Saugor 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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Saugor District
(Sdgar). District of the Jubbulpore Division in the extreme north-west of the Central Provinces, lying between 23 9' and 24 27' N. and 78 4' and 79 22' E., with an area of 3,962 square miles. It forms with Damoh an extension of the great Malwa plateau, and consists of a flat open black-soil tract about i ,000 feet above the level of the Narbada valley, from which it is separated by the steep escarpment of the Vindhyan Hills. It is bounded on the north by the Jhansi District of the United Provinces and by the Native States of Panna, Bijawar, and Charkharl; on the east by Panna and Damoh District; on the south by Narsinghpur District and the Native State of Bhopal; and on the west by the States of Bhopal and Gwalior.
Physical aspects
The District is narrowest at its south-eastern corner, aspects. an( * s ^P es Awards the north-east, gradually extend- ing in width until it culminates in the heights over- looking the Bundelkhand plain. The country generally is undulating, with numerous isolated hills. The most open parts are the plain forming the Khurai tahsil on the north-west, and that which consists of the Garhakota, Rehli, and Deorl parganas on the south-east. East of the Khurai iahsll^ which is separated from Saugor and Banda by a low range of hills, the character of the country is very broken, low flat-topped hills rising from the plain in all directions, some covered with trees, others stony and barren. On the south-east and north-east of the District lie thick belts of forest.
The drainage of the country is almost entirely to the north and east, the watershed of the Narbada commencing only from the summit of the range immediately over- looking it. The principal rivers are the SONAR, the Bewas, the DHASAN, the Bma, and the BETWA. Of these, the Sonar, Bewas, and Dhasan flow from south-west to north-east, the course of the last named being more northerly than that of the other two. The Bma flows through the extreme west of the District, and the Betwa marks for some distance the border separating the northern portion of the Khurai tahsil from the State of Gwalior. Two small streams, the
Biranj and Sindhor, take their rise in the Deori pargana of the Rehli tahsil and flow south to the Narbada.
The greater part of the District is covered by the Deccan trap ; but there are two great inliers of Vindhyan sandstone, one to the north running down nearly as far as Saugor, and the other to the east extend- ing from near Garhakota to beyond Surkhl. To the east or south-east of Saugor the infra-trappean or Lameta limestone is largely developed. Calcareous inter-trappean bands with fossilized shells and plants also occur largely near Saugor.
The Vindhyan Hills are generally poorly wooded. Saugor contains some almost pure teak forest in the west near Jaisinghnagar and Rahatgarh, and teak mixed with other species elsewhere. Sandal- wood is found in small areas, and bamboos occupy the slopes of most of the hills. *The bamboo is fairly well reproduced by seed, but the forests are full of dead trees, and are in poor condition for the most part. Belts of chlula or palas (Butea frondosd) are found in the rich black soil of the open plateaux, and of plains at the foot of the hills, such as those near Saugor. The cultivated portions of the District are marked by the presence near villages of scattered trees or groves of mango, tamarind, mahua (Bassia latifolia\ and plpaL
Among wild animals, sambar, nilgai, and spotted deer are numerous, and hog are still more common. Four-horned deer, barking-deer, and mouse deer are occasionally met with. Herds of antelope are found all over the open country, especially in the Khurai tahsil Game-birds, such as peafowl, spur-fowl, sand-grouse, partridges, and green pigeons, are fairly numerous; but water-fowl are not plentiful, owing to the absence of tanks. Mahseer of small size are numerous in most of the rivers, and nmrrel (Qphiocephalus striatus} are caught in every tank.
The climate of the District is pleasant considering the latitude. The minimum temperature is about 41 in the cold season, and the maximum summer heat about 112. The District is healthy during the greater part of the year. The annual rainfall averages 47 inches. Failures of crops appear on the whole to have been caused in equal degree by deficiency and by excess of rainfall.
