V 
 
 ■CRKELEY 
 
 LIBRARY 
 
 uNivERsrr o» 
 
 CALIFOI MIA 
 

 
 
Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 
 in 2008 with funding from 
 
 Microsoft Corporation 
 
 http://www.archive.org/details/1820notessuggest00malcrich 
 
1820 
 
 NOTES SUGGESTED FROM A PERUSAL OF SIR 
 J. MALCOLM'S REVENUE REPORT ON MALWA. 
 
■ 
 
 L^ISHD 
 
 aWi 
 
Notes suggested from a perusal of Sir J. Malcolm's Revenue Report* N a « t 
 on Malwa and sent to the Resident, November 1820 
 
 tftM- 
 
 No, 1.— In this part of the country it appears to me that the proprietary 
 right in the soil is universally admitted to be vested in the Sovereign and that 
 his right to raise rents is never disputed. 
 
 The tenures on which Kisans cultivate are so loose and uncertain that it 
 is difficult to define them satisfactorily. It appears to me that the utmost they 
 can claim or ever so claim is right of occupancy or cultivation subject to pay- 
 ment of the demand of the Government whatever they may be. This claim, 
 which is apparently of no value, is founded on the general usage of the country, 
 and as long as a Kisan is able or willing to meet the demands of the Sirkar it 
 would be reckoned unjust to remove him and he never is removed. When he 
 cannot do this, his lands, even if they have been cultivated by his family for 
 generations, are put up as a matter of course to the highest bidder. 
 
 It is a common saying amongst the people of the country that a Ryat is 
 only Malik of his own field for one year, all claims being supposed to expire at 
 the end of the season. 
 
 A preferable right of cultivation subject to the payment of indefinite 
 demands may be considered a right of no value. When the rents are moderate 
 it is of some value, that is, Kisans find it worth their while to remain on the lands 
 cultivated by their forefathers. 
 
 The rights of the Ryats in the Doumlee districts and in those parts of the 
 country which have been subject to the Moghol Government and into which the 
 revenue system has been introduced, do not differ from those of their neigh- 
 bours about Nagpore. The Kisans there do not claim a property in the soil or 
 an hereditary right of occupancy subject to the payment of a fixed rent. 
 
 In fact a Ryat in this country only acquires in the soil by a direct grant 
 from the Government. He may dig wells, plant trees, cut down jungle and 
 improve the lands in other ways, but if he refuses to pay the demands of the 
 Sirkar he is dispossessed. 
 
 No. 2. — This name is unknown in Deogurh, where the zamindars are termed 
 Desmookhs and Despandias. In the districts about Nagpore they are supposed 
 to have received their grants from the Gond Rajah Bukht Bulund. Their office 
 in many of these districts was suppressed by Raghojee and Janojee who resumed 
 the dues of the zamindars amounting to yw per cent on the jumma and annexed 
 them to the regular revenue. 
 
 In the Doumlee districts and generally wherever the Moghol power has 
 been established they still retain all their rights and perquisites, but their functions 
 are by no means so important as in Malwa. 
 
 T he zamindars in this part of the country claim an extraordinary privilege 
 which a Native Government would scarcely have allowed them to exercise to any 
 great extent. The Desmookh claims the right of succession to Patelees of 
 villages when the Patel dies without leaving an heir and the Despandia to that 
 
 3608 
 
of the office of Pandia when the Pandia dies without an heir. This right is not 
 well founded, but as the heavy assessments of late years have forced many of 
 the old Patels to abandon their villages the zamindars have taken advantage of 
 this circumstance to get hold of a great number of them. 
 
 The zamindars never appear to have been employed as Police Officers. 
 Under the Marhatta Government the only use that has been made of them, 
 has been to regulate the details of the Sirkar's assessment and persuade the 
 Patels tc submit to it The collections were always made bv Kamaeesdars 
 appointed by the Government which was too jealous to leave much power in 
 the hands of officers over whom they did not ever use a direct control. 
 
 Their lands and dues in the lapse of time become subdivided into 
 numerous shares and they are constantly quarrelling about them and the right of 
 successions. These disputes were encouraged by the Marhatta Government, 
 specially by the last Raghojee, who under the pretence of interfering for their 
 adjustment laid hold of the plea to extort heavy fines and sometimes to plunder 
 them altogether. 
 
