A . Bari.owers are required t o k ~ p the boolrs

t .; ' dean. +. They are;-not to-huturn' do+n OF$ tkin ti$ '

I ; . %

leaves j nor to mdks Sehciior ocher rnnrlcs .11pon .

them. he^ must tage the earliest &rtud-- .ty of reporting any damage or injury don6 to the books key receive, otherwise they mill

'be lleld responsible for the vali~e of the . . 2 . .

THY WAINGAMGA. C. -

.', CENTRAL PROVINCES

DlSTliICT GAZETTEERS

SEONI DISTliICT

VOLUME A

DESCHIPTIVE

ELIITEIJ nY R 1:. RUSSELL, 1.C.S

PRI-CFATORY NOTE. --

The extai~t Settlcn~ent Reports on the Seoni District are those of Captain (Colonel) W. B. Tllornso~~ (1867) acd of Kh3n .13ahF1dur Aulad Husain (r8gg). Several extracts from Mr. R, A. Sterudale's interesting and well-known book ' Seonr or Camp Life on the SZtpur5 Range ' (Calcutta, Tbacker, Spink and Co., r877), have been included in the Gazetteer, The writer is indebted to Mr. R. 13. Chapman, Deputy Conimissio~ler of the District, for interesting notes on village life and on the material condition of the people, which have been reproduced in this volume; to Captain Oxley, I.hl.S., for notes on the game birds of the District and on the healtll qf the people; and to Mr. C. J. Irwin,

Assistant Commissioner, for some careful reports. The section on Geology has been kindly contributed by Mr. L. Leigh Fermar of the ~ e o l o ~ i = a l Survey. The photographs il~serted in this volume are from originals supplied by Captain Oxley, I .M,S. Some information on Botany and Forests has been furnished by Mr. S I 5 m Rao and lk11.. Peake of the Forest Department. As usual the chapter on History and the section on language arc coinpiled from notes furnish4

, . by Mr. Hira LZl, Assistant Gazetteer Superin tenden t.

SEONI L)1STRJCrr GAZ

F ~ C I J I ~ P b ' C

LIST OF TIIE Dl PUTY COM~IISSIQ~ERS WHO llnvr

... IILLD CHARGE OS TIlC DISTRICT . . I

... MAP or 111s DISTRICT .., ..* I

Page

C H A P T ~ R 1,- GLNEIIAL DESCRIPTION.

UOUNDARILS AND PIlYSlCAL TL \rUI<ES ICS I-5 GEOLOGY ... . m a . a 5-10 '

UO~ANY *. . ... - 1-19

... WILD Ahr1hl~1s , rlc. .I. ... 1 9-22

Rnlhl ALL AND C L I M A ~ C ,. . ".. ... 22-23

C I I A ~ E R 11.-HIS TORY AND ARCHEOLOGY. ... HISTORY ... .a. 23-37

AHCH~EOLOGY ,.. ..- 37 -39

CCIAPTER 111 -POPULA I ION

SOCIAL LlrC AND CUSTONb 1 b 4 . 61 -69

LEADIHG TAPIILILS a * , ... Gg-7j I..

CHAP^ cn IV.-AG RICULTU LIE

C.IIA~TER V.--LOAK S, PRICES, WAGES, MANUI:ACTURES, TRADE AND

COMI'vlUNICATIONS. Page

Loans ... ... ... 98--10j PRICES . . ... .,. 106-log

WAG= . .. ... ... log-rrq

MJ~UFAC~URES . . . ... ... 114-118

TRADE . . . . . . ... 118-121

COMMUNICA LIONS .., . . . ,.. 1 2 1 - ~ 2 3 - -

CHAPTER VI.-FORESTS AND MINERAI-S.

CHAPTER VII1.-LAND REVENUE ADMINIS- TRA'TION ... ... ... 137-151

A ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ x . - G a z e i t e e r of Tahsils, Towns, irnpor~- ant Villages, Rivcra mid I-lills ...

, . ... 165-197

PARAGRAPH INDEX.

I'age Boourrdardts nttd Plysicnl Fcnitrres-

I . Position and bounda~ies . . . ,.. I

a. Physical Cea~ures 4 ,. ... ib. 3. Elevation . .. . . ... 4 4. Scenery ... ... . . . ib.

Geology- 5 . Geology ... .., ... 5

6, Forest trces . . . ... ... ID

7. Forest trees-(conliuued) ... .* J 3 8. TreesoTtheopellcou~~t~y .. ..* 15

g. Shrubs ... , . . ... $8

10. Creepers and parasites ... ... . - 17

I I . Grasses . . . , ,. .. . 18

I 2. Wild animals ... -+. ..* 19

13. Ducks ... . . # . . i6. 14. Gond fable of Singbaba ... I&* rn

I 5 . Rainfall .. . ... 2 2

16. Temperature and climate ... 1 .+ 3%

Hist0t-p-

I 7. Early history-The Vakstaka dynasty ... 24 18. The Gaur aud Chedi kingdoms ... 25

19. The Chrtt~del generals AlhH and Udal ... 26

Page

-(contd.) Thc MnndlZ Gond kingdom n , .

Rgj Khin, foullder of the D ia in falrilv.. . ; The DirvZns of Cllhap51-a and Seolli .. .

- 23. Raids ol- the Gonds and Pindiris ,.. 24. Extracts from old correspondence ' . . . 25. Early Uritish adrninistraliol~ ... 26. 'The Mutiny ... <. , ...

Siflti~tics L.J POP ~i/c!/ioioll--

28. Slatistics of area and population, dcosily, towns and villages.

- 29 Variation of population , .. . . . .30, Migration ... ... . . . 3 I. Uiseases .. <. . . ,

, 3 d a n g u a g c ,,. . . . .., 33. Occupation . ... ...

*iUJ.?- R& '

3'4. Stalistics of religiol-1,-Villa gods . . . 35. Rural si~perstiiioils . . . . .. 36. Festivals ... ,.. . . .

. 37. Muhammadans . , , ..& 38. Christians ... . . . ...

Cusfc- 39. General llolict of castes .. .

* . I

40. Brihnlans and Bani% ,.* ... 41. Rsjputs .+. . .. . w .

42. Kiiyasrhs ... ,a, . *. 5 5

43. Lodhis, Kurnlis, M i l k and A1lil.s .. . 56 , q

44. Other castes .. .A * ... 5 7

45. C~lldS v '. . . . ' I.. . 55

46, Low castes ... t.. r ; ~ 60

SOC~CII Lz@c utrd Custoras- 5 .

Page

47. Llescription of village life ... ... . 6 I

48. Description of village life-(continued). . . 63 49. Houses and furniture ... .. . 65 50. Food and clothes ... ... 66 5 r . Marriage customs ... ... 68

52. Ge~leraI. Muha~nniadais families .It 69 53. Kiyasth, Gond and Lodhi families ... ' 7 1 54, BrShmm, Bani,? and other families ... 72

5 5 . Description of soils ... . . . 74 56. Yosi tion-claises and nature of land ... 7 5 5 7. soil-factors . . . ... . . . ' 76

Slctlistics of C1ill;7:ation--

58. Proportion of area occupied . . . 77 59. Fallows . . . I . . . . 78 Gu. Second crops ,. . . . . ... ib. 6r. Progress of cropping ... ... 79 62. Statistics of crops ..* ... 8s

Wheat.-Varieties M ~ ~ I I O ~ S of cuI tivntion Diseases and pests Kodon-lrutki . . . Rice .. . Gram . . . Other spring crops

Oilseeds ... Ju Fir ...

i b .

tl r

33 84 8.5 86

87 88 ih.

~ r o ~ ~ c o t ~ t d . ) . , . . . . . . ,. , 72. Cotton . . , ,

73,. Sugarcane ... . . . , 74. Minor crops .., . ... ... 7 5 . Agricultural implements - 76. Manure ... .,.

... 77. Irrigation ...

.. 78 Breeds and prices ' 79.- Grazing and food

80. Statistics of cattle 31. Buffaloes ...

' 81. Snlall stock .., . .

. 84. Fairs* ...

. . .

Page . . 89 ... 90 . *. ib . ... g1

. .* .. ,

CHAPTER V.-LOANS, PRICES) WAGES, MANUFAC- TURES, TRADE AND COMMUNICATIONS. '

8 j. Land Improvement and Agriculturisis' 9s Loans.

... . . . 86, Rates of interest on private loans 99 87. Moneylenders ... ... . . . . I00

... 88. Transfers of villages . . . . I0 I

89. Rates paid for land sublet . . ... ... 102 go. Landlords and tenants . ... ... ' 03

' 9 1- Material condition of the people . -. 104

- . 92, Cuurse of grain- prices , ., ... 106 93. Settlement rates

- ..I il. ... 94. Prices in recent years . , ..

1.. 107 95. Frices of n~iscellaneous articles + . 108

PARAGR APII TNDEX.

Page Wages-

... 96. Farm-servants ... .... 1 0 9

... 97- Labourers ... ... 111

98. Village artisails and menials . . . ib. ... 99. Condition of the labouring classes 1 1 3

Mtr~riJociw-cs - 100. .Weaving and dyeing ... IO I . other manufactures ... 102. Factories ... , .

... 103. Weights and measures I 04. Weekly marlcels . ,

105. Annual fairs ,,. ... TI adr-

I . Exports.-Agricultural produce . .. r 1 8 ... 07. Forest produce and other articles 1x9

... 108. Imports . e , ... 120

109. Statistics of exports and imports ..* 1 2 1

Cant nttrrricoiions- ... ... I 10. Railways ... z'b- ... J I I Roads . . ... I22

. . Ffi reds-

I r 2. Government forests.-Extent and descrip- 124

... 113. Statistics of revenue .*. 125

... I 14. System of administration 126 ... ... r 15. Private forests . I I* 127

... I 16. Roadside arboriculture ... 128 *

M i j t erals- ... 117. MineraIs ..a I.. 129

CHAPTER VI1.-FAMINE.

I 18. Early families .. ... I . 1 3 1

. r I rg. The recent cycle of bad years 1. I

- . 132

PARAGRAPH INDEX.

Page

120. The famine of I 897 .*. a , . 1 3 3

I 21. Principal statistics of the famine --. 1 34 I za. The years tYg8 and 1899 ... ... ' ih,

123. The famine of rgoo .*. ..I 135 , x 24. The famine of I go*(contiuued) . . . db.

CHAPTER VI1T.-LAND R E V E N U E ADMIW JS'SRAI'ION. .

I 3 5. Revenue administration prior to t3ritish

rule ,.. . .. 137 126. Early British settlements ... . . 1 3 ~ 137. 'Thejoyears'settlelnent ... .*. r 38 128. Results of 111e settlement ... ... 140

s zg. Currency of the 30 years' settlement .. 141

130, The settlement of 1896 -98, Cadastral ib. survey.

I 3 I . Procedure d the settlement ... 142

I 32. Enhancements of tbc rental +=, $3" r 33. Home farm of the proprietors ..- 144 *

134. Miscellaneous income . . . ... ib. Comparison of assets ... Enhancement of the revenue

Incidence of the revenue and rental Period and cwt of the settlement A batemen ts of revenue . .. RyotwSri settle~nent

I.. _ Special tenures

&. . Revenue-free and quit-re0 a pants Statistics of tenures

I . .

Cesses 9 . . , . .

*., r4p ... ' t$.

. . 146

... I47 -.. ib. b * ~ dB.: ... 148 I.. 149

%+. 150 . - 1 . 15 J

CH~PTER IX.--GENERAL ADM IN IS'TRA'TlON.

145. District Subdivisions and Staff . . . 152 . 146. Land R m r d Staff . .. .* 153 ..

J 47. Litigaiion and crime . , , . . . 154 14%. Statistics d T ~ Y U I U : ... . . . . 155'

PARAGRAPH l N n E X .

149. I 50. 1 5 1 .

152.

1.53 154. ' 5 5 . I 56. 157. I 58. 159.

1 Go. rG1.

162.

Excise.-Count ry liquor ... Opium and g5nja ... Registration ... . .a District Council and Local Boards Municipalities ... ... Village Sanitation . .. Public Works ... ... Police .. . ... KotcvZrs ... d .>

Jail ... . * .

Education ... ... Dispensaries .., . . .

Vnccinal~on ... ... Veterinary Dispensary ...

...

.. rn

.*= ...

I . .

..I

... . .

.**

*. . t..

0 . .

.., . I .

Page

I55 x 56 ib* rb,

IS7 158 ;b.

159 a*

" ib* +

16Q . 161

x 63 ib.

A PRENDIX.-GAZETTEER OF TA HSILS, 'TOWNS, IMPORTANT VILLAGES, RIVE1tS AND WILLS.

Nr~~rre of p l c e - ~ d g aon ... . .. ... 16.5

... ... ... At1 I 66 ..a ... Asht3 .,. rb. , ... Barghat ... .*, ib.

... Bgwanthari River .. . .. 167 BbaironLhSu ... ... . -. it.

... Bhin~garh . . ,.. I 68

... BijnB River ,+ . . .. rB+

... B~sLpur ..A ... t B.

... ... ChaonrJ . .. ib. ... Chhapsra ,.. ,.. ~ 6 9

... ... Chircbiri 0~ 171

... DhCi ma .., ,,.. ib*

Dighori - .*. .,. *.. 172

... ... Ghansor .*. ib. ICanhiwSra 3 t* a-. .,. ib.

xii PAPAGRAPII INDEX.

N ~ I I I . ~ ojpInc~-{co~~ td .) Keoliri . . . KllaivZsa ...

... Kothighst Fair Lakhn~don Tabsil ... Lakbnadon V~lfage ... h r g i , . ,

Mundara Fair . . Nerbudda River ... P a h River ... PI parwani , . . Sarekhd ... Sstpud Hills ... Seoni 'rahsil .,. Seonl Town Sher River . . . Tbel River ... wain gang^ River .,.

0 . .

... 0 . .

-*. ... ... , .. ... , . ... I . .

... 0 . .

... *.. ... 0 . .

4 . .

... I , .

. . - 1..

.,-

. r .

I..

...

... 111

...

... -1.

*a#

I..

Page 1 7 3

173 * ib. a.

1 76

List f D e p t t ~ Com~~rissiotrers who Ireld charge o j /he

Serial No.

-

1

2

3 4 5 6 7

, 1

9 I 0 I I

I.?

13 14 I 5 r 6 1 7 18 I g za

Tl1er.t is no record nvailabte from I;-q-lSg r to I -8.1855, but from tlre signa~u~ws in the Per~i~nlierit E~tablishn~et~t Rctu~.nsof r S j j uud 1S54 it scclns that J. C. Wood, Esq., held charge ol rbe District.

, ,

Naine with luilitary rank, iTaliy.

PRINCIPAL ASSIs?'ANT TO AGENT 3'0 EOVEIIK UR-

GENERAL IN INDlh.

Captain T. Wa14dlow ...

J. Stephens, Esq. ... . ,

Captain T. W:~rdlow ... ,, A. Sconce ...

C. W. Fagal), Esq. ... D, F. McLeotl, Esq. ... Captain C. R. Browne ..

,, A, Wheatley ... DEPUTY COMMISSIONERS.

Cnptzin C. R. Bi.o<vne . Lieutenant W. 11. Surkins ... Captain C, A. Dallas ...

,, G. W. Hamilton . ,, H. I\'akemnt~ ...

St. Georpc Tucker, Lsq. ... Lieutcr~a~it A. Skew ... Captain W. Wakeman ... , A, skenr ...

:Lieuteilal~t Monlp~nery ... Cap~aill A. Skent ... F. W. Pitrhrley, Gq. ...

21

23

2;

25

26

a7 28

From

6-91823

7-12-1825

2-9-dS2i 21-10-11133 11-12-1833 rg-6-183s

1-7-16;; 1-11-rS3g

7=q+lSaj 28- 10-1 84; 13-1 1-1843 ~2-2-1Sdq 3-12-1844 JP-j .14~ 19-y.181: 12-4- 1548 3-4- I 8411

19-3-1 8 5 ~ 16.12- I j0

I-7-18;s

Lieutenant Benjamin Ha\vcs, . 2nd Eurapeall Bcrlgal Regi-

ment . . . ... I.ieutelln11t F. A. 'l'e~ltoo, 7th

Light C r ~ v ~ l r y ... ... Lieutenant W. Hnmilton, 2nd

European Bcli.crl Kegims~ik Lieutenant E. Clerk, Madras

Light Cnval~y ... . Lieutenant W. B. Thornson,

4th L i ~ h t C a v ~ l r ~ ... ... H . X. hIcGeorgc, Esg. Culo~lel J. B. Denny* ...

, ' ,

.- *

1-5-1854

. I-11-1856

1-1 z - ~ 8 ~ 6

6-2-1857

i-q-rSq7 1-&1864

I 449-1861

To

6- la -1825

IT+$- 1Sz7

20.10-1833 1o.1~-1833

IS-6-1535 30-6-1 837

p.10-18;y 6-4-1843

27-10-1 843 t a- 4 r - 184 j 21-2-1841 2-12-1S44 18-3-1845 tS-g-rgq5 l I -4-1818 2-+1849

I s.g-lS j0 I 5- ~?-rSgo 3 0 - 4 1x5 I 13.9-1851

P - I o - I S ~ ~

30 .1r - i8~6

5-2-1857

30-6-1857

31-7-1861 13-9-1864 22-3-1869

Remarks.

I h t e rrom rvliich avail- able reopt ds begin.

Was killcd i t1 the court by oue Mir Wali.

,

serial N 0.

--

29 p 31 32 33 jr 35 36. 37 3s 39 40 41 4 2

43 41 45 46

4H 4 49 53

5 1

53 33

54 55 50 57 58

TO

~0-:-1%7? 26-17-1872

1 1-3-1 '7-3 '1 '7J a3*'0-'S73

19-5-1874 i ? - ~ - l ~ ? s 1-1mlS78 g r z - ~ S S q 27-3-lSs5 ;0-;-18Ss

Ilemrks,

59 60 61 62

63 64

' 5 66

Name with military rank, if any.

Captain Saurin Brooke m u -

Major W. B. TI~ornsOn b - 4

~ ~ ~ ~ t ~ ~ ~ ~ t - C ~ l o n e l C. Jarncs A- H L, rraser, ~ s q . , 1.C.S. ca:;lptain H. C. E. Ward ,. J. W. Tawneg. Esq. ... captain J. A. Temple ... Major H. 1. L u 4 ,,, irlspr J. A. Temple , Colonel C, H. Grace .., S. H Henlresy. Etq. ... H. H. Priest. Esq , 1.C S. ... L,s&rt~*.Esq.,I.c.S. ... L. Gordon. E-q .. ... T. Drysdale, Ecq. ... J. Walker, Eq., 1.C.S- . T. Drysdale, Esq . .. A. Rlaync, Eq., I.C.S. ... J. Wallirr, Eq.. 1.C.S ... H. Jwvcrs, Esq , T.C.S. ... F. L. J. Williamson, Esq. 1.C.S. M. W. Foxstrang\\-ays, Esq.,

I C.S, ... ... F. L J, Williamson. Esq.,

I.C.S. ... ... B. Robertmn, Eq., 1.C.S. .. F 1. J. Williamwn, Esq., I. C. S. ...

Gptain D. 1. C. MacNabb ... C . E L o ~ v . h q , l . C . S . ... Captail1 D. 1. C. nlacNabl> ... F. C. Turner, Eaq., 1.C.S. ... A.Mayne,Essq.,i.CS. ...

I S - ~ ~ + ' S S S S-11-1Y97, ttj-1894'

28-11-1594 zj-z-.Sgj 31-3-1s75 )t-p1Y96 1~9-1896

zb-r 1-1 $96

4-1-1897

21-a-1897~ I ;-3-tSy7j

1-<- ' ~ ~ 7 1 4-S-r Sllb

s $ - ~ S # I ~ - ~ ~ . I S ~ S ~ 22-5- l$g9

31-\at8yol 1a-3-ly31

.-

13- j- 186y 31-3-1872

27.1 2-85'1'

12-3-1 $72 18-3-1873

PQ- $0-1 87; *0-5-1sil 13.t-1Sis 2-10.1$78

10-1?-18114 IS-prSS5 31-3-1685

~ + ~ - ' S Y S IG-6-tSYg 9-ir-1SS7

~ - ~ - ' S Y I 29-11-tSa4 26-2-1Sgj I-~-ISV; 1 - 4 - 1 ~ 9 f i

20-PIS$

27-1 1-1.9@

p1-1Yg7 22-2- rzy;

r l - + ~ $ g i 5-4-1S9i

14. L W ~ F ~ S 23-j - jSqo

Fa wewar, Erq., 1.C.S. . J. T. CbamLerlaiu, Eq., I.c.S. A Naynet Ezq., I C.S. .. A. C F. B. Blea~lerhassctt, Esq.,

I.C.S. ... F- '. A- Slncock+ Esq., I . c . ~ A. C. F- R. Bleanerllassett,

Erq.. 1 C.5. ... ... J *Bathl lrst ,Esp. .1 .C.~ .... K- A. B Chapman. KT., I.C.S. P. 5. Patak, Esq., 1.C.S . R A B. CIlapman, ~ s q . , 1.c S.

13-3.1935 30-7-1901 26.! 901

6-5-r $02 79-1 2-1 I@*

l$-l.l$04

7.g.,004 15-11-rP34

3 . ~ . , ~ ~ 6 2-1 1-76

29-7-1931

Z-S-,gM

28-12-1932 [4-1-Tpq

6 - 9 - 1 ~ ~ 14-lI-r93q

2-8.1q0b ,-19 36 ...

I -

SEONI DISTRICT.

CHAPTER I.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION.

BOUKDARIES AND PHYSICAL FEATURES.

I. The Seoni District (2 r O 36' to 22O 57' N. ant1 7g0

rg' to So0 17' E.) consists of a long Positio~~ and bound-

a1 ies. narrorrr section of the S3tpura plateau overlool;ing the Nerhudda valley on the

north and the Nigpur plain an the south, I t is the third or the four plateau Dist~icts going from wcst to enst,

adjoining Cbhindw;?ra to the west and MaudId to tlic east. -

'The shape of the District is an irregular oblong narrowing

at the sou~hern extremity; its length from north to south is about 86 lililes and the width over nlosl of the District about 43 111iles. 'fhe total area is 3206 square miles, Of the two iahsils I,aklluSdon occupies the northern portion of

the Uistrict and Seoni, which is slightly the larger, the soutl~ern.

2. All round the north and uortb-west of the District

the border lli 11s of the SatpurSs, thickly Physical fmtuies.

f1-i nged w i t t forest and o~er lml i i ng

the Nerbudda, separate Seoni from Jubb~tlpore and Narsingh- pur, escept along a stlip to the north-east wl~ere the Mel-bud-

da itself i s the boundaiLy towards Mar~dlZ, and 44 villages ,

lying below tile gb5ts are included in the District. In the extrc111e north-wes~ also a few villages below the hills bc- long to Sconi. South of thc northern passes lies the Lakh- n,idon plaleau, a rolling c o u t ~ t ~ y of alternate ridges and +

I~vllo~vs terminating in another btlt of hill ntld forest which leads down to the Wai~~ga~~gii. Except to the east ivl~ere

the opcu cuuntry cantirtues up to thc hlnndli border, and l3

2 ~ ~ 0 8 1 . GEHEKIL UkStlCli'l ION.

part of western boundary with Cllliiodivi~-a, the

LaPhIliJon plate" iis surrounded by jungle, Tlie open part

of ibe plateau ccnta i l~s a considerable qual~tity ul' blacli soil on whieli spilng clops are groivn, allernaliog with iderior . .

stony land an tllc ridges. The Sher river flows through the centre of the plateau fro111 east to west b e i ~ ~ g crossed by a fine bridge a1 Sonai Dongri, and parres inlo Narsiogh- pur 10 join rbe Nerbudda. The T e n ~ u r and S o ~ ~ e r are otlier tributaries of the Nerbudda rising rrom ilie south, To

the south-west of 111e District and separated f'i-0111 Ibe Lakb- n5don plateau by the Tbel and Waingang5 ~*ivers, lies the Semi Haveli, a level lract of rl~e most fertile black soil in the District and extending from the line of hills east

-

of Seoni town to [be Chbind~va'ra border. I n this plateau

the Waingang; rises at AI-tabpur a few miles south of Seclni and flairs for some distance to the north until it

is joined by the The1 iron1 Cl1bindw51+a, and then across the District to the east crossing the Nagpur-Ju b bulpore road at Cfihap5ra. On the south-west the Pench separates Seoni from Chhindwgra. The gencral I~eigllts of the Seoni and Lakhnsdon plateaus are abai~t 20W Ieet above sea-

level. East of Seoni a line of hills runs from south to north and beyond this lies ailother ope11 tract, some zoo feet lower than tlle Seol-ti 1-lavell, constituting the valleys or the Sagar and Hirri rivers. The northern portion of this about Gtransor consists of the usual black soil on rvhich

crops are produced, but to the soull l in t h e area . round Barg1Cit the character of the country changts ; the - rock fornlatioi~ is crystalline and aleta~norphic and the soil is

yellow and sa~ldy; rice and the minor atltumr~ millets foml

A tbe staple crops. Anoilier line of hi tls separates the Ghan- ssr plain from the valley of ihc bVaingangd, ~vl i icb , alter

- crossing the District f ro~n west LO east, turns south at the ' point where i f is joined by t11c Thallwar fioni Mundlj

and forms the boundary or Ssoni for some nliles until it diverges into BHligbBt. Tlie ~ J I I ~ ~ of tile Waiilpallga,

. . I3OUNDARICS AND PHYSICAL FEATURES. 3

at fil'st sloily, bl-0ke11 and confined by hiils, as i t ivinds round the nol-~llerl~ spurs of the Semi platmu, becomes

afterwal-ds an alternation af rich a l luv i~ l basins and llarrow Pl'ges, unlil just before reaching the castern border ur ,

tllc District, it coni~nences i ls descent to the lower countl+y,

passing over a series of rapids and deep stony channels,

and overhung by walls of gr-anitc zoo feet Ligh. l'be falIs of the Waingal~gZ and its course for the last six miles before its jullclion lvilll the ThZnwar on the border of District *

may perhaps rank next to the Bhcrzgiilt gorge of the . Nerbudda for beauty of river scene1.y. The Iower valley of the WaingangZ is about 400 feet below rlle Ghailsor

' plain, from whit11 it is sepal-ated by another line of fol-est- clad tills; and a narrow rice-growiug strip along its {vestern

banlc, caled the Ugli tract, is included in the Seuni District. In [he eslrenle south of the Seoni tallsil there is another s~llxll area or submontane land, for-mit~g the Dongart51 or , Kurai trnc t, largely covered c v i ~ h forest and tlie residence of oum bcrs of Gaol is who are pi.ofcssional ca l tle-breeders. 'The old road from Nsgpur to Seoni passes througli DongarlBI,

the new one tb~.ough liucai. The descent of the gbtls ]\ere is 700 fect from the Semi plateau. The UStvantl~ari

river- rising in Ihe southern hills, and receiving the waters

of numerous s~nall slreams, carries lhc draillage of this alPa into the Niigpur District on its way to join the Wain- gangs. Tile for-esls are extensive and form a thick belt

the llortherl~ and eoulhcrn l~ills, with llumerous

isolated patches in tlie interior. In llie north b o w e ~ a the forest vegetation is stut~ted and scanty, and the own c o u n l r ~ i s ha,-e of trees, and presents a bleak appearance, . 1 1 , ~ villages co~~sist ing of squalid laoki~lg collections of lllUd llUIS on a bait ridge. I n the rice '

ti*acts on the ot1ie1- hand the g~*owlh of the foses!s is luxuriaijt, alld f m a u i t trees are scattered over the open country and I+ouud the villages. Owjug to h e abundance of wood

I .

hous,-s a]-e large and well builk, and surrounded by

bamboo fences enelo~i~lg stllall gal den plols. The single village of D a n ~ i a , belonging to the Adegaon estate ill the north-lrejr, is situated oulsjde tile Dist r ic t in CIibindwSra, but with this exception there js no interlacing of boundaries.

3. As already stated the general elevation of the plateau 5s a l i tt le more than 2 0 0 0 feet

Elevatiun. li~gl~. Seoni itself is 2043 feet, and

Partfibpur, the source of the WaingangZ, some~vhat higher. - The peak of Manori 011 the western border has an elevatio~~

or 2749 feet, the highest recorded in the D~strict at present, and Kanapahar to the no1 th-west of Stoni of 2 3 7 9 feet. On the east and soulh of the Seoni iahs~l the elevation rails considerably. Kanhiwira and Keoliri on the M a n d l ~ line are about I 303 feet high and Piparia Kalatl near G h a ~ ~ s o r in the Sconi tahsil about iom feet. Barghat and Ar] in the south-east are each about I 2 0 0 feet The La1:h- nidon tahsil has a general elevation of I50o to 2- feet, except perhaps in the tract bordering the Nerbudda river in the north-east.

4. Colonel Thomson, who wrote in the sixties, gave the following description of the scenery of

Scenev. - tl~e District, and tllough t h t country

js now better known and the extent of forest has decreased, most d what be said remains true at present : -' The scenery ' in nlany parts of the District is very remarkable. Idotbil~g ' can exceed the beauty of certain portions of the Nerbudda

: ' river, where it flovrs in long, deep, cool-looking often wind- ' ing rea~hes, between high banks, cwered near tlre water- . 'edge with short grass, and crorvl~ed with magnificent old 'trees d all descripiio~ls rvhich overhang the water, under 'which herds 01 spotted deer and flocks of peacock may 'somctimes be seen feeding. T h e scenery of the upper

. . . ' Waingangi t a , is very charming, like the Westmoreland I rivers, and is really grand at the junction of the Th& lvar, ' tlrej m-fmlence rheir fali into the lower country, and '

last meel in a bcaulilul deep reacll in t h e heart of a

* >

GEOLOGY. 5

' grear: forest, The Hirri in Iiice manner passes with a more ' g~*r+dual fall, but for a longer distance and through almost ' higlier and Inure solid-looliing roclcs, wl~ ich are CI-owned 011 . ' the one side by the ruins ol' nn old fort called Amud2gaih ; ' o n 111e olher by tllosc of the palace or Lhe taa~ous R5jput . 'queen, Sona RZni. I;ew have seen this place as i t is situa- ' ted i n the heart o l a dense forest, and is only accessible on

' foot and illen with difficulty. The Uaig5s have rope ladders from the top of the precipice nearly down to i t s foot, to .

' enable i l lem to get at Lhe I~oney-combs found in clefts of the 'rocks. Many nrngnificei-rt views may be obtained, as that

' froin the NaglrkIiZna hill near Seoni, so called because the ' people say that fairy d r u m are sometimes heard benting ' f~.orn it. From the old forts of RobrvZgarh, Partsbgarh and 'Bl~ains:igarh, the view extends over the beautifully cultiva- ' ted %Vaingang2 valley wilh ik numerous tanks and pictures- ' quely situated villages. Glimpses of the river are seen and ' the l~ills of the Mailcat range loom dark in t h e far distance

, . 'beyond There is much of interest about these hillsand ' . ' the old ruined rocts, in con~~ection with each almost of ' which there is some legend OF the doings of AlhZ, Udal and. 'SonZ Riini, and in almost all of which the people declare

that money is buried.' '

GEOLOGY. ' (BY I,. LEIGH FERRIOR.)

5. Escepi: in the most ge11e1-al may, very little is knorv~l about the geology of the Seoni District. L5la 1Cjshen Singh,

' late of the Geological Survey, traced out tile boundary . betweell lhc Deccan trap and the metnmorphic and CI-yslal- ,

Iir~e complex, the two chief formations of the District. P. N. Dose made a traverse from Jubbulpore to Seot~i , and thence .

to X<atangi i t ] the UilBghZt District, whilst the present writer has cx+amined some of the sections exposed in the cuttings on the Siitpul-5 railway where it crosses this District. A .

, .

, 1 Settlement Report (tS67), pp. 13, 14.

This ~ect ion has been kit~dly supplied by Mr. L. L. Fermor, Assistant : Superintendent of the Geological Survey. . . 3 - ' . -

.lei t account oi the geology of t h ~ a Diririct has illso been given in the Garelten of the Cenllal PI ovinces, 2nd edilion, page 470 ( I Sjo). It is m the forego111g soul ce5 that the fdlou 111g is Isascd*

T],e g d o g 1 c a 1 formntlons found in the Uistrict are h e iaIlon.ing :-

( I ) Alluvium and soil. (2) Laterite (3) Deccan Trap.

, (4) Inteltrappeans. (5) Lamet%. (6 ) Metamorphic and ci ystalline complex.

01 these the two most im201 tant are Nos. 3 and 6, covering, as they do, pr~clically the whole of the Disrric~ (mat takitlg

into account the superfic~al deposils, g1.0upcd under- 1).

The physical aspect of the District is described in 111e . C. P. Gazetteer for 1870, page 470, as follows :-

' The Dish lct is hilly throughout, but ~ h e physical fea- ' tures characterislic of the LIVO formations ~ O I m a ma,-bed 'conlrast. I n the souihe~n porlions the hills are more ' pointed ; the valleys mole confilled : the soil in the vallcls ' is rich, but contains a la~ge admixi~l-e of sand ; and ' over both llill and talley Coresl trees of large size abound, ' The beds of the sit earns ale composed of loose sand , and ' there is but Iittlc water visible i n [he dry season. The trap ' hills on rhe o l h e ~ hand, either take the form of r idges lvilh - ' straight oull~ues and flattened tops, or, I ising more gradual- ' ly, expand into w-~de undulatillg plateaus. The valle~ s are ' wide and bare, and conlain the blacli so11 spread over a

' deep deposit of calcareous clay ; and the streams that in ttr- I ' sect them, cutting lhrough this deposit, expose broad masses

of bare black basalt, alternating with rna~shy stagnant pools ' of water. The hills are commonly clothed with a n a l l stunled trees ; but in the .ralleys and plateaus, notwiths(and- ' ' ing their I ich soil, lo1 c a trees are 1.m y thinly ~ a f i e r e d , ' and are seldom of large size.'

C;EOLUGY. 7 *

1 ) Af / r rhm a t ~ d SO~!.-AS i n other parts of tll: Central Provi l l~es geology of the country is oftell disguised by recent superficial deposits, such as alluvium dtposited by the s t rams, and soils derived f~~orn f ~ e breal;ing up, under

influence of meteoric agencies, of the underlying rocks. These superficial depodk are, however, not o f particular

nicreSt to the geologist, but lie t-athei- rvitlrin tile field of study of lire agriculturist.

(2) L~kfile.-Laterite has been noticed in the count1.y to

the south-east of S ~ o n i town, where it forms cappi rigs to the Deccan trap for~nation at Maili, Amigarh and DxlZI and also overlaps on to th: gneissox roAcs near DJZI. I t ha? also been found at Kh5pa on the edge of the Deccan trap fol-ma-

tion due south of Szoni. The laterite round is said to be very massive.

(3) The Deccn~~ TI-ap.-The Deccan trap formation covers perhaps t hree-fourths of the whole District, namely, all the northcrll portions. 'This portion of the District forms a part of the Sitpurs range, taking roughly the {arm of an elevated plnce~u. 'I'he reinairling quarter of lhe District, forming the southern and south-eastern por- tions, consists of the g~leissosc and sc bistosc roclcs grouped as the metamorphic and crystalline complex. The average elcvatior~ of this gneissose area is co~~siderably less than that of the trap area. T h e bou~ldary between the two

formatiolls is a very sinuogs one, all the little strentns

draining from the edge of the trap formation over the gneissose area cutting blck into the trap, SO as to give

risc to matly valleys of gneissose rocks running up bctiveen hcadlallds of trap with cliff-like scarps. As the scarps . of tile Decmn trap lotmation are often densely wooded,

the along the boundary of tbese two fol'mations is frequently ve1.y picturesque. This trap scarp is the detel-- mirliug iactor i n the drainage O€ the District, acting as a

wat,alshd. On the northel-n side of this boundary the

stl-calns flow so as to join the upper portions of the Wain-

pngi, ronniog in fact, itahend rvatcw. Whilst 011 1 1 1 ~

- sout]lern side of [he wvatersbed the Strealns flow in a gcnel-al southaard d i r ~ t i o n to contribute, on the enst t0 the 10iver pl.tioas of the Wningangz, and on the west to LIE head

wters d the B81vanthari and to the Petich. 111 only Lwo ' places i s this watershed cut througti by streams of ally i in-

portance draining from the north side to the south. This is at the eastern and western borders of llie District respective- ly, in one case the Waingai~ga and in the other (just outside the District) the Pencil, cutting through the Deccan trap scarp and. carrying the drainage of the l l ~ r t h e r n side to Ihe south. The drflkr-eace between the chal.acter of the strealns

on rhe two sides of this boundaiy has beeu well described by Mr. Sterndale, who writes I :-

' In the norlh-western sectio~~ the rivers are character- ' iscd by rugged and often precipitous banks of rocks, tvi th

clear water dashing over boulder and shingle, or gliding 1 along in deep reaches terminated by rocky barriers. 'The ' south-eas tern strean~s, on the other baud, partake of the 'common India11 character of deep sandy beds, i n t o which ' the water sinks out of sight during the summer, percolaiing ' through the soft sand till some outcrop of roclr here and

' there arrests its course and forces i t to the surface, forming f an occasional pool. When the traveller or peasant tvould slake his thirst, he digs a hole a couple of feet iu depth in

' t h e apparen~ly dry bed of the stl-eam, and bas llot long Lo

wait for the fruits d his labour.' " . The formadon consists of the usual horizontal lay crs of

- basaltic and da!eriric lavas, giving rise to the flat-topped liills

C clis~ acteristic of this formation. In many the flows

. contain abundance of cauiiiea, origillally srealn holes, lined or filled with various nlincmls. ' n ~ e sec~ions exposcd in the

cotti~igi on the SltpurZ brauch or tbc Bellgal-Ndgpur Rail- way affol-d exci-lleut examples oi Lhese nliilerals, the bcs t

' pornon or the line bcing that starting at Binail;i aild descend- ,. ' SconI of h l n p Life on the Silpurii Range, page zyg.

r

GEOLOGY. 9-

ing in a tortuous course down the SllikZrigb51. The mine- rals that have been observed in these sections al-c as follows :- quartz, amethyst, calcite, stilbite, scolecite, agate, chalce-

dony, jasper and p e c u eanh. Near Ghansor station the railroad was, in 1904, ~iletalled with a wonderful assort- ment of jaspers, shotving green, br-owl], purple, white, red and grey colours arranged as patches, cloudi~~gs, streaks and spots. They were said to have been quarried close at

hand. (4). htl'le! P-tlp)enr~ beds.-In terbedded with the layers of

trap there are so~lleli~nes to be fbulld thin beds, 2 to 5 feet thick, of sedjmeatary ~ O C I ~ S wbicb, to dislinguish tbem from the lavas forming the larger proportion of the Deccan trap {ormation, are usually known as intertrappean beds. These beds may be either limestone, saudstone, clay or shale, which in places have been col~verted in to porceljani te and chert. Such cherty intertrappean beds have been noted on the road from Seoni to Selua some 5 miles cast of Seoai. , .

(5). Tits Ln,lref5s.-'The Lamet; rocks are a sedimentary - formalion situated between the base or the trap and the '

gncissose 1-0~1;s. As they are very thin they crop out only along [he base of the trap scarps, They are not, bowever, . - always present, so that the trap sometimes rests directly on the gneissose rocks. The usual thickness of the Lametas is about 2 to 3 feet ; but in places where they are best deve-

loped they are sometimes as much as 15 to 20 feet thick. Whilst iiz one place, namely at Kuchari, towards the eastern .

' end of the trap-gneiss boundary, they are as much as 25 to 30 feet thicl;. The other chief localities for these rock are where the Waiugangz cuts its way through the trap scarp, and at Khamaria and Sellori, to the south-west of Seoni. I n composition the LarnetZ 1-ocks are calcareous sandstones, '. conglomerates, grits and arkoses or felspatbic grits derived from the denudation of the underlying gneisses and granites.

I n places they have been rendered cherty. 4

C

(6). d ir~ot larp~ic ~ t r d cI~1slnlfijie C O I I I ~ / ~ X . -The rocks of

this formation lie in the southern and south-eastern portions - of the District on the southern side of the trap-g~~ciss .

boundary line mentioned a1 page 7. l'heir camposilioll has

been but little studied. 'hey arc known to co~lsist in part:

of schistose micaceous gneisses, granitoid gileisses or gneis- . sose granites, augen-gnelsses and true porphyrit IC granites,

the felspars in the Ia~ter being sometimes as much as $ or 6 indles long. Mica-schists are also k11own to occur. The probability 1s that a more careful examillation of tlie c~*.ys~al- line rocks of this District would show them to resemble very closelv the rmks of the m eta~norphic and crystalIine cou~pIex as descrihd' in a paper on the petrology of a portion of the C hhind~vzra Uistl-ict.

Jf such be the case then we can expect that in addition to the roclcs enumerated above, various crystalline lii-l~estoues, calciphyres, pyroxc~~ic gncisses, quartzites, bornbleude~chists, pegmatites and even manganese-bearing rocks, PI-obably exist in this complex. In fact any search for minerals of econo~itic value in this District should be directed to the mciarnor phic and crystalline area in preference to the Deccan ttap. The principal ore to be looked far is that of manganese, b t ~ t 01-es of copper, lead, iron and other substances so often found in the nletamorphic and crystalline rocks of India, may also be round.

BOTANY. t?

6. The rorests of thc District are of the usual mised type common in the Central Provinces,

Fore5t lwer Srfl is not four~d at all. Teak is well

represented and is found in abundance in the Kurai and Ganginlla mnges, where it is generally well grolvn. Di/h- s i l (Pi~rucorpar Itf~rsrr~i1~11) is a very important tin1 ber t Fee and is found all over the District, but is only plfnrjful in

Seoni iallsil. 5% (TernlbtsL brpte.#aqfi) and lcndia

' ' L, F e r m ~ l REX. 6~10g1ea) Suney ~nd. , XXXIII, pp. 175 to 20, 1 I 9 6 ) .

(Ln&)'sfia~llia P ~ I ' J I ~ ~ O I ~ I I ) are abui~datit and dre important timber 11-ccs- lhsar silk M orms al-e fed on the s t j tree. The Gonds worsllip tiiis tree and swear by it, Khnir [Acacia cafcc/lfl) is found all over lhc District. I t is a sturircd tree

and most abundant in (he Ganginsla range. The bamboo (Dcz~clr.ocaIn~~rra strictfis) is princip~lly found alol1g the Ncl: budda river-. Sandal (So~zlfibon rr lhw)~) is found ~ v i l d in Uichua aud Clrhap51-a and a successl~~l plant ation has bccn

raised at PnkltBra in the Kurai range, Tjjfsz (Oltgcjjlia dnlberg'oirtcs) is plentiful in the K w a i and Gangilllla ranges

and is often found growing an old fallolv land. It does not citlnin a large size but is an impel-tant limber tree. I t has slender grey branches, large oval leaves with grey margins,

and sn~all rvhitisli or rose-cdoured flowers in short close racen;es. The wood is much valued for furniture and agri- cul I ural i m plemca! s. TI1 e s i j ( Ter~~tnslicr I O I I I E I ~ ~ O S ~ ) i s a

large tree with long, ihin, ncarly glabrous leaves. The rihnu,S ( A uogicsstt s lntz JoIin), the / ~ n l r / i (-4lli11 a C U P - ~ I ~ O ~ ) ,

a tal! haudsome tree, and the cil~ri~~~utt (GI-ewin veskihz'sn) are considel.cd good ol-dinal*y building woods. Tht leaves of the d/~rrtin? are extensively used by thc local C1iamZ1-s for tanning leather. Its gull] is en~ployed io the manul'acturc or paper

alld is also eaten. 'I'l~e limber of u'/~tintnn is tough aad elastic a ~ i d is used for the shafls of carls and for b n ~ l t ~ c . 'The blrl)-k or salin-wood (Cltlor.~.~y/urn Siu~cle~~ira) has a hard

*

atla heavy yellosil wood, geilerally used for oil mills. 'i'he leaves have an agreeable aromatic smell. Tllc s/r.B/ta~: or

rosewood (Dnllt-rgii Itrhfolin], the 1~011n)r or Indian rcdnood (soylni~i~ ftbr $tigo), the bark of wb ich is 1nucl1 used for tanning and dyeing, the dtlldli (D~os~?)'I.IIs L O I I ~ C I I ~ O S O ) of which tile fruits ale ealen, the sZtutirt 01. 111dian music mood, with smooth, white or whitisll grey bark, rather large brown and el]ow flowers, and a yellow fleshy fruit, yield ornamental

The ralinrr is chiefly found in the ICurai range aud yields a very strong timber, which is proof against wbite- ants. Other less valuable il'ecs arc the St'114c1l~ or ~ ~ L t ~ l l - l r ~

(BoI,,bnx ,,lalobn,icur;i}, tall with smmth wllite bark and pro- minent scarlet flowers appearing in March when the tree is leafless ; the flower-buds are eaten as a vegetable and silky fibre obtained froni tbe capsules is used stuff

cushions, The Gonds hold this Iree sacred and say that their god Holer5 Deo lives in i t . The gull1 is used as a medicin t ror colic. The gttltjrir ( bchhspcrmtt rrr gossypitc~i~) i s a small tree with thick spreading branches, glossy green Itat~es, and large handsolne yellow flowers appeari r~g when the tree is quite leafless. It also yields a silk cotton, and derives its second botanical name from this property, while Cd~losprirrrrm dc~iotes [be iact that its seeds are twi~tcd like a snail's shell. The florvers of this tree are ofl'ered

to the god Siva, and lighted pieces of i ts wood are carried by mail-runners, as they smoulder and do not go out. The a~rrallris ( C w i l t FisIi~Ia) is well known for its drooping racemes of bright yellow fragrant f l o w e ~ s resembling the laburnum. Its long pendulous pods shake and rattle in the wind and hence the people say that the tree sliould not be grown in courtyards or it will create qua~rels i n the Rouse. The padrTr (SLC~EOS~WIIIPJ~J~ SI~UVBOI~IZS) is a large t rce w i r h panicles of very fragrant dark crimson flowers, useful in sylviculture as it reproduces freely from seed. The pci?tg?-cn . - (Er~ '1hr j~~~s~~hmvsn) i s often seen as a hedge plant but altni~ls a fair size in the forests and has bright scarlet flowers. The trees wbich come into foliage early in April when all other species are leafless, and afford a welcome shade from the fierce heat of the sun, are especially noticeable to the traveller on this account. Tliese are the h~srrnr (Sd~ieichcr-n trijirga) with soft green leaves looking lilie silk from a distance ; the RachsBr (Bni,hinia uwiegnln) with i b lrandron~e

. . variegated white and pink flowers ppl.eceding the leaves ; the ntri11iriRh (Atlnrttlrtrs m e e k ) ivi th pinnate leaves, yellow- ish floxrers and soft white wood ; the siric ( A i l i z l Lchhck), with sweet-scented greenish yellow flowers; and the kohi (Ten~~hajja Ar / i~ ta ) , a large tree ivirll wiliiisll bark

- . BOTANY, '3

and ilarruw leaves which grcrvs along streams. Tbe yiZntlln (~ ;gcn i {z Ja~rzboiona) is an evergreen tree wi~11

rich green leaves and edible black berries. The juice of tile

fruit makes a good medicine, and the wood is used for well-curbs as it is not affected by the action of water. And h e hti,lmr?j ((Pon,onniia glabra) is another almost evergreen

tree, useful for avenues as cattle dislike the leaves. The Khirnb (Mi/r~ztsops he-mt~clm) is also evergreen with fragrant white florvcrs and a sweet fruit whicb is much eaten. Of these the kusxrl~r, kohfi, and Rnmuj are perhaps the only '

ones commonly seen in the forests. 7. Among other trees yielding useful products are the

well-known mahul, Rnrrri, polris a~ld . tlees-(con: ochrtt; all of which are common in parts tinucd).

of the District. The bltihwi~z or marking- nut tree (Scmccnr~rts Artacnrditt~~~) is easily recognised by its lnrge leaves and by the fruits with a thick black pericarp, '

between the layers of which are the cells containing the corrosive juice used as marking-ink. The fleshy hypocarp of the fruit is eaten. The people t l ~ i n l r that any one sleeping undcr this tree will get swellings on the skin. The fruit of the nortlZ (PlyIInr~llitts .!?TIAJ~~'G~) is pickled. It is a favourite food of deer. Tbe falll~.risi (~lutocieeb-01; Ror- Jvughii) is a small tree with shining serrate leaves, The root is used as a specific for snakebite and is poisonous, and the .

poles are exte~isively employed in house-building as they are considered to 'be proof against the attacks of white-auts. The t ~ r t t r r d i (Stephegy~je parvifilira) is a comnion tree with .

characteristic bluish grey bark. The bther i (Tcratirlnli~ bclericu) is 110t very common, but good straight clcail poles ,

are dten scen in low scrub jungle in dry rocky situations. The bark is used for tailr~i~lg and the r lu l for cough and indiges-

*

lion. The gar i 1 . i or p n r t - ~ (Cltisftltlfhfs wl&~r/s) is conirnon

in the Clia~ldai-pur and Sulrli forests 10 the soutb of Seoni. It has small white flowers and yields strong and durable poles for building purposes. The Rhnnwi- (C;IIIFI;JIII ar60r6a) is a

I 4 SEONI, GENERAL DESCRIPTIOH.

middlfisized tree will1 a pale grey bark erfoliatil~g ia scurfy flakes. It has blackish yellow flowers and a round yellow fruit or thc size of n plum, which is eaten by wild animals and also by the G ~ n d s . The wood is used for 111ating graill- measures and dt uins. Tlle hoilzr ( B R I ~ I I I I ~ Z ; ~ P I I I ~ I C I * ~ R ) is a small tree l v i t ~ ~ a whitish-grey bark which is used Tor ~ a ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ S The flowers are rose-coloured are eaten as a vegetable

by the forest tribes. T L e hesir; or i l n ~ @ r i (dcflci. lmc.+ pfilwn) rcsemb] ing rile ImC~il, but with ;I dirty g t g i s j l - ~ ~ h j i t

bark -alld leaflets somewhat like those of the tamarind, is found botlr i n the forests and opal counlry. It5 lyood used for lllalting agricultural implements, The b!la~rfsil (H~ l t re l ru -

djqro~t E~I'CFISIIIII) is a large conspicuous tree, cspecialIy when leafless but still bearing its panicles of buit with s~nal l wiug- ed seeds. The wood is used for plough shares. The hnhnr (Flacorrdia Rflrr~owlclti] is a small thorny tree which is failly

' common. Tile kmni (flr~rklil~ YC/P~SO) is found sca ltered in all locnl~rics. It yields a fairly good timber, The. Rzt/h;

' (Sfc?-ctrlin rtre~rs) is d~aracterlstic of tllc dry hills and has a smooth whitish papery bark, which makes i t especially con- spicuous when the tree is leafless, tile trunks looking like dead trees It yields tile gum called Baitln which is used as a medicine ior ponies, aod [he sceds a1 e eaten roasted by the Gonds and KorkGs. Tile J~timlri (&t.cyn nl-bos-eo)ls consplcu-

for its large leaves and the flowers rvhi te in colour. 'The bark is used lor poiso11il)g fish. ' h e 71r,,,~udZ (S i ,ydjrus Po~a~onmr) is a small lree with R th~ck balk dceplj clcrt in a

vertical direclion and snlall gl-eei~isll-~ el)orv flo wet s. yhc pulp of the fruit 1s eatell nlld preserved. 'rhc j ~ j , t ~ ~ ~ ~ (Bald-

' . fliks liox6r(rglt'e is a slllau tree 01- stlrub chal.acteristic of cotton soils* It has cl'ooked bratlches alld is easily

recognised by its grey bark and ashy green foliage. Mozoni (01Ii1ta Woditr) i s a common middle-sized tree of snlall value. hlroli (Kydia caZjrcla) is a small trce found in almost alllorests. Dik#fi~&li(Gartic~ii(l;, fucriin) is o slllnli tree with oval, smoulL, shinii~g leaves and large wl~itc so:i~sry ilowers.

