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| − | =Hazaribagh District=
| |
| | | | |
| − | North-eastern District in the Chota Nagpur
| |
| − | Division of Bengal, lying between 23° 25'' and 24° 49' N. and 84° 27'
| |
| − | and 86° 34'' E., with an area of 7,021 square miles. It is bounded on
| |
| − | The north by the Districts of Gaya and Monghyr ; on the east by the
| |
| − | Santal Parganas and Manbhum ; on the south by Ranch!; and on the
| |
| − | w(jst by Palamau.
| |
| | | | |
| − | ==Physical aspects==
| + | [[Category:Afghanistan|H |
| − | Hazaribagh, which, like the rest of Chota Nagpur, consists to a great
| + | HAZARAJAT]] |
| − | extent of rock and ravine, lies towards the north-eastern extremity of the
| + | [[Category:Places|H |
| − | chain of high land, sometimes a range of hills and
| + | HAZARAJAT]] |
| − | sometimes a cultivated plateau, which extends across asoects
| + | |
| − | the continent of India south of the Narbada river on
| + | |
| − | the west and of the Son river on the east. It is divided naturally into
| + | |
| − | three distinct tracts : an undulating plateau, with an average elevation
| + | |
| − | of about 2,000 feet, extends from the west-central boundary of the
| + | |
| − | District, measuring about 40 miles in length from east to west and
| + | |
| − | 15 miles from north to south; a lower and more extensive plateau,
| + | |
| − | with a general elevation of 1,300 feet, covers the north and cast of
| + | |
| − | the District, gradually sinking towards the east; while the central valley
| + | |
| − | of the Damodar river, with the country watered by its numerous
| + | |
| − | feeders, occupies the entire south of the District.
| + | |
| − | | + | |
| − | The principal peaks
| + | |
| − | of the southern plateau are Baragai or Marang Buru (3,445 feet
| + | |
| − | above the sea), Jilinga (3,057 feet), Chendwar (2,816 feet), and Aswa
| + | |
| − | (2,463 feet). Detached hills are Lugu (3,203 feet), Mahudi (2,437 ^^et),
| + | |
| − | and in the east of the District, on the boundary of Manbhum, the well-
| + | |
| − | known Parasnath Hill, 4,480 feet above the sea. In the northern
| + | |
| − | plateau is the Mahabar range, rising to an elevation of 2,210 feet
| + | |
| − | above sea-level. The Damodar, which rises in Palamau, is the most
| + | |
| − | important river of Hazaribagh, through which it flows in an easterly
| + | |
| − | direction for about 90 miles.
| + | |
| − | | + | |
| − | Its chief feeders in this portion of its
| + | |
| − | course are the Garhi, Haharo, Naikari, Maramarha, Bhera, Kunur,
| + | |
| − | Khanjo, and Jamunia, and with its tributaries it drains in this District
| + | |
| − | an area of 2,840 square miles ; it is everywhere fordable during the dry
| + | |
| − | season. The only other important river, the Barakar, rises on the
| + | |
| − | northern face of the central plateau and flows in an easterly and south-
| + | |
| − | easterly direction till, after draining an area of 2,050 square miles, it
| + | |
| − | leaves the District to form the boundary between Manbhum and the
| + | |
| − | Santal Parganas. The north-west of the District is drained by the
| + | |
| − | Jhikia and Chako, which unite a short distance outside the boundary;
| + | |
| − | by the Mohani, Lilajan, and Morhar, which flow northwards into Gaya ;
| + | |
| − | and by the Dhadhar, Tilaya, and Sakri. The Ajay rises on the eastern
| + | |
| − | boundary of the District, two of its tributaries draining part of the
| + | |
| − | Giridlh subdivision, while on the south the Subarnarekha forms
| + | |
| − | the District boundary for about 15 miles.
| + | |
| − | | + | |
| − | A description of the geology of Hazaribagh District would practically
| + | |
| − | be a summary of the characters of any Archaean area. The old
| + | |
| − | felspathic gneisses, well banded and with the composition of typical
| + | |
| − | igneous rocks, are associated with schistose forms and with the results
| + | |
| − | of the intermingling of ancient sediments with igneous matter. Among
| + | |
| − | these are intrusive masses of granite which, under pressure, have
| + | |
| − | assumed a gneissose structure and, on account of the way in which
| + | |
| − | they stand up as small hills of rounded hummocks, have sometimes
| + | |
| − | been referred to as the 'dome gneiss.' They rise u[) in the midst
| + | |
| − | of bands of schists, which are cut in all directions by veins of acid
| + | |
| − | pegmatite. Patches of Gondwana rocks occur, some of which contain
| + | |
| − | the coal for which the District is well-known ^
| + | |
| − | | + | |
| − | The narrower valleys are often terraced for rice cultivation, and these
| + | |
| − | rice-fields and their margins abound in marsh and water plants. The
| + | |
| − | surface of the plateau between the valleys, where level, is often bare
| + | |
| − | and rocky, but where undulating is usually clothed with a dense scrub
| + | |
| − | jungle in which Dendrocalamus strictus is prominent. The steep slopes
| + | |
| − | of the ghats are covered with a dense forest mixed with many climbers.
| + | |
| − | Sal {Shorea robusla) is gregarious ; among the other noteworthy trees
| + | |
| − | are species of Buchana7ua, Semecarpus, Teriuinalia, Cedtr/a, Cassia,
| + | |
| − | | + | |
| − | ' ' The Mica Deposits of India,' by Holland, in Memoirs, Geological Survey of fmiia,
| + | |
| − | vol. xxxiv, part ii (1902) ; ' The Igneous Rocks of Glrldih and their Contact Effects,'
| + | |
| − | by Holland and Saise, in Records, Geological Survey of India, vol. xxviii, part iv (1S95).
| + | |
| − | Butea, Baiihinia^ Acacia, Adina, which these forests share with the
| + | |
| − | similar forests on the Lower Himalayan slopes. Mixed with these,
| + | |
| − | however, are a number of characteristically Central India trees and
| + | |
| − | shrubs, such as Cochiosperfnum, Soymida, BoswelUa, Hardzvickia, and
| + | |
| − | Bassia, which do not cross the Gangetic plain. One of the features
| + | |
| − | of the upper edge of the g/idfs is a dwarf palm. Phoenix acaulis ;
| + | |
| − | striking too is the wealth of scarlet blossom in the hot season produced
| + | |
| − | by the abundance of Butea frondosa and B. superba, and the mass
| + | |
| − | of white flower along the ghats in November displayed by the convol-
| + | |
| − | vulaceous climber Porana panicu/ata.
