Page:Gódávari.djvu/294

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268
GODAVARI.

by the owner, but in 1879 a descendant of the man who had been hanged was appointed muttadar.

Chódavaram: Head-quarters of the division. Population 377. It contains a local fund dispensary (established in 1902), and a police-station garrisoned by a Special Hill Reserve 40 strong, The siege it underwent at the beginning of the 1879 rebellion is briefly described in the account of Rampa below. Chódavaram was strongly held by troops throughout the greater part of the rebellion. It is situated on one side of an extensive plateau.

Chopakonda: Eight miles south-west of Chódavaram. Population 67. Chief place in a hill mutta paying a quit-rent of Rs. 21 and containing six villages. In 1849 the mansabdar of Rampa obtained possession of this on the ground that the muttadar has disappeared, and by a village settlement obtained an income of Rs. 1 16 per annum from it. In 1879 the real muttadar, who had been alive all the time and was well known to the hill people, was restored.

Dandangi: Twelve miles south-south-west of Chódavaram. Population 161. Is the head-quarter village of a zamindari estate consisting of ten villages and paying a peshkash of Rs. 565. The estate forms part of a property of 26 villages which was sold by the Reddi Rázus, apparently before the permanent settlement, to the then zamindar of Nuzvid. This passed by sale in later years to the ancestors of the present owners of the Gútála zamindari, and from them (some time before 1855) to the ancestors of the present zamindars of Dandangi.

Dorachintalapálem: Fourteen miles north-east of Chódavaram. Population 27. Gives its name to a hill mutta of fourteen villages the chief place in which is Narasápuram. In 1871 the then muttadar died without legitimate issue and the mansabdar of Rampa at once annexed the property. An illegitimate son of the late owner accordingly took a prominent part in the rebellion of 1879; and would not come in at the time of the settlement. The villagers were allowed to elect one of their own number as muttadar, and the quit-rent was raised from Rs. 50 to Rs. 70.

Geddáda : Four miles north-west of Chódavaram. Population 275. Chief village of a hill mutta of the old Rampa estate, containing nine villages and paying a rent of Rs. 21.

Kákúru: Twenty-eight miles north of Chódavaram. Population 78. Chief village of a hill mutta of the Rampa country, which pays a quit-rent of Rs. 40 and contains eight villages. The muttadar joined in the Rampa rebellion and