REVIVAL OF STATE'S OVERLORDSJilP 31 



fiction in England where even freeholders are tenants of 

 the State free of rent. In India the interest of the State in 

 the land is closer, and the practice of making temporary 

 settlements by actual contract with zemindars is evidence 

 of that position, although it is a fact that zemindars, 

 talukdars, malguzars, and other holders from the State 

 are rapidly gaining the position of: freeholders in England 

 subject to u land tux revised at intervals. My own view 

 is that the degeneration of the State's interest in the land 

 should not be allowed to proceed further, and that it would 

 be beneficial to the whole community if the State were to 

 assert its rights of overlordship. 



Just as the good landlord looks after the welfare of 

 his tenants and assists their agriculture, so the State should 

 take a fatherly interest in the affairs of the landlords and 

 see that they conduct their business properly. Arguing 

 from this point of view we shall easily see that it leads to 

 an important conclusion : namely, that there is no objection 

 on principle to putting definite estates as such under 

 special treatment, whether it be in accordance with special 

 rules laid down by the Board of Revenue under pro- 

 visions of an Act or whether it be by some more direct 

 form of administrative control. 



The other relation which the State has with land i.s the 

 application of general law. Legislation us between landlord 

 and tenant is framed mainly with the object of preventing 

 abuses which arise on a minority of estates. Legislation on 

 the principle of the minimum of interference must be 

 applied uniformly to all land throughout the Provinces. If 

 such luws be designed in sufficient detail to control ull 

 possible abuses in the management of hind, they cannot fail 

 to be highly burdensome to good landlords, and needlessly 

 so, because the good landlords do not need control. 



My conclusion is, therefore, that the law as between 



