1839] 



071 the Statistics of Duhhun. 



405 



is proved by dilFereut casts being now associated in the office. At 

 AhmednuggLir a third of the Deshmookee belongs to a Brahman, and 

 two- thirds lo the ruling Mahratta family at Nagpoor. Similar instances 

 are very numerous. In some eases a Deshmook is also Pateel of one 

 of the villages in his district. The rights and emoluments of the Desh- 

 mook are very extensive, but not uniform throughout ttie country ; they 

 had a per centage on the revenue varying from one to five per cent. In 

 the Poona CoUectorate the mean charge for Deshraooks and Deshpan- 

 dehs amounted to 3-06 per cent, of the gross revenue^ but on the nett 

 revenue it amounted as nearly as possible to six per cent; although these 

 persohs are now non-effi,cient, their authority being superseded. As a 

 single illustrative instance, it maybe as well to state, that at the village 

 of Ankoolsur, Talook Ahmednuggur, out of a village revenue of 4533 

 rupees, the Deshmook received 265 rupees, and the Deshjjandeh 150 

 rupees ; the former sharing 5"84 per cent., and the latter 3 31 per cent. 

 Their next advantage is in some of them enjoying villages in free gift j 

 the third, in possessing Eenam land in most of the villages in their dis- 

 tricts, sometimes to a large amount. At Mohol Talook Mohol, the two 

 sharers in the otiice of Deshmook have each 450 acres of free (or Eenam) 

 land. The fourth right of the Deshmook is a portion of grain from each 

 village, called Googree, from all the land under cultivation. In addition 

 to the above, from some villages they were entitled to a sheep and some 

 butter annually ; from some villages a dress, from others a turband, 

 and where sugar-cane was cultivated, they had a portion of the raw 

 sugar. They possessed the above advantages on the tenure of execut- 

 ing the duties previously staled. They were to a district what a Pateel 

 is to a village. 



Deshpandehs. — The Deshpandehs are contemporary in their institution 

 with the Deshmooks ; they were the writers, accountants, and registers 

 of districts; they were always Brahmans. The terms appear to be 

 derived from the Sanscrit Desh, country, and Pwinah, to do business. 

 They were to districts what Koolkurnees were to a village : they had, 

 and have nearly the same rights and emoluments as the Deshraooks, but 

 in a diminished ratio of from 25 to 50 per cent. The offices of Desh- 

 pandeh and Koolkurnee are sometimes found united. Their duties are 

 in abeyance, but, like the Deshmooks, they enjoy their rights. 



Pateel. — The next and the most important tenure of all is that of 

 Pateel or headman of towns and villages. Pateel is a Mahratta term, 

 and may be derived from the Sanscrit Puttruh, "deed," "lease," the 

 Pateel anciently having had the disposal of all vacant lands in his vil- 



