Page:Indian Journal of Economics Volume 2.djvu/407

 P UNJ,,IB LAND PIIOE$ 891 rights gave land a average price paid acres was en rupees marke for over per value, a aoro times he annual land revenue, In 1869-70 [he hundred [housand equivalen[ o By 1875-6, i[ 81 times [he 18 had land denied multiple" of 86 times [he land revenue. O[her fac[ors which a[ [his time exer[ed marked canals. bring [he price in as [ho " unprece- sold increased and 'The effect of the a influence on land prices were railways and The firs railway in t. he province was corn- menced in 1858 and was opened for raffic in 1862. The line from Lahore, he capital, o Mulan, which then had a connection by seamer wih' Karachi, was opened is 1865 and he province was linked up wih Bombay and Calcutta in 1888, by which time here were abou 1,100 miles open for raffic. Inundation canals existed before and were rapidly exended afterwards. schemes were rapidly pu in hand. Canal was opened in 1859 and he 1870, The vigorous extension of canals and con- sucfion of railways creaed a grea demand for labor which wss further intensified by he Afghan war of 1879-80. Prices rose considerably and in spie of he severe famine of 1868-9 and he scarcity of 1877-78, he' cultivating classes increased in pro,s- periy. The railway enabled large amounts of gram to be experled [o Bengal in 1878 and [o Madras in 1876 on [he' occasions of famine conditions in [hose two Presidencies, and shortly afterwards [he European he annexation Big irrigation The Bari Doab Sirhind Canal in rainfall, and bad crops, the the price fell to Rs, 17 an reduction of assessments 1882 o wha was hen was o regarded risen o Rs. 20 per acze or revenue. This rise was probably connected wih he heavy expor of grain o famine sricken Madras. I n he nex few years the province experienced shor