[7]. [“Up to 1823 Sālim Singh constantly urged, in the name of his master, claims to the territories of other chiefs, but these were rejected as the investigation of them was inconsistent with the engagements subsisting between the British Government and other States. In 1824 Sālim Singh was wounded by a Rājput, and as there was some fear that the wound might heal, his wife gave him poison.” Some support was given for the succession of his eldest son as prime minister, but the British Government declined to interfere in the appointment or punishment of a minister, on which all parties returned to their allegiance, and Rāwal Gaj Singh assumed personal charge of the administration (Erskine iii. A. 15 f.).]
[8]. [Nokh, 96 miles N.E. of Jaisalmer city.]
[9]. The Author has omitted to mention that he was political agent for Jaisalmer; so that his control extended uninterruptedly, almost from Sind to Sind; i.e. from the Indus, or great Sindh, to the Chhota-Sindh, or little river (see map). There are several streams designated Sindh, in Central India, a word purely Tatar, or Scythic. Abusin, ‘the Father-river,’ is one of the many names of the Indus. [Sindhu is a Sanskrit word, probably connected with the root syand, ‘to flow.’]
[10]. I had the honour of receiving several letters from this queen of the desert, who looked to her father’s house and his friends, as the best objects for support, whilst such a being as Sālim was the master of her own and her husband’s destiny. [Gaj Singh earned the special thanks of the British Government for his services in supplying camel transport in the Afghān war of 1838-39; and in 1844, after the conquest of Sind, the forts of Shāhgarh, Gharsia, and Ghotāru, which had formerly belonged to Jaisalmer, were restored to that State. Gaj Singh died without issue in 1846, and his widow adopted his nephew, Ranjīt Singh, who died without an heir in 1864 (Erskine iii. A. 16).]
CHAPTER 7
Geography of Jaisalmer.—The country still dependent on the Rawal extends between 70° 30´ and 72° 30´ E. long., and between the parallels of 26° 20´ and 27° 50´ N. lat., though a small strip protrudes, in the N.-E. angle, as high as 28° 30´. This irregular surface may be roughly estimated to contain fifteen thousand square miles.[[1]] The number of towns, villages, and hamlets, scattered over this wide space, does not exceed two hundred and fifty; some estimate it at three hundred, and others depress it to two hundred; the mean cannot be wide of the truth. To enable the reader to arrive at a conclusion as to the population of this region, we subjoin a calculation, from data furnished by the best-informed natives, which was made in the year 1815: but we must add, that from the tyranny of the minister, the population of the capital (which is nearly half of the country), has been greatly diminished.
| Fiscal and Feudal. | Number of Houses. | Number of Inhabitants. | Remarks. | |||
| Jaisalmer | Capital | 7,000 | 35,000 | |||
| Bikampur | Pattayat | 500 | 2,000 |  | The chief has the title of Rao,and twenty-four villagesdependent, not included inthis estimate. | |
| Sirara | Do. | 300 | 1,200 | | Kelan Bhatti: the Kelan tribe extends to Pugal. | |
| Nachna | Do. | 400 | 1,600 | Rawalot chief. | ||
| Katori | Fiscal. | 300 | 1,200 | |||
| Kaba | Do. | 300 | 1,200 | |||
| Kuldaro | Do. | 200 | 800 | |||
| Satta | Pattayat | 300 | 1,200 | [279] | ||
| Jinjiniali | Do. | 300 | 1,200 | | Rawalot: first noble of Jaisalmer. | |
| Kuldaro | Do. | 200 | 800 | |||
| Balana | Pattayat | 150 | 600 | |||
| Satiasa | Do. | 100 | 400 | |||
| Baru | Do. | 200 | 800 | | Maldot: has eighteen villages attached, not included in this. | |
| Chaun | Do. | 200 | 800 | |||
| Loharki | Do. | 150 | 600 |  | ||
| Noantala | Do. | 150 | 600 | All of the Rawalot clan. | ||
| Lahti | Do. | 300 | 1,200 | |||
| Dangari | Do. | 150 | 600 | |||
| Bijorai | Fiscal | 200 | 800 | |||
| Mandai | Do. | 200 | 800 | |||
| Ramgarh | Do. | 200 | 800 | |||
| Birsalpur | Pattayat | 200 | 800 | |||
| Girajsar | Do. | 150 | 600 | |||
| 56,400 | ||||||
| Two hundred and twenty-fivevillages and hamlets, fromfour to fifty houses each;say, each average twenty,at four inhabitants to each |  | 18,000 | ||||
| Total | 74,400 | |||||
According to this census, we have a population not superior to one of the secondary cities of Great Britain, scattered over fifteen thousand square miles; nearly one-half, too, belonging to the capital, which being omitted, the result would give from two to three souls only for each square mile.