Partābgarh – 15 gun state
Part of the Mewar Residency [1].
Rulers
Bika (1553-1579)
Tej Singh (1579-94)
Bhano or Bhana (1594-1604)
Sendha or Singha (1604-23)
Jaswant Singh (1623-34)
Hari Singh (1634-74)
Pratap Singh (1674-1708) – founded
Partābgarh town in 1698
Prithwi Singh (1708-17)
Ram Singh (1717-18)
Umed Singh (1718-23)
Gopal Singh (1723-58)
Salim Singh (1758-75)
Sawant Singh (1775-1844)
Dalpat Singh (1844-64)
Udai Singh (1864-90)
Raghunath Singh (1890- )
Coinage (taken verbatim from Ref 1 below)
According to the local account, a mint was
established at the capital early in the eighteenth century, Prithwi Singh
having received the right to coin money from Shah Alam I ( after whom the
currency was called Shah Alam Shahi or Salim Shahi), but the story is
improbable. Others say that the first chief of Partābgarh to posses this
privilege was Salim Singh (1758-75), whence the name Salim Shahi, which ,
however, may have been a contraction of Shah Alam Shahi, as Shah Alam II was
then titular king of Dehli.
As far as the inscription is concerned, there
have been two issues, namely the old and the new. The former bore on the
obverse the name of Shah Alam with the date according to the Muhammadan era
(Hejira) and consisted of rupees and eight-anna pieces; while the latter,
probably introduced about 1870, included four-anna and two-anna bits, and bore
the following inscription in Persian on the obverse: “Auspicious coin of the noble
monarch, the sovereign of London, 1236” (the old date 1236 or AD 1820, having
been retained from the former die). The earliest rupees are said to have
weighed 168½ grains and to have
contained 18 ½ grains of alloy, but the quantity of the latter was increased to
31 ½ grains in 1820 (the pure silver being decreased to the same extent), and
the debased coin issued from this mint was frequently the subject of
remonstrance on the part of the British government.
The Salim Shahi rupees were formerly current in
Banswara, and parts of Dungarpur, Udaipur, Jhalawar, the Nimbahera pargana of
Tonk, and in certain states of central India such as Ratlam, Jaora, Sitamau,
and the Mandasor district of Gwalior, and were worth about thirteen British
annas each; but owing to imprudent over-coinage, the introduction of the
British rupee in certain neighbouring states, the consequent exclusion
therefrom of the Partābgarh coins, and other causes, they depreciated to
such an extent that in March 1900 they exchanged for eight British annas each
and in January 1903 for barely 7 ½ annas. It was thereupon resolved to
demonetise them and introduce Imperial currency in their stead. The Government
of India agreed to give, up to a limited amount, 100 British in exchange for
200 Salim Shahi rupees – this being the average rate of exchange during the six
months ending with the 31st March 1904 – and, in accordance with a
notification previously issued, the conversion operations lasted from the 1st
April to the 30th June, but the actual market rates during these
three months were more favourable, i.e. the people could get 100 British rupees
in exchange for 194 or 195 Salim Shahi, and the result was that not a single
rupee was tendered for conversion at the rate fixed by Government. Thus, although
the Salim Shahi coins still circulate, they are not recognised as money by the
Darbar, and in all state transactions Imperial currency has been the sole legal
tender from 1st July 1904, when also the Partābgarh mint was
closed in perpetuity.
