Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 14.djvu/70

 58 K H A K H A There is epigraphic evidence for the existence of a town on this site in the time of Nero (see Mordtmaim in Hermes, 1880), and by some it is identified with Oarcathiocerta, the capital of the province of Sophene. Kharput (Armenian, Kharpert, i.e., Castle Rock ; XdpTTOTf of Cedrenus ; Arabic, Khartabirt) appears in the older Arabic literature as Hisn Ziyad. It is the Quart Piert or Quart Pierre of William of &quot; Tyre, the scene of the tragical story of the imprisonment of Baldwin II. by the emir Balak. See Tozer, Turkish Armenia, &c., London, 1881. KHARTUM or KHARTOUM (erroneously Kartum), the chief town of the Egyptian Sudan, situated in 15 37 N, lat., and 22 54 E. long., on the peninsula formed by the junction of the White and the Blue Xile. The level of the stream just below the town is 1240 feet. The principal landing-place and the dockyards are on the Blue river. The surrounding country is flat and open, the forest de scribed by the first European visitors having disappeared for a considerable distance up the river, but there are many gardens within and around the town planted with date- palms, fig and orange trees, &c. The town, though con sisting chiefly of mean mud-built huts, has a considerable number of substantial modern buildings, the most imposing of which is the stone-faced palace of the governor. As the centre of the great caravan routes from the interior of Africa, Khartum carries on a good legitimate trade, but the inhabitants have always shown a preference for slave traffic when the governor has proved indulgent or inefficient. Khartum is the seat of a Koman Catholic mission founded by Pope Gregory XVI. in 1846, and long conducted by Dr Ignaz Knoblecher, of Protestant missions, and of several European consulates. The British consulate, established in 1849, and latterly held by Petherick, was abolished in 1864 under circumstances which gave rise to much com ment. The population amounts to 50,000, including in addition to the natives the usual medley elements of an Egyptian town. Khartum was founded by Mohammed Aly in 1823. In 1859 the population was estimated at 40,000. In 1869-70 the disturbed state of the country had brought the number down to 15,000, but since then the recovery has been rapid. See Lord Prudhoe in Journ. R. Geocj. Soc. 1832 ; G. Melly, Khartoum, &c. , 1851 ; Heuglin,.Reise n. Abcssinien, 1868; Schwein- furth, Heart of Africa, 1873 ; Hansal, Bricfe aus Chartum, 1856 and 1880. Details regarding the Roman Catholic mission will be found in the last work; in Jahrcsbericlitc of the Marienvereiu ; and in Zeitschr. f. allg. Erdk., 1858 and 1861. KHASI AND JAINTIA HILLS, a district in Assam, India, lying between 25 1 and 26 14 N. lat., and 90 47 and 92 52 E. long., and bounded on the N. by Kanirup and Nowgong districts, E. by Cachar and the Ndgd Hills, S. by Sylhet, and W. by the GAro Hills. Its approximate area is 6157 square miles. The district consists of a succession of steep ridges running east and west, with elevated table-lands between. On the southern side, towards Sylhet, the mountains rise precipitously from the valley of the Barak. The first plateau is about 4000 feet above sea-level. Farther north is another plateau, on which is situated the station of Shillong, 4900 foet above the sea ; behind lies the Shillong range, of which the highest peak rises to G449 feet. On the north side, towards K4mriip, are two similar plateaus of lower elevation. The general appearance of all these table-lands is that of undulating clowns, covered with grass, but destitute of large timber. At 3000 feet elevation the indigenous pine predominates over all other vegetation, and forms almost pure pine forests. The highest ridges are clothed with magnificent clumps of timber trees, which superstition has preserved from the axe of the woodcutter. The characteristic trees in these sacred groves chiefly con sist of oaks, chestnuts, magnolias, &c. Beneath the shade grow rare orchids, rhododendrons, and wild cinnamon. The streams are merely mountain torrents. As they approach the plains, they form rapids and cascades, and many of them pass through narrow gorges of wild beauty. From time immemorial, Lower Bengal has drawn its supply of lime from the Khasi Hills, and the quarries along their southern slope are literally inexhaustible. Coal of excellent quality crops out at several places, but has not yet been remune ratively worked. Ironstone exists in abundance, and in former days the Khasias were renowned as smelters of iron. Among other natural products may be mentioned beeswax, lac, and caoutchouc. Wild animals abound, including