.  There  is  a  large  plantation  of  mango  trees 
to  the  east  and  west  of  the  village,  which  contains  some  thousands  of  trees. 
A  weekly  market  is  held  here  on  Thursdays. 

SHA'HPUH — A  considerable  village  in  the  Sigar  district,  situated  about 
eighteen  miles  from  Sigar,  on  the  Damoh  and  Sigar  road.  The  cotton  produced 
here  is  in  very  good  repute.  The  encamping-ground,  though  stony,  is  good  ; 
and  there  is  a  sardf  in  the  village ;  a  government  school  has  also  been  established 
here. 

SHA'HPU'R — A  large  village  in  the  Rimgarh  tahsfl  of  the  Mandla  district, 
situated  on  the  road  between  Rdmgarh  and  Rewi,  about  eighteen  miles  north- 
east of  the  former  place.  The  estates  of  Shdhpdr  and  Shdhpur^,  comprising 
with  this  265  villages,  were  formerly  held  in  tdlukadirl  tenure  by  a  Lodhf  family, 
whose  representative  joined  the  rebels  in  1857,  and  consequently  lost  his  lands 
by  confiscation. 

SHA'HPUEA' — A  village  in  the  Mandla  district,  about  fifty  miles  east  of 
Jabalpdr,  and  twenty-five  miles  north-west  of  Rimgarh,  on  the  direct  road 
between  Sh^pdr  and  Jabalpdr.  There  are  here  a  police  station  and  a  school- 
house. 

SHAK  AR— An  affluent  of  the  Narbad&,  which  it  joins  about  fifteen  miles 
from  the  north-western  angle  of  the  Narsinghpdr  district,  near  the  village  of 
Sdkalpdr.  The  Shakar  rises  in  the  Chhindwdrd  district,  and  is  about  fifty  miles 
in  length.  Coal  is  exposed  in  the  gorge  where  it  quits  the  Sdtpurd  table-land 
and  enters  the  Narbadi  valley.  Its  chief  affluent  is  the  Chftd  Rewd.  About  a 
mile  below  the  junction  it  is  crossed  by  a  railway  bridge  near  the  station  of 
Gddarwdrd. 

SHBR — An  affluent  of  the  Narbadd.  It  rises  near  Khamarid  in  tho 
Lakhnddon  pargana  of  the  Seoul  district,  and  after  a  general  north-westerly 
course  of  some  eighty  miles,  falls  into  the  Narbadd  at  Ratikardr  Elurd,  near 
the  centre  of  the  Narsinghpdr  district.  It  is  spanned  by  a  fine  stone  bridge  at 
Sonii  Dongri  (in  Seoul)  on  the  Ndgpdr  and  Jabalpdr  road,  and  the  Great 
Indian  Peninsula  Railway  crosses  it  by  a  lattice  girder  bridge  about  eight  miles 
east  of  Narsinghpdr.  Coal  has  been  found  in  the  bed  of  the  river  near  Sihor^ 
(in  Narsinghpdr),  but  it  is  said  to  be  useless  commercially.  The  principal 
affluents  of  the  Sher  are  the  Mdchd  Rewd  and  the  Bdrd  Rewd. 

SIHORA' — The  central  revenue  subdivision  or  tahsfl  in  the  Jabalpdr 
district,  having  an  area  of  1,106  square  miles,  with  820  villages,  and  a  population 
of  176,547  souls  according  to  the  census  of  1866.  The  land  revenue  for  tho 
year  1869-70  is  Rs.  1,89,465. 

STHORA' — The  head -quarters  of  the  tahsfl  of  the  same  name  in  the 
Jabalpdr  district,  containing  988  houses  and  4,027  inhabitants.  It  is  on  the 
direct  route  from  Jabalpdr  to  Mirzdpdr,  from  the  former  of  which  it  is  distant 
twenty-seven  miles.  The  great  majority  of  the  inhabitants  are  agriculturists. 
There  is  a  considerable  trade  in  grain  and  other  country  produce.  Sihord  haa 
long  been  a  place  of  considerable  importance.  In  the  time  of  Rdjd  Nizdm  Shdh 
(circi  A.D.  1 760)  a  Gond  Sdba  resided  here.  About  four  miles  to  the  soutli 
runs  the  Hiran  river. 


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SIH— SIN  479 

SIHORA'— A  town  in  the  Bhanddra  district,  about  thirty  miles  to  the 
north-east  of  Bhanddra.  It  has  a  fair  trade  in  the  ordinary  cotton-cloth  of 
the  country,  which  is  manufactured  in  the  town,  though  of  rather  inferior 
quality.  The  population  amounts  to  2,634  souls,  chiefly  of  the  Koshtf,  Ponw^r, 
and  Dher  castes.  The  watch  and  ward  and  conservancy  are  provided  from  the 
town  duties.  The  town  is  clean,  dry,  and  healthy ;  and  all  the  well-water  is  sweet 
and  wholesome.  A  large  tank,  which  always  contains  water,  is  situated  just 
beyond  the  southern  limits  of  the  town,  and  is  very  convenient  for  the  inhabi- 
tants. There  are  here  a  large  and  flourishing  government  school  and  a  police 
outpost. 

SILHETI' — A  small  zamfnddri  or  chiefship  in  the  R^fptir  district,  situated 
about  sixty  miles  to  the  north-west  of  Rdlpdr.  It  consists  of  twenty  villages, 
which  formerly  formed  part  of  the  chiefship  of  Gandai.  The  zamlnddr  is  a 
Gond. 

SIMGA' — The  northern  revenue  subdivision  or  tahsfl  in  theRdipiIr  district, 
having  an  area  of  766  square  miles,  with  471  villages,  and  a  population  of 
156,443  souls  according  k»  the  census  of  1866,  The  land  revenue  of  the  tahsfl 
for  the  year  1869-70  is  Rs.  1,47,450-8-0. 

SIMGA' — A  town  in  the  Rdfpdr  district,  situated  on  the  Seo  river,  twenty- 
eight  miles  to  the  north  of  R^fpdr  on  the  road  to  Bildspdr.  It  is  the  head-quarters 
of  a  tahsfl  (sub-coUectorate),  and  contains  aboat  1,000  inhabitants.  There  are 
here  a  town  school,  a  police  post,  and  a  post-oflSce« 

SINDE'WA'HF— A  good-sized  town  in  the  Chdndd  district,  situated 
sixteen  miles  north  of  Mdl.  The  population  amounts  to  4,356  souls,  the  majority 
of  whom  are  Tolingas.  About  three  miles  north-east  of  the  town  is  a  very  fine 
tank,  which  irrigates  a  wide  extent  of  rice  and  sugarcane  fields.  Great  quan- 
tities of  cotton-cloths,  coloured  and  plain,  and  some  bangles,  are  manufactured 
hero  for  export.  The  trade  is  principally  in  cotton,  cotton-cloths,  grain,  and 
gur.  The  town  has  government  schools  for  boys  and  girls,  and  a  police 
outpost. 

SINDI' — A  town  in  the  Huzdr  tashfl  of  the  Wardhd  district,  lying  about 
twenty  miles  to  the  east  of  Wardhi  on  the  Great  Indian  Peninsula  Eailway, 
which  has  a  station  here.  Sindi  was,  under  the  BhonsW  rule,  the  head-quarters 
of  the  Held  pargana.  It  now  contains  5,366  inhabitants,  principally  weavers  and 
cultivators.  Cloths — the  coarser  native  kinds — ofl,  bangles,  and  shoes  are  made 
here.  The  weekly  market  is  a  flourishing  one,  and  lasts  two  days — Thursday 
and  Friday.  The  municipal  committee  and  residents  are  more  spirited  than 
most  similar  bodies.  At  their  desire  an  English  department  has  been  added  to 
the  town  school,  which  has  lately  been  moved  into  a  new  and  commodious  build- 
ing. The  town  is  kept  clean,  and  the  people  take  a  pride  in  their  public  garden. 
A  commodious  set  of  dispensary  bmldmgs  has  lately  been  erected ;  and  facilities 
have  been  given  to  the  cotton  trade  by  the  construction  of  a  storage-yard 
near  the  station  for  such  cotton  as  the  Railway  Company  are  unable  to  remove 
at  once.  A  fine  broad  street  has  also  been  opened,  which  is  used  as  a  market- 
place. Sindi  will  probably  rise  to  be  an  miportant  cotton  mart  when  the 
advantages  which  the  railway  ofiers  for  export  come  to  be  more  generally  known 
and  appreciated.  According  to  the  trade  statistics  the  respective  values  of  the 
imports  and  exports  for  1868-69  wore  Rs.  3,06,530  and  Rs.  3,32,123. 


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480  SIN-SIR 

SINGAURGARH— A  hill-fort  in  the  Jabalpdr  district,  Bituated  about 
twenty-six  miles  north-west  of  Jabalpdr,  on  a  high  hill  overlooking  the  narrow 
Sangrdmpiir  valley.  Its  origin*  is  attributed  to  Rdjd  Bel,  a  prince  of  the 
Chandeli  Rdjput  tribe,  which  was  very  powerful  in  this  part  of  the  country 
about  the  eleventh  and  twelfth  centuries,  but  it  was  greatly  enlarged  and 
improved  on  being  made  the  seat  of  government  by  Rdja  Dalpat  S&,  of  Grarh^ 
Mandla,  about  a.d.  1540.  The  widow  of  Dalpat  Sd,  the  famous  R4nf  Durg^- 
vatf,  was  defeated  near  here  by  A'saf  Khdn,  an  officer  of  the  great  Akbar  ;  and 
the  fort  is  said  to  have  stood  a  siege  of  nine  months  in  the  days  of  Aurangzeb. 
It  must  have  been  of  immense  size.  The  remains  of  the  outer  circumvallation 
are  still  most  extensive.  Of  the  citadel  or  inner  fort,  which  is  on  a  high 
central  hill,  little  remains  but  a  solitary  tower  and  some  ruined  water-reser- 
voirs. Two  smaller  towers  still  stand  on  neighbouring  hills.  The  place  is  well 
worthy  of  a  visit,  and  is  easily  accessible. 

SINGHPUH — A  town  in  the  Narsinghpdr  district,  six  miles  south  of 
Narsinghpdr.  The  population  consists  of  3,626  souls,  almost  all  engaged  ia 
agriculture.  The  town  school,  and  some  houses  and  temples  belonging  to  tho 
Thdkur  who  owns  the  village,  are  the  only  noticeable  buildings. 

SINGORI' — A*  flourishing  agricultural  village  in  the  Chhindwdrd  district, 
situated  on  the  left  bank  of  the  river  Pench  and  on  the  main  road  to  Narsingh- 
pdr, sixteen  miles  north  of  Chhindwdrd. 

SI'R — A  river  in  the  Ghdndi  district,  which  rises  three  miles  north  of 
BhatdW,  and  after  a  southerly  course  of  twenty-five  miles  falls  into  the  Wardhi 
five  miles  south-west  of  Bhdndak. 

SIRKUNDA^ — A  village  eighteen  miles  north-east  of  Sironchfi,  in  the 
Upper  Goddvari  district.  It  is  situated  at  the  foot  of  a  hill  of  thfi  same  name, 
1,200  to  1,300  feet  high,  which  has  been  found  to  answer  fairly  as  a  sanitarium 
for  invalids  from  Sironchd.  There  afe  four  small  huts  on  the  hill  for  the  use  of 
visitors. 

SIRONCHA' — The  head-quarters  station  of  the  Upper  Goddvarf  district, 
pleasantly  situated  on  the  left  bank  of  the  Pranhitd,  two  miles  above  its  conflu- 
ence with  the  Goddvari,  and  120  miles  south-south-east  of  Chdndd,  the  nearest 
station  of  the  Central  Provinces.  It  is  520  feet  above  the  sea-level  according 
to  the  Topographical  Survey  maps,  but  only  360  according  to  the  levels  of  the 
Public  Works  Department.  The  space  now  occupied  by  the  pubUc  buildings 
and  European  officers'  houses  was  formerly  covered  with  dense  jungle.  The 
buildings  all  stand  on  a  slightly  elevated  ridge,  which  slopes  away  gradually  to 
tho  north,  towards  the  village  and  lower  grounds  in  the  vicinity  of  the  river. 
The  soil  is  sandy,  and  the  drainage  good.  From  the  summit  of  the  ridge  there 
is  a  fine  view  of  tho  winding  course  of  the  Pranhitd,  and  of  the  distant  lull  on 
its  bank.  The  extreme  point  of  land  round  which  the  river  flows  is  a  high 
bluff  of  sandstone,  on  the  top  of  which  are  the  ruins  of  a  small  fort  which 
overhang  the  river.  This  is  said  to  have  been  built  about  150  years  ago  under 
the  auspices  of  one  Waif  Haidar — a  holy  man  who  was  buried  here,  and  whose 
tomb  is  considered  sacred.  There  are  no  manufactures,  and  the  trade  consists 
chiefly  of  imports  for  local  consumption.  The  usual  establishments  of  a  district 
head-quarters  are  located  here,  including  English  and  Telugu  schools. 

*  Journal  of  the  Asiatic  Society  of  Bengal,  vol.  vi.  pp.  627,  628  (August  1837). 


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SIR— SOI  481 

SIRPD'R— A  tract  of  country  in  the  Efiipdr  district,  lying  to  the  south  of 
Laun,  and  having  an  area  of  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  square  miles,  with 
eighty-one  villages,  of  which  half  may  be  inhabited.  The  western  half  is  fertile 
and  well  cultivated,  but  the  eastern  portion  is  hilly  and  covered  with  bamboos 
and  grass. 

SIRPU'R— A  fine  agricultural  village  in  the  A'rvi  tahsil  of  the  Wardhi 
district,  about  thirty-nine  utiles  north-west  of  Wardhd.  A  substantial  tomb 
here  is  pointed  out  as  that  of  a  fakir — ^Dlnddr  All  Shdh  by  name — who  has  a 
considerable  local  repute  for  sanctity.  A  small  weekly  market  is  held  here  on 
Mondays. 

SIRSUNDI'' — ^A  small  chiefship  twenty-four  miles  east  of  Wairdgarh,  in 
the  Chdndd  district,  containing  fifteen  villages. 

SITA'NAGAR — ^A  flourishing  village  in  the  Damoh  district,  situated  on 
the  right  bank  of  the  Sundr,  near  the  confluence  of  that  river  with  the  Khoprd. 
The  population  amounts  to  2,539  souls.  There  are  here  a  government  school 
and  a  police  post,  and  a  market  is  held  weekly* 

SITATTJ'R — A  small  village  about  twenty  miles  due  south  of  Jagdalptir. 
It  is  situated  at  the  foot  of  a  range  of  limestone  hills,  and  is  celebrated  for 
several  large  caves  which  are  said  to  extend  a  very  great  distance* 

SLEEMANA'BAT)— A  village  in  the  Jabalprfr  4istrict,  on  the  Northern 
Road  between  Jabalpdr  and  Mirzdpdr,  forty  miles  distant  from  the  former  place. 
It  had  its  origin  in  a  bdzdr,  established  for  the  convenience  of  travellers  by  the 
late  Sir  William  Sleeman ;  hence  the  name. 

SOBHATU'R — A  large  village  in  the  Hoshangdbdd  district,  about  thirty- 
six  miles  east  of  Hoshangdbdd  and  six  miles  from  Sohdgpdr.  It  is  the  head- 
quarters of  the  native  weaving  trade  in  the  neighbourhood ;  it  has  the  local 
com  exchange ;  and  at  the  weekly  market,  which  is  the  best  in  the  district, 
there  is  a  large  demand  for  country  cloth  from  Narsinghpdr  and  elsewhere. 
A  Gond  rdjd  and  large  landholder  lives  here. 

SOHA''GPU''R — The  eastern  revenue  subdivision  or  tahsfl  in  the  Hoshang- 
dbdd district,  having  an  area  of  629  square  miles,  with  416  villages,  and  a 
population  of  1 1 5,657  souls  according  to  the  census  of  1866.  The  land  revenue 
for  the  year  1869-70  is  Rs.  96,746-3-0. 

SOHA'GPU'R — ^A  town  in  the  Hoshangdbdd  district,  on  the  highroad  to 
Bombay,  about  thirty  miles  east  of  Hoshangdbdd.  It  had  a  fine  stone  fort 
(now  dismantled),  bmlt  about  eighty  years  ago  by  Faujddr  Khdn,  a  Mohamma- 
danjdgirddr,  who  held  the  surrounding  country  for  the  rdjds  of  Ndgpdr.  In 
1803  it  was  attacked  by  Wazfr  Mohammad  of  Bhopdl  without  success.  There 
was  a  mint  here  for  about  ten  years,  and  a  Sohdgpdr  rupee  was  struck,  which 
is  now  very  rare ;  it  was  worth  about  thirteen  annas.  The  town  was  a  thriving 
one  formerly,  though  it  has  fallen  away  now.  It  has  still  the  largest  Moham- 
madan  population  in  the  Hoshangdbdd  district  after  Hoshangdbdd  itself. 
Some  silk-weaving  and  lac-melting  are  carried  on  here ;  and  there  are  here 
a  tahsfli  and  police  station-house,  a  railway  station,  and  a  good  sardi  for  railway 
travellers.     The  population  is  6,008  souls. 

SOrT — A  village  in  the  Chdndd  district,  fourteen  miles  west-north-west 
of  Warord,  noted  for  a  rapid  of  the  Wardhd  in  its  vicinity.  In  the  winter 
months  the  river  here  is  about  eighty  yards  wide,  and  of  great  depth.     Suddenly 

61   CPG 


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48^  SOM— SON 

it  plunges  through  a  rift  of  rock,  and  narrowing  to  a  few  feet,  rushes  down  a 
steep  incline  in  one  seething  mass  of  snow-white  water,  and  then  falls  into  a 
broad,  quiet  pool  beneath.  The  best  time  to  visit  the  rapid  is  about  the  middle 
of  October. 

SOMND'R — A  small  Koi  village  at  the  junction  of  the  Indrfivatl  and 
G  odivari  in  the  Upper  Goddvari  district,  and  near  the  head  of  the  second 
barrier. 

SON — A  river  in  the  Bdldghdt  district,  which,  rising  in  the  Sdletekrl  hills, 
debouches  into  the  plains  to  the  north  of  Ldnji,  and  thence  keeping  south- 
west joins  the  Bdgh  a  few  miles  above  the  junction  of  that  river  with  the 
Waingangd. 

SONA'KHA'N — An  estate  in  the  Bildspdr  district,  lying  sixty  miles  south- 
east of  Bildspdr  and  twenty  miles  from  Seorinardin.  It  consists  of  two  small 
fertile  villages  surrounded  by  hills.  At  the  time  of  the  Sepoy  Mutiny  (1857) 
Ndrdyan  Singh,  the  zamiriddr,  rebelled  against  the  Government,  in  punishment 
for  which  ho  was  seized  and  executed,  and  his  estate  was  confiscated.  The 
tenantry  deserted  almost  in  a  body,  and  the  whole  tract  speedily  became  a  desert. 
A  part  of  it  has  recently  been  taken  as  a  waste -land  grant  by  a  European 
gentleman,  and  with  the  application  of  English  capital  and  energy  the  property, 
it  is  hoped,  will  soon  assume  a  new  aspect. 

SONE'GA'ON— A  *large  village  in  the  Wardhd  district,  situated  on  the 
Wardhd  valley  road  between  Deoli  and  Ndchangdon,  some  thirteen  miles  to  the 
west  of  Wardhd.  A  long-established  religious  gathering  is  held  here  twice  a 
year — in  the  months  of  June  and  October — in  honour  of  an  old  image  of  the  god 
MurKdhar.  The  inhabitants  are  almost  entirely  cultivators.  The  village  fort 
was  erected  about  a  hundred  years  ago  by  an  ancestor  of  the  present  Mdlguzdrs. 

SONORA'— A  large  village  in  the  Huzdr  tahsfl  of  the  Wardhd  district,  to 
the  south  of  Ndchangdon  and  some  twenty-four  miles  to  the  west  of  Wardh£, 
containing  1,078  inhabitants,  princpallv  cultivators  and  weavers.  It  stands 
on  the  right  bank  of  the  Chaupan — a  tributary  of  the  river  Wardhd.  There  is 
here  a  good  village  school,  and  a  small  weekly  market  is  held  every  Tuesday. 

SO^NPU''El — Was  formerly  a  chiefship  subordinate  to  Pdtnd,  but  was 
constituted  a  separate  State  by  Edjd  Madhukar  Sd  of  Sambalpdr  about  the  year 
A.D.  15C0.  Since  then  it  has  been  counted  among  the  cluster  of  eighteen  Garhjdt 
stiites.  It  is  now  attached  to  the  Sambalpdr  district,  and  is  situated  between 
83°  20'  and  84°  18'  of  east  longitude,  and  between  20°  40'  and  21°  10'  of  north 
latitude.  It  is  bounded  on  the  north  by  Sambalpdr  Proper  and  a  portion  of 
Kairdkhol,  on  the  south  and  south-east  by  Bod,  on  the  east  by  Bair&hol,  and 
on  the  west  by  Pdtnd. 

The  area  is  about  1,000  square  miles,  rather  more  than  one-half  of  which 
is  situated  on  the  right  bank  of  the  Mahanadf,  and  the  remainder  on  the  left 
bank.  The  aspect  of  the  country  is  flat  and  slightly  undulating  ;  and  isolated 
hills  of  no  great  altitude  rise  abruptly  hero  and  there.  The  soil  is,  as  elsewhere 
in  this  part  of  the  Mahdnadi  valley,  poor  ;  it  is  not  alluvial,  and  contains  a  con- 
sidcrablo  proportion  of  sand.  There  are  no  forests  of  any  great  extent,  and  such 
as  exist  do  not  contain  any  valuable  timber.  The  principal  rivers  are  the 
Wahdnadf  and  the  Tel.  The  Suktel  also  crosses  the  sonthem  portion  of  the 
state  on  its  way  to  the  Mahdnadf ;  and  the  Jira  to  the  north  divides  a  portion  of 
the  state  from  the  klidlsa.    The  Tel  is  comparatively  free  from  obstruction  ; 


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SON— SUN  483 

and  during  the  monsoon  months  there  is  some  boat  traffic  from  Pdtnil  and 
Kharidr ;  timber  is  also  floated  down.  In  the  Mahdnadl  just  opposite  Sonpiir 
ia  a  dangerous  rapid,  which  renders  the  navigation  difficult,  and  even 
dangerous.  There  is  a  fair  road  on  the  right  bank  of  the  Mahdnadi — a  conti- 
nuation of  the  line  which  branches  off  southward  from  the  Rdfpilr  and  Sambalpdr 
road  at  Soheld ;  it  extends  as  far  as  Cuttack ;  and  from  Bod,  about  thirty  miles 
below  Sonpdr,  there  are  bungalows  every  ten  miles.  The  climate  is  similar  to 
that  of  Sambalpdr.  According  to  the  census  of  1866  the  population  is  about 
60,000.  The  non-agricultural  castes  are  Brdhmans,  Mahantfs,  Kdjputs;  and  the 
agricultural  castes  are  Tassds,  Koltds,  Agharias,  and  Gonds.  In  most  of  the 
larger  villages  will  be  found  a  sprinkling  of  the  artisan  classes,  with  a  few 
weavers  of  coarse  cloths — Tells,  Malls,  &c.  As  elsewhere  in  these  parts, 
rice  is  the  principal  grain  produced.  The  population  is  for  the  most  part  agri- 
cultural :  and  as  the  state  is  tolerably  well  populated,  and  consequently  highly 
cultivated,  in  good  years  a  considerable  quantity  of  rice  and  oil- seeds  is  available 
for  export.  The  •  export  trade  is  usually  carried  on  via  the  Mahdnadi.  The 
pulses,  cotton,  and  sugarcane  are  also  largely  cultivated. 

The  family  is  Chauhdn  Rdjput,  being  an  offshoot  from  the  reigning  family 
of  Sambalpdr.  They  trace  back  their  lineage  to  Madan  Gopdl,  who  obtained  the 
state  about  300  years  ago.  He  was  the  son  of  Madhukar  Sd,  fourth  rdjd  of 
Sambalpdr.  The  succession  has  since  continued  regularly.  Nllddri  Singh  Deva 
Bahddur  is  the  present  rdjd.  He  obtained  the  title  of  "  bahddur  '^for  services  to 
the  British  Government  in  the  field.  He  is  a  well-educated  younff  man,  of  some 
thirty  years  of  age ;  he  can  read  and  write  Uriya  and  Urdd,  and  also  English, 
His  estate  is,  however,  very  backward  in  the  matter  of  education,  and  though 
there  is  nominally  a  school  at  Sonpdr,  it  has  no  regular  attendance  of  pupils. 

SONPU^'R — A  chiefship  in  the  Chhindwdrd  district,  lying  to  the  south- 
west of  EEaral.  It  comprises  forty-nine  villages.  The  present  chief  is  a  Gond 
by  caste.     He  pays  a  quit-rent  of  ten  rupees  annually  to  the  Government. 

SONFU^'R — ^A  village  in  the  Jabalpdr  district,  picturesquely  situated  on 
the  high  banks  of  the  Paret — ^an  affluent  of  the  Hiran — about  nine  miles  east-by- 
north  of  Jabalpdr.  Here  was  stationed  in  the  days  of  the  Mardthd  rule  a  body 
of  cavalry ;  but  the  place  is  now  only  remarkable  as  giving  its  name  to  the 
pargana.     The  country  around  is  wild  and  jungly. 

SONSARI' — ^A  chiefship  in  the  Chdndd  district,  situated  fourteen  miles 
north-north-east  of  Wairdgarh,  and  containing  twenty-one  yillages.  The  chief 
is  a  Halbd. 

SRI'NAGAR — A  town  in  the  Narsinghpdr  district,  situated  on  the  TJmar, 
twenty-two  miles  south-east  of  Narsinghpdr.  It  was  a  flourishing  place  even 
in  the  days  of  Gond  rule,  and  under  the  Mardthds  attained  some  importance, 
being  the  residence  of  the  local  authorities,  and  maintaining  a  considerable 
garrison.  It  had  then,  it  is  said,  2,000  houses,  and  the  remains  of  buildings 
all  around  quite  bear  out  this  estimate.  There  are  now  not  much  more  than  a 
fourth  of  that  number,  and  the  population  is  little  over  1,500. 

SU'ARMA'R — A  wild  forest  tract  in  the  Rdlpdr  district,  situated  to  the 
north  of  the  Narrd  chiefship  on  the  west  bank  of  the  Jonk  river,  and  south-east 
of  Rdlpdr.  It  consists  of  eighty-four  poor  villages.  The  chief  is  a  Gond ;  and 
the  grant  is  about  150  years  old. 

SDNA'R  or  SONA'R — ^A  river  which  takes  its  rise  at  a  place  called 
Tarrd,  belonging  to  the  Pitihrd  rdjd,  close  by  the  south-west  boundary  of  the 


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484  SUN— TAK 

Sigar  district^  and  flowing  thence  in  a  north-easterly  direction  past  the  towns 
of  Gaurjhdmar^  Eehli,  and  Garhdkotd,  passes  through  the  Damoh  district,  on  the 
north-east  frontier  of  which  it  joins  the  Bairmd. 

SUNKAM — An  estate  in  Bastar,  consisting  of  ninety  villages,  with  an.area 
of  about  four  hundred  square  miles.  It  lies  between  the  river  Sabari  and  a  range 
of  hills.  The  chief  village  is  Sunkam,  on  the  left  bank  of  the  Sabari.  The  forests 
contain  teak  of  fair  si^e,  .  and  in  considerable  quantities.  The  population 
consists  of  Ko(s,  Telingas,  and  Halbis. 

SUNWA'RA'— A  large  village  in  the  Seoul  district,  thirty  miles  to  the 
north-east  of  Seonf.  The  population  amounts  to  1,218  souls.  There  is  a 
village  school  here,  and  a  market  is  held  weekly. 

SUB — A  river  which  rises  in  the  lower  ghats  to  the  north  of  the  Ndgpdr 
district,  and  flows  in  a  north-easterly  direction  through  a  very  fertile  country. 
Its  water  is  believed  to  be  especially  good  for  irrigating  sugarcane,  by  fields  of 
which  its  banks  may  be  said  almost  to  be  fringed. 

SURJ'AGARH — A  high  and  remarkable-looking  hill  in  the  north  of  the 
AhW  chiefship  of  the  Chdndd  district.  About  the  end  of  the  seventeenth 
century  two  chieftains — S4dhu  Varya  and  Mdla  Varya — ^rebelled  against  the  king 
lUm  Sh4h,  and  fortified  this  hill,  from  which  they  made  raids  into  the  surround- 
Ing  country.  Rdm  Shdh  thereupon  granted  the  tract,  now  known  as  the 
Ahfrl  chiefship,  to  a  relative  of  his  named  Kok  Si,  who  after  some  years  of 
desultory  warfare  stormed  Surjdgarh  and  put  the  insurgent  leaders  to  the  sword. 

SURKHI' — A  considerable  village  in  the  Sdgar  district,  on  the  Narsingh- 
pdr  and  Sdgar  road,  about  twelve  miles  to  the  south-east  of  Sagar.  There  is 
here  an  encamping-ground  for  troops ;  and  supplies  and  water  are  plentiful. 

SWETGAN6A'— A  small  village  in  the  Bildspdr  district,  eatuated  forty- 
five  miles  south-west  of  Bildspdr,  on  the  road  to  Mandla.  It  is  considered 
a  sacred  spot  by  the  Hindds,  and  a  natural  spring,  from  which  there  is  a  constant 
supply  of  pure  water,  is  believed  to  be  an  emanation  from  the  Ganges.  A 
masonry  reservoir  protects  the  spring,  and  a  temple  has  been  built  neap  the 
spot* 


TA'ELA.LGHAT — A  village  in  the  Nigpdr  district,  prettily  wooded,  and 
situated  on  rising  ground  near  the  Krishnd — a  tributary  of  the  Wanfi — twenty 
miles  south  of  Nigpdr  and  three  miles  west  of  Borl.  The  population  amounts  to 
1,851  souls,  belonging  almost  entirely  to  the  agricultural  classes.  The  pre- 
sent village  dates  from  about  the  year  1 700 ;  but  from  mounds  around  th© 
village,  and  from  the  rough  circles  of  stones  on  the  hills  about  a  mile  distant, 
have  been  dug  fragments  of  pottery,  flint  arrow-heads,  and  iron-ware,  evidently 
of  great  antiquity. 

TAKHTPUH— Situated  about  twenty  miles  west  of  Bil&pdr,  on  the 
Mandla  road.  It  is  said  to  have  been  founded  about  180  years  ago  by  IUy& 
Takht  Singh  of  Ratanpdr,  and  the  remains  of  a  brick  palace  and  a  temple  of 
MahAdeva,  attributed  to  him,  may  still  be  seen.  .  Takhtpdr  is  now  a  flourishing 
town,  with  a  population  of  5,000  souls,  including  traders,  artisans,  and  weavers, 
a  well-attended  weekly  market,  and  a  good  school.  There  is  a  police  post 
here. 


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TAL— TAP  485 

TALE'GA'ON — A  large  village  in  the  Wardhd  district,  situated  on  the  Ndg- 
pfir  and  Amrdotf  road,  midway  between  AVvi  and  A'shti,  and  about  forty-three 
miles  north-west  of  Wardhd.  It  derives  its  name  from  its  situation  below  the 
hills.  This  village  was  established  about  126  years  ago  by  Sankar  Patel,  who 
built  the  fort,  the  walls  of  which  are  still  standing.  It  contains  an  old  native 
sardl,  built  for  the  convenience  of  travellers  when  the  Ndgpdr  and  Amrdotl 
highroad  was  of  more  importance  than  it  is  now.  The  population  amounts  to 
1,339  souls,  chiefly  cultivators.     A  village  school  has  been  opened  here. 

TALE'GA'ON— A  village  in  the  Huzdr  tahsil  of  the  Wardhd  district,  about 
eleven  miles  to  the  south  of  Wardhd.  A  market  is  held  here  every  Monday, 
at  which  oil,  salt,  and  country  cloth  are  the  principal  articles  brought  for  sale. 
The  population  amounts  to  1,166  souls,  chiefly  cultivators  of  the  Kunbl  and  Tell 
castes.     There  is  a  village  school  here. 

TALODHI' — A  village  situated  twelve  miles  north  of  Sindewdhf,  in  the 
Crarhborf  pargana  of  the  Chdndd  district.  It  contains  805  houses,  and  though 
now  rather  in  a  decaying  state,  still  retains  a  certain  amount  of  trade  in  cotton, 
cotton-fabrics,  grain,  and  unrefined  sugar.  The  population  is  chiefly  Mardthd, 
with  a  sprinklmg  of  Telinga  traders.  There  are  here  government  schools  for 
boys  and  girls,  a  district  post-office,  and  a  police  station-house. 

TALODHI' — A  village  in  the  Ghdtkdl  pargana  of  the  Chdndd  district, 
situated  nine  miles  east-north-east  of  Ddbhd.  It  contains  309  houses,  with  a 
population  chiefly  consisting  of  Telingas.  There  are  the  remains  of  an  old  fort 
here ;  and  the  town  shows  signs  of  having  once  been  a  place  of  importance. 

TAXPE'R  or  TAli— A  river  which  rises  in  the  Beld  Dfld  hills  in  the 
Bastar  dependency,  and  after  a  course  of  seventy  miles  fidls  into  the  Goddvari 
in  the  Oharld  tdluka.     The  bed  is  generally  rocky. 

TAPTI'— A  river  which  rising  a  few  miles  from  Multdf  in  Bettil,  traverses  the 
southern  part  of  that  district,  an  open  and  partially  cultivated  tract.  It  then 
plunges  into  the  gorge  of  the  Sdtpurdhills  formed  on  the  one  side  by  the  Chikaldd 
hills  of  Berdr,  and  on  the  other  by  the  wild  Kdlfbhit  hills  in  Hoshangdbdd.  In  this 
valley  are  the  Gdngrd  and  Melghdt  tracts  of  Berdr  and  Dhdr  Mdnjrod  of  Nimdr. 
It  enters  the  latter  at  a  point  about  one  hundred  and  twenty  miles  from  its 
source,  and  for  about  thirty  miles  more  is  still  confined  on  either  side  by  the 
Sdtpurds  in  a  comparatively  narrow  valley.  A  few  miles  above  Burh&ipdr, 
however,  the  valley  begins  to  open  out,  and  opposite  that  city  has  become  a 
fine  rich  basin  about  twenty  miles  in  width.  Further  on  the  river  passes  from 
Nimdr  into  the  open  plains  of  Khdndesh  and  Gujardt,  reaching  the  sea  a  little  south 
of  Surat,  after  a  course  of  about  four  hundred  and  sixty  miles.  Within  the 
Nimdr  district,  and  above,  it  is  not  navigable  for  craft  of  any  size,  its  bed  being 
very  rocky,  and  from  the  rapid  fall  of  level  carrying  oflF  the  drainage  of  a  large 
tract  of  lully  country  in  sudden  and  tremendous  floods,  after  which  it  soon 
subsides  into  a  mere  chain  of  pools.  In  the  upper  valley  are  several  basins  of 
exceedingly  rich  soil,  but  they  are  generally  covered  by  a  dense  growth  of 
tree-jun^e,  bamboos,  and  grass,  in  which  swarm  tigers,  bears,  bison,  sdmbar, 
and  spotted-deer.  The  climate  is  now  deadly,  though  there  is  abundant  evi- 
dence that  these  culturable  basins  were,  during  the  Mohammadan  period,  seats 
of  a  thriving  cultivation;  Mdnjrod  alone  being  recorded  as  containing  eighty- 
two  inhabited  villages,  yielding  a  revenue  of  Rs.  22,000.  It  now  pays  Rs.  250 
only !  It  is  inhabited  by  aboriginal  KurktJs,  who  have  learnt  the  use  of  the 
plough,  and  raise  fine  crops  of  wheat  in  a  few  places  from  the  rich  black  soil 
of  the  valley. 


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48G  TAR— TEJ 

TATIOBA'  or  TA'DA'LA— A  lake  in  tho  Chdndd  district,  situated  fourteen 
miles  east  of  Segdon,  in  a  basin  of  the  Chimdr  hills,  at  a  considerable  height 
above  the  plain.  It  is  far  from  any  village,  and  though  artificially  embanked 
at  one  point,  has  all  the  appearance  of  a  natural  lake.  Its  depth  is  very  great, 
and  the  water  is  believed  to  be  of  peculiar  excellence.  In  the  early  ages — so 
runs  the  legend — a  marriage  procession  of  Gtiulis  was  passing  through  these  hills 
from  the  west.  Hot  and  thirsty,  they  sought  for  water  and  found  none,  when  a 
strange-looking  old  man  suggested  that  the  bride  and  bridegroom  should  join 
in  digging  for  a  spring.  Laughingly  they  consented,  and  with  the  removal  of  a 
few  spadesful  of  earth  a  clear  fountain  leapt  to  the  surface.  While  all  were 
delightedly  drinking,  the  freed  waters  rose  and  spread  into  a  wide  lake,  over- 
whelming bride  and  bridegroom  and  procession ;  but  fairy  hands  soon  con- 
structed a  temple  in  the  depths,  where  the  spirits  of  the  drowned  are  supposed  to 
dwell.  Afterwards  on  the  lake-side  a  palm  tree  grew  up,  which  only  appeared 
during  the  day,  sinking  into  the  earth  at  twilight.  One  morning  a  rash  pilgrim 
seated  himself  upon  the  tree-top,  and  was  borne  into  the  skies,  where  the 
flames  of  the  sun  consumed  him.  The  palm  then  shrivelled  into  dust,  and  in 
its  place  appeared  an  image  of  the  spirit  of  the  lake,  which  is  worshipped  under 
the  name  of  Tdrobd.  Formerly,  at  the  call  of  pilgrims,  all  necessary  vessels  rose 
from  the  lake,  and  after  being  used,  were  washed  and  returned  to  the  waters. 
But  at  last  one  evil-minded  man  took  those  he  had  received  to  his  home ;  they 
quickly  vanished,  and  from  that  day  the  mystic  provision  wholly  ceased.  In 
quiet  nights  the  country-folk  still  hear  fidnt  sounds  of  drum  and  trqmpet  passing 
round  the  lake ;  and  old  men  say  that  in  one  dry  year  when  the  waters  sanklow^ 
golden  pinnacles  of  a  fairy  temple  were  seen  glittering  in  the  depths. 

"  On  Lough  Neaffh's  banks  as  the  fisherman  strays. 
On  a  cold  calm  eve's  declining, 
He  sees  the  round  towers  of  other  days. 

In  the  waves  beneath  him  shining." — {Moore* $  Irish  Melodies), 

The  lake  is  much  visited,  especially  in  the  months  of  December  and 
January ;  and  the  rites  of  the  god  are  performed  by  a  Gond.  Wives  seek  its 
waters  for  their  supposed  virtue  in  causing  fertility,  and  sick  persons  for  health. 
Fish  in  the  lake  grow  to  a  large  size,  the  skeleton  of  one  which  was  stranded 
some  years  ago  measuring  eight  feet  in  length. 

TATOLI'  HILL— See  "  Gutyewfihi.'' 

TAWA' — A  river  which  debouches  from  the  Sdtpurfi  hills  through  a  rather 

{icturesque  gorge,  about  sixteen  miles  south-east  of  the  town  of  Hoshang&b&d. 
t  drains  a  large  area  within  the  hills  to  the  south ;  its  tributeaies  among  the  hills 
reach  many  miles  to  the  east  and  west ;  and  its  floods  in  the  rainy  season  are 
sudden  and  violent.  Its  bed  exposes  many  fine  sections  showing  the  geological 
structure  of  the  hills  through  which  it  has  forced  its  way.  Trending  rather 
westerly  from  the  hills  across  the  valley,  it  spreads  out  into  a  wide  sandy 
channel,  troublesome  to  pass  in  the  dry  season,  and  difficult  during  the  rains, 
and  it  joins  the  Narbadd  at  a  point  some  four  miles  above  Hoshang&bdd.  In 
the  angle  of  the  junction  stands  an  old  temple,  and  the  place  has  a  certain  odoar 
of  sanctity,  to  which  an  annual  religious  gathering  and  fair  of  some  local  repute 
owe  their  origin. 

TEJGARH — ^A  village  in  the  Damoh  district,  about  twenty -four  miles  south 
of  Damoh,  in  a  wild,  scantily-cultivated  country.  It  was  founded  by  IWjd  Tejf 
Singh,  a  Lodhi  chief,  whose  descendants  now  hold  the  Hatrf  tdluka,  and  was 


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TEK— TEW  487 

once  a  place  of  some  importance.  The  fort  and  walls  have,  however,  been  de- 
stroyed, and  the  population  does  not  now  exceed  1,800  souls.  The  inhabitants 
are  chiefly  Ahlrs ;  and  the  place  is  well  known  for  its  breed  of  cattle, 

TEKRI' — A  picturesque  little  village  in  the  Chdndd  district,  three  miles 
north  of  Gunjewdhl,  having  in  the  vicinity  a  very  fine  irrigation-reservoir. 

TEL — A  river  which  rises  far  down  to  the  south  in  the  hills  about  fourteen 
miles  south-west  of  Jundgarh  in  the  KdlShandi  state,  and  flows  north-east  till 
it  joins  the  Mahinadl  near  SonpiSr,  after  a  course  of  about  two  hundred  miles. 
For  several  months  in  the  year  it  is  quite  navigable  by  country  boats.  Its  bed 
is  generally  sandy,  and  though  its  waters  decrease  very  muih  during  the  hot 
season,  they  do  not  entirely  dry  up.  Its  principal  tributary  is  the  '^  Hdthl," 
which  rises  about  sixty  miles  south-west  of  Jundgarh,  and  flowing  north-east 
joins  the  Tel  at  Bdndgdon,.  about  seven  miles  north  of  Jundgarh. 

TENDD'KHERA' — A  small  town  in  the  Narsinghpdr  district,  lying  twenty, 
two  miles  north-west  of  Narsinghpdr.  It  has  a  population  of  2,822  persons,  and 
is  only  noticeable  on  account  of  its  proximity  to  the  iron  mines,  and  of  the 
forges  which  have  consequently  been  established  in  it. 

TEPA'GARH— A  hill  range  in  the  Muramgion  zamindirl  of  the  Chindd 
district.  It  forms  the  highest  portion  of  a  wild  mountain  region  two  thousand 
feet  above  the  sea,  on  the  summit  of  which,  encircled  by  chain  upon  chain  of 
hills,  all  covered  with  the  densest  forest,  stands,  far  from  human  habitation,  the 
old  fortress  of  Tepdgarh.  Its  massive  ramparts  of  huge  undressed  stone, 
flanked  by  bastions,  and  entered  through  a  winding  gateway,  are  over  two  miles 
in  circuit,  and  within  is  a  tank  of  considerable  size,  with  a  stone  embankment, 
and  steps  along  its  water-face.  This  reservoir  never  fails,  and  is  supposed  to  be 
of  fabulous  depth,  forming  the  source  of  the  Tepdgarhi,  which  flows  from  its 
western  bank,  and  is  in  the  rains  a  roaring  mountain -torrent.  South  of  the 
tank  on  lofty  ground,  commanding  the  fortress  and  an  immense  expanse  of 
country  beyond,  rises  an  inner  fort  or  citadel,  with  lines  of  defence  similar  to 
those  of  the  outer  work,  and  having  within  it  the  remains  of  what  was  doubt- 
less the  dwelling  of  the  chiefs  of  Tepdgarh.  According  to  tradition  the  greatest 
of  these  was  a  Gond  prince,  named  Param  Rdjd,  who  had  a  bodyguard  of  two 
thousand  fighting  men,  five  elephants,  and  twenty-five  horses,  and  held  the  whole 
Wairdgarh  country  under  his  sway.  The  legend  goes  that  he  was  invaded  by  a 
considerable  force  from  Chhattfsgarh,  which  he  repulsed  after  a  long  fight.  A 
laggard  from  his  ranks,  however,  picked  up  one  of  his  slippers,  dropped  while 
he  was  in  pursuit,  and  took  it  to  his  Rdnf,  who,  accepting  it  as  a  sign  of  her 
husband^s  defeat,  committed  suicide,  by  driving  her  chariot  down  a  steep  slope 
into  the  Tepdgarh  lake.  The  Rdjd  returning  after  his  victory  found  what  had 
happened,  and  followed  his  wife^s  example.  Since  then  Tepdgarh  has  been 
desolate* 

TESUA' — A  stream  in  the  Bildspdr  district,  which,  rising  in  the  Pandarid 
chiefship,  flows  through  the  heart  of  the  Mungeli  pargana,  and  aft;er  a  circui- 
tous course  of  some  sixty  miles,  falls  into  the  Manidri  near  Sargdon,  sixteen 
miles  south  of  Bildspdr. 

TEWAR — A  considerable  village  in  the  Jabalpdr  district,  near  the  site  of 
the  more  ancient  town  of  the  same  name,  about  six  miles  from  Jabalpdr  on  the 
Narsinghpilr  road.  Not  far  off  are  the  well-known  ruins  of  Karanbel.  For 
the  last  century  the  stone  of  Karanbel  has  been  used  for  the  construction  of 


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488  THA-TIR 

ghdts,  temples,  and  houses,  and  recently  the  railway  contractors  have  used  it  in 
making  bridges  and  permanent-way.  Still  the  supply  is  said  not  to  fail.  The 
Puranic  name  of  Tewar  is  stated  to  be  Tripura,  and  it  was  one  of  the  principal 
places  of  the  Haihaya  kingdom  of  Chedi,* 

THA'KXJRTOLA^— A  chiefship  lying  to  the  north-west  of  the  Rdipdr 
district  on  the  borders  of  Bhanddra.  It  originally  had  only  twenty-four  vil- 
lages, but  now  contains  seventy-seven  >  some  villages  above  the  ghits  having 
been  transfeWed  frotn  Sdl^tekrf  at  the  time  when  the  entire  charge  of  the  ghdts 
was  made  over  to  ThdkurtoW.  The  chiefship  now  extends  up  to  the  Banjar 
— a  tributary  of  the  Narbadd.  Below  the  ghits  the  country  is  hilly,  but 
above  them  it  is"  flat  and  well  watered.  It  has  some  fine  forests  of  bfjesdl, 
hardd,  dfn,  and  dhdurd,  and  a  considerable  area  of  well-cultivated  land,  bearing 
crops  of  cotton,  kodo,  and  rice.  The  population  below  the  ghdta  are  chiefly 
Tells  and  Kaldls,  while  above  they  are  almost  all  Gronds,  to  which  caste  the  chief 
also  belongs. 

TH  ANB'GA'ON— A  village  in  the  A'rvf  tahsfl  of  the  Wardhd  district, 
about  thirty-three  miles  north  of  Wardhd.  There  is  here  a  police  outpost ; 
and  the  population  numbers  995  souls,  chiefly  belonging  to  the  agricultural 
clksses. 

THAT^^ WAE — ^A  river  which  rises  in  the  Mandla  district.  It  has  a  south- 
westerlv  course,  and  finally  empties  itself  into  the  ( Waingangi)  Bdngangd,  in  the 
Seoul  district.  The  junction  of  the  two  rivers  is  very  picturesque.  Its  affluents 
are  the  Alon  and  the  Pachmoni. 

