1839.] Report on the District of Azimgurh. 115 



92nd. The case under the new settlement will be very different. In 

 all estates held by cultivating bodies of proprietors, the custom of 

 bach.h only is recorded regarding the Seer. There is no necessity for 

 vexing or alarming the proprietors by fixing Ryottee rates on their 

 Seer. If therefore the estate be brought to sale by public auction, 

 there will not be found any rates fixed on the Seer. But still its 

 extent and locality will be certain, and the rates paid by other culti- 

 vators of similar rank in life for similar land will be found recorded. 

 There are generally in Azimgurh two rates of rent for the same land, 

 varying according to the rank in life of the cultivators. The respect- 

 able, or Ushraf pay less than the lower classes, or Urzal. The Ze- 

 mindars would of course pay the Ushraf rates. 



93rd. The cause or origin of this distinction is not very clear, but 

 reasons may be alleged in its justification. The Ushraf are generally 

 Brahmins or Rajpoots, who are connected with the Zemindars by ties 

 of religion, family connexion, or friendship, and hence are somewhat 

 favored ; besides which their respectability gives better security 

 for payment. On the other hand, the Urzal, consist of Bhurs, 

 Chumars, and low caste persons, who are generally located on the 

 estate at some expense of capital, and are liable at any time to be 

 left entirely dependant on the Zemindars, who must either support 

 them during a season of scarcity or see his estate depopulated, and his 

 future sources of profit destroyed. 



94th. The third class, or tenants at will, consist mostly of those who 

 are styled Urzal in the preceding paragraph. They neither have nor 

 assert in general any rights, other than the will of the Zemindar. 

 They take what land he gives them, and pay the utmost that they can, 

 either in money or in kind. Besides their direct contributions to his 

 rental, they render him many personal services. If Kuhars, they 

 carry his palankeen, merely receiving in return food to support them 

 during the time. Other classes bring him wood, tend his cattle, 

 or perform numerous other similar services for very inadequate remu- 

 neration. Under former Governments this power was no doubt 

 recognized, and permitted. They were then predial slaves, who were 

 beaten without mercy for misconduct, and were liable to be pursued, 

 and brought back if they attempted to escape. Their state is now 

 much improved. The power is now conventional. A Chumar can 

 now sue his Zemindar in the Criminal Court for an assault, and if 

 detained against his will, can bring his action for false imprisonment. 

 He can even recover in a Civil Court the wages of labor perform- 

 ed. Nothing vexes or annoys the Zemindars in our whole system, so 

 much as this. It has struck at the root of a power, which has long 



