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DERA ISMAIL KHAN

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Originally appearing in Volume V08, Page 64 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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DERA See also:

ISMAIL See also:KHAN , a See also:town and See also:district in the Derajat See also:division of the See also:North-See also:West Frontier See also:Province of See also:India. The town is situated near the right See also:bank of the See also:Indus, which is here crossed by a See also:bridge of boats during See also:half the See also:year. In 1901 it had a See also:population of 31,737. It takes its name from Ismail Khan, a Baluch See also:chief who settled here towards the end of the 15th See also:century, and whose descendants ruled for 300 years. The old town was swept away by a See also:flood in 1823, and the See also:present town stands 4 M. back from the permanent channel of the See also:river. The native quarters are well laid out, with a large See also:bazaar for Afghan traders. It is the See also:residence of many See also:Mahommedan gentry. The See also:cantonment accommodates about a See also:brigade of troops. There is considerable through See also:trade with See also:Afghanistan by the See also:Gomal Pass, and there are See also:local manufactures of See also:cotton See also:cloth scarves and inlaid See also:wood-See also:work. The DISTRICT OF DERA ISMAIL KHAN contains an See also:area of 3403 sq. m. It was formerly divided into two almost equal portions by the Indus, which intersected it from north to See also:south. To the west of the Indus the characteristics of the See also:country resemble those of Dera See also:Ghazi Khan.

To the See also:

east of the present See also:bed of the river there is a wide See also:tract known as the Kachi, exposed to river See also:action. Beyond this, the country rises abruptly, and a barren, almost See also:desert See also:plain stretches eastwards, sparsely cultivated, and inhabited only by nomadic tribes of herdsmen. In 1901 the trans-Indus tract was allotted to the newly formed North-West Frontier Province, the cis-Indus tract remaining in the See also:Punjab See also:jurisdiction. The cis-Indus portions of the Dera Ismail Khan and See also:Bannu districts now comprise the new Punjab district of Mianiwali. In 1901 the population was 252,379• chiefly See also:Pathan and Baluch Mahommedans. See also:Wheat and See also:wool are exported. The Indus is navigable by native boats throughout its course of 120 M. within the district, which is the borderland of Pathanand Baluch tribes, the Pathan See also:element predominating. The chief frontier tribes are the Sheranis and Ustaranas.

End of Article: DERA ISMAIL KHAN

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