THIMXJRNI'— A  small  town  about  seven  miles  east  of  Hardi,  in  the 
Hoshangdbid  district.  It  belongs  to  a  Mardthd  nobleman  of  the  Bhuskutd 
family.  He  does  not  ordinarily  reside  here,  but  has  an  agent  in  charge  of  the 
fort  and  estate.  Vegetables  and  betel  are  grown  in  the  neighbourhood  for  the 
Hardd  market.  The  population  amounts  to  4,400  souls  according  to  the  census 
of  1866. 

TIGORA' — A  small  patch  of  forest,  about  two  square  miles  in  extent,  in  the 
Sigar  district.  The  general  growth  of  timber  is  good,  and  most  of  the  superior 
kinds  of  wood  are  to  be  found.  Tendd  or  ebony  {diospt/ros  melanoxylon)  espe- 
cially abounds. 

TITiAKSENDU'R— A  village  in  the  Hoshangdb^  district  at  the  foot  of 
the  Sdtpurds,  about  twenty-five  miles  south-west  of  Hoshang&b&d.  Probably 
the  only  thing  in  the  Narbadd  valley  which  can  boast  of  any  real  antiquity  is  the 
rock-cut  temple  at  this  place.  It  is  a  simple  cave,  not  of  very  elegant  construc- 
tion compared  with  the  plans  given  in  "Fergusson's  Bock-cut  Temples,^'  and 
probably  of  later  date.  It  now  is  sacred  to  Mahddeva,  and  a  cave  or  fissure 
close  by  is  said  to  communicate  with  the  Jambudwip  cave  near  Pachmarhf. 

TIRKHBRr  MALPURI  — An  estate  in  theBhandira  district,  comprising 
seven  villages,  with  an  area  of  fifteen  square  miles,  of  which  about  one-fourth 
is  under  cultivation.  Of  its  component  portions,  Tirkheri  is  situated  to  the  east 
of  the  Kimthd  pargana  near  the  eastern  boundary  of  the  district,  and  Malpurf 
to  the  west  of  the  KSmthd  pargana,  at  the  point  where  the  Sdngarhf  and  Tirord 
parganas  meet  it.  There  is  a  good  deal  of  forest  on  this  estate,  but  little  good 
timber.  The  population,  amounting  to  1,950  souls,  consists  chiefly  of  Ponwdrs 
and  Kunbfs.     The  only  large  village  is  Tirkheri. 

*  Jouraal  of  the  American  Oriental  Society,  vol.  ?i.  p.  516. 


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TOHGA'ON — ^A  town  in  the  Chdnd^  district,  situated  twenty-eight  miles 
south-south-east  of  Chindd,  on  the  left  bank  of  the  Wardhd,  and  containing  five 
hundred  houses.  The  population  is  chiefly  Mardthd,  There  are  here  govern- 
ment schools  for  boys  and  girls,  and  a  police  outpost, 

TUMSAR — A  town  in  the  Bhanddra  district,  situated  about  twenty  miles 
north-east  of  Bhandira,  on  a  small  affluent  of  the  Waingangd.  The  fixed 
population  amounts  to  7,604  souls,  but  for  eight  months  in  the  year,  or  during 
the  grain  traffic  season,  the  number  of  residents  rises  to  10,000  or  12,000  souls. 
The  chief  trade  of  Tumsar  is  in  grain,  for  it  is  a  depot  for  all  sorts  of  cereals 
from  the  Chhattisgarh  country.  The  grain  is  sold  wholesale  in  the  market,  then 
stored,  and  afterwards  exported  towards  the  west.  The  trade  is  very  extensive, 
and  a  large  number  of  persons  find  employment  during  the  season  in  minister- 
ing to  the  wants  of  those  engaged  in  ij;.  Besides  the  trade  in  grain,  there  is  a 
small  local  manufacture  of  coarse  cotton-cloth.  The  town  contains  a  large  and 
flourishing  government  school,  a  handsome  corn  exchange,  a  large  commodious 
sardf  for  travellers,  and  a  police  outpost.  Around  are  numerous  fine  groves  of 
mango  trees,  which  add  to  the  beauty  of  the  landscape.  The  inhabitants  are 
chiefly  Tells,  Dhers,  Gonds,  and  Godrds,  with  a  very  small  proportion  of  Brih- 
mans,  Mohammadans,  and  other  castes.  The  watch  and  ward  and  conservancy 
are  provided  from  the  town  duties ;  and  the  town  is  kept  fairly  clean  and  drained. 
It  is  built  on  red  gravel  soil,  and  is  considered  healthy.  The  well-water  inside 
the  town  is  in  places  brackish  and  unwholesome,  but  there  are  a  number  of 
wells  of  sweet  water  just  outside,  which,  with  several  tanks,  prevent  any  incon- 
venience to  the  inhabitants.  During  the  grain-traffic  season  the  watering  of 
the  numerous  herds  of  cattle  is  apt  to  exhaust  the  supply  of  water ;  but  the  con- 
struction of  a  large  reservoir,  on  the  north-west  of  the  town,  undertaken  through 
the  liberality  of  one  of  the  leading  inhabitants,  has  removed  this  difficulty. 

TURMA'PUUr — An  estate  in  the  Bhanddra  district,  situated  about  five 
miles  north  of  Sdkolf,  consisting  of  seven  villages,  with  an  area  of  8,590  acres, 
about  one-eighth  of  which  is  cultivated.  The  zaminddr  is  a  Kunbf ;  but  the 
cultivators  are  chiefly  Gonds  and  Godrds.  The  forests  on  this  estate  contain  a 
good  deal  of  large  timber  of  the  unreserved  kinds. 

UMAR — An  affluent  of  the  Sher,  in  the  Narsinghptir  district. 

UMRER — ^The  south-eastern  revenue  subdivision  or  tahsfl  in  the  Ndgpdr 
district,  covering  an  area  of  1,024  square  miles,  with  678  villages,  and  a  popula- 
tion of  124,321  souls  according  to  the  census  of  1866.  The  land  revenue  of 
the  tahsfl  for  1869-70  is  Rs.  1,79,438. 

UMRER — A  town  in  the  Ndgpur  district,  situated  twenty-eight  miles 
south-east  of  Ndgpdr.  Here  are  the  head-quarters  of  a  tahsfl  or  revenue  sub- 
division, and  a  police  circle.  The  population  amounts  to  about  12,000  souls 
according  to  the  census  of  1866. 

The  town  is  built  on  light  sandy  soil,  with  a  well-defined  slope  towards 
the  river  A'mb,  which  flows  about  three-quarters  of  a  mfle  to  the  north,  so 
that  the  natural  drainage  is  good.  In  shape  it  is  triangular,  having  the  apex 
towards  the  south-east,  and  the  base  on  the  western  side,  A  good  deal  has 
recently  been  done  to  improve  its  appearance.  Three  and  a  half  miles  of  good 
62  CPG 


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road  have  been  constructed  tlirough  it,  and  a  commodious  school-house  and 
handsome  dispensary  building  have  been  erected.  The  central  market-place 
has  an  open  space  of  about  seventy  yards  square,  well  planted  with  young  trees, 
and  metalled  throughout.  Some  improvements  have  also  have  been  effected  in 
excavating  large  tanks,  one  on  either  side  of  the  .town.  The  smaller  one  has  been 
completed.  The  second  tank  is  a  very  fine  one,  and  is  now  being  completed 
in  a  way  that  will  make  it  a  real  benefit,  as  well  as  an  ornament  to  the  place. 
It  lies  on  the  south  of  a  large  old  fort,  and  part  of  its  eastern  bank  flanks  the 
principal  road  above  described.  Large  excavations  are  now  being  made,  and 
the  earth  thrown  up  is  being  disposed  so  as  to  form  a  boulevard,  which  will  be 
planted  with  trees,  and  have  a  metalled  walk  in  the  centre.  The  tank  receives 
the  drainage  from  a  very  extensive  gathering-ground.  Hitherto  the  water  has 
been  suffered  to  go  to  waste  in  the  rainy  season  by  a  long  line  of  escape ;  this 
is  being  remedied,  and  it  is  hoped  that^  storage  of  water  will  be  now  secured 
sufficiet  to  supply  the  wants  of  the  people  throughout  the  dry  season,  and  still 
to  leave  a  quantity  of  water  to  cover  the  whole  area  of  the  bed.     The  town 

f)ossesses  a  nursery  of  young  trees  kept  for  planting  out,  and  an  attempt  has 
ately  been  made  to  start  a  garden  in  the  interior  of  the  fort.  A  good  number 
of  old  trees  exist  in  and  about  the  town.  The  mango-groves  adjoining  it  on  the 
east  side  are  remarkably  fine  and  extensive,  but  most  of  the  country  immedi- 
ately around  it  is  bare  and  uninteresting.  Wells  are  numerous,  and  generally 
contain  good  and  pure  water,  especially  those  situated  near  the  two  tanks  men- 
tioned above ;  but  in  some  of  those  in  the  interior  of  the  town  at  its  highest 
parts  the  water  is  brackish.  There  are  a  number  of  bankers  and  mercantile 
firms  here  who  do  a  brisk  trade.  The  declared  value  of  the  imports  into  Umrer 
during  the  year  1868-69  amounted  to  Rs.  2,05,506,  and  of  the  exports  to 
Rs.  3,68,520.  The  town  is  noted  for  its  cloth  manufacture.  The  best  cloth  is 
really  superior,  having  a  very  considerable  reputation  in  this  part  of  India. 
It  is  sent  to  Puna,  to  Ndsik,  to  PandharptJr  in  the  Deccan,  and  even  to  Bombay. 
The  Koshtfs,  or  weavers,  are  consequently  an  important  class  in  the  town. 
The  celebrated  Umrer  "  dhotfs  ^'  consist  of  very  fine  cotton-cloth,  with  silk 
embroidery  all  round.  The  embroidered  borders  are  designed  in  various  ways, 
the  pattern  being  according  to  the  fancy  of  the  weaver.  The  width  of  the 
border  ranges  from  an  inch  to  as  much  as  a  foot  and  a  half.  Some  of  the 
best  specimens  recently  carried  off"  medals  at  the  late  Exhibitions  at  Lucknow, 
A'gra,  NSgpdr,  and  Jabalpdr.  The  manufacture  is  supposed  to  have  been 
first  established  here  in  consequence  of  some  peculiar  virtue  in  the  water  of 
some  of  the  wells  in  fixing  the  different  dyes  on  the  silks ;  and  certainly  the 
dyes,  especially  the  crimson,  obtained  here  do  seem  to  have  a  richer  hue  than 
those  obtained  elsewhere.  There  are  now  1,150  looms  at  work,  keeping  about 
twice  that  number  of  men  in  full  employment.  The  journeymen  workmen 
amongst  the  weavers  earn  from  ten  to  twenty-five  rupees  a  month,  according 
to  their  different  degrees  of  skill.  There  are  only  a  few  master-weavers,  and 
in  their  hands  is  the  bulk  of  this  trade. 

The  average  health  of  the  population  is  good.  The  state  of  education  is 
like  that  of  all  other  towns  in  the  district — originally  backward,  but  progressing. 
The  government  school  here  is  now  prosperous.  Instruction,  until  lately, 
ha^  been  limited  to  the  Vernacular  (Marithl),  but  recently  a  subscription  has 
been  raised  for  the  establishment  of  an  English  class,  and  English  is  now 
taught.     The  dispensary,  which  is  superintended  by  a  good  native  doctor,  is 


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already  very  successful.    The  average  number   of  patients  treated  dafly  is 
now  112. 

The  town  is  a  little  less  than  two  hundred  years  old.  The  site  on  which  it 
13  built  was  the  centre  of  a  jungle  extending  southwards  nearly  to  Chimdr,  in 
the  present  district  of  Chdndd.  A  large  grant  of  land  in  this  jungle  was  made 
towards  the  close  of  the  seventeenth  century  by  Bakht  Buland  to  one  Mundji 
Pandit  from  Chimdr,  the  ancestor  of  the  present  landholder,  who  still  retains 
the  old  title  of  '^  desp^ndyfi/^  conferred  on  his  ancestor  by  the  Gond  sovereign. 
Munijf  Pandit  brought  cultivators  from  the  Chdndd  district,  and  soon  made  an 
impression  on  the  jungles.  The  town  advanced  gradually,  but  did  not  rise  to 
anything  like  its  present  size  until  after  the  year  a.d.  1775,  when  Mudhoji 
Bhonsld,  who  was  then  managing  aflfairs  at  Ndgpdr  for  his  son,  the  second  Eag- 
hojl,  made  it  his  temporary  residence.  He  built  the  large  fort  which,  though 
utterly  neglected  for  msmy  years,  is  Still  in  excellent  preservation  where  its 
walls  have  not  been  destroyed  by  man.  After  Mudhoji  showed  favour  to  the 
place,  the  cloth  manufacture  began  to  be  established,  and  in  a  very  short  time 
the  town  rose  to  its  present  size.  The  fort  is,  however,  the  only  architectural 
remnant  worth  mentioning.  It  was  originally  a  narrow  rectangular  figure,  three 
hundred  yards  long  and  eighty  broad,  with  walls  of  massive  brick-work  with 
bastions.  The  walls  are  about  thirty-five  feet  high,  and  about  twelve  feet  thick 
at  the  base,  lessening  to  two  feet  at  the  summit.  Only  two  sides  now  remain. 
It  has  several  wells  inside,  and  must,  in  old  days,  have  been  very  strong 
relatively  to  any  artillery  that  could  then  have  been  brought  to  bear  against  it. 
It  contains  the  remains  of  a  remarkable  old  temple  made  of  massive  pillars 
roughly  hewn,  and  covered  over  with  large  slabs  of  stone  without  mortar. 

UMRETH — A  large  village  in  the  Chhindwdri  district,  situated  sixteen 
miles  west  of  Chhindwdrd.     It  was  formerly  the  capital  of  the  pargana,  and  for  a  . 
short  time  the  head-quarters  of  the  tahsll.     The  village  lies  in  a  secluded  spot, 
and  has  several  fine  groves  of  mango  trees  on  the  western  side.     There  are  here 
a  police  station  and  a  school.     The  population  amounts  to  1,545  souls. 

UMRI' — A  small  zamlnddrf  or  chiefship  in  the  Bhandira  district,  con- 
sisting of  ten  villages,  with  an  area  of  nearly  seventeen  square  miles,  of  which 
little  more  than  one-eighth  is  under  cultivation.  It  is  situated  about  four  miles 
to  the  west  of  the  great  Nawegfion  lake.  The  grant  was  made,  on  a  service- 
tenure,  to  the  ancestor  of  the  present  chief,  who  is  a  Halbd  by  caste. 

UPPER  GOD  ATARI'*— 

CONTENTS. 


Page 

Bonndaries  and  contonr  491 

SabdiviaioDS 492 

Physical  featares 493 

Geological  formation  ib, 

HillB    494 

Tanks  and  wellfl    496 

Principal  towns i6. 

Climate ih. 

Administration 498 


Pag© 

Ancient  history    498 

Modem  history 499 

Population 500 

Prodacts  and  mannfactares    501 

Domestic  animals 506 

Wild  animals 507 

Fish    i6. 

Communications «&. 

Trade 508 


The  Upper  Goddvarf  district  became  British  territory  on  the  5th  November 
-,      J    .        J       ,  1860,  the  six  tilukas  of   which  it  is  composed 

Boundanes  and  contour.  ^^^.^^  ^^^^  ^^^^^  ^^  ^j^  Highness  the  Niziim  by 

♦  This  article  is  almost  entirely  taken  from  the  Report  on  the  Land  Revenue  Settlement  of 
tke  Uiatrict,  by  Captain  GUsfurd. 


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the  treaty  of  that  year.  It  lies  between  17^  25'  and  19*^  5'  of  north  latitude^  and 
79°  55'  and  81°  45'  of  east  longitude.  It  is  situated  obliquely  between  these 
parallels  from  north-west  to  south-east,  and  lies  along  the  left  or  eastern  bank 
of  the  Pranhitd  and  Goddvari  rivers,  its  northern  extremity  extending  for  only 
thirty  miles  along  the  bank  of  the  former  beyond  its  confluence  with  the  latter. 
Its  length — 215  miles — is  quite  out  of  proportion  to  its  width,  which  nowhere 
exceeds  twenty-five  miles,  and  is  in  some  parts  as  little  as  five  miles.  The  lower 
portion  of  the  district  is  less  than  one  hundred  feet,  while  the  northern  portion  of 
it  is  over  five  hundred  feet,  above  sea  level.  The  superficial  area  is  1,926  square 
miles,  and  the  population  amounts  to  54,680  souk.  The  boundaries  are,  to 
the  north  the  Ahlri  chiefship  of  the  Chdndd  district ;  to  the  south  the  Godfivarl ; 
to  the  east  the  Bastar  dependency,  the  Jaipdr  state,  and  the  Godfivari  district 
of  the  Madras  presidency ;  and  to  the  west  the  Godivarl  and  Pranhiti  rivers. 
The  general  contour  is  long  and  straggling,  and  this  latter  defect  is  increased  by 
a  portion  of  the  Bastar  dependency  abutting  at  one  point  on  the  Goddvarl,  and 
disconnecting  the  Sironchd  tdluka  from  the  rest  of  the  district  for  a  distance  of 
about  fifteen  miles. 

The  district  consists  mainly  of  portions  of  two  large  chiefships,  the  bulk 
«,,...  of  which  is  situated  in  the  Nizdm^s  territories  on 

Yisiont.  ^j^^  right  bank  of  the  Goddvari.     Commencing  from 

the  north-western  extremity  come  the  Sironchd,  Nugdr,  Albdkd,  and  Charld 
tdlukas,  belonging  to  what  is  sometimes  called  the  Yelma  chiefship,  from  the  n&me 
of  the  family  which  holds  it.  Lower  down,  and  extending  to  the  south-western 
extremity  of  the  district,  are  the  tdlukas  of  Bhadrdchallam  and  RdkdpalK, 
belonging  to  the  Hasandbdd  Sankargiri,  or  what  is  commonly  known  as  the 
Bhadrdchallam  chiefship,  the  largest  portion  of  which  lies  also  on  the  opposite 
or  right  bank  of  the  Goddvarf.  The  area,  population,  and  total  revenue  of 
these  subdivisions  are  as  follows : — 


Subdivisions. 


Sironchd   

Nugdr  , 

Albdkd     

Charld  

Bhadrdchallam    1 

Rdkdpalli j 

Total 


Total  area 

in  Square 

Miles. 


Population. 


465 
296 
108 
184 

873 


{ 


1,926 


18,250 

5,145 

811 

3,741 

22,837 
8,896 


54,680 


Land 
Revenue. 


Rs. 
3,656 

2,819 

882 

2,497 

6,684 

3,626 


19,164 


Each  of  ttese  subdivisiona  is  under  the  charge  of  a  Ndib  or  Deputy,  suboidinate 
to  the  proprietors,  who  collects  the  revenue,  bat  has  no  powers  either  in  the 
Civil,  Criminal,  or  Revenue  department.     The  first  four  subdivisions  belong  to 


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different  owners,  only  one  of  whom  has  his  residence  in  British  territoiy.  The 
Rini  (superior  proprietor)  of  Bhadrdchallam  resides  in  British  territory. 

In  general  terms  the  whole  district  may  be  called  a  dense  forest,  with  strips 
Ph     cfll  f  tu  ^^  ^^^  cultivated  land  along  the  baiiks   of  the 

^**        *      *'  rivers,  varying  in  width  according  to  the  character 

of  the  soil  and  the  amount  of  the  population  in  the  vicinity.  Thus  where  the 
alluvial  deposits  are  plentiful,  they  extend  inland  from  the  rivers  for  a  consider- 
able distance,  and  up  the  valleys  of  the  smaller  streams  that  flow  into  it ;  while 
they  are  mere  patches  where  the  soil  is  poor,  and  give  place  to  jungle  and 
rocks  where  the  banks  are  rugged  and  hilly.  The  richest  lands  lie  along  the 
banks  of  the  Godfivari  or  its  affluents,  and  it  is  there  that  the  best  cultivation  is 
found.  Further  in  from  the  river  the  land  is  generally  light  and  sandy,  and 
though  there  are  some  tracts  of  rich  black  soil  here  and  there,  the  population 
in  them  is  generally  sparse,  and  consists  entirely  of  the  aboriginal  tribes. 
Owing  to  the  dense  and  extensive  forests  which  cover  the  greater  portion  of  the 
country,  it  has  been  found  impracticable  to  survey  the  waste  land  in  detail. 
The  principal  rivers  Which  flow  either  through  or  along  the  boundaries  of  the 
district  are,  the  Godivdri,  Pranhitd,  Indrivat^  Tdlper,  Sabarf,  and  Seleru.  The 
smaller  streams  are,  the  Penjarwdgu  and  Pandirwdgu  near  Sironchfi,  the  Pdlem 
in  Nugdr,  the  Puswdgu  in  Albikd,  and  the  Gubbalmangi,  Tdrwdgu,  Konder, 
and  Saker  in  Bhadrdchallam  and  BdkdpalU.  No  use  is  made  of  any  of  these 
rivers  or  streams  for  purposes  of  irrigation,  though  several  of  them  could  be 
well  utilised  in  this  manner.  No  doubt  the  fact  that  none  of  the  former  Native 
dynasties  had  their  capitals  or  chief  towns  in  the  immediate  neighbourhood  of 
the  Godivari  tended  to  prevent  this ;  but  at  the  same  time  it  is  strange  that 
the  kings  of  Telingana,  who  had  their  capital  at  Warangal,  only  ninety  miles 
80«th  of  the  Godavari,  and  who  instituted  a  magnificent  system  of  irrigation 
from  tanks,  did  not  attempt  anything  in  the  way  of  irrigation  works  on  the 
river. 

The  following  sketch  of  the  geology  of  the  district  is  chiefly  derived  from 
G   1     cal  f  rmati  ^  report  by  Mr.  Wall,  who  was  employed  by  the 

eoogi      0        on.  Madras  Government  as   a  Mineral  Viewer,  and 

made  a  tour  up  the  valley  of  the  Godavari  in  1857  to  Kot^,  about  eight  miles 
above  Sironchd,  to  examine  the  site  where  the  late  Dr.  Walker  had  reported, 
as  far  back  as  1848,  the  existence  of  coal.  Commencing  with  the  t^uka  of 
Sironchfi,  in  the  north-western  extremity  of  the  district,  the  hills,  which 
generally  run  from  north-west  to  south-east,  parallel  to  the  course  of  the 
river,  are  metamorphic,  and  consist  chiefly  of  vitrified  sandstone,  which  in  some 
places  has  been  only  rendered  partially  crystalline  by  the  action  of  volcanic 
heat,  while  in  other  places  the  same  agency  has  caused  them  to  lose  all  trace 
of  their  original  character.  In  the  Sironchd  tfiluka  a  level,  low  tract  of  about 
ten  miles  in  its  widest  part  intervenes  between  this  metamorphic  range  and  the 
Godivari,  with  a  small  range  of  sandstone  hills,  the  base  of  which  is  washed  by 
the  Pranhitd  about  twelve  or  fifteen  miles  north  of  Sironchd.  In  these  sand- 
stone hills,  close  to  the  village  of  Tekri,  is  an  isolated  cliff  of  sandstone  about 
fifty  feet  in  height  and  fifteen  feet  in  width.  It  stands  alone  on  the  side  of 
the  hill,  and  is  probably  the  remnant  of  a  former  line  of  cliff,  the  rest  of  which 
has  been  washed  away  by  the  action  of  water.  In  the  tract  between  this  sand- 
stone range  and  the  rivers  there  is  evidence  of  its  having  probably  once  formed 
the  bed  of  a  shallow  inland  sea.  Near  the  river  at  Sironchd  and  other  places 
beds  of  ferruginous  sandstones,  conglomerates,  and  mottled  clays  are  found  either 


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cropping  out  on  the  surface,  or  forming  the  banks  of  the  rivers.  The  sandstones 
end  mottled  clays  are  delicately  stratified,  and  must  have  been  deposited  in  very 
still  waters ;  they  are  of  different  colours — grey,  pink,  and  violet, — and  from  the 
ease  with  which  they  can  be  worked,  and  their  variegated  colours,  are  well 
adapted  for  building  purposes.  Specimens  sent  to  the  Ndgpdr  Exhibition  were 
much  admired.  Bast  of  Sironchd,  about  two  miles,  lies  a  bed  of  limestone 
which  Mr.  Wall  pronounced  argillaceous,  and  which  he  traced  for  about  twenty 
miles  north-west  and  forty-five  miles  south-east  of  Sironchd.  In  this  limestone 
are  found  fossil  fish  and  fish  scales,  the  latter  in  considerable  quantities.  Pro- 
ceeding further  south-east  we  arrive  at  the  head  of  the  second  Barrier,  where 
the  metamorphic  hills  come  close  to  the  Goddvari,  and  for  a  short  distance  cross 
it  near  Enchampalll,  the  site  of  the  navigation  works  at  the  second  Barrier. 
Further  down,  the  river  recedes  from  the  range,  which  increases  in  height,  and 
extends  a  distance  of  about  fifty  miles,  till  close  to  the  Tdlper  river  it  ends  in 
the  Gidalguttd  hill.  The  distinctive  features  of  these  metamorphic  ranges  are 
that  they  all  run  from  north-west  to  south-east,  and  that  their  south-west  sides 
consist  of  crag  and  tail,  viz.  a  scarped  precipice  of  a  hundred  or  two  hundred 
feet  in  height,  with  a  steep  slope  at  an  angle  of  about  45*^  from  the  foot  of  the 
scarp  to  the  plain,  while  their  north-east  sides  slope  away  at  an  angle  of  about 
25®.  There  is  little  or  no  level  ground  on  the  summit  of  these  ranges,  and 
consequently  no  water,  and  they  are  barren,  stony,  and  quite  unculturable. 
According  to  Mr.  Wall  these  metamorphic  ranges  do  not  appear  to  have  been 
violently  disturbed,  except  at  certain  points — Bhadr&challam,  Enchampallf,  and 
Ahiri — where  they  form  the  three  obstructions  to  the  navigability  of  the  Goddvari 
known  as  the  first,  second,  and  third  Barriers.  On  the  east  bank  of  the  Tdlper 
river  there  is  a  long,  but  not  lofty,  chain  of  hills  of  volcanic  formation,  running 
north  into  the  Bastar  dependency.  From  this  to  the  south-east  extremity  of  the 
district  the  formation  is,  with  few  exceptions,  entirely  volcanic.  The  counfry 
between  the  hills  and  the  Goddvari  is  generally  level,  and  the  soil  becomes  richer 
and  more  productive  as  the  levels  fall.  At  the  village  of  Pinpalll,  four  miles 
below  Bhadr&^hallam,  there  is  a  hot  spring  in  the  bed  of  the  Gt)ddvar{,  which  is 
not,  however,  in  any  repute  for  medicinal  or  curative  properties. 

The  principal  ranges  of  hills  are  the  Eastern  Ghdts,  which  in  the  south- 
jj.y  eastern  extremity  of  the  district  form  the  boun- 

dary between  it  and  the  Madras  presidency.  At 
one  place  in  the  Rdkdpalli  tdluka  they  attain  a  height  of  4,048  feet  above  the 
level  of  the  sea,  and  are  locally  known  as  the  Mirmedi  hills.  There  is  a 
considerable  extent  of  level  ground  on  the  top,  and  water  is  procurable  in 
several  places  in  ravines  about  two  hundred  feet  down  the  mountain  side ;  but 
there  is  little  or  no  soil  on  the  summit,  the  whole  being  a  mass  of  rock. 
Moreover,  although  the  ascent  is  for  the  greater  part  easy,  these  hills  are  too 
remote  to  become  ever  a  place  of  resort.  Those  going  in  search  of  health  or 
pleasure  would  be  able  to  reach  the  sea-coast  with  ease  in  the  same  time  that 
would  be  required  to  reach  the  hills  with  difficulty,  and  once  the  coast  is  reached. 
Bangalore  and  the  Nflgiris  are  within  a  few  days'  journey  by  steamer  and 
railway.  Next  to  the  Eastern  Ghdts  in  size  are  the  Gfidalgutti  hills,  so  named  from 
a  bold-scarped  mountain  forming  the  end  of  the  range.  This  chain  extends 
from  the  Indrdvati  to  the  Tdlper— a  distance  of  about  seventy  miles, — and  forms 
a  portion  of  the  boundary  of  this  district  and  the  Bastar  dependency.  It  pre- 
sents a  bold  and  striking  appearance  from  the  valley  of  the  Godfivarf .  In  the 
rainy  reason  its  beauty  is  increased  by  several  fine  waterfalls,  which  pour  over 


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its  precipitous  sides  into  dark  and  thickly-wooded  ravines.  The  highest  poiat 
of  the  Gddalguttd  range  is  3,285  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea 5  but  there  is 
great  difficulty  about  water,  and  it  is  too  far  from  both  Dumagudem  and 
Sironchd  to  be  of  much  use.  The  only  other  hiUs  of  any  size  or  importance  are 
the  Sironchd  hills  near  Sironchd,  the  highest  of  which  is  1,822  feet  above  the 
level  of  the  sea.  It  is  only  eighteen  miles  from  Sironchd,  and  wafi  used  as  a 
temporary  sanitarium  at  one  time  with  some  suecess.  The  want  of  water  on  the 
hill  was  the  greatest  drawback  to  a  residence  there. 

There  are  in  the  district  altogether  ninety  tanks,  large  and  small,  which  are 
-    ,        ,     «  in  a  tolerable  state  of  repair,  and  which  give  irri- 

lanks  and  wells.  gation  to  2,651  acres  of  land.    There  are  also  thirty- 

seven  tanks  out  of  repair,  and  in  the  forests  there  are  to  be  found  the  embankments 
of  many  old  tanks  now  overgrown  with  jungle,  the  very  recollection  of  which 
has  passed  away  from  the  memory  of  the  present  generation,  but  which  evi- 
dently in  former  times  irrigated  a  considerable  area.  There  are  few  wells  in 
the  district,  and  these  are  only  to  be  found  in  the  larger  villages.  "  Budkls,'' 
or  temporary  wells  dug  in  the  beds  of  watercourses,  are  more  common,  but 
owing  to  all  the  streams  in  which  they  are  constructed,  as  well  as  the  low  lands 
in  their  vicinity  being  flooded  by  the  Goddvari,  the  labour  of  reconstructing 
them  year  after  year  has  hitherto  proved  too  great  a  task  for  the  cultivators 
of  this  district,  with  whom  vegetables  are  not  a  necessary  of  life,  as  they  are  to 
more  civilised  people. 

There  are  no  places  deserving  of  being  called  towns.    Dumagudem — the 
p  .    .^  x^  head-quarters  of  the  Goddvari  navigation  works — 

nncipai    wns.  j^^  ^  population  of  about  5,000,  but  it  is  a  fluctua- 

ting one,  being  composed  of  labourers  employed  by  the  Public  Works  Depart- 
ment. It  will  probably  much  decrease  in  size  on  the  completion  of  the  works 
at  the  first  Barrier.  Sironchd — the  head-quarters  station  of  the  district — comes 
next,  with  a  population  of  about  3,500;  but  the  greater  portion  of  this  is  made 
up  of  government  servants  and  establishments.  In  1860,  when  Sironchd  was 
selected  as  the  site  of  the  head-quarters,  it  consisted  of  a  few  huts  on  ihe  river 
bank,  and  the  total  population  was  under  five  hundred.  Bhadrdchallam  is  the 
only  other  place  of  note  in  the  district.  It  has  a  population  of  2,000,  and  is  a 
tolerably  well  built  village.  The  Rdni  of  Bhadrdchallam  resides  here ;  and  the 
place  is  famous  for  an  old  temple  of  Bdmchandra,  which  is  supported  by  an 
annual  endowment  of  Bs.  13,000  from  the  Nizdm's  government. 

The  climate  on  the  whole  is  not  salubrious.     As  might  be  expected  in  a 
p,.  country  the  greater  portion  of  which  is  covered 

™*  '  with  forest,  and  with  low  lands  subject  to  yearly 

inundations,  fever  and  ague  are  very  prevalent  in  the  months  succeeding  th© 
rainy  season ;  but  the  type  of  fever  most  common  in  the  district  is  not  consi- 
dered by  the  medical  authorities  as  immediately  dangerous  to  life.  It  is 
rather  from  the  gradual  weakening  of  the  system  under  its  repeated  attacks, 
coupled  with  the  danger  of  its  producing  other  disorders,  that  it  is  regarded  as 
serious.  Nevertheless,  judging  from  the  healthy  appearance  of  the  people 
generally,  and  the  wretched  manner  in  which  they  house  themselves,  the  climate 
may  not  be  so  much  to  blame  as  is  commonly  supposed.  With  proper 
precautions  liability  to  contract  fever  becomes  much  lessened.  Above  all,  no 
exposure  should  be  undergone  between  the  end  of  the  rainy  season  and  January  ; 


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tWs  precaution,  with  a  good  house,  warm  clothing,  and  good  food,  will  go  far  to 
ward  off  fever.  As  a  rule  no  Europeans  or  government  establishments  should 
move  into  camp  before  the  first  of  J  anuary ;  and  the  police  or  military  should  be 
as  Kttle  exposed  on  duty  between  September  and  January  as  can  possibly  be 
managed.  Dysentery  and  diarrhoea  are  common  during  the  early  part  of  the 
rainy  season,  and  are  attributed  by  the  people  living  on  the  banks  of  the 
river  to  the  impurity  of  the  ^ater  at  that  time.  Uholera  during  the  last 
fifty  years  has  made  its  appearance  six  times.  Small-pox  is  one  of  the 
scourges  of  the  country,  and  amongst  the  infant  population  its  effects 
are  very  destructive.  A  good  deal  has  been  done  within  the  past  two  years 
in  the  way  of  vaccination,  and  one  great  difficulty  has  been  got  over,  viz. 
the  dislike  to  it,  as  to  any  other  innovation,  by  the  mass  of  the  people. 
The  temperature  is  never  very  extreme,  as  the  lowness  of  the  latitude  and  the 
vicinity  of  the  sea  prevent  excessive  cold  in  the  winter  months ;  and  the  vast 
extent  of  forest,  and  in  some  degree  perhaps  the  neighbourhood  of  large  rivers, 
moderate  the  great  heats  of  summer.  In  general  terms  the  climate  may  be 
called  mild  and  moist.  The  dews  are  heavy,  and  last  till  late  in  the  season. 
The  nights,  even  at  the  hottest  time  of  the  year,  are  cool  and  pleasant,  and  the 
sea-breeze  is  perceptible  in  the  lower  part  of  the  district.  The  seasons  are 
divided  in  the  same  manner  as  in  the  rest  of  Central  India.  The  rainy  season 
commences  in  June,  having  been  preceded  by  thunder  showers  and  storms  in 
May.  The  heavy  rains,  however,  do  not  set  in  generally  till  the  early  part  of 
July,  and  last  till  the  beginning  of  October.  The  climate  from  June  till  the  end 
of  September  is  very  damp,  close,  and  warm ;  the  vegetation  by  August  is 
luxuriant,  even  rank ;  and  the  entire  absence  of  cool  breezes  renders  this  season 
to  Europeans  the  most  enervating  period  of  the  year.  The  temperature  can 
only  be  compared  to  that  of  the  hot  houses  for  tropical  plants  in  a  horticultural 
garden.  From  the  beginning  of  November  till  the  middle  of  February  the 
climate  is  all  that  could  be  wished  for — the  days  are  pleasant,  the  nights  not 
intensely  cold,  and  the  atmosphere  clear.  Occasionally  about  November  or 
January  there  is  a  little  rain.  In  February  the  sun  becomes  hot  in  the  middle 
of  the  day,  and  the  cool  mornings  and  evenings  become  less  frequent.  In  March 
the  grass  in  the  forests  berins  to  bum,  and  the  heat  increases  till  what  with  it 
and  the  smoke  of  the  jungle-fires  the  whole  country  becomes  enveloped  in  a  haze, 
and  the  view  is  restricted  to  a  horizon  of  three  or  four  miles.  This  continues 
till  April,  when  thunder-storms,  accompanied  by  violent  winds,  become  frequent. 
Generally  speaking  high  winds  are  uncommon,  whatever  may  be  the  cause  ;  but 
the  storms  in  the  end  of  April  and  May  are  sometimes  such  as  to  cause  great 
damage.  The  total  rainfall  for  each  revenue  year  gauged  at  Sironchfi  since 
1862  is  as  follows : — 

Inches.  Cents. 

1862^63  50  46 

1863-64  47  14 

1864-65  55  42 

1865-66  31  36 

1866-67  43  42 

1867-68  48  24 

1868-69  31  25 

The  range  of  the  thermometer  for  five  years,  as  recorded  under  the  superin- 
tendence of  the  Civil  Surgeon,  is  as  follows  :— 


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ITio  civil  administration  of  the  district  is  carried  on  by  a  Deputy  Com- 
.  .      ^  missioner,     assisted    by    a    Medical    Officer    at 

head-quarters,  who,  in  addition  to  his  other 
duties,  is  a  general  assistant  to  the  Deputy  Commissioner,  and.  has  magis- 
terial powers.  An  Extra-Assistant  Commissioner  is  located  at  Dumagudem, 
120  miles  lower  down  the  river,  owing  to  the  distance  of  that  part  of 
the  district  from  head-quarters,  and  the  presence  of  large  bodies  of  workmen  on 
the  navigation  works.  There  are  no  Tahsfld^  or  Subordinate  Magistrates, 
and  but  one  of  the  Zamindirs  has  powers  as  an  Honorary  Magistrate.  There 
is  also  a  District  Superintendent  of  Police  at  head-quarters.  The  Police  force 
consists  of  a  District  Superintendent,  an  Inspector,  three  Chief  Constables,  13 
Head  Constables,  105  Constables,  and  8  Mounted  Constables.  Besides  this, 
Sironchd  is  permanently  garrisoned  by  two  companies  of  Madras  Native  infantry. 
The  postal  communication  with  Ndgpdr  through  Ch&aAi  on  the  one  hand, 
and  with  Madras  through  Dumagudem  and  EUor  on  the  other,  is  in  the  hands 
of  the  imperial  postal  department.  There  are  post-offices  at  Sironchd  and 
Dumagudem,  and  a  branch  office  at  Enchampalll— the  site  of  the  navigation 
works  at  the  second  Barrier. 

The  ancient  history  of  the  district,  and  indeed  of  the  whole  of  the  adjoining 
.     .    .  t  •  .  country,  is  wrapped  in  obscurity-     No  old  places 

ry.  ^j.  ^^^^  ^^^  situated  within  its  limits ;  it  has  never 

been  the  theatre  of  war ;  there  are  no  ruined  cities  or  temples  or  mosques 
testifying  to  former  Hindii  or  Mobammadan  wealth  and  power,  and  there  are 
no  inscriptions  to  guide  in  the  search  for  records  of  the  past.  But  scattered 
here  and  there,  in  the  forests  and  on  the  sides  of  lulls,  are  found  the  remains  of 
a  race  before  whose  antiquity  even  the  ancient  Hindd  dynasties  of  the  Peninsula 
of  India  must  probably  give  way.  These  are  the  monoUthic  monuments  of 
Indo-Scythic  sepulture,  consisting  of  cromlechs,  kistvaens,  and  cairns,  whicl\ 
haV^e  been  found  in  four  of  the  six  tdlukas  of  this  district.  The  study  of  these 
memorials  would  carry  us  so  far  back  into  the  pre-his toric  period  that  it  would 
be  out  of  place  here.  The  only  popular  tradition  attaching  to  them  is  that  they 
were  the  temples  of  the  Rdkshasas — a  mythical  race,  half  human,  half  demon — 
who  are  believed,  according  to  the  old  Hindd  legends,  to  have  once  inhabited 
these  parts.  The  Telinga  Brdhmans  claim  for  this  part  of  the  country  the  honour 
of  its  having  been  visited  byEima  when  wandering  in  the  wilderness.  Pamakuti, 
which  is  mentioned  in  the  Rdmdyana  as  one  of  his  resting-places,  is  said  to  be 
the  present  ParnasiM,  and  it  was  from  this  place  they  allege  that  Siti  was 
carried  off  by  the  Rakshasa  Rdwan.  A  hill  on  the  south  bank  of  the  Goddvari 
opposite  Pamasdld,  the  Ratabguttd  or  hill  of  the  car,  is  so  named  because  it  is 
said  the  tracks  made  by  the  car  in  which  S(ti  was  abducted  are  still  to  be  seen 
on  the  rock  on  its  summit.  There  is  no  mention  of  any  ancient  separate 
Gond  kingdom  in  this  part  of  the  country,  but  it  is  probable  that  the  district 
at  one  time  or  another  was  included  in  the  territories  under  the  Gond  rdj&  of 
Chindi.  Setting  all  tradition  aside,  however,  it  is  pretty  certain  that  it  must 
at  one  time  have  formed  a  portion  of  the  dominions  of  the  A^ndhra  kings  of 
Telingana,  who  had  their  capital  first  near  Ndnder  on  the  Godivarl,  and  after- 
wards removed  it  to  Anamakondi  and  Warangal,  both  of  which  places  are  about 
ninety  miles  south  of  Sironchd.  Farishta*  mentions  Warangal  as  having  in 
A.D.  1303  successfully  resisted  a  Mohammadan  army  sent  to  reduce  it  by  Ali- 

*  Briggs'  Farishta  (Edn.  1829),  voL  i.  pp.  353,  37K 


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ud-din  Khiljf,  whose  first  invasion  of  the  Deccan  was  made  nine  years  before. 
The  comparatively  advanced  state  of  civilisation  of  Warangal  and  its  prosperity 
at  the  time  of  the  Mohammadan  invasion,  which  is  indicated  by  the  magni- 
ficent tanks  in  that  part  of  the  country  existing  to  this  day,  would  lead  to  the 
belief  that  the  kingdom  of  Telingana  must  have  been  founded  at  a  very  early 
date ;  but  its  authentic  history  does  not  commence  until  the  eleventh  century, 
with  the  dynasty  of  the  Kikataya  rdjds  of  Warangal,  Pratipa  Rudra  Deva,  the 
fourth  prince  of  this  dynasty,  was  subjugated  by  the  Mohammadan  power  about 
A.D.  1323,  and  carried  prisoner  to  Delhi.  He  is  said  to  have  recovered  his  liberty, 
and  some  accounts  describe  the  accession  of  both  his  sons,  but  he  was  the  last 
known  rijd  of  his  line,  and  shortly  afterwards  Warangal  was  occupied  by  the 
Kutab  Shihi  kings,  and  merged  into  the  Mohammadan  principality  of  Gowal- 
kondd.*  It  is  said  that  about  the  time  of  the  invasion  of  Warangal  the  Hasanibid 
Sankargiri  zamfnddri — of  which  Bhadrdchallam  and  Rikdpalli  are  portions — was 
given  by  the  representative  of  the  Emperor  of  Delhi  in  free  jigfr  to  one  Andpd  Aswa 
Rdo,  the  founder  of  the  family  which  now  holds  it.  Unfortunately  the  copper 
plate  on  which  the  grant  was  inscribed,  with  the  title-deeds  and  other  ancient 
family  papers  of  this  old  estate,  were  lostinA.D.  1769,  when  Zafar-ud-daula — an 
officer  of  the  NizSm's  government — attacked  one  of  the  Aswa  Rios  and  put 
him  to  death.  From  a.d.  1324  to  1698  there  is  a  blank  in  the  local  history. 
The  Ranf  of  Bhadrichallam  can  trace  her  ancestors  up  to  Andpd  Aswa  Rdo,  it  is 
true,  but  there  are  no  authentic  records  beyond  those  relating  to  the  genealogy 
of  the  family.  It  is  probable  that  during  this  time  the  district,  with  a  con- 
siderable tract  of  country  on  the  right  bank,  was  held  by  petty  chiefs  who  paid 
tribute  to  their  Mohammadan  rulers. 

The  more  modem  history  has  barely  even  a  local  interest.     The  district 

„  ,      , .  ,  consisted,  as  has  already  been  said,  of  the  estates 

Modern  history.  «x  x^-t  t.  L 

^  of  two  great  families,  whose  members  were  con- 

tinually quarrelling  amongst  each  other,  and  who  occasionally  revolted  against 
the  government  of  the  Nizdm.  Except  for  the  disturbances  thus  created,  and 
one  or  two  inroads  of  the  Mardthds  in  the  days  when  ChindS  was  held  by  a 
younger  branch  of  the  Bhonsld  rulers  of  NSgpdr,  there  would  be  nothing  to 
record  but  that  the  district  continued  to  remain  part  of  the  Nizfim's  territories 
until  it  was  ceded  to  the  British  Government  in  1860.  Since  then  armed 
affrays,  cattle-lifting  forays,  and  petty  revolts  have  ceased,  and  the  presence  of 
a  strong  local  authority  makes  redress  available  where  it  was  once  sought 
for  in  vain.  Formerly  if  any  of  the  petty  local  chiefs  plundered  villages  in 
Bastar,  the  aggrieved  parties  had  to  complain  through  their  rijd,  who  lived  at 
Jagdalpdr,  two  hundred  miles  distant.  He  brought  the  circumstances  to  the 
notice  of  the  Deputy  Commissioner  of  Rdfpdr,  who  reported  it  to  the  Commis- 
sioner of  Ndgpdr,  who  again  had  to  address  the  Resident  at  Haidardbdd. 
Orders  would  then  be  issued  through  the  Minister  to  the  local  authorities  calling 
for  explanations,  which  they  probably  had  much  difficulty  in  obtaining,  as  the 
petty  chiefs  did  not  hesitate  to  defy  both  their  feudal  superiors  and  the  officers 
of  the  government.  Under  these  circumstances  the  injured  villagers  usually 
preferred  taking  the  law  into  their  own  hands,  and  order  was  unknown. 
Although  the  population  is  not  even  yet  very  rich  or  flourishing,  they  are  now 
free  to  divert  their  energies  into  profitable  channels,  and  during  the  last  eight 
years  both  trade  and  cultivation  have  increased- 


*  Wilson's  Mackenzie  Collection,  Introduction,  pp.  cxxiii.  Jf. 


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The  popalation  of  54,680  souls,  which  is  distributed  equally  over  the  total  area 
.    .  of  the  district,  gives  an  average  of  twenty-eight 

^^"    ^^^'  souls  to   the   square  mile,  and  not  only  is  the 

rate  low,  but  nearly  half  the  population  is  composed  of  wild  tribes.  The 
exdlusively  agricultural  classes  number  30,367,  and  consist  chiefly  of  the  fol- 
lowing castes  : — ^Yelm^s,  Kamewdrs,  A  rewdrs,  Mardthds,  Telingas,  Kois,  and 
Got^s.  Of  these,  the  Yelmds,  though  Sddras,  enjoy  a  good  deal  of  consideration, 
as  many  of  the  chiefs — ^among  them  the  Sardesmukhs  of  the  four  upper  tdlukas 
and  the  Rdni  of  Bhadrdchallam — are  of  this  caste. .  The  Yelmds  veil  their 
women,  and  do  not  permit  them  to  appear  in  public  ;  and  the  men  in  the  lower 
part  of  the  district  carry  their  prejudices  to  such  an  extent,  that  even  the 
poorer  members  of  the  caste  will  not  put  their  hand  to  the  plough.  The  inferior 
castes,  all  plying  their  respective  professions,  and  many  of  them  cultivating 
land  as  well,  are — 


JuMfs,  or  weavers. 

KaMls,  or  distillers  and  spirit-dealers. 

