Larkana District, 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.
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Larkana District
District in Sind, Bombay, lying between 25° 53' and 28° N. and 67° 11' and 68° 33' E., with an area of 5,091 square miles. The District is bounded on the north by Suk- kur and Upper Sind Frontier Districts ; on the east by the river Indus, which separates it from Sukkur District, the Khairpur State, and Hyderabad District ; on the south by Karachi District ; and on the west by the territory of the Khan of Kalat, the Kirthar range of mountains and the Pab mountains forming a natural line of demarca- tion on that side. The name is derived from the tribe of Larak or Ladak, which once resided in the Larkana subdivision and is found in Kathiawar at the present day.
Physical aspects
With the exception of the western portion, which is mountainous, the general aspect is that of a flat plain, intersected by canals. The southern portion (Sehwan subdivision) differs in ysica some respects from the remainder, in being more
hilly and possessing the only lake of importance in Sind, known as the Manchhar. Patches of kalar or salt soil are met with in different parts of the District. Many of the peaks of the Kirthar range are lofty, one of them, known as the Kutta-jo-Kabar ('dog's tomb'), attaining an altitude of 6,200 feet. For the rest, Larkana does not differ in appearance from other parts of Sind. Of the hills in the southern portion of the District, the most con- spicuous are the Lakhi range and the Jatil hills running just outside the boundary south-west from Sehwan to Duba. The latter are steep and of considerable height, probably in few places less than 2,000 feet. The Western Nara, which is a natural river artificially improved, is the largest canal in the District. The portions of the District lying between this canal and the Indus or the Ghar Canal are one dead flat of rich alluvial soil, well cultivated and, on the whole, thickly populated. Hill torrents or Jiais are frequent. The principal is Nai-Gaj, which takes its rise in Baluchistan and enters the District south of the Danna Towers.
It usually rises in flood once or twice in the year. The Irak river, rising in the Hathul hills between Karachi and Sehwan, after a south-easterly course of 40 miles, falls into the Kinjhar lake, while the Aral is one of the main channels by which the waters of the Manchhar lake are discharged into the Indus. Other hill-streams are insignificant and rarely hold water.
It is only in the Klrthar range, forming the frontier between Sind and Baluchistan, that Larkana contains any rocks older than recent, the remainder of the area being occupied by Indus alluvium. The Klrthar range consists of the following series : Manchhar beds, corresponding with the strata known elsewhere as Siwaliks, which are of middle and upper miocene age; the Gaj group, marine beds of lower to middle miocene age, named after the Gaj river in this District : the Upper Nari, or oligocene ; the Lower Nari, highly fossiliferous Nummulitic strata of the upper eocene ; the Klrthar Nummulitic limestone, middle eocene, corresponding with the Spln- tangi limestone of Baluchistan. On the western side of the range, beyond the frontier, this limestone is underlaid by a thickness of several thousand feet of shaly beds corresponding with the Ghazij and Khojak shales of Baluchistan. A spring of sulphurous water at Lakhi, having a temperature ranging from 102° to 124°, flows from the base of a calcareous precipice, 600 feet high, known as the Dhara hill. The spring, popularly known as the Dhara Tirth, is much frequented by persons suffering from skin diseases and rheumatism. Recentlv it has been cleared, and bathing cisterns have been erected for the convenience of visitors.
The vegetation is mainly tamarisk, which attains a fair size and is much used by the inhabitants for firewood. The other important trees are the nlm, babul, and plpal. The ak, the fibre of which is also used for nets and the smaller kind of ropes, is common in the plains. The mango, plantain, lime, and pomegranate are grown extensively. Groves of date-palms are met with in Kambar and Larkana on the banks of canals, and in rice land; and the wild olive, almond, and medlar trees abound in the hills.
Wild animals include leopards, black bears, hog, antelope, ibex, hog deer, hyenas, jackals, wolves, foxes, and porcupines. Wild sheep and badgers are also found. Among birds, there are many varieties of duck, the tilnr, partridge, geese, swans, flamingoes, herons, sand- grouse, snipe, and quail, and water-fowl of varfous kinds.
