Kyaukpyu Town

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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, and many tahsils upgraded to districts. Some units have since been renamed. Therefore, this article is being posted mainly for its historical value.

Kyaukpyu Town

Head-quarters of the District of the same name in Lower Burma, situated in 19° 26' N. and 93° 34' E., in the northern angle of the island of Ramree. Kyaukpyu signifies white stone,' and the name is said to be derived from the white pebbly beach that stretches in front of the town. When Arakan was ceded to the British in 1826 Kyaukpyu was only a small fishing village, and did not become the chief civil station till 1838. The town is built close to the sea-shore, on a sandy plain bounded on the south-west by a low range of sandstone hills, which break the severity of the monsoon. The harbour extends for many miles along the east shore of Ramree Island, but numerous sunken rocks render the approach dangerous, though it is well buoyed. The population of the town has remained stationary for the last thirty years, and was 3,145 in 1901, of whom the majority were Arakanese and Bur- mans. Musalmans numbered 776, Hindus only 164, and Chinese about 600.

The shipping trade of Kyaukpyu is almost entirely coastwise. Its imports and exports were valued at 4 and \\ lakhs respectively in 1903-4. Three-fourths of the imports come from other Burmese ports ; the remainder from Calcutta. The exports go entirely to Bur- mese ports. The Port fund for the maintenance of buoys, lights, &c., had an income in 1903-4 of Rs. 5,600, obtained from dues and other levies.

Kyaukpyu town was constituted a municipality in 1885. The income and expenditure during the ten years ending 1901 averaged about Rs. 8,000. In 1903-4 the income was Rs. 11,000, including Rs. 3,000 from house and land tax, and Rs. 6,000 from market tolls ; and the expenditure was Rs. 10,000, the chief items being conservancy (Rs. 2,000), hospitals (Rs. 3,000), and education (Rs. 1,500). There is one Anglo-vernacular school, towards the upkeep of which Govern- ment and the municipality contribute equally.