| + | |
| − | | + | |
| − | The jungles in the less cultivated tracts give shelter to tigers,
| + | |
| − | leopards, bears, and several varieties of deer. Wolves are very com-
| + | |
| − | mon, and wild dogs hunt in packs on Parasnath Hill.
| + | |
| − | | + | |
| − | The temperature is moderate except during the hot months of April,
| + | |
| − | May, and June, when westerly winds from Central India cause high
| + | |
| − | temperature with very low humidity. The mean temperature increases
| + | |
| − | from 76° in March to 85° in April and May, the mean maximum from
| + | |
| − | 89° in March to 99° in May, and the mean minimum from 64° to 76°.
| + | |
| − | During these months humidity is lower in Chota Nagpur than in any
| + | |
| − | other part of Bengal, falling in Hazaribagh to 41 per cent, in March
| + | |
| − | and 36 per cent, in April. In the winter season the mean temperature
| + | |
| − | is 60° and the mean minimum 51°. The annual rainfall averages 53
| + | |
| − | inches, of which 7-6 inches fall in June, i4'4 in July, 13-4 in August,
| + | |
| − | and 8-5 in September.
| + | |
| − | | + | |
| − | ==History==
| + | |
| − | The whole of the Chota Nagpur plateau was known in early history
| + | |
| − | as Jharkand or 'the forest tract,' and appears never to have been
| + | |
| − | completely subjugated by the Muhammadans. Santal
| + | |
| − | tradition relates that one of their earliest settlements
| + | |
| − | was at Chhai ( 'hampa in Hazaribagh, and that their fort was taken by
| + | |
| − | Saiyid Ibrahim All, a general of Muhammad bin Tughlak, and placed
| + | |
| − | in charge of a Muhammadan officer, ^;m? 1340. There is no authentic
| + | |
| − | record, however, of any invasion of the country till Akbar's reign, when
| + | |
| − | it was overrun by his general. The Raja of Chota Nagpur l)ecamc
| + | |
| − | a tributary of the Mughal government (1585) ; and in the Ain-i-Akbarl
| + | |
| − | Chhai Champa is shown as a pargaiia belonging to Bihar assessed
| + | |
| − | at Rs. 15,500, and liable to furnish 20 horse and 600 foot. Subse-
| + | |
| − | (lucntly, in 1616, the Raja fell into arrears of tribute; the governor
| + | |
| − | of Bihar invaded his country ; and the Raja was captured and removed
| + | |
| − | to Gwalior.
| + | |
| − | | + | |
| − | He was released after twelve years on agreeing to pay a
| + | |
| − | yearly tribute of Rs. 6,000, and his country was considered part of
| + | |
| − | the Siibah of Bihar. I'^rom the fact that the ancestor of the Rajas
| + | |
| − | of Ramgarh (which included the present District of Hazaribagh) is
| + | |
| − | said to have received a grant of the estate from these Nagbansi Rajas,
| + | |
| − | it appears that the District formed part of their dominions. The
| + | |
| − | inroads of the Muhammadans were, however, directed not against the
| + | |
| − | frontier chiefdom of Ramgarh but against Kokrah, or Chota Nagpur
| + | |
| − | proper, to which they were attracted by the diamonds found in its
| + | |
| − | rivers ; and though the Rajas were reduced to the condition of tribu-
| + | |
| − | taries by the Mughal viceroys of Bengal, they were little interfered with
| + | |
| − | so long as their contributions were paid regularly. Even so late as the
| + | |
| − | reign of Aurangzeb the allegiance of the chiefs of this tract must have
| + | |
| − | been very loose, as the Jharkand route to Bengal is said to have been
| + | |
| − | little used by troops on account of the savage manners of the moun-
| + | |
| − | taineers. About this time the first Raja of Kunda, who was a personal
| + | |
| − | servant of the emperor, received a rent-free grant of the pargana on
| + | |
| − | condition that he guarded four passes from the inroads of Marathas,
| + | |
| − | Bargis, and Pindaris ; and in 1765 Chota Nagpur was ceded to the
| + | |
| − | British as part of Bihar. The British first came into contact with this
| + | |
| − | tract in 1771, when they intervened in a dispute between one Mukund
| + | |
| − | Singh, the Raja of Ramgarh, and his relative Tej Singh, who was at
| + | |
| − | the head of the local army. The latter, who had claims to the estate,
| + | |
| − | went in 1771 to Patna and laid his case before Captain Camac, who
| + | |
| − | undertook to assist him and deputed for the purpose a European force
| + | |
| − | under Lieutenant Goddard. Mukund Singh fled after a mere show
| + | |
| − | of resistance, and the Ramgarh estate was made over to Tej Singh
| + | |
| − | subject to a tribute of Rs. 40,000 a year. Lieutenant Goddard's
| + | |
| − | expedition did not extend to the Kharakdlh pargana in the north-
| + | |
| − | west of the District. Six years earlier (1765) Mad Narayan Deo, the
| + | |
| − | old Hindu Raja of Kharakdlh, chief of the ghahvdls or guardians
| + | |
| − | of the passes, had been driven from his estate by the Musalman dmil
| + | |
| − | or revenue agent, Kamdar Khan, who was succeeded by Ikbal AH
| + | |
| − | Khan. The latter was expelled in 1774 for tyranny and mismanage-
| + | |
| − | ment by a British force under Captain James Brown. The exiled Raja
| + | |
| − | of Kharakdlh, who had exerted his influence on the British side, was
| + | |
| − | rewarded with a grant of the maintenance lands of the Raj. Possibly
| + | |
| − | he might have been completely reinstated in his former position ; but in
| + | |
| − | the confusion of Muhammadan misrule the ghdtwdh had grown too
| + | |
| − | strong to return to their old allegiance, and demanded and obtained
| + | |
| − | separate settlements for the lands under their control. In the sanads
| + | |
| − | granted to them by Captain Brown they are recognized as petty feudal
| + | |
| − | chiefs, holding their lands subject to responsibility for crime committed
| + | |
| − | on their estates. They were bound to produce criminals, and to
| + | |
| − | refund stolen property ; they were liable to removal for misconduct, and
| + | |
| − | they undertook to maintain a body of police, and to keep the roads
| + | |
| − | in repair.
