58 



A'otes on Ryohcar^ or 



cent, village cesses ; total 87 per cent, leaving aboutlS per cent, as the me- 

 rasidar's, or proprietor's rent. From this, the merasidar supports his family, 

 keeps the minor water-com-ses in repair, provides advances of seed and 

 stock for the occupant cultivator, and mider the new ryotwar system of 

 fixed annual money rents, he takes upon himself the risk of the fluctua- 

 tions of season, and of price on the Government share. The Govern- 

 ment relinquishing to him upon this ground 5, or 8 percent, of its 

 share, and he is expected for this consideration, to bind himself for 

 an invariable annual payment to Government, of 45 or 42 per cent, of 

 an average crop, at a fixed pi ice. 



The cultivators, or occupant paracudis, unable to take any part of 

 this responsibility, continue the ancient usage of a division of the crop. 

 They at all times receive their share of the produce in kind, and at all 

 seasons also, ihe merasidar has an outlay of 2 or 3 per cent, from his 

 own share, on the water-courses, and in advances of seed, besides his 

 payments in village cesses. His annual liabilities are therefore not 

 less than from 80 to 85 per cent, of an average crop, of which, under 

 ryotwar, 40 to 45 per cent., is further commuted into a certain and 

 invariable annual money payment. If crops are deficient in any season 

 1 5 or 20 per cent., he receives little, or nothing. The whole produce 

 is barely sufficient to cover the Government, the paracudis, and the 

 village demand. If the returns should be still less, i. e., if there should 

 be even so slight a variation, as 1 0 per cent, of decrease in price 

 below the standard, combined with 15 per cent, in produce, he is most 

 seriously affected. These minor fluctuations he can stand for a short 

 time, for his land is saleable, and his future returns, as they depend 

 upon the south-west monsoon, sure he can therefore command cre- 

 dit at a moderate rate. But if prices, and produce should in one or 

 two seasons both fall '20 or 25 per cent., a total of 40 or 50 per cent., 

 his final bankruptcy is almost certain, and as seasons of this kind 

 alv.ays occur in the course of every eight or ten years, the eventual 

 destruction of property in the soil, under this system at the present 

 rates of assessment, appears inevitable. 



The merasidars of Tanjore have seen this, they have in consequence 

 strongly opposed the ryotwar invariable money rents, and have propos- 

 ed these terms. That when produce is deficient 20 per cent., or up- 

 >,vai'ds, they shall revert in effect to the old usage of an equal division 

 with the Government of ihe actual crop. 



The justice, not to say necessity of this provision under merasi, a 

 tenure, wLich allows a propiietor's rent, as well as a Government tax, 

 mVi i should think be admitted, if we consider — that the gross re- 



