| Census
2011
District population : 34,33,919
Growth : 24.17%
Sex Ratio : 921
Literacy : 58.71
Brief About Gonda District
The territory covered by the present district of Gonda
formed part of the ancient kingdom of Kosala . After the death of
Rama he celebrated sovereign of the Solar line , who ruled Kosala
the kingdom was divided into two portion the northern and southern
the Ghaghara forming the boundary between the two .
The district was the part of Awadh province in
reign of Mughals. At came in jurisdiction of Behraich Sarkar when
Akbar divided Awadh and make two separate administrative centre
Bahraich and Gorakhpur in Northern part of Ghaghra . The District
was controlled by the ruler of Awadh till the annexation in feb
.1856 Awadh was annexed by the British government and Gonda was
separated from Bahraich. In British rule a commissionary was constituted
for the administration of this area.Its head quarter was in Gonda
& military command was in Sakraura Colonelganj. At the time
of independence there were three Tehsil Gonda Sadar , Tarabganj
and Uttraulla in the district . On 1st July 1953 the Tehsil Uttraulla
was bifurcated in two Tehsil namely Balrampur and Uttraulla . three
new Tehsil were constituted in 1987 as Tulsipur, Mankapur and Colonelganj.
Later on in 1997 district bifurcated in two part and Balrampur district
was created including three Tehsil of north part , Gonda remains
four Tehsil Gonda , Colonelganj , Tarabganj and Mankapur
On the border district of Gonda and Shravasti lies
a vast area of ruins known at the present day as Sahet Mahet or
Set Mahet represents the ancient site of Shravasti which covered
the region comprising of both the districts. The ancient history
of both these districts therefore,is the history of Shravasti and
region around it.It was the capital of Uttar Kosala. About 16 km.
from Balrampur,83km. north of Ayodhya and 1,152km.from Rajgir.The
town was founded by Sravasta.A king of Solar race Sahet.The first
member of the twin name.Is applied to the site of the walled city
of Shravasti.
The Vayu Purana and Uttra khand of the Ramayana
speak of the two Kosala., and mention Shravasti as capital of north
Kosala and Kusavati as that of the south Kosala. The two Kosalas
are said to have been once under the suzerainty of one and the same
king . The epic hero Rama,who had installed his son Kusa in south
Kosala with its capital Kusavati at the foot of the Vindhyas and
his son Lava in north Kosala with Shravasti as its capital.
Shravasti is the Savatthi or Savatthipura of the
Buddhists and Chandrapura or chandrikapuri of the Jainas. Savatthi
is the pali and ardhamagadhi form of the Sanskrit name Sravasti.
MEDIEVAL PERIOD
The first Muslim in invasion of the region north of Ghaghra
took place in second quarter of 11th century under Sayed Salar Masud
,son of salar sahu,the general of mahmud of Ghazni. The rulers of
Gonda and adjoining parts were much perturbed to find a foreigner
in their country but soon they formed a confederacy, and decided
to offer united resistance to Masud.In the meantime, Suhil Deo of
Sahet Mahet,who was known for his valour. Joined them at this critical
hour, which proved fruitful .He is said to have forewarned Masud,that
if he wished to save his life ,he had better leave that country
and go elsewhere,as the land belonged to there ancestors, and they
were determined to drive him from it.Masud, thereupon sent a brief
and simple reply the country is God's and the property of him on
whom. He bestows it.Who gave it to your father's and ancestors.The
council of war decided Masud to remain on the defensive,but the
Hindus drove of his cattle and forced an attack.Many trucks suffered
death from fireworks & the insidious spikes.The loss was great
on both sidesand on third of Muslim army perished.During the month
of June 1033 continuous fighting went on.Two-thirds of what remained
of the Muslims were slain and among them Saifud-din the Kotwal of
the Army.In spite of many vicissitudes Masud did not loss courage
and while making a bid to mount his horse to repel the attack ,his
body-guard was attacked by Shil Deo and his men.An arrow pierced
the main artery in Masud's arm resulting in his death and the remnant
of his body-guard was cut to pieces by Suhel Deo on June 14 ,1033.Thus
ended this singular invasion and Islam was in abeyance in Avadh
until the conquest of Shihab-ud-din Ghuri in 1193.
It seems probable that Sultan Iltutmish effected
the subjugatitin of lands as far as Avadh & Bahraich & the
districts north of Ghaghra including Gonda.From this time onwards
Gonda & Bahraich seem to have always been held singly owing
to its isolated position due to river Ghaghra.Sultam Iltutmish appointed
his eldest son Malik Nasir-ud-din Mahmud,as governor of Avadh in
1226.According to Minhaj-uj-Siraj, the author of Tabaqat-i-Nasiri,this
prince overthrew and reduced to submission the Bhars under whose
sword more than one hundred and twenty thousand Muslims had perished.These
Bhars who resisted the prince were presumably none else than the
local people of districts of Gonda & Bahraich.
The Districts is historically and geographically
linked with Bahraich from time immemorial. In the second half of
the 13th century Gonda was included in the government of Bahraich
by the early Muslim rulers and hence has no Independent history
of its own.The government of Bahraich was separate from that of
its Avadh for Imam-ud-din Rihan, the disgraced vazir of Sultan Nasir-ud-din
Mahmood was relegated to his fief of Bahraich in 1254,while at the
same time Avadh was held by Qutlaugh Khan.Imam-ud-din Rihan was
succeeded in his fief by Malik Taj-ud-din Sanjar about 1255.
There is no specific reference about the district
till the reign of the Tughlaqs probably on account of its inclusion
in the government of Bahraich.Nevertheless the district of Gonda
provided a free passage to Sultans of Delhi who usually marched
through these districts on way to the eastern parts of their empire.The
road from Bahraich to Ayodhya lay through Gonda and Khurasa and
was frequently traversed by the Sultans and their Army.Gonda &
Khurasa did not find mention in historical records till the reign
of Ghiyas-ud-din Tughuq,who is said,to have received the submission
of the local chieftains on his march to the eastern parts(1323).In
1353.Feroz Shah Tughluq took the same route and it is said that
the raja of Khurasa accompanied him to Lakhnauti.In 1394,the district
appears to have come under the sway of Khwaja Jahan Malik Sarwar,the
founder of the Sharqi dynasty of Jaunpur, who held the change of
eastern parts including Bahraich and most probably Gonda.The Sharqis
held sway over Bahraich and presumably Gonda till 1478 when Bahlul
Lodi appointed Kala Pahar Firmly at Bahraich.
In order to assert his authority Kala Pahar led
attacks on the adjoining districts probably Gonda & succeeded
in obtaining permanent hold over the country during the reign of
Sikandar Lodi too,he probably held the charge of Bahraich till 1486,the
year when the deserted his sovereign and became an ally of Babank
Shah of Jaunpur.
