PREFACE.
This book follows the plan prescribed by Government, and statistics have for the most part been given in a separate Appendix which is to be revised decennially, after each Census.
The original 'District Manual,' written by Mr. D. F. Carmichael, I.C.S., when Collector and Agent, was published so long ago as 1869. One of its chief features was the section devoted to the early history of the numerous zamindaris, and this has been freely utilized in Chapter XV of the present volume. Much interesting matter regarding the 'Agency tracts' of the district has also been extracted from the annual administration reports of the Agents to the Governor, the earlier of which give vivid accounts of the difficulties of the pioneers of law and order in that wild country.
Thanks to the many gentlemen, official and non-official, who have helped with this book have been tendered where possible in the body of the volume, but special obligations have been incurred to Mr. R. H. Campbell, the present Collector and Agent, who has been kind enough to read the whole of the proofs and make a large number of important corrections and improvements in them.
