District Gazetteers or ' HE United Provinces of Agra and Oadh Sapplementary Notes and Statistics op to 1931-2 VOLUME XXXI (D) GORAKHPUR DISTRICT ALLA.HABAD: |ST]rPERrNTRNDlNT, AND STATIONERY, UNTTED PROVINCES 1985 Rs, 7.J PREFACE The original Gazetteer of Gorakhpur was compiled by Mr, Alexander in 1881 and the subsequent volume by Mr, Neville in 19(^9 Enormous changes have occurred in recent years, and the present volume brings bbe district history and statistics up to date, I am greatly indebted to Mr, Hari Ear Dayal, Treasury Officer, on whose shoulders has fallen trie burden of collecting and preparing the material. B. J, K. HALLOWES, i.c.s., District Magistrate. The December^ 1933. CORRECTIONS TO BE MADE IN THE DISTRICT GAZETTEER OF GORAKHPUR DISTRICT Note— The references are to C volume, Gorakhpur Division, volume XXXII, Gorakhpur District, prepared by Mr. A. C^ Holmes and published in 1925, except otherwise men-> tioned Page 19, Volume A Government forests -^Delete all poroioiis relating to forests in volumes B and C. change the heading Forest’^ on page 19* of volume A to ^‘Government Forests delete the last three lines on page 20, the whole of pages 21, 22, 23 and the first 28 lines on page 24* and substitute the following: The total area of these forests is about 173 square rniles^ split up into 12 main detached blocks, and divided for purposes of administration into seven forest ranges. With the exception of the Domakhand block, which is situated in the north-east corner of the district, the growing stock may be described as pure sal of inferior quality, though a sprinkling of the usual associates of this species is also sometimes present. Jamun grows pure along the several sluggish streams that flow through the area, and in poorly drained depressions (which are often of consider- able extent) there is no tree growth at all. These areas^ however, produce large quantities of valuable thatching grass, and also provide grazing for the cattle of neighbouring villages. Although the forests are generally of poor quality and of small total area, the annual revenue of the division is greater ^t^n that of any other in the province. This is due largely to the fact that the forests are not burdened with any rights or concessions, and there is, therefore, a very keen local demand for forest produce of every description. So much is this the case, that in gome localities even leaves have a market value as fuel. Similarly, contracts for thatching grass fetch good prices, the annual revenue from this source alone |>0ing aboufe^ B8.45,000. 2 Gorckhptir DiBirict growing-stock is due The present poor quality of the eal of the forests during largely to the uncontrolled exploitation then taken by river the period 1800-1830. Much timber was years later it was to Patna and Calcutta. Even when 20 should be preserved decided that the few remaining forest areas go beyond selling to as such, attempts at management did not timber and grass the highest bidder the unqualified right to cut were thus amoved, within a specified area. All good trees gum. This latter and those not worth felling were tapped for trees of the present practice has left its mark on the larger grown, and have time, many of which are unsound and badly ground level. - characteristic large swellings a few feet above the first trained In 1874 Mr. Amery arrived. He was one of at once put an end to forest officers to come to India, and he the haphazard methods of the past. the Bamg^rb, Owing to its proximity to Gorakhpur, worked, but with the was the first to be departmentally were extended opening of the rai Iway in 1885 regular fellings It was not till 1893, to some of the other less distant areas. plan was drawn up. however, that the first detailed working form of coppice- This prescribed concentrated fellings (in the light improvement -witb-standards) for the southern blocks, and badly grown trees) in fellings (the removal of dead, dying and the more remote areas. which provided for In 1914) a fresh plan was introduced southern forests which olear fellings in these portions of the ensure regeneration contained a sufiSciency of young poles to heavier improvement by coppice. For the northern forests, This plan was emi- fellings were prescribed than previously. revision IQ years nently successful, and when [it fell due for to all parts of the later the clearfelling principle was extended of^areas where division. It necessitated, however, the inclusion where some regeneration by coppice could not be expected, and have to be used. form of artificial reproduction would, therefore, the ordinary But sal cannot be raised artificially