A yellow s lrong-smelling gurn exudes from the jouug shoots, which is used in cutaneous diseases and lo keep oil' flies and worms. 01 bamboos there a l e only two species found, - tbe 6n'm ( Derrdroc~lnr~ms sl?-ici#~s) and he hlnrrg (Bntrr- bstsn a ) zr/zdit~ncen), lIle latter being planted in tbe station of Seoni. . 8. Among trees of the open country the mabul, mango,

bnbfii, banyan, pipal, tarnal-ind, her, Tmces 'pel1 1 1 i 1 1 j a l ~ d bel are comn~on as almost

country. all Districts. 'The Hindus think that

mal lu i timber should not be used for building houscs as it is likely to be slruclc by lightning. This belief probably arises from the fact that the tree ilself is often struck on account of its height. 'The pGknr (Fic~rs irl f C c t ~ ~ i ~ ) is a fig with natv-

rawer leaves than Qlt pipal. 'She giilm- {f icus g f o ~ r s ~ a t n j is of~en seen standing alone in tlie fields and gi-owing rvilll a

cronkcd stem. The rcd fruits appear i n cluslers on the trunk or branches and are eaten by the litile boys though they arc full of insects. The Hindus thirlk that a mall shoulrl not walk beneath the gihr tree or he will lose alf his acquired virtue. The hitlrokrmr (Cordiit k! joxd) is a tree found in the open country and in avcnues wiih fragrant rvhite flotvem. 'l'he- gtrl~~lohnr (Poniciann re&) is cultivated and is a fine ornamental tree covered with corymbs of glolving scarlet flowers when in bloom. It is a native of Nadagascar,

g. Of shrubs may bc mentiooed the well-known Zizy- phrrs Jl4j1rbn, f lie wild plum ; the Gar.-

Shrub. drrtiits with their PI-oniincnt sweet-

scented whiie flowers ; and the nrsh~rg/,rir or d / r n r r c J i ~ r ~

(Nydnjl[lifs Arbo~trislis) with pretty fragrant while florvei-s - . lvhicll usually npjlear at night and fall away a short time

*

after dalvn. The flowers of this tree are exquisitely fragrant,

partaking of the smell or fresh honey, and on that account . the plant is much estee~ned. Their orange tubes dye a most

beautiful buff or orange cdour.' Tile tihn'lurli (M'oodfordia

1 Ruxtulgh Flora Iudica, p. 29.

f i , iblledn) is an unimposiog plant with brick red flowers. The , n ~ n 2 (iFt~l/~fi,r pltil$ic,tsis) is the s h u b froin the red berries of the haarch dye is obtained The dtdhi (Xolnrrhnn a,rli~+cubica) is a well-linow~~ shrub wit11 a stem exuding nlilky juice a~id small white fragmn t flowers; the . bark is used as a febrifuge and as a medicine for dysentery, T - , ~ ,jlni,f)Ad {RR,,cfjra l o l t r n t ~ o ~ f i ) is common thorny

for fellcing in the open country ; i t llas snlo~t l? , shining> . oval leaves and white fi-aglrant fl0vers turning to yellotv

they fade. The Ioh/~nadZ (Ixorii jkWtlsfWn) is a shrub Or

tree wljth o b l ~ ~ ~ g , blunt leaves ; the wood burlls well and the branches are wrl4ied as t~!.chi% by the mail-funnei's* The gtgpl (&~k~~~~~ode, ldt on A111Ritl) is a strongly a rolnatic s]~rub akin to the Arabian tree from which myrrh is obtained ,

and elso to the tree prducing the balsam' or balm of Scrip- ture. TJle nk1-E (Cnloiropk gign~llecs) or swallow-wort is a cornmoll shrub with purplish flowers. The stell1 yields a milky juice ~vhich is applicd to wounds, and the seeds ar-e en- . cased in cotton. The flowers are offered to Hanurn5n and

bachelors arc married to this plant, before marrying a widow. The clta~r;pZ (rlficl~elica clinr~lpnkn) is the well-known shrub commonly cultivated round Hindu temples. The pale yellow flowers have the sweet oppressive perfume whjcIl is celebrat- ed in the poetry of the Hindus. From \he wood of the cllo~rr-

f i k the images of Buddha are carved for the temples.' This plant is one of the Magnolias. The Mysore (Cmsn&i *tja sqiarifl), VWn. c!z~/I~Y~, is a very thorny shrub

yellow f l o w e ~ , often planted to make hedge=. Tile seeds are used for weighing gold, It is said to be so called because T ~ P U S u l t h of Mysore planted hedges of i t

fo r t r e s s . Another variety with bright onnge flowers , '

is cultivatd in gardens. E?tp/~orlia jun@/in is a thorny shrub growing on dry and stony slopes. Charcoal for gun-

' C~y*n quoted in Nairnis i?ow.ring pl.lltl of western India, p. 7.

BOTANY. a ?

powder is made from the wood, It is sonictimes called the prickly pear, but the bi-sad-leaved plant co~nmonly known as the prickly pear is a species of O)~~slifl which has been intro-

duced into India. BknrnlF (Gehstrrrs se~r~~&t~sds ) is a very

common and unattractive thorny shrub found wild and in A

hedges something like a bramble, MojtiT ( Tremn PoIitorin) is a s~nall tree or shrub planted on embankments to hold the .. soil. The Ieaves ace rough and are used as sand-paper lor cleaning wood and iron. IVirgrri~ldi or j t t ~ z ~ r i (Vile.t' ~tcgt~t t lJD)

is a very common shrub on 1-oadsides and in hedges with very small panicles of lilac or light-blue flowers and a black berry, t l~e size of a pea. 'The crushed leaves have a strong. and uupleasaut smell and are applied for headache. The Ihos; ( i j n~dh i~~ in mcclr~osa) is a small, bushy and very crool- ed tree with small two-lobed leaves looking like butterfly's wings, and yellow flowers. It is conspicuous in the cold '

season, Gamble says, for its persistent fruit. The Mar51h5s distri bule the leaves of this tree to each other on Dasahra day '

as a symbol of gold, because Ceylon, which Ranla c o u q u e ~ ~ d on Dasahra, was built of gold and also because the MarCth3 marauding exped; tioos started on Dasahra.

10, 'f bc following are some of the cornmwler creepers. iViilttrl(Bnr~hi~~ia Valtlii) is a gigailtic

Creepers xnd parasites. heavy climber with soft pale yellow

flowers. The large fat pods areroasted and theseedsextract- . cd and eaten ; and the leaves are used for leaf-plates. T h i s is tlie most troublesome climber in the forest and is found to

spread from tree to tree, strangling tbcm and causing the s telns to twist. 'The b ~ l ~ p n l E s (Btt~cn srrpcrha) is a Iarge climber with ' .

leaves and flowers resembling those of the pdEs tree ; the flowers being of a gorgeous orange colour. WiFgIttili (C@- pnris horrid^) is a climber often seen gl-owing in bedgcs, with large flowers white and afterwards pink in colour, and pre-

., senting a striking appearance. E~.nn (Zip-yhrisEaoplia) is a climber akin to the wild plum tree and bearing similar fruit. I t prefers open bushy places and is covered wi ~h s~na l l

D

18 SEOII. GEBf RAL DESCRIPTIOW.

but very strong thorns, dificull to cut and troublesome 10

passers-by along the roads. I t is milch used for making fences for fields-{Gamble). GrndZ ( Ahrrfs p~ecnlo s Ars) is a

common clin~bcr in hedges, with ilunlerous leaflets and pale flowers in crowded racemes. It has round scarlet secds w i t h

black spots, or sometimes nearly white ones, which are used as weights by goldsmiths, e3ch seed being said to ~r*eigh f #

grains. 'rhe seeds are also used to make necklaces and ear- rings. The open pods of the plant showing the scarlet and black secds are very conspicuous and ornamental. The

*np.br~d (As~uI -qrcs rnct~trosrtss) is a delicate smooth climber with thorns turned downwards, and bt.anchlets dlvidcd into very smooth segments so as to give the appearance of a mass or long slender thorns I t has smsll white fragrant flowers

in racemes and red berries This pretty clinlber is a near relalion of the cultivated asparagus, The people bring home branches of it on the Pol5 Festival and with thein sweep the walls and floors of their houses to clear out all insects and purify thehouse. The best known pxasite is lcitzrln (Lotoa- lrlrs lorrgrj7orzrs) which always attracts notice o w ~ i ~ g to the brightness of its foliage a ~ ~ d he greenish red flowers. Nairne says it I esembles the Itoneysuckle. I t grows on many trees but in Seoiii particularhly infests the rnahu3, to which it is causing coluidera ble i1tjur.y. The i t t~ iwbci (Cuscttfa reflt~a)

, - may often be seen with its countless greenish-yellow wire- like stems bare of leaves, nnd spreading over a sinall tree or bush which it strangles.'

I 1. Mr. Peake mentions the folloiving grasses as com-

mon III the District. Of pasture grass- Grasseh.

es Ittirzdti ( Isclio~nr t~~~~ PiEosut~ I , ~uPLZ (Stlotin rrrfici?Z~la), chitiwi (P,!, i ,~r*nl r~rljacesnr), gulit (Cok

hcli jyma: and se~~rv i (Porrictlm prost~nfum). Of fodder * .

and thatching grasses &usa( (Nete~.o@gow co~tloritrs), gtrrdr~ i (Arifh~ster ia scordtns) and sni~~f i (Isclroc~tu??~ loxz1111). Gun-

'Tills paragraph 1s taken from a note hy Mr. A Hunt, Div~cioaat @ Forcrt Oificer

- .

- lreri cOmn10nly covers wasle land and turns to a bright - reddish colour alter florvering.

WILD ANlr)ldLS, ETC. 12. The forests of Llle District are extensive and arc fairly

well stocked with game. Tiger and W ~ l d animals. panther arc not very common, but deer

are found in considerable nuntbers and both land and water

birds are fairly frequent in different parts of the Djstrict, During the fi f teen years ending 1935 about six tigers alld twenty-five panthers were destroyed annually on on average,

while in the same period a total of 942 persons were killed '

by wild arlimals, nlore than thr-ec-fourths d the whole number of deaths being however due to snake bite, Between 1898 and 1901 the District suffered from the ravages of a inan- eating tigress lrnown as the Adegaon man-eater, no less than 74 persons being killcd in the locality frequcntcd by this beast during the three years I t is possible however that more than one animal hzd taken to attac!ciag human beings during this period. The' tigress was finsily shot during the day-time by the Lodhi proprietor of Lakh~Gidon over the body of a wood-cutter whom she had killed about five miles from that village. Gallpat Singb, the mAlguxir in question, liillcd her with one shot from a shot-gun loaded with ball and received n reward of trvo hundred rupees and a gold bangle, the deaths oi huinan beings ceasing with the destruction of this animal. It was said that another man-eater of which this one may have been a descendant co~nmitted depredations in the same tract about twelve gears previously.

13. The follorvi~~g list of ducks identified in the District has been [urnisbed by Captain Oxley, .

1 Ducks. I. MS. Amo11g the iildigenous variedes ;Ire the lrlfk/& or colnblduck which is uot very common and * 4

is met wirh in small parties otily ; the rvliistling teal which is

very common ; the large whistling teal ( U e ~ d t - ~ y g r r u f w I ~ ' ~ ) ; and the cotton teal which in parties of ten or twelve is

found on weedy tanks, especially when there a1.e

. . . . . . . , '1 ' . -

SEONI. GENERAL DESCRIPTION* ,20 - '

high rushes Anlong rnigrnfory ducks are the cornmoil teal, met with in large flocks, this being perhaps the earliest visitor and fils0 late ; the gargallcy tell (Qunyucd~rla circia) which is also eomnloll and stays very late; the red-crested pochsd, a wary duck of which not many can be shot at a 4

time as it Icax~s the tank at the first discharge ; the white- eyed pocl,ard rvhich is common and can be shot in large numbers, as i r has a babi t oi concealing i tselr in reeds and can be put up singly ; the tufted pochard which frequents the largest tanl:s, keeping in their centre ; the pintail, another wary duck, which usually leaves a tank at the first shot: ; the shoveller, ~vhich fretluents both tauks and I he WainPllgE

- river; the gadwall, an early visitor which is very common

-and not shy, and is the principal large duck in bags made before Christmas ; the ruddy sheldrnke, often -mct with in pairs on the mare secluded tanks and along the Nerbudda river ; and the wigeon and spot-bill tvliich are rarc. Stern- dale mentions the demoiselle crane as being shot in Seoni.

14. I t is inRresting to ~lote that IIie leading idea of Mr. Rudyard Kipling's fascinating ' Jungle

Gund fable of Sing- M a . Boolc ' of which tlie scene is laid in '

Sconi appears ta be taken from the translation of a Gond fable given ia Sterndale's 'Seoni',l though of course stories of children being brought up by she-wolves have been reported fi+onl various parts of India. I n view of the i ~ ~ l e r e s t attaching to the fable it may be repro-

,

duced in full here.

'Sandsumjee married six wives, but had no beir, so h e ' married a seventh and departed on a journey ; during his

: 'abmce, after his relatives had sacrificed to a god, she bore . ' a son, Singbiba. The ' l small wife was sleeping, the other

'six were there; " so they toolc the habe nlld threw it into -

. .

WILD ANIMALS, ETC. 21

' the buffalo's stable, placing a puppy by her side; and said, ' " Lo I a puppy is born."

' But the buffaloes tool< care of Singb5ba and poured 'milk into his mouth.

'When the six wives tvent to look for him, they found

' Si~lgblba playing. ' Thence they took him and threw him to the cows, but

' the cows said, " Let no one hurt him," and poured nlillt into ' his mouth, So when the six wives went to loolc again ' whether he was alive or dead, lo I Singbzba was playing.

' Thence they took him and threw hitn into a well, but 'on the third day when they ~ v e u t to enquire, they found ' Singb5ba still playing. So they look him and threw ' him on the tiger's path as the tigers were coming, and they

' heard his crica as they left him. But the tigress [el t corn- ' and said, " I t is my child ," so she looli him to her ' den, and having weailed her cubs fed Singb3ba with milk, ,

'and so hegrew up with thecubs. Toher one day Sing- ' baba said, " I am naked ; I want clothes." So the tigress

4 went and sat by the marl<et rooad till muslin and clot11 ' 111alcers came along ; on seeing her run at tbe111 they dropped ' their bundles and fled, which she took up and brought to

' Singbiba, who clothed himself and kissed her feet. ' Another day he said, " Give Ine a bow.'' She again

'went and waited till a sepoy armed wirh a bow passed by. . ' ' She roared and rushed at him, OD which he droppod the ' bow and fled, and she picked it up and brought it Lo SingbZba, who shot birds with it for his little tiger brothers,

' In the lneantinie Sandsuinjjee returned home and said : '

1s a n y one inspired ? Has God entered into any one ?

' If so, let him arise." . ' Then Singblba received inspiration, and accompanied

6 by his big and little brothers went. In the midst of the ' assembly was a BrBhinan. Him Sing baba required to get ' up ; he refused, whereupon the big brother (tiger) got angry and did cat hlrn up. A11 aslced Si~gbaba " Who areAyou?" '

22 ~ ~ 0 9 1 . GENCHAL DESCRIP I ION.

1 1 1 Ask the buff.ioes, " he replred, tellilrg his 1it:le bWd ther to go and call his mother. She canie, and the three

species were assemMed before the people. " Question them," t said Singbb.iba. So they asked, '' Who is ht ? " First the

buffaloes answered, " Sandsumjee's son", and they told his ' history.

Then the cows told bow he stayed with them t w o days '

and then was thrown into the well ; from thence they knew ' not where he went.

' " Ask my mother," said Singbriba ' So the tigress tdd bow she weaned her cubs and nour-

'ished him, on mhiclt a11 embraced her feet and established ' her as a god, giving her the six wicked wives. So Siagb3ba ' became illustrious, and the tigress was worshipped,

' " Saniisrcrrtjee BZlnrzcE id szkii &id,

'Of Sandsumlee B2ba this song is, . ' BhiurZ b t i ~ s Bhit ri15 silrii id, 'Of Bhirri bamboo jungle Bhirr~ tllis song is.'' '

RAINFALL AND CLIMATE.

I 5 . Rainfall is registered at the tahs~i headquarter sta-

tions 01 Seoni and Lakhniidoa. The Ralofall.

average fall for the 39 years ending I goy-& was 5 r inches, being nearly 521 inches at Seoni and 50 at hkhnidon. In six out of these 39 years the ailnual fall was less than 40 inches and in twenty-one years i t

' exceedd 50 inches. On the whole therefwe the District

receives a heavy and fairly regular supply of rain. Of the total fall, a b ~ u t 47 inches are received in the. five months from June to October and four inches during the renlainder of the year, The lightest arnou~lt registered was 25 inches in rSg3-rg~~a11dtheheavies18rk inchesin 1891-gz. Tlje District is seldom visited by hall-storms.

16. An observatory has been established at Seoni since

1870 with an elevation of 2033 feet. Tempemru1c and The average niaxirnu~n and nlinilnuln

clamate. I. - ternpe~'aturcs at different scajuns of the

year arc as rollows :-January 7g0 and 5 r ; May roqo and 77.' ; July 84" and 7 3 O ; November 81 " and 5 5'. The tem- perature is thus about 4 degrees cooler than Nrigpur through- out the yeat: During the rains practically no heat is felt, and at this time the climate of Senni compares favourably with Jubbulporc. 'The highest tempel-atuce I-ecorded was

rrzO i n May rgo6 and the lorvcst 3 6 O in November r879. The temperature of the air thus never falls to freezing point, but that on grass may be as much as 13' lower a ~ d light frosts are irequcn t in the winter months. The climate 011 the plateau is geuerally excellent, nnd is Cree from extreme varia- tions of heat and cold. In late years the hot weather has been interrupted by frequent tliunder-storms, at~d these have the cffect of keeping the temperature dawn. The nights in the hot season are almost illvariably cool, and a good indica- tion of the salubrity of the climate is the healthy appearance usually presented by EurAopct?n child re^^ resident in Seoni. Or late years however cases of nialaria have been somewhat

- frqucilt among Emopeans, * .

, HISTORY AND ARCHEOI,OGY,

17. From [he inscl iption on a copper-plate lound in Seoni combic~ed with others in the

h l y h~story. Fhe Vatataka dynasty. AjantJ caves, it has been concluded

that a line of princes, the VAkitaka

dynasty, was ruling on the SdtpurZ plateau from the third century, the name of the perhaps set~li-mythical hero who founded it being given as Vind hyasakti. General Cunniogham held that Bhzndak in Ch3nda was the capital or the dynasty,

but this conjecture ha; been disallowed by D1.s. Bfihler and Fleet on p~~i~ological grounds, and notling definite as to its beadqual-ters can be asserted. Tbere is reason for suppos-

ing thac the plate found in Seoni, which was in the possession of one Jagan G n d of E'indrai, does not as a mattel* of fact relate to any villages in the District itself; as the family w h ~ own it, say that they came iron1 Chinda, but are not aware as to how they obtained tbe plate.' Dr. Fleet says"-' The 'inscription is another record of the Mnlt;?r;?jZ Pravarascna I i 'd the VZkStaka tribe or dynasty. The place where the cbarter was issued is not I-ecordcd, It is dated, in words, in

' the eighteenth year of his government, on tIie twelfth lunar day of the month Phalgun (February-hfai-ch). I t is a noa-

'sectarian inscription ; the object of it being sirnply to 'record the grant to a 0r;rhmau by Prnvaraselia I I of the ' village of Brabrnapiiralra ia the Bennik2rpal-a I l~Zg f i . 3

General Cunningham 4 gives the boulldaries of VSkEtaka as

the MahZdeo range on the north anrl the God5vari river on

* 1 From ~nquiries made by Mr. J N. Sfi, Pleader, h n i . - * Fleel's Gupta Inccriptions, Vol. 111, p. 344

? B h k a , lit. ' a part, a share, division, allotmc~~t: is a technical, territo-

rial term, of rare occurrence, the exact purprt of rvliid~ is no: apparent: '

4 \rch=logcal Re*., VoI IX, p. I 21.

the south, with the Ajatlt; hills on the west and those at the souices of tbe MahSnadi on the cast. But his deductions from inscriptions are, Dr. Fleer states, or doubtful authority. Other inscriptions belonging to these kings have been found in t h e old Ellichpur District of H e r 8 and in Chbindwalha, and i t is not iinprobable that Seoni was included in their domi- nions. Little is known of this dynasty except the Ilnnles of

ten princes and the fact that tlrey contiLacted alliances with other and better known ruling houses. The architccLura1 remains at Lakhnzdon and other places may however .be

. atidbuted to them or their successors as they could not have bee11 constructed by theGonds, Dr, l3fihler placed the date

of Vindhyasakti J~out A. D. 275. Fleet holds that Deva- gupta, w 110 is mentioned in an inscription as the father-in-law of Rudi-asena 11, the fiftli Vik5taka king, was a king of Magldha w ! ~ o reigned about A.D. 675. -According to

Dr. Uiil~ler therefore the dynasty would have lasted Crom the end of the third to the middle of the sixth century, and on Dr. Fleet's hypothesis from the fifth to the eighth century, allowing twenty-five years for the reign uf each king.

, 18 Seoni nlny have subsequently formed part of the kingdom of Gaur, the classical term ...

The Gaur Chedi for part of the United Provinces a;,d Iringdo~ns.

Bengal, 'She kings of western Gaur are mentioned several tiincs in early inscriptions and their tarritory is supposed to have embraced the S5tpurti plateau. One Gupta, king of Gaul-, is recorded to have defeated and

lzilled the king of Kanauj, who was invading MdlwZ with ; 10,000 horse in A . D. 606. Gene~.al Cunningllam derives

the llnine of the Gonds firom tllis Gaur kingdom, subsequent-

ly, he thinks: known to tbe Muhammadans as Gondwini. Seoni probably passed to the Kalachuri or Chedi dynasty,

. who had their headquarters at Tctvar near Juhbulpore, a114 - . held an important poi i t io~~ fi.0111 the ilinth to the twelfth

2 5 SCOXI. HISTORY AND t\RCHROLOGY~

centudes. Tl~cse princes rvel-e klai hay a Rsjpuis ant! lradi-

lions of Haihayn rnle rc~nain in tbe District. 19 The C i d i kings were probably 0u9ted by i l~e Cljan-

dels of Mahobi. A local legend speaks The Ci~-tlldcl gen-1s of a princess Son2 RSt-li who lived at

AlbH and Udd. Amodsgal-h above the Hil-ri river, and

at Kohgarh asd was mi-ried away by Alh5 and Udnl, (11e celebrated B;ln.iphar gene~+a!s of the Chal~dei Icings The

foliowing passage lrorn the history of AllGi, translated by Dr. Grierson, ' may possibly refer to n reid of the Clln~ldels into Seoni. Udal says to his brother for rvhorn he is dcsir- olrs of finding a wife A bride has been born in Nainsgarh 'in the palace of king lndarrnan (her brother). She is the

'daughter of Somdeva and is grown up and her father 'demands a tiger-fighting bridegroom. Great is the desirc in &my bean to celebrale thc marriage -of my brother nntl S ' w w I d wed him to Sonhati. ' Alhi replies ' I-'ome~+Cul is the ' king of Nainsgarli and very mighty in arms. He has thrown a into pi-isou fifty-two would-be bridegrooms and seven ilun- ' dred and fifty thousand attendants of their marriage prozes- a sions.'J Uda1 cries shame on his brotl~er for his cowardice

and prays his tutelary goddas to give him victory over Nai nfi-

garh which he determines to invade. The goddess also dissuades him saying ' Mighty is the king of Nain5g;lrh

' whose name is Indarrnan. Fifty-two minarets has his fort - ' ress and fifty-three thousand markets. Th wadding crowns 'of fifty-two &tors has he cast away to float upon the river at GuraiyZ gh2t. Lord Udal you will be killed. For

bnothingrviliyou lase yourlife,' Udal however would not be dissuaded and set out to invade Indarman's capital. A battle was fought and finally Smgvati was carried off. The only circumstances connecting the story with Seoni are the local legend still prevalent, the resemblance or rbe name of

NOW in H5ligh5t. Indian Antiquary, Vol XlV, 1885, p. 2 t r .

3 Dr. Gr~ersoll'r fw-note. ' This was r common cuctnm in thoqe days. ' W l ~ n a Rjjput Rare his daughter in martiage ~t r ~ , a ~qule of l~uncnr ollly ' lo gwe he! at the point of the JWM d;

HI STORY. z7

queen, illc ~l~enliot~ of GuraiyP ghit, tvlrich luay be Gwat.ighit 011 the Ncrbudda. So far as is know11 no jdenli- f i ca l io~ of Nairriigar.11 Las been atte:~pted by Dr. Gl-ierson.

20. ' h e perid or authel-llic I ~ i s l a ~ y in Seoni scarcely begins till the sixleenlh centui-y, when

hlnt'd'' Gorid part of the Dist~ict fell under the domi- killgd~111. ilion of l l ~ e ~ising Gond dynasty of

Garb-Mandl5. Glhausor, Cbauri and Donga~+tEl werc three of the fifty-two rorts itlcluded i u Llie p~ssessio~ls of Rriji Sa11gr3m 5 3 i l l r 530 nrld the ~errilorjes attached lo ihese

- made up Llle bulk of' the present District. A century and a

half aftcrtva14ds ihe Mandl3 1iaj;i was obliged 10 call in [he help or 13akht Uuland, tbe Deogarh prince, to assist in tlie suppression of a rev01 t of two Pall1511 adventurers, Aziiii I<l~%u hnd Lunde K h i t ~ , and iu return roc this ceded to thin1

the territories ilow consliluling Seoni. The rebels were ' - defeated at Fratsppur near Seoni, and according to a conlnloil

story Lunde Khzn's headless Lrunl; went on fighting after his death until Ire ~*eaclled his house. Hi s t ~ n l b is worsliipped by ibe people. Uakl~t Uulaild cailze to take possessiori of his new dominions and was engaged one day in a I r i ~ i ~ i i ~ ~ g CL-

pedition ueac Swni, when LC was attacked by a wou~~ded .

bear. An unknown Patllll~ adventurei; R5j ij<I15n, came ro

his assistance and killed the bear, and Bakht 13uland was so pleased with his dexta-ous courage that he made i r in1 govela-

llor of the Dongartal ~Plulra, illen in a very unscltled condi- , tion. The following exlracts are taken from a picturesque

~ccoul l t of tbs ir~ddent given by Mi*. Sterndale,' to wlio~n it was I-elated Lo tiis orv 11 accouilt by a Mu ham~~iadan Fakir, a descendant of l h j hino no

21, 8 Eal-ly one alarning, in llle year r 701, a solitai'y horseman rode at a foot-pace towards -

R ~ j K I ~ ~ o , founder of tlie town of Chhapara. 'She young the l)irv?in family.

Patlr511- for so he mas-was attired as - -

.'Sie~ndale's Semi or Carnp Life on the Sitpura Rarlge, ed 1887,

28 SEONI. HISTORY AND ARCHAOLOGYO

a warrior of the time ; a steel n~orion, inlaid with gold of Gujarzti work, with a falling curtain of chain mail, covered his head, and was bound round wilh n gay scarf. A shirt '

of chain mail covered his body, and massive gauntleis of -- . .

' inlaid steel protected his arms from the wrist to the elbow. A light round black shield, with bosses of polished brass, -

t was slung at his back, and his only 0ffensjve weapon was a

t iaiWa or of unusual size a i d curvature. He rode 1 slowly up tlbe ghit at Ganeshganj, and down again on the 1 southern face of the little range, and then he saw the town 1 Cbbawra lying before him, with its groves of mango +

( trees, now dotted wit11 the tents of a large camp, for' Bakht Buland, the RzjZ of Deogarh, was there inspecting the ter-

r n tory which had been recen~ly assigned to him by Narendra ' S311, he Gond prince, whom he had assisted in regaining

his kingdom. On the further side of the river was the camp ' of the 'rhskur of Sulemd, who had come to pay his respects .

to his new lord. A sound of drums and horns now made r the young soldjq look out ahead, aud as he approached the ' town he noticed a gallant cavalcade issuing forth from the r camp. First came runners bearing silver maces, proctaim- ' ing aloud the title of their prince ; then a roll of kettle-drums ' proclaimed the advent of a body d cavalry ; then some

elephants bearing officers of state, followed by another body of cavalry ; h e n a body of musicians and singers, 1-chearsing ' the glories of their lord, preceded a hugc tusker elephant,

flanked by twd lines of horsemen, and f i o ~ n the silver holvdi ' and regal umbrella the young PathZn knew that the short, ' s~varthy man, dressed in s~mple white, whwe attendants ' fanned him with peacock's feathers, was none other thatl ' Rali h k b t bland. Springing from his I~orse as the fi j j ' PassedJ the LrOoPer made a low obeisance, and, as the retinue ' LwePr he vaulted to his saddle, and joined the tilrong ' horsemfn that followed. Balrht Buland, like all warlike ' chiefs his rinle, was pas~ionaldy fond of tile chase, and

grand Pageant, ivhich looked like a visit of sate, if

HISTORY. 2 9

a going forth to battle, was nothing eIse than a hunting pal.ty ' to soille hills in the vicinity, in one of which lived all

enormous bear, which was the terror of the surrounding . v g s When the hills were reached, the drums and heralds were silenced, and the cavalry spread thenlselves out

into the plain on either side, to intercept those anilnals that

might break away. The r q i u*fis posted on his elephant at the most promising spot, and the less liltely posts were assigned

' to his officers. The hill was driven by several hundred men, ' and ~tlatlers were so arranged that the bear brolce out just

' in front of the r5jZ. Now there are many elephants who ' will stand the fiercest charge by a tiger, who have the greatest fear of a bear, and the huge tusker on which

' BaBht Buland sat was one of these, No sooner did ' he snlell his foe than he became unsteady, and at

' the roar which answered the prince's shot, the ele- ' phant fairly turned tail, in spite of the most strenu-

' ' ous exertions on the part of the mnltatal to keep him straight, and there was every probability of his

' tal:ing a1 together to flight. 'I'he utmost confusion pr cvai ld for some seconds, wbicb the young Patbir~ quickly took advantage of. Springing fro111 his horse, he unsheathed his heavy blade, and whirling it round his head, he threw hinlself befol-e the enraged bear. Open-mouthed the savage brute

' rushed at him, but, uttering a shout of ' 13ismillZh 1 Al i rahmiiu, A1 rahim, the trooper balanced himself for the blow,

and as though he were indulging in some harmless feat of ' arnls delivered a trenchant slash ; the bright blade glanced ' in the sunlight like a flash froill a thundercloud, and, C wielded a fiervous arm, with the peculiar drawing cut of

' tbe Il~dian swordsman, i t spread through the shaggy hair and brawny neck, and a headless body rolled on the ground

I to the feet of tllc rzjii's elephant. Calmly wiping Lis drip-

' pillg &!& on the bear's hide, the Pathrin returned i t to its ' and, laying the bead before the rZj5, made a low

salgam.' . .

,, 'Sllorlly ofiersa~-d~ the Deogalh ll$ji, ~~~~~~di11g t~ local tradition, placed his 1.c1ative R;ijc5

Tlre L~h+.i l ls of ChIla- Rsm Sitlgh iu possessiol~ of ihe Seorll pica and Seoui.

iract. 'The headquarters were Illen at

Chbapara and Rsji Ran1 Singh built the fort there. W liile

goveruor of Dongartil, R5j ICliPn, at the inskigalion of fiakht ,

Bulaod and probably with the assistance of his falher-in-law, a resident of Partfibgarh in the BhandZra District, attacked and took Szngarhi in the Bhandsra District in the naillc of *

+ the R5.iB of Deogarh. He died in Singarhi in 1743 and was

succeeded by his son Muhammad Khgn. In I 743 Raghuji, ilie

Marithi ruler of BerSr, assumed the government of N5gpur and consetluently of Deogarh and Seoni hIotwithstanding

the death of his legitimate sovereign and the usul-palion of the Bhouslas, Muhammad Kh3n held Ssngarl~i for three y e a s in his name. Ragl~uji , struck it is said with Aluhammad IChSn's fidelity, offered him tile Seoui Disti ict if

- he would give up Singarhj. He co~isented and repaired

, . to Chl~ap;li~a, from rvl~ich place he administered Seoni wit b the title of Diwgn, and at his deadr irl 1759 is said to have left the count1 y populous and well cultivated. He was not ,

borvever. un~fornly folntunate i n h is goven~rnen t, for 011 olle occasiun d u l i ~ ~ g his absence at N;igpur m e Mat1dl.2 RTijz attacked aild captured Chhaph-a. The DI ~ ~ 7 1 1 , ad rraucing

from NIgpur with large forces, speedily drove back ihe MaudlH garrisou, and rkc Ti~Tnwar and Wainga~lgj were then again dcciared to bc the boundalks betweer; the Ma!ldld and Seoni kingdoms. Majid K h i u , the eldest son of Muhammad KhSn, succeeded his fatber about 176 r and to him succeeded

, in 1774 his son Mul~amu~ad Am.n IChiu, who ~-e~,loved llis headquarters to Seoni and built h e PI-esent residence of

the Diwzn's family, U p Lo this timc Seoe~ was a village of no importance. After adminis~eriug the Disil-ict for twenty-four years will] much credit: to hi~nsdf, be died in

1798 and was succeeded by his eldest so11 Muhammad Zarnsn Khdn.

23, Chhapiira, even alter the rcn~oval of the Di~vSn to

Seoni, was a considerable place and at '

Raids of the Go1145 ntlrl P i r ~ d i ~ is. the close of the eighteenth centu1-y is

said to have conla~ned about goo0 houses with 40,000 inhabitants. During ZamZn KhZll's t ime it mas twicesacked by the Pindarjs and is norv a mere village. On one occasion the Pindsris descended on the town from [he

hilis behind it durinz the progress or t l ~ e fair, and they again attacked i t while the Pathiin garrison was abscnt ae Ndgpur, attendjug the court for the Di~vAi festival. On this raid

i c is said h a t the Pindsris obtained so much gold that they did not care to take anything else. A tombstr,ne near the Wi~iogangii bridge, calIed t tic g.tvj sbrrlrtri, still ~nrzrks [he site

where 40,000 persons are said to have beeti buried in a coin- Inon A t the same pcriod tlje Uistl-icr was harried by bauds or Gond robbers, ivhorn the DIWZII was incapable of ~uppi.cssing, and in 180s Rnglluji, either from dis~atisraction at lllc state of affairs, or from the wish to obtain a larger I-evenue to recoup him for the territories ceded to l l ~ e 13ri~ish : by the peace of Dcogaon (rSog), summoned ZamBn Kha'n to his cour-t at NSgpur and appoi~lted in his stead as governor

+

of Seoni oue Ueng3ji Bllatonea ZamZn ICt~;ln appesw to

have sullenly resented his supercession, refusing the rent-free villages oFfered LO him and dernaildillg the restitution of his hereditary property of DongartZl. I-le did not however suc- ceed io obtaining this, and on his death sboctly afterwards his widow accepted some land near Seoni and the viilage af Bordi which were assigned revenue-free for Iler support. In

1808 one ICha~+ak Bhirti Gosnin, a Bani%, who had previous- ly been moneylt~lder to the Diwiin's family, ohtained rhe government from Raghuji by an offcr of three lakhs a year

*.for i t . He built a small fort at Adegaoo and is said to have

~+ackrented and oppressed tlte ~eople to such n degree that solne recently settled tracts like Ugl i became entirely deserted.

According to another account the 40,000 ~erisl led ill thc b ~ t l l e - bttwecn the ~ l e r s of Sconi anJ Rtandli I C ~ C I red to above.

SEONI. HISTORY AND AIICHXOLOG'I-

. The revenue of the Distl-ic~ is said to have iallen from three md a quarter to less than two lskl~s between 18 i I and 18 I 8, in ~ v l ~ i c l ~ year Sron t became British territory, being ceded by the treaty which followed the battle of Sitsbaldi.

24. The following extracts fi om tbe early cw respondence in the Ilis~rict ofice are sufficiently

E'trncrs 'Or- inleresting to be reproduced as showing recpondcnce.

the rnatte~s i i ~ which our oficcrs were interested first taking over the Disrtict. The first a

report by t}le Deputy Commissioner relating to the capture of a gang of Thags :-

In the year 1824 or I 9 3 5 ( I am not certain which as I , 'have not the p~oceedings with me in camp), a Party of ' very suspicious persons, 23 in number, were passilrg through

* ' this District and along the high road, the umber of the ' p a r t y and their appearance altogether exciting suspicion ; . steps were taken to secure them and in doing this some 5

Lor 6 managed to eRPct their escape or to avoid being seized : ' the remainder were sent to Sconi. I n the examination be-

, ' fore me 1 did every thing in my power to discover what they Lreally were, but witbout success. They all gave the ]nost ' plausible account of themselves ; some said they bad been ' to Poona, Hyder3b5d and other places to see their brothers ' and relations who were sepoys. Qthers said they had beell ' to the southward in scar4 of employment, and some who ' were Hindus staled they had been on a pilgrimage to Setu- ' bandh RZmthbwat ; and they accounled for so many being ' together by saying that they accidentally met a t Rimtek and 'other places and kept together for safety's salre.

' The party were chiefly MusalmBns, few of them bad ' arms of any description ; and no suspbous article of any ' kind was found in their possession ; notivi thstanding all 'this tee impression on my m ~ n d was that they were a body 'of Thag5 3rd one of tbem named Azim Khain appeared to be ' their lead=; to ascertain the pain1 I at ollce determined to

. 'send h e m Jubbdpnre in the ])ope ibat if they really IVere .

LIIYTORY.

' what I look them to be, Kaly.il~ Singh and Mot!, two Ttrags ' in confinelnel~t at Jubbulpore, would recog~lise sollle oi them.

' My suspicions w e l t wcll groundcd Tor iialysn Sing11 ' and Moti aL once k i ~ c w a few of he party, and the latter

'accu~npanied by two of llie gang 1-eturned to Seani and ' pointed out the spot where they had murdered four iadivi- ' duals (two men, one boy and a female) near the viIfage of 'Sukhtar;l which is 01-1 the lligh road and r z rniles distant

,

'fr-om Seoni ; the bodies were round i t 1 a dry sandy nulla11 a

' little way off lhc road and were brought in For illy i spec- ' tion. ICsriin K h i n who appeared to havc been the chief ' and 111ost active party in he strangulation of these unfortu- ' nate iudividuals, was in 1826 sentenced to be hanged and

' his body exposed in chains on a gibbet close to the spot which forllled the scclle of these sanguinary and cold blood-

'ed rnul-der-s. No murder by Tltags has since, 1 aln happy ' to say, occul-red in lhrs District.'

'Tile rullorvirlg is the copy of a report by the Uistrict OScer, on the institution -of slavel-y a11d his opinio~l as to

its prohibition :-- ' I. have the honour to acl;nowledge your let~er of the

' 24th ultimo forwarding a Circular From the NizSm-adSlat on the subject of staves.

In l-cg;ll*d to the fi~st point-the legal rigltts of the ' nlasrers over their slaves recognised by this court--] aln

unable to stare definitively what has been the practice ob-

-' served heretofore, as I am not aware oC any cases involving

' the question wbich have conie ander initcstigation. The 'view of thc Inalter however by which 1 should myself bc ' guided, as lbat which appears to m e most in conrornmity

with tbt views of respectable natives thenrwlves, is that r l ~ e ' property of' a l o ) ~ n f i ( I ~ slave is the propcrty of his master, . ' saving what the latter may l ~ i m s d f have bestolved, ar~d that ' thc dave's person in like ina~lnel. is clai~nable by the mas- 1

ter, for 111c performance of all lawful services such as may 'bc obtained fr~111 others for hire; includi~~g. as regards

F

, r female Musalmgu slaves, callcubinage t h ~ u g l l not

i lion ; I should here observe that 1 should collsider tf-e

d slave as having a rccipl-ocal claicli On the Imsler for , lodging, wl1;& principle has beell olxer\'ed

' cases decided at j u b buIpore. oil [be second point, the power of the lllaster Over the 1

person of his sla\les I should col~sider peralissibk any act

of coercion which a uot~l-t of jusrice would not pr~ l j i bit 013 tl~e paint of a parent ; but allything partaking of cruelty or vindictivaless 1 sllould cotlsider it iucumber~t on ine to

ill e j ~ ~ ~ e r illslance by the inflickiun of a pul~ishlnellt 011 ' ' ihe aggrcssing party ; tllough I shouId loot deem nljself

- ' auihonsed directly to liberate the slave on this ground ; ' and 1 am indeed not aware of any definite distillction a s

. ' regards the acts admissible, wltich I should adtnit betivtea

' h i s relation and tbat of master and servant ; as tlie liberty , possessed by the latter to quit an irksome sei-vicc, furnishes

' hiin necessarily with a safeguard muc11 more cffcclual l t~nn 'any minute interference of the court in his favour.

' In illustration of the above view I may rnention t l lat

. , ' not jong ago a Musaln~Jn of Seoni requested my pe~.mis- ' sim to place an iron on the leg of his slave, wlio bc stated

' ~vould not obey his orders. My anslver was ~l~at . l i ind a!ld 'judicious treatment iuould be his only effectual incans or ob- ' klning wol-k from him, and [hat I cwld 011 no accout~t

. 'listen LO sucfi a request. I believe ~ h a l other Husalnllrls in 'court at the lime viewed this as thc only just order that ' C G U ] ~ , h ~ v e beer] plssed.

' 'The indulgence extended to Musalmin slaves in cri- -

. . ' minal matters refers I co~lclude to lheir collduct towal-ds

' tlieirmastcrs only; and here I shou!d view the re\atioll in - 'Ihe ligllt as above jndicaled, I*>., all sma:Ier oflenccs

' such as Pdrellts are in tlie habit or thelnreives correcting

' ' by a slave 1 shoutd consider as nlore fit for . ' the cognisance of the masler hin~self tllan of a court of - 'justice- While as regards all more serious I

HISTORY. 3 5

'sllould recoguise no distiuction bttrvecn slaves and otller ' individuals.

' In answer to the third point enquired of by thr: Set- 'retary to the Law Commission, 1 am ullawarc of ally cases

' in wllich 1 should afford less prokeclion to slaves that, to ' free ycrsons against other wrong-doers than their masters ;

'. ' but in a!l such cases I sl~ould corlsider the fatter as a party ' concerned ; and would hold him responsible i f Ile did not

' use his endeavours to protect his slaves, ,

' I need scarcely add Lhat in the above view I have been

'guided more by the dictates of my own judgment and what

' I have been able lo gather of the views of respectable ,

' nar ives thallselves than by any reference to r Ile codes of ' Law. Aillongst Muhammadans I believe [bat capture in

an infidel land is the only authorised source of slavery, so

' that a legal right to the possession of a slave can scarcely 'be said at the present day .to exist among tllem ;while as

' regards Hindus, from the Vyavastl13s on recard and their ' own views, there would appear to be no suficient ground .

' for the governing powers hesitating to prevent cruelty or . .

' violence towards I h e slaves.

' In this view I am aware of no distinction that I should ' make between a Muhammadan and Hindu slave-owner save

' in ~.ega,-d to concubinage, rvhich the former view more in tile l i g l~ t of marriage, the tatter of prostitution and containi-

' aation, considering the relat iotl as con [erring reciprocal

r rights; and without giving to the master th: power of exer- t cising cruelty or violence any inore than is possessed at all

times by a parent, I should not be disposed to make any 4 distinction in regard to pel-sobs of any other 1'a.ce- Slavery L in this part is a widely cliffel-ent tbing from what i t is in some parts of tile neccan, being in fact' much more of the

t nature o f a domestic tie than a condition of constraint,

.4 TIle obtaining possession of cllildren kither by. purchase Or '

L gift is a thing which the frequency of famines occu1'ring in 4 a country only thus far civilised renders SO inviting, that 1

36 S E O ~ I . HISTORY AND ~ R C H E O I . D G Y .

m doubt whethe,. any 1arv tviH put a stop to i t at present* , ,v~, i l t jl may be questioned whethel- its enlire prohi bidon

4 consists at aH linlcs 1vi;h charity and the pllblic good. And * the maintenance of the relntion On tIlc foating above indi- 6 cated, appears to me all tllat is neccssalqy ill c ~ n j u ~ ~ c l i o l l 6 rvit\l the laws prohibitory of slave-qellillg as a trade in ol-del'

f to praevpnt it engendering serious evils. Already tbel-c is + t a very genel.al feeling amongst natives that under the

8 British rule, mo1.e in conscguence of i ts moral influe~lce than 4 ally direct enacrment, there i s little advantage ill the posses- . ' sioll of a stave ; fol- as they either ,Ire not p~rnritted or do ' 11ot veljture ro~+cibly to detain then1 i n ~llcil- keeping, in- ' stances are daily becoming more irequent of slave: on r-each-

ing maturity deserting evcn from masters w l ~ o have treated

' them ~ v i ~ l , uniform kiudl~css and generally speaking carry - 'ing away with them a por~ion d that ~naster's property.'

25. The ceded Districts appear at first to havc been adn~inistered by ihe o6ce1.s comn?and-

Early Britibli admin- iSttatl0~1. ing detacl~nieuts under he orders of

the Governor-General's Agent a t Jub- bulpore, hlr, Mulony, and subject to the gmer-al sups-visiot~ of Mr. (Sir Richard) Jenkins, tllc Resident at NSgpur. Seoni mas in a very disturbed condition, being scou~ed b y bands of

ar~ncd Gonds who plundered the delencclcss i\31~abi(an~s k n d against wllom llle regular troops rwre poirerless. Gel--

: lain places were pro\berbially dangerous, and an old s ~ s i l l ~ slill re~ncmbe~ cd in the District runs :--' He who can cross

in safety the Net-budda river and pass by Gllfit Piparia, naicllur, Dl~lma and [he j o b l stihcanl, would be a man of no common valour and worthy to be k iss4 by llis rnotller Major O'urien, illc officer in cllarge of &on! District, took steps to remedy this slatc or a f fa i~ s and mised a fOlace

~olice, wjjilc the landowoers were madt rebponsiblc for tile security of the roads from the attacks of robb,a13 alld. wild beasts, 11.e country king at t i ~ i s time ipfested wilh (ipers. The Tllikui of Dliijnla and the ~ ~ d h i family of

LakhnZdau lo11g- cnjoycd some concessions of Iand revenue '

rvhich were granted to them in lieu of this service. At the same period the main road from N5gpul- to Jubbulporc was

haunted by bands of 'Thngs, who carried o n their infamous irade of murder with such secrecy and success, that Slccman

rdates an occurrence when a native gentleman travelling with his wife and child and S~I-vants was strangled with Ibis wllole party at Lal;bnZido:~, on the opposite sidc of .the road

and within hearing of the offi:ei*s' tents of a dctachinent oC

t~*ooops, without ally alartn being given. In I 82 t Najlf Khan, [he nephew of the last D I W ~ I , was p~.anted the G011di estate of Sg villages on quit-rent tenure by the British: and this Ibis son, Muhammad Ali KI~;ii~, lsti l l continues toenjoy. At llle snlnc ti me the ICed61-~ur - estate was give11 to another branch or the family.

26. During the Mutiny the ti*anquillity of the Dislrict was

distul-bed only by the revolt of a Lodhi The ~ I u L ~ I I ) . .

landholder in t l ~ e north, who joined l l~e I-ebels of Jubbulpore and Na~singhpur ; they eskblished lhenselves on some hills over1nol;i ng the ~u b11ul~n1-e road uenr Sukri, from which they made excursions lo burn and pltiuder villages. In Novemki- Major 'Tcrnau surprised the calnpof the I-ebels and captured most ofthe leaders. At

that rime the garrison or Seo!li consisted of ollly one corn-

pnny of Madras Native Infantry, but at the end of 1857 n body of N3gpuiv Irt*egular troops marched up from Kamptce, and were placed at the disposal of the Uistrict Oficet, Lieute~~ai l t Tl~omsan. He mal-ched through the District with them, clearing it of rebels, and then passed on the troops LO Major Wnddingtnu iu Mandl~ . The representative of the

niwsn family firmly supported the British Administration.

ARCt-IrEOLOGY.

27. I ' h e a~-ch~ologicaI remains are 01 sligl-ht importance. - The oldest objects in [he Dislrict are

- Arcl i~ulog~~. . . _ pcrhaps sollle c1-01nlech~ near SarelrhZ

s 5luhalllmad A l l ICt l I i~ l dicd in lyo6.

consisting of largc stone slabs standing four or Five together wit11 anotller laid along their tops, and arranged in cit*cles forty or fifty feet in diameter. These are believed to be of Indo-Scytbian origin. The copper-plate inscription in the

pwsessioo of the Gond n13lguzSr of Pindrai in the Seonl tahsil ha5 been noticed at the beginning of th is chapter. A number of Hindu and Jain temples formerly existed at

Ghansor and LakhnBdon, but their sites are now marked only by heaps of stones, the greater pnrt of the matel-ials having bcen reiuoved and used for new buildings or bridges,

, . Some ~culptures from Gbansor have been placed Tor orna- ment on tlie steps of the Dalsigar tank at Seoni. 'I'hey are in the medievaI Brahmanic style and sorne are fairly grace- ful. I n Ghansor itself there is a fine statue of a Jain 'Ihhil*- thankar is now worshipped by the villagers as NZga B3biba, and the remains OF a number of lemples also exist. Much of the stonework of the Lakhnsdon le~nples has been utilisd for the construction of the ChhapZra bridge over the Waingangs, and other bridges on the bi Sgpur-Jubbulpore road. 'Trvo Fresh temples have also been conslructed in LakIrnZdon from the remains of the old ones, which from their slyit of arcitmure appear to have belonged to the ninth or tenth century. Both in LaGhnldon and Gllansor rbe perforated onyx beads called SuIaimZin's beads may be picked up among the ruins. Thc local belief as to these is illat Solomon, who used to fly over the earth, dropped one whtncvcr he said a prayer. They probably really belonged to the rosaries used by Jain monks and others,' Asllt5 11as t brec old ~empIes, on one cf wbich is a defaced inscription,

and there is also one at Dondiwgra nezr Jenitoli Temples fronl two to four Ilundred years old exist at Kanhiwira, Motiatolz, Sohigpur, Sis5pur and in the Gosain Math or

monastery at Seoni. The temple at l3is7pur is said to l~ave bwn buiit by PaIai Rani, widow of the Gond R2jZ Bhopat

and a favourite poputar heroine. The ruins of the palace I am i~ldebted Tor this conjecture t o my Assistant, MI.. Hira 0 1 .

JATN TFMPTAF IN SEQP1t

of Son;? R l a i , thc quecn who was wedded lo Albfi, and of an old fort arc lo be seen at Amodlgarh, ncac Ugli, on the H i r r ~ river. 011 the Hhirngai-h Idll, twelve miles ircm Ghan- sar, there are the remains of a large number of statues of rude canstrtlction, representing horse and foot-soldiers. Qtlier r e ~ ~ ~ a i i l s are the two forts of ChhapZra built by the Gonds and the Uiwall fa~nily of Seoni. Along the southern spurs of the Satpiurb, the re~nnins of a ~~u~lkber of other Gond forts are visible at Umargarb, Bl~aiosfigrtrb, Part3b-

' garh and Kobwtigarh.

CHAI'TER 1TL : *

. * *

ST,ITJSTlCS OF POPUL:iTlON. ' . .

28. The area and population or lllc Dislrict in r9c1 ,

were 2206 square ~ ~ ~ i l e s a i d 327,709 Stat is~ ics of ai-ea iutd

C

, , d , ; , ~ C ~ S O ~ I S , Seoni bei~lg ibe foorteenlh' kowrls, aimd vi l lage. District of thc Ccnlral Provrnces ' In

p ~ i i ~ t of area alld twelfrb in population. a[-ea arrived at

by cadastral survey at Kl\;'rn Bat~Edur AulZd Idusain's settle- .

merit ( I S ~ S - Q S ) rvas 3 366 square miles, br 160 square miles in of tllat give11 by professional survey. The District' is dividd itlto two tahsils, Lakhnidon lying lo the north and ,

Se~a i to the south. The figures of arca and population of

the two tahsils in rgo r were as f o l l o ~ s :-- . , Are.~. Population.

. Seoni ... ... _ . . ... 1648 193,364 , .. Lakbnidon ... - - ... r 5 58 135,345

Tile Seoi~i tahsil has thus a sliglitly larger area and a cousi- .

derably gi-eater populatiu~~ than Laktinridon. Up to 1873

. the District had a third t a h s ~ l at Katangi, but in that year tbc

bulk of ibe Katangi tahsil was transferred to B.3 -g:~:it and ,

the remainder included in Seoni. The total density of popu- -

- . lation is 102. persons per square mile, as against r 14 for . -

British Districts of the Provinces. Seo~li is mo1.e tllickly "

peopled than LakbnZdun, the respective figurcs of density . beil~g r 17 and 87 perso~~s respectively. The 13argh,?t Station-

houseareaistl~emostpopulous tl-actofthe District bvitl~ t7r - * . persons to the square mile, exciuding Goverame~~t rarest. . . Next to this come Seoni and Keoliri, while the Ghansor and

Lakbnjdon Station-house areas are the most sparseiy popu- - .

