Sitapur District
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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Sitapur District
Physical aspects
District in the Lucknow Division of the United Provinces, situated between 27° 6' and 27° 54' N. and 80° 18' and 81° 24' E., with an area of 2,250 square miles. It is bounded on the north by Kheri ; on the east by the Kauriala or Gogra river, which separates it from Bahraich ; on the south by Bara Bank! and Lucknow ; and on the west and south-west by the Gumti, across which lies Hardol.
The eastern portion is a low damp tract, much of which is under water in the rains, but the remaining area is a raised upland of more stable character. Numerous streams intersect the aspects. District, flowing generally from north to south, but with a slight inclination to the east. In the lowland or ganjar the watercourses are variable, but the channels in the uplands are more stable. The Gumti and the Kauriala or Gogra, which form the western and eastern boundaries respectively, are both navigable Most of the upland area is drained by the Kathna and Sarayan, which are tributaries of the Gumti, and the Sarayan also receives the Beta and Gond. Through the centre of the gdnjar flows the Chauka, a branch of the Sarda, which now brings down little water, as the main stream of the Sarda is carried by the Dahawar, a branch separating the north- east corner of the District from Kheri. The Dahawar and Gogra unite at Mallanpur, but the junction of the Chauka and Gogra lies beyond the southern border of the District. There are many shallow ponds and natural reservoirs which are full of water during the rains, but gradually dry up during the hot season.
Sitapur exposes nothing but alluvium, and kankar or nodular lime- stone is the only stony formation found.
The District is well wooded in all parts, though it contains no forests and little jungle, except the sandy stretches near the rivers, which are clothed with tall grass or tamarisk. Mangoes, jack-fruit, and a kind of damson form the principal groves, while shisham (Dalbergia Sissoo) and tun (Cedrela Toona) are the chief timber trees. Species of fig, acacia, and bamboos are also common.
The spread of cultivation has reduced the number and variety of the wild animals. No tigers have been shot for the last thirty years, and leopards are very rarely seen. A few wolves, an occasional junglc-cal, and jackals and foxes are the only carnivorous animals. Wild hog have been almost exterminated by the Pasis, who eat them. A few nilgai and antelope are still found. The rivers abound in fish, and the larger streams contain crocodiles and the Gangetic porpoise.
Apart from the ganjar, which is malarious, the District enjoys a cool and healthy climate. The mean temperature ranges from about 45° in the winter to 95° in the summer. Even in May and June the maximum heat seldom rises to 110°, and frost is common in the winter.
The annual rainfall averages about 38 inches, evenly distributed in all parts of the District. Great fluctuations occur from year to year : in 1877 the total fall was only 20 inches, while in 1894 it was nearly 64 inches.
History
Little is known of the history of Sitapur. Legends connect several places with episodes in the Mahabharata and Ramayana. Thcre is the usual tradition of a raid by a general of the martyred Saiyid Salar. The rise of Rajput power, according to the traditions of the great clans which now hold the District, was some- what later than in Southern Oudh, and the influx continued till the reign of Aurangzeb. The Rajputs generally found the .soil occupied by Pasis, whom they crushed or drove away. Under the early Muhani- niadan kings of Delhi the country was nominally ruled by the governor of Bahraich, but little real authority was exercised. In the fifteenth century the District was included in the new kingdom of Jaunpur. About 1527 Humayun occupied Khairabad, then the chief town; but it was not until after the accession of Akbar that the Afghans were driven out of the neighbourhood. Under Akbar the present District formed part of four sarkars: Khairabad, Bahraich, Oudh, and luck- now, all situated in the Subah of Oudh. Khairabad was held for some time by the rebels of Oudh in 1567, but throughout the Mughal period and the rule of the Nawabs and kings of Oudh the District is seldom referred to by the native historians. Early in the nineteenth century it was governed by Hakim Mahdi All Khan, the capable minister of Nasir-ud-din Haidar, and some years later Sleeman noted that it was unusually quiet as far as the great landholders were concerned. At annexation in 1856 Sitapur was selected as the head-quarters of one District, and Mallanpur as the head-quarters of another, which lay between the Chauka and Gogra.
