Page:The Imperial Gazetteer of India - Volume 10 (2nd edition).pdf/21

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MULTAN DISTRICT.
9

Lahore, Mailsi, Kahror, Baháwalpur, and Sukkur, with numerous branch lines and cross-country tracks. Total length of metalled roads, 51 miles; unmetalled roads, 1131 miles. Water communication is afforded by the Sutlej, Chenáb, and Ráví rivers, which are navigable throughout the whole of their length of 245 miles. With the exception of the railway bridge over the Sutlej, none of the rivers are bridged, but there are ferries at all the chief crossings

Administration.—The District is under the control of the Commissioner of the Múltán Division, who is stationed at Múltán city. The ordinary head-quarters staff of the District comprises a Deputy Commissioner, with a Judicial Assistant, an Assistant Commissioner, and two extra-Assistant Commissioners, besides the usual fiscal, constabulary, and medical officers. Each tahsíl is in charge of a tahsíldár, assisted by a náib tahsíldár, with a village staff of petty revenue officers. There are two munsifs, or subordinate civil judges, both of whom hold their courts at Múltán city, and exercise jurisdiction over the whole District. The executive staff is supplemented by a cantonment magistrate, and a bench of honorary magistrates in the city. The total imperial revenue in 1872–73 amounted to £92,042, of which sum the land-tax contributed £65,486. In 1883–84, the total land revenue of the District was returned at £102,715, of which £56,282 was derived from the direct land-tax. The other principal items are grazing dues, salt, customs, and stamps. The total direct income of the 'Lower Sutlej and Chenáb Inundation Canals' Division in 1873–74 amounted to £12,147. A small provincial and local revenue is also raised in the District. In 1883, the number of civil and revenue judges amounted to 13, and that of magistrates to 22. The imperial police force in 1883 consisted of 646 men of all ranks, supplemented by a municipal police of 233 men, and a cantonment constabulary of 38 men. Besides these there is a force of 604 village chaukídárs or rural police, who are maintained by a cess levied on the villagers. The total machinery, therefore, for the protection of person and property numbered 1521 policemen, being 1 to every 3.8 square miles of the area and every 362 of the population. Besides the District jail and lock-up for the criminals of the District there is also a central jail at Múltán, which receives long-term prisoners from other parts of the Division. The total number of inmates in both jails in 1883 was 4630, and the daily average 1313.

Education remains in a very backward state, the Muhammadan population being especially apathetic in this matter. In 1881, the Census returned the number of children receiving instruction at 7241, of whom the Hindus contributed 48 per cent., though they only amount to 20 per cent of the whole population. The total number of schools under the supervision of the Education Depart-