c

r

AN ACCOUNT OF THE

DISTRICT OF BHAGALPURIN

1810-11

BY

FRANCIS BUCHANANPrinted from the Buchanan MSS. in the India

Office Library, with the permission of theSecretary of State for India in Council.

PATNA:

Published on behalf of the Bihar & Orissa Research Societyby Rai Bahadur Radha Krishna Jalan,

andPrinted at the Patna Law Press,

1939.

Price—Us. 12 /-

^

FACTORS DETERMINING POPULATION

endowments, and they cannot endure the restraints whichEuropean discipline requires. They fill up however theenormous police establishment which is here maintained,and, I believe, would be exceedingly willing to assist anyparty in a predatory warfare. The men serving in theregular police (Burukandaj) are superior both in know-ledge and appearance to those commonly found in Bengal ;but those paid in lands for military service are very in-different. It was reckoned that in the whole districtthere were 9210 men dedicated by birth to the use of armsand willing to be employed in this kind of service. Ofthese only 4045 had found regular employment at home,158Ö had gone to other places in quest of employment,and 1110 strangers were here in addition employed. Themilitary service, therefore, makes very little drain onpopulation.

The civil service rather gives an increase of popula-tion. In the whole district it was estimated that 1107men had gone to distant parts in quest of this employ-ment, and that 1260 strangers had here found service.

Commerce makes little change on the population.A few Bangalese traders are settled in the wilder parts,but most of the commerce is carried on by natives. Thenumber of boats is very small, and even these are mostlymanned by people from the Puraniya district. In fact thepeople are of a very domestic turn, exceedingly unwillingto go abroad, and at home make very little exertion ;but there is in this a good deal of difference. In thewestern parts near the Ganges, and in the eastern cornertowards Murshedabad, the people are more industriousthan they are about Rajmahal, Kahalgang, and throughwhat is called the Janggaltari,

The drains on population are very small, and ingeneral the manners of both women and men are exceed-ingly strict. The number of prostitutes is trifling, andin most parts the women are watched with an uncommoncare and severity, while they are so slovenly as in greatmeasure to lose all personal attractions. Notwithstand-ing these circumstances, and an uninterrupted peace fora number of years, with a large extent of very fertile ter-ritory unoccupied, it would appear from the reports ofthe natives, that the population is in some place on the

biSEASES OF BÖAGALPÜR i 73

diminution, and scarcely anywhere is advancing withthat rapidity which might be expected. For this dimi-nution or slow progression of population various reasonsare assigned, and deserve especial notice.

The system of premature marriages is carried to avery destructive length, and no doubt contributes to checkpopulation ; but not to a greater degree than in manyparts, where the population has made a rapid increase.The widows, who adhere to the rigid rule of Hinducelibacy, are here more numerous than in Bengal. Thishowever is probably not more than sufficient to counter-balance the superior strictness in the moral conduct ofthe wives of Bhagalpur.

The practice of inoculation is almost universal ; butthe few families that reject it, will in all probability con-tinue obstinately to adhere to their refusal ; for it hasbecome a rule of caste. Some of them are Moslems ofrank, who adhere to their folly from a knowledge of thedoctrine which their prophet taught. The greaterprevalence of inoculation in this district than in some ofthose already surveyed ought to have produced an increaseof population; but other diseases are no doubt commonand it is to sickness that many attribute the decrease inthe number of people. This I am persuaded is a mis-take ; for in the first place, the diseases peculiar to India,especially the Koranda which chiefly affects propagationare not near so common as towards the east ; and fevers,the most common destroyer of mankind, are not near socommon as in Puraniya. In the next place, the most po-pulous part of the district, near Murshedabad, is just thatwhere these two diseases are the most severe. It is true,that in Rajmahal, Paingti and Fayezullahgungj fevers arestated to be more common, but they are not near so fatal.The western parts of the district are, for a warm climate,uncommonly healthy, yet many parts there are very thin-ly inhabited.

Fevers in general are not so dangerous as in Europe,and it is only in the Eastern corner of the district thata great proportion assume a bad form. This indeed issaid to have been only the case for about 17 or 18 years;for until then the vicinity of Murshedabad was by thenatives considered as rather salubrious ; but now a sad

174 DISEASES OF BIIAGALPÜR

reverse has taken place, and almost every year there is inthat part of the country a severe autumnal epidemic.Everywhere in the vicinity of the hills and woods thevernal epidemic is more severe than in cultivated plains ;but I no where heard that it equalled in severity the epi-demic of autumn.

