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[GAZETTEER MAIN PAGE] [CHAPTER-1] [CHAPTER-2] [CHAPTER-3] [CHAPTER-4] [CHAPTER-5] [CHAPTER-6] [CHAPTER-7] [CHAPTER-8] [CHAPTER-9] |
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CHAPTER-6
BANKING, TRADE AND COMMERCE
BANKING AND FINANCE
History of Banking
Details about indigenous banking in the district are not available, but it may be presumed
that general practices which prevailed in the trade centres of Northern India also
obtained here. The giving and taking of loans was in vogue even in ancient times, 'The
word rina (debt) is mentioned repeatedly from Rigvedic times onwards. In the mediaeval
period, particularly in the reign of Akbar, trade was flourishing and money was available
with the rich. Merchants, who were very rich, were known as Jagat Seths, and even the
government sometimes borrowed from them . Artisans were independent, but possessed scanty
resources. They were financed by Merchants and middlemen, who
The British established their own treasury at Mainpuri after 1801, on taking over the
administration of the district. Subsequently. subtreasuries were established at the five
tahsil headquarters. For more than a century,
treasuries were the main centres for the collection and expenditure of money. The district
magistrate was the es officio officer-in-charge of the treasury. Th was assisted by a
treasury officer and other staff. The system of co-operative credit societies originated
in 1901 in Mainpuri . In 1910 , there were 16 village banks financed in the main by the
central bank at Mainpuri established for this purpose.
The great trading and money-lending caste of Banias with its Mahajan and Marwari
subdivisions was represented by 22,459 members
in 1910 . A considerable number of the trading community also operated as indigenous
GENERAL CREDIT FACILITIES
The Imperial Bank of India (now the State Bank of India ) was the first bank to establish
a branch at Sirsaganj in 1935. The bank has 8 branches in the district in 1975 located at
Mainpuri, Shikohabad, Sirsaganj, Kuraoli,Jasrana , Bhongaon and Bewar. The central Bank of
India opened a branch at Mainpuri in July 1939 , and another branch at Shikohabad in 1946
. The Punjab National Bank, and the Bank of
India, each has a branch operating at Mainpuri. Besides.
, the district Co-operative bank LTD, opened its head-office at Shikohabad in 1961,
and at present 8 of its branches are functioning in the district. In 1970 the U.P.
Co-operative Land Development Bank , LTD, established a branch at Mainpuri followed by
four others at the [remaining tahsil headquarters. The different credit agencies operating
in the district had advanced a sum of Rs 4,28,04,000 to the agriculturists, by the end of
December 1970.
Rural
Indebtedness
In the first decade of twentieth century, the people of the district were poor as compared
to people residing in upper doab. Many of the big Zamindars were absentees, living in
other districts and the great mass of the proprietary communities were living close to the
margin of mere subsistence. Failure of the monsoon, therefore, told upon them heavily. And
they were not a thrifty class in the most prosperous times. The petty Thakur proprietors,
owing to their expensive marriages and other customs and their means, a fact which
Explained the large transfers of property, which took place. Most of the proprietors
communities were financially embarrassed, and their ultimate extinction and deposition to
the rank of tenants could hardly be averted and was only postponed by their constitution
and the difficulty experienced by any outsider to make a footing among them. The
unfortunate position could not be attributed to the pressure of state demand. Apart from
the small proprietors, the condition of the people was good , and compared favorably with
that of the districts further east.
The scarcity of labour and the high wages it commanded clearly showed the absence of any
poverty among the tenants and labourers and the fact that 77 per cent of the tenantry had
the rights of occupancy in their holdings,indicated a high degree of well-being . Another
indication of prosperity was to be round in the large number of masonry wells which were
built in those days, and the total in vestment in the construction of masonry wells was
estimated at Rs 6,00,000 . Though the people were comfortable, they were content with a
low standard. Very few had pukka or masonry houses and the majority of the houses were
built of mud.
