Shahjahanpur 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.
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Shahjahanpur District
Physical aspects
Southern District of the Bareilly Division, United Provinces, lying between 27 35' and 28 29' N, and 79 20' and 80 23' E., with an area of 1,727 square miles. It is bounded on, the north by Bareilly and Pillbhit ; on the east by Kheri ; on the south by Harden and Farrukhabad ; and on the west by Budaun. The District consists of a narrow alluvial tract, running north-east from the river Ganges towards the Himalayas. It is crossed aspects near ly at r ig nt angles by the river system of South Rohilkhand, and its natural features thus depend almost entirely upon the various streams which have cut deep channels through the alluvial soil of the Gangetic basin.
The principal rivers are the RAMGANGA, the Deoha or Garra, and the GUMTI. Near the Ganges is a stretch of wild khadar^ from which an area of stiff clay, drained by the Sot or Yar-i-Wafadar, reaches to the Ramganga. The channel of the latter river shifts from side to side of a broad valley to an extraordinary extent. Between the Ramganga and the Garra lies an extensive tract of sandy soil, which changes east of the Garai to clay and then to a fertile loam extending north-east of the Garra. The loam tract is crossed by the Khanaut, a tributary of the Garra, beyond which another sandy area is found, gradually changing to a forest tract on the border of the damp sub-Himalayan Districts.
Shahjahanpur is situated entirely in the Gangetic alluvium, and kankar or nodular limestone is the only stone found in it.
The District is fairly well wooded, and contains nearly 50 square miles of groves. Mango, bamboo, babul (Acacia arabica), shlsham (Dalbergia Sissoo), tun (Cedrela Toona), and, in the north, sal (Shorea robitsta) are the chief timber trees.
Leopards are sometimes seen in the jungles in the north of the District, and the tiger and lynx have been shot there, but not recently. Spotted deer frequent the same tract, and nilgai and wild hog are common everywhere, especially near the rivers. Antelope are found near the Gumti and Ganges. Hares, partridges, quail, sand-grouse, and peafowl are included in the smaller game, while the large ponds and marshes abound in the cold season with geese, duck, and teal.
The climate is moister than in the Doab, though drier than in the more northern Districts of Rohilkhand. The central portion is healthy; but in the north bad fever and ague are prevalent, and in the south the neighbourhood of the Sot is also unhealthy.
The annual rainfall averages about 37 inches, varying from 33 in the south-west of the District to 40 inches at Shahjahanpur city. In 1895-6 the fall was only 23 inches, and in 1893-4 as much as 57 inches.
History
In ancient times this District must have been included in the kingdom of PANCHALA, and during the early Muhammadan period . it formed part of the tract known as Katehr. Shah- jahanpur city was founded in the reign of Shah Jahan by Nawab Bahadur Khan, who named it in honour of the emperor. Early in the eighteenth century part of the south of the District was included in the territory of Muhammad Khan, Nawab of Farrukhabad ; but the central portions were acquired by All Muhammad, the Rohilla chief. On the east the Katehriyas retained their independence, and the land held by them formed a debatable ground between OUDH and ROHILKHAND. In 1774, after the defeat of the Rohillas by the allied forces of Oudh and the British, the two provinces became united; and in 1801 this District, with other territory, was ceded to the British.
Thenceforward order was never seriously disturbed until the Mutiny, although the District bordered upon the most turbulent part of Oudh. In 1857, however, Shahjahanpur became the scene of open rebellion. The news of the Meerut outbreak arrived on May 15 ; but all remained quiet till the 25th, when the sepoys informed their officers that the mob intended to plunder the treasury. Precautions were taken against such an attempt; but on the 3ist, while most of the officers, civil and military, were at church, some of the sepoys forced their way into the building and attacked them. Three Europeans were shot down at once ; the remainder were joined by the other officers, and the whole party escaped first to Pawayan, and afterwards to Muhamdl in KherT District. The mutineers burnt the station, plundered the treasury, and made their way to the centre of local disaffection at Bareilly, A rebel government under Kadir All Khan was proclaimed on June i.