The climate of the two northern subdivisions does not materially differ from the rest of Upper Sind. In the Sehwan subdivision the heat is greatest in the northern area, where the proximity of the Lakhi range, devoid of vegetation and radiating heat, causes a perceptible increase in the temperature of the adjacent country. The average annual maximum and minimum temperatures are 115"^ and 43° respectively
The average annual rainfall in the Larkana and Mehar subdivisions is estimated at 3 and 2 inches. The fall is somewhat heavier in Sehwan, where it generally averages between 6 and 9 inches. During the hot season, the prevailing wind is from the south ; in the cold season it is from the north and east, and is at times piercingly cold and cutting. During March, dust-storms are frequent with high winds and occasional showers of rain, while fierce hot winds called ITih blow in May and June, often lasting far into the night. They are fiercest in the forty days succeeding April 15, which are called the chal'iho.
The Larkana subdivision is subject to floods or lets, which at times cause great destruction to life and property. In 1874, before the con- struction of the Kashmor embankment, the let, starting from the town of the same name in the Frontier District, conjointly with the Jhali let, originating in the Sukkur and Shikarpur subdivisions, inundated nearly 100,000 acres of waste and cultivated land, besides destroying portions of 53 villages. Strong embankments have been raised to stop these overflows, and the evil has been greatly reduced. Mehar is subject also to frequent floods from the Western Nara.
History
The history of Tarkana can be gathered from the articles on Sukkur and Karachi Districts, of which it formed a part until 1901. In the feuds which led to the expulsion of the Kalhora dynasty, a large portion of the District was conferred on a Brahui chieftain in compensation for the murder of a tribesman, but was subsequently resumed by the Talpurs. The Brahuis are still numerously represented. After the battle with Shah Shuja, the Larkana subdivision was divided between the Talpur Mirs, from whom it passed to the British on the annexation of Sind.
Among the few antiquities of the District are the tombs of Shah Baharah, at Larkana town, and of Shahal Muhammad Kalhora, at Fatehpur. Sehwan has a fort ascribed to Alexander the Great, and a fine tomb of Lai Shahbaz, portions of which date from the fourteenth century. At Khudabad in the Dadu taluka, once a flourish- ing town but now in ruins, are the tomb of Yar Muhammad Kalhora and an old Jama Masjid adorned with some fine tile work.
Population
According to the Census of 1901, the population of the District was The population of the present area in 1 89 1 was 594,896, the mcrease m ten years being 10 per cent. Statistics of the population in 190 1 are given in the following table : — There is no meteorological station in the District, and the temperatures given are those recorded inside dispensaries. If taken under the usual conditions, the average maximum and minimum would be about 7° higher and lower respectively.
The District contains five towns : Larkana, the head-quarters, Sehwan, Kambar, Rato-dero, and Bubak. Owing to its hilly tracts, the Sehwan taluka is less densely populated than the rest of the District. Larkana is the most thickly populated. The language of the District is Sindl, which is spoken by 94 per cent, of the inhabitants. Distributing the population by religion, Musalmans form 85 per cent, and Hindus 15 per cent.
The Musalmans are chiefly Sindls, Baluchis, and Brahuis. The chief Baloch tribes are the Chandias (12,000), Rinds (37,000), Lagharis (7,000), and Jamalis (6,000) ; Sindis include Abras (24,000) and Sam- mas (188,000); while Jats number 12,000. It is from the Chandia Baluchis that the Larkana subdivision formerly obtained the name of Chanduka or Chandko. They are to be found in the west of the District, in the vicinity of the hills. The Jamalis reside on the borders of the desert, the Abras in the south-west of the Larkana subdivision ; Jats are found dispersed all over the District, and are mainly cultivators and cattle-breeders. The Hindus are mostly Brahmans and Lohanas, including Amils. As the District was formed after 1901, no statistics of occupation are available ^
Of 115 Christians, 33 are natives, mostly Roman Catholics. There are no missions.
Agriculture
Larkana contains one of the finest alluvial tracts in the whole of Sind, lying between the Indus, the- Nara, and the Ghar. There is, perhaps, no part of the province so admirably suited for irrigation ; and the soil is so productive that it has procured for this tract the name of the 'garden of Sind.' The The agricultural population is roughly 500,000 — of the rest about 8,000 are employed in petty industries, about 70,000 are traders, and the balance is made up of day-labourers, Government and railway clerks, and unemployed.
villages in the Gharo tappa of the Mehar tdliika produce good rice ; but floods from the Xara are frequent and often prevent the cultivation of this crop. The Dadu and Sehwan Talukas contain the finest wheat land in the whole of Sind. Much cultivation is carried on in the neighbourhood of the Manchhar lake after the subsidence of the annual inundation.
The chief statistics of cultivation in 1903-4 are shown below, in square miles : —
This differs from the area shown in the Census Refort of 1901, being based on more recent information.