The rates of interest varied with the security offered, the status and the credit of the
borrower, and the nature of the transaction. the common loan of seed corn carried interest
at 25 per cent for one harvest of 50 per cent for two, 1 1/4 maunds being exacted in the former case and 1 1/2 maunds
in the latter, on each maund advanced. In addition, the borrower had to return the value
of the seed grains sdvanced at the rate prevailing at the time of sowing, which was much
above the harvest rate. For petty agricultural advances on personal security, one anna per
rupee for each month of the season, kharif or rabi was charged, and two annas if the
amount be not paid up at the end of the harvest for which the sum was borrowed. Very often
the rate was four annas a rupee, and in the case of sugar-cane, which occupied the fields
. for other small loans on personal security an advance of, say, Rs 10 was made, and in
return Rs 12 were realised in monthly installments of one rupee for 12 months. The system
still prevails in the district and the
advances are known as 'quists' Where articles of silver were given in pledge, the rate
varied from 1 pies to 3 pies per rupee per
month, or from 6 to 15 per cent per annum. Where the security was real property there. was
also a great deal of variation, as low a rate as 4 1/2 per cent per annum being sometimes
charged on un security was 24 per cent. Besides the ubiquitous bania or grain merchant who
was the village money-lender, There were indigenous bankers, who generally operated in the
mandi's (wholesale markets) of Mainpuri, Sirsaganj and Shikohabad. The principal
money-lending classes were Marwari Brahmans (Bohras), banias, Mahajans and khatris.
A large number of the residents of the district joined the army in the wake of the first
World War ( 1914-18) , and substantial amounts of money were diverted from the salaries of
these men to their relatives in the villages. However, it is not possible to say to what
extent exactly they were assisted by cash remittances from outside.
The economic depression of the years 1928-32, led to a fall in the incomes of the
agriculturists as prices decreased sharply. The prices began to rise slowly in 1934 and
they increased further in the wake of the Second World
Urban Indebtedness - Industrial and office workers
residing at Shikohabad and Mainpuri and other urban centres find it difficult to make the
two end s meet.
The artisans of the district earn about Rs 7.50 per day and they appear to be satisfied.
The Reserve Bank of India survey in 1971, estimated that the average family of an artisan
was indebted to the extent of Rs 300.71.
Debt-relief
Legislation -
The government made attempts to regulate the terms and conditions of money - lending
through legislation in 1918, when the Usurious Loans Act, 1918, authorized the courts to
reopen monetary transactions between the parties and relieve the debtor of all liability
when the interest was 'excessive' and the transaction 'unfair' .By an amendment on 1926,
the Act was made applicable to all parties seeking relief from mortgage, but it did not
define the words "excessive' and 'unfair',and the courts could not take effective
decision. By another amendment affected in 1934 the Act
was made applicable to all debtors, and debts, and it also provided definite limits beyond which the rate of interest should be deemed to be
excessive. The other enactment's that followed the economic depression of the thirties
were the
Role of Private Money - Lenders and Financiers
The money-
lenders in the district are generally commission agents or merchants. According to a
survey of the Lead Bank in 1970, There were 5,000 private money-lenders in the district in
that year. The rates of interest varied from 18 per cent per annum to 36 per cent annum.
Commercial
Banks
There are 12 branches of four commercial banks in the district The following statement
gives the location of each branch:
| Bank | Location of branches |
| State Bank of India | Bewar, Bhongaon, Jasrana, Karhal, Kuraoli, Mainpuri, Shikohabad, Sirsaganj |
| Central Bank of India | Mainpuri , Shikohabad |
| Bank of India | Mainpuri |
| Punjab National Bank | Ditto |
The Bank of India , Which is the lead bank of the district, made an economic survey of the
district in 1970 . On September 30,1970 each branch of the commercial bank served.
