varia - The Mysorean Revenue Regulations

THE difficulty and importance of a public station are sufficient to animate the exertion of great abilities. It is no small tribute of public praise to admit that Mr. Dundas has combined in one act of Parliament the interests of Great Britain and of the East-India Company, and that the prosperity of Great Britain and of British India is attainable by the judicious application of its powers.

Credit may be given to Mr. Francis when he says, “that he would abandon the subject of India for ever, if he could, but that he will not consult his ease at the expence of his honour^*.” When he proceeds to say that Mr. Dundas’s principles and declarations, though barren and unproductive in his hands, will not be useless in his own^*, it becomes necessary for those who dissent from any part of the present system, to examine the foundations of Mr. Francis’ plans, and the extent of the measures which his honour urges him to inculcate, and which he has so successfully diffused among the most eminent men of this country, and continues to promulgate^†. The revenue regulations of Tippoo Sultaun appeared conclusive both against Mr. Francis and Sir John Shore’s revenue plans; from sentiments of humanity, which had been awaked during the exercise of a delegated trust, and were not stifled, after the duty had ceased, I had sent a copy of that work to the press, that it might be known, when I read the following article in the Morning Chronicle of the 18th of July, 1793:

“We are happy in being able to state to the public, that the humane and rational principle for which Mr. Francis has for years contended, in behalf of the natives of India, namely, that the ruling power, let its title to the dominion be what it would, neither was, nor could be, proprietor of the soil, is now established by such direct positive evidence, as it is not in the power of rapacity itself to controvert, though supported as it has been by sophistry, fraud, and falsehood. It is a scandal to the name of Britain that such a question should have been permitted to subsist; but it is now at last decided; and if the pretended representatives of a society of merchants should still continue to grasp the entire rents of the country, in their assumed character of proprietors of the lands, they must do it now by avowed and barefaced violence. All their other titles to plunder India are annihilated by evidence, as they ought to have been long since by reason, policy, and justice. We have taken the following curious document from the Supplement to the Calcutta Gazette, dated the 27th of December, 1792, and we give it to our readers not only as a proof of the learning and benevolence of the excellent author, but of the practical utility of the learning and talents of studious men, when applied, as they have been uniformly by Sir William Jones, to the benefit of mankind.”

“The importance of the subject itself, and the respect due to the learned author, render it unnecessary to apologize for publishing the following Extract from the Preface to the Al Sirajiyyah, lately published by Sir William Jones.”

“Unless I am greatly deceived, the work now presented to the public, decides the question which has been started, whether by the Moghul constitution, the sovereign be not the sole proprietor of all the land in his empire, which he or his predecessors have not granted to a subject and his heirs; for nothing can be more certain, than that land, rents, and goods are, in the language of all Mahomedan lawyers, property alike alienable and inheritable; and so far is the sovereign from having any right of property in the goods or lands of his people, that even escheats are never appropriated to his use, but fall into a fund for the relief of the poor. Sharif expressly mentions fields and houses as inheritable and alienable property: he says, that a house, on which there is a lien, shall not be sold to defray even funeral expences, and that if a man dig a well in his own field, and another man perish by falling into it, he incurs no guilt; but, if he had trespassed on the field of another man, and had been the occasion of death, he must pay the price of blood; that buildings and trees pass by a sale of land, though not conversely; and he always expresses what we call property by an emphatical word implying dominion. Such dominion, says he, may be acquired by the act of parties, as in the case of contracts, or, by the act of law, as in the case of descent; and, having observed, that freedom is the civil existence and life of a man, but slavery his death and annihilation, he adds, because freedom establishes his right of property, which chiefly distinguishes man from other animals, and from things inanimate; so that he would have considered subjects without property (which, as he says in another place, comprises every thing that a man may sell, or give, or leave for his heirs) as mere slaves without civil life: yet Sharif was beloved and rewarded by the very conqueror from whom the imperial house of Delhi boasted of their descent. The Koran allots to certain kindred of the deceased specific shares of what he left, without a syllable in the book that intimates a shade of distinctions between realty and personalty; there is therefore no distinction, for interpreters must make none, where the law has not distinguished: as to Mahomed, he says in positive words, that if a man leave either property or rights, they go to his heirs; and Sharif adds, that an heir succeeds to his ancestor’s estate with an absolute right of ownership, right of possession, and power of alienation. Now I am fully persuaded that no Mussulman Prince, in any age or country, would have harboured a thought of controverting these authorities. Had the doctrine lately broached been suggested to the ferocious, but politic and religious Omar, he would, in his best mood, have asked his counsellor sternly, whether he imagined himself wiser than God and his Prophet, and, in one of his passionate sallies, would have spurned him as a blasphemer from his presence, had he been even his dearest friend or his ablest general: the placid and benevolent Ali would have given a harsh rebuke to such an adviser; and Aurungzebe himself, the bloodiest of assassins and the most avaricious of men, would not have adopted and proclaimed such an opinion, whatever his courtiers and slaves might have said, in their zeal to aggrandize their master, to a foreign physician and philosopher, who too hastily believed them, and ascribed to such a system all the desolation of which he had been a witness. Conquest could have made no difference; for, either the law of the conquering nation was established in India, or that of the conquered was suffered to remain: if the first, the Korán and the dicta of Mahomed were fountains, too sacred to be violated, both of public and private law; if the second, there is an end of the debate; for the old Hindoos most assuredly were absolute Proprietors of their land, though they called their sovereigns Lords of the Earth; as they gave the title of Gods on Earth to the Brâhmins, whom they punished, nevertheless, for theft with all due severity. Should it be urged, that, although an Indian prince may have no right, in his executive capacity, to the land of his subjects, yet, as the sole legislative power, he is above controul; I answer firmly, that Indian princes never had, nor pretended to have, an unlimited legislative authority, but were always under the controul of laws believed to be divine, with which they never claimed any power of dispensing.”

“I am happy in an opportunity of advancing these arguments against a doctrine which I think unjust, unfounded, and big with ruin; for in the course of nine years, I have seen enough of these provinces and their inhabitants, to be convinced, that, if we hope to make our government a blessing to them and a durable benefit to ourselves, we must realize our hope, not by wringing for the present the largest possible revenue from our Asiatic subjects, but by taking no more of their wealth than the public exigencies, and their own security, may actually require; not by diminishing the interest, which landlords must naturally take in their own soil, but by augmenting it to the utmost, and giving them assurance that it will descend to their heirs: when their laws of property, which they literally hold sacred, shall in practice be secured to them; when the land-tax shall be so moderate that they cannot have a coloured pretence to rack their tenants, and when they shall have had a well-grounded confidence, that the proportion of it will never be raised, except for a time on some great emergence, which may endanger all they possess; when either the performance of every legal contract shall be enforced, or certain and adequate compensation be given for the breach of it; when no wrong shall remain unredressed, and when redress shall be obtained at little expence, and with all the speed that may be consistent with necessary deliberation; then will the population and resources of Bengal and Bahar continually increase, and our nation will have the glory of conferring happiness on considerably more than twenty-four millions (which is, at least, the present number) of their native inhabitants, whose cheerful industry will enrich their benefactors, and whose firm attachment will secure the permanence of our dominion.”

Among the various literary obligations we owe to Sir William Jones, I had reckoned the evidence in Sacontala of the antiquity of the corn rent, stated in the Ayeen Akberry^* to have been the custom of Bengal, graciously continued by the Emperor to his Hindoo subjects. When I heard that Sir William had commented on the revenue system of Bengal, in 1792, I flattered myself that we should, on his authority, know whether the definition of Zemindar^†, or Collector of the Royal or Jageer Lands, is correct?

Whether Crown lands, annexed to offices civil or military, with services specified in the Sunnuds, were in the Moghul system, or ought to be, in justice and policy, more dependant on the Sovereign, than cultivated lands held by the Reyut, with rent or tribute specified in the Pottah, or heritable lease of the cultivator of the soil?

Whether Sunnuds, or written commissions, grants, or leases in India, can be distinguished without inspecting them, any more than a freehold, copyhold, or annual lease can in Europe be distinguished without perusing the lease?

Whether reference to a public register, as in the register counties of England, would not in India be less vexatious than to abolish the public register, and refer titles to suits in a modern court Dewannee Adaulet?

In short, whether Sir John Shore’s settlement is preferable to Mr. Grant’s proposed imitation of a fixed rule, actual measurement, valuation, and equal assessment, for the Moghul system?

I was chagrined to find, on Sir William Jones’s authority, that reference to additional Mahomedan authority is yet necessary to decide whether any species of property was compatible with the Koran; and to read the result of nine years observations of British management, comprised in a few ethical sentences, which all modern disputants will adopt, for they all profess ethics, though every practical experiment has produced injustice and extortion.

