Rairakhol
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.
Rairakhol
Feudatory State in Bengal, lying between 20 56' and 21 24' N. and 83 59' and 84 53' E., with an area of 833 square miles. Up to 1905 political control was exercised by the Central Provinces Administration. It lies to the south-east of Sambalpur Dis- trict, and is bounded by the Bamra and Sonpur States on the north and south. The head-quarters are at Rampur, a village of 1,416 inhabitants, 44 miles from Sambalpur by road. The greater part of the State consists of hilly country covered with dense forests, but there are some open tracts on the north and south. Wild elephants, buffalo, and bison are found in the forests, and also, it is said, a special variety of light-coloured wild hog. The ruling family claim to be Kadambansi Rajputs, and to be a branch of the Bonai Raj family.
The State was formerly subordinate to Bamra, but was freed from its dependence and constituted one of the Garhjat cluster by the Rajas of Patna in the eighteenth century. The traditions of the ruling house relate that there used to be constant war between Bamra and Rairakhol, and on one occasion the whole of the Rairakhol family was destroyed, with the exception of one boy who was hidden by a Butka Sudh woman. She placed him in a cradle supported on four uprights, and when the Bamra Raja's soldiers came to seek for him, the Sudhs swore, ' If we have kept him either in heaven or earth, may our God destroy us.' The Bamra people were satisfied with this reply and the child was saved, and on coming to manhood he won back his kingdom. In consequence of this incident, the Butka Sudhs are considered by the Rairakhol house as relations on the mother's side ; they have several villages allotted to them, and perform sacrifices for the ruling family.
In some of these villages nobody may sleep on a cot or sit on a high chair, so as to be between heaven and earth, in the position in which the child was saved. The late Raja Bishan Chandra Janamuni died in 1900 after having occupied the gaddi for seventy-five years. His grandson Raja Gauro Chandra Deo, then thirty years of age, was installed in the same year, subject to certain conditions, the obli- gation to accept a Government Diwan during a probationary period
E J?being one. The relations of the State with Government are in charge of a Political Agent who is subordinate to the Commissioner of Orissa, The population in 1901 was 26,888, having increased by 32 per cent, during the previous decade. The number of inhabited villages is 319, and the density of population 32 persons per square mile. Oriya is the language of 90 per cent, of the population, and the Oraon and Mun- dari dialects are spoken by a few hunared persons each. Chasas are the most numerous caste in the State, and next to them Gonds, Gandas, and Sudhs.
The soil is generally light and sandy. A regular survey has been carried out in only about half of the total number of villages, the assessments for the smaller villages being made summarily. As nearly as can be ascertained, about 64 square miles, 01 8 per cent, of the total area, were cropped in 1904. Rice occupies 37 square miles, and the crops next to this jn importance are til, urad, and kulthi. There are 376 tanks, from which 3,400 acres can be irrigated. About 470 square miles are covered with forest. Sal (Shorea robusta) is the principal timber tree, and a considerable revenue is derived from the sale of sal sleepers.
The rearing of tasar silk-cocoons in the State forests is a local industry, as is also the extraction of catechu. There are extensive deposits of iron ore, which are worked by the Khonds, a few manufactured implements being delivered to the Raja as a cess. The State contains 3 miles of gravelled and 35 of embanked roads. The principal routes are from Rampur to Sambalpur, Sonpur, Bamra, and Cuttack. Exports of produce are taken to Sambalpur railway station.
The total revenue in 1904 was Rs. 55,000, of which Rs. 13,000 was derived from land, Rs. 13,000 from forests, and Rs. 7,000 from excise. Land revenue is still partly paid in kind in certain tracts, while in others, called paikl parganas and situated on the frontiers of the State, the cultivators formerly lay under an obligation of military service, which has now shrunk to that of escort duty to the Raja. In twelve years since 1893, Rs. 93,000 has been expended on public works under the supervision of the Engineer of the Chhattisgarh States division- Besides the roads already mentioned, a palace for the chiefs family and State offices have been constructed at Rampur. The total expenditure in 1904 was Rs. 56,000. The tribute paid to the British Government is Rs. 800, and is liable to revision The State supports five primary schools, with 250 pupils, the expenditure being about Rs. 1,000. At the Census of 1901 only 281 persons were shown as literate, all in Oriya. A dispensary has been established at Rampur, at which 14,000 persons were treated in 1904.
