ANDHRA PRADESH DISTRICT GAZETl'EERS MANUAL OF THE KURNOOL DISTRICT IN THE ...

416 Pages·2013·25.02 MB·English

ANDHRA PRADESH DISTRICT GAZETl'EERS
A
MANUAL
OF
THE KURNOOL DISTRICT
IN THE
PRESIDENCY OF MADRAS
Originally Published in 1886
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Published by
THE srATE EDITOR, msrRICT GAZETTEERS,
HYDERABAD, ANDHRA PRADESH.
1992
Government of Andhra Pradesh
Copies can be had from :
Office of the State Editor,
District Gazetteers Department,
No 3-6-150/3, Himayatnagar,
Hyderabad - 500 029.
Price Rs.
Reprinted at
Mayur Offset Printers. Hyderabad.
FOREWORD
The manual of Kurnool district entitled A Manual of the
Kurnool District in the Presidency of Madras was compiled
by Narahari Gopalakristnamah Chetty in 1885 and published
in 1886. The compiler, who was then the Deputy Collector,
Pyapali in Kurnool district, has the distinction of being the
only Indian to be asked or allowed to compile a manual. The
fact that Narahari Gopalakristnamah Chetty was a Telugu
gentleman is a source of additional gratification. All other
manuals and gazetteers relating to Andhra area, which then
formed part of the Madras Presidency, were compiled by
European Officers.
Narahari Gopalakristnamah Chetty was a versatile
individual. He is regarded as the father of the Telugu novel
and his "Sri Rangar~ja Charitra", written in 1872, is
considered in some quarters to be the earliest full-length
novel in Telugu language.
The manual of Kurnool was followed in 1889 by another
publication; An Account of Kurnool District, by C. Benson,
although it did not conform strictly to the pattern or format
of a manual or gazetteer of a district. The statistical
Appendices for Kurnool, issued in 1905, 1915, 1928 and 1932,
are other publications which were successively issued after
the above two publications pertaining to the district. The
District Gazetteers Department, established in the State in
1958, published a district gazetteer of Kurnoal in 1974.
The original manual was subsequently revised, and an
updated edition of Kurnool Gazetteer (1974) is available.
Even so, there has been a persistent demand from the
administrators and research-scholars for the re-publicatian
of the old manual. Apparently these old volumes are still
highly esteemed and their utility remains undiminished even
after a century and more since the original publication. The
Government of Andhra Pradesh, therefore, decided to have
the old manuals and gazetteers reprinted in a phased
programme, and the I\1anual of Kurnool (1886), along ,vith
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iv
other old manuals and gazetteers, has accordingly been taken
up for reprinting by this department.
The manual of Kurnool, compiled more than a hundred
years ago, contained some passages and historical dates,
which have since been found to be inaccurate. The District
Gazetteer of Kurnool (1974), compiled on the strength of a
vast data ami dedicated scholarship that flowed during the
century or so preceding its publication gives an updated
account on each subject. No attempt has, however, been
made to alter what might be considered mistakes or
aberrations, today, in the present reprinted Manual of
Kurnool.
H. RAJENDRA PRASAD,
State Editor In-charge.
HYDERABAD,
15th February, 1992.
A
MANUAL
OF WE
KURNOOL DISTRICT
IN WE
PRESIDENCY OF MADRAS.
COl\IPlLED BY
NARAHARI CHETIY,
GOPAL~KRISTNAMAH
DEPUTY COLLECTOR, PYAPALI. h.<JRNOOL.
:MADRAS:
PRINTED BY R HILL, AT THE GOVERNMEN"T PRESS.
1886.

PRE F ACE.
THE district of Kurnool being an outlying one, far
removed from the scene of political events and the high road
of military movements, and not brought within the influence
of British rule till a recent period, the materials available
were comparatively scanty, and to this may be added the
fact that Nawab Munauwar Khan finding the records in
inextricable confusion, and difficult to re-arrange, ordered
them to be carried by elephants and thrown into the
Tungabhadra river when it was in flood. Hence the
information contained in the following pages, especially the
account relating to the Nawabs, is not as full as one would
wish it to be.
For their valuable assistance in revising portions of the
Manual for the press, I tender my sincere thanks to the Rev.
William Stephenson of the London Mission, Conjeeveram
Somasundra Shastriar Avergul, B.A., Kurnool Huzur Sher
istadar, and Tumcherla Ramachendra Row Garu, B.A., B.L.,
District Munsif of Gooty.
N. GOPALAKRISTNAMAH CHETTY.
PYAPALI, }
18th August 1885.

