CATTACK, the most important town in the above district [CATTACK district, India], and the capital of the province, is situated in 20° 28' N. lat. and 85° 55' E. long, on the tongue of land where the Mahanadf first bifurcates, throwing off the Katjurf on its southern and the Binipa on its northern bank. Cattack city formed one of the five royal strongholds of ancient Orissa, and was founded by a warlike prince who reigned from 953 to 961. Its native kings protected it from the rivers by a masonry embankment several miles long, built of enormous blocks of hewn stone, and in some places 25 feet high. A fortress defended the north-west corner of the town, and was captured by the English from the Mar- hattas in October 1803. It is now abandoned as a place of defence. The city has long been the commercial and administrative headquarters of Orissa; it is connected with False Point harbour by the Kendrapara Canal. The High Level Canal, at present in course of construction, will open out inland communication between it and Cal- cutta. In 1825 the town contained 6512 houses, and a population of about 40,000. Population in 1872, 50,878, viz., Hindus, 40,849 ; Muhammadans, 7436 ; Christians, 1968; others, 625. ' (w. w. H.)





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Cattack (Cuttack) district, India