Burma Gazetteer Akyab District Volume a Compiled by Mr. Rb Smart
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BURMA GAZETTEER AKYAB DISTRICT VOLUME A COMPILED BY MR. R. B. SMART (DY. COMMISSIONER), SETTLEMENT OFFICER, AKYAB SUPDT., GOVT. PRINTING AND STATY., UNION OF BURMA RANGOON LIST OF AGENTS FOR THE SALE OF THE GOVERNMENT OF THE UNION OF BURMA PUBLICATIONS IN BURMA 1. CITY BOOK CLUB. 98, Phayre Street, Rangoon. 2. U LU GALE Govt, Law Book Agent, 34th Road. Nyaungzindan Quarter, Mandalay. 3. MESSRS, K, BIN HOON & SONS. Nyaunglebin, Pegu District. 4. NEW LIGHT OF BURMA PRESS, 58, Komin Kochin Road, Rangoon. 5. PROPRIETOR, THU DHAMA WADI PRESS, 55-56, Tsee Kai Maung Khine Street, Rangoon. 6. PROPRIETOR, BURMA NEWS AGENCY. 135 Fraser Street, Rangoon. 7. MANAGER, BURMA BOOK CO.. 62. Barr Street. Rangoon. 8. BURMA EDUCATIONAL BOOK SHOP. 551-3, Merchant Street, Rangoon. 9. MANAGER, UNION PUBLISHING HOUSE. 20. Sule Pagoda Road, Rangoon 10. U KYAw ZAN, The National Book Depôt and Stationery Supply House, North Godown, Zegyo, Mandalay. IN INDIA 1. MESSRS, HIGGINBOTHAMS, LTD. Post Box No. 311, Madras. 2. MESSRS, THACKER, SPINK & Co, (1933), LTD., P.O. Box No. 54 3. Esplanade East, Calcutta (West Bengal), PREFACE THANKS are due to the many officials and others · who have supplied materials for the compilation of this Gazetteer and particularly to those mentioned below :- Mr. A. H. M. Barrington, Deputy Conservator of Forests, Arakan Division, for the Chapter on Forests and the paragraphs on the Flora of the district. Mr. W. S. Thom, Deputy Commissioner, Hill District of Arakan, for the paragraph on Fauna. Mr, Saw Chin Hin, B.A., Inspector of Schools, Arakan Circle, for the Chapter on Education. Mr. A. Williamson, M.A., I.C.S., Assistant Settlement Officer, Akyab, for the Chapters on Local Self Government and Public Health. Captain H. H. Batten, I.A, Assistant Settlement Officer, Akyab, for much useful information collected especially for the Chapters on Revenue and General Administration. Mr. H. Munro, Superintendent of Excise, Akyab, for the paragraphs on Excise and Opium. R. B. SMART, (Deputy Commissioner) Settlement Officer, Akyab. MAYMYO, 21st April 1917. CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. Physical Description. PAGE Akyab district, area and situation; Boundaries; Head quarters: Administrative divisions; Natural divisions: Situation and physical features of townships; Hills; Lakes; Rivers and Streams;Geology; Climate; Rainfall; Cyclones; Soils; Flora; Fauna; Fish 1-17 CHAPTER II. History and Archaeology. Early history; Portuguese adventurers; First Burmese war; Archæology of towns and pagodas 18-80 CHAPTER III. The People. Population; Density; Races; Customs; Laws; Missions; Emigration and Immigration; Average income and expenditure and standard of living of agriculturists; Food and other items of expenditure; Houses and other buildings; Indebtedness; Co-operative Credit Societies; Agriculturists' loans 80-105 CHAPTER IV. Agriculture and Irrigation. Occupied and other areas; Areas under various crops; Rice; Crops other than rice; Disappearance of old and introduction of new staples; Description of soils; Suitability of Climate for agriculture; Extent of fallowing and liability to crop failure: Insects and other crop pests; II Contents. PAGE Irrigation and protective works; Methods of cultivating rice; Crops other than rice; Implements; Manures; Agricultural customs; Improvements in agricultural methods; Disposal of agricultural produce; Method of sale and transport; Cattle; Hire and sale of cattle; Method of feeding and tending cattle; Grazing grounds; Diseases and mortality among cattle, sheep, ponies, goats and pigs; Individual and family ownership; Average size of estates; Area owned by agriculturists and non-agriculturists; Area sold and sale values; Areas mortgaged and mortgage values; Tenancies; Rental values. 105-125 CHAPTER V. Forests and Minerals. Forests; Area of forests ; Legal position of forests; Types of forests; History of administration; Clerical establishment; Personnel of officers; Revenue and expenditure; Progress; Reservation of forests; Development of new markets; Teak plantations; Minerals; Petroleum; Salt; Coal and other minerals 125-137 CHAPTER VI. Occupations and Trade. Agriculture; Trade in foodstuffs; Other occupations; Rice milling; Carrying trade; Labourers; Former industries; Weaving; Gold and silver smiths; Carpentering; Boat building; Shoemaking; Pottery; Iron work; Mat making; Dani palm; Early trade; Trade from 1830 on wards 137-144 CHAPTER VII. Means of Communications. Waterways; Steam communication by water in the Akyab district; Government steam vessels; Landing stages; Contents. III PAGE Roads; Suggested improvements to communications; Railways; Trade routes; Posts; Telegraphs; Rest houses; Camping grounds; Light houses 144-153 CHAPTER VIII. Famine. Nil. 153 CHAPTER IX. General Administration. Early Administration; 1863-1876; 1877 to date; Criminal Justice; Civil Justice; Military and Marine; Military Police; Civil Police; Jails; Registration; Public Works; Roads; Buildings; Landing stages; Outstation buildings. 