Ratnagiri District, 1908
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Revision as of 15:29, 12 August 2024
Contents[hide] |
Ratnagiri District in 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.
A District in the Southern Division of the Bombay Presidency, lying between 15 44' and 18 4' N and 73 2' a nd 73 57' E, with an area of 3,998 square miles. It is bounded on the north by the State of Janjlra and Kolaba District ; on the east by Satara District and the State of Kolhapur, on the south by the State of Savantvadi and the Portuguese Possessions of Goa ; and on the west by the Arabian Sea.
Physical aspects
Ratnagiri may be described generally as rocky and rugged. Near the coast it consists of bare elevated plateaux, intersected by numerous creeks and navigable rivers, flowing between steep and lofty hills. These rivers have along their banks the chief seaports and almost all the fertile land of the District. Ten miles or so inland the country becomes more open, but a little farther it is occupied by spurs of the Western Ghats. This range itself forms the continuous eastern boundary, running parallel to the coast, at distances varying from 30 to 45 miles. It varies in height fiom 2,000 to 3,000 feet, though some of the peaks attain an altitude of 4,000 feet
Both above and below the main lange the massive basaltic rocks that crown the Western Ghats can, with little aid from art, be turned into nearly impregnable fortresses with a liberal supply of the finest water from the springs with which the hills abound The hills are crossed by numerous passes, which, except the made roads, form the only means of communication with the Deccan. The crests of these passes command some of the most magnificent scenery in India The lower hills are for the most part bare Those deserving mention are beginning from the north, the hog-backed Mandangarh, a ruined fort m Dapoli commanding a view of Mahabaleshwar , south of this, also in Dapoli, Palgarh } farther south, in Khed, the three isolated hills of Mahlpatgarh, Sumargarh, and Rasalgarh, passing south to Lanja in Rajapur, Machal, a triangular hill, close to the old fort of Vishalgarh, ends in a broad plateau fit for a sanitarium
The character of the streams that form the river system of Ratnagiri varies little They rise in the main range, or in the spurs of the Western Ghats, and traversing the country along narrow deep-cut ravines enter the Arabian Sea after winding courses of seldom more than 40 miles The geneial flow is from east to west, with sometimes a tendency to the south. The abruptness of then windings is a notable feature of the Ratnagiri nveis Though of comparatively small size and volume and ill-suited for irrigation, they are of great local value, being navigable for 20 miles or more and having estuaries affording safe anchorage for coasting craft.
The sea-boaid, about 160 miles in length, from Bankot or Fort Victoria to a point 2 miles south of Redi Fort, is almost uniformly rocky and dangerous. It consists of a series of small bays and coves shut in between jutting headlands, and edged with sand of dazzling whiteness. At places the hills recede a little, leaving at their base a rich tract of rice-fields, with generally a strip of coco-nut gardens between them and the beach. At intervals of about 10 miles, a river or bay opens, sufficiently large to form a secure harbour for native craft ; and the promontories at the river mouths are almost invariably crowned with the lumb of an old fort. At Suvarndrug and Malvan rocky islands stand out from the mainland, still preserving the remains of strong Maratha fortifications. The larger rivers and creeks have deep water for 20 or 30 miles from the coast, and many of the most important towns are situated at their farthest navigable point, for in so rough a country the rivers form the best highways of trade.
The District contains no natural lakes and but few artificial reservoirs of any size, the most notable being those at Dhamapur, Varad, and Pendur in Mai van and at Chiplun in the Chiplun tdhtka.
Ratnagm is occupied almost entirely by the basaltic formation of the Deccan tiap overlaid with latente, except in the southernmost portion near Mai van, where a substiatum of gneiss and of Cuddapah beds appears from beneath the basalt and latente Teitiary beds containing fossil plants, the exact age of which is unknown, occur at Ratnagin. The remaikably rectilinear sea-coast piobably indicates a fault line of comparatively modern origin, and the numerous hot springs which occur m and along a line parallel with the coast may be connected with the formation of this fault. The line of springs runs half-way between the Western Ghats and the sea, and seems to stretch both north and south of the District. There are similar springs near the towns of RAJAPUR, Khed, and Sangameshwar, and at the villages of Arvalh and Tural. The water of all of them seems strongly impregnated with sulphur.
