Page:The Imperial Gazetteer of India - Volume 10 (2nd edition).pdf/174



162 NAGPUR. ending 1881-82 — imports, £6800, and exports, £39,090. Postoffice. Nágpur.-Division or Commissionership of the Central Provinces, comprising the Districts of NAGPUR, BHANDARA, CHANDA, WARDHA, and BALAGHAT, all of which see separately; lying between 18° 40' and 22° 20' n. lat., and between 78° 4' 30" and 81° 9' E. long. The Division is bounded on the north by Chhindwara, Seoní, and Mandlá Districts; on the east by Raipur District and the Native States of Kawardha, Khairágarh, and Kanker; on the south by the Nizám's Dominions; and on the west by the Amráotí and Wún Districts of Berár. The Nágpur Division contains an area of 24,040 square miles, with 21 towns and 8200 villages, and 580,862 houses. Population (1872) 2,411,278; (1881) 2,758,056, namely, males 1,383,785, and females 1,374,271. Total increase of population in the nine years 1872-1881, 346,778, or 14'4 per cent. Average density of population, 114'7 persons per square mile; towns and villages per square mile, '34 ; persons per town or village, 335; houses per square mile, 24'16; persons per house, 4'75. Classified according to religion, the population of Nagpur Division in 1881 consisted of—Hindus, 2,257,206, or 81.8 per cent.; Muhammadans, 84,595, or 3 per cent. ; Kábírpanthis, 19,270; Satnámís, 629 ; Sikhs, 27; Christians, 5428; Buddhists, 6; Brahmos, 6; Jains, 7358; Pársís, 189; Jews, 12; non-Hindu aborigines, 388,324, or 14 per cent.; and * others,' 6. The total aboriginal population by tribe, as distinguished from religion, numbers 441,838, namely, Gonds of different clans, 428,761 ; Baigás, 9669; Kawárs, 2402; Korkus, 661; Kols, 297 ; and Bhils, 48. Of high caste Hindus, Bráhmans number 44,542, and Rajputs 26,960. The most numerous caste in the Division is the Kúrmi, the principal cultivating class, returned at 407,950, the other preponderating castes ranking as follows in order of numbers :-Mahár, including Somosi, a class of weavers, day-labourers, and village watchmen, 307,691 ; Teli, oil-pressers, 166,062; Gawari, cowherds, cartme cultivators, and field servants, 101,739; Márár, gardeners and culti vators, 100,661; Powár, agriculturists of Rajput descent, 90,098; Koshtí, weavers, 82,271; Dhimár, fishermen, water-carriers, domestic servants, palanquin-bearers, river-side cultivators, and rearers of the tasár silkworm, 78,218; Mehrá, weavers, village watchmen, and cultivators, 68,516; Máli, gardeners, 55,506; Kallár, including Sunri, distillers, wine-sellers, cultivators, traders, and money-lenders, 54 463; Lodhi, landholders and cultivators, 42,456; Máná, cultivators, 39,313; Nái, barbers, 32,575 ; Sonár, gold and silver smiths, 31,798; Barhái, carpenters, 25,984; Maráthá, cultivators, soldiers, and domestic servants, 25,308 ; Ahir, cattle-rearers, dairyinen, cultivators, farm servants, etc., 21,623 ; Chamár, skinners and leather dealers, 20, 7442.