Extract
from the Imperial Gazetteer of India (https://www.burmalibrary.org/docs21/Imperial_Gazetteer_of_India-Vol.20-1908-tu.pdf)
Partābgarh
State (.Pratapgarh).— State in the south of Rajputana, lying between 230 32'
and 240 18' N. and 740 29' and 750 E., with an area of 886 square miles. It is
bounded on the north and northwest by Udaipur; on the west and south-west by
Banswara; on the south by Ratlam; and on the east by Jaora, Sindhia’s districts
of Mandasor and Nimach, and a detached portion of the RampuraBh&npura
district of Indore. The greater portion of the State consists of fine open
land; but the north-west is wild, rocky, and hilly, and p a r t Ab g a r h s t
a t e 9 a range, which in places attains an elevation of 1,900 feet, forms the
entire western boundary. There are no rivers of any importance ; the Jakam,
which is the largest, rises near Chhotl Sadri in Udaipur, flows through the
north-west of the aspects* State, and eventually falls into the Som, a
tributary of the MahT. A large proportion of Partābgarh is covered with
Deccan trap, the denudation of which has exposed underlying areas of older
rocks belonging to the Delhi system, such as shales, quartzites, and
limestones, which in the west rest unconformably upon gneiss. In addition to
the usual antelope, gazelle, and small game, tigers, leopards, bears, sdmbar
{Cervus unicolor), and chital (C. axis) are to be found along the western
border. The climate is generally good and the temperature moderate. The annual
rainfall, measured at the capital, averages a little over 34 inches. More than
63 inches fell in 1893, and less than 11 in 1899. The territory was formerly
called the Kanthal, meaning the * border ’ or ‘ boundary’ (kantha) between
Malwa and Gujarat. The northern portion was inhabited by Bhlls and the rest by
various Rajput clans, such as the Sonigaras (a branch of the Chauhans) and the
Dors or Dodas. The founder of the State was one Blka, a descendant of Rana
Mokal of Mewar, who left his estates of Sadri and Dariawad in 1553, proceeded
south, and subdued the aboriginal tribes. In 1561 he founded the town of D e o
l i a or Deogarh, naming it after a female chieftain called Devi Mini, and
subsequently he overpowered the Rajputs living farther to the south and east.
About sixty-five years later, one of his successors, Jaswant Singh, being
considered dangerously powerful, was invited to Udaipur and treacherously
murdered writh his eldest son in the Champa Bagh, whereupon the Kanthal was
occupied by Mewar troops. Jaswant Singh’s second son, Hari Singh, proceeded to
Delhi about 1634, where, partly by the interest of Mahabat Khan, Jahangir’s
great general, and partly by his own skill and address, he got himself
recognized as an independent chief by the emperor Shah Jahan on payment of a
tribute of Rs. 15,000 a year. He also received the rank of Haft hazari, or ‘
commander of 7,000/ and the title of Rawat or, as some say, Maharawat. On his
return the Mewar garrison was expelled with the help of the imperial forces,
and the whole countty brought under subjection. Hari Singh’s son, Pratap Singh,
who succeeded in 1674, founded the town of Partābgarh in 1698; and from it
the State'now takes its name, though some of the people still use the older
name Kanthal, or, uniting the names of the former and the present capitals,
cafl the State Deolia-Partābgarh. As recently as 1869 the chief was
described in an extradition treaty then ratified as to PARTĀBGARH s t a t
e the ‘ Rajah of Dowleah and Partabgurh.’ In the time of Sawant Singh
(1775-1844) the country was overrun by the Marathas, and the Maharawat only
saved his State by agreeing to pay Holkar a tribute of Salim shahi Rs. 72,720,
in lieu of Rs. 15,000 formerly paid to Delhi. The first connexion of the State
with the British Government was in 1804; but the treaty then entered into was
subsequently cancelled by Lord Cornwallis, and a fresh treaty, by which the
State was taken under protection, was made in 1818. The tribute to Holkar is
paid through the British Government, and in 1904 was converted to Rs. 36,360
British currency. The chiefs subsequent to Sawant Singh have been Dalpat Singh
(1844-64), Udai Singh (1864-90), and Raghunath Singh, who was born in 1859,
succeeded by adoption in 1890, and was installed with full powers in 1891. He
bears the titles of His Highness and Maharawat, and receives a salute of x 5
guns. Among places of archaeological interest are Janagarh, t o miles
south-west of the capital, with its old fort, in which some Mughal prince is
said to have resided, and the remains of a mosque, bath, and stables; Shevna, 2
miles east of Salimgarh, which tradition says was the capital, Shivnagri, of a
large state, and which must have been a fine city. Besides a fort it contains
several temples, one of which, dedicated to Siva, is beautifully carved. At
Virpur, near Sohagpura, is a Jain temple said to be 2,000 years old, and old
temples also exist at Bordia, 20 miles south of the capital, and at Ninor in
the southeast ; but none of these places has been professionally examined. The
number of towns and villages in the State is 413, and the population at each
Census has been: (1881) 79,568, (1891) 87,975, and (1901)52,025. The decrease
of nearly 41 per cent, at Population. ]ast enumeration was due partly to the
famine of 1899-1900, followed by a disastrous type of fever, and partly, it is
believed, to an exaggerated estimate of the Bhlls in 1891. The State is divided
into the three nilas or districts of Partābgarh, Magra, and Sagthali, as
shown below :— 1 Zila. \ I Number of Pnr»tld fiAti I Number able Towns. 1_
Villages. i upmaliUIl j to read and write. ' M agra Partābgarh ; SagthaTi
. I 7 | ; 97 I >44 ; 171 5,846 1 32,166 *4» °i3 108 1,666 4H j State total |
I ___ 412 5V >25 ; 2,188 The only town is P a r t a b g a r h , the capital.