The stajjle food-grains are rice and wheat, the areas under which in 1903-4 were 435 and 218 square miles respectively. Joivdr occupied 362 square miles. Excellent rice crops are produced in the Kambar taluka, and rice has generally been more largel}- cultivated in the northern tdhikas of recent years, owing to improvements in canal irrigation. Wheat is the most prominent crop of the Sehwan Taluka. Pulses occupied 228 square miles, the principal being lang {202 square miles). The area under sesamum and rapeseed in the same year was 66 square miles, and under cotton one square mile. Sugar-cane, tobacco, indigo, and a large variety of garden vegetables and fruits are grown, principall)- in the Larkana and Mehar Talukas. Since the District was formed, advances of 4 lakhs have been made to culti- vators under the Land Improvement and Agriculturists' Loans Acts, of which 1-9 lakhs was advanced in 1903-4.
The domestic animals are the same as in other parts of Sind, the camel being the most useful. They are bred to a considerable extent in the south. Large numbers of dumba or fat-tailed sheep are pas- tured on the western hills. In Sehwan there are two varieties of sheep, of which one is remarkable for having four horns.
Of the total area cultivated, 1,093 square miles, or 49 per cent., were irrigated in 1903-4. The areas supplied from each source are : Government canals, 231 square miles; private canals, 757 square miles ; wells, 7 square miles ; and other sources, 98 square miles. Of the numerous Government canals, the principal are : the Western Nara (irrigating 457 square miles), Ghar (569 square miles), Sukkur (109 square miles), Phitta canals (9 square miles), Dadu canal (19 square miles), Aral canal (17 square miles), Pritchard canal (13 square miles), Marvi Wah (7 square miles), Nara bands (7 square miles), Ghar bands (r square mile), Wahur Wah (5 square miles), Raj A\'ah and Begari canal (o-i square mile). The Western Nara, navigable by boats from May to September, is a river artificially improved. After flowing through the Larkana and Mehar subdivisions, it falls into the Manchhar lake. The Ghar, which is supposed also to be a natural channel, is very winding, broad, and deep, with level banks. It is largely used for boat traffic, and forms a great highway to Sukkur via the Indus, as also between Kambar and Larkana. Nearly all the canals obtain their supply from the Indus. Of smaller Govern- ment canals, the Shahaji Kur and Datejl Kur are the most important. They draw their supply from the Ghar canal. None of the zamindari canals is important. The Manchhar lake provides for the irrigation of a considerable area (25 square miles) in the Sehwan Taluka. Numerous hill torrents and rivers are utilized for irrigation in the Mehar subdivision.
The Government 'reserved' forests in Larkana cover an area of 92 square miles, chiefly situated in the Sehwan subdivision, and are administered by a Deputy-Conservator. These forests lie close to the Indus and were planted by the Talpur chiefs as shikdrgdhrs or shoot- ing preserves. The revenue from forests, which amounts to over Rs. 15,000, is mainly derived from the sale of firewood and timber. With the exception of some good babul plantations, the tree growth is small. In the hills of Sehwan, the pis or pish, a kind of dwarf- palm, is much used by the Brahui tribes for manufacturing ropes, twine, sandals, mats, and baskets.
The principal minerals are coarse salt and saltpetre. Alum, sulphur, and mica occur in the hills to the west, but are not worked.
Trade and Communication
The manufactures include coarse cotton cloth, carpets, rugs, mats, salt, metal-work, shoes, native saddles, and other leathern goods ; dyeing is also an important industry. Bubak is the chief centre of carpet-manufacture ; but both communication. carpets and saddle-bags, worked by Baloch and Brahui women, are imported from Kalat and sold in the Juhi and Sehwan Talukas. Native saddles are manufactured in Larkana and cotton lungls in Sehwan. There are altogether n rice-cleaning factories in the District, situated chiefly at Larkana town, Rato-dero, Kambar, and Naslrabad. The District has an extensive trade, the exports comprising grain of sorts, wool, cotton, and other agricultural products, and the imports being English piece-goods, silks, and fruits. Larkana town is one of the chief grain marts of Sind.
The North-Western Railway runs through the District from Nao- dero in the Rato-dero Taluka to Sehwan. There are numerous ferries on the Indus and the Western Nara. The total length of roads is 1,440 miles, of which only 3 miles are metalled. The most frequented roads are covered with dry grass, in order to lay the dust and preserve the surface. The main road runs from Larkana to Shikarpur and southwards through Mehar to Sehwan.