Sitapur figured prominently in the Mutiny of 1857. In that year three regiment.s of native infantry and a regiment of military police were quartered in Sitapur cantonments. The troops rose on the morn- ing of June 3, fired on their ofificers, many of whom were killed, as were also several military and civil officers with their wives and children in attempting to escape. Ultimately many of the fugitives succeeded in reaching Lucknow, while others obtained the protection of loyal zaniin- ddrs. On April 13, 1858, Sir Hope Grant inflicted a severe defeat on the rebels near Biswan. Order was completely restored before the end of that year ; the courts and offices were reopened, and since then nothing has occurred to disturb the peace.
The District contains a number of ancient mounds which still await examination. A copperplate grant of Gobind Chand of Kanauj was discovered in 1885, but few objects of interest have been obtained here. There are some Muhammadan buildings at Biswan and Khairabad, and Nimkhar is a famous place of pilgrimage.
Population
Sitapur contains 9 towns and 2,302 villages. Population is rising steadily. At the four enumerations the numbers were: (1872) 932,959, (1881) 958,251, (1891) 1,075,413, and (1901) 1,175,473. There are four tahsils — Sitapur, Biswan, Sidhauli, and Misrikh - each named from its head- quarters. The principal towns are the municipalities of Sitapur, the District head-quarters, and Khairabad. The following table gives the chief statistics of population in 1901 : —
About 85 per cent, of the total are Hindus and nearly 15 per cent. Musalmans. The District is thickly populated, and the increase be- tween 1891 and 1901 was remarkably large. Eastern Hindi is spoken by almost the entire population, AwadhI being the ordinary dialect.
The Hindu castes most largely represented are the Chamars (tanners and cultivators), 159,000; Pasis (toddy-drawers and cultivators), 130,000; Brahmans, 114,000; Ahirs (graziers and cultivators), 106,000 ; Kurmis (agriculturists), 89,000 ; Lodhas (cultivators), 45,000 ; Muraos (market-gardeners), 39,000 ; and Rajputs, 41,000. Among Musalmans are Julahas (weavers), 39,000 ; Shaikhs, 21,000; Pathans, 16,000; and Behnas (cotton-carders), 14,000. Agriculture supports 75 per cent, of the total population, and general labour 5 per cent. Rajputs and Musalmans hold most of the land, their estates being often of con- siderable size. Brahmans, Kurmls, Ahirs, Chamars, and Pasis are the chief cultivators.
Agriculture
There were 548 native Christians in 1901, of whom 525 were Methodists. The American Methodist Mission was opened in 1864.
Sitapur, though naturally very fertile, is still backward compared with Southern Oudh. Holdings are large, rents are to a considerable extent paid in kind, and high-caste cultivators, who do not labour with their own hands, are numerous. Along the Gumti is found a tract of light .soil which is inferior ; but east of this the centre of the District is composed of a good loam, stiffening into clay in the hollows. The sandy soil produces bajra and barley, while in the richer loam sugar-cane, wheat, and maize are grown. In the lowlands west of the Chauka rice is largely grown, as the floods are usually not too severe to injure the crop. Between the Chauka and the Gogra, however, the autumn crop is very precarious, and during the rains the gdnjar, or lowland, is swept by violent torrents. In this tract even the spring cultivation is poor.
The land tenures are those commonly found in Oudh. About 48 per cent, of the whole area is held by talukdars, and sub-settlement holders have only a small share in this. Single zamindars hold 11 per cent., and joint zamindars and pattidars the rest. The main agricul- tural statistics for 1903-4 are given below, in square miles : —
Wheat is the most important crop, covering 416 square miles, or a fourth of the net cultivated area. Pulses (294), rice (250), gram (240), kodon and small millets (210), barley (208), and maize are also largely grown. Of non-food crops the chief are poppy (27), sugar-cane (43), and oilseeds (41).