When I saw this extract at once confounded with Mr. Francis’s system, I felt that I might be confounded with the advocates of lawless rapine; and I determined, after a part of the Mysorean Regulations were printed off, to distinguish the principles of different periods; this late decision increased the defects to a careless arrangement; if it shall be intelligible, my object will be, perhaps, better answered than if I had gone out of my own room to seek information, or to advise even with a single person. What I state is from recollection of past measures, and from materials which I had collected for my private information; and what I communicate from my private correspondence will not be biassed by partiality to private friends, nor to particular administrations. A degree of amour propre inclined me not to affix my name to so imperfect a publication; if it shall be known, it will be very unimportant. Having never entered into covenants with the Company, nor at any time shared its interests as a proprietor of India stock, and having never been in India, it may be enquired why I take this trouble. My answer is short; I have followed the progress of friends through every part of India; my mind often hangs over the honourable graves of much-lamented friends in India; I enjoy the society of others, who have returned with honour to Great Britain; and others yet remain in India whom I respect and value. I do not publish for them; I have reckoned life well spent, when it founded the bare hope of deserving friendship; and I do not reckon it a sacrifice to devote a few hours in the hope of contributing to the protection of millions of fellow subjects, who will never be conscious of my existence. My motive in all event must be my apology; and without farther preface, I shall examine the act cursorily as to its general principles of connecting Great Britain with British India in the Introduction, and then proceed to consider the internal management of British India, under Mahomedan and British conquerors, and to deduce a plan for British India, connected with the principles of the act of the last session of Parliament.

IT is believed that the practical rules of Tippoo Sultaun are the most accurate delineation of the modern Mahomedan government that has appeared; a MS. copy of these Regulations were sent to me last year, before they were printed. The first ships of this year brought me a printed copy, by which some errors of the MS. have been corrected. It appears that the original was obtained for Colonel John Murray during the Coimbatore campaign, and that B. Crisp, Esq. translated it.

I reprint the Dedication prefixed to the Calcutta edition; and although anonymous panegyric is often impertinent, I cannot, as one of the public, make my acknowledgements to Colonel John Murray for this extra-official political curiosity, without also bearing my anonymous tribute of praise and regard to that distinguished servant of the Company. The annual parliamentary accounts are evidence of the accuracy and regularity of the military audit, and at the same time oblige me to lament the inefficacy of the present powers of the civil auditor to inforce equal perspicuity in the accounts of the civil departments of British India.

The Translator’s Dedication to Colonel John Murray, Military Auditor General in the East Indies.

DEAR SIR,

I HAVE now the pleasure to send you the translation of Tippoo’s Regulations.

It is unfortunate, that after an unremitting search, I have not been able to meet with a single person in Calcutta sufficiently conversant in the Teling or Malabar dialects, to give me explanations, such as I could rely upon, of the provincial terms that occur in almost every article. Disappointed in this respect, I thought it best to copy those terms from the original, and to subjoin notes, containing such explanations of them as, from the context, it appears to me they would bear. We may, however, in a short time hence expect to obtain more accurate information from some European gentlemen, or natives of this country, who have traversed the Sultaun’s dominions with our victorious army, and who probably will return here with Lord Cornwallis. Whenever that time comes, I shall be very happy to revise the translation, and to correct any error that may have arisen from misconception, as well as to add the explanation of such terms as I have not now ventured to hazard a conjecture upon.

P. S. The Persian copy of the Regulations, from which this translation has been made, bears the impression of the Sultaun’s seal, with the words Teepoo Sultaun. Seyed Mahommed certifies that he revised them; they appear to have been registered in the office of Govind Roy, belonging to the Dewan of the Huzzoor, on the 2d month of the first month Ahmudee, in the year Delo, i. e., on the 2d of the first month of the 40th year of the Cycle.

The following Explanation will clear up Mr. Crisp’s Doubts of the Meaning of the Articles.

THE technical terms employed by Tippoo Sultaun in the Mysore, are evidently a mixture of new denominations, engrafted on the Moghul and Hindoo system, in the Decan; it appears contrary to his system to continue more of the ancient terms than are absolutely necessary to make himself intelligible to the different people whom his father had conquered, and united in one kingdom. The following explanation of several of these terms was lately given me by a friend, who had been more than once over the Mysore country:

Article 1. Aumil, the manager of the district, and receiver of the revenue as a government officer.

Reyuts, Putteels, Wurtegans, are different names for farmers of a superior class. Wurtegan is a Canary term; Kusbah means any village.

Art. 2. Cowle means a declaration that the Reyuts to whom it is addressed are in the favour of Government, and under the protection of the law.

Art. 5. Teagecaur is Taajkaur, a collector of customs. Putteel is a government officer. Every village has one Putteel to ten Reyuts, or thereabout; and a Putteel for the whole village, who has, at times, the superintendance of the police.

Art. 12. Ahashaum are troops employed in the service of the Aumil, to aid in collecting the revenue.

Art. 14. Tallaub is rightly explained.

Art. 17. Nukhood is a small grain, of which they make bread.

Coolty is a pulse, commonly called grain, on which horses are fed.

Moot is Doll, or pease.

Art. 21. Turcarree means also esculent roots.

Art. 25. The reason why such attention is directed to be paid to Sikakauhee is, that it is frequently used in cleansing horses; it gives a fine gloss to the coat, and is reckoned good for the animal’s health.

Art. 30. The Jummabundy account contains, 1st, the name of the Reyut; 2d, the quantity of land which he tills; 3d, the rate at which he pays; 4th, the crop; and 5th, the total amount.

The Wasil Bakee account contains the balances due, and the casualties of the year.

Art. 31. The Derra Sultaunee is a measurement adopted by Tippoo. Sultaunee, wherever it occurs, means belonging to Tippoo, or the Sultaun.

Art. 33. Enaum lands are lands exempted from rent, whether for charitable or other purposes.

The several denominations in this article were formerly given to parcels of land held under various tenures by the officers of the ancient Hindoo government.

Art. 34. Tumgha land is an hereditary Jagheer.

Art. 35. Mutsuddy, an accountant.

Art. 36. Mokuddum, in Persian, is Synonimous with Putteel in Telinga.

Art. 39. Kistbundy is an abstract of the Kists, or instalments.

Tuhul is an Hircarrah.

Art. 42. Dewan Cutchery is the principal Cutchery or office of business for the province. Tokurree Cutchery is a subordinate district Cutchery.

Art. 46. Dek is a Ser, or measure.

Art. 47. Naikwar is an officer of Coondachar or matchlock Peons; Tippoo’s father was, early in life, a Naikwar.

Matchlock Peons are frequently employed to compel the Reyuts to pay their arrears, so that they become instruments of oppression in the hands of the Putteel.

Art. 48. Oolkee is the name of the Aumil’s messenger.

Art. 50. Zindigee means those of the Reyut’s family and relations who may have survived him, as well as his effects.

Art. 52. Coruchwaur is a Canary term.

Dek Pokhta, a full measure.

Art. 56. Duftur, the accountant’s office.

Art. 57. Kulthee or Cooltee is gram.

Art. 58. Peishears ought to be Paishcar; he is the Aumil’s deputy.

Munnicaur is Telinga for an inferior Aumil.

Art. 59. Sithee is Siddee, or merchant.

Wutug is synonimous with Putteel.

Cotwaul is the officer who regulates, or rather enforces the regulations for the Bazars or markets.

Art. 70. Cullistaun ought to be Christaun.

Art. 77. A Burrh tree is a Banian.

A Neem tree is a Murgoza.

Art. 78. Duba is a cylinder.

Kuhuttee, I do not know.

Art. 79. The Kunteeroy, an old Mysore coin.

Art. 91. Stable Horse are cavalry, the horses of which belong to the government. The Sair Horse belong to the riders, who receive a certain allowance for man and horse. The Risaladar, or Colonel of a regiment of Stable Horse. The Jemadar, or chief officer of the Sair.

Art. 97. Derogha has the charge of magazines and stores.

Art. 99. Districts upon the coast of Malabar.

Zindiganee, live stock, family effects, &c.

Art. 104. Milik-a-Tajar, head of the merchants.

Seethee is Siddy.

Art. 124. Irsaulnameh is a letter.

Art. 126. Two books upon morality, written in Persian.

To be observed by the present and future Aumils and Serishtadars of the second District of Waumloor, dependent on the Cutchery of Awulpatam.

ART. 1. THE Aumil shall proceed to the district, and taking these regulations, the seal of office, and the table of fees and establishments, &c. along with him, shall seat himself in the Cutcherry; and having called before him the Reyuts, Putteels, Wurykauns^*, &c. inhabitants of the Kusbah^†, shall present them with the Leaf^‡ of conciliation.

2. On the commencement of the year he shall give Cowle^§ to all the Reyuts and respectable inhabitants of the district, and encourage them to cultivate the lands. He shall also ascertain in what Reyuts’ houses there are a number of men, and but few ploughs; and having enquired into the circumstances of such Reyuts, shall oblige those who are in good circumstances to increase the number of their ploughs; and in order to enable the Reyuts who are needy to purchase ploughs and to cultivate the lands, he shall give Tuccavee^*, at the rate of three or four pagodas for every plough, taking security for the repayment. This Tuccavee is to be collected from them again in one or two years.

3. The following rules are to be attended to in parcelling out the land for cultivation: An equal proportion of lands which are dry or watered, and of those which are Ijara^† or Hissa^‡, shall be equally distributed for cultivation amongst the old and new Reyuts; and when a Reyut sows one Khundee of seed in a certain quantity of Ijara land, he shall sow one Khundee and eight Kuros in the same extent of Hissa land. An account of the increase and deficiency of the produce shall be made out annually, and according to the Cowle the revenue shall be taken in money; or where such shall be the custom, the half of the produce shall be given up to the Reyuts, and the other half be retained as the share of the sovereign. Care must be taken that the Hissa land is to be well manured; and whoever cultivates a greater quantity of land of this description than may have been allotted to him pursuant to this rule, shall continue to do so; but if less, he shall be compelled to cultivate the full proportion.