| + | |
| − | | + | |
| − | In 1780 Ramgarh and Kharakdlh formed part of a British District
| + | |
| − | named Ramgarh, administered by a Civilian, who held the offices
| + | |
| − | of Judge, Magistrate, and Collector ; while a contingent of Native
| + | |
| − | infantry, known as the Ramgarh battalion, was stationed at Hazaribagh,
| + | |
| − | under the command of a European officer. This District was dis-
| + | |
| − | membered after the Kol insurrection of 183 1-2, when under Regulation
| + | |
| − | XIII of 1833 parts of it were transferred to the surrounding Districts,
| + | |
| − | and the remainder, including the parganas of Kharakdlh, Kendi, and
| + | |
| − | Kunda, with the large estate of Ramgarh, consisting of 16 /xirgatias,
| + | |
| − | which compose the present area of the District, were formed into
| + | |
| − | a District under the name of Hazaribagh. In 1854 the title of the
| + | |
| − | officer in charge of the District was changed from Principal Assistant
| + | |
| − | to the Governor-General's Agent to Deputy-Commissioner.
| + | |
| − | | + | |
| − | The most important archaeological remains are the Jain temples
| + | |
| − | at Parasnath. Buddhist and Jain remains exist on Kuluha Hill
| + | |
| − | in the Dantara pargajia, and a temple and tank to the west of the hill
| + | |
| − | dedicated to Kuleswari, the goddess of the hill, are visited by Hindu
| + | |
| − | pilgrims in considerable numbers. The only other remains worthy
| + | |
| − | of mention are four rock temples on Mahudi Hill, one of which bears
| + | |
| − | the date 1740 Samvat, ruins of temples at Satgawan, and an old fort
| + | |
| − | which occupies a strong defensive position at Kunda.
| + | |
| − | | + | |
| − | ==Population==
| + | |
| − | | + | |
| − | At the Census of 1872 the population recorded in the present
| + | |
| − | District area was 771,875. The enumeration was, however, defective;
| + | |
| − | and the Census of 1881 showed a population of
| + | |
| − | 1,104,742, which rose to 1,164,321 in 1891 and to
| + | |
| − | 1,1 77,961 in 1 901. The smallness of the increase during the last decade
| + | |
| − | is attributable to the growing volume of emigration to Assam and else-
| + | |
| − | where, and also to the heavy death-rate following the famine of 1897,
| + | |
| − | chiefly from fever and cholera, which are always the most prevalent
| + | |
| − | causes of mortality in the District. The principal statistics of the
| + | |
| − | Census of 1901 are shown below : —
| + | |
| − | | + | |
| − | [[File: gazetteers203.png||frame|500px]] | + | |
| − | | + | |
| − | The three towns are Hazaribagh, the head-quarters, Chatra, and
| + | |
| − | GiRiDiH. The population is greatest in the west, in the valley of the
| + | |
| − | Barakar river, where there is a fair extent (jf level country and the coal
| + | |
| − | mines support a considerable number of labourers. The country west
| + | |
| − | and south-west of the central plateau consists mainly of hill and ravine,
| + | |
| − | and has very few inhabitants. The population declined during the
| + | |
| − | decade ending 1901 in the centre of the District, where recruiting for tea gardens was most active ; but in the Giridili subdivision there
| + | |
| − | was a general increase, the growth being most marked in Girldih itself,
| + | |
| − | where the coal-mines of the East Indian railway attract a steadily
| + | |
| − | increasing number of labourers. The hardy aboriginal tribes are
| + | |
| − | remarkable for their fecundity and the climate is healthy ; but the soil
| + | |
| − | is barren, and the natural increase in the population is thus to a great
| + | |
| − | extent discounted by emigration. It was hence that the Santals sallied
| + | |
| − | forth about seventy years ago to people the Daman-i-koh in the Santal
| + | |
| − | Parganas. This movement in its original magnitude has long since
| + | |
| − | died out, and the main stream of present emigration is to more distant
| + | |
| − | places, Assam alone containing nearly 69,000 natives of this District.
| + | |
| − | The Magahi dialect of Biharl is spoken by the majority of the popula-
| + | |
| − | tion, but Santall is the vernacular of 78,000 persons. Hindus number
| + | |
| − | 954,105, or 81 per cent, of the total, and Muhammadans 119,656, or 10
| + | |
| − | per cent.
| + | |
| − | | + | |
| − | ==Agriculture==
| + | |
| − | The most numerous Hindu castes are Ahirs or Goalas (138,000)
| + | |
| − | and Bhuiyas {99,000) ; many of the Bihar castes are also well repre-
| + | |
| − | sented, especially Kurmis (76,000), Telis (49,000), Koiris (47,000),
| + | |
| − | and Chamars (44,000), while among other castes Ghatwals (40,000),
| + | |
| − | Bhogtas (35,000), and Turis (23,000) are more common than elsewhere,
| + | |
| − | and Sokiars (12,000) are peculiar to the District. Most of the Animists
| + | |
| − | are Santals (78,000), and the majority of the Musalmans are Jolahas
| + | |
| − | (82,000). Agriculture supports 80-7 per cent, of the population,
| + | |
| − | industries 9-1 per cent., commerce 0-2 per cent., and the professions
| + | |
| − | 0'8 per cent.
| + | |
| − | | + | |
| − | Of 1,163 Christians in 1901 about three-fourths were natives.
| + | |
| − | Mission work was begun in 1853 by the German Evangelical Lutheran
| + | |
| − | Mission, but was interrupted by the Mutiny. In 1862 another mission
| + | |
| − | was founded by the same society at Singhani near Hazaribagh ; but
| + | |
| − | in 1868 an unfortunate split took place, and several of the missionaries
| + | |
| − | went over to the English Society for the Propagation of the Gospel.
| + | |
| − | The work carried on by the German mission is chiefly educational.
| + | |
| − | The Free Church of Scotland opened a branch of its Santal Mission
| + | |
| − | at Pachamba near Glridlh in 187 1, and maintains a dispensary and
| + | |
| − | schools ; their evangelistic work is chiefly among the Santals. The
| + | |
| − | Dublin University Mission, established at Hazaribagh in 1892, main-
| + | |
| − | tains a boys' high school, an upper primary school, and a First Arts
| + | |
| − | college, in addition to dispensaries at Hazaribagh, Ichak, and Petiirbar;
| + | |
| − | but it has not been very successful in making conversions.
