Page:Gazetteer of the province of Oudh ... (IA cu31924024153987).pdf/268

 BAH

190

Looking once more

to the traces of ancient tenures in the west, it is by no means improbable that some of those intermediate Customary freehold ^g^urgg known as customary freehold, which are said by the jurists to exist only on lands that once formed a part of the king's domain, may, in their origin and nature, not differ materially from these muqaddami holdings.

In both cases the rights enjoyed were of various strengths, ranging from those of the freeholder down almost to those of the villein. It is not impossible that in the west the king would accord privileges to villeins setling on his own reserved lands, similar in character, though varying in degree, to those accorded by the lord to the members of the old proprietary community, just as in the east the nazim would be willing to grant to enterprising farmers of a good class, who might be induced to improve the state lands, a beneficiary interest in the villages so occupied by them similar to that held by ordinary zamindars, and similar also in kind to those rights which were accorded by the taluqdar to the members of an ex-proprietary community.

—

The

courts were open for the preferment of claims from the commencement of settlement operations in October 1865 until Keeord of rights. the 31st March 1871, a period of 6 J years, and their business may be said to have been concluded on the 30th September 1871.

During these

kinds have been adjudicated, a number which is sufficient of itself to indicate m^deUr that of other districts. I propose in going through the figures to make such remarks as seem necessary regarding each six years, 7,496 claims of all
 * ^e mildness of the litigation when compared with

class of cases.

Proprietary

—The greater portion

of the district being held under sanad, the claims to proprietary right were necessarily Claims to proprietary few at summary settlement only 259 villages were settled with others than taluqdars, and it is only in ufnumbeT''"^^^"^* the independent muhals that claims to the superior Of the 1,154 cases that fall under this head, 386 right were admissible. were merely formal claims preferred against Government, and the number of real suits is therefore reduced to 768 ; out of this number the claimants have been successful in 111 or in 14'6 per cent. right.



The result

of this litigation is, that of the 259 villages settled with others -o ftT.^ f '^^^^ taluqdars 10 have been decreed to taluqdars " ^ ^^d 35 have been decreed the property of Government. The remammg 214 are still held by nontaluqdars, and in 44 out of these the ownership has changed hands. 14.

thSaW

These mutations, however, are more apparent than real only forty-seven have actually changed hands throughout the whole district, com;

villages

prising 2,011 villages.

When

it is

noticed that at

settled with the taluqdars,

summary

settlement 1,760 villages were less than than 1,825 claims4o

and that now no