4. Throughout the villages, wherever there is ground fit for the purpose, the Reyuts, &c. shall be urged to extend the cultivation of sugar cane; and in such villages where the Putteels and Shamboges^* from obstinacy fail to do so, they shall be subjected to a double tax, calculated upon the quantity of sugar cane which may have been produced in another village.

5. The Putteels^#x2020; Teagecaurs, and others, have for a long time fraudulently avoided paying the full revenue of Government lands: this is to be inquired into, and the lands are to be measured, and they are to be assessed like other Reyuts. The Reyuts are not to plough the lands of the Putteels; but the Putteels shall themselves plough them. If any Putteel, &c. shall in future employ Reyuts to till his ground, the whole of the produce shall be taken by Government.

6. Lands which have been cultivated for a length of time by the Shamboges, shall be resumed, and be delivered over to other Reyuts to cultivate; and if such Shamboges shall desire to have other land given to them in lieu of their wages, land which is lying waste shall be given to them; if they do not ask for land, they shall receive their wages in money, according to the established rate.

7. Reyuts, &c. belonging to the Ijara lands, who are connected with the Shamboges, often avoid paying the full revenue. Strict enquiry must be made into this abuse, and it must be corrected by imposing upon them the established rate of assessment: and no relaxation must be allowed of in the observance of this rule, upon any account.

8. Two Mozas^* shall not be farmed to the same person: one Moza only shall be given in farm to one person; and previously to this being done, an accurate list of all the old and new inhabitants, and an account of the gross receipts, shall be made out, according to which the lease shall be granted, and a Mochulka^† be taken. If a farmer, neglecting the cultivation of his farm, and suffering the lands to lie waste, shall impose fines upon the Reyuts, and make undue exactions from them to enable him to fulfil his own engagements, he shall be made to pay to Government the amount of such undue exactions, over and above the stipulated rent. Measures must also in future be adopted to prevent any person from levying oppressive fines, &c. from the Reyuts; and defaulters in this respect shall be made to pay the amount of such exactions, and be moreover fined themselves.

9. The Aumil^* of a district shall make a circuit through all the villages under his authority, and agreeably to the Mochulka entered into by him, distribute the assessment upon the Reyuts according to the produce raised; and if by such means he can collect sufficient to fulfil his engagements, well and good; but if, on the contrary, he shall farm out the Mozas to Putteels and others, and occasion deficiency, he shall make good such deficiency himself. If the Putteels and others should, by want of attention, fail to realize the distributed assessment, he shall inflict corporal punishment^* upon the Putteels and Shamboges, and oblige them to make it good.

10. In case deficiency arises in the sum engaged for, the Aumil shall procure new Reyuts, whom he shall provide with new ploughs, and by advancing Tucavee to them, enable them to complete the cultivation, so that the amount specified in the engagement be realized. And if, on the contrary, he shall discharge the amount of his engagement by levying fines and undue exactions, such fines and exactions shall not be allowed to go towards the discharge of his engagement, and he shall be still compelled to make good the deficiency which will have arisen thereupon.

11. A Putteel has been attached to every village from times of old; wherever it happens that the person holding this office is unfit for it, another who is capable shall be chosen from amongst the Reyuts, and be appointed to it; and the former Putteel shall be reduced to the condition of a Reyut, and be made to work at the plough; and the business of the office of Putteel shall be made over to the new one.

12. The Shamboges of the Athoonee and Ahashaum^* shall not be employed in the direction of affairs, nor shall farms of villages be given to them, but they shall only be employed in keeping accounts. If it should appear that any thing contrary to this rule is practised, you^† will have to answer for it.

13. The Reyuts of each village shall decide amongst themselves all disputes which may arise amongst them respecting cast, and the inhabitants of other villages shall not interfere therein. A breach of this is to be punished by fine.

14. In the district above mentioned there are several Tallaubs^*, the produce whereof is Hissa^†. The Aumil shall go himself and see that the lands are not left uncultivated, and that the produce be increased; and when the produce is ready he shall attend in person, and having seen the grain threshed, shall take the half of it for Government.

15. Land which has lain fallow ten years shall be delivered to Reyuts to cultivate, upon Cowle; the first year they shall be exempt from paying any revenue, and the second year they shall only pay half of the customary assessment; but the third year the full amount thereof shall be collected from them. Land which is barren, mountainous, and rocky, shall also be given to the Reyuts to cultivate; and the first year they shall be entirely exempted from the payment of revenue; the second year they shall be assessed at only a fourth of the usual rate; and the third year at one half; but the fourth year they shall be assessed at the full rate. The same rule is to be observed with respect to lands of the above descriptions, the produce of which is shared between Government and the Reyut.

16. If a Reyut should offer to farm a Moza upon an annually increasing assessment, and it shall appear that the Moza, which is in a ruinons condition, may be brought into a flourishing state by cultivation, a Cowle of three years shall be granted to the cultivator for that purpose, and from the fourth year the terms of the lease shall be fixed according to the produce of the lands.

17. The cultivation of Nukhood, Coolty, and Moot^*, must be encouraged to the utmost, and Cowle be given to the Reyuts for that purpose.

18. Wheat and barley are very little cultivated in the district. It is therefore ordered, that in villages where it has never been sown, lands which are assessed at five pagodas, shall, upon their being cultivated with wheat and barley, be assessed at four pagodas only, until the fourth year, when the assessment shall be imposed at the usual rate. And in villages, where these articles are produced, the cultivation of them shall be encouraged by giving Cowle to the Reyuts.

19. It is forbidden throughout the dependencies of this Government to plant Bang; and the Reyuts must be informed, that whoever shall plant this shrub is to be fined. If any Bang should be remaining of last year’s growth, or shall have been brought in from other countries by traders, a duty shall be levied upon it of double the fixed rate; and whoever shall by stealth plant Bang behind their houses or in their gardens, shall be fined.

20. Let 200 trees of the Mango and other choice fruits be planted on some of the best ground in every village, and be taken particular care of; and let report be made of them to the Huzzoor^*.

21. If any person take possession of deserted^* plantations of Beetle-nut and Cocoa-nut trees, &c. in the district, and shall not pay the Kundaya^† thereof to Government, such plantations, upon discovery being made of them, shall be sequestered, and people shall be employed on the part of Government to cultivate them properly, so that the number of fruit trees, Turcarree^‡, &c. may be increased. The particulars of the trees shall be entered in an account, and the Muhussool^|| thereof be delivered to Government, and be entered in the offices. There are also many persons who possess plantations without paying rent. In all such cases, whenever it shall become known, they are to be assessed like other Reyuts. You are also to take a share of the Tuccavee, &c. or whatever grows under the fruit trees.

22. The whole of the Rosin, Aloes-wood, Lack, Wax, and Dammer, produced in the district, is to be reserved with great care, and no improper consumption of these articles is to be allowed of; but carriers are to be employed to transport the whole of it to Agran Puttun^*; and in future, throughout the district, proper spots of ground are to be chosen in every village, and 2000 pine and saul trees are to be planted and taken the utmost care of; and if there are any trees of these descriptions within the tenements of the Reyuts, a price is to be fixed upon the produce of them, which is to be purchased, and the price so fixed is either to be set off against the Reyut’s rent, or to be paid to him in ready money; and of these articles not one atom is to be suffered to go out of the country.

23. Trees of Teak-wood and Acacia, the wood of which is required by Government for making the wheels of gun-carriages, &c. are not to be felled; when they are wanted for the service of Government, an order from the Huzzoor is to be obtained, upon which they are to be cut down. Wherever the seed of the Teak tree is to be met with it must be obtained, and during the rainy season it must be sown on the banks of rivers, and at the bottoms of hills, so that the quantity of these timbers may increase.

24. Throughout the district wherever there are Sandal trees which have come to perfection, they are to be cut down, and the stems, roots, and branches of them, are to be collected together, and an account having been taken of them, specifying their weight, they are to be transported to Agran Puttun. It is also ordered that Sandal wood shall be planted in great quantities, wherever good ground is met with, watered by running streams, rivers, and rivulets; and no person shall be permitted to cut down a single Sandal tree without the order of the Huzzoor, and if any one should by stealth do so, he shall be fined in the sum of 500 rupees.

25. You are to collect all the Tamarind and Khiar Dishtee, that is to say, Sikakauhtee^*, in your district, whether on plantations or in the woods, excepting what may be produced within the tenements of the Reyuts, which you are not to touch.

26. Reyuts who shall make new plantations of Beetle-leaf, shall only be subjected to pay half the usual tax during the first three years; but from the fourth year they shall be put upon the same footing as other planters.

27. Reyuts who shall make new plantations of Beetle-nut trees shall be exempt from the payment of any tax during the first five years; from the sixth year they shall be assessed at half the established rate, until the trees bear fruit, from which time they shall pay the full established tax, or share the produce, as may be the custom.

28. Whoever makes new plantations of Cocoa-nut trees shall be exempt from the payment of any tax for the first four years; the fifth year he shall pay one half of the established tax; and the sixth year the whole, or a share of the produce, as may be the custom; and during four years, whatever quantity of Turcaree is produced in these plantations shall be given up to the Reyuts.

