Civil Police under British Rule

British Administration in Garhwal   -133

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History of British Rule/Administration over Kumaun and Garhwal (1815-1947) -153

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            History of Uttarakhand (Garhwal, Kumaon and Haridwar) -987

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                              By: Bhishma Kukreti (History Student)

 The dacoits had shelters in Bhabhar and South Bhabhar from end of Mughal era.  Unable for stopping dacoits, Kumaun, Garhwal Kings and later, Gorkha administrators offered contract to Heria and Mewatis for security. Mewati and Heria had big groups.  There were disputes on inclusion of territories as Chandi Ghat , Bhabhar and Tarai in Garhwal or in Bijnor under British rule and those territories were sometime under Garhwal and sometime under Bijnor. The repeated changes increase dacoit looting problems.

  In 1824, the Gujar commander of Saharanpur Kalyan Singh alias Kalua increased his mischievous activities looting, in Dehradun region.  Dacoits of Kalua attacked on two military police posts and snatched weapons from there. Trail was helpless.

     Due to inability to control him, the numbers of his dacoit followers increased. Haridwar was best sheltering region for them. Dacoits of Kalyan Singh started looting pilgrims. When  Sirmour battalion killed Kalyan Singh, his two commanders Bhura and Kunwar his followers ran away to Bhabhar and Tari regions of Garhwal and took shelter there.

  Bird reported in 1837 that the Garhwal , Kumaon administration was totally failed in solving the problems of  dacoits in Bhabhar and Tarai. Dacoits tagged businessmen, common men and herdsmen on trees and left them hung there till death. Bird stated that several skeletons were seen on trees of deceased killed by dacoits,

  Government separated Chandi Taluka, Katoridun, Patalidun from Garhwal and merged with Bijnor. The Kashipur, Thakurdwara, Jaspur, Bajpur were separated from Kumaon and merged them with Moradabad and Pilibhit.

  However, the dacoit and looting problems remained same. Government again merged above cited regions in Garhwal and Kumaon respectively in 1842,

     With the population increase, government increased police posts and force, Government had to increase force due to noncooperation movement too.

     There was terror and anarchy of police on people. There was fear among common men about police. That psychological fear from police is still in the mind of general public in 2017. Police force was kept in urban region and no police activities were in villages.

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References  

1-Shiv Prasad Dabral ‘Charan’, Uttarakhand ka Itihas, Part -7 Garhwal par British -Shasan, part -1, page- 313 -333

 2- Atkinson , Himalayan Districts , Vol 2 pages 507-520

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Copyright@ Bhishma Kukreti Mumbai, India,4bjkukreti@gmail.com 7/7/2017

History of Garhwal – Kumaon-Haridwar (Uttarakhand, India) to be continued… Part -987

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*** History of British Rule/Administration over British Garhwal (Pauri, Rudraprayag, and Chamoli1815-1947) to be continued in next chapter

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(The History of Garhwal, Kumaon, Haridwar write up is aimed for general readers)

Forest settlement , History of British Rule, Administration , Policies, Revenue system,  over Garhwal, Kumaon, Uttarakhand ; Forest settlement , History of British Rule , Administration , Policies Revenue system  over Pauri Garhwal, Udham Singh Nagar Kumaon, Uttarakhand; History of British Rule, Administration, Policies ,Revenue system  over Chamoli Garhwal, Nainital Kumaon, Uttarakhand; Forest settlement ,  History of British Rule, Administration, Policies ,Revenue system  over Rudraprayag Garhwal, Almora Kumaon, Uttarakhand; History of British Rule, Administration, Policies ,Revenue system  over Dehradun , Champawat Kumaon, Uttarakhand ; History of British Rule, Administration, Policies, ,Revenue system  over Bageshwar  Kumaon, Uttarakhand ; Patwari , Civil Police History of British Rule, Forest settlement,  Administration, Policies, Revenue system over Haridwar, Pithoragarh Kumaon, Uttarakhand;