Bengal District Gazetteers Saran

This volume has been compiled with valuable assistance from Saran Survey and Settlement Report (1903) by Mr. J. H. Kerr, I.C.S., much of which has been reproduced in the form adopted for the Gazetteer. It gives a detailed account of the district named Saran, which includes its physical features, River system, lakes and Marshes, Geology, Botany, Fauna Game Birds, Climate, etc. The Gazetteer gives a panoramic vision of the district, encompassing the early history. Muhammadan rule, British conquest, the Mutiny of 1857, and formation of the district. It discusses the life style of the people, their food, dress, language, character, houses, religions, principal castes, village officials, and growth of population. The volume states that the chief manufactures of the people were indigo manufacturing, sugar manufacturing, opium production, salt-petre, cloth weaving and printing, brass work, and pottery. It also states that special schools and boarding houses were developed, and technical education became significant.

Lewis Sydney Steward O'Malley was born on 23 October 1874 at Flitcham, Freebridge Lynn, Norfolk, England. He was the son of Bryan O'Malley, a minister. He married Ida Sewell Prichard on 24 November 1900 at The Cathedral, Calcutta, India. He died in 1941 at Oxford, Oxfordshire, England. Lewis was the British Civil Servant in India. He was educated in Norwich and Hertford College, Oxford (B. A.). In 1898, he entered 1.C.S. He worked as Magistrate and Collector in Bengal for quite a few years. Later, he served in General and Revenue Department in Bengal a civil servant. He got retired in 1924 as C.I.E. During his lifetime, he published several books, such as Bengal District Gazetteers, Santal Parganas, and Purnea. He was the editor of the whole series, He also wrote Indian Caste Customs in 1934, Popular Hinduism in 1935, and Modern India and the West in 1941.

I DESIRE to acknowledge the valuable assistance I have derived in compiling this volume from the Saran Survey and Settlement Report (1903) by Mr. J. II. Kerr, 1.c.8., much of which has been reproduced in the form adopted for the Gazettoer.

**Contents and Sample Pages**