On the Statistics of Dukliun, 



433 



The above notices are sufficient to show the anomalous character of 

 the money assessments strictly on the land. Not only are they arbitra- 

 rily fixed on the productive power of the land, or on measurements, real 

 or supposed ; but lands of the same denomination and quality are differ- 

 ently assessed in neighbouring villages without apparent cause. 



Th*3 aver.ige of all the rates at many towns and villages in all parts of 

 the country, derived from personal inspection of the village accounts, 

 gives 3 rui)ees, 41 reas for a beegah of garden -land, or 85. 3|o?. for an 

 English statute acre. The average of field-land is 3 qr. 93| reas per 

 beegah, or 2s. 7\d. per English acre. 



To determine an a})prosimate average assessment per beegah in 

 Khandesh, I may use elements, which although not just, may be ex- 

 pected to give results not very far from the truth ; namely, the total 

 number of beegahs of land under cultivation in the population returns in 

 1823, and the land revenue in I827-2S: the former is 883,543 beegahs, 

 and the revenue 1,664,904 rupees : the average rate per beegah is 1 ru^ 

 pee, 3 qr. 54 reas, a much higher rate than exists in the other collector- 

 ates. 



These assessments comparatively with tho«e of all European coun- 

 tries, of most Asiatic coun'ries, and relatively to the valuable nature of 

 the garilen produce, comprising, independently of the ordinary fruits and 

 vegetables, grapes, oranges, sugar-c nie, cotton, two kinds of fine wheat, 

 and aromatic and pungent seeds, — the field produce also embracing all 

 the bread grains, gram, and other pulses, — are unquestionably very low ; 

 and were there no extra cesses even in the present depreciated value of 

 agricultural produce, could not only be borne by the cultivator, but he 

 might flourish under them even with the burthen of 25 per cent, on his 

 produce — fees ])aid to tiie Hukdars and Bullootehdars, These rates, . 

 however, are considerably enhanced by extra cesses called Puttees, ma- 

 ny of which were levied for contingencies and particular exigencies, or 

 resulted from the conversion of voluntary offerings in kind into com- 

 pulsory money payments. 



These cesses are no less than 62 in number in the three collectorates 

 of Poena, Ahmednuggur, and Khandesh, and the whole of tliem are for 

 different objects ; many of them result from local circumstances, and are 

 therefore of a local bearing. The majority of these Puttees are not of 

 uniform operation in the three collectorates, but one or more of them up 

 to a score may be found in every village. 



A few observations on the origin, character, and practical effects of 

 some of these Puttees may he necessary. Most of them profess to bear 

 directly on the land, such as those for grain, forage, and ropes to govern- 



