Siwalik Hills (' Belonging to Siva ')
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.
Siwalik Hills (' Belonging to Siva ')
A range of hills in Northern India, running parallel to the Himalayas for about 200 miles from the Beas to the Ganges ; a similar formation east of the Ganges separates the Patli, Patkot, and Kotah Duns (valleys) from the outer range of the Himalayas as far as Kaladhungi, where it merges into them, and is believed to reappear still farther east in Nepal. In the United Provinces the Siwaliks lie between the Jumna and Ganges, separating Saharanpur District from Dehra Dun, while in the Punjab they cross the Sirmur (Nahan) State and Ambala and Hoshiarpur Districts, This part of the range is irregular and pierced by several rivers, of which the Ghaggar on the west is the largest. West of the Ghaggar the hills run like a wall, separating Ambala from the long narrow valley of the Sirsa river in Nalagarh State, until they are cut through by the Sutlej at Rupar. Thence the range runs with a more northerly trend through Hoshiarpur, where it terminates near the Beas valley in a mass of undulating hills. Beyond the Sutlej there is merely a broad table-land, at first enclosed by sandy hillocks, but finally spreading into minor spurs. The southern face, in the United Provinces, rises abruptly from the plains and is scored by the bare stony beds of the watercourses which rush down in the rains. On the northern side is a more gentle descent into the elevated valley of Dehra Dun, which separates this range from the Himalayas. The greatest height does not exceed 3,500 feet, and the range is about ten miles broad. A road from Saharanpur to Dehra crosses these hills by the Mohan pass, but has lost its importance since railway communi- cation was opened through the eastern termination near the Ganges. Geologically, the Siwaliks are separated from the Outer Himalayas by a continuous reversed fault. They contain Tertiary strata consisting of fresh-water deposits, celebrated for the fossil remains found in them and described by Falconer and Cautley. The lower hills are thickly clothed with sal (Shorea robusta) and sain (Terminalia tomentosa), while on the higher peaks a cooler climate allows pines to flourish. Wild elephants are found, and also tigers, sloth bears, leopards, hyenas, various kinds of deer, and hog. The term Siwalik has been applied by Muhammadan writers to the area lying south of the hills as far as Hansi, and also to the Himalayas.
[Falconer and Cautley, Fatma Antiqua Sivalensis (London, 1846-9-66).]