1.21.000 persons, the corresponding state average
| Per capita averages (in Rs.) | |||
| District | U.P. | All- India | |
| Deposits | 18.1 | 30.60 | 77.50 |
| Credit | 6.4 | 13.10 | 53.70 |
However, in the past the bulk of the monetary advances was made to big Businessmen and
traders. This trend has changed and as much as 69.8 per cent of the totals advances were
diverted on a priority basis to agriculturists, small-scale industrialists, transport
workers, retail traders and self-employed persons in 1975. The total deposits of the
commercial banks amounted to Rs 6,66,30,000 on November 13,1975, and the total advances as
on that date amounted to Rs 1,45,76,000. The following statements gives the total advances
made to the priority sector by November 13,1975:
| Amount (in Rs.) | No. of accounts | |
| Agriculturists | 43,38,000 | 679 |
| Small-scale industrialists | 38,13,000 | 78 |
| Road and water transport workers | 9,30,000 | 75 |
| Retails traders | 9,70,000 | 301 |
| Self - employed persons | 1,21,000 | 93 |
Co-
operative Movement
The
co-operative Movement in the district was initiated in 1901 and in 1906 four agricultural
co-operative credit societies had been established. The following statement shows the
growth of primary agricultural co-operative societies in the district :
| Year | No. of primary agricultural co-operative societies |
| 1910 | 31 |
| 1920 | 124 |
| 1930 | 168 |
| 1940 | 365 |
| 1950 | 521 |
| 1960 | 781 |
| 1970 | 526 |
| 1975 | 478 |
After 1961 , small societies were amalgamated to form large societies and therefore the
total number of societies was reduced to 526 in 1970 and 478 in 1975.
According to the figures available,
the co-operative movement has been making steady progress in the district . The following
statement gives figures of total membership and total loans advanced by the primary
societies in 1950,
| Year | Total membership | Loans advanced (in Rs.) | Rate of Interest (percent per annum) |
| 1950 | 30,000 | 8,63,000 | 7 |
| 1960 | 60,000 | 69,48,000 | 8.75 |
| 1970 | 1,05,000 | 1,33,86,000 | 9.50 |
| 1975 | 1,38,000 | 1,22,51,000 | 14 to 15 |
Other Co-operative Institution- The district Co-operative Development
Federation, Ltd., was established at Mainpuri on August 3,1949. The total investment in it
amounted to Rs 7,14,700 in 1974. It is the central institution for consumer's
co-operatives and is engaged in the business of purchasing and sale of food-grains and
other goods.It sold food-grains and other goods (fertilizers, implements,etc) worth an
amount of Rs 10,30,936.59 in 1970 . The sales have decreased, but the profit of the
institution has increased from Rs 6,645.41 in 1970 to Rs 12,000.71 in 1974.
There are four large co-operative marketing societies situated at Mainpuri, Shikohabad, Bewar and Ghiror. Food-grains, fertilizers, Kerosene oil, vegetable oil, cloth , sugar and cement are purchased and sold by the societies. The largest amount of profit, a sum of Rs 9,954 was earned by the Ghiror unit in n 1974 and the profits earned by the unit at Mainpuri and Bewar amounted to Rs 7,578 and Rs 1,283 respectively while the Shikohabad unit incurred a loss amounting to Rs 1,283.
Co- operative Banks- The Mainpuri District
Co-operative Bank, Ltd., was established at Shikohabad in 1961 . It has eight branches
located at Jasrana, Bewar, Mainpuri, Eka, Karhal, Barnahal, Kishni, and Kuraoli. The bank
advanced loans amounting to Rs 1,08,36,496 in 1974, when its total deposits amounted to Rs
54,78,778. The bank finances the co-operative institutions of the district and also
provides banking facilities to its members.
The Uttar Pradesh State Co-operative Land Development Bank, Ltd., has four branches in the
district located at Mainpuri, Shikohabad, Jasrana and Bewar. the bank provides medium and
long term loans for the development of agriculture, and had advanced loans amounting to Rs
2,42,77,000 up to December 31,1970.
National
Savings Organisation
The post-office savings bank scheme has been in operation in the district since the last
decade of the nineteenth century. This and other subsequent small savings schemes have
been formulated to tap the savings of those who generally do not subscribe to government
loans and to inculeate the habit of thrift in people in order to make funds available for
investment in development schemes. The border war with china in 1962 let to the
introduction of the defence deposit and national defence certificates in order to raise
funds for the dfence of the country.
