Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 20.djvu/316

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page needs to be proofread.
*
*

L'lKS R A W R A W ing linen, cotton, embroidered muslins, pottery, glass, and playing-cards. The fruit market is of considerable im- portance, and trade is also carried on in cattle, grain, and wood. The population in 1880 was 10,550, of whom 2620 were Protestants. Ravensburg was founded in the llth century by the Guelfs, one of whose ancestral castles lay on the Veitsberg, to the south of the town. In 1180 the town passed into the hands of the Hohenstaufens, and a century later it became a free town of the empire. Annexed to Bavaria from 1803 to 1810, it was ceded to "Viirtemberg in the latter year. RAWAL PINDf or RAWUL PINDEE, a district of British India, in the division of the same name, 1 under the juris- diction of the lieutenant-governor of the Punjab, lying between 33 and 34 N. lat. and 71 46' and 73 41' E. long. It is situated on the southern slopes of the north- western extremities of the Himalayas, and contains large mountain tracts, with rich valleys traversed by many moun- tain torrents. Its area is 4861 square miles ; it is bounded on the N. by Hazara district, on the E. by the river Jhelum, on the S. by Jhelum district, and on the W. by the Indus. From its north-eastern extremity to its western limits the district is traversed by hills more or less linked together, causing those peculiarities of surface and of climate by which it is distinguished. The eastern range, known locally as the Murree (Marri) Hills, from the sana- torium erected at the north-eastern extremity of the dis- trict, is a continuation of the great Himalayan system ; it descends in a southerly and westerly direction, and is clothed with magnificent forest trees and a rich under- growth of brushwood. Southward these hills follow the course of the Jhelum, decreasing in height, but gaining in picturesqueness what they lose in sublimity, until they subside into a comparatively level country. The mountains in the western half of the district belong to the trans-Indus system ; the chief range, known as the Chitta Pahar or White Hills, is composed chiefly of nummulitic limestone. To the north lies the fertile valley of Chach, one of the rare oases which relieve the wildness of this savage waste. The Indus and the Jhelum are the chief rivers of Rawal Pindf. The former bounds the district along its whole western edge, where it is very picturesque, and in parts navigable for steamers ; the latter, forming the eastern frontier, is equally picturesque though less important for navigation. Other chief rivers are the Sohan and the Haroh, both tributaries of the Indus. The climate of Rawal Pindi is noted for its salubrity ; the mean annual temperature is 69'4, and the average annual rainfall 33'15 inches. The Punjab Northern State Railway runs through its whole length, with a branch from Golra junction, north of the town of Rawal Pindf, to Khusalgari on the western frontier. The population in 1881 was 820,512 (males 449,287, females 371,225), Hindus numbering 86,162, Mohammedans 711,546, Sikhs 17,780, Christians 3822, and "others" 202. The only town with a population exceeding 10,000 is the capital (see below). The inhabitants are mostly scattered in small hamlets over the surface of the country. The staple product is wheat in the spring and bajra in the autumn. Inferior grains are giving place to more valuable cereals, and to cotton and potatoes. Of the total area 1517 square miles are cultivated and 379 cultivable. Owing to the rugged nature of the country there is very little commerce, and that little is concentrated principally at the headquarters town. Imports consist of sugar, spices, cotton goods, and salt ; while exports are confined to the raw materials of agriculture. The only manufacture of any importance is cotton-weaving. The total revenue of the district in 1882-83 was 105,316, of which the land- tax yielded 68,715. Rawal Pindi with the rest of the Sikh dominions passed to the British in 1849, under whose administration it enjoyed compara- tive peace until the mutiny in 1857. The events of that year 1 Rawal Pindi division comprises the four districts of Rawal Pindi, Jhelum, Gujrdt, and Shahpur, with a total area of 15,435 square miles and a total population (1881) of 2,520,508 (males 1,346,573, females 1,173,935). afforded an outlet for the smouldering passions engendered bj ancestral feuds, and the Murree Hills became the scene of an attempted insurrection. The authorities, however, having li,n warned of this by a faithful native, took steps for defence, so that when the enemy arrived they were compelled to withdraw in dis- order, and they shortly afterwards disbanded themselves. Since then the district has remained comparatively tranquil. Among recent events is the great durbar held by the viceroy of India flvu 1 Dufferin) on 8th April 1885 in honour of the amir of Afghanistan (Abdur Rahman). The district abounds in objects of great anti- quarian interest, chief of which are those of Dehri Shahan (or Shah Dheri), a village situated in 33 17' N. lat. and 72 49' E. long. Dehri Shahan has been identified with the site of the ancient city of Taxila or Takshasila, which in the time of Alexander was "a large and wealthy city, the most populous between the Indus and Hydaspes" (Jhelum). The ruins of Taxila consist of several dis- tinct portions, and rank as the most interesting, extensive, and best preserved memorials of antiquity in the Punjab province. RAWAL PINDi or RAWTJL PINDEE, principal town and administrative headquarters of the above district, lies in 33 37' N. lat. and 73 6' E. long. The .present town is of modern origin ; it is well built and has an air of con- siderable prosperity ; its streets are broad and handsome, and several fine buildings add to its appearance. It is chiefly a grain mart. The population of the town in 1881 was 52,975 (35,985 males and 16,990 females). RAWANDtS. See MOHAMMEDANISM, vol. xvi. p. 579. RAWITSCH (Polish fiavicz), a small manufacturing town of Prussia in the province of Posen, lies near the Silesian frontier, 37 miles to the north of Breslau. It is regularly built and contains a handsome Protestant church and a substantial town-hall. The principal industry is the manufacture of snuff and cigars, for the first of which in particular it enjoys a considerable reputation. Trade is carried on in grain, wool, cattle, hides, and timber. The population in 1880 was 12,260, made up of 7587 Protestants, 3539 Roman Catholics, and 1123 Jews. Rawitsch is of comparatively modern origin, having been founded by Protestant refugees from Silesia during the Thirty Years' War. RAWMARSH, a large village and urban sanitary dis- trict in the West Riding of Yorkshire, is situated on the ridge of a hill above the valley of the Don and on the Midland Railway, 2 miles north of Rotherham and 12 south-west of Doncaster. It possesses extensive iron-works and steel rolling-mills, and there are collieries in the neighbourhood. The church of St Lawrence was rebuilt in 1839 with the exception of the old Norman tower. There are several almshouses and other charities. At the time of the Conquest the manor was granted to Walter d'Eincourt, and in the 12th century it was divided among the three daughters of his subinfeudatory Paganus, who is supposed to have been the founder of the church. The population of the urban sanitary district (area, 2578 acres) in 1871 was 6869, and in 1881 it was 10,179. RAWTENSTALL, a town of east Lancashire, is situ- ated on the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway, 8 miles north of Bury and 12 south-east of Blackburn. At the beginning of the century it contained only a few houses, but since the rise of the manufacturing industry it has steadily increased, till it is now a considerable town. The cotton and woollen mills are very extensive, and in the neighbourhood there are stone quarries. The church of St Mary, in the Gothic style, erected in 1837, has lately been restored ; and several of the denominational chapels are large and handsome buildings. The town has also good schools. There is a public cemetery, 15 acres in extent. Near the town is the Haslingden Union workhouse, erected in 1869. The population of the urban sanitary district (area, 1667 acres) in 1871 was estimated at 11,307, and in 1881 it was 12,571. Now (1885) by the incorporation of Newchurch, Goodshaw, and Crawshaw Booth the popu- lation is over 30,000.