Page:The Imperial Gazetteer of India - Volume 2 (2nd edition).pdf/91

 BANKURA. Muhammadan own

their

oppressions

payment of the land

tax,

The Bishnupur

estates.



irregular exactions

8i

on the other hand, it sternly put down from the peasantry, enforced the punctual

but,

and

realized arrears by sale of the hereditary

family never recovered from the indigence to

which they were reduced by the famine of 1770, and their possessions in the District have passed to new and more energetic families.

Bishnupur is now in ruins ; the palace, with its armouries and theatre and embellished rooms, has disappeared ; the interior of the fort is a jungle, in the middle of which lies peacefully an immense roughlylength the gift, according to native fashioned gun 12^- feet in tradition, of a deity to one of the Rajas. Populatmi The population of the District in 1872, according to the Census of that year, but allowing for recent transfers, which has increased the area from 1346 to 2621 square miles, was 968,597. The Census of 1881 returned a population of 1,041,752, showing an increase of 73,155 The male population in 1881 or 7 "5 5 per cent, in the nine years. numbered 507,136, and the female 534,616. Area of District, 2621.

— —

—

square miles; average density of population, 397'46 per square mile; number of towns and villages, 5460; villages per square mile, 2'o8 ;

number

of occupied houses, 168,321, with an average of 6‘i9 inmates

each; unoccupied houses, 14,916. Classified according to religion, Hindus, 910,845, or 87^44 the population was returned as follows:

—

per cent.; .and

‘

Muhammadans,

others

’

46,274, or 4'42 per cent.; Christians, 56; (chiefly aboriginal tribes professing various primitive faiths),

Among the Hindu population, the high and 84,557, or 8'12 per cent. Brahmans, 84,322; Rajputs, 13,987; respectable castes included

—

20,575; and Baniyas, 31,337. The other castes in the Sadgop, 45,216; Kurmi, 11,810 over 10,000 in number were

Kayasths,

—

District

— the

two best cultivating castes; Tambuli, 16,091; Napit, 12,262; Gwala, 59,652 ; Tanti, 29,320; Teli, 74,127 Lohar, 37,835 ; Kaibartta, 25,250; Kalu, 21,308; Sunri, 21,350; and the three lowest or Bauri, the most numerous in the District, semi-aboriginal castes -



—

117,548; Bagdi, 47,146; and Dom, 17,581. Caste-rejecting Hindus numbered 20,397, of whom 20,325 were returned as Vaishnavs.

Of aboriginal tribes still professing their ancient faiths, the most numerous were the Santals, 84,559 in number, besides 20,034 who have accepted Hinduism. The aboriginal tribe of Bhumijs, 18,129, Of the 46,274 Muhammadans, are all returned as Hindus by religion. 44,390 belonged to the Sunni sect. Of the 56 Christians, 15 were Europeans, 11 Eurasians, and 30 Natives of India or Asiatics. The occupations of the male population are returned in the Census in

six

general classes, as

servants,

VOL.

II.

follow:

—

and the learned hotel and lodging-house

Government

officials

(1)

Professional

class,

professions, 11,983

keepers,

etc.,



(2)

7652;

including

domestic (3)

F

com-