Page:The Imperial Gazetteer of India - Volume 2 (2nd edition).pdf/443

 B//JVA UR. quite as class are

much by

tillage as

by

their proper handicraft.

prosperous, judged by an

fairly

433

The

artisan

Indian standard, but the

purely agricultural labourers are deeply in debt and very helpless.

Wages and labourers

prices

on

are

receive from

2^d.

the to

and

Coolies

increase.

3|d.

per diem



unskilled

agricultural

hands,

from 6d. to 2s. Women obtain about one-fifth less than men, and children from one-half to one-third the wages of adults. Prices of food-stuffs ruled as follows in 1882 from 2^d. to 3d.

and

skilled artisans,



Wheat, 17!

sers per rupee, or 6s. 3d. per cwt.

rupee, or los. 3d. per cwt.; 8s. 3d.

per cwt.

rice



(common), 13^

per

sers

rice (best),

sers per rupee,

sers per rupee, or 4s. iid. per cwt.;

or

and

22 2o| sers per rupee, or 5s. 3d. per cwt. Natural Calamities. -Bijnaur suffers, like other North-Western Indeed, Districts, from drought and its natural consequence, famine. as its dense population depends largely for support upon imported grain, even during the most favourable years, it would be very disastrously affected by dry seasons, were it not for the unusual moisture of the soil, due to its sub-montane position. The great famine of 1783-84 was felt in Bijnaur, as in all other parts of the North-Western Provinces, but it did not produce such serious distress as in Agra and the southwest. In 1803-4, after the cession of Rohilkhand to the British, another severe famine occurred failure of rain took place at the time for sowing the autumn crops ; no grain could be imported from the westward; and by February 1804 discord was rife, the cultivators removed their crops as fast as they ripened, and the landholders absconded in In 1825-26, serious drought set in, and the resulting every direction. scarcity rose to a dangerous pitch, as the zamiyiddrs refused to permit sowings, on account of the approaching land settlement. In 1837, again, the memorable famine which desolated the North-West fell upon the neighbouring parts of Upper India with great severity ; but Rohilkhand and the Upper Doab escaped with less misery than the southern Districts, while a timely rain, in February 1838, rescued Bijnaur and Moradabad from distress, and enabled them to reap an average crop. In 1860-61, only three-tenths of the District suffered ; and both in 1868-69 1877-78, the famine, though felt over the whole area, did not produce any markedly disastrous result. The insufficient communications of this District would doubtless present a real element of danger in any future droughts or famines. Comtnerce and Trade, etc Sugar is the great commercial staple of the District, the Bijnaur manufacture fetching higher prices in the market than any other Indian brand. On the other hand, the District bdjrd,



jodr.,

—



.

is

of

incapable of supplying its

—

itself

with food-stuffs, as

much

as 24 per cent,

Gram is also come annually

grain being imported from without in ordinary years.

largely imported as fodder, while 60,000

VOL. M.

maunds of

salt

2

E