There has been a very considerable increase in the area under cultivation during the last forty years, amounting to about 35 per cent., and waste land is still being broken up as new tenants are obtained. In addition to this the area bearing a double crop has trebled. Improvements in the methods of agriculture and the introduction of better staples are noticeable, but are not proceeding very rapidly. In the autumn, rice is taking the place of the inferior small millets ; but the variety grown is that which ripens early, not the more valuable late rice. Wheat is being cultivated more largely than barley ; and the area under tobacco, poppy, and garden crops is rising. There is a steady demand for advances under the Land Improvement and Agriculturists' Loans Acts; a total of 3.1 lakhs was lent during the ten years ending 1900, out of which, however, 1.2 lakhs was advanced in the famine year, 1896-7. The loans in the next four years averaged Rs. 5,300. An agricultural bank of some importance has been founded by the Khattri tahtkddr of Muizzuddinpur.
Although no particular breeds are distinguished, the cattle of the District are superior to those of Southern Oudh. Animals of good quality are regularly imported and prevent deterioration, though the absence of care in mating is as marked here as elsewhere. The ganjar provides excellent pasture. Ponies are largely used as pack-animals, though they are of an inferior type. The District board maintained a stallion from 1894 to 1896, but the experiment was not a success. Sheep are comparatively scarce, while goats are kept in large numbers for milk, for penning on land, and for their hair.
In 1903-4, 316 square miles were irrigated, jhils and tanks supplying 192 square miles, wells 113, and other sources 11. Facilities are lack- ing in the sandy tract adjoining the Gumti, while irrigation is seldom required in the eastern lowlands. Even in the central loam tract permanent sources of water-supply are rare ; and the District is thus badly protected in seasons of drought, as the, jhils, which are the most important source of supply, fail when they are most needed. There has, however, been some increase in the number of wells, especially since the famine of 1896. Temporary wells can be made in most parts when necessary, except in the sandy tract. The wells are worked to a large extent by hand labour, a number of men combining to draw water in a large leathern bucket. In the east, where the spring-level is higher, the lever is used. Irrigation from tanks is carried on by means of the swing-basket. Small streams are used in a few places to supply water, their channels being dammed as required.
Kankar or calcareous limestone is found in block and in nodular form. It is used for making lime and for metalling roads, and was formerly employed as a building stone.
Trade and communication
Few manufactures are carried on, and these are chiefly confined to the preparation of articles in common use for the local market. Cotton cloth is woven in several places, and cotton prints are also made. The District produces some fine specmiens of wood-carving, and a little art pottery is made at Biswan.
Sitapur exports grain, oilseeds, raw sugar, and opium, and imports piece-goods, yarn, metals, and salt. The export trade has expanded largely since the opening of the railway, and also received an impetus from the famine of 1896, when a surplus was available. The town of Sitapur is the chief trading centre, and substantial bazars are springing up at other places along the railway. Towns at a distance from the line, especially those which are not situated on metalled roads, are declining in importance. Important fairs are held at Nimkhar and Khairabad.
The Lucknow-Bareilly metre-gauge State Railway (worked by the Rohilkhand and Kumaun Railway) passes through the centre of the District from south to north. A branch of the Bengal and North- Western Railway from Burhwal in Bara Banki to Sitapur town has been projected. Communications are fairly good, especially in the upland area. In the gdnjar the floods during the rains make boats the only means of communication. There are 576 miles of roads, of which 134 are metalled. The latter are in charge of the Public Works depart- ment, but the cost of all but 56 miles is met from Local funds. Sitapur town is the centre of the principal routes, which radiate to Lucknow, Shahjahanpur, and other places. Avenues of trees are maintained on 229 miles.
Famine
Disastrous floods sometimes cause distress in the east of the District, but the defective means of irrigation render the greater part of it more subject to drought. The great famine of 1783-4 was long remembered; and in 1837, i860, and 1869 scarcity was experienced. In 1877 the rains failed, and relief works were opened, while large numbers were fed in poorhouses. The exces- sive rainfall of 1894 caused much damage to the crops, and test relief works were opened early in 1895.in 1877 the rains ceased early, and in 1896 they failed to a still greater extent, and severe famine followed, which lasted till August, 1897. Numerous relief works were opened, advances were made for the construction of wells, revenue was .suspended to the extent of 3 lakhs, and Rs. 67,000 was ultimately remitted. Much of the distress was, however, due to the inrush of paupers from areas worse affected, and the District recovered rapidly.
