Nagina Town
Nagina Town, 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.
Head-quarters of the tahsil of the same name in Bijnor District, United Provinces, situated in 29° 27' N. and 78° 26' E., on the Oudh and Rohilkhand Railway, and at the terminus of a metalled road from Bijnor, Population (1901), 21,412, of whom 14,887 were Musalmans. The early history of the town is unknown, but it is mentioned in the Ain-l-Akhai-'i as head-quarters of a mahdl or pargana. During the rise of the Rohilla power in the middle of the eighteenth century a fort was built here. In 1805 the place was sacked by the Pindaris under Amir Khan, and from 181 7 to 1824 it was the head-quarters of the newly-formed District called Northern Moradabad. During the Mutiny the town was the scene of several conflicts between rival parties, as well as of the final defeat of the rebels on April 21, 1858, which crushed the revolt in Bijnor. Nagina is a large and busy place, with good brick houses and paved streets, which drain into a tributary of the Khoh on the east and into the Karula on the west. It contains the old fort, now used as a tahsili, a dispensary, a tahsili school, and a branch of the American Methodist Mission. Nagina has been a municipality since 1886. During the ten years ending 1 90 1 the income and expenditure averaged Rs. 12,000. In 1903-4 the income was Rs. 1 8,000, chiefly from octroi (Rs. 15,000); and the expenditure was Rs. 18,000. A market is held twice a week, when there is a considerable trade in sugar, rice, and cotton. Nagina is celebrated for the excellent workmanship of its carved ebony wares, such as walking-sticks, trays, boxes, &c., which are frequently inlaid with ivory. Large quantities of small glass jihials are blown here, and exported to Hardwar for the pilgrims who carry away Ganges water in them. In former days matchlocks were largely made, and some iron- work is still produced. Hempen sacking and ropes and lacquered goods are also made. The tahsili school has 192 pupils, and the municipality aids 12 primary schools attended by 513 pupils.