. ; laled. According to Lhc celhsus leblm or r gar, the District :'+. had one town, Seoni, aud r 389 inhabited villages. Tile

, 7 .

, . Excluding IrerSr. .. ' . .. . . . . . . , A " - , . . .

c , - . . , .

laicst statistics show one town and 17 j I v i l lage , of which 324 are uninhabited and I 427 iiiliabi~cd. At settlement 1457 villages were r-ecagoised, excluding apparently those i-ecet~ tly es!abIished on tbe ryotwki system. The total of 1752 in- . crudes I 70 ryotnsri and 7 forest villages. At the time of 5vriking 197 ryot w5ri villages arc rccognised, but of these z8 have nearly gone out of cultivation. The Seoni tahsil con- tains 50 and the Lakhn%doll lnhsil 147 ryotwari villages 'Tile populatiou of Seoul in r go1 was I 1,864 persolls or 34 per cent of that of the District. Uesides Seoni, only C11hapl;l-a (3884) and Lakhi~Zdo~~ (zrqd) llarl ~noi-e than 2000 persons in go I , ivllile ten villages had a populatio~l of 1000 or more. More ha11 half lbc inhabited villages coiltailled less than 200 persons.

29. At the 30 years' settlemeill tlre District was nppa- rently taken to include the Raigarh-

Variatiol~ ~Tyopulitt~oir, I3icihia tract, which had pl-cviously be-

longed to Mandl~ and was immediately afterwards Ibl-med

it110 Ihc BaiLar tahs~l of the new U3l3gh5t District. Subsc- quently, in 1873, the bulk of the Katangi tahsil, with an area of 533 square miles and populalion of t 20,999 persons, was

transferred l o 13aIzghBt, and 5 1 villages lying below the

Kurai g h a ~ on the southern bol-der from Seoni to NZgpur- On other occasions 32 villages were transferred lo the Sconi talbsil Doln the wester11 po~.tion of Chl1inCw3ra, and the Adc- +

goau eslate of go villages from Ci~hiudw Zra to I he Lakhnddor. ~ahsil. In r8SS two villages i~.om Seoni were given to

MandlZ and in 1889 eight villages from Mandl2 to Se011i.

In 1893 and 1894 smaII chailges d forest area were made between Seoni and N5gpur. The constitution of tbc Dis~rict has thus beell largely changed since r 866, when the first enumeration took place. Thc details of the changes of territory are not in a11 cases available and the adjustment of ihe figurcs of population at past enumerations to allow for tllem has t bus bee11 imperfect. The population of the present area in 1881 was about 336,003 and disclosed an increase of

w SEQNI. POPULATION.

more than 17 per cent, on that of 1872. I n 189 3 the PoPu- '

lation was 371,000, giving an increase of 10 per cent on rS8r ; this was about equivalent to the Provincial avel'age. '

The natural increase was only 7 per cent and the District was considered to have gained by immigration. The average birth-rateduring the decade 18Sl-go was 40 per nlille and the death-rate llearly 33 per mi lk . The years 1885 1886 mere unhealthy, the nuniber of deaths excecdii~g that of birrhs. These conditions were attributed to the pow harvests and to epidemics of ~nalasia. The increase in the Seoni tahsil was larger than in LakhnSdon. In rgoI [he population was 328,000, showing the decrease of 43,000 pcrsons or nearly 12 per cent 01.1 the figures of 1891 ; the poplation of Seoni tahsil declined by 12.3 and that of LnkhnPdon by 10.7 per cent, Tbe number of deaths exceed- ed that a£ births in the years 1895-97 irlclusive and epidemics of cholera occurred i n five years. The District was severely distressed in 1 896 and I 897, but escaped more lightly i n I goo. The registered escess of dal l is over births during the decade " was nearly r3,om and the census disclosed a decline of population larger by 30,ooo than this figure; it was esti~nat- ed that 6500 persons emigrated to Assam during the decade, and the remainder of the large difference must be altributcd

to the deficient reporting of deaths in the famine years. The average decennial birth-rate between 189 r and 1901 mas 33 per mille and 111e death-rate 36 per mille, both figut+es being considerably lowel- than the Provincial average and indimti~lg

defective registralioo of vital ~iatjslics. in tile five years from 1901 to 1906 the excess of bir~hs over deaths has been abnormal, and the natural increase of populatiotl in these

Years works out to 38,000 pcrsons, or only 5 m less tllan the decrease beliveen 1891 alld lgor,

30 In 1 9 1 the proportion of the inhabitants returned

Migration. " ' as born in the District was only 82 Per cent, this being very low for the

. , CentrJ Provinccs. But it may beA j f f ~ Led by th trallsfers '

STATISTICS OF POPULATION*

of tel*sitory wl~ich have talcen place. A considerable amount of migration lo and fro appears to take place between SeanT and Mandl,?, U;iIigh,it and CbhindrvZl-a, and a sn~aller inter- change of population with Jubbulpore and Niigpur.

3 1 . The folIowing renlarks on the general health of the people are taken from a note by Cap-

Diseases. tail, Oxley, I.M.S. :-'.0rving to the

' high elevation of the Dislrict the hot weathcr is distinctly ' mild and in recent years thunder-storms have frequenkly ' occurl+cd at tl~is season. Thcse have had the effect of keep- ''+ Ing the tcmperaLu~.e down, and the usual differences of ' rndstui-e and tempel-atme between the hot weather and ' the rains are perhaps leas marked in Seoni than in other ' parts of the Province. These conditions probably contri-

' bute in no snlall degree to the fact that liver abscess is +

'almost unlrnown, though i t is true that here as elsewhere ' a t the ccmn~encement of the rains botvel disturbances +

' become more common. At the beginning of the rains too

' i t is ~ o t uncomnlon to meet with cases of mild fever ' which last only a short time and are not, ia my opinion, .

' t n ~ e malaria, but nllal ogous to the seven-day fever describ- ' ed by Iiogers as prevailing in Calcutta Cases of enlarged 'spleen are not infrequent, the bulk of them coming from ' bclo~v the hills on the Nagpur side or from the villages in '

(the tior.th-cast along the Nerbudda. All the cases seen by 'me have been due to true nialarial cachexia. Eye diseases arc very common, especially granular ophthaimin, and this

'disease is far more often met with in n~en than women. ' The general death-rate is always highest in Septen~bec and 'October. Ou[brealcs of epidemic disease are uncommon, . ' perl~aps on accouilt of the smallness of the villages, and the 1 fact that no very large fairs are I~eld in the District.'

- The nulllber -of deaths from cholera exceeded 1003 in only five-years between r872 and rgoq, and in three of tlhese, . z96, 1897 and I 900, seQert distress was prevalent. No . -

cases were reported between 1900 and rgos and on the

44 5EON1. POPULATION.

ahole [he Dish+ict may be said to be ~~oticcilldy free from ibis diswre. Small-pox appears to be endemic, but the death-

rate 11- only once exceeded 2 per milk of populnlion, ill 1882, wlien the number of deaths reported was 743. Tile District has hitherto been practically free from plague. An

outbreak of lathyrism occurred in 1897, and a number of persons may be seen in the smaller villages with their limbs more or less pasalysed. But the people are well aware that the disease arises From (Ire consumptioil of tiur5 {Ldfg)rrrs wlzkus) and arc uulil~ely lo eat tllis pure except as an alternative to starvation, Lepl'osy is dis~ii~ctly rare and thc proportion of bbnnd is somewhat lowel- than tkc ProvinciaI average.

32. The Bundeli dialect of Western Hindi is sptten by 173,000 persons or 53 per cent of the

IP11guqgt. population and Gondi by roo,ooo pel-- - or 31 per cent. In he south MarZtbi is the language

of 20,033 persoos, while UrdE is returr~ed by r 3,000 ; tlhis latter figure is a iVairIy I~igh one for llle Cen~ral Provinces and is due to the comparatively large umber of Muhammad- ans in Semi. H u ~ ~ d d i is the form of Hindi PI-evalen t in thc west and north of rhe Central Provinces. It differs fi om

' UrdG in some points of inflection. In Bunddi the long n of ' the terminations of substantives and adjectives is turned unto

o as din,) for dirt2 ; C/iJrnprZt.o pa!/. bnvo gaon Ilnlo, for Ctthn- 6ohiEe brrl-ti gfloa t?tE (Chhapira was formerly a big

village). The change is also made in the participial form of nerbs, as Klmo for hhiy i . Another tendency is to leave out the aspirate if i t is not the initial letter of a word, as in the

. example quoted above @hi18 becomes poii'e. Similarly &kg,

deep, would lx gaiin, Inhnr, wave, hit-, and so w. The ko - of the oblique case is also changed to c as kntrr g h n ~ d jZ6 for

~ ~ ~ ~ d ~ ~ r k o P ' ~ 4 hain ( I am going home), If the root of a verb ends in 10% a it is changed into ai to farm [be verbal noun a3 fiknib~ for .tirritld. In the future the termination gz

used in Bundeli, but the Gujariti tcnninaiion sXai * .

STATISTICS OF POPIJ LATION. 45

al let-ed into hni is used, as tc wtnrltfli for ~wlr t~~nregi (he will die). The past tease of the substantive verb bltri, flit, is changed to linlo, iidk and h e long in the ierlrlination of / the participle is shortened, a s for instnnce rvnlr j i i d /hi would becoine l r jd l~nln. In Uundcli as in Urdii the par~iclc ae

,

alrvays ~ollorvs the nominative to transilive verbs in the past tenses, and in this respect i t diEers from Eastern Hindi. 13undeli has a slnall literature dating from the time of Chhatar SZl of Pan112 and his immediate predecessors and successors

of the early part of the eightec~~lll century. l'be PontvSrs

who number about r 7,ow persons have an impure jargon of their own, the basis of which is Eastern Hindi, mixed frecly with forms corning rrom the ol.igitlal l~onles of the PonwSr tribe in western RSjputZna, a ~ l d will1 Mai-;ithi. About four-

fifths of the whole number of Gonds iiz Seoni are still returned as speal;i~~g their ow11 language, and the num- ber of speakers of GO:I~I is larger than i u any District of the P~-ovince except CtihindwBra. The Marathi fou~ld in the sou~h of the District is the dialect of Msgpur. 111 this foul, the long volvels are usually shortened and tlic dativc is tot lncd i l l s ;u bibris ' to the fathev.'

33. 'l'here is little to reniark oa in the ceiurns of occupation. Of the whole population

Occ~~pnt in~~ , 70 per cent mci-e supported by pasture

and agricul~ure in I 901 and nearly g per cent mare by gencral labour. Landowners and tenants comprise nearly half the total population and labourers or all kinds nearly a third. The District has hitherto bezn almost solely agricul- tural, and with :he exception of a sniall number of personal . servants and persons occupied iu trade and commerce, the remainder of the population are engaged in supplying the simple wants oC a rural tract as palters, cane and bamhoo- wor kel-s, colton-spinners and iveaveis, blaclistriiths, leather- workers and carpenters. Seoni has until recently lain at a

considerable distance fi-om any line of rail, and lbese indus- tries have therefore suffered less from the cbmpetiiion of

. . , - .* .

" . @ S O N I . POPULATION.

. . jmporid and rr;achine-made prOduct"han in other Distiicts

., , wit11 greater facilities for trade. In I 901, 2600 persons,

'

ineluding dependent., wcre engaged in religious services wd 2300 were beggars.

RELIGION* . . . . -I

, r . , 34. ~h~ figllres of religion show that Hindus ~011sfitu\e

.. , 5 5 per cent of the population, Anilnists - siatistics of rcligibn. 40 per cent a11d Mubam~nadans 4 & per

Viltngt gods. cent. 'There are 1282 Jnins and 133

Christians. The of Animists is very high, 0iviving to tile lal*ge nulnbelzs of Gouds in the District. But the beliefs of [he llolninal Hindu population are also largely

.tinctured with nature-w~rship. Evcry village bas a nurl~ber of local dei~ies to rvhom all classes pay reverence. The '

. .principal of these are Devi, also known as Klle~-mSta ar the - . - earth-gocldess, the old indigenous deity having probably in ,

this case been transformed illto an incarnation of the leading Hindu goddess She is represented by an image or sinlply a '

stone placed on a platform by the side of which a flag is .. w - planted, and is worshipped pl.iudpally at the two 9 days'

-,,

' festivals called Nao-DucgZ i n the spring and autumn. As elsewhere, grain is sown on these occasio~ls in pols and -

, allowed to sprout ior nine days as a sort 01 forecast of the spring and autumn crops. 1C an epidemic of small-pox threat- ens, the people proceed to Devi's shrine and cook their food there. Tuesday is the day specially set apart for her worship. , '

Hardaul L51a, a deified RZjput prince, is a common village godling. His shrine should have a trident and a flag. H e is worshipped at marriages and also when epidemic diseases

break out among Il~e cattle. If cholera has attacked he ,

- village, the people go tto his shrine and eat there t l~ ick . ' c l m l ) ~ ~ h of win. Friday is his especial hay. The A m -

'

painted figure raised on a slab, which represellts Mah5bir or : . Hanuman is found in every village. Ma1 is the deity of the

,

Ahirs, and any old man of this caste r l ~ a has acquired a , ;- I '

rcPulati0n piety may be dcified after his death and then . beconles M31. He prolecis the caitle of his votaries rt40rn disease and is especially worshipped by the Ahil*s at h e Dilrali festival. Ul~aius;isur is 111c god d buffaloes acd a s~nall ]>latCorm is put up to him inside !he Louse at [lie place where [be buffaloes are ticd up. BHgh Uco, the tiger-god, is -

venerated Ly the Pollw51 s, and iC ntiy Pouwir is k ~ l led by a tiger Ile is deified and worsl~il~pcd as BLgll Deo. One PonwZr proprietor is said tn have raised a shrine in his house to his fa~ller who was killed by a tiger; llle spirit of the dead Illan must be placated, as otherwise he will assume 1l1e f ~ r n i of a tiger and come and worry the cattle . of his descendants. A similar belief prev;~ils among the Gonds. Huleri Dco is a Gond deity, but PonwSrs and

others also worship Ilim. A platform is erected to him under a sce11rn or cottoil tree (Bo~~shax nliclabaracrlm) oulsidc the village atid milch cows and calves are his especial charge. lf a cow

runs dry a cocoanut is offered to him, or in serious cases a goat. He is so~l~etin~es also placed in the cowshed iu the sl~npe of a sninll figure 011 a bamboo pole in order that he . may watch over his charges, or a figure of him is tied in a piece of rope round the caw's neck. Malia is a n~iscli~evous godliug who is revered by tlie lower casles. H e blows up the dust-stor~ns and worries the people in other ways. When a feast is held, a cake i s prepared, and a iiunlber of hairs arc mixed in the dough. T l ~ i s is set apnrl for Matia, and .he will come and pull out the hail-s one by one before .

he eats the cake, arid will thus be Iiept quiet and prevented from interfering with the festival.

3 5 . Mr. Chapm~ln relnarks :-' S ~ p e r ~ t i t i ~ l I is of *

' course stil l very rife, but the grosser ' Rutal supe~rt~tions.

and more criinii>al forms are most

certainly dying out. 'This is the o?inion of several old -

4 inhabilants of the District whom 1 bave spoken to on

the subject. Witchcraft and sorcery do not here exer-

r cise the saolc Icrr iblc i~lfluence on the lives of the people

@ - SEOHI. POPULATION.

which r h e ~ are still l~otellt to effect i l l Chhatlisgarh. 1

lllir& the scl~ools have somctl~ing to say lo tllTs ltature of - inlpravemei~t anlong tire people '. The oidinar y n~rgicai

'. . beliefs arc found in existence, but are probably being gl-~du- ally discarded by the educated classes. During the rains it

is said that the vilIagcrs will not place a cot or 11usk rice outside the Louse: nor sweep their yards with an ordinary

- brush of palnl-leaves, but only with one made from \wigs. For they think that if they did any of these things the gods would see them and imagine that the cold weather bad come

and so the rain would stop, If tlte Kun~LSrs are prevented '

by the rain from drying their pots, they bury one in the ground and think that his mill stop Ihe rain. Hence, if there is a long break, [he people so~~~et i~nes think Illat this is

.- brought about by the machinations of the potter and will go and break His pots. I f a Bani% tuins hisgrinding 1vheeI fro~n , left to right instead of from riglit to left in the ordinary manner, a similarly i ujurious eflecl on the 1.ainfa1 l is believed to be occasioned. In order to briny rain the Gonds have a

dance, holding slicks and beating illem against cacb other. W bile grain is being n~easured ailcr the ha~*vest, the measur- ing pots and baskets arc kept upside down, so that the evil

'

spirits may not be able to get inside them and steal ~hegraill while it is being measured. After threshing is over, a pig, a

fowl or a cocoanut is offered to the field god as a thanks- giving. At the mmmencement of the rains the 131iu1nkB or priest of the village gods pei-lor~ns the ccrenlo~~y of Gton

, bandhni", which protects the villages from epidemics, ghosts,

tigers and cattle-disease. I-Ic collecr s coatri butions of Tram - one lo four annas each from the tenants, and islakes an

: . offering to the village gods of all kinds of food and clothing. : . ' Then at sight accon~panied by other Gonds he drives a pig

, - , round the boundary of the village, apd afterwards sacrifices

. it and sprinkles some d i t s Wood over all tile village qods. , . .. - . The flesh is eaten by the BhumkP and his i.lnjends. - 8

:- b- r o d the village lie llolds some gl4.ail]s 4 urad aild

, ,

RELIGION. , 49

mustard seed ~'II his hand. To avert cattle-disease the 13humlrii erects an arch of three poles to which mailgo-leaves

are lrung, and drives all the ,village cattle under it. The U l i i i r n l i ~ is often called in to pray over sick persolls and ha

scatters the Grst handful of grain at sowing-time. I t a marl' has sinall-pax in his house, . h e son~etimes goes ,begging, fi*om door to door throughout t i le village, and then offers: the proceeds of his tour to the poddws Devi, afterwards, distributing them among the villagers. ' This is supposed to: ,

placate the goddess and cause her to remove the disease., Gtrrtias and sodhnns arc male and female witches who are still; feared to s o n ~ e extent, They may be d any caste lbut are usually Gonds. If they overIook a man while he is having his meal, he will be unable to digest i t and will vomit it UP. A gt~rrin is said always to wear an icon bsngle round the left.

;-'

wrist. 36. The ordinary fes tityals are observed. Mr. Chapmall:

remarks :-l Tlrere is a curious suc-vival Festiuals. ' of elie old hook swinging among - the

people. - I t is carried out ur~der the patconaffe of the deity ,

' called MegnSth, the son of Rc'lwau. 'rbe day after the Hoh is the no st eficacious date for the cetemmy, but i t i s per- formed also in October. The devotees, Inale 2nd female, are

' swung seven times round a pole, to which, ,they are ' suspended by a rape passed under the breast. 'I'he on-.

' lookers meanwhile shout <' Makh?iri, Hakh<51*i.)' This cere-

! mony is generally pe~~formed by childless - people with the ' object of getting offspring. The attitude of suspension is, I , ' believe, calculated to excite sexual sensations and thereby

. f perlmaps assists towards the attainintnt of this elid. ' Tlie ceremony is, however, not solely performed for the purpose mentioned, but is also considered to influence the crops in some: ,

mysterious way. Usually the l311umkl is swung.round, this. - beillg part ofjtis duties as village p~~ i t s t . ' The Eloli . is . 06 course

everywhere celebrated with great gush and also,the Muhar: , . A .

' ialn. [n tile m o u h of October, .. the ., ~ i l i r s 'celebrate the ' '

. . , . .. . . . , H . , . -

- ,. * . ., ,

4 Madaim Sevel.al villages club togelher for this festival and ' everyone takes part in it. The A l~il-s dance round a pole

wit11 head-dresses of p@acoclt's feathers and necklaces of . ' cowries. Special liquor licenses are given for each M adui

'

and the occasion is always one of much merrymaking a i d . r a certain amoultt of license. ' The Madai is celebrated on

the day after the DiwZli. Various songs are sung during thc dancing at the Madai, and the following translation of one of them, given to the writer in Seon~ is not without poetical' feeling, though it seems douhtful whether i t s composition can be attrihuted to the Ahirs :-

' ?'hey promised to come, but they have never come ; . :be thatch has fallen and the bamboos are cracked.

' Oh, green Dirvzli t Oh, green Diwfi i We slia11 i ~ e e t , . wc shall meet at DirvIli, and if me die our spirits will meet.' :

4 The geese will not stay though you throw peasls before them ; they long for their awn country.' - W h e n the woman went to the fields to scare off the

- birds, she fell asleep and the birds ale the grain.' 'My skin is cracked with age, but my heart is young:

Oh, Youth, came back to me that I may enjoy life once more.; My eyes are so greedy for beauty, that they beg for 'it

' wherever they see it ; how shall I restinin themt .' Whenever you think that twenty-five and fifteen seers .

make up a maund, then think of me.' On the night of the Diwali the Ahir stass up all night;

and dances and sings in front of his cows and buffdoes, beat- . ing a drum to scare away the evil spirits. HE dresses himself .

as a Riijput and takes a sword and shield in order to fight -

witb the spirits. Afterwards he goes to his master and gets . a present. The HoIi is the principal occasion when IhrYt~g or '

a drink made from rhe refuse of hemp-flowers mixed with water, sugar; cardamom and coriander, aod nuijtt~~ or sugar- cake mixed with hemp-flowers are consumed. The aslres of .

.the Hoii fire are preserved andusedfor various purposes ,

This i s a couplet ati~*ibutrtl to Akhnr. , . 1.. b - , . .

RELIGION* . 51

such as averting the evil eye nnd the cui-e of scorpion bites, At AkIi5tij or the begin~~ing of the agricultural year in May, new earthen pots are rvorshipped and the people go out to

the fields and offer halls of the pulse of urad or n~i ing to the field god. Tlie Bout or sac~.iScial fire is kindled, and the plough is drive11 three or f ive times round the field in the direction of the sun's course. After ihis agricultural operations may be begun. At Mah~lakshmi, which falls in the month of Kunwar (Septcm ber-October), the women make an image of an elephant in mud and worship it, by fasting and singing through the night. In the iilorni~ig the image is thrown into a tank,

37. M ul~ammadansr 11urii ber x 2,000 persons of whom about 3000 live in tlle town of Seoni.

hlulnammadans. 'rhey hold about 240 villages, The

DiwZn farnily of Seotli whose history forms part of that of tlbc Dislrict are the leading Muhammadan landowners. A l n o ~ ~ g the Muhammadai~s are a number of Fakir-Sains or

beggxs, Mani16rs or pedlars, Babnas and Piuj5rZs or cotton- cleaners and Kuiljr5s or green-grocers. 'The Fwltirs may bt

distinguished from other beggars by their necklaces of onyx

stoiw beads. Kunjt-5 women arc well known for their obscene gestures and their quarrelsome and noisy disposition. The Pin jiirr?~ and Sisga1.s have lal-gel y adopted Hindu customs and prac~ices. At their marriages d ~ t y first perform the lkdl t~r~nr cei-cmony or walking round tbe sacred pole, and afterwards the Muhammadan rite of ni4*dt before the Kjzi. The bhn'tsiunr ceremony is oftell gone tllraugh in secret, so that '

the IGzi may not know of it. They spread cowdung in their

bouses and o l t c ~ ~ use Hindu names and metllads of dress They also pay respect to the village deities. Many of 1l1c1n

follow the Hindu law of succession, and in some cases it has been held that sisters and daughters are excluded froin

inheritance. But full proof or such a custonl must always be

r Tile (ollo\ving notice of R I ~ t h a m ~ l ~ ~ d a ~ ~ r is mairlly take41 from a pzyer

by Mr, J. N. 511, Piendel; Soolli.

fortlcoming'l. The backslidi~lgs of tllp lower caste M ul~alu-

madam h v r : given rise to \he sayi11g:- . . . .

:" * . ' Aclrcrti, Kncl~n-ti, Pi~rjriri : . iZftcJ,~wrmnd se det* dtti SE ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ' ( i . '

: ' Tbe Kachera and PirljZri are lost to Muhammad find

{ar frbm the faith.' But the adoption of I-Iiudu practices

is generally confined to those who live in villages, and in towils they conform to orthodox usage. 'There are a ferv Gond fami- lies ip the District who have embraced Isl5n1, in imitation of paktt' Buland of Deogarh. c .38 In rgo1,Christians numbered 183 of whom 165

were natives, the number of native . Christiai~r. . - Christians Laving increased from 73 at

the previous census. A Mission of the United Original Secession Church of Scotland was estnblislld at Seoni in *

-1871 and is at present managed by tl-le iiev. Johil Mc Niel with the assistance or a European staff of three men1 bers and .a number of native workers. The Mission maintains a High Schml at Seotli, for which a new and suitable building was under constructim in I 906, two other schools at Seoni and a school at Cbbapgra. It has also a dispensary for women and an orphanage at Semi and owns a village. Seoni is in the + ~ d ~ l i c a n Dioceie of Nagpur and is visited by a Chaplain from Kan~plee. I t is in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Niigpur.

CASTE.

: 39. Gonds number 1 3 0 , ~ or 40 per cent of the population. They have lost many of i;encral n d c c of castes. their villages, but the important estates

of Sarekh3 and Dl~iima belong to Gond 1ai-ldlo1.d~. AhIrs nuinbet 31,000 or IO pcr cent of the population, Ponlviirs 16,000 or S per cent, MBlis r 0,000 or 3 per cent, and the menial caste oi Yehrss (weavers and labourers) ~g,ooo or 6 per cent. ?'he principal landholding castes are Muham- madans, KByaslhs, Gonds, Br2hlna1rs and Ra.iputr I<umis,

' Ybidabi 2 a i ~ n t i w, Ala-ud-din, .decided by Sir C. Cmathwaiie in 1878.

CASTE, ' ' 53 Lodl~is a n d Pootv5r R.ijpo:s are the important cultivating Wstes. The most considerable illflux of Hindus from Nor- ,

tllcrn India probably took placeat the end of the seventeenth . eellrury under the rule of atk kt Buland the Deogarli Gond I'rince, who encouraged Hindu and Muhammadan cul~ivatans

and workmen to come and seltle in his do~inions. But a . certain amount of immigration must have occurred before this date, . . ,-

40. BrZhmans number 7000 or 2 per cent of the popula- tion and own r 35' villages. The bulk -

BI ilinlans arld I3aniss. of them belong tr, the Kanauiia sub-

division and ace i rnmigranls from Northel n India. 'I'hey now,

however, generally marry among themselves in Seon?. The Kal~au.jins are al low~d to eat meat, but soi~lc of thc older

residents or the District have giveu it up. Brahn~aus may drive the plough with their ow11 hands in Seoni without being put out of caste, and some families have gone so far '

in their rtba~ldonlnent of ceremonial custom, as to observe mourning only for three days according to the local practice iustead of for rl~e orthodox period of ten days. Baniis number 3000 persons and hold nearly roo villages. Most of them are recent im~nigrants froin Bundelkhand. The Ponwgrs

and Charnrigal-s rvha are J a i ~ ~ s by religion have constructed

. some fine temples in Stoni town, and have also a small library containing solme rare and valuable Sanskrit works. Among the Agarw5l Baniris, when the wedding procession is about to start the KumhSr or potter brings his danltey and h e bl-idegroon~ touches it with his foot, in place of riding on it as the custom formerly was. Some say that this is

intended as a sort of huniiliation to the brideporn, because is setting out to do a foolish thing, while others hold the-

custom to be i n honour of S~talii, the goddess of small-pox, who rides on a donkey.

r , ~ 3 ~ ~ ~ 3 , including PoawZrs and Bigris, nu~nber 23,000 pel-sons or 7 per cent of the

R5jputs. - . . population, and hold more than zoo

5 4 SEOMt, POPULATION.

pracliealIy all the RAjpuis are of impure blood. T ~ I ~ Y have generally adopted widow remarriage and Say that tllis was first done on tlie occasion of a war with the Dc0gal.h bDgdom many of their men were killed laving Young widowsi and these had to be permitted to marry again for fear of tlleir doing worse. The Uaksaris Rijputs do not' n'ear the 'sacred thread. Owing to this general abandonment of their nc/l&l* or caste rules of conduct, the I O C E ~ ~ RCTjput~, with

the exception of a very few families, are held to rank below Bani5s. .The PonwZr Rfijputs, who account for two-thirds of the total number, may practically be considered as a separate caste. They reside mainly in the rice tracts of Ugli and- Barghat and mrry among themselves, which a proper Riijput nlay not or course do. They are very old residents in the Waingangi rice country, where their skill in irrigation is well known. They have lived for long among the Gonds and in past times many of l hem have probably formed connectinns '

with Gond women, so that they will now take water from- the hands of a Gond. They also show much skill in the management of Gonds as labourers, and through their Agency thc forests of the WaingangZ tract were cleal-ed, and the

numerous irrigation tanks now existiug constructed. They say that when they first immigrated ts the N Igpur country they married with Lld BaniIs owing to the lack of RZjput women. They do not now wear the sacred thread. The Ponwzrs take a price for their daughters at their marriage

and for widows of full age a very 'nigh sum is paid. They take much pride in their bullock.., which ate all brought out on the occasion of a marriage procession, and when near the

bride's house the drivers race up to it. In appcarallcc the Ponrv3rs are tall and fair with good features and their women are orten decidedly handsome. When a fullera1 takes place they a t fried rice and sugar at the grave, ivhich is peculiar as being Contrary to the practice of other castes. Sterndale cbaracterised the Pon wZrs as 'An industrious and skjlr,,l 'race of cukivators, but a litigious, untrustworth$

CASTE. 5 5

'give11 io rernovitlg, if they could, tbcir neigbboups' land-

' ltlarks,. and delighting in the incessant law-suits arjsing ' thereflaom'. l The HZgtis arc .another local subcaste of Rzj- puts of somewhat doubtful origin. They are immigrants from Mllwj. and ' Derive their name fieom that large tract of ' country callcd Bigar, or ' hedge of thonjs,' the l imits df ' Bigar being distinctly marked by ridges of woody hills.'" l3.7g.l-is are more numerous in Seoni thau in any ottler Distric- of the Province. They say that they are really Baghe1 RFtjputs, a claim unsupported by any tradition or evidence.

Sir John Malcolm remarks of them3 :-' Among the tribes 'settled in Central India who are professed robbers and 'thieves, rhe two principal are Uagl-is and Moghis, both ' I-Iindus of the lowest caste. The B5gris are n very brave r race of Inen and though Lhey ti l l the soil and follow occupa-

tions of indu~t i*y froin necessity, their favourite pursuits are 'thieviug and plundering, It1 t l~ese arts they are at once

' expert and bold.' The B igris of Seoni, however, have settled down illto peaceful cultivators and are esteemed to be fairly skilful. They occupy a higl~er position than thc PonwSrs and wear the sac]-HI tbrend. They will reii~ove dead cattle witL their own hands.

42- The 1Giyastlrs (1303) are an important landholdiig caste in Seoni, having about 200 vil-

KZyastl~s. lages, of which half belong to the

p m i n e n t family at present represented by Rai Uahidur '

Didu GulHb Singb. The nncevtors of some of the ICiyasth - families canie from t11c United Provinces two or three cerr-

turies ago and, taking 'service under the Gond kings, succeeded owiog to their ability and industry in -becoming paymasters of the treasury and managers of estates. They

to bold similar positions under the Muhammadan rulel+s and finally obtained a large number of villages in pro? prietary right from the British Government. The Ksyasths

1 Smai, page 8. Mnlc0lrn blemoir of Centrill India,'Yol. 11, ~ g e 479.

a 3 lbidtm, page t82-

of Semi belong generally to h e Siiwjstab and:Saksei~i su bcastes. . 43. The Lodbis nunlber 5000 persons and possa5s 120

villages. They are principally found L ~ l ~ i s , K u r m b , ~ ~ I i ~ in the Lakbn5do11 tahsil., Many o[

and Ahirs. them are MatiZlodbTs, and this sub;

caste, elsewhere considered as the lowest, takes rank in Seolli . above all except die Mahdeles. They are excellent culliva-

tors and like to elllbank their fields. Sonlr ~f llleln aspire lo

rallk as R;jputs and have prohibited llle remarriage of

widows, though the bulk of the caste allow it. . They 3% oftell addressed as Thalcur and use the RZjput tern1 Sing11 after tlieir names. They are fond of sport and are i~lcli~led - .to be quarrelsume, agrarian disputes being aoriceably f1.t-

guent i n Lodl~i villages. The ICurlnis (8000) arc not such

an importatrt landorvnii~g caste as the Lodhis, but tiley are also good agriculturists and of a peaceful disposition, while their women are industrious and of great assistance in culti- vation. The mast numerous 'subcaste in the Laklui5don '

tal~sil are the Pardiyzns, who are so called because they take their meals in such seclusion as they are able to,obtain. Theoretically they sbould not t a t except in the c l ~ n ~ R & or cooking place spread with cowdung for each, meal, but this

rule cannot be observed in practice. They apprecihe the advantages of manure and makc embankments for the eradi- cation of A i ~ r s grass. They will not grow vegehbles alld only one subcaste, tbe Santora Kurmis, cultivate I~emp, being despised on this account by the others. Ttle K u r ~ ~ ~ i s of- - Seoni say that Bey were the original gr~wel - s of sugdrcane,

and were firit brwglt up from the lower world to inboduce its cultivation upon earth. It is possible that they brougll t .

the cane into the District. The Milis or Marirs, as they are called among tile MarZtlds, are chiefly occupied in raising vegetable and 'garden crops. They are good and ln~or-ous '

cultivators, but have litlle abiIity or aptitude for

ad rarely acquire property: In SEoili nhor Or BhoYRle

CASTE. 57

M d i s are the most numerous subcaste. They will not take food cooked wit11 water from any other caste, and have - abjured licluor and the fltsh of unclean animals. They thus occupy a slightly lnore respectable positiou than the other - subcastes. The Mzlis also engage in personal service and do not object to cleaning the shoes of their employers. The Ahirs are the most numerous caste in the Uistrict nest to Go~ids. In the south they are known by the Mafth5 name of Gowiri. In the ICurai tract they are professioi~al cattle-breeders, and elservhere co~rlbit~e this occupatio~l with agriculture. Not many of the caste are well-to-do, the largest All;r proprietor owning only eight villages.

4. The Krtlars hold about go villages and are also moneylenders and tmders in a small

Other castes. way. The Dhimars gcnel.ally grow

melons in the sandy stretches along the beds of ~~ivei-s and

act as persolla1 servants, They keep pigs and donkeys, but

notwithstanding their connection with these impure animals, I3rZtmans will take water Croin the111, alld i t is said locnlly that the Dhimar's hrttrcltci or hand below the wrist is specially snnclified. So that whatever he does in his own . home docs not concern 11is employer and has no effect in conveying pollution. This convenient fiction has no doubt

been devised because DLirrnars are commonly empIoyed as

household servants and to be unable to take water from their hands or allow thcm to clean vessels would be an intole~.abIe inconvmie~~ce, The Rajbbars and Rajjhars are low castes, ,

who were probaMy+originally identical and are a Hinduised offslloot of the prin~itive Bbar tribe or the United Provioces, .

.who in the Central Pr.ovinces are ~ I I O I V I I as Bhnrias. In Seoni

the Rajjllars are probably a mixed group formed of alliances between the Ahirs and the Bhars and other furcst tribes. They will take food from Ahlrs, who, i t is said, will also eat with a Rajjhar, and lilrc the Ahirs they usually graze cattle. The Rajbhars claim to be R5jputs and state that their ances-

.tars wore the sacred thread, bul'one of. tlleln while cutting a - 4 . '

i s SEONI. POPULATION.

bamboo broke his ihread, and thereupon decided to dispense * it altogerller. ?'his pretension i5 of course quite

unfounded. 45. n e Gonds still own about rq0 villages, though in Pro-

portion to their numerical slrenglil and Gonds, in view of the fact that a G0lld dyl~as-

. ry formerly ruled i!~ SeonT, this cannot be considel--ed very

large estate. As elsewhere tlley have two main branches, the Rsbj-Gonds or aristocracy, and the Dhur or ' dust' Gondsj the plebs. 'he RZj-Gonds have adopted 1he religious

social obse~~vances of Hindus and wear the sacred thread. But Brahmans will not take water from them and they reta- liate by refusing to accept water or food from a Hrjhrnan or. from any caste except the Ponwir KZjputs, with whom they

. have a ti-aditional in~imacy. Even so, however, they will accept fwd o ~ ~ l y from a Ponwiir rnan and not from a wonlan, and only rvhe l~ i t has bee11 cooked in n brass vessel. bur2 Oeo, the principal god of the Gonds, lives i r r a srij tree,

and this tree is also considered by them as sacred. 'Che Gonds are usually very poor atid their houses, clotl~es and furniture are of i~isigtiiiica~lt value. 'fhey t i l l the poorer soils of t f~e hilly tl-acts and grow the stnail millets, lcodoll and kutki. When they have a supply of food they prefer to stop in their houses and do no work. A local proverb says :-Ha~tEbin lrlelt atrrij, Co~sd Re g/#nrs ri j; or ' A Gond coi~siders himself as good as a king, so long as

he has a pot d grain i l l his house '. For part of the year r they live upon tlie fresh leaves of trees, the rnahuz flower,

. and the roots and fruits which they find in the forests. The - e Gmds arc much addicted to liquor and spend on it a large

portioll of their scanty earnings. Drink is an indispensable adjunct at all religious ceremonies, and at the celebration of births, weddings and funerals. They are usually honest in

- ~ b e i r dealings an6 on this account are in considerable request . . as farm-servants. During the winter they spend of

their time sitting or lyj ng before ~ood-firer. In former days

CASTE 5.9

they were notorious freehoote~+s, and the ordinary twm for a gang robbery was a Goudi ; but they have now given up these wild ha bits, CoIo~lel 'Ttlomson tlius descl-i bes the Gonds:' '.Though very peculiar and timid with strangers, they are ' personally brave, honest in their dealings, proverbially ' truthful, and very tractable. Still they are unsettled in dis- c position, prone to wandering, and appar.ent1y void of attach- ' ment for places. When well treated and trusted they make ' excelle~lt servants for 1~oug11 work ; on the other hand, when ' they fall ahong bad characle~*s, they are easily led away

' into joining plundering parties, which they sten) to enjoy. Silent and suspicious at first, they are easily drawn out if

' their language is spoken ; and they are particularly acces-

sible to a little cajolery. The stolidcst old Gond in the

' field, or his slill more stolid and eccentric partner who would under ordinary circumstances, if addressed as Gond, answer you with a shake of thc head and a muttered ' AhZn ' (the word Tor ' no '1 will generally i f addressed as Tbgkur' ' and ' Thakurzni ' or ' Bhoi ' ' Bboin ' give you some informa- ' tion, ' Sterndale' speaks of then1 i~lcidcntally as follows :- ' Happy, light-hearted Gonds, most of them, the girls especial- ' ly, with a bright bunch orfinlis3 floivers or the sweet scented

* sprays of ti~lsci4 stuck on we side of their heads, Such is the ' fondi~css of the Gond for this style of decoration, that, when some years ago oats were introduced into tbe District

'and distributed among the mslguzars for experiment, the ' Gonds were so struck with the peculiarly graceful g a i n that i t was with dificulty that they were restrained from

' plucking i t to adorn their turbans. The stalwart Gond

damsels, with their sturdy bare limbs tatlooed with elabor- ' ate patterns, str-ode Amazon-like along the road after their 'less athletic-looking lords. One of the first things that ' strikes a stranger on entering Gondwzna is the muscular

'Settlement Repwt (itb7) page QJ. Sconi, page 29. 3Butea froroldosa, I I Ougemia dalbcrgioides.

.. .., C

' @ SEOKI. POPULATION.

. 1 polver exhibited by the females of the aboriginal tribes as

1 compared with the men, a state of things to be pal alleled in animal kingdon, only by the hawks.' 'The Pardhsns, or

PPnals as they are called among themselves, are the musj-

cians and bards OC the Gonds ; they are ~'eally a P 1 . t of the tribe, but the ordinary Gond looks down on them and will not accept fwd from their hands.

46, The impure menial and labouring castes are the Mehras, Ka~ias and Chamirs, and these

Low caste=. ... usually weave coarse country cloth and

serveas village watchmen, while a large uu~nber have take11 to

agriculture, a d so successfully that no less than t ~ e n t y vil- lages are now owned by MehrP proprietors The Kntias are

another low caste of cotton-spinners as their name denotes, k i l m being the tern1 commonly used for spinning. They call thenlselvcs Renhta Rajputs or Rzjpuls OF the spinning wheel. As cotton-spinning is practically extinct many Katias have becon?e petty traders, and four villages are owned by the caste. Like the other low castes they are great drunkards and when they go to inter their dead, take liquor* with them for consunlption at the burial gt-ound. T l ~ e ChaniIrs work in leather and make shoes and the leather articles requii-ed for agriculture. Many of them are labourers, but they are not usually employed as farm-servauts, as they cannot be permitted to enter the house. They receive the hides of dead cattle and are reported to be addicted to the

crime of cattle-poisonii~g for the sake of the hides. If a Chamar woman is detected in a misdtmeanour with a man of

the cask, both parties are taken to the bank of a tank or river where their heads are shaved in the presence of the

caste $ m t c h i ~ ~ t + They are then made to bathe, and the shoes of all the assembled Chamzrs are made up into two

bundles and placed on their heads, while they are requil ed - to promise that they will not repeat the ofience. Aher the additional Penalty of a feast to the castg-fellows, they are readmitted to st>cia! intercourse, The Smni charnsrs

4 -

SOCIAL. LIFE AND CUSTOMS. 61

worship' the c~stor-oil plant. Other low castes commonly considered as impure arc the Basors or bamboo-workers, the Kucbbandhias or brush-makers, and the Mangs or ddrurnnlcrs. r is grid K u m h l r s gefiel-ally occupy a slightly higher po- sit# llut the Gadher5 Kumh5rs or those who use donkeys - to c. .y their wares arc generally held to convey pollution by their touch. The PardhZn Gonds are also cotnmonly regarded as impute. Among the low castes or Scotli caste .

. penallies are easily iric~u~-red. If a man touches Itis shoe' with his hand and says to one of them ' I have beaten you,' the person so addressed is considered as temporarily out of caste. 13ut if he im~nediately goes and inrorms his caste fellows he is reinstated with a nominal fine of grain worth O I I F or two pice. I f , however, he goes back to his house and taItes food and the iilcident Is subsequently discovered, a

penalty of a goat is levied. This rille, holyever, does not

npply when a lnari is beaten by a Government servant; no penalty is levied in such cases as the ' SarkZri shoe' is not

held to convey contamination. T h t t e are no important classis oC.criminal.ls. TRc Gouds and lardh.?ns are addicted to thefts of cattle, and this rcputatio~t i s also borne by the' Golws, a Telugu caste of graziers of wI~om a small number' are found in the District. Among migratory castes the Ban- 4

j8r5s and Jogis have a bad reputation ; the former steal cattle and the Jogis practise various inipostul-es by adopting the disguise of religious mendicants, u s i ~ ~ g sleight of hand to

induce a hlief in their magical powers, and telling fortunes. Tl~e Chamsrs, as already stated, are said to poison cattle for- the sake of the hides.

, SOCIAL LIFE AND CUSTQhfS,

47. The fol!owi!~g interesting description of village life bas bee11 ii~rnished by Mr. R. B. Chap-

Dewiptiuil d v i l l a s * 'lib* nlatl, Deputy Commissioner of Seoni :-

' ~ h e substratum of society in every

Sconi viiiage is the Gond. He is essentially a I~tiver of wood- -4.

. I ' m L. * .- . .

and drawer of water and as such is seen to the best advantage 4 in wild and unclaimed por~ions of the District where his axe

'can have free play and the fruits of his labour have not excited ' the cupidity of clever and grasping neigh bours. JTl~e Gond, ' if be can, will always build his village in the form of one ' long street running from east to west. He has Inany pre-

' judices as to which side of the street he will reside upon. 'In forest tracts, many villages are inhabited solely by ' Gonds. In such places their houses are a most primitive ' affair, tbe walls often consisting only of u unwattled daub. 'Their villages are, however, always neat and clean. A

' wooden piougb-share may often be seen at the entrance by 'way ool tutelary god and a ring of rougldy carved posts ' painted with vermilion at a sl~ort distance from the village r marks the last resting-place o l the dead.' The Gond sets

'much store by the produce of his 66rj or small garden 'enclosure at the back al his house, where he raises maize, 'beans and j ~ I r . ~ Many of the principal m5lguzHrs and ' tenants in the Seoni tahsil and the Chhapsra tract of the * LakhnZdon lahsil are Muhammadans, w ha established them- ' selves here under the auspices of the Muhammadan DiwZns ' of Chhaplra. I n the north of the District we find Riijputs and Ladhiswho immigrated from Bundellcl~and, and in the rice ' tracts of thl! west PonwZrs and Matsw who with Kichbis ' excel in garden cultivation. A number of Jain Banib iron1 * Merwira are settled all over the Uistrict. The lower castes- 'as Gonds, Pardbans, Mehras and Pankas generally live 'tagether in the Gond pira or quarter, The Ah~rs are graziers and cattle-breeders and also deal in ghZ; the young

'male buflalues are bought up by Mukeris and driven down ' i n large herds to Chhattisgarb tvherc they are used for

. ' ploughing. The Ahir uses little milk himsdf except in the 'form of dahf or curds. The Mehrss and Pankls lqeave ' coarse country cloth and are the class from which the . :

kdw5r is generally recruited. Almost all the inhabitants 'of the p h keep goats, pigs and fowls, but except the

- . J

, .

6

SOCIAL LiFE AND CUSTOMS. .63

' Ahirs very few have cattle. At the time of the cutting of ' the wheat harvest there is always a great rilovenlent among ' the labouring classes. Like the hop-pickers at home, whole ' families will travel long dista~lces to places where plenty of

' harvesting is going on. Lealher work is ge~lcraliy done by ' Conds and not Chamiirs. Many villages have a GSrpagBri ' or hail-averter and rain-compeller. Tlle doctrine of chance ' makes his professio~l one of many successes and few blanks. ' Dhimars and Kablrs are it1 request for carrying the palan- ' quins and litters which are de s-&rwrir at wedding ceremo- .I nies, and Rave their regular haqs or dues on these occasions. 'Medicine is not the PI-erogative of any particular class. ('The Bani; i s often soniething of a druggist and a reputed ' BaigZ inay have a practice in sorcery and potions extending

' aver a considerable area. There is also a curious class of travelling practitioners called Singhiwll5s. Thdt main

'business is cupping with the horn, but they treat disease ' in general, and even carry out cataract operations in a 6 rough fashion to the indignation of the Civil Surgeon. ' Nagnrchis and Chamiirs silpply the village fife and drum

bands withdut which no domestic ceremony k complete.' ,

48. ' Jn Hindu villages the BAhn~nn Pujriri is of course ' a great person. He is invited by ail

Dcscripiinn OI village life-(contii~ued.) ' Hindus claiming a reputation for piety

' to hold meetings in their houses, at

4 which the sacred books are sung and recited. When a

d P t ~ j ~ r i from another village visits him, the villagers arc invited to his house to profit by his ministrations. 13Ahman beggars make a living by going round from I~ouse to house with invocations, blessings and ?~msslrs. The number of beget-s who have to be satisfied is inaumerahle. Wander- ' ing s&#hf~s, Uairsgis, B h l s (professional story tellers) and

'

' part& of pilgrims to the Nerbudda or Puri, all levy their ' toll ; other casual visitors to the village arc Bhartaris or , ~avellillg minist~+els who siilg to Ihc accompaniment of drum i ahd silcir; the SikIigar who grinds thc knives and sickles ; . .

SEONI. POPULATION. .

6 the pSrdhi lvho traps qmil, partridge and black-buck for the mslguzsr; Nats b v ~ ~ ~ dance and'walk on the tight I'ope,

4 ~ s ~ i ~ ~ ~ or proressiollal jugglers. Baluchis also travel

'from village to village se!Iing knives and ornaments and . . t ~ l b ~ l j ~ come yearly frolll Afghioistin and perambulate the

, country, lending money or selling ~10 th O n usurious -Cl'edit.

L n ~ e is no doubt that pilgrimage plays a great part ill the 1 life of the \rillage 1-01 k. Patties of pilgrims can tinually

- I leave their villages and travel by rail or road to distant i shrines. They' come back with stories of what they have 4 sten and heard These pilgrimages infuse a healthy cir- 'eulation into the otherwise stagnant pool of village life. .' The railway lately jn[roduced into the District has enabled

' the people $0 go n~ucll further afield on these pilgrimages ' and I have met large and delighted parties returr~ing fro111

- ' Bensres and A1lah;lbad. The villagers of the Seoni Dis- . .' trict have the inesiimablc benefit of ample pasturage and

1 :< plenty of wood and timber. The ccowdung cake is seldom . 'resorted to for iuel. 'The people can practically take as .

'much wood as they want for fuel from the mIlguz3ri jungle ,

' and have only to ask the m3lguzZrs' pcrrnissiotl in alder to

cut timber for building. W!~ere rnllguzZri forest is insuFfi- ' 'cient the1.e is ample Government forest in every dircctioil A

-'and the system under which whole villages can coinlllute

' for grazing and r~islril-' in Governmeat forest is one which , 'contributes much to the well-being of the people. Mill- -

, 'woven cloth is now sold at all the l k g e barars and is , 'supplanting the indigenous article. Grail1 markets are

-'being established all along t h e jine of railway, ~h~ .

, . 'management of the grain markets is one which inti- , ' mately Concerns the villager. At present the grain is *

-, 'all measured in measures o i capacity, and the ignorant ''seller is at the mercy of crafty buye1.5 both in the .

:- 'matter of price and the measure. A I ~ tllese bszars are ,be- .. . , - . "

' The a m o u ~ ~ t o i timber *ad fael aecc9sarym[w hwschdd use: . ,. . , - ... . - .r . . . .

SOCIAL. LIFE A N D CUSTOMS.

jng brought under the management of the District Count$ and weighing and commission agency put upon a proper fooling. Almost every malguzar now owns a pony, besides a e f t h a h i and pair or trotting bullocks, and this may be said of many of the wealthier tenants too. 'The District Council

' has set a good example jn improving the water-supply and ' rhere are now few villages without a good stone rvell Many ' of the best villages are situated along the banlcs of the Wain- ' gangs, which follows a long circuitous course througl~ the 'District. The two large fairs at ChhapZra and MundZra '' piovide the people with inany art~cles which are not locally ' produced. The Semi villager is most hospitably and ' socially inclined. Families are ccntinually interchanging 'visits and this habit undoubtedly supplies rhe railway with ' a Iarge part of its passenger haf ic . Every domestie ' event is made the occasion of a large fainily or caste feast ' t o ~vhich guests are iilvited from lcng distances. The ' social obligalions demanded by caste are very cleac 'and wdl defined. To rail in any of then1 is to call ' down the wrath or the caste pntfcl~n')~nt and the penalty of .a casle feast. Very speedy retribution a n nits the man or

wornan wllo does not conduct his or her life according to

what the caste pastclrtTjnl considers fitting, and thus the (6 bonds of society are liept Cast riveted.

49. 4 lt is the ambition of every mZlguz3r to have a large, double-storied, wbi tcwashed

Houses ~ n d furniture. ' house with a flat roof by prcfercnce, ' from which his fimily can enjoy the prospect and eat the

J air.' In the Have11 tract there is no very marked diffe~enc9 .betwen the houses of tenants and mHlguz5rs. But in the ,rice-growing area or PonwPi tract, as i t is Iocally called, t!le mdlguz~rs have good houses, often with separa t t buildings for balhing, cooking, living, lceeping their cattle and enter- taining guests. Timber is more plcntiiul here, and the sandy qualities of the earth make ~nud walls more easy of cap- strustion than in the black-soil tracts. Separate sheds for

K

grpill ~l~ltilllj- const! ucied in front a l tlle dwelling-house so as to be always under the master's eye. Sonlelinles

rcceplacles for grain are built in the shape of a regular 1.oorn ( b n n ( / i ~ suppol.ted un airlies wilh a hole in the side ial-ge enoug]) 10 admit a Inan and divided inlo iwo or three com- partments for diffeeren~ kiilds of g ~ a i i ~ . On lbe LaLhniidon

plateau the houses and the genel-a1 aspect of the villages are poorer than elsc~vhere. A tenanl's house will be divided

into t,vo rooms; large truants nil1 Lave a sepal+ale shed (ko~td; ) for caule, but small tenants will Beep tLenl in one of the rooms, Most cultivators have a little garden behind the house in which they grow maize, chillies, tobacco or

. vegetables. The iurniiure consists or a sleeping-cot for each member of h e fanlily when this can be afforded, some low wooden stools with seats made from hemp or ~IJOJZ grass (Saal~nr~trri cihm-c), stone and earthen gl id ing mills, a mortar of wood or &tone for pounding rice, one or two earthen cooking-places, some bamboo baskets, some earthen saucers to serve as lamps, and the cooking and eating vessels d the fanlily.

