Page:The Imperial Gazetteer of India - Volume 2 (2nd edition).pdf/242

 BELGAUM.

232 forest trees are the teak,

hu'da or myrabolan,

blackwood, hon 7ie (Pterocarpus marsupium),

and jackwood.

There

are

a few babiil

also

reserves.

Of

wild animals, antelope are

common, ranging over

the black soil

40 head. Sdmbhar deer, wild hog, and hyjenas are found in the waste and forest lands. Of the larger beasts of prey, panthers are pretty generally distributed, but tigers are met with only in the south and south-west. Of game-birds there are wild peacock, partridge, quail, snipe, teal, kala?n, and occasionally bustard. Except the well-built and agile Mysore cattle, and one or two varieties of buffaloes of northern origin, usually kept by the gaulis or professional milkmen, the local breeds of cattle are poor. History The District of Belgaum forms part of the territory ceded under the name of Dharwar by the Peshwa, in accordance with the terms of the treaty of Poona (June 1818). For some years after the cession, this territory continued to be administered as one District with Dharwar; but in 1836 it was considered advisable to divide the unwieldy jurisdiction into two parts. Under the arrangements then introduced, the southern portion continued to be known as Dharwar, and the tract to the north was constituted a separate charge under the name of Belgaum. The first settlement of the District took place in 1848-49 in 1881-82 re-settlement operations were in progress. Populatio 7i The Census of 1881 returned a total population of plains in herds of from 20 to

.

—



.

—

Of these, 746,286, or 86’38 per cent., were Hindus; 44,991, or 5 ‘20 per cent., Srawaks or Jains; 66,262, or 7^67 per cent, Musalmans ; 6322, or ’73 per cent, 864,014 persons, or i85'53 to the square mile.

Christians; 89 Jews



the females, 429,529. is

and 64

Parsis.

The percentage

The males numbered 434,485



of males in the total population

50*29.

The people number Hindus

are chiefly

as cultivators,

though a considerable

Among

the

the only special class are the Lingayats, a peculiar section of

the worshippers of Siva.

of the District, are

one of

employed

of the population support themselves by weaving.

its

many

Along the banks of the Kistna,

in the

north

Kaikaris, a tribe notorious from the skill cf

sub-divisions as highway robbers.

Of

the 746,286 Hindus, 30,404 are returned as Brahmans; 2711 as Rdjputs; and 90,848 as Lingayats. Of the 66,262 Musalmans, 66,226

and only 36 are Shias. Of the 6322 Christians, 1178 are Europeans, 81 Eurasians, and 5063 native converts.

are Sunnis,

The in use are Marathi, Hindustani, and Kanarese. employ Guzerati among themselves, both in conversation and writing. Kanarese is the official language of the District. Of the whole population, 71,100 persons, or 8*23 per cent., live in towns containing a population of more than 5000 souls. The villages The languages

Parsis