PUNJAB DISTHIC'r GAZETTEERS, VOLUME II. HISSAR. DISTiliCT. PAR1' A. BY P. J. F.A.GAN, I 0 S. RI!:VIbkl> Ali'D BROUGHT Ul' TO DATE, BY C M. KING, I C.S . COMPILED AND PUBLISHED UNDER THE AUTHORI:- OF THE PUNJAB GOVERN-MENT -=============~~----- LAHORE: PRI'l<t.CED A.T THE "CIVIL AND MILJTARY GAZETTB •• P.R - -1907. TABLE OF CONTENTS. PART A. CHAPTER I.-DESCRIPTIVE. A -Physical Aspects including Meteorology. Subject. • Page; Name in verno.cular w1th derivation : Area ••• 1 Boundaries and natural diVIsions-The Rohx, the N&h, the Eagar, the Har1ana. ... ••• ... 1 The Ghaggar R1ver-Lakes ... ••• ... 5 Geology ... ... 8 Botany-Grasses-Shrubs-Bushes and Trees, Animals, Insects, Btrds, Quadrupeds ... ... ... 9 Chma.te-Ramfall-Dnststorms-Earthquakes ... 15 B.-History. Hariana-Antiquity of Hll.nai ••• ... :,;_----Is lnvaswn of Tuuwar Rajputs ... ... ... ' 18- R1se of the Chauhan RaJputs ••• 19 The Mnsalroan invaston ... ... ... 19 Re1gn of P1rth1 Raj Chauhan ... ... ~0 Invasion of Mnhamad Ghori 20 Reign -of Ftroz--sha.h and founding of Fatehli.bad and H1ss8.r ••• •.. 20 Invasion of Tamerlane ,.. , .. ... 21 Sayyad and Lodt Dynasties ... •.. ... 22 Invasions of Babar and flamayun ... ... 23 Reign of Akbar ... • , ... 23 The rtse of Xla Singh and ascendancy of the Sikhs 25 George Thomas .•• . .. ... 2'1 'l'he ad vent of Brtttsh rule ••• .. ••• 29 Oond1 tion of the tract ••• .. ••• 2\J Consolidation of Br1t1sh rule ... ... :z The Mutiny .•. ... ..: ... 33 The DivisiOns of the distrtct ... ••• 33 Encroachments of the Sikhs ... ••• ••• 3S The dispute with Pat1ala ... ••• 39 • Encroachments from Btkaner ... ... •.• 42 Changes in the boundary of the district ... __... 43 List of Bnttsh Distru:V"OJliaers smns 1867 ~.:-~" c.-Population. _ Density ... ... ••• ... 45 Density by tahsUs ••• ... ... ••• 45 Towns .. 46 V 1lla.ges .... ... •... 46 Growth of -population ••• ••• • .. 46 Mtgra.tion .. ••• •. •... 4.9 Ages ... ... ••• ~----~ - - ··· _.J)Lo Vtt&.lata.tiatica, Average birth rates, Average death rates 52 Sex.os ••• ••• .... ••• 53 11.. :CHAPTER 1,-DESCRIPTIVE-e~olqTJNUIID, C.-- Population--continued. Subject. Page; ::Infa.nt mortali~y and birth~customs-llmdus-Mut~al· mans ••• ••• ....... • •• 54. Sex eta.tisttcs ... ... •• , .. 56 Ox vll •condition ... •.. ~7 ·Customs connected wxth Bet.rotha.l and Marriages- HindUs ' ... •.. 58 Jileota ... .... •... 59 The marriage ceramony ••• •.. ... 60 Jlfter ceremonxea ••• ... 61 Muk11wa. ... ... ... 62 Marrxt~ge ceremonies among Bxshnofs ... ... ·62 Dxtto Musalmans ••• 63 ' Kar~wa ... 64. Meaning of the ceremon-ies ... -· ... 65 Language-Hxndi, Bagri, PnnJabi, PaohMdi, othern ... ·6o Tribes and castes 69 Local distnbutwn of tribes and castes ... 159 Formor inhabitants. H1story of tribal colonisation ... 70 B8gn Jats ... •.. .;. .. 71 Stkh Ja.ts ... •.. 71 Musalman Rajp1tt tribes ... ... 71 timor t!tlmJ grant tnbes ... ••• 72 Noteworthy trtbes ... ... 72 Abeils ... ... • ... 72 Ah!rs ... ...-. ••• 73 Aralns ... ... ... ... 73 Aroraa ••• ... ... 74.- Banyas, Aggarwals, Osw~la, Mahe~ris ... H Bawariyas ... ... ... 76 BtshnOis ... ... ... 77 Brahmans ... ... ... 77 Chumars ••• ... ... ~- 79 Chhitnbas ~ .. ... 