The currency of India is chiefly silver, and the amount of money coined annually is large. In the ten financial years from 1874 to 1883, the value of the new coinage was as follows: · On July 16, 1861, an Act was passed by the Government of India, providing for the issue of a paper currency through a Government department of Public Issue, by means of promissory notes. Circles of issue were established from time to time, as found necessary, and the notes were made legal tender within the circle in which they were issued, and rendered payable at the place of issue, and also at the capital city of the Presidency within which that place was situated. Under the provisions of further laws, consolidated by a statute known as Act III. of 1871, the issue was regulated in seven descriptions of notes, namely, for 10,000 rupees, or 1,000l.; for 1,000 rupees, or 1007.; for 500 rupees, or 501.; for 100 rupees, or 101.; for 50 rupees, or 5l.; for 20 rupees, or 21.; for 10 rupees, or 1., and for five rupees, or 10s. There are ten currency circles, the head-quarters of which are at Calcutta, Allahabad, Lahore, Nagpore, Madras, Calicut, Cocanada, Bombay, Kurrachee, and Akolah. In the year ending March 31, 1863, the total amount of notes in circulation was 4,926,000l. The following were the total amounts of notes in circulationcalculated at 2s. the rupee-on March 31 in each year, from 1874 to 1883 : Nearly two-thirds of the total note circulation are in the circles of Calcutta and Bombay. currency Army. The Act of Parliament which transferred the Government of India to the Crown, in 1858, directed that the military forces of the East India Company should be deemed to be Indian Military Forces of Her Majesty, and should be entitled to the like pay, pensions, allowances, and privileges, and the like advantages as regards promotion and otherwise, as if they had continued in the service of the said Company.' It was at the same time provided, that the Secretary of State for India should have all such or the like powers over all officers appointed or continued under this Act as might or should have been exercised or performed by the East India Company.' The following table gives the established strength of the European and native army in British India-exclusive of native artificers and followers-on the 31st of March, 1883: In the army estimates laid before Parliament in the session of 1884, the strength of the British Army in India for the year 1884-85 was given as follows: Returns published in 1884 show that the various Hindu feudatory or independent states of India have armies numbering 275,075 men and 3,372 guns; the Mahomedan states 74,760 men, 865 guns; total, 349,835 men, 4,237 guns, belonging to the various native armies. The Cashmere army alone numbers 27,000 men; Nepaul, 100,000; Hyderabad, 44,000; Oodeypore, 20,000; Gwalior, 11,000; Baroda, 15,500; Indore, 8,000; Jeypore, 18,000; Jodhpore, 8,500; Bhurtpore, 11,500. Each army is composed of infantry, cavalry, and artillery. Area and Population. The first general enumeration of the population of British India was taken in 1868 and following years, but it cannot be regarded as complete and accurate. According to this enumeration, the total population numbered 185,537,859, living on an area of 868,244 English square miles. At the first synchronous enumeration, taken on February 17, 1881, the population was found to be 198,755,993, an apparent increase of 13,252,994, and showing a density of 229 per square mile. This increase is to some extent due to more accurate methods of enumeration. The following table shows the population of each of the divisions of India under direct British administration for the previous enumeration, with the area and the results of the census of 1881: The total population of British India in 1881 was thus not far from one-seventh of the population of our globe. Berar is only provisionally under British administration. Mysere was restored 22,782 5,909 4.168,471 3,804.341 48,014 3,417 2,203,177 2,413,823 1 653,155 773,196 23 124,122 24,598 16,285,636 16,454,414 |