Page:Gazetteer of the province of Oudh ... (IA cu31924073057345).pdf/40

 32 HAR The Musalmans reside principally in the large towns, such as Bilgrán, Sandíla, Shahabad, and Sándi, but even in these they form the minority. As in the Bara Banki district, they have in some places inhibited the build- ing of temples, and recently, when they protested against a temple being erected by a Hindu rája on his own land in the town of Sandíla, it appear- ed on inquiry that no temples ever had been built in the town by the Hindus, owing to the bigotry of their Musalman neighbours. But such instances are not common in Oudh. On the other hand, the Musalmans often join in the Rámlíla and other celebrations of the Hindus ; their love of pomp and ceremony induces them to adopt occasions for their display, even from the ritual of the idolater, while pride rather than bigotry induces them to keep out of sight the temples of a rival faith. Kanjars, a predatory tribe, are very numerous in this district; they appa- rently were absent when the census was taken; their habits are nomad. The other tribes of the district call for no notice. I need only mention here the principal clan of the Chhattris in order according to their nun- bers Clans. Number Number of villages owned, Gaur .. BE 11,000 232 Panwar . 66 Chauhan 106 10,000 9,000 8,000 SO Sombansi 178 Bais . 44. 6,000 94 Chandel 9,000 51 Janwar ... + 3,000 82 Sakarwar - 2,000 79 Belwár 2,000 5 Katiár .. 1,600 112 Bhadguria 14 .. 1,500 1 Ratbor ... 1,500 S In all there are forty-four clans of Chhattris numbering 75,078. They and the Brahmans are mostly cultivators or ycomen proprietors. There are no hill tribes or distinctively aboriginal castes in the district, although there is little doubt that the Pasis and Dhánuks, with the Lodhs, probably belong to a layer of population anterior to the Aryan colonization, Towns. There are no less than five towns in Hardoi with a population above 10,000, there being only 18 such in the entire province. It is not easy to say what is the reason of this. None of them are places of any trade; not one of them, except Sándi, is even situated on a navigable river. The railroad has not succeeded in attracting quch trade to or from the