Mpre than 61 per cent, of the people are Hindus, 22 per cent, are Animist
Bhlls, and 9 per cent, are Jains. The language mainly spoken is Malwi or TRADE
AND COMMUNICATIONS li Rangri. By far the most numerous tribe is that of the B h
Il s , the original inhabitants of the country, who in 1901 numbered 11,500.
Next come the Mahajans (5,600), the Brahmans (3,200), the Rajputs (3,200), the
Kumhars (3,000), and the Chamars (2,600). About 51 per cent, of the population
are dependent on agriculture. The north-west (the Magra district) is hilly and
stony, and here maize is almost the only product; elsewhere the soil is
excellent, being mostly black intermixed with a reddish-brown . loam. The principal
crops are wheat, sugar-cane, maize, jowdr, gram, and barley. Poppy is
extensively cultivated. The Bhlls largely practise the destructive form of
shifting cultivation known as wdlar, which is described in the article on B a n
s w a r a S t a t e . Irrigation is mainly from wells, of which more than 2,000
are worked in the khalsa portion of the State 3 there are nine irrigation
tanks, but they arc old and out of repair, and the area watered from them is
insignificant. The hilly portions of the State are fairly well wooded, teak,
blackwood, pipal (Ficus religiosa), and babul (Acacia arabica) being fre*
quently met with, while the south produces sandal-trees, which are a State
monopoly. There is 110 systematic forest conservancy, and the Bhils burn the jungle
for purposes of sport or agriculture practically unchecked. Manufactures are
unimportant, the products consisting only of coarse cotton fabrics, black
woollen blankets, and a little _ enamel work of gold on glass, the latter being
commimications. confined to a few families at the capital. The principal
exports are grain and opium, and the imports are cotton cloth and salt. The
trade is mostly with Bombay. During the eight years ending 1900 the average
number of chests of opium exported was 629, worth about 3 lakhs, and the export
duty levied by the Darbar averaged Rs. 7,700. In 1901 this duty was raised from
Salim shahi Rs. 27 to British Rs. 27 per chest of maunds, and the 532^ chests
exported in 1903-4 paid a duty of more than Rs. 14,000. Salt is obtained from
Sambhar, about seven to eight thousand maunds being imported annually. There is
no railway in the State, the nearest station being Mandasor 011 the
Rajputana-Malwa line, 20 miles from Partābgarh town by a metaile
chdkrdna, and dharmada. Khdlsa land is the property of the State
and is leased generally 011 the ryotwdri system, there being few intermediate zamindars. The lessees can neither sell nor mortgage, but,
on the other hand, they are never, without sufficient reason, deprived
of their holdings, which usually descend from father to son. Chdkrdna
lands are those granted to Rajputs and officials for work performed,
and are held on the usual tenure of service and tribute. Lands
granted to Brahmans, temples, Charans, and Bhats are called dharmdda ; they are held rent free, but neither they nor chakrona lands
can be mortgaged or bold.
A rough settlement was made in 1875, when leases were granted
for ten years, but the people were opposed to a settlement of any
kind, and it has since been customary to grant annual leases. Regular
settlement operations are, however, in progress, which were to be
finished by the end of 1906. The current assessment per acre
varies from 8 annas to Rs. 1-8 for ‘ dry’ land and from Rs. 2-8 to
Rs. 17-8 for ‘ wet ’ land, and the revenue is collected mostly in cash.
