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30 lime, he legitimately acquired a large fortune. In those days such a proceeding was perfectly honourable and fair.

In other instances the native tax-collector, employed at first by the Muhammadan Nawáb of Dacca and Murshidábád, was enabled to hand over the same privilege to his son or successor, and as the office thus had a tendency to become hereditary, it was in theory associated with vested rights. But it was often found to be sound policy to entrust the collection of the revenue to the representatives of the old landed aristocracy of Bengal, and Shore particularly mentions that at the time of the acquisition of the Provinces of Bengal and Behar, one million of revenue was contributed by the Zamíndárís of the Rájás of Bardwán, Rájsháhí, Dinápur, Nadiyá, Bírbhúm, Bishnupur, and Jessor. To this day some of their representatives are in the enjoyment of fine estates. Bardwán is the largest and most flourishing, but Nadiyá or Nuddea and Jessor are in the hands of the descendants of Shore's Rájás. By Rájsháhí is meant Nattor, an estate now very much reduced in size and wealth. The Zamíndárs of Bírbhúm and Bishnupur are sunk almost to destitution, owing to mismanagement, the dishonesty of servants, litigation, and general incapacity. In 1789 it was assumed that we were to make the Settlement with the Zamíndárs, who by descent, prescription, or privilege and use, had been in the habit of collecting rents from hundreds and