518 LUDHIANA.
give up the ancient stronghold and erect a new fort upon some Other site.
Ludhidm—District in the Licutcnant-Governorship of the Punjab, lying between 30" 33’ and 31' r’ N. lat., and between 7 5' 24' 30” and 76' 27’s. long. Area, 1375 square miles (1881). Population, 618,835 persons. Ludhiana is the westernmost District of the Ambéla (Umballa) Division. It is bounded on the north bythe river Sutlej (Satlaj), which separates it from Jalandhar District; on the east by the District of Ambéla; on the south by the Native States of Patit’tla, Jhind, Nébha, and Maler Kotla ; and on the west by the District of Firozpur (Fertile pore). To the north, east, and west, the boundaries are fairly symme- trical, but in the south several outlying villages belonging to Ludhiana District are scattered among the Native States mentioned above ; while on the other hand, two 0r three groups of Patiala villages in the cast are completely surrounded by British territOry. Ludhiana District is divided into three ta/trik or Sub-divisions Sainrala to the cast. Ludhiana in the centre, and Jagnion to the west. The District stands twenty-ninth in order of area, and fifteenth in order of population among the thirty-two British Districts of the Province, and c0niprises 1'29 per cent. of the total area, 3'29 per cent. of the total population, and 3‘40 per cent. of the urban population of British territory. Not- withstanding its limited area, the District is one of the most important in the Punjab. Excluding the outlying villages, it is probably more compact and convenient for administrative purposes than any other Punjab District, the remotest point being not much more than 30 miles from head-quarters, and access to almost every part being easy by rail, or by good roads which intersect the District in all directions. The administrative head-quarters are at the town of LUDHIANA, which is centrally situated a few miles south of the Sutlej.
I'lrysiml Aspirin—T he surface of Ludhizinn consists for the most part of a broad plain, nowhere interrupted by hills or rivers, and strctChing northward from the borders of the Native States to the south to the ancient bed of the Sutlej (Satlaj). Its soil is composed of a rich clay, broken by large patches of shifting sand, which has drifted here and there into ridges of considerable height. The distribution of the sand-layer is singularly capricious, so that a distance of only a, hundred yards may carry the observer from fertile gardens into the midst of a deep and barren desert. On the eastern edge. towards ANDALA (Umballa) and the bills, the soil improves greatly, as the clay is there surmounted by a bed of rich mould, suitable for the cultivation of cotton and sugar-cane; but towards the west, the sand occurs in union with the superficial clay, and forms a light friable soil, on which cereals form the most profitable crop. Even here, hon-ever, the earth is so retentive of moisture that good harvests
