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

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Document type:: Monograph

Structure type:: Chapter

Title:: Chapter VC. The seventeenth century

Collection:: Economics Books

144 THE AGRARIAN SYSTEM OF MOSLEM INDIA 4. THE SCARCITY OF PEASANTS One feature of Aurangzeb’s orders remains to be noticed, the stress which is laid on the need for keeping, and for obtaining, peasants. In previous chapters we have seen that, from the thirteenth century onwards, extension of cultivation had been the most important item in the official policy of agrarian development; but the earlier declarations point to an increase in the size of holdings rather than in the number of peasants. Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq, for in- stance, wished to see the peasants extending their holdings year by year; and Akbar’s rules for collectors contemplate the same process, while the topic of absconding peasants finds no place in them. By Aurangzeb’s time, however, absconding had become a serious matter for the adminis- tration. It was to be examined in the course of each annual assessment, and great efforts were to be made to secure the return of absconders, as well as to attract peasants from all quarters (R. 2); while the detailed rules for dealing with the holdings of absconders (H. 3) suggest that cases for disposal must have been numerous. Judging from these orders alone, we should infer that at this period the limiting factor in cultivation was man-power rather than material resources, and it becomes necessary to look for the reasons why peasants had become scarce. There are no grounds for thinking that the population of Northern India was declining seriously at this period. Taking a general view of such facts as are on record, it may be said that throughout the country population tended to increase rapidly, subject to recurring checks from war, famine, and disease. During the first half of the seventeenth century, Northern India was, comparatively speaking, peaceful. There were indeed occasional rebellions and civil wars, but the destruction of life in the course of these incidents was not unusually great. The drain on man- power caused by the conquest of the Deccan was possibly substantial in the earlier part of the period, but after about the year 1630 there was not much serious fighting; while the Maratha trouble had not come to a head at the time when Aurangzeb’s revenue orders were issued. On the whole.

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