History
The early history of Saugor is mainly a matter of tradition. The old capital, Garhpahra, 7 miles north of the present city, is supposed to have been founded by a Gond dynasty. The History Gonds were succeeded by a tribe of Ahlrs called the Fauladia, to whom is attributed the foundation of the fort at Rehli.
Some Ahir landowners still claim to be their descendants and bear the title of Rao. About 1023 the Ahlrs were supplanted by one Nihalsha, a Rajput of Jalaun, who took possession of Saugor and the surround- ing country. Nihalsha's descendants retained possession for about 600 years, but are said to have been defeated by the Chandels of Mahoba and subjected to tribute. The two Banaphar warriors of the Chandel Rajas, Alha and Udal, are popular heroes, and their fifty-two battles are celebrated in song.
Alha is still supposed to live in the forests of Orchha, and nightly to kindle the lamp in a temple of Devi on a hill in the forest. Saugor itself was founded in 1660 by Udan Sha, a Dangi chief, said to be one of Nihalsha's descendants, who built a small fort on the site of the present one and settled the village of Parkota, which is now part of the town. The grandson of Udan Sha, Prithwlpat, a man of weak intellect, was dispossessed by Chhatarsal, the famous Bundela Raja. He was restored by the Raja of Jaipur, but was again ousted by the Muhammadan chief of Kurwai, and retired to Bilehra, which with four other villages is still held free of revenue by his descendants. In 1735 Saugor was taken by a nephew of Baji Rao, the Maratha Peshwa, who left his lieutenant, Govind Rao Pandit, in charge of the conquered territory. Govind Rao paid great attention to the improvement of the town and surrounding country. The fort of Saugor as it now stands was built by him, and the town grew into a city under his administration and became the capital of this part of the country.
He was killed in 1761 at the battle of Pampat, and the Peshwa gave Saugor and the surrounding country revenue free to his descendants, who continued to hold possession until it was ceded to the British. During their rule the city was sacked three times : twice by Amir Khan, Pindari, and once by Sindhia after a long siege in 1814. In 1818 Saugor was ceded to the British by the Peshwa, and became part of the Saugor and Nerbudda Territories, which were for a time attached to the North-Western Provinces. In March, 1842, occurred what is known as the Bundela insurrection. Two Bundela landholders, who had been served with civil court decrees, rose in rebellion and sacked several towns. They were joined by a Gond chief, and dis- affection extended into the adjoining District of Narsinghpur. In the following year the revolt was put down, but the District had suffered severely and the land revenue was realized with difficulty for several years.
In 1857 the garrison of Saugor consisted of two regiments of native infantry and one of cavalry, with a few European gunners. Shortly after the commencement of the Mutiny the European residents moved into the fort. The sepoys remained in their lines for a short time, when the 42nd Regiment and the 3rd Irregular Cavalry mutinied, the 3ist Regiment remaining faithful. The two mutinous regiments moved off towards Shahgarh, a Native State to the north; the Rajas of Shahgarh and Banpur then entered the District and took possession of the greater part of it. At the same time the Nawab of Garhi Amapani, a place now in Bhopal, occupied Rahatgarh. The whole District was thus in the hands of the rebels, the Europeans holding only the town and fort of Saugor. This state of things continued for about eight months, during which time three indecisive engagements were fought.
In February, 1858, Sir Hugh Rose arrived at Rahatgarh with the Central India Field Force, defeated the rebels, and took the fort. Thence he passed on to Barodia Naunagar, about 10 miles from Rahatgarh, where he met and defeated the troops of the Raja of Banpur, and then came into Saugor. All the rebels about Rahatgarh and Khurai now fled. Passing through Saugor Sir Hugh Rose went on to Garhakota, where he met and defeated the Raja of Shahgarh's troops, and took the fort, in which the rebels had left a large quantity of treasure and property of all kinds. He then came back to Saugor and marched towards Jhansi, meeting the remainder of the Shahgarh Raja's troops at Madanpur and defeating them with great slaughter. By the beginning of March, 1858, a regular administration was restored, and the police and revenue offices re-established. The dominions of the Shahgarh Raja were confiscated, and a part of them was added to Saugor District.