 The zamindars agree in stating that the sunnads of their offices were 
 originally conferred on either by the Moghol Emperors generally by Shah Jehan 
 or some of its officers as a reward for some specific services and some of them 
 appear to have come originally from llindcstan with the Moghol officers. There 
 is no tradition amongst them of their having been the hereditary officers of any 
 old Hindoo Government. 
 
 No. ;. — The assistant of the zamindar in this part of the country and 
 throughout Berar (1 believe) is termed Mohureer. 
 
 No. 4. — The function of- the Naeek-warree in the Doumlee districts and in 
 Berar correspond with those of the Merdah. He is also a Musalman and 
 a Wuttendar. 
 
 No. 5. — In Deogurh the Patels are all Ijardars. The heavy assessments 
 of late years have all swallowed up their Enaum and other perquisites and left 
 them scarcely any valuable privileges. They are therefore generally not much 
 attached to their villages especially in the districts about Nagpore where the 
 pressure of taxation has been the greatest. In the more remote districts such 
 as those on the banks of the Wyne Ganga there are many old Patels still 
 remaining who retain something like an Enaum and who are much attached to 
 their villages. In every district about Nagpore there are still four or five 
 hereditary Patels, that is Patels whose villages have descended to them through 
 several generations and who amidst all the changes that have taken place have 
 managed to retain their villages. They are called Pereekee Patel and are 
 considered to have something like an hereditary right of occupancy. The 
 Government has alwavs shown a greater degree of consideration for this class 
 than for the common Ijardars. 
 
 Whilst I was employed in making the late settlements a vast number of 
 villages were open to competition. Few of the old Patels came forward to bid 
 for them and there are still a great many unoccupied. The population of the 
 country may have diminished but the heavy assessments have never forced the 
 Ryats to emigrate to other countries. 
 
In the Doumlee districts and in that part of the country into which the 
 Moghol system of revenue has been introduced, the Patels are all Wuttendars. 
 They are strongly attached to their rights which thev can alienate by sale, 
 mortgage, etc., and never part with them excepting when reduced to the greatest 
 distress. They are sometimes obliged to resign their villages from the pressure 
 of debt or other causes, but they have a claim to re-admission at almost any 
 period, however distant, on securing to the cultivating Patel the recovery of his 
 advances of seed, etc., to the Ryots. 
 
 No. 6. — The Pandia in this part of the country. He receives an allowance 
 from the Government, but he is. dismissed or retained at the pleasure of the Patel. 
 The same Pandia often keeps the accounts of several villages when they are 
 small. It the Patel is a Brahmin and active, he keeps the accounts himself. In 
 the Doumlee districts they are Wuttendars and cannot be removed by the 
 Pai 
 
 No 7. — All these duties are performed by the Cutwal in this part of the 
 country. 
 
 No. 8. — The attachment of the soil is not nearly so strong in this country as 
 in Malwa, and its absence- may perhaps in a great measure be ascribed to the 
 insecurity of the tenures on which Ryots cultivate, and of anything like a proprie- 
 tary right to the soil. 
 
 Since the conquest of the country by the Marhattas, the assessments have 
 been constantly increasing and all ideas of anything like permanent rales have 
 been destroyed. The great body of the cultivators, more particularly in the districts 
 about Nagpore, cannot be said to be strongly attached to the soil. They frequently 
 change their residence and the interchanges of lands amongst them have been 
 numerous. Great changes have also taken place amongst the Patels, who are all 
 Iiardars and of very recent standing. This attachment is strongest when they 
 have planted trees or dug wells, and it is only in instances of this kind that removal 
 is complained of. 
 
 No. 9. — In the districts about Nagpore there is a great deal of exchanging 
 of lands which takes place amongst the Ryots every year. At the Kstimalut many 
 of the lands are open to competitions, every person being at liberty to throw up 
 those he cultivated last year ; when a field is let to another person the name of 
 the last occupant is struck out. Each field has a separate name which is never 
 changed. A Ryot cannot let his field to another person. This can only be done 
 by the Patel. • ( 
 
 Notwithstanding the rapid increase in the rates of rents which have taken place 
 within the last 20 years, there are still many Ryots who continue to cultivate the 
 lands occupied by their forefathers, paying the increased rates as they are 
 assessed. The best class of Ryots have as far as 10 ploughs. Their capital is 
 too small to admit of their speculation in waste lands. 
 
