Hyderabad District, 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, 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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Hyderabad District
Physical aspects
District in the province of Sind, Bombay, lying between 24° 13' and 27° 14' N. and 67° 52' and 69° 22' E., with an area of 8,291 square miles. It is bounded on the north by the State of Khairpur : on the east by Khairpur and the Thar and Parkar District ; on the south by the Rann of ( "utch ; and on the west by the river Indus and Karachi District.
The District is a vast alluvial plain, 210 miles long by 48 broad. Fertile along the course of the Indu.s, which forms its western boundary, it degenerates towards the east into sandy tracts, asoects which have recently, by the construction of the Jamrao and Nasrat Canals, been reclaimed from the desert and promise to become most fertile regions. A small limestone range in the Hyderabad fahika, known as the Ganjo hills, runs nearly due south parallel to the river for about 14 miles. The monotony of the great flats is relieved by the fringe of forests which marks the course of the river, and by the avenues of trees that line the irrigation channels branching eastward from the beneficent stream. The Tando subdivision, in the south of the District, has special features in its large natural watercourses {d/ioras), and grass-covered depressions {c/ia/uis or d/ia/id/is), which retain rain and surplus canal- water for many months and nourish a luxuriant growth of /hiI'FiI trees on their margins. The Indus borders the District for 150 miles.
Except in the neighbourhood of Hyderabad city, where there are hills of Kirthar limestone (middle eocene), the entire District is occupied by the alluvium of the Indus.
The fruit trees common in the District are the mango, lime, mulberry, date, plantain, orange, peach, fig, pomegranate, and grape. Of forest trees, the commonest is The babul: others are the kandi, geduri {Cordia /atifo/ia), her, ba/nhi, and several varieties of tamarisk. On the road- side and in gardens the /nn- {Ficus ifidica), the plpal, the tali or black-wood, the siras {Alhizzia Lebbek), the ;/7w, the horse-radish tree, and the tamarind are met with. The bush jungle comprises the wild caper, the khabar (^Salvadora persica), the j7iar (Sa/'('adora o/coides), the ak, and the camel-thorn or kas {Alhagi maurorum). Wild grasses useful for fodder are the khip, chabor, sawari, and makhni; others used in mixing mud plaster are the drab and kalof reeds, the kanh, used in making reed mats, and the bulrush are the most common.
The wolf, fox, jackal, hog deer, antelope, hare, badger, otter, and hog almost complete the list of wild animals. Among birds, the tilur is remarkable, and most of the common kinds of wild duck and water- fowl are to be met with during the cold season. Sand-grouse, quail, and black and grey partridge are common. Venomous reptiles abound, including the cobra, the kappar {Echis carinata), and the karait {Bungarus caei-itleus). The Indus supplies a great variety of fish, of which the/rr/r? is said to be peculiar to this river and is caught only between March and August.
Great variations of climate obtain within the District. The hot season lasts from Apriltill July, with an average maximum temperature of 104°. In August and September the heat is tempered by rain, and an immense amount of water is used in cultivation. In October the mercury rises again temporarily, but for the rest of the year the weather is dry and pleasant. In December and January frosts are not uncommon at night ; at Guni, on the night of December 26, 1903, the thermometer fell to 22° and on the following night to 27°. Frosts such as these cause widespread damage to the cotton crop. In the north of the District greater extremes of heat and cold are met with, while in the south the proximity of the sea adds moisture to the air. Fogs are not uncommon in the cold season. In the Tando subdivision fevers are prevalent in consequence of the swamps, especially as the inundation recedes ; but on the whole the District in normal years is health)-.
The annual rainfall averages 5-7 inches, the local distribution being: Hyderabad 7, Badin 6, and Naushahro 3 inches. In 1869 there was an extraordinary fall of 20 inches all over the District. The same year is memorable for an outbreak of epidemic cholera, and in the Hyderabad taluka of severe fever.
