CHAP. I.] GENERAL VIEW. BEVBlfrE. 7 



lecting the Eeveime, into twenty Districts, eacTi of 

 which is under the charge of a Eevenue Collector. 

 These twenty Districts may be classified, in accordance 

 with the physical division already indicated, in the 

 following manner. 



1st. NoKTHEBir CmcAES, four districts : viz. — (1) 

 Ganjam, (2) Vizagapatam, (3) Grodavari, (4) Kristna.* 



2nd. Eastern Plain of the Caenatic, eight dis- 

 tricts : viz. — (1) Nellore, (2) Madras, (3) North Arcot, 



(4) South Arcot, (5) Trichinopoly, (6) Tanjore, (7) 

 Madura, (8) Tinnevelly. 



3rd. Central Table-land, five districts: viz. — 

 (1) Bellary, (2) Kurtiool, (3) Cuddapah, (4) Salem, 



(5) Coimbatore. 



4th. "Western Strip, three districts : viz. — (1) 

 North Canara, (2) South Canara, (3) Malabar. 



In addition to these CoUectorates, there are certain 

 Native States which are dependent upon Great Britain : 

 viz. — Mysore in the Central' Table-land, and Travancore 

 and Cochin in the south-west corner of the Peninsula. 

 For the sake of clearness a small sketch map is ap- 

 pended, exhibiting generally the frontiers of all the Ee- 

 venue Districts and Native States included in the Ma- 

 dras Presidency. 



Eevenue systems of the Madras Presidency : based 10 

 upon the Village Communities. — In order to obtain a 

 general idea of the Eevenue systems which prevail, not 

 only in the Madras Presidency but throughout the 

 whole Peninsula of India, it may be necessary to remark 

 that the entire country consists of an almost endless 

 number of village communities, or, what we should per- 



• Previous to the last two years the present districte of the Godmari 

 and KristnaioxmeA. the three districts of Eajahmundry, Masulipatain, 

 and Guntoor. The new arrangement was found convenient for many 

 reasons, but chiefly as it kept the district watered by the river Goda- 

 vari, distinct from the district "watered by the river Kristna. Ac- 

 cordingly, the whole of Eajahmundry and part of Masulipatam were 

 formed into the Godavari district ; and the remaining portion of Ma- 

 sulipatam and the whole of Guntoor were formed into the Kristna 

 district. The frequent use of the old names leads to some confusion, 

 ■which may be generally avoided by regarding Eajahmundry as 

 Godavari, and Masulipatam and Guntoor as Kristna. 