50. C + / ~ n ) i l ~ s of ~vlleat, pulse, vegetables, gLbf and milk are the slaple food of the betterclasses

Food and clolll~es. and chn/.ri!is of ju5r and kodon and 1;utlri

hi14 in water of the poorer ones. ' Tlie Gond's great liousel~old stand-by ' says Mr. Chapman ' is pq or the water ,

# i n which rice or kodon has been boiled. He lakes this at ' al l timcs as the Scotch do porridge, and it is exlrao! dinary t what staging-power it seems lo give him.' The well-to-do classes eat t ~ i c e , tliose who cult~vate with t l~eir own hands * twice or i l ~ rce times, and the Gonds sonletin~es C D U ~ limes a

day. The Gond docs not eat salL with his nieals, but takes a

few chillics and a lilrle salt aflcr \heal. His vegetables consist of !he young lealres of the plpal, the r;rsn/ /~ (cordin ~ n j x n ) , the keolrir t,Butdhrr,da ~ ' ~ C C V ~ O S ~ ) , the IjUle chorbori weed ~Cassm forw) and the lender shoots of Dam, which he is allowed b~ custmll to pluck Iron1 his illaster's field for noilllnp

I .

SOCIAL LIFF AND CUSTOblS- 67

Mush~.oo~ns and the soft young shoots of baniboos also figure

in his diet. Country beans and tomatws are other vege tables often grown in gat dens. The oil of ja,grla' i s mixed with vegetables Tor cooking. Among the delicncies ,consumed

- at festivals and offered to guests are ivheat cakes fried i !~ ghi, .curds and gram-flour boi led with chiltics, salt, turmeric and coriander and laice. Ail men smoke, I~omc-grown tobacco being principally consumed. Opiuin is given to children until they are three or four years d d to keep them quiet. Betel-leal' is oilly obtainable iu the large villages, and the ordinary cultivator eats areca nuts alone. Men usually wear white clothes, and coats with buttons are being adopted in place of the old n i i n p r k / l i a11d bn~tdf tied with st)-ings over the breast. Laudorvncrs wear cotton trousers for Fill1 dress. .Most cultivators have % handklrchief of coloured countl.y cloth, which they carry over the sIloulder or round tllc waist, and in which they tie up mouey, toblcco and any olher s~ l~a l l articles they requirc with t l ~ e n ~ . During winter they have coats of btrrrct! or rough serge. A sn~nll piece of red clotl~, .called u~~gocl~hri serves as tll t coininon bead-dress. Women

- . wear a !nls~trgZ or skirt drawn u p bztrveen 1l1e legs behind, with a shouldel--cloth and an RJI@ or breast-clotl~, tied with strings at the back, and patched with pieces of coloured cloth .to ~nalie i t 10oB attractive. Others have the 1o11g cloth going

round the rv&st and over the shoulde~*s knorr-n as rJlttllir7 or

sirs: These are orten black or bluish-black, and less fre-

quently red or blue. Gond rvonlen formerly wore white clothes, but have recently adopted coloured ones in imitation '

of their Hindu sisters. Shoes are of two kinds called nohd5 and ~ r t ~ r r r d i , the former having toes. The better classes in towl~s wear shoes in~ported i1-0n1 Calcutta and Delhi . 'women have ltzr*iis or sandals open ~'ound the instep. Only

the ,highest castes bathe c;ery day i~nd the others once or twice a week: Hot water is oftell used for bathing in

, the rvinter. 'The Gond is said to bathe t ~ ~ r k e times a year, at , . the Pols, D i ~ a l i and l-iareli festivals, and if he washes 011 - , ,.

SEOM1, POPULATION.

other occasions his friends say that 11e will fall i l l as Ile has become a pan-drr661 or water-bird. Indian soap is now to be

purchased at the important bazars, but in the interior the people use wood-ashes for cleanii~g ~hernselves. TIlc cus t on1

of wearing beards was fornlerly prevalent among old men, but it is now going out even among Muhammadans, The inen wear their hair in towns, but in the country the culli- vators often shave the whole bead except the scalp-lock. Rijputs formerly wore long locks of hair hanging on each

side of the face like the love-locks of the Cav a 1' iers. 5 I . 'The marriage ceremony Follows Jle custon~ary ritual

Marriage custolns. af the Northern Districts. Anlang many castes the practice of ~ ) I I C I - . % M ~ ~ or the

exchanging of brides between two families is in vogue*. Be- fore the be~l-otl~al the boy's rather goes to the girl's house and makes her a present of a bark^ or brass dish co~llaining a

ferv rupees, and some betel-led and fruit. This is called hafo~lf and is a customary gift among all except llle l~igl jcst castes. Among the Parw5r BaniZs and the low castes like Katias and Mehrb, women accompany I l ~ e marriage proce* sion and all the ceremonies art perfomred at (he bride's house, but the women of other castes stay at home. The Koslitis, it is said, perfurm all t h e i ~ marriages on the day of Akhg~ij in As3rh, thc commei~ceme~lt - of the agri- Cultural year. The Mar;= are said to have a curious tustom at marriages, all the women d the bridegroom's party being shut up in a separate house at night with the bride's sister's husband or other relation, Me m a y . + then attempt anything he likes rvi~h Illem, but they beat arld purnmei him about, so that he is otten glad l o relire after a

short prriod Well-t*do persons hire dancing girls to per, form at thejr weddings. The dancing-girls ale usually Muhammadans but various Hindu castes are also represented . in the professiotl. When the wcddlng proc-ession starts for home, turmeric is sprinkled aver the bride aild bridegraom before their deparlure, like rice in England. Tile remarriage

of widows . ia permitted ainong all castes excepe Blihmans, ,.

Banifis, Kayasths and the better class of RZjputs. The Ponwrirs receive large sums for .their daugliters when married a second time if they are young, and i t is said illat a PonwZr mother's parting speech to her daughter when first married is : May you comebacksoon' that is as a widow. A Gond bride is carried on her brother-in-law's back round to the houses of her friends before her marriage and is made to cry with each of them, wliile they give hec a presetlt of a

little money. 'The bridegroom's party goes to fetch the girl and take her back to his house, w!lere -the ceremony is

performed. When this is about to rake place the bride hides in sonle other house and the, bridegroom's brother-in-law '

searches for her, while the women of the party sing a ~ ~ d lhe b ~ i d e shouts out Lcoo' . As she enters the bridegroom's house two spears are pIanted before the door to make an '

arch, and the bridegroom pushes her through these from . behind, the girl liangi ng back, The brideg~~oorn's brat her-in- law is the water-carrier and must supply water to all the

- guests, in return for which he gets a double share cf food. c - While he is doing this business, his younger sister-in-law, if '

he has one, follows hini about a ~ i d bel ts liim to make him work more quickly. On thc day afler tbe wedding the- bride .

and bridegr-oom throw mud at each other and roll one another .'

about in the mud for sport. . . I . I . . .

I LIIADING Fnkl lLIES.

52. The most ifinportant laudholdhg castes are Muharn- '

madans'and Klyasths. The Muham- Gmtral. rnadans once owned about half the 3l ullarn~nadnll fa~ni l ie .

District, but have lost a coi~siderable part of their estate, The Ksyasths came from tile United . P ro~irinces and, t a k i ~ ~ g service under the Gond kings, .obtained 4

the management of large estates through their ability and =

industry and subsequently became recorded as proprietorb. The -M uhammadans now have about 250 and the ICiiyasths

I

I . .

6EUNI POPULATION. h

to

more than 200 villages. Other important lando~ming castes

are the Gonds, Lodhis, Brahmans, Rsjputs, Baniis and Knl3rs. The leading Muhammadan family is that or tlie Diwans of Seoni whose history has been recorded wikh that of the Distr~ct. ?'be family are at present ia possession of the Gondi tZluka or estate of Sg vlllages near Barghat in the south-east or the District, held on a favou~ably small quit- rent of Rs. !om annually. The quit-rent tenure expires with the death of tlie present holder. They have also about

2 5 other villages, or which two are revenue-free. The present

representative Muhan~ mad Ali ICbSn' is abwt fifty years old . and is he;iviIy involved in debt to the Allali5bZd SanIc ; he

has four sons, none of whom have been veiny well educated. Muhammad Ali KhKn i s the first Darbiri in the IJistrict, and when lie visits the Deputy Commissioner has the customary

right to receive ) i~t-s~tpl ivi or bttel-led, The hluhainmadan family of Kedfirpur in the Labhnzdon tahsd hold 70 odd villages, but the estate has heel1 divided among nine pr ten members, They are a branch of the Diw.?n family, The estate was formerly held on a qui t-rent tenure, but tills lapsed in 1884 and it was then assessed at full rates. blast of the shareholders are indebted and some or their villages

, have been sold. Tlle estate callcd the Uibl J2gi1. is held by a branch of the Dengarh Gond dynasty af Chlindwr-Bt.a, which was converted to lsljm in Bak11i Buland's time Tllis family received from the Marztliiis t he Adcgaoil estate on a quit- rent, but on their raiilng to pay this reguiarly it was resum- ed, and the seven villages which they now have were given

to them free of revenue. The present represe~ltarives are two

.widows without direct heirs. On thelr death t h e revenue- free grant will lapse and the estate will pass to two nepllews

an a fourth of the full assessment. Other leading Mullam- madan mi lgu~Pr5 are Zakaria KhPn of liadalpur aud Kllgn Sihib Abdul Rahrnjn K h l n of Aslil l . The father of the

' Thl* E=nileman dltd 1906, all( \vn .ucctr;dld g l l lr u~,,,~,, Shujlat All K h n

latter ge11Oeman is ~l~entianed in Sterndale's Seoni as I~aving dammed up a gorge in one of the Da1.34 hills and made a fine tank to renlove the then existing scarcity of water. '

53. Of [lie Kiyasihs Rai Bahgdur D i d u G u h b Sing11 is the leading representative and owns

- Gyastli, Gond and Lodlii ia~nilies. the Darisi {Sluka or es~ate of 84 vil;

lages in the sou~h of t l l t District. H i s ancestor, Pbiil Sllsh, caiiie from the Rae Bareli District of he Uilitcd Provinces about the beginning of lhe eighteenth century, and was appointed Haltshi or pay-master to the ai-lny of I-lakht Buland of Dmgarh. He subsequently served in the saliie capacity undcl- 111e Mandl5 R3jii and clblailled

a grant of the estates of Bacliai and 13hanwargarl1, but these were confiscated on 111e annexation of MaudlZ by tbe MarHthH governor of S~augor. His son otlained e m p l o ~ m t n t from the. DiwHn of SeonT, and was granted lhc DaKsi estate by the Bridsb Goverlli~lent in 1822, l iai Bahsdur D5du Gul5b Singli received a present of Rs. 500 from the British Govern- ment for building a sovdni and obtained his title for services in the fanline of 1897. His estate is well managed and his sons have received a goad ducalion. Didu BakhtSaar Sii~gh of Semi is the head of a~iother old KByasth family. 1-le is a SakseilH KZyaslh and owns tight villages, while he also makes advances of money. Ttle tilost prominent Gond landowner is Thiikur Latkan Singh of- Dtiima in .the north of tbe District. His ancestors are said to have reclai~ncd the tract from the forest and to have obtained a

Cbaurisi or grant of 84 villages, but a certain number have been sold in payment of dcbl: and Latkan Singh owi~s about 50. A considerable part of his revenue is derived from the valuable timber on his estate. Thgkur Bahi%lur Singh, the .G&nd-m%lguzZr of SareklGi and Ugli in tLc east of tlie District, -owns al~out 1 8 villages; H i s family is an old mle and he has .

received some education and'mauages his own affairs. Of - -the Lodl~is the proprieto1.s of Kahani bclong,ioafamily wllich

. . Ed. 18S7, ' p g e 163.

ha& been set1led in [he District ror more tllan two hundred yesrs. Their cslale consists of neai-ly 40 vil laps alld is divided between two cousins, both of whom are indebted, though they are not without capacity for mall aglng'their pro- perly, One of them, Jawshir Singb, I ~ a s been awarded

the title of Sar&ar for his services in the famine of I 897. 'l'he family are usually known in Seoni as the Gomiishtas of KabZni. . Tbe Lodbi mZlguz2rs of Lakhnsdon own 22 vil- lages, this being not much more than half of their former estate. The property was for some time under the manage- . lnent or the Court of Wards for liquidation d debt. Ganpat Singh, one of the representatives of the family, killed the well- known Adegaon man-eating tiger of Seoni.

54. Of the Brihman milguzErs, Jiwan L31, Sansdhya . Brshman, of BakhSri, and RCpchand,

Brihman* and Kanaujia BrBhman, of Mungwini are oihcr lamilied,

tlle most prominent. Jiwan La1 owns - 22 villages and is very well off, and Riipchand besides possess- ing 20 villages has extensive moneylending .transactions. His estate has been acquired by his father and himself. Rai 'BahZdur L8a Onkkdas of Seoni is the most important Bania .mHlguzL. He owns about 27 villages. including ,Barnori .or Belgaon on the BalaghZt road. The family are AgarwZl Bani25 and their estate has been acquired through loan trans* actions in the last fifty years. Several Parwsr Bani% living 'in Sconi town have a number of villages. Thakur Madam 5ingh af Pahsti near Gbansor, is a jge proprietor, having an estate of about 25 villages, which his family has held from the %me of the mN3gpur RSjSs. His ancestors served in the army :of the Bhonslas and bred horses for their ,cavalty. ~ h ~ t S h g h 6f Khamaria is -a Giijar mz]@zzr with cstate:of Inearly 20 village. His family is an old one and he has 'built a fine tank in Khamaiia. Bf the Panwer R F ~ ~ ~ ~ 'fhe mSlguz2r of ,MohbarrR who owns tile Ugli estate villages is the most prominent. The .District has a Mehrfl Inndowner, Brij LB P h d i a of C hhapara, who has villager; ' -

this is perhaps the largest e s ~ ~ . e held Ly a n1dguz31' of the despised Mellra caste in the province. Brij La has recently died and his successors continue to live in Chtlapira.

PiGKICULTC RE.

- WILS.

55. As usual on the Sfitpuri plateau good black soil is i lfound only in low-lying land at the

Dcscr~pt~on d sods. hotLon1 of valleys, while the levels and

. lower slopes are covered with a fi iable brown loam and the

higher slopes and suturnits of hills with a shallow loam or the redd~sh gravel mixed/with la~ge stones Itnown as bar1.2, I n the east 01' the sandy soil formed from the

crystalline roclc occurs. This is though of pool natural fertility,

crops of rice with the assistance ol ~nanure the classification of t l ~ e last setl!ern&zt

soils were distinguisbed. Kili . denolcs'< black or dark-brown clay soil of great depth. It is

distinguished from ~~mrnnd by being less friable and heavier bulk for bulk, aud i t also c~aclcs to a g~eaier extent It

corresponds to the rich black alluvial soil of the Nerbudda valley. The District contains none of the very best soil of this class and what exists was enlewd as k5li II, the arca even oof this being inconsiderable and amounting o111y to one

per cent of 111e total under cultivation. This soil is of g ~ e a t fertility, growing the best sugarcalle and producing good crops or wbeat fear after year mi thout manure and without rotation. Mormd is a friable loam varying in colour fi-om

. black to broilrn. I t onen coutains a considerable admixture of black stones oi- sand and cvea ywhere a certain proportion

, of limestone nodules. It is better suited for wheat than gram and maslr and if irrigawd will carry su-rcane. Monirtd 11 is , distinguished from ntordrrd I by want: of depth, lightness of

-- , colour and a larger proporlion a[ stones, sand and lime. The + two cla~scs cover practically ha!T Ihc cultivated a r m ,$flit- *

bwri is a term applied to black or brown soil when either

very sh~.I,llocv or much mixed with gravel 01- sand. Spring crops can be grown on tllc best class of this land with khe

assistance of rain in the cold weather, It covers 16 per cent of the cultivated area. Bnr-rn' i s a reddish-colourcd gravel thickly strewn with large qtones. But sametimes i t is almost lree of stones and at others Full of large yellow flints. This soil will grow juar and t i1 in rotation with the lninor millets and jqrri, -but i l is easily exhausted and l-equires frequent falloivs. I t i s soinetime? left fa1 low for as tong as f ve years, but three scars' cropping and ~11ree years' rest is a fair average. It covers26 per cent of the cultivated area. Scltrri is the yellow sandy soil well suited for rice when it obtains a sum- cient supply of water. I t covel-s g per cent of the cultivated area. There are also a few hu~~dred acres $rC Rachkdu or

land situatcd on or below the bauks of a river or stream,

which 1-ec:ives a deposit of rich sediilte~~t from being flooded , dur ing the vains. Latid was further classified according as '. i t was capable of growing wheat, rice or only minor crops,

while the small area af vegetable 01- garden land was placed in a fourth category.

56: About 350,000 acres or more than 40 per cent of the cultivated area were classed as

I'ositiorl-classes capable of grotvillg wheat, neai-ly nntu~ c of Iarld.

lm,m or ahout r r PET cenl as bear- .

. . ing rice, and 370,000 or 4 j per cent as suitable only for minor crops. Garden l z n d s , boll1 irrigaled and dry, occupicd ,

nearly 1 5,000 acres or about 2 pel- cent of the rvbole area. Wheat and rice land were further classified according lo various advantages and disadvanlages of position. In the

case of wheat ille positions recognised were :-&gal; if the field was a Imor one lying higll on a slope ; bh-trkltla? i T it was cut up by watel*-chnnnels and ravines ; u j d t z , if it was liable Lo damage from wild animals ; tnjtdhia, if i t was em- baliked with a sinall bank ; bartd/tnn, ir it was embanked ~ v i t h .. ;i large hank ; ~rbp&s/~i , if il was iiriga tcd ; and 11ttfl~16fi, i f it

•

SEONI. AGRICULTURE. . .

fell into hone of the above classes. Of the rvl~ole wheat area, 63 per cent was classed as ~ t ! r i ~ ~ l l i , 33 per cent as

ingar, r per cent as bliorkfIa and 3 per cent as embanked. In the case of rice land the positions recognisd were :-

- tihrli if the field was high-lying and gave a very poor crop . in a year of scanty rainfall ; snnriirt if i t was flat and retained

its own drainage ; jhi/in i f it lay low and thus received an *

extra supply of water from the drainage of the slopes ; nnd abprFs/ii if it was irrjgated. Or the rice area only 6 per cent was classed as jlriiibl, ro per cent as iih-8, 52 per cent as

f. sntrriipl or level and 32 per cent as falling under jrrig a t' ion-

.. Distinctions of position were not recognised in the case of minor crop land with one exception ; this was the ge71rztdri ,

> , position, applied to fields lying near the village site and * being manured by its drainage. Such fields were always

d ~ o w n as gerrttmt, to whatever class of land they might belong.

57. For the purposes of the soil-unit syslcm an arhi-

, - , coil-(actors. lrary numerical factor of 32 was adopt- ,

ed for wheat la~ld of kribnr I I soil in the o~dina1.y and other soils rcceived a factor s~nnller

- or larger according to their ~.elative value. T l~c diKcrcnces : of pdsition were also allorved for by adding or deducting a

percentage on the factor. The full statement of factors for ' each kind of soil in the different positions may be foulld ou

page 38 of Kh 5n BahZdul* AulZd H usain's Settlement 4

Report and i t is unnecessary to ~'eproduce i t here. The leading features are as ~ O I ~ O I V S : land in the La Clrnfidon tnllsil

. was always rated slightly lower than in the Seoni taJ~sil ; the . . Ingar or liigb-lying position reduces the value of wheat land

' by zo per cent a ~ l d . the embanked position raises i t by 30 per, cent ; rice is not grown on kribat. land, and tlie sfln~ciu or level posilion of ~ n o r a ~ d soil in the case of rice is equal lo wheat land of kzbnr soil in the ordinary position. Irrigated rice

, fields were considered about 20 per cent more valuable ' than embanked wheat fields in the case of g o d soil. Minor - a

crop land of the same soil is about twwtliirds as valuable as wheat land. Fields in the gcsrnt-fi position were rated 25

per cent higher than tllose in the ordinary position in the case of the best soils and 50 to ~ o o per cent in that of tbe

poqrer soils. Fields Iiablc to damage by wild animals were rated 33 pcr ccnt lower illan others in all cases.

i STATISTICS 01; CULTIVATION.

58. Of ihe total areahf the District in 1904-05, 827 square miles or 25 per cent were in-

Propor1io11 or areR cluded in Government forests, 21 8 occupied.

square miles or 6 per ceut were classed as not available forcultiva~ion, and 767 squair miles or 23 per

cent as culturable waste o t l ~ c r tlian fallow; tl~c remaining area amounting to 1545 squnl-e milts or 989,om acres, and forming 46 pel- ccut of the total, or 61 pa. cent or tbe village area excluding Government forest, was occupied for cultiva- tion. At settlement ( I 894-96) the occupied area formed 58 per cent of the ~ o i s l , but the settlement sMtistics excluded the ryot~irfiri area wl~icll is not altogether inconsiderable. If lllis bc added to t l ~ c sclllemcnt figure tllc increase since sct~lemct~r is 81 ,ooo aci.cs. I n tlic Scoi~i Ha\rcli the occupied nrca rvns f g pcr c c i ~ t of tlie total nvailable nt scttlemcnt, and in other groups it cxcecded 60 pc1. cent. On I l~c other hand-

in the ICurai, Nerbuddn, Ugli and %gar groups i~ was under 50 pel- ccnt, beiug only 2 8 per cerrt i n Kurai. 111 several

gl-oups tlie inci-ease in cultivzltio~l between the 30 years1 seitlement nnd last settle~nm t was 70 per ceut or more, being 50 pel- cent for the Disirict as R ~ 1 1 0 1 ~ . Tlie Itiidgest expan-

sion of cultivation duriug the period between the settlements .look place in the hilly tracts on the 'frontiers as Kedarpur, ICurai, and the araea linown as the knlltZr l y i ~ ~ g north and soutll of the Seoni I-laveli. The Setrlenicnt Officer did not arlticipatc any fui-tl~er considcrablc extension OT cultivalion.

1 Tllc AKurea of arca ( ~ I ~ c I I in this &tion atme lhage obtrincd from [lie ~ a d ~ s t r n l ?t11.vey : and they excccd tlie arcn of tlie p~nfc.ssio~:ai s l i t yey by 160 squarr: miles.

1 4 .

+ . , ,

- 4

98 . . SMHI. AGRICULTURE.

. He :-' I n groups which are made up of black soit, 'cuI~ir:atiou has reached its highest pitch, and the same is the 'case with the rice grocving ti-acts of Rurai, Seoni, SarghZt and Ugli. In some of the villages of these groups there are

'

no proper grazing or evcn standing gl-ounds Ibr cattle. The increase in the Lakhnldon tahsil since settlement is larger

*' rthan that in the Seoui tahsil, but cultivation has in Lakhns- .. r doll been extended main1 y to the poorer soils i v h i ~ h I-cqui re

I long restii~g fallolvs, and it is tllereforc I I O ~ neal.ly so valu- - 4 able or substantial as in Seoni.'

59. In r goq-05 newly ?Fo,ooo acres or 26 pa- cent or .

, , F X ~ I O ~ V S . the occupied area co~~sisrcd of new nnd old fnllo~\r. Talti~~g t be figures of r S93- -

94 for purposE of comparison, as including the ryotwgri area and also RS repi-esei~t inp about the highest pitch of prosperity to which the Mstrict hnd a t b i n d bciore tile cycle

bad years, the fallow land has increased from 2 0 to 26 per cent or the total. The increase is elltirely under old

fallow which now for~ns 10 instead of 5 pel- cent of t l~c , 'occupied area, rvllile the proportion d new falloiv remains '

the same. There is nothing reniarkclble in the increase, wllicb . .

merely demonstrates that a cer:ain amount of land whicll went out of cultivaticn during the farni~les bas not yet beell reclaimed The proportion of fallow n~ust probably alrv~tys

. be about 2 0 per cent of tile total in Seoui, as so much of t lie

cultivated land is of the powest quality and requll-cs frequent and lengthy rests.

60. The gross cropped area was 7 ~ O , O W acres in r 904- ' O j , of w l ~ i c l ~ 18,000 acres were double-

Doulrlc crops. cropped. The maxi mum area rezordcd

as bearkg two crops ivas 36,000 acres in 189;-94, and tllis' . figure has not been approached in recent years. The bulk - '

of tlre aller-c~ups are probably raised in the rice tracts,

where i t is a corn mon practice lo sow l i nsced, otm one. of the ' . .

pulses in irrigated rice fields after tile rice has beell cut. Thc pulse lliost generally raised i s liiklrori, Llie s~~ ia l l variety of

tiucz. 'This is sow11 in the field while watcr is standing in it

after Ihe rice h:u been cur, while linseed is scaotered broad- cast over the field while t l ~ c rice i s still standiilg, this method being the one properly l~norvn as ' uteri.' For gram the Eeld must be plough.ed up al'ter the rice has been cut. In d ~ e few cases when wheat fields are embanked, a catch crop of rice

is sometinm talien during the rains, when watec is standing . in the fields. The decline in the double-cropped area may, be -attributed to the evil fortune which has lately attended the rice crop, aud the poor circumstances of tl~c cultivators in the parts where it is grown.

61. The net cropped area was 73 qaoo acres in I 904-05, showiog an illcrease of 6000 acres since

Progress OI cropping. 1 8 ~ ~ 9 ~ . The positiot~ in ~vhich the

District s t o d before the bad years has thin been a little more than regained. Iu 1905-06 the cropped arm was 754,000 acres. At settlement the cl-opped area was o~lly 65?,om acres excluding ryotw5ri villages, or So,oog acres less than in 1904-og. D~I- ing thc pei'iod of the 30 years' sertlemenc the. cropped wea increased by 20 per cent, the acreage of

rice, jilrli-, masiir (lentil) and llle oilseeds ti1 andfrlgitl haviog cxpaiided very largely. Wheat showed an apparent large decli~le but this was due lo attes~ation having taken place in a very uoiavournblt year in the Lakhnidon tahsil, and in 1893-94 the wheat area was only 3000 acres smaller than at

the 30 years' settlelne~t, ' the figures of which also probably include wheat and its mixlul-es i n the statistics. As compared

with the settleo~cnt statistics' which, as already explained, wcre taken in an unfavourable year, the c~.oppiog of 1904-05 shows a grzatly increased value, there h i n g an addition of about 76,120~ acres lo thc wheat area. 111 fhis year autumn

crops covered 5 3 per cent and spring crops 47 per cent of the cropped area as con~pared with 44 and 56 per ccnt res~ pt ive ly in r 893-94. The position of the harvests has thusv

1 'File acreage was 273,000 i" 1893-9+ as agaitlst 276,ooo at i h t 30 years

fiettlemcnt. ' . - 0

- I . . - . .

practically been reverwd, but the decrease iu tbe spring crops is la,-gely under linseed and iiurP, wlrici, are not of very . '

. ' great importance.

62. I n 194-05 wheat occupied 262,000 acres or 35 per cent of the cropped area, kadou-kutki

Statis;tics of crops i 36,000 or I 8 per cent, rice 78,000 or

ro per cent, gram &,om or 6 per cent, ti1 29,000 or 4 per cent and jag~iz 30,000 or 4 per cent. The figures of the .

same crops for K 893-94 were wheat 27 3,000 acres or 36 per cent of the cropped area, kodon-kulki r24,ooo or rG per cent, rice 104,mO or 14 per cent, gram 41,000 or 5 per cent,

. ti1 rg,ooo or 24 per cent and j~gtrE 32,000 or 4 per cent.

CROPS .

63. Wheat is the most important crop in the District covering about a third or more or the

Wheat,-Varieties. total area in normal years. The area

under it fell in 1896-97 lo I 25,000 acres and anlouuted to

262,000 acres in I 904-05. It is principally grown in the Semi Haveli and next to this iu he KeolSri atxl Ghansor

' tracts of the Seoni tahsil. The soft whiie wheat called pissH is principally grown for export. 'I'wo varieties are locally known as PtssZ, one with long awns called slrihulbai, and another beardless wheat called stzrrzdf. This lalter is said to

be the most rlist resistant of all varieties, Other varieties distinguislled locally are ka/izltia, a large red bearded wheat, which natives consider to be the mostd easily digested as a food; ja/iiLyti, a yellow wheat which is sown as a delicacy; another variety called ~lrisrf, whicll is said lwally to have

. been imported from Egypt ; this is sown in small quantities : as a delicacy by landowners but is said to require manure

, and to be hard to thresh and grind ; and ~25l,tfjlT, a yellow wheat 4 ' which ripens earlier than the other varieties and derives its '

C* name from the fact that it is cue in the month of MSgh (January-February). PissT hcrvCvtr is now most raised both

. for export and for local consumption.

. ' . .

64. Land intended for wheat is kreaied wlth the boklrar

once or twice in the hot wearher, twice hlethods of cultivation.

again i n tile rains by good cultivators ageill just before the seed is sown. The /to/ or regular

plough is not generally used in preparation of the land, the reason given being that it f ~ r m s the earth into clods, and seed is thus subsequei~tly prevented from germinating; but the real reason may be that the soil is so I~eavy and sticky that the plough cannot be driven ilirough i t in the raills by

the class of cattle co~nmonly used. E~l~bailkn~er~ts are rarely made, probably becnusc the surface is too uneven and the friable t ~ i w n t ~ d soil does not sctllc down into a slrong bank.' Small embanlcments are built to prevent el-osion, but fields embanked on all sides ns in tlie Jubbulpore bIaveli are very

rarely found. Occasionally e~iibanked fields are made above rice laud so that the water can be let out of the field for the irrigation of the rice crdp, and wlreae be subsequently sown

in the damp ground, Sowing is generally started i l l Be' ' beginning of October after the Septeinber I-ain known as hrF~hi krE p m ~ ~ i , and lasts for a month or more ; but the time varies wit11 the character of tbe monsoon and it rnay begin in

+ the middle of September, or last till Lhe middle of November, while in enlbanlced fields it may be postpolled till tile end of November. The plough is used for sorvillg and is fitted lvith a .

hvlIow balnboo with a small bowl at the top, illto which he seed is fed, generally by a woman ; the seed trickics dawn -

the bamboo and falls into riie furrow just behind the plough- share. A ~naxirnum of 14 acres cal l be sown in a day but the average is half or three-quarters of an acre. Wheat is not iveeded, but it is often ivatched at night fora month before ',

llarvest to keep out cattle and guard aguinst thieves. Fields ,

near forest or near a road must be watched wit11 more care. Somctilnes hl-ar, a l h o r ~ ~ y plant either resembling or identi- *

CRI ktts11111. (Cor.lhri/~tlts Ii!x&orifdi), is sow11 011 the borders . , , ,

fields to keep out cattle. Wheat land is not as a

rule mailure?, and green 50iling wilt1 SII~&-llelilp i5 but rarely M . .

practically beell reversed, but the decrease iu the spring crop is largely under linseed and tiurl, which are not or very

+ greaiimportance. 62. In 1904-05 wheat occupied 262poo acres or 3 5 per

cent of the cropped area, kodo~l-kutki Statistics of c rop

I 36,ooo or 18 per cent, rice 78,ooo or ro per cent, gram 48,ooo or 6 per cent, ti1 29,000 or 4 per cent and jng,rZ 30,000 or 4 per cent. The figures of tbe same crops for 1893-94 were wheat 273,000 ncres or 36 per cent of the cropped area, kodon-kutki 124,090 or 16 per cent, rice ia+,ooo or I 4 per cent, gram 4 I ,000 or 5 per cent,

ti1 19,000 or 24 per cent audjq) / f 32,000 or 4 per cent.

CROPS. .

63. Wheat is the most important crop in he Dislrict covering about a !l~ird or more or the

Wheat.-Varieties. total area in, nol.mal years. The area

under it fell in r 896-97 to ~2 5,000 acres and an~ou~l led to

262,000 acres in 1904-05. I t is pril~cipally grown in the Seoni Haveli and next to ihis in the Keolari a ~ ~ t l Ghansor "

-f

tracts o f the Seorli tal~sil. The soft whit'e wheat called PissJ is principally grown for export. 'I'wo varieties are locally known as pi=& one with long awns called sbilmrf~ai, and another bmrdless wheat called nrtdndi. This latter is said to

be the most rlist resistant of all varieties. Other varieties distinguished Iwally are hafirria, a large red bearded wheat, which natives consider to be the most'easily digested as a food ; jafdIy5, a yellow wheat which is sown as a delicacy; another variety caIled nrisri, which is said locally to have

. been imported from Egypt ; this is sown in ma11 quantities as a delicacy by landowners but is said to require manure

-' and tb be hard to thresh and grind ; and 9ndhrgZ, a yellow wheat .- which ripens earlier than the other varieties and derives its . .

name from the fact that it i s cut ill the month of MHgh (January-February). Pissz' ho~vevtr is now most raised both for export and for local consumption. .-

, .

CE pj"

~c,hods C U ~ ~ I \ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

, ,, * :tr l l l i ~ ~ lilZ

plough Iumc Fne,aI!r USC; in F''3 1 );I,,. c#.,U: , c"JC lli'

reJiro gl, ,-" bei 1g \bat it I.J~E* 1'1' tar'r

mlJ* bc l i i ~ c r ' x %*J a Q cd$ !

lhat the plouglL elanol be &llcn t 1 i ' ~ -$u

:o i'f"' cln5r of cvllle eonimo;blg u x d E.w .* ~i.n*rl;r a:e "'tip

made, bac~uw \be s u i h c ~ ib u\.cWn # f ~ d fr-able nror necl so11 does not i c * ~ i c 11 ~rci I b!', , 51: u~ fy bd lir Small ernb3nimes:ts 21 2 bdl\t lo l h r ~ C I : qlf/a>rx)n. hit J r f IU*

embanked on all stiles as rn ~lic: J~rlllrt:t;<~r<: i ' d r e ! ~ ; t i t ur y rarely foulld Occasionally e n l b ~ n ktd fCrY:!$ 21: iliCI 4,: abdh I: rrce land SO that the rtater can be {,I&F 4 fV, Itr,

irrigation of the rice crop, and wllcat f,e r, + ,r,q Lt in d2lr.p ground. Sowing is gcntzz ,: =i-r ,C,, L[,td

be~ lnn i*g of October after the scptLrL;# I ,, ,., krEpJ1bi , and lasts for a month or ,-,;, $; :,,, ,,,,,,:

varib ~ h h the cha~rr ter of the moilsoon 2 x I. ,:a bt ;i l l .

the middie of Sepk.aber, or last till llie n : - , , ~ Q' - . , d , i . , , i g , , , w h ~ l r in embanked field3 i,t may be pos:,,,cj :,,

Yf Nov~rnb~:. The plougi~ isused lor sowing i t,*+ :. hollow h-.mLrx, ~11th A smdl bowl at (lie

;+ tlLG *,&',,$ id- aced i s ful , ycrierniiy ty a w o ~ e n ; thf2 k = ~ TI--, $,<& $ s

lllc l ~ ~ n b u d f d fnHr i n t o r l~c (ullulv j u s ~ k- a* lie &>f$*-a ~ l ~ r r c . N i i r ~ x t a c t i i f of r ) ~ t t ,,

hC llic * V * rrge k half vr r//tec.~,~~nllc~s 5 &51-J+yt

an a:-= VI *%? * " 0 1 wfrt i~r?, ldrl 11 I - t l t f : t ~ 11, l,lgllt t-

Olll v/ljh / J / ~ / , / I I l i lll,/i,,j))), I f,,,

I I ~ 1 1 1 1 1 ~ \ \ I \ \ \ . -

- 3 * - ., ~ ~ 0 x 1 : AC;RICULTURE.

; the Hindu prqudice against this CrVp having hilberta preveiitd muck use being nlade of i t , lhaugh jts

- value is reengtlised As repards the effects of rain 011

crops t i le ~ c t t ~ e ~ ~ i e n t Officer says :-" * ovelllber is ,lot wallted unless the fdt of two ~l-evious

t months 11as been deficient, and even then i t often does as

much damage to the ripelling autur11n crops as jt does good to

!the of the?-crbi. 1f 'f0IIowingarainy October it - a , lnay be disastrous- and lay the foundation for rust. Exces-

! sive and untimely rain during the cold rrtailler i s vel-y ', iujurious, but the showers of Uecember and January are ' ccnsidered as a heaven-sent blessing. F e b r u a ~ . ~ rain is of

- ' lirklc avail, i f previous drought has prevailed alld if the

preceding nlontl~s have bee11 very rainy it may do cansider- ' , able , darttag. Utit it the cro? is late i t may do good. March. ' rain Is nearly always injul-ious.'~ Rotation is understood and practised to a Iiinited extent, the usual custom being to

BOW gram, tiurI and masfir in place of wheat, but there is I ~ O

recognised order. In Ghansor tvheitt alternates will1 these pulses and also with the spring ,crops, j u k and cotton. The Ilal-vest be,"ins toivards the end of February and lasts inlo

April, March being the regular mot1111 of l~arvezt. Tl~resl~iug +

kril~~zi) is crr~.r.ied out through b:~llocks, and for this and also for winnorvilig ( ~ W Z ' J ~ Z I ) 110 hired l abo~~r i s usually necessary. ., I l ~ e ' c u l t i t l ~ of the crop is commonly .eslimated lo cast 5 per Cent of the, produce. Winnowing needs a ,wind of fail. di-eilgth, and cannot be done ei ~ b e r a:l ca lm or very windy, dnys- The business of threshing and winnowing is usually colnpltlcd about the middle of Maj-. seed sown to acre of heat is stated to be I r 2 lbs , tl~oogil i l l is is perllaps ralher a high f igre- It probably includes cqntributions to vi l la@ servanls made at sowing lime, and i n t l i e neigil- bouring District of R t t d with ~ilnilar soil and nlethods of cultivarion quantity of seed required i s given as so to .

loo ibs. Tile standard outturn is 620 jbs. fin acre, wi,jle (lie 'Sdtlerne~lt Ilrpor-t, lyoo, p . 9.

.a T. . . I ,

. .

CROPS.

S-l tlelncnl Of6c er places the c;op in embanlied fields of h5.a'50,, soil at 730 lbs, an acre. I *

65. The chief disease to ~vllicb wheat is liable is rust. Thi-ee different fungi cause this diseasc,

Di~eascrr and pests. and are known as P~tcc i~t ia aval;tirris -

black rust, Prlccini,t gl.lrs;tmrwr~r yellow rust, and Plccnitim kificiun or orange rust. Tlie ycllom and black rusts are gena*ally foutld in Seoni. Rdsi is caused by cxccssivc rail1

during tlhe early stages of the crop. Wl~eu the plants are atlacltcd by this disease Qe ears do not fill out properly and the grain is ligllt and poor. 0 tiler diseases are smut caused

by the fungus Usiiiggo bnilici, and mildew caused by the

fullgus El;vsijlltr! gt-nnti~tts, but these are I-arel y f o u ~ ~ d it1 the District and the damage caused by ~bem is inconsidci-able. Wheat is liable to the attacks of four pests : ( I ) t!~e surface

weevil (?bry)/~tors irrdic~~s?, (2) 'l'ermi~es ( TL-~IJIP; ~ C Z ~ O ~ I ~ ~ I I S ) ,

(3 j the rvheat stem- borer (IVonn21.ro trnij5?~111is), ( 4 ) the wheat aphis (Sipknt~o)kora). The surface weevil reeds oa , - the young shooLs as they come out aT the ground and [nay destroy the wbole ciaop and malic' f~-esb sorvirigs necessary. Tenuites attack 111c roots and thus dcswoy the crop.

They are never nutnerous enough to desh.oy the crop

over a whole field, but here and tlterc bleacl~cd Cadcd '

plan:s can be eeeil and the loss inflicted is occasionally considerable. The seem-borer is a caterpillar rv l~ich attacks

and destroys the main stem. If the grain is forming the,, '-

loss' is conside~*ablc, but i f the plant is young it will throw .

out side shoots. The green aplris fkeds on the leaves and wl{en the ear forms attacks it and sucks out the juice ' .. of the grain. The damage done b y nli these varier '

from year to year. 'l'ermites are ge~terally ioulrd

year arter .year, but the injury fro:n ot l~e~. pests is often

inconsiderable and depctlds, gentrally on clinlatic coudi-

. - - Bet$ District-Gazetteer. b\+ Mr. L. E. l'. Caskil!.

SEOSl. AGRICULTURE. 1

84 65, TIle second crop ~ I I importance consists of ihe slllall

millets kodan and ku t ki wbic11 have Ko&ro-kuiki. ccveretj between 16 and 20 per cenr

the ,-mpped area in diffc'rent years. 'l'be lal-gest area

under them was I5;,OOO acres in 1894-95t and lhe

smallest I 16,000 jn r 897-98. They are the staple f o ~ d of tl,e Gonds, as well as of the poorest classes of Hilldus and are sown even by landoivnets and tenants in good circum-

stances for the purpose of paying the wages of labourers in

pin. 'rmo varieties of kodon are locally distin~uisbed, bhtrdcli or light and sairri or heavy. The first is sown at

*

the break of the rains and cut about the end of Septembel. and the second is sown in August and cut in November 01- December. L n d intended for lzodon is treated with the btrkhnr once in the hot weather and once after the first rain ; rh:: seed is then sown broadcast and the bnkltnr dragged again over the field to cover it in. New Iand is ploughed

, twice with the bnI in the rains before the year of sowing and k 3 d m is oTten sown as the first crop. Ic is also a

common practice with poot' land to sow kodon for hro years and then leave the fidd waste for two ycars Tor graz-

ing pllrposes, o~-jt~g.lra' rollowed by k d o n may be sown and the11 kutki for two years, after which a two years' fallow js

given. Kodon is practically immune from disease, but if the rainfall is insutficient khe crop is destroyed, and the natives call this dtrdfiin or pnttatsv~, though whether they

refer to the effects of a disease or the attack of a pest is not '

certain. T l w people Ulink that if a bear goes through a

kodon field, the crop acquires intoxicating properties, perhaps because the bear is so forid of mahuZ ; and believe that if a

tiger goes througll the field the plants will be strellgthencd and bear pfentifulIy, by acquiring from the tiger an infusion of his leading characteristic. LCutki (Po11 jclt~j, psi/@o,$fifl,t) is not 50 ~nuch grown as kodon. 'Two varieties are distin- guished with lighi and dark-coloured weds, of wl,ich the former is common, and the crop is also groali early

. .

CROPS. . 8s

atid late like Lodon ; ~Iie early crop is called 6l~oduJT as i t is , . sow11 in the month of Bllidon and the late one hni~thnh? as . being cut in ICZrtik, or osni because it comes with the dew-

T h e early kutki gives the better crop. Kutki is not so exhausting to the soil a s kodon and can be sown continu-

ausly or with infrequent fallows. It is subject to the atlacks of a black insect with red wings shaped I iIc t a wasp, which is locally known as the ghotS or horse-fly. It is said to . attack t l ~ z planes before (he grain has for~ned but not after-

wards. About a kir1-o or 14 1bs- d both grains is sown in . an acre and the standard outturn of kodon is 4 m Ibs., yield- :

ing 2 0 0 lbs. of cleaned produce. 67. Rice (Uryan snfivn) is an . important crop i n ihe

Ugli and BargllZt tracts of the east of Rice.

the Semi tahsil, which really form part of the transplanted rice country of the Waingangi valley, and it is also grown in the Kurai tract and in the kullin'r area to the south of the Haveli. Elsewhere only rice of a coarse quality is gl-own for home consumption, and i t .,

is frequently found in g~ttrrrZ fields near tbe site or the vil- - ,

lage. T h e largest area under LIIC crop was 104,000 act-cs

i1~18g3-~4andthe'srnalIest41,0~in1Sgg-1goo. Itcovers -

fro111 ro to I 5 per cent of the cropped area. . The varieties or rice art very numerous. Chilr~trl/- is one of the best kinds

o i table ]-ice, Ht~J~~Jgii~lri i or ' yellow button,' o r j r l i p h E or

' sllapcd like a mango ' and pisso or wlleat-sbapcd are the - names of other varieties of which the meauing is known. a,

Out of nearly 105,000' acres recorded under the crop at

set tlerneat more Lhan four-6Cths was transplanted. rice, but '.

in recent years both the area grown in this inanner and its - .

proportion to the total acreage or the crop have greatly ,.

'

declined. !$'hen the crop is to be transplanled (vupci~ the plants are first sown thickly in small plors or nurseries, . - called klrrlt,, which are heavily nraour-ed. When sufficient

1 The attcslatiorl 1rcorcl3 of the sclllclne~~t refer to two years, m d the area under rice rvas t~igl~er illall that rtmrdea iu airy siuqlc gear.

2' . . . - . ' *

, rain has fallell the rice 'fields are plougllcd illto a slate of liquid mud, with a sort of harrow (dabf) and after about a m ~ n i h . of growth in the nurseries th: ymng plants ai-e kakerl np and dabbed into lhis mud with a stick or with the fioger. Sometimes if ihc field is sort enough they may be siinply thrown into it. Trailsplauted rice requires a favourable rainfall in August and September and a coi>siderable pro- po;tion of i t is irrigated. Weeding is not needed. The cost:

of transplantation is heavy as the process is intensely lxbo-

rious, 'but tlle outturn is largely increased in gqod laud.' , Rice sown broadcast (bo i r ) is plougbed up . when a Cew

i ~ ~ c h e s high and the dalrt or harrow i s then dragged over ihe : fiAd upside down to press in tile plants again. By lhis

]]leans most of the weeds are killed and the field does not as a rule require weeding afterwards Water must bc staod-

. : ing in the field when the plants are ploughed up. This p~octss is not usually carried. out in fields of black soil,

... :. perhaps owing to the difficulty of ploughing, and here the . ,

crop is simply weeded. 'Thc seed sown for rice is locally , stated to be one kko~~dt' (320 lbs.) in a & acres or the same

. . as for rrheat; while the Settlement Report gives the seed as

, I zo Ibs. and the outturn as I 203 lbs. or ten-fold. The ct-op *

, is some:imes attacked by a caterpillar and in a dry year the plants are destroyed when comiog into ear by the-grass- hoppel-5 known as frh6phir {Hcrog~rfits frcrcifir).

68. I'ht pulse gram (Cc~lr ctl-itbi~liltlr) is the fourth crop

-c. . in importance, its acreage having varied Gram.

, , . ; - from 20,000 to 50,000 acres. It has . , . becon~t more popular in recent years. Two va~.ietics are

. . known, the red or I d l and the white or pal-balin, the . la~ter having a white and illt former a bluish-red flower. . .. -- Pnr-bcrlh is generally sown in tlic rice tracts and I d . ,

elservl~ere. A t11ir.d variely called chn~rL wit11 e s~na l l g-rai1-r . - i s said to be sown occaai?nally. Land is prcpal-ed Tor grnnl , .

. ,. - I ,. - A mort dmi lrd drwripiibu ol the ptoccs ol t1a11spl;ultatio11 1vi1l k

fou11d in the RBlbglrkt b i i~r~ct tirzeitcer, .

C h

CROPS, '

in the same way as for wheat and the seed may be sown

broadcast or t111.ough a sowing-tube. Broadcast gram is called cI1l1nrl-i. The broadcast crop is earlier than the other, wliich is sown at the same time as wheat and cut about r 5 days before it. Wbetl the young plants colne up their tops are plucked off and this is said to 'make them spread and

bear more fruit. The leaves make a favourile vegctablc. Occasionally a sheet is spread over the crop at night and wrung nut in the morning and the liquid obtained is

take11 as a ~nedicinc. Granl is s ~ w n both, singly and a5 a mixture with wl~ea t or linseed and also as a second crop in bjaclr-soil fields. Wllcn sown svi th linseed the proportion is.

3 0 pel- cent of this crop to 70 of gram. The seed required for an acre of gram is 7 0 lbs. and the standard outturn

600 Ibs. The crop is very liable to damage F~.um itwt and fog and i l l m e t or cloudy wearher s caterpillar called i//I appears alld causes great haroc.

69. Tiur5 [L,~r/y~).rrs snlir trs) is another cold weather

pulse covering from 12,ooo to 30,om 01ker spring cr ops.

acres or z to d per cent of Iht crop-

ped area. The screngc under i t iias declined in recent yea=.

'There al-e ti\-o varieties of tlic pulse of w11ich.thc one a

larger seed called 1il;rZ or hiAh is sown as a cold weather '

crop, ~vbile the smaller called /riIfJ~wi js grown as a secolld

crop in irrigated rice, fields. Both plants have a bluish flower and except in the size of the grain no difference has been . detected in their clanracters, but kfkhor Z has l i n e of i l~e injuri- ous effects in causing paralysis, mliich have been p~+nduced by the excessive use of tiul.2 as a food grain i n fainine p a r s . : 'The seed sown to an acre of tiuri and he outturn are said

locally be about [he same as for gl-als, but the Seillemei~E Report pl:ts the outturn of kilihori sown as a second crop at . 300 Ibs. The pulse 1nasEr ( t h i l m it7~!sl occupies about the

salnf nl-ep as ti~1.5. It is grown in the cold weatl~er and '

a heavy soil relaining moisture and n more careful ,

lillh tllnn gm.1. About 90 lbs. of seed are sown 10 ihe acre . '

and tile standard outturn is 640 Ibs, Bnlrz 61' Peas (Pisrfr1l

nlve~rsp) are grown on a few thousand acres. 70. The oilseeds ti], jtlprtl and linseed occupy togelher

I - nearly 70,aW acres, or about 9 Per O11stcds.

cent of the cropped area. In recent years tile popularity of linseed has Iargely declined, as it suffered severely during )he wet seasons 6f 1892 to 1894,

94 ~ b s . of seed are required to the acre and the stand- ard outturn is 250 \bs. Til (Sesnnz~rnr irtrlicrcnl) has three

varieties with white, red and black seeds. They all have white flowers. The white-seeded variety is sown at the beginning of the rains and the other two in August. Tlie first crop is cut in September and the second in November. The oil of tilseed is ex ported and is also used locally for food and for rubbing on the body. It is scarcely used at all for eating.

Jngtti (Gtrimdia oleifrl-fl) is sdwn between June and August and the crop is ready af ter a period of two or three months. It i s often sown in land overgrown with weeds in the belief that it causes them to disappear. Both ti1 and jirgfnhre sown in the poorer kinds of soil and are sometimes grdw~l mixed with kodon, ju3r and cotton. 011ly fi-om a to 4 Its. of each oilseed are required to sow an acre and the standard outturn is I 50 lbs.

71, JuZr ( S o ~ ~ h t d ~ t t vtra'gnre) covers from 12,000 to

4 0 , m acres, the area under it having JuLr.

largely increased since I 893. Seve- ral vavieties are locally distinguished. Tbe seed is usually sown broadcast, but in the south of the Seoni tahs:.l the I(fnrr or three-coultered serving drill of the N,igpur country has been introduced. A two-multered drill is also used which - is called Arbe. Occasionally it is also sown with the bflkhnr to which a bamboo tube is attached. J u S ~ isfrequenlly sown

, mixed with several other crops as arhar (Cnjnnus iridiCtts), . - mad (Phas~olzis radinitls), m6ng (Phnscofrcs ~ l r ~ ~ t g o ) , kodon

and cotton, The seed is sown a t the beginning of j u l y a i d ' the crop is ready for culii~lg by I he end of Decelober. is '

I . CROPS. ' . . .* - generally weeded once. The stalks are cut off near the - top or half way down and not at the root as in the NIgpur country, much or their value for fodder being thus lost.

