Jalaun District, 1908
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.
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Jalaun District
District in the Allahabad Division of the United Provinces, lying between 25 degree 46' and 26 degree 27' N. and 78 degree 56' and 79 degree 52' E., with an area of 1,480 square miles. Jalaun is the most northern of the Districts of British Bundelkhand, and is roughly triangular in shape, the boundaries being chiefly formed by the Jumna and its tributaries, the Betwa and Pahuj. On the north and north-east the Jumna divides it from Etawah and Cawnpore ; on the south-east its greatly indented boundary marches with that of the BaonI State ; on the south the Betwa separates Jalaun from Jhansi and Hamlrpur, and the Samthar State forms part of the boundary ; on the west the Pahuj generally runs between Jalaun and the State of Gwalior, except where a portion of the Datia State enters the former like a wedge.
Physical aspect
Jalaun lies entirely within the level plain of Bundelkhand. Its highest portions are on the borders, especially near the Jumna, while the lowlands occupy the central part and are chiefly drained by two separate channels which unite as they approach the Jumna, the combined stream being called the Non. An important feature of these channels, and still more so of the larger rivers, is the intricate reticulation of deep ravines which fringe them, including about one-fifth of the total area of the District. The course of the Jumna is from north-west to south-east, while the Pahuj runs from south to north and the Betwa from west to east The junction of the Pahuj with the Jumna is on the northern frontier.
Jalaun consists almost entirely of alluvium. Kankar or nodular limestone is the chief mineral found ; but stone and gravel are obtained near Saidnagar.
The District presents no peculiarities from a botanical point of view. It is very sparsely wooded, especially in the black-soil tracts in the south. Babul (Acacia arabica) is found everywhere in waste land, while khair (Acacia Catechu) grows in the ravines. Plantations of babul under the management of the Forest department are being undertaken near Kalpi to supply the Cawnpore tanneries. Kans grass (Saccharum spontaneum) is a great pest, recurring in cycles.
Tigers are hardly ever met with, but wild hog, antelope, leopards, and hyenas are numerous. The poorer classes residing on the banks of the three principal rivers use fish as an article of diet to a con- siderable extent.
The climate is hot and dry, but not unhealthy. The average monthly temperature ranges from about 65 in January to 96-5° in May. The annual rainfall over the whole District averages 32 inches, and there is little difference between the amounts received in different portions. Great variations occur, however, from year to year. In 1868-9 the fall was only 13 inches, while it was as much as 51 inches in 1894-5.
History
No details are known of the ancient history of this tract, which was not a political entity till the eighteenth century. The town of Kalpi was conquered by Kutb-ud-dln in 1196. Owing to its importance as guarding a main crossing of the Jumna, it was held by a strong garrison and became a starting-point for expeditions into Central India and the Deccan, and later a fortress on the route from Agra to Bengal. In the long struggle between the kings of Delhi and Jaunpur during the first eighty years of the fifteenth century Kalpi was the scene of fierce battles and sieges. The Hindu confederacy against Babar met here, and advanced to experience a crushing defeat near Fatehpur Slkri in Agra District. During the next thirty years Kalpi was taken and retaken several times, and under Akbar it became the head-quarters of a sarkdr. The Bundelas had for a short time held Kalpi in the fourteenth century, and towards the end of Akbar's reign assumed a threatening attitude. Blr Singh Deo, Raja of Orchha, occupied the greater part of Jalaun District and was con- firmed in his possessions by Jahanglr. He revolted when Shah Jahan came to the throne, and after a long struggle lost all his influence in this tract. Another branch of the Bundelas which had gradually acquired power in Hamlrpur District now became prominent, and Chhatarsal, its great leader, included Jalaun in his dominions. Early in the eighteenth century, however, when attacked by the governor of Allahabad, he called in the Marathas to aid him. At his death about 1734 he bequeathed one-third of his possessions, including this Dis- trict, to his allies. Under Maratha rule the country was a prey to constant anarchy and intestine strife. In the wars which took place at the close of the eighteenth century Kalpi was taken by the British in 1 798, but subsequently abandoned. Part of the District was ceded by the Peshwa in 1803 for the maintenance of troops, by a treaty modi- fying the terms of the Treaty of Bassein a year earlier ; but the fort of Kalpi was held by Gobind Rao on behalf of Shamsher Bahadur (sec Banda District) and was taken after a short siege. A tract near the Jumna was assigned to Himmat Bahadur, who had aided the British, and in 1806 Gobind Rao submitted and was restored to his possessions. Portions of the present District in the Kalpi and Kunch tahsils were included in the British District of Bundelkhand. The Jalaun estate was seriously misgoverned, and in 1838 the British Government assumed its management. It lapsed in 1840, and during the next few years additions were made by conquest, by treaties with the Rajas of Jhansi and Gwalior, and by lapse. In 1853 the southern portion of the present Hamlrpur District, which had been administered by the Deputy-Superintendent of Jalaun, was transferred to Hamlrpur, and Kunch and Kalpi were attached to Jalaun. In 1854 and 1856 further transfers were made to Jhansi District, and Jalaun assumed its present form subject to a further transfer to Sindhia in 1861.
