BILASPUR, a town and district of British India in the Chhat tisgarh division of the Central Provinces, situated on the right bank of the river Arpa. From a small village said to have been founded by a fisherwoman named "Bilasa," it became a Mahratta post and, after the lapse of the Nagpur State to the British, it was made the headquarters of the district in 1862. Its population was then under 5,00o. When the Bengal-Nagpur railway was con structed in 1889 it became an important junction on the direct route between Bombay and Calcutta, a branch line connecting it through the Pendra Ghat and the Rewa State with the East Indian Railway at Katni. Its trade and importance have con tinued to increase and its population (1931) is The American Mission has important educational institutions here, and there are the Government high school and its subsidiaries. There are also railway schools.
The District of Bilaspur, as now constituted, has an area of 4,618 square miles. It forms the upper half of the basin of the river Mahanadi. It is ° almost enclosed on the north, west and east by ranges of hills, while its southern boundary is well culti vated and closely dotted with villages embedded in mango groves. This area constituted the northern portion of the great Chhat tisgarh plain (Chhattisgarh division) . The Mahanadi is the prin cipal river of the district, and governs the whole drainage and river system of the surrounding country. Flowing north from Raipur it crosses the Bilaspur boundary near Seorinarain, then turning south and east, after a course of 25 m., enters the Sam balpur district on its way to Bengal. The most important affluents of the Mahanadi are the Seonath and Hasdeo. The district is poorly protected from drought and suffers intensely in famines. In 1897 there was a heavy death-rate, and relief in 1899-190o was carried out on a most lavish scale; there has been good recovery since.
Upon the formation of the Drug district, transfers of territory were made ; the population of the areas now included in the dis trict is (1931) 1,400,248. Formerly migration was very limited, but since the famines there has been much emigration to the Assam tea districts and there is an annual movement of surplus labour to Khargpur and Calcutta. The chief wealth of the dis trict consists in its agricultural produce. Rice, the principal crop, is exported to Bombay, Berar and northern India. The tussur silk industry is of some importance. Sal, and other timber, is exported, and Lac is sent in quantities to Calcutta and Mirzapur. There is coal in the Korba Zamindari. Among local industries hand-weaving is important, and there is a match factory at Kotah.
The district includes several large Zamindari estates held on a special privileged tenure. Many of these are in wild and hilly country with forests of considerable value. The Pandaria Zamin dari in the west is more level and fertile.
Bilaspur has not been so fortunate as its neighbours in regard to the construction of large government irrigation works, but the deficiencies are being made up. Two large works are under con struction (1928) and other projects under preparation.
(R. H. C.)