723
ASSAM Area and Population of Assam, 1891. Districts.
Divisions. Surma Yalley.
Cachar Plains Sylhet
Brahmaputra Yalley Goalpara . Kamrup . Darrang . Nowgong . Sibsagar . Lakhimpur Hill Districts.
North Cachar . Garo Hills Khasi and Jaintia Hills . Naga Hills North Lushai (civil and military) North Lushai (estimated)
Grand total .
Area in Square Miles.
Number of Towns and Villages.
2,472 5,414
639 6,520
7,886
7,159
3,954 3,660 3,418 3,258 2,855 3,724
1,100 1,567 1,117 910 1,309 783
Population, Census of 1S91. Density of | Population to Square Mile. Total. Females. Males. 149 367,542 173,169 194,373 398 2,154,593 1,053,655 1,100,938 319 2,522,135 1,226,824 1,295,311 114 452,304 215,675 236,629 173 634,249 313,220 321,029 90 307,761 146,380 161,381 106 344,141 166,350 177,791 160 457,274 216,279 240,995 254,053 117,649 136,404
20,869
6,786
1,274,229
1,175,553
2,449,782
117
1,728 3,270 6,041 5,710
210 1,005 1,330 641
9,635 60,357 103,298 60,668
18,941 121,670 197,904 122,867 2,044
10 37 33 21
4
9,306 61,313 94,606 62,199 2,044
25
20,667
20,923
41,590
20,249
3,215
250,135
254,881
505,016
25
49,004
17,160
2,819,675
2,657,258
5,476,933
112
3,500
/ I
Since 1881 the population increased by 11 per cent., which cannot be considered a high rate when we take into consideration the large amount of waste land and also the continuous immigration of tea coolies. Classified according to religion, Hindus numbered 2,997,072, or 547 per cent, of the total population; Mahommedans numbered 1,483,974, or 27 per cent. ; Christians numbered 16,844, or -31 per cent. ; aboriginal tribes numbered 969,765, or 177 per cent. ; Buddhists numbered 9065, or -16 per cent. ; and “others,” 122. The Mahommedans are mostly found in the two old Bengal districts of Sylhet and Goalpara ; the Christians in the Khasi and Jaintia Hills, where the Welsh Calvinistic Mission has been most successful. Europeans numbered 1687 and Eurasians 392, leaving 14,765 for native converts. The provisional figures for the census of 1901 returned the total population of Assam as 6,122,201, including 283,957 for Manipur and 82,344 for the Lushai Hills, neither of which was comprised in the census of 1891. Deducting this additional area, the rate of increase for the province is 6 per cent., compared with 11 per cent, for the previous decennial period. The increase is confined to the tea districts. The lower districts of the Brahmaputra valley, which have suffered severely from a fatal form of fever, show a heavy decrease. ^ a vu a Agriculture.—The greater part of the two districts of Sylhet and Goalpara were permanently settled, with the rest of Bengal. The Brahmaputra valley has a temporary settlement of its own known as mauzawari, the average incidence of assessment being about K.s.2 :8 :0 per acre. Agricultural statistics are confined to the temporarily settled tract. In 1897-98, out of a total cultivated area of 2,472,734 acres, no less than 1,614,292 acres were under rice, which is everywhere the staple crop, 310,82o acres under tea, and 169,223 acres under mustard. Jute is grown to some extent in Sylhet and. Goalpara. The Brahmaputra valley does not produce sufficient rice for its own consumption, large quantities being imported to feed the tea Tea Plantations.—Tea is the staple industry of Assam, in both the Brahmaputra and the Surma valleys. The following table shows the progress of the industry at various years between 1883 and 1897 :— Statistics. of Number of Area under Area under Area of Tea Number Labourers Adult Immature Gardens. Labourers. Mature Year. per 100 Acres. Plants. Plants. 1883 1890 1895 1896 1897
Acres. 161,707 200,658 234,909 247,655 263,313
Acres. 27,746 30,380 41,105 44,254 47,337
Acres. 923,664 994,497 995,787 968,895 1,014,017
153,739 250,113 334,298 366,460 402,205
81 108 121 125 129
The following table gives the statistics of the tea industry, according to districts, for 1897, which was not a very prosperous year:—
District. Cachar Sylhet Khasi Hills Goalpara Kamrup Darrang Nowgong Sibsagar Lakhimpur Total
12
under Number Total Area Area and Total Yield. of Tea of Gardens. Mature Immature Gardens. Plants. lb Acres. Acres. 61,190 22,031,593 282,583 191 70,200 26,153,168 150,614 137 4,000 30 100 1 140,798 410 852 3 753,228 5,873 18,785 31 33,984 11,154,360 108,067 89 4,019,795 12,659 49,884 50 70,644 24,021,294 231,475 171 55,560 18,988,096 171,657 149 822
1,014,017
Outturn per Acre. lb 406 474 133 371 132 407 355 391 399
310,550 107,266,332 408
In 1897 the average price per lb was 11.0:5:11 (say 6d.) in the Surma valley, and R.0:7 :8 (say 7id.) in the Brahmaputra valley. The labour required on the tea gardens is almost entirely imported, as the natives of the province are too prosperous to do such work. The importation of coolies is controlled by an elaborate system of legislation, which provides for the registration of contracts, the medical inspection of coolies during the journey, and supervision over rates of pay, &c., on the gardens. A. revised Immigration Act for Assam was passed by the Viceroy’s council in March 1901. In 1897 the mean annual strength of the labour force was 630,107, of whom 227,902 were children. The total number of adults at the end of the year was 399,975, of whom 195,267 were women. In 1897 the total immigration was 95,931, compared with 81,115 in the preceding year, and with 36,080 in 1890. This large increase is ascribed mainly to the famine in the recruiting tracts, but partly to the demand for additional labour on the tea gardens. The mortality among the coolies during the journey was high, owing to an outbreak of cholera ; and the death-rate on the gardens was also high—41-4 per thousand, compared with 32 in the preceding year. Minerals.—The mineral products of Assam include coal, petroleum, and limestone. The most valuable coal-mines are at the head of the Brahmaputra valley, in the neighbourhood of Makum, which is connected by railway with Dibrugarh on the river. The coal is the best found in India ; it is largely used for local purposes, and is also exported to Bengal. In 1897 the output was 197,499 tons, yielding to the Government a revenue of Rs.33,065. In the same neighbourhood are oil-fields, yielding kerosene and paraffin. In 1897 the output was 222,077 gallons. Coal is also found in the Naga and the Khasi Hills. The limestone of the Khasi Hills is largely exported to Bengal. In 1896-97 the total out-turn was 1,630,000 maunds, yielding to the Government a revenue of Rs.18,000. Railways.—Assam is still unconnected with the general railway system of India, and the Brahmaputra valley entirely depends upon communications by steamer. The Assam-Bengal railway is intended to run from the seaport of Chittagong to the Surma
