BHANDARA. The
wives.’
361
names of Nawdgdon, Seoni, and
principal lakes bear the
Siregdon, the former covering an area of 5^ square miles, and being The forest tracts do not contain much valu1 7 miles in circumference. fit for building purposes, except the mahiid which are preserved by the people for their flowers, used as an article of diet by the poorer classes, and also distilled into a country spirit. The jungles yield gum, medicinal fruits and nuts, edible fruits, and honey, which are gathered and sold by the Gond tribes. The mineral products include iron, which is found in many places, and constitutes an article of export. The mines are mere pits, being
able timber of a large size trees,
generally only ten
twelve feet deep
or
and the clay furnaces
smelting the ore are very primitive and inefficient.
is
purchase the iron in rough
found and used
Owing
abundant.
for
dyeing wool and cloth.
Building stone
to the large extent of forest, wild animals
and the panther cause a great destruction of human
'I’he tiger
during the rainy season snakes.
year 1882.
many persons
die from the bites of
is
abound.
and life venomous
Ninety deaths from these causes were registered in the Deer of all kinds and wild pigs swarm in the woods, and
upon the crops. Bhandara nothing is known, except the legendary Gaulis are said at some remote period to have over-
frequently
History that
for
smelters are
Gonds, Goaras, Pardhdns, and Dhimdrs, from whom middleGeri^ a kind of red ochre, slabs.
principally
men
The
.
great injury
inflict
— Of the
run the countr}'.
and pastoral
race,
early history of
The Gaulis of the present day are a wandering who encamp in the jungles, and only visit the villages
and to purchase provisions. Deccan at one time included Bhandara in their dominions, but not till the end of the 17th century can our information be relied upon. We then find the District under the rule of the Gond Rajd of Deog.vrh. Bakht Buland, the founder of the dynasty, purchased the support of Aurangzeb by his conversion to the Muhammadan faith. Under his government a number of Rajputs, Lodhi's, Ponwars, Koris, Karas, and Kumbis were to
their
sell
Possibly the
attracted
cattle
the
into
Wainganga.
or
dairy
Muhammadan
produce,
princes of the
settling
District,
chiefly
Their industry and agricultural
country, especially in the region about Pauni.
Raghuji
I.
the villages near the
in skill
greatly improved the
The Marathas under
conquered these parts about 1738, but they were not formally
administered from Ndgpur until 1743. Under the Bhonslas a number of the commercial and soldier castes Marwaris, Aganvdlas, Lingayats,
and Maratha Kumbis 1817, of his
— established
when Apa Sdhib was palace,
Bhandara.
them back
On
at
—
themselves in the
war with the
British,
District. In he sent the ladies
with his jewels and other valuables, for security to the surrender of Nagpur, the English troops escorted
to that city.
The
next year
Chimna
Patel, zaviinddr of the
