Page:The Imperial Gazetteer of India - Volume 2 (2nd edition).pdf/59

 BANDA. granted to Raja

death

in 1804.

49

Himmat Bahadur had been resumed shortly after his The titular rank of Nawab, with a pension of 4 lakhs

of rupees, was retained in the family of Shamsher Bahadur.

Under

British rule,

Banda remained free for make up the incidents

greater misfortunes which

fifty

years from those

of Indian history



but

The impoverishment economical condition was far from happy. which it had undergone during the Maratha rule left it in a miserable its

state.

The people were

incessant cropping

hopelessly in debt

the wells





the land was exhausted by

and other means of

irrigation

had

fallen out

of repair, and there was no capital in the District for their renewal

The

though not so oppressive as that of the Marathas, was severe enough to stand in the way of improvements. In short, the District required, but did not obtain, a long period of light taxationBritish fiscal system,

On the outbreak of the Mutiny in May 1857, the miserable and ignorant inhabitants were easily incited to revolt by the Cawnpur and The ist Native Infantry seized on the magazine and public buildings at Banda, and were joined by the troops of the Nawab. Until the 14th of June every effort was made by the British The residents to retain the town, but on that date it was abandoned. Nawdb of Banda then set himself at the head of the rebellious movement. The Joint Magistrate of Karur was murdered at the gate of the The people through Nawab's palace at Banda on the 15th of June. the country districts rose e7i masse, and a period of absolute anarchy Allahabad mutineers.

followed. his claims

to hold in let

loose

The Nawab attempted to organize a feeble government, but were disputed by other pretenders, and he was quite unable check the mob of savage plunderers whom the Mutiny had

upon the

District.

The

fort

of Kalinjar, however, was held

The throughout by the British forces, aided by the Raja of Panna. town of Banda was recovered by General Whitlock on the 20th of April

The Nawab was

1858.

afterwards permitted to retire with a

pension of ^£3600 a year. Since the Mutiny, the fiscal system has been remodelled, and it is hoped that the new settlement will con-

duce to the revival of prosperity in Banda, where the general poverty and apathy still bear witness to the disastrous period of Maratha misrule.

—The

Census of 1853 returned the total population In 1865 it had decreased to 724,372, showing a falling off of 19,500, or 2 '62 per cent. In 1872 the population had further decreased to 697,684, showing an additional falling off of 26,761, or 3-3 per cent. The decrease may be accounted for partly by the Mutiny, but more especially by the poverty of Bundelkhand, which leads the inhabitants to migrate on the slightest A slight falling off is attributed to the pressure of famine or scarcity. departure of the Nawab of Banda and other leading families, who VOL. II. D Population

of

Banda

at

.

743,872 souls.