INDIA. 



77 



taken. Under the pressure of great difficulty or dan- 

 ger in the state, as in the case of invasion or war, the 

 fourth part of the produce was collected as rent. In 

 instance, the Institutes expressly enacted, that 

 what remained should belong to the Ryot, or cultiva- 

 tor. I was, in the most ancient times, paid in 

 kind, but afterwards it was paid in kind or money. 



The produce of the crop was ascertained as nearly 

 as possible before the harvest commenced, in the pre- 

 sence of the inhabitants of the village, by skilful and 

 impartial persons, who, in the adjustment of their bu- 

 siness, were materially aided l>y a reference to the pro- 

 duce of former years, a* recorded by the accountant 

 of the village. As these persons were appointed by 

 the collectors of the rent for government, it wa in 

 the power of the Ryots, if they were not satisfied 

 with the estimate of the crop, to make another survey 

 by people of their own choice ; and if the estimates dil- 

 much, a third survey was made under the di- 

 rection of the village officers. The share of the culti- 

 vator was greatest on the plantation or garden culture, 

 oo account of the very great labour in the manager 

 and the distance and -hazard of carry ing the i 

 market. The rent of this land, as wclf as that I 

 on the small grains, wai always paid in money, and 

 was fixed. Those lands which required artificial means 

 to water them, paid a smaller portion of rent than 

 those which were fertilized by the pcriixlL-.il 



There were, however, certain portions of land at- 

 tached to each village, which paid no rent to the sove- 

 reign, or only a very low rent. These were small al- 



ia* 



('! (be sr 



be support of the Pagoda Establishment 

 iri table use*, each as keeping 

 riet; for the accommodation of travellers ; 

 ipport .hmin* and bards. After 



" <juest, sisntiiieiiu of land were also 

 r trmp!c<, hurting places, and 

 'U the lights w! 



e local officers 

 nt had alo allotments of rent-free lands. 



to the dilTerei 

 eristic of the ancient Hindoo 



>r!y noticed. It 



thr Fifth l!.-port ori the Affairs of 

 mpany, already referred to : "A 

 red, ii a tract of country 

 r thousands of acres of 

 ally viewed, h resembles 

 i or township. Its proper establishment 

 .-vants consist* of the following descrip- 

 '.e Potail, or head inhabitant, who h 

 general superintendence of the affairs of the village, 

 .-f the inh-ibitants, attends to the 

 rim the duty of collrcting the duties 

 The Curnam. who keeps the ae- 

 ration, and registers every thing con- 

 nected with it. The Talliar and Totic ; the duty of 

 the forrr. 



for i 



monks, a: 

 ary to born at 







children in the villages to read and write in the sand. B 

 Tne Calendar Brahmin, or astrologer, who proclaims ^T"'' 

 the lucky or unpropitious periods for sowing or thresh- 

 ing. The smith and the carpenter, who manufacture 

 the implements of Agriculture, and build the dwelling 

 of the Rvot. The potman, or potter. The washer-man. 

 The barber. The cow-keeper, who looks after the cat- 

 tle. The doctor. The dancing-girl, who attends at 

 rejoicings. The musician and the poet." Such was 

 the establishment of a village in all parts of Hindostan 

 during the independence of the native Hindoo govern- 

 ments, and such it is at present in some parts. To 

 all the members of this establishment a certain portion 

 of land was allotted, according to their rank and the 

 importance of their duties. Besides these allotments to 

 them, the Pagoda establishment, the choultries, the local 

 officers of government, &c. they were each entitled to 

 certain small shares of the crops of the village, which 

 were set apart for them previously to the division of 

 the produce between the sovereign and the cultivator. 

 The Mahometans also made large grants of land, under 

 t he name of Saghires, to such officers as were high in 

 civil and military rank. 



The most probable opinion, as we have before sta- 7tn>ir.ilan 

 ted, is, that the, zemindars were only the collectors of recognised 

 the revenue; but in process of time, taking advantage * P|' e - 

 of the weak and unsettled state of the Hindoo govern- U>r8- 

 menu, they claimed and exercised all the rights of ab- 

 solute propel ty over thr land. In this character, the 

 British government have deemed it prudent, and a 

 matter of policy, to recognise tin in. 



One of the principal and favourite objects with the Acbv't . 

 Emperor Acbar, was to make a survey of the whole * l 

 lands of his empire. After this was done, he fixed the ( Und 

 land rent at a fourth part of the valued produce, which tmt. 

 they deemed equal to a half of the produce if taken in 

 kind. Only one-fourth was taken from garden pro- 

 duce. For the purpose of carrying this plan of reve- 

 nue into effect, an officer waa appointed to reside in 

 every village, whose duty it was to inquire into the re- 

 as ceipts and disbursements of the Ryot, and another of- 

 , ficer who waa bound to protect the Ryot against the 

 injustice of the zemindars or collectors. In order to 

 undcr-tand the reason of the appointment of the first 

 oCcer, h is proper to remark that, in the time of Ac- 

 bar, as well as at present, in most parts of Hindostan, 

 a system similar to that of the sWfayrr system of France 

 prevailed The Emperor also caused regular rent-rolls 

 to be made out and kept by the officer whose duty it 

 was to protect the interests of the Ryot. In h.,'t, he 

 revived the ancient system of the Hindoos with regard 

 to landed piupeity. It deserves to be noticed, that 

 the term arnmdsr occurs only twice in the institutes 

 of Acbar. 



Having thus given a general account of the nature Landed 

 of the tenure of landed property as it existed during Jf nu [f l in 

 the most early periods of Hindoo history, and as it was 



Tier appearing to conit in gaining information revived by the Emperor Acbar, it may be proper to de- 

 of crimes and offences, 'and in escorting and protecting scribe it a* it exists at present in different parts of Hin- 

 m one village to anot ! 





ps ..!'! asaj 





bound i r ho pi 



village, or gives evidet, 



The suprrintrndar 



re distributes the water f 



lure. The Brahmin, who" 



,,i case* of 

 r tanks and water- 

 xesof agnuil- 

 performs the village wor- 



hip. The schoolmaster, who is seen teaching the 



dootan. In Bengal a large portion of the landed pro- 

 perty is held by the zemindars, and the zeinindarics 

 are very extensive The zemindary of Barduan com- 

 prises nearly 3^80 miles, being about 73 miles long, 

 and 45 broad. This, however, i* in fact the property 

 of government, as the Rajah who holds it pays a very 

 high rent for it. The zemindary of Raugesliy com- 

 pr. (tends 12,909 square miles. In Kahar the zemin- in Bahai; 

 daries are comparatively small, there being but three 

 principal zemindars. The most ancient zemiudary in 



3 