Dhfmars  or  Bhois.  These  are  fisher- 
men by  profession.  They  also  carry 
palanquins,  fetch  water,  and  do 
other  menial  duties. 

Hajdms,  or  barbers ;  also  carry  torches 
for  travellers. 

Medariwdrs,  or  mat-makers. 

Uppariwdrs,  or  tank-diggers  and  stone- 
cutters. There  are  two  different  sub- 
divisions of  this  class. 

Woddewdrs,  or  boatmen  and  fisher- 
men. 


Waddfs. 

Kumbhdrs,  or  potters. 

Meriwdrs,  or  tailors. 

Baljwdrs,  or  bangle-makers. 

Tells,  or  oil-pressers. 

Rangrez,  or  dyers  ;  also  work  as  em- 
broiderers. 

Dendrawdr,  or  tasar  silk-weavers. 

Dhobfs,  or  washermen.  These  are  a 
very  numerous  class.  Besides  wash- 
ing they  perform  many  menial  duties 
in  the  village — attend  on  travellers, 
carry  torches,  fetch  water,  carry 
load^  and  palanquins,  &c. 

The  outcastes  are  Sunkariwdrs,  Mannepuwdrs,  and  Netkdniwdrs.  The  latter 
weave  a  coarse  cotton-cloth.  Gotes  and  Kofs,  or  as  they  are  commonly  called 
Gotdwdrs  and  Koiwdrs — the  termination  ^^  wdr"  being  aTeluguaffix,  signifying 
person  or  man — are  the  aborigines  of  the  country.  Although  almost  identical 
in  customs  and  in  language,  they  do  not  eat  together  or  intermarry,  the  Kois 
claiming  superiority  over  the  Gotds.  The  proper  name  for  the  Kois  is 
'*  Koitor,"  and  this  is  what  they  call  themselves.*  By  the  Telingas  they  are 
called  Koidhoras,  the  word  "  dhora*'  meaning  gentleman  or  sdhib.  This  error  has 
probably  arisen  from  the  last  syllable  of  ''Koitor"  having  been  taken  for  "dhora/' 
owing  to  the  similarity  of  sound.  The  Kois,  where  they  come  into  contact  with 
the  Tolinga  population,  have  adopted  many  of  their  customs,  and  have  thereby 
to  a  certain  extent  lost  their  peculiarity  of  appearance  and  character.  The  Gote 
keeps  more  aloof  from  civilisation ;  but  if  allowance  bo  made  for  what  the  Kois 
have  learned  by  their  intercourse  with  the  Telingas,  the  customs  of  the  two 
races  are  very  similar,  and  both  belong  to  the  Gond  family.  They  are  sub- 
divided into  many  sects  according  to  the  number  of  gods  they  worship,  and  they 
practise  what  seems  to  be  the  essential  characteristic  of  all  Gonds,  viz.  ancestor 
worship.  Like  most  of  these  wild  tribes,  they  are  timid,  inoffensive,  and  toler- 
ably truthful.  Their  restless  habits,  however,  do  not  admit  of  their  settling  down 
as  good  agriculturists,  and  generally  speaking  they  move  from  one  spot  to 
another  once  in  every  three  or  four  years;    but  on  the  banks  of  the  Sabarf,and 

*  Vide  Ilislop's  "  Aboriginal  Tribes,"  part  1,  p.  4. 


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in  the  neighbourhood  of  Sironchd  and  Dumagudem,  there  are  numbers  of  them 
who  have  settled  down,  and  have  accumulated  some  wealth  in  flocks,  in  herds, 
and  in  money.  It  seems  that  where  they  can  cultivate  rice  they  will  sometimes 
become  attached  to  the  soil,  especially  if  a  grove  of  palmyras  bo  near,  as,  like  all 
Gonds,  they  are  fond  of  spirits,  atfd  the  fermented  juice  of  the  palmyra  (borassus 
flabelliformis)  is  a  favourite  beverage  with  them. 

The  language  of  the  whole  district  is  Telugu — harsh  and  barbarous  in  tho 
four  northern  tdlukas,  softer  and  more  like  the  Coast  dialects  in  Bhadrichallam 
and  Rdkdpalli.  In  the  northern  parts  of  the  Sironchi  tdluka  a  little  Mardthl  is 
spoken.     The  wild  tribes  have  their  own  language  and  dialects. 

It  is  estimated  that  the  outturn  of  the  prin- 
cipal edible  grains  is  as  follows : — 


Products  and  manufactures. 


Md.  of  82  lbs. 
Jawdrf  {holcus  sorrjhum)    ...  141 ,208 

Gram  (cicer  arietinum)  2,689 

Wheat 1,729 


Md.  of  82  lbs. 

Indian  com  8,616 

Rice    90,101 

Mung  {pliaseohis  munrjo)  . . .  3,846 


Tho  gi*eater  portion  of  this  is  used  for  home  consumption.  The  following 
statement  shows  the  principal  vegetable  products  of  this  part  of  India,  the 
seasons  at  which  they  are  cultivated,  &c. : — 


Vegetable  products  cultivated. 

Common  En- 

Botanical name. 

glish  or  Hin- 
dustani desig- 
nation. 

Telugu  name. 

Description 
of  Crops. 

Remarks. 

Zea  mays  « . . 

Indian  com. 

Makkajonna. 

Kbnrif     and 
rabi,   chief- 
ly former. 

One  of  the  chief  articles 
of  food ;  it  is  grown  in  plots 
around  villages;  it  is  used 
to  make  bread  and  daliya. 

Opvza,  sativa  .......... 

Rice          (25 
sorts). 

In          husk. 

Kharlf     and 

A  specimen  of  the  second 
sort  of  rice  won  a  prize  at 
the  Nagpur  Exhibition. 

wadlu       un- 

rabi. 

fa  usked  biam 

Sorffhum   •..•• 

Mountain  ja- 
\^-dri. 

Kondajonna. 

Kharif    .... 

Cultivated  chiefly  by  the 
Kois  in  the  lower  part  of 

the  district,  and  said  to  pro- 

duce rheumatic  pains. 

Panicum  frumentaceum. 

S4m4    (4    or 
5  sorts). 

Sdw4   

Do 

Cultivated  in  land  lately 
reclaimed  from  the  forest, 
also  in  mud  banks  in  the 
rivers,  where  it  is  sown  by 
men  in  canoes,  who  drop 
the  seed  in  the  water. 

Panicum  italicum 

Kanghni .... 

Korralu  .... 

Do. 

Penicillaria  spicata  .... 

Bdjri 

Sajjalu    

Do 

•  Scarce. 

Sorghum  vulgare      .... 

Jawdri,  white 
and  yellow. 

Jonna 

Rabi   

Yellow  variety  scarce. 
The  white  jawdri  is  the  chief 
food  of  the  poorer  classes. 

Cajanas  indicus 

TCir 

Kandu 

Rhanf     and 
rabi. 

Thrives  well. 

Paspalum  scrobiculatum . 

Kodo 

Alu    

Kharif. 

Triticum  ffistivum     . . . . 

Wheat     .... 

Godhumalu. . 

Rabi    

Scarce  ;  not  much  used  as 
an  article  of  food. 

Cicer  arietinum     

Gram,  chana. 

Sannagalu  .  • 

Do 

Small  variety  grown. 

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Common  En- 

Botanical name. 

glish  or  Hin- 
dustani desig- 
nation. 

Telugu  name. 

Description 
of  Crops. 

Remarks. 

Phaseolus  max 

Kal4    mung,  ^ 
or        bkck 

Do.        mungo 

gram. 
Hard    mung, 

or       green 

gram. 
Balldr 

>  Pesal  u.. 

1 

Anumulu     . . 

Kharif     and 
rabi. 

Grown  with  jawdri 
chiefly. 

Lablab  vulgaris    

Do. 

Phaseolus  radiatus    . . . . 

Urad   

Minumulu  . . 

Rabi. 

Dolichos  uniflorus    . . . . 

Kulthi    .... 

Wulwalu     . . 

Do. 

Do,      sinensis 

Chaunli  . .  , . 

Babbcralu   .. 

Do. 

Do          

Alisanta      • . 

Do 

Saccharum  oflBcinarum. 

Sugarcane  (2 

Charku  .... 

Do    

The  Mauritius  variety  has 
been   introduced,   and   the 

varieties). 

cultivators  have  taken  to 

it;  it  will  probably   soon 

supersede    the    indigenous 

variety. 

Nicotiana  tabacum   . .  . . 

Tobacco     . . 

Pogdku  

Do    

Tobacco  from  this  dis- 
trict obtained  the  second 
general  prize  at  the  NdgpAr 
Exhibition,  and  tlie  first 
prize  for  tobacco  grown  in 
the  Central  Provinces.  The 
cultivation  of  tobacco 
might  be  much  increased, 
especially  on  the  islands  in 
the  Godavari.  The  famous 
**  Unkd"  tobacco  is  grown 
on  islands  in  the  Delta  of 
the  Goddvari. 

Papaver  soroniferum    . . 

Opium   .... 

Nalla  mandu. 

Do    

Scarce. 

Gossypium  indicum .... 

Cotton        (2 

Dudi  

Kharif     and 

'i'he  kharif  crop  is  only 

varieties). 

rabi,       but 
chiefly    the 
latter. 

p*own  in  plots  around  vil- 
ages ;  no  cotton  is  exported 
from  the  district. 

Hibiscus  cannabinus    . . 

Hemp 

Gogu  n&Tk  . . 

Rabi   

Grows  well. 

Crotalaria  juncea 

San 

Janpa  n&ra . . 
Amiddlu .... 

Kharif    .... 

Do. 

Ricinus  communis   .... 

Castor-oil 

Kharif     and 

Do. 

plant. 

rabi. 

Sesamum  indicum   .... 

Gmgelly  seed 
(3  varieties, 
white,    red, 
and  black.) 

Nuwwulu  .. 

Do    

Do. 

N.B. — Tho  kharif  or  spring  crops  aro  generally  sown  early  in  July,  and  reaped  in  the  end  of 
November.  The  rabi  or  aiztumn  crops  aro  generally  sown  in  September,  and  reaped  in  the  end  of 
February. 

Besides  the  above  cultivated  vegetable  products,  there  are  pumpkins, 
cucumbers,  bhendi,  tur^l,  and  several  other  vegetables  grown  in  the  rainy 
season.  But  English  vegetables  do  not  thrive  at  that  season.  In  the  cold 
weather  pumpkins,  egg-plant^  bhendf,  turdf,  rod  pepper,  radishes,  sweet 
potatoes,  onions,  garlic,  ginger,  turmeric,  ajawdn  (ptychoiis  ajowan),  and  dhaniya 
(coriandrum  sativum),  ^vith  most  English  vegetables,  do  well.     The  Tclinga.s, 


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however,  do  not  cultivate  vegetables  so  much  as  the  Mardthis  or  Hindustanis, 
and  it  is  only  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  larger  villages  that  vegetables  are 
regularly  to  be  had.  Fruit  trees,  such  as  mango  and  plantain,  are  also  scarce. 
The  jack-fruit  is  indigenous  in  those  parts  of  Rikdpalll  bordering  on  the 
Eastern  Gh^ts.  The  finer  varieties  of  fruit,  such  as  oranges,  limes,  guaves,  &c., 
are  only  to  be  found  at  Sironchd  and  Bhadr^challam.  The  Sangtara  oranges 
of  Sironchd,  introduced  from  Ndgpdr,  are  very  large  and  fine. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  trees  and  forest  produce : — 


Botanical  name. 

Common  English 
or  Hindustani 
designation. 

Telugu  name. 

Bemarks. 

Tectona  grandis 

Teiminalia  tomentosa 

Teak    

Teku / 

Nalla  maddi   .... 

Jitregi    

Tunaki 

Yer  maddi 

Peddegi 

Narwepa    

Bilugu   

Darisanchai    .... 

Tumma 

S^mi 

Teak  grows  well  throughout 
the  district. 

Plentiful,  and  of  large  size, 
especially  in   Sironchd;  good 
timber. 

Good  timber;  plentiful  in  all 
parts  of  the  district. 
Do.          do. 
Do.           do. 
Do.           do.  yields  fine 
gum. 
Do.  bark  yields  a  good 
fibre,  which  is  in  common  use 
for  ropes,  &c. 

Good  wood ;  yields  a  yellow 
dye. 

Good  wood  ;  plentiful  in  all 
parts  of  the  district. 
Scarce. 

S^j 

Dalbergia  latifolia 

Diospyros  raelanoxylon . . 

Pentaptera  arjuna 

Pterocarpus  marsupium . . 

Hardwickia  binata  ..•••. 

Blackwood 

Ebony    , 

Kavv4     

Bijesil    

Anjan  ....  .«••.. 

Chloroxylon  swietenia    . . 
Acacia  sundra 

Satinwood 

Bdbul 

Do.        arnbica  •  •  •  • 

Do.        catecbu 

Soymida  febrifuga 

Cordia  angustifolia    . . .  ■ 

Do.        myxa 

Conocarpus  latifolia  .... 

Naaclea  cordifolia 

Do.        parviflora  .. 
Guatteria  cerasoides  .... 

Cluytia  collina    

Artocarpua  integrifolia  . . 

Bassia  latifolia    

Khair 

Rohan    

Gondi»«  •  •••  •  • . . 

Plentiful. 

Good  timber,  and  plentiful 
in  all  parts  of  the  district. 
Timber  useful. 

Chinna  bateku  . . 

Pedda  bateku 

Tirman  

Paspu  kandi  .... 

Buta  kandi 

Chilka  d6di. 
Kors^ 

DUuTi 

Kadami 

Do 

Do 

Jackwood 

Mhowa   

Mango    

Jdmbul 

•  • . .  .  • 

Do. 
Tough  wood ;  used  for  cart 
axles ;  plentiful. 
Timber  useful. 

Do. 

Used  for  building. 

Good    timber;     grows    on 
Enstem       Ghdts,      Rak^palli 
taluka. 

Plentiful  in  the  upper  t^lu- 
kas  ;  timber  good ;  flowers  an 
articH  of  food,  and  also  used 
to  distil  spirits  from ;  seeds  yield 
a  useful  oil ;  export  of  seeds 
mi^ht  be  largely  increased. 

Good  timber;  scarce. 
Do.           do. 

Wood  useless ;  yields  a  good 
gum. 

Yields  the  resin  olibanum ; 

Panas     

Ipoa  ....  •••... 

Mangifera  indica    

Syzygium  jambolanom  .. 
StCTCulia  urens    ........ 

*l'r**    •  •  • »  •••... 

Mdmiri 

Neradu   

Tausi 

Boawellia  thurifera 

A'ndu  •  • 

plentiful. 

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Botanical  name. 

Common    English 

or  Hindustani 

designation. 

Telugu  name 

Remarks. 

Butea  frondosa   

Do.     superba 

Terminalia  bellerica    .... 
Do.     cbebula ....  . . 

Scbleicbera  trijuga 

Calotropi*  gigantea    .... 

P414s 

Motuku 

Do 

TannC. 
Karakkdya 

JiUer^***/' 

Buddadarmi   .... 

Munpi     

Chilla 

Plentiful;  yields  kino;  tbe 
flowers    make    a    yellow    and 
orange  dye. 

Do.                  do. 

Yields  tbe  Hard4s  of  com- 
merce ;  also  galls,  from  which 
dyes  are  made. 

The   charcoal  of  the   wood 

Do 

Hardi'.W* 

Kusam   

A'k 

Kuchld   

Cleaning  nut .... 

Kameli 

Dikdmdli    

Bel 

used    in  making  gunpowder; 
bark  yields  a  fibre. 

Bark  made  into  slow-match. 

Str}  cbnos  nuxvomica .... 
Do.     potatorum 

Rottlera  tinctoria    

Gardenia  lucida 

^gle  marmelos 

Feronia  elepbantum   .... 
Wrightia  anti-dysenterica. 
Bambusa  arundinacea    . . 

Tasar  silkworms  feed  on  tbe 
leaves. 

Wood  good;  seeds  sold ;  might 

be  exported  in  large  quantities. 

The  nut  used  to  clear  water : 

Kunkuma 

Kdringu 

Meradu 

Welaga 

Pala  kodsa 

Kanka    

mashed  up  and  thrown  in  a 
pool  it  kills  fi«h. 

Yields  the  kameld  dye,  which 
is  gathered  and  exported. 

Yields  the  dikdmdli  gum, 
which  is  ^thcred  and  exported. 

A   fruit,  used    in  medicine. 

Kdwit 

common  everywhere. 

D"*.          do.    common. 

Bamboo     

Medicinal;  very  common. 
Useful    for    house-building, 
&c. 

Juice  extracted  and  drank; 

Semicarpus  anacardium  . . 
Borassus  flabelliformis  . . 

Carvota  urens. ■  .•••••  .. 

Marking  nut  .... 
Tdr 

Tidi. 

Tdri    

Sago  palm 

Date  palm 

Chironji 

Yellow  silk  cotton 
Do 

Tamarind   

Gorregu 

I'tchattu 

Do 

abundant  in  Sironchd  and  R4- 
kdpalli. 

Juice  extracted  and  drank ; 

PhcEnix  sylvestris 

On      f&rinifera    ••.... 

the  fecula  of  the  pith  is  eaten 
by  Kois  in  bad  seasons. 

Scarce. 

Plentiful ;  eaten  by  the  wild 
tribes ;  tastes  like  chesnuts. 

Plentiful;  leaves  used  to 
thatch  houses  by  wild  trihes. 

Yields  the  chironji ;  common 
everywhere. 

Vfood  good  for  torches; 
yields  a  gum ;  common. 

A  common  weed  found  near 
inhabited  places;  the  fibre  is 
fine  and  strong. 

Tamarinds  are  in  great  de- 
mand as  an  article  of  food 
with  Telingas;  the  tree  is 
therefore  more  valuable  in  tbe 
district  than  it  is  in  other  parts 
of  the  Central  Provinces. 

Do.    acaulis   

Buchanania  latifolia  .... 

Cochlospermum       gossy- 

pium. 
Hemidesmus  indicus 

• 

Tamarindus  indica 

Do 

Morli 

Gonda  gogu  .... 
Muttapulgam     . . 

Ghintachattu.... 

\ 


Note. — The  Shorea  rohttsta  is  not  found  in  the  district,  but  it  grows  io  large  quantities  in  the 
Bastar  dependency. 


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Besides  these  tte  "  ddb  ^*  or  haryffli  grass  is  found  in  abundance  on  the  banks 
of  the  rivers,  and  what  is  called  the  *'  Milwd  "  grass  in  Telugu,  grows  in  the 
forest  tracts,  and  aflfords  excellent  grazing  for  cattle.  In  the  vicinity  of  the 
rivers  the  ^*  andropogon  mtiHcatus/'  the  roots  of  which  are  used  to  make 
*^  khaskhas ''  tattis,  is  a  nuisance  to  the  cultivators,  as  it  grows  on  the  richest  soils, 
and  is  very  diflScult  to  eradicate.  The  ''  kans  '^  {saccharum  spontaneum)  is  not 
so  abundant.  The  *'  guhnl,'*  or  what  is  known  as  the  "  kusa*'  grass,  grows  in 
irrigated  land,  and  is  very  troublesome  in  the  rice-fields. 

Among  miscellaneous  products  may  be  mentioned  honey,  lac,  silk,  hides, 

if;-^^now»o^».  «,^»«*o  ^^^    ^d   arrowroot.     Five     different    sorts    of 

Miscellaneous  products.  ,  jj-iiz-i  c% 

honey    are     produced,   viz: — 1,    kara    tena;  2, 

musar  tena;  3,  tondi  tena;  4,  pitwdr  tena;  5,  kinfigol  tena  (''tena^*  in  Telugu 
means  honey).  Nos.  1  and  5  are  the  most  delicate ;  the  wax  of  both  varieties 
is  also  good ;  the  former  is  found  in  bushes  and  small  trees,  the  latter  in  holes 
in  the  trunks  of  trees.  The  kfindgol  honey  is  scarce.  The  combs  of  both  are 
removed  by  the  hand  ;  the  bees  do  not  sting.  No.  2  is  found  in  holes  in  trees ; 
the  wax  is  good.  No.  3  is  found  in  holes  in  the  ground,  white-ant  hills,  &c. ; 
the  wax  is  good.  No.  4 :  this  is  the  honey  of  the  large  bee ;  it  is  found 
suspended  in  large  combs  from  lofty  trees  and  rocks ;  the  bee  is  dangerous 
if  disturbed-  Honey  is  not  exported,  but  the  wax  is  collected  by  Got& 
and  Kols,  and  sold  or  bartered  to  traders,  &c.  Turmeric  is  sometimes 
used  to  give  a  yellow  colour  to  the  wax.  Lac  is  produced  in  abundance  in 
all  parts  of  the  district.  It  is  gathered  by  the  Gotes  and  Kois  and  brought  in 
for  sale  or  barter  to  traders,  &c.  Lac  is  deposited  on  the  butea  Jrondosa,  butea 
^uperbOf  itiga  xylocarpa,  and  zizypJais  jujuba,  .but  that  on  the  first  three  kinds  is 
considered  the  finest ;  it  is  deposited  in  September,  and  also  in  April  and  May. 
Most  of  it  is  exported  to  the  Coast  and  to  Haidardbid,  but  a  small  quantity  is 
used  in  the  district  for  dyeing  tasar-silk  and  cotton-thread,  and  also  to  make 
into  wax,  Buffalo  and  cow  horns  and  hides  are  not  collected  or  exported  in 
any  quantity,  owing,  it  is  said,  to  there  being  no  tanners  in  the  district  to 
prepare  the  skins.  A  few  deer  horns  and  skins  are  exported,  and  the  skins  of 
the  common  kingfisher  (kilkili)  are  sometimes  collected  and  sent  to  Burma. 
The  collectors  go  as  far  as  Chindfi  for  them.  "Taukir  or  T&hdr  ^'  is  a  descrip- 
tion of  arrowroot  made  from  the  bulb  of  the  curcuma  angvst\folia,  which  grows 
abundantly  in  the  district.  It  is  collected  by  the  Got^s  and  Kois,  and  rubbed 
down  on  a  stone,  washed,  and  allowed  to  settle.  It  is  then  dried,  and  either 
sold  or  bartered  by  them  to  traders.  The  *'  Taukir  "  purchased  in  the  hiz&r 
is  impure  and  diflScult  to  refine,  as  the  bulb  is  not  pared  before  it  is  grated 
down.'  If  care  be  taken,  the  flour  can  be  made  as  pure  as  that  prepared  from 
garden  urowroot.  It  is  strange  that  this  root  is  not  made  so  much  use  of  as 
it  might  be,  either  as  an  article  of  food,  or  even  as  starch  for  export.  The 
culture  of  the  common  tasar  silkworm  is  carried  on  by  many  classes  of  the 
people.  The  cocoons  are  gathered  in  the  month  of  October,  and  sold  to  the 
weavers,  Ac  There  is  considerable  risk  attending  the  culture  of  the  silk- 
worm :  a  shower  of  rain  will  destroy  the  labour  of  two  or  three  months ;  but  in 
a  good  season  one  man  can  earn  twenty  rupees  in  this  way. 

Iron-ore  of  very  fair  quality  and  easily  worked  is  found  throughout  the 

M'    ral    oH  rtii  district  in  large  quantities.     It  is  rudely  smelted 

me     products.  ^^  ^^^  ^^j^  ^    .^  requires,  however,  to  be  smelted 

over  again  and  refined  before  it  can  be  used.     Titaniferous  iron-ore  is  found  in 
64  CPG 


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the  sands  of  most  of  the  streams^  and  hematite  is  to  be  found  in  many  parts. 
As  far  back  as  1841  the  late  Dr.  Walker  reported  on  the  existence  of  a  coal 
measure  at  Eotd>  about  eight  miles  north  of  Sironch^  on  the  bank  of  the  river 
Pranhit^.  Boring  operations  were  undertaken  by  the  same  ^ntleman  in  1848 
in  the  riyer-bed  at  Koti ;  but  a  depth  of  only  thirty-five  feet  had  been  attained, 
when  it  was  necessary  to  stop  the  work,  owing  to  a  sudden  rise  in  the  river. 
The  result  of  the  analysis  of  the  specimens  of  coal  then  obtained  was  as  under: — 

Volatile  matter    29  percent. 

Ash 29      „ 

Carbon    42      „ 

Dr.  Falconer,  Superintendent  of  the  Botanical  Grardens,  Calcutta,  to  whom  the 
specimens  were  sent  for  examination,  reported  unfavourably  on  them,  and  sub- 
sequent accounts  have  not  been  more  encouraging. 

Grold  is  found  in  the  bed  of  the  Goddvarf  nearly  opposite  the  village  of 
Marrigudem  in  the  Nugdr  tiluka.  It  is  washed  by  Sonjharis — a  poor  class 
of  people  who  come  periodically  for  the  purpose.  They  commence  washing  in 
August  and  September,  or  whenever  the  river  falls  enough  to  expose  certain 
gravel  banks,  in  which  the  precious  metal  is  found  in  very  minute  grains.  The 
gold  is  said  to  be  worth  Es.  16  the  t6l&;  but  the  work  is  barely  remunerative. 
A  small  stream  falls  into  the  Goddvarl  here  on  the  right  or  Nizdm's  bank,  and 
it  is  just  at  its  mouth  that  the  gravel  beds  alluded  to  are.  Gold  is  also  washed 
at  the  point  where  the  Kinars^ni  n&M  falls  into  the  GodSvarl,  a  little  below 
Bhadrdchallam.  Garnets  are  found  near  Bhadrdchallam  and  in  the  river-bed, 
but  they  are  poor  and  full  of  flaws.  The  best  are  found  in  considerable  quanti- 
ties on  the  right  bank  of  the  Goddvarl,  and  some  distance  in  the  interior  in  the 
Garlbpeth  hills  near  Pdlonchd.  They  are  exported  in  large  quantities  from  that 
neighbourhood.  They  are  first  pounded  up  with  an  iron  pestle,  by  which  process 
the  refuse  is  broken  ofi",  and  the  garnets  are  then  selected  and  sent  to  Madras, 
where  they  are  made  into  ornaments.  The  selling  price  at  Pdlonchd  is  two  seers 
per  rupee  (sixpence  a  pound).  Sapphires  and  amethysts  are  also  found  in  the 
neighbourhood.  Rock-crystal  is  found  very  pure  in  the  Bhadrdchallam  and 
Rdk^palli  tdlukas.  Variegated  sandstones  and  clays  exist  in  large  quantities  in 
the  upper  part  of  the  district.    There  is  also  a  yellow  sandstone  near  Duma* 

fudem  which  has  been  used  on  the  navigation  works ;  and  lastly  ^'  kurand,''  a 
ind  of  whetstone,  is  found  in  many  parts  of  the  district,  especially  near 
Bhadrdchallam.  It  is  used  by  armourers  for  polishing  and  sharpening  swords 
and  daggers. 

The  breed  of  horses  and  ponies  in  the  district  and  in  the  neighbouring 

country  is  exceedingly  poor.    None  of  the  zamfn- 
Domestic  animals.  d^rs  have  good  horses,  nor  do  they  attempt  to 

improve  the  breed.  The  dense  jungle  with  which 
the  country  is  covered  renders  it  diflBcult  to  use  horses, 'and  this  is  probably  the 
reason  why  no  interest  is  taken  in  the  matter.  The  cattle  are  of  a  small  breed; 
but  as  there  is  good  grazing  for  them,  they  are  generally  plump  and  sleek. 
Endeavours  have  been  made  to  improve  the  breed  by  importing  bulls  from  the 
Nellore  and  Kishn.i  districts  of  the  Madras  presidency.  The  total  number  of 
cattle  in  the  district  is  computed  at  10,262  bufialoes,  and  88^281  bullocks  and 
cows ;  and  the  chief  wealth  of  many  of  the  inhabitants  consists  in  their  herds. 
Male  buffaloes  are  exported  to  the  Coast  districts,  where  they  are  used  in 
ploughing  the  rice-fields.      In  1866-67  Rs.  8,175  worth  of  cattle  were  so 


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exported.  The  sheep  of  the  district  about  Sironchd  and  of  the  adjoining  parts 
of  the  Niz&m^s  territories  are  considered  to  be  of  a  superior  breed.  They  are 
rather  small  in  the  lower  part  of  the  district.  They  are  not  as  yet  exported  in 
the  direction  of  either  Nl^gpdr  or  Haidaribdd.  There  are  also  some  fine 
varieties  of  fowls,  and  game-fowls  are  reared  with  great  care. 

Tigers  and  panthers  are  by  no  means  so  numerous  as  would  be  supposed 
—,,      .     ,  in  a  wild  district  like  this.     The  fact  is  that  the 

jungle  is  too  extensive.  The  tiger  prefers  to  lurk 
in  patches  of  jungle,  wooded  ravines,  and  hill-sides  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
villages  in  more  cultivated  tracts,  where  he  can  prey  on  the  village  cattle. 
Bears  are  numerous  in  the  three  lower  tdlukas,  but  wolves  are  scarce,  if  indeed 
there  are  any.  Wild  buflfaloes  are  rare,  being  only  found  in  the  Sironchi  tSluka, 
although  they  abound  towards  the  north-east  in  the  valley  of  the  Indrdvatl. 
It  is  generally  believed  that  they  are  not  foand  south  of  the  Goddvari.  The 
bulls  frequently  follow  the  herds  of  tame  buffaloes,  and  there  are  instances 
known  of  their  having  bred  with  the  domesticated  cow-buffaloes.  Bison  are 
found  in  Sironchfi,  A'lbl^kd,  Charld,  and  RdkdpalK.  Sfimbar,  nllgdi,  spotted- 
deer,  and  jungle-sheep  are  found  in  all  parts  of  the  district.  Wild-duck  and 
snipe  are  scarce ;  the  s&vas  is  to  be  found  about  most  of  the  tanks ;  and  the 
kulang,  flying  in  long  columns  from  the  north,  pays  its  annual  visit  each 
December.     Quail,  partridge,  pea-fowl,  and  jungle-fowl  abound. 

The  rivers  abound  with  fish  of  many  varieties.     The  ^^mdhasJr^*  is  said  to 
p. ,  frequent  the   Indrdvati  and  Sabari,  and  the  rohd 

is  common.  The  largest  fish  are  killed  with  the 
hook.  The  Dhlmars  in  many  villages  have  large  drag-nets  with  which  they 
catch  quantities  of  fish ;  but  the  people  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  river  do  not 
use  fish  as  an  article  of  food  so  much  as  they  might  do.  Prawns  are  found  in 
considerable  numbers  in  the  hot  season.  Alligators  frequent  all  the  large 
rivers,  and  also  all  tanks  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  rivers.  They  are  very 
troublesome,  though  they  are  not  so  dangerous  as  they  might  be  if  they  were 
courageous.    The  tanks  contain  maral,  eels,  and  other  good  eatable  fish. 

There  are  as  yet  no  regular  roads,  but  the  cart-track  from  village  to  village 

^  .    ^.  alone:  the  left  bank  of  the  Goddvari,  between  Siron- 

Communications.  -l/       j  -rk  j  •    i       i.    i  rrn. 

cna  and  Dumagudem,  is  kept  clear.     Ihere  is  no 

traffic  along  this  route  however,  except  in  the  vicinity  of  the  places  above 
named,  and  it  is  only  useful  as  the  line  of  communication  between  the  head- 
quarters of  the  Deputy  Commissioner  and  the  lower  part  of  the  district,  and  for 
police,  postal,  and  other  purposes.  The  Goddvarl  is  the  highway  which  will  ulti- 
mately bring  wealth  and  prosperity  to  the  district  when  the  works  now  in  pro- 
gross  at  the  First  and  Second  Barriers  are  completed.  This  river  extends  along 
the  entire  length  of  the  district,  except  for  about  twenty-five  miles,  which  is 
bounded  by  the  Pranhf td.  As,  however,  the  navigation  scheme  leaves  the  God&- 
vari  at  its  confluence  with  the  Pranhiti  and  proceeds  up  the  latter  river,  it 
follows  that  the  district  will  have  the  navigable  stream  as  its  western  boundary 
along  its  entire  length  of  two  hundred  and  fifteen  miles.  The  south-eastern 
limit  of  the  district — ^where  it  borders  on  the  Madras  presidency  at  the  gorge 
in  the  Eastern  Ghdts,  through  which  the  Gt)ddvar(  flows — ^is  only  eighty  miles 
from  the  sea.  About  seventy  miles  above  this,  and  one  hundred  and  forty- 
eight  from  the  sea,  is  the  First  Barrier,  the  works  at  which  are  nearly  com- 
pleted.   This  difficulty  surmounted,  the  navigation  will  be  open  from  the  sea  to 


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the  foot  of  the  Second  Barrier— *a  distance  of  two  hundred  and  twenty  miles. 
The  interruption  to  the  water  communication  here  extends  for  about  fifteen 
miles^  and  at  present  is  only  got  over  by  a  land  journey  of  the  same  length. 
The  completion  of  the  Second  Barrier  works  will  give  a  distance  of  ninety  miles 
further,  and  a  total  waterway  of  three  hundred  miles  from  the  Bay  of  Bengal 
into  the  heart  of  the  country. 

Communication  from  place  to  place  in  the  upper  part  of  the  district  is  kept 
p     .  up  by  means  of  small  carts  of  the  Ndgpdr  pattern, 

^"^**'  and  capable  of  carrying  about  twelve  maunds. 

In  the  lower  part  of  the  district,  especially  in  Bhadr&challam  and  R&kdpalli^  there 
are  no  carts  at  all,  and  everything  is  carried  by  "  kiwari/'*  The  want  of  wheeled 
carriage  must  put  the  people  to  great  inconvenience  sometimes,  but  nevertheless 
endeavours  made  hitherto  to  induce  them  to  construct  carts  have  not  been  suc- 
cessful ;  and  while  in  the  upper  t&lukas  the  poorest  cultivator  travels  in  his  cart 
with  his  wife  and  children  when  going  any  distance,  in  Bhadrdchallam  and 
Bdk^palll  well-dressed  and  well-to-do  men  and  women  have  to  trudge  on  foot ; 
and  it  is  not  an  uncommon  sight  in  that  part  of  the  country  to  meet  the  father 
of  a  family  with  his  child  slung  at  one  end  of  the  "  kdwari  ^'  stick,  balanced  by  a 
bag  of  rice  at  the  other.  As  yet  there  is  no  traffic  or  regular  communication 
on  the  river  by  boats  or  canoes,  except  below  the  First  Barrier;  and  even  between 
that  and  the  Coast  the  greater  portion  of  the  traffic  consists  of  boats  employed 
in  bringing  up  engineers'  stores,  grain,  and  other  supplies  for  the  Public  Works 
Department  at  the  First  Barrier  navigation  works.  At  present  the  rates  of  water 
carriage  are  ten  rupees  for  the  khandi  of  1,600  lbs.  between  B&jdmandri  and 
Bhad^challam ;  and  the  largest  boats  are  capable  of  carrying  about  ten  khandis. 

The  trade  of  the  district  is  as  yet  in  its  infancy.    The  same  arrangements 
-.    ,  exist  here  as  in  other  districts  of  these  Provinces 

for  the  registry  of  all  important  exports,  but 
owing  to  the  long  line  of  frontier  towards  the  Niz&n's  territories,  it  is  not  so 
easy  to  obtain  accrirate  returns  of  all  that  passes  to  and  fro  in  this  direction. 
The  trade  with  the  Coast  districts  being  partly  by  the  river  and  partly  by  one 
line  of  road,  is  registered  with  accuracy.  The  value  of  the  Import  and  Export 
trade  for  the  year  1868-69,  compared  with  that  for  1863-64,  is  as  follows  : — 


Yean. 

Imports, 

Exports. 

1863-64     . 

Rs. 

95,213 
35,469 

Bs. 

49,818 

1868-69     . 

32,469 

The  falling  off  is  due  partly  to  the  completion  of  the  works  at  the  First 
Barrierf  and  to  the  concentration  of  the  workpeople  further  up  the  river  at 
the  Second  Barrier,  where  supplies  are  brought  from  the  Nizim^s  country  and 
Bastar,  instead  of,  as  before,  from  the  districts  of  the  Delta.  That  the  district 
will  ultimately  benefit  largely  by  being  placed  within  easy  communication  with 

*  Two  baskets  slung  at  the  ends  of  a  pole  which  is  carried  on  the  shoulder. 


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UP— WAI  509 

the  Coast  is  a  matter  of  certainty ;  but  the  valley  of  the  Godivari  is  so  sparsely 
populated^  the  people  are  so  backward  and  indolent  and  have  so  few  wants,  that 
both  the  trade  by  the  rive?,  and  the  material  prosperity  of  the  population  on  its 
banks,  will  take  somewhat  longer  to  reach  a  very  high  point  than  is  generally 
anticipated. 

UPRORA' — A  wild  zamfnd^rf  estate  lying  on  the  northern  hills  of  the 
Bilfepiir  district.  It  covers  an  area  of  431  square  miles,  and  possesses  thirty- 
nine  villages.  The  cultivated  area,  which  is  entirely  in  the  valleys,  amounts  to 
7,233  acres,  and  the  land  capable  of  cultivation  is  about  60,000  acres.  The 
total  population  is  2,589,  giving  a  rate  of  only  six  persons  to  the  square  mile. 
Wild  elephants  are  found  here. 

XJSKA'L — A  stream  in  the  Bfflighdt  district,  which  rises  in  the  hills  to  the 
north  of  the  Hatt£  pargana,  flows  north,  and  eventually  falls  into  the  N&hr£. 

TJTTAIj  or  BESI'— An  estate  attached  to  the  Sambalpdr  district.  It  was 
originally  a  Gond  chiefship,  but  about  fifty  years  ago  R4ji  Mahdrij  Sahi  of  Sambal- 

?dr,  with  the  consent  of  the  British  Government,  conferred  it  on  one  Gopi  Kolti. 
t  is  situated  about  fifty  miles  south-south-west  of  the  town  of  SambaJptlr,  and 
consists  of  some  twenty-eight  villages.  Its  area  may  be  about  eighty  square 
miles.  All  the  culturable  land  has  been  brought  under  cultivation.  The  popu- 
lation is  computed  at  10,696  souls,  chiefly  belonging  to  the  Koltd,  Sionrd,  and 
Binjdl  (Binjwir)  castes.  Rice,  the  pulses,  sugarcane,  cotton,  and  oil-seeds  are 
the  chief  products.  The  principal  town  is  Bijdpdr,  which  has  a  population  of 
8,711.  There  is  a  remarkably  fine  tank  there,  also  a  good  school-house,  where 
about  a  hundred  pupils  are  receiving  instruction,  and  there  are  several  other 
schools  in  the  surrounding  villages.  The  present  chief,  Mrityunjaya  Garhotid, 
is  the  fourth  of  his  line  ;  he  is  about  twenty-five  years  of  age,  reads  and  writes 
XJriya,  is  intelligent  and  well-disposed,  and  has  given  great  assistance  in  popu- 
larising education. 

V 

VAGARPETH— A  hill  in  the  Chdndi  district,  situated  nine  miles  north- 
east of  Neri.     Good  iron-ore  is  quarried  from  it. 

VA'GHNAKH — A  village  in  the  Chdndd  district,  situated  six  miles  north 
of  Mdndherf.  It  is  surrounded  by  fine  groves,  and  possesses  an  ancient  temple, 
now  falling  into  ruin.  During  the  ravages  of  the  Pindhdris  the  wife  of  one  of 
these  robbers  was  concealed  for  months  in  a  chamber  in  the  dome,  and  there 
gave  birth  to  a  child. 

VIJATUH — ^An  estate  in  the  Bastar  dependency,  with  an  area  of  170 
square  miles  and  250  villages.  The  chief  village  is  Vijdpdr.  The  central  and 
western  portions  are  pretty  well  populated  by  Kols  and  Telingas. 

VINJHA'SANI'  HILL— See  ''  Bhdndak.^' 

w 

WAIGA'ON— A  town  in  the  Huztir  tahsfl  of  the  Wardhd  district,  eight 
miles  south  of  Wardhd,  on  the  Wardhi  valley  road.  It  contains  2,257  inhabi- 
tants^ principally  cultivators  of  the  Tell  and  Eunbi  castes,  with  a  few  weavers. 


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510  WAI 

Under  the  Mardthd  rule  Wiigion  was  the  head-quarters  of  the  Eam&risd&r  in 
charge  of  the  Andori  pargana.  The  town  is  built  on  the  top  of  a  stony  slope^  and 
in  the  hot  season^  when  the  three  tanks  in  the  outskirts  dry  up,  the  people  are 
much  straitened  for  water.  A  branch-road  has  been  laid  out  from  W&ig&on  to 
connect  the  Wardhi  station  and  the  Wardha  valley  road.  An  annual  fair  is 
held  here  during  the  Dasar^  holidays,  in  honour  of  the  god  Bildji,  to  whom 
there  is  an  old  temple  of  considerable  local  repute  in  the  town.  A  good-sized 
sardi  has  been  erected  here,  and  the  village-school,  recently  opened,  is  getting 
on  weU. 

WAINGANGA' — A  river  which  rises  in  the  Seonf  district  a  few  miles  to 
the  east  of  the  Ndgpdr  and  Jabalpdr  road,  near  the  Kuraf  Ghdt.  For  a  short 
distance  it  flows  in  a  north-westerly  direction ;  then,  turning  to  the  north,  it 
skirts  the  west  of  the  Seonf  district,  and  not  far  to  the  west  of  Chhapdri,  where 
it  is  crossed  by  a  fine  bridge  with  twelve  arches  of  fifty  feet  span,  it  turns  again 
and  flows  towards  the  east  up  to  its  junction  with  the  Thdnwar.  At  this  point 
it  changes  its  course  to  the  south,  and  after  passing  through  a  mountain  gorge, 
enters  the  open  country  known  as  the  Valley  of  the  Waingangd.  For  about 
sixty  miles  it  flows  nearly  due  south,  forming  the  boundary  between  the  Seoul 
and  Bdldghdt  district ;  it  is  then  joined  by  the  Bdgh,  and  flows  in  a  south- 
westerly direction  through  the  Bhanddra  district.  A  few  miles  to  the  south  of 
the  town  from  which  the  district  takes  its  name,  it  is  joined  by  its  main  tributary 
the  Kanhdn ;  then  turning  again  towards  the  south-east  it  traverses  the  Chdndd 
district,  until  at  a  point  about  thirty  miles  to  the  south-east  of  the  town  of  Chdn- 
dd it  unites  with  the  Wardhd,  and  forms  the  river  known  as  the  Pranhitd.  At 
the  junction  of  these  two  rivers  ( Waingan gd  and  Wardhd)  commences  that  mass 
of  rocks  which  is  known  as  the  Third  Barrier  of  the  Goddvari.  The  Waingangd 
is  navigable  during  the  rains  for  about  one  hundred  miles  above  the  junction 
with  the  Kanhdn.  Its  greatest  breadth  is  about  three  hundred  yards.  Its  length 
to  its  junction  with  the  Wardhd  is  about  three  hundred  and  fifty  miles.  Its 
principal  affluents,  besides  those  already  mentioned,  are  the  Bdwantharf,  the 
Bdgh,  the  Ohulban,  the  Gdrd,  the  Khobrdgarhi,  the  Kdmen,  the  Potpuri,  the 
Kurdr,  the  Botwdri,  and  the  Andhdri. 

WAIPHAL — A  large  agricultural  village  in  the  Wardhd  district,  on  the 
old  Ndgpdr  and  Bombay  road,  about  twelve  miles  to  the  west  of  Wardhd.  It 
contains  the  ruins  of  three  forts,  having  passed,  since  its  foundation  two  hun- 
dred years  ago,  through  the  hands  of  three  different  families,  each  of  which 
erected  its  own  stronghold.  The  j)opulation  amounts  to  1,464  souls.  There  is 
a  school  here. 

WAIRA'GARH — ^The  eastern  pargana  of  the  Brahmapurf  tahsfl  in  the 
Chdndd  district.  It  is  bounded  on  the  north  by  the  Bhanddra  and  Rdlpdr  dis- 
tricts, on  the  east  by  the  Bdlpdr  district  and  Bastar,  on  the  south  by  the  A'mbgdon 
pargana  and  zamfnddris,  and  on  the  west  by  the  Waingangd.  It  has  an  area  of 
about  l,9C0square  miles;  and  contains  116  fcAa/^a  villages  and  16  zamlnddrls.  The 
Gdrhvf  river  joins  the  Waingangd  at  its  north-western  comer,  and  the  Khobrd- 
garhi with  its  tributaries  intersects  it  from  east  to  west.  The  country  is  very  hilly, 
especially  in  the  east,  and  for  the  most  part  covered  with  dense  forest,  lie  soil 
is  generally  sandy  or  red,  producing  mostly  rice.  The  chief  agricultural  classes 
are  the  Gonds  and  the  KJiaird  Kunbis ;  and  the  languages  spoken  are  Mardtiiii, 
Qondl,  and  Hindi.    The  most  important  towns  are  Ajmori  and  Wairdgarh. 


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WAI— WAR  511 

The  pargana  was  formerly  governed  by  a  line  of  Mini  chiefs,  who  subsequently 
were  conquered  by  the  Gonds,  and  a  house  of  that  race  then  held  Wairigarh, 
G^rhbori,  and  Bijgarh  in  subordination  to  the  Ch&ndi  kings. 

WAIRA'GARH — A  town  in  the  Chindi  district,  situated  eighty  miles 
north-east  of  Chindi  at  the  confluence  of  the  Khobrdgarhi  and  Tepigarhi,  It 
is  a  place  of  great  antiquity,  and  according  to  tradition  was  founded  in  the 
Dvipir  Yuga  by  a  king  of  the  family  of  the  Moon,  who  called  it  Wairigarh, 
after  his  own  name  Wairochan.  On  approaching  historic  times  we  find  the 
city  ruled  by  Mini  chiefs,  who  about  the  ninth  century  fell  before  the  Gonds, 
and  a  line  of  Gond  princes  then  succeeded,  holding,  in  subjection  to  the  Chindi 
kings,  the  parganas  of  Garhborf,  Rijgarh,  and  Wairigarh  with  its  dependent 
chiefships.  The  present  fort,  which  is  a  large  stone  ibuilding  in  good  repair, 
was  erected  about  the  beginning  of  the  seventeenth  century.  The  town  now 
contains  936  houses,  and  is  enclosed  by  noble  groves  of  ancient  trees,  while 
around  sweeps  the  forest,  and  in  the  centre  tower  the  walls  and  bastions  of  the 
lofty  fortress,  forming  in  all  a  most  striking  picture.  Within  the  fort  walls  is 
the  tomb  of  Durga  Shdh,  a  Gond  prince ;  and  not  far  distant  sleeps  an  unknown 
English  girl,  the  daughter,  it  is  said,  of  the  oflScer  who  commanded  the 
garrison  between  1818  and  1830  a.d. 

The  surrounding  forest  contains  numerous  foundations  of  former  buildings ; 
and  in  the  vicinity  of  the  town  are  several  ancient  temples,  the  most  interesting 
of  which  are  one  dedicated  to  Mahikilf,  and  one  sacred  to  Mahideva.  In  front 
of  the  former  flows  a  deep  reach  of  the  Khobrigarhi,  and  in  this  reach,  buried 
in  the  sand,  is  supposed  to  stand  an  old-world  temple. 

