Cawnpore District , 1908 (Kanpur)
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, and many tahsils upgraded to districts. Some units have since been renamed. Therefore, this article is being posted mainly for its historical value.
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Cawnpore District
Physical aspects
{Kanpur). — Northern District of the Allah- abad Division, United Provinces, lying between 25° 56' and 26° 58' N. and 79° 31' and 80° 34' E., with an area of 2,384 square miles. It is bounded on the north-east by the Ganges, which divides it from the Oudh Districts of HardoT and Unao ; on the north-west by Farrukhabad and Etawah ; on the south-west by the Jumna, which separates it from Jalaun and HamTrpur; and on the south-east by Fatehpur. Cawnpore forms part of the Doab, or aSects^.^
great alluvial plain between the Ganges and the Jumna ; and it does not materially differ in its general features from other portions of that vast tract. It consists for the most part of a level plain, varied only by the courses of the minor streams whose waters eventually swell the great boundary rivers. There is a general slope towards the south-west, and all the river channels trend in that direction. The Isan cuts off a small angle to the north, joining the Ganges shortly after its entry within the limits of Cawnpore ; next come the Pandu and Rind or Arind, which traverse the central portion of the District from end to end ; while the Sengar, after a south-westerly course through part of the District, turns south abruptly and falls into the Jumna.
The banks of both the Sengar and the Jumna are deeply furrowed by extensive ravines, which ramify in every direction from the central gorge. Their desolate appearance contrasts strongly with the rich and peaceful aspect of the cultivated country above. The Ganges and Jumna are navigable throughout their course, but water-borne traffic has decreased. Although no lakes of any size exist, there are several jhih or swamps, especially in the northern and central portions ; and in the south-west a long drainage line, called the Sonas, gradually deepens into a regular watercourse.
The District consists entirely of Gangetic alluvium ; but kankar is found in all parts, and large stretches of country, especially in the Ganges-Pandu dodb, are covered with saline efflorescences.
The flora of the District presents no peculiarities. The only extensive jungles are of dhdk {Butea frondosd). Groves of mangoes cover a larger area ; and mahiid {Bassia latifolia), jdmiin {Eugenia Jambolana), nlm {Melia Azadirachta), and babul {Acacia arabica) are the com- monest trees.
Leopards are found near the confluence of the Sengar and Jumna, the ravine deer along the Jumna, and antelope and nilgai in small and decreasing numbers throughout the District. Wild hog are common near both the great rivers, and wolves along the bank of the Ganges are sometimes dangerous to human life. Partridges, quail, and hares are common ; and geese, duck, teal, and other aquatic birds haunt the marshes in the cold season. Fish are plentiful, and are freely used for food.
The climate is hot and dry. From April to July westerly winds prevail ; the rainy season lasts till the end of September or beginning of October, and the cold season begins in November. The District is, on the whole, well drained, and is therefore fairly healthy.
The rainfall over a long series of years averages 33 inches, evenl)- distributed throughout the District. From time to time there are considerable variations in the fall, which greatly affect agricultural conditions. In 1894 the amount was as much as 59 inches, and in 1897 only 19 inches.
History
The early history of the District is unusually meagre, owing to the fact that it contained no town of importance, and was divided between kingdoms or provinces whose capitals were situated IS ory. beyond its limits. Thus in the reign of Akbar it was divided between the sarkars of Kanauj, Kalpi, and Kora. On the fall of the Mughal empire the District fell into the possession of the Bangash Nawab of Farrukhabad and remained in his power from 1738 to 1754, when the Marathas occupied the Lower Doab.
After the great battle of Panipat the Farrukhabad Nawab again acquired part of the District, and gave some help to Shuja-ud-daula in his second attempt against the English, which ended in the victory of the latter near Jajmau in 1765. The result of that event was the restoration to the emperor Shah Alam II of a tract south of the Ganges, including part of this District. A few years later the Marathas again advanced, and the emperor joined them. The Oudh forces were successful in driving the Marathas out of the Doab, and in 1773 the territory granted to the emperor was assigned to the Nawab of Oudh. About 1778 a British cantonment was founded at Cawnpore, and in i8or the whole District was ceded with other territory. The later history is uneventful till the date of the Mutiny of 1857. The events of that terrible summer are described in detail in the article on Cawnpore City.
