822 Sketch of the Revenue of Sutluj. [Aug. 



Sketch of the Recorded Revenues of the states beyond the Sutluj, 

 about 1750 to 1800, by Major Anderson, C. B. 



At a period when so much attention is being bestowed upon the 

 newly acquired territories of the Punjab and Peshawur, a sketch of 

 their anciently estimated revenue may not prove devoid of interest ; 

 these, are given in totals ; the amount being that demandable by the 

 state,, as the claims on the various districts ; for what would now be 

 simply denominated land revenue, in those days, the greater portion 

 consisted in the share of the grand grain crop ; though no doubt, many 

 minor taxes and huwaluhs are also included, as the proportion of the 

 minor or secondary crops, with shop, poll, and cattle taxes. 



In the demands on the towns are also included the various excise 

 and transit duties. 



The total contains the various Jaegeers granted to state officers and 

 servants ; a mode in which a very large portion of the armies of the 

 Government was paid ; these Jaegeers might probably amount to £ of 

 the whole, leaving ± for the private purse of the emperor. On the other 

 hand these totals are not the whole extracted from the people ; at least ^ 

 more might be added, for local impositions, expences of collections, 

 dues to village and district officers, &c. 



The amounts were first taken from the Meezan ol Momalek of Moez- 

 allah Mohmundee, of Peeshawur ; written for Wulee Khan Wuzeer to 

 Ahmud Shah Dooranee. 



The various items of Kabul and Peeshawur, within a trifle, give the 

 stated totals ; as from his position the writer must have had opportuni- 

 ty to correctly ascertain these amounts. 



But when he proceeded to the more distant places of Lahoor and 

 Scinde, either from original want of information, or from errors of 

 transcription, the items and totals can in no respect be made to cor- 

 respond. 



Recourse has therefore been taken to the Chuhar Gulshun ; and as of 

 it, the totals correspond with the totals of the Meezan ; the details also 

 of the first work were accepted as correct and are used for Lahore, 

 Moltan and Tutuh. The rupee in quantity of silver may be taken as 

 equal to that of the present Company's rupee. 



Whether the countries have improved, since these periods, is a ques- 

 tion ; but I should be inclined to think they have retrograded. 



