1845.] the owners, and occupants of the soil in Bengal, $c. 529 



might demand every year, and that no further demand should be 

 made for ten years : this period of ten years was subsequently increas- 

 ed to perpetuity; and all estates, held under assessments so imposed, 

 are called Perpetually Settled Estates, or Zemindarrees. 



Various causes, however, have operated to prevent or impede the 

 settlement of many zemindarrees. These are disposed of for shorter 

 periods, and called Estates under Temporary Settlement. The condi- 

 tion of tenure of these is as in Perpetually Settled Estates, the payment 

 of the Government demand; but the period "of tenure is limited by 

 that of the lease under which it is held, and at the expiration of this 

 the estate is open to reassessment. 



Confirmation by competent authority is essential to the validity of 

 either a perpetual or temporary settlement. 



It is evident, that when the yearly rent of a zemindarree became 

 fixed in perpetuity, and the payment of it was the only condition of the 

 tenure, the condition of the zemindar was materially altered; instead 

 of being only interested to the extent of ten per cent, in the increases 

 upon the annual proceeds of his estate, he had a right to appropriate 

 to his own use all surplus proceeds after defraying the Government 

 revenue. Rapid improvements took place in all properties held under 

 this fixed assessment ; the favourable returns from these, together with 

 the lightness of the original assessment, have raised the incomes of 

 proprietors so high, that the term Malikana is no longer applicable to 

 the sums, which they receive in their character of zemindars. These are 

 now designated, generally, as Proprietary Profits; they consist in the 

 net proceeds of an estate after deducting the Government revenue and 

 the expenses of collection, and will of course vary very much in pro- 

 portion to the capabilities of an estate, and the success of the manage- 

 ment to which it is subjected. 



A talook is a subordinate tenure within the jurisdiction of a zemin- 

 darree. Talooks were of various descriptions. In some cases the talook- 

 dar had obtained the fee-simple or proprietary right in lands compos- 

 ing their talooks, either from the zemindar or his ancestor, or directly 

 from the state ; and his title was indefeasible as long as he paid the 

 Government dues: in others, the incumbency of the talookdar in the 

 subordinate tenure was prior to that of the zemindar in the larger; 

 in others, the zemindar had never any proprietary right in the lands of 