History
The' history of Sind since 1768 centres in this District, for all the events of the eighteenth century affected more or less nearly Hyderabad, the modern cai)ital of the province. Under the old name of Nerankot, this city was, in the eighth
century, sufficiently important to be the first object of Muhammad bin Kasim's invasion of Lower Sind. A thousand years later, Ghulam Shah, the Kalhora chief, burst from the desert, overthrew his usurping brothers, and niadt; Nerankot, then renamed Hyderabad, his capital. Thencefortli this District assumes a foremost [)lacc in the history of Sind. Under the Talpur dynasty it remained the leading state ; and within its limits were fought the battles of Miani and Habo, which decided (1843) the fate of Sind. Its local history is, however, so mixed up with that of the province, that little could be here said of it separately which will not more properly find a place under the history of Sind. Before 1861, Umarkot District (now in Thar and Parkar District) and a large portion of the eastern delta (now part of the Shah- bandar tdhika of Karachi) were included in Hyderabad. Since 1884 some trifling adjustments of territory have been made svith Karachi and Thar and Parkar, and in 1894 the talitka of Mirpur Khas was transferred to the latter. The parganas of Kandiaro and Naushahro were resumed by Government in 1852 from the domains of Mir All Murad of Khairpur, on his public conviction for forgery and fraud, and transferred to this District.
Numerous tombs with inscriptions are met with throughout the Dis. trict. The antiquities of special interest at Hyderabad are the tombs of the Kalhora and Talpur rulers, richly decorated with coloured tiles in geometric and floral patterns ; the colours are cruder and the designs less artistic than in similar work at Tatta in Karachi District.
Population
The population of the District has increased by 47 per cent, since 1872. The totals at the enumerations were : (1872) 677,994, (1881) 703,637, and (1891) 861,994. Accord- ing to the Census of 1901, the total was 989,030, distributed as follows : —
This Taluka was formed in 1(503 from portions of the Moro and Shahdadpur lahtkas. The District contains 7 towns and 1,405^ villages. The towns are: Hyderab.^d Citv, the head-quarters, Matiart, Tando Adam, Hala,
According to the Census of 1901, 41 new villages have sprang up in the p.Trts of the District that were formerly desert. Tando Muhammad Khan, Nasarpur, and Tando Alahvar. The density of population is 1 19 persons per square mile, but varies consider- ably in different parts. Sindl, the chief vernacular of the District, is spoken by 91 per cent, of the people. Classified according to religion, Hindus form 24 per cent., and Musalmans 75 per cent.
Among the Hindus, the chief castes are Lohanas (148,000), who are clerks and traders ; Dheds (24,000), who are scavengers ; and Kolls (15,000), who are employed in cultivation. Of the Muhammadans, nearly three-fourths are SindTs, the descendants of the original Hindu population converted to Islam during the Ummayid dynasty of Khalifs, chiefly represented by the Sammas (226,000) and the Sumras (36,000). There are 27,000 Muhammadan Jats. The Sindis have a fine physique, but are timid and lacking in moral fibre ; they are looked down upon by the more warlike tribes of the District as natural serfs. Next in point of numbers among the Muhammadans are the Baluchis (163,000), subdivided into a great number of tribes, the chief being the Rind (21,000), Dombki (10,000), Khosa (12,000), Jamali (11,000), Jakrani (3,000), Llghari (21,000), Chandia (Husaini and Haji) (22,000), Korai (g,ooo), Jatoi (14,000), Burdis (Sundar and HajT) (18,000), Marri (11,000), and Lashari (13,000). Their leading clan is the Rind, and its members are held by the rest of the community in high respect.
Fairer in complexion than the Sindis, they are also a hardier race ; honourable after their own code, and manly in field sports. They are Sunnis by sect. More important, however, as regards social status and personal character are the Pathans (6,000), found chiefly about Hyder- abad and Upper Sind, with the naturalized Arabs (37,000) returning themselves as Alwi (54), Bani Abbas (1,300), Husaini (10,000), Hasani (2,500), Kureshi (9,000), and Kalhora (8,000). They are superior to the foregoing in personal appearance and morale. From their being held in great esteem by the princes of the Kalhora dynasty, they acquired considerable grants of land, which they still possess. The remaining Muhammadan classes worthy of mention are the Muhanos or fishermen (33,000) and the Shaikhs (7,000), the latter being Memons, formerly Hindus who emigrated from Cutch to Sind under Kalhora rule and devoted themselves to trade.
The number of persons supported by agriculture form 64 per cent, of the total population. General labour supports 6 per cent., industry 15 per cent., and commerce one per cent.
