R11NIKHET
233
on the Southern Mahratta Railway, and on the road from Poona to
Madras. Population (1901), 14,851. A municipality was established
in 1858, the average receipts during the decade ending i 9o i being
Its. 7,900. In 1903-4 the income was Rs. 9,4oo. This is a thriving
town, noted for the excellence of its silken and cotton fabrics, and
having a considerable trade in raw cotton. In 18oo, while in pursuit
of the Maratha freebooter Dhundia Wagh, Colonel Wellesley (after-
wards the Duke of Wellington), being fired on by the garrison, attacked
and captured the town. In 1818 a party of General Munro's force
occupied Ranibennur. In February and August the local shepherds
visit Chol Maradi, or `scorpion hill,' 2 miles south of the town, to
worship Bir Deo, an incarnation of Siva. While the god is present
on the hill the scorpions, it is said, do not sting. The town contains
a dispensary and 7 schools, including a municipal middle school.
Ranigam.-Petty State in KA'rHIAWAR, Bombay.
Raniganj.-Town in the Asansol subdivision of Burdwan District,
Bengal, situated in 23° 36' N. and 87° 6' E., on the north bank of
the Damodar river. Population (igoi), 15,841. The town, which has
a station on the East Indian Railway and was the head-quarters of
the subdivision until igo6, owes its importance to the development
of the coal industry and is one of the busiest places in Bengal. Exten-
sive potteries give employment to 1,5oo hands, the value of the out-turn
in 1903-4 being estimated at 6•45 lakhs. Paper-mills employ nearly
Boo hands, and 2,884 tons of paper valued at 8.65 lakhs were manu-
factured in 1903-4; 3 oil-mills are also at work. There is a consider-
able trade in rice and oil. Raniganj was constituted a municipality
in 1876. The income during the decade ending igoi-2 averaged
Rs. i9,ooo, and the expenditure Rs. 16,ooo. In 1903-4 the income was
Rs. 22,000, of which Rs. r2,ooo was derived from a tax on houses and
lands; and the expenditure was Rs. 2o, i oo. A Wesleyan Methodist
mission maintains a leper asylum, an orphanage, and day schools.
Ranijula.-Hill in the Jashpur State, Central Provinces, situated
in 23° o' N. and 83° 36' E., rising to a height of 3,527 feet above
sea-level.
Ranikhet.--Military sanitarium in the District and lahsil of Al-
mora, United Provinces, situated in 29° 38' N. and 79° 26' E., at the
junction of cart-roads leading to the foot of the hills at Kathgodam (49
miles) and Ramnagar (56 miles). Population in summer (igoo), 7,705,
including 2,236 Europeans, and in winter (1901) 3,153. The canton-
ment is situated on two ridges, Ranikhet proper, elevation 5,983 feet
and Chaubattia, elevation 6,942 feet. It is occupied by British troops
throughout the summer, and the accommodation is being enlarged.
A dispensary is maintained here. It was at one time proposed to
move the head-quarters of the Government of India from Simla to
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