238 ON ORISSA PROPER 



distinguished from the Vilaity or local and country Chowdris and Canun- 

 gos, the Officers of the former Hindu Government. Whilst the latter were 

 all Urias, the newly created Offices were invariably filled by natives of Ben- 

 gal. This circumstance of country and descent, has latterly been almost 

 the only distinction between the two, as the four Sadder Canungos of Cut- 

 tack and many of their Gomashtehs contrived in process of time to obtain 

 the management of a great number of Taluks, and became Talukdars, when 

 their utility as checks and controllers must of course in a great measure 

 have ceased. The situation of Sadder Chowdri has long ago altogether 

 disappeared. 



Down to the conquest of the Province by the British arms, the functions 

 and situation of the Chowdri and Canungo Talukdars and the Mokad- 

 dams, remained precisely as I have above generally explained them. All 

 Pergunnahs in the Marhatta accounts (with very few exceptions) are found 

 entered as divided into the Taluks of Chowdris and Canungos named after 

 the holder, Taluka Chowdri, Taluka Sudder Canungo, Taluka Canungo 

 Vilaity, &c. and the separated or Mazkuri villages of such Mokaddams as 

 had been entirely emancipated from their control, with certain alienated 

 lands known by names and revenue terms which it is unnecessary here to 

 mention. But on the introduction of the British Government and regulati- 

 ons, all parties whose names appeared in the public accounts of the preced- 

 ing administration as answerable for or intrusted with the collection of the 

 public dues, were forthwith acknowledged not only as Zemindars, but as 

 proprietors of the land comprized in their Zemindaris. Whatever may be 

 thought of the policy of this admission and the advantages that have resulted 

 from it, that it was founded on an erroneous view of the state of things un- 

 der the native Government, seems to me to be beyond all question. How 

 did this error, which seems to have been as generally prevalent every where 

 else as in Cuttack, originate ? I think its origin and prevalence may be 

 ascribed chiefly to three causes ; 1st. the want of a proper distinction being 

 made between the rights and circumstances of the real ancient Zemindars 



