1839] Azotes on Rijoiwar, or Permanent Annual Money Bents, 53 



II- — ^^ofes on Ryolwar, or Permanent Annual Money Rents, in South 

 India: and on the duty of Government in Periods of Famine, — By 

 John F. Thomas, Esq. of the Madras Civil Service. 



To estimate the effects of a system of fixed annual money rents, in 

 the present state of Southern India, it would appear necessary to keep 

 the following points prominently in view The peculiar circumstaiices 

 of the agriculture of the country, the character, and present condition 

 of the ryot, or landholder, and the state of society around him — and 

 let us contrast the ryot in these respects, with the occupant of land in 

 countries where annual money rents, as in Europe, have been for a 

 long period the settled usage. 



The ryot, or farmer, in the Peninsula of India is placed, we may first 

 observe, from physical causes, in essentially different circumstances from 

 the occupant cultivator in Europe. The intensity of unpropitious 

 seasons in the temperate zone, especially in the case of drought, never 

 being such as in tropical or Indian climates ; whilst the variety of soil 

 further secures the European farmer against a total failure of his crops. 

 An unusually wet season in Europe causes the light soils to yield 

 abundantly; and the dry year produces heavy crops on the deep land. 

 It never occurs therefore, that the European holder, does not obtain 

 some considerable return of produce from his land in each year ; and 

 though this return may frequently be below an average crop, yet the 

 enhancement of price at these periods, consequent upon the great 

 extent of the purchasing population,* at all times compensates him, 

 for deficiency in the quantity of his produce, and his yearly money 

 rent can invariably be paid therefore with little difficulty from the 

 annual out-turn from his .land. 



But in Southern India, in seasons of drought, instead of any consi- 

 derable return, there is frequently not a single field in the entire range 



* Agricultural, or producing popiilation in England 35 per C— non agricultural or 

 purchasing 65 per C— Agricultural or producing population in India 90 per C.—non-^ 

 .-.gricultural or purchasing 10 per C— Soe Bsbbage and other authors on the statistics 

 F.n gland. 



