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duans, and oppressors of various denominations; who all agree 

 in extorting from the poor ryots every thing they possibly can, to 

 enrich themselves : that, in conformity to the general system, they 

 may be able to answer the exactions of their superiors ; who view 

 the growing wealth of their ministers with an eager eye; and 

 when sufficiently accumulated, seize their persons, and claim a 

 large share of the spoil. 



This system of oppression so completely pervades all classes of 

 society under every form of oriental government, that it is almost 

 impossible, out of the British dominions, to find an Asiatic of any 

 caste or tribe, who, like the English country gentleman, in the 

 middle walk of life enjoys his patrimonial inheritance, surrounded 

 by domestic happiness and rural pleasures. Such a character is 

 now probably confined to this favoured island: however it may be 

 comparatively known in other European slates, it certainly would 

 present a most uncommon spectacle among the Asiatics. A sys- 

 tem of oppression prevails from the throne to the zemindar, 

 whom I have frequently heard give the order for a patell and 

 head farmer to be unmercifully flogged, as representatives of the 

 village they were ruining by their extortions. This system as- 

 cends by a regular scale from these brahmin and banian zemin- 

 dars to the imperial despot upon the musnud; who, like the 

 Babylonish monarch of old, allows of no other alternative to 

 those that obey or disobey his unjust decrees, than that in the 

 former case, they should receive gifts, and rewards, and great 

 honour; and for the latter they should be cut in pieces, and their 

 houses made a dunghill: who, one day, fell upon his face and 

 worshipped Daniel, commanding an oblation of SAveet odours to 



