Nalgonda District, 1908
Contents |
Nalgonda 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.
District in the Medak Gulshanabad Division, Hyderabad State, lying between 16° 20" and 17° 47' N. and 78° 45' and 79° 55' E., with an area of 4,143 square miles, including Jagirs'
- The dimensions lel.ite to the District as it stood up to 1905. The changes made
then are desciited below under Population.
Physical aspects
The Hyderabad Districts of Warangal, Karlmnagar, Mahbubnagar, and Atraf-i-balda bound it on the east, north, and west. On the south it is separated from the Guntur District of the Madras Presidency by the Kistna river. A range of hills runs through the taluks of Nalgonda and Devarkonda, and enters the Amrabad sub -taluk in the south of Mahbubnagar District. Another range of low hills starts in the south-west of the District and extends from the vicinity of the Dandi river in a north- eastern direction as far as Warangal District. A third range, known as the Nalla Pahad, after reaching the Dandi and the Peddavagu, bifurcates, one spur extending north, the other joining the second range. A fourth range, in the north-west of the District, runs from the west of Pasnur in a north-westerly direction as far as Surikonda, and then taking a sudden turn towards the east extends for 12 miles and turns again due north, passing between Narayanpur and Ibrahim- patan, curving again towards Vemalkonda. This range lies almost wholly in the District, its total length being about 60 miles. Besides these there are nearly a hundred isolated hills, some of which are situated in one or other of the ranges mentioned. The general slope of the District is from west and north-west towards the south- east.
The most important river is the Kistna, which forms the southern boundary. It first touches the District at Yellaisharam in the Devar- konda taluk and has fifteen fords, one in Devarkonda and fourteen in Devalpalli taluk, served by boats or coracles. Its length in the District is 53 miles. The Musi, a tributary of the Kistna, enters the District from the north-west, and flows due east for a distance of 40 miles ; but after its junction with the Aler river, it flows in a south-easterly direction till it falls into the Kistna near Wazirabad, after a course in the District of 95 miles. The other rivers are the Peddavagu and the Dandi in the Devarkonda taluk. The Hallia river, which rises in the hills west of Narayanpur in the Nalgonda taluk, flows in a south- easterly direction for about 45 miles, when it is joined by the Kongal river near the village of Kongal, and continuing in the same direction falls into the Kistna. Its total length is 82 miles.
The District is occupied by Archaean gneiss, except along the banks of the Kistna, where the rocks belong to Cuddapah and Kurnool series . The famous Golconda diamonds were formerly obtained from the Cuddapahs and Kurnools, particularly the basement beds of the latter.
The jungles and hilly portions of the District contain the common trees met with everywhere, such as teak, ebony, eppa {Hardivickia binata), tiallamaddi {Terminalia tomentosa), sandra (^Acacia Catechu),
' W. King, Manoirs, Geological surzvy of India, vol. viii, pt. i. babul {Acacia arabica), mango, tamarind, tarvar {Cassia auriculaia), and various species of Ficus.
In the jungly portions of Devarkonda and Devalpalli and parts of Bhonglr and Suriapet, tigers, leopards, cheetahs, bears, hyenas, and wolves, as well as sdmbar, spotted deer, antelope, and hares, are found. Among birds, peafowl, partridges, quail, rock pigeon, and jungle-fowl are abundant.
The District is malarious from August to October, and healthy from November to the end of May. It is very hot during April and May, the temperature rising to iio°. In August and Septem- ber the moist heat is very oppressive. The average rainfall for the twenty-one years ending 1901 was 26 inches.
History
The District was part of the dominions of the Warangal Rajas, one of whose governors built Pangal, 2 miles north-east of the town of Nalgonda, and made it his head-quarters, afterwards removing to Nalgonda. That place was conquered during the reign of Ahmad Shah Wali, the Bahmani king. After the dissolution of the Bahmani power, the District became part of the Kutb Shahi kingdom, of Golcoxda, and though it had been occupied for a time by the Raja of Warangal, it was eventually retaken by Sultan Kuli Kutb Shah. After the fall of Golconda, the District was annexed with the other Deccan Sftbahs by Aurangzeb, but it was separated from the Delhi empire on the foundation of the Hyderabad State in the beginning of the eighteenth century.
