Raichur 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.
Contents |
Physical aspects
District in the Gulbarga Division of Hydera- bad State, adjoining Mahbubnagar and Gulbarga, which bound it east and north, and the Madras Districts of Bellary and Kurnool in the south, from which it is separated by the river Tungabhadra. Before the extensive changes made in 1905, referred to below, it lay between 15 50' and 16 54' N. and 76 50' and 78 15' E., and had an area of 3,604 square miles, khalsa lands covering 2,319 square miles and the rest being samasthans and jagirs. A range of hills traverses the Yadgir taluk from west to east for a length of 20 miles, and enters the Seram and Kodangal taluks of Gulbarga District Physical m the nort h_ east> There are three other ranges, one extending from the north-west of Raichur towards Yergara for 15 miles, another in the Raichur and Manvi taluks 10 miles long, and the third 19 miles long in the south of the District in the Raichur and Alampur taluks. These really form a single range, extending for nearly 60 miles from the north-west of Raichur to Alam- pur, with two breaks. The general slope of the country is from the north-west towards the south-east.
The most important river is the Kistna, which enters the Deodrug taluk and flows for a distance of 130 miles in a south-easterly direction. The Tungabhadra forms the southern boundary up to the point of its confluence with the Kistna in the Alampur tatuk. The Bhlma enters the Yadgir taluk^ and falls into the Kistna 16 miles north of Raichur.
The District is occupied principally by Archaean gneiss, including, near its western boundary, some bands of crystalline schists known as the Dharwar series, which contain auriferous quartz veins. At the extreme east, the triangular area above the confluence of the Kistna and Tungabhadra is occupied by rocks of the Kurnool series. The Dharwars and the Kurnools are fully described in the publications of the Geological Survey of India, the former by R. B. Foote (Records^ vols. xxi, part n, and xxii, part i), the latter by W. King (Memoirs, vol. viu, part i).
The most important trees are teak, ebony, byasal (Pterocarpus Mar- supium), nalldmaddi (Terminalia tomentosa\ eppa (Hardwickia binata\ tarvar (Cassia auriculata), mango, tamarind, nim, and species of JFtcus.
No large game is found, owing to the absence of forests ; but m the hills leopards, bears, hyenas, and wolves are met with occasionally.
1 This article, except where otherwise stated, describes the District as it btood before the changes made in 1905, Among game-birds, partridge and quail, and neai the tanks and on the rivers wild duck, teal, and other water-fowl, may be seen.
The District is generally healthy from October to the end of May, but during the rains ague and fever prevail. The parts bordering the rivers are damp. The temperature in May rises to in , but the nights are cool, and in December it falls to 70 F. The annual rainfall during the twenty-one years ending 1901 averaged 25-37 inches.
History
Before the Muhammadan conquest, Raichur was part of the Warangal kingdom, and it became subject to Vijayanagar when that power was established early in the fourteenth century. After Muhammad bin Tughlak's death, it fell to the Bah- Histor y- manis, then to the Adil Shahis of Bijapur. After the conquest of Bijapur by Aurangzeb, it was united to Delhi, but was separated from the empire on the foundation of the Hyderabad State. Under the treaty of 1853 it was assigned to the British, but was restored to the Nizam in 1860.
The principal antiquities are found in or near the fort of Raichur, which is said to have been built by Gore Gangaya Ruddivaru, the minister of the Raja of Warangal between 1294 and 1301. The District also contains the old forts of DEODRUG, YADGIR, Alampur, and Malhabad, besides numerous temples and mosques.
Population
The number of towns and villages in the District, including jdglrs and two large samasthans^ is 899. The population at the last three enumerations was: (1881) 398,782, (1891) 512,455, and (1901) 509,249. The chief towns are now *
RAICHUR, GADWAL, KOPPAL, MUDGAL, DEODRUG, KALLUR, and MANVI. Hindus form 90 per cent, of the total population; 51 per cent, of the people speak Telugu, 37 per cent. Kanarese, and 9 per cent. Urdu. The following table shows the chief statistics of population in 1901 :
On the other hand, Lingsugur, Gangawati, Kushtagi, and Sindhnur were added to Raichur from the broken-up Lragsugflr District. In its present form the District comprises eight taluks Raichur, Lingsugur, Manvi, Alampur, Deodrug, Gangawati, Kushtagi, and Sindhnur besides the samasthans of Gadwal and Amarchmta, and the two jagir tahtks of Koppal and Yelbarga belonging to the Salar Jang family.
The most numerous caste in the District is that of the cultivating Kapus, numbering 72,900, of whom 53,300 are Lmgayats. Almost equal to them are the hunting Bedars, numbering 72,600. The number of persons supported by agriculture is 56 per cent, of the total. Of the 276 Christians in 1901, 237 were natives.
