Peshawar City
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.
Peshawar City
Capital of the North-West Frontier Province, and head-quarters of the District and tahsil of the same name, situated in 34 i' N. and 71 35' E. The cantonment is situated on a ridge overlooking the surrounding plain and the city, which lies near the left bank of the Bara stream, 13 1/2 miles south-east of the junction of the Swat and Kabul rivers, and 10 1/2 miles from Jamrud fort near the entrance of the Khyber Pass, It is distant by rail from Calcutta 1,552 miles, and from Bombay 1,579 miles, and by road from Kabul 190 miles. It is the terminus of the grand trunk road, but a branch of the North- Western Railway runs on to Jamrud. The population was 79,982 in 1881, 54,191 in 1891, and 95,147 in 1901, consisting f 68,35 2 Muhammadans, 18,552 Hindus, 5,144 Sikhs, and 3,063 Christians. Of the total population, 21,804 live in cantonments.
Peshawar was in the time of Fa Hian the capital of the Gandhara province, and is historically important at all later periods. (See PESHAWAR DISTRICT.) It was famous during the early centuries of the Christian era as containing the begging-pot of the Buddha, a holy pipal-tree whose branches are said to have given shade to the Master, and an enormous stupa built by Kanishka. Buddhist remains still mark its early greatness. The name is not improbably derived from Parashawara or Purushapura, the seat of a king named Purush ; and the present form Peshawar is referred to the emperor Akbar, whose fondness for innovation is said to have led him to change the name, of whose meaning he was ignorant, to Peshawar, the ' frontier town.' In 1552 Humayun found the fortress in ruins, but had it repaired and entrusted it to a governor, who successfully defended it against the Afghans under Khan Kaju. The town appears to have been refounded by Balgram, a contemporary of Akbar, and was much enlarged by General Avitabile, its governor under the Sikhs. It became the head-quarters of a British District in 1849, and the capital of the North-West Frontier Province in 1901.
The modern city has but slight architectural pretensions, the houses, though lofty, being chiefly built of small bricks or mud, held together by a wooden framework. It is surrounded by a mud wall, built by General Avitabile, which is gradually being replaced by a wall of brick. The city has sixteen gates. The main street, known as the Kissa kahani, which is entered from the Kabul Gate (re-erected as a memorial to Sir Herbert Edwardeb), ib a broad roadway 50 feet in width, consisting of two double rows of shops, the upper rooms of which are generally let out as lodgings ; the street is, well paved, and at busy times presents a very picturesque sight. The remainder of the city proper consists of squares and markets, with narrow and irregular streets and lanes. A masonry canal runs through the centre of the city, which is, however, only used to carry off drain-water and sewage. Drinking-water is brought down in pipes from the water- works, for which the municipal committee pays a yearly rental. Wells are used only in the hot season to supply colder water than the pipes afford. The sanitary and conservancy arrangements are very good, and all the drains are paved. There are now very few old houses of architectural importance, most of them having been destroyed at the time of the capture of the city by the Sikhs from the Durranis. Several handsome mosques ornament the city ; and a large build- ing, known as the Gorkhattri, once a Buddhist monastery, and sub- sequently formed into a Hindu temple, is now used as the tahsili. Just without the wall, on the north-western side, a quadrilateral fort, the Bala Hisar, crowns a small eminence completely dominating the city. Its walls of sun-dried brick rise to a height of 92 feet above the ground, with a fausse-braye of 30 feet ; bastions stand at each corner and on three of the faces, while an armament of guns and mortars is mounted above.
South-west of the city, stretching from just outside the walls, are the suburos of Bhana Mari and Deri Baghbanan, where there are gardens noted for their fruit, producing quinces, pomegranates, plums, limes, peaches, and apples in abundance. These gardens, especially a public garden called the Wazir Bagh, form a favourite pleasure- ground of the people; north of the city is another public pleasure- ground, the Shahi Bagh or ' royal garden.'
Two miles west of the city lie the cantonments, where the civil
offices are also situated. The cantonments were occupied by British troops soon after annexation in 1848-9. The garrison has been much reduced and consists at present of one battery of field artillery, two regiments of British and three of Native infantry, one regiment of Native cavalry, and one company each of sappers and miners, bearer corps, and army hospital native corps. The garrison forms part of the Peshawar military division of the Northern Command, and the head-quarters of the division are situated here.
The municipality was constituted in 1867. The income and expenditure during the ten years ending 1902-3 averaged 2.3 and 2-15 lakhs respectively. In 1903-4 the income was 2-8 lakhs, of which more than 2 lakhs were derived from octroi, while the expenditure amounted to 2-9 lakhs, the chief heads of charge being conservancy (Rb. 26,000), education (Rs. 12,000), hospitals and dispensaries (Rs. 18,000), public safety (Rs. 46,000), and administra- tion (Rs. 36,000). The income and expenditure of cantonment funds during the ten years ending 1902-3 averaged Rs. 53,000 and Rs. 52,500 respectively; in 1903-4 the income was Rs. 69,000, and die expenditure Rs. 70,000.
The main trade of the District passes through the city of Peshawar. Though of a varied and not uninteresting nature, it is less extensive than might perhaps have been expected, but its position makes it important as an entrepot for Central Asia. The principal foreign markets having dealings with Peshawar are Kabul and Bokhara. From the former place are imported raw silk, worsted, cochineal, jalap, asafoetida, saffron, resin, simples, and fruits, both fresh and dried, principally for re-exportation to the Punjab and Hindustan, whence are received in return English piece-goods, cambrics, silk, indigo, sugar, tea, salt, and spices. Bokhara supplies gold coins, gold and silver thread and lace, principally for re-exportation to Kashmir, whence the return trade is shawls. Iron from Bcajaur, skins, fibres and mats made of the dwarf-palm (mazri) are the only remaining items of importance coming from beyond the border.
The city possesses an unaided Arts college attached to the Mission high school, and four high schools : namely, the municipal and Edwardes Mission Anglo-vernacular high schools, and two unaided Anglo- vernacular high schools. It also contains a civil hospital and four dispensaries. Another institution is the Martin Lecture Hall and Institute, with its reading-room and library, also maintained by the Peshawar Mission.