The chief trees of the District are teak, am, kmjal, catechu, shlsham (Dalbergia Sissoo\ mana (Lager stroemta lanceolatd)^ taman (Lager- stroemia Flos Reginae), and bamboos Casuarma has been planted in the Dapoh tdluka , and plantations of this tiee would probably thrive on the sandhills of the sea-board. From an economic point of view, the coco-nut palm is the most important tree m the District. Brahmans and Marathas either cultivate it themselves or rent it to Bhandans to be tapped for fan.
Game is scarce in Ratnagin Distuct Tigers, sdmbar deei, and beais are few, and have then haunts in the most inaccessible localities Leopards are not uncommon , wild hog are plentiful, but owing to the nature of the ground hunting them on horseback is impossible. Small deer, antelope, haies, jackals, and foxes abound Monkeys of the langur species are to be seen about all towns and villages The flying- fox (or fruit-bat) and musk-rat are common every wheie The beais aie the usual Indian black or sloth species , they inhabit the upper slopes of the Ghats, living mostly on their favourite food, the fiuit of the wild fig-tree. Wolves are unknown, but packs of wild dogs have been seen. As regards its game-birds, Ratnagin is an indiffeient sporting country , partndges, grouse, and bustaid are wanting, while quail are scarce. Duck, snipe, and plover are plentiful. Among buds of picy, the vulture, the falcon, the eagle, and the ospiey are found Owls are common, as also swallows, kingfishers, and parakeets Snakes are abundant, of both venomous and harmless kinds The python is stated to measure 10 to 20 feet, but the species is only occasionally met with The rock snake, dhatnan (Ptyas mucosus\ and the brown tree snake are general. The cobra (Naga, tripudians) is frequently killed in human habitations. Owing to its nocturnal habits, it is not often seen by daylight. The fursa (Echis carmata\ identical with the kappa of Smd, is by far the most common of the venomous snakes found in the District, and is veiy dangerous. Ratnagin is well supplied with sea-fish, and in a less degree with fresh-water fish. Sharks are numerous, and whales are sometimes seen off the sea-board. Sardines swarm on the coast at certain seasons in such abundance as to be used for manure.
The climate of the District, though moist and relaxing, is on the whole healthy. Fifteen miles from the coast extremes of cold and heat are experienced. Dapoh is generally considered the healthiest station in the District, on account of its equable temperature, excellent drinking-water, and the fine open plain on which it stands. The mean annual temperature of Ratnagin town on the sea-coast is 83 and of Dapoh, 57 miles from the coast, 87. At the former town the tem- perature falls as low as 61 in January, and reaches 93 in May From February to the middle of May strong gusty winds blow from the north-west, which then give place to the south-west monsoon.
The rainfall is abundant and comparatively regular. The south-west monsoon usually breaks on the coast early in June, and the rams continue to the middle or end of October. The fall of ram averages 100 inches at Ratnagin and is considerably greater inland than on the coast The maximum is 166 inches in the Mandangarh petka, and the minimum 95 inches in the Devgarh taluka. The cyclone of 1871 swept up the coast with great violence and wrecked numerous small native craft and a steamer, besides causing much damage to houses. Another very violent storm occuried in 1879, in which 150 native vessels were wrecked, with a loss of over 200 lives and about 3 lakhs worth of cargo.
