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for instance, Bengal has to carry a very light burden in the 

 shape of land revenue though the actual rent paid by culti- 

 vators to their landlords is higher, specially in Bihar and in 

 Eastern Bengal, than in those up-country Provinces. The 

 acreage of the N.-W. P. and Oudh is only two-thirds that 

 of Bengal. Debarred by the Permanent Settlement from 

 materially increasing the land revenue of Bengal, Govern- 

 ment is obliged to assess a higher rate of revenue from 

 most of the other Provinces and the burden is consequently 

 unequal. And yet the land revenue in the N.-VV. P. and 

 Oudh seldom exceeds 10 per cent, of the gross produce 

 of land. This is a lighter burden than what was imposed 

 by former Governments, on land. Akbar claimed one-third 

 of the gross produce of land as his due. From the historian 

 Strabo we learn that at the time of Alexander's invasion of 

 India the Raja's share of the produce was a chouth or 

 fourth. Manu put the king's share variously at Jth, ^th and 

 T ^th of the produce of land. The total land revenue ob- 

 tained at the time of Akbar was indeed about 10 crores 

 shorter than what is obtained by the British Government. 

 But this may be accounted for by two causes: (i) Akbar 

 was never able to bring to complete subjection for the 

 purpose of assessment of land-revenue such a large terri- 

 tory as is owned for this purpose by the present Govern- 

 ment. (2) There is far more land under cultivation and 

 less jungle now than in the days of Akbar. The develop- 

 ment of the country's resources by means of roads and 

 canals and railways has been very great and the purchasing 

 power of Rupee is also far less now than in the time of 

 Akbar. The land revenue collection therefore though nomi- 

 nally higher is intrinsically of less value than in the time ot 

 Akbar. It should be noted, however, that in the reign of 

 Aurangzeb the land revenue exceeded the present limit. 



1,444. The present land revenue systems of India are 

 3 'direct heritage from former Governments. The modifica- 



