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THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL HISTORY OF PATNA-GAYA REGION DURING TftB NINETEENTH CENTURY ABSTRACT OF THE THESIS SUBMITTED FOR THE AWARD OF THE DEGREE OF JBoctor of $I)ilo2!opI)p HISTORY Bt AZIZ FAISAL UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF DR. ISHRAT AUM CENTRE OF ADVANCED STUDY DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY ALIGARH MUSLIM UNIVERSITY ALIGARH (INDIA) 2008 ABSTRACT The Patna-Gaya region was one of the crucial places of the British rule during 19* century. This was the period of several changes. These changes had adverse impact over the existing economic and social structure of the region concerned. Patna and Gaya comprised two contiguous districts located in the centre of the modern Bihar province. Patna is situated on the bank of river Ganges and Gaya is situated on the bank of river Naranjana (modern Phalgu). Agriculture was the mainstay of the economy. Ever since the region was sucked into colonial system, impact was felt by various sectors of economy and different sections of the society. The introduction of Permanent Settlement introduced noticeable changes in the existing rural economy and social structure. We have made an attempt to study some aspects of region in order to know about the situation obtaining during the crucial phase of the 19* century when the sway of capital and started impacting adversely the Patna-Gaya region. The first chapter dealt with some aspects of the population of the region. Amiya Kumar Bagchi had attempted on exhaustive study. A.K. Bagchi had tried to determine the proportions of industrial population to total population in the districts of Bihar surveyed by Buchanan Hmailton. Amiya Kumar Bagchi's starting discovery was that the implicit total growth of the 50-year period 1822-72 was around 60 per cent on a base of 37.5 million. While the growth of 49 year period between 1872-1921 was about 40 per cent (in Bengal, Bihar and Orissa). This had coincided de- urbanisation and de-industrialization. Bagchi's major finding is that 'industrial' segment of population had registered a decline form about 18.6 per cent of the total to about 8.5 per cent in the course of 90 years following 1809. Our discussion deals with the question of increasing occupation of rural space at the expense of urban space. Therefore contraction of urban space occupation strengthens the hypothesis of de-urbanisation and ruralization of the Patna-Gaya region. In the second chapter we have discussed agriculture, its various aspects of production and distribution. We have discussed the level of relations and agrarian relations during our period. Similarly peasants also had a hierarchy of relation. Moneylenders became an important feature of the village society by their role in peasant production and its distribution. In the peasant production, prices of commodities, market and rent were the deciding factors. Prices of the commodities were quiet low in this region. This was mainly due to absence of market in the close vicinity for agricultural commodities. We find that there was an effort by the zamindars or rural bureaucracy to extract produce rent instead of money rent. For small cultivators and agricultural labourers were at the lowest ebb of the society. By the end of the period, their condition had taken a turn for the worst. This section constituted forty per cent of the population facing acute shortage. Kamia or bonded labour was an important feature of the region. During agricultural season there was a great demand for labourers. Therefore, the peasants adopted an ingenious debt mechanism to ensure the supply of labour. They provided money in advance to the kamia and after accepting this money as debt, he was bound to serve under his 'maik'. The third chapter deals with trade and commerce in the Patna-Gaya region. It was one of the famous centres of cotton textile industry and its trade. Saltpeter manufacture and its decline during the 19* century is also discussed. Surprisingly saltpeter attracted the required attention of our predecessor's studies of the region. Patna served as an important entrepot of the region. Its geographical location gave it an edge over others. Commodities from the hinterland arrived at Patna and then got redistributed mainly through its waterways. But coming of railways changed the complexion of trade and commerce. Last chapter deals with gender and labour. This is an area ignored by previous scholars. Their contribution in economic life was not insignificant and hence justifies any attempt to understand various dimensions of the problem. THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL HISTORY OF PATNA-GAYA REGION DURING TH^ NINETEENTH CENTURY THESIS SUBMITTED FOR THE AWARD OF THE DEGREE OF Boctor of $I)iIos:opI)p IN HISTORY BY AZIZ FAISAL UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF DR. ISHRAT AUM CENTRE OF ADVANCED STUDY DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY ALIGARH MUSLIM UNIVERSITY ALIGARH (INDIA) 2008 T7332 CENTRE OF ADVANCED STUDY DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY ALIGARH