History
The Chiplun and Kol caves show that between 200 B c and A.D. 50 noithern Ratnagin had Buddhist settlements of some importance. The country subsequently passed under several History. Hindu dynasties, of whom the Chalukyas were the most powerful. In 1312 Ratnagin was overrun by the Muhammadans, who established themselves at Dabhol, but the rest of the country was practically unsubdued till 1470, when the Bahmam kings gained a complete ascendancy by the capture of Vishalgarh and Goa. About 1500 the whole of the Konkan south of the Savitri came under Bijapur rule; and, later, war with the Portuguese wrought grievous loss to Dabhol and other coast towns. The decline of the Portuguese power was accompanied by the rise of that of the Maiathas, who under Sivaji established themselves in Ralnagui (1658-80), defeating the Bijapur armies, repelling the Mughals, and overcoming the Sidis and Portuguese For some years after this the Sidis held possession of part of the Distnct. The successes of the pirate Kfmhojl Angna led to his appointment as admiral of the Maratha fleet, and obtaining part of Ratnagiri as his principality, In 1745 Tulaji Angna, one of his illegitimate sons, succeeded to the lands between Bankot and Savant- vadi, disavowed the Peshwa's authonty, and seized and plundered all the ships he could master. The Biitish, in conjunction with the Peshwa, in 1755 destroyed the piratical forts at Suvarnclrug.
The following year, after the destruction of the whole of Angna's fleet, Vijayadrug was taken. For these services Bankot with nine villages was ceded to the British. In 1765 Malvan and Reddi were reduced The former was restored to the Raja of Kolhapur, and Rcclch was given to the chief of Savant vadi The wais between Kolhapm and Savantvadi, carried on for twenty-thiee yeais with varying success, thiew the countiy into gieat disoidei, as each party in turn became supreme They finally entered into agreements with the British Government, and ceded Malvan and Vengurla, and arrangements were made for the cession of the Peshwa's dominions in Ratnagiri. But war breaking out in 1817, the country was occupied by a military force, and the forts were speedily reduced A small detachment was landed at Ratnagiri during the Mutiny, but no disturbance occurred Since the third Burmese War, king Thibaw has been detained there as a state prisoner.
Ratnagiri contains many forts, some standing on islands, others on headlands and the banks of riveis, while inland natural positions of advantage have been stiengthened. The age of most of the forts is hard to fix Some of them, as Mandangarh, may be as old as the Christian era , but of this the evidence is very slight. Many aie said to have been built by Raja Bhoj of Panhala at the end of the twelfth century But most are supposed to be the work of the Bijapur kings in the sixteenth century, repaired and strengthened in the seven- teenth by Sivajl. Like those of the North Konkan, the Ratnagiri forts were neglected by the Peshwas. In 1818, except for the labour of bringing guns to bear on them, they were easily taken by the British Nothing was done to destroy the fortifications. But except a few, all are now, from weather and the growth of creepers and wall trees, more or less ruined. There are said to be 365 forts in the District
Ratnagiri also contains other Hindu and Musalman remains. The chief are the underground temple of Chandikabai ; an old shrine of Sangameshwar, which is locally believed to date from Parasu Rama's time, and the mosque of Dabhol, in a style similar to that of the Bijapur mosques. In Kharepatan is the only Jain temple found in the Southern Konkan. Copperplates of the Rashtrakuta dynasty were found here In the temple in Sindhudrug fort near Malvan there is an effigy of Sivaji held in the greatest veneration Prints of SivajT's hands and feet which appear m the stone walls aie held in reverence and protected by small temples Monday is the chief day of Sivaji's worship, and the Kolhapur chief sends turbans and other presents.
Population
The Census of 1872 disclosed a total population of 1,019,136 persons _, that of 1881, 997,090 , that of 1891, 1,105,926; and that of 1901, 1,167,927.
The following table shows the distribution of population according to the Census of 1901
The principal towns are MALVAN, VENGURLA, RATNAGIRI (the head- quarters), and CHIPLUN MarathI (including the Konkani dialect) is spoken by 99 per cent of the population. Classified according to re- ligion, Hindus form 92 pei cent of the total and Musalmans 7 per cent.
