CENSUS OF INDIA 1981 SERIES- 22 UlTAR PRADESH PARTX-B TOWN SURVEY REPORT UNNAO Drafted by s.c. Tripathi Statistical Assistant SupelVised by R.M. Singh Assistant Director Edited by R.K. Singh Deputy Director Guided by CHANDAN GOPAL Of the Indian Administrative Service DIRECTOR OF CENSUS OPERATIONS UTTAR PRADESH FOREWORD Apart from the decennial enumeration of population, the Indian Census IS steeped in the tradition of undertaking a variety of studies of topical Interest. In fact, the publications brought out in connection with the earlier censuses contained veritable mines of Information on racial, cultural, lingUistic and a number of other aspects of life of the people of this country. With the advent of freedom, however, the scope and dimension of these special studies had to be restructured In a manner that would provide the basIc feedbacks cn the processes of development taking place In different spheres of life of the people especl(.llly under planned development Thus, In connection with the 1961 Census, a massive programme was launched inter­ alia to conduct SOClo-economlC survey of about 500 villages selected from different parts of the country The main objective of this study was to know the way of life of the people liVing In Indian Villages whIch accounted for 82 per cent of the total population as per the 1961 Census There was, however, an imperative need to extend the area of the study to urban centres as well, to provide a complete coverage of the people liVing In diverse socio-economic conditions It was with this objective in view ancillary studies on towns were launched as part of the socIal studIes programme In connection with the 1971 Census. The programme of social studies taken up in connection with the 1971 Census, was contInued wIthout any major change at the 1981 Census as well. A study on traditIonal rural based handIcrafts was, however, added as a new item under the social study projects of the 1981 Census For the conduct of urban study, 64 small and medium towns were selected from different parts of the country following the criteria such as (a) Size, (b) demographic features, (c) functional characteristics, (d) specific Industry or occupation dominating the economy, (e) location, (f) concentration of different castes and commu­ nities, and (g) other social and cultural phenomenon like temple town, health resort etc The research design, tools for data collection and formats for data tabulation and report writing reqUired for urban studies were originally formulated by Dr. B K Roy Burman, the then Deputy Registrar General, Social Studies Division HIS successor, Dr. N G Nag took conSiderable pains to revise all the formats to make them more comprehensive Dr. K.P. Ittaman, the present Deputy RegIstrar General headIng Social Studies DIVISion, coordinated these studies at dIfferent levels as well as rendered necessary gUidance to the DIrectorates of Census OperatIons for their successful consummation. Shn M K Jain, Senior Research Officer and Smt. Suman Prashar, ASSistant Director With the able assistance of Investigators, Shn V.M Tamahne and Shn Sudesh Madan did a commendable Job In scrut,nlsmg the reports and communicating tne comments thereon to the Directorates I am grateful to all of them The present report IS the out-come of a study on the Unnao town undertaken by the Directorate of Census Operatiors, Uttar Pradesh. I am Indebted to Shn Chandan Gopal, Director and hiS colleagues in the Census Directorate for their painstaking efforts In bringing out this report New Deihl, V S. VERMA 1 st June, 1988 REGISTRAR GENERAL, INDIA PREFACE The developed world has nearly reached the zenith of urbanization while developing socIetIes are stIli marching towards that goal. In that context one important social change of crucial significance for the sociologists and general public alike is review of progress of urbanization in the light of sub-human living conditions, coupled with excessive migration from village to tow level and subsequent squalor created due to pressure of population. The Indian Census Organisation has been coming-up with sociological studies of selected Villages since 1961 Census, as an ancillary to the regular census work. The intensive Urban studies of selected towns, was for the first time undertaken by this Directorate at the 1971 Census_Following this tradition in the 1981 Census also, five towns were selected In Uttar Pradesh Unnao IS one of them Others are Fatehpur Sikri (Agra), Vrindavan (Mathura), KopaganJ (Azamgarh) and Ballia. These five towns In the state were selected by taking into consideration certain para­ meters such as size, demographic features, functional characteristics, location and con­ centration of ethniC groups etc In the first three chapters of the survey report, an attempt