Latest revision as of 21:19, 1 September 2014

Note: National, provincial and district boundaries have changed considerably since 1908. Typically, old states, ‘divisions’ and districts have been broken into smaller units, units, and many tahsils upgraded to districts.Many units have since been renamed. Therefore, this article is being posted mainly for its historical value.

[edit] (Present Hyderabad and surrounding districts)

( ' Suburbs of the city').- — District of Hyderabad State, lying almost in the centre of the State. It is situated between the Districts of Medak and Elgandal on the north, Mahbubnagar on the south, Nalgonda on the east, Gulbarga on the west, and Bidar on the north-west. Owing to its villages being interspersed with those of the surrounding districts, its spherical values cannot be accurately given, but the limits are approximately between 16 30' and 18 20' N. and 77 30' and 79 30' E. It is a Sarf-i-khas or ' crown ' district, and has a total area of 3,399 square miles, including the city of Hyderabad (26 square miles). The area of the ' crown ' lands is 2,040 square miles, the rest being jagir. The country is mostly hilly ; and thickly wooded hills, known as the Rajkonda range, stretch from Pipalpad in the Ambarpet taluk in a south-easterly direction, and enter Nalgonda District. The Anantagin range, aspects which begins in Mahbubnagar District, enters the Patlur taluk, and, cutting across the Nizam's State Railway and passing north of it, runs almost parallel to the line from Vikarabad as far as Dharur. A large portion of this range is composed of high-level laterite. Isolated granite hills are seen everywhere ; and the city of Hyderabad is surrounded by rocky eminences, from 200 to 300 feet in height, among which may be mentioned the Maula All, the Golconda rock, and the black rock at Trimulgherry. The slope of country is from west to east and south-east.

[edit] Physical aspects

The most important river is the Musi, which passes through three taluks of the District. It rises in the Anantagiri hills near Sivareddipet, and flows almost due east, passing between Hyderabad city and its northern suburbs or Chadarghat into Nalgonda District. The Manjra just touches two of the villages of the Asafnagar taluk in the north-west of the District. Other smaller streams are the Sakalvani in the west, a tributary of the Musi ; the Haldi or Paspaver in the north, a tributary of the Manjra; and the Deo stream in the Jukal sub-taluk, which is also a tributary of the Manjra.

The geological formation is the Arehaean gneiss. Around Hyder- abad, and stretching as far west as Lingampalli, 15 miles from the city, tors and boulders of fantastic shapes are seen everywhere, composed of basalt and granite piled up in picturesque confusion.

Low scrubby jungles give cover to leopards, bears, hyenas, and occa- sionally tigers, while in the more open plains antelope abound. The Nizam's preserves, extending about 24 miles east of the city, are stocked with them. Partridges, quails, and wild pigeons are very common, and in the tanks and rice-fields wild duck, teal, and snipe are plentiful in the cold season.

The numerous tanks and streams make the climate damp, and malarial fevers are common in the rainy season. From October to the end of Mareh, the District is generally very healthy.

The annual rainfall during the twenty-one years ending 1901 averaged 33 inches. The amounts received in 1892, 1893, and 1894 were much above the normal, being 46, 55, and 50 inches, while in 1899 only 19 inches fell.

[edit] History

The District formed part of the territory of the Kakatiyas of Warangal (1 150-1325), but has been under Muhammadan rule since the conquest of the Deccan in the fourteenth century. During the reign of Sultan Mahmud Shah Bahmani, the governor of the Telingana districts declared his independence, and in 15 12 as- sumed royal dignity under the title of Sultan Kuli Kutb Shah. The Kutb Shahis reigned until the conquest of the Deccan by Aurangzeb, who incorporated their kingdom in the empire of Delhi, from which it was again separated on the foundation of the Hyderabad State early in the eighteenth century.

Among the places of arehaeological interest, the following deserve mention. The fort of Golconda, also known as Muhammadnagar, 5 miles west of Hyderabad, was once the capital of the Kutb Shahi kings. Outside the fort, to the north, are the tombs of these kings, which rank among the most remarkable Musalman sepulchres in the Deccan. Most of the tombstones are of black polished basalt with beautifully engraved inscriptions. At Maisaram, 10 miles south of Hyderabad, are the remains of some Hindu temples destroyed by Aurangzeb after the fall of Golconda. A mosque built from the materials of a large temple 200 years ago is still standing. The build- ings in the city and its suburbs are comparatively modern, and are described in the article on Hyderabad City.