80 Chnhras ... ... - ... ... 80 Dhanaks ... ••• ... &0 Dho'b[s ... ... 80 Dogara ... ..• • •• ... 80 Fak1rs-Byrag[s-Oos:l:lns--Dacl4-panthls,-Jogis 80 GnJars •.• ... .. 52 J&ts or Jats-Deswali, B.lgr•, S•kh, Mu~ahmiu-- - _ 82 -?rmclpal'"""tnbe" o£ lJeswali -and Ba•ri Jata ... 83 Prmc1pal tnbes of Stkh J ats o ... ... 86 Musa.l.man J8ts ... ..• . •. 87 .Jhin.wara ... ... 87 Jnlahaa ... ... ... .. 87 Khatika 87 KumMrs ... ... .. ... ... ... • •• 87 Lahars ... 88 Malis ... ... .... 88 Mua•is and Bh:Hs ... 89 lJooh[s ... ... .. '" ... ... ... 89 1llaghalq ... ... ... ... 8!1 iii CHAPTER I.-DESCRIPTIVE-coNTINUED;. C.-Population-contmned. SnbJeat. Page;. Na.ia ... ••• ... 89• Pachadas ••• ·-••• ... 89• Pathans ... ... ... ... 91 IlaJputs ... ... ... 91 Pr1nc1pal RaJput Tnbes ... ... or Barias ... 92 Bhattis ... ... .. ... 92 Chan bans ... ... ... 115 Jatus ... ... .. ... 95· J01yas ... ... ... 95 Mandahara ... ... .. ... 06' Punwars ... ••• ... ... 96 Raghbansis ... ... 96 Rathora ... -· ... .. 96- Satraolas ... ... ... ... 96, Tunwars ... 9T Wattus J._ --'-------- ~~. ... .. ~- 'l" Rangre~ ... ... ... 97~ Sansfs ... ... ... - 97 Sayyads ... ... .. 98· She1kha ... ... 98 Sonars ... ...-· ... .. 98: Tarkhans or Khatls ·-~ .. ... 98- Talis ... ... ... 98· Organization of tnbee and· castes ... ···-... 99· Social intercourse among tnbes and castes ... 101· Gharaoter and diapos1t10n ... ... ... 101' .Tats ... ... ... .. IOL RaJ puts ... ... ·~ ... IOZ Pachhadaa ... ... ... ...' 102-" B1shno!.s ... ... .. ... 102 Sikhs ... ... ... ... 102 Bagr1 Jats ... ••• .. ... 102" Moral character- ... ... .. lOS· Leading Fam1lies 103· ... ... .··~ History of Colc!nel Skinner ... ... .. - 103 The Bbai of S1dhowa\ ... ... .. 103 The S'ardar of Sliahzadpnr... ... ... 107 Darbar!.a ... ... .. 107 _n..ugt=-- ... .... ... .. lOT Hindus and 1netr- secGa ~·--- 107 The Bishnoi Religion Ju ... - - ..• 110> Sult/in!.s ... ... ... ... 1'13: N anak-panthis ... ••• ... .. 113. S1khs ... ... ... ... 1] 4t- Jains ... ... ... .... ... 114.- Jain Sects ... ... ... II& :Mand!.r-panth!.s- ... 115- Swetambaras ... .... ... liS. D1gambarae ... ... ... 116 Dhundia-panthis ... .... ~ ... llo A rya SamliJ . .• ... ] 17 Musalm4ns and their seats ... ... ... -- -117 c.irAPTJllRf.-DESORIPTIVE-coNCJtuDEDI c.-Population -eonoluded: Page. Religion of the rnemal castes ... ... ... llB- Chuhras ... ... 119 V1llage dettJes and samta .. 119 Superstillons ... ... ... 121 Eccles1astJCal administration and Chr1st1au MlaBlons 122 Occupations ... ... 124 Villages ... 124 Water supply ... ... 125 Houses ... ... .. 126 Furniture ... ... ... 128 Jewels ... ... H~ D1vzsions of tnlie ... 133 Dzvzsions of the day 135 Amusements .. 135 -FmrS>-fasts, noly places nnd shrines .. 136 Customs oonneated mth death, Hwdfrs, M usalmaus B1shnofs ... l3S. CHAPTER H.-ECONOMIC. A--Agriculture includmg lrr1gahon. Sozls .. 142 Sea~ons and ramfall 143 Agncultural yoar ••• . lH Irr1gatton, wells, depth o! wnter, method of irrtgahon 148 ConstructiOn of well~ ... 148 Kacha wells 14-9 Workmg of wells ... 149 Canal JE!lgatwn ... 149 The Weste1n Jnmna Canal ... ... 150 The SnbiJld Canal ... ... 152 The G haggar Canals ... )52 The Rang01 Channel ... 