Various securities have been floated from time to time to promote national savings. The
Government of India have introduced a 15 year public provident fund scheme in 1974-75 for
the benefit of people who have no regular
savings schemes for old age like pension or provident fund. Every one may subscribe to the
fund either on his own behalf or on behalf of a minor, of whom he is the guardian. The
Bank of India undertook a survey of the national savings scheme in 1970 , and the
following statement gives the value of the in[vestments made in the district under the
scheme in its various forms in each of the
five years beginning from 1966:
| Year | Small Savings (in Rs.) | Cumulative Time Deposits (in Rs.) | National savings certificate (in Rs.) | |
| No. of accounts | Value (in Rs.) | |||
| 1966 | 36,628 | 1,62,66,000 | 3,10,000 | 6,10,000 |
| 1967 | 36,704 | 1,74,33,000 | 4,28,000 | 6,94,000 |
| 1968 | 43,148 | 1,81,29,000 | 4,42,000 | 6,51,000 |
| 1969 | 49,869 | 1,99,34,000 | 4,25,000 | 10,56,000 |
| 1970 | 52,781 | 2,21,61,000 | 4,67,000 | 18,52,000 |
Life
Insurance
The life insurance business was taken over by the life Insurance Corporation of
India in 1956, and a branch office of the Corporation was opened at Mainpuri in 1958. The
office is manned by three class I officers, 14 class
II officers and 23 others. The
following statement gives the total premium collected in each year beginning from 1967-68:
| Year | Premium collected (in Rs.) |
| 1967-68 | 12,85,197 |
| 1968-69 | 12,97,360 |
| 1969-70 | 13,49,889 |
Government
Loans
It has been a tradition among the rulers of the country to provide relief to the
agriculturists, in times of agricultural distress in the form of loans, known as taqavi .
However, with the attainment of independence n 1947, the loans are advanced not only for
distress, but also for the development of the agricultural economy.
The following statement gives the amounts of loans ad advance by the U.P. Government to
agriculturists in the district:
| Years | Purpose | Amount (in Rs.) | Rate of interest (percent per annum) |
| 1972-73 | Distress for buying live stock | 1,16,350 | 11/2 to 33/4 |
| 1973-74 | Distress for buying live stock | 44,600 | 11/2 to 33/4 |
| 1974-75 | Distress for buying live stock | 1,17,600 | 11/2 to 33/4 |
Currency
and coinage
In the mediaeval period there were mainly three types of coins the dam, the rupee and the
mohar.A rupee comprised 40 dams and 10 rupees were computed as equal to a gold mohar.
Farrukhabad rupee was mainly in circulation, and this coin was of 169.2 grains.
The British issued their own rupee of 180 grains. A rupee comprised 16 annas and an anna
was divided into 12 pies or four paisa (old)
The decimal system of coinage was introduced on October 1,1958. The rupee has been divided
into 100 paise. There are coins of one paise, two paise. three paise. five paise,10 paise,
20 paise, 25 paise and 50 paise . However, old coins of four annas (25 paise) and eight
annas (50 paise ) are still in Vogue.
TRADE AND COMMERCE
Course
of Trade
Most of the trade and traffic of the district in the past flowed along the Grand Trunk
road, which ran through the district, dividing at Bhongaon into two branches , one of which went off northwest towards Delhi,
and the other south-west, towards Agra. The Delhi route passed through Kuraoli and the
Agra route passed through Mainpuri and Shikohabad . Bewar was connected with Farrukhabad
and Etawah and also with Kishni which formed the principal line of traffic in the eastern
portion of the district. The district was also linked by a road with Etah, which
originated at Kuraoli and proceeded to Etah via Mainpuri. Another road linked Jasrana,
Shikohabad and Etah . Shikohabad was
connected with a place, which was situated within four miles (6.4 Km.) of Batesar , in the
Agra district, famous for its horse fair. There were sarais located at Nabiganj, Kuraoli,
Mainpuri and Shikohabad where the traders could rest and relax in the course of their
Journeys. generally undertaken by horses. mules., ponies, and camels or carts drawn by
these animals . Inside the district, the agricultural commodities were transported in
bullock-carts. There was also an extensive flow of traffic on the river Yamuna in the
mediaeval and earlier periods, when big boats carried passengers and merchandise to Agra
and Delhi in the west , and to Etawah and Allahabad in the east.
The roads were considerably improved under the British rule, and with the construction of
the railway in 1905 , the trade of the district has increased considerably. The main line
of the Northern Railway runs for about 37 km. in the south-west of the district and with a
junction station at Shikohabad . The Shikohabad - Farrukhabad branch line runs through the
centre of the district with Mainpuri situated midway on the line. The line crosses the
Kali Nadi into the Farrukhabad district, and Farrukhabad is connected with Kanpur and Agra
by the meter-gauge line of the North Eastern Railway.