Agriculture
Raichur is situated in the metamorphic and trap legions, and its soils are composed of regar masab, milwa, and reddish soils. The reddish or lateritic soil is much prized, and so are gncu e. a j go t ^ e regar and milwa^ but the masab is a very poor soil and needs water and heavy manuring. Regar predominates in the Raichur, Manvi, and Deodrug taluks^ where rabi crops are exten- sively raised, while reddish and milwa soils are used for kharlf crops. In the reddish and milwa soils a moderate fall of 12 to 15 inches of rain is sufficient to mature the crop, while regar needs 25 to 30 inches.
The tenure of land is mainly ryotwari. In 1901, 1,670 square miles were cultivated, out of a total area of 2,319 square miles of khalsa land, The remainder included 127 square miles of cultivable waste and fallows, 120 of foiest, and 402 not available for cultivation. Only 36 square miles were irrigated.
The staple food-crops are jowar and bajra, produced from 781 and 141 square mile/ of land respectively, or 47 and 8 pei cent, of the net area cropped. vCotton was grown on 285 square miles, distributed over all the taluks, while rice and oilseeds covered 33 and 77 square miles.
Since the settlement in 1891, the value of land has increased, and almost the whole of the available area has been taken up, and little extension is now possible. No steps have been taken to improve cultivation by the introduction of new varieties of seed or better agii- cultural implements.
The cattle are of the ordinary kind, but are strong and well suited for deep ploughing. There is no special breed of ponies, sheep, 01 goats. In the town of Raichur, a weekly bazar is held, where cattle, ponies, and sheep are sold. At the annual fair at Gadwal, a large trade is done in cattle. The District contains numerous grazing areas.
The total irrigated aiea is only about 36 square miles, which is supplied by 234 tanks and 4,804 wells, all in good repair. In the Yergara taluk^ a channel 9 miles long from the Tungabhadra river supplies most of the tanks. Estimates amounting to Rs. 60,000 for improving this channel are awaiting sanction, and, when completed, it will irrigate a very large extent of land. The largest tank is at Kanj- palli, 2 miles from Yergara, the dam of which is 2 miles long and about 40 feet high.
A small 'reserved' forest, 70 square miles in area, is situated in the Yadgir taluk, and about 50 square miles aie covered with protected and unprotected forests, making a total of 120 square miles. Teak, ebony, rosewood, bljasal (Pterocarpus Marsupium\ nallamaddi (Ter- minalia tomentosd), eppa (Hardunckia btnata\ sandal-wood, sendra (Acacia Catechu), and bamboos are found in the * reserved ' tract.
The most important mineral is the auriferous quartz, found in the Manvi and Deodrug taluks, near the villages of Topaldodi and Wan- dalli, which was worked by the Deccan Mining Company. Operations have recently diminished at Wandalli and altogether stopped at Topal- dodi. Laminated limestone like the Shahabad stone is also found in Yadgir, and talc in the Deodrug taluk.
Trade and communication
There is no important hand industry in the District. Coarse cotton dhotis and sorts are woven everywhere. In the Alampur taluk shatran- jls and printed floorcloths are manufactured, while in the Yadgir taluk printed screens and tablecloths and furniture and wooden toys are made. Raichur town is noted for its gilt and coloured soft native slippers, which are exported far and wide, and also for its fancy earthen goblets and drinking vessels.
Four cotton-presses, three at Raichur and one at Yadgir, employed 275 hands, and pressed 7,426 tons of cotton in 1901, and an oil and another ginning and pressing factory are under construction. A tannery at Raichur turns out 500 skins per day, and employs 60 persons. The skins and hides are sent to Bombay, Madras, and Cawnpore. Nitre and salt are prepared in small quantities by lixiviating saline earth ; the salt is bitter and is used in making pickles. There is also a distillery at Raichur.
The principal exports consist of jowdr and other food-grains, lin- seed, castor-seed, sesamum, leather and hides, bones and horns, taroar bark, and cotton. The chief imports are salt and salted fish, opium, coco-nuts, refined sugar, kerosene oil, sulphur, camphor, spices, mill-made cloth, yarn, raw silk, and silk and woollen stuffs.
Raichur town is a centre of commerce, and since the opening of the railway in 1871 it has grown in importance and supports a large commercial population. The trading castes consist of Baljawars, Lin- gayat Komatis, and Marwaris, who also do a large banking business.
The town of Raichur is the junction of the Great Indian Peninsula and the Madras Railways, which cross the District from north to south for 62 miles, having seven railway stations in the District, besides Raichur,
There are altogether 182 miles of roads, of which 84 miles are gravelled, and are maintained by the Public Works department, the others being ordinary fair-weather roads. The latter lead from Raichur town to Alampur (60 miles), to Deodrug (34), and to Manvi (24). The metalled roads are the Deosugur road (13), Raichur to Wandalli gold- mines (43), the Yergara road (10), and the Raichur-Lingsugur road (18 miles). Most of these roads now serve as railway feeders. There are 32 fords and ferries on the Kistna, the Tungabhadra, and the Bhima, at some of which boats are kept, while at others coiacles are used for carrying people and goods across.
