Batala Town
This article has been extracted from THE IMPERIAL GAZETTEER OF INDIA , 1908. OXFORD, AT THE CLARENDON PRESS. |
Note: National, provincial and district boundaries have changed considerably since 1908. Typically, old states, ‘divisions’ and districts have been broken into smaller units, and many tahsils upgraded to districts. Some units have since been renamed. Therefore, this article is being posted mainly for its historical value.
Batala Town
Head-quarters of the tahsil of the same name in Gurdaspur District, Punjab, situated in 30 degree 49' N. and 75° 12' E., on the Amritsar-Pathankot branch of the North-Western Railway, 20 miles from Gurdaspur town. It is distant by rail 1,272 miles from Calcutta, 1,303 from Bombay, and 859 from Karachi. Population (1901), 27,365, including 17,876 Muhammadans and 9,071 Hindus. The town was founded about 1465, during the reign of Bahlol Lodi, by Rai Ram Deo, a Bhatti Rajput, on a piece of land granted by Tatar Khan, governor of Lahore. Akbar gave it in jagir to Shamsher Khan, his foster-brother, who greatly improved and beautified the place, and out- side it built the magnificent tank, still in perfect repair. Under the Sikh commonwealth, Batala was held first by the Ramgarhias, and after their expulsion by the Kanhaya confederacy. On their return from exile the Ramgarhia chiefs recovered the town, which they retained till the rise of Ranjit Singh. After the annexation of the Punjab, Batala was made the head-quarters of a District, subsequently transferred to Gurdaspur. The principal objects of antiquarian interest are the tank above mentioned, the massive tomb of Shamsher Khan, and a hand- some building known as the Anarkali, erected by Sher Singh, son of Ranjit Singh, who held Batala in Jag'ir. This is now occupied by the Baring high school. The central portion of the town is raised to some height above the surrounding level, and has well-paved streets, good drainage, and substantial brick-built houses ; but its suburbs consist of squalid mud huts, occupied by Giijar shepherds and low-caste weavers, where filth accumulates to the great detriment of the general health.
The municipality was created in 1867. The income during the ten years ending 1902-3 averaged Rs. 34,900, and the expenditure Rs. 34,100. The income in 1903-4 was Rs. 37,900, chiefly from octroi ; and the expenditure was Rs. 38,500. The town has consider- able manufactures, which include cotton, silk, and leathern goods. Susi, a striped mixture of silk and cotton, used to be very largely made, but the manufacture has now been superseded by that of chintz. Carpets and woollen blankets are also woven. Soap is manufactured, and a good deal of cotton is ginned. Batala has a large trade in grain and sugar, which, however, are bought and sold at a mart outside muni- cipal limits. Its chief educational institutions are the Baring Anglo- vernacular high school for Christian boys and the A.L.O.E. Anglo- vernacular high school, both maintained by the Church Missionary Society, and two Anglo-vernacular middle schools, one maintained by the municipal committee and the other unaided. The municipality, aided by the District board, also supports two dispensaries.