 No. 10. — The name for Ryots of this description is Paeekar, and they are 
 supposed to form about a third or a fourth of the whole body of cultivators. 
 The advantages they possess over the more permanent cultivators are exemptions 
 from begarees, gratuitous services, furmaeesha. Ryots of this description are 
 
generally to be found in the principal towns of the district and In populous 
 villages where there are no waste land, and there are most number of Paeekarees 
 in the city who cultivate lands all over the country. As long as any portions of 
 the lands of a village remain uncultivated the Patel will not allow the Ryots to 
 become Paeekarees, that is, to cultivate lands in another village. 
 
 No. II. — There is a class of people in this part of the country not always 
 cultivators who are termed Sookhbashee and Sookhwastee. A man who resides 
 in a village without any specific employment in it, who does not contribute to its 
 revenue in any way, and tvho derives his subsistence independent of it, is a Sookh- 
 wastee. Another class, the Ooperees or most improvident kind of cultivators, 
 wander about from one village to another getting the Patel to lend them money, 
 seed, grain, etc. They often fail in their pavments and absrond after the harvest, 
 leaving the Patel to pay the rents. 
 
 No. 12. — The Marhattas do not appear fond of granting permanent aliena- 
 tions of land, but they have usually respected the grants of former Rulers at least 
 those of the Musulmans. They have never interfered with the Wuttendar lands and 
 dues of Zamindars, Patels and other hereditary officers in the districts on the 
 Wurda. 
 
 Alienations cf this kind are more frequent in Berar and in districts on the 
 Wurda than in Deogurh, as the undermentioned statement will show : — 
 
 Pergunah Kalmisar in Deogurh. 
 
 Total number 
 
 of fields 
 
 
 
 
 3,33 6 
 
 Rnam lands — 
 Joshees 
 Gosaeens 
 Bhoomucks 
 
 
 
 
 
 ... 63 
 1 1 
 
 ' ••• 5 
 
 
 Garpugarees 
 Cutwals 
 Peerzadas 
 Rajah's relati 
 
 ons 
 
 and 
 
 persons 
 
 about the Court 
 
 1 
 
 ... 69 
 
 2 
 
 ... '52 
 
 303 
 
 
 2,933 
 
 or about one-eleventh. 
 
 The lands held by the Rajah's relations, etc., are not permanent alienations 
 but may be resumed at pleasure. 
 
 Pergunnah Ashtee on the Wurda. 
 
 Total number of Bighas ... ••■ 170,076 
 Enam lands — 
 
 Zamindars, etc. ... ••• 6 .9°9 
 
 Patels lands ... ••• 20,480 
 
 Dhinvar ... — i>3 5 7 
 
 Cauzees, Peerzadas, and other religious persons ... 1,082 
 
 Brahmins, Joshees ... ••• '95 
 
 Cutwals, Bhoomucks ... ••• 4,032 34,o05 
 
 136,011 
 or about a fifth. 
 
No. 13. — In Deogurh the invariable practice was to levy 12 annas in the 
 rupee from the Patels in the months of October, November and December. 
 This payment was called the Paokerree, and the whole of it was usually advanced 
 by Sahookars to the Patels and Ryots at an interest of 25 per cent. The 
 remaining kist of 4 annas was levied in March and April. This mode of 
 collection was uniform in all the districts and had no reference to the predomin- 
 ance or-othenvise of the Rubbee or Khureef crop. 
 
 No. 14. — The rents in Deogurh have always been paid to the Government 
 in money, and the Ryots, excepting the poorest classes, pay their rents to the 
 Patel also in money. Buttye Settlements between the Patels and the Ryots were 
 not uncommon, and they were generally made on account of the Sirkar. The 
 Patel did not consider them advantageous and only had recourse to them when 
 he could not drnv rent from the land in any other way ; when lands were likely 
 to remain uncultivated the Patel advanced seed and subsistence to a. Ryot who 
 undertook to cultivate them lor half the produce, or a Ryot undertook to cul- 
 tivate them and after the proportion for seed and expenses had been set aside 
 the remaining quantity was divided between him and trje Patel. The Patel 
 carried his share to the account of the Government as part of the jurnma of the 
 village. 
 