29. An account shall be taken of all the houses of the Reyuts, &c. of all casts throughout your district, specifying the names of the villages, the number of ploughs, the quantity of seed sown, and of land tilled; the number of workmen, their families and children; with their various casts and occupations. In forming these accounts, great precaution is to be observed, to prevent its creating any alarm amongst the Reyuts. Every year the increase or diminution of agriculture and population is to be observed in the manner following: The Shamboges of the villages are to prepare and transmit the accounts to the Simpt^*, and the Shamboges of the Simpt are to form the complete account, and transmit it to the Aumil of the district, who is to prepare one general statement, giving a full view of the population and cultivation of the country, and deposit it in his Cutchery; from whence it is to be forwarded to the Huzzoor; and as the month of Zeehuje is appointed for the inspection of these accounts at the Huzzoor, they must be deposited in the Cutchery in the month of Rumzaun. It will be proper when you commence the numeration of the houses and inhabitants, to give it out, that the purpose for which you are come to their houses is to see whose expences exceed their means, and to assist such persons with advances of Tuccavee: in this manner you are to get the numeration effected.

30. The month of Rumzaun of every year is fixed for the inspection of the Wasilbakee and Jummabundy accounts of your district; you are therefore to be careful that these accounts are prepared and transmitted to your Cutchery in the month of Shabaun.

31. After the end of the year the Aumil, Serishtadars, and Shamboges, shall go through the district to every village, and shall take a particular account of the measurement of the lands by the derra sultaunee^*, specifying the quantity of land appertaining to each village, and how many lubs (each lub containing 82 derrahs) have been sown by one Khundee of seed.—Also the quantity of land covered by tanks, rivers, and streams, together with the lands of the Deostaun^† and the Bramins. The Enaum lands, public roads, gardens, &c. distinguishing the cultivated and the waste, the watered and the dry, as also the soil, whether of the first, second, third, or fourth, quality. Moreover, what quantity of grain is produced in each from one Khundee of seed, with a specification of the revenue, or the share of produce which it yields. This account is to be taken down in the presence of the Reyuts, from whom a Mochulka is to be taken; and agreeably thereto a general account of the lands of all the villages in the district, according to the standard of measurement above specified, is to be prepared, and every year transmitted to the Huzzoor and to your Cutchery, and you are also to keep a copy thereof in your own office.

32. If, at the time when the above account is forming, the Shamboges and others, from apprehension of the discovery of their defalcations, shall instigate the Reyuts to throw obstacles in the way of its being done, and they be detected, they shall be severely reprehended and fined.

33. All lands under the denomination of Inaumaut, (excepting the Deostaun and the lands of Bramins) and all lands under the denominations of Kutcodukee^*, Aoluk Maunum, Meerkunthee, Josee, Bhut-wurtee, Tootee, Tuallaruss, &c. appertaining to the villages, shall be brought into the measurement, and shall be included in the Jumma; and the Inamaut lands which are to be continued to the proprietors, shall be written off against the Jumma in the accounts. Whoever is under engagement to perform service, such service shall be exacted from him.

34. Putteels and others have made tanks, wells, ponds, nullas, &c. at their own expence, and the land taken up by such tanks, &c. is held by them as Enaum Kutcodukee. This Enaum shall be continued to them, but they shall be obliged to keep such tanks, &c. in repair; Government shall not have to repair them.—They shall also be made to dig up the mud from the tanks, &c. and embank them therewith. If an Enaumdar has not the means to repair a tank which is gone to ruin, it shall be done by Government, and a yearly assessment, proportioned to the expence of the repair, shall be levied upon the Enaumdar. The Tumgha lands of forts and castles, and the borders of inclosed villages, shall be continued as usual.

35. The following rule is to be observed in making the repairs of such tanks, wells, nullas, &c. as immediately belong to Government.

The Aumil, Mutsuddy, and Hircarrahs, shall go and inspect the tanks, &c. themselves; and in making the repairs shall be particularly attentive to the advantage of Government, and to the increase of the produce. A particular account of the measurement of the work repaired, by the established standard, shall be kept in the offices of the Mutsuddies and Shamboges of the villages; and the wages of the workmen shall be paid to them, taking their receipts for it. Buffaloes shall be used for conveying the mud for embanking the tanks every year, and an account shall be kept by the Shamboges of the quantity of mud thrown every day round every tank.

36. If any person shall, at his own expence, dig tanks, wells, &c. throw up ramparts, build small forts or bastions, or people a village, upon its being ascertained from the Mokuddums^* and cultivators upon the spot, a quantity of ground (in fixing which you are to be regulated by the custom of the place) shall be given to him as Inaumkutcodukee; and if no such custom shall prevail at the place in question, inquiry shall be made at the villages round about, and land be given to him as Enaum, according to what may be found to be the custom in those villages.

37. In your district, the period fixed for the payment of a Kist^† is four months; and from the beginning to the end of the year, the whole of the collections are to be made in three Kists, and after deduction being made of the charges, the money is to be sent to your Cutchery, and a receipt to be taken for it. At the commencement of the month of Wausyie Bhauderpud^‡, you are to adjust the accounts of the Reyuts, and by the end of that month the whole of the revenue must be collected and paid in to Government.

38. It is ordered, that in a district which pays 10,000 pagodas, whenever 500 pagodas shall have been collected, they shall be immediately remitted to the Cutchery. You will observe what is the Jummabundy of your district; and accordingly as the money is collected, you will remit it to your Cutchery.

39. You are to require the farmers of villages to transmit their rents according to the Kistbundy, under charge of Tuhuls^*; and if they fail to do so, you are to reprimand them, and put others in their places.

40. Hircarrahs who are employed to press workmen, frequently use them ill, and extort money from them.—This must be inquired into, and forbid; men are to be pressed for the service of Government only; and if the Hircarrahs use them ill, or take money from them, they shall be punished.

41. The Aumil, Serishtadars, and Shamboges, shall attend at the Cutchery of Government from nine o’clock in the morning till five o’clock in the evening, and do their business. They may then go to their homes, but they are to return to the Cutchery at eight o’clock in the evening, and remain there till three in the morning; in which time they shall prepare and complete the accounts of the day, and having sealed and signed the accounts, shall transmit them to the Huzzoor and to their Cutchery; they may then retire to rest.

One Putteel or Shamboge of a village shall not visit at the house of another. No public officers shall transact business in their own houses, but only at the cutchery. Monthly accounts shall be transmitted to their respective Cutcheries, and the state of the district shall be reported every week.

42. Whenever commissions or orders of Government shall be issued from the Dewan of your Cutchery, at the Huzzoor, and the Tokuree Cutchery, immediate obedience shall be paid to them, on pain of the displeasure of Government.

43. The Reyuts of villages are accustomed to expend their money upon travellers, and in celebrating festivals: they are now forbid to spend their money upon travellers; and it is ordered that when Reyuts are desirous of expending money in this way, they shall only be allowed to expend one pagoda out of one hundred in every village; there is no occasion for them to spend more.

44. You are to see that the people belonging to the Athoonee are regularly mustered, and are to pay them their wages into their own hands, according to the establishment: Houlcundayah land shall not be given them.—[Here follows a repetition of the 6th article.]

45. At the time of making the Jummabundy of the district, suitable dresses shall be presented to the Reyuts and Putteels, &c. the cost of which will be passed in the accounts.

46. For keeping the accounts of the district, the Serishtadars and Shamboges are to be allowed the daily expenditure of one quire of coarse paper, and one dek of lamp oil. Whatever is really expended out of this allowance, shall be passed in the accounts: the Shamboges are to take care in future, not to write upon kirrit^*; accounts written upon paper will be attended to; and not accounts written upon kirrit.

47. The Naikwars of the Coondachar take bribes from the Putteels, &c. and become securities for them to Government; it is now forbidden to accept of the Naikwars as security, the security of respectable Putteels and Shamboges is to be taken.

48. Aumils, Serishtadars, Shamboges, &c. when they visit the villages, have been accustomed to take Aloofa^†, &c. from the Reyuts. There is no need to do this in future; and whoever shall transgress in this respect, shall fall under the displeasure of Government. There is also no occasion to supply with fuel, &c. the Oolkees who are sent by Government to collect the Tullub: neither is there occasion for the Reyuts to give fuel, &c. to your people who go into the villages to collect money: the Putteels of the villages are to be strictly enjoined to prevent the consumption of firewood^*: if any person shall expend this article, the Aumil shall be made to account for it.

49. After the Aumil shall have arrived in the district, if, owing to his oppression, any of the Reyuts who were in the country upon his arrival shall abscond, the Aumil shall be made to pay twenty pagodas for every plough of a respectable Reyut who has fled, and ten pagodas for every plough of the poor Reyut.

50. You are to ascertain from whom balances of former years are due: from those who have the means to pay, you are to enforce the payment of the full amount, and from such as are poor, you are to receive payment by installments—Reyuts who have fled the country are to be encouraged to return, and the balances due from them are to be recovered by gentle means; and where balances are due from Reyuts who are dead, you are to recover it from their Zindigee^*, if they had any; and if not, you are to take a Mochulka^† from the Putteels and Reyuts of the village, and write them off in your accounts.

51. If any person shall deliver in a statement containing charges of corruption against the former or present Aumils, Serishtadars, Shamboges, &c., or against the farmers or Putteels, the parties shall be made to appear, and the money shall be recovered from them. If any altercation arises, reference shall be made to the Huzzoor and to your Cutchery; and whatever directions may be issued from thence shall be obeyed. If in future, upon such charges being preferred, you shall conceal and not examine them, and it should come to the knowledge of the Huzzoor and be proved, you shall not only be made to pay the money in question, but also be fined.