On the 1 8th Ghulam Kadir Khan, the hereditary Nawab of Shahjahanpur, passed through on his way to Bareilly, where he was appointed Nazim of Shahjahanpur by Khan Bahadur Khan. On the 23rd the Nawab returned to his titular post, and superseded Kadir All. He remained in power from June, 1857, till January, 1858, when British troops reoccupied Fatehgarh. The Nawab of Fatehgarh and Firoz Shah then hastened to Shahjahanpur and on to Bareilly. After the fall of Luck- now, the Nana Sahib also fled through Shahjahanpur to Bareilly. In January the Nawab put to death Hamid Hasan Khan, Deputy-Collector, and Muhammad Hasan, Subordinate Judge, for corresponding with the British. On April 30, 1858, the British force, under Sir Colin Campbell, reached Shahjahanpur. The rebels fled to Muhamdl and Sir Colin went on to Bareilly on May 2, leaving only a small detachment to guard the station. The rebels then assembled once more, and besieged the detachment for nine days ; but Brigadier Jones's column relieved them on the i2th, and authority was then finally re-established.
The District contains a few ancient sites which have not been explored, the largest being Gola and Mat! in the Pawayan tahsil A copperplate grant by Harsha of Kanauj, dated A.D. 628, was found at Banskhera 1 . There are no Muhammadan buildings of importance. 1 Epigrafiliia Indica^ vol. iv, p, 208. VOL, XXII,
Population
The District contains 6 towns and 2,034 villages. The population has fluctuated during the last thirty years. The numbers at the four enumerations were as follows : (1872) 951,006, (1881^ Population. 856j946j (i89j j ^g^ and (i9Qi) 92i}53 ^ Be _ tween 1872 and 1881 the District suffered severely in the famine of 1877-8 and the fever epidemic of 1879. There are four tahsils SHAHJAHANPUR, JALALABAD, TILHAR, and PAWAYAN each of which is named after its head -quarters. The principal towns are the municipali- ties of SHAHJAHANPUR CITY, the District head-quarters, and TILHAR. The following table gives the chief statistics of population in 1901 :
About 85 per cent, of the total are Hindus and more than 14 per cent Musalmans. The Arya Samaj, though its members number only 1,646, is increasing in importance, More than 99 per cent, of the people speak Western Hindi, the prevailing dialect being Kariaujia. Chamars (leather-dressers and cultivators), 98,000, are the most numerous Hindu caste. The other large castes are Kisans (cultivators), 79,000; Ahirs (graziers and cultivators), 71,000; Rajputs, 68,000; Brahmans, 61,000; Kahars (fishermen and cultivators), 40,000; Kachhis (cultivators), 34,000; Muraos (market-gardeners), 31,000; and Kurmls (agriculturists), 27,000. Among Musalmans, Pathans number 41,000, followed by Shaikhs, 24,000, and Julahas (weavers), 18,000, The proportion of the population supported by agriculture is 69 per cent. a high figure. Personal services support 5 per cent., general labour 4 per cent, and cotton-weaving 2 per cent. Rajputs and Brahmans are the chief holders of land ; and Rajputs, Kachhis, Muraos, Ahirs, and Chamars are the principal cultivators.
Out of 1,739 native Christians in 1901, 1,495 were Methodists. The American Methodist Mission opened work in the District in 1859, and has seven stations, besides two in Oudh.
Agriculture
Agricultural conditions are exceedingly complex, owing to the varied character of the soil and of the facilities for irrigation. The Ganges kfl ^ ar is e ^ tner sanci or ty$ti loam, and suffers from drought, though it is also liable to disastrous floods.
The clay tract adjoining it produces rice in the autumn, and requires Agriculture 205 crops. constant irrigation for wheat and poppy, the principal sj^ This is the only part of the District where sugar-cane is Along the Ramganga irrigation is easy, but the autumn crops to great damage from flooding. East of this river the sandy tract produces bdjra and wheat of medium quality. Another clay tract is found between the Garai and the Garra, which is liable to suffer in dry years. The most fertile tract is the loam area in the centre of the District, which produces much sugar-cane and other valuable crops.
North-east of this the soil deteriorates and becomes sandy \ there is a good deal of jungle, and wild animals damage the crops, while the drinking-water is bad in places. Some better land is found in the extreme north-east, but its value depends largely on its distance from the forests on the border, and on its immunity from wild beasts.
The ordinary tenures of the United Provinces are found. Zamlndari mahdls include 56 per cent, of the total area, and pattiddri mahdls 44 per cent. The main agricultural statistics for 1903-4 are shown below, in square miles :
The chief food-crops, with the area under each in square miles in 1903-4, are: wheat (444), rice (106), gram (159), and bdjra (173). Sugar-cane covered 56 square miles, and poppy 27. Of the un- cultivated area, about 52 miles are occupied by the forests in the north-east of the District, and an equal amount by swarnps and sandy tracts near the Gumtl.
