Navsari Prant - Revision history

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This article has been extracted from
THE IMPERIAL GAZETTEER OF INDIA , 1908.

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Created page with "=Navsari Prant, 1908= {| class="wikitable" |- |colspan="0"|<div style="font-size:100%"> This article has been extracted from <br/> THE IMPERIAL GAZETTEER OF INDIA , 1908.<br/..."

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=Navsari Prant, 1908=
{| class="wikitable"
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|colspan="0"|<div style="font-size:100%">
This article has been extracted from <br/>

THE IMPERIAL GAZETTEER OF INDIA , 1908.<br/>

OXFORD, AT THE CLARENDON PRESS.
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[[Category:India|N]]
[[Category:Places|N]]
''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. ''

A prant or district of the Baroda State. It is
the most southerly of the four prants into which the Gaikwar's territory
is divided, and is much intermingled with the British District of Surat.
It is bounded on the north by Broach and the Rewa Kantha Agency ;
on the south by Surat District, Bansda, and the Dangs ; on the east
by Khandesh ; and on the west by Surat and the Arabian Sea. Its
area is 1,952 square miles, and it is traversed by the Kim, Tapti,
Mindhola, Purna, and Ambika rivers. Two natural divisions may be
mentioned : the rdni or forest talukas, and the rasti or peaceful and
populous talukas. The climate of the former is at all times
malarious, though least so in the hot season, and the water is full of
organic matter ; but the rasti mahdls are considered to be healthy.
The rani talukas lie in the east, and contain ranges of hills varying
from 400 to 2,000 feet above sea-level, while the peak of Salher rises to
5,263 feet. Hot springs are found at Unhai in the Vyara taluka.

The land is largely under cultivation, especially on the lower ground.
Where the general surface is fairly raised above the level of streams,
there is a good deal of grass and a fair quantity of Cassia auriculata.
The hedges round fields include various species of Capparideae, such
as Maesua, Cadaba, and Capparis, with several Euphorbiaceae, such as
Euphorbia antiguorufn and Jatropha Curcas, and species of Zizyphus
and Grewia ; Streblus asper is also frequent. The climbers in these
hedges include Leguminosae like Canavalia, Asclepiadaceae like Deamia,
and various Convolvulaceae. Weeds in waste ground include Argemone
mexicana, Tridax procumbens, Achyranthes aspera, Calotropis gigantea,
and Tephrosia purpurea ; field-weeds include such species as Biophytutn
sensitivum, Blumea eriantha, Launaea nudicau'is, Slemodia viscosa,
Panicum prostratutn, and Dinebra arabica. In the neighbourhood
of dwellings are many planted sub-spontaneous species, such as
mango, tamarind, banyan, ptpal and other species of Ficus, Anona
squamosa, and Artocarpus integrifolia.

The population was estimated in 1872 at 241,255. At later
enumerations it was: (1881) 287,549, (1891) 319,443, and (1901)
300,441. In the last year Hindus numbered 126,624; Animists,
138,034 ; Musalmans, 25,451 ; and Parsis, 7,589. The prant is divided
into eight talukas or mahals , and two pethas or sub – mahals , statistics
regarding which in 1901 are shown below : —

[[File: navanagar town.png||frame|500px]]

The number of towns is 6 and of villages 772, the former being
Navsari, Vyara, Gandevi, Bilimora, Kathor, and Songarh.
About 75 per cent, of the population speak Gujarat!, and 21 per cent,
various Bhil dialects. The chief animistic tribes are the Gamits
(38,000), Dublas (28,000), Chodhras (23,000), Bhils (16,000), and
Dhodias (1,000).

The soils are classified as light sandy loam or gordt, and black soil,
with an intermediate class known as besdr. Gordt produces all kinds
of ' dry crops,' and when watered and manured is valuable. Rice
and cotton are the chief products in the black soil. The principal
crops grown are Jowdr, rice, wheat, bdjra, kodra, ndgli, bdvio, iuver,
vdl, peas, gram, mag, math, udid, diveli, tal, cotton, hemp, tobacco,
sugar-cane, plantain, bhoishtg, &c. The most valuable stock are the
large powerful cattle known as hedia.

This prant is noted for its forests, the area of the Reserves being
547 square miles. These are now under a system of strict conservancy
and yield a considerable income. The principal timber trees are teak,
shtsham (Dalbergia Sissoo), khair (Acacia Catechu), bia {Pterocarpus
Marsupium), haladvan (Adina cordifolia), temrru {Diospyros mela7i-
oxylon), and sadad {Terminalia tomeniosd).

The chief industry is the weaving of cotton cloth. Embroidery to
a small extent, the manufacture of gold ornaments, a little rough
iron-work, brass- and copper-work, wood- and ivory-carving are also
carried on. But though arts and manufactures are scanty, trade and
commerce flourish fairly well. The agricultural and forest wealth is
great; and there is a considerable export of toddy, plantains, sugar-
cane, rice, Jowdr, molasses, sugar, teak, sadad, and other produce.
The import trade too is good, the chief articles being European
piece-goods, stationery, iron-ware, glass-ware, umbrellas, and brass and
copper vessels. Trade is carried on partly by sea from Bilimora and
Navsari, but chiefly by railway. In this latter respect ihe prdfit is well
served, for the Bombay, Baroda, and Central India Railway runs from
north to south, and the Tapti Valley Railway crosses it from east to west.
Roads lead from Sayan to Kathor, Bilimora to Gandevi, Kosamba
to Velachha, Maroli to Navsari, and Vyara to the Unhai hot springs.

The land revenue increased from 19-5 lakhs in 1881 to 21-4 lakhs
in 1 89 1, but fell to 19-3 lakhs in 190 1. In 1904-5 the demand was
16-4 lakhs, of which 15-7 lakhs was collected. Most of the prant was
settled between 1896 and 1903, and the assessment of portions is now
being revised. In a few villages in the Songarh tabika land was
formerly assessed on the number of ploughs used in cultivation, but
this method has been replaced by the ordinary system. The average
assessment in different talukas varies from Rs. 1-4 to Rs, 3-2 per
bigha (4/7 acre) for ‘ dry ' land, and from Rs. 3-9 to Rs. 5-12 for 'wet '
land.

The prant contains six municipalities, two of which — Navsari and
Gandevi — have partly elective boards, with a total income of
Rs. 12,000 from customs, excise, and tolls, besides a grant of
Rs. 5,500, while the other four — Bilimora, Kathor, Vyara, and Son-
garh — derive their income of Rs. 4,000 entirely from grants from the
State. A District board and local boards were constituted in 1905.

The administration of the prdnt is carried on by the Subah, who
has his head-quarters at Navsari. Here also are the court of the prdnt
Judge and the head offices of other departments. Education is well
provided for, as there are two high schools (at Navsari and Gandevi),
three Anglo-vernacular schools, and 211 vernacular schools, the total
number of pupils in 1904-5 being 13,133. At the civil hospital at
Navsari town and seven dispensaries elsewhere, 41,266 patients were
treated in 1904-5, of whom 74 were in-patients.