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 BASIM.

i8s

were formally granted ( 1 7 1 7) to the Marathas by Farukh Siyyar. In 1724, Chin Khilich Khan, viceroy of the Deccan, under the title of Nizam-ul-Mulk, gained a crowning victory over the Imperial forces, which gave him the supremacy in the Province, which he and his descendants thereafter held in part ownership with the Marathas,

who took

In 1795, the Marathas 60 per cent, of the revenue when they could. compelled the acceptance of onerous terms of accommodation entailing large cessions of territory, of which Umarkhed in Basim District was a portion, and a cash payment of ^3,000,000. That portion of the Berar made over to the Nizam by the partition treaty of 1804, included Basim, which was plundered by Pindan's in 1809. The Naiks of the District, too, had become breakers instead of guardians of the peace, and in

1819 Nowsaji Naik Muski gave battle to the Nizam’s regular troops under Major Pitman before Umarkhed. He was driven into his stronghold, Nowa (garrisoned by 500 Arabs), which was carried by assault after a gallant defence, and Nowsaji Naik was sent to Haidarabad, where he died. By the treaty of 1822, between the British and the Nizam, Umarkhed pargand, which had belonged to the Peshwa, was transferred to the Nizim. The administration of Haidarabad State for many years of this century had fallen into great disorder, and the British Government had to advance the pay of the contingent maintained in accordance with the treaty of 1800, although they had

To meet these difficulties, whereby the Districts (of which Basim is one) now known as Berar were assigned to the British. This treaty has been modified by a second treaty in 1860-61. In 1859, a band of plundering Rohillas was pursued by a detachment of the Haidarabad Contingent into the village of Chichamba, near Risod, in Basim taluk, where behind walls they resisted an assault by the fatigued troops, in which Captain Mackinnon was killed. Population The Census of 1881 showed a population of 358, 883, and an area of 2958 square miles. Of the total population, 185,07 1 were males and 173,812 females average density, i2i'3 per square mile; number of Hindus, 335,647; Muhammadans, 19,715; Sikhs, 51; Jains, 3362; Christians, 107 Parsf, i. Classified according to caste, there were 7239 Brahmans and 1763 Rajputs of other Hindu castes there were 330,007, including 120,310 Kunbfs and 21,739 non-Hindu or aboriginal castes other unsatisfied claims against the Nizd.m. the treaty of 1853 was concluded,

.

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or tribes;

the agricultural population

agricultural, 131,575;

number of

numbered 227,308; the non2. The Hatkars (.5’^zz;o^

houses, 58,41

Dhangars), who inhabit (speaking generally) the hills on the north bank of the Penganga, are independent in bearing, and of fine physique, closely resembling each other a fact which may be accounted

—

for

by the constant and exclusive intermarriage of

their three great