Dhamoni, 29 miles north of Saugor, contains a large fort almost in ruins and surrounded by jungle. At Khimlasa, 42 miles north-west of Saugor, and the old head-quarters of the Khurai taJisll^ are situated a fort and a Muhammadan tomb, the walls of the latter being of per- forated screen-work. Of the numerous other forts in the District, the largest is that at Rahatgarh, 25 miles west of Saugor, which is ascribed to the Muhammadan rulers of Bhopal. The outer walls consist of 26 enormous round towers, some of which were used as dwellings, con- nected by curtain walls and enclosing a space of 66 acres. Within is a palace called the Badal Mahal, or 'cloud palace,' from its great height. There are also forts at Rehli, GARHAKOTA, KHURAI, DEORI, and Jaisinghnagar, with masonry walls protected by massive towers; but these are now for the most part in ruins.
Population
At the Census of 1901, Saugor contained 5 towns SAUGOR, GARHA- KOTA, ETAWA, KHURAI, and DEORI and 1,924 villages. The popu- lation at the last three enumerations has been as follows : (1881) 564,950 ; (1891) 591,743 > and ( I 9 I ) P 471,046. Both in 1881 and 1891 the rate of increase was far below that of the Province as a whole, owing to a long succession of partially unfavourable seasons, which retarded the natural increase of population and also caused a certain amount of emigration to Central India. Between 1891 and 1901 Saugor with Damoh suffered from a more disastrous succession of failures of crops than any other part of the Province. In 1902 a tract of n villages with some Government forest was transferred from Saugor to Narsinghpur, and the corrected totals of area and population are 3,962 square miles and 469,479 persons. The statistics of population in 1901 given below have been adjusted on account of this transfer:
About 87 per cent, of the population are Hindus, and 4 per cent. Animists, the latter proportion being very low in comparison with that for the Province as a whole. Muhammadans number 23,215, or 5 per cent, of the population, but 13,000 of these live in towns. There are more than 15,000 Jains in the District, or nearly a third of the total number in the Province. The language of Saugor is the Bundell dialect of Western Hindi, which is spoken by almost the whole population. Only 3,800 persons speak Urdu and 6,500 Marathl. It is noticeable that the Marathi spoken in Saugor is the pure form of the language belonging to Poona, and not the Nagpur dialect. The forest tribes have entirely abandoned their own languages.
The principal landholding castes in the District are Biahmans, Dan- gis, Lodhls, Kurmls, and Bundela Rajputs. Brahmans (41,000), who constitute nearly 9 per cent, of the population, have come from the north and west of India. The north country Brahmans have been in the District longest, and the Marathas immigrated at the time when it came under their rule. The Dangis (21,000) were formerly a dominant caste, and Saugor was sometimes called Dangiwara after them. They are principally malguzars (landholders) and tenants, rarely labourers. Lodhls (39,000) constitute 8 per cent, of the population. They had the reputation of being quarrelsome and fond of display, but are now losing these characteristics. Kurmls (22,000) are quiet and industrious culti- vators, and averse to litigation. The Bundela Rajputs were a renowned freebooting tribe. They are proud and penurious to the last degree, and quick to resent the smallest slight. Even now it is said that no Bania dare go past a Bundela's house without getting down from his pony and folding up his umbrella. There are only one or two Muhammadan landowners of any importance. Of the forest tribes Gonds number 22,000, or about 4^ per cent, of the population, and Savaras 13,000, or rather less than 3 per cent. The Gond Raja of Pitehra was formerly a feudatory of the Mandla dynasty, holding a considerable portion of the south of the District. Both Gonds and Savaras in this District are comparatively civilized, and have partially adopted Hindu usages.
