I m p e r I a L g a z e t t ee r o f I n d I a vol. X i I i
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- AGRICULTURE 391
- 3 9 - JAi PUR STATE
- FAMINE 393
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1 ’resbyterians. The com paratively large number of Methodists, found almost entirely in the Sàmbhar
nizàmat , is due to the presence of the American Methodist Mission at Ajmer. The United Free Church of Scotland Mission has had a branch at Jaipur since r866. Agricultural conditions vary in different parts of the Stale. Shekha- wati consists almost entirely of shifting sands, and generally produces only one harvest in the year, raised during the rainy ^ gr - c j t r season and ripening in October and November. ‘ This consists chiefly of In'ijra ,
and
Camels are usually yoked to the plough instead of bullocks. The soil in the immediate neighbourhood of the capital and to the west and north is generally sandy ; the rains crop is the same as in Shekhàwati, and a little wheat and barley are grown in the cold season. To the east of the capital, along the Bàngangà valley and in the southern districts, the soil is for the most part either black cotton or a rich alluvial loam. Here joivar, mai/e, cotton, and lil are grown in the rains, while the cold season 39 °
Air UK STATE crops arc wheat, barley, gram, sugar-cane, and poppy. In the Gangapur district in the east, rice of a coarse quality is cultivated to a small extent. Agricultural statistics are available only for the
portion of the State, excluding Shekhawati. The area for which particulars are on record is 3,548 square miles, or rather more than one-fifth of the total; deducting 961 square miles, which either comprise forests or are otherwise not available for cultivation, there remain 2,587 square miles, of which, in 1903-4, about 1,304 square miles, or over 50 per cent., were actually cultivated. The area cropped more than once was 57 square miles, and consequently the net area cropped was 1,247 square miles. 'These statistics, which are available only from 1895-6, show that in that year 1,310 square miles were cultivated; the area under cultivation in the disastrous famine year of 1899-1900 fell to 765 square miles, and since then there has been a steady increase to the present figure. The staple food-grains of the people are
, barley, and joivar, the
areas under which, in 1903-4, were respectively about 271, 207, and 160 square miles, or, collectively, about one-half of the total area culti vated. Next in importance come wheat, the area under which was 114 square miles; cotton, 93 square miles (mostly in Malpura in the south-west); gram, 66 square miles ; ///, 53 square miles; and maize, 52 square miles. There have been no improvements of recent years either in agri cultural methods or in the introduction of new y seed, the people being very conservative. Increased facilities for irrigation led to extended cultivation up to 1899-1900, when a disastrous famine occurred, but the State is rapidly recovering. Loans are regularly advanced to agriculturists for the purchase of seed and cattle, or for the improve ment of wells, a sum of Rs. 50,000 being provided annually for this purpose.
Jaipur has 110 particular breed of cattle or horses. No attempts have been made to improve the indigenous strains, and the best animals are imported. Sheep and goats are reared in considerable numbers, and the camels of Shekhawati are of a good stamp, being strong and hardy. Of the total area cultivated (in
territory, excluding Shekhawati) 436 square miles, or 33 per cent., were irrigated in 1903-4: namely, 45 square miles from canals, 20 from tanks, 342 from wells, and 29 from other sources. The number of wells has not been recorded, but 200 irrigation works in the State are in charge of the Public Works department. The expenditure on them between 1868 and 1904 has exceeded 66 lakhs, while the revenue realized from them during the same period approaches 59 lakhs. Perhaps the most important of these works is that known as the Ramgarh band , which is described in AGRICULTURE 391 the article on the B angaxga