The main trade centres of the district in the first decade of the twentieth century, were
Shikohabad and Sirsaganj, and each was served buy the railway. The trade of Sirsaganj ,
was roughly estimated at over Rs 6,00,000 per annum, and that of Shikohabad at about Rs
12,00,000 . The main items of export were
cotton, corn, ghee and crude glass , known as kanch, in the form of blocks. Ghee in
particular was exported in large quantities to Calcutta, where there was a large demand.
The ghee was largely produced in the pastoral villages along the Yamuna ravines. Mainpuri
was the third important centre of trade in the district with an annual trade of about RS
6,00,000 . There was a large number of small trade centres in the district. The main
imports of the district were cloth. jaggery (gur) and food-grains. The growing and export
of cotton declined sharply in the thirties
in the wake of the economic depression and by the fifties there was very little
cultivation of cotton in the district.
Jeggery,
With the development of roads , the trade has increased in volume and a large number of
trucks operate in the district. carrying goods to and from Kanpur, Agra ,
Delhi,Farrukhabad, Etawah, Etah and other towns. About 850 km.
With the development of communications, more people are taking to trade and commerce.
There were about 2,000 traders in the
district in 1970 , and it was estimated by the Bank of India that each trader, on the
average, needed an amount of Rs 3,000 annually to pursue his trade. The amount of credit
is now being supplied by the commercial banks of the district.
Exports
and Import
Export
- The
agricultural commodities dominate the export trade of the district . Wheat, pulses,
potatoes, oil-seeds , ghee, rice, and oil are the main commodities which are exported
outside the State to south India, Bihar, Bengal, Delhi, Rajasthan and to Agra, Kanpur,
Farrukhabad, Hathras, Bareilly and Lucknow within the State. Fish is exported to Calcutta.
Glassware, electric bulbs and leather goods are sent to Calcutta, Bombay and Delhi , while
bones and skins go to Magarwara in district unnao and oil-cakes , potatoes and strawboard
are sent to Kanpur.
The following statement gives the value of commodities and goods exported from the
district in 1971:
| Names of commodities/Goods | Value (in Rs.) |
| Food-grains and ghee | 9,00,00,000 |
| Ground-nut oil | 3,00,00,000 |
| Electric bulbs | 2,50,00,000 |
| Oil-cakes | 1,50,00,000 |
| Glassware | 1,50,00,000 |
| Potatoes | 15,00,000 |
| Strawboards | 15,00,000 |
| Tobacco | 5,00,000 |
| Leather Goods | 5,00,000 |
| Hides and skins | 5,00,000 |
Imports - Cloth,
General merchandise, utensils, fertilizers, gunnies, electrical goods, paper, petrol,
coal, kerosene oil, are imported from Kanpur, Delhi , Agra, Firozabad , Calcutta, Madras
,and Bombay. most of the goods are brought to the district by trucks, and about one-third
of the total imports are transported to the district by rail. Transport by trucks has its
advantages . The goods generally reach their destinations in a shorter time and the
difficulties of transshipment are avoided. Moreover the transport companies deliver the
goods at the very spot where the importer desires.
The railways have, of the late, created such facilities and goods are delivered wherever
required. Even so, the transport companies have a considerable edge over the railways in
this regard.
The following statement gives the value of goods imported into the district in 1971:
| Name of Goods | Value (in Rs.) |
| Fertilizers | 4,00,00,000 |
| General Merchandise | 3,00,00,000 |
| Cloth | 3,00,00,0000 |
| Agricultural implements | 50,00,000 |
| Arms and ammunition | 25,00,000 |
| Cement | 20,00,000 |
| Coal | 15,00,000 |
Trade
Centres
Mainpuri is the main distributing centre and wholesale regulated market of the district.
It is about 125 years old. There were about 40 traders in the market in n 1950 , and at present there are about 100 traders.