152 :Methods of canal 1rr1gatwn ... 152 Flow zrr1gatwn 158 Kfarfs ... 153 L1ft lrf!)?atwn ... ... 153 Kund 1rr1gatton .. ~-- Cattle ... 155 Cattle disease ... 155 Buffaloes ... ... 157 Cattle breedmg ... ]57 Cattle fairs ... ... 158 159 Pn vate bulla ... OH ... Sheep and goats ... ... ... 159 Horses and Mules ... ... 160 Donkeys ... ... 160 Camels .. ... 16& Ptgs and Poultry - ... ... 160 The Cattle Farm ... ... 16o Agr1cwtural Implements ... ... ... 168 T CRAPTER II -ECOi'<OliiC-coN'liNllltl> A.-Agriculture including lrrJgation -cooclnded. SnbJIIa$, Page. Agrtenltural operattons ... ... ... 1G4 Flongbwg and sowmg ... 1641 Weedmg , . ... ... ld6 Reapmg ... ... 166 1'hresbtng .. ... 167 Meaanrmg 1tl7 :Manure 11.>8 RotatiOn of cropa .. ••• 168 Area. culttvated per plough or well ... 171 Coat of oultivatwn ... ... 171 Prmctpal Staples .. , 171 Untrrtgated Kharif Crops-BaJra, Jawe.r, Moth and Mnng-Gwar ... • .. 171: Flooded crops-Rice ... ... l7Z lrrtga~ed crops-Cotton, Charrt, Pepper .. 173 "Umrrigated ltabt crops-Gram,Ha.rley, Sarson · ... 174 Rabt on flooded landa ... ,,. 175 Irrigated canal Jande ... •.. 175 Tobacco ••. .,. 1715 Average y teld . , . ... •.. 176 Sales and mortgages of land ••• ... 177 Indebtedness .. .. , .. 178 Loans under the Land Impro'i'ement Laa!ls and Agncul- turiats Loans Acts .. ... ••• 178 B.-Rents, Wages and Pr1ces. Ren~a ... ... 179 Prwas .•• ... lbO Agncultural Labourers ·-... ... 180 Petty vtllage grantees ... ... 181 V•lla.ge men1ala ... ". ... ... 181 Kbati ... • •• 181 N&t •• ... ... 1~1 Lobar ... ... 181 Kumh6.1' ... ... ... ... 182 Cbamar ... ... ... 182 Chuhras and DMnaks .. ... 1B2 Vlllage B&nya ••• ... •.. ... 182 Wages ... .• • •• 183 Measnree, length, area, weight and volum& ... 183 C -Forests. B.tss&l" Bfl' ••• 185 Arbor10ultnre ... ... ... ... 185 D.-Mines and Mineral Resources. :Kankar ... ... ... .~.. 185 Shora ... ... ... ... 186 E.-Arts and Manufactures. ,...... Hanel indus tries ... ... ... ••• 186 Fac~ory ind11stries ... .... 186 Mis~~~~o~ manufa~tures ... ... ... 18& vii ~~ - . - CDHAPTER II.-ECONOMIC'-CoNCLUDED• F-Commerce-and· Trade' Subject;• FagtJ .. • . 187 Glommercial classes ... ... Trade oentrlls .. .) ... , 188· ' G.-Means or communication. Ra1l way& ... , ••• ... ll\9• Roads .w• .... .~ ••• ... 190· N av1gable Canale a.nd W a..tl)rways-Ferries. " - , ... 191 Foetal arrangements 1: , ... ... ... 192 - H-Famines. 193- Famines. 1 ••• ~ , ••• ... Ban Chalisll ... • •• ... .. 193- Famine of 1860-61 •••. '... .. 194. 1869-70 ... ... .. 196· " 189Fi-9'T· • • ; •• ' . - ... ' 202; ..." 169d900 ••• • .. ... ' 204. - . ' CHAPTER III.-A.DMINISTllATlVE, A.-.Mministralive Divisions. , Geneul ... ... ... 206 • j ! .i TahsilPJ ,~. •.. ,••• ... 2117: Tbaua.s or Police Station jurisdictions.' ... ,, ••• 207 Zails ... ••• ~ .. .... ' · ... - ... 207: Lamb11rd!trs ..; ... ... 207' Grades of Zaildars L - ••• 208· ' ... Chaukidars _ ••• ... • •• . 208- Ea.twat{s -.._ .... - ... ...... _ ... 208 Bouorary Magistrates ... .. 2.09· B.~Criminal and Civil Jus lice. Cattle theft ... ... ••• • •• 209 L1t1gionsness of Jit tribes· - ••• ' ' ••• . .. 210· Crimes generally · ... ... ... 210• Crimmal tribes · ... ..