174 The " Kols" of Chota-Kagpore. 



The villagers maintain a blacksmith and a Gowala or herd ; the 

 latter takes care of all the village cattle, and is supposed to be respon- 

 sible if any are stolen. They each get a maund of dhan for every 

 plough and three kerais, bundles, of other crops. 



According to the tradition of theKols, the Raj ah is entitled to the rent 

 of only half of the land in each village. The remainder is Bhuinhurree, 

 or rent-free under some other denomination, but in most villages rent 

 is now taken on from two-thirds to three-fourths of the land. The 

 land is thus divided : — 



I. Rughus — the land that pays rent to the owner or his represent- 

 ative. 



II. Bhetketta, a certain portion of the Rughus which each ryot, 

 not a Bhuinhur, is allowed to cultivate free of rent, but for which he 

 has to perform various services to the landlord or farmer. 



III. The land allotted to the Mahto, the Pahan and the Bhundari. 



IV. Munghus — the land at the disposal of the landlord or his agent 

 or the farmer of the village. For the cultivation of this land, the 

 holder of the village can make any arrangement that he pleases. 



V. Bhuinhurree is the land held rent free by the descendants of the 

 founder of the village, who are, however, bound to render certain 

 services to the Rajah or his representative. 



VI. Bhootketta — the land, the produce of which is appropriated to 

 the expense of the great village poojas and festivals; a portion of this 

 called " Dalikhatari" is assigned to the Pahan for the ordinary annual 

 poojas, and the proceeds of the remainder are reserved for the triennial 

 sacrifices and extraordinary occasions. 



The rent is assessed on the wet land only. The cultivator is 

 entitled to upland in proportion to the wet land for which he pays. 

 If he cultivates more, the custom is for a payment in kind called 

 Muswur, to be made when the crop is harvested. 



The Bhuinhurs cling most tenaciously to their Bhuinhurree lands. 

 Insurrections have followed attempts to disturb these tenures, and even 

 now such attempts are sure to lead to serious affrays. The Kol insur- 

 rection of 1833 was, without doubt, mainly caused by the encroach- 

 ments of alien farmers and sub-proprietors on the rights of the 

 descendants of the old settlers. The first burst of the outbreak was a 

 pretty broad hint, a general conflagration of the houses of alien farmers 