Wairigarh  is  very  unhealthy  during  the  autumn  and  early  winter  months, 
and  its  trade  has  consequently  been  almost  wholly  diverted  to  the  neighbouring 
town  of  Armori ;  but  the  zamlndirs  of  the  north  and  north-east  still  look  upon 
ik  as  their  capital,  and  many  of  the  surrounding  landholders  have  residences 
here.  Good  sandstone  and  granite  are  obtained  near  the  town ;  and  mines  of 
diamonds  and  rubies  were  formerly  worked  in  the  vicinity.  The  town  contains 
government  schools  for  boys  and  girls,  a  district  post-office,  a  police  station- 
house,  and  the  office  of  a  patrol  of  customs. 

WA'KORI' — A  small  town  in  the  Nigpdr  district,  situated  on  the  Kanhin, 
about  eighteen  miles  north  of  Nigptir.  The  population  amounts  to  2,759  souls. 
The  plao9  is  said  to  be  very  old.  A  school-house  has  recently  been  erected 
here. 

WANA' — A  tributary  of  the  Wardhi.  It  has  its  sources  some  sixteen 
miles  south  of  Ndgpdr,  and  after  flowing  by  Borl,  where  it  is  spanned  by  a  rail- 
way viaduct,  receives  the  Bor  and  Dhdm,  a  little  above  the  town  of  Mindgion 
in  the  Wardhd  district,  and  joins  the  Wardhi  near  Siongl  at  the  southern  extre- 
mity of  the  Wardhd  district. 

WA'RA'-SEONI' — A  flourishing  market  village  in  the  Seoul  district, 
situated  about  forty  miles  to  the  south-east  of  Seonf.  Native  cloth  is 
manufactured  here  in  some  quantity.  There  are  here  a  police  station  and  a 
village  school.    The  population  amounts  to  731  souls. 

WARDHA' — A  river  which  rises  in  the  Sitpurd  hills  between  Nigpdr  and 
Betdl,  some  seventy  miles  north-west  of  the  former,  and  flows  south-east,  separa* 
ting  the  N&gpdr,  Wardhd,  and  Chdnd^  districts  of  the  Central  Provinces  from 


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512 


WAR 


the  Berdrs  and  the  Nizam's  dominions.  Tts  first  great  aflSaent  is  the  Painganga^ 
which  it  receives  on  the  Nizdm^s,  or  right  bank^  about  one  hundred  and  ninety 
miles  from  its  source ;  sixty -four  miles  lower  down  (a  little  above  Chdndd)  it  joins 
theWaingangi,  and  the  united  stream,  thenceforward  known  as  the  Pranhlta,  flows 
on  in  the  same  direction  to  join  the  Goddvari  at  SironchS.  It  is  at  the  junction  of 
the  Wardhi  with  the  Waingangd  that  the  great  obstacle  to  the  Goddvarl  naviga- 
tion scheme,  known  as  "  the  Third  Barrier,"  occurs.  The  bed  of  the  Wardhd  is 
throughout  rocky  and  deep.  In  the  monsoon  it  becomes  a  furious  torrent, 
and  carries  a  considerable  body  of  water.  The  railway  bridge  which  crosses  it 
at  Pulgion  is  of  iron,  and  consists  of  fourteen  sixty-foot  girders,  resting  on 
masonry  piers.  In  the  hot  months,  however,  the  stream  is  everywhere 
fordable. 

The  valley  of  the  Wardhi  is  a  rich  tract  of  country,  lying  between  the  river 
and  a  range  of  hills,  which,  receding  as  the  Wardhi  district  is  entered,  leave  a 
considerable  open  space,  which  widens  gradually  to  the  south.  This  tract  of 
country  contains  many  flourishing  towns  and  villages,  and  is  celebrated  for  its 
cotton.  Coal  has  also  lately  been  discovered  at  several  points,  especially  at 
Ghugds,  and  both  the  quantity  and  quality  of  the  mineral  may  be  considered 
promising. 

The  banks  of  the  river  are  in  several  places  picturesquely  crowned  by  small 
temples  and  tombs,  and  numerous  ruined  forts  in  the  background  recall  the 
wild  period  through  which  the  district  has  now  fortunately  passed.  The  sacred 
Kaundalpdr  (Dewalwdrd)  is  the  place  of  most  interest  on  the  river.  It  is  believed 
to  represent  the  site  of  a  buried  city,  celebrated  in  the  Bhagvat  Gfti  as  the 
metropolis  of  the  kingdom  of  Vidarbha  (Berir).  It  is  now  the  site  of  an  annual 
fair,  in  which  religion  lends  its  aid  to  commerce,  and  collects  in  the  bed  of  the 
then  scanty  river  the  cotton  fabrics  of  the  East  country,  the  hardware  of  the 
West,  and  the  miscellaneous  productions  and  piece-goods  of  England.  The 
length  of  the  Wardhi  from  its  source  to  its  junction  with  the  Waingangd  is 
about  254  miles. 


WAEDHA- 


CONTBNTS. 


Page 

General  description  512 

Appearance    513 

Geology  514 

Climate   515 

Domestic  animals tb. 

Wild  animals 616 


Page 

Forest  produce  616 

Agpricaltural  produce ih. 

Manufactures 517 

Trade  ib. 

Communications     ib. 

Administration  518 


Until  seven  years  ago  the  tract  of  country  now  known  as  Wardhi  formed 
.  .      .    .  part  of  the  Nigpdr  district,  to  which  it  is  similar 

era    escrip  on.  |^^^^  j^  character  of  population  and  in  geographi- 

cal features.  The  two  were  divided  on  the  1st  August  1862,  chiefly  on  the 
grounds  that  Ndgpdr  as  it  then  stood  was  too  large  for  a  single  administrative 
charge,  and  that  the  interests  of  the  very  valuable  cotton  country  in  this  part 
of  the  Wardhd  valley  needed  special  guardianship.  As  now  constituted  the 
district  lies  between  78^  and  79°  of  east  longitude,  and  between  20°  and  21°  of 
north  latitude.  Its  form  is  almost  triangular,  the  base  having  a  direction  from 
north-east  to  south-west,  and  the  apex  to  the  north  lying  among  the  spurs 
of  the  Sdtpur^  range.    The  River  Wardh^  forms  the  northern  and  western 


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boundary^  while  to  the  east  and  south  the  district  marches  with  the  N^gpdr  and 
Chdndi  districts  respectively.  The  extreme  length  is  about  eighty^eight  miles, 
and  the  breadth  at  the  base  thirty-six  miles.  The  whole  area  is  about  2,379 
square  miles* 

Wardhfi  naturally  divides  itself  into  two  parts — ^the  north  being  hilly,  from 
an  inlying  spur  of  the  S&tpur^  range ;  the  south  being  an  undulating  plain, 
intersected  by  nH&a,  and  broken  here  and  there  by  isolated  hills  rising  abruptly 
fi*om  its  surface.  The  hill-ranges  and  intervening  valleys  run  generally  in  a 
south-east  direction,  but  towards  the  south,  where  the  hills  diminish  in  height 
and  gradually  merge  into  the  plains,  no  definite  direction  is  discernible.  The 
central  cluster  of  hills,  which  includes  the  survey  stations  of  Mdlegdon  (1,726 
feetabove  the  sea),  Nindgdon  (1,874  feet),  and  Garamsdr  (2,086  feet),  forms 
the  watershed  of  the  district.  From  the  north  and  west  of  this  range  numerous 
small  mountain-streams  make  their  way  to  the  Wardhd,  while  on  the  south  and 
south-east  the  Dhdm,  the  Bor,  and  the  Asodd  ndld  take  their  rise,  and  flow 
down  the  length  of  the  district  in  a  south-east  direction.  In  the  north  a  sue* 
cession  of  "ghits — abrupt  escarpments  in  the  trap  rock — mark  the  steps  by 
which  the  country  rises  and  falls  from  the  bed  of  the  Wardhd  to  the  confines  of 
Ndgptir.  The  ghits  of  Tal^gion,  ChichoK,  Dhfimkund,  and  Th&n6g&on  are 
well  known  to  travellers  passing  from  Amr^ot(  to  the  Nigpdr  district.  The 
surface  of  the  hills  is  in  general  rugged  and  stony.  In  summer  a  few  shrubs 
and  small  trees  alone  appear  on  their  sides,  though  after  the  rains  they  are 
covered  with  luxuriant  grass — ^the  grazing  ground  of  larg^  herds  of  fine  bu&loes 
and  cattle.  But  in  the  A'sht(  and  KondhdK  parganas  in  the  north  of  the 
district  many  of  the  hiUs  are  clothed  with  young  teak  and  other  timber,  and 
the  valleys  between  the  ranges  are  everywhere  fertile  and  rich.  Garamsdr — the 
highest  hill  in  the  district — ^has  an  elevation  of  2,086  feet,  but  the  average  height 
of  the  summits  of  the  hill-ranges  does  not  exceed  1,300  feet.  The  elevation  of 
the  head-quarters  station  of  Wardhd  is  about  925  feet.  The  principal  rivers  are 
the  WardM  itself,  with  its  affluents  the  Wand,  Asodd^and  Bakli» 

The  aspect  of  the  plain  portions  of  the  district  presents  but  few  remark- 
-  able  features.     In  general  the  country  is  well 

ppeannce.  wooded,  and  in  the  eastern  portion  of  the  Hingan- 

ghdt  subdivision  the  jungle  predominates  over  the  cleared  and  cultivated  tracts. 
But  on  the  other  hand  large  portions  of  this  tahsfl  are  very  deficient  in  trees, 
and  the  neighbourhood  of  Hinganghdt  itself  is  singularly  bare.  The  trees 
which  most  frequently  meet  the  eye  are  the  mango,  tamarind,  nim,  ber,  and 
pipaL  The  hollows  of  the  lowlands  are  generally  covered  with  clumps  of  date 
palmu  Mud  forts,  of  which  almost  every  village  has  one,  form  a  prominent 
object  in  a  Wardhd  landscape.  The  population  has  always  been  peaceable  and 
quiet,  but  in  the  earlier  years  of  the  present  century  they  lay  peculiarly  exposed 
to  the  organised  assaults  of  the  marauding  Pindhdris.  These  well-known  bands 
of  freebooters  had  most  of  their  head-quarter  camps  in  the  Narbadd  valley, 
whence  they  swept  down  on  these  rich  plains,  and  no  village  was  safe  without 
some  kind  of  fortified  enclosure.  The  Pindhdris  were  extinguished  in  the  cam- 
paign which  ended  in  1818,  but  their  memory  is  still  fresh  in  the  minds  of  the 
people.  The  appearance  of  the  villages  generally  contrasts  unfavourably  with 
the  substantial  look  of  native  habitations  in  some  other  parts  of  India.  Masonry 
and  double-storied  houses  are  exceedingly  rare.  Tiled  roofs  are  the  exception, 
and  even  the  dwellings  of  the  better  classes  would  in  other  parts  be  thought 
squalid  and  mean.    Scarcity  of  building-timber  is  no  doubt  a  principal  cause 


65  CPG 


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514  WAR 

of  this  architectnral  deficiency ;  bnt  throughout  the  N^gpdr  proyince  there  is  s 
want  of  taste  and  appreciation  for  appearances.  In  the  villages,  the  houses  of 
which  are  almost  all  thatched,  fires  are  both  frequent  and  destructiye.  Efforts 
have  of  late  been  made  to  encourage  tiled  roofs,  and  to  spread  a  taste  for  house- 
decoration. 

The  following  paragraphs  on  the  geology  of  the  district  are  taken  almost 

entirely  from  the  article  on  the  geology  of  the 
^^^*  N&gpibr  proyince,  published  in  the  collection  of 

papers  on  the  geology  of  Western  India.*  The  sameness  of  formation  makes  the 
description  there  giyen  i^plicable  to  eyery  part  of  the  district. 

The  great  sheet  of  trap  which  covers  the  Ber&:«,  and  extends  as  far  as  the 
coast  of  the  Arabian  Sea,  underlies  the  whole  of  the  Wardh^  district.  On  the 
south  the  boundaiy  of  Wai*dh&  and  Chind&  marks  the  termination  of  this 
formation,  and  on  the  east  and  north  it  extends  beyond  the  limits  of  the  district 
to  TJmrer  and  Nigpdr.  The  stratification  in  Wardhi  is  regular  and  continuous, 
and  the  angle  of  mclination  is  generally  small.  The  effect  of  this  regularity 
is  seen  in  the  flat  tops  of  the  hills,  and  in  the  horizontal  terraces  which  their 
sides  present.  The  strata  in  this  part  of  India  are  said  to  succeed  one  another 
in  the  following  order  :— 

I.    Superficial  formations — Begar  (black  soil),  or  red  soQ,  as  the  case 

may  be. 
II.    Brown  clay. 

III.  Laterite. 

IV.  Nodular  trap. 

V.  A  fresh-water  formation. 

VI.  Underlying  trap. 

VII.  Sandstone. 

Vin.  Plutonic  and  metamorphic  rocks. 

But  in  Wardh^  althoogh  rocks  of  all,  or  nearly  all,  of  these  formations  are 
occasionally  found,  the  red  soil  and  laterite  are  generally  wanting,  and  the 
sandstone  and  plutonic  rocks,  which  no  doubt  underlie  the  trap,  are  yery  seldom 
exposed  to  yiew.  The  usual  succession  is  black  soil  resting  on  nodular  trap, 
and  that  again,  with  the  fresh-water  formation  intervening,  over  the  underlying 
trap.  The  thickness  of  the  trap  formation  is,  however,  so  great  that  little  is 
known  regarding  the  position  of  the  underlying  rocks. 

Owing  to  the  sameness  of  the  geological  formation,  variety  of  mineral  pro- 
ducts  is  wanting  in  Wardhfi.  No  ores  nor  coal-seams  are  found,  nor  is  there  any 
probability  of  their  discovery.  The  black  basalt,  however,  supplies  an  excellent 
building-stone,  and  in  a  few  localities  quarries  of  flagstone  have  been  opened. 
Limestone  is  not  found  as  a  rock,  but  nodules  of  kankar  enter  into  the  com- 
position of  the  black  soil,  and  the  Ume  required  for  building  purposes  is  made 
by  collecting  and  burning  the  larger  fragments  which  are  exposed  on  the  surface 
of  the  ground. 

The  plain  of  Hingauffh^t  and  the  plain  and  hill  of  Oirar  are  spots  of  great 
geological  interest.    At  the  former  place  the  fresh- water  stratum  may  be  traced, 

*  Geologicftl  Papen  on  Western  India,  edited  for  the  GovemmeBt  by  H.  J.  Carter,  £*q-» 
Attistant  Surgeon,  Bombay,  1857i  pp.  2^7  J\ 


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WAR  515 

and  silicified  wood  picked  up  in  abundance.  At  the  latter  the  hill-side  exposes 
the  fresh- water  stratum  in  all  its  varieties^  while  the  plain  is  strewn  with  curious 
zeolitic  concretions,  resembling  betelnuts  or  nutmegs,  which  have  issued 
from  the  soft  subjacent  rock.  Native  superstition  has  accounted  for  these 
nodules  by  a  legend  that  the  stores  of  a  travelling  spice-merchant  were  turned 
to  stone  at  the  command  of  Shekh  Parld — a  saint,  whose  anger  the  merchant 
had  incurred,  and  whose  name  is  still  held  in  reverence  by  a  colony  of  fakirs, 
who  reside  on  the  top  of  the  Girar  hill. 

As  might  be  expected  from   its  distance  from  the  sea  and  its  physical 
^j.  conformation,  the  climate  of  Wardhi  is  variable, 

and  the  extremes  of  temperature  are  pretty  widely 
separated.  The  cold  of  winter  is  never  severe,  but  the  heat  of  midday  in 
summer  is  little  below  that  of  the  hottest  parts  of  India.  The  variations  of 
temperature  in  the  same  day  are  considerable  at  all  times  of  the  year,  and  the 
rapid  change  from  the  heat  of  the  day  to  a  cool  night  is  especially  remarkable 
in  the  summer  months.  It  can  scarcely  be  supposed  that  the  influence  of  the 
sea-breeze  extends  so  far  inland ;  but  the  soil  of  Wardh^,  like  the  sand  of  the 
desert,  probably  radiates  heat  rapidly,  and  the  surface  of  the  ground  cools  quickly 
after  the  heat  of  the  sun  has  ceased  to  act  upon  it.  During  the  summer  months 
a  dry,  and  in  the  daytime  a  hot  wind  blows  steadily  and  strongly  from  the 
nordi-west  quarter.  The  monsoon  generally  opens  with  a  hurricane ;  at  other 
times  of  the  year  the  wind  is  variable  and  generally  light.  The  average  rain- 
fall is  about  thirty-two  inches.  The  rains  set  in  about  the  15th  of  June  and 
last  till  the  end  of  September.  Falls  also  occur  at  uncertain  times  about  the 
middle  of  the  cold  season.  The  climate  of  the  district  is  on  the  whole  salubrious, 
and  although  Wardh^  cannot  vie  in  healthiness  with  the  districts  of  the  Sdtourfi 
plateau,  it  has  a-better  name  than  the  immediately  adjoining  country.  It  is 
well  drained,  and  although  the  jungles  to  the  north  are  feverish  for  a  few 
months  after  the  rains,  it  is  geneiuUy  free  from  malaria.  Cholera  is  not  uncom- 
mon, but  it  has  generally  been  imported  by  pilgrims  from  the  religious  fairs  at 
Jaganndth,  Pachmarhi,  and  Pandharpdr,  and  since  sanitary  restrictions  have  been 
placed  on  these  gatherings,  the  periodical  epidemics  have  been  rarer  and  less 
destructive.  Something  too  may  be  due  to  the  opening  of  the  railway.  The 
eastern  part  of  the  Bombay  and  Nigpdr  road  was  at  one  time  notorious  for 
cholera,  but  now  that  the  stream  of  traffic  is  diminished,  and  journeys  can  be 
accomplished  with  comparatively  little  fatigue  and  exposure^  much  less  is  heard 
of  cholera  in  the  Wardhfi  district.  There  are  no  specific  diseases  which  deserve 
notice.  The  people,  though  by  no  means  strikingly  robust,  look  generally 
vigorous  and  healthy. 

Among  domestic  animals,  the  trotting  bullocks,  for  which  this  part  of  the 
-^^^      .     ,  Central  Provinces  is  famous,  should  be  mentioned. 

^  **  The  breeding  of  homed  cattle  generally  is  carried 

on  on  a  large  scale  in  the  northern  and  hilly  part  of  the  district,  which  affords 
excellent  pasture  in  the  cold  season,  but  in  summer  most  of  the  herds  are  taken 
to  the  jungles  of  Mandla  and  Chfindd.  The  breed  of  buffaloes  too  is  very  fine. 
Large  flocks  of  sheep  and  goats  are  fouad  in  the  plain  tracts  in  the  dry  season, 
and  in  the  hills  in  the  rains,  but  the  stock  is  not  particularly  good.  Indeed 
under  the  system  of  breeding  which  is  pursued  it  is  scarcely  possible  that  very 
good  results  should  be  attained. 


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51G  WAR 

Of  wild  animsds^  the  tiger,  panther,  hyaena,  leopard,  wolf,  jackal^  and  wild 
mftk  ^^^  abound.    The  spotted-deer,  n(lgdi,  and  wild 

Wild  animaU.  ^^^^  ^j^^  inhabit  the  hills,  whilst  the  antelope  may 

be  seen  all  over  the  plains.  Of  game-birds  too  there  is  a  very  good  sprinkling, 
among  which  may  be  named  the  bastard,  the  black  and  grey  partridge,  the 
grey  and  bush  quail,  and  two  descriptions  of  rock-pigeon  or  grouse,  viz.  the 
pintail  and  pointed.  Of  fish  no  great  variety  exists.  Snakes  of  all  kinds^ 
and  scorpions  and  centipedes  of  the  largest,  are  disagreeably  conmion. 

The  most  valuable  indigenous  trees  are  the  teak  {tedona  grandis),  the  ttiri 
^  (toddy)  palm,    the  mhowa  (bassia  latifolia)^  the 

Forest  p     uce.  mango,  the  tamarind,  the  sfilai   {bomvellia  thuri- 

fei'a),  the  anjan  (hardwickia  binata),  the  dh^urd  (conocarp^ts  latifolia),  and  the 
tendd  (la^erstrcemia  j>arri/?ora).  Of  medicinal  plants  there  are  the  castor-oil 
plant,  the  hendismus  or  country  sarsaparilla,  the  kat  karanj  fruit,  the  wild 
liquorice,  nim  (azadirachta  indica)^  chirayita  (chiretta),  and  dhatdr^. 

A  little  lac  is  gathered  on  the  northern  part  of  the  district,  and  the  red 
cochineal  is  occasionally  found  in  the  plains,  though  not  in  sufficient  quantity  to 
be  of  conmiercial  value. 

Gum  is  collected  by  Gonds,  and  wax  and  honey  are  found,  but  aU  these 
products  are  insignificant  in  amount.  Mhowa  trees  are  abundant,  and  mhowa 
flowers  form  the  only  valuable  article  of  forest  produce. 

Ghee  and  butter,  the  former  especially,  are  among  the  most  important 
articles  of  trade  of  the  district.  The  hills  in  the  north  are  grazed  over  by  fine 
herds  of  buffaloes  and  cows,  and  the  ffhee  which  they  produce  is  a  principal 
article  of  sale  in  the  b^zdrs  of  A^rvi  and  Deoli. 

The  black   soil,  to  which  the  district  owes  its  great  fertility,  varies  in 
A    '    Itural   rod  depth  from  ten  feet  to  a  few  inches,  its  average 

gn  u         p     ucc.  thickness  being  about  two  feet.    In    the  dry 

weather  its  surface  shows  the  cracks  and  fissures  characteristic  of  the  deposit, 
and  it  is  generally  found  intermixed  with  nodular  limestone.  The  chief  agricul- 
tural staples  are  jaw£r(  (holetis  sorghum),  cotton,  wheat,  and  rice.  The  first 
two  are  very  largely  grown,  the  third  and  fourth  less  so.  The  Wardhi  turmeric 
too  is  of  good  quality,  and  excellent  '^  patsan  '^  and  hemp  are  produced  in  small 
quantities.  Cotton  is  the  most  valuable  product  of  the  district,  and  has  become 
so  more  than  ever  during  the  last  few  years.  The  area  under  cotton  cultivation 
last  season  was  estimated  at  176,303  acres.  In  the  present  season  (1869-70) 
it  is  estimated  that  225,332  acres  are  thus  cultivated,  and  should  the  harvest 
prove  favourable,  the  outturn  will  reach  about  178,000  maunds  (equal  to  about 
36,600  bales  of  400  lb.  each).  The  staple  of  the  local  variety  is  so  good,  and  it 
commands  so  high  a  price  in  the  market,  that  cotton  is  brought  here  firom  Ber&r 
and  elsewhere  to  be  re-exported  under  the  name  of*'  Hinganghit.*'*  The  New- 
Orleans  variety  has  been  recently  introduced,  but  hitherto  it  has  not  turned  out 
so  well  as  the  indigenous  cotton,  and  it  is  believed  that  more  may  be  done  by 
careful  selection  and  culture  of  the  latter  on  the  pedig^ree  system  than  by 
acclimatisation  of  exotic  seed. 
■  —  I  I  I  ■ 

*  The  name  of  the  chief  cotton-market  in  Wardhi. 


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WAR  517 

Country  cloth  is  the  only  important  local  manufacture.     The  following  table 
„      -  exhibits  the  number  ofpeople  engaged  in  it^  and  the 

estimated  value  of  the  outturn  of  their  labour  :— 

No.  of  weavers.               No.  of  looms.                   Outturn  in  pieces.  Value  of  cloth. 

4,220        4,220  263,528        Rs.  8,63,306 

It  is  estimated  that  two-thirds  of  the  cloth  woven  in  the  district  are  exported 
to  Berir  and  fhrther  west.  Cotton-thread,  blankets,  gunny,  and  rope  are  also 
produced.  Hardware  is  universally  imported ;  and  the  Wardhi  pottery,  owing  to 
the  admixture  of  limestone  nodules  in  the  soil,  is  very  poor.  In  some  localities 
the  soil  is  so  full  of  lime  that  there  is  difficulty  in  making  even  bricks  and  tiles. 
The  energies  of  the  people  are,  however,  chiefly  devoted  to  cultivation  and  trade, 
and  it  is  no  stretch  of  fancy  to  suppose  that  at  present  the  WardM  &rmer 
often  wears  the  Manchester-woven  produce  of  his  own  fields. 

The  trade  of  the  Wardh^  district  is  only  remarkable  on  account  of  the 
,p    ,  cotton   exports.     The  excellent    quality  of   the 

staple,  known  to  the  commercial  world  as  '^  Hin- 
ganghits,'^  from  the  cotton  mart  of  that  name,  has  secured  for  it  an  almost 
unlimited  demand,  and  a  higher  price  in  the  English  market  than  any  other 
description  of  Indian  cotton,  except  perhaps  the  accUmatised  New  Orleans  of  the 
Southern  MariHthd  Country.  It  seems  also  to  have  grown  into  favour  on  the 
Continent,  where  the  looms  have  to  some  extent  been  adapted  to  work  the 
short-staple  Indian  cotton.  The  commercial  celebrity  of  the  '' Hinganghit " 
brand  has  always  drawn  to  that  mart  for  foreign  export  quantities  ef  cotton 
from  Eastern  Berar,  N^gpdr,  Ch^nd^,  and  neighbouring  districts ;  but  deducting 
these,  the  exports  from  Wardh^  alone  may  be  stated  to  average  about  25,000 
bales  per  annum,  reckoning  the  bale  at  400  lbs.  A  good  deal  has  been  done  of 
late  years  by  the  Government  Cotton  Department,  not  only  to  improve  the 
cultivation  of  cotton  and  its  preparation  for  market,  but  also  to  facilitate 
traffic  by  providing  suitable  market-places  and  other  advantages.  The  Wardhfi 
cotton  trade  will  no  doubt  with  this  assistance  attain  the  highest  develop- 
ment which  the  limited  area  of  the  Wardhi  valley  will  Slow.  A  con- 
siderable trade  has  also  grown  up,  since  the  opening  of  die  railway  to  Bombay* 
in  butter,  either  fresh  or  clarified,  which  is  largelyproduced  in  the  A^rvi  tahsu, 
and  regularly  exported  to  the  Bombay  market.  The  cows  in  this  part  of  the 
country  are  said  to  be  of  a  good  breed,  and  the  abundance  of  good  pasturage,  a 
steady  foreign  demand,  and  cheap  transit  by  railway,  have  fostered  a  trade  which 
in  the  year  1868-69  amounted  to  22,000  maunds,  valued  at  Rs.  4,43,000.  There 
is  a  small  exchange  grain-trade  between  Wardhd  and  Berfir,  the  imports  being 
jawirl  (millet),  and  the  exports  wheat  and  ddl  (pulse).  The  principal  import 
is  salt,  to  the  extent  of  about  51,000  maunds,  valued  at  Rs.  3,60,000,  English 
piece-goods  to  the  value  of  about  two  Ukhs  of  rupees,  with  some  hardware,  spices, 
and  other  miscellaneous  foreign  products. 

The  district  would  be  decidedly  backward  in  its  communications  were  it  not 

^  .   ^  for  the  Great  Indian  Peninsula  Railway,  which  now 

traverses  it.     The  black  soil  of  the  plains  forms  a 

most  difficult  and  expensive  foundation  for  road-making,  and  with  the  exception 

of  one  or  two  good  roads,  the  whole  traffic  of  the  country  has  until  lately  been 

carried  over  country-tracks,  which  in  the  monsoon  months  are  quite  impassable. 

The  made  roads  are  (1)  the  southern  road  between  N&gpdr  and  Haidar- 
ih&d,  which  enters  the  district  a  little  to  the  east  of  Sindi,  and  traversing  its 
south-east  corner  enters  the  Chindi  district  at  a  point  due  south  of  Hingangh&t. 
This  road  is  of  imperial  rather  than  local  importance ;  but  as  a  branch  road  runs 


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518  WAR 

to  Hingangbit  from  the  village  of  J&n,  it  is  mncli  used  by  persons  passing 
between  Hingangb^t  and  Ndgpdr^  and  sbonld  any  part  of  tbe  export  trade  of 
Hingangb^t  gravitate  to  tbe  Sindf  station,  it  will  become  a  local  line  of  principal 
importance.  (2)  Tbe  Wardb&  valley  road,  wbicb  unites  tbe  railway  station  of 
Polgdon  witb  tbe  towns  of  DeoH  and  Hingangb&t  in  tbe  soutb,  and  tbose  of 
A^rvf  and  A'sbti  in  tbe  nortb.  Tbis  is  tbe  principal  line  of  communication  in  tbe 
district.  It  traverses  tbe  wbole  lengtb  of  tbe  valley  of  tbe  Wardbd,  and  carries 
to  tbe  railway  tbe  cotton  for  wbicb  tbis  part  of  tbe  district  is  especially  famous. 
Tbe  lengtb  of  tbis  road  may  be  put  down  at  seventy  miles,  and  if  to  tbis  be  added 
eighteen  miles  of  a  second-class  feeder  road,  laid  out  to  connect  Pobnd  and  tbe 
soutb  of  Berdr  witb  Hingangb^t,  tbe  entire  lengtb  is  a  little  short  of  one  hundred 
miles.  But  tbe  road  is  not  yet  completed.  Of  countiy-tracks  tbe  chief  is  tbe 
old  road  between  Bombay  and  Ndgpdr.  Tbe  importance  of  this  line  has  been 
very  much  diminished  by  tbe  railway,  but  it  is  still  much  used.  It  enters  the 
district  at  tbe  Apt!  ferry  on  the  Wardbd,  and  passing  the  villages  of  Kauth^, 
Kuljbarl,  Dabig^on,  Eli  KeM,  and  Selrf,  enters  the  Ndgptir  district  at  the  village 
of  Asol^  Another  principal  Une  of  traffic  connects  Nigptir  witb  Amrdotl,  and 
runs  through  tbe  nortb  of  the  A'rvi  tabsfl.  Tbis  line  crosses  the  Wardhi  at 
Bisndr,  and  after  passing  over  the  TaMgdon  Gbdtruns  to  Ndgpdr  vi&  Kirinjd  and 
KondbdK.  It  will  be  easily  imagined  that  in  a  district  so  scantily  provided 
witb  roads  tbe  conveyances  must  be  of  a  peculiar  kind  adapted  for  tbe  work  they 
have  to  do.  Instead  of  the  large  heavy  hackety  of  tbe  Nortb- Western  Provinces, 
tbe  carts  of  the  district  {khachar  or  hh&nchar)  are  small,  low,  and  narrow- 
wheeled.  Their  lightness  and  tbe  smallness  of  their  loads  enable  bullocks  to 
draw  them  up  the  steep  inclines ;  they  are  too  low  to  upset,  and  their  narrow 
wheels,  on  which  mud  has  little  bold,  are  well  fitted  for  the  kind  of  country 
through  which  they  have  to  travel.  The  *'  rengbl''  is  a  lighter  cart,  of  similar 
construction,  and  is  not  intended  to  carry  merchandise.  It  becurs  the  same 
relation  to  the  khdnchar  that  a  phaeton  does  to  a  cart.  Tbe  ''cbbakrd''  is  a  still 
lighter  conveyance,  and,  like  all  the  above,  is  drawn  by  small  well-bred 
trotting  bullocks,  for  wbicb  Wardhd  is  famous.  Tbe  possession  of  a  cart  or 
rengbi  and  pair  is  by  no  means  confined  to  tbe  wealthier  inhabitants,  but  is 
common  to  all  tbe  well-to-do  classes  of  the  district.  There  is  no  part  of  India 
where  tbe  people  use  conveyances  so  much  and  walk  so  little,  and  tbe  speed 
witb  wbicb  they  get  over  tbe  ground  is  remarkable.  Fast  bullocks  fetch  fancy 
prices,  and  are  eagerly  bought  by  wealthy  landholders,  who  like  to  rival  each 
other  in  the  completeness  of  their  turn-out. 

Tbe  administration  of  tbe  district  is  conducted  by  tbe  usual  civil  staff,  con- 
AA  •  ub«ti  sisting  ordinarily  of  a  Deputy  Commissioner,  an 

Assistant  Commissioner,  a  Civil  Medical  Officer, 
and  a  District  Superintendent  of  Police  at  bead-quarters,  an  Assistant  Com- 
missioner at  the  important  cotton  mart  of  Hinganghdt,  and  Tahsflddrs  at  A'ryi, 
Wardbd,  and  Hingi^gbdt.  Tbe  poHce  force  has  a  strength  of  391  of  all  ranks, 
and  has  station-bouses  at  Hingangbdt,  A^rvi,  EMngdon,  Sindi,  Girar,  A'sbtf, 
and  Pulgdon,  besides  nineteen  outposts.    Tbe  imperial  revenues  are — 

Land Rs.  5,10,182 

Assessed  taxes „       28,196 

Stamps „       50,969 

Excise   „       79,017 

Forests „         8,552 

Customs „    6,88,865 

Total Rs.  13,65,281 

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WAR  519 

The  Great  Indian  Peninsula  Railway  crosses  the  centre  of  the  district^ 
within  which  it  has  three  stations — Pnlg^on^  on  the  banks  of  the  Wardh^ ; 
Wardhd,  the  central  station,  twenty  miles  east  of  Fulg^n;  and  Sindi,  near 
the  borders  of  N&gpdr.  To  these  stations  the  whole  trade  of  the  district  con- 
verges. 

WARDHA' — The  central  tahsll  or  revenue  subdivision  of  the  district  of 
the  same  name^  having  an  area  of  801  square  miles,  with  468  villages,  and  a 
population  of  139,210  souls  according  to  the  census  of  1866.  The  land  revenuo 
for  1869-70  is  Rs.  2,08,119. 

WARDHA' — The  head-quarters  town  of  the  district  of  the  same  name. 
Here  is  a  station  of  the  Great  India  Peninsula  Railway,  distant  forty-nino 
miles  from  Ndgpdr.  The  town  is  quite  new,  dating  from  the  2l8t  May  1866. 
The  old  village  of  Pdlakwdrl  was  levelled  to  make  room  for  Wardhd,  and  tho 
new  town  is  built  in  wide  and  regular  streets,  carefully  laid  out  so  as  to  admit 
of  expansion  as  population  increases.  The  jail,  police  lines,  public  garden, 
court-houses,  and  civil  station  generally  are  on  a  gentle  slope  to  the  east  of 
the  town.  The  site  is  naturally  well  drained,  and  promises  to  be  healthy.  The 
absence  of  trees  is  the  main  defect  at  present,  and  causes  the  station  to  have  a 
bare  and  bleak  appearance,  especially  in  the  hot  weather ;  but  several  miles  of 
avenues  in  and  about  the  town  have  been  laid  out,  and  are  progressing  well. 
By  November  1866,  when  the  general  census  was  taken,  Wardh^  had  already 
attained  a  population  of  2,734,  and  it  is  steadily  increasing.  At  first  the  inhabi- 
tants ran  up  grass  sheds  and  other  similar  temporary  residencesi  but  these  are 
fast  beiug  replaced  by  more  substantial  buildings.  It  is  anticipated  that  the 
railway  station  will  in  time  attract  to  Wardhd  a  large  share  of  the  cotton  trade 
of  this  district;  but  trade  is  slow  to  leave  its  old  channels^  and  Hingangh&t, 
Deoli,  and  other  marts  of  the  railway  line  still  retain  their  ascendancy.  However, 
cotton  trade  has  made  a  fair  start  at  Wardh^;  and  presses  and  a  metalled 
storage  and  weighing-yard  have  been  provided  from  local  funds.  A  verna- 
cular town-school  has  also  been  opened  at  Wardhd.  The  weekly  market  held 
on  Fridays  is  large,  and  well  attended  by  traders  and  holders  of  ag^cultoral 
produce  from  the  villages  round. 

WARHA'^ — ^A  village  in  the  Chdndi  district,  situated  on  the  left  bank  of 
the  Wardh&,  ten  miles  west-south-west  of  Ch^nd^,  and  fiicing  tho  mouth  of  the 
Paingang^,  which  here  falls  into  the  Wardh^.  On  the  river^s  bank  is  an  old 
temple,  with  a  broad  flight  of  steps  leading  to  the  water's  edge.  It  was  at  this 
vill£^  that  the  van  of  Biji  Bdo's  army  was  met  and  driven  back  by  Lieutenant 
Colonel  Hopeton  Scott  in  April  a.d.  18 18.  A  fair  assembles  here  during  tho 
cold  weather. 

WAUHONA'— A  village  in  the  A'rvf  tahsfl  of  the  Wardhd  district, 
situated  on  the  Dhdm,  some  six  miles  from  its  source,  and  distant  about  twenty- 
seven  miles  from  Wardhd.  It  contains  a  mixed  population  of  1,535  Tolls, 
Kunbfs,  Mohammadans,  &c.,  most  of  whom  are  cultivators.  A  small  weekly 
market  is  held  here  on  Sundays. 

WAENERA'— A  town  in  the  Hinganghdt  tahsfl  of  the  Wardhd  district, 
twenty-five  miles  south  of  Wardhi.  It  belongs  to  an  influential  landholding 
family,  who  have  a  fine  house  in  the  fort.  It  contains  2,467  inhabitants,  chiefly 
cultivators  and  weavers.  The  municipality  have  built  a  villago  school-house, 
and  opened  up  a  market-place  under  the  walls  of  the  fort;  they  also  maintain 


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620  WAR-ZAI 

their  own  town  police  and  conserranoy  establishments.  A  branch  distillery 
has  recently  been  opened,  and  a  small  weekly  market  is  held  here  on 
Wednesdays. 

WARORA' — ^The  north-western  tahsfl  or  revenne  subdivision  of  the 
Chlndd  district,  having  an  area  of  1,248  square  miles,  with  406  villages,  and  a 
population  of  120J91  souls  according  to  the  census  of  1866.  The  land  revenue 
of  the  tahsfl  for  1869-70  is  Rs.  84,006. 

WARORA'' — ^The  western  pargana  of  the  tahsfl  of  the  same  name  in  the 
Ch^ndd  district.  It  is  bounded  on  the  north  by  the  Wardh^  and  N^gpdr  dis- 
tricts, on  the  east  by  the  Chimdr  and  Bhdndak  parganas,  on  the  south  by  the 
Warffliil,  and  on  the  west  by  the  Wardhi  and  Wani.  It  has  an  area  of  about 
415  square  miles^  and  contains  148  villages.  The  Sir  traverses  a  large  portion 
of  the  pargana  from  north  to  south,  and  the  Viraf  flows  along  the  north-eastern 
comer.  The  country  generally  is  a  rolKng  plain  of  black  loam,  dotted  with  a 
few  isolated  hills  of  sandstone.  Excellent  cotton,  wheat,  jawdrf,  oil-seeds, 
gram,  and  rice  are  grown  here.  The  chief  towns  are  Warori,  Mdndherf,  and 
Segdon.  The  population  is  principally  Mardthd,  and  the  Dhandj(  Kunbfs  form 
the  largest  agncidtural  class. 

WARORA^ — ^The  head-quarters  of  the  tahsfl  of  the  same  name,  and  the 
second  commercial  town  of  the  Chdndi  district.  It  is  situated  thirty-two 
miles  north-west  of  CYi&nii,  twenty-six  miles  south-east  of  Hingangh&t,  and 
twelve  miles  north  of  Wdn.  It  contains  975  houses  ;  the  population  being 
Mardthd,  with  a  sprinkling  of  M&rw&rf s.  A  large  weekly  market  is  held  here, 
and  a  considerable  trade  is  carried  on  in  cotton,  grain,  groceries,  country  cloths, 
and  salt.  The  town  has  a  tahsfl,  a  town  school  for  boys,  a  girls'  school,  an 
imperial  post-office,  a  police  station-house,  a  sarif,  a  travellers'  bungalow,  a 
handsome  pldce,  a  large  tank,  an  encamping-ground,  a  tdhsfl  nursery  for  young 
trees,  and  a  Public  Works  bungalow.  An  Assistant  Patrol  of  Customs  is 
stationed  here. 

WELTO'R — A  small  straggling  town  in  the  Nigptir  district,  about  forty 
miles  south-east  of  Nfigpur,  and  near  the  picturesque  hill  of  Ambhor^  which 
overlooks  the  Waingangd.  It  has  a  population  of  2,112  persons.  There 
are  some  fine  groves  and  tanks  around  it ;  and  the  town  has  its  new  school  and 
police  buildings  and  market-place.  Some  cloth  is  manufactured  here,  most  of 
which  is  exported. 


ZAINA'BAD — A  village  in  the  Nimir  district,  only  divided  from  Burhan- 
pdr,  of  which  it  once  formed  a  part,  by  the  Tapti.  It  now  contains  about  1,200 
inhabitants,  but  has  greatly  fallen  off  from  its  former  condition,  signs  of  which 
remain  in  numerous  ruins  of  mosques,  tombs,  and  sardis.  The  paper  made 
here  had  once  a  high  repute,  but  the  manufacture  has  greatly  declined. 


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APPEITDIX  Fo.  1. 

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530 


APPENDIX    Xo.  I. 

JTJDICUL 

Shoiving  the  various  Judicial  Tribunals,  Original  and  Appellate, 


OIbm  of  Tribanal»,  distinffuish- 
ing  thoee  which  exercise  powers 
in  one  Department  nx>in  thoAe  ex- 
erdaing  powers  in  two  or  throe 
Departments,  and  those  consisting 
of  paid  from  unpaid  Judges. 


1 


,  Constitution 

of  Tribunals, 

(Stating  num* 

ber  of  Judges 

in  each,  and 

Jury  or 

Assessors, 

if  any. 


J 


Judicial  powers  of  each  Tribonal,  Origintl    , 
and  Appellate.  | 


I  Paid. 


Local    and     Sub-  | 
Magistrates  (a)  | 
exercising     Cri-  )>• 
minal      powers  ! 

W  J  Unpaid. 


,10 


62 


Do.  do.  exercising^  Paid 

Criminal,  Civil,  { 
and  RoTenue  j 
powers  (c)  J  Unpaid. 


Judges  exercising  Ciyil  powers 
only  (d)  Paid...  11 


502 


61 


1,221 


6,500 


10 


73 


123,813 


67 


A  single 
Judge  pre- 
sides over 
each  tribu- 
nal without 
Jury  or  As- 
sessors, 


Each  Judge  has,  in  the  Crisunal  De- 
partment, the  powers  of  a  Sub-Magi8trst« 
either  of  the  1st  or  2nd  Class,  as  defined, 
in  Section  22  of  Criminal  Procedure  Code. 
and  can  dispose  of  all  cases  which  a  Sab- 
Magistrate  is  competent  to  try.  (Six 
Forest  Officers  included  in  column  5  are 
restricted  in  the  use  of  their  powers* 
to  cases  of  breaches  of  the  Forest  Act,  or 
cases  in  which  their  subordinates  arej 
concerned.)  | 

Do.  and  in  the  Civil  Department  cas, 
hear  Civil  suits  up  to  Rs.  100,  300,  500J 
or  1,000  in  value  according  to  his  powers 
under  Act  XIV.  of  1865  (Cential  PtchI 
vinces  Courts'  Act),  and  has  the  powers  in  tie  Be  venue  Department  of  a 
Deputy  CoUector  under  the  Rent  Law  (Act  X.  of  1859  and  Act  XIV.  of  1863). 


Ditto 


Small  Cause  Courts  (e)., 


6       430 


78,643     6 


11 


Ditto 


A  single 
Judge  pre 
sides  over  each  Tribunal  without 
Juiy  or  Assessors,  and  there  is  a 
Registrar  empowered  to  hear  suits 
up  to  Rs.  20  attached  to  one  Court. 


Magistrates  with  full  power821 
exercising    only     Criminal' 
powers  (/). 


6,000 


27 


A  single 
Judge  pre 
sides  over 
each  Court 
w  i  thout 
cither  Jury 
or  Asses 
sors. 


Each  Judge  can  hear  suits  up toRs. oC, 
in  value  under  Section  6  of  Act  XIV.  of 
1865  (Central  Provinces  Courts'  Act). 

Two  Judges  have  power,  under  Act  XL 
of  1865,  to  hear  suits  up  to  Rs.  1,000  io 
value.  Three  Judges,  under  Acts  XL  of, 
1865  and  XXII.  of  1864,  have  power  toi 
hear  suits  up  to  Rs.  500  in  value.  One 
Judge,  under  Acts  XI.  of  1865  and  XXIL, 
of  1864,  has  power  to  hear  suits  up  to 
Rs.  50  in  value. 

Each  Judge  has  in  the  Criimnal  Depart-' 
ment  the  powers  of  a  Magistrate,  as! 
defined  in  Section  22  of  Criminal  Pro 
cedure  Code. 


Digitized  by 


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APPENDIX     No.  I. 


531 


STATE^IENT. 


exisiing  in  the  Central  Provinces  on  the  last  day  oftlie  year  1868. 


n 
It 


Total        ] 
nambor  of  Average 

Jadges.        annual  Salary 


European. 


II 

So 
l| 


•6 


11 


Number  of  Ca«es  decided 


PI?; 


73 


57 


11 


11 


8,800 


600 


tant  Commissioners.  They 
are  employed  generally  in 
adminisfcratiye  work  of  the 
districts  to  which  they  are 
attached. 

These  officers  are    Ndib 
Tahsild&rs. 


Have  executive  functions 
as  in  the  case  of  3  Canton- 
ment and  1  Assistant  Can-, 
tonment  Magistrates,  and  of 
Judge  of  NHgp6r  Small 
Cause  Court,  who  is  also 
Registrar-General  of  Assu 
ranees. 

• 

16  of  these  officei-s  are 
in  administrative  charge  of 
■Jails,  and  of  these  16,  13 
'are  also  Civil  Surgeons. 


If 

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1| 

5.1 

"i 

4,252 

... 

1 

S 

'S 

'2 

s 

1,563 

12,941 

... 

^ 

"^ 

© 

^ 

>^ 

a 

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s 

(N 

1,318 

Digitized  by 


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632 


APPENDIX    No.  I. 


Glass  of  Trlbonals,  distininuBh- 
ing  those  which  exercise  powers 
in  one  Department  from  those  ex- 
ercising powers  in  two  or  three 
Departments,  and  those  consisting 
of  paid  from  unpaid  Judges. 


Magistrates,  Criminal,    Oiyil, 
and  Beyenae  powers  (g) 


24    8,347 


Constitution 
of  Tribunals, 
Rising  num- 
ber of  Judges 
in  each,  and 

Jury  or 
Assessors, 

if  any. 


88^58 


31 


ler  the  Bent  Laws. 


Judicial  powers  of  each  Tribonal,  Original 
and  Appellate. 


A  single  Each  Judge  and  17  Magistrates  of  the  24 
Judge  pre-  entered  in  column  5  being  Magistrates  of 
sides  over|  Districts  have  power  to  hear  appeals  from 
each  Court  I  the  orders  of  all  Sub -Magistrates  in  their' 
w  i  t  h  o  u  t' Districts.  In  the  Civil  Departments  the,' 
either  Jury  Magistrates  of  Districts  have  power  to. 
or  Asses-  hear,  under  Act  IIV.  of  1865,  suits  of  un- 
sors.  limited  value,  and  in  the  Revenue  Depart -i 

ment  they  have  the   powers  of  Collectors) 
All  other  Magistrates  can  hear  suits  (Civil)  up  to  Rs. 


Do.    exercising    powers     de 
scribed  by  Act  XV.  of  186 

W  


Sessions  Conrts . 


