149 



is all performed by the pungals and their wives and chil- 

 dren ; but he pays the rent out of his share on the division 

 of the crop which takes place when it is ripe. If a ryot 

 employs six pungals to cultivate his land, the produce is 

 divided into 15 portions which are distributed as follows : 

 to the ryot for Government assessment, seed, &c., 6 ; to the 

 ryot for profit 1 ; to the ryot for interest on money advanced 

 2; to the pungals 6; total 15. Out of their share, the 

 pungals must repay the ryot the money advanced for their 

 subsistence. The system as now practised is stated to be 

 the following : If the ryot employs a pungal to cultivate his 

 fields, it is only when the latter is able to contribute plough- 

 bullocks to some extent. The produce is divided into two 

 portions, of which one-half goes to the ryot as Nilavaram. 

 The remaining half is divided between the ryot and the 

 pungal according to the number of plough-bullocks contri- 

 buted by each. 



In Tan j ore, the varum or porakudi system is extensively 

 prevalent. From Mr. Wallace's report, written in 1805, it 

 appears that in this district in 1,012 villages lands were 

 cultivated directly by the mirasidars, in 1898, lands were 

 cultivated on the sharing system and in the remaining 1,923 

 villages the cultivation was conducted under both systems. 

 The varum or share given to the porakudi varied from 22 to 

 30 per cent, of the gross produce. Under the Mahratta 

 Government, which took 60 per cent, of the gross produce 

 leaving only 40 per cent, to be divided between the mirasidar 

 and the porakudi, the share of the latter was as low as 15 

 per cent. The porakudi varum now varies between 20 and 

 50 per cent., the lower rates prevailing in the delta taluks 

 where crop is abundant and more or less assured, and the 

 higher rates in the upland taluks where the crop is pre- 

 carious. There can be no doubt that the position of the 

 porakudis has very considerably improved, several of them 

 having become landholders. Mr. Clerk observes " they are 

 beginning to realize the fact that they are masters of the 

 situation and can dictate their own terms to the mirasidars. 

 Of late years some of the porakudis have refused to cultivate 

 on the varum system, which gives to the mirasidar 75 per 

 cent, of the gross produce and have demanded a five or ten 

 years' lease at a fixed money rent. These terms have been 

 conceded by the mirasidars in favour of the tenants inasmuch 

 as the rents have been fixed on a basis of something like 65 

 per cent.' of the gross produce instead of 75." The records 

 of the Registration Department show that grain and money 



