SIBSÁGAR, or Seebsaugor, a British district of India, in the upper valley of the province of Assam, lying between 26° 19' and 27° 16' N. lat. and 93° 21' and 95° 25' E. long., and covering an area of 2855 square miles. It is bounded on the N. and E. by Lakhimpur district, on the S. by independent Nágá territory, and on the W. by the Nowgong and Nágá Hills districts. Sibságar consists of a level plain, much overgrown with grass and jungle, and intersected by numerous tributaries of the Brahmaputra. It is divided by the little stream Disai into two tracts, which differ in soil and general appearance. The surface of the eastern portion is very flat, the general level being broken only by the long lines of embankments raised by the Aham kings to serve both as roadways and as a protection against floods. The soil consists of a heavy loam of a whitish colour, which is well adapted for rice cultivation. West of the Disai, though the surface soil is of the same character, the general aspect is diversified by the protrusion of the subsoil, which consists of a stiff clay abounding in iron nodules, and is furrowed by frequent ravines and water-courses, which divide the cultivable fields into innumerable small sunken patches or holas. The chief river is the Brahmaputra, which is navigable throughout the year by steamers and large native craft. The navigable tributaries of the Brahmaputra comprise the Dhaneswari, the Burí Dihing, the Disang, and the Dikhu, all flowing in a northerly direction from the Nágá Hills. Included within the district is the island of Maguli, which is said to have been formed by the silt brought down by the Subansiri river from the Himálayas and deposited in the wide channel of the Brahmaputra. Coal, iron, petroleum, and salt are found in the ...district. Wild beasts of all kinds abound, including the elephant, rhinoceros, tiger, buffalo, and deer. The climate, like that of the rest of the Assam valley, is comparatively mild and temperate, and the average annual rainfall is about 94 inches.
In 1881 the population of Sibságar was 370,274 (males 195,194, females 175,080), of whom Hindus numbered 339,663, Mohammedans 15,665, hill tribes 13,829, and Christians 804. The only place of more than 5000 inhabitants is Sibságar (see below). Of the total area 359,225 acres were under cultivation in 1883-84, besides 78,710 acres of forests. The staple product is rice, which yields two crops in the year; tea is also extensively grown, Sibságar being second only to Cachar among the tea-growing districts of India; other crops include food-grains, pulses, oilseeds, sugar-cane, and cinchona. The local industries are limited to the weaving of silk and cotton cloth, the making of brass and bell-metal utensils, and coarse pottery. The principal exports are tea, silk, mustard-seed, cotton, and jungle products; the imports include salt, oil, opium, piece-goods, and miscellaneous hardware.
On the decline of the Aham dynasty Sibságar, with the rest of the Assam valley, fell into the hands of the Burmese. They were expelled by the British in 1823, and in the following year the valley was annexed to British India. The British, however, were indisposed to undertake the responsibilities of administration beyond what seemed absolutely necessary. The country now forming Sibságar district, together with the southern portion of Lakhimpur, was placed under the rule of Raja Purandhar Sinh, on his agreeing to pay an annual tribute of £5000. Owing to the raja’s misrule, Sibságar was reduced to a state of great poverty, and, as he was unable to pay the annual tribute, the territories were resumed by the Government of India, and in 1838 Sibságar was placed under the direct management of a British officer. The tea industry soon brought back prosperity, and the Sibságar peasants now rank among the most contented and wealthy in Assam.
SIBSÁGAR, chief town and civil headquarters of the above district, is situated about 11 miles south from the
Brahmaputra, being picturesquely placed around a magnificent tank covering an area of 114 acres. Besides the houses of the civil officials, it possesses a straggling bazaar, in which a brisk business is carried on during the cold season with the neighbouring hill tribes. In 1881 the population of the town was 5868.
[673 words — estimated reading time: 4 minutes]