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LECTURE
III.

Zemindaries.

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The khalsa lands were subdivided into zemindaries, which were settled for with the zemindars.1 Jageer lands are spoken of also as being parts of zemindaries, and as thus paying malikana to the zemindar; but this was probably true only of those jageers which consisted of assignments of the revenue of lands which had once been khalsa lands, or of lands as to which the zemindars had already acquired the right to collect the revenue. Those jageers which consisted of assignments of the whole revenue, or of the land with the revenue, of districts imperfectly subdued or previously under tribute, and which had therefore probably never paid revenue into the treasury either with or without the intervention of a zemindar, would most likely not come within the jurisdiction of any zemindar; except when the jageerdar might choose to collect his revenue through the agency of zemindars, or in cases in which zemindars had grown up in the jageer in course of time. But the khalsa lands were necessarily divided into zemindaries, when the mode of collection through those officers became general. And a zemindary was sometimes found to include portions of several chucklahs, just as the ryot's lands came to be split up amongst several zemindaries. Thus the zemindary of Rajshahy was scattered over eight chucklahs. It was customary, however, to settle for the whole zemindary in the chucklah in which its head or sudder station was situated. The village (gaong, deh, gram or mouzah) was in theory the ultimate unit for fiscal purposes; except at those periods when the State, desiring to supplant all intermediate interests, endeavoured to deal with the ryots direct. Several of these villages formed

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LECTURE

III.

attached to

of the zemin

a turf (or turriff) or dhee; and several of these were included in a pergunnah. Each of these divisions, as well as the zemindary, had a separate zemindar's cutcherry which A cutcherry was both office and court; the head office of the zemindary each division being called the sudder cutcherry. In these cutcherries dary. all the zemindary records were kept and the zemindary affairs managed.' The jumma, or total revenue payable, was also, in the zemindary accounts, distributed according to these divisions of the zemindary under the heads of dheehatee jumma and pergunnatee jumma; being the revenue derived by the zemindar from the dhee and pergunnah respectively. The zemindar's jumma which he paid to the superior revenue authorities for transmission to the treasury was called the sudder (or head) jumma, to distinguish it from the mofussil (or branch) jumma paid by the subdivisions of the zemindary. Attached to each of these subdivisions was a regular establishment, and the whole formed a complete organisation which was theoretically of the most centralised kind; at least until the growing power of the zemindars induced them to strive after and obtain an almost independent position.

sation above

Above the zemindar was the fiscal organisation maintained Fiscal organiby the State. The circar of the Mahomedan times in another the zemindar. form, but perhaps on a smaller scale, corresponded, as before mentioned, to the dandputs of some parts of the country.3 The pergunnah was in Hindoo times administered

'Fifth Report, Vol. I, 132; Vol. II, 12, 158. Harington's Analysis, Vol. II, 68, 69, 70. Evidence of Lieut.-Col. Sykes before the Select Committee of the House of Commons (1832), 2173,

2

" Harington's Analysis, Vol. II, 69, 70.

3 Orissa, Vol. II, 216.

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LECTURE
III.

The crory.

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by a chowdhry;1 but as the zemindary system gained ground the pergunnah became in many cases merely a subordinate part of a zemindary, and the chowdhry merely a servant of the zemindar. And in some cases it would seem that the title of chowdhry was transferred to the fiscal head of the circar, the division above the pergunnah, and under the direct administration of the State. The chowdhry, as a Hindoo officer, undoubtedly claimed an hereditary right, and had allowances which were similar to those of the headman and afterwards of the zemindar. And it is said that the title of chowdhry (chief or director) was frequently given to those zemindars who distinguished themselves by good management, which seems to indicate that it was a coveted distinction. Moreover, if the title was associated with hereditary and proprietary claims, we can understand the officers who administered the newly invented circar adopting it; and hence that the title of chowdhry was sometimes assumed by the fiscal head of the circar. The Mahomedan title of that officer was crory, since the circar was supposed to yield a revenue of a crore of dams or two lacs and a half of rupees. The office of crory was originally instituted by Akbar, but it seems not to have retained its original title. The crories, whether under that title or under the titles of chowdhry and desmookh, constantly tended to become zemindars. In

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8

Fifth Report, Vol. II, 7, 155, 167, 170. Harington's Analysis, Vol. III, 350. Orissa, Vol. II, 216. Compare the evidence of Lieut.Col. Sykes before the Select Committee of the House of Commons (1832), 2173. Patton's Asiatic Monarchies, 81.

4

155.

Harington's Analysis, Vol. III, 332, 347. Fifth Report, Vol. II,

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LECTURE

III.

Aumildar.

this way and from the introduction of a new division, that of the chucklah, the division into circars fell in many parts into disuse, and the crories were merged in the zemindars. The chucklah was administered by an officer partly The Foujdar military and partly fiscal, called a Foujdar Aumildar,1 but sometimes known under the former titles given to the head officer of the circar. We however still find chowdhries exercising functions in connexion with the revenue, generally as subordinate to the zemindar; they are spoken of as collecting from talookdars and as receiving as their remuneration a fee or russoom in money; and sometimes a small allowance of land besides, which is said to be allotted to them for office expenses (dufter serinjamy).o

officers to here

The desmookh, chowdhry or crory held his office by the Claims of fiscal same tenure as most of those officers who ultimately became ditary rights. zemindars, or were merged in the zemindars. There was probably, on the one hand, a claim to hereditary right derived from the traditions of the Hindoo officers whom they had superseded; and on the other hand there was the strict theory of the Mahomedan system, that these offices were held at the pleasure of the sovereign. And the usual result followed, that the hereditary claim overpowered the strict theory, and the office, although theoretically held only during pleasure, became practically hereditary, the holder being seldom ejected except in cases of delinquency.3

These officers exercised the general functions of Govern- Military force employed in ment, and were responsible for the peace of their districts, as revenue collecwell as for the collection of the revenue; and for this

1 Fifth Report, Vol. I, 389.

' Harington's Analysis, Vol. III, 347, 350.

3 Fifth Report, Vol. II, 155.

tion.

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LECTURE
III.

The crory's emoluments.

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purpose the crory or desmookh had at his disposal a body of troops called khandaits and pykes with a commander at their head, and these were supported by a jageer.1 There were besides inferior officers in regular gradation, chiefly Hindoos, who also held jageers. The crory himself received an allowance or russoom on his collections amounting to about five per cent.; and he got also an allotment of land free of revenue to about the same amount. This land was generally dispersed throughout his district, with the view as is suggested of inducing him to look after every part of his charge.3 In these respects we are strongly reminded of the headman, and the Hindoo village and revenue officers, with their revenue-free holdings; and can hardly help concluding that the crory's allotments of land were nothing more than the old allotments to the Hindoo revenue officers; and that the dispersion in question was due to the crory's having absorbed the emoluments of the corresponding officer, the chowdhry or desmookh, in several pergunnahs. These holdings of the crory are indeed spoken of as being at one period the only ones of the kind, as if the crory had absorbed the similar emoluments of all the inferior officers. It is said that "till the death of Alumgir in 1707 the crory was, properly speaking, the only subject of the Crown of Delhi who held anything like a free tenure in lands to the extent of a family subsistence." The crories were, it is said, chosen from amongst the agents of the former proprietors who had been ejected, or from amongst experienced farmers of revenue:5 in short they 'Orissa, Vol. II, 216.

2 Ib., Vol. II, 218.

3 Fifth Report, Vol. II, 155.

• Ib.

5 Ib.

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