Page:Gazetteer of the province of Oudh ... (IA cu31924024153987).pdf/298

 —

BAN

220

at which water is found ranges from 15 to 26 feet, where, from percolation, it is exceptionally near the surThe wells most in use are little hand ones, worked with two earthen face. pots and a string over a revolving pulley (charkhi), and dug at a cost of from one to three rupees. They water from 5 to 10 kachcha biswas daily, or from -Vth to |th of an acre. At Tas Khera, near the Baita jhil, they are dug for six annas. The large leathern bucket (pur) wells worked by bullocks were found at survey in only two, and lever wells (dhenkli) in only four

The depth

irrigable.

except near

jhils,

villages.

The wells fall in for the most part and have to be renewed every year in about a fourth of the villages they last for two years, and in a few places as long as five years. Much of the jungle has been cleared since annexation, but a good deal still remains and almost every village keeps up The pargana is crossed by four units patch for grazing and firewood. metaUed roads. Three of these diverge from Hardoi, the head-quarters of the district, at the northern apex of the pargana, towards Sandi, Bilgram and Sandila, passing respectively along the north-western edge, down the west centre, and along the eastern edge and the south-eastern corner is crossed by the new road from Sitapur vid Misrikh and Nimkhar to Madhoganj and Mehndigh^t on the Ganges near Kanauj. This road it is intended to metal.

The Oudh and Eohilkhand Railway, too, from Lucknow to Shdhjahanpur, runs roughly parallel to the Hardoi and Sandila road within a mile of the eastern border. But the centre of the pargana, a triangle with its apex at Hardoi, and its base twelve miles south and as many in length, is without any made roads, a want that helps to keep rents low and cultivation backward. The staple products are the cereals barley, b4jra, wheat, arhar, and gram. At survey these occupied nearly four-fifths of the cultivated area barley and bajra alone amounting to nearly half of the whole produce mash, judr, rice, country cotton, and moth, made up nearly another fifth sugarcane was returned for only 776 acres and garden vegetables, opium, tobacco and indigo, for only 400 acres. After making due allowance for suppression of assets, these figures point clearly to a backward state of cultivation. There are a few beds of kankar, but no stone quarries. Saltpetre might be manufactured. The climate of the tract is good, especially to the north, towards Hardoi. The ninety-six villages are grouped into fifty muhals. Thirteen villages are taluqdari, thirty-eight zamindari, forty-four pattidari, and one bhayyachara. The Chamar Gaurs predominate among the proprietors with forty-four and a half out of ninety-six villages. The Gahilwars and Dhakaras each hold nineteen in the north-west and southeast of the pargana Kayaths own ten, Sayyads two, and Brahmans and Ahirs one each. The Government demand is Rs. 85,990, excluding cesses a rise of 68 per cent, on the summary assessment. It has been collected since November 1866. The pargana contains 54,494 inhabitants, or 381 to the square mile. Hindus to Muhammadans are 52,337 to 2,157; males to females, 30,467 to 24,027 agriculturists to non-agriculturists, 38,884 to 15,660. Chamdrs, Basis, Ahirs, and Gaurias, constitute nearly half of the population Brahmans and Rajputs rather more than a sixth. There are 3,061 Muraos and 1,796 Vaishyas. There are no fairs of any size or importance. At Harjioi there is an Anglo- Vernacular zila school averaging

—

—