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Imperial Gazetteer of India, v. 21, p. 51.

HISTORY 51 The annual rainfall averages 55 inches. The supply is fairly regular, but its distribution is capricious. It is noticeable that certain tracts of the Simga tahsil, which have been entirely denuded of forest, appear to be especially liable to a deficient rainfall. Chhattisgarh seems to have been inhabited in the earliest times by Bhuiyas and other Munda races; if so, they were conquered and driven to the hills by the Gonds, by whom the first regular system of government was founded. Traditions History. describe the Gond conquest of Bindra-Nawagarh, and the victories of their heroes over the barbarian giants. It is impossible to say when Raipur became part of the dominions of the ancient Haihaivansi dynasty; but it appears to have been cut off from the Ratanpur kingdom, and separately governed by a younger branch of the reigning family, about the eleventh century. Raipur probably continued from this period to be administered as a separate principality, in subordina- tion to the Ratanpur kingdom, by a younger branch of the Haihaivansi family; but nothing is known of the separate fortunes of the Raipur house until shortly before the invasion of the Marathas in the eighteenth century. In 1741 the Maratha general, Bhaskar Pant, while on his way to attack Bengal, took Ratanpur and annexed the kingdom; and in 1750 Amar Singh, the representative of the younger branch ruling in Raipur, was quietly ousted. Between 1750 and 1818 the country was governed by the Marathas, whose administration was of the most oppressive kind, having the sole end of extracting the largest possible amount of revenue from the people. Insurrections were frequent, and the eastern tracts of Raipur were laid waste by the incursions of Binjhals from the neighbouring hills of Sonakhan. Between 1818 and 1830 the Nagpur territories were administered by the British Resident. From 1830 to 1853 the District was again administered by Maratha Subahs on the system organized by the British officers, and on the whole successfully. In 1853 Chhattisgarh became British territory by lapse, and Bilaspur was separated from Raipur and made a separate District in 1861. During the Mutiny Chhattisgarh was almost undis- turbed. The commencement of disaffection on the part of the native regiment stationed at Raipur was promptly quelled by the three Euro- pean officers, who hanged the ringleaders on parade with their own hands. Archaeological remains are numerous, showing that the early Hindu civilization must have extended over most of the District. Those of ARANG, RAJIM, and Sirpur are the most important. There are also interesting temples at Sihawa, Chipti, Deokut, and Balod in the Dhamtari tahsil, at Khalari and Narayanpur in the north-east of the District, and at Deo Baloda and Kunwara near Raipur town. Some Buddhist remains have been discovered at Drug, Rajim, Sirpur, and