Commissioners' 
and  Revenue 


Court,    Civil 


Chief  Court  of  Provinoe 


Justices  of  the  Peace 


19 


20,749 


OO  in  value,  and  have  powers  of  Deputy  Collectors  under  the  Rent  Law. 


4,748  468,011  17  A  single  These  Judges  have  power  to  try  all 
Judge  pre-  Criminal  oases  triable  by  a  Court  of  Sea-j 
sides  over  sions,  except  such  as  for  offences  for  a^ 
each  Tri-  capital  sentence,  and  to  punish  with  im-' 
bunal  and  prisonment  not  exceeding  7  years.  These* 
may         be  are  also  included  in  the  last  entry.  i 

assisted  by  ' 

Assessors.  J 

2,002,717  4  A  single  These  Judges  can  try  cases  of  anyj 
Judge  pre-  nature  committed  to  them  by  a  Magis>| 
sides  overtrate,  and  can  award  any  punishment- 
each  Court,  allowed  by  law.  They  are  Iflcewise  em-' 
and  is  aided  powered  to  hear  all  appeals  from  the 
by  Asses-  orders  of  Magistrate  with  full  powers  in 
sors.  all  caaes  in  which  an  appeal  is  allowed 

by  law. 
20,749     2,002,717       ^_  A   single     These  Judges  have  no  original  jnrisdic^ 

tion,  but  on  the  Civil  side  of  their  Court 
hear,  under  Act  XV.  of  1866,  appeals  in 
all  suits  in  which  the  value  is  Rs.  5,000 
or  more ;  and  they  also  hear  appeals  from 
the  decision  of  Collectors  and  Deputy] 
Collectors  under  Act  X.  of  1859  (Rent| 
Act).  In  the  Revenue  Department  they! 
are  Commissioners  of  Division,  and  hevj 
appeals  from  orders  of  Collectors  under 
Rent  Law. 

Is  the  Judge  of  the  Chief  Appellate 
Court  in  Criminal  and  Civil,  hearing'  ap- 
peals from  orders  of  Sessions  Courts  in  the  former  case,  and  special  appeads 
from  orders  passed  on  appeal  by  Deputy  Conmiissioner  or  Commissioner  in 
Civil  cases.    In  Criminal  cases  it  has  also  the  power  of  revision. 


A  single 
Judge  pre- 
sides over 
each  Tri 
bunal  un 
assisted  by 
either  Jury 
or  Assessor. 


Ditto 


45 


Ditto 


Digitized  by 


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APPENDIX    No.  I. 


533 


Total 

nmnber  of 

Judges. 


II 
^1 


it 


European. 


Average 

annual  Salary 

of  each  paid 

Judge. 


1 
» 


Executive  or  other 

ftmctiouB  exercised  by  the 

same  OflScer. 


I 

o 

.a 


|| 


Number  of  Cases  decided 
during  the  year. 


12 


16 


3011 


5,600 


12,000 


32,500 


32,500 


37,990 


3,300 


Theso  officers  are  Extra 
Assistant,  Assistant,  and 
Deputy  Commissioners,  atid 
the  whole  administrative 
charge  of  the  districts  to 
which  they  are  attached 
rests  with  the  Deputy  Com- 
missioner, who  is  aided  by 
his  Assistant  and  Extra 
Assistant  Commissioners. 


These  officers  are  Deputy 
Commissioners. 


These  officers  are  Com 
missioners  of  Division,  and 
the  administrative  business 
of  Divisions  rests  with  them. 


These  officers  are  also 
the  Commissioners  of  Dirl- 
sion. 


6,294 


30,458 


755 


I 


It 


s  ® 

CD    O 

bO 

I 


1,315 


1,078      ... 


^ 


E 


142 


365 


No  executive  functions. 


These  officers  are  nearly 
all  included  in  the  fore- 
going entries. 


612 


110 


55 


590 


547 


68 


26 


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534 


APPENDIX  No.  I. 


FINANCE. 

ACCOUNT  of  the  Gross  and  Net  Revenms  of  tlie  Central  Provinces  for  the 

year  1868-69. 


SOCBCM  or  IXCOMB. 


Imperial. 

Land  Revenue 

Forests 

Excise  on  spirits  and  drugs 

Tributes    .and     Contributions 
Native  States 


from 


Total  Territorial.. 


.  J  f  Professions  &  Trades  Tax 

^^fr*^  J  Pandhari  Tax 

laxes    j  License  Tax    

Customs... Sugar  duty   

Q  ,.  )  Duty  on  imported 

^^^ I  Excise  duty 


Total. 


^^,  S  Fees  on  License.. 

Upium...  < 


Export  duty 


Total., 


Stamps    , 

Post  Office 

Electric  Teleg^ph 

Mint 

Law  and  i  Refunds* 
Justice.  )  Real  fines 
S  Refunds  .. 

•)  Real 

Military  Refunds  

Interest   

Miscellaneous 


Police  , 


Total  Imperial., 
Local. 

Public  Works  Funds      

Police  Funds  

Education  Funds    

Charitable  Funds  

General  Funds   


Total  Local.... 
Gross  Receipts... 


GroM 
Receipt*. 


I 
I 


Rs. 

58,76,628 

3,51,014 

9,01,456 


71,89,098 


1,11,112 

2,64,750 

05 

84,832 

14,28,086 


14,28,086 


8,850 


8,850 


8,85,604 


1,08,779 

1,15,748 

89,873 


1,437 
2,19,771 


Ra 

22,170 
3,889 
4,478 


30,537 


5,792 
19,026 


234 


35 


35 


CHA.SOU  AOAIVBC  IVCOKB. 


Rs. 
7,24,693 
3,14,849 

71,189 


11,10,731 


9 
3,360 


284   4,54,789 


4,54,789 


19,130 


2,487 
9,821 


32,13,407 


11,14,621 
66,417 

1,53,977 
23,699 

3,89,149 


17,47,863 


1,21,50,368 


S,358 


P 

Is 


fl8  S 


Rs. 
9,39,365 


9,39,365 


li 


11 


i>5 


Rs. 


TOCAI^ 


Rs. 

16,86,228 

3,18,738 

75,667 


20,80,633 


55,662 


57,125   5,42,178 


87,662 


67,897 


57,897 


17,10,80H 


5,801 
22,986 


4,55,023 


Rs. 
41,90,400 
32,276 
8,85,789 


51,08,465 


1,05,811 

2,41,764 

65 

84,832 

9,73,068 


4,55,023 


35 


35 


47,488 


58,149 
9,821 


9,73,063 


3,815 


8,815 


7,88,116 


60,630 

1,05,927 

39,378 


5,99,308 


28,14A04 


9,39,365 


67397 


57,897 


27,37333|94,12,53j 


1,437 
2,19,771 


10,56,724 
66,417 

1,63,977 
23,099 

3,89,149 


16,89,966 


*  Includes  Registration  Fees,  proceeds  of  Jail  mauufacturcS;  &c. 


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APPENDIX  No.  I. 


535 


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if 


f 


at 
II 


9  B  2 

Si  «  5i 

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p  —  — 

E^  E^  H 


Digitized  by 


Google 


APPEIfDIX    Ifo.  II. 


RO^D  TABLES. 

PAGE 

No.      I.  JABALPU'R  TO  SAGGAR,  vid  DAMOH  ...,. 538 

„      II.  JABALPU^R  TO  RA^TU^R,  vid  MANDLA    539 

„     III.  SAGGAR  TO  THE  RAILWAY 541 

„     IV.  NARSINGHPU^R  TO  CHHINDWA'RA^ 542 

„       V.  HOSHANGA^BA^D  TO  BETU^L 543 

„     VI.  NA^GPU^R  TO  RAaTU^R    543 

„    VII.  NA^GPU'R  TO  CHHINDWA^RA^ 544 

„  VIII.  NA'GPU'R  TO  BETU^L    545 

„     IX.  NA^GPU^R  TO  CHA^NDA'  546 

„       X.  RAa'PU'R  TO  SAMBALPU^R 547 

„     XI.  CHA'NDA'  TO  SIRONCHA^   548 


G8  CPG 


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638 


APPENDIX  No.  II. 


ROAD    TABLES. 

No.  L — From  Jabalpur  to  S&gar,  vid  Damoh. 


District. 


To 


Distance 
in  MUei. 


BUCABKS. 


BeXkijd 


2 


I 


Katangi 


Sangrimpur 
Jaberd 


Nautd. 


Damoh. 


Berkheri 


Shihpur 


i 


Sanodhi  , 


S&gar 


21 


4i 


12 


161 


13 


13 


Total. 


10 


Metalled  road.  In  the  5th  mile  the  Umti  nadl  is  crosaed  by  an 
Irish  causeway  bridge,  and  in  8th  mile  the  Mangr&hi  stream 
in  the  same  maner.  No  sardi  or  travellers'  bungalow.  Ordinary 
supplies  and  water  in  abundance. 

Road  metalled  up  to  1 8th  mile.  In  10th  mile,  dose  to  Belk4rd, 
a  stream  is  crossed  by  an  Irish  causeway  bridge.  One  mile 
from  Katangi  the  river  Hiran,  about  170  yards  wide  from  bank 
to  bank,  is  crossed ;  banks  are  easy ;  the  river  runs  deep  and 
swift.  A  good  ferry  is  established  here.  Sarii  and  fair  biziu*, 
with  abundbEince  of  water. 

Small  village.  Travellers' bungalow.  Police  out-post.  Water  from 
wells.     Supplies  from  surrounding  country. 

Large  village,  sardi,  and  police  station-house.  Supplies  available. 
Good  water  from  weUs.  Road  unmetalled  in  many  places,  flanked 
by  hills,  and  covered  with  low  jungle.    N414s  unbridged. 

Newly  built  sardi,  with  accommodf&on  for  European  travellers. 
Dispensary.  Supplies  procurable  on  due  notice  being  given.  Water 
from  river.  Junction  here  of  two  rivers,  Gurayyd  and  Bairmi.  Road 
stony.  Most  of  the  n614s  and  rivers  unbridged.  Ferry  at  Qvasyyi, 
fordable  in  dry  season. 

Head-quarters  of  district  and  residence  of  Civil  officers.  Travellers' 
bungalow,  and  good  saHLi  with  accommodation  for  Europeans. 
Dispensary.  Supplies  procurable.  Good  water  from  welLs  and 
tanks.  Iload  stony,  and  flanked  by  hUls.  No  rivers  to  cross. 
Many  n4lds  unbridged. 

Open  country.  Road  good,  but  greater  part  unmetalled.  Water 
from  river  Sundr.  Supplies  procurable.  At  Pathari4  (3)  miles) 
there  are  a  travellers'  bungalow,  good  sardi,  dispensary,  school- 
house,  and  police-station,  with  water  from  tank  and  wells. 

Road  in  bad  condition ;  soil  stony  and  (pivelly ;  in  last  3  miles  three 
unbridged  nilds ;  not  fordable  during  the  rains  when  there  is 
any  very  heavy  fidl.  Surdi  here.  Supplies  procurable  to  some 
extent. 

Road  almost  all  over  black  cotton  soil.  The  Bids  river  is  spanned 
by  an  iron  bridge  for  foot-passengers,  horses,  and  light  carts. 
Tlie  ndlds  are  eiuer  bridf^ed  or  have  paved  causeways.  In  the 
rains  the  road  may  be  said  to  be  all  but  impassable.  No  travel- 
lers' bungalow.    SuppUes  procurable  to  some  extent. 

For  about  six  miles  the  road  is  over  black  soil,  passable  in  £Bur 
weather  after  surface  repairs ;  but  in  the  rains  quite  unfit  for 
any  traffic ;  for  the  next  3  miles  road  is  over  sandy,  stony 
soil,  and  low  hills,  with  one  or  two  steep  inclines.  For  the  last 
mile  into  Cantonments  the  road  is  metalled.  Ndllu  bridged,  or 
with  payed  causeways. 


116 


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APPENDIX  No.  II. 


539 


No,  II. — From  Jahalpiir  to  Edipurj  via  Manila. 


District. 


Rbvarks. 


Mohgdou 


Dh&nwii 


14i 


NardiDganj . 


11 


I 


BdbaihS  N&1&  . 


12 


Mandla 


lOi 


Metalled  road  up  to  Gaur  nadi  (5  miles),  crossed  by  a  causeway, 
and  in  the  rains  by  a  ferry.  The  gh£t  is  of  masonry,  with  easy 
descent.  The  Gaur  is  about  60  yards  wide,  with  rocky  bottom 
and  bank.     No  bungalow,  sarai,  or  encamping  ground. 

Ndgdpahar  ascent  (2nd  mile),  at  an  elevation  of  650  feet  above 
jabalpur.  Road  for  first  13  miles  good;  rocky  soil;  last  1| 
mile  black  soil ;  impassable  for  carts  in  the  rains.  At  3i  miles 
from  Mohgdon  is  the  Koba  niM,  unbridged,  with  water  all  the 
year ;  masonry  well  close  by,  and  village  of  Dhobi  1  mile  N£. 
of  the  road.  At4|  miles  is  a  spring  containing  water  all  the 
year.  At  5^  and  5^  miles  two  unbrid^d  ndlas ;  no  water  in  hot 
weather.  At  7th  mile  a  masonry  well,  and  Samndptir  village  one 
mile  N.  of  the  road.  At  8  and  8|  miles  two  unoridged  ndlds ; 
no  water  in  hot  weather.  At  8}  miles  Hingnd  ndld,  unbridged, 
water  always  abundant;  in  the  rains  the  nala  is  crossed  in  a 
boat.  At  9th  mile  village  of  Chauki  Chitord,  with  police  out- 
post, masonry  well,  and.sarai.  At  IO4  and  1 1th  mile  two  ndlds, 
unbridged ;  no  water  in  hot  weather.  At  12th  mile  Kur- 
kuti  n&ld  unbridged ;  little  water  in  hot  weather,  and  village  of 
Kurkuti  one  mile  N.  At  14i  mile,  Dhdnwdi  village,  200  yards 
off  the  road ;  ndli  unbridged ;  no  water  in  hot  weather.  Masonry 
well ;  water  always  abundant.  Supplies  from  neighbouring 
villages ;  no  trees  for  shade. 

Road  for  Sk  miles  good,  rocky  soil ;  2\  miles  bad,  black  soil.  At 
1,U,  1},  and  2}  mile,  unbndged  ndlds;  uo  water  in  hot  weather. 
At  3|  mile,  Kdlpi  niiiy  unbridsed,  water  always  abundant,  and 
Kdlpi  village  1|  mile  N.  At  4th  mile,  unbridged  n61&,  no  water 
in  hot  weather.  At  8th  mile,  Kurumeli  ndld,  unbridged,  water 
all  the  year  round ;  Kurumeli  village  H  mile  N.E.  At  8i  mile 
Chdigaon,  ndl4,  unbridged,  water  always  abundant,  and  village 
I  mile  S.  At  Sk  mile,  unbndged  nal&,  no  water  in  hot 
weather.  At  9|  mile  Tik&rid  nald ;  water  dl  the  year.  At  11  th 
mile  Nar&inganj  village  on  Balej  river,  unbridged ;  crossed  in 
a  boat  in  the  rains.  Police  station-house.  Travellers'  bungalow. 
Masonry  well.    Only  two  trees  for  shade.     Supplies  abundant. 

Road  gooi ;  7  miles  rocky  soil ;  1  mile  dayish  soil ;  4  miles  black 
soil,  impassable  for  carta  in  the  rains.  At  2|  miles,  Kumlid 
nili ;  masonry  bridge ;  water  always  abundant,  two  hamlets ,  one 
i  mile  N.  and  the  other  |  mile  S.  of  the  bridge.  At  3rd  mile 
unbridged  ndld,  no  water  in  hot  weather.  At  5th  mile  Ldlipur 
ndld,  unbridged;  water  always  abundant;  village  li  mile  £.  At 
5^  mile,  ndl4  with  pavementcrossing,  and  at  6,  61  and  7  miles 
three  unbridged  nalds,  no  water  in  hot  weather.  At  7th  mile 
is  a  spring,  protected  with  masonry,  water  always  abundant. 
At  9th  mile  Kunra  nal&,  unbridged,  water  all  the  year  round, 
village  li  mile  S.W.  At  11  and  \\\  mile. two  unbridged 
ndlas ;  no  water  in  hot  weather.  At  1 2th  mile  Bdbaiha  nald ; 
unbridged ;  water  always  abundant ;  good  shade.  Village  of 
Gw&ri  one  mile  off  the  road.  Supplies  from  neighbouring 
villages. 

Road  in  black  soil,  bad  for  1.^  mile ;  good  for  2  miles; 6  miles  very 
level,  and  good  in  fair  weather,  but  a  little  muddy  in  the  rains ; 
1|  mile  metalled  road.  At  2i  miles  Madubar  ndld,  unbridged ; 
water  always  abundant ;  village  of  Phulsagar  i  mile  off  the  road. 
Mandla  Civil  station  and  town  on  right  bank  of  Narbada.  Sup* 
plies  abundant ;  good  shade  for  travellers ;  several  sarais. 


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5t0 


APPENDIX  No.  II. 


District.  To 


Distance 
in  miles. 


BSVABU. 


Anjaoii 


Bicbhia 


i 


«3 


&f  otinala . 


ChiJpighdt 


Banjdri    . 
Chorbatti 
UoM    .... 
Pondi  ... 
Piparid    • 


-s 

Q^ 


Sitipur    . . 
Marjadpur 
Hansdpur 
KhandsaM 
Baberi    ... 


m 


141 


15i 


16 


4 
3 
7 
3 
6 

6 

2 

10 

2 

lOi 


Black  soil  1  mile ;  black  soil  and  day  mixed  9  miles  i  good  rocky 
soil  Ih  miles;  good  sandy  soil  1  mile.  Tbe  Narbada  is  crossed 
opposite  Mandla  at  S&kwi,  at  wbich  there  is  a  ferry.  At  i 
mile  unbridged  n^ld ;  water  always  abundant.  At  3  mile  Kbuk- 
nesara  n41a,  unbridged ;  water  always  abundant ;  good  bioli 
here.  At  Sk  mile  Mdtidri  river,  unbridged,  water  abundant, 
crossed  in  a  boat  in  the  rains  during  the  floods.  At  10|  mile 
unbridged  n^l4  ;  muddy  bottom,  difficult  to  cross  whilst  the 
water  lasts  (10  months).  At  Anjania  good  shade.  Supplies 
abundant.    Drinking  water  from  tank,  which  is  always  full. 

Road  for  5  miles  black  and  clayish  soil  mixed,  8  miles  rocky  soil, 
li  mile  sandy.  At  3  miles  Ch&nd41  Bhata  naU,  unbridged ; 
water  always  abundant,  bioli  here.  At  7th  mile  unbridged 
nila,  muddy  bottom  while  water  lasts ;  no  water  in  hot  weather. 
At  9  mile  Matiiri  river ;  unbridged ;  water  abundant.  At  10| 
miles  Hanumdn  n&l&,  unbridged ;  no  water  in  hot  weather. 
At  13i  miles  Gur4r  ndl&,  unbridged,  water  alwajrs  abundant. 
At  Bicbhia  water  from  tank  and  Gur4r  ndla  ;  Police  outpost. 
Supplies  from  neighbouring  villages. 

Road  black  and  clayish,  soil  mixed,  3  miles ;  sand  and  clay  mixed^ 
4i  miles ;  rocky  soil  1  mile ;  sandy  soil  7  miles.  This  part  of 
the  road  passes  through  a  wild  tract  of  country,  with  scarcely  a 
hamlet  within  sight.  At  I  mile,  Bharanga  ndld,  4  mile  Datla 
n4l4,  6  mile  Barkotid  n414,  all  unbridged ;  no  water  in  hot 
weather.  At  S\  miles  Hdlon  river,  lOj  miles  Dudhia  n414,  13^ 
miles  Dutha — Duthan  n&la,  all  unbridged,  water  always  abun^ 
dant.  At  Moti  n4l4  no  village  ;  plenty  of  shade  for  tents. 
Water  always  abundant.  Supplies  must  be  brought  from 
Bichhi4. 

Road  not  yet  regularly  measured  ;  for  9  miles  it  has  been  put  into 
repair  as  a  fair  weather  road ;  fit  for  carts.  At  4  miles  Bh4i 
Babin  n4l4,  9  miles  Mangli  nal4,  9$  miles  another  nala,  all 
unbridged  ;  water  all  the  year  round.  At  10}  miles  unbridged 
nalk,  no  water  in  hot  weather.  At  124  miles  Mohanjhori  nil4, 
unbridged ;  water  always  abundant. 

Road  stony.  No  supplies.  Water  procurable  from  n414.  Good  shade 
also  for  travellers,  but  no  habitation. 

At  U  miles  from  Banjari  water  is  procurable  from  a  n41a;  road 
sandy  ;  but  just  at  the  n4la  the  ghat  is  stony  and  bad. 

Travellers'  bungalow.  Supplies  easily  procurable  ;  six  unbridged 
nilas ;  road  partly  sandy  and  partly  stony. 

Two  unbridged  nalds ;  road  passes  through  black  soil ;  large  village ; 
supplies  abundant. 

Eleven  unbridged  ndlds,  but  the  crossings  are  fair ;  road  in  black 
soil.  Supplies  abundant.  The  Sabri  river  is  crossed  before 
coming  to  Piparia. 

Road  fair;  black  soil;  supplies  abundant.  At  Sitipur  the  Ka- 
warda  territory  ends  and  tbe  Khalsa  of  Rildspur  begins. 

Water  obtained  mm  a  n41£.  Supplies  indifferent.  Road  in  bhick 
soil. 

Road  passes  through  black  soil.  Supplies  procurable  through 
the  mdlguz4r ;  water  from  a  tank. 

Malguz4r  supplies  provisions.  Tank  and  well  water.  No  n£14 
of  any  importance. 

Road  has  been  made  passable  for  village  carts.  Mdlguzir  supplies 
provisions.    Tank  water. 


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APPENDIX  No.   n. 


541 


District. 

To 

Distance 
in  inil6t. 

Rbmabss. 

Simgd  . .  •  • 

8i 

14 
12i 

Seondth  river  is  crossed  within  half  a  mile  of  Simgd ;  its  ghdts 
have  been  sloped ;  and  during  the  open  months  it  is  easily 
crossed.  The  road  is  good  for  village  carts.  There  is  a  tahsil 
here,  in  which  a  room  is  available  for  Europeans.  A  Bania 
supplies  provisions.    Tank,  well,  and  river  water. 

At  the  7th  and  12th  miles  the  Gariria  and  Kolh6n  ndlas  are  cross- 
ed, both  are  unbridged ;  but  their  ghats  are  properly  sloped. 
The  road  is  very  fair  for  village  carts.  Sardi  here,  in  w  lich 
two  rooms  have  been  fitted  up  for  European  travellers.  Tank 
water.    Mal^zar  supplies  provisions. 

The  Sokra  nala  is  crossed  at  the  6i  mile,  it  is  unbridged.  The 
road  is  very  fair  during  the  open  months,  but  very  dusty. 

1 

I 

Dharsiwd     

Rdipiir     

Total.... 

203i 

No.  III. — From  Sdgar  to  the  Railwmj. 


DlBtriet 


Distance 
in  Uiles. 


Kbmasks. 


Chitora 


Surkhi 

Gauijhamar . 


in 


Deori 


9 
10 

11 


Maharajpfir 


Road  metalled  and  bridged,  with  the  exception  of  the  river  Bidar, 
which  is  fordable  in  the  dry  weather,  but  not  in  the  rains.  No 
ferry  boat  as  yet.  Department  Public  Works  bungalow.  Sup- 
plies procurable. 

Road  metalled,  and  bridged.  Sard!  for  travellers^  with  room  for 
Europeans.     Supplies  procurable. 

Road  partly  metalled  and  bridged,  with  the  exception  of  the  Dah^r 
river,  fordable,  except  in  the  rains.  No  ferry  boat  as  yet ;  metal- 
ling of  road  will  be  complete  by  1st  Apnl  1870.  Sardi  for 
travellers.    Police  outpost. 

A  bad  n&ld  at  Gaurjhdmar,  not  fordable  in  rains.  No  ferry  boat 
as  yet ;  from  this  ndla  to  Sun6r  river  stony  and  sandy  soil,  with 
a  deep  nald  1^  mile  distant.  Sunar  not  fordable  in  rains, 
and  no  ferry  boat.  From  Sundr  to  foot  of  Gaurjhamar  ghat 
black  soil ;  much  cut  up  by  nkXks,  none  of  which  are  bndged. 
Ghdt  steep  and  stony.  Passmg  it  a  stony  table-land  cut  up  by 
ndlds  until  the  road  descends  from  plateau  by  a  lon^  and  gra- 
dual decline  into  the  Deori  plain,  where  the  soil  is  at  first 
gravelly  and  stony ;  near  Deori  black  ;  at  Deori,  sardi,  with 
small  room  for  Europeans.  Police  station-house.  Dispensary, 
Supplies  always  procurable.  Bungalow  occupied  by  Customs 
patrol.  Here  occurs  the  river  Sukhdin,  crossed  by  good  masonry 
causeway. 

Road  through  black  soil  at  first,  cut  up  with  small  nfiMs.  Three 
(Nauna,  Bamandeh,and  DhobaJ  bad,  unbridged,  fordable  as  arule. 
Police  outpost.  Near  Midiarajptir  road  stony.  Supplies  pro- 
curable. 


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542 


APPENDIX  No.  II. 


District. 

To 

Dlttanee 
in  Miles. 

BSVARKB. 

Bamhni 

Birni4n    .•••••.. 
Kareli 

10  r 
11. 
7  ^ 

The  S4gar  district  boundary  is  at  the  foot  of  the  Jhiri^  ghdt,  the 
road  to  wMch  is  over  sandy  soil,  cut  up  with  small  watercourses, 
as  it  ascends,  soil  is  stony.    Jhiri&  gh&t  steep  and  difficult ;  it  is 
in  three  tiers,  the  first  steep  and  stony ;  a  cart  track  has  been 
struck  out  by  the  cartmen  for  themselves  with  a  better  gra- 
dient ;  the  second  tier  is  stony  but  not  high ;  the  third  is  steep 
and  long,  but  still  is  passable  for  wheeled  carriage  at  all  seasons, 
with  some  little  risk.    Police  post  at  Bamhni,  with  a  room  in  it, 
which  gives  fair  accommodation  for  travellers.    Bamhni  and  Bir- 
m&n  mil  probably  be  off  the  proposed  Imperial  road  to  Kareli, 
the  stages  on  which  have  not  yet  been  selected. 

Total..  .. 

76 

No.  IV. — From  Narsinghpur  to  Chhindward. 


District. 


To 


Distance 
in  miles. 


Bachai 


pu 


Usri 


narai  . 
Kh^pd. 


Umarw&ra    ... 


v^      Singori 


VC0 


Chhindward 


Tot  al. 


11 


12 

18 

12 
14 


15 


91 


Supplies  procurable  after  notice.  Water  abundant  from  masonry 
wells  and  tanks.  No  travellers'  bungalow  or  sar^.  Good  en« 
camping  ground,  with  grove.  Road  unmetalled,  but  easy  ui 
dry  weather.    No  heavy  nilis  or  rivers  in  this  stage. 

Supplies  must  be  collected  from  adjacent  vilkiges.  Water  plenti- 
ml  from  M&ch4  Rew4.  No  travellers'  bun^ow  or  sardi,  bat  a 
small  encampinff  ground.  Road  stony,  but  practicable  for  country 
carts  and  goods  in  the  rains.  The  Sher  river  is  impassable 
occasionally  in  the  rains. 

Road  in  fair  order.  No  sar&i,  but  encamping  ground  shady.  Sup- 
plies procurable. 

Road  generally  stonv,  and  descends  consid^ubly  over  the  Dtil4 
^h&t.  Several  n&Uis  cross  the  road,  but  none  considerable. 
No  sardi  or  shade  in  encamping  ground ;  water  from  nal4.  Sup- 
plies  procurable  to  a  very  limit^  extent. 

RoEul  stony,  and  intersected  by  the  river  Hel.  No  travellers'  bun- 
galow or  sar&i,  but  good  encamping  ground  in  a  mango  grove 
close  to  the  village,  where  there  is  a  well  of  excellent  water. 

Road  is  over  a  succession  of  hiUs  and  generally  stony,  though 
quite  passable  for  carts.  There  are  a  few  n614s,  which  are 
unbridged ;  and  3  miles  from  Umarw&rd  is  a  short  but  steep 
ascent  at  Bardzd  gh&t.  No  sar&i  or  travellers'  bungalow  and 
no  good  encamping  ground  near  the  village ;  but  a  grove  of  fine 
large  mango  trees  about  half  a  mile  to  the  east,  gives  shade  for 
two  or  three  tents.  Water  is  obtained  from  a  n41&,  which  has 
running  .water  in  it  throughout  the  year.    Supplies  procurable. 

Good  fair-weather  road,  occasionally  stony,  and,  as  tnere  is  little 
or  no  black  soil,  it  is  by  no  means  very  bad  in  the  rains.  Two 
rivers  intersect  the  road,  the  Bohona  near  Sdrnd,  and  Pench 
close  to  Singori,  and  six  nil&s,  all  unbridged. 


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APPENDIX  No.  II. 


543 


No.  v.— From  Eoshangabad  to  Betdl. 

District. 

To 

Distance 
in  Miles. 

RSVARKS. 

Itarsi 

11 

3 

7i 
10 
14 

n 

131 

A  small  village  and  a  railway-station.  Supplies  procurable. 
Water  plentiful  from  wells.  Travellers'  bungalow  and  sar&i. 
The  road,  upon  black  cotton  soil,  is  partially  bridged,  and  em- 
banked ;  but  good  for  traffic.  The  nalds  intervening  are  usually 
dry. 

Supplies  plentiful.  Water  plentiful  from  wells.  No  travellers* 
bungalow  or  sardi,  but  a  regular  encamping  ground  (53  acres). 
The  road  is  on  black  soil,  but  in  good  order,  and  partially 
bridged. 

Water  from  wells  and  river.  Shed  for  travellers.  Supplies  plenti- 
ful. Police  outpost.  Good  encampment  under  trees  in  fine 
weather. 

Sar&i  room  for  Europeans,  with  table-servant.  Water  from  a  well 
Police  outpost,  supplies,  which  are  scanty,  are  brought  from 
Bordhd,  8  miles  off. 

Water  from  river  Machnd.  Supplies  plentiftil.  Police  station- 
house  and  district  post-office.  Rest-house  for  Europeans  un- 
furnished. Charitable  dispensary.  Village  school-house.  Large 
bridge  over  Machnl 

Sardi.  Room  for  Europeans,  with  table-servant.  Water  from 
wells  and  river.    Police  outpost.    Supplies  plentiful. 

Civil  station.  Sariis  in  Kot  and  sadar  b&zar.  Charitable  dis- 
pensary. Church;  travellers'  bungalow.  Town  and  female 
school-houses.  Central  distillery.  Water  from  river,  three 
tanks  and  numerous  wells.  Police  head-quarters  and  Imperial 
post-office. 

t 

Patrot4    

Kesld  

Dhar    

1 

Shh6pur  

Nimpdni..- 

Badnur    

Total..,. 

68i 

No. 

VI.— From  Ndgpiir  to  Mipdr. 

District. 

To 

Distance 
in  miles. 

RBXA.BK1. 

1 

Maunda(Mohod4). 

Bhandara    

Ukhni    ........ 

Mundipar  (1) ..  .. 
SdkoU     

21 

19 
12 

4 

8 

Overseer's  bungalow  at  Mah&lgdon  (10  miles).  Road  metalled 
throughout,  and  over  fair  country.  All  n&l£s  brideed,  except 
Kanhin  river  at  Maund&.  Travellers'  bungalow.  No  sar^  on 
the  road.    Shops  at  Pdldi. 

Road  metalled.  All  niULs  bridged.  No  sardis  on  the  road« 
Water  obtainable  at  villages  of  Masuri  (5th),  Borgdon  (7th), 
Kharbi  (10th),  Sh4hpur  (I4th),  and  Bel^  (l/th)  mile. 

Overseer's  bungalow.  Police  outpost.  Supplies  good.  Water 
plentiful  from  well  and  n^.  Road  in  good  order.  Bridges 
complete,  except  Wainganga,  J  mile  E.  of  Bhandlbn. 

Sarai.  Water  from  well,  \lllage  small.  Supplies  scarce.  Road 
in  good  order. 

Travellers'  bun^ow.  Supnlies  good.  Water  from  well.  Road 
and  bridges  m  good  order.  Tahsil  and  police  station-house 
J  mile  from  travellers'  bungalow. 

i 

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544 


JIPPBNDIX  No.  n. 


District. 


To 


DIfUnce 
in  Miles. 


BXVAUU. 


Km*      * 


Mi 


Chichold 


War^rband 


Kumbh&ri   . . . . 
Mundip4r(2)  .. 

Deorikishori   •• 
B&ghnadi    .... 


Pendhri 


Somni, 
Drug  . 

Bhilai  . 
RiipAr. 


Total.. 


12 
10 


14 


10 


lOi 


10 


10 


121 


SarHi.  Masonry  well.  Water  good.  Supplies  scarce.  Road  and 
bridges  in  good  order. 

Travellers'  bungalow.  No  well.  Water  near.  Arrangement  for 
supplies  made  tbrough  Kamth^  zaminddr,  to  whom  the  village 
belongs.    Road  in  fsji  order. 

Sar&i.  Water  plentiful  and  good.  Supplies  plentiful.  Roads 
and  bridges  in  good  order. 

Road  has  been  aligned,  raised,  and  bridged,  but  not  metalled. 
Some  metal  has  Wn  collected  on  the  roadside.  Bani4  supplies 
provisions,  river  water. 

Two  ndlds  are  crossed,  one  bridged  (near  Chichold),  and  the 
other  unbridged  (near  Chdbuk  n&la).  Road  very  bad,  being 
as  yet  incomplete.  Travellers'  bun^ow.  Well  water.  Provi- 
sions are  supplied  through  the  Khairagarh  zamindar,  by  means 
of  shopkeepers  at  P&thn. 

One  nila  bridged,  and  one  unbridged  in  this  stage.  Road  uneven 
in  places,  and  incomplete.  Tank  and  well  water.  Bania  sup- 
plies provisions. 

Two  small  n^lds,  and  a  small  river  are  crossed ;  all  unbridged.  Road 
irregular  and  uneven,  and  runs  through  black  soil.  Travellers' 
bui^ow.    Bani^  supplies  provisions.    Tank  and  well  water. 

Three  small  nal&s  are  met  with,  all  unbridged.  Soil  is  black 
loam,  and  road  bad,  and  uneven.  Banii  supplies  provisions. 
Tank  and  well  water. 

Seon&th  river  is  crossed  at  a  mile  and  a-half  from  Drug ;  it  is  un- 
bridged, but  can  be  crossed  easily  during  the  open  months. 
Road  from  Somni  to  the  Seon&th  runs  through  black  loam, 
and  is  very  irr^ular  and  uneven.  Travellers'  bungalow.  Bania 
supplies  provisions.    Well  and  tank  water. 

Road  throughout  varies  in  soil,  changing  from  black  loam  to 
sandy.  Portions  have  been  metalled.  Encamping  ground. 
Tank  and  well  water.    Bani^  supplies  provisions. 

Road  uneven  up  to  ^  of  the  distance,  beyond  that  it  is  very  good. 
Police  outpost  on  side  of  road.  Karun  river  crossed  4|  miles 
near  R4ipur ;  it  is  unbridged,  but  can  be  crossed  without  trouble, 
as  during  the  open  months  it  has  no  more  than  two  feet  of  water 
in  it  at  the  crossing. 


174 


No.  VII. — Froni  Nagpur  to  Ohhindwara, 


District. 

•     To 

Distance 
in  miles. 

BXVABKS. 

>5 

Saoner     

Kelod 

22 
7 

Road  metalled  throughout.  All  nalds  bridged,  except  KoUr  river, 
near  Dahigdon,  and  two  other  large  nSds  near  PatanslU>ngi. 
Overseer's  bungalow  at  Pipla  (U  miles).  Travellers'  bungaloiv 
and  sardi  at  Saoner.    Supplies  procurable  on  the  road. 

Fair  country  road.  Nalas  not  bridged.  Good  encamping 
ground.    Supplies  available.    Water  abundant. 

Digitized  by 


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APPENDIX  No.  II. 


645 


District. 


To 


Borgdon 


Ramdkond 


C 


Umri  Nala 


Chhindwdra 


Total . 


Dlftance 
inMUet. 


Bbvarks. 


14 


14 


15 


78 


District  Eneineer's  bungalow.  No  sardf .  Water  from  wells  good. 
Supplies  limited.  For  last  4  miles  road  through  black  cotton 
soil,  crosses  sixteen  watercourses,  of  which  only  the  Pdradsinga 
ndld  is  a  perennial  stream. 

Travellers'  bungalow  and  large  sarfii.  Water  good  from  wells  and 
from  Kanhan  river.  Supplies  procurable.  Road  intersected  by 
forty-four  watercourses  from  the  hills,  two  of  which  (Kanhdn 
and  Jdm)  are  rivers,  and  three  ndlds,  which  retain  water  through- 
out the  year.  None  of  these  are  bridged.  The  road  is  marked 
2nd  class,  but  little  has  been  done  to  it ;  and  as  the  soil  for  the 
last  8  miles  is  black  cotton,  in  the  rains  it  is  almost  impassable 
for  wheeled  carriage. 

No  village  here.  Supplies  obtainable  from  Ekallerd  (J  mile  W). 
District  Engineer's  bungalow.  Water  good  and  plentiful,  both 
from  wells  and  ndli  throughout  the  year.  Road  on  leaving 
R£mdkond  crosses  several  ndlds,  which  during  the  rains  are 
torrents,  and  frequently  are  impassable  for  twelve  hours.  The 
road  passes  bv  easy  curves  and  gradients  up  the  Sildwdnf  ghdt, 
the  top  of  which  is  4  miles  from  Umri  ndl6,  and  is  over  red  gravel. 
The  watercourses  on  the  ghat  are  all  bridged,  except  three. 

Road  marked  out  2nd  class,  but  only  completed  for  last  mile  ;  5 
ndlas  are  bridged  j  but  not  the  Kolbira  river  (12th  mile).  Road 
almost  the  whole  way  over  black  soil. 


No.  VIIL-^From  Nagpur  to  Betul. 


Bistrict. 


Sdoner . 


8 

In 


Khursapdr 


x3 


Chicholi 
Bamhni 


Mohi 


Chichend4 
Multai .... 


C9  CPG 


22 

11 

5 
13 


6 
10 


Rbvabks. 


Road  metalled  throughout.  All  naliis  bridged,  except  Koldr  river 
near  Dahigdon,  and  two  large  ndlds  near  P^tansdongi.  Overseer's 
bungalow  at  Pipla  (11  miles).  Travellers'  Bungdow  and  sai*di 
at  Saoner.     Supplies  procurable  on  the  road. 

No  bungalow  or  sarai.  Two  ndlds  (at  Umri  about  half-way,  and 
near  Khursdpar)  unbridged.  Sufficient  water  supply  on  the  road. 
Three  stony  ghats ;  remainder  of  road  of  a  difficult  nature. 

Road  unmetalled,  but  gravelly  in  parts ;  it  becomes  muddy  during 
the  monsoons.     No  travellers'  bungalow.    Supplies  procurable. 

Road  immetalled ;  first  six  miles  in  black  cotton  soil ;  very  muddy 
during  the  rains ;  remainder  very  stony.  It  is  intersected  by 
eight  ndlds.  Encamping  ground  and  travellers'  bungalow.  Sup- 
plies received  from  P4ndhum4. 

Road  unmetalled,  through  black  soil  and  gravel ;  during  the  rains 
it  becomes  muddy  in  parts.  It  is  intersected  by  five  nalds,  of 
which  the  one  near  Pdndhumd  retains  water  throughout  the  year. 

Sar&i.  Water  from  river  Wardha.  Supplies  cannotT>e  obtained  for 
more  than  two  or  three  people  at  a  time. 

Sar&i.  Water  from  tanks  and  wells.  Town— 5,000  inhabitants. 
Police  station-house.  District  post-office.  Charitable  disj^ensary. 
Town  school.  Travellers' bungalow.  Tahsili.  Imperial  post-office. 


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546 


APPENDIX  No.  II. 


District. 

To 

Distance 
in  Miles. 

Rbvabks. 

Sasundra 

Betul   

14 

10 

4 

I04i 

Sardi.    Water  from  wells.    Large  village.     Rest-house  for  Eu- 
ropeans. 
No  sar4i  or  covered  accommodation  for  travellers.    Water  from 

-2 
1 

!! 
1 

Badnur    

Total .... 

river  and  wells.    Several  large  groves  of  mango  trees  for  shelter 
during  dry  weather.    Town  police  post.    Charitable  dispensary. 
Imperial  post-office.    A  land-holder  has  a  good  garden  on  the 
English  system  ;  vegetables  procurable  in  season.    About  5,000 
inhabitants. 
Civil  station.    Sar4is  in  Sadar  and  Kothi  bazdr.  Charitable  dispen- 
sary. Church.  Travellers*  bungalow.    Town  and  female  school- 
houses.  Sadar  distillery.     Water   from  river,   three  tanks,  and 
nimierous  wells.    Imperial  post-office,  and  police  head-quarters. 

No,  IX, — From  Ndgpiir  to  Chanda, 


District. 


To 


Distance 
in  miles. 


Rbmakks. 


Bori 


v5 


I 


Kandri. 


Jim. 


Warora 


Bh&ndak 


o 


Chanda 


18 


13 


Total. 


29 


11 


17 


Overseer's  bungalow  and  well  at  Parson  (8  miles),  and  travellers' 
bungalow  at  Bori.  Road  metalled  throughout.  All  rivers  and 
ndlds  bridged,  except  the  river  Wan4  at  Bori.  No  sardis  inter- 
mediate. Sardi  at  Bori,  close  to  railway -station,  and  about  one 
mile  from  travellers'  bungalow. 

Road  lies  through  a  black  cotton  soil.  It  is  metalled  The  main 
rivers  and  nalis  not  bridged.  At  Kdndri  the  Wand  river  is 
crossed,  and  this  is  the  chief  difficulty  between  Bori  and  Jdm. 

Road  hes  through  a  black  cotton  country  and  is  metalled.  The  main 
rivers  and  nalas  unbridged.  A  travellers'  bungalow  at  Hingan- 
ghUt,  8  miles  off.  The  Hinganghdt  road  branches  off  from  here 
westwards. 

Road  lies  through  a  bkck  cotton  soil,  being  only  formed  and 
covered  with  muram  except  in  a  few  nodular  spots,  where  me- 
tal has  been  placed.  There  is  a  travellers'  bungalow  here. 
The  main  streams  and  ndlds  unbridged.  Warord  is  a  Tahsil 
station. 

Road  for  the  first  half  runs  through  black  and  brown  loam,  and 
then  through  sandy  soil.  Three  unbridged  streams  are  crossed, 
but  these  form  no  obstacle  in  the  open  season. 

Save  for  the  1st  mile  the  route  is  by  the  southern  road,  which 
is  partially  metalled  and  partially  bridged.  Two  unbridged 
streams  are  crossed,  but  these  form  no  obstacle  in  the  open 


96 


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APPENDIX   No.    II. 
No.  X. — From  Bdipur  to  Sambalpur. 


547 


BUtrict. 


To 


Di«tanee 
in  mllas. 


Bbicabu. 


^5 

p. 


Nawagdon 
A'rang  . 
Tumgdon 


Nawagaon 

Torjhar    . 
Gadberd  . 

Sakrd  ... 

Basna  ... 

Sardipalli 
Singhora. . 

Lohara     . 


1 


Sohela 

Cbakarkend   . 

Bargarh  .... 
A'tabira  .... 
Sambalpur  .. 

Total 


13  Bania  supplies  provisions.  Well  and  tank  water.  Sokra  ndl& 
unbridged.  For  balf  tbe  distance  from  Rdipur  tbe  road  is  hard, 
the  rest  is  black  soil. 
11^  Bania  supplies  provisions.  Well  and  tank  water.  The  Kolhan 
ndld  is  crossed  near  RewH,  it  is  unbridged,  but  the  crossing  is 
very  fair.    The  soil  throughout  varies  from  sandy  to  black  loam. 

9  Travellers'  bungalow.  Bania  supplies  provisions.  Well  and  tank 
water.  The  Mahdnadi  has  to  be  crossed,  it  is  unbridged,  with 
a  bed  a  mile  broad,  having  little  or  no  water  in  it.  Besides 
this  there  is  a  nala  near  Beltokri,  it  is  unbridged  but  gives  no 
trouble,  as  the  crossing  is  good  and  little  or  no  water  in  the  ndla. 
The  road  throughout  is  uneven,  and  runs  through  black  loam. 

8i  Banid  supplies  provisions.  Well  water,  no  nala  is  crossed.  The 
country  above  the  road  is  wild  and  jungly.  The  soil  is  hard 
and  good  for  cart  traffic. 

8i  Supplies  have  to  be  collected  from  the  neighbourhood.  Well  water. 
No  nala  is  crossed.   The  road  is  hard  and  runs  over  gravelly  soil. 

8  Banid  supplies  provisions.  Well  water.  No  ndld  is  crossed.  The 
road  is  good,  and  runs  over  hard  soil,  but  there  is  thick  jungle 
on  either  side. 
15  Supplies  procurable.  Water  good  from  Jonk  river.  No  nala  ex- 
cept the  Jonk  river,  which  is  two-thirds  of  the  distance  from  Gad- 
bera ;  it  is  unbridged,  but  can  easily  be  crossed,  as  it  has  little 
water  in  it.  Jungle  runs  along  both  sides  of  the  road,  soil  gravelly. 
15  Supplies  procurable.  Water  good  from  well  near  the  village. 
Travellers'  bungalow  on  bank  of  Jonk  river.  The  road  passes 
though  dense  jungle  nearly  the  whole  way;  it  is  unmade, 
though  good  in  fair  weather.    N^las  all  unbridged. 

11  Supplies  procurable.  Well  water.  Road  sandy,  generally  good  in 
tair  weather ;  nalds  all  unbridged. 

12  Travellers'  bungalow  and  well  at  Khumdrpalli,  six  miles  from 
Sardipalli.  Supplies  procurable  at  Singhord.  Water  good, 
from  tank  and  well.  Uoad  unmade,  but  mostly  over  red  soil, 
and  good  in  fair  weather.    Ndlas  all  unbridf^ed. 

A  small  village.     Supplies  only  procurable  m  small  quantities ; 

but  can  be  obtained  from  Pankipalli,  a  larger  village  about  a 

mile   off.    Water   good,  from  well.    There  is  a    small  ghat. 

near  Singhord,  whidi  is  somewhat  stony  but  not  difficult.     Rest 

of  road  sandy  and  ^lod  in  fair  weather.     Ndlds  all  unbridged. 
A  large  village.  Supplies  easily  procurable.  Water  good,  from  several 

tanks  and  a  well.  Road  good  in  fair  weather.  Nalds  all  unbridged. 
A  large  village.    Supplies  easily  procurable.    Water  good,  from 

several  tanks  and  a  well.    Travellers'  bungalow  near  the  road. 

Road  mostly  over  hard  red   soil,  and  good   in  fair  weather. 

N&lds  all  unbridged. 
Tahsil  station  and  large  village.  Supplies  easily  procurable.  Water 

good  from  tanks  and  from  Jira  river,  which  is  close  to  the  village. 

