— BASIM.
184
No
ground, and about 20 feet high.
valuable timber
now
exists.
The
be found between the Piis and the Penganga rivers. The area of reserved forests in 1880-81 was 48 square miles, and of unreserved forests 459 square miles. Several of the forest trees yield gums, dyes, and medicines, and the jungles supply abundant fuel. The mango, the mahud, and other fruit trees are found in all the The two principal village lands except those of the western pargands. rivers are the Pus and the Kata Piirna, mountain streams which rise close to each other at the village of Kata, north of Basim town. The best
is
to
Piis flowing south falls into the
miles.
The Kata
Alhan, after forcing
Penganga
Piirna flowing
after a course of
north enters Akola
way through a deep
its
about 64 near
District
Other insignificant
gorge.
streams are the Adan, the Kuch, the Adol. and the Chandra-Bagha, the last three falling into
the Penganga.
The
old military road between
Jdlna and Nagpur intersects the District from south-west to north-east.
The
larger wild animals are tigers, leopards, bears, wild hog, several
varieties of deer
History.
such as
small
game abounds.
—The only materials
may
for the early history of the District are
possibly be found on further examination of the Jain
and
Buddhist sculptured temples of Sirpur and Pusad, etc. According to historic tradition, the Jains were in power immediately before the
Muhammadan Ellichpur and
invasion its
of
Ala-ud-din,
a.d.
1294,
who subjugated
dependencies, in which Basim was included.
Thence-
forward, though with intervals of partially regained independence, the
country continued subject to
Muhammadan
was ceded to Prince Murad on behalf of Sultana,
regent for her son.
The
rule
till
his father,
condition
1596,
when Berar
Akbar, by Chand
of affairs
calling
for
Akbar’s presence, he personally visited the Deccan in 1599, and consolidated his conquests by making Berar an Imperial governorship, of
which Basim formed a Sarkdr (Division). It does not appear to have been the scene of any remarkable event influencing the fortunes of
its rulers.
The
hills north of the Penganga are inhabited by Hatkars Bargi Dhangars, or the shepherds with the spears.’ These men, in 1600, held sway in the country round Basim, and are described as a refractory and perfidious race. They were, in truth, clans under highland chiefs, who owned little more than nominal allegiance to the lowland rulers, whether Hindu or Muhammadan and thus they continued till the introduction of British rule. After the death of Akbar, the Mughal Emperors maintained their authority with more or less vigour till about 1670, when the Maratha forays became frequent In 1671, Pratap Rao, a general of Sivaji, plundered as far east as Karinja, just beyond the north-east corner 'if Basim District, and first exacted from the village officers a pledge to pay chauth. After the death of Aurangzeb, chauih and sardesh mukhi ‘
‘
’