| + | |
| − | | + | |
| − | The most fertile land lies in the valleys of the Damodar and the
| + | |
| − | Sakri, the agricultural products of the latter resembling those of the
| + | |
| − | adjoining Districts of Bihar rather than those of
| + | |
| − | the neighbouring parts of Chota Nagpur. In Kiiarakdih the hollows that lie between the undulations of the surface
| + | |
| − | are full of rich alluvial soil, and present great facilities for irrigation ;
| + | |
| − | but the crests of the ridges are, as a rule, very poor, being made up
| + | |
| − | of sterile gravel lying on a hard subsoil. In Ramgarh the subsoil
| + | |
| − | is light and open, and the surface is composed of a good ferruginous
| + | |
| − | loam, while many of the low hills are coated with a rich dark vegetable
| + | |
| − | mould. The beds of streams are frequently banked up and made into
| + | |
| − | one long narrow rice-field. For other crops than rice the soil receives
| + | |
| − | practically no preparation beyond ploughing. Failures of the crops
| + | |
| − | are due to bad distribution of the rainfall, never to its complete failure;
| + | |
| − | the soil does not retain water for long, and a break of ten days without
| + | |
| − | rain is sufficient to harm the rice crop.
| + | |
| − | | + | |
| − | The agricultural statistics for 1903-4 are shown below, areas being in
| + | |
| − | square miles : —
| + | |
| − | [[File: gazetteers204.png||frame|500px]] | + | |
| − | | + | |
| − | | + | |
| − | Rice is the most important crop. Gord or early rice is sown broad-
| + | |
| − | cast after the first fall of rain in June, and is reaped about the end
| + | |
| − | of August. Aghani or winter rice is sown in June, and reaped in
| + | |
| − | November or December ; it is either sown broadcast or transplanted.
| + | |
| − | After rice by far the most important crops are maize and iiianni.
| + | |
| − | Other food-grains are go/idIi\ i/rd, barai, rahar, kurthl, gram, wheat,
| + | |
| − | barley^ and khesdri \ of other food-crops the most important are sugar-
| + | |
| − | cane, mahiid, and various vegetables. Oilseeds are extensively grown,
| + | |
| − | consisting chiefly of sarguja, til^ rape-seed, and linseed, while among
| + | |
| − | other products may be mentioned poppy, cotton, and renii, a jungle
| + | |
| − | root used for the manufacture oi pachwai. A little tea is still grown,
| + | |
| − | but the industry is rapidly dying out; in 1903-4 there was only one
| + | |
| − | tea garden, which had an output of 3,700 lb.
| + | |
| − | | + | |
| − | The area under cultivation is gradually being extended by terracing
| + | |
| − | the slopes and embanking the hollows, and by bringing under the
| + | |
| − | plough the tops of ridges. The people have no idea of adopting
| + | |
| − | improved agricultural methods, though they are willing to make use
| + | |
| − | of seed given to them, and cultivators near Hazaribagh and Giridih are
| + | |
| − | beginning to grow English vegetables, such as cauliflowers and tomatoes.
| + | |
| − | Loans amounting to Rs. 51,000 were given during the famine of 1897,
| + | |
| − | and Rs. 29,000 was advanced in 1900-1 under the Agriculturists' Loans
| + | |
| − | Act in consequence of a failure of the cxo\)^. Little advantage has been
| + | |
| − | taken of the Land Lnprovement Loans Act.
| + | |
| − | | + | |
| − | 'I'he breed of cattle is poor. The cattle are ordinarily grazed in
| + | |
| − | the jungles ; land is set apart for pasture in villages in which there
| + | |
| − | is no jungle, but the grass is poor, and the cattle get no proper
| + | |
| − | fodder except just after harvest.
| + | |
| − | | + | |
| − | The average irrigated area is estimated at 393 square miles. Irriga-
| + | |
| − | tion is carried on by means of bdndhs and dhars, as described in the
| + | |
| − | article on Gay.\ District. Well-water is used only for the poppy.
| + | |
| − | | + | |
| − | ==Forests==
| + | |
| − | Hazaribagh contains 56 square miles of 'reserved,' and 33 square
| + | |
| − | miles of ' protected ' forest. The Kodarma Reserve, which is the most
| + | |
| − | important forest tract, covers 46 square miles on the
| + | |
| − | scarp of the lower plateau, the elevation varying from
| + | |
| − | about 1,200 feet near Kodarma to about 500 feet on the Gaya boundary.
| + | |
| − | The predominant tree is sd/ {Shorea robi/sia), but there are few trees of
| + | |
| − | any size, most of the larger ones having been cut out before the forest
| + | |
| − | was constituted a Reserve in 1880. Bamboos are scattered throughout
| + | |
| − | the Reserve ; and the other principal trees are species of Temiinalia,
| + | |
| − | Bauhinia, and Ficus, Bass/a latifolia, Storulia i/rens, Cassia Fistula^
| + | |
| − | Mangifera indica, Semecarpiis A?iacardiitm, Biitea frondosa, Lagerstroe-
| + | |
| − | mia parviflora, Woodfordia floribunda^ Eugenia Jambolana, and Phoenix
| + | |
| − | acaidis. The minor products are thatching-grass, sabai grass {Ischae-
| + | |
| − | mum angusiifo/ium), mahi/d flowers {Bassia /afifo/ia), and myrabolams ;
| + | |
| − | but none of these is at present of any great importance on account
| + | |
| − | of the distance of the forest from the railway. Owing to excessive
| + | |
| − | grazing and cutting, the ' protected ' forests contain no timber of any
| + | |
| − | size. In 1903-4 the total forest revenue was Rs. 14,500, of which
| + | |
| − | Rs. 10,000 was derived from the rent for mica mines.
| + | |
| − | | + | |
| − | ==Minerals==
| + | |
| − | From the veins of pegmatite in the gneiss is obtained the mica which
| + | |
| − | has made Hazaribagh famous. The pegmatites have the composition
| + | |
| − | of ordinary granite, but the crystals have been deve-
| + | |
| − | loped on such a gigantic scale that the different mine-
| + | |
| − | rals are easily separable. Besides the mica, quartz, and felspar, which
| + | |
| − | form the bulk of the pegmatite, other minerals of interest, and some-
| + | |
| − | times of value, are found. Beryl, for instance, is found in large crystals
| + | |
| − | several inches thick ; schorl occurs in nearly all the veins ; also cas-
| + | |
| − | siterite (tin-stone), blue and green tourmaline. Lepidolite and fluor-
| + | |
| − | spar occur near Manimundar (24° 37' N., 85° 52' E.) ; columbite. which
| + | |
| − | includes the rare earths tantalum and niobium, exists in one or two
| + | |
| − | places ; and apatite, a phosphate of lime, is found in the Lakamandwa
| + | |
| − | mica mine near Kodarma.