Famine
From old records it appears that this District was the scene of much distress during 1804, 1819, 1833, 1846, 1856, and 1877-8. The effects . of the famine of 1846 were felt beyond the borders ,
but the severest disaster was that of 1877-8, which devastated many villages and caused immense distress both in Raichur and in the surrounding Districts of the Hyderabad State and of the Bombay and Madras Presidencies. The khanf and rabi crops failed during these two years and grain could not be obtained. As an indica- tion of distress, it is reported that gold sold at Rs. 6 or Rs. 7 per tola, i. e. at one-fourth its usual price, and many people sold their chilaren. The State spent large sums of money on relief works and poor- houses to alleviate the distress; but notwithstanding this, many perished, and numerous villages were depopulated, while cattle died by thou- sands for want of fodder and water. In 1897 some distress prevailed, but timely rain in June relieved the pressure by cheapening the food- grains.
The District is divided into three subdivisions : one comprising the taluks of Lingsugur, Gangawati, and Kushtagi, under a Second Taluk- dar ; the second, comprising the taluks of Sindh- nur, Deodrug, and Manvi, under a Third Talukdar ; and the third, comprising Raichur and Alampur, under another Third TalukdSr. The First Talukdar exercises a general supervision over the work of his subordinates. Each taluk is under a tahsildar.
Administration
The District civil court is piesided over by the Ndzlm4~Dlwdni^ or the District k Civil Judge, and the tahsildar s sit as subordinate civil courts. The Nazim-i-Dlwdni is a joint-magistrate, exercising his magis 7 terial powers during the absence of the First Talukdar from head- quarters. The Second and Third Talukdars and the tahsilddrs exercise second and third-class magisterial powers. Serious crime is not heavy in ordinary years, but cattle-thefts and dacoities fluctuate according to the degree of severity of the season.
The revenue system of Malik Ambar appears to have been adopted in the beginning of the seventeenth century. Subsequently villages, were let on contract, after fixing the revenue according to the nature of the lands, and the contractors received i-| annas per rupee as com- mission. The ryotwan system, with cash payments, was introduced in 1866. In 1888 the Deodrug and Manvi taluks were surveyed and settled for fourteen years; and the remaining taluks were settled in 1891, also for the same period. From the survey it was found that the cultivated area had increased by 271 square miles, or 19-6 per cent., and the enhancement of revenue was Rs. 53,821, or 5-6 per cent. The average assessment on 'dry' land is R. 0-12 (maximum Rs. 3, minimum R. 0-2), and on wet' land Rs. 5 (maximum Rs. 12, mini- mum Rs. 2).
The land revenue and the total revenue of the District are given below, in thousands of rupees
|
|
1881 |
1891 |
1901 |
1903 |
|
Land revenue Total revenue |
11,51 1301 |
1228 23,34 |
11,60 19,82 |
11,94 22,62 |
Owing to changes of area made in 1905, the land revenue demand is
now about 18-4 lakhs.
The District board, in addition to its own work, manages the Raichur municipality and also supervises the working of the taluk boards, which have been formed in every taluk except Raichur. Of the total cess, five-twelfths are set apart for local and municipal works, yielding Rs. 25,000 in 1901. In addition, a sum of Rs. 33,000 was contributed from other miscellaneous sources to meet the expenditure in that year, which was Rs. 58,000.
The First Talukdar is the head of the police, with a Superintendent (Mohfamwi) as his executive deputy. Under the latter are 7 inspectors, 53 subordinate officers, 398 constables, and 25 mounted police, distri- buted among 25 thanas and an equal number of outposts. Besides the regular police, there are 1,696 rural policemen. The District jail is at Raichur, and lock-ups are maintained in the five outlying taluks. The District jail can accommodate only 100 convicts, but prisoners whose terms exceed six months are transferred to the Central jail at Gulbarga.
In 1901 the proportion of persons in the District able to read and write was 2-1 per cent. (4-1 males and 0-15 females). The total num- ber of pupils under instruction in 1881, 1891, 1901, and 1903 was 269, 1,255, 2 j77 z J an d 2,679 respectively. In 1903 there were 31 primary and 2 middle schools, and the number of girls under instruction was 94. The amount expended on education was Rs. 16,600, of which the State contributed Rs. 10,700 and the remainder was met by the local boards. About 53 per cent, of the total was devoted to primary schools. The total fee receipts amounted to Rs. 1,119.
VOL. xxi. D
The District has 5 dispensaries, with accommodation for 14 in- patients. The total number of cases treated during 1901 was 30,535 out-patients and 124 in-patients, and 1,153 operations were performed. The expenditure was Rs. 14,800, of which Rs. 13,500 was paid by the State and the balance from Local funds. There are two dispen- saries in the two samasthdns of Gadwal and Amarchinta on the model of the State dispensaries.
During 1901 five vaccmators were engaged in the work of vaccina- tion, and 3,096 persons were successfully vaccinated, or 6 08 per 1,000 of the population.