Fluxes, pituitous and bilious (Aong and shekumjari)are more common in spring than autumn ; but are neithervery frequent nor destructive. Choleras are far fromcommon.

The people afflicted with both kinds of leprosy areviewed here with the same injustice that follows them inPuraniya. The most terrible in the Hindi dialect ismost commonly called Kor but is not near so common astowards the S. E. That in which the skin becomes white,on the contrary, is more frequent, and is most commonlycalled Charka. In general it is only partial, but Isaw several instances of complete albinos, with weak blueeyes, and white hair. Two of them were children bornof parents quite black and apparently in good health ; butthe children were weakly

At Tarapur in this district I saw two dwarfs, bothadult men : one of them was 3 feet 9S inches high, andtolerably well made ; the other was somewhat smaller,but he was rather distorted.

The different chronical swellings are here muchrarer than in the districts hitherto surveyed. Personswho reside on the right bank of the Ganges seem littlesubject to the swelling which affects the throat, and mostof those in the divisions south from the great river who phave this disease have been affected during a residence, VAof considerable length on the opposite bank. The peoplewho live on the bank of the Man river are considered aspeculiarly liable to this disease. It is said that HaradattaSingha, a neighbouring Zemindar, dug there a fine well(Indara,) which was lined with brick. While this wellcontinued in repair the disease is said to have appearedin the vicinity less frequently ; but since the water hasbecome bad, the disorder has become as common as ever.These circumstances would seem to point out a certaincondition of the water used as the cause of the disease;and it may be supposed, that the water of the Ganges is

CAUSES OF THE WANT OF POPULATION 175

purified by a long course, from the quality that producesthis disease, and which seems to be peculiar to the waterof Alpine regions. I am however told that the people ofthe Northern hill tribe are subject to this complaint, andtheir hills have nothing approaching to an Alpineelevation.

On passing the boundary of the Mogul province ofBengal the Sarcocele becomes a more rare disease ; andseems to diminish more and more towards the west.

In this district the fever, accompanied by an enlarge-ment in the glands of the neck, is very rare ; but that at-tributed to a diseased state of the nose is now exceeding-ly common and troublesome ; for it usually attracks thosewho are liable to it almost every month, and lasts twoor three days at a time. Formerly, as it is said, thisdisease was not common, and it is for only five or sixyears that it has become so prevalent.

The people of this district, and those of the hilltribes more particularly, are much subject to rheumatism, \which seems to be owing to a want of sufficient clothingand to their supplying the want in cold weather by hang-ing much over a fire.

To return to a consideration of the causes of thewant of people, in some parts of the district, as fromRajmahal to Kahalgang, it is by many attributed to thefrequent marching of troops and to the passage of travel-lers, especially Europeans, and it is alleged that both haveso shamefully plundered the country that it has been desert-ed. Although instances of plunder by troops and by theservants of Europeans travelling through the country haveundoubtedly occurred, yet I am persuaded that bothparties have in general taken very great precautions to avoidinjury, and that the complaints, which the natives of theseparts are in the habit of making, are not only in generalfalse but are done for the purpose of enhancing the priceof everything that they sell, and for the purpose of sup-porting a base system of mendicity into which they havefallen. They find, that these complaints of injustice in-duce travellers, from a laudable desire of supporting thenatural character, to overlook imposition, and to opentheir purses. From the attention to military discipline, andfrom the honourable disposition, which I am persuaded

t

204 PANDITS AND BRAHMANS

Besides the teachers, there are in the whole districtabout 50 persons called Pandits, who have been educatedregularly in grammar and law ; none of them, havestudied metaphysics ; but most of them, if not all, have asmattering of Jyotish, so as to be able at least to calculatenativities and fortunate times. One of them, Gauri-datta Pathak of Mungger, the most sensible man that Ihave been able to find in that vicinity as an assistant,constructs almanacks.

Sambhunath Ghosh, a Bengalese Kayastha of Cham-panagar, and one or two Baidyas in the S. K. part of thedistrict, have studied Grammar, but in general this andthe higher sciences have been entirely reserved to thesacred order.

