226 



Zemindari. Every ryot was also to be entitled to receive a 

 copy on application and no puttahs which were not in the 

 prescribed form were to be held valid. Refusal on the part 

 of a Zemindar to grant a puttah to a ryot was to be punish- 

 able by a fine " proportioned to the expense and trouble of 

 the ryot in consequence of such refusal." Receipts were to 

 be granted for all rents paid, and a refusal to grant a receipt 

 was similarly to be punished with fine equal to double the 

 amount of the rent paid by the ryot. The instalments in 

 which the rents were payable were to be fixed with reference 

 to time of reaping and selling the produce and a Zemindar 

 violating this rule was liable to be sued for damages. It was 

 hoped that in course of time, Zemindars and ryots would find 

 it to their mutual advantage to enter into agreements in 

 every instance for a specific sum fixed on a certain quantity 

 of land, leaving it to the option of the latter to grow what- 

 ever crops they might consider most profitable to them. In 

 the meantime, the ryots were to be protected from the levy of 

 any new taxes " under any pretence whatever," and any 

 Zemindar who imposed such taxes was to be made liable to 

 a heavy penalty. The attention of the Collectors was drawn 

 to the taxes which were already being levied, and which it 

 was apprehended had already become oppressive and too in- 

 tricate to adjust; and the hope was expressed that the 

 Zemindars would revise the same in concert with the ryots 

 and consolidate the whole into one specific sum, by which the 

 rents would be much simplified, and much inconvenience to 

 both parties be thereby obviated in future. The Government 

 was prepared to relinquish its right to derive any revenue 

 from the cultivation of waste lands which were " to be given 

 up in perpetuity to the Zemindars, free of any additional 

 assessment, with such encouragement to every proprietor to 

 improve his estate to the utmost extent of his means, as was 

 held out by the limitation of the public demand for ever, and 

 the institution of regular judicial Courts to support him in all 

 his just rights, whether against individuals or the officers of 

 Government, who might attempt in any respect to encroach 

 upon them." The advantages expected to accrue from the 

 improvement of these lands were stated to be " to put the 

 Zemindar upon such respectable footing as to enable him with 

 the greatest readiness to discharge the public demand, to 

 secure to himself and family every necessary comfort and to 

 have, besides, a surplus to answer any possible contingency*"' 



These instructions formed the basis of the seriss of regu- 

 lations passed in 1802 defining the rights and liabilities of 

 Zemindars with whom a permanent settlement was entered 