CONTENTS
PAGE
CHAP. I·-PHYSICAL AND GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE COUh"TRY _
CHAP. ll·~ENERAL AND POLITICAL HIsroRY Z5
CfiAP. ill.-REVENUE HISTORY 51
CHAP.\, N.~lRRIGATION _ 95
CHAP. V~LOGY .• 114
CHAP. VI--MINERALS 122
CHAP. VIl.-FLORA 131
CHAP. Vlll.-FA UNA 145
CHAP. IX.-NALLAW.ALA HILL TRIBES, THE CHENCHUS HiS
CHAP. X.-80ClAL CK-\RACTERISTlCS _ 160
CHAP. XI.-AGRICULTURE 209
CHAP. Xll.-MANUFAcruru:s AND TRADES 231
CHAP. Xill.-A... ". QUITlES 239
CHAP. XIV·-DE..."CRIPTlVE ACCOUh'1' OF TALUKS _ 255
CHAP. XV·-KURNOOL MUNICIPALITY 294
CHAP. XVI·-LOCAL A?-Hl SPECL-\L LOCAL FUNDS .. S~
CHAP. XVn.-POUCE 309
CHAP. l\.'1U.--CUMATE A"I-;'1l HEALTH 317
CHAP. XIX.-DESCRIPTIVE ACCOUh'T OF BANGANAPALLE 322
APPENDICES
APPENDIX A.
L-St.atement showing the Revenue from all Sources for a series of
~= ~
IL--'l'nlukwar Statement of Land Reyenue and Miscellaneous for a
series of years 335
IIL-Talukwar St.atement of Abkari and Miscellaneous Revenue for a
series of years 337
IV.--'l'alukwar Statement of Stamp and Miscellaneous Revenue far a
series af years. 331
V.-Statement showing the N=ber af Ryats, Pattas-, &c., in each Taluk
in the District of Kurooal for fasli 1291 33S
VI.-Statement showing the Number of Live and Dead Stock in the Dis-
trict of Kurnool for 1882·83 .. 338
VII.-Varieties af Tenure held direct from Government in the District af
Kumaal for the year 1882·83. 339
VIIL--Stat.ement of Rent Roll far fasli 1291 (1881-82) 339
IX._Stat.ement. showing the Rainfall in each af the Taluks far thirteen
years 340
X.-Stat.ement of Wild Animals killed Rnd the Rewards paid by the
Government for I!. series of year an
Xl--Stat.ement of Demand of Zemindarics, Innm Villages, &c., in the
District of Kumool, for rasli 1292 (1882·83) 342
CONTENTS
XII.-Statement showing the Date of Receipt and Delivery of the District
Charges from the commencement 843
XlJI-List of Pensioners paid at Kurnool District Treasury .. 344
APPENDIX B.
1.- Statement of Ryots' Holdings, Cultivation, and Settlement for a
series of faslics 845
II.- Prices of Grains for a series of faslies. (Madras Garee of 3,200
Seers of Rupees 120 a Viss) .. 347
m.- Area cultivated and uncultivated and Communications in the
District of Kurnool during the year 1882·83 348
rv.~ Statement showing the Total in Acres under Cultimtion of the
Chief Products of each Taluk in the Kurnool District for
1882·83 .. 349
y_ Statement shov.ing the Cultivation of Sugar-cane, Cotton, and
Indigo for a series of years .. 353
VI. - Statement showing the Seasons of the different Crops .. 354
APPENDIX C.
1.-Statistics of the District Jail at Kurnool " 356
II.--; Statistics of SuWails in the District of Kurnool 357
m.- Statement of Persons tried, convicted .e.nd acquitted, and of Property
lost and recovered 358
IV.- Statement shov.ing the Strength of the Police Foree and Cost of
L1e Establishment in the Kurnool District for 1882·83 363
V.- Castewar Statement of the Police Force in the Kurnool District 354
APPENDIX D.
I.- S~1.tement sho"'ing the Area, Houses and Population of the District
according to the Census of 1881 365
II.- Births in the Kumool District for 1882 366
m.- Deaths in the Kumool District for 1882 366
1\'.- Statement sho\\ing the various Causes of Death for 1882 367
V- S~1.tement of Increase or Decrease of Population 367
APPENDIX E.
1.- List of Religious Institutions, their Festivals and Allowances on
their account in L'Ie District .. 368
rr.- Statemmt shov:in" the Number of In and Out Patients in L'Ie seve·
ral Ci,il Dispensaries in the Kumool District for five years.. 376
m.-
Swtement showing the Number and Cost of the Local Fund
Schools in the District 376
IV.-Statement showing the various Establishments and the Salaries
paid to them during the official year 1882·83 377