The Konkanasth or Chitpavan Brahmans (31,000) and the Karhadas (14,000) form the major portion of the Brahman population (68,000). The Chitpavans, so called from Chitapolan, the old name of Chiplun, are acute and intelligent, and rose to great prominence in the days of Maratha power, the Peshwa himself being a Chitpavan Brahman The Karhadas are named after KARAD in Satara District Yarns (36,000) are the most numerous of the trading castes } but the Bhatias, who have settled in the District within the last seventy years from Bombay and Cntch, are the most enterprising Of husbandmen, the majority are Marathas and Maratha Kunbis (287,000), Shindes (13,000), who are descendants of Brahmans and female slaves, and Gaudas (11,000), who seem to be a class of Marathas formerly holding the position of village headmen The Bhandaris or palm-tappers (86,000) are chiefly found along the coast They were formeily employed as fighting men, and are referred to in the early records of the British in Bombay as 4 Bhandareens.' Of artisans, the chief are Telis or oil-pressers (20,000), Sutars or carpenters (18,000), Sonars or goldsmiths (16,000), and Kumhars or potters (13,000) Guravs, wandering musicians (19,000), are found throughout the District. Gauhs (15,000), aie cattle-keepers, and Gabits (19,000) mostly sea- fishers and sailors The other sailors and fishermen are either Muhammadans or Hindus of the Bhandan and Koll castes. They are distinguished by their independent habits and character, and are in better circumstances than the agricultuial population. Chamars (12,000) are shoemakers and saddlers. Raja- pur Chamars have a local reputation for their skill in making sandals. Mahars (90,000) are found throughout the District Of the Muham- madans, the most noticeable are those known in Bombay undei the general name of Konkani Muhammadans, whose head-quarteis aie at Bankot. They hold a few rich villages on the Savitrl nver, and say that they aie descended from Arab settlers at Dabhol, Chaul, and other towns in the Konkan. Some of them can give particulars of the immigration of their forefathers, and the features of many have a distinctly Arab cast
About 76 per cent, of the population are supported by agriculture. The industrial classes, numbering in all 75,000, aie mainly toddy- drawers (4,600), weavers (6,000), and fishermen including fish-dealers (44,000) Under British rule, the Southern Konkan has always been the great recruiting ground of the Bombay Presidency. To Ratnagin's clever, pushing upper classes, to its frugal, teachable middle classes,, and to its sober, sturdy, and orderly lower classes Bombay city owes many of its ablest officials and lawyers, its earliest and cleverest factory workers, its most useful soldiers and constables, and its cheapest and most trusty supply of unskilled laboui In 1872 Bombay city con- tained 71,000 persons born in Ratnagin District, while by 1901 the number had increased to 145,000 About the year 1864, before Bombay offered so large a market for labour, numbers went from Ratnagin to Mauritius ; but this emigration has almost entirely ceased
Of the 4,929 native Christians enumerated in 1901, 4,232 were Roman Catholics, chiefly descended from the wholesale conversions made during the time of Portuguese domination After the introduction of British rule the Scottish Missionary Society was the first to establish a mission, choosing Bankot as their station, to which they soon aftei added Harnai. In 1830 the mission head-quarters were moved to Poona, and in 1834 the Ratnagiri mission was abandoned. About twenty-five years later the American Presbyterian Board constituted Ratnagiri a station of the Kolhapur mission. At present Dapoli is the head-quarters of the Church of England Mission, established in 1878, which maintains two orphanages, one for boys with 25 inmates and one for girls with 14, a high school with 159 pupils, and a vernacular school with 23 pupils. It also manages two vernaculai schools for girls with 69 pupils The American Presbyterian Mission, with its head-quarters at Ratnagm, maintains five schools with 200 pupils, including one for girls, an orphanage containing 32 boys and 32 girls, and a home for destitute widows with 13 inmates It opened a branch at Vengurla in 1900. A considerable number of native Christians are found in Harnai, Malvan, Vengurla, and other coast towns.