The Brahmans in the western parts of the districthave reserved to themselves the exclusive privileges ofacting as astrologers, soothsayers, and wise men(Jyotish). In the eastern parts the Daivaggnas of Bengalhave made some intrusion on this valuable branch ofscience, which is here by far the most profitable. Amongthe 50 Pandits above mentioned, 40 may practise this art,and perhaps 15 more are practitioners, without havingreceived an education that entitles them to the degree ofPandit. The common Dasakarma Brahmans can tell for-tunate days for marriages, building houses, cultivating land,or such trifles. These men can read, but do not under-stand any composition in Sangskrita. The Daivaggnas ofthe east possess nearly a similar state of knowledge.Medicine is in rather a more creditable state than towardsthe east. About 270 Sakadwipi Brahmans and a fewMaithilas practise medicine. They in general know moreor less of Sangskrita, and have some books treating ondiseases and remedies, and written in that language. Agreat part is committed to memory, and a Slok orcouplet is on all [occasions] quoted as of divine authorityto remove all doubts, and to astonish the multitude,who do not understand a word of it. In fact, whatI have said concerning those in Puraniya is appli-cable to those here. At Bhagalpur, Mungger, Raj-mahal, and Pratapgunj, are men who have regularpractice.̂ In other parts they are hired as servants,and receive monthly wages, amounting to from 10 to 20

MEDICÍNE AND SURGERY 205

rupees, partly given in land. In this district I did nothear of any other practitioners ol medicine, who possessedanything like science, except eight men in Rajmahal,partly Brahmans, partly Kayasthas of Bengal, and partlyMuhammedans. The Baidyas here have entirely relin-quished the profession of medicine. The practitioners whoexhibit medicine without having books, and in generalwithout being able to read, are called by various namesas in Puraniya. In the whole district there may be ofsuch 600, some of whom are old women.

In the three chief towns are about 20 Jurrahs, whoevacuate the water of hydrocele, treat sores, and drawblood both by cutting a vein, and by a kind of imperfectcupping. They are by birth barbers.

The midwives are the women of the lowest castes,and merely cut the umbilical cord. The low people, whocast out devils, cure diseases and the bites of serpents,and oppose the influence of witchcraft by incantation, areexceedingly numerous. In some parts the sameperson pursues all branches of this profession, in othershe confines himself entirely to some one. On the whole,there may be about 15 or 16 hundred persons whopretend to a knowledge of this mummery. The lowcastes, that eat pork and drink spirits, are supposed tohave most skill in devils.

A branch of these wiseacres practise inoculation forthe small-pox, and with the utmost success. Thenumber stated to belong to this district is about 30,but many practitioners come from adjacent districts. Itis not here the custom for the inoculator to repeatprayers. Some Brahmans and makers of garlandsperform this office. I am informed that of thosewho are seized with the spontaneous disease, notabove one in twenty dies. The operation is managedexactly in the same manner as in the districts alreadysurveyed, and is attended with the most complete success,very few indeed dying. This success and the generaladoption of the practice render the introduction ofthe vaccine of very little importance. Mr. Hoggat Mungger employed as subordinate vaccinator, cannotprocure one person to bring a child without a bribe. Itis true that bribe is not high, being one ana or not quite

206 WITCHCRAFT

two pence, or about a day's wages for a common labourer.One from this might be led to suppose that parents hereare little interested in their children, when such a triflecan induce them to submit their offspring to a practicewhich they consider in any degree objectionable. I donot however see any other mark of such want of affec-tion ; on the contrary, the parents of this district seemfully as fond of their children as anywhere else, and tothe amount of the bribe we must add the saving of thefee, that would be given to the inocuiator.

