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82 few of our forefathers took a different view of the question and thought that the ancestral estate was their own absolute property. Though in one sense the Zamindar had an absolute right by law in certain circumstances, it was not for him to alienate any part of it in his life-time. Not bearing the above fact in mind, some of our forefathers alienated several villages and lands belonging to the original Zamindari, or borrowed money to such an extent that after them large portions of the estate had to be sold for paying off the debts. Even to the present day many of the estates in our Presidency are involved in such heavy debts that large portions of them will have to be sold in order to save the remaining portions.

An ancestor of mine, whom I am very sorry to mention in this connection, had no children, and had three younger brothers, who all died childless too before him.