The revolt commenced on June 6, when the sepoys seized the treasury, broke open the jail, and burnt the public offices. For three weeks the small European garrison held out in entrenchments, hastily prepared in the middle of an open plain. On June 26 they capitulated on a sworn promise of protection, which was broken almost as soon as made. As the survivors of the siege were embarking in boats for Allahabad, fire was suddenly opened by men in ambush. With hardly an exception, the men were shot down on the spot and the women were carried off to prison, where they were afterwards all cut to pieces under the orders of the Nana, at the first sound of Havelock's guns outside Cawnpore.
General Havelock had fought the battles of Aung and the Pandu NadI on the 15th of July, and next day took Cawnpore by storm. The 1 7th and i8th were devoted to the recovery of the city, and the 19th to the destruction of Bithur and the Nana's palaces. Two or three un- successful attempts to cross into Oudh w-ere hazarded ; but no actual advance was made until the arrival of reinforcements under General Out- ram towards the end of August. Sir Colin Campbell's column passed through to the relief of Lucknow on October 19, and Colonel Greathed followed a week later.
In November the Gwalior mutineers crossed the Jumna, and, being joined by a large force of Oudh rebels, attacked Cawnpore on the 27th, and obtained possession of the city, which they held till Sir Colin Campbell marched in the next evening. On Decem- ber 6 he routed them with great loss, and took all their guns. General Walpole then led a column through the country, restoring order in Akbarpur, Rasulabad, and Derapur. The District was not completely pacified till after the fall of Kalpi in May, 1858. But that event rendered its reorganization easy ; and when Flroz Shah fled through it in December, 1858, his passage caused no disturbance.
Some interesting copper arrow-heads and hatchets have been found near Bithur. Along the course of the Rind stands a series of Hindu temples, mostly of small size, dating from the sixth to the ninth century.
Population
There are 6 towns and 1,962 villages in the District. In spite of ad- verse seasons population is increasing steadily. The numbers at the last four enumerations were as follows : (1872) 1,156,055, (1881) 1,181,396, (1891) 1,209,695, and (1901) 1,258,868. Cawnpore contains eight tahsils — Akbarpur, Bilhaur, BhognIpur (or Pukhrayan), Cawnpore, Derapur, Narwal (or Sarh Salempur), Shivarajpur, and Ghatampur — the head-quarters of each being at a place of the same name. The only large town is Cawnpore City, the administrative head-quarters of the District. The following table gives the chief statistics of population in 1901 : —
Hindus form more than 90 per cent, of the population, and Musalmans 9 per cent. The density of population is generally lower than in the rich Districts farther west. In spite of distress caused by the famine of 1896-7, population increased between 1891 and 1901 at a higher rate than the Provincial average. More than 99 per cent, of the population speak Western Hindi, the prevailing dialect being Kanaujia.
The most numerous Hindu castes are : Brahmans, 172,000 ; Chamars (leather-workers and cultivators), 154,000; Ahirs (graziers and cultiva- tors), 122,000; Rajputs, 95,000; Lodhas (cultivators), 47,000; Kurniis (agriculturists), 45,000; and Koris (weavers), 51,000. The Boriyas or Baurias, who number 15,000, are akin to the Pasis, and are not found elsewhere. Among Musalmans the chief groups are : Shaikhs, 53,000 • Pathans, 18,000; and Saiyids, 7,000. Agriculture supports 62 percent, of the population, general labour more than 8 per cent., and personal services nearly the same proportion. Rajputs, Brahmans, and Kurmis are the principal holders of land ; Brahmans, Ahirs, Rajputs, Chamars, KachhTs, and Kurmis are the chief cultivators.
In 1 90 1 there were 1,456 native Christians, of whom 547 belonged to the Anglican communion, 330 were Methodists, 50 Presbyterians, and 104 Roman Catholics. The Society for the Propagation of the (jospel has laboured here since 1833, and the American Methodist Mission was opened in 187 1.
Agriculture
Broadly speaking, there are two main agricultural divisions in the District. In the southern portion the Jumna and Sengar have an extensive system of ravines with small areas of low- land; the upland away from the ravines is mainly loam, but is not very fertile, and bears some resemblance to the neigh- bouring tract of Bundelkhand south of the Jumna. A striking feature of this tract is the great depth of the spring-level, making the cost of irrigation from wells almost prohibitive. The northern half of the District consists mainly of good fertile loam, with some heavy rice soil and large usar plains, particularly in the north and north-west. Along the Pandu and Rind are found stretches of lighter loam with a distinc- tive red colour. In the extreme north a strip of very light soil or bhur is found near the Isan. The Ganges has very little alluvial land, as in most parts of its course it flows close under the high bank.
