The Birth of the English Land System. 21 



on British land tenure as the British occupation for only a 

 quarter of that length of time has had on Indian land tenure? 

 The Britons during the later period of the occupation were not 

 so much the conquered subjects as the friendly allies of the 

 Roman. They regarded the severance of that relationship with 

 as much dislike as the northern Irish would now regard that 

 with England. For a long time after it was brought about 

 they turned instinctively to Rome in every difficulty and 

 danger. They had, in fact, been so accustomed to lean on 

 Rome, that they found it impossible to stand without her. Is 

 it then to be supposed that they were so prejudiced against the 

 Roman's system of land tenure, or so inappreciative of its 

 good points, that they never voluntarily assimilated what 

 was beneficial into their own systems ? 



On the other hand, in estimating their influence, we must 

 not shut our eyes to the growing tendency in the Romans of 

 the Imperial Civil Service to oppress provincial nationalities 

 where they could do so with impunity. The emperor's legates 

 were not all endowed with the wisdom and moderation of 

 Agricola. The ^ underlings of the fiscal department were over- 

 bearing and grasping in the extreme, and Mr. Seebohm has 

 utilised this trait in attributing to the Procurator Fisci the first 

 assumption of overlordship in Britain, That the manorial 

 system in some form came into existence during this period, is 

 our firm belief. But it is difficult to imagine that the officials- 

 of the Fiscus would have coveted the overlordship of a small 

 group of natives. They more likely anticipated a successful 

 career in the Imperial Civil Service, possibly ending in the 

 control of their own department. 



It is, on the contrary, natural to conclude that the local 

 headman would have assumed manorial rights analogous to 

 those of the - Bengalese Zamindar, who was forced by British 

 prejudice into the position of a personal landlord, and thus 

 made responsible for the regular payment of the land tax. 



The social status of the overlord must, however, be clearly 



Seebohm, English Village Community, ch. 8. 

 Maine, Ancient Law. 



