BENGAL DISTRICT GAZETTEERS . —«— t PURJEA. BENGAL DISTRICT GAZETTEERS. PURJSTEA, CALCUTTA: BENGAL SECRETARIAT BOOK DEPOT, v P v n v>» <r~ ^ r I d e s ir e to acknowledge the great assistance I have derived from the Final Report on the Survey and Settlement Operations in Purnpa (1901--1908) by- Mr. J. Byrne, i.e.s., from which much of the information contained in this volume has been reproduced. L. S. S.-O’MALLEY, BPATC LIBRARY Clttt No. Soon*. Coat; PLAN OE CONTENTS, PAGES C h a p t e r I . P h y s ic a l A s p e c t s ............................................... 1 — 18 A p p e n d ix to C h a p t e r I . T h e C ourses o f t h e K osi . 1 9 — 31 C h a p t e r I I . H is t o r y ...................................................................... 3 2 — 52 I I I . T h e P e o ple ...... 53— 71 I V . P u b l ic H e a l t h ......................................................... 7 2 — 82 V . A g r ic u l t u r e . 8 3 — 96 V I . N a t u r a l C a l a m i t i e s .............................................. 9 7 — 1 0 6 V II. Rents, W ages and Prices .... 1 0 7 — 1 1 6 V III. Occupations, Manufactures and Trade . 117— 125 I X . T h e I n d ig o I n d u s t r y ..............................................1 2 6 — 139 X . M e a n s of C ommunication .... 1 4 0 — 14 4 X I . L a n d R e v e n u e A dministration . ■ . 14 5— 165 X I I . G e n e r a l A dministration .... 1 6 6 — 1 7 3 XIII. Local Self-Government .... 174— 1 7 7 X I V . E d u c a t i o n .....................................................................1 7 8 — 180 X V . G a z e t t e e r ....... 1 8 1 — 2 0 3 , I n d e x .............................................................................................. 2 0 5 ~ 2 1 0 QHAPTER I. PHYSICAL ASPECTS. Pass Gbnebax Dbsoeiption—Boundaries—Configuration—Natural divisions— Rivbb System—Kosi— Changes in the course of the Kosi-^Old beds of the Kosi__KSla Kosi—SaurS—Mahananda—Tributaries of the Mahananda— Kankai—Panar—Livari and Nagar—L akes and Maebhes—Geology— Botany__F ausa—Game birds—Pish—Crocodiles— Climate —Tempera­ ture—Rainfall Ml Ml (M III1—18 ••• Ap p m d ix —The Courses of the Kosi • •• ••• Mt 19—31 CHAPTER II. HISTORY. EAEIY HlWOBY—MUHAIOIADAH RULE—GOTBENOBS OP PUBNEA—Saif Khan—Fakhr-ud-din Husain Khan—Saiyad Ahmed Khan—Shaukat Jang—Battle o f Baldiabari—Character of Shaukat Jang— Khadim Husain Khan—L ast days op Muhammadan R ule—Eably Bbitish Administbation—Nepalese W ab—Thb Mutiny op 1857— Abohjsology t«« ••• •«» ••• »•« 82—62 CHAPTER III. THE PEOPLE. Gbowth op P opulation—Census op 1901—Density—Migration—Towns and villages—Genebal Chabactebistios—L anguages—Maithill— Bengali—R eligions—Some popular beliefs—Christians—Muhammadans— Principal Castes—Sheikhs—Goalas—Rajbansis—Kaibarttas— Musa- bars— Dhanuks— Gangais —Tautis — Haris—Teli3— Dosadhs —Saiyads — Jolahas— firahmans—Koiris —Baniyas— Kewats— Chapuats— Chapotas— ^ujariors—Kondias—Banauts—Houses—Food ... ... 63—7} XU TABLE OF CONTENTS. CHAPTER IV. PUBLIC HEALTH. FA G tfS G e n e r a l C o n d it io n s —P b i n c i p a l D is b a s e s —F ever— Cholera— Epidemic of 1891— Goitre —Other diseases— Infirmities —V a Bo in a t i o n —M e d ic a l I nstitutions 7 2 — 8 2 CHAPTER* V. AGRICULTURE. G e n e r a l C o n d it io n s —So il s —A gricultural St a t is t ic s — P r i n c i p a l c h o p s —P o o d C hops—R ice— Rice harvest—^Preparations of rice— Other cereals— Pulses— N o n - f o o d C e o p s —J ute— Other fibres— Tobacco— Indigo — Sugarcane— V b g e t a b l e s —FBtriTS— E x t e n s io n o p C u l t i v a t i o n C a t t l e —P a s t u r a g e 8 3 — 96 CHAPTER YI. NATURAL 'CALAMITIES. L i a b i l i t y t o F a m in e —F a m i n e o p 1 7 7 0 —Su b s e q u e n t P e b io d s o p S c a b o it y —F a m in e o p 1 86 6 — F a m in e o p 1874— S c a r c it y o p 1 8 9 2 — S c a r c it y o p 1897— S c a r c it y o p 1 9 0 6 — F lo o d s — Floods of the Kosi__. E m b a n k m e n t s —On the Kosi—The railway embankment—Belwa embankments—Other embankments ... ... 