The Panjab, North-West Frontier Province, and Kashmir Part 24

~Shahdheri~ (~Rawalpindi~), 332 N.--725 E. On the Hazara border and near the Margalla Pa.s.s. Site of the famous city of Taxila (Takshasila).

See pages 161, 165, and 204. Excavation is now being carried out with interesting results.

~Taxila~. See Shahdheri.

(_e_) _Multan Division._

~Chiniot~ (~Jhang~), 314 N.--730 E. Headquarters of _tahsil_. Population 14,085. A very old town near the left bank of the Chenab. Famous for bra.s.swork and wood-carving. The Muhammadan Khoja traders have large business connections with Calcutta, Bombay, and Karachi. Fine mosque of the time of Shahjahan.

~Kamalia~ (~Lyallpur~), 304 N.--724 E. Population 8237. An old town.

Cotton printing with hand blocks is a local industry. The town should now prosper as it is a station on the Chichoki--Shorkot Road Railway and irrigation from the Lower Chenab Ca.n.a.l has reached its neighbourhood.

~Lyallpur~, 313 N.--739 E. Fine new Colony town. Headquarters of district. Population 19,578. Large wheat trade with Karachi, and has a number of cotton ginning and pressing factories.

~Montgomery~, 304 N.--738 E. Headquarters of district. Population 8129.

May become a place of some importance with the opening of the Lower Bari Doab Ca.n.a.l. Hitherto one of the hottest and dreariest stations in the Panjab, but healthy.

~Pakpattan~, 302 N.--732 E. Headquarters of _tahsil_. Population 7912.

On Sutlej Valley Railway. Anciently known as Ajodhan and was a place of importance. Contains shrine of the great Saint Farid ul Hakk wa ud Din Shakarganj (1173-1265). Visited by Timur in 1398. There is a great annual festival attracting crowds of pilgrims, who come even from Afghanistan. There is great compet.i.tion to win eternal bliss by getting first through the gate at the entrance to the shrine.

II. PANJaB NATIVE STATES.

~Bahawalpur~, 292 N.--715 E. Capital of State on N.W. Railway 65 miles south of Multan. Population 18,414. There is a large palace built by Nawab Muhammad Sadik Muhammad Khan IV in 1882.

~Barnala~ (~Patiala~), 322 N.--754 E. Headquarters of Anahadgarh Nizamat on Rajpura-Bhatinda branch of N.W. Railway. Population 5341. For the famous battle see page 179.

~Bhatinda~ (~Patiala~), 301 N.--750 E. Also called Govindgarh. Old names are Vikramagarh and Bhatrinda. Historically a place of great interest (page 167). Fell into decay in later Muhammadan times. Is now a great railway junction and a nouris.h.i.+ng grain mart. The large fort is a conspicuous object for many miles round. Population 15,037.

~Brahmaur~, 323 N.--764 E. The old capital of Chamba, now a small village. Has three old temples. One of Lakshana Devi has an inscription of Meru Varma, who ruled Chamba in the seventh century.

~Chamba~, 323 N.--761 E. Capital of State picturesquely situated on a plateau above right bank of Ravi. Population 5523. The white palace is a conspicuous object. There is an excellent hospital and an interesting museum. The group of temples near the palace is noteworthy (page 201).

That of Lakshmi Narayan perhaps dates from the tenth century. The Ravi is spanned at Chamba by a fine bridge.

~Chini~ (~Bashahr~), 313 N.--782 E. Headquarters of Kanawar near the right bank of Sutlej. Elevation 9085 feet. Was a favourite residence of Lord Dalhousie. There is a Moravian Mission Station at Chini.

~Kapurthala~, 312 N.--752 E. Capital of State. Contains Maharaja's palace. Population 16,367.

~Malerkotla~, 303 N.--756 E. Capital of State. Population 23,880.

~Mandi~, 314 N.--766 E. Capital of State. Population 7896. On the Bias, 131 miles from Pathankot, with which it is connected by the Pathankot--Palampur--Baijnath road. There is a fine iron bridge spanning the Bias. It is a mart for trade with Ladakh and Yarkand.

~Nabha~, 302 N.--761 E. Capital of State. Population 13,620, as compared with 18,468 in 1901. Founded in 1755 by Hamir Singh (page 277).

Since irrigation from the Sirhind Ca.n.a.l has been introduced the environs have become waterlogged and the town is therefore unhealthy.

~Nahan~, 303 N.--772 E. Capital of Sirmur State. Elevation 3207 feet.

Population 6341. There is a good iron foundry at Nahan.