72. Tile nrea under cotton (Gossypittnt hc~.hacetlnr) has .

increased from 6000 acres in 189394 CO~IOR. .

to x 5,000 in 1904-05. It is principally . grown in the tract rvund Chhapara and Bakhlri and also i l l the south near Kurai. The variety locally grown is

' called iijst~uia a n d i s believed to bt a kind of jarz. Cotton is often soivn.iu fields i v ~ ~ b s e fertility is increased by proxi- mity to the village site or in low-lying laud, but it is not usually ma~iurcd i ! ~ Seoni. It i s sown broadcast and is often n~ised with arhar, ti1 and ju5r. Another crop which has receu tly become important is salt-bcm p ~Cm~~lnriagbmcea) and the objection which nlernbers of the good castes formerly ente~'tninedlosowi~lgitisfastdi~appearing. Inrw$-o5 i t - covered r 5,000 acres, having increased froin ;OOO acres in 2893-94. Sn~t is often grown on kochhdl- land along the .

banks of rivers and also in gardens, It is sown in the beginning of the rains and cut in November or December. -

The s=cd is sown very thick so that the plants may stand .

close together and be prevented from branching out, as this spoils the yield of fibre. The process of beating out the

fibre is very expensive and is said to cost a fifth of the produce, though this may be an exaggeration. The seeds a r e Fed to caetlt. Mr. Chapman remarks:-' It is

, 'surprising that hemp is not sown even more than it is. ,, ,

.' The explanation is -I think that a good supply of water , ,

'is ssential for cleaning the hemp for market, The pro- Lcess of working the hemp ,renders the water unfit for %

other purposes. and thus the productio~~ of henip is res- * tricted tn those places which have a superabundant water- .

. 73, The area under sugarcane declined from 8 5 Q acre in 1893-94 to 460 in rg04-05. Five

Sugarcane. varieties af the grain are said to be * grown in the District. PortdZ is the English or white cane, having a smooth yellow stalk with I I O ~ F S at Iong intervals. It gives the best sugar but is more diWcult to

cultivate and is peculially subject to the attacks of wild anitnals. 'The paclit arrg, so called because it is

variegated in shades of red and yellow, is the cane most generally grown. The cane plot is ft~l-rowed into numer-

ous sn~a l l channels along which water is run, and the seed, which consists of small pieces of cane containing each three or rour eyes, i s then sown in the channel, the sower pressing his foot on to each piece as he drops it so as to

parlially bury it. Manure and cot~stant irrigation in the dry season are required. The stalldard outturn is I zoo lbs. of grw or unrefined sugar per acre.

74. minor crops the small millets sazcGtliv (Pmzicrr~rr fr w- ~~rzsducerrrn) and karzgtri (Selal-in ilolica)

Minor CI npr. covered 18,000 and goo0 acres res-

. pectively in 1904-05. Condiments and spices, chillies, cor.ian- der, garlic and o~lions are principally grown. The fibre anrbirl (Hrbiscfrs cnr trrnhi~~~a) was grown on I30 acres in I 904-05. Groves and orchards cover about 8 50 acres, nearly

F

all of which consists of mangoes, as practically no other fruits - are grorvn. Of vegetables, brinjals (Sola?#ltnz ~ r ~ t l o f l g e n r t ~ r ~ )

occupy 130 acres, Knk~.f (C?rc/rrrris saliuus) 600 acres, and

8rveet potato (Rntfltns edlrlis) loo acres. Melons are grown on the sandy stretches exposed in the beds of rive1 s. In December or January the DhTmars prepare thc plot by re- moving the surface sand, and the wet soil is then made up

into L u k or beds and plentifully manured. The seds are . put in lukewarm water for a night and next, morning are tied

up in the leaves of castor and exposed to the sun. After this tbcy are covered wid) grain for some days, during rvhich

, they germinate. They are sown ia January or February and '

d. I,

.. - CROPS. - , 91% .

tltc plots are frequenlly manured (luring the period. of growth, the inallure being put in at the roots, while the sul-face of the plot is covered rvitli sand. The outturn of a plot of half an acre is i%o or 700 melons and the cost of cultivation about ns. 50.

75. The comlnon plough called lial or uriga'r, coi~sisls of

three pieces, the hol or upright, the Ag~~iculiural i~nple~na~ts . cltnltr6 or wooden socket of the share

and the t~ictiliin or handle. The iron shaie is called plrtir, A ljglllcr plough is used in the rice tracts. Tbe sowing plough is made by fixing a bamboo tube (#or), rl2ith a bowl (chru-I) at

t he t ap i~~ ta thewoadcasucke t ?'het$~nor three-pronged sowing driil of the N5gpur coulitry has been introduced into the south of tIte District, Improved methods of cultivaling juir and colton by sowing in straight lines, between rvl~ich . ' harrows drawn by bullocks can be pulled for weediug the fields, are gradually findirlg their way into the District fitom . N,igpur; There is no doubt that this method saves illuch labour in weeding and ensures nourisbrn:nt. to the roots by turning moist soil over them. 'The ki~ri is a sort ot cart -:.'

without whccls tvlricl~ the rice seedlings are placed for transplantalion, and it is dragged by buffaloes over the rice

' e~nbanttl~eats. The rlufGri is a beam of wood studded with nails used for breaking up the clods and preparing the fields -

for transplanted rice. A small narrow spade called k&l!o is . .

employed for mmaking embankments in rice fields, ' h e , girtwd is a sort of rvoode11 stand for the foot, about twelve -. in-hes high; the iltau who pulls up the rice seedlings frdm

- th: nursery uses a pair of these to prevt~lt his feet from ."

beiug con~inually iii~nlersed in the water. Wr~en it rains . the cultivator places a ntortn or lea( umbizlla without a

llandle on his liead so that it rests there without being held and goes on rvociring. - +

76. A6 a manure is collected only during the four . . . wet months and i n the open .season is

' . bla~lurc. made into cowdung cakes. It is kepl in .

shallow open pits and the sweepings and refuse of the house . .. are added to it. No use is made of liquid manure or of the

silt of tanks. The nurseries for transplanted rice must be . heavily manured, three cart-loads being spread on a plot of about a twentieth of an acre. la the spring crop area the

' manure is used for the maize gardens and o:casioizally for . juar and cotton but vel-y rarely for wheat.

, 77. The largest it'rigated area was 32,003 acres or 5 per

cent of h e total in 1891-gz, while in 111+igati01l.

1899-rgoo i t fell to 2500 acres, and , ' in 1904-05 was 10,500. The District contains about 600

irrigation tanks and about 500 dul-able and rboo tt~ilporary wells. The area watered from wells is usually less than 1000 acres and consists of sugarcane and vegetables. Rice

.,, is irrigated from tanks in the rice tracts of Ugli and BasgLgt. '

- Regul~r irrigation tanks ace provided wiih rough sluices at , the sides, and frequently also in the cenlre 10 draw off the

, deep water below the embankment. The sluice often con-

sists of the hallow trunlc of a tree imbedded in the earrh, . sorneti~rles two placed one above the other, while for large

tanks clrannels of brick are made 'The opening towards rhe tank is stopped with a clay pot filled with ear th or a curtain

of hemp fibre. Small tanks called gdrjlris are also made by ' -

running an embankment across a slope with rice fieids lying .

- beneath i t . The water collects behind the bank and is let ' . . "

out into the rice fields in Sspteinberor Octobzr and wheat is then sown in the moist bed of the tank. It is proposed to

- bring the wbole or the Ugli tract under a system of irvrigation from three large tanks which are to be constructed at REmal, KatangZ and B~rghondZ. Embankments for wheat fields have hitherto been very rare, but in the last fetv years, a few of the best agriculturists have begun to construct them, At seklement only 3030 acres of land were provided wit11 regu-

+ lar embankments on all sides or bandlrdrrs, and 6000 more * . *

had sn~all embankme~its or bnrzlihins h i l l along the lower

end of the field to preverit erosion. The highest proportion of fully embanked fields is found in the villages along the Ntr - budda. The reason why [bey are not often made elsewlhere is probably that the sul-face is too uneven and the friable

sfzurnttd soil does not settle down into a strong bai~lc. The people sag that tbe earth is like gobnj- or cowdung. '

78. The best cattle a1-e bred in the Kurai and KhavHsa tracts below the Sitpura plateau. '

Brecds and prices. These ate of the Gaolao breed of War-

dl13 and tbe hel-ds are in charge of pr~l 'ess io i~~l Gaolis; the

vi l lage. d PStan may be rnel~tioard as containing a large .

number of stock. Special bulls are kept for breeding and changed tvtl-y tbl-et or four years. T h e GaoIao cattle are white ,with S I I O F ~ horns, broad convex foreheads, shol.t ears '.

and large and soft eyes, They have full chests and fairly . developed forearms and their lails are long, thin and tapering. 'Ihe calves bred in ICul-ai fetch Rs. 30 a head at the age of .

r 3 months. The stock reared on the plateau are poor animals al' mixed breed and are knorvu by the generic name of Gondi. They have lo~lg horns, sbort cars and narrow fbreheads. In the villages round Adegaoi~ cattle of a grey colwr resembling those of Saugor are raised. And there are also n i~utllber of animals belonging to the R a i p r h breed, which pl-obably 4

come from Jubbulpore and Mandll. On the plateau bulls *

are not usually set apart for breeding, but i f a cllltivator bas a god animal he may keep him for a year before castrating him and get some calve-s from him. Light-coloured hoofs are , . '

a bad mark in a bullock as they are with a Pony, .

while dark kllees horns and a dark-coloured line under

the body are held to indicate a good animal. A local saying

94 SEONI. AGRICULTURE .* >

C KcJlig2~1/t ho k a j h I&ik Chrir d5ui na'llih ded@.

A

Which is rendered : '( Oh husband, when you go to purchase a bullock, if his hoofs are white, don't look at h i s teeth, but if bis knees are black you can yay fclur rupees more

for him." Bultocks are castrated in the second or third year, the

. .operationbeiugusuallyperFornled byGoi~ds In their fourth year they are trailled to cultivation. The rvorlcing life of a ,

pair of bullocks is said to be ten years, except in the I-Iaveli tract where-owing to the severe labotu- of cultivalion in the heavy black soil and the lack of grazing they l as l only for five or six years. The price of a pair of Gaolao bullocks is . about Rs. 150 and of Got~di bullocks about Ks. 50. .

79. 'The herds Irom the Kurai triict are sent to the forests of Maudlii and I3,il%ghiit for the .

Grazing and food. hot weather, but ebetvhere the cattle

only go tothe nearest Governrncilt fol-cst. Often they are not sent at all if the forest is too distant to pernlit of he i r return the same night. The favourable grazing rates recenlly

; introduced for h e stoclr of local culiivato~s have resulted in an increased resort to the forests for grazing purposes. As a rule even plough bullocks only get wheat and rice slraw

when graziug is nok available, while in the busy seasou they are given 2 lbs. of tiura per head daily if Lhe cultivator can afford it. A day's feed for a pair of bullocks is 80 bundles of grass or straw and 16 Ibs. oC chaff and double this amount

may be given during the working season. be Ponwiirs . feed their cattle on the water in which rice has been boiled, ' and the leavings of food from the household, collecting the

food in wooden troughs for them. Sometimes they boil down pigs' fat and give it for food as well as using i t as an

. embrocation for be limbs. A feed of salt is usually given once a month during the rains to plough bullocks, the

. al~owance being from 4 to 8 oz, a head. Landowners may give it also at the Diwsli festival, Other tattle usually only

. . . ' I '

I . ' i . - ,

CATTLE, . . . ' . &$

- get salt once n year during the rains, &en it is strewn on the grass for them. Those who callnot afford salt somelimes feed the sl~-a~v on which hol-scs have been bedded t o their cattle.

: 80. In ~goJ.-o< the District contained r 3 2 , ~ ~ bulls and bullocks or a pair to every r 3 acres in

Statistics of cnttle. cultivation, During the four years up

to 1,905 the num hers of stock rose steadily, from 54,mo in 1901. 'Thenumber of cows in the Distl-ict in the same year

4-

was 120,000, giving about 70 .to ~ ~ 1 1 itlhabited village or

two to each household, a very high average. In villages near forest the proprietors keep large numbers of cows and

. substantial tenants may have ten or a doze11 apiece, but where there is no forest within easy distance the ~~urnbers are mudl smaller. The price of a cow on the plateau averages about Rs. I S and in the Kurai Lract Rs. 30. The Gnnds and a few poor Muhammadans use barren cows for cultivation.

81. BuKaloes are principally bred in the Kanbi~vZra . circle by Gaolis and 1Ci1-Irs, who keep

BuBsloes. large I~erds for the purpose of manulac- ;

turillg ~ I I ' T . I n the rice tracts they are uscd for cultivation as -

they worl: well in the mud and slush of the fields and are

stronger than cattle. But they are OF l i~t le or no value in

dry weather and hence even the rice cultivator cannot rely entirely or mainly on buffaloes. In the Haveli watt buffaloes are solnetimes employed for ploughing up fields overgrorvil ,

wit11 kGns gr+ass. 'She price of a male buifalo is about Rs. 20 and o f a c o w i r o n ~ Rs. soto Rs S o x c c o r d i ~ ~ g l o t h e a m w u t

.-

or m i l k given. In rgoq-05 there were r r,om riiale and 30,000 corv buffaloes in the District.

82. Practically no sheep are bred, ~lut'goats are kept b o ~ h by the Gadarias or shepherds. and

Smpll stock. by ordinary cu1tivnto1-s. Large flocks - 4

or goats are also drive11 thro~lgh the District from Bundel-

. kband, to tile soutb. Thest animals are known as Bengila

b n k ~ i and are black, while those bred in Sconi may be b1,lkk . . . . * .. . .. .

' @k ' SEONf AGRICULTURE.

or while, or speckled. Small ponies ai-e bred and are used for riding, especialIy in the Haveli, where carts cannot travel during the rains off the metalted roads. Petty traders keep

ponies for carrying their goods about to the village markets. . A few landowners also k e ~ p small mares for breeding.

In rg34-05 there were Eooo horses and ponies in the District.

83. The largest mortality among cattle i s at the com- mencement of t he raius when they eat

Cattle-disease. the young rank grass in large quanti-

*. ties after a long pe~iod of under-feeding. From Februal-y onwards the animals do not get sufficient sustenance to keep them in good coudi tion and their enfeebled frames auccun~b readily in the rains precisely as the people themselves do in time of famine, The local saying is : - Mnre efttre -WSgh kc, k Aszrhe' khor, or LThe bullock is really killed io M5gh but AsRrh gets the blame.' Foot-and-mouth disease (kbr~n') and

- rinderpest (mJla) arc the commonest ail tnen ts of cal tle. 'I be former is only fatal when occurring in a virulent form. The local treatment is to apply charcoal and ~ n i r ~ z leaves or dihcfmili, the gum of Gnvdejria Iwcida boiled in sweet oil, to

. the feet and to make the animal stand in mud, while the mouth i3 washed with a solution of .alum or a mixture of salt turmeric aild ghz. lf maggots get into the wounds a powder

1 is applied made from the leaves of the custard apple tree (Anunu sprunosa) In this case the animal ]nay bc laid up for six months, but if Lhe disease is properly treated i t may .

a be cured in a monlb or less. No regular treatment exists for rinderpest beyond giving the animal cooling food, Calves

* suffer much fro~n atracks of itch. Buffalo calves especially . are very delicate, and their lives arc not considered to be

secured until they have got into their third year, the local saying being that when a buffalo has seen the lamps of three D i w ~ ~ i s it may be expected lo live. A veterinary dispensary . - has been established at Seoni for three years, and about I Z ~

. . animals were treated at it in 1904-05, * ..

*

84. A large callle fair is held allnually at Chhapara, to

which numbers of old and worn-out 4

Fairg. animals are brought for -sale to the .

butchers, A weekly cattle market is held at Barghat and a

few animals are sold in the Bhaironganj market at SeonT. Cultivators from the north of the District often go to the * . Pindrai marlcer in MandlZ to pui-chase cattle, and also to , ,

Chhiudw3ra. Tbe young stock of the Gaolao breed from . .

Kurai and Khawasa are taken to Kamptee for sale.

LOANS, PRICES, WAGES, MANUFACTURES, T R A D E AND COMMUNICATIONS.

LOANS.

8 5. There is as a rule litlle demand for Land Improve- ment loans in 111e District ; and except

Land Inll'lmverne'lt and during the famines the amount nd- Agr~eultu~ 1st~ ' Loalhs.

vanced has not on an average exceeded Rs, goo a year. In 1897 about Rs. 2o,ooo were given out

in loans, nlainly to mSlguzirs in Lhe Kurai tract and the rice country round Ugli and Brrrghit. I n rgoo loans were not as a rule given and the construction and repair of tanks weic ~ll~dertaketi either as swall relief-works under the Civd De- partment or by means of grants to malguz5rs. F~om the

passing ol the La~ld lmplove~nent Loans Act i n I 883 up to

1904-og about Rs. 60,000 were advanced in all, of which Rs. &,om were recovered and Rs. 5ooo remitted, a balance of nearly Rs. 7000 being outstanding. Nearly Rs, 8000 were recovered in interest. No sarrads for agricultuial im- provements were so far as is known given p~ ior to I 899, and from h a t year up to r 905, fifteen were distributed ; of these eleven were given for embankments and otller works in fields, three far the excavatiot~ of wells and one for the improvement

' of a tank. The fact that more ce~*tificaLes have not been

give11 for tank work is somewhat surpl-lsing. Transactions under the Agricultur~sts' Loans Act were similarly on a very small scale unlil 1896 when about Rs. 23,000 were

given out in consequence of the failure of crops. Duleing the subsequent famine years advances were madc on a large scale, more than a lakh being distributed in rgm. During the last two years up to 1905 the anlount adl

* v ~ c a l has again fallen to Rs, 4000. The total amount of I

LOANS. 99 - loans made under the Act between 1883 and r g q was . Rs. 3.30 lakl~s , of which Rs. 2.85 lakhs were recovered and

Rs. 3 5 poo remitted, leaving about Rs. ~o,ooo outstandil~g.

' A sum of Rs. rg,ooo rvns recovered on account of interest The result of the transactions under both Acts is thus tbat Goverumenr has been repaid nearly the whole of the princi- pal sun1 advanced but has received no interest, the amount actually recover.cd on this account being soil~ervllat less than

the p~-iiicipal wrilten oA There cat1 be no doubt bowevcr that the loatis have ~ilaterially contribu(ed to save inany cultivators from fillancia1 ~ u i n and have kept much land under cultivation wbich tvonld allierwise now be waste.

86. Thc rate of iiltel-esr oti private loans is f1.0n1 G to 12

per cent iu t hc case of large sums of +

Rates of inmest on private loans. Its. I 000 or more and on good secur-

ity. Occasivnally thc rate of interest may now be lowered to 3 or 4 per cent, during the currency of a loan if tlie security is unimpeachable. Tenants in ordi- nary circumstauces have usually to pay 2 4 per cent far cash loans. 111 the case of loai~s for seed grain the aveldage rate is 2; per cent for the spring and jo per cent for the autumn crops. Advances of grain for food while the crops are in the ground are called kl~trrwrr~. The autumn grains and especially . kudon and kutkT are usually borrowed i l l tllis manner and the intel-est cl~arged is 50 per cent. On this subject the Settlement Officer wrote as roilorvs :-

' A ~ u m b e r of Hindu ryots and rvjth few exceptions the .

Gouds sow t h t i ~ . ow11 seed, but a great many cultivalors ' depend solely upon borrowing for this purpose. This per- 'nic~ous systein of borrowing undoubtedly tells hmvjly up011 #

' the resources of poor tenants who find it almost impssiblc .

'to remain out of debt. There arc however solne tenants ' who, though they are in a positio~l to sow their own seed, ' yet to please their landlord, or to keep UP tbeir connection

with the moneylender, generally borrow. Gond ryots,

1Settlenle1lt Repol t, 1900, pam. 36

* 100 SEONI, LOANS, PRICES, IVAGES, ETC,

' with but few exceptions, reserve their own seed for the ' kadoc and kutki crops and borrow any other seed that they 'may sow,' The credit of the tenants stood at a low ebb during the period of agricultural depression, and the prac- tice of liiiunlri or selling the crop before harvest sprang up. I n such transactio~~s the loan made in cash bas to bc repaid in grain at a low value rate after harvest and the contract always redounds to the advantage d the lender, who may reap a profit of about 53 per cent. Cotton, ti!, wheat and

san-hernp are tbe crops sold in this way, and it is a favourite method with the Parw5r Baniis especially in the DhanorE, KedPrpur, Chhapiia and Mungwiini tracts.

87. The moneylenders of the District bdong principally to two classes, the Parw3r and MSrwSri

Y oneylenderg. Banias ; to these must be added a few

Kzyasths who have made extraol-dinary headway during the last decade. The Deputy Commissioner wrote as follow^ of the moneylending class in 1902:-' The methods of the ' moneylending class have undergone no change ; usurious ' contracts are as common as ever they were ; exorbitant rates ' of in~eres t are the general rule. It must be adnlittcd how-

' ever that creditors have felt i'ne pinch d the cycle of bad , years to a greater or less dekree according to their own

wealth. Petty moneylenders in rural areas have sometinies

' gone to the wall altogether ; the'ir richer brethren in towns

.. Lhave suffered also and have had to wait for a return on c their capital ; but the wealthy banker has come out of these ' times, perhaps scalded, but with power unimpaired. In this ' connection the quesiion presents itself whether the money-

tlending class hankers after landed property. An analysis of the transfers effected by the courts tends to show that this class is not ~ i o w genuinely eager for land. Excepting ' a few individuals who are boil1 banIcers and rnZlguz5rs on a ''large scale, and excepting also a few more who aeeasianally '' ~urchase a village at a cheap price from a spirit of spe,-ula-

' tion, ~ t ~ h r j f f l r ~ as a body do not consider landed property -

aged investment, and look upon the administration of such 'property, often at a distance from their place of business, 'as a somewhat unprofitable burden. They acquire land 'rather fro111 necessity as the sole secu~ity for their

' debts than from deliberate choice.' The majol-ily of the lead- ing ~i~oneylenders reside in Scoili and are generally Palwar

Banias. Among them may be mentioncd Seth Piiran SHO ParrvZr Bani$ the rveallhiest banker of the District, who owns about 1 5 villages; Rai Bahridur La15 011kar Dis an Agarm31 Elani5, who is an Honorary Magistrate and owns 27 villages ; Seth Srirrlm 530, ParwZr Bani3 ; Lll5 M urlidhar Khazgnchi a DbGsar BaniZ, who was formerly Treasurer of the District ; while there are several other Parw5r BauiBs with a considerable capilal. Tbe leading moneylenders of other castes arc Bhopat Rao Mar.ith3 of Seoni, rvbo

. owns seven villages; Dsdu Bnkht3war Singh, SaksenZ K3yasth of Seoili, orvniug eight villages ; RGpchand, Kanaujia Bfihinan of MungwSni who has an estate of twcnty *

villages; and Khet Singh, Giijar of Khamat-ia in the Lakhnidon tahsil who also has some twenty villages.

. The leading mo~leylendcr in Chhaplra is Gulib Chand, a Parwar Banis.

88. During the currency of the 30 years' settlement the number of mahHls transferred by sale . Transfers of villages. or foreclosure was 263 or 18 per cent

*

of the total number of ~ 4 8 4 in the District held in m,?lgua8ri right. In the Seoni tahsil the proportion was 23 per cent, and in the Lalrhn~don tahsil 13. The amount of property transferred was slightly less than in other Districts during the same period. The Seiklement Officer pointed out that

the t raders of estates were in no way due Lo the incidence

of the land-revenue demand, as not a single village had been sold for arrears or taken under Governincnt management. Tbc value of landed propel-ty went up enormously during this period, and there &as little outlet for the increasing c ~ p i b l or the District except in loans on land. The consequence was

SEONI. LOANS, PRLCES, WAGES, ETC, J 02

that prap~ietocs were abIe to obtain sums on loall amounting in some cases to so large a multiple of the annual income from their property that this would barely suffice to Pay the interest debt. The multiple OF the land revenue which .Kas paid on transfers went up in some instances to an extra-

ordinary figure. In recent years transfers have naturally

been much more frequent, as pi+~pl-ietol-s W ~ Q with favouwble . -

seasons could have extricated theinselves were unable to

withstand the losses of the famines. Between r898 and 1905 a total of I 15 whole villages and 539 shares were trans-

fer~-ed. Jf the shares be counted up by annas a total of some

2 I 5 whole vilIages is ob!ained or Inore than a seventh or the ,

total number in the District, The process of transfer bas thus been about three times as rapid during this period as

compared with the previous thirty years. Of the total num-

ber of 654 transfei-s of villages and shares, go were made by moneylenders, 601 by agriculturists artd 23 by others; while -

6 r transfers were made to moneylenders, 50s to agriculturists and Sq to others. Agriculturists therefore lost by 93 trans- fers or about a seventh of the total number; and of thcse 32 were made in favour oi moneylenders and 61 to otheix. Tile amount of property passing into the hands of pro- fessional moneylenders during this period was thus not very substantial. The Goverr~ment revenue due on the pro-

' perty transrerred was Rs. 57,000, while the total consi- ''

. deration obtained in lieu of trallsfer was Rs, 12-66 lakIls g~ 2 2 times the land revenue, a very favourablc result. .

Similarly high prices have been realised in the case of land sold by the Collector and it cannot be doubted that, whatever may b t the condition of individual proprietors,

- the value of landed property is greater than it has ever been.

. ,89. The average rate per acre paid for land leased to sub-tenants in 1904-05 was R. o- r 3-3 ' : R"tcs pid land as against the average Government

.:;- , aublc*. , , . :. :. +

rental or R. 0-10-7. At settlement the rate paid for land sublet was R.. 0-1 5-0 and ,in 1891 -92

I ' 4

LOANS. Io3

R. r-5-0, the Gavel-nment rental being about the same, These figures are not very fnvourable, but i t must be ].emembered

that a quantity of land went out of cultivation during the famines, and anybody wishing to cultivate could probably

therefore dlrring the last iew ycars obtain it un easy terms. go. No proceedings For the conciliation or debts wcre

carried out in Seonl. An imporiant + Lawdlords and Icnanis.

social change, it is stated, is noticeable

in the agricultural community, affecting the rdativc position ,

of landlord and tenant. 'I'he patriarchal status of the land- lord is rapidly disappearing, this result being due . partly to the famines but partly also to legal enactments. The position of the inSlguz3r is weaker than it was and his oppor- tuniiies for oppression are fewer; on the one hand lle is ,

impoverished, his h a \ and personal influence has diminish- ed; on the other hand the provisions of the 'Tenancy Act

C l ~ a v e given greater security of tenure and greater indeptn- deuce 10 the tenant. As a consequence the relations between

landlord aud tenant show a tendency to become strained and d e ~ e ~ l d e ~ l t 011 the law. The prollibilion regarding t h e transfer of sZr rights has in one way benefited the as

a class, but on the other hand i t tends to reduce the value of villages and to curtail the borrowing power of the agriculturist ~~~~~~~~~d. 00th proprietors and tenants emerged from the famines in a very bad firia~lcial position. In 1902 the Deputy Comn~issione~ es~imarcd that not less than go per cent of the -

, tenants were indebled to a greater or less extent. Thc Have11 01. wheat-growing arch had suffered least, while de~criol-aiion was most marked in the rice villages. For some obscure reason the rair~falt in this area had been abnor- mally low throughout the decade, and there was a general belief that the laud had been exhausted by the too constant cultivation of one crop, The people however clung to rice w l ~ c ~ ~ with a little energy t h y might easily have put the land under other crops. A good dcal ol land throughout tht rice area had gone out of cultivation.

104 BEOEI. LOANS, PRICES, WAGES, ETC.

. gi . During the last four years however considerable 1-ecovel-y ha6 been made, and the iol-

- Material condition of the people. Iowii~g note by Mr. Chaplnan on the

material condition of the people sbo-#s 'promise af better times :--

Since 1901 the population bas been slowly lnal<illg U P

6 leemway and the births have exceeded the deaths by 40,000.

5 .'The area utldtr crop I~as now practically 'recovered 10

level of 1892 after a terrible decrease during the inierven- ' ing years. A great inlpetus was given to the spread of 'cultivation in 1895, when after ,a careful inquiry by Mr. Hill, Assistant Settlement Officer, 24,500 acres d culturable land were excised from Govcrllment forest and made avail- able for ryotwPri settlement. That there is still a very ' keen demand for land is shorvn by the innumerable peti Lions ' which are received for the excision of A class forest in the -' vicinity or rnzlguzari villages. The advetlt of the Satpur5 ' railway has brought about a ~vonderTul change in tile eco-

nomic condition of the District, and a splendid market for '

' their produce has now been brought to the doors of the ' people. The scarcity in other parts of India bas raised ' enormously the value of the grain produced and last year's . ' bumper wheat harvest put a very large sun1 of money into

' ' the hands or the cultivators. As ninety 'per cent o l the ' labouring classes are paid in kind, even they ;IL-e )lot ad-

' versely affected by the high priccs. The peoplc have not yet 'learnt what to do with the comparative wealth \vhicl~ is .

.i flowing into their pockets. They have litlle idea of invest- .' ing it in anything but land, and fancy prices are, offercd

.'for any land which comes into the ~narket. The rate at 'which money can be borrowed on landed pl-oPrty has .

rgreat1y fallen, and cases in which the permissiol~ of G ~ ~ . . 'ernment to tile transfer of sir land is applied for very - ' Frequently take the shape 01 converting an old ' carrying 24 per cent intercst inlo a new one with the in- ' terest reduced to r2 or even 6 per cent. . The productive- -

' I I C ~ S of wheat land Ci t I I he gl-eakly ~IICI-eascd by a syslem

' ol' embankments, and here i ha-e we I~IIC~ fa!.-sceitig

' malgudrs investing their money ill t l ~ i s way An enormops ' 11-adc in Icerosine oil has lately g ~ ~ o w n up and a bulk oil

' inslallatiol~ is being carried out in Sconi town. I have been ' much struclr wit11 the activity oF [he rural post ofice. Ihcre ' must have been a great increase o i late years in the correspondence carried Trwn remote villages with the out-

'side world. Between 1896 and I go5 the r7umber of post ' offices in the District increased f r ~ m I 8 Lo 2 5 . 'I'he ' iiun~her of articles of all classes given out for delivery in ' che rornlcr year wah 271,om and in the latter 458,000,

. ; showjng a! increase in busitless during the decade of nearly 70 per cent. Few outward signs of increased prospcl-ity

'are to be seeu yet in the Distvict. 'ftle people have been ' tht.ough bad times and have Icalnt caurion in the school of '

'adversity. They ar,e l~owever generally taking to nil1- woven in preference to home-spun cloth, and the fornrcr ' may be seeu in considerable qua~leilies al any of the country

- ' bazars, liailwsy travelling is very popular and the [rains 1 are crowded. Pilgrimages by train have bemme fi.equent

to distant parts of the country. The supply of labour is

'still short throughout the District, and the labouring classes -- comniand very good wages, especially at places along the

!-ailivay line, where four or five annas a day can easily be .

earned by the coolie. 'The rates For agriculturd labour are .

also r i s i ~ g and tl~cre is a marked tendency for wages in kind to be eomo~utcd into cash paymetlts. Emigration to

Assnnl has very much decreased, Granled good gears l believe that the District stands on the thresl~old of great :

prosperity. The coninlercial instincts or the people have

4 beer! and trade and manufacture is taking its 1:

, place beside the time-honoured cultivation of the land.', . - ,

1 0 6 SEONI. LOANS, PRICES, WAGES, ETC.

PRICES.

92, At the 30 years' seit~enlent average rate of

prices for the years t $45 to t 865 'course of grain pl ices. take,) as the basis of the assessmellt,

this out to wheat $ 5 Ibs, gram 82 Ibs., and rice

54 lbs. per rupee. Up to 1861 prices were very lo*v ;

but from that year a great illflation took place in Seoni as elsewhere, in consequence of the American War. In

1864 the rates were 40 16s. of wheat and 20 lbs. of iice io the rupee. The Set~lement Officer did not however reckon on prices being maintained at the level to which they had been forced up at the tinle when he wrote, and anticipated that they might fall in future years to between G4 and So Ibs. per rupee. This anticipation tvas not realisd, and owing to

various causes as the Bundelkhand famine of 1368, the J opening of the railways to Nsgpur and Jubbulpore soon after

1870, and the subsequent development of the exporl: trade

in grain with Europe, the low rates prevailing prior to I 860 have never again been approached. The follorving staiement shows the quinque~~nial average prices of wheat, rice and gram in pounds per lupee during the currency of \he 30 years' settlement :-

Wheat. Gram. Rice. I 866-70 . . . 35 25 2 I

1871-75 .,. 56 5 3 37 t87G-80 - - + 37 42 34 I 881-85 ... 47 5 5 37 1886-90 . . . 37 39 28

. 1891-95 33 36 26 r 896-1 g m ... 26 27 22

1go1-rgog ., . 3 1 34 24

93. In estimating prices at the recent~ettIement(r~~6-

Settlement rates. 98)~ the Settlement ORicer took the of the quinquennia~ rates above

But pointed our that these were the retail ruling at Smnl, and that tllose which the cultivators

their pl-uduce i n the interior of the District when selling w l ~ ~ l c s ~ l e were considerably less, He consequentIy examin- ed the accoul~l-books of some leadil~g gfain-deales, and workitlg Out similar quiuquennial rates, took t l ~ e average of

these and the published prices for the wwhe perid. He t\1us arrived at a rate of 41 Ibs. per rupee for wheat and 47 lbs. for gram,and comparing tllese with the average prices taken at the 3 0 years' settlcme~~t round that wheat was roo per cell1 dearer and gram 73 per cent. Hz was unable to obtain the wholesale rates for l i c e and did not therefore work out

nn average in respect of this grain, but taking the published rates found [hat rice had increased in price b ~ , 77 per cent. I-lis general conclusion was that prices might be considwed

- lo have at least doubled since the 30 years' settlement, whiIe he concluded from inquiries made of the more intelligent land- lords that the cost of cultivalion had not risen by more than 30 per cent. Full justification was therefore forthcoining for - an enhancetilent oC 50 per cent ia the rental, though the in- - crease actual!y made was much less than this. A colnparison of the 1-ate for the different grains in the table given above sllorvs that ar the 30 years' scttlelnent and for some years afterwal-ds gram was about the same price or even more expensive than wheat, and i t is the European trade in the latter staple which has opel-ared to give it a higher value than gram ill recent years. In seasons of distress or famine how- ever the price of grani still reaches or exceeds that, of wheat. Hjcc is Fro~n z to 4 lbs, in the rupee more cxpm- sive than wheat, the l*enson being that it is not grown in vel.y lal-ge in Seoni and is in the nature of a Iuxury.

94, Since the settlement wheat has never fallen to the price 01 41 Ibs. per rupee taken by the

Prlces ill reoent years. Settlement OGcer, its lowest rate being 40 Ibs. in 1894 and the highest 20 Ibs, in 1897: The price

in 1903 was 3 5 Ibs. and in 1934-05, 3 1. lbs. The chapest '

price of gratn since 1891 was 45 Ibs in 1894, and the dearest r g h ]bs. in r 897, while the rates far rice have varied

108 sFOKI l.OAKS, PRICF,S, II'AGFS, ETC.

fro111 29 Ibs, in I 891 to r7 Ibs. in 1897. Generally the !eve!

of pdces since the settlement has bee11 muc11 higher than those on which it was based, and this fact has no doubt gone some way to compeusa:e agriculturists for their losses d u r i ~ ~ g the fanlines. Kodon and kur k I together consti tule the second

food staple of the District, and fornl the sustenance of the bulk of the poorer classes, hut lbeir p~ ice Ilas not Imll

recorded in the rneturns it1 past ycars. 111 rSg7 the rate of ' k d o n was 22 Ibs. to the rupee or not rnucll cheaper than

wheat. In rgm i t mas 24 Ibs. and in 1904-05 had rallen to

38 lbs., this being the rate of the husked grain. I n ordluary years it is thus bery i,>uch cljenpa. than tvlieat, but in the Fanlines the difference in price was only 3 or 4 Ibs. in the rupee. Cotton was 5 Ibs. to the rupee in 1891, and went up to 3 lbs. in 1593, while since 1901 it has been 4 to 4; lbs.

95. The prim of salt remained at 18 Ibs. with slight . ff uctuations during the decade ending

Prices OF mismllane- ous a1 ticles goo. In rgo!, it was i g lbs. and fell

to 21 Ibs. in 1903, 20 Ibs. in 1904 and ~2 Ibs. in 1905 as a result of the successive reductions of the duty. The retail rate in 1903 for s~nall quanlities was however 7 pice a seer or at the ratc of I 15 lbs. to the rupee, thus being 3 Ibs. higher than the recorclecl price. I n the same year the rvl~olesaie trade price was Rs. ro per got? of 120

seers or at the ]'ale of 24 Ibs, to the rupee. In former years salt was very expensive, the prices ranging between 58 and r r Ibs. to the rupee in the decade I 56 1-70 and between 1 5 and ZI& Ibs. from 1870 to I 890. TIE decrease whicl~ has

- been effected in the selling price of this staple by A n im- - proved method of taxation and the reduction of the duty

cannot but have been a great boon to the people Sen salt From Bombay. is commonly consumed in t l ie Dis~rict, beicg

called golfi~d2zi because it is sold in large balls. Mauritius sugar is generally used and sells at 8 to g lbs. to the rupee

in Iarge and 6 ) to 7 Ibs. in s~nall quantities Gur or u n m fmed sugar from Northern Jndii? i s sold at 14 I bs and tjlat

grown in Chlrindwiira at 8 Ibs. to the rupee. 'The Chh~nd- w3ra sugar is of the best class, being made from thepncl t rn~t~

and polzd2 canes. The gur produced in the Barghat tract is generally of the inferior quality called khzra and is sold at a

low rate. The pl-ice of glzf is z+ Ibs. wholesale and 2 Ibs. retail to the rupee, and bas largcly inc~.easccl in recent years. Milk is only sold in Seoni and one or two large villages and varies from 22 lbs. to 32 Ibs. to llre rlrpee at difle'el-ent times af the year, being ltlosl expensive in tl~e hot weather. A countt.y clotl~ is sold by the piece or 30 feet by 27 inches. This costs Lma rupees ; ordinary English weaving cIoth

called InllliZ being sold by the piece of I S feet by 40 inches for the rupee. A woman's s5i-i or body-cIorl~ of country cloth 24 by 3 feet cos~s three or four rupees. '1 he pnrta or coarse wllitc c loh worn by Mehi-3 and Gond worncn is sold at about tile same rare and is I ~ O I - e durable

, *

WAGES.

, 96. The cash rates of wages it1 Seoili since 1893 rvere

Its, q on au averngc during the period . Fa1 m-servar~ls.

from 1893 to 1903, while those of

artisans as masons, carpcntcl-s a ~ ~ d blacksrnitt~s were Rs. 1 5

durillg the last decade and in r go3 rose to Rs. 17. Agricul- tulaal servants are still usually paid it1 grain according to , custon~ary rates and these vary a good deal in diWerent parts of the District. 1 1 1 the spring crop area a colnrnon way of .

cngagiug n farm-sei*vant is by 6nlt'Z or share. He receives a

firill of the produce of the holding after the contributions to .

village st~-vauts have been deducted. Adrlances rn~lde to him . 101- food are also dducted at the ti111e of pcty~ncnt wit11 25 per .

cent extra for interest. 'The farm-servant also receives a . . lla]f the gleanings of the field, the other half going to his master, and he takes ~ l l e refuse grain mixed with earrh which ,

is I d t oa the tht-eshing-floor. He receives his foud on two or

three festivals If he watches the crop he is paid extra for it. Tliese rvnges wprk out: to Rs. 40 a year or Rs. 3-5 a

.

? 10 SEONI. LOANS, PRICES, WAGES, ETC.

rnontIl ill the present statc d prices. lu inice country the grain \vfi@.es art 6 klraf,r{fs (each of 280 Ibs.) of unhuskcd grain a

, year and Rs, 4 in cas11. I f paymelit was made in rice this

would be equivalent to Rs. 44 a year or Ks. 3-1 I a month. Another two k/?nr~dZs (Rs. 13) are given to the farm-servant at the lime of ~hreshing, bul this is in return for sel-vices

rendered by his wife, who colleds the manure, spreads be house of her master with cowdung and retches water for the household; the wife of a farm-servant is also bound to work for his elnployer at harvest, but for this she is separalely paid. In recent years owing to the fluctuations in the price of gl-ain, the custom has bee11 introduced of paying cash wages. The rate of these varies from Rs. z to Ks. 3 per month with a blanket and a pair O F shoes worth two rupees. In villages near the railway cash wages have now risen to

'1 Rs. 4 a montli rvith perquisites wort11 somelhing over a rupee

, extra. I n I-cturn for this the farm-servant must do whatever

?" work is required of him. 'The average of the differcut rates

- works out to something more than Rs. 3 a 111011th. If scveral servants are employed, one of rbern is made ck~rolrT or headman and hegets Rs. 4 or Rs. 5 a monlh. A tenant with one pair of bullocks, having a llolding of io or 12 acres, will not employ a farm-servant if his wife call worl;, If, as is pro- bable, he keeps a cow or two besides his plough-bulloc ks and has no son OF proper age of hisown, he will employ a boy to

graze them when required and will pay hi~n two bkrr,$dk (560 Ibs.) of spring grain a year, the value of which is about Rs. 13. If a private grazier is eli~ployed hc will receive the same pay as a farm-servant or from two to foul' rupees. If paid in grain he will get a khnfzdZ of grain {Rs. 6-8) for each

,* pair or bullocks during the rainy season and 8 huras (about

Rs, 3) per pair for the other eight months. A man enlployed for lending a herd of co\rTs is called a pnikr. He receives

* something more than the grain wages of a farm-servant besides lwo pairs of shoes annually a ~ l d a blanliet every

other year. His wife collects the manure of the cows and in

WAGES. 1 1 $

return is give11 the butter-milk, one or two kltcordU (of 280 Ibs.) of grain and a new skui or body-cloth every year. Such a servant is only kept by owncl-s of large herds of cows.

When cattle arc ~nade odcr to the village Aliir the rate is 2

lucros (28 Ibs.) of grain for a cow and 4 kuros for a she- buffalo. Plough-bullocks are rarely or never sent to graze with the vill;ig; herd.

97. IT a labourer is en~ployed Car sowing lle will bc paid one rupee per plough of land sown,

Latoul-ers. besides somc grain which may amount

to another eight annas. A plough of land is ro or 12 acres. Weeding is paid For at daily rates of 6 or 7 pice for a day of about scveii hours fi40m ro or r I A.M. t i l l dark. The weeding of cotton is sometimes paid for by contract by the /ZOj~r l / t~ , an area of 42 by 28 cubits or about 300 square yards. The rate fbr this is 4 pice unless the field is much overrun with weeds or labour is scarce, when double or quadruple may have to

be paid. The rate of 4 pice a kondli'llli is equivaIent lo a rupee an acre. Cot ton is weeded two or sometimes three times aild ju5r as a rule only once, the cost for this crop being given as

two anilrrs a k o ~ ~ d h ~ + or two rupees an acre. For reaping the wages are about 4 sarias (4 Ibs.) of grain a day. The man who ~ies up the sheaves gets a pouiid more than the other *.

reapers. For cutting rice and kodon 6 to 8 Ibs. of unhusked grain are p id . For watching the crops the ordinary rate is 2 Ibs. of grain a night or 140 Ibs, for looking after a crop of jugr during the whole period that jt is ripeni~~g for harvest.

98. 'Che village carpenter and blacks~nitl~ are paid by . annual co~~ t r i butions from the cuiriva-

Village arliaalls and tors, at the rate of 28 Ibs. per plough mcninls.

uf two bulIocks or ro to rz acres of land with presents at seed-time and harvest amounting to another 10 Ibs., or 38 Ibs. in all. In return for this they repair the iron and wooden implements of agriculture and make some 01 them, wben the materials al-e supplied to them. Plough-shares are not made by the local Lohir but are .

.:- , . 312 ~ ~ 0 x 1 . i.OASS, P K I C E ~ , ~ V A L E S , IXC.

' boug~jt separately, costi~~g 12 LO I S a1111as a,pieck. For I;eepirhg a cart in. repair the carpenter must be ]>aid an extra k,rro or 14 Ibs., and for making any cf tbc parts uf

a cart be must be paid by cotitract. 'The barber is paid ' by the plough at the same rate as the carpeuter and

blacksmih, and in return for this he shaves the illale members of the family and cuts their hair once a fort- night or once a month. 'The barber's wife attends 011 t l~e

women of the family and receives presents at festivals - and marriages. The Dhohi is paid at the same. rate per

- plough and washes the clothes of tlie family about once a '

fortnight, except their loin-cloths rvllicll they wash every day themselves. He receives one or two c/t.lprilrs w l ~ e n he brings the clean clothes, arid is given a separate present for wash-

.. - , ing clothes on the occasio~i of a bivrll or death. Other

. menials receiving customary co~~rribulions fro111 t lle tenants

are the Garpag31-i or hail averter and ihe I~hurnk5 or village priest, whose functions arc described in the notice of reli-

gion. The Cba~nlr is not usually a village mei~ial, but in many villages he receives the skills of dead cattle artd in relusn for this provides a 116l-i or neck-rape for the bullucks and a

pair of shoes for the tenau t and each d the farm-servants. '

If there are several families of Chanlirs whose ~ccbpation is to cure skins, they divide up the cultivators, a propol*~io~l being allotted to each. The KunzhSr is not paid by annual contribu~ions but sells his pots. An ordinary cul~ ivat~ i ' s family will expend about Rs. 3 a year on earthen pots, Thk Kurnhar collects the sweepings from the houses of the vil-

- lagk for fuel, or the droppings of cattle in mfilguz5r.i forest. The Basor also sells his baskets and each house.wil1 require

about two rupees' wort11 of these annually. The Basor acts as the village musician at weddings and is paid by contrace at the rate of five rupees for the party sf .musiciam for the

. period covered by t l ~ c marriage festivities. Thc Uasorin acts

as the village midwife and receives on an average oJle rupee :: at. the birth of a boy and eight annas Tor Lhat ot' a gil.l.

Ti

WAGES, r 13'

99. Mr. chap mat^ writes of tile Iabourit~g classes as

follo~vs :-4 The lower castes generally CO"d'tiO" of la- ' live together io the Gond # d m or boul iug classes.

' quarter, Gonds, Pardfina, M ehrss, ' Pankzs, and Ahirs, The ALirs of course keep cattle and ' w o r t as gtaziers either for the community in general or for ' iildividual employ crs. Thcy ~nalqe glti and breed cattle and ' buffaloes, the male buffaloes being boughi up by Mukeris ' a i ~ d drive11 dotv11 in large herds to Chhattisgarh, where they 'are used Tor plouglring. The ALir consumes l i tt le milk him- -

'self except in the form of dnki or curds. The M e h d s and ' Fanftls weave coarse countr.y cloth ar~d are the class from ' which the kotw5r is generally recruited. The Gondappears ' unable to retain the good land in his possession and as soon ' as his holding hegins to produce anything like valuable ' crops, he falls back into ibe position of a farm-labourer and 'his fields too often pass to others to whom he has become ' indebted. The bull; of t l ~ t Gond population are Iabourcrs. d'rill lalely lllejl were always paid in kind, but with the . 'great rise which has lately taken place in the value- of 'wheat, ihere is a ~endcncy now for payments in kind Lo be 'commuted into cash. Tile ordinary wage of a Gond 'labourer is 3 krrrus or ahoyt 24 seers every fifteen days; 'This is geuerally given in rice, juSr or millet. He also ' receives a large sheaf of grain at harvest-time and some- ' thing al sowing. The woll~cll are employed by the day

4when requil-ed. They never go out to work till about

' twelve, whet1 their housebald duties are done, and they 'receive daily wages at the same rate as tbe men. The last ' census showed a very great decline in the population of the , District. A considerable number of the labouring popula- . tion have elaigrated and the demand for labour is acute. .' ' The Gond labourer is in chronic debt to his employer and 1 looks him Tor pe@ui~iary assistance in at1 domestic occur- ' rence in which custom demands that money sbould be spent in his fcliorvs. Many masters allow their servants

Q *

* ' I j4 SEDMI. LOANS, PRICES, WAGES, LTCi

' to gleai~ tbeii fields for no~hiog. In other plac& lllc result '

of the gleaning is divided in different proportions between f 4 master and gleaners. At ~ h c time of the cutiing'of the wheat

Iiawtst there is always a great movement among the labour- .' ing classes. Like the hop-pickers at home, rvhole families

r will travel long distances to places where plenty of har- i vesting is gcing on. All~~ost i l l the iuhabitants of thc Gorrd

quarter keep goats, pigs and fowls, but wilh tile exception ' or the Abirs very few have cattle. ' They arc generally

,insufficie~btly supplied wilh agricultural irnplcn~el~ts a i d tlleir ploughing is not uncommonly cffected with hired bullocks. The general rate of hire at which a pair of bullocks can, be

- had in tile District is 2 kI~a~d2.q (about 600 Ibs.) of grain for the season.

MANUFACTURES. ' . roo. The manufactures of the District are very unimpor-

tant, and the al-licles hitherto' made Weaving a ~ ~ d dyeing.

locally are beingdisplnced in many cases by imported goods. In Isor the Depu~y Coinmissioner wrote : 'Cheap Manchester goods have displaced the local fabrics. ' Artisans have fallen on evil tiales, except blacksmiths

- 'and carpenters, wl~osc trades arc subsidiary to agl-icul- ' lure, and the -village indusirjes have steadily declined.' Tasar silk was formerly woven at Seoui and l'iparw-gni

. in considerable quanlities, the cocoons being grown by Dhimars in tbe local fol.ests, Vcry little silk is now - woven and the efforts made to revive the industry have hillierto not bad much result. Almost every village colltains

- a few cotton-weavers, but Seoni, ClrhnpZra and Ba1.gh5t are tbe principal centres. The weaving castes engaged a1.e

' KoshtZs, Kntias, Mehr3s and Koris. Imported lbread is - generally used, but some of the Icoris and Meh 1.2s mix i t willl

: r the hwx-spun article. The Koris stiffen cloth for Uaniss by

, irlixing it wjdt rice and gruel. Good' ~tcwr5u or thick tape for . mattresses is woven in white, sonleli~nes variegated by red

and black lines, by GArpagiris and MehAs. This sells at the . I

. . .I. ..

rate of a rupee a seer. Country cloth is dycd in MungwZni, Cl~llaplra, Icahini and other villages. AI or Indian madder is still used, but has to a large extent been supplanted by the imported Gennau dye. In C hbapzl n the ~mozuci green doths are dyed ivi 111 a mixture of rrl and 111y rabalans ; Adegaon was

fol.t~~erly a well-known dyeiug centre, but the indusrry here

is nearly extinct. ?'be wooden stamps used by CI~l~ipas or printers of designs on coloured cloth are now often imported. Hemp is rvoven and sacking made by Ganjarss in the Latch- n3rJon tabsil and in ChErgaon and Jllihnili in SeonT. The wooI1en industry is insignificant.

10s. Glass bangles are made from imported glass at

Chaonri, P.?tan and Chhap5-a and lac Otllcr ma~tulaetul-es.

bangles at Seoni, Chl~apZra, Bak!~;iri and Lakhn,?don. A n u ~ ~ i b e r of gold and si lve~.sn~itbs reside at Seo- ni, one part of which is known as the Sonki kIohal13. The . village Sonars make ornaments of very bad silver with a large proportion of alloy and sell them to Gond, Pardhlrn and other

- low-caste women. Very iittle work in brass is done in the

District and vessels are usually imported from Mandl5 and Bhandira. Iron inlplenlents are made at Pipal-wnni in the a

Kurai tract from broken E ~ ~ g l i s h iro'n, and are used tbrough- out the south of the Ilistrict. the Lakhnsdon tahsll obtaining

its supplies fi-om Nal.si~ghpur and Jubhul pore. Enrthtn . vessels are made in several villages, those of Kanhirvsra and - PachdhZir having a special rcputntion ; a local express io~~ for extreme poverty is ' Hc is so .poor that Ile has not even a

Kanhiwiira cooking-pot in his house.' Vessels for holding water are generally red in colour, and at-e mlde porous by mixing ashes or sand with he earth. Those made to hold ~ 1 1 i and millr and for codring purposes art not porous. ,, Earthen vessels are commonly used for cooking not only by Gonds ang Muha~ntnadans but by many castes of Hindus. Skins arc tinned and leather-work is done at Khawisa and otller villages. Drunis are rt~ade by Baso1.s and Nag31-chis. The J ing~rs and Mochrs use tar111-d goat skin And make saddles

r16 SEONI. LOANS, PRICES, WAGES, ETC*

and bind hooks in Seoni. In K haw5ss they make 61rdlB or

narro~v-necked flasks for torch-bearers. 10s. 'I.be~-e are as yet no facto~ies in the District, but the

-

plant for a cotton ginning and pressing Rctorics. machine bas been imported by some

enterprising native gentlemen with a view to setting up a

. factory at Cbhapsra, the centre of the cotton-growing tract. At pl-esent the cotton all goes to N5gpur by road in an unpressed state. Hemp-pressing machines exist at

Seoni, Keolari and Ghansor, and all the hemp exported is pressed.

