History and Administration of Dehradun

Administeration and District Staff

History and Administration of Dehradun : The two portions into which the district is physically divided are administered under different systems. In the Dun the general Acts and Regulations governing the rest of the provinces are in full force, while the hill pargana is technically known as a scheduled district.

The district now consists of two tahsils coterminous with the two geographical divisions, and having their head quarters at Dehra and Chakrata respectively. The Dehra tahsil is further subdivided into two parganas, the Eastern and the Western Dun, parted by the watershed line connecting Rajpur and Asarori. It is subject to the subordinate control of a tahsildar who is assisted by a naib-tahsildar, one sadr kanungo and two supervisor kanungos. The villages composing the tahsil are grouped into circles under separate patwaris.

The jurisdiction of the Chakrata tahsildar extends over the whole of the Jaunsar-Bawar pargana. The subordinate tahsil staff consists of one registrar kanungo and his assistant, and, in the khata or small territorial subdivisions to be described later, twelve patwaris.

The district is under the charge of a Superintendent. In the Dun his powers are those of a Magistrate and Collector. His superior staff consists of two assistant superintendents who are covenanted civilians; one performs the duties of a Subordinate and Small Cause Court Judge and the other those of a Joint Magistrate and Assistant Collector in charge of Dehra Tahsil and there is also a Deputy Collector, usually a European, in charge of the Mussooree treasury and of all criminal work arising within the limits of Mussooree Police Station.

Fiscal History (The Dun)

In 1825, the total land revenue demand was Rs. 16,455. This was raised in 1829 under the ryotwari settlement to Rs. 25,445 which may be taken as the standard demand up till 1842 when the triennial settlements began. Under Major Young’s ryotwari rules, the assets were supposed to be divided into four shares, of which three were taken by the Government and one left to the cultivator. But in practice the division was not so uneven; in 1829 out of the total assets of Rs. 30,556, Rs. 25,445 or about five-eighths were taken as land revenue.

The triennial settlements which followed were concluded with the lambardars or representatives of the agricultural community who thus became jointly responsible for the payment of the revenue. The first triennial settlement made in 1842-43 for the years 1843-44 to 1845-46 raised the revenue to Rs. 30,822. The second triennial settlement (1846-1847 to 1848-49) gave a total demand of Rs. 35,822 .

The third triennial settlement in 1851-52 showed a total demand of Rs. 41,560. Meanwhile the cultivated area had increased by 25 per cent showing that the enhancement was not excessive. The settlement was however disapproved by the Board of Revenue as the rules prescribing the limit of enhancement had been ignored. A revised settlement was accordingly made in 1852-53 under which the demand was fixed at Rs. 38,436.

The next settlement took place in 1855-56. The total assets were returned at Rs. 88,436 ; one-half or Rs. 44,218 was taken as the revenue. This settlement was also disapproved by the Board in 1859. Meanwhile revisions of assessment were made annually from 1856-57 down to 1859-60 when the total demand stood at Rs. 59,822.

In 1860-61 the first regular settlement for a period of 30 years was introduced. The assets were returned at Rs. 1,03,644 and the Government demand fixed at Rs. 59,822 or 50 per cent of the assets. This settlement remained in force till 1891-92. During this period the net demand fluctuated between Rs. 65,000 and Rs. 70,000.

The second 30 years’ settlement was made in 1891-92. The total assets were returned at Rs. 1,60,000 of which Rs. 80,000 or 50 per cent was taken as land revenue. This settlement expired in 1920-21. The third 30 years’ settlement has recently been concluded with a total demand of about Rs. 1,60,000.

Fiscal History (Jaunsar Bawar)

In Jaunsar-Bawar the first attempt at a settlement was made by Mr. J. H. Batten in 1815. Before the acquisition of the hills very little revenue was derived from this part of the district. Mr. Trail’s settlement in 1816 is the first of which any record has been preserved. The jama was fixed at Rs. 457 made up of Rs. 332 from Jaunsar and Rs. 125 from Bawar. This continued up to 1820 when the revenue was raised to Rs. 1,332, again divided between Jaunsar Rs. 932 and Bawar Rs. 400. In 1823 Jaunsar paid Rs. 1,079 and Bawar Rs. 632.

