Page:The Imperial Gazetteer of India - Volume 2 (2nd edition).pdf/371

 BHANDARA. The

wives.’

361

names of Nawdgdon, Seoni, and

principal lakes bear the

Siregdon, the former covering an area of 5^ square miles, and being The forest tracts do not contain much valu1 7 miles in circumference. fit for building purposes, except the mahiid which are preserved by the people for their flowers, used as an article of diet by the poorer classes, and also distilled into a country spirit. The jungles yield gum, medicinal fruits and nuts, edible fruits, and honey, which are gathered and sold by the Gond tribes. The mineral products include iron, which is found in many places, and constitutes an article of export. The mines are mere pits, being

able timber of a large size trees,

generally only ten

twelve feet deep

or



and the clay furnaces

smelting the ore are very primitive and inefficient.

is

purchase the iron in rough

found and used

Owing

abundant.

for

dyeing wool and cloth.

Building stone

to the large extent of forest, wild animals

and the panther cause a great destruction of human

'I’he tiger

during the rainy season snakes.

year 1882.

many persons

die from the bites of

is

abound.

and life venomous

Ninety deaths from these causes were registered in the Deer of all kinds and wild pigs swarm in the woods, and

upon the crops. Bhandara nothing is known, except the legendary Gaulis are said at some remote period to have over-

frequently

History that

for

smelters are

Gonds, Goaras, Pardhdns, and Dhimdrs, from whom middleGeri^ a kind of red ochre, slabs.

principally

men

The

.

great injury

inflict

— Of the

run the countr}'.

and pastoral

race,

early history of

The Gaulis of the present day are a wandering who encamp in the jungles, and only visit the villages

and to purchase provisions. Deccan at one time included Bhandara in their dominions, but not till the end of the 17th century can our information be relied upon. We then find the District under the rule of the Gond Rajd of Deog.vrh. Bakht Buland, the founder of the dynasty, purchased the support of Aurangzeb by his conversion to the Muhammadan faith. Under his government a number of Rajputs, Lodhi's, Ponwars, Koris, Karas, and Kumbis were to

their

sell

Possibly the

attracted

cattle

the

into

Wainganga.

or

dairy

Muhammadan

produce,

princes of the

settling

District,

chiefly

Their industry and agricultural

country, especially in the region about Pauni.

Raghuji

I.

the villages near the

in skill

greatly improved the

The Marathas under

conquered these parts about 1738, but they were not formally

administered from Ndgpur until 1743. Under the Bhonslas a number of the commercial and soldier castes Marwaris, Aganvdlas, Lingayats,

and Maratha Kumbis 1817, of his

— established

when Apa Sdhib was palace,

Bhandara.

them back

On

at

—

themselves in the

war with the

British,

District. In he sent the ladies

with his jewels and other valuables, for security to the surrender of Nagpur, the English troops escorted

to that city.

The

next year

Chimna

Patel, zaviinddr of the