32 



the beginning of the century. However this may be, their pre- 

 sent condition is indubitably bad and must be improved. The 

 o-reat body of them are certainly poor ; their food is deficient 

 in quantity as well as coarse ; their clothing is scanty and poor, 

 and their dwellings extremely mean ; all this combined with 

 gross ignorance." The unequal pressure of the assessment had 

 the effect of throwing out of cultivation lands of the better 

 qualities. The Collector of South Arcot, however, writing 

 in 1840, gave a somewhat more favorable account of the ryots 

 in his district. The population in 20 years had increased from 

 455,020 to 591,667, and cultivating ryots from 60,000 to 

 90,000. The price of labour had increased by 25 per cent. In 

 the use of spring carriages, fine cloths, the style of houses, 

 furniture and ornaments, there were indications of improvement. 

 Agriculture was, however, in a backward condition owing to 

 heavy and unequal assessment and two thirds of the cultivable 

 lands were waste. Tanjore did not suffer to the same extent 

 as other districts from agricultural depression owing to the 

 improvements to irrigation works carried out by Government 

 and increased production, and to the extension of communi- 

 cations and the growth of an export trade in grain with Madras 

 and Ceylon. As regards the Coimbatore district, the Collector 

 writing in 1840 remarks that of the previous ten seasons nine 

 had been bad ones, and that the land revenue had fallen in 

 consequence. There was not much variation in the value of the 

 trade in piece-goods. The trade in coarse piece-goods exported 

 to Bombay had improved, but that in fine goods had been anni- 

 hilated by English manufactures. Prices of agricultural pro- 

 duce had risen owing to a succession of bad seasons. The 

 wages of labour had also risen. " In India " the Collector 

 remarks "greater income does not lead to improvement in the 

 style of living, but increase of expenditure on marriages and 

 religious ceremonies and in feeding poor relations." Bandies 

 were coming into use ; 30 years before they were not used by 

 merchants. Money was said to be more easily procurable than 

 before; the rate of interest on loans was from 12 to 18 per 

 cent., while formerly the rates were from 24 to 30 per cent, on 

 the security of jewels or landed property. In Malabar the 

 population had increased from 465,594 in 1802 to 1,165,489 in 

 1837. The valur? of exports of cotton goods, which were manu- 

 factured in Coimbatore, Salem, Madura and Tinnevelly districts 

 increased from Rs. 4,363 in 1804 to Rs.* 22,8 1,000 in 1837. 

 The price of labour had not increased with the increase of culti- 

 vation. This result was due to the increase of population and 

 cheapness>^V grain. The improved state of communica'tions — 

 roads and navigation — and the introduction, though. on a small 