 No. 15. — Some idea may be formed of the additional imposts of the 
 Marhattas from the following statement. The Ayen assessment of the Gond 
 Rajahs is here stated at 100 rupees and all the additional imposls have been on 
 this Ayen. 
 
 Rs.' a.* p. 
 Ayen assessments of Gond Rajahs ... ... 100 o o 
 
 Additional assessment of 1st Raghojee... 
 
 Total 
 Additional assessment of Janjee o:: Ayen 
 
 Total 
 Additional assessment of Moodhajee on Ayen 
 
 Total 
 Additional assessment of Raghojee on Ayen 
 
 Grant Total 
 
 These additional imposts are all on the Ayen,;each Rajah not only continued Vi<uXo,9 i*fr*& 
 the extra assessment of his predecessors but added to them his own puttees 
 or extra imposts. They are all assessed by the Wirar Pandias and the increase 
 is supposed to be proportioned to the Ayen Jumma of each field. A great deal 
 of partiality has, however, been practised, and the burthen of them has fallen 
 heaviest on the lands and villages of the poorer classes. The variations on the 
 original rates of assessments are great, and it is impossible to refer them to any '* 
 
 ... 
 
 79 
 
 7 
 
 
 
 ... 
 
 179 
 
 7 
 
 
 
 It* 
 
 "34 
 
 
 
 
 
 ... 
 
 3'3 
 
 7 
 
 
 
 • •■ 
 
 35 
 
 
 
 
 
 ... 
 
 348 
 »3i 
 
 7 
 4 
 
 
 
 
 • •« 
 
 479 
 
 ti 
 
 O 
 
intelligible standard. The Ayen assessment of some lands is a cowree, an anna, 
 arupeeoritissometirr.es cultivated on the pand which refers to a nominal 
 measurement. 
 
 This immense increase appears, however, only to have kept pace with the 
 rise in prices of grain as the undermentioned statement will show : — 
 
 In the time of Bukbt Bulund the price of grain was 2 klumdees of 160 
 
 pylees each .. . .... ... 1 
 
 In the time of first Rughojee, per khundti ... ... 1 
 
 'fj Do. of Janojee, pet khtindee ... .. .. 2 
 
 Do. of Moodhajec, per khundee ... 1 
 
 Po. of Ragbojee 2nd, per khundee ... 5, 6, 7 and 8 
 
 The Ryots often complain of the heavy rates, but 1 am inclined to think 
 frequently without cause ; on many lands they are evidently very light. 
 
 The assessment is never on the produce. It seems generally to be 
 regulated with reference to the supposed fertility of the soil. The dhara or 
 rate of every field is known or pretty nearly so, and if this is paid the cultivator 
 may raise what produce he pleases. 
 
 No. 16.— The grains given in advance to Ryots for subsistence are Joaree 
 and the low-priced grains of the Khureef crop. They are generally repaid with 
 an interest of 25 per cent, but in the Doumlee districts with 50 per cent. When 
 advances of Joaree and other grains of this season for seeda are made the rate 
 is a pylee and a half for each pylee lent. The reason of this is that Sahookars 
 rarely store seed grain of this description, the Ryots almost always keeping a 
 sufficient stock of their own for sowing. Joaree kept for seed must also be 
 stored with great care and the whole of the grain of this season are liable to a 
 greater degree of wastage than those of the Rubbee crops, Dhan or rice, in the 
 husk, but for seed is invariably repaid at the rate of a pylee and a half for every 
 pylee lent. 
 
 Seed advances of wheat chana and the grains of the Rubbee crops, although 
 the most valuable, are always repaid with savaee or an interest of 25 per cent. 
 These grains are said to be more easily preserved than those of the Khureef 
 crops. 
 
 Tuccavee advances for the purchase of cattle, etc., are also repaid with a; 
 interest of 25 per cent. Almost the whole of the Ryots depend on Sahookars 
 for seed grains, subsistence and money advances for the payment of their rents. 
 
 No. 17. — Joaree, wheat, chana and grains of the Rubbee and Khureef 
 harvests are never watered either from well or dams. The rains generally afford 
 a sufficient supply for the Khureef harvest, but the want of water is frequently 
 felt for the Rubbee crops. I have spoken to many Patels and cultivators on the 
 advantages they might derive from watering the wheat and other grains of the 
 Rubbee harvest and endeavoured to explain to them that the expense of digging 
 wells and making bunds would be more than compensated by the additional 
 produce. The invariable reply was that they depended on the rains, which had 
 never yet deserted them altogether, and that as water was seldom to be found 
 near the surface, the expense of digging wells would be enormous. 
 