The tenures found are those common to the United Provinces. In the whole District, 4,336 inahals are held za/ninddri, i)^"] patiiddri, and 20 bhaiydchdrd. The main agricultural statistics for 1903-4 are given below, in square miles : —
The principal food-crops, with the area under each in square miles, were: gram {262,), Joivdr (230), barley (254), and wheat (230). Maize, rice, and bdjra are also important. Of the non-food crops, cotton covered an area of 82 square miles, sugar-cane 12, indigo 20, and poppy 10.
The area under cultivation has not increased during the last thirty years, nor is there much room for expansion. Important changes have, however, taken place in the crops sown. These changes have been in the direction of increasing the area under the food-crops of the poorer classes, such ix?,Joiadr, rice, maize, and minor products, all of which are grown in the autumn. The spring crops, especially mixed wheat and barley, and mixed gram and peas, have decreased in area, as have the valuable autumn crops, cotton and sugar-cane. A substantial increase has, however, been effected in the area double cropped ; and poppy and potatoes, which are valuable crops, though covering a small area, are being more largely grown. Canal-irrigation has also been extended to two important tracts in the south-west and north-east of the District. .V steady demand exists for advances under both the Land Improve- ment and the Agriculturists' Loans Acts. During the ten years ending 1 90 1 the total advances were 1-7 lakhs, of which Rs. 75,000 was advanced in the famine year 1896-7. In normal years the loans amount to Rs. 3,000 or Rs. 4,000.
The District has no particular breed of cattle, goats, or sheep, and the best animals are all imported, the Makanpur fair being the great source of supply. Horse-breeding is not carried on in any part, and the ponies ordinarily bred are very inferior.
Cawnpore is largely dependent on canals. In 1903-4, out of 534 square miles irrigated, canals supplied 362, wells 140, and tanks 29. Three main branches of the Lower Ganges Canal supply the District : namely, the Cawnpore branch, the Etawah branch, and the Bhognlpur branch. The first of these is now continued through the east of Cawnpore, under the name of the Fatehpur branch. Un- bricked wells can be made in all parts of the District, except in the tract near the Jumna, and often last for many years, with annual repairs and cleaning. Water is raised in a leathern bucket by a rope drawn by bullocks.
Trade and Communication
The only mineral products of the District are kankar or nodular and block limestone, and the saline efflorescence called reh. Cawnpore City is the most important manufacturing centre in the United Provinces, Cotton-spinning and weaving and tanning and the manufacture of leathern goods are the chief industries carried on ; but ironwork, woollen goods, sugar, and ^^ ^. ^°. several other classes ot articles are also manufactured. The twenty-five largest factories gave employment in 1903 to nearly 17,000 hands. Outside the city there are few manufactures, and these are confined to the preparation of the articles required for local use.
The trade of the District largely centres in Cawnpore city, which not only takes the lead in industrial enterprise, but is also the greatest com- mercial mart in Upper India. Articles manufactured here are exported to all parts of the country, and several classes of goods are sent abroad. Grain and pulses, oilseeds, and sugar are exported ; while raw cotton, salt and saltpetre, metals, and piece-goods are imported for distribution to the surrounding Districts. The traffic is largely carried on the railway ; but grain and cotton are also brought into Cawnpore by road and by the Lower Ganges Canal.
Cawnpore city is an important railway junction. The oldest line is the East Indian Railway, passing across the District from east to west. Through communication with Bombay is supplied by the Indian Mid- land branch of the Great Indian Peninsula Railway, while a branch of the Oudh and Rohilkhand Railway runs to Lucknow. The Cawnpore- Achhnera metre-gauge line traverses a rich tract in the Agra Division, and is connected with the Bengal and North-Western Railway. The District is well supplied with means of communication, being the centre of a system of metalled roads, radiating in all directions with a total length of 205 miles, maintained by the Public Works department, 148 miles being repaired at the cost of Provincial revenues. There are also 798 miles of unmetalled roads in charge of the District board. Avenues of trees are kept up on 567 miles. The main routes are the grand trunk road, and the roads from Cawnpore city to Jhansi and Saugor, and to Hamlrpur.
Famine
Cawnpore is not liable to such severe famine as are the Districts situ- ated to the west and south, but contains several tracts in which distress is caused by drought. The terrible famine of 1770 extended to this District, and in 1783 4 people and cattle died by thousands. Distress was felt in 1 803-4, and the famine of 1837 visited Cawnpore with frightful severity. Cattle died by herds, and whole villages were depopulated. In 1 860-1 some distress was felt ; but the extension of canal-irrigation has been very effective to pre- vent famine; and in 1868-9 and 1877-8 there was little damage. In 1896-7 distress was severely felt in the parts not protected by canals, and was, as usual, aggravated by the inrush of starving people from Bundelkhand. In February, 1897, 139,600 persons were ^n receipt of relief, and more than 4 lakhs was spent on relief works. Large advances were made for seed, bullocks, and wells, and the District recovered rapidly.