The total Christian population numbers 1,345, of whom 192 are natives, mostly Roman (Catholics. The Church Missionary Society has a branch at Hyderabad, where it maintains a high school and a primary school for boys, attended respectively by 56 and 113 pupils. The Zanana Mission, established at Hyderabad in 1885, has a dispensary for women and 6 primary schools for girls.
Agriculture
The different kinds of soils prevailing in the District are four in number : soil containing a large admixture of sand, but with good productive capabilities ; hard and firm soil ; sandy impregnated with salt. The greater part of the land in the northernmost division is very fertile. In the Hcila and Tando subdivisions, towards the east, there is much sandy and unprofitable land. In the Tando subdivision, to the south and east, are extensive salt plains.
The chief statistics of cultivation in 1903-4 are shown below, in square miles : —
This differs from the area shn\vn .it the Census of 1901, beinir based upon more reeent information.
The principal crops are: joivCxr (163 square miles), bajra (504), rice (319), wheat (138), cotton (143), and oilseeds (149). Wheat and ioivdr are the staples of the north, bajra of the central or Hala sub- divi.sion, and rice and bajra of the south. The area under cultivation is gradually increasing, more especially in the Jamrao tract, where the water-supply is assured. Garden cultivation is limited to the neigh- bourhood of large towns, where vegetables are grown to a small extent. Sugar-cane is raised in the .south. Large advances have been made under the Land Improvements and Agriculturists' Loans Acts, amounting during the decade ending 1903-4 to i\ lakhs, of which one lakh was advanced in 1899-1900, 1-9 lakhs in 1902-3, and one lakh in 1903-4.
The domestic animals include the horse, camel, bullock, buffalo, donkey, sheep, and goat. Tamels and bullocks are used for draught, and in turning water-wheels for the irrigation of land.
Agriculture in Hyderabad is chiefly dependent upon artificial irriga- tion, and is regarded as a lottery in which the cultivator stakes his labour and seed on the chance of getting an exactly suitable flood. If the water rises too high, or not sufficiently high, the cuUivator loses his crop. The mud flats of the Indus are cultivated without irriga- tion, as the river recedes. The District contains a number of wells, especially in the Naushahro subdivision, which are utilized in growing rabi crops (especially wheat). There are 281 canals, all of which arc fed by the Indus and are Government property.
In addition to these, numerous smaller canals and watercourses are the property of land- holders. Of the Government canals, 35 are main channels, which tap the Indus direct ; the remainder are connecting branches. Of the total cultivated area, 1,478 square miles, or 42 per cent., were irrigated in 1903-4. The various sources of irrigation are: Government canals, 1,387 square miles; private canals, 2 square miles; wells, 13 square miles ; and other sources, 76 square miles. Nearly 30 per cent, of the irrigated land is supplied by the Fuleli Canal, a large natural channel, which was formerly a branch of the Indus on the left bank of that river, taking off 5 miles north of Kotri. Its course, which is south-easterly, runs through portions of the Tando subdivision. About loi canals and distributaries are taken directly from it. It is now a perennial canal, and steam-launches have recently been introduced for navigation, which is possible as far as Talhar, 44 miles from Hyderabad, for launches, and 20 miles farther for cargo boats. The Jamrao Canal, recentl)- completed, supplies more than 86 square miles. Of the other canals that supply the District, the chief arc : the Nasrat (83 square miles), the Great Marak (61), the Gharo Mahmudo (104), the Dad (118), the Naulakhi (84), the Nasir \Vah (54), and the Sarfraz (45).
Forests cover an aggregate area of 228 square miles. They skirl the Indus from the Naushahro down to the Tando subdivision. Many of them are of considerable extent, especially in the Naushahro sub division, those of Bhour, Bhorti, Khairodero, and Mari being each above 10,000 acres in area. The revenue derived from these forests in 1903-4 amounted to 1-45 lakhs. The chief indigenous trees are the t'tpal^ nhii, tali or black-wood, siras, l>er, bahdn^ bar, kandi, gedi/ri, babul, and several varieties of tamarisk.