river. Another fine Link is the Tordi Sagar in the south-west, close to the town of M alpura . The Buchara band in the Torawati hills, 60 miles north of the capital, can hold up water sufficient to irrigate about 17 square miles, and cost, when com pleted in 1889, 2-8 lakhs. The total expenditure to 1903 was about 3-4 lakhs, and the revenue realized 2-8 lakhs. One of the most remunerative of the larger irrigation works is the Kalakh Sagar, about 30 miles north-west of the capital. It was completed in 1883 at a cost of 2 lakhs, and can, when full, irrigate nearly 8 square miles. It has 55 miles of main canals and 118 miles of distributaries. The total expenditure to 1903 was about 3 lakhs, and the revenue during the same period no less than 6-4 lakhs. Among more recent and smaller works is the Fateh Sagar in the Hindaun district in the east; it has cost (including repairs) less than Rs. 15,000, while the actual revenue it brought in up to 1903 was 1-4 lakhs. During the official year 1902-3 the revenue from this tank was Rs. 13,900, or more than 95 per cent, on the capital outlay. The forests cover an area of about 283 square miles, and are divided into ‘reserved’ (71 square miles), demarcated (93 square miles), and undemarcated (119 square miles). The ‘reserved’ portion is mostly in the Sawai Jaipur and Madhopur nizdmats. There are but few valuable timber trees. The following are common :
),
khair (Acacia Catechu ),
nim (Melia Azadirachta), plpal (Ficus religiosa ), and, in the south,
and bamboo. Right-holders graze their cattle free of charge, and others on payment. The iorest produce, such as firewood, bamboos, grass, fruits, honey, and lac, is sold. The yearly revenue is about Rs. 24,000, and the expenditure Rs. 8,600. Apart from salt, which is largely manufactured at the S amiuiar
L ake , the minerals of the State are now hardly worked at all. Iron occurs near Khetri, and at Karwar close to Hindaun, but the mines have long been abandoned. The well-known copper-mines of Khetri and Singhana have not been worked for many years; but in this neighbourhood, particularly at Babai, cobalt is found in thin layers between the veins of copper ore, and is much used for enamelling. Good building stone, chiefly sandstone and marble, is plentiful. At Bhankri, 36 miles east of the capital, and at Toda Rai Singh in the south-west, huge slabs of a foliated mica schist are quarried, and are used for roofing and flagging purposes. Coarse grey marble comes from Raiala near the Alwar border; and a black marble, used for inlaying work, is obtained at Bhainslana near Kot
’utli in the north east. Abundance of excellent limestone is procured from Rahori, about 14 miles north-east of the capital, and kankar is found almost 3 9 - JAi PUR STATE everywhere, generally in flat beds instead of in scattered nodules. Garnets of the best kind are fairly common in the Rajmahal hills near the river Banas in the south-west, and turquoises arc said to have been found at Toda in the same neighbourhood. From the Hindaun district in the east come talc and the steatite of which the well-known Agra toys are made. The chief manufactures are woollen cloths and fabrics, cotton cloths and chintzes, marble sculpture, enamel-work, pottery, and brass and lacquer-work. The woollen goods arc turned out Trade a
d
a t M alpura
. The
S anganer
and
B agru
chintzes, communications. ’ or dyed and stamped cotton cloths, are perhaps the most characteristic of Jaipur textiles, but their sale has decreased owing to the presence in the bazars of cheap imported imitations. In enamelling on gold Jaipur is acknowledged to be pre-eminent, and some work is also done on silver and copper. There are three cotton-presses in the State: two at the capital, started in 1885 ; and one at Mandawar or Hindaun Road, started in 1893. They are owned and worked by the State, and give employment to about 240 hands. In 1904 about 3,730 tons of cotton and 4 tons of wool were pressed ; the expenditure was Rs. 42,000 and the revenue Rs. 62,000. The most noticeable feature in the commerce of the State is the large banking and exchange business carried on at the capital, and in the large tow r ns of Shekhawati. The chief exports are salt, cotton, ght, oilseeds, printed cloths,, woollen fabrics, marble images, brass-ware, and lacquered bracelets; while the main imports are English piece- goods, sugar, rice, tobacco, and hardware. The principal trade route is the Rajputana-Malwa Railway, which carries nearly the whole of the exports and imports. There is but little traffic northward from the capital, as the trade of Shekhawati travels principally either north-east to the great mart of Bhiwani in Hissar, or south-west to Ajmer. The principal export from Shekhawati is wool, and the imports are grain, sugar, piece-goods, spices, and tobacco; for the carriage of these, camels are used almost exclusively. The Rajputana-Malwa Railway traverses the State from east to west, with a total length, including the branches from Phalera towards Kuchawan Road and Rewari, and from Bandikui in the Agra direction, of about 243 miles. The Darbar is constructing a line from the capital to Sawai Madhopur in the south-east, a distance of 73 miles; it is estimated to cost 29 lakhs, exclusive of rolling-stock, and the first 32 miles, as far as Nawai, have recently been opened for traffic. The total length of metalled roads is about 283 miles, and of unmctalled roads about 236 miles. These are all in charge of the Public Works department, and arc maintained by the State; and all
