INTRODUCTOKY. 15 



were again abandoned to the jungle and the wild beast ; 

 and only round the walls of fortified villages, within 

 which the people and their herds could retreat in time 

 of need, was any tillage maintained at all. 



In the year 1818 this unheard-of anarchy was ter- 

 minated by our final success against the IMarathas, and 

 the extermination of the Pind;iri bands. But we 

 entered on the possession of our new territories to find 

 them almost desolated by a quarter of a century of the 

 utter absence of government, with the hill population 

 frenzied by the excitement of a life of plunder, and 

 branded with the character of " savage and intractable 

 foresters." The Sagar and Narbada territories, as the 

 northern half of the country was then called, were ac- 

 quired by us in full sovereignty after this war. The 

 southern portion remained nominally the territory of 

 the feudatory Rdja of Nagpur, but had long been under 

 British administration when, in 1854, it too was annexed 

 on failure of heirs. The Gavilg^arh hills, in the extreme 

 south-west, formed part of the Nizam's territory of 

 Berar ; but that also has for many years been under 

 British management. 



With the establishment of a strong government the 

 hill-men soon proved how greatly they were maligned 

 when described as " savage and intractable." Since 

 they first came under our rule there has not been an 

 outbreak among them of the least importance ; and, on 

 the contrary, they have long since gained the character 

 of being a remarkably submissive and law-abiding- 

 people. The chiefs were early secured in their feu- 

 datory position, with the full proprietorship of such 

 territories, both in the hills and in the plains, as they 

 ■could establish a title to ; and for many years they were 