Agriculture
Fertile land is found along the banks of the rivers or salt-water creeks in the neighbourhood of the sea ; but the soil is generally poor, consisting in great measure of a stiff feirugmous clay, ^ gricu iture. often mixed with gravel Neither wheat nor cotton is grown. There are several coco-nut plantations in the District, and san-hemp is grown by the fishermen for net-making. The better kinds of rice land produce also second crops of some description of pulse or^ vegetable By far the greater propoition of the food-crops consist of inferior coarse grains, such as harik, rdgi, and van, grown on varkas soil in the uplands. The varkas lands may be divided into the more level parts, ;///, where the plough can be used , and the steeper slopes, d-ongri) admitting only of cultivation by manual labour. The best of the poorer soils bear crops for five or six successive years, and then require a fallow of from three to twelve years.
The District contains 521 square miles held on the ryotwari system , khots, who rent villages from Government, occupy 269 squaie miles, while mam and jdglr lands measure 367 square miles. The chief statistics of cultivation in 1903-4 are shown below, in square miles .
The area coveied by forests is about 10 acres in the Vengurla and Devgarh
'^Statistics are available for only 3, 108 square miles of this area The figures in the table are based on the latest information
Rice, almost entirely of the < sweet land ' variety, occupies jibout 290 square miles. It is an important crop in the southern tdlukas, especially in Malvan. Next in importance come ragi, kodra, and van]
VOL. xxi. K occupying 48, 33, and 21 square miles respectively. These grains are eaten by the poorer classes. Of pulses, which occupy 24 square miles, the chief is kuhth (16 square miles), grown in the southern portion of the District, especially in Malvan. Oilseeds, chiefly mger-seed, occupy 12 square miles Chillies are raised in small quantities as a 'dry- season ' crop. Sugar-cane is cultivated in all parts of the District, except Khed and Chiplun. Tag or san-hemp (3 square miles) occupies a considerable area, and is used chiefly for making fishing-nets, twine, ropes, gunny, and paper. The remaining agricultural products of the District are coco-nuts and areca-nuts, both of which are exported in considerable quantities.
Since 1818 experiments have been undertaken with a view to intro- ducing the cultivation of cotton into the District, but without success. The only real improvement of late years has been the conversion of considerable areas of inferior soil into rice and garden land. Undei the Land Improvement and Agriculturists' Loans Acts over 1-5 lakhs has been advanced to cultivators since 1894-5. Of this sum, Rs, 34,000 \\as lent in 1896-7, Rs. 25,000 in 1899-1900, and Rs. 22,000 in 1900-1.
The pasturage of the District being pooi and devoid of nutiimenl, the local breed of cattle is infenor. Sheep imported from the grazing grounds above the Ghats detenorate rapidly, and horses quickly lose condition. Goats, though of inferior breed, appear to thrive. The only imported breed of cows 01 buffaloes is from Jafarabad in South Kathiawar. Sheep are kept by butchers and goats by Brahmans for milk , no care is bestowed on their breeding. Donkeys are rarely kept by any but the \agrant tribes.