52. There are many Koruchywaurs, thieves, and highway robbers, in your district: you are to find them out and apprehend them, with their women and children; and having selected from them all the young boys and girls who are wanted by Government as slaves, you shall provide them with a suitable allowance for their diet, at the rate of one seer of rice and one pice per day, one with another, and send them with great care, under charge of the Kelladar, to the Huzzoor; the remainder, you shall cause to be bound by the waist with ropes, and employ them in carrying earth for the service of Government; and you shall allow each of them one dek pokhta of flour of Raugy, and a copper Causs^*. You shall also report their condition to the Huzzoor, and to your Cutchery; and obey such orders as shall be issued to you respecting them.

53. If any traveller, or person who is heirless, &c. shall die within your district, his property shall be seized for Government; and if any person shall take possession of the property of one who has died without leaving an heir, enquiry shall be made, and twice the value shall be taken from him; and if afterwards an heir to the property should appear, it shall be delivered over to him, and his receipt be taken for it.

54. The horses and bullocks belonging to Government are kept in your district to graze: you are to consider the care of these cattle as a charge of the first importance. If the Aumil, Killedar, Serishtadar, Shamboges, &c. shall make use of a horse or a bullock belonging to Government, five hundred rupees for each horse, and twenty pagodas for each bullock shall be taken from the persons who made use of them, and they shall be dismissed from their offices, and be turned out of the country.

If any person who finds a stray horse or bullock bearing the Government - mark, shall detain it in his own possession, you shall punish such person.

55. If any person belonging to the army shall take up his abode in your district, without having a pass from Government, he shall be seized, and information thereof shall be sent to the Huzzoor, from whence whatever order is issued in the matter shall be obeyed. Merchants and people of the country are not to be stopped because they have not passes; but public servants, and other persons are not to be suffered to go without one: the observance of this rule is to be enforced at every village.

56. You are to ascertain the exact distance between every town and village throughout your district, and the number of wells in which there is water, and the number of those that are dry on the roads; as also what thickets, hills, streams, embankments, plains, and tanks there are in the way, and what particular spots are fit for halting-places for an army. An account of these particulars is to be made, and kept in the duftur, and one copy thereof is to be transmitted to the Huzzoor, and one copy to your Cutchery.

57. Whenever the bullocks employed in the service of Government shall be sent into your district for Kulthee, if there is Kulthee ready in the Cusbah,^* you are, without a moment’s loss of time, to fill it into bags, and deliver it: and if the grain shall be in the villages, you are, in the course of five or six days, to have it brought in, and delivered in bags, taking a receipt for it; and the bullocks are to be immediately dispatched with the grain. In case of a single day’s delay, you are to consider yourself as answerable for the hire of these cattle. When you dispatch the bullocks, you shall, at the same time, write information of the distance which the army may be from your district.

58. A commission upon the Jummabundy of your district, (exclusive of the Enaum, Deostaun, Akrar, &c. lands,) of a quarter of a fanam Kunteeroy^* upon every pagoda is allowed, for discharging the pay of the Aumil, Peischears, Beasps,^† and Munnicaurs. It is expected that you keep up the full establishment of Munnicaurs and Beasps, and pay them their fixed allowances, and taking the remainder for your own wages, fulfil your duty. If you keep more or less than the establishment of Beasps and Munnicaurs, you shall refund the difference of the wages. The Aumil, and other officers in the revenue department, shall not trade; if they do, they will be made to forfeit double the amount of the concern in which they are found to be engaged.

59. Rules to be observed in purchasing articles that are required for the service of Government:

A monthly price-current shall be made with the assistance of the Sithee, Wurtuk, Cotwaul, &c., for the Bazars in your district, which price-current shall be signed and sealed by you.

If Kootshee^* sells in the Bazar, by the price current, at 15 Deks for a Fanam, you shall take it at the rate of 17, and pay the money to the merchant, taking his receipt; and where the established price of rice, tooir, moung, &c. shall be 10 Deks for a Fanam, you shall take 11. And the following are the rules to be observed in the purchase of articles which are sold by weight:

If the price of Ghee, oil, and iron utensils, &c. shall be at the rate of 2 pagodas per uttul,^† you shall deduct a Fanam out of every Pagoda, and pay the purchase money; one Fanam out of every Pagoda shall also be deducted from the price of cloths, sheets, blankets, thread, &c., and the purchase money shall be paid to the merchant, taking his receipt specifying the particulars.

60. You are to keep up an establishment of bullocks in the service of Government in your district, at the rate of 2 bullocks for every thousand pagodas of your Jummabundy; and you are to allow one pagoda Kunteeroy per month for the hire of each: whatever goods or articles are required for the service of Government, are to be transported upon these bullocks, every one of which is to carry a load of 90 full deks, or a weight of 6 uttuls; and these bullocks, when conveying goods, are to travel at the rate of 4 Sultaunee kurohs a day, and at the rate of 6 kurohs a day when returning unloaded. You are to provide pads and saddles, and one man to every two bullocks for the care of them; and you are never to keep these bullocks unemployed, but be constantly and successively sending them with loads of goods.

Whenever these bullocks shall be wanted by Government, you are to collect them together, and send them in a drove, with an account of them.

If any of these bullocks should be of a small size, you are nevertheless not to diminish their loads: the proprietor of such bullocks must either bear the load himself, or find bullocks that will carry them.

61. If a greater quantity of kulthee, or other articles shall be ordered, than can be transported to the army, to the Moodeekhana^*, or to Agran puttun, upon the bullocks in the service, others are to be hired for the occasion; and the rate of hire to be paid for them, is one Fanam for every distance of 4 Sultannee Kurohs which they may travel; and each of these hired bullocks is to be dispatched with a load of 105 full deks of grain, or eight uttuls in weight. The hire, as above fixed, is to be paid, and a receipt to be taken. Frequent applications are not to be made to Government about paying hire.

62. Formerly the customs were made a separate farm; but this farm is discontinued, and the customs are to be collected at each Moza throughout the district, and are to be included in the Jummabundy.

63. The Deostaun lands are all to be resumed throughout your district; and after ascertaining to what Simpts^* they formerly appertained, you shall re-annex them, and include them in the Jummabundy of those Simpts.

64. Whenever the towers and fortresses of the villages in your district are surrounded by hedges of Sikakauhee and Cujcu, you are to raise behind such hedges, other hedges of Boha trees, otherwise called the Munjeenaur; where there are no such hedges as above described, you are to make them of Sikakauhee, Cujca, and Boha.—You are also to enclose plantations and fields with the Boha, and give strict orders that no one shall break them without permission from the Aumil. You are to make the Reyuts deliver annually a quantity of Boha,^* in the proportion of 5 Utteels to every 1000 pagodas in the Jummabundy of your district, and are to send it to your Cutchery upon the bullocks which are kept in the service of Government.

65. The repairs of such forts, &c. as belong to the Ummul, are to be made by the Aumil; and the repairs of those which belong to the department of the Coondachar and Kelladar, are, according to the regulations, to be made by the Kelladar—but the whole expence of these last repairs is nevertheless to be entered in your accounts of buildings.

66. The Aumil of the district shall first take a firelock himself, and shall require of the Reyuts, and of the Musslemaun, Mahrattah, and other inhabitants of the Cusbah, that every house shall furnish one man with a firelock, and on every Friday these men shall be assembled before the Aumil, and made to go through the exercise.— And in every village throughout the district, the inhabitants shall be required to keep firelocks, and to assemble and go through the exercise every Friday; and every absentee shall be fined in the sum of 5 —Regular muster-rolls and accounts of the fines are to be kept and transmitted to the Huzzoor: these fines are not to be included in the Jummabundy.

67, In the fort, there is a house belonging to Government, appointed for the Cutchery: besides this, if there should be any other house belonging to Government, for the residence of the Kelladar and Aumil, well and good; otherwise houses, containing each of them twenty Cheshmais,^* shall be erected at the distance of 50 Deras from the Cutchery, at the expence of Government, for the Kelladar and Aumil, and they are to be kept in repair by Government—One of these buildings is for the residence of the Kelladar, and the other for the Ummuldar; and whoever happens to be the Aumil and Kelladar shall occupy them; there is no occasion for more than twenty Cheshmais in each. The Kelladar and Aumil shall sit and transact their business together in one of the Cheshmais of the Cutchery— If there is no Cutchery in the fort, a Cutchery containing 7 Cheshmais shall be built, and they shall both transact business in it.

68. If the Reyuts, in discharge of their rents, shall offer gold, silver, copper, or brass, these articles are not to be disposed of to traders, but are to be purchased for Government, according to the price-current of the Bazar; and to be entered in the accounts of the office, and to be forwarded with the account of them to the Cutchery at the same time with the supplies of stores. If in breach of this rule you shall allow these articles to be disposed of to merchants, and receive the purchase money on account of Government, you will incur the displeasure of Government.

69. The Cauzees and other respectable Mahomedans, and such as follow the profession of arms, shall be exempted throughout your district from the payment of any house tax, or tax upon grain and other things which they may bring from the country for their food.

