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This article has been extracted from
THE IMPERIAL GAZETTEER OF INDIA , 1908.
OXFORD, AT THE CLA..."

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Created page with " {| class="wikitable" |- |colspan="0"|<div style="font-size:100%"> This article has been extracted from <br/> THE IMPERIAL GAZETTEER OF INDIA , 1908.<br/> OXFORD, AT THE CLA..."

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{| class="wikitable"
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|colspan="0"|<div style="font-size:100%">
This article has been extracted from <br/>

THE IMPERIAL GAZETTEER OF INDIA , 1908.<br/>

OXFORD, AT THE CLARENDON PRESS.
</div>
|}
[[Category:Pakisten|P]]
[[Category:Places|P]]
''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. ''

=Peshawar City=

Capital of the North-West Frontier Province,
and head-quarters of the District and tahsil of the same name, situated
in 34 i' N. and 71 35' E. The cantonment is situated on a ridge
overlooking the surrounding plain and the city, which lies near the
left bank of the Bara stream, 13 1/2 miles south-east of the junction of
the Swat and Kabul rivers, and 10 1/2 miles from Jamrud fort near the
entrance of the Khyber Pass, It is distant by rail from Calcutta
1,552 miles, and from Bombay 1,579 miles, and by road from Kabul
190 miles. It is the terminus of the grand trunk road, but a branch
of the North- Western Railway runs on to Jamrud. The population
was 79,982 in 1881, 54,191 in 1891, and 95,147 in 1901, consisting
f 68,35 2 Muhammadans, 18,552 Hindus, 5,144 Sikhs, and 3,063
Christians. Of the total population, 21,804 live in cantonments.

Peshawar was in the time of Fa Hian the capital of the Gandhara
province, and is historically important at all later periods. (See
PESHAWAR DISTRICT.) It was famous during the early centuries of
the Christian era as containing the begging-pot of the Buddha, a holy
pipal-tree whose branches are said to have given shade to the Master,
and an enormous stupa built by Kanishka. Buddhist remains still
mark its early greatness. The name is not improbably derived from
Parashawara or Purushapura, the seat of a king named Purush ; and
the present form Peshawar is referred to the emperor Akbar, whose
fondness for innovation is said to have led him to change the name,
of whose meaning he was ignorant, to Peshawar, the ' frontier town.'
In 1552 Humayun found the fortress in ruins, but had it repaired
and entrusted it to a governor, who successfully defended it against
the Afghans under Khan Kaju. The town appears to have been
refounded by Balgram, a contemporary of Akbar, and was much
enlarged by General Avitabile, its governor under the Sikhs. It
became the head-quarters of a British District in 1849, and the capital
of the North-West Frontier Province in 1901.

The modern city has but slight architectural pretensions, the houses,
though lofty, being chiefly built of small bricks or mud, held together
by a wooden framework. It is surrounded by a mud wall, built by
General Avitabile, which is gradually being replaced by a wall of
brick. The city has sixteen gates. The main street, known as the
Kissa kahani, which is entered from the Kabul Gate (re-erected as
a memorial to Sir Herbert Edwardeb), ib a broad roadway 50 feet
in width, consisting of two double rows of shops, the upper rooms of
which are generally let out as lodgings ; the street is, well paved, and
at busy times presents a very picturesque sight. The remainder of
the city proper consists of squares and markets, with narrow and
irregular streets and lanes. A masonry canal runs through the centre
of the city, which is, however, only used to carry off drain-water and
sewage. Drinking-water is brought down in pipes from the water-
works, for which the municipal committee pays a yearly rental. Wells
are used only in the hot season to supply colder water than the pipes
afford. The sanitary and conservancy arrangements are very good,
and all the drains are paved. There are now very few old houses of
architectural importance, most of them having been destroyed at the
time of the capture of the city by the Sikhs from the Durranis.
Several handsome mosques ornament the city ; and a large build-
ing, known as the Gorkhattri, once a Buddhist monastery, and sub-
sequently formed into a Hindu temple, is now used as the tahsili.
Just without the wall, on the north-western side, a quadrilateral fort,
the Bala Hisar, crowns a small eminence completely dominating the
city. Its walls of sun-dried brick rise to a height of 92 feet above
the ground, with a fausse-braye of 30 feet ; bastions stand at each
corner and on three of the faces, while an armament of guns and
mortars is mounted above.

South-west of the city, stretching from just outside the walls, are
the suburos of Bhana Mari and Deri Baghbanan, where there are
gardens noted for their fruit, producing quinces, pomegranates, plums,
limes, peaches, and apples in abundance. These gardens, especially
a public garden called the Wazir Bagh, form a favourite pleasure-
ground of the people; north of the city is another public pleasure-
ground, the Shahi Bagh or ' royal garden.'

Two miles west of the city lie the cantonments, where the civil
offices are also situated. The cantonments were occupied by British
troops soon after annexation in 1848-9. The garrison has been much
reduced and consists at present of one battery of field artillery, two
regiments of British and three of Native infantry, one regiment of
Native cavalry, and one company each of sappers and miners, bearer
corps, and army hospital native corps. The garrison forms part of
the Peshawar military division of the Northern Command, and the
head-quarters of the division are situated here.

The municipality was constituted in 1867. The income and
expenditure during the ten years ending 1902-3 averaged 2.3 and
2-15 lakhs respectively. In 1903-4 the income was 2-8 lakhs, of
which more than 2 lakhs were derived from octroi, while the
expenditure amounted to 2-9 lakhs, the chief heads of charge being
conservancy (Rb. 26,000), education (Rs. 12,000), hospitals and
dispensaries (Rs. 18,000), public safety (Rs. 46,000), and administra-
tion (Rs. 36,000). The income and expenditure of cantonment funds
during the ten years ending 1902-3 averaged Rs. 53,000 and
Rs. 52,500 respectively; in 1903-4 the income was Rs. 69,000, and
die expenditure Rs. 70,000.

The main trade of the District passes through the city of Peshawar.
Though of a varied and not uninteresting nature, it is less extensive
than might perhaps have been expected, but its position makes it
important as an entrepot for Central Asia. The principal foreign
markets having dealings with Peshawar are Kabul and Bokhara. From
the former place are imported raw silk, worsted, cochineal, jalap,
asafoetida, saffron, resin, simples, and fruits, both fresh and dried,
principally for re-exportation to the Punjab and Hindustan, whence
are received in return English piece-goods, cambrics, silk, indigo,
sugar, tea, salt, and spices. Bokhara supplies gold coins, gold and
silver thread and lace, principally for re-exportation to Kashmir, whence
the return trade is shawls. Iron from Bcajaur, skins, fibres and mats
made of the dwarf-palm (mazri) are the only remaining items of
importance coming from beyond the border.

The city possesses an unaided Arts college attached to the Mission
high school, and four high schools : namely, the municipal and
Edwardes Mission Anglo-vernacular high schools, and two unaided
Anglo- vernacular high schools. It also contains a civil hospital and
four dispensaries. Another institution is the Martin Lecture Hall
and Institute, with its reading-room and library, also maintained by
the Peshawar Mission.

Peshawar City - Revision history

Pdewan: Created page with " {| class="wikitable" |- |colspan="0"| This article has been extracted from THE IMPERIAL GAZETTEER OF INDIA , 1908. OXFORD, AT THE CLA..."

Pdewan: Created page with " {| class="wikitable" |- |colspan="0"|
This article has been extracted from
THE IMPERIAL GAZETTEER OF INDIA , 1908.
OXFORD, AT THE CLA..."