103, Grain is now sold by weight in Seoni town, but by measure over rile remainder of l l~e Dis,

Weiglrts and measures. trict. The 01-dina1.y measure is the

strrin of 40 tol5s or i lb, and the following scale is in use :- One ~ w i n = 40 lolBsor r lb. One small ktrro - 14 sririns or 7 sews.

*r One large Krn o = 16 sitrios or 8 seers. I

One k l ) n ~ ~ d l - 20 karros or 320 Ibs. The R ~ W D is of various sizes in djffereat parts of the 13;s-

trict, that of 7 seers bdng the commonest. But the s ~ ~ j i n is

generally constant at a pound. The ktwo of 8 seers js in " use in the larger villages, In the Adegaon tract the Labhani

. kriro of 10 seers with the SUI'P'R of 50 tolSs is the measure

employed. In Kurai the Nagpur pndfof 160 tolls is in use. , Raw cotton is weighed by the khor1li.l of r 3 pnsel-& or 65

seers. 'She equivaleilt weights given for the above measures are in wheat, that is a k1n.a measure of wheat weighs 8 seers, A brro measure of gram weighs 7# seers, of linseed 5$, of

, . 'ti1 6, of wad and miing 8, of masiir 84, and of rice 54. A Khadi of wheat land is z$ acres, this being the area in which a kltntld or 320 pounds is sown. But the above quantity is Iargr than the amount of seed actually used and i~cludes 111e presents made to village servants and others ai sowing time.

The kus is ordinarily two miles, but the GondI bos may be anything up lo five miles. . . . . .

104. Weekly bazars or markets are held at 48 villages in the District, 25 in the Seoni tahsil

Wetltly markets. a i ~ d 23 in Lakhnsdon. Bargh5t bazar

is an important centre for the distribulion of the rice grown

in the surrounding area. Purchasers come with carts from neighbouri~lg Districts, and buying the rice here, carry i t by road for considerable distances. Cattle are also sold here. The marliet is held on Salurdnys. The Budhw2ri or Wednesday market of Seoni t o~v i~ is a large one, and those ncxl in i~riportance are KanbiwZra held on ~ h b r s d a ~ s , Gopgl-

ganj on Salurdays, J5m (Tuesday), ICurai (Friday), Kha~viisisa

(Wednesday) and Keolari (Friday). K hair$ market near PaIZri railw:ly station has become of some importance since the construc~ion of the raiiway. In the 111w.t important mar- kets a system prevails of farming to co~ltractors the right to

collecL fees on pl-oduce brought to the market according to a

prescribed scale. - About one pice in the rupee is charged on tach head of cattIe sold, two annas a cartload and a pice on each headload of agricultural produce, and four annas

a cartload on tobacco and grtr or unrefined sugar. She proceeds of thc farms are credited to Disirict Funds and expended-on the sanitation of the v i l l a g ~ s in wl~ich the mar- kets arc held. In 1904-05 this system prevailed in the case of 13 villages and the total xnlount* realiscd was about Ks, j m , of which nearly Rs 30W came from Bsrghzt. In . Seoni town fees are cdlectcd by the municipality. Grain for export is not usually brought to the weekly b.uars, but ' ~aelail dealers called Lczdaiyss or ICuchis go round with carts

buying up the sut-plus grain from the cultivators, and bring i t to the t o ~ ~ n s for sale to the exporting mercha~lts.

105. TWO annual fairs of some importance are held in the District, at ChhapZm and Mundira.

Annual I~irs . The ChhapErs fair is of long standing, having been established in the time of the PathSo governors who resided there, I t was formerly held in the stony bed , of the WaiugangE, but the site has now heen cllnngcd to the -

. . . - , ,

, ,

. * . - ' , ~ ~ ~ 1 % SEDNI. LOASS, PRICES, WAGES, ETC.

. groves on the south bank of the river, with a considerable increase of comfort to those altcndiug tbe rair. It is heId in

the Hindu vouth of M3gh or in January and Februal-y and lasts about sis weeks, the ordinary daily attendance being about 4000 persons. 'rhe primary object of those who go

.- to t11c rair is to bathe io rile Wair,gang;I, but a large tmde in cattle, cloth and other articles is now done, aboul Sooo head of cattle being sold and, some zoo temporary shops established by vendors of goods. Large nun~bers of old and

+ worthless catile are sold for slaughter for the sake of the '

- bides and purchasers come fro112 other parts of the Provinces

. . and from N v r t h ~ r n India. At the end of the fair an .exhibi- tion of agl*icultu~*al produce is held and pi-jzes are given out of :he anlount realised from registration fees and shop dues.

T h e Mundara' fair is held at the source of lhe Waingang5 in the village of Partsbpuc about r I iniles from Seoni. 'The object of the assembly is to bathe in the tank frotn tvl-lich the Waingangs takes its rise, and the principal day of the fair is .

4' the full moon of I<%-tik (October-N~vember). M uildrira is said to be mentioned in the Xah5bhSrat as t he ' Wainon Trrlli ' w sourcc of the Waingaugl. Tile fair lasts for 14 days and

'< the average attendance is about 8000 persons. Some qoo - i temporary shops are opened for the sale' or gnods. A slaall

, - religious fair is also held at KotbighBt on the \Vaingang2 about five miles frok Keolsri on the full moon of K;irtik or at

? - - the same time as the hlundsra fair; others take place at (be junclion of the Wsinganga and Hirri rivers, and at Matb- ghogl-r? in the village of BlmironthZi~ about 8 n~iles north of Lakbuidon. None or these haire any ca~tlrnercial importance.

3 ', * ". - - - TRADE.

- . r 06. Wheat (pissF} is LIE principal export of the Uis. 4 - '

E ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ . Agriculluml frict and is sent to Hornbay for ttle ' , pl+oducc.

.< . foreign trade. A considerable qunn-

., , ti ty of rice is also exported but practically llolle of i t has

, ' hitherto pone by rail. 'The rice grown in tikc s u r r a u l ~ d i ~ ~ . ,

., . l See alw G~;ax:ttee~- a1 t i c l t Mund.im, -. .

is brought f0l' sale la Uargbit ma)-ket alld ~pul.cllasers bri1.l~ llleir cA1.t~ and carry it for long d i s t a n ~ s by road to , -

the Nerbudda valley. Of pulses gram, m a s k and tiuril are . all exported to 13omb~y. 'Ti1 is now the pri~~cipal oilsecd

- exported, wllile some quantities of jng~lf si~d gl.lr//Z or the

. seeds of mal1u5 are also sent away. The ail of fim?lr,

appnreutly a prickly variety of klts~cm (Ca~-,lmrrrrts lirrc/orirrs) , '

which is sown on the borders of wheat fields, is exportcd in ,

small quanlilics. Cotton was formerly not sent outside the District to nuy appreciable esteut, but in the last few years -

the area gl-own ~v i lh it has largely expanded and it l ~ a s be-

come an iinporlailt prduc t . At prcstilt the cotton all goes to Nsgpur in an unpressed state, and in [his condition it

occupies so much bulk that i t is cheaper to ca1.1-y i t by road than rail. 'The plant for a ginning and pressing machine llas just been imported by a f c ~ v enlerpl-king native gentle- men with a view to setting up a fac101-y at Chhapara, the centre of t l~e cotton-grorving irsct. Meanwhile the cart men reap a rich harvest and the villages along thc main roads . find a good market for rheir julr stalks, which they sell at great profit to the cartmen as redder for their bullocks. The - " z

cl~ltivation of smz-hemp has sprung u p since I $90 and be- twecll rg,om and 20,000 acres have been sown wit11 i t in ,

recent ycars. Most of the hemp has hitherto been sent to I .

JubbuIpore by road, but presses have been erected at Smni, ICeoliri and Gi~ansor stations and the he111p is pressed ,

tllcre before being put an to the milway. Cltl is stilt to

JCaniptce and from there to Berir, Calcutta and Bombay. 107. Teak, szjaud lqZsdare the principal timbers ex-

p.oduer and ported and these and bamboos are . other ar ticlcs. usually sent by road to Kaniptee and .

Nzgpur fi-om tile ICurai tract, wholesale dealcrs caniing from * ,

thcsc towr~s to make pu~+chases. Frmn the north of the District poles and bamboos are soinctinies ff oated down the Nerbudda to Grv51-igh5l. Among minor, forest products bnrrri or rnyrobalans and lac are the chief, and a number of persons ,

.

. .

* . ' I 1

1 2 0 SEOAI, LOANS, PRICES, WAGES, E T L

make a living by the collection of these articles both frOlll

Govel-nment and m3lguz3ri forests, those belonging to the Diwln family of Seoni in the Gondi tHluka to the east of the District, rurnishing the largest supply ou!side the Govern- ment reserves. Lac is grown almost entirely on the bee (Btrkn fipndosn) in Seoni. Mahui flowers are also sent to Kamptee for the rnanufaccure of liquor, and other products are chrrotrji, the fruit of the achir tree (Brtclmr~n~rirr /#:#$olio), alld the gum of various trees. The horns of village bufTaIoes

arc exported for being made into combs, knife-handles and other articles, and a considerable trade is done ill the hides

of cattle, while the fat is sent away Lo be made into tallow. The lower castes, includiiig Ahirs and Gaolis, rear fowls and send them for sale to Nrigpui* and ICan~ptee.

10s. All the usual aarticlcs are imported. Salt comes fi*onl

the malshes near Ahmadabid and also Imports.

from Bombay. 'I'he latter is dark in c~lour and is generally given to cattle Sugar is obtained from Norlhern lndia and glrr or unrefined sugar borh from there and from Chhindtvara. Cot ton piece-goods are bl-ougl-lt both from Bolnbay and Calcutta a~:d art gene~xlly worn by the betler classes in place of hand-made cloth. W h~te thread is obtained horn the Nagpur, H~nganghHt and Uadner3 m ~ l l s and coloured fi-om Bombay, I l~e local wearing induslry being al~nost entirely conducted wit11 mill-spun thread. Caps decorated with lace are obtained rctun Dclhi, tasar sill; from Bh3galpur, and woollen clolh finom Amriisar. Brass vessels are imported from Northern India and Poona. Gold, silver and iron are also obtained from Bombay. Kerosjne oi l is now universally ~mployed for ligh~ing, and a bulk oil instal-

lation has been made at Seoni. Turmeric is not lnucIl glown locally and is obtained from Bombay and NFgpur ; oranges

and plantains come from NSgpur, and potato- from ~ ~ b b ~ l -

pore and Chhindwzra. Rice is brought to B a r g h ~ t bazar from the adjoining tracts of the Mandla and Brilzghzt Districts. Manulaclured tobacco is obtained fronl Gays and Darbhaugi T . -

COMMUNICATIONS. 13 I

i n lkngal and snuff from Ueniil-es. Superior country-made shoes come from Calcutta and Delhi. 'Swo European firms have now established agencies in Seoni for the purchase of grain for export. 'I he centre of the timber trade is at ICrani and Muhammadan dealers cotne t1ie1.e (rot11 Kaniptee to rrlal:c purcl~ases. I3ani;i traders import cloth, spices and groceries, and Bolir,'ls deal in copper and ilardware. Ket-@ sine oil is imported wholesale by a European firm. ManillZrs or Muhammadan pcdlers take their wa~cs round to the locat

- bnzars for retail sales. r og. The railway was only opel~ed in rgoq, but already

in 1 9 5 the trafic l~ad assumed con- ' Statistics cf exports

and i~npofis sidcrable proportions, the exports for this year amounting to more than 8

1ak)is oi mat~nds of the value of Rs. 2 2 laklls,' of which 54- lakl~s of maunds value Rs s 5 lakbs represented the exports of whcat. The irnp01.t~ for 1905 were more than 14 Inkhs of mauods valued at Rs. 1 5 Iakhs; these included cotton

manufactures r4000 tnauods value Rs. 6 Iakhs, sugar ~ g , o m . mnunds value Rs. 2 lalrhs, and salt 34,000 maunds vaIue Rs. g5,om. Of ihe total exports 70 percent were despatched from SeonT station, I 5 per cent from Pallri and 8 per cent . from Keoliiri, while Seor~i station received go per cent of the imports and Keolari 5 per cent.

COMMUNf CATIONS.

I 10. The narrowgauge Sltpurii extension of the Bengal-,NSgpur Railway was opened in

Railways. I 904. The branch from Neinpur junc-

1 i through Seoni to Cbhindw5ra bas a length of 56 miles . the District, passilg through its centre and following

closely the line of the 5eoni-C hliindwara and Seoni-Mandl2 roads. The stations on the line are Keolsri, Paliri, Kanhiwgra, ~homZ, Smni and Pipardchi, all of which are situated in the Seoni tnhs~l. The principal line between Goodia and Jubbul-

1 I'his figure onrlts all att~cles of tvh~ch the details arc not publ~shed ill the trade returns.

+ c-

. . 122 SEONI. LOAP~S, 'PRICES, WAGES, ETC.

pore also traverses the noi-th-east of the I.akhnadon tahsil) with stations of Ghansor, Binaiki and Shikzra and a +

length of 32 miles in the District.

. 111. The Great Norther11 Rond from Nggpur to Jubbul-

: pore, nletalled and bridged throughout Roads.

t .. - except a t the Nerbudda, passes from . north to, soutll of the District, ascending the SfitpurS plateau

from thesouth at Kurai ghat and lenving i t again at the S d ~ a g h ~ t for Jubbulpore. Seoni, Chbapira and LakhnSdon are all situated on the road, which runs for 89 miles,. tk District. This was for a time the most important road in

India, as the mails fro111 Barnbay to Calcutta were carried by tpnga from N5gpur to Jubbulpore before the Great Indian

, Peninsula end East 1ndi;n Railway sys[cnis had been

. , connected by the lintl from B11us;irval to Jubbulpore, The ascent of the hills at Kurai is an admirable piece of engineer- ing work, the gradients being exiremely easy and passable Tor the btaviest carts. A fine bridge spans the Waingangs at

. Chhapara. 0111e1- metalled roads are those iron1 Seoni to . BZIBghit lbrough Barghlt having a lengtll of 27 n~ilcs in the

? District and the Seoni-Cbhindw5ra road w j l h a length of 1 I

- miles. A short di~ra~lcc of the Mandlii road is also metalled. '

The principal gravelled roads arc' tlrose from Seoni to

, . Katangi, from Lakbniidon to Ghansoi-, from Seoni to Mnndl l '

'

and from KcolBri to Ugli. The 1Cata11gi road crosses the . Hirri river on an iron suspension bridge, The importancc

of the Seoni-Mandl5 and Seoui-Chbindwara roads will be A

largely decrfased by tlie opening of the milway, which runs

practically alongside of them. The oll~cr roads leading lo S C O ~ ~ will still serve the purpose of feeders inasmuch as a ,

very large proPortion of the lrade of the District concentrates at Seoni kW'n. A gravelled 'road also exi& leading froln

4 Lakhnldon to Narsijingl-lpur, but this will not be nlaillGllcd , , in its present condition now that rhe railway has becll opened. 1

The length of melalIed roads is 1 3 3 and of unme[a]led 116 ' ; , miles and maintenance charges are about: Rs, 64,000,

All these roads are under the Public Works Depnrtment, TIE District Cwncil maintains a number of viljage traclts at

a trifling outlay. It is proposed to construct some new surface roads from the surplus local funds, the principal of which will be a r o ~ d from Kal~gni to Pdari crosing the Waingangi near Kund.iri with a branch from here to

Sunwira and perhaps eventually to Gnneshganj ; ' another from Seoili through Mungwini to J 3111 : and also roads from Cli11xp;irn to KanhiwZra, from Ari to Uac,oh?t and BarghZt to Asht9aad f~*orn Ugli to Pauuiir through f'andal-tv3ni. 'These I-outes should give easy access to the railway from a large arm of the District. Previous to the construction of tltc railway the trade d the Disti-ict was almost ctrrirely along tBe Great Nortllern Road, the produce of the area south of Chl~apr?ca going lo ICa~n?tte and from the north or thc Lakhnldon tahs~l to Jubbulpore, Trade has however at o i ~ c

been diverted to the railway and the ilnportance of Kamptee as a dep61 for the collectioii of pl-aducc from the District has . already greally declined. From the hilly couillry in the east and west of the Lakha5doo tallsil cai*riage has hi thcrto

been by paclc-bullocks and all over the rest of the District by carts.

. . . . FORESIS A N D MINERALS. 4

Y

FORESTS.

112, The Government forests cover an area of 827 quare n~iles or just over a quarter of

Gartrnment forests. Extent and desc~ip- that of the District. They lie in two

Lian. large blocks on the slopes of thc Sit- puAs on the north and south, while broken patches extend more or 1 6 s across the centre of the p tateau. The nor.tRern

* forests forming the Nerbudda and Dhtima ranges occupy 250

square miles ; those of (he cenll-c, divided illto tbc Chhap3ra and Ugli ranges, 2 5 0 square miles ; aud hose of the south comprised in the Kurai and Ganginiila ranges, 320 square miles. The iol.esls are mainly si~uated on hills, somelinles precipitous and much cut up by ravines. The crop is mixed, varying in character according lo the soil and locality. The protection afforded to some tracts by closure to grazing and

prevention from fire has affected their condition, and tbc growth on such a t w s compares favourably wir l~ tllose un- protected. Teak is the pl-incipal tree but does not grow pure, though it is someli~ncs the m a t abundant species in the forests in which it occurs. 1 t generally grows on the slopes of the hills and in the r4a!legs intersectil~g them, On the l~ i i ls the trees attain Lo no great height and quickly become llollow ; but in the vallej-s teak reaches a height of 60 feet and healthy trees

of this species have been measured of four feet in girth. In

i the north the growth of teak is frequently stunted and crooked. The finest teak is found in the Kurai range where there are three plantations. Bamboos occur in most forests and occa- sionally form dense tLicke~s in the Kurai range, though they are scarcc to the west of the Great Northern Road. 'They are fairly plentiful in parts of the Gangin%la range and also in the nurtli-east or the Nerbudda range, but ia the other forests

FORESTS. 1%

of the celilre and north are not usually either very corm on

or well grown. Thc prii~cipal species occurring in the mixed forests are s i j ( T~r~~t i~t i t ldrr h ) ~ ) t ~ ~ : t o a n ) , d/tnnmE ( A ~ l o ~ t i ~ ~ ~ ~ s Al@oiio), fcrr:lii (Diosp,~~,os to:trgtilosn), [ctlddn {L~ytrsrrur~titf pnru$un I ) , a.lrrlt2 (Pltyllrc~~fltllrs EI IJ~~~CCZ), and nclszr ( Bucha- ~tutz;a h h f a l h ) . Ti~uci (Uits~iiltrr d t ~ l b ~ ~ ~ i o i t i ~ s ) grows in

most ol the forests, bdng m3re plentiful in the northern ranges. S d e h (BOSWL'II~L~ s ~ I I I ( I ~ ~ I I ) is also cornman in ttle

north aud k!tnrr. (AarcL..r C#le&'w) is found in these alld in parts of the other forests. It o:curs in considerable quan- tities in the GauginZla range in the Ktlawasa forests. Sdich is abundallt on some of the northern bills and with it o:cur ,

~ltoyel~ ( O d i ~ ~ a Wrldi~~r), and go bd4 (Gt~llfos)e/ I I ~ Z ~ I I J Gossypil~llr). I n many places the forests are exceedingly poor and open, coi~sistin p o f scrubby srfj, aao~rl&, rrrtci12 and nclitil=

I 13. The following statement shows Ststistics oc I ~ Y C ~ U C . the rcve~lue of the forests under the

principal heads : -

The local denland is principally for fuci, brusbwaod, grazing and ediblc products, tvlhile the people take small

'

poles to build their housea. Traders from Jubbulpore carry

tcak timber of one to four feet in girth and baml-raos, and poles and bamboos are floatcd from the Nerbudda range to

GivSrighfit. But the principal ~narkcts arc the NZgpur aud S

Wardhi Districts, from which a good dcniaud is available for

18S1-&3 . . . 1891-92 . 1cp3-03 .. l 9 1;-04 . . .

Timber.

Rs.

;,ow

15,000

9,ooo

7,-

Fuel.

Rs.

5-W

6,000

3,000

2,COU

S , ~ O 1934-05 ... 1 $030

Nillor uce.

-- Rs.

4 , m

G,wo

5 , ~

7,-

1 2 , W .

Gnming 64a>h.

Rs.

$,CW

$6,-

a2,ooo

27,W3

27,W3

Harn'o's.

Rs.

I4,om

9,-

4,-

5,OWI

9,000

'm6 . ' SEOHI. FORESTS AND B I ~ K E R A L S .

the produce of the Kurai and Gnugin5Ia ~*anges. The system of commutation is in force throughout the Divis io~~ and nearly the whole revenue is derived from g~.azing

dues and cornmulation fees. The small demand for building wood is met by allo\ving purchaselLs to cut according ko

their I-equirernents with the permission of the Forest DivisionaI OFiicer, payment being made under the license

system. Tlie right to coHect minor forest produce such as mahui, lac and mysabalans and to cut wood for the

. preparation of catcchu has generally beeu leased annually or for a tern1 of years. The number of aniinals annually

. entwing the forests for grazing is about 200,000. The figures were large in past years but declined with the intro-

' duction of protective measures against grazing. Tlle new rules allowing ravourable rates to agriculturists have again effected an increase in the ~luinber of ai~iir~als brougli t to the forests, With the exception of about So square miles. all the forests are now closed to browsers, while about ZOO .

square miles are entirely closed for grazing.' r t4. The following sta<enieut shows

$ysttrn of admirlistra- the revenue, expenditure a ~ d surplus tion.

. . froin the forests in several years : -

. . Revcniie. Expenditure. Surplus.

Rs Rs. Rs. 1881-82 ,.. ... 77,000 28.000 49,000

i 1891-92 ... ... go,ooo 3 5.000 55,000 i rgor-oz ., ... 61,om 42,000 rg,om

1

j 1902-03 .. . . *.. S s , W 43 000 12,000

I 90344 . . . .:. 63,om 40,000 23,000 i !

' rgo4-o~ ... .. 68,000 38,000 3 C , O X t

! * In pall ycars the forests were worked untler the license - :

. system admitling unrcgulat=d feHings by the people them- i . selves. Regulation of fcllings was colrrmenced in 'r gg3; and i

a system of departmental l'elliligs was initiated for a f~ j ! '

months but was so6:r abandoned as being expensive and , anprofitable. Working plans began to be drawl1 up in I g96

. -. .. - . , , r ' > . - .

FORESTS. fv and between that year and' Igor were sanctioned for all the . ranges. The bulk of the a-ca bas been formed into circles, each of which is subdivided inlo 30 compartments, ~ h u s proyiding for a 30 years' rotation on the basis of felling one compartment each year. In a few areas a r 5 years' rotation Ilas tree11 adopted, while i n ojhcrs owing to the absence d a market the forests will not be regularly worked at present. . Certain areas w e le f t perrnane~~lly open for grazing. In 194-05 the Forest Staff cot~sisled of a Deputy Consw- vator, 3 Range~.s, 3 Deputy Rangers, g Foresters and gr permanent and 30 telnporary Forest Guards. In the Kurni range teal; plantations were established during tl-te y e ~ r s 186S-fo and r 877-80. In part of the arm the

, seed ivas suwn in pita dug in lines six feet apart; while ', ' the other method was to sow the seed in ploughed lines with-

out pits being dug. The latier system did not yield good re- ' ' sults, but the planhtim~s at Sak5ta have been very successful. -

' In 1903-45 atten~pts were made to plant sandalrvood, and the earUcr plants arc sk~ted to bc doing well. In rgoq-og fire pr.ottc~ion with special watchers w a s atlernpted over 360 quare miles of forest. The DulJI, Amggarh, ICotbisa and C1lm,lri felling series are worked as coppice lvi th standat-ds, '

the lnai~l yield from which is fuel. I 15. In addi~ion to the Government forests the District

/' contains 414 square miles of kce-forest

Private foresls. and 352 square miles of scrub jungle 9

and grass in private hands. The total area of forest and

, grass land is thus nearly 16oo square miles or about half .

- of that of the Djstl.ict. T l ~ e m5lgur5ri rorests are as a rule well distributed, the on1 y tract which is conspjcuously de- fcttive in lhis respect being the Seoni Elareli which crtends , - for a dish12nce of about 2 0 by 1 5 miles to lhc west and uorth-. west of S e ~ n j town. The best pi-ivatc f'(~~-(*~ts :1rc dit~~atr!d in *- k

,'5 GoudT estate in the BarghZt: t l ~ ~ t b(:lon::il.: ' 0 , i!)c bLliw5n. ;%' ' 1 family pf Seoi~i ; tlic Dvrisi estate i b t I ;gin? I . : R:l &hdw ' f

. Jidu Gulib Sing11 to illr south , ,ll:?::Z" :)@; :ind *

> - - . . Q f "

. , I I-.

I .

. 1.28 SEONI. FORESTS AND bt1NERALS.

. the villages round Ked5rpur in the nortb-east of the District which are in the hands of several sinall propl-ieto~~. Tlie vil-

lages near Dongaria and Eiidalpur belonging to the Ranhiwsra eshtc .also contain some good timber. Tlie best private

forests contain teak of as good quality as is to be ioulld in , most of the Government reserves, as also s i j (Tcr~~titmlin

bontc,~losn) andbijciscTl (Pfrrocnrp~rs M~rs tr ) i t t r ) t ) . Asarule they are fairly well conserved and are not overworked. The villngers have the frce use of all the produce except the better kinds of building timber, of wliicl~.most propl'ietols arc very cbary. The private forests are habitually grazed over,

but small areas, especially in villages near the Great Northern Road, are protcctcd and dealt with as grass reserves, the constant string of cart traffic along the road during the open season produdng a great demand for grass. Small areas are also preserved here and there for grass suitable for thatching. The income from the private forests of the District was estimated at last settlement to I-re nearly Rs. r 5,000, on which a rebate of more than Rs. 3000 was granted to allow for fluctuations. Tenants have often a prescriptive sight to col- lect the rnahufi from trees standing within or in some cases

outside their holdings. I I 6. Roadside arboriculture has until within a recent

Roadside al.bwiculture. period reccivcd at best only intermit- tent attenlion. Of 250 miles of I-oad

,, under thc control of tlie Public Works Department avenues are wholly or partially established on 38 ; they arc not rc- quircd on 47 miles where the roads pass through forest,

. and 16; miles reemait~ to be provided with avenues. The efforts of the Department are at present mainly directed to the Grcat Northern Road which has avenues for a length of

about 24 miles, while they are required on 44 more. Five nurseries have been established for this road, each in charg~

, of a coolie on five rupces a month. Two other nurseries '. are maintained for the Seoni-U215gh5t and the Seoni-MandlS

toads; the former road has avenues along six miles and : . * . . . -

FORESTS.

requires them for thirteen more, while on tlre SeonT-Mandl3 road only two miles have bccn planted and forty milcs

remain to be provided with avenues. I'he cxpend~turc of the Departlnent is at present about Rs. 1000 ant~ually, but it is hoped to raise it to Rs. 1500 in order to enable bettcr -ogress to be made. 'The District Council hnve underta the provision of an avenue for the Babaria Circuit +oad nnu 3re also doing some work 011 the Lakhniidoo-Nar- singhpur road, the village road of Chhapira and the road fl-om Semi to RajoB, as well as on the Uandol and Parana P a r b encamping grounds. Two nurseries are maintained at Seoni and Lalcbnadon. The expenditure of the Council has hitherto been only about Rs. zoo annually, but it is intended to raise this to Rs. 600 with the stssistai~ce of a Provincial grant. The avenues already established on the roads of I he District consist mainly of mango, jZ1116131 (E~tgcrtin Jcrn~lrtl-

- Ia~ia), siris (Am izsia LcbbcR), banyall, grjiar (Ficus gh111tt trlnj,

krlz7l (Actrcira arabicu) and pipal trees ; but for future planta- tion the mango, ~ c i ~ ~ r t t n , mahu5 and r r i ~ i ~ ace considered to be the most suitable species. These four varieties are of rapid

+

growth, give goad shade and are shapely in form. The bablil

which is a very common tree aIoiig the roads at prcseut, X

finds no favour with the local authorities in the Sconi , ] District.

' I

MINERALS.

I r 7. No inines are workcd in the District at present, nor Ilas any evidence hitherto byen

l inen la . forthcoming to sllow that i t contains

111iueral deposits of commercial irnportancc. Iron is found

. in t11c Kurai range in the south and was formerly extracted by liative methods, but has now been displaced by English iron. Other deposits occur in the valley of the Hirri river.

I In IChairZ on the Slgar river, 23 miles from Seoni towards MandlZ, coal is said to have been discwered. The sands of . the Pachdh5r and USwantRari rivers have long been washed

130 SEONI. FORESTS AND MINERALS.

for gold in inuigi-lificant quantities. All inferior kind of mici\ has been met with in Rfikhar on the Seoni-Nzgpur road and the hills near it, A srnoo~h greyish white chalk is obtained near Cl~hapira on the north bank of the wain gang^ Light- coloured amethysts and topazes are found among the rocks in the Adegaon tract. A good hard stone is obtained from quarries in the hills and in the villagcs of Chakki-IChamaria, Janzwarkhcdi and Khankr5 from which mill-stones, rolling- dabs and mortars are made and sold all over Seoni and the adjoining Districts of Chhindwira and BhandZra. A close search in the metamorphic and crystalline area in the south of the District mould probably lead to the discovery of man- ganese-bearing rock s.

CHAPTER VIt. *

FAMINE, . .

I 18. No record of famine up to and including the early y cars or sritish administration remains.

Early h~nilies. From an epquiry hdd in 1868 it

appears f bat in 1 8 1 g severe distress pl-cvailed during the hot

~veather and rains. During its coutinuance tradition states

lhal: tile price or grain was 8 seers to the rupec,bnG people sold their children and instances were known of human flesh having been coi~su~iied, From 1823 to rSz7 the District suffered froill a succession of short crops due t~ Aoods, hail and blight and resulting in the desertion of mnny villages. In 1533-34 severe disti-ess was prevalent rrom May to Octo-

ber. It was said thxt parents frequently sold their chiidren -. in order to buy food and many persons d i d of starvation: '

Grain was iniported by Government from Jubbulpore and Chtiattisgarh, and the export of grain was forbidden. Ad- vallces were granted to the village lessees and a fourth

, ,

of the land-revenue dema~ld was suspended. 'fie distress , -

ceased with the new autumn harvest. The spring crops of , ,

1354-5 j .were totally destroyed by rust, and this year is - . spolren.of a s j l ~ i r j klstSlbytbepeopletr,thepreseutday. ,.

Scarcity was experienced for four or f ive months. The ex-

port of grain was frrbidde~l and tahsildirs were asked to , - ,

employ as many persons as possible on public works. In

1868, the year of the Bundell~hand famine, the monsoon was .very heavy in June and July and ceased prematureIy, only : . . 4 ii~cIles being reccived in August and 5 in Scptanber. The - . ,

autulnn crops were ruined, but as in subsequent *awns of the same character, the land was vel-y carefully prepared for . -

the spring sowings, and with the assistance of some showers , , - ' ,

in the cold weather, the spring crops were above rl~e average. . .. '

. . 1 i t 'this period t l~e ordi~~ary price was 60 scerv ar cheaper,

I '

disGes5 prevailed from February to October, cspccially , among the forest tribes. Small works were u~~dertalien from

the District heal Funds and advances were made to 1 aud- . owners in petty amounts. The jnhabjlanls of Seoni gave

. food to 250 persons daily for several mouths and relief tvas

also distributed at various centres in lhe Katai~gi tahsil. I t was reported tllal more ihan 1000 persons had abandoned their caste and enrolled themselves as Dhers or sweepers in order to obtaill T d . A certain amount of n~ortality occurred fmm privation, mainly among the aged and infirm. In I 873 the rains were excessive in June znd July and stopped abruptly at the end of August. The autumn harvest was very poor, but with seasonable showers in the cold weather, excellent spring crops were obtained. S i n e slight scarcity was felt in tire rice tracts. In 1373 the rains were heavy and continuous up to the end of September and the fields could not be pro~erly tilled for the spring so wing^. 'The ground dried up rapidly in October, and much of i t was too

hard to k sown bzl'ore the necessary preparation could be

cornpIetd. In the LakhnZdon Lalisil also heavy storms injured the growing crops, and the poorer classes were pressed for food.

s 19. The recent cycle of bad years began from 189293, but up to I 896 the seasons were by 110

i-e*sllt me of means so unravourable in Seoni as in bad yews. other Districts. I n 1893 rainy and

cloudy weather in January, liebruary and March, coupled with wcasional hail-storm, sev~rcly injured the spring crops

and the harvest was only three-fifths of an average. In the '

following year, however, the rain in the winter months was mudl lighter in %OBI than dsewhcrc, and the spring crops

were quite successful, the combined outturn being 85 pel' centdnormal. In 1894-95 unseasooable rain again fell in Ihe cdd weather and the spring crops partly hiled, the

return for both harvests being 76 per cent of an average

1- "OR A proportion of therevenue was suspended in a num-

ber of vi11ages in this year. The monsoon of 1895-96 was - excellent up to the middle of September, when it stopped

, abruptly and only one or two slight siiowers were received -

during the remainder of the year. The rice crop was only half of a full harvest and the germination of the spring ,

crops was derective, wheat yielding no more than Ace : the other autumn and spring crops were fairly good according to

- the returns, but i t must be doubted whether these were *

correct, as severe distress appears to have existed through- out the year. The death-rate for r896 was 63 per milk and the birth-rate sank to 24. The cropped area decreased by 78,000 acres in the following year. The price of wheat rose

A

froln zo seers in 1894 to 1 5 in 1895 and r 3 in IS@. The Government forests were thrown open for the collection of edible fruits and roots and one road-work was started, but

never attracted more than a few hundred persons, while '

about a I~undred paupers were supported by private charity - ,

+ in SeonT and Lakhn5don. These measures must, hbwever, have failed to render the real extent of the distress apparent.

120. In 1596 the rains were again abundant up to the - '

l'lie famine of 189:. end of August and then abruptly: ceased. The autumn harvest failed

. almost conlpletely and much of the land became too dry to . . . be sawn with the cold weather grains. Seasonable showers :.

were, however, received in December and January, and so . , ' r

much of the wheat and gram as was able to germinate gave a fair outturn. As the District was at a distance from the

.

r~i lway, prices were naturally lower than those ruling else-' . ,

where and rhc consequent tendency to tbe export of grain : led to a small graii~ riot in Seoni town and some dacoities .

i i ~ the Lakhn5don tahsil. Severe distress was found pre- vailing in October 1895, and three poo~~houses and two

'

local fund were opened. This was followed by the ',

institution relief-cenlre~ for the assislance of starving,

wander,,-,. Regular relief worts under the Public W Q ~ ~ S ' '

Department were started in January, and small works con- sisting in the embankment of iields in the ryotwZ~*i villages of the Lakhniidon tahsii were managed by the Deputy Commis- sioner. A number aT tanks were also cot~structcd or repaired

* and some forest roads auld other works were undertaken, while advances were made to m5lguzirs far works in their

villages, more especially in the Ugli and Bargb5t tracts. Poor-houses were opened in Seoni and LakhnSdon by private subscription in December I 896 and were afterwards taken over by Government. Village relief was begun in March r 897, but did not obtain important dimensions uuh! the rains, when as many as r 3,600 pel-sons were in receipt of chis form of assistance. Chi Id]-en's kitchens were opened in the rains and

the Deputy Commissioner wrote of them that they consti- tuted the only effectual means for the prevention of child- mortality, and added that many malguz5rs toolr great pride in the managenlent of their 1;ilchens.

12 I. The Ilighcst number of persons in receipt of all

P,rncipal atat,stics of for~ns of assistance was 19,003 or 5 the lamme. per cent of the population in Septem- ber 1897 and the direct expe~lditurc on famine reliel was Rs. q.5 lakhs. About h d f the land revenue was suspended and considerable slims were distributed ill loa~ls and grants from the Famine Relier Funds, the sum obtained from the latter being more than a lakh* 'Th: deab-rate remained at about 4 per milie per month during the first part of the year, alld rose to 7 per mille in June, 8 ill July and r z in August, the rate for the year being more than 77 per niille, while tile

'

birth-rate was only 22 per rniIle. The avcragz llricc of wheat during 1897 was 10 seers per rupte and of rice 84 seers.

122. A long break in tbe rains in June I 597 was unfavaur-

The years ,g$ and able to the rice crop, as many of the 1899. high-lying fields could not be sown, and as there was no cold-weather rain until February, the spring crops were also below the average. 'I'he rice tracts

of Ugli and h ~ ~ h i t S ~ O I Y C ~ serious deterioration as the cffmt

of t11chnli.e. I n the following yearthe ~vioter months were again rai~lless and (he spring craps were shwt.

123. In 1899 thc total rainfall was only 23 inches as

The famil~e or I goo, against the average of 53. The illonsoon failed practically from the end 01 July

and between 4 and 7 inches only were received i n August. The autumn crops with the exception of cotton and partially of kodon were a complete failure, and much of the spring

crop area was too dry to be sown, tllough with the assistance

of showers in December aild January wheat gave half an average outturn. As in other Districts the oi.~anisalion of - relief was prompt and efficacious, and owing to the return given by wheat and liodon the famine was not so severe in Seoni as in the south and east of the Province. Six large works were opened under the Public Works Department, all

of which were devoted to the co~~struction and jl~lprovemel1t of tal~ks. The prinGpal tanks made were those of ~ r j , Mincgaon, Uori, Bargh%t, Ugl~, Dlmijholfi, Mahtl and the Babaria tallit at Sconi ; a large number of small works were also managed by the Civil Departnlcn t, both by officers spe- cially aplointed and by grants to milguzirs. A portion of

the railway embankment rvas also const~~uctcd. Grascutling was undertake11 at thrce centres, and pylnctlt was made to

adults at the rate of 5 pice for a 50 pound bu~idle of grass alld to cl~ildren at 3 pice for oue of 30 poul~ds, only one buildle

-

beillg accepted from one peiwn in n day. Owing to the

exteilt of forest and grass land, however, no real scarcity of fodder was experiellced and the grass was sold at a IOSS, A to& of 1 I Y kitchens were opcned in the Seoni and Lakh- n&jon tahsils and in July 1900 about 24,mo persons were, .

raeiving food st these. V i l l a s relieflwas~organisCd in con- '

junction the disrributi011 of cooked food. &

1.4 Curiously the highest number of persons in

Tllr: famine of 1900 receipt of all forms d assistance was

(continued). recorded in January :goo, amounting

1 36 SEONI. FAMINE. Y

to j,ooo pcrsolls or I 2 per cent of the population. The numbers then fell off for the cold weathel- harvest and

began to rise in May and June, but in this month the total only reached 43,090. After June the figures steadily declined as should be the case when the famine has been really well administered. The direct expenditure on

was more than 68 lakhs. The bulk of the land re- venue was suspended, and more than two Iakhs were dist1.i-

1

butcd in loans and charitable grants. Agricultural l o n ~ ~ s were issued an the joint security of all cultivators in the village who were in need of them and this systeili was found to work very well. In SeonT itself a dltmra~)rsilm or institu- tion for the distribution of cooked rood was supported by private subscription, and a number of wells were also built by private persona, Mr. Gulhn ~ u s t a ~ d i , E. A. C,, completing the jubilee well at Seoni at his own cost, The mortality for the year rgoo was only 32 per rnillc or practically normal. The average prige of wheat for 1900 was a little more than to seers far a rupee, whde granl and rice were more expensive than ro seers. Prices there- fore were much on the same level as in the previous famine, the District being still far removed from aline of railway. In the wheat tracts the famiilc was litlle felt, but the Deputy Commissioner considered that the rice area would lleed three y cars of good harvests to recover i ts normal prosperity and in

" fact small abatements of land revenue have beet1 made here up to r 904. The record of past failures of the crops appears to show that while famine has usually been due to the prc- mature cessation of the monsoon, untimely rain alld cloud in

the winter months bas been as often respousible for seasons of scarcity and slight distress. * i

LAND REVENUE ADMINISTRATION. ,

' . 125. Neither the Gond nor MarZth5 Governments reccg-

Reve~lue tion prior rule.

adn~iiristra- nised any kind of right in land, and the

to Bl'ilish cullivators were only protected by the . .

strong custom enjoining hereditary - tenure. The rule of i l ~ e Gonds was never oppressive, but

- the policy of the Warzthls was latterly directed to the extor- . tion of the largest possible revenue, Rents were generally collected direct, and leases of villages were granted only for

very short terms. The measure, however, which cont~ibuted most largely towards the impoverishment of the country rvas ,

the levy of the revenue before the crops on which it was charged could be cut and sold. Rents were paid in three . instalments :-First, S & Q N ~ in July ; second, nghnnl' in Octo- ber ; and third, cltnid; in February; and this made borrow- . '

ing necessary in every villagc. The result was that a tenant

had frequently to give over the whole pl*oduce of his field, in liw af the amount borrowed by him, for payment of the exorbitant rent and its interest, and had again to borrow for

, his food. In r S I o, eight years before coming under British A

rule, it was reported that Seoni had paid a revenue of more thau three la l ih~ of rupees, but in the interval the exactions of the last Mariithri sovereign Appa Sshib, and the deprcda- tions or the Piudlris, had caused the annual realisations to shrink to Jess than half this sum. On taking Over charge of .

the District Majar OO'Brieu wrote :- ' This pl-ovince consists of x 496 villages, divided i n to l a

' pal-ganas, The inhabited villages now only amount to 887, ' of which 40 are in jiigir, while the remaining 609 are . I entirely .deserted. As far hack as I 8 i r - I x, i t is 1-eporled lo .

have paid a revenue of Rs. 3'25 lakhs, but in callsequence '

.p * ..

1 3 ~ SEO#I. LAED REVENUE AUMINISTRATION.

- , of the depredations of the Pil1d5l.i~ in 1 S 16-1 7, it sunk

.; 8 s . 1.8 j lakhs, a l ~ d in the ensuing year, 1817-1S9 when 1 a received charge it was reduced to Rs. 1.46 laklls. There

- an evident cause for the difference in these two year;, as in -

the former. one a tax was ordered to be levied of One lakh of rupees, to meet part of the expenses allellding the marriage

' of ille Appa SGlfib, ~ v h i c h exaction disrrc~sed the ger~el-alify, ' and ruined many. The war b~eal;ing out: at the close of the

' year 1 8 17, every rupee was called lor that could b e forced , ' out of the unfortunate inhabitants, and nltl~ough I had

' ' established the British authority so early as January there ' ' only remained due Rs. 51,805 at that time.' The period of

sho~.t-term settlements, wlrich followed the commencmlent of our administ~-ation, constituted in Seoni, as elsewhere in the Central Provinces, a series of attempts to realise a revenue equal lo, or higher than, that nominally paid to the WarAtl13s, from a District whose condition had seriously deterior- ated.

, . ' - 126. Owing to the subslantial changes which have since taken place jn tlle area of i l~e District -

Early Britjnh wt~le- nler~lr. the figures of the early settlements do .

not afford any accurate basis for com- parisan with that now exisling and i t is therefore unnecessary .

l o give them a t Itngih. 'Three years afier the cession in I 81 8 , the demand rose to 1.76 lakhs in a quinquennial settlement .,

fallowing on two annuai ones. '1'Fri.s was succeeded by a decen~lial settlement on a slighlly reduced demand and in ' ,

' I 83 j ax-eltlement of zo years was made by Major Low wI-ricR

. lowered he revenue to Rs. 1.34 lakhs. Even under ibis greatly decreased assessment some portittns' of the District.' broke down and the demand had to be revised, especially in par& of the LakhnSdon rahsil inhabited by Gonds. .The settlelnent had first been of a progressive nature, the ,

~rop&ed demand being enhanced slightly at.in tet+vals of five !

Years, hut this sYsttIYl was abandoned and the rcvelluc of -

secolld qu i~~ luc~~1~ ia l pcriod was rc!aincd ibr i!lc rc!llai*ldcr of -

the settlemellt. This was due to expire in 1855, but the - disturballces consequenl on the Mutiny prevented any ~rrfil~gen~e~.llS for revision and the settlement continued in force unlil 1864-55, whert the 30 years' settleincnt was intl.oduced. The rise of prices beginning about r 861 and accellluatcd by the cotton crisis followillg on the American War resto~*cd plvsperity wad revived tllc demaud for land.

r 27. A survey was undertaken and completed between 1 and r 863 under the supervision

The 30 years' settle- ment of Mr. R. A. Stel-ndale and other oKt-

ccrs, and the settlement was completed between r 860 and I 865 by Captain Thornson, the Deputy Commissioner, Mr. Stelmdale and other.; Thc Report was 3

wriCten by Captain Thomson and published in r 867. At the commencement of the settlement the Kaigal-h tract, which had previously been attached to the Mand1;i District, was

made over to Captain Tlloinson for assessment and his Report contains a descriptioi~ of it. After the seltlement it became part of the new Billigh;lt District. Mr. Fuller d e - cribed the principles of ihc 3 0 years' scttlenicnt as ihlhws:-

It was difficult ro make an estimate of the enhancement ' wh~ch mjght be obtained, since there were no statistics

arrailablc of the cultivated area of the assets of former settle- ments wit11 which a coinpa~*ison could I-re made. But from

' the rise in prices which had taken place i t was assuined that an en h a ~ ~ c e m e ~ ~ t of 50 per cent could be borne. Taking a

kind of mean bctwccn the former prices and those ruling at a the time, which had been forced up by the cottoll famine in

'

' ' Eul-ope, i t was assumed that the lowesi rate to which the price ol' wlleat would fall w o ~ ~ l d be between Rs. 4 and Rs. 5 a hhatadi or 30 to 40 seers a rupee, and as this rate was - nearly double that prevailing at the time of the former

' settlement, it was concluded that the revenue might safely be l-enllanced by a half. The assets liable to assessmcnC seem rto have been only the profits from cultivation and the swflr

.. 6 income, 111e an~ount of which was Put at 0 1 1 1 ~ Rs. 4,000. 111

,+ pargrmas where the village papers shoved asset3 which

justify a large enhancement t k y to have 6 been [he principal guide to assessment, and in this case

6 of course village was assessed on its own herits ! and to the ckak in wjlich it might be

c included. This %ems to have been the procedure fdbwed a in the Swni pargana as we1 as in the Ashts and Ugli tzluks. r ~ u t where tbe village papers appeared to undel-state the 6 assets they were discarded and a valuation rate adopted.

' For this purpose the villages were marked off into cl~nfts or 'groups .and villages within each clmk were grouped into 'classes, for each of which an all-round area rate was adop- ( td. The area rates used in pa-gana Katangi seem to have 6 been based on the rates o i incidence of the revenue, paid 'by l~ighly assessed villages, on the cultivated acre. In pargana LakhnSdon the rates seem to have been deduced

&from the rents paid by and recorded against tenants in '.rnrtafi villages where the proprietors had no object in con- ' cealing fhejr assets.'

r 28. The revenue was raised from Rs. 1.37 to Rs. 2.27

Iakhs or by 67 per cent. The waste the and forest land in rvlJch Government ment.

reserved proprietary rights was I 134 square miles or 21 per cent of the total area. It was not the function of the Settlemel~t Officer to enhance the rental; '

which it was supposed would adjust itself to Ihc new revenue after its announcement. I n order to reduce the revised assessment to tbe authorised proportion of 50 per cent or half the assets, the rental should have risen by 30 per cent. *

This was generally the case and in several parganas ehe

rental was incrmsed to more than double the Government demand* The ultimate proportion which tile revenue bore . . to the revised assets was 48 per cent. So]mewhat over a quarter of the whole number of tenants, holding two-

, fifths the total tenant area, were awarded abmIute :.

I . . . . , . . I

L , . LAND REVENUE ADMINISTMT~ON. -141 .

.occupancy or occupancy rights. The revenue of the 30 years' settlement amounted to Rs. I -62 lakhs on

-the arTa now constituting Seoni. Subswluently ' t o the settlement the bulk of the old Katangi tahsil was tmnsfcl-red Xo tljc new BFiiAgl15t - District, and a nuniber of villagcs below the S5tpuri hills to Niigpur, rvhile Seonl received the Adegaon estate from ChhindwZra, A number of other small excl~anges of territory with adjoining Districts took place in later years.

129. Duri~lg the currency of the 30 years' settlement the District progressed steadily in agri- -. ,

Currency Ibe 3' cultui-a1 prosperity until the year I 893- . years' settlement. 94 w h e ~ a si~ccession of poor seasons ,

and failures of the harvest began. Still in the years 1 895-97, when attestation for revision of seetIement took place, the ' .

net cropped area had increased fi'orn 5 4 4 , ~ to 652,000 . acres or by 2 0 per cent, and the cultivated area from 550,000 to 8a3,wo acres or by 50 per cent, while the acreage irri- gated and that devoted to double crops gained largely. It

-was considered that the prices of agricultural produce had risen by nearly J W per cent over those on which the 30 years' settlement was based, The area held by tellants

had increased rronl 400,000 to 660,000 acres and their pay- ments fl-om Its. 2'42 to Rs. 4.09 lakhs. The Ilarn~ farm :of

the proprieto~*s had increased fi-om l4g,0m to zoo,ooo . . acres.

130, A s in other Districts a new cadastral survey was undertal;en prior to the revision , ' ,.

The setllen~cnt of 1896-98. Cadastnlsur- of settlemcut and was co~npleted

' - vcy. between the years 1887 and 1892, it traverse survey showing the boundaries of villages . . .. , being effected simultaneously, The number of patwsri's circles ia the District was fixed at r zg, and the number , :

of fields separately surveyed anlounted to nearly a , . rhilliou, giving an average of 403 per square mite of dultivaled 'area. The cost of the cadastral survey was

* ir@ SEONT.. L.4ND REVENUE ADRII NISTRATlON.

Rs. 30 alld of the traverse survey Rs. 35 Per quare mile. . 131. The settlement was effected between the Years

1595 and I 898, the Settieinent OFficer Procedure of the set- being Kh3n BahZdur A u k d tiusain, -

demeut. who wrote the Report. Tllc assess-'

meat was made according to the soil-uni t system now pres- cribed in the Central Provinces. The different soils and

positions distinguished have been giveu.in the chapter on Agriculture. No inforrnatioil as to the acreage rales im- *posed on each class of soil is available either in the Settlement .Report or in the Settlement Annexures.

132. The area held .by nrdik-wlahb~Tcas declined from about gooo to 8400 acres, in spite

Enhancements~~ the of the fact that some 1200 acres of rental.

land retained rent-fret for themselves by proprietors when transferring their villages were now

. recorded in this right. Their payments were raised fi-om Rs. .3300 10 Rs. 4400 or by 35 per cent, but much of this increase was due to assessment of the land held rent-free agai~ist the ~HlguzJ r b y forinel- proprietors. Their acreage rate was raised from R. 0-5-7 to R. 0-8-5. Absolute occupancy tenants l~cld 47,000 acres as against 68,000

at the previous settle~nent, the su bstan tiai decrease being due to relinquishments in the early years of the settle- ment, when the advantages attaching to this class of tenure were not u~~derstood The number of holdings was nearly 2400, ?'heir rental was raised from Rs. 31 ,om to

Rs. 37,000 or by zr per cent, the acreage rate being R - 0-1 a d as against R, 0-9-10 at the 30 years' settlement. , , Occupancy tenants held 207,ooo acres included in nearly 12,mo holdingsas a g a i n s t y g , ~ ~ ~ acres in 1861-65, the . large increase in the area held in this right being due to its acquisition by r 2 years' possession under the old Tenancy Act. Occupancy right over a portion of t h e s5. land was . also awarded to some tlzrkiidcirs or fani~ers who were not

foulld to be ellti tled to a graut oi' pi elected status, with t h i consent of the village proprietors. The p,~y rneiits of occu- a

pancy tenants were raised from R s 1 ,28 ,wo before revision to Rs. r ,4s,ooo, giving an enhancement of Rs, I 7,om or I 3 per cent. The acreage rnte imposed was R. o- t 1-2 as

against R - a-g-I 1 both at the 30 ycars' seulement and berore icvisiou. The area hcld by ordinary tenants was

404,COO acres as against ~53,000 acres at the previous '

setlleinent. Or this 3~4,000 acres were held by tenants '

who had no land in other right, and go,ooo by tenants of superior class in ord~nary right. The number of hold- ings was 26,pc. The aclual land held in this right had very largely changed, Tor while xcupancy tenure had been acquired over many holdings held in ordinary rjgl~t at the 30 yea%' settlement, this decrease was *

much Inore than counterbalai~ced by the large expansion '

of cultivation which had taken place. The rental of 01-d~nary tenants had risen dui ing the currency of settle- ment from Rs. 1 . 5 I to Rs, 3. j0 laths, the corresponding

figures of rental pci aci c being R . 0-9-7 and R. 0-10-0 respectively. The rental was raised at rcvisio~i of settle- ment to Rs. 2.65 lakhs or by 6 per cent, the new acreage rate falling at 11. 0-10-6. Rac1:-renting was practically unknown and norvhei-e was any sjsternatic practice o f it found. But . in a few cases I C D ~ S had becornc ullduly heavy Giving to corn-' petition amoug the cultivatol.~ themselves and those of 734 l~oldings were reduced wit11 the consent of the proprietors. The geile~.al enhallcement of the payments of tenants whs veky lenienl in view of a rise in prices of nearly loo per cent, but this was intcutional as the District had suffered Cqrn several pool- yeala before I-evision of settlement was begun, and the famine of r 896-97 occur1 ed while the opera- - tions were in plogress. The tenant rate, which stood at

R . 0-9-8 at the 30 years' settlement, was raised by the proprietors to R. 0-10-0 bcforc revisior~, rvh~le the effect of rcvisio~l rvab to ~ncrcase it lo It. 0- I O- lo a n acre. 'The area

144 SEOHI. LAND REVENUE ADMINISTRATION.

held by tenants had increased fram 400,000 to 65g,000 acres during the period of settlement, while their ptlyrnents had '

risen from Rs, 2-42 to Rs. 4.w lakhs ; they wera iucreased at revision to Rs. 4-47 lakhs.