| + | |
| − | | + | |
| − | Mica in the form of muscovite is the only
| + | |
| − | mineral which has been extracted for commercial purposes. It is
| + | |
| − | worked along a belt which runs from the corner of Gaya District across
| + | |
| − | the northern part of Hazaribagh into Monghyr. Along this belt about
| + | |
| − | 250 mines have been opened. With the exception of Bendi, which
| + | |
| − | is being tested by means of systematic driving and sinking, these are all
| + | |
| − | worked by native methods. The ' books ' of mica are of various sizes up
| + | |
| − | to 24 by 18 by 10 inches, the more common being about 8 by 4 by 3 inches.
| + | |
| − | The usual practice is to prospect the surface in the rains for these
| + | |
| − | * books ' or indications of them, and then work the shoots or patches
| + | |
| − | during the dry season. The pumping and winding are done by hand.
| + | |
| − | The total output from 238 mines worked in Hazaribagh in 1903 was
| + | |
| − | 553 tons, valued at 9^ lakhs. The average number of persons employed
| + | |
| − | daily was 5,878, the average daily wages being for a man 2\ to 4^ annas,
| + | |
| − | for a woman 2 annas, and for a child i to i^ annas.
| + | |
| − | | + | |
| − | The deposit of cassiterite takes a bedded form conformable to the
| + | |
| − | foliation planes of the gneisses and schists in the neighbourhood of
| + | |
| − | Naranga (24° 10' N., 86° 1' E.) in the Palganj estate, 10 miles west
| + | |
| − | of the Giridlh coal-field. Unsuccessful attempts were made to work
| + | |
| − | this deposit by a company which ceased operations in 1893, after
| + | |
| − | having carried down an inclined shaft for over 600 feet along the bed
| + | |
| − | of ore. Cassiterite has also occasionally been obtained in mistake
| + | |
| − | for iron ore in washing river sands, and the native iron-smelters have
| + | |
| − | thus obtained tin with iron in their smelting operations. Lead, in the
| + | |
| − | form of a dark red carbonate, has been found at Barhamasia (24° 20' N.,
| + | |
| − | 86° 18' E.) in the north of the District. Similar material has been
| + | |
| − | found in the soil at Mehandadih (24° 22' N., 86° 20' E.), Khesmi
| + | |
| − | (24° 25' N., 84° 46' E.), and Nawada (24° 25' N., 84° 45' E.). Argenti-
| + | |
| − | ferous galena, associated with copper ores and zinc blende, occurs
| + | |
| − | on the Patro river, a mile north-north-east of Gulgo. An unsuccessful
| + | |
| − | attempt was made in 1880 to work these ores.
| + | |
| − | | + | |
| − | The sulphide of lead,
| + | |
| − | galena, has also been obtained in connexion with the copper-ore
| + | |
| − | deposits of Baraganda. A deposit, which has been known since the
| + | |
| − | days of Warren Hastings and has been the subject of many subsequent
| + | |
| − | investigations, occurs near Hisatu (23° 59' N., 85° 3' E.); an analysis
| + | |
| − | of the ore made by Piddington showed the presence of antimony with
| + | |
| − | the lead. The most noteworthy example of copper ores occurs at
| + | |
| − | Baraganda in the Palganj estate, 24 miles south-west of (iTridlh. In
| + | |
| − | this area the lead and zinc ores are mixed with copper pyrites, forming
| + | |
| − | a thick lode of low-grade ore which is interbedded with the vertical
| + | |
| − | schists. Shafts reaching a depth of 330 feet were put down to work
| + | |
| − | this lode by a company which commenced operations in 1882, but
| + | |
| − | apparently through faulty management the undertaking was not suc-
| + | |
| − | cessful and closed for want of funds in 1891.
| + | |
| − | | + | |
| − | Lobars and Kols formerly smelted iron in this District, but owing
| + | |
| − | to forest restrictions and the competition of imported English iron
| + | |
| − | and steel, the industry has practically died out. The ore used was
| + | |
| − | principally magnetite derived from the crystalline rocks. Hematite, how-
| + | |
| − | ever, is also obtained from the Barakar stage of the Cionthvana rocks
| + | |
| − | of the Karanpura field, and clay ironstone occurs in a higher stage
| + | |
| − | of the Damodar series in the same area.
| + | |
| − | | + | |
| − | The most conspicuously successful among the attempts to develop
| + | |
| − | the mineral resources is in a little coal-field near Girldlh. The small
| + | |
| − | patch of Gondvvana rocks, which includes the coal in this field, covers
| + | |
| − | an area of only 1 1 square miles, and includes 3^ square miles of the
| + | |
| − | Talcher series, developed in typical form with boulder-beds and needle-
| + | |
| − | shales, underlying sandstones whose age corresponds with the Barakar
| + | |
| − | stage of the Damodar series. The most valuable seam is the Karhar-
| + | |
| − | bari lower seam, which is seldom less than 1 2 feet in thickness and is
| + | |
| − | uniform in quality, producing the best steam coal raised in India, more
| + | |
| − | than two-thirds of it consisting of fixed carbon. This seam persists
| + | |
| − | over an area of 7 square miles, and has been estimated to contain
| + | |
| − | 113,000,000 tons of coal. The Karharbari upper seam is also a good
| + | |
| − | coal, though thinner ; and above it lie other seams, of which the
| + | |
| − | Bhaddoah main seam was at one time extensively worked. The total
| + | |
| − | coal resources of this field are probably not less than 124,000,000 tons,
| + | |
| − | of which over 15,000,000 have been raised or destroyed. Like practi-
| + | |
| − | cally all the coal-fields of Bengal, the Gondwana rocks of Giridih
| + | |
| − | are pierced by two classes of trap dikes : thick dikes of basaltic rock,
| + | |
| − | which are probably fissures filled at the time at which the Rajmahal
| + | |
| − | lava-flows were poured out in Upper Gondwana times ; and thin dikes
| + | |
| − | and sheets of a peculiar form of peridotite, remarkable for containing
| + | |
| − | a high percentage of apatite, a phosphate of lime. This rock has done
| + | |
| − | an amount of damage among the coals which cannot easily be
| + | |
| − | estimated, as besides cutting across the coal seams in narrow dikes
| + | |
| − | and coking about its own thickness of coal in both directions, it
| + | |
| − | spreads out occasionally as sheets and ruins the whole or a large
| + | |
| − | section of the seam over considerable areas.