has been made to highlight the evolution of the town Economic, social and demographic characteristics of the people, migration trends, neighbourhood pattern, family-life, housing condition, socia-political organization, social or religious-participation or aloofness and ab­ erration, as well the extent and conflicts underlying the urbanization of fringe areas are the other aspects which have been dealt in the rest of the chapters. Considering the area and population, Unnao was a town of medium size upto 1971 Census, the population rise had been like the rest of the towns in the state. But dUring the decade 1971-81, both its area and population had gone-up abnormally, due to Increase In the statutory limits of the town. Although, the town is about eight centuries old, yet it came Into lime-light at the time of MutinY in 1857. In 1856 the town was made district headquarters. It was declared municipality in the year 1869. By and large, the town has remained a monofunctional service town upto 1971 Census. In fact, Unnao town is situated In the middle of the Gangetic upland plains between the cities of Kanpur and Lucknow of Uttar Pradesh. The prescnbed schedules (Household schedule and Town schedule) for conducting the survey were provided by the Office of the Registrar General, India. A sample of 215 households was selected from the town and canvassing of the schedule in the field was taken up In April 1987 Shn R.M. Singh, Assistant Director supervised and got completed the field work and tabulation I appreciate the work of Sarvashri V.K. Nigam and Devendra Singh (Investigators), S.C. Tnpathi, 0 I. Lyall and Ajay Awasthi (Statistical Assistants), Chhabeel Singh and Balbeer Singh (Computors) and Ganga Ram (AsSistant Compiler) in carrYing-out field-work. Apart from the data collected through the schedules, the information available in various census volumes and district gazetteers and interviews with the knowledgeable persons of different walks of life has been used. Sarvashri R.M. Singh (Assistant Director) and S.C. Tnpathl (Statistical Assistant) prepared the first draft of the report and revised the same on the basIs of comments/suggestions received from the Office of the Registrar General, India The report was thoughtfully edited by Shri R.K. Singh, Deputy Director. (v) I am thankful to all of them for undertaking this strenuous job. Art-work relating to the cover-design, maps and diagrams were prepared by the Map Unit, under the supervision of Shri J.C. Srivastava, Research Officer (Map). I am grateful to Shri V.S. Verma, the Registrar General, India for the encouragement a!:ld guidance received from time to time. Shri M.K. Jain, Senior Research Officer and Smt. Suman Prashar, Assistant Director scrutinized the report and tables under the over­ all guidance of Dr. K.P. Ittaman, Deputy Registrar General (SOCial Studies) and provided valuable suggestions for the improvement of the Survey Report. In the end, I would also like to place my deep sense of appreciation to Shri. B.P.Jain, Deputy Director Printing who assisted in the job of timely printing of this Report. Lucknow CHANDAN GOPAL Dated : June 20, 1989 Director of Census Operations Uttar Pradesh (VI) ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Field Survey and Tabulation Shri V.K. Nigam, Investigator Shri Devendra Singh, Investigator Shri S.C. Tripathi, Statistical Assistant Shri 0.1. Loyall, Statistical Assistant Shri Ajay Awasthi, Statistical Assistant Shri M.B. Khan, Computor Shri Chhabeel Singh, Computor Shri Balbeer Singh, Computor Shr; Ganga Ram, AssIstant Compiler Typing Work Shn Suresh Singh, Computor Smt. Shobha Srivastava, Typist Maps/Sketching Shri Dashrath Singh, Semor Geographer Shn V.K. Jain, Senior Artist Shri N.C. Bose, Artist Shri R.P. Ram, Draughtsman Printing Shn R.K. Saxena, Senior Technical Assistant Shri Raj Bahadur, Printing Inspector Shri K.G. Awasthi, Statistical Assistant Shri R.P. Srivastava, Computor CONTENTS Pages Foreword (III) Preface (v) Acknowledgement (vii) Maps (xIIi) Diagrams (XXI) CHAPTER Introduction 1-20 CHAPTER II History of Growth of the Town 21-40 CHAPTER III Amenities and Services-History of Growth and present position 41-72 CHAPTER IV Ecorc01lc life of the Town 73-112 CHAPTER V Ethnic and Selected Soclo-Demographlc Characteristics of the population 113-145 CHAPTER VI Migration and Settlement of Families 146-180 CHAPTER VII Neighbourhood pattern 181-195 CHAPTER VIII Family LIte in the Town 196-217 CHAPTER IX Housing and Matenal Culture 218-244 CHAPTER X Slums, Blighted and other Areas with Sub­ standard living conditions 245-249 CHAPTER XI Organization of Power and Prestige 250-255 CHAPTER XII Leisure and Recreation, SOCial PartiCipation, SOCial Awareness, Religion and Cnme 256-290 CHAPTER XIII Linkage and Contmua 291-330 CHAPTER