Shahpura Chief ship
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.
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Shahpura Chief ship
Physical aspects
Chiefship under the political supervision of the Haraoti and Tonk Agency, Rajputana, lying between 25 29' and 25 53' N. and 74 44' and 75 7' E., with an area of 405 square miles. It is bounded on the north and north-east by the British Dis- trict of Ajmer, and on every other side by the Udaipur State, except in the north-east corner, where its border touches that of Kishangarh, A small detached tract lies about 5 miles to the west of its south- western boundary. The country is for the most part flat, open, and treeless, and contains much pasture- aspects* land. In the north are two small rivers, the Khari and the Mansi, which flow from west to east, unite near Phulia, and eventually join the Banas river north of Deoli.
The northern portion of Shahpura is covered by the alluvium of these rivers. A few isolated rocky hills are to be found, formed of the schists of the Aravalli system, while in the south a large area is covered by the same rocks, traversed by numerous dikes and veins of granite.
The annual rainfall averages about 26 inches, and has varied from over 44 inches in 1892 to about 10 in 1895.
History
The Shahpura family belongs to the Sesodia clan of Rajputs, being descended from Amar Singh I, Rana of Mewar about the end of the sixteenth century, through his son Suraj Mai. The chiefship of Shahpura came into existence about 1S ry *
1629, when Suraj Mai's son, Sujan Singh, received from the emperor Shah Jahan, as a reward for gallant services, a grant of the pargana of Phulia out of the crown lands of Ajmer, on condition of performing service with 50 horsemen. Sujan Singh at once changed the name of this district to Shahpura, after his benefactor, and founded the town of the same name ; he was thus the first chief of Shahpura, He was killed in 1658 at Fatehabad near Ujjain, when fighting on the side of Dara against Aurangzeb. His grandson, Bharat Singh, was the third chief, and received from the emperor Aurangzeb the title of Raja. The next chief was Umed Singh, who was killed at Ujjain in 1768, when fighting for Rana Ari Singh of Mewar against Mahadji Sindhia.
The seventh chief, Amar Singh (1796-1827), is said to have received from the Maharana of Mewar the title of Raja Dhiraj, which is ac- corded to his successors to this day. The eleventh and present chief is Raja Dhiraj Nahar Singh, who succeeded by adoption in 1870, received full powers in 1876, and was made a K.C.I.E. in 1903. Under the sanad of June 27, 1848, the chiefship pays to the British Government a tribute of Rs. 10,000, subject to the proviso that, if the customs duties levied in Ajmer District be abolished, the chief shall, if the Government so wish, also cease to collect such duties, and in such a case the tribute shall be reduced to Rs. 2,000 a year. The chief has received the right of adoption. In addition to holding Shah- pura directly by grant from the British Government, the Raja Dhiraj possesses the estate of KACHHOLA in Udaipur, for which he pays tribute and does formal service as a great noble of that State.
Population
The number of towns and villages in Shahpura is 133, and the popu- lation at each of the three enumerations was: (1881) 51,750, (1891) 63,646, and (1901) 42,676. The decline in the last decade was due to the famine of 1899-1900, and the severe outbreak Population. Qf makrial feyer which f n owe( i it. The chiefship is divided into the four tahsils of Shahpura, Dhikola, Kothian, and Phulia, with head-quarters at the places from which each is named. In 1901 Hindus numbered 38,541, or 90 per cent. ; Musalmans, 2,520, or nearly 6 per cent. ; and Jains, 1,543, or 3 per cent.
The most numerous castes are the Brahmans, Gujars, and Jats, almost all of whom are agriculturists; and the Mahajans, who are traders and money-lenders. Nearly 50 per cent, of the population are supported by agriculture, and about 20 per cent, are engaged in such industries as cotton-weaving and dyeing, pottery, carpentry, boot- making, &c.
Agriculture
The soil is for the most part a fertile loam. The principal crops arc bdjra, jowar, maize, til, and cotton in the rainy season, and wheat, barley, gram, and poppy in the cold season. The area said to have been cultivated in 1902-3 was 247 square miles, or three-fifths of the entire area of the chiefship. About 30 square miles were irrigated: namely, 17 from tanks and 13 from wells. The country is well suited for tanks, and the subject of irrigation has been receiving considerable attention during recent years.
There are no real forests, but extensive grass reserves contain babul, nirn, and other common trees useful for fuel. Surplus grass is regularly stored.
Trade and Communication
The principal manufactures are the lacquered tables, shields, and toys, which have more than a local reputation ; other arts are cotton- weaving of the ordinary kind, printing on fabrics, complications. d y ein & aad the manufacture of bangles from coco- ' nut shells. A cotton-press at Shahpura town, the property of the chiefship, gives employment to 80 men during the working season, and about 4,500 bales of cotton are pressed yearly.