From earliest days of Muslim domination down to
the advent of Akbar,the history of the district is primarily the
history of local clans, while some of them migrated into this district
during this period .During the early phase of his period the whole
of Gonda was ruled by law caste aborigines-Doms,Tharus,Bhars,Pasis
and the like. Tradition States that the Jain dynasty of Sahet-Mahet
gave place to the Doms of Domangarh on the bank of Rapti in Gorakhpur,
and that of this race came Ugrasen a notable Raja who built Domariadih
once a town situated on the road from Gonda to Faizabad.The Ugrasen
brought misfortune for himself by demanding in marriage the daughter
of Brahmana.This insult was avenged by a valiant Kayastha named
Rai Jagat Singh,who came from Sultanpur with a large force and overthrew
the Dom. The year of this incident is traditionally given as 1376.
This story is old as a prelude to the early Rajput
domination of the south of the District.The first clans of whom
mention is made are the Bandhalgoties,Kalhans and Bais. Of the later
nothing is known and they are presumed to be of indigenous origin.
The Bandhalgotis settled in pargana Nawabganj and thence spread
in north into Mahadeva and Mankapur where they established an independent
principality,which flourished for many generations.The pargana was
given in reward to one Nawal Shah of Amethi in district Sultanpur
who had accompanied Rai Jagat Singh and had distinguished himself
in the capture of Ramanpur.Another story relates that the same Rai
Jagat singh gave Mahadeva to one Sahaj Singh of Gujrat the founder
of the Kalhans plan in this district. He is said to have joined
the rebellion of Baha-ud-din of Malwa against Mohammad-bin-Tuglaq
and on its suppression fled for refuge to his friend Ain-ud-din
of Karra.
The descendants of Sahaj Singh established a powerful
kingdom with headquarter at Khurasa which extended over the whole
of the south of the district.Under their protection various other
Rajput colonies sprang up, such as the Bisens of Qila Rampur in
Digsir and Gauraha Bisen of Mahadeva both of whom claim connection
with the famous Bisen house of Majhauli Deoria.Gunwarich was apparently
absorbed by the great Raikwar house of Boundi and Ramnagar,while
in the north the Janwar's of Ikauna where beginning to make their
influence felt in the lands south of the Rapti.And her house was
that of Sarwaria Brahamans,who appear to have settled in the southern
paragans from very remote times.The Kalhans appear to have mentioned
their hegemony between Ghaghra & Kuana for several centuries,the
family pedigrees differing in showing seven and thirteen generation
between Sahaj Singh & the last Raja of Khurasa.
The last Kalhans ruler of Khurasa was Achal Narain
Singh.He is said to have been a great warrior and came to Avadh
with the army of Dariao Khan,the founder of Daryabad in Bara Banki.He
enlarged his property greatly and spread his victorious arms beyond
he Ghaghra. His end was due to his unbridled authority and oppression
,which culminated in the adduction of a Brahmana girl ,the daughter
of one Ratan pande.The latter pleaded in vain for reparation ,and
died after sitting at the door of the raja's place for twenty-one
days. It is said that with his dying breath he cursed the raja and
his threat of vengeance was fulfilled by the Utter destruction of
the raja his place and the town of Khurasa in and inundation of
the river saryu. A more prosaic version of the strove attributes
the downfall of the raja to his arrears of revenue due to Mubariz
Khan Adili in 1554, for which Ratan Pandey had stood security.
With the fall of kalhans came general redistribution
of territory. Bhring Sah ,the son Achal Narayan Singh. fled eastward
and founded the estate of Babhanipur and Rasulpur Ghaus of Basti;
Maharaj his other son went to Dehras in Gunwarich and there laid
the foundation of the great property held by the kalhans of the
chhedwara.The Bandhalgotis strengthened their position in Mankapur
and refused to acknowledge a suzerain.The Fuaraha Bisens in Mahadeva
became practically independen;and other bisens in Digsir rose from
their low estate to a position which soon overshadowed that of the
other clans. As a result the wide tract of country held by Achal
Narayan Singh passed almost at once into the hands of Digsir Bisens.
Later Pratap Singh, of Gauhani, who was chaudhari of pargana Khurasa
near Gonda and his brother Sarabjit Singh chief officer of the raja's
army took advantage of the opportunity offered and became the rulers
of the estate. it was at this period that the town of Gonda came
into existence and foundation was laid of the Bisen's raj that is
so closely connected with the history of the district till the advent
of the British rule
The district formed an integral part of Akbar;s
empire (1556-1605) and was divided between the sirkars of Avadh,Bahraich
and Gorakhpur in the subah of Avadh .The Bahraich sirkar contained
eleven mahals but most of these lay undoubtedly within the limits
of the present district of that name .It seems probable that Hisampur
extended into Gonda and included most of pargana Paharapur and part
of Gunwarich.The eastern boundary of mahal Bahrah also probably
extended into Balrampur.But one mahal going by the name of kharonsa
which is almost certainly a corruption of khurasa. undoubtedly lay
within the gonda district and apparently comprised all the land
between the Tehri and Kuwano rivers stretching as far as the Utraula
boundary.The Single Mahal of Ganwarich of Gawarchak as it is written
in the Ain-i-Akbari for some reason and other belonged to the sirkar
of Avadh. Possibly because this Mahal was the grazing ground for
the Subahdar's cattle from which the name is said to have been derived.This
Mahal included the present Gunwarich & most of Digsir possibly
too Paharapur.All these Mahals fetched substantial revenue of the
district.
Man singh, the reputed founder of Gonda and successor
of Achal Narayan Singh,the kalhan raja mentioned before, is presumed
as the contemporary of Jahangir (1605-1627).The story goes that
in 1618 he presented to the emperor a fine elephant at Ajmer and
in reward obtained the title of raja. This imperial favour is attributed
to the prosperity of Bisen's who flourished unhindered in their
estate for considerably a long period .Man Singh was followed by
a number of successors whose reigns were for the most part uneventful
and were chiefly distinguished by a peaceful extension of cultivation
by the various colonies of the clan .In 1965,Raja Ram Singh,a Bisen
in the same line came to the throne and his reign marked a period
of prosperity for the clan.He promptly carried a war with Janwars
and destroyed their fort at Bhatpuri around 1665 and succeeded in
ejecting them from that trace.He then turned his attention to the
west and drove out the Raikwars from the lowlands ,annexing 74 villages
which were formed into a new pargana of Paharapur. Raja Ram Singh
died in 1693 and was succeeded by his elder son .Raja Dutt Singh
who rose to be the most powerful of the chief tains north of the
Ghaghara. His first expedition is said to have been against the
Pathans of Bahraich in revenue for an outrage of a Brahmana women.He
then turned his arms south wards and with the help of the Pathans
of Utraula he conquered and annexed Paraspur and Ata and thus the
boundary of the Bisen was fixed to the south of the town of Paraspur.
