BELGAUM.
232 forest trees are the teak,
hu'da or myrabolan,
blackwood, hon 7ie (Pterocarpus marsupium),
and jackwood.
There
are
a few babiil
also
reserves.
Of
wild animals, antelope are
common, ranging over
the black soil
40 head. Sdmbhar deer, wild hog, and hyjenas are found in the waste and forest lands. Of the larger beasts of prey, panthers are pretty generally distributed, but tigers are met with only in the south and south-west. Of game-birds there are wild peacock, partridge, quail, snipe, teal, kala?n, and occasionally bustard. Except the well-built and agile Mysore cattle, and one or two varieties of buffaloes of northern origin, usually kept by the gaulis or professional milkmen, the local breeds of cattle are poor. History The District of Belgaum forms part of the territory ceded under the name of Dharwar by the Peshwa, in accordance with the terms of the treaty of Poona (June 1818). For some years after the cession, this territory continued to be administered as one District with Dharwar; but in 1836 it was considered advisable to divide the unwieldy jurisdiction into two parts. Under the arrangements then introduced, the southern portion continued to be known as Dharwar, and the tract to the north was constituted a separate charge under the name of Belgaum. The first settlement of the District took place in 1848-49 in 1881-82 re-settlement operations were in progress. Populatio 7i The Census of 1881 returned a total population of plains in herds of from 20 to
.
—
.
—
Of these, 746,286, or 86’38 per cent., were Hindus; 44,991, or 5 ‘20 per cent., Srawaks or Jains; 66,262, or 7^67 per cent, Musalmans ; 6322, or ’73 per cent, 864,014 persons, or i85'53 to the square mile.
Christians; 89 Jews
the females, 429,529. is
and 64
Parsis.
The percentage
The males numbered 434,485
of males in the total population
50*29.
The people number Hindus
are chiefly
as cultivators,
though a considerable
Among
the
the only special class are the Lingayats, a peculiar section of
the worshippers of Siva.
of the District, are
one of
employed
of the population support themselves by weaving.
its
many
Along the banks of the Kistna,
in the
north
Kaikaris, a tribe notorious from the skill cf
sub-divisions as highway robbers.
Of
the 746,286 Hindus, 30,404 are returned as Brahmans; 2711 as Rdjputs; and 90,848 as Lingayats. Of the 66,262 Musalmans, 66,226
and only 36 are Shias. Of the 6322 Christians, 1178 are Europeans, 81 Eurasians, and 5063 native converts.
are Sunnis,
The in use are Marathi, Hindustani, and Kanarese. employ Guzerati among themselves, both in conversation and writing. Kanarese is the official language of the District. Of the whole population, 71,100 persons, or 8*23 per cent., live in towns containing a population of more than 5000 souls. The villages The languages
Parsis
