MALABAB, a district in the Madras presidency, Indir, between 10° 15' and 12° 18' N. lat., and 75° 14' and 76° 52' E. long., is bounded on the N. by South’Kânara, on the E. by Coorg, the Nilgiri hills, and Coimbatore district, on the S. by Cochin and Travancore states, and on the W. by the Arabian Sea. The extreme length is 145 miles, while the breadth varies from 25 miles in the north to 70 miles in the south; the area is 5763 square miles. Malabar is singularly diversified in its configuration; from the eastward, the great range of the Western Gh⅛ts, only interrupted by the Palghât gap, looks down on a country broken by long spurs, extensive ravines, dense forests, and tangled jungle. To the westward, gentler slopes and downs, and gradually widening valleys closely cultivated, succeed the forest uplands, till, nearer the seaboard, the low laterite table-lands shelve into rice plains and backwaters fringed with cocoa-nut palms. The coast runs in a south-easterly direction, and forms a few headlands and small bays, with a natural harbour in the south at Cochin. In the south there is considerable extent of table-land. The mountains of the Western Ghâts run almost parallel to the coast, and vary from 3000 to 7000 feet in height. One of the most striking features in the country is the Palghât gap, a complete opening in the Western Ghâts some 25 miles across. The chief rivers are the Beliapatam, Kota, Mahe, Beypur, Kadelundi, and Ponâni. One of the most characteristic features of Malabar is an all but continuous chain of lagoons or backwaters lying parallel to the coast, which have been formed by the action of the waves and shore currents in obstructing the waters of the rivers. Of these backwaters the most important are the Kavâi and Beliapatam in the north, ...the Payangadi, Quilandi, and Elatur in the middle, and the Chetwâi and Kodungalûr in the south. Connected as they are by artificial canals, they form a cheap and abundant means of transit; and a large local trade is carried on by inland navigation. Fishing and fishcuring is an important industry, the value of the exports of salt fish to Ceylon being about £20,000 per annum. The forests are extensive and of great value, but they are almost entirely private property. The few tracts which are conserved have come into Government hands by escheat or by contract. Wild animals include the elephant, tiger, panther, bison, sambhar, spotted deer, hog, Nilgiri ibex, hyaena, and bear. Small game is very abundant.
The census of 1872 returned the population of the district at 2,261,250, namely, Hindus, 1,637,914; Mohammedans, 581,609; Europeans, 2579; Eurasians, 5409; native Christians, 32,280; Jains, 31; and “others,” 1428. The Moplas or Maρilas, who form a leading section of the Mohammedans, are the descendants of Malayalam converts to Islam, mainly confined to the coast tract. They are fanatical and bigoted, and their outrages, partly fanatical and partly agrarian, have for long been a distinct feature in Malabar history. Many of these outbreaks have necessitated the use of European troops for their suppression. A few Syrian Christians are found in the south of the district, where they have one church. The Roman Catholics have several churches and villages, the chief occupation of the people being fishing and cultivating vegetables. The existing Roman Catholic mission dates from 1656, having been founded by the Carmelites. The Protestant Basel mission, established in 1839, has founded churches and schools at Calicut, Cannanore, Tellicherri, and Palghât, with branch establishments at Chombla and Todakel. The native Christian.population is steadily increasing, mainly through the conversion of low-caste Hindus, who gain in’social position by the change. The five largest towns, which are all municipalities, are Calicut, the capital, population 48,338; Palghât, 31,115; Tellicherri, 20,479; Cochin, 13,588; and Cannanore (Kanamir) town and cantonment, 10,265.
In 1880-81 926,359 acres were under cultivation, and 2,869,965 •were returned as cultivable. Rice, which occupied 580,281 acres in 1881, forms the principal food crop, but it is also largely imported from neighbouring districts. Other crops are cholam, ragi, chama, gingelly seed, castor-oil seed, gram, coffee, pepper, ginger, arrowroot, cardamoms, chillies, onions, cocoa-nut, areca nut, cinnamon, &c. Cocoa-nut gardens form one of the greatest sources of commercial wealth; the value of the exported produce from Madras in 1880-81 was £141,800, chiefly from Malabar, this being a decrease of 18 per cent, on the year preceding. Pepper and spices yield over a quarter of a million. As a rule, the peasantry are well off and free from debt. The district is not liable to blight, flood, oι ’ drought. When, however, the neighbouring districts to the east suffer from scarcity, Malabar, which ordinarily imports grain, is affected by the prevalence of high prices.
The district is fairly supplied with means of communication, and possesses 400 miles of good metalled roads, besides minor cart tracks. The water communication provided by the backwaters and their canals has already been referred to. The Madras railway traverses the southern part of the district for a total distance of 89 miles from Walliar to Beypur. Except cloth weaving, and the making of tiles, bricks, &c., at the mission stations at Calicut and Cannanore, and the weaving of coarse cotton cloths and mats at Palghât, there are no local manufactures worthy of mention. The weaving of calico, which derived its name from Calicut, seems to have altogether died out; while unsuccessful attempts have been made to manufacture canvas at Beypur and silk at Palghât. The principal seats of commerce are Calicut, Cannanore, Tellicherri, Cochin, Palghât, and Badagara. In 1876- 77 the value of the imports (which were abnormally increased by the famine demand for rice) amounted to £1,765,200, of which £1,118,000 was for rice; exports £2,466,000, of which £960,000 represented coffee. European banks are represented at Calicut, Cochin, and Tellicherri.
The revenue has largely increased of late years. In 1880-81 the land revenue amounted to £176,062, and the gross revenue to £332,628. The number of pupils connected with the various schools at the same date was 20,971. The principal educational institutions are the provincial school at Calicut, the mission school at Tellicherri, the Palghât high school, and the “Kerala Vidya Sala,” recently established by tnezamorin, for the instruction of the young noblemen of his family and of other influential persons in the district. Nearly one hundred schools are exclusively confined to Moplâs. There are several printing presses at Calicut and Cochin, and at the latter port are published two English and two Malayalam newspapers. The climate of the district is, on the whole, healthy; the rainfall is heavy, averaging 120 inches a year, of which about 80 inches fall in June, July, and August. The temperature varies from 60° in December to about 92° in the hot weather in May. The principal diseases are small-pox, dysentery, and fever.
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