The extent of his dominions was the whole of the Paraspur Gonda.Digsir
Mahadeva and part of Gunwarich.
It was not long after however,that the Bisen were
threatened in an unlooked for direction Saadat Khan's policy in
Avadh seems to have been to cherish the peasantry ,and to keep in
check the encroachments of the larger landholders; and he was probably
the first to make the power of the Central Government felt through
out the province.With the intention of reducing to submission the
most powerful of the local chieftains Saadat Khan appointed Alawal
Khan an Afghan of Bahraich ,as in charge of the country beyond the
Ghaghara Alawal Khan on his first visit to gonda insulted the raja,who
was of small stature by lifting him off his feet while embracing
him. Datt Singh reciprocated by presenting in place of his brother;
one Bhairon Raj a gigantic Gauraha Bisen, of Mahadewa,who returned
the compliment in the same manner.After this incident the raja of
Gonda refused to pay revenue,and Alawal Khan was sent with a big
force to Gonda .Crossing the river Ghaghara at Paska he was joined
by the Kalhans, with whose aid he stormed the Paska fort and then
defeated a Brahman contingent at Malauna.Advancing towards Gonda
he compelled Datt Singh to temporize,because most of his troops
were absent at Devi Patan but after a short delay the raja collected
his forces and a fierce encounter took place at Sarbhangpur in pargana
paharapur Alawal khan was killed by Bhairon Rai and the Nawab's
forces fled Bhairon Rai was rewarded with the zamindari of Mahadewa
and Dutt Singh regained his position, though not for long shortly
after wards Gonda was besieged by a second army but the siege was
eventually raised on the arrival of a large force of Bisen of Ramapur
in the north of the pargana . The Raja then came to terms with the
government and agreed to pay revenue, but his territories were made
in to a separate jurisdiction, independent of the nazim of Baharaich.
This arrangement did not curtail Datt Singh's power but rather his
power increased. He managed to place his brother Bhawani Singh in
possession of the Janwar the estate of Bhinga which henceforth was
held by the Bisens . He also seized the Bandhalgoti rai of Mankapur
and gave it to his younger son . Azmat Singh who was still arinfant
So great was his influence that all the chieftains north of Ghaghara,except
of course Nanpara acknowledged him as suzerain and brought their
forces into the field at his command Between the Ghaghara and the
Kuwana the Bisen raja had no rival ,and power remained in the hands
of his descendants till the advent of British rule.
Datt singh was succeeded by his elder son raja
Udit Singh who like his father retained the engagement of the whole
of his estate as a separate revenue division under the Lucknow government.He
was more given to religion than to war and made several expeditions
to Mathura and other place of pilgrimage.He is remembered as the
builder of the temples on artificial island and lake between the
town of Gonda and the station.Raja Udit Singh had two sons, Mangal
Singh and Pahlwan Singh of whom the former married a Kalhans of
ParasPur.Peace was then made between the two clans and the land
which had been taken from the Kalhans by Datt Singh was restored.Dutt
singh was succeeded by Mangal Singh.The reign of Mangal Singh was
very short.He had been invited to arbitrate between the two sons
of the raja of Bansi and while absent in Basti was murdered by Zalim
Singh,a Surajbansi of Amarha,a partisan of one of the claimants.His
son Sheo Prasad Singh,who succeeded him,at once marched into Amorha
and laid the pargana waste and annexed the same to his own dominions.He
was a peaceful and prudent prince and retained the whole of his
ancestral possessions. He was succeeded by his son Raja Jai Singh,who
refused to pay the customary tribute and incurred the wrath of the
authorities as he interfered in the work of an English officer who
had been sent to assist the nazim in the collection of the revenue
and who had established salt and indigo works at Gauhani(in Digsir).
Raja Jai Singh resented violation of his territories
as a personal insult and took up arms against Avadh government.The
result was a short and decisive battle on the banks of the river
Terhi.,in which Jai Singh was defeated.He fled to the hills,where
he died while his wives could be saved with difficulty by their
Pande bodyguard. Rani Phul Kunwar though for some time managed to
exercise her authority over the domain,later on she adopted Guman
Singh,grand son of Pahlwan Singh.However,his uncle Hindupat Singh
objected and compelled the Rani to fly and while crossing the Bisuhi,she
was murdered by him,who also endeavored though unsuccessfully to
secure the person of Guman Singh.After a short time the latter was
induced to leave his hiding place at Ayodhya and went to Gonda,where
his life was preserved through the vigilance of Pandes.Mardan Ram
& Bakhtawar Ram the sons of Bhawan Dutt,the banker,who had come
to Gonda from Ikauna during the reign of Sheo Prasad.Eventually,after
several attempts had been made on the life of Guman Singh ,the Pandes
attacked Hindupat Singh and murdered him and his whole family.Though
Guman Singh became raja yet on account of his youth and the disturbences
that attended his accession,the revenue officials stepped in and
Nirmal Das brother of famous minister Tikait Rai,who was then at
Bahraich,marched with a large force to Gonda and took the estate
under his direct management .He seized Guman Singh and sent him
in custody to lucknow.There he remained in confinement till he invited
the interest of the celebrated Mahant Jagjiwan Das of Kotwa in Barabanki,who
was the founder of the Sattnami sect who was a person of great influence.It
was his intercession,which secured the release of the raja. He subsequently
gave him in marriage his daughter,Bhagwant Kunwar,a lady of great
ability.Bhagwant Kunwar survived the whole of her husband's family.Guman
Singh returned to Gonda and was allowed for his subsistence 32 villages
and a cash assignment in the revenue.He lived on good terms with
the officials and from time to time added the engagement of other
villages to those which he held in Nankar.When he died in 1836,he
left a large estate and considerable wealth but with no son.A short
interregnum ensued,and the Pandes favoured the cause of Sanumam
Singh,son of Madho Singh of Mahnon.However eventually the widow
of Saif-ud-daula,who was then nazim,placed on the throne Debi Baksh
Singh,son of Daljeet Singh,the younger brother of the late raja.This
prudent and active prince built a strong fort at Jigna in the east
of the Pargana,from where he managed his estate.He increased his
property rapidly, disallowing any interference between him and the
cultivators of his land.By marrying a daughter of the raja of Bhadawar,he
formed an alliance with one of the highest Rajput families in northern
India.
As has been mentioned earlier Gonda was brought
under the direct management of the Muhamnandan rulers when Guman
Singh has become the raja of Gonda.The old fiscal arrangements of
Akbar's time had been maintained till the days of Asaf-ud-daula,who
instituted the division into nizamat & chklas.The parganas of
Gonda. Paharapur Digsir & Mahadeva formed the Bisen estate,while
Gunwarich was a part of the Bahraich nizamat,while the remainder
of the district a part of Gorakhpur.