In this district witchcraft (Jadu) is supposed to beexceedingly common. The people in the parts hithertosurveyed did not mention it so muchas here, but whetherfrom believing in it more or less I cannot say. My nativeassistants seem to think that they concealed their belieffrom an extraordinary fear ; for not one of themselvesseems to have the least doubt of the frequent practice orreality of the art. I suspect however, that in reality thepeople there are not so much afraid of the art as here ;for they seemed much more communicative than thepeople of this district, and the only talk that I heard ofit was in Kamrup, especially at Goyalpara, where thewomen were accused of using witchcraft for deludingtheir lovers. Much more desperate and unjustifiableviews are here attributed to the witches, and occasionvery great alarm to most parents. The witches (Dain)here also are supposed to be women, some young andsome old. Their supposed practices would appear to befrom pure malice. It is thought, whenever one of thesewitches sees a fine child, by means of imprecationsaddressed to some unknown gods, who are pleased withsuch worship, that she destroys its health, so that itpines away, and is deprived of reason, or dies. Unlessthe witch knows the real name of the child, her impreca-tions do no harm. On this account children are usuallycalled by some nickname, and their proper one isconcealed ; and, as most parents think their children fine,almost every one is alarmed, when in play his childrengo out of sight. The children however are generallyfortified by hanging on them something that is consi-dered as a charm against spells. At Bhagalpur it wasstated to me, that about 25 children are supposed

WITCHES 207

annually to perish in that town from the malevolence ofthese witches. Some poor women, it may be suspected,are not unwilling to be considered as witches ; for, afterthey acquire this character, parents are alarmed wheneverthey approach; and,|af ter having concealed their children,give the Dain some present to induce her to go away.

416 THE GUNDLES

varieties ; while in general the characters given to dis-tinguish what the botanists consider asdistinct speciesare not very applicable to mark the kinds with whichone meets in India. The people here, as well as inthe adjacent part of Puraniya, talk of three kindsas distinct, Gehungya, Narkatiya, and Raksa, and foreach kind have several synonyms. The Gehungya, Ifound, was also called Chauliya and Bara ; the two for-mer names are derived from its resemblance to wheat andrice ; the last name comes from its great size. This kindby the northern mountaineers is called Naltu. It agreeswith the Holcus com pac tus of the Encyclopédie, in havingits spike recurred ; but the grain is not so closely com-pacted as is described in that work. The Narkatiya Ihave not seen. The Raksa is also called Sisuya, andmay be the 4th variety of the Holcus Sorghum describedin the Encyclopédie, having an erect spreading spike.Janera is fitted for the same kinds of land with maize, butseems a very inferior grain, especially as it is very difficultto preserve from birds. In this district it seems to begradually giving way to the maize and will probably besoon altogether neglected.

The Bajra or Holcus spicatus is to be found in afew gardens as a kind of curiosity, but in such smallquantities that it cannot be included in the tables ofproduce.

Next to Janera the most considerable of the culmi-ferous crops is the gundles but it is chiefly confined tothe southern parts of the district, which in soil resembleMysore and this grain is the same with the Shamay,which in my account of that country has been so oftenmentioned, and is the Panicum miliart of the Encyclopé-die. There is said to be another kind called Neuya-gundli, but, as I did not see it, I cannot say whether itis a variety of the common Gundli or a distinct species.In this district the smallest of the culmiferous crops isthe Kaun or Kangni which is the Panicum italicumof botanists, a grain much superior to most of thosementioned. The number of small birds that are mostrapacious after its grain is assigned as the reason of itsbeing neglected. It is chiefly reared by the hill tribes,the northern of which call it Petaga.

)

LEGUMINOUS PLANTS

U PART 2ND.

OF LEGUMINOUS PLANTS.

417

These here are very important, and, as in Puraniya,the most common is the Mash-Kalai, which in the Hindidialect is most usually # called Urid or Makh. It is aspecies of PAaseolus, which I cannot refer to the des-cription given in any botanical author. There is avariety of it called Aghani Kalai, which differs in noth-ing almost fromthe Mash-kalai, but that its seed, insteadof being green, is brown, and it ripens about a monthearlier. Concerning this plant I have nothing to say inaddition to what has been mentioned in my account ofPuraniya, as it is used here exactly in the same manners.

The pulse next in importance to the Urid is theA rahar or Cytisus Cafar/, which grows with uncommonluxuriance. All that I have said concerning it in myaccount of Puraniya is entirely applicable to this district.The Vaisakhi is that most commonly reared, and isallowed the best soils. In fact I know of no finer cropthat could be possibly encouraged than maize mixed withthis pulse, and a very large proportion of the waste landis fit for producing such. The Vaisakhi kind by thenorthern tribe of mountaineers is named Gol-Lahari, theMaghi kind is named Mai Lahari.

Great quantities of the Khesari ox Lathy tus sativus,often already mentioned, are reared, especially amongrice stubble.