The military force consists of 13 gunners, 22 cavalry, and 76
infantry, with 19 unserviceable guns; while the police force numbers
170 of all ranks, including 6 mounted men. The jail has accommodation for 23 males and 17 females, the average daily number
of prisoners in 1904 being 33. A new jail is under construction.
Education is at a low ebb, only 4 per cent, of the population
(8*3 males and about o-i females) being able to read and write.
In 1901 there was but one regular school, attended by 194 pupils,
or less^than 3 per cent, of the population of school-going age, while
the total expenditure on education was Rs. 600. The daily average
attendance aft this school fell in 1903 to 98. Recently two more
schools have been started: namely, a nobles’ school at the capital
for the sons of Thalturs and of people of means, and a small
vernacular school at Deolia. The daily average attendanc.e at these
b 2
14 PARTABGARH STATE
institutions in 1904 was, respectively, 30 and 14, and the total
expenditure on education was Rs. 2,650.
The State possesses one hospital, with accommodation for 4 inpatients, and one dispensary. In 1904 the number of cases treated
was 9,311, of whom 16 were in-patients, and 643 operations were
performed. The cost of these institutions, about Rs. 1,900, was
borne entirely by the State.
Vaccination is very backward. Only one vaccinator is employed,
and in 1904-5 the number of persons successfully vaccinated was
244, or about 4 per 1,000 of the population.
[Rajputdna Gazetteer, vol. iii (1880, under revision).]
Partabgarh T o w n (Pratdpgarh) (1).— Capital of the State and the
head-quarters of the district of the same name in Rajputana, situated
in 240 2' N. and 740 47' E., twenty miles by metalled road west of
Mandasor station 011 the Rajputana-Malwa Railway. The population in 1901 numbered 9,819, of whom 52 per cent, were Hindus,
27 per cent. Jains, and 20 per cent. Musalmans. The town, which
was founded by, and named after, Maharawat Pratap Singh in 1698,
lies 1,660 feet above sea-level, in a hollow formerly known as Doderiaka-khera. It is defended by a loopholed wall with eight gates built
by Maharawat Salim Singh about 1758, and on the south-west
is a small fort in which the chief’s family occasionally reside. The
palace, which is in the centre of the town, contains the State offices
and courts; and outside the town are two bungalows, one used by
the chief and the other as a guest-house. Partabgarh used to be
somewhat famous for its enamelled work of gold inlaid on emeraldcoloured glass and engraved to represent hunting and mythological
scenes. The art of making this jewellery is said to be confined
to five families, and the secret is zealously guarded. In the town
are eleven Jain and nine Hindu temples, a combined post and telegraph office, a small jail which has accommodation for 40 prisoners
and is generally overcrowded, an Anglo-vernacular middle school
for boys (daily average attendance 98 in 1904), a school for the
sons of the wealthier classes (daily average attendance 30 in 1904),
and a hospital called the Raghunath Hospital after the present chief,
which was built in 1893 and has accommodation for 4 in-patients.
Par&bgarh District (Pratdpgark). - Southern District of the
Fyzabad Division, United Provinces, lying between 250 34' and 26° 21' N. and 8i° 19' and 82° 27' E., with an area of 1,44a- square
miles. It is bounded on the north by Rae Bareli and Sultanpur; on
the east and south-east by Jaunpur; on the south by Afiahabad; and
on the west by Allahabad and Bae Bareli. Portions of the District
are enclosed in Jaunpur and Allahabad, and some villages of Allahabad
form enclaves within Partabgarh. The general aspect is that of a richly
PARTABGARH d i s t r i c t l5
wooded and fertile plain, here and there relieved by gentle undulations,
and broken into ravines in the vicinity of the rivers and streams. The
southern portion is perhaps more densely wooded
than other parts. Barren tracts of uncultivable land Aspect**
impregnated with saline efflorescence (reh) are met
with in places, but do not extend over any considerable area. For
the most part, Partabgarh is under rich and varied crops, dotted with
many villages and hamlets, which are surrounded by fine groves of
mango, mahua, or other trees.