70. You shall seize all Padres, and Cullistauns^* that are to be found within your district, and send them under a guard to the Huzzoor—and you shall enquire and ascertain what Zindigie, grain, cattle, land, and plantations, &c. they possess, and shall sequester the whole there of for Government; and you shall deliver over the lands and plantations to other Reyuts, whom you shall encourage to cultivate them, as, in case they are not cultivated, you will be required to make good what they should have produced—In future, if any person of the cast of Cullistaun shall take up his abode in your district, you shall, according to the above directions, seize him, with his family and children, and send him and them to the Huzzoor.

71. The following rules are to be observed in firing salutes on days of rejoicing, and in celebrating victories, &c.: on the day appointed for celebrating festivals, victories, &c., the guns are to be fired at the tenth Gurry of the day; and salutes to the Sultaun are to be fired at the time when he is passing in state: salutes for victories obtained by commanders of troops, are to be fired according to order.

The occasions upon which salutes are to be fired, and the number of guns at each, are as follow:

72. Wherever there are Mosques in your district, there are Cauzees, Moolas, and Mozins. You shall transmit a statement of the allowances given to these persons, and the Enaum lands held by them, under yours and the Kelladar’s seals, to the Cutchery; and continue them according to their Sunnuds—You are to collect together the children of the Mahomedan inhabitants of the Cusbah, &c., and cause them first to be taught calculation and accounts, and afterwards to read books; and you shall keep and transmit an account of all children who are instructed in reading; whoever will become a Mussulmaun, the Cauzee shall initiate him, and his name shall be written down on the list of the faithful: care is to be taken that no other person than the Cauzee shall, in his own house, make converts of male or female slaves—wherever there is no Mosque, a Mosque of 5 Cheshmais shall be built, and Moolas entertained at a monthly allowance of 10 Fanams, and a quantity of ground yielding 10 Fanams shall be granted for the purpose. The Putteels shall also furnish a daily quantity of oil, weighing 2 Fulooces,^* to light the Mosque; and land for the support of the expence of the oil shall likewise be appropriated, and the Moolas shall be enjoined to instruct the Mahomedan children in reading, and shall read prayers to the Mahomedan inhabitants.

73. Every person who shall become a convert to the Mahomedan faith, if he be a Reyut, shall only pay half the usual assessment, and shall be exempted from the payment of house tax; and if he is a dealer in merchandize, his goods shall pass duty-free. Beside this, there are other rules laid down in the regulations for the Cauzees of the Simpts, a copy of which you must obtain from the office, and adhere to them.

Heretofore the measure of a Khundee has been of various capacities; they are all now to be discontinued, and the following standard of measure is fixed—The weight of 30 Fanams Kunteeroy is one rupee; 24 rupees make one light Dek^*; 3 and ½ light Deks are equal to one full Dek^† weighing 84 rupees; 16 full Deks make one Kuro— and 20 Kuros one Khundee. It is ordered that according to this standard, measures shall be made in all the districts, with Government-stamps upon them; and that all grain be bought by these measures filled to the brim: that the weight may be exact to a single Dek. It is also ordered that all the old wooden measures be broken, and that the old weights and measures of iron, &c. be delivered up to Government.

A Rupee is to be denominated Joze; a Kuro, Beyd; and a Khundee, Ahia; and by these new names they are to be expressed in all accounts.

75. The former names of Seer, Derra, and Maund are to be discontinued; and throughout all the districts, weights of the under-written names and standard are to be made, with the Government-stamp upon them, and to be every where used in their stead; and they are to be expressed in all accounts by the names now given; and all the old weights are to be thrown away.— The Seer is to be called Dek; and the Dek is to weigh 24 Rupees. The Derra is to be called Hub; and the Hub is to weigh 10 Deks. The Mun (Maund) is to be called Uttul; and the Uttul is to weigh 4 Hubs or 40 Deks.

76. A Derra Sheraiee has been fixed upon to be used in measuring lands, and in building fortifications, &c. It is sent to you, and you are to cause the measurement of lands, &c. to be made by this Derra. Thirty-two Derras are to make one Lub; and the measurement of all lands is to be expressed in Lubs.

77. The measure of the Derra is founded upon the Culma Teyeebee,^* in which there are 24 letters, and contains 24 Nirangushts;^† that is to say 24 Nirangushts make half a Derra Sultaunee, and 48 Nirangushts make a complete Derra. The measure of a Nirangusht is determined as follows: 10 grains of fine rice, weighing 6 Tahas, make 1 Nirangusht Jowan;^* 7 grains of coarse rice, weighing 6 Tahas, make 1 Nirangusht; 7 grains of wheat, weighing 4 Tahas,^† make 1 Nirangusht; 3 Nirangushts make 1 Gerra; 8 Gerras ½ a Derra; and 16 Gerras 1 Derra.

77. The following Royal standard is fixed for the measure of distances:

Two Gurries make one Kuroh; and 3000 military paces are equal to one Gurrie, each pace being the length of one Derra Sultaunee; so that 6,000 Sultaunee Derras make one Kuroh, or a journey of 2 Gurries.

Orders are to be given to the Reyuts on the confines of every village, to measure, with Sultaunee Derras, all the roads, both high roads and bye roads, and to mark every Kuroh by planting a Burrh-tree on the right hand side, and a Goolar and Neem tree on the left hand side of the roads, at those distances; and they are to be enjoined to be particularly careful of the preservation of these trees.

You are to pay hire for the carriage and conveyance of goods according to these Kurohs.

78. If there are ten iron-founderies in your district, you are, by encouragement, to increase them to double the number; and according to the indents and musters sent from the Huzzoor, you are to have iron Dubas^* and steel Kuhuttees^† made and forwarded. Whenever an order comes to your Cutchery for iron shot and Dubas, you are to forward them without the smallest delay. Ironmongers may make all sorts of implements of iron, but you are to take care that they do not sell shot. You are also to ascertain where there are mines of iron and steel, and obtain from thence the utmost possible quantity of each of those articles, which you are to take the greatest care of.

79. You are to purchase saltpetre at the rates under mentioned, and forward it, according to the indents which may be sent for it, from your Cutchery.

There are four kinds, viz:

80. The names of the Ana^†, &c. which have been fixed by Government, are as follows: and they are to be written in this way in all accounts.

9 Teys, make 1 Uddbah; 5 Uddbahs, 1 Beh; 7 Behs, 1 Aya; 16 Ayas, 1 Taha; and 16 Tahas, 1 Fanam.

So that 1 Fanam consists of 256 Ayas, or 1792 Behas, or 8360 Uddbahs, or 40,680 Teys.

81. There are vintners’ shops in your district; whenever you find four of these shops, you shall suppress two of them; and double the tax upon the remaining two.

82. In your district there are shops for the sale of inebriating liquors made from herbs, upon which you shall double the tax which has been heretofore collected from them.

83. Formerly there were plantations, villages, and houses, &c. under the control of the Kelladar. They are no longer to be continued so, and the plantations and the Cutwaul of the villages, &c. are placed under your direction. If a habitation is wanted for one of your people, you shall cause the house of some person who is heirless, and who may be desirous of selling his house, to be made over to him by sale; taking care that the purchase money for it is paid to the proprietor. You are not to give a house which is the property of one person to another. The people who are under the Kelladar, in the service of Government, are employed as sentries, and in guarding stores: and it is not proper to allow them to have any thing to do with plantations or civil concerns. This order has been also inserted in the regulations for the Kelladars. All plantations, &c. which have heretofore been under the control of the Kelladar, are to be resumed and put under the Athoonee management.

84. The people of the Athoonee and Ahashaum are not to be paid their wages, by Tunkhaus upon the villages, but you shall pay them in ready money, and into their own hands, under the pain of the displeasure of Government.

85. All the lame and blind in your district are wanted to work at the^* Bhutakushee, &c. You are therefore to collect them together, and having given them an allowance for travelling charges, you are to send them to your Cutchery, and take a receipt for them. You are also to find out^† or phan children, and giving to each of them one full Dek of rice, and one Fulooce, you are to send them to the Huzzoor.

86. It has been the practice in the districts, for Government’s principal servants, Teajecaurs^‡, &c. to take villages and lands in farm. You are directed to annul all such farms, and to give the lands to the Reyuts to cultivate. In future you are upon no account to farm out villages or lands to persons of this description; a breach of this order will incur the severest displeasure.

87. It has been a practice in the districts, for the Mokuddums and Reyuts, &c. to pay a bribe of 50 or 100 pagodas a year to the officers of Government, for orders upon the Aumils and farmers to exempt them from being pressed. You are to make strict inquiry into this matter in future; and having found out the persons who shall have taken this bribe, you are to make such of them as are upon the spot refund the money, and pay it into Government. And if the persons who have taken it shall be at the Huzzoor or other places, you shall send an account thereof to the Huzzoor, that it may be levied from them.

88. People belonging to the Athoonee have frequently occasion to go from one village to another upon public business: in that case when they are to pass in and out of the fort, you are to address a note to the Kelladar, and require a pass for them from him, which you are to send to the gate, and you are to call the people before you and examine them; and observe the same rule when you send them out; and you are to note down your observance of this rule in your journal.

