132 THE AGRARIAN SYSTEM OF MOSLEM INDIA

agrarian tranquillity; but it is impossible to disregard the
observations of Bernier, made in the opening years of
Aurangzeb’s reign, that by this time the pressure on the
peasants had become excessive, that agriculture was
suffering, and that the land was going out of cultivation.
The significance of these facts will become apparent when
we have examined the conditions disclosed by Aurangzeb’s
orders.

2. AURANGZEB’S ORDERS (1665-16609)

The agrarian situation in the early years of Aurangzeb’s
reign can be learned with some approach to precision from
two farmians, or general orders, issued from the Revenue
Ministry under the authority of the Emperor. The first
of these orders, which took effect from the 8th regnal year,
1665-6, was directed to secure ‘the increase of cultivation
and the welfare of the peasants.” The preamble contains
a description of the methods of assessment then in force in
the Reserved areas, and points out certain defects; a general
order follows, indicating the procedure to be adopted in
future; and then come 15 detailed clauses, constituting a
manual of practice, which was addressed primarily to the
provincial Diwan and his subordinates, but was intended
also for the guidance of the staff employed by assignees.
The second order was issued in 1668-9 with the specific
object of ensuring that, throughout the whole Empire, the
revenue should be assessed and collected in accordance
with the principles of Islamic Law; it deals mainly with
the action to be taken, and the attitude to be adopted,
towards individual peasants, constituting in effect a forerunner
 of the revenue and tenancy legislation of the British
period.
The extant copies of both orders are addressed to

1 The text of the farmins with translations was published by Professor
Jadunath Sarkar in J.A.S.B., June, 1906, p. 223 ff. Translations will be
found also in the same author’s Studies in: Mughal India, p. 168 ff., where
the known MSS. are enumerated. In the references below, I write R. for
the farman to Rashik Das, and H. for that to Muhammad Hashim. I
discussed these documents in J.R.A.S., January, 1922, but I had not
at that time detected the relation which the latter bears to the Fatdwa-i
Alameoiry