ON THE STATISTICS OF DUKHUN. 289 
sibility for the government revenue, involves the proof that 
e the government assessment was anciently Mozehwar, or by 
the whole village, and not by direct agreement between the 
government agents and individual farmers. The village, in 
4 fact, was assessed at a certain fixed sum, which was called the 
Tunkha, which means an assignment; and this Tunkha appears 
in village accounts to this day, although no longer a standard 
of assessment, as the British government settles directly with 
the farmer, and has also abrogated the right of the Pateel and 
the village corporation to dispose of waste lands ; in alienated 
villages, however, these rights remain. Although the trans- 
lation before noticed gives a minute detail of the rights and 
emoluments of the Pateels of Kuweeteh, it is to be under- 
stood they are not uniform either in number or value through- 
out the country. An idea of the value of the Googree, or 
right to a share in the grain-produce of cultivated lands, may 
- be formed from the fact, that at Kurjut, Ahmednuggur col- 
lectorate, in 1827, there were 8491 beegahs of land under 
cultivation, and the Pateel was entitled to 128 seers for every 
120 beegahs; he received therefore, 9057 seers of grain, a 
sufficiency for the annual support of 25 persons. 
The duties of the Pateel were, to be responsible for the 
revenue of the village, to superintend its police, and regulate 
its internal economy. He had power to seize, imprison, and 
fine offenders. 
With regard to joint proprietary in the office, independently 
of shares being held by different casts and families, the Hin- 
doo law of inheritance, which gives equal shares of all property 
to all children, necessarily made many joint owners in a family; 
but as the executive duties are only performed by the head 
_ of the family, this person is called Mokuddum, “chief” or 
_ “leader ;” and the term of course is applicable to the head of 
_ each proprietary family, who is designated in the village papers 
__ ashalf Mekuddum, quarter Mokuddum, or seventh Mokuddum, 
according to the share of the Pateelship held by the family. 
_Koolkurnee.—The next village tenure is that of Koolkurnee, 
_ from the Sanscrit Kool “to count,” and Kroot ‘to do,” “‘make;” 
literally an accountant. The office is of very great import- 
ance, for the Koolkurnee is not only the accountant of the go- 
_ vernment revenue, but he keeps the private accounts for each 
_ individual in the village, and is the general amanuensis; few 
_ of the cultivators, the Pateels frequently inclusive, being able 
_ to write or cypher for themselves. In no instance have I 
_ found the office held by any other cast than the Brahmanical. 
__ The office is sometimes united with that of Deshpandeh, and 
_-—«*VOL,« vi. 1837. U 
