OUDII. 497 considerable commercial centre, Lucknow, and entirely feeds its own teeming millions, besides allowing a large surplus of produce for export. The natural fertility of the soil, and the salubrity of the climate, combine to render the Province a thickly-peopled tract, and to turn all the industry of its inhabitants into the direction of agriculture. In 1881, 72059 per cent. of the people were agriculturists. A review of the area, population, etc., of each District of Oudh is given in the table at the commencement of this article (P. 480), but the general results of the Census of February 1881 for the Province as a whole are briefly summarized in the following paragraphs. Classified according to sex, the males numbered 5,851,655, and the females 5,536,086; total, 11,387,741. Classified according to age, the Census shows, under 15 years — boys, 2,229, 232; girls, 1,974,472 ; total children, 4,203,704 : above 15 years—men, 3,622,423; women, 3,561,614; total adults, 7,184,037. The religious division yields the following results :- Hindus, 9,942,411; Sikhs, 1154; Muhammadans, 1,433,443; Christians, 9060; Jains, 1623; Jews, 27; Pársís, 22; Buddhist, 1. There are no aboriginal tribes returned as such in Oudh. In spite of the long subjection of Oudh to a Musalmán dynasty, the faith of Islám has far fewer adherents than in any other Province of Upper India. The Muhanmadans, indeed, form only 12} per cent. of the inhabitants ; but they have increased at the rate of 20 per cent. for the twelve years ending 1881. As elsewhere, they are sub-divided among the four classes of Sayyids, Shaikhs, Patháns, and Mughals; and their scattered agricultural groups form centres of refuge from the degrading oppression to which Hinduism consigns the lower castes. There is said to be no active Islámite propaganda ; but a small stream of Hindu converts-converts rather from necessity or interest than any religious feeling—is continually passing over to Muhammadanism. The Musalmáns, however, have lost greatly in social prestige since the downfall of the royal line. In the higher ranks they still number 78 tálukdurs. Some of these, as the Rájás of Utraula and Nanpárá, trace their descent from local chieftains, who long ago conquered for theinselves places in the Hindu hierarchy, and differ in religion alone from their Hindu compeers. Others, amongst whom the great Chief of Hasanpur Bandhua takes first rank, belong to ancient Hindu families, which changed their faith during the days of the Musalman supremacy, to gain favour at Agra or Delhi. A few later houses owe their position to the offices which they held under the late dynasty of Lucknow. The Muhammadans still provide the British Government in Oudh with many of its ablest servants, and supply almost entirely the native bar at Lucknow. As cultivators, they are spread widely over the country; while as weavers they VOL. X. 2 I