| + | |
| − | | + | |
| − | In this field 9 mines employed in 1903 a daily average of 10,691
| + | |
| − | hands and had an output of 767,000 tons. The East Indian Railway
| + | |
| − | Company, by whom the bulk of the coal in this field is raised, work
| + | |
| − | it for their own consumption, and have invested 15 lakhs in their
| + | |
| − | mines.
| + | |
| − | | + | |
| − | The miners are of various castes ; but Santals and the lower castes
| + | |
| − | of Hindus, such as Bhuiyas, Mahlis, Ghatwals, Chamars, Dosadhs, and
| + | |
| − | Rajwars, predominate. The daily wages paid in the mines worked by
| + | |
| − | the East Indian Railway Company are : for coal-cutters, 6 to 8 annas ;
| + | |
| − | horse-drivers underground, 4 annas ; women (underground), 3 to
| + | |
| − | 4 annas ; fitters, 8 annas to R. 1-8-0 ; and for coolies working above
| + | |
| − | ground, men, 2\ annas to 4 annas; women, i^ to 2 annas; and
| + | |
| − | children, i^ to i^ annas. One shaft, the deepest in India, has a depth
| + | |
| − | of 640 feet, and nearly all the coal is wound by modern plant.
| + | |
| − | | + | |
| − | This is the only field in the District which is regularly worked,
| + | |
| − | but other patches of Gondwana rocks are also coal-bearing. A patch
| + | |
| − | near the village of Itkhori, 25 miles north-west of Hazaribagh, includes
| + | |
| − | about half a square mile of the Barakar stage lying on a considerable
| + | |
| − | area of Talchers. There are three seams containing possibly about
| + | |
| − | 2,000,000 tons of inferior coal. The Bokaro and Karanpura fields
| + | |
| − | lie in the low ground of the Damodar river, at the foot of the south-
| + | |
| − | ern scarp of the Hazaribagh plateau. The Bokaro field commences
| + | |
| − | 2 miles west of the Jherria field, and is likely to become important
| + | |
| − | with farther railway extensions. It covers 220 square miles and
| + | |
| − | includes coal seams of large size, one of 88 feet thick being measured.
| + | |
| − | The coal resources of this field are estimated to aggregate 1,500,000,000
| + | |
| − | tons. In the Karanpura area a smaller tract of 72 square miles has
| + | |
| − | been separated from the northern field of 472 square miles through the
| + | |
| − | exposure of the underlying crystalline rocks. There is a large quantity
| + | |
| − | of fuel available in these two fields ; in the smaller there must be at
| + | |
| − | least 75,000,000 tons and in the northern 8,750,000,000. In The
| + | |
| − | Ramgarh coal-field to the south of the Bokaro field the rocks are so
| + | |
| − | faulted that it may not be profitable to mine the coal
| + | |
| − | | + | |
| − | ==Trade and Communication==
| + | |
| − | Cotton-weaving is carried on by the Jolahas, but only the coarsest
| + | |
| − | cloth is turned out. A few cheap wooden toys are made by Kharadis,
| + | |
| − | and blankets by Gareris, while agricultural imple- Trade and
| + | |
| − | ments and cooking utensils are manufactured from communications,
| + | |
| − | locally smelted iron ore.
| + | |
| − | | + | |
| − | The chief imports are food-grains, salt, kerosene oil, cotton twist and
| + | |
| − | European cotton piece-goods ; and the chief exports are coal and coke.
| + | |
| − | Of the food-grains, which form the bulk of the imports, rice comes
| + | |
| − | chiefly from Manbhiim, Burdwan, and the Santal Parganas, wheat from
| + | |
| − | the Punjab and the United Provinces, and gram from Monghyr and
| + | |
| − | Patna ; the other imports come from Calcutta. The coal and coke
| + | |
| − | exported by rail in 1903-4 amounted to 495,000 tons, of which
| + | |
| − | 86,000 tons went to Calcutta, 195,000 tons to other parts of Bengal,
| + | |
| − | 114,000 tons to the United Provinces, and the remainder to the
| + | |
| − | Punjab, Central Provinces, Rajputnna, and Central India. Minor
| + | |
| − | exports are mica, catechu, sabai grass, lac, mahud, and hides. Hazari-
| + | |
| − | bagh, Glrldih, and Chatra are the y)rincipal marts, and form the centres
| + | |
| − | from which imported goods are distributed by petty traders. The bulk
| + | |
| − | of the traffic is carried by the luist Indian Railway, which taps the
| + | |
| − | | + | |
| − | ' ' The GIrldili Coal-field,' by Saise, in Records, Geological Survey of I iidia, vol. xxvii,
| + | |
| − | part iii (1894) ; 'The Bokaro Coal-field aiurihe Kamgarh Coal-field,' by Hughes, in
| + | |
| − | Memoirs, Geological Survey of India, vol. vi, part ii (1867); ' The Karanpura Coal-
| + | |
| − | fields,' Memoirs, Geological Survey of India, vol. vii, part iii (1869); 'The Itkhori
| + | |
| − | Coal-field,' iT/i'W£?m-, Geological Survey of India, vol. vii, part ii (1872), by Ball;
| + | |
| − | ' The Chope Coal-field,' Memoirs, Geological Survey of India, vol. viii, part ii (1872).
| + | |
| − | As regards copper and tin, see 'Geological Notes on N. Hazaribagh,' by Mallet, in
| + | |
| − | Records, Geological Surz'ey of India, vol. vii, part i (1874), and 'The Copper and Tin
| + | |
| − | Deposits of Chota Nagpur,' by Dates, in Transactions, Federal Institute of Mining
| + | |
| − | Engineers, vol. ix (1S95), p. 427.
| + | |
| − | | + | |
| − | District at Girldih, but a large amount of goods is carried on pack-
| + | |
| − | bullocks and in bullock-carts.
| + | |
| − | | + | |
| − | The only railways at present open are the short branch line connect-
| + | |
| − | ing Giridih with the East Indian main line at Madhupur, and the
| + | |
| − | Gaya-Katrasgarh line recently constructed, which runs through the
| + | |
| − | north-east of the District. The District board maintained in 1903-4
| + | |
| − | 44 miles of metalled and 521 miles of unmetalled roads, besides
| + | |
| − | 336 miles of village tracks. The most important roads, however, are
| + | |
| − | those maintained by the Public Works department, amounting to
| + | |
| − | 201 miles in length (188 miles metalled and 13 miles unmetalled), and
| + | |
| − | including the grand trunk road, which runs for 78 miles through the
| + | |
| − | District, and the road from Hazaribagh to Ranch!, of which 30 miles
| + | |
| − | lie in the District, and the roads from Hazaribagh to Barhi and
| + | |
| − | Bagodar and from Girldlh to Dumri, the aggregate length of which is
| + | |
| − | 82 miles.