In 1773 the Gonda estate was made over to the Bahu
Begam in jagir and till 1799 it was managed by her eunuch.Darab
Ali Khan but it was not till 1793 that he could collect revenue.as
prior to that date it was paid as a lump sum by the raja .In the
beginning of the nineteenth century Nirmal Das. an able administrator
who had held Bahraich previously, managed the Begam's jagir. From
1806 to 1816 the estate was in the hands of five different persons.the
last being Marden Ram. one of the Pande brothers who removed Hindupat
Singh. Of the Gonda nazims the most famous was Mehndi Ali Khan.
who held charge from 1808 to 1810, and the Kayasth Rai. Amar Singh
from 1812 to 1817. In 1816 the Gonda estate was incorporated in
the nizamat and Mehndi Ali Khan returned in 1818. The district flourished
under his rule. Two yearslater he lost the contract through the
jealousy of his rivals and Gonda was held by 14 nazims in 20 years.The
most noteworthy of these were raja Darshan Singh in 1837 and again
in 1842 and 1843,Raghubar Dayal Singh in 1846 & the succeeding
year.Inchha Singh 1848, and Maharaja Man Singh of the same family
in 1851.Muhammad Hasan held the district for two years and afterwards
assumed the position of nazim in Gorakhpur.The last to office in
Gonda-Bahraich was Rai Sadhan Lal. From 1853 to the date of annexation.
As to the system of administrations during the
entire Avadh rule the history of the district resolves itself into
a series of independent accounts, connected with the great taluqdari
houses. Though the other local chieftains were rapidly growing in
power and importance the interest still centered round Gonda and
its rajas. The less powerful taluqdars of Mankapur and Babhnipair
were, on the other hand. seldom allowed to collect rent in their
villages, they paid the revenue in a lump sum to the nazim. Only
the leading hereditary chieftains enjoyed supremacy within the territorial
limits of their estate. and as long as they retained that position
the formation of the mushroom taluqas so common elsewhere by revenue
farmers was impossible within the spheres of their influence. When
the Gonda estate were broken up and held directly by official collectors,
such a process became natural. It was more due to the reason that
the nazims found it convenient and of unnecessary to let out large
number of villages to wealthy individuals. The dispossessed rajas
attempted to form taluqas for themselves in this way. the Bisens
thus acquired the magnificent estate of Bishambarpur.Elsewhere as
in Gunwarich the hereditary chieftains retained both their ancestral
estates and also added them by contracting for village of their
neighbours. In this way the Kalhans of the Chhedwara acquired by
the favour of the nazims,most of the lands formerly held by the
Saiyids of Jarwal in Bahraich.But the only great Taluqas formed
in this fashion were those of the Pandes of Gonda,who were not only
wealthy but also very powerful in the district.
The nazims under Avadh government had played an
important role.They were so powerful that their individual character
and disposition especially in the case of those who held office
for several years left a strong impression on the history of the
district.Hadi Ali Khan better known by his title Nawab Saif-ud-daula
who ruled the district for over 12 years ,was a good example of
a muhammadan governor could be under favourable circumstances .
He kept good relations with the great chieftains and while treating
them leniently maintained law and order and also secured a certain
measure of justice.He also maintained sufficient force to make his
orders respected.Three years after the death of Hadi Ali Khan,his
widow Wajih-un-nissa attempted to carry on the nizamat,but though
she showed great bravery,leading the troops herself in battles,the
chief could not be kept in obedience by a women and on her defeat
at the hands of the raja of Bhinga,she resigned.Darshan Singh though
not unjust to cultivators had no mercy on the aristocratic classes
which stood between the government and realization of the rent.By
dispossessings the Taluqdars all over the district he raised the
revenue to an unprecedented height.Raja Devi Bakhsh Singh of Gonda
had to fly to avoid being captured and completed to sign one of
the so called deeds of sale of his estate.Rai Sadhan Lal,the last
nazim held the district for 3 and half years immediately preceding
annexation.He was a servant of raja Krishna Dutt Ram Pande and acted
virtually according to his wishes.
With the annexation of the province of Avadh by
the East India company in February 1856 Gonda became a separate
district in the Gonda-Bahraich Commissionership. Annexation passed
off quietly,although the Gonda raja exhibited strong disapproval
of the measure and was with difficulty persuaded to leave his fort
at Gonda and meet the district officer. His fears proved quite unfounded
for he was allowed to engage for practically the whole of his estate
at a revenue of Rs 80,000. The military headquarters of the commissioner
were a Sikraura or Colonelganj, but the civil station was at Gonda.
With a view to establish order the deputy commissioner was engaged
throughout 1856 in establishing tahsil and police stations with
the settlement of land revenue and the multifarious work required
for the purpose. As a matter of fact the administration that was
established in Avadh after its annexation was a more potent source
of active disaffection then the annexation itself.The wave indignation
was spreading all over the country and the annexation of Avadh was
undoubtedly the most impotent auxiliary cause of the outbreak of
the freedom struggle of 1857.The immediate reaction of the British
policy was seen in the district when colonel Boileau,the deputy
commissioner was attacked and killed by one Fadal Ali.Though Fazal
Ali had escaped at the time but was surprised and slain a few days
after.Though this incident in the district,the district did not
constitute a part of the first struggle for freedom,yet the resentment
behind this was undoubtedly one of the causes of feverish excitement.The
immediate reaction was seen in the district through this incident
which may be said to have served as a prelude to the freedom struggle
of 1857.
Soon after the arrival the new deputy commissioner
all-pervading causes had set in motion the forces of great revolt.At
that time the troops in the district comprised the third Oudh Irregulars
at Gonda,the first or Daly's irregular Horse,the second Oudh irregulars
and irregular Light House Battery at Sikraura.The news of the disturbances
at Meerut and Delhi had alarmed the authorities in the districts.As
the news came in from station after station ever with fresh tiding
of the revolt,there seemed to be little hope that the Bahraich division
would be exempt from the disturbances which were afflicting the
whole province.The cavalry were known to be disaffected at the beginning
of June and the other troops were considered of very doubtful fidelity.The
Britishers were more anxious about the safety of their families.So
as a first measure of precaution,the families were sent under a
guard of cavalry,principally Sikhs on 9th June to the strongholds
of certain friendly chiefs situated on the borders of Nepal.
In the meantime a false alarm, accidental or designed
precipitated the rising of the troops at Sikraura. The news was
brought in the night, that the infantry were arming. The officers,
since the departure of their families, had been sleeping at the
commissioner's house. They abruptly awoke and wentforth into the
darkness to the artillery quarters and turned the guns upon the
infantry lines.The artillery corps obeyed orders and seemed to be
faithful which did not necessite the trial of the strength of their
loyalty to the utmost; for the infantry made no demonstrations.