Among the mineral productions of the District may l)c mentioned Viet, a kind of fuller's earth, which is dug from mines in the Ganjo hills near Hyderabad. Salt of an excellent quality is found on the Rann of Cutch, but the deposits are too remote to be worked with profit.
Trade and Communication
The manufactures of the District, once famous, are in a state ot decline. The Hyderabad taluka still enjoys much of its old pre- eminence for lacquered woik. In the days of the Mirs, arms made at Hyderabad city were also held comniunications. in the highest esteem ; but, owing to the reduced demand for chain armour, shields, and sabres under British rule, the trade is now in abeyance. In the Hala subdivision, the special features of the local industries are striped and brilliant cloths known as susls and khes^ and also glazed pottery.
The latter work is turned to various ornamental purposes, especially tiling, and is remarkable for excellence of both glaze and colour. In nearly all parts of the District some industry is carried on ; blankets, coarse cotton cloths, camel saddles, rugs, felt, and metal-work being perhaps the commonest products. In 1905 there were 24 cotton-ginning factories in the District, giving employment to nearly 4,200 persons.
The transit trade is considerable, the chief centre of distribution being Hyderabad city. The chief imports are cotton, sugar, spices, and English-made articles, and the chief exports are cotton, wheat, oilseeds, and millet ; the three first go to Europe, and the last to Cutch and the desert portion of Thar and Parkar. Twenty fairs, lasting from three to fifteen days, are held in the District.
The Indus is navigable by country boats at all times of the year. The North-Western Railway connects Hyderabad city with Karachi and Rohri, crossing the river at Kotri. A branch of this railway, which until 1 90 1 ended at Shadipali, has been replaced by a narrow-gauge line giving connexion with Bombay by means of the Jodhpur-Bikaner line, thus opening up the eastern portion of the District. The southern portion, forming the Tando subdivision, is being connected by a broad- gauge line with Bombay, now open from Hyderabad to Badin. The total length of roads is 2,275 "li^es, of which 37 are metalled. Of the total length, 28 miles are maintained by the Public Works department, and the remainder by local boards. The chief roads are those from Hyderabad to Kandiaro, and from Hyderabad to Badin. Avenues of trees are maintained on 322 miles.
Administration
The Collector has a staff of three Assistant Collectors for the Hala, Naushahro, and Tando subdivisions, and a Deputy-Collector for a por- tion of the Hala subdivision. Hala comprises the Hyderabad, Hala, Shahdadpur, and Tando Alahyar talukas ; Nausliahro comprises Naushahro, Kandiaro, Moro, Nasrat, and Sakrand ; Tando comprises Guni, Badin, Tando Bago, and Dero Mohbat with the Digri mahdl. A portion of the District irrigated by the Jiimrao Canal is in charge of an officer called the ' Colonization officer,' who is invested with the powers of a Collector and also administers the Nasrat tdliika.
The District and Sessions Judge, who sits at Hyderabad city, is assisted by four Sub-Judges. The Subordinate Judge at Hyderabad hears suits valued at more than Rs. 5,000 for the whole District, and he alone of the Subordinate Judges is vested with appellate powers. All the Subordinate Judges are empowered to hear 'small causes.' Two Joint Subordinate Judges sit, one at Hala, the other at Naushahro, who hear such suits as may be transferred to them by the Subordinate Judges of those two places. The District Judge alone can hear suits to which Government or its officials are parties. The crimes most prevalent are cattle-stealing, theft, and burglary.
The land tenures are simple. Broadly speaking, all land is either 'assessed' or 'alienated.' In the former case, the land is cultivated sometimes by the zaminddr himself, but usually by tenants-at-will, who for their labour receive a share of the produce. The occupancy holder {mauriisi hari) is really a hereditary cultivator, for his rights are heritable and transferable ; and the zaminddr, except as regards the actual payment of rent, has no power over him. The tenant-at-will {ghair maiirusi) is legally the creature of the zaminddr, but the large landholders in the District do not exercise their powers oppressively. The zaminddr' s own tenure is hardly more definite here than elsewhere in India, and whatever of certainty it possesses is owing entirely to British legislation.