133. The home farm of the proprietors increased d u ~ i n g

a,.n, of lhe the 30 years' seltlcmell t from I qg,ooo prietors. to z00,ooo acres, cwer ing the large

proportion of 23 per cent of the occupied area. In the

Chhaplra g o u p or Lakllnidon tahsil the home fa-m was 33 ' per cent of the occupied area, in Dongaria zg, and in S;igaln ' . -

23, Most of [he village proprietors belong. as yet to the - classes which cultivate heir own land, and do not farm it

out, and these are inclined to increase the extent of their own farms by the inclusion of 1and.relinquished by [enants,

, when convcnientIy situated. The home faun was valued as '

a rule at the unit-r~te imposed on tenants, but an account of its better quality the rate per acre worBtd out at R. o-12-10

, - a= against the average ryoti rate of R. 0-10- I 0. The Settle- ment Officer's valuatioa was, however, supported by the fact that tenants of sir paid at the rate of R. 0-1 5-0 an acre for I 2 per cent of the area, and [hat almost cerlninly not by any means the best land. The rental valuation of the home farm

. , - was Rs. 1.60 Iakhs. Nearly 10,000 acres were held rcnt- - . free fram the village proprietors as grants for special reasons

or in lieu of service. This area was assessed to Rs. 7300 at the rate of R. 0-1 2-1 per acre.

. ' -: 134, The siiucti or miscellcneous income was not impor- ;. ' . .

.... tant, a ~ l d was taken to ainount to Yis~ellaneous income.

Rs. 14,600, of which Ks. 1 I ,300 were , , included in the assets for the purposes of assessment, a

drawback of 22 per cent being allowed for fluctuations of .

. . seasons. The income is mainly derived, from myrobalans, rnahuz, timber and grass and the amount included in the ' - assetsfellatropicsperacre on the 426 square miles of

, . milguairi forest a r a . . .

- . .. * . , - . . ' I . . . > , . ... - - , . , ! . '

, A .:. . . : . . I ., . . . . . . "

. . . -. . _

LAND REVENUE AUMINISPRATION. -. 'f 45 ..

T 3 j. The folbwing statement compares the assets taken -

at the 30 yearst settleme~lt with tilose , Comparison o f assets. calculated at the recent revision :-

Mfilik-mak bijzas' pay- ments and te~lants' rental ... ...

Reutal value of sir and hhm?k5sl,l land , . ,

Miscellaneous income. ..

Rs.

! 2,4G,wo

9 1 ,om

I 4,am

Ks.

I I

The total assets as announced were Rs. 6.14 lakhs s .

' .

Total . . .

against Rs. 6.3 I lakhs as assessed, the decrease being due to the 1-elinquish~netit of holdings in the fanline of 1896-97, Compared with the previous settlement the assets showed an , '

-iacrease d Rs. 2-90 lakhs or 8 5 per cent. . ,

-

3,4 1,000

138. In order to avoid an unduly large enhancement

---- -

6,3r,ooo .

E , , , , ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Qf the of the revenue and corresporlding ;

reve~lue. . decrease i n the pmpidic~o~.s' il~comes, .

the ordinary maxi~nuln proportion of the assets to be taken . . as revenue wns fixed by the Chief Commissioner at 47 per '

-

cent in the Sconi tahsil and 40 per cent in l l~e poorer area of .

the Lakhn3don hhsil. The actual proportion of the assets . -,

taken or1 rn5lguzlri villages worked out to-49 in Seoni and - '

40 in Lakhniidon or 46 per cent for the ~ i s t r i c t as a whole. . . *,

But the of. the Adegaon and Bbinigarh estates, which had escheated to Government, had been settled with I/1!&51Ifl'rs oi. tkrmcrs at a much higner proportion of the assets tnan

.Q U

146 SEOKI. LAND REVEhUE ADMINISTRATION,

that taken from village prop!-icrors. Five other villages of

the Labhn,idon tahsil which had been relinquished by [heir proprietors at the previous seltlemel~t were in the same position. In these villages a pt oportion of 70 per cent of

the assets was approved by the Chief Commissioner as the amount to be taken, and the payments actually fixed came to 69 per cent. The number or villages thus settled wit11 Aehidci~s was 64, four which were relinquiehcd at the time of announcement being settled lyotwzri. Cornbjni~lg the

assessments of both m5lguziil i and tlteRirl51 i villages, the revenue fell at 48 per cent of the assets or about the same as

at the previous settlement. The revenue was raised to

Rs, 2.93 lakhs, or by 73 per cent oa the figure of Rs. 1.64 lakhs paid before revision, a small reduction being allowed for HIP decrease in assets bet ween assessment and an oomlce- ment, The proprietors were estimated tohave gained an increased income of Rs. 2-49 lakhs since the 30 years' settle, ment, and of this Rs. 1'31 lakhs were taken in revenue. The increase in the rental effected at settlement was IXs. 40,000 and the n t t decrease in the income of the pi oprietors was

thus Rs. go,ooo. Out of the revised revenue of Rs. 2.93 lakhs, Rs. 30,000 were assigned and the net revenue was therefore Rs.. 2-63 lakhs. As the land revenue, though leniently assessed, often amounted to a considerable enhance- ment, in 289 villages out or a total of 974, Ihe assessment

* was made progressive, that is a portion of it was remitted for periods varying from t ~ o to four years. The amount of revenue so relinquished was Rs. 34,000.

r 37. The incidence of ihe revenue per cultivated acre id^^^^ 6f ,lie was R. 0-5-9 as against R. c-4-9 at

nue and rental. , the previous settlement. The revenue ncidence per cultivated acre varied' froin R. 0-9-4 in the Haveli g o u p of Sconi tahsil to R. 0-3-2 in the Dhiima group of Lahhn~doa, while the rental incidence varied from R. 0-1 5-9 to R. 04-6 in the salne groups, the average being R, O-ro-10,

I 38. The new settlement came into force from r 897 in the Seo~ri taltsilt and r $98 irl the Lnkbnii-

"Id or do11 fa hsll and was made for a period S t t l l ~ ~ u c ~ l t .

of I r and r 2 years. It expires in 1go8 i n the Seoni tabsil and in 19o9 in the Lakhn5don tahsiI. budel* lhe recellt orders or the Govern~iient or India the set~leincl~t lras been extended to the uorn~al period of

20 years and will expire in 1916-rg17. Excluding lhe prelialinary travelnse survey the btal cost of tbe settlenien t was Rs. 2-31 lakhs or a little more than Rs.90 per square

- mile. Tfle selije~nei~t tvas the last. effected by Kh5n Bahiidur ,

Auljd Husain, a distinguished Oficer of the Department in these Provinces, whose services bad. extended over more . than 5 0 years.

r 39. Owillg to the deterioration caused by the famine of rgoo and the poor crops of subsequent

Abatements OC revenue. years in the rice tracts of Ugli and

Bargh3t and in the Dhfinla circle of the Lakhna'don tahsil,. ' small tc~nporary abaten~ents of revtnue were granted in a

nunnber of villages, beiug calculated on the decline in the cropped area, making a double allowance for the most valuable crop. These amounted in I go142 to Rs. 20,003, in rgoa-03 to Rs. g$oo and in rgo3-q. to Rs. 7400.

:Remissions ofrevenue have also been made in years of famine, 1 but except for this the settlemei~t has suc~essfully survived - ithe ordeal or the series of failures of the harvest, which . followed its iutraduction.

'40. Concurrently with the regular revision, the Settie- .

inent Oficer dealt with 186 blocks Ryotwiri settl~rneut~

covering 180 square niiles of land, which were to be seetled on the ryotwQi system. Of these *

r 5 s -were formed by cxcisiun from Government forest, and .

'the remainder used to form part of the Adegaon and Bhiin- garb estates, which escheated to Government on failure of 'heirs. The -bulk of the blwks were settled as villages with* ' ' 7 . . Except in two grgups where it was introduced frunl 1896.

I,& SEQKI.' LAXI) REVENUE A D R ~ ~ N I S S I ' R A T I ~ N .

rnalmging. pateis, receiving a coi~~lnission of t i V 0 annas ill ' ~ 1 rupee 011 collections wllen the total dellland of the villa% amounted to Rs. 300 or more, and of two and a half al-ma. when it f11 short of this amount. Two viIlages were settlec;

with wutnridZri or hereditary patels receiving, 011 accoun t of improvements effected, a co~n~l~issio~l of three and R llaI1) annas in the rupee ; 4mld six under the special rules providir~g terms of exemption for impl-ovements as an inducerne~lt Lo the coustrtlction of tanks for rice C U I L ~ V ~ ~ ~ Q L I . ~ S ~ n l t of the

villages seem to have been subsequently abandoned, and in rgog there were 165 in existence, 127' in the Lakhnidon tahsil and 38 in the Seoili tahsll ; of 32 lnore villages, 28 were out of cultivatioi~ and in 4 arrai~gcments for assessment were in progress. The amounts of land rcvenue and cesses

realiscd ' from these villages in $904-03 were Rs. I g,om and Rs. 26m respectively. The assessment was made on the same system as in the 111ilguzZ~i area, bu t the revenue fell at

only R. 0 - 5 - 1 an acre as against R. o-10-10 in mllguz5ri vilIages, because the soil was inferior in quality and the villages generally more remote From trade ccntrcs. I n 1904-o$, 77,000 acres were included in boldit~gs in ryotwgri vjllages, of wllich 37,000 wcrc under cultivation. During the las~three years (ending rgog) a eum of Rs. ~ c c x : has been expalded on the construcijoil of wells in nearly 4C villages. t I -

141. The District has no j5g;r or zamfndki estates' Ten villages, eight in the Seoni anc

Special tenures. two in the LakhnZdw labs?!, with s.

total area of 6800 acres, have been sold outright under thE: Waste Land Rules, the amount rcalised being Rs. 23,ma These are free from payment of land revenue, but cesscs art; due from them. Superior and inferior proprietors ' coexist is 95 villages, 47 in the Seoni and 48 in t l i t LalchnZdon tahsih p~incipally belonging to the cstates of the larger landorvners The settlement was made in all these cases with the superior

k r Sntlrmtnt ICcpat (~gco), para, gt.

I LAND REVENUE ADM INISTRAT~OPJ. 1 49

prbprieloi: Protected status was awarded to 24 IIi~*Lntitiits or farmcrs at the last settlcincl~t and occupancy rights in sTr

'land were conferred on 48 otllers. Applicatiorls for protected status are infrequent. The District has six forest villages

s( containing an area of 5m acres allotted for cultivation. These villages are under the management of the Forest Depar~ment, and their object i s to secure a supply of labour

I in locali~ies rvllere i t is required by the Department. The palcllcs of sandy soil in tbe beds of rivers, on rvliich mcIons and vegetzabl~ are growl1 by Dhiinars and Kah3i*s were not assessed at the 30 years' settlen~e~lt and were subsequently made over to the District Fund for nianagcment ; h e y were.

- afterwal-ds declared to be 7ensCl or Government PI-operty: Some trouble was experienced in collecting rents for them as

I the patches OF cultivatioil chctnged annually, and in r go3 it . was decided that the rncloll beds o l h e two navigable rivcrs, the Waingansi and Nerbudda, should be retained as Govern- ment property, and the remainder handed over to the viljage

/ pr.oprietors to be assessed at the next setllernent. I.

143. Nearly I 5 z , o ~ acres consisting of villages or shares of villages and 140 acres includ-

licvenue-kceand qubt- ed in holdings wcre held wholly or rent & I dills.

partially revenue-free in 1904-05, the amount of revenue so assigned being Ra 28,000. Since the

, settlement tlie amount of assigned revenue has beta reduced fl-om Rs. 3 0 , ~ by resumptions. Formerly two large estates ' were held on quit-rent, the Gondi t3luk (in the Seoni tshsil)

1 compr-ising 89 villages, and the Kedarpur tduk (in the , Lakhnidon tahsil) contaitling 72 villages. The former belonged to D i w h Najaf Kh5n, the father of the prestrit Diwsn Muhammad Ali KhXn, and the latter to W5rjs Muhall~lnad KhZn, Both these t2lukdHrs were the descendants of the old Diwin family of SmuT. In the Gondi tiiluk, the quit-~~ent was fixed at Rs. 500 per annum for the lifetime of Diwin Najfil K 113n, the shiirivsddr, while in the KedZrpur

- tzluk. it was fixed at llillf the aluount assessed as 1.iiiuJ (f i l l )

I s o S O X I . ~ A M D REVENUE A D Y I N I S R A T I O N ~

jalrlci for the lifetime of the ~tcil-jrir, Subsequently to the

last 30 years'settbnent, the amount of the quit-1*ent in the Gondi tilulr was, on the death of the former holder, raised . horn Rs. 5m to Rs. 1000, the latter sum to conlit~ue for the lifetime of the late holder, Dfw6n Muhammad Ali Khan who died in 1906. In l l~e Kedrirpur tduk, the grant was resumed in November 1584, on the death of Waris Muhammad Khan, and the estate i s oow held on the ordi11ai.y mClpz2r i Lenurc Of the eight villages included in the Kllarnaria tduk originally held revenue-free by Daryaogir Gosain, three were i-esunied

+ during the currency of settlement, and the reniaining five al-e

still revenue-free for the upkeep of a Hindu temple situated at PaIurH in the Nigpur District. The grant appears to

' have been originally conferred by h e Gond RZji Balcht

t . Buland and afterwards respected by the Bhonslas ; it was

. ultimately confirmed by .the British Government to the Mahant of the temple under the original terms of the grant, i.e., the observation of religious ceremonies and the upkeep of the temple. There are also four otller villages held free of revenue, three Tor the support of a Muhammadan shrine situated in Zj5rat near Seoni, and one for the support of a

tomb in Chhapiira. These are old grants of Sakht SuIand and his successor Ch5nd Sultrln, and having been respected by the NGgpur RiijSs were confirmed by the British Government.

* Anotlier tLlluk known as the Bibi j3gir, consisting of seven villages, is held on revenue-Cree tenure by Musan~rnats Ratan Kuwar and Suj5n Kuivar, who belong to the old Deogarh family of the Chhindwiira District. At last settlement this jZgir was included in that District, but i t was subsequently transferred to the Seoni District. The nru5J tenure is to continue during the lifetime of the present holders, and after their death the jigir will be settled on their heirs on a quit- rent tenure of one-fourth of the full assessment in perpetuity. " . . 143. total area included in tloldings in r 904-05 was

7 . 9 2 3 , m acres in the ni2lguz5ri aildm Slatislics of tenures.

. w 6 7 , ~ in the ryotw;tri area or a. total -

LAND REVEKUE ADMLKISTl<ATIOW. I j r

of nearly a million. The n15lguzZri land was distributed as

follows. An area or 134,000 acres or 15 per cent of the total consisted -of s i r land and SG,ooo acres or g per cent of .- h/irrdk6sllf land. Miilik-i~znrkbriaas held only 8ooa acres or under I per cent of lhc total area, absolute occupancy tenants

43,000 acres or 5 pcr ccnt, occupancy tenants r 61,030 acre or 17 per cent, and ordinal-y ttcila~lts 481 ,ooo acres or 52 per cent, while goo0 acres were held rent-free from tl~elproprie tors or in lieu of service, Since the settlcmei~t the area held by absolute occupancy tenants has decreased by 5000 acres

and that belonging to occupancy tenants by 46,w0, while ordinary t e l l a ~ ~ t s have illcreased their holding by 77,000 acres. A substantial area of laud held in the superior classes of tenant right has thus been relinquished during the bad . seasons. More than 34,000 acl-es were sublet in 1904-05 at the average rate or R. 0-1 3-3 an acre as against the rate of . R. 0-1 5-0 recorded at last settlement.

144. The dclnand on accouilt of the road, scl~ool and postal cesiks for Ig04-05 was .

Csssss. Rs. x7,000, for additional rates Rs. '

6000 and for patwiri cess Rs, I 7 , ~ . The last two cesses

have now been ahIished and substai~kial relief has thus been ifforded to the agricultural community. The road cess is calculated at 3 per cent on the laud revenue, the education cesa a + -%er cent and the postal cess at & per cent. The

/ - .

ap/p~iation made from District funds for District postal /

charges has now been discontinued. The tenants pay a conLribution or fi-om 3 pies to one anna in the rupee of rental to the kotwIr.

A -

... - - . I . . . . ' CHAPTER fX.'

GENERAL ADMINISTRATION.'

- , . , 14;. At the 3 0 settlelncnt 'in 1867 the Seonr Dis- trict consisted of three Subdivisio~~s or

District Subdivisions tallsils, Seoni, Lakhniidon and Katangi, 'and S ~ a f f .

. . but in rSyz a number of changes were

made in the boundaries of the District. A tract of 5 1 villages ' . below the Kurai GhLt on the southern border were trans-

ferred from Seoni to the Rimtek tahsil in the NSgpur District ; the whole or the Katarjgi tahsil with the exception of 58 villages was transferred to the BII.Tgh,it District; 3 2 vil-

"

lages from the eastern portion of the ChhindwZra District were added to the SxmT tal~sil and 98 villages to tlie LakhnS-

, don tahsi1, 8 being transferred from Mandl5 and 90 of the . ' old Adegaon tiIuka from the western portion of Chl~indw~ira

District. When the above changes were m?de the existing

" tahsils of Seoni and Lakhnidon werq constituted. The old system of tIIukas which existed in 1867 is not now maintain-

.. ed, but they are still lrnorvn among the villagers. The head of the District is the Deputy Commissioner, who is also

: -District Magistrate. He has two Executive Assistants at btadqua~ ters besides a tahsildzr and a naib-tahsild5r for each of the two tahsils. The civil .staff consists of a District Judge, a Subordinate Judge and a munsiff at each tahsil. One of the two Executi-ve +s$stants and the tahsildsrs of

. * both tahsils have civil powers and are desiguted as Addi- tional Judges to the courts of the Sub-Judge and munsiffs

respectively. The District usually has a commissioned Medi- - cal Officer, a District Superintendent of Police, a Forest

' : Ilivisional Oficer and a Subdivisio~lal Ofiicer or the I'ublic Works Department, 'There is one bench of 'tlonorary

' . Magistrates in Sco;li town. The Divisional and Sessions - XTllis chapter has been lul-nirhed llg Mr. K. 15. Cl~aprnao, Depirty

Cornmissinner. , .

1

GENERAL ADMINISTRATION. 153

Judge of Jubbulpore Division has superior civil and criminal . jurisdiction, r

. ' 146. The Land Record Staff consists of one District and

Land Recard StaK one Assistant Superhi tenden t of Land Records, 8 Reve~iue Inspectors, 156 A

Patw3ris and one clerk. The headquartel-s of the Revenue . .

Inspectors art at Bandd, 1Canhi wira, 8a1"gl)Hb and Kurai in

the Seo11i tahsil, and SunwZra, Dhiima, Chhapira and Ghanwr . ' in Ldkhn~don. S e o n ~ tahsil has been subdivided into 81 , '

pattv%riJs circles with an average of g villages to the circle and an area of 15 square miles. Lakhnsdon tahsil contains 75 circles, and each circle contains on an average Y 2 villages and has an area of I 7 square miles. The remuneration of he patwsris ranges between Rs. roo and k. 135 per annum, but tell men receive persolla1 allo\vances in addition, varying between Rs. 25 and Rs. 65. These allowances were granted . at last scttIernent in order to compensate certain patwaris for the loss in their elnolurnents brought about by the fixation of a maximum salary of Rs. r gf; per annum. The allowances cease on the death or dismissal of the present incumbent or the post. No service land is held by patwiiris, nor have any received per~nission to engage in cultivation. Consequent on thc abolition of the patwari cess with effect from 1st April 1906, the entire cost of the Land Record Staff, amounting to Rs. 26,400, will be borne in future by Government. The paiwriri ccss libherto levied for payment of the staff amount- ed to Rs. 25,800, of which Rs. I 7,mo were paid into the treasury by m3lguzlrs and by tenants of ryotwZri villages and the balance of Rs. 8800 payable by tenants of mUguz%ri ' '

vilIages, was collected by the patwaris themselves. In cases - wl~ere these collections fell short of. the sanctioned remu- neration of the circle the balance was paid from the amount deposited in the t~.easury, PatwZri ccss was levied at the folrowing rates :- .

. From mZIguziirs, 59 per cent on the revenue demand of the village.

X

154 SEONI. GENERAL ADb!INI&TRATION.

From tenants of ryotwiri villages, I anna per rupee of rental.

Friom tenants of thk rndguzZri villages, 44 pies per rupee of rental. *

The principal castes of p a t ~ ~ i r i s are ICZyasths, Brah- mans and Muhammadans. Hardworking and intelligent as a

rule, the patlvalis perform their nlultifarious duties in a

creditable manner, and are rightly considered a very userul body of men.

147. The figures for thz last 16 years show that the people of this District are not parti-

Litigation and critne. cularly litigious. Suits of a speculative

nature are rare. The bulk or the litigation is extremely simple, being based on money and grain bonds usually carrying a high rate of interest. Many IC5bulis have settled in the District and make a living by lending sinall sums to the poorer classes. Mortgages by conditio~lal sale find favour with the larger moneylenders as the best Corm of security for their capital. Since the arrival of the railway there has been '

a marked decrease in the rate of interest charged upon such loans and many old mortgage debts carrying as much as

24 per cent interest have been paid off by raising loans at g and 6 per cent. Jn the early years of the decade 1 S g ~ r goo the number of civil suits averaged between 3000 and 2 700.

An appreciable decline ill the years I 8gg to I 901 was the result of famine, but in subsequent years litigation has return- ed to a normal standard, wit11 some increase in the number of title suits. The number of tenancy suits during the last ten years has remained at a fairly constant average oC about 32 5. Crime iu this District has seldom been of a serious nature, but the railway lately opelled is beginning to bring in un- desirable characters. The crinies co~ninonly met with are house-breaking and cattle theft ; the average number of cases or these for the ten years froin I 890 to 1900 comes to

356 and 120 per annum respectively, but in recent yeaft thcre has been a satisfactory decline. Deiamation cases in

. -GENERAL ADMINISTRATION. 3 5 5

connection with ztccusxtions relating to caste rules are very - ,, common.

148. The following statement shuws the realis~tions of revenue in the District under the prin-

Statistics of revcuue. dpal heads of receipt, at the end of the

last three decades and during the years r g02-03, lg0;-04, and r goq-og : -

5 c 2

Year. d P 3 S 2,

r _ _

,1880-81 r,+i,om

-

149. '!-he systems in vogue for the supply of country liquor in the District, io the end of thc

Excise. Country liquor. financial year 1905-06, were C I ) the

sadar distil1ei.y system, and ( 2 ) the outstill system. There ,'

was one sadar* distillery at the District head-quarters which served the bulk of the Seoni tahsil, whiIe the remainder of the Ilistrict was supplied by go outstills. From the current year (190Go7) the new contl-act distillery systc~n has been

,

introduced, but some of the hilly tracts with poor communi- ,

cations are still supplied by 12 outstills. I n proportion lo its area and poptrlation the l ~ u ~ n b e r of shops for the sale of a.

country liquor in the District prior to the introduction of Lhc new system was almost the largest in the Province, but it has been considerably decreased under the new arrangenlent.

* The excise revenue of the District i n ~god-oS, amounting tb , . Rs. 46,w0, was the lowest but four in the Province; the

.

' i

. - I . > ;

' j 6 SEORI. GENERAL ADMINISTRATION.

incidence per head of ppbpulati being z annas 3 pies as against the Provincial figure of 3 annas 7 pies. TrZriand

- pachaai are not consumed in the District and the demand for foreign liquor is very small.

rso. The revenue from opium and gn'lljn during the year 1904-05 was 12s. 57,000, the

Opium and G5nja. incidence per head of populatioi~ being

two annas nine pies as against the Provincial figure of two annas one pie. Revenue under these heads, though it has fluctuated during the last decade, shows a steady upward tendency. In rgoq-05 there were 38 permanent opium and 40 ggrnja shops in the District. The number of opium shops has since been reduced to 3 I or one for every 103 square miles and i 1,000 persons. The number of gfinpa shops remains

- unchanged. Only ontshop is licensed for the sale of bhcfrrg. r 5 I . There are 3 registration offices, the District Regis-

trar's ofice and sub-registrar's at head Rcgistralion.

quarters and one sub-registrar's office at Lakbnsdon. Both the latter are in charge of special salaried sub-registrars. The average annual receipts from registration for the past sixteen years were Rs. 3000. The pi ovlsions of the new Tenancy Act imposing restrictions upon the transfer of immoveable property have reduced'the receipts. The only

. classes of documents generally registered in this District are sale-deeds and mortgages of immoveable property.

I 52. The Sconi District Council and the Seoni and *.

LakhnHdon Local Boards came into Counclt existence on the I 8th January 1890. Local herds.

Prior to this there was one Local Board for the whole District dating from April 2 5 th, I 884. The con- stitutiol~ of the District Council and Local Boards is as undec-

.r

Elected Nominated members. members.

District Council ... ... 1 1 5 ., Seoni Local Board . .. 12 * 6 '

LakhnZdondo. do. .-. 14 4 '

, GENLRdL ADMINISTRATION. 157

The members of the bistrict Council and Local Boards are mostly non-officials. The tahsildsr and naib-tahsildlr are members of the Loch1 Hoards, . and an Extra Assistant

Comnlissioner is on tbe District Council. The income from bazar dues is peculiar to this District and the justification for the levy of such dues lies only io the acquiescence of the people, in long-continued practice and in the fact that the District ~ o h n c i ~ spends a major portion of such income on bazar improvements and in adopting measures tending b

promote the comfort and convenience of people frcqucn~i~lg the bazars. Rcceu t l y the Government have It-anslerred the incan~e from the postal cess to the District funds. The income of the District Council exclusjve of debt heads rose from Rs. 25,mo in r 896-97 to Rs. 49,000 in 1905-06. A total of 54 primary schools, 2 nliddle schools, 3 snr(~is, 7 bazars, 4 I-aadside avcnues, 27 pounds and otle veterinary dispensary are under the management of the District Council. Besides the above the District Counci! helps to maintain 3 branch dispeilsaries at Lakhniidon, Chbap5ra and KeoIjri in the interior of the District.

I 53. Seoni is the only rnu~licipal towil in the District. The municipality was created in r 867.

Mu~~icipalities. The town ca~lsists d 5 'wards, each

ward decting 2 members. There are also six nominated members. The a,vetaage income of the municipality for the dechde ending 3rst March 1906 was Rs. 34,000. Octroi is the main source of income. The population within nlunici- - -

pal limits is r I ,864 ppermns and the average income pet bead Rs. 2- r 4-0. ~ e n e r a l administration, watel--supply, conser-

vancy and education are tile principal heads of expenditure. Seoni has for the last 30 years been supplied with wafer from the Bnbaria tank situated about 2 miles to the north of the town. The water used to be brought in an open chaw nel. It was decided ta devote the greater portion of the local Victoria hlemo~+i.ial Fund to co~~verting this open channel intoa regular system of supply by pipe. Rupees r 0,000 were , . - ' . , . . I

.I . - , - -

. , - . . .

158 SEQNI. -GENERAL ADMINISTRATION.

provided from the fund, and grants amounting to Rs. I 0,500 have been .received from Provincial revenues. 'I'be munici-

pality contributed Rs. 37,000, of which Rs. I I ,W mere obtained on loan. The total cost of the WOI-lr will be ' ,

Rs. 5 8 , ~ . An ornanlental garden has also beei-I co~structed in con~lcction with the waterworks a d paid for partly out of the Victuria McmoriaL Fund. - 154. The Village Smitation Act is not now in force in i any village of the District, having been ;,

Village Sanitation. withdrawn from Lalchnidon in 1903,

sinct when the provisions of section 14 r of tile Land Rcve- nue Act have been applied to this village. A sum of about ,

Rs, rooo is now raised an~lually and cxpe~lded on sanitation. Keol5ri is alm'under the Mukaddam Rules and the receipts .

amount to about ixs. 200.

of the Public Works Department and 155, The District is in charge of a Subdivisiollal Olficetm ,

, Public W O I ~ ~ S . is included in the Jubbulporc division.

Almost all the roads are under tbe Public Works Department. 'The value of the civil buildings in tbc Mstrict is about .Rs. 2,50,obo and the aunual maintcna~~cc chal-ges amount to

Rs. pm. The Uiatt'ict court house is said to have been built about ' 50 years ago at a cost of Its. 311,000 and llie jail aboiit the same rime Tor about a lakh, 'The pdice lines were improved in r Sgq, a t a cost of Rs. 45,000. A 11e.r~ forest ofice was built in 1904-0 j. Seoni possessw a hnadwme little church, co~rstructed in 187s at a cost of Rs. I o,mo. The municipal waterworks will, it is hoped, be completed before the end of the year. The work, wlzicl~ consisls of pipe connections between the town and the Babarin tank

at a distance of two miles will cost about Rs. 58,m. A good veterinary dispensary has also lately been constructed

in Seoni. A very fine high school and boarding house have been built by ihc Church of Scotland Mission, Rs. 26, goo ,being provided from Mission funds, and Rs. I z,mo contri- buted from Provincial and local funds. , . . _ - .

1 GENERAL ADMINISTRATION. I59

156. The police force consists or 53 oficers'snd 220 .

Police. men, having been slightIy reddced on

I two or tbrec occasions since 1890. !! lere is no special milway police. Tlie District contaiils 7

ration-hwses and r 3 outposts. The Station-houses are at 1. - - )eon r , #a1 bot'i, hrghzt , lCcdiri, Ghansor, LakhnSdofl and

~ j l l l a p ~ r a . The suggestions of the Police Commission to do away with outposts entirely are still under consideration.

I Under the aew system i t has been proposed to divide the District into rq Sinlion-hwsc circles only. ' Each of the existing Station-houses is divided into beats, two constables being appoinled to each beat Preference in recruitillg is given lo up-country men as being stronger and having spea cia1 aptilude for outdoor duties ; Brahmans and Muhammadans are the principal classes recruited.

157. At KhZn Bahgdur AulZd Husaiu's settlement, the District compi.iscd 1457 n-i5lguz.?ri and

1CotwPrs. tllekridari villages for which 1238 kot-

wS1-s or village watchmen were appointed. The remuneration - of 459 kolwZrs was fixed in cash while 779 were ordered to be

paid in Iiind, Ke~nuaeration in cash and kind is levied in ndlguziri villages direct by the kotrvar from the rnHlguzHrs %

and tenants at rates baring the same proportion to the rental value of the land cultivated. The average amount af cash remuneration received by kotwPs in milguzsri viIlages is . Rs. 47 per ycar. In villages in which the remuneration is paid in kind, the average receipts of the totw;~r amount to

13 maunds 8 seers of spring grain. Thc ryotw;ri viIlage dues from tenanis are supplemented by cash payrnents from . - Government. In 56 ryotwzri villages 45 kotwirs receive al1owances aggregating Rs. 31 9. The kotwars generally belollg to the Mel~rti, ICatia and Pailk5 castes.

. 1 58. Seoni has .a iourt h-class District jail with accornmo- dation for 142 prisoners, includirlg 16

Jd. , feinale prisoners. Thc daily average of

prisoners in the last four gears has been, ryor, 60 ; 1902, 43 ;

160 SEOMI. GENERAL ADMINISTRATION.

Ipq;, 46 ; and =pop, 52. The annual cost of m a i m ' I \ per head averages Rs, I r 7. The recognised industries act ,

jail are alor-poundi~~g al~d stone-breaking* ~ r o ~ ~ n mu 1 -

finds a ready sale locally, -and the aloe fibre is sold ti') Calcutta firm. The profils on manufactures in 1904 we'

as. 500. ' I \ 1 s9. The first Government schools in Swni were openc dj in 1843. From 1564 to 1867 the num , Education. ber of schools ro:e from 44 to 71 and

the number of scholars from 985 to 1539~ I

nland for English education resulted in the transformation; In sii7 a de-l of the vernacular sehool at Seotli inlo an English middle \

school. In r 875 the District was attached to the Southern

or Nsgpur lnspeclion Circle, but with the formation of a fourth Circle at Hoshang2bad in I 905, Seoni was transferred to Jubbulpore. From 1567 to r 870 the inrprovcmei~t in tducation was very marked. Schools rose froin 57 to 85 and h e number of scholars from r 3 I to 2 1 I 4. The girls' school at Semi was opened in 1868 with 50 pupils, and those at Chhapsra, LakhnZdon, and Dhiima were opened a year afterwards. Seth Riipchand, an influential proprietor

. of Seoni, received a gold watch and a seat in Darbir from

the Chief Commissiouer , Sir Richard Temp1 e, i n rccogni tlon

of his services in the cause of education. In 1878, the , . original Secession Church of Scotland Mission opencd an

Anglo-vernacular school at Seoni. The school capidly im- + proved and was made illto a high schml in rgoI. It has a

branch at Cbhapara. Fron~ 185; the management of schooIs both for boys and girls was I~atlded over to the District

Council. The combined system, according to whicll tile .teachers receive a fixed monthly salary of Rs. 5 to 6 supplt- mellled by a grant depending upon the results of certain examinations, was found to be a failure and in rgo2

the combined schools were converted into fixed pay %ard shml5. In 1903 tile girls* schods at Seoni, CI~hap%~,

: LakhnZdon, Adegaon, and DhGrna were made Gwernment

GENERAL AUMIN1STRATION. ' : t 61

instiiutions. A Govcrnn~ent girls' school at KeolZri was opened in 1905. The total number of schoals and scholars and the annual expenditure in different years are given -

below :-

Year. No. of schmjs, No. of scholars Expenditure. I I I

The progress of education was much retarded by the famines of 1896 and rgoo, In I 905-06 out of 4627 children, 38 were in the high school, 13.7 in English middle schools, and the remainder in ver~~acular middle or primary schooIs. The proportion of boys in receipt of instruction to tilose of .

school-gdng age was g. 7 % ~ se,ven girls' schools contained 391 pupils. In rgor the proportion of male literates per 1 QOO of population was 43, the District standing eleventh in the Province i n this respect, The average expenditure for

A

each child was Rs. 7 annuaUy in sg05.-06. 160. There are four public dispensaries at Seonl, Lath-

niidou, Keolari and ChhapZra. SeonI - - Dispensaries.

has also a police l~ospitai and the Church of Scotland Missioil maintains a dispensary in the

MI, mainly for women and cl~ildren, in charge of a quali- ' '

I-ficd lady doctor. The Bengal-Nsgpur Railway have two ' , '

iispensaries in the District, one at Semi and the other at , -,

' a , - I S O The public disper~saries have accommodatioti for 4 in-patients, and the police hospital can accommodate

1 I 2 in-patients. The daily average number of indoor patients

at the public dispensaries during the decade ending r g o ~ : was I r and that of outdoor patients 154. Tbc income of

- Y . . * I . 1

r6z SEONI, GENERAL ADIIIPIISRATION.

the public dispensaries in I go$ was Rs, r 7,000, of which the greater part was provided from Provincial and local funds, - 161. Vaccination is cornpuIsory only in the municipal

town of Seoni, but is carried on all Vaccinat ion.

over the District in the cold season.

Taking the District as a whole some 24,000 persons were vaccinated in 1905-06, the cost per successful case being R, 0-1-5. Over 88 per cent of the cbiIdren born and sur- viving to one year of age were vaccinated in this year. The staff employed in igo~sl6 consisted of g vaccinators and one apprentice vaccinator and the cost of thc operations was Rs. 2000.

162. The Veterinary dispensary is located in a very fine and spacious building dn the side

Vtierinarp Uispensary. of the Great Northert~ Road between

the railway station and town of Seoal. Two Veterinary Assistants are attached to the dispensary, one of whom is constantly on tour in the interior, The number of ailinials treated has risen from 363 in rgoz to I 538 in 1g05.

APPENDIX. -

GAZETTEER OF TAHSILS, TOWNS, EMPOR- TANT VILLAGES, RIVERS AND HILLS.

APPENDIX, . .

GAZETTEER OF TAHSILS, TOWNS, IRIPORTAN'jT VILLAGES, RIVERS AND CIILLS.

Adegaon.--A large village in the L~khnadon tahsil, 29 - ,

dies north of SeonI and 8 miles west of Lakhniidon, Its area is 2 2 0 0 acres and the population in rgor was more thad

1300 persons, having increased by about roo during the preceding decade. The village contains the ruins of a smJl fort built by Kharak BMrti Gosain, inside which is a temple ,

of Bhairava. There are a number of custard-apple trees in the vicinity. Cloth is woven and dyed with madder and - myrobalans in the green colour known as G J J I Q Z V ~ and several Ne~tiii Haniss den1 in cloth and thread. The village contains a police outpost, a post office, forest post, a primary s c h d

! for boys and a git*15' school. I t is held by a Brahman I/icrl'iiifir

or farmer. Adegaon was the chief village of the Adegaon ,

jlgir or Chauriisi which originally belonged to the ancestor of I

the present jQiglrd;ir of Harrai in Chhindw3ra, a relative of , the Gond-Muhammadan ruling family of Deogarh. Aftcr the

MarSthB conquest the estate was confiscated for non-payment .

' of revenue, and the family were awarded a grant' of seven

villages free of revenue which are still held by their descend- ants and are known as the Bibi jggir. Adegaon was made - ,

over to one Kharak Bhlrti, a Gosain fi'om Bensre, who was : ,

subsequently appointed Sfibah of Seol'ii by Raghuji Bhonsla. .

JChat'ak BIliTrtidiedin 1819 andrvas succeeded by his clid6 , " , .- I

or disciple, and the estate passed in the same manner through . various hands. In r 8 7 2 , h~wever, the property having been -. - I

awarded to one Dhokal Ubirti, another claimant R5m Bh3rti bivught a suit for its possession and got a decree from the Deputy Commissioner in r873, Shortly afterwards Rlm .

BhZei was rnurdemd in the well of the Dirv5n's house at>

Seonj, the murderers being two dependants of Dhokal Bharti who lvere subsequently tried and convicted. The estate was

then declared to have lapsed to Goverlllllen t and the village5

were settled wit11 t l teAiiJ&i-~ or farmers. Ari.-An imyol-hnt village situated 16b miles to the

south-east of Seoni on the lCatangi road. It has an area of 2ijm acres and a population of nearly 1200 persons both in

1891 and Y gar. A palice outpost, post ofice and primary school are located here and an inspection bungalow has been

constructed. A weekly market is held on Sundays. The proprietor is a Muhammadan.

Ashta.-A village in the Seoni tahsil, 22 miles soutb- *

'

east of Seoni and 10 miles from Bargh%t, with which it is

connected by a village road. The population in rgor was

under rgoo persons as against over I 300 in 18g1, The village contains three old temples built by stones joined by iron clamps and cemented with lead. The tenlples are of the kind called Hemgdpanthi and the following story is relat: cd about them. Hemzdpanth was a magician who by his :

art cured a king of Ceylon of a dangerous illness. ,But ,: EIernidpanth'r mother had died in giving birth to him, and j he could only expiate this sin by building 25,ooo temples in one night. So the king of Ceylon, who had some in- fluence with the heavenly powers, out of gratitude to

I . Hemldparith induced the sun and moon to stand still for six

months ; during this period therefore there was continual night, and Hem2dpaath got all the temples built while it .

lasted. HemZrdpanth is also said to have invented the nrodi. character for Marzthi. Two of the temples are still in gmd f condition and one of them has a defaced inscription. The i village contains some tanks which are used for irrigation, and vegetables are grown by a number of Mar&. A weekly market I

1 is hejd on Tuesdays, AshtH has a post office and primry I school, The proprietor is Kh3n S H M ~ Abdul Rahmzn, ? - . i

.': : Barghat.-A village in the Seoni iahsfl, 14 miles east !, ; of Sconj on the BalZighZt road, Its area is nearly 1800

acres and the population in rgox WAS r zoo pel-sons as against . more than r 300 in r 89s. Bal-ghZt has the mmt important

bazar in the District, held on Saturdays, for which a covered

market-place has bcen erected. The commodity principally '

sold is rice and purchasers come from sun-ounding Districts lo obtain i t here and carry it for long distances it1 carts. The right of levying fees al the bazar is leased to a contrac- tor for a su~n ~urying between Rs. zoo0 and Rs. 3000

. annually, Cattle and clolhts are also brought far sale. The residents of the village are mainly PonivSrs and Goi~ds and there is also a colaily of Katia and Mehr5 weavers wflo pro- duce coarse country cloth. The village has a vernacular middle school wilh I 33 pupils enrdled in rgog, and a police Station-house nnd post ofice. A11 inspection bungalow has been erected. The proprietor is a Pathan.

Bawanthari River.-A river which rjscs in the 5% . pur5 plateau and after draining the swth of the Seoni talwil .

passes into Bhxnd5ra to join the Waingangg. While in the hills i t is a comparatively unimportant stream, but on reaching the pIains is joined by convergi~tg rivuicts florvjng down the '

southern edge of the plateau and attains to not unimportant 4 . di~nensians. The name has been held to signify ' Fifty-two

' streanis '. Until i t reaches the plains its course lies through dense forest. The bcd of the river is generally sandy and one writer says ' 111 the B3rvantl1ari you may walk for miles along the bed without a sight of water, but you wiH get it almost anywhere by digging. It seems to ilcw under the sand '. Tire total length of the river is 57 miles. L

B haironthan ,-A small village in the 3-akhnsdon tahsil, 8 miles north of La1;hnFtdon. The name signifies 'The .

abode of the &d Bhairava'. There is a cave in the village containing an image of Siva or Mahiideo with a small pool of water in front of it. The c~ltrailce to the cave is precipi- tous. A small religious fair is held here on tllc day of Shiv- rzlri in February and is attcnded by the residents of the 1 ': surrounding villages. 'She cave is known as M u f l g l ~ o g r i

168 BHIMGARH-CHAONRI.

and this is the name given to the fair. The proprietor of the

village is a KZyasth. ~ h i ~ ~ ~ ~ h , -A vi\lage in Lakhnzdon tahsiI, 13 mile$

from Ghansor of Seoni tahs~l. BhimPrh is [be headquarters of the estate of that name consisting of 15 villages. 'rhe estate was formerly held by the proprielor or Adegaol~, and in the likigation betrveen Ram Bhirti and Dl~okaf Bharti in 1873, was awarded to Dl?obaI Ulllr l i Ibr hi5

maintenance by the civil court on his losing possession of

Adegaon. On Dllokal Bh5rti1s death in 1884 the estate escheated to Government. It is ]low being setrled on the ryotwari system. O n a hi11 near it there are the remains of a large number of statues of rude construction represent- ing horse and foot soldiers. Tbe t o ~ ~ a l story is that these belonged to the army of one Gangji RAjZ and were all turned into stone. There are ruins of fortifications on the eastern and western sides of the hill.

. . Bijna River.-A river which rises in the Chhindwara ' District and flows in an eastel-ly direction thl-ough the Lalr11-L

nation tahsil, joining the Waingangs a few miles north-east of Ch hapara. i t crosses the Jubbulpore road near Gangiwsri.

Bisapur.-A small village in the Seoni tahsil, 20 miles to the south-east of Seoni in the ICurai tract. The village contains an old temple, which is said to have been built by

Palai Rani widow of a Gond RSj5 Bhopat. The story goes that the Gond chief was killed in battle by oneof Aurangzeb's. generals, who fell in love with the widowed queen and tried

t to force her to marry him. Hut she asIzed for three days9 delay and during this time she went and built this temple,

. and placed statues of her husband and herselr in it and on the third day she killed herself beside it. Near ~]le spot where she died, a palrfs tree (Bulea frortckos~) grew up and it

bore and continues to bear white flowers. Cha0nri.-A village in the Seoni tahsil, 6 miles to the

south-west of Semi with a population of about J 000 persons. Chaonri was f0rmC.rly a plztce of considtrable importance and

was the headquarters of the Iocal governor 11nli1 Ram Singh, the relative of 8akht Buland, established himself at ChRap5ra .

i n t 703. The Parwar Ba1li3s still remember Chaonri as their . original l r eadquarters and the place from which they rnigrat- ed to Seoni. There are the ruins of R U old Jain tcmglc.

- 5 Cllaonri is described as a pleasant spot for picnics in the cold

weather, having a nlagnificent grove of mango trees, a fine old tank, pretty rides in the vicinity and game for th6 sportsman witbin easy reach. The tank swarms with the little Jndian grebe called pn~r-dttbhi. Glass bangles are made here of various calaurs and inlaid wit11 tinsel. A weekly market is llcld on Thursdays, and the village contains a

primary school and a forest post. The proprietor is a B,?gri Rgjput.

Chhapara (also known as Dor~gri Cirlin)n"vn). -A large

viliagc i n the LakhnBdan tahsil, zr H~stot ical notice.

miles north of Seonr on the Jubbulpore road and 17 miles south of LakhnZdon, The village stands nt the junction of the Waingaue river with the small stream

' of the Matinala, so called, it is said, because pearls were

formerly found in it. Its area is nearly rw acres and the i population in rgor was 3854 as against 3450 in 1891. The

- village has a picturesque situation on t h e river, whose banks art here iocky and steep. A fine bridge was constructed over the river by the olqders of Sir Richard Temple in 1865. The bridge contains i 2 spans of 50 feet each. The name of the village means chlm p&m or six hamlets. Of these four,

1 Dongaria, Sanlchari, Dilsrvarganj and Gop5lgSnj, are now distinguished. Chhap.ira is said to have been founded by I35m Singh, a relative of 13al:ht Briland of Deagarh, who was out hunting in the vicinity when a hare turned and fought with his dogs, He concluded that a place in which an animai ordinarily ~imid d~splayed such courage, should prove a nursery of brave men and removed his l~eadquarters here, l ie built a fort which was partly destroyed at the time of the Mutiny. The fort is square, with towers at each corner, and a

Z

CNHAPARA.

large gateway in the eastern face, The southern face over-

hangs the Waingang?, and the wester11 the small MotinZla stream. At the beginning of the 19th century ChbapZra is said to have been a large and flou~ishiug to1v11 wit11 zoo0 Pathfn fighting men. But it was twice sacked by the Pindzris,

,-

on one occasion ~hell the garrison was absent in Nsgpur, attending on the governor for the DiwZli festival. The ~ i n d 5 r i s arc said to have obtained so much gold from Chha- pZra that they did not care to carry away ally thing else. A small mound near the Waingang5 bridge still marks the site where 40,000 persons aide said to have been buried in a

common grave I. There are some Hindu and Jain temples here of recent co~.~struction. The headqua ters of the District were removed to Seoni in 1774 under the MafithZs, but for some time after the cession the headquarters af the nortllern tahsil of the District were located in the fort at Cl~haplra,

The village is increasing in population, though the number of Muhammadan residents is

Tladcand)oca' jasti- not so largeasformerly, Acolouy of tutloris.

Parwsr Banias reside here. ChhapZra is now best known as the site of an importau t cattle-fair which is held here during the month of M5gh (January-February) I lasting for about six weeks. Persons attending the fair bathe in the Waingangs. Large numbers of old and worn-out cattle are brought to the fair and sold for slaughter. Agl icultural iniptements, country carts and other articles arc also sdd, a

number of temporary sllops being opened. A sn~all tax is levied on registered sales and out of the proceeds sanitary arrangements are made and a local agt icultural shaw is held at which prizes are awarded. Cbhapzra has a considerable trade in cotton, grain and hemp and it is proposed ta erect 3

factory here. Gram is the most important item of the traffic in corn. There is a local hand-weaving and dyeing industry and gvld and silver ornanleilts and glass bangles are

fArcordu~g to anotlisl accoullt the 40,OCO perlshed tn a bat~le bet- - mm the 1 nkm 01 SeonI a d Y~ndl i .

made here. A smooth greyish-white cllalk is found on the : north bal~k of the Waingangz. The village coiltains some

fine groves of mangoes. I t has a primary school for boys alld a gil Is' scl~col, a police Stationd~ouse, a post and tclc- graph of ice and forest post. A d5k bungalow is maintained and there is n s I H I ~ for native tcavellcrs. A weeL!y nzarket '

is lield on Slhit days. The proprietor is a Kriyasih. Cbirch~ra.- A srllall village in tllc Sconi tahsil, about

30 miles norlh-east of Seoni, and situated 011 the Waingangs at the crossing called !Cothighit, Iive lnilcs imrn Keolhi. The rivcr here has a stnall fall and the black rocIcs have been . worn by the action of the water into curiods shapes. A lwal

I fair is hcld on the lnst day oof KArtik (October-November), and is attendcd by t1:c residents of the surroundil~g villages, a few te~i~porarg shops bring opened. The PI-oprietor of t l ~ c

, village is a Mullammadan. I3huma.-A village in the Lakhnadon tahsil, t 3 miles

, north of Labl~niidon on the Jubbulpo1-c road and 34 miles 4 from Jubbul!sorc. DhGma has an elevatiou of s 800 feet, '

The popularion was lo# in 1901 as against nearly 130s

--- in 1891. Dh6ma IS thc lleadquartel s of ail old Rztj-Gond family w i ~ h n considerable estate, the present represc~~tative being Th5kur I-atkan Sing!]. 'Thc Dhfima 'l'llikul. is sald

. to have been on the veage of revolt in 1857, but to have been resrt aiued and kept to his obedience by lhe pet-soaal . influence of Captain (afterwards Colonel) thorn so^^, the Deputy Comwissioncr. Somc rebels from Jubbulpore and Narsinghpur established themselves in the hills near here and for some t ime p~actically closed the road to rravdlers. They were su~prised and dispersed at t h e end of 1857. The

village has some old temples and a tank which was repaired in the farnine of r 897. There is some trade in grain and a

ivcckly mat ket is held on Thursdays. Sugarcane of a supc-

rior quality is grown here. DhEma has a p~imary school, a

police cutpost, a forest post, and a post office. Tberc is an

cncanlpi tlg ground and a dAk bungalvw is maintained.

Dighori.-A small village, 25 nliles north-west of Seonj on the Thel river. A cave here opens into the bed of the river, and some sculptures have been carved 011 the walls

of its interjor. It i s a f a v ~ u r i t t p l a ~ e o f woldship for the Gonds, The river here contains large fish and the worshjp-

' catch them, the local legend being to lhe effect that sonle

of the fish have a gold ring in their moutlls. Ghansor.--h smalI village in the %oni talISi1, 30 llliles

aorth-east of Seoni and 6 miles from Reoliri station. 11s area is more than 2000 acres and the populatio~~ was about

+ 450 in I gor. The ruins of a large numbcr of temples are found here, exte~~dfng over a space of about a mile long by a quarter of a milt broad on [he banks of the little LnneU stream. The ruins are mete mounds of cut and broken stone, not a single one of which now stands upon t h e other. Only two of the temples appear to have been of largc size. One fine statue of a jain TTrtl~alikac still renlains on the spot and is worshipped by the Hindus as N i g i l3,iba. Some

' . of the carvings from Ghansor have been placed on the DalsZgu tank at Seoni, and some Jain statues have been placed in the modern Jain ten~ples there. The sculptures show that the temples belonged to the pet iod of about the 9 t h

century A.D. The proprietor. of the village is a Muham- madan.

