112 MALAY LAND TENURE. 



"With the Thrall system as practised in Malay States, it is 

 interesting to compare the state of things which the English 

 found in Java 8 3 verity years ago. A Dutch Commissioner, 

 reporting on the province of Sourabaya in 1812, wrote as fol- 

 lows : — 



" The feudal service was as grievous as almost all the other 

 " charges united. The origin of those services must be sought 

 "for in the feudal system of the native Government long ago 

 " adopted throughout Java. It was considered that all the land 

 "was the property of the prince, who only made provisional 

 " assignments thereof to his subjects, in remuneration for mili- 

 " tary and other services rendered. This was the cause of all 

 "the lands being divided into as many allotments as could be 

 " cultivated, called chdehas, each of a size to be cultivated by 

 " one man. A certain number of these was assigned to the dif- 

 " ferent chiefs, according to his rank ; the custom of the country 

 " fixing not only the amount of contributions to be paid from 

 "the produce, but the number of men to be constantly kept in 

 " attendance upon him. The lands thus assigned to chiefs were 

 " exempt from service to them, and the inhabitants were only 

 " expected to watch the villages, to make and repair the roads, 

 "and to perform other general services of the State. This 

 " was the situation of the people with regard to service, when 

 "the coast districts were first ceded to the European Govern- 

 "ment. The system of trade and fixed contributions did not 

 " admit of any change, and the services were at that time of 

 "very little consequence, and such as could be performed 

 <l without oppression to the inhabitants ; but the case is now 

 " quite different. Successively, and particularly of late years, 

 " much heavier services have been demanded than were ever 

 " before known, and it naturally follows, that the Javan must 

 " be kf pt more at work than before. Besides, it is not possi- 

 " ble to apportion those services equally, on account of the 

 "situation of the places where the services are required, and 

 " because the chiefs, who have the direction of the works, from 

 " indifference or laziness, generally make a requisition on the 

 " nearest village ; and it not unfrequently happens, that many 

 " people are thus taken for the public service, who have no lands 

 " whatever allotted to them." 