Of the total cultivated area in 1903-4, only 15 square miles, or o 3 per cent , were irrigated, the areas from various sources being tanks i square mile, wells 7 squaie mileb, and othei sources 7 square miles. Of the irrigated area, nearly 5 square miles \veie under rice, Irrigation is chiefly from wells and watercouises, as the tidal influence passes so far inland as to make the rivers useless for irrigation. The District contains 6,501 wells and 43 tanks used for irrigation. No ponds or reservoirs are large enough to be used in watering fields, except a few in Malvan
In the early days of British occupation, the region round Bankot creek was clothed with fine teakwood. Curved teak logs, known as ' Bankot knees,' weie largely exported to Bombay ^ and from Bankot came most of the stout ribs and fiame\\orks of the old Indian navy. The Marathas had shipbuilding yards at Malvan and Vijayadrug, and showed a prudent regard for forest preservation. After the transfer of the District fiom the Peshwa m 1818, cultivation greatly increased, and the larger part of the District was laid bare. In 1829 the forests were left to the people for unrestricted use , and in consequence enormous quantities of timber were felled and dispatched to the Bombay market. The effect of this treatment has left Ratnagiri denuded of forest to the present day. The village groves along the coast are well supplied with mango, oil-nut (Calophyllnm Inophylluni), and jack-trees. Active measures of late years have been adopted to preserve and extend the forest area The District contains 19 * square miles of forest, the whole of which is ' reserved ' and is in charge of the Revenue department. The Government Reserves are in the Dapoli, Khed, Rajapur, and Malvan tdlukas. The receipts m 1903-4 from the sale of teak and firewood m Ratnagiri District were Rs. 1,000, out of a total revenue of Rs. 1,200.
According to a legend, the truth of which is rendered piobable by the piesence of quartz, gold used to be extracted near Phonda, at the foot of the Western Ghats. In the south very pure specular iron is associated in small quantities with the quartz rock. All the latente of the District is charged with iron, though m proportions too small to make it woith smelting. Near Malvan non is found in detached masses on the tops of hills In former times the Malvan mines and those of Gothna, a village above the Ghats, weie much worked , and as late as 1844 the smelting of non was carried on at Masuia, Kalavali, Varangaon, and some other villages The other mineral products are talc, stone for road-metal, sand, clay, and lime.
Trade and communication
Agriculture is the chief industry, but in a few towns and villages saris and coaise woollen blankets are woven. In the town of Rajapur gulal (red powder) is made. In Vijayadrug, Dev- garh, and a few of the neighbouring villages bison horn is worked up into ornaments, while Ratnagiri town is celebrated for the inlaid furniture made at its school of industry. Two oil-presses, one at Chiplun and the other at Malvan, appear to work profitably, A few cups and bowls of soapstone are also made m the Malvan tdluka. At Shiroda are 27 salt-works producing about 56,000 maunds of salt.
In the seventeenth century the pepper and cardamom trade brought English traders to Rajapur, and there was also some traffic in calico, silk, and gram. During the disorders of Maratha rule trade declined., and in 1819 there was very little except imports of salt and exports of grain. At present gram, cotton, and sugar are brought down from beyond the Ghats to the sea-coast for exportation by bullock-carts, which usually return with a freight of coco-nuts, salt, and dried fish. Steamers from Bombay call regularly at the ports in the fair season, bringing piece-goods and stores, and taking back coco-nuts, rice, and areca-nuts from Vengurla and Ratnagiri. The local shipping traffic has 1 Thib figure la taken from the Forest Administration Report for 1903-4.
District suffered through the competition of steamers ; but a large trade is still carried on by this means with the Malabar coast, Cutch, Kathiawar, and Karachi.
The Ratnagin sea-board contains thirteen ports and harbours. They are of two classes ; coast poits on sheltered bays and river mouths ; and inland ports up tidal creeks, generally at the point where navigation ceases. Bankot, Harnai, Devgarh, Dabhol, Sangameshwar, Ratnagin, Rajapur, Mai van, and Vengurla aie places of some trade and con- sequence; the rest are insignificant The ports are grouped for customs purposes into seven divisions Anjanvel, Bankot, Jaitapur, Malvan, Ratnagin, Shiroda, and Vengurla. The total value of the sea-borne trade of the ports in the District amounted m 1876 to 23 lakhs, of which 9 lakhs represented the exports and 14 lakhs the impoits; and m 1903-4 to 68 lakhs exports, and 99 lakhs imports.
