1850.] 



City of Aurungabad, 



I I 



stories, and allowing five persons to each house, containing one story ; 

 and four to every story of the remainder. The returns thus obtain- 

 ed are here shown : 





Stories. 



Kutcha 

 Pucka. 



Chup- 

 per. 



Total. 



4 



3 



2 



1 



Houses, - 



People, in each House, - 

 Total... 



4 



16 



137 

 12 



723 



8 



2974 

 5 



361 



0 



2932 

 5 



7131 



64 



1644' 57 S4 



14,S70 



1S05 



14,660 



38,807 



These averages were obtained from competent authorities, whose 

 long residence in the city rendered them familiar with its habits. If 

 we take into consideration, in addition to what is here set down, the 

 floating population composed of travellers, camp followers, and 

 mendicants, &c, whose numbers are always fluctuating, and also the 

 occupants of religious buildings not enumerated, we may safely esti- 

 mate the whole in round numbers as about 40,000. In Hamilton's 

 Gazetteer the population in 1825 are reported as being about 60,000, 

 which agrees with my own observations, for since that time the num- 

 bers have been gradually diminishing, and lately this abandonment 

 has been very great, particularly amongst the most useful of its 

 classes, as weavers, goldsmiths, lohars, and durzees, amongst the 

 number must be included many borahs, whose departure is certainly 

 significant, as their habits and keenness in trade enables them to 

 thrive where others would starve. The proportion of Mahomed ans 

 to Hindoos is, I am informed, about one to four. 



The city was founded about the year 1G16 A. D., by the famous 

 Malik Amber, an Abyssinian by birth, and minister to Sultan Moor- 

 teza Shah of Ahmednuggur ; owing to the additions by conquest, 

 this kingdom had become one of the largest of the Dukkun, 

 and a removal of the court further into the interior had become 

 necessary ; for this purpose Adoulutabad had been first selected 

 as a convenient position for the new capital, but struck with the 

 more agreeable locality of the small hamlet of Khirkee close in 

 its vicinity, Malik Amber determined upon laying the foundations 

 of his new metropolis on its site, and forthwith commanded his 

 army to build themselves habitations, w r hilst he erected a sub- 

 stantial palace upon the summit of the rising ground, to which he 



