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BAHRAICH* Pargana— Talisil Bahraich— District Bahraich.—The this name of the present day comprises only about one-third of the area included within its limits under the native government. Bhinga and Ikauna, with a portion of the Nanpara and Charda parganas, which are creations of the English Government, all formed a portion of Bahraich at present the pargana is bounded on the south-west by the Hisampur and Fakhrpur parganas, on the east by Ikauna, and on the north by Bhinga, Charda, and Nanpfira.

pargana of



Its area is 329 square miles ; its- greatest length from south-east corner to the north-west being thirty-two miles its average breadth thirteen miles. It forms a portion of a belt of low table-land which runs through the district in a south-easterly direction, having Nanpara and Bahraich towns on its south-Western edge. This plateau, about 30 feet high, forms the watershed which divides the two river basins of the Rapti and the Gogra. It is well-known that in old days the latter river flowed close under the high bank which limits the pargana on the south-west, and it has left its traces in several large jhils and lakes which doubtless formed originally part of its bed, notably the Aaaikali Jhil and Baghel Tal.

The high level of the country accounts for the absence of rivers. The pargana is well wooded, some of the mango groves being of unusual size, but the most marked feature, perhaps, of this part of the district is the wide expanse of waste land. Out of a total area of 329 square miles, only 111 were at time of measurement under the plough. The soil is generally a good loam consisting of about frds clay and ^rd sand. With fair farming and irrigation it is calculated to produce excellent crops. Water is met with at an average depth of 18 feet the mode of irrigation most in vogue being the levers or " dhenklis " which are generally found placed in clusters about ^rd of the total area of cultivation is under irrigation. The following table shows the crop areas of the year 1866 A. D. in acres





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