Road  over  hard  red  soil,  good  in  fair  weather.  Nalas  all  unbridged. 
Large  village.     Supplies    easily  procurable.     Water  good,  from 

tanks  and  a  well.  Road  over  hard  red  soil,  good  in  fair  weather. 

Nalas  all  unbridfted. 
Halting-place  at  Babuband,  which  is  half^'ay,  and  where  there  is 

a  well,  but  the  village  is  a  mile  from  the  road.     Road  good  in 

fair  weather.     Nalas  all  unbridged. 


7 
8 

7 

12 
14 


167 


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548 


APPENDIX  No.  U. 


N(h  XL — From  Ohdnda  to  Sironcha. 


District 


T» 


Distance 
in  Niks. 


I 

P 


Virgdon  

Ghieboli 

Sirp^* 

Bibrd  ♦  

Vyankatdpdr  * 
NakalpaUi  ♦  .. 
PahdrpaUi  ♦  .. 
Sironcha  ••...• 


Total. 


16^ 

16 

12 

20 
14 

16 
16 

12j 


There  are  no  travellen'  bun^lows,  no  sarais,  and  no  accommo- 
dation whatever  on  this  Ime  of  road;  the  utmost  that  can  be 
found  is  an  empty  house  or  shed  in  which  shelter  may  be  ob- 
tained. Water  is  everywhere  abundant  in  the  cold  weather  at 
the  stages,  and  ever3rwhere  scarce  and  bad  in  the  hot  season ; 
there  are  few  wells  and  the  water  supply,  such  as  it  is,  is  obtained 
from  rivers  and  ndlds.  Supplies  are  to  be  had  without  difficulty 
at  each  place  named  from  Banias,  who  sell  them  at  reasonable 
rates.  There  are  no  bridges  over  the  rivers  or  the  nilis. 
The  first  part  of  the  road  from  Ch&ndi  is  rocky  with  sand, 
but  the  greater  portion  of  the  way  is  over  deep  sand.  The 
people  are  exceedingly  eivil. 

*  These  places  are  on  the  right  bank  of  ^the  Godavari  in  the 
Nizdm's  territories. 


121 


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APPENDIX   ISO.  IIL 

QLOSSARY. 


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GLOSSARY 


A'bkirf    

A'l 

A'mbdn  

A^iml    

Angarkhi    

Arhar  

Aswa    ..., 

Avatar 

B 

Baig&i£ 

B^jri    

Bandar 

BangU 

BfuaiA  or  Banij^ 
Banjdr^    


B^oU 
Bazdr 
BigM 

Bisw^ 
Bohr^ 


Chani 

Chak    

Chapati    

Chapdlsf 

Charkh^  

Cbaudharf  

ChaukicMrf  

Chanth     

ChhdnU    

CMatink 

Chhfpi  or  Chhipf 

Chir^li    

Chironji   

ChdU  

Chdngi    


Excise. 

A  plant  {Morinda  citrifolia),  the  root  of  which  yields  a  red  dye. 

A  plant  {Hibiscus  cannabinus)  cultivated  for  the  fibre  which  it 

yields. 
The  title  of  a  Government  officer  under  native  rule.   A  collector 

or  farmer  of  revenue. 
A  long  tunic,  a  coat  worn  both  by  Hindiis  and  Mohammadans. 
A  kind  of  pulse  very  generally   cultivated   throughout   India 

(Ct/tisus  cajan), 
A  horse  or  horseman. 
The  appearance  on  earth  or  incarnation  of  a  deity. 


A  kind  of  rice  of  inferior  quahty. 

A  grain  much  cultivated  throughout  India.  A  species  of  panic 
or  millet  (Panicum  spicatum), 

A  monkey. 

A  species  of  betel-leaf  or  p/ln, 

A  shop-keeper ;  a  merchant  (usually  a  corn-dealer). 

A  particuliur  caste  or  tribe.  They  are  professional  carriers,  and 
journey  from  one  part  of  India  to  another  with  droves  of  pack- 
bullocks. 

A  large  well  with  steps  leading  downwards  to  the  water. 

A  market. 

A  measure  of  land  varying  in  extent  in  different  parts  of  India. 
The  average  highi  is  about  f  ths  of  an  acre. 

The  twentieth  part  of  a  bfgha. 

A  caste  of  merchants  or  traders  whose  home  was  originally 
Gujarat.  They  have  adopted  the  Mohammadan  religion,  and 
are  to  be  found  in  many  parts  of  India. 

A  kind  of  pulse  commonly  known  as  gram  (Cieer  arietinum). 

A  portion  of  land  divided  off,  arrondissement. 

A  thin  cake  of  flour  and  water  slightly  toasted  or  baked  over  an 

open  fire. 
A  servant  or  messenger  wearing  a  badge  as  a  mark  of  office. 
A  kind  of  cloth,  also  called  zilmili. 

The  head  man  of  a  trade  in  towns.     The  head  man  of  a  village. 
The  office  of  watchman.     A  tax  levied  to  defray  the  cost  of 

town  or  village  watch. 
An  assessment  equal  to  one-fourth  of  the  Government  demand. 
A  kind  of  coarse  cloth. 
The  sixteenth  part  of  a  seer  measure. 
A  printer  of  cottons ;  a  stamper  of  chintz. 
A  lamp. 

A  tree  (Ckironfia  sapida),  also  its  nut. 
A  fire-place. 
A  tax  gathered  daily  from  grain  merchants,  being  as  much  grain 

as  a  man  can  hold  in  his  hand. 


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APPENDIX  No.  III. 


551 


Coss  (Kos)  

Cowree  (Kauri) 
Crore  (Kror)   .., 


Dafaddr 
Daftar  .. 


Dahya . 


D^k 

Ddl 

Band  Mamila 

Dangi  

Darakdar 

Darbar 

Darogha  

Desmukh 

DespdndyA   ... 
Dharmsala    ... 


Fakir    .. 
Faujdar 


Q 


Gaddi  .... 
Garh  .... 
Garhi  .... 
Garpagar  , 


Gerii 

Ghara 

Ghdt... 


Ghee  . 
Ghoni . 
Gosain. 
Got.... 


H 

Hawell  or  Ilawili 

HoU 


Hudd^dar 
Hukka     . 


A  measure  iof  distance  averaging  about  two  miles. 
A  small  shell  used  as  coin  {Cyprcea  moneta). 
Ten  millions. 


The  title  of  a  native  military  or  police  officer. 

A  record ;  a  register ;  an  account ;  an  office  in  which  public 

records  are  kept. 
A  system  of  cultivation  carried  on  by  hill  tribes.     The  land  is 

prepared  by  burning  grass  and  brushwood  on  it.     The  seed 

is  then  sown  in  the  ashes. 
The  post,  or  post-office. 
A  sort  of  grain  {Paspalumfrumentaceum), 
Criminal  penalties. 

A  forester ;  an  inhabitant  of  low  hilly  or  jungly  tract. 
A  hereditary  public  officer. 
A  court ;  a  royal  court ;  an  audience  or  levee. 
The  title  of  a  native  official  in  various  departments.     A  superin- 
tendent or  manager. 
A  hereditary   native   officer  under  the   Marathd  governments 

exercising  chief  police  and  revenue  authority  over  a  district. 
The  hereditary  revenue  accountant  of  a  district. 
A  building  devoted  to  some  religious  or  charitable  purpose.     A 

house  for  the  accommodation  of  travellers  or  pilgrims,  or  the 

reception  of  the  sick  or  poor. 

Any  poor  or  indigent  person,  but  more  particularly  a  Moham- 
madan  religious  mendicant  wandering  over  the  country  and 
living  on  alms. 

An  officer  of  the  Moghal  government  having  police  and  criminal 
jurisdiction  in  a  district ;  the  captain  of  a  body  of  troops. 


A  cushion,  a  sovereign's  seat  or  throne. 
A  fort. 

A  man  supposed  to  be  endowed  with  power  to  ward  off  danger 

from  hail  and  thunderstorms. 
A  kind  of  red  earth,  or  ochre. 
A  water-pot ;  an  earthen  vessel. 
A  landing-place ;  steps  on  the  bank  of  a  river  ;  a  quay  or  wharf 

where  customs  are  levied ;  a  pass  through  mountains  ;  the 

mountains  themselves. 
Clarified  butter. 
A  horse. 

A  Hindii  religious  mendicant. 
A  branch  or  division  of  a  tribe  or  caste. 


The  tract  of  coimtry  adjacent  to  a  capital  town  and  originally 

annexed  to  it. 
A  popular  Hindi!  festival  celebrated  during  the  ten  days  pre- 

cedmg  the  full  moon  of  Phalgun. 
An  officer  or  functionary. 
Pipe,  &c.,  in  which  tobacco  is  smoked. 


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APPENDIX  No.  III. 


Ijara     . . 

Imli 

Istikbdl 


J%fr 


Jagirdar 

Jain  

Jamadur 

Jat    

Jawafi  ... 
Jhil 


Kabfr  Panthfs.. 

Kachd 

Kaldl  or  Kalur 
Kamdvisdar  ..... 


Kangnf 

Kankar 
Kdndngo  . 


Kards   

Kasba  

Kath  barahi. 

KhMf  

Khalautf  .... 

Khdlsa 

Kharff 


Khirwd    . 
Khaskhas 

Khasra 


Kheda. ...... 

Khidmatgar. 
Khilat 


Khosiyar 
Kiladur 
Kirana ... 
Kodo    ... 


Kosra  

Kot  Dafadiir 


Farm  or  lease. 

The  tamarind  tree  and  its  fruit. 

Ceremonious  reception  of  a  person  of  distinction. 


A  tract  of  bmd  assigned,  with  or  without  conditions,  to  a  serrant  of 
the  State,  with  the  power  to  collect  and  appropriate  the  State 
revenue  and  cany  on  the  general  administration.  This  tenure 
was  most  common  under  the  Mohammadan  government. 

Holder  of  a  jdg^r- 

A  religion  of  India. 

The  chief  or  leader  of  any  number  of  persons. 

A  race  of  people  in  North-Westem  India. 

A  species  of  millet  {IIolcus  sorghum). 

A  lake. 


Members  of  the  religious  sect  foimded  by  Kabir. 

Raw,  unripe,  crude. 

A  distiller  and  vendor  of  spirituous  liquor. 

The  chief  revenue  officer  of  a  district  under  the  Maratha  go- 
vernment. 

A  kind  of  grain  much  eaten  by  the  poorer  classes  (Panicum 
italicum). 

Nodular  hmestone,  also  gravel,  hard  sand. 

Primarily  an  expounder  of  laws,  but  generally  a  district  revenue 
official  whose  business  it  is  to  record  all  circumstances  con- 
nected with  landed  property. 

Bangles  or  rings  worn  on  the  wrist. 

A  small  town,  or  large  village,  or  a  market  town. 

A  kind  of  sugarcane. 

A  kind  of  coarse  cloth. 

A  low-lying  rice  country. 

Land  under  the  direct  administration  of  Grovemment. 

Season  of  autumn.  The  autumn  crops,  sown  at  the  commence- 
ment of  the  rains. 

A  coarse  kind  of  cotton  cloth  dyed  red. 

A  fragrant  grass  {Andropogon  muricatum)  the  roots  of  which 
are  made  into  door  and  window  screens. 

A  written  record  of  the  particulars  of  a  rough  map  or  plan  of  a 
\'illage.     A  field  book. 

An  enclosure  for  capturing  wild  elephants. 

A  personal  attendant.     A  table  servant. 

A  dress  of  honour.  Any  article  presented  by  the  ruling  or  supe- 
rior power  as  a  mark  of  distinction. 

A  kind  of  sugarcane. 

The  governor  or  commandant  of  a  fort. 

Articles  of  grocery. 

A  kind  of  small  grain  eaten  by  the  natives  {Paspalumfmmenta' 
ceum). 

An  inferior  grain  produced  in  Bastar  (Panicum  italicum), 

A  cavalrv  non-commissioned  native  officer. 


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APPENDIX  No.  III. 


553 


Kurawa  or  Kuru 
Kutkf  


L^igwa 


Ldkh    

Langoti    

Ling  or  Linga 


Liit 


M 


U&R 

Mafidar  . 
Makta.... 
Maktaddr. 
MA\guz&r, 


M^lik  Makbdza 
M^mlatddr  


Mandlof   

Man,  Mini  or  Maund. 

Mandid    

Mdnkaris 

MisU 

Masbrud 

Masjid.. 

Maffliad    

Masdr 

Mauza 

Mhowa     

Mukhdsa  ....^ 


Mukhasadar 

MukhOr 

Mung  

Mutasaddi  .. 


N 


Nadi    

Kaib    

KdW 

Kandi  

Nazar  

^emindth 


Pachrangi 
Pagri    


A  measure  of  capacity  varying  in  different  parts  of  India. 
A  species  of  inferior  grain. 


A  Tillage  paper  drawn  out  annually,  showing  in  detail  the  rents 

paid  by  tenants. 
A  hundred  thousand. 
A  cloth  worn  round  the  loins. 
A  mark  ;  sign  ;  a  distinguishing  mark  of  gender  or  sex  ;  the  type 

by  which  Siva  is  worshipped  in  all  parts  of  India. 
Plunder,  robbery. 


A  rent-free  tenure. 

Holder  of  a  rent-free  tenure. 

Quit-rent. 

The  holder  of  an  estate  which  pays  a  quit-rent. 

The  person  responsible  to  Government  for  the  payment  of  the 
revenues  assessed  on  a  village. 

Peasant  proprietor. 

The  title  of  an  officer  under  the  M ardthi  government  entrusted 
with  the  management  of  a  tdluka  or  district,  and  with  the 
collection  of  the  Government  revenue. 

The  title  of  an  officer  under  native  rule. 

A  measure  of  weight  generally  equal  to  40  seers  or  80  lbs. 

An  inferior  grain  produced  in  Bastar. 

Nobles,  persons  entitled  to  honour  or  distinction. 

A  goldsmith's  weight  xVth  part  of  a  told. 

A  mixed  fabric  of  silk  and  cotton. 

A  mosque. 

Throne. 

A  kind  of  pulse  {Ervum  or  Cicer  Itna  or  hirsutum). 

A  village. 

A  tree,  from  the  blossoms  of  which  the  common  native  liquor 
is  distilled  (Bassia  latifolid), 

A  portion  of  land  or  a  village  assigned  to  an  individual,  either  rent- 
free  or  at  a  low  quit-rent,  on  condition  of  service,  or  for  service 
rendered. 

One  holding  a  mukh^. 

An  agent. 

A  kind  of  pulse  (Phaseolus  Mwn^o). 

A  writer,  a  clerk. 


A  river  or  stream* 

A  deputy. 

A  rivulet ;  a  channel  cut  in  the  soil  by  rum-water ;  a  watercoune. 

Siva's  bull. 

A  present ;  a  fine  or  fee  paid  to  the  State. 

One  of  the  deities  of  the  Jains. 


A  kind  of  sugarcane. 
A  head-dress  ;  a  turban. 


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APPENDIX  No.  III. 


Pfilf 

PiM«..... 

P4n  

Panchayat,  or  Panch^t 

Pandhrf    

Pandit 

Pankhi 

Pantha 

PantW 

Pario   

Pirdhl 

Pargana    

Pdrswanith 

Tiai 

Patel    

Patsan 

Pesbw^ 

Pettah 

Pharnavfs 

PoU J. 

Puj^ri   

Purohit 


Rab( 

lUhar  

Raj    

n&ii 

R^nf     

Rio 

Razaf    

Risaladdr     ... 
Ryot  (Rayat) 


s 

Sabha-Mandap. 


Sadar    

S^bib    

SdbuHr   

Samvat  or  Sambat 


Sanad 
8ar   ... 


A  measure  of  capacity,  |tb  of  a  Kurawa. 

A  tree  bearing  red  bloBsoms  (Butea  /rondasa). 

Tbe  aromatic  leaf  of  the  Piper  Betel, 

A  native  court  of  arbitration,  originally  consisting  of,  as  tbe  name 
implies,  five  members,  but  wbicb  may  consist  of  any  number. 

A  local  tax  levied  on  tbe  non-agricultural  classes. 

A  learned  Brahman. 

A  fan. 

A  religious  sect. 

The  follower  of  a  particular  order  or  sect. 

A  halting-place,  camp,  encampment. 

A  sportsman  or  fowler. 

A  district,  a  tract  of  country  including  a  number  of  villages. 

A  deity  of  tbe  Jains. 

A  sauare  ingot  of  silver  weighing  from  thirty-two  to  sixty  tol4s. 
The  word  is  current  at  Burhanpur. 

The  headman  of  a  village. 

A  kind  of  hemp  or  flax. 

The  chief  or  prime  minister  of  the  Maratha  government. 

A  town  or  suburb  attached  to,  but  distinct  from,  a  fort ;  a  sub- 
division of  a  district. 

A  pubUc  officer  under  the  Maratha  government ;  the  keeper  of 
pubhc  registers,  through  whom  all  orders  of  grants  were  issued 

A  Hindii  festival,  when  bullocks  are  oruaraented  and  paraded 
through  the  towns  and  villages. 

The  officiating  Brdhman  or  priest  of  a  temple. 

A  family  priest. 


The  spring  harvest ;  tbe  crop  sown  after  the  rains,  and  reaped  at 

the  commencement  of  the  hot  weather. 
A  kind  of  pulse,  called  Tur. 
A  kingdom  ;  a  principality. 
A  king,  a  prince. 
The  consort  of  a  rajti,  a  queen. 
A  Hindii  title  originally  meaning  a  chief  or  prince ;  in  general 

use  as  a  title  of  honour. 
A.  quilted  garment. 

A  native  officer  commanding  a  troop  of  irregular  horse. 
A  subject ;  tbe  term  is  more  especially  appUed  to  the  agricultural 

population. 


A  portico,  or  an  erection  in  front  of  a  temple  where  people  na^ 
semblc.  The  open  space  of  a  temple  in  front  of  the  apart' 
ment  of  the  idol.     An  audience-ball.     An  assembly-room. 

Chief,  supreme,  the  highest  or  foremost  of  anything. 

Master,  lord. 

A  banker,  a  merchant  in  general. 

A  year,  but  especially  applied  to  the  era  of  Vikramdditya,  com- 
mencing  57  years  before  the  Christian  era. 

A  grant,  a  diploma,  a  charter. 

Chief,  principal,  head. 

A  building  for  the  shelter  and  accommodation  of  travellers. 


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APPENDIX  No.  III. 


55i5 


S^r{ 

Sarkdr 

S^yar  or  Sdir 


Seer  (Ser) 

Sendri  

Sikh 


Silahddr 


Sondr 

Sdar.. 

Siiba 


Si^bad^r 
Sjamak 


Tahsi'l  ... 
Tahsilddr 
Tahslli ... 


T^UoorTdldb. 

Taluka 

Tdlukaddr 

Tttlukadari    .... 

Tattl 

Thdkur 


Tihdi 
Tikd. 


Tikhiir 

Til    

Ti'r    

Tirthankar 

ToM 

Tukumddr 


Uttar 
Urad.. 


W 


Watanddr 

Warde-Major 


Zamindar . . . 

Zaminddri 

Zamindarin 


A  long  cloth  worn  by  Hindd  women. 

Government.     The  ruling  power. 

Miscellaneous  revenue  accruing  to  Government  in  addition  to 

the  land  tax. 
A  measure  equal  to  about  2  lbs. 
A  die. 
The  name  of  a  people  in  the  Punjab  who  are  the  followers  of 

Ndnak  Shah. 
An  armour-bearer,  a  mounted  soldier  providing  his  own  horse 

and  armour. 
A  goldsmith. 
A  hog. 
A  province,  a  government,  sometimes  a  smaller  division.    Also 

the  officer  in  charge  of  a  sdba. 
The  governor  of  a  province  or  sdba. 
A   kind  of  grain   used  generally  among  the   poorer  classes 

(Panicum  colonum).     The  stalk  forms  good  fodder  for  cattle. 


A  revenue  subdivision  of  a  district. 

A  sub-collector  or  officer  in  charge  of  a  tahsil. 

The  office  or  building  in  which  the  business  of  a  tahsilddr  is 

transacted. 
A  pond.     A  reservoir  of  water. 
A  district  or  division  of  a  province. 
The  holder  of  a  taluka. 
Tenure,  office,  or  estate  of  a  talukaddr. 
A  matted  screen. 
An  idol,  a  deity,  but  especially  an  individual  entitled  to  reverence 

or  respect.     Applied  also  to  the  nobles  of  Rdjputdna. 
The  third  part. 
The  circular  mark  made  with  coloured  earths  or  unguents  upon 

the  forehead. 
Arrowroot. 

An  oil  seed,  the  seed  of  the  sesamum. 
The  bank  or  shore  of  a  river  or  sea. 
The  generic  title  of  the  persons  held  sacred  by  the  Jains. 
A  certain  weight  containing  12  mashds,  equal  to  180  grains  troy. 
A  term  applied  to  the  holdef  of  a  grant  of  land  made  generally 

for  the  construction  of  a  tank  or  well  for  pubUc  use. 


North. 

A  kind  of  pulse. 


The  holder  of  a  hereditary  right,  property,  or  office. 
The  title  of  a  native  military  officer. 


A  holder  or  occupant  of  a  landed  estate. . 

The  estate  of  a  zamindar ;  pertaining  or  relating  to  a  zamfnddr. 

Female  of  zaminddr. 


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APPENDIX  Uo.  lY. 

INDEX. 


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558 
INDEX 


A'b^Sihib,  p.  178. 

Abirchand  Rii  Bahddur,  p.  233. 

Ab-ul-Fazl,  p.  9. 

Adams,  General,  Hoshangdbdd  occupied  by,  217  ;  Rdmthi  Cantonment  establisbed  by, 

p.  234. 
A^dil  Mohammad  Kh^,  Nswdb,  Fort  of  lUhatgarh  taken  by,  during  Mutiny  401  ;  flight 

oft*.;  443. 
Administration — Judicial,  of  Bhand^ra,  70  ;  of  Bilaspdr,  121  ;  of  Ch^dd,  148;  ofChhind- 

w&ri,  167  ;  of  Damoh,  180.     Of  Hoshangdbdd,  213  ;  of  Jabalpdr,  224  ;  of  Mandla, 

285  ;  Bhonsli,  in  N^P^,  314  ;   British,  in  N^piir,  344  et  seq.     Of  Nagpdr,  317. 

Gond,  in  Narsinghpdr,  361.     Of  Sagar  Subas  in  Narsinghpdr,  362.     British  rule  in 

Narsinghpdr,  363.     British,  of  Nimdr,  380  et  seq,     British,  of  R%dr,  411.     Of 

8^,  437.     Of  Sambalpdr,  458.     Of  Seonf,  475.     Of  Upper  Godavarf,  498.     Of 

Wardhd,  518. 
A^gar  Das,  high  priest  of  the  Satnamfs,  102. 
A^tes,  of  Jabalpdr,  collection  of,  220. 
A'gbd,  197;  426;  427. 
Aghariis,  agriculture  carried  on  by,  in  Bamr^  25  ;  at  KoUbir^,  247  ;  at  PatnA,  393  ;   in 

Phuljlmr,  398  ;   in  Rafgarh,  402  ;  in  Sambalpdr,  457  ;  in  Sdrangarh,  463  ;  in  Son- 

pdr,  483. 
Agnew,  Colonel,  first  Superintendent  of  Chhattfsgarh,  96  ;  411  ;   head-quarters  moved  to 

Raipdr  by,  422. 
Agricultural,  products,  of  Bal^ghat,  18;  of  BiHspdr,  113;  system,  of  Nimdr,  385;  of 

Seonf,  470  ;  of  Upper  Godavarf,  .001  ;  of  Wardh^  516. 
Agriculture,  in  Bhand^ra,  64  ;  in  Betdl,  50  ;  in  Chhattfsgarh,  156  ;  in  Chhindwdr^  168 ; 

in  Hoshangdbdd,  212  ;  in  Narsinghpdr,  364  ;  in  Rifpdr,  416. 
Ahilyd  Baf,  temples  and  monasteries  built  by,  at  Mandhdt^,  264  ;  349. 
Akbar,  capture  of  Bah^ur  Khdn  by,  9  ;  378  ;  ten  districts  of  Goudwjina  ceded  to,  284. 
Akbar  Sh^h,  147  ;  167. 
Al^-ud-dfn,  capture  of  A'sirgarh  by,  9  ;  iconoclasm  of,  at  Mandhat^,  258  ;  ^77  ;  defeat 

of  army  sent  by,  at  Warangal,  498. 
Al  Birdni,  Khandwd  mentioned  by,  243. 
All  Khan,  126. 

Alf  Sh^  Fdrdkf,  breech-loader  placed  in  A^sfrgarh  by,  11. 
Altitudes,  highest  of  Satpurd  range,  467. 
AmarSmgh,  161;  410. 
Amethysts,  found  in  Upper  GodiLvarf,  506. 
Amfr  Khin,  171  ;  Ndgpdr  devastated  by  robber  bands  under,  308  ;  Narsinghpdr  invaded 

by,  363. 
Anam  Raj,  38. 
A'nandf  Baf,  95  ;   161  ;  410. 
Anant  Rim,  Chief  of  Arjunf,  5. 
Anapd  Aswa  Rio,  55  ;  499. 

A'ndhra,  kings.  Upper  Godivarf  formerly  belonged  to,  498  ;  their  capitals,  ib. 
Animals,  wild,  of  Balighdt,    17  ;  of  Bhandara,   59;  of  Chhattfsgarh,    154.     Domestic, 

of  Upper  Goddvarf,  506  ;  wild,  of  do.,  507.     Domestic,  of  Wardhd,  515  ;  wild,  of 

do.,  516. 
Arniab,  of  BiWspdr,  87. 
Antiquities,  of  Eran,  189. 
Andp  Singh,  Dfwin,  218. 


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APPENDIX  No.  IV.  559 

A'pd  Sahib,  sheltered  m  A'sfrgarh,  11.  Defeat  of,  47  ;  69.  ^Succeeds  to  title  of  Seui 
Dhurandhar,  145.  Hostilities  of,  with  British,  146  ;  167.  Regency  of,  at  NjJgpdr, 
309.  Alliance  of,  with  British,  tb.  Succession  of,  to  throne,  ib.  Alliance  of,  with 
Peshw^  and  opposition  of  British  by,  310.  Defeat  of  forces  of,  by  British  at  Sit^- 
baldi,  311.  Surrender  of,  ib.  Subsequent  resistance  and  defeat  of  troops  of,  312. 
Restoration  of,  to  throne,  by  British,  ib.  Renewed  intrigues  and  arrest  of,  312. 
Escape  of,  ib. 

Aqueduct,  at  Bahddurpiir,  14. 

Architectural  remams,  Indo-Scythian,  in  A'lbiJk^  2;  of  Burh^pdr,  128.  Objects,  of 
Chandi,  141  ;  of  Pdtnd,  394.  Ancient,  at  Manipdr,  160  ;  at  Eran,  189  ;  at  Ghugiis, 
196  ;  at  Khandwd,  244  ;  at  Mandhdta,  258,  et  seq,  ;  of  Mandd,  349  ;  at  Rimnagar, 
427  ;  511,  at  R^mtek,  429 ;  at  Ratanpdr,  431  ;  of  Karanbel,  487  ;  in  forest  near 
Wair^garh,  511;  at  Zainabad,  520  ;  monumental,  of  Indo-Scythians,  in  Upper  Godi- 
vari,  498. 

A'rewars,  500. 

Ariun  Deva,  25. 

Arjun  Singh,  26  ;  192 ;  257  ;  477. 

Arrow-heads,  flint,  dug  up  at  Takalghat,  484. 

Arrowroot,  wild,  one  of  the  chief  exports  of  Bastar,  31. 

Arrows,  of  the  Mdrids,  35. 

Arsenal,  Mar^thA,  at  Amb^la,  429  ;  at  Ndgpur,  345. 

A'sd  Ahir,  fortress  of  A'sirgarh,  said  to  have  been  built  by,  9.  Rule  of,  in  Gondwana, 
166  ;  377  ;  378. 

A'sd  Gaulf,  fabulous  character  of,  9. 

A'saf  J^,  Nizam,  128.     Acquisition  of  Nim^r  by,  379  ;  death  of,  ib. 

A'saf  Khan,  conquest  of  GarhA  by,  225  ;  283  ;  capture  of  Chauragarh  by,  362. 

Ashtadhdtu,  metal  of  large  gun  in  A'slrgarh,  10. 

Asvatth^ma,  A'sirgarh  a  place  of  worship  of,  9.  • 

Asylum,  lunatic  and  leper,  at  NAgpur,  345. 


Babdvat  Nagari,  ancient  name  of  Balihri,  23. 

B^d  Rao,  rebellion  of,  in  ChandA,  147. 

BAgbd,  fabled  leap  of,  197. 

Bagheld,  dialect  of  Hindf,  225. 

Bahadur  Khan,  Fdrdkf,  capture  of,  by  Akbar,  9  ;  Bahddurpur  built  by,  14* 

Bahddur  Singh,  122  ;  195. 

BahirSahf,  Riija,  88;  91. 

Baidiirya,  Mani  Parvat,  M^dhatd  originally  called,  258. 

Bdgds,  in  Bhanddra,  61,  et  seq. ;  106  ;  in  Chhattisgarh,  156  ;  in  Mandla,  272,  278  ;  sub- 
divisions of,  278 ;  character  of,  279 ;  dress  of  ib, ;   religious  ceremonies  of,  280  ;  • 
agriculture  of,  281  ;  474. 

Baijal  Deva,  RajA  of  Pdtn^,  394. 

Baij  Ndth  Singh,  73. 

BAji  Riio,  routed  by  British,  146  ;  cession  of  part  of  Damoh  to,  177  ;  death  of,  379  j 
last  Peshwa,  takes  refuge  in  Nimir,  380  ;  Sagar  made  over  to  British  by,  442  ;  army 
of,  defeated  at  Warha,  519. 

Bakhar,  or  hoe-plough,  64. 

Bakht  Ball,  defeat  of,  by  Sir  Hugh  Rose,  477. 

Bakht  Buland,  RAjii,  47  ;  68;  UQ  et  9eq.  ;  Nigpdr  subject  to,  301. 

Bal,  Rdj^,  23. 

Baladeos,  Khamari^,  first  settlement  of  the,  243  ;  rule  of,  at  Rehli,  432. 

Bdlaji  178;  442;  temple  of,  at  Waigaon,  510. 

BAldjf  Silba,  Pandit,  217. 

Bala  Shihi  rupee,  191. 


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5G0  APPENDIX  No.  IV. 

Balak  D&,  succeeds  Ghasi  Das,  101  ;  assassination  of,  102. 

Bailor  Singh,  28. 

Baim  Sh^h,  145. 

Balrdm  Deya,  first  RajA  of  Sambalpdr,  25  ;  394  ;  453. 

Balwant  Singh,  195. 

Bandarwas,  108. 

Banian  tree,  remarkable,  at  Chicholi,  171.   Do.  at  Gond-Umri,  200. 

BanjArAs,  of  Chhattisgarh,  158. 

Bank  of  Bengal,  Branch  of,  at  Jabalpdr,  228. 

Banking,  at  Ndgpdr,  333. 

Baptiste,  General,  rout  of  NAgpdr  troops  by,  308. 

BarA  Deva,  god  of  the  Gonds,  106  ;  275. 

Bardr  Pandy^  69. 

Barracks,  at  Khandwi,  243 ;  at  S^gar,  447. 

Barriers,  of  the  BAUgh&t  rivers,  22;  of  the  GodAvarf,   198;  of  Narbadi,  350;  above 

SironchA,  400  ;  of  the  Upper  GodAvari,  507,  512. 
Barsinghdeva,  RAW,  177  ;  Surat  Sa  defeated  by,  185. 
Basalt,  black,  of  Wardha,  514. 
Basors,  in  Mandla,  272. 
Bel,  RdjA,  480. 
BeldArs,  62;  416. 

Bell-metal  vessels,  made  at  Mandla,  286. 
Beni  Singh,  SdbadAr,  HoshangAbad  attacked  by,  216. 
Ber^rs,  trade  with,  at  A'tner,  14. 
Bernard,  Mr.,  Report  of,  21. 
Bhabhdt  Singh,  195. 
BhadrAvati,  BhAndak  identified  with,  56. 
Bhagirath  Deva,  25. 

Balhar  ShAhi  dynasty,  m  ChAndA,  142 ;  list  of  kings  of,  iS. 
BhangArmA,  37. 
Bhang{,  outcastes,  139. 
BhAnpdr  Rij^  KhimlAsA  seiied  by,  246  ;  Kurai  invested  by,  250  ;   defeated  by  Su-  Hugh 

Rose,  ib. 
BhApail,  actio,n  with  rebels  at,  443. 
BhArat  Singh,  MandhAtA  said  to  have  been  taken  by,  258. 
BhAskar  Pant,  Chhattisgarh  invaded  by,  94  ;  304  ;  410. 
Bht'it  Masdlah,  fee,  70. 
BhatrAs,  33. 

BhavisAhy  a  PurAna,  prophecy  concerning  the  NarbadA  in,  264. 
BhilAlas,  258  ;  377. 
BhQs  in  NimAr,  384. 
Bhilsm,  37. 

Bhfma,  footprint  of,  56. 
Bhim  Pen,  worshipped  by  Gonds,  139. 
Bhfm  Sa,  74. 
BhonslA,  rulers,  Hai-hai  Bans(  kingdom  absorbed  by,  23  ;  Balihrf  ceded  by,  24  ;  JabaU 

pur  imder,  225  ;  Mandla  annexed  by,  284  ;  account  of  Nagpdr  branch  of  family  of, 

303  et  seq,  ;  polity  of,  31  ;  administration  of,  314 ;  dynasty  in  SAgar,  362. 
BhopAs,  zamtndAr  of  Almod  one  of  the,  2,  3. 
Bhoyars,  in  Betdl,  48. 
BhdliAs,  457. 

Bhdmids,  119  ;  in  Chhatttsgarh,  156  ;  in  RAfgarh,  402. 
BhunjfyAs,  former  inhabitants  of  RAfpdr  included,  408  ;  415. 
Bhdp  Singh,  rule  of,  in  Sambalpdr,  453 ;  defeat  of,  by  MarAthAs,  463. 
Bhuvaneswar  Singh,  RAjA,  fort  of  Raipur  built  by,  422. 
Bhuyjls,  427. 
Bikram  Deva,  25.  '     * 


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APPENDIX  No.  IV.  561 

Bikram  Singh,  28. 

Biiisi,  Bildspdr  sai4  to  have  been  founded  by,  122. 

Bimbijf  Bhonsld,  95  ;  160  ;  410. 

Biniik^,  action  with  rebels  at,  443. 

Binjh^ls,  in  Bords^mbar,  124  ;  in  Ghes,  196  ;  286  ;  in  Pitna,  393  ;  458  ;  463. 

Binjw^  107  ;  at  Kharsal,  245  ;  raids  of,  in  Biipilr,  410  ;  415. 

Bir  Sh&h,  142 ;  143. 

Bishan  Sinsh,  195. 

Bishn^th  Smgh,  93. 

Bishnofs,  in  Hoshangdbjd,  214. 

Bitifs,  130. 

Blanford,  Mr.  W.  T.,  description  of  Geology  of  Hoshang^bud  by,  209  et  aeq, ;  do.  do. 
Nim^  do.,  373  et  seq. ;  do.  of  Sdtpura  Kange  do.,  464. 

Bloomfield,  Captain,  Report  of,  on  BdUghdt,  20. 

Bohr^  trading  community,  Burhdnpdr  a  principal  seat  of,  128. 

Boras,  at  KoUbir^  247. 

Bow,  of  Mdrias,  35. 

Brahmadeva,  89  ;  91  ;  160. 

Brass  vessels,  manufactured  at  Barp^i,  28  ;  do.  at  Chichli,  171  ;  workers,  at  Dhamd^ 
185  ;  vessels,  manufactured  at  Jabalpdr,  223 ;  do.  at  Kelod,  241  ;  do.  at  Lodhikher^ 
252  ;  do.  in  Narsinghpdr,  369  ;  do.  at  Nerf,  371  ;  working,  at  Pateri,  392  ;  vessels, 
made  at  Rifgarh,  402 ;  do.  at  Sainkhera,  447. 

Breech-loading  wall-piece,  found  in  A'sirgarh,  1 1 . 

Bridge,  railway,  across  the  Bdrdrewl^  28;  suspension,  7b  i  at  Chhapir^  152;  stone^ 
over  the  Dhas^  187  ;  railway,  over  the  Dddhf,  188  ;  over  the  Bijna,  191  ;  stone,  over 
Kanhdn,  234 ;  over  the  Katn^,  at  Murward,  291  ;  near  Rahatgarh,  401  ;  over  the 
Machnd,  at  ShAhpdr,  477 ;  railway,  over  the  Shakar,  478  ;  at  Sondi  Dongri,  ib, ; 
railway,  over  the  Sher,  ih, ;  railway,  over  the  Wardha,  512. 
(See  also  Viaduct). 

British  rule,  introduced  in  Ch^da,  147. 

Bubjeo,  reign  of,  in  Chdndi,  142. 

Buddhagupta,  date  of,  190. 

Buddhas,  at  Eran,  189. 

Buildings,  public,  of  Chind^  149  ;  at  Itfwfi,  218  ;  of  Rdfpiir,  407  ;  of  Sdgar,  445  ;  of 
Sambalpiir,  460. 

BundeUs,  rule  of,  in  Damoh,  177  ;  KanjiA  plundered  by,  235  ;  in  Narsinghpdr  360. 

Bungalow,  travellers',  near  A'lbildi,  2 ;  at  AsaralH,  7  ;  at  Badndr,  14  ;  at  Bahddurpdr  14 
at  Bandol,  26;  72;  at  Borf,  124  ;  Burhanpdr,  128 ;  at  Chdndi,  149  ;  at  TesiU,  151 
at  Chhapkrd,  152  ;  at  Deolapir,  182  ;  at  Dhdmd,  187  ;  Inspection,  at  Gollagudem 
200 ;  at  Hinganghdt,  205 ;  at  Hfrdpdr,  205  ;  at  Saiigrampdr,  224 ;  at  Khandw^  243 
at  Kuraf,  250  ;  at  Lakhnddon,  251 ;  at  Narsinghpdr,  370 ;  at  Nugdr,  387  ;  at  PAn- 
dhumd,  391 ;  at  Patharid,  392 ;  at  Rahatgarh,  401  ;  at  Riipdr,  422  ;  at  Rdmtek, 
427  ;  at  Sagarand  Rihatgarh,  440  ;  at  Malthon,  441  ;  at  Seld,  468  ;  on  Seoul  roads, 
472  ;  at  Warori,  520. 

Burial-ground,  English,  at  Multif,  291. 

Bdrhd  Deo,  414. 

Burh^  Shdh,  47 ;  166  ;  303. 

Burh^-ud-din,  Shekh,  Burhdnpdr  named  after,  1*^.5. 


Canal  system,  of  GodiSvari,  199. 

Cannon  foundry,  Mardthd,  at  Sankarpdr,  461. 

Cantonment,  at  K^mthl,  232  ;  at  Jabalpdr,  228  ;  at  S4gar,  447. 

Carpets,  made  at  Beni,  41  ;  do.  at  Jabalpdif  223  ;  228. 

Carnage,  mode  and  rates  of,  in  Upper  Godavari^  508. 

71  CPG 


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562       .  APPENDIX  No.  IV. 

Carts,  manufactured  at  Annori,  5  ;  do.  at  Garhchiroli,  195  ;  of  Wardhi,  518. 

Castes,  of  BiUspiir,  list  of,  99  ;  of  Damoh  do.,  179.  Inferior,  of  Upper  Grodavari,  list  of, 
500. 

Cattle,  statistics  of,  trade  in,  at  A'rvi,  6  ;  largely  bred  in  Ch^d^  136  ;  of  Chhindw^mi, 
168  ;  of  Dongartal,  188  ;  of  Hosbangaba'd,  213 ;  fine  breed  of,  in  Nim^,  385  ;  of 
Nagpdr,  329  ;  of  S%ar,  436  ;  well-known  breed  of,  at  Tejgarb,  487. 

Caves,  near  Darekasd  Pass,  76  ;  at  Mugdaf,  141,  290;  vast,  in  Sbdbpdr,  270,  477  ;  at 
Sitaprir,  481. 

Cenotapb,  of  Peshwa  B^ji  Rdo,  at  Rdver,  431. 

Census  statement,  of  artisans  at  Burhanpdr,  132 ;  of  Wardh^,  519. 

Chakranagar,  Keljhar  said  to  be  built  on  site  of,  241. 

Cbalki,  Collector  of  Kosri,  36. 

Chamdr,  outcastes,  139  ;  tribe,  in  Rdipur,  account  of,  412  ;  in  Bil^spdr,  100  ;  prepon- 
derance of,  in  Chbattisgarb,  155. 

Cbdnd  Sultan,  47  ;   166  ;  303  ;  Nagpiir  made  capital  by,  345. 

Chand  Kban,  tomb  of,  at  Khitora,  245. 

Chdndd,  siege  and  capture  of,  by  British,  146,  147  ;  Savitri  Bai,  first  in  rank  of  xamin- 
ddrs  of,  1 . 

Chandel,  rule  in  Damoh,  176. 

Chandra  Sd,  192  ;  362. 

Chandra  Sekhar,  25. 

Chaprids,  129. 

Chasds,  agriculturists  in  Bdmrd,  25. 

Chauhins,  A'sfrgarh  taken  from,  9  ;  Rajput  dynasty,  72  ;  said  to  have  ruled  Nimar,  377. 

Chaurdgarh,  castle  of,  36 1  ;  taken  by  A'saf  Khan,  362. 

ChhdntT  cloth,  manufactured,  at  Gddarwdrd,  190. 

Chhatra  Sd,  Rdmpdr  conferred  on  Prdn  Nath,  by,  427. 

Chhatra  Sal,  Rdja,  123  ;  177  ;  Ghairat  Khan  defeated  by,  186  ;  Rehli  made  over  to  the 
Peshwa  by,  186. 

Chhattisgarhi  dialect,  3. 

Chhipds,  cloth-printers  at  Asldnd,  13. 

Chiefships,  ofBhanddra,  68;  ofChdndd,  134;  of  Chbattisgarb,  153. 

Chimd  Bdi,  200. 

Chimnd  Patel,  69  ;  246. 

Chitu  Pindhdrf,  167  ;  death  of,  380. 

Cholera,  in  Bildspdr,  83  ;  in  Chandd,  136  ;  in  IMandla,  276  ;  first  outbreak  of,  in  Mandla, 
285  ;  in  Sambalpur,  452. 

Chronicle,  of  Chdnda  Gond  dynasty,  141. 

Churdrs,  of  Sdgar,  438. 

Church,  at  Jabalpdr,  228 ;  Protestant,  at  Kdmthf,  233  ;  Roman  Catholic^  at  do.,  t*. ;  at 
Khandwd,  244 ;  at  Rdipdr,  422 ;  at  Sdgar,  447 ;  at  Hoshangdbad,  217  ;  Seon(,  475 
Chdndd,  149  ;  JabalpiSr,  228. 

Church  Missionary  Society,  branch  of,  at  Dumagudem,  188 ;  at  Hoshangdbad,  217. 

Citadel,  ofChdndd,  149. 

Clays,  plastic,  ofChdndd,  135. 

Climate,  of  Betdl,  43  ;  of  BUdspiir,  83  ;  ofChdndd,  136  ;  of  Chbattisgarb,  154  ;  of  Chhind- 
wdrd,  166;  of  Damoh,  176;  of  Hoshangdbad,  212;  of  Jabalpdr,  221;  ofKdrond, 
239  ;  of  Mandla,  270  et  seq.  ;  of  Ndgpdr,  297  et  seq, ;  of  Nimdr,  387  ;  of  Patna, 
393 ;  of  Raipftr,  407 ;  of  Sdgar,  436 ;  of  Sambalpdr,  452  ;  of  Sarangarh,  465  ;  of 
Seonf,  476  ;  of  Upper  God^varf,  495. 

Cloth,  woven  and  dyed  at  A'nji,  5 ;  manufactured  at  Armorf,  6  ;  trade  in  country,  at 
A'rvi,  6  ;  printed  at  Asldnd,  13 ;  manufacture  of,  at  Bdrhd,  28 ;  do.  at  Barpali,  t*.  ; 
do.  in  Bhanddra,  66  ;  do.  at  Bhiwapdr,  74  ;  do.  at  Borf,  124  ;  do.  of  coloured,  at 
Ddbhd,  172  ;  do.  at  Deorf,  184  ;  do.  at  Drug,  188  ;  do.  of  red,  at  Garhdkotd,  192 ; 
trade  in  red,  at  Hattd,  203.  Indrana  noted  for  dyeing  of,  217  ;  manuActure  of,  at 
Jabalpdr,  223  ;  do.  at  Kalmeswar,  231  ;  flo.  at  Kandelf,  234 ;  do.  at  Khapd,  244  ;  do. 
at  Kodamendhi,  247  ;  do.  at  Lalbard,-251 ;  do.  at  Lodhikhera,  252 ;  do.  at  Madni,  254  ; 


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APPENDIX  No.  IV.  603 

do.  at  Mariadoh,  2R7 ;  do.  at  Maunda,  288 ;  do.  at  MohaH,  ih.;  do.  of  coloured,  at 
MiSl,  290  ;  do.  of  fine,  at  Ndgbhfr,  292 ;  do.  of  stamped,  at  Gddarwdra,  369  ;  do.  at 
Nawegaon,  371  ;  do.  at  Nerf,  ib. ;  do.  of  gold-embroidered,  at  Burh^npdr,  386  ; 
do.  at  Pirseonl,  391  ;  do.  at  Pdtans^ngi,  392  ;  do.  at  Pauni,  396  ;  do.  in  Ndgpdr,  332  ; 
do.  oi  do9uti  at  lUhatgarh,  401  ;  do.  at  Raneh,  430  ;  imports  of,  into  SAgar,  444  ; 
manu&cture  of,  at  Sainkhera,  447  ;  do.  at  Sangarhi,  46 1  ;  do.  at  Sdoli,  462  ;  do.  at 
Sdoner,  t*.  ;  do.  at  Seld,  468 ;  do.  at  Sindi,  479  ;  trade  in,  at  Talodhi,  485  ;  manu- 
facture of,  at  Tumsar,  489  ;  do.  at  Umrer,  490  ;  do.  at  WAri  Seonf,  511 ;  do.  in 
Wardhd,  517  ;  trade  in,  at  Warord,  520  ;  manufacture  of,  at  Weltiir,  ib,;  trade  in,  of 
Nigpdr,  343  ;  manufacture  of,  at  Narkher,  353. 

Coal  seam  of,  at  Ballalpdr,  24  ;  found  near  Baurgarh,  39  ;  outcrop  of,  in  Betdl,  45  f^  seq,  ; 
basin,  of  Korbd,  78  et  seq. ;  116;  beds  of  in  BiUspi4r,  ib. ;  Ch&adi  rich  in,  136  ;  seams 
of,  in  Chdndi,  141  ;  shale,  at  Ghdndiir,  151  ;  in  Chhindwir^  163  et  seq.  ;  on 
Chft^wd,  172;  at  Dabward,  ib. ;  on  banks  of  Moran,  207;  in  JabalpiSr,  220;  at 
Korb^  248  ;  at  Lalbard,  251 ;  at  Lameta  Ghat,  ib. ;  in  bed  of  Michi  Rewd,  253  ; 
on  banks  of  Mahanadf,  256 ;  in  bed  of  Moran,  289  ;  on  left  bank  of  Narbadd,  349  ; 
of  Narsinghpdr,  366  et  seq. ;  on  the  Shakar,  478 ;  near  Sihora,  ib. ;  of  Upper 
GodAvarf,  506  ;  at  Ghugiis,  512. 

