THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT IN INDIA 87 



similar to the conditions in England where there was 

 a large land-owning class, a yeoman class and farm- 

 laborer class, they confirmed the chief as land-owner and 

 the fighting man was considered the yeoman. With the 

 coming of peace the yeoman lost his value as a fighting 

 man which was due to the strong hand of the British 

 preventing the chiefs fighting among themselves. The 

 fighting man soon became little better than a serf. For 

 thirty years legislation has been enacted seeking to re- 

 store to the tenant farmer the rights which he had be- 

 fore the coming of the British. To-day there is a large 

 land-owning class, and two classes of tenant, one class 

 with permanent, inalienable rights to his land, the other 

 a tenant-at-will. The first class cannot be dispossessed 

 for any cause. He is a permanent tenant, a part owner. 

 This class forms sixty-six per cent, of the tenants. The 

 second class, the tenant-at-will, has no rights in the land. 

 He is usually not allowed to remain in possession longer 

 than one year. If he remains on the same piece of land 

 for two years, he gains these inalienable rights, hence 

 the landlord keeps him moving to prevent him acquiring 

 these rights of permanency. He forms thirty-three per 

 cent, of the tenantry, and is indescribably poor and im- 

 provident. 



The government maintains a settlement department 

 where specially trained officers are sent once every thirty 

 years into a district, going into every field and deter- 

 mining in the presence of the landlord or his agent 

 and the tenant the amount which the permanent tenant 

 is to pay to the landlord. Of this sum paid by the 

 tenant to the landlord the Imperial government takes 

 fifty per cent, as land revenue while eight per cent, goes 