In the second class of lands (the ' alienated '), there are three chief varieties : namely, jag'irs, charitable grants, and garden grants. The jdglrs of the District at the first settlement under British rule were computed at 40 per cent, of the total area, but now only about 8 per cent, of the whole is ' alienated.' They are either permanent and heritable, or granted for two lives only, or merely life grants. The last class is rapidly disappearing. The grants are liable to a cess of 5 per cent, for local purposes, and some pay besides to Government a percentage of the produce assessed according to their class, the maximum being one-fourth. The total area held on charitable grants is very small. Garden grants are held free of assessment so long as the gardens are properly maintained.
Formerly the Government assessment was levied in kind, but since 1851 payment has been received in cash. The land assessment is levied on survey numbers or fields when cultivated, according to rates fixed at the time of the settlement for each kind of irrigation. To prevent a zaminddr holding more land than he can cultivate, he is required to pay at least one assessment in five years, whether the land be cultivated or not. The first survey was carried out between i860 and 1865. The rates were subsequently revised every ten years, sinml- taneously with the expiry of the irrigation settlements. The latest settlement rates show an increase of 1 1 per cent, during the ten years ending 1901-2. The current rates per acre are: garden land, Rs. 3-4 (maximum Rs. 5-2, minimum Rs. 2-4); rice land, Rs. 3-2 (maximum Rs. 4-8, minimum Rs. 2-4); and 'dry' land, Rs. 2-1 (maximum Rs. 3-6, mininmm R. 1-0).
Collections on account (jf land revenue and revenue from all sources are given on The next page, in thousands of rupees.
The municipalities are seven in number, viz. : Hvdlkabad, Tando Muhammad Khan, Hala, Matiari, Tando Alahvak, Tando Adam, and Nasarpur. The local affairs of the District outside the munici- palities are managed by the District board and twelve taluka boards, with receipts of 2-5 lakhs in 1903-4. Their expenditure in the same year amounted to 2-9 lakhs, of which 1-2 lakhs was spent on roads and buildings. 'J'he Local fund revenue is derived from the cess on land revenue, the 5 per cent, jdglr cess, and other miscellaneous sources.
The police force is in charge of a District Superintendent, with head-quarters at Hyderabad city, and an Assistant Superintendent. 'I'here are 25 police stations and 66 outposts in the District. The number of police, including 4 inspectors, is 1,121, of whom 17 are chief constables, 217 head constables, and 883 constables.
The Central jail at Hyderabad city has accommodation for 865 prisoners, and the District jail at the same place has accommodation for 480. There are also eleven subsidiary jails in the District, in which 304 prisoners can be accommodated. An extra-mural gang of about 362 prisoners, in charge of an Assistant Surgeon, works in the District wherever its services are required. The daily average number of prisoners confined in 1904 was 1,040, of whom 12 were females.
Hyderabad stands twenty-first among the twenty-four Districts of the Presidency in regard to the literac)- of its population, of whom 3-13 per cent. (5-4 males and 0-3 females) are able to read and write. In 1881 there were 98 schools with 5,501 pupils. The number of pupils rose to 14,342 in 1891 and to 19,481 in 1901. The District possessed 546 institutions in 1904. Of the 340 insti- tutions classed as public, 4 are high schools, 7 middle schools, 322 primary schools, 3 training schools, and 4 other special schools. These were attended by 19,973 })upils (including 2,814 i'l private schools), of whom 2,733 ^^"*^re girls. l""ive are maintained by C.overnment, 125 are managed by local boards, 20 by municipalities, 185 are aided and 5 unaided. The total expenditure on education is about 2^ lakhs, of which Rs. 40,000 is derived from fees. Of the total amount, 55 per cent, is devoted to primary schools.
There are 17 dispensaries, one civil hospital, and one women's hospital, with accommodation for 169 patients. The number of patients treated in 1904 was 108,914, of whom 2,286 were in-patients, and 7,778 operations were performed. The total expenditure on these institutions, excluding one private dispensary, was Rs. 42,595, of which Rs. 28,144 was met from Local and nmnicipal funds. A lunatic asylum, named after the donor, Sir Cowasji Jahangir, has accommodation for 170 patients, the number in 1904 being 153.
The number of persons successfully vaccinated in 1903-4 was 18,927, representing a proportion of 19 per 1,000, which is below the average for the Presidency.
[A. W. Hughes, Gazetteer of the Province of Sind (1876).]