About 65 per cent, of the total population are supported by agriculture. Christians number 1,357, of whom 665 are Roman Catholics, 230 Lutherans, and 443 belong to the Church of England. Of the total number, 768 are natives. There are Swedish Lutheran and Roman Catholic missions, of which the former is located at Saugor and Khurai and the latter at Shyampura. Etawa contains a station of the Christian Mission, a body with no sectarian tenets.
Agriculture
The prevalent soil is a dark-coloured loam of varying depth, which has been formed partly by lacustrine deposit and partly by the disinte- gration of the trap rock, the loose particles of which . are washed off the hills into the depressions below. This soil is locally known as mund, and is much prized because it is easily workable, and not so favourable to the growth of rank grass as the more clayey soil found in other parts. It covers 56 per cent, of the area under cultivation. Kabar, or good black soil, covers 2 per cent., and raiyan, or thin black soil, 10 per cent, of the area under cultivation. The other soils are inferior and unsuitable for wheat. The soil of the Khurai tahsil contains a laige admixture of clay, and hence is somewhat stiffer and more difficult to work than that of Saugor and the open part of RehlT. The most serious obstacle to cultivation in Saugor District is the coarse kans grass (Saccharum spontaneum) this rapidly invades black soil when left fallow, and, when once it has obtained a hold, covers the whole field with a network of roots, and can scarcely be eradicated by the ordinary country plough. Kans flourishes particularly in the clayey soil of the Khurai tahsil^ and during the period of adverse seasons has overrun large areas of fertile land. Attempts are now being made to eradicate it by means of embankments which will keep the fields under water during the rains.
About 2-| square miles of land taken from Government forests are held on ryotwdri tenure ; 14 square miles by revenue-free grantees ; and the balance on the ordinary proprietary (mdlguzdrt) tenure. The main agricultural statistics for 1903-4 are given below, areas being in square miles :
Formerly the wheat crop in Saugor District far exceeded any other. In 1891-2 the area under wheat was 805 square miles, but it then began to decline owing to a succession of bad seasons, and fell to 153 square miles in 1896-7. There has now been some recovery, and the figures for 1903-4 show 466 square miles under wheat, or 37 per cent of the cropped area. Gram has been steadily growing in popularity, both because it has a recuperative effect on the soil, and because it is a less expensive crop to cultivate. It occupies 146 square miles, or 12 per cent. of the cropped area. Linseed has been affected by the unfavourable seasons no less than wheat, and now occupies 56 square miles, or 4-| per cent, of the cropped area. Jowdr has in recent years increased greatly in popularity, as it is a cheap food-crop, and very little seed is required for it. At present the area under it is 171 square miles, or 14 per cent, of the total Kodon covers 70 square miles, or more than 5 per cent. There are 20 square miles under cotton and 26 under rice. Til and ramtilli (Guizotia abyssinica) occupy 72 square miles. Betel-vine gar- dens are found in Saugor, Baleh, Sahajpur, and Jaisinghnagar, and the leaf of Baleh has some reputation.
At the time of settlement (1892-3) the cropped area amounted to about 1,600 square miles, but the prolonged agricultural depression reduced this in 1905 to about 1,250 square miles. It may be antici- pated that with good harvests the more valuable spring crops will con- tinue to recover the ground lost. During the recent bad seasons large agricultural loans have been made, the total advances between 1871 and 1904 amounting to more than 8 lakhs. Of this total, about Rs. 50,000 has been remitted. Loans for the improvement of land have heen taken to a much smaller extent, but over Rs. 50,000 was advanced between 1891 and 1904 for the construction of embankments for wheat-fields.
Most of the cattle in the District are bred locally, and are small but hardy, though no care is exercised in breeding, and special bulls are not kept for this purpose. Superior plough-cattle are imported from Malwa and Gwalior, but not in large numbers. Buffaloes are not used for cultivation, but they are kept for the manufacture of gfa, and the young bulls are taken by road to Chhattisgarh and sold there. Ponies are bred in the District, but not to so large an extent as formerly. They are of very small size, and are used both for riding and pack-carriage. Since the extension of metalled roads the people prefer to travel in bullock-carts. Mules are bred in small numbers for sale to the Military department. Donkeys are used only as pack-animals by the lowest castes.
