Page:The Imperial Gazetteer of India - Volume 10 (2nd edition).pdf/18

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MULTAN DISTRICT.

within village boundaries is only 2922 square miles, and on that area the density of population is 188 per square mile. Classified according to sex and age, there were in 1881—under 15 years of age, boys 119,528, and girls 101,141 ; total children, 220,669, or 40 per cent. of the population : 15 years and upwards, males 184,989, and females 146,306; total adults, 331,205, or 60 per cent.

Religion.—Classified according to religion, Muhammadans numbered 435,901, or 78.9 per cent. of the District population, while the Hindus are returned at 112,001, or 20'3 per cent. The remainder is made up of—Sikhs, 2085; Christians, 1861; Pársís, 63; Jains, 47; and 'others,' 6. In the following return of the principal castes and tribes, it must be remembered that nearly every caste, although generally possessing a dominating preponderance of one religion, also includes many members of other religions. Thus, the Játs, numbering 102,952, and the Rájputs 59,627, are almost entirely Muhammadans, with a sprinkling of Hindus; while the Aroras (76,842), Brahmans (4183), and Khattris (9798) are almost exclusively Hindus, with a slight Muhammadan element. The other leading tribes and castes (including both Muhammadans and Hindus) are—Chuhra, 29,489; Arain, 23,981; Juláha, 23,753 ; Mochi, 16,596; Kumbhar, 13,716; Tarkhán, 11,915; Charhoa, 11,452 ; Machhí, 9610; Mirási, 7510; Vai, 6035; Kassab, 5914; and Khojah, 5640. The Muhammadan population by race, as distinguished from descendants of converts, comprises Baluchís, 18,547; Shaikhs, 12,649; Patháns, 9067; Sayyids, 8908; Mughals, 4601; and Dáúdputras, 1315. According to sect, the Muhammadans are as follows :-Sunnís, 431,656; Shiás, 3830; Wahábis, 79; and unspecified, 336. The Christian population numbered 1861, of whom 1709 are Europeans, 110 Eurasians, and only 42 Natives.

Town and Rural Population, etc.—Múltán District contains 6 municipal towns, namely, MULTAN City, population 68,674; SHUJABAD, 6458; KAHROR, 4804; JALALPUR, 3875; TALAJBA, 2231; and DuxYAPUR, 2041. These towns contain a total urban population of 88,083, or 159 per cent of the District population. Of the 1293 towns and villages comprising Múltán District in 1881, 997 contained less than five hundred inhabitants; 189 from five hundred to a thousand; 88 from one to two thousand; ni from two to three thousand ; 6 from three to five thousand; and 2 upwards of five thousand. The villages are nearly all situated in the irrigated lowland tracts bordering the great rivers, the sterile bir tract containing only a nomadic population of graziers. As regards occupation, the Census Report returned the adult male population under the following seven main classes :-(1) Professional class, including all Government officials and servants, civil and military, 9717; (2) domestic and menial class, 5304; (3) commercial and trading class, including carriers, 11,500 ;