300 
W. Irvine —The hater Muglials. [No. 4, 
reimposecl. 1 Next ‘ Inayatullali Khan endeavoured to reform the system 
of jdglrs, or assignments of land revenue in payment for service. The 
Hindus and eunuchs and Kashmiris, by fraud and force, had acquired rank 
beyond their deserts, and accumulated in their hands all the most profit¬ 
able and easily managed jagirs , reducing in a corresponding degree the 
chances of everybody else. Tnavatullah Khan, after drawing up some 
comparative tables, meant to reduce or set aside these excessive grants. 
Ratn Cand and other officials were angry at these attempts to reduce 
their incomes, and on their persuasion Qutb-ul-mulk refused to ratify 
the scheme. After this time, the Hindus put every obstacle in the 
Diwan's way, the agreement between him and the minister ceased to 
operate, and peace was maintained with difficulty. 
During this and the preceding reign, that of Jahandar Shah, the 
strict rules and regulations for business in all departments were much 
neglected. Most of the men who knew the old routine had disappeared 
by death or dismissal. The TVazir was not a trained administrator 
himself, and paid little or no attention to civil business ; Ratn Cand had 
been allowed to do almost what he liked. His views were narrow, and 
he was chiefly governed by personal considerations. For several reigns 
the Emperors had devoted all their efforts to break down the custom of 
farming out the collection of the revenue. They had tried on all oc¬ 
casions to substitute direct management by paid servants of the State, 
bearing in mind the truth of the adage, amanl abadani , ijarah ujara .” 2 
As a result their treasury was full, their subjects contented, and their 
army well paid. These arrangements were now set aside, and the col¬ 
lections leased by Ratn Cand to the highest bidder. 3 In consequence the 
revenue fell off, both of the State domains and of the assigned lands, 
and many jaglrddrs complained to the Emperor of the non-receipt of 
their allowances. During his term of office, Lutfullah Khan had only 
made matters worse by granting to mansabdars holding the rank of from 
50 to 1,000, a sum of fifty rupees a mouth, instead of their assignments 
on the revenue. This money, considering the high prices, did not 
.1 See Note A at the end of this Section, on the Jizzyah tax, and IGiafi Khan. 
II, 775. 
2 Roebuck, No. 110, II, page 106, “Direct management brings prosperity; 
farming out, ruin.” 
S We find unexpected confirmation of this accusation against Ratn Cand in Mr. 
E. Thurston’s paper on the East India Company’s coinage. Ratn Cand was the 
first to farm out the Benares mint, with the effect of causing the coinage to be re¬ 
minted yearly, in order to increase the farmers’ profits. [Journal As. Soc., Bengal, 
Yol. LXII., Part I. (1893), p. 55.] 