Only 5,500 acres, or i per cent, of the total under cultivation, were irrigated in 1903-4, and this area consists principally of rice or garden crops. Irrigation from temporary wells is common in the north of the Banda tahsil, where the light soils respond more readily to it. The embanking of fields to hold up moisture for wheat cultivation is scarcely practised at all in this District, but a few banks have been erected to prevent surface scouring on uneven land. Some of the leading land- holders have, however, now adopted the practice of embanking their fields, and experimental embankments have been constructed by Government.
Forests
Government forests cover 755 square miles, or rather less than 19 per cent, of the area of the District. There are large forests in the hills of the north and south, and a series of scattered blocks on the range running from north-east to south-west. '
Teak, sdj (Terminalia tomentosa}^ cMula QT palas (Butea frondosa)^ and bamboos are the principal trees. Teak is fairly common, but the timber is inferior. The polos scrub forest, found in the plains, is of an open nature, and the trees are freely propagated by seed, but the seedlings are often destroyed by the winter frosts and by fires in the hot season. Among minor products may be noticed charcoal, which is sold to the iron-workers of Tendukheda in Narsinghpur, and the rusa tikari grass (Andropogon Schoenanthits), used in the manufacture of scent. The forests of Banda are rich in mahua trees, which are of great value in times of scarcity. The forest revenue in 1903-4 was Rs. 47,000.
Iron is found in the north of the District in Hirapur and other villages of the Shahgarh pargana, and is still smelted by native methods, but the industry has greatly declined. Sandstone quarries occur in several places, from which building stone of a good quality is obtained, the best being at Rahatgarh and Maswasi, just north of Saugor. The earthen vessels made of red clay in Shahgarh have a local reputation.
Trade and Communication
Weaving and dyeing are carried on principally at Saugor, Rehll, Deorl, Gourjhamar, and Garhakota ; brass-working at DeorT, Khurai, and Malthone; iron-work at Rahatgarh; and the manufacture of glass bangles at Garhakota, Pithoria, and Rahatgarh. At Pithoria glass beads and rude phials for holding scent are also made. Gold and silver work is pro- duced at Saugor, Khurai, and Etawa, but many of the Sonars (gold- smiths) have fallen back on the manufacture of ornaments from bell- metal. The local industries are generally, as elsewhere in the Province, in a depressed condition. There are no factories in the District.
The principal exports consist of food-grains, and until lately those of wheat were of far greater importance than all others combined. But in recent years the exports of wheat have declined almost to vanishing point, though with favourable harvests they will probably soon recover. At present the most important articles of exports are the oilseeds, til and linseed. Cotton and hemp (san) are exported to some extent ; also ghl in large quantities, dried meat (to Burma), hides, horns and bones, and forest produce, Betel-leaves are sent to the United Provinces, and the skins and horns of antelope are sold for ornamental purposes. The imports are principally cotton piece-goods, kerosene oil, metals, all minor articles of hardware, groceries, and spices. Country cloth comes principally from the Bombay mills ; unrefined sugar is im- ported from the United Provinces, refined sugar from Bombay and Cawnpore, and tobacco from Cawnpore and Bengal. Nearly all the salt used comes from the Pachbhadra salt marshes in Jodhpur.
Before the opening of the railway from Bina to Katni nearly the whole trade of Saugor District went to Kareli station in Narsinghpur District by the Saugor-Kareli road, crossing the Narbada at Barmhan ; but at present the bulk of the trade of the District is concentrated at Saugor station. The three southern parganas of the Rehll tahsil Naharmow, Gourjhamar, and Deori still send their exports to Kareli, while the Shahgarh pargana in the north of the Banda taJi&l has a certain amount of traffic with Cawnpore by road.
