BIJNAUR, a district of British India, under the Lieutenant-Governor of the North-West Provinces, lying between 29° 1 , and 29° 58' N. lat., and 78° 1' and 78° 55' E. long., is bounded on the N.E. by the British district of Garhwal, on the E. and S.E. by the British district of Morâdâbâd, and on the W. by the British districts of Mirat, Muzaffarnagar, and Sahâranpur. The aspect of the country is generally a level plain, but the northern part of it rises towards the Himâlayas, the greatest elevation being 1342 feet above the sea-level. The Koh and Râmgangâ are the only streams that flow through the district....
Population in 1872, 737,152 souls, inhabiting 158,583 houses, and 2002 villages or townships. Area of the district, 1902 square miles; persons per square mile, 388; per village, 368; and per house, 4 - 6. The Hindus numbered 493,601, or 67 per cent, of the total population; Mahometans, 243,455, or 33 per cent.; and Christians and others of unspecified religions, 96 souls. Of the area of the district (namely, 1902 - 94 square miles), 1036’14 square miles are under cultivation; 432’63 square miles cultivable, but not actually under cultivation; and the remainder uncultivable waste. Principal crops Sugar-cane, cotton, rice, pulses, oil-seeds, and different kinds of millet. Principal lines of road :—(1.) Najib-âbâd to Hardwar and Srinagar; (2.) Mirat to Bijnaur, Kiratpur, and Najibâbad; (3.) Bijnaur to Naginâand Barapur; (4.) Najibabad to Nagina, Nehtaur, (’handpur, and Bashtâ; (5.) Morâdâbâd to Sahora, Nagina, and Najïbabâd; and (6.) Nùrpur to Dhämpur, Sherkot, and Afzalgash, on to Kalâgash. In 1870-71, the total revenue of Bijnaur district amounted to £143,958, of which £127,316, or 88 per cent., was derived from land. For the protection of person and property, a regular police force of 436 strong is maintained, exclusive of the village watch. In 1872-73, Bijnaur district contained 334 schools, attended by 5819 pupils. The following thirteen towns contain a population exceeding 5000 souls :—(1.) Bijnaur, the headquarters town of the district, in 29° 22' 36" N. lat. and 70’ 10 ’ 30" E. long.; population, 12,865; municipal income in 1872, £1040,16s.; expenditure, £681, 8s.; rate of taxation, Is. 7∣d. per head: (2.) Sioharâ, population, 8340; municipal income, £94, 18s. 4d.; expenditure, £83, 8s. 6d.: (3.) Sâhaspur, population, 6309; not a municipal own: (4.) Najibabad, population, 17,418; municipal revenue, £1584, 4s.; expenditure, £1425, 16s.: (5.) Shirks, population, 12,586; municipal revenue,£173, 14s. 5d.: expenditure, £130, 17s. 4d.: (6.) Dhâmpur, population, 6555; municipal revenue, £521, 16s.; expenditure, £429, 12s.: (7.) Mandâwar, population, 7622; municipal revenue, £86, 19s. 3d.; expenditure, £115, 13s. 8d.: (8.) Afzalgash, population, 8350; municipal revenue, £100, Is. Id.; expenditure, £115, 18s. lid.: (9.) Nahtor, population, 9392; municipal revenue, £147, 8s. Id.; expenditure, £84, 3s.7d.: (10.) Juhahi, population, 5979; not a municipal town: (11.) Chandpur,^population, 12,033; municipal income, £506, 12s.; expenditure, £378, 2s.: (12.) Nagina, population, 19,696; municipal income, £925, 12s.; expenditure, £779, 16s.: (13.) Kiratpur, population, 9579; municipal income, £117, 14s.; expenditure, £91,12s.
Until the latter part of the 18th century Bijnaur belonged to the brave Rohilla Afghans, whose subjugation forms so deep a blot on the career of Warren Hastings. In 1774 the mercenary arms of Britain subjected this people to the oppressive rule of the Nawâb of Oudh, who in turn ceded the district to the East India Company in 1802.
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