the elephant, rhinoceros, tiger, buffalo, mithun or wild cow, and many varieties of deer. Both as regards history and administration the Khasi (Khasia or Cossya) and Jaintia or Jayntiya Hills constitute two separate tracts. The Khasi Hills are occupied by a collection of petty states, each governed by an elective ruler. The chiefs have not been brought completely under British administration, and still retain marks of semi-independence. The headquarters of the British political agent for the Khasi Hills is at Clnira Punji (Cherra Poonjee). The Jaintia Hills, on the other hand, are purely British territory. The inhabi tants call themselves Syiitengs, and first became British subjects in 1835 (see JAINTIA HILLS, vol xiii. p. 554). An enumeration in 1872 disclosed a total population in the Khasi and Jaintia. Hills of 141,838 aboriginal tribes, 141,283; Hindus, 365 ; Mohammedans, 62 ; Christians, 128. The two races of Khasias and Syutengs have succeeded in preserving to the present day their primitive isolation, free from the interference of Hinduism. They have only given way somewhat to Hindu prejudices as regards purity of food. The Khasias have no written character or literature, nor even any traditions of their own. The most curious of their social customs is the importance attached to female descent and female authority. The husband marries into the wife s family, the wife or her mother is regarded as the head of the household, and all property descends in the female line a survival of the polyan- dric institutions still kept up in full force by the Nairs, and other non- Aryan tribes of India. The ashes of the dead are buried under cromlechs consisting of four upright slabs of stone, covered over by a fifth slab. The only places in the Khasi and Jaintia Hills above the rank of hamlets are Shillong, the headquarters station, Jowai, and Cluira Punji. The principal cereal crop is rice, but even of this they do not grow sufficient for their own consumption. Sugar cane, cotton, and potatoes are also grown ; and fruits such as oranges, limes, and pine-apples are raised in large quantities for export to Calcutta. The land is the absolute property of the cultivators, who pay no rent or revenue either to the British Government or to their own chiefs. Blights, floods, and droughts are almost unknown. Of a total area of 6157 square miles, only 286 are estimated as under cultivation, but other 3898 arc returned as available for tillage. The trade of the hills is considerable. The estimated exports in 1876-77 were valued at 160,000, chiefly potatoes, limestone, cotton, stick-lac, bay leaves, oranges, and betel nuts. The im ports were valued at 157,000. By far the greater portion of the trade is conducted at a row of markets along the southern foot of the hills, of which Chhatak in Sylhet district is the most important. The Khasi and Jaintia Hills constitute a political agency, inde pendent of the ordinary jurisdiction. The Khasi petty states, twenty- five in number, are presided over by elective chiefs, having jurisdic tion over their own mbjects in all cases except homicide. The British Government undertakes the management of the natural pro ducts of the country, such as lime, coal, timber, and elephants, and pays over to the chiefs a half share of the profits. Their other sources of revenue are market dues, court fines, and various cesses. Their aggregate income is approximately estimated at 5000, of which 2300 is derived from lime quarries. The total revenue of the district to the British Government in 1875 was 13,383, of which the larger portion came from royalties on lime quarries and the house tax ; the expenditure was 9692. Education is conducted through the agency of the Welsh Calvinistic mission, and in 1874-75 there were seventy-three schools open, attended by 1666 pupils. Female education is making progress among the Khasias. The climate of the district is mild and equable, though in some parts excessively humid. At Shillong the thermometer rarely exceeds 80 Fahr., and falls as low as 38. Shallow water occasionally freezes, but snow never falls. The rainfall at Chara Punji is the heaviest recorded in the world. The average during the three years ending 1876 is returned at 368 41 inches ; and 805 inches are said to have fallen in 1861, including 366 inches in the single month of July. At Shillong the annual rainfall declines to about 85 inches ; and at Jowai, which occupies an intermediate position, the average is 150 inches. The district is liable to shocks of earthquake. Generally speaking, the climate is healthy, both for natives and Europeans. Cholera never prevails, unless directly imported from the plains.