Kalyan Town
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.
Kalyan Town
Head-quarters of the taluka of the same name in Thana District, Bombay, situated in 19 degree 14' N. and 73 degree 10' E., at the junction of the north-east and south-east lines of the Great Indian Peninsula Railway, 33 miles north-east of Bombay. Population (1901), 10,749. Kalyan has been a municipality since 1855. The munici- pal income during the decade ending 1901 averaged Rs. 19,000. In 1903-4 the income was Rs. 19,579. It has a considerable rice-husking trade, carried on by Muhammadans and some Marathas. This industry gives occupation to about 750 persons, half of whom are women. There is also a trade in tobacco, dried fish, bricks, tiles, and myrabolams. The streets and lanes in the town are metalled, and kept in clean con- dition. A ferry plies across the Ulhas river to Kone on the opposite bank. The town has a vegetable market built by the municipality. It is supplied with water from the Shenala lake about a quarter of a mile to the east.
The name of Kalyan appears in ancient inscriptions, which have been attributed to the first, second, fifth, or sixth century a.d. According to the Periplus, Kalyan rose to importance about the end of the second century. Cosmas Indicopleustes, in the sixth century, mentions it as one of the five chief marts of Western India, the seat of a powerful king, with a trade in brass, black-wood logs, and articles of clothing. Early in the fourteenth century the Muhammadans found KalySn the capital of a district, and gave it the name of Islamabad.
It was taken by the Portuguese in 1536. They did not garrison the town, but, returning in 1570, burnt the suburbs and carried off much booty. From this time it seems to have formed part of the Ahmad- nagar kingdom. In 1648 Sivajis general, Abajl Sondeo, surprised Kalyan and took the governor prisoner. The Muhammadans re- covered the town in 1660, but again lost it in 1662. In 1674 Sivaji granted the English leave to establish a factory. The Marathas in 1780 having cut off their supplies, Kalyan was seized by the British, and has since remained in their possession. Objects of interest are the Shenali tank, said to have been built in 1505 ; the tomb of Motabar Khan, minister of Shah Jahan, who was sent in disgrace to Kalyan when Aurangzeb usurped his father's throne ; and seven mosques, of which the graceful Kali Masjid is the most noteworthy. The town contains a Sub- Judge's court, a dispensary, an English school with 87 pupils, 7 vernacular schools for boys with 358 pupils, and one for girls with 96. There are also a library, a small printing press, and a rice-husking mill.