The officers retired to their beds while on the other hand a different
story gained credence in the infantry lines. The troops suspected
a design to massacre them as they slept; and from that time the
undenominated fear was upon them ; that had so often been the precursor
of revolt . In the troops at Sikaura there were unmistakable sings
of revolt. The chief commissioner of Avadh, had given permission
to the chief civil and military officers that in the event a revolt
breaks out or appears to be inevitable they were at liberty to take
suitable measures for their own safety. Wing field, The commissioner
of Bahraich rode to Gonda with all speed on pretence of going for
his wented evening ride. where he found that the regiment posted
there had not revolted till then.The next morning the officers,who
had been closely guarded by the troops, escaped and rode off towards
Balrampur.A few officers,who'd remained with the battery were also
persuaded by their men to fly and the small party reached Lucknow
in safety.The troops plundered the treasury and station of sikraura
and then marched off to join the regiment at Gonda.
Till then the administrative functioning at Gonda
was normal ,and the troops there were professing usual allegiance,yet
there was no reason to believe that they had not been in correspondence
with their counter-parts at Sikraura and Faizabad.But when the commissioner
brought in the discouraging news of the outbreaks at both the places,it
had become evident that the troops,though they still professed their
fidelity would join their comrades on the first appearance of any
section from either place.On the news of the outbreak of the freedom
struggle at Faizabad and of the disaffection of the Bahraich detachment,the
commissioner and the deputy commissioner with two officers of the
2nd irregulars,set off for Balrampur on 10th of June.In the meantime
a letter was received from Sikraura addressed to the men of the
3rd Regiment at Gonda urging them to seize both the treasury and
their officers.Therefore,the other officers too decided to escape
the next morning and they also left the station for Balrampur. This
party of nineteen persons and some children was accorded a hospitable
welcome at Balrampur by Raja Drigbijai Singh.Wingfield thought it
imprudent to stay with the Raja since it was undoubtedly a source
of danger both to him and the English people. Hence on evening of
the 12th they set out under and escort of the raja and 500 of his
men towards Gorakhpur, reaching Bansi on the 14th of june,and after
staying there for some days with the friendly raja of that place,arrived
at Gorkhpur on the 26th.After the escape of the officers the troops
plundered and destroyed the civil station and then marched for Lucknow.
This outbreak in this district was followed by
a war of the landholders who were discontended because of the summary
Settlement of the land revenue. The district lapsed into a state
of anarchy & the taluqdars from the first devoted their attention
to strengthening their own position. Raja Debi Bakhsh Singh of Gonda
took a leading part in the straggle for freedom. He soon followed
Raja Krishan Datt Ram who had preceded him and joined Begam's forces
at Lucknow with a thousand men. Shortly affterwords he was reinforced
by four hundred of the Gauraha Bisens under the several heads of
the clan. Har Ratan Singh of Majhgawan, however remained with the
english officers throughout escorting them from Balrampur to Gorakhpur
Raja Drigbijai Singh of Balrampur had steadily refused to join the
freemdom forces or to recognize their rule and had throughtout maintained
his allegiance to the alien rulers.Though orders from the Avadh
rule were passed to confiscate his property, their implementation
was not done since no one was found strong enough to carry them
out. The Tulsipur raja was a prisoner at Lucknow and the rani was
siding actively with the freedom forces. Her contributions to the
cause of freedom were remarkable . She had collected a large force
to assist the freedom forces and strengthen her own position . Raja
Riasat Ali Khan of Utraula had also joined the freedom forces at
Gorakhpur under Mohammad Hasan. Once nazim of Gonda-Bahraich.
Raja Debi Bakhsh Singh while leaving for Lucknow,
had left behind him his nearest kinsman. Pirthipal Singh of Mahnon,in
charge of the south of the district. The independence of the various
chieftains was providing a cause of worry to the Begam, and she
was feeling that a strong hand was necessary to represent the central
government. Consequently the Begam sent back Raja Debi bakhsh Singh
from Lucknow with plenary powers over the whole country held by
his ancestor, the famous Datt Singh. He fixed his camp at Lamati
a fort on the Chamdai on the borders of Mankapur & Mahadewa.At
this place it is said he was joined by levies amounting to twenty
thousand men. Here he remained in camp till the first news came
of the advance of the british troops.
On January 5.1858 the second Gurkha force together
with brigadier Macgregor, re-captured Gorakhpur. which was earlier
seized by Muhammad Hasan and the freedom forces had to retire westwards
towards Gonda. The Gurkhas thereafter marched to Lucknow, while
the British forces under Rowcroft remained behind with a naval brigade
and two Nepalese regiments to guard Gorakhpur. On the 4th of March.
Rowcroft with the troops under him approached this district &
took up a position near the entrenchment's of the rebels at Belwa
. These forces comprised some 14000 men under Mahdi Husain,the raja
of Gonda & Charda and others.The next morning the British forces
were attacked but after losing some 500 men and eight guns in a
stubborn fight the rebels had to retire to their Belwa entrenchments.
Thereafter Rowcroft fought two engagements on the 17th and 25th
of April,but could inflict only some loss to the freedome forces.
Since the reinforcements sent for by Rowcroft had not arrived by
that time he had to retire to Captainganj in Basti. These and other
engagements,however, caused great shrinkage in the followers of
the Gonda raja, and eventually he was left with some 1,500 men around
him in his camp.
By October, 1858 Lord Clyde was in a position to
commence the final campaign against the freedom forces in Avadh
and a strong British force had entered the Gonda district. Towards
the end of November. Hope Crant had reached Faizabad, where the
garrison consisted of 4,300 men under colonel Taylor,C.B. The freedom
forces were holding Nawabganj and their guns covered passage of
the river at long range. On the 27th the main body of the British
forces,however, crossed the river and attacked the freedom forces
and captured one gun.Though the progress of the English troops was
slow due to sandy nature of the soil,yet hope pressed on and captured
four more guns of the rebels before retiring to his camp near Nawabganj.On
December 3, 1858 he marched to Bangaon and thence Machhli Gaon where
he found the rebel force in number with 3 guns.He attacked them
and captured two guns while driving them in jungles to the north.He
thereafter proceeded and captured the abandoned fort or Bankasia
of Raja Gonda who had escaped to Bhinga across the Rapti,leaving
behind him five guns and a quantity of stores. On December 9,Hope
grant reached Gonda and a week later proceeded to Balrampur where
he was met by Raja Drigbijai Singh. by this time the campaign had,however,
gone according to Civde's plans to liquidat the freedom fighters
from Avadh altogether.Raja Debi Bakhsh Singh of Gonda and other
prominent leaders of Avadh had to leave their home districts and
confine them selves to a narrow region on the border of Nepal.The
aim of english was to push the rebel forces and their leaders north
into the inhospitable land of Jang Bahadur.
