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 — BHAGALPUR.

342

the west by Hazanbagh, Gaya, Patna,

and Darbhangah

Area,

Districts.

20,942 square miles; number of towns and villages, 32,816; number of houses, 1,316,357, of which 1,279,363 are occupied; population (1881) 8,063,160, namely, 5,841,599 Hindus, 1,582,604 Muham-

madans, 5079 Christians, 132 Buddhists, 54 Sikhs, 3 Brahmos, 2 Jains, 36 Jews, and 633,846 ‘others,’ chiefly aboriginal tribes. The principal aboriginal tribes not yet influenced by Hinduism consist of 559,602 Santals, nearly all of whom are found in the Santal Parganas, and Of the aboriginal tribes professing Hinduism, the chief 11,995 Kols. are Kochs, 132,632, nearly all in Purniah and Maldah Districts; Bhuiyas, 79,939, nearly all in the Santal Parganas and Bhagalpur Kharw^rs, 20,029, in Bhagalpur, Maldah, and Purniah Santals, 10,023 Bhumijs, 3880, all in the Santal Parganas Kols, 3481 ; Gonds, 1573.

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Of

Brahmans number 211,609; Rajputs, Babhans, 234,794; and Kayasths, 70,091. The Baniya or trading caste numbers 150,658. Of the lower or Sudra castes, the the higher castes of Hindus,

i98,25t



most important from a numerical point of view are Gwala, the most numerous caste in the Division, 798,494; Dhanuk, 273,408; Nuniya, 256,189; Musahir, 252,857; Dosadh, 223,269; Koen', 215,277 Telf, 195,705; Chamar, 192,273; Napit, 121,015; Kumhar, 111,525; Kahar, 111,138; Kiirmi, 108,633; Tantf, 107,293; Kandu, 104,538;

78,733; Dom, 73,790; Dhobi, 68,770; 63,910; Madak, 62,476; Sunri, 60,864; Barhai, 59,854; Keut, 58,171 ; Tior, 57,676; Hari, 57,036; Ghatwal, 54,601 ; Kalwar, 52,987 ; Sonar, 49,565 ; Bind, 31,204 ; Barui, 29,022 ; Pasi, 25,685 and Mai, 21,395. The caste-rejecting Hindus numbered

Tatwa, 93,080; Lohar, 66,608;

Kaibartta,

Mallah,



whom

Of the Muhammadans, 24,849 were Vaishnavs. 1,417,504 were returned as Sunnis, 30,457 as Shias, while 134,643 were unspecified. Of the Christian community, 81 1 were returned as 36,025, of

Europeans, 651 as Eurasians, 3391 as natives of India, and 298 as ‘others.’ According to religion. Church of England, 776; Roman Catholics, 374; Presbyterians, 601; Baptists, 31 1; the remainder being indefinite or unspecified. cipal towns with

town

upwards of

Bhagalpur Division contains 16 munithousand inhabitants, the aggregate

five

population being

population.

Of

239,864, leaving 7,823,296 for the rural the 32,816 towns and villages in the Division, no less

than 20,689 contained less than two hundred inhabitants; 8267 had from two to five hundred ; 2879 ^^om five hundred to a thousand 843 had from one to two thousand; 97 from two to three thousand 21



from three to five thousand; 13 from five to ten thousand; 4 from ten to fifteen thousand i from fifteen to twenty thousand and 2 upwards of fifty thousand. As regards occupation, the male population is divided into the following six main groups: (i) Professional class, including all civil and military officers and Government officials,



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