News of the rising at Cawnpore reached Orai early in June, and shortly afterwards intelligence arrived that the Europeans at Jhansi had been massacred. Thereupon the men of the 53rd Native Infantry deserted ; and on June 15 the Jhansi mutineers reached the District and murdered all the Europeans on whom they could lay their hands. Meanwhile Kesho Rao, chief of Gursarai, assumed supreme authority. He kept a few European officers as prisoners for some months, until after the defeat of the infamous Nana Sahib and his flight from Cawn- pore ; but those events induced him to change his tone and to treat with Colonel Neill for their restoration. After sending them in safety to Cawnpore, the chief established himself for a time at Jalaun ; but upon the arrival of Tantia Topi in October the usual anarchic quarrels arose. Kesho Rao was deposed ; his son was seized by the rebels ; and the mutineers of Jalaun, joining those of Gwalior, set out for Cawnpore. Meanwhile the populace everywhere revelled in the licence of plunder and murder which the Mutiny had spread through Bundel- khand. In May, 1858, after the fall of Jhansi, Sir Hugh Rose's force entered the District and routed the rebels at Kunch. There he left some troops of the Gursarai chief, whose allegiance had returned with the advent of the British forces. A Deputy-Commissioner was put in charge of the District at Ktinch, and Sir Hugh Rose advanced to attack the strong rebel position at Kalpl. On May 23 he drove them from that post and shortly afterwards marched in pursuit towards Gwalior. Unfortunately he was unable to leave any troops in garrison, except a small body to guard the passage at Kalpl ; and accordingly on his withdrawal the western portion of the District relapsed once more into anarchy. Plundering went on as before ; and in July and August the rebels again attacked and pillaged Kunch and Jalaun. The latter town was immediately recovered by a detachment from the garrison at Kalpl ; but it was not till September that the guerrilla leaders were defeated, and some further time elapsed before the work of re- organization could be effected.
Jalaun was treated as 'non-regulation' up to 1891, when it was made subject to the ordinary laws in force in the United Provinces, some of which had already been introduced.
The District is not rich in antiquities. A few carved pillars and stones which may possibly be of the Chandel period have been found at Orai. The great battle in which Prithwl Raj of Delhi defeated Parmal, the last great Chandel ruler of Bundelkhand, is said to have taken place at a village called Akorf in the Orai tahsiL Kalpi, the most celebrated historical place in the District, contains a number of Muhammadan tombs.
Population
There are 6 towns and 837 villages in Jalaun. Population shows considerable fluctuations, owing to the vicissitudes of season to which all Bundelkhand is liable. The numbers at the last four enumerations were as follows: (1872) 404,447, (1881) 418,142, (1891) 399,361, and (1901) 399,726. There are four tahsil— Orai, Kalpi, Jalaun, and Kunch — each named from its head-quarters. The principal towns are the municipalities of Kunch, Kalpi, and Orai, the District head-quarters. The table on the next page gives the chief statistics of population in 1901. Hindus form nearly 94 per cent, of the total population, and Musal- mans only 6 per cent. The density of population is considerably higher than in the other Bundelkhand Districts, owing to the absence of the rocky hills and jungle wastes which characterize the latter.
Jalaun was the only Bundelkhand District in which the population did
not decrease between 1891 and 1901, and this result may safely be
ascribed to the Betwa Canal. Practically the whole population speaks
Western Hindi, the prevailing dialect being Bundeli.
Chamars (leather-workers and cultivators), 68,000, are the most
numerous Hindu caste. Other large castes are Brahmans, 50,000 ;
Rajputs, 35,000 ; Kachhis (cultivators), 27,000 ; Koris (weavers),
20,000 ; and Ahirs (graziers), 19,000. The Basors (5,000) and Khan-
gars (6,000) are menial classes peculiar to this part of Bundelkhand.
Among Musalmans, there are 11,000 Shaikhs and 6,000 Pathans, but
many of these are descended from converted Hindus. Agriculture sup-
ports 61 per cent, of the total population, and general labour 10 per
cent. Rajputs, Kurmls, and Brahmans are the chief land-holders.
There were 59 native Christians in 1901, but no missions have permanent stations in the District.
