District Census Handbook.Travancore-Cochin, Kottayam
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CENSUS OF INDIA, 1951 TRA V ANCORE.,COCHIN DISTRICT CENSUS HANDBOOK KOTTAYAM U. SIVARAMAN NAIR M. A, Ph. D., P. A. Sc .. F. N. I., Superintendent of Census Operations TIUVANDRUM : PRINTED BY THE S. G. P. AT THE GOVERNMENT CENTRAL PRESS 1952 MAP OF KOTTAYAM DISTRICT COIMBATORE DISTRICT ~ To UduI1Jp1l Scale 1 Inch" BMlle. '\. C N .Mnkundap1lram TaInk • Munlllpal lawns ~., . • Non- municipal towns s., ~ 4., ~ Kunnathunad Taluki ~ f ~ Cochill \J ~ Kanayannur Taluk '\. \ ~ ~ Pathanamthitta Taluk T --------... -- --- ------ - -- .-.--_--_-,- PREFACE The Registrar-General, India, recommended to State Governments, the publication ot District Census Handbooks containing 1951 Census data for the districts and such other information as may be of general interest. The Government of Travancore-Cochin accepted the recommend ation and sanctioned in Government Order No. RM.3-3468iRD dated 23-5-1951 the publication of four District Census Handbooks for the State. The present volume is published in pursuance of this order. The Handbook is divided into three parts: Part I contains a short sketch of the district and the people. Part II embodies the Census Tables for the district. For purposes of comparative study, three of the most important State Tables-A 1. Area, Houses and Population, A 2. Variation in Population during 50 years (1901-1951) and Economic Table-Livelihood Classes-have been placed at the beginning of this part. Each Table is preceded by a short note explaining its contents. Part III devoted to Village Statistics is the result of an attempt made to bring together the main details relating to villages in this district. An index of place-names has been appended to this part to facilitate ready reference. It is hoped that the Handbook will serve as a frame tfor future studies and that its scope and coverage will be increased from time to time. This work would not have been possible but for the co-operation and assistance of the State Government at every stage of its preparation. Almost all departments have helped me with their contributions. I wish to record my a:::knowledgment in particular to the departments of Agricul ture, Public Health, Labour, Public Instruction, Electricity, Telephones, Forest and Geology. The Tahsildars and Municipal Commissioners in the State have borne the brunt of the work involved in the collection of fact" and figures contained in the Handbook. To them, I tender my special thanks. Other agencies who have been of great assistance are the Travanc'ore Devaswom Board Indian Central Cocoanut Committee, Indian Rubber Board and Cochin Harbour Administration. It is a pleasure to acknowledge my thankfulness to them. The printing of the Handbook was done by the Government Central Press, Trivandrum, at a time when the Press was working at full pressure on other urgent and voluminous items of print ing for Government. It is therefore, with very great pleasure, that I place on record myappreci ation of the untiring efforts of the Superintendent and his assistants in bringing out the Handbook.. It is only fair that I add a word about my office staff who were patiently at work evolving step by step the Tables from the large mass of data collected at the census. Checking and cross checking of the Tables has been a difficult task; so also has been the typing of the Tables. I wish to express my feelings of gratefulness to one and all of my assistants for their devoted labours in this behalf. I must single out my Personal Assistant, Sri K. Parameswara Menon, M. A., for the unfail ing help he gave me at each stage of the work: He unstintedly shared with me the.responsibility in producing the Handbook and I wish to express my appreciation of the work done by him. I shall be failing in my duty if I do not place on record my gratefulness to Sri R. A. Gopala swami, I. c. s., Registrar-General, for the guidance and the stimulating suggestions received from him in this work. 0. SIVARAMAN NAIR. Office of the Superintendent of Census Operations, Trivandrum, 23rd August 1952. CONTENTS Page number Map of Kottayam district (below title page) PART I A _hon sketch i A. District and people i B. Population- analytical summary xviii C. Gazetteer xxvii PART II Census data General Tables-Scheme of Census Tables .. 1 A I Area, houses and population 3 A II Variation in population during fifty years 1901-1951 7 B Economic Tables-Livelihood classes 11 Census tracts in Kottayam district .. 19 AI Area, houses and population 21 AII Variation in population during thirty years (1921-1951) .. 24' A III Towns and villages classified by population 27 A IV Towns classified by population with variation:since 1901 .. 