---

Imperial Gazetteer of India, v. 14, p. 398.

398 KANGRA TOWN cession of 1752 ; but the governor, Sail" All Khan, refused to surrender it, and maintained himself in the fort for twenty years. After his death in 1774, Sansar Chand, Raja of Kangra, laid siege to the fort and, being unable to reduce it, called in the Sikh leader Jai Singh, Kanhaya, to whom, and not to the Raja, it surrendered. Jai Singh, however, withdrew in 1785, and Sansar Chand possessed himself of the fort. Kangra was besieged from 1806 to 1809 by the Gurkhas, who were only repelled by the aid of Ranjlt Singh. In return for his services the Maharaja appropriated for himself the fort, which was held by the Sikhs when the Jullundur Doab was ceded to the British in 1846. The governor refusing to surrender, the fort was invested and capitulated after a two months' siege. The head-quarters of the District were first fixed at Kangra, but were transferred to Dharmsala in 1855. The temple of Devi above mentioned was one of the most ancient and famous shrines in Northern India, and was largely resorted to by pilgrims from the plains at the great festivals held in March, April, and October. The municipality was created in 1867. The income during the ten years ending 1902—3 averaged Rs. 5,500, and the expenditure Rs. 5.300. In 1903-4 the income was Rs. 5.600, chiefly derived from octroi; and the expenditure was Rs. 6,500. Its position on the Kangra valley cart-road makes it an important centre of internal trade. The chief educational institution is an Anglo-vernacular middle school maintained by the Church Missionary Society, which has a station here. There is a Government dispensary. Kangundi Tahsil.—Zammdari. tahsil in the south-west corner of North Arcot District, Madras, lying between 12° 35′ and 12° 56′ N. and 78° 14′ and 78° 35′ E., with an area of 347 square miles. It comprises the Kangundi zamtndari. The head-quarters are now the village of Kuppam, which is also the residence of the zam'inddr; but the tahsil gets its name from the village of KANGUNDI, which was formerly the chief town in this part of the country. The population rose from 54,052 in 1891 to 64,446 in 1901, the increase during the decade (19 per cent.) being the highest in any portion of the District. The increase was largely due to the existence of several gold-mines, a continuation of those in the adjoining Kolar Gold Fields, in the part which borders on Mysore State. The number of villages is 268. The peshkash (including cesses) payable to Government in 1903- -4 amounted to Rs. 29,500. Kangundi Village.—Village in the zamlnddri tahsil of the same name in North Arcot District, Madras, situated in 12° 46′ N. and 78° 27′ E. Population (1901), 637. It was once the chief place in the neighbourhood and the residence of the zamlndar of Kangundi, but has been depopulated by fever and famine. It lies at the base