153-171 CHAPTER X. Revenue Administration. Land tenure in Burmese times; Land tenure from 1826 to 1875; Lower Burma Land and Revenue Act II of 1876; Waste Land Grants; Revenue system in Burmese times; Early assessments after British occupation; standards of land measurement; Introduction of land tax on standard measurements; Tentative introduction of kwin unit system; Original Settlement 1865-66; Revision of rates; Cyclone of 1857; Lower Burma Land and Revenue Act II of 1876; Professional survey by Survey of India 1879-80; Revision Settlement 1879-80; First Regular Settlement 1885-88; Season 1885-86; Fallow rate;Assessment rates proposed; Season 1886-87; Fallow rate on unculturable portions of holdings; Season 1887-88; Summary of three years 1885- 86 to 1887-88; Revision Settlement 1901-03; Season 1901- 02; Assessment of areas fallowed for grazing and of unculturable portions of holdings; Season 1902-03; Summary of two years 1901-02 and 1902-03; Season IV Contents. PAGE 1903-04 ; Revision Settlement 1913-16; Tracting and soil classification; Proposed enhancement of demand; Capitation tax; Land rate in lieu of capitation tax; Fishery revenue; Income tax; Stamp revenue; District Cess Fund; Excise; Opium 171-202 CHAPTER XI. Local Self Government. Akyab Muncipality; Constitution; Conservancy; Roads; Water supply; Lighting; Fire protection; Bazaars; Schools; Hospitals; Finance 202-207 CHAPTER XII. Education. Literacy; Public and private schools; Establishment of lay schools; Monastic schools; Urdu schools; Anglo. Vernacular schools; Female educatioin; Model schools; Summary of schools; Administration. 207-211 CHAPTER XIII. Public Health. Cholera; Small pox and vaccination; Malaria; Tuberculosis; Beri-Beri and Plague; Hospitals; Sanitation. 211-214 CHAPTER XIV. Minor Articles Description of towns and villages. 214-236 APPENDIX. List of Deputy Commissioners since 1866. 237-239 List of Commissioners since 1866. 239-242 Bibliography. 243 BURMA GAZETTEER AKYAB DISTRICT VOLUME A CHAPTER I. Physical Description. Akyab district, area and situation; Boundaries; Headquarters; Administrative divisions; Natural divisions; Situation and physical features of townships; Hills; Lakes; Rivers and streams; Geology; Climate; Rainfall; Cyclones; Soils; Flora; Fauna; Fish. Akyab district; area and situation. Akyab is one of the four districts forming the Arakan Division of Lower Burma. Its area is 5,136 square miles and it lies between the Arakan Yomas and the Bay of Bengal. The district is between 19º47´ and 21º 27´ north latitude and 92° 11´ and 93° 58´ east longitude. Boundaries. It is bounded on the north by Chittagong and the Hill District of Arakan, on the east by the Hill District of Arakan and the Arakan Yoma mountains, on the south-east by the Kyaukpyu district, on the south by the Bay of Bengal and on the west by the Bay of Bengal and the Naaf estuary. Headquarters The town of Akyab, after which the district is named is the headquarters of the district and of the Arakan Division. It is situated on the sea coast at the mouth of the Kaladan river in 20° 8´ north and 92° 55´ east. Administrative divisions. The district is divided into four subdivisions comprising nine townships, viz.:- Akyab subdivision Akyab, Rathedaung and Pônnagyun townships. Minbya Pauktaw and Minbya townships. Kyautktaw Kyauktaw and Myohaung townships. Buthidaung Buthidaung and Maungdaw townships. Natural divisions. The subdivisions and townships take their names from the towns and illages at which their headquarters are situated. 2 Akyab District. Along the eastern border of the district run the ArakanYoma mountains, the western spurs of which rangeform a strip of broken country. To the west of thisbroken country, lie the valleys of the Lemyo and Kaladanrivers, narrow at the north and widening out in the southof the district to an extensive level plain intersected bya network of tidal creeks. The banks of the Lemyo and Kaladan rivers in the upper reaches are high and the land generally above flood level, but where the valleys widen out into the level plain the rivers overflow their bauks during certain seasons of the year and still lower down large areas have to be protected by low embankments to keep out the brackish tidal water. Thecountry is cut up into innumerable islands fringed withbelts of mangrove jungle or dani cultivation which shut offthe view from the creeks and rivers of the paddy fieldslying hidden beyond. Dotted here and there over thislevel plain are a number of low ranges of hills, never exceeding a few hundred feet in height. To