Adam's Reports on Vernacular Education in Bengal and Behar/Report 1/Section 13

SECTION XIII.

The District of Sylhet.

Population.—In 1801, the inhabitants of this district were computed at 188,245 men, 164,381 women, and 140,319 children, making a total of 492,945 in the ratio of two Mahomedans to three Hindoos. The number of houses was estimated at 103,637, and the boats belonging to the district at 23,000. The eastern and southern portions of the district are hilly; but the northern, central, and western parts, are flat and submerged during the rains. Although so large a proportion of the whole population is Mahomedan the mosques have been long going to ruin, while several Hindoo temples have been erected and a few merchants have exchanged their thatched dwellings for others of brick and mortar. An authorized traffic in slaves has existed here from time immemorial; and one of the Magistrates estimated this class at one-sixth of the whole population, progressively increasing by domestic propagation. The transfer of slaves takes place both with and without their consent, but in the latter case only the mildest treatment can secure the purchaser any benefit from his acquisition. Occasionally the poorer descriptions of free inhabitants sell themselves when in extreme distress, and a few persons, principally slaves, are inveigled away by strolling mountebanks and mendicants. Women also of the poorer classes, when left widows, sell their children to procure food. Some have been hereditary slaves for several generations and are sold along with the estate on which they reside; and others are imported from Cachar, Gentiah, &c., lying to the north and east of the district. The slave population of Sylhet appears to be principally divided into two classes; first, debtor slaves whose labour is taken or sold in payment of debt; and second, the descendants of such persons. The former, it is stated, seldom work out their freedom and the latter are doomed to permanent slavery. The bulk belong to the latter class, and are transmitted by the purchasers to their heirs from generation to generation. The slaves are trained up to perform useful work whether in the field or about the house. In some of the districts many of the slave-holders send out such of their slaves as they can spare from the ordinary work in the house and field to let themselves out as servants or day-labourers, and receive for their own benefit the wages earned by them. Slaves are found in the ranks of some of the local military corps conducting themselves creditably as soldiers, and honestly yielding up their pay to their proprietors.

The tribes bordering on Sylhet are the Cosseahs, Cacharees, Garrows, &c., who, with the exception of the Cosseahs, appear to use dialects having a common origin. The Cosseahs have no distinct written character, and for purposes of correspondence employ the Bengalee language and scribes. These tribes, together with those of Assam and Munipore, merit separate investigation and report.

Schools.—The information respecting the state of education in this district is exceedingly scanty. Hamilton states that there are no regular schools and seminaries for teaching the Hindoo or Mahomedan law, but that in different places there are private schools where boys are taught to read and write. Of Mymunsing the reverse was stated, that it had schools of learning, but nothing was said of elementary schools. It is probable that in Sylhet the former are to be found as well as the latter, although neither may be numerous or very efficient.

In 1827, the Collector of the district was directed to make enquiry respecting a madrasa supported by endowments, and to report the result to Government. He reported that upon investigation he had discovered sunnuds of endowments for the support of the shrine of Shah Jullah, which limited the allowance to lighting it up, and to the bestowment of alms and other charities, and other sunnuds containing provisions for the education of students not attached to any public institution; that the latter were of a very limited extent, and contained conditions for the support of the grantee and his family and descendants; that the descendants of the grantee performed the obligations of the grant in so much as to instruct a few disciples in their own family; and that the parties appeared to be extremely indigent, and the assigned lands not of sufficient importance to merit the interposition of Government. Under these circumstances the Government resolved not to interfere with the endowments of this madrasa.