408 



On the Stalls tics of DukhvJi. 



[A PR It 



eleven villages. He is here paid by a money rate for every 30 bee- 

 gabs of land under cultivation ; it varies from i rupee ibe 30 beegabs to 

 3 rupees^ 



Uulii<e tbe Deybraooks and Pateels, no instance came to my know- 

 ledge of sbares of tbe ofrice being alienated from the family; tbe nu- 

 merous sharers being all connet-ted by lies of blood, who each in tura 

 take their annual duties ; and these sbarers are sometimes so numerous, 

 that ai oii'^ town tbe execution of tlie duties oiily came to tbe same in- 

 dividual after a lapse of 20 years. Tbe executive duties sboukl be con- 

 fined to tlie same person. 



^Mahrs Teyiin-c. — A very important tenure in villages is that of tbe 

 low-cast people, called Xi'alir by tbe Mahrattas, and /J/zt;r by tbe Moo- 

 sulmans. Thev have Eenam lands in all villages, divided into Hurlee 

 and Arowlah ; the fornier is rent free, and generally bears a small pro- 

 portion to tbe latter, n hicb }).iys a low quit rent. The Mabrs conceive 

 that tliey have tbe riglit to mortgage or olbervvise di'-P/O-e of lan;ls held 

 for the performance of specific duties to tbe village ;uid the government, 

 and numerous instances of mortgage came to my knowledge ; bnt v>he- 

 tber thcv can wholly alienate their lands or not, ti)ey cannot absolve 

 tbi' mselvcs and their descendants from iheir duties : these are to cut 

 wood and grass for governnienl officers and travel ler.-., to act as guides, 

 as porters to caiTv baggage from village to vill;;ge, and to go as messen- ^ 

 gers ; they have to attend strangers and see to iheir wants being sup- 

 plied, and if the strangers be of consequence, th.ey or the Ramooses 

 have !o look to tbe safety of their baggage at night. They are tbe guar- 

 di^tus of all village land-marks ; they are the Pateel's messengers, 

 (someiliinglike pari-h bea'lle:-,) an l it is their duty to carry tbe collec- 

 tions to tbe treasurer of ibe district ; they bave to pass on all 

 news or information received, vrlnMlier written or verbal, v/betber 

 by si^n or by token, to all ibe surrounding villages, and it is perfect- 

 ly astonisiiing tbe rapidity with which intelligence is di'tused by 

 their means. Jl is no uncommon thing for a distant piiblic event to 

 ':e w liih-pr red about in towns before any account of it has been receiv i 

 bv ihf^ ;(overnment post. Occasion.ddy ilie ansvret to my inquiries r 

 pectin;.; ill" d ities of the Mahrs was, that they were to do every tin 

 tliPV ' -od. wlv^thcr hv tlie Parcel, tbe village covpor.ition, or by 



t]ie : ' . ill. There are many families of tbem in every viil.ige : in 

 son;e villaacs they have to pav a tax to government called Uubta Mahr, 

 and t;:i > i> in lieu .^f pcrson;ii scrvi-e in cutting wood and grass fur llie 

 Oiiicer of govcruineiit, but it doei not absolve thetii from tbcir oib- r 