The Ganges forms part of the southern boundary, and the Gumtl
touches the north-east corner of the District. The chief river is,
however, the Sai, which enters Partabgarh from Rae Bareli, and after
an exceedingly tortuous south-easterly course falls into the Gumtl in
Jaunpur. This Hver runs chiefly between high banks, broken by deep
ravines, at a considerable depth below the level of the surrounding
country. It is navigable during the rains, when it swells into a considerable stream ; but in the hot season it runs nearly dry. It receives
a number of tributary rivulets, but none of importance. The District
contains many tanks and swamps, some of which in the rains measure
several miles in circumference.
Partabgarh is entirely composed of alluvium, and kankar or nodular
limestone is the only rocky formation.
Small patches of jungle land occur in many parts, chiefly covered
with dhak (Butea frondosa). The babul (Acacia arabicd) grows in the
ravines, and the usual varieties of fig and other trees are scattered
about the District. Groves of mango and mahua (Bassia latifolia) are
exceptionally numerous and large, one of them covering an area of
80 acres.
Wild animals are not numerous, owing to the closeness of cultivation. Wolves are fairly common in the ravines and broken land, and
wild hog and a few nilgai are found in the tamarisk jungle along the
(ranges. Jackals and foxes occur in all parts. Wild-fowl are unusually scarce, though in the cold season geese and duck visit the
large sheets of water. Both rivers and tanks abound in fish.
The climate is dry and healthy. The mean monthly temperature
ranges from about 6o° in December and January to 920 in May.
Over the whole District the annual rainfall averages 38 inches,
evenly distributed. Considerable fluctuations occur from year to year,
and th^fall has varied from 19 inches in 1877 to 75 in 1894.
Tradition connects most of the ancient sites in the District with
the Bhars; but some of them certainly date from the Buddhist period.
Legend ascribes the foundation of Manikpur on the
Ganges to one Manadeva, son of a mythical Baldeva lS 0ry*
of Kanauj, and its change of name to Manik Chand, brother of the
i6 PARTABGARH DISTRICT
great Jni Chanel. The Khars were displaced by the Somavansis from
J h u s i, and other Rajput clans spread over the District. In the
eleventh century the warrior saint of Islam, Saiyid Salar, defeated
the Hindu princes of Manikpur and Kara, but Muhammadan rule was
not established till the defeat of Jai Chand by Muhammad Ghorl.
Manikpur and Kara on the opposite bank of the Ganges were important seats of government in the early Muhammadan period.
Ala-ud-dTn Khiljl was governor here, before he gained the throne of
Delhi by murdering his uncle on the sands of the river between these
two places. In the fifteenth century the District came under the rule
of the SharkI kings of Jaunpur, and after its restoration to Delhi the
Rajput chiefs and the Muhammadan governors were frequently in
revolt. The Afghans long retained their hold on the District, and
early in the reign of Akbar the governor of Manikpur rebelled.
Manikpur lost its importance when Allahabad became the capital of
a Province, and from that time it was merely the chief town of a
sarkcir. The Rajputs again rose during the anarchy which marked the
disruption of the empire after the death of Aurangzeb. They were,
however, gradually reduced by the Nawabs of Oudh, and in 1759
Manikpur was removed from the SFibah of Allahabad and added to
Oudh. The later history of the District is a record of constant
fighting between the officials of Oudh and the Rajput chiefs. At
annexation in 1856 the eastern part of the District was included in
Sultanpur, while the west formed part of Salon (see R a e B a r e l i
D i s t r i c t ) . A new District was in process of formation when the
Mutiny broke out. Raja Hanwant Singh of Kalakankar escorted the
fugitives from Salon to Allahabad, and then turned rebel. With few
exceptions all the large landholders joined the mutineers, and the
District relapsed into a state of anarchy. Troops advanced in July,
1858, but the campaign was checked by the rains, and it was not till
November that British rule was re-established. On November 1,1858,
the proclamation of the Queen, assuming the government of the
country, was read to the army by Lord Clyde at Partabgarh town.
The area of the District then formed was altered in 1869 by the
transfer of territory to Rae Bareli.
Only one or two of the ancient sites which are found in many parts
have been excavated1. The chief memorials of Muhammadan rule
are at Manikpur, where the vast mound of the ancient fort still rises
high above the Ganges, and a number of ruined mosques and palaces
dating from the reigns of Akbar, Jahangir, and Shah Jahan attest the
former importance of what is now a mere village.
