The Amlahs. 39 



of their being allowed to work when they like, and 

 exempted when home-work is to be done ; and a 

 small sum monthly from factory carters, ploughmen, 

 etc., on receipt of their pay. These petty pecula- 

 tions it would perhaps be as well that the Assistant 

 did not notice, unless expressly brought before him : 

 they are recognised institutions of the country of 

 his exile indeed, dasturi explains itself, being an 

 adaption of the word dastur, custom to meet the 

 exigencies of such anomalous partnership as exists 

 between the lalla and his coolies. The Godown 

 factory stores are often in charge of the hazri nawis, 

 to whom is given a weighman, who is generally a 

 bunnia by caste. 



The smaller fry who make up the scant contingent 

 of amlahs at an outwork, zilladars and tokdars may 

 be disposed of with a short notice. The zilladar is 

 a kind Q{ jemadar's mate, who has under him the 

 supervision of a portion of the sillah and three or 

 four tokdars, I am free to confess I never much liked 

 zilladars : they seem to be de trap, especially at an 

 outwork, and are an arrangement by which thzjema- 

 dar baulks his zillahs. From them he often takes his 

 reports at second-hand, and bravely serves them up 

 to the Assistant as the result of his own inspection. 

 Nor are they in favour either with tokdars or ryots, 

 from both of whom, too, they extort their quota 



