Sarangarh State, 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.
Sarangarh State
Feudatory State in the Central Provinces, lying between 21 21' and 21 45" N. and 82 56' and 83 26' E., with an area of 540 square miles. It is situated between Bilaspur and Sambal- pur Districts on the west and east, while the MahanadI river divides it from the Raigarh State and the Chandarpur zamlnddrl on the north. The head-quarters, Sarangarh, is 32 miles from Raigarh station on the Bengal-Nagpur Railway. The country is generally level ; but a chain of hills runs from north to south across the centre of the State dividing the Sarangarh and Saxisi flarganas, and another range extends along the southern border adjoining the Phuljhar zamindari of Raipur. The ruling family are Raj Gonds, who, according to their own traditions, migrated from Bhandara many generations ago. Sarangarh was at first a dependency of the Ratanpur kingdom, and afterwards became one of the eighteen Garhjat States subordinate to Sambalpur. It has been under Government management since 1878, in consequence of the deaths of two chiefs at short intervals. The present chief, Lai Jawahir Singh, was born in 1886 and is now being educated at the Raj- kumar College, Raipur. During his minority Sarangarh is adminis- tered by the Political Agent for the Chhattisgarh Feudatory States.
The population in 1901 was 79,900, having decreased by 4 per cent, during the previous decade. There are 455 inhabited villages and one town, SARANGARH (population, 5,227); and the density of population is 147 persons per square mile. About three-fourths of the population speak the Chhattlsgarhl dialect of Hindi, and the remainder the Oriya language, and these statistics indicate the proportions in which the population has been recruited from Chhattisgarh and Orissa. The forest tribes are not found in large numbers, and the principal castes are Gandas, Rawats or Gahras, Chamars, and Koltas.
The soil is generally light and sandy and of inferior quality ; but the cultivators are industrious, and supplement its deficiencies by manure and irrigation. In 1904 the area occupied for cultivation amounted to 254 square miles, or 47 per cent, of the total area, having increased by 26 per cent, since the last revenue settlement m 1888. The cropped area was 212 square miles, of which rice occupied 163 square miles, urad 8,000 acres, and kodon 6,000. There are about 790 tanks and 600 wells, from which about 10,000 acres can be irrigated under normal circumstances. The forests occur in patches all over the open country, and are not extensive or valuable. There is a small quantity of sal (Shorea robu$ta\ but the bulk of the forests are composed of inferior trees. Iron ore is found in small quantities in two or three localities. Tasar silk and coarse cotton cloth are the only manu- factures. The State contains 57 miles of gravelled and 40 miles of embanked roads. The principal outlet for produce is the Sarangarh- Raigarh road. There is also some traffic from Seraipali to Sarangarh, and from Saria to Raigarh.
The total revenue of the State in 1904 was Rs. 80,000, of which Rs. 50,000 was derived from land, Rs. 8,000 from forests, and Rs. 9,000 from excise. The village areas have been cadastrally surveyed, and a regular settlement on the system followed in Bntish territory was effected in 1904, The land revenue was raised by Rs. 9,000 or 21 per cent, the incidence being about 5 annas per cultivated acie. The total expenditure in 1904 was Rs. 67,000, the principal items being Government tribute (Rs. 3,500), allowances to the chiefs family (Rs. 11,000), general administration (Rs. 8,800), police (Rs. 4,600), and public works (Rs. 14,000). The tribute is liable to periodical revision. During eleven years since 1893 a sum of 1-74 lakhs has been spent on public works, under the supervision of the Engineer of the Chhattisgarh States division. In addition to the roads already mentioned, various buildings have been constructed for public offices. The educational institutions comprise 18 schools with 1,472 pupils, including 2 vernacular middle schools and a girls' school. In 1901 the number of persons returned as literate was 2,426, the proportion of the males able to read and write being 6 per cent, These results compare not unfavourably with the average for neighbouring British Districts. The expenditure on education in 1904 was Rs. 4,500. A dispensary is maintained at Sarangarh town, at which 16,000 patients were treated in 1904.
Sarangarh Town
Head-quarters of the Feudatory State of the same name, Central Provinces, situated in 21 35' N. and 83 5' E., 32 miles by road from Raigarh railway station. Population (1901), 5,227. Within the town is a large tank with a row of temples on the northern bank, the oldest temple being that of Somleswarl Devi, built 200 years ago by a dlwan of the State. The only important industry is the weaving of tasar silk cloth, in which about fifty families are engaged. Sarangarh possesses a vernacular middle school, a girls' school, and a dispensary.