There have been no improvements in the means of irrigation, and no expansion of cultivation in recent years. On the other hand, a rise is noticeable in the area bearing a double crop, and the valuable crops are being more largely sown. Thus rice has taken the place of bdjra and jowdr, and the area under poppy and sugar-cane has increased. Considerable advances were made under the Agriculturists' Loans Act during the ten years ending 1900, amounting to 1-6 lakhs, but a quarter of this was lent in the famine year 1896-7. Only small sums have been advanced in later years, and the loans granted under the Land Improvement Act have been insignificant, except in 1896-7,
In the north of the District the bangar breed of cattle is found, the bullocks being hardy and quick-moving. In 1866 and 1867 attempts were made to introduce a better strain near Shahjahanpur; but the climate did not suit the animals imported. The ordinary breed of horses is also poor ; stallions have been kept by Government for some years, and two are now at stud. The sheep and goats are inferior.
In 1903-4, out of 347 square miles irrigated, wells supplied 207 square miles, tanks wjfals 86, and other sources 54. The spring-level is high, and in ordinary years irrigation is not required for many crops, or can be supplied easily by temporary wells lasting for a single harvest. In two tracts a deficiency of water is experienced in dry years. The sandy area along the Gumti is unprotected, while the clay tract in the south of the District depends on the numerous small channels which intersect it, and which are dammed at the end of the rains, to supply water for the spring harvest.
There are no 'reserved' or 'protected' forests the property of Government; but in the north-east of the District are some tracts of unreclaimed forest, chiefly sal, which, with a few exceptions, do not now contain any large timber, but supply poles for use in house- building. Their total area is about 52 square miles.
Kankar or nodular limestone is the only mineral product, and is used for metalling roads and for burning into lime.
Trade and Communication
Sugar-refining is by far the most important industry in the District. Indigo was once manufactured, but has now become a minor product. The matting made from a jungle grass called bail is lai 'S el ? ex P rted - Coarse cotton cloth, chintz, and brass vessels are made in various places for local use, and there are small manufactures of ironware inlaid with gold and silver, and of lacquered goods. The Rosa sugar and rum factory near Shahjahanpur city is one of the largest in India, and employed 632 hands in 1903,
The grain trade is of ordinary dimensions, and sugar is the principal article of export, the Shahjahanpur production being celebrated throughout India. It is largely exported to Rajputana and the Punjab. There is also a considerable trade in oilseeds at Tilhar. European goods, metals, and salt are the principal imports. Forest produce is floated down the rivers from Pillbhlt ; but the spread of railways has largely decreased the river traffic, which was formerly important. Tilhar and Shahjahanpur are the chief trade centres, though markets are held at many smaller places.
The Oudh and Rohilkhand main line crosses the centre of the District and is the chief trade route ; but a little traffic is carried by the Lucknow-Sltapur-Bareilly State Railway, which traverses the north- east corner. The two lines are connected by a steam tramway or light railway, 40 miles long, from Shahjahanpur city to MailanI in Kheri District. The District is well supplied with roads, except in the tract south-west of the Ramganga. Of these, 118 miles are metalled, and are maintained by the Public Works department, but the cost of 46 miles is charged to Local funds.
The remaining 326 miles are unmetalled. Avenues of trees are maintained on 222 miles. The principal routes comprise the branch of the grand trunk road from Fatehgarh which divides at Jalalabad, one line going to Bareilly and one to Shahjahanpur city ; the road from Bareilly through Tilhar and Shahjahanpur to Sitapur and Lucknow j and the road from Shahjahanpur through the north of the District.
Famine
In a large part of the District the effects of drought can be mitigated as long as the cultivators are able to make temporary wells ; but elsewhere a failure of the rains is disastrous, and Shahjahanpur has often suffered severely. The great amm ' famine of 1783-4 did not press so heavily here as in the tracts south of the Ganges. In 1803-45 two years after cession, rain completely failed for the autumn harvest. In 1825-6 drought again occurred, but hardly caused famine. The autumn rains failed in 1837-8, but a slight fall in February saved the spring harvests. The famine of 1860-1 was severely felt throughout Rohilkhand, though Shahjahanpur escaped more lightly than the contiguous District of Budaun.
In 1868-9 the period of pressure was severe, but only lasted for seven weeks. The famine of 1877-8 was the worst since the commencement of British rule. A series of bad harvests had followed the previous scarcity of 1868-9, an d prices had risen owing to the demand for grain in Southern India. On August 17, 1877, the Collector reported 'roaring hot winds, and not a vestige of green anywhere.' The autumn harvest, which provides the chief food-grains for the lower classes, was a complete failure. Rain early in October enabled the sowings for the rdbi or spring crop to be made, and advances were given for seed.
