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 (Terniinalia tomentosa).

forests will shortly

there

are also exported, as well as myra-

of the karaka (Terminalia

bolams, the produce

be laid out

reserves.

in

an extensive area of waste lands, which

is

These

Chebula).

In the Sarvassiddhi taluk will

now be

utilized

‘reserved forest,’ partly as ‘fuel and fodder reserves.’

partly as

land consists chiefly of stony

hills,

the Parvati'pur taluk there are

still

A

protection.

History.

and the

This In

to the sea.

some patches of sal forest



but they

hills

along the sea-coast about Bimlipatam

Vizianagram zatn'inddn, would repay

forest division has lately

—The

down

chiefly in the

are being denuded,

and Vizagapatam,

w'hich stretch

been constituted.

present District of Vizagapatam formed, in the early

days of Hindu history, a portion of the ancient kingdom of Kalinga.

was subsequently conquered by the eastern branch of the Chalukya

It

dynasty, which originally settled at Vengi, near Ellore, and afterwards transferred it

its

capital to

possesses the

same

Rajamahendri (Rajahmundry). As a general

history as the whole maritime tract from

rule,

Ganjam

sometimes belonging to the Gajapati Rajas of Orissa, and sometimes to the rulers of Telingana. In later times, Muhammad to the Godavari,

II.,

of the

Bahmani dynasty

in the

Deccan, assisted a claimant

to gain

and received from him in return the Provinces of Kandhapalli and Rajamahendri (Rajahmundry). During the confusion consequent on the overthrow of the Bahmani dynasty, the sovereign of Orissa recovered those Provinces but Ibrahim, of the Kutabshahi line, not only retook them, but also annexed to his dominions the whole country as far north as Chicacole. On the subjugation of Golconda by Aurangzeb in 1687, these northern Provinces nominally formed part of his magnificent Empire but his sovereignty over them w’as merely a military occupation. They were farmed by zammddrs, or governed by military chiefs. Vizagapatam was placed more directly under the the throne of Orissa,

j



Emperor’s viceroy, stationed

On the dissolution of the

at Chicacole.

Mughal Empire, the Northern Circars

passed into the possession of the Nizam of Haidar^bad, who established

a

hitherto,

better

the

revenue

principal

and

judicial

Muhammadan

system officials

than being

had

existed

stationed

at

Rajamahendri (Rajahmundry) and Chicacole. During the disputed succession which ensued on the death of the first Nizam, the French rendered such essential services in placing Salabat Jang on the throne, that he presented to them the four Sarkdrs (Circars) of Mustafanagar, Ellore, Rajamahendri, and Chicacole, as they were then called. M. Bussy, the greatest military genius whom the French ever possessed in India, received the farmdns for them in 1753. After a time, M. Bussy himself assumed the government and during one of his campaigns the memorable siege of Bobbili occurred, which made such a deep impression on the Hindus, that it has been commemorated in ballads •,