FAMINE 393 but one were constructed entirely ut the cost of the State. The exception is the trunk road from Agra to Ajmer, constructed between 1865 and 1869; its length in Jaipur is about 127 miles, and its cost was 6-5 lakhs, of which the British Government subscribed one-fifth. One small piece of road was built and is maintained by the British Government : namely, about 9 miles of the metalled road between Nasfràbàd and Deoli. Other important roads are those connecting the capital with Tonk city, and Hindaun Road railway station with the town of Karauli. The number of British post offices is 34, and of telegraph offices (excluding those at railway stations) 14. Up to about 1896 a helio graph from Jaipur to Fatehpur in Shekhàwati was maintained by the opium merchants of the latter town for use in their business. The State has had its own local postal system since about 1861. Letters and parcels on Darbàr service are carried free. In 1901 there were 86 local post offices ; and 227,072 letters, packets, and newspapers, and 326 parcels were delivered. The length of postal lines was 483 miles, the mails being carried by camels and runners ; the income was Rs. 10,500 and the expenditure Rs. 17,100, including salaries of 304 employés. , There is no record of famines prior to 1868-9. In 1868 the rainfall between June and September was only 5^ inches, and the failure of forage was severe. All restrictions . on the grain trade were at once abolished by ' the late Maharaja, and large works were started, but they were, generally speaking, too near the capital. In August, 1869, ^ ie dis tribution of cooked food commenced at the capital, and more than 131,000
persons were fed up to March, 1870. Land revenue to the extent of a lakh was remitted, and the direct expenditure on relief works was reported to have exceeded i*8 lakhs. There was much charity by pri\atc persons, and not a little by the Darbàr. Grain was never higher in price than 8 seers per rupee. In 1877 there was a grass famine, and 30 per cent, of the cattle perished, while in 1878 the rains were late and prices rose almost to famine rates, but the distress was partial and brief. Relief works were started, and 6,000 persons were employed daily for two months till the rains set in. In 1891-2 there was scarcity in the west and south-west. 7 \xkavi advances were given, a portion of .the land revenue was remitted, and the forest Reserves were thrown open for grazing. In 1899-1900 acute famine prevailed everywhere, except in the Hindaun and Gangâpur districts in the east, and in Kot Kàsim in the north-east, where there was only scarcity. 'The Darbàr grasped the situation from the outset, and showed both skill and common sense in combining the various branches of relief. On the 98 relief works, mostly irrigation 394 JAIPUR STATE projects, nearly 21 million units were relieved at a cost of 19 lakhs. In the villages and in the poorhouse at the capital i-| million units were relieved gratuitously at a cost of a lakh. The forests were thrown open to free grazing, and the poor were permitted to remove and sell grass and firewood. Remissions of knd revenue amounted to 12 lakhs, and
was freely distributed. The estimated number of emigrants was 30,000, or about one per cent, of the population, and 40 per cent, of the cattle died. The scarcity of 1901-2 was confined to about one- third of the State, and was not severe. There was no gratuitous relief, but 693,000 units were employed on works at a cost of about 2 lakhs. Takavi advances amounted to Rs. 41,500, and suspensions and re missions of land revenue to 3-9 lakhs and Rs. 24,100 respectively. The administration of the State is carried 011 by the Maharaja, assisted by a Council of ten members. The Council consists of three . , . .
t . departments : namely, financial; judicial ; and foreign, Administration. . . . .
