GAZETTEER f<a r--e. .s ed1 ',,~ 01 THE BOnnAY PRESIDENC~ N.A.. TIVE STATES. STATISTIC1L ACCOUNT OF CAMBAY. 13ombnl!: PJlINT~D AT. THE OO\'ERN'ME~T CENTRAL rrn:::-,;; 1577 1786C; PREFACE. With th13 exception of Dr. B.lhlel"s contribution and sonw ctl 1:'1' ffirtiou.'l of the Ch1\ptDrs on Trade auJ Thstory this a~C0un~ }t. the 'Work 9f lIr. G. F. Shf'ppu.ro, C.S, Collector of Kr.ira ~uJ Pdr­ t lea} Agout of Cambay. CONTENTS. OIIAPTEB I.-DIt8CJI.lPTION, PRODUCTS AND POeULATIOJf. (I.) DZ80nIPTION- POlition and Area; Boundaries; Aspect; Rivers an,l Water, supply; Lakes and Reservoirs; Wells; Dralllage; Geology ; Boil; OIimate L-! (2.) PBODUCTB- Foresh and Treel l Crops j Mode of Cultivation i Domestic and Wild Animal. ••• ... 3-4 (3.) POPtTLATION- _ Census deta.ils; Religion; Occupatir :; Mode of livin~; Lallgllage. Housel; N, amber 01 Y illllgSS... 5-i' CHAPTER II.-TuDm. "(1.) Tl\ADI- Means of Communication. And Ferrie. 8 Hiatory of Oambay Trade- (a.) Under Hindull (900-1300) ... ~ (h.) Under MUAa,lmaus (1300-1500) ... 10 (c.) Under Ellropeans (1600-1875) 11-22 (1.) lbNUFAOTVl\EB- (II.) Cambsy Stonel- De;oription of Stones ... .. • .. 13-ftl Agate Ornaments how prepe.red .. 27-'8 Agate Ornaments how dIsposed of 29 Inner working of the agate trade '$0-31 Bietory or the trade '.~' \.. ..- -" ~ .. !tL ~~" "...-..Li.... :. ... 10 '!~:'"'::'~.I';..::. vi CO!-f'l'l:NT5. OIl APTER IV,--DE'r\lLS O'f A.HlIl'l'lTMTlON. (1) LAND- I,llud tenures j Tennnt PILlprH)tur!l ; Tcnaota-at-will , Land 9< how far lial)1" luI debt; Land Rc\-enuo hOlT c(llkcted, h"id,..Uce of the Land Tax; The St~te demtlllli how lE~\ It'd. eEl - f,~ (2.) JU8TlCE- Oi.,n and Crionnal Jl1stico i Procedure in cases of debt i Punishment in CMOS of ('rime; J)uties of the K"i ; Divorce Fees; Working oCtbe Coutis .. 70-';1 (3.) Pohee 72 (4.) Revent14 and Finance '" ~ ... ttl. (5.) Custom and 'l'ran81t Du~/S 'i3 (6.) Miscellaneous Cesses 74 (7.) PObt ... 76 (8.) Educa.tion ... 7~ CHAPTER V.-Towns and places of interest ... ... 76-77 CAMBAY (KilAMBllA'T)· + CIIAPTER 1. DESCRIPTION. PRODUCTS, AND POPULATION Tho Sbtc of C3111Lay, lying at the head of the gulf IIf that flUIHf) Chapter I nn the weslern shore of the province of UUjclf.it, is sltua ted lJet Ween Uescriptlon ~2° 9' 3.ud 2:.:0 .u' North Latitude and 72° 20' and 73° 5' Ea,.,1j C (' b h L 1 l'O~ltlOU r.uu AreA, I Jlmg'ltn J e. A s t h 0 I ane1 3 OJ. lam ay ave never een,BUrVt'yet, the area of this terrib)ry IS not accurately 1.."110Wll. It is suppo!-!uJ to) 1Iiolude about 3,')0 squaro mile:;, with a. population, accordlllg to th census of 1872, of 8~i,4!H souls. The territory b bounded on tho north by the }.frttA-f sub- Bounda.rlt-Il. d 1 Vl31·)D of tho Britii:>h dIstrict of Kaim j on the south Ly the ~I,lf d Cambn.y; on the C:lst by the lands of Borsnd in K3.1r:.1 awl PltlS.! under His Highm·ss the QUl;)kwur of Baroda; am! 011 the WL·~t by tho S.ibarmati river. Pulitically tho bountll:mcs of tho "hote are most; irregular. In some places Cam bay v.illages are lEft \&obt('u, surrounued by portions of the iliRtrict of Kaml., whIlo III ctl.( r p3.rl3 detached fragments of tho Kairn. distrIct he In the \,o,;lry hpart of the Camha.y territory. In]and from the CIty the pC>"'i('~sjon8 of the N awib stretch aLont fiftf'PTI miles to tl10 wc.;t, ei!!htcon to the north-west, ten to tho north, amI twelve to thfl CUl,t. Except in the neIghbourhood of tho river Mahi, where the l'(;rfaco A.apect. iA ('ut up 1y the lines of wateI'-cour~eS" and wher~ the banks of the rin:)' rise Hl cliffs from thirty to (ighty flet high, the country i~ \St'D('rally tint and open. Though in part,~, especially aloIltS the hanks of tho Subarmati river, rather bare of trees, the \\h010 \ I'n i, ory during' the rains aml cold season presents a. bcuntIful1y nch nnJ verdant tLppearance. , '1'wo (of the b,rgo rivers of Glljarat enter tho sea withm tho limits Rlv~ri!l anJ \r~t .. I" ,.,{ (hmha.,'. Of these the Sabarmati, after a straight course t.o the su!'ply. ::Iouth ward of about 2001 miles, falls into the gulf twelve mile:! to the west, uf tho city J while flo few miles to the ea!;t of Caw bay an estunry fiv~ miles broad receives the waters of thtj In€I' Malli l'l.ftl'r a course estimated ''f~t 350.1 nules ill kllgth. Though ill times' of Hood they bring do~a gr('at ""olllmps of water, ll('ifher of these rivers, on account of the large d('po:;nts of mud near their 1 and S • &!.under's------------------------------------ Sketch of the M"ountai1l8 and Rivers of Iudia 31 liSjOl. , B. 206-·,. [Domba.1 Ga.zetteer 2 NATIVE STA.TES. ' Cha pter I. mouths, can bo nftvigated by v€'RSE'ls of any size, ",hilo lit tho same time the prei.