Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition/Ellichpur

ELLICHPUR (with Melghát), a district of British India, in the connnissionership of East Berar, within the Hyderabad Assigned Districts, lies between 20° 51’ and 21° 46’ N. lat. and 76° 40' and 78° 30' long. It is bounded on the N. by the Tapti river and the Betul and Chindwara districts of the Central Provinces, on the E. by the \Vardha river, on the S. by the Amraoti district, and on the \V. by the Nimar and Akola districts. Together with )lelghat, it now comprises an area of “2772 square miles, with a population of 344,358, of whom nine-tenths are Hindus. The entire northern half of the district consists of a succession of hills and valleys known as the Melglnit or Gawilgarh hills, a section of the Stitpura Mountains. The main ridge or watershed of the Sz’itpuras runs through the district from east to west, attaining its greatest eleva- tion at Bail-at, 3987 feet above sea-level. The southern portion of the district is flat, and drained by numerous small streams flowing into the Wardha and I’urna rivers. The only metalled road is that from Amraoti to Ellichpur; but there are several other country roads, and fair weather tracks from village to village passable for eight months in the year. In the hill country, the chief passes are Mallara on the east and Dulghat and Bingara on the west, none of which, however, are practicable for wheeled vehicles. The principal agricultural products are rice and wheat (of excellent quality), gram, pulses, and oilseeds, and these, together with ghi and forest timber, comprise the chief exports of the district. The imports are mainly English and country cloth, iron and copper utensils, tobacco, salt, sugar, &c. Ellichpur, the principal town, contains a population of 27,782. It was formerly the capital of the Mahometan governors of the Deccan, and a place of considerable importance.