Administration
The talukas are for administrative purposes grouped into three sub- divisions, of which two are in charge of Assistant Collectors and one in charge of a Deputy-Collector. The subdivisions are Larkana, comprismg the Larkana, Rato-dero, Lab- DARYA, and Kambar tdhikas ; Mehar, comprising Kakar, Mehar, and Nasirbad ; and Sehwan, comprising Sehwan, Johi, and Dadij. The District is within the jurisdiction of the District and Sessions Judge of Sukkur. There are four Subordinate Judges, whose jurisdic- tion is confined to civil matters and extends to the same class of suits as are tried by the Subordinate Judges in the rest of the Presidency. Besides the criminal courts of the head fnunshls, miik/itydrkdrs, and subdivisional officers, three resident magistrates sit at Larkana, Mehar, and Dadu. Cattle-theft is prevalent ; and wherever Baloch tribes are settled, blood-feuds are not uncommon. The Sind Frontier Regulations are applied to the Rato-dero, Kambar, Mehar, Kakar, Johi, and Sehwan Talukas.
Before the conquest of Sind by the British in 1843, the northern portion of the District was known as the Chandko pargana, and the ownership of the entire lands in each village seems then to have been vested in the zaviinddrs or headmen and their heirs. They cultivated a portion themselves, leasing the rest to hereditary occupants, who paid Idpo or rent to the zamhiddr, generally in kind, at so many kdsas ' per blgha. A fee, known as ivdjdh zamindari, was also claimed by the headman, and levied on the produce. When land was sold, the purchaser became entitled to the Idpo^ but the wdjdh was still given to the headman. The zamlnddr alone dealt with government or the revenue contractor, and made his own collections from the tenants. The prevailing tenure is still zammddri, about 419 square miles of the whole area being held in jdgir or revenue free. The first settlement of the Larkana subdivision was made by Major Goldney in 1847. It was for seven years, and expired in 1853-4. In 1855-6 the rates in the Larkana and Kambar tdhikas were reduced, and a separate assessment fixed on cultivation by wheel or well. The topographical survey commenced in 1859, and the new settlement was introduced ' A kCisa is a dry measure equal to about one-tliird of a mauiid. in all the fahikas for periods ranging from nine to ten years. The rates have since been revised from time to time. The rates per acre of the latest revenue settlement (1893) are: garden land, Rs. 3-10 (maximum Rs. 5-4, minimum Rs. 2-8) ; rice lands, Rs. 3-9 (maximum Rs. 5-4, minimum Rs. 2-8); and dry land, Rs. 2-n (maximum Rs. 3-0, minimum Rs. 1-12).
Collections on account of land revenue and revenue from all sources have been, in thousands of rupees : —
There are five municipalities : Larkana, Kaimbar, Rato-dero, Sehwan, and Bubak. Outside the limits of these, local affairs are managed by a District board and ro tdhika boards, with an income and expenditure of nearly 2 lakhs in 1903-4. The principal source of income is the land cess. In 1903-4 nearly Rs. 75,000 was expended upon buildings and the maintenance of roads.
The District Superintendent of police is assisted by three inspectors. There are four police stations in the District. The total force numbers 559, of whom 15 are chief constables, 109 head constables, and 435 constables. There are ten subsidiary jails in the District, with accom. modation for 322 prisoners. The average number of prisoners in 1904 was 68, of whom one was a female.
Larkana stands twenty-first among the twenty-four Districts of the Presidency in the literacy of its population, of whom 2-3 per cent. (2-8 males "and 0-4 females) are able to read and write. The number of schools in 1903-4 was 574 (inclusive of 235 private), with 16,527 pupils, of whom 1,890 were females. There were only two schools for girls. Of the 339 educational institutions classed as public, secondary schools numbered 7 and primary 332. Of these, 122 are managed by local boards and 10 by municipalities, 206 are aided and one unaided. The total expenditure on education in 1903-4 was over one lakh, of which Rs. 9,100 was derived from fees. Of the total amount, 86 per cent, was devoted to primary schools.
The District possesses 8 dispensaries containing accommodation for 68 in-patients. In 1904 the number of cases treated was 70,100, including 604 in-patients, and 2,848 operations were performed. The expenditure was Rs, 15,700, of which Rs. 13,000 was met from Local and municipal funds.
The number of persons successfully vaccinated in 1903-4 was 14,631, representing a proportion of 22 per 1,000.
[A. W. Hughes, Gazetteer of the Frovifice of Si fid (1876).]
