The agrarian system of Moslem India

Bibliographic data

Monograph

Identifikator:: 1804119261

URN:: urn:nbn:de:zbw-retromon-188010

Document type:: Monograph

Author:: Moreland, William Harrison http://d-nb.info/gnd/172263670

Title:: The agrarian system of Moslem India

Edition:: 2. ed. Reissue (d. Ausg. Cambridge) 1929; [Reprint]

Place of publication:: Delhi

Publisher:: Oriental Books, Munshiram Manoharlal

Year of publication:: 1968

Scope:: XVII, 296 S.

Digitisation:: 2022

Collection:: Economics Books

Usage license:: Get license information via the feedback formular.

Chapter

Document type:: Monograph

Structure type:: Chapter

Title:: Chapter VC. The seventeenth century

Collection:: Economics Books

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 fore- runner 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

Access restriction

Copyright

fullscreen: The agrarian system of Moslem India

Monograph

Chapter

Table of contents

Download

Monograph

Chapter

This page

Image fragment

Citation links

Citation recommendation