The chief exports are cotton and ghi to Bombay, and opium, hides, barley, maize, and til mostly to Beawar. The chief imports are piece- goods and sugar from Bombay, salt from Sambhar and Pachbhadra, wheat from Cawnpore, rice and tobacco from Ajmer, and cattle from Marwar and Malwa.
There is no railway in the chiefship, but the Rajputana-Malwa line runs parallel to, and about 12 miles distant from, the western border. The proposed Baran-Ajmer-Marwar Railway will, however, pass through the territory. The only metalled roads are in the vicinity of Shahpura town, and their length is about 2 miles. The only British post office is at the capital, where there is also a telegraph office. The chiefship maintains a postal system of its own. Letters on State service are carried free, and private letters at \ anna each. The mails are carried by runners.
Of famines prior to 1899-1900 there is very little on record. In 1869-70 there was severe distress ; 68 per cent, of the cattle are said to have perished, about 2.000 persons emigrated, and Famine.9,000 died, mostly from fever or scurvy. There was scarcity in 1877-8, 1891-2, and 1895-6, The famine of 1899-1900 was a severe one ; the rainfall was about half the average, and practi- cally no rain fell after the middle of July. Relief works were started in September, 1899, and continued till August, 1900; 880,000 units were relieved on works, and 157,000 gratuitously, at a cost of Rs. 77,600. Land revenue was remitted and suspended, advances were made, and loans were given to the jdgirdars. Owing to the absence of fodder 66 per cent, of the cattle died, but among human beings deaths from starvation or the immediate effects of insufficient food were compara- tively few.
Administration
The chiefship is administered by the Raja Dhiraj, assisted by a Kamdar. Under the latter are a Revenue Collector and four tahsildars.In the administration of justice the courts are guided generally by the codes of British India.
The lowest courts are those of the tahsildars^ two of whom have the powers of a third-class magistrate, while three decide civil suits not exceeding Rs. 50 in value. Over them are the Faujdari (criminal) and Diwdni (civil) courts, presided over by two officials called hakims. The former can sentence to three years' imprisonment and Rs. 500 fine, while the latter decides suits not exceeding Rs. 3,000 in value. Both hear appeals against the decisions of tahsildars.
Over them is the Judicial Officer, who has the powers of a Court of Session except that he does not hear appeals, and decides suits not exceeding Rs. 5,000 in value. Lastly, there is the Mahakma khds^ which is the final appellate authority, and disposes of all cases beyond the powers of the Judicial Officer, subject to the proviso that all cases of heinous crime involving the punishment of death or imprisonment for life are reported to the Political Agent and disposed of in accordance with his advice.
The formal revenue of the chiefship is nearly 3 lakhs, the chief sources being; land, about 1-7 lakhs; cotton-press, Rs. 29,000; customs, Rs. 17,000; and payments by jdglrddrs^ Rs. 8,500. The normal expenditure is about 2-6 lakhs, the chief items being : civil and judicial staff, 1-4 lakhs; private and household expenditure, Rs. 46,000; troops and police, Rs. 11,000; and tribute, Rs. 10,000. These figures relate also to the estate of Kachhola,
The coins current in the chiefship are the British, the Chiton of Mewar, and the Gydrdh sana or Igarah sana. The latter is a local coin struck by the Rajas of Shahpura since 1760 or 1780, but the mint has been closed since 1870 under the orders of Government. The Gydrdh sana rupee was formerly worth about 10 or loj British annas, but now exchanges for about 8 annas,
Of the 132 villages in the chiefship, 64 are Mdlsa, 52 jaglr, and 1 6 mudfi. Land under the last tenure is held free, while the holders vtjagir land have to perform service and pay tribute. In the khalsa area the land revenue is paid in cash on the kharif or rains crops, varying from Rs. 3 to Rs. 8 per acre, while on the rabi or spring crops it is levied in kind, varying from one-fourth to one-half of the produce. Save in a few cases, the tenants have no proprietary rights, and can be dispossessed at any time; but with the chiefs permission they can dispose of, or transfer, their right of cultivation.
The military force consists of 44 cavalry, 65 armed and 176 general infantry, or a total of 285 of all ranks, with 10 serviceable guns,
The police force consists of 400 men, of whom 42 are mounted and 130 are chaukldars. The only jail is at the capital and has accom- modation for 29 prisoners ; the daily average number in 1904 was 20. The jail manufactures are unimportant and on a very small scale, con- sisting of cotton carpets, matting, and rope.
In respect of the literacy of its population, Shahpura stands third among the States and chiefships of Rajputana with 5-3 per cent, able to read and write : namely, 9-8 per cent, of the males and 0-4 of the females. There are only four schools, of which three, including a girls' school, are at the capital, and one at Kothian in the north-west. The daily average attendance at these four institutions in 1904-5 was 200, and the expenditure about Rs. 4,000,
A hospital is maintained at the capital, which cost Rs. 1,840 in 1904. Vaccination is not popular. In 1904-5 the vaccinator successfully vaccinated 894 persons, or about 21 per 1,000 of the population.