There are several places of archaeological interest in the District. the chief among them being the forts of Nalgonda, Devarkonda^ Orlakonda in the Suriapet taluk, and Bhongir. The fort of Devar- konda is surrounded by seven hills, and was at one time considered a formidable stronghold, but is now in ruins. The temples at Pangal in the Nalgonda taluk, at Nagalpad in Devalpalli, and at Palalmari in Suriapet, are fine specimens of Hindu religious architecture.
Population
The number of towns and villages in the District, including Jaglrs, is 974. The population at the three enumerations was: (18S1) 494,190, (1891) 624,617, and (1901) 699,799. The population. towns are Nalgoxda and Bhongir. About 95 per cent, of the population are Hindus, and as many as 91 per cent, speak Telugu. The table on the next page shows the distribution of population in 1901.
In 1905 Cherial and Kodar were transferred to this District from Warangal, the latter swh-tdluk being made a taluk and its name changed to Pochamcherla. The District in its present form thus consists of the following seven taluks : Nalgonda, Cherial, Suriapet, Pocham- cherla, Mirialguda (Devalpalli), Devarkonda, and Bhongir.
The most numerous caste is that of the agricultural Kapus, who number 125,500, or 18 per cent, of the population, the most important classes among them being the Kunbis (82,800) and Mutrasis (33,100). Next come the Madigas or leather-workers (95,500), the Dhangars or shepherds (71,700), the Mahars or village menials (57,200), the Brahmans (31,400), the Salas or weavers (28,900), the Komatis or trading caste (26,600), and the Ausalas or smiths (22,300). The Madigas and Mahars work as agricultural labourers, and most of the Dhangars are engaged in agriculture as well as grazing. The population engaged in, and supported by, agriculture numbers more than 250,000, or 36 per cent, of the total.
There is an American mission at Nalgonda, having a church, a
mission school, and a hospital, with a competent staff of native Christian
teachers for the school, and a lady doctor in charge of the hospital.
The mission has two branches, one at Devarkonda and the other at
Mirialguda. In 1901 the District contained 1,212 native Christians, of
whom 429 were Roman Catholics, 225 Methodists, and 235 Baptists.
The converts are mostly from the lower castes.
Agriculture
The entire District is situated in the granitic region, hence most of its soils are derived from the decomposition of granite and are gener- ally sandy, such as chalka and masah. In the Deval- palli tdbik the soil near the Kistna is alluvial, and also consists to a large extent of regar or black cotton soil. Both these varieties are utilized for raising rabi crops. Regar is found in the other taluks to a smaller extent, but with an admixture of sand. The khaiif crops raised on the chalka and masab soils are joivdr, bdjra, cotton, kulthi, and castor-oil seed.
The tenure of lands is mainly ryottvdri. Khdlsa and ' crown ' lands covered a total area of 3,271 square miles in 1901, of which 1,525 were cultivated, 874 cultivable waste and fallows, 574 forests, and 298 were not available for cultivation. Jowdr and bdjra form the staple food-crops, being grown on 17 and 22 per cent, of the net area cropped. Rice is next in importance, the area under it being 138 square miles. Cotton is produced on 11 ½ square miles, and castor-oil seed on 386 square miles.
The District has not yet been settled, but the revenue survey has been completed. The total cultivated area increased from 1,187 square miles in 1891 to 1,525 in 1901, or by 41 per cent. No steps have been taken to improve the cultivation by importing new varieties of seed or introducing better agricultural implements.
A special breed of cattle is found in the Devarkonda taluk^ generally black or red in colour, very sturdy and well suited for agricultural work. The animals are supposed to be descended from the Mysore breed, and are well-known beyond the frontier, a large number being acquired by purchasers from British territory. The white cattle bred in the Suriapet and Devalpalli idbiks are handsome animals. In other parts the cattle are of the ordinary strain. Goats are largely bred in the Devarkonda, Devalpalli, and Suriapet taluks, as the large extent of jungle and hill tracts provides plenty of grazing, while in the Nalgonda and Bhonglr taluks sheep are more commonly kept. The ponies are of a very inferior class.