In 1852 there were not even bullock-tracks from many villages to the nearest market towns, and the produce sent for sale was carried upon men's heads, Of late years many improvements have been made. In 1903-4 there were 479 miles of metalled roads and 790 miles of unmetalled roads in the District. Of these, 394 miles of metalled road are maintained by the Public Works department, and the remainder by the local authorities. Avenues of trees are planted along 257 miles. The main road runs north and south, passing through the chief inland trade centres and crossing the different rivers above the limit of navigation From it cait-roads lead to the four chief openings across the Ghats. During the fair season the District is served by steamers of the Bombay Steam Navigation Company, while in the monsoon communication is maintained via the Amba ghat and the Southern Mahratta Railway
Famine
Since the beginning of British rule there has been no year of distress so severe and general as to amount to famine. Of only two of the older famines, those of 1790 and 1802-3, does an y information remain Both of thebe seem to have been felt all over the Konkan. In 1824 a very light rainfall was followed by a complete failure of crops m high grounds and a partial failure in low rice lands In 1876 an insufficient rainfall caused a serious loss of crops, but not actual famine. Public health was bad, and there was considerable distress, Rs. 77,000 being spent on relief works. An unusual demand for labour sprang up in and near Bombay city; and it was estimated that at least 150,000 (double the usual number) of the poorer workers moved to Bombay for part of the fair season, and returned with savings enough to last them till the next harvest.
Administration
The District is subdivided into 9 tdlukas : VENGURLA, MALVAN, DEVGARH, RAJAPUR, RATNAGIRI, SANGAMESHWAR, CHIPLUN, KHED, and DAPOLI. Chiplun includes the petty subdivision (petka) of Guhagar, and Dapoh that of Mandangarh. The Collector usually
has three Assistants, of whom one is a member of the Indian Civil Service.
The District Judge, with whom are associated two Assistant Judges, sits at Ratnagiri, and is assisted by ten Subordinate Judges, of whom two sit at Ratnagiri, two at Chiplun, and two at Rajapur. The Khed tahtka alone has no Subordinate Judge. Original civil suits are heard by the Subordinate Judges, and appellate jurisdiction is exercised by the District Judge and his Assistants. There are 28 officers to ad- minister criminal justice in the District. Crime is remarkably light; and such offences as occur are of a comparatively trifling nature and usually arise from disputes about land, which is very much subdivided and is eagerly sought after.
In 1819 the South Konkan was formed into a sepaiate District, with Bankot as its head-quarters, which in 1822 were removed to Ratnagiri, as being a more central and convenient place. In 1830 the three talukas north of Bankot were transferred to the North Konkan, and Ratnagiri reduced to the rank of a sub-collectorate. But in 1832 it was again made a District.
The land tenures of Ratnagiri differ from those of the Presidency generally, in that there is a class of large landholders, called khots> in the position of middlemen between Government and the actual cultivators. The majority of the villages in the District are held on the khoti tenure, under which the khot makes himself responsible for the payment of the assessment The khot is really a limited pro- prietor. He has the right to hold villages on payment in instalments of the lump assessment fixed by Government on all the village lands, the villages being liable to attachment if the amount is unpaid. He can lease lands in which there is no right of permanent occupancy on his own terms, and has a right to all lands lapsing by absence or failure of permanent occupants. The khot's tenants pay him such fixed amount, either in money or kind, as they may have agreed to pay ; and in cases of default the khot receives assistance from Govern- ment in recovering such dues. Some of the khoti grants date back to the time of the Bijapui kings, and were made to Muhammadans, Marathas, and other Hindus alike. In 1829 the khots were well off, and many of them were men of capital, who laid out money in bring- ing new land under tillage. On the other hand, the tenants were deep in their debt, and wholly at their mercy , and the first efforts of Government were directed to ascertain the extent of the relative rights