The district was still not peaceful as it was full
of the freedom forces from Gonda raj. In April 1859 there were some
4,000 of them near Bankasia and 1,800 more had broken south towards
the Ghaghra.The freedom forces consisting of the Kanpur regiments
under Gajadhar Singh, had made a dash on Sikraura, but they were
repelled. Then they retired to Bangaon where they were surrounded
the fort being captured and Gajadher Singh and his 150 men killed,
while the rest were dispersed. The British forces under Hope Grant
then reached Balrampur on the 7th of May, where letters were received
from Bala Rao and the Nana, who were encamped at Serwa Pass. Bala
Rao had professed submission, but the Nana refused to consider any
such proposal Marching on the 10th to Biskohar, the forces entered
the pass on the 21st. After an engagement the freedom fighters escaped
across the hills. The freedom struggle against the foreign rulers
in the district thus came to an end.
The Rani of Tulsipur and the raja of Gonda never
surrendered. The later diad in the malaria-infested of jungles of
Nepal. Their estate were confiscated and bestowed on the raja of
Balrampur and Man Singh who sided with the British power throughout
the revolt.The Burapara property of Ashraf Baksh Singh was also
confiscated on account of his persistent revolutionary activities
for the cause of freedom.It was given to another anti-national,Har
Ratan Singh of Manjhgawan.The other taluqdar restored to their ancestral
estates and allowed to engage all the villages they had held prior
to annexation.Gradually civil administration was restored throughout
the district.A small military force was maintained at Gonda for
a few years,but the cantonments were ultimately abandoned in 1864.The
district then finally settled down to normal life and the subsequent
history of the district had been uneventfull till the NON_COOPERATION
movement of 1920, which once again sent a wave of national ferment
that shook the prevailing calm for which the administration had
laboured hard.
The various groups which combined to trigger off
the 1857 out-burst had only been able to initiate the idea of ultimate
objective of overthrowing the authority of the foreigners.Thereafter,among
many factors the establishment of the Indian National Congress in
1855,to promote the cause of India's freedom,was an important one.
The people of the district received impetus by
the visit of Lala Lajpat Rai in 1908.In his address he emphatically
upheld his views on united action and social service.He also sympathised
with the deplorable condition of the peasantry of the district.He
suggested measures for their uplift.The local dignitaries,specially
pleaders of the district gave whole hearted co-operation.They were
also inspired to take up the managerial work of the Congress organization
in the district.The Congress organization was then limited mostly
to the pleaders class,besides some enthusiastic menand its main
function was to attend the Congress sessions held at various places
in the country.
The Non-cooperation movement launched by Mahatama
Gandhi was approved in the special session of the Congress held
in Calcutta on September 4,1920 and it was later ratified by the
regular session at Nagpur in December 1920.
The stage for national activities was already set
in the district.Like elsewhere in Avadh the peasantry in this district
was the greatest sufferer on account of the agrarian distress.The
crushing of peasants and their ever growing burden of rent,illegal
exactions ejectments from land and poor dwellings,physical torture
and alround fleecing by Zamidar's agents,money-lendeds and police
were common scenes.This process of the progressive exploitation
of the peasantry had been going on for a long time.
The rural and urban populace of the district shared
its due in the various activities of the Non-cooperation movement.
The boycott of legal profession was heralded by the self-sacrifice
of Motilal Nehru and C.R.Das both of whom were leaders at the bar
and enjoyed princely income. They had given up their practice and
their example was followed by a large number of lawyers in the district.
This boycott in the district as elsewhere in the province was more
spectacular than effective. It was talked of enthusiastically in
the beginning but gradually dwindled as time passed. The lawyers
of the district who were so far commanding the. Congress organization,
were seen gradually reluctant with active participation in the Congress
activities. On March 30 and 31 1922 a tehsil political conference
was held at Sewai Raniganj in the district. The participation of
Jawaharlal Nehru in this conference had infused fresh life in the
political atmosphere. There-after a number of meeting were organised
at various places in the district to mobilize public opinion.One
of such meetings was held on June 25,1922 at Gonda and it was attended
by some 1,500 persons. It was addressed by Motilal Nehru who urged
the audience to wear khaddar to make the constructive aspect of
the Non-cooperation movement a success. Despite various repressive
measure of the local authorities to demoralize the workers and curb
the movement it was carried on the zeal.
Non-cooperation was in fact, a mass movement. Even
in remote bazaar's the common folk talked of the Congress and Swaraj.
There was a new yearning for freedom. The fear that had demoralised
the people had disappeared and they became ready for a fresh move
with determination. Meetings and conferences added greatly to their
political education. By February 1922 it was however,absorved at
the summit level of the congress that the movement in side of its
apparent and widespread enthusiasm was grinding to a halt as almost
all leading persons had been arrested, and the masses had so far
received little training to carry on by themselves. These factor
combined with the Chauri Chaura incident resulted in a sudden suspension
of the movement. The activities, however in some form or the other
continued in the district. A district political conference was organised
in the district in 1924. Mrs.Sarojini Naidu toured the district
from June 2 to 4 in 1926 and urged people to foster unity weave
khadi and work for Swaraj. The normalcy which had marked the district
after suspension of the Non-cooperation movement in 1922, was disturbed
when Rajendra Nath Lahiri the revolutionary leader, of Kakori case
fame, was hanged to death in Gonda prison on December 17 1927. Due
to adequate arrangements and alertness on the part of local authorities
the mounting discontent of the people simmered and no untoward incident
took place.
After the non-cooperation movement the district
of Gonda remained sensitive throughout in catching vibrations of
political activities pervading throughout the country. the fatal
inertia that had practically put an end, after calling off the non-cooperation
movement to all nationalist activities, was removed by an action
of the British government, namely the appointment of Simon Commission
in 1928. On February 3,1928 the day of the arrival of the Commission
in Bombay, complete hartal ( strike ) was observed in all important
towns in India, and huge demonstration by way of processions waving
black flags and carrying banners "Go back Simon". The
assault on Lala Lajpat Rai, and his subsequent death, increased
the vigour of the demonstrations against the Simon Commission throughout
the country and specially in the place which it subsequently visited.
The district besides its protest, against the Commission, had sent
its representatives to Lucknow, as the Commission was due to reach
there, and the local Conge\ress Committee had made extensive preparations
for its boycott. volunteers in adequate numbers from Gonda district
participated in the demonstrations.
On October 9, 1929 mahatma Gandhi visited the district
along with Jawaharlal Nehru. It mankapur railway station about 1,000
persons headed by Raja Raghuraj Singh and his sons were present
to receive him. Later in the day about 2,000 persons gathered at
the raja's house to see Gandhiji and hear him. Gandhiji expressed
a desire to see a charkha ( spinning wheel ) installed in every
house. He also pleaded for following the Congress creed with unity
and communal harmony for achieving Independence for the country.
At the end of his speech he was presented with purses from the raja
the residents of Raniganj Bazar and many others. The sums presented
were estimated at about Rs.3,000 or more.
In another meeting at Gonda on the following day
a purse of Rs.1,668 was also presented.