Cochineal,  found  on  banks  of  the  Wardha,  516. 

Coins,  found  at  Eran,  189. 

Coiners,  how  punished  in  Bhand^ra,  71. 

Colebrooke,  Mr.,  appointed  Resident  at  Nagpdr,  307. 

Columns,  at  Eran,  189. 

Commerce  (see  Trade). 

Communications,  of  Baldghdt,  19  ;  of  Chhattisgarh,  156;  of  Hoshangdbdd,  211  ;  of 
Jabalpiir,  223  et  seq.  ;  of  Upper  Goddvari,  507  ;  of  Wardha,  516. 

Company,  Narbadd  Coal  and  Iron,  366  et  seq. 

Condition,  social,  of  inhabitants  of  Nagpdr,  324. 

Constabulary,  of  Nagpdr,  324. 

Convent,  at  Kdmthi,  233. 

Copper  ore,  believed  to  exist  in  Chdndd,  135. 

Cotton,  fabrics,  manufactured  at  A'ndhalgdon,  4  ;  statistics  of  trade  in,  at  A'rvf,  6  ;  cloth, 
manufactured  at  BeW,  40 ;  do.  at  Benf,  41  ;  trade  of  Bhandara  in,  72  ;  cloths,  of 
Chdndd,  140;  do.  of  Chandrapdr,  150;  field,  of  Chhattisgarh,  154;  cultivation  in 
Chhindwdra,  168;  cloths,  of  Chimur,  172  ;  mart,  at  Deoli,  182 ;  cloth,  manufactured  at 
Bhdpewdrd,  187  ;  do.  at  Garhchiroli,  195  ;  do.  at  Ghutkf,  196  ;  do.  at  Gumgdon, 
200 ;  of  Hinganghdt,  204  ;  large  sales  of,  at  Kaurid,  240;  trade,  of  Ndgpdr,  331  ; 
export  of,  from  Narsinghpdr,  369  ;  trade,  of  Seld,  468 ;  do.  of  Seoni,  476  ;  do.  of 
Sihord,  479;  at  Sindewdhi,  479  ;  trade,  of  Talodhi,  485 ;  of  Wardhd  Valley,  512  ; 
517  ;  trade,  at  Warord,  520. 

Crawford,  Mr.,  Sambalpdr  taken  charge  of  by,  454. 

Crichton,  Captain,  147. 

Crime,  statistics  of,  in  Bildspdr,  112;  in  Ndgpdr,  324. 

Cromlechs,  in  A'lbdkd,  2. 

Customs,  of  Bhanddra,  62  ;  of  Bildspdr,  109  ;  of  Ndgpdr,  323. 


D6dd  Rd(,  88. 

Ddhya,  system  of  agriculture,  49  ;  50  ;  280. 

Dalganjan  Sinch,  38. 

Balpat  Sd,  Rdj^,  480. 

Dalrymple,  Major,  12. 

Dalzell,  Colonel,  killed  in  Mutinv  at  Narnoli,  443. 

Dance,  of  Gadbas,  34  ;  of  Kols,  458. 

Dangan  Deo,  37. 


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564  APPENDIX  No.  IV, 

DixiflB,  at  Karat  250  ;  in  S^ar,  438. 

Dibiil,  Prince,  126 ;  made  Goveraor  of  Deccan,  378. 

BanteswarC,  wonbip  of,  37. 

Dary^o  Natb,  258. 

Baryao  Singh,  427. 

Dayil  Sirdar,  hanged  for  rebellion,  245. 

Daulat  R^  Sindii,  fort  of  A'sfrgarh  taken  from,  1 1 ;  fort  of  Rihatgarh  taken  by,  401 . 

Danran,  or  weeding  plough,  64. 

Debl  Smgb,  234. 

Beccan  Provinces,  Burhdnpdr  seat  of  Government  of,  126. 

Delan  Sd,  Deorf  plundered  by,  442. 

Delhi  Emperors,  A'sirgarh  in  possession  of,  10. 

Dengl^,  dye  made  from,  419. 

Beogion,  treaty  of,  145  ;  161. 

Deogarh,  Princes,  conversion  of  to  Mohammadanism,  143;  dynasty,  in  Chhindw£r4, 
166. 

Deo  Ndth  Singh,  402. 

Desmukh,  69. 

Desolation  of  Nimdr,  380. 

Desp^dyi,  69. 

Deva  Ndth  Singh,  90. 

Dhikars,  33. 

Dhaniji  Kunbfs,  in  Warora,  520. 

Dhingars,  107  ;  463  ;  457. 

Dhanwars,  107. 

Dharm  D^  successor  of  Kabfr,  104. 

Dharmdj(  Bhonsld,  308. 

Dhers,  61  et  seq. ;  72  ;  139  ;  224  ;  384  ;  489. 

Dhfmars,  59  ;  ^\  et  seq.  ;  224  ;  272. 

Dholli  Devf,  37. 

Dhotis,  celebrated  of  Umrer,  490. 

Dhurwe,  see  N^,  137. 

Dialects,  of  Bastar,  37. 

Diamonds,  in  Sambalpdr,  450  ;  mines  of  Wairigarh,  611. 

Dik^^U  oil,  419. 

Diseases,  of  Bastar,  32  ;  of  Bhandira,  63  ;  in  Mandla,  271  ;  of  Nagpdr»  343. 

Dispensary,  branch  at  A'rang,  5  ;  at  A'rvl,  7  ;  branch,  at  A'tner,  14  ;  at  Badmir,  14  ;  72 ; 
branch,  at  Brahmapurf,  125  ;  at  Chanda,  149  ;  at  Chhindwdrd,  170  ;  at  DeoH,  183  ; 
at  Dhamtarf,  186  ;  at  Dnig,  188 ;  at  Hatta,  202  ;  at  Hinganghdt,  205  ;  at  Hosh- 
angdbdd,  217  ;  at  Kdmth^,  232 ;  at  Kdmthi,  233  ;  at  Khapd,  244  ;  at  Lodhf- 
kherd,  252;  at  MAlthon,  257;  at  Multif,  291  ;  at  Narsinghpdr,  370;  at  Nuht^, 
388  ;  at  Patharia,  392 ;  at  Pulgdon,  400  ;  at  Rafpdr,  424  ;  at  RehU,  432 ;  at 
Sambalpdr,  460  ;  at  Seom',  475  ;  at  Shihgarh,  477  ;  at  Shdhpdr,  ib.  ;  at  Sindf,  479  ; 
at  Umrer,  490. 

Dfwto  Pird,  destruction  of,  by  R^j  Singh,  93. 

Dost  Mohammad,  Hoshangabud  taken  by,  215. 

Doveton,  General,  13. 

Drainage  system,  of  Narbada,  357. 

Dress,  of  Gadbds,  33 ;  of  Marias,  35 ;  of  M^rfs,  36 ;  of  inhabitants  of  Narsinghpur, 
360. 

DdUDeva,  106;  275. 

Dum^  25  ;  73 ;  424. 

Durga  Sh^h,  tomb  of,  at  Wairigarh,  511. 

Durgd  Singh,  184. 

Durgavati  RM  176  ;  suicide  of,  225  ;  283  ;  362 ;  defeat  of,  480. 

Durjan  Singh,  184. 


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APPENDIX  No.  IV.  5G5 

E 

Edmonds,  Captain,  first  officer  put  in  charge  of  Chhattisgarh,  411. 

Education,  in  Bildspdr,  110 ;  in  Chhattisgarh,  156 ;  in  Chhindwdrd,  168  ;  in  Nagpur,  339 
et  acq. ;  in  Rdipdr,  421 ;  in  Sdgar,  438  ;  446 ;  in  Sambalpdr,  452  ;  at  Umrer,  490. 

Elephants,  ravages  of,  in  Bil^pdr,  81  ;  wild  in  Uprora,  509. 

Ellenborough,  Lord,  administration  of  Jabalpdr  recast  by,  226  ;  do.  Sdgar  do.,  442. 

Elliott,  Captam,  C,  69  ;  411. 

Elliott,  Colonel,  description  of  Kdrond  by,  236  et  seq, 

Elliott,  Mr.,  tomb  of  at  Sdlar,  464. 

Ellis,  Mr.  R.  S.,  first  Deputy  Commissioner  of  Chanda,  147 ;  proceedings  of,  at  Nagpdr 
in  1857,  315. 

Elphinstone,  Mr.  Mounstuart,  appointed  Resident  at  Ndgpiir,  308. 

Encamping-grounds,  at  Abh^bi^  1  ;  at  Bandol,  26;  at  Bang-on,  ib, ;  atBerkherf,  41 ;  at 
BiltaS,  122  ;  at  Chhaparii,  152 ;  at  Dhdmi,  187  ;  at  Gaurjhdmar,  196  ;  at  Ghugri, 
lb.  /  at  Hinautd,  203  ;  at  Hfr^pdr,  205  ;  at  Danolf,  224  ;  at  Kumharf,  249  ;  at  Kurai, 
250;  at  Lakhnadon,  251  ;  at  Nuhtd,  388 ;  at  Pendra,  397;  at  Ramgarh,  426;  on 
Seoni  roads,  472 ;  at  Shahpdr,  478 ;  at  Surkhf,  484  ;  at  Waror^  520. 

Entrep6ts,  of  N^igpdr,  333. 

Epidemics,  of  Bastar,  32. 

Evans,  Captain,  passage  of  Narbad^  by,  350. 

Kxports,  of  A'rvi,  6;  of  Bildspdr,  120  ;  of  Garbdkot^  193;  of  Hinganghilt,  233;  of 
Nim^r,  386 ;  of  N%p6r,  332  ;  of  Rdfpdr,  419  ;  of  Sagar,  444  ;  of  Sambalpdr,  451  ; 
of  Umrer,  490  ;  of  Upper  Godavari,  508. 


Fair,  serai-religious,  at  mosque  at  AUpdr,  2 ;  at  Bandakpdr,  26 ;  annual,  at  Bha- 
drdchallam,  55 ;  at  Bhindak,  56  ;  at  Bhapail,  72 ;  at  Bher^ghat,  73  ;  at  Bhiri,  74  ;  at 
Krishnaguttd,  75  ;  of  Ch^nd^  140,  149  ;  atDamoh,  175  ;  at  DewalwM,  185  ;  annual^ 
at  Gais^bfid,  191  ;  at  Gurhd^kotd,  192;  annual,  at  Hingni,  205;  do.  atHirdena^ 
gar,  ib,  /  do.  at  Keljhar,  241  ;  at  Khalari,  ^43  ;  at  Kumharf,  249  ;  at  Kuri  Bangoli, 
ib. ;  at  Madhpurf,  254  ;  at  Mahdrdjpdr,  256  ;  at  M^dhdtii,  264,  386  ;  at  Mugdai, 
290  ;  at  Nachangdon,  291  ;  at  Birmdn,  368  et  seq,  ;  at  Sing^ji,  386  ;  at  Purwa,  401  ; 
at  Rdjim,  425 ;  at  Ambdld,  428  ;  at  Rangir,  430  ;  at  Rohni,  433  ;  at  Seorinarain, 
476  ;  at  Sonegdon,  482  ;  at  junction  of  Narbadi  and  Tawd,  486 ;  at  Warhd,  519  ;  at 
Birmdnghdt,  349. 

Firiikfs,  state  of  A'sirgarh  in  time  of,  9 ;  capture  of  A'sfrgarh  by,  ib, ;  378. 

Fdzil  Mohammad  Khdn,  execution  of,  401. 

Fenwick,  Captain,  passage  of  Narbada  by,  350. 

Figures,  monumental,  at  Eran,  189. 

Firishta,  Mohammadan  historian,  9  ;  description  of  si^e  of  A'sfrgarh  by,  9 ;  10 ;  account 
of  Kherld  Gond  dynasty  by,  47  ;  Khwidwd  mentioned  by,  244 ;  history  of  A'sa  by, 
377 ;  defeat  of  Mohammadan  army  at  Warangal  mentioned  by,  498. 

Firoz  Shdh,  Narsingh  Rdi  defeated  by,  47. 

Fish,  of  Upper  Goddvarf,  507. 

Forests,  extensive,  in  BaMgh^t,  17 ;  of  Betdl,  46  ;  of  Bhandara,  58;  of  Borasambar,  123  $ 
of  Chdndd  136;  of  Chhindwdrd,  165;  reserve,  at  Denwl,  182;  of  Fingeswar,  190; 
of  Garhakotd  Ramnd,  194  ;  reserve  of  Tigord,  205,  of  Hoshangabad,  211  ;  of  Jabal- 
pdr, 222;  of  Kdlibhlt,  231  ;  of  Kamtard  NdM,  232  ;  of  KeoUdddar,  242;  reserve, 
at  Laun,  252  ;  system,  of  leasing  unreserved,  in  N^gptir,  318 ;  of  Nimdr,  386 ;  pro- 
posed reserve,  at  Pundsd,  400;  of  Rdfpiir,  417;  of  Rdjdbordrf,  425  ;  of  Sagar, 
437  ;  of  Sangrampdr,  461 ;  of  Siolfgarh,  462  ;  reserve,  of  SAtpurl,  467  ;  of  Sehawd, 
ib,  ;  of  Seonf,  470;  dense,  of  Upper  Goddvarf,  493;  of  Wairdgarh,  510. 


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566  APPENDIX  No.  IV. 

Forest  products,  of  BiMspdr,  118;  of  Chandi,  136;  of  Hoshangabad,  213;  of  Jabalpur, 
223 ;  of  Kdrond,  239  ;  of  Ndgpdr,  326  ;  of  Narsingbpiir,  368 ;  of  Nagpdr,  329 ; 
of  Bifgarh,  402;  of  Rdipdr,  417;of  Seoni,  470;  of  Wardbi,  516;  of  Upper  Go- 
divari,  503. 

Fornication,  bow  punisbed  in  Bbandira,  71. 

Forsytb,  Captain  J.,  accoimt  of  Mandhata  by>  257  et  seq,;  article  on  Nim^  by,  371, 
et  seq. 

Forts,  of  A'slrgarb,  8  et  iiq.;  Mar^tbi  at  A'tner,  14  ;  at  Bagdl,  14;  ruins  of  at 
Kberla,  ib. ;  of  Balihri,  24 ;  of  BalUlpdr,  ib,  ;  old,  at  Balod,  ib.  ;  of  Batiagarb, 
39  ;  old,  of  Baurgarb,  ib. ;  of  Bdzdrgdon,  41  ;  of  Kberla,  50  ;  at  Baurgarb,  Jam- 
garb,  SauUgarb,  and  Jetpdr,  51  ;  at  Bbaisdabf,  55;  at  Bbdmgarb,  ib. ;  remains 
of,  near  Bbitri,  74  ;  at  Bijeragbogarb,  75  ;  remains  of,  at  BiUigarb,  7^ ;  of  Bilaspdr, 
86  ;  of  Cbbattjsgarb,  88  ;  of  Ldpbi,  89  ;  of  Ajmirgarb,  said  to  bave  been  built 
by  Moban  Pdl,  ib,  ;  of  Kosgdi,  91  ;  mud,  at  Binil,  123 ;  of  Bisndr,  ib. ;  at  Cband, 
133;  of  Wairagarb,  141;  of  Balbilpiir,  li.  /  of  Cbandankberd,  150;  of  Cbau- 
ragarb,  151;  remains  of,  at  Cbbapdrd,  152;  of  Ajmirgarb,  160;  ruins  of,  at 
Deogarb,  182  ;  at  Deori,  184  ;  at  Dbamdi,  185  ;  of  DMmoni,  186 ;  at  Dbipewdri, 
187  ;  of  Dongargarb,  188  ;  ruins  of,  at  Dongartdl,  ib.  ;  of  Drig,  ib.  ;  of  Garbikota, 
194  ;  at  Gum^aon,  200  ;  of  Hoshang  Sbab  Gborf,  at  Handii,  ^01 ;  at  Hatti,  202  ; 
et  seq.  ;  at  Hmgni,  205 ;  of  Bagrd,  208 ;  of  Jaisingbnagar,  228  ;  remains  of  at 
JaMlkberi,  229  ;  Patbto,  at  Jog^  230  ;  at  Kalmeswar,  231  ;  of  Kanjii,  234  et  seq.  ,- 
remains  of,  at  Keljbar,  241 ;  at  Kelod,  242;  at  Kbatora,  245  ;  at  KbimMsa,  tS. / 
at  L^j(,  251  ;  bill,  of  Ldpbdgarb,  ib.;  Gond,  at  Magardh^  254;  of  Pratapgarb, 
255  ;  of  M^tbon  257  ;  ancient  Hindu,  at  Mandhdt^,  258  ;  of  Mandla,  built  by  Narendra 
Sa,  286 ;  at  Mari^ob,  287 ;  of  Rimtek,  294  ;  of  Cbauragarb,  361 ;  at  Nerf,  371  ;  of 
A'slrgarb,  372 ;  remains  of,  at  Palasgarb,  389 ;  of  Paunir,  396  ;  at  Pendrd  397 ; 
at  IHtborii,  399;  at  Pun^  400;  at  Rabatgarb,  401;  at  Rafpiir,  422 ;  of 
Driig,  425  ;  at  Rimtek,  428,  429  ;  at  Ambal^  ib. ;  as  Ratanpiir,  430 ;  a  Rebli, 
432 ;  at  Robnl,  433  ;  of  Sagar,  445 ;  of  Sambalpur,  460  ;  at  Sdngarbi,  461  ;  modem  at 
Sankarpiir,  461  ;  at  Sdoner,  462;  at  Sausar,  467  ;  at  Segdon,  ib. ;  at  SeW,  468  ; 
in  Seom,  471  ;  of  Seonf  in  Hosbangabdd,  476  ;  of  Sbabgarb,  477  ;  Singaurgarb, 
480;  at  Sironcbd,  ib. ;  dismantled,  at  SobacpiSr,  481  ;  at  Sonegaon,  482  ;  remains 
of  at  Talodbi,485;  atTepagarb,  487;  of  Umrer,  491;  tbree  of  Wdipbal,  510; 
of  Wairdearb,  511  ;  on  banks  of  Wardbd,  512;  at  Nagpiir,  342;  of  Naudardban, 
346  ;  of  Narsinghgarb,  354. 

Fossil  remains,  of  Narlmdd  valley,  348 ;  in  SiJgar,  435. 

Fraser,  Lieut.-Colonel,  12. 

Freestone,  quarry  of,  72. 

Frencb,  Captain,  41. 


Gadw^,  33. 
G^iras,  33. 

Galls,  one  of  cbief  exports  of  Bastar,  31. 
Gdm  Devi,  37. 

Gandai  Chiefsbip,  Barbaspdr,  formerly  part  of,  27. 

Gandds,  100 ;  at  KoMbiri,  247  ;  at  Laira,  251 ;  in  ttdipAr,  412,  413  ;  in  Sambalpiir,  457. 
Ganga  Bansf,  Rajput  fkmily  of  B£mrd>  25. 
Gangd  S4gar,  tank,  191. 
Ganpati>  famous  idol  of,  at  Keljbar,  241. 
Garden  crops,  of  Ndgpdr,  328. 

Gardens,  the  Temple,  at  Kdmtbi,   233;  public,  at  Lakbnadon,  251;  outside  Niigpilr, 
341  ;  pubUc,  at  Raiptir,  423 ;  at  Seoni,  47b  ;  at  Sindi,  479  ;  public,  at  Wardba,  519  ; 
Garga  Risbi,  legend  of,  195. 
Garba  Mandla  kings,  23  ;  list  of,  282. 


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APPENDIX  No.  IV.  567 

Garhjit  States,  list  of,  448 

Garaets,  found  in  Upper  Goddvarf,  506. 

Girpagarfs,  tribe  in  Betdl,  48. 

Garrison,  of  Jabalpdr,  228  ;  of  Mpiir,  424  ;  of  SironcM,  498. 

Gartland,  Mr.,  killed  by  rebels,  147. 

Gauli,  Chiefs,  former  rule  of,  in  Nagpdr,  301. 
„     remains,  at  Ramtek,  429  ^^  ^^^' 

„     tribe,  at  Ambagarb  Chaukf,  3  ;  in  Betdl,  48  ;  in  Bbanddra,  68  ;  in  Chhindwara,  166 ; 
Itkwd  occupied  by,  218  ;  Kurai,  early  occupied  by,  250 ;  in  Seoul,  474. 

Gaurjhdmar,  Rdjd  of,  Deori  seized  by,  399. 

Gendd  Patel,  48. 

Geol<^,  of  BetiSl.  43  etseq, ;  of  Bhandara,  57  ;  of  Bastar,  30  ;  of  BiWspiSr,  78 ;  of  Cbindd,' 
135  ;  of  Cbhindwdrd,  162  ;  of  Hosbangdbid,  206  et  seq. ;  of  Jabalpiir,  219  ;  of  Mand- 
k,  270  ;  of  Ndgpdr,  299  ;  of  the  Narbadd,  351  ;  of  Narsmghpiir,  355  ;  of  Nimar, 
373 ;  of  Rdipiir,  406 ;  of  S%ar,  433,  et  seq.  ;  of  Sambalpdr,  449  ;  of  Seonf,  470  ;  of 
Upper  Goddvari  493  ;  of  Wardhd,  513. 

Gerd,  or  red  ochre,  foimd  in  Bdlaghdt,  18  ;  59. 

Ghairat  Khan,  Nawdb,  186. 

Ghanasydm,  Chief  of  Koldbird,  248. 

Ghanasydm  Deo,  of  Gonds,  275 ;  hut  erected  to,  276. 

Ghanasydm  Singh,  of  Rdigarh,  402. 

Ghdsids,  32  ;  33 ;  34. 

Ghdsl  Dds,  56  ;  100 ;  monument  to,  249. 

Ghdsis,  457. 

Ghori  Kings  of  Mdlwd,  378. 

Glasfurd,  Captain,  36. 

Glass,  ornaments,  manufactured  at  Kelod,  241. 

Godrds,  59;  61;  171;  202;  489. 

Gold,  washings,  in  Bdldghdt,  18 ;  sand,  of  the  Banjar,  26  ;  in  Bastar,  31  ;  in  Bhanddra, 
59  ;  sand  in  Chdndd,  135 ;   dust,  found  in  Mahdnadf,  450  ;  in  Upper  Goddvari,  506. 

Golkar,  race,  in  Chdndd,  137. 

Gond,  principality  of  Deogarh,  23  ;  kings,  Balldlpdr  a  seat  of,  24 ;  rdjds,  in  Chhindwdra, 
167 ;  rule  in  Damoh,  177  ;  dynasty,  in  Ndgpiir,  302  ;  dynasty,  in  Narsinghpdr,  361  ; 
conquests  in  Rdipdr,  409  ;  Rdjputs,  in  Jabalpdr,  224  ;  tribe,  inhabitants  of  Ahiri 
mostly  of,  1 ;  at  Ambdg^h  Chauki,  3  ;  in  Bdlaghdt,  19  ;  ^^  seq,  ;  agriculture  carried 
on  by  in  Bdmrd,  25 ;  in  Betill,  42  ;  48 ;  their  religion,  49 ;  inhabiting  hills  of 
Bhanddra,  57  ;  59  ;  61  ;  73  ;  Bhiwdpdr,  an  early  settlement  of,  74  ;  75  ;  of  BijH, 
7^%  of  Bildspdr,  100;  105;  in  Bordsdmbar,  124;  in  Chdnda,  137;  in  Chhattfs- 
garh,  156;  Mandla  and  Chandrapdr  overthrown  by,  159;  in  Chhindwdrd,  166; 
in  ChichH,  171;  in  Damoh,  179;  in  Ghes,  196;  in  Hoshangdbdd,  214; 
in  Jabalpdr,  224  ;  at  Khairf,  242  ;  at  Khajrf,  243  ;  at  Kharsal,  245 ;  at  Kolabffd, 
247 ;  at  Laird,  251 ;  in  Lohdrd,  252 ;  in  Mandla,  272 ;  dress  of  in  Mandla,  274  ; 
character  of,  ih. ;  religious  ceremonies  of,  275 ;  seven  gods  of,  ib, ;  marriage  of,  276 ; 
276 ;  widow  do.  do.  277  ;  ceremonies  of,  after  death,  278  ;  286  ;  scarce  in  Nundr, 
384  ;  at  Pdtnd,  393 ;  in  Phuljhar,  398 ;  in  Rdigarh,  402  ;  in  Rdipdr,  415  ;  in  Rdjpdr, 
426  ;  in  Rdmpdr,  427  ;  in  Sambalpdr,  457  ;  463  ;  in  Seom',  474  ;  in  Sonpdr,  483  ;  in 
Thdkurtold,  488 ;  at  Tumsar,  489  ;  in  Narsmghpdr,  360. 

Gondwdna,  term  how  applied  in  later  Sanskrit  Uterature,  301. 

Gopdl  Sd,  Mandla  added  to  Gondwdna  by,  282. 

Gordon,  Captain,  deputed  to  Kdmthd,  69. 

Gotes,  500. 

Govind  Pandit,   first  Mardthd  Governor  of  Sdgar,  178;  Kurai  taken  by,   250;  442; 

death  of,  ib, 
Govind  Shdh,  144. 
Gowari,  race,  in  Chdndd,  137. 
Great  Eastern  Road,  Arjuni  traversed  by,  5. 


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568  APPENDIX  No.  IV. 

Guinea-wonn,  common  in  Damoh,  176. 

Gujars,  in  Hoshangabad,  214 ;  in  Nim^,  384. 

Gun,  Large  native,  in  A'sirgarh,  10 ;  dimensions  of  do.,  1 1  ;  barrels  made  at  Barela,  27  ; 

do.,  at  Jabalpdr,  223  ;  £atangf,  formerly  noted  for,  240. 
Gunny,  made  at  Bela,  40. 
Gupta,  line,  of  Magadha,  190. 

Gur,  one  of  the  chief  exports  of,  Bastar,  31  ;  manufactured  at  Kodameudhf,  247. 
Guri^  457. 


Hai-hai  Bans{  dynasty,  A^rane  formerly  a  seat  of,  5  ;  kingdom,  23  ;  kings,  of  Mandla,  &c., 
87 ;  r4j^  of  Ratanpdr,  hst  of,  88  et  seq, ;  list  of  feudatories  of,  92  ;  end  of  dynasty, 
94 ;  last  representative  of  family,  95  ;  in  Chhattisgarh,  1 59  et  sea, ;  origin  of,  ib,  ;  m 
Jabalpdr,  225 ;  early  seat  of,  at  Ldphigarh,  251 ;  Mdhishmati  said  to  have  been 
capital  of,  377 ;  rule  of,  in  Rdfpiir,  409. 

Hail,  storms,  accompanied  by,  in  Mandla,  271* 

Halbas,33;  62;  137;   171;  243;  252;  412;  414. 

Hall,  Mr.,  killed  by  rebels,  147. 

Hansa  Dhvaja,  159. 

Harai  Chiefship,  1. 

Hardware,  trade  in  at  Bhandira,  72. 

Hardyman,  General,  Nigpdr  troops  defeated  by,  363. 

Haru  Deva,  25. 

Hasan-ulla-Khin,  235. 

Hassan  AU  Khdn,  Nawib,  289. 

High-School,  at  S^r,  446  et  sea, 

Hifis,  of  BaUghit,  17;  of  Chindi,  134;  of  Damoh,  173 ;  of  Kirond,  237;  of  Mandla, 
269  ;  of  Nagpdr,  293  et  seq.  ;  sacred,  of  Rimtek,  294 ;  of  Bifpdr,  405  et  seq.  ;  of 
Sambalpdr,  450  ;  of  Upper  God^varf,  494. 

Hirdd  Shih,  177;  192 ;  foreigners  introduced  into  Mandla  by,  272;  284;  lUmnagar, 
selected  as  royal  residence  by,  427. 

HfrSh^  142;  143. 

Hislop,  and  Hunter,  Messrs.,  article  of,  57 ;  Rev.  Mr.,  79 ;  geological  description  of 
ChhindwM  by,  162,  162 ;  description  of  Gonds  by,  274. 

History,  of  Bdliigh^t,  23 ;  ofBetdl,  46;  of  Bhandib^,  68;  of  Bilispdr,  87— 98  ;  of 
Burh&ipdr,  128  ;  of  Chinda,  141  ;  of  Chhattisgarh,  159 ;  of  Chhindw^ri^,  166 ;  of 
Damoh,  176;  of  Hoshangdbdd,  215  ;  of  MandU,  281  et  seq.  ;  of  Nigpdr,  301 ;  of 
Nim£r,  277  et  seq. ;  of  Pdtni,  393  ;  of  Phuljhar,  398  ;  of  Raipdr,  408  ;  of  Sagar,  441 ; 
of  Sambalpdr,  452  ;  of  S^UMgarh,  463 ;  of  Seoul,  473 ;  of  Upper  Godavari,  498. 

Hitambar  Singh,  last  of  Rajas  of  Garhsambar,  393. 

Holi^  62. 

Honey,  in  B^r^  jungles,  25  ;  in  Upper  Godivarf,  505. 

Hone-stones,  59  ;  234. 

Horns,  one  of  the  chief  exports  of  Bastar,  31 . 

Hoshang  Sh^,  Sult^  47  ;  supposed  to  have  founded  Hoshangabad,  216. 

Hospital,  at  Hinganghit,  205  ;  at  Nugpdr,  345. 

Hot  springs,  at  and  Qear  Anhonf,  4  ;  at  PinpalU,  494. 

Huddedar,  69. 

Hunter,  Messrs.  Hislop  and,  article  of,  57. 


Tdgah,  at  Burhinpur,  125  et  seq, 

Impey,  Dr.,  description  of  Narbada  by,  351. 


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APPENDIX  No.  IV.  569 

Imports  of  A'rvf,  6  ;  of  Bastar,  32  ;  of  Bilaspdr  120  ;  of  Garhdkot^  table  of,  192  ;  of  Hia- 
gangMt,  203,  204  ;  of  Kalmeswar,  231 ;  of  Kdmtbi,  233  ;  of  Nimdr,  386  ;  of  Nag- 
piir,  332  ;  of  R%dr,  417  ;  of  Sigar,  445  ;  of  Sambalpdr,  451  ;  of  Umrer,  490  ;  of 
Upper  Godiivan,  508. 

Indo-Scythian  remains,  in  A'lbdk^  2. 

IndrajCt,  said  to  bave  fomided  It&wi,  218. 

Industry,  scbool  of,  at  Jabalpdr,  228. 

Inscription,  on  rock  near  main  gateway  of  A'sfrgarh,  10 ;  near  large  tank,  in  do.,  ib, ; 
Persian,  on  gun,  in  A'sf rgarb,  1 1  ;  in  temple  of  Danteswari,  38  ;  in  temple  of  Buram- 
deva,  at  Cbq)ra,  86  ;  at  Amarkantak,  89  ;  at  Ratanpdr,  i^.  ;  at  lUjim,  90  ;  Persian, 
at  Damob,  177  ;  on  column  at  Eran,  190  ;  at  Kbarod,  245  ;  on  pedestal  of  Tirtban- 
kar,  at  Miindbatd,  264  ;  of  names  of  Garbi  Mandla  Kings,  283  ;  of  Hirde  Sbab's 
reign,  at  Bimnagar,  284  ;  in  temple  at  Rajfm  409,  425,  at  Ratanpdr,  409*  m  temple 
of  Kuleswar,  425  ;  Sanskrit,  at  Ramnagar,  427 ;  in  temple  at  Seormarain,  476. 

Institutions,  local,  of  Ch^d^  148. 

Iron-mine  at  Agaria,  1  ;  ore,  found  at  Amb%arb  Cbaukf,  3 ;  trade  in,  at  Armorf,  5  ;  sand, 
smelted  at  Bagbr^jf,  14  ;  found  largely  in  bills  of  Baldgbdt,  18  ;  ore,  at  B^mrd,  25, 
ore,  in  Bastar,  3 1 ;  mines,  in  Bbanddra,  59  ;  in  Bijer^bogarb,  75 ;  ores,  of  Bilaspdr ; 
117;  process  of  manufacturing  in  do.,  117  ;  Cbdnda  ricb  in,  135  ;  smelted  largely  in 
Cb^dd,  140  ,  mines  of,  141  ;  ore,  quarried  at  Dewalg^n,  185  ;  do.  do.,  near  Gunje- 
wdhi,  200  ;  ore,  near  Hfrapdr,  205 ;  varieties  of  ore  of,  m  Jabalpdr  220 ;  in  Jabalpdr, 
.  223  ;  furnaces,  at  JbilmilX  230  ;  abundant  at  Kotf,  249  ;  at  Kumbbi,  249  ;  at  Laira, 
251  ;  smelted  at  Lobdrd,  252  ;  bill  of  ore,  at  do.,  253  ;  workers,  at  Majbgaw^n,  256  ; 
abundant  in  Mandla,  267  ;  in  the  Maikal  range,  270 ;  on  rigbt  bank  of  Narbadi,  349  ; 
of  Narsingbpdr,  Englisb  Company  formed  to  work  ;  366  ;  manufactured  at  Tendd- 
kber^,  369  ;  works,  at  Barwaf,  376  ;  native  do.,  at  Cb^dgarb,  ib, ;  mines  at  P^agar 
390 ;  ore,  in  Piitna  393  ;  at  Pawi  Mutdnda,  397 ;  in  Pbuljbar,  398 ;  ore,  in  Rifgarb, 
402  ;  smelting  of,  in  Rairdkbol,  424  ;  in  Rajpdr,  426  ;  ore  in  Rampdr,  427  ;  in  Sdgar 
436  ;  in  Sambalpdr,  449 ;  in  Seonf,  471  ;  in  Sbabgarb,  477  ;  forges,  at  Tenddkber^ 
487 ;  in  Upper  God^varf,  505  ;  ore,  of  Vagarpeth,  509. 


Jadbava  RAya,  272  ;  283  ;  361. 

Jagat  Pill,  inscription  commemorating  conquests  of,  in  Rdfpdr,  409  ;  425. 
Jagat  Raj,  Riija,  123;  177. 
Jagdeva  Sa,  Sirangarh  conferred  on,  463. 
Jilgeswar  Mab^eva,  image  of,  at  Bandakpdr,  175. 
Jahdngir,  Emperor,  7. 

Jain,  worsbip,  BalibH  an  ancient  seat  of,  24 ;  Kbandwi  formerly  a  great  seat  of,  243  ; 
paramount  in  Nim^ ;  377. 

„   temples,  at  Mandbati,  261  et  seq. 

„    remains,  at  Rdmtek,  429  et  seq. 

„    merchants,  in  I^arsinghpdr,  360. 
Jains,  annual  eatbering  of,  175. 
Jai  Singb,  Rajd,  442. 

Jamdl  Kban,  said  to  bave  founded  Kodamendbi,  247. 
JAmiA  Masjid,  at  Burbanpdr,  126. 

Jinoji,  succession  of,  144  ;  death  of,  145  ;  160  ;  rule  of,  305  et  seq, 
JbtW&s,  sect  of  Br^mans  in  Bastar,  33. 
Jats,  in  Hoshangdbdd,  214. 
Jatbi,  Gaulf,   power  subverted  by,    166;  first  RAj-Gond  ruler  of  Nigpur,   302;  fort 

built  by,  and  rule  of^  302  ;  city  of  Nagpdr  founded  by,  ib, 
Jawabir  Singh,  outbreak  headed  by,  442. 
JAvaH-pattana,  ancient  name  of  Jabalpdr,  226. 
72  CPG 


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570  APPENDIX   No.  IV. 

Jean  Baptiste,  Col.,  lUja  of  Nagp^jr  defeated  by,  192. 

Jenkins,  Sir  R.,  report  of^  on  Nagpiir,  95  et  seq. ;  144. 

Jeth  Singh,  taken  prisoner  by  MaratUus,  453  ;  restoration  of,  by  British,  453. 

Jh%r^  Kh^d,  i^orship  of,  414. 

Jhariis,.105. 

Jhiurwa  Brahmans,  457- 

Jhuriis,  33  et  seq. 

Jdjhir  Singh,  BundeU  invasion  conducted  by,  284 ;  402. 


Kabir  PanthCs,  100  ei  seq,  ;  account  of  fSuth  of,  104  ;  High  Priest  of,  resident  atKawardi 

241 ;  413. 
lUchhfs,  at  Kural,  250  ;  in  Mandla,  272  ;  in  Sigar,  438. 
Kadh-  AH  Kh^  Nawab,  execution  of,  316. 
Kdfi'  Khan,  historian,  143. 
KaikdHs,  62. 

K^  Bhairava,  self-immoUitions  to,  258. 
Kaldbatdn,  manufacture  of  at  Burhinpdr,  130. 
KaMls  in  Lohir^  252. 

K^  D^yf,  sometimes  worshipped  by  Oonds,  106. 
Kaly^  G(r  Gosdin,  160. 

Kaly^  S4,  of  Sarangarh,  title  of  Biji  conferred  on,  463. 
Kaly^  Sahi,  88 ;  91 ;  army  of,  92. 
Kalyan  Smgh,  Bija,  160. 
Kamal  Singh,  outrages  of,  in  SambalpiSbr,  456. 
Kam^yisddr,  69  ;  97. 
Kamewdrs,  500. 
Kanch^  62. 

Kinhoji  Bhonsl^  inyasion  of  Oondwana  by,  144. 
Kanojas,  in  Bastar,  33. 

Kanwars,  of  BiUspdr,  100  ;  106  ;  m  Bifgarh,  402  ;  in  Mpdr,  412  et  seq. 
Kdonr^  in  Narsinghpdr,  360. 
Kapila  Sangam,  258. 

Kdpiwto,  in  A'mbgaon,  3 ;  m  Bajgarh>  425. 
Kamap^  159. 
Kam  SMh,  143. 
Kiairs,  62 ;  72. 
KM  Khand,  258. 

Kaundalpiir,  supposed  to  be  site  of  ancient  city,  512. 
Kesava  Pant,  SiSba,  122. 
Kewats,  119;  457. 
Khadf  cloths,  made  at  B^ms^  27. 
Khair  Mdt^  Gond  deity,  275. 
KhaUri  Devi,  243. 

Khilsa  of  BiUspiir,  description  of,  80. 
Khanderao  Trimbak,  235. 
Khangdrs,  of  Sigar,  438. 
Kharak  Bhdrti,  1  ;  474. 
Khariiurs,  at  KoUbir^  247. 
Kharlf  crops,  of  N^iir,  327. 
Khdrw^  cloth,  manufactured  at  Gidarwiri,  190. 
Khdtik,  outcastes,  139. 
Khatolwir  Gonds,  in  Ch&id£,  137. 
KherU  Gond,  dynasty,  47  ;  extinguished  m  1433,  143. 


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APPENDIX  No.  IV.  671 

Rhonds,  agrimilture  carried  on  by,  in  Bamr^  25  ;  in  Bora  Sibibar,  124 ;  in  Ghes^  196 ; 

in  Kdrond,  239  ;  at  Laira,  251 ;  286  ;  in  Patnd,  393. 
Khwaja  Farid  Shekh,  shrine  of,  197  ;  story  of,  ib. 
Kinknab,  manufacture  of,  at  Burh&iptir,  130. 
Kirdj  Singh,  399. 

Kidurs,  in  Betiil,  48  ;  in  Damoh,  179  ;  m  Hoshangdbad,  214  ;  m  Narsiughpur,  360. 
KnireS)  manufactuiCKl  at  Jabalpdr,  223. 
Kohitdr,  see  Marid,  137. 
Kohris,  of  CUndd,  137  ;  of  S%ar,  438. 
Kofs,  2  ;  75  ;  76  ;  230  ;  248  ;  252  ;  400  ;  500. 
Kok  S^  Surjagarh  stormed  by,  484. 
Kolis,  of  Hoshangdb^  214;  463. 
Kols,  in  Mandla,  272  ;  in  Sambalpdr,  458. 
Kolt^  in  BhoA,  25  ;  at  Barha,  28 ;  73  ;  in  BorMmbar,  124  ;  in  Ghes,  196  ;  at  Kharsal, 

245  ;  at   KoUbira»  247 ;   at  Pdtn^  393  ;   in  Phuljhar,  398 ;   in  Biigarh,  402  ;   iu 

Rairakhol,  424  ;  in  Rajpdr,  426  ;  in  Sambalpdr,  457 ;  in  Sarangarh,  463  ;  in  Sonpilr, 

483;  in  Uttfl,  519. 
Korfs,  in  Bhand^  61  ;  181  ;  m  Garhborf,  194,  vide  also  Kohris. 
Koshtls,  61  et  sea.  ;  72 ;  103  ;  214  ;  343  ;  457  ;  463. 
Rosra,  revenue  of  M&ris  paid  in,  35. 
Kumbhdrs,  33  ;  62  ;  103  ;  457. 
Kunbis,  in  A'mbg^n,  3;  4;  in  Betdl,  48;  Des{  or  Dkolwar,  iB,;  in  Bhandira,  61  et 

sea,  ;  in   Chhindwiri,   166  ;  in  Hatti,  202 ;  Bhaw%  in  HaweU,  203  ;  343 ;  384  ; 

of  Nagpdr,  400. 
Kundinapdr,  site  of  ancient,  said  to  be  opposite  Dewalw^^  185. 
Kurgal  Singh,  196. 
Kurkds,  in  Betdl,  42 ;  48  ;  their  religion  and  language,  49  ;   in  Chhindwddl,  166 ;  in 

Hoshanffabad,  214  ;  in  Nimar,  384  ;  of  Taptf,  485. 
Kutab,  Sham  Kings,  Warangal  occupied  by,  499. 


Lac,  abundant  in  Bdmra  jungles,  25 ;  one  of  chief  exports  of  Bastar,  31;  of  BiUspdr,  1 18  ; 

trade  in,  121  ;  agencies,  at  Dhamtari,  186 ;  of  Jabalpdr,  223  ;  exported  from  Kendi, 

242  ;  in  Loh^  252 ;  of  Narsinghpdr,  368  ;  in  Riipdr,  417  ;  agencies  for  collection 

of,  at  Bijim,  426  ;  export  of,  from  Sambalpdr,  457 ;  in  Upper  Goddvarf,  505 ;  in 

Wardhi,  516. 
Lachhman  Deva,  409. 
Lachhman  Naik,  16  ;  23. 
Lachhman  S^ar,  tank  of,  24. 
Lachhman  Sahf,  Raja,  88 ;  91 ;  92. 
Lachhmf,  107. 
Lachhmi  B^i,  147  et  seq. 
Lachhmi  Parshdd,  196. 
L^gwan,  69  ;  records,  313. 
Lakes,  of  BhandAra,  60 ;  artificial  of  ChinAi,  141 ;  do.  of  Nawegaon,  371  ;  do.  at  Rajuli, 

426  ;  at  Ambdla,  429  ;  at  Sagar,  44 1  ;  of  T^obd,  486;  at  N%pdr,  34 1 ;  on  Turan  Mai, 

350. 
Lil  Bi^  park  called,  at  Burh&ipdr,  128. 
Landholding  castes,  of  Bilispdr,  108;  of  Biupdr,  415. 
Language,  of  Bastar,  37 ;  of  Bhandira,  63 ;  of  Chindi,  139  ;  of  Nagpdr,  323 ;  of  Upper 

God&varf,  501. 
Lanji,  ancient  name  of  Biiighit,  23. 
Larya  dialect,  463. 
L^t,  of  Raja  Bbfm,  at  Bhimlat,  73. 
Leather,  tanned  at  Khaw^  471. 


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572  APPENDIX  No.  IV. 

Leathern  vessels,  made  at  Mohkher,  289. 

Library,  public,  at  Bhandara,  72. 

Lingam,  common  object  of  worship,  63. 

Lingas,  at  Mdndh^t^  258. 

Lodhfs,  at  BaWghat,  19  et  seq.  ;  in  Balakot,  23  ;  in  Bhanddra,  61  et  seq.  ;  of  Bijli,  76  in  ; 
Chhindwirl,  166 ;  in  Damoh,  179  et  seq. ;  at  Hatta,  202 ;  of  Hindoria,  their  rebel- 
Hon  and  bad  character,  203  ;  in  Jabalpdr,  224  ;  m  Mandk,  272  ;  in  Kaipur,  412  ; 
in  Sagar,  438 ;  in  Narsinghpiir,  360. 

Low,  Mr.  M.,  article  on  Ndgpiir  by,  292. 

M 

Madan  Gopal,  483. 

Madan  Mahal,  191. 

Madan  Singh,  Rija,  26. 

Madgf,  outcastes,  139. 

Mddho  Rao  Gangadhar  Chitnavis,  2. 

Magazine,  at  S^l^,  447. 

Manadeva,  group  of  rocks,  163  ;  sandstones,  251. 

Mahidjf,  Sindi^  fort  of  A'sfrgarh  acquired  by,  11. 

Mahitfij  Si,  Mahardjpur  founded  by,  256  ;  defeated  and  killed  by  Peshwa,  281. 

MahArs,  32  ;  214.     Fide  also  Mhars. 

MAhto  Telis,  immigration  of,  into  Rimgarh,  272  ;  tradition  of,  ib, 

Uaini  Bai  Nimb^karfn,  124. 

MaUd  Kh&i,  Mohammad  Khan  succeeded  by,  in  Seoni,  474. 

Malaigarh,  fort  of,  9. 

Malcolm,  Sir  John,  12. 

M^  Chiefs,  Wairdgarh  formerly  governed  by,  511. 

Minas,  of  Chandi,  137;  in  Garbhori,  194. 

Mandd,  remains  of,  349. 

Mdngs,  in  Nimdr,  384. 

Mannepuw^  500. 

Manufactures,  of  Bastar,  32 ;  of  Bhandara,  66  ;  of  Bodui&nbar,  124  ;  of  Brahmapurf,  125  ; 
of  CWnd^  140  ;  149  ;  of  Garhchiroli,  195  ;  of  HoshangabH  215  ;  of  Jabalpdr,  223  ; 
of  Narsinghpdr,  369  ;  of  N%pdr,  330  ;  of  Raigarh,  402  ;  of  Sambalpiir,  452. 

Maps,  of  Nimar,  387. 

Mar4rs,  in  B^hdt,  20 ;  in  Mandla,  272. 

Marathks,  invasion  of  Chhattfsgarh  by,  94  ;  410  ;  BurhiJnpdr  plundered  by,  128  ;  inter- 
regnum of,  under  Raehoji  in  Cmnd^  147;  in  Chhattisgarh,  I60etseq.;  Damoh 
wrested  from  Bundel&  by,  177  ;  rule  of,  in  Damoh,  178  ;  Handia  given  up  to  Brit- 
ish by,  201  ;  conquests  m  N4gpilr,  &c.,  304  ;  invasion  of  Kh^desh  by,  379  ;  of 
Ndgpib,  statistics  of,  321  ;  conquest  of  Chhattisgarh  by,  410  ;  re-introduction  of  rule 
of,  in  Raipiir,  41 1  ;  in  Upper  Goddvari,  500. 

Mardan  Singh,  192  ;  443  ;  477. 

