Page:A Statistical Account of Bengal Vol 1 GoogleBooksID 9WEOAAAAQAAJ.pdf/36

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page needs to be proofread.
JURISDICTION, REVENUE, CIVIL, CRIMINAL.
21

Baliá Basandárí, (17) Maidánmal, (18) Mánpur, (19) Maydá, (20) Muhammad Amínpur, (21) Munrágáchhá, (22) Nimak-o-mom (i.e. salt and wax farms), (23) Páikán, (24) Pechákulí, (25) Sáyers of Háthiágarh, (26) Sháhnagar, and (27) Sháhpur.

The subsequent political history of the 24 Parganás will be found further on, in the part of this account devoted to the Administrative History of the District. The foregoing paragraphs suffice to show how the District was formed, and the territory which it embraced.

Civil and Criminal Jurisdictions.—Regulations ii., iii., and ix. of 1793 defined the jurisdiction of the civil, criminal, and revenue Courts established in the 24 Parganás, but it was expressly ruled that the jurisdiction of these tribunals should not extend to the town of Calcutta. The arrangements of 1793 continued in force till 1800, when the Civil Courts of the 24 Parganás were abolished, and their jurisdiction was made over to the Judges of Húglí and Nadiyá. At the same time, the jurisdiction of the Justices of the Peace for the town of Calcutta was extended to the suburbs and places within a radius of twenty miles, so that they possessed a jurisdiction nearly concurrent with that of the Magistrate of the 24 Parganás. The Díwání or Civil Court was, however, reestablished in 1806. Regulation x. of 1808 gave to the Magistrate of the 24 Parganás the duties and powers of a Superintendent of Police; and in 1811 the offices of Judge and Magistrate were united in the same person. Regulation xiv. of 1814 divided the 24 Parganás into two distinct Districts (zilas); one of which consisted of the suburbs of Calcutta, and the other of the rest of the District outside the suburban limits. This separation was made in consequence of the increasing population of the suburbs. It placed the Suburban Division, comprising the Police Circles (Thánás) of Chitpur, Mániktalá, Tázerhát, Nauhazárí, and Sálkhiá in charge of a separate Magistrate and Judge. In 1832, Regulation viii. abolished the Suburban District, and reunited its Police Circles just mentioned with the 24 Parganás.

The Revenue Jurisdiction of the District has also changed from time to time. Originally it contained only 444 estates. In 1816 a few estates were transferred from Bardwán, and the total had risen to 564; and in 1834, in consequence of splitting up of estates and further accessions from Nadiyá and Jessor, the number further swelled to 1061. In 1862 the former Bardwán estates were transferred to Húglí; and, owing to redistributions since made