Kallakurchi
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.
Kallakurchi
Western taluk of South Arcot District, Madras, lying between 11 degree 34' and 12 degree 4' N. and 78 degree 38' and 79 degree 13' E., with an area of 873 square miles. The Kalrayans, one of the only two hill-ranges in the District, skirt its western border, and south of them the Atur pass leads into Salem District The popu- lation in 1 90 1 was 269,377, having risen from 239,405 in 1891. There are no towns ; but it contains 367 villages, of which Kallakurchi, the head-quarters, is situated on the trunk road from Cuddalore to Salem. It is the second largest taluk in the District, and the second most sparsely peopled. The demand for land revenue and cesses in 1903-4 amounted to Rs. 4,92,000. In the hills in the west rise several small streams, which are utilized for irrigation by means of rough stone dams. The hill villages, which number 96, are divided into three palaiyams or estates. The poligdrs or chiefs obtain their revenue chiefly by leasing out the forests and by a poll-tax on their tenants, who are all Malaiyalis by caste. There is no irrigated cultivation on the hills ; the principal ‘ dry crops ' grown are ragi, cambu, tinai (Setaria italica, a poof kind of millet), and varagti. Bamboos and timber of various kinds are taken down to the plains, and sold for house-building and other purposes.
