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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Chapter

Document type:: Monograph

Structure type:: Chapter

Title:: Chapter VII. The outlying regions

Collection:: Economics Books

190 THE AGRARIAN SYSTEM OF MOSLEM INDIA typical of the province. The story of these villages must be told at some little length, because it appears to furnish a clue to some of the early difficulties of British adminis- tration in other parts of India. As I understand the position, Englishmen were first brought into contact with agrarian matters in a region where the local terminology differed from that which was employed in the North; and the subsequent difficulties resulted to some extent from the application of this local terminology to regions where it was not previously in use. The story begins in the sixteenth century with the decay of the port of Satgaon, and the consequent migrations of its population. Most of the migrants moved to Hugli, which, as a centre of foreign trade, came practically into the possession of the Portuguese. At this time the country near Hiigli was largely unoccupied, and we are told that, betore the Mogul annexation, Portuguese individuals had obtained farms (ijdra) of portions of it at a low revenue. In view of the conditions which prevailed, it is reasonable to infer that these farms were in the nature of clearing- leases, that is to say, a fixed annual payment was accepted for vacant land, which the farmers had to bring under culti- vation in order to obtain a profit. These particular farms were apparently brought summarily to an end when Shah- jahin expelled the Portuguese from Higli; his orders specified that the intruders were to be exterminated, while in the course of the operations detachments were sent into the neighbouring villages “to send the Christians of the ijaradars to hell,” meaning, I suppose, the Christian tenants whom the Portuguese farmers had settled on the land. While, however, most of the migrants from Satgaon had moved to Higli, a few Hindu families had gone further down the river, and founded two settlements, which were named Govindpur and Sutanuti. They, or their successors, also obtained possession of an existing village named Deh-i Kalkata, and the three places can be spoken of as ‘‘ the three Towns.” in the phrase used in the early British records.? 1 Badshahnama, I, i. 434, 437. 2 The relevant records are abstracted in Early Annals, and Old Fort William. A copy of the sale-deed of the three towns is in the British Vinceum. Add. 24.039, No. 30

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