The branch line from Bma, on the Indian Midland section of the Great Indian Peninsula, to Katni, on the East Indian Railway, passes through the centre of Saugor District. The length of this railway within the Dis- trict is 7 1 miles, and there are seven stations, of which Bma, Khurai, Saugor, and Shahpur are trade centres. The main line of the Indian Midland Railway from Itarsi to Cawnpore also runs through the north-west of the Khurai tahsil for 17 miles, and the stations of Bamora, Bma, Agasode, and Karonda are situated on it, while another branch leads from Bma to Baran. The principal roads are those leading from Saugor to Kareli, Rahatgarh, and Rehll, to Cawnpore through Banda, to Dam oh through Garhakota, and to Jhansi through Malthone. Of these, the Kareli and Rahatgarh roads are metalled throughout, the Rehll road for most of its length, and the Cawnpore and Jhansi roads for a few miles out of Saugor town. The importance of the Kareli road has now largely decreased. The total length of metalled roads in the District is 117 miles, and of unmetalled roads 162 miles; the annual expenditure on maintenance is about Rs. 50,000. A few minor roads are maintained by the District council, but all others are in charge of the Public Works department. The length of avenues of trees is 185 miles.
Famine
Little is on record concerning the agricultural history of the District prior to the thirty yeais' settlement of 1867, Dut severe failures of crops Famine are ^ nown to ^ ave occur red more than once during the first half of the century and also in the years 1 854-56- In 1868-9 the autumn harvest failed entirely owing to drought, and some distress was felt by the poorer classes. In 1878, 1889, and 1890 the harvests were poor, and there was again a certain amount of privation. The spring crops were below the average in 1892-3, and in 1893-4 and 1894-5 they failed almost entirely from excessive winter rains. Relief works were opened in 1894, but the people did not resort to them in large numbers.
In 1895-6 both crops were again seriously injured by drought, and in 1896-7 an almost complete failure caused severe famine. Relief operations were in progress during the whole of 1897. The total expenditure exceeded 12 lakhs, and the maximum daily number of persons on relief was 58,000 in May, 1897, In 1898-9 Saugor had a poor spring crop, and in 1899-1900 the autumn crops failed entirely, though the spring crops gave an average out-turn. There was again famine in this year, though far less severe in Saugor than over most of the Province. Nearly n lakhs was spent on relief, and the numbers relieved rose to 87,000 in August, 1900. It will thus be seen that the District has lately passed through a most severe and protracted period of agricul- tural depression.
Administration
The executive head of the District is the Deputy-Commissioner, who is also District Magistrate, with three Assistants. For administrative purposes the District is divided into four tahsils. each . , . . Administration,of which has a tahsildar and a naw-tah&ldar, except Banda, which has only a tahsildar. An Executive Engineer and a Forest officer are stationed at Saugor.
The civil judicial staff consists of a District and a Subordinate Judge, with a Munsif at each tahsil. The Divisional and Sessions Judge of Jubbulpore has superior civil and criminal jurisdiction. The crime of the District is somewhat heavy as compared with other parts of the Province. Robberies and dacoities are comparatively frequent, and cattle-stealing and simple theft are also common offences. Opium smuggling from the adjoining Native States is prevalent.
Under the Maratha revenue system villages were farmed out to the highest bidder, and any rights or consideration which the village head- men may have enjoyed in the past were almost entirely effaced. No legal status was given to tenants, and the older cultivators were pro- tected only by custom, which enjoined that, so long as the annual rent demand was paid, their tenure should be hereditary and continuous.