Mr. J. H. Batten re-settled the pargana in 1827-28 introducing the system of triennial settlements. The jama now amounted to Rs. 2,632 made up of Rs. 1,632 from Jaunsar and Rs. 1,000 from Bawar. In the following settlement of 1830-31 the revenue was Rs. 3,155 of which Jaunsar paid Rs. 1,905 and Bawar Rs. 1,250.

Waste Land Grants

In 1828 it was proposed to colonize the waste lands of the Dun by granting them on favorable terms to capitalists. Rules were accordingly framed in 1829 for the grant of waste lands on a tenure of 99 years free of revenue for the first 10 years provided that within that period one-tenth of the area was brought under cultivation. The rules were revised from time to time and fresh rules were issued in 1860, 1869 and 1883. The grants were at first for 99 years, subsequently the period was reduced to 30 years. The rules prescribed the proportion of land to be cultivated annually, and if this condition was not fulfilled the grant was liable to resumption. The area granted could not exceed 2,000 acres for tea and 1,000 acres for general cultivation.

Among the grantees were Mr. H. Ramsay who introduced tea cultivation into the district, Dr. Jameson who owned the Attic Farm and introduced horse-breeding, Mr. G. F. Mann who owned the Annfield Estate, Mr. C. T. Walton of the Landour Brewery, Messrs. Hume and Nelson the founders of Humepur, Mr. F. Shore who owned Balawala, and many other well-known names connected with the early history of the district. Altogether 77 grants were made between 1828 and 1883 covering a total area of 20,613 acres. Of these only four now remain in the possession of Europeans.

Police and Crime

In 1815 there was no regular police force, only the usual village watchmen. In 1816, the first District Superintendent of Police, Captain Birch, was appointed with a force of 62 men stationed in nine police outposts. The number of police was gradually increased as cultivation extended and crime became more rife. The police duties in the Jaunsar-Bawar pargana are performed by the tahsildar’s establishment.

In the early days the only serious crime was organized gang robbery. Bands of desperadoes infested the Bhabar forests plundering travellers and raiding villages. These gangs were known as Gosains from the disguise of religious mendicants which they adopted. They were well armed and mounted and often numbered 200 men. From their headquarters at Deoban and Chilla they dominated the whole Bhabar region. As cultivation increased their depredations became intolerable. In 1824 Mr. Traill attacked and dispersed the headquarters band, killing and capturing several and seizing a rich booty. Operations were continued vigorously by Captain Birch, Mr. Ross and Captain Carpenter. Several noted leaders were killed and by 1843 the gangs were completely broken up. Since then crime has been of a casual nature mainly confined to cattle theft and burglary.

FAQ’s on History and Administration of Dehradun :

What was the condition of Dehradun under Gurkha rule? 

The Gurkha oppression from 1803-1815 was very severe in Dehradun. The region deteriorated economically and the Gurkhas extracted heavy revenues from the people.

How was Dehradun administered after the British defeated the Gurkhas? 

After defeating the Gurkhas, the British put Dehradun under the administration of Saharanpur district in 1815, before separating it into a new district in 1825. The British introduced their systems of governance.

What significant administrative changes happened in Dehradun under the British? 

The British made Dehradun a scheduled district, governed under different rules than the rest of the North-Western Provinces. The plain and hill areas were also put under separate administrative systems.

What is the current administrative setup of governance in Dehradun?
Today Dehradun district has two subdivisions – the Dehra Dun tahsil covering the plains, and the Chakrata tahsil administering the hill region of Jaunsar-Bawar. The district comes under the Saharanpur Divisional Commissioner.

How was the forest administration and rights changed by the British in Dehradun? 

The British designated reserve forests in Dehradun and restricted local rights, leading to resentment. Later settlements restored some rights to villages while asserting state control over the forests.