The area irrigated in 1901 was 229 square miles, supplied by 352 large tanks, 1,110 kuntas or small tanks, 12,456 wells, and 208 other sources. The principal channels are those from the rivers Musi, Aler, Peddavagu, and other minor streams, which supply some of the chief tanks, as well as provide direct irrigation.
There are small forest areas in all the taluks, amounting to a total of 574 square miles, of which 190 square miles are 'protected.' In the hilly jungles bordering on the Kistna river in the Devalpalli and Devarkonda taluks, large tracts are covered with eppa {Hardivickia Innata) and sandra {Acacia Catechu). No forest is 'reserved,' but 17 species of timber trees have been reserved wherever found. The revenue obtained from the sale of fuel, charcoal, and forest produce in 1 90 1 was Rs. 2,750.
In the Devalpalli tdluk laminated limestone resembling the Shah- abad stone is found, which is used for building purposes and also burnt for making lime. Slate is also found in the same tdluk. Gold was discovered at Chitrial in the same tdluk, and worked for a time, but the yield was so small that the mine was given up. At Nandkonda and the neighbouring villages on the left bank of the Kistna diamonds are said to be found.
Trade and communications
At Charlapalli and Pangal in the Nalgonda tdluk silk cloth scarves and saris of various patterns and colours are made, which are very durable and are largely used by the better classes. The Salas or weavers also manufacture ordinary communications, coarse cotton cloth and sdrls for the use of the ryots. Light earthen vessels, such as goblets and drinking cups of a fine quality, are made at Bhonglr, and are exported to Hyderabad and adjoining Districts. To the east of the town of Nalgonda there is a tannery where leather of a superior quality is prepared. The number of hands employed in 1901 was 30,
The chief exports consist of castor-seed, cotton, tarvar bark, hides and skins, both raw and prepared, bones and horns, rice, jowd}; and bdjra ; while the imports are salt, opium, silver and gold, copper and brass, iron, refined sugar, kerosene oil, raw silk, yarn, and silken, woollen, and cotton fabrics. The chief centres of trade are the towns of Nalgonda and Bhongir. Articles for export from the northern portions of the District find their way to Bhongir and Aler stations on the Nizam's Guaranteed State Railway, and those from the southern portions are sent direct by the old Masulipatam road to Hyderabad. The number of carts that pass through the town of Nalgonda varies between 200 per diem in the slack season to 700 in busy times.
The Nizam's Guaranteed State Railway traverses the Bhongir idluk from west-south-west to east-north-east for a distance of 21 miles, and has five stations in the District.
The principal road is that from Hyderabad to Masulipatam, which was constructed by the Madras Sappers and Miners in 1832 for military purposes. Its length in the District as far as Gumpal in the Suriapet taluk is 71 miles. The road from Hyderabad to Madras branches off at the sixty-seventh mile, near Nakrekal, and terminates at Wazirabad near the Kistna, its length in the District being 40 miles. This road was also made about the .same time as the former, and by the same agency. About 21 miles of the Hyderabad-Warangal road lie in the District. Other roads are railway feeders, such as the Nalgonda-Bhonglr road, 44 miles ; the Khammamett station feeder road, 18 miles; Nalgonda to Devarkonda, 36 miles; to Tipparti, 12 miles; and to Nakrekal, 14 miles. The last three were made during the famine of 1877-8.
In 1790 a great famine affected the District, and grain was sold at one rupee a seer. Another famine in 1877 caused severe distress p . among the poor. Grain was sold at 4 seers a rupee, and the District lost more than 34,000 head of cattle.
The famine of 1 899-1 900 was not so severe as that of 1877, but its effects lasted for nearly two years.
Administration
The District is divided into three subdivisions : one consisting of the taluks of Bhongir and Cherial, under a Second Talukdar ; the second consisting of the taluks of Mirialpfuda (Devalpalli) and Devarkonda, under a Third Talukdar; and the third consisting of the taluks of Nalgonda, Suriapet, and Pochamcherla (Kodar), under the head-quarters Third Talukdar. The First Talukdar exercises a general supervision over the work of all his subordinates. Each taluk is under a tahsilddr.
