Kallikota and Atagada
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.
Kallikota and Atagada
Two permanently settled estates in Ganjam District, Madras, lying between 19 degree 28' and 19 degree 52' N. and 84 degree 43' and 85 degree 12' E., on the northern boundary of the Presidency. While the former is impartible, the latter is partible, and was acquired in 1 854 by the zamindar of Kallikota by purchase at a sale for arrears of revenue. The joint area of the two is 507 square miles and their population (1901) 169,693. The peshkash and cesses payable by them in 1903-4 amounted to Rs. 1,11,000. The chief village, Kallikota, is beautifully situated in a basin surrounded by hills.
The Kallikota family was founded by Ramabhuya, who was made a zamindar by the Gajapati king of Orissa, Purushottama. At a later period he obtained the title of Mardaraja Deo for his services in keeping the Marathas out of the country. In 1769 the estate was in a disturbed condition and was occupied by British troops, and from 1771 to 1775 troops were again employed in maintaining order.
The soil is fertile and well irrigated, and yields good crops. The prevailing tenure is mustajiri, under which the villages are rented out to middlemen who collect the assessment. The rent payable by the tenant to the landlord is generally half the gross produce.
The present Raja succeeded in 1887 as a minor, and the estates were managed for the next five years by the Court of Wards. During this period Rs. 93,000 was spent on repairs to irrigation works, Rs. 1,34,000 of debt was cleared off, and the property was handed over to its owner in 1893 in a flourishing condition, with an income which had been increased from Rs. 2,41,000 to Rs. 3,17,000, and with a cash balance of Rs. 2,11,000. Within the next ten years the Raja had dissipated this balance, incurred further debts, and mortgaged the two estates to his creditors.
