Page:Gazetteer of the province of Oudh ... (IA cu31924024153987).pdf/504

 FYZ

426

There for garden lands Rs. 3 per local bigha, or Rs. 15 per acre, la the present rate, although Rs. 2 is the highest rate in the villages around, For other where the Government revenue has been greatly augmented. The zamindars have instances of this, see Bahraich and Kheri articles. previously paid Rs. 660 for their sir lands, and are now paying Rs. 2,200 on 1,345 local bighas, or Re. 1-9-0 per local bigha. Everywhere I heard similar complaints, more or less wellfounded. The authorities are doing what they can to remedy this admitted evil. High rents are noxious because they reduce the standard of comfort and leave the tenant no store of grain wherewith to meet famine but rising or changeable rates are still worse, because the tenant then has no motive to dig wells, to manure properly, or to make a good house or stable. grant.



This year, 1874,

„,...",,, of the

Condition

1

people.

it

is admitted on all sides that the tenant and small have broken down. This is due to zamindar classes „ „.

.

.

,

,

a succession of mierior seasons and poor harvests, whose ill effects have been aggravated to a certain extent by a revenue demand which has been raised 33 per cent, under the recent arrangements. Mortgages and sales of property are universal groves, iields, cattle, have been disposed of. The complaint, too, is heard that they have had to sell their daughters, but this only means that they had to adopt a cheap, hasty, and secret form of marriage without the regular ceremonial, and this to The amount of mortgages and their minds is undoubtedly degrading. sales of immoveable property registered in 1872 was Rs. 7,95,838 in 2,076 transactions, sufficient evidence of the straits to which they are reduced. Groves of trees to which they are much attached have been sold at the rate of four annas per tree.

is described the vast mass of complicated petty rights which have overspread the land. It has been very costly and tedious to map out all these, and record the minute shares and shades of There have been in interest possessed by each owner or quasi-owner. Fyzabad the following claims to landed interests lodged up to September

Under tenures

and

interests

1872:— 5,284 12,294 7.032

Proprietary rigtt

Share in proprietary right ... Under-proprietary right in entire village TJnder-proprietary right in Miscellaneous.,.

sir,

1.3,092

&g.

25,653

Total

...

63,355*

Many, perhaps the majority of these, have been fought out in the law courts with pertinacity in successive appeals in a certain proportion of others, the decrees which were given have turned out worthless to those who won them. I speak from personal knowledge, having met with such and this is one of the recognised evils cases in many villages I entered In fine, the to combat which special arrangements have now been made. people are doubly depressed they are exhausted with the struggle, and the victors have found too late that the fruits of victory are often penury and eviction. An additional staff has been entertained by Government in order to investigate and amend these matters.






 * Settlement form No, IV.



Revenue Eeport, 1872-73.