Page:Gazetteer of the province of Oudh ... (IA cu31924073057345).pdf/325

 LUC 317 broken up 9 money rents. Sometimes the former are still taken for land being newly The rent begins low but is raised by fixed yearly increments till it reaches one-half of the produce. The system is called "hissai (by shares). It may commence at a tenth called "dasami," whence it advances by regular steps to one-eighth, one-fifth, one-fourth, and one- half“ athaiyyán," panchayyán," "chauthayyán," "batái.” But if the land is not bad, and requires less labour and capital, it begins at one-fourth, or if money be agreed on, it commences at one anna per bigha, and next year advances to two annas, and thence by yearly increments of two annas till it reaches one rupee, when it becomes subject to competition or agree- ment; or the rent may commence at four annas. Additional cesses.--- It may be interesting to mention some of the old customs that existed with reference to batai or division before they altoge- ther dic out. The zamindar exacted, in addition to his half, various cesses which he called the siwie and gaon-kharch. The first was the "arhaiya” or 21 sers kachicha, equal to one ser pakka, per maund for his village ex- penses proper, and was to recompense the zamindar for his trouble and expense of the chaukidar and patwári, and for the benefit of his protection. It amounted sometimes to so much as a panseri, five sers kachcha or two sers pakka. Next came the seri, or one ser per maund, half of which was for the patwari and lialf for the shahna or bailiff, who looked after the crop on behalf of the zamindar. The menri or mendi, or so much per field, usually an arhaiya or 21 sers, equal to one ser pakka, for the weighing man, but the zamindar took half of this. The cesses seem to late been originally levied on the principle that the landlord must have a full net half of the produce of the soil. Under these circumstances, it was impos- sible that cultivation on batái lands should be of a high quality, and in fact it never was. The commutation into money rents has worked so much good for the cultivator that he will get all the excess that his labour can procure. These cesses have fallen with the payment in kind, and are in- cluded in the rent. The cesses were never taken from the Brahman or Chhattri, the " bhala. mánus," the respectable man. And this has always been borne in mind in the fixation of his rent in money, which is always less than that of the common cultivator, though it will vary with the varying histories of. and the moral influence and status of, the Brahmans in the different parganas. In addition to this, the cultivator, and, indeed, all classes alike, had and still have another drain in the handful, the " anjuri," that is taken for the offerings. It is a double handful of grain taken out of each man's beap; they usually amounted to five-one for the parohit Bra hman, one for the faqir, one for the Bhát, one for the Máli, and one for the chaukidar. The whole amount is computed to amount to a panseri, or two sers pakka. But the anjuris varied; five would be the least. Tlicy can mount up to nine, which were given to the parohit, the faqir, the Bhát, the Máli, the Pási (chaukidar), the Malláh (boatman), a Gosháín, a Ganga- putr, to Bishundás, a Brahman of Lucknow, which was a special case.