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 ;

BETUL.

33 °

reigned at Deogarh over the whole of the Nagpur country below the

He was succeeded by his son, who died in 1739, leaving two boys of tender years. Disputes as to the succession led to the interference of Raghuji Bhonsla, the Mar^tha ruler of Berar, and ended in the

ghats.

virtual annexation of Betul to the

and

after the defeat

flight

of

Apd

kingdom of the Bhonslas.

In r8i8,

Sahib, this District formed part of the

ceded to the British for payment of the military contingent and by the treaty of 1826, Betul was formally incorporated with the British possessions. Detachments of English troops were stationed at Multai, Betul, and Shdhpur in r 818, in order to cut off Apa Sahib’s flight westward from Pachmarhi, but he evaded them and escaped. A military force was quartered at Betul until June 1862. Population The Census of 1872 disclosed a population of 284,055 persons, living on an area of 4118 square miles. Subsequent transfers reduced the area of the District to 3965 square miles, with a population (in 1872) of 273,890. The Census of r88r returned the population at 3°459°5 showing an increase of 31,105, or ii'32 per cent, in the nine years. This population was distributed throughout 1172 towns and villages; number of houses, 63,725, of which 58,603 were inhabited, and 5122 uninhabited; average density of population, 78’i per square mile; number of houses, 15 ’or per square mile inmates per occupied house, 5'2. Divided according to sex, there were males, 154,426, and territory

.

—

j



—

females,

cent

150,479; proportion of males in total population, 5o'65 per According to religious classification, Hindus numbered 182,260 ;

Muhammadans, 5032 Christians, The most numerous of 16,503. Gonds, who numbered 87,645 in i88r,

of Kabi'rpanthi's, 132; Satnamis, 2 34; Jains, 942; aboriginal tribes, the aboriginal tribes are the

of

whom

2873

"'ers returned as

following their primitive

Kurkus (31,690

that of the

remaining

Among

faith.

aboriginal

the

Hindus,



Hindus, the remaining 84,772 still tribe of importance is

The second

in r88r, including

population in



r

consists

1881, the

of

983 Hindus). Bhils,

Bharias,

The etc.

Brahmans numbered 30 r 2, the

mass of the Hindu population consisting of Rajputs (5572), Kunbi's or Kurmis (45,469), Bhuiyas (r 7,097), Dhers or Mhars (20,487), and Ahirs (15,078). The Gonds are found in all the jungle villages, They are sub-divided into where they live by labour in the field. about 20 tribes, and into at least 12 religious sects, distinguished by the number of gods each worships, seven being the favourite number. The lowest caste adores an indefinite but less important multitude, being obliged to content itself with the deities who chanced to be omitted

when

the

legendary distribution of gods to each sect

The Kurkus have

a faith different from that of the Gonds, and rather imitative of Hinduism. But, like the Gonds, they worship their ancestors, they wake the dead, and celebrate births and

took place.

‘

’