530 On the tenures and fiscal relations of [No. 164. 



the talook. In all these tenures it was ruled at the formation of the 

 Perpetual Settlement, that the talookdars should have the privilege of 

 entering into engagements, and paying their revenue directly to the 

 state, and that they should be independent of the zemindar. Talooks 

 of this class are called Independent, or *Huzooree Talooks. In cases 

 where the deeds under which the talook was formed only alienated the 

 zemindar's title to collect the rents without conveying any pro- 

 prietary right in the soil, or where it was evident from the form or 

 wording of the lease that the zemindar contemplated the resumption 

 of his title, the talook was considered dependent, and the rent of 

 the talook was included in the assets of the zemindarree, and paid 

 to the state through the zemindar. Under many circumstances, to be 

 detailed hereafter, the rent on the talook was liable to enhancement 

 on the part of the zemindar. It was however ruled, that neither loss 

 nor gain on the rents derived from his subordinate tenures, could affect 

 the amount of rent payable by the zemindar to the state. The rents 

 of talooks were either increased or diminished, or new talooks were 

 established at his own risk; and the civil court was in all cases the 

 arbiter of his title to interfere with his talookdars.f With refer- 

 ence to the establishment of new talooks, it was laid down that he 

 could not alienate lands for a period extending beyond that of his own 

 incumbency; that this being conditional on the payment of Govern- 

 ment revenue, any failure in this payment would render void his 

 own title, and also that of all other tenants holding immediately un- 

 der himself. The effect of this rule is, that on an estate being sold by 

 auction for arrears of rent, all leases granted by the former proprie- 

 tor since the Decennial Settlement become void, and the lessees liable 

 to an enhancement of their rents under certain restrictions, which 

 will be more fully specified hereafter. 



The cultivators of the soil in India have acquired various titles and 

 privileges, acquaintance with which is essential to understanding the 

 revenue system. Indiscriminate use of terms has given this part of the 



* The word Huzoor signifying literally, the presence, is applied in India to desig- 

 nate the extant supreme authority in the land. The addition of a vowel affix gives it 

 the form of an adjective, and thus a Huzooree Talook comes to mean a tenure having 

 directly to do with the Supreme Government without intermediate lien, or inter- 

 vention. — Eds. 



f Clause 8, Section 15, Regulation VII. 1799, 



