BA REILL F.
143
diem agricultural labourers, 2|d. to 3d. and carpenters, 6d. to 2s. per diem. Women receive about one-fifth less than men, while children earn from one-third Prices have steadily increased since to one-half the wages of adults. labourers, 2jd. to 3|d. per
per diem
bricklayers
In 1876, the ordinary food-grains sold per rupee, or 4s. 8d. per cwt. best rice,
the beginning of the century. as follows
— Wheat,
sers
24
7 sers
per rupee, or i6s. per cwt.
cwt.
bdjrd, 30 sers per rupee, or 3s. 9d. per cwt.
]
jodr, 32 sers per rupee, or 3s. 6d. per
In 1881-82, the
average prices of food-grains were for wheat 18^ sers per rupee, or 6s. id. per cwt. ; best rice, 7^ sers per rupee, or 15s. per cwt. ; common rice,
15^
sers per rupee, or
or 4s. 8|d. per cwt.
and
Natural Calamities
.
7s.
3d. per cwt.
jodr, 23I sers per rupee,
bdjrd, 2 24 sers per rupee, or 5s. per cwt.
— Nothing
known
is
occurred in Rohilkhand during the
of
last century,
the
scarcities
though the
which
Muham-
madan historians occasionally mention that after long-continued struggles between the Katheriyas and the Musalmans, or protracted wars of the Afghans against the Imperial troops, much land had fallen out of cultivation, and little grain was left in the country. The great famine of 1783 found Bareilly under the rule of the Wazi'rs of Oudh, who did nothing to mitigate
its
distress never
severity, but the
seriously
In the famine year of 1803, Bareilly had but Very little rain fell recently passed under the British Government. during the autumn, and all the crops failed disturbances arose, and the landlords, unable to pay their share of the revenue, absconded in numbers. The distress reached its height in April, when the people fed their starving cattle on the dried-up stalks of the spring affected Rohilkhand.
In 1837-38, the year of the terrible famine in the Doab, Rohilkhand suffered somewhat for lack of rain but opportune showers in February 1838 saved a large proportion of the rabi harvest. The scarcity of 1860-61 was severely felt throughout Rohilkhand, and this The road from Bareilly to Budaun was District did not escape unhurt. Crowds of starving immigrants from the constructed as a relief work. westward poured into the District, aggravating the local distress, which would not otherwise have reached a conspicuous height. Bareilly was As a whole, owing to only slightly affected by the dearth of 1868-69. the abundant natural water supply of the sub-Himalayan tract, the extremity of famine need not be apprehended so seriously for this District as for many others in its neighbourhood. crops.
Commerce and Trade,
etc.
—The
leading marts in the District are
those of Bareilly and Aonla; but as
many as 173 They are
scattered through the country pargands.
village bdzdrs are
usually held twice
a week, and serve to carry off the cotton and grain of the surrounding country, which is bought up by Banjaras for the markets of Bareilly, Pilibhit,
Rdmpur, and Chandausi.
The
villagers obtain their supplies
