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 Vi54^ 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 * Govt. Press, Najtpur ,-No. 1387, Civil S4ctt.-16.l-23.- 100. Vt * ft flj 4j/v- *, GENERAL LIBRARY - U.C. BERKELEY BOOOED^aOl « IN; to AX AH>