no 



Some Account, Historical, Geographical 



[July 



Nizam's dominions between the Tumbuddra and Kistnali rivers, which 

 from the distance from Hyderabad had always been a disturbed district, 

 and entirely beyond the control of the Nizam. One regiment of na- 

 tive infantry is stationed at Cuddapah, and from these two principal 

 stations two companies of native infantry are detached to Gooty, and 

 one to Cummum. 



Boundaries. — The boundaries of the Ceded Districts (including Kur- 

 nool) on the north are the Tumbuddra and Kistnah rivers, separating 

 the districts from the territories of His Highness the Nizam ; the lat- 

 ter river also divides them from a portion of Guntoor ; on the south 

 they are bounded by Mysore and northern Arcot ; on the east, Nellore, 

 and on the west by the Southern Mahratta Country, and a portion of the 

 Nizam's dominions ; the Tumbuddra here forming the line of demar- 

 cation. 



Historical Sketch. — The Ceded Districts of theBalaghat, a compound 

 word signifying a tract on the summit of the mountains, anciently form- 

 ed part of the Hindu empire of Bijanugger, situated in the Carnatic. 

 This old Hindu geographical division originally comprised the whole 

 of the vast plateau in Southern India situated above the eastern and 

 western ghats, but has been misapplied by modern writers to the 

 tract along the eastern coast, in consequence of its being under the no- 

 minal or real sway of the Hindu rulers of the Carnata. It is a well 

 known historical fact, that the site on which the present city and fort of 

 Madras stands was ceded to us by one of the later sovereigns of the Car- 

 nata, Sri Rung Ray el, a fugitive from his capital of Bijanugger, and then 

 residing (1693 A. D.) at Chunderghiri, a place to the N. W. of Madras. 

 The existence of the Bijanugger empire can be traced as fay back as the 

 commencement of the 14th century of the Christian era, and comprized 

 within its limits the capital of the Hindu princes (vide Bijanugger) ; 

 while the rule of the Chitwail Rajas extended over the wild and jungly 

 belts of the eastern frontier. After the defeat of Ram Raj, on the plains 

 of Talicota, by the four Mussulman sovereigns of the Deccan (A. D. 

 1564) the Ceded Districts fell under the sway of the Bijapore and Gol- 

 conda princes; and, about 1689 A. D., under that of the wily Aurung- 

 zebe. After the demise of this monarch in 1707 A. D., and on the con- 

 sequent decline of the Mogul empire, most of this part of India was 

 annexed to the dominions of the Nizam ul Mulk of Hyderabad, from 

 whom it was won in several hard-fought campaigns by Hvder Ali, be- 

 tween the years 1767 and 1780. By the treaty of 1792, the Nizam ob* 

 tained, as his share of Tippoo's dominions, that part of the Ceded Dis- 

 tricts extending from the Kistnah beyond the Pennaur river, including 

 the forts of Cuddapah and Gundicota: the British, the Baramahl, the 



