Balapur Taluk, 1908
This article has been extracted from THE IMPERIAL GAZETTEER OF INDIA , 1908. OXFORD, AT THE CLARENDON PRESS. |
Note: National, provincial and district boundaries have changed considerably since 1908. Typically, old states, ‘divisions’ and districts have been broken into smaller units, units, and many tahsils upgraded to districts.Many units have since been renamed. Therefore, this article is being posted mainly for its historical value.
Balapur Taluk, 1908
Taluk of Akola District, Berar, lying between 20 17' and 20 55' N. and 76 45' and 77 E., with an area of 569 square miles. The population rose from 101,673 in 1891 to 104,495 in 1 90 1, the density being 184 persons per square mile. The taluk contains 162 villages and three towns, Balapur, the head-quarters (population, 10,486), Patur (5,993), and Wadegaon (5,825). A few miles from Balapur are the ruins of the palace built at Shahpur by Sultan Murad, fourth son of the emperor Akbar, immediately after the annexation of Berar by the Mughals. The fort and chhalri at Bala pur and the shrine of Shaikh Babu at Patur are interesting. The demand for land revenue in 1903-4 was Rs. 3,62,000, and for cesses Rs. 28,000. The only natural boundaries are the Puma river on the north, and the Balaghat hills on the south. The taluk lies almost entirely in the fertile valley of the Puma ; but the land in the south, which occupies the lower slopes of the Balaghat, is comparatively poor.