+OllCe of the fialt tidal wah.·rs and the beight (,f Description,. their banks prevent these rivers from ht:ing uied for purposes of irrigatiou. Of the other local streams none has a tmiflcicllt IHll'­ ply of water to continue flowing throughout the year. LlIheandReFle1"VOll'8 ,,\Vithin the limitfl, of tho Cambay ek.to there :is no ftc",h·wnt"J" lFtke of any bize, but, as in the Kaira district, IlhulJst all tlw VII \.It~\ :4 are proviued. 'With ponds, or reservoirs .. in which WMl'l' ill( to lIS {onlJd throughout the great(Jl' pn,rt of tho year DI1l"iTlg' t h!;) months ot' April and .May, and from that time till the mind ",d in. the supplies from t,hase ponds are generally exhaur:.ted. null <::\ttl,) have to be watered from wells. ---- ---~- Welle. ~ From its position between the beds of hr~ large tiJal rivl'r'i the soil of Camhay is so saturated with salt tha.t the wntcr o},ttl.iu­ cd by digging soon becomE'S bmckish, and in many lJll¥~(.'':! frLsh ;wells have to be sunk every five years. Nor is tho wfttcr or thel'o wells wholesome-its incautious usef at least by stra.ngers, gl'nero.l. ,y produci:r;tg a painful fortn of boil. Drainngo. A considerable portion of tho Cambay tE'rritory is, during t.I1O f.!eason of heavy rain; liable to be floodod. The mlL-rs of Cawbay in the time of it3 prosperity (J40()·1700}l guart1f'ti aga.imt tItis evil by constructing, draiu:},ge canals. These drains, originally works of much labour and _cost, have now fa.ilen ir.~o a very neglected state. But as tho cultivators appear to ('olUphin lIttle of the present condition of the drains, it would seem that <:il Ij{~1." the ordinary rain .. faU is not so heavy as it once was~ or thn.t tho ilUfplus water is more carefully stored i.u the villago rCSo.!fVulfS than was formerly the case. Heology. The lands of Cambay torIn an n.l1uvial plain gently nnrlnhting in some parts, but with no inequality that rises to the lwight of a hilL ()£ rocks there .are none, and even pehUes aro '51..·1l]vlll lllet. with. Nodular limestone, or kanlcar, mixed with f>und or clay Jd Ionnd ill large quantities fl'om ten to fifteen feet bf'low Uw sur­ face of the soil. Though not of the best quality the lime ohtnined from tbis stone)s what is chiefly used by the peoplo of the coun· try for house .. builc1ing and other purposes. Soil. Towards the :north and wost the soil is generally black, w£'Jl suited for the culture of wheat and cotton. To tIle east it is of a. poorer description, fit only for the growth of the inferior s':Jrts of grain. N ear the city.of pambal' skirting the bhoro of tho gulf, a.nd along tho bo,nks of the .M:ahl and S6.barmati river!", stv£'tch va.st, tracts of 'Salt ~arsh lanq submC'rged at high spring tides. FQl' agricultuml purposes" as in other parts of Gujn.ra;, the soil of Cambay is divided into three classes, garden land, rice land, and dry.. cl'op'laud., , Climate. Compared with the more inland ~:rietg of tha province the climate of Cambay is good an4 thd'tempe:ratU1'6 eqna~le. "'Tht-Jr­ mometric readings kept· regularly during three years ending " :"1 Vale.s fipecial mentioo to th~;;;;:;; i, made. aU date. are ..If, -- Guja.ra't 1 with 18 t'7 show a mean minimum of 53Q in. the month of January Cht1ptcl'I. 1\.11c! a menn nuu:imll[ll of 76° in the lrlOnth o£ Ma.y. Thl' M'era~;0 Production, yearly fall of rain JuriIlg the &l.Ill0 perwJ "as 29 mehes 30 cen~. Be'fore comrnUUiC[,Hon with tht} S('tl W&.3 made pasy 4y rnil1 t"',lm"a.y lid II. 81\111- C ,1111 Llay was t h e ou1 y coast statIon.' "'IVa l'un tl10 rene L 0 f'illy-a j'It 1 S btl'll1m. Mt!Teri~g from the f~ver:i and lwat of northern Gujarc.1.L.