[edit] Population

The number of villages in the District, including jagirs, is 847. The population (excluding the city) at the last three enumerations was :

Population. (l88l ) 355,787, (1891) 389,784, and (1901) 420,702. The District is divided into five taluks and one sub-/a///£, statistics of which, according to the Census of 1 90 1, are given below : —

More than 87 per cent, of the population are Hindus, and about 86 per cent, speak Telugu.

The most numerous caste is that of the agriculturist Kapus, who number 75,774, or more than 18 per cent, of the total. Brahmans number as many as 39,600 ; Komatis or trading castes, 13,400 ; Gollas or shepherds, 32,900; Gaundlas or toddy-drawers, 23,500; and Salas or weavers, 17,500. Of the lower castes, the Dhers or village menials number 26,000, and the Chamars or leather-workers 49,800. The population engaged in agriculture forms nearly 33 P er cent, of the total.

[edit] Agriculture

The District is situated in the granitic region, and most of its soil is chalka or sandy, derived from the disintegration of granite, with patches of regar or black soil interspersed here and there. In ,. the Patlur and Jukal taluks regar prevails to a greater extent, and in the former a large area of laterite or ferruginous clay exists, both these soils being very fertile. The chalka soil is chiefly suitable for kharif or rainy season cultivation, such as yellow jowar, bdjra, rdgi, and maize ; while rabi crops, such as white jowar, cotton, and linseed, are raised on the regar and lateritic soils. The red soil or laterite is well suited for garden produce, wherever water is avail- able. The soils in the river valleys and at the foot of the hills are particularly fertile.

The tenure of lands is mainly ryotwdri. Excluding jaglrs, 393 square miles were cultivated in 1901, out of a total of 2,040. Forests and land not available for cultivation occupied 1,480 square miles, and cultivable waste and fallows 167 square miles. The staple food-crops are joivar, bdjra, and rice, grown on 123, 48, and 34 square miles, or 32, 12, and 9 per cent, of the net area cropped. Oilseeds, such as sesamum, linseed, and castor, are cultivated in all parts, the aggregate area occupied by them being 81 square miles, while gram covered 24 square miles.

The District possesses no characteristic breed of cattle, and the ponies are of the commonest description. Sheep and goats of the ordinary kind are reared by shepherds. Near Golconda, a stud farm exists for the supply of horses to the State troops.

This being a Telingana district, ' wet ' cultivation is largely practised. Numerous dams have been constructed in the Musi, the channels being used as feeders to large tanks, such as the Husain Sagar, and also directly for irrigating lands through which they pass. Water is also supplied from 139 large and 310 small tanks or kuntas, and from 2,253 wells. The total area irrigated in 1901 was 40 square miles.

In two forest tracts, one in the Patlur and the other in the Shahabad taluk, certain kinds of timber are protected, including teak {Tectona graudis), ebony, and nalldmaddi (Terminalia tomentosa). The produce

of these forests is, however, of small size. Unprotected forest tracts exist in all parts, consisting of ghairi or common wood used as fuel, and also for thatching and wattling.

No minerals of any economic value are found, except kankar or nodular limestone, basalt, and granite. Crude carbonate of soda is collected at Chandur and Kaparti in the Ambarpet taluk, by lixivi- ating saline earth. In the Patlur taluk laminated limestone known as Shahabad stone, red ochre, and ironstone occur, the last being smelted for local use.

[edit] Trade and Communication

At Chandur saris and handkerchiefs are made, and at Asafnagar brass and copper vessels of a superior kind. The Irade and Chamars cure leather in a primitive way for manu- communications.iacture into water-buckets and sandals.

The chief exports are jowar, rice and other food-grains, cotton, g/u, oilseeds, chillies, sheep and cattle, bones, jaggery, tobacco, hides and skins, and tarvar bark for tanning. The principal imports are salt, salted fish, opium, spices, gold and silver, copper and brass utensils, refined sugar, iron, sulphur, kerosene oil, raw silk, and silk and cotton cloths of every description. The city of Hyderabad is the chief centre of trade ; but weekly fairs are held at several places, such as at Chintal- cheru, Krishnareddipet, Kanktur, Dilavarganj, Tupran, and Dharur. The principal trading castes are the Komatis and a few Marwaris.