Administration
The District officer is usually assisted by two members of the Indian Civil Service, and by four Deputy-Collectors recruited Administration. in India. A iahsilaar resides at the head-quarters of each tahs'il, and two Executive Engineers in charge of divisions of the Lower Ganges Canal are stationed at Cawnpore city.
There are two District Munsifs. The Subordinate Judge and Dis- trict Judge have civil jurisdiction throughout Cawnpore and Fatehpur Districts, and the latter is also Sessions Judge for both Districts, but only hears appellate criminal cases from Fatehpur. The District is not specially notable for crime. In 1900 a serious riot attended by loss of life took place in the city, and extra police were quartered on it for time. Female infanticide was formerly suspected ; but the last names were removed from the register of persons under surveillance in 1903.
Cawnpore was acquired in 1801, and when first formed infcluded parts of the present Districts of Farrukhabad and Fatehpur. The administrator under the Nawab of Oudh before cession had been the celebrated eunuch, Almas All Khan, whose method was that of assess- ing revenue at the highest figure which could be collected. Under British rule short-term settlements were made at first, based on the nominal demand under native rule. This demand was excessive over a series of years, and great scandals arose. The native officials were corrupt and the English officers ignorant or supine ; and estates were brought to sale, and purchased for a song, without their owners know- ing that they were in arrears. In 1821 a special commission was appointed, with power to inquire into and set aside such sales.
The commission annulled 185 auction sales, and a few private sales and mortgages. In 1840 the first regular settlement under Regulation IX of 1833 was carried out. The revenue demand was reduced from 23-2 to 2 1-8 lakhs, and this was further reduced by Rs. 30,000, as the assess- ment was found to be too high. There were at that time two large talukas in the District, which, in accordance with the usual policy, were broken up and settled with the village proprietors. The next regular settlement was made between 1868 and 1877, in the usual method. Each village was divided into blocks of similar qualities of soil, and rates were selected for the valuation of these. The result was an assessment of 21-6 lakhs. In 1903 a new settlement was connnenced ; but procedure has been simplified, as the /^/^e/am' records were proved to be reliable, and where the existing demand is found to lie between 45 and 55 per cent, of the recorded ' assets,' no change is ordinarily being made.
Collections on account of land revenue and t(jtal revenue have been, in thousands of rupees : —
There is only one municipality, Cawnpore City ; but five towns are
administered under Act XX of 1856. The District board, which is in
charge of local affairs beyond the limits of these towns, had an income
of 1-5 lakhs in 1903-4, chiefly derived from rates. The expenditure
included Rs. 60,000 spent on roads and buildings.
There are 28 police stations ; and the District Superintendent of police usually has 2 Assistants, and a force of 6 inspectors, 133 sub- ordinate officers, and 621 constables, in addition to 195 municipal and town police, and 2,882 rural and road police. The District jail con- tained a daily average of 397 prisoners in 1903.
Cawnpore takes a fairly high place as regards the literacy of its popu- lation, and 4 per cent. (7 males and 0-4 females) could read and write in 1 90 1. This is largely owing to the presence of a great city. The number of public institutions rose from 234 with 7,028 pupils in 1880-1 to 271 with 11,177 pupils in 1900-1. In 1903-4 there were 263 public institutions with 12,580 pupils, of whom 529 were girls; besides 265 private schools with 3,406 pupils, including 131 girls. More than 14,000 of the total number of pupils were in primary classes. Three of the public schools were managed by Government and 162 by the District and Municipal boards. The total expenditure on education was i-i lakhs, of which Rs. 34,000 was met from subscrip- tions and other sources, Rs. 44,000 from Local funds, Rs. 21,000 from fees, and Rs. 15,000 from Provincial revenues. The only college in the District is at Cawnpore city.
There are 18 hospitals and dispensaries, providing accommodation for 153 in-patients. In 1903 the number of cases treated was 107,000, including 1,600 in-patients, and 5,400 operations were performed. The total expenditure was Rs. 28,000, chiefly met from Local funds.
About 33,000 persons were successfully vaccinated in 1903-4, repre- senting a proportion of 26 per 1,000 of the population, which is rather a low figure. Vaccination is compulsory only in the municipality and cantonment.
[F. N. ^Vright, Settlement Report, 1878; District Gazetteer, 1881 (under revision).]