89. The bullocks of Government which appertain to the Imerut Mihil are sent to your Cutchery to be trained: you are to deliver them in charge to the Putteels of the villages; and whenever there may be Punna^* belonging to Government, the bullocks are to be trained to the draught by yoking them to the plough thereof; and when there is no Punna belonging to Government, they are to be yoked to the ploughs of the Putteels. If the Shamboges or Reyuts shall presume to yoke them to their ploughs, a fine shall be exacted of 20 pagodas for every bullock so yoked. Strict orders are also to be given to the Putteels to take the Government bullocks every day to the Jungle, and to bring them back in the evening, and to picket them in their stalls within the fort, and feed them well. Whenever an order comes from your Cutchery for bullocks, you are to furnish them immediately.

90. A new establishment of Munnicaurs Shamboges, Beasps, &c. has been fixed for the district: they are to be kept up according to that establishment, and the performance of their duties to Government is to be exacted from them. If any of the old or new Shamboges or Serishtadars are unfit for their offices, you are to report the matter to the Huzzoor, and adhere to such order as you shall receive thereupon.

91. It is ordered that a quantity of straw be annually gathered together in your district, in the proportion of one Kiar to every pagoda of the land tax, (or Jummabundy, exclusive of custom, house tax, &c.) The Kiar to consist of a Pushtara^* of the circumference of 3½ Derras; and two such Pushtaras making one load: and you are to gather it in this proportion from all the villages, and require the Mokudums and farmers, during the period of making the collections, to see it gathered in the villages, and preserved with care.

If the stable horses, or artillery bullocks shall be sent to your district to graze, you are according to order to deliver the straw in Kiars of the above measurement, and take receipts for it. There is no occasion for the servants belonging to the stables to go themselves to the villages and collect straw as they please. The Sair horsemen must also take straw from the Reyuts by equitable purchase, and not by violence, the observance of this rule is enjoined to them in their regulations. If any person takes straw by force, you are to seize him and send him to the Huzzoor; and if you cannot seize him, you are to ascertain his name, and the name of his Risaladar and Jemadar, and report them to the Huzzoor, that he may be sent for and punished. Whatever quantity of straw, accumulated for Government, shall remain at the end of the year, over and above the quantity required for consumption, is to be sold, and the money produced by the sale is to be paid in to Government. The Reyuts are to be forbid to sell any straw without your order.

92. It is ordered, that in every district which pays 1000 pagodas, the Reyuts shall keep four brood-mares. You are accordingly to select such of the Reyuts from all the villages in your district as are trustworthy men, and who understand the keeping and care of horses, and equally distribute amongst them the charge of keeping a number of mares in proportion to the Jummabundy of your district. If the Reyuts shall require pecuniary assistance to enable them to purchase mares, you must let them have it at the rate of 100, 150, or 200, rupees for each. A number of horses are brought for sale to the Nurputty^* Jatira^†, and the Reyuts may purchase and bring them from thence. Two stallions have been sent by Government into every district to breed from, and you must issue strict injunctions that all the mares shall be covered by these stallions, and not by other horses. Whenever foals are brought forth, you are to send for the owner, and advance money to him, at the rate of 100 rupees for each foal, to enable him to feed them; and you are to direct the following mode to be observed in feeding them: for the first month the foal is to be fed with 3 Deks of milk every day; from that time till it is six months old, one light Dek of butter, and one full Dek of flour of vetches is to be given daily, mixed with the milk; after the end of the six months the milk is to be discontinued, and in addition to the flour of vetches and butter, two full Deks of Coulthee is to be given to the foal, until it has attained the age of one year, from which time the flour and butter are to be left off; and till the next year the foal is to be fed with 4 Deks of boiled Coulthee.

During the first year the foal is to be tied with a string, and suffered to go with its dam to graze; and after that period, if it is a colt, it is to be separated from the dam, and suffered to graze by itself with a string about its neck; but if it is a filly it need not be separated from its dam.

A brood-mare is to be fed with 3 Deks of boiled Coulthee every day. The foals, both colts and fillies, are to be backed and broke as soon as they have attained the age of one year and a half, and at two or three years they are to be sent to the Huzzoor for examination, when they will be purchased at suitable prices, from 200 to 500 rupees each; and after deducting the sum which may, as above mentioned, have been advanced by Government, the balance will be paid to the owner.

If a Reyut is desirous of selling his horse elsewhere, he is not to do so without the knowledge of the Aumil, and is not to take a less price than 200 rupees, but may sell him for more than that sum; and out of the price which he receives he is to pay back to Government the advance which may have been made to him. Every Aumil who shall keep up a greater number of brood-mares in his district than he is required to do by this regulation, will merit the approbation of Government.

You are desired to send all the colts which are now to be found in your district of two years old, with their owners, to the Huzzoor, that, after being examined, a proper price may be given for them.

You are again desired to be strictly attentive to the orders contained in this rule; and you are moreover directed to keep a regular account of the brood-mares and foals that are with the Reyuts, and you are also to provide the food of the stallions that are given by Government, and take care that they are kept in high condition, so that they may propagate the species.

93. Tobacco has hitherto been prepared with spirits and other destructive things to increase its strength; this is forbid, and it is ordered that tobacco shall only be prepared with Jaggree^*. Let an injunction to this effect be laid upon all the people of the district.

94. Heretofore Turmeric has been boiled with cow-dung. This is forbid, and it is ordered that in future Turmeric shall be boiled with red oker throughout your district.

95^*. All the rules necessary to be observed are laid down in this code, and are to be adhered to. If any case shall occur not provided for, requiring reference to the Huzzoor, let such reference be made; and the order issued in consequence be obeyed.

96. The following rates are established for the purchase and sale of gold, silver, and copper, the observance of which you are to strictly enjoin to all shopkeepers, shroffs, and traders, in your district. And whenever these articles are purchased for Government, they are to be taken at 1 or 2 Tahas under this rate; and as the value of the gold happens to be greater or less by the assay, so shall the price be greater or less, in the proportions hereunder fixed:

97. Whenever sheep belonging to Government are kept to graze, you shall every year cause them to be shorn; and you are to receive charge of their wool from the Derogha of the Imerut Mihil, with a specification of its weight, and are to give a receipt for it. This wool you are to deliver to Nadaufs^*, at fixed wages, to work it into the best felt, and are to send the felt through your Cutchery to the Huzzoor. If good felt cannot be made, you are then to forward the wool to your Cutchery, and take a receipt for it.

98. Such of the cattle and sheep as have got the rot, you shall deliver to dealers in leather, and cause them to tan and prepare the leather, which you are to take for Government, and transmit it to your Cutchery; and you shall let the tanners take the flesh of the animals instead of other pay, which you are not to allow them.

99. Heretofore merchants and traders under this Government have been accustomed to go to the dependancies of Cheenapatam^† to purchase salt and other articles. All intercourse with that province is now forbid: and you are to notify to the merchants, that salt abounds in Khoshaulpore, Kooriaul, Dhonavir, Merjaun, Angola, and other places at the foot of the Ghauts, dependent on Nagore, and in the dependancies of Calicut; and direct them to go to whichever of these places is nearest to that of their residence, for the purchase of salt, and not to go to the dependancies of Cheenapatam.

If any merchant, in disobedience of this order, shall privately go into the Cheenapatam province, for the purchase of salt, &c., you shall, after enquiry, seize his Zindigaunee^* with his cattle, and also the salt, for Government; and moreover fine the offender, and threaten him so as to deter him from the like offence in future.

If merchants belonging to Cheenapatam province shall come into the dependancies of this Government, for the purchase or sale of goods, salt, &c., you shall make them prisoners, and seize their cattle and goods for Government; and you shall report the matter to the Huzzoor, and attend to such order as shall be given.

100. You are to keep up the full number of express Hircarrahs fixed in the establishment of your District, and in concert with the Kelladar and the Mutsuddee of both departments, you are to pay them severally their fixed wages and allowance for lamp-oil and paper, taking receipts from them.

The rate at which they are to travel, is determined to be one Kuroh Sultaunee in one Gurry and a half. Addresses and letters from the Dewanee, Bukshee, and the Ahashaum Cutcheries, &c., and articles for the use of Government, are to be forwarded by these expresses; and letters and goods of other persons are not to be sent by them: if any person shall infringe this rule, he shall be punished, and measures are to be taken to prevent it in future.

101. In the villages of your district, there are Fakeer’s booths: many of these Fakeers have a practice of administering intoxicating liquors and herbs to the inhabitants and passengers, you are to lay strict injunction upon such Fakeers as have already got fixed booths, to refrain from this mischievous practice; and whoever shall notwithstanding persevere therein, is to be expelled the country; you are also not to suffer any more Fakeer’s booths to be erected in the villages in future.

102. Formerly it has been a practice for the Aumil and officers of Government, and other people, to purchase and sell abandoned girls and orphan children, &c. and abandoned girls have frequently been taken into the Deostan.^* In future they are not to be sold abroad, or to be lodged in the Deostan, but are to be collected together for Government; and you are to send them through your Cutchery to the Huzzoor, allowing them each at the rate of one full Dek of rice, and one Fulooce, until their arrivals at the presence.

103. During the time of war and tumult, the Aumil and Kelladar shall cause their families to remain at the seat of Government, and shall themselves be in their forts attending to their duties.

104. In your district there are banker’s shops established under the control of the Milikatugar^*: you are to give the Shroffs and clerks the allowance which is fixed underneath, and you are to advance to each of them 1000 Pagodas, to enable them to deal in gold, silver, and copper, &c.

If any other Seethee^† or Wurtuck, shall, in future, of himself, deal in these articles according to the mode practised heretofore, he is to be considered as a defaulter to Government, and be fined; if they deal with the Shroffs appointed as above by Government, there is no objection to it.