The non-cooperation movement which was abruptly
suspended by Gandhiji in 1922 was revived in the Congress session
of 1929. On April 6, 1930 Gandhiji broke the salt laws at Dandi
beach and three or four days later directive was given to all Congress
organisations to do likewise and launch Civil Disobedience in their
own areas. In view of these directives, then secretary district
Congress Committee, Gonda imprisoned during salt movement in the
same year was made in charge of the movement in the district. He
was later on imprisoned during the movement.
On April 11, 1930 salt was manufactured in the
city of Gonda. The demonstration was repeated on May 13 and 15.
processions were taken out at a number of places in the district.
Two meetings were held at Gonda on May 6 and 9, 1930, in protest
of Gandhiji's arrest. Prominent local leaders addressed these meetings
and urged the audience to unite and activise the salt movement.
Several notable leaders of the district who participated in these
meetings were prosecuted and sentenced to imprisonment and also
with fine. On June 2, 1930 salt was again made in the city by two
enthusiastic local leaders who had been released that very day.
They were promptly re-arrested. They were followed by another leader
the next day and he too was arrested. On June 2 and 3 salt was manufactured
in village Khajuri by a number of boys and this process continued
for a long time. Again a number of flag processions were taken out
atvarious places of the district in the month of June, encouraging
the boycott of foreign cloth.
The bretch of the Salt Act soon became just one
activity, and civil resistance spread also to other fields of activity
. At that time India was being governed forcibly under autocratic
rule with Ordinances and suppression of every kind of civil liberty.With
the increase in the severity of the laws, the opportunities for
breaking them also grew, and civil resistance took the from of doing
the very thing that the laws were supposed to prohibit. Each official
ordinance was countered by a resolution of the Congress working
committee giving directions as to how to meet it. These directions
were carried out with suprising uniformity.
Peasants in this district were the greatest sufferers
on account of the agrarian distress. In the second half of the year
1931 there appeared to be a silent conspiracy in which the government
or its district officials were hands in gloves with the big zamindars,
to crush the tenants and to break up the Congress organisation in
the rural areas.
Soon after the outbreak of the Second World War
in 1939 the Congress ministry resigned as it had decided not to
cooperate with the government in the war effort. The people started
a widespread campaign particularly against contributions towards
war fund Mahatma Gandhi launched the movement of individual satyagraha
on October 17 1940 by selecting one individual at a time to go out
in the street shouting anti-war slogans, and get arrested.
In Gonda district too,as elsewhere in the country,this
campaign was started with vigour. Earlier on January 31.1940 Subhash
Chandra Bose had visited Gonda and had exhorted the audience to
make use of the opportunity and make a final bid to obtain freedom.
In the month of April .1940. anti-war campaign
was in full swing in the district. A large number of persons were
arrested under the Defence of India rules, yet the agitation against
forcible realization of the war fund continued unabated. There were
protest meetings against alleged cases of forced levies by the district
authorities : distribution of leaflets issued by the provincial
Congress Committee protesting against the forcible realization and
parades of Congress Seva Dal were also witnessed. On August 28.1940
a flag slautation ceremony was performed by the Congress volunteers
at Mankapur for which they were administered a warning by the district
authorities. With such activities Individual Satyagrah ended in
the district by the end of 1941.
The quit India resolution passed by the all India
Congress Committee in its session at Bombay on August 8,1942, had
marked the turnning point in India's struggle for freedom. The resolution
provided for a complete and immediate withdrawal of the British
from India. In case of the government not conceding the demand Gandhiji
was to launch his movement which he characterised as " non-violent
rebellion" the main purpose of which was to evoke in the people
the measure of sacrifice sufficient to compel attention. Early next
morning (August 9.1942) Gandhiji and the members of the working
committee were taken into custody. Wholesale arrests of Congressmen
had simuktaneously begun in every part of the country.
In this district the movement started on the usual
non-violent lines in the shape of hartals (strikes) and processions
but before it could gain momentum, the local leaders were arrested.
The arrest of the learders and stern repressive measures adopted
by the authorities were among others, the reasons which soon turned
yhe demonstrators violent. The government had to face a popular
revolt which though unarmed , was most violent in character. Though
the movement had taken a very serious turn in eastern districts
of Uttar Pardesh including Basti ; close vicinity of this district,
no serious repercussions occured in Gonda.However the movement launched
in 1942 lost its vigour even before the end of the year, and no
trace of it remained after 1944.
In 1946 Congress leaders were released and in the
general elections for the provincial legislature the congress was
again returned in majority.Then the long cherished dream of Independence
came true in the mid-night of august 14-15 1947 and the country
was parttioned into India and Pakistan.On the eve of Independence
thosand persons both from the town & surrounding countryside
assembled at the district headquarters to witness the Flag hosting
of the National Flag.National Flag was hosted at the collector's
office and other Government & semi-government buildings,Private
buildings too throughout the district, were bedecked with flags.In
the evening there were illumination and fireworks.Tumultuous scenes
of joy amid spontaneous rejoicings were witnessed in every town
& village of the district. Partition was follwed by a large
scale migration of population from one,
Location,Boundaries, Area
& Population
Location & Boundaries
The district lies between 26º 47' and 27º- 20' north latitude and
81º 30' and 82º 46' east longitude It is head quarter of Devi Patan
division which was constituted by praline of Faizabad division District
Balrampur makes its boundaries in north.To its west it is bounded
by district Bahraich and some part of Srawasti on the east by the
district Basti . In the south it is separated from district's Bara
Banki and Faizabad by the river Ghaghara . In shape it is very irregular
and seems as Cup widest in North narrowest in south .
It has got physical boundaries on two sides Kuon
river in the North and as Ghaghara river in the South. Its length
from Jarwal road in the West to Katra (Shivadayal Ganj) is 106 kms
and width from kuaon in the north to Paska in the south is 77 kms.
Area
Before the division of district in 1997 it cover's on area of 7331
sq. km. on 25 May 1997 a new district Balrampur was constituted
by separation of its 40% northern parts . Remaining area of the
district Gonda is now 4448sq. k.m. Owing to the fluvial action Ghaghara
frequent changes take place in the area of the district .
Population
The first census of the district was done in 1881. Population was
counted 1270926 at that time . Population density was 442 person
per sq. mile .In 1891 it was 1459229 .A slow decrease was recorded
in first census of 20th century when population was found 1403529
herein 1901. In 1911 it increases 0-64 percent and become 1412519
. This trend is going on till now . In 1921 the population of the
district was recorded 1473389 and in 1931 it was 1576003 . According
to report of census 1941 population came 1719644 . After independence
first census was occurred in 1951. The population was 1877484 at
that time which increases upto 2073237 in 1961. According to 1971
census there was 2302929 person in district . In 1981 it was 28-35
lakh which increases up to 35-73 lakh in 1991 . After division of
district in 1997 calculated population of the district is 23-21
lakh.This figure is derived from the census report of 1991. The
male population is 12-37 lakh and female 10-84 lakh . The increasing
rate which was 0-64 in first decade of the 20th century was recorded
4-31% in 1911-1921 and 6-96% in 1921 to 1931. It became 9-11% in
1931 to 1941. Population growth rate was 9-18 between 1941 to 1951
which increases upto 10-41% in 1951 to 1961 decade . In 1961 to
1971 the population growth rate was 11.04% . A huge increase was
recorded in 71 to 81 when it rises upto 20-96 percent.It was 25-98%
between 1981 to 1991 decade.