| + | |
| − | | + | |
| − | ==Famine==
| + | |
| − | | + | |
| − | The District was affected by the famine of 1874. Since then the
| + | |
| − | only severe famine was that of 1897, when distress was general over
| + | |
| − | a broad belt running north and south through the
| + | |
| − | District, the thanas most affected being Barhl,
| + | |
| − | Kodarma, Bagodar, Ciumia, Ramgarh, Mandu, and Hazaribagh.
| + | |
| − | Relief works were opened but were not largely attended, owing partly
| + | |
| − | to the unwillingness of the wilder tribes to engage in unaccustomed
| + | |
| − | forms of labour, and partly to a fear that the acceptance of famine
| + | |
| − | rates of payment would tend to lower wages permanently ; a good deal
| + | |
| − | of employment, however, was afforded by the District board, and
| + | |
| − | gratuitous relief was given to beggars and destitute travellers. The
| + | |
| − | daily average number of persons employed on relief works was highest
| + | |
| − | (1,728) in May, while the number in receipt of gratuitous relief reached
| + | |
| − | its maximum (6,836) in June. The expenditure amounted to
| + | |
| − | Rs. 73,000, including Rs. 26,000 spent on gratuitous relief, and loans
| + | |
| − | were granted to the extent of Rs. 51,000.
| + | |
| − | | + | |
| − | ==Administration==
| + | |
| − | For administrative purposes the District is divided into two sub-
| + | |
| − | divisions, with head-quarters at Hazaribagh and Giridih. The staff at Hazaribagh subordinate to the Deputy-Commis-
| + | |
| − | Administration. sioner consists of three Deputy-Magistrate-Collectors,
| + | |
| − | while the subdivisional officer of Girldlh is assisted by a Sub-Deputy-
| + | |
| − | Collector.
| + | |
| − | | + | |
| − | The chief civil court is that of the Judicial Commissioner of Chota
| + | |
| − | Nagpur. The Deputy-Commissioner exercises the powers of a Sub-
| + | |
| − | ordinate Judge, and a Subordinate Judge comes periodically from
| + | |
| − | Ranch! to assist in the disposal of cases. Minor original suits are
| + | |
| − | heard by three Munsifs, sitting at Hazaribagh, Chatra, and G!rid!h.
| + | |
| − | Rent suits under the Chota Nagpur Tenancy Act are tried by a
| + | |
| − | Deputy-Magistrate-Collector at Hazaribagh, by the Munsifs who are invested with the powers of a Deputy-Collector for this purpose, and by
| + | |
| − | the suhdivisional officer of Girldih ; appeals from their decisions are
| + | |
| − | heard by the Deputy-Commissioner or the Judicial Commissioner of
| + | |
| − | Chota Nagpur, Criminal cases are tried by the Deputy-Commissioner,
| + | |
| − | The suhdivisional officer of Glridih, and the above-mentioned Deputy
| + | |
| − | and Sub-Deputy Magistrates, and by the Munsif of Chatra, who has
| + | |
| − | been invested with second-class powers. The Deputy-Commissioner
| + | |
| − | possesses special powers under section 34 of the Criminal Procedure
| + | |
| − | Code, and the Judicial Commissioner of Chota Nagpur disposes of
| + | |
| − | appeals from magistrates of the first class and holds sessions at
| + | |
| − | Hazaribagh for the trial of cases committed to his court. Hazaribagh
| + | |
| − | is the least criminal District in Chota Nagpur, and crime is com-
| + | |
| − | ])aratively light. | + | |
| − | | + | |
| − | In 1835, the first year for which statistics are available, 86 separate
| + | |
| − | estates paid a land revenue of Rs. 49,000. The number of estates
| + | |
| − | increased to 244 in 1870-1, but after that date a number of the smaller
| + | |
| − | estates were amalgamated with others and the total fell in 1903-4 to
| + | |
| − | 157, with a demand of 1-33 lakhs. Of these estates, 72 are perma-
| + | |
| − | nently settled, 82 are temporarily settled, and 3 are held direct by
| + | |
| − | Government.
| + | |
| − | | + | |
| − | In Hazaribagh District the eldest son takes the entire estate, and
| + | |
| − | provides for the other members of the family by assigning them smaller
| + | |
| − | holdings as maintenance grants. There is thus no tendency to the
| + | |
| − | excessive subdivision of estates which is found in Bihar. Besides these
| + | |
| − | maintenance grants, jdgtrs to ghdtwdh, priests, servants, and others are
| + | |
| − | common. The only unusual form ol jdgir is one known as putra-
| + | |
| − | putrddik, which remains in the family of the grantee until the death of
| + | |
| − | the last direct male heir, after which it reverts to the parent estate.
| + | |
| − | The incidence of revenue is very low, being R. 0-1-4 per cultivated
| + | |
| − | acre, or only 8 per cent, of the rental, which is Rs. 1-2-6 per cultivated
| + | |
| − | acre. The highest rates are realized from rice lands, which are divided
| + | |
| − | into three main classes : gaird, the rich alluvial lands between the
| + | |
| − | ridges ; singd, the land higher up the slopes ; and bad, the highest land
| + | |
| − | on which rice can be grown. The rates, which are lowest in the
| + | |
| − | central plateau and highest in the Sakri valley, vary for gaird land from
| + | |
| − | Rs. 3-10-8 to Rs. 5-5-4 per acre (average Rs. 4-5-4) ; for singd land,
| + | |
| − | from Rs. 2-10-8 to Rs. 4 (average Rs. 3-10-8) ; and for bad land, from
| + | |
| − | Rs. i-io~8 to Rs. 3-10-8 (average, Rs. 2-2-8). Other lands are
| + | |
| − | classified as bdri or gharbdri, the well-manured land situated close to
| + | |
| − | the village ; bdhirbdri, fairly good land situated farther from the home-
| + | |
| − | stead ; chird, land set apart for growing paddy seedlings ; tdnr, barren
| + | |
| − | land on the tops of the ridges ; and tarri or rich land on the banks
| + | |
| − | or in the beds of rivers. For these the ryot usually renders predial
| + | |
| − | services in lieu of rent.
