Rangpur Town
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.
Rangpur Town
Head-quarters of the District of the same name in Eastern Bengal and Assam, situated in 25 45' N. and 89 15' E. Population (1901), 15,960. The name of Rangpui (the 'abode of bliss') is said to be derived fiom the legend that Raja Bhagadatta, who took part in the wai of the Mahabharata, possessed a countiy lesidence here. Rangpur was captured by the Afghan king Ala-ud-dm Husam, who ruled at Gaur from 1493 to 1519 It is an unhealthy place, and suffered severely in the earthquake of 1897, when nearly all its build- ings were wrecked. Rangpur was constituted a municipality in 1869 The municipal income during the decade ending 1901-2 aveiaged Rs 31,000, and the expendituie Rs 26,000 In 1903-4 the income was Rs. 53,000, of which Rs. 9,000 was derived from a tax on persons (or property tax), Rs. 8,000 from a conservancy rate, and Rs. 9,000 from a tax on vehicles ; the expenditure in the same year was Rs. 59,000.
Two channels have been dug to drain the marshes m the neighbour- hood of the town, but one of them was rendered useless by the earth- quake of 1897 The town contains the usual public offices. The District jail has accommodation for 263 prisoners. The principal jail industries carried on are oil-pressing, fwr^-pounding, string- and rope- making, bamboo and cane-work, cloth-weaving, carpentry, paddy-husking, and wheat and pulse-grinding. The Rangpur District school was founded m 1832 by the local zammddrs, and was taken over by Government in 1862 , there were 385 pupils m 1901. The Tajhat estate maintains a high school, for which a good building has recently been erected A technical school, known as the Bayley-Gobmd Lai Technical Institute, was founded in 1889, and is affiliated to the Sibpur Engineering College ; it has 101 pupils on its rolls.
