337 NIPILD-NRGUNDA. Niphád. — Sub-division of Násik District, Bonibay Presidency. Area, 411 square miles, containing 121 villages. Population (1881) $7,523, namely; 43,828 males and 43,695 females. Hindus number 80,111; Muhammadans, 3353; and others,' 4059. Land revenue (1881), £18,232. The Sub-division is bounded on the north by Chándor; on the cast by Yeola and Kopargaon ; on the south by Sinnar; and on the west by Dindori and Násik Sub-divisions. The region is an undulating plain of deep black soil, yielding rich crops of wheat and gran, The north-eastern branch of the Great Indian Peninsula Railway passes through Viphád Sub-division, which is also well supplied with roads. Climate good, but heat excessive in May and April. Watersupply sufficient, the chief river being the Godavari. In 1880-81 there were 5313 holdings, with an average area of 35 acres, and an average rental of £5, 9s. 7}d. ; incidence of land-tax, about 6s. 9d. per head of total population. In 1880-81, of 167,649 acres held for cultivation, 17,931 were fallow or under grass. Of the remaining 149,718 acres, 386 were twice cropped. Of 150,104 acres, the area under actual cultivation, grain crops occupied 123,329 acres (66,007 being under wheat); pulses occupied 14,444 acres; oil-seeds, 6538 acres ; fibres occupied 202 acres, all under hemp; and miscellaneous crops, 5591 acres. In 1884 the Sub-division contained i civil and 4 criminal courts; number of police circles (thúmis), 2 ; regular police, 54 men; village watch (chaukidirs), 188. Niphád. - Chief town of Niphád Sub-division, Násik District, Bonibay Presidency; situated about 20 miles north-east of Násik town. Population (1881) 3585. Niphád is a station on the north-eastern branch of the Great Indian Peninsula Railway. Besides the ordinary Sub-divisional revenue and police offices, the town has a post-office. Nír.-Rich agricultural village in Hardoi District, Oudh; 6 miles south-east of Hardoi town. Population (1881) 2733, chiefly Chamárs. It was founded by Nir Singh, a Chamár-Gaur in the service of the Hindu kings of Kanauj, who drove the Thatheras out of their stronghold at Besohra, and utterly destroyed it. A ruined mound of brick still marks the site. Nirgunda.-Village in Chitaldrúg District, Mysore State. Lat. 13° 47' X., long. 76° 15' E. Population (1881) 210. Once the capital of the Jain principality of Nirgunda, included in the Ganga empire 1500 years ago. According to tradition, it was founded 150 B.C. by a king from the north called Nila Sekhara, who gave it the name of Nilárati-patna. The name of Nirgunda is found on the celebrated Merkárá plates of the 5th century A.D. Mounds of ruins and sereral old temples are still in existence, with a Hoysala-Ballála inscription of 1056. VOL. X.