~Patiala~, 302 N.--763 E. Capital of State. Population 46,974. On Rajpura-Bhatinda Branch of N.W. Railway. Contains fine gardens and modern buildings. The old palace is in the centre of the town. Patiala is a busy mart for local trade.

~Pattan Munara~ (~Bahawalpur~), 281 N.--702 E. There are the ruins here of a large city and of a Buddhist monastery. They are situated in the south of the State five miles east of Rahim Yar Khan Station.

~Sangrur~ (~Jind~), 301 N.--756 E. Became the capital of Jind State in 1827. Population 9041. On Ludhiana--Dhuri--Jakhal Railway.

~Sirhind~ (~Patiala~), 304 N.--763 E. Properly Sahrind. On N.W.

Railway. Population 3843. The idea that the name is Sir-Hind = head of India is a mistake. An old town of great importance in Muhammadan period (pages 177 and 180). The ruins extend for several miles. There are two fine tombs known as those of the Master and his Disciple dating probably from the fourteenth century.

~Sui Vehar~ (~Bahawalpur~), 292 N.--713 E. Six miles from Samasata.

Site of a ruined Buddhist _stupa_. An inscription found at Sui Vehar belongs to the reign of Kanishka (page 164).

~Uch~ (~Bahawalpur~), 291 N.--714 E. On the Sutlej near the point where it joins the Chenab. Consists now of three villages. But it was in early Muhammadan times a place of great importance, and a centre of learning. It is still very sacred in the eyes of Musalmans.

III. NORTH WEST FRONTIER PROVINCE.

(_a_) _Districts._

~Abbottabad~, 349 N.--731 E. Headquarters of district and a cantonment with four battalions of Gurkhas. Population 11,506. At south end of Orash Plain 4120 feet above sea level. Appropriately named after Captain James Abbott (page 299).

~Bannu.~ See Edwardesabad.

~Cherat~ (~Peshawar~), 335 N.--715 E. Small hill sanitarium in Peshawar near Kohat border, 4500 feet above sea level.

~Dera Ismail Khan~, 315 N.--706 E. Headquarters of district and a cantonment. Population 35,131, including 5730 in cantonment. The Powinda caravans pa.s.s through Dera Ismail Khan on their march to and from India.

~Dungagali~ (~Hazara~), 346 N.--732 E. Small sanitarium, elevation 7800 feet, in Hazara Galis, two miles from Nathiagali. Moshpuri rises above it to a height of 9232 feet.

~Edwardesabad~ (~Bannu~), 330 N.--704 E. Headquarters of Bannu district and a cantonment. Founded by Lieutenant (afterwards Sir Herbert) Edwardes in 1848. Population 16,865. It is unhealthy owing to the heavy irrigation in the neighbourhood.

~Fort Lockhart~ (~Kohat~), 333 N.--706 E. Important military outpost on Samana Range, elevation 6743 feet. Saragarhi, heroically defended by twenty-one Sikhs in 1897 against several thousand Orakzais, is in the neighbourhood.

~Kohat~, 333 N.--713 E. Headquarters of district and a cantonment.

Population 22,654, including 5957 in Cantonment. On Khushalgarh--Thal Branch of N.W. Railway.

~Mansehra~ (~Hazara~), 342 N.--731 E. Headquarters of _tahsil_. The two rock edicts of Asoka are in the neighbourhood (pages 163 and 202).

~Nathiagali~ (~Hazara~), 345 N.--736 E. Summer headquarters of Chief Commissioner of N.W.F. Province in Hazara Galis. Elevation 8200 feet. It is a beautiful little hill station. Miran Jani (9793 feet) is close by, and on a clear day Nanga Parvat can be seen in the far distance.

~Naushahra~ (~Peshawar~), 34 N.--72 E. Population 25,498, including 14,543 in cantonment. On railway 27 miles east of Peshawar. Risalpura, a new cavalry cantonment, is in the neighbourhood.

~Shekhbudin~, 322 N.--705 E. Small hill station on Nila Koh on border of Dera Ismail Khan and Bannu districts. Elevation 4516 feet. It is on a bare limestone rock with very scanty vegetation and is hot in summer in the daytime. Water is scarce. The Deputy Commissioners of Bannu and Dera Ismail Khan spend part of the hot weather at Shekhbudin.

~Thal~ (~Kohat~), 332 N.--703 E. Important military outpost at entrance of Kurram Valley. Terminus of Khushalgarh--Thal branch of N.W.

Railway.

~Thandiani~ (~Hazara~), 341 N.--732 E. Small hill station in Galis sixteen miles N.E. of Abbottabad. Elevation about 8800 feet. A beautifully situated place chiefly resorted to by residents of Abbottabad and Missionaries.

(_b_) _Agencies and Independent Territory._