Purnea Subdivision, 1908
Purnea Subdivision, 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.
Head-quarters subdivision of Purnea Dis- trict, Bengal, lying between 25° 15' and 26° 7' N. and 87° o' and 87° 56' E., with an area of 2,571 square miles. The subdivision is a low-lying alluvial tract, bounded on the south by the Ganges. The west is liable to inundation from the Kosi river, and part of the east from the Mahananda, which have covered large areas with sterile sand ; to the south there are numerous swamps. The population in 1901 was 838,333, compared with 861,194 in 1891, the decrease being due to general unhealthiness, and to a serious epidemic of cholera which took place in 1900. It contains two towns, PURNEA (population, 14,007), the head-quarters, and the important railway junction of KATIHAR (9,761)15 and 1,528 villages. It is the most sparsely populated subdivision in North Bihar, the density being only 326 per square mile. The chief markets are at Purnea, Katihar, KASBA, Phulbaria, Ichamati, and BARSOI ; and a fair of long standing is held at KARAGOLA.
