Murree 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, and many tahsils upgraded to districts. Some units have since been renamed. Therefore, this article is being posted mainly for its historical value.
Murree Town
Hill sanitarium and head-quarters of the tahsil of the same name in Rawalpindi District, Punjab, situated in 2>'^ 55' N. and 73° 23' E., 39 miles from Rawalpindi town, on a spur of the Himalayas, at the height of 7,517 feet above sea-level. The population in March, 1901, was 1,844, but in the summer it probably amounts to over 10,000. In the hot season it is the head-quarters of the Lieutenant- General of the Northern Command. The Commissioner of the Rawal- pindi Division and the Deputy-Commissioner of Rawalpindi also reside here during part of the hot season, for which period an Assistant Com- missioner is placed in charge of the subdivision consisting of the Murree tahsil. The site was selected in 1850 almost immediately after the annexation of the Province, and building operations commenced at once. In 1851 temporary accommodation was provided for a detach- ment of troops ; and in 1853 permanent barracks were erected. The garrison generally consists of three mountain batteries.
In 1873, 1S74, and 1875 Murree was the summer head-quarters of the Punjab Govern- ment. It is connected with Rawalpindi town by a service of tongas. The houses crown the summit and sides of an irregular ridge, com- manding magnificent views over forest-clad hill-sides into deep valleys studded with villages and cultivated fields. The neighbouring hills are covered during the summer with encampments of British troops, while the station itself is filled with European visitors from the plains and travellers to Kashmir. A fine view of the snowy peaks of Kashmir is to be had on a clear day, and the crest of Nanga Parbat (26,182 feet) can sometimes be seen. The municipality was created in 1850. The income during the ten years ending 1902-3 averaged Rs. 49,500, and the expenditure Rs. 48,200. In 1903-4 the income and expenditure were Rs. 51,400, chiefly fi'om octroi, and Rs. 54,400 respectively. The income and expenditure of cantonment funds averaged Rs. 10,000 between 1893 and 1903. The chief educational institutions are the Lawrence Military Asylum for soldiers' children, and the St. Denys' and Convent English schools for girls. The station contains the Lady Roberts Home for invalid officers and a branch of the Alliance Bank of Simla. The Murree Brewery is the only industrial concern of any importance.
