Agriculture and mineral resources of Rajpipla State as described in the book ‘Princes of India’ (1937)

 

Rajpipla is an essentially agricultural State. The cultivation of cotton on a large scale and improvement of its staple has brought prosperity to cultivators. Until about the year 1919 the cotton grown was of the inferior Goghari variety, the result being that the cultivators could not get an adequate return for their produce. In order to improve their lot His Highness, the present Maharaja (Vijaysinhji), introduced in the year 1919-20 legislation prohibiting people from sowing Goghari and other inferior varieties and making it obligatory on them to sow the long-stapled variety of cotton known as “1027 A.I.F’.

Every year the State through expert agencies selects the best seed of this kind and distributes it to the cultivators. The results and the consequent profits to the farmers are outstandingly marked. For whereas in the former years the Rajpipla cotton fetched prices 30 to 40 rupees per candy below Broach Cotton, it now fetches 50 to 80 rupees more than Broach and is in a class with and compares most favourably with the Navsari cotton which is the best grown Indian cotton.

Another great advantage to the cultivators is that whereas in the past they had to go 40 to 50 miles, and in many cases more, away from their houses into the British districts to sell their cotton, they have, through the introduction of this measure and the success it has achieved, found a ready market at their own doors, and there is such a great demand for the superior variety of cotton that it is readily sold out, even in these days of trade depression, to outside the merchants who flock there during the cotton season.

The popularity and success of this measure will be judged from the fact that the area under cotton cultivation, which was somewhere between sixty and seventy thousand acres before the year 1919, has increased by leaps and bounds, and is for the last six or seven years in the vicinity of 1,40,000 acres, and has remained at that figure even in the times of trade depression, which has affected cotton more than any other commodity.

This activity in cotton has had a most wholesome effect on trade and industry generally. Whereas before the introduction of long-stapled cotton there were only two ginning factories and no cotton press, there now exist eleven ginning factories and three cotton presses, all working at a considerable profit to their owners. Encouraged by these good results, the starting of a spinning and weaving mill in the State is being contemplated and there are offers from several companies to launch a project.

The country is not lacking in mineral resources. As already mentioned, the Cornelian or Agate Mines of the State are known from the time of Ptolemy. Early in the sixteenth century an Abyesinian merchant named Bawaghor is known to have established a cornelian factory at Limbodra. This Sidi merchant, while wandering from place to place on pilgrimage, did business in precious stones and, becoming skilled in agates, set up a factory at Limbodra where he prospered and died rich.

A shrine was raised in his honour on a hill close to the Cornelian mines, now well known as the Bawaghor Hills in the Ratanpur Forests of this State. A fair of very great importance is held there every year. Negotiation are in progress with some well-known firms to work the mines on a scientific basis. These have been handicapped, however, in the general trade depression and by the fact that cheap foreign articles made from artificial stones are abundant in the market. With improved economic conditions it is hoped to work this industry on modern and scientific lines and put it on a sound financial basis.

Marble of good quality is to be found in the Garudeshwar Taluka of this State. It is basically black in colour and takes very good polish. Marble in white and in grayish and greenish tints is occasionally found.

There is excellent building stone near Jhagadia, in the Kadia Dungar and Bardaria Hills. The stone is grayish white and rather on the hard side. It takes good polish and is suitable for carving.

The proper working of these quarries had been handicapped up till now by the difficulty of transport, but it is now being overcome by the construction of a light railway and it is hoped that this building stone will secure a good market.

Red and yellow ochre and fire and pottery clays are also found in abundance and recently a factory for pottery works and tiles has been established at Jhagadia. Cement stones and good lime stones and gypsum are also found in large quantity in the State.