Partabgarh contains 4 towns and 2,167 villages. The population
has increased considerably during the last thirty years. The numbers
1 Cunningham, Archaeological Survey Reports, vol. xi, pp. 63 and 70.
A G R IC U L T U R E 17
at the four enumerations were as follows: (1869) 782,681, (i88r)
847,047, (1891) 910,895, and (1901) 912,848. There are three tahstls—
P a r t a b g a r h , K u n d a , and P a t t i— the head-quarters
of each being at a place of the same name, except opu a lon#
in the case of Partabgarh, the tahsildar of which is stationed at B e l a .
This is the only town of importance, and is also a municipality and
the head-quarters of the District. The following table gives the chief
statistics of population in 1901 : —
Tahsil
Area in square miles.
Number of
« 1 s
r , b/O
% 1 =3
H j j> 1
Population.
Population per
square mile.
Percentage of j
variation in
population between 1891
and 1901.
Number of
persons able to read and
write.
Partabgarh W ; 3 I fi79 316.580 733 + i 10,942
Kunda . 543 ' 4^7 i 1 1 686 323.508 5(/>
- 2.8 ' 9>7°« | 7.3o8 Patt! ... | SO 2 272,760 584 + 0.5 District total
1,442 | 4 j 2 ,l6 7 912,848 633 + 0-2 | 3 7.951 Hindus form nearly 90 per cent,
of the total, and Musalmans 10 per cent. The whole District is thickly
populated, and supplies considerable numbers of emigrants to other parts of
India and to the Colonies. The AwadhT dialect of Eastern Hindi is spoken by
almost the whole population. The most numerous Hindu castes are Kurmls
(agriculturists), 112,000 ; Brahmans, 11 r,ooo ; Ahlrs (graziers and
cultivators), 102,000; Chamars (tanners and labourers), 98,000; Rajputs,
70,000; Pasls (toddy-drawers and labourers), 51,000; and Banias, 33,000.
Musalmans include Shaikhs, 27,000; Pathans, 12,000; and Julahas (weavers),
7,000. Agriculture supports 77 per cent, of the total population, a high
proportion. The District supplies a considerable number of recruits for the
Indian army. Rajputs hold nine-tenths of the land, Sombansls, Bachgotls,
Kanhpurias, Bilkharias, and Bisens being the chief clans. Brahmans, Kurmls,
Rajputs, and Ahlrs occupy the largest areas as cultivators. Only 43 native
Christians were enumerated in 1901, of whom 36 belonged to the Anglican
communion. A branch of the Zanana Bible and Medical Mission was founded here in
1890, and a branch of a Canadian mission in 1903. In tHfe south-west near the
Ganges lies a strip of low alluvial land, which is generally sandy and
unproductive. Beyond the high bank is a tract of rich loam, which gradually
stiffens to Agriculture clay. The valley of the Sai is mainly composed of a
light fertile loam, deteriorating to sand near the river and its tributary
streams. North of the Sai lies another clay tract. Both t8 PARTĀBGARH
DISTRICT of these areas of stiff soil are studded with lakes and swamps, and
are liable to waterlogging in wet seasons owing to defective drainage, but in
ordinary years they produce excellent rice. The cultivation of sugar-cane is
chiefly confined to the Patti tahsil\ The usual tenures of O udh are found.
About two-thirds of the total area is included in talukdari estates, while
nearly 10 per cent, is held by sub-settlement holders and under-proprietors.
The main agricultural statistics for 1903-4 are given below, in square miles :—
Tahsil 'I otal ai«*a ; Cultivated In igated Culthablr waste. Paitabgarh 43* 265
I27 38 Kunda 543 289 1 J51 5° P atli 467 256 1 * 136 4' T o tal M 42 S io 414 !
129 Rice covered 207 square miles, or 26 per cent, of the total, barley 192
square miles, gram 138, wheat h i , arhar 88, peas and masur 62, jowdr 54, and
bajra 52. The chief non-food crops are poppy (19), ftfff-hemp (16), and
sugar-cane (19). A little indigo is also grown, and there are many small pan
gardens. A marked increase occurred in the area under cultivation between the
first and second regular settlements, chiefly due to the reclamation of w’aste.
