00X11 



They engaged themselves as field laborers, coolies, palanquin bearers 

 and domestic servants. This rendered labor cheap. Most of them 

 have remained here permanently, and some are so far improved in 

 their condition as to become farmers themselves. 



3. Besides the staple article of paddy, there are other crops, such 

 as gingelly and ragi, which take canal water when timely rains fail. 

 Chillies, turmeric, onions and garlic also take canal water and are 

 charged as wet crop. Tobacco is another article which is largely raised 

 in these parts. The finest tobacco is from the Lankas (islands) in the 

 river. This is exported to Moulmein and other places. The Lankas 

 are sold by auction for 3 or 5 years for considerable sums. They 

 are so sold periodically because of the baaeful or beneficial effects of 

 inundation almost every year. Some are swept away, while others 

 are enlarged and enriched by accretions and rich deposit of alluvial 

 soil. • 



4. The vast increase in agriculture by irrigation has very materially 

 improved the condition of ryots. They have learnt to build substantial 

 and fashionable houses and upstair buildings unlike their former 

 thatched and slovenly ones. There has been considerable improvement 

 in the manufacture of jaggery. Iron mills for extracting juice from 

 sugar-cane are in general use now in the place of wooden ones, which 

 are not so effective in getting out all the juice. There has not been 

 any improvement in the implements of tilling. The ploughs of old 

 are still in use, which do not furrow the land deep. Some years back, 

 the Swedish plough was brought into this district and several experi- 

 ments were made, but this was found too heavy for the ordinary 

 bullocks here and the attempt to introduce it failed. Even the richer 

 ryots found no use with it, for the land here requires no great tilling ; 

 it is flooded with canal water for some time before tilling and the land 

 easily turned up and transplanted. A second crop is also raised, but 

 it is of inferior quality. It is only of 3 months' growth from February 

 to April and is chiefly used by the laboring classes. The land has ' 

 become very valuable. An acre of land sells from Rs. 100 to Es. 300, 

 and the inams from Rs. 200 to Rs. 500. 



/>. Prior to anicat, the joint-rent system was in use. Each village 

 was rented out jointly to the ryots of the village, and the leading men 

 and men of substance were held responsible for the payment of Govern- 

 ment dues. On account of paucity of produce owing to failure of rain, 

 the Amarakam, as the leasing out was called, was a matter of very 

 great difficulty. Nobody used to come forward to take up the village 

 or a portion of it, and the Tahsildars used to force it on some men of 

 substance. It was really a painful sight. Now, the land has acquired 

 so much value by irrigation that almost every inch of land is taken 

 up and the Government dues easily paid. There is great competition 

 among ryots to secure a right to the land. They come forward with 

 darkhasts even at the end of the fasli, offering to pay the assessment 

 for the whole year, though they could derive no benefit in that year. 

 The renting system has entirely disappeared except in the hill tracts, 

 and the ryotwari has taken its place. By this system, each ryot deals 

 directly with the Government and reaps all the benefit of his labor. 

 He commands more respect now, enjoys more comforts, wears better 

 clothes and lives in a more comfortable way. 