Three very bad .seasons are only spoken of within the last 50 years. There 
 have been many indifferent seasons, but with the exceptions above mentioned, 
 none so bad as to occasion any particular distress. Irrigation for the Rubbee 
 crops might, 1 should think, often be resorted to with the utmost advantage and 
 as the condition of the people improves they will probably have recourse 
 
 to it. 
 
 The constant fluctuations in ihe rent, the insecurity of tenures, and the 
 want of anvthing like a proprietary or hereditary right in the land are perhaps 
 the real causes which have prevented the introduction of a more improved mode 
 of cultivation. The Ryots are so averse to investing any part of their capital 
 in the lands, that 1 have even found it impracticable to prevail on the cultivators 
 in villages on the public roads to surround their fields with fences to protect 
 them against travellers. When urged to do so, the common reply was 
 that this would be useless as the field might belong to some one else next 
 year. 
 
 No. 1 3. — Wheat in good soil and in a favourable season without irrigation 
 gives a return of 10, but the general rate is from 5 to 8 or 9. 
 
 Joaree gives as far as 40 and generally ranges between 30 and 40. In 
 Berar the return for Joaree is said to be 60 and even 80-fold. 
 
 If the accounts of the cultivators are to be credited the soil must have been 
 much more productive formerly than at the present day. The decrease in 
 its productive power they ascribe to the circumstance of its having been 
 constantly under cultivation for such a number of years, and as neither fallows 
 are allowed or any other effectual remedies applied to recruit the soil exhausted 
 by continual cultivation, it is very likely the case. 
 
 It is asserted that when the Marhattas conquered the country the general 
 returns for the Khureef crops were 100 and for the Rubbee 20-fold, but that 
 they have been diminishing ever since. 
 
 No. 19. — The Sewaee Jumma as extra revenue in Deogurh has remained 
 stationary for many years, all the extra imposts of the Marhattas having been 
 thrown on the lands. 
 
 The Sewaee Jumma consists of the house taxes, imposts on shops, petty 
 bazar dues, fines, confiscations, etc. 
 
 The additional imposts have invariably, as already mentioned, been on 
 the A yen Jumma of the lands and have been assessed with tolerable partiality. 
 The smallest portion of the burthen has of course fallen on the lands and 
 villages of the better classes, but scarcely any class has escaped altogether. 
 All these imposts have originated in some exigency real or pretended, but 
 although the exigency may have disappeared the tax has never been remitted ; 
 some of the most extraordinary of these imposts are the Joohar puttee imposed 
 by Janojee to defray the expense of jewels purchased for one of his wives. The 
 Zimputtee imposed by Raghojee to pay for a saddle studded with precious stones 
 presented to the Peshwa. The Joa Puttee to cover the alleged losses of the 
 Rajah at play one year at the Dewallee, etc. 
 
 No. 20. — The system in this country has generally been the amanee one, 
 although for the last 20 years it has in point of fact come nearer to the farming 
 
8 
 
 system than anything else. Districts however have never been farmed out for 
 a longer period than one year, and the large advances have not therefore been 
 demanded from Mamletdars. The system of late years has been this when a 
 Mamletdar was appointed to the charge of a district he was obliged to pay 
 advance of about 10 or 12 per cent of the jam ma before the commencement of 
 the collections. This sum he perhaps borrowed from a Sahookar and he was 
 allowed by the Sirkar a deduction for interest at the rate of one per cent a 
 month. 
 
 The collections commenced in" September and 1 2 annas were usually 
 collected before the end of November or December, but as money was required 
 by the Government perhaps in July or September the Mamletdar was also 
 obliged to get Sahookars to advance the whole sum of 12 annas at this period 
 or to promise to pay it on the demand of the Sirkar. The Mamletdar again for 
 this loan paid interest to the Sahookar at the rate of 2 per cent a month which 
 he was also authorised to assess on the districts. 
 
 Sahookars sometimes contrived to make a double and treble profit in the 
 same district. They made the advances to the Mamletdar, to the Patels of 
 the district, and cashed the orders granted on them by the Rajah for the 
 payment of troops, etc., at the same time, and had a separate profit on all 
 transactions. 
 