of the khots and their tenants. In 1851 it was found that the tenants were extremely impoverished, having no motive to improve their lands, and that a labour tax was exacted from them It was decided to make a survey, lecord the rights of occupancy tenants, and obtain information upon which legislation could be based. The terms of the settlement were embodied in the Survey Act of 1865. The District was settled under its provisions against the strenuous opposition of the khots ; and as money rates had been substituted for payments in kind, the change was also disliked by the people. In 1874 the discontent was so pronounced that a Commission was appointed to reinvestigate the subject and to endeavour to effect a compromise. A new settlement was carried out between 1877 and 1880 by personal inquiries before the whole of the assembled villagers. All extra cesses were abolished, and the relations between khot and tenant were placed upon a satisfactory footing The Khoti Act (Bombay) I of 1880 legalized the settlements. Besides the khot tenures, three other special tenures are found in the District sheri thikans, 01 crown lands now leased for a term of thirty years ; katuban lands, with fixed rent not liable to fluctuation ; gairdasti lands, or lands formerly waste and unassessed but now leased until the new settlement. Considerable areas on the coast and along the banks of the larger creeks have been granted on reclamation leases The revision survey settlement has been introduced into five out of the nine talukas, resulting in a decrease of nearly one per cent in the revenue. The average rate per acre on 'dry ; lands is Rs. 1-3 for rabi and 3 annas for varkas, on rice land Rs. 3-9, and on garden land Rs. 6-5
Collections on account of land revenue and revenue from all sources have been, in thousands of rupees .
The District has four municipalities namely, VENGURLA, RAJAPUR, RATNAGIRI, and CHIPLUN Outside these, local affairs are managed by the District board and nine tahika boards. The total income of these boards is about ij lakhs, the chief source being the land cess. The expenditure includes Rs. 26,000 devoted to the construction and maintenance of roads and buildings.
The District Superintendent of police is assisted by two inspectors There are 15 police stations, with a total of 687 police, including 12 chief constables, 137 head constables, and 538 constables. A special police officer resides at Ratnagin m charge of the ex-king Thibaw of Burma. The District Jail at Ratnagin has accommodation for 228 prisoners In addition, there aie ir subsidiary jails in the District, with accommodation foi 156 prisoners The total number of prisoners in these jails in 1904 was 123, of whom 7 were females.
Ratnagiri stands tenth among the twenty-four Districts of the Presidency in regard to the literacy of its population, of whom 5-2 per cent (109 males and 0-3 females) could read and write in 1901. Education has made progress of late years. In 1855-6 there were only 20 schools attended by 2,403 pupils. The latter number rose to 9^85 m 1881, and to 20,937 in 1891, but fell to 19,733 in 1901. In 1903-4 there were in the District 484 schools attended by 22,855 pupils, of whom 1,536 were girls. Of 296 institutions classed as public,
2 are high schools, 13 middle schools, 278 primary schools, and
3 special schools, namely 2 technical schools at Dapoh and Waknavh and the school of industry at Ratnagiri. Of these institutions, one is maintained by Government, 168 are managed by District and 21 by municipal boards. 99 are aided and 7 unaided. The total expendi- tuie on education in 1903-4 was 1-36 lakhs, of which Rs. 37,000 was met by fees, and Rs 1,900 by Local funds. Of the total, 63 per cent, was devoted to primary schools.
The District contains one hospital, four dispensaries, one lepei asylum, and five other private medical institutions, with accommodation for 148 in-patients. In 1904 the number of persons treated in these institutions was 36,500, of \\hom 483 were in-patients, and 1,104 operations were performed. The total expenditure was Rs. 17,000, of which Rs 6 3 8oo was met from Local and municipal funds, The District has a lunatic asylum with in inmates in 1904.
The number of persons successfully vaccinated in 1903-4 was 27,363, representing a proportion of 23 per 1,000 of population, which is slightly below the average for the Presidency.
[Sir J M. Campbell, Gazetteer of the Bombay Presidency > vol. x (1880).]
See also
Ratnagiri District, 1908