MUSLIM UNIVERSITY ALIGARH- 202 002 ISHRAT ALAM Lecturer (Selection Grade) Dated: September 23, 2008 CERTIFICATE This is to certify that the thesis '"''JEconomic and Social History of Patna- Gaya region During [Nineteenth Century^^ by Mr. Aziz Faisal is the original research work of the candidate and is suitable for submission to the examiners and for the award of Ph.D. Degree. (Dr. Ishrat AJam) Supervisor Telephones: (0571) 2703146 (0), 9411465137 (Mob.); Fax No. (0571) 2703146: Internal: 1480 and 1482 c <I>edicated To yibbu dCjimmi I Acknowledgement It is a great pleasure for me to acknowledge the guidance, assistance & help I have received from my supervisor. Dr. Ishrat Alam, whose valuable comments were instrumental in making this thesis a reality. I take this opportunity to express my special gratitude to my illustrious teacher Prof. Irfan Habib for his encouragement and invaluable guidance. 1 am extremely grateful to Prof. Shireen Moosvi, for all the encouragements I received from her during the entire course of my thesis. I would like to thank Prof. Hetukar Jha, Prof. Imtiaz Ahmad and Prof. Surendra Gopal for their valuable comments & suggestions on the theme. I must acknowledge my indebtedness to late Dr. I.G. Khan who initiated me into the cause of the deprived sections of the society. I always remember him for all his goadings to write the thesis and his sympathies for fellow human beings 1 am also grateful to Prof. RahimuUah Khan, Dr. Mohammad Perwez, Dr. Nonica Datta, Dr. Moharmnad Sajjad, Dr. Jaya Menon and Mr. Faiz Habib for their help and encouragement. During the course of research I have visited several archives and libraries for collecting material for my thesis. I take this opportunity to thank library staff of National Archives of India, New Delhi; State Archives of Bihar, Patna; Khuda Baksh Library, Patna; Centre of Advanced Study in History Library, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh; Maulana Azad Library, AMU, Aligarh; Indian Council of Historical Research Library, New Delhi; Nehru Memorial Museum and Library, New Delhi. I wish to thank Habib Manzer, Salim Zaweed, Naushad Ali, Mr. Nazar Aziz Anjum, Mr. Nadeem Asrar, Mr. Nasir Idris Khan, and Mr. Atif Idris Khan for their valuable companionship during the period. The financial support and fellowship granted by ICHR is gratefully acknowledged without wliich this study could not have been completed. My deepest gratitude goes to my family for their unflagging love and support throughout my life. I am indebted to my parent for their care and love. I wish to express my deepest gratitude to Mr. Azizul Haque Khan, Mr. Faridul Haque Khan, Imrana for their support, affection & encouragement. Aziz Faisal 11 CONTENTS Page Nos. Acknowledgements i-ii List of Tables 8 I POPULATION 1-8 II AGRICULTURE 9-101 11.1 Technology 11.2 Irrigation 11.3 Crops 11.4 State of Agriculture 11.5 Agrarian Relations 11.6 Assessment of Rent in the Patna-Gaya Region III. INDUSTRIES 102-118 III.I Cotton Textiles ni.2 Saltpetre IV. TRADE AND COMMERCE 119-124 V. GENDER AND WORK 125-137 Bibliography 138-148 Illustrations POPULATION During 19* century, India was witnessing certain changes commonly associated with the alteration of an independent country into a colony which eventually led to radical alterations in the life of the people. Such changes were particularly evident in the nature of demographic changes which were taking place during the period under consideration. In India agricultural conditions are of far greater importance in determining the distribution of population.^ It has been noted by Alok Sheel that the population density was inversely associated with ecological patterns. Accordingly, the concentiation of population was more in the vicinity of the Ganges then in the far off places from the river.^The Settlement pattern was guided by availability of water especially owing to the demand for agricultural practice.^ Secondly, the hardness of soil also contiibuted to excessive dependence over the rivers on the one hand, and on the other river course do not change radically in such territories as is a 1 Brij Narayan, Indian economic Life, Past and Present, p. 340. 2 Cf. Alok Sheel, Long-term Demographic trends in South Bihar: Gay a and Shahabad districts, The Indian Economic and Social History Review, vol. 29, no. 3,1992, pp. 323-24. 3 Ibid., p. 323. characteristic feature of soil watered by Kosi in the not so distant places in the same state.* Patna is almost flat except the land along the bank of the river Ganges is slightly higher than their interior counterparts. The Rajgir hills which enters the district from Gaya, consists of two parallel ranges. Most parts of this hill are rocky and covered with low jungles.^ The district of Gaya consists of two tracts. The southern one consists of high land partly covered with jungle and with a strong slope to the north.6 A considerable portion of this part has been included in the Chota Nagpur plateau had sparse population.^ Northern including western part was less fertile while eastern portion of the district was highly cultivated.^ This was the reason that the population density in Gaya.