32 AV Towns arranged territorially with population by livelihood classes :37 B1 Livelihood classes and sub-classes 40 BII Secondary means of livelihood 47 B III Employers, employees and ;independent workers in industries and services 80 CI Household size and composition 1J9 ell Livelih.ood classes by age groups 123 C III Age and civil condition 127 C IV Age and literacy 130 Dl (i) Languages-Mother-tongue 133 (ii) Bilingualism 137 DII Religion 151 D III Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes 154 D IV Migrants 159 DVI Non-Indian nationals Il3 D VII Livelihood classes by educational standards 167 PART III Village Statistics 177 Changanachery Taluk 178 Kottayam Taluk 206 Vaikom Taluk 238 Minachil Taluk 266 Peermede Taluk •• 298 Devikulam Taluk 302 Thodupuzha Taluk .. 330 Muvattupuzha Taluk 350 Index 387 DISTRICT CENSUS HANDBOOK KOTTAYAM Part I A SHORT SKETCH A. DISTRICT AND PEOPLE 1. INTRODUCTORY The Kottayam district has an area of 2i)54'1 square miles whiBh is 32'3 per cent of the total area of the State. The headquarters of the district is Kottayam. The district is divided into eight taluks. The names, headquarters, relative areas and the percentage distribution of population in these taluks are as follows :- Name of taluk Hea-lquarters Percentage Area Population . Changanachery Changanachery 9'10 20"26 Kottayam Kottayam 7'25 19'26 Vaikom Vaikom 4'65 11'07 Minachil Palai 9'43 15'65 Peermede Peermede 15'28 5'40 Devikulam Devikulam 22'60 4'83 Thodupuzha Thodupuzha 12'25 8'96 Muvattupuzha Muvattupuzha 19'44 14'57 The population of the district according to 1951 census is 1,783,771; this forms Hr2 per cent of the State population. 2. PHYSICAL FEATURES The mountainous amphitheatre of the Western Ghats, which bound the district on its eastern side, (except for the Anchanad valley) dominates the topographJ1 of the district and shapes its climate. The Ghats do not form a single chain but consist of a series of ridges. To the north, the mountains rise to an elevation of 8,000 feet with plateaus over 7,000 feet; this group of mountains is known as the Anaroalais. Anamudi, the highest peak Mountains in the Anamalais, rises to. 8,837 feet, a summit higher than any south of the Himalayas. Around Anamudi, there are several other peaks varying in elevation from 6,500 feet to 8,400 feet. The chief among them are Eravimala or Hamilton's plateau 7,880 feet, Kattumala 7,800 feet, Chenthavara 7,664 feet, Kumarikal 7,540 feet, Karinkulam 7,500 feet and Devimala 7,200 feet. These hills together with the lower ground from which they rise form the High Ranges. Though often called a plateau, the tract of land known as the High Ranges is really a succession of high hills with deep valleys between them and contains several small plateaus, among which the most important are:- Gudarmala lies between Karinkulam and Devimala-average elevation 6,000 feet; area 4 sq. miles. Devikulam lies to the west of the above-average elevation 6,000 feet; area '3 sq. miles. Anaycudoo lies west of Devikulam plateau. Eravimala lies north of Anamudi and is separated from it by a deep valley-elevation 7,300 feet; area 18 sq. miles. Perumalmala-elevation 7,000 feet; area 3 sq. miles. Anchanad-elevation 3,100 feet; area 30 to 40 sq. miles. Vattavada-elevation 6,000 feet. Some of the valleys in the Hig~ Ranges are Anaycudoo (west of Devikulam plateau. elevation 5,120 feet). Anchanad-elevatlOn 3100 feet and Kundala-elevation 5,500 feet. ' From the High Ranges the land slopes down steeply in three directions; north-east to the Anchanad valley, to the west into the valley of the Idiyara river and southwards to the Cardamom and Peermede Hills. The Cardamom and Peermede Hills form an exten ')ive hill 11 plateau 60 miles long and 20 miles broad, with an elevation of about 3,000 to 3,500 feet; some peaks and hills rise to 5,000 feet. Chains of hills which diminish in altitude as they go to the west, run from the moqntain ranges and plateau:> to th~ west and north-west; the valleys formed by these hills are drained by several rivers. There are a few mountain passes in this district. Bodinaickannur pass is the northern~ most of tQe passes; it connects Bodinaickannur in Madura district with Passes the High Ranges and leads to Devikulam, Chitrapuram and Kothaman~ , galam. , Thevaram pass connects Thevaram with the Cardamom Hills. It reaches the top of :the Ghats by a very steep ascent and is little used. Kambam pass though rugged for 1~ miles is one of the best passes across the hills between Travancore and Madura. 1n ancient days mu~h trade was carr'jed through this pass but as this trade has been diverted to other routes the pass is now practically closed. The Gudallur or Kumili pass connects Peermede and Kanjirappalli with Kambam and Uttamapalayam across the Ghats.