Abstract:
The is District, the chief and central district of the Division that General
bears the same name, is situated between 24° 33' and 26° 34' N., {^sn°ni)'
and between 86° 19'and 87° 31' E. Its length is about 140 miles
and its breadth varies from 14 to 45 miles. It extends over
4,226 square miles, and its population was, in 1901, 2,088,953.
It is bounded on the north by the independent State Boundaof
Nepal; on the east, north of the Ganges, b j the District ries>
of Purnea ; on the south and east, south of the Ganges, by the
Sonthal Parganas, and on the west by the Districts of Darbhanga
and Monghyr. The administrative head-quarters are at
Bh&galpur town, situated on the Ganges, whioh crosses the
district from west to east and divides it into two parts of
approximately equal area.
The District as it at present exists is the outcome of many Forma,
changes. In 1766 A.D., when the East India Company was Strict**9
invested with the Diwani, Bh&galpur District was a huge trait
in the east of Sarkar Mungir, Subah Behar, lying altogether to
the south of the Ganges except for the pargana of Chai. The
boundaries were rather indeterminate on the south and west. The
area of the district was 8,225 square miles at the time of
Buchanan-Hamilton’ s survey (circa 1812 A.D.) involving, as it
did then, most of the' modern districts of Monghyr' and the
Sonthal Parganas south of the Ganges. Since then the
southern portion has been greatly restricted in area, and the
northern portion has been greatly extended.