| + | |
| − | | + | |
| − | Village lands are of four kinds. Manjhihas is a portion of the best
| + | |
| − | land set apart for the head of the village. It is frequently sublet, some-
| + | |
| − | times at a cash rent, but more often on the adhbatai system, under
| + | |
| − | which each party takes half the produce. When held khas^ it is cul-
| + | |
| − | tivated by the ryots for the proprietor, the latter supplying the seed
| + | |
| − | and a light meal on the days when the villagers are working for him.
| + | |
| − | Jlban is land in which the ryots have occupancy rights. Khiindwat or
| + | |
| − | sdjivdt lands are those reclaimed from jungle or waste land, and the
| + | |
| − | ryot and his descendants have a right of occupancy, paying rent at half
| + | |
| − | the rate prevailing in the neighbourhood for jlban lands. Utkar land
| + | |
| − | is that cultivated by tenants-at-will. The rents oi jlban and utkar
| + | |
| − | lands are usually payable in cash, but in the Sakri valley the system of
| + | |
| − | payment by assessment or division of the produce is common.
| + | |
| − | | + | |
| − | The following table shows the collections of land revenue and total
| + | |
| − | revenue (principal heads only), in thousands of rupees : —
| + | |
| − | | + | |
| − | [[File: gazetteers205.png||frame|500px]]
| + | |
| − | | + | |
| − | | + | |
| − | Outside the municipahties of Hazaribagh, Chatra, and GIrTdIh,
| + | |
| − | local affairs are managed by the District board. In 1903-4 its income
| + | |
| − | was Rs. 96,000, including Rs. 50,000 derived from rates ; and the ex-
| + | |
| − | penditure was Rs. 1,01,000, the chief item being Rs. 59,000 spent on
| + | |
| − | public works.
| + | |
| − | | + | |
| − | The District contains 18 police stations or thdnas, and 20 outposts.
| + | |
| − | In 1903 the force subordinate to the District Superintendent consisted
| + | |
| − | of 3 inspectors, 33 sub-inspectors, 54 head constables, and 431 con-
| + | |
| − | stables. The Central jail at Hazaribagh has accommodation for
| + | |
| − | 1,257 prisoners, and a subsidiary jail at Giridih for 21. The Hazari-
| + | |
| − | bagh Reformatory school has accommodation for 357 boys.
| + | |
| − | | + | |
| − | Education is very backward, and only 2-6 per cent, of the population
| + | |
| − | (5-2 males and 0-2 females) could read and write in 1901. The number
| + | |
| − | of pupils under instruction increased from 6,234 in 1882-3 to 15,867 in
| + | |
| − | 1892-3, but fell to 14,345 in iroo-i. In 1903-4, 16,440 boys and
| + | |
| − | 2,014 girls were at school, being respectively i9'2 and 2-2 per cent, of
| + | |
| − | the children of school-going age. The various missions maintain
| + | |
| − | schools for the benefit of the aboriginal tribes. The most notable
| + | |
| − | educational institutions are the Dublin University Mission First Arts
| + | |
| − | college, and the Reformatory at Hazaribagh. The total number of
| + | |
| − | institutions, public and private, in 1903-4 was 692, including the Arts
| + | |
| − | college, 16 secondary, 643 primary, and 32 special schools. The
| + | |
| − | expenditure on education was Rs. 1,12,000, of which Rs. 38,000 was
| + | |
| − | met from Provincial funds, Rs. 31,000 from District funds, Rs. 800 from
| + | |
| − | municipal funds, and Rs. 23,000 from fees.
| + | |
| − | | + | |
| − | In 1903 the District contained 7 dispensaries, of which 5 had accom-
| + | |
| − | modation for 64 in-patients. The cases of 37,411 out-patients and 586
| + | |
| − | in-patients were treated during the year, and 1,570 operations were per-
| + | |
| − | formed. The expenditure was Rs. 11,000, of which Rs. 1,200 was met
| + | |
| − | from Government contributions, Rs. 2,000 from Local and Rs. 2,400
| + | |
| − | from municipal funds, and Rs. 5,000 from subscriptions.
| + | |
| − | | + | |
| − | Vaccination is compulsory only in the Hazaribagh, Girldih, and
| + | |
| − | Chatra municipalities. In 1903-4 the number of persons successfully
| + | |
| − | vaccinated was 41,000, or 36 per 1,000 of the population.
| + | |
| − | | + | |
| − | [Sir W. W. Hunter, Statistical Account of Bengal, vol. xvi (1877);
| + | |
| − | Y. B. Bradley-Birt, Chota Nagpiir (1903).]
| + | |
The (or Hazaristan). — A mountainous region in the heart
of Afghanistan, lying about midway between Kabul, Herat, and Kan-
dahar. Very little is known about this region, which forms one of the
districts of the Kabul province. It is intersected by high mountains,
of which the Koh-i-Baba is the most prominent. On the southern
slopes of this range are the sources of the Helmand and of numerous
tributaries which eventually join it. Their upper streams are said to
flow through precipitous and gloomy gorges, and their channels only
open out as they approach Zamindawar. On the west this region is
bounded by the Taimani highlands ; on the south by the Kandahar
districts of Zamindawar, Dehrawat, and Tirin ; on the south-east by
(ihazni ; and on the north by the Band-i-Baba.
The Hazarajat includes the districts of Besud, Deh Zangi, and Deh Kundi, and is
peopled almost entirely by the Hazaras, who number about half a mil-
lion. The Hazaras, who are Shiahs, are descended from fragments
of Mongol tribes that came from the east with the armies of Chingiz
Khan and his family, though other races may be represented among
them. Their language is in the main a purely Persian dialect. The
difficult nature of their country enabled the Hazaras to preserve a prac-
tical independence until, between 1890 and 1893, they were subjugated
by the late Amir Abdur Rahman. A sturdy race of mountaineers,
they long continued to cause trouble to the Afghan administration, but
all their leading men have now been removed and they are entirely
subdued. The present Amir is trying gradually to contract their
limits, and to populate the Hazarajat with Ghilzais and other Afghan
tribesmen. A few Hazaras enlist in the Indian army and give satisfac-
ti<jn. In 1904 the enlistment of a British Hazara battalion of pioneers
was sanctioned ; and about the same period the Amir, for the first
time, ordered the recruitment of a few regiments to be exclusively
formed of men of this race. In the towns of Afghanistan, and through-
out most of the Punjab during the cold season, Hazaras are to be
found employed in menial labour, but seldom in any other capacity.
Formerly they were sold as slaves, but this practice was put down by
the late Amir with a stern hand.
