Page:Gazetteer of the province of Oudh ... (IA cu31924073057345).pdf/291

 KUN 283 KUNDHNAN KHURD-Pargana MANGALSI –Tahsil FYZABAD-Dis- trict FYZABAD. - This was founded and called after Khunder Sen Bisen, five hundred years ago. It is on the river Madha, fourteen miles from Fyzabad. The population consists of 2,278 Hindus and 177 Musalmans- all Sunnis. There is a vernacular school. KUNDRI NORTH* Pargana-- Tahsil BISWÁN—District SITAPUR.- North Kundri is separated from parganas Biswán and Sadrpur on the west by the Chauka, from zila Kheri on the north by the Daháwar, and from zila Bahraich on the east by the Gogra; all three rivers being navigable at all seasons of the year. The pargana, indeed, with South-Kundri forms the duáb of the Chauka and Gogra. In the vernacular tongue the word Kundar means duáb, and a Greek translator might render the term by Mesopotamia," Like the neighbouring Tambaur, and the eastern villages of Biswán, North-Kundri is a perfect network of small streams, which annually dur- ing the rains overflow their banks, and inundate the entire country, to a depth from six inches to three feet, often causing considerable loss to the peasantry, whose houses fall in, and cattle perish. The soil is as a rule clay, which in some places stiffens into clods so hard that the ordinary implements of agriculture have no effect upon them; they do not crumble even under an elephant's foot. In many parts, however, we meet with good loam, and in the neighbourhood of the Chauka with sandy soil. In the neighbourhood of this river also there are extensive patches of reh, a white salt which rises in efflorescence on the surface of the soil, and which is generally considered to be hostile to and destruc- tive of all vegetation. But this is an erroneous belief, for it is by no means an uncommon thing to see in this pargana, very fair crops of mindwa springing out of this reh, and babúl trees flourish well in it. Such being the character of the soil and of the pargana, it will be gathered that it is below the average in agricultural wealth. Rents are almost universally paid in kind, the zamindars generally getting a smaller share of the produce than in other parganas. The large rivers abovemen- tioned are very eccentric in their movements, often cutting away consi- derable quantities of land, often silting up and adding to the village area. The only road in the pargana is that which connects Sitapur and Bah- raich, but which is unbridged throughout. Water communication is am- ple; indeed, during the rains the only means of communication is afforded hy boats, for the high road abovementioned is under water for miles. The area of the pargana is 165 square miles, of which 108 are culti- vated. The acreage is thus given : Cultivated area, acres 69,047 Culturable 16,650 Barren 20,304 105,901 SE. .. 449 57 Total 19. 30
 * By Mr, Ferrar, Assistant Commissioner.