Relief works were opened in December ; but the people refused to come on them, and large numbers succumbed in the cold season. The after-effects of the famine were severely felt when an epidemic of fever broke out in 1879. The registered death-rate rose from 29-37 per 1,000 in 1877 to 57'4 i n 1878, and stood at 53-59 in 1879. * n ^95 the rains ceased prematurely, and distress was felt in the north of the District by May, 1896. The monsoon of 1896 closed even earlier than in 1895, and the sugar-cane and rice were seriously damaged, besides the ordinary food-crops. Great use was made of river water, so that a fair spring harvest was secured, and the relief works opened were not resorted to by any large number.
Administration
The Collector is usually assisted by a member of the Indian Civil Service, and by four Deputy-Collectors recruited in . . * India, A iahsildar is stationed at the head-quarters of each tahsil. Two officers of the Opium department are posted to thib District.
There are three regular District Munsifs, and a scheme for village Munsifs was introduced in 1894. The District Judge and Sub-Judge exercise civil jurisdiction over the neighbouring District of Budaun \ but the former hears sessions cases from Shahjahanpur alone. Crime is heavy, the more serious forms of offences against life and limb, with robbery and dacoity, being common. Female infanticide was formerly suspected; but in 1904 only 154 persons remained under surveillance.
At cession in 1801 the present area formed part of Bareilly; but a separate District of Shahjahanpur was constituted in 1813-4, Early settlements were for short periods, being based as usual on the previous collections coupled with a system of competition. The first regular settlement under Regulation IX of 1833 was carried out in 1838-9. The District had been over-assessed, and considerable reductions, amounting to about 12 per cent., were made, the demand being fixed at 9-8 lakhs. Villages were grouped according to their capa- bilities of soil and irrigation, and revenue rates fixed per acre of cultivation. Another revision took place thirty years later, and the new settlement was based on rates selected from the rents actually paid, with some regard to prospective increases.
The result was an assessment of 11*8 lakhs, which was subsequently reduced by Rs. 18,000, The latest revision was made between 1896 and 1900, In this settle- ment prospective increases in the rental value of villages were altogether disregarded, except where the rents were found to be totally inadequate. About four-fifths of the area assessed was held by tenants, cash rents being paid in the greater part. The assessment amounted to 11-7 lakhs, or 48-6 per cent, of the accepted 'assets,' and the operations chiefly resulted in a redistiibution of the demand. The incidence per acre is Rs. 1-2, varying from R. 0-5 in the north of the District to Rs. 1-7 in the fertile central tract.
The total collections on account of land revenue and revenue from all sources have been, in .thousands of rupees :
There are two municipalities, SHAHJAHANPUR and TILHAR, and four towns are administered under Act XX of 1856. Beyond the limits of these places local affairs are managed by the District board, which has an income and expenditure of more than a lakh. In 1903-4 the expenditure on roads and buildings amounted to Rs. 46,000.
The District Superintendent of police commands a force of 3 inspec- tors, 89 subordinate officers, and 365 constables, besides 302 municipal and town police, and 2,097 rural and road police. There are 19 police stations. The District jail contained a daily average of 316 prisoners in 1903.
The population of Shahjahanpur is not conspicuous for literacy, and in 1901 only 2-6 per cent. (4 males and 0-3 females) could read and write. The number of public schools, however, increased from 149 in 1880-1 to 184 in 1900-1, and the number of pupils from 4,324 to 8,796. In 1903-4 there were 186 public schools with 8,744 pupils, of whom 514 were girls, and 60 private schools with 667 pupils. Four of the public schools are managed by Government and 124 by the District and municipal boards. Out of a total expenditure on education of Rs. 52,000, Local funds provided Rs. 41,000 and fees Rs. 10,000.
The District possesses 1 1 hospitals and dispensaries, with accommo- dation for 130 in-patients. About 85,000 cases were treated in 1903, of whom 1,400 were in-patients, and 3,000 operations were performed. The total expenditure was Rs. 16,000, chiefly met from Local funds.
In 1903-4, 30,000 persons were vaccinated, representing a proportion of 32 per 1,000 of population. Vaccination is compulsory only in the two municipalities.
{District Gazetteer (1883, under revision) ; W. A. W. Last, Settlement Report (1901).]
