222 MATLA
Mātla.-Village in the District of the '.l'wenty-four Parganas, Bengal.
See CANNING, PORT.
Matra Timba.-Petty State in KATHIXWAR, Bombay.
Mattā.ncheri.-Commercial capital of Cochin State, Madras, and
head-quarters of the Cochin tdluk, situated in 9° 57' N. and 76°
15' E., on the backwater opposite to Ernakulam and adjoining the
British town of Cochin. Area, 2-1 square miles ; population (igoi),
2o,o6i, of whom 9,466 are Hindus, 5,607 Christians, 4,489 Musal
mans, and 474 Jews. It is the centre of a considerable export and
import trade, which is almost entirely in the hands of Banias and
Cutchi Memons from the Bombay Presidency. There are several
steam oil-mills in the neighbourhood, and a hydraulic press in the
centre of the town. Mattancheri is said to have been formerly the
capital of the State, and contains a spacious old palace of quaint
Dutch design, where the Rajas- of Cochin are still installed. Histo-
rically the most interesting part of the place is what is known as the
Jews' Town, which is exclusively inhabited by the White and Black
Jews. They settled here after their expulsion from Crangannr by the
Portuguese in the sixteenth century, and formed a prosperous colony.
But of late 'years they have been declining in both numbers and
affluence. They have three old synagogues in the town. Among
modern institutions of note are the large and richly endowed Konkani
temple of Tirumala Devaswam, and the women and children's hospital,
which contains accommodation for 20 in-patients.
Mau Tahsil (i).--Eastern tahsil of Banda District, United Pro-
vinces, conterminous with the pargana of Chhibiin, lying along the
Jumna, between 250 5' and 25° 24' N. and 81° 7' and 81° 34' E., with
an area of 316 square miles. It is included in the Karwi subdivision
of the District. Population fell from 73,658 in 1891 to 64,921 in
1901. There are 164 villages and one town, R;,JAPUR (population,
5,491). The demand for land revenue in 1903-4 was Rs. 86,ooo,
and for cesses Rs. 14,ooo. The density of population, 205 persons
per square mile, is slightly below the District average. In the south
the outer range of the Vindhyas crosses the tahsil in three terraces.
The forests and jungles are gradually diminishing, owing to the export
of wood to AllahAbad. In 1903-4 less than one square mile was
irrigated, out of 132 square miles under cultivation.
Mau Tahsil (2).--Tahsil of Jhansi District, United Provinces, con-
terminous with the pargana of the same name, lying between 25° 6'
and 25° 29' N. and 78° 49' and 79° i9' E., with an area of 439 square
miles. Population fell from 115,724 in 18gi to 100,298 in igoi.
There are z64 villages and only one town, MAU-RANIPUR (population,
17,231), the tahsil head-quarters. The demand for land revenue in
1903-4 was Rs. 1,23,ooo, and for cesses Rs. 21,ooo. The density of
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