Barrackpore Town
This article has been extracted from THE IMPERIAL GAZETTEER OF INDIA , 1908. OXFORD, AT THE CLARENDON PRESS. |
Note: National, provincial and district boundaries have changed considerably since 1908. Typically, old states, ‘divisions’ and districts have been broken into smaller units, units, and many tahsils upgraded to districts.Many units have since been renamed. Therefore, this article is being posted mainly for its historical value.
Barrackpore Town
Head-quarters of the subdivision of the same name in the District of the Twenty-four Parganas, Bengal, situated in 22° 46' N. and 88° 21' E., on the east bank of the Hooghly river, 15 miles above Calcutta. The town is comprised within two muni- cipalities: North and South Barrackpore, containing, in 1901, 12,600 and 19,307 inhabitants respectively. South Barrackpore includes Bar- rackpore cantonment, with a population in 1901 of 9,888. The name is probably derived from the fact of troops having been stationed here since 1772; the natives call the place Chanak. To the south of the cantonment is Barrackpore Park, which has been laid out with much taste ; it contains the suburban residence of the Viceroy of India, built by Lord Minto and enlarged by the Marquis of Hastings. The military force stationed at Barrackpore consists of a field battery, a company of British infantry, and a native infantry regiment.
Barrackpore has played a part in two mutinies. In 1824, when Bengal troops were required to take part in the Burmese War, the 47th Bengal Infantry, which was stationed here, was warned for foreign service. Alarmed by rumours that they were to be transported to Ran- goon by sea, the regiment mutinied on parade on October 30. After ineffectual attempts at conciliation, the regiment was paraded on November i in presence of Sir Edward Paget, the Commander-in- Chief, who directed them either to obey the orders to march or to ground their arms. Upon their refusal, a battery of European artillery, supported by two British regiments, opened fire upon the mutineers, who broke at once and made for the river, throwing away their arms. Some were shot, some drowned, and others hanged ; and the number of the regiment was removed from the Army List.
The first sparks of the Mutiny of 1857 were kindled in Barrackpore. The excitement which had been rapidly spreading among the native troops culminated on March 29, when Mangal Pande, a sepoy of the 34th Native Infantry, attempted to kill one of the officers, Lieutenant Bough, fired at a European sergeant-major, and called upon his com- rades to join him. These outrages were committed within a few yards of the quarter-guard, which took no steps to interfere. As a punish- ment for this mutinous behaviour, the regiment was disbanded with ignominy on May 6, Mangal Pande and the native officer in charge of the guard having been previously tried by court-martial and hanged. A full account of these events will l)e found in Sir John Kaye's History of the Sepoy war, vol. i, pp. 266-9, 495.
Barrackpore is an important station on the Eastern Bengal State Railway, and the head-quarters of the recently constituted Barrackpore subdivision. It contains the usual public offices, a sub-jail with accommodation for 14 prisoners, and the Bhola Nath Bose Hospital with 18 beds. The town is a favourite residence of Europeans, and the Christian population numbers 914.
The North Barrackpore municipality was constituted in 1869. The income and expenditure during the eight years ending 1903-4 averaged Rs. 11,000, In 1903-4 the income was Rs. 13,000, including Rs. 5,000 from a tax on persons and the same amount from a conservancy rate; and the expenditure was Rs. 11,600. The municipal office is at Nawabganj, the residence of the Mandal family of zamindars. Within the municipal area is Palta, where the Calcutta water-works are situated, and Ichapur, where there is a Government rifle factory. The Garulia municipality was separated from North Barrackpore in 1896.
The South Barrackpore municipality was also constituted in 1869. Its area has been curtailed of late years by the separation of the Tita- GARH municipality in 1895 and of the Panihati municipality in 1900. The income during the four years ending 1903-4 averaged Rs. 10,000, and the expenditure Rs. 9,000. In 1903-4 the income was Rs. 11,000, mainly from a tax on persons (or property tax), a conservancy rate, and a tax on houses and lands ; and the expenditure was Rs. 9,000. The municipal office is at Khardah.
The receipts and expenditure of the cantonment fund during the decade ending 1901 averaged Rs. 25,000, and in 1903-4 they were Rs. 34,000 and Rs. 33,000 respectively.
