1839] 



Account of the Ceded Districts. 



109 



V. — Some Account, Historical, Geographical and Statistical, of the Ceded 

 Districts. — By Lieutenant Newbold, a. d. c. to General Wilson, 

 g. b. commanding the Ceded Districts Division of the Madras Army. 



Geographical position and artificial divisions. — The Ceded Districts 

 are situated nearly in the centre of Peninsular India, between the 13th 

 and 17th degrees of north latitude, and the 76th and 80th east longitude. 

 They comprize an area, in no part touching on the sea coast, of about 235 

 miles long from east to west, and about 195 broad from north to south. 

 The superficial extent, not including the Kurnool and Sondur territories, 

 amounts to 23,557 square miles of which about one-third is under cul- 

 tivation. Though constituting a single military division, under command 

 of a general officer, they are divided into two distinct collectorates, viz. 

 the western portion, termed Bellary, and the eastern, termed Cuddapah. 

 The former has an area of 13,056 square miles, and is subdivided into 17 

 taluks or provinces ; the latter with an area of 10,501 square miles con- 

 tains 16 taluks — viz. 



CUDDAPAH. 



1 Banaganpully. 9 GurrumcondaTu 



2 Budwail. 10 Jummulmudgoo , 



3 Camlapur. 11 Koilcoontla. 



4 Chinnur. 12 Muddenpilly. 



5 Chitwail. 13 Poolvendla. 



6 Cummum- 14 Punganur. 



7 Doopaud. 15 Raichooty. 



8 Doovoor. 16 Sidhout. 



BELLARY. 



1 Adoni. 10 Kudlighi. 



2 Bellary. 11 Kumply. 



3 Durmaverara. 12 Muddueksera. 



4 Gooleura. 13 Pennaconda. 



5 Gooty. 14 Punchapollem. 



6 Harponhully. 15 Raidroog. 



7 Hovin Hudgully. 16 Tarputtri, 



8 Hundi Anantapur. 17 Yadaki. 



9 Kodikonda. 



Each taluk is subdivided into more minute divisions, containing a cer- 

 tain number of villages, the total of which is 14,969. To each collec- 

 torate is appointed a principal collector of revenue, uniting to this office 

 the functions of a magistrate ; and a sub-collec!or, with one or two assis- 

 tants. In the judicial department a judge and register. The whole of 

 the above are European civil servants of the Company. Over each 

 taluk is a local native colleclor, termed a tahsildar, who resides general- 

 ly in the kusbah or capital town of the taluk. Under the judges are 

 15 district native assistants munsifs, two muftis at the zillah courts of 

 Bellary and Cuddapah,and two pundits. Over each village are potails or 

 hereditary headmen. 



As a military division the Ceded Districts have U'o cantonments, 

 viz. Bellary and Cuddapah, and two small stations occupied by 

 detachments, viz. Gooty and Cummum. The division headquarters 

 is usually at Bellary, where a native cavalry corps, a regiment of 

 Queen's infantry, a company of European foot artillery, and two regi- 

 ments of native infantry, are usually cantoned. It w r as recommended as 

 a military post by Sir T. Munro in 1802, during the disturbances at 

 Raichoor, in order to curb the unruly Poligars, to be a check on the 

 Nabob of Kurnoo], and to overawe the petty zemindars residing in the 