105. An establishment of Peons and Camatis^*, &c., stationed at the fort for the service of the Ahashaum^†, has been fixed by the Huzzoor; and it is ordered that the Kelladar and Aumil, attended by the officers of both their departments, shall sit together once in every two months, and muster them: and after dismissing all such of them as are old and infirm, shall draw out a muster-roll of the remainder, and pay them their wages six times in a year into their own hands; and they shall also receive, into the service, able young men as recruits, and pay them their wages in the same manner. It is also ordered that muster-rolls and abstracts of their pay be transmitted by you once in every two months, under your seal and signature, to the Huzzoor and to your Cutchery. If, upon examination by the Naikwarries, it shall appear that old and infirm men, or such as are under age, are kept in this service, the amount of their pay, as well as a fine, will be exacted from you.

106. Houlcundaya land is given to the Condachar^* Peons in lieu of wages—with this land the Balcundaya or waste land is intermixed. You are to enquire into this matter, and leaving with the Peons the cultivated land, you are to discontinue the Balcundaya or waste land, and in lieu thereof are to give them land which has lain fallow 5 or 6 years, and is become fit for cultivation, so as to make up the full quantity to them according to their establishment; distributing it to them individually through the Kelladar and Mutsuddies

Whenever one of these Peons dies, you are to enlist one of his brethren or family, who shall be fit for service, in his place; and deliver over to him the land and its produce; and if he shall have died heirless, the produce of his land, then on the ground, shall go to Government, and you shall enlist some able-bodied man, and deliver the land to him. When the produce of these lands are ripe, the Peishkaur, Aumil, and Munshoor, with the Mutsuddies of both departments, are to go and take an exact measurement of the produce, and having entered it in the accounts, give it up to the Peons.

Whoever shall keep waste land in his possession, is to be reproved and fined, and to be made to cultivate it. It is fixed that they (the Peons) shall be paid six times in a year; you shall therefore, every two months, settle their accounts, and after setting off half the amount of the produce of the land against the total of their wages, you are to pay them the remainder through the Kelladar, in ready money, so that it shall come into their own hands, and you are to take the Kelladar’s receipt for it.

If the Kelladar, Serishtadar, or Naikwaurs, shall keep the lands of the Peons in their own hands and cultivate them, the lands are to be taken from them, and they shall be made to pay double the value of the produce, together with a fine, to Government.

107. Whenever Peons are detached upon the affairs of Government, an account is to be kept of the time allowed them for absence. If they should exceed their time by one or two days only, no notice need to be taken of it; but if they should be still longer absent, their pay for the period of such absence is to be stopped and forfeited to Government.

108. You are ordered to keep up the full complement of Peons of the Ahashaum, according to the fixed establishment; and when men are wanted to complete their number, you are to make choice of those who are of the Byder cast, and of Reyuts who belong to the families of the old Peons, and also of able-bodied Peons who are out of the service. The Kelladar has received an order similar to this: it must be strictly adhered to, without deviation. You are to enlist the men and furnish them with their pay, and are to take a receipt from the Kelladar. In case men of the descriptions above mentioned are not to be had, you are to prevail upon poor Reyuts, who live 5 or 6 in a house together, to enlist; and are to complete the number of Ahashaum men and pioneers, who are wanted for the fort, from them. If you fail to complete these corps by some one of these ways, you will incur the severest displeasure.

109. The Kelladar, Munshoor, &c. are not to reside in the Government House. If there are any deserted houses in the fort, let one of 20 Cheshmais for the Kelladar, and one of 5 Cheshmais for the Munshoor, be put in repair at the expence of Government, and be given to them. If there are no deserted houses within the fort, let two buildings, containing the number of Cheshmais above specified, be erected for those officers. They have received orders to this effect, and you are to furnish a sufficiency of materials for building them, for which you are to take a receipt from the Kelladar. A house of 20 Cheshmais has also been ordered for the Aumil: not a single additional Cheshmais is to be made at the expence of Government. The houses belonging to Government, as well as the houses that have been deserted, are to be kept in repair at the expence of Government. If at any time a shop keeper or Shroff shall apply for one of the deserted houses, it is to be delivered to him, making him pay a certain price for it to Government.

110. If the Kelladar should occasion any obstruction to the civil authority, you are to address the Dewan of the Cutchery of your district, and get an injunction issued to him from the Bukshee, which you are to deliver to him. The officers of both Departments are strictly enjoined to conduct themselves so that no interruption shall be given to the service of Government; and if these orders are not attended to, and the business of Government should suffer injury, both will be called to account for it.

111. Supplies of wood and ropes, and articles for repairing the fort, are frequently wanted. The Kelladar will make his pioneers furnish such articles as are to be procured in the wilderness, free of cost; and you are directed to supply him with those which must be obtained by purchase, taking his receipt for them, which shall specify the price.

112. It rests upon you to keep up complete the number of men of the Athoonee and Askadam^*, so that the business of Government may go on without interruption. In case the full number should not be kept, and any delay should arise in the dispatch of the petitions and addresses to Government you will be made to answer for it.— An account of the arrivals of these people is to be kept also in the Kelladar’s office.

113. Houlcundaya land has been given to the Peons belonging to the fort: it is therefore ordered that, for the purpose of cultivating these lands, one half of the Peons shall have leave of absence once in every eight days, and the other half shall remain on guard, &c. in the fort: an exact and regular account is to be kept of all who are present and absent, and the pay of those who are absent is to be stopped during the period of such absence, for Government.— An order similar to this has been given to the Kelladar, and you are to see that he attends to it; and you are to report the number of Peons who are upon duty or absent, to your Cutchery and to the Huzzoor.

114. If the Peons of the Coondachar Peons are detached upon duty, within the district, to a distance not exceeding 40 Kurohs, there is no occasion to give them Batta; but if this distance shall be exceeded by even two Kurohs, you are to allow them Batta at the rate of 5 Kunteeroy Fanams per man, and you are to pay it to them pursuant to order from your Dewan Cutchery, and take their receipt for it.

115. The under-writen rules are to be observed in laying in provisions and stores:

The stores which are required for the principal and inferior fortresses, are mentioned in the regulations for the Kelladars: you are to transcribe those regulations, and having observed what kind of fort there is in your district, you are to deliver the full quantity of stores required for it to the Kelladar and Serishtadar, taking a receipt for the same. The quantity of lamp-oil for the service of the fort is included in the establishment of the Ahashaum, according to which it is to be daily given out; and at the periods when stores and provisions are deposited in the magazines, you are to lay in a proportionable quantity of oil, three fourths to consist of oil of Ricinus, and one fourth oil of Sesame.

If there should be any soldiers in the fort, you are, every 15 days, to give out to them a sufficient quantity of oil of Sesame, to clean their musquets with, taking a receipt for it.

The Kelladar will deliver to you out of the old stores such articles as are condemned, which you are to take and exchange with the shop-keepers. The Kelladar will also once in every year deliver to you all articles which have been hired, and all other articles once in three years to be exchanged, and you are to take and exchange them. You are to put into good repair the old magazines in which the grain is kept in store, and if there are no old magazines you are to build new ones sufficient to contain it.

Twelve articles of food for each person every day, are fixed as follows; and you are to supply them in the quantities and at the periods appointed in the orders relative to forts.

The following are the rules for establishing depots of provisions, &c.

116. If any of the Peons belonging to the Fort should accompany the Bukshee, Fogedar, or Sepadar, a distance not exceeding 20 Kurohs, to any place within the district, in war time, as escort, there is no occasion to give them diet-money; but if this distance is exceeded, they are, each man, to be allowed 5 Fanams. And also if they should be sent to fight or as guards beyond the limits of the district, to a distance of 20 Kurohs, they are each to be allowed 7 Fanams^*, which you are to pay upon its being ordered from your Dewan Cutchery.

Out of the unarmed Peons in your district, 6 men are ordered for every Dooley with 3 Korraries^† and 2 Cotias^‡: the bottoms of the Dooleys are to be made with the Boha rope. In this manner they are to be kept in readiness; and whenever an order comes for them from the Huzzoor, they are to be furnished immediately. A similar order has been given to the Kelladar, and you are to see that he obeys it.

118. No respect is to be shewn to persons who are born of slave-women and of prostitutes; and they are not to be associated with. They are moreover not to be taught to read and write. Teachers are to be forbid to instruct them; if any one shall instruct them, his tongue is to be cut out. Porsons of the above description may marry amongst themselves, but shall not be permitted to marry into respectable families.

119. If any person, whether before marriage or after marriage, shall keep a prostitute or female slave, you shall, after ascertaining the fact, take the slave for Government; and if any person objects to it, he will be punishable.

120. A scrap of paper is not to be trodden upon: this injunction is to be particularly attended to; whenever scraps of paper are found they are to be buried in the earth.

121. Heretofore all persons have been accustomed after meals to wash their hands with flour of vetches, &c. and to rub their bodies with it when bathing: this is very improper, and it is forbid in future; and in place of flour of vetches, it is ordered that they shall use flour made of Nagur-Mootha^*; and all men are enjoined to obey this order.

122. You are to cause the name of your district to be stamped on alliron implements and shot which are made in your district; and are to send them through your Cutchery to Agran Puttun.

123. The following names are given to the Sultaunee months and years, by which they are to be expressed in the accounts: