1839] 



On the Statistics of Dulchun. 



407 



British government settles directly with the farmer, and has also abro- 

 gated the right of the Pateel and the vilhige corporation to dispose of 

 wastelands; in alienated villages, however, these rights remain. Al- 

 though the translation before noticed gives a minute detail of the rights 

 and emoluments of the Pateels of Kuweeteh, it is to be understood they 

 are not uniform eitlier in number or value throughout the country, A-u 

 idea of the value of the Googree, or right to a share in the gr-iin-prodnce 

 of culiivated lands, may be formed from the fact, that at Kurjut, Ahmed- 

 nuggur coUectorate, in 1827, there v^-ere 8491 beegahs of land under 

 cultivation, and the Pateel was entitledto ViS seers for every 120 bee- 

 gahs ; he received therefore, 9057 Seers of grain, a sufficiency for the 

 annual support of 'ia persons. 



The duties of the Pateel were, to be responsible for the revenue of the 

 village, to superintend its police, and regulate its internal economy. He 

 had power to seize, imprison, and fine offenders. 



With regard to joint proprietary in ihe office, independently of shares 

 being hell by diiTerent casts and families, the Hindoo law of inheriience, 

 v liich gives equal shares of all property t'oall children, ne.-essarily made 

 many joint owners in a family: but as ihe exe'Ulive dutic'* are only 

 performed by the head of the family, this person i«^ c-<\\^q([ Mokudd nn, 

 « chief" or " leader ;" and the term of course is applicable to the head 

 of ea-h proprietary fimily, who is designated in the village papers as !;a:f 

 IMokuddura, quarter Mokuddum, or seventh Mokudduni, according tu tlie 

 share of the Pateelship held by the family. 



Koolkiirnee. — The next village tenure is that of Koolkurnee, from the 

 Sanscrit ^ooZ " to count,'' s^nd Kruol "to do," "make;" literally an 

 accountant. The office is of very great importance, for the Koolkurnee 

 is not only the accountant of the government revenue, but he keeps tiie 

 private accounts for each individual in the village, and is the general 

 amanuensis ; few of the cultivators, the Pateels frequently inclusive, be- 

 ing able to write or cypher for themselves. In no instance have I found 

 the office held by any other cast than the Brahmanical. The oliice is 

 sometimes united with that of Deshpandeh, and not unfrequently to that 

 of Johesee or village astrologer. The Koolkurnee, like the Pateel, has 

 Eenam land, sometimes salary, fees of grain, and miscellaneous rights of 

 butter, raw sugar, &C'.j^.rarely having equal rights, either in number or 

 value, with the Pateel, bat commonly averaging from 25 to 75 per cent, 

 below^ Where the villages are very small, there is only one Koolkurnee 

 for several villages., as in the case of Turruff Muhr Khor, Poona collec- 

 torate, where the duties of this individual extend to one small town and 