9 7 - 1 0 6 CHAPTER VII. RENTS, WAGES AND PRICES. R ents— Cash rents— Produce rents — W kasa— Kamiyds— Prices—M aterial Condition op the People ... ... 107— 116 CHAPTER VIII. OCCUPATIONS, MANUFACTURES AND TRADE. O c c u p a t io n s — M anufactures -B id ri ware—Cotton weaving—Blanket weaving— Gunny bags—Miscellaneous industries—T r a d e —Imports and exports—Trade centres -Bazars and h&ts—Fairs —Nepal trade— Weights and measures ... ... ... ... it* 1 1 7 * -1 2 5 TABLE OF CONTENTS. siii 'CHAPTEE IX. THE INDIGO INDUSTRY. PAGES H * I 0BY-»RELATI0NS OF PlANTEBS AND RAIYATS— CULTIVATION— MANUFAC- TUBE— INDIGQ-SEED GBOWING ... ... 3 2 6 - 1 3 9 CHAPTEE X. MEANS. OF COMMUNICATION. D e v e l o p m e n t o p C ommunications —R a i l w a y s —R o a d s —G anges— Darjeel­ in g roa d — C o n v e y a n c e s —W a t e b communications —P o s t a l c o m m u n i­ c a t io n s 140— 1 44 CHAPTEE XI. LAND REVENUE ADMINISTRATION. BEVENUE HI8TOEY— SUBVEYS AND SETTLEMENTS—LAND T e NUBES— Zamindaris—Tenure-holders—Taluks—Istimrari talulcs— Patnl tenures —NanJear taluks—Mustajiris and mutahidis— Qachbandi— Resumed jdgirs— Raiyati holdings— Halbasila jo t—Blrauidri—Jot jama— Harbera and mnshakhas—Under-raiyats’ holdings—Kulaitdars—Rent-free lands— MiliJcs—Jdgirs—Service holdings—Other rent-free holdings—Miscella­ neous tenures—L a n d l o r d s or t h e D i s t b i c t —L a n d l o b d s ’ "S t a f f — Parganas 1 4 5 - 1 6 5 CHAPTEE XII. GENERAL ADMINISTRATION. A dministbative C h a r g e s a n d S t a f f —R e v e n u e — Land revenue—'Excise— Stamps—Cesses— Income-tax—Registration— A dministeation o f J u s t io e —Civil justice—Criminal justice—Crime—Criminal castes— P o l ic e —J a i l s ... ... ... ... ‘ 166— 1 7 3 CHAPTER XIII. LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMBNT. ftiBTEifiT B oa b d — Income—Expenditure— L o c a l B o a e d s —M unicipalities — Puni^a—Kishanganj—Katihar ... ...174— ... 1 7 7 siv TABLE OP CONTENTS. CHAPTER XIV. EDUCATION. PAGK P b o g b e s s o p E d u c a t io n —S e c o n d a b y S c h o o l s —P e i m a e y S c h o o l s -* G ib u s ’ S c h o o l s —O t h e b Sc h o o l s — E d u c a t io n o b M u h a m m a d a n s ... 17&— 180 CHAPTER XV. GAZETTEER. Araria—Araria Subdivision—Asuragarh—Baldiabari—Banaili Raj—Barijan- garh—Barsoi—Basantpur—Benugarh—Chotapabar—Dharampur Estate— Dharampur Pargana—Dharara—Forbesjfanj—Haveli Fargana—Jalal* garh—Kaliagarfj—Kankjol— Karagola or Karhagola—Kasba—Katihar— Khagra— Khagra Estate— Kishanganj—Kishanganj Subdivision-'Mamu Bhagina Ail—Manihari— Morang or Murang—Nawabganj—Purnea— Purnea Subdivision— Raniganj— Saifganj—Satligarh—Surjyapur Par­ gana— Thakurganj ... ... ... 181— 203 Index ... ... ... ... ... ... 205—210 G a z e t t e e r OF T H E PUBNEJ l ■ D ISTR IO T. O H A P T E B I . PHYSICAL ASPECTS. The district of Purnea, which. forma th e north-eastern portion 8 ^ . of the Bhagalpur Division, is situated between 25° 15' and dbsciup. 26° 35' north latitude, and between 87 0 and 88° .32' east M°*r’ longitude. It extends over 4,994 square miles, and has a popula. tion of 1,874,794 persons, as ascertained at the census of 1901 its area being nearly as great as that of Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex combined, while it has 400,000 more inhabitants than the whole of Wales. The head-quarters are at the town of Purnea, the name of which was extended to the texvitoxy now included in the district. Purnea is an English corruption o f the vernacular name Purania, and this or Puraniya is the designation of the district in old records.