A large area near the Ganges, once occupied by a swamp, was reclaimed by a
European, who constructed a large dam and erected pumps. The drainage of the
Patti tahsil has recently been improved. The area bearing two crops in a year
has also risen, and the principal changes in the methods of cultivation have
been directed towards increasing this area. The larger areas under rice,
sugar-cane, and poppy are also noticeable. Advances are taken with some
regularity under the Land Improvement and Agriculturists* Loans Acts. During
the ten years ending 1900 the total loans amounted to i*6 lakhs, of which i*i
lakhs was advanced in 1896-7. In the next four years the advances averaged Rs.
3,500 annually. The cattle bred locally are small and inferior. The ponies of
the District are also poor, but a stallion is now maintained by Government.
Sheep and goats are largely kept, and a fine breed of sheep is found in the
Kunda tahsll. The Gadarias, or shepherds, who own the latter keep them chiefly
for their wool. Wells are the chief source of irrigation, supplying 257 square
miles in 1903-4. 'ranks or swamps served 153 square miles, but the area
supplied from them is liable to considerable fluctuations. Thus in the dry year
1897 more than 84 per cent, of the irrigated area was supplied from wells.
Other sources are negligible. The number of wells is A D M T N ISTR A T IO N
increasing rapidly, and masonry wells have replaced unprotected ones to a
considerable extent. Water is almost invariably raised from wells in leathern
buckets drawn by bullocks, and from tanks and jhtls by the swing-basket. Some
of the tanks used for irrigation are artificial but these are of small size.
Kankar or nodular limestone is the chief mineral product, and is used for
metalling roads and for making lime. A little saltpetre is extracted from
saline efflorescences, and glass is also manufactured. There are very few
industries besides agriculture. Indigo is still made on a small scale, and
sugar-refining is of considerable importance in the east of the District. An
interesting experi- Xradeand ment in the rearing of silkworms and manufacture
communications of silk is being conducted by the talukddr of Kalakankar. Coarse
cotton cloth and woollen blankets are made at a few places. The District
exports grain, oilseeds, opium, .raw-hemp, and hides, and imports piece-goods,
metals, hardware, and sugar, the local production of common sugar being
insufficient. Bela is the chief mait, and small markets have sprung up at
several places along the railway. The main line of the Oudh and Rohilkhand
Railway passes from south-east to north-west across the District, and at Bela
meets the Allahabad-Fyzabad branch running from north to south. There are 615
miles of road, of which 64 are metalled. The latter are in charge of the Public
Works department; but the cost of all but 24 miles is charged to Local funds.
The chief routes arc from Partābgarh town to Allahabad and Fyzabad, and
towards Rae Bareli and Akbarpur. Avenues of trees are maintained on 97 miles. The
District is so well protected by means of irrigation that it has suffered
little from famine. Deficiency of rain caused some damage to the crops in 1864,
1868, and 1873. In 1878 the m’ne effects of drought in the previous year were
more marked, and relief works were opened, but never attracted more than 4,600
persons on one day. The early cessation of the rains in 1896 was felt, because
it followed a series of years in which excessive rain had done much damage.
Relief works were opened in December, but were not largely resorted to, and
distress was less severe than in the adjoining Districts. The
Deputy-Commissioner is usually assisted by four DeputyCollectfcrs recruited in
India, and a tahstlddr is stationed at the head-quar ter s# of each tahsiL The
cultivation of . . poppy is supervised by an officer of the Opium nmustration.
department. * Two Munsifs and a Subordinate Judge have civil jurisdiction in
the District, which is included in the Civil and Sessions Judgeship of Rae 20
PARTĀBGARH DISTRICT Bareli. Crime is light and not of a serious type, the
more heinous forms being rare. Thefts and burglaries are the chief offences.