Kanhiwara.-A large village in the Stoni tahsil, 17 nliIes north-east of Seoni on t h e Wand15 road, and a station on the railway line from Seoni to Neinpur. Its area js 2500 acres and the populadoo in Jgor was _nearly 1400 persons as against under IICO in 1891. The vilIage has an oId fort. The weekly market held on Thurs- days has k c m e of some importance since the construction of the railrvay, and a considerable qual~tity of grain is

. brought for sale here. A rnarke 1-place has been constructed. There are a number of Kumhirs in the village who make g o d earthen pots, boltles and pipe-bowls, and vessels of

brass and bell-metal are sold by Audhia Snsrs, The

village has a primary school, police outpost and post office ! and an inspection hut has bee11 erected. The proprietors are .

Muhammadans. Keolari.- A village in the Seoni tahsil, 33 miles north-

east of Seoni on the Mandl3 road, and a rail way station an the line to Ncii~pul.. The village is situated in ;1 plain near the junction of the Wai~)gang; and S5gar rivers, and is occasion- ally liable to be submerged wl-]en t l i~y are in flood. The railway bcse crosses the Waingangs. The area cf the vil- lage is nearly 1700 acres and the population was r3m persons both in I 8g r and igor . A weekly market is held on Fridays at whicl~ a good deal of betel-leaf from Jubbulpore ,

and Mandla is sold, and since the construction of the rail- way, a trade has sprung up in grain, hemp and co:totl. A road has recenlly been made from Keolgri 10 UgIi. The village was brought under ithe Muhaddam Ru\es in 1903 and a sun1 aT about Rs. 200 is raised annually fi-om the residents . and expended on sanitation. A railway dispensary, a priiilary school, a police Station-house and a post oRce have been established, and a District branch dispensary is to be opened. The proprietor is a BanB who has some other villages.

Kbawasa.-A small village, ;O miles south of Seoni, on the NSgpur road near the souibel n border of the District; ivitl~ a popula~io~~ of about 5 0 0 p c ~ ~ s o ~ i s . A nu~nber of Cllamcru reside here and rhere is a considerabk tanlling in- dust,-y. Vessels of brass :md bell-metal are aLo sold. A d8k bungalow is nlajnlaii~ed here, and there is an encamping ground. A large tank in the village was inlplLovd in the falllille of 1900. Khalr5sa has n primary school, a post &ce and rorest post. The proprielor is a Muhainmadan. . Kothighat Fair.--See Chirchira,

Lpkhnadon Tahsi1,-The nortbern tahsil of the Seoni ,

District, lying between 32' 18' and - Nntulal features,

2z0 57' N. and 79" rg' and 80° 17' E. *

The tahsil is bounded on the i~orlli by the Jubbulpore Dis- trict, on th$ east by the Mandl District, nn thc south by the .

I74 LAKHHADON TAklSIL.

Seoni tahsil, and on tile west by the Chhitldtvira a11d h'ar- singhput Districts. A ellain of hills k11ow11 as the Selwi Ghzt and formillg par1 of the SStpui.,? range SsepMles the Lnlcll- nzdon txhsil from jubpulpo~+c and Na~singllpur, alld tile Nerbudda borders it to the norlh and ~ ~ r l l l - t a s t . TO the

. west a I-ange of hills divides Lak1111;ldon iron1 the Chhindwka

District. The area of llic tal~sil is 1558 square miles .or

49 per cent d that of the District. On the norlh-cast a small block of 44 villages lies below the hills in the valley of the Nerbudda. The soil here is fairly good and some of the fields are embanked for growing both wl~eat: and rice. The

large tract from Lakhnsdon west and ilorth to the border is Iiilly, tl~ickly forested and of poor fer~ility, the smnll nlillels and oilseeds being the principal crops grown. 'To the sourli- west of Lakhnzdon round Do~lgacia and Cllliap?tra, lies a. fail-ly fertile tract containing the best land in Lhe lahsil,

though it is much cut up by forest. And east of ChhapZra up to the Mandl5 boi-der, the country is fairly open, though the surface is undulating and the soil llot

very productive. The grealer part of tlle talisit is llilIy and uneven, and is marked by a succcssiorl of barren stolly

upIands divided by narrow valleys in which pockets of deep

black soil are found. But the position of these lands, especi- '

ally where the hills are particularly steep, is not very favour- able, and water-logging is a defect to which they are ]lot

infrequently liable. Outside the villages lying along the Nerbudda there is no rice land in the tahril. Nerbudda, the WaingangrS and the Sl~er are the principal rivers.

The ppulalion of the tahsil in I go I w,w I 35,345 pel-- sons or 41 per cent of that of the Dis-

Population. trict. I11 1891 the population was

- - I 5 I ,483 and in I 88 I, I 39,gSo. Thc increase betwecu I 88 r and r8gr was about 8 and the decrease in the last decade '.

' nearly x I per cent of ihc populalion. The 'density of popu, '

lation is 87 persons per square mile as against: x 1 7 i n the -

Seani tahsil. Thc tahsil contains 947 villages as given io the .'

Village Lists, of whicli J $ I are unii~l~abiked. There is no town and only tmo villages Chhapgta (35841, and Lakhnidon ( 2 I 48) contained over 2000 persons in I qo 1, rvl~i le Adegaon DbEma, kudari and Sunwzra had a ropulat ion of rooo or more. The culiivators are many or tl~em Gonds, and their staple rood COI-lsists of the bill millets, Lodon alid kulki, glLowi> on he stoi~y and sloping land.

OC the totnl area, 367 square miles cr 24 per cent are included in h e Government forcsts,

Agriculturc. while another 167 square miles consist

or private Iree-io~-est nnd 198 of scrub jungle and grass. Of the village area of I 288 square miles, n pi*oportion or 61 per ,

ceat or ratltcr more tlian half was occupied for cultivation in +

1934-95 as against 58 per cent at last seltle~nent and 39 per cent at the 30 years' se~tltmcot. 'The culrivated area in ~904-05 WAS 434>000 acres and has increasad by K 1 per cent "'lcc the last setiltrntrit (1595-97). Tlie statistics of crop- '$ug at settlement and during the years I 903-0 j are shown Gelow :-

The settlement statis~ics apparently do not include the ry0twP.i villages, aad do not therefore afford a proper basis * .-

- of co~l~parison wilh subsequent years. The cropping fell off .. largely during the Camiues, but the position mcupied in tile ,. . .

t . . . .

.- l o l a 1

3 d cropped

x nrcn

Year. 2 % d E (inclurlcs ! a Y 1

- - - - I

3.59< c,ors- as* wazd

1.g44 8,141 91 a33.743

rgar-or 1.62~ 9,505 IT 364.874

' P"o3 9.330 5r47' ' r 7 W7~1B1 . 190pO( ' 5 . 3 0 9 I"t7Z ,

rgOr-OS ... 110,045 1 4 ~ 5 5 261757 q.1,517 5,315 #51107 13.0~. 3,471 83q53 356,6E4

Pe~~tentagc orarea undcrcach c r n p on Lhc Lot31 awn undercrop ns rlin\r.~r ill i h c I.ut column 19op- O j .

31 7 4 a; 2 4 y I r - ...

- . .

, - 176 . , LAKWHADON VILLAGE.

, normal seasons up to 1893 has been more than recovered. The cropping of the tahsil is less valuable thai~ that of Seoni. I t grows a smaller proportion of wheat and gram and a

' + larger one of ailseeds and the small millets. The acreage of ' cotton has advanced in recent years, but that of sugarcane

' has fallen off.

. , The denland for land revenue at the 30 years' settlement

was Rs. 66,000 and fell at 48 per cent L n d Kevenue.

of the assets. It was raised at the - recent settleme~lt to Rs. I-or lakhs giving an illcrease of

Rs. 3 5 ,om or 52 per cent on the revenue inimedialely prior to revision, ,and falling at 42 per cent of the assets which amounted 'to Ks, 2.40 lnkhs, the cash rental being Rs. 1.68 lakhs. 111 1904-05 t11c 'laad revenue was Rs. t .r2 lakhs, some incl-ease llaving been nbtained From 1-yotwzri villages. The removal of the palwsri cess and the additional rates has reduced t h e cesses f1-0111 Rs. 14,000 to Rs. 6000. At la setden~en t the follotving eleven groups were for~lled fo - assessment purposes, the number of villages cd &qcd by each being shown in brackets against it : - ~ e s b u d o ~ % ( ~ s ) , 1Ced;irpur (651, Gbansor ( 1 351, Dhti~lla (961, Lnkhnfidon (60), Piitan (541, Siigar (541, ChhapZra (501, Dongarin (7 I ) , Sun- wira (&), Northern Gang5 (72): The average rent-ra te for' the ial~sil at seltlernerlt was R. ~ 8 - 4 as against R. 0- I 3-2 ia

<

the Semi taIhsil, while the revenue incidei~ce per cultivated :

acre was R. 0-4-2. The higliest rent-rate was R. 0-12-3

in the .Cl~hapara group ; the Dongarla, Nerbudda, SUI~V~I -a and Lakhnzdoo gi-oups had a reni-rate of bore than 8 annas and in the re~nai~liug groups the rate was less than 8 annas an acre.

'I'be tahsil is divided into four Reve~luc Inspectors'

. , circles with headquarters at Cllhap,?ra, Miscellaneous.

r ' ., - Sunwsra, Ghansor and Dlliima and 75

patwzris' circles. I t bas three police Station-l~ouses at Lakh- nidon, Ghansor and Chhap~ra and five outposts. . . . ... Lakhnadon Village.-A village 38 miles north of

Seoui on the jubbulporc l-oad, and the headquarters of tile LakhnMou taluil. Its area is ovci- 700 acres and Ihe popula- tion was about 21 go in I 901, having inel-eased by more than

1 oo persons during the decade. LakhnSdon appears from i 1s numerous ruins of temples and buildings to havc been a place or some imporiance in a~lcient times. The remains or Hindu and Jaiu temples exist, and sozne iragments of sculptu~+es

and images have been collected at tile shrine or KllermSta, the tutelary goddess of the village. Otliers have bcen deposited in the Nlgpul- Museum. Much of the stone work has heea used in the constructio~) of bridges on the NSgpur-Jubbul- pore road, and broken stones and images can be dug up i~ s ih , At a distance of x mile iron1 the villagc is a hillock called Son l'auria, on which a siuall gnrlli or rorortress appar- ently stood. A short insc~.iption on a stone broken in two

was fou i~d Iwl-e. It mentions the name of onc Vikram Sen *

and apparently spealcs of the constl-uction of a palace The invoca!ion, however, appears to be to a Jaiu god. Two tem- ples standing near the stream outside [he village have been

lately erected from the ruins of the old ones. These are or

the m e d i ~ v a l Bi-Zhmanic style and appeal- lo date from the 9th or ro~h century l ike those of Ghausor. The local tradi- tion is to the effect that. Lakhnldon wvas founded bp one Laktian Runwar ; a stone standing on Ihe bank of a small tank known as the RHni TSi is considered to be a represent- atioa of him and i s still worshipped. Laliban Kui~war is Iwally supposed to have been a re la t io~~ of the Piudavas and fa have been their vice-regtnt at LakhnrTdon while they were ruling at HarehtA ]>ear Narsinghpur. The perforated onyx stones called SulainiAn's beads may be picked up here, LakhnZdon was formerly the capital of an estate or 84 vil-

lages or a Chaurasi, tllc numbcr 84 being often found not '

o n l y a s a mensure of landed estates, but in Hindu tnytt~ology . and literature. The village was formerly under the provi-

sions of the Village Sa~litation Act, but this arrangement was discontinued in rgo; and Ihe 3luknddnul Rules introduced

ill lieu of i t , A mal+ket id held 011 Mondays and Fl'idays in . the cenllll stlaet. The village contains the tahsil buildillgs,

a dispensary, a telegraph ofice and a snmi. It Ilns a first

grade verllacular middle school with 13 3 pupils el~'ojled j n lgog, alld a Governinent girls' schaol. 'I be proprietors are

a well-known family of Lodhis.

. Largi,-A blnall village in the Lakhn5dotl lahsil, about

20 miles soulh-west of Lakhniidon, and situated at the junc- tion ol' ille The1 and Waingang5 rivers, At tbis spot, wl~ich is known as Songarb, there i s an old fort and sollne carved stones. 'Tradition has it that a sliower of gold once fell here, and illat so~nk oi the gold is still concealed in h e fort.

- Mundara.-A sacred place, bejng h e source of the Waingaagl river, silua!ed in the Seoui lalisil a b u t leu n~iles to the sautll-east of Seoni in the village ool ltajola near Par- tzbpur. The river rises in a pool of water, about rvbic l i llie followitlg story is told. Long ago a Gond lived here who had an only daugliter named Gaug5, and she was betrorhed lo a boy called Beul, who was serving for her in her ialher's house. f le had been set to dig a. well and one day wl~ile he was

digging, a spring of water suddeilly gushed out arlci washed him awzy. No one knew what had become of him 2nd in Lhc evening went out to seai-ch for him and called his name many rinlcs but got no answer. At last a pair QC hands rose above the surface of the stream, mlbich Ilttd gone 011 flowiug,

and Gang5 knowi~lg I llat f hey were those of her lover ascended a high r ~ l ~ cbse by and flung lltrself illto the scream. The , hands closed over her and disappeared, but the stream has gone on flowing ever since and is the Waingang5 river.

Several lernples have been erected the place and an 1 annual fair is held in the rno11k11 of Kartik (October-Eiovember) I

lasting for fifteen days. About Len thousand persons attend the ! I

fair and some hundreds of temparary sliops are opened for the sale of goods. The primary object of rhose ~ 1 1 o c w ~ c is to

bathe in the Waingangs, but a considerable trade is also done in hardware and lra~l~er goods.

NRRDUDDA RIVER. 179

Ncrbudda River (iVrrrtndG; ,'VRrturrrK--Tt~c Nmrtndos of Pt~lerny ; Nt-tturmdios of the Periplus).-One aC the most importnilt rivers in India. I t rises on the summit of the plateau of Amarkantat (aaqqo' N. and 8 1 *46' ,E.), at the north-eastern apex of the Satpur2 rnngc in Rctvah (Ccntral India), and enters the sea below Bro:tch in the Sonlbay Presidency, after a total course of 80 r miles.

The liver rises in a slllall tank, 3; 03 rect above t h t sea, surraundcd by a group of tem?les, and

Course OF the river. guarded by nn isolated colony of

' priests, and falls ovcr a basaltic cliff i n a descent of 80 feet. : After a course of about 40 rniles through the State of Kcwah .' it elltcrs the C c ~ ~ t r a l Provinces and winds circuitwsly through

the rugged hills of MandlZ, pursuing ;t westerly cout-se until , i t floivs undcr the walls of the ruined palace of R5rnnagar.

From R;imnagar to Mandl5 town it forms, for some I 5 miles, , a deep ~qench of blue water, uub~*oken by rocks, and clothed

on eitlicr bank by forest. The river the11 turns north in a

narrow loop towards J u b b u l p r e , close to which torvn, after

a fa11 of some 30 feet, called the c J l ~ r t r i ~ r - d a- " [dl of mist," il flows for trva miles ia a itarrow channel which it h s '

carved out For itself tl~rough rocks of rna14ble and basalt, its

wjdth bcing here only some 20 y:u.ds. E~mrging ft.oin this channel, which is well know11 as the ' Marble Rocks,' and flowing west, it enters the fertile basin of alluvial land form- ing the Nerbudda valley, situated betweell the Vindhyan and SZtpur5 hills, and extending for 200 nliles from Jubbul- pore to Mandia wit11 a width of abaut 20 lnilea to ti~esautll of the river. The C'indhyan hills rise almost sheer from the north- ern bank along most of the valley, the bed of the river at this part of its course being the boundary between the Ctntltal Provinces and Centl-ai India (principally the Bho?Zl and 1 tldore Slates). 1-1 ere t Re Nerbudda passes Ilos.li.~ng%bZd and the old Muharnnradan torvi~s of Haadia a ~ i d NimZrvar:

'I'l~e al-lick 011 tlie Nartudrla rive!. i j a repr i~~ t born r l ~ e dl-ail articlc for

tlte Ittape~ial (:arel~ccr.

'$0 NELkIIUUDiI RIVER.

'rile bnl;s of the river in this valley are about 40 high, - and the ial] in its course between Jubbulpo~*e and ifos]la!lgC

bid is 340 feet. Below Haadia Ihe hills again approach the river on both sides and are clothed with dense forests, the

favourite haunts of the Pindiiris and less famous robbers. At Mandhsr, 25 miles below Handia, there is a fall of 40

feet, and another of the sa~ile height at Pun5sa. The bed of ,

the river in its wllole length within the Cc~~tral Provinces is one sheet of basalt seldom exceeding I 50 y ~ r d s in absolute i . ~vidth, and, at intervals of every few milcs, upheaved into '

ridges,~~bich cross it diagonally and behind which deep pools : are fonned. E1:lerging from the liills beyoi~d Mlndli5ta on - ! the borders of the Central l'~,ovinces, the Nerbudda nuw '; enters a second open alluvial basin, fl3wil1g thl-ough Central India (principally Illdore State) for nearly 100 milcs. The '

bills are here well away from the river, the Satpuriis being 40 miles to the south and the Vindhgas about 16 miles to the north. In this part of its course, the river passes the tow11

of Mabeshrvar, the old capital of the Holkar family, where its northern bank is studded with temples, pdaces and bathing gllsts, inany of them built by the famous Ahaly: Uai, whose .

.mausoleum is there. The last 1 70 miles of t he river's course are in the Bombay Presidency, wl~ere i t iirst separates the I

States of Bamdri and R3jpipla and then meanders through ;

tlic fertile Uislrict of Broach. Uelorv Broach City it gradu- \ ally widens into an estuary w l ~ o s e shores are 17 miles apart j as it joins tLeguif of Cambay.

The drainage area of the Merbudda, &timated at about

Drainage drea, tributs- 36,000 square miies, is prj~~cipally to i

r ies , etc, t l l i S Q U ~ ~ , and co!~hp~+ises the northern

prii~cipal tributaries are the Uaujar in Mandl;, the Slier and

I portion of the 5;tpurS plateau and the valley Districts. TIle I

I Shakkar in NarsiugLpur, and the 'Filwii, Ganjil a ~ ~ d Clllloti 1 Taw2 in HoshWg5bAd Disti-ict. ?'lie ouly irnpwtant tlaibutary

.to the north is the Hiran, wllicll flows in beneath the Villdllyan hills, in jtlbbulpore Uistrict, Mast d thee rivers

H E R l l U U D h RIVER. 181 ,

have a short and precipitous course from th? hills, and fill with extraordinary rapidity in the rains, producing similarly rapid flsods iu the Ncrbudda itself. Owing to tllis and to its - rocl~y course, the Nerbudda is useless for navigation except'

by couull-y boats between August and February, savc in the .

7 last part of its course where it is navig,zble by vessels of 70 tons burden up to the city of l3roacl1, 30 ~niles fro111 11s moutl~. It 1s crossed by railway b~idges below Jubbulporc, at

I-losbang:?had, and at Mortakkg. The infl.~ence of the tides reaches to a point 5 5 milcs from tllc sea, and coupled with the height of the river's banks throughout tbc greater part of its course, makes i t useless for irrigation.

Tlic Nerbudda, lvllicl~ is rcrerrcd to as the Rewah

s c l w d c!lal actcr of ~ 1 , ~ (pl obably from the Sanskrit root revF river. to hop, owing to the leaping of the stream dowrl i ts rocky Led) in the MahC~blh5rata and Rja5yana, is said to have sprung from tl~e body or Siva and is one of the ]nost sacred I ivers of India, local devotees placu~~g it above

the Gmges, on tlie ground that whereas it is necessary to bathe in the Ganges For f'orgiveuess of sills, this object is

attained by mere contemplation or the Nerbr~dda ' A s wood is cut by a saw (says a Hindu pro1terb), so at the sight of the holy Nerbudda, do a man's sills faH away.' Gang5 herselr, so local legend avers, must dip in tlie Nerbudda once a year. Slle comes in the form of a coal-black cow, but retur~ls home quite white flee from all sill. 'Che Ganges, moreover, was (according to the RevA Purana) to have lost its purifying vir- tues in theycar 1895, tllougl~ this fact has not yet impail ed its reputation for sanctity. At numerous places on the courseor the Nerbudda and especially at spots where it i s joined by another river, are groups of temples, tcnded by Niramdeo Brziimans,

. the special priests of the river, ivhcrc annual gatherings of pilgrims take place. Tile most celebrated of these are filler% gb%t, DarmhHt~, and Onk5r MiudI151a i n the Central Provi~lccs, and Bal-w5tli in Central lndia whcte tlte Ne~budda is joined by the ICapilZ. A11 or thert: are csnnected bj lepnds with .

. . .. . . - .

182 , PEKCH RIVER.

-saints and heroes of Hindu mythology, and the description of tile whoit course of the Nerbudda, and of all these places and their history, is contailled ill a sacred poem of i4,om velses

(the NarlnadZ Khar~dfi) which, however, has been adjudged lo be aC someml~at recent origin. Every year jOO w more pilgri~ns start to perform the pwdiahsb~tii of t be Nerbudda, that is, to wnllr from its mouth at Ur~ach l o its source at

Amarkantak on one side, atid bac?; on the other, a perform- avlce of the highest I-eligious eficacy. Tibe most sacred spots on the lower course or the river are Sukaltirth, rvl1el.e stands an old banyan tree that bears the name of rbe saint Kabir and the site af Riiji Bali's horse sacrifice near Broach.

The Nerbudda is commonly considered to form the boundary between l-JindustSn and lllc

I3 iskorical as~ocia~iozls. Deccan, the reckonilig of the I4 i I ldu

year differing on either side of it. The Mnrathis spoke of i t

, as4'1heRivcr'andconsidecedthat wherl theycro;sedit t l~cy , entered a foreign country. In the Mutiny the Nerbudda

prac~ically marked the limit o i the itlsurrectiou, North of i t the Bri~ish tenlporarjly lost control of the country, whilc to

the south, in spite of isolated disturbances, their authority was maintained. Heace, when, in 1853, TantiZ Topi executed his daring raid across the river, the utmost appre- hension was excited, as i t was feared that on the appearance

. of the represe~~kative of the Peshiva, the recently anr~cxed

Nsgpur territories would rise in revolt.. TIlcse fears, however, proved to be unfounded and the COU~I~I-y remained

tranquil. Pcnch River.-A river which rises in the Matur platta,u

of the Chlljndwfira District and flows east and south-east through ChhindwZra, forming for a sllart distance the bound- ary between this District and Smni. It subsequently joins the KanhPn i n the N;igpur District, its total lellgtll being about 190 miles. The name is said to be derived F I - O I ~ pttclt a screw, on account of its zigzag course.

Piparwani.- A large village in the Seoni tahsil, about 34 miles sourh of Seoni, Its area is nearly zam acres and the population in 1901 was a h u t pei.sons as against ncarly I 700 in 1 891. Some ti111e ago a cousideralle amount

' of iron work was done at PiparwSni, with the iron found locally, pnns for boilir~g sugarcane and implements of agricul1u1-e being made. 'These had a Iwal reputation and were prererred in the District ro any others, The use of iudigenous iroil has now Ilorvcver been discon- tinued and the imported metal only is used. A weekly market is held 011 Mondays, but this has also largely declined in importance. The village has a primary school and post office. I t formerly belonged to an Agarwala BaniA, but the bulk of i t is llorv held by a Mehr5 proprietor.

Sareklra.-A sniall village iu the Seoni tahsil, about 2 r miles north of Seoni and at the junction of 111e WaingangZ and Hirri rivers, At the confluence of t l ~ e rivei-s are some large circles of stones like rllose at Stonehcnge ; the sioues are 4

placed slanding jn g r o u ~ s of foul- or five with a massive flat one lying table-wise above them and are arranged iri circles of 40 or j O feet in diameter. Tiley have been held to be of Indo&cyll~ic origin. Sterndale a gives llle following legend abuut I hem as emanating from all old BaigP village priest :- ' In times long ago, before we Gonds came inlo existence

'and [he country was peopled by dcofgs (i.c., gods), the a Hirri river was born, and was to be married io the

Waingangs. Ah !in those days the Waingiingii was a finer 'river than it is now ; Bllimsen spoiIt it, he did. There 'were Dongar Deo and Sundar Deo, and Kukr5 Deo, and ever so many dcofZs, but Bhitnsen was the most power-

'ful of ail, as ICukrS Deo was the most crabbed and ill- ' favoui-ed. In those days Bhinlsen wanted to dam up the Waingang5 to make a fish pond, so he bcgan at night, for

ibihe ddos only work at night, and be begail to tear up the I hills by the I-001s and to lhrow !hem down into the valley; -

- Se011r or Camp Lire or] the Siltput; K R I I ~ C , p. 97.

1 84 S.1 REKHA P

' I hat ~g spur near the bend of the river is One, and the ! big hog-backed hill, where the Gurera Ue0 still lives, is

8 another. A \itt\e gap only remained, the Space between ' the hills ~vhere the river still runs, and Bhimsen toiled ' hard, for if he could not do it before morning he would ' never be able to do i t at all. So he tore up two hills 1 by the roots and, tyillg them to the eilds of his s t a ~ ,

' slung hem across his shouldtr and carried them dawn 1 to the river; but just before he got there the cock crew. ' Bhinrsen flung down his load in a rage, and there ' are the llills to this day ; there, those conical ones out

fin the plain. It is true, Mal131+5j, coritinued he, gravely, :wing a smile on our faces, what should hills do out there by themselves if Bl~ imsen bad not tl~rowll then1 down ' t l~ere? And he hurled attray his staff across the river; 4 they say it i s still to be seen some ihirty lniies from here ; ! it is OC stone, and is forty paces long. llTell, siihib, as

Bhimsen could not stop the Waingang:, the Waingang5 ' went on, and at last wanted a wife, and the deolris agreed ' i t was only just and fair he should have a wife as other (rivers rnoslly have. S o the young I4in.i was born, and ' there was to be a grand wedding. All the deollis and w o d - 'land fays were to attend-all except Kukr2 Deo, for he

was, as I have said, crabbed and ill-favoured, and made ' everybody miserable ; so [hey all agreed they would not ' invite Kukri Deo. Alas I They 101-go: that he was nae of 'the most powerful as well as the most malicious of the ' dtofis. It was a sad mistake, and Kultri Dm laughed a ' savage laugh wl1e11 he heard of it, and vowed to be re- ' venged. So all the dealis and woodland fays attended the t marriage of the pretty Hirti with the wild and capricious ' Mrainganga ; all the deos, and from yonder pointed hill, yon ' far away, came RSjS Bobal S3h on his winged horses-yes,

-/ 4sc~hib, horses bad wings in those days ; RZjX Indl-a cut rhe 'off, but they carry the marks ta this day. Look at yo 'horseJ5 legs, s3bib, and you will see the marks. W, 1

1

SATPURA HILLS. ti39

' Mahiirij, the party assem bled at the snngnmj (confluence) of ,

' the t~vostrcams, and the feast began. T h e elder and more ' sober d ~ o l i s cat in groups of four or five, talking and ' watching the younger ones, rvbo rverc dancing round hand ' in hand in rii~gs. All were briglit and gay, and all said, ' " Well it is that crabbed old Kukri Deo is not here to spoil 'our plcasurc." n u t old Kukra Dco laughed to himself from ' beljii~d the rock fl-urn wl~euce he watched rlie danceis; he ' laughed with savage glee as he hugged sometlring under 'his ann. The mirth grew fast and fu~.ious, and the revel ' was nt its height, when Kukr5 Deo, chuckling to himself and 'filling his ears wilh clay, pulled out the bundle from under ' his arm-it was a COCIC fast asleep. Placing i r 011 the rock ' before him be gave it a shake, and, snatching a handrul of ' icathel-s from i t s tail, he plunged with a triumphant yell into ' the WaingangZ. The startled bird awake with a scream, ' looked round half sleepily for a second, and then clapped 'his wings and crew, loud and clear. That instant sudden 'silcnce fell on the placc; the dancers, thc groups of wstch-

' ers, all tul-ned into stone I rude blocks occupied the placc of nymph and fay. and hushed was the sound of revelry. Weepi~lg, tlie silver Hirri fell into the arms of the Wain- ' gang2, who bore her sobbing away. There are no more

d~ofn's or woodland fays left in the silent valley since the night wliei~ the wicked ICukrl Ueo turned them all into stones!

Satpura Hills.'-A 1-ange of hills in the centre of India. The name, which is m d e r n ,

Gmgrapl~i~ql position. origiually belonged only to the hills

which divide the Nerbudda and Tfipti valleys in Nimiir (Central Pi-oviuces), and which wel-e styled the srif prilrfl o t

seven sons of the Vindhyan mountaim. Anolher derivation . is F~~orn s d #urn' (seven folds), referring to tlie numcrous

parallel ridges or the range. The term STitpuris is now, however, custu~narily applied to the whole range, which,

llhe alticlc on the Sitpufi Hills is arepriut horn he draft attide

Q- +.-t J r n p ial Gatettctr.

r 86 SATPURA HILLS. -

commencing at Amarlrantak in Rewall, Central India (22' 40' N., 81" 46' E.), runs soul11 or the Nerbuddn river nearly down to the western coast. The Siilpuris are sometimes, but incorrectly, included under the Vindhya range. Taking Amarkantals as the eastern boundary the SStpuriis extend from east to west for about GOO miles, and in tl~eir greatest depth, exceed roo miles from north to south. The shape of the range is almost triangulal.. From Alnarblltalr an outel' ridge runs south-west fur about loo miles to the Slletekri hills in the Billghat District thus forming, as it wc~*e, the head of the range, which shrinliing as it proceeds westward from a broad tableland to two pal-aHeI ridges ends, so laf a s the Central Provinces are concerned, al tlze fatnous hill fortress of Asirgarh. Beyoad this point itlc Rgjpipln hills, which separate the valley of the Nerbudda frotn that of the

.. TZpti, complete the chain as Tar as the Western GhZts. On the tableland comprised between the north err^ and southern faces of the range are situated the Districts of Mandl,?, part or BilZgl~lt, Seoni, Chhii~dwHra and Bctiil.

T h e superficial stratum covering the inairs Shtpurt range is t1-appcaa, but in pacts of all the

Geological formation. Central P~~ovinces Dis~ricts which i't

traverses crystalline rocks are uppermost, and over the Pachmarht bills the s a l ~ d s t o ~ l e is also uncove~ed. I11 Mar~dlB the higher peaks arc capped with laterite. On the north and south the approaches to the SItpurZs are marked as far west

as TuranmZl by low lines of foot-hills, These are succeeded by the steep slopes Ieading up to the summit of the plateau, traversed in all directions by narrow deep rnvines hollotved out by the action of the streams and rivers, and covered

throughout their extent with forest. -

Portions of the Sstpura piattau consist, as in the Mandla and the north of the Chhind-

Fcaturcs of the plattau. w5ra District, of' a rugged mass of

bills hurled together by volca~iic action. But the greater part is an undulatii~g tableland, a succession of bare stony

?, '- .

' I 137 SATPURA HILLS,

' I ~ O ~ C S , and narrow fertile valleys, into whlch the soil has r btcn deposited by dl-aiungc. In a few level tracts as in tbe

vaiieys or the Michna and SLrnpna near Betul, and the open - '

plaiir betweer1 Seoni and Chhindwlra, t11ei-e are extensive areas of productive laud. Scattered over the plateau isolated flat-topped hills rise abruptly froill f he plain. Tbe scmcry of. the northern and soutl~crn hills as observed from the roads which traverse them, is of remarkable beauty. The drainage .

of the SZtpurSs is carried off on the north by the Nerbudda rjvcrand to tbc south by the Wainganga, Wardhi and Tapti, all of which have their source in these bills.

The highest peaks a,-e contailled ik the northern range risjng abruptly from the valley of' the

Heights. Nerbudda and generally sloping down

to the plateau, bul towards the west the southern range has the greater elevation. Another noticeable feature is a num- ber of sniall tablelands lying atnong the hills at a greater

height than the bulk or the plateau. OT these Pachmarhi '

(3530 feet) and Chikald5 in BerSr (3664 feet) have been . - .

formed into hill stations, white Raigarb (2200 feet) in the BiiIigh5t District and ICllHmla in BetGI (3700 feet) are famous grazing and breeding grounds for cattle. Dhfipgarh (4454 feel) is the highest point on the range, and there are a few

,' ,

others of over 4000. Among the peaks that rise from 3000 . - to 3803 feet above sea-level, -the grandest is 'ruranm3l (Bombay Presidency), a long, rather narrow, tableland 3300

' . . feet above the sea and about 16 square miles in area. West . ' . " . .. . . of ibis the mountainous land presents a wall-like appearance -..

bolh towards the Ncrbudda or1 the north and the Tjpti on . ' . '.

. . the south. On the eastern side the T5sdin Vali (Central -

India) commands a magnifice~~t view of the surrounding country. 'The general height of the plateau is about 20ob feet.

- The hills and slopes arc covered by forest extending .' '

. . over some thousands of square miles, ' • ,

- 7 , . Forests. * - .- but much of this is of little value owing .,

to unrestricted fellings prior to the adoption of a system of ' . -: . -

: I . . .

! 68 SEOHI TAHSIL. I

conservancy, and to the shifting cultivation practised by L~~

aboriginal tribes, whicl~ led to pa~ches beillg annually cleared

and burnt down. 'The most valuable forests arc those of

the s r l l tree (Sbol-en robtisln) on the eastern hills, and the teak on the west.

The SitpurZ hills have formed in the past a refuge for the aborigiual or DI avidian tribes,

tribes coin- driven out of the p l a i ~ ~ s by the advance mun~catioos.

of Hindu civilisation. Here they rekired anti occupied the stony and barren dopes lvhich the new settlers, with the rich lowlands at their dispmal, dis- dained to cultivate, and I ~ r c they stil l rear their light rain mops of milletb which are scarcely more than grass, barely tickling the soil with the plough and eking out a scanty subsistence with the roots and fruits of the fofests, and the pursuit of game. The BaigZs, the wildest of these tribes, have even now scarcely attained to the rudiments of culti- vation, but the Gond;, the Korkiis and the Bhils have made some progress by contact with their I-lindu neigl~bours. The open plateau has for two or three centu~.ies been peopled by Hindu immigrants, but i t is only in the last fifty years that travelling has been rendered safe and easy by the constlmuc-

tion of metalled roads winding up the steep passes, and enabling wheeled traffic to pass over the heavy land of the valleys. 'Ti l l then such trade as there was, was conducted .by nomad Hanjjarris on pack-bull~ks. The first railway across the SitpurZ plateau, a narso-rv-gauge exte13sion of the Uengal-Nrigpur line from Gondia to JubbuIpore, was opened in r go;. The Great India11 Peninsula Railway, from Bombay to JubbuIpore, runs thcotrgh a breach in the range just east of Asirgarh, while the Born bay-Agt-a branch road crosses further to the wcst.

Seoni Tahsil,-The southern tahsil of the District,

Natural features. situated between 2 t o 36' and 22" 24' N, and 79' 19' and 80° 6' E. It is

hounded on the north and north-enst, by the Lakhnadon

SEOEI TAHSIL; 189

tahsil, on the cast by tile U3l3ghlt District, from which it is ,

divided by the Waingang5 for n short distance, on the sourh- cast by Bhnndi~.a, on the south by Nagpur, and on the west

by the ChIiindwii4a District from ivhicl.1 i t is divided by the Pench river. The area d the tnhsiI is 164s square miles or :

5 I per cent of that of the District. West of SeonI town and : Iying nwtlt and south of the Ch11indw;Tra road which passes nearly through its centre, lies the Seonr Haveli, a fertile and

,

level tract of black soil which is principally devoted ta wheat. The Haveli setllement group, comprising h i s iract, covered arl area of about r ao square miles and contained about 7i3 - villages. North and south of the Haveti and ex rending west . . from Seoni to Ihe Cllhindwjra border lie t t ~ e group known as the ~lorthertl and soutl~ern knlh2r and consistiug of un- dulating couii try broken by patches 'of forest, but covered with black soil of varying fertility and principally growing . spritlg crops. This area extends over about 300 square ,

miles. To the $vest OF Semi lies n track of similar nature, .: b ~ t inore undulating and wit11 a larger proportion of forest, . in which both spriog and autuin~l crops are grown, To .'

the nort11-east round Ghansor lies another 'fairly Icvel and open pIain in which wheat is largely grown, covering about ryo square miles. 011 the east and south-east of the tahsil the Ugli and 13argllZt groups contain laud or ,

diRerent character ; the soil is formed from cryslalliile rock -

and is of the sandy nature suited for rice. Tanks arc . - nuicerous and transpla~~ted rice is grown by the Ponrvsrs whose skill at rhis kiqd of cu1tivation is well known. The . .. tract is really part of ~11e Waingang5 rice country comprised

the Br~andEra, ChSnda and 13ilfighZt Districts. Laslly, below the Snpura plateau lies the Krtrai tract, hilly and much interspersed with forest and also mainly devoled to rice cultivation, The Waingang5 and its tributaries, the .

S9gar a ~ l d the IlirrT, drain 11rc greater part of the tahsil and the Bl~vnot l~ari flows down from the southern hills to join the Warngmg6. . .,.

. .*,_,

I '

SEONI TAHSTL. 190 . , . . . . .

Tile population of the tahsil in 1901 was ~92,364 Per- sons or 59 per cent of [hat of the

- Population. District. I n 1 ggr the population was

219,284 ?nd in I ~ Q T , 196,017, The increase betliveell 1881

and 1891 rvas I 1.9 per cent as agaiilst the District figure of 1o.4~ and the decrease bctweeu I 8g and 1901 was 12'3

pet ce11t as against ' I 1.6 for the District as a whole. Tbe density of population is r I 7 persons per square mile as against 87 in the Laklll13d~ll tahsil. 'The tahsil coiltains one town Seoni and So4 v~llagts, of which 133 are uuin- habited acco~~ding to the Village Lists. 'I here is no village .

with a population of zooo. The following eigli t villages contained r ooo or more persons in 190 r :-Al-i, Bal-gl~~t, Chiihi, Dondiwsra, Kanhiwlira, Heoliri, Piparia Kalin and f iparwiini, . About half the cultivated area consisls of the friable

dark-b1.0~11 coloured soil known as Agriculture.

.grtorn~td, which is suited to the gl'o~vf 11 of spring crops, while 17 per cent is the s~hr r i or sandy soil on which rice is generally raised. T h e remaining area consists af inferior shallow and stony land. Of the whole. area of the tahsil 458 square miles or 28 per cent are in- cluded in Government forest, while another 247 square miles consist of private tree-forest and I 54 of scrub jungle and grass. Of the village area of I 245 square miles, a proportion of about 60 per cent was ~ccupied Tor cultivation in 1904-05, showing a very slight increase since the last settlement, while at the30 years' settlement only 40 per cent of the village area was occupied. To the Haveli group the occupied area

is 79 pet cent. of the total available. The cultivated area in 1904-0 5 was 4 5 8,000 acres. The s tatis~ics of cropping at set- tlement and during the years 1.9~-05 arc shown on the next

paga 'I'he net cropped area fell fro111 376,000 acres at settle- ment to 338,000 acres in I 900-0 I ,but had il~creased in I 904-05 to 383,030 acres. The area under wheat has somewbat increased, but rice shows a decline from the settlement figure,

SEONI TAI3SlL. ~ g i

and has in part been supplanled by kodon. The cropping is on the svholt coi~siderably more valuable than that of the Lakhniidon tahsil, having a larger proportion o l wheat and rice and a smaller one of ti1 and kodon.

The demand for land revenue at the 3 0 years' settle-

l o r d

Year.

-- 19-01 ... 1wt.m

x p m 3 ... SPD3-04 ... ry4-05 ." I - 1~1,610Qdo4 11,135 I*.*VI a3 ,9~8 ~ 4 , 5 8 1 S,%O :,*91 G,~lb ns 39sr1B3

ment was Rs. $G,om and fell at 48 Land Revenue.

per cent of the assels. It w a s raised at the recent settlement to Rs. 1.92 laklis, giving an increase of Rs. gg,oco or 97 per cent on t11e revenue prior lo revision, and fnllii>g at qg per cent oi' h e assets .

wbich amounted to Rs. 3-91 'lakhs. In 1904-05 Ihe dc- mand for land 1-evcnue was Rs. 1 - 7 3 lakhs. The cash rental amounted to Rs. 2-84 lakhs at last settlement as against Rs. 1'49 latlls at: the 30 years' ~elllernent The cesses were formerly Rs. a 6 , m , but have been reduced to Rs. II,OGO by the nboli l io~~ of the patwsri cess and . addilional rates. At last seliIcn~ei~t the f01lo~ing assessment gl-oups were formed, the number of villages colltaiaed .

by each being shown in brackets against it-Kurai (651, Southern Kathsr (78), Havcli (68), Seoni (801, BarghEt (1 zr), Ugll (67)) Ghansw (1 r I), Northern KathSr (lor). The average rent-rate per acre for tbe tahsil was R . 0-13-2 as agai~st the District figure d K, 0-lo-10 and the

Fcrcentageofa~ta undcr each crop on the IoLal area ulldea crop as shown in the last column r p 4 - o ~ .

6 ,, 4 16 6 I I P 14 L ... ...

revenue-rate R. c-7-2 as against R. 0-5-9 for the District as

a whole. The rent-rate ibl* the HaveIi gl-otlp was mucll the highest in the whole District ainoun( it~g lo R. 0-1 5-9. 'The

Seoni, Ghnnsor and Bal-gli5t groups had a rent-rale of 14 annas or more, and in the rtnlaihing groups it was under r 4 annas.

The talisil is divided into four Revenue Inspectoi-s' circles wj th headquarters at Uandol,

M iscellaneoun. KanbiwZra, 1Cu1-ai and Eaiyhli t and 81

patwaris' circles. 11 has four police Station-Ilouses at Seoni, Kiilbosi, Bargh5t and Keoliiri, and g outposis.

Seoni Town (also known as SCOYIZ C/~ l~npk~+o) : -The - headquarters town of the lahsil and

Posiiior aud populai~on. District, situated in 2 2 O 5 ' N. and 79"

33' E. on the Great Northern Road, 79 miles from Nagpur and 86 fi.om Jubbulpore. A branch line of rile Satpura narrow-gauge railway I uils from Neinpur junction t l~rough Seoni lo Chbindwara, and Seoni is by rail 203 miles froin Nxgpur and 721 from Bombay. The population of the town at the last four enurneralions I~as been as i01lows:- ~872, 9557; 1881, ro,w3 ; 1891, I I ,976; r9o1, I 1,864. In zgol the populalion included 2989 Muhammadans, 393 Jains and I 54 Christians.

Seorli was founded in 1774-by the PathZn governor Muhammad Amir I<lGn who removed

Ancient buildings, his headquarters here from Chliapzra

and built a fort after the pattern of the Niigpur Rijlja's palace. The Dlrniin family still reside in the buildings inside the fort. The town conlair~s no notable old buildings, and a large portion of it was destroyed by fire in 1839. A number of fine Jain temples, known as the Sulrarw5ri te~nples 11avc bcen erected by ihc resident Parwsc Banihs since the British annexation. In one of these is an ancient image said to

' have been brought from Cllaonri and containing an inscrip- tion with the date rqgx A. D. 'Thcre are four snli pillars of comparatively recent date. Some liltle way out OC the town

SEONI TOWN. I93

on the Jubbulpore road, i s the tomb of a Muhammadan saint Rluhai~~mad S h l h WaIT, who is said by his prayers to have preserved the life of the Diwan of S e m i when he was in danger of being trodden on by an elephant. The tomb is worshipped by Muhammadans and three villages are held free of revenue for i (s support, -4 small temple on the Motl tank contains the tomb of a IC,iyasth, tvho became a Gosain and is said lo have immured himself in it ~vllile still alive.

A local gathering of the people of the town takes place here on the Dasa hra festival. Another Mullammadan known as Sunde Sh ih l , is supposed to have defended Seoni. His head was struck off his body a mile outside the town and his headless trunk continued fighting until it reentered Seoni. Two platforms have been erected at the place where his head was struck off and where he finally fell and are vener- ated by the people.

The buugalows of the European officers arc situated to

the north of the town and the railway Modern buildings.

station to the south. The principal buildings are the District court house, the new Alission high school building and the graceful church of flagstone. The Victoria Library which serves as a town ha11 was erected in 1885 by public subscription at 'a cost of Its. 2om. The fine DaIs5gnr tank adjoins the town to the-north. It is so called because it is said to have been made by one Dalsl Gaoli to

water his buffaloes. The tank was enlarged and the ghds *

or flights of stone steps constructed by Captain Thoti~son when Deputjr Com~nissioner of the District in I 866-67. The stone steps extend along the entire southern side, and some carvings brought from Ghansor have been placed on them. They are of medi~va l Brahmanic style and some of them are graceful. The most important carvings are the image of Siva seated on a two-bodied bull with the stream of the Ganges flowing from him, a Narfiyan lying on a couch with two women rubbing his feet, Krishna danciilg on the snake --

I Otherwise know~, as Lullde Khin. He was really only a path& adventurer. Chapter 11, History.

cc

and the eight-headed Devi. A small ornamentai island had - . been constructed in the tank. The ~ u d h w z i tank closer to

the town has also some flights of steps. Seoni was created a municipality in I 867 and the average

annual municipal receipts during the Punicipl undertakings. .

decade ending 1901 were Rs. ag,ooo; . In 1903-04 they were Rs. 3g,om and in 1904-05 Rs. 28,000.

Octl-oi is the principal head. of receipt and the expenditure is mainly on conservancy and education.. The cornmi ttee '

consists of 16 members of whom 10 are elected and 6 nomi- nated. The water-supply is bbtained f r ~ m the Babaria tank

situated at a distance of 2 i miles from the town, from which water was until recently conveyed to its centre in an open channel, being thus rendered very liable to pollution. Pipes have now been laid down to carry the water, and the Dalsagar

. tank is kept filled from the same source of supply. Seoni is the most important trading town of the SitpurH plateau and

, : the opening of the railway should add to irs prosperity. Tfie exports are principally grain, oilseeds and hemp. The traders and bankers are mainly Par& Banifis, and there are also "

' . colonies of BrZhmans and K5yasths. The Muhammadans are engaged in shop-keeping and cultivation and act as private

. - servants and peons. There are a number of Soniirs who work in gold and silver, and a cotton hand-weaving industry also

1 4

.. exists. The town has three market-places, known as the . Bhaironganj, BudhwSri and Sukarwai bazars.

. . The educational institutions comprise a high school , ,

, . with 33 students cnroIled in rgos which Edu*iona'andmcdi~ is managed by the Scotch Church cal institutions.

Mission with the assistance of a grant from Government; vernacular schools for girls and boys and

. . an orphanage also managed by the Mission ; - a municipal ,' . English middle school with 6 2 pupils enrolled in I go6 ; a ' . primary school for b o p and a Government girls' school, . . - , , . . he town has a main dispensary with ac~~mmodat i~n for 13 , indoor patients, a police hospital and a dispensary for women , . - -. ., ::, '- . . ' ", .. " * ,: , , . - ...., .- 1 - . .

+ ,! . P . , , . . !. .. r . , .

$HER RIVER-WAING ANG A RIVER.

managed by the Mission. A veteri~~ary d i s p e ~ ~ s i r ~ has also . '

been established, and a suitable building has recently been - 5

erected for it, , . The town stands an 565 acres of nnnil or Goveromellt

land, and comprises within its limits Site of the town. warts of t h e ~ t n ~ l g u z ~ r i villages of Seoni,

Mang]ipet, Bhaironganj and ZiPrat, and some land belonging ,

to tile Diwnn Muhammad Ali KhBn. The proprietor of

Seoni is a Ksyasth Government official, and Manglipet '

belongs to Rai BahZdur DMu GulAb Singh, Bhaironganj to

Brahman and ZiArat to a Muhammadan. The area of m31- - pzki laud is about I roo acres excluding nearly 500 acres .

of the Diw3nt SZY land which is not built over. Sher River (The tiger).-A river which rises near

- Kharnariain the Lakhnxdou tahsil and after a course of about 80 miles through the SeonI and Narsinghpur Districts falls into the Nerbudda at Rati J<a& near Barmhsn. I t is

- crossed by a fine'stone bridge at Sonai Dongri on the . NWur-Jubbulpore road in Seoni and by a railway bridge

nbout 8 iniles east of Narsinghpur. Its principal tributaries .

are the Mscharewa, BZrGrewZ and Umar. Its bed i s '

, generally mcky and the current I;apid, seaming its banks with ravines on either side. T h e length of the river is about ,

, 70 miles. The1 River.- A river which rises in the Chhindwzra

District and flows for a short distance through the south-west .

of the Lakhnjdon tahsil to join the Waingangs some miles '

. above Chhapara. Its length is about 50 miles. .

Wainganga River1 . (&. " The Arrow of Water "1.- '

- . A river in the Central Provinces, which rises near the village . .' '

of Partnbpur or Mundsra (zrO 57' N. and 79' 34' E.), I r '.,-

. miles from the town of Seoni on the SZtpur5 plateau, and -;

' flows in a wide half circle, bending and winding among the ': , spurs of the hills, from the west to the east of the Seoni

+

, . 'The article on the WaingangX rivcr<is a reprint from the drdt article .. f*tbe Imperial Gazetteer, - .

WAIHGANGA RIVER 1 .

1 96

District, Here it is diverted to the south, being joined by

the Thanwar river from MandlZ, and forms the boundary of Seani for some miles until it enters Biliighgt. The upper valley, at first stcjny and confined, becomes later an a1t~l .n~-

tion of rich, alluvial basins and narrow gorges, until at the eastma border of Seoni, tbe river commences its descent LO

the lower country, passing over a series of rapids and deep stony channels, overhung by walls of granite, 200 feet high. The course of the WaingangFi during the last six miles before its junction with the Thanwar may perhaps be 1-an1;ed next to the BheriighZt gorge of the Nerbudda for beauty of river scenery in the Central Provinces. Einergi~lg subsequently from the bills the liver flows south and south-west through the rich rice -lands of the BPl3ghiit and Bhand5ra Ui~tricts, passing the towns of 13915gb5t, Tumsar, BhandHra and Pauni, and receiving the waters of nu~nerous affluents. Of these the principal are the BSgh in BFi15ghIt, and the ICanhZn, ChElband, and G%rhvi in Bhand5ra. It then flows through Chznda and alter a course of 360 iniles jains the Wardhii at Seorii on the south-western border of tbat Dist~ ict. Tbe river formed by the confluence of the WardhZ aud Waingang3 is known as the Prznbita and is a tributary of the Godgvari, In the SeonT and BHl~gbzt Districts the bed of tbe Wain- gang'. is a series of basalt tidges with deep pools held up behjnd them, while in the hot weather the river shrinks to a narrow stream trickling between the indentations of the ridges. Below B5Eghat its bed is generally broad and sandy, interspersed with occasional barriers of rock. Its width

extends to about 600 yards in ChPnda, During the flood season the river is navigable for light canoes from the con- fluence of the BZgh as Far as Garbchird~ in Chand~, though one or two barriers of rock impede traffic. Timber is floated down it and grain and vegetables are carried for short dis- tances by boat. No use is made of the river for purposes of irrigation. The drainage area of the Waisgang3 includes the east of the fiigpur plain and also the bulk of the niStricts

of Seoni and Chhiildw3ra, whose waters are brought to it by the Pench and KanhXn rivers, It is crossed by the narrow gauge SgtpurP railway near KeolBd, by the main line of the Dengal-hlgpur Railway ncar Nawagam in Bhandzra, and by a fine stone brtdge at ChhapZra on the Seoni-Jubbulpore road. An annual fair is held at its source at Mundiira. The curiously winding and circuitous course of the WaingangZ through the Seoni District is thus accounted for by a Hiudu legend. Once upon a time there lived a certain R3jH in the BhandZra Ilistrict, who had a talisman ; and the effect of the talisman was that daily, when he put it in his mouth, he could be tra~~sported to AllabZbZd to bathe in the Ganges. But after he bad done this daily for a long time, the Ganges said to Rim that i t was a great labour for him to come every day to AllahIbZd to bathe in its waters ; and that if be filled a bottle with its water and laid it down by his house, a new stream ivould flow whose water wwld be that of the Ganges, and bathing ia which would confer [he same religious e f f c a ~ ~ . ~ So the RZjj,i thanked the river, and joyfully took a bottle of the water, But on his way home, while stoppit~g to rest at-

PariZbpur, the present source of the Waingangs, be i n a d v e ~ tently laid the bottle on the ground. lnstanlly a stream issued forth from it and began to flow. The disiilayed Rgjg

then besought the river saying tk4t this place was far from his home, and he would not be able to conic tbae and bathe. So the river pitying him, changed its course and flowed n~rth, east and south in a wide half circle until it passed through BhandHra by the RSj5's house.