Page:Gazetteer of the province of Oudh ... (IA cu31924073057352).pdf/326

 318 SAR irrigable for the most part by wells. Here the small lever-wells (dhenkli) are used. They cost from one to two rupees, and last one and sometimes two seasons. In the jungle villages these wells are also used, but the large wells worked by bullocks can be also made for from three to five rupees, and last for three years. The lever and pitcher system (dhenkli) is nised all along the Garra for irrigation, and on the Sukheta, wherever the banks are too high to allow of the “lift" method being employed. Tanks and jhíls too, of which there are 230, contribute considerably to the irrigation of the pargana. Only two-sevenths of the irrigation is from wells; 36 per cent of the cultivated area is irrigated from wells, rivers, and ponds. Only two roads cross the pargana, the unmetalled road from Sandi to Shahahad, a part of the old Shah-Ráh, or king's highway to Delhi from the south, and an unfinished road from Hardoi to Fatehgarh, which stops short half-way at the Garra, and is not kept in repair. No ferry is kept up over the Garra in this pargana. The nearest ferries are at Pali and Barwan. In the dry season it is fordable in most places. The staple products are wheat, barley, and bájra, covering about two- thirds of the crop area. On the remainder rice, gram, and arhar are most largely cultivated. The climate is not so good as in drier tracts. The Sombansis are the oldest and largest land owners. They hold twenty villages. Next to them come the Chamar Gaurs with fifteen. Three bave been decreed to Government. Brahmans and Kayaths each own 90. In thirty villages the tenure is imperfect pattidari, in the remain- ing twelve it is zamindari. The Government demand, excluding cesses, is Rs. 22,298, being a rise of 35 per cent. over the summary assessment, The rate is Re. 1-10-5 per acre of cultivation and Re. 0-15-10 per acre of total area; Rs. 9-11-2 per plough; Rs. 2-0-11 per head of agricultural, and Re, 1-6-10 per bead of total population. The pargana is well populated with a total of 15,624 or 446 to the square mile. There are only 293 Muhammadans to 10,331 Hindus. Males to females are 8,651 to 6,973, and agriculturists to non-agriculturists 10,827 (69 per cent.) to 4,797. Rajputs, Brahmans, Chamárs, and Muráos head the together making up half of the Hindu population. In the other half Ahírs, Kahárs, Pásis, and Kisáns predominate. No fairs are held. The only market is at Saromannagar on Sundays and Thursdays. Schools are more numerous than in many other parts of the district. There are village schools at Saromanyagar, Shahpur, Nayágáon, Sakrauli, and Nasauli. The paryana is named from its only towy, which was founded by Rae Saroman Dás in 1708 A.D. In 1803 Raja Bhawani Parshad, Chak- ladar of Muhamdi, took villages out of the adjacent parganas of Pali and Sara, and made them into pargana Saromannagar. Like all this part of the country, it was originally occupied by Thatheras. About the middle of the twelfth century, and perhaps much earlier, the Thatheras seem to have been driven out of many of tlieir possessions by a body of