1839.] Report on the District of Azimgurh. 87 



under the title of Kurgahee (from Kurga, a loom). This is com- 

 monly called a tax, but it is more properly a rent, or equivalent for 

 permission to reside on the estate, and obtain the protection of its 

 owner. The payment is very trifling, generally of a few annas on 

 each loom in the year ; it is highly prized by the Zemindars, and 

 cheerfully paid by the weavers, when no attempt is made to raise 

 the rate, or to infringe upon the established custom regarding it. 



14th. It is calculated that there are 13,682 looms in the district, of 

 which 10,561 are for the manufacture of Cotton, and 3,121 of Silk 

 and Tussur goods. These looms probably produce 10,00,000 of pieces 

 in the year, which may be valued at 23,00,000, and are supposed to 

 yield a net profit of nearly 4,00,000 to the manufacturers. The 

 particulars of this estimate, also furnished to me by the kindness of 

 Mr. Montgomery, will be found in the Appendix (B.) It is not 

 likely to be too high, for the value of the exports in Cloth are sup- 

 posed to be about 10,00,000 rupees, which would leave only 13,00,000 

 rupees worth to clothe 8,00,000 of people. None but the more wealthy 

 classes wear any other than the manufactures of the district. 



15th. It is not easy to account for the existence of these manufac- 

 tures, so far inland, and in a country where no Cotton whatever is 

 produced. Their rise was probably occasioned by peculiar encou- 

 ragement afforded by former Governments ; and in Mhow, tradition 

 especially states this to have been the case, when the little Pergun- 

 nah formed the appanage of one of the Begums of the imperial house 

 of Delhi, in the reign of the Emperor Shah Jehan. Probably, too, 

 the superior fertility of the soil, the uniformity of the climate, and 

 the exemption of the country from the severe droughts which occa- 

 sionally lay waste other districts, has contributed to this. The great 

 variation of the price of food in the large grain districts, would tend to 

 discourage the formation of a manufacturing community. The habits 

 which would be naturally engendered in a year of plenty would 

 necessarily cause ruin and emigration in a year of local scarcity. On 

 the other hand, a district which is always dependent on commerce 

 for the support of its redundant population, would never suffer much 

 distress, except in a season of general famine, when the whole country 

 would be reduced to equal misery and destitution. 



16th. There is not much trade passing through the district. The 

 Goggra and Goomtee on either side of it, and the Ganges at no great 

 distance, are the great channels of commerce. Some Salt finds its way 

 across from the Ganges to the Goggra, and grain is carried back in 

 return, but this is mostly intended to facilitate the supply of the local 