Administration
The Deputy-Commissioner usually has a staff of four Assistants, one of whom is a member of the Indian Civil Service, . while the other three are Deputy-Collectors recruited in India. A tahsildar is stationed at the head-quarters of each tahsil, and there are two officers of the Opium department.
Civil work is in the hands of two Munsifs, a Subordinate Judge, and an Assistant Judge. The District of Kheri is included in the jurisdic- tion of the Civil and Sessions Judge of Sitapur. Crimes of violence are common, and dacoities are frequent, though they are usually not of a professional type. Burglary and theft are, however, the commonest offences, and Pasis are responsible for a large share of the crime. After the restoration of order in 1858 the District was formed in its present shape. No details have been preserved of the first summary settlement in 1856, which set aside the rights of the talukddrs to a large extent. At the summary settlement which followed the Mutiny the talukddrs were restored, and the demand fixed on the basis of the accounts under native rule was 9-4 lakhs. The first survey and regular settlement were carried out between 1862 and 1872 by various officers who employed different methods. The work was rendered difficult by the fact that in an unusually large area the rents were paid in kind and not in cash. Attempts were made to frame standard rates ; but these failed at first by not making sufficient allowance for local variations, and considerable modifications were necessary. Where cash-rents were found, they were used to estimate the value of grain-rented land, and estimates of produce were also made. The result was an assessment of 13 lakhs. As in the rest of Oudh, the Settlement officer sat as a civil court to determine claims to rights in land, but the work was on the whole lighter than in the southern Districts. The next revision was carried out between 1893 and 1897. There was no resurvey or formal revision of records, and the cost was extremely small. Rents in kind were still prevalent, only about 40 per cent, of the area assessed being held on cash rents. The latter were also found in many cases to be insecure, having been frequently fixed at excessively high rates, while in other cases they were special rates for particular crops. The valuation of the grain-rented land was thus extremely difficult ; but in some localities the record of the produce of this land was found to be fairly accurate, while the accounts of estates managed by the Court of Wards and those of some private landholders were also available. The result was an assessment of 15.4 lakhs, excluding villages liable to diluvion. This demand represented 46 per cent, of the assumed rental ' assets,' and an incidence of Rs. 1.3 per acre, varying from R. 0.8 to Rs. 1.8 in different parganas.
Collections on account of land revenue and revenue from all sources have been, in thousands of rupees : —
There are two municipalities, Sitapur and Khairabad, and six towns are administered under Act XX of 1856. Local affairs elsewhere are managed by the District board, which had an income of 1.3 lakhs in 1903-4, chiefly derived from rates. The expenditure in the same year was 1.4 lakhs, including Rs. 60,000 spent on roads and buildings.
The District Superintendent of police has a force of 3 inspectors, 101 subordinate officers, and 358 men distributed in ri police stations, besides 116 municipal and town police, and 2,467 rural and road police. The District jail contained a daily average of 378 prisoners in 1903.
Sitapur takes a low place in regard to the literacy of its inhabitants, of whom only 2.5 per cent. (4.6 males and 0.2 females) could read and write in 1901. The number of public schools increased from 145 with 5,481 pupils in 1880-1 to 169 with 6,463 pupils in 1900-1. In 1903-4 there were 215 such schools with 9,009 pupils, of whom 401 were girls, besides 19 private schools with 232 pupils. About 1,300 pupils had advanced beyond the primary stage. Five schools are managed by Government and 188 by the District and municipal boards. The total expenditure on education was Rs. 53,000, of which Rs. 41,000 was provided from Local funds, and Rs. 8,000 by fees.
There are 11 hospitals and dispensaries, with accommodation for 185 in-patients. In 1903 the number of cases treated was 103,000, includ- ing 2,571 in-patients, and 3,950 operations were performed. The ex- penditure amounted to Rs. 16,000, chiefly met from Local funds.
About 78,000 persons were successfully vaccinated in 1903-4, representing the very high proportion of 66 per 1,000 of population. Vaccination is compulsory only in the municipalities.
[S. H. Butler, Settlement Report {1899); H. R. Nevill, District Gazetteer (1905).]
