Page:The Imperial Gazetteer of India - Volume 2 (2nd edition).pdf/238

 BEHAR—BEHJR.

228

Average density of population, 793 per 7 Christians, and i Jain. square mile; villages per square mile, 3'o9; houses per square mile,

256; persons per house, 6'i7. The SubAta Sarai, and Silao. In 1883, it contained one civil and two criminal courts; strength of village watchmen {chauktddrs), 1344. 168 men regular police, Throughout this tract are found numerous Buddhist and other 148; persons per

village,

division consists of the thdnds of Behar, Hilsa,

J

antiquities of great interest to the archaeologist.

takes

name from

its

The

Province, indeed,

Vihdra, meaning a Buddhist monastery

.

— See

Rajagriha, Giriyak, and Patna and Gaya Districts. Behar. Town in Patnd District, Bengal, and head-quarters of the Behar Sub-division, situated on the Panchani river. Lat. 25° ii'

—

28"

N., long.

85° 33' 50"

Population (1881) 48,968, namely, males

E.

Hindus numbered 33,668; MuhamMunicipal income in 1881-82, ;^i6o5, madans, 15,296; ‘others,’ 4. of which _;^i4i5 was derived from taxation; expenditure, jQ'i-TZl'y incidence of municipal taxation, 6|d. per head of population 23,797, and females 25,171.

within

municipal limits



police

force

for

protection

of the town,

Considerable trade is carried on here. All the traffic 97 men. between Patna, Gaya, Hazaribagh, and Monghyr passes through Behar, and travelling traders offer their goods for sale as they pass. European cloth, rice and other grains, Principal articles of trade Silk and cotton cloths, and muslins rivalling cotton, tobacco, etc. those of Dacca, are manufactured here. About thirty years ago, up-

—

country

Muhammadan dealers used to export large quantities of Behar men have now (1883) apparently ceased coming to

muslins, but these

The most remarkable

the town.

inn, recently built for the use of

The tomb

of Shah

building in Behar

is

a large sardi or

Hindu and Muhammadan

Makhdum, on

the south bank

pilgrims.

of the river,

is

Musalmans once a year, a large fair being Many other tombs are found in the city, which held on the occasion. also contains several ancient mosques, and the ruins of an old fort, The city is supposed to have covering more than 300 acres of ground. been the capital of the ancient kingdom of Magadha, soon after the

resorted to by about 20,000

commencement

of the Christian era, but

its

early history

is

involved in

obscurity.

Behir.

— Tahsil

or Sub-division of Balaghat District, Central Pro-

vinces; area, 1451 square miles; villages, 409; houses, 15,034, of which 14,534 are occupied. Population (1881) 74,139, namely, 37,573

males and 36,566 females; average density of population, 5i'i per Of the total area of 1451 square miles, 309 square miles

square mile.

form private estates or zaminddris, paying a

Of

the

Government land (1142 square

assessed for revenue, of which only 72

light quit-rent or tribute.

531 square miles are square miles are cultivated,

miles),