History of the Panjab from the remotest antiquity to the present time

Latif, Syad Muhammad · 1891 · Public domain (published pre-1930) · archive.org ↗

1( li)

2CHAPTER IT.

3PHYSICAL FEATURES OF THE COUNTRY, ITS AREA, POPULA-

4TION, CLIMATE, PRODUCTS AND TRADE.

5The Panjdb, with its feudatory states,” covers an area of 144,436 square

6miles, and, according to the census of February, 1891, contains a population

7of 25,061,956+ souls. The Province, which is under the administration of a

8Lieutenant-Governor, lies between 27°39’ and 35°2’, N. latitude and 69°35’

9and 78°35’, E. longitude. The shape, in outlino, of the Panjéb proper

10approaches that of a sector of a circle, the centre being at the contluence of

11the Panjnad and the Indus, the extreme radii being the Sulaiman range and

12the River Sutlej, and the arc in the highest latitude close to the 35th

13parallel. The capital of the Panj&b is Léhore, situated about the centre of

14the Province, which was itself called by that name during the Moghal

15dynasty; but by far the most important city, as regards population, art and

16trade, is Delhi, the ancient metropolis of Hindostan.

17The Panjab is 4n extensive, flat plain, hemmed in by high mountain walls

18on the north and west, and open to the south and east. The physical

19features of the country in the northern and southern parts are very marked.

20The north-east angle comprises the Alpine region of Kangra, and the

21north-west angle the Eusafzai, Peshawar, Kohat and Hazdré Valleys. ‘The

22fertilizing influence of the great rivers, the courses and characteristics of

23which have just been described, contributes mainly to the charming

24appearance of the sub-montane tract, intersected by green valleys and

25encircled by snow-clad hills. The southern, or plain, part belongs natural-

26ly to the same level table-land as the thirsty desert of Rajputdnd and

27the wild and dry country of Sindh. This plain is divided into Dodbs,

28or intra-fluvial tracts, which form the natural divisions of the country. The

29Dodbs are still popularly known by the names which were given them in

30the days of the Moghal ascendancy, and are called after the respective rivers

31which enclose them, by combining the initial letters or syllables of each

32name; a fact noticed by the hjstorians of Alexander, furnishing proof of

33the searching nature of their enquiries. “The greater part of the country,”

34says Arrian, “is level and champaign, which is occasioned, as some suppose,

35by the rivers working down mud during their inundationus, so that some of

36the countries have borrowed their names from the rivers which pass through

37them.” Thus the tract between the Bids and Ravi is called the Bari Dodb,

38(land of two rivers), that between the Ravi and Chindib the Rechna Dodh,

39and that between the Chindb and Jhelum the Chaj Dodb. The space enclos-

40ed between the Jhelum and Chindb, on one side, and the Indus, on the other,

41takes its name from the latter river and is styled the “Sindh Sdgar”

42Dodb or “Ocean of the Indus.” The tract enclosed between the two last of

43the Panjab rivers, the Bids and Sutlej, is called the Bist Jalandar, this

44ta eemeaenmendigameeem tienen acne amr san annette ‘i

45*Késhmir, which is under the control of the Panjab Government, is excluded from

46consideration.

47+ British territory, 20,805,279 ;. Native states, 4,236,677, excluding Pangi and Lahul, of which

48the census has not yet been ascertained. According to the census of February 1881, the u-

49lation of the Panjab, including the feudatory States (but excluding Kashmir) was 22, fo y20

50souls, or one-tenth of the whole area, and one-eleventh of the total population of the Indian

51Empire. Of the total ulation of the Province (according to the census of 1881) one-half

52were Mussalmans, two-fifths Hindus and one-tenth Sikhs. The proportion of each sect to the

53total population according to the last census, has not yet been ascértained ; but it is not likely

54to have altered very much. It would appear from the figures given above. that the population

55of the British territory in the Panjab has increased from nineteen millions in 1881, to twenty-one

56none in 1891, Alea ly af a native a. oe the or wencing figures of 1881 by

57abou per cen s the result of most distric ows, the aggregate figures in n 1

58British India show an increase over the figures for ‘se Fe sa il

59*%

60Extent of tha

61country,

62Population,

63LAhore,

64Physical features of

65the country,

66The Doaha of tha

67Paujab,