Female infanticide was once very prevalent, but has not been suspected for many
years. A summary settlement was made in 1856, and on the restoration of order
in 1858 a second summary settlement was carried out, by which the revenue was
fixed at 7*3 lakhs. A survey was then made, and a regular settlement followed
between i860 and 1871. The assessment was largely based on the actual rent-rolls,
and average rates were derived from these to value land cultivated by
proprietors or held on grain rents. It resulted in an enhancement of the
revenue to 9*9 lakhs. A large number of claims to rights in land were decided
by the settlement courts. The second regular settlement was made between 1892
and 1896 by the Deputy-Commissioner in addition to his regular duties. It was
based, as usual, on the actual rent-rolls, and allowance was made in valuing
land which did not pay cash rents for the difference in rents paid by
high-caste and low-caste cultivators. The new revenue amounts to 13*4 lakhs,
and the incidence is Rs. i*6 per acre, with very slight variations in different
parganas. Collections on account of land revenue and revenue from all sources
have been, in thousands of rupees 1880-1. 1890-1. 1900-1. 1903-4. Land revenue
. 9»53 9,96 13,26 Total revenue . n ,75 12,98 18,20 18,13 There is one
municipality, B e l a, and three towns are administered under Act XX of 1856.
Beyond the limits of these, local affairs are managed by the District board,
which in 1903-4 had an income of Rs. 90,000, chiefly derived from local rates,
and an expenditure of Rs. 97,000, including Rs. 49,000 spent on roads and
buildings. The District Superintendent of police has under him a force of 2
inspectors, 65 subordinate officers, and 237 constables distributed in 12
police stations, besides 32 municipal and town police, and 1,719 rural and road
police. The District jail contained a daily average of 125 prisoners in 1903. In
regard to education, Partābgarh does not hold a high place. In 1901, 3*1
per cent, of the population (6*i males and o*i females) could read and write.
The number of public schools increased from 88 with 3,i2r pupils in 1880-1 to
126 with 7,037 pupils in 1900-1. In 1903-4 there were 161 such schools with
7,493 pupils, of whom 65 were girls, besides 48 private schools with ,1,036
pupils, including 2 girls. Only 916 pupils had advanced beyond the primary
st^ge. Two schools are managed by Government and 100 by the District P A R UR
21 board. The total expenditure on education was Rs. 40,000, of which Rs.
24,000 was provided from Local funds, and Rs. 6,000 by fees. There are ten
hospitals and dispensaries, with accommodation for 95 in-patients. In 1903 the
number of cases treated was 49,000, including 674 in-patients, and 1,489
operations were performed. The expenditure amounted to Rs. 11,000, chiefly met
from Local funds. About 24,000 persons were successfully vaccinated in 1903-4,
representing the low proportion of 26 per 1,000 of population. Vaccination is
compulsory only in the municipality of Bela. [H. R. Nevill, District Gazetteer,
1904.] Partābgarh Tahsll (Pratapgarh).— Central tahsil of Partābgarh
District, United Provinces, comprising the parganas of Ateha and
Partābgarh, and lying between 250 43' and 26° n ' N. and 8i° 31' and 82°
4' E., with an area of 432 square miles. Population increased from 306,427 in
1891 to 316,580 in 1901, this being the only part of the District which showed
an appreciable rise. There are 679 villages and three towns, B e l a
(population, 8,041), the District and tahsil head-quarters, and P a r t a b g a
r h (5,148) being the largest. The demand for land revenue in 1903-4 was Rs.
4,17,000, and for cesses Rs. 67,000. The density of population, 733 persons per
square mile, is the highest in the District. Through the centre of the tahsil
flows the Sai in a very winding channel. The banks of the river are sandy, but
good loam is found at a short distance. In the south the soil is clay and
swamps abound. In 1903-4 the area under cultivation was 265 square miles, of
which 127 were irrigated, wells being the chief source of supply.
Partābgarh Town (Pratapgarh) (2).— Town in the District and tahsil of the
same name, United Provinces, situated in 250 54' N. and 8i° 57' E., 5 miles
south of B e l a . Population (1901), 5,148. It is said to have been founded
about 1617 by Raja Partab Singh. The fort was of some importance in the
eighteenth century and sustained several sieges. In the nineteenth century it
was taken by the Oudh government. The Raja of Partābgarh resides in a fine
building, portions of which are of considerable antiquity. He maintains a large
school with 164 pupils, and a dispensary. Partābgarh is administered under
Act XX of 1856, with an income of about Rs. 600. There is a flourishing local
trade.