[edit] Famine

The District is well favoured as regards railways. The Nizam's State Railway crosses it from east to west, with six stations, and the Hyderabad-Godavari Valley line starting from Hyderabad has one station within its limits. The total length of railways is about 98 miles.

There are six roads : namely, from Hyderabad via Shamsabad to Mahbubnagar, 45 miles ; Hyderabad to Nalgonda, 80 miles ; Hyder- abad via Bibinagar to Bhonglr, 28 miles ; Hyderabad to Medchal, 34 miles ; Hyderabad to Patancheru via Lingampalli, 16 miles ; and Dharur to Kohlr in Bidar District, 24 miles: making a total of 227 miles. The first, second, and fourth are portions of the military roads leading to Raichur, Masulipatam, and Nagpur respectively.

The District generally escapes famine, but it suffered severely from drought, owing to scanty and unseasonable rain in 1896, 1897, 1899, 1901, and 1902. In the first two years no fodder was obtainable, and large numbers of cattle died.

[edit] Administration

There are three subdivisions : one consisting of the Medchal and Jukal taluks, under a Second Talukdar ; the second, comprising the Patlur and Asafnagar taluks, under the Third Taluk- Administration. d _ r . and the remaining two taluks of Ambarpet and

Shahabad are managed by the First Talukdar, who also exercises a general supervision over all his subordinates. Each taluk is under a tahsildar, while the sub-taluk of Jukal has a naib-tahsildar. The District civil court is presided over by the Judicial Assistant to the First Talukdar, the latter being also the Nazim-i-Dhvdni or Civil Judge. Cases decided or inquired into by the Assistant are submitted to the First Talukdar for confirmation or decision. The subordinate civil courts are those of the tahsildars. The First Talukdar is the chief magistrate of the District, and his Judicial Assistant is also a joint magistrate, who exercises powers as such during the absence of the First Talukdar from head-quarters. The Second and Third Talukdars exercise magisterial powers of the second, and the tahsildars powers of the third class. Serious crime is not heavy.

Very little is known of the revenue history before the introduction of District administration in 1866; but the management was based on the farming of groups of villages or taluks to revenue contractors for fixed sums, the farmers receiving 1 1/2 annas per rupee for collection. In 1866 the present taluks were formed, except the sub-taluk of Jiikal, which was ajagtr resumed on the death of the jaglrdar in 1895 without heirs. The District has not been surveyed. The average rate of assess- ment on ' wet' land is Rs. 12 per acre (maximum, Rs. 47 ; minimum, Rs. 8), and on ' dry ' land Rs. 1-3-0 (maximum, Rs. 4 ; minimum, R. 0-6-0).

The land revenue and total revenue for a series of years are given below, in thousands of rupees : —

The ordinary one anna cess is not in force here, but an old tax known as the rasta-patti or ' road tax ' is levied at the rate of 1 per cent, on the land revenue collected, yielding about Rs. 6,800 annually. No local boards have been established ; but at the head-quarters of the taluks, as well as at Maula All, Sururnagar, Golconda, and Maisaram, conservancy establishments are maintained, the cost of which is paid from the Sarf-ikhds treasury, the general supervision being under the First Talukdar's Assistant in the irrigation branch.

The First Talukdar is the head of the police, with a Mohtamim or Superintendent as his executive deputy. Under the latter are 6 inspectors, 115 subordinate officers, 696 constables, and 25 mounted police. These are distributed among 48 police stations. In addition, 1,179 rura l police are under the police patels of the villages.

The District has no jail, prisoners being sent to the Central jail at Hyderabad. At the outlying tahsil offices, excluding Asafnagar and Ambarpet, there are small lock-ups.

The District takes a high place in the State as regards the literacy of its population, of whom 3-5 per cent. (6-3 males and o-6 females) were able to read and write in 1901. There are, however, only 9 schools, of which 8 are primary schools, and one is a middle school. The number of pupils under instruction in 1881, 1891, 1901, and 1903 was 321, 461, 511, and 667 respectively. The total expenditure on education in 1901 amounted to Rs. 4,100, towards which fees contributed Rs. 484.

Two dispensaries are maintained, with accommodation for 40 in- patients. The total number of in-patients treated m 1901 was 33, and of out-patients 9,317. The operations performed numbered 280, and the total expenditure was Rs. 6,124.

The number of persons successfully vaccinated in 1901 was only 543, or 1-08 per 1,000 of population.