The shops are owned by the traders,and the municipal board, Mainpuri, looks after the
sanitation, lighting and general upkeep of the market. Food-grains and ghee are carried to
the mandi by trucks, bullock-carts, hand-carts, donkeys and porters. Roads connect it with
Kuraoli, Karimganj, Chhabramau, Alipurkhera, Bewar, Bhongaon, Kusmars, Karhal, Barnahal ,
Ghiror, Kuchela, Jyonti, Bhanwant and albans. These places constitute the main catchment
area of the market.
In 1956, 2,40,000 Quintals of paddy, 60,000 quintals of wheat, 14,000 quintals of gram,
12,000 quintals of bejhar (wheat, gram and barley) and 400 quintals of ghee arrived in
this market.
The Railways station at Mainpuri, is situated at a distance of about 4 km. from the mandi.
It is located on a branch line of the Northern Railway running between Shikohabad and
Farrukhabad. In 1970, about 5,01,900 quintals of
food-grains and ghee were assembled in the market. The value of the commodities was
estimated at Rs 2,28,32,000.
There is also a flourishing market
at Mainpuri where consumer goods like cloth and utensils are sold. Mainpuri is also an
important trade centre for leather and fish, which are generally bought by the merchants
of Bengal,
The other wholesale regulated markets (mandis) are located at Shikohabad, Bewar, Kusmara,
Sirsaganj and Ghiror. The mandi at Shikohabad is situated at a distance of 3.2 km. form
the railway station. Ghee, jaggery (gur), wheat, pulses, oil-seeds and oil are sold in
this market, Ghee is tested in a laboratory located in the mandi. In 1956, quantities of
about 40,000 quintals of wheat, 20,000 quintals of bajra, 16,000 quintals of bejhar,
12,000 quintals of paddy and 2,800 quintals of ghee were sole.
Sirsaganj mandi is situated at a
distance of 6.4 km. from the Kaurara railway station. In 1956, quantities of about 28,000
quintals of wheat, 20,000 quintals of gur, 8,000 quintals of pulses and 400 quintals of
ghee were sold in this market. Gram is also sold in this market. Two bullion merchants
operate in the market.
In the other important mandis at
Bewar, Kusmara, and Ghiror mainly wheat, pulses, jaggery and oil-seeds (mustard and
groundnut)are sold.
The following statement gives the
quantity and value of commodities that arrived in each of the wholesale markets in
1969-70:
| Mandi | Total Arrivals (in quintals) | Value of arrivals (in Rs.) | No. of licensed traders |
| Mainpuri | 5,01,900 | 2,28,32,000 | 100 |
| Sirsaganj | 1,31,400 | 61,97,000 | 39 |
| Shikohabad | 75,780 | 45,72,000 | 27 |
| Bewar | 87,300 | 49,33,000 | 26 |
| Ghiror | 61,694 | 21,88,000 | 16 |
| Kusmara | 49,500 | 30,43,000 | 8 |
Warehousing- The various trading organizations have 141
ware houses in the district, with a total storing capacity of 21,753 tones. The following
statement gives a break - up the figures:
| Trading institution | No. of godowns | Capacity (in tones) |
| State warehousing Corporation | 52 | 11,000 |
| Food corporation of India | 50 | 6,685 |
| Co-operative Department | 24 | 48 |
| Agriculture Department | 15 | 4,120 |
| Total | 141 | 21,853 |
There are about 300 godowns belonging to individual owners and having a capacity of about
22,000 tones. Retail Trade- The common requirements of villagers are generally supplied by
small traders and peddlers frequenting local bazars, known as hats. These markets are
scattered all over the district, and are held once or twice a week. Cloth, food-grains
utensils and pottery are the main items of goods brought to these markets. The following
statement gives the number of such markets held in each tahsil of the district:
| Tahsil | No. of Markets held |
| Bhongaon | 19 |
| Karhal | 9 |
| Jasrana | 9 |
| Mainpuri | 6 |
| Shikohabad | 4 |
Price
Control and Rationing
As a result of the outbreak of the Second World War, the prices of all commodities
increased, and, in order to arrest their further rise, and to give relief to the
consumers, chiefly in the urban areas, the prices of a large number of commodities were
controlled and supply of many of them to consumers was rationed . Some of the more
important commodities thus controlled of rationed were food -grains, cloth, matches, drugs
and petrol. Dealers in these commodities had to take licenses from government officers.