\ ° ’ military, and miscellaneous. 1 here are three or four members in each department, which deals with its separate subjects in the first instance; but all matters of importance are brought before the whole Council, whose decisions are submitted to the Maharaja for confirmation and sanction. The State comprises two main divisions or
called the Eastern and Western, each under a Revenue Commissioner or
These
dlivanis are divided into ten nizamats, each under a ndzim and a
naib-ndzim , while the nizamats are subdivided into thirty-one
As in other States of Rajputana, the civil and criminal courts of Jaipur are guided generally by the Codes of British India. The lowest courts are those of ta/isl/dars, which number twenty-two, nine of these officials not being invested with judicial powers. They try civil suits not exceeding Rs. 50 in value, and on the criminal side can punish with imprisonment up to one month and fine up to Rs. 11 ; but the
tahslldar of Shekhawati has enhanced powers, lie and the ten naib-ndzims try civil suits not exceeding Rs. 100 in value, and in criminal cases can punish with imprisonment up to three months and fine up to Rs. 50. The ten ndzims can try any civil suit arising in their districts, while, 011 the criminal side, nine of them, the
of Shekhawati having special powers, can punish with imprisonment up to two years and Rs. 200 fine, and can pass a sentence of whipping not exceeding twenty-five stripes ; they also hear appeals against the decisions in civil and criminal cases of their respective
except in the case of the tahsllddr of Shekhawati. The ndzim of
Shekhawati has the same original criminal powers as the Fanjdari Add/at mentioned below. For the disposal of civil suits not exceeding Rs. 300 in value, instituted at the capital, there are three Munsifs ; similarly the less important criminal cases at the capital are decided A DM r XIsrRATIO A 395 by two
naib-faujdars, who can punish with imprisonment up to six months and fine up to Rs. 100. 'The
, or civil court, consists of two judges who, sitting separately, decide suits beyond the powers of the Munsifs, while jointly they hear appeals against the decisions of the
of Shekhawati, the naib-ndzims , and the Munsifs. The
or court of the chief magistrate, can punish with imprisonment up to four years and fine up to Rs. 400. It disposes of criminal cases beyond the powers of the ndzims (excluding Shekhawati) and of the
; it also hears appeals against the decisions of the
of Shekhawati and the naib-ndzims. The
next court is called the Appellate Court, and consists of four judges, two on the civil and two on the criminal side. The former dispose of all appeals in civil cases against the decisions of the
or of the civil court, while the latter, besides hearing appeals (in criminal cases) against the orders of the
and
the Faujdari Addlat, try original cases beyond the powers of the latter, or of the
of Shekhawati, and can punish with imprisonment up to five years and fine up to Rs. 500. The Council is the highest court in the State and the final appellate authority in all matters, civil, criminal, and revenue. It deals with all the serious criminal cases beyond the powers of the Appellate Court, and, when presided over by the Maharaja, can pass sentence of death on Jaipur subjects. The normal revenue of the State is believed to be about 65 lakhs, the chief sources being land revenue (about 42 lakhs), customs (9 lakhs), receipts under the Salt treaty of 1869 and the agreement of 1879 (about 7-5 lakhs), and tribute from
(4 lakhs). The normal expenditure is said to be about 59 lakhs, the main items being cost ot civil and judicial staff 1 ; army, including the Imperial Service transport corps (about io lakhs) : public works, including irrigation (7 lakhs); tribute to Government (4 lakhs); police (about 2-4 lakhs); privy purse, palace, and charities 1 ; education (Rs. 84,000); and medical institutions and vaccination (Rs. 70,000). The State is free from debt.
Jaipur has a coinage of its own, called Jhdr shdhi from the special mint-mark, the
or spray of six sprigs or branches. The coins struck are gold
(the metal being quite pure), rupees, smaller silver coins, and copper pieccs. The rate of exchange between local and British currency varies almost monthly; in April, 1899, the local rupee was worth about 12 annas, while at the end of 1904 102
Jhdr shdhi rupees exchanged for 100 British. The question of introducing British currency as the sole legal tender is under the consideration of the Darbar. A peculiar feature of the State lies in the fact that about three-fifths 1 Not available. |