Agriculture
The southern portion of Jalaun forms a rich basin of the black soils of Bundelkhand (mar and kdbar), in which excellent wheat can be grown in favourable seasons without irrigation. Un- fortunately it becomes overgrown, when cultivation is relaxed, by the weed called kans, which spreads rapidly and finally stops the plough. Towards the north the soil is brown or yellow, called parwa; this resembles the loam of the Doab and requires irrigation. Near the ravines which border the rivers, the soil is denuded of its more valuable constituents and becomes exceedingly poor ; but there is valuable grazing near the Jumna and Betwa, and ghi is made by the Ahirs who graze large herds of cattle there. Field embankments are also made, which prevent erosion and, by holding up water, stop the growth of kdns and retain moisture.
The ordinary tenures of the United Provinces are found, zamindari and pattiddri mahals being the commonest. A few estates are held on the ubari tenure, which implies a reduction of the full revenue demand on varying conditions (see Jhansi District). The main agricultural statistics for 1 899-1 901 l are given on the next page, in square miles. 1 Later figures are not available owing to settlement operations.
The principal food-crops are gram, jowar y and wheat, which covered 333, 123, and 103 square miles respectively. Arhar (81 square miles), bajra (69), and barley (15) are less important. Oilseeds (48 square miles) and cotton (59) are the chief non-food crops ; but hemp (sati) and poppy are also grown to a small extent.
Jalaun, like the rest of Bundelkhand, is liable to great fluctuations in agricultural prosperity. If the spring harvest is injured, whether by blight or by excess or deficiency of rain, cultivation relaxes, or wheat is replaced by inferior staples, and kans spreads rapidly, throwing land out of cultivation. No material improvements have been made in agri- cultural methods, though many years ago it was attempted to introduce American varieties of cotton near Kalpi. Endeavours are now being made to encourage rice cultivation, and an experimental farm is under consideration. Part of the District has been rendered more secure by canal-irrigation, which will be referred to later. Advances under the Land Improvement and Agriculturists' Loans Acts are freely taken, especially in bad years. A total of 5 lakhs was advanced during the ten years ending 1900, including 3 lakhs in the two famine years 1895-7 ; and Rs. 16,000 was lent between 1900 and 1904.
The cattle of Jalaun are inferior to those found south of the Betwa. Attempts have been made to introduce better strains, but hitherto without success. No horses are bred, and the ponies, sheep, and goats are all of an ordinary type.
Up to 1886 the District had no sources of irrigation except wells; and owing to the peculiarities of the black soils, mar and kabar, and the great depth of the spring-level the area irrigated was small. The opening of the Betwa Canal has led to a considerable increase in the irrigated area. This work enters the District in the south-west and has two branches, which supply almost every part of the District. Though the cultivators did not at first take water readily, the famine of 1896-7 opened their eyes to the value of the canal. In that year the area irri- gated, which had been only 12 square miles in 1894-5, rose to 128 square miles. Water is now freely taken for parwa, or loam ; and the area of black soil irrigated, especially kabar, is increasing steadily. The area irrigated in 1899-1901 from canals was 38, and from wells 9 square miles. At present the irrigation is almost entirely confined to the spring crops, as the supply is exhausted by the beginning of the hot season; but a second reservoir is being constructed to increase the supply.
Kankar or calcareous limestone and saltpetre are the only mineral products.
Trade and communication
Jalaun was formerly noted for the production of cotton cloth ; but the competition of machine-made cloth from Cawnpore has materially affected the industry, and the cultivation of dl (Morinda citrifolia), from which a valuable red dye was made, has ceased since the introduction of aniline colours. Cotton-dyeing and printing still survive on a small scale at Saidnagar and Kotra. There are two small cotton-gins at Kalpi and a larger one at Ait, while another has recently been completed at Kunch.
The principal exports are gram, oilseeds, cotton, and ghh The bark of the babul is now being sent in increasing quantities to Cawnpore for use in tanning, and a plantation is being made near Kalpi. The gram is sent to Southern and Western India, oilseeds to Bombay, cotton to Cawnpore and Bombay, and gha to Bengal. Kunch, Kalpi, Jalaun, Rampura, and Madhogarh are the chief trade centres.
The south of the District is crossed by the Indian Midland section of the Great Indian Peninsula Railway from Jhansi to Cawnpore, and a short branch connects Ait with Kunch. There are 669 miles of roads, of which 130 are metalled. The latter are in charge of the Public Works department, but the cost of all but 45 miles of metalled roads is met from Local funds. Avenues of trees are maintained on 109 miles. The main lines are the roads from Cawnpore and Saugor, and from Orai to Kunch, Jalaun, and Madhogarh.