The District civil court is presided over by the First Talukdar with a Madadgdr or Judicial Assistant for both civil and criminal work, there being no Nazim-i-Diwdni. There are altogether ten subordinate civil courts, three presided over by the Second and Third Talukdars, and seven by the tahsilddrs. The First Talukdar is the chief magistrate of the District and his Assistant is also a joint-magistrate, who exercises powers in the absence of the First Talukdar from head- quarters. The Second and Third Talukdars and the tahsilddrs have magisterial powers of the second and third class. Serious crime is not heavy, dacoities, theft, and house-breaking being the common offences in ordinary years.
Little is known of the early history of land revenue. Up to 1821 an anchanaddr (estimator) was appointed to every ten villages, who estimated the standing crops and submitted his estimates to the dmils. On * wet ' lands irrigated by tanks, and ' dry ' lands, the State and the ryot had equal shares, but on 'wxt' lands supplied by channels and wells the ryot's share was three-fifths and three-fourths respectively. In 182 1 ziladars (revenue managers) were appointed, who entered into an agreement for a period of ten years with patels or village headmen to pay annually a sum equal to the average receipts of the previous ten years. In 1835 groups of villages were made over to zamindars on the sarbasta or contract system, which continued to the time of Messrs. Dighton and Azam All Khan, the revenue managers or ziladdrs in 1840. Five years later this was changed in certain tdluks and the revenue was collected departmentally, partly in kind and partly in cash. The sarbasta or contract system was completely abolished on the formation of regular Districts in 1866, when rates of assessment were fixed per bigha (-1 acre). The revenue survey of the whole District has not yet been completed. The tdluks of Nalgonda and Devalpalli have very recently been settled, the increase in their revenue being nearly Rs. 46,200, or more than 16 per cent. The average assessment on ' dry ' land is Rs. 1-14 (maximum Rs. 2-12, minimum Rs. 1-4), and on 'wet' land Rs. 15 (maximum Rs. 18, minimum Rs. 11).
The land revenue and total revenue in recent years are given below, in thousands of rupees : —
Owing to changes in area effected in 1905, the revenue demand
is now about 14-6 lakhs.
In 1902, after the settlement of the two taluks of Nalgonda and
Devalpalli, a cess of one anna in the rupee was levied for local
purposes, and boards were formed for every taluk except Nalgonda,
with the tahsilddrs as chairmen. A District board was also constituted,
with the First Talukdar as president. Prior to the formation of these
boards and the levying of the one anna cess, the municipal expenditure
of the town of Nalgonda and of all the head-quarters of taluks was met
from State funds, amounting to Rs. 2,844 in 1901. The District
board supervises the work of the municipality of Nalgonda.
The First Talukdar is the head of the police, with a Superintendent {Mohtaviifn) as his executive deputy. Under him are 6 inspectors, 92 subordinate officers, 589 constables, and 25 mounted police. These are distributed among 39 thdnas or police stations and 39 out- posts. The rural police number 666, besides 1,098 setsiftdis or village watchmen. Short-term prisoners are kept in the District jail at Nalgonda, those with terms exceeding six months being sent to the Central jail at Warangal. Since the recent changes, they have been transferred to the Central jail at Nizamabad.
The District occupies a low position as regards the literacy of its population, of whom only 1-9 per cent. (3-2 males and 0-3 females) were able to read and write in 1901. The total number of pupils under instruction in 1881, 1891, 1901, and 1903 was 242, 1,097, 1,316, and 1,472 respectively. In 1903 there were 29 primary and 2 middle schools, with 84 girls under instruction. The total expenditure in 1 90 1 was Rs. 8,800, all of which was paid by the State. Of this, Rs. 8,336 was spent on State schools and Rs. 468 granted to the aided schools. The fee receipts for the State schools amounted to Rs. 603, and of the aided schools to Rs. 430.
There were 3 dispensaries in the District in 1901, with accommo- dation for 12 in-patients. The total number of out-patients treated was 24,739 and of in-patients 157, and 551 operations were per- formed. The expenditure amounted to Rs. 10,074. The number of persons successfully vaccinated was 1,811, or 2-6 per 1,000 of the population.
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.
