Civil Police

British Administration in Garhwal   -132

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History of British Rule/Administration over Kumaun and Garhwal (1815-1947) -152

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            History of Uttarakhand (Garhwal, Kumaon and Haridwar) -986

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                              By: Bhishma Kukreti (History Student)

   For security for British officers and fearing the citizens and criminals, it was essential for keeping civil police force in the district capitals. Due to reforming the secured tourism, medical facilities at tourist roads, shelters in Garhwal, there was increase in pilgrims. British officilas felt the need of civil police at dev Prayag, Shrinagar, Rudraprayag, Kedarnath, Joshimath and Badrinath.

      It was need for civil police in Bhabhar from the beginning. Officials kept civil force in Shrinagar and Kotdwara from 1815.  In rainy season the police post used to shift from Kotdwara to Dadamandi.

   The businessmen from Shrinagar on 10^th January 1816, sent a request letter to Almora Commissioner Gardner that on 15^thDecember 1815, dacoits looted their servants bringing  clothing worth Rs.600 in between Kotdwara and Naziabad. Businessmen requested horse police force arrangement in between Kotdwara and Nazibabad.

    After getting information from Gardner on 27 January 1816, Secretary general Adam sent an order to William for sending order to Trail for establishing revenue police there. Trail instructed Tehsildar for keeping Gorkha battalion in Kotdwara for stopping dacoits. Kotdwara Tehsildar kept one havildar and 6 soldiers in Zafarabad. Since, there was no sheltering arrangement in zafarabad, the force was kept at Kodiya 2 miles away from  Kotdwara at Kotdwara-Nazibabad road.  However, looting did not stop.  The hill businessmen had to suffer losses regularly. There was too much and regular looting in between Kotdwara and Nazibabad.By 1823, there was complete no business transactions between traders of plans and hills. Trail had been sending request to HQ for help to stop looting.

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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 6/7/2017

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 ; Forest settlement ,

History of British Rule, Forest settlement,  Administration, Policies, Revenue system over Haridwar, Pithoragarh Kumaon, Uttarakhand;   Forest settlement ,