Famine
Drought and blight are the two great scourges of Jalaun, and famine and scarcity occurred in 1783, in 1833, in 1837, and in 1848. The rains of 1868 failed and the autumn harvest was only about one-third of the normal, while the following spring harvest, which benefited by an opportune fall in September, 1 868, gave rather more than half an average crop. There was great distress, especially in the remote southern villages, until the monsoon of 1869, and relief was given and works were opened. A still worse calamity was experienced in the years 1895-7. Previous seasons had injured the crops and kans had spread considerably. The rains of 1895 ceased prematurely, and relief was necessary early in 1896. By May the numbers on relief rose above 40,000, but the approach of the rains sent the people back to their villages. The monsoon of 1896, however, was even weaker than that of the previous year, and relief operations were again required. By April, 1897, there were 127,000 persons in receipt of relief, and before the next harvest nearly 35 per cent, of the total population had been relieved. Between October, 1896, and the same month in 1897 nearly 12 lakhs was spent by Government.
Administration
The Collector is assisted by three Deputy-Collectors recruited in India, and a tahsildar is stationed at the head- quarters of each tahsil.
There is one regular Munsif. Jalaun lies in the jurisdiction of the Civil Judge and Sub-Judge of Jhansi, and also in the Jhansi Sessions division. A Special Judge is at present carrying out inquiries under the Bundelkhand Encumbered Estates Act. Crime is on the whole light, but outbreaks of dacoities occur not infrequently, and the difficulty in breaking up gangs is increased by the proximity of Native States.
The District includes three large estates, Rampura, Jagamanpur, and Gopalpura, for which no detailed statistics are available, the total area of the three being about 85 square miles. A fixed revenue of Rs. 4,500 is paid for Jagamanpur, and the other two are held revenue free. For the first time since its existence in its present form, the settlement of the whole of Jalaun District is now being revised simul- taneously. Portions of the Kunch and Kalpi tahslls were first settled as part of the Bundelkhand District and afterwards of Hamirpur, the first regular settlement being made in 1 840-1. This was revised in the usual manner in 1872, the term being fixed for thirty years. The remainder of the District was assessed summarily for short terms from 1839 to 1863. The first regular settlement, which should have com- menced earlier, but was postponed by the Mutiny, was carried out between i860 and 1863, and was confirmed for a period of twenty years. It was revised between 1885 and 1887, and the operations are noteworthy as being the first in the United Provinces in which the rules directed that rent-rolls should form the chief basis of assessment. At that time the revenue of the portions settled in 1872 was 2.9 lakhs. The revenue on the rest of the District was enhanced from 6*3 to 7-5 lakhs, the demand falling at 47 per cent of the corrected rental. A series of bad seasons followed, and in 1893 reductions were made. The famine of 1895-7 necessitated further reductions of revenue, and in 1903-4 the demand stood at 9.8 lakhs. The whole District has now been brought under the special system of settlement in force in Bundelkhand, by which revenue is liable to revision every five years.
Collections on account of land revenue and total revenue have been, in thousands of rupees : —
There are three municipalities, and two towns are administered under Act XX of 1 856. Beyond the limits of these, local affairs are managed by the District board, which had an income in 1903-4 of Rs. 87,000, half of which was derived from rates. The expenditure was Rs. 88,000, including Rs. 50,000 spent on roads and buildings.
The District Superintendent of police has a force of 3 inspectors, 83 subordinate officers, and 360 constables, distributed in 17 police stations, besides 100 municipal and town police, and 1,200 rural and road police. A special force is maintained along the frontier of the Native States as a guard against dacoits. The District jail contained a daily average of 157 prisoners in 1903.
Jalaun takes a high place as regards the literacy of its inhabitants, of whom 4-4 (8.4 males and 01 females) could read and write in 1901. The total number of public schools rose from 102 with 2,530 pupils in 1880-1 to 112 with 3,944 pupils in 1 900-1. In 1903-4 there were 140 such institutions with 5,184 pupils, including 271 girls, besides 58 private schools with 890 pupils. The education imparted is almost entirely primary, and only six schools were classed as secondary. No schools are managed by Government, but 92 are managed by the District and municipal boards. Out of a total expenditure on education of Rs. 26,000, Local funds provided Rs. 22,000 and fees Rs. 4,000.
There are 7 hospitals and dispensaries, with accommodation for 73 in-patients. About 55,000 cases were treated in 1903, including 895 in-patients, and 2,600 operations were performed. The total expenditure was Rs. 13,000, chiefly met from Local funds.
In 1903-4, 15,000 persons were successfully vaccinated, represent- ing a proportion of 37 per 1,000 of population. Vaccination is com- pulsory only in the municipalities.
[District Gazetteer, 1874 (under revision) ; Settlement Reports by P. J. White, Kunch, 1874 ; Kalpt, 1875 ; remaining portion of District, 1889.]