by any of cost, and methods of. sowing orSplantiug, except at prohibitive during the experimental work had, therefore, been in progress ADDITIONS AND ALTERATIONS 3 previous 10 yea^s with the object of evolving some new and suit- able method. Eventually the system known as Taungya'’^ which consists in the raising of tree seedlings along with field crops, was found to give excellent results at practically no cost. Cleared forest land is given out to cultivators free of rent for a period of four years, on the understanding that they will raise and tend saZ seedlings in lin^s 10 feet apart in addition to growing their own crops in the intervening spaces. Owing to the density of the neighbouring population and the consequent demand for land, this method of regenerating clearfelled areas proved an unqualified success, and is now one of the outstand- ing features of the Gorakhpur forests. The problem of reproduction was not the only difficulty to be overcome, for the extension of clearfelling to the northern forests raised also the question of adequate transport from the more remote areas. The problem was eventually solved by the installation of a forest tramway running north-west for a distance of 16 miles from the Bengal and North-Western Rail- way branch line station at Lachhmipur. Between the years 1880 and 1895 the annual surplus revenue of the division averaged about Rs.35,000. By the end of another 20 years it had risen to nearly R8.2,00,000, and thereafter it continued to increase until the highest figure of over Rs.10,00,000 was attained a few years after the Great War. Subsequently the timber market followed the general decline in the price values of other commodities', and with the commencement of ihe economic slump in 1931 the annual surplus revenue fell to about Rs.5,00,000. Page 15, Volnme A Changes in river The river Gogra forming the bound- ary line between this district and Pyzabad, Azamgarh and Ballia has been continually changing its course. In 1921 it •submerged the village of Majhdip in pargana Dhuriapar, but in 1927-28 this village partially recovered along with three other smaller villages when the river resumed its old course, Since 1921 the river Rapti has been continually adding land by alluvial action to the villages in the Bansgaon tahsil which ; .*,, District 4 QorakhpV/T moved confluence with the Ami has also lie oa its banks. Its position towaids the south-east from its old about i a mile of the river has receded about near Korara, and the present bed Khurd. From Bharwalia to Garya a mile to the west of Sonai changes original course with only minor Khol it has kept its turn from east to south till it but after this it again takes a at Aswanpur. resumes its original direction Page b6, Volume A table will show the prices Prices and wapes-The following prevailing during the period from of the four main food crops 1921-22 to 1931-32 Year Whtat a ch. 6 4 Maximum • • ( 1921-22 Minimum 4 4 8 8 c Maximum 1922-28 • • 6 0 ^ Minimum 0 r Maximum • 10 1928-24 .. 4 Minimum * • 7 !. 12 r Maximum • • 7 •• 5 12 \ Minimum Maximum 7 0 ^ 1925-26 .. 5 0 1 Minimum • • r Maximum • 7 12 1926-27 .. t Minimum 5 0 Maximum « 7 12 ( 1927-28 . * t Minimum #* 6 4 r Maximum , i 7 4 1928-29 • 5 4 C. Minimum r Maximum » 10 0 1929-30 . " 0 ( Minimum • • 7 ADDITIONS AND ALTERATIONS 5 Wheat Barley Maize Rice S. cb, S. ch. S. cb. S. ch, Maximum 18 0 22 0 13 4 S 10 1930-31 .. Minimum 10 8 16 S 15 0 G 6 Maximum 15 4 19 4 20 S 3 12 1931-32 Minimum 10 4 15 4 10 S 3 12 A study of the above figures shows that prices gradually fell year by year till 1924-25 whou they rose sharply owing to the late start of the monsoon. In the succeeding year also, owing to the unfavourable monsoon, prices rose even higher. These high prices continued till 1928-29, when excessive rain and consequent floods spoiled the kharif crops, and the subsequent scanty rainfall proved injurious especially to the late and early rioe crop. Tae nax: three years showed a rapid decline in prices due to the contraction of currency, depression in trade and abundance of agricultural produce. The material condition of cultivators and labourers was generally good during the first portion of the decade. There was ample demand for labour at good wages, but with the collapse in the price of agricultural produce and the depression in trade, labour too became very cheap, and unskilled labour can now (1933) be had for three annas a day in the city. Labour is decidedly cheaper here thin in western districts, but during the busy season, when the sugar mills are working, the cost of labour increases owing to the demand in the mills.