Relief
As for as the relif of the district is concerned, there is no mountain,
plateau or derest is the district as such. The general slope of
the district is from west to east, but it is north to south in the
Western part. It can be divided into physiographic division.
1- Uparhar
2- Tarhar
Rivers
Rivers have got Immense significance in the development of civlization
as a whole. They have played an important role in the development
of socalled backward district Gonda. The drainage of Gonda comprises
Ghayhra,Saryu,Terhi, Manwar,Bisuhi, & kuwaon rivers.
KUWANA- Tenus Nala rises in Bahraich district and
after a course of about 13 km. It is known as Kuwana river. After
flowing about 4 km. Further as Kuwana river it enters Gonda district.
It thence flows along the northern border of the pargana as far
as the boundary of the Utraula tahsil, and then separates Sadullahanagar
from pargana Utraula, forming the dividing line between Burhapara
and the Basti district. The river is fed by two small streams- Jadha
Nala & Pindariya Nala- flowing down from the uparhar, in the
north of the Gonda, besides Singha in Sadullahnagar. And an insignificant
watercourse which has no distinctive name flowing through the central
portion of Utraula. The Kuwana is a sluggish stream & rarely
changes its course.
BISUHI- South of the Kuwana is the Bisuhi a small
stream of a similar character.It rises near village Ghuchwapur in
Gonda tahsil. It flow for some distance nearly due east, & then,
after having traversed the whole of the north of Gonda. Takes a
southerly course and enters the Utraula tahsil, where it separates
Sadullahnagar from Mankapur & Burhapara from Babhanipair. It
leaves the district after a course of about 112 km. Just before
its junction with the Kuwana. It seldom causes any damage by inundation.
MANWAR- Further south is the Manwar, an insignificant
stream, which rises in the centre of pargana Gonda, then flows thourgh
the middle of pargana Mankapur & after skirting the Tikri forest,
enters the Basti district. The Manwar is a small river with an irregular
channel, & the land in its neighborhood is often clothed with
jungle, while at places there arewide stretches of poor soil covered
with grass.
CHANDAI- Chandai rises near village Ekman which
is about 9 km. North-West of bidyanagar & joins Manwar where
it leaves the district. After separating the Mankapur & mahadeva
parganas winds round the western & souhern edge of the Tikri
forest. The Chandai is a very sluggish steam, and the in its neighborhood
is generally swampy.
TERHI - Below the southern edge of the uparhar
flows the Terhi, a stream which rises in Bahraich & is fed by
the water of the great Baghel Tal near Pura Gosain. It enters the
district on the extreme west of pargana Gonda, then separates that
pargana from Paharpur and Gunwarich, and further east from the boundary
between the Mahadeva & digsir parganas. Leaving these, it flows
through the southernpars of Nawabganj & joins the Ghaghara a
few km. Above Ayodhya. The Terhi as its name implies, has a very
winding & irregular course. Although in former days it appears
to have changed its channel repeatedly, the result of this being
found in the legend of the destruction of Khurasa, it now flows
in a well defined bed though in places it is fringed by swampy ground.
Elsewhere, and especially in pargana Digsir. Its banks are sandy
& the land in its neighbourhood is of very inferior quality.
During the rains the river swells to a considerable size, but at
other times of the year it only carries a small volume of water.
The Terhi is fed by a number of small streams, the chief of which
are the Chandehi Nala, which joins it near Bhikaripur Kalan &
the Bagluha which flows through the centre of Digsir and the west
of Nawabganj.
SARYU – Between the Terhi and the Ghghara there
are several small streams, especially in the Gunwarich pargana,
flowing into the latter river. The chief of these is the Saryu,
which rises in the Bahraich district and joins the main stream near
Paska. Others are the Kundwa and Beli, which unite near Begumganj
& flow into theGhaghara near Dalennagar. All these streams are
insignificant drainage channels and are of little use or importance.
When the tarhar experiences heavy rains, they not only increase
in volume & do much damage by inundation, but are also often
apt to change their course.
GHAGHARA- The Ghaghara is the name given to the
united waters of the Kauriala, Saryu, and Chauka & other rivers
which drain the submontane tract to the west of the district. It
enters the district in the extreme west of pargana Gunwarich and
then flows along the southern borders, leaving the district at Lakarmandi
opposite Ayodhya, the distance between its entry and exit being
about 88 km. Within its wide bed it rolls from from one side to
the other changing its channel almost every year between the shifting
sandy banks. The land along the river on either side is always liable
to be cut away during the rains and for this reason the area of
the district is label to annual verialims.
Lakes
There are various lakes too in the district,some important are Banki,
Kodar, Aranga, Parwati & Pathri. Banki is situated in the west
near Dubaha bazar. Kodar is near Wazirganj, Parwati is near Tikri,
this is biggest in size Pathri is near Khorahsa.
Climate
India is a tropical country & has got Monsooni climate. Gonda
being a plainy district is not an exception. It has got the same
climate that of the country in genereat. There are three seasons,summer,rainy
and winter. Summer is from Narch to Juns. The average temperative
of the summer is nearly 30°c. Hot wind namely ‘Loo’ blows in May
and in early June. Rainy season is from July to October. Rainys
take place mostly upto September winter is from.November to February
last half of December and first half of January are maximaum cold.
Forest
As for as the form of natural vegelation in Gonda is concerned,there
are two remarkable areas,One the forests of kuwano,which has various
types of prees lipe Sagon ,Haldu, Sal,Shishaw, Tibau,Mahua, Bass
,Neem, Jamun, Mayo etc.To the forest of Mankapur to Tipri and around
Tipri.The types of press are Tibau ,Sakhu,Sal etc.Sandy Lomay and
clay are the types of soils found in Gonda.water per colales downward
in sandy soils , so those are not very fertile .Never the less ,
Zayad crops are produced near the batps of rivers in this soil.
Loamy soil is fertile. It has fossils and mierals also.It is found
in uparhar part of Gonda.
Soil
The colour of loamy soil is light yellow. It is found around Khorahsa,DumariyaDeeh,
Gonda ect. India thok Mankapur etc. Clay soils can hold water in
it, so it is suitable fer those crops, which require more water
, especially paddy. It becomes hard when dries it is found around
ColonelGanj, India thok and Mankapur. |