 As almost all the revenue passed through their hands in some way or other 
 they had great influence in all the districts which were governed with their 
 agency. 
 
 No. 21.— The salaries of all the officers employed in the collection of the 
 revenue were on a much smaller scale in Deogurh, but notwithstanding this the 
 expenses of management are supposed not to have fallen much short of 20 per 
 cent on the jumma, calculating all the elicit perquisites of the Revenue Officers. 
 
 It will be seen from the undermentioned statement that the authorised 
 expenses of management did not exceed per cent : — 
 
 Gross jumma of Deogurh ... ... 4°)b8,i07 
 
 Deduct Jageer allotted for payment of troops ... 15,00,000 
 
 KLalizit revenue ... 25,58,107 
 J xpenses of management — 
 
 Allowances to Kumaeesdars ... ... 20,871 
 
 Allowance to Pharaoveeses with office at Xagpur ... 23,387 
 
 Mohurcers ... ... ... 2,770 
 
 Werar l'andias ... ... ••• 7< 8 ° 8 
 
 Sebundies ... ... ... 4 2 i 2 97 
 
 Hurkarrah Establishment ... ••• 6)457 
 
 Musalchees ... ... ... 2 >54^ 
 
 Extra charges ... ... ... 39^9* 
 
 Total ... i-45.3* s 
 
 or about 6 per cent on the jumma. . 
 
 The Kumaeesdars and the other Revenue Officers, however, had innumer- 
 able ways of amassing wealth. The real amount of fines, confiscations and 
 nuzzers was never accounted for, and a great proportion of these collections were 
 
embezzled. Burguns were levied under a variety of pretences and sometimes 
 without the knowledge of the Government, and only a portion of the produce 
 accounted for. The most common were those of Beeaj, Balta Roz, Khorakee, 
 Durbar expenses, etc., etc. 
 
 It was calculated that a Kumaeesdar entrusted with the management of 
 a district yielding a Revenue of a lakh of rupees could besides subsisting himself 
 and his family, realise 3,000 rupees per annum, and Khaltoo, without being 
 guilty of gross malversation. 
 
 It was the custom of the Rajah to allow the Mamletdars to go on accumu- 
 lating for several years and then either to plunder them or to extort a large fine. 
 
 No. 22. — The sale of grounds for the sites of houses either in towns or 
 villages is not a source of revenue in this country. It is rarely ever sold for 
 this purpose and a person is at liberty to build within certain limits in towns and 
 villages, provided he can find a clear spot, without paying anything for the ground 
 either to Government or individuals. 
 
 All houses with the exception of those of Brahmins, 'Rajpoots and Musulmans 
 in the Civil and Military service of the State pay the usual Ghurkaree taxes ; 
 when a house is sold the Sirkar's Huk is a fourth of the price. 
 
 Fines and contributions have generally been levied from individuals and not 
 from towns cr particular classes. 
 
 Large contributions have however been extorted from the Sahookars at 
 diffeient times, and Appa Saheb attempted to levy one of 50 lakhs of rupees 
 from the city and country. 
 
 No. 23. — Escheats (Maear) never appear to have yielded much revenue to 
 this Government ; a man's son, nephew, cousin, or in short any of his relations who 
 may have been brought up in his house and had any share in the family wealth 
 would in this part of the country inherit his property. If he leaves no sons, and 
 if all his male relations have lived separately his property is then seized by the 
 Government, but some provision is generally made for the widow. Almost all 
 the revenue collected under the head of Maear has been derived from the sale of 
 the effects of persons of the lower classes. 
 
 No. 24. — The last Raghojee Bhonsla established a system something like 
 this, but on a much smaller scale. About 20 years ago a selection was made of 
 nearly 200 flourishing villages in different parts of the country which were placed 
 under the management of 4 or 5 agents immediately responsible to the Rajah. 
 These were called Khasgee villages and some of the best fields in each were 
 cultivated by the Rajah on his own account with his own stock and cattle, and a 
 regular account of the produce and expenditure was kept by these managers, 
 with assistance of other karkoons. Part of the produce supplied the consump- 
 tion of the household and the surplus was stored in kothees at Nagpore and 
 afterwards sold or lent out to the Ryats of Khasgee villages at the common 
 interest of the country. 
 
