Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 5.djvu/782

768 from 800 to 1000 feet in elevation, comprises a great portion of the Manbhum and Sinhbhum districts. The whole is about 14,000 square miles in extent, and forms the source of the Barakhar, Damodar, Kasai, Subanrekha, Baitaraui, Brahmani, Eb, and other rivers. Sell forests abound. The principal jungle products are timber, various kinds of medicinal fruits and herbs, lao, tasar silk, and mahud flowers, which are used as food by the wild tribes and also distilled into a strong country liquor. Coal exists in large quantities, but is at present only worked on a small scale on the Hazaribagh district. Formerly gold was washed from the sands iu the bed of the Subanrekha River, but the operations are now almost wholly abandoned. Iron- ores abound, together with good building stone. The popu lation in 1872 was 3,825,571, residing in 25,766 villages or townships and 752,287 houses. Of these the Hindus numbered 2,567,292, or 67 1 per cent. ; Muhammadans, 169,006, or 4 4 per cent. ; Christians, 15,798, or -4 per cent. ; persons of unspecified religion, 1,073,475, or 28*1 per c3iit. These last consist of non-Aryan tribes who were driven from the plains by the Hindus and took refuge in the mountain fastnesses of the Chutia Nagpur plateau. The principal of them are Kols, 292,036 in number; Santals, 220,096; Unions or Dhangars, 203,343; Mundas, 190,095; and Bhumij, 128,289. These tribes were formerly turbulent, and a source of trouble to the Muhammadan governors of Bengal and Behar ; but the introduction of British rule has secured peace and security, and the aboriginal races of Chutia Nagpur are now peaceful and orderly subjects. Of late years missionaries have worked hard among them, and several thousands of the Kols and Santals have accepted the Christian faith. Only six towns contain upwards of 5000 inhabitants, viz., Ranchi, 12,086; Hazaribagh, 11,050; Ichak, 8999; Chatra, 8818; Purulia, 5696; and Raghunathpur, 5380. The principal agricultural pro ducts are rice, Indian corn, pulses, oil-seeds and potatoes. A small quantity of tea is grown in Hazaribagh and Lohardaga districts. Lac and tasar silkcloth are largely manufactured. The revenue of the British portion of Chutia Nagpur in 1870 was 101,651, the expenditure 79,472. Of the total revenue the receipts from land amounted to 23,698. The police of the British districts consisted in 1872 of 1590 officers and men of the regular force, maintained at a cost of 31,131 ; 172 officers and men of the municipal police, costing 981 ; 15,104 men of the village watch, costing 17,592 ; the total strength being 16,866 officers and men, and the total cost 49,705. In 1872-73, the Educational Department inspected 571 schools attended by 15,871 pupils, and the total cost of Government for the education of the people was 2371. The climate of Chutia Nagpur is dry and healthy.  CHUTlÁ (CHOTÁ) NAGPUR TRIBUTARY STATES. These are seven in number, Sirguja, Udaipur, Jashpur, Gangpur, Bonai, Korid, and Chang Bhakar. At the decline of the Marhatta power in the early part of this century these estates came under British protection. They are now under the political superintendence of the commissioner of Chutia Nagpur, and the charge of them constitutes what is known as the South-West Frontier Agency Before the rise of the British power in India their chiefs exercised almost absolute sovereignty in their respective territories. The Rajds now pay a light tribute to the British Govern ment, and are invested with magisterial authority to punish offenders by fine not exceeding 5 or by imprisonment not exceeding two years. The states are mountainous, thinly cultivated, and inhabited for the most part by wild aboriginal tribes. They cover an area of 15,419 square miles, the largest states being Sirguja and Gangpur. Their aggregate population amounts to 405,980 souls, giving an average of 26 persons to the square mile. No towns exist in the Tributary Status, and only three villages contain more than 1000 inhabitants. The following is a brief description of each of the States:—

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