GHÁTS, or Ghauts (literally “the Landing Stairs” from the sea, or “ Passes”), two ranges of mountains extending along the eastern and western shores of the Indian peninsula. The Eastern Ghats run in fragmentary spurs and ranges down the Madras coast. They commence in the Orissa district of Balasor, pass southwards through Cuttack and Puri, enter the Madras presidency in Ganjz’tm, and sweep southwards through the districts of Vizagapatam. Godavari, Nellore, Chengalpat, South Arcot, Trichinopoli, and Tinnevelly. They run at a distance of from 50 to 150 miles from the coast, except in Ganjam and Vizaga- patam, where in places they almost abut on the Bay of Bengal. Their geological formation is granite, with gneiss and mica slate, with clay slate, hornblende, and primitive limestone overlying. The average elevation is about 1500 feet, but several hills in Ganjam are between 4000 and 5000 feet. The Western, Gluits start from the north of the Tapti valley, and run south through Khandesh, Nasik, 'I‘anna, Satara, Ratnagiri, Kanara, and Malabar, and the states of Cochin and Travan core, meeting the Eastern Ghats at an angle near Cape Comorin. The range of the Western Ghats extends uninterruptedly, with the exception of a gap or valley 20 miles across known as the Palghat gap. The length of the range is 800 miles from the Tapti to the Palghz'it gap, and south of this about 200 miles to the extreme south of the peninsula. In many parts there is only a narrow low strip of coast between the hills and the shore ; at one point they rise in magnificent precipices and headlands out of the ocean. The average elevation is 3000 feet, precipitous on the western side facing the sea, but with a more gradual slope on the east to the plains below. The highest peaks in the northern section are Mahabaleswar, where is the summer capital of the Government of Bombay, 47 00 feet; Purandhar, 4472 ; and Sinhgarh, 4162 feet. South of Mahabaleswar the elevation diminishes to about 1000 feet above sea-level. Further south the elevation again increases, and attains its maximum towards Coorg, where the highest peaks vary from 5500 to 7000 feet, and where the main range joins the interior N ilgiri hills. South of the Palghat gap, the peaks of the \Vestern Ghats rise as high as 7000 feet. The geological formation is trap in the northern and laterite in southern section.
GHÁZIÁBAD, a town in Meerut district, North-Western Provinces of India, distant 12 miles from Delhi and 28 miles from Meerut, in 28° 39' 55" N. 1at., 77° 28’ 10" E. long. The town was founded in 1740 by Ghazi—ud-din, brother of Nawab Salabat Jang, ruler of the Deccan, and takes its name from its founder. It has considerably risen in importance of late years, from having been selected as the point of junction of the East Indian, and the Sind, Punjab, and Delhi railways. A branch into Delhi city diverges from Ghaziabad. Population (1872) 7365.
GHÁZÍPUR, a district of British India, in the lieutenant-governorship of the North—Wcstcrn Provinces, and included in the Benares division. [t is bounded on the N. by Azimgarh and Saran, E. by Saran, S. by Shahabad, and \V. by Benares and J aunpur. Ghazipur forms part of the great alluvial plain of the Ganges, which divides it into two unequal portions. The northern subdivision lies between the Gumti and the Gogra, whose confluences with the main stream mark its eastern and western limits respectively. The southern tract is a much smaller strip of country, en- closed between the Karamnasa and the great river itself. N o hill or natural eminence is to be found in the district. A few lakes are scattered here and there, formed where the rivers have deserted their ancient channels. The largest is that of Suraha, once a northern bend of the Ganges, but now an almost isolated sheet of water, 5 miles long by about 4 broad.
Ghazipur is a closely cultivated district, and out of a total area of 2168 square miles 1546 are actually under cultivation. The harvests are the same as these common to the whole of the plain districts of the North-“'cstern Provinces. The census of 1872 returned a total population in Ghazipur district of 1,345,570 souls (males 696,572, females 648,829), dwelling in 3725 villages or townships, and inhabiting 285,007 houses. The Hindus numbered 1,221,810, or 90'7 per cent., and Mahometans, 123,455. Of the three higher Hindu castes there wcrc— Brahmans, 123,012; Rujputs, 295,355; and Baniyas, 49,538. The lower castes are represented by the Ahirs, 171,216; Chamars, 122,075 ; Kayasths, 22,480; and Kurmis, 18,136. Amongst the Mussulmans, the Shaikhs numbered 26,940; Sayyids, 4525; Mughals, 570; and l’athzins, 18,452. The district is rich, and in the eastern parts the soil is extremely fertile, so that the cultivators are, on the whole, in easy circumstances. Sixteen towns contain a population exceeding 5000, viz., Ghazipur, 38,853; Mahatwar Khas, 8975; Shiupur Diar, 9279; Gahmar, 9050 ; Sherpnr, 7958; lliotipur, 9323; Bar-a, 5424; Chit, 5821; Narhi, 5527; Bansdih, 7319; Rioti, 7700; Maniar, 5285; Ballia, 8521; Bairia, 5589; Sonbarsa, 7162; and Basra, 7261. The chief imports into the district are English piece goods and thread, cotton, salt, spices, and grain; the principal exports, country cloth, sugar, fuller’s earth, oil seeds, and hides. The headquarters of the Government opium manufacture is at Ghazipnr town. Carbonate of soda is manufactured from the rah or saline efflorescence of the barren usar 'ilains, and largely exported. Saltpetre is also largely prepared rom the same source. The great trade route is the Ganges, but good roads connect all the principal centres with each other. The East Indian Railway runs for 24 miles through the district, with stations at Zamaniah, Dildarnagar, and Gahmar. The total amount of imperial, local, and municipal revenue of the district in 1876 was £200,000. Ghazipur is said to be one of the hottest and dampest districts in the North-Western Provinces. In 1869 the animal mean temperature was 80° Palm, the lowest monthly mean being 61° Fahr., in January, and the highest 98°, in May. The aver- age total rainfall for 11 years from 1860 to 1871 was 40'] inches, the maximum being 505 inches, in 1861, and the minimum 21 '5 inches, in 1868.
Gházípur Town, the capital of the district, stands on the low alluvial northern bank of the Ganges, in 35° 23’ 36” N. lat. and 83° 35’ 13" E. long, covering an area of 416 acres, and with a population in 1872 of 38,853. There is considerable trade in sugar, tobacco, long cloth, and rose water. It is the headquarters of the Government opium department, where all the opium from the North-Western Provinces is collected and manufactured under a monopoly. A metalled road runs from Ghazipur to Zamaniah station on the East Indian Railway, 1331‘.- miles. Lord Cornwallis, the governor-general of India, died at Ghazipur in 1805, and a monument and marble statue are erected over his grave.