 The stock of grain accumulated with great rapidity under this mode of 
 management and the Rajahs latterly not only supplied the Ryots of the Khasgee 
 villages with seed grain and Patga, but also those of many other villages in 
 different parts of the country. 
 
■ 
 
 IO 
 
 At the end of the year 1229 Fussilee, the stock of grain in the Khasgee 
 villages was calculated to amount to 54,000 khundees, the value of which was not 
 less than 3 lakhs of rupees. 
 
 It was a common practice with the Rajahs to force the Bunias of the city 
 to purchase his superfluous stock of grain when the rates were high. The 
 principal Bunias were summoned to the kothee and the quantity to be disposed 
 I of was distributed amcngst them at an arbitrary valuation. 
 
 No. 25. — Grains of every description is sold by measure in this country, and 
 y this measure is founded on an equivalent for pice weights. 
 
 Almost everything also is sold bv weight, and the varieties in the table of 
 weight as great as in Malwa. 
 
 The usual grain measures are — 
 
 100 rupees ... .. 1 pylee. 
 
 b pylces ... ... 1 cooroo. 
 
 20 cooroos ... ... 1 khundee. 
 
 These measures are founded on the standard rupee of the country, and 
 although its weight may have varied at different times this circumstance is not 
 supposed to have affected the measures. 
 
 The size of the pylee varies in every district. In some districts it weighs 
 more than 100 rupees and in others less. The number of pylees to the cooroo 
 and cooroos to the khundee never alter. 
 
 Grain dealers purchase by a large seer and retail by a small one. All other 
 articles sold by weight or measure are purchased and sold on equal terms. 
 
 No. 26. — In this country the Saeer Revenue is seldom alienated. In one 
 or two instances pensions have been granted out of it as a reward for building 
 bazars, etc. 
 
 Alienations to an inconsiderable amount have been granted out of it at 
 diffen nt times for charitable purposes to Cauzees, Peerazdas, Moolloks, Braha- 
 mins, Gosaeens, etc. People of this description have sometimes daily allowances 
 from the Saeer Revenue of the district of a few .annas for which they have 
 received grants from the Gond Rajahs, officers of the Moghol Government and 
 the Marhattas. 
 
 Zamindars and Patels have also petty dues in some instances. 
 
 The rates are in general well understood and they cannot be increased 
 without the consent of the Government, but varieties in these rates with the 
 claims of individuals to petty dues give rise to frequent disputes. 
 
 The present rates are generally those fixed by the Gond Rajah at some 
 remote period and they are supposed to have remained unaltered until A. D. 
 1803. Since that time the duties on grain have been more than doubled. The 
 duties on silks, gold cloths and other valuable manufactures have also been 
 doubled, and in coarse cloths there has been an addition of 50 per cent. 
 
 The collection of this branch of the revenue is so precarious and so difficult 
 to superintend that the farmer never keeps above one or two districts khas. 
 If he contracts for the farm of a number of districts, he rents out the greater 
 number of them to sub-farmers. 
 
 Seed grain and Potga never pay any duties in this country. 
 
II 
 
 There are people in the city who contract to transport goods to all the 
 principal towns or charts in the Dekhan and Hindustan, paying both the duties 
 and hire of the cattle. Before the goods leave Nagpore the contractors make 
 a separate agreement with the farmer of the Saeer Revenue of each district 
 for a certain sum, and as the latter is afraid of the goods being sent by another 
 road if he exacts the full amount of duties, he is obliged to take something 
 less. 
 
 This practice of granting abatements in the rates or number of bullocks 
 to contractors for Hindoo Bharrat has grown into a regular system, and the 
 abatements tor each road are nearly as well established, and understood as the 
 duties themselves. 
 
 The abatement is granted by receiving duties for a smaller number of 
 bullocks than actually pass ; ioo bullocks are sometimes calculated at 50, 60, 65, 
 etc., according to the particular usage of the district and the number varies at 
 each chowkee. 
 
 The monopoly of this contract for the Amraotee road was once let for 
 24,000 rupees by the Rajah, and it has for many years past been in the hands 
 of persons who paid a certain sum to the Government for the exclusive right 
 of transacting the Hoonda Bhara business of the city. 
 
 M 
 
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 Govt. Press, Najtpur ,-No. 1387, Civil S4ctt.-16.l-23.- 100. 
 
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GENERAL LIBRARY - U.C. BERKELEY 
 
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