Page:The Marquess Cornwallis and the Consolidation of British Rule.djvu/40

34 of positive limitation, and fair solution of perplexing contradictions, has probably not been surpassed in any Minute, State Paper, or Proclamation on the subject.

'The Zamíndár appears to be a Landholder of a peculiar description, not definable by any single term in our language. A receiver of the territorial Revenue of the State from the Ryots and other under-tenants of the land: allowed to succeed to his Zamíndárí by inheritance, yet in general required to take out a renewal of his title from the Sovereign, or his representative, on payment of a peshkash or fine of investiture to the Emperor, and a nazaráná or present to his provincial delegate the Názim: permitted to transfer his Zamíndárí by sale or gift, yet commonly expected to obtain previous special permission: privileged to be generally the annual contractor for the public revenue receivable from his Zamíndárí, yet set aside with a limited provision in land or money, whenever it was the pleasure of the Government to collect the rents by separate agency or to assign them temporarily or permanently by the grant of a Jaghír or Altamghá; authorized in Bengal since the early part of the present century to apportion to the Parganás, villages, and lesser divisions of land within his Zamíndárí, the abwábs or cesses imposed by the Subahdar, usually in some proportion to the Standard Assessment of the Zamíndárí established by Todar Mall, and others; yet subject to the discretionary interference of public authority, to equalize the amount assessed on particular divisions or to abolish what appeared oppressive to the Ryot: entitled to any contingent emoluments proceeding from his contract during the period of his agreement, yet bound by the laws of his tenure to deliver in a faithful account of his receipts: responsible by the same