THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY 155

premiums in advance 1 and, speaking generally, we must
regard the period which followed the death of Aurangzeb
1s one in which men of these various classes were competing
with one another in a struggle for territorial position, and
the revenue which it brought. Rights to receive the revenue
could still be granted by the Emperor, but the power of
the Empire could not enforce his orders, and the right might
often be given to whoever had secured possession by force.
The results of these conditions were manifest when the
northern provinces came under British rule, as will be
described in the next chapter.
Before taking leave finally of the Assignment system, a
few words may be said regarding the practice of Valuation
uring the seventeenth century. The only reference I have
found in the chronicles to a formal revision is Jahangir’s
order (Tuzuk, 9) appointing a Diwan to revise the Valuation
of Bengal. There is no record of the result, but, as will be
oxplained in Chapter VII, there are indications that revisions
 were subsequently carried out in this province.
The maintenance of a general Valuation during the first
half of the century is established by various passages, some
of which are quoted in Appendix A, contrasting the Income
of a particular region with its Valuation. Some statistical
records? of the next century indicate obscurely that a change
in practice took place during the reign of Aurangzeb, for
figures for his Empire are given in three columns instead of
two. The first, which is headed jama-i dami, may safely
he taken as the formal Valuation, and the third (hdsii-¢
sanwdt) as current, or recent, Income; but the second
(hdsil-i kdmil), which is not explained in any document
within my knowledge, is more difficult to interpret. The
heading means “complete” or ‘‘perfect” Income, and
points to some sort of standard figure, but its nature, and
the method of its calculation, are matters for conjecture.
My own guess is that ‘perfect Income” is an office
abbreviation of “Income of the perfect year’; that is to

L In Farrukhsiyar’s reign ‘lakhs were realised by sale of farms of the
Reserved parganas’ (Khwafi, ii. 773). A little later, the practice of
farming was condemned as ruinous to the Empire (ii. 948), but it was
aot discontinued for long.
? “Oficial manuals’ (Dastiir-ul amai), Or. 1779 and 1842; Add. 6588.