Next in importance to the Khesari are the twovarieties of the Cicer arietinum. That with the redflower is called But or Chana, and is by far the mostcommon. That with the white flower here also is calledKabalibut.

Next to the But the most important pulse is theKulthi mentioned in my account of Puraniya.

Next again to that is the common-pea {Pisum) . Akind called Kabali or Kusi Matar has white seeds likethe garden-pea af Europe {Pisum sa/itum), but I havenot seen the plant growing and cannot say whether itbelongs to this species or to the field pea {Pisum arvense)to which the other varieties belong. The field-oea is of

63

418 KINDS OF PULSES

two kinds called, from the seasons at which they ripen,the Maghi and Vaisakhi Matar or Kerao, these twolatter words being synonymous, the former in theBengalese and the latter in the Hindi dialect.

Masur, or the Ervum lens, or lentil, is the pulse ofnext importance, and has been already sufficiently men-tioned.

Next in importance to the lentil is the pulse whichin this district is called Bora or Ghangra, and has beenmentioned in my account of Puraniya. I had here anopportunity of examining it, and find that it is theDolichos Catiang of modern botanists, that is thePhaeeolus minor of Rumphins (vol. V, page 383 plate139). Among the mountaineers it is much cultivated,and in the language of the northern tribe is named Kusora.

The Chhota Ghangra or Muthiya Bora of thisdistrict I had an opportunity of examining here, andfound that, far from being the same with the Lubiya ofRonggopur, it seems to differ almost in nothing fromthe last, except in having its seed vastly smaller. It musthowever be observed that when reared among the stemsof maize, where it finds a support, it climbs just as muchas the other, and, except in the size of the seed, I canperceive little difference between the plants.

Next to the Ghangras in importance is the pulsecalled Meth Kalai, which appears to be the same with theKhyeri of Ronggopur, but the flower appeared to melarger, and I did not see the plant in all its stages. I amnow convinced that I followed Linnaeus too far inadmitting the Phaseolus minimus of Rumphius to belongto the Linnaean genus Phaseolus, and that I was mistakenin considering it the same with the Khyeri of Ronggo-pur. I think it now probable that it belongs to theLinnaean genus Dolichos, and is the lesser Lachhrakaliof that district, while the Phaseolus minor ruder ofRumphius is the greater Lachhrakali.

Next in importance to the above are the pulsescalled Harimug, and Sehamug or Mahananda mentionedin my accounts of Puraniya. In this district I sawneither one or other in a state fit for examination. Thelatter is the most common. Among the Bengalese hereit is called Krishnamug.

PLANTS GIVING OIL 419

The Tulbuli mentioned in my account of Puraniyais the pulse of next importance.

Next to that is the Bhetmash mentioned in the sameaccount.

The least important of the pulses is one calledSutrakalai, which I have not seen.

SECTION 3RDOf Plants giving oil.

The natives speak so confusedly concerning thecruciferous plants, which produce oil, that I cannot treatthe subject with very great confidence, but so far as Icould learn the following are the kinds cultivated in thisdistrict.

The Sarisha, Turi, Lotni, Gota, and Maghuya orMaghi Rayi are in general considered as the samespecies, and it is the one most cultivated, but it must beobserved, that among the southern woods, where thename Lotni prevails for this species, another kind, theSinapi amboimcum of Rumphius was brought to me asthe Sarisha. The plant of which I am now treating asthe most commonly cultivated for oil in this district, isthe same with the Sorisha of Dinajpur, and with theKajoli of Ronggopur.

Next in quantity to this is the Rayi, or Reingchi, ofmost parts of the district, as well as of the otherssurveyed, which is the Sinapiamboinicum of Rumphius ;but, as I have said, among the southern woods thiswas called Sarisha, while at Paingti a plant with com-pressed seed vessels much like the former only muchlarger, was called Rayi, and the Sinopi amboinicum

was called Gang-rayi. The seeds of both have pro-bably the same qualities, on which account they areinextricably confused by the farmers, although in abotanical view the two plants are abundantly diffe-rent. It is not in my power to say which is meantin the tables of each division. Only I know that theSinopi amboinicnm with the small quadrangular seedvessel was called Gangrayi at Paingti, Reingchi atKodwar, Sarisha at Bangka, and Rayi at Suryagarha ;while the kind with the large compressed seed vesselswas called Rayi at Paingti, In the tables, perhaps most