Miri^Ls,  in  Arpallf,  6  ;  33  ;  in  Bastar,  34  ;  in  Bijji,  76  ;  in  ChindA,  137 ;  twenty-four 
famihes  of,  ib, ;  at  KotipalK,  248  ;  at  Lingagui,  252. 

M^'s,  36. 

Marhs,  Chandel  temples  so  called,  177. 

Market,  weekly,  at  Alfpiir,  2  ;  do.  at  A^mgaon,  4  ;  do.  at  Bibai,  14  ;  do.  at  BahMurpdr, 
ib, :  do.  at  Baihar,  15  ;  do.  at  Barbari,  27  ;  do.  at  Beria,  41  ;  at  Bhamgarh,  55  ;  at 
Bmaiy,  123  ;  at  Bisniir,  ib. ;  at  Chdmursf,  133  ;  at  Chdrwd,  151  ;  at  Jambulghata, 
171 ;  at  DeoH,  182  ;  place,  at  do.,  183  ;  at  Deori,  184  ;  at  Dhanorf,  187  ;  at  Don- 
gargarh,  188;  bi-weekly,  at  Gadarw^  191  ;  at  Garhakot^  192;  place,  at  HaniU, 
202 ;  at  Hatta,  203 ;  at  Hindoni,  ib. ;  place,  at  Hinganghit,  204  ;  at  Hingni, 
205  ;  bi-weekly,  at  Jaisinghnagar,  228  ;  do.  at  Jalgiioii,  229  ;  do.  at  J^bulghitiS, 
ib.  ;  place,  at  kalmeswar,  231  ;  do.  at  Kdmthi,  233 ;  weekly  at  Kanjii,  235  ;  place. 


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APPENDIX  No.  IV.  573 

at  K^ranja,  236  ;  weekly  at  Katangf,  240  ;  at  Khapa,  244  ;  at  Kharod,  245  ;  at  Khim- 
lasa,  246  ;  at  Kioldri,  ib. ;  at  Kodamendhf,  247  ;  at  KondhaH,  248  ;  weekly,  at  Kurai 
250  ;  at  Madnf,  254  ;  at  Mdlthon,  257  ;  at  M^dffdon,  257  ;  MindheH,  265  ;  week- 
ly, at  ManS,  288  ;  at  Mungell,  291  ;  at  Nalcbangaon,  ib.  ;  at  Pdndd  Tarai ,  31M) ;  at 
Pandhand,  391  ;  at  Pdrseoni,  ib, ;  place,  at  P2tansdong(,  392 ;  at  Pater^,  i5.  /  at 
Piparwani,  398 ;  at  Pithori^  399 ;  at  Bihatgarh,  401 ;  place,  at  Rdipur,  422  ;  at 
RasijUMd,  430 ;  at  Rohna,  432  ;  at  S^lf,  462  ;  place  at  Sooner,  462 ;  place,  at 
Sdwargaon,  467  ;  weekly,  at  Segaon,  ib, ;  at  Seld,  468  ;  place,  at  Seoni,  475  ;  in 
Shahgarh,  477  ;  at  SWhpdr,  478  ;  at  Sindf,  479  ;  at  Sirpdr,  481  ;  at  Sitanagar,  481  ; 
at  Sobhdpiir,  481  ;  at  Sonord,  482  ;  at  Sunw^i,  484  ;  at  Takhtpiir,  ib, ;  place,  at 
Urarer,  490;  at  Wardhd,  519;  at  Wdrhond,  ib,;  place,  at  Waraera,  ib,  ;  at 
Waror^  520  ;  place  at  Weltdr,  520  J  at  NdgpiSr,  343  ;  at  Kathfpdr,  346  ;  place,  at 
Narkher,  353. 

Marshall,  General,  Dhamoni  captured  by,  186  ;  Mandla,  taken  by,  285  ;  Sagar  occupied 
by,  442. 

Man!igarh,  ancient  name  of  Mandla,  23. 

Massacre,  at  Pdtansaongi,  392. 

Matd  Devi,  37  ;  275. 

Mduli,  37. 

Mausoleum,  at  A'shti,  7. 

Medlicott,  Mr.  J.  G.,  description  of  Mahddeva  group  by,  207 ;  do.  granitic  rocks  of 
Jabalpdr  do.,  219  e^  seq.  ;  do.  geology  of  Sugar  do.,  435. 

Mehras,  in  Mandla,  272 ;  457  ;  463. 

Meik,  Mr.,  estate  of  Narayan  Singh  purchased  by,  98. 

Menos,  in  Hoshangdbad,  214. 

Merid  sacrifices,  38  ;  said  to  have  been  formerly  performed  at  Dantiwara,  181. 

Metal  vessels,  large  trade  in  at  A'rang,  5. 

Mh^  outcastes,  139.  Vide  Mahdrs  also. 

Military  forces,  at  Kamthf,  233 ;  lines,  at  N^pdr,  341 ;  forces,  at  Nagpdr,  345. 

Minarets,  in  citadel  of  Burhanpdr,  125. 

Mineral  products,  of  Balaghit,  17 ;  of  Bastar,  31  ;  of  Bhandara,  59  ;  of  Bilaspur,  116  ;  of 
Chtodd,  135  ;  of  Hoshangabid,  213  ;  of  Jabalpdr,  219  ;  of  Mandla,  270 ;  of  Narsingh- 
pdr,  366 ;  of  Nagpdr,  329 ;  of  Sagar,  436  et  aeq, ;  of  Sambalpiir,  449  ;  of  Upper  Go- 
davari,  505. 

Mint,  formerly  at  Garhd,  191 ;  at  S%ar,  446  ;  at  Sohdgpdr,  481. 

Mohammad  Amfn  Khan,  succession  of,  in  Seonf,  474. 

Mohammad  Kh^,  473. 

„  „      Niazf,  7 ;  236. 

„  „      Bangash,  442. 

„  „      Zaman  Khan,  rule  of,  in  Seonf,  474  ;   ejected  by  Marathjis,  ib, 

Mohan  Kumdrf,  Rdni,  reign  of,  in  Sambalpdr,  454  ;  deposition  of  by  British,  ib, 

Mohan  Pal,  160. 

Mohan  Shah,  145. 

Mohan  Singh,  94;  160.  ^ 

Monasteries,  at  M^dhdta,  264 ;  remains  of,  at  Markandl,  287. 

Monohth,  near  Chdnda,  141. 

Moore,  Dr.,  murder  of,  455. 

Mosque,  at  Alipdr,  2  ;  in  A'sfrgarh,  10 ;  at  Narsinghgarh,  354. 

Mosques,  remains  of,  at  Katangf,  240. 

Muaj  Singh,  161. 

Muddd,  execution  of,  253. 

Mudhoji,  opposes  Raghoji  in  Chdnd^  144  et  seq,  ;  title  of  Sena  Dhurandhar  conferred 
on,  145  ;  contest  with  Sdbijf  and  rule  of,  306  ;  Umrer,  residence  of,  491. 

Mukhp^  Dajf,  Rdnf,  resumption  of  Sambalpdr  from,  454. 

Mdla  Varya,  484. 

Mundjl  Pandit,  grant  of  land  to,  491. 

Municipal  Committee,  at  N%pdr,  343. 


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574  APPENDIX   No.  IV. 

Marias,  34. 

Miirta  Dhvaja,  87. 

Musalm^  of  Nigpilr,  statistics  of,  322. 

Mutiny,  of  1857,  in  Nagpdr,  315  f^  9eq. 

N 

Nugar,  or  drill  plough,  64. 

Nigdeva,  Gond  BijS,  283. 

Ndhars,  415. 

N^,  Gonds,  in  Ch^d^  137  ;  seTenteen  families  of,  138. 

Ndnd  S^b,  fort  of  Sambalpdr  taken  by,  453. 

Naraolf,  action  with  rebels  at,  443. 

Ndrdyan  Deo,  of  Gonds,  275  ;  414. 

NMyan  Singh,  outbreak  of  at  SodUdi&i,  98  ;  41 1  e^  9eq. ;  murder  of  reUtions  of,  427  ; 

lUj^  of  Sambalpdr,  454  ;  482. 
*'  Narbadi,"  spring,  at  Belp^  40. 
Narendra  Si,  cessions  by,  284  ;  426  ;  473. 
Narhar  Si,  imprisonment  and  death  of,  362. 
Narmadi  Khand,  mention  of  Mdndhiti  in,  258. 
Ndro  Ballil  Bhuskute,  379. 
Narsingh  Deva,  cession  of  territory  by,  394. 
Narsmgh  Rdi  of  Kherli,  47. 
Nisir  Khin,  Burhinpiir  founded  by,  125  ;  143. 

Navigation  works.  Upper  Godivari,  Dumagudem,  head-quarters  of,  188. 
Nazm  revenue,  of  Nagpiir,  319. 
Netkiniwirs,  500. 
NfU  Dhvaja,  159. 
NfUdri  Singh  Deva,  Bahidur,  483. 
Nn  Kantha  ShA,  142  ;  144. 
Nizim  Si,  cessions  of,  284. 

Nizim  Shih,  Indrini  said  to  have  been  founded  by,  217. 
Nursery,  for  trees,  at  Mdl,  290. 


0*Brien,  Major,  president  of  provisional  government  of  Jabalpdr,  225. 

Ochres,  of  Chanda,  135. 

Octroi,  levied  at   A'i\jC,  5 ;  at  Armorf,  t^.  ,*  effects  of  at  Beloni,  40 ;  connections  at 

Hinganghdt,  204  ;  levied  at  Jambulghiti,  229  ;  at  Nagpdr,  319. 
Offices,  public,  of  Nagpdr,  344  et  seq. 
Oil,  statistics  of  trade  m,  at  A'rvf,  6. 
Oil  seeds,  statistics  of  trade  in,  at  A^rvf,  6. 
Offiy  mystic  syllable,  258. 
Omkir,  great  shrine  of,  at  Mindhiti,  257  ;  349. 
Opium,  Urgely  cultivated  in  Multif,  290  ;  466. 
Outcastes,  of  Upper  Grodivarf,  500. 
Outram,  Captain,  Bhfls  quieted  by,  in  Nimir,  38  K 


Pibs,  cultivators  in  Sambalpdr,  457. 

Pahir,  Pit,  107 ;  Singh,  186. 

Palace,  ancient,  at  Ballalpdr,  24 ;  do.  at'Junoni,  230 ;  Bhonsli,  at  Nagpdr,  341. 


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APPENDIX  No.  IV.  575 

Pan,  gardens,  at  Balihrf,  23  ;  of  lUmtek,  428. 

Panch^s,  62. 

Pankis,  100  ;  103  ;  rhyme  regarding,  105 ;  in  Mandla,  272. 

Pand^  Rdja  of,  KhimlM  taken  by,  245. 

P^p^vat  Nagarf,  ancient  name  of  Balihrf,  23. 

Pardesi  Kurmls,  in  Betdl,  48. 

Pardh^  59  ;  62 ;  137 ;  274  ;  321. 

Parghatn^  Sihib,  chief  apostle  of  Kabfr  Panthis,  104. 

Pamas^  legend  regarding  rape  of  Slti  at,  498. 

Parsoji,  145  ;  death  of,  146  ;  rule  of,  309. 

Pdt,  ceremony  of,  62. 

Paton,  Captam,  James,  High  School  of  Sagar  founded  by,  446. 

Pearson,  Major,  Ahfri  first  Tisited  by,  2. 

Peshwd  Baj(  Bio,  A'sfrgarh  possessed  by,  11;  invasion  of  Mandla  by,  284 ;  acquisition  of 
Nimdr  by,  379  ;  death  of,  ib. 

Peter,  Mr.,  brave  conduct  of,  147  et  seq. 

Phamavis,  69. 

Pharsd  Pen,  worshipped  by  Gonds,  139  ;  abolition  of  yearly  sacrifice  of  cows  to,  143. 

Piece  goods,  statistics  of  trade  in,  at  A'rvf,  6. 

Pindharls,  A'nji  plundered  by,  5  ;  first  appearance  of  in  Ch^da,  145 ;  contests  of  Raghoji 
with,  in  Nagpdr,  308 ;  propertv  of  leaders  of  m  Narsinghpdr,  361 ;  Hoshangabdd 
overrun  by,  362  ;  devastation  of  Nimdr  by,  380  ;  Paunir  plundered  by,  396. 

Pinjards,  62. 

Pirdj(  Haibat  Rdo  Desmukh,  55. 

Plantation,  experiments,  in  Sdtpura,  467. 

Poppy,  cultivation  of,  in  Nagpur,  328. 

Police,  administration,  of  Bhand^ra,  70 ;  force,  of  Narsinghptir,  370  ;  do.  of  Nimir,  383  ; 
force  of  Upper  Godivarf,  498. 

Fonwdrs,  in  Bamghit,  19  ;  in  Bhandira,  61  et  seq. ;  in  Chhindwiri,  166  ;  in  Jabalpur, 
224  ;  in  Seoul,  474  ;  in  Tirkherl  Malpurf,  488. 

Pool,  Rdmdighi,  at  KesUborf,  242. 

Poor-house  at,  SitibaldC,  345. 

Population,  of  BdUghit,  1 9 ;  of  Bargarh,  28  ;  of  BettSl,  47 ;  of  Bhanddra,  61  et  seq.  :  of 
BiMspdr,  99 ;  of  Chindi,  136 ;  of  Chhattfsgarh,  155 ;  of  Chhindw^i,  166  ;  of 
Damoh,  179  ;  of  Hoshanedbid,  213  ;  of  Jabalpiir,  224  ;  of  Kdmthf,  233  ;  of  Kdrond, 
239  ;  of  Mandla,  271 ;  of  Ndgptir,  321  ;  of  NAgpiSr  city,  343  ;  of  Narsinghpdr,  360  ; 
of  Nimdr,  383  ;  of  Pdtnd,  393  ;  of  Phuljhar,  393  ;  of  BiiptSr,  412  ;  424  ;  of  Sdgar, 
438 ;  of  SambalpiSr,  457 ;  of  Sdrangarh,  463 ;  of  Seonf,  474  ;  of  Upper  Godavarf, 
500. 

Post  Office,  at  Badnlir,  14 ;  at  Batidgarh,  39 ;  at  Bhandak,  56  ;  at  Bhandara,  72 ;  at 
Brahmapurf,  124;  at  Burhdnpd?,  128  at  Chdmursi,  133;  at  Chimiir,  172;  at 
Ddbhd,  ib.:  at  Deorf,  185;  at  Dhamdd,  ib. ;  Dhamtarf,  186;  at  DrtSg,  188;  at 
Dumagudem,  ib. ;  498;  at  Garhdkota,  194;  at  Kdmth),  232;  at  Kurai,  250;  at 
Ldnji,  251 ;  at  Mariddoh,  287  ;  at  MohiH,  288  ;  at  Moharlf,  ib.  ;  at  Mdl,  290  ;  at 
Narsinghpiir,  370 ;  at  Paunf,  397 ;  at  Rehli,  432 ;  at  Samba]pdr,4  60 ;  at  Seoul 
475  ;  at  Simgd,  479  ;  at  Talodhdhi,  485  at  Sironcbi,  498 ;  at  Wairagarh,  511 ;  at, 
Warord,  520  ;  brancl^  at  EnchampalU,  498. 

Pottery,  brisk  trade  in,  at  Betdl,  54  ;  made  at  Kdnhfwddl,  234  ;  do.  at  Parseonf,  391  ;  at 
Seoul,  471. 

Pramara,  kingdom,  Jabalptir  probably  belonged  to,  225  ;  Rdjputs,  Buddhists  kingdom  of 

Mdlwa  founded  by,  377. 
Pratdp  Deva,  25. 

Pratdp  Rudra  Deva,  carried  prisoner  to  Delhi,  499. 
Pravara  Sen,  dynasty,  inscriptions  referring  to,  473. 
Prem  ^drdyan,  assassination  of,  284  ;  362. 
Presgrave,  Col.,  75. 
Prithvl  Deva,  91 ;  Rija,  159  ;  Ratanpdr  made  capital  by,  160. 


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576  APPENDIX  No.  IV, 

Prithv(  Pat,  122. 

Frith VI  Singh,  192  ;  Malthon  taken  by,  257  ;  death  of,  ib. 

Protectorate,  British,  of  Chhattisgarh,  97. 


Quarries,  near  Ch^di  and  J^bulghita,  141 ;  at  Garhbori,  195  ;  of  soapstone  and  serpen- 
tine, at  JdmbulgMt^  229. 


Rabi,  crops,  of  NiJgpdr,  327. 

Ilagars,  tribe  in  Betdl,  48. 

Ragbi,  197. 

Raghobh^i  Gos^n,  rebellion  of,  313. 

Raghubansis  in  Hoshangdbad,  214 ;  in  Narsinghpilr,  3G0. 

Raghoji  Bhonsla  I.,  24  ;  47 ;  capture  of  Kdnhoii  BhonsU  by,  144  ;  expedition  sent  into 
Chhattisgarh  by,  160 ;  part  of  Hoshangdbaid  overrun  by,  216  ;  assists  to  restore  sons 
of  Chand  Sult^  in  Ndgpdr,  303  ;  Ndgpdr  occupied  by,  ib, ;  Cuttack  invaded  by,  and 
wars  of  with  Moghals,  303  et  seq, ;  sanad  conferred  upon,  304  ;  character  of,  305  ; 
restoration  of  Sambalpiir  to,  453  ;  473. 

Raghoji  II.,  68 ;  94  ;  145  ;  death  of  ib.  ;  167  ;  rule  of,  307 ;  Mr.  Colebrooke  appointed 
resident  at  Court  of,  ib,  ;  unites  with  Sindi^  against  British,  ib,  ;  defeat  of  ana  treaty 
with  British,  307  et  9eq,  ;  death  and  character  of,  309. 

Raghoji  III.,  69 ;  145  et  seq,  ;  313. 

Raghundth  Rdo,  alias  A'ba  Sdhib,  178 ;  petition  of,  225. 

Raghunath  Singh  Bundela,  fort  of  Balihri  occupied  by,  24. 

Raghundth  Smgh,  of  Ratanpdr,  88  ;  93  ;  160  ;  410. 

Rai  Das,  412. 

Railway,  line,  from  Jabalpdr  to  Mirzdpdr,  223  ;  stations  at  Bankherf,  26  ;  at  Chhindwar^ 
170  ;  at  Khandwd,  243  ;  at  Pulgdon,  400 ;  at  Seoni,  476  ;  fit  Sindi,  479  ;  at  Soh%- 
piSr,  481  ;  at  Wardhd,  519  ;  at  Nigpdr,  341,  342  ;  stations  of  G.  I.  P.  in  Nimar,  383. 

Rainfall,  of  Bildspiir,  83 ;  of  Damoh,  176 ;  of  Hoshangdbdd,  212  ;  of  Mandla,  270  ;  of 
Nagpdr,  298  ;  of  Rdipdr,  406 ;  of  Seonf,  469  ;  of  Upper  Goddvarf,  496. 

Rdf  Rdp  Singh,  150. 

Rdi  Smgh  Chaudharf,  40. 

Rdjds,  of  Pdtud,  list  of,  394. 

Raj  Gonds,  in  Chdndd,  137  ;  twenty-seven  families  of,  138  ;  in  Mandla,  273. 

Rdj  Singh,  92. 

Ramai  Deva,  Rdjd  of  Pdtnd,  394. 

Rdmchandra,  imase  of,  at  Rdjim,  425. 

Rdmchandra  Ball^  235. 

Rdmchandra  Deva,  25. 
„       Rdo,  184. 

Rdm  Rdo,  principal  resident  of  Hinganghdt,  204. 

Rdm  Singh,  Rdjd,  placed  in  possession  of  Seoni,  473. 

Rdm  Shdh,  144  ;  battle  of  with  Bdgba,  &c.,  196. 

Rdm  Tirth,  24. 

Rangdri,  caste,  at  Hattd,  202. 

Rdnojf,  160. 

Rdo  Bije  Bahddur,  rebellion  and  execution  of  sons  of,  442. 
„   Chandjd,  195. 

„   Daulat  Singh,  55  ;  temple  built  by,  258. 
„   Krishna  Rdo,  446. 
„    Rdmchandra,  195. 
„    Rdmchandra  Rdo,  399. 


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Ai>r£Nt)ix  No.  IV.  577 

Rapids,  at  Soit,  141  ;  482  ;  at  Sonpur,  483. 

Ratmaf,  107. 

Ratnd,  worship  of,  414. 

Rdwan  Bansi  Gonds,  divisions  of,  273. 

Regar,  or  black  cotton  soil,  in  Nagpur,  300. 

Religion^  of  Bastar,  37  ;  of  Nagpdr,  323. 

Religions,  divisions,  of  Bildspdr,  100. 

Remains.     (See  Architectural  Remains ;  Earthworks.) 

Reservoirs,  irrigation,  at  Adidl^  1  ;  in  Alew^i,  2  ;  large,  at  Berii,  4 1  ;  in  Bilaspdr,  115; 
at  Dongargaon,  187  ;  at  £k£^  189  ;  irrigation,  at  K^tol,  240  ;  at  Madndgarh,  254  ; 
at  M^rm,  287  ;  at  Mhes^  288  ;  at  NawakhaM,  370  ;  at  Palasgaon,  389  ;  on  the 
Pench,  397  ;  irrigation,  at  Rdjghat^  425 ;  at  Saighdta,  447  ;  at  Tekrf,  487  ;  at 
Tepagarh,  ib. 

Resin,  in  sdl  forests  of  Bdmr^  25  ;  one  of  chief  exports  of  Bastar,  31 . 

Revenue,  of  BiMghat,  19  ;  of  Bandi,  26  ;  of  Bargarh,  28  ;  of  Bastar,  29;  of  Betdl, 
50;  administration  of  Bhand^a,  69 ;  of  BiUspur,  121  ;  122  ;  of  Ch^da,  148  ;  of 
Chhindwdrd,  168 ;  system,  of  Marathas,  in  Damoh,  178  ;  of  Damoh,  180 ;  Hoshanga- 
bad,  213;  of  Jabalpdr,  224;  of  Mandla,  285;  Imperial,  of  Nagpiir,  318;  local,  of 
do.,  3]9  et  9eq. :  of  NarsiaghpiSr,  370;  management,  of  Nimar,  381  et  seq, ;  of 
Raipiir,  420  ;  of  S^r,  437  ;  of  Sambalpdr,  459  ;  of  Seoni,  475  ;  of  Upper  Godivari, 
492;  ofWardha,  518. 

Rishi  Pratishtha,  55. 

River,  communications,  of  Ntopdr,  339  ;  system,  of  Rdfpdr,  405. 

Rivers,  of  B^hdt,  17 ;  of  Bhandara,  58  ;  of  Bildspiir,  83  ;  of  Chaiida,  134  ;  of  Damoh, 
174;  of  Hoshangibdd,  211;  of  Jabalpur,  218;  of  Karond,  238  ;  of  N^gpiir,  296 
et  sea. ;  of  Patni,  392  et  seq. ;  of  S%ar,  436  ;  of  Sambalpiir,  450. 

Roads,  of  Betdl,  42 ;  Badndr  towards  Ndgpur,  51  ;  do.  towards  Hoshangabdd,  52 ;  do. 
towards  Mhow,  id.;  do.  towards Ellichpilr  and  Badnera,  53  ;  do.  towards  Chhind- 
wiiA^  53 ;  branch,  from  Shdhpdr  towards  Soh%piir,  .53  ;  of  Bhanddra,  6 1  ;  of 
Bastar,  31 ;  of  Chhindwdr^  169  ;  of  Damoh,  174  ;  want  of,  in  Mandla,  268;  of 
Ndgptir,  334  etseq.  ;  338  ;  old  do.,  335 ;  of  Narsmghpiir,  369  ;  of  Riipiir,  408  ;  of 
Sigar,  440  ;  of  Sambalpiir,  451  ;  of  Seonf,  472  ;  of  Upper  Godavarl,  507. 

Rock  crystal,  in  Upper  Godavad,  506. 

Rocks,  of  BetiU  43  ;  "Marble,"  of  Jabalpdr,  2?1  ;  348. 

Roe,  Sir  Thomas,  description  of  visit  of,  to  Governor  of  Bitrhanptir,  126. 

Rose,  Sir  Hugh,  fort  of  Garh^ota  taken  by,  194  ;  443  ;  Bhanpur  Raja  defeated  by 
250  ;  Rahat^rh  captured  by,  402  ;  443  ;  defeat  of  rebels  at  Madanpur  by,  443. 

Roughsedge,  Major,proceedings  of  in  Sambalpur,  453. 

Routes,  traffic,  of  BUaspdr,  82 ;  of  Chhattfsgarh,  158  ;  of  Raipur,  420. 

Ruins  (see  Architectural  Remains). 

RukmdBaf,  178. 

s 

Sabaif,  struggle  of  with  Mudhojf,  145  ;  306. 
Saccharine  produce,  statistics  of  trade  in  A^rvf,  6. 
Saddle-cloth,  manufactured  at  Narsinghpiir,  369. 
Sadhu  Varya,  Surjdgarh  fortified  by,  484. 

Sadik  AU  Kh&iiy  Nawdb,  Narsinghpdr  and  Hoshangabad  made  over  to,  363. 
Safdar  Husen,  184. 
„      Khin,  124. 
Sageda,  of  Ptolemy,  identified  with  Sagar,  441. 
S^hibDis,  102. 

Saiyad  Shdh  Kabir,  tradition  of,  395. 
Sakhdram  Bdpii,  96. 

Sal,  forests  of,  in  B^aghat,  17  ;  forests,  in  Bamrii,  25 ;  of  Bastar,  29  ;  forest,  at  Bijera- 
ghogarh,  75;  timber,  in  Bilispilr,    117;  resin   from,    118;  in   Borasimbar,    123; 
73  CPG 


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^78  APPENDIX    No.    IV. 

timber,  at  Gilgaon,  197;  at  Kamtara  Nalai,  223 ;  in  Kenda,  212;  at  eastern  boundary  of 
Laun,  252  ;  on  banks  of  Mahanafli,  256  ;  on  Maikal  range,  ib.  ;  on  hills  of  Shah- 
pur,  2C9;  timber,  at  Pachmarhf,  388  ;  at  Palkbera,  389  ;  in  Pataa,  392  ;  in  Phul- 
jhar,  398 ;  in  Rairdkhol,  424 ;  in  Rajpiir,  42G  ;  in  Rampiir,  427  ;  at  Potcgaon,  399 ; 
in  R^fgarh,  402  ;  in  Sambalpdr,  450  ;  forests  of,  in  Sehawa,  4G8 ;  in  Seonf,  471. 

Salabat  Kbdn,  Naw^b,  Ah'pdr  founded  by,  2. 

Salt  trade,  of  N^gpur,  343 ;  trade  of  Sdgar  in,  444  ;  market,  at  Kohka»  472  ;  trade  ot 
Warord  in,  520. 

Sandstone  ranges,  of  Bastar,  30  ;  of  Upper  Godavan,  493. 

Sangrdm  Singh,  Rdj^  171. 

Sangr^  Sa,  Rajd,  extends  his  power  over  JabalpUr,  225  ;  282  ;  3G 1  ;  of  Saraugarh,  46 1  ; 
reign  of,  in  Seoul,  473. 

Sanitarium,  suitability  of  Chaunidadar  for,  151;  269;  of  Motur,  289;  466;  at  Pach- 
marhi,  388  ;  466  ;  at  Sirkundd,  480. 

Siinsias,  457.* 

Saonr&,  286  ;  402 ;  415  ;  426  ;  457  ;  519. 

Saphires,  found  in  Upper  Godavari,  506. 

Sarai  at  A'rvi,  7 ;  at  Badndr,  14  ;  at  BhAndak,  50 ;  at  Bisniir,  1 23  ;  Bori,  124  ;  at  ChAiida, 
149  ;  at  Chhindwira,  170;  near  Chichgarh,  171  ;  at  Deoli,  183  ;  at  Hatta,  203  ;  at 
HinganghAt,  205;  at  Kalmeswar,  231  ;  at  Kamthf,  233;  at  Khandw^  243;  at 
Khapd,  244  ;  at  Kumhirf,  249  ;  at  Lodhikhera,  252 ;  at  Nachangaon,  29 1  ;  at  Nagpur, 
345;  at  Narsinghpdr,  370;  at  Pandhurna,  391;  at  PatansAongl,  392;  at  Sam- 
balpdr, 460  ;  at  R^pdr,  422;  at  Seld,  468  ;  at  Seoni,  476  ;  at  Shahpur,  471  ;  at 
Soh^gpdr,  481 ;  at  Taiegdon,  485 ;  at  Tumsar,  489  ;  at  W%aon,  510  ;  at  Warora,  520. 

Sarddr  Singh,  88  ;  93. 

SaH^  peculiar,  made  at  Garhbori,  195. 

Sati,  worship  of,  414  ;  temples  sacred  to,  at  Ratanpur,  431. 

Satndm  Chamars,  Bhanddr  head-quarters  of,  b^  \  of  Bilaspdr,  100;  rehgion  of,  101, 
A\2et  seq. 

Satyrs,,  faces  of,  at  Eran,  189. 

Saurds,  73;  124;  245. 

Savitri  Bdf,  zamindarin,  residing  at  A'hirf,  1. 

Sculptures,  at  Markandi,  287. 

Sena  Sdhib  Sdba,  title  of,  conferred  on  Raghoji,  145. 

Sendrf,  one  of  chief  expdrts  of*Bastar,  3 1 . 

Seordj  Si,  Rajd,  27 ;  284. 

Seordj  Singh,  410. 

Sepulture,  extramural,  opposition  to  in  Nagpiir,  315. 

Settlement,  of  1852,  in  Nimdr,  381 ;  382  ;  of  various  castes  in  Nagpiir,  dates  of,  322. 

Settlers,  in  Bdlaghdt,  19. 

Shdhgarh  Rijd,  Malthon  taken  by,  257  ;  rebellion  of,  443. 

Shah  Jahdn,  prosperity  of  Burhdnpdr  in  reign  of,  379. 

Shdhman,  Shahgarh  captured  by,  477. 

Shdh  Nawaz,  Khan,  tomb  of,  128. 

ShdhTaiyab,  177. 

Shankar  Sd,  Rdjd,  rebellion  of  Rdni  of,  426. 

Sheep,  breeding  of,  in  Bhanddra,  59  ;  breeds  of,  in  Chdnda,  136. 

Shekh  Farfd,  legend  of,  515. 

Shisha  Mahal,  at  Khimldsi,  246. 

Shoes,  manufactured  at  Rdhatgarh,  401  ;  at  Sindf,  479. 

Shukrdna,  fee,  70. 

Siddsar  Deva,  25. 

Silk,  in  Bdmrd  jungles,  25  ;  tasar,  in  Bilaspur,  118;  cloths,  of  Chindd,  140  ;  do.  of 
Ghutkd,  197;  only  export  of  Korbd,  248;  trade,  of  Ndgpdr,  343;  tasar,  manu- 
factured at  Narsinghpiir,  369  ;  fine  fabrics  of,  made  at  Pauni,  396  ;  tasar,  manu- 
factured  at  Rdlgarh,  402  ;  Sdinkherd,  447 ;  spinning,  at  Sdugarhi,  461 ;  weaving,  at 
Sohagpdr,  481 ;  in  Upper  Godavari,  505_. 


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APPENDIX  No.  IV.  6T9 

Silk-worm,  bred  iii  Bhanilara,  59. 

Sindia,  Kanjii  made  over  to,  235  ;  district  of  Nimur  transferred  to,  380  ;  treaty  with,  id.  ; 

Panj  Mahdl  transferred  to,  399. 
Sivaism,  Mandhit^  a  stronghold  of,  261. 
Sleeman,  Sir  W.,  Chhindwar^  established  by,  160  ;  account  of  Garha  Mandla  dynasty 

by,  282. 
Small-pox,  in  Bil^dr,  84  ;  ravages  of,  in  Chdndu,  136 ;  worship  of,  276. 
Smith,  Major,  Lucie,  description  of  Chandrapdr  by,  133. 
Snow-drop,  edible  species  of,  on  Miil  range,  290. 
Snuff-boxes,  silver,  made  at  Ddbha,  172. 
Soapstone,  quarries  of,  22&. 
Soils,  of  Bil%)dr,    113;  of  Mandla,  266  et  seq. ;  of  Nitgpilr,  300;  326  ;  of  Narsingli- 

pur,  363  et  seq.  ;  of  Nimdr,  384  ;  of  Riipitr,  406. 
Somras,  at  Barpali,  28. 
Son  Telfs,  in  A  mbgaon,  3. 
Sotheby,  Mr,,  killed  at  Sitabaldi,  311. 
Spices,  statistics  of  trade  of  A'rvi  in,  6. 
Sport,  m  Nimdr,  387. 
Stages,  on  Sdgar  road,  224  ;  on  Narsinghpdr  road,  ih,  ;  on  Mandla  road,  ih,  ;  on  Seoul 

roads,  472. 
Staples,  principal,  of  Narsinghpdr,  365- 
Steatite,  in  Bastar,  31. 
Stewart,  F.  G.,  Captam,  36. 

Stone,  quarries,  in  Bilaspdr,  117  ;  cutters,  of  Chanda,  140  ;  good,  found  in  islets  of  Wain- 
gang^  287  ;  of  Nagpdr,  329. 
Storage-ground,  for  cotton,  at  Hinganghdt,  204. 
Storms,  frequent,  in  Mandla,  271. 
Streets,  of  Nagpdr,  342. 
Sdbas,  of  Ratanpdr,  96. 
Subha  Singh,  192. 
Suddji  Bapd,  works  of,  147. 
Sudhyum,  traditional  rule  of,  1 59. 
Sdds,  agriculture  carried  on  by,  in  Bamrd,  25. 
SujalDeva,  25. 
Sundis,  33  et  seq. 
Sunkariwdrs,  500. 

Superstitions  of  Bastar,  38  ;  prevailing,  of  BiUspdr,  110  ;  of  Chhattfsgdrh,  156. 
Sdrat  Sd,  Dhamoni  founded  by,  185. 
Suraj  Deo,  of  Gonds,  275. 
Surendra  Si,   73;  rebellion  of,    196;  451;  4.54;  release  by  mutineers  and  escape  and 

atrocities  of,  ib.  ;  surrender  of,  ib,  ;  further  rebellion  of,   455 ;    final  surrender  of, 

456  ;  subsequent  machinations  of,  456  ;  arrest  of,  457. 
Surdeva,  Rajd,  of  Ratanpdr,  90;  160. 
Surjf  Anjangdon,  treaty  of,  128. 
Sdrya-vansf,  remains,  at  Riimtek,  428 — 430. 
Sur  Pratdp  Deva,  394. 


Tablets,  sculptured,  of  MaMr  and  Amarkantak,  91. 

-Tafazul  Husen  Khdn,  loyalty  of  in  1857,  316'. 

Tagaras,  34. 

TdjKhdn,  188;  473. 

Tak,  branch  of  Pramdra  family,  377. 

Takht  Singh,  92. 

Taksdl  fee,  on  silver  wire,  at  Burhanpdr,  132. 

Tanids,  wire-drawers  at  Bnrhdnpdr,  129. 


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580  APPENDIX    Xo.    IV. 

Tanks,  numerous,  of  Bhandara,  CO  ;  large  number  of  in  BiLispiir,  87  ;  immense  at  Jmygfr, 
230 ;  large,  reverenced  as  source  of  Taptf,  at  Multal,  291  ;  at  Nagp^r,  341  ;  great 
number  of,  in  Raipdr,  406  ;  at  Raipdr,  422  et  seq.  ;  artificial  of  Seooi-band,  476 ;  at 
Umrer,  490 ;  in  Upper  Godavari,  495. 

Tas^s,  in,  Rairikhol,  424  ;  in  Sonpilr,  483. 

Tasar,  manufacture  of,  at  Barhd,  2^ ;  at  Barp^f,  ib. ;  cocoons,  of,  exported  from  Bastar^ 
31  ;  in  Bil^pdr,  1 18  ;  cocoons  common  in  Borusmnbar,  123 ;  silk,  manufactured  at 
Chandrapdr,  150  ;  at  Dabh^  172  ;  thread,  manufactured  at  GarbcbiroU,  195  ;  pro- 
duced in  Jabalpdr,  223.     {See  also  Silk). 

Tatii  Topid,  valley  of  Hoshangabdd  crossed  by,  216  ;  Khandwa,  partially  burnt  by,  244  ; 
preparations  at  Ndgpdr  to  resist,  317  ;  Nimar  traversed  by,  381. 

Tavemier,  visit  of,  to  Burh^pdr,  156. 

Teak,  magnificent  forests  of,  m  Ahiri,  1  et  seq» ;  plantation  in  Mandla,  2  ;  forest,  in  A'shti, 
8  ;  scattered  patches  of,  in  BiUaghdt,  17 ;  m  Barely  27  ;  in  Baurgarh,  40  ;  vast, 
quantities  of  young,  in  Betill,  46 ;  forest  of,  in  Bijjf,  75 ;  reserve,  of  Hathibari- 
82 ;  202  ;  at  BoH,  124  ;  in  Chanda,  136  ;  in  Cbhindwar«^  165 ;  in  Chichgarh,  171  ; 
forests,  in  Chintalnar,  172 ;  in  Deogarb,  182 ;  forest  of  Jagmandal,  228  ;  forests,  at 
Khamarpdn(,  243 ;  do.  at  KotapaUi,  248  ;  at  Mabagaon,  255  ;  on  slopes  of  the  Mill 
range,  290  ;  in  Nimir,  386  ;  in  P^buibaras,  389,  390 ;  at  Pawi  Mutanda,  397  ;  at 
Rangi,  430  ;  in  S^tpuri  reserve,  467  ;  in  Seoni,  470  ;  in  Sunkam,  484  ;  in  Wardha,  516. 

Teak,  vrood,  one  of  the  chief  exports  of  Bastar,  31 . 

Teji  Singh,  lUja,  Teigarh  founded  by,  486. 

Telang  Rdo  Waif,  A  rvi  said  to  have  been  founded  by,  6. 

Telegraph  office,  at  Dumagudem,  1 88. 

Telingana  kingdom  in  Upper  Godavarf,  499. 

Teling^  in  A'lb^ka,  2 ;  in  A'mbgdon,  3  ;  population  of  Ankusa  chiefly,  5  ;  at  Bhandak, 
56 ;  75  ;  in  Upper  Goddvari,  500. 

Telugu,  spoken  in  Ahfrf,  1  ;  m  A'mbgdon,  3 ;  in  Upper  Godavari,  501. 

Temperature,  of  BetiSl,  54 ;  ofBilaspiir,  84;  of  Damoh,  176 ;  <rf  Jabalpdr,  220;  of 
N%pdr,  297  ;  of  Upper  Godavari,  497. 

Temples,  at  Amarkantak,  3 ;  at  M^kandi,  t5.,  741 ;  of  Mahddeo  and  MahaklUi,  at 
A^mbgion,  ih, ;  ruins  of,  at  A^rang,  5 ;  near  Baihar,  15  ;  Buddhist,  in  Bilighdt,  23  ; 
rock,  at  BalUlpdr,  24  ;  at  Bdloi  25 ;  of  Matd  Devi,  in  Bastar,  32  ;  38  ;  of  Dantes- 
wari,  37  ;  at  Belpdn,  41 ;  near  Bhaisdahf,  50  ;  near  Sdlbaldi,  51  ;  severat  at  Multaf> 
51 ;  collection  of,  at  Muktagiri,  ib.;  of  Eimchandra  at  Bhadrichallam,  54  ;  at 
Bhadravati,  56;  at  Bhatila,  72;  141  ;  near  Bher^hdt,  73;  of  Gou&L  Deva,  at 
BhirC,  74  ;  at  Bhiri,  ib. ;  ruins  of  ancient,  at  Bilaigarh,  76 ;  at  Bilaapdr,  85  ;  of 
Buramdeva,  at  Chdpr^  86  ;  Pdli,  in  Bildspdr,  86 ;  Maham^C  of  Ratanpdr,  built  by 
Prithvideva,  91  ;  of  Neri,  141  ;  at  Wairagarh,  ib. ;  at  A'mbgfon,  t*. ;  Waghnakh,  ib. ; 
at  KesUbori,  ib.  ;  of  Murlidhar,  145;  of  Chhidi  town,  149 ;  of  Clmndr,  172; 
at  Dantiward,  181 ;  ruins  of,  at,  Deogarh,  182 ;  at  Ghansor,  196 ;  at  Gumg^n,  200  ; 
at  Hingn(,  205  ;  at  Jdnjgir,  230 ;  seventy  Hindd.  at  Kimthi,  233 ;  curious  at  KdtoU 
240  ;  at  KesMborf,  242  ;  four,  at  Khal^',  243  ;  Sivite  at  Khandw^  244  ;  ancient  at 
Kimdpdr,  246  ;  Jain,  at  Kundalpdr,  249  ;  built  by  €k)vind  Pandi^  at  Kurai,  250 ; 
ofKdl{,atLdnji,251  ;  of  Mahidevaat  do.,  ib.;  ruins  of,  at  MalMr,  257  ;  at  Mdn- 
dh&ti,  257  ;  at  Markandf,  287  ;  atMohgaon,  289  ;  of  Rimtek,  294 ;  at  Neri,  371 ; 
remains  of  Buddhist  in  Nimi5r,  377;  remams  of  Jain  at  Nidit^  388;  ancient,  at 
Pachmarhi,  ib.;  of  Pandharinith,  390;  at  ParseonI,  391  ;  on  bank  of  Tel,  394; 
at  BAni  Jhiria,  ib. ;  at  Paun(,  396  ;  of  MurUdhar  and  others,  at  do.,  ib. ;  at  Pulgaon, 
400 ;  Jain,  in  Raipdr,  408 ;  of  lUjiwa  Lochan,  at  Rdjlm,  425 ;  (^  Mahideva  at 
do.,  ib.  :  at  R;(mtek,  428 ;  at  Ambdla,  429  ;  at  lUngi,  430,  numerous,  at  Ratanpdr, 
ib. :  Rohnf,  433  ;  of  Samlaf,  &c.,  at  Sambalpdr,  460 ;  of  Samleswar,  464  ;  at  Seori- 
nardin,  476 ;  at  Swetgangd,  484 ;  remains  of  at  Takhtpdr,  ib. ;  at  junction  of 
Narbada  and  Tawa,  486  ;  rock  cut,  of  Tflaksenddr,  488 ;  ancient  at,  Vdghnakh,  509  ; 
ofBdldji,  510;  near  Wairagarh,  511;  on  banks  of  Wardhd,  512;  old,  at  WarW, 
519  ;    numerous,  at  Nagpdr,  341 ;  of  Narsinha,  at  Narsinghd,  354. 

Temple  caves,  at  Bhandak,  56;   141  ;  at  Ghugds,  196. 


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APPENDIX  No.   IV.  581 

Temple,  Sir  R.,  account  of  Godavari,  by,  198;  do.,  of  Narbada  do.,  346  etseq. 

Tents,  manufacture  of  at  Jabalpiir,  223. 

Tenures,  of  Betdl,  49 ;  of  BilasptSr,  1 13  ;  of  Hoshangibid,  215. 

Tezi  Singh,  48. 

Thilkur  Dary^o  Singh,  402, 

Thdkur  Deva,  106  ;  275. 

Theatre,  at  Kimthf,  233. 

Thermometrical  observations,  at  Betill,  54.  * 

Thomson,  Captain,  report  of,  on  Raigarh  Bichhi^  16. 

Thornton's  History  of  India,  account  of  siege  of  A'sirgarh  in,  1 1  ^^  8eq, 

Thugs,  361. 

Tffan,  or  drill  rake,  64. 

TikhiSr,  one  of  chief  exports  of  Bastar,  31. 

Timber  of  Jabalpdr,  varieties  of,  223  ;  fine  at  Jumrf,  230 ;  mart,  at  PamasiU,  391  ;  good 
building  on  Purard  estate,  400  ;  in  Sambalpdr,  450.  - 

Tirthankar,  images  of,  at  MdndMta,  263  et  seq. 

Tombs,  reputed  of  Gond  Kings,  at  A^mM,  4 ;  of  Telang  Rdo,  at  A'rvf,  6  ;  of  Gond  kings, 
at  BallalpiSr,  24 ;  at  BurMnpdr,  126  ;  of  Shfli  Nawaz  Khdn,  at  do.,  128 ;  of  Bhonsla 
kings,  at  Nagpdr,  342  ;  of  Grond  Rajas  at  do.,  ib. ;  of  defendants  of  Chhapara,  474  ;  of 
WaU  Haidar,  480 ;  of  Dindir  AU  Shah,  481. 

Tower,  remarkable,  of  Ghurhdkot^  194. 

Town-dues,  of  Sambalpdr,  460. 

Towns,  of  BiUspdr,  84;  of  Karond,  238;  of  Nigpdr,  325;  of  R%dr,  407;  of  Upper 
Goddvarf  495. 

Trade  of  A'rvf,  6  ;  of  Bastar,  31  ;  of  Bhand&a,  66  ;  of  Bilispdr,  119  ;  of  Burhdnpdr, 
128,  et  seq. ;  of  Ch^di,  140,  149  ;  of  Chhindwir^  169 ;  of  Damoh,  175  ;  of  Deoli, 
182  etseq. ;  of  GarMkot^  statistics  of,  193  ;  of  Hoshang^bH  215  ;  of  Jabalpdr,  223  ; 
of  Jabalpdr  town,  227 ;  of  Kamthl,  233  ;  of  Mandk,  270 ;  of  Mow^,  290 ;  of 
Narsinghpdr,  368  ;  of  Nim^  385  ;  of  N^dr,  331  ;  343  et  seq. ;  of  Rdipdr,  419  ; 
423;  of  Sagar,  439  etseq,  ;  449;  of  Sambalpdr,  451  ;  of  Seoni,  471  ;  of  Tumsar, 
489  ;  of  Upper  Godavari,  508  ;  of  Wardh^  517  ;  of  Waror^  520. 

Tradition,  of  Bhandara,  68  ;  of  Paun^,  395  ;  of  origin  of  Vitai  Rdjds,  394. 
Tramway,  at  Dumagu4em,  188. 

Trees,  of  Upper  GocUvari,  list  of,  503  et  sea. 

Tribes,  of  Bastar,  list  of,  33;   aboriginal,  of  Betdl,  48  ;  Hindd,  of  Nagpdr,  statistics  of, 

321—322  ;  aboriginal,  of  do.,  322. 
Tribhuvan  Deva,  25. 
Tribute,  paid  by  Bastar  Rw^  29. 
Tuar  clan,  Rinas  of,  held  Punish  400. 
Turanian,  system  of  Government,  409. 


Ubhaya  Singh,  collison  with  MardthSs  in  reign  of,  452. 

Ukkals,  BrSmian  sect  in  Bastar,  33. 

Umr^  Singh,  zam{ndar  of  Ambdgarh  Chaukf,  3  ;  Raja  of  Patan,  Dh^onf  taken  by,  186. 

V 

Vaccination,  progress  of,  in  Sambalpdr,  461  ;  in  Upper  God^varf,  496. 

Vallabhi,  the,  Jabalpdr  probably  belonged  to,  225. 

Visudeva  Pandit,  285. 

Viaduct,  at  Belpath^r,  41 ;  across  the  Tawa,  211;  railway  over  Narbada,  223 ;  raflway  over 

the  W^and,  511;  over  Narbada,  at  Broach,  350. 
Viddrs.  in  Nagpdr,  321. 
Vikramiijit,  235. 


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