1850.] Descriptive notice of the District of Jhilum. 55 



Khokar, 4 12,000 



Ahmedabad, .. .. 51 72,000 



Kuhan, .. .. 12 24,000 



141 1,78,000 



In addition to the above are 8 villages in Jageer, valued at 10,000. 

 The Tehsil of Chakhowal, comprises the Talukas of Dhuni, Syad- 

 pur, Doman, Hasda and Gurha. 



The district of Dhuni Chakhowal comprises the following sub- 

 divisions, Bubral, Haveli, Kuhastani, Chowpera, Badshakhani and 

 Karpuwal ; and contains 138 villages. Tradition says that the emperor 

 Baber, who is reported to have resided for some time at Kallur Kuhar, 

 observing the uncultivated condition of the plain of Dhuni, and the 

 capabilities of the soil, sent for a certain Raja Mull from Jammu, 

 who took up his abode at Mullot in the salt range, and subjected 

 Dhuni to the plough. Accordingly a host of men from the hills 

 settled in the plain, the principal of whom were Vir, Murid, Chuk- 

 ku, Kuran and Mutha, the five sons of Sidhur, and the district 

 acquired the name of the Vir Patti ; the taluka of Syadpur, being 

 called che Lundi Patti or the rogue's strip, that district beiDg a 

 narrow strip of land skirting the Drengun and Diljabba hills. The 

 three principal castes of Dhuni are Mair, Kusur and Kahuta which 

 claim for themselves a Rajpoot origin. Of these the Mair are chiefly 

 settled in Haveli and Rupuwal, the Kusur in Chowpera and Bubral, 

 and the Kahutas in Kahutani. 



Dhuni formerly consisted of 84 villages, as did also Pindigheb. 

 The holding of land is curious. Throughout the whole of Chakhowal 

 the villages are divided into 'asamis' or land estimated at 360 

 Punjabi beegahs more or less, and assessed at from 100 to 300 Rs., 

 150 being the general average. Thus every village is said to contain 

 3, 4, 5, &c. asamis, and the rate of each being ascertained, the assess- 

 ment of a village is simple enough. 



Chakhowal is a large town, containing 1200 houses, but though 

 healthily situated, is a desolate-looking place, being in the centre of a 

 dead plain, and surrounded on all sides by ravines. The land is 

 however very fertile. The Chawdhuris or headmen of Chakhowal, 