Various schemes for the rationing of food - grains, chiefly wheat and its products, gram,
rice and sugar and kerosene oil, have however, persisted ever since, with varying spheres
of applicability and at present there are 551 fairprice shops in the district of those 65
are located in the urban centres, and 486 in the rural area. At present sugar is being
sold in these shops. for the sale of kerosene oil there are four wholesale agents and 212
retail traders. Vanaspati (vegetable ghee) is sold through 28 wholesale agents, Coal is
available at 49 depots which are situated in urban centres.
Fairs
A majority of the fairs are religious ones and trade in such fairs is of little
importance.
The jakhia fair is the only important fair, where cattle, utensils, handloom cloth ,
pottery and items of confectionery are sold in large
quantities. it is held at Paindhat in tahsil Jasrana in the month of Magh, when the
full moon is visible .
Weights
and measures
The weights and measures in use in the district in the past, differed little from those in vogue in the rest of the doab. The increase in
inter-district trade and communications tended to do away with local weights and measures
whose disadvantages were acutely felt in dealings with strangers. and the milestones on
the roads. the hours fixed for hearing of cases in courts, together with the removal from
circulation of old copper currency, o n which
the old fashioned measures of weights and capacity were based, all aided to enforce
uniformity. But in the villages, the old system prevailed . The English mile was the usual
measure of distance, and the kos was equivalent to 2 miles. for shorter distances the
vague terms-goli ka tappa of musket shot, khet or a field were used. The former denoted an
interval of 150 and the later the side of a pakka bigha which varied from 56 to 60 yards.
The pakka bigha was 2,776.25 square yards of 5736 of an acre and 1.743 bighas made one
acre. It was subdivided , as elsewhere,into 20 biswas; each of 20 biswansis. Twenty
kachwansis made one biswansi, 20 anwansis one kachwansi, and 20 anwansis one nanwansi. The
bigha used in poppy measurements was 5/8 of an acre. The kachcha bigha, about 1/8 of in
acra, varied in size often in the same village. However, as a rule 2,1/4 to 3 kachcha
bighas made one pakka bigha, and about 2,1/2 formed
the average. Besides the English yard (gaz)( , there were local variations of the gaz used
in particular marts and for certain classes of goods, the one short, from 32,1/2 to 35
inches, and the other long, from 40,1/2 to 45 inches. The latter was commonly used for
country cloth and the former for silk . Solids and liquids were sold by weight. For
spirits the British reputed quart (bottle) was the standard, and ghantis (small brass
vessels) which could hold about a quarter of a seer, for milk. Two kachcha maunds made one
pakka maund, and one pakka maund was equivalent to 1.25 standard maund or 50 standard seers. The pakka seer was supposed
to weigh 32 takas or double pice of the old currency, and the standard seer only 26, and
was thus strictly of 101 9/16 tolas to the others 80 tolas . But it generally weighed 100
tolas. This was not, however, the only seer used. In the east of the district, in Bewar,
Kusmara, Ilahabas, Nabiganj and Saman, the seer weighed 112 tolas. In the town of Bhongaon
the standard was 102 tolas, in Sultanganj 105 tolas, and in the remainder of the district
100 tolas, and in some places 101 9/16 tolas.This weight was used in every local market
except Sirsaganj and Mainpuri in wholesale trade and especially for cotton. In retail
trade the seer of 80 tolas was often used. A kachcha panseri ( 5 seers) was in common use
and weighed 250 tolas or 3 1/4 standard seers of 2,1/2
pakka seers. The word dhari was chiefly used for 5 pakka seers of 6,1/4 standard
seers. A pakka maund comprised eight dharis and a kachcha maund 4 dharis.
The metric system of weights and measures which was introduced in the district with effect
from October 1, 1960 , is being enforced strictly by the district supply officer, who is
ex officio an assistant controller of weights and measures.
An idea of the penalties imposed for the use of non-metric weights and measures during
recent years may be had from the following table:
| Year | No. of traders punished | Fines realised (in Rs.) |
| 1972-73 | 362 | 12,265 |
| 1973-74 | 443 | 11,825 |
| 1974-75 | 247 | 6,905 |