Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 10.djvu/617

* INDIA. 541 INDIA. Ganges. As shown in the table, the density is greatest in the Province of Bengal. In the Patna division of Bengal, an area of 23,GS6 square miles, the density is ti53 per square mile. The density of tlie population corresponds in a general way to the capacity of the different regions to support life, yet there are noteworthy exceptions, as in Assam and Lower Burma, each of which could easily support a much more numerous popula- tion than it now does. In most districts the population i)resses closely upon the limits of the means of subsistence, and cannot increase greatly so long as agriculture continues to be almost the sole dependence. There has been generally an increase and in many places a very marked increase of population since the British took possession. Prior to that time numerous wars, together with famine, plague, and pestilence, tended to check augmentation. The instability of the Government discouraged industrial enter- prise, and much land possible to cultivate was left waste. Under British protection such land has been largely reclaimed, and the productive capacity of the country gieatly increased. So long as an area of cultivation was being extended the local population augmented. When the limits of culture were reached the population became overcrowded and finally reached a sta- tionary point. In most instances the growth of the population depends almost wholly upon the natural increase in the district, immigration from remote localities playing a very minor part. The people dislike to leave their native locality, and particularly dislike to embark upon sea voyages. The most considerable movement has been that from Bengal into Assam. Another movement of some importance has been from Madras into Burma and Ceylon. The first attempt of the British to secure a complete census was made in 1872. when the total population was estimated to be 240.9.31.000. The returns for certain regions were only esti- mated, and were generally rendered uncertain through the lack of confidence on the part of tlie natives in the purpose of the Government. In subsequent enumerations there have been greater confidence on the part of the people and a corresponding increase in the accuracy of the returns. The total population for 1891 was 287,314.071, and for 1901. 294.300,3.56. It should be remembered that certain additions of territory have augmented slightly this increase. The gain during the decade 1881-91 was 10.96 per cent, as against an increase of 1.49 per cent, for the same area in the following decade, or an increase for the latter decade of 2.4 per cent., including the population of the new territory added. In the former decade 94.0 per cent, of the population showed an increase, whereas in the latter period only 63.3 per cent, showed an increase. The gain in the provinces of the last decade was 3.87 per cent.; the population of the native States de- creased 0.30 per cent. The contrast shown above between one period and the other, and between one region and another, is largely attributable to the variable agricultural conditions. The ear- lier period suffered little from famines, the lat- ter excessively. The decrease was greatest in Central and Western India, where the famine was most severe. The following is a table of the area and popu- lation of India and its dependencies: Area in square miles 1901 1891 Provinces (Total}.... Ajniere-Merwara . . . Andamans and Nicobars Assam 1.106.861 2.711 3.188 56,243 45,804 151,185 17,710 75.918 47 066 80 256.195 86,614 1.582 141,726 16.466 97.209 83.198 23.966 679,393 86,511 8,099 38,652 65,761 78,772 29,435 82,698 80.900 9,969 29,444 36,532 127,541 5,079 1,786,254 231,898,807 476,912 24,649 6,126,343 308.246 74.744.866 2.7.54.016 15.304.077 3,210,910 43,974 10,489,924 9,876.646 180.607 38,209,436 2,125,480 20,330.339 34.858.705 12.833.077 62.461.546 502.500 1.952,692 3,748,544 6.908,648 8,628.781 1 .996.383 11.141,142 2,905.578 4.188.086 5.539.399 4.424.398 9,723,301 802,097 294,360,356 221.2.39,513 542,358 15,609 5,477,302 Baluchistan (Dis- tricts and Admin- istered Territories) 71.346,961 2,897.491 15,959,135 Sindh 2,875,100 44.079 7.722.0.53 Central Provinces .. 10.784.294 173.035 35,6.30,440 Northwest Frontier Province 1,8.57,504 19,009,343 United Provinces of Agra (formerly Northwest Prov- 34,253,960 Oudh 12,650,831 Native States and Agencies * {Total}. Baluchistan Agency BarodaState Bengal States Bombay States .... Central India 66,075,156 2.415,396 3,326,837 8,082.107 10,318,812 Cent ral Provinces 2,160,511 Hyderabad State. . Kashmir State. . . . Madras States Mysore State Punjab States Rajputana Agency. United Provinces States (formerly N. W. Provinces). 11,537.040 2.543.952 3.700.622 4,943.604 4,203.280 11,990,504 792,491 287,314,671 To this should be added some territories in India not included in the census, with an area of about 73,000 square miles and a population esti- mated at about 700,000. Aden, on the Arabian coast, with an Arabian protectorate embracing 15,500 square miles, and Socotra. a dependency of Aden, are ofBcially included within the Empire of India. With these additions the total area of India and its dependencies is about 1,800,000 square miles. A striking characteristic of the population is that it is so largely rural. Estimates show that about nine-tenths of the total belong to this class. This is true of even the most densely populated regions. The largest city in the dense- ly populated division above referred to (Patna) has but 135.000 inhabitants. It must be under- stood, however, that the rural po|)ulation is ever^l^vhcre gathered together in villages which may contain only a few families or may number thousands. The country had not many large cities until the period of commercial develop- ment brought about by the British. Commerce has occasioned an immense growth in Calcutta and Bombay, but except these cities ^fadras alone exceeds half a million. (See table below.) Another peculiarity is the large proportion of males compared with European countries. The great privacy to which the females are sub- jected, particularly among the Mohammedans, and the aversion to intrusion on their domestic privacy, may ser'e partly to account for this discrepancy. Statistics for famine districts show
 * See article India, Native States of.