The land revenue history of the District during the period following the cession in 1818 consists of a series of abortive attempts to raise a revenue equal to or exceeding that of the Maratha government, when the people had become impoverished by the exactions of that govern- ment during the last period of its rule, and by the depredations of the Pindaris. The demand at cession was a little short of 6 lakhs. A series of annual and short-term settlements ensued till 1835, when a twenty years' settlement was made, and the revenue fixed at Rs. 6,27,000. This settlement did not work well, and the disturbances of 1842 seriously injured the District, necessitating a general reduction of revenue varying from 10 to 20 per cent. Large remissions of the ordinary demand were also frequently made during the currency of this settlement. In 1854 a revision of settlement was commenced, but owing to the Mutiny and other causes was not completed through- out the District until 1867. The effect of this settlement was to reduce the revenue to Rs. 4,64,000. On this occasion the village headmen received, according to the general policy of the Central Provinces Administration, proprietary and transferable rights in their villages.
The settlement was for the term of thirty years, and the District prospered, the cropped area increasing from 1,040 to 1,250 square miles. In 1891, after a preliminary cadastral survey had been com- pleted, a new settlement commenced, but owing to interruptions caused by famine it was not completed till 1897. The revenue then fixed amounted to nearly Rs. 6,96,000. In spite of the enhanced revenue, the share of the 'assets' left to the proprietors was considerably larger than at the former settlement. But the successive failures of crops have so greatly reduced both the area under cultivation and the value of the crops grown that the District has been unable to pay the revised demand, and successive reductions have been made. The revenue as now fixed is Rs. 5,00,000, the incidence per acre being R. 0-10-3 (maximum R. 0-13-7, minimum R. 0-15-11); while the incidence of the rental is Rs. 1-1-6 (maximum Rs. 1-7, minimum R. o-io-io).
The land revenue and total revenue receipts in the District have varied, as shown below (in thousands of rupees) :
The management of local affairs outside municipal areas is entrusted to a District council, under which are four local boards each having jurisdiction over a single tahsil. The income of the District council in 1903-4 was Rs. 74,000, The main items of expenditure were: education (Rs. 20,000), public works (Rs. 18,000), and medical relief (Rs. 9,000), SAUGOR, DEORI, and KHURAI are municipal towns.
The sanctioned strength of the police force is 653 of all ranks. This includes a special reserve of 2 officers and 23 men, 7 mounted constables, and cantonment police numbering 31. In proportion to area and population the police force is stronger in Saugor than in any other District of the Central Provinces, owing to the fact that it is surrounded by Native States, and thieves and dacoits find it easy to escape across the border. There are 1,523 village watchmen for 1,929 inhabited towns and villages. Saugor has a first-class District jail, with accommodation for x 45 male and 22 female prisoners. The average daily number of prisoners in 1904 was 91.
In respect of education Saugor stands sixth among the Districts of the Central Provinces, 7-7 per cent, of its male population being able to read and write. Only 919 females were returned as literate in 1901 ; but this is probably an understatement, as the people object to admitting that their women can read and write. Statistics of the number of pupils under instruction are as follows: (1880-1) 5,255; (1890-1) 5,959 ; (1900-1) 6,339; a nd (1903-4) 8,401, of whom 1,331 were girls. Owing to the prevalence of famine in 1900-1 the numbers were reduced, but a great advance has been made since. The educa- tional institutions comprise a Government high school at Saugor town, 20 middle and 113 primary schools. Notwithstanding the small num- ber of its women shown by the Census as literate, Saugor is one of the most advanced Districts in the Province in respect of female education. The expenditure on education in 1903-4 was Rs. 74,000, of which Rs. 67,000 was provided from Provincial and Local funds and Rs. 7,000 by fees.
The District has 8 dispensaries, with accommodation for 97 in- patients. The total attendance at all of them in 1904 was 71,166 persons, including 653 in-patients, and 2,549 operations were per- formed. The expenditure was Rs. 15,000, chiefly derived from Local funds ; and they possess Rs. 6,800 invested capital.
Vaccination is compulsory only in the municipal towns of Saugor, Khurai, and Deon. In 1903-4 the number of persons successfully vaccinated was 34 per 1,000 of the population of the District.
[